Exceptional Education - Increasing Meeting Quality At The University of Central Florida

The University of Central Florida's Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute (TJEEI) is dedicated to advancing research and practice in preparing and retaining the best teachers and professional educators for children and adults with special needs. A Yamaha ADECIA Wireless solution has radically improved online and hybrid meetings, making the collaboration experiences much more productive.

TJEEI focuses on providing support and resources for educators, families, and individuals with disabilities. However, delivery of its innovative programs, collaborative research and training through online and hybrid meetings was being compromised by poor sound quality.

Initially set up as a huddle pod, the meeting area was ideal for quick discussions, brainstorming sessions and in-person meetings. However, even in this controlled environment, uneven sound distribution from the display speakers and manual movement of the provided microphone made meetings a less than positive experience for both in-room and remote participants.

“We regularly hold hybrid meetings with students, their families and educators who are off-campus or traveling,” says Christine Parsons, TJEEI Program Manager. “With the existing set-up. presenters would have to pass the microphone back and forth, the back of the room would struggle to hear while the front was overwhelmed by loud audio and remote participants found the sound extremely challenging.”

The University of Central Florida approached Yamaha for a solution which could be seamlessly integrated with its current AV installation. The ADECIA platform - an advanced all-in-one audio solution for high-quality audio capture and playback - was an ideal system, which could be optimized for the room’s acoustics and layout. Another advantage was the ease with which it could be set up.

Yamaha supplied an ADECIA Wireless system comprising 14 RM-WDR wireless directional tabletop microphones with RM-WCH8 charger bases, two RM-WAP-8 wireless access points, two VXL1B-16P slimline array speakers, an RM-CR audio processor and SWR2311P-10G intelligent L2 network switch with power over Ethernet.

Facing a tight deadline to get the system working as soon as possible, Christine was able to get it up and running with minimal remote support from Yamaha in one day. Final tweaks were made by Smileys Audio Visual, Inc of Bartow, Florida - a longtime Yamaha partner and UCF collaborator - at no cost.

By eliminating volume imbalances and disparities, automating adjustments for consistent audio levels and deploying a robust system which requires minimal technical expertise and support, ADECIA has delivered a radically better collaborative environment.

The result has been dramatically improved meetings, especially for remote participants, who now enjoy consistently clear, high-quality audio. It makes collaboration an inclusive experience for everyone, regardless of their location. As well as being much more productive, meetings are also enjoyable, fostering better communication and teamwork.

“The team at Yamaha took the time to understand our challenges and find the right solution for us to support our families, students, and educators,” says Christine. “With the microphones placed around the room, people can be clearly heard by online attendees, including when they get up and move around while speaking. Even for spontaneous meetings, the microphones are fully charged and always ready.

“When something is so intuitive and user-friendly, it becomes a pleasure to use.”