Optimal Audio has launched Venue Wizard, a free online tool that aims to give venue owners and integrators a system recommendation in under five minutes. Six short steps of questions about a space and how it is used are matched against full Optimal Audio ecosystem and a combination of multi-zone control, amplification and loudspeakers offered.
‘The market is broad, the products look alike on the page, and the descriptions are written for audio professionals rather than the people who will use the system every day,’ the manufacturer says. ‘Venue Wizard starts from the other end: the venue and what happens in it, not the product. The questions are written in the language of running a venue, not the language of a datasheet.’
Venue Wizard asks whether the venue shows live sport rather than whether HDMI connectivity is required, and that answer steers the recommendation towards the Zone family. The final choice within the range is then shaped by the number of zones the venue needs and whether a powered variant suits the way the loudspeakers will be deployed. Live bands, background music and the other ways a venue is used are handled the same way.
Practical questions shape the outline specification too, such as whether loudspeakers will be mounted on the wall, in the ceiling or outdoors. An ‘I don’t know’ option is offered throughout, and any uncertainty is carried forward to a local distributor, who is better placed to resolve it. Venue Wizard also asks what matters most – lowest possible cost or room to grow – and weights its recommendation accordingly.
Each recommendation begins with control, followed by amplification and loudspeakers. Loudspeaker selection is driven by content, so a room built around background music is treated differently from one that hosts live bands. Every product or product grouping comes with an explanation of why it has been recommended, so buyers understand the reasoning as well as the result.
‘Commercial audio has always expected the customer to do the homework before they can even ask the question,’ explains Optimal Audio Global Demand Manager, Jamie Gomez. ‘Venue Wizard takes that away. After a few questions about their venue, a buyer comes away with a clear picture of what they could achieve. If they want to go further, they’re a few details away from a conversation with an expert in their own market.’
Venue Wizard is presented as ‘a starting point rather than a full system design tool’. Buyers who would like their recommendation emailed to them, or followed up, can submit a details. A recommendation is then forwarded to the Optimal Audio distributor in their country, where an expert can refine the specification around a venue.