Shure QLX-D® Digital Wireless Systems Make the Grade at Montreal’s McGill University

McGill University is one of Canada’s most prestigious and renowned higher education institutions and one of the world’s leading research universities. Its student population, which stems from 150 different countries, is the most diverse of Canada’s universities. In recent years, senior management wanted to update the University’s classroom sound configuration, in order to provide students and professors with a modern audio environment while implementing new technologies.

Under the supervision of McGill University, and in collaboration with Solotech and SFM, the (McGill) team tasked with sourcing new wireless microphones was faced with a major challenge: cell phone frequency constraints and possible TV channel interference, since the university is located right near the Mount Royal broadcast transmission tower!

Mr. Jonathan Henri, sales representative at Solotech, explains the project challenges: “Logistically speaking, we had to install more than 200 transmitters, while ensuring that their frequencies were perfectly adapted to the University’s unique specifications. The Shure QLX-D^® Digital Wireless System was the perfect product for this project. ”

For close to 24 hours, the SFM team analyzed the best frequencies to use inside the university walls: “We found more than 120 frequencies in the G50 band. This rigorous diagnosis was achieved using Shure’s Wireless Workbench software. The software’s programmable zoning technology allowed us to select the proper frequencies to deploy,” said SFM Shure specialist, Mr. Richard Boileau.

Easy system setup, manageable frequency ranges, user-selected touch screen, fully rechargeable batteries as well as secure signal encryption have completely refreshed the teaching environment inside McGill’s classrooms.

Mr. Éric Binette, the university’s project manager, is very satisfied with the results: “The University has made significant investments in order to meet the growing needs of both faculty members and students. The ease of use of Shure products, their availability and their technical excellence, always on the cutting edge of technology, have allowed us to bring our classrooms’ sound environment into the modern era.”