A promise worth keeping

Indian River State College (IRSC) is a state school in Florida where purpose meets possibility – they’re making higher education accessible to all through their Promise program, which allows eligible students to earn a degree completely free of charge. Though a small state school by Florida standards, IRSC maintains an expansive footprint of hundreds of learning spaces across multiple campuses.

“We cover about 200 classrooms on our main campus, and about 500-600 rooms total across five campuses and three counties,”

explains Azzam Abdur-Rahman, Technology Projects and Procurement Manager at IRSC. Azzam started as an AV technician nearly five years ago and recently moved into his current role following restructuring.

His responsibility?

Any new AV project, computer lab upgrade, or technology-based purchase runs through him. With a team of 12 other technicians responsible for both IT and AV, Azzam keeps IRSC’s hundreds of rooms and thousands of students equipped with the technology that powers modern learning.

Replacing unreliable systems across a sprawling campus network

For years, IRSC used Revolabs microphones in their classrooms. The system worked for lecture capture, which was critical for departments like nursing that needed eight-hour courses recorded. But in the post-COVID hybrid reality, faculty expectations changed dramatically.

“People would go into a room with a microphone, and assume it connects to Teams and Zoom. But it didn’t – it was just for lecture capture,”

Azzam recalls.

They needed audio that could flow to multiple destinations – not just lecture capture, but conferencing platforms, too, and the system wasn’t designed for that. Jumping through the hoops to make the microphone talk to the computer was, of course, possible, but the Revolabs had other shortcomings and practical challenges that made seeking an alternative the more attractive option. 

Something that didn’t have cumbersome pairing. Something where the charging setup didn’t eat up all the power outlets by requiring different plugs for different models. Something that wasn’t fragile and constantly one drop away from a support ticket. 

So, when Azzam's former supervisor reached out to a community of higher ed AV professionals looking for recommendations on a new microphone system, the response was nearly unanimous: try Catchbox.

Catchbox as the flexible, reliable standard

IRSC started with an earlier Catchbox system with one XLR input covering both Cube and Clip. They installed three units in different environments: a computer science classroom, and two nursing classrooms. The feedback from early adopter instructors was overwhelmingly positive.

“After that, almost everyone we gave it to fell in love with those,”

Azzam shares.

What sealed the deal was how Catchbox solved the exact problems plaguing their Revolabs setup. USB connectivity meant microphones automatically showed up for Teams and Zoom calls. Pairing was simple – “Pairing, pairing, paired. So much faster”. The charging solution was elegant – everything connected to either the in-classroom PC or a docking station if it was a BYOD space, using minimal outlets.

IRSC began rolling out Catchbox systems across their campuses, deploying Clips and Cubes based on room needs and instructor preferences. Nursing classrooms with hybrid components got the full Plus system with Cubes for audience questions. Other spaces got Clips for instructor audio. The flexibility allowed Azzam's team to configure each room appropriately without being locked into one-size-fits-all solutions.

“The Clip and the Hub itself are maybe my favorite AV products I've ever gotten to work with,”

Azzam emphasizes. 

The system's reliability extends beyond just connectivity.

Battery life is exceptional – crucial for nursing instructors teaching eight-hour courses. The Phoenix inputs that replaced XLRs made installation dramatically easier. The DSP functions meant IRSC didn't need to purchase separate Crestron amplifiers, saving significant money.

And the sturdiness of the microphones means the AV team can rest easy – “I always tell people worried about throwing the Cube – I’ll be genuinely impressed if you manage to break it in any way”, and the Clip and Hub are proving equally durable.  

Today, Catchbox systems are deployed across dozens of IRSC classrooms, with ongoing expansion as rooms get upgraded and new projects come online. But it’s not just Catchbox making its way into IRSC classrooms – it’s Heckler, too.

Heckler: The missing piece for ADA compliance and modular design

An often overlooked part of the classroom infrastructure and teaching experience is the lectern. IRSC’s existing lecterns presented their own challenges – they were old, non-ADA compliant, and designed for an outdated view of classroom systems. Instructors who needed adjustable height options were out of luck.

“We have nursing professors who need ADA compliant equipment; others are simply short and aren’t served well by high lecterns. The reason we wanted to move toward Heckler was the adjustability and the flexibility,” Azzam explains.

Heckler's 4U and 6U desks solved multiple problems simultaneously. The adjustable height made rooms ADA compliant. The modular design meant IRSC could move away from requiring massive 12U rack spaces and instead fit all components into a compact solution. And crucially, the Catchbox inserts made integration seamless – “In the past, we would just drill holes into pieces of wood. And if you’d want to reconfigure the desk, I've got to find a way to cover this giant hole someone put with a hole saw.”

IRSC currently has four Heckler desks installed, with plans for more. The instructor using them most frequently – an electrical engineering professor fascinated by Catchbox – particularly appreciates no longer being tethered to a fixed-height desk. He can adjust the Heckler to standing height, walk over, grab the Clip from its charging dock mounted in the Catchbox insert, and move freely around the room.

As IRSC continues upgrading rooms, the goal is straightforward:

“Every time we go to redo a room, I'm just trying to fit a Heckler lectern into the budget.”

Helping IRSC keep their promise and tell their story

All in all, Catchbox and Heckler have been a welcome addition to IRSC’s many spaces, appreciated by students, faculty, and staff alike for improving the learning and teaching experiences. 

Beyond elevating classroom audio, the team has found the additional features such as the range alarm and visual customization very appealing – the former has prevented many a headache by alerting lecturers and preventing them walking off campus with the microphone still on them. Whereas the latter has proven to be an invaluable branding opportunity:

“If somebody walks in to take pictures, the logo is on their chest when they're taking that picture. When they're walking past the desk and the Cube's there, the logo is sitting there.”

Azzam also shouts out Catchbox’s support, contrasting it to previous experiences, when AV teams are often left to manage technical issues on their own. 

"You guys are super easy to contact. And, on the rare occasion we do have an issue, we hear back on the next day with a solution."

For an institution built on keeping promises to students, having technology partners who keep their promises too makes all the difference.