A total of 80 amplifiers from QSC's DCA Series of digital cinema products were chosen to power an audio system used for this year's product reel screenings at ShoWest, the annual film industry event where stars, producers, and directors gather to pitch new films to theatrical exhibitors. Installed by Boston Light & Sound within the Paris Hotel’s 85,000sq.ft Paris Ballroom, the QSC-fed cinema system was designed to provide sound reinforcement for audiences of up to 5,600. Electro-Voice X-Array loudspeaker components were mounted at both screen and surround positions, while TL-880 subwoofers brought up the low end. A total of 80 QSC DCA 1622, DCA 2422, and DCA 3422 were used.Audio distribution throughout the ballroom was provided by 16 QSC RAVE (Routing Audio Via Ethernet) 160 and 161 units, each capable of sending 64 channels of uncompressed 20-bit, 48 kHz digital audio through a single Cat 5 cable. Linked by an assortment of Ethernet hubs and switches utilizing both fibre optic and Cat 5 cabling, the 128 RAVE channels dedicated to the ShoWest distribution scheme eliminated the need for lengthy multi-cable runs, while cutting installation time and labour.
