TRAVELING THE EXTRA MILES
Shure Microflex® Boundary Mics Help Bridge the Gap in Distance Learning

Based in the far northwestern reaches of the province of Québec, the University Rouyn-Noranda has become a leader among educational institutions currently using distance-learning technology. A distinction born mostly out of necessity in a region of Canada where the spaces separating people are sizeable and the Internet represents one of the best links between them, the University’s status as a distance-learning leader was recently expanded with the addition of 20 new classrooms equipped with cutting-edge technologies developed expressly for the school’s unique teaching needs.

“When you attend class in a remote location, losing video for a moment isn’t so bad,” says Erick Patry, the University’s audio and visual production manager. “When it comes to audio, however, that’s another story. The sound needs to be loud and clear 100 percent of the time.”

To meet the school’s high quality standards for audio equipment, the University chose 70 Shure MX396 Microphones for the new classrooms. Selected in part for their quality and reliability, the sensitivity and polar pattern options of these microphones also reduced the number of microphones required to properly complete the installation.

“We used a single MX396 per table in the classrooms outfitted with either dual-element or tri-element cartridges,” Patry explains. “Each student basically gets his own microphone.”

“Since the beginning, we’ve always chosen Shure microphones,” he added. “The very first classrooms we designed still use MX392s. These are very high quality mics…versatile and quite rugged. You have to understand that cancelling classes here just isn’t an option. Our MX392s have always been very reliable, but this time around, I have to admit that I looked at all available options. I wanted what was best, and in the end we still opted for these new Shure multi-element boundary microphones. They look great and the sound is better than ever.”

Now that it has chosen Shure microphones for its new classrooms, the University continues to search for new high-definition technology to bolster the video side of its teaching.

“HD is clearly on our radar, and it will be available in the very near future,” added Patry. “With regard to sound, however, right now we’re all set.”