Sound and Communications - February 2008 Issue

Vol. 54 No. 2 February 18, 2008 

GRAND 

CENTRAL 

RAILWAY 

EUROPE’S LARGEST 

STATION COMMUNICATES 

TO KEEPLOCATIONS 

‘CONNECTED.’ 

INFO ON THE 

FAST TRACK 

PUBLIC ADDRESS AND DIGITAL 

SIGNAGE KEEP VA PASSENGERS 

‘IN THE KNOW.’ 

DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE 

FEATURING 40+ PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS.

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Crestron and Microsoft ® , two technology leaders, are working together to develop future digital 

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Microsoft ® chose 

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Volume 54 Number 2 February 18, 2008 

FEATURES 

40 GRAND CENTRAL RAILWAY 

Europe’s largest station communicates to keep far-flung locations 

‘connected.’ 

By R. David Read 

52 INFO ON THE FAST TRACK 

Public address and digital signage keep VA passengers ‘in the know.’ 

By Jim Stokes 

60 ‘SIGNS’ OF SUCCESS 

Digital Signage Expo’s Vegas gathering promises massive growth. 

By Dan Ferrisi 

52 

64 DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 NEW PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 

We preview some of the introductions planned at Digital Signage 

Expo in Las Vegas. 

78 MARKET BRIEF 

Government Facilities & Public Works: Putting our tax dollars to good use. 


DEPARTMENTS 

9 NEWSLETTER 

20 HOUSE OF WORSHIP: TECHNOLOGY 

Medium Matches Message: Ebenezer Baptist Church upgrades 

its experience. 


26 HOUSE OF WORSHIP: BUSINESS 

Communicating with Decision-Makers, Part 1: Breaking down titles, roles 

and responsibilities. 

By David Lee Jr., PhD 

40 

28 IN FOCUS 

AV: The Next Generation: Continuing our series profiling our industry’s 

up-and-comers. 


34 INTEGRATOR’S POV 

In The AV World, Educating Architects Benefits Everyone: Even when 

we do our best, the results could be even better. 

By Jerilyn Snider, CTS, and Alan High 

36 AV CAFÉ 

What Testing Others Has Taught Us: A CTS-D exam analysis. 

By Joseph Bocchiaro III, PhD, CTS-D, CTS-I 

80 NEWS 

COLUMNS 

81 CALENDAR 

6 WAVELENGTH 

84 PEOPLE 

By David A. Silverman 

85 PRODUCTS 

12 SIGHT LINES 

88 LITERATURE & MEDIA 

By Gary Kayye, CTS 

89 CENTERSTAGE 

14 SOUND ADVICE 

60 

92 MARKETPLACE 

By Peter Mapp, FASA 

98 DATA SCAN 

18 DOWN TO BUSINESS 


By David McNutt 

4 Sound & Communications 

www.soundandcommunications.com

February 2008 5

This month’s editorial package, with 

the theme of Government Facilities 

and Public Works, is a bit different 

from our typical February fare, and 

it’s also one I can relate to on a 

personal level, in two divergent ways 

(more on that later). Here you have 

not one, but two approaches to 

integrating audio and video into digital 

signage for two railroad systems, in 

two different parts of the world! 

The first, the new Berlin, Germany, 

Central Railway Station, is 

monumental, reputed to be the 

largest structure of its kind in the 

world, and the first such from-theground-up 

venture in more than 70 

years. After all, moving train station 

hubs isn’t the simplest job to 

accomplish….do you think that 

would happen on the same scale in 

the US? Although we can’t, due to 

proprietary and security considerations, 

offer our typical extensive 

equipment list, you can still see the 

grand application of AV and digital 

signage throughout this massive 

system. And can you imagine the 

challenges of creating effective 

audio and video communications 

systems within this $16.5 billion 

glass and steel structure? Our R. 

David Read offers a detailed report. 

On a much smaller scale, yet just 

as important for its rail system, we 

offer “Info On The Fast Track” by 

Jim Stokes, detailing installation of 

public address and digital signage to 

fulfill Americans with Disabilities Act 

(ADA) requirements and help keep 

17,000 daily riders at the Virginia 

Railway Express’ 18 commuter 

stations safe and informed. No easy 

task, when architecture at each 

station is different, and it’s all outdoors. 

(Don’t try this at home!) 

So, how do I relate to these on a 

personal level? Well, in my “formative 

years,” I spent 13 months 

stationed in 

Berlin (before 

the Wall came 

down), and rode 

the U-Bahn and 

S-Bahn subway/ 

train lines 

during my off 

hours. They 

David A. Silverman 

were efficiently run, and I was always 

fascinated by the pre-war cars on 

some of the runs that featured wood 

construction and padded seats (no 

graffiti, slashed seats or other types 

of typical urban damage). 

And, overall, these installation 

stories brought me back to NSCA’s 

March 2004 annual Expo. For 

medical reasons, I couldn’t fly from 

New York to Las Vegas to attend, 

yet I had to be there, so Amtrak it 

was. My three-day ride out and fourday 

return (due to a derailment in 

California and a stuck railroad 

trestle outside Chicago)—all for a 

three-day trade event!—certainly 

was an adventure I will never forget 

(and one, I dare say, I will never 

repeat!). 

Don’t forget to check out our 

Digital Signage Expo preview and 

New Product Spotlight in this issue. 

As I mentioned in last month’s 

“Wavelength,” digital signage is one 

of the “hot spots” in our industry 

today, so we’ve expanded our 

coverage of the fast-growing Digital 

Signage Expo, being held this month 

in Las Vegas. 

And, don’t forget to check out our 

February VIEWpoint (www.sound 

andcommunications.com/viewpoint). 

Our David Lee speaks with Pastor 

Robb Hawks about the all-important 

Worship market. You can also check 

our archives for coverage of 

Videoconferencing and Digital 

Signage. Next month, we’ll tackle 

White Space issues. 

■ 

Editor 

David A. Silverman 

dsilverman@testa.com 

Associate Editor 

Dan Ferrisi 

dferrisi@testa.com 

Editorial Assistant 

Michelle Loeb 

mloeb@testa.com 

Contributing Editors 

R. David Read 

Jim Stokes 

Contributors 

Joseph Bocchiaro III, PhD, CTS-D, CTS-I; Alan 

High; Gary Kayye, CTS; David Lee Jr., PhD; 

Peter Mapp, FASA; David McNutt; R. David 

Read; Jerilyn Snider, CTS; Jim Stokes 

Technical Council 

Gary Kayye, CTS, Kayye Consulting, Inc. 

David Lee Jr., PhD, Lee Communication Inc. 

Joel Lewitz, PE, Lewitz and Associates, Inc. 

David E. Marsh, FASA, 

Pelton Marsh Kinsella, LLC 

David McNutt, Consultant 

Thomas C. Rauscher, Archi-Technology 

Tony Warner, CTS-D, CSI CDT, RTKL 

Graphic Designers/Artists 

Danáe Messina Berrio 

Janice Pupelis 

Web Designer 

Othilia Kim 

Production Manager 

Steve Thorakos 

Sales Assistant/Ad Traffic 

Sam Mitrani 

smitrani@testa.com 

Advertising Manager 

Bob Beucler 

bbeucler@testa.com 

Classified Sales 

Linda Inglima 

linglima@testa.com 

Circulation 

Linda Emanuele 

circulation@testa.com 

Operations Manager 

Robin Hazan 

rhazan@testa.com 

Associate Publisher 

John Carr 

jcarr@testa.com 

President/Publisher 

Vincent P. Testa 

Editorial and Sales Office 

Sound & Communications 

25 Willowdale Avenue 

Port Washington, New York 11050-3779 

(516) 767-2500 

FAX: (516) 767-9335 

SOUNDCOM@TESTA.COM 

Sound & Communications (ISSN 0038-1845) (USPS 943-140) is published monthly plus a special thirteenth issue 

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Copyright © 2008 SOUND & COMMUNICATIONS PUBLISHING, INC. Reprint of any part of contents without permission 

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NEWSLETTER 

GIBSON GUITAR AND TC GROUP PLAN MERGER 

Gibson Guitar Corp. (Nashville TN) and TC Group (Risskov, Denmark) have a preliminary agreement to 

merge, Gibson Guitar chairman/CEO Henry Juszkiewicz and TC Group CEO Anders Fauerskov announced 

at the NAMM Show in Anaheim CA. Under the merger terms, Fauerskov will remain based in 

Europe and serve as COO of the new combined Gibson Guitar Corp. The two companies expect to finalize 

the deal by the end of February. Terms remain undisclosed. 

According to Juszkiewicz, “The synergy between the two companies will allow us an enormous advantage 

in the development of new audio technologies.” Visit www.gibson.com or www.tcgroup.tc for more. 

CHYRON ACQUIRES AXIS GRAPHICS, LAUNCHES ONLINE DIV. 

Chyron (Melville NY) has launched Chyron Online, a new division the foundation for which is the 

acquisition of AXIS Graphics (New York NY), a proprietary web-based graphics system involved with 

online graphics production. The combined organization provides the ability to produce higher quality 

graphics more quickly. “Chyron Online now significantly expands Chyron’s core addressable markets 

beyond the traditional broadcast arena, to include websites, newspapers, radio stations, mobile 

phones and digital signage globally,” commented Chyron CEO Michael Wellesley-Wesley. Chyron 

Online will provide an array of web-based services customized to each client’s brand. 

“The acquisition of AXIS Graphics will enhance Chyron’s business around the world. Not only does 

the AXIS technology integrate with our broadcast products, it instantly expands our reach to include 

non-broadcast clients like newspapers, radio stations, mobile phone and digital media producers, and 

anyone producing content for the internet….I believe that, in the future, this will be viewed as a 

major milestone in the development of digital graphics creation and workflow. We launch our Online 

division with over 150 television station clients and, with AXIS, we are able to address a wide array 

of new growth markets around the world,” he added. 

FUJITSU DEPARTS PLASMA MARKET SPACE 

Japan’s Fujitsu group will halt plasma television production because of diminished profitability, despite 

the company being the first in the world to introduce the technology commercially. Sales of plasma 

models have not been keeping pace with LCD (liquid crystal display) sales. Fujitsu General Ltd., a 

subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd., already has ceased most plasma TV production. At present, it only makes 

high-end models sold in limited outlets. In a statement, Fujitsu General noted, “During the past several 

years, the pricing and profitability of this segment has compressed beyond the point which our company 

could realize a satisfactory return on investment.” Intentions were announced to depart the 

business by March and focus on the Fujitsu unit’s heating and ventilation equipment business. 

Fujitsu General was the global pioneer in plasma TV sales in the early 1990s, following more than 20 

years of research. In 2005, Fujitsu surrendered its major plasma operation, turning over to Hitachi 

Ltd. control of a joint venture enterprise. For additional information, visit www.fujitsu.com. 

BARIX, DIGIGRAM PARTNER ON ETHERSOUND INITIATIVE 

Barix AG (Zurich, Switzerland) is partnering with Digigram (Montbonnot, France) to bring 

EtherSound, a digital audio transport technology, to new markets, including security, transportation 

and other public-address applications. Digigram has recognized Barix as a launch partner for the 

technology, with Barix implementing Digigram’s ES-100/spkr technology within its Exstreamer IP 

audio decoders and IPAM modules for OEM partnerships. 

The ES-100/spkr, a variant of the network audio standard EtherSound, enables manufacturers to 

implement EtherSound in new devices for less cost while keeping typical EtherSound control and 

administration features when a fully featured ES-100 or ES-Giga implementation is not required. 

Receive NEWSLETTER earlier, with hot links and info via email! Click on “Join Our Email 

NEWSLETTER” at www.soundandcommunications.com. 

February 2008 

9

NEWSLETTER 

“As a…player in the markets we target with ES-100/spkr, Barix was an ideal and obvious launch 

partner,” said Digigram president/CEO Philippe Delacroix. “We are confident that our joint efforts will 

speed up the proliferation of EtherSound in markets where low-latency and other typically 

EtherSound features were just a Holy Grail until now. That’s why we are really delighted to welcome 

Barix among our community of proactive EtherSound licensees and to add a new EtherSound 

Implementer, allowing manufacturers to quickly integrate network audio connectivity in their products.” 

Digigram developed the ES-100/spkr solution to define a variant that could co-exist and interoperate 

with ES-100 or ES-Giga networks for markets with other priorities, including live paging and background 

music for public address systems. Visit www.barix.com or www.digigram.com for more. 

GROUP ONE, DIGICO REACH DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT 

Group One Ltd. (Farmingdale NY), a US pro audio distributor led by president Jack Kelly, has reached 

an agreement with UK-based digital console manufacturer DiGiCo to distribute its products within the 

US and Puerto Rico. The agreement was inked January 14 and is retroactive beginning January 1. 

“DiGiCo has developed a strong brand in the US,” explained David Webster, marketing director. “Combining 

this, the established DiGiCo US team and the distribution know-how of Group One gives us the 

ideal marriage to further strengthen our position and fully implement the extensive plans we have 

for the not-too-distant future.” 

Kelly added, “I look forward to working with Allan Nichols [sales manager], Taidus Vallandi [technical 

sales] and Amy Vallandi [sales and service support], all of whom will join the Group One team.” 

For additional information, visit www.g1limited.com or www.digico.org. 

NSCA FORMALIZES TECHWEEK PLANS 

Beginning in Fall 2008, NSCA will debut NSCA TechWeek, an educational conference designed for 

technicians, installers, design consultants and sales representatives, sponsored by InfoComm and 

held in Dallas TX at the Hilton Anatole Hotel and Conference Center from October 27 to 31. Dedicated 

primarily to education and industry training, TechWeek will feature education and certification programs 

from both NSCA University and InfoComm Academy, along with manufacturer training and a 

limited number of tabletop exhibits. This trade-only event will be exclusive to the commercial AV 

channel and electronic systems integrators. 

Describing the exhibit portion of the TechWeek offering to Sound & Communications, NSCA executive 

director Chuck Wilson told us, “We’re returning to our roots, in a sense, in having very small-profile 

tabletop displays that are easy to set up, easy to tear down and just a couple of people would need to 

come from each company. It’ll be very engineering and technology focused.” 

For more information, go to www.nsca.org or www.infocomm.org. 

NCAST RECEIVES PATENT FOR MULTICAST VIDEOCONFERENCING 

NCast Corp. (Sunnyvale CA), involved with rich-media communications and telepresentation technology, 

has announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent (US Patent No. 

7,280,492) for NCast’s Telepresenter rich-media capture and production appliance. This invention 

relates to VTC and, specifically, to an improved technique of implementing a multicast VTC system. 

“This patent is an outshoot of NCast’s development work in the field of rich media collaboration,” 

commented Dr. Henry Magnuski, CEO. “NCast’s advanced technologies in Capture are already well 

known, but much of our emphasis throughout the past few years has been on the delivery mechanisms, 

and this patent is central to that research and development effort. As our patent portfolio 

continues to grow, it will further strengthen our position as a leading provider of next-generation 

rich media communication technologies.” 

The technologies embodied in the issued patent are a key part of NCast’s Telepresenter product 

family, which includes the flagship Telepresenter M3, its smaller cousin the Telepresenter S3 and the 

N-Way Server. For additional information, visit www.ncast.com. 

COMPILED BY DAN FERRISI AND DAVID A. SILVERMAN 

10 

Sound & Communications 



Projector Specs Are Dead Part 2 

A follow-up to November 2007’s discussion. 

By Gary Kayye, CTS 

If you read my November 2007 

“Sight Lines,” entitled “Projector 

Specs Are Dead,” then you know 

that my hypothesis is that, no 

matter what projector manufacturers 

do and say with the marketing 

of their specifications, the only 

thing that matters today is service. 

The only differentiator in the 

future will be service. 

So, what is good service? 

When we take a look at bad 

service, I think that what’s good will 

be understood: 

• Field Sales: Ever wonder what 

the heck happened to field sales 

forces in the display industry? I’ll 

tell you what: Margins drove many 

projector manufacturers out of the 

support market. Most used to have 

field sales forces (mostly regionally 

based, some vertical market based) 

that were on the road 24/7/365 

calling on dealers and consultants 

making sure they had what they 

needed to support and specify their 

products. Now, only a handful of 

companies still have them. 

To be honest, you can’t totally 

blame the projector manufacturers 

for this. Ultimately, they forced 

their own demise by playing the 

“street price” game, but not all are 

at fault. Although one company may 

have started it, the fact that other 

Ever wonder 

what the heck happened 

to field sales forces in the 

display industry? 

Margins drove many 

projector manufacturers out 

of the support market. 

market leaders emulated that street 

price game meant that the pricing 

for all projectors was driven down. 

Remember, in reality, there are 

only a few manufacturers making 

all the projectors for all 40 or so 

brands. As a result, pricing, market-wide, 

was driven down. 

So, a lack of field service personnel 

has driven down service among 

many of the projector manufacturers 

out there. 

• Product Support: What 

continues to amaze me, even now, 

is the lack of knowledge many of 

the manufacturers have about their 

own products. Just test this one 

out: Randomly call any projector 

manufacturer and ask, “What does 

HDMI 1.3a mean?” OK, that may 

not be fair because you probably 

don’t even know why you need to 

know that, so let’s try something 

they’ve been touting for years as a 

key buying decision factor: ANSI 

lumens. Call them and ask, “What 

exactly is ANSI lumens and what’s 

the standard for measuring it?” Now, 

that’s a fair question. They are 

touting ANSI lumens as a key 

specification for buying a projector 

so they should know that one—but 

most won’t. 

But, it doesn’t stop there. Do they 

know what accessories go with their 

projectors? Is a mount included or 

not? What’s the lens throw ratio? 

The list goes on and on. 

So, a lack of product knowledge 

has driven down service among 

many of the projector manufacturers 

out there. 

• Basic Service: Have you noticed 

how hard it is now to get basic 

service, install and even sales 

questions answered by some projector 

manufacturers? It’s like trying to 

get support from Microsoft...transfer 

after transfer after transfer. But, 

there are a few out there that are 

awesome, with humans answering 

the phone! That’s all it really takes. 

In this day and age of computerized 

everything, it’s nice to talk to a 

person, especially one who actually 

knows the product he’s getting paid 

to support, huh? 

So, as you decide whom to align 

yourself with in the future, as the 

market gets bigger and bigger, 

consider not considering specifications 

and consider service and 

support well before anything else! 

With a good sales rep, you’ll be 

directed to the right specifications 

for the install anyway. 

■ 

Gary Kayye, a member of Sound & Communications’ Technical Council, is principal of Kayye 

Consulting. He was InfoComm International’s 2003 Educator of the Year, and NSCA named 

him 2007 Instructor of the Year. Send comments to him at gkayye@testa.com. 




Do You Hear What I Hear? 

Why we need a reference when assessing sound systems. 

By Peter Mapp, FASA 

Just before Christmas, I received a 

call from a client who runs a venue 

with a 1000-seat auditorium, asking 

if I could take a look (listen) to his 

Christmas spectacular production 

because the producer and musical 

director were not happy with certain 

aspects of the sound. I arranged to 

visit the following Saturday so I 

could listen to two shows. After a 

two-minute briefing from the producer 

about the problem and a 

slightly longer (five minutes) 

discussion with the sound designer/ 

operator, I was left to my own 

devices to discreetly wander around 

the accessible parts of the auditorium 

during the three-hour show. 

Now, let me put this into perspective 

for you: The show had a 20- 

piece band (orchestra) and some 40 

singers and dancers occupying a 

very wide stage, which gets completely 

reset during the interval. The 

halftime stage reset involves moving 

the orchestra and drum booth to the 

center of the stage and completely 

re-micing them. 

From the brief pre-show discussions, 

my understanding of the 

problem was that the MD and 

producer were not happy with the 

sound in a particular seating area 

(call it “Area A”), but that the 

problem only manifested itself 

during certain numbers, where it 

particularly affected the sound of the 

cello and the organ—Oh! I forgot to 

mention the organ, didn’t I?— 

making them appear to go off tune 

and sound generally poor. This also 

apparently happened with some 

vocals, as well, but the problem did 

not happen all the time! Now you 

know as much as I did when the 

show started! 

Well, I wandered and I listened, and 

then I listened and wandered, and 

then I wondered and then I wandered, 

wondered and listened; actually, at 

one point I managed to combine all 

three activities at once, which apparently 

is what happens when you call a 

top man in!). Luckily, I had been able 

to elicit from the producer that he was 

happy with the sound in another 

particular location where he and the 

MD did not hear the effect. 

So, it seemed a simple matter to 

me of listening in Area A and then 

wandering round to Area B and 

comparing what I heard. But that’s 

where the wonder of sound comes 

in: It just wasn’t that simple. Sure 

enough, I heard quite significant 

differences between the two locations 

and, indeed, between the 

problem area and other parts of the 

auditorium, but I didn’t hear an offtune, 

raspy cello note or out of tune, 

raspy vocalist come to that—despite 

the show’s Christmas party having 

been held the night before. 

Nor, to that matter, did I hear a 

raspy, off-tune organ note. But, part 

of the trouble was that I hadn’t 

heard the show before, so did not 

know what to expect or what I 

should hear. Agreed, I have a pretty 

good idea of what a cello (or organ) 

should sound like, but that cello, 

played by that musician, in that 

acoustic? Ditto the vocals. This 

drove home the reason why, as 

professional sound engineers/ 

acousticians, we take some tried and 

tested and well known (to us) CD 

tracks along when evaluating a 

system or problem—as we then 

have a reference. The problem is 

that I really did not have a baseline 

reference on which to judge the 

sound (apart from 30 years of 

professional listening experience). 

So what did I hear? Well, I did not 

hear any raspy cello or organ notes. 

What I did hear, however, was a 

high quality but generally “middy” 

sounding system. I also heard a 

marked difference in the D/R 

(Direct to Reverberant) ratio between 

the declared poor and good 

areas. I also noticed a distinct 

difference in the intelligibility of the 

vocals between the areas. 

During the show, I made a number 

of stereo recordings for alter playback 

to see if I could hear the problem when 

more familiar with the show/music/ 

environment. I had my trusty (and 

discrete) Ivie 35 with me and kept an 

eye on the real-time, 1/3 octave 

display. (So now that’s four things I 

could bill my client for: wandering, 

wondering, listening and looking!). 

This proved to be very enlightening. 

Whereas, over a relatively short 

period of time, virtually all the 1/3 

octave bands were excited and 

jumped up and down, some seemed 

United Kingdom-based Peter Mapp, FASA, is principal of Peter Mapp Associates. A chartered 

engineer and physicist, he also is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America. Send 

comments to him at pmapp@testa.com. 



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to move up and down slightly 

differently from others. In particular, 

the 250Hz bar graph seemed to be 

quite predominant and did not 

appear to decay as fast as its neighbors. 

The question was, however, 

was this as it should have been (i.e., 

was the display just following the 

music?) or was this an indicator of 

the potential problem? 

Now, as any self respecting 

acoustic consultant, sound operator 

or musician with a physics degree 

will immediately know, there is a 

note (B) at 247Hz that it could have 

been that I was seeing, but I don’t 

think so. Of course, also within the 

limits of the 250Hz 1/3 octave band 

are “A” at 220Hz and “C” at 262Hz. 

So, without a reference, in this case 

the musical score, I could not tell if I 

should be hearing/seeing a note or 

not. Clearly, there was a need for 

some objectivity and/or a defined 

reference to work with. 

Between shows, there was a 15- 

minute window when I could make 

some quick measurements after the 

cleaners (and vacuum cleaners) had 

departed and before the next audience 

arrived. Time, therefore, for a 

blast of one of my favorite references: 

pink noise. This, indeed, 

showed that the overall response 

was rather “middy,” and that a peak, 

indeed, did occur in the 250Hz 1/3 

octave: at 233Hz, to be precise. 

The problem was that it didn’t quite 

happen physically where it should 

have, but pretty close by. With five 

minutes to go, but with the audience 

already starting to enter, time for 

another reference sonic delight: a 

STIPA signal that enabled me to verify 

on the spot the potential intelligibility 

at two of my observation positions. 

This immediately showed that, 

indeed, there was potentially a 

noticeable difference in intelligibility 

between the positions as subjectively 

experienced. 

The other test that I really didn’t 

have time to do (but did anyway 

despite a chorus of protests from the 

ushers and audience) was to record 

a reference sine sweep at two of the 

identified locations. This was then 

later deconvolved (signal processing 

technique to extract time domain 

(impulse response) information from 

the frequency sweep) to extract the 

impulse response and detailed 

frequency response information. 

Now, of course, it would have 

been nice to have been able to take 

a complete measurement rig with 

me and make extensive, non-invasive 

measurements during the show. 

Nice idea in theory, but not a 

practical proposition for a first-time 

visit to look at a vague, ill-defined 

problem of unknown prominence. 

However, the brief wander with 

the real-time analyzer and real-time 

assessment of the STI gave me an 

immediate handle on the problem. 

As the audience filed in, I got the 

sound operator to apply a narrow, 

233Hz, 5dB cut to all of the front of 

house main speakers. 

So, did I hear the problem during 

the second show? No—but then I am 

not sure if I heard it during the first 

one, either! Was the sound still 

generally middy? Yes. Was I happy 

that I had cracked the problem? No. 

Did I think I now knew what the 

problem was? Yes. Did I know what 

was causing it? No. Did I know how 

to cure the problem? No. 

The next step was to return the 

following day, when I could have the 

auditorium to myself for several 

hours and “measure the heck out of 

it.” That enabled me to find the 

problem, after several hours and 

with the assistance of three different 

acoustic analysis software platforms 

and 30 years of experience. 

What did I learn? Quite a lot, 

actually, but, primarily, it reinforced 

my never-ceasing wonderment of the 

vagaries and infinite variety of problems 

associated with sound and, of 

course, the need for a reference, 

whether music, speech, pink noise or 

a modulated STIPA signal. It also 

provided me with a new consulting/ 

problem-solving acronym, WWLL: 

Wander, Wonder, Look and Listen! 

But what was the cause of the problem 

you ask? Well, that’s another 

story, but I blame the architect; but, 

then, I would say that wouldn’t I? ■ 




Personal Productivity 

Gaining control of interruptions in the workplace. 

By David McNutt 

I love my spam filter. Without it, I 

would lose so much time either 

deleting, or deciding whether or not 

to delete, the hundreds of useless 

emails I receive. Even though the 

software automatically deletes 

captured spam that is older than 15 

days, usually there are 400 to 500 

emails in my junk box at any one 

time; this means the spam rate is 

about 35 per day. 

Nearly 80% of emails sent worldwide 

are spam. A survey commissioned 

by McAfee found that 49% of 

Americans spend more than 40 

minutes per week deleting them. 

The time employees spend deleting 

junk email costs companies billions 

of dollars every year. This single 

issue is but a small part of the 

productivity loss that occurs every 

day in business. 

Productivity, of course, is something 

you determine by comparing 

the measured input of an activity to 

its measured output: Count the 

number of widgets produced and 

divide by the time or cost it took to 

produce them. But it’s not so easy to 

measure the output of knowledge for 

workers, such as information 

developers, designers and producers, 

because we can’t accurately 

measure the output. The same is 

true with managers and CEOs. Still, 

[Following] an interruption, 

it takes 20 minutes to get 

back to the prior level of 

concentration. 

the concept of increased productivity 

is high on my agenda for 2008. 

And, for me, it has a lot to do with 

interruptions. 

In a professional work environment, 

productivity sometimes is 

measured by momentum. Just as our 

automobiles work harder to accelerate 

from a complete stop, so does 

our work after an interruption. 

Although interruptions are part of 

our normal work life, they cause a 

decelerating effect, reducing momentum 

and destroying our personal 

gas mileage. 

The average office worker is 

interrupted 73 times a day and the 

average manager is interrupted 

every eight minutes. These come in 

the form of telephone calls, incoming 

email messages, interruptions by 

colleagues and, of course, crises. 

Once there is an interruption, it 

takes 20 minutes to get back to the 

prior level of concentration. There 

are times we can easily spend our 

entire day on interruptions and 

crises, and get nothing done that we 

planned to accomplish. We can’t 

eliminate all interruptions, but we 

can reduce them and take control of 

our time more effectively. I’m 

starting with email. 

A few weeks ago, I began the 

arduous task of sifting and sorting 

through the good email I received in 

2007. I was surprised at how much 

information I had to sift; not because 

it was spam, but because of the 

sheer number of emails. Like you, I 

filter an email based on who it’s 

from, the subject line, and its 

immediate importance to what I am 

doing and what I need. But I discovered 

that it was not email volume 

that was the problem, but how I 

dealt with them. After some reading 

and coaching, I’m making some 

changes in my email life. 

First, I’m going to start sending 

better emails. Based on the type I 

hate to receive myself, I promise not 

to send one of these to you. This 

promise includes copying fewer 

people (and only when necessary); 

making action requests clear and to 

the point; and editing forwarded 

messages to highlight the simple 

morsel of an issue. As an ancillary 

action, I’m also going to start using 

the telephone again. 

Second, I’m going to start checking 

email at defined times each day. 

Not only that, I also will not respond 

immediately. When I check email, I 

will be making a list of response 

priorities, and answering them at a 

defined email response time. If 

anyone has to contact me instanta- 

(continued on page 90) 

A member of Sound & Communications’ Technical Council, David McNutt has 35 years of 

experience, covering live sound engineering, marketing for well-known manufacturers, audio 

system design and consultation, and fixed installation contracting. McNutt holds a Masters 

in Telecommunications and an MBA in Marketing and Strategy. He can be reached at 

dmcnutt@testa.com. 



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Ebenezer Baptist Church upgrades its experience. 


Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a 

civil rights icon perhaps best encapsulated 

as a convergence of two 

critical elements: a man with ideas 

whose time had come, and an 

individual able to articulate those 

ideas in a way that inspired millions 

and changed a nation. Such an 

individual deserves a lasting legacy 

and, in his case, one piece of it is 

the Martin Luther King Jr. National 

Historic Site in Atlanta GA. Established 

in October 1980, some 12 

years after Dr. King’s death, it 

encompasses numerous buildings in 

the vicinity of his childhood home. 

Ebenezer Baptist Church is part of 

the site, and is the church at which 

Dr. King and his father pastored and 

spread their message. 

Ebenezer Baptist Church has 

roots extending back to 1886, when 

it was founded during the South’s 

reconstruction period. Although 

always holding fast to its proud 

heritage, the church erected the 

new Horizon Sanctuary in 1999. 

(The former facility is now open to 

the public for tours and, on special 

occasions, might be used for services.) 

The sanctuary accommodates 

about 1200, and is presided over by 

Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, senior 

pastor. Dr. Warnock and his team 

realized that the church’s distributed 

loudspeaker system was not 

Ebenezer 

Baptist 

Church, 

Atlanta GA, 

part of the 

Martin 

Luther King 

Jr. National 

Historic 

Site. 

sufficient for Ebenezer’s needs, and 

moved forward with a phased technology 

upgrade that, in fact, is still 

ongoing: audio is completed, lighting 

is being done at this writing and 

video is scheduled for the future. 

The two firms responsible for the 

sound-system component of the job 

are Design 2020 Church Media 

Consultants (Harrisburg NC), acting 

as the system designers, and Pace 

Communication Group (Easley SC), 

which handled the installation. From 

Design 2020, our primary point of 

contact is Paul Henderson, principal 

acoustician; also adding insight is 

Armando Fullwood, principal. Meanwhile, 

from Pace Communication, 

Terry Rhodes, who managed the 

project, provides additional perspectives. 

Design commenced in July 

2007 and the systems installation was 

finished in the first week of October, 

with a budget close to $250,000. 

Before delving into the project, a 

question: What inspired Ebenezer to 

put its faith in these firms? 

The house of worship segment is 

different from many other audiovisual 

vertical markets in its focus on 

word-of-mouth business. To secure a 

contract with a well-known church 

such as Ebenezer, a firm must 

possess an excellent reputation. 

According to Fullwood, “I would say 

85% of our work is referral-based. 

That’s how we were introduced to 

Ebenezer…because pastors talk to 

each other. When you’re a pastor of 

prominence in a high-profile building, 

you’re going to talk to other 

high-profile churches and ask, ‘Who 

did your building and are you happy 

with the results?’ Ebenezer’s representatives 

had spoken with three of 

our clients, who all gave us a strong 

recommendation.” Pace Communication, 

a firm with which Design 2020 

works regularly, also has an enviable 

reputation in the market. 

The evolution of the Ebenezer 

worship experience prompted the 

need for enhanced technology. 

Originally, traditional choir, piano 

and organ defined the church’s 

sound of worship. Resultantly, 

architectural firm Stanley Love- 

Stanley (Atlanta GA) concepted and 

acoustically sculpted the space for 

pipe organ-type sound. However, in 

Dan Ferrisi is Sound & Communications’ Associate Editor. 



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The stereo 

line arrays fill 

the sanctuary 

with clear, 

intelligible 

sound, 

whether the 

church is 

following a 

traditional or 

contemporary 

worship style. 

ever, it was dictated that acoustics 

should not be affected, given the 

space’s suitability for the pipe organ. 

“After analyzing the space,” said 

Henderson, “we took the approach 

of minimizing the number of loudspeakers 

throughout the space to 

clean up the visual footprint of the 

system. That’s what led us to the 

line-array approach.” Design 2020 

the ensuing years, a more blended 

worship style has evolved. According 

to Henderson, “The church 

might hold a contemporary service 

on one Sunday and a traditional 

service on the next.” The aforementioned 

distributed speakers simply 

could not support the high-energy 

worship events, and so, a new sound 

system was commissioned. Howspecified 

a pair of Nexo arrays (14 of 

the GEOS1210 10-degree modules 

and two of the GEOS1230 30-degree 

modules) suspended in a stereo 

configuration. Added Henderson, 

“We’re using the line arrays to cover 

from the first row all the way to the 

top row of the balcony. The boxes are 

splayed so we avoid high-frequency 

coverage of the front edge of the 

balcony and the underbalcony ceiling 

to minimize late reflections in the 

pulpit. We keep the energy focused 

on just the seating areas.” 

For the downfill modules installed, 

four GEOS12-FLG 120-degree horn 

flanges widen the coverage of the 

Nexo arrays. This helps to keep the 

energy fitting to the seating area. 

Design 2020 specified there be two 

Nexo CD18 subwoofers per side 

beside the stage. They are cardioid 

subwoofers, which keeps the energy 

pushed away from the stage and out 

into the room. This helped the 

church avoid potential feedback 

Follow the Leader 



issues. A pair of Yamaha IF2112/64 

sidefill speakers round out the 

loudspeaker complement. The only 

fill speakers in the system, they sit 

on top of the subwoofers, covering 

only the very far left and right edges 

of the seating area. The arrays are 

all-purpose, whether the pastor is 

speaking, music is being played on 

CDs, the choir is singing or instruments 

are being played. There is no 

“division” in the system and there 

are no specially purposed speakers. 

In the highly competitive professional 

audio environment, there are 

always tough technological choices 

to be made. So, why was Nexo the 

best choice for this application? 

According to Henderson, weight was 

a leading factor. “We had a limited 

structural load capacity that the roof 

could support,” he explained. “So, 

we had to do something that could 

achieve reasonably high SPLs but 

that, at the same time, was very 

light. That’s what led us to the Nexo 

S12 system.” The arrays enabled the 

church to get clear, intelligible 

sound while still meeting the structural 

goals for overhead support. 

The Nexo speakers’ sound quality 

permitted the church’s system to be 

streamlined. Rhodes commented 

that balcony speakers were disconnected 

because, given the coverage 

of the line arrays, they were no 

The pulpit, 

viewed from the 

church’s newly 

relocated mix 

position at the 

front edge of 

the balcony. 

longer needed. “We found that, upon 

the actual tuning of the system, we 

had smooth and even coverage for 

the main seating area as well as the 

balcony,” he noted. 

Another change vis-à-vis the 

church’s original design is the front 

of house mix position. A sound 

booth had been constructed behind 

glass at the back of the balcony. 

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According to Henderson, “The 

operators couldn’t hear to mix frontof-house 

from behind the glass. So, 

we built a new custom booth at the 

front of the balcony for the audio 

console and all the controls for 

audio.” 

The board is a Yamaha M7CL-48 

digital FOH console, which provides 

48 channels. Rhodes noted that 

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Ebenezer also has an HHB CDR830 

CD burner. 

Henderson noted, “We built an 

EtherSound backbone through the 

system. This allowed us to maintain 

digital signal transport straight from 

the console through the signal 

processors and up to the point right 

before the amplifiers. So, our Nexo 

processor and the EtherSound card 

for the processor were key for 

making that happen. We’re also 

using the Yamaha DME satellite 

devices, in their EtherSound variety.” 

With respect to amplification, 

there are eight Yamaha T5n mains 

amplifiers as well as a T5n front-fill 

amp. Infrastructure-wise, a pair of 

Middle Atlantic WRK-44-32 amp 

racks keeps things neat, orderly and 

secure. 

The previously mentioned console 

was key for Ebenezer, because it 

has quite a few operators and not all 

of them are technology professionals 

or highly trained in the audio 

field. Having the console itself 

handle all the stage patching and 

have total recall of every parameter 

for the system helps achieve consistency 

from Sunday to Sunday. In 

essence, Ebenezer frequently calls 

upon presets for specific events. “It 

allows them simply to call up the 

application and just do minor 

tweaking for whatever the needs of 

the day are,” confirmed Rhodes. 

The final piece of the main audio 

puzzle is micing, which is ably 

handled by a blend of several 

manufacturers’ products. According 

to Rhodes, “We brought in Shure for 

all the vocals, and we used Audix for 

staging: the SCX25A on piano and 

the DP7 drum mic kit for percussion.” 

The vocal system comprises 

six Shure ULXP24/BETA87A 

handheld wireless systems. The 

church employs several sets of 

Whirlwind MK25 25-foot mic cables, 

for those units requiring cabling. 

DPA, AKG and Countryman are 

used to varying extents in other 

circumstances. 

Rhodes remarked on a positive 

trait that sets Design 2020 apart. 

“Unlike some other consultants I’ve 

worked with, once Design 2020 puts 

it out for bid and it is secured by an 

integrator, they actually forge a 

partnership to execute the project.” 

The firm worked cooperatively with 

Pace Communication to ensure that 

the church’s vision was actualized 

within the project’s tight timeframe. 

Afterward, Fullwood and Henderson 

took the lead on tuning, commissioning 

and training, observing the 

first few services along with Rhodes 

and his team. Both companies 




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Communicating with Decision-Makers Part 1 

Breaking down titles, roles and responsibilities. 

By David Lee Jr., PhD 

Successful house of worship 

business hinges on communicating 

effectively with key decision-makers. 

Today, a house of worship’s decision-making 

team has more members 

than in past eras. There are 

many new ministries and job titles 

that we should understand in order 

to conduct good business. So, in 

Part 1 of this series, we will focus, in 

general terms, on the Protestant 

Christian faith. We will point out 

some of the new decision-makers, 

their titles, their roles and how they 

impact church business. 

Historically, Protestant church 

business has been conducted by the 

“pastor” with guidance from a 

church board. In many Protestant 

churches, this model is still in 

operation. In the 1980s and 1990s, 

we needed only to find out who the 

pastor was and make our pitch to 

him (or her, in a few cases). Today, 

“pastor” no longer adequately 

describes the church leader. Rarely 

does one pastor work with adults, 

youth and children. In medium- and 

large-size churches, the creation of 

multiple ministry departments has 

led to adding specialized ministers. 

In large churches, and across 

numerous denominations, this list of 

new titles can be long. So, we will 

limit our discussion to people who 

most likely will be part of the 

decision-making club that selects 

There are many 

new ministries and job titles 

that we should 

understand in order 

to conduct 

good business. 

vendors to provide media designs 

and communication technologies to 

their church. 

My short list includes the senior 

pastor, executive pastor, music 

pastor and the media pastor. Senior 

pastor is the title most used to 

define the highest human authority 

in a church. Be careful not to 

confuse the senior pastor with the 

“senior’s pastor,” one who ministers 

specifically to senior citizens. The 

vote of the senior pastor often 

largely influences other members of 

the decision-making team. The 

senior pastor most likely does not 

have much, if any, technical expertise, 

and usually votes for a product 

that was recommended by staff or a 

trusted vendor. 

The executive pastor is charged 

with overseeing the complex management 

of church money in a busy 

church setting. Because the executive 

pastor controls the purse strings 

(for better or, sometimes, worse), 

he/she has a potent voice in the 

decision-making club. The executive 

pastor usually looks at value before 

vendor, and wants to know, “Will the 

cost provide an observable return?” 

(i.e., will expensive electronic drums 

lower the overall stage volume?). 

The music pastor currently plays a 

leading role in the decision-making 

process regarding new gear. His 

vote often is supported by the senior 

pastor. The music pastor often is 

responsible for everything that 

occurs during a church service: 

music, musicians, singers, choir, 

quality and volume of the live sound, 

lighting and, in most cases, the 

information that is projected onto 

large screens. In many churches, 

the music pastor is also referred to 

as the “worship leader.” This term 

can be confusing and is used in 

various ways, depending on denomination. 

The music pastor typically 

initiates the primary consultations 

with systems integrators, narrows 

down the proposals, and then 

presents the finalists to members of 

the decision-making team. Keep in 

mind that the music pastor is an 

artist, not a technician. Nonetheless, 

he understands the need to have 

quality gear and professional operators. 

Therefore, a music pastor is 

most apt to recommend a vendor 

that he feels is trustworthy and has 

his best interest in mind. 

Larger churches are hiring a 

media pastor to oversee the growing 

number of communication technologies 

that are being used in worship 

settings. The media pastor is emerging 

as the go-to person for determining 

the technologies that can best 

address the church’s communication 


David Lee Jr., PhD, CEO of Lee Communication Inc., Orlando FL, is a licensed minister 

and has more than 25 years of experience as a systems integrator. He is a member of 

Sound & Communications’ Technical Council. Send comments to dlee@testa.com. 



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AV: The Next Generation 

Continuing our series profiling our industry’s up-and-comers. 


In January and February 2007, “In 

Focus” profiled younger professionals 

in the audio, video, acoustics and 

engineering industries who are 

making an impact and shaping our 

collective future. This time, we feature 

three more industry members whose 

success belies their age. If you would 

like to nominate somebody for future 

consideration, please contact 

dferrisi@testa.com with the relevant 

details. 

• Robin Glosemeyer, most recently 

principal, acoustics, with JaffeHolden 

in Santa Monica CA, has scaled the 

ladder of success at a remarkably 

fast clip and, in the process, has 

worked on prestigious venues in farflung 

locales. Glosemeyer’s rapid 

ascension (she was graduated from 

college in 1999 and, by Fall 2006, had 

become a principal with JaffeHolden) 

is all the more noteworthy considering 

the persistent rarity of females in 

the acoustics field. However, for the 

31-year-old Glosemeyer, being in an 

industry traditionally dominated by 

males has been an invigorating 

challenge. 

In her youth, Glosemeyer had two 

scholastic passions: math and 

science. Complementing those was a 

yearning to perform. From a young 

age, she was involved with different 

styles of dance, joining the ballet 

company in St. Louis at the age of 

‘The hardest time I ever have is 

walking onto the construction 

site....you have to prove yourself 

as a female and as a consultant.’ 

—Robin Glosemeyer 

11. Her performance history also 

includes theater and speech. She 

attended the University of Kansas, 

working toward a Bachelor of 

Science in Architectural Engineering 

with an emphasis in Acoustics. 

Glosemeyer completed a couple of 

internships, with Acoustical Design 

Group (Mission KS) as well as with 

JaffeHolden. A study abroad program 

enabled her to visit Germany, 

giving her new insight into the 

worlds of architecture and engineering. 

The trip provided Glosemeyer 

with a defining moment, which made 

an impression on her both personally 

and professionally. She explained, 

“I had my ‘light bulb flashing’ 

moment when I was in Germany 

and attending a performance of 

Verdi’s Requiem at a gothic cathedral. 

I was just moved beyond words 

with what I was hearing. I thought, 

‘If music, when the sound is that 

great, can create such an amazing 

feeling, that’s what I want to do. I 

want to create that’.” 

And that is exactly what 

Glosemeyer, who rejoined 

JaffeHolden in November 2000, has 

done in the ensuing years. The 

project in which she takes the most 

pride is The Kennedy Center’s opera 

house in Washington DC. Coincidentally, 

it was the first project she 

started on as project manager and 

saw all the way through to completion. 

The acoustical challenges were 

formidable. The Kennedy Center’s 

then-operator, along with renowned 

vocalist Placido Domingo, was 

adamant that the acoustics should 

stay as they were. A renovation was 

being done to increase Americans 

with Disabilities Act-mandated 

seating; resultantly, more space was 

needed in the opera house. All the 

rear walls had to be moved back and 

the shape of the theater modified, 

but the sound was supposed to be 

identical. Glosemeyer added, 

proudly, that Domingo himself was 

thrilled with the acoustics she 

helped actualize. 

Glosemeyer has been proving 

herself in the field for years, but still 

sometimes faces gender-based 

skepticism. “The hardest time I ever 

have is walking onto the construction 

site. When I go to a design 

meeting, there’s not as much of a 

feel that you have to prove yourself 

the moment you walk into the room. 

But, the moment you step onto the 

site, you have to prove yourself as a 

female and as a consultant.” She 

commented that having a poker face, 

no matter how one might feel inside, 

is crucial to commanding respect on 

the site, as, of course, is being 

conversant in and knowledgeable 

about the technology. 





A young woman who has already 

been a principal with a well-respected 

acoustics firm, the future is bright for 

Glosemeyer, whose dedication to 

creating superior sound is inspirational, 

regardless of gender. 

• Christopher Neto, CTS, senior 

AV specialist at a large New Jerseybased 

pharmaceutical corporation, is 

perhaps best characterized as a 

hybrid, possessing a broad range of 

AV experience that gives him a 

unique perspective on our developing 

industry. Quite often, upon 

entering the audiovisual field, 

individuals specialize in a single role; 

for example, some people are specifically 

project managers, installers, 

designers, salespersons or consultants, 

to the exclusion of the others. 

For Neto, this never was the case. 

“I’ve always tried to position myself 

as a generalist,” he said. 

Neto was graduated from William 

Patterson University in 1998 with a 

Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. 

Whereas some students toil 

as gofers during their internships, 

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Neto was lucky enough to secure a 

spot with the New York Giants video 

department. He was involved with 

managing video used exclusively by 

the team, for training and other 

purposes. He characterized the 

experience as intensive and hands 

on, commenting, “In college, I did 

some broadcast here and there: point 

and shoot with cameras in a studio. 

[With the Giants], we were actually 

taking things apart, and it was a 

mobile operation. So, you’re setting 

things up on the field, breaking it 

down and transporting it.” 

Over the next several years, Neto 

worked for numerous companies in 

diverse roles. He was hired as a 

technician by a videoconferencing 

company. Along with two others in the 

same role, he flew all over the country 

doing system installations. After 

working in that role for about 18 

months, he shifted into sales. More 

than a year later, he changed companies 

and became an accounts manager, 

and then transitioned to project 

management at another firm. Following 

a couple of additional moves, Neto, 

now with a wealth of industry knowledge, 

ended up in his present position, 

working as part of the in-house team 

that manages the pharmaceutical 

corporation’s audiovisual needs. 

On a daily basis, this technical 

team is responsible for keeping the 

company’s tech-centric conference 

rooms up and running, with functional 

equipment and up-to-date 

software. Much more than simply 

fixing equipment, this also involves 

extensive preventive maintenance, 

which sometimes extends to a 

complete dis- and reassembly of a 

room. Neto and his team are also 

responsible for troubleshooting. 

During our conversation, he 

routinely referred to his colleagues at 

the company as his “clients.” When 

asked why, he explained, “They may 

be my coworkers but, for all intents 

and purposes, my job is to serve them, 

because we are a service organization.” 

This type of dedication, he 

added, is part of the ethos of the AV 

Services department. 

Service, however, extends beyond 




troubleshooting. “Another of my 

team’s responsibilities,” he explained, 

“involves meeting with the 

clients when there is a request for 

upgrades or renovations. And then 

we act as advocates for them when 

it’s time to meet the vendors. So, we 

have a well-developed needs-analysis 

in place before we even get to the 

design phase.” Having AV experts 

interface with vendors has ensured 

that the firm’s facilities have excellent 

quality to suit all requirements. 

Neto and his onsite team work 

diligently to improve the quality and 

reliability of the conference facilities 

they manage. He constantly is 

developing new and creative ways to 

deliver the best services possible to 

his colleagues on site so their 

meeting experience is as good as it 

can be. Given his passion and 

dedication to his team’s mission, one 

can expect continued excellence from 

Neto and the AV group in the future. 

• Andrew Turchick describes 

himself as a people person, and that 

trait has guided his career in the 

audiovisual field. An alumnus of 

Penn State, where he earned a 

Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications, 

Turchick tried out a series of 

roles following graduation, securing 

positions as field technician, lead 

field technician, hybrid roles combining 

installation and management, 

and project manager. He found the 

final role to be the best fit, and it is 

the one in which his career is 

currently flourishing. 

“Being project manager, for me, is 

about dealing with every aspect of a 

job,” he explained. “It’s not the same 

thing over and over again, and 

‘They may be my coworkers but, for all intents 

and purposes, my job is to serve them.’ 

—Christopher Neto 

variety is important to me.” 

Turchick works for Kenilworth NJbased 

Diversified Systems, where he 

has been given the privilege of 

managing projects ranging from the 

fun to the emotionally rewarding. 

It often seems as if project management 

is amorphous and illdefined 

for people outside the 

profession. Turchick explained that 

his responsibilities include everything 

from ensuring that wires are 

made and components are ordered, 

to adhering to budgets and schedules, 

to coordinating onsite issues 

with other contractors and the 

‘There is no reason for me to stop 

moving up the ladder.’ 

—Andrew Turchick 

client. Although he has the greatest 

respect for the more technical side 

of the business, Turchick thrives as 

a PM due to the role’s unpredictability: 

dealing with new people and 

entirely different venues, ranging 

from hospitals and schools to 

corporate facilities and stadiums, on 

a daily basis. 

The very venues on which 

Turchick has worked might be key 

to understanding why he feels so 

satisfied in his career. “I’ve done 

jobs with Memorial Sloan-Kettering 

Cancer Center, where we’ve worked 

on radiation treatment rooms. Those 

kinds of jobs make me feel as 

though I’m contributing to society,” 

he said. “To help somebody to get 

better from cancer—to provide 

something for that—means a lot to 

me.” He emphasized that he gets 

particular satisfaction when he helps 

actualize schools’ and hospitals’ 

technological vision. 

Not as emotionally fulfilling, of 

course, but nevertheless fun and 

stimulating, the Diversified team 

also has worked on Howard Stern’s 

Sirius studio and SportsNet New 

York’s studio for Mets coverage. 

Another of Turchick’s major clients 

is MTV. “It’s cool to walk into the 

building and see 10 rooms, all of 

which are completely different, that 

I helped install there, that these 

guys use on a daily basis,” he 

commented. “Each room is a different 

challenge.” He describes himself 

as someone who thrives under 

pressure, which must be a requisite 

quality of anybody delving into the 

project management profession. 

We asked Turchick about his 

ambitions for the future and, clearly, 

he is reaching for the brass ring. In 

five years, he envisages himself as a 

senior project manager, perhaps 

running the department of which he 

is part. In 10 years, he would like to 

transition into an operations role. 

Two decades from now, he imagines 

he might run the company. “There 

is no reason for me to stop moving 

up the ladder,” he declared. 

It seems that, no matter how far 

Turchick projects into the future, 

Diversified is part of the equation. 

There is a tinge of irony in that, 

even though his most recent run 

with the company commenced in 

January 2004, Turchick had a 

relationship with Diversified during 

his college years and worked there 

immediately afterward. “Anybody 

you talk to in AV will tell you that, in 

most places, it’s a revolving door,” 

he said. “But, honestly, I think I’ve 

found the place for me. In a sense, 

I’ve come home—back to where I 

started.” 

■ 



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In The AV World, Educating Architects Benefits Everyone 

Even when we do our best, the results could be even better. 

By Jerilyn Snider, CTS, and Alan High 

Telaid is committed to following 

Audio Visual Best Practices. One of 

the frustrations in striving for the 

best is realizing that, even when we 

do our best, the results could be 

even better. In order to achieve the 

best out of an integrated AV system, 

it has to be installed into an environment 

that was designed for AV. 

• Did you ever get to the final two 

weeks of a new construction job and 

realize that, even though your 

design package clearly specified the 

height of the racks, the racks 

weren’t going to fit in the credenza 

provided? 

• How many times have you asked 

for an RCP to locate a projector and 

found HVAC or sprinkler systems 

running through the middle of the 

room? Have you ever found a bank 

of can lights shining down directly 

in front of your projection screen? 

• How many times have you had to 

explain why we require a certain 

size conduit? 

These are just a few of the items 

about which architects need to be 

educated. The only way to make 

spaces more AV friendly is to teach 

architects how to design rooms to 

be AV ready. 

In a perfect world, an AV designer 

would be a part of the team that 

does the initial design for a space. 

Long before the first architectural 

drawing was created, we’d be there 

The only way to 

make spaces more 

AV friendly is to teach 

architects how to design 

rooms to be AV ready. 

discussing options with the client 

and making sure that the space 

would be suitable for AV integrated 

systems. 

Call us pragmatists, but perfect 

worlds seldom get that way without 

help. We believe that we can make 

progress toward that perfect world by 

educating architects about the world 

of AV. Architects don’t know what we 

do. They don’t realize the impact their 

design decisions have on AV systems. 

It’s up to us to teach them. 

Telaid has undertaken a new 

initiative to create partnerships with 

architects. We believe that creating 

a partnership between architects 

and AV designers will be beneficial 

to all, and will present a better 

solution to the client. To this end, 

Telaid has become an AIA Registered 

Provider and has developed 

seminars that give architects the 

information they need to prepare AV 

ready environments successfully. 

As a Registered Provider of 

seminars, Telaid can provide the 

Learning Units architects need to 

maintain their industry certifications. 

Because architects need these 

learning units, it is easy to gain an 

audience for the seminars, if you are 

willing to teach them in their own 

conference room. 

Now that we have the (captive) 

audience, what do we want them to 

know? The first impulse is try to 

solve every problem that we have 

ever had with an architect. We want 

to go in there with guns blazing and 

teach them a thing or two. Luckily, 

reason prevails and we stop and 

think before we act. The real problem 

is that they don’t know what 

they don’t know. 

We have created a total of seven 

60-minute seminars, which teach 

architects how they can make our 

lives easier and, in the process, 

provide a better solution to the 

customer. We want them to learn 

that they need us, not how to live 

without us. Architects routinely rely 

on lighting experts, acousticians and 

mill workers. We want them to think 

of us as part of their extended team. 

What we have learned is that 

architects are hungry for this 

information. They ask great questions 

based on situations they have 

encountered and are open to learn 


Jerilyn Snider, CTS, was one of the first Certified Distance Learner Instructors. While 

with PictureTel, she helped the newly formed Integration Services, and was a room 

design consultant when the company was purchased by Polycom. She then started her 

own training and consulting company, followed by a period with Telaid, most recently 

writing and delivering training to architects about the AV world. Snider is currently 

with bkm in East Hartford CT. 

Alan High has been with Telaid Industries since 1998, and was promoted to operations 

production manger when the company moved into AV integration. High doubles 

as the training coordinator for Telaid’s Multi-Media division. 



InfoComm, recognized as the world leader in 

AV certification, is now seeking ANSI/ISO/IEC 

17024 accreditation for its Certified Technology 

Specialist (CTS ® ) program 

When approved, your current certification will 

have the added value of being accredited by 

the leading organizations, both in the U.S. and 

internationally for setting industry standards of 

certification. 

The CTS designation already represents the quality 

clients expect and the objective testing the industry needs. 

Visit www.infocomm.org/certification for the latest information. 

More than 8,300 AV professionals have earned 

the CTS designation. Shouldn’t you? 

 

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Setting the Standard for AV Excellence 

www.infocomm.org 


What Testing Others Has Taught Us 

A CTS-D exam analysis. 

By Joseph Bocchiaro III, PhD, CTS-D, CTS-I 

In the InfoComm Academy classroom 

and in the AV Café, students 

often trade stories about how they 

have been “winging it” for years in 

their AV projects. People are willing 

to reveal these secrets when they 

are around fellow professionals, and 

when they know they are in school 

to learn how to rectify their mistakes. 

Developers of the InfoComm 

Academy curriculum have attempted 

from the beginning to address the 

most important issues, and these 

issues often unfold by analyzing 

common mistakes. 

Despite years of experience and 

many days of training, however, 

designers often continue to perpetuate 

these shortcomings as witnessed 

on their CTS-D exam submissions. 

Because many hundreds of these 

exams have been taken around the 

world, there is a wealth of information 

available about what we have to 

do better as designers. What follows 

is a “Top 10” list (with one extra!) of 

things we are “winging.” 

1. DSP Matrix Representation: 

The industry’s transformation from 

analog to digital has been so rapid, 

and so proprietary from one manufacturer 

to the next, that there has 

been no uniformity of how audio and 

video matrix routing should be 

represented. The feature sets of 

different pieces of equipment, the 

nomenclature and the GUIs are so 

different from one another that it is 

confusing to technicians and engineers. 

This most critical component 

of a design is misunderstood and 

often is merely avoided. 

2. Architectural Integration: The 

mechanical interfacing of AV components 

to architectural elements is a 

matter of both safety and aesthetics, 

and these must be addressed 

simultaneously. Lack of coordination 

with architects and engineers leaves 

us with unsightly and unsafe installs. 

There are many reasons for this, but 

the responsibility lies with designers 

who must learn how to communicate 

their needs to other professionals on 

the design team. 

3. Power Switching: In this time of 

energy efficiency, it is remarkable 

how few systems have any type of 

power switching mechanisms. A great 

variety of devices, from simple to 

complex, is available for this purpose, 

including sequential switching devices 

that provide additional benefits. 

However, we continue to leave tens of 

thousands of pieces of equipment on 

all the time, unnecessarily wasting 

energy and our clients’ money. Yes, 

there are components that have to 

stay on, such as control system 

processors, but even these are now 

being designed with low-power 

standby modes. 

4. Power and Grounding: There is 

confusion about how to ground AV 

systems and how to provide power to 

them. This confusion is accelerating 

as we continue to “converge” with IT 

networks. Our industry has to clarify 

and simplify exactly what has to be 

accomplished, in order to create safe, 

quiet systems. 

5. Connections to Other Systems: 

AV systems always have been 

connected to other systems, such as 

lighting, window treatments, LANs, 

telephony, security, etc. AV designers 

continue to forget these connections, 

ignore them or wrongly 

assume that someone else will be 

responsible. We must all remember 

that we usually are the only ones on 

a design team that understand the 

“big picture” of how all of these 

systems work together. 

6. Electrical Infrastructure: The 

preparation of pathways for cabling 

is one of a designer’s most important 

tasks, yet we still are providing 

inadequate information to electrical 

engineers, electricians and communications 

workers. Audio electrical 

plans and riser diagrams, when 

prepared early in a project, can be 

passed on to the rest of the project 

team and incorporated into the 

overall design. Designers must learn 

and adopt the techniques of these 

other professionals. Everyone 

should know by now that it is far 

more efficient and cost effective to 

build electrical infrastructure before 

the construction is completed. 

AV Café is the breakfast, lunch, break, and study room at InfoComm Academy, where students 

from all over the world come to learn and meet other professionals. Joseph Bocchiaro III, Ph.D., 

CTS-D, CTS-I, is director of Performance Standards with InfoComm International, and enjoys 

participating in the conversations in the Café. Bocchiaro’s professional experience includes positions 

at AV integration companies, independent design consultancies, educational institutions 

and as an instructor in the Academy. A frequent contributor to Sound & Communications, he 

can be reached at jbocchiaro@infocomm.org. 



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37

7. Calculations: The math involved 

in the vast majority of audiovisual 

design is not very advanced, 

and none of it requires an education 

past sophomore year of high school 

in the US, or 8 th grade in most other 

countries. Yet, many design professionals 

shy away from this math, or 

merely memorize the basic formulae 

without understanding them. Orders 

of magnitude, units of measurement 

and the representation of the 

thought process behind the solution 

of an equation are basic elements of 

AV math. Arithmetic, simple algebra, 

elementary geometry, basic 

trigonometry and logarithms are the 

only types of problems involved for 

98% of what we have to accomplish. 

8. Symbology: The representation 

of devices and fixtures in the architectural, 

mechanical, electrical, IT 

and landscaping trades is clearly 

defined and broadly published. Yet, 

after decades of implementing 

audiovisual systems, designers 

continue to misuse symbols from 

other trades for audiovisual devices. 

We simply have no uniform symbology 

for our work. This problem 

causes confusion for our design and 

installation professionals, and makes 

our industry appear unprofessional 

and disorganized in the eyes of 

architects and engineers, and in 

meetings with our clients. 

9. Control System Connectivity: 

Designers continue to treat control 

systems quite differently from other 

types of systems in their line drawings. 

L-R signal flow conventions, 

identification of device locations, 

connections through wall and floor 

boxes, and cable types are usually 

lacking from these drawings. This 

causes a lack of coordination with 

wall and floor plates and boxes, and 

the rest of the AV design. 

10. LAN Connectivity: Designers 

must continue to learn more about the 

IT aspects of their systems. The 

representation of what is needed for an 

AV system must be addressed. Many 

designers create separate drawings for 

this purpose, with the intention of 

clarifying their needs to the IT professionals. 

Audiovisual IT connections 

appear in many unlikely places and we 

must communicate this better. 

11. Design Criteria: As an industry, 

we do not have a consistent 

story to tell our clients. How bright 

will their image be? What contrast 

ratio will it have? How loud? How 

intelligible? How will it work? These 

are all issues that must be addressed, 

yet designers often have no 

clear and standardized “targets” on 

which to base their designs. 

Students in the AV Café are serious 

about their professions, and often 

have much experience. However, 

they carry the baggage of years of 

doing things one way, or the way 

their company does it. Often this 

involves “winging it.” AV design 

requires a holistic and iterative 

approach to integrate all aspects of 

technology, physiology, architecture 

and the infrastructure to support 

these. We must continue to move 

people from “the way we always did 

it” to “best practices,” and the 

InfoComm Academy will continue to 

lead. No more winging it! ■ 



Harmonious House 

Recently installed in the Brooklyn Tabernacle Church 

in Brooklyn, New York, Yamaha’s DME Series of DSP processors 

have provided consistent sound quality, processing power, 

flexibility and networking options. 

Speaking with Harold Rubens, system provider, we take 

a closer look at the challenges that led up to the decision to 

install the DME Series into this house of worship. 

“When the Brooklyn Tabernacle said they needed to replace the 

existing failing DSP system, it was no easy task. 6 time Grammy 

winning choir, best-selling author and Pastor Jim Cymbala, 4000 

seat venue, multiple zones, 64 outputs, redundancy and only 

4 days to take the existing system out, install the new one, 

and program and tune it all without affecting any services. 

Out of all the systems we looked at to fill this tall order, 

Yamaha’s DME Series was the one logical choice.” 

Harold Rubens 

Consultant/Installer/FOH Touring Engineer 

for the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir 

Photo Courtesy – CM Photos 

When you need help, time zones shouldn’t matter. Yamaha provides coast-to-coast 

24/7 technical support. With dedicated staff and regional service centers, assistance 

is around the corner. If we can’t fix it over the phone, we’ll put a part or a person 

on the next plane out. It’s that simple. 

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. • P. O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90620-6600 

©2008 Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. 


The IBA Control 

Console is the heart 

of the new Berlin 

rail systems’ 

communications. 

All photos: Bernd Noack 

GRAND CENTRAL RAILWAY 

Europe’s largest station communicates to keep far-flung locations ‘connected.’ 

BY R. DAVID READ 

The recently completed Berlin (Germany) 

Hauptbahnhof (Central Railway 

Station) is, in terms of acoustical design, 

noise/vibration control and AV- 

IT technology, a sterling example of 

technology put to work. This installation 

is reputed to be, in terms of physical 

size, the largest structure of its 

kind in the world. As our ICE (Inter- 

City Express) from Amsterdam glided 

to a stop in the station, it was apparent 

from first encounter that the new 

station—the first of its kind to be built 

from scratch in more than 70 years— 

has some unique architectural attributes, 

which are enhanced by the 

deployment of the latest concepts in 

electro-acoustic, visual and communication 

technologies. 

Background 

After the collapse of the Berlin Wall 

and the reunification of Germany, the 

previously fragmented German railroad 

network once again was vested 

in a single, unified entity. Deutsche 

Bahn (DB), the German National Railway 

System, was tasked with the 

chore of re-establishing rail transit 

both within the country and restoring 

connections to other European destinations. 

DB realized that north-south 

(Scandia to the Aegean and Berlin- 

Paris-Iberia) and east-west (Amsterdam-Hamburg 

to Warsaw-Moscow) 

were essential. Once implemented, 

these routes would make Berlin the 

major “crossing station” on the European 

continent. These grandiose plans 

did not come without difficulties. 

Establishing such a major “crossing 

station” necessitated planning to accommodate 

more than 1100 trains and the 

orderly handling of more than 300,000 

passengers daily. Not only would the 

Contributing Editor R. David Read, a keen observer of transportation issues, frequently travels on European rail to cover 

architectural-acoustic subjects. 



At night, the lights of 

the Berlin Hauptbahnhof 

are a beacon in what 

previously was a desolate 

no-man’s land. 

new Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) be expected 

to handle intercity transferring passengers, 

but it also had to be designed to 

handle the multitudes of Berlin commuters 

on the S-Bahn (suburban) and 

U-Bahn (subway) lines. The new Hbf 

essentially would consolidate four previous 

rail terminals in the Berlin area 

and eliminate cross-town transfers 

from one station to another. 

Architectural 

Considerations 

In 1993, DB engaged the services 

of the Hamburg, Germany-based architectural 

firm of Gerkan, Marg & 

Partners to commence planning for 

the new facility. The site selected was 

the once-busy Lehrter-Bahn station 

that had been inaugurated in 1871. 

The vintage station, having been 

largely destroyed during World War 

II, and on land near the Brandenburg 

Gate that had been a part of the militarily 

guarded “no-man’s land” between 

East and West Berlin, was chosen 

for the new construction. 

Given their criteria, the architects 

set about designing a multi-level 

structure whose east-west lines 

would occupy a sweeping 963-footlong 

train-shed some 138 feet above 

grade; an intermediate level waiting/ 

transfer-passenger accommodation 

space; and a subterranean concourse 

some 46 feet below grade to accommodate 

north-south intercity trains 

and S-Bahn/U-Bahn commuter services. 

All of this would fulfill the requirements: 

openness, airy spaces, 

functional passenger conveniences 

and the utmost in efficiency. Acoustical 

and noise/vibration control were 

primary considerations from the very 

beginning. 

Construction Challenges 

Overall cost estimates for the entire 

project, including land acquisition, infrastructure 

improvements, tunnel 

construction, track/signal realignment 

and building construction would approach 

10 billion ($16.5 billion USD). 

Deutsche Bahn and the German government 

forged onward. 

The first order of business was to 

cofferdam the Spree River to permit the 

boring of four 1¼-mile tunnels beneath 

the river and the adjacent TierGarten 

Park. Hundreds of thousands of tons of 

debris and excavation material were 

loaded on barges for disposal. 

Due to the sweeping radius of the 

east-west concourse, every 6.8-foot 

piece of structural steel and glass for 

the walls and ceilings had to be 

formed individually and precision cast 

to accommodate the building’s curvature. 

Complicating the matter was the 

inclusion of photovoltaic sensors in 

the glass that ultimately would provide 

at least 2% of the building’s electrical 

consumption 

Acoustical 

Considerations 

The architects appointed the Berlinbased 

architectural-acoustical consulting 

firms ADA (Acoustic Design 

Ahnert) and GENEST (Werner 

Genest and Partners Co. Ltd) to augment 

plans for the acoustical, electroacoustic 

and noise/vibration aspects. 

Dr. [Prof.] Wolfgang Ahnert and his 

colleagues sprung into action. It was 

decided that ADA would handle the 

electro-acoustic aspects, and the wellrespected 

acousticians at GENEST 

would assume responsibility for the 

building acoustics and noise/vibration 

control concerns. The architects 

handed the acoustical team a formidable 

challenge. 

As the accompanying photos show, 

the entire structure is comprised primarily 

of glass walls and roofs in a 

steel grid. Most of the flooring, likewise, 

is constructed of hard surfaces. 

The demand that the building display 

an “airy” feeling necessitated that 


Attention to 

acoustical 

considerations 

allows trains to 

pass above the 

station’s occupants 

with a minimum of 

disturbance. Note 

the videowall 

advertising in the 

background. 

open air-wells and glass ceilings be 

similarly utilized. The frequent passing 

of both elevated and subterranean 

trains added to the potential noise/vibration 

characteristics. This was an 

acoustical nightmare in the making. 

GENEST was charged with the task 

of mitigating the noise/vibration concerns 

and taming the reverberation 

characteristics to a satisfactory level. 

ADA was expected to come up with a 

design that would provide speech intelligibility 

as demanded by prevailing 

codes within this 28,821,430-cubic-foot 

building, while still being unobtrusive 

to the architect’s visual aesthetic. 

Vibration Control 

In terms of noise/vibration control, 

GENEST specified that all rail tracks 

be laid in concrete with spring suspension 

and be lined with noise-absorbent 

materials to mitigate the rumble occasioned 

by train movements. Wall construction 

would take the form of perforated 

metal and concrete with layers 

of noise absorption materials installed 

behind the perforated walls. 

Station platforms, whenever possible, 

would be isolated from the main 

structure and be shock absorptive to 

reduce vibration effects. Those areas 

IBA Centralized Communication System Operation 

As implemented, the IBA system 

operates (in a somewhat simplified 

version) as follows: 

Note: For the following example, 

we will use Hbf; it being understood 

that similar conditions apply at all 

other stations. 

• When a train approaches Hbf, 

operators at the IBA Control Center 

are notified through an interface with 

the railway signaling systems that the 

train’s arrival is imminent. This 

information is displayed on the 

appropriate GUI by the responsible 

personnel. Status of the train movement 

on a minute-to-minute basis is 

essential. 

• When the train stops to de-train 

passengers, an announcement is 

keyed to advise passengers, “Welcome 

to Berlin…descend to 

level….For information, 

consult….Passengers with foreign 

passports proceed to….,” etc. 

• Waiting passengers are likewise 

advised, “The Berlin-Warsaw ICE is 

available for boarding on 

track….Departure time….The train 

will depart in five minutes….” 

• In the event of delays or other 

unusual circumstances, the operators 

at the IBA control center can 

override prerecorded messages and 

provide timely information and 

instructions. 

• The system is under constant 

supervision, and any equipment 

defaults (right down to loudspeaker 

line impedance) will appear as a 

default on the IBA system’s GUI 

consoles. 

• Trackside control stations for use 

by train operating personnel are 

available for communicating with the 

IBA operators when unusual circumstances 

dictate. 

• All functions are logged on 

control computers for analysis and/ 

or response to specific complaints. 

At first glance, these sequences 

appear fairly uncomplicated, but 

multiply this one example by 1100 

daily arrivals/departures (one train 

every 30 seconds within a 24-hour 

time frame), and the need to route 

both audible and visual data to 16 

track zones and upward of 50 public 

space zones, and it becomes rather 

complicated. 



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EASE mapping simulation of the structure’s south entrance. 

Information kiosks with constantly updated video monitors are placed at strategic 

spots throughout the station. 

with low-lying, perforated, metal ceilings 

(where conceivable), would be 

backed with suitable absorption material 

to offset the adverse acoustical 

conditions of the structure. 

In the lower- and mid-levels (subterranean 

sectors and low-ceiling areas 

in the public spaces), their results 

were, indeed, commendable. Reverberation 

(in the mid-frequencies) was 

held to ~1.6 seconds. 

In the upper E-W concourse, results 

were not quite as satisfactory. Considering 

the sheer volume of the upper 

concourse (16,301,670 cubic feet) and 

a construction consisting primarily of 

glass, concrete and metal, an anticipated 

reverberation at mid-frequencies 

of 4.6 seconds was not unexpected. 

The noise/vibration characteristics 

had been mitigated satisfactorily; 

however, prospects for projecting 

speech intelligibility into this relatively 

high-reverberance space were severely 

questionable. 

Electro-Acoustics 

The acousticians’ design work basically 

completed, it fell to ADA to perfect 

electro-acoustic solutions that 

would perform satisfactorily in the 

spaces provided. 

Each of the eight rail track platforms 

on the upper and subterranean 

levels required a zoned voice announcement 

system to address the 

concerns of passengers on the respective 

platforms, without disturbance to, 

or interference from, announcements 

placed to adjacent platforms. 

Adding to the dilemma was the requirement 

to make the announcements 

in multi-lingual format; announcements 

had to be understandable 

in various languages. Obviously, 

a high degree of loudspeaker directivity 

with corresponding narrow beam 

angles would have to be employed to 

meet such criteria. In the 963-foot-long 

enclosed E-W upper concourse, this 

was a formidable undertaking. 

ADA worked closely with both 

Duran Audio BV and Dynacord 1 to perfect 

loudspeaker products that would 

be suitable for the tasks at hand. 

In the subterranean level, and in 

public space areas where lower elevation, 

perforated-metal ceilings were 

employed, electro-acoustic EASE mapping 

and auralization indicated that 

specially designed Dynacord ceiling 

loudspeaker assemblies could be used 

to advantage. More than a thousand 

of these units were mounted above the 

ceiling lines, with strict attention to 

mechanical mounting to avoid resonance 

of the metal ceiling panels. 

Cavernous Spaces 

The cavernous spaces of the waiting 

area, with elevations reaching some 

105 feet, necessitated an entirely different 

solution. Again, ADA’s mapping 

and auralization procedures indicated 

that a series of beam-steering, selfpowered, 

DSP-controlled, column-type 

assemblies would provide the desired 

performance. Depending on the placement, 

two different types of units of 

this nature were to be located within 

the public spaces. Back in 1996, when 

these designs were underway, beamsteering 

arrays were in their early 

stages of development. Consequently, 

ADA turned to Duran Audio for development 

of arrays that would be suitable 

for the purpose. 



The upper level, E-W, 1440-foot-long 

train platforms presented an entirely 

different acoustical environment. The 

enclosed ceiling elevation of 48 feet, 

basically a glass and metal structural 

construction, and the aforementioned 

4.6-second reverberation time, as well 

as extended outdoor platforms, represented 

a challenge. To be effective, 

this presented the necessity for an 

entirely different solution. Mapping 

indicated that even the narrow, controlled-beam, 

umbrella-shaped disper- 

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Acoustic Design 

Ahnert (ADA) 

Dr. (Professor) Ahnert and his colleagues 

at Acoustic Design Ahnert 

(ADA) are best known in North 

America as the developers of the architectural-acoustic 

modeling and 

auralization program known as EASE. 

That program is employed extensively 

by designers and systems integrators 

to predict the coverage and intelligibility 

of sound systems accurately 

within a given architectural space. 

Dr. Ahnert founded his firm in November 

1990, initially concentrating 

its efforts on “traditional” architectural-acoustic 

matters. Always striving 

to perfect its efforts, the company began 

exploring how improvements to 

computer-assisted design concepts 

could be employed to better predict 

how electro-acoustic (loudspeakers) 

would perform in real spaces. 

As an outgrowth of ADA’s endeavors, 

the company introduced the EASE 

system worldwide and the concept 

was adopted by designers and integrators. 

It has become almost the de 

facto process for predicting system 

performance. The concept is distributed 

in North America by Renkus- 

Heinz. 

ADA maintains a thriving practice in 

the field of architectural-acoustics, 

electro-acoustics and audiovisual 

technologies, with satellite offices and 

numerous clients in far-flung regions 

of the world. 

For more information, go to 

www.ada-acousticdesign.de. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Höermann Funkwerk-Kölleda 

The firm now known as Funkwerk AG was founded in 1945 in the small East German town of Kölleda. Initially, it 

designed and manufactured consumer electronic goods and small electrical lighting products and appliances. Branching 

out, the company began concentrating on railway communication and signaling systems. During the Soviet Bloc 

Era, it provided systems of that nature to railroads in many of the Eastern Bloc countries. 

In 1992, Funkwerk was acquired by the Hörmann Group, and in 2000 it became Funkwerk AG; today, it is a publicly 

traded company. Since then, it began an aggressive acquisition of operations that would complement and expand its 

position in the rail-oriented marketplace. One of its notable corporate maneuvers revolved around the acquisition of 

the communications technology group from the German firm Vossloh AG. In turn, Vossloh had acquired its expertise 

in that regard from Siemens and Bombardier. 

Although not a household name in North America, Funkwerk AG is a multi-national concern with sales and engineering 

offices throughout the world. With its position in the marketplace reasonably well consolidated, Funkwerk AG was 

in a position to become a prime designer and manufacturer of communication and electronic switching systems; it 

also allowed the company to establish a project management/installation division that could provide “turnkey” systems 

for its clients. 3 

It was subsidiary Funkwerk-Kölleda/csm that would take on the role of providing the installation for the AV/IT network 

as it pertained to the Deutsche Bahn Berlin rail systems. Acting as a systems integrator, in the true sense of the 

term, Funkwerk incorporated some of its in-house designed/manufactured items and purchased various components 

for the communications network from outside vendors, thus integrating the various audiovisual/control component portions 

and delivering a functional, turnkey system to Deutsche Bahn. 

For more information, go to www.funkwerk.com/de. 

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Highly directive column loudspeakers 

were used extensively to minimize 

reflective sound. 

sion of a column-type loudspeaker 

would not provide the performance 

desired. 

ADA again turned to Duran for development 

of a device that would work 

satisfactorily in this difficult acoustical 

environment. The resultant product 

took the form of an assembly whose 

appearance was inspired by the clocks 

that would be used throughout the 

building. Essentially, the 30-inch-diameter 

device would be a circular enclosure, 

self-powered, multi-driver-type 

loudspeaker assembly with DSP-controlled 

dispersion characteristics. 

These would be spaced at approximately 

124 feet along each of the E- 

W station platforms. 

Life/Safety 

The PA system for the building is 

also used as the primary means of 

evacuation notification for life-safety 

purposes. It, therefore, had to be designed 

in accordance with Deutsche 

Bahn regulations that, in general, conform 

to ECO-established codes to 

meet stringent levels of STI 2 . Furthermore, 

the system would have to be 

equipped with continuous monitoring 

of transmission lines and devices, with 

fault notification in the event of equipment 

malfunction. Due to the extended 

length of the cable runs, a constant 

voltage (100 volt) distribution 

system was specified to minimize 

cable losses. 

The impedance of the lines connected 

to loudspeakers would be 

monitored and any deviation from normal 

would be logged as a fault condition. 

To provide additional redundancy, 

loudspeakers were wired in A- 

B configuration, and the signal amplifiers 

that are part of the Variodyn 3000 

assembly were matrixed with spare 

units that are switched in automatically 

in case of failure to any primary 

unit(s). The system is powered from 

emergency power sources and further 

protected by UPS units. 

Also, provisions had to be made for 


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the interconnection by Fire Brigade 

and other emergency responders to 

capture control of the system in the 

event of emergencies. 

Informational Signage 

European transit facilities are renowned 

for their excellent and informative 

visual displays. The Berlin 

Hauptbahnhof raises the bar in this 

respect. Europe, as a whole, is a 

multi-lingual community; hence, transit 

announcement systems, both audible 

and visual, have to cater to a 

variety of languages. 

European trains, overall, operate 

on split-second regularity; in a station 

with 16 tracks on two different levels, 

it is imperative that passengers be 

kept informed on a continuous basis 

regarding the status of train movements. 

Also, because of extremely 

short dwell times in stations, passengers 

must position themselves in a 

way that will allow them to board 

their respective train cars in a prompt 

and efficient manner. 

To address these issues, a carefully 

designed and highly visible network 

of video monitors and digital display 

boards is used in coordination with 

the public address system, in order 

that there be a minimum of confusion 

as to which track is being used at 

specific times and where each car on 

each train will be located. 

And, as noted, these announcements 

and visual display devices 

must be arranged to provide information 

in a multilingual manner. Much 

of this is automated and controlled 

from a central information control 

center; however, glitches do occur 

and manual override was deemed 

essential. 

The design of the visual signage 

system was placed in the hands of 

DE-Consulting and was implemented 

by Hörmann Funkwerk-Kölleda AG. 

Centralized 

Information Control 

In the interest of efficiency and 

overall management control of the information 

system, it was decided that 

all of the major control functions 



would be located to allow a centralized 

point to communicate with all of 

the various stations in and around 

the Berlin area. The site selected for 

this operation would be located at 

Spandau, one of the former terminal 

stations in Berlin. This, in itself, presented 

an interesting communications 

problem, inasmuch as Spandau 

is located some 15 miles from the 

new Hbf, and even farther from some 

of the other, more remote stations in 

the area. 

The IBA (Centralized Automated 

Information Announcement System) 

obviously would have to be kept notified 

of the arrival/departure of 

trains at each station and on what 

tracks the trains would be operating; 

strict monitoring of system performance 

also would be essential. Given 

the sheer volume of train movements, 

handling of traffic conditions 

over a typical verbal communication 

system would be impossible. And, 

provision for emergency conditions 

had to be considered. 

System Description 

To alleviate the necessity of installing 

miles upon miles of multi-cable 

communication circuits between all of 

the various stations involved, the bi-directional 

transfer of data between the 

Spandau control point and the outlying 

stations was implemented using 

Ethernet/fiber transmission circuits 

employing TCP/IP (LAN) and/or 

ISDN protocol, a choice that required 

even more fault surveillance considerations. 

When the presence of a train is detected, 

a signal is transmitted to the 

IBA Control Center and displayed on 

the operator’s GUI. With a “mouseclick,” 

an appropriate response signal 

is transmitted to the DIKOS Communication/Translator 

hub assemblies 

at the associated station(s). The 

DIKOS units, in turn, communicate 

with an ASAG (Automated Signal 

Generator server) and the Deutsche 

Bahn FIA (Passenger Information 

Systems) server. Receipt of the control 

signal keys the ASAG to commence 

initiation of the appropriate 

audio playback, and commands the 

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The circular loudspeaker enclosures house a high-directivity unit. 

corresponding stored visual displays 

to activate. 

Simultaneously, the DIKOS instructs 

the Variodyn routers to initialize 

audio and visual paths to the appropriate 

locations, e.g., the affected 

train platforms and on visual display 

boards in the public areas. 

In the event of transmission line or 

device failure to units connected to the 

Variodyn, a “fault” is logged to a Phoenix 

fault detector and subsequently to 

an SSR (PC), and a visual signal is 

transmitted back to the IBA Control 

Center. Actually, the SSR logs all 

events, not just faults, and can be interrogated 

for overall system performance 

conditions. 

As noted, the volume of communication 

traffic demands an extremely 

robust network and a high degree of 

redundancy. 

Integrating 

The Functions 

The systems integrator for the AV/ 

IT portion of the project was Höermann 

Funkwerk-Kölleda/csm. 

The head-end system for the project 

consists of a number of components, 

including products from Funkwerk AG 

and those of other suppliers that were 

integrated into two on-site Hbf equipbeen 

in progress, Höermann Funkwerk-Kölleda/csm 

was given a scant 

six months to finalize the installation. 

For political and publicity purposes, it 

was deemed essential that the new 

Hbf be made operational in time for 

the 2006 World Cup games. The pace 

became frantic. 

Within this time frame, the systems 

integrator was expected to perform 

the following functions: 

• Install the IBA control center at 

Spandau. 

• Install the necessary interface 

equipment at the Hbf and other outlying 

stations. 

• Complete the installation of the AV 

equipment at the Hbf. 

• Complete the IT connections between 

the Hbf and other stations to 

permit bidirectional voice-data transmission. 

• Interface the AV/IT equipment 

ment rooms. Similar systems were with the Railway Signaling apparatus. 

provided and installed at other Area • Test and commission all necessary 

Stations. Likewise, the Centralized system components. 

Control (IBA) consoles were fabricated 

by Funkwerk AG for installation Conclusion 

at the Spandau Control Center. Today, Berlin Hauptbahnhof is functioning 

admirably. Inter-City and S- 

Although planning had taken the 

better part of 14 years (1992 through Bahn, U-Bahn connections are expe- 

2006) and prefabrication had long (continued on page 91) 

Equipment * 

8 AV-Digital Variodyn 3000 communication systems router speaker 

distribution network controllers 

30 Duran Audio BV IntelliDisc DS-90 platform speaker assemblies 

10 Duran Audio BV Intellivox DS-180 beam-pattern speaker arrays 

4 Duran Audio BV Intellivox DS-280 beam-pattern speaker arrays 

1064 Dynacord/EVI GH-70 DBC ceiling speaker assemblies 

8 Funkwerk AG ASAG automatic signal event generator server assemblies 

* Funkwerk AG DIKOS TCP/IC system communications interface units 

* Funkwerk AG fabricated to spec emergency response reporting/ 

communication stations 

* Funkwerk AG fabricated to spec fire/emergency brigade control centers 

2 Funkwerk AG fabricated to spec Hbf head-end communication systems 

1 Funkwerk AG fabricated to spec IBA centralized information control 

center console 

6 Funkwerk AG fabricated to spec other Berlin area stations head-end 

communication systems 

32 Funkwerk AG fabricated to spec trackside communications stations 

8 Phoenix ILC-30 fault detector/communicators 

List is edited from information provided by ADA, DB Intl. and Funkwerk AG. 

* Due to proprietary considerations and DB-imposed security considerations, not all components 

can be fully disclosed. 




AV systems help VRE provide the necessary information to keep people moving, safely and efficiently. 

INFO ON THE FAST TRACK 

Public address and digital signage keep VA passengers ‘in the know.’ 

BY JIM STOKES 

For an average daily ridership of 

17,000, the Virginia Railway Express 

(VRE) provides train information for 

all passengers, including those with 

sight and hearing disabilities, in compliance 

with Americans with Disabilities 

Act (ADA) requirements. Accordingly, 

International Displays Systems 

(IDS), Dayton OH, installed a new 

Variable Message Sign System (VMS) 

at the railway’s Operation Control 

Center in Alexandria VA, and at 18 

commuter stations in Northern Virginia 

and Washington DC. The VMS 

provides current train status information 

and passenger information via 

synchronized video display and audio 

announcements. 

Historic Road 

We’ll be traveling down the install 

road after we get a perspective of the 

railroad territory. Although Virginia 

was one of the original 13 colonies, 

we’ll not be going back that far. However, 

the key cities of Manassas, 

Fredericksburg and Alexandria figure 

significantly in the Civil War. For instance, 

the Manassas junction of two 

railroads was strategic to the two 

Battles of Bull Run. And the Fredericksburg 

rail line suffered a lot of 

damage but was also key for Union 

and Confederate war strategies. Those 

former hotbed areas of battle activity 

are now part of a peaceful landscape. 

On VRE’s map today, Manassas rep- 

resents the blue line and Fredericksburg 

indicates the red line. Their rail 

paths parallel at Alexandria and continue 

on into the country’s capital. 

Most of the passengers are businesspeople, 

including government contractors 

and subcontractors, as well as 

those in private enterprise in the 

greater Washington DC area. Furthermore, 

the VRE is rightly touted as an 

efficient and cost-saving way to commute. 

For example, VRE can get from 

Fredericksburg to DC in an hour and 

15 minutes. It’s an alternative to driving 

along Route 95, where traffic 

might slow to a crawl. 

Three notable restored passenger 

train stops that serve Amtrak and VRE 

Sound & Communications Contributing Editor Jim Stokes has been involved in the AV industry for more than 30 years 

as an AV technician and writer. 



include Alexandria’s vintage Union 

Station, the Manassas stop housed in 

a brick station built by the old Southern 

railroad, and the Washington DC 

Union Station. Union Station functions 

as the southern hub for VRE, Amtrak 

and MARC (Maryland) trains in a vast 

complex that houses stores, eateries 

and movie theaters. (See “Virginia 

Railway Express (VRE)” for additional 

information.) 

Credits 

Our interviewees are Rob Keelor, 

IDS vice president, and Lou Woolner, 

project manager at VRE. The VRE 

operations board initially authorized 

DMJM Harris consulting engineers, 

Baltimore MD, for technical support 

regarding Train Information Provider 

(TRIP) software integration for new 

Variable Message Signs (VMS). 

The board stated that the “existing 

VMS date back to 1992 and have become 

technologically obsolete.” 

Guided by its president Rich Doyle, 

Turnkey Technology Corp., Mount 

Airy MD, had been authorized by the 

board to upgrade the older Orbital 

Science Corp. (OSC) TRIP system, as 

well (see sidebar, “Upgrading to TRIP 

II, Thanks to Rich Doyle”). In turn, 

IDS provided the equipment list and 

systems integration for the new 

project. 

From LEDs To LCDs 

VRE’s Woolner and IDS’ Keelor discussed 

the passenger signage 

changes. “What I like best about the 

system is that it’s very well done in 

that we have state-of-the-art LCD 

signs,” affirmed Woolner. “And, as far 

as I know, we’re the first to have them 

in the transit industry, on a commuter 

rail service. It’s been batted about for 

a long time that one of the restraints 

we have on our system is that we don’t 

have full canopies. But we’re going to 

be adding full canopies. And, subsequently, 

we would add more signs, as 

necessary.” 

Keelor discussed and defined the 

design concept, working with DMJM 

Harris, which was under contract with 

VRE: “So they had assistance in putting 

together the design. In concept, 

A map of Virginia 

Railway Express’ 

two lines and 

their stations. 

Each station featured 

different construction, 

so the mounts had to 

be customized as 

needed. This mount is 

hung from an existing 

structure. The open 

frame shows how the 

climate-controlled unit 

seals, keeping the 

elements—moisture, 

dust, etc.—out. 

they knew that they wanted LCDs. 

They wanted them mounted overhead. 

And they knew they wanted them 

‘talking’ to their existing system. 

Then, when we [IDS] talked about 

detail design, we were talking about 

how the software interface would really 

work and what it would look like. 

Many of the changes that appeared at 

the stations were placements of the 

displays.” 

Keelor’s display placement concerns 

came down to a series of practical 

“where” questions: “Where does the 

sun rise and set?” “Where’s it hot?” 

“Where’s it cold?” “Where’s it bright?” 

“Where’s it dim?” “Where’s it high or 

low?” “Where’s the structural integrity?” 

Had To Answer 

The Questions 

“So we had to travel to each train 

station, confirming power availability, 

data availability, best pathways: all of 

these elements,” Keelor said. “And 

then we came in with a recommended 

design on a station-by-station basis 

that would meet the minimal functional 

requirements that were in the 

specifications.” 

The existing system had a series of 

LED signs, installed in 1992, that were 

in various states of operation, disrepair 

or repair. “For LEDs to work over 

10 years is pretty doggone good,” 

stated Keelor. He explained that the 

old system displayed a single line of 


The top two lines 

on the monitor 

feature the largest 

characters, and 

indicate the next 

two trains coming 

into the station, 

especially important 

for a commuter rail 

system. Below that, 

any other kind of 

information can be 

displayed, such as 

for emergency or 

weather details. 

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two-inch-high text comprised of 20 characters, in red 

only. Although it was a reliable method of communication, 

the system had exceeded its lifespan and had 

to be replaced and upgraded. “The new system built 

around an LCD screen would allow VRE to present 

[train information], both graphically and in text. They 

can vary the text format and the font size, change colors 

and have a lot more flexibility than the previous 

[LED] system,” he said. 

Keelor explained that the 40-inch NEC LCD screens 

provide a much larger viewing area, going from only 

one line of 20 characters on an LED to as much as six 

lines comprised of 20 to 24 characters via an LCD. The 

top third of the LCD display is reserved 

for the next two trains and their statuses, 

with the earliest train on top and 

the following train on the bottom. So, 

now the customers can see what’s happening 

two trains out. And, in the event 

more information is needed, the screen 

can rotate to additional frames. However, 

Keelor cautioned, “You don’t 

want to put too many frames on because 

people don’t want to sit there and 

wait: (viz) turn the frame, turn the 

page, wait; turn the frame, turn the 

page (etc.).” 

Woolner gave an example of VRE’s 

inner stations “where we have both 

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Upgrading To TRIP II, 

Thanks To Rich Doyle 

VRE’s Woolner pointed out that 

Turnkey Technology president Rich 

Doyle was instrumental to the upgrade 

because the railway had an 

existing TRIP system. In turn, Doyle 

made TRIP II and modified the 

system’s program source code in 

order to identify the messages coming 

from TRIP for IDS’ use. “IDS 

was then able to pull those off and 

push the message out into the sign 

[display] and also give us a status 

that confirmed everything was working 

and reporting back to TRIP 

again. 

“Doyle was the interface between 

IDS and our TRIP system. He’s the 

one who made it work for us. TRIP 

is one key area we were very concerned 

about. If we didn’t get that 

right, we wouldn’t be able to make 

the system work.” 




the Fredericksburg and Manassas 

lines running together, from Alexandria 

to DC’s Union Station; we could 

put both of those as being delayed and 

detail messages for each delay. Or, we 

could put specific events for each one 

of those lines. For example, we have 

‘Manassas Day’.” Similarly, Fredericksburg 

and Quantico might have 

events displayed. 

“Given that flexibility, we anticipate 

trying to have our Global Positioning 

System [GPS] installed by mid-year 

2008, so passengers can actually follow 

the train movement on the 

Manassas and Fredericksburg lines. 

Of course, our Variable Message Sign 

[VMS] would give visual messages 

accompanied by audio because of 

ADA requirements.” However, GPS 

tracking is now in use within VRE for 

train personnel. We’ll cover that aspect 

later. 

Keelor emphasized that one of the 

concerns going into the project was 

that “the LCD [screens] are very high 

International Display Systems (IDS) 

International Display Systems, Inc. 

(IDS), Dayton OH, is a systems-house 

integration corporation, which was 

founded in early 1982. IDS’ primary 

business is the engineering, installation 

and maintenance of flight information 

display systems (FIDS) and other 

transportation industry-related information 

display systems. IDS does not 

manufacture its own equipment but, 

instead, acts as a systems integrator. 

As a result, IDS works with the customer 

more as a consulting partner 

than solely as a supplier. 

The integration corporation provides 

the best solution for each client’s information 

display requirements by not 

being forced to compromise each 

system’s functional integrity to fit 

within the limited capabilities of a 

single manufacturer. Rather, IDS selects 

the best hardware and software 

products to provide the optimum system 

for each client. 

According to the company, “IDS’ 

success in this competitive industry 

is due to our ability to competently 

design and engineer the very best system 

solution unique to each customer’s 

needs. IDS has generated a 

long list of satisfied customers by taking 

care of our customers. Our objective 

is to enter into a long-term business 

relationship founded on a simple 

life and business principle: Treat others 

the way we expect to be treated 

when engaging in a business relationship 

or transaction.” 

For additional information, go to 

www.ids-fids.com. 



Virginia Railway Express (VRE) 

Virginia Railway Express (VRE), headquartered in Alexandria, is a transportation 

partnership of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) 

and the Potomac and Rappanhannock Transportation Commission (PRTC). VRE 

provides commuter rail service from Northern Virginia suburbs along the I- 

95 corridor, with Fredericksburg as one end and Manassas as the end on the 

I-66 corridor. 

VRE, which began service in 1992, serves Alexandria, Crystal City and Union 

Station in downtown DC. It is headed by an Operations Board consisting of 

seven members. A VRE Operations Group oversees the daily operations, which 

includes many innovative programs designed to make VRE a state of the art 

commuter railroad. 

VRE serves the following areas: Arlington County, Fairfax County, Prince William 

County, Spotsylvania County, Stafford County, Quantico (Prince William 

Co.), Alexandria, Falls Church and Fredericksburg. 

For more information, go to www.vre.org. 

end electronics that a lot of people put 

in their homes. A lot of retail locations 

have them. They’re indoors, everywhere.” 

In contrast, on the VRE lines, 

they’re put outside amid tough environmental 

conditions where it would 

be very hot, very cold or very wet. 

“Obviously, those displays weren’t 

designed to thrive in that environment 

[on their own]. So, one of our challenges 

was to create environmental 

enclosures that were rated to [withstand] 

the elements,” said Keelor. IDS 

visited the Integration Technologies 

Systems (ITS) Enclosures facility at 

Mt Pleasant PA in search of the right 

environmentally secure display enclosure. 

“We reviewed the mockups 

they’d built, looked at their design 

floor and worked with their engineers. 

We were very pleased on the front 

end and back end. [The enclosures] 

are handsome cases. They do the job 

they’re supposed to do.” 

Every Station 

Was Different 

As can be surmised, every train station 

was different. And we’ve already 

alluded to and emphasized that the 

optimum display mounting point is 

critical. Obviously, that applied to the 

display enclosures, as well. “So there 

was quite a bit of custom ceiling or 

wall-mount metal structure made,” said 

Keelor. “We had quite a bit of drafting 

in CADD to get it just right. And I think 

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The VRE’s stations are unmanned, so 

electronic equipment had to be hung 

about eight feet high, to make it more 

difficult for vandals to reach. This is a 

typical station: IDS wanted to hang the 

monitors from the center truss here, but 

the client didn’t like the viewing angle; as 

a result, they hang over the weather 

shields. Frame positioning also had to 

allow for servicing of their contents. 

they’re sitting eight feet in the air.” 

the professionalism shows.” 

Thus, IDS provided VRE with ITS 

enclosures in NEMA4-rated cabinets 

that have both cooling and heating on 

board. “They’re drip free. They can 

[withstand] rain up and down. And the 

dust can blow. The outside cabinet is 

sealed from the outside elements. And 

the inside climate is within operating 

range of the LCD,” said Keelor. Furthermore, 

to thwart vandalism, the 

enclosed displays are well within ADA 

and VRE specifications, so that the 

base of a unit would not go beneath 

eight feet over a person’s head. “We 

built a 20-degree tilt into the metal 

framework [of the enclosures] to optimize 

the viewing angle because 

Integrating TRIP II 

Now let’s look into the technology 

behind the LCDs. “One of the challenges 

we had was to write a custom 

interface with the existing LEDs that 

VRE used in its head-end, called TRIP 

II.” It’s the database and data entry 

port at the railway’s control center in 

Alexandria that allows operators to 

update train status and general messages. 

And, again, this harkens back 

to the limitations of the LEDs, which 

would work well within the parameters 

of just one, 20-character line to 

identify a train number, its destination 

and its time: noted as delayed or 10 

minutes out, for instance. 

But adding the condition that identified 

“why” the train was late, putting 

Equipment * 

1 APC Rack PDU, basic, 1RU, 15A, 120V, NEMA 5-15 (rackmount power distribution) 

1 Bogen ANS1R ambient noise sensor module 

1 Bogen MAX1R auxiliary input module (link to existing laptop audio out) 

1 Bogen Power Vector modular amp V250, 250W (replacement/upgrade station amp) 

2 Bogen SPT15A horn speakers 

1 Bogen TEL1S telephone interface module (existing POTS line interface) 

1 Extron DA4 distribution amp 

3 Extron MTP R 15HD A video receiver/extenders over Cat5e 

1 Extron MTP T 15HD A video transmitter/extender over Cat5e 

3 Extron under desk mounting kits (¼ rack at display mount) 

1 IDS custom ASP browser-based application software 

ITS Enclosures anti-reflective glass for Viewstation 

ITS Enclosures Viewstation, outdoors, 42", power strip (single-sided, double-sided environmental enclosure) 

Magenta Research transmission extender (as needed at other station installs) 

McLean Thermal T20 series NEMA 4 rated, 2000 BTU AC unit w/500W heater/thermostat 

3 NEC LCD4010BK-IT 40" MultiSync large screen LCD monitors 

Peerless SF640 wall mount and custom ceiling mount for Viewstation 

1 Roxtec RG M63/4 cable seal 

1 Seifert NEMA 4 rated, 1700 BTU AC unit w/400W heater/thermostat 

*According to IDS’ Rob Keelor, this is a “typical” list of materials for VRE’s Alexandria Station, which is one of 18 VRE stations. Although 

each station is not identical, each is similar in construct. 

List is edited from information supplied by International Display Systems, Inc. 



on an emergency message, a cancellation 

or anything of length surely 

would test the patience of expectant 

passengers. “Imagine getting your 

newscast on a ticker you’d see on Wall 

Street or in Times Square,” declared 

Keelor. “It gets trying after awhile: 

reading this traveling text, trying to 

keep up with it, or wait for an update.” 

He explained that IDS had to interface 

with the existing LED system so 

all their existing functionality would 

remain intact, but would also enhance 

all the displays’ presentation. “We 

were able to go in on a station-by-station 

basis to do that. And the way it 

was organized in our contract is that 

we had pilot stations identified that 

served as the test ground for the 

mockup for the rest of the stations. 

Once we established a mockup of a 

working pilot station, we were able to 

replicate that and put it in with the 

smoothest of transitions without any 

interruption.” 

ADA Compliance 

In order to be ADA compliant, part 

of the challenge in making it all work 

was that there’s not only a visual display 

at each station but there’s also an 

audio component that’s heard via a 

public address system for the hearing 

impaired. Thus, when the TRIP II 

would initialize a text message, it would 

also trigger an audio message. “A function 

called ‘text speech’ takes the text 

and creates a Wav file that’s played 

back at the station. It’s critical to synchronize 

what appears on the screen 

with what audio is playing overhead, so 

it makes sense,” said Keelor. 

VRE’s Woolner hastened to add that 

another function of the TRIP system 

is that it enables GPS to talk to the 

trains. Thus, VRE can track its trains 

with GPS “and have constant communications 

back and forth [with train 

personnel] on certain way points that 

we picked along each of the routes. 

That includes the Fredericksburg run 

to DC’s Union Station, as well as the 

Manassas run.” And, as to how the 

signage information gets to the monitors 

at the stations, he explained that 

the display messaging is sent via a 


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‘SIGNS’ OF SUCCESS 

DSE’s Vegas gathering 

promises massive 

growth. 

BY DAN FERRISI 

The growth of, and excitement 

about, digital signage has reached 

new proportions each year, as technology 

improves and industry pros learn 

how best to market this vibrant, unconventional 

technology. Although 

myriad trade expositions touch on 

digital signage to varying degrees, 

only one dedicates itself specifically to 

it: Digital Signage Expo (DSE). Taking 

place February 27 and 28 at the 

Las Vegas Convention Center, this 

exposition is a must to attend for 

manufacturers, integrators and consultants 

who wish to keep ahead of the 

curve in this rapidly evolving market. 

The show, which itself is growing at 

a remarkable rate, blends education, 

technology and networking, all in service 

of the industry for which it is 

named. 

Fifty Percent Growth 

We spoke to Chris Gibbs, executive 

VP, ExpoNation LLC, the organization 

producing the show, to pin down the 

details. At the time this was written (in 

late December), he revealed, “We 

have 158 exhibitors, while last year we 

had 103. It’s over 50% growth, which 

is really incredible.” The show-floor 

square footage will jump substantially 

this year, as compared to 2007’s offering 

in Chicago at the Navy Pier Exhibition 

Center. At this writing, the 

show floor is 48,285 square feet. According 

to Gibbs, last year’s exposition 

encompassed 31,000 square feet. 

“It’s not just numbers of exhibitors,” 

he emphasized. “The size of the event 

is just enormous, compared to our 

previous effort.” 

This year’s Digital Signage Expo is expected to be much larger than ever before. 

Although Gibbs declined to speculate 

on numbers of attendees, he was 

confident the figure would grow in 

relation to the Chicago event, which 

drew about 2020 people. “[The show’s 

attendees encompass] both systems 

integrators and end users,” he confirmed, 

estimating that 60% of attendees 

are those actually using the technology 

and 40% are technology professionals 

or integrators. From an enduser 

perspective, the show attracts a 

wide breadth of verticals: retail, transportation, 

hospitality, corporate, museums 

and others. 

Exclusive Segment 

As might be expected, given the 

show’s moniker, exhibitors target 

their wares specifically for the digital 

signage market; peripheral offerings 

are kept to a minimum. Traversing the 

show floor, one will find flat-screen 

displays, content-creation software, 

metric and measurement technology, 

and means of distributing content, as 

well as a healthy dose of hands-on interaction. 

[Be sure to check out Sound 

& Communications’ Digital Signage 

Expo New Product Spotlight, beginning 

on page 64.] 

Indeed, DSE is co-locating with the 

Interactive Technology Expo, which is 

being treated as a show within the 

show and is the place for attendees to 

peruse the wares of companies that 

serve up interactivity. 

Referencing the presence of kiosks, 

touchscreens and self-service technology, 

Gibbs noted, “When somebody 

walks into that area on the floor, they 

know they can touch and interact with 

the technology.” 

Expanded Focus 

DSE used to limit its focus more 

heavily, concentrating on the retail 

aspect of the digital signage market. 

In fact, from 2004 through 2006, the 

show was titled Digital Retailing Expo. 




During this period, “retailing” was intended 

to encompass all applications, 

from department stores to banking 

and beyond. 

Speaking of the name change to 

Digital Signage Expo in 2007, Gibbs 

explained, “The reason was just to 

more fully encompass where digital 

signage is going. Initially, the big opportunity 

was seen on the retail side. 

And, obviously, it has become much, 

much more than that over the years. 

So, we decided that, [with the former 

name], we weren’t serving the industry 

as fully as we should.” 

Many Not Niched 

He noted that many of the exhibitors 

who do business at the show are 

not niched in retail, and added, “their 

technology can span over basically 

any industry vertical that could put up 

a digital sign or screen.” With the new 

title, the show presents a comprehensive 

value proposition and, resultantly, 

has enjoyed growth. 

Although ExpoNation has taken 

pains to ensure that the show is organized 

in a logical, coherent manner, 

DSE does not follow the pavilion 

route. According to Gibbs, manufacturers 

in the market simply do not 

limit themselves to one or two categories 

of product. “I’ve tried doing 

wayfinding stations where somebody 

could ask to see all the screen manufacturers, 

content providers or mediaplayer 

vendors. And, when I sent out 

the request to exhibitors, a lot of them 

marked every single category.” This 

speaks to extensive partnerships 

forged in the industry, and the desire 

of many firms to be “one-stop shops.” 

According to Gibbs, if the exhibitors 

are resistant to the pavilion idea, it is 

not his place to impose it. 

Lest one think DSE is only about 

Education/ 

training is 

central 

to DSE’s 

mission, 

as it seeks 

to broaden 

digital signage 

implementation. 


technology and making sales, the 

show’s robust education component is 

its largest in history. There will be 30 

seminars (featuring about 90 presenters) 

covering six tracks, including 

retail, advertising and marketing, hospitality, 

public spaces, digital signage 

101 and the brand new Tech Track. 

The education has been reorganized, 

in order to focus on the vertical markets 

best suited for implementation. “I 

think attendees are going to be better 

served because, say I’m a hotelier, I 

can go to the hospitality track and 

there’s five courses focused on what 

I need to do,” explained Gibbs. 

Attending trade shows in this industry, 

a substantial extracurricular component 

has come to be expected. On 

this count, DSE will not disappoint. On 

February 26, the day before the show, 

a guided Digital Signage Tour will 

take to the streets of Sin City. It is set 

to run from 9:00am until 1:00pm and 

costs $150 per person (availability is 

limited). 

Although, at this writing, the list of 

venues had not been finalized, Gibbs 

CHALLENGE 

Produce “Carmen” outdoors, capturing the dynamic 

range and presence of opera singers on 60 channels 

of wireless without interference. 

THE SOLUTION 

Sabine Wireless. Using the globally accepted 2.4 GHz band eliminates UHF 

interference, and Sabine provides totally flat audio from 20Hz to 20kHz plus a 

rack full of DSP built into each receiver. 

THE REACTION 

“We chose Sabine because they sounded the best. The license-free 2.4 GHz 

band and multi-channel capabilities made the choice even easier.” 

PACO CANO, Sound Designer 

Find out what the producers of “Carmen” already know about 

Sabine Wireless at www.sabine.com, or call us at 800.626.7394. 

Patented • Made in U.S.A. • © Sabine 

Production of Bizet’s Opera “Carmen” 

at Las Ventas Bull Ring in Madrid, Spain 

with 60 Channels of Sabine 2.4 GHz Wireless 

mentioned that the Steve Wyrick Theater 

at Planet Hollywood, the Las Vegas 

Convention Center and a Verizon 

store were on the itinerary. This tour 

presents a rare opportunity to see the 

benefits of digital signage up close and 

in a broad range of elegant environs. 

Additionally, that afternoon, there will 

be the Global Virtual Tour, running 

from 2:00pm to 5:00pm, also costing 

$150 per person. This presentation 

brings some of the planet’s most innovative 

digital signage and interactive 

applications to attendees. 

Awards Reception 

During the evening of the show’s 

first day, the Digital Signage Expo 

Awards Reception will be held. The 

awards, which are decided by respected 

editors from industry magazines 

(including David A. Silverman, 

editor of Sound & Communications), 

spotlight some of the most effective, 

successful uses of digital signage technology, 

setting a benchmark for which 

all industry members can strive. 

Asked why it is critical that industry 

members attend DSE, Gibbs returned 

to the event’s size and scope. 

“This is where the industry really 

comes together on an annual basis,” 

he declared. “With the growth we’ve 

had this year, we’re by far the largest 

event out there that focuses specifically 

on this type of technology.” 

He noted that, although other 

events have pavilions and offshoots for 

digital signage, DSE has a “laser focus” 

on the technology, its applications 

and educational outreach. He 

concluded, “The exhibit hall is fantastic. 

The sessions are fantastic. But, it’s 

truly also the industry itself coming 

together, networking, learning from 

one another. We can help steer the 

ship in the path in which it needs to 

be steered.” 

As AV’s course is charted for an 

exciting 2008, one can be certain digital 

signage will factor in heavily. And, 

just as sure, Digital Signage Expo will 

be a catalyst for continued evolution, 

improvement and success. 

For additional information, visit 

www.digitalsignageexpo.net. ■ 

62 Sound & Communications Circle 123 on Reader Response Card 


In February’s VIEWpoint, David Lee Jr., PhD, a systems integrator 

and licensed minister, and Pastor Robb Hawks, a tech-savvy worship 

leader currently involved with a 300,000-square-foot church campus 

construction, discuss the unique challenges, opportunities and issues 

associated with Houses of Worship. 

The broadcasts are emailed twice monthly directly to over 15,000 already-opted-in Sound & Communications 

readers’ desktops. Broadcasts are streamed in the popular FLASH Video format with downloads available for 

Apple iPod (H.263) and 3G video-enabled mobile devices (carrier restrictions apply). 

 

For more information, contact Vinny Testa (x505), John Carr (x509), Bob Beucler (x508) or Sam Mitrani (x514) at 516-767-2500. 


DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 NEW PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 

Provision Interactive Technologies’ HL40 Diamond 

Philips’ BDL3231C 32" LCD Monitor BroadSign Suite 6.0 

COMPILED BY DAN FERRISI 

Sound & Communications’ Digital Signage Expo New Product Spotlight 2008 presents descriptions 

of products that manufacturers report are being introduced to our industry at the 

Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas this month (see related story, “‘Signs’ of Success: DSE’s 

Vegas gathering promises massive growth,” beginning on page 60). Product information received 

after our production deadline will be featured in the Digital Signage Expo New Product 

Wrap-Up in April, and future issues. (All specifications are supplied by manufacturers or 

distributors.) 

ADFLOW Networks’ 

Dynamic Messaging 

System 7th Generation 

Technology Release 

Provision’s 3D 

Communications System 

Provision Interactive Technologies’ 

HL40 Diamond joins the HoloVision 

product family. An interactive communications 

system targeted for retailing 

and advertising, it is smaller 

and lighter than its predecessor, the 

HL40C. The 3D holographic displays 

are interactive and feature moving 

images that float in space without the 

need for glasses or other depth-enhancing 

devices. HoloVision, a 

standalone 3D holographic display 

for retail stores, kiosks and shopping 

centers, is also being offered as a 

networked display system that provides 

streaming media of 3D holographic 

images to the individual displays. 

Provision Interactive 

Technologies, Inc. 

(818) 775-1624 

www.provision.tv 

Booth #553 

Philips’ 32" LCD Monitor 

Whether used in a network or as 

a single public display, Philips’ 

BDL3231C 32" LCD monitor is well 

suited for harsh public environments, 

appropriate for digital signage applications 

that must stand up to heavy 

usage. It is optimized for public viewing 

with 1366x768 resolution, 

3000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 

HDMI inputs for a full digital high 

definition connection, and features an 

integrated SmartCard Xpress Slot, 

providing added functionality when 

coupled with optional card solutions. 

To keep operational costs low, it uses 

SmartPower technology, which enables 

control of backlight intensity by 

up to 50%. Its Wireless SmartLoader 

allows for copying of menu settings 

from display to display, ensuring display 

uniformity and diminishing installation 

costs. 

Philips Professional & 

Business Solutions 

(770) 821-3622 

www.philips.com/professional 

Booth #423 

BroadSign’s Hosted 

Software Solution 

BroadSign Suite 6.0, a hosted software 

solution for managing digital 

signage networks, resolves the chal- 

lenges facing operators of digital 

signage networks: the need for full 

campaign execution functionality, accountability 

and scalability. The software 

enables media specialists to target, 

sell or purchase network airtime 

and account for campaign performance. 

BroadSign International, Inc. 

(877) 399-1184 

www.broadsign.com 

Booth #505 

ADFLOW Networks’ 7 th 

Generation Technology 

ADFLOW Networks’ Dynamic Messaging 

System 7 th generation technology 

release, with a focus on providing 

increased functionality and flexibility, 

delivers additional features that 

reflect growing kiosk and menu board 

requirements. It includes On-line 

Kiosk Management, Menu Board 

Management and Content Creation 

Templates for customers to make 

simplified, immediate changes as required. 

A suite of data mining tools 

provide easy access to information 

related to their network. “Live Map” 

functionality gives customers a 

bird’s-eye view of all of their digital 

signage and kiosk locations. The strategically 

planned changes, coupled 

with the backend application 

changes, translate into increased organization, 

navigation and improved 

usability. 

ADFLOW Networks 

(905) 333-0200 

www.adflownetworks.com 

Booth #170 

SVSi’s Digital 

Signage System 

Southern Vision Systems’ digital 

signage voLANte-DVIe (Video Over 

LAN Technology) system permits hires 

HD video or computer graphics to 

be transmitted point-to-point or 

point-to-multipoint to remote displays 

over a gigabit Ethernet network. 

Offering good video and stereo audio 

quality in addition to real-time diagnostics 

at source and destination, 

voLANte-DVIe does not require special 

software or operating system 

support and eliminates the requirement 

for expensive PCs or thin clients 

at each display location. Implementation 

consists of a PC transmitter card 

Readers may see older products included due to inaccurate information supplied by manufacturers or suppliers. Although we try 



DA Tech’s PIDIS Series 

Aerva’s Pic2Screen Digital Signage Application 

Southern Vision Systems’ voLANte-DVIe 

Digital Signage System 

VIA Technologies’ VIA vm7700 VESA Mounted PC (vmpc) 

DT Research’s WebDT Mobile Tablet 

Cables To Go’s TRULINK 4-Port VGA Over UTP 

Extender Base Unit 

connected to the host PC’s graphics 

adapter’s DVI output and 1 or more 

remote receiver units attached to suitable 

displays. HDTV formats up to 

720p and CG formats up to 

1280x720 are transmitted without 

loss over the voLANte LAN to an unlimited 

number of receivers. 

Southern Vision Systems, Inc. 

(256) 461-7143 

www.southernvisionsystems.com 

Booth #265 

VIA Technologies’ 

VESA Mounted PC (vmpc) 

VIA Technologies’ VIA vm7700 

VESA mounted PC (vmpc) turns a 

standard display panel into a fully 

functional PC for signage, kiosk and 

other intelligent display applications, 

providing an alternative to traditional 

panel PCs that offers improved space 

management and flexibility. From 

small desktop LCD monitors to larger 

flat panel displays, the VIA vmpc 

vm7700 leverages the Video Electronics 

Standards Association (VESA) 

10cm x 10cm mounting specification 

for simple attachment behind the 

customer’s screen of choice, and offers 

cost savings when upgrading or 

replacing screens. Through-chassis 

mounting allows the VIA vm7700 to 

be secured behind a flat screen display 

in seconds, or firmly mounted 

on walls or under desks, while dualview 

support extends display utility. 

VIA Technologies 

(510) 687-4667 

www.viaembedded.com 

Booth #683 

Aerva’s Digital 

Signage Application 

Aerva’s Pic2Screen, a digital 

signage application for uploading pictures 

from camera-phones to any 

digital screen, was first used at a 

42’x28' outdoor LED at Fountain 

Square to take pictures of people in 

the square and have them displayed 

on the giant screen in seconds. Aerva 

is helping sponsors connect their 

brands with end users via engaging 

wireless applications such as 

Pic2Screen. At Fountain Square, 

Pic2Screen was sponsored by Head 

& Shoulders, a P&G brand. Pic2- 

Screen joins a portfolio of interactive 

applications, voting, polling, 

Text2Screen, Quiz and other games. 

Aerva, Inc. 

(877) 777-9910 

www.aerva.com 

Booth #456 

DA Tech’s PIDIS Series 

DA Tech’s PIDIS series, aimed at 

the fiberoptic digital market, consists 

of a transmitter (PIDIS DFT-2000) 

and LCD or PDP screens with builtin 

receiver (PIDIS DFL/DFP series). 

Various sizes of screens are available—especially 

suitable for larger 

sized ones. The company offers HD 

quality of video and audio. PIDIS is 

for a long distance transmission over 

fiber. Most notably, it enables the 

user to distribute the same content at 

multiple locations at same time. Low 

cost for maintenance and repair. 

DA Tech Co., Ltd. 

+82 32 868 0844 

www.pidisplay.com 

Booth #682 

DT Research’s Mobile 

Tablet POS Options 

DT Research has released 3 hardware 

applications for the WebDT 

Mobile Tablet line. The WebDT 310 

and 360 are the first Mobile Tablets 

that can be ordered with an integrated 

barcode scanner, Magnetic Stripe 

Reader (MSR) and/or camera. The 3 

integrated hardware options deliver a 

point-of-service mobile device that 

improves customer service, increases 

the accuracy of data entry and speeds 

access to information from any location. 

WebDT Mobile Tablets are lightweight 

and slim, as well as durable 

for commercial use, with 4' drop protection. 

Available in 8.4" and 10.4" 

touchscreen displays that feature 

flash-based storage and extendable, 

hot-swappable batteries and support 

Microsoft Windows XP Embedded, 

CE .NET and Windows Tablet PC operating 

systems. 

DT Research 

(408) 934-6220 

www.dtresearch.com 

Booth #442 

Cables To Go’s 

Extender Base Unit 

Cables To Go’s TRULINK 4-port 

VGA over UTP extender base unit 

permits extension of a VGA signal up 

to 300 meters over Cat5e. It is a good 

solution for applications requiring 

splitting of a signal to multiple displays 

while allowing for placement of 

a monitor further than 100' (the average 

VGA cable limitation). 

Cables To Go 

(937) 224-8646 

www.cablestogo.com 

Booth #676 

to check every product, a few may have slipped through due to the volume of information. We apologize in advance for any errors. 



Kramer’s BC-XTP 

Twisted Pair 

Cables 

ET Media’s Middleware WDA1000 

NEC Display Solutions’ 65" 

MultiSync LCD6520 LCD Panel 

Peerless’ SmartMount Articulating Arm Wall Mount 

NEC Display 

Solutions’ LCD 

NEC Display Solutions of America’s 

largest LCD yet, the 65" NEC 

MultiSync LCD6520, is embedded 

with the company’s Digital Signage 

Technology Suite (DSTS), which includes 

more than 20 features and 

functions developed for digital 

signage, making the display suitable 

for the transportation, corporate, 

medical, retail and hospitality markets. 

These features eliminate the 

need for additional, and sometimes 

expensive, third-party components. 

With the addition of an expansion slot 

that provides the option for additional 

technology components, the LCD- 

6520 provides future-proofing flexibility. 

It features 1920x1080 full HD 

resolution with 2000:1 contrast ratio, 

6-millisecond response time and 

Ambix+ Technology. 

NEC Display Solutions of America 

(630) 467-3000 

www.necdisplay.com 

Booth #113 

Kramer’s Twisted 

Pair Cables 

Kramer’s BC-XTP and BCP-XTP 

XGA twisted pair cables eliminate 

skew. Both resemble typical Cat5e 

cable, but with internal components 

optimized for transmission of video/ 

audio signals rather than high-speed 

data. This is accomplished by twisting 

all 4 pairs of wire at the same ratio 

so the length of all 4 pairs is identical. 

In a video/audio application, 

each of the RGB color signals now 

arrives at the destination at the same 

time. The result is a good image at 

the end of a long run with no color 

shift or “skew.” A good companion to 

Kramer twisted pair transmitter-receiver 

sets, these flexible cables offer 

hi-res, long distance transmission of 

RGB/VGA signals to a variety of display 

devices. The BCP-XTP is a plenum-rated 

version of the BC-XTP 

cable. 

Kramer Electronics 

(908) 735-0018 

www.kramerus.com 

Booth #247 

ET Media’s Middleware 

ET Media’s middleware WDA1000 

is usable as the backbone of CMS 

(Content Management Systems) in 

various digital signage applications. 

Capable of delivering the media contents 

over open internet/intranet in 

encrypted form and real time, 

WDA1000 is an easy-to-integrate 

middleware for content management 

systems in digital signage applications. 

Its cluster-enabled scalability 

and running time installation without 

shutting down the existing service 

make it a good system module for 

CMS of all sizes. It can control remote 

media players in real time, track different 

system-wide events, and support 

multi-layers of user management, 

remote hardware management 

and content management. 

ET Media 

(888) 285-5206 

www.etmedia.net 

Booth #155 

Peerless’ 

Articulating Arms 

Peerless Mounts’ series of articulating 

arms brings aesthetics, easy 

and fast installation, and provides 1" 

of cable management with its U- 

groove cable management system. 

The SmartMount Articulating Arm 

Wall Mounts support screens from 

32"-71", along with delivering up to 

30" of extension and 180° of swivel 

and tilt features for virtually limitless 

viewing positions. Placing the screen 

in its ideal location is enhanced by the 

arm’s 10¾" of horizontal positioning 

adjustment. 

Peerless Industries 

(708) 865-8870 

www.peerlessmounts.com 

Booth #329 

AGNPRO’s Digital 

Signage Appliance 

AGNPRO’s next-generation oneBox 

HD is a self-contained digital signage 

appliance that allows users to combine 

text, graphics, movies, animations, 

Flash, PowerPoint, RSS feeds 

and live TV/video by using a simple 

browser-based interface. The system 

is enhanced by using Ajax programming 

techniques to provide a richer 

user experience. Built on open web 

standards, oneBox HD is seamlessly 

compatible with web technologies. 

Google Maps, Google Gadgets, 

YouTube videos, Flikr photos and 

other types of popular web 2.0 content 

can be integrated easily into 

oneBox HD’s hi-res, multi-zone layouts. 

RS232 commands can be issued 

from oneBox HD to interface 

with display command sets and AV 

control system. More than 50 page 

transitions provide visual interest. 

AGNPRO 

(212) 647-9080 

www.agnpro.com 

Booth #151 

Corn Digital’s 

LCD Media System 

Corn Digital’s CERES 171R is a 17" 

LCD media system with interchange- 



able branded screen front and brand 

building capabilities for a retail location. 

An open frame LCD, it features 

640x480 resolution, multi-scheduled 

auto on/off function, remote control, 

continuous looping or repeat video 

and photo selection, auto start, SD 

and compact flash card inputs, 5W 

speakers. Its polycarbonate screen 

front can be customized with colorful 

visuals, attracting customers looking 

for more information at retail. 

These screen fronts can be changed 

out easily using Corn Digital’s bracket 

securing system. Additional interactive 

options include motion sensors 

and customizable push buttons on 

screen front or added below for interactive 

kiosks and displays. 

Corn Digital 

(626) 581-8299 

www.corndigital.com 

Booth #273 

LG’s LCD Monitor 

LG Electronics’ model M4210N 42" 

widescreen LCD HDTV monitor with 

AGNPRO’s Next-Generation oneBox HD 

built-in controller technology is optimized for digital 

signage applications. Capable of portrait or landscape 

orientation, it has a narrow 29mm bezel that enhances 

the use of a 4x4 videowall application. Viewing angle 

and long-term performance are improved in portrait 

mode, to enhance longevity and address the digital 

signage industry’s need for maximizing space, flexibility 

and customization. It boasts a Super IPS viewing angle 

of 178°, allowing the screen display to be seen from 

nearly any angle. The 1366x768 WXGA display resolution 

and 1600:1 contrast ratio create a clear, bright 

HD picture. 

LG Commercial Products 

(847) 941-8000 

www.lgcommercial.com 

Booth #723 

LG Electronics’ M4210N LCD Monitor 

Corn Digital’s CERES 171R 17" LCD 

Media System 


DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 

Display utilizing Shanghai Goodview Electronic’s NDSP 

Avocent’s Emerge EMS2100 Series Model 

Avocent’s VGA Over Cat5 Solutions 

Avocent’s Emerge EMS2100 series comprises 

VGA over Cat5 solutions. The audio video extenders 

deliver high resolution and clear video, and 

CD-quality digital stereo audio across installations 

up to 1000' away. With full RS232 support, video 

display panels can be controlled and interrogated 

remotely, making the EMS2100 series a suitable 

professional digital signage solution. The 

EMS2100 series delivers bright, accurate video 

with full saturation and crisp digital audio up to 

1000' from the signal source. 

Avocent Corp. 

(800) 275-3500 

www.avocent.com 

Booth #529 

Teq Digital’s Turnkey Solution 

Teq Digital’s QikSign VPW130 is a turnkey solution 

of pro-grade digital signage/info-communication 

system players bundled with digital 

signage software. This versatile, all-in-one Windows-based 

mini player allows deployment of up 

to 6-zone digital signage nearly anywhere. The 

digital signage message is displayed through a 

directly connected LCD, plasma or projector. With 

Signage One or Net or Enterprise software solution, 

VPW130 can be flexible for a standalone to 

networked installation over LAN/WAN. Suitable 

for applications in education, retail, corporate, 

hospitality, transportation hubs, facilities, banks 

and public places. Can display multiple zones with 

industry-standard graphics and video format, and 

allows the addition of personalized custom scrolling 

message or RSS/XML feed. 

Teq AV/IT 

(949) 709-4040 

www.teqdigital.com 

Booth #124 

Shanghai Goodview’s 

Digital Media Player 

Shanghai Goodview Electronic’s NDSP is a 

digital media player with LAN function. A group 

of displays installed in supermarkets, elevators, 

cafés, stations, hospitals, etc., can be connected 

with a router to compose a LAN. Each NDSP can 

be controlled by a media server that has been 

connected with all AD Displays in one LAN. The 

media server can provide AD Displays with various 

kinds of short advertisement programs for 

downloading, and edit a playlist delivered to AD 

Displays in the same network. Then, the AD Display 

will show programs according to the playlist 

sent by the server. AD Displays can be remotely 

controlled through software dubbed CAT (Client 

Administration Tool). All routine functions can 

be done with remote control. 

Shanghai Goodview Electronic 

86-21-51698511 

www.goodview-digital.com 

Booth #755 

DT Research’s 

Digital Signage System 

DT Research has expanded the WebDT Digital 

Signage System to include 15" and 17" interactive 

displays with widely used point-of-service 

hardware applications. The DS1500 and DS1700 

feature a display-integrated media player with a 

hi-res touchscreen LCD and options for a fully integrated 

magnetic stripe reader and barcode scanner. 

Businesses can simultaneously manage a 

variety of self-service, kiosk and point-of-service 

applications that run advertisements, directory assistance, 

news and emergency communications 

from a single system. Retailers, hotels/resorts, casinos, 

restaurants, schools/universities, corporations 

and transportation facilities have a broader 

set of display sizes and POS hardware applications 

to address their business needs better. 

DT Research 

(408) 934-6220 

www.dtresearch.com 

Booth #442 



Plan now to attend 

THE 

ONE 

SHOW! 

InfoComm 08 is THE ONE SHOW for 

information, solutions and networking in the 

Audiovisual, Information Communications and 

Systems Integration industries. 

The premier event for 

innovative ideas, essential 

learning, unparalleled 

networking and your best 

opportunity to: 

Preview 10,000+ products and services 

from over 950 leading manufacturers 

Learn new techniques and solutions 

from industry experts with over 350 

educational courses 

Connect with over 30,000 colleagues, 

friends and peers at the hottest 

networking events 

Get up-close and hands-on with the latest 

technology applications and solutions at 

many dedicated events: 

| LARGE VENUE DISPLAY GALLERY | SYSTEM 

PROGRAMMING AND GUI DESIGN GALLERY 

| DIGITAL SIGNAGE APPLICATIONS SHOWCASE 

| IMMERSIVE AUDIO EXPERIENCE | HD CON- 

FERENCING SHOWCASE | AV SYSTEMS RACK 

INTEGRATION CHALLENGE | EDUCOMM’S 

TOMORROW’S CLASSROOM TODAY PAVILION 

| TECHNOLOGIES FOR WORSHIP PAVILION 

| AUDIO DEMO ROOMS AND MANY MORE! 

InfoComm Conference June 14-20 

InfoComm Exhibition June 18-20 

NSCA Conference June 16-20 

NSCA EXPO on the InfoComm Show Floor June 18-20 

NXTcomm Exhibition June 17-19 

Incorporating 

Co-locating with 

February 2008 69 

INFOCOMM 08 | LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER, LAS VEGAS, NV | WWW.INFOCOMM.ORG


AccuWeather.com’s Hi-Res Weather And News Graphics 

ZipCast’s MyZipCast 

ZipCast’s 

Advertising Software 

ZipCast’s MyZipCast, powered by 

MediaBookie, is advanced advertising/media 

software with a powerful 

search engine feature that allows targeting 

of a message to specific 

screens at precise times to reach an 

exact audience. Creative can be 

changed in an instant when users 

manage their campaigns on the 

company’s easy-to-use web-based 

server. Target and manage customizable 

campaigns by location, demo, 

day part, content and networks. 

ZipCast provides strategic advertising 

screen placements in restaurants, 

taxis, banks, supermarkets and other 

high-traffic locations. It enables clients 

to target and reach their customers 

and improve brand equity. 

ZipCast 

(713) 953-7200 

www.zip-cast.com 

Booth #749 

Peerless’ Flat Panel Stand 

Peerless Mounts’ FPZ600 flat panel 

stand supports screens from 32"-60". 

Whether using 1 screen or 4 screens, 

this stand delivers good final results. 

Use 1 stand and mount up to 4 

screens (2 on each side); use 2 

stands and create a digital signage 

display. Creativity is limitless. The 

stand provides the ability to mount 

Peerless’ FPZ600 Flat Panel Stand 

flat panel displays in landscape and 

portrait orientation, creating the potential 

for digital works of art. 


(708) 865-8870 


Booth #329 

Hall Research’s 

Extension Kit 

Hall Research Technologies’ Model 

UVB1-CP component video (YPbPr) 

active extension kit is for SD or HDTV. 

For the Balun market, it is for extending 

SD or HDTV video and power signals. 

It is used to boost and extend SD 

or analog HDTV component (YPbPr) 

video on Cat5 cable up to 1000'. The 

kit includes both the sender and the 

receiver together with high-quality 

cables for each end. A single power 

supply is provided that can be plugged 

to either end. Unlike other passive 

Baluns, this device is active and boosts 

the signal using wide bandwidth 

(450MHz) differential (balanced) amps 

for sharp, clean image. The unit provides 

Ground-Loop Isolation (GLI) 

and Radio Frequency Interference 

(RFI) immunity to prevent 60-cycle 

video hum or distortion. 

Hall Research Technologies 

(714) 641-6607 

www.hallresearch.com 

Booth #843 

AccuWeather.com’s 

Weather, News Graphics 

AccuWeather.com has released hires 

weather and news graphics for 

digital signage content. The graphics 

attract additional attention and increase 

viewership at digital signage 

displays. Digital signage has become 

a popular way to reach captive, outof-home 

audiences but, without relevant 

content, viewers might lose interest 

in these displays over time. The 

audience-building power of weather 

is well known, from TV to wireless 

and the internet, and eye-catching, hires, 

dynamic weather information in 

digital signage content loops can help 

to combat viewer fatigue and draw 

audiences to screens. AccuWeather. 

com offers accurate, reliable, localized 

and quality-controlled weather graphics 

and videos, fully licensed content 

for any application, to help digital 

signage companies enhance value. 

AccuWeather.com 

(814) 235-8600 

www.accuweather.com 

Booth #339 

3M Touch Systems’ 

Touchscreens 

3M Touch Systems’ MicroTouch 

Dispersive Signal Technology (DST) 

touchscreens, in 32", 40", 42" and 

46", offer a solution for large-format 

interactive applications requiring fast, 

accurate, reliable touch response. 

Features: operation unaffected by 

surface contaminants and “dynamic 

touch,” which ignores static objects 

on the screen and allows for multiuser 

touch capabilities. Dispersive 

Signal Technology recognizes touch 

by interpreting bending waves within 

the glass substrate created by the 

contact of a finger or stylus on the 

glass. Because bending waves are 

unaffected by onscreen contaminants 

and moderate surface damage, DST 

touchscreens work reliably for most 

public environments and applications. 

3M Touch Systems 

(888) 364-3577 

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/ 

portal/3m/en_us/3mtouchsystems/ts 

Booth #438 

Texas Digital’s LCD 

Outdoor Display 

Digital signage is brought outdoors 

with the OmniVUE 46" LCD 

outdoor display from Texas Digital. 

An outdoor-readable, environmentally 

sealed display for permanent use in 

outdoor venues, the OmniVUE incorporates 

LCD technology to deliver 

eye-catching information, including 

dynamic digital advertising messages, 

static images, video files, television 

and cable feeds. Good visibility in 

both daytime and nighttime conditions. 

Typical applications: bank and 

credit union drive-up lanes, convenience 

stores, gas stations, outdoor 

concert venues, retail stores, cinemas, 

automobile dealerships, restaurants, 

theme parks, museums and 

zoos. Usable to distribute information, 

deliver marketing messages or 



Texas Digital’s OmniVUE 46" LCD 

Outdoor Displays 

provide news and weather updates. 

Texas Digital 

(800) 693-2628 

www.txdigital.com 

Booth #656 

Minicom Advanced Systems’ Transmitter 

Minicom Advanced 

Systems’ Transmitter Unit 

Minicom Advanced Systems’ transmitter for its DS Vision 

3000 digital signage distribution system expands the 

DS Vision’s capabilities, enabling the system to support 1- 

to-1 extension in addition to 1-to-many distribution. The 

architecture reduces cable clutter. Suitable for distributing 

multimedia content to remote screen clusters in places such 

as shopping malls, where each store has its own cluster 

running separate content. Use the transmitter to connect 

a player to a line splitter that then distributes single content 

to multiple screens. In another store, do the same thing 

with different content. Due to the extension, all players can 

be placed together in a single central, secure location. 

Minicom Advanced Systems 

(908) 486-2100 

www.minicom.com 

Booth #831 

3M Touch Systems’ Dispersive Signal Technology (DST) 

Hall Research’s Model UVB1-CP Kit 



AGNPRO’s 

miniBox HD 

Solo Edition 

Atdec’s Telehook 

TH-37-63-AWM 

Articulated Arm 

Wall Mount 

Stratacache’s ActiVia 

For Media 3.2 Digital 

Signage Software 

Atdec’s Wall Mount 

Atdec’s Telehook TH-37-63-AWM 

articulated arm wall mount offers a 

37" to 63" flat panel mounting solution. 

It allows for a vast range of motion, 

including lateral movement, a 

180° pan from the wall, an adjustable 

tilt of +/-15° and a low-profile design 

that folds flat against the wall. Its selfcentering 

universal mount interface 

allows quick and easy configuration 

of the bracket to match the display’s 

mounting hole pattern, saving installation 

time. It also features a springsupported 

tilting mechanism, making 

tilt adjustment a simple, hassle-free 

procedure, a strong die-cast aluminum 

construction capable of holding 

up to 200lb. and an integrated cable 

management system. 

Atdec Pty Ltd. 

(888) 718-3689 

www.atdec.com 

Booth #462 

Advantech’s 

Signage Player 

Adding functionality to its digital 

signage portfolio, Advantech’s DSA- 

2102V is an industrial-grade fanless 

player supporting output up to 720p 

resolution. This rugged, reliable 

player provides integration of AV content 

in single- or multi-zone displays 

for digital signage networks. It is not 

a PC; it utilizes a Sigma Design 

chipset that processes and manipulates 

video images. This chipset provides 

improved graphics performance 

in multiple display zones and has features 

to ensure smooth scrolling text. 

Software from multiple vendors is 

available for this player platform, including 

IAdea and Richsource Technology. 

Advantech 

(408) 519-3800 

www.advantech.com 

Booth #250 

Advantech’s DSA-2102V Fanless 720p Signage Player 

Stratacache’s Digital 

Signage Software 

Stratacache’s ActiVia for Media 3.2, 

an updated, more robust version of 

its digital signage solution, includes 

multi-layering capabilities for singleor 

multi-display players, which allows 

users to present multiple layers of 

digital media content within their digital 

displays across the entire network. 

ActiVia for Media is a highly optimized, 

web-accessible solution for 

digital marketing that combines 

Stratacache’s content delivery platform 

with digital broadcasting technology. 

With its multi-layering features, 

ActiVia 3.2 can manage the 

digital signage lifecycle for multi-layered 

playlist creation, distribution and 

monitoring of digital signage networks 

containing up to 100,000 concurrent 

devices. The process for creating 

and managing digital media 

playlists is made easy. Digital objects 

are imported into a secure authenticated 

content manager. 

Stratacache 

(937) 224-0485 

www.stratacache.com 

Booth #813 

Aerva’s Digital 

Signage Platform 

Aerva’s AerChannel v4 is a scalable, 

secure and flexible digital 

signage platform. Ad Management allows 

customers to create their own 

advertising networks easily. SMS Security 

Alert Activation allows security 

officers to create visual alerts and 

messaging during any security event, 

all in the field via a cell phone. Central 

Interactive Campaign Management 

means customers can manage, 

monitor and measure their interactive 

campaigns across their entire network. 

Email and SMS notification 

upon any event in the network. Content 

creators have lauded video 

podcast, data-driven directory/list 

management. 

Aerva, Inc. 

(877) 777-9910 

www.aerva.com 

Booth #456 

AGNPRO’s HD 

Media Player 

AGNPRO’s miniBox HD Solo Edition, 

a next generation solid-state 

media player, delivers full 1080p hidef 

video via HDMI, DVI, VGA and 

component video outputs. Compatible 

file formats include MPEG1/2/4, 

WMV9, H.264 and JPEG. Standarddefinition 

and 720p content is also 

supported, as is stereo audio. 

Onboard Ethernet, USB and serial/ 

RS232 ports provide connectivity. 

Weighing less than 2lb., it has no 

hard drive, fan or other moving parts, 

and is good for field reliability. All 

onboard software is embedded firmware, 

and media files are stored on 

a removable CompactFlash card in a 

secured slot. It has AGNPRO’s “out 

of the box” plug-in-and-deploy features, 

such as automatic looping and 

a user-friendly, browser-based interface 

for configuration and file upload 

via LAN/WAN. 

AGNPRO 

(212) 647-9080 

www.agnpro.com 

Booth #151 





Minicom’s DS Vision 3000 Receiver DCL 

Magenta Research’s 4Play Transmitter 

Atdec’s Telehook TH-31-55-TC 

Ceiling Mount 

Atdec’s Ceiling Mount 

Atdec’s ceiling mount Telehook 

TH-31-55-TC is can support 31"-55" 

LCD and plasma TVs and monitors 

up to 132lb. each. Targeted at commercial 

and professional installers, 

architects and interior designers looking 

for a solution to mount flat panel 

displays to a wall or ceiling, it is offered 

in a black or white powdercoat 

finish that effectively blends with 

most commercial interiors. It allows 

displays to rotate 360° and offers an 

adjustable tilt from -5° to +25° and 

features horizontal adjustment of 

+/-5°. The telescopic pole allows minimum 

distance from ceiling to center 

of display 8-11/16" and maximum distance 

from ceiling of 78¾". Available 

in back-to-back configuration. 

Atdec Pty Ltd. 

(888) 718-3689 

www.atdec.com 

Booth #462 

Provision’s 3D Display 

Provision Interactive Technologies is 

commencing installation of 3DEO Rewards 

Centers in grocery stores. These 

become a destination for consumers 

where they can have an entertaining 

interactive experience in the store and 

then be rewarded with promotions, 

sweepstakes and coupons for products 

and services. Using Provision’s Holo 

3D floating image display inside the 

3DEO Rewards Center, this technology 

will be used to advertise all types of 

products and services within the store. 

It comes in large and small versions. 

The large 3DEO Rewards Center has a 

40" holographic display with dual 

touchscreens; the small one has a 17" 

holographic display with 1 touchscreen. 

Holo 3D displays feature digital 

streaming images that float in space 

without the need for special glasses. 

Provision Interactive 

Technologies, Inc. 

(818) 775-1624 

www.provision.tv 

Booth #553 

Sharp’s Digital Signage 

Software Package 

Sharp’s Digital Signage Software 

Package comprises PN-SS01 digital 

signage software and optional PN- 

SV01 viewer software. The PN-SS01 

software enables content to be programmed, 

delivered and displayed; 

the complementary PN-SV01 viewer 

software stores content on a USB 

flash drive for remote playback on 

additional PCs and the Sharp “PN” 

series of pro LCD monitors. The PN- 

SS01 software programs digital posters, 

billboards, full-motion video information, 

animation, and real-time 

news and weather reports, and is 

compatible with many multimedia 

sources, including movies, flash animations, 

audio and still images. The 

software enables content to be displayed 

on a single screen; optional 

PN-SV01 viewer software expands 

the capability by displaying different 

content at different times and to different 

audiences. 

Sharp Electronics 

(201) 529-8200 

www.sharplcd.com 

Booth #643 

Magenta Research’s 

Transmitter 

Magenta Research’s 1080P/1080i/ 

720p-ready DVI-D transmitter for DVI 

video distribution to between 2 and 

8 DVI displays has 4 CatX outputs, 

and a Local Monitor Out port can be 

used to connect a second transmitter, 

providing a total of 8 DVI outputs. 

The 4Play transmitter sends the DVI- 

D signals via the multiple CatX cables 

to Magenta’s Cat’s i HDMI/DVI receivers 

up to 300' from the source. Another 

feature is the inclusion of 

Magenta’s mock-mode DDC functionality, 

which allows for a variety of 

DDC options for a trouble-free installation. 

The transmitter is compatible 

with all HD formats, plus VESA video 

formats including 1680x1050 and 

1600x1200 resolutions. 


(860) 210-0546 

www.magenta-research.com 

Booth #429 

Philips’ 42" LCD Monitor 

Whether used in a network or as 

a single public display, the Philips 

BDL4231C 42" LCD monitor offers 

numerous features for digital signage 

applications that must withstand the 

rigors of heavy usage. Optimized for 

public viewing with 1366x768 resolution, 

3000:1 dynamic contrast ratio 

and HDMI inputs for a full digital hidef 

connection, it includes an integrated 

SmartCard Xpress Slot that 

provides added functionality when 

coupled with optional card solutions. 

To diminish operational costs, it uses 

SmartPower technology, which allows 

users to control backlight inten- 

Provision Interactive Technologies’ 

3DEO Rewards Center 

sity by up to 50%. Wireless Smart- 

Loader adds the capability to copy 

menu settings from 1 display into 

additional displays, ensuring display 

uniformity. 

Philips Professional & 

Business Solutions 

(770) 821-3622 

www.philips.com/professional 

Booth #423 

Minicom’s Dual 

Cascade Receiver 

Minicom Advanced Systems’ Dual 

Cascade Receiver (DCL) expands the 

DS Vision 3000 digital signage distribution 

system’s capabilities by supporting 

star configurations as well as 

daisy chains. The DCL, allows cascading 

of up to 10 units in a row, 

enabling easier positioning of screens 

and reduced cable clutter. Additionally, 

it has 2x the power of a regular 

video receiver, allowing use of 2 

back-to-back screens on a single unit 

while still controlling each screen 

separately. The double-port feature 

simplifies installation. DS Vision 3000 

is a long-range Catx-based distribution 

system delivering HD video and 

stereo-audio content to up to hundreds 

of plasma/LCD screens up to 

2000'. 

Minicom Advanced Systems 

(908) 486-2100 

www.minicom.com 

Booth #831 



Wants to ensure that his system 

can manage, protect and 

deliver her documentary. 

Needs a solution for converting her award 

winning documentary from traditional film 

to digital so it can be distributed over IPTV 

and mobile services. 

The hardware/software 

system of their dreams — 

the perfect tools to create 

a competitive and robust 

video service. 

Your content solution comes to life here. 

Welcome to the place where creativity originates, inspiration comes 

alive and dreams become reality. Since day one, the mission and focus 

of the NAB Show has remained unchanged: to deliver it all to you, 

from content creation to acquisition to distribution and delivery—and 

everything in between. Experience the education, networking, advanced 

tools, latest technologies and end to end solutions you’ve only dreamed 

about. If you’re in video, the NAB Show is the only place to bring your 

business to life. 

Conferences: April 11–17, 2008 Exhibits: April 14 –17, 2008 | Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada USA 

Energize your content and your career this year. 

Be our guest: use pass code A583 at www.nabshow.com/free 

to register for your FREE NAB Show Exhibits Pass. 



ITSENCLOSURES’ ViewStation Array LG Electronics’ M5201C 52" LCD Monitor X2O Media’s Xpresenter Xe 

ITS’ Digital 

Signage Enclosure 

ITSENCLOSURES’ ViewStation Array 

houses up to 6 (3x2) 46" LCD displays. 

It can be used for larger 

signage needs (rental car garages, 

stadiums/arenas, airports, etc.). Built 

to appropriate NEMA standards, it is 

suitable for indoor or outdoor applications, 

and can be configured in a 

2x2 or 3x2 orientation to provide flexible 

digital signage solutions. It provides 

a clear, crisp image that can be 

viewed from 15' as well as it can from 

50' with hi-res LCD displays that provide 

good visibility. 

ITSENCLOSURES 

(800) 423-9911 

www.itsenclosures.com 

Booth #353 

LG Electronics’ 

52" LCD Monitor 

LG Electronics’ M5201C 52" 

widescreen HDTV LCD monitor offers 

“Full HD” 1080p resolution for optimal 

display capability. With enhanced 

landscape and portrait applications, 

the M5201C offers a variety of largescale 

installation options from videowalls 

to storefront advertising, providing 

a more intense, attention-grabbing 

experience. It incorporates a 

viewing angle of 178°, a 63mm bezel 

and features a Tile Mode setting 

for 4x4 videowall applications. Using 

XD Engine technology, which takes 

low-resolution analog signals to near 

HD levels, improving detail, enhancing 

color and reducing signal noise, 

the M5201C offers contrast ratios up 

to 1600:1, multiple HDMI and composite/component 

inputs, and LG’s 

IP-Cast internet-protocol control 

technology. 

LG Commercial Products 

(847) 941-8000 

www.lgcommercial.com 

Booth #723 

X2O Media’s Digital 

Signage System 

X2O Media’s pre-release version of 

the Xpresenter Xe includes everything 

required to produce a professional, 

single-channel digital signage project 

in an intuitive Windows environment. 

It diminishes the learning curve associated 

with digital signage creation 

and deployment with point-and-click 

content creation and management. It 

features ready-to-use, professionally 

designed, customizable “smart” 

graphics templates (plus an upgrade 

path for purchasing more templates) 

and multi-resolution, broadcast-quality 

video output for landscape and 

portrait displays. It supports near-instantaneous 

output, so users can go 

seamlessly from content creation to 

playout without saving to disk. Because 

the templates link to live data 

sources such as RSS feeds, 

Xpresenter Xe ensures the digital 

signage project is constantly and automatically 

updated. 

X2O Media 

(514) 987-7557 

www.x2omedia.com 

Booth #668 

Avocent’s 

Multipoint Extender 

Avocent’s MPX1500 hi-def (HD) 

multipoint extender is a new version 

of the Emerge MPX that wirelessly 

distributes HD content from a single 

source to multiple destinations. The 

Emerge MPX devices can be deployed 

for a variety of enterprise 

video applications, but are most commonly 

used for digital signage, providing 

panels of live information, entertainment 

and advertising in retail 

outlets, theaters, restaurants, airports, 

etc. The MPX1500 adds digital audio 

functionality as well as expanded capabilities 

for centrally managing these 

transmitting and receiving devices 

over the internet. 

Avocent Corp. 

(800) 275-3500 

www.avocent.com 

Booth #529 

Teq AV/IT’s Extender 

Teq AV/IT’s Twisted Pair Video extender 

for digital signage is capable 

of taking signals up to 300' of UTP 

Cat5 or Cat6 cable. Teq AV/IT offers 

numerous ready-to-install kits for 

VGA + Audio extension for digital 

signage or info-communication systems, 

including the basic Qik-Install 

Kits for up to 2000' that includes a 

transmitter, receiver and input cables. 

The kits offer an alternative to running 

bulky VGA/RGBHV coax cables to 

single or multiple plasma/LCD displays 

or projectors in applications 

such as media distribution, presentation, 

training and digital signage. 

Suitable for schools, universities, colleges, 

boardrooms, security, public 

places, museums and retail stores. 

Teq AV/IT 

(949) 709-4040 

www.teqavit.com 

Booth #124 

Triveni Digital’s 

Standalone System 

Triveni Digital’s new version of 

Ensignia Digital Signage Lobby is a 

standalone, self-contained system for 

digital signage deployments requiring 

just 1 display screen. Integrated with 

LG Electronics’ M4210N flat-panel 

HDTV LCD display, the system is 

suited for installations in regional 

banks, convenience stores, wireless/ 

telco stores, emergency network services 

and houses of worship, among 

others. Lobby supports ad insertion 

and multiple-quadrant viewing, with 

associated playlists for each to view 

on the LG monitor. The Media- 

Manager software integrated into the 

Ensignia suite manages and schedules 

the digital content over an 

Ethernet LAN connection to the 

Lobby system that, in turn, controls 

the display of digital content onscreen. 

The system can be configured 

to display live video via IP (digital) 

streaming or a set-top box. 

Triveni Digital 

(609) 716-3500 

www.trivenidigital.com 

Booth #819 



Corn Digital’s Ceres-86V 

Network Digital Media Player 

Avocent’s MPX1500 High-Definition (HD) 

Multipoint Extender 

Triveni Digital’s Ensignia Digital Signage Lobby 

Omnivex’s Digital 

Signage Platform 

Omnivex’s Moxie digital signage 

platform, based on technologies from 

Microsoft, helps improve the process 

to develop and deploy digital signage 

networks. It enables content developers, 

network operators and marketing 

managers to take advantage of advances 

in Windows graphics capabilities 

and network management, and 

tie them directly to real-time information. 

Moxie uses the same 3D graphics 

engine found in Microsoft Windows 

Vista and video games. It allows 

each display to target messages 

to individual viewers based on who 

they are, where they are, what they’re 

doing and what the location has to 

offer. Enhanced graphics capabilities 

give writers and designers additional 

latitude for creating content. With 

fully scalable graphics, one design fits 

many different screen resolutions. 

Omnivex Corp. 

(905) 761-6640 

www.omnivex.com 

Booth #649 

Hall Research’s 

Extension Products 

Hall Research Technologies’ 

UV(X)-16X series routes 16 individual 

input signals through a 2RU enclosure 

and extends them over UTP 

cable up to 1000'. The UV1-S-16x 

transmits the receiver power and 

video (VGA or component) over UTP; 

compatible receivers are required to 

convert the UTP signal back to VGA. 

The UVA-16x transmits the audio and 

video (VGA or component) over UTP; 

compatible receivers are required to 

convert the UTP signal back to VGA 

and audio. Optionally, the transmission 

of audio can be replaced by serial 

(RS232) in the UV232-16x. Hall 

Research can build custom units with 

less than 16 outputs or a mix of capabilities, 

giving the end user flexibility. 

Suitable for digital signage applications 

as well as rental and staging 

venues. 

Hall Research Technologies 

(714) 641-6607 

www.hallresearch.com 

Booth #843 

Corn Digital’s 

Digital Media Player 

Corn Digital’s Ceres-86V, a network 

digital media player with video 

input and other graphic contents, 

gives end users more flexibility in 

their choices of external media inputs. 

Hi-def video and graphic content can 

be uploaded via the internet or 

streamed from DVD or other player 

devices through the Ceres-86V’s 

composite video input. No software 

installation is required, and there are 

no licensing fees for the first 3 years. 

Hall Research’s Model UV1-S-16X 

Scheduling/Uploading of content can 

be done remotely from any PC connected 

to the internet and at any time 

with the username and password. 

Setup is easy and it decodes most 

video formats, including MPEG1/2/4, 

DivX, WMV and AVI. Connection includes 

DVI/HDTV, Standard VGA and 

a 10/100 network interface. 

Corn Digital 

(626) 581-8299 

www.corndigital.com 

Booth #273 

■ 

Wireless Transmission to Powered Companion System 

Phone: 800 . 588 . 0018 

Fax: 760 . 631 . 1283 

www.TeachLogic.com 


Government Facilities & Public Works 

Putting our tax dollars to good use. 


Although nobody enjoys paying 

taxes, we certainly would be lost without 

many of the government services 

for which those taxes pay. Setting 

aside police, firefighters and road construction 

for a moment, consider such 

government facilities and public works 

as town libraries, hospitals, airports, 

courthouses and jails. In addition to 

those facilities’ self-evident utility, it is 

prudent for us to consider the extent 

to which audiovisual equipment 

supplements the value proposition. As 

it turns out, AV usage is high and construction 

is booming. 

Undertaken A Drive 

In Davidson County NC, commissioners 

have approved a $115,000 expenditure 

to design an expansion of 

the Denton branch of the county library 

system. Last Summer, commissioners 

put in place more than $1 million 

for the library expansion. The 

project is expected to cost about $1.7 

million. The expansion will add some 

7000 square feet to the 4500-squarefoot 

facility. The project will expand 

the children’s section and provide 

space for additional computers, leisure 

reading and a section for teens. A 

meeting room also is planned, which 

is envisaged as hosting civic clubs, 

artists and musicians. 

In Elkton OR, the Elkton Community 

Education Center library, which, 

at this writing, is only a shell of a 

building, soon will be a state-of-the-art 

community gathering place. Construction 

commenced in late September 

and currently stands at 60% complete. 

The new building will boast a commercial 

kitchen, a media center, a storage 

room and a patio. The facility will have 

a full technological complement, not 

currently available at the center. 

There will be a row of computers for 

public use, a large drop-down screen 

and projector, new TVs on the walls, 

an electric fireplace, a small stage and 

an audio system. The library also will 

offer wireless internet access for those 

with their own laptops. 

The 4200-square-foot structure’s construction 

has been funded largely by donations 

and grants. The project will cost 

nearly $400,000 at the end of the day. 

It is up to the people of Saugeen 

Shores, Ontario, Canada, to help pay 

for the expansion project at the Port 

Elgin branch of the Bruce County Library. 

A fundraising campaign officially 

has been launched. The $1.2 

million project encompasses a 3500- 

square-foot addition west of the current 

library, a fully independent elevator, 

multi-purpose room and streetlevel 

access. The town already has a 

$731,000 grant. Added to money 

raised to date, the project committee 

has about $850,000, with a goal to 

raise the remaining $350,000 via individual 

and corporate donations. The 

intention is to start construction by 

Spring 2008. 

‘World-Class Library’ 

In Park County WY, ground has 

been broken for a nearly $6 million 

library project. Brief speeches commemorated 

the commencement of 

a remodeling project that will bring to 

the area what has been called a 

“world-class library,” expected to open 

in August 2008. 

In Pennsylvania, ground has been 

broken for construction of a new 

Scottdale Library. Fundraising for the 

building started in 2005. The new 

building will cost more than $1 million. 

The expense of furnishings and 

the landscaping will be added. Construction 

will persist for eight months. 

Envisioned as a community hub, the 

facility will have meeting rooms. 

In Columbus OH, Nationwide Children’s 

Hospital has a brighter, and bigger, 

future. The cornerstone of the plan 

is a new 12-floor main hospital building, 

encompassing 700,000 square feet 

(a 200,000-square-foot increase from 

original plans). Construction is scheduled 

to begin this year, with completion 

in 2012. When completed, Nationwide 

Children’s Hospital is expected to be 

the second largest pediatric hospital 

and research center in the US. The 

campus master plan and new main hospital, 

currently valued at more than 

$800 million, will add more than one 

million square feet of clinical and research 

space to the existing two-mil- 



lion-square-foot downtown campus. 

Current plans for the new hospital 

include private patient rooms, designed 

with a family zone that includes 

enhanced sleeping accommodations 

for parents, expanded personal space, 

private showers and internet access; 

a patient zone with hidden medical 

equipment, individual room temperature 

control and patient entertainment 

systems; and a care-giver zone with 

electronic medical records, state-ofthe-art 

monitoring and access to all 

necessary patient-care technology. 

When combined with renovation of 

existing facilities, the new main hospital 

will create a total estimated capacity 

of 460 beds. 

Moves To Consolidate 

In Gainesville GA, Northeast Georgia 

Health System is making moves to 

consolidate nearly the entirety of its 

outpatient testing into one location. 

Ground has been broken on an imaging 

center, and completion is anticipated 

in February 2009. The $23 million 

project has grown broader in 

scope compared to original plans. 

“Medical Park 1” will be a three-story 

facility, with the first floor (30,000 

square feet) outfitted for imaging services 

and the other two floors, comprising 

56,000 square feet, rentable as 

medical office space. The medical 

center’s central campus is undergoing 

a substantial expansion, with the 

nearly $200 million North Patient 

Tower and $50 million Women & 

Children’s Pavilion currently undergoing 

work. 

In Tucson AZ, University Medical 

Center (UMC) will open the city’s first 

children’s hospital, seeded from a $15 

million donation. The facility, to be 

dubbed Diamond Children’s Medical 

Center, will take up the top three 

floors (roughly 100,000 square feet) of 

a six-floor structure being built at 

UMC. The facility also will house 

UMC’s new emergency department 

and trauma center. The children’s 

hospital comes with a price tag of $55 

million and will open in Spring 2010. 

In Houston TX, the largest medical 

center in the world is looking to expand! 

The Texas Medical Center is 

undergoing the most substantial construction 

in its history, with scheduled 

projects through 2014 to cost in excess 

of $7 billion. Most of the new 

construction will be for patient-care 

facilities, with the balance dedicated 

to research and office space. Amazingly, 

the medical center’s square footage 

already exceeds the total square 

footage of downtown buildings in El 

Paso, Ft. Worth and San Antonio combined. 

Erecting new hospitals, research 

labs, clinics and other facilities 

will lead to more jobs, expanding the 

current 73,000-person work force by 

more than 30,000 by 2014. 

Finally Unveiled 

In Exeter NH, Exeter Hospital has 

unveiled a new space connected to its 

expansion as the new cardiology unit 

opened. The hospital has moved all 

cardiology services to a new space on 

the second floor. The unit houses the 

Cath Lab, Echo cardiology, cardiac 

stress testing, EKG, Vascular ultrasound 

and Nuclear medicine. 

In Big Spring TX, Howard County 

officials are hoping to get proceeds 

from more than $11.5 million in bonds 

to finance a new jail, for which construction 

would commence in March. 

A construction firm has told the 

county it could be done in nine 

months, if all goes well. The county’s 

1950s-era vintage jail was under threat 

of closure by the Texas Commission 

on Jail Standards. 

Open-Space Premium 

In Indianapolis IN, construction 

workers have finished placing glass 

panels on the new Indianapolis Airport 

terminal’s entrance. The more than $1 

billion airport terminal is scheduled to 

open in about a year. In the interior, 

the ticketing area is coming into form. 

Behind the ticket area, a large open 

space, dubbed civic plaza, a 200-foot 

diameter circle, will serve as a meeting 

place for the public and travelers. 

A premium was placed on open space, 

with the 100-foot-wide concourses 

boasting moving walkways. 

In Springfield MO, construction of 

Springfield-Branson National Airport’s 

new terminal is progressing as 

planned. If everything continues to go 

well, the Midfield Terminal on the 

west side of the main runway should 

be operational in early 2009. The new 

terminal will have 10 gates; however, 

there is room to have as many as 60 

gates, if needed. 

Top-Down Redesign 

In Shawnee Mission KS, the 

Leawood Pioneer Library’s size will be 

nearly doubled. Plans encompass completely 

redesigning the interior and an 

additional 8000 square feet made with 

“green” building supplies. In 2006, the 

library had slightly more than $5 million 

approved to expand its 11,000 

square feet of space. The project was 

scheduled to commence in Fall 2008. 

However, inflation has boosted the 

price tag by $625,000. The added 

square footage will be on the building’s 

east side, providing space for a meeting 

room. The current building will get 

an overhaul, as well. The library will 

close this year in the Fall in preparation 

for a Fall 2009 reopening. 

In Carlinville IL, officials with 

Carlinville Area Hospital, a 25-bed, 

critical-access facility that provides 

myriad inpatient and outpatient services, 

want to commence construction 

this year on a new hospital costing 

about $27 million to replace the current 

space. The hospital was erected 

in the early 1950s and would require 

thorough renovation to stay operational; 

this, it turns out, would be only 

marginally less expensive than constructing 

a new facility. 

Remember some of these facilities 

as you head to the post office on April 

15, and enjoy the technical complement 

sure to accompany public works 

of the present and future. ■ 



Rio Vista Goes With Electro-Voice 

The Rio Vista Recreation Center (Peoria AZ) is a new complex combining 

modern architecture with contemporary AV technology. The center 

includes meeting rooms, high-tech classrooms, a child-care facility and 

an adventure center filled with computers and video games. Active adults 

and children can choose from a variety of fitness activities. The center 

also boasts a rock-climbing wall, two racquetball courts, a gymnasium, 

a basketball court, weight room, aerobics and dance rooms, and a large, 

convertible multi-purpose room. 

The level of AV performance is high, due to the fully integrated systems 

designed and installed by Level 3 Audio Visual (Mesa AZ). Its system 

specs feature a variety of Electro-Voice EVID loudspeakers, along with 

CDP series paging horns. “The EVID family’s streamlined styling was a 

perfect fit for the center’s contemporary look, helping to maintain the 

architectural vision while delivering superior quality audio throughout the 

complex,” commented Level 3’s Jeremy Elsesser. 

Drawing from an extensive range of professional-grade install speakers, 

Level 3 selected EVID 4.2T and 6.2T surface-mounted speakers, whose 

architecture-friendly lines have made them popular, and EVID C8.2LP 

(low profile) and C8.2HC (high ceiling) recessed ceiling speakers. 

Surface-mounted EVID 4.2Ts are positioned throughout the facility, including 

12 units in the large, convertible multi-purpose room. Larger EVID 

6.2Ts are used for paging in the second floor common area. Paging was 

required in the gymnasium, so Level 3 installed EV CDP-848AT paging 

horns on a quad mount configuration, ensuring a full, balanced sound 

distribution in an acoustically challenging space. The racquetball court 

installation features music playback capability via four EVID 8.2HC highceiling 

speakers and a recessed control panel with volume control and 

iPod input. C8.2LPs are installed in the classrooms and adventure center 

spaces. 

AirMedia, DT Research Partner At Airport 

AirMedia Group Inc., operator of the largest digital media network in China 

dedicated to air travel advertising, and DT Research, Inc., have deployed 

the WebDT Signage System in the Beijing Capital International Airport. 

[Editor David Silverman referenced this project in “Wavelength,” January.] 

Advertisers can purchase advertising time slots from AirMedia and 

their advertisements will be shown to airport passengers and visitors on 

high-definition LCD screens through DT Research’s WebDT Signage 

System. 

The Beijing Capital International Airport is the ninth busiest airport in the 

world and served almost 50 million passengers in 2006. This year, the 

airport will accommodate travelers who come to Beijing for the 2008 

Summer Olympics. Five hundred thirty-eight digital frames powered by 

DT Research’s WebDT Signage System have been installed in the airport. 

AirMedia is installing additional WebDT-powered digital frames in 

other major airports. 

“With Beijing hosting the upcoming Olympic Games, the Beijing Capital 

International Airport will house one of the most desirable audience groups 

that advertisers desire to reach in 2008,” said Xiaoya Zhang, director 

and president of AirMedia. “We want to ensure that our airport advertising 

is delivered through a state-of-the-art system that could effectively 

and securely manage dynamic content remotely….” 

“Our digital signage system allows AirMedia quickly and easily to change 

the content that is viewed on each digital frame,” said Dr. Daw Tsai, 

president of DT Research. “This gives advertisers the flexibility to promote 

different products or services each day and target specific audiences. 

This dynamic content management system, combined with the 

ability to reach an attractive audience group in a captive environment 

in the airport, provides advertisers with a powerful tool to reach targeted 

audiences.” 

Wlodek Sielski Dies 

Wlodek Sielski, of AuviTran SARL, died on 

December 29, following a seven-month 

battle with cancer. Born in Poland, Sielski 

pursued a university education in electronics 

but, soon after, found himself as the 

touring sound engineer for the country’s top 

“communist-era” rock band, traveling all 

over the Soviet Union, including being 

treated to such privileges as regular travel 

on the “Concordski.” 

With the relaxation in restrictions, Sielski 

later chose to settle in the Netherlands and 

began sound design and engineering for one of the country’s major theaters. 

In the late ’80s, he moved to the UK, where he engineered for 

national broadcasters including Sky TV. 

Choosing to capitalize on his broadcast experience, Sielski took a career 

shift from engineering to sales and began to distribute Digigram 

products in the UK. This was the start of a business relationship that, 

ultimately, saw Sielski head up business development at Digigram 

France, developing customers and opportunities for the brand, as well 

as becoming a director of its Asian subsidiary. 

It was at Digigram that Sielski met Yves Ansade and Jeremie Weber, 

with whom he created the spinout AuviTran. In addition to his work at 

AuviTran, Sielski consulted on development projects at Fostex Japan 

and K&H Germany. 

Sielski is survived by his wife, Fiona, and two children, Poppy and Liam. 

Steve Kusiciel Dies 

Steve Kusiciel, a long-time employee of 

Gepco International, has died. Kusiciel’s 

friendship with the founder of Gepco, Gary 

Geppert, started while both were employed 

at Paragon Studio. 

They worked together later at Streeterville 

Studios. In 1991, their friendship turned 

into a business relationship when Geppert 

asked Kusiciel to join the Gepco team on 

80 Sound & CommunicationsFor more information about these companies, go to www.bluebookonline.net www.soundandcommunications.com

Make Acoustics Part of Your Scope 

a full-time basis. As the company expanded and formed additional divisions, 

Kusiciel took on more responsibilities for the design, installation 

and maintenance of much of the factory’s manufacturing and processes. 

Kusiciel soon became a key component in Gepco’s operations, taking 

on lead responsibilities for the company’s IT and test and measurement 

systems. 

“Along with being a close friend, Steve was a part of the company’s foundation, 

a welcoming presence in the workplace and a knowledgeable 

asset to the team,” said Geppert. “Regardless of how busy he was, Steve 

always made time for friends and co-workers. He was a natural teacher, 

ready to share his knowledge with anyone who asked. Steve will be 

deeply missed by all who knew him.” 

Become an authorized RPG contractor 

Diffusion, Absorption, Optimized Canopies & Towers 

RPG Diffusor Systems, Inc. 

www.rpginc.com 301-249-0044 

DI Equips Technologically Savvy School 

Students at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy returned to 

a technologically savvy school this Fall. For two months, Design & Integration 

(DI) was busy upgrading the school’s audiovisual system in the 

Pharmacy Learning Center with new projectors, screens, 

videoconferencing, wireless microphone systems and more. The new 

systems were designed by Convergent Technologies Design Group, and 

can be found in two lecture rooms and a master control room. 

The two lecture rooms are set up similarly and are used primarily by professors 

and faculty. Lecture room 108, located in the Distance Learning 

Center, features three Epson projectors, three motorized projection 

screens, two Panasonic 65-inch plasma displays and a Tannoy distributed 

loudspeaker system. There is also a Tandberg videoconferencing 

system with three Sony cameras: two in the front of the room and one 

in the back. There are a variety of AV inputs, a wireless microphone system, 

a Williams assistive-listening system and a custom lectern housing 

a SMART Technologies 17-inch Sympodium display, an annotation 

device that allows digital ink to be placed on a computer screen with an 

interactive pen. 

Lecture room 120, in the Pharmacy Hall, contains one projector, a rear 

camera, and annotation capabilities similar to room 108. Both rooms are 

controlled by Crestron control panels, located in the lecterns. 

The master control room has the ability to control both rooms. Although 

the rooms are not in close proximity to the master control room, fiberoptic 

lines make sending and receiving audio, video and control information 

signals possible. 

CALENDAR 

March 

EHX Spring 2008 

March 11-15 

Orlando FL 

EH Publishing, Inc. 

(508) 663-1500 

www.ehxweb.com 

MusikMesse Pro Light + Sound 

March 12-15 

Frankfurt, Germany 

Messe Frankfurt, Inc. 

(770) 984-8016 

musik.messefrankfurt.com/ 

frankfurt/en 

Telepresence World 2008 

March 18-19 

London, England 

Hemisphere Expo Services 

(970) 879-8140 

www.telepresenceworld.com/london 

GlobalShop 2008 

March 18-20 

Chicago IL 

Nielsen Business Media 

(770) 569-1540 

www.globalshop.org/ 

globalshop/index.jsp 

April 

FOSE 

April 1-3 

Washington DC 

1105 Government Information Group 

(800) 791-3673 

www.fose.com 

ISC West 2008 

April 2-4 

Las Vegas NV 

Security Industry Association 

(866) 817-8888 

www.iscwest.com 

For more information about these companies, go to www.bluebookonline.net 


Verrex One Of NJ’s Top Family Businesses 

Verrex Corp. was honored 

as a top finalist at 

Fairleigh Dickinson 

University’s 2007 New 

Jersey Family Business 

of the Year 

Awards. The annual 

event, held since 

1992, recognizes the 

significant economic 

and community contributions 

made by New 

Jersey’s finest family 

businesses and honors 

those whose innovative 

strategies and 

practices have made a 

positive impact on the 

state. 

From left: Glenn Berry; Thomas Berry, Jr.; 

Thomas Berry, Sr. 

Verrex was honored for the company’s contributions to various civic organizations, 

including the Boy Scouts of America. The company was also 

recognized for its role in New Jersey’s state history, including audiovisual 

projects completed for some of the Garden State’s most recognizable 

landmarks. 

emebaVet Installs 250-Location Veterinary Clinic Network 

We Three Multimedia, a Gnoasis, Inc., company, has contracted with 

emebaVet, LLC, a California-based digital signage network operator, to 

install a 250-location digital signage network in veterinary hospitals across 

the US. After closely researching every digital signage platform available, 

emebaVet chose We Three Multimedia, a Scala Certified Partner. 

The decision to choose Scala was based on a robust architecture that 

provides stability, versatility and scalability. 

The 250-veterinary-location contract includes a large NEC 1020 LCD in 

the lobby of each veterinary hospital. The content consists of entertainment, 

education, news and weather, public service and commercial announcements. 

In addition, each location runs custom, personalized content for the hospital. 

The most important feature to set emebaVet apart from others in 

the industry is the fact that it is running its network in high definition. 

Everything created for the network by emebaVet is produced in HD 720p 

resolution. 

Telex RTS Raises The Bar For EOC 

A new RTS ADAM (Advanced Digital Audio Matrix featuring RVON-8 

VOIP interface) matrix system installation at the City of Houston Emergency 

Operations Center has raised the bar for mission-critical communications 

in EOC applications. 

The heart of a flexible and user-friendly VOIP-based intercom system 

that links the Houston EOC with all appropriate city, regional and federal 

departments and agencies, the ADAM system was supplied and installed 

by Bill McKee of Broadcast Technical Services, with manufacturer 

support from Britt Bowers of Telex RTS. As Terry Moore, who manages 

the systems at Houston EOC, said, the one word that best describes 

this installation is “interoperability.” 

The City of Houston EOC handles everything from local 911 dispatching 

to city, county, state and federal emergency services. 

Moore supervised the purchase of an ADAM 96x96 matrix with RJ12 

breakout panels, along with 45 RTS keypanels (primarily the KP-832) 

and PH88R5 lightweight single-sided headsets. Also interfaced to the 

system are 36 channels of two-way radios, audio from TV feeds and Telex 

RTS TIF-2000 analog to digital telephone interfaces. Now, users wearing 

a headset at their keypanel can answer and make phone calls, communicate 

with personnel in the field on two-way radios, and monitor local 

and national news feeds, from a single position, all while maintaining 

contact with other groups at the EOC. 

“ADAM-EDIT functionality allows us to reassign the position without 

moving any equipment,” Moore continued. “Because the nature of our 

business is dealing with the unexpected, this level of versatility and flexibility 

is a great advantage.” 

Harris Digital Signage’s Single-Vendor Approach 

Harris Digital Signage enables customers to work with a single vendor 

that can provide all the capabilities needed for creating, scheduling, distributing, 

playing and reporting of live video and graphical content. Users 

can acquire or create digital content and manage it throughout the 

entire delivery chain, from a central site, from remote locations or from 

within any site or store. Complex ad-based campaigns can be scheduled 

and managed, with reports automatically generated, as content from 

multiple sources is delivered to multiple displays. Harris Digital Signage 

solutions include InfoCaster Creation Station content development tools 

and InfoCaster Player content playback devices. Harris Digital Signage 

solutions support the same HDTV video and graphics technology, as well 

as media asset management, automation, scheduling, and traffic and billing 

systems, used daily to manage advertiser-supported broadcast operations. 

InfoComm Named Fastest-Growing Association Trade Show 

InfoComm International has the fastest-growing association-owned trade 

show, according to Tradeshow Week. The 2007 Fastest 50 Trade Shows 

are based on total net square footage growth and the percentage of 

growth from 2004 to 2006. In this timeframe, InfoComm grew from 647 

exhibitors in 319,680 net square feet of exhibit space in 2004, to 770 

exhibitors in more than 432,602 net square feet, reflecting a 35% increase 

in demand for space and 19% more exhibitors. InfoComm ’07, held in 


Anaheim CA, was the biggest trade show in the history of the industry, 

with 861 exhibitors occupying 496,000 net square feet of paid exhibits, 

special events and demo meeting space. 

Henderson State University Installs Technomad 

Henderson State University in Arkansas has installed eight Technomad 

weatherproof outdoor speakers at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium, home of 

the Henderson State Reddies, a Division II football team. The new loudspeakers, 

first used at the September 20 home opener, replaced an antiquated 

horn system and improved voice and music intelligibility at the 

10,000-seat stadium. 

The university purchased six Technomad Berlin 15/H Install loudspeakers 

and two Technomad Paris 616 loudspeakers. It also purchased two 

PA racks filled with new mixers, amplifiers, signal processors and other 

equipment. Four of the Berlin 15/H Install loudspeakers are installed on 

the press box above the home bleachers, with the other two on poles 

next to the visitor bleachers. The Paris 616 loudspeakers are installed 

lengthwise on the ceiling of the press box overhang to provide a direct 

audio source to the expensive alumni seats underneath. Henderson State 

University purchased all the equipment and products through Troxell Communications. 

“The Technomad Berlin and Paris loudspeakers blend exceptionally well, 

to the point that it sounds like one enormous loudspeaker covering the 

entire stadium,” said Jim Wilhelm, multimedia specialist for Henderson 

State University. “We positioned the four Berlins on the press box so 

the middle two are pointing straight ahead and the far left and right loudspeakers 

are at a 45-degree angle. I wanted to ensure that those seated 

in the far upper corners are hearing the same quality as those at dead 

center. And, while the Berlins are still audible from under the press box, 

the Paris loudspeakers provide a more personal audio source for the 

alumni who pay for those seats.” 

Hersheypark’s Boardwalk Experience Includes Community 

One of America’s oldest amusement parks, Hersheypark, turned 100 last 

year. Opened in 1907 by chocolatier and industrialist Milton Hershey, 

the original Hershey Park was built as a private park for his employees 

and their families. In the 1920s, the park began an expansion program 

that continues to this day, including a renovation and rechristening, with 

Hersheypark now offering more than 60 rides and attractions within its 

more than 110 acres. 

The latest addition is The Boardwalk, built in the style of classic oceanside 

boardwalks and offering something for everyone, from toddler pools and 

placid swimming to a wave pool and high-adrenaline cyclone water slide. 

To enhance the beachside experience, several hundred tons of sand were 

trucked in to surround the Boardwalk, which meanders through the site. 

Sounds of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s entertain beachgoers, courtesy of a 

distributed audio system designed by Clair Brothers Systems of Lititz 

PA and featuring several Community Professional Loudspeakers R.5-66TZ 

two-way full range speakers, powered by QSC 70V amplification. A Biamp 

AudiaFlex system handles loudspeaker processing and zoning tasks. 

As Clair Brothers’ Dean Wiltsie explained, “There are a number of very 

large areas that need coverage, and the Community loudspeakers are 

great for getting sound 40 or 50 yards away. And they can deliver intelligibility 

even over all the background noise, which is great for general 

announcements and critical in emergency situations.” 

TV Magic Engineers, Installs In Mission Viejo 

Broadcast systems integrator TV Magic is providing engineering and installation 

services for the 13,000-square-foot expansion of the Norman 

P. Murray Community and Senior Center in Mission Viejo CA, accommodating 

the community’s needs for meeting and event space. The new 

AV facilities installed by TV Magic within the community center’s new 

wing provide flexible multimedia display and presentation capabilities 

within the multipurpose and meeting rooms. 

“The expansion of the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center 

provides needed local space for meetings and business functions while 

also giving us the opportunity to increase the programming we offer to 

area residents,” said David Cendejas, senior management analyst at the 

city of Mission Viejo and project manager for the expansion. “TV Magic 

has been very involved throughout the process and has helped us to understand 

our options and what kind of equipment we would need to consider. 

The company has delivered quality work and equipment in previous 

installations for the city, and we’re very excited about seeing this 

project completed.” 

The community center’s multipurpose room features a stage for performances 

and concerts, and also is equipped with a large display screen 

for a variety of video and computer-generated presentations. The mul- 

For more information about these companies, go to www.bluebookonline.net 



tipurpose space also can be split into two distinct areas to suit smaller 

events, and TV Magic is installing an audio system that enables use of 

the area in single- and independent split-room configurations. Each of the 

two additional meeting rooms is equipped with a display screen and audio 

system. Monitors are installed in the lobby to keep visitors current on 

city information and events, as well as programming at the facility. 

NSCA Breaks Down Business Trends 

Manufacturers, distributors and systems integrators all have their own 

ways of doing business. Each has its own “channel” to deliver goods 

and services. And each depends on other channels to pave the way for 

their own success. The sales force, though perhaps often overlooked, 

is a key player in this interconnected world of supply and demand. The 

National System Contractors Association’s (NSCA) Q4 Market Intelligence 

Briefing (MIB) delivers key findings on channel trends and issues. The 

96-page report showcases the importance of sales in the systems contracting 

industry. 

Manufacturers report they employ a nearly equal combination of a direct 

sales force and independent sales representatives. Their three top 

channels for distribution include systems integrators/contractors, audiovisual 

integrators and audio/music retailers. In addition, manufacturers 

say they now have, or soon plan to add, headquarters-based sales and 

marketing staffs and field support staff. 

Distributors say their top three channels are systems/integrators, audio 

and music retailers, and AV integrators. Representatives and distributors 

point to their product line expertise, their skill directing end-user 

questions to distributors and their experience providing marketing intelligence 

to their primary manufacturers. 

For their part, systems integrators prefer purchasing directly from 

manufacturer’s sales representatives or from independent sales reps who 

handle multiple products. When making purchasing decisions, systems 

integrators home in on three questions: (1) Does the product meet my 

needs? (2) Is the product reliable? (3) Does the product deliver highperformance 

quality? ■ 

Sound & Communications’ 

The commercial systems integration industry’s first and only streaming 

video webcast. 

This month: “House of Worship AV Applications” featuring David Lee 

Jr., PhD, a systems integrator and licensed minister, along with Pastor 

Robb Hawks, a tech-savvy worship leader involved in constructing a 

300,000-square-foot church complex. Topics covered include assistivelistening 

options and how best to work with worship leaders. 

Next month: “White Space’s Future” defines the eponymous issue and 

addresses how it might affect integrators’ businesses. Shure Inc.’s Chris 

Lyons, part of an industry group actively addressing “white spaces” on 

Capitol Hill, interacts with Mark Fritz, systems engineer with ESCO Communications, 

Inc. They also address related technologies and short- and 

long-term consequences of the issue. 

To view these broadcasts, visit www.soundandcommunications.com and 

click on the VIEWpoint link. New shows are uploaded twice monthly 

A. Jordan 

G. Schafer 

M. Yalamuri 

F. Sabella 

L. Rosen 

B. Langlois 

K. Horlbeck 

Renkus-Heinz has hired Art Acuna as assistant 

engineer…Eastern Acoustic Works has appointed 

Andy Jordan to the Application Support 

Group…Vicon Industries has appointed Dennis 

Martinez as territory manager for middle and southern 

California…Sam Losar has joined C-nario as general 

manager of the US operation…Gary Schafer has 

joined AMX as VP of regional sales for the central 

US…Manju Yalamuri has joined Dascom Systems 

Group as VP of engineering. Additionally, Frank 

Sabella has joined Dascom as eastern Wisconsin representative 

and Rich Egger handles the Nebraska 

region…Dennis Manes, RCDD, has been selected as 

B. Mungo 

A. Armstrong 

F. Frombach 

B. Augsburger 

M. Rydell 

Leviton’s newest senior applications 

engineer…BOXLIGHT has added 

Cari Casteel as director of dealer 

sales and marketing…Panasonic 

Systems Integration Group has appointed 

Dr. Larry Rosen as education 

solutions manager…Meyer Sound 

has appointed Bob Langlois to senior 

technical support representative… 

Liberty Wire & Cable has appointed 

Kirk Horlbeck as chairman of the 

Manufacturer’s Council of InfoComm 

International…Premier Mounts has 

expanded its sales team, adding Brian 

Mungo as north central district sales 

manager…Biamp Systems has appointed 

Dayna Lyons as human resources 

director. Additionally, the 

company has appointed Peter Owen 

as regional sales manager for Western 

Europe…Da-Lite Screen has 

named Adam Armstrong to fill the 

newly created position of architectural 

specialist, within the company’s sales 

organization…TASCAM has selected 

Frank Frombach as regional sales 

manager, covering the southeastern 

US. Additionally, Johnny DeLeon has 

been promoted to regional sales manager, 

managing independent rep firms 

for the western US region…Blake 

Augsburger, president and CEO of the 

Harman Pro Group, has expanded 

his responsibilities, assuming the position 

of country manager-Harman 

USA…Mediatech has appointed 

Michelle Rydell as VP of sales and 

marketing. Additionally, the company 

has appointed Maurice Morissette as 

CFO and VP of operations…Christie 

has appointed two product managers 

to its Business Products division: 

Frank Anzures, product manager, 

LCD, and Joel St-Denis, value-add 

product manager.... 

■ 


All specifications supplied by manufacturers and/or distributors. 


Nexo’s NXAmp 4x1 High-Powered Amp 

Kramer’s 4x2 VS-42HDMI Matrix Switcher For HDMI Signals 

Da-Lite’s Advance PWM-AR1 

Articulating Flat Panel Wall Mount 

Belden’s Banana Peel Projector Cables 

Da-Lite’s Wall Mount 

Da-Lite Screen’s Advance PWM- 

AR1 Articulating Flat Panel Wall 

Mount, equipped with an articulating 

arm, can extend a flat panel 

monitor up to 29" from the wall. It 

has a distinctive rail mounting system 

to make installation simple for 

any plasma with mounting holes 

1½"-62" apart horizontally and up 

to 20½" apart vertically. The mount 

holds up to 130lb. and features 20° 

of tilt. With a black or gray powder 

coated finish, it includes a 5-year 

warranty. 

Da-Lite Screen Co. 

(574) 267-8101 

www.da-lite.com 

Nexo’s High-Powered Amp 

The Nexo NXAmp 4x4 and 4x1 are 

powerful amps, providing integration 

of command, control, protection 

and amplification of Nexo 

speaker systems. Using Yamaha 

EEEngine technology, they offer 

sonic purity of conventional class 

AB, but with a heat dissipation 

equaling class D technology. Both 

UL-certified NXAmp models feature 

4 amp channels that can be configured 

in 2x2 bridge mode, providing 

up to 4x4000W at 2 Ω per 

channel or 2x8000W at 4 Ω per 

channel on the NX 4x4 and 

4x1300W per channel at 2 Ω or 

2x2600W per channel at 4 Ω on the 

NX 4x1. The NX 4x4 is 4RU high, 

contained in a 19" rack and weighs 

49lb.; the NX 4x1 is 3RU high, in 

a 19" rack and 33lb. 

Nexo distributed by Yamaha 

(714) 522-9011 

www.yamaha.com 

Belden’s Projector Cables 

Belden’s Banana Peel Projector 

Cables support high performance in 

inter-room audio/video installations. 

The extremely flexible cables feature 

Belden’s Banana Peel construction. 

Belden developed the 

dual-function Projector Cables to 

provide a faster, more efficient way 

to bring high quality AV into multiroom 

venues such as schools, universities, 

municipal buildings, 

houses of worship and commercial 

office spaces. Within the composite 

cables, the video components 

include 6 Belden RG-59 Type 75 

Ohm precision video mini coax 

cables (1281R-Riser and 1282P- 

Plenum) for analog and digital 

video. Audio components include 2 

Belden 22 AWG Shielded Twisted 

Pair (STP) audio cables featuring 

aluminum foil-bonded jackets for 

easy access to the positive, negative 

and shield drain wire. In this 

design, the individual cables are 

affixed to a central spline and are 

peeled off as needed for termination. 

Belden 

(765) 983-5200 

www.belden.com 

Kramer’s Matrix Switcher 

Kramer Electronics’ 4x2 VS- 

42HDMI matrix switcher for HDMI 

signals offers signal optimization 

and EDID data capabilities. Its feature 

set and small frame size make 

it suitable in HD-equipped conference, 

advertising, or rental and 

staging environments. The switcher 

is compatible with all HDTV signal 

types and features Kramer re- 

Klocking and equalization technology 

that rebuilds the signal, allowing 

it to travel longer distances. 

The VS-42HDMI is able to route 

any or all inputs to any or all outputs 

simultaneously and supports 

HDCP (High Definition Digital Content 

Protection). The matrix 

switcher routes HDMI 1.1 signals 

up to 1.65Gbps bandwidth per 

graphic channel. Kramer uses an 

EDID handling mechanism to make 

installation and operation of HDMI 

devices a “plug and play” experience. 

EDID data allows the output 

device to describe its capabilities 

to the HDMI source. 

Kramer Electronics US 

(908) 735-0018 

www.kramerus.com 

Intelix’s DVI Over 

Twisted Pair Extenders 

Intelix US offers the DIGI-DVI series 

of DVI over twisted pair extenders. 

This system transmits hidef, 

1920x1080 resolution DVI-D 

signals up to 220' using a single 

shielded Cat6 cable. Built-in automatic 

EDID (extended display identification 

data) and DDC (display 

data channel) detection ensure the 

source and destination devices 

properly sync without the added 

expense of third-party detection 

hardware. Initial releases in the 

DIGI-DVI series include the DIGI- 

DVIT2R-F, a 1-input by 2-output 

system, and the DIGI-DVIT4R-F, a 

1-input by 4-output system. The 

DIGI-DVIT2R-F includes 1 dual 

output send balun, 1 receive balun 

and 2 power supplies. The DIGI- 

DVIT4R-F includes 1 quad output 

send balun, 1 receive balun and 2 

power supplies. 

Intelix US 

(608) 831-0880 

www.intelix.com 


Intelix’s DIGI-DVIT4R-F 1-Input By 

4-Output System 

IntraCom’s VCOM v2.0 All-Software Intercom 

Over Internet Protocol 

Soundsphere’s Q-CS Power1 Compact 

Powered Speaker 

Apollo Display Technologies’ Vitrine 

Multi-Display Unit 

Apollo’s Multi-Display Unit 

Vitrine, a plug-and-play digital 

signage solution from Apollo Display 

Technologies, is a standalone or 

wall-mounted multi-display unit with 

up to 6 TFT LCDs for indoor advertising 

or customer information. It 

provides a slim solution for any indoor 

area where advertising or information 

has to be displayed in a 

single location on multiple monitors. 

Vitrine’s use of Apollo’s Windowsbased 

ArtistaControl-Center software 

in conjunction with Apollo’s 

ArtistaUSB or ArtistaNET (LAN) 

controllers makes Vitrine easy to 

use and program from any standard 

PC. 1 static image or a sequence 

of images as a slide show can be 

individually assigned to each display. 

The duration of each image on 

the screen is whatever the user decides, 

from 100ms to 24 hours. 

Apollo Display Technologies 

(631) 580-4360 

www.apollodisplays.com 

AMX’s HD-SDI Boards 

AMX has expanded its AutoPatch 

Epica Digital Generation (Epica 

DG) fiberoptic switcher line with the 

addition of HD-SDI input and output 

boards, which add support for 

HD-SDI and SD-SDI equipment to 

the Epica DG line. With these 

boards, the Epica DG platform can 

convert HD-SDI, DVI and RGBHV 

video signals inside the matrix 

switcher, allowing any video input 

to be routed to any combination of 

display outputs, irrespective of the 

signal type. This negates the need 

for the external video conversion 

boxes that are required for other 

switchers, which simplifies system 

design and installation. The boards 

conform with SMTPE 292M 

(1.485Gbit/s), 259M (143/270/ 

360Mb/s) and 344M (540Mbit/s) 

frame rates and clocking speeds to 

any and/or all output signals. 

AMX 

(469) 624-8000 

www.amx.com 

PZtronics’ Vertical 

Array Speaker 

PZtronics’ VLA-2 line array speaker 

delivers good power handling and 

improved bass response, providing 

listeners with higher quality sound. 

At 1000W, usable frequency is 

60Hz-20kHz and output is 100dBs 

at 100'. One VLA-2 pair will fill a 

medium-size church or club with 

1000-plus-person capacity, and 

they can be stacked for larger venues 

or for rooms with a balcony. It 

uses a custom 3" high power, full 

range, neodymium driver. Capabilities 

include an X-mechanical of almost 

½". Each cabinet holds 20 of 

these drivers. The cabinet is aircraft-grade 

aluminum and highdensity 

durable plastic. It is 6' tall 

and 4.3" wide. 

PZtronics 

(716) 622-2000 

www.pztronics.com 

IntraCom’s Intercom 

Over Internet Protocol 

IntraCom Systems has released an 

all-software Intercom over internet 

protocol, VCOM version 2.0, which 

runs on standard computer and 

network hardware and is based on 

a dedicated-server, multiple-client 

architecture. Its control panel GUI, 

available on PCs and handhelds, 

enables non-blocking, point-andclick 

control to establish talk and/ 

or listen voice paths. Multiple group 

and individual voice paths can be 

established simultaneously and 

multiple conferences can be accommodated 

in any complexity. All 

basic paths are set up in advance 

and are “always on” for instant 

(multiple) channel access for talking 

and monitoring. VCOM v2.0 offers 

system administrators an intuitive 

system administration application 

to configure VCOM from any 

workstation dynamically. 

IntraCom Systems 

(424) 288-4184 

www.intracomsystem.com 

Soundsphere’s Compact 

Powered Speaker 

Soundsphere’s Q-CS Power1 compact 

powered speaker offers a 

built-in 15W amp for direct connection 

to projectors and computers, 

with no additional equipment required. 

It is for low-finished-ceiling 

installations requiring clear voice 

announcements and full-range music 

reproduction, even at background 

levels. The Power1 amp 

features 2 inputs that each accept 

L and R stereo signals, which are 

electronically summed internally, 

eliminating the need for external 

stereo to mono passive summing 

devices. Both inputs have gain trim, 

and there is a master gain control. 

It features a coaxial 8" driver. Like 

all Soundsphere speakers, the Q- 

CS offers 180°x360° dispersion. A 

single Q-CS Power1 can provide 

high quality sound over a large 

area in classrooms, meeting 

rooms, conference centers, boardrooms 

and lecture rooms. 

Soundsphere 

(203) 386-9200 

www.soundsphere.com 



Aviom’s MH10f Merger Hub With Fiber 

Chief Manufacturing’s CM7 Automated 

Swing Arm Mount 

WolfVision’s EYE-12 

Progressive Scan Live 

Image Camera 

Hitachi America’s CP-X308 3LCD Projector 

Aviom’s Merger Hub 

Aviom’s MH10f Merger Hub with 

Fiber merges and distributes A-Net 

data streams and provides numerous 

pro features to make audio 

networking with Pro64 Series products 

easy to set up and configure 

in multiple pro audio environments. 

It offers good flexibility and simplicity 

in system design, with features 

and performance created for networking 

and distributing audio. It 

holds 10 bidirectional A-Net ports. 

8 ports use EtherCon RJ45 connectors, 

while the remaining 2 hold 

SFP slots. The 10-port MH10f 

Merger Hub supports parallel connections 

in a Pro64 audio network 

with integrated fiberoptic connectivity. 

In Pro64 systems running in 

Auto Mode, the Merger Hub creates 

a single network stream, 

which is redistributed out all 10 

ports. 

Aviom, Inc. 

(610) 738-9005 

www.aviom.com 

WolfVision’s Live 

Image Camera 

The EYE-12, the third progressive 

scan live image camera from 

WolfVision, can be considered the 

“big brother” of the EYE-10 model, 

released in May 2006. It comes 

with the same eye-shaped, attractive 

outside design. Compared to 

the EYE-10, the EYE-12 comes 

with additional features, such as 

USB, LAN and DVI ports, as well 

as Power over Ethernet (PoE). Its 

heart is a CCD camera with 

1280x960 pixels at 30fps. It is native 

SXGA resolution with an aspect 

ratio of 4:3. The camera also 

outputs native 720p HD with 

1280x720 pixels in a widescreen 

aspect ratio of 16:9. Using a display 

device with 1280x960 (or 

more) pixels, a resolution of 820 

lines is visible. 

WolfVision, Inc. 

(650) 648-0002 

www.wolfvision.com 

Chief’s Swing Arm Mount 

Chief Manufacturing’s Cinematic 

Series CM7 Automated Swing Arm, 

backed by CLO Systems, provides 

automated positioning at the touch 

of a button. For 40"-63" flat panel 

monitors weighing up to 180lb., it 

provides ultra-smooth movements. 

Select a 40", 50" or 60" monitor 

size from the control box to limit 

movement of the arm, protecting 

the wall and the monitor. This lowprofile 

mounting solution extends 

up to 12" from the wall; swivels left 

and right; and provides automated 

tilt for a good viewing experience. 

Multiple preset buttons on the remote 

make it easy to program preferred 

screen positions. The CM7 

mounts directly to studs for easy, 

on-wall installation. 

Chief Manufacturing 

(952) 894-6280 

www.chiefmfg.com 

Hitachi’s 3LCD Projectors 

Hitachi America’s CP-A100 3LCD 

projector features a short throw 

distance of 60" at 1.4'. This prevents 

image obstruction and means 

there are no shadows interfering 

with the image and no light in the 

presenter’s face. It can be placed 

vertically and horizontally, as well 

as inverted for ceiling-mount applications. 

It offers 2500 lumen brightness, 

XGA resolution and a 400:1 

contrast ratio. The CP-X308, delivering 

2600 lumens and native XGA 

resolution at a weight of 8.8lb., features 

802.11 b/g connectivity, allowing 

up to 4 PCs to connect 

wirelessly. Connectivity options include 

component, composite and 

S-video inputs, as well as 2 RGB 

inputs and 1 RGB output. The CP- 

X417 features built-in networking, 

allowing for the monitoring and 

managing of 1 or more projectors 

from a remote location. With PJ 

Man software, users can monitor 

the status of the projector (or many 

projectors), as power on/off, input 

source, lamp/filter hours and condition 

all are on display. 

Hitachi America 

(800) 225-1741 

www.hitachi.us 

d&b audiotechnik’s Speakers 

d&b audiotechnik’s E12 and E12- 

D E-Series speakers are precisionmade, 

high-performance, 2-way 

multipurpose speakers employing a 

1.3" exit HF compression driver 

and constant directivity horn accommodated 

within the circumference 

of a 12" LF driver. The E12 

has an 80°x50° dispersion pattern, 

while the E12-D has a wider 

110°x50° pattern. If required, the 

horns in both speakers can be rotated 

through 90° without the use 

of tools. These produce significant 

output levels given size and weight, 

being 22.83"x13.77"x13.15" and 

weighing 35.3lb. When powered by 

d&b D12 amps, the E12 can produce 

134dB SPL (linear weighting), 

while the wider dispersion E12-D 

can produce 133dB SPL (linear 

weighting). 

d&b audiotechnik 

(828) 681-5405 

www.dbaudio.com/en ■ 



Peerless’ MountFinder 

Advancement 

Auralex’s Product Catalog 

Speco’s FAQ Section 

Wainhouse Research’s Market Study 

Speco’s FAQ Section 

Speco Technologies’ Frequently 

Asked Questions section on its 

website answers with an online 

video demonstration. Speco’s 

Technical Group receives hundreds 

of calls daily, regarding how to use 

some of its diverse CCTV products. 

The company felt it would better 

serve customers if a video demonstration 

for FAQs was produced 

and placed on the website for easy 

access any time of day. This section 

has been initiated with FAQs 

about digital video recording and 

will be expanded in the future. It is 

located at the top of the menu in 

the Reference section of the 

website. 

Speco Technologies 

(800) 645-5516 

www.specotech.com 

Middle Atlantic’s 

Software Enhancements 

Based on feedback from customers, 

Middle Atlantic Products has 

enhanced its RackTools system 

design and specification software, 

which now offers a new product 

search function, making it easier 

for users to locate products intended 

for use in their drawings. It 

also features improvements to its 

drawing tool, which can be locked 

in the horizontal or vertical plane 

for easier and more accurate measuring. 

RackTools resides locally 

without any requirement for thirdparty 

drawing software, and is updated 

seamlessly with these enhancements 

as well as new products 

each time the computer is 

connected to the web. RackTools 

has more than 10,000 registered 

users and is available as a free 

download from racktools.com. 

Middle Atlantic Products 

(973) 839-1011 

www.middleatlantic.com 

Peerless’ MountFinder 

Advancement 

Peerless Industries has achieved 

an advancement in its screen-tomount 

compatibility search functionality 

that is geared to increasing 

mount attachment rates. 

MountFinder is the only mount to 

flat panel compatibility tool that features 

a comprehensive database of 

TVs. Its capabilities include the forward-thinking 

“super search,” 

which enables users to find all 

available mounting options without 

knowing the screen manufacturer 

or model number. In addition to 

matching the TV to its compatible 

mount, this free tool also provides 

various mounting options for the 

particular screen. No downloads or 

software installations are required 

to use the MountFinder. 


(708) 865-8870 


Wainhouse 

Research’s Market Study 

Wainhouse Research (WR) has 

released a market study focusing 

on the intersection of synchronous 

tools and learning management 

system (LMS) platforms, the first in 

a three-volume series, The Distance 

Education and the e-Learning 

Landscape. Among the report’s 

conclusions is that there is a 

greater than 50% probability that 

many LMS platforms will include 

robust real-time audio, web 

conferencing, instant messaging, 

presence and videoconferencing 

capabilities within two years, and a 

95% probability these capabilities 

will be built-in within five years. 

Volume 1 forecasts total LMS market 

(combined educational and corporate 

markets) growth to reach 

$1.5 billion in 2011, at a compound 

annual growth rate of 13%, from 

$802.8 million in 2007. Volume 1 is 

available immediately and Volumes 

Middle Atlantic’s 

Software Enhancements 

2 and 3 will be available in Q1 

2008. 

Wainhouse Research 

(781) 934-6165 

www.wainhouse.com 

Auralex’s Product Catalog 

Auralex Acoustics’ expanded 2008 

Product Catalog features 52 pages 

of product and application-specific 

information with a revised, moreuser-friendly 

layout. It highlights 

Auralex’s acoustical treatments, 

and includes notes about recent 

projects, user spotlights and a 

wider array of installation photographs. 

It is available at all authorized 

Auralex dealers, on request 

from the company and as a download 

from its website. 

Auralex Acoustics 

(317) 842-2600 

www.auralex.com 

■ 



AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO SOUND & COMMUNICATIONS 

Astatic 

The GNVPD Integrated 

Gooseneck Microphone 

Astatic’s GNVPD integrated gooseneck microphone 

and desk stand offer the Systems 

Integrator many choices in one complete 

package. The infinitely variable pick-up pattern 

allows the integrator to set each 

microphone’s polar pattern for optimal gain 

before feedback. The base features a programmable 

momentary or latching mute/talk 

and an option to trigger a remote utilizing 

audio or control system logic. A LED indicator 

light signals the users to the 

microphone’s status; this can also be controlled 

by the logic circuitry if desired. The 

RF Resistant Architecture by Astatic protects 

the microphone from outside radio frequency 

interference caused by high frequency communication 

devices. The GNVPD can be set 

on a desk or permanently mounted with the 

option of a bottom or rear exit cable. The 

GNVPD is available in 15 or 20-inch lengths. 

WEB ADDRESS: 

www.astaticinstalled.com 

E-MAIL: jhayden@astatic.com 

Shure 

New Microflex Lines 

New Microflex microphones include MX405/MX410, 5” and 10” Goosenecks in 

wired and wireless versions; MX395 Low-Profile Boundary in black, white, or aluminum 

finish; MX396 Multi-Element Boundary in dual- or tri- element options; 

and the MX690 Wireless Boundary with a slim and stylish design. New accessory 

products include the MX890 Wireless Desktop Base Transmitter and the 

MX400SMP Surface Mount Preamplifier. The Microflex wireless models are built 

on the popular SLX wireless platform that features easy set up features for hasslefree 

installation and Shure’s patented Audio Reference Companding circuitry for 

superior sound. All Microflex Microphones are equipped with CommShield 

Technology, which protects and shields against radio frequency interference for 

interruption-free communication. Additional enhancements include color options 

to match décor, LED bi-color status indicators, unobtrusive appearance, and easy 

to use mute/on buttons. The new Microflex products will be available March 

2008. 

WEB ADDRESS: www.shure.com/microflex 

SANYO 

New PDG-DWT50L DLP Projector 

SANYO expands their line of DLP projectors for professional and business applications 

with the PDG-DWT50L, a dual lamp projector with 1280x768 native 

resolution. It provides a super bright 4500 lumens with 2100:1 contrast ratio, 

featuring TI’s Dynamic Black for superior black level and their BrilliantColor 

for improved color performance. The PDG-DWT50L is compatible with five 

different lenses dependent on the required throw distance plus SANYO’s exclusive 

Up/Down/Left/Right lens shift that accommodates greater placement flexibility. 

Optional six-segment color wheel (RGBCMY) is interchangeable with the 

standard four-segment color wheel (RGBW) to maximize either color or brightness 

- depending on the customer’s needs and/or the environment. A variety of 

inputs are provided including DVI-D, RGB (D-Sub15 and BNC (x5)). The Easy 

Power Off function allows the PDG-DWT50L to be turned off (even when an 

image is being projected) using a power strip. The PDG-DWT50L has an MSRP 

of $6995.00. 

WEB ADDRESS: www.sanyoprojectors.com 

Crestron Electronics 

The CEN-RGBHV Switcher for Routing High-Res 

Video and Audio Signals 

Ideal for the most demanding presentation environments, including boardrooms, 

training centers and live staging events, CEN-RGBHV switchers give integrators 

a powerful and reliable solution for flexible routing of high-res video and audio 

signals. Crestron dealers will immediately appreciate the ease with which a CEN- 

RGBHV switcher can be installed in a Crestron control environment. The switcher 

can be quickly configured with all necessary control functionality via SIMPL or 

SystemBuilder, eliminating the need for additional programming or deciphering 

cryptic protocol. Integration with any 2-Series Control System also provides 

the gateway to Crestron’s RoomView® Asset Management Software and e-Control®2 

XPanel Solutions for remote monitoring and control. Available in 8x4, 

8x8, 12x4, 12x8, 16x16 models, CEN-RGBHV switchers are fully operable outof-the-box 

for use as standalone units. Advanced setup is available through 

Crestron Toolbox software. 

WEB ADDRESS: www.crestron.com 

E-MAIL: Crestron@crestron.com 


AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO SOUND & COMMUNICATIONS 

Elite Screens 

New Ceiling Installation Kits 

In Ceiling installation kits are now available. Elite’s new VMAX2 In-Ceiling Installation 

Kit allows users to easily complete a ceiling screen installation that is 

neat and discrete. The slotted plate attachment protects an Elite VMAX2 screen 

from beneath while cradling it securely in specialized fittings for a 84-inch to 150- 

inch sized screen in either 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios. Custom size options available. 

The framework is adjustable to US standard spacing requirements and secures 

easily to internal studding. The enameled sheet metal design is durable for 

long term use and provides easy access to the screen itself from the ceiling space. 

The suggested price of Elite Screen’s VMAX2 In-Ceiling Installation Kit is $199 

with the full screen and kit package starting at $499, includes 2-year warranty. 

WEB ADDRESS: www.elitescreens.com 

E-MAIL: eliteinfo@elitescreens.com 

Communications Specialties 

Extend DVI with Free Fiber 

CSI’s new multimode version of the Pure Digital Fiberlink 7500 delivers pure DVI 

and Stereo Audio to distances of 750 meters. No compression, no conversions, 

no frame dropping, no scaling… just pure performance. Unique triple EDID function 

allows for generating EDID internally, from the loop-through, or capture and 

storage. For a limited time, CSI is providing 250 meters of multimode fiber for 

free with each pair of multimode 7500’s. 

WEB ADDRESS: www.commspecial.com 

DOWN TO BUSINESS 

(Continued from 18) 

neously, I can be reached on my 

telephone. 

Third, I’m going to change my 

e-writing style to be briefer. I plan 

to save both of us time by getting 

to the point more quickly. I’m a 

writer; I know how to do this. If it 

has a longer answer, I’ll write a 

white paper. 

I’ve come to the conclusion 

that taking action is the only way 

to gain control of normal interruptions 

and their decelerating effect 

on our productivity. By changing 

all of my incoming emails from an 

interruption to an organized task, 

I hope to become more productive 

and, at the same time, get 

more accomplished. It’s a grand 

goal, I know, but I think it’s one 

worth pursuing. Maybe some of 

you will join me. Drop me an 

email if you do. 

■ 

HOW: TECHNOLOGY 


sage that has never lost its profundity—now 

with auditory delivery 

commensurate with its worth. ■ 

HOW: BUSINESS 


characterized the partnership as 

fruitful. 

The congregation is said to be 

pleased with the new system. It 

delivers excellent sound and 

handles both traditional and contemporary 

programming. Additionally, 

it eliminates obtrusive boxes, 

thereby enhancing aesthetics, and 

maintains the pristine acoustic environment 

that is so well suited to 

pipe organ and choral music. 

It might be said that Ebenezer’s 

technical complement is just another 

way it honors its rich history 

and, intrinsic to that, its most famous 

pastor. And so, it is apropos 

that the first service held with the 

new audio system was a celebration 

service for Christine King Farris, 

Dr. King’s sibling. Indeed, Ebenezer 

and its contemporary leadership 

continue to echo a decades-old mesneeds. 

In ideal cases, the media 

pastor forms a relationship with the 

music pastor so that, together, they 

can ensure that the lights, sound, 

video and so on appropriately enhance 

the church service. An experienced 

media pastor maintains an 

objective approach when evaluating 

equipment types, brands, price, 

value, ease of use and vendor competency. 

The value of the media 

pastor’s role is still on the rise. 

Patterns suggest that, soon, media 

pastors will play a featured decision-making 

role in the majority 

of medium- to large-size churches. 

The safest way to address these 

pastors is to refer to them as Reverend 

Jones or Pastor Jones. “Reverend 

Jones” is a formal salutation, 

whereas “Pastor Jones” is more 

familiar but most used. I suggest 

that you research to learn if the 

individuals have Doctor, PhD, 

ThD, EdD, Dmin. or other types of 

salutations associated with their 

name/identity. If so, refer to them 

as “Dr. Jones” or “Sir.” 

They can then tell you how they 

prefer to be addressed (in my 

case, please call me David, and 

please call me in time for dinner). 

This short list can help you 

navigate the ever-changing landscape 

in local church settings. 

But, this is not definitive. Tell me 

what you think about my list, tell 

me who is on yours or tell me or 

ask me anything regarding house 

of worship business. I believe that 

2008 will be great for you and our 

industry! 

■ 



INFO ON THE FAST TRACK 


backbone system using EO (End Office) 

T1 lines from VRE’s Alexandria 

headquarters. Specifically, it’s an 

IMA3 group comprised of T1 lines. 

This monitor is clamped onto 

a 4x4 steel tube in the 

overhead canopy area, 

allowing the screen to be 

pivoted and turned. This also 

added to required 

calculations for proper 

positioning of screens. 

Additional Improvements 

In further improvements and in addition 

to the text plus audio message 

feed from the Alexandria control center, 

the IDS-upgraded Bogen V250 

250 watt power amplifiers at each station 

came equipped with a telephone 

interface module, which allowed VRE 

to continue to call into a POTS (plain 

old telephone service) line, if they 

wanted to make a separate call-in 

message at a specific station. Related, 

Keelor noted that the newly installed 

amplifiers also came equipped with an 

ambient noise sensor module not in 

the previous system. “With the new 

sensor added inside the station, we 

can separately adjust the audio output 

inside and outside the station,” said 

Keelor. The V250 drives a pair of 

Bogen horns, as well. 

According to Keelor, IDS has been 

using Extron products for video distribution 

for more than 20 years. 

“Over time, that has changed from a 

lot of coax and broadband to accommodating 

the new fiber network Cat5e 

and Cat6 standards,” he stated. In this 

project, high-resolution transmission 

matrix devices included Extron and 

Magenta Research. While Extron was 

used for distances up to 600 feet, Magenta 

Research was used for distances 

up to 1500 feet. 

No Glitches 

Woolner said he is pleased with the 

current upgraded system. “We’ve had 

Netting above the mounts protects them from 

birds nesting in the eves. 

no failures after each station was installed, 

tested and accepted. Right 

now, we’re under warranty until November 

15, 2008. Even though we’ve 

gone through some seasonal changes 

since mid Summer [2007], there have 

been none of what everybody likes to 

call ‘glitches’.” 

With regard to taking the train, he 

quipped, “I have a little slogan here: 

‘If people don’t ride us, they have another 

job’!” 

■ 

GRAND CENTRAL RAILWAY 


ditious. It is a testament to the forward 

planning on the part of the architectural-acoustical 

design team, the 

diligence exerted by Deutsche Bahn’s 

in-house designers and the endurance 

of the installation team in transforming 

what could have been an acoustical 

“nightmare” and a “botched” communication 

system into a fully functional 

space. 

As evidenced by the ongoing construction 

activity, and prognostications 

by officials, further enhancements 

are forthcoming. Additional 

high-speed rail lines are in the planning, 

a connection to what will become 

the new BBI airport is in the 

making and maglev lines to outlying 

destinations are under consideration. 

Berlin Hbf and the overall IBA communication 

network can anticipate fur- 

ther extensions and enhancements. 

Additional work, currently in 

progress, is scheduled for completion 

in 2012. 

A casual visitor to the scene, unless 

an observant student of architecturalacoustics 

and communication system 

operations, essentially is oblivious to 

how smoothly the facility really 

functions. 

■ 

References 

1 

Dynacord subsequently became Dynacord/ 

EVI, both of which are now divisions of Bosch 

Communications. 

2 

STI measurements as directed by DB regulations 

are established as RaSTI >=0.45 at 90% of 

the measured values. 

3 

In Europe, it is not uncommon for manufacturing 

firms to become prime contractors where 

complicated system implementation is concerned. 

INTEGRATOR’S POV 


ing new things. 

If we had the luxury of working 

exclusively with one architect for a 

long period of time, we would learn 

from each other eventually and, 

together, would provide the very 

best that the AV world has to offer. 

We have started to cultivate and 

nurture the architectural firms that 

consistently deal with our biggest 

clients. We are providing them with 

Lunch and Learn seminars and our 

phone numbers, so they will call 

before they set pen to paper. 

You’ve heard it before: Don’t be a 

part of the problem; be a part of the 

solution. If you are frustrated by the 

architects that you have to deal with, 

get out there and do something 

about it. They’ll never learn unless 

we teach them. 

■ 


FURNITURE, ROLLTOP DESKS AND RACKS 

SOUND CONTROL 

STAGE POCKETS 

THERMAL CONTROL 

SUPPLIERS 



SUPPLIERS 

Commercial Audio 

For Installers 

and Contractors 


EMPLOYMENT 

SPL Seeking Experienced AV Engineers and Account Executives 

SPL Integrated Solutions, the leading 

nationwide AV integration company, 

is seeking experienced audio and 

video engineers and account 

executives to join our award-winning 

team. Hiring nationwide. 

Please send your resume to Jackie Green 

at jgreen@splis.com or call 

Jackie at (410) 992-0998 

Richard B Fisher Center Lelawi Theater Center for Disease Control NYC OEM 

2004 Winner 2005 Winner 2006 Winner 2007 Winner 

Best AV Projects Contest Best AV Projects Contest Best AV Project Contest Best AV Project Contest 



EMPLOYMENT 


AD INDEX 

Company Page # 

Astatic 

17 

Atlas Sound 

C-lll 

Audio-Technica 

21 

Australian Monitor/Starin 

68 

Azden 

24 

Azden 

59 

Bittree 

59 

Cable Up/FDW 

16 

ClearOne Communications 

30 

Communications Specialties 

7 

Contemporary Research 

67 

Crestron Electronics 

C-II/3 


43 


45 

Digital Projection 

19 

EIKI International 

8 

Epson 

25 

Extron Electronics 

46 

Extron Electronics 

C-IV 

Galaxy Audio 

47 

Holosonics/Audio Spotlight 

57 

InfoComm 

35 

InfoComm 

69 

Inter-M Americas 

29 

International Audio Visual 

38 

International Audio Visual 

51 

ITSENCLOSURES 

49 

Jupiter Systems 

45 

LG Electronics 

13 

Listen/Bosch 

54 


48 

NAB 

75 

NetStreams 

37 

Nexo/Yamaha Commercial Audio 27 

Omnivex 

56 

Panasonic Broadcast Systems 33 

Parts Express 

68 

Premier Mounts 

22/23 

QSC Audio 

15 

RPG Diffusor Systems 

81 

Sabine 

62 

Sanyo 

5 

Sencore 

71 

Speco Technologies 

31 

Stewart Filmscreen 

55 

TeachLogic 

77 

Video Furniture International 

11 

X2O Media 

61 

Yamaha Commercial Audio 

39 

SUPPLIERS 

Marketplace Ads WORK 

Call Linda Inglima 

516-767-2500 x510 



SUPPLIERS 

Marketplace Ads WORK 

Call Linda Inglima 

516-767-2500 x510 

EMPLOYMENT 


Government Facilities & Public Works 


“Data Scan” is our monthly analysis of information provided by respondents to our annual Commercial Systems Integration Survey 

(the 22 nd edition, published with the July 2007 issue) and the Worship Center Survey (the 11 th edition, to be published next month). 

Each month, we examine cross-referenced data culled from responses to specific questions from the surveys. This information is 

meant to supplement the published reports, not duplicate those efforts. 

To tie in with this month’s Government Facilities and Public 

Works theme, this time we are analyzing information provided 

by respondents to the 22 nd annual Commercial Systems 

Integration Survey who indicated in Question #18 (asking 

about venues and percentages of each company’s business) 

that 10% or more of their business relates to public/government 

building integration projects. 

Question #4 relates to business trends, specifically total 

dollar sales for one year compared to the previous year. For 

integrators working in this segment, the news is good: About 

two-thirds of respondent integrators reported a business 

increase, with the vast majority of them indicating 5% or 

more. Indeed, among all respondents, nearly half reported an 

increase of this magnitude. About a fifth of respondents 

reported no change, which, although not as propitious as a 

business bounce, still is indicative of stability in the marketplace. 

Finally, although only 14% of respondents reported a 

business decrease, most of those integrators suffered a 

decrease of 5% or more. Whether this is cause for concern 

remains to be seen. 

Question #7 asks about average dollar size of projects. This 

question’s chart indicates that the government and public 

space sector is not monolithic, because the values are spread 

comparatively evenly. Respondents most frequently selected 

$25,000 to $100,000, which garnered 38% of response. Also 

firmly in the middle range of values is $100,000 to $500,000, 

which itself got nearly 30% of the response. With respect to 

average project sizes exceeding $500,000, response dropped 

off sharply, with such categories garnering only 3% support. 

The lower end of the scale ($1,000,000 clearly was dominant, collecting 42% of 

integrators’ response. $100,000 to $500,000 and $500,000 to 

$1,000,000 tied for second place, each with 17%. Response for 

the other values was much lower, amounting to less than 25%. 

The message here seems to be that, although the largest 

projects might not be typical for integrators in this segment, 

such projects do come around at least a few times a year. 

And, as those who frequent government spaces demand 

audiovisual outfitting, such facilities’ alacritous adoption of 

AV seems sure to enhance this market’s future prospects. ■ 

Based on responses to the 22 nd Annual Commercial Systems Integration 

Survey, published in the July 2007 issue, which polled 3912 Sound & 

Communications readers across the US. This survey report is sent to 

subscribers as part of their subscription to Sound & Communications. 

Additional copies of the survey are available for $2.95. To request 

Commercial Systems Integration Surveys, subscribe to the magazine 

and read select articles, visit www.soundandcommunications.com.

Complex 

Problems 

I need an easy way to add local 

amplification to a projector system. 

The solution must be theft resistant 

and easy to install. 

Reliability is key—I do not want to 

make post installation service calls. 

Atlas 

NEW 

PA702 Pole Mount 

 

Solutions 

NEW POLE MOUNT AMPLIFIER SYSTEM 

©2007 Atlas Sound LP. Atlas Sound is a trademark of Atlas Sound. All rights reserved. ATS002727 RevB 5/07 

• The Patent Pending PA702 pole-mount amplifier system 

provides an innovative and elegant sound reinforcement 

solution for display and projector systems. 

• This unique installation method utilizes a sealed hole incorporated 

into the chassis and an innovative pole clamp system. 

• The “through chassis” mounting system also provides all of the 

necessary security to deter theft. 

 

• Other innovative features include accessory outlet with AC current 

sense, separate audio sense turn-on, balanced phoenix style and 

unbalanced RCA input connections, stereo summing, HPF for 

small speaker protection, front panel status LEDs, and recessed, 

screwdriver-adjustable tone and level controls. 

• Optional 1RU rack mount kit allows single or dual mounting. 

Ask your Atlas Representative 

for details on our Patent Pending 

 

and discover how the simple solution 

is the Atlas Solution! 

Perfectly 

suited 

for projection 

systems 

Proven 

 

A/B amplifier 

design 

projector not included 

Patent 

Pending 

“through 

chassis” 

pole 

mount 

Balanced & 

unbalanced 

inputs 

Learn more about Pole Mount Amplifiers & other Atlas Sound products 

@ AtlasSound.com or call 800•876•3333 

Designed & Engineered 

by Atlas Sound in 

the USA 

ISO9001-2000 

-CERTIFIED-

GSS 100 

GRAPHICS STILL STORE 

IMAGE TAKE MENU NEXT 

AD UST/ 

SELECT 

Anaheim, CA 

RESET 

100- 240V 

50/60 Hz 

1.2A MAX. 

1 

INPUTS 

OUTPUTS 

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 

R/R-Y 

R/R-Y 

INPUTS 

OUTPUTS 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 

G/Y 

VID 

B/C 

B-Y 

H/HV 

V 

G/Y 

VID 

B/C 

B-Y 

H/HV 

V 

OUTPUT 

3/5 

OUTPUT 

4/6 

DUAL 

IDEBAN D 

UNIV 

SCALER 

R/ 

R-Y 

G/Y 

B/ 

B-Y 

H/ 

HV 

V 

VIDEO 

SCALER 

R/ 

R-Y 

G/Y 

B/ 

B-Y 

H/ 

HV 

V 

SCAN 

CONV 

C 

R/ 

R-Y 

G/Y 

Y 

B/ 

B-Y 

VID 

V 

GENLOCK IN 

Familiar Extron control panel 

layout for ease of operation 

Front panel serial port for convenient 

setup and configuration 

Menu-driven picture 

adjustment simplifies setup; 

reduces time-to-operation 

Wideband 8x8 

matrix switching 

IP Link® Ethernet 

and RS-232 serial 

control ports 

Four customizable card 

slots accept a variety of 

optional output boards: 

• Universal RGB & Video Scalers 

- DVI Output 

- HD-SDI Output 

- Analog RGB Output 

• Video Scaler 

• Scan Converter 

• Single Output Wideband 

• Dual Output Wideband 

Fully configurable inputs 

accept RGBHV, HDTV, 

component video, S-video, 

and composite video signals 

Switches balanced and 

unbalanced stereo audio 

Audio output volume control 

eliminates the need for audio 

preamps in many system designs 

The Extron ISM 824 Modular Integration Scaling MultiSwitcher 

Integration Flexibility in a Single, Compact Enclosure 

The ISM 824 MultiSwitcher is a unique modular matrix switcher that allows for simultaneous video/RGB scaling and wideband 

switching in a single, compact enclosure. It combines the powerful signal routing capabilities of an eight input, eight output, wideband 

matrix switcher with versatility of four customizable outputs. The Extron ISM 824 can be equipped with any of the available scaling or 

scan conversion output boards for initial project requirements, and then upgraded at any time in the future with additional boards as 

system needs evolve and expand. It is ideal for applications such as boardrooms, auditoria, and classrooms that require high-performance 

signal routing with flexible, on-board signal processing. 

Up to 4 of the 8 outputs can be individually scaled or scan converted to suit the requirements of virtually any presentation system. 

1365 768 P D 

SXGA 

1400 1050 

P 

VCR 

V S 

Cm 

ie 

ie 

OR 

LAN 

REMOTE 

RS232/RS422 ACT LINK 

RGB/R-Y Y B-Y 

RGB/R-Y Y B-Y 

/YC/VID 

/YC/VID 

E 

ISM 824 

ne a in a in 

i i he 

S C B 

V S B 

U RGB V S B 

D O C 

Cm nen ie Cm nen ie 

800.633.9876 • www.extron.com/ism824-8

Sound and Communications - February 2008 Issue

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