Harman Pro Group Debuts HiQnet System Architect Version 1.7 At Pro Light & Sound

FRANKFURT, GERMANY, 12 March, 2008 — Coincident with the opening of the ProLight & Sound exposition here today, the Harman Pro Group debuted HiQnet™ System Architect™ Version 1.7, providing systems integrators and tour sound professionals with an updated, streamlined tablet PC interface and quicker operation for on-the-fly repurposing of racks and arrays. According to Rick Kreifeldt, Vice President Harman Pro System Development & Integration Group (SDIG), the new developments are a product of end-user input and focused particularly at the tour sound and performance installation markets, and within those, particularly for the tablet PC user.

“As more audio professionals across the globe make HiQnet and System Architect their platform for system integration, we naturally receive more feedback on how we can make the product better,” Kreifeldt said today. “The general trend is towards functionality coupled with customizability and we’re systematically adding to the interface to advance both areas. We’re also adding to our R&D team here at SDIG so that we can keep pace with the market momentum and make HiQnet and System Architect as progressive and innovative as our growing community of users – currently approaching 15,000 registered users worldwide.”

New additions to System Architect version 1.7 include a new ‘System Browser’ navigation interface aimed primarily at the tablet PC user, which provides the same ease-of-use experience and familiarity of navigation as browsing the Internet — optimizing the application display and featuring browser-style navigation buttons. This new navigation philosophy can also be used in the more standard ‘Desktop’ mode. System Architect version 1.7 also includes new context-sensitive, alphanumeric keypads which automatically pop up when a value or text entry box is selected with the stylus, each of which is optimized to provide buttons relevant to the parameter units – kHz and Hz for example. This enables the tablet PC user to easily enter specific values directly into the application interface. Tablet PC users will also appreciate the new automatic adjustment of the Windows screen resolution to 1024 x 768 to maximize the screen real estate when entering Tablet Mode.

“Tablet PCs seem to be the tool of choice for many of our users within the HiQnet community – in particular the System Tech staff whose responsibility might be to repurpose amplifier racks, monitor the system during a performance and walk a venue fine-tuning a system from the perspective of the audience,” Kreifeldt continued. “And as such, our continued optimization of System Architect will make it even more useful in the field for all markets, version 1.7 focusing particularly on performance install spaces and touring applications.”

The philosophy of repurposing elements of system design on a more macro level was one of the main focuses of the current release of System Architect, version 1.6, which included Partial Venue File Export: the ability to save the settings of a user-determined selection of devices and associated Custom Control Panels within an open Venue file to disk. If the user already has an existing system configuration which includes a rack of amplifiers, a line array configuration or a zone of devices, for example, it can now be very easily repurposed in additional system designs. Along with the ability to export such sub-systems, System Architect version 1.6 also introduced Venue File Import: the ability to import a complete existing Venue File into the open configuration including all the device configurations and Custom Control Panels it contains. These two features together create an extremely powerful sharing of existing data between system designs and also for the building of libraries of sub-systems for contracting firms to share amongst staff.

About HiQnet:
Harman HiQnet is the world’s first connectivity and control protocol that integrates all product categories in the signal chain for professional audio systems of all types, size, and applications. Harman HiQnet no longer requires the user to manage multiple disparate operating systems or be responsible for programming individual signal processors, speaker controllers, wireless microphone systems, and mixing consoles. HiQnet was developed by the Harman Pro Group System Development and Integration Group (SDIG), a team of dedicated systems specialists based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Headquartered in Northridge, California, the Harman Pro Group is part of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com), a leading manufacturer of high-quality, high fidelity audio products and infotainment systems for the automotive, home and professional markets.

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