Shure DDS 5900 Digital Discussion System Provides Sound Solution for

Regina Town Council

SASKATOON, SK, Jan. 28, 2015— For years, the Regina Town Council struggled with balky audio at public

meetings, despite having a high-tech wireless system in place. Regional installation and rental experts Professional

Audio-Visual Ltd. – better known as Pro AV – were called in to rectify the problem. After assessing the existing

system and the council’s need for reliability, intelligibility, and ease of use, Pro AV Director of Sales & Service

Derek Yan recommended a dedicated digital discussion system, the Shure DDS 5900.

“The previous system used infrared wireless technology

and was just not appropriate in the council’s meeting

scenario,” says Yan. “It was clear that a hardwired

system was a far better option in nearly every respect –

easy to install, easy to operate, and far more reliable.

We presented the Shure DDS 5900 as the option that

would best address both their current and future

needs.”

The DDS 5900 Digital Discussion System uses integrated

desktop microphones and speakers to enable up to 250

meeting participants to hear and be heard clearly. For

the Regina Town Council, 28 discussion units were required to serve the mayor, the council, and administrative

officers. All stations are connected to a single central control unit, the CU 5905, which acts as the “brains” of the

system, providing both power and automated audio control. Each discussion station combines a personal speaker

with a low-profile gooseneck microphone, and can be set up in four different operation modes.

Derek Yan was impressed with both the ease of

installation and use of the DDS 5900. “Because the

conference tables already had access points drilled in,

we chose the portable discussion units (Model DC 5980

P), which

literally installed in minutes,” he notes. “All we had to

do was plug in a Cat5e cable underneath, going from

station to station in what’s called a daisy chain leading

back to the central unit, which is hidden away. Adding

more stations is just as simple, which accommodates

future expansion. It also gives us easy access for service,

which was an important consideration.”

Ease of operation was another important factor, and one at which the Shure DDS 5900 excels. “The entire system

is controlled with browser-based software, which can run on any computer, smartphone, or tablet,” explains Yan.

“It’s a simple interface that activates the stations and shows which mics are on and off. I spent about an hour

training them on an iPad, and haven’t had a single call with questions or problems. Compared to the previous

system, it’s like night and day.”

Once the system was in place, the council was immediately impressed with the improved sound quality. With

individual speakers for each participant, everyone can hear clearly, with no danger of feedback. The system’s

audio output is also ported to a press bridge and to a separate house sound system for the gallery. Audience

participation is enabled via a dedicated delegate discussion station.

The council has set up the microphones in Push-to-Talk

mode, so anyone wishing to speak simply touches their

discussion unit to activate or mute their mic. With the

Auto Off feature, available in all modes except VOX

mode, the DDS 5900 turns the microphone off after a

duration of no sound, which is adjustable from 5 - 60

seconds. This is handy in a Push-to-Talk configuration

like this one, because it prevents microphones from

being left on accidentally.

Another attractive feature is the fact that each

microphone has a light ring around its element. The

ring lights up when the mic is active, making it easy for everyone to see who is talking.

“In terms of installation, operation, and overall sound quality, everyone involved is extremely happy,” he says.

“Sound quality is vastly improved, with no dropouts and everything is audible. The software lets them remotely

control every station, which was a huge concern for them. And since we installed the DDS 5900, we haven’t had a

single callback for training or service, which is a huge change for all concerned.”

The Regina Town Council can expand its use of the system as time goes on. “Obviously, adding more stations is a

possibility, but there are other capabilities that might also become useful,” he says. “They might want

simultaneous translation, or they could add a digital recorder to archive the meetings. We can even interface the

system for videoconferencing. ”

Derek Yan is confident that this was the right choice for the Regina Town Council. “When you look at the design

of the DDS 5900, you can tell that it's stamped with Shure quality ” he says. “It was easy to install, easy to use, it

sounds great, and never fails. As a result, our customers are happy and at the end of the day, that's what's

important.”

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About Shure Incorporated

Founded in 1925, Shure Incorporated (www.shure.com) is widely acknowledged as the world's leading manufacturer of

microphones and audio electronics. Over the years, the Company has designed and produced many high-quality professional

and consumer audio products that have become legendary for performance, reliability, and value. Shure’s diverse product

line includes world-class wired microphones, wireless microphone systems, in-ear personal monitoring systems, conferencing

and discussion systems, networked audio systems, award-winning earphones and headphones, and top-rated phonograph

cartridges. Today, Shure products are the first choice whenever audio performance is a top priority.

Shure Incorporated is headquartered in Niles, Illinois, in the United States. The Company also has regional sales and

marketing headquarters in Eppingen, Germany, and Hong Kong, China, with more than 30 additional manufacturing facilities

and regional sales offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia.

About SFM

SFM has been providing professional-quality products and services to the live entertainment and audio visual industries in

Canada since 1978. High-profile brands worldwide have come to trust SFM as their sales, marketing, distribution, and service

arm in the Canadian marketplace. For more information, visit www.sfm.ca.