Case Study:
Maryville College Fine Arts Center Music Hall-Auditorium

Maryville College (Maryville, TN) is a private, four-year, co-educational, liberal arts college. Founded in 1819, Maryville College is nestled in a lovely historic setting just east of the Cumberland plateau in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. MC is the 12th-oldest institution of higher education in the South and one of the 50 oldest colleges in the United States. The College consistently ranks among U.S. News & World Report’s best colleges in the South. Maryville is also listed in Peterson’s Guide to Competitive Colleges and, as a founding member, became one of only 12 colleges selected by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the National Policy Center on the First Year of College to participate in the national project, “Foundations of Excellence in the First Year of College.” Fine Arts Center

Commonly referred to as "The FAC," the Fine Arts Center is a prime example of the Frank Lloyd Wright school of architecture. Inside, the FAC houses an art gallery, music practice rooms, classrooms, offices, and a music hall where student and faculty recitals are held year-round. The FAC also sports an expansive lobby, a popular spot for studying or hanging out by the communal fireplace.

Technology for teaching and learning is an integral part of the curriculum at Maryville College. Faculty members incorporate a variety of technologies into the teaching and learning experience.

View of Hall- Lectern, Projector, Fill Speakers	View of Stage- Screen, Main Speaker Array

The Challenge:

Lots of ambient light, and a wide variety of audio demands are the most obvious challenges; however, the need for full lecture-hall command and control from a fully integrated podium was also addressed. Ease of use was paramount for the podium, to enable user-friendly presentations for academic sessions.

The Solution:
Carefull choice of projector was critical, given the amount of ambient light during day-time use, from the huge skylights! MMS chose the NEC GT5000 for it's powerful 6000 lumens of clarity. Since the audio quality needs to do justice to a variety of instruments and voice, the Altec Lansing speakers were chosen, in addition to QSC, Denon and Alesis audio components. Control from the podium is clear and intuitive, to accomodate presenters with all levels of technical comfort, and is powered by Crestron!

The System Includes:

Screen: Da-Lite Senior Electrol screen with control system
Projector: NEC GT5000 with long-throw lens
Audio Components: AKG microphones, Altec Lansing speakers and stage monitors
Integrated Podium: Contains computer monitor and Crestron Control touch panel
In the control room-
Extron and Crestron control components and software.