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)
Corporate Videoconference Guidelines & Recommendations – Part 1
Teleconferencing requires hearing the voice, so it should follow that videoconferencing requires seeing the people, right? Not so much. Videoconferencing actually requires a finer level of detail – it requires seeing the eyes. Why? We communicate with our eyes. If you cannot clearly see the eyes of the communicator, then you might as well be on a teleconference. This is why web quality video has become unacceptable for many types of corporate communication. Even more difficult are large spaces such as boardrooms or corporate auditoriums. The size of these spaces alone presents a real challenge to the video conferencing system, making it ever more difficult to see the eyes. “So what?” you say. Well, the eventual reality is that without seeing the eyes, users will eventually avoid the technology altogether. (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)
Best Audio/Visual Design Awarded to Cornerstone Church
The new Cornerstone Church campus is proof that good design is worth waiting for. After three years of design and eventual construction, the new church facility opened to rave reviews and experienced an immediate jump in attendance. The “wow” factor of the campus is the state of the art audio, video, and lighting system in the sanctuary designed by Acoustics By Design and integrated by Parkway Electric. Recently, the church was awarded for Best Audio/Visual Design at the 2010 Associated Builders and Contractors Awards Program. 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)
Apples, Oranges, and Sharp Pencils
In the world of sales idioms, you never want to compare “apples with oranges”, but you always want the salesperson to “sharpen their pencil.” You don’t want to compare two unlike things, but you do want to make sure you get the best possible price. So, in the world of audio-video design, how do you know that you are comparing apples with apples and making the right purchase for the right price? (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)
Digital Signage System Design 101
Digital signage is making its way into stores and businesses everywhere: hotels, department stores, grocery stores, universities, churches, funeral homes, you name it. As audio-visual designers, we are hired to offer digital signage design services for a wide variety of industries. One of the first questions we always ask our clients is who is this for? Who are you trying to communicate with? Without a target you will never know if your investment succeeded. (more)
Is Technology the Bottom Line for Web Conferencing and Videoconferencing?
Sure, we all agree that the principle of “garbage in garbage out” applies to audio-visual technology. But is “top of the line equipment” the real bottom line for state of the art web conferencing or videoconferencing? Answer: It’s one of the bottom lines, but not the only bottom line. There are a lot of other factors that go into optimizing a space for web or videoconferencing. (more)
How Churches Use Multiple Screens in Worship
My last blog discussed using a large video screen as the backdrop for your church stage. We discussed the benefits of using that type of technology. Today, we’ll move beyond the single screen. There are several reasons why we we would consider using multiple screens to decorate the auditorium of a church. This blog features photos from my time on staff at Northridge Church in Plymouth, Michigan. (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)
How Churches Save Money with Independent AVL Design
In this economy, everyone is trying to cut costs and save money, and churches are no exception. With most church budgets relying 100% on church member donations, there is a heightened sense of concern amongst church boards to spend the money wisely. So when churches hear about an AVL company that will design a new Audio, Video, and Lighting system for “FREE!” many of them jump at the chance. But what does a “free” AVL design package really get you anyway? (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)
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