When I was working in AV integration a few years ago, one of my vendors (thanks again, Matt) sent me a lead to follow up on and was able to meet the designer that day. We discussed his project (a build out in a new space for the USTA Stadium in New York). The end […]

In recent months my company has seen an uptick in requests to consult on acoustics solutions and installations in commercial spaces. Some of these clients reached out for assistance on new builds, but most of them were looking for solutions to integrate into existing spaces. In many cases, the request stemmed from the need to […]

I logged into rAVe today to write a completely different blog post about management and an analogy to cheer squads, but as I landed on the rAVe site here, I ran across an article by Daniel Shatzkes titled “Why You Should Hire an Acoustics Specialist at the Outset”. I wasn’t familiar with Daniel as a […]

Not long ago, while on LinkedIn, I had a brief but interesting exchange that made me stop and think. A seemingly innocuous post and an ensuing comment by a connection on the platform generated an internal dialogue that I’m not sure I’ve completely resolved. I share it here because it may not only have ramifications […]

Disclaimer: This is one of those topics that seems to require periodic reminders and refreshers. Why this is the case is one of the great mysteries of the AV life, but we seem to lose sight of the core principals reasonably regularly, and thus — the following is your scheduled reminder that the foundational rules […]

Earlier this year, start-up Stem Audio launched a UCC-based audio ecosystem for conference rooms and meeting rooms that uses an app-based design tool, called RoomDesign, to specify and calibrate the placement of their combo- mic and speaker sets (for table-top, ceiling or on-wall configurations) — to cover an entire room. In fact, we shot a […]

Recently our rAVe colleague Jacob Blount wrote, in the rAVe HOW [House of Worship] newsletter, about a video of the Angel City Chorale showcasing very poor choir miking, and how this seriously detracted from the value and presentation intended — hardly a clean choir sound. I’m probably dating myself, but I couldn’t help but think […]

Of all the various issues that generate the most questions from potential and current clients in the HOW markets, creating and managing the musical aspects of a service are definitely at the top of the list. It matters not whether it’s a simple guitar and piano accompaniment to a traditional service or a full-on praise-band […]

(Author’s Note: The topic for this article was originally suggested by a comment from Barry McKinnon of MC Squared Design Group, North Vancouver, BC., Canada.) OK, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for some serious military grade explosive driven myth busting! MYTH #1: Sounds reinforcement is a 20th century development. We have a tendency to think […]

The art and science (for it is both) of live sound reinforcement in any worship space must take into consideration a large number of factors unique to HOW sound. For example, you may well have to mix speech, recorded music, live music, professional and non-professional speakers, musicians, to serve an audience (congregants) that will literally […]

Occasionally this column will dive deeply into a topic, starting, as is my wont to do, with a historical perspective. The history is there for a reason. To understand the often complex and multi-faceted themes you need to know how we got here and what drove the development of a particular technology or methodology and […]

Words. We use hundreds, if not thousands of them every day. In a plethora of languages, dialects and forms, words are the building blocks of our verbal communications. Every sermon, homily, blessing, oration or prayer is made from words. Instinctively we “reach” for the right words to speak in any situation or moment. It is […]

In the first part of this two-part series, published in September, a wide variety of acoustical solutions and issues specifically focused on dealing with a space that already exists were discussed. Although the basic concepts and applications outlined in that article apply regardless, the issues and problems of a new building are in many ways […]

A Little Physics At the normal sea level atmospheric pressure of 14.7 pounds-per-square-inch, 59 degrees F, dry air (< 50 percent relative humidity), sound travels one mile every five seconds in round numbers — so in 2.5 seconds, sound will cover a distance of half a mile. In NFL football, that’s just enough time to […]

Once upon a time, there was a great and renowned chef who was planning to open a prestigious restaurant in a highly prosperous suburb of a lovely city. He wanted to have not only stunning food, which he was quite sure he could provide, but also an exceptional architectural presentation and interior design as well. […]

In a world of steadily increasing digitization, robotization and electronic origination of everything from voicemail prompts to virtual customer support, the musical world has not been left out of the progression to artificial sources. Of course there remains the world of orchestral, operatic and some styles of folk/country music performances, which are as unrepentantly “live” […]

A note from the author: Having been involved in several hundred HOW sound system projects, across many denominations, over the last three decades, I hope what I have learned as discussed below, will help you avoid the classic mistakes and poor choices I have seen far too often. Remember a worship space with bad acoustics […]

I just love conference rooms. These rooms have such power in them and strengthen the attendees with a sense that “I am safe to share my ideas in private, with people who want to be here.” Then there are times I enter one, and I see all the possibilities of a space that could host […]

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 […]

It’s about time we got what we asked for. Residents in Central Oregon are tired of hearing the words, “home theater” and “stereo.”  One local home owner stated, “I will go to the theater if I want to see a blockbuster on a 20-foot screen.  And if I want a stereo, those are at Goodwill. […]

By John J. Lupo Division Manager, North Florida, Dynamark Systems This is part 5 of a multipart series of articles that will provide a solid understanding of the principles of sound and acoustics as it relates to design and construction of both public and private spaces. Part 1 covered the basics of Sound, Part 2 […]

By John J. Lupo Division Manager, North Florida, Dynamark Systems This is part 2 of a multi-part series of articles that will provide a solid understanding of the principles of sound and acoustics as it relates to design and construction of both public and private spaces. Part 1 covers the basics of sound. Parts 3-5 […]

By John J. Lupo Division Manager, North Florida, Dynamark Systems This is part one of a multi-part series of articles that will provide a solid understanding of the principles of sound and acoustics as it relates to design and construction of both public and private spaces. Parts 2-5 will cover decibels, STC ratings, soundproofing and […]

Today I’d like share about best practices for where to place a fixed microphone when using one for speaking. These best practices apply to everyone including sports announcers for the Big Ten Conference, presidential candidates from a lectern and also general handheld applications. The speaking voice is a source, and like your radio or music […]

By Dan Daley Special to InfoComm International There’s an old saying in the media business: Sound is the stepchild to picture. In the audio community, a persistent subset of that equation has long held that acoustics is the junior partner of sound. Awareness of how the ambient environment of a space affects the quality and […]

We frequently get calls from owners and tenants who wish to improve the sound isolation between apartments and condominiums, particularly in older units. The call often begins with, “I want something I can spray on to the wall to soundproof it so I don’t hear my neighbor’s stereo…” or “My neighbor’s snoring keeps me awake […]

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 […]

By Steven J. Thorburn, PE, CTS-D, CTS-I Thorburn Associates Our smart phones and tablet PCs have brought video chat to the masses. So why can’t we use it for business calls? You can – we have. While still not the quality of a good purpose-built system, desktop conferencing is very close as a feasible alternative […]

The L-ACOUSTICS LA4X amplified controller is based on a four-input by four-output matrix architecture and uses a universal switch mode power supply suitable for mains from 90V to 265V. A “green” product, the power supply features something they call “Power Factor Correction”, which maximizes the amplifier efficiency and takes advantage of nearly 100 percent of […]

By Steven J. Thorburn, PE, CTS-D, CTS-I Thorburn Associates During a recent tour of an existing campus, we were shown a classroom that was in the process of having a complete, bells-and-whistles audiovisual package installed to support a distance learning program. However, our project meeting quickly took an unscheduled detour when we noticed an acoustical […]