The Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) – Northern Malaysia’s largest meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) venue – and has a Powersoft amplification platform at the heart of its audio system, as devised by A/V consultancy IHDesign.
Occupying 10,443sq-m within a luxury waterfront development on the island of Penang the venue’s column-free multipurpose hall accommodates up to 10,000 guests across 7,318sq-m. Additioonally, there are ten meeting rooms, a waterfront terrace for up to 2,000 guests, and a grand arrival hall. Each required reliable, high-quality audio coverage capable of adapting to a wide range of event types and configurations, from international exhibitions to corporate meetings and private functions.
Delivering an audio infrastructure to match the venue’s ambitions required a solution that could integrate fully with PWCC’s broader ICT backbone. The system had to support Dante audio networking alongside AVoIP devices, network amplifiers and control systems, all within strict requirements for network stability, bandwidth and cyber security compliance.
Equally demanding was the requirement for speech intelligibility and consistent coverage across the large, divisible halls, where event layouts and audience positions change from one booking to the next. Plus, they needed a centralised control platform capable of managing multiple zones and event scenarios without adding operational complexity for venue staff.
As the project’s A/V consultant, IHDesign, designed the systems, with Concept Associates supplying the hardware and Integrated Audio Visual leading system integration.
Twenty-four Quattrocanali DSP+D amplifiers – eight Quattrocanali 1204 DSP+D, 15 Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D and a Quattrocanali 4804 DSP+D – drive the primary audio coverage across the exhibition halls, concourses and public areas. Nineteen Mezzo AD amplifiers, 18 Mezzo 602 AD and a Mezzo 322 AD, serve the meeting rooms and VIP spaces, where the Mezzo’s compact, mountable form factor allows amplification to be positioned close to the loudspeakers without a dedicated equipment rack.
All 43 amplifiers carry native Dante connectivity, enabling audio routing to run across the same Cisco C1300 network backbone as the venue’s IT and control infrastructure. Allen & Heath Dante I/O interfaces handle signal management between the QSC DSP processing platform and the amplifier network, while Crestron AVoIP and control systems manage room switching, signal distribution and real-time monitoring of amplifiers across the facility. The result is a single converged infrastructure through which audio routing, DSP processing, amplifier control and remote diagnostics all run without a separate audio network or dedicated point-to-point cabling.
The Quattrocanali platform’s support for both low-impedance loudspeaker loads and 70V/100V distributed audio lines gives PWCC the flexibility to apply different distribution architectures across its zones from a single amplifier family. Proprietary Smart Rails Management (SRM) technology optimises power draw to match actual load conditions, reducing thermal output and eliminating the need for external cooling at the amplifier level, simplifing rack design and long-term maintenance. In mission-critical areas, the Quattrocanali’s UPS-compatible power supply allows it to be integrated with life safety systems like fire alarms, without requiring a separate amplification platform. This is a meaningful advantage in a large public venue of this type.
The completed system gives PWCC a scalable, fully networked audio infrastructure capable of supporting any configuration across its ten versatile spaces, from intimate meetings to international exhibitions and immense live events. Amplifier monitoring, DSP adjustments and routing changes can be managed remotely through Crestron and Powersoft’s ArmoníaPlus platform without requiring technicians in the rack room. This reduces operational overhead during complex event transitions. With every element of the audio system sitting on the venue’s converged ICT network, PWCC is equally well positioned to accommodate future expansion as its event programme grows.
‘At this scale, the priority is creating a future-proof network without the clutter of traditional racks,’ says Integrated Audio Visual Senior Sales Manager, Sandhi Soong. ‘Powersoft’s high-density Quattrocanali and Mezzo platforms allowed us to deliver massive power and sophisticated DSP over a single converged ICT infrastructure, giving PWCC total flexibility for any event configuration.’
More: www.powersoft.com