Graton Casino Wins With Sophisticated AVGraton Casino, located north of San Francisco, is a 340,000 sq. ft. venue which includes 3,000 slots and 144 gaming tables, a poker room, a high limit room, several restaurants, a food court, and themed bars that feature live bands and DJs. Graton's open design includes sophisticated AV systems throughout the entire venue. AVDB Group, an integrator headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, installed Graton's AV systems and completed much of the AV system design work after the original design firm ceased business operations. Graton's AV systems communicate over a 254-channel Bluelink fiber network, which distributes 48 audio sources and multiple satellite video channels. Source selection, volume control, and other functions are available through Crestron control panels, allowing managers to fine-tune the audio and video atmosphere for areas as diverse as the casino itself, the sports bar, or the invitation-only, high-limit poker room. Graton's audio systems are also integrated into its security system and voice paging system. As part of their design work, AVDB Group recommended Community's Distributed Design Series loudspeaker family for all areas of the casino. "We prefer the sound of the Community loudspeakers over the ones originally specified," says Scott Oosthuizen, AVDB Group CEO, "and substituting Community also helped us meet the customer's budget." Dropped ceiling areas utilize white Community D4, D8, D10, and D10SUB ceiling loudspeakers. The open-ceiling steakhouse features black DP6 pendant loudspeakers. Other areas, including the outdoor parking lot, use white DS5 surface-mount loudspeakers. "The DS5s are weather-resistant," says Oosthuizen. "So we were able to maintain the same sound quality indoors and outdoors." 
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