Patras Conference Centre has d&b audiotechnik installed by Telmaco S.A.

Nestling in northern Peloponnese, the city of Patras boasts the third largest University in Greece with some thirteen thousand undergraduate and around one thousand postgraduate students. Founded in 1964, the university built a conference centre in 1999 to enhance the city's cultural venues. Then when Patras became the Cultural Capital of Europe, the University decided to upgrade the facilities of the conference centre so that it could be used for a wider range of events.

Tenders were called for a variety of installations, including a new audio system for the main auditorium where up to thirteen hundred people can be accommodated. A University committee chaired by Professor John Mourjopoulos of the Electrical and Computer Department prepared the audio technical specifications and asked interested parties to provide detailed EASE simulations. Based on these simulations, the committee decided which systems would be considered.

Following normal and strict tender processes, the selected companies had to demonstrate their simulations in the form of a 'shoot out'. Telmaco's Audio Projects Engineer, Thanassis Drossos produced a simulation of d&b audiotechnik's Qi1 loudspeakers in the form of a left/right configuration, which was eventually chosen by the University. "In my view, such fine results during the simulation and the following measuring process were due to the excellent precision horizontal and vertical pattern of the Qs," said Drossos. "This means we can aim the loudspeakers like spotlights and get the sound precisely where we want it to be."

Once Telmaco had been awarded the contract, Drossos set about installing the system using Qi1 loudspeakers, Qi subwoofers, Qi-CSA subwoofers with E3s providing front fills on the stage lip. In addition, MAX cabinets were installed for the monitor system. d&b's D12 amplifiers were used to drive the entire system, with the exception of the E3s and the MAX cabinets that were all driven by E-PAC amplifiers. "By networking the amplifiers, we were able to monitor the entire system through d&b's ROPE C remote control software," continued Drossos. "Our measurements of the system showed that we had achieved a neutral response with uniform coverage. The system handles perfectly the variety of events that take place in the hall," he concluded. The hall is used for conferences, symposia, seminars as well as musical, theatrical and other cultural events.

"Last but not least, I would like to mention the impeccable cooperation between the University and Telmaco S.A.," concluded Drossos.