Would You Like Surround Sound With That?
On a recent project we sat down for the kick-off programming meeting, and I started working through my list of questions to help us figure out what types of AV functionality the client needed for the project. At one point the owner’s representative (who was not from the technology team) stated that they really just wanted a good quality system with “microphones, speakers, and surround sound.” This was a corporate boardroom, not a movie theater, so I asked what types of video content they would be viewing in the room. (more)
Classroom Audio-Visual Technologies that Work
“It depends.” This is probably my most frequent response I give when people ask me a tech-related question. Why? Because the answer to the question will vary depending on circumstances, factors, and requirements. So when someone asks me, “What’s the best AV technology to put into a classroom?” My answer usually is, “It depends.” What we first need to know is what the appropriate type and quantity of technology is in order to support the curriculum and teaching style of the school. (more)
Sound System Commissioning and Equalization
What is the most important step in designing a sound system? Of course, every step is important, but I might argue that the final equalization is perhaps the most critical step, and often the most overlooked. Assuming a good design has been put together on paper and that the system has been installed as it was intended to be, it’s then time to put the finishing touches on everything. Equalizing (or commissioning) a large sound system is the final step in this complex process. (more)
What is a Certified Technology Specialist (CTS)?
Most industries have some sort of accreditation process by which individuals and companies within that industry are recognized as being competent and knowledgeable within that field. For instance, architects are accredited by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and acousticians are accredited by the National Council of Acoustical Consultants (NCAC). An individual that has these credentials has passed the necessary examinations, peer review, and required work hours to carry the credentials so that people who hire them can be assured they know what they are doing. So just what is a CTS? (more)
New ADA Assistive Listening System Requirements
Most people who work in the construction industry are aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (commonly referred to as the ADA) and the general impacts it has on how buildings are constructed. On September 15, 2010 the Department of Justice published a series of revised regulations. One section of these updates deals with requirements for ADA Assistive Listening Systems for persons who have hearing disabilities. It’s a subtle change, but a big deal. (more)
Training Tips for Church Tech Teams
I run sound at a local church about once a month. I used to spend time behind a mixing board several times a week, but these days it tends to be more time in front of a computer. Several recent discussions with the Music Director at the church got me pondering this question: What really makes a “good” mix? And the inevitable follow-up question is: How hard is it to train a church tech team volunteer so that they can get a “good” mix as the church sound board operator? Here’s my opinion… (more)
IPTV –When it Makes Sense & Save Cents
One of the transitions that we are watching closely in the audio-visual Industry is the evolution of audio and video delivery over networks instead of through dedicated distribution systems. In the consumer world you may have noticed that some TV networks are starting to stream things like major sporting events from their websites, or you may have signed up for a service like Netflix or Hulu Plus to stream movies to your TV. These are examples of TV delivered over the Internet – commonly called IPTV. (more)
Troubleshooting Church Sound Systems
Recently I was working with a church that was experiencing some “issues” with their sanctuary sound system. They had just reconfigured their main worship space and everything had been fine. But now that several weeks had gone by, things were not right. They asked if I could come and help work with their sound volunteers to get everything straightened out. I’ve worked with many churches in somewhat similar circumstances so, at first glance, nothing in this scenario seemed out of the ordinary. (more)
Analog vs. Digital Sound Boards | The Top 3 Factors
On practically every project we work on that has a significant sound system, we have a discussion with the stakeholders about whether the main mixing console should be an analog board or a digital board. In a nutshell, we can boil the discussion down to 3 main points… Price, Flexibility, and Ease of Use. Here’s why… (more)
Everybody talks about “training the tech team”, but in reality it seems that it very rarely happens as well as it needs to. I think perhaps what people commonly refer to as training could better be described as demonstration. Showing tech people how to push faders, twist knobs, pan cameras, and dim the lights is critical for people to understand how the equipment works, but is this really “training”? (more)
Football Stadium Sound System Design | How to Control the Friday Night Roar
It’s 7pm on Friday night in the middle of September. You’re sitting down with your significant other to a nice refreshing beverage on your back porch. All is calm. It’s a beautiful evening. Suddenly a not-so-distant voice floats through your backyard let you know that #58 has just tackled #23 on the 35 yard line. You are, once again, thankful that your peaceful and idyllic life has been interrupted by the sound system from the local High School football game. No…you wish there was some way to contain that sound to the stadium where it’s supposed to be (NOT in my backyard)! (more)
Saving Money with Health Care AVL Design
The new 2010 FGI Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities recommend sound reinforcement systems in healthcare environments. As such, we often get the question: how do you save money on audio-visual systems in the health care sector? Well, there are many practical ways to cut cost without cutting quality, and as independent consultants we often work with our clients to understand how to do just that. Here are a few good ideas that will help with the bottom line: (more)
Whitespace Frequency Update for Wireless Microphones and the FCC
The world of wireless microphones continues to evolve and become more complicated with every passing day. Just a brief re-cap of the last couple years: The FCC has passed a series of rules over the last few years to move the analog TV stations out of the 700MHz band and force them to broadcast all digital signals. The 700MHz band was then sold off at auction to private companies. This band of frequencies was one of the most popular for wireless microphones and the auction meant that this band could no longer be used for wireless mics. The latest rule from the FCC mandates that all secondary users of frequencies in this range must cease operation by June 10, 2010, regardless of whether there is specific interference. (more)
Commissioning Audio-Visual Systems | Why it’s Essential
This past summer I went to commission a small sound system at a new facility. Not necessarily a big expensive project, but the client had hired us to commission the final installation and make sure everything was installed as specified. I showed up on site, confirmed all of the equipment was installed and then proceeded to check out how the wiring had been installed. At first everything looked pretty good, until I pulled one of the microphone input plates off the wall and discovered that there was no junction box behind it. Instead someone had busted a hole in the masonry block and tried to fish the wires down through the block from above. But they had run into a little problem at the steel beam. So they made another hole through the vapor barrier and ran the wires just inside the exterior brick. Problem solved, right? Uh… not so much. (more)
How Hotel Conference Rooms Can Make Money By Offering Audio-Visual Services In House
When hotel owners and managers consider the costs of upgrading their current hotel conference room audio-visual system, they often consider outsourcing these services to a live event production company – one that would bring in portable AV equipment and run it for the events. But more and more hotel managers are learning that offering the audio and video services in-house can be a lucrative cash cow. And they’re finding that the conference room guests prefer a well-designed AVL system as opposed to a portable hodge-podge system. So what is the best way to make upgrades to your hotel conference room audio-video system without losing your shirt in the process? (more)
Industrial Paging System Safety Code Requirements
Generally speaking, sound systems in industrial spaces are there to serve two purposes. One is to reproduce pages for people in the plant to hear. The second is to play background music for people to listen to. For years, it’s been about that simple. An amplifier, maybe a small mixer, and a few paging horns were all you needed. But the “rules” for industrial sound systems are changing, and the safety requirements are getting much more complex. How complex are these safety requirements? I’m glad you asked. (more)
Why Your Conference Room Technology May Soon Be Obsolete: Part II
As the VGA connector continues its rapid transition towards obsolescence (referred to in Part I of this post) many people simply assume that using adapters (such as HDMI to VGA) will solve the digital-to-analog connectivity problem. While this may work in the short term, it ignores the looming problem of DRM (Digital Rights Management), a way of encrypting new media to protect against copyright infringement. DRM uses something called HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) to control which devices are allowed to receive the video signal. So how will you know if you’re using digitally protected content? Well, for starters, your adapter will just stop working. (more)
Why Techies Buy Audio-Video Gear Online
My church recently decided to upgrade from our old analog mixing board to a brand new digital mixing console. The interesting part of this process was that they did not buy it through a local AV contractor. They purchased the sound board online through a company that specializes in phone and internet box sales. This got me thinking about the trend over the past few years in which more and more Audio Visual end-users purchase equipment from online sources instead of the local dealer or shop. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? And why is this becoming the norm? (more)
Why Your Conference Room Technology May Soon Be Obsolete
You can’t get away from the digital age. It seems like digital technology is everywhere. As Audio-Video designers, the march towards all things digital is having an impact on display technologies as well. Meanwhile, flying under the radar, there is a subtle shift happening in how the average person shows information from a computer onto a projector or display. (more)
White Space Update for Wireless Microphones
Several months ago (10-13-08) I wrote about the current state of the wireless microphone frequency spectrum and how the actions of congress and the FCC are shaping the future of wireless technology. Well, several notable updates and changes have been made since that time. You may recall that February 17, 2009, was the date set for the transition to DTV (Digital TV). Congress (in all its wisdom) decided that it would extend the deadline to June 12, 2009. (more)
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