KENNEL CLUB

Sound Division installs AKG at the Kennel Club - it's the Dogs!

Sound Division has supplied and installed a complete AKG CS 2 Portable Conference System from Harman Pro UK into the Kennel Club’s HQ boardroom in London’s Mayfair, complete with a Base/Chair station and 21 Delegate stations.

Kennel Club Manager John Golding was seeking an upgrade to their existing conference hall system which hosts the General Committee’s regular meetings attended by 36 delegates including the Board of Directors. Golding made it very clear that he wanted a system that was quick and easy to set up and intuitive to use to ensure that none of delegates, in particular some of the more elderly attendees, would be intimidated by the new technology.

Golding approached Sound Division upon recommendation to find an appropriate solution. According to Sound Division's managing director, David Graham, the AKG CS 2 system was an obvious choice. "The two things that came across loud and clear from John were that the system had to be of high quality and extremely reliable and, equally importantly, straightforward and easy to use. Technically the CS 2 system met all of these requirements, and furthermore, I know that I can rely on Harman Pro UK to supply all the necessary technical expertise and back-up when required. Hence we turned to Harman's Andy Duffield to get involved with this project and together we worked on the design and specification for this installation. In fact, Sound Division put a very similar AKG conference system into Cabot Hall in London three years ago. The clients were delighted, and it's run like clockwork ever since, so that was another big factor in our decision to use AKG."

The AKG CS 2 is a fully modular and portable ‘plug-and-play system that comes complete with amplifier. Each Microphone/Delegate station features two powered speakers, and a microphone with ‘Call’ and ‘Volume Up/Down’ push button features. The Voice Zoom function means two people can use the station with a consistent output signal. The microphones hook into the top of the base unit, and speakers taking the floor simply hit the ‘Call’ button to activate their microphone and output to each station’s speaker system.

The CS 2 Chair/Base station is the main controller and can control up to 200 mics. It has an override facility, and all other mics can be switched on/off at the main station. The CS 2 can be used in Manual or Voice Activated modes, so those wishing to have as little interaction as possible with the system can just leave their station voice activated, knowing that the mic will turn on when they speak.

Sound Division also supplied a traditional wooden finished lectern together with a portable PA system, consisting of two discreet AKG C747 mics that attach to the lectern, and two lightweight JBL Eon 10-G2 powered speakers, complete with stands and padded zipper bags. This section of the audio system can either be used in stand-alone mode or together with the CS 2 system via an AKG AS8 automatic mixer supplied by Sound Division for that purpose. Completing the audio installation are two hand-held AKG WMS 40 radio mics and two AKG 40 PT lapel UHF mics.

Lastly, Sound Division has also supplied two six-foot remote controlled electric projector screens for AV presentations and a custom-designed flight case for safe storage of the conference and PA systems, including cabling.

The Kennel Club's John Golding is delighted with the results. "I must say that Sound Division has been a pleasure to work with," he commented. "Their work has been timely, efficient, and the installation team to a man were friendly, obliging and extremely helpful, which makes for a pleasant experience all round. On top of that, their quote was extremely competitive, so it's nice to see that once on site, they don't cut corners. All the work was completed to an extremely high standard.

As for the system itself, it has also proved to be a great success. "Although some members of the Board were initially reticent about the new technology, once they’d used the system and heard the direct benefits of greater audibility for themselves, they were completely turned around," says Golding. “They’ve all found it incredibly easy to use” he continues, adding they he’s been inundated with requests from other Kennel Club committees to use the CS 2 now they know it is available. “The Committee, the Chief Executive and the Club Secretary are all absolutely delighted. It’s definitely money thoroughly well spent. And to cap it all, the whole project also came in at just under budget, pleasing everyone even further!"

Special earpieces were sourced that plug into the system for the use of those who are hearing impaired.

The Kennel Club, founded in 1873, is the UK’s premier canine institution with a primary objective of promoting the general improvement of dogs. It has over 1500 UK members and since 1848 has run the world-famous Crufts dog show.