Symetrix Jupiter at Edina, Minnesota's Pinstripes Venue

Pinstripes delivers to its patrons Italian-American fare, bowling, bocce courts, and banquet and party space for up to 600 guests. Until recently, only suburban Chicago enjoyed Pinstripes in its two locations, but a third location recently opened in Edina, Minnesota, just past the Minneapolis city limit. GMK Integrated Systems, of Lombard, Illinois, designed and installed the audio systems in all three locations, turning, in the newest location, to Symetrix's recently- introduced, Jupiter hardware and app-based software for system processing in the banquet rooms.

The audio systems in the older Pinstripes locations worked well enough, but when GMK system designer Chris King heard about Symetrix' new Jupiter series, the functional fit seemed perfect, despite Jupiter's lower cost. Unique in the industry, the Symetrix Jupiter hardware operates with software "apps" that are inspired by contemporary smartphone technology. Users select an "app" that fits the needs of a particular sound processing scenario, upload it to the Jupiter hardware, and make minor tweaks via an intuitive interface to dial in the perfect sound.

"When I saw the Jupiter programming GUI -- how easy and fast it is to set up -- the decision was obvious," said King. "The feature set is perfect for a modest job like Pinstripes, and the user interface is tremendously flexible. Unlike the dozen or so analog controls offered by some manufacturers, the Jupiter system works with the Symetrix ARC wall panels or third-party controllers to offer a tailor-made user interface with up to a hundred digital controls."

King selected the Symetrix Jupiter 12 hardware, which accepts 12 inputs and delivers four outputs, and the "gain-sharing automixer 1" app. The hardware takes both mic-level and line-level inputs from each of three rooms, which are capable of being combined in any linear permutation. In addition, King selected Symetrix ARC-K1 volume controls as well as the SW4 for this installation. The Jupiter system handles compression, limiting, EQ, and automatic feedback elimination at the inputs and a full suite of loudspeaker conditioning tools at the output. "The app had everything I needed for this job," King asserted.

The Jupiter outputs to an Ashly ne4250.70 four-channel amplifier. "The network capability of the Symetrix and Ashly units was particularly important for this job," explained King. "We have both units tied to a switch that we can access via VPN from anywhere in order to troubleshoot or make program changes. Since we're in Illinois and the establishment is in Minnesota, seven hours away, that represents a huge cost savings for us and for the client." Audix microphones and Atlas ceiling speakers link the acoustical signals to their analog and digital representations on either end. Draper video screens, NEC projectors, and Kramer matrix switchers provide visuals.

Programming the Jupiter proved to be simple. "Inside of 15 minutes, I had the GUI mastered, and a half-hour after that the app was tweaked to the particulars of Pinstripe's setup," said King. "I didn't even crack the manual." From the start, the system has performed flawlessly, and the Symetrix ARC-SW4 wall panel provides end-user control that is so intuitive the staff is comfortable operating it without having received a single word of training. "The Jupiter was as simple and effective as promised," summarized King. "I'll be calling on Jupiter quite a bit in the future."