ISTC Training Facility

Challenges
The International Safety Training Council is a non-profit training and education organization located in Southeast Texas. With a new location in Baytown, ISTC delivers safety training and site-specific job safety orientations to contractors as well as the employees of the 42 local refining and chemical plants within the area.

Building a new 6800ft facility, the Council contracted the services of leading IT integrator, Discovery IT Technologies, to install an intelligent audio solution for both lecture theatre and traditional classroom-style training.

ClearOne Solution
The training requires high levels of audience engagement and is very interactive. It was essential to have a solution that not only amplified the lecturer but also guaranteed questions could be heard and understood by the rest of the audience.  

The ninety-person capacity, state-of-the art lecture theatre utilizes six Beamforming Microphones Arrays with CONVERGE® signal processors to provide crisp clear sound. Smaller classrooms were fitted with a ceiling microphone array and CONVERGE Pro solution.

The ClearOne Beamforming Microphone Array eliminates the need for conventional microphones, solving a common problem for conference rooms worldwide. The patented technology forms a fixed number of beams and applies acoustic echo cancellation to each beam. Units can be mounted on tables, ceilings, or even underneath video screens. For the ISTC, all microphones were ceiling mounted, allowing student work spaces to be free from technology.

The Beamforming Microphone Arrays work well in the smaller rooms where the acoustics and the aesthetics were less challenging.

Equipment List
1 x CONVERGE Pro 840T
12 x Beamforming Microphone Array
4 x CONVERGE Pro 880
2 x CONVERGE USB
4 x CONVERGE Pro 8i
12 x Ceiling Mount 12” for Beamforming Microphone Array

Choosing ClearOne Over Other Vendors
Discovery IT researched several manufacturers before deciding on a final product range. From a design perspective, the Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) technology was a highly attractive feature, however, it wasn’t the only reason ClearOne was chosen for the job.

“ClearOne had the most highly integrated product, it didn’t feel like we were having to over specify microphones to get the coverage we needed,” reflects Adam Fadhli from Discovery IT. “It was an integrated, modular, clean approach and if a product is easy to install and configure, it reduces the risk of project failure. We felt the ClearOne solution guaranteed us the highest chance of project success, and we’re delighted with the results.”

Results and Benefits
Working closely with ClearOne, Discovery IT relied on the support team to ensure the design had the capability to fulfill the ISTC’s requirements. ClearOne was available at each opportunity to make sure the designs were technically sound and compliant, resulting in a successful installation and a satisfied end client.

About Discovery Information Technologies
Discovery Information Technologies was founded in 1988 to help small businesses get the most out of their technology. Providing a full range of IT services, they partner with businesses to manage their networking and telecommunication requirements.