Why a Trading House Turned to Powersoft for Seamless Control of Quality Audio
Powersoft’s Dynamic Music Distribution (DMD) and fixed install amplifiers are powering the multi-story building’s sound system at renowned international trading house, Van Caem Klerks Group’s head office. Located in the center of Amsterdam, the company has built its reputation for import and export of A-branded products, namely liquor, beer, fine wines, fragrances, luxury and fast-moving consumer goods.
The esteemed trading house approached local integrator Van Brienen AV with a brief to install a sound system able to play background music and share its duties with announcements, radio and music stream on each floor and with the needs to control the volume.
“This project was very unique for us,” said Harry Scheringa, senior sales at Van Brienen AV. “We had 60 Sonance speakers with excellent sound reproductions, and the perspective to combine this large number of speakers with an easy to operate central management and local resources was an exciting challenge for us.”
[Explore Faraway Lands…in Atlanta]
With such a complex brief, Van Brienen AV turned to Powersoft’s Dynamic Music Distribution, which streamlines multi-zone and multi-source management. A system built around the ability of sharing multiple sources between zones, is not only easy to deploy and run but also simplifies the process of achieving the highest quality standards for small to medium-sized background and foreground music distribution applications.
“Installing DMD was simple, we gave the manager panel access to all the zones to have a full control over all the rooms,” explained Scheringa. “Thanks to scene selection, we were able to add a central announcement option that we connected via WM Touch to receive it on all the amplifiers,” he added.
[I Love It Loud: The Evolution of Loudspeakers]
Van Brienen AV also installed six Powersoft WM Touch (Wall Mount) controllers to manage the entire Dynamic Music Distribution system from the touch of a single panel. “The combination of WM Touch and SYS Control app makes it easy for the end user to select a desired space, change volume or the audio source,” explained Scheringa. The WM Touch can autonomously drive a system consisting of WM Touch panels and at the same time serve as the views host for system control via a mobile app. “We chose what zones a certain panel can control and gave the manager panel access to all the zones to have full control over the rooms,” he added.
“We also created a simplified user interface, so each floor only sees their own settings,” stated Scheringa. The WM Touch offers a variety of intuitive pre-load layouts, designed specifically for dynamic music distribution applications. This provides a straightforward user experience and makes for an easy setup.
Another important aspect of the installation was the WMP controller that manages volume, source selection and scene recall. The decision stemmed from its ability to provide seamless and reliable operations. In an otherwise complex setup, the WMP controller simplifies the entire process.
Alongside Powersoft’s WM Touch and Mezzo amplifiers, the install comprises 60 Sonance Professional Series PS-S63T Surface-Mount speakers, five WHD Airbridge-Pro WLAN/BT receivers, and a mounted AV-Wall-DT4i Dante Mic interface wall plate, effortlessly working together to provide a blend of clear background music, radio streams and intelligible central announcements.
“We installed Mezzo amplifiers and WHD Airbridge-Pro audio receivers in a central IT Rack,” described Scheringa. “Ensuring each floor would hear a clear sound, we distributed the signal and control panels through the entire building with internet patches.” Each floor comprises 20 speakers mounted on the cable tray pointing on the desks.
[Welcome to the AV Renaissance]
Compared to a more traditional install, the Dynamic Music Distribution solution is very cost-effective. “It’s great to have the processor and the amplifier in one single system,” commented Scheringa. This makes DMD a fantastic choice not only for system integrators but also for end users.
“Van Caem Klerks Group is very happy with the end result,” concluded Scheringa. “They are delighted that each floor can control their own sound individually and the WM Touch is incredible easy and reliable to operate."
