Volume 6, Issue 3 — March 17, 2017
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House of Worship Trends The Future of HOW Editorial
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Useful AVL Data for Meaningful Purchase Decisions
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
It is easier to make good purchasing decisions when armed with timely, relevant information. As such, manufacturers, rep firms and systems integrators alike put a lot of effort into promoting the features and benefits of their products and systems before the sale. What’s missing, though, is arming those same users with useful information so they can continue to make good purchasing decisions for additional upgrades, technical training and ongoing support. Ironically, the best way to inform these already convinced users who’ve already bought once is in the very systems they were sold. What is desperately needed is useful AVL data for meaningful purchase decisions so that users can visualize the data of system operation, performance, preventative maintenance.
The Case for an AVL Service Framework
An entire sub-industry was created to provide better user experiences through the user interfaces and connectivity. It was spearheaded by two industry stalwarts, AMX and Crestron. For the decades control system integration options have been available primarily to systems integrators, the focus has been aimed at almost exclusively at usability, not predictive monitoring and alerting. In the Information Technology (IT) space, monitoring and alerting systems for 24/7 operational centers has been a well-documented, highly supported arena with the creation of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to both ensure early warning measures are in place and to codify the process for recovery from a hardware failure. In my work at one large enterprise, SLAs were being reformed around the ITIL model (Information Technology Infrastructure Library), a set of practices for IT service management that focuses on aligning IT services with the needs of business. To say that the Audio/Video/Lighting (AVL) industry needs a similar framework cannot be overstated.
Availability Management, Capacity Management and Change Management are three of the areas within the framework of the ITIL model and are all highly applicable for the AVL industry. If a client had viable information easily accessible to understand if their AVL system was fully available and operational, that the storage and network access for the system was functioning properly and that recommended preventative maintenance was provided well before an incident occurred, the value of the systems would increase in their eyes. From the house of worship market standpoint, this kind of insight and visibility would be a game-changer not only for the technicians who operate and maintain it, but also for senior leaders of the church who expect 100 percent uptime, especially during weekends when system usability is paramount.
Dashboards and Data
It used to be that large enterprises in the IT space had the market cornered on sophisticated business intelligence systems. With the advent of broadband Internet connectivity and the Software as a Service (SaaS) model came a flood of new technologies and service providers with affordable tools for making business intelligence accessible and affordable for all organizations. The rise of visual dashboards and complete connected and integrated back-end systems has shown even the average consumer what is possible when meaningful data is visualized, summarized and analyzed.
One example is Mint.com, a personal finance website that simply connects a person’s multiple financial transactions into a single viewpoint. Though still wildly popular, big banks and now even smaller local banks are using data mining like this to provide a unified view into a person’s accounts.
Abstracting the concept for AVL, what once was the view of a user interface via a touch panel has now been replaced with mobile device apps. The jump from UI to UX is a short hop for today’s development community with the wide array of open sourced tools and non-proprietary software development kits (SDKs). It is now within reach of each systems integrator to go beyond AMX and Crestron style programming to provide a robust set of tools in an app with access to not only controls, but real-time monitoring and even early warning systems.
These church techs and even the pastors themselves are now used to seeing data visualized and simplified for easy access. Where are the tools for integrating AVL systems into the larger IoT so that churches — heck, any client — has access to performance data, system optimization options and preventative maintenance notification? How is this not the de facto standard in a technology-infused industry like AVL?
The Value Proposition Just Jumped Dramatically
When a leader has good feedback and helpful trend analysis, they’re better positioned to help lead make informed purchasing, resource allocation and people management decisions. Think about that. Then consider how powerful that is both in a pre-sales buyer journey and in a post-sales service offering. The value proposition for AVL systems, when combined with the standards for visibility, accessibility and availability, went from ‘features and benefits’ to ‘undeniable value proposition’ in one fell swoop.
Perhaps the two major limitations are the continued obstinance of some AVL manufacturers to stick with closed loop proprietary control and network architecture as well as the lack of a true framework for aligning the AVL industry around a service level that sets the bar much like ITIL has for the IT industry. Even so, the opportunity is massive — truly an open playground — for systems integrators and manufacturers alike to add software developers from the browser and app world into their ranks to build upon the success of the consumer market. There is only upside to this shift and it’s going to continue whether or not there’s a governing body to provide the framework.
There is simply no excuse for the AVL industry to not make the jump from front-end UX to back-end UX and provide users with the kind of accessibility, visibility and insights adopted by our IT peers. It’s your move, industry.
Do you agree that the ITIL model or something similar should be put in place for the AVL industry? Share your views and opinions in the comments below. Leave a Comment
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It’s 2017 and Video Content Is Missing
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
Video sharing and advertising are ironically lacking from the audio, video and lighting (AVL) industry while the growth of this format and medium continues to become the defacto standard for consumption. The stats are in and they’re staggering.
Sometimes the writing is on the wall so clearly that you have to look at another wall to avoid it.
It’s 2017, and video content is missing from the industry with video in its name. There’s just no excuse for any firm today to ignore the power and reach of video as a medium.
YouTube By The Numbers
Staggering growth and unprecedented video consumption have been the hallmarks of the universal video platform of choice. It’s hard to believe that YouTube’s URL was only registred back in 2005, with Google buying the young start-up in 2006. Today, scarcely a bit over a decade in existence, YouTube boasts the kind of exponential growth that is hard to comprehend. To help paint the picture clearly for rAVe readers about both the remarkable growth and massive opportunity, I’ve included some of the 2016 YouTube stats that directly correlate to video content for promoting products and services in the AVL industry.
- YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine and third most visited site after Google and Facebook
- 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute
- There are 3.25 billion hours of video watched each month
- More than half of YouTube views come from mobile devices
- The average mobile viewing session lasts more than 40 minutes
- The number of channels earning six figures each year on YouTube has increased by 50 percent year on year
- In December 2015, the most popular branded channel was Red Bull, which had 4.38 million subscribers
Advertising on YouTube continues to be highly effective… in spite of how often we cringe at being forced to view an ad.
- Viewers who complete TrueView ads — watched to completion or at least 30 seconds — were 23 times more likely to visit or subscribe to a brand channel, watch more by that brand, or share the brand video
- Viewers who are exposed to TrueView ads but who don’t watch to completion are still 10x more likely to take one of those actions.
- When brands use TrueView, they see views of previously existing content increase by up to 500 percent after posting new videos
Managing a YouTube channel professionally is a key part of leveraging the medium. The top brands that use,YouTube well do so with obvious intentionality:
- The most viewed brand videos are on average 31-60 seconds long (32 percent of all views)
- Interbrand’s Top 100 Brands are collectively uploading a video to YouTube every 18.5 minutes
- The same brands have an average of 2.4 channels
- Searches of “how to” videos on YouTube are growing 70 percent year on year
There cannot be a more prescient need to leverage video effectively, and the stats above provide ample marketing ammunition for manufacturers and systems integrators alike to take aim at creating video content. In fact, YouTube has made this process ridiculously simple to do with their free mobile app, YouTube Director. To demonstrate just how easy it is, I made a very quick (less than 10 minutes of total time) video specifically for this article. Take a look.
I used a video clip from ETC, one of my favorite AVL manufacturers due to their tremendous reputation and their consistent focus on the House of Worship market. Frankly, ETC is one of the few stand-out firms doing a fantastic job of leveraging video on their website, on YouTube and on Facebook Video.
Facebook Video by the Numbers
Facebook is easily the world’s largest and most popular social network, and their latest roll out of Facebook Video has been incredibly effective. Quoting MediaKix.com, “Globally, traffic from online videos will constitute over 80 percent of all consumer internet traffic by 2020 (Cisco), and eMarketer estimates that U.S. spending on both mobile and desktop video advertising will reach nearly $10 billion in 2016, more than a 23 percent increase than last year. By 2019, the total U.S. digital video advertising spend is projected to eclipse $14 billion — nearly 50 percent of that figure ($6.86 billion) is attributed to mobile video.“
- Facebook generates 8 billion video views on average, per day = 100 percent growth in 6 months (Apr ‘15 – Nov ‘15)
- People spend 3x longer watching video which is Live compared to video which is no longer Live
- Facebook users increased the number of videos posted per person by 75 percent globally in 2015. In the United States, this growth was even more impressive rising by 94 percent
- Video posts have 135 percent greater organic reach than photo posts
- Surprisingly, given the limited exposure of Virtual Reality content, Facebook users have watched more than one million hours with Samsung VR gear
- Total potential Facebook video viewing audience: 1.71 Billion Monthly Active Users
- 84 percent of Facebook ad revenue is from mobile
One of the stats that’s not yet represented is the use of 360-degree photos and videos, which was rolled out on Facebook in 2016. If, after seeing all of these stats, your firm doesn’t begin to embrace Facebook as a viable channel to connect with passionate users and prospects, I don’t know what will. These stats are amazing and should not be ignored if your firm wants to take full advantage of this nothing-but-growth medium.
It’s 2017. We are the audio, video and lighting industry, right? Let’s walk the talk and begin using video content as both a key product and services showcase as well as an engagement channel for connecting with and giving voice to passionate AVL fans.
How is your organization using video as both content and a channel for engaging with users and prospects? Share your views and opinions in the comments below.
*Sources. I used a lot of sources to pull these stats together including:
First image via this link and second image via this link. Leave a Comment
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Intelligibility and Acoustics: A Conflict Resolved?
By Frederick Ampel President & Principal, Technology Visions Analytics
It’s the Law
The astonishing thing about the laws of physics and the mathematically derived acoustical parameters that govern sound reproduction is that, despite considerable effort by many well meaning or at least well motivated individuals and manufacturers over the last 150+ years, they simply haven’t changed, and, just in case you think there is a breakthrough on the horizon, they won’t change in the next couple of hundred years either. So no matter what you may read, be told or have presented to you, there ARE immutable laws at work here and no product can get around them. Keep that in mind as we proceed!
A Little Useful History
In 1876 (yes… more than 14 decades ago!) Alexander Graham Bell patented his first electric loudspeaker (theoretically capable of reproducing intelligible speech) as part of his telephone, which was followed a year later in Germany by an “improved version” from the legendary Ernst Siemens (yes, that Siemens).
Two decades later in 1898, Oliver Lodge established the essential parameters for the moving-coil (also called electro-dynamic) loudspeaker design, which is the core DNA from which every loudspeaker since then has evolved. No matter who makes it or what they make it out of, the structure and concepts Lodge created are still the governing principal behind every loudspeaker.
The First PA System
By 1921 AT&T, using a device they named the loudspeaking telephone (actually hundreds of them), created what we would recognize as the first public address system for the inauguration of Warren B. Harding as President of the United States, covering a crowd in the tens of thousands, according to newspaper estimates at the time.
The proof came barely two decades later in 1939, at the New York World’s Fair, where a very large two-way public address system was mounted on a tower at Flushing Meadows. The eight 27-inch low-frequency drivers, with their 450 pound field coil magnetic systems (electro-dynamic magnets) were designed by Rudy Bozak — in his role as chief engineer for Cinaudagraph (that motion picture theater connection again). The loudspeakers were mounted into horns with 14′ wide mouths and were each driven by a 500-watt amplifier derived from a high-power radio broadcast tube. It’s generally assumed that the high-frequency compression drivers were made by Western Electric.
And Today…
All of this history leads us to the products we have at our disposal today. Whether they be large powerful systems to cover tens of thousands at stadiums or concerts, down to the small compact surface-mount systems that are seen in almost every restaurant or public space.
The principals involved are the same — it’s simply a matter of combining the technology to achieve the desired result in the right proportions.
Worship Space Design and Sound Reinforcement — Avoiding Conflict
Increasingly, especially in larger worship venues, the services of and expertise provided by liturgical design consultants is being used to guide and develop the look and feel of the interior and the layout of these spaces. These consultants must also be involved and informed about sound reinforcement requirements and the physical and acoustical demands such systems will impose on the space. If not, you may find design elements or decisions have been chosen or made that will negatively impact feasible acoustical and sound system performance.
Most often these firms will incorporate architectural services with worship space design and a host of related services and resources. Since architects are almost always involved (with or without liturgical consultant services) and architectural desires and acoustics can clash, it is extremely important that all parties reach a consensus very early on in the project on what compromises will be made and by whom, since most certainly some will be required. As noted in the beginning of this article, physics and acoustics are governed by mathematical constants and some things simply cannot be changed if the sound system is to function acceptably.
So Where Do You Put the Speakers?
In reality, the technological playing field is relatively level nowadays, so design and application are far more critical to success than which logo is on the hardware.
Exploring all the feasible options for any sampling of the wide variety of spaces and layouts found in the house of worship market would in reality require a very large book (and there a number available if you want one from almost every manufacturer’s website and the reference standard –– all 600+ pages of it is this), but there are some cardinal guidelines and practices that are applicable to most spaces. This overview information can be used in a number of applications and with lots of hardware styles, but a word of caution, these are only guidelines, NOT rules or specific procedures.
Every worship space, every worship style and every product type will have its own unique characteristics and capabilities. You MUST be aware of both the capabilities and limitations of the products you choose to deploy or incorporate into a design.
In that regard, there is a ton of guidance available, albeit self-serving, since the vast majority of manufacturers offer free general and product-focused information, application guidelines, system layout templates and suggestions and a host of related content on their websites.
Obviously, any specific company website will only focus on that company’s offerings, but sooner or later you are going to have to narrow your choice down to a few options. Once you have done that, these company websites can be very useful — if taken with a grain of salt, of course.
But if you don’t take advantage of these resources, you are missing out on information and ideas that may well make the difference between an alright DIY or self-installed result, and a system that really lives up to its true capabilities. Click that mouse and hunt the web. The main rAVe [Publications] site also provides numerous links and content related to loudspeaker applications, so you can easily start there.
Speaker Positioning and Layout
The speaker layout for any space must take into account the following factors:
- Its size and cubic volume (remember the loudspeakers are “seeing” a three-dimensional world)
- The shape, angles and potentially sound reflective surfaces within the space
- And, perhaps most importantly, the intended use(s) and also those unintentional uses (the ones the users never mentioned initially) that may come into play for the space
For any loudspeaker system to effectively produce sufficient sound pressure level for the required application consistently throughout the listening area, it must take into account the three cardinal rules above. While actual performance capabilities cannot be ignored, if careful positioning and layout are ignored, no system will work correctly.
A Decision Tree Guideline
The first positioning decision that must be made is whether the system is going to be of a directional or non-directional design.
While most line array type products would normally be used in a directional type design, the majority of surface-mount/on-wall products are usually deployed in a non-directional or distributed layout. However it is feasible and often practical to use the sub-compact line array systems in what amounts to a distributed layout to ensure even coverage and sufficient SPL.
Deciding Between Directional and Distributed
In any worship space sound system, localizing the sound source (primarily speech) to its origin/location is essential, otherwise there will be a visual/audible disconnect in the audience between what is seen and what is heard. This can be extremely disconcerting for the audience. Therefore, the decision on whether to employ a directional or distributed system design will be driven by two main factors.
- The size, shape and ceiling height of the space — spaces with low ceilings are usually better served by distributed designs.
- The aesthetics, interior design and visual requirements of the space — e.g., will large hanging loudspeaker systems be acceptable both visually and architecturally?
A non-directional distributed sound installation is usually implemented by positioning the speakers throughout the listening area so as to achieve equal sound pressure level at every listening position. The basic concept behind this approach is to ensure that the same volume and sound quality are maintained throughout the listening space. For applications with the surface-mount products such as fill-in for areas where a main directional style system cannot effectively provide coverage, this is the most common design.
A directional installation is usually implemented by installing the speakers so that they will all be facing in about the same direction. It is common to cluster the physical units together in one part of the space. In this approach, listeners will be able to clearly hear that the sound is coming from a specific direction. This design best serves for applications like live worship services, halls or auditoria, where directionality is important and where the listeners will be seated or remain in a defined and controlled area.
As previously mentioned, some installations will need to be a mix of both methods. In addition to the fill concept described above, it is also common to find a distributed approach being used to provide supplementary speakers in very large or reverberant spaces to uniformly fill the entire space with sound while maintaining a sense of directionality. One of the most common types of distributed system in worship spaces is the “pew-back” design, in which small speakers mounted to the backs of pews or placed underneath pews are distributed throughout the seating areas to provide support and increase intelligibility for all listeners.
Sound Pressure Level
Once you have decided the type of layout that can be used and is visually acceptable, the next step is to choose the type and number of speaker systems needed to provide the required sound pressure level (SPL).
The SPL required is going to be determined by the following criteria:
- How loud is the ambient noise in the space? This includes such sound sources as the HVAC system, other mechanical systems, intrusive noise from adjacent spaces and outside sources. Ideally you would take measurements of the ambient noise levels at various times of the day and under various occupancy conditions for any adjacent areas that may be contributing to the ambient noise level within the target space.
- As a basic guideline, the sound system must be able to provide a measured SPL that is at least 3dB higher than the noise for paging and background music applications and at least 6dB higher than the ambient noise for most live events to insure speech intelligibility. Most professionals recommend a level around 15dB higher than ambient for music or live event reinforcement applications, but that may not be achievable in all situations.
There are a number of web resources that can provide information on the kind of ambient levels commonly found in various types of spaces. The results of these calculations and the data collected will also enable you to make the proper decision as to how many loudspeakers of what type will be needed to achieve the needed SPL and coverage.
If a distributed approach is being used, you must consider these factors in determining the installation method and the hardware required:
The number of speaker systems to be used must provide a consistent sound pressure level throughout the listening area. When deploying the on-wall mounted style of product, you must be careful to choose a mounting system that allows installation at the optimal height with appropriate angle adjustment capability and that it will work with the type of wall construction found in the space. All manufacturers provide options that should accommodate most common situations.
Speaker to speaker spacing must also be considered to ensure sufficient overlap between coverage patterns to avoid gaps or dead areas. In addition, the arrival time to the listeners from multiple sources must be taken into account to avoid either smearing of the sound and thus incurring a loss of definition or intelligibility (equally important to avoid arrivals from more distant speakers), which would produce a noticeable “echo” that can also create audibility problems.
It’s a delicate balance but one that can be achieved with proper planning and positioning. Electronics delay systems and other signal processing might be necessary in larger installations to correct such issues. Setting up and calibrating those devices will usually require a professional integrator or acoustical consultant’s advice and services.
Directional Systems
While most of the basic guidelines for distributed systems also apply to directional systems, there are some very specific issues that require understanding and attention if this type of design is to be used.
First and foremost, the SPL computations for directional systems are substantially different from those used in distributed systems. For example, the accepted norm for such designs is to achieve a maximum SPL of 100dB to provide high-quality sound. However simply hitting a number is not enough. This is where those laws of physics come into play. It is critical to understand that the level of the sound being produced by the speaker system decreases over distance. Mathematically speaking, this is called the inverse square law.
Practically speaking, this means that the sound level decreases by the square of the distance under “standardized” conditions. Or to put it in real world terms, the actual measured SPL will be attenuated by approximately 6dB for every doubling of the distance from the source. However those “official” parameters and conditions ignore, for example, the effect of reflections — so it is important to verify and measure the actual levels being produced in your specific space and under any conditional variables that may be taking place such as occupancy levels, and the previously discussed external, internal and mechanical noise effects. (NOTE: For line array systems, the parameters are different. They exhibit -3dB per doubling of distance out to a point that depends on the length of the array and the frequency.)
Therefore, when laying out positions for directional systems such as compact or subcompact line arrays, it is essential to understand what their effective coverage parameters are both in the spatial (left-right/ up-down sense) and in the distance (or effective throw capability) sense. Knowing what the hardware is realistically capable of doing is the only way to properly position and space directional system. Making sure you have sufficient overlap between multiple clusters or arrays, and that boundaries and reflective surfaces are taken into account is also essential to an effective system installation.
So in summary, the five key issues to remember in either type of system installation and especially in a mixed system configurations are:
- Be sure you can achieve the required SPL above the ambient noise. If you don’t, the system will not provide the necessary reinforcement and will potentially create more problems than it solves.
- Choose the products that will provide both the required bandwidth (frequency response) and also produce intelligible speech.
- Be extremely careful to calculate the arrival timing parameters for any system. Avoid late arrivals (echoes) and too many arrivals, outside of a tight time window, to avoid smear and loss of intelligibility. In general the accepted guidelines for arrival spacing is to stay within a 20- to 30-millisecond window for multiple arrivals at any listening position. Arrivals outside that window create problems.
- In those spaces where a directional system cannot reach the entire audience, plan for and install properly spaced and positioned fill or supplementary on-wall or other loudspeakers to ensure everyone can hear and understand the program materials.
- And finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Manufacturers want their products to perform properly and they all are willing to provide both online and other support, but you have to ask. Additionally the sound system professionals in your area are a resource you should always keep handy. After all, they have been where you are before and most likely have an answer to what might seem an insoluble problem.
NOTE: An extremely useful tool for measuring and verifying the coverage and uniformity of sound from any loudspeaker installation is available in the Audio Coverage Uniformity (ACU) in Enclosed Listener Areas InfoComm International Performance Standard (for a complete list of all available standards, go here).
An informative field guide to applying the ACU standard and verifying compliance is available for purchase. This easy to use guide will be extremely helpful in verifying the performance of any installed system, and help you insure you are achieving the coverage, SPL and uniformity goals that you require.
First photo courtesy of KV2 Audio. Third courtesy of River Road Baptist Church. Fourth photo courtesy of Electro-Voice.
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Studio Technologies Expands Dante Beltpack Range Studio Technologies just introduced the new Model 371 Intercom Beltpack. The compact, lightweight unit combines the features offered by broadcast-style, two-channel party-line (PL) intercom user devices with a single-channel listen output and a four-pin male XLR headset interface connector.
The flexibility of Dante and its inherent support of standard IP networks mean that multiple Model 371 units can be used in PL intercom applications with help from audio matrix units, such as the new Studio Technologies Model 5422 Dante Intercom Audio Engines. Model 371 units can also be directly interfaced with ports on compatible matrix intercom systems.
The Model 371 has switches that allow control of the microphone pre-amplifier gain and talk button operation and each button can be individually configured for push to talk or push to talk/tap to latch operation. An integrated call function allows Model 371 users to send and receive channel-specific visual alert signals. Additional features include integrated sidetone, remote microphone off and application firmware updating via a USB port. Model 371 units interface with twisted-pair Ethernet local-area-networks using standard RJ45 patch cables. This LAN connection provides both Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) and bidirectional digital audio signals.
Using a low-noise, wide dynamic-range microphone pre-amplifier and VCA-based dynamics controller (compressor) input, audio quality is preserved and the chance of signal overload is minimized. The resulting signal is routed to an analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) section that supports a sampling rate of 48 kHz and a bit depth of 24. The now-digital audio signal routes through a processor and onto a Dante interface section where it is packaged for transport over Ethernet. Similar care is taken with the two audio signals that arrive via the Dante interface. The resulting audio quality of the Model 371’s two independent talk and listen channels is excellent, with low distortion, low noise and high headroom.
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Yamaha TF Series Digital Mixers Get Firmware Update Yamaha today released a major firmware update for the company’s TF series digital mixers with intuitive TouchFlow Operation. The firmware update (v 3.1) allows TF consoles and the recently released TF-RACK equipped with an NY64-D Dante interface card to connect to audio networks, such as Ravenna, that support the AES67 audio-over-IP interoperability standard.
The Dante audio network solution, developed by Audinate, was first adopted by Yamaha in 2012 for its CL series digital mixing consoles. Since then, Dante has been the company’s network of choice for pro audio devices, including digital mixers, signal processors and power amplifiers.
The AES67 audio-over-IP interoperability standard was established by the Audio Engineering Society (AES) in September 2013. With this new firmware update, AES67 compatibility will allow Dante to communicate with a variety of other AES67 compatible audio networks. As Audinate has already begun providing AES67 support in Dante, Yamaha is updating Dante-equipped products with corresponding firmware. Updates have already been announced for the CL/QL series digital mixing consoles and R series I/O racks, and this new firmware update v3.1 adds AES67 support to the TF series digital mixers line. It also supports Dante Device Lock, allowing PIN-based locking and unlocking of devices on a Dante network.
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Sennheiser Ships New All-Digital System in 6000 SeriesDigital 6000, the latest member of Sennheiser’s professional wireless microphone range, is shipping now. Incorporating their Long Range transmission mode and proprietary audio codec from Sennheiser’s Digital 9000 series, is aimed at rental companies, theatres, broadcasters and houses of worship that need a flexible two-channel wireless solution that allows the use of existing accessory infrastructures.
The Digital 6000 series comprises a two-channel receiver that is available in two different versions, a bodypack and a handheld transmitter, and a rack-mount 19” charging unit. The receiver’s switching bandwidth of 244 MHz (470 to 714 MHz) is covered by three transmitter versions (470 – 558 MHz, 550 – 638 MHz, and 630 – 718 MHz). Up to eight receiver units can be daisy-chained without the need for an additional antenna splitter; the multi-channel system will work with a single pair of antennas. System latency is 3 milliseconds.
The Digital 6000 features switchable AES 256 encryption, with the transmitters also supporting the proprietary encryption of the Digital 9000 system.
Existing antenna infrastructures can continue to be used as the system works with standard active and passive wideband UHF antennas, with the highly frequency-selective input filters being contained in the EM 6000 receiver.
The Digital 6000 transmitters use the same high-performance rechargeable accupacks as their Digital 9000 counterparts. The SKM 6000 handheld transmitter features Sennheiser’s standard capsule interface – it can therefore be used with any microphone head from the evolution wireless Series, the 2000 Series, and also with the special 9000 Series heads.
The receiver’s operating controls have been modeled on the EM 3732 and a new menu control with white OLED display gives an overview of the RF signal, link quality, audio signal, battery status, frequency, transmitter name and encryption. Several home screens provide access to further information, without the user having to navigate through submenus. Critical operating conditions and error messages are directly indicated on the display.
The series’ L 6000 charging unit is a 19”/1U mainframe device that can be fitted with up to four charging modules as required, each of which recharges two bodypack or two handheld batteries, respectively. Three-colored LEDs on the front panel give a quick overview of the charging process for each battery, while two additional LEDs monitor the device status. More detailed information as well as additional parameters such as battery runtime, charging cycles and remaining capacity can be accessed via the Wireless Systems Manager. The L 6000 charging unit can also be used for Digital 9000.
The EM 6000 receiver is fitted with a digital AES-3 output with wordclock in/out, a transformer-balanced analog XLR-3 outputs and ¼” (6.3 mm) jack outputs. Its Dante counterpart, the EM 6000 Dante offers an additional Amphenol RJ-45 connector for integration into a Dante network.
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In a Great Move, FSR Adds Surge Protection to Ceiling BoxesFSR is now providing surge protection for its popular line of ceiling boxes as an option.
This latest development offers type2 permanently connected UL/cUL Listed Surge Protective Devices to protect branch circuits against transients in all three modes — line to line, line to neutral, and neutral to ground, serving as the initial line of defense against unwanted power surges by absorbing the energy before it makes its way into the ceiling boxes.
FSR’s CB Ceiling Box series comprises various units aimed at applications ranging from classrooms to conference and meeting rooms, hospitals and hotels, or any venue needing projectors or other equipment installed in ceilings. Sizes range from a 1’ x 2’ enclosure that easily installs into any standard drop ceiling and provides electrical connections, AV equipment installation and AV and Data signal routing, to deeper box cages capable of mounting two full rack or four half rack pieces of equipment above the ceiling.
More information on FSR’s ceiling boxes is here. Leave a Comment
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Audio-Technica Adds Interpretation Unit for ATUC-50 Digital Discussion SystemAudio-Technica has added the ATUC-50INT simultaneous interpretation unit to the functionality of the ATUC-50 Digital Wired Discussion System. Designed use with up to three languages, the ATUC-50INT places control in the hands of interpreters, thanks to the system’s web remote-based conference management software application.
The unit’s control panel allows easy selection of headphone volume level as well as the choice of floor or relayed language – and two ATUC-50INTs may be linked to deliver each language for hardware redundancy. Discussion participants can select between the three interpretation channels on their ATUC-50DU discussion units, or the languages can be transferred to an existing wireless language distribution system via the ATUC-50CU control unit. Multi-language discussion recording is also made simple with the ATUC-50CU’s on-board four-channel recorder.
The ATUC-50INT is now available. More information is here. Leave a Comment
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NEC Display Intros World’s First Filter-Free LCD Laser Projectors NEC Display just announced the NP-PA653UL and NP-PA803UL installation projectors – and they are the world’s first filter-free LCD laser models. The projectors’ laser light sources and sealed optical engines prevent the accumulation of dust particles and give users 20,000 hours of maintenance-free performance. Spec’d at 6,500 lumens and 8,000 lumens, respectively, the PA Series projectors are aimed at schools, museums, corporations, retailers and other places where there is high ambient lit rooms.
NEC Display’s filter-less operation represents both a technical design and an industry breakthrough. Facing less projector downtime and fewer service repairs, users can maximize their technology investments and the applications available to them.
Both of the current projectors in the PA Series are WUXGA (1920×1200) resolution projectors and can handle inputs up to 4K/60p. Factory-st with the Rec2020 color conversion technology, they are both capable of handling 10-bit color processing and have an 8,000:1 contrast ratio. Input include two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort with HDCP and an HDBaseT inout with HDCP.
The NP-PA653UL projector will be available in April 2017 and list for $7,779 and the NP-PA803UL projector will be available in August 2017 and will list for $6,499. Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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Ferrofish B4000+ Organ Module Delivers Classic Sound in a Compact Form Factor Synthax announces the Ferrofish B4000+ Organ Module is shipping. Featuring nine real drawbars, high resolution endless potentiometers, and a TFT display for clear feedback of the various parameters, the Ferrofish B4000+ delivers authentic sound emulation thanks to to a combination of Sharc DSP processing power from Analog Devices and a Cortex 3 ARM processor.
The Ferrofish B4000+ Organ Module features include support for three full polyphony manuals, along with percussion that includes harmonic, attack, and decay settings. Rotating speakers emulation is provided, as well as tube amplifier emulation with overdrive. There is an FX section with chorus/vibrato, reverb, and compressor, as well as envelope attack and decay, MIDI keysplit, and velocity. Six high resolution metal dials provide smooth, precise control over the various system parameters.
For today’s keyboard player who is seeking that famous tonewheel organ sound, the B4000+ is ideal. Based on physical modelling, the unit precisely emulates the vintage organ sound. Players can set the age of the organ, the leakage between the drawbars, and even the tonewheel condition can be adjusted. Further, there are many more parameters that can be defined, including percussion, and keyclick with key contact delay.
In terms of connectivity, the B4000+ excels. The unit incorporates a USB interface, two MIDI inputs, stereo analog output and headphones, a stereo analog input to the FX and a jack for an expression pedal.
The Ferrofish B4000+ Organ Module lists for $595. Here are the specs. Leave a Comment
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CASIO to Release 4K, 5,000-Lumen Projector This MonthThe industry is about to see a new 4K projector from Casio America, which will ship the XJ-L8300HN lamp-free projector in June of this year. Featuring native 4K (UHD) resolution (3840×2160) and a brightness spec. of 5,000 lumens, the new projector uses a new 4K DLP chip and will include a 1.5:1 zoom lens.
Spec’d to last over 20,000 hours, the light source is an all-laser solid-state design. Inputs include VGA, two HDMI ports, one HDBaseT, component video and RS232 control as well as network control. It’s not a small projector — it weighs over 40 pounds, but it’s aimed at rental/staging or fixed install for large meeting rooms and classrooms. Lens shift for the XJ-L8300HN is ± 60 percent up or down, ± 25 percent left or right. Here is a PDF with the detailed specs available or you can see it here on their website. Leave a Comment
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