ADENA Hack: How to bundle AREC Media Stations with third-party products for conference rooms?

In our previous post, we looked at several ideas of how you could bundle AREC products to achieve the best results. But what about products from other manufacturers? Let’s focus on that this time, using LS-410 in a conference room as an example from our side.

The LS-410 is the perfect example to describe these ideas thanks to its many interfaces. Starting from the front panel, there are 2 USB ports that can be used for all kinds of devices. For instance, to export your videos or record directly on a flash drive, plug it into either of these ports. To easily control key features of the Media Station, you can connect a USB numeric keypad that is supplied with the station, or use any other keypad. Connect a computer mouse with USB, or an interactive display with a USB and HDMI from the back panel to use the station’s GUI. You could also use these ports to connect a camera or a microphone to capture audio and video.

Every standard conferencing AV hardware can be connected to the LS-410. For example, you could start by adding a hardware videoconferencing processor, like a Yealink MCore Pro Mini-PC, Poly G7500, or Avaya C190. This will let you record and stream conferences on the Media Station, mix them with other sources, and display them through any of the station’s outputs. 

And what better to mix these conferences with than a wireless content-sharing system, like Barco Clickshare or Mersive Solstice, letting every attendee beam their work without worrying about cabling? The station’s loop-through output will make sure that this content is visible to all, and you can output it in the highest quality on a big display, like the Clevertouch Impact Max 2. 

Add the remaining video sources by USB or network - LS-410 can work with 4 video sources simultaneously, allowing you to add multiple PTZ and ePTZ cameras from AREC or other manufacturers to capture every meeting participant.

The station’s support for Dante Audio makes it simple to connect professional audio inputs like Shure MXA920, while an array of balanced and unbalanced line/mic inputs ensures easy setup with analog microphones, like RADA Duo.

Finish the solution by personalising it for the user - add a controller, such as Q-Sys Core 510i, and show commands for all devices on its compact screen accessory, TSC-101-G3.

And that is just one of the many ways you can deploy LS-410 in conference rooms. You could also use the station as a webcam for any conference system through NDI|HX, HDMI-to-USB converters such as our RADA Bridge, or through the same and other videoconferencing hardware from brands like Yealink, Poly, and Avaya.

The Media Stations improve conferencing results greatly through their ease of use. You can add video sources, arrange them into premade or custom layouts, and combine these layouts with your graphics: corporate logos, backgrounds, images, links, QR codes, and so on. All of that works plug-and-play style and does not rely on any particular conferencing platform.

There is a lot more you can combine with AREC stations and numerous other applications where they shine. Stay tuned for the next ADENA Hack to read about bundle ideas for the education sector, and contact us at www.a-dena.com to find out more about our solutions!

Case Study: AREC Puts Lithuanian Startups in Spotlight for Better Pitching

Dear ADENA Partners, in this case study we highlight how Sunrise Tech Park in Lithuania is using the AREC Portable Media Set to record and stream events. By using the devices to showcase a variety of business and scientific project webinars and activities, the case demonstrates how easy AREC systems are to use for live production.

Sunrise Tech Park is part of the Sunrise Valley Innovation Ecosystem, a non-profit organisation. It was established to promote entrepreneurship, knowledge and technology exchange, and to attract investment in business ideas. It serves as one of the prime gathering places for scientific organisations and startups in Lithuania, thanks to its key location and partnerships.

Many of the gatherings organised by Sunrise Tech Park take place online or in hybrid form, using videoconferencing software to connect remote speakers. Knowing the significant impact of visual presentation on a successful business pitch, the park started looking for solutions that could enhance the visibility of speakers and give them greater control over how they present their content. Thanks to our partner Tenesys, Sunrise Tech Park chose the AREC Media Capture System for this purpose.

The park uses a Portable Media Set that consists of a KL-3T, a CI-T21H IR Tracking camera with a CI-21H PTZ camera, and a RADA Bridge. The set fits neatly into a secure and easily movable suitcase, making it easy for Sunrise Tech Park to move the set to different locations depending on the ongoing events. The set's mobility is accentuated by the KL-3T — a 3-channel media station that comes with a built-in touchscreen. The station mixes the two network cameras, computer content, custom overlays, and backgrounds together into a mixed video, which is converted by the RADA Bridge into a USB webcam feed. This helps the remote attendees see the event in full. The camera’s PTZ presets can be controlled directly from the station, meaning that the operator doesn’t need a computer or any other device to manage the production.

Antanas Popiera, the Startups Project manager of Sunrise Tech Park commented on the system: "We use equipment for our hybrid workshops in support of various entrepreneurship initiatives on a weekly basis. This equipment allows us to fully include online participants, enhancing their participation and significantly improving the productivity and quality of their contributions."

With the AREC Portable Media Set, going live has become much easier for Sunrise Tech Park. We thank our partner Tenesys and Antanas Popiera for their work and information contribution. Is your organisation also looking to improve hybrid event production? Contact us at www.a-dena.com and we will be happy to discuss your project requirements.

Case Study: Sharing history with AREC in Polish Museum

Dear ADENA Partners, this time we would like to highlight a case study from a museum in Poland. Thanks to the work of our partners Polixel and Kontel, the Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People’s Republic chose AREC LS-860 and products from Yamaha, Clearone, Extron, NEC, Sennheiser, and other brands to stream their events and exhibitions.

The former prison-turned museum holds a lot of history. Originally constructed as a correctional facility for criminals, it soon expanded to hold political prisoners. Many of the prisoners perished as the treatment standards fell through the early 20th century, and even more did during the brutal years of the Second World War and its aftermath. Thus, there is a lot of history to talk about and research in the grounds of this museum, and, as the museum representatives themselves acknowledge, a lot of information about the victims of this place is still missing and being uncovered. To better serve its educational role, the museum decided to invest into professional audio-visual equipment that would enable it to livestream excursions and other events, and thanks to our partners Polixel and Kontel, they chose AREC LS-860.

AREC LS-860 is a four-channel Media Station that can combine audio and video inputs from different sources, such as computers, cameras, and network streams, and unite them into preconfigured and user-defined layouts together with backgrounds and overlay images. This mixed video can then be recorded and streamed to different platforms via RTMP/RTMPS, such as YouTube, Facebook, and others. One of the features that makes AREC special is that each individual video source is also simultaneously recorded for post-editing purposes. LS-860 enhances this feature by allowing the user to associate a particular audio channel with a specific video channel while retaining the option to mix all audio channels with all video channels. In the museum, our Media Station is used with an Extron control system, which makes it possible to control all of the device’s necessary features and arrange them in custom orders. The loop-through output of the Media Station, typically used to display the computer source, is sent to a NEC projector, thereby sharing the content with the entire room. Finally, a Yamaha tabletop microphone system is used for seated speakers, supplemented by a combination of Clearone, Sennheiser and Extron systems for different room configurations.

With this advanced system, the museum is fully equipped to further the research into the prison’s history and educate the public. Do you know of similar institutions looking for advanced AV recording and streaming systems? Contact us at www.a-dena.com, and we will be happy to advise.

Text: Anastasia Yakimenko