Volume 8, Issue 3 — March 25, 2014
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Unified Everything?
By Joel Rollins rAVe Columnist
As some of you will know, I recently attended ISE 2014 in Amsterdam with the rAVe team. We spent a very long week seeing and documenting the entire show, and afterward Gary and I reported on what we thought the major news and themes of the show were.
Gary and I (as usual) had somewhat differing opinions, but one of the overall ideas we agreed on was that unified communications (UC) was one of the most significant themes for the show. Nearly every piece of electronics was described in the light of its role within UC; even furniture was being described as part of a UC environment. In addition to the large number of new products being introduced for UC, electronics that have been on the market for years were all outfitted with racks of new literature describing them as unified communications devices.
But what are we really talking about?
Wikipedia defines it this way: “Unified communications (UC) is the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging (chat), presence information, telephony (including IP telephony), video conferencing, data sharing (including web connected electronic whiteboards interactive whiteboards), call control and speech recognition with non-real-time communication services such as unified messaging (integrated voicemail, email, SMS and fax). UC is not necessarily a single product, but a set of products that provides a consistent unified user-interface and user-experience across multiple devices and media-types.”
Doesn’t this read like part two of what we once referred to as “convergence?”
In reality, that definition is also likely to prove to be too narrow — because “unification” is happening in every other aspect of our technology, too.
I have remarked before on the trend toward consolidation of equipment into fewer components. In fact, we have been talking about it as an industry for many years, and nowhere more than the rental portion of the industry, where we typically charge daily rentals for each piece of inventory used. This consolidation of components has had many effects on the rental market, as we will see.
Let me give you an example: For me, entering the rental market in the 1980s, the first time I saw this kind of equipment consolidation really happened in audio during the late ’80s and early ’90s. At that point, the microprocessor and DSP were beginning to come to market, and although not yet having the power for the kind of commercial applications in video we now use them in, they were just right for the lower-bandwidth audio stream. So then we first saw dedicated audio components such as equalizers, limiters and speaker processing begin to consolidate into single boxes. My audio engineers got very excited over those components, and their ability to be easily programmed and repurposed for different shows. The boxes were expensive at first, so the consolidation had little pain because while we lost a number of components from the rental, we could charge higher rates for the “converged” boxes.
However, the second step of this consolidation brought a little more pain because, once the components converged, manufacturing numbers went way up, bringing the price down. Those of us who used a traditional rental model began to see a reduction in revenue if we were charging a straight line percentage price for rental of the box.
Then there was the third stage of pain because once these components were reduced to boards and chipsets, it became easier and easier to bring out a new model with improved capabilities. Therefore it brought the rental industry into a time when those components were rentable for shorter and shorter periods of time as obsolescence accelerated.
So there’s a cycle: First, components converge into flexible, general-purpose devices; second, the converged devices become cheaper as manufacturing yields go up and parts counts are reduced; finally, the cheaper devices converge again. We stay ahead of this by adopting the latest devices, with the rental market lending a big boon to the sales market as customers like to kick the tires in rental first. Of course, then we pay an additional inventory price as those new components become obsolete faster and faster.
There is also an operational price to pay in rental for this type of convergence. First, we pay a price in that programmable, digital components that work on the network basis are somewhat more difficult to make redundant. In this kind of convergence, we make everything dependent on a smaller number of power supplies, using components that the manufacturer is attempting to make cheaper and cheaper as time goes on.
The second price that we pay is something I call the “Swiss Army knife principle.” I love having a Swiss Army knife (actually, for me, a Leatherman) on my belt, but if I have the opportunity to go back to my tool case for a real screwdriver or real pair of pliers, I would still rather do that. Every time you combine the functions of a tool or component, you run the risk of making each of those functions somewhat less capable in favor of simplicity.
And, although I have used an audio example in this column, this kind of convergence is happening in virtually every electronic component we deal with. Is this good for the rental industry? That’s a complicated question, and in our next column we will examine how this convergence has affected our video components, our computer components and most importantly, our profitability. Leave a Comment
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AmpliVox Portable Sound Systems Now Stream Music Wirelessly Via BluetoothAmpliVox Sound Systems has added Bluetooth wireless connectivity as a standard feature to the SW800 Titan Wireless Portable PA system. The streaming technology will also be available as an option on AmpliVox’s SW915 Digital Audio Travel Partner and SW720 Wireless Portable PA System.
The Bluetooth connection enables the presenter to easily control volume, stop/start, and other audio options directly from the device, with a range of at least 30 feet from the unit. The 100-watt amplifier and 8” speaker projects sound from a Bluetooth source, as well as a 16-channel wireless microphone, a built-in CD/MP3 player, or a USB or SD card input. Its enclosed plastic case easily carries all its components with an integrated retractable luggage handle and durable wheels.
Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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Williams Sound IR Emitters Added to EASE Software This Month Williams Sound has told rAVe that its WIR TX75, WIR TX90 and WIR TX9 infrared emitters will be supported in EASE as of March 15.
EASE (Enhanced Acoustic Simulator for Engineers) is software that provides AV system designers and consultants with detailed, realistic modeling and simulation of venue acoustics and sound system performance. EASE models are a way to explore options and to evaluate what works and what doesn’t work before the virtual venue becomes a job site.
You will be able to insert Williams Sound infrared emitters into your EASE model to ensure the proposed infrared assistive listening/interpretation system is lighting/covering the audience areas as required.
Use EASE 4.4, together with the new Infrared module, to plan exactly where to place and aim your Williams Sound infrared emitters before arriving on-site, utilizing such virtual features as: full rotation and aiming of the emitter, summation of multiple emitters, mapping on audience areas and walls, and shadowing of building elements.
Once placement of Williams Sound infrared emitters has been optimized, contour mapping and coverage of the audience area also can be examined to ensure proper signal-to-noise ratios are being achieved, and that the right emitter is being specified for the project.
EASE details can be found here.
Williams Sound is here. Leave a Comment
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VUE to Debut New hs-20 Compact SubwooferVUE Audiotechnik will use this month’s Prolight+Sound to launch an all-new compact subwoofer called the hs-20, which is integrated with its Active Compliance Management (ACM) technology.
Originally developed for the hs-28 and hs-25 systems, VUE’s patent-pending ACM technology combines hybrid transducer alignment with onboard electronics. The company claims this enables the subs to offer more output and low frequency impact than more conventional vented designs, while also minimizing the need to increase overall enclosure dimensions.
The new hs-20 places a pair of custom-engineered, high powered long excursion 10-inch transducers into the ACM alignment, DSP, and dual channel high efficiency amplifiers capable of maximum output without the need of cooling fans.
Like all h-Class systems, the hs-20 ship with SystemVUE networking as standard. With SystemVUE users can connect one or multiple h-Class systems together via wired or wireless Ethernet to a Windows or Macintosh computer. Once connected, SystemVUE Software provides access to a broad selection of network and device-level control and monitoring functions.
The hs-20′s drivers and electronics are housed in a birch plywood enclosure that includes an integrated pole-mount. The grill and handle surrounds receive a durable two-part finish that lays a coat of transparent candy-apple red over a black powered coat base.
All the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Christie Debuts 4K DLP/Laser Projector with CinemaCon DemoChristie just announced a new laser projection architecture integrated with Dolby 3D that will be demo’d later this month at both the CinemaCon 2014 (Caesars Palace, March 24-27) and the National Association of Broadcasters NAB Show (Las Vegas Convention Center, April 5-10). Christie’s DLP Cinema laser projectors use 6-Primary (6P) color laser modules and are earmarked for mass production in early 2015. Christie says will show in the demos how 3D light levels, image uniformity, viewing comfort, and a sense of immersion can be improved using these new technologies, especially when combined with advanced separation technology like Dolby 3D, versus conventional 3D systems found in cinemas around the world today.
Claiming to be at least twice as efficient as today’s best 3D systems, Christie’s 6P laser projectors generate a proprietary mix of photoptically-optimized light wavelengths for each eye directly from the source, in effect eliminating the need for a highly inefficient stage of filtering or polarizing the light as it leaves the projector. The Christie demos will use Dolby 3D glasses specifically engineered to exactly match the 6 primary laser light wavelengths to yield nearly 90 percent light efficiency.
Consistent with efforts so far in developing 3-Primary (3P) laser projectors, which Christie sees filling important needs in several, non-cinema industries, Christie laser projectors will provide very high brightness (up to 72,000 lumens per projector head), wider color gamut capabilities, higher contrast and significantly reduced maintenance requirements. As part of its largest research and development program ever, Christie will continue to develop superior 6P and 3P laser projection solutions for all of its global customers.
Ultimately, this DLP/Laser technology will find its way into staging projectors and then large-format projectors used in auditoriums and large venues. Expect to see those projectors in late 2015 or early 2016. Christie’s digital cinema product details are here. Leave a Comment
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Adamson Launches Energia E12/E218 Touring Packages Adamson Systems has announced brand new E12/E218 touring packages aimed at the rental and staging markets that need system flexibility and fast setup/teardown. Adamson Systems has created three speaker system configurations for users to use as a guideline when creating a custom sound reinforcement solution. The Compact Set, consisting of 16 E12 and 8 E218, is intended for use up to an audience of 10,000 with both ground stacked and flown setups possible. The Performance Set includes 24 E12 and 12 E218 cabinets to maximize application scale with minimal amplifier requirements. The High Performance Set — 32 E12s and 24 E218s — easily handles arenas/outdoor festivals or can be split into two Compact Sets.
The recently introduced E12 is a 3-way true line source cabinet that incorporates two 12” Kevlar Neodymium woofers to handle the low frequency band. The mid-high band consists of a 7″ Kevlar Neodymium driver and a low distortion 4” diaphragm compression driver mounted to the next generation of Adamson’s co-linear drive module.
The sound chamber produces a slightly curved wavefront with a nominal dispersion pattern of 110°x 8° (HxV). The waveguide’s efficiency allows for increased horizontal dispersion without sacrificing high frequency in the far field. The E218 subwoofer was developed to pair with the E12. Two lightweight, long excursion ND18-S Kevlar Neodymium drivers are mounted in an efficient band-pass cabinet.
Adamson’s Energia Autolock rigging system allows for 8° vertical splay. Splay positions can be set before flying the system while the cabinets are stacked 4-high on a dolly allowing quick and safe assembly by a single engineer/technician.
Here are all the details. Leave a Comment
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Multibrackets Debuts Floorstand Mount with Casters for Large LCDsSwedish mount company Multibrackets has introduced a new floor stand with locking casters and a mounting bracket for large screen displays.
Capable of mounting screens from 63″ up to 100″, the Floorstand HD is powder-coated white with a maximum weight capacity of over 300+ pounds. Optional shelves can be mounted to hold set-top boxes, media players or computers. Displays can be mounted using any VESA standard, from 400×400 millimeters up to 1200×700 millimeters. Once mounted, the display is height and tilt adjustable. The system includes a power-rail and Displays can be mounted in either portrait and landscape, and a power rail is included. It’s a simple concept, but Multibrackets has its own Scandinavian style to differentiate.
Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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Mackie Launches SRM450 and SRM350 1000W Portable Speakers Mackie has announced new portable speakers, the SRM450 and SRM350 models, which are spec’d at 1000 watts with custom drivers. Featuring two new audio tools, these new SRM speakers can simplify setup and produce results that Mackie claims simply not found in any other speakers at this price.
You can choose between four application-specific speaker modes. They also have integrated an intelligent feedback destroyer that makes sound check easier. SRM can identify and eliminate feedback using up to four narrow 1/16th octave filters. Both models now benefit from Mackie’s HD Audio Processing, which combines patented acoustic correction DSP with optimization features such as a precision crossover and driver time alignment and phase correction. The SRM450 and SRM350 feature an integrated 2-channel mixer with input-friendly Wide-Z inputs.
The new Mackie SRM450 and SRM350 will be available globally late Q2, 2014. The SRM450 will list for $629.99 and the SRM350 will will list for $519.99. Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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ATEN Intros 8×8 HDMI Matrix SwitcherATEN last month announced the VM5808H 8×8 HDMI Matrix Switch, which connects up to eight HDMI sources to a maximum of eight HDMI displays. The company says that the switcher provides “nearly undetectable switching delay” between selected inputs and outputs, and also allows any input to be redirected to any or all outputs extending video distance to a maximum distance of 65 feet.
ATEN says the VM5080H combines its EDID Expert functionality with its “Seamless Switch” technology to support mixed environments with disparate input and display resolutions, automatically selecting the optimum display parameters for a given display when switching inputs. It also includes front panel pushbuttons, an IR remote control, RS232, Telnet and access via a browser GUI / network interface.
Priced at $3,999.95, the VM5808H will be available this month. See all the specs here. Leave a Comment
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Aviom’s D800-Dante A-Net Distributor Now ShippingAudinate and Aviom have announced the D800-Dante A-Net Distributor is now shipping. This unit and the new D800 A-Net Distributor, which is also shipping, distribute audio and power to up to eight Aviom personal mixers, making Aviom systems easier to integrate with various digital consoles and networks.
The D800-Dante A-Net Distributor simplifies connections to the Aviom personal mixers by making it possible to connect directly to any Dante console or network. With the D800-Dante A-Net Distributor, 64 channels from the network can be available to the personal mixers in the system. Each performer with an A360 Personal Mixer can mix those channels he or she wants from this pool of 64 available channels.
Both the D800 and D800-Dante A-Net Distributors are compatible with Aviom’s A-16II and A-16R Personal Mixers, but when used with the A360 Personal Mixers, the D800 and D800-Dante also offer the new Network Mix Back feature. Network Mix Back sends a digital copy of the stereo mix output from each A360 Personal Mixer connected to the D800 or D800-Dante back to the Dante network or to an AN-16/o v.4 Output Module for simplified connections to musicians’ wireless in-ear transmitters. With Network Mix Back, transmitters for wireless in-ears can easily be set up off stage and cabling for the personal mixers on stage is simplified. In addition, both D800s serve as a communications hub for iOS devices connected via an Ethernet Wi-Fi router. iOS support for the A360 is scheduled for release later this year.
Here are all the details. Leave a Comment
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Mackie Thump Series Gets Huge Power BoostMackie this week launched the all-new Thump Series Powered Loudspeakers with over 1000 watts of power per speaker. The Thump Powered Loudspeakers feature precision crossovers, transducer time alignment and a 3-band EQ with a sweepable mid. With flexible mounting options, combo mic/line inputs and a great wedge angle, Thump full-range loudspeakers provide the application flexibility for rental, staging or permanent installs.
Mackie has also added a new Thump18S 18-inch Powered Subwoofer is a 1200-watt, professional band-pass design,. The Thump18S is designed to match with Thump top boxes, delivering what Mackie says is “high-output, chest-thumping low end perfect for any sound system.” (N.B.: Chest-thumping — that’s a new adjective I have not seen before in a press release. Also, I have to say that I love the “Thump” series product name. It’s a breath of fresh air in an industry that tends to either use model numbers — yawn — or ridiculous made up word-sandwiches like TrueBass™ or VibrrrGlass™ for product titles. Thump is short, spelled normally and totally logical for chest-thumping speakers! digress.)
The Mackie Thump Series will be available globally Q2, 2014. The Thump12 lists for $389.99, the Thump15 will list for $469.99 and the Thump18S will lists at $879.99. Here are all the specs. Leave a Comment
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TASCAM Intros Rackmount Clock Generators TASCAM today introduced three clock generators. Each one is specially designed for particular market segments: CG-2000, designed for the broadcasting and post-production; the CG-1800, designed for post-production using NTSC, PAL, HD Tri-level; and the CG-1000, for recording studios and sound musicians. Each unit is equipped with a precision internal clock called OCXO (Oven Controlled Xtal Oscillator) and feature a more accurate clock system when using a rubidium clock or GPS 10MHz clock.
The CG-2000 is a video sync/master clock generator designed to meet the on-site needs for broadcasting and post-production. This unit improves redundancy for both the power supply and video/audio clock.
The CG-1800 is a video sync/master clock generator for post-production and supports NTSC, PAL, HD Tri-level for video, word, AES 3/11 and S/P DIF for audio. This video sync/master clock generator is a necessary building block for the creation of flexible, high-quality audio synchronization systems.
The CG-1000 is a master clock generator designed with recording studios, sound engineers and professional musicians in mind. High quality OCXO offers what TASCAM says is a supremely accurate clock. The external input supports up to 10MHz and offers a more accurate clock system using rubidium clock or GPS 10MHz clock.
Here are all the specifics. Leave a Comment
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NEP Screenworks Unveils 1×1-Meter X7-HD LED Display for Staging NEP Screenworks has introduced the new X7-HD LED display solution — a custom-designed and purpose-built video display that’s a rugged 1-square-meter LED display panel. They can be quickly arranged in almost any configuration in indoor or outdoor events.
Units in the X7-HD are framed into square modules with 16,384 pixels per module. Each pixel on the video display panel consists of red, green, and blue in an SMD LED for wide-angle viewing without color shift. According to NEP, development of the X7-HD focused on building lighter, more compact panels that take up much less space during transport and require less time and work during setup, making it possible to deploy extra-large screens rapidly. While standard X7-HD modules share common dimensions, the new solution gives NEP and its customers the ability to repackage LED units in panel sizes tailored for specific productions or presentations.
Full specs are here. Leave a Comment
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PESA Introduces Smart32 Remote Control Panel for Live Production PESA today announced the Smart32 remote control panel, which features 32 reprogrammable LCD buttons arranged in a 2×16 configuration. Designed for live production, it allows single keystroke switching for fast on-air selection.
The latest addition to PESA’s line of remote control panels, the new Smart32 allows any switch to be configured for any source, destination, level, salvo or control — and various key types can be displayed in different colors. Users can also select button brightness and set buttons to blink, pulse or be constantly on or off.
Through Cattrax, PESA’s management control software, operators can create command functions with up to three rows of text per button, plus assign predefined icon graphics for typical source and destination devices, such as cameras and DVRs. The Smart32 provides up to 16 pages of configurations, and panel layouts can be cloned to make it more efficient to create new configurations.
The Smart32 will be available in Q2 2014. All the specs and details are here. Leave a Comment
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Aviom’s New D800 and D800-Dante A-Net Distributors Now ShippingAviom is shipping its new D800 and the D800-Dante A-Net Distributors. Both units are designed to distribute audio and power to up to eight Aviom personal mixers like their predecessor, the A-16D Pro A-Net Distributor, but these units offer new features and easier to integrate with various consoles.
The D800 A-Net Distributor, used in conjunction with the Aviom SB4 System Bridge, makes it possible to send audio from up to four console cards into an Aviom A360 Personal Mixing System. With four cards, users can make up to 64 channels available to the Aviom Personal Mixers connected to the D800, and each A360 Personal Mixer can have a unique set of channels for the performer to mix.
Similarly, the D800-Dante A-Net Distributor simplifies connections to the Aviom personal mixers by making it possible to connect directly from any Dante console or network into the Aviom system. With the D800-Dante A-Net Distributor, 64 channels from the network can be available to the personal mixers in the system. Each performer can mix those channels he or she wants from this pool of 64 available channels.
Both of the new distributors are compatible with Aviom’s A-16II and A-16R Personal Mixers, but when used with the A360 Personal Mixers, the D800s also offer the new Network Mix Back feature. Network Mix Back sends a digital copy of the stereo mix output from each A360 Personal Mixer connected to the D800 or D800-Dante back to the Dante network or to an AN-16/o v.4 Output Module for simplified connections to musicians’ wireless in-ear transmitters. With Network Mix Back, transmitters for wireless in-ears can be set up off stage, while cabling for the personal mixers on stage is simplified. In addition, both D800s serve as a communications hub for iOS devices connected via an Ethernet Wi-Fi router. iOS support for the A360 is scheduled for release later this year.
The D800 specs are here while the D800-Dante specs are here. Leave a Comment
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And The Winner Is: LCDIn the industry’s first-ever independent survey asking AV’ers which projection technology, LCD or DLP, they prefer, LCD has won in a big way. We will do this survey annually in the future, so we’ll see how it evolves over time.
Our February survey was pretty simple — Which technology do you prefer: LCD or DLP, in eight different applications? The applications included:
- House of Worship
- K-12 & Higher Education
- Rental
- Staging
- Conference Room/Boardroom
- Large Screen Entertainment
- Healthcare
- Government and Security
The survey garnered nearly 5,000 votes and the clear winner — in seven of the eight applications, the winner was LCD. We did have a ninth category (home theaters), but we had some major some ballot-stuffing from projector manufacturers — so we threw that category out (we will, however, give our readers another opportunity to re-vote on that category this summer).
In any case, we complied the results in an infographic, which you can check out here. Leave a Comment
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe Rental [and Staging] Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
Don’t like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below.
To send me feedback, don’t reply to this newsletter. Instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas, Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I’ve been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don’t think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.
Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship ePublication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GHGav [Green, Healthcare & Government AV] in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com
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rAVe Rental [and Staging] contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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