Volume 3, Issue 9 — September 25, 2017
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Microphones – A Small Tool with a Big Effect
By Tony Sprando Commercial AV Designer
The end-user, for any and every AV project, is very important and their input is invaluable. From the inception, to design, during construction, and finally installation, they really do need to be involved. However, I am not sure many end-users have the time or really want to be consulted. They just want the job done, quickly and within budget. And this is how many AV professionals enter the “Lost in Translation” zone with their clients. For this next series of blogs, I want to promote clarity through the AV design process and promote best practices for end-user satisfaction. Let’s begin with microphones, a small AV tool with a big effect for the end-user.
I gleaned a great quote and reminder from a recent article from author Dan Daley titled, “Don’t Drop the Mic.” He shares Gabriel Antonini’s (a manager with DPA Microphones) comment: “Too often, the first time a microphone is heard is when a new system is being commissioned,” Antonini says. “The best way to decide which microphones work best for a project is to test them in a similar environment they’re expected to be used in, but the microphone’s data sheet can also give you a good idea of how it will perform.”
Issues that Affect Performance
I borrowed “The Top Three Wireless Microphone Problems and How to Solve Them” from RF Venue, a company that researches, develops and promotes wireless products.
1. Signal Dropouts and Multi-path Interference
Multi-path interference is caused by portions of RF energy arriving at the receiver’s antenna at slightly different times. As a transmitted wave spreads, it encounters surfaces that reflect or absorb different parts of the wave. As these waves bounce off of and around surfaces, they arrive at the receiver at slightly different times and thus out of phase—creating dropouts and dead-spots for wireless microphones. This is a common problem for wireless microphone systems indoors, where there are a multitude of opportunities for RF to reflect off surfaces….
2. Noise Floor and Interference
It’s important to understand that all environments are a soup of radio waves. Most of that energy is caused by other electronic devices emitting stray (unintended) RF—computers, hair dryers, pencil sharpeners, lighting, power supplies—just about any powered device. And even in the remotest desert, cosmic radiation and natural radiation generated by the earth causes noise.
An RF system—like a wireless microphone—needs a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio to stay above this ever-present ambient noise “floor.” Maintaining high signal-to-noise ratio for your wireless mics is aided by isolating the signal and directing it to only where it is needed. The closer wireless receivers are to wireless mics, the better. This gives your transmitter and receiver a shorter distance and stronger signal, which presents a higher signal over the noise floor at the receiver.
Since this is not always possible with stock antennas, selecting a local field antenna like the Spotlight antenna can isolate reception and decrease the amount of noise entering the signal chain, significantly opening up even the most crowded RF environments to accommodate your system.
3. Intermodulation Distortion and Frequency Coordination
Frequency coordination is essential in wireless systems to avoid not only third party transmitters but also the harmful effects of Intermodulation Distortion (also referred to as IMD or “intermod”). IMD is the result of two or more signals passing through a non-linear device, such as a diode or an amplifier. IMD manifests as ghost signals from wireless mic bodypacks or handheld transmitters. These appear at predictable frequencies in the RF spectrum. If these ghosts are too close to one of the frequencies used by your microphone, audible distortion can result.
Not sure how to handle these issues? That’s OK. I do. But I will need your help, as the end-user, to make sure we are on the same page and nothing is Lost in Translation.
Tony, the AV Guy Leave a Comment
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Prevent a Projector Nightmare
By Tony Sprando Commercial AV Designer
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Everyone is familiar with this quote by Benjamin Franklin. But how does it apply to your digital projector? Every machine needs maintenance. We either pay a little up front to maintain, or we kick the snowball down the hill and pay a lot later to repair. This is of course true of projectors, and this is especially true of projectors with 3LCD optical systems.
Maintenance of Your Projector is Critical
All projectors are maintenance-critical due to having several hundred-watt lamps. These lamps necessitate robust power sub-systems, ballasts to limit lamp current, more complex circuitry to filter the inherent electrical interference, powerful air-cooling systems and in some cases even liquid-cooling systems. Almost every component inside a projector is a single point of failure.
For LCD-type projectors, it gets worse. Optical parts, such as polarized glass, burn over time. The longer maintenance is put off, the more the damage becomes apparent, akin to car tire wear. If left ignored, by the time the optics get to the point where you or your customer can’t stand to look at the projected image, it’s usually too late. Repairs are much more expensive and usually well beyond cost-effective. Maintenance is key to avoiding this pitfall.
Dust is Your Enemy
Regardless of how well you maintain an LCD projector, optical parts will eventually burn, just as tires will eventually wear down treads. But drag racing is to tires what no maintenance is to a projector’s optical system. Dust accumulates on the blades of axial fans, in the rotors of blower fans and in fan ducts leading to restricted airflow. It also accumulates on the optical parts themselves, which functions much like a blanket on the LCD modules and polarized glass. This effectively disables them from being cooled properly. The dustier the environment, the worse this problem typically becomes.
Do a Full and Proper Cycle
Good maintenance practices can greatly reduce these risks. While blowing canned air into the exhaust fans and lens receptacle is better than nothing, the best protection comes from a full and proper maintenance cycle, to clean out dust from where it likes to get trapped deep within a device.
Projectors should be on a cycle for PM at least annually. Projectors in schools, event rentals and some other environments should be cleaned at least every six months. A clean and well-maintained projector is a happy, long-living and cost-effective projector.
Maintenance does not matter if the projector is installed incorrectly. Here are a few real examples of why you should always consult an experienced AV installer prior to installing a projector.
Choose prevention.
Tony, the AV Guy
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Why We Are Switching to the BenQ PD2710QC MonitorWe do a lot of desktop-publishing. A lot. And, we do video — in fact, we post more video annually to the web than nearly every mainstream news site on earth. In 2017, so far, we’ve posted over 6,500 videos. Yes, that’s more than 17 videos per day, on average, 365 days a year.
We all have a multi-monitor desktop — a computer and two, three (and some of us have four) monitors connected at the same time — from the same computer. So, we need good, quality monitors.
We’ve been using, and loving, the Apple Cinema displays as our secondary, third and sometimes fourth displays. But, Apple decided they weren’t going to make them anymore. So, we went out hunting for the perfect 27” companion to our 27” iMacs and MacBook Pros and we all decided on the BenQ QHD resolution (2560×1440) PD2710QC monitor.
The BenQ PD2710QC monitor isn’t just a 2560×1440 resolution display — it’s part of the company’s “Designer Series” of color-corrected displays and it natively uses USB-C (and since we’re all Apple all the time, USB-C is something we’ve come to know, and love). So, we wanted a monitor that had USB-C natively. But, we’re also color-snobs. The PD2710QC has 100% sRGB color space coverage and we know that’s not just a spec they threw in there.
It’s not cheap. In fact, each one carries a $599 price-tag — a lot when you consider that every monitor company makes $300 2560×1440 resolution displays, too. But, the colorimetry and the convenience of routing everything through an included docking station was what made this a slam-dunk for us.
So, if you’re a color-snob, want USB-C, need high-res desktop or multi-monitor connectivity, check out the BenQ PD2710QC monitor. All the details are here. Leave a Comment
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InfoComm International Changes Name to AVIXAIn a surprise announcement today, InfoComm International (the organization) changed its name to the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA). For now, InfoComm the trade show will keep its name (both the trade show in the U.S. every June, as well as the international versions such as InfoComm China). They will just be operated by AVIXA instead of InfoComm International.
In the past year, we’ve heard — well, the organization formerly known as InfoComm International talk a lot about the technology experience, or integrated experience, which we’ve heard at shows and in marketing materials. It turns out this was laying the groundwork for a complete rebrand of the organization.
The rebrand evolved out of the strategic plan that the InfoComm board and executive team has been working on for the past two years. At a press event today, David Labuskes, executive and CEO of InfoComm International/AVIXA, said the team did not come to the decision to rebrand lightly. He said, “You shouldn’t change your name. If you can do anything else, you shouldn’t change your name… But [after much thought and discussion], none of the other options worked or were authentic.” He also said, “It’s about the survival of our current members. We evolve or we die.”
AVIXA wants to expand its membership, and based on what we heard today, much of this growth will be through end users, with the goal of enticing content creators and so-called experience directors to the organization. An example of an “experience director” might be someone at a Fortune 500 company who decides what level of collaboration technology she wants her team to use, or an advertising executive who utilizes creative technology in campaigns. AVIXA says it will be changing, or expanding, its membership structure as well, which will include individual memberships that in some cases will have no charge.
AVIXA also said it decided to announce the change now, rather than at the InfoComm show in June, because they didn’t want the announcement to overshadow or in any way take away from the announcements the exhibitors were themselves making.
There will be much more information to come on this big change in the days and weeks to come. Please leave your thoughts in the comments — we want to know what you think. The full statement from AVIXA is below.
InfoComm International has changed its name to the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA). The change reflects AVIXA’s broadening mission to be an industry hub, while also acting as a catalyst for market growth beyond what has been considered traditionally as professional AV.
AVIXA’s trade shows worldwide, including the North America show, June 2-8 in Las Vegas, will continue to operate under the InfoComm name.
“This is an exciting time for our industry and for the advancement of audiovisual solutions across a wide range of customer experiences,” said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, Executive Director and CEO of AVIXA. “Thanks to the innovative, creative efforts of so many members, partners, and their customers, we have collectively grown far beyond what InfoComm International could do to promote AV around the world. AV experiences have become so ubiquitous, and they’ve come to include so many more technologies, and touch so many more personal and professional lives, that we felt compelled to embrace a new identity that more accurately reflects this industry’s excitement and welcomes a far more diverse community of professionals.”
In recent years, AVIXA’s members have evolved to offer much more than audiovisual products and systems. Their innovation and attention to customer requirements has led to an industry of solution providers that use audiovisual technology to create outcomes. AVIXA membership has grown to include experiential designers, content creators, IT companies, and users of AV solutions across a growing cross section of markets. AVIXA’s 2017 InfoComm show in Orlando last June attracted a greater share of AV customers than in any other year.
By adopting the name AVIXA, the industry association, which operates as a trade organization representing companies and a professional society representing individuals, aims to reflect both what its members do (AV) and what they create for customers, which are integrated experiences (IX).
“The AVIXA Board of Directors has set out an ambitious plan to grow the association, increase awareness of AV experiences, and reinvent our brand in order to propel this industry into the future,” said Gary Hall, CTS-D, CTS-I, President of the AVIXA Board, and Federal Strategy, Planning and Operations Leader at Cisco Systems. “With new and different people and technologies coming into this space, we are thrilled that AVIXA will be home to all of them.”
AVIXA was founded in 1939 as the National Association of Visual Education Dealers. In 1949, NAVED merged with the Allied Non-Theatrical Film Association to form the National Audio-Visual Association. NAVA changed its name to the International Communications Industries Association in 1983, which became InfoComm International in 2005.
“Organizations evolve,” said Labuskes. “AVIXA’s core programs remains the same—training, certification, standards, community, market intelligence, tradeshows—but the industry has changed in exciting ways, and the opportunity to grow the market for audiovisual experience is so vast, it was important that the AV industry’s leading association change with it.”
AVIXA is here. Leave a Comment
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Peerless-AV Introduces New All-in-One Kiosk Powered by BrightSign Peerless-AV has introduced a new All-in-One kiosk powered by BrightSign. Featuring a new design with lean frames and a small footprint, the All-in-One Kiosk offers a complete digital signage solution for any indoor application setting – from corporate to retail to hospitality.
Powered by a BrightSign Built-In Digital Signage Module, the All-in-One Kiosk delivers flawless Full HD 1080p60 single video decoding, HTML support, networked content playback, as well as an abundant set of features, including interactivity via the GPIO port, remote snapshot, live text, media feeds and multi-zone.
With an integrated 55″ commercial LCD display offering six points of IR touch, the All-in-One Kiosk fully engages users, making it ideal for a variety of uses, such as wayfinding, entertainment and digital merchandising.
The major features are:
- Ultra slim design offering rugged protection for any indoor application environment
- Quick and easy set-up via micro SD card
- Six points of IR touch to fully engage users
- HTML5 engine supporting flawless playback of content and modular assets layered with video
- 1080p video and audio streaming
- Ability to easily update messaging and interact with the kiosk via Ethernet, Wi-Fi or the BrightSign App
- The use of live data and media feeds to display popular news, finance, weather or social media feeds
Here are all the product specs. Leave a Comment
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Vaddio Launches QuickCAT Universal Suspended Ceiling Camera MountVaddio has launched the new QuickCAT Universal Suspended Ceiling Camera Mount, which is designed to install easily into a suspended ceiling and provide quick height adjustment. Packages are available with a customized OneLINK extension system to extend power, video and control over a single Cat-5e/6 cable for up to 100 meters.
The QuickCAT mount incorporates a suspended ceiling plate, column system, mount and universal interface for PTZ or fixed cameras. It solves problems like inconsistent ceiling grid systems, adjustment and cumbersome installation processes with a host of innovative features.
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Avocor Partners With AVI SystemsAvocor announced that AVI Systems has become the latest system integrator to join the growing Avocor partner network in North America. AVI Systems is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn. and has offices across the United States.
Avocor interactive solutions are designed to improve collaboration and cross team participation in the modern workplace, increasing productivity and breaking down communication barriers, particularly for remote workers via cloud based conferencing applications. Because the Avocor solution is platform agnostic and not locked down to propriety software or hardware requirements, organizations can create their ideal collaborative environment that meets the needs of their business, today, tomorrow and in the future.
Avocor is here and AVI Systems is here. Leave a Comment
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Digital Projection Debuts E-Vision LASER 5K Projector Digital Projection International (DPI) is announcing a new “high-value projection display” featuring its laser light engine. The E-Vision LASER 5K (5K as in 5,000 lumens) features the same solid-state laser illumination technology as Digital Projection’s flagship projectors, and like those models, benefits from 20,000-hours of maintenance-free imaging with no lamp replacements.
DPI claims the E-Vision LASER 5K is designed for applications requiring a bright SSD solution while also meeting prudent budgetary requirements. Digital Projection’s laser-illumination systems are virtually failure proof, so system operation will never be interrupted. This technology also supports DP’s MultiAxis capability which enables the E-Vision LASER 5K to be oriented in nearly any position for installation flexibility and application creativity.
The E-Vision LASER 5K includes a standard zoom lens and a multitude of connectivity options. Other features include:
- 5,000 laser lumens (ISO)
- WUXGA resolution (1920×1200)
- 1.15 – 1.90 :1 zoom lens
- 1-Chip DLP technology
- HDMI 1.4a + MHL Mobile High-Definition Link (device mirroring)
- USB Type A, VGA, RCA and HDBaseT inputs
- DICOM Simulation Mode
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BenQ Launches LK970 4K Laser ProjectorBenQ America Corp today announced the availability of the LK970 4K UHD BlueCore laser projector. spec’d at 4K UHD (3840×2160) resolution, with 5,000 ANSI-lumen brightness, it’s aimed at large-venue applications, home cinemas and living rooms with high-ambient lighting conditions.
Featuring BenQ’s BlueCore Laser technology with Texas Instruments’ latest DLP chip, it has a dual color wheel specifically engineered to project rich, saturated color with superior accuracy that’s capable of meeting the hefty color and reliability requirements of large-venue settings such as boardrooms, classrooms, immersive public spaces, museums, retail stores, simulation setups and more.
For integrators and IT managers, the LK970 is compatible with Creston, AMX and Extron control systems for convenient system integration with various third-party devices. Combined with BenQ’s Multiple Display Administrator (MDA) software, administrators can efficiently perform day-to-day scheduling, operations and maintenance from a centralized location and across an entire public display network, reducing the cost for managing multiple projectors.
Additionally, the LK970 offers HDBaseT connectivity for uncompressed transmissions up to 100 meters. HDBaseT connectivity combines video, audio and device control signals from multiple sources including PCs, laptops, document cameras, Blu-rays and DVDs onto a single CAT5 cable for seamless long-distance transmissions.
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Bose Professional Ships MB210 Compact Subwoofer Bose Professional is now shipping the MB210 compact subwoofer, designed for background/foreground music and small sound-reinforcement systems that require low-frequency extension down to 37 Hz. The MB210 subwoofer features two 10-inch high-excursion woofers, derived from the Bose Professional F1 subwoofer, in a compact Baltic-birch plywood enclosure optimized for fixed-installations. The MB210 is available in black or white and ships with a u-bracket for easy mounting to walls or ceilings.
Other key features of the MB210 compact subwoofer include:
- 500-watt long-term power handling
- 123 dB maximum continuous SPL, 129 dB peak SPL (half-space loading)
- Baltic Birch plywood enclosure optimized for fixed installations
- Compact 26” x 11.5” x 18” (660 x 292 x 457 mm) dimensions
- 41 lbs (18.6 kg)
- Available in black or white finish
- U-bracket included for easy horizontal or vertical mounting
The Bose Professional MB210 compact subwoofer specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Vaddio Launches QuickCAT Suspended Ceiling Camera Mount Vaddio has launched the new QuickCAT Universal Suspended Ceiling Camera Mount designed to install easily into a suspended ceiling and provide quick height adjustment. Packages are available with a customized OneLINK extension system to extend power, video and control over a single Cat-5e/6 cable for up to 100 meters.
The QuickCAT mount incorporates a suspended ceiling plate, column system, mount and universal interface for PTZ or fixed cameras. It solves problems like inconsistent ceiling grid systems, adjustment and cumbersome installation processes with a host of innovative features.
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Prysm Builds Apps for Windows Devices and iPhones; Simplifying Collaboration for AV Integrators Prysm today announced two new native apps for its digital workplace platform: one for Microsoft Windows 10-based devices using the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) and the other for iPhones. The new apps can be used with Prysm’s existing room and web-access solutions to provide a single user experience tailored to how connected teams and individuals visualize and work with their preferred devices, applications and content. Using Prysm increases user engagement by allowing quick, easy access for all participants, regardless of location. By allowing all participants to interact simultaneously with content, it creates the desired collaborative experience in which every meeting participant is fully engaged from beginning to end.
Prysm Desktop features and benefits:
- Collaborate within native apps on a shared digital workplace, regardless of location—an industry first
- Flexibility to tailor access to each individual’s style or place of work
- Easy movement of content from the desktop to a Prysm project within existing Windows functionality
- Seamless transitions between individual productivity tasks and team-based project work
- Maximizes existing and mixed IT infrastructures and technology investments
Prysm for iPhone features and benefits:
- Touch ID from the iPhone offers immediate, secure access to projects
- iPhone recognizes and connects users to in-room Prysm experiences, using PIN-based display login
- All users, including mobile users, can engage in projects in order to speed decisions
- Easily add files, content found from websites, or other apps on an iPhone to a shared workspace
- Participants can view any file associated with a project directly from an iPhone, without disturbing the view for others in the workspace
Users of Prysm’s meeting room and web-access solutions can continue to expect the same experience they currently enjoy today, or switch between web and app access as needed for maximum productivity and ease of use.
At general availability, the desktop app will support Microsoft Windows 10-powered devices, including laptops, Surface devices and the Surface Hub via UWP, with plans to expand to other platforms in 2018. The Prysm desktop and Prysm for iPhone apps are expected to be available by the end of Q4 2017. Here are all the details.
The company also announced its Autumn ’17 software release, featuring integration with six key identity providers to offer enterprises more control when issuing Prysm user licenses to employees.
Also, Gary Kayye got the exclusive scoop on this announcement this morning in a rAVe RADIO broadcast with David Schweer, the director of product marketing for Prysm, and you can listen to that here. Leave a Comment
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Extron Ships VoiceLift Pro Wireless Classroom Microphone System Extron has announced the immediate availability of the new VoiceLift Pro Microphone, an update to the company’s classroom sound field solutions. Using RF wireless technology. VoiceLift Pro utilizes digital transmission and pairing in a dedicated spectrum to provide superior performance over traditional systems. Benefits include higher sound quality, increased reliability, and greater range, with reduced interference. VoiceLift Pro integrates seamlessly with any PlenumVault, WallVault or PoleVault installation, providing a complete classroom AV and voice amplification solution.
The VoiceLift Pro Microphone is based on an industry standard radio frequency technology operating in a spectrum reserved exclusively for voice communications. This RF technology is not susceptible to environmental factors, such as windows, sunlight and fluorescent lighting, which can create problems for infrared systems. It also does not suffer from the licensing restrictions and proximity issues of traditional RF microphones. The VLM 3001 system includes a pendant microphone, receiver and charging station, as well as cables necessary for connecting to an Extron Classroom AV System. The VLM 3002 adds a second pendant microphone while the VLM 3002H adds a handheld microphone.
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Electro-Voice Intros EVID-S Commercial Loudspeakers for Indoor and Outdoor UseThe EVID-S series, from Electro-Voice, is the latest member of the EVID (EV Innovative Design) family of commercial loudspeakers for installed applications. Every aspect of the EVID-S series has been designed from the ground up, they say, to ensure efficient installation for the contractor. The series includes 4-inch, 5.25-inch and 8-inch 2-way models with matching dual-10-inch and single 12-inch subwoofers, making it easy to select a suitable model a specific space – a new go-to solution for distributed sound systems.
All EVID-S models offer Electro-Voice-engineered components for sound quality, low-profile looks and reliability for a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications. These include retail environments, hospitality settings such as bars, lounges, patios, pool areas and restaurants, conference and meeting rooms, fitness clubs, performing arts and sports venues and houses of worship. The series offers true weatherproof construction for outdoor spaces, confirmed by extensive and rigorous testing above and beyond industry norms. All models are paintable and IP54 certified for weather resistance. An IP65 weatherproof version is available for the 5.25-inch loudspeaker cabinet and the 10-inch subwoofer models.
The new wall-mount system makes installation quicker and easier than ever before: Attach the wall-mount (a built-in bubble level saves time) and terminate the cables inside, apply the paint cover to protect the wall-mount until construction is completed (when the cover can be removed), and then simply slide the pre-wired speaker with adjustable arm onto the wall-mount and lock into place.
The products include:
- EVID-S4.2 (4” two-way cabinet)
- EVID-S5.2 (5” two-way cabinet)
- EVID-S8.2 (8” two-way cabinet)
- EVID-S10.2 (dual 10” subwoofer)
- EVID-S12.2 (single 12” subwoofer
Selectable versions:
- B, W – black, white color
- T – output transformer
- X – waterproof IP65 rating (5.25-inch versions only)
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Polycom Announces Totally Awesome New Conference PhoneTwenty-five years ago, Polycom introduced its iconic three-legged conference phone and changed the rules of how the world communicates at work. The Polycom phone, with its unique shape and breakthrough audio quality, quickly became the de facto conference phone for a lot of the Fortune 1000 companies. And, now they’ve redesigned it.
The Polycom Trio 8500 is instantly recognizable as a sharp new interpretation of the well-known three-legged shape and is the perfect communication tool for mid-sized conference rooms. The 8500 is a so-called, future-proof solution that delivers all the latest Polycom innovations today, including HD voice audio quality, Polycom NoiseBlock and hybrid registration and will be expandable to include video and content sharing in the future. The 8500 also includes a modern full color touch screen interface and Microsoft Exchange calendar integration, which makes joining a meeting as easy as one touch.
Polycom says that video and content sharing support for the Polycom Trio 8500 is expected to be added later in the year and provide business-quality video conferencing and content sharing for huddle spaces and mid-sized rooms.
Polycom also offer new features to the Polycom Trio 8800, the company’s fastest selling conference phone. The 8800 8800 now allows participants to connect using your Apple AirPlay or Miracast certified devices for wireless flexibility and later this year will also support enterprise-class motorized pan-tilt-zoom (MPTZ) cameras that offer a broader degree of visibility for high-definition collaboration experience in larger conference rooms.
Both Trio solutions will support hybrid registration, allowing businesses to easily migrate between open SIP environments, Skype for Business environments, or both and work with other cloud-based audio and video platforms, including Zoom, BlueJeans, Cisco, Avaya, WebEx and others.
Finally, Polycom is also introducing a new audio solution for team and personal spaces, such as huddle rooms, with the new Polycom VoxBox an ultra-compact speaker phone that allows customers to experience Polycom’s HD Voice technology anywhere, anytime and with any device. The Polycom VoxBox will be available in select areas starting in October.
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Dynacord Debuts PROMATRIX 6000 Public Address and Voice Evacuation SystemThe PROMATRIX 6000 Public Address and Voice Evacuation System from Dynacord now offers users new hardware and software features for enhanced functionality and use in larger applications. Using IP technology, PROMATRIX 6000 provides a highly flexible, reliable and secure system solution with superior audio quality and low latency. As installers can use existing networks in the building infrastructure, relying on IP technology also results in faster installations and lower implementation costs. Furthermore, PROMATRIX 6000 can be interconnected with other devices such as PCs or laptops over IP protocol, allowing for efficient remote control, diagnostics and maintenance via the Internet.
The PROMATRIX 6000 Public Address and Voice Evacuation System IP functionality and connectivity is achieved via the newly released Dante network interface module (OM-1). It is now possible to create a 16-channel Dante audio network between the individual controllers. This not only improves the size; the IP networking architecture allows users to create multi-controller network topologies for larger areas via up to four decentralized controllers. This also means less cabling – a big cost-saving factor in some applications. The PROMATRIX 6000 system from Dynacord can now address, at maximum configuration level, up to 984 zones with a total of 164,000 watts of amplifying power in one system, making the system suitable for bigger installations in which a large number of zones and loudspeakers are needed. It also caters to existing installations whenever the infrastructure of a building changes and additional rooms have to be addressed. In addition, the network configuration provides redundant channels for safety purposes – in case of an emergency these channels will always work for evacuation signals, even if a controller loses network communication.
The Dynacord PROMATRIX 6000 is a unique, high-quality Public Address and EN 54-certified Voice Evacuation System. The certification allows architects, planners and specifiers to fulfill mandatory requirements specified in many tenders. In addition to professional audio quality, PROMATRIX 6000’s highly adaptable system architecture makes it ideal for small- to mid-sized offices, regional airports, mid-sized hotels, factories, schools and department stores. PROMATRIX 6000 now also includes loudspeaker zone monitoring and 30 minutes of flash memory for recordings of evacuation-related communication.
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Genelec Unveils Flagship 7380 Smart Active Subwoofer Genelec just introduced the 7380 Smart Active Subwoofer, which delivers both high SPL and an extended low-distortion LF response in an impressively compact enclosure.
The new flagship of the Smart Active Monitoring subwoofer range, the 7380 can be simply and seamlessly integrated into any monitoring system – from stereo to multi-channel, as well as part of a large-scale 3D Immersive setup. Equipped with a Class-D amplifier section plus all the benefits of Smart Active Monitoring technology, the 7380 partners with Genelec’s “The Ones” series of coaxial three-way monitors, particularly in the creation of Immersive systems for those working with Dolby Atmos, Auro-3D and DTS:X formats.
Standing 26.97″ (685mm) in height with a width of 28.27″ (718mm) and depth of 19.37″ (492mm), the 7380 features an 800W Class-D amplifier driving a custom 15-inch long-throw woofer that, combined with Genelec’s acclaimed LSE spiral enclosure, produces a maximum SPL of 119 dB (123 dB peak) plus precise low-frequency response down to 16 Hz.
The incorporation of Genelec’s acclaimed Smart Active Monitoring technology puts the 7380 at the heart of a larger family of smart monitors and subwoofers from across the Genelec range. With GLM software for PC or Mac, up to 40 Smart Active Monitors and subwoofers can be networked with instantly recallable system configurations and advanced auto-calibration features including level, time-of-flight and phase adjustments. GLM users benefit from extensive room compensation features including an adjustable crossover frequency and 20 parametric notch filters, ensuring that the 7380 can be optimized to achieve the best possible performance even in challenging acoustic environments. Crucially, GLM also supports both centralized and distributed bass management modes, depending on the type of monitors being used.
However, the 7380 is just as effective in a non-Smart Active Monitoring environment. A full complement of DIP switches can be easily accessed on the front panel, facilitating a full-featured standalone mode, including advanced calibration for hybrid systems in which traditional main monitors are used. In standalone mode, the crossover frequency is fixed at 85Hz. Finally, for those working with multi-channel audio, the 7380 offers 7.1 channel XLR analog inputs and outputs, while an AES/EBU digital connection can be used either for stereo operation or for full 7.1 digital with the addition of Genelec’s optional 9301 Digital Interface.
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New AmpliVox Digital Audio Travel Partner Plus PA System Debuts AmpliVox Sound Systems has introduced an upgraded version of its all-in-one PA system, adding a better battery and better sound quality for large venues. The SW925 Digital Audio Travel Partner Plus can support wireless microphones, stream music from Bluetooth-equipped devices and pair with supplementary speakers to provide customized sound coverage for audiences up to 7500 people or areas up to 15,000 square feet. This all-in-one PA system accommodates up to four wireless microphones on its own, or up to seven when paired with a second wireless receiver like the AmpliVox S9190 Quad Wireless Receiver System.
The 250-watt SW925 PA can project spoken presentations from wireless or wired-in microphones, or amplify music from the unit’s built-in Media Player for Bluetooth streaming or MP3 play with USB or SD card inputs. Convenient switches for Voice Priority, Voice Enhancement, and Volume Control allow for easy customization of presentations. A built-in 16 channel UHF receiver ensures clear sound with no frequency interference.
AmpliVox designed its SW925 to be portable and extremely durable, for use in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor settings. The entire unit is housed in a specially tooled and molded plastic enclosure that travels easily with a luggage-style handle and heavy duty industrial casters. The unit can be mounted on an optional tripod, providing clear increased sound coverage. Its rechargeable battery runs for up to ten hours.
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ClearOne COLLABORATE Pro Now Natively Integrates Skype For Business ClearOne today announced a system upgrade that allows users, at an additional cost, to enable Skype for Business on any COLLABORATE Pro model.
ClearOne’s COLLABORATE Pro is a series of low-cost room appliances, audio endpoints and PTZ cameras, containing a mix of built-in solution tools for any type of group-room collaboration, including: traditional video conferencing, audio conferencing, Skype for Business, Spontania cloud video & web conferencing, recording and streaming, and wireless presentation. These tools provide a variety of applications for any group activity: team collaboration, meeting, lecture, presentation, training, corporate communication, product launch, and more.
COLLABORATE Pro supports traditional SIP/H.323 video conferencing, cloud video and web conferencing, Skype for Business with native integration, multi-wireless user presentation and professional audio in any workspace. Additionally, COLLABORATE Pro has one consistent user interface and experience across all conferencing and collaboration applications.
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe AVBuyers.Club 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 and HomeAV industries, 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 or say anything good (or bad).
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.
rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship newsletter 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. rAVe Radio, our podcast network, was launched in 2012. AVBuyers.Club, our first publications targeted at end users, launched in May 2015. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com
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