Sound & Communications January 2019, Vol 65 No 1

C O M M E R C I A L

A V

T E C H N O L O G Y

A N D

A P P L I C A T I O N

January 21, 2019  Vol. 65 No. 1

MEDIA ARTS EDUCATION, NETWORKED RPI CREATES IMMERSIVE AUDIO/VIDEO/3D PRODUCTION COMPLEX, BUILDINGS RECEIVE AND EXCHANGE FEEDS

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A P P L I C A T I O N

CONTENTS Volume 65 Number 1

A V

T E C H N O L O G Y

A N D

F E AT U R E S 48 MEDIA ARTS EDUCATION, NETWORKED RPI creates immersive audio/video/3D production complex, buildings receive and exchange feeds.

By Andy McDonough

56 HIGH FIBER IN SPORTS REHAB

Pinnacle National Development Center integrates AV communications across locations.

By Dan Daley

54

DEPARTMENTS 9 NEWSLETTER 18 HOUSE OF WORSHIP: BUSINESS

36 THIS MESSAGE IS THE MEDIUM

Safe Spaces For Children’s Ministry: They are our future.

By David Lee Jr., PhD

By Joseph Bocchiaro III, PhD, CStd, CTS-D, CTS-I, ISF-C

20 HOUSE OF WORSHIP: TECHNOLOGY

38 INDUSTRY POV

Moments Of Clarity: Middleton Community Church’s upgraded AV delights growing, vibrant congregation.

C O M M E R C I A L

Audio Networking In Smaller Spaces: You don’t need a huge venue to realize big benefits.

By Anthony Vargas

By Brad Price

28 THE COMMISH

40 INDUSTRY POV

Real Communication: Are we losing our humanity?

4

MotivAVtions: The top 11 real reasons why clients want AV.

By James Maltese, CTS-D, CTS-I, CQD, CQT

30 WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Red Flags When Evaluating AV Employers: There are risks you should consider.

By Douglas Kleeger, CTS-D, DMC-E/S, XTP-E, KCD

32 AVIXA POV

Creating A Cohort: AV pros and technical creatives unite.

By Rachel Bradshaw

34 NSCA POV

Learning From Those Outside Of Our Industry: We can glean knowledge from those like us and those unlike us.

By Chuck Wilson

Sound & Communications January 2019

A Question Of Standards: SMPTE ST 2110 deserves attention in the commercial AV world.

By Andrew Starks

42 INDUSTRY POV

The Modern Arena: How displays are changing the game.

By Ed Stock

44 INDUSTRY POV

What A (Relatively) Short Trip It’s Been: A whirlwind tour of the rise of network-based systems.

By Mike Sims

46 INDUSTRY POV

Well-Designed Collaboration Solutions Command Attention: Corporate spaces

can realize increased effectiveness, efficiency with AV.

By Tiffany Dozier

47 INDUSTRY POV

A Natural Approach To Digital Signage: Key insights for healthcare businesses and AV integrators.

By Jeff Van Duyn

64 MARKET BRIEF 66 NEWS 68 CALENDAR 70 PEOPLE 71 PRODUCTS

74 SOFTWARE 75 MEDIA 77 CENTERSTAGE 80 MARKETPLACE

COLUMNS 6 WAVELENGTH

By Dan Ferrisi

12 SOUND ADVICE

By Peter Mapp, PhD, FASA, FAES

16 IOT

By David Danto

82 AVENT HORIZON

By Pete Putman, CTS

On the cover: Student researchers with the Cognitive and Immersive Systems Laboratory (CISL) work with big data and human-scale media technology to develop a cognitive “situations room.”

WAVELENGTH The world is getting smaller. I don’t mean that literally, of course; the world’s getting “smaller” by becoming more globalized and more interconnected. In 2017, the last year for which complete data was available, international travel was exceptionally strong, with the number of outbound trips worldwide increasing by 6.5 percent—reaching nearly 1.2 billion international trips—according to IPK International. Our society’s globetrotting ways correlate with trends we’re obser ving in the commercial AV industr y.

More and more, systems are not isolated islands unto themselves, but, rather, networked webs that cross campuses, cities, states and, in some cases, oceans.

This month’s issue theme, “Networked System Integration,” spotlights systems of this kind. On page 48, Andy McDonough leads us on a tour of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and its new HASS Media Studio. Its flexible design, created by Walters-Stor yk Design Group (WSDG), offers a space in which students can not only create, mix and edit, but also digitally access RPI’s other per-

formance and media-research spaces via the school’s network fiber infrastructure.

Among the spaces to which the media studio has the capacity to be networked are the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) and the Cognitive and Immersive Systems Lab (CISL), underscoring the breadth of the backbone WSDG established.

Meanwhile, on page 56, Dan Daley is our guide as we explore Pinnacle National Development Center, an 80,000-square-foot, $75 million complex that is the training and technology hub for Sporting KC, Kansas City MO’s Major League Soccer team. AV-over-IP signals from either Pinnacle or Children’s Mercy Park (Sporting KC’s home stadium) can be called up through the fiber networks laid down between the two facilities by the electrical contractor. Through the various networks—a dedicated AV network, Sporting KC’s own network and US Soccer’s VLAN—users can call up video footage and have it appear on any of dozens of displays.

Even as an exciting new year begins, we understand that not ever y AV integration project will be as tech-for ward as those we bring you this month; however, one of our jobs Dan Ferrisi is to keep you apprised of where things are going. And that’s why, this month, we have six “Industr y POV” op-eds, discussing ever ything from audio networking in smaller spaces (page 38) and SMPTE’s ST 2110 set of standards (page 40), to digital displays in modern arenas (page 42) and a reminiscence on the rise of network-based systems (page 44), to collaboration solutions in corporate spaces (page 46) and relaxation-inducing digital signage for healthcare settings (page 47).

People are crisscrossing the globe, and so, too, are disruptive ideas. Share yours with me; email dferrisi@testa.com.

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A V F O R S Y S T E M S I N T E G R AT O R S , C O N T R A C T O R S A N D C O N S U LTA N T S

Editor Dan Ferrisi dferrisi@testa.com Associate Editor Anthony Vargas avargas@testa.com Assistant Editor Amanda Mullen amullen@testa.com Contributing Editors Shonan Noronha, EdD Pete Putman, CTS Jim Stokes

Contributors Joseph Bocchiaro III, PhD, CStd, CTS-D, CTS-I, ISF-C Rachel Bradshaw, MEd Dan Daley David Danto Tiffany Dozier Douglas Kleeger, CTS-D, DMC-E/S, XTP-E, KCD David Lee Jr., PhD James Maltese, CTS-D, CTS-I, CQD, CQT Peter Mapp, PhD, FASA, FAES Andy McDonough Brad Price Pete Putman, CTS Mike Sims Andrew Starks Ed Stock Jeff Van Duyn Chuck Wilson Technical Council Joseph Bocchiaro III, PhD, CStd, CTS-D, CTS-I, ISF-C, The Sextant Group, Inc. Douglas Kleeger, CTS-D, DMC-E/S, XTP-E, KCD David Lee Jr., PhD, Lee Communication Inc. Peter Mapp, PhD, FASA, FAES, Peter Mapp Associates Shonan Noronha, EdD, Media Resources Pete Putman, CTS, ROAM Consulting LLC Art Director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com Digital Art Director Fred Gumm Production Manager Steve Thorakos Sales Assistant/Ad Traffic Jeannemarie Graziano jgraziano@testa.com Advertising Manager Robert L. Iraggi riraggi@testa.com Classifieds classifiedsales@testa.com Circulation circulation@testa.com Operations Manager Robin Hazan Associate Publisher John Carr jcarr@testa.com President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa Editorial and Sales Office Sound & Communications 25 Willowdale Avenue Port Washington, New York 11050-3779 (516) 767-2500 | FAX: (516) 767-9335 Sound & Communications Sound & Communications Blue Book IT/AV Report The Music & Sound Retailer DJ Times • DJ Expo ConventionTV@NAMM ConventionTV@InfoComm

CONTRIBUTORS Joseph Bocchiaro III, PhD, CStd, CTS-D, CTS-I, ISF-C, has worked in the technology side of building design and systems integration for more than 30 years, primarily with AV/IT systems. A Principal Consultant for The Sextant Group, he works with clients such as architects and owners to create sophisticated technology implementations.

Rachel Bradshaw, MEd, is the Director of Program Design for AVIXA. Her mission is to advance the audiovisual industry by providing strategic thought leadership, tactical discussions and technical instruction at the InfoComm show. She helped launch InfoComm’s networked AV curriculum and edited the book Networked AV Systems.

David Danto is currently the Director of Emerging Technology for the Interactive Multimedia & Collaborative Communications Alliance (IMCCA) and a Principal Consultant at Dimension Data. He is also the newly appointed Editor of IT/ AV Report, and he oversees the “IoT” column.

Tiffany Dozier, Executive VP, Sales, for Premier Mounts joined the company in 1997 and has continued to play a key role in developing Premier Mounts as an advisor and partner to the nation’s top integrators, distributors and display manufacturers. She is also involved with Women in AV (WAVE) and Women of InfoComm.

Brad Price is the Senior Product Manager at Audinate and has an extensive background in audio engineering, music performance, and software product development. He works with the development team to create software for Dante Audio Networking that brings value to audio professionals across a wide range of industry categories.

Mike Sims has had a circuitous path to Attero Tech, as a designer/engineer first for Biamp, then Lectrosonics and then Cirrus Logic in the early days when it acquired CobraNet. He directs marketing and sales now, and he tries to keep up with the pace of industry change.

Andrew Starks is the Director of Product Management for Macnica Technology, a leader in live video-over-IP transport technologies, and creator of hardware and software APIs that implement ST 2110, such as the VIPA ST 2110 PCIe Network Accelerator. Starks, an expert in broadcast, video and digital signage, is an entrepreneur.

Ed Stock is the Senior Business Development Manager at Samsung Electronics America for the sports and entertainment vertical in North America.

He specializes in transforming stadiums into futureproof, fully digitalized entertainment centers with Samsung products, including LED and LCD displays, and Harman audio.

Jeff Van Duyn is President of Atmosphere Healthcare, a US-based digital signage and visual services provider with a focus on the hospital and healthcare sector. For more information, go to www.atmospherehealth care.us.

Dan Daley has covered the confluence of technology, business and culture for almost 30 years. He has also been a successful composer and recording studio owner, and he authored the book Unwritten Rules: Inside the Business of Country Music.

Sound & Communications (ISSN 0038-1845) (USPS 943-140) is published monthly for $25 (US), $35 (Canada & Mexico) and $65 (all other countries), by Sound & Communications Publications, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050-3779.

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January 2019

Sound & Communications

7

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NEWSLETTER OWNERSHIP CHANGE AT SYMETRIX Symetrix (Mountlake Terrace WA) has announced that Mark and Rachelle Graham have joined the Symetrix team as the new Owners of the business. As a veteran of more than 30 years in the audio industry, Mark Graham fills the CEO role. Symetrix’s current Owner, Julia Ogden, has been considering a change in ownership of the company for some time after 32 years with Symetrix.

Mark Graham was CEO of LOUD Technologies for the last eight years. Before that, Graham was the President of Crown Audio, a Harman company. His industry experience includes working for Hewlett Packard in its test and measurement division and owning his own audio contracting business. Meanwhile, Rachelle Graham has been a marketing manager for several large organizations, including Agilent Technologies, the University of Kansas and BioServe Space Technologies, one of NASA’s Commercial Space Centers.

According to Ogden, “The launch of our new products will move ahead seamlessly. We’ve put a lot of thought into how to make the transition as smooth as possible so that none of our deadlines slip.”

Symetrix will remain at the same location, and all employees will be retained. Ogden will continue to work for the company throughout a transition period, and she will serve on the company’s Board of Directors going forward.

BIAMP ACQUIRES CAMBRIDGE SOUND MANAGEMENT Biamp (Beaverton OR) has announced the acquisition of Cambridge Sound Management (CSM, Waltham MA) from Gladstone Investment Corp. CSM is a provider of direct and in-plenum sound-masking solutions. CSM systems have approximately 50-percent market share and represent more than 20,000 installations. CSM sells through a network of integrators to enhance its distribution and support reach. This model, along with many of the integrators themselves, is identical to Biamp’s own.

Biamp’s President, CEO and Co-Chairman, Rashid Skaf, remarked, “The acquisition of Cambridge Sound Management unites two great brands in the professional audiovisual market. Together, we offer customers better access to industry-leading solutions that manage sound and video to address a wide array of modern communications and collaboration challenges. It has been just one year since I led the acquisition of Biamp with Highlander Partners with the stated intent of leveraging it as a platform to build a respected provider of comprehensive audiovisual solutions. This transaction is the first evidence of that strategy being implemented, but far from the last. Biamp is on the move!”

CSM will join Biamp as a product family within the company’s portfolio, with business functions gradually being blended to form a single Biamp business.

RCF GROUP ACQUIRES DPA MICROPHONES RCF Group (Reggio Emilia, Italy) has announced the signing of a definitive agreement for the acquisition of DPA Microphones A/S (Alleroed, Denmark) from The Riverside Company. DPA’s products serve the high-end professional audio microphone market for the live, theater, studio and broadcast end-user segments. RCF Group, with branches in the US and Europe, operates under the companies RCF, AEB Industriale (dB Technologies) and EAW. RCF Group generates more than 80 percent of its revenues outside of Italy in 120 countries.

In 2017, two European private-equity players, Palladio Holding and Amundi Private Equity Funds, invested in RCF Group with a minority stake to support and enhance the group in its growth plans.

Following the September 2018 acquisition of EAW, RCF Group’s acquisition of DPA represents a second milestone on the company’s growth path.

Chiomenti provided legal assistance on the transaction for RCF Group, which was also assisted by New Deal Advisors for financial due diligence and by Deloitte for tax and legal due diligence.

You could have received this NEWSLETTER information about three weeks ago, with more detail and live links, via email. Go to www.soundandcommunications.com to sign up!

January 2019

Sound & Communications

9

NEWSLETTER DIGICO ACQUIRES KLANG:TECHNOLOGIES DiGiCo (Chessington, UK) has announced the acquisition of KLANG:technologies (Aachen, Germany) as an addition to the Audiotonix family, which includes audio brands such as Allen & Heath, Calrec, DiGiGrid, Solid State Logic and DiGiCo. The deal was concluded in December.

James Gordon, CEO of Audiotonix, commented, “When the opportunity arose for [KLANG] to join Audiotonix, we were keen to make it happen. We have always stressed that, with our [mergers and acquisitions], we would look at each brand’s requirement and help support them with their aspirations. On that basis, KLANG will become a key part of DiGiCo’s future....”

Austin Freshwater, General Manager of DiGiCo, added, “We have been working in the background with KLANG for some months on increasing our level of integration. Over that time, it was clear the ethos of the development teams was similar, with a lot of shared common goals. Combining the control of the KLANG system into the DiGiCo worksurface will allow I-IEM and 3D personal monitoring to be a part of an engineer’s natural workflow, and that’s just the beginning for us and the KLANG team.”

DTEN CHOOSES STARIN FOR EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DTEN (San Jose CA) has appointed Starin (Chesterton IN) as its exclusive supply partner in the US. Starin will be providing the new interactive DTEN D7 Zoom Rooms Certified display beginning this month, along with the range of other DTEN screens. The D7 all-in-one will bring ease of installation and operation to huddle spaces and conferencing rooms, the manufacturer said.

Starin was chosen as the exclusive distributor for this product line due to its broad experience bringing innovations to market with its full service of marketing and channel support. Starin carries the whole range of the Zoom ecosystem brands, and it works closely with Zoom and Zoom-certified integrators for fulfillment of opportunities. DTEN has worked in conjunction with Zoom software development to create this first of what will be several devices, ensuring they are 100-percent Zoom Rooms ready.

K-ARRAY LAUNCHES K-ARRAY USA K-array (Florence, Italy) has announced the launch of K-array USA (Wellesley MA). With a new facility located in the greater Boston MA area, the manufacturer will directly oversee operations of the sales, marketing and service of K-array’s audio solutions in the US. The new operation, already in effect as of December 1, is headed by K-array Global Business Development Director Rusty Waite. It will work alongside manufacturer’s reps SG Western (California, Nevada, Arizona), Marketing Concepts (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi) and On The Road Marketing (New York, New Jersey), which will cover their respective territories to grow the brand.

PLANTRONICS SETTLES SEC INVESTIGATION OF POLYCOM Plantronics (Santa Cruz CA) has agreed to pay $36 million to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to settle foreign-bribery allegations against its recently acquired subsidiary, Polycom (San Jose CA). As a result of the settlement, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has declined to bring any criminal charges against Polycom, citing Plantronics’ full cooperation with the investigation. Polycom is neither admitting to nor denying the SEC’s allegations.

The SEC began its foreign-bribery investigation after Polycom reported “evidence of possible improper behavior on the part of former employees at its subsidiary in China,” possibly in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

According to a statement by Plantronics, “The conduct at issue was limited to Polycom China and occurred prior to Plantronics’ acquisition of Polycom in July 2018, and prior to Polycom going private in 2016. All of the individuals involved had left Polycom by the time Plantronics acquired Polycom.” Polycom was acquired by Plantronics in a $2 billion deal last year.

The $36 million settlement will be paid from an escrow account secured by Plantronics as part of its acquisition of Polycom.

COMPILED BY DAN FERRISI AND ANTHONY VARGAS 10 Sound & Communications January 2019

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SOUND ADVICE

Acoustic Offerings The sound of religion.

By Peter Mapp, PhD, FASA, FAES

D

uring the run up to Christmas, I found myself in a number of churches, houses of worship (HoWs) and various other religious buildings, whether it was to check things out in readiness for a certain birthday celebration, or to sur vey, design or commission the sound systems. During a two-week period, I spent time working on five different projects; it struck me not only how diverse the system requirements were, but also the huge variation in acoustics that the various religious buildings exhibited. One size most certainly does not fit all!

It is interesting to consider how the acoustical properties of the space relate to the form of worship and the associated style of music. Over the years, I have worked for a great many religions, churches and HoWs, ranging from cavernous cathedrals and grand mosques to small rooms of almost domestic proportions. As I tell my church clients, “I cannot design you a sound system or sort out the acoustic issues until I have observed what it is that you do and how you use—or how you’d like to use—the space.”

Speech intelligibility is usually at the heart of the matter, but, often, it’s not the only factor that has to be considered—even in buildings in which there is no music and it’s all about speech!

Visual implications and architectural impact often seem to rate more highly than acoustics and sonic integrity.

Ironically, it is perhaps the wide range of acoustic signatures that religious buildings have that ser ves to confuse things, blurring the importance of having good acoustics. But what are “good acoustics”? Last March, this column

12 Sound & Communications January 2019

Figure 1: Optimal RTs for various activities and building uses.

Figure 2: UK cathedral RTs.

touched on that ver y topic and included a graphic that showed the disparate ranges of optimal reverberation times (RTs) for a number of building uses and activities. To save anxious memor y and file searching, I have included the figure once again.

As Figure 1 shows, churches and HoWs exhibit the widest range of acoustics of any activity, having RTs that span from around 1sec. to more

than 3sec. In fact, they actually go off this scale, as many religious buildings have mid-frequency RTs of 6sec. or more. So, why is there this huge variation? What is it about HoWs that makes them require a 6:1 range in acoustics (as indicated, at least, by their RTs), whereas music has just a 2:1 or 2.5:1 maximum? Well, essentially, there are two reasons. Let me explain.

First, the acoustics are dictated by

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Figure 3: Typical RT characteristics for grand and medium-sized mosques.

Figure 4: RT characteristics for a number of different HoWs of the same faith.

Figure 5: RT characteristics for modern Baptist church with praise band.

the size and architecture of the building; second, they are, to a certain extent, determined by the nature of the religion and/or the form of worship.

It’s only for the last 50 to 60 years or so that the acoustics of the space would have been tailored to suit the religion; prior to that, the acoustics in essence dictated the form of worship.

For example, 800 to 1,000 years ago, when many of the great cathedrals of Europe were built, their vast size and inherently long RTs meant that speech would not be intelligible over any significant distance. Furthermore, the acoustic characteristics also meant that the tempo of the music had to be relatively slow in order to allow one note or phrase to die down sufficiently before the next one was sounded—other wise, they would not be distinguishable and they’d just become a reverberant mush.

The same also holds true for speech, but with a correspondingly longer time period being required between the words. Some forms of choral music—such as chants, of course—were specifically created to take advantage of the long reverberation and let sounds flow into each other. To put this into perspective, I have plotted the RT characteristics of some of the UK cathedrals I have been privileged to measure over the years.

As Figure 2 (see page 12) shows, the average RT is around 4.5sec., although, in one of the buildings, the mid-frequency RT peaked up to almost 6sec.

“Modern religions” and forms of worship could not operate in such a reverberant environment, because speech or vocals are of different significance and require greater impact. Contemporar y music is also much faster and wouldn’t sur vive such a hostile acoustic. However, these long RTs are ideal for the organ and for choral music, as well as chants—the latter usually being well suited to less cavernous, but equally reverberant, spaces.

The longest cathedral RT that I’ve ever measured was in a modern cathedral and tipped the scales at around 9.5sec. It also had some interesting

sound-focusing issues, but, with the right music, it sounded truly magical.

To put it technically, it was a brute; more generally, the RT was excessive and intrinsically an intelligibility killer.

However, with the right sound-system design and with well-articulated speech, even that acoustic outlier was eventually tamed.

Mosques, meanwhile, are another form of religious building that often exhibit challenging acoustics. Figure 3 shows

the RT characteristics for a number of the larger ones. It is clear from the figure that there is no such thing as a “typical mosque acoustic signature.” Smaller prayer halls (e.g., 100 to 200 people) generally have an RT characteristic that falls below the bottom red curve, and, so, they’re reasonably benign.

At the other end of the religious acoustics scale are the relatively dead acoustic environments that more (continued on page 76)

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IoT

A Question Of Scope

Sound & Communications unveils its newest monthly column.

By David Danto IMCCA

W

hat is included in the scope of AV, sound and communications? It’s a fair question to stop and ask ever y once in a while.

If you asked us that question in the 1980s, it would likely have included slide projectors, Caramates and dissolve units. If you asked in the 1990s, it might have included LCD panels used with overhead transparency projectors.

As our industr y has matured, all of us within it have had to modify and expand the scope of what we have to be both aware of and good at.

If you ask us what’s included in the scope of AV, sound and communications today, however, a long list of things must be considered: • We have to be programmers—and not only of control systems and mixers, but, possibly, of AI bots.

• We have to be network specialists—as both data and formerly analog signals now ride network connections.

• We have to be smart system experts—so we can interface, as needed, between AV systems and building management systems (BMSes).

• We have to be unified communications (UC) experts—so we know how to build room solutions that work seamlessly in an enterprise collaboration ecosystem with desktops and mobile devices.

• We have to be consumer electronics experts—because consumerization is in full force, all devices are going to be connected devices and these will have to complement what we are doing.

And, of course, we still have to be experts with regard to how people see, hear and interact with content in venues both large and small.

This column in Sound & Communications was called “Sign Age” when it was written by Shonan Noronha, EdD. Now, though, we’ve decided it’s appropriate to take a substantially broader look at where we are and where we’re

16 Sound & Communications January 2019

David Danto

Ken Scaturro

Mike Brandofino

going. Managing a large digital signage ecosystem is definitely in our wheelhouse—but so is managing a large videoconferencing ecosystem, a large digital microphone ecosystem, a large lighting ecosystem and/or a large general-compute/codec ecosystem. And who knows what else we’ll have to include on the list tomorrow?

Because of all of these factors, we’re expanding and maturing the nature of what we’ll cover. As of this issue, Sound & Communications has changed the column name to “IoT.” The change not only represents the obvious Internet of Things (IoT) reference, but also highlights that the final stop of our inputs and outputs is us. Until the Cylons/Borg/Terminators (or whatever sci-fi reference you like) take over, we still have to focus on how our analog eyes and ears (input) and our analog voices and images (output) are merged into the digital world, and how we manage the various technologies along that journey.

The authors for this column will now be expanded, as well. Interactive Multimedia & Collaborative Communications Alliance (IMCCA) Board members Mike Brandofino (current Chairperson), Ken Scaturro (past Chairperson) and David Danto (Director of Emerging Technology) will take turns—and sometimes collaborate—to bring you our varied thoughts on what, and how, we’re managing as our industr y continues to transition. We’ll fill you in on what we’ve seen and what we expect to be seeing—and we’ll be honest about it. And if that means we have to tell you that you’re going to have to dump your stock of Caramates and LCD panels, well, sorr y, but that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

We’d rather see you thrive in the industr y that we are experiencing now, rather than flounder in the industr y we no longer are.

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HOUSE OF WORSHIP: BUSINESS

Safe Spaces For They are our future.

By David Lee Jr., PhD Lee Communication Inc.

C

hildren are our future.

We often hear this well-used phrase, but we rarely think about it in depth.

If we truly want our children to have a future, then we must do all that we can to create safe spaces in which they can live, learn and love. In recent years, we have experienced the pain of horrible tragedies in our school buildings, with children being injured or losing their lives. Federal and local governments have taken some actions to help keep children safe when they are in school. Sadly, tragedies have also occurred in houses of worship (HoWs). Adults and children have lost their lives as a result of the actions of evil people.

Frighteningly, there is no enforcement group that HoWs can lean on to help them create a safe worship environment. Thus, I believe that we have opportunities to add to our portfolio the skill sets required to create exciting and safe worship spaces in which adults and children can worship, learn about their faith, love their God and interact with their friends.

When I talk to peers about offering ser vices to help create safe spaces for children, I am often met with a puzzled look or questions regarding how doing so would relate to our work with HoWs’ use of technology. The questions are legitimate. However, I see an immense need, and I believe many of us are capable of providing these ser vices to our HoW clients.

18 Sound & Communications January 2019

Creating safe places gives us another opportunity to ser ve a noble cause. Plus, this ser vice gives us an opportunity to tap into another revenue stream.

I can assure you that children’s ministr y can mean huge business. However, to reap those benefits, it must be done well. If you meet with HoW leaders to address their needs in their primar y worship space, you should also ask about their plans for creating a safe worship space for children. In many cases, you will have to help the leaders understand the need to create a safe, yet exciting, space for children.

The key to creating safe worship spaces is to understand the big picture. I don’t have the skill set to address ever y issue that creating a safe worship space would entail. However, I have met with people and businesses who know the detailed issues, and I hire them to complement my own areas of expertise. What follows is a ver y short sequence of actions, ser vices and technologies that are required to create an exciting and safe worship space for children.

First, if you are modifying an existing structure, then you have to identify and secure all entrances and exits. Some doors might have to be kept locked, or new doors might have to be created. The goal in existing or new structures is to secure the entrances so that people coming in can be monitored, while also ensuring exits are clearly identified so that people can easily find their way out.

Second, establish contingency plans for all types of emergencies. Local police and fire departments are typically willing to help leaders understand the best ways to respond to many scenarios. Plus, they can help to identify point persons among the congregation who can oversee emergencies. In addition, many HoWs have police officers and firefighters among their congregants, and they are often ver y willing to ser ve as security for the HoW during events and ser vices.

Third, ever yone working with the children must undergo background checks.

Then, they must be trained to follow specific protocols as they work with children during ser vices and in emergencies.

Fourth, video camera sur veillance systems with hard drive recorders must be installed. These vital technologies enable trained security staff to spot and identify potential problems before they occur. These videos can also potentially provide evidence for any false claims and liability issues.

Fifth, purchase and install check-in/check-out software. Sadly, there are many broken families in our world. There have been numerous instances at HoWs in which one parent, who has legal custody of the child, took him or her to children’s church, and then went to the adult worship ser vice. During the ser vice, the other parent went to the children’s area and got the child. The people working in the children’s area asked the child if that person was his or her parent. When the child said “yes,” the staff members released the child, not knowing the other parent did not

LIVE REALLTIME AUTOMATED CAPTIONING & TRANSCRIPTION have legal custody. When actions like this occur, HoWs inadvertently place children in harm’s way and open themselves up to the possibility of a huge lawsuit. The check-in/check-out system requires the guardian parent or parents to provide all pertinent information to enable staff members and volunteers to know exactly who can check in and check out their children.

Sixth, in nurser y (infant) care areas, there are types of baby beds on wheels that, in case of emergency (such as a fire), the workers can place multiple babies in. Once in the bed, they can be covered with fireretardant blankets to protect them until they are in a safe location.

Seventh, the HoW will also require traditional technologies to create an exciting worship space, so I will summarize here the need for soundreinforcement equipment, lights, video projection, and people who are trained to manage and operate the gear.

We have to understand many more details to create safe spaces for children, but we can, and must, do so. I believe that creating exciting and safe worship and social spaces should be the highest priority of ever y HoW. I also believe we can help HoW leaders create these spaces so that our children can enjoy their lives now—and live to enjoy their futures.

Please tell me what you believe.

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HOUSE OF WORSHIP: TECHNOLOGY Middleton Community Church might be on the smaller side, but it thinks big when it comes to music.

As such, the church needed to overhaul its existing AV footprint to ensure that its musicians could get the most flexibility out of the limited amount of space.

Moments Of Clarity

Middleton Community Church’s upgraded audio delights growing, vibrant congregation.

By Anthony Vargas

A

V technology is an essential component of modern worship, and as ministries grow and mature, so do their AV needs. However, many churches tend to make do with improvised or makeshift solutions to their growing AV needs until more permanent, professional solutions can be budgeted for and implemented.

Middleton Community Church is a perfect example of this reality of the worship market. Middleton is a growing church in Middleton WI—a suburb of Madison WI—that uses audio and video technology during its worship ser vices, but it had to rely on some piecemeal improvements to its AV systems as its technological needs grew more sophisticated over time.

Eventually, the church outgrew its building’s original AV system design, which had been largely unchanged since the building was opened in 2005. Its front-of-house mixing location, which ser ves as a workstation for both the audio and video technicians, had become 20 Sound & Communications January 2019

cramped and unsightly. In addition, Middleton wanted to replace its aging analog audio equipment with more modern digital equipment, while also improving audio intelligibility throughout the main worship space. “[AV is] so important that the congregation agreed to spend almost $50,000 to fix it,” Carole Klopp, who leads Middleton’s AVL team, shared. “For a church our size—under 400 members—that is huge! We have the young, the old and the in-between from an age standpoint.

Regardless of age, however, sound has been a problem from the get-go in this sanctuar y. We have members who stopped attending because they simply could not understand the pastor when he spoke or clearly hear all of the ser vice.

We are a ver y music-driven church, as well, and when we had Cantatas and pageants, our directors struggled not only with voices and instruments being heard well, but also with accompanying CDs not being heard by the choir, making it impossible for us to use those CDs.”

Simply put, Middleton’s old sound system could not keep pace with its growing needs. “Members couldn’t hear, musicians couldn’t hear,” Klopp described. “It was all too much—and we’re in a growing area of Madison, so this became a true impediment to our regular worship, growing our church membership and for the other community activities that take place in our facility. As Madison is growing, we saw our AV system not keeping up, and we knew we needed an upgrade.”

When asked what the church’s main expectations were for a new audio system, Klopp replied, “We expected the new system to function all the time.

Previously, the system would just not work, which meant we had to jur y-rig a fix, and get it done by the next Sunday!

Fortunately, we have two engineers who volunteer their time on the AVL team and handle all of our system malfunctions. We also expected that members of the congregation would no longer complain that they cannot

HOUSE OF WORSHIP: TECHNOLOGY

Two speakers flown left and right from one of the ceiling beams cover the main seating area in the sanctuary. Two fill speakers, flown from the same beam, cover small seating areas on the left and right sides of the sanctuary. Ensuring that the speakers blended into the wood in the ceiling was a top priority.

hear clearly, and that the sound outages would cease to exist.”

Andy Phelps, one of Middleton’s technical volunteers, who ser ves as an audio engineer, clearly identified the church’s goals. “We had four primar y objectives,” he said. “First and foremost was clarity of spoken words. Our sanctuar y is beautiful, but as it is graced with large, flat, hardwood surfaces, sound reflects mercilessly. The original system’s nine loudspeakers competed with each other and resulted in muddy echoes, so many people strained to understand what was being said. Second, our choir could not hear properly, and it was difficult to perform without being able to hear the accompaniment cleanly. Third, our old analog system was difficult to use. Not only was it not flexible to create the mixes we wanted, it was also impossible to scan its multitude of buttons and knobs to see if they were all in a standard setting. In an environment where we have many volunteers at the board, unusual changes in settings were common. Being at the mercy of an errant knob or button meant that our system was, in effect, unreliable. Fourth, our mixer, amps and other equipment were housed in a small cabinet just inside the main door of the 22 Sound & Communications January 2019

sanctuar y. Not only was it inadequate to house our gear and awkward to use, it was an aesthetic blight on one’s first view of the sanctuar y.”

Middleton reached out to Lifeline Audio Video Technologies (www.lifeline audiovideo.com), which had previously worked on a project at another church with a member of Middleton’s AVL team. Lifeline’s President, Scott Wright, spearheaded the audio upgrade at Middleton. His team consisted of Head Technician, Project Manager and Head Programmer Adam King and Installation Technicians Chris Schmidt, Jared Pink and Zachar y Schrab.

Wright pointed to several problems with the physical footprint of Middleton’s old AV system that needed to be addressed in the upgrade. “First of all, the desk that they had was too small,” he recalled. “It had an analog mixing board that only had audio, and the video person was literally sitting next to the audio console at more or less a card table.

[The front-of-house mixing desk] was on the main floor, so it was hard to see the front platform; when the congregation was standing, it was hard for [the technicians] to see over the top of [ever yone’s heads].” He added, “That front-of-house

desk had all of their amplifiers. They had all of their snakes leading to that, and all of their video systems led there to a large floor box that was underneath that mixing area.”

Redesigning the mixing location was a top priority. Fortunately, one of Middleton’s congregants, Ralph Jackson, a semiretired architect, was willing to take on the project. With Lifeline’s input, Jackson designed a new, larger, mixing desk in a better location that was slightly elevated to allow clear sightlines to the front platform. “That allowed them to see over the top of the congregation, gave them a large countertop that allowed the audio and video person to sit next to each other, and gave them more of a workstation area, as well,” Wright described. In addition, the new mixing area blends much more seamlessly into the rest of the sanctuar y, and the card table has been discarded.

However, the new and improved mixing position required new cable runs, a task which presented its own challenges.

“All of the cable and electricity went to the previous location, so Adam needed to find new cable pathways to that new front-of-house mixing area,” Wright

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HOUSE OF WORSHIP: TECHNOLOGY As a result of the recent audio system upgrade, Middleton is able to be a lot more flexible in designing band setups for its musical performances.

explained.

Complicating the cabling challenge even further was Middleton’s desire to increase the amount of inputs at the front platform in order to provide more flexibility to its contemporar y worship band. “They had six or seven inputs in the front of the church for the contemporar y band, which was not enough,” Wright said. “They wanted to increase that to 20 inputs—10 on the left and 10 on the right—so that the contemporar y band had significantly more flexibility to play on either side of the sanctuar y. But, by doing so, that dramatically increased the number of inputs and cable that we needed, which was one of the reasons we chose a digital console. We could combine all of those with a rack at the front of the church and run a single categor y cable to the back, which gave them the channels they needed and minimized their pathway challenges.”

According to King, “Initially, we were just going to run audio cable with a single Cat6 for the digital snake, and then just a couple of extra lines. So essentially, it was going to be just three or four cables. But after we got started, they were looking into upgrading their video cabling, as well.

On their own, they updated to a matrix switcher with all HDBaseT. So, basically, they were asking for multiple runs front to back for [their] dual projectors up front, so they needed cabling for those, and they wanted video inputs up front, and then also a controller to control the matrix switch down the road. And so, it went from about four cables to a dozen cables.”

This increase in cable density was a 24 Sound & Communications January 2019

major hurdle for King because the sanctuar y did not have an ideal existing cable path. “It’s a beautiful space. It feels ver y serene when you walk in, and I didn’t want to have anything too jarring-looking when I was done with the install,” King said. “So, tr ying to hide things as much as possible without having easy access to either an attic or basement or crawl space—just getting from point A to point B with minimal visual impact—that was my main concern. Luckily, there was a pathway that we managed to use, because, short of going outside, there’s really no way to get from front to back in this building. There’s a ledge that runs the entire length of the church front to back, so basically we had to drill out the wood beams and sleeve them in order to get all the cabling through.”

The front-of-house mixing desk now features an Allen & Heath AH-SQ-6 digital console, which receives inputs from an AR-2412 remote audio rack at the stage. A Denon DN-300CMKII CD/ USB media player is also located at the front-of-house mixing desk, and is used to play backing tracks for the choir and other music tracks.

Regarding the mixing console, “We wanted a digital board for multiple reasons,” Wright said. “Preset scenes, number one. Number two, we needed a lot of inputs going front to back and we had minimal amount of space to be able to pull them. Three, they wanted to be able to control the system via an iPad, and they like the ability to actually plug inputs in at the front-of-house board if they ever need to.”

King affirmed that the ability to set and recall presets easily was a major point of excitement for Middleton’s AVL team. “I was there for that first Sunday of service where they first used the new system,” he recalled. “The board was already there for a few days, and the main people had already come in and played with the board and created presets and scenes on their own, so they already had a good handle. There are a few people there who are very tech-savvy, so this was just a fun toy for them, and they caught on pretty quick.”

He added, “Basically, we set up a scene for typical Sundays, so they at least have a starting point. But we did go through how to save a scene, how to save them to different boards, things like that, and they were very interested. When they come up with a new scenario, they are going to make a scene for it. So they’re really excited about the ease of use of it over their old board.”

The ability to control the system from an iPad has proved valuable from the audio team’s perspective, because members of the choir can adjust the choir’s mix directly via the iPad, rather than having to relay requests to the sound booth. “It’s perfect,” Phelps commented. “More piano? Lower the CD [volume]? They’re the ones who know what their mix should be, so we don’t have to worr y about it back here!”

The church retained its existing Shure wireless mics, but Lifeline did add a Shure MX415LPDF/C podium mic with a wireless ULXD8 base for the lectern. Middleton frequently rearrang-

es its front-stage setup, and in addition to the band locations changing on a regular basis, the lectern also moves, meaning it can’t be tied down by any wires. Lifeline also overhauled Middleton’s old cluttered wireless antenna setup—affectionately referred to by the AVL team as the “antenna menorah”— by replacing it with a Shure UA8-554590 antenna.

In addition to sorting out the mixing location and the inputs for the stage, the other major focus of this project was improving audio intelligibility throughout the sanctuary. For Wright and his team, this was a matter of finding the right speakers for the job, which proved tricky, given the physical characteristics of the space.

“It’s a tall, A-frame church, but it has a completely flat back wall, and the distance from the platform to the back wall is not ver y far—a little over 50 feet,” Wright described. “So, we really needed to look carefully at EASE as to what speaker package was going to minimize the reflections off of that back wall and coming into the platform, because all of the music, the contemporar y band and the choir, is at the front of the platform.

So we needed to really look carefully at the angles of our speakers to tr y to minimize as many reflections as we could off of the back wall.”

He added, “The speakers needed to match the wood deck. The entire ceiling, all the beams, is done in a beautiful wood stain, and they wanted to make sure that the speakers that we installed matched the ceiling décor as much as possible.”

Lifeline specified a package of two Danley SH-95 loudspeakers supported by three SH mini fill speakers. According to Wright, the two mains are hung “13 feet from center, left and right on a beam directly above the platform step at the front of the church.” Two of the SH minis are located on the same beam and used to cover small side seating areas on the left and right of the sanctuary, while the third is hung above the front platform, behind where the choir stands.

Choosing a left/right speaker setup was crucial, because the beam that supports the speakers has a large cross that is hung in the middle of it. “They

wanted a left/right because we could not cover up that cross. So, we needed to make sure it was a left/right speaker system that was low-profile, that could be hung from a beam and installed vertically, and that we could play around with to make sure that the phasing of the left and right speakers was down the center aisle,” Wright explained.

Regarding the SH-95, Wright said, “It really fit all the criteria: high speech intelligibility; a smaller footprint, which

was critical to being able to hang it vertically; we were able to get it custom painted; and the thing sounds just really, really good for voice. We had used those previously, so that helped. And it gave us proper coverage. We were able to get the phasing in the center aisle.

There were a lot of criteria that we were looking for in choosing a speaker, and it matched all of those criteria.”

Jackson, the architect who redesigned the mixing area, also specified

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Sound & Communications 25

HOUSE OF WORSHIP: TECHNOLOGY

Middleton’s old front-ofhouse mixing location was too crowded and unsightly.

A card table was used as a temporary fix to provide more work space for the AVL team.

a custom color for the speakers: “Folksy Gold.” Wright was skeptical at first, but was taken aback at how good the color ended up looking against the wood stain in the ceiling. “I was shocked,” he exclaimed.

“They sent it to me, and I said ‘Gold!? This is not going to match!’ But that’s what they wanted, and the architect, Ralph, was insistent that it would look great, so we trusted them. I was really worried it was going to look bright gold on a beautifully stained wood beam, but that color is spoton! I mean, when you look at the speakers hanging, they look phenomenal. I could not even imagine if we stained the cabinet [to match the wood exactly] that it would look as good as what that color ended up being.”

Middleton kept its existing ElectroVoice Force I subwoofer, but Lifeline found a more suitable location for it than where it was previously. “It was actually behind the wall of one of the video screens in the back, and honestly, when we first went and looked at it, there was a bunch of stuff stacked on top of it, so it was being used more as a table than as a subwoofer,” Wright joked. “We wanted to bring that out into the sanctuar y, so we ended up moving it to in between two beams up by the music area. We put it on a separate aux so that they can control the amount of volume the sub is delivering. It’s amazing the amount of the gain difference we have in the low end by just moving it to a better location and being able to control it better.”

Lifeline also added two Community MX10-B monitors, primarily for use by the musicians in Middleton’s contemporar y band. “We like the MX10s because they’re really low-profile and that was 26 Sound & Communications January 2019

For Middleton, this audio upgrade solved a number of nagging problems in terms of sound quality, aesthetics and ease of use. “Given that our previous sound console was located right as you walked into the sanctuary and looked like a child’s messy play room, the aesthetics of the placement of our new sound booth were very much an important part of this project,” Klopp shared. “It’s funny what you get used to until you experience something different. As many have said to me, they just

The new mixing booth seamlessly blends into the décor of the sanctuary, provides better sightlines to the front platform for the AVL team and features a much more spacious work surface.

really important to them,” Wright explained. “They don’t have a lot of space and they’re using ever y inch of it, so we needed something that was low-profile, but sounded great.” He added, “Those are used primarily in the music area, but they also can be used as kind of a spot monitor. Because of the flexibility of the front of the church, if they have a soloist who is singing by the piano or if they have a wedding and they want a musician to sing on the side wing, then they have monitor connections on the left and right side.”

A Middle Atlantic ERK4428 rack installed behind a wall near the front platform houses a Biamp TesiraFORTÉ DSP, as well as two QSC amplifiers—a CXD4.5 and a CXD4.2—that power the new speakers and the preexisting sub. A Middle Atlantic power sequencer allows the AVL team to turn off power to the system sequentially, starting from either the front or the back.

didn’t realize how very unattractive the old console was compared to our new booth location, where all the equipment is hidden from the eyes of the beholder.

Placement of the amp rack was also key.

The installation also involved running and hiding the new cables along the side of the church. The previous cables had been hidden in the floor—a system we all deemed highly unworkable, as getting to them was impossible.”

Klopp added, “We are ver y satisfied with our new system. Did I say satisfied? I meant to say delighted! We just completed our Christmas Pageant and our Choir Cantata with orchestra, and the AVL team was met with congratulations all around. Clearly, the congregation not only appreciates the new system, but also agrees that it was money well spent! As one person said, ‘I could hear the choir—especially the little girls—perfectly, even though those horns were playing loudly!’”

THE COMMISH In the AV industry, the end users are typically represented by two separate, yet equally important, groups: the designers, who specify the systems, and the integrators who install them. My company acts as a third party to commission these systems. These are our stories.

Real Communication Are we losing our humanity?

By James Maltese, CTS-D, CTS-I, CQD, CQT Audio Visual Resources, Inc. AV9000 Checklist Item Under Test: 3.9.13: Sanity Check: The current design package satisfies all of the requirements laid out in the clientapproved needs analysis/programming report/signed proposal.

Reasoning: We live in a fast-paced world with many tempting shortcuts.

Some projects are requested and responded to via email, without even picking up the phone. The allure of completing a sale without traveling to the site, and without taking the time to sit down with the users, is strong. However, so much information is lost when comparing texting to emailing to calling to visiting. I worr y that, when we tr y to make the procurement process as “efficient” as possible, we are losing the connection to the humans who actually use the technology. Sometimes, only using the tools we implement to communicate with our clients can quickly turn convenience into frustration, and it might end a valued relationship.

The Stor y: I love my wife. She “completes me.” She “makes me want to be a better man.” And, “when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

Basically, ever y rom-com quote that is out there applies. But, being a human, it is so easy to become complacent (happily complacent, but complacent nonetheless) and take that incredible bond for granted.

Unfortunately, many of my friends are having marriage issues the root cause of which is that someone feels as though he or she is not appreciated. Each one of those couples had an incredibly romantic beginning to their relationship, but, 28 Sound & Communications January 2019

over time, life happens and they become more like roommates than partners in love.

It’s a straightforward fix, but they don’t understand what the actual problem is. It’s heartbreaking to see. Naturally, this got me thinking about procuring AV systems.

Recently, I had a sales meeting at a very large technology company. It has thousands of conference spaces around the world. It partners with several different AV providers.

It manages millions and millions of dollars in audiovisual assets. It created and produced its own flexible system controller, which works wonderfully. It has metrics on room and equipment use. It deals in the virtual world. It is process-driven. And, its conference spaces actually perform really well. It could fire off an email in New York NY and sort out a service issue in Mumbai, India without having to think twice. However, it had a large problem with many of its vendors—a lack of human communication.

Despite being well oiled, the vendors weren’t improving. The company stopped getting all those new ideas and exciting changes that came at the beginning of its relationship with new vendors (ser vice providers and manufacturers). They became complacent and assumed that, because the conference technology was up and running, there were no problems. The period of courtship had clearly ended.

The large company had formed long-lasting relationships with several vendors, but, because it wasn’t having its needs met, it decided to open up several aspects of its AV management to bid, thereby encouraging another round of courtship. The danger with bidding, however, is that people assumed the company was solely looking to save money. Instead of focusing on building a trusted relationship, bidders just homed in on keeping costs as low as possible. The bidding process did not produce what the company wanted—namely, for its AV management to be exciting and new again.

It would probably have been ver y easy for the company’s existing vendors to repair the relationship; however, most of their communication has become so streamlined that they focus on the nitty-gritty, rather than taking the time to hear (not just listen, but truly hear) what the client is saying. If the client says it wants to update the technology, it receives a premade proposal instead of getting a visit and a conversation about its evolving needs. If the client says it wants to know more about the status of its system, it receives premade status reports fired off the next day rather than a visit and a discussion about what information the company is missing. The client is screaming for a true AV partner, and, although the complacent vendors are responding, their responses don’t help to resolve the actual issues.

Complacency is a relationship killer.

It is a new year. I enjoy making resolutions, but, this year, there is only one: Don’t take anything for granted. If a client calls with a new opportunity, take the time to meet with the client and uncover what its needs are. It might be completely different from what is initially asked for. If you’ve been meaning to call that friend from high school for lunch the next time you are in the city, follow through with it. And—by God, people—just because you are married doesn’t mean you should stop dating! Ever!

In this world of texting and virtual reality (VR), it is so important to maintain the humanity in your relationships. Reminding people that they (and you) are actual people just might be a huge differentiator in today’s world.

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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Red Flags When Evaluating AV Employers There are risks you should consider.

By Douglas Kleeger, CTS-D, DMC-E/S, XTP-E, KCD

T

hanks for all the great feedback on “Who Owns the Code?” Keep it coming! I will be wrapping up next month.

A while ago, I received word of a friend’s separation from his employment with a company in our industr y, along with the difficulties that he faced due to issues that a number of companies—in particular, small ones—often have. So, this month, I want to share some red flags.

Let’s get right into it. The biggest, most prevalent issue reported to me, and that I have seen over the decades, is a lack of management and/or leadership. Nowadays, companies have diversified. Even in companies as small as 10 or 20 people, there are different groups: structured cabling, AV, managed ser vices, project management, etc. A red flag when inter viewing for a position is if the company doesn’t have a technology manager, low-voltage manager or operations manager on staff.

Typically, in our industr y, a company’s founder is an expert in the field, having done sales, engineering and installations; as his or her business grows, the typical owner adds some folks. And that’s how it should be! Sometimes, however, the owner can either be reluctant to delegate or unwilling to invest in his or her company. Those types of owners just will not hire anyone to take some of the management responsibility off of their shoulders.

That is problematic for a few reasons.

First—and ever yone knows this—en30 Sound & Communications January 2019

gineers do not make good managers in most instances. In my opinion (and those of others), most engineers just do not have the necessar y people skills; moreover, they’re often unable to switch hats and manage. A related issue is stagnation. In companies where there’s little (or ineffective) management, people are leaving—after all, you’re looking to replace one!—and those who remain often think small.

What’s more, most companies that fit this description will never grow unless they find a way to delegate management responsibility. You’ve likely heard the quote, “When you stop growing, you start dying.” That is so true! Where would the world be if Henr y Ford had insisted on only making cars by himself, and had thus kept his company from the natural order of things—namely, growth? A successful company looks at its previous years and seeks to realize increases over them…to grow the business. And, from an employee-level perspective, continued growth typically means—you guessed it—continued employment!

Another warning sign is a lack of higher-level industr y certifications. It’s particularly troubling if, when you inquire as to why, you get either (a) “We’re too busy to spare the time” or (b) “We’re too slow and can’t afford it.” I think that’s a ver y clever way of saying the company doesn’t want to invest in itself!

I also recommend that you talk about processes, procedures and drafting standards to the staff—not the owner—in advance. If you ask a question regarding why the company doesn’t tr y this method or that method and you hear, “This is how we do it, and it will never change,” then run! Stagnant! Someone who is creative, passionate and driven in his or her work should not accept a job at a company whose team exhibits that attitude. It just will not work out!

There is also a hidden factor that is rarely discussed, and it has to do with employee relations. In negative work environments like those described, bullying (by other employees) can occur and fear (of the owner) can reign. Because there are no managers to buffer conflicts, mediate tense situations and make compromises, employees are left to fend for themselves. In the worst cases, employees might even bully those who do not do things their way; if you’re the squeaky wheel, they can suggest to the owner that the company would be better off without you. And if they toe the company line on processes and policies—and especially if they generate business regularly— then they might be the ones likelier to end up sticking around.

Would you really want to work for a company like that? If not, then I suggest you heed my friend’s example!

When you’re looking for work and you come across a company, look for the red flags I mentioned. Make a good decision about your employment. Don’t sell yourself short!

Humility, kindness and respect are what I look for, and I suggest you do the same.

If you want to share your thoughts—or just share your own experiences—let me know.

Contact me at dkleeger@testa.com.

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AVIXA POV

Creating A Cohort AV pros and technical creatives unite.

By Rachel Bradshaw AVIXA

H

ave you ever had friends whose worth and brilliance were obvious to you, but not to each other?

In high school, my drama club friends and my chorus friends did not understand each other. The drama kids saw the chorus kids as being reser ved and self-serious. The chorus kids thought the drama club was loud and self-aggrandizing. Then, they joined forces to do “Grease.”

I don’t claim that this was great theater—our production didn’t really interrogate the gender politics of the text, and the T-Birds could have done with about 75 percent less pelvic thrusting in their dramatic choices. But, as a community-building exercise, it was unparalleled.

The show was bigger and better than anything either group could have done on its own. Drama’s approach was personal, innovative and improvisational.

Chorus’ approach was collective, practiced and deliberate. But, ultimately, both groups had the same outcome in mind: They were stor ytellers, aiming to suspend time while their audience was immersed in a new reality. Working together, they recognized that common ground, learned from each other and came to regard themselves as one.

During the past few years, AVIXA has made a lot of new friends in the field of experience design. We’ve profiled and spoken with content creators, videographers, experience engineers, interactive technology specialists and technology artists. You might have seen some of them featured at the TIDE conference,

32 Sound & Communications January 2019

Center Stage at InfoComm or the AV Executive Conference (AVEC). People like Amar Amar Bakshi, Founder and Creative Director for Shared_Studios, Bakshi, who speaking at the TIDE conference in Las Vegas NV. is building telepresence spaces in shipping containers to facilitate global communities; Yo-Yo Lin, who’s reinventing the experience of live musical performance; Emily Webster, who’s transforming how retail environments make their inhabitants feel; or Joanna Fang, who’s using Foley art to make virtual reality (VR) truly transportive. “Technical creatives” (for lack of a better collective term) such as these rarely self-identify as members of the commercial audiovisual industr y—but you wouldn’t know that from looking at the gear in their shops.

The relationships we’re forging are new. Experience design is, after all, an emerging industr y that’s inventing itself as it goes. But, even at this early stage, one thing is already clear to me: Our friends who are “technical creatives” have got to get together with our integration friends.

Although they might approach projects at different stages and from different viewpoints, these groups have a great deal in common. First, clients don’t fully understand what they do. Second, there’s the expectation that they can suspend the laws of physics on a shoestring budget. Third is the perennial difficulty in finding reliable partners with the right expertise. Fourth is excitement about the possibilities inherent in emerging technologies, mingled with concern about reliability and ethics.

Above all is a passion for improving the human experience through their work.

This year, AVIXA will host individuals from the creative and traditional audiovisual communities to learn more about each other—the work they do, the solutions they’ve built and the values they hold. They’ll have the opportunity to explore each other’s workspaces and experiment with unfamiliar gear. Most importantly, they’ll be challenged to solve problems together and they’ll be asked to build prototypes of their solutions.

We’re going to call these events “Cohort Labs.” A cohort is a group of people who are banded together and treated as a unit. The event name has a double meaning: a lab that makes prototypes, but also the cohorts themselves. People who build together develop a deep understanding of one another’s strengths and skills. We hope that those who come to Cohort Labs will leave with an expanded understanding of who’s on their team. Who does, or can, work on the kinds of projects they do? How do the individuals in the cohort think and work differently? With whom will they (continued on page 76)

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NSCA POV

Learning From Those Outside Of Our Industry We can glean knowledge from those like us and those unlike us.

By Chuck Wilson NSCA

S

ometimes, when you sit in a room and listen to speakers from giant corporations, which have endless resources, talk about how you should run your business, all you can do is tr y to keep from rolling your eyes.

If you had an eight-figure marketing budget and an unlimited talent pool, then you, too, could do a lot more than you currently can with a staff of 20 people tr ying to be ever ything to ever y customer. But before you stop and write off those big-company ideas, perhaps we have to be more open-minded. After all, those companies didn’t start as big, successful organizations. Maybe you have an opportunity to learn something from them.

Disney is often talked about as the Holy Grail of customer experience. With its tremendous global footprint, the company has long been hailed as one that understands what makes people tick, and one that can keep generations of customers coming back. Its employees examine every single moment in which a customer interacts with the brand— not just in its theme parks or retail stores, but also online and in the media.

The technology required to map a 360-degree view of a customer is intensive and expensive; however, the underlying thought of being a customer-first, experience-driven organization is something that can be instilled in an organization without requiring massive investment or tremendous analytics.

At the 21st annual Business & Leader34 Sound & Communications January 2019

ship Conference (BLC) in Tampa FL, taking place from Februar y 27 to March 1, Dennis Snow will walk you through some specific examples of how Disney achieved success through its attention to the details of customer satisfaction—and he’ll explain how those tactics can trickle down to smaller organizations.

Southwest Airlines is another example. The company is known for its great customer ser vice and its happy employees (although, sometimes, it’s beat up a bit for its less-than-optimal boarding practices). Since Herb Kelleher founded Southwest in 1967, he always operated under the guise that if you take care of the people, then, in turn, they will take care of the brand.

In 2001, when James Parker was Southwest’s CEO, he had a tough decision to make after the tragic events of 9/11. Even as most airlines were cutting costs and staff at breakneck speed, Parker made a promise to his people and didn’t have any formal layoffs. Even though the entire industr y was in disarray, he fundamentally believed, as his predecessor did, that the company’s strength was its people. The turbulence created by a large (or even a small) round of layoffs could profoundly disrupt the culture and lead to decay in business performance.

With no layoffs, the company jetted on just fine, maintaining its reputation as one of the happiest carriers in the skies. The moral of the stor y? Ever y company can focus more on putting its culture and employees first. Although some might not be able to prevent a layoff or a different difficult decision, a company can focus on its culture and understand what makes it great, letting that be a guide when times are tough. It’s a small, but critical, lesson to be learned, straight from the big-company playbook.

Although Disney and Southwest are just a few examples, there are countless others. When these customer-experience or employee-engagement ideas are presented, they might come across as being out of reach. Why? Because these companies are nothing like your business, right? Well, at the end of the day, that doesn’t matter.

Small companies and big companies—no matter their core business—have something in common: They all started out small. Often, the companies that grew seized opportunities and didn’t close their minds to ideas that could help them blossom into something much greater. But it’s important to remember that not ever y big-company strategy will be right for your business. If some ideas don’t fit, it’s OK to let them go in one ear and out the other.

There’s a lot to be learned from the ideas of companies like yours—and companies completely unlike yours. It all comes down to how we apply the parts that work to make each of our businesses great.

Want to chat more about this topic? Join us at the BLC! Visit www.nsca.org/blc for more information.

THIS MESSAGE IS THE MEDIUM

MotivAVtions The top 11 real reasons why clients want AV.

By Joseph Bocchiaro III, PhD, CStd, CTS-D, CTS-I, ISF-C

T

hrough my years as an AV designer, sales engineer, design consultant, teacher and end user, I have been privileged and fascinated to partake in the ver y early conversations about countless audiovisual project developments. These have mostly been in the built environment, and they require significant planning, coordination, infrastructure and investment. In these planning meetings, I have often wondered, “What is the real reason we are embarking on this AV implementation?”

Yes, of course, we all know that AV technology is now ubiquitous…that it’s central to our personal, business and social fabric. We all sort of know that AV is expected, right? We even use terms such as “business critical” to emphasize the importance of this technology. We routinely say, “How can you have an X, Y or Z facility that does not have AV nowadays?” Usually, we expect at least some baseline system to allow the audience/congregation/ participants to hear and be heard, and to see and be seen. What is it, though, that often pushes these minimal needs for the basics to our desire for more— or even for “over the top” more? How can we, as AV professionals, listen in the right way in these conversations to understand what the stakeholders really yearn for…what their motivAVtions truly are?

The spectrum of these discussions runs roughly from “It’s what ever yone does,” to “It’s what we should do,” to the ultimate “This is what we want to accomplish,” with a lot of grey area in between. Often, there is a vacuum of 36 Sound & Communications January 2019

The author in an immersive audiovisual environment.

knowledge, innocently developed, in the stakeholder perspective of what is possible, as contrasted with what the stakeholder has lately been using. In effect, and to quote former Secretar y of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, “There are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”

Often, it is our job as AV pros to educate these stakeholders about the current and expected future of the state of the art, protecting them from peer scrutiny while also respecting their positions. We, as AV pros, are full of ideas and cool gadgets and solutions, but we’re compelled to frame our ideas in the language of our clients and to look for opportunities to make our ideas look like theirs. All the while, our advice is informed by our perception and best interpretation of their motivAVtions!

I have categorized the motivAVtions that seem most commonplace, and I’ve

come up with a top 11 list. (True AV pros always turn it to 11!) I present them here, arranged in rough order, with some editorial comment.

11. Mandate: Someone, who is usually not present, has told the stakeholder committee what to do. They are left to interpret the requirements, and, often, they have an abbreviated list that can conflict with itself, be vague or be incomplete. The “ownership” of the stakeholders is hamstrung at the outset, and the project can proceed with little passion. This is the most dreaded motivAVtion.

10. Necessity: This is probably the most common situation. “We need a system—but we don’t understand it, and we’re afraid to let on how little we know. Just give us a system, and keep it simple and cheap.” We, as AV pros, know how to deal with this: Git ’er done!

9. Immediacy: This is when the client

says, “Our system broke and we want something to replace it right away, in time for the X event. Just make the new system pretty much like what we already have.” This is reverse engineering, and it can be fun to understand how a competitor approached the challenge originally. Prepare for extra work tr ying to use existing equipment and verifying equipment availability from manufacturers—or your own warehouse.

8. Follow The Leader: The client says, “We have done some research into what similar venues have, and we want it to be like X building. Can you arrange a tour of it with us, and then give us a proposal for something similar?” This is a great start for us, but there is probably not a lot of creativity involved.

7. One-upmanship: Pick one: “We went to X,” “Everyone is raving about X” or “We heard about X,” and then add “and we want a system that’s even better than that!” This can be fun—build on an existing design and add your own ideas.

6. Good Impressions: “We think that prospective clients/students/ worshippers would be impressed if our facility had a lobby/hallway/exterior AV system. They would think we are a high-tech establishment and an exciting place to be.” Although this is valid, it can be challenging to coordinate expensive content that is probably not in the budget. These systems tend to be dramatically value-engineered due to perceptions of a lack of necessity for them.

5. Sharp Tools: “We understand how important our AV systems have been through the years, and we want you to make a new, even better one—easier to use, faster, brighter, louder, more effective.” These are great clients: It’s not their first rodeo, and they’re ready to look to the future.

4. Business-Centric: “We have done a cost/benefit analysis of our business processes, and we’ve determined that adding an AV system would improve our productivity and performance. We would like to roll out X through our

enterprise.” This is pragmatic, and it We get to imagine, innovate and create, indicates a tight organization that has partnering with our client and inventing specific goals you’ll be asked to help the future—possibly even opening up an achieve. entirely new application of AV technology.

3. Over whelming Immersion: “We Ever y application of AV that we know of want a system that will blow people started in this way. away…that they’ll want to come back During my career, I have been forto…that they’ll tell ever yone about! We tunate to be intellectually stretched want to get awesome press! Give us a by several client types in the top three system that is special and spectacular!” categories. Many of these experiences Unless you work with certain companies have been in AV applications that we now and you’re in certain vertical markets, consider commonplace, or even boring: this will be a rare client. Your firm had corporate training, higher education, better have some great talent who are trading floors and courtrooms. All of ready to take this on in an elevated artisthose can be stimulating and rewarding tic/technical way. projects, even though, obviously, not all 2. Experimentation: “We saw/heard of them can be that way. about this system and thought it would I encourage all of us to be patient, be interesting/profitable/cool/effecprofessional and profitable with client tive to tr y in our venue/enterprise/ types outside of the top three, but also to house of worship/classroom.” Clients look out for clients who will stretch our that stretch themselves usually have a imaginations and keep things stimulating, champion or two whom you’ll work with. fun and, most importantly, motivAVting!

Be a good listener and find the new ideas that you can bring to your collaboration. Be prepared for some iterative work as you find the right solutions, and be RemoteCam6™ Series NEW! RC6-CST™ Industry Exclusive ready to participate in measuring the results and success of the experiments.

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Sound & Communications 37

INDUSTRY POV

Audio Networking In Smaller Spaces You don’t need a huge venue to realize big benefits.

By Brad Price Audinate

A

udio networking has become a hot topic in recent years, with many high-profile manufacturers releasing audio-over-IP (AoIP) products. For many, the term “networked audio” still conjures memories of the spotty performance of early voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone systems or poor-quality MP3 streaming. However, modern audio networking has progressed far beyond the limitations from which those earlier technologies suffered.

Scalable And Digital Put simply, audio networking is the transportation of audio between devices in real time by using standard IP networking technology. It is a scalable and digital approach for home and professional recording studios, singleroom clubs, theaters, large multi-room facilities and more. And, today, audionetworking solutions are in broad use, enabling systems that support any number of channels of uncompressed audio with ultra-low latency, nearly nonexistent jitter and rock-solid reliability.

Networking also means no hum, no noise, no ground loops and no signal degradation over distance. Networking is not only the new and easier way to connect systems, but also the best way to achieve maximum audio performance.

One of the most significant changes brought by networking is the end of “point-to-point” connections. Point-topoint means that cables connect one device to another, defining pathways.

In networks, all channels of all devices 38 Sound & Communications January 2019

are exposed and available for instant connectivity without moving a single wire, using readily available software on a PC or Mac. This saves time in setup, while also delivering maximum flexibility to configure the system as needed, whenever it’s needed.

In recording environments, networking solves clocking, connectivity and flexibility problems. Devices are no longer segregated by the type of connector they use or by the special clock that they require.

All connections are made using regular Cat5e Ethernet cables, and all traffic goes through standard, off-theshelf network switches. Audio Audio networking isn’t just for large, highly complex venues.

Restaurants, bars and clubs can also realize significant networking also removes the benefits from utilizing audio-networking products. need for any special I/O devices for computers. Because audio networks are just computer networks, the regular Ethernet port on a PC or Mac is all that is required to make it a full participant in your system.

In a studio (or onstage), networking allows users to connect devices to the system wherever they need to be, without worr ying about long cable runs or specific jacks.

Just connect to the system from any port, and you’re ready to patch and go.

Going Live Networking has revolutionized live sound at all levels, enabling systems of all sizes to be more easily loaded in and loaded out. Heavy, expensive and difficult-to-repair analog cable snakes are replaced by a single, small cable that carries pristine, interference-free digital audio. Major strides in network speed and switch design, as well as improved standards, now mean that no matter how large or small the network is, it will operate in perfect sync. Secondar y networks can provide completely redundant pathways for mission-critical devices, so even a broken cable or a failed power supply can’t knock out a show.

Audio networking keeps all signals in the digital domain, eliminating the pos-

sibility of hum, noise, clock drift and signal degradation. This makes it easy to retain the highest sound quality, regardless of the physical scale of the installation.

Automatic reconnection of devices means things don’t have to be set up “from scratch” at each show, thereby saving time and reducing mistakes.

Networking in live productions also means that computers can be easily used as integral pieces of a show.

Sound effects, cues and scores can be played out of any connected computer, and powerful applications can be harnessed to provide DSP functionality—all without requiring any additional I/O devices.

Where To Begin Audio networking doesn’t require special components, but, as with any endeavor, it’s worth paying for quality. Beyond the cost of the audio equipment, the required networking equipment is broadly available at ver y reasonable prices.

In most live and studio settings, routed networks are not required. All that is truly necessar y is a sufficient number of switches (this number might often be only one or two) and the associated Cat5e cabling. Almost any managed switch is sufficient, and high quality isn’t ver y costly; for instance, an excellent, 20-port managed switch can be had for less than $300 retail.

For smaller systems—those in small houses of worship, bars and clubs—a number of analog, AES3 and USB-toEthernet adapters are readily available from a variety of manufacturers. These small adapters allow users to integrate computers, instruments and various pieces of legacy gear into an audio network. The adapters are compact, reliable and cost-effective. There’s no reason to abandon beloved instruments, compressors, equalizers or analog power amplifiers—legacy equipment can be easily brought onto a network.

In most studio and live settings, the over whelming improvements in con-

venience, flexibility and sound quality are more than enough to justify a migration to audio networking. The risks are not generally greater than with analog systems, but, rather, are of a different nature. Audio networking is a natural evolution of the digital technology that has revolutionized audio since the 1980s, and it brings new possibili-

ties to amateurs and professionals alike.

With the availability of a wide range of high-quality, easy-to-use and affordable audio-networking products, now is a perfect time for smaller houses of worship, bars, clubs, studios and performance spaces to begin to incorporate the benefits of audio networking into their systems.

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January 2019

Sound & Communications 39

INDUSTRY POV

A Question Of Standards SMPTE ST 2110 deserves attention in the commercial AV world.

By Andrew Starks Macnica Technology Introduction: The move from switched to packet networks is well underway, with more than a half-dozen standards competing to be the network equivalent of HDMI. Which standards are going to be with us for the long haul? Which ones will fade into history? Although nobody has a crystal ball, one path does deserve attention in the commercial AV world: SMPTE ST 2110.

T

hose of us in commercial AV know that the AV-over-IP train has arrived. The days of running signals down cables that don’t plug into network switches will soon seem old fashioned, just as VGA does today. We understand the potential benefit of leveraging an IT infrastructure, and we want well-sorted-out solutions for delivering high-quality, low-latency AVover-IP networks.

We’re ready to replace tried-and-true technologies, like HDMI, and there’s no shortage of AV-over-IP standards to compete for the job. In this arena, anyone who delivers sub-frame latency with visually lossless compression (or no compression) on regular, off-theshelf networking gear is welcome to apply. We’ve started to see some promising ecosystems appear, and even 40 Sound & Communications January 2019

more of them are on the horizon. That invites two questions: How many standards do we need? Which standard is right for the commercial AV industr y?

Enter SMPTE ST 2110, from the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). SMPTE is a primar y source of standards for manufacturers and engineers in the broadcast industr y. It has created the ST 2110 set of standards to define how essence streams (video, audio, ancillar y data) are transported in real time and in sync over IP networks. These standards are robust, scalable, extendable and composable. They are also an ideal foundation for continued work toward a fully featured transport and control solution for the commercial AV universe.

Perhaps the most important feature of ST 2110 is that anyone who has a SMPTE membership and a few hundred bucks can download the complete set of standards and then build anything he or she would like with them. That’s what a truly open standard means. Ever y manufacturer that makes products conforming to the standard is on the same footing. Ever yone in the community is striving to ensure that all equipment interoperates and that test suites and testing equipment are available from multiple vendors to prove it works.

Why Does This Standard Matter?

As we leave switched networks to enter the new world of packet networks, we can choose to bring (virtual) converter boxes with us as we tr y out two or three different standards that do exactly the same thing. Alternately, we can leave behind that

tion and digital signage videowalls.

Sports stadiums have broadcast production facilities, conference centers and digital signage. In a world of ST 2110, those systems can blend in ways that are new and creative. No converting signals. No needless complexity. Just video on network gear, as routable as anything else.

Scalability: With a simplified infrastructure, integrators don’t have to deploy individual cables for each signal

connection. One network link can support numerous uncompressed video streams—along with hundreds of uncompressed audio signals—no matter the frame rate or resolution. With ST 2110, you’ll know that it’s going to work with a wide range of gear and without compatibility issues.

Flexibility: SMPTE ST 2110 is efficient and flexible. That means AV integrators can design the right balance (continued on page 78)

“We’re better-informed, on time, & safer” complexity and adopt one open standard to solve the problem. If histor y is a guide, and if software designers and AV integrators are interested in reducing complexity, we’ll end up with one standard. That eventuality has many advantages: Interoperability: One of the biggest advantages of leveraging IP networks is the increased opportunities for integrating with the IT world, the internet and cloud computing platforms. In the same way, adopting a single standard for video transport will enable interoperability between commercial AV and broadcast use cases that intersect with each other.

For example, SMPTE ST 2110 provides specifications for precise timing and synchronization using the Precision Time Protocol (PTP), which is a feature required for both live broadcast produc-

Bell schedules

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January 2019

Sound & Communications 41

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INDUSTRY POV

The Modern Arena

The American Airlines Arena, home of the Miami Heat, contains several bars and restaurants. In these spaces, digital signage serves to reinforce the venue’s connection to the home team and promote upcoming events.

How displays are changing the game.

By Ed Stock Samsung Electronics

O

n average, most professional sports venues refresh their technology once every seven years—or the amount of time it takes for a competing franchise to bring in something bigger, better and brighter. Visitors expect venues equipped with the latest technology, which will provide the ultimate fan experience in this increasingly competitive space. Digital displays are now found everywhere—from the concourses, to the locker rooms, to the suite level—in sports arenas. Not only do displays offer sponsors a new avenue for advertisements and opportunities for alternative content, but, in addition, they bring fans a new way to experience venues they’ve known for many years.

The path to becoming the best venue in professional sports requires a significant financial investment and time commitment, and effort from many parties. Making the decision to refresh a venue’s technology is just the first step.

What could be a multi-year process starts with a series of thorough walkthroughs to evaluate the goals of each facility and how the future enhancements will fit into the overall vision for the space. The walkthroughs include an evaluation of existing technology and an assessment of how the new technology will interact, as well as identifying new spaces for displays.

American Airlines Arena (AAA), located in the heart of downtown Miami FL, is the home of the Miami Heat, as well as a destination for 42 Sound & Communications January 2019

In addition to making a space seem more hip, modern and inviting, digital signage can be used to boost ad revenue.

In today’s “pics or it didn’t happen” social-mediaobsessed world, digital signage can improve the live-event experience by simply providing attendees with a cool backdrop for their selfies.

some of the top musicians in the world. For this venue, access to top-quality displays is not just a “nice to have”; rather, it’s a necessity. Thus, prior to the beginning of the 2018-2019 NBA season, AAA outfitted its East and West concourses with state-of-theart, fine-pitch LED signage with specialized high-dynamic-range (HDR) technology that drew in Heat fans from the start.

Often, conventional LED displays struggle to present red, green and blue color hues accurately and without distortion in low grayscale settings. Fine-pitch displays alleviate those challenges through a unique grayscale-management algorithm that maintains consistent red, green and blue gradation for improved color accuracy.

As a result, low-brightness indoor events, such as concerts, can display content at (continued on page 76)

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INDUSTRY POV

What A (Relatively) Short Trip It’s Been

A whirlwind tour of the rise of network-based systems.

By Mike Sims Attero Tech

O

n August 26, 1995, the album “What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been: The Best of the Grateful Dead” peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Top 40 chart, staying there for only one week. The ver y next year, in 1996, Peak Audio introduced CobraNet. Networked audio has been on the commercial AV “charts” ever since, and video-over-IP has been exploding over the last few years, as well. In a little more than 20 years, media deliver y over the network has gone from obscurity to near ubiquity. But understanding just how fundamentally this has changed the design of AV systems over the last two decades requires a little histor y.

When CobraNet was introduced, it was point-to-point and ran at a blazing 10Mb/s, which was the speed of networks at the time. It was only later that CobraNet graduated to 100Mb/s and came to require a switched Ethernet network. A Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent was added for remote control and monitoring of CobraNet nodes. Support for sample rates up to 96K at 24 bits moved the protocol into the mainstream of digital audio expectations, and an audio channel capacity of 32x32 made “high-channelcount” connectivity a reality. Systemwide, bit-accurate synchronization of all network endpoints at low latency preser ved timing relationships in multispeaker systems, with the same integrity as analog connections.

Most critical, however, was the move to a switched network infrastructure.

That seminal change meant that, once an audio signal was on the network, it could be routed in real time to one or more endpoints also on the network. No 44 Sound & Communications January 2019

longer was signal routing limited to the point-to-point connections made when the system was installed—or, in the case of live sound, set up. Patch panels and analog switch matrices were made obsolete by a network infrastructure that essentially absorbed the audio routing function. Because incremental system expansion was no longer limited to the number of audio inputs or outputs on a mixing console or DSP, five, nine, 17 and 33 became far less scar y numbers in the AV industr y.

Of course, all this “patching for nothing and your splits for free” (my apologies to Dire Straits) didn’t happen overnight. It wasn’t until Cirrus Logic acquired Peak Audio and the CobraNet IP in 2001, and then ported CobraNet to lower-cost silicon solutions, that networked audio endpoints could be made cost-effectively.

AV systems are made up of many endpoints (for example, microphones, speakers, etc.) typically clustered around a DSP or mixing console. There are a lot more endpoints in any system than there are high-density signal processors. It was all well and good for these high-channel-count devices to add expensive CobraNet connectivity.

The magic really happened, though, when lower-channel-count, lower-cost endpoints could be located wherever they were required in a venue and dropped onto the network for audio, control and power connectivity.

Cirrus Logic introduced the CS1810XX two-/eight-/16-channel CobraNet and CS4961XX two-/eight-/16-channel CobraNet + DSP chipset solutions, which were relatively cost-effective options for networked endpoint devices. Pretty soon, things like wallplates, under-table mic interfaces and speakers, which had always been analog, were sporting network interfaces. The ability for manufacturers to provide affordable networked versions of DSPs or consoles and endpoints was the essential factor that drove the growth of networked products.

What happened next? CobraNet ruled the roost until Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) switches began to replace Fast Ethernet (i.e., 100Mb/s) switches. With no roadmap for CobraNet to make the transition to GigE, the door was wide open for a little company from Australia called Audinate to bring Dante to market. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, GigE infrastructure is the minimum commercial requirement, and many companies and venues are installing 10G, and even 40G, networks. Copper categor y cable is still the default wiring, but fiber is common in physically large venues, as well as in multi-building and campus-wide installations that combine the need to traverse distances greater than 328 feet and the need to carr y ver y high-bandwidth data.

Video—compressed as well as uncompressed—typically requires between one and two orders of magnitude higher network bandwidth than audio does. As more video migrates away from point-to-point solutions like HDBaseT (in corporate venues) and SDI (in house of worship and broadcast applications) to the network, it’s easy to see that 10G (and, in some cases, 40G) infrastructure will be standard within a few years.

What started as a few audio channels on an “ancient” 10Mb/s network, developed by a gaggle of geeks in Boulder CO, has grown and changed into one of the defining technologies in our industr y. It has forever changed the way we envision, design and install the converged network systems that provide data, audio and video to support the way that all modern venues and companies do business.

INDUSTRY

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INDUSTRY POV

Well-Designed Collaboration Solutions Command Attention

Corporate spaces can realize increased effectiveness, efficiency with AV.

By Tiffany Dozier Premier Mounts

T

draining and frustrating, and a big part of those problems centers on a lack of focus he days of stark white walls on the task at hand. Digital devices, however, ser ve to connect people, and they bring and boring corporate boardrooms are out creativity and a focused approach to tasks. With the introduction of a cohesive over. As the landscape of corporate AV network that utilizes collaborative display solutions, companies can transform a America shifts, it is ver y likely that the monotonous meeting into an experience that is genuinely engaging. largest boom in digital corporate enAV technology enables a variety of distinct solutions that can increase the interhancements that the industr y has ever active learning and communication taking place at work. Creating a focal point for seen will take place. From projectors, to the meeting grabs the attention of the room, and it enables effective, collaborative touchscreen panels, to LED videowalls, communication. A digital canvas allows for the free expression of thoughts the visual technology being and ideas by many different participants. Implementations of AV technology integrated into collaboraA cohesive like those described promote connectivity—both literal and figurative—and tive corporate workspaces is AV network a flexible, intuitive approach; that, in turn, leads to workplaces that are more increasing each year, and it’s that utilizes interactive and, consequently, employees who are more engaged. increasing rapidly. collaboraCreating the kind of workplace I’ve just described isn’t easy, and it inRegardless of whether we’re tive display volves multiple facets. Believe it or not, one of the most important of those talking about a Fortune 500 solutions can centers on not capabilities, but, rather, aesthetics. How to attract consumers company with thousands of transform is at the forefront of ever y business’ mind—but what about how to attract employees or a small startup companies’ its own employees? An attractive workspace makes coming to work more business, the decision to incormonotonous appealing, which naturally leads to greater productivity. These issues are porate audiovisual solutions meetings into why manufacturers consider visual design when formulating new products. is a turning point for effective genuinely Inadequate cable management and misaligned displays could take the best communication. Industr y by engaging system that has the best capabilities and ruin it by making it unsightly to industr y, companies are makexperiences. those in the room. ing strides in their implementaTo maximize the aesthetic appeal and visual design of your space, look for tion of AV and digital solutions engineered mounting solutions that are sleek, and which can be hidden behind disto increase collaboration, while striving plays. Along with offering a modern, low-profile mounting design, today’s AV mounts to align themselves with technologialso feature internal routing to keep cables untangled and orderly when ser vicing is cal evolution. Digital AV solutions are required. If you want to make an impression on the next group of corporate visitors being leveraged to keep up to date with who visit your offices, it’s critical to have state-of-the-art, AV-centric, highly collaboratrends, innovation and growth both tive meeting spaces that are packed with the newest technology, and whose aesthetinternally and externally. Each solution ics are appealing. must be unique to the environment in The future of AV solutions is already here. The integration of highly collaborative which it is used, and each one demonAV solutions is just the beginning of the new era of technology that’s captivating corstrates the power of interactive technolporate America, and the possibilities are endless. AV solutions—videowalls, interacogy. And, although installing commertive displays and smartboards among them—are simple, convenient ways to increase cial AV systems might entail a company the performance of a company and its employees, because individuals excel in absorbing a big upfront cost, the longflexible, intuitive environments and AV deployments such as those provide time- and term learning benefits and productivity cost-effective solutions. In short, integrating the latest generation of AV technologies, rates will bring a positive return on the while keeping a firm focus on visual design and appealing aesthetics, is a recipe for a initial investment in little time. streamlined workflow, increased efficiency and enhanced effectiveness.

Corporate meetings can be boring, 46 Sound & Communications January 2019

INDUSTRY POV

A Natural Approach To Digital Signage Key insights for healthcare businesses and AV integrators.

By Jeff Van Duyn Atmosphere Healthcare

A

s hospitals seek to woo patients in an increasingly consolidated and competitive healthcare environment, administrators are using patientsatisfaction scores and national rankings to create a point of differentiation and demonstrate their leadership. A recent sur vey of more than 1,000 hospital administrators co-published by The Ber yl Institute and Catalyst Healthcare Research found the top priority—82 percent of all respondents—to be centered on improving the quality of the overall patient experience.

With cleanliness and security, among other essentials, being baseline expectations today, hospitals are now focusing on environmental factors to effectuate positive patient rankings.

To that end, a plethora of data in the hospital/healthcare sector underscores the benefits of creating a patient waiting room environment that is rendered more calming through the integration of relaxation-inducing digital signage imager y.

A significant amount of research has focused on the calming effects of scenic nature images integrated into urban environments. This is foundational to the modern design field of biophilia, which centers on the fact that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature; moreover, when nature is integrated into urban settings, a measurable lowering of stress levels and anxiety can be obser ved.

Roger Ulrich, a noted researcher in the field of biophilia, has published studies on the positive effects of nature environments in hospital settings. A key goal was to discover if simula-

Relaxation-inducing imagery, as opposed to 24-hour news channels or “edutainment” content, can enhance the patient experience and increase a healthcare provider’s perceived value.

tions—print and video imager y—had the same calming effect as physical manifestations did.

Ulrich’s “lab” was a redesigned hospital room that included a high-resolution mural of plants and animals in a colorful landscape that incorporated naturalistic fiber designs and colors, plants and organic materials. Pre- and post-test patient-stress measurements (blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate) were taken. The results showed that significant reductions in stress, hostility and aggressive behavior among patients could be achieved by using simulated nature images.

Although the use of digital signage in healthcare environments is not new, the presence of dedicated digital signage display systems for biophilic content—and for relaxation-inducing imager y in general—is new.

For years, doctors, dentists and hospitals have placed displays in waiting rooms and patient-care areas to help reduce awareness of increasingly longer wait times to see a healthcare professional. Ser vice providers that offer branded infomercials or “edutainment” digital signage systems designed to upsell or promote ser vices, mixed in with other content, such as cable news or movies, have become commonplace.

However, new research is beginning to reveal a surprising fact: Those types of educational and upsell-focused digital signage ser vices in waiting rooms might well be contributing to patients’ anxiety levels.

Researchers at Cornell University studied the stress levels of patients in different environments, including one in which a TV news channel was running continuously. The study found that a majority of patients disliked the environment with the news-centric content, reporting that the sound was distracting and noisy, and that the content made them feel more stressed than they already were. Respondents who were exposed to waiting rooms that featured loops of branded commercials for ser vices performed by the doctor or hospital were also unenthusiastic. Researchers deemed the reason to be that the use of infomercials as a potential distractor can lead to information and sensor y overload, which contributes to feelings of stress and anxiety. Biophilic content, by contrast, does not produce those unintended negative consequences, instead inducing benefits associated with being more relaxed.

As medical/dental offices and hospitals that seek to attract new patients look beyond baseline expectations centered on cleanliness and security, the burgeoning trend of integrating relaxation-inducing imager y in waiting room digital signage display systems—in particular, biophilic sounds and images—will give AV integrators and hospital administrators a natural path to increased patient satisfaction and continued market growth.

January 2019

Sound & Communications 47

A fully equipped producer’s desk in the audio control room provides a professional environment to record and mix audio from the adjoining production room or from locations across campus over RPI’s robust fiber network.

This year, students and faculty researchers at one of the nation’s top engineering schools, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), in Troy NY, will be learning and leveraging cutting-edge recording and production techniques in an updated and reimagined media studio operated by RPI’s School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS). The flexible design of RPI’s new HASS Media Studio makes it a great space to not only create, mix and edit, but also digitally access RPI’s other performance and media-research spaces via the school’s network fiber infrastructure. As a result, projects in the new studio space promise to span schools and disciplines, while expanding the horizons of its varied users. According to Jeff Gazdacko, who will run the studio as its Senior Media Engineer, “The possibilities are really endless as a result of the studio’s tools, connectivity and, ultimately, flexible design.”

A Vision For Common Technology With the continuing confluence of AVL and IT, institutions of higher learning must have an approach to these key technologies that is anything but traditional. Leaders in education must maintain a proactive vision for their media spaces, or they’ll face falling behind a fast-moving technology curve.

Rapidly evolving network technology has 48 Sound & Communications January 2019

Totally remodeled with improved isolation for recording sessions and mixing, the audio control room has speakers strategically placed for mixing immersive audio.

The video control room provides NDI-based switching and control for video projects, as well as a full complement of video production tools.

January 2019

Sound & Communications 49

Updated AVL and improved acoustics in the production room allow the space to be used as a video production studio, classroom or performance/ recording space.

The control room space at the HASS Media Studio was reoriented.

An isolation booth enables professional recording.

become key in advancing the application of new digital protocols for audio and video. Those advancements continue to increase expectations of how AVL tools can be used in both education and research settings. Institutions invested in those pursuits can’t afford to be caught flat-footed, and they must commit to more than just a useful awareness of the trends and contours of professional production environments.

According to the for ward-thinking Dean of RPI’s School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Mary Simoni, PhD, bringing best-of-class technologies together and putting them within the reach of students and researchers is key to achieving the school’s research goals and the success of its students.

“Educational institutions tend to have layers of policy aimed at helping to shape the pedagogy,” Simoni began, “but, with many diverse programs, policies can sometimes be at odds.” Occasionally, she said, a project comes along that can align with the requirements of multiple programs, bringing together technologies as well as groups of students and pedagogies.

It was Simoni who spotted that potential in an underutilized broadcast studio and control room space located in the basement of RPI’s Darrin Communications Center (DCC). “We were looking for a space that could provide 50 Sound & Communications January 2019

students with a high-end experience in a great acoustical space,” Simoni recalled.

“That’s important for students on all levels and our faculty researchers.” The fact that the aging studio’s location in the basement of the DCC offered robust network connectivity to other campus facilities did not escape Simoni’s attention.

With access to broad connectivity provided by RPI’s existing network, including the ample bandwidth of dark fiber that runs across the campus, the possibility of converting an underpowered and underutilized studio space into a useful studio that could be a media hub connecting RPI’s considerable research and performance areas significantly raised the project’s profile.

Fiber Connectivity Easy access to the school’s network of dark fiber introduced the possibility of connecting the new HASS Media Studio to four state-of-the-art performance venues on the RPI campus using Multichannel Audio Digital Interface (MADI) and Dante protocols. These larger and well-equipped spaces, housed at RPI’s Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC), are designed to allow audiences, artists and researchers to interact and explore the ever-changing relationship between humans and technology.

RPI’s existing fiber infrastructure could also provide a digital pathway between the new studio and the Cognitive and Immer-

sive Systems Lab (CISL), a collaboration between IBM Research and RPI. At the CISL, a Situations Room Infrastructure (SRI) enables multimodal group-computers dialogue, learning and understanding of group activities, reasoning, planning and facilitation of collaborative decision-making. Control of progressive media elements, like 360-degree projection and experiential surround-sound setups, is important to supporting cognitive research, as are basic production techniques for communicating and documenting findings.

The impressive EMPAC rooms and the advanced projects at the CISL are important not only for research, but also because they are emblematic of RPI’s “New Polytechnic” paradigm for cross-disciplinar y research and education, which spans the institute’s five schools and areas of computer science, cognitive science, computing systems and engineering, arts, media, communication and healthcare. A new studio equipped with the latest audio, video and networking technologies, implemented via low-latency digital fiber pathways, could bring them closer together. “We saw at once how the new studio could be an advantage for the school, and [we saw] its vast potential,” Simoni affirmed. “My role was to ‘sell’ the vision to the school’s administration and potential donors.”

Flexible Design Simoni reached out to Walters-Stor yk Design Group (WSDG), based in Highland NY, to investigate further and to provide technical assistance for the project. In response to Simoni’s challenge to redesign and equip the space, WSDG’s John Storyk, Joshua Morris and Kevin Peterson completed a baseline acoustic study and studio feasibility study. After the proof of concept was done, Judy Elliot-Brown, AV Systems Designer with WSDG, stepped in when design had begun in earnest.

When Elliot-Brown toured the existing studio and control room space, she took measurements and noted details about the space. However, in addition, she arranged for conversations with RPI’s AV technicians, IT depar tment, faculty, administration and student representatives to understand more fully how the existing space was being used; she also sought to get information about each group’s needs

as regards media mixing, editing and teaching. Elliot-Brown also devoted hours of research to understanding how the different groups worked.

“We asked many questions,” Elliot-Brown said, “including how other equipment and spaces around the campus were used, what equipment had been specified and why.”

With credits in audio design since 1977, experience has shown her that creators and engineers are at their best when they are comfortable, and that the designs that work best

have considered the fact that everyone has a different way of working. “These spaces are used for creating, so it is important that tools and spaces are designed so that users don’t have to think about the technology,” Elliot-Brown declared.

WSDG presented the project to Simoni and her team in CAD renderings, construction plans and auralization demonstrations with CATT-Acoustics software that detailed the different equipment strategies, acoustical treatments and design

recommendations for the new facility. Hearing sample .wav files helped confirm the direction of the design for Simoni before she made her presentation to the administration.

WSDG’s approved design for the new HASS Media Studio called for the complete renovation of the existing 1,700-square-foot space, as well as the design, construction super vision and AV integration of a 1,000-square-foot audio recording and production studio, a cutting-edge 300-squarefoot audio control room, a 100-square-foot isolation booth, 160-square-foot video control room and a 90-square-foot AV lab. The new design would maintain the existing 16foot ceiling height, lighting grid and basic shape of the original production studio, with slight changes in the size of the isolation booth.

Improved Production Space

Because of WSDG’s advanced integration, other spaces on campus are now networked with the HASS Media Studio.

52 Sound & Communications January 2019

Morris, WSDG’s Project Manager for the HASS Media Studio, worked closely with RPI’s Manager of Operations and Administrative Ser vices, Kim Osburn, and RPI’s Project Manager for Campus Planning and Facilities Design, Robert Carney, to schedule demolition and construction work to complete the redesign and address the acoustic challenges of the new space.

A major improvement for the 1,000-square-foot production space was realized with better acoustical treatment.

“The existing studio walls had been treated liberally with one-inch fiberglass, making the space less appropriate for music performance,” Morris recalled. Removing the existing wall treatments in favor of installing custom low-frequency pressure absorbers in the lighting grid, along with added diffusion around three sides of the room, significantly improved the sound. Additionally, with an eye toward budget considerations, curtains from the old production studio were removed and reworked to meet flame-retardancy ratings before being reinstalled. “Curtains can be drawn to deaden the room for video production or opened up to change the acoustical properties of the room dramatically,” Morris noted. “This made a huge improvement in the favorability of the space for music performance and recording situations.”

For playback into the studio or performances, two Martin Audio CDD-Live 15 self-powered, two-way speakers with coax-

ial drivers composed of a 15-inch low-frequency driver and a 1.4-inch high-frequency compression driver with a three-inch pure titanium diaphragm were installed in the grid, along with a NewTek NDIHXPTZ1 video camera that supports Ethernet connectivity and NewTek’s NDI (Network Data Interface) protocol. Along with NDI, this camera features native support for HD resolutions up to 1080p at 60fps, support for tally via NDI, a 20x optical zoom and Power over Ethernet (PoE+).

Installation time for the NewTek camera was minimal, because its NDI protocol allows connectivity, capture and control with a single common network cable. WSDG’s specification for NDI for video at the HASS Media Studio considered the school’s current and future needs for video sources that can encode, transmit and receive many streams of high-quality, low-latency, frame-accurate video and audio in real time. “Our choices for equipping the studio and control room had to consider future needs,” Elliot-Brown said, “and we had to keep multiple objectives in view. That is not uncommon in educational settings.”

Those considerations included protecting RPI’s investment by presenting choices that were futureproof and flexible.

Use of the NDI protocol is a good example of how the designer’s choices can affect the future, as the flexible protocol makes it possible easily to increase (or decrease) the number of video sources available for live production switching, without directly attaching to devices, changing locations or having to invest in expensive, high-bandwidth networks.

For audio and video connectivity in the studio, the team installed five custom microphone and video connection panels at key points in the room, along with an instructor wall panel and instructor touchpanel controller from Extron. For presenter connectivity, the company’s DTP T UWP 4K 232 D wallplate provides a two-input DTP transmitter for HDMI and VGA signals with audio embedding. For controlling presentations, Extron’s TLP Pro 725T seven-inch tabletop TouchLink Pro touchpanel features a capacitive Gorilla Glass touchscreen with 1024x600 resolution and 24-bit color, quad-core processing, PoE and a built-in speaker.

A Canon REALiS 4K501ST LCOS

5,000-lumen projector with 4096x2400 resolution was mounted on the grid with Chief mounting hardware, along with an Extron scaling receiver. To stay within budget, HD Progressive 1.1 replacement screen material was installed into an existing Da-Lite 165-inch diagonal screen with a standard 16:9 aspect ratio.

Immersive Audio Control Room Although the original wall between the 300-square-foot control room and production studio would remain, the new design called for entr yways to be reworked and new glass installed between the studio and control room spaces to provide better isolation. Engineering teams that implemented the new design included mechanical engineer Marcy Ramos and electrical engineer Mike Meyers of Albany NY’s Sage Engineering, with construction implemented

by Albany-based contractors Uwe Kiss and John Moore of Sano Rubin Construction Ser vices, LLC. Elliot-Brown specified Avid Pro Tools S6 as the primar y recording system for the HASS Media Studio. She described the audio control room is an “in-the-box” system using an Avid S6 controller with a Pro Tools system that utilizes MTRX and ANDIAMO I/Os. The system can be used to record locally in the production studio, as well as to experiment with non-standard surround speaker configurations. The MTRX is Dante-enabled and incorporates a 1500x1500 matrix switcher that can be used to route audio signals, via Dante, to and from the EMPAC over the dedicated single-mode fiber connections between the two facilities. The Dante connection enables the HASS Media Studio to use any of the studios or performance spaces in EMPAC as recording rooms for larger ensembles. Dante connectivity to and from the studio over the RPI LAN can also be used to capture special events occurring anywhere on campus.

The S6 M40 modular control surface for RPI provided 16 faders, 16 channels of five configurable knobs, 16 channels of process modules, 16 channels of displays and a common center section. The M40 features a tilting 12.1-inch multipoint touchscreen, eight adjacent rotary encoders, and dedicated knobs and keys for monitoring and global control. Among the M40’s most interesting

features is its integration with software tools, like Dolby Atmos, which support cuttingedge, immersive, 3D audio, including software for advanced control of audio objects.

Moving past the AC-3 5.1 audio standard that has been in practice for more than 15 years, digital audio tools like Avid’s S6 support mixing immersive audio. Immersive audio adds ceiling speakers to provide a 360-degree audio experience. Different approaches to immersive audio trade channel assignments for a set of audio vectors that

can be combined into whatever speaker configuration is desirable at the moment.

Then, audio can be reproduced so that sound effects can be localized to positions relative to each listener. Defined as audio objects, immersive sounds can be static or dynamic, and, thus, panned around the theater space. This technology turns creative effects into ultra-real audio sensor y experiences.

To facilitate hands-on control of immersive sound mixes, Elliot-Brown’s design

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Sound & Communications 53

for the S6 system called for the addition of an S6 master joystick module. The joystick module enables mix engineers to position sounds anywhere within a room, without having to look away from the big screen. A 3.2-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) display on the unit shows current pan and joystick locations, whereas four OLED displays provide detailed visual feedback. The module also features two multicolor LED top-lit encoders, 16 panning mode switches with color LEDs and other panning control switches for precisely controlling positioning and divergence. The joystick module can also be set up to control any other knob parameter on S6 to create a wide range of effects.

The S6 control gear for the audio control room was installed into a producer’s desk designed by Sterling Modular that is flanked by two Nice-Racks 16RU equipment racks for outboard gear. The project added a 256GB Apple 10.5-inch iPad Pro (with Wi-Fi and cellular) for remote app controls and studio operation, along with an AudioTechnica AT808G dynamic subcardioid gooseneck microphone and a Rolls MP13 mini microphone preamp for the S6 console

talkback system. A DirectOut ANDIAMO 2 AD/DA MADI converter provides the monitor interface for the S6.

For traditional audio mixing, two Focal Trio6 Be loudspeakers were chosen as mains for the control room for their extreme neutrality and precise stereophonic imaging. Installed on Sound Anchor ADJ2 speaker stands, the Trio6 Be is a three-way speaker with a one-inch tweeter, a five-inch woofer and an eight-inch subwoofer selfpowered with Class G amplifiers.

In addition to the control room mains, eight Genelec 8030Cs installed in the control room make the space suitable for mixing and experimenting with immersive audio. Speakers associated with left, right and center channels sit on the Sterling Modular desk, with the five remaining speakers mounted to the walls with Genelec 8000422B mounts. A Genelec 7050B subwoofer provides the lower frequencies required for effective 5.1, 7.1 and 8.2 audio. Playback systems were tuned by WSDG engineer Andy Swerdlow.

A Samsung DC55E 55-inch direct-lit LED display mounted with a Sanus VLT5 wall-

EQUIPMENT PRODUCTION STUDIO 1 Canon REALiS 4K501ST LCOS projector 1 Chief 4K projector mounting hardware 1 Da-Lite 165" diagonal screen w/16:9 aspect ratio 7 Elation KL Fresnel 6 150W 3000K 97CRI warm white LED fresnels 1 Extron DTP HDMI 4K 330 Rx long-distance, digital twisted-pair receiver 1 Extron DTP T UWP 4K 332 D 2-input, decoratorstyle transmitter 1 Extron TLP Pro 725T 7" tabletop TouchLink Pro touchpanel 4 Kino Flo Celeb 250 DMX LED fixtures w/centermount kits w/flight cases 2 Martin Audio CDD-LIVE 15 self-powered, 2-way systems 1 NewTek NDIHX-PTZ1 NDI PTZ camera

The HASS Media Studio networks to the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC).

54 Sound & Communications January 2019

AUDIO CONTROL ROOM 1 Apple 10.5" iPad Pro (256Gb) 1 Audio-Technica AT808G subcardioid dynamic console mic 1 Avid S6 M40 control surface (16 faders) 1 Avid S6 master joystick module 1 Blackmagic Design Videohub Master Control 1 Clear-Com GM-9 9" plug-in gooseneck mic 1 Clear-Com KB-702GM 2-channel select flushmount speaker station 1 Clear-Com V-BOX wedge-shaped enclosure 1 DirectOut ANDIAMO 2 AD/DA MADI converter

1 Extron DTP HDMI 4K 230 Rx digital twistedpair receiver 1 Extron DTP T UWP 4K 332 D 2-input, decorator-style transmitter 1 Extron EBP 100 eBUS button panel w/6 buttons 1 Extron SMB 112 2-gang surface-mount box (black) 2 Focal Trio6 Be 8" powered studio monitors 1 Genelec 7050B studio sub 5 Genelec 8000-422B wall mounts w/T-plates 8 Genelec 8030C 5" powered studio monitors 2 Nice-Racks 16RU wood panels, rack rail front and rear 1 Rolls MP13 mini mic preamp 1 Samsung DC55E DC-E Series 55" direct-lit LED display 1 Sanus Premium Series VLT5 tilt mount 2 Sound Anchor ADJ2 44" tall monitor stands VIDEO CONTROL ROOM 1 AJA Ki Pro Ultra Plus multi-channel Apple ProRes recorder 1 Apple Mac Pro 2 Audio Accessories WEP-961E-SH audio patchbays 1 Blackmagic Design Videohub Master Control 1 Cisco Small Business 200 Series SLM2008TNA smart SG200-08 gigabit Ethernet switch 2 Clear-Com GM-9 9" plug-in gooseneck mics

mount works as the large display for the audio studio with an Extron DTP HDMI 4K 230 Rx DTP receiver for HDMI. Control for the large display is accomplished with an Extron EBP-100 simple remote, a push-button panel that is located on the producer’s desk and a Blackmagic Design Videohub Master Control.

Networked Video Control Room WSDG’s specifications for the HASS Media Studio’s 160-square-foot video control room enable state-of-the-art video production using NewTek’s TriCaster TC1 SP control surface and TC1 R3 video switcher.

The video control room is a completely networked system based on NDI video. The “switcher” control panel, the engine and additional I/O devices are interconnected via a network switch. The TC-1 accepts both SDI video and NDI (Cat6 video-over-IP) inputs and outputs to SDI, NDI or directly to the internet. Multiviewer output for the TriCaster is handled by two Samsung MU8000 49-inch LED displays mounted with Gabor TM-3770 tilting wall mounts and connected with DisplayPort to HDMI adapters.

1 Clear-Com KB-702GM 2-channel select flushmount speaker station 1 Clear-Com MA-704 Encore IFB control panel w/mic jack 1 Clear-Com RM-702 Encore 2-channel headset station 1 Clear-Com V-BOX wedge-shaped enclosure 1 Dell S2715H 27"-screen LED-lit monitor 1 Elation OPTO BRANCH 8 19", single-rackspace, 8-way DMX distributor/booster 2 Gabor TM-3770 tilting wall mounts 2 Genelec 8000-422B wall mounts w/T-plates 2 Genelec 8030C 5" powered studio monitors 2 HP EliteDisplay E230t 23" touch monitors 1 Mackie 1604VLZ4 16-channel, 4-bus mixer 1 Middle Atlantic 3RU shelf 1 NewTek TriCaster TC1 R3 video switcher 1 NewTek TriCaster TC1 SP control surface 1 Pathway Connectivity Cognito2 lighting console 1 RDL RU-LB4 line-level bi-directional network interface 2 Samsung UN49MU8000FXZA 49" MU8000 premium 4K ultra-HD TVs AV LAB 1 Chief tilting wall mount 1 Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 2nd generation USB audio interface 2 Neumann KH 120-A studio monitors

The video system was designed to be used locally for teaching four-camera shoots, as well as to capture live performances in the production studio. A Blackmagic Design Smart Videohub acts as a 40x40 SDI router, connecting the studio cameras, Ki Pro Ultra Plus recorder, production studio projector, audio control room, etc., to the TC-1. The EMPAC SDI video system (over fiber) provides video to and from the HASS Media Studio when the studios or performance spaces in EMPAC are being used as recording rooms. NDI connectivity to and from the studio over the RPI LAN can also be used to capture special events on campus.

Additionally, students can use the TriCaster system to learn about multi-channel ISO recording to full-resolution QuickTime and H.264 files for video-on-demand, dualchannel live streaming to Facebook Live, Microsoft Azure, Periscope, Twitch, YouTube Live and other ser vices. The system even provides real-time social-media sharing and studio-grade Skype video calling.

A 2.5GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7 Apple Mac Pro with 16GB of synchronous dynam-

ic random access memor y (SDRAM), 512GB PCIe-based flash storage and a Dell S2715H 27-inch display was added in the video suite for handling graphics. The AJA Ki Pro Ultra Plus video recorder was rackmounted on a Middle Atlantic 3RU shelf to provide up to four channels of simultaneous HD recording; in single-channel mode, the unit can operate as a 4K/ultra HD/2K/HD Apple ProRes, Avid DNxHR MXF for 4K/ultra HD, or Avid DNxHD MXF recorder and player. With support for large-raster, high-framerate workflows, up to 4K60p with high-dynamic-range (HDR) playout and recording, the unit supports 3G-SDI, fiber and full HDMI 2.0 digital video connectivity. An RDL RU-LB4 four-channel Dante I/O interface provides an audio interface for the TriCaster system.

To handle audio requirements in the video control room, the team installed a Mackie 1604VLZ4 16-channel, fourbus mixer and selected two Audio Accessories WEP-961E-SH 2x48 audio patchbays. Two Genelec 8030C pow(continued on page 78)

1 Samsung LH40DCEPLGA/GO DC40E direct-lit LED display

1 ESE ES-247E quad 1x6 video distribution amp 1 ESE LX-220A RS-170A black-burst

generator/enhanced circuitry 1 Extron DTP CrossPoint 84 4K IPCP SA stereo amp 1 Extron DTP HDMI 4K 230 Tx DTP

transmitter for HDMI 1 Focusrite RedNet AM2 stereo Dante

headphone amp 1 Magma ExpressBox 3T Thunderbolt

expansion chassis 2 Middle Atlantic MRK-4431 LRD MRK Series racks, 44RU, 31"D, w/o rear doors 1 Netgear ProSAFE 24-port gigabit smart managed switch 1 NewTek TriCaster NC1 8-channel I/O module 1 RDL RU-LB2 line-level bi-directional

network interface 1 Steinberg Nuendo 8 post-production audio workstation software 1 Xilica XP-4080 4-input/8-output, fixedarchitecture digital audio system processor 1 Xilica XP-8080 8-input/8-output, fixedarchitecture digital audio system processor List is edited from information from WSDG.

EQUIPMENT RACKS 1 Apple Logic Pro X 1 Apple Mac Pro/OS X Sierra/Intel Xeon E5 6-core processor 1 Ashly KLR-2000 stereo power amp 1 Audinate Dante Virtual Soundcard software 1 Avid MTRX w/Dante option 5 Avid MTRX 8-line pristine AD cards (8 analog inputs) 1 Avid Pro Tools HD 12 software (perpetual license) 1 Avid Pro Tools HDX core card 1 Aviom D800-Dante A-Net distributor 1 Blackmagic Design HDMI-4K-to-SDI mini converter 1 Blackmagic Design SDI-to-HDMI-4K mini converter 1 Blackmagic Design Smart Videohub 40x40 6GSDI mixed-format router 4 Cisco MGBLH1 gigabit LH Mini-GBIC SFP transceivers 2 Cisco SG350X-24MP 24-port gigabit PoE stackable managed switches 1 Cisco Small Business 200 Series SLM2008TNA smart SG200-08 gigabit Ethernet switch

January 2019

Sound & Communications 55

56 Sound & Communications January 2019

The reception area, with one of three videowalls in the facility.

Googling the words “Are we too connected?,” sans quotation marks, results in 820 million results in less than one second, the majority from the “Living” sections of daily newspapers or philosophical “think” pieces in tech outlets like Wired or The Verge—by and large, they’re gloomy ruminations on the existential dangers of hyperconnectivity. But that’s not what 21st century AV integrators worry about. For them, connectivity in a networked environment isn’t the problem—their challenge is to figure out how best to allow the end users to manage it all.

That’s what AV integrator Progressive Electronics, Inc. (Raytown MO), faced at Pinnacle National Development Center. When it opened earlier this year, the 80,000-square-foot, $75 million complex became the training and technology hub for Sporting Kansas City (Sporting KC), Kansas City MO’s Major League Soccer team. Following six years on the drawing board with architect Populous and design consultants Henderson Engineers, along with a year’s worth of bulldozers and masons from general contractor Grand Construction, the facility comprises five full-size soccer fields, known as the Pavilion, as well as the nearby Wyandotte Youth Soccer Complex.

The Pinnacle building itself, owned by the same group that owns Sporting KC and its stadium, is a warren of flexible rooms that can be used for players’ or coaches’ training applications. They boast largescale, 70- and 80-inch NewLine touch-sensitive displays that any sports department—or its associated college or high school, for that matter—would envy.

Those same rooms can also be used for videoconferencing, with installed Shure ceiling microphone arrays and Panasonic PTZ cameras. In fact, Pinnacle was built, in part, with the expectation that US Soccer, the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States, would regularly use its facilities—among them, two locker rooms, three classrooms with flexible walls for courses and seminars, six breakout rooms, as well a cafeteria and two fields dubbed “the pitch lab”—as the site of year-round training for US Soccer coaches and referees.

Rick Dressel, General Manager of Pinnacle, said that each of the building’s three main tenants— Sporting KC, US Soccer and Children’s Mercy Hospital, which operates a sports medicine center at the facility and which has naming rights to Sporting KC’s stadium—wanted to keep their training, administrative and rehabilitative activities at the cutting edge of technology.

“All three organizations wanted this to be state of the art in order to give them the same level of functionality, such as with video throughout and between both Pinnacle and Children’s Mercy Park [Spor ting KC’s home stadium], at the highest technical level,” Dressel explained. He added that January 2019

Sound & Communications 57

Pinnacle National Development Center, the 80,000-square-foot, $75 million complex that is now the training and technology hub for Sporting KC, a Major League Soccer team.

A controller in a training room cubby, with inputs for laptops and other external media sources.

Sporting KC’s ownership group had already established dedicated network links between its downtown office and Children’s Mercy Park—a connection that was also extended to include Pinnacle.

“The connectivity between [the venues] was part of the plan from the ver y beginning, and it’s worked out fabulously,” Dressel affirmed. In fact, he continued, as part of Pinnacle’s business plan, US Soccer agreed to move its National Development Center (NDC, formerly the National Training and Coaching Development Center) from its offices in Chicago IL to Pinnacle, providing the US Soccer Coaching Department with

One of the three classrooms with flexible walls. Pinnacle uses courses and seminars for player and coach training.

its first-ever permanent home.

The arrival of Pinnacle has truly transformed soccer coaching. Previously, coaching education courses were held in various parts of the countr y, and they’d begin with classroom instruction in local hotel meeting rooms. Coaches would then have to travel to playing fields for training sessions, travel back to the hotel to eat and then return to the fields for afternoon sessions. By contrast, coaches now arrive at the NDC from a hotel less than a mile away, and they comfortably spend the entire day there. Practice fields, a cafeteria, classrooms, breakout rooms and locker rooms are all in the same venue.

Networking Pinnacle with Children’s Mercy Park, located in Kansas City KS, was critical to making the overall project work for its broad range of users.

Integrating Networks Nathan York, Director of Audiovisual Systems at Progressive Electronics and the senior project manager on behalf of the company for the Pinnacle project, said the integrator was brought into the design process several years ago. The company then found that, nonetheless, it had to bid on the job publicly—and its proposal ultimately won. That process, as inscrutable as it seemed at the time, actually offered Progressive Electronics significant insight into what Pinnacle would need to be to its various stakeholders. It also helped get the AV integrator up to speed quickly. As York recalled, “We got the contract secured in late September 2017 and we were on site October 1. We had to get to work immediately, because it got big from there on.”

What grew the most was the Crestron DigitalMedia (DM) matrix, which ultimately topped out at 128x128—necessary to allow AV-over-IP (AVoIP) signals from either Pinnacle or Children’s Mercy Park to be called up through the fiber networks laid down between the two facilities by the electrical contractor. Through the various networks— a dedicated AV network, Sporting KC’s own network and US Soccer’s virtual local area network (VLAN)—users can call up video footage from, for instance, US Soccer’s FTP site and have it appear on any of the three dozen Sony 43- to 85-inch displays installed throughout Pinnacle and its adjacent practice fields. Alternatively, the video footage can be displayed on the 17 NewLine 70- and

80-inch touchscreens installed in the three main training rooms. (Those have an integrated computer that permits users to access remote files directly through icons on the screens themselves.)

Inside both Pinnacle and the stadium, video and audio are handled using the HDBaseT connectivity standard, with Cisco switches used as the on- and off-ramps between the AVoIP and HDBaseT protocols.

For instance, when moving AV between training rooms within Pinnacle, the data remains within HDBaseT; by contrast,

when it travels between venues, it does so over the fiber network.

York said that the decision to use HDBaseT within the venues, which is managed by the Crestron control system, and to use AVoIP between venues, stemmed from resolving the desire to use the best solution for connecting between distant points—the stadium is a little more than a mile away—and wanting to use a technology platform familiar to Sporting KC’s and Pinnacle’s own AV and IT staffs. “No one knew where [the technology] might

EQUIPMENT 1

AJA Video Systems FiDO-R-ST 1-channel single-mode ST fiber-to-3G-SDI receiver 2 AJA Video Systems HD10AMA analog audio embedder/disembedders 3 AJA Video Systems HELO H.264 streaming and recording standalone appliances 5 AJA Video Systems Hi5-Plus SDI-to-HDMI mini-converters 1 Ashly nXp1504 network power amp w/Protea DSP 4 AtlasIED AD-12BE desktop mounting flanges 4 AtlasIED GN-19E 19" flexible goosenecks 5 Barco ClickShare CSE-200 wireless presentation systems 23 Barco ClickShare CSE-800 wireless presentation and collaboration systems 57 C2G 00779 6' Cat6 snagless shielded network patch cables 35 C2G 00784 12' Cat6 snagless shielded network patch cables 180 C2G 04027 6' Cat6 snagless patch cables 48 C2G 04030 12' Cat6 snagless patch cables 48 C2G 27800 1' Cat6 snagless unshielded network patch Ethernet cables 26 Celerity Technologies DFO-50P 50' fiberoptic cable w/detachable HDMI connectors 40 Chief PAC525F large in-wall storage boxes w/flanges 33 Chief PAC526F in-wall storage boxes w/flanges 27 Chief RMF2 medium FIT fixed wall display mounts 46 Chief RXF2 x-large FIT fixed wall display mounts 4 Chief XPA1U x-large Fusion manual height-adjustable carts 1 Cisco Catalyst 2960XR-48FPS-I switch 2 Cisco Catalyst 2960X-24PSQ-L cool switches 2 Comprehensive DPM-HDF DisplayPort-male-to-HDMI-female adapters 4 Comprehensive HD-DVI-6PROBLK Pro AV/IT Series HDMI-to-DVI 26AWG cables (6') 2 Comprehensive HD-HD-12PROBLK Pro AV/IT Series high-speed HDMI cables w/ProGrip, SureLength, CL3 (12') 157 Comprehensive HD-HD-6PROBLK Pro AV/IT Series high-speed HDMI cables w/ProGrip, SureLength, CL3 (6') 8 Comprehensive MP/2PJ-C 3.5mm mono mini plug to 2 RCA jacks audio adapter cables 4 Comprehensive MP-MP-6ST Standard Series 3.5mm mono mini plug-toplug audio cables (6') 21 Comprehensive USB2-AA-6ST USB 2.0 A-to-A cables (6') 24 Comprehensive USB2-AB-6ST USB 2.0 A-male-to-B-male cables (6') 8 Comprehensive HD-HD-15PROBLK Pro AV/IT Series high-speed HDMI cables w/ProGrip connectors 2 Crestron C3COM-3 3-Series control cards 9 Crestron CBLR2-CAT5E cable retractors for FlipTops, Cat5e 9 Crestron CBLR2-HD cable retractors for FlipTops, HDMI 9 Crestron CBLR2-VGA-Audio cable retractors for FlipTops, VGA and audio 1 Crestron CEN-CI3-3 3-Series card interface 1 Crestron CEN-GWEXER infiNET EX and ER wireless gateway 2 Crestron CP3N 3-Series control systems 5 Crestron DMB-4K-I-C 8-channel HDBaseT certified 4K DigitalMedia 8G+ input blades 3 Crestron DMB-4K-I-HD 8-channel 4K HDMI input blades 3 Crestron DMB-4K-O-C 8-channel HDBaseT certified 4K DigitalMedia 8G+ output blades 2 Crestron DMB-4K-O-HD 8-channel 4K HDMI output blades 1 Crestron DMB-4K-O-HD-DNT 8-channel 4K HDMI and Dante output blade 4 Crestron DMC-4K-C-HDCP2 HDBaseT certified 4K DigitalMedia 8G+ input cards 6 Crestron DMC-4K-CO-HD-HDCP2 2-channel HDBaseT certified 4K DigitalMedia 8G+ output cards 12 Crestron DMC-4K-HD-HDCP2 4K HDMI input cards 2 Crestron DMC-HDO 2-channel HDMI output cards 1 Crestron DMC-S20-HD 2-channel DigitalMedia 8G single-mode fiber output card 2 Crestron DMC-SDI 3G-SDI input cards 13 Crestron DM-DGE-200-C digital graphics engines w/PinPoint UX and 4K DM 8G+ inputs 1 Crestron DM-MD128X128 128x128 DigitalMedia switcher 1 Crestron DM-MD32X32 32x32 DigitalMedia switcher 1 Crestron DMPS3-4K-150-C 3-Series 4K DigitalMedia presentation system 6 Crestron DM-RMC-4K-100-C-1G wallplate 4K DigitalMedia 8G+ receivers and room controllers 60 Sound & Communications January 2019

17 Crestron DM-RMC-SCALER-C DigitalMedia 8G+ receivers and room controllers w/scalers 2 Crestron DM-RMC-SCALER-S2 DigitalMedia 8G single-mode fiber receivers and room controllers w/scalers 8 Crestron DM-TX-4K-100-C-1G wallplate 4K DigitalMedia 8G+ transmitters 19 Crestron DM-TX-4K-302-C 4K DigitalMedia 8G+ transmitters 9 Crestron FT-TS600 FlipTop touchscreens 3 Crestron GLS-PART-CN Cresnet partition sensors 1 Crestron PRO3 3-Series control system 1 Crestron TSR-302 handheld touchscreen remote 20 Crestron TSW-760 7" touchscreens 1 Crestron TSW-760-TTK tabletop kit for TSW-760 1 Da-Lite 21777C 108x192 screen w/7' drop 1 Definitive Technology SuperCube 6000 sub 1 Definitive Technology Mythos XTR-SSA3 ultra-slim L/C/R speaker bar 1 Denon DN-700AV professional 7.1 AV receiver 1 Display Devices DL3B-14 projector lift 1 Display Devices OPT-3 plenum-rated housing 7 DPA Microphones DAD6010 Miniature Series microdot-to-TA4F mic adapters 7 DPA Microphones FIO66F00-M2 d:fine omnidirectional headset mics 2 Electro-Voice EKX-12 12" passive speakers 3 Extron MSR 6 3.5mm stereo-audio-male-to-RCA-female audio adapters 19 Extron USB Extender Plus T twisted-pair extenders 19 Extron USB Extender Plus R twisted-pair extenders 4 Extron SMP 352 (400GB SSD) dual recording H.264 streaming media processors 2 Extron RSU 126 universal rack shelf kits 9 Extron ASA 141 passive audio summing adapters w/RCA inputs and balanced/ unbalanced outputs 5 Extron mini architectural adapter plates (MAAP) 1 FSR CB-224 2x2 high-capacity ceiling box w/4RU drop-down cage 33 FSR IPS-B010D-WHT IPS blank inserts 8 FSR IPS-D711S-WHT IPS voice/data inserts 21 FSR IPS-D722S-WHT single-height Cat6a shielded connector inserts 1 Gator Cases GM-6-PE 6-mic case 1 Gator Cases GTSA-MICW6 ATA-molded polyethylene case 2 JBL CBT 1000 constant beamwidth technology adjustable coverage line-array columns 1 JBL MTCPC2 weatherproof control loudspeaker panel cover 1 Kramer VIA GO wireless presentation solution 4 Liberty AV HEI-RHIM-TEMPLATE logo panels 9 Liberty AV PE6413-WQ514208 floor box plates 1 Liberty AV PE6413-WQ514221 HDMI plate 2 Liberty AV PE6413-WQ514222 HDMI plates 18 Liberty AV PE6413-WQ517371 HDMI plates 2 Liberty AV PE6413-WQ520528 custom camera plates 2 Liberty AV PE6413-WQ520530 camera control plates 2 Liberty AV PE6413-WQ520531 camera control plates 4 Liberty AV PE6413-WQ523471 camera plate 4 Liberty AV PE6413-WQ523472 camera plate 1 Liberty AV PE6413-WQ523473 plate 1 LifeSize Icon 800 videoconferencing system codec 4 Middle Atlantic BGR-4527 gangable enclosures 2 Middle Atlantic BR2 2-space brush grommet panels 2 Middle Atlantic BSPN-45-27 side panels 2 Middle Atlantic D2 2-space rack drawers 1 Middle Atlantic PD-2420SC-NS 20-amp, 24-outlet, high-density, slim power strip 1 Middle Atlantic PD-915R rackmount power strip 4 Middle Atlantic PDT-1620C-NS thin power strips 10 Middle Atlantic QFAN rack fans 1 Middle Atlantic SR-46-28 steel pivoting rack 4 Middle Atlantic U2 double-space universal rack shelves 6 Middle Atlantic UPS-2200R-8IP uninterruptible power supplies 5 Middle Atlantic WL-60 work lights 4 MultiDyne SB-3G-FTX-ST SilverBullet mini 3G HD/SDI fiberoptic links 16 NewLine EPR8A00080-000 TruTouch 800 multi-touch displays 9 NewLine EPR9A00X70-000 TruTouch X7 collaboration systems 8 OWI 703I surface-mount outdoor/indoor speakers 5 Panasonic AW-HE40S full-HD cameras w/integrated pan-tilt 1 Panasonic PT-RZ970WU 10,000-lumen WUXGA DLP projector 40 Panduit CJ688TGIG UTP jack modules

(continued on page 62)

be six months or a year from now,” York explained. “They wanted systems they felt comfortable with, but that would be infinitely expandable—and at a reasonable cost.”

That said, he continued, “Every system was [closely] reviewed to ensure the desired functionality during the time Progressive Electronics was involved with the project.”

As complex as the types of networks involved might seem—three separate local area networks (LANs) and the HDBaseT distributed system—they were rather straightfor ward as compared with how end users throughout the two venues would be able to access the systems. “Ever ything is connected to ever ything else, through a 128x128 matrix, and while that’s what ever yone said they wanted, it also creates a management problem,” York observed. “You don’t want an infinite amount of video tr ying to populate on someone’s iPad. We had to figure out how to limit access locally, as well as how to coordinate with the IT teams to let [hundreds] of devices talk to each other.”

It was a question—and an irony—that goes to the hear t of connectivity. The conundrum was solved by programming

Remote control for the PTZ cameras covering “the pitch lab,” whose output is sent over the fiber network to Pinnacle’s data servers and then back to a display in one of the Pavilion’s meeting rooms, where the players and coaches can replay and annotate the plays.

endpoints on the systems. Indeed, according to York, staying on top of that was key to coordinating with the client’s users and IT technicians. “Their tech sources became our new best friends,” he remarked. “We ran ever y decision past them, keeping them constantly involved.” It also underscored another concern: namely, training. “We didn’t want to have to train a hundred people on the systems,” York declared. “We wanted to train two people and let them train their end users.”

Although the networked connections are

the main story here, there are still plenty of “conventional” AV components to be found.

The main training rooms, which have a total of six of the NewLine touchscreens, can be subdivided into quadrants, with two displays in two of the subdivisions and one in each of the others. Typically, content can be brought to them via an HDMI wallplate

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Two of the six pendant speakers hung in the Pinnacle locker room, which keep audio close and intelligible in the highly reflective room.

One of the two ceiling arrays used to pick up sound in two of the training rooms. They are connected to Pinnacle’s network, and into the main network, via a Dante card in the DM chassis.

Equipment racks in Pinnacle’s basement.

(continued from page 60) 3 3 4 6 2 2 2 6 2 6 2 63 6 1 4 4 1 1 5 1 1 1 4 1 4 4 7 2 28 1 1 2 2 4 4 8 4 22 6 3 4 4 4 9 26 2

Panduit CP24BLY shielded modular patch panels Panduit CPP24WBLY unshielded modular patch panels Panduit NMF1 single-sided managers Peerless-AV ACC570 round ceiling plates Peerless-AV EXT018 fixed-length extension columns Peerless-AV EXT101 fixed-length extension columns Peerless-AV EXT102 fixed length extension columns Peerless-AV PLCM-2-UNL SmartMount ceiling mounts Peerless-AV UV652 65" UltraView ultra-HD outdoor TVs ProCo AQ-15M4F0PLM AQ-15s w/yellow color rings ProCo AQ-25M2F0PLM AQ-25s w/red color rings QSC AD-C6T 6.5", 2-way ceiling-mount speakers QSC AD-P6T 6.5", 2-way pendant-mount speakers QSC CDN64 Dante audio bridge card QSC CIML4 mic/line analog input cards QSC COL4 analog line output cards QSC Q-SYS Core 110f processor QSC Q-SYS Core 510i integrated core processor QSC CXD4.3Q network amps QSC I/O-8 Flex Q-SYS channel expander QSC SPA2-60 EnergyStar power amp RCI Custom Professional Series BM-30M active media mult-box RDL D-CIJ3 consumer input jacks (mono) Ross Video NK-M16 RS422 machine control router (16 inputs) Shure A15LA 50dB attenuators Shure BETA 58A vocal mics Shure MX153 earset headworn mics Shure MXA910 ceiling array mics Shure SB900 lithium-ion rechargeable battery packs Shure SBC200 dual-docking battery charger Shure SBC200-US battery charger w/power supply Shure SBC800-US 8-bay battery chargers Shure SM31FH fitness headset condenser mics Shure UA221 passive antenna splitter/combiner kits Shure UA834 in-line antenna amps Shure UA864 wall-mounted wideband antennas Shure UABIAST in-line power supplies Shure ULXD1 wireless bodypack transmitters Shure ULXD2/B58 handheld wireless mic transmitters Shure ULXD4D dual-channel digital wireless receivers Shure ULXD4Q quad-channel digital wireless receivers Shure WA310 TA4F-to-XLRF cables (4') Shure WL183 lavalier condenser mics SnapAV WB-100-PS-6 WattBox 6-outlet power strips Sony FWD43X800E 43" HDR ultra-HD smart LED TVs Sony FWD49X800E 49" HDR ultra-HD smart LED TVs

62 Sound & Communications January 2019

5 11 3 9 1

Sony FWD55X800E 55" HDR ultra-HD smart LED TVs Sony FWD65X750D 65" Bravia 4K ultra-HD LED-backlit TVs Sony FWD75X850E 75" Bravia 4K HDR professional displays Sony FWD85X850D 85" Bravia 4K HDR ultra-HD displays Tripp Lite SMART750RM1U 750VA/.75kVA/600W line interactive, sine wave UPS system 4 Ultimate Support JS-DMS50 desktop mic stands 2 Ultimate Support TS-100B Air-Powered Series aluminum tripod speaker stands 5 Vaddio 535-2000-243 thin-profile wall mounts 2 Williams Sound ANT 005 remote coaxial antennas 4 Williams Sound BAT 026-2 AA NIMH rechargeable batteries (2 each) 1 Williams Sound CHG 3512 PRO bodypack charger, 12 bay, w/case 4 Williams Sound EAR 022 surround earphones 2 Williams Sound HED 021 folding headphones (mono) 2 Williams Sound NKL 001 neckloops 2 Williams Sound PPA T45 personal PA FM base station transmitters 4 Williams Sound PPA R37-8N 8-channel, 72MHz FM receivers 4 Winegard Flatwave Air amplified digital outdoor HDTV antennas 6 Wiremold 8MAAP Evolution 8AT Series AVIP device plates 1 Wiremold EFB10-DP Evolution Series EFB10 floor box device plate 1 Wiremold EFB8-MB Evolution Series EFB8 floor box mounting bracket 1 Wiremold EFB8S-FC Evolution Series 8-gang fire-classified floor box 1 Wiremold EFB-MAAP Evolution Series EFB6 floor box device plate List is edited from information supplied by Progressive Electronics, Inc.

output that connects to the 128x128 matrix of the HDBaseT system, which can further be used to access the larger video network, as well. Alternately, users can plug in their own laptops, use thumb drives, tune into the IPTV from the Pavilion’s field cameras or connect to any of the other training rooms to join activities in those. There are also NewLine touchscreens loaded onto four mobile carts, which enable them to be taken into non-traditional training areas, such as the Great Hall—Pinnacle’s spacious entrance area—where the staff held their first event (a Christmas party). “We were trying to achieve a high level of modularity here, with the mobile carts and the ability to segment the training rooms,” York said.

Audio is conventional and basic, but effective nonetheless. QSC ceiling speakers in the training rooms dot those spaces’ dropped-tile coverings, and they’re managed by a Q-SYS processor. Meanwhile, two Shure ceiling arrays pick up sound in two of the training rooms; they’re connected to Pinnacle’s building network and into the main network via a Dante card in the DM chassis.

There are also three videowalls in the new facility: one each in the Children’s Mercy gym, the Great Hall and in front of the stage in Pinnacle’s inter view room.

Content is accessible from the same sources that the training rooms use. (The videowalls were purchased directly by the client, and they were installed and integrated by Progressive Electronics.)

Efficient Networking The time frame for planning the connectivity between Pinnacle and Children’s Mercy Park traversed what could be considered a generation or two in a typical networkproduct lifespan. That’s a fact of which Dan Keller, Lead Audio-Video Designer for Henderson Engineers, the project’s design and consulting engineering firm, is always keenly aware. “That’s something you have to watch out for in any networked project,” he said, noting that products such as the interactive NewLine displays might not have been available early on in the process, and that they were added to Pinnacle’s specifications during the course of development.

The design team also looked carefully for efficiencies between the new Pinnacle facility and the preexisting stadium, Keller confirmed. For instance, pointing out that

the stadium already had a Cisco StadiumVision cable TV headend installed, the team designed for its output to be sent across to Pinnacle over the fiber network that was being installed between them.

“We looked to leverage as much existing infrastructure as we could, and we found we could share the IPTV at the stadium with Pinnacle, which was a significant cost savings,” he added.

Networking plays an integral and important role in the team practices, as well. On the pitch lab—the two practice fields (one

with artificial turf, the other with natural grass) that straddle the Pavilion—scrimmages are recorded by a Panasonic PTZ camera whose output is sent over the fiber network to Pinnacle’s data ser vers, and then sent back to a NewLine display in one of the Pavilion’s meeting rooms; there, the players and coaches can replay and annotate the plays. Keller noted that the cameras are part of an 8K Solutions system field package.

“We recommended [that package] to (continued on page 75)

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MARKET BRIEF

By Amanda Mullen

Networked System Integration Educational facilities, corporations and churches branch out.

As discussed in this month’s “Wavelength,” many AV systems are no longer singular entities unto themselves. As technology has advanced, systems have become networked to share information across multiple locations—spanning towns, cities, states, and across the country and around the globe. This sort of networked system integration has created an array of opportunities for all types of institutions, from corporations to churches to educational facilities.

There was a time when institutions like those had to remain in one location, having no way to transmit communications and content easily from site to site. Such confinement is no longer imposed, however, given the advent of networked systems. Colleges, corporations and multi-site churches can now share the same information between

campuses with minimal effort. For that reason, these establishments are increasingly branching out.

Corporations that have office sites across the country and institutions that build facilities in multiple areas can boast a stronger national—or even international—profile. As such, companies can draw talent from a wider range of places; churches can welcome congregants from all corners; and colleges can diversify with students from a broader array of backgrounds.

Thus, it’s no surprise that so many institutions are branching out, establishing satellite campuses and developing networked systems. The possibilities are tremendous, and, as technology advances, the potential continues to grow.

HCC intends to sell its current Greater Katy property at Foxlake Dr., pictured here, in order to help fund its new campus.

Expansive Education Houston Community College (HCC) is one educational institution that has decided to expand its presence by relocating and expanding its Greater Katy TX campus. HCC’s Board of Trustees recently approved the decision to acquire 24 acres of land located at 228 Colonial Pkwy., as well as a three-year option to purchase 30 additional acres should the institution decide to build further facilities. HCC intends to build a 140,000-square-foot building on the new plot, which will be turned into a multi-story educational facility. By expanding the campus and opening new facilities, HCC hopes to add 3,000 students to the campus’ current population of 4,000.

The new Greater Katy campus will offer freshman- and sophomorelevel courses, whereas junior-, senior- and graduate-level courses will be offered by the University of Houston (UH) at its own Katy campus.

Shuttle-bus services will be provided to transport students between the HCC and UH campuses. The project is estimated to cost approximately $55 million, and its cost will initially be funded through a loan from Regions Bank. HCC plans to repay the loan using long-term revenue bonds, as well as tuition and fees collected from students who attend the new campus. HCC also purportedly intends to sell its current Greater Katy property, at Foxlake Dr., in the near future; that move could provide the college with another $14 million to fund its new facilities.

Construction on HCC’s new Greater Katy campus began this past December, and the college intends to complete the work by 2021. If all goes according to plan, students should begin to attend classes there by that June.

Santa Monica College (SMC) was also given the green light to begin 64 Sound & Communications January 2019

A rendering of the aerial view of the SMC Malibu campus, courtesy of QDG Architecture.

A rendering of the SMC Malibu campus’ entrance, courtesy of QDG Architecture.

construction on its new satellite campus, which will be located at 23525 Civic Center Way in Malibu CA. Although the project remained in the early stages of development for years, the Board of Trustees signed a contract last fall to begin construction on a three-acre satellite campus.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 21, with elected officials and board members in attendance. SMC and its partners, the county of Los Angeles CA and the city of Malibu, are making it a point to keep sustainability in mind when constructing the Malibu campus. Its new facilities will be built with features like drought-tolerant landscaping and a green roof, and SMC intends to pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

With respect to educational features, SMC will build a two-story educational building on its new Malibu campus. That building will be composed of science and art labs, a 100-seat lecture hall, a computer lab, two general-education classrooms and a space for physical activity. QDG Architecture will be tasked with the design portion of the project. Construction of the Malibu campus, which is expected to carry a $50 million price tag, is set to be finished by the end of 2021, allowing the institution to open its doors to students sometime during 2022.

MARKET BRIEF Apple On The Move Educational institutions aren’t the only establishments to gain an advantage from having facilities in different locations. Corporations also reap the benefits of building offices at multiple sites. Doing so enables them to make their brands more widely known, and it allows them to draw talent from across the country—sometimes even from around the globe. Apple is one major company that has clearly seen the benefits of increasing its number of corporate offices. The company recently announced plans to build a $1 billion campus in Austin TX, located not even a mile away from its other Austin-based office site.

The new campus will add a grand total of three million square feet of office space to Apple’s holdings. The company’s expansion plans are part of its initiative to increase the number of jobs across the country. According to Apple, the 133-acre campus is expected to accommodate an additional 5,000 employees upon its completion, and it has the capacity to accommodate up to 15,000 employees. At the time of this writing, the company had yet to reveal when it plans to begin construction on the new campus, and it had not revealed what company will design the project. It is likely, however, that Apple will receive $25 million from a jobs-creation fund in Texas, similar to the

Apple’s current Austin campus is home to 6,200 staff members, and its new campus is expected to accommodate an additional 5,000 employees upon its completion.

benefits that Amazon has reaped. Apple also announced that it will be opening six smaller sites in addition to its Austin campus, establishing itself in Seattle WA, San Diego CA and Culver City CA, as well as adding new offices in Pittsburgh PA, New York NY and Boulder CO.

Congregating Far And Wide Churches have also begun to take advantage of the abilities of networked system integration, opening satellite campuses that allow them to transmit their messages on a much larger scale. Rock Bridge Community Church is one institution that has expanded its presence, boasting multiple worship centers throughout Georgia. But even with its locations in Dalton GA, Calhoun GA, Chatsworth GA and Ringgold GA, Rock Bridge Community Church found that it nevertheless required extra space for its growing community. In particular, the church struggled to find adequate space for the children and adult ministries on its Calhoun campus.

For that reason, the church began construction on a new facility for its Calhoun congregation last year. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new project, which is being constructed on a section of Curtis Pkwy., occurred during the springtime. As of the time of this writing, construction was still underway, with the metal framing for the building being placed at the site. The project is expected to be completed

by June. It will cost around $3.9 million when finished; it will be funded internally through finances set aside by the church.

St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church is also planning a new campus, located at 12760 Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville FL. The planning process for the new location began last fall, and the church received five permits for its new site this past November and December.

Among those permits was a site-clearing permit, as well as construction permits for the buildings on its new campus. The church is planning to construct a 17,728-square-foot worship center, a 13,161-square-foot banquet hall, an education building of 14,343 square feet and a gymnasium that will span 8,406 square feet.

Between the site-clearing and construction costs, the project is

An aerial conceptual view of St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church’s new campus in Jacksonville FL.

estimated to total $13 million, $8.4 million of which will be applied to the construction of the worship center, banquet hall and education building. St. John the Divine plans to finance its new facilities through church contributions, the sale of some of the property for a charter school and the selling of an existing campus at 3850 Atlantic Blvd. Any additional costs will be covered by loans. Sauer Inc. is the contractor for the project, whereas Kasper Architects & Associates is the architect. Construction of the 14.9-acre campus is projected to take around a year, meaning that the new site should be completed and ready for use late this year.

January 2019

Sound & Communications 65

NEWS Compiled by Amanda Mullen and Dan Ferrisi

Case Kuehn Named President Of Martin Audio North America Martin Audio has announced that Case Kuehn has joined the company as President of Martin Audio North America LLC. Martin Audio’s management buyout last June meant that the North American operation took on additional local responsibility that had been handled by the previous company owners.

According to Martin Audio’s Managing Director, Dom Harter, “With sales in the US booming, it became quickly apparent that we needed a structure in North America to support the growth plan. This structure needed to allow the sales team, headed by Lee Stein, to focus upon sales and customer management, while bringing in a President who could manage the day-to-day business strategy and core operational functions. I’m delighted that Case has accepted the role, as he is both extremely capable and has a deep understanding of our company and philosophy….”

Harter continued, “Case has a very broad set of functional management experience, from board of directors, general management, finance, accounting, human resources, information technology, purchasing and operations, and he pursues business interests with an ethical principle that enables strong relationships to develop.”

Case Kuehn

ISE 2019 Hosts Thought Leaders And Experts As Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) continues to expand its coverage of vertical markets served by the AV industry, it has decided to offer a broader range of thought leaders and subject experts to speak at ISE 2019 next month in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. ISE seeks to deliver an extensive breadth of expert opinion, analysis and debate across all the market sectors that the show addresses. At ISE 2019, all educational and professional-development content is being presented under the umbrella title “Learn, Discover, Be Inspired.” The full program has been developed through close cooperation with AV industry bodies—in particular, show co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA—media partners and other independent associations.

Most recently announced is February 8’s Closing Keynote, which will be delivered by Tupac Martir, Creative Director of Satore Studio, and Co-Founder of the studio’s sister venture, Satore Tech.

Satore clients include BMW, Dior, the Saatchi Gallery, Elton John and Beyoncé.

The ISE 2019 conference program has drawn an array of experts from a wide range of sectors and disciplines. There are no fewer than 10 conferences taking place during ISE 2019, five of which are being held at the Hotel Okura, a short distance from the RAI Amsterdam, where exhibits will be located.

Full details about the professional-development program, including a comprehensive list of speakers and presenters, can be found at www.iseurope.org.

Yamaha Professional Audio Expands Global R&D Team Yamaha Corp. of Japan, Professional Audio division, is transitioning some critical research and development head office functions and building up teams in the US and Europe. This expanded global team is intended to ensure that Yamaha, inclusive of NEXO and Steinberg, integrates the voice of the professional audio customer into the many vertical markets that the company serves.

“Yamaha has always valued the voice of our customers and continuously strives to develop closer professional relationships with key influencers in our industry,” Yoshi Tsugawa, General Manager, Yamaha Professional Audio division, Yamaha Corp. Japan, stated. “Adding to our top-quality R&D team will allow us to incorporate the market’s expectations and requirements into our development, as we continue to build the very best system solutions.”

The growth in the teams around the world will allow for a higher level of engagement within product segments where Yamaha sees opportunity to create systems for customers with speakers, amplifiers, network switches and Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS) now bolstered by new team members and adding to the company’s traditional leadership position in mixing. In addition to research, the team plans to add to the market through participation in education and training initiatives, supporting industry associations while providing support for a growing group of international companies doing business in multiple countries.

66 Sound & Communications January 2019

AVIXA Finds Sports Venues Investing In AV Solutions To compete with other sports venues and fans’ ever-advancing home-entertainment systems, sports-venue executives are investing in audiovisual solutions. AVIXA’s new 2018 Market Opportunity Analysis Report (MOAR), focused on sports venues, investigates the opportunities and challenges for providers of commercial AV solutions and technologies in this space.

“This is a market to watch,” Sean Wargo, Senior Director of Market Intelligence, AVIXA, declared.

“Venues and events are expected to produce $27.7 billion in commercial AV revenue in 2018 worldwide and grow at a healthy rate in the next five years, according to our Industry Outlook and Trends Report (IOTA).” He continued, “It’s an exciting space for AV providers to work in.

Stadium executives are determined to bring the wow factor to outdo other stadiums, so they are motivated to embrace advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and interactive displays. However, their investments in standard AV technologies, such as lighting, audio, and security and surveillance, take priority.”

MOAR: Sports Venues explores sports fans’ preferences when attending competitions, including the role that technology plays in creating exceptional experiences. The report also examines the viewpoint of the purchasers of AV solutions at sports-venue management companies, as well as the commercial AV integrators that work in the market.

MOAR: Sports Venues is the fifth in a series of market studies, with a final report (about higher education) forthcoming at press time. The hospitality, retail, corporate and transportation reports were published earlier in 2018. The report about sports venues is available for purchase at www.avixa.org/moarsports.

NEWS AV LINK Joins SDVoE Alliance AV LINK GROUP Ltd., a Taiwan-based manufacturer of AV solutions, has joined the SDVoE Alliance as an adopting member.

According to David Hsu, General Manager of AV LINK GROUP, “We’ve been searching for various solutions for 4K AV-over-IP over the past few years. Of course, we’ve looked into SDVoE technology and we’ve gone through some evaluation. We believe that SDVoE can lead the whole pro AV industry to the next level with its flexible hardware and software platform, which enables many applications, including matrix switchers, videowall controllers and image processors.” He added, “We’re glad to be a part of the SDVoE Alliance.”

“We welcome AV LINK as the latest equipment manufacturer to design their nextgeneration pro AV products on the SDVoE standard,” Justin Kennington, President of the SDVoE Alliance, added. “We look forward to their collaboration in the global marketplace.”

LG Named Pro AV/Digital Signage Partner Of The Year For the second year in a row, Ingram Micro Inc. has named LG Electronics Business Solutions as Pro AV/Digital Signage Partner of the Year. The award celebrates the increasing demand and brand awareness within the IT channel for LG’s digital signage solutions, according to Ingram Micro.

“We are honored to present the Pro AV/Digital Signage Partner of the Year award once again to LG for going above and beyond with Ingram Micro to better serve the needs of our channel partners and help their end customers achieve their business goals faster and with greater engagement and accountability,” Jennifer Anaya, VP, Marketing, Ingram Micro, said.

“This special recognition by Ingram Micro underscores LG’s focus on providing innovative digital signage solutions that are highly functional and that drive business,” Clark Brown, VP, Digital Signage, LG Electronics USA Business Solutions, affirmed. “We are proud to collaborate with Ingram Micro to continue to expand the US digital signage and commercial AV markets with advanced solutions developed with the end user top of mind.”

iVideo celebrated its 50th anniversary with a cruise to the Bahamas.

iVideo Technologies Celebrates 50 Years iVideo Technologies, an audio, video and broadcast company headquartered in Cleveland OH, with additional offices in Columbus OH and Cincinnati OH, recently celebrated its 50th year in business. Founded as Industrial Video in 1968, iVideo has expanded to three offices, and it’s completed projects in nearly every state and in numerous countries.

“The dedication from our employees, clients and manufacturers has really put us in our position as one of the country’s leading audio/video technology providers,” Timothy Czyzak, President of iVideo Technologies, said. The company’s employees and spouses celebrated with a cruise to the Bahamas. Employee, client and company recognition activities were conducted during the anniversary cruise. iVideo Technologies offers its clients technical insight and provides audio, video and broadcast solutions. End markets of concentration include healthcare, hospitality, houses of worship, corporate, education and municipalities.

Cloud Video Opportunities On The Rise ABI Research forecasts the enterprise video solutions market to pass $49 billion by 2023.

Although changes in viewer behavior and the shift from on-prem hardware to cloud services have posed challenges to some market segments, such as encoders/transcoders, middleware and conditional access (CAS), new opportunities in over the top (OTT) and cloud video are adding fuel to the market. Ultra HD and ongoing codec transitions (e.g., HEVC) will also help balance out declines and slowing growth in some pay-TV markets.

“Video services and operators are increasingly moving workflows and operations to the cloud,” Michael Inouye, Principal Analyst at ABI Research, explained. “Doing so allows companies to better scale operations both up and down to meet demand and helps lower capital expenditure (CapEx) spend, particularly among those companies without extensive history in the OTT space.

These changes also reflect the need for video platforms and services to be more flexible to meet the needs of a wider breadth of customers and, ultimately, end viewers.”

The video market is expected to grow at a 4.8-percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2017 to 2023, but the increasing trend of moving to the cloud will help the cloud-video segment achieve a stronger 11.7-percent CAGR. Beyond the spread of cloud content and services, the industry is also looking forward to upcoming opportunities that will enrich the value proposition of content and, where possible, gain efficiencies to reduce costs.

January 2019

Sound & Communications 67

NEWS TMP-Pro Shipping Apart Audio Products, Seeking Sales Reps

Almo Professional AV employees at the Johns Hopkins Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation.

Almo Employees Donate For The Holidays During the holiday season, Almo employees graciously donated their time, talent, toys and even turkeys to benefit those in need via organizations throughout the country. Among them were the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance (DBFA), the Ronald McDonald House, the Johns Hopkins Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation, the Somerton Interfaith Food Bank and more.

“Whenever there is an opportunity to participate in an outreach project, our employees don’t hesitate for a moment,” Warren Chaiken, President and CEO of Almo Corp., said. “Instead, they roll up their sleeves and go above and beyond, offering up their time, talent and whatever else is needed.” He continued, “Almo’s rich tradition of giving continues to grow as our employees find more ways to give back. Their generosity and compassion extend far beyond the workplace and into their communities, where they are able to make a positive impact by helping others throughout the year, and especially during the holidays.”

As part of the company’s #AlmoGivesBack campaign, the Almo Professional AV Baltimore MD office adopted two families with five young boys through the DBFA, an independent, non-profit alliance of parents, educators and community activists devoted to supporting Baltimore families.

For the past eight years, the DBFA has connected families in need to those who want to give through its “Adopt-A-Family” program.

The Almo Professional AV Florida office set up a giving tree for the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), which serves children and families worldwide through programs that provide access to healthcare and family-centered care. Almo employees chose tags that represented $15 Target gift cards and donated nearly $500 to the local RMHC chapter. In addition, Almo employees provided toys for patients at St. Christopher’s Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia PA through the Committee to Benefit the Children (CBC), as part of Almo’s RMHC partnership.

TMP-Pro, the professional audio, video and lighting distribution division of The Music People, is now stocking Apart Audio products. TMP-Pro is also currently seeking independent sales representatives for Apart Audio, which is a part of Audioprof Group International, which includes Community Professional Loudspeakers.

Although Apart Audio is new to the US, Community Professional Loudspeakers has been part of TMP-Pro’s offerings for many years, and it was TMP-Pro’s relationship with Community that helped bring together TMP-Pro and Apart Audio. Community, which is celebrating 50 years this year, is known for its fiberglass horns and enclosures and its transducers.

Apart Audio, whose products help to shorten install time, has equipment currently being used in more than 90 countries. The products have been installed in restaurants, arenas and institutions across the world, including Samjung Animal Park in South Korea, The Medical University of Johannesburg in South Africa and Sochi, Russia’s Fisht Olympic Stadium, which was home to soccer games during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. According to TMP-Pro, Apart products are now available to the US sound-installation market and ready to ship.

CALENDAR

Huddly Acquires Assets Of Epigram Huddly, a Norwegian vision technology company that builds intelligent cameras, has acquired the employees, intellectual property and select equipment of Epigram, an Oslo, Norway-based artificial intelligence (AI) company. The acquisition, which will result in tools, IP and all AI engineers moving over to Huddly, is intended to improve the AI capabilities of Huddly’s intelligent cameras.

Epigram specializes in computer vision and visual classification, developing tools and software to collect and analyze big data, with an acute focus on the application of AI to understand content.

Founded in 2017, the company has worked with multiple clients, including Huddly, Gjensidige, Tradono and No Isolation, to develop AI and machine-learning solutions.

Epigram has built an eight-person team of data scientists who will now join Huddly, increasing the headcount to around 65. Prior to the acquisition, Epigram assisted with extending the AI models that run on Huddly’s smart cameras, training them so they accurately detect and count people in the camera’s view in real time.

With the acquisition of the Epigram assets, Huddly is already implementing plans to extend its knowledge of what the camera is able to pick up, and how it is able to understand and respond to its surroundings. Huddly has already built a hardware platform, with the next step being the continuous training of the camera, enabling it to provide valuable features, such as capturing content and tracking of people’s movement and gestures, to the end user.

68 Sound & Communications January 2019

February

Integrated Systems Europe Feb. 5–8 Amsterdam, Netherlands AVIXA, CEDIA www.iseurope.org Collaboration Week NY Feb. 25–27 New York NY IMCCA www.imcca.org VidTrans2019 Conference and Expo Feb. 26–28 Los Angeles CA Video Services Forum www.videoservicesforum.org NSCA Business and Leadership Conference Feb. 27–Mar. 1 Tampa FL NSCA www.nsca.org/blc

NEWS QSC Awarded Utility Patent QSC has been awarded a utility patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its Q-SYS Web Conference Integration Solution. The patent (USA 9,973,638) recognizes the solution’s ability to bring an IP camera stream from Q-SYS PTZ-IP conference cameras into soft codec applications (like Zoom, Skype for Business, GoToMeeting, etc.) via a driverless USB connection. The patent also recognizes the ability of the Q-SYS platform to discover and control Q-SYS IP conference cameras on a standard Ethernet network. This allows users to leverage their network to transmit professional-quality video from Q-SYS conference cameras to any PC, offering a simple, plug-and-play experience for meeting room applications.

“This patent is a testament to our commitment to increase overall simplicity and advance the state-of-the-art Q-SYS platform,” Ryan Pring, Senior Technical Director, Q-SYS, said. “Unlike most solutions on the market, the Q-SYS Web Conference Integration Solution provides an IT-centric approach by combining the universal ease of USB connectivity with the flexibility of the network for long-haul transfers of audio, video and control data. This design eliminates the need for expensive USB and HDMI extenders and point-to-point wiring, which translates to a more simplified, cost-effective design.”

Comhear Partners With Stampede, Exertis Pro AV Solutions Stampede and its sister division, Exertis Pro AV Solutions, have been selected by Comhear Inc. to serve as the global distribution partners of its audio technologies. Moving forward, Stampede will serve as the distribution partner for Comhear in North America, Latin America and Asia, whereas Exertis Pro AV Solutions will serve in the same capacity in the UK and the Scandinavian region.

“For years, San Diego CA-based Comhear has been creating audio technologies for consumer, enterprise and professional applications,” Stampede’s President and CEO, Kevin Kelly, said. “With the combined capabilities of Stampede and Exertis Pro AV Solutions, we’re able to offer Comhear a greater range of resources and support across the world.”

Iconyx Satisfies Large Demands At Cathedral Of St. Paul Completed in 1915, St. Paul MN’s Cathedral of St. Paul is the country’s largest church outside of New York and Washington DC. Its Saint Cloud granite exterior walls are matched with the American Travertine marble coating the 3,000-capacity interior, which reaches 175 feet up to a dome nearly 100 feet in diameter.

It’s a big, reverberant space. “If you took the Statue of Liberty off its pedestal and set it in here, it would fit under the dome,” Randy Keeley of St. Paul-based AV integrator Metro Sound & Lighting observed. “And everything within this space is very reflective: Travertine marble all over the walls and floors, hardwood pews, different angles, glass—you’ve got sound literally going everywhere.” Those are not friendly acoustical conditions for any kind of amplified sound, yet a sound system is the only way every worshipper can hear what is being said and sung.

Keeley’s solution was a left/right system of two Renkus-Heinz ICONYX Gen5 IC32-RN digitally steerable line arrays, which enabled him to keep sound off the walls and on the congregation. To preserve the cathedral’s aesthetics, the loudspeakers were color-matched to the marble.

Every IC32-RN houses 32 purpose-designed, four-inch coaxial transducers, each with its own amplifier and DSP channel. Each coax transducer is paired with an “array within an array” of three tweeters, an arrangement that reduces the distance between high-frequency sources, yielding consistent, broad horizontal dispersion and high-frequency performance.

Under software control, powerful onboard DSP can form, shape and aim sound in up to 16 separate beams from a single IC32-RN. With a typical throw of 270 feet, the IC32-RN easily fills the 216-footwide cathedral. “With Renkus-Heinz ICONYX, we can steer beams vertically to keep them in the listener areas and try to prevent energizing any more of the space than we need to,” Keeley remarked.

The Cathedral of St. Paul isn’t the only ICONYX installation by Keeley and Metro Sound. The company has also put the IC32-RN in other Minnesota sanctuaries that have challenging acoustics, including the Church of St. Charles Borrowmeo in St. Anthony MN and the Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul. “We’ve had very good luck with Renkus-Heinz ICONYX,” Keeley concluded. “It’s become a go-to product.”

Leyard And Planar Partner With Lighthouse Technologies Leyard and Planar have established a strategic partnership with Lighthouse Technologies Ltd. for the sports and entertainment market. By combining Leyard and Planar’s LED and LCD largeformat and videowall displays with the industry expertise of Lighthouse, the partnership, the principals said, will offer innovations for sports and entertainment customers throughout North America. Kicking off the partnership, the companies showcased their range of sports-venue display solutions at the 2018 Baseball Winter Meetings, from December 10 to 12 in Las Vegas NV. Leyard offers a line of LED and LCD videowall and large-format displays, whereas Lighthouse brings a tailored product line and years of implementation experience in the sports market. Lighthouse has major installations in professional venues across Los Angeles CA, Cleveland OH, Dallas TX, Seattle WA, Philadelphia PA and Atlanta GA, as well as a significant Times Square presence in New York NY. Lighthouse screens also provide information and entertainment at many major university and public facilities throughout North America.

The partnership follows Leyard and Planar’s hiring of industry veteran Douglas Moss as General Manager for Sports and Entertainment last March.

January 2019

Sound & Communications 69

PEOPLE Compiled by Amanda Mullen

T. Ireland

P. Thomas

K. Gravier

J. Newhouse

G. Kalinowski

M. Alonso

T. Puorro

J. McManus

B. Millson

M. Knedler

R. Atkins

J. Zorrilla

J. Saprito

J. Meyer

J. Thompson

K. McDougall

C. Wissinger

P. Codron

J. Kever

M. LaRiviere

E. Webster

S. Pedroza

PMC appointed Tim Ireland as CEO, and Peter Thomas to the role of Chairman… Silicon Line promoted Katrin Gravier to CFO…Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) promoted Jim Newhouse to VP of Global Sales, and appointed Glenn Kalinowski as Director of Sales for North America…

Nortek Security & Control appointed Miguel Alonso as VP of Product Management…Plantronics welcomed Tom Puorro as Executive VP, General Manager, Group Systems…MSE Audio appointed James McManus as International Sales Director…Adamson Systems Engineering appointed Ben Millson as Managing Director for the APAC Region…

Middle Atlantic Products named Megan Knedler as Director of Marketing, and hired Rob Atkins as Regional Brand Sales Manager…Stage Equipment and Lighting appointed Jon Zorrilla as Director of Operations, 70 Sound & Communications January 2019

and Joe Saprito as Rental Manager…American Music & Sound hired Jim Meyer as Upper Midwestern Regional Sales Manager for the Music Creation Division, promoted Jaime Thompson to Marketing Manager of the DJ Division, and expanded National Sales Manager Kris McDougall’s responsibilities with Reloop, Xone and Hercules now assigned to him…Roland appointed Chris Wissinger as Global Strategic Product Marketing Manager for Video…Martin Audio named Peter Codron as its UK Sales Manager…ClearTech welcomed Jenna Kever as Business Development Manager, and Mike LaRiviere as Education Sales Specialist…ESI Design appointed Emily Webster as its first Head of Media Architecture…Premier Mounts hired Steve Pedroza as Manager of the Premier Dedicated Solutions (PDS) Division….

PRODUCTS Compiled by Amanda Mullen

Product information supplied by manufacturers and/or distributors.

Extron’s Button Panels

AtlasIED’s Ceiling Speakers

Extron released four eBUS button panels with dual-color, field-labelable, backlit buttons.

The EBP 50, EBP 103 D, EBP 104 EU and EBP 104 MK are customizable AV system control interfaces that work with any IPCP Pro control processor. A single eBUS button panel may be used as the AV control interface for a smaller system, or multiple button panels and touchpanels may be combined when a more elaborate control system is required. These new button panels represent a broad range of industry-standard form factors for integration compatibility, and they’re intended for use in any presentation environment. The EBP 104 EU is also Flex55-compatible for worldwide use. eBUS accessories are available and include distribution hubs, power supplies and mounting products, which streamline integration and bring additional design flexibility to any system.

Extron www.extron.com

AtlasIED has introduced its Strategically Hidden Speaker (SHS) Series, consisting of ceiling speakers that blend into virtually any environment. The concealed design is achieved by Adaptive Dispersion Lens Technology. Only a 3" diameter lens and a micro trim ring are visible on the ceiling. The dispersion lens can be painted or replaced with material to match the ceiling. For hard-to-match spaces, AtlasIED’s optional DesignLab color-match process uses highresolution printing technology to transfer any color or design onto the micro-diffuser for visual continuity on any ceiling. The SHS speaker has a 2-way driver to provide high-definition sound. Sound exits the 2-way transducer and passes through the patented adaptive dispersion lens for a smooth and uniform frequency response with no “hotspots” common to some speakers. The speaker uses an integrated 32W 70V/100V transformer and 40 bypass, with a sealed enclosure above the ceiling for optimal bass response.

AtlasIED www.atlasied.com

Kramer Electronics’ Extender Kit

Kramer Electronics’ PT-871/2xrKIT is a long-distance DGKat 2.0 extender kit for 4K@60Hz (4:4:4) HDR HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 signals with 2-way powering over twisted pair. The PT−871xr transmitter converts HDMI signals for long-distance transmission, and the PT-872xr converts them back to HDMI. The PT-871/2xr-KIT extends video signals to up to 200' at 4K@60Hz (4:4:4) resolution and up to 230' at 4K@60Hz (4:2:0) 24bpp resolution over Kramer shielded cables. It is also equipped with 2 status LED indicators for HDMI and DGKat 2.0 ports for local maintenance and troubleshooting. Kramer’s PT-871/2xr-KIT supports installation simplicity with single twisted-pair cable for signal and power wiring. The units each come in a Compact Pico TOOLS fanless enclosure for deviceback mounting, or side-by-side mounting of 4 units in a 1RU space with the recommended rack adapter.

Kramer Electronics www.kramerav.com

Magewell’s SDI-To-NDI Converter

Magewell’s Pro Convert SDI 4K Plus encoder converts SDI input signals up to 4K ultra HD into full-bandwidth NDI streams with extremely low latency, enabling users to connect SDI-equipped sources to NDI-enabled media networks, devices and applications. The plug-and-play Pro Convert SDI 4K Plus supports video up to 4K at 30fps with embedded audio over a 6Gbps SDI interface. Automatic inputformat detection and DHCP-based network configuration eliminate the need for manual setup. Users can connect the device, and the encoder will convert source video automatically at its native resolution and frame rate. An SDI loop-through connection allows the input signal to be sent simultaneously to additional displays or equipment, without external splitters or routers. This enables sources to be used in new IP workflows without disrupting the customer’s existing, traditional video infrastructure.

Magewell www.magewell.com

Kramer Electronics’ PT-871/2xr-KIT

Magewell’s Pro Convert SDI 4K Plus

Extron’s EBP 50, EBP 103 D, EBP 104 EU, EBP 104 MK

AtlasIED’s SHS-6T2 January 2019

Sound & Communications 71

PRODUCTS Barco’s Solid-State Projectors

Barco’s FL40 Series of solidstate projectors uses HLD and LED illumination technology to combine visual performance and high reliability. The FL40 Series delivers sharp images with contrast and color fidelity, intended for nonstop operation.

The projectors are offered in native WUXGA and WQXGA resolution. The performance of the FL40 WQXGA version can be extended up to 4K resolution (3840x2400) via Barco’s Single Step Processing (SSP) technology—a feature of the Barco Pulse unified software platform. The FL40 uses a DLP-sealed optical engine and the latest solid-state HLD LED illumination. Extending the FL40 Series is the FS40, which offers NVG stimulation through a dedicated IR LED channel, in addition to the standard features of the FL40. Dual-input support for simultaneous IR and RGB images, up to WQXGA at 120Hz resolution, allows for individual image adjustments and intensity in both daytime and nighttime scenarios.

Barco www.barco.com

Elite Screens’ Presentation Screens

Elite Screens’ ezCinema 2 Series offers presentation screens that rise and retract using a “scissorbacked,” freestanding mechanism that requires no extra tools, accessories or effort. Users rotate the base feet, set the screen down and pull the screen up to their desired height. The 1.1 gain matte white material has a wide viewing angle, and it’s masked on all 4 sides for enhanced aesthetics and visual contrast. The screen also comes with a black backing to eliminate light penetration for brighter image fidelity. The material is GREENGUARD (UL 2818) certified for safe indoor air quality emissions, which might be required by businesses or education-based facilities. Elite Screens’ ezCinema 2 Series projection screens come in a portable, freestanding manual design that is available in 52" to 105" with a 4:3 (NTSC) aspect ratio, and in 70" to 95" sizes with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Elite Screens www.elitescreens.com

Platinum Tools’ Connector

Platinum Tools has launched its shielded Cat6a/7 RJ45 (8P8C) modular connector. For both shielded and unshielded cabling, the connector is compatible with Cat7, Cat6a, Cat6e and Cat6. It meets ANSI, EIA, TIA and TAA specifications. The connector’s cable jacket outer diameter size ranges from 0.224" to 0.335", and its insulation diameter (conductor) size ranges from 0.037" to 0.041". Other features and specs: round solid and stranded, 28 to 26 AWG; shielded connector, external ground; 3-prong, 50-micron gold-plated contacts The connector is UL and ROHS/FCC compliant, and it is compatible with the Tele-Titan Xg 2.0 Crimp Tool. It comes in a clear/transparent color.

Platinum Tools www.platinumtools.com

MuxLab’s AV-Over-IP Transmitter

MuxLab’s next-generation HDMIover-IP H.264/H.265 PoE transmitter, 4K/30 (model 500763) brings AV sources—including H.264/H.265 IP cameras, media players, streaming AV channels, computers and laptops, projectors, and traditional Blu-ray players and set-top boxes—together with various displays on the same IP infrastructure. By connecting to an Ethernet switch, users can create simple distributions of matrixed displays on videowalls with multi-views. Low-bandwidth requirements allow for streaming AV over a local network, Wi-Fi and the internet. This solution offers high image quality with less than 200ms latency in low-latency mode with H.265. Each of MuxLab’s transmitters can connect AV equipment to a network from up to 328' in distance using a standard Cat5e/6. Once on the network, they work with MuxLab’s H.264/H.265 receivers (model 500762) to deliver content to 1 display, a few or many.

MuxLab www.muxlab.com

Platinum Tools’ Cat6a/7 RJ45 (8P8C) Modular Connector

MuxLab’s Model 500763

Barco’s FL40-4K 72 Sound & Communications January 2019

Elite Screens’ ezCinema 2 Series

PRODUCTS BenQ’s Presentation System

BenQ’s InstaShow WDC10 is a plug-and-play presentation system that wirelessly connects a user’s computer to a central display or projector. With the touch of a button, the meeting collaboration system allows up to 16 participants to share their laptop or device screen in full-HD quality, making collaboration more dynamic. InstaShow is compatible with all operating systems and any display with an HDMI port, suiting it to any meeting room, huddle room or other collaborative space. The solution provides fast transfer time via WLAN standard 802.11ac support. With a latency of less than 0.1sec., content and audio from device to display is transmitted without any noticeable lag. It only requires simple HDMI and USB 3.0 connections to the user’s device and the screen. There are no additional hardware or software requirements.

BenQ www.benq.com

Datapath’s Videowall Processors

Datapath has introduced two videowall processors. The next-generation VSN992 and VSN1192 are equipped with dual Intel Xeon E5 processors.

The addition of the processors gives a clock speed of 2.3GHz, 8 cores and a 20MB cache. Memory options are up to 128GB. The latest generation VSN992 features a 9-slot backplane, with the VSN1192 offering an 11-slot capacity. Both backplanes ensure stability and cool operating temperature, along with all the processing and connectivity required for the high-impact control rooms of today. Both new models feature dual redundant power supplies and dual RAID-configured 240GB SSD drives as standard, with the option to upgrade to 480GB, along with dual LAN ports and an RS232 interface.

Datapath www.datapath.co.uk

Just Add Power’s Point-To-Point Transmitter

Just Add Power (J+P) has released its 709P2P 3G point-topoint transmitter. The PowerOver-Ethernet (PoE) transmitter allows integrators to utilize a single power input to distribute video, audio, power and control to all downstream devices over Cat5e cable. Integrators can pair the 709P2P with any model of J+P receiver to create a point-topoint connection or combine it with the company’s PoE daisychain receiver for installations of up to 4 screens. The transmitter also distributes ultra-HD and 4K video with HDCP 2.2 over a single Cat5e cable. It supports all lossless audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, and it controls endpoints with RS232 and IR (using J+P’s VBS-HDMI-IRD RS232-to-IR converter). The 40W PoE injector can power up to 4 receivers, eliminating additional cabling and power infrastructure.

Video image capabilities include push, pull and pop for onscreen customization.

Just Add Power (J+P) www.justaddpower.com

Matrox Graphics’ Encode/Decode Cards

Matrox Graphics is now shipping the Mura IPX 4K DisplayPort capture and IP encode/decode cards. These dual DisplayPort 1.2 videowall cards feature 4Kp60 with full 4:4:4 color sampling support, alongside a dedicated onboard network interface controller, offering advanced capture, encode, stream, record and decode capabilities from a single card. The Mura IPX capture cards are intended for OEMs and AV integrators looking to build videowall controllers that deliver fast-moving video content and high-frequency desktop graphics and text to local and/or networked videowalls.

Available in passive and active cooling options, the all-in-one Matrox Mura IPX cards feature 2 full-size DisplayPort 1.2 connectors for native capture of 4Kp60 physical sources, whereas the network connector enables the encoding and decoding of up to 2 4Kp60, 4 4Kp30, 8 1080p60, 16 1080p30 or more SD streams.

Matrox Graphics www.matrox.com

BenQ’s InstaShow WDC10 Datapath’s VSN

Just Add Power’s 709P2P

Matrox Graphics’ Mura IPX 4K DisplayPort January 2019

Sound & Communications 73

SOFTWARE

Information about the latest software releases, apps, online tools, and software and firmware updates.

Send details, with supporting graphic, if available, to dferrisi@testa.com.

Compiled by Amanda Mullen

Key Digital’s PC-Based Software

Key Digital has introduced KDMS, a free, PC-based software for end users to integrate and manage IP-enabled Key Digital products, including Enterprise AV-over-IP solutions. KDMS is a PC software signal-management tool that supports multiple Key Digital units and systems on the same network, and that has a control GUI for compatible Key Digital systems. With KDMS, users can manage video and audio routing, volume levels, videowalls and more for Enterprise AV-over-IP, HDMI and HDBaseT matrix switchers, audio matrix switchers, presentation switchers, videowall processors and multiviewers.

Key Digital www.keydigital.com

L-Acoustics’ Plugin

L-Acoustics has announced integration between its P1 processor and the Q-SYS Platform from QSC. With this plugin, users can control and monitor P1 through Q-SYS. System designers can now architect AV environments using the familiar Q-SYS Designer Software and native user control interface, while offering the audio experience delivered by L-Acoustics sound systems. The L-Acoustics P1 plugin for the Q-SYS Platform, as well as the LA4X and LA12X Q-SYS plugins, can be found on the L-Acoustics website on the corresponding product page.

L-Acoustics www.l-acoustics.com

Ashly Audio’s Software Update

Ashly Audio has released an update to its Protea Network-Enabled Software, which improves the performance of networked devices utilizing the Ashly Protea Software Suite. The 5.49 version of the Protea Network-Enabled Software offers intuitive use, featuring commonsense layouts of controls and features within its design. Protea is for the NX, Pema and NE Series amplifiers and processors, as well as the ne24.24M matrix processor and Protea system processors. Changes to the software also include further clarity into functions and statuses, more accurate reporting within the UI and fixes to errors identified within the system. To download the software and review the complete list of changes, visit www.ashly.com/software.

Ashly Audio www.ashly.com

Rane’s Firmware Upgrade

Rane has released the version 1.3 firmware upgrade for its SEVENTY-TWO mixer. The firmware is being released in conjunction with Serato DJ Pro 2.1.

The release delivers several new features, including Serato post-fader software effects, improved trigger response times and additional information on the SEVENTY-TWO’s heads-up display. The Serato DJ software release will offer additional features, such as a new expansion pack, “Serato Play,” and support for multiple music-streaming services. Quick Auto-Loop triggers have been added to FX Encoder control while in waveform view. The settings menu workflow has been improved, and potential issues causing the waveform screen to freeze have been addressed.

Rane www.rane.com

74 Sound & Communications January 2019

The latest literature, whitepapers, new or updated websites, course materials, webinars, training videos, podcasts, online resources and more.

If you can read it, watch it or listen to it, you’ll find it here! Send details, with photos, if available, to dferrisi@testa.com.

MEDIA

Compiled by Amanda Mullen

Panasonic’s Visual Systems Blog

Panasonic launched its Visual Systems Blog, which delivers the latest company news, industry trends and thought-leadership insights into the professional display, professional video and projector markets. Catering to audiences across a range of industries—among them, higher education, houses of worship, corporate, museums, film production, broadcasting, and rental and staging—the Visual Systems Blog not only shares the latest news, case studies and insights, but also presents diverse content from industry-leading publishers. As a result, it is a source of information for AV professionals. Readers interested in learning about everything from how digital signage can captivate and engage university students to how a popular streaming series is shot in 4K can now find all that information and more on Panasonic’s blog. The latest news and content can be accessed at www.panasonicvisualsystems.com. Users can subscribe to receive updates delivered right to their inboxes.

Panasonic https://na.panasonic.com/us

Media Links’ ProMD EMS Japanese Translation

Media Links released ProMD EMS – Japanese, a full Japanese translation of its ProMD Enhanced Management System software. ProMD EMS – Japanese allows Japanese-speaking users to access the power of the ProMD EMS system for Media Links equipment, including the MD8000 Series of media-over-IP transport solutions, the MDX Series of IP switches and the MDP3000 series of network edge devices, as well as the associated LAN and WAN networks. The ProMD EMS system is a multi-user, software-based tool used to configure, provision, manage and troubleshoot small- to large-scale IP video and media-transport networks. It gives network operators and broadcasters the ability to bring new services online quickly for studio, remote and field locations, all while monitoring and maintaining the performance and reliability of active circuits, trunks and network devices.

Media Links www.medialinks.com

HIGH FIBER IN SPORTS REHAB: PINNACLE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER INTEGRATES AV COMMUNICATIONS ACROSS LOCATIONS (continued from page 63) Spor ting KC after experiencing success with 8K Solutions first at the Walter Athletics Center, Nor thwestern University’s new multi-spor t per formance complex outside of Chicago, and also at the Twin Cities Or thopedics Per formance Center, the state-of-the-ar t training facility home to the Minnesota Vikings,” Keller explained.

Thom Morrow, Progressive Electronics’ Director of Technology, super vised the networking aspect of the Pinnacle project and oversaw its programming. That’s something that, he said, consumed the better part of three months on site, although the process was helped by Sporting KC’s expansive existing VLAN and its installed

base of Cisco switches, for which he credits the team’s IT infrastructure guru, Derek Ferguson. The time invested paid off both operationally and in terms of costs, Morrow affirmed.

“We were able to integrate the new extended network with the existing Cisco StadiumVision headend at the stadium,” he said, echoing Keller earlier, “[and] we didn’t need to add hardware control behind each display in Pinnacle. Instead, the displays can be tuned using the Crestron system and internal modulation.” However, Morrow added, that was a significant undertaking because of the lack of documentation available to guide the programmers—a situation analogous to the

notorious reams of hidden programming in Apple operating systems. “It’s in there; you can do it,” he said. “But you have to figure out where to look, or whom to ask about it.”

If there’s a takeaway from this large networked project, it’s that connectivity can create its own kind of “tyranny of choice”: too many options available through systems programming that, in an earlier era, might have been corralled by either the bulkiness of hardware solutions or their cost. What AV integrators are finding, York said, is that there are many more ways to create functionality when everything is on a shared network.

“The trick,” he concluded, “is to find out what works best for each client.”

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INDUSTRY POV: THE MODERN ARENA: HOW DISPLAYS ARE CHANGING THE GAME (continued from page 42) optimal quality with uniform and precise color expression.

In Miami, the displays feature images of the team, ads for upcoming events and messages from sponsors.

Thousands of miles away, Vivint Smart Home Arena— home of the Utah Jazz and featured in Sound & Communications’ November 2018 issue in the stor y “Concourse Engagement”—is outfitted with more than 600 displays. Screens, sizing from 49 inches to 82 inches, are installed throughout the venue in both landscape and portrait orientation.

The Vivint Smart Home Arena team worked with a collection of partners to reimagine the space to foster a fan-focused atmosphere. Fans can now stay plugged into other games and social media throughout the club seating areas with tablets and 10-inch displays.

There are 27 distinct videowalls in Vivint Smart Home Arena—with various configurations, from 4x1 to 2x2 pixels—around the common entr y areas and concourse.

At each concession stand, at least one display is used to show menus, whereas others

stream live game feeds, upcoming events and other fan information.

During football season, staying plugged into the action around the league is key. At Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Dolphins fans can stay completely connected to their fantasy teams and rankings thanks to the displays located throughout the venue. With 1,200 displays throughout the stadium, fans don’t miss a minute of the action.

The recently renovated Club Level at Hard Rock Stadium also offers an enhanced game-day experience, complete with more than 800 displays to keep fans informed about games throughout the NFL. Additionally, the Theater Boxes, LIFEWTR Lounge and LIV Hard Rock Stadium are all outfitted with top-of-theline displays that allow fans to socialize without missing a down of football.

Members of the 72 Club, named for the famed 1972 undefeated Miami Dolphins team, enjoy the most luxurious seating experience in south Florida. Located on the 35-yard line, the 72 Club

AVIXA POV: CREATING A COHORT (continued from page 32) partner to execute next-level experiences? Participants will leave with new ideas for techniques and technical applications…even projects.

This is just one of the steps that AVIXA will take this year to illuminate the value that both technical creatives and quality AV professionals bring to exceptional experiences. You will continue to see immersive experiences, along with the creative technologists behind them, featured in our content and at our events.

You’ll gain insight into their design processes at TIDE. That said, we’re also going to let Cohort Labs teach us what some of the other steps should be. Part of what AVIXA hopes to gain from hosting these events is a better understanding of what we should be doing to support the participants. We are excited to listen to you and see what you will make together.

The bonds of shared creation last. Just ask my fellow Pink Ladies—we all still have the jackets.

76 Sound & Communications January 2019

Living Room Boxes are the most comfortable seats in the house, and they give fans the ability to watch replays and game highlights on their own, private screens.

There is also an increase in opportunities for solution providers to partner with sports venues for playerfocused enhancements. The University of Texas worked with partners like Ping HD to complete a major locker-room renovation for the Longhorns football team. Each player has a display above his personal locker to showcase his game highlights and statistics. The solution is easily managed and seamlessly adjusted on the 43inch screens. The revamped locker room is now used by

the football program as a recruiting hook, showcasing the state-of-the-art technology and the individualized content for players.

The future of sports and entertainment venues remains bright as new NFL stadiums in Los Angeles CA and Las Vegas NV are expected to raise the bar at ever y level—from fan and player engagement to sponsorship opportunities.

Look for displays to become bigger and brighter, fan experiences to become more interactive, suites to become more luxurious and content to become more personalized as arenas around the globe integrate technology that will give new meaning to the term “the ultimate fan experience.”

SOUND ADVICE: ACOUSTIC OFFERINGS: THE SOUND OF RELIGION (continued from page 15) modern forms of worship, such as those that involve praise bands, require. These spaces are effectively theaters or lecture rooms, and, so, they should have RTs not exceeding approximately 1sec., unless they seat many hundreds.

Figure 4 (see page 14) shows some measurements made in several buildings belonging to the same faith.

This is ver y much a speechbased religion, but it also has some traditional congregational singing. The upper blue cur ve at 1.35sec. RT is a little too long and felt to be quite lively. Although a standard distributed ceiling loudspeaker system worked, it was getting close to the edge of acceptability (and feedback!). The lower red and green cur ves were measured in buildings that were too dead and difficult to sing in, but that exhibited excellent speech intelligibility. The or-

ange cur ve, at about 1.1sec., was essentially optimal: lively enough for singing, but also well controlled, and, thus, the sound system was able to deliver high intelligibility, with plenty of gain before feedback. The purple cur ve, indicating an RT of about 0.9sec. at mid frequencies, was acceptable but could have been improved if the bass rise had been better controlled.

Finally, Figure 5 (see page 14) shows the RT for a modern, medium-sized church that seats around 800 people.

The RT is a little long, making the space quite lively for the praise band, the sound of which can become a bit muddy at times. (Feedback is often a challenge, too.) As I explained last March, there is a lot more to acoustics than just RT. As with many things in architecture and acoustics, the devil is in the detail—and often elsewhere, as well!

THE CENTERSTAGE AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO SOUND & COMMUNICATIONS

ENCO Systems enCaption: Automatically Generate Captions and Time-Stamped Transcripts enCaption is a patented totally automated appliance that can automatically generate captions and time-stamped transcripts. Using enCaption, content creators can provide real-time, live captioning to their hearing-impaired audience any time, without any advance notice and without the high costs of live captioners or signers. enCaption uses ENCO’s latest enhanced speaker independent deep neural network-based speech recognition engine to closely inspect and transcribe your audio in near real-time. enCaption offers a robust open captioning solution for live presentations, seminars, lectures and sermons.

Its file-based transcription allows you to make any recorded audio instantly searchable by keyword, create highly accurate transcripts without the need for a stenographer, and process large amounts of previously recorded content quickly, easily, and affordably. Don’t wait (or pay) for a live captioner. With enCaption, you’re ready now. Available in 28 languages.

WEB ADDRESS: www.enco.com/encaption E-MAIL: sales@enco.com

Shure Designer System Configuration Software for Conferencing Workflow Make conferencing workflow effortless. Bring your users together across a campus or an entire business. Shure Designer System Configuration Software makes implementation of Shure Networked Systems products faster, simpler and more intuitive. With the details managed, it becomes a seamless experience. This free software lets you design remotely and collaborate effectively.

If the AV professional is working offsite, Designer gives them the flexibility to pre-set room audio coverage layouts and route networked audio connections between Shure devices from anywhere in the world. Templates can be deployed and adjusted on the fly, making onsite installation and project management simple.

WEB ADDRESS: www.shure.com/designer

ClearOne New Ceiling Microphone Array Dante™

Blackmagic Design ATEM Camera Control Panel The ATEM Camera Control Panel is a compact remote camera control unit designed to control up to 20 different URSA Broadcast, URSA Mini, Blackmagic Studio or Blackmagic Micro Studio cameras. The control panel features traditional broadcast style controls and adjustments so a single person can monitor and adjust a wide range of technical parameters such as black levels, gain, color balance, and shutter speed, leaving camera operators free to focus on the more creative aspects of live production such as framing and composition. Unlike traditional CCU controllers, which have to be installed into a desk, the ATEM Camera Control Panel has been designed to be portable so it can simply be placed on any desktop or bolted down so it can be mounted in a slide out rack shelf. It works with all ATEM switcher models.

WEB ADDRESS: www.blackmagicdesign.com

The Ceiling Microphone Array Dante™ is the newest addition to ClearOne’s ceiling mic lineup and most advanced tri-element, ceiling microphone array with built-in Dante audio networking interface for conferencing and sound reinforcement applications. Flexible and easy to use, the array is 100% RF immune, optimized for speech-intelligibility, and can daisy-chain for easy installation. It is a perfect companion to any ClearOne Dante DSP mixers, as well as 3rd-party Dante DSP mixers. The tri-element array provides full 360-degree coverage and superior audio quality with wide bandwidth and high SNR. Up to 4 arrays (12 channels) with built-in Dante audio networking can be combined in one system, with easy adjustment for desired height (0 to 7 feet). Sleek design with white or black options provide LED indicators for On/Mute and even numbered elements for easy identification.

WEB ADDRESS: www.clearone.com/products_ceiling_microphone_ array_dante E-MAIL ADDRESS: sales@clearone.com

January 2019

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INDUSTRY POV: A QUESTION OF STANDARDS: SMPTE ST 2110 DESERVES ATTENTION IN THE COMMERCIAL AV WORLD (continued from page 41) of redundancy, capacity and cost into systems that can be reconfigured and extended over time, as needed. SMPTE is expected to release ST 2110-22 early this year, which will define a compression technology for the standard. With SMPTE profiles and standards for the commercial AV market, it will be possible to support ultra HD over standard 1Gb networks, something that would further widen possible applications.

So, are we there yet? Well…almost.

ST 2110 is largely complete for what broadcasters require, but a couple of aspects are still being finalized. The decision has been made to extend ST 2110 into the commercial AV market, and work is ongoing. Parts of the standard are unforgiving to implement, due to the broadcast industr y’s emphasis on the highest quality, the lowest latency and the strongest resiliency to failure possible. Those features are important in the

commercial AV market, but the standard will have to support more use cases, such as a method or profile to deal with the alignment of unsynchronized sources in a video system. Also, source discover y and device registration are largely available through Network Media Open Specification (NMOS) software, based on the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) open standards, but work continues there, as well, and commercial AV use cases are in their sights. NMOS also allows for interactive connection management and seamless switching.

That said, the fact remains that ST 2110 products exist in the market today, and, even as improvements continue to come, there is enough in place right now to build and integrate solutions with the standard.

Today, ST 2110 and AMWA’s work on NMOS have laid the foundation upon which we can continue to build what our

industr y needs to solve commercial AV market problems with flexibility, scalability and low cost.

As the IT industr y matured, it migrated from proprietar y systems that ran proprietar y software, using proprietar y formats and standards, to distributed systems that run over the internet on open protocols. Because we’ve required dedicated, real-time gear to do our job, we’ve lagged behind that cur ve. Now that technology is to the point that we can use IP networks for real-time, low-latency video transport, the same pattern is likely to emerge in the commercial AV market.

It is unlikely that we will be the one industr y that builds itself on multiple standards that are competing and proprietar y, especially for a basic building block like transport. SMPTE is developing the right set of standards for broadcast, and it should be the standard we build upon for commercial AV.

MEDIA ARTS EDUCATION, NETWORKED: RPI CREATES IMMERSIVE AUDIO/VIDEO/3D PRODUCTION COMPLEX (continued from page 55) ered speakers, which are mounted with Genelec 8000-422B wall mounts, provide great sound for video mixing and editing.

To make control of routed video signals easy, a Blackmagic Designs icon-based Videohub control was added to provide local control for the studio’s shared SDI router. The pushbutton view allows engineers at the HASS Media Studio to control network resources dynamically by pressing images of common video equipment on a screen.

A Clear-Com production intercom system was added to facilitate video sessions consisting of Clear-Com’s KB-702 GM speaker station, two GM-9 microphones, a countertop V-BOX, a remote master station and an MA-704 four-port XLR-3 IFB intercom/ audio cue breakout matrix interface.

The lighting control infrastructure for the production studio space was updated with new wiring from the rack room to the lighting grid, making both conventional DMX and DMX-over-Cat6 control possible.

The existing dimmer-to-fixture lines were repurposed to carry 120V AC to the grid to power seven Elation KL Fresnel 6 and four Kino Flo Celeb 250 fixtures that were installed on the grid. A Pathway Connectivity Cognito2 lighting console was added, and it can be operated from the video control 78 Sound & Communications January 2019

room, the production studio or the AV lab.

Speaking of the AV lab, plans for the HASS Media Studio included this space, which is intended for users with laptops who are working on individual projects and who have to monitor audio and video. The AV lab is equipped with a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 192kHz/24-bit powered audio interface and two Neumann KH 120A desktop speakers, as well as a Samsung DC40E DC-E Series 40-inch direct-lit LED display.

Two Middle Atlantic MRK-4431LRD racks house all the processing gear for the HASS Media Studio, including specific units that support classroom activities; among those are an Extron DTP CrossPoint 84 4K IPCP SA scaling 4K presentation switcher, which provides the video for the audio control room’s large display and the production studio’s projectors. The Extron provides video to, and displays video from, the video control room systems via connections to the Blackmagic Design 40x40 SDI router. An RDL RU-LB2 two-channel line-level network interface delivers Dante I/O for the Extron switcher, and a Netgear ProSAFE 24-port fast Ethernet PoE smart managed switch supports the classroom’s touchpanel controller.

An Apple Mac Pro that runs OS X Sierra

with an Intel Xeon E5 six-core processor and 12MB of L3 cache, 64GB 1866MHz DDR3 ECC and dual AMD FirePro D700 graphic processors, each with 6GB GDDR5 VRAM, was specified as the audio control room’s digital audio workstation (DAW).

To meet RPI’s expectations that students should have exposure to a variety of popular audio software solutions, Avid ProTools HD 12, Steinberg Nuendo 8 and Apple Logic Pro X software have been installed in the Mac Pro, along with Audinate Dante Virtual Soundcard software that supports connectivity to Dante sources. A Magma ExpressBox 3T Thunderbolt expansion chassis for the Avid HDX cards was added to the Mac Pro, and the analog audio I/O for the DAW is provided by an Avid MTRX with the Dante option and five Avid MTRX 8 pristine mic/line A/D cards.

A Cisco Small Business 200 Series SLM2008T network switch was installed to give the studio a Eucon network for S6 DAW control. An Xilica XP-4080 audio processor supports the control room mains and subs, while the same manufacturer’s XP-8080 unit processes signals for the 8.0 audio system. An Aviom D800-Dante A-Net distributor with A-Net bridge input for Dante was installed as a “self-mix” cue

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system, and a secondary stereo cue system is powered by an Ashly KLR-2000 amplifier.

Two Cisco SG350X-24MP routers act as primar y and secondar y Dante switches, with four Cisco MGBLH1 gigabit LH MiniGBIC SFP transceivers installed. A portable Focusrite AM-2 Dante audio monitor was provided for monitoring Dante traffic on the networks. A NewTek TriCaster NC1 studio I/O module presents video switcher signals for an SG350X-24MP, with two MGBLH1s assigned to the studio’s NDI switch.

Clocking and synchronization for the studio is accomplished with an ESE LX220A black-burst generator/master clock, and distribution is handled with an ESE ES-247E quad 1x6 video distribution amplifier that provides four independent 1x6 video DAs in a single rackmount enclosure.

The new HASS Media Studio, a result of an educator’s vision, along with the design and project-management expertise of a motivated WSDG team, will be providing important experiences for RPI’s students and faculty for many years to come.

“We know that the studio will be popular,”

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Osburn affirmed. “We’ve looked at similar programs around the country to determine the best way to prioritize time in the studio, balancing individual needs with what is possible and what make the most sense.”

Ultimately, the school must find ways to support both student needs and faculty needs, while also leaving time to experiment with the powerful connectivity offered by the campus’ fiber network, which connects the studio to performance and research spaces across the school’s campus.

For leading engineering institutions like RPI, the convergence of AVL and IT technologies, including the campus network infrastructure, has created powerful environments for both teaching and research. In addition to deploying these technologies in traditional studio and production settings, using media in experimental ways is important for research-driven schools; doing so not only prepares students for what they might encounter after graduation, but also helps to ensure new discoveries. The effect that such a technology-rich environment has on students is exhilarating.

Simoni concluded, “Bringing together brilliant faculty and students in a shared production environment like the HASS Media Studio inspires us to work collaboratively first to imagine, and then to invent, the next generation of media integration.”

AVENT HORIZON (continued from page 82) better pricing on bigger screens and tiles.

That, in turn, will finish the transition to ultra HD from full HD. And, before you know it, 8K panels will start to wash ashore and we’ll start the cycle all over again, with 8K displays finding their way into commercial applications— most likely starting in 65-inch sizes, and then moving up from there. Why? Because just as they’ve done before with 768p and 1080p, Asian panel manufacturers will see profitability decline in 4K glass manufacturing across all sizes in a few years and decide, “Let’s switch to manufacturing 8K panels, so we can charge more for them.”

(Those Gen 10.5 and Gen 11 LCD fabs are expensive to build and operate!)

January 2019

Sound & Communications 79

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As we saw when full HD and 4K were introduced, some folks are already getting out ahead of the 8K wave. I just got wind of a new organization called the 8K Association that will hold a press conference at CES. The announcement states, “Headed by major TV brands, the new organization is being formed to promote 8K products and help educate consumers and professionals on the benefits of 8K.” (Note the inclusion of “professionals” in the announcement. I hope to have more details in February’s column, in which I’ll recap CES.) Interfacing standards also have to change, and in a hurry. The HDMI Forum recently held a press conference in New York (and it’ll hold another at CES) to dis-

cuss the coming 8K display wave and how face (which not everyone in our industry its v2.1 interface is up to the challenge of uses, even five-plus years after it was an• Austin • Dallas Phoenix and 4320p/30, both transporting it. (Well, sortDenver of.) And, in Las• Houston nounced) are• 4320p/24 Oklahoma City • San Antonio • Tulsa • Las Vegas Vegas NV, the Video Electronics Standards with lower-resolution color. Indeed, the Atlanta • Blackwood, NJ • Washington, DC Association (VESA) announced an updated just-released Samsung 85-inch Q900FN 8K version of DisplayPort that will also address TV has but one input that can accept an 8K the speed demands created by 8K video. signal—and it’s HDMI v2.0, not v2.1.

(Well, sort of.)

I expect we’ll also see one or two 8K The addition of bells and whistles like media players and hear announcements HDR, with its wider color gamut and of 8K video streaming to come. What I’m higher frame rates (as fast as 120Hz), will really looking forward to learning is what further complicate things. Table 1 (see (if any) plans the Blu-ray Disc Association page 82) shows you just how much trouble and Digital Entertainment Group have to we’ll be in when we start interfacing these move beyond the Ultra HD Blu-ray format. displays. (Can you say, “Optical fiber”?)

Could it be that 8K video finally proves too Note that the only two modes that can formidable an obstacle for optical disc storpass through the current HDMI v2.0 interage and delivery? Stay tuned….

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January 2019

Sound & Communications 81

AVENT HORIZON

On New Year’s ‘Resolutions’ And The Seven-Year Cycle The movement to 8K displays and television is happening more quickly than we imagined. Or maybe not.

By Pete Putman, CTS ROAM Consulting LLC As I write this, the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is just three weeks away. As you read this, however, the show has just concluded. And although televisions, as a product category, have continued to diminish in importance, 8K TV is bucking the trend. For most of us, the idea of an 8K television is just plain silly. What’s so much better about it than an ultra-HD (4K) model? Where will the content come from? How do you even connect media players to an 8K TV? It’s déjà vu all over again. We were saying the same things about ultra-HD/4K televisions when they first appeared in summer 2012. Yes, they were expensive.

Yes, connecting them was a PITA. No, there wasn’t any content to watch on them. Who would even want to buy one?

For that matter, we had similar conversations around 2005, when the first full-HD (1920x1080) displays made their debut. Who needed all those pixels?

Wasn’t 720p resolution good enough for watching television? (You might remember, circa 1999, the Fox TV network arguing that 480p or “high-resolution television” was more than adequate and 720p/1080i HDTV was a waste of money and resources.)

Back then, a 50-inch plasma TV with 720p resolution was priced north of $15,000. Today, you can purchase a 55-inch ultra-HD television with high dynamic range (HDR) support for less than $350, a little more than $6 per diagonal inch. Some models are even cheaper, with 50-inch sets going for as little as $250. As usual, wholesale LCD panel prices have dropped to rock-bottom lows.

There is 4K content available on Ultra HD Blu-ray and from several streaming services, including Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime.

82 Sound & Communications January 2019

Table 1: Data rates for different 8K modes (assumes standard CTA blanking).

Who knows if we really needed 4K/ultra HD at the time, but, nevertheless, it’s here— and it’s cheap. Consequently, 2018’s ISE and InfoComm trade shows revealed that display manufacturers have completely bought into 4K resolution for digital signage, offering models as large as 98 inches (some equipped with HDR) and tiling 4K displays to get to 8K, and even 16K, additive resolution for videowalls. Although full-HD displays still have their place, they’re largely treated as commodities because there is little to no profit in selling them.

It’s not as though we couldn’t see this coming. We seem to be on a seven-year cycle with next-gen display resolutions, jumping by 45 percent at first from 1998 to 2005, and then doubling and doubling again. As we turn the corner into 2019, we’re right on schedule: Here comes 8K, your New Year’s “resolution.”

As I mentioned in my column last October, 8K isn’t a fad. Prominent market research firms, such as IHS Markit, are predicting faster growth for 8K TV shipments worldwide than we saw for 4K TVs. The majority of them will be sold in China, which, incidentally, is where most of them will be made. Increasing production will continue to force down the prices of finished panels, and, at some point, we’ll go through the same upgrade cycle that we experienced moving from full HD to ultra HD. What’s more, the average screen size is getting larger and larger. A recent press release from IHS Markit revealed, “Global shipments of 60-inch and larger TV screen sizes increased more than 40 percent, year over year in the third quarter, with even stronger growth in North America and emerging markets, as prices fell to new lows for 65-inch and 75-inch sizes. This growth rate is more than 10 percent higher than in recent quarters” (“Bigger Screen TVs Surged in the Third Quarter of 2018, IHS Markit Says,” December 5, 2018).

There’s a two-pronged attack here. The increasing popularity of larger screen sizes means that LCD manufacturing lines will change glass cut sizes to support demand. That, in turn, will continue to drive down wholesale panel prices for these larger sizes, which will not only reduce TV prices, but also allow commercial display companies to offer (continued on page 79)

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