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)
Corporate Videoconference Guidelines & Recommendations – Part 2
Good communication can be difficult, especially over long distances. This is why we still get on airplanes and travel to meet face to face. Videoconferencing saves the travel costs, and it still gives us the face to face connection. But here’s the key: the videoconference environment itself is critical to ensuring communication success. Human ability (your eyes and ears) are much more forgiving than technology (cameras and microphones). For example, bad room lighting can automatically be mitigated by a change to your eye’s iris, but video cameras will capture an unusable or poor image. Another example is room noise which can be filtered out by the brain but will be picked up by the microphone and ultimately decrease intelligibility. So here is a list of common “weakest links” for corporate videoconferencing: (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)
Video Wall Design Considerations for Corporate Webcast Auditoriums
Out of curiosity, we asked one of our current clients what made them pick Acoustics By Design to be their audio-video consultant for their corporate webcast auditorium project. We beat out several national AVL consulting firms to get the project, so what made the difference? Well, there were a list of reasons why ABD was the best fit. One reason was that we took time to understand the client’s vision, and that we proposed the concept of a video wall rather than the traditional approach of using several projectors to accomplish their complex webcasts. Cool. So why did we pitch the idea in the first place? (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
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)
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)
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 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)
HD Videoconferencing and The 21st Century Patient
Whether you watch HD from Blu-ray disks or over-the-air HD broadcasts, the clarity of the image is stunning. With widespread availability of professional HD imaging devices, monitors, and support gear, the clarity we’re seeing at home is now making its mark on the workplace and on the healthcare setting. A new phenomenon in smaller medical facilities is the use of HD videoconferencing with offsite offices and specialists. A properly designed system allows medical professionals to instantly collaborate with offsite experts, delivering an accurate and timely diagnosis while reducing the costs of time and travel for the patient. This stuff really works, and it is fast becoming a new benchmark of healthcare facility design. (more)
Coordination for AVL Consultants and Project Teams
Perhaps the toughest and most critical element of designing AVL systems for auditoriums is proper coordination with all the other teams. As audio-visual and theatrical lighting designers, we find ourselves being selected to join teams all throughout the process, from design development to construction administration to commissioning, and this can create a lot of challenges for the AVL system integration. (more)
4 Basic Concepts for Corporate Board Room Video Conferencing Systems
It’s January, and that means new budgets for companies that operate on the calendar year. If this year is anything like the last, it means we will be receiving calls from companies inquiring about corporate board room video conferencing systems. As AV Consultants, one of the most common questions we get asked is, “What do other companies have for AV equipment in their Boardrooms?” And the follow up question is always, “Should we be looking at a video conferencing solution?” It seems, in the business world, everyone is concerned that if their technology is behind the curve, then they won’t be as competitive. And we are all concerned about how these new technologies affect our bottom line. But believe it or not, video conferencing may be a viable and cost-saving solution for almost any company that seeks to enhance its communications. (more)
Digital Signage Solutions for K-12 Schools
My wife teaches English to high school freshmen and seniors. It’s a good thing that she’s the one teaching them, because if it were me, I’d probably end up in a mental institution. The hard part about teaching teenagers is finding effective methods of communication. Sometimes it seems like they just don’t understand words. But there are things they do understand. High school teenagers understand images. They understand video. They understand multi-media, multi-sensory communication. This is one of the reasons why we at Acoustics By Design are seeing a significant uptick in Digital Signage system design for K-12 schools. (more)
Decision 2008 – White Space Disaster for Wireless Mics
Last Tuesday, while many of us were casting our votes in the presidential election, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was making a landmark decision of its own. On their private ballot was a proposal to open the so-called “TV White Spaces” of the frequency spectrum for expanded use. And on November 4th, the proposal passed. Sounds all fine and good, right? Well, maybe not. If the FCC’s current plan goes through, it will lead to a crossroads for the wireless microphone industry and for AV designers. (more)
I worked for years in churches as a Technical Director, and during my tenure in that position I had a front row seat on the effects of volunteer-installed equipment. While there is a time and place for volunteers to do some elements of installation, let me say that it’s generally a bad idea. Not because volunteers will always get it wrong, but because volunteers are too valuable to compromise. Here are a few observations/experiences from my years in the trenches. (more)
University Technology: Attending Class In Your Underwear
Urban legends claim that a good way to calm your nerves before giving a speech is to imagine the audience in their underwear. But what if you could attend class in a T-shirt and underwear without anyone else ever knowing it? Well, at many colleges and universities around the world, you already can.
To understand this miracle of science, we have to examine the link between two rapidly changing technologies: distance learning and classroom connectivity. These two might seem unrelated, but in fact they are deeply intertwined. (more)
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