Teeba | resumeav

Engineer, install, and commission, for indoor sound reinforcement multipurpose system

at Teeba meeting room,

Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel,

Cairo, Egypt

INTRODUCTION

Name of employer: Philippe Photo Trade, Cairo, Egypt
Duration of project: from April 1997 till Sept 1997
Job Title: Acting as Senior Project Engineer

BACKROUND

Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel, Cairo, Egypt includes 739 rooms and 79 suites, expressing the best of Cairo accommodations in style and elegance, located over the Nile, 2 minutes away from Tahrir Square, downtown. Teeba meeting room was constructed in 1997 instead of the open door pool area. Teeba meeting room consists of 3 areas, main 200 seated “Hall1”, smaller 75seated “Hall2”, and a reception-like Entrance R1. Hall1 (Main) accommodates a removable 2 by 3 meters stage. The hotel consultant requested a sound system to serve the meeting room, to serve different events served in the room.

The new designed sound reinforcement system had that unique feature. Sound system is to have room combination function, which is simple to use, and can combine / separate the audio sources to the designated ceiling speakers in each hall (H1, H2, and R1). For client convenience, system should accommodate a local wall-type volume control in each area which is synchronized together according to the combination status for that particular event.

The consultant did specify OXMOOR as one of recommended brands to realize that special application. Philippe Photo Trade arranged three days training to OXMOOR for me and my colleague, sound consultant, at their facility in Birmingham city, Alabama State.

All other usual sound system components are designed and specified for a perfectly tweaked crystal clear sound system; Speakers were specified, along with class-D audio amplifiers, preamplifiers, and digital processors.

My Job was pre-sales technical study, and negotiations with the consultant, responsible for technical submittal, compliance sheet, and final bill of quantity survey for each device and installation accessory for financial department to cost the project. After endorsement, my job duty was to implement what we previously submitted including soft start for the meeting room, training and as built drawings.

PERSONAL ENGINEERING ACTIVITY

Contributing in such an international project was of great experience to a junior engineer like me at that period. Mix and match the equipment, compliance sheets, as well as pricing and choosing the exact specification with the least cost-effective solution is the true engineering atmosphere to me.

The consultant was American, and the Americans usually configure a system from more than one brand, so he integrated 5 different manufacturers in the project, namely, Oxmoor, Crown, Tannoy, Biamp, and Atlas. Getting in contact with those 5 top audio brands added much to my skill. My expertise in system integration was beneficial to connect and fine tune all those devices together. Matching the speakers with the amplifiers using some matching transformers in the design stage, and adding to the required bill of quantities all the needed accessories including the special “TT bantam” patch cords to Atlas patch panels, and Neutrik wall type XLR jack. I designed a separate professional sound system with two wall type speakers and the designated amplifier with their corresponding on stage input sockets to serve the 2 by 3 meters stage in Hall one. I calculated, distributed, and located all the devices in the rack itself and calculated air flow, and thermal dissipation to choose the right fans for cubic feet per minute (cfm). All those details were a corner milestone in gaining the consultant confidence and acceptance to our submittal.

The unique features about Oxmoor that all inputs are synced to the specified outputs in the separated mode, while combined and mixed, along with syncing the corresponding wall volume control. After 3 months of studying and submissions, we got “A+” grade for our submittal. All system was perfectly tuned and engineered including minor details. The consultant did the homework specifying the speakers’ locations for optimum sound distribution, and intelligibility, in co-ordination with the architecture. All that exposure was priceless to me at that period.

I do remember that we were able to convince the consultant to cancel a digital equalizer in the system; other devices accommodated a simple 7 band graphic equalizer. When the consultant highlight that he designed the digital equalizer to automatically kill the feedback of the resonance frequencies, I was able, along with my sound consultant colleague to prove to the client’s consultant that the room acoustics and material reflection coefficient were very controllable, with the help of manual equalizer, and introduction of one feedback suppressor. The cost of the feedback suppressor was one of tenth of the digital equalizer.

During the installation period, supervising the electromechanical contractor, and delivering the cables specifications and routings to them to execute was an extra experience to me. I did not solve any installation problems, yet I was of great help in guiding the installation team on the technique to support and install the speaker as per manufacturer recommendations, and I was of key value in connecting the speaker cables to the speakers, and emphasizing the polarity connectivity. While on-site differences happened to speaker locations, I relocated 3 of the ceiling speakers. I always got first time approvals from the consultant to those changes, as my suggestions were consistent to the sound distribution as well as the ceiling architecture.

I had to hire temporary labor (freelancer) to solder, connect, and form all audio cables inside the 2 sound racks (40U height each). The sound cables coming from the three area were 50 cables (microphone and line level), along with 3 control cables coming from the wall volume control to the main processor of Oxmoor. The forman spent two days to finish routing all cables inside the two racks.

I reached my peak excitement when began programming the Oxmoor room combining system. This task is the most enjoyable engineering practice to me. I analyzed, tested, and enhanced the software program. I went through all the options, and always asked my client questions about his different events to customize some presets. Those presets allowed him to perform different scenarios with lots of settings in one push button. I was able to bend the feature of the device to fully meet the hotel specifics

Handing over the system was smooth stage. The architect designed a tuned one, and I complied with all the functions. I accurately supervised the installation and pulling of cables, and the commissioning of the rack. I was deeply involved in the project and applied all my engineering experiences in it. I learned a lot as well from the electromechanical contractor about some tricks and time saving techniques in pulling cables and labeling them.

After handing over, I drew detailed as built drawing. I usually apply a special policy in delivering a simple block diagram package with all details, yet in a simple way to the technical and operation stuff in the engineering department in the hotel. I believe that as much as they learn and get educated, as much is they will cause me less headache afterwards. So I arranged three different kinds of sessions to explain the system. First session for the head of engineering section, and explained the concepts and major capabilities of the final installed sound system. I conducted the second to the engineers’ level, and the third one to the technicians. Each of which had their specific drawings and guided operational leaflet. I stayed for a complete week on site, guiding the engineer technicians from the hotel to use and operate the system during life events that were booked to the meeting room. This was the best way to demonstrate and explain the minor functions to them.

Summary

It was the first time that my company acquired such kind of project. Specifically, an international hotel chain, and able to win as well as to deliver a system coping with international design and standards. That was clear, how I did a good job when the management paid us 11 days trip to the States to attend audio training with 2 companies, Oxmoor in Alabama, and Biamp in Oregon.