J&E Pro Audio recently specified Xilica Solaro FR1 digital signal processing in a system design that called for a complete AV over IP infrastructure at the new Carte Hoel, a boutique establishment in downtown San Diego.
Specifically, while connected to the central IT infrastructure, J&E Pro Audio configured a dedicated LAN with managed network switches to separate all audio and video signals from standard IT traffic. The Solaro FR1 was selected by the San Diego-based integrator to optimize quality and multi-channel performance over the network as well as its modularity and integration with Dante audio networking.
“We ran our network on the hotel fiber infrastructure, with dedicated switches that run parallel to the hotel network,” explains Jaire Lopez, president of J&E Pro Audio. “We programmed the Xilica Solaro FR1 to process, manage and transport audio across multiple public spaces, including a 16th floor rooftop bar, fourth-floor meeting rooms, a second-floor fitness center, and a ground-floor restaurant and lobby to support background music.”
Lopez adds that the Solaro FR1 manages a mix of analog and digital signals that are ingested and routed across many spaces. This includes live music from the rooftop DJ booth, which injects analog signals into the Solaro FR1 over Dante. In all, the redundant Solaro FR1 configuration manages 64 audio inputs and outputs, and is also used to help improve audio quality before feeding Powersoft amplifiers via Dante. A built-in control software also allows hotel staff to manage audio and video signal flows using an iPad.
Lopez notes that the 1RU design of the Solaro FR1 takes up minimal rack space while not limiting the end user to a dedicated configuration. Should the Carte Hotel need to scale in the future, the modular design will allow J&E Pro Audio to add new cards and expansion slots to accommodate additional services and higher capacity. In fact, some adjustments have already been made from the original DSP design.
“Near the end of the project the customer requested a wireless microphone system for the hotel’s meeting space,” Lopez concludes. “We simply added a few microphone input cards, and the application was immediately ready to go. The new design of Solaro FR1 frame makes it even easier to make changes, because there is no need to take the unit apart. We can simply remove the rear cover and insert the cards without removing the unit from the rack. It’s very simple and modular.”
