618-207 (Stage 2) Instruction Guide

teleconference Projector Classroom Video Microphone Audio 618-207 Collaboration

This guide will walk you through both the basics (and more advanced options) of using the audio/visual system in the large collaboration room 618-207 (sometimes called Stage 2).

This space includes a large main projector and screen as well as eight smaller projectors for collaborative work. Also included are multiple microphones (a lectern mic as well as up to eight wireless mics) and two PTZ cameras for video conferencing/streaming.

Use these links to skip to a specific section. Or read on for the full guide.

All functions of the A/V system are controlled by the touchscreen media controller, located on top of the lectern. When you begin, the touchscreen may be asleep. Just touch the screen to wake it up.

The first screen you will see will allow you to select three easy Room Modes. These room modes are Group Work (which is used for collaborative work involving all of the side projectors and the two stage projectors), Lectern Presentation (used for standard lecture style teaching with the large main screen and projector) and All On (all projectors are used including the side projectors, large screen and two stage projectors). There are also five buttons along the bottom of the screen which we will explain further later in this guide. But they are (from left to right) Power (used to turn off the system when you are finished), Video (used for video source selection and routing), Audio (microphone and program audio control), Cameras (controls for the two cameras in the room for conferencing) and Dialer (used for making phone calls from the A/V system)

Lectern Presentation Mode

First, let's look at the Lectern Presentation mode. Press the middle Lectern Presentation button.

Pressing this button will display the Lectern Presentation screen. Everything you need for a basic class lecture is located here. You will notice that selecting this mode will also automatically turn on the main projector, lower the projection screen and turn on the projectors along the sides of the room. All of these displays will show whichever source you select.

Near the bottom of the screen you will see two basic volume sliders. The first, Microphone Mix is the microphone volume for all microphones in the room. By default the microphones are muted. To unmute them, press the red mute button to the right side of this slider.

You will also see a second volume slider labeled Program Audio. This is the volume slider for whatever video source you have selected (laptop/lectern pc/Blu-Ray). This is also mutable like the microphones. Use the red mute button to unmute or mute as needed.

In the middle of the screen you will see your video source options.

Press the Laptop button if you would like to use your own laptop (or other HDMI device). Plug your laptop into the HDMI port on the lectern. Both audio and video will be transmitted to the system through HDMI. You may need to adjust your laptop's audio/visual settings.

The HDMI port is on the upper right side of the lectern.

Press the Blu-Ray button to use the Blu-Ray player. The blu-ray deck is located inside the lectern below the Lectern PC.

Use the remote control on the lectern to control the blu-ray player.

Press the Document Camera button if you want to use the Document Camera.

The Document Camera has a straight arm adjustable camera. You can swivel the arm and camera back and forth and extend it's length.

To power it on, press the large silver power button on the side.

On the camera's base you will find some useful options. Use the Zoom buttons to zoom the camera in and out. The camera should focus on it's own but if it doesn't, use the Auto Focus button.

This classroom includes a Mersive Solstice pod for sharing wireless content from your phone, tablet or laptop. Follow the onscreen instructions to download the app (free) and begin sharing.

Press the Lectern PC button to use the classroom computer.

You may need to power on the computer by pressing the computer's power button (a small circular button located on the front of the computer). On a Lenovo computer, you can tell if the computer is on or off by the small LED light in the middle of the power button. If it is lit then it is already on. When the computer is powered off the light is not lit. If you see a pulsing light on the power button then the computer is in sleep mode. Try pressing a key on the keyboard or clicking a mouse button to wake the computer up for use.

Once the computer has started you will need to log in using your Columbia College Chicago credentials. You will need to use their Columbia College email address as the user name (example: jsmith@colum.edu) and the same password that they have chosen to access their email and other Columbia services. If it is your first time logging into the computer for the semester, please allow a few minutes as your profile is created. This will only happen once per semester.

Once you have logged into the computer, make sure that you have the correct audio output selected.

In the lower left hand corner of the screen you should see a small speaker icon. These are the Windows audio settings. Click on this icon to open the settings window

At the bottom of the pop-up window is the volume slider. You can slide this to the left to turn up the computer audio or right to turn it down. Each time you make an adjustment you should hear a little sound play from the speakers so you know that a) the speakers are working and b) what your audio level will sound like. Remember that audio levels can also be controlled through the touchscreen controller on the lectern so if you don't hear any audio, check the audio settings there as well (labeled program audio on the touchscreen).

At the far left end of this slider you will see a small icon that looks like two little lines with dots in them. This is the audio settings button. Click this button to open the audio settings.

Here you should see the different audio output devices available. Make sure that you have ExtronScalerD selected as your audio output device. This should be selected by default when you log in. If you are not getting any audio out of the computer and you have checked the volume settings on the touchscreen controller, computer and your software (websites like Youtube have their own volume sliders on videos for instance), then check here to make sure that you have the correct audio output selected.

There are a few extra options on this page. In the upper right corner you will see the Projector Controls button.

This button will take you to the Projector Controls page where you will find controls for all the projectors (including Video Mute) and the main projection screen. We will discus this in more detail later in this guide.

Under the lectern source selections you will see the Source Routing button. This will take you to the Source Routing page which will give you options to send different video sources to individual projectors. We will cover this in more detail later in this guide.

Finally in the upper left corner is the back arrow. Use this button to return to the previous screen.

Group Work Mode

If you want to have a student collaboration class, use the Group Work mode.

Selecting this option from the main screen will turn on the eight collaboration projectors (six along the walls of the classroom and two on the stage). This mode does not use the main projector and screen so these will not turn on. The touchscreen controller will also open the Group Work page.

From this screen you can control which source the eight projectors are displaying. Each projector has two sources in this mode, Mersive and HDMI.

Students can use the Mersive Solstice pod to share wireless content from their devices (phones/tablets/laptops). They can also use the HDMI option to connect to each projector using the HDMI wall plate under each projector.

These wall plates are mounted under the dry erase boards by each projector.

Also included on this page are the Source Routing and Projector Controls buttons. You can use the Source Routing button to send these group connections to all the projectors to share what each group is working on. You can use the Projector Controls button to mute group projectors. We will discuss these options in more detail below.

You will also see the Microphone Mix and Program Audio options again. You can mute, unmute and adjust audio levels for the microphones and program audio here.

Source Routing

The Source Routing button will take you to the room's more advanced video controls. 618-207 includes a Matrix Switcher that will allow the different sources to be displayed on the projectors. So if you would like to show a source from the lectern (lectern PC/Blu-Ray/Document Camera) on half of the projectors and then student work from the classroom HDMI wallplates on the the other half, you can do so from this page. If you are just teaching a standard class in this space that does not utilize any collaboration, you will probably not need to access this section.

The Source Routing page is broken up into three sections: Lectern Sources, Local Sources and Select destination (s) for.

The Lectern sources are to the left. Select which source you would like to display by touching it's button. These are the same sources that are available from the Lectern Presentation page.

You can only select one of these sources at a time. For example, this means that you can not show the Blu-Ray source and the Lectern PC at the same time. Or you can not show the lectern Laptop connection and the Document Camera at the same time. So you can not show the Lectern PC on half the projectors and the Document Camera on the other half.

To the right are the Local sources. These are the sources that are available from the Group Work mode. Wireless is the Mersive Solstice pod for each station and Laptop is the stations HDMI wall plate.

Below the sources you will see the section for selecting your destination. After you have selected your source from above you must then tell the system which projector you want that source displayed on.

All the projectors are listed here. Once you have selected your source, simply touch your destination projector here.

Under each projector you will see a Now showing section that will display what that projector is currently displaying.

As you can see here we have one of the Lectern sources showing on Projector 1 and Mersive 1 showing on Projector 2. You can select any combination of source and destination you like. Just remember that the Lectern sources will work as a single source when routing.

You will also notice little speaker icons under each projector. You can only have one audio source playing at a time in this room. Your audio source will always follow the last video source that you have selected. In this image, I have selected Lectern first and Mersive 1 second. This means that I will be able to play audio from the Mersive 1 source but not from the Lectern. If I want to play audio from the lectern I must select Lectern last. If you forget or want to change your audio source, just reselect Lectern and your destination again (thus making it the last source selected).

On the right side you will also see the Send to all button. Use this to send your selected source to all the projectors at once.

Projector Controls

Pressing the Projector Controls button will take you to the Projector Controls page. This page will give you the options of powering on or off all of the projectors. You will also find options to video mute all of the projectors here.

Each projector is listed here with their options. The Stage projector is at the top.

There are options to raise and lower the projection screen here. Press the UP arrow to raise the screen and press the DOWN arrow to lower it.

For each projector you will see an option to power it on and power it off.

Next to that is an option to Video Mute the projector. This will temporarily blank the image onscreen so your audience can't see it. This button will light up red when active to remind you that this projector is muted.

In the upper left corner you will find the All Projectors options. These buttons will allow you to control all projectors at once, rather than each individually. This is much faster and easier if you would like to Video Mute all projectors at once.

To access the audio controls, press the Audio button at the bottom of the touchscreen. This will open the Audio options page. 618-207 includes a lectern microphone and up to eight handheld or lavalier microphones.

This will give you control options for all of the different microphone and program options available in this space. Each microphone is listed individually, as well as a Microphone Mix option for adjusting all microphones at once. There are also options for Program Audio (any audio source playing from one of your video sources such as music playing from the lectern PC or your laptop) and options for extra speakers in the room.

By default when powering on the system all microphones are muted. To unmute them, press the red mute button next to the microphone you want unmuted.

To adjust the levels of each source, simply drag the white dot to the right to increase volume or to the left to decrease volume.

You can use the Microphone Mix options if you would like to adjust the levels of all microphones at the same time. This includes the lectern microphone as well as all handhelds and lavaliers.

In the upper left corner is the Default Levels button. You can use this button to reset all the microphone levels back to their default setting. This is useful if you want to reset the levels after the previous user.

in the upper right corner is the Program Audio option. This is the audio that may be playing from whatever video source you have displaying on the projection screen. If you need to adjust the audio levels of a video or music, this is the option to use. You can also mute the same audio here as well.

In the bottom left corner are options to turn the Stage Ceiling Speakers and Side Ceiling Speakers on or off and adjust their levels. These speakers are located on the right side of the room and behind the lectern on the stage. These are used for group collaborative work. You do not need to turn these on but the option is there if you would like it.

The final option on this page is the Phone Volume. If you are using the teleconference equipment to make a telephone call in the space you can use these options to turn up the volume of the call in the room. You can also mute the audio from the microphones going to the call (so the person on the other end of the phone can't hear you or the class).

Microphones

There are up to nine microphones that can be used for classes. These microphones are muted by default when powering on the system.

The first mic is the lectern mic. It is mounted to the top of the lectern. It can not leave the lectern and can't be turned off. It can be muted through the touchpanel however.

There are also eight wireless handheld microphones and eight lavalier microphones. These microphones are numbered 1-8. Both types of wireless microphones share a receiver, which means that if you are using handheld mic 1, you can not use lavalier mic 1. You would need to use one of the other lavalier microphones instead (mics 2-8 would work fine). So, if you want to use handheld mics 1-4 for the students and then use one of the lavalier mics for yourself, you would need to use lavalier mic 5 or above.

The microphones are all stored in the A/V closet (the closet closest to the lectern). All microphones are stored on their battery chargers. This closet should be left open so you can help yourself to as many microphones as you need. Please place the microphones back on their chargers when you are finished so that they can be used by the next class.

Handheld Mics

Once taken off of their chargers, the handheld microphones are simple to use. When the microphone is on you will see a green LED light (seen to the left). When the microphone is off this light will be red. Press the small button right below this light to turn the mic on or off.

The Lavalier microphones work the same way. On top of the microphone body is a small LED. Green indicates ON and red indicates OFF. There is a small round button that you can press to turn the mic on or off.

You can speak directly into the top of these transmitters (like the handheld microphones) or you can plug in a clip lapel microphone (to attach to your lapel) or headset. There should be an extra headset on the lectern for your use. If you would like an extra headset or lapel mic please call the IT Media Services office at 312-369-7550.

When plugging in these mic attachments, make sure that the small black button on the mic plug is facing the front of the device (as seen in the image to the left). If it doesn't easily go together, please don't force it. Call the IT Media Services office for help.

Cameras

Pressing the Cameras button will take you to the Camera options page. From here you can control two ptz (pan, tilt & zoom) camera that are used for video conferencing, streaming or recording. The cameras feed into the computer for use with any software you prefer (Teams/Zoom/Panopto/etc.). You must use the classroom microphones for audio input (either the lectern mic, handheld mics or lavalier mics).

The camera page will let you select which camera you wish to stream from (you can change this camera at any time) and allow you to focus on any part of the room you like. You will also find up to four preset camera positions per camera. These offer quick options for streaming and will focus on the lectern, stage and classroom.

At the top of the page you will find the Camera Select buttons. There are two cameras in the room, one facing the lectern at the back of the room and one next to the stage facing the audience. When you select which camera you want to use, the feed to the computer changes to that camera. The button will highlight with a blue color so you always know which camera you have selected. Below the camera select are the camera options. Each camera has it's own options and presets.

Use the Pan/Tilt to move the camera up and down and back and forth to focus on whichever section of the room you like.

Zoom will, of course, zoom the cameras in and out to help you focus on what you want to stream.

The cameras should auto focus when you are finished positioning them. If they don't, there are controls to the right to focus. You can also use the Auto Focus button.

At the bottom are the camera presets. Each camera has four presets (for a total of eight presets). These will move and focus the cameras automatically to different sections of the classroom. Feel free to play with these presets to see which ones work the best with your class.

Video Conferencing/Streaming

As stated above, the room cameras feed into the lectern PC (along with audio from the microphones) for use with video conferencing and streaming software. We will now go over the basics of conferencing software settings to take advantage of this equipment.

Teams

In Teams, open the settings page by clicking on the three dots in the upper left hand corner of the Teams window. This is right next to your profile picture.

In the drop down menu, select the Settings option.

In the following menu, select devices. This is where you can adjust the audio and video inputs of your Teams meetings.

The device page will be broken into two main sections: Audio and Video.

In the Audio section you will see a setting for Speaker listed first. This should be set to ExtronScalerD. This should be the same as the main computer audio output.

Below that are the settings for Microphone. This should be set to Echo Cancelling Speakerphone. When this is selected you will now receive audio from any of the room microphones (lectern mic, handheld mics and lavaliers). You must use one of these microphones in order to talk to any participants speaking remotely.

From this menu you can also click the Make a test call button to test your audio settings before you start a meeting.

In the Video settings section you will see a large preview of your camera feed. Below that is your camera select option. There should only be one option available in 618-207, a camera called Columbia College 618-207. This camera input includes both the Audience and Lectern cameras installed in the classroom. To change between cameras, use the Cameras option on the touchscreen controller.

Zoom

You can access your Zoom settings by opening the small arrow in the lower left hand corner of the taskbar. This will open a new menu. Click on the small Zoom icon to open the settings window.

Select the Video & effects option from the menu on the right.

Again, make sure that you have Columbia College 618-207 selected as your camera. This will make sure that you have both the lectern and audience cameras selected for your meeting. While in this menu, it's also a good idea to make sure that you have HD video turned on as well. Zoom does not turn this option on by default. You should also turn on Maintain original ratio so that your online audience gets a nice widescreen image from the cameras. To change between the two cameras (Lectern and Audience) use the touchscreen controller on the lectern.

Once you have the video options taken care of, select Audio from the left hand menu.

This will open the Zoom audio preferences. Make sure that you have ExtronScalerD selected for your Speaker option (this should always be the same as the main computer audio output). You can click the Test speaker button if you want to double check that audio is playing in the room.

Now make sure that you have Echo Cancelling Speakerphone selected for your Microphone. Click the Test microphone button to make sure that your microphones are working. This will record a little bit of audio and play it back for you. Use one of the classroom microphones, either the lectern mic, a handheld or a lavalier mic.

Dialing (Phone)

618-207 has installed equipment that makes teleconferences (or regular telephone calls) easy using the touchscreen and room microphones. Press the Dialer button to access the telephone features.

Use the number pad to dial the telephone number you would like to call (remember to dial 9 to call outside of Columbia College). Once you have entered your number, press the green button to place your call. To the right you will find audio controls for your call. Press the microphone button to mute or unmute the room mics, press the speaker button to mute or unmute the speaker and use the volume slider to adjust the volume up or down to your preference. When you are finished remember to press the circular button again to hang up.

System Shutdown

When you are finished with your class, please shut the system down. This will reset any changes you have made to source routing, microphone and projector settings, getting the room ready for the next class. Press the power button located in the lower left corner of the touchscreen.

Don't forget to log off of the lectern computer! You do not need to turn the computer off. Leaving the computer on will allow it to install necessary updates outside of class time. But, to keep unwanted parties out of your accounts, you do need to remember to log off of the computer.

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