QSC Cinema 101 Introduction

Hello, and welcome to Cinema 101, a course specifically for Systems integrators who want to learn more about QSC’s Cinema Portfolio.

My name is Britt Wilson and I’ll be your guide through this material. Let’s get started, shall we?

The purpose for this series is to give you some basic information on the wide product offerings that QSC has in the cinema world,

as well as a look at the nuances that make a cinema sound so incredible.

It’s primarily for dealers, technicians, and integrators who may be new to the QSC cinema portfolio

and would like to be able to deliver the QSC cinema-quality experience in a space that isn’t a commercial, first-run movie theatre.

Spec-ing, installing and calibrating a multiple screen cineplex for a major cinema chain is definitely a job for an experienced cinema expert.

This course is not intended for that.

But there are plenty of other opportunities to enhance installed solutions such as adding cinema-like capabilities to auditoriums and lecture halls

that need to transform into multimedia viewing spaces, screening rooms for sports teams, or museum installations that require multichannel processing and automation.

First, some level setting about QSC as a cinema solutions provider.

You may know QSC from its rock-and-roll legacy in amplifiers and loudspeakers, or maybe as the minds behind the Q-SYS Ecosystem.

In either case, well, you’d be right! But QSC also has a long history and holds a prominent position in the cinema industry.

QSC first entered the cinema market in 1985 and quickly became the de-facto standard provider of cinema sound for most of the world’s movie theatres.

We have a comprehensive catalog of cinema products including audio processors, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and even accessibility products

that can accommodate applications from a small screening room to the largest and most complex premium cinemas in the world.

Alright, a little more level setting on the complexity of using cinema-grade products.

Often times, non-cinema AV integrators just aren’t sure about their options and don’t know the right questions to ask.

Just for your reference, this is a basic signal path for a high end cinema application vs. a regular two-channel installation.

The high end cinema signal flow looks more complicated because… it is!

In addition, amplifier selection, loudspeaker placement and the overall processing and tuning of these rooms is critical.

So often times, inexperienced integrators get in over their heads and end up selecting and installing the wrong products with the wrong placement,

and the system ultimately falls short from achieving the goal.

Are you thoroughly petrified yet? Well, have no fear! Our goal is not to turn you into cinema installers.

We just want you to be ready to invoke the QSC cinema portfolio when it’s appropriate, so the next time your installation calls for more than two channels

from the audio source or some kind of heightened cinema-like experience,

you’re aware of the right tools in that cinema portfolio and you know how they work alongside the rest of the QSC portfolio!

And if you come across a project that actually DOES require a DCI-compliant five-point-one, seven-point-one, or immersive cinema sound system,

we are happy to refer you to an authorized QSC Cinema products dealer who can partner with you on a project.

And partnerships can go both ways.

Remember that most cinema complexes these days include lobby areas, dining, sometimes bowling and gaming

and other areas that require integrated systems for background and foreground music, or paging, and other typical audiovisual systems.

This is why the Q-SYS Ecosystem really is a complete solution for today’s cinema entertainment centers.

But more on that later.

In this training you’ll learn about the full line of QSC cinema audio processors, including Q-SYS,

that process and route multi-channel audio with DSP, EQ’s, crossovers, and more.

We have lines of power amplifiers that are used in cinemas around the world with a variety of channel counts,

and power ratings to accommodate any size space and any number of loudspeakers.

And our Screen Channel, Subwoofer, and Surround loudspeakers are specifically designed to deliver the optimal listening experience,

including crystal-clear dialogue clarity, exceptional low frequency response and consistent high-quality performance.

And if, by the end this training, you still have questions, you can always call your local QSC sales representative, and have a conversation before you get started.

Alright, let’s take a quick break before we dig in.