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Why Audio in the Conference Room is NOT a One-Size-Fits-All Solution

by | Jul 26, 2018 | Pro Audio, Uncategorized

These days, video conferencing is a daily activity. What was once the prevue of only “C suite” executives is now available to everyone in the organization.  Conference rooms are becoming ubiquitous, and come in all shapes and sizes. Small, medium, or large – each size conference room has its own set of challenges that require different types of AV integration products and solutions.

Let’s break this down a little:

  • Let’s start small—AKA the huddle room. It’s estimated that worldwide, the number of huddle room installs will be in the six-figure range over the next few years. Huddle rooms are smaller spaces where AV/IT infrastructure is minimal and BYOD is the norm. It’s a collaboration environment. Folks need the ability to easily connect their computer and share content locally as well as remotely. Biamp has the solution for the huddle space environment, the Devio. A one cable connection from your computer to the Devio is all that’s required. The heart of the system is its’ beam –tracking microphone, which follows the conversation around the room.Crystal clear audio anywhere in the room is possible, thanks to the auto-setup feature which calibrates the mic and audio with the acoustics of the room. Connect a USB camera to the device and HDMI output from the Devio to a monitor and you’re all set. Two models provide interface capability with existing phone systems via the rooms’ phone headset output. The Devio even has a Bluetooth enabled version. AMX also has a player in this space, the Acendo Vibe. Included are JBL speakers and mics and a wide-angle camera to see everyone in the room.

Did you know that Almo Pro A/V offers a SOUND OPTIONS audio sourcing and engineering group? SOUND OPTIONS gives accessibility to favorite audio brands and technical expertise all through a single resource. Learn more here.

  • Medium sized rooms, AKA the “GRANDE,” are the perfect candidate for the Phoenix Stingray. This distributed array auto-mixer features mic-line inputs and can be configured as a stand-alone SIP client. The unit can be daisy-chained to add additional mics. The device can bridge two audio calls from different interfaces, has direction-finding and beamforming software which provides the ability to steer the directionality of the devices’ microphones. Speaking of mics, Phoenix has a number of mics certified to work with the device, such as the AKG CHM 99 hanging mic and the Beyer Dynamic Revoluto RM 30.
  • Large rooms — AKA the “big boy/executive conference room,” requires products like the BSS Soundweb London family of DSP processors is the way to go. The unit can come in a fixed I/O configuration or as a chassis, with a number of signal processors and I/Os in a variety of networked-audio configurations and slots for a variety of input/output cards. Available protocols include Cobra-Net, Digital Audio Bus, Dante, and AVB. The units are configurable through HiQnet London Architect.

Conferencing Taiden, AKG, and Beyer Dynamic are designed specifically for the conference room space that requires chairman/delegate assignments, remote mic control, voting, and can incorporate simultaneous interpretation as well. These systems are found in the conference rooms of Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

Taiden

AKG

Beyer Dynamic

In addition to these solutions, ALMO has the full line of Beyer Dynamic and AKG microphones, Ashly, Atlas, Crown, JBL amplification and speakers, Panasonic PTZ cameras, switchers, and a variety of video distribution options.

Small, medium, large…got a project in the works? Ring me up! We’d love the opportunity to help out!

 

Steve Alexander, CTS, PCVE, CCNA
Business Development Manager 

888-420-2566 x6648  |  [email protected]

 

NDI: The Secret Sauce for Your Next Campus or Enterprise Project

by | Jun 29, 2018 | Pro Audio, Uncategorized

An integrator came to us asking a familiar question. His customer, a small church, was asking for a way to live stream their services to homebound parishioners. After a site survey, the integrator priced the project, which came in way over budget, mainly because AC power had to be run to the camera positions, needed a code inspection after the AC was run, etc. He came to us looking for an alternative solution. We introduced him to Panasonic’s new NDI cameras, which provide all connections via one cable. The integrator re-worked his numbers, came in under budget and won the job.

 

Integrators are becoming increasingly familiar with audio over IP networks and offering it as a solution for their customers. Audio buses like Blu-Link allow devices to talk to each other over local area networks. It’s a great way to transport audio across the campus or enterprise. With the introduction of New Tek’s NDI (Network Device Interface) in 2015, getting video across the network has become much easier as well.

Why NDI?

NDI is a flexible solution that supports low-latency, high-quality frame accurate video over standard Ethernet networks. Multicast support was added in 2017, allowing group communication to many destinations simultaneously. Multicast is a bandwidth-friendly solution.

Let’s geek out for a minute: To deliver high-quality video, NDI relies on its own proprietary compression algorithm that reduces streams at a 15:1 ratio. Measurements in the lab show 16 video scan lines latency, while most real-world implementations show one field of latency. The NDI encoding algorithm is resolution and frame-rate independent and supports resolutions up to 4K and beyond. Gigabyte Ethernet is required to successfully implement NDI across the network. More information can be found here.

 

NDI Technology… now in PTZ cameras.

Panasonic has included NDI technology across their line of PTZ cameras. Models include the AW-HN38,AW-HN40,AW-UN70 and AW-HN130. The cameras are available now. With NDI, the cameras are automatically detected to become available for use in NDI-based production environments, negating the need for additional configuration.

Delix Alex, Product Manager for PTZ Camera and IP Networking Systems says, “A single cable enables simplified video production without sacrificing quality or feature-set, in addition to the inherent features of Panasonic’s PTZ line-up including a family of controllers, image quality and smoothness in movement.”

Three key benefits of NDI:

  1. NDI will transform video workflows.This technology will enable the integrator and end user to do more on a smaller budget. For the integrator, that means more budget can be allotted for additional AV products or services to support those products and provide ongoing revenue opportunities.
  2. New equipment is not necessary. Customers who already own Panasonics’ lineup of PTZ cameras can visit New Tek’s website (tk/ndi_panasonic) to upgrade and enable NDI functionality.
  3. Only one cable is needed. One cable connection is the gold standard and with a POE switch—no AC power is required. Control over IP is possible with NDI. One can connect to a control room’s switcher or control and monitor PTZ operations via PC, MAC or mobile terminals. This allows for control across the campus or across the world. NDI also carries multichannel uncompressed audio and bi-directional metadata.

Interested in NDI? Contact me at [email protected] for more information or join us at our fall E4 AV Tour coming to Boston in September and Nashville in October. Panasonic will have NDI cameras and the new AV-HLC100 switcher on display.

 

Steve Alexander, CTS, PCVE, CCNA
Business Development Manager 

888-420-2566 x6648  |  [email protected]

ALMO’s audio solutions shine in the Lone Star state.

by | May 14, 2018 | Pro Audio, Uncategorized

Sound Options, our new pro audio division, debuts in Dallas during the E4 AV Tour.

Goin’ to the big “D” and I DO mean Dallas! The second stop of ALMO’s E4 tour rolled into Dallas April 24. Integrators and resellers brought themselves and their customers to check out the latest offerings from ALMO’s partners, earn AVIXA RU’s and participate in our many training and product workshops. The event was bookmarked on both ends with Gary Kayye from Rave Publications starting the day speaking about AV over IP. The great Randy White, Dallas Cowboy icon, closed out our day with shared stories and insights on life and football.

New on the floor at Dallas was our Sound Options booth, showcasing the ever-growing number of audio manufacturers partnering with ALMO.Sound Options is the single source you need for all of your favorite audio brands, along with the kind of technical support that only ALMO can provide. To help us launch this exciting new initiative, we had a great talk with Gary Kayye —you can watch it here.

Other folks stopping by the Sound Options booth had the opportunity to test drive Beyer Dynamic’s Classis RM30 and MPR 210 array mics and Phoenix Stingray auto mixer while listening to them through Beyer DT-770 and AKG K240 MKII headphones. The AKG HP12U handled headphone audio distribution with aplomb.

In addition to our live demo, the Taiden HCS-4338ND/50 wired gooseneck conferencing mic and HCS-5300DE/80 infrared wireless mic were both on display. Revolution Acoustics’SSP6 multiducer had a lot of folks asking questions about this technology; bending wave physics creates a planar wave front that radiates evenly throughout the room, allowing the multiducer to turn many materials into a speaker. Neat stuff!

Ashly’s PEMA 4125.70 amplifier and FR-8 network remote were also available for attendees to check out. The FR-8 and FR-16 are the answer to facilities that host live performances but don’t have a dedicated audio engineer. Max levels and mutes can be programmed per channel, keeping it simple for the amateur operator.

Attendees also had the opportunity to enter a raffle to win a set of Beyer Dynamic DT-770 headphones. Our lucky winner was chosen and the 770s are on the way to their new home in the Dallas area!

Another highlight of the show was “The Ultimate Conference Call Experience.” It featured Biamp’s Devio huddle room solution, allowing attendees to see and—more importantly—hear the Devio in action. Calls were made to Biamp’s Beaverton, Oregon headquarters, and folks in Dallas could hear the Devio beamtracking mic in action as Biamp engineers walked around their conference room. Avocor provided their VTF-6510 interactive touch screen monitor, mounted to a Chief PRSU portable flat panel stand. The Vaddio ConferenceShot 10 PTZ camera delivered crisp, clean video while wireless connectivity was provided by the Barco Clickshare CSE-200.

To those who missed the show, you’ll have two opportunities in the fall. We’ll be in Boston on September 21 and Nashville on October 26. I look forward to seeing you there! In the meantime, I’m available here right now to answer all of your audio-related questions.

Steve Alexander, PCVE, CTS

Specialties: Installed Audio, Professional Audio & Video Production, Broadcast, Video Conferencing, Projection, Audio Recording, IP Signal Distribution, Networks

Steve has over twenty five years working in the professional audio, IT and video conferencing space. He has witnessed first-hand the convergence of audio visual, computer networking and control technologies. Steve is available to answer questions regarding system design choices and to help you ensure industry best practices are followed.

If you’d like more information on any of the featured product, please feel free to contact me using the contact information below.

 

888-420-2566 x6648  |  [email protected]

Now Hear This—Your Ultimate Audio Source is Here.

by | Apr 3, 2018 | Pro Audio, Uncategorized

Everyone has a story, and when you’ve been around professional audio as long as I have, you’ve heard them all … from headphone distribution system failures just as the clock starts with a room full of studio musicians to a client who thought that the female end of an XLR connector was the microphone. That’s right, I actually had that conversation years ago with a wannabe news stringer who was putting together their first ENG rig.

The point is, audio applications are varied, wide and deep. Some audio professionals spend their whole careers working with 70-volt installed sound and understand the challenges involved, whereas someone doing live sound or coming from a studio background may not have the knowledge and skill set to successfully design, build and install a system (and vice versa). Whatever your area of expertise, it’s critical to partner with a distributor who has the experience to deliver exactly what you need to get the job done.

A trusted resource has gotten even better.

A good mechanic has the correct tools for the job, and it’s the same with the audio professional. Audio design involves many choices, and we know that many times these choices boil down to the preference of the designer or engineer. That’s why Almo is expanding YOUR audio options through our new dedicated audio sourcing and technical support group, Sound Options.

Pack your toolkit with all of the brands you want.

Through Sound Options, we’re partnering with audio vendors to provide the tools you need to complete your project, your way. You’ll also receive the legendary sales assistance and technical support that’s helped make Almo the premier provider of exceptional audio solutions.

Ashly Audio–amplifiers, mic/line mixers, DSP processors

Beyerdynamic–microphones for any application

Phoenix Technologies–Stringray 4 channel auto-mixer

Taiden–wired and infrared wireless microphone conferencing and simultaneous interpretation

A Peek Behind the Curtain – A Visit to Panasonic’s Innovation Center

by | Feb 2, 2018 | Uncategorized

In December of last year, I had the opportunity to visit Panasonic’s Harrison, NJ technical research and training facility. It was a fantastic opportunity to peek behind the curtain, as it were, to see the technology that continually sets Panasonic apart from their competitors.

Let’s start with projectors. Panasonic has been manufacturing projectors for over 35 years. Their new Solid Shine series projector has done away with the traditional lamp and replaced it with LED and laser componentry that gives the user 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation. So, if you used this projector ten hours a day for a year, it would be over five years before one even thought of a component failure.

The units feature a reliable cooling system and dust resistant sealed optics. The unit runs cooler as well and has an eco-save option that will cut power consumption by almost 30%. The instant on/off capability of the unit increases productivity – no waiting for a lamp to come to full brightness.

The most impressive moment of my projector tour was the shootout against a well-known competitor. Both had optimal settings configured (I checked). The results are below, taken with my lowly cell phone camera. It clearly shows the distinction between one company’s idea of white vs Panasonic’s.  Also, notice the edges of the competitors’ screen as the brightness fades at the edges.

Panasonic is a major manufacturer of broadcast-grade studio cameras and monitors. The technology that Panasonic incorporates into those cameras shows up across their lines. Their new AW-UE70 is one example. It can deliver 4K image quality via HDMI, USB or over IP. The four-drive lens system enables high image quality zooming in the 4K format. Absolutely stunning results for a PTZ camera!

The coolest thing I saw while I was there was Panasonic’s Link Ray technology (not to be confused with the unsung hero of distorted guitar, Link Wray). Using your smartphone camera and Link Ray app, the user points to a light source (e.g. display), the app reads the information, connects to the Link Ray platform, and imports content destination info – usually a URL.  The app then connects to the destination content server and downloads the information to your phone. I watched a Panasonic engineer put together content for display that included pictures and text. When the file was uploaded to the display, I used the app and instantly the information was provided to my phone. I see this technology transforming retail, wayfaring, transportation centers (airports, train/bus stations), and municipal applications – the list is endless. If configured, the user has the ability to view the information in multiple languages. The technology is effective at a distance. You don’t have to be directly on the light source for the app to receive the information.

Last but certainly not least was my visit to the display lab and looking at the quality of Panasonic displays. Panasonic also manufactures very cool touchscreen displays. What sets this display apart from its competitors is that the built-in whiteboard does not require an external PC to run the whiteboard software. There is a floating menu bar that makes the operation of the unit easy and intuitive. One can even annotate on an external device and it will show up on the display. It can share still images, video and audio with included Wi-Fi-Certified Miracast technology.  The display has the ability to extend, duplicate or set up a second screen from your computer as well. Full HD 1080p resolution is supported. The user can even bring a USB storage device for playback directly from the display. The unit also supports DIGITAL LINK, Panasonic’s connection system based on HDBaseT technology that supports the transmission of HDMI, uncompressed 4K, HD video and control commands via CAT5e and Cat6 cabling.

I wish I could have had a week at the Panasonic facility instead of just one day. So much cool technology, so little time…

Audio – Twenty Years Ago. One Almo BDM’s Fond Memories and Meager Beginnings

by | Dec 28, 2017 | Pro Audio, Sound Engineering, Uncategorized

Hello Almo Customers!

As the New Year begins, I thought I’d take a moment to introduce myself, as I am one of the newer Business Development Managers here at Almo.

My name is Steve Alexander, I came on board with Almo in July of 2017 to help grow the audio offerings we provide to you, our customers. I’ve been involved in professional audio since the early 1980’s, graduating from the music business program at Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee.

Click Image to Listen  

Like many of you, while in school I did various jobs to supplement my meager student existence. My first “real” job in pro audio was working in a Music Row recording studio making cassette (you remember those, don’t you?) tape copies for songwriters and publishers wanting to pitch their songs to artist to put on their next release.

I eventually made my way to the control room, wrapping cables, setting up mics, and observing everything I could in order to have a chance to sit in front of the mixing console. During my tenure, I managed to work in various studios around town, eventually making my way up to chief engineer.

A number of years later I am still in love with audio. I’ve had gigs selling equipment to broadcast facilities, did some IT work as a Cisco engineer, and ran a team of AV pros supporting AV & VC technologies at the World Bank in Washington, DC.

I eventually married and settled in beautiful Annapolis, MD. Annapolis is blessed with a great number of talented musicians I got to know over time and thought, what’s an audio guy with an unfinished basement to do other than make the basement into a studio! Now remember, this was twenty years ago. So with a small budget I got to work. I triple-walled the control room and performance space to ensure as little noise as possible, made it into a performance space and built out the control room and vocal booth.

I decided to stick with a tape based system as a full blown Pro-Tools system was out of my financial reach at that time. So I decided on three Tascam DA-38’s synced together using their RC-848 transport remote, a Behringer 24×8 console was my recording desk, and I had a good bit of outboard gear to supplement what the Beheringer didn’t offer sonically, a Focusrite mic-pre & EQ, a number of dbx compressor/limiters, urei leveling amps, a Hafler audio amp,  JBL monitors and Auratone’s for my car audio mix. All this was tied together using Whirlwind TTL patchbays to route signals.  Over the years I had assembled a nice collection of microphones, from Shure SM57’s, to Sennheiser 421’s, and AKG D10, C391B’s, 414, etc.

One of my favorite projects was a compilation Christmas CD featuring local Annapolis artist. That CD provided the impetus for the still running two night live show of “An Annapolis Christmas” that occurs every December at our local music venue the Rams Head on Stage.

I’ve included a mix of “This Christmas” as performed by the Annapolis based band, Majesty 12.

No, it won’t sound as if it was recorded at Capital Studio A, but it ain’t bad considering it was recorded in my basement… ahh, my salad days…

Twenty years later, the technology is exponentially better, just to say you don’t need a million dollar budget to put together a decent sounding recording facility. This translates into the install and integration markets as well. With the convergence of AV and IT, the possibilities are truly endless. It’s an exciting time to be an AV professional. Almo ProAV is dedicated to helping our partners provide the best in class solution to their end users.

I hope you will allow me to assist you with any upcoming projects you have that involve audio.

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