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sounding off

blog of acoustics, noise, vibration & audio-visual systems

How Today’s Teachers Use Classroom Display Technology

Tom Thelen | K-12 Education | August 25th, 2010 | 2 Comments

image of classroom display technology and education touch panelKids today have it all: the cell phone, the iPod, the iPad, the internet, digital cameras, video games, laptops – ahhh!!! With all this stimuli, teachers have to battle to win the ever-decreasing attention spans of their students. And any teacher knows the statistics of how students learn: most of what they get their hands on (tactile learning), some of what they see (visual learning), and little of what they hear (aural learning). The good news is that new classroom display technology enables teaches to fire on all cylinders and teach fluidly while using all three methods of communication. So, how are teachers doing it? (more)

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Football Stadium Sound System Design | How to Control the Friday Night Roar

Tim Hamilton | K-12 Education | August 18th, 2010 | Leave A Comment

image of high school football stadium sound system designIt’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)

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Saving Money with Health Care AVL Design

Tim Hamilton | Healthcare | May 27th, 2010 | Leave A Comment

image of hospital with blog on audio-visual design practicesThe 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)

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Digital Signage System Design 101

Scott Storteboom | Corporate | May 20th, 2010 | 2 Comments

image of corporate digital signage system designDigital 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)

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Is Technology the Bottom Line for Web Conferencing and Videoconferencing?

Scott Storteboom | Corporate | April 14th, 2010 | Leave A Comment

Image of Web Conferencing Auditorium AVL ConsultantSure, 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)

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How Hotel Conference Rooms Can Make Money By Offering Audio-Visual Services In House

Tim Hamilton | Hospitality | December 16th, 2009 | 2 Comments

image of Hotel-Conference Room Audio-Visual System DesignWhen 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)

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Video Screen Backdrops are the new Stage Designs for Churches

Scott Storteboom | Worship | December 2nd, 2009 | 2 Comments

Church Video Screen Backdrops Sanctuary Stage Design Video System DesignDecorating and designing stage sets for church sanctuaries can be a daunting task. Let’s look at a brief calendar of the church year. Traditional Christmas services are followed by volunteer holidays and a New Year celebration. There may be a Super Bowl Sunday and then a candlelit Maundy Thursday followed quickly by an Easter sunrise celebration. You’ve got weddings, funerals, baptisms, baby dedications, and on and on. And most importantly, you’ve got the “normal” weekly church services and sermon series to keep you busy. Even the best decorating committees have trouble keeping the pace. So how can you make it all work? (more)

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Industrial Paging System Safety Code Requirements

Tim Hamilton | Industrial | November 18th, 2009 | Leave A Comment

image of industrial paging system safety code requirements audio engineer audio-visual consultantGenerally 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)

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How Churches Save Money with Independent AVL Design

Tom Thelen | Worship | October 1st, 2009 | Leave A Comment

image a church sanctuary digital sound board from church audio-visual consultantsIn 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)

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