Sound & Communications July 20, 2009 issue

Vol. 55 No. 7 July 20, 2009 

nothing but nets 

BARCLAYS CENTER SHOWROOM FEATURES 

AV-SIMULATED ARENA SNEAK PEAK. 

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2009 

Twenty-Fourth Annual 

Commercial Systems 

Integration Survey 

modern 

integration 

strategies 

pathways to ensure 

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media networks. 

 

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Line arrays have never been easier. 

©2009 Bosch Security Systems, Inc. 

Sound & Communications Reader Service - For More Information Click Here


Volume 55 Number 7 July 20, 2009 

42 

F e a t u r e s 

24th COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS INTEGRATION SURVEY REPORT 

AFTER PAGE 18. 

34 NOTHING BUT NETS 

The 10,000-square-foot Barclays Center Showroom 

provides an AV-simulated look into the upcoming Barclays 

Center arena, the New Jersey Nets’ new home. 

By Jim Stokes 

42 LET’S GET PHYSICAL 

Audiovisual systems enhance exercise in two South 

Carolina Gold’s Gym facilities, and in the gym at the Fort 

Jackson US Army Training Center. 

By Dawn Allcot 

50 MODERN INTEGRATION STRATEGIES 

Exploring the different elements and skills required to make 

an in-store media network deployment successful. 

By Dale Smith 

54 SPOTLIGHT OF SOUND 

The recent invention of ultra-directional sound technology, 

which creates “beams” of sound, has enabled new ways to 

use sound in retail environments. 

By Dr. F. Joseph Pompei 

58 MARKET BRIEF 

Retail Environments: This segment, though feeling the 

squeeze, is persisting. 

By Dan Ferrisi 

54 

D e p a r t m e n t s 

9 NEWSLETTER 

24 HOUSE OF WORSHIP: TECHNOLOGY 

Exuberance Exemplified: United Christian Faith offers the 

best of contemporary worship. 


28 HOUSE OF WORSHIP: BUSINESS 

Globalization: Looking Toward the Future: The worldwide 

market offers myriad opportunities. 

By David Lee Jr., PhD 

30 IN FOCUS 

Century-Old Service: KIPP Visual traces its history, 

charts its future. 


60 NEWS 

61 CALENDAR 

64 PEOPLE 

65 PRODUCTS 

68 LITERATURE & MEDIA 

69 CENTERSTAGE 

70 MARKETPLACE 

74 DATA SCAN 


C o l u m n s 

6 WAVELENGTH 

By David A. Silverman 

50 

16 SOUND ADVICE 

By Peter Mapp FASA, FAES 

12 SIGHT LINES 

By Gary Kayye, CTS 

20 SIGN AGE 

By Shonan Noronha, EdD 

 

Sound & Communications 

www.soundandcommunications.com

Sound & Communications Reader Service - For More Information Click Here 

July 2009

Orlando FL in June was really 

hot—and it wasn’t just the 

temperature! InfoComm ’09 was 

a resounding success, no matter 

how you look at it: 850 exhibitors 

and about 29,000 attendees from 

80 countries, plus high attendance 

at educational programs. Our industry 

has been hit by the recession 

for sure, but this event (and 

ISE before it) shows that there is 

lots of life in the commercial segment, 

for the short and long term. 

Our congratulations to Executive 

Director Randal Lemke, Senior 

Vice President of Expositions 

Jason McGraw and all of the Info- 

Comm International staffers for 

an excellent job putting together 

the biggest East Coast show ever. 

Our InfoComm show review by 

R. David Read, along with Part 

1 of our two-part New Product 

Wrap-Up, will appear next month. 

In the meantime, InfoCommTV 

News (http://soundandcommuni 

cations.com/infocommTVnews) 

provides you with anything you 

may have missed during the Expo. 

And don’t forget to check out our 

new digital edition (www.soundan 

dcommunications.com). 

Digital signage is one of the hot 

buttons in our industry and was 

a point of interest at InfoComm 

’09. This relative newcomer has 

been a major focus in our pages 

(including our monthly “Sign 

Age” column) and throughout our 

twice-yearly IT/AV Report. And, 

wouldn’t you know it, DS has attracted 

the lawyers! Granted, this 

hasn’t hit our shores yet, but keep 

an eye out: 

According to a report, Focus 

Defeng Advertising, a subsidiary 

of China’s Focus Media Holding, 

is suing RT-Mart, an Auchanowned 

supermarket chain, for 

about $7 million for 

breach of contract 

after it allegedly 

infringed the outof-home 

firm’s 

exclusive right to 

show ads in its 

stores. 

Without getting into too many 

details here, Focus Defeng signed 

a five-year contract in 2007 for 

exclusive rights to deploy screens 

and show ads in 74 stores (plus 

six added later). The company 

told a Shanghai court that RT- 

Mart allowed suppliers to install 

their own screens to advertise 

their wares, and cut off power 

to Focus Defeng’s equipment. 

According to the store, there had 

only been a few power cuts, and 

they were caused by the electricity 

supplier.... 

Can it happen here? 

A non-related item: We hear 

so much today about how longterm 

exposure to wireless devices 

might be detrimental to 

our health. Justified or not, the 

NIMBYs are restricting cell towers 

near homes and schools, for 

example. Well, what’s the outcry 

going to be when San Jose CAbased 

PowerBeam (invisible laser 

optical technology), Ada MI-based 

Fulton Innovation/Leggett & Platt 

(inductive coupling) and Pittsburgh 

PA-based Powercast (highfrequency 

radio waves) and other 

companies produce their “wireless 

power transmission” systems en 

masse? It’s one thing for our audio 

or video to be transmitted around 

us wirelessly, but now power? 

Although these companies don’t 

currently have commercial AV applications, 

you never know.... n 

Editor 

David A. Silverman 

dsilverman@testa.com 

Associate Editor 

Dan Ferrisi 

dferrisi@testa.com 

Assistant Editor 

Michelle Loeb 

mloeb@testa.com 

Contributing Editors 

Shonan Noronha, EdD 

R. David Read 

Jim Stokes 

Contributors 

Dawn Allcot; Gary Kayye, CTS; 

David Lee Jr., PhD; 

Peter Mapp FASA, FAES; 

Shonan Noronha, EdD; 

Dr. F. Joseph Pompei; 

Dale Smith; 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, Kinsella-Marsh Group, Inc. 

David McNutt, Consultant 

Thomas C. Rauscher, Archi-Technology 

Tony Warner, CTS-D, CSI CDT, LEED AP, RTKL 

Graphic Designer/Artist 

Janice Pupelis 

Web Designer 

Phillip Taylor 

Production Manager 

Steve Thorakos 

Sales Assistant/Ad Traffic 

Sam Mitrani 

smitrani@testa.com 

Advertising Manager 

John Grecco 

jgrecco@testa.com 

Classifieds 

classifiedsales@testa.com 

Circulation 

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 


25 Willowdale Avenue 

Port Washington, New York 11050-3779 

(516) 767-2500 

FAX: (516) 767-9335 

soundcom@testa.com 

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Publications, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050-3779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, 

NY, and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2009 SOUND & COMMUNICATIONS PUBLISHING, INC. 

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Sound & Communications • DJ Times 

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Convention TV @ NAMM • InfoCommTV News • VTTV Studios 

 



Deep beneath the quality sound, years of development, and meticulous 

manufacturing, lies the heart of it all — the people behind the products. 

Impossible to function without, the heart is comprised of a knowledge base 

and commitment to customer satisfaction that far surpasses any tangible 

medium. With system design assistance, top-notch service, and technical 

support, this fundamental piece pumps life into Yamaha’s 

Installation Series Loudspeakers. 

Hear it beat. Email our specialized speaker support team 

at speakersupport@yamaha.com with any inquiries. 

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

©2009 Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. 


July 2009


 



NEWSLETTER 

INFOCOMM BOARD APPROVES FIRST PERFORMANCE STANDARD 

The InfoComm International (www.infocomm.org) Board of Directors has approved release of the association’s 

first performance standard, The Audio Coverage Uniformity Performance Standard (ACU). One 

of the principal goals of sound system performance for speech reinforcement and program audio is the 

delivery of consistent coverage in the listening area. A well-executed audio system design permits all 

listeners to hear the system at about the same sound pressure level throughout the desired frequency 

spectrum range, no matter where positioned in the designated listening area. This standard provides 

a procedure to measure this spatial coverage, and criteria for use in the design and commissioning of 

audio systems. 

Procedures outlined by this standard are intended to be used primarily for AV presentation systems in 

which audio is provided as a part of the system within an enclosed environment, in applications such as 

conference rooms, training rooms, classrooms, auditoriums, theaters and museum exhibits. This standard 

can also be applied to large-venue audio systems. 

The Audio Coverage Uniformity Standard is limited to uniformity measurements and does not include 

testing or measurements for spectral response, time domain issues or other parameters that might be 

required to assess the total performance of an audio system. Future standards might address other 

audio concerns. 

The ACU Standard was developed in an open process with consensus and transparency. 

SAMSUNG/SHARP PATENT INFRINGEMENT DECISION 

Following months of back and forth wrangling, a decision has been reached in the patent-infringement 

dispute between Samsung Electronics Co. (Seoul, South Korea; www.samsung.com) and Sharp Corp. 

(Osaka, Japan; www.sharpusa.com). Samsung has won a US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling 

that some Sharp LCD televisions and computer monitors infringe one of its patents. As a result, the 

trade agency said the offending products should be banned from the US. The Washington agency further 

declared a second patent was not infringed, nullifying a judge’s ruling on that issue. Last month, a 

trade judge declared that Samsung TVs, monitors and professional displays infringe four Sharp patents 

and recommended Samsung TVs be banned from the US, as well. 

In a notice published on its website, the ITC stated unlicensed Sharp LCD products, including display 

panels and modules, and LCD televisions made overseas that use Samsung’s patented technology, should 

be banned from the US. The ban is subject to President Obama’s review, and the underlying patent case 

can be appealed to a US court specializing in patent law. 

A Sharp representative exclusively spoke to Sound & Communications, saying, “While Sharp disagrees 

with the ITC’s ruling…and is considering an appeal, Sharp has prepared for this outcome. Sharp has already 

launched new AQUOS, Sharp-branded LCD TV models with technology that is not affected by this 

ruling. And, thus, there will be no impact to our retail business partners and consumers as a result of 

this decision. Sharp AQUOS televisions will continue to be available in the United States.” 

The representative continued, “There will be a lack of availability of some of Sharp’s PN Series professional 

monitors, and we have begun to take the necessary steps to limit disruption to our customers. We 

have moved up production schedules for a new product line, which will be available later this year. In 

the meantime, we will provide business partners access to our AQUOS line to fulfill any deals in which 

the product fits their needs. In cases where the AQUOS product does not meet the requirements, we will 

work with the dealer to find alternative suppliers.” 

Samsung did not respond to requests for comment. 

You could have received this NEWSLETTER information up to three weeks ago, with more detail and 

hot links, via email. Go to www.soundandcommunications.com to sign up! 

July July 2009 2009

NEWSLETTER 

AVAD EXPANDS INTO COMMERCIAL AV 

AVAD LLC (Van Nuys CA; us.avad.com), a North American distributor of custom electronics, is expanding 

its product offering to include commercial AV solutions, including offerings from Bogen, Crown 

International, Denon Professional, JBL Pro and Speco Technologies, along with products from several of 

its existing partners. In addition to the new vendors, AVAD’s commercial AV product offering will include 

products from brands such as Aprilaire, Chief, Draper, Gefen, JVC Pro, Key Digital, Lutron, Middle 

Atlantic, Netstreams, OmniMount, Panasonic Pro, Panasonic Phones, Peerless, Remote Technologies Inc., 

Sirius and Sivoia. 

“With many dealers looking beyond the residential markets, we feel that this is the perfect opportunity 

to help our dealers expand their sales channels throughout the commercial AV industry,” explained Jim 

Annes, Vice President/General Manager. “As part of this launch, we will help guide those dealers...into 

new markets, as well as augment the capabilities of dealers already working within the commercial AV 

industry, through in-depth sales and product training, technical support and system design assistance.” 

OUTLINE COMES TO NORTH AMERICA 

Brescia, Italy-based pro audio manufacturer Outline (www.outline.it) has inaugurated its American 

branch, Outline North America LLC, headquartered in Farmingdale NY. It is led by Thomas Bensen, who 

has 30 years’ experience in the industry and who has also helmed the US branch of another Italian 

company, amplifier manufacturer Powersoft. 

Since it opened, in addition to being able to boast high-profile installations and live events (Clear Channel 

Theater in New York; the Healing Place Church cathedral in Louisiana; Imperial Palace Casino in 

Biloxi MS; and the New Orleans Jazz Festival), Outline N.A. is able to organize professional demos of its 

loudspeaker systems, in particular the MANTAS, Butterfly and mini-COM.P.A.S.S. vertical line arrays. 

Outline’s product range also includes wedge monitors, “point source” systems and infra-sub units. 

Bensen remarked, “I’m proud to be part of the Outline family. This is a company that has vision….[It 

has] a tremendous resource in its R&D and I see nothing but [good] things happening for Outline. The 

future of pro audio belongs to the companies that have really learned to embrace volumetric efficiency 

and low impact. I think that Outline is to loudspeakers what Powersoft is to amplifiers.” 

SENTENCING IN CORPORATE ESPIONAGE CASE 

On June 26, David A. Goldenberg was sentenced following his guilty plea on charges of corporate espionage. 

Judge Harry G. Carroll, at the Bergen County Courthouse, sentenced Goldenberg to three years’ 

probation. He also must pay a $1000 fine and $155 for court costs, in addition to undergoing a psychological 

evaluation and counseling. Goldenberg admitted to intercepting proprietary emails from his 

company’s chief competitor while working as a Vice President for AMX Corporation (Richardson TX; 

www.amx.com), a subsidiary of Duchossis Industries. Additional details can be found in Sound & Communications’ 

earlier coverage in NEWSLETTER, June 2009. 

MILESTONE AV TECHNOLOGIES ACQUIRES RAXXESS METALSMITHS 

Milestone AV Technologies (Savage MN; www.milestone.com), designer and manufacturer of Chief and 

Sanus Systems audiovisual mounting equipment, has acquired the assets of Raxxess Metalsmiths, Inc. 

(Paterson NJ; www.raxxess.com). Raxxess is a supplier of rackmount solutions, furniture and related 

accessories for commercial and residential applications, sold primarily to system integrators, pro audio 

dealers and music retailers. Hyman Peller, Raxxess President/Founder, has joined the Milestone team. 

All Raxxess operations have been moved from the former headquarters in New Jersey to Milestone’s 

facility in Savage MN. Shipping from Minnesota began June 8 to existing customers. 

COMPILED BY DAN FERRISI AND DAVID A. SILVERMAN 

10 




The Lull 

Naysayers beware! 

By Gary Kayye, CTS 

This is always when it is. It’s summertime 

and we take our breaks and return 

awaiting the calls from customers. 

And, this is the time of year when 

everything always slows down and we 

all await the “boom.” This year, however, 

the question is, “Will the boom 

be an explosion or an implosion?” 

Being the eternal optimist I am, I 

think we’ll see an explosion. Let me 

explain. 

This market slowdown started, 

literally, for us in the commercial AV 

market, anyway, exactly a year ago. 

InfoComm 2008 was an amazing show. 

All sorts of new technologies, new 

products, record exhibitors, record 

attendance, record seminar seats and 

everyone left upbeat. 

Then, we all got home and the news 

was not so great. It all started when 

our lines of credit seemed, suddenly, 

to be up for renewal—in the middle of 

the year. When we got the good news 

that we still had lines of credit, the 

enthusiasm was quelled somewhat by 

the fact that the amount of our line 

was either cut in half or even into a 

quarter of what it was before. What 

had happened? Did we pay our AMEX 

bill late? 

Then, AIG. 

Then, the auto-industry bailouts— 

how’s that working for them? 

Then, banks. 

Malls. 

Restaurants. 

Sharper Image. 

And, even my favorite ice cream 

shop! 

But, all the while, a few segments 

of the industry kept chugging along. 

For example, in November, and then 

again in February, I was in Texas for 

keynote speeches and the integrators 

I spoke with then were telling me 

they were having bang-up years. The 

oil and gas markets were keeping 

them afloat with plenty of business. 

The school systems were awash in 

money and the churches had record 

attendance (thus, record tithing), so 

doing AV in Texas was a good thing. 

But, man, is that Texas Orange one 

U-G-L-Y color! 

Digging further, it was apparent 

that certain segments of the market 

were doing fine, not just in Texas. 

Money already allocated on projects 

was, in some cases, put on hold, but 

in many cases, it was being spent. 

And, government-related projects 

started picking up just about the time 

President Obama was sworn in. 

And, like it or not, the government 

is much bigger than it ever was in 

the past. Spending there is tracking 

on huge growth numbers: We see 

some segments in the 20% range 

already, with an expectation of hitting 

30% by the end of 2010. 

Education: Although schools keep 

saying they are hurting for money, 

the educational market is roaring 

back. This Fall may very well be a 

record year for K-12 spending, while 

higher education slows to a crawl. 

Adjust accordingly. 

In fact, in speaking to 10 of the 

top 14 AV design firms over the past 

month, I have noted a clear trend 

where specifying of all sorts of jobs 

is climbing steadily. And, many of 

them are actually hiring now. 

Now, as you all know, design firms 

see specifications anywhere from 

two to 10 months before they hit the 

street for the integrator to bid on but, 

let’s face it, this is a different market 

these days. I predict that many jobs 

that would have gone to a designer in 

the past may very well skip that process 

and the client may seek a direct 

relationship with the design/build 

firms directly. This certainly is what 

AVI-SPL is telling me. The company 

reports that it is seeing a record 

number of requests for design jobs 

compared to bid jobs. 

Is this good? It’s good for the design/build 

firm, for sure. And, to be 

perfectly honest, AV design firms are 

doing OK, too. They not only have 

the plethora of huge jobs that only 

they can manage, but they all also 

got into programming over the past 

two years, so they have a revenue 

stream from that, too. 

So, it’s all good? Well...not all of it, 

but most of it is looking good! 

Again, I’m an optimist, so don’t just 

go on what I am saying. There are 

plenty of naysayers out there who 

see this recent surge as just a blip 

and the government’s meddling in 

the private sector as the beginning of 

the end of the economy. 

To me, the glass is half-full—even 

if the liquid in the glass is potentially 

dirty water.... 

n 

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. 

12 www.soundandcommunications.com 

Sound & Communications

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1938 - Da-Lite Electrol - 

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1940’s - Microwave Invented 

1940 - Da-Lite introduced more 

than 10 different types of screens 

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1956 - Da-Lite HQ moved to 

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1960’s - Audio Cassette Invented 

1960 - Deborah Cooley named 

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Polar Explorations Conclusion 

Polar balloons, Isobal plots and coverage plots. 

By Peter Mapp, FASA, FAES 

In Part 1 of this two-part review 

last month, I showed that there is 

more to loudspeaker coverage than 

beamwidth diagrams and directivity 

plots. I finished up by showing a 

polar balloon for a poorly designed 

loudspeaker that had severe lobing 

problems. For your convenience, 

we are repeating the polar balloon 

here (Figure 6). The polar balloon 

is a three-dimensional representation 

of the sound radiation from a 

loudspeaker and really does help 

visualize where the sound is going 

(or, in some cases, where it isn’t!). 

Traditional polar response measurements 

typically are made in just the 

horizontal and vertical directions, 

with 10- or 5-degree resolution, and 

so produce some 36 or 72 measurements 

per plane. 

Polar balloons, on the other hand, 

are made by measuring over a complete 

sphere and, consequently, produce 

many hundreds of points (1296 

for 10-degree resolution), thus allowing 

much more detail to be seen. 

For example, Figure 7 shows the 

standard vertical and horizontal polar 

diagram for the loudspeaker shown 

in the polar balloon in Figure 6. The 

vertical side lobes (blue curve) are 

still clearly visible, but have far less 

impact and detail than the 3D polar 

balloon. Polar balloon measurement 

takes far more resources and time 

than the traditional polars, 

but the information this can 

yield far outweighs the extra 

effort required. 

Now, loudspeaker manufacturers 

don’t do this just 

for marketing purposes to 

show off or, in many cases, 

better highlight the deficiencies 

of their products! 

The primary reason that 

the 3D polar information 

is now available is because 

it is needed by the various 

room modeling programs 

that work in 3D and use ray 

tracing or similar methods to 

predict the performance of a 

loudspeaker or loudspeaker 

system in a room or space. 

The polar diagram and polar 

balloon shown in Figures 

6 and 7 clearly show that this 

loudspeaker would not be a 

good one to use in a reflective 

environment because the 

lobes could cause long path 

delay reflections. Furthermore, 

the lower lobe could 

lead to premature feedback if 

inadvertently directed toward 

a live microphone. 

Figure 8 shows the offaxis 

frequency response for 

a directional (line source) 

loudspeaker that exhibits a 

nasty side lobe vertically at 

around 50 degrees at 2kHz. 

Clearly, if this was directed 

at a microphone, premature 

feedback would pretty much be certain 

to occur. 

Figure 6. 3D polar balloon for poorly designed 

directional speaker suffering from side lobes. 

Figure 7. Conventional 2D polar diagram for the poorly 

designed directional speaker shown in Figure 6. 

However, by knowing what the 

loudspeaker is doing, all this can be 

avoided at the design stage. 

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

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

and Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society. Send comments to him at pmapp@testa.com. 

16 Sound & Communications 


Another form of polar view, Figure 

9, shows the coverage that will 

be obtained both horizontally and 

vertically. And, as can be seen, the 3, 

6 and 9dB contours are quite different 

(red, yellow and green curves, 

respectively). 

The view can be thought of as looking 

directly “front on” to the polar 

balloon. The plot shows that there is 

more energy being radiated horizontally 

below the loudspeaker axis 

than above it. This can be partially 

seen when looking at the polar plots 

for this device (see Figure 10). (It 

is easier to see this by rotating the 

polar clockwise by 90 degrees so the 

view aligns with the normal speaker 

position.) Unsymmetrical radiation 

like this can be used to advantage 

if it is apparent at the design stage, 

because seats below and closer to 

the device can be covered as well as 

those at a further distance where the 

loudspeaker is aimed. Some loudspeakers 

are designed deliberately 

for just this purpose, as can be seen 

Figure 8. 

Frequency 

response of 

line source 

loudspeaker 

taken at 50 

degrees off 

axis (vertical 

plane). 

in Figure 11. 

The polar balloon in Figure 11 

clearly shows that the main forward 

beam deliberately has been configured 

to have significant energy 

below the main axis and, so, this 

loudspeaker can be used to cover 

seating close to the device but below 

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the main beam. However, the polar 

balloon also shows that significant 

side lobes occur directly above and 

below the device, which could be 

problematic if not known about. 

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disposal, there really is no excuse 

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Figure 12. Another view of loudspeaker directivity: the Isobal. 

Figure 9. Different form of polar/coverage 

view. 

Figure 13. Coverage directivity plot for well designed line source 

(column) loudspeaker. 

Figure 10. Horizontal (brown) and vertical (blue) 

polars for three-way speaker with energy lobe 

below main axis, as also shown in Figure 9. 

Figure 11. 

3D polar 

balloon for 

line source 

loudspeaker 

with 

deliberate 

energy lobe 

below main 

axis, but 

also with 

non-desirable 

upper and 

lower side 

lobes. 

A further useful combined view of directivity is 

shown in Figure 12. This beautifully shows how 

directivity is maintained over frequency. 

The figure is for a medium- to large- (depends on 

your definition) constant directivity horn device and 

shows the beam angle on the vertical scale as a function 

of frequency, with the color or grayscale intensity 

depicting the normalized level or attenuation. 

The data in Figure 12 clearly shows the device to 

provide an essentially constant vertical coverage of 40 

degrees (2x20 degrees) from 800Hz up to 16kHz. 

Figure 13 is a similar Isobal view, but this time in 

color, and is for a well-designed line source or column 

loudspeaker; it clearly shows that excellent and 

consistent control is maintained from 16kHz down 

to about 250Hz before finally collapsing at around 

160Hz. This grade of loudspeaker does not just happen, 

but involves many engineering techniques and 

painstaking design that some manufacturers just do 

not aspire to, as shown in Figures 14 and 15. These 

are the directivity/coverage plots for another rather 

poorly designed column loudspeaker. 

Figure 14 shows the horizontal coverage plot and, 

(continued on page 68) 



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Dollars And Sense 

Cost factors in deploying digital signage. 

By Shonan Noronha, EdD 

Tight client budgets and volatile 

costs have made it more difficult to 

integrate digital signage systems 

profitably. 

Many of the expenses involved in 

the deployment of a digital signage 

system are familiar to AV integrators 

who have created estimates for conventional 

AV-IT solutions. These broad 

expense categories include hardware, 

software, installation/integration 

and support. But, even within these 

categories, the unique requirements 

of a digital signage (DS) project can 

add considerable dollars to certain line 

items. Content usually is not included 

in AV design-build cost estimates, but 

is a significant cost/profit factor in 

digital signage projects. 

Let’s take a look at some of the 

costs to bear in mind when drawing 

up an estimate for digital signage. 

• Content and Software: Content 

is a major component of digital signage 

and can add substantial costs, 

or profit, to a project. Even though 

an AV integrator’s scope of work 

might not include content-related 

items, it is advantageous to have a 

handle on the various cost drivers 

associated with it. Moreover, content 

can also increase your revenues, 

simply by partnering with the right 

content provider. 

Costs related to the content side 

of digital signage include creation 

of various types of content, content 

licensing fees, software licensing 

fees, frequency of updates, number 

of channels and playlists, bandwidth 

requirements, day-to-day operations 

and system management. 

“Digital signage software is a 

critical content driver and essential 

for a successful installation,” noted 

Craig Taylor, Account Executive, The 

Whitlock Group. Software for content 

creation, content assembly, and 

scheduling and tracking is available 

for outright purchase or as a hosted 

service. “If new content has to be 

created, the client may also be in the 

market for production equipment and 

editing software,” he added. 

• Displays: The math related to display 

screens is pretty simple: The total 

number of screens multiplied by the 

cost per screen will yield the total cost. 

If the specified display features an integrated 

PC or media player, the cost per 

display will be higher, but there will be 

no line item for media players. 

Due to the recent turbulence in 

flat-screen distribution, careful pricing 

and sourcing is more important 

than ever with these typically lowmargin 

products. Finding alternative, 

reliable, low-cost sources for this key 

system component is certainly a top 

priority. A “cost-plus” arrangement 

with your customer for screen acquisition 

is an approach that may also 

help maintain project profitability. 

Another factor to consider is 

whether the DS project involves user 

interaction. An integrated, 30-inch 

touchscreen will cost about 50% more 

than a standard flat panel of the same 

size. Integrated touchscreens (up to 

46-inch) can cost nearly twice as much 

as the same size standard display; the 

same holds true for even the ultralarge 

screens (more than 103-inch). 

On the positive side of the ledger, 

these products have not been as heavily 

commoditized as standard displays. 

If you’re tempted to buy standard 

displays and integrate the touch overlay 

in-house, think again. “If you have 

to remove the bezel of the display to 

install the third-party touch overlay, 

you may void the display manufacturer’s 

warranty,” cautioned Taylor. “It’s 

best to buy a display that’s interactive 

right out of the box—one that has 

been integrated by the manufacturer’s 

authorized vendor, such as Display 

Werks or U-Touch [www.u-touch.us].” 

• Media Players and Ser vers: 

The heart of a signage system hides 

Contributing Editor Shonan Noronha, EdD, is an award-winning writer/producer. She has 

designed and produced networked multimedia content for a broad spectrum of clients from 

Wall Street to Fleet Street, and consults on the applications of new media technologies for 

training, marketing and corporate communications. Send comments, questions and suggestions 

to her at snoronha@testa.com. 

20 Sound & Communications 


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some unexpected costs. If delivery 

hardware and software have been 

specified, you’re off the hook—sort 

of. But be sure to take into account 

the cost of the server (computer), 

media players, software licenses, 

extended warranties and other fineprint 

items that can balloon costs. 

Also add player support if you’re using 

MS Windows. If the system is design-build, 

you can choose the server 

and player solution that satisfies the 

customer’s needs while minimizing 

your costs and labor. 

“Interactive components connected 

to computers or media players add to 

cost,” explained Fred Dobbs, President, 

Dobbs Stanford Corp. “Every 

item, including buttons, proximity 

sensors, gesture sensors, RFID and 

barcode readers, among others, will 

increase cost. Integrating firmware, 

software and reporting capabilities 

into a computer or media player also 

increases cost. A media player with 

any kind of solid-state memory of 

less than 16Gb (CF, SD, USB drive or 

Omnivex_S&C_Jul09_Ad.eps 1 6/8/2009 5:29:15 PM 

SSD) will cost less and be more reliable 

than a computer or media player 

with a hard drive.” 

• Audio: Digital signs placed in 

certain locations beg for a highly directional 

audio system. Sound-focusing 

speakers are extensively used in 

museums and other settings where 

audio spills are considered an annoyance. 

Cost factors include speakers, 

amplifiers, power supply and mounting 

gear. Many specialized products 

are designed to simplify and reduce 

the cost of installation. 

Panphonics Sound Showers, for 

example, feature on-board amplification 

and control, and an included, 

but separate, power supply. It is also 

pre-tapped with a VESA 100 mount 

pattern. For more information on focusing 

audio in signage applications, 

take a look back at Peter Mapp’s May 

2009 “Sound Advice” column. [Also, 

see “Spotlight Of Sound,” by Dr. F. 

Joseph Pompei, in this issue.—Ed.] 

• Control System Programming: 

Depending on your scope of 

work, it may be important to select 

a system that won’t stick you with 

unpaid hours of expensive custom 

programming. All other factors being 

equal, the simplest system to program 

is probably the most profitable 

to integrate. 

“The creative services involved 

with control system programming 

are often overlooked or under estimated,” 

said Denis Lesak, Corporate 

Director, DS Services, PSAV Presentation 

Services. “The visual component 

of a branded look and feel, or 

touchscreen application development, 

should be factored in, as well.” 

• Mounting: Signage placement 

analysis should be the first cost item 

in this category. In addition to the 

cost of mounting screens on different 

types of wall surfaces, misplacement 

of screens can create client-management 

issues and added expenses. 

“Too many clients think they are experts 

at how many and how high each 

sign should be placed,” noted Lesak. 

“And, too many vendors allow their

clients to make this mistake, which 

leads to common problems such as 

signs mounted too high or too low to 

hold the attention of viewers.” 

Decorative framing for signs in 

museums, or custom enclosures for 

projectors and displays in public 

spaces, can provide opportunities 

to add value. Also, the quality and 

functionality of appropriate mounting 

hardware will impact cost. 

Because signage legibility is important 

to assure customer satisfaction, 

select screen mounts that can be 

adjusted to minimize reflected glare 

from primary viewing angles. If media 

players, mini-PC or networking 

hardware will be required, be sure to 

make provisions for secure and unobtrusive 

mounting of that hardware. 

• Cabling and Infrastructure: 

Everyone who has tried to make a fair 

profit on an AV installation is familiar 

with the importance of this cost 

category. Signage content providers 

or consultants often participate in 

specifying the type of infrastructure 

required. Depending on the system 

topology and the final choice of distribution 

technology, there may be many 

ways to wire the system. 

Rethinking distribution design 

(e.g., analog over UTP vs. Ethernet) 

to minimize overall costs is an option 

sometimes. In some cases, the client 

can provide the specified cable runs 

and patching through its IT contractor. 

In others, you’ll have to negotiate 

a maze of jurisdictions, physical 

barriers and other cost-related 

factors. The importance of careful 

attention to detail in estimating and 

minimizing cabling costs cannot be 

overstated. 

• Installation and Integration: 

Accurate estimation of the labor 

required to install and commission 

a signage system can also make the 

difference between profit and loss. 

Even after reaching an agreement 

with your client on a clear statement 

of work, there may be many hidden 

cost factors. 

For example, some institutions have 

concrete or cinderblock walls, and the 

cost of drilling and mounting many 

large screens on this surface can be 

significantly higher than for smaller 

installations with standard stud-type 

walls. To save time and money, make 

sure you have a clear picture of the 

work site, and that your crew is well 

trained and prepared with the proper 

tools and hardware. 

Because signage often is installed 

in public spaces or active work areas, 

it’s also important to know when 

your crews can, and can’t, do their 

work. Unplanned overtime can eat up 

profits in a hurry. 

Preplanning of every stage of a 

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project, with careful attention to 

labor and materials costs, is essential 

to maintaining a healthy bottom 

line. “Installation really has to be 

addressed in three parts: hardware 

mounting, network integration, and 

software installation and testing,” 

noted Lesak. 

• Training and Support: Although 

many RFPs specify the level 

of training and after-sales support 

required, it’s always a good idea 

to have a clear agreement as to 


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Exuberance Exemplified 

United Christian Faith offers the best of contemporary worship. 


When one thinks of churches, 

one’s mind might flash back to services 

attended in childhood, where 

the only voice to be heard was the 

pastor’s, and perhaps the singing of 

the choir. The littlest peep resulted 

in a stern shushing from Mom or 

Dad. Indeed, in that era, Sunday 

Services were a time for quiet reflection…communion 

with the deity. 

And, perhaps some church services 

still retain this essential quality but, 

largely, the Christian worship experience 

has been enlivened dramatically, 

a progression enabled, at least in 

some ways, by AV technology. United 

Christian Faith Ministries, based in 

Baton Rouge LA, exemplifies the best 

of contemporary worship. 

United Christian Faith, a member 

of Church Of God In Christ, is led 

by Pastor Mark A. Ellis, Sr., who was 

instrumental in the creation of a new 

sanctuary building for the church, 

along with associated AV upgrades. 

The new facility accommodates about 

500 people and, already, it is being 

filled to near capacity due to incredibly 

rapid congregation growth. 

Parishioners at this predominantly 

African-American church tend to be 

younger and middle aged, with most 

in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Instead of a 

pipe organ setting the tone, services 

here are infused with the energy of 

keyboard, drums, guitar and bass. 

Naturally, the new facility was a 

United Christian Faith Ministries, Baton Rouge LA, offers contemporary 

worship services in a pristine, technologically outfitted 

environment. 

major investment for United Christian 

Faith, so it was crucial that only the 

most reliable partners be brought 

onboard. Mike Hawkins, from Mid- 

South Construction, the church’s general 

contractor, reached out to Tim 

Hill from Sound Hill Technologies 

for audiovisual design and integration. 

“I’ve done several churches with 

Mike,” remarked Hill, “and he called 

me and asked me to do this. It was 

a high-end church for him, and he 

didn’t want some local music store.” 

Sound Hill Technologies, founded in 

1987 and based in Holden LA, is a fullservice 

audio, video, lighting and multimedia 

company with extensive house 

of worship experience. Indeed, according 

to Hill, such facilities comprise 

94% of his workload (with schools, 

colleges and corporate making up the 

rest). “With Sound Hill, you don’t need 

Dan Ferrisi is Sound & Communications’ Associate Editor. 

five or six contractors,” he declared. 

“We have equal expertise in all areas.” 

Impressed with the level of technology 

offered, United Christian Faith went 

with Hill. Groundbreaking occurred in 

early 2008, with Sound Hill coming on 

the scene that April and finishing up 

in February 2009. The AV budget was 

$125,000. 

Sound Hill handled the complete 

design and installation, with the 

church only offering broad guidance 

for the type of experience it sought; 

it was not involved in suggesting 

models or brands. “That was all up 

to me,” explained Hill. “They didn’t 

have enough knowledge about audiovisual 

technology to have an opinion 

about what to spec.” However, Pastor 

Ellis did emphasize that he wanted 

his church to be different. “This pastor 

didn’t want something everybody 



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Viewed from the balcony, two pairs of left-right 

speakers are visible, as is the pair of projection 

screens positioned at front. 

This audiovisual install represents a big leap 

forward in all respects, but the 32-channel console 

is a particularly sizeable jump from the church’s 

12- and 16-channel roots. 

Pastor Mark A. Ellis was emphatic that his visual 

aesthetic not be impeded. Thus, Sound Hill was 

careful to tuck the “guts” of the system safely 

out of view. 

else had,” Hill added. On that score, Hill was happy to 

oblige. 

Naturally, for a vivacious church such as United Christian 

Faith, the console choice was pivotal. Because all the 

operators work on a volunteer basis, it was essential that 

the board be easy to use. The final selection was a Soundcraft 

LX7ii32, an analog desk with a 32-channel frame 

size. “This congregation came out of a small church,” Hill 

explained. “They probably had a little 12- or 16-channel 

setup. Now, we’ve jumped them up to something much, 

much larger.” Still, the church was not yet ready to step 

into the digital domain, although, with its rapid growth, 

further upgrades seem inevitable. 

The loudspeaker system for the main sanctuary is entirely 

Community Professional. In front of the pulpit, up in 

the air flying, Sound Hill installed two VERIS 3564W threeway, 

15-inch, full-range speakers. These are supported by a 

pair of VERIS 212SW dual 12-inch installation subwoofers. 

“There is also another sub in the musician’s pit, which is 

very unique,” remarked Hill. “That was needed because 

they like to feel thump. The musicians want to feel it.” The 

main sanctuary speakers are positioned left and right, with 

the subs positioned to the middle. 

There is also a balcony space, which has its own speaker 

complement. The integrator installed a delayed pair of 

VERIS 3294 three-way, 12-inch, full-range speakers. Once 

again, the speakers are positioned left and right, with a 

subwoofer, in the form of a VERIS 210SW dual 10-inch 

installation model, handling the center and providing bass. 

Hill emphasized that worship services sound as clear and 

crisp in the balcony as on the floor, which he considers an 

important system test. “I like a uniform listening environment,” 

he emphasized. 

Rounding out the Community contribution is the VERIS 

1264W two-way, full range speaker for the choir, as well as 

MVP-15M 15-inch two-way floor monitors and MVP-12M 

12-inch two-way floor monitors. Hill explained what motivated 

his choice of speaker: “I’ve used Community in the 

past, and they have a great product. But this part of the 

country is slow to change. Many of the churches down 

here have never heard of Community, except maybe in 

a football field. So, we wanted to get a good Community 

system down here, so we could highlight it more.” 

Amplification is entirely Crown. The sanctuary is supported 

by numerous XLS 802D power amps for the main 

room, balcony, choir, stage and pit. Hill explained that 

Crown is always at the top of his list. “Crown’s been in 

business forever, has one of the best warranties in the 

business and has very little failure,” he enthused. 

The microphone complement is varied, including AKG 

Acoustics, APEX Electronics and CAD Professional Microphones. 

Wireless is by Galaxy Audio, specifically the AS- 

TVHHC Traveler condenser capsule handheld, AS-TVMBP 

Traveler bodypack and AS-HSD-U8BK-SEN dual-ear hook 

unidirectional headset microphone. Sound Hill installed 

the Galaxy Audio Quad, a single-space rackmount receiver 

chassis that can be loaded with up to four UHF diversity 




wireless mic receivers. Finally, there 

is a Telex RF-based assistive-listening 

system and Hear Technologies 

Hear Back Personal Monitor Mixer 

System. 

Although not as extensive as the 

audio outfitting, the “visual” part of 

AV has become increasingly important 

to the United Christian Faith 

experience. Sound Hill installed 

three large Da-Lite PermWall Series 

screens: There are two up front, one 

on each side of the baptistery, measuring 

90"x120". Additionally, there 

is one in the back of the building, 

which measures 68"x92" and serves 

the pastor and choir. All are illuminated 

by three 4000 lumen Boxlight 

projectors. Explaining the need for 

extremely bright projectors, Hill 

noted, “They have six windows that 

are probably 20 feet tall down each 

side.” He also mentioned that Boxlight 

gives a two-year warranty on its 

bulbs, so it represented a good value 

proposition. A Niles infrared system 

controls the projectors. 

The “guts” of the video system are 

largely Extron, including the MMX 

32 VGA A 3x2 VGA and stereo audio 

matrix switcher, and P/2 DA2 PLUS 

two-output VGA-QXGA distribution 

amplifier. From its laptop, United 

Christian Faith is using the Media- 

Shout program to display scriptures 

and graphics. And, for the first time 

ever, the church has deployed digital 

signage, with Panasonic flat screens 

(a mix of 48- and 32-inch models) 

placed throughout the building. They 

show a blend of looped announcement 

messages and live coverage of 

the service within the sanctuary. 

Because the church’s services 

will be appearing on a local cable 

channel, the camera setup had to be 

chosen carefully. Sound Hill opted 

for Vaddio offerings, including the 

ProductionVIEW camera control 

system, WallVIEW 50i PTZ pan/tilt/ 

zoom camera systems, Quick-Connect 

4 Video Power and Control 

Wiring Center, Add-A-Cam PRO Base 

System and Add-A-Cam PRO with 

Canon XL-2 Pro Camcorder. According 

to Hill, “The XL-2 is in the back 

of the building, on the rear wall, up 

on a platform. It’s just off center, 

because the door is in the middle. 

They’re using that as a live camera, 

with a person operating it.” Two 

robotic cameras are on wall pillars, 

positioned left and right. 

Reflecting on the install more 

broadly, Sound Hill Technologies 

clearly sought to integrate the 

highest quality components United 

Christian Faith could afford…but 

the issue of aesthetics was also 

important to church leadership. The 

pastor did not want speakers and 

wires hanging within sightlines and, 

potentially, distracting from the message 

and worship mood. “That’s why 

I went with white speakers…to blend 

in with the white ceiling,” remarked 

Hill. “And, of course, we were careful 

to hide our wires.” Sound Hill is 

particularly adept at handling speaker 

placement and hanging, because 

it custom builds all its flying steel 

hardware, making sure each unique 

requirement is properly met. 

Given the intense rapidity with 



Globalization: Looking Toward the Future 

The worldwide market offers myriad opportunities. 

By David Lee Jr., PhD 

There are many opportunities for 

integrators who are able to view 

the HOW market in global terms. 

Houses of Worship (HOW) continue 

to spend money on new communication 

technologies in spite of global 

economic challenges. Although there 

are financial strains and restraints, a 

majority of HOWs around the world, 

particularly in the Christian faith, 

continue to use, and desire in the 

near future to use, new technologies. 

Their desire to acquire and use new 

technologies is driven by the belief 

that communication technologies, 

and their use, are currently relevant 

and important to people. Thus, on a 

global scale, communication technologies 

are viewed as important tools 

for communicating a wide variety of 

messages within the house of worship 

context. [To see how important 

the HOW segment is to our market, 

see Question #18 in this year’s Commercial 

Systems Integration Survey 

report, published with this issue. 

Although there has been a drop in 

this segment in this year’s analysis, it 

is still the largest among the offered 

categories.—Ed.] 

I often write “House of Worship: 

Business” while traveling from one 

city, or continent, to another. I am 

writing this on my return flight to 

the United States from Singapore 

(and Cambodia), where I observed 

and consulted with churches that will 

soon purchase and use technologies 

in very sophisticated ways. 

In the past 12 months, I have traveled 

to five continents. My travels 

have enabled me to form a picture 

(my picture) of how media technologies 

are being used around the 

world. In this writing, therefore, I 

will provide a brief and quite generalized 

sketch of my observations 

of tech use in HOWs around the 

world. My hope is that you will take 

my brief data and create innovative 

approaches toward serving the HOW 

market globally in the future. 

Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and 

South America generally are following 

models of media use that have 

been created in the United States, 

with a few tweaks that fit their 

unique cultures. Let’s look at each 

continent. 

• In Africa, HOWs within Islam and 

the Christian faith are experiencing 

rapid growth. I have observed 

thousands of people filling mosques 

and churches in many countries in 

Africa. Audio is the primary technology 

used in this region. 

Only a very few large HOWs in 

Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, 

Malawi, Nigeria and South Africa are 

using audio and video technologies 

(including live image enhancement) 

to enhance the worship experience 

for their congregations. Most HOWs 

in Africa are small and do not have 

electricity; thus, no tech use. With 

time, and the arrival of electricity, 

this will change. 

• Asia is vast and impossible to generalize 

in a few words. Countries in 

Asia are enjoying significant success 

from the globalization of commodities 

and services. Airports in Beijing, 

Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, 

to name a few, are ultramodern 

gems compared to any airport we 

have in the US. HOWs in parts of 

Asia are also experiencing tremendous 

growth. There are HOWs in Korea 

and India where more that 50,000 

people attend worship services. 

These HOWs, along with those in 

China (Hong Kong), Japan, Korea 

and Singapore, are purchasing 

top-shelf communication technologies. 

On a lesser scale, Cambodia, 

Myanmar, Mongolia, the Philippines, 

Russia, Taiwan and Thailand have 

HOWs that are using audio and video 

technologies during their Christian 

worship services, with various levels 

of advancement but, overall, at lower 

levels of sophistication and frequency 

than HOWs in Far East Asia. 

• In many cases, Australian HOWs 

are using media in more innovative 

ways than any country in the world. 

Organizations such as Hillsong are 

leading innovators in tech use and 

continue to influence the way Christian 

HOWs around the world use media to 

enhance the worship experience. 

• Europe is not experiencing 

growth in HOWs like other parts 

of the world. Islam is growing in 

Europe; few mosques, however, use 

anything other than basic public 

address systems during services. 


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. 



Established Excellence 

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SPECIALIST 

Call 

+1.703.273.7200 or 800.659.7469 

Email: 

certification@infocomm.org 

Visit: 

www.infocomm.org/cts 

A 


– Design (CTS-D) demonstrates 

detailed 

knowledge of 

how to analyze, 

select and 

plan seamless 

audiovisual 

communications equipment 

interoperation. The CTS-D 

demonstrates his or her 

experience in the form of complete 

specifications and drawings that 

deliver a desired outcome to meet 

a client’s needs. A minimum of 

two years’ audiovisual design 

industry experience accompanies 

the theoretical and practical 

competencies. 

CERTIFIED 

TECHNOLOGY 

D 

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S 

I G N 

SPECIALIST 


- Installation (CTS-I) installs 

and maintains 

audiovisual 

systems by 

following 

specifications, 

schematics, 

codes, and safety protocols; 

administering installation process 

logistics; troubleshooting and 

problem solving systems; 

maintaining tools and equipment; 

and communicating with clients, 

designers, other trades, other 

installers and staff to provide the 

best audiovisual solutions for clients’ 

needs, on time and within budget. 

CERTIFIED 

I N 

TECHNOLOGY 

S 

T A 

L 

L 

A 

T 

I O N 

SPECIALIST 

Certification is not a guarantee of performance by certified individuals. Certification demonstrates commitment to professional growth in the audiovisual industry and is strongly supported by InfoComm.

Century-Old Service 

KIPP Visual traces its history, charts its future. 


Our industry has many companies—both 

manufacturers and integrators—that 

have been around for a 

long time, their longevity testifying to 

an industry need for their services, 

the quality of their offering and their 

customer attention. However, even 

among peers such as those, KIPP 

Visual Systems stands apart. The 

systems integration company, based 

in Baltimore MD and with threepronged 

expertise in digital signage, 

presentation systems and commercial 

security, was established as Kipp 

& Sons by George Kipp in 1865. 

Originally selling leather goods, the 

company has morphed into a leading 

provider of visual communications 

technology. Marc Hess, President, 

who bought the business in 1992 

from fifth-generation owner John 

Kipp, took us inside the walls. 

Of course, as market needs 

change, successful companies must 

evolve, which KIPP Visual has never 

been reticent to do. According to 

Hess, in the late ’90s, “We reinvented 

ourselves again by moving out of the 

professional video world, selling cameras 

and switchers, and we found our 

niche in presentation.” And, with the 

advent of the flat-panel TV, as well as 

the emergence of the internet and 

easy content distribution, came the 

birth of the digital signage market, 

in which Hess immediately perceived 

an opportunity. “We would get a lot of 

The Howard County Public Safety Training Center, a KIPP Visual client, employs 

dual digital signage screens for welcoming purposes. 

calls saying, ‘I want to do something, 

and I think it’s digital signage’,” he 

said. Quickly, Hess decided not to 

dabble in digital signage as a mere 

commodity but, instead, to tackle it 

as a niche market. 

For a small company such as KIPP 

Visual, which has to share market 

space with multi-hundred-person juggernauts, 

strategic planning is critical. 

The company has 12 employees and 

limits its work to a restricted geographic 

space: essentially as far south 

as Richmond VA and northward to 

Philadelphia PA. It also, as a rule, sets 

its sights on smaller to medium-sized 

projects. “The big guys are doing 

large-scale jobs, and they do some 

great work, but I’m not interested in 

that. For us, the margins aren’t there, 

and I don’t have the resources to 

support that. I’d much rather find the 

smaller jobs that I don’t think they’re 

going after. And, if they are, it’s hard 

for them to compete with us.” But, 

Dan Ferrisi is Sound & Communications’ Associate Editor. 

make no mistake: KIPP Visual has a 

prestigious client list. 

A prime example would be The 

Johns Hopkins Hospital, with which 

KIPP Visual forged a relationship five 

years ago. Johns Hopkins, known 

for being forward thinking and 

sophisticated (it has its own marketing 

department), wanted to deliver 

consistent messaging in its entryway 

and alleviate “information clutter.” 

According to Hess, “We started 

with three screens: in the lobby, of 

course; in the ER area because there 

is a captive audience sitting there; 

and in another entranceway.” All the 

content was designed and delivered 

from the marketing department 

about 1½ miles away. Fast-forwarding 

to the present day, the relationship 

has continued and, now, Johns Hopkins 

boasts 70-some screens. 

The hugely successful Johns 

Hopkins relationship tweaked KIPP 

Visual’s trajectory. “We jumped off 



that success and, because I think 

it’s always good to look to your past 

to predict your future, we started 

marketing specifically to the hospital 

market,” Hess explained. “Today, we 

have in place not only Johns Hopkins, 

but also MedStar Health, Upper 

Chesapeake Medical Center, Sibley 

Memorial Hospital…about 12 hospitals.” 

Indeed, although KIPP Visual 

has a presence in other vertical markets, 

including corporate, house of 

worship and educational institutions, 

healthcare does comprise as much as 

65% of the company’s business. 

Going back to the idea of strategic 

planning, Hess emphasized that 

merely committing to the digital 

signage market is not sufficient to ensure 

success. “You have to find niche 

markets where, first, you don’t have 

a lot of people chasing you and, second, 

where you are perceived as an 

expert in the field. For us, healthcare 

fits that description. And it isn’t only 

that. Healthcare is also one of the 

few industries that have money right 

KIPP Visual installed numerous screens at the Baltimore Visitors Center 

to enhance the experience and provide information. 

now. They’re all expanding…every 

hospital that I can imagine!” Finally, 

Hess noted that facilities peripheral 

to hospitals, such as immediate-care 

and urgent-care centers or radiology 

centers, are ripe for technological 

integration. 

“Content is king” is perhaps digital 

signage’s greatest aphorism, and 

Hess is setting the stage to capitalize 



on the benefits of handling content. “Content means 

reoccurring revenue,” he declared. “We have forged 

partnerships to help us get into that. Scala, in particular, 

makes it easy, because you can set up the file 

servers anywhere at your location and do multiple 

accounts. The client doesn’t have to make that investment.” 

Citing hardware commoditization concerns, 

with which integrators have long grappled, he added, 

“We’re going to be much more involved in the future 

in handling content…taking it in-house.” 

Asked about the secrets of KIPP Visual’s success, 

Hess cited a precise, niche-driven focus. “You spend 

a lot of money trying to figure out what works and 

A view from the Johns Hopkins Hospital 

Outpatient Building. Hospitals and 

healthcare have been major niche 

markets for KIPP Visual. 

doesn’t work,” he remarked. “I think 

it’s finding specific markets where 

you don’t have a lot of competition. 

The sales cycle might be longer, and 

we know the digital signage sales 

cycle can be extremely long. But, 

you can gain a new client that’s loyal 

and you can realize higher margins.” 

According to Hess, many dealers 

have expanded too much and, in a 

disadvantageous economic climate, 

are now suffering. 

Hess takes the converse approach, 

staying “lean and mean” and dedicating 

the time and energy necessary 

to maintain clients. “We deal with 

a lot of major companies, and our 

retention rate is extremely high,” he 

declared. “I preach day-in and dayout 

that we have to make sure the 

client’s happy. We have to respond 

to the client when an issue arises. 

We have to make sure we resolve it.” 

However, despite the fact that KIPP 

Visual maintains a laser-like focus on 

the markets in which it can succeed, 

it also represents a “one-stop shop” 

vis-à-vis technology, able to provide 

everything from DS to presentation 

systems to security gear. 

Some 145 years strong, the Kipp 

name lives on in the 21 st century. 

And, in its present iteration, it has 

become synonymous with the quality 

technology that is changing our 

world. 

n 



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Nothing But Nets 

Barclays Center Showroom features AV-simulated arena sneak peak. 

By Jim Stokes 

The sights, sounds and feel of being at a basketball game 

or other entertainment events can be experienced virtually 

in a Manhattan skyscraper. Although the New Jersey Nets’ 

proposed new basketball home in downtown Brooklyn opens 

in 2010, potential patrons can get an AV-simulated look into 

the upcoming Barclays Center arena in the 10,000-square-foot 

Barclays Center Showroom on the 38 th floor of the New York 

Times Building on 8 th Avenue between 40 th and 41 st Street. 

The arena and the sales showroom were both designed by 

world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. Here, we’ll interview 

Alex Diaz, Senior Vice President/General Manager of Arena 

Operations for the Nets. And on the integrator side, we’ll 

be talking to Joseph Fusaro, Project Manager for McCann 

Systems LLC, Edison NJ. 

Virtual Net Arena 

Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store in our journey 

through the Center. The moment that visitors enter the 

showroom, they’re greeted AV-wise and also immersed in 

static Brooklyn visuals. That’s followed by a six-foot video 

cube of site delights. Then you’re put into a virtual Nets 

arena via an interactive AV sensory experience. 

“We leaned on AV,” explained Diaz, regarding the showroom. 

“AV is absolutely critical. We designed our project 

around the AV, which is unique to some other places. We 

do have static collateral and some other elements, but our 

story is told in chapters, in videos, with renderings and 

audio tracks. It would be difficult for us to bring anybody 

through here without it. Without the audiovisual system, 

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

as an AV technician and writer. 



The replica of the luxury skybox spares no expense 

for authenticity and detail. Suspended from the 

ceiling are two 50-inch plasma monitors and a 26- 

inch flat panel to display available media sources. 

An iPod docking station in the wall handles music, 

while a touchpanel controls the action. A pool table 

and refrigerator complete first impressions for 

potential buyers. 

To facilitate sales, a 500-squarefoot 

replica of one of the 118 

luxury skybox suites exists at the 

Barclays Sales Center. Before 

prospects buy, they have to decide 

which of the arena’s skyboxes 

will suit them. To help make 

that decision, McCann Systems 

integrated an interactive audiovisual 

experience that simulates what 

various sporting and concert events 

will look like from diverse suite 

it would be like a movie theater without 

a screen.” 

Diaz noted that reactions to the sales 

showroom AV experiences have been 

“extremely positive.” All visits are by 

scheduled appointments. The space 

is also used for sponsorship, sales/ 

marketing and some day-to-day operations 

meetings. And it doubles as the 

organization’s New York office, with 

the main office in East Rutherford NJ. 

The Nets’ present basketball home is 

in that city’s IZOD Center. “The arena 

that we’re building is in Brooklyn,” he 

added, “so a lot of our fan base and corporate 

base that purchases premium 

suites and sponsorships is based out of 

New York City in Manhattan, Brooklyn, 

Queens—all of those areas.” 

AV Presentations 

Now, let’s journey through the Center’s 

spaces, starting with the Lobby Reception 

area. McCann Systems installed 

two Sony 40-inch flat-panel displays, 

each fed from separate Adtec players 

accessed in the head end. “These players 

can generate on the fly any movie 

clip or a generic JPEG to welcome the 

guests,” said McCann’s Fusaro. 

An example would be a person’s 

name and company displayed as visiting 

the showroom. The integrator provided 

a simple means to edit a template, 

which could be loaded to the respective 

video player for messages in the Lobby. 

There’s also a set of ceiling speakers 

to go with whichever bit maps, JPEGs 

or movie clips are displayed. Audio and 

video can be selected and controlled 

via a wireless IBM Web Tablet in this 

area, the Gallery and the Suite Mock 

Up display areas. 

However, you’ll continue walking 

through the hallway, which is adorned 

with Brooklyn history wall paintings, 

as are the other hallways leading to 

other spaces, tying in the Nets arena 

locale. So, it’s not all electronic media 

you’ll encounter. 

Diaz noted that the static timeline 

display in the main entry starts in 1609 

with the discovery of the Brooklyn location 

itself. “Our approach has more 

to do with sports and entertainment 

than just specifically our team aspects. 

So, we talk more about the history of 

Brooklyn: famous artists, entertainers, 

athletes and developments.” 

Furthermore, he feels the AV technology 

is user-friendly. “I’ve been very 

pleased with the ability to use it. We 

don’t have a huge technical team right 

now, so a lot of the end users are sales 

folks. They can grab a [Web Tablet] 

and start to go through a presentation, 

as long as everything is uploaded properly. 

It’s really easy to operate.” 

Gallery Cube 

The adjacent Gallery area features a 

floating four-sided, six-foot video cube 

that welcomes potential arena skybox 

buyers. The display shows the history 

of Brooklyn and what’s going to happen 

when the arena is built. Designed 

by Gehry and completed by McCann 

Systems, this structure serves as the 

hub of the sales showroom. “The 

technology starts with our story [on 

video],” said Diaz. “As part of the integration 

process, the large room blinds 

come down, setting the tone. It’s all 

integrated with the lighting system. So, 

when you hit the ‘play’ button, we tell 

a story on the cube. 

“We allow people to walk around 

the cube. Our story is in the chapters 

where we discuss the project. The 

cube just seems to glow! It’s somewhat 

transparent and different from looking 

at a projection screen. And the cube 

has a little bit of shine to it. You can 

see some of the imagery on the floor. 

It tells a story in a few minutes.” 

Regarding construction, Fusaro 

explained that the top and bottom of 

the display are open. It’s suspended 

by four corner posts of ¼-inch-thick 

sheet metal. The cube was fabricated 

by Dakota Laser & Mfg, Arvilla ND, 

based on McCann Systems’ design 

and direction. Thereafter, US Nippura, 


Sixteen seats jut into a 

simulated main seating bowl 

incorporating the interactive 

audiovisual experience. 

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Charlotte NC, assembled and glued the 

four imported Blue Ocean cube acrylic 

screens onsite. 

Specifically, Fusaro noted that entailed 

the sheet size and allowances 

for a certain amount of expansion of 

the corner joints. “Putting the cube together 

had its challenges. There was 

the thickness of the material and making 

sure the expansion joints were all 

good. Then we had to put the projection 

system together.” Furthermore, 

the design required that the seams 

be free of fascia material...seamless to 

the eye. To accommodate this specification, 

the corners were mitered and 

a special acrylic adhesive applied. The 

result: no seams. 

Projection 

Each of the four Christie projectors 

mounted directly above the cube fire 

at the opposing side wall. To accommodate 

the tight spacing, the projectors 

are outfitted with mirror assemblies 

from rp Visual Solutions, Santa Ana 

CA. McCann Systems contacted rp 

Visual to fabricate the projection mirror 

assembly based on the integrator’s 

design intent. Working with rp Visual 

Vice President Michael Lu, the display 

company worked out a means of 

bouncing the projection light to fit the 

cube panels. 

Geometr y correction and image 

sizing are handled by WATCHOUT 

software, whereby each projector is 

connected to a dedicated WATCHOUT 

PC that generates the images. Video 

capture cards for each PC allow operators 

to display live sources, such as 

laptops for PowerPoint and cable TV. 

We’ll cover more about this later. 

“The reason we chose WATCHOUT 

is twofold,” said Fusaro. “One, it allowed 

us to give the Barclays Center 

a means to create media and show it on 

a cube. Two, it offered [the aforementioned] 

geometry correction, which is 

critical because we’re going from 4:3 

or 16:9 aspect ratio to a 1:1.” The system 

offered video production, as well, 

where McCann Systems did some initial 

video clips and renderings “to get 

things rolling. Then Barclays made its 

own productions, too.” 

Production examples include the ability 

to change projected image shapes. 

Four different video feeds can be on 

different cube sides at the same time. 

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‘A Living, Breathing Office Space’ 

“It’s important to note that the showroom location serves as both a marketing opportunity 

and a meeting space,” explained Diaz. “We do a lot of special events in there. 

Our Nets CEO Brett Yormark holds meetings and presentations pretty much every day 

or every other day. It’s a living, breathing office space for us. One of our sponsors had 

a three-day board meeting in the Conference Room, as well. 

“What’s been interesting is that everybody uses it, from the top of our franchise down 

to anybody who has sales calls in the city. It’s our home away from home. The technology 

makes that possible with a lot of infrastructure, not just with the AV components 

but [also] with the voice and data and the wireless elements. That allows this to be very 

comfortable. It’s a very easy place to come and work for four hours or five days a week. 

That’s very important.” 



Vaddio_ClearVIEWad_SndCom4.75x9.625 4/17/09 1:46 PM Page 1 

“Let’s say the Nets are playing one 

night,” said Fusaro. “They can have the 

game on one side. If there’s another 

event or a news update, they can have 

that on the other side of the cube.” He 

added that the production capabilities 

via the laptop input “turned out to be 

one of the most used functions for 

them. You’ve got to consider that they 

don’t produce new videos every day. 

They’ll use one for a while and then another 

one every few months. So, it kind 

of gets a little stale for them. Thus, the 

laptop input allows them to create a 

[different] presentation or a slide show 

with some background music. And you 

have a whole different feel to that environment.” 

Presentation audio is heard 

via six surface-mounted speakers. 

Simulated 

Arena Experience 

From the Gallery, we go to the Suite 

Mock Up area, where visitors walk up 

a ramp that simulates an arena ramp 

that would take them to their suite in 

Barclays Arena. You then enter an impressive 

500-square-foot replica of one 

of the 118 luxury skybox suites. It’s not 

just a sit-and-watch enclosure. In setting 

the surrounding, Fusaro explained 

that the suite includes a kitchenette, a 

refrigerator and a wall-mounted Sony 

52-inch flat-panel display by the pool 

table at the back section of the space. 

When you walk up to the middle 

section, there’s a seating area with 

another Sony wall-mounted 52-inch 

display. The area serves as a place for 

people to gather and eat. Then, in the 

front portion of the suite, which is the 

actual arena seating, there’s a Sony 26- 

inch monitor that allows review replays 

of the game. Thus, suite users have a 

lot of viewing options. A wall-mounted 

Crestron touchpanel allows monitor selection 

and lighting control. An iPod 

docking station in the wall handles 

music via the Crestron. 

With that tour of the suite setting the 

scene, it’s time for a virtual experience. 

Seating juts into a simulated main seating 

bowl. When built, each skybox will 

provide ideal sightlines to view the action 

in the arena. But before prospects 

buy, they have to decide which of the 

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Equipment 

Lobby Reception Area 

2 Chief PRO2095 flat panel tiltable wall mounts 

2 Extron DVI 201 Tx/Rx transmitter/receiver sets 

2 JBL 24CT ceiling speakers 

Liberty wire, cable 

2 Sony FWD40LX2F 40" flat-panel displays 

Conference Room 

1 Chief PNR2458B flat-panel dual swing arm mount 

1 Extron RGB 201 Rxi 1-input, universal computer-video 

interface w/audio, enhanced ADSP 

1 Extron HDMI 201 Tx/Rx HDMI extender transmitter/receiver set 

1 Panasonic TH65PF10UK 65" 1080P plasma display 

1 Panasonic TY-42TM6P PC/audio input add-in card 

1 Panasonic TY-SP65P10WK speaker set 

1 Polycom SoundStation VTX 1000 wideband conference phone 

1 Polycom Quad BRI module for VSX 8000, VSX7000e Series 

1 Polycom VSX 7400e Presenter VTX 

1 Polycom Quad BRI ISDN network terminator 

1 Sony DVP-NS90V DVD player 

1 Sound Control Technologies RC1-SP LCL camera extender 

Control, Routing 

Liberty wire, cabling 

1 Middle Atlantic Slim 5-14 14-space equipment rack w/accessories 

1 SurgeX SX1115 rackmount power conditioner 

Offices 

4 Chief PRO2458 flat-panel display wall mounts 


1 Sony KDL40XBR4 40" flat-panel display 

3 Sony KDL26M3000 26" LCD flat-panel displays 

4 OFE CATV/SAT CATVs or satellites 

Gallery 

4 Christie SXGA+ 6500 lumen DLP projectors w/lenses 

1 Dakota Laser custom cube frame 


1 rp Visual custom projection, sled and mirror system 

6 Tannoy 8001 4051 Di6 surface-mounted speakers 

4 US Nippura 280308A Blue Ocean 6x6 50% contrast screens 

4 OFE HD satellite receivers 

Master Control 

1 IBM touchpanel 


1 Linksys EZXS55W 5-port switch 

1 Linksys WAP54G wireless access point controller 

Closing Area 

1 Chief PST LCD wall mount 

1 Extron RGB 192V universal computer-video interface w/audio 


1 Sony KDL40XBR4 40" 1080P flat-panel display 

1 OFE Dell PC 

Suite Mock Up 

3 AuraSound AST-2B-4 arena seat bass-shaker transducers 

4 Chief CMA345 structural mounting brackets 

4 Chief RPA091 inverted ceiling projector mounts 

4 Christie SXGA+ 6500 lumen DLP projectors w/zoom lenses 

1 Crown CTs 8200 8-channel amp 


1 Goo Systems A/R coordinate application of 180° projection wall paint 

1 Shure SLX14/85 wireless mic system lavalier 

1 Sonance IW-5D iPod docking station 


1 Sony KDL26M3000 26" LCD flat-panel display 

2 Sony KDL52W3000 52" LCD displays 

2 Tannoy 8000 5200 12" passive subwoofers 

3 Tannoy 8001 4010 DI5b surface-mounted speakers 

6 Tannoy 8001 4490 CMS501 DC PI ceiling speakers w/back cans 

These three racks of equipment include the PCs 

that are responsible for rendering the panoramic 

seating views in the sales suite. This two-person 

user station allows for simultaneous programming 

and monitoring of the system. 

2 OFE satellite/cable TV receivers 

Master Control 

1 Crestron TPS6LB-T in-wall color touchpanel 

1 Crestron BB-6L pre-construction back box 

Liberty Wire, cabling 

1 Middle Atlantic Slim 5-8 8-space rack w/accessories 

1 SurgeX SX1115RT surge eliminator, power conditioner 

Head-End 

2 Adtec Displaymate 4 digital VID players 

1 Avocent AMX5030 KVM switch 

13 Avocent AMIQ-USB KVM extension modules 

2 Avocent AMX5111-001 user stations 

4 Blackmagic Design BDLKEXTR SD-SDI video capture PCI cards 

1 BSS Blu-120 audio processor 

1 BSS Blu-160 audio processor 

5 BSS Bluecard-In 4-in audio cards 

2 BSS Bluecard-Out 4-out audio cards 

1 Crestron CP2E control processor 

1 Crown 180A power amp 

2 Crown CTs 600 power amps 

2 Crown D-75 power amps 

4 Datapath RGB-PRO1 RGBHV capture cards 

12 Dell Optiplex 755 mini tower computers 

2 Dell UltraSharp 2410FP 24" PC monitors 

1 Extron CrossPoint 300 128 HVA 12x8 wideband matrix 

switcher w/ADSP for RGB, stereo audio 

5 Extron RGB 201 Rxi 1-input, universal computer-video 

interfaces w/audio, enhanced ADSP 


1 Linksys SGE2000P 24-port network switch 

1 Marantz PMD371 5-disc CD changer 

1 Medialon V4.0 show control software 

3 Middle Atlantic WRK-44-32 racks w/accessories 

1 Moxa NPort 5610-16 16-port RS232 terminal server 

1 Polk Audio XRT12 satellite radio receiver, antenna 

1 Shure SLX14/85 wireless mic system lavalier 

1 Sonance IW-5D iPod docking station 


1 Sound Control Technologies SX003 receive adapter 

11 Showsage WATCHOUT license keys 

OFE = Owner-Furnished Equipment 

List is edited from information supplied by McCann Systems. 

Photo: Christopher Ludwig 



arena’s skyboxes will suit them. To 

help make that decision, McCann integrated 

an interactive audiovisual experience 

that simulates what various 

sporting and concert events will look 

like from diverse suite locations. 

To create this virtual experience, 

McCann installed a 10'x39' curved 

screen in front of the skybox seating. 

“Essentially, it’s a wall that starts from 

the far left side of the arena seating and 

curves all the way around to the right 

side,” said Fusaro. “So, you’re really immersed 

in a panoramic view. If you’re 

rolling your eyes left to right, you never 

leave the view of the arena.” 

How’d They Do It? 

Now, the details as to how McCann 

Systems created the simulation environment. 

“The Barclays folks created all the 

renderings of different arena views,” Fusaro 

pointed out. “We gave them parameters 

how they should be put together as 

far as pixel space-wise, so they would fit 

into the projected area.” 

Four Christie edge-blended projec- 

 

 

 

 

The virtual experience is based around a 10'x39' curved screen in front of 

the skybox seating, with four edge-blended images simulating the view. Sales 

personnel can bring up any of 40 sightline views offered from the skyboxes, 

allowing prospects to make their location choices based on actual views from 

any of the 118 suites that wrap the arena on two levels. 

tors simulate a sense of a panoramic 

view of the arena for the prospective 

suite buyer. Let’s tie in the sales aspect 

before we get back to more of the technology. 

Sales personnel use an IBM 

Web Tablet to bring up any of 40 sightline 

views offered from the skyboxes. 

That allows prospects to make their 

location choices based on actual views 

 

from any of the 118 suites that wrap 

the arena on two levels. Because the 

arena will be used for both concerts 

and sporting events, views of each type 

of event are programmed. 

Diaz noted from his user POV (point 

of view) that everything is integrated 

in the suite, “But the big moment is 

what we call a ‘panoramic immersive’

The centerpiece of the Barclays Sales Center Gallery area is the custom four-sided, six-foot 

video cube that welcomes potential skybox buyers. 

Barclays Bank PLC 

Barclays Center’s namesake, Barclays Bank PLC, is a major global financial 

services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, 

investment banking, wealth management and investment management services, 

with an extensive international presence in Europe, the US, Africa and 

Asia. With more than 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays 

operates in more than 50 countries and employs 135,000 people. Barclays 

moves, lends, invests and protects money for more than 27 million customers 

and clients worldwide. 

For more information, go to www.barclays.com. 

style of viewing from the four blended 

projectors that provide, on a 1:1 scale, 

sightlines that [customers] would be 

looking at from their suite number. 

The suites are very nice. People look 

at and touch the furniture. But people 

are glued to that screen. They’ll sit in 

the seat and hit the button. Then our 

salespeople can toggle on the [IBM 

Web Tablet] to different sightlines. 

“After the short presentation, the key 

[factor] is a conversation during which 

[the salesperson] can stand and look 

around the room [with the customer]. 

The number one [aspect] when somebody 

wants to buy a suite is, ‘Where’s 

the location and what does it look like?’ 

To my knowledge, no one’s ever been 

able to display it in this fashion. Many 

[others] have used projection with 

sightlines using a single projector onto 

a screen or a [flat] screen monitor; by 

contrast, this gives you the illusion that 

you are sitting in the suite. You can 

actually get a sense of your surroundings 

in 180 degrees.” 

Four Computers, 

Four Projectors 

Getting back to the underlying technology, 

the projection area is fed from 

a WATCHOUT system. “So there are 

four WATCHOUT computers behind 

the four Christie projectors,” Fusaro 

said. “We gave [the client] parameters 

as to how to build their bit maps of the 

arena view. We use the WATCHOUT 

system to blend and do geometry correction 

on a curved wall, as well. So, 

the WATCHOUT system is quite versatile 

in a lot of ways.” 

Another enhancement is the Goo 

Systems projection wall paint that was 

the final product added to the wall by 

a wall finish contractor per McCann 

Systems’ direction. “Rather than using 

a flat matte white finish, this final layer 

was applied so the video would ‘pop’,” 

said Fusaro. 

Surround sound is part of the immersive 

experience. Powered by a Crown 

amplifier, a bevy of Tannoy speakers 

added more simulated realism. 

Three speakers in LCR mode and two 

subwoofers sit in front of the curved 

screen to deliver appropriate sounds to 

accompany a sporting event or a concert 

simulation. Six ceiling speakers 

augmented the surround experience, 

with two right behind the viewer and 

the other four spread out over the pool 

table and the seating area. To heighten 

the arena experience further, three 

Aura Sound “bass shakers” are tied 

into the viewing seats, providing a feel 

of what’s happening. 

Sound is important during a presentation, 

so audio clips accompany various 

screen shots viewed in the arena 

by the client. Thus, if a basketball shot 

comes up, it would be accompanied by 

a basketball audio clip. And a concert 

shot would be complemented with a 

concert sound clip. 

McCann Systems LLC 

McCann Systems LLC was founded more 

than a decade ago by Frank McCann, an 

audiovisual industry expert with 23 years 

of hands-on experience. Since its startup 

with a handful of AV professionals, Mc- 

Cann Systems has grown to more than 

50 employees. The integrator has created 

turnkey audiovisual solutions for companies 

large and small, including members 

of the Fortune and Global 500. McCann 

Systems has a 20,000-square-foot world 

headquarters in Edison NJ and offices in 

London, England. The New Jersey facility 

is strategically located minutes away from 

Newark Liberty Airport and under an hour 

from New York City. 

For additional information, go to 

www.mccannsystems.com. 



Other Spaces 

The Head End AV rack room is located 

conveniently in the hallway across 

from the Gallery and Suite Mock Up. 

A glance at the accompanying equipment 

list offers a rundown of the various 

accessed AV tools. The wireless 

Web Tablet used in the Showroom is 

the graphic interface for the Medialon 

show control software that’s housed 

here. Other equipment located here includes 

Crestron control, WATCHOUT 

Four projectors 

are suspended 

directly above 

the cube, in a 

custom frame 

and mounting 

assembly. To 

accommodate 

the tight spacing, 

the projectors 

are outfitted with 

mirror assemblies. 

Each projector 

is connected to 

a dedicated PC 

that generates the 

images. 

computers, players, amplifiers, routers, 

processors, a satellite receiver and a 

wireless mic receiver. 

The Closing Area is appropriately 

the next visitor walk-to space after the 

Suite Mock Up. It’s where visitors can 

sit at a table and talk about what they 

just saw with a showroom representative, 

and where suite sales are hopefully 

closed. 

The essentials include a Sony 40-inch 

wall-mounted flat-panel display with a 

laptop input, so the representative can 

run the numbers with the prospective 

client. 

The Conference Room is for staff 

and special-events personnel. It features 

Polycom videoconferencing and 

audio teleconferencing systems with 

the necessary camera and table mics. 

An AV rack in front of the room holds 

the cable box, codec and DVD player. 

All are connected to a wall-mounted, 

65-inch Panasonic flat screen. A Crestron 

system with wireless table tablet 

controls all media and equipment. And, 

there’s a wireless keyboard mouse. 

The conference table has provisions 

for laptop connectivity. There’s also 

a PC that sits on the credenza in the 

front of the room. 

Finally, there are four offices down 

the hall from the Conference Room. 

Three of them have Sony 26-inch flat 

panels and one has a 40-inch Sony 

monitor. Each room has a PC, cable 

TV and DVD player. Wireless keyboards 

and mouse control the media 

and equipment. 

n 

 

 

TM 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TM 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Let’s Get Physical 

Gold’s Gyms, Army fitness center AV get the heart pumping. 

The main 

“cardio deck” at 

Gold’s Gym in 

Anderson SC. 

By Dawn Allcot 

As quality improves, size of video 

screens increases and prices drop in 

the consumer electronics sector, standards 

rise for AV in public venues, 

as well. We’ve seen this trend in the 

House of Worship market, where large 

projection screens and concert-quality 

sound, for example, have become 

nearly ubiquitous, and in restaurants, 

where even some fast-food venues 

sport LCD or plasma screens, and 

sports bars strive to raise their levels 

of AV excellence. The fitness club market 

is not immune to this, either, as 

members demand quality AV as part 

of the amenities in a club. 

Encouraging Environment 

“When you combine high-tech systems 

with pleasing colors, it creates 

an environment where people want to 

exercise,” said Paul Keller, Owner of 

four Gold’s Gym franchises in South 

Carolina. Large-screen TVs and crystal-clear 

sound help build a sense of 

community within a fitness center, 

a huge factor toward retaining club 

members, which is very important to 

AV clients in today’s market. 

“The last thing people want in a 

health club is [less than] they can see 

in their house,” offered Paul Mickler, 

President of Anderson SC-based Digital 

Security Systems (DSS), a full-service 

AV firm that recently designed and 

installed audiovisual systems in two of 

Keller’s Gold’s Gym facilities, and in 

the gym at the Fort Jackson US Army 

Training Center in Fort Jackson SC. 

Although the equipment Mickler 

specified for these venues was similar—including 

OWI speakers and LG, 

Toshiba and JVC 47-inch and 37-inch 

LCD screens with DIRECTV—the challenges 

of installing the equipment in 

the buildings varied widely, as did the 

All photos: Courtesy Digital Security Systems 

process of landing the jobs in the first 

place. 

Here, we’ll explore the systems installed 

in the Anderson SC Gold’s Gym, 

a 50,000-square-foot venue that was 

previously a Winn-Dixie grocery store, 

and in the fitness center at the 92-yearold 

Fort Jackson Military Base. 

Gold’s Gym, Anderson SC 

The audiovisual systems at Gold’s 

Gym in Anderson are fairly representative 

of many Digital Security Systems 

commercial projects, according 

to Mickler. 

The building existed as a Winn-Dixie 

grocery store in its previous incarnation, 

but the facility was gutted in order 

to create a 10-room fitness club. Spaces 

in the venue include men’s and women’s 

locker rooms, an aerobics room, 

a spinning room, Women’s Gold’s, the 

main gym floor and a Cardio Cinema. 

Dawn Allcot is a freelance writer specializing in the audiovisual and health and fitness industries. 



DSS installed AV systems 

in seven of the 10 rooms; 

the restrooms, day spa, 

medical services room and 

a karate school were not 

complete as of press time. 

The aerobics room and a 

spinning room use audio 

systems integrated from client-supplied 

equipment. “I 

pieced everything together 

and built it in order to save 

money,” Mickler said. “It’s 

just a basic receiver, sound 

system, microphones and 

amplifier.” 

The building has standard, 

16-foot drop ceilings, 

which made hanging the 

OWI Saturn-723 speakers 

throughout the rest of the 

venue fairly straightforward. 

The primary challenges to 

the installation included 

designing a custom rig to 

mount 16 LCD screens on 

the gym’s main floor and staying within 

Keller’s tight budget while providing 

even sound quality throughout the 

venue. 

Five flat screens in the cardio room at Fort Jackson Army Training Center receive 

DIRECTV feeds. 

Main Gym Floor 

In planning the project, Gym owner 

Paul Keller visited about 45 health 

clubs—both Gold’s Gym franchises 

and other facilities—across the country 

to get ideas. The client who does 

his homework typically will make a 

job easier, because he knows what he 

wants and probably has realistic expectations 

as far as cost. Keller took four 

different bids before deciding on Digital 

Security Systems to complete the 

AV design and installation, which he 

considers a crucial part of the health 

club. 

“The way Paul runs the wires was 

very cost effective,” Keller said. “I 

saved about $50,000 working with 

Digital Security Systems; for the cost 

many companies quoted for one club, 

I did two.” He noted that the Clemson 

SC location features systems similar 

to the flagship Anderson location, but 

measures about 5000 square feet less, 

so it cost slightly less. 

Keller and Mickler worked together 

to devise creative solutions to the 

club’s biggest challenges, a process 

that, according to Mickler, made the 

project fun and helped to turn Gold’s 

Gym, Anderson, into a true showpiece 

for the integrator. “When you walk into 

this Gold’s Gym, the AV is extremely 

visible and it looks really good,” the 

integrator offered. 

One aspect of the project Keller spotted 

in someone else’s Gold’s Gym, and 

“borrowed” for his own facility, was 

the method for mounting nine 47-inch 

Toshiba 47zv650u LCD screens on 

the main cardio deck of the gym. The 

gym owner wanted a mounting solution 

that would cost less than conventional 

mounts but would also contribute to 

the overall look in the gym. Mickler 

used a 75-foot lighting truss—the kind 

used to mount theatrical lights above a 

stage—to hang the large flat screens. 

‘Beefy Looking’ 

“It’s beefy looking,” he said, explaining 

that the LCDs hang from standard 

mounts attached to the triangular aluminum 

truss by means of D-rings. 

Mounting and leveling the light bar, he 

said, was a challenge due to its length; 

it spans the entire length of the cardio 

deck on the main gym floor. 

The LCDs receive a feed from DI- 

RECTV H20 HD receivers and also 

from proprietary programming called 

ClubComm, a combination of music 

videos, digital signage and other content 

provided by Gold’s Gym. 

By supplying a dedicated DIRECTV 

box for each television set, Mickler 

again saved the client money. Rather 

than running wires through the drop 

ceiling and to a communications closet 

in the back of the gym, which would 

cost more and diminish the quality of 

the signal because of the long cable 

runs, all the equipment for each monitor 

is connected to the TVs. 

Audio for the LCD screens comes 

through an FM transmitter from Cardio 

Theater. Mickler stated that he 

prefers this wireless concept for fitness 

centers, noting that it is more 

cost-effective and convenient than a 

wired system. In a wireless system, 

the health club provides headphones 

that plug into the cardio machines and 

the signal from the televisions that is 

transmitted on FM frequencies. 

“I recommend a wireless mode of 

operation,” he said. “Every member 

who wants to listen to the televisions 

has to buy a little FM radio, usually a 

whopping $20 or so. Every monitor has 


A lighting truss provides a unique mounting bar for the flat screens at Gold’s Gym. 

Fort Jackson’s fitness center, which used to be a basketball 

gym, has high ceilings, which created challenges related to 

mounting the speakers. Custom-fabricated mounting poles 

place the speakers where they need to be for optimum 

coverage and sound quality. 

Watching movies with full surround sound in the Cardio Cinema at Gold’s Gym helps 

time pass quickly for members who don’t necessarily enjoy working out. 

a [specific] radio frequency associated 

with it. You can bounce back and forth 

through audio channels by setting the 

TV frequencies as the presets on your 

radio.” This eliminates the risk of club 

members damaging the club’s equipment, 

reduces potential repair and 

maintenance costs for the club, and 

still gives club members the flexibility 

to change channels easily. 

Cost-Effective Solution 

Bogen X600 70-volt amps power 36 

OWI Saturn 726 speakers to cover the 

gym floor, Women’s Gold’s and other 

areas with high-quality audio. Again, 

these speakers represented a cost-effective 

solution that offered the sound 

quality that was so important to Keller. 

“I wanted even sound, with no dips 

in volume where the speakers didn’t 

reach. I didn’t want it to be really loud 

directly under a speaker or quiet if you 

got too far away. But I did want the ability 

to adjust the sound, so it wouldn’t 

be as loud, for instance, near the front 

desk.” 

The 360-degree dispersion pattern 

of the Saturn speakers reduces the 

amount of speakers required to cover 

the area. By contrast, it would have 

taken 88 speakers firing in a 140-degree 

conical pattern to cover the gym 

floor. Mickler, who stated that, once he 

finds a product he likes, he tends to 

stick with it, first used the speakers in 

the Fort Jackson installation and has 

specified them for several commercial 

installations since then. “The 360-degree 

speaker saves time, money and 

equipment,” he offered. 

A Bogen VMix handles mixing and 

volume control, while the PA system 



Digital Security Systems 

Paul Mickler launched Digital Security Systems a mere four years ago, while working in the 

commercial installation division of El Segundo CA-headquartered DIRECTV. He still works for the 

digital television provider, but finds great satisfaction in using his technical expertise to complete 

extensive audiovisual and security design and installation for clients across the country. 

Mickler takes pride in the fact that all of his clients have found him through word-of-mouth 

referrals. “My website isn’t up and running yet, and I’m in the phone book only because it 

validates me to the leasing companies,” he noted with a sense of irony. 

However, he often goes above and beyond for clients, providing stellar service-after-the-sale 

and not invoicing for local service calls. “That’s just the way I treat my customers and that’s 

why a lot of them come back to me.” 

In addition to completing installations for multiple Gold’s Gym franchises, he recently installed 

AV for East Coast barbecue chain Sticky Fingers, several locations in the Beef O’Brady’s 

restaurant chain and World Gym. He currently has two employees. 

members coming back. Many clubs use 

a swimming pool or basketball gym to 

fill that role but, with both a recreation 

center and YMCA in his community, 

Keller didn’t see a need for these amenities. 

He added that his members love 

the Cardio Cinema. “When people see 

it, the word they use is ‘Wow!’” 

Mickler selected the JBL speakers 

to contribute to the “movie theater 

look” of the room. “When you go into 

a movie theater, the speakers aren’t 

standing on the floor or flush into the 

wall,” he said. “I knew I was going to 

uses a Bogen MBS1000A desktop paging 

mic. 

Cardio Cinema 

The Women’s Gold’s, as well as the 

locker rooms, has JVC LT-32J300 37-inch 

LCD screens and audio by means of 

OWI ceiling speakers, as well. But, the 

“Wow factor” AV technology prize goes 

to the Cardio Cinema, a separate room 

with elliptical trainers, bikes, treadmills, 

steppers…and a 147-inch Screen 

Tech projection screen, Mitsubishi HD 

4000 projector and full 5.1 surround 

sound system. The Screen Tech screen 

accepts images in 16:9 aspect ratio for 

a true cinematic experience. An Onkyo 

THX-TX SR803R amp offers surround 

sound capabilities through five JBL 

Control 28 speakers that hang on the 

wall. The 300 watt JBL Sub-12 literally 

rattles the building when the low-end 

really gets going. 

This relatively new concept in the 

health club market presents a tremendous 

opportunity for AV integrators. “A 

movie with full surround sound on a 

147-inch screen is not something people 

see at home,” Mickler said, explaining 

the attraction of the Cardio Cinema 

for club members. “People who know 

they need to work out, but don’t like 

to, can go in the Cardio Cinema, watch 

a movie on a huge screen and get in 

their 45 minutes of cardio. You can just 

zone out and exercise; it goes faster.” 

Keller agreed: “If you’re watching a 

movie, you can really get lost.” Keller 

opted for a Cardio Cinema because he 

was looking for a value-added feature 

that would capture the attention of prospective 

members and keep current 

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Audio_Processing_S&C_island.indd1 1 

July 2009 45 

5/6/2009 4:09:40 PM

Equipment 

GOLD’S GYM 

7 Chief Manufacturing FSB 44 tilt mounts 


11 JVC 37" LT-32J300HD LCDs 

4 OmniMount CAN 44 mounts 

9 Toshiba 47" 47ZV650U HD LCDs 

Audio 

1 Bogen M1S mic input 

1 Bogen MBS1000A desktop paging mic 

1 Bogen SAX1R stereo aux input module 

1 Bogen VMIX power vector mixer 

1 Bogen X600 black max dual-channel amp 

36 OWI 725 mounts 

36 OWI Saturn SAT-723 speakers 

Rolls 16/2 gage wire 

DTV 

1 DIRECTV 3x4 switch 

1 DIRECTV 18" dish 

10 DIRECTV H20 HD receivers 

1 DIRECTV Ka/Ku dish 

1 DIRECTV D11 receiver 

1 DIRECTV Ka/Ku 16-way HD switch 

2 DIRECTV NPR6 non-pin mounts 

Theater Room 

1 Denon DVD-557 progressive scan 

DVD player 

5 JBL Control 28 speakers 

1 JBL SUB-12 12" powered subwoofer 

w/300W amp 

1 Mitsubishi HD4000 DLP projector 

1 Onkyo TX-SR803 AV receiver 

1 Screen-Tech 147" 16:9 screen 

FORT JACKSON 

DTV 

5 DIRECTV H20 HD receivers 

1 DIRECTV Ka/Ku 6X8 switch 

1 DIRECTV Ka/Ku dish 

1 DIRECTV Ka/Ku 5-way LNB 

1 DIRECTV NPR6 non-pin mount w/blocks 

Audio, PA 

1 Bogen M15 mic input 

1 Bogen MBS1000A desktop paging mic 

2 Bogen SAXIR stereo inputs 

1 Bogen TP30D AM/FM digital tuner 

1 Bogen VMIX power vector mixer 

1 Bogen X600 black max dual-channel amp 

2 OWI ICS6-710 70V speakers 

(for bathrooms) 

12 OWI Venus 20' pole extensions 

12 OWI Venus 70V pendant speakers 

12 OWI Venus mounts 

Video 

5 Cardio Theater Model XTV FM 

transmitters 


5 LG LH50 47" hi-def LCD panels 

List is edited from information supplied by Digital 

Security Systems. 

pump a fair amount of power through 

them, and I liked the durability, longevity 

and sound quality.” 

Similarly, he liked the Mitsubishi 

projector because it can handle its own 

intense workout, providing video 12 to 

14 hours a day. 

Government Vs. 

Private Sector 

In spite of the impressive look and 

sound of the room—in fact, of the 

whole club—Mickler said the project 

wasn’t extremely difficult. “It’s a 

commercial building, so everything is 

standard. It’s all metal 

Economic 

studs. I knew what to 

expect because this 

is what my company 

does.” 

This was not the case 

for Fort Jackson US 

Army Training Center. 

The installation of 

sound and video systems, 

similar in design 

to those installed at 

Gold’s Gym, posed multiple 

challenges in the 

92-year-old building, 

from completing extensive 

paperwork to drilling 

through concrete to 

install speakers in the restrooms. 

Although economic stimulus money 

might lead some AV integrators to believe 

government-funded jobs are a 

good place to turn, Mickler advises 

against it. Although he’s quick to emphasize 

that the people at Fort Jackson 

were not an issue, he compared bidding 

on the job to filing taxes. “Dealing 

with the US government took forever,” 

he noted. “Once the contracts were in, 

the people were easy to work with, but 

the paperwork was a pain. If they tell 

you it’s 10 pages, they’re not kidding, 

and you have to be sure to dot every 

‘i’ and cross every ‘t’.” 

Tradition, Training, 

Transformation 

Nonetheless, the state-of-the-art fitness 

center, part of a three-year campaign 

to revitalize the Army base, also 

turned into a showcase project for DSS 

once it was complete. Fifteen years 

ago, the Army converted an old basketball 

gym into a fitness center. When 

the monitors on the cardio equipment 

began to fail, the base knew it was time 

for a complete upgrade of the AV systems 

in the cardio room. At the same 

time, Mickler integrated new speakers 

and PA capabilities into the gym’s main 

floor, locker rooms and restrooms. 

The AV in the fitness center represent 

one of many upgrades to the base 

as part of the vision statement outlined 

on the Fort Jackson website at www. 

jackson.army.mil: “Team Jackson, a 

proud legacy of training 

and inspiring American 

Soldiers for more than 

90 years, committed to 

transforming individuals 

and institutions, 

while at the same time 

providing the highest 

quality of life and care 

for our Soldiers, Civilians 

and Families. Fort 

Jackson: Tradition, 

Training, Transformation.” 

“The Army wants to 

be on the cutting edge 

as far as the health and 

fitness industry goes,” 

the base’s Chief of Community Recreation 

Michael Elkins told Sound & 

Communications. “We want to provide 

our soldiers the best in quality and 

equipment that we possibly can, and 

this is all part of that service.” 

The fitness center is open to Active 

Duty Army personnel and their 

families, National Guard members, 

reservists, Fort Jackson and US Army 

retirees, and civilians and contract employees 

working at the fort. 

stimulus money 

might lead 

some to believe 

government- 

funded jobs 

are a good 

place to turn. 

Basketball Gym 

To Fitness Center 

Because the main floor of the fitness 

center began its life as a basketball 

gym, it had 35-foot-high ceilings. 

In order to run wires and mount the 

Venus 360-degree, 70-volt speakers, 

Mickler and his crew had to rent a 30- 

foot scissor lift. 



Even the locker rooms at Gold’s Gym have AV capabilities. 

Once the integrator got up there, he 

encountered another surprise. “When 

I quoted the job, I didn’t get up in the 

ceiling to touch the beams. Buildings 

today are built with metal beams, but 

the beams in this building are encased 

in concrete,” Mickler said. He 

described the unusual process he used 

to mount the speakers: “I had to go 

35 feet up in the air, invert myself and 

then drill holes in the concrete.” 

Typically, the speakers would hang 

from 15-inch poles mounted on the 

beams above the drop ceiling, placing 

them just a few inches below the ceiling. 

With no drop ceiling, Mickler had 

few options to mount the speakers. He 

could have used suspended wire, but 

didn’t like the look of black orbs hanging 

by wires. 

Instead, he custom-built poles that 

would hang close to the ceiling, doing 

the work of designing, manufacturing, 

gluing, drilling and painting the poles 

to match the black speakers. With 

no drop ceilings, exposed wires were 

painted to match the ceiling, in effect 

“hidden in plain sight.” 

In addition to the main gym floor, 

the fitness center includes an elliptical/cardio 

room with full AV systems 

and restrooms with speakers used for 

PA. There, too, Mickler encountered 

concrete where he expected none. “I 

had no idea anybody built restroom 

ceilings out of concrete!”, he told 

Sound & Communications. In the process 

of mounting the speakers there, 

he discovered 1½-inch-thick concrete 

ceilings. He had to use carbide bits to 

drill holes to run the wire and mount 

the OWI ICS6-710 speakers. 

Elliptical Room 

The cardio/elliptical room has a setup 

similar to Gold’s Gym, with five 47- 

inch Toshiba LCD screens mounted on 

the wall and DIRECTV boxes mounted 

beneath the flat screens. Individual 

Cardio Theater XFM transmitters sit 

behind the screen. 

Like Keller, Elkins visited several 

health clubs, including Gold’s Gym 

franchises in the region, before making 

a decision about the preferred AV 

systems. “We wanted the flexibility of 

the large screens and folks coming in 

with their own FM tuners and headsets,” 

he said. 

Elkins explained that the old personal 

television systems affixed to the 

cardio equipment had been breaking 

down and causing problems. “We 

thought the large screens, with members 

bringing their own FM tuners, 

would offer cost savings in the long 

run,” he added. 

Mickler noted that equipment failure 

is a common problem with personal AV 

systems that are sold as part of a treadmill, 

bike, elliptical machine or stepper, 

and it often costs as much to fix a 


small LCD screen as it does to buy a 

new system. 

Mickler also cited another advantage 

to a large screen and personal tuners 

over smaller, individual screens on 

each piece of cardio equipment, all 

wired to a central equipment room. 

“When you have a head-in system, 

you’re limited with the number of channels 

you get on each screen. They’re 

not in high definition and they’re not 

digital,” he explained. “If you lose one 

of the channels, you lose it on every 

machine plugged into that head-in.” 

With a dedicated DIRECTV system 

behind each television, the number of 

channels available is limited only by 

the DIRECTV offerings. “Typically, 

each monitor sits on one channel and 

stays there, but you have the option to 

change it,” Mickler said. 

Another view of the main floor of the 

fitness center at the Fort Jackson US 

Army Training Center in South Carolina. 

A Complete Integrated Audio System for Conferencing 

A complete audio mixer, and signal processor with echo 

cancellation and 4 channel amplifier. 

TM 

Converge 880TA 

Kept Costs Down 

This aspect of the system kept costs 

down and made a complicated project 

much more manageable from the integrator’s 

perspective. It also provided 

the durability and quality the client rewww.clearone.com 

quested. “When I first submitted the 

quote, Mike Elkins said he wanted to 

make sure that whatever I used would 

be working after he retired,” Mickler 

recalled. 

The client’s other requirements 

included a system that would sound 

good, even at high volumes, and television 

programming in high definition 

that would look good on the 47-inch 

plasmas.” 

Between Mickler’s equipment choices 

and his attention to detail, the integrator 

fully expects that the installation 

met his clients’ needs. Elkins said he is 

very satisfied with the end result and 

that he’s been hearing the same from 

the fitness center’s patrons. 

Although Mickler stated that he 

wouldn’t seek out government installation 

projects in the future, once the 

paperwork was finished, the project 

wasn’t much different from any other 

health club installation he’s completed. 

“I’d rather do a fitness facility than any 

other type of installation,” he said. “It’s 

what I enjoy.” 

n 



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magazine to the websites of manufacturers whose products were used in the published articles. 

this is a beautiful complement to their online streamed video program ‘viewpoint’ on current and 

important topics in our industry. ” 

miKe white, president, multi-media solutions, 

inc. 

“readable and easy-to-manipulate” 

congratulations to youand the team for creating what may be the most useful, readable and easy-to-manipulate digital edition of 

any mag on the planet! Keep up the good worK.” 

richard h. campbell, faes, fasa, ncac, bang-campbell associates 

DIGITAL 

EDITION 

“linKs are awesome” 

“the web interface is very intuitive to the user, it’s easy to sKim through until you find a section that sparKs your interest and then 

you can easily zoom in and read further. the manufacturer linKs are awesome. while reading, i saw a product that i didn’t Know 

about and in seconds i was on the manufacturer’s website.” 

cory crawford, cts, account executive, mccann systems 

show issue 

Vol. 55 No. 6 June 15, 2009 

“monthly must read” 

AV FOR SYSTEMS INTEGRATORS, CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS 

modern 

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acoustics are Prime at 

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monthly ‘must read’ has been lost in the digital translation.” 

John storyK, principal, walters-storyK design group 

Have you seen it? 

label 

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Log onto 

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This month’s program: 

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An example of well-placed 

in-store media. 

Modern 

Integration Strategies 

Charting the pathways to ensure success for in-store media networks. 

By Dale Smith 

To understand modern strategies for integrating media networks into retail 

environments, it is helpful to review their history and development. In-store media 

has, of course, been with us for quite some time. Static signage, cardboard 

displays, dump bins, seasonal displays, and hand-drawn price and item signs 

have long been a staple of retailing. 

There has always been an accepted methodology for grocers and variety retailers 

to make signs that are easy to read and effective. I have fond memories of my 

early days as a merchant, learning the 

proper brush strokes and how to use 

tempera paints and butcher paper to 

make signs announcing special prices. 

Since the introduction of the computer 

and its application as a business machine, 

it is far more likely these days 

that new employees in retail are taught 

how to program the electronic reader 

board or change out the electronic 

media that now delivers these same 

messages. 

So, although those methods have 

changed, the goals remain similar. 

“Modulating shopper behavior” or 

“enhancing the customer experience” 

are modern ways to say what 

merchants have been trying to do 

forever: sell more stuff to the folks 

who visit the store. These days, paper 

has been replaced by LCD or plasma 

display screens. The most important 

aspect of all of this change is networking. 

The idea that 

one can control 

many locations 

and messages simultaneously 

and 

instantly makes the use of technology 

powerful and effective. 

An in-store media network can be 

defined simply as two or more electronic 

displays linked by one control 

device. This can be as simple as two 

small flat screens in a medical waiting 

room linked by one PC showing a PowerPoint 

presentation, or can be vastly 

complex, such as a major retail chain 

with thousands of stores and tens of 

thousands of networked screens. The 

Dale Smith is Senior Director, Business Development, for Peerless Industries, Inc., and oversees national digital signage 

installations and programs for large-scale retail outlets. He has more than 25 years of sales and management experience 

in the audiovisual and case goods distribution industry, and is active in industry organizations, including CEDIA, CEA, 

InfoComm, NSCA and VESA. 



major feature of any in-store media 

network is its ability to have its content 

refreshed remotely and to feature 

current and correct content. There are 

many different models of networks, 

which we’ll discuss later. 

Features of traditional in-store 

media networks have included: 

• Monolithic overhead screen 

placement: That is, fewer and larger 

screens placed eight to nine feet 

over the heads of the shoppers. 

• Common content strategy: The 

main feature of this strategy is that all 

screens throughout the environment 

feature the same content, typically 

brand enhancement for the retailer and 

less price- and item-style advertising. 

• Obstacles to success for this kind 

of media network are related mostly to 

cost. Although brand and experience 

enhancement are noble goals, it is difficult 

to measure the impact on sales 

lift and, importantly, create justifiable 

return on investment (ROI) metrics. 

Modern models of in-store media 

networks have been modified to fix 

or mitigate some of the drawbacks 

found in first-generation networks. 

Some of the new features include: 

• More, smaller screens placed lower 

in the environment. The real goal 

is to get the media and the message 

at eye level. Tests have shown that 

eye-level messages—the real call to 

action—are many times more effective 

than typical overhead messaging. 

• Content strategy in eye-level screen 

placement is critical. The networking 

capability and screen placement allow 

for content that is product specific. This 

means the call to action relates directly 

to the merchandise that is next to or 

near the message delivery system. 

• Obstacles to success include the 

level of expertise required to create, 

integrate and manage the hardware, 

software and content. Also, screenmounting 

devices need to be easily 

integrated into the existing types of 

shelving and merchandising fixtures 

being deployed in the retail environment. 

This is increasingly important 

because retail spaces have to be more 

flexible than ever. 

Supplier Partners 

Key components or partners in any 

modern digital signage or in-store media 

network project are listed here. Often, 

more than one of these functions 

is managed by a single partner, but 

this kind of in-store media networking 

almost always requires multiple managing 

partners. This list is not necessarily 

complete, nor is every function 

required in every application: 

• Network Owner 

• Network Operator 

• Content Creator 

• Content Manager 

• Supply Chain Manager 

• Project Manager 

• Integrator 

• Installer and Post-Installation 

Service Provider 

The Network Owner is the ultimate 

customer in this chain. The network 


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owner sets the tone for the entire project. 

From style to strategy to revenue 

generation models, the network owner 

is critical. The Network Operator is the 

partner that makes sure the network 

accomplishes what the owner desires. 

The operator makes sure that media is 

distributed in a timely manner and that 

the network is in “compliance”—that 

is, the content contains messages paid 

for by advertisers and suppliers, and 

this content appears at agreed-upon 

rates and frequencies. 

The Content Creator is the creative 

partner. After the owner’s desires are 

understood and the type of network is 

defined, the content creator can get 

started designing content that meets 

the goals of the owner. The Content 

Manager is responsible for distributing 

the content to the right places at 

the right times; this means time of day, 

day of week and even distribution to 

specific screens within a store. This is 

really the best use of a storewide network. 

Placing the right content in the 

right place at the right time is the key 

to a successful media strategy. 

Bringing All 

The Parts Together 

The Supply Chain Manager helps 

bring all the parts together: software, 

hardware, mounting devices, logistics, 

content creators and managers, integration 

services and service providers. 

These decisions are critical because 

best value is more important than best 

price. Using supply chain partners with 

proven success in logistics and customization 

is critical to the success of the 

project. The Project Manager is the 

team member who oversees the execution 

of the steps required to make the 

network a success. 

The Integrator is the partner who 

makes the whole network actually 

perform the task for which it was designed. 

Integration is the fine art of 

making all of the pieces—hardware, 

software, content, mounting devices, 

etc.—fit together. This is the partner 

who manages the training of the Installers 

and their crews. 

The last member of the group is the 

Post-Installation Service Provider. Any 

successful network will require postinstall 

service, repair and upgrading. 

This is a crucial component of any 

effective system. Post-install, every 

in-store media network will require 

regular maintenance and occasional 

upgrading. This must be considered 

during the project’s original budgeting 

process. 

Pathways To Success 

A successful in-store media network 

will rely on marketing managers to set 

the look and feel of the content, and 

define the goals of the system. A decision 

must be made about what kind of 

revenue model will be used. In some 

cases, advertisers pay for access to the 

screen time at agreed-upon rates and, 

in others, the store owner defines the 

criteria for content and mixes branding 

messages with price and item advertising. 

In any case, care must be given 

to consider the environment in which 

the network will exist. What part of the 

store is it in? Food? Sporting goods? 

Electronics? And what time of day, 

week, year is it displayed? 

Designing systems that look like they 

belong where they are placed is also 

crucial. Consideration must be given to 

how and when customers or shoppers 

will interact with, or be affected by, the 

content. The supply chain manager is 

important here because of the choices 

that must be made early in the design 

phase. Making certain the screen and 

mount configuration work together is 

critical to a successful deployment. 

Hardware suppliers must understand 

the constraints of the install 

environment and should participate 

in the training of the integrators and 

installers. Mounting device suppliers 

that have experience in this space can 

save the retail location money by saving 

time. The creation of easy-to-install 

fixtures means fewer labor hours, and 

this means real savings. 

In summary, it is important to understand 

the different parts and skills required 

to make an in-store media network 

deployment successful. No one company 

or person can do all of the things required. 

The use of experts and experienced supplier 

partners will save money and time, 

while ensuring success. 

n 



You Can Have Faith 

In Our Market Research 

Since 1997, the magazine that defines the industry has brought you the most comprehensive worship center 

survey. The staff of Sound & Communications magazine creates the survey and performs the statistical 

analysis, giving you unsurpassed insight into this market. The survey is revised each year to include 

emerging technologies and the most relevant statistics. 

The Annual Worship Center AV Survey explores such topics as what facilities want in a system, determinants 

of specific systems, and how they choose products and contractors. Budgets, size and regional 

factors are also explored. 


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Email: surveys@testa.com

CourtTV 

placed ultradirectional 

sound 

systems in 

bookstores 

and coffee 

shops 

throughout 

Manhattan 

to “whisper” 

messages 

to individual 

shoppers 

about a new 

TV series. 

Spotlight Of Sound 

Bringing audio in retail environments into focus. 

By Dr. F. Joseph Pompei 

As retail marketing evolves and becomes 

increasingly competitive, marketers 

continue to search for new ways 

to capture and guide the attention of 

their customers. The recent invention 

of ultra-directional sound technology, 

which creates literal “beams” of sound, 

has enabled new ways of using sound 

in retail environments, both independently 

and when supplementing traditional 

visual advertisements or more 

modern digital signage displays. 

Sound Was Limited 

Due to technical limitations of traditional 

loudspeakers, the use of sound 

in retail marketing largely has been 

limited to carefully chosen broadcast 

sound, such as the ambient background 

music found in most stores. 

Spoken announcements and more 

elaborate auditory content are used 

sometimes, but generally are ineffective; 

direct advertisements inserted 

into the background music are largely 

ignored (or obtrusive), while small 

displays and kiosks that transmit their 

own sound often are viewed as a nuisance 

or annoyance to both shoppers 

and employees. The proliferation of 

digital signage in retail environments 

has highlighted this limitation, as many 

retailers have opted for no sound over 

sound that bothers their customers, 

distracts salespeople or diminishes a 

peaceful shopping environment. 

Large panel-type loudspeakers, 

which are the acoustical equivalent 

of two-dimensional line arrays, have 

been adopted for some applications to 

provide somewhat more sound field 

control than is possible with a small 

loudspeaker. However, physics inherently 

limits the directivity to modest 

amounts, typically 20 to 30 degrees or 

more for a two-foot speaker panel. 

The advent of ultra-directional sound 

sources, with beams as narrow as a 

few degrees, has enabled sound to be 

used much more flexibly in retail environments, 

creating a compelling and 

interesting message without introducing 

distractions or excess noise. The 

technology also enables a number of 

unprecedented and creative applications 

of sound that cannot be achieved 

with traditional loudspeakers. 

Dr. F. Joseph Pompei is the Founder and President of Holosonic Research Labs Inc., a pioneer in nonlinear acoustics that 

develops and manufactures directional sound systems. For more information, go to www.holosonics.com. 



Six Flags Rollercoaster Cuts 

children’s hair salon uses ultradirectional 

sound systems at 

each cutting station that allow 

children to watch rollercoaster 

videos and play video games 

from the comfort of their 

chairs. Each client hears 

only his own sound, and the 

surrounding area is spared 

from noise. 

For example, the Six Flags Rollercoaster 

Cuts children’s hair salon in 

Hartford CT installed ultra-directional 

sound systems at each cutting station 

that allow children to watch rollercoaster 

videos and play video games 

from the comfort of their chairs. Because 

the chairs are in close proximity, 

using traditional loudspeakers for 

this application would not be possible. 

The audio from each speaker would 

overlap, creating a headache-inducing 

environment. 

Science Of 

Directional Sound 

The directivity, or narrowness, of 

any wave-producing source is entirely 

dependent on the size of the source 

compared to the wavelengths it generates. 

A speaker much larger than the 

audio wavelengths will be relatively 

directional, whereas a speaker comparable 

to, or smaller than, the audio 

wavelengths will be essentially omnidirectional. 

This works in two dimensions, as 

well: Line arrays can produce increased 

directivity corresponding to the long 

axis of the array, while the short axis 

remains omnidirectional. Making both 

axes large makes the whole panel more 

directive. No amount of phasing or 

other manipulation can improve this; 

in fact, the most directive phased array 

is all elements driven equally: an 

unphased array. 

Most sound is comprised of wavelengths 

ranging from several inches to 

several feet, with most energy wavelengths 

concentrated at a dimension 

of one to two feet for most content. 

A large-diameter loudspeaker (or array) 

can be used to increase directivity 

somewhat, but it would have to be 

absurdly large to create a narrow beam 


Rather than using the traditional loudspeaker technique of creating sound directly with a vibrating 

membrane, ultra-directional sound systems use ultrasound to “excite” the air itself, emitting audible 

sound literally from thin air, increasing directivity from what loudspeakers can theoretically provide. 

of sound...on the order of dozens of 

feet across. 

Of course, a loudspeaker this large 

would also create a similarly large 

“sound footprint,” defeating much of 

the purpose of directivity, except in 

stadium and similar large-scale applications, 

where such coverage is desirable. 

Further, the directivity only exists 

at higher frequencies, where the 

wavelengths are small compared to the 

size of the array. At lower frequencies, 

directivity is almost entirely lost. 

Making Sound 

From Ultrasound 

Because a traditional loudspeaker of 

practical dimensions cannot create a 

highly directive sound field, the creation 

of such a narrow beam of sound 

requires a complete departure from 

the way sound is normally reproduced. 

Rather than creating sound directly 

The theoretical 

maximum 

directivity of 

a 16-inch 

loudspeaker is 

shown in blue, 

and the actual 

measured sound 

field from an 

equally sized 

ultrasonic 

loudspeaker is 

shown in orange. 

Both areas show 

90% (20dB) 

isolation. The 

isolation provided 

by the real 

ultrasonic speaker 

is much more 

distinct than even 

an ideal traditional 

loudspeaker. 

with a vibrating membrane, the air itself 

can instead be “excited” with ultrasound 

to emit audible sound directly. 

Because the audible sound is generated 

in midair, rather than from the 

loudspeaker, directivity is no longer 

limited by speaker size, nor does it 

vary as much with frequency. A highly 

directional source, with a beam spread 

of only a few degrees, can be created 

from a relatively small loudspeaker 

panel, something impossible with traditional 

acoustics. 

Large loudspeaker panels are effective 

when large areas of sound have 

to be covered, but the ultrasonic technique 

provides an order of magnitude 

more control and isolation for tight 

areas. For example, with a 16-inch 

loudspeaker panel at 1kHz mounted 

six feet overhead, two people would 

have to stand more than seven feet 

apart for 20dB (90%) of sonic isolation, 

whereas the ultrasonic technique 

provides the same degree of isolation 

for listeners standing merely two feet 

apart. Just one step out of the beam 

reduces sound to near-inaudibility. The 

differences are even more noticeable 

at longer distances. 

The technique has its origins in 

underwater sonar, dating back to the 

1960s, but was not practical for audio 

use until research performed at MIT in 

the late 1990s, particularly the author’s 

PhD dissertation in 2002. Since then, 

innovations in hardware and processing 

design, as well as greatly reduced 

component costs and increased manufacturing 

volume, have made this a 

practical and cost-effective system for 

a variety of applications. 

Directional 

Sound In Retail 

The ability to deliver sound to specific, 

well-controlled areas has inspired 

several novel marketing applications. 

Many designers follow the lighting 

analogy: If traditional loudspeakers 

are like overhead fluorescent lights, 

illuminating the entire space, ultra-directional 

audio systems are much like 

the acoustic “spotlight.” Because the 

sound is completely localized, audio 

can be used in applications that would 

otherwise prove to be too difficult due 

to problems with noise spillage. In addition, 

multiple sound sources can 

be used in close proximity without 

interference, and without creating a 

cacophony of noise. 

One early example is T-Mobile in Europe, 

which, recognizing the aggressive 

growth of ringtone sales (as well 

as their high profit margin), wanted to 

install kiosks at the company’s retail 



A well known convenience store chain 

recently deployed a large fleet of ultradirectional 

sound systems, used in 

conjunction with LCD screens, to deliver 

news, weather reports and customized 

advertising to customers without creating 

a noisy retail environment. 

DX Family Half-Page-Horiz S&C 2009:Layout 1 5/18/2009 1:41 PM Page 1 

outlets where customers could audition 

and purchase these ring tones. 

Clearly, using loudspeakers would not 

have been an option, creating noise 

objectionable to the other customers, 

and impeding the effectiveness of the 

sales staff. By installing ultra-directional 

sound systems, they were able 

to direct the sound from each kiosk 

specifically to the customer standing 

in front of it—and no one else. 

Another example, one showing more 

creative and subtle use, is Court TV 

(now truTV), which, in conjunction 

with BlueBlast Media of New York City, 

staged a marketing campaign throughout 

Manhattan bookstores and coffee shops 

using these directional sound systems. 

Court TV wanted an innovative way to 

attract attention to its new Murder by the 

Book series. As shoppers browsed the 

shelves, select shoppers would hear a 

faint whisper ask them: “Hey. Do you 

ever think about murder? I do….” 

Some customers would be startled, 

most would be entertained, but everyone 

to whom the message was targeted 

heard and paid attention to it, while 

others in the store remained in peaceful 

quiet. In many cases, the directivity 

was so strong that people hearing it 

would turn to their companion and ask, 

“Did you hear that?”, and they would 

respond, “Hear what?” 

Digital Signage 

The proliferation of digital signage 

has created a growing demand for directional 

sound. Marketers who now 

have the ability to provide a rich multimedia 

experience with bright, attractive 

flat-panel monitors would naturally 

like to complement these displays with 

sound. However, store management is 

very sensitive to the issues of continuous 

noise blaring from loudspeakers, 

and the fear of harassing their customers—or 

their staff—is well justified. 

In fact, some retailers have reported 

that employees annoyed by traditional 

loudspeaker displays will turn them off 

completely if they cannot easily turn 

the volume down. In more extreme 


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Retail Environments 

This segment, though feeling the squeeze, is persisting. 


Retail environments are 

certainly not unique in feeling 

the pressure of an economy in 

turmoil, but the effects of job 

losses, constricted consumer 

spending and worried minds 

might be more profound in 

the companies that serve this 

segment. We still find considerable 

construction activity, but 

the vast majority of projects are 

being approached in a phased 

manner, and many major retailers 

are dragging their feet 

on inking deals to join shopping complexes. 

Here are some projects that are 

beating the odds and coming on-line. 

Anchors Away 

Kohl's, Bed Bath & Beyond and 

Christmas Tree Shops will anchor a 

$40 million shopping complex being 

constructed this Summer along the 

Route 30 strip, as Mill Creek Square 

takes up 35 acres in East Lampeter 

Township PA. The developers have 

plans for a 285,000-square-foot shopping 

center for up to six anchor stores 

and 20 or more tenants in all. The three 

mentioned retailers have all committed 

to be part of the center. With construction 

commencing this Summer, the 

stores will open in Fall 2010. 

In St. Joseph MO, the East Hills 

Shopping Center, at this writing, is almost 

complete, but still suffers from 

tenant commitments. The project, 

which carries a $131 million price tag, 

got tax-increment funding approval in 

January 2008 and completion was expected 

by October 1, 2008. That was 

pushed back to November 2008, and 

then April 2009. All work on the mall 

was expected to be completed by the 

end of May. The Sunporch Cafe opened 

in March. Original Pizza was the first 

to move in, and Tokyo-San Japanese 

Grill & Sushi opened in April. A second 

Chinese restaurant is in the works. The 

Cookie Factory Bakery Coffee Café 

opened the day after Thanksgiving and 

will have a continued presence in the 

shopping center. 

On May 25, CVS Pharmacy opened a 

13,000-square-foot store in Gulf Breeze 

FL. The freestanding building, under 

construction since December, replaces 

the former 4000-square-foot store in 

the Tiger Point Shopping Center. It 

features double-lane, drive-thru pharmacy 

window service as well as a caféstyle 

digital photo center that provides 

customers with an area to view, edit 

and print their digital pictures. The 15 

employees have been transferred to 

the new store. 

Texas-Sized Project 

In Roanoke TX, a new Denton County 

retail project is in the works. A development 

company has announced plans 

to build an 11,320-square-foot shopping 

center near State Highway 114. The 

Oak Street Plaza project is close to 

the major AllianceTexas business park. 

A pair of Dallas restaurants, Twisted 

Root Burger Co. and Cowboy Chow, 

are launching outlets in the shopping 

center this Summer. Oak Street Plaza 

is one element of a larger revitalization 

project in Roanoke. 

In Patton Township PA, township 

super visors voted unanimously 

to approve the land development 

plan for Woodycrest Center, 

a shopping center on the site 

of the former Mellott trailer park. 

The 11-acre shopping complex 

will add three 30,000-square-foot 

retail stores and a 4080-squarefoot 

bank between the Wal-Mart 

and Colonnade shopping centers 

in the bustling commercial area 

northwest of State College. The 

bank in front of the shopping center 

will be an AmeriServ branch; the 

retail tenants of the three stores have 

not yet been identified. 

In Suffolk VA, the Planning Commission 

has recommended approval 

of a rezoning request and conditional 

use permit for a proposed shopping 

center. The retail outlet, proposed for 

the existing Godwin Commerce Park, 

would encompass a big-box retailer and 

numerous smaller shops on a 28-acre 

campus. The shopping center would 

include two large buildings and several 

smaller ones; the property would 

incorporate medical office buildings. 

The shopping center alone would total 

roughly 250,000 square feet. However, 

it is going to take a long while before 

anything actually opens for business. 

Many of the possible retailers won’t 

consider coming until 2015 or 2016, 

given current economic conditions. If 

general market conditions improve, the 

timeline could be speeded. 

$40 Million Complex 

More than three years after starting 

work on one of Hixson TN’s biggest 

shopping centers, a Barnesville GA developer 

hopes construction on the first 

stores in the $40 million retail complex 

will commence by this Fall and work 

could kick off even sooner on three 



estaurants on the center’s outparcels. 

The project, dubbed Fountains 

of North Chattanooga, will be erected 

in phases in response to poor economic 

conditions. The initial phase of the development 

likely will include 190,000 

to 220,000 square feet and encompass 

about 10 stores. It is likely to open in 

Spring 2010; a second, similar phase 

could be added a year later. At this 

writing, the developer was about 60% 

leased on phase one. 

After more than four years of waiting, 

Edison NJ residents soon will see 

a Sam's Club rise at a former Ford 

plant site. Sam's Club, the wholesale 

chain store, will be the first structure 

built at Edison Town Center, a retail 

and entertainment campus replacing 

the 98-acre former industrial site on 

Route 1. Construction, which has long 

been in development, started in June. 

The nearly 150,000-square-foot Sam's 

Club, which will take up 18 acres, could 

be completed within 12 to 14 months. 

So far, that is the only tenant set for 

the complex, which also will include 

other retail shops, a 150-room hotel, a 

movie theater and five restaurants, as 

well as office space. 

In Wayne County MI, crews have 

destroyed the Livonia Mall and are 

removing the final bits of concrete en 

route to the shopping center's rebirth. 

The new shopping center, Livonia Marketplace, 

is set to open by 2010. The 

development consortium will erect 

three buildings, totaling about 30,000 

square feet on speculation. Additionally, 

it will construct the foundation for 

Wal-Mart, one client that has already 

signed on to the site. Then, Wal-Mart 

will build a 175,000-square-foot grocery 

and retail store. Plans entail a total of 

320,180 square feet of new retail space. 

Wal-Mart could be ready to open its 

doors by the end of the year. 

Scaling It Back 

In Lewes DE, a proposed shopping 

center has been scaled back following 

local opposition. The new Townsend 

Village Center would have about 

387,000 square feet of space, about 

a quarter smaller than the 520,000- 

square-foot project originally envisaged. 

The development, which includes 

an anchor store, smaller in-line stores 

The vast majority of projects 

are being approached in a 

phased manner. 

and a public space or amphitheater, 

would take up about 43 acres of a 68- 

acre plot off Gills Neck Road and Kings 

Highway. 

In Mount Pleasant SC, developers have 

broken ground on a new shopping center 

that will be anchored by a green Harris 

Teeter grocery store. Rivertowne Place, 

located on S.C. 41 at Rivertowne Plantation, 

will feature the 53,000-square-foot 

grocery store and about 7500 square feet 

of additional retail space. Outparcels on 

the site could add roughly 15,000 square 

feet to the project. Harris Teeter, based 

in Matthews NC, is the only confirmed 

tenant for the project. The shopping 

center should open next Summer, and 

additional tenants are expected at that 

time. 

Leadership in Energy and Environmental 

Design (LEED) certification 

is sought for the shopping center. 

The LEED designation would not be 

awarded until after a project is completed. 

The project design incorporates 

sustainable building and landscaping, 

pollution prevention, indoor air quality, 

energy efficiency, recycling and the use 

of renewable materials. If the shopping 

center achieves LEED certification, it 

would be the state’s first. 

Upscale Environs 

In Cuyahoga Falls OH, an upscale 

shopping center and housing development, 

dubbed Portage Crossing, 

might soon take the place of the dilapidated 

State Road Shopping Center. 

The development’s initial phase 

will include about $30 million to $35 

million in investment into a retail area 

that will be anchored by an upscale 

grocery store and numerous smaller 

retail or restaurant establishments. It 

will be considerably smaller in total retail 

size at 150,000 square feet than the 

300,000 square feet once held by the 

plaza. The grocery store, which will be 

an anchor tenant, will take up 60,000 

square feet; the space is expandable to 

90,000 square feet. Additional phases 

of the project, which could cost $60 

million, could comprise more retail or 

townhomes flanking both ends of the 

retail area. 

In Killingly CT, a vacant Dayville retail 

strip has been given a new lease on 

life. A developer is ready to commence 

redeveloping the former Ames shopping 

center on Route 101. Site plan approval 

has been received to begin renovations 

on half of the 80,000-squarefoot 

site that, until last year, housed 

the Beit Bros. grocery store. Two 

companies have signed leases, including 

Aldi Grocery (10,000 square feet) 

and Dollar Tree (20,000 square feet). 

An unnamed national apparel store is 

close to inking an agreement for the 

remaining 10,000 square feet. 

In better economic times, the retail 

segment will boom once again. But, 

even now, there are opportunities to be 

found. 

n 


COMPILED BY DAN FERRISI 

SoundTube Products Suit Retail Space 

SoundTube Entertainment has sold thousands of speakers for use 

in retail environments, with Publix stores throughout the Southeastern 

US standardizing on SoundTube’s RS500i 5.25-inch coaxial 

open-ceiling speaker. It features Broadbeam dispersion technology 

that allows fewer speakers to cover more area with full-frequency 

sound. In addition, McDonald’s and McCafe locations throughout 

Puerto Rico are using a combination of CMEZ in-ceiling speakers 

and SMi surface-mount loudspeakers for music in the dining and 

play areas. The Patriot Place Mall in Foxborough MA brings music 

to its courtyards and sidewalks with XT850 and XT550 outdoor 

speakers. 

Hundreds of SoundTube in-ceiling, surface-mount and open-ceiling 

speakers also have been purchased for use at stores, malls and 

fitness centers in part of the US and Canada, including Hot Topic 

stores, Finish Line stores, Container Stores, Anthropologie stores, 

Planet Fitness gyms, Old Navy stores, Sports Authority stores and 

Whole Foods stores. 

AES Committee Prepares Event 

The AES 127 th Convention Committee began formulating a program 

of traditional and atypical events soon after the books were closed 

on last year’s event. Scheduled for October 9 to 12 at New York’s 

Javits Center, the 2009 show is set to offer more than ever before. 

Re-teaming for the 2009 Convention are David Bialik, celebrating 

his 21 st consecutive year as Broadcast Chair; Alex Case, Tutorials 

& Workshops Chair; Henry Cohen and Mac Kerr, Live Sound Co- 

Chairs; Harry Hirsch, Historical Chair; Michael McCoy, Facilities 

Chair; Veronique Larcher and (newcomer) Steve Garrett, Papers 

Co-Chairs; Paul Verna, Platinum Chair; Lou Manno, Technical Tours 

Chair; Alan Silverman, Master Class Chair; and Doron Schacter 

(another new member), Volunteers Chair. 

“We are particularly fortunate to have the counsel of AES President 

Jim Anderson participating in our meetings,” Convention Chair Agnieszka 

Roginska remarked. “His wealth of experience as a past 

Committee Chair makes him an invaluable asset.” AES Executive 

Director Roger Furness concluded, “The knowledge that each of 

these incredibly busy people is taking time away from their already 

over-extended schedule to volunteer for Convention planning is 

genuinely humbling.” 

InFocus Acquired Through Short-Form Merger 

Image Holdings Corp., an Oregon corporation indirectly owned 

by John Hui, an entrepreneur and co-founder of e-Machines, has 

completed the merger of IC Acquisition Corp. (ICAC) with and into 

InFocus Corp. This follows the previously announced completion 

of the tender offer by ICAC for all outstanding shares of InFocus 

common stock, at $0.95 per share. 

In the merger, all shares of InFocus common stock not purchased in 

the tender offer (other than shares of common stock held by Image 

Holdings, ICAC, InFocus or any of their respective subsidiaries) 

were converted into the right to receive an amount of cash equal 

to $0.95 per share, without interest and subject to any required 

withholding of taxes. InFocus is now a wholly owned subsidiary of 

Image Holdings. 

InFocus common stock will now cease to be traded on the NASDAQ 

Global Market, and InFocus has notified NASDAQ of its intent to 

withdraw the listing of its common stock. 

PrioServ Acquisition Expands Data Call’s DS Footprint 

Data Call Technologies Inc. has agreed to enter into negotiations 

for the complete acquisition of PrioServ Inc., a privately held technology 

service company. PrioServ specializes in the installation, 

deployment and management of digital signage systems, as well 

as VOIP, corporate networks/server installation and management. 

Financial terms remain undisclosed. 

“This acquisition will…assist Data Call in posturing itself for the 

expected growth in the technology industries for both digital signage 

and IT networks,” remarked Tim Vance, CEO of Data Call, Houston. 

“The added service that Data Call will be able to provide its partners 

is exponential. We have been assisting with network deployments 

for quite some time, and the ability to offer these more specialized 

services brings Data Call to the next level of expertise.” 

“As our partners and clients continue their growth, this acquisition 

will provide our customers with the reliability found in our data 

products, streamlined into further national deployments and installs 

as well as network management,” added Data Call Chairman Jim 

Ammons. 

60 Sound & Communications For more information about these companies, go to www.bluebookonline.net www.soundandcommunications.com

Shure Strikes Against Counterfeiters 

Shure Inc. has struck another blow against suppliers of counterfeit 

Shure products. Following a Shure-initiated investigation, officials of 

the Baoshan Office of the Shanghai Administration for Industry and 

Commerce (AIC) conducted raids on wholesale stores and warehouses 

in Shanghai’s Zhabei District. “Counterfeiters are constantly 

working to duplicate the Shure logo and other product markings as 

well as the general appearance of the products,” explained Anita 

Man, Managing Director of Shure Asia. 

Large quantities of counterfeit Shure E2c and E4c earphones were 

seized as well as counterfeit earphones of other brands, including 

Audio-Technica and JVC. Penalties are still being determined. 

“The Shure brand carries with it a promise of quality and performance,” 

remarked Sandy LaMantia, Shure’s President/CEO. “Counterfeit 

Shure products do not live up to that promise, and that damages 

the value of our brand. We are fiercely committed to working 

with international agencies and with other brands to fight the spread 

of counterfeit products and halt this kind of criminal activity.” 

In addition to anti-counterfeiting actions in China, Shure has continuing 

efforts in other parts of Asia, Europe, South America, the Middle 

East, Africa and the US to cease intellectual property violations. 

NextWindow Awarded Two Patents For Touchscreen 

NextWindow has been awarded two key technology patents, one 

in the US and another in China. The patents, which refer to optical 

touch systems incorporating light emitters, reflectors and detection 

methods, help solidify NextWindow’s position in the Chinese 

manufacturing and US sales markets. The US patent (#7,538,759), 

issued on May 26, is titled, “Touch Panel Display System with Illumination 

and Detection Provided from a Single Edge.” NextWindow 

previously was granted this patent in Australia, and a request is 

pending in Canada, Europe, Hong Kong and Japan. 

The Chinese patent (#200480009926), issued by the State Intellectual 

Property Office of the P.R.C. on March 11, is titled, “Touch 

Panel and Method of Optically Detecting the Presence of an Object 

in relation to the Touch Screen.” A request also has been filed in 

Australia, the US, Europe, Japan and Korea. “NextWindow has invested 

significant R&D resources in the optical touchscreen space, 

and these patents represent the latest additions to our growing IP 

portfolio extending around the world,” remarked Al Monro, CEO at 

NextWindow. 

NextWindow previously was granted patents for its optical touchscreen 

technology in the US and Australia, and several other 

patents relating to its optical touchscreen technology are pending 

throughout the world. 

DuPont Reaches OLED Program Milestone 

DuPont Displays has developed a proprietary third-generation (Gen 

3) solution-based organic light emitting diode (OLED) materials technology 

that has led to performance gains for printable OLED lightemitting 

materials. A DuPont Gen 3 green OLED material achieved 

a record lifetime of more than one million hours, whereas two new 

Gen 3 solution blue materials have been developed that make 

strides in longevity and color. Gen 3 OLED materials can meet 

or exceed the performance of vapor-deposited materials, and are 

paving the way for lower-cost solution process OLED displays. 

“Printing OLEDs significantly lowers the cost to manufacture displays 

and, with Gen 3 materials technology, display manufacturers 

can see the material lifetimes and performance required for commercialization,” 

said William Feehery, Global Business Director, 

DuPont OLED Displays. “With lifetime five times better than just 

two years ago, these new materials will allow solution OLEDs to 

be used in mobile displays, and also to begin to penetrate the 

television and general lighting markets at a lower cost than today’s 

evaporated OLED technology.” 

The Gen 3 green material developed by DuPont represents a lifetime 

milestone of one million hours, which equates to more than 

100 years of constant usage. This green material demonstrates 

a current efficiency of 25cd/A and good color coordinates (0.26, 

0.65). Although green material lifetimes already exceed those of 

red and blue, the significance is that, in a display, green contributes 

more to the white brightness. The longer lifetime also can lead to 

an increase in total display lifetime. 

C a l e n d a r 

August 

International DJ Expo 

Aug. 10-13 

Atlantic City NJ 

Testa Communications 

(516) 767-2500 

www.djtimes.com/djexpo 

September 

CEDIA Expo 2009 

Sept. 9-13 

Atlanta GA 

Custom Electronic Design 

& Installation Association 

(317) 328-4336 

www.cedia.net/expo 

PLASA 2009 

Sept. 13-16 

London, England 

PLASA Events 

+44 (0)20 7370 8665 

www.plasashow.com 

2009 BICSI Fall Conference 

& Exhibition 

Sept. 20-24 

Las Vegas NV 

BICSI 

(813) 979-1991 

www.bicsi.org/fall 

October 

127 th AES Convention 

Oct. 9-12 

New York NY 

Audio Engineering Society 

(212) 661-8528 

www.aes.org/events/127 

158 th Meeting of the 

Acoustical Society of America 

Oct. 26-30 

San Antonio TX 

Acoustical Society of America 

(516) 576-2360 

asa.aip.org 

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


House Of Blues Houston 

Uses Sennheiser 

Sennheiser USA and 

House of Blues Entertainment, 

Inc., a Live Nation 

company, have again joined 

forces for the latest House 

of Blues live music venue, 

a 43,000-square-foot facility 

located in the recently 

opened $200 million Houston 

Pavilions complex. In 

common with the 12 existing 

branded music venues 

in the US, House of Blues 

Houston features Sennheiser and Neumann microphones. Sound 

is delivered by evolution wireless and Neumann wired vocal microphones, 

evolution instrument mics as well as evolution wireless 

personal monitoring systems. 

Each of the dozen House of Blues venues across the country features 

house PA systems incorporating Sennheiser products, including 

multiple e 901, e 902, e 904, e 905, e 906, e 908B, e 914, e 614, 

MD 421 II, MKH 60 and MKH 70 wired microphones for amplified 

and acoustic instruments. Wired vocal microphones include e 865 

condensers, dynamic e 935s and e 945s, as well as Neumann 

KMS 104 and KMS 105 condenser mics. Two pairs of HD 280 Pro 

headphones are employed for monitoring. 

Sennheiser evolution wireless systems at each venue include eight 

SKM 935 G2 handheld vocal microphones, plus four EM 550 G2 true 

diversity twin receivers. Rounding out the RF setup are evolution 

wireless ew 300 IEM G2 personal monitor set-ups with an A 5000 

CP circularly polarized antenna. 

Industry Mourns: Carey Stewart Kress 

Carey Stewart Kress, who served as a manufacturers rep in the 

professional audio industry for more than two decades, died peacefully 

at home at the age of 58 on April 15 following a hard-fought 

battle with pancreatic cancer. 

After being graduated from the University of Rhode Island, he relocated 

to the Washington DC area and enjoyed a performance 

career as musician/lead singer in rock band Face Dancer during the 

’70s and ’80s. Kress developed an extensive Mid-Atlantic territory 

as a manufacturers rep and continued to work until his death. His 

favorite pastimes included being a sound engineer for local bands, 

home stereo/theater design, auto mechanics, football, ice hockey, 

auto racing and airplane restoration. 

ALMO Launches Commercial AV Division 

Almo Corp., a US distributor of consumer electronics and appliances, 

is launching a value-added professional audiovisual distribution division 

to provide commercial- and consumer-grade products such as 

LCDs, projectors, specialty displays, videoconferencing, audio and 

mounting solutions. The division will be led by Sam Taylor, who has 

been appointed Executive Vice President and COO. In the industry 

for nearly 25 years, Taylor most recently was with Electrograph 

Systems for 22 years, serving as President for 15 years. 

Warren Chaiken, President and COO of Almo, said, “We’ve been 

in the consumer electronics business for [more than] 30 years. 

Expanding into the [commercial] AV space is a logical extension 

of our core distribution business. However, we recognized that the 

customers in the professional space have unique needs. We wanted 

an experienced leader to help us establish the division specifically 

for those integrators.” 

The new division, launching this month, will be bringing on about 

25 employees in sales, marketing and product planning dedicated 

to commercial AV. The sales team will all be InfoComm trained and 

many CTS certified. 

Electrograph Legal Woes Begin 

A number of lawsuits have been filed against Electrograph Systems, 

the display distributor that recently began a liquidation process of 

all its inventory and assets. [Sound & Communications covered the 

liquidation announcement in our NEWSLETTER, June 2009.] On 

June 9, ViewSonic Corp., whose products had been distributed by 

Electrograph, filed suit for as much as $900,000 in United States 

District Court, Central District of California, alleging that Electrograph 

had stopped paying on invoices. It also sought, and on June 

22 obtained, a preliminary injunction to forbid Electrograph from 

selling any ViewSonic products. At the time the injunction was 

handed down, Electrograph had not appeared in the action and 

had not opposed the injunction’s issuance. 

Additionally, on June 1, Promethean, Inc., filed a complaint against 

Electrograph. In the collection action, Promethean seeks recovery 

against Electrograph for the alleged failure to pay more than 

$1.3 million, plus interest, on at least 321 past-due invoices for 

Promethean products ordered by Electrograph. The two parties’ 

relationship, wherein Electrograph would distribute Promethean’s 

interactive classroom technology products and supporting components, 

was forged in Spring 2007. According to the complaint, 

beginning in late March 2009, Electrograph stopped making payment 

on outstanding invoices. 

Additionally, a complaint alleging breach of written contract, fraud, 

tortuous interference with contract and unlawful trade practices was 

filed by a group of plaintiffs on May 5, 2009, relating to a written Stock 

Purchase Agreement wherein Electrograph had agreed to purchase all 

of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock and stock options 

owned by the plaintiffs in International Computer Graphics, Inc. 

Bag End For First Baptist 

The huge, high-ceilinged, 1800-seat main sanctuary of the First 

Baptist Church in Simpsonville SC presented a challenge common 

to many church audio system installations: The sound had 

to fill the large space, but the speakers had to be hidden to avoid 

being a distraction to the congregation during services or to audiences 

in other presentations. First Baptist hosts both traditional 

and contemporary services each Sunday, and the system had to 

complement both the organ and choir music of a traditional service 

and the contemporary service’s modern band instrumentation. The 

church also asked for prominent support of the congregation’s 


Along with JBL and Crown components, the sound system is also 

supported by BSS Soundweb London, which allows for an auto 

mix system. The system was configured using Harman’s HiQnet 

and London Architect communications protocol. A BSS BLU 10 

controller provides the head usher with an easier way to turn the 

system up, down, off and on. 

KUDO Sings At Lexington Opera House 

participation in services, and natural acoustical treatment of the 

building’s electronic organ. 

To address these challenges and complete the installation, the church 

partnered with consultant Design 2020 and installer MusiCraft Audio 

& Video. To carry the bass in this system, four Bag End D18E-AD dual 

18-inch subwoofers were specified. According to MusiCraft Project 

Manager David Clyburn, “These subs had to fit into tight space beneath 

the stage, yet still give a big bass sound.” Main speakers and 

other elements in the new audio system faced similar challenges, also 

installed in tight spaces, including two catwalks over the sanctuary, 

and concealed behind fabric grills and scrims. 

The completed system also includes video presentation capability 

and theatrical lighting that is used to light both the traditional and 

contemporary services from catwalks and with over-stage lighting. 

Historic St. Joseph’s Church Employs JBL 

Hercules CA-based Pro 

Media/UltraSound recently 

upgraded the sound system 

at St. Joseph’s Church 

in Pinole CA with JBL Professional 

VP Series loudspeakers. 

The church has 

been a permanent fixture 

in the Pinole neighborhood 

for more than a century, and 

a constituted parish in its 

own right since 1947. The 

parish’s congregation currently 

consists of more than 

10,000 individuals. 

The church required improvements 

in both sound 

quality and coverage while 

maintaining a simple system 

for the church staff to 

use on a regular basis. Pro 

Media/UltraSound designed 

such a system. The main PA system is for speech and live music, 

and includes a center cluster containing three JBL VP7212/64DP 

powered loudspeakers. To cover the choir and opposite transept 

area effectively, they installed two Control 29AV-WH-1 white surface-mount 

loudspeakers; two AC2212/64 loudspeakers serve as 

delays in the rear of the worship space. The Control and AE Series 

loudspeakers are powered by Crown CTs 4200 amplifiers. 

The Lexington (KY) Opera House, which opened in 1887, has seen 

some amazing performances over the years. Al Jolson, John Phillip 

Sousa, WC Fields, Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, Mae West and the 

Marx Brothers have all graced its stage, along with countless theatrical 

and musical productions. With the advent of motion pictures, 

the opera house gradually fell into disrepair; however, the facility 

eventually was purchased by the city and given a full renovation and 

restoration in 1976. Now, more than three decades later, the opulent 

944-seat venue has once again been “freshened up,” with updates 

including an L-Acoustics KUDO line source array system. 

The decision to install KUDO was primarily made by the opera house’s 

technical coordination team of Andrew Gilchrest, Michael Lavin and 

Chris Musinski following a comprehensive onsite evaluation of six 

manufacturers’ loudspeakers. They chose to install six flown KUDO 

and three ground-stacked KUDO per side. Four coaxial 8XT enclosures 

are positioned across the stage lip for front-fill, with a single 115XT 

HiQ positioned up at the center of the proscenium as an alternate 

front-fill for ballet performances requiring the stage to be speaker-free. 

A full L-Acoustics monitor package was also specified for the stage, 

featuring eight 12XT and four 115XT HiQ enclosures. With respect 

to power, the KUDO systems are driven by the manufacturer’s LA8 

amplified controllers, with everything else powered by LA4. 

According to Gilchrest, “Because a quarter of our audience is under 

one of two balconies, we wanted to avoid using under-balcony delay 

speakers. L-Acoustics helped design a system, through the use of 

ground-stacked and flown cabinets, that accomplishes this nicely. 

Everyone is hearing sound coming directly from the stage.” He 

added, “We really lack the physical space for subs, so we wanted an 

enclosure that would eliminate their need for most of the shows…. 

So far, including concerts with a full band, we have yet to require 

any additional low-end supplementation.” 




Oregon Convention Center Deploys Community 

With a reputation as one of America’s greenest cities, it’s not surprising 

that Portland’s Oregon Convention Center (OCC) is among the 

country’s most eco-friendly. But aside from its many innovative environmental 

achievements, the OCC also boasts a technically advanced 

audio and video infrastructure. Fiberoptics connect the Center’s one 

million square feet of space, with digital signal processing enabling the 

area’s audio system to be divided in nearly endless combinations and 

configurations to accommodate almost every conceivable event. 

Beaverton-based CompView has overseen the latest phase in a 

renovation and redesign of the OCC that began more than 15 

years ago, including nearly 200 Community R.5-66T ceiling speakers 

throughout the venue. Audio can be zoned and configured via 

Biamp AudiaFLEX DSP, accessible from anywhere in the building 

via the AV staff’s wireless laptops. 

As CompView’s Erin Shannon explained, the Community R-Series was 

suited to the OCC’s wide open spaces. “The hall’s high ceilings required 

a medium-throw solution that could deliver the pattern control needed 

to allow multiple zones throughout the different exhibit halls. The Biamp 

DSP allows us to configure volume and delay settings all the way down 

to groups of four speakers, and the R-Series provided us with the pattern 

control to accommodate that degree of configurability.” 

Shannon added that the R-Series can be mounted vertically. “The 

old speakers were not meant to be mounted vertically; they actually 

had a driver fall out of one speaker. And the R.5 speakers virtually 

disappeared once they were mounted in the ceiling, which was 

great from an aesthetic perspective.” 

C-nario, Vizrt Forge Strategic Partnership 

C-nario and Vizrt have forged a strategic partnership, which extends 

C-nario’s digital signage platform with 3D, live and video capabilities. 

Every display managed by C-nario’s content creation, management, 

control and monitoring solution can now be turned into a full 3D interactive 

kiosk. With Vizrt’s technology, each display can be addressed individually 

to maximize the message’s impact. Live content and specific 

announcements can be displayed as full 3D graphics. “Joining forces 

with C-nario…expands the use of our technology into new horizons,” 

remarked François Laborie, Executive VP Marketing at Vizrt. 

“We were looking for a solution that could give us great 3D graphics 

and we found it in Vizrt’s…technology. Vizrt brings [considerable] expertise 

in real-time 3D graphics and a reputation as a supplier of advanced 

technology that is both reliable and practical. Vizrt’s technology also 

enhances the integration of the broadcast world with digital signage 

and offers content creators the opportunity to create high-impact displays,” 

explained Yael Elstein, C-nario’s Vice President Marketing. n 

G. Dalle 

K. Klawitter 

D. Maynard 

D. Parenta 

D. McLane 

G. Compagnone 

INNOVASON has selected Gauthier Dalle as 

Sales and Marketing Director…SI has appointed 

Blake Vackar as Sales Development Manager…Magenta 

Research’s Founder/CEO, Keith 

Mortensen, has retired from the company. Bob 

Michaels has taken over as President…Radian 

Audio Engineering has appointed 

Keith Klawitter, who 

assumes responsibilities for 

Western Regional Sales… 

Da-Lite Screen Co. has promoted 

Matthew Teevan to 

VP of European Corporate 

Operations…Denis Maynard 

B. Vackar 

has joined Omneon as Senior 

VP of Worldwide Sales… 

AVI-SPL has added Michael 

Brandofino as Executive VP 

of Video Communications and 

Unified Collaboration…Audio- 

Technica’s Steve Savanyu, 

A-T Director, Educational 

Services, has been awarded 

status as an Adjunct Faculty 

Instructor for InfoComm Academy…Don 

Parenta, Stewart 

M. Teevan 

Filmscreen’s North East Regional 

Sales Manager, has 

been promoted to Director of 

Sales North America Commercial 

Division. Steve Cook 

has been named National 

Sales/Design Engineer Consultants 

and Special Accounts. 

Tristan Yates has joined the 

company as Midwest Regional 

Sales Manager, Com- 

S. Savanyu 

mercial Division. Finally, Frank 

Mantz has been promoted to 

Mid-Atlantic Regional Sales 

Manager…SIA Acoustics, 

LLC, has added Adam Di 

Angelo to its consulting team 

in New York…Hall Research 

Technologies has added 

Justin T. Ireland to its product 

development team…Denny 

S. Cook 

McLane will act as Aviom’s 

Sales Director for the western 

US…Tom McGowan has joined 

Starmount as VP of Product 

Management…ClearOne has 

named Curtiss Singleton as VP 

of North American AV Channel 

Sales…Xantech Corp. has 

appointed Mark Cerasuolo as 

Director of Marketing and Business 

Development…Bosch 

M. Cerasuolo 

Security Systems, Communications 

Systems Division, has 

selected Greg Compagnone 

as Director of Sales, Eastern 

US…. 

n 


All specifications supplied by manufacturers and/or distributors. 


Speco Technologies’ P240FACD PA Amp 

Hitachi’s CP-X2010 3LCD Projector 

Sony’s VPL-FW41 3LCD Projector 

Extron’s CVC 300 

Component Video To 

RGB Converter 

Speco’s PA Amps 

Speco Technologies’ P120FACD 

and P240FACD PA amps, 120W 

and 240W, respectively, for 

commercial applications requiring 

power and reliability, are 

delivered with an FM/AM digital 

tuner and a built-in MP3-ready 

CD player. Offer ample input 

connections, such as 5 XLR 

MIC connectors, a 600 ohm 

telephone paging input and an 

auxiliary 200m V input. Specs 

are complemented by 70V or 

8 ohm speaker outputs, “music-on-hold” 

output and 5 70V 

zones. 

Speco Technologies 

(800) 645-5516 

www.specotech.com 

Hitachi’s 3LCD Projector 

Hitachi Home Electronics (America) 

offers the CP-X2010 3LCD 

projector, delivering a 4000-hour 

hybrid filter and a lower total 

cost of ownership for the education 

market. It features 2200 

lumens brightness and is easy 

to install and transport, weighing 

7.9lb. It features 16W of builtin 

audio, eliminating the need 

for external speakers, while 

maintaining a low noise rating 

of 29dBA in Whisper Mode. It 

boasts a contrast ratio of 500:1. 

The CP-X2010 features a lamp 

life of 3000 hours in Standard 

Mode and 5000 hours in Eco 

Mode. My Buttons functionality 

allows 2 buttons on the projector 

to be programmed to execute 

any projector command. It offers 

input Source Naming, allowing 

users to rename input sources to 

fit their needs. Closed Captioning 

functionality is available. 

Hitachi Home Electronics 

(America), Inc. 

(800) HITACHI 

www.hitachi-america.us 

Sony’s 3LCD Projector 

Sony’s VPL-FW41 3LCD business 

projector has a WXGA 

resolution of 1280x800 pixels, 

produces 4500 lumens light 

output of full white image as 

well as 4500 lumens color light 

output and is for presentation 

use in education, government, 

corporate, house of worship and 

hospitality applications. For applications 

where more than a 

standard lens is needed, the 

VPL-FW41L is available. This 

model is not equipped with 

a lens, but 4 optional lenses 

are available to meet a range 

of needs, from long-throw projection 

to short-throw rear projection. 

Each model features 

3LCD technology, which helps 

to make projected images bright 

and natural, provide high light 

transmission, accurate color 

reproduction and smooth gradients 

in dark areas. It can help to 

prevent color break-up. Sony’s 

BrightEra technology produces 

a higher aperture ratio to deliver 

brighter images. 

Sony Electronics, Inc. 

(212) 833-6800 

pro.sony.com 

Extron’s Component 

Video to RGB Converter 

Extron Electronics’ CVC 300 

universal, high definition component 

video to RGB converter 

accepts all SD and HD analog 

component video formats, from 

480i and 576i to HDTV 1080p/60 

and 1920x1200, and transcodes 

the incoming component video 

signal for output as RGBHV or 

RGBS. It is appropriate for applications 

that require the integration 

of devices with component 

video output, such as DVD players, 

DTV tuners and DVRs, or 

game consoles, into RGB-based 

AV system designs. The CVC 

300 supports interlaced or progressive 

scan video with bi-level 

or tri-level sync, detecting and 

maintaining the relative timing 

of sync signals during the component 

video to RGB conversion 

process. It accepts RGsB 

signals for sync conversion to 

RGBHV or RGBS. 

Extron Electronics 

(714) 491-1500 

www.extron.com 

ClearOne’s 8-Mic 

Conferencing System 

ClearOne’s Converge Pro 

880TA is an addition to the 

Converge Pro suite of professional 

audio products. It includes 

automatic mic mixing, 

signal processing, ClearOne’s 

HDConference technology with 

ultra-wide-bandwidth acoustic 

echo cancellation, signal routing 

and 4 channels of built-in 

power amplification, making it a 

complete standalone system. It 

incorporates ClearOne’s DARE 

feedback eliminator, providing a 

feedback elimination algorithm. 

The Converge Pro 880TA can 

be linked with any of the other 

7 Converge Pro products to 

create larger systems that accommodate 

a greater number 

of participants. Appropriate 



JBL’s EON Portable Speakers 

Eletech’s EM21B Industrial MP3 Player 

Navitar’s 4K Projector Lenses 

for corporate meeting rooms, 

distance learning classrooms, 

courtrooms, training rooms, 

telepresence suites, videoconferencing 

rooms and any other 

group conferencing application. 

Concurrent with the release of 

the Converge Pro 880TA is a 

firmware package including additional 

enhancements. 

ClearOne Communications 

(801) 975-7200 

www.clearone.com 

One Systems’ 

Direct Weather Speaker 

One Systems’ 106IM direct 

weather speaker system has 

a compact design that provides 

full-bandwidth audio, high 

acoustic output and IP45-rated 

direct weather performance. It is 

a good background/foreground 

system for use in all weather 

conditions in indoor and outdoor 

spaces. The 106IM features a 

true compression driver coupled 

to a constant directivity high frequency 

horn. The rated coverage 

pattern of the compression 

driver/horn system is 90°Hx40°V. 

Its high-efficiency compression 

driver and crossover design 

provide high power handling 

and system reliability. The design 

of the 6" woofer enables 

extended bandwidth response 

and enhanced low frequency 

power handling. The 106IM’s 

weatherproof injection-molded 

enclosure is for use in extreme 

environments and offers a high 

degree of UV protection. The 

speaker system includes stainless 

steel M6 and M5 mounting 

points. 

One Systems 

(615) 823-1655 

www.onesystems.com 

JBL’s Portable Speakers 

JBL offers the next generation 

of EON portable speakers, including 

5 models spanning the 

EON500 and EON300 series. 

The speaker models feature 

deep-welled, full-size handles 

with ergonomically designed grip 

points. They offer light weight 

and balanced weight distribution. 

They are versatile, offering 

flexible mounting capability. 

The EON500 series features 

3 new models: the EON515 

and EON510 2-way powered 

speakers, and the EON518S 

subwoofer. Each of the fullrange 

EON500 series models 

features an on-board mini-mixer 

with loop-thru or mix-out capability, 

allowing for greater control 

of the speaker’s output. The 

EON315 15" 2-way speaker system 

offers a total of 280/560W 

(continuous/burst) power and 

weighs 35lb. The EON315 features 

a 15" JBL woofer and a 1" 

exit compression driver with a 

neodymium motor on a 100°x60° 

waveguide. 

JBL Professional 

(818) 894-8850 

www.jblpro.com 

Navitar’s 4K 

Projector Lenses 

Navitar offers custom lens making 

capabilities and a line of 

lenses optimized for 4096x2160 

resolution. Navitar delivers lens 

designs of high optical performance 

that meet 4K projector 

requirements of small pixel size, 

high pixel quantity and high contrast 

ratios. An example of Navitar’s 

custom 4K lenses is a long 

throw zoom lens offering throw 

ratios of 1.9 to 4.9:1 and focal 

lengths of 55.6 to 141.6mm. 

Designed with 12 groups of 14 

elements, this lens is optimized 

for a pixel size of 6.8 and provides 

good illumination and no 

distortion. Suitable for projection 

applications using JVC 4K D-ILA 

and Sony 4K SXRD projectors. 

Another custom lens example is 

a 1:1 relay lens designed for 8.5 

micron pixel size resolution for 

a 4K projector. Other designs 

include wide angle and 1:1 and 

1.2:1 lenses for 1080p projectors. 

Navitar, Inc. 

(585) 359-4000 

www.navitar.com 

Eletech’s Industrial 

MP3 Player 

Eletech has added a model, 

the EM21B, an industrial MP3 

player with CD quality output, 

to its QuikWave line of digital 

audio repeaters. A standard 

SD memory card is used for 

file storage, enabling hours of 

play of non-repeating audio. 

The EM21B provides 1 input 

for sound activation via push 

buttons, motion sensors, PLCs, 

etc. Like other members in the 

QuikWave family, it can be configured 

by the user for different 

modes of operation to meet 

application requirements. The 

EM21B is housed in a rugged 

metal enclosure and is operated 

with a 12V DC supply. The 

built-in 3W/channel power amp 

suits many applications. Should 

further amplification be needed, 

a line output is available. 

Typical applications: industrial 

equipment, museum exhibits, 


Chief’s PB1 In-Wall Power 

Extension System 

Crestron’s DM-MD8X8 8x8 DigitalMedia Switcher 

WEGENER’s CompelConnect.com 

Web-Based Network Control System 

RTcom USA’s HS-88M HDMI 

Matrix Router 

PA looping annunciator, point 

of purchase displays, Halloween 

attractions, etc. 

Eletech Electronics 

(626) 333-6394 

www.eletech.com 

and the PAC521P In-Wall Box 

for flat-panel TV wall-mount applications. 

Chief Manufacturing 

(952) 894-6280 

www.chiefmfg.com 

EDID resolution management 

and CEC device control. 

Crestron Electronics 

(201) 767-3400 

www.crestron.com 

enhanced support for multiple 

users per network. 

WEGENER 

(770) 814-4000 

www.wegener.com 

Chief’s In-Wall 

Power Extension System 

Chief Manufacturing’s PB1 In- 

Wall Power Extension System 

lets users get power where they 

need it, while managing cables 

and keeping them out of sight. 

For a clean installation, route 

cables in the wall from behind 

the flat-panel display down to 

the floor level. Features include 

remote connection to outlet or 

power conditioner; power routing 

via 14-gage Romex wiring (not 

included); integrated cable ports 

for low voltage wiring inside the 

wall; available in 4 colors (black, 

white, almond and ivory). Chief 

offers power management options 

to help manage power requirements, 

including power-infused 

accessories that combine 

power and power conditioning 

with the mounting accessory. 

Choose from options including 

Power Outlet Conditioners like 

the CMS440P Suspended Ceiling 

Kit, the CMS445P Suspended 

Ceiling Tile Replacement Kit 

Crestron’s Control, 

Distribution Solution 

Crestron’s DigitalMedia product 

line comprises an integrated 

solution that manages, controls 

and distributes all analog and 

uncompressed digital content 

over twisted pair or fiber. The 

core of a Crestron DigitalMedia 

(DM) system consists of matrix 

switchers, repeaters and receivers. 

Flexible and modular, DM 

matrix switchers accept every 

type of signal and transmit 

them long distance as digital 

DM signals. Built-in QuickSwitch 

HD technology pre-authorizes 

HDCP keys and maintains a 

constant handshake for fast, uninterrupted 

HD switching. At the 

end points, DM receivers output 

HDMI and control to the display. 

Crestron DigitalMedia accepts 

and distributes all analog audio 

and video, uncompressed digital 

signals, HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, 

HD-SDI, Ethernet and USB keyboard/mouse 

control. DM manages 

HDCP content protection, 

WEGENER’s 

Web-Based Solution 

WEGENER has launched CompelConnect.com, 

a web-based 

network control system for 

media networks. It provides a 

scalable solution for IP-based 

small and mid-sized video networks 

requiring localization on 

a site-by-site or regional basis. 

When used in conjunction with 

WEGENER’s iPump 525 IP media 

player, it is suitable for digital 

signage, corporate communications 

and subscription services. 

CompelConnect.com is a software-as-a-service 

(SaaS) that 

provides management tools for 

content distribution, scheduling, 

playout control, and health and 

status monitoring of WEGENER 

iPump 525 IP media players via 

the web. With an intuitive GUI, 

CompelConnect.com lets the 

user schedule how and when 

content is distributed, and in 

what style content is played out 

of iPump 525 IP media players. 

Clients have access to a remote 

network control system, with 

RTcom’s Digital 

Matrix Routers 

RTcom USA expanded its Digital 

Extender line of DVI and HDMI 

matrix routers with 6 models. 

The HS-44M, HS-66M and HS- 

88M HDMI matrix routers feature 

4-in-4-out, 6-in-6-out and 

8-in-8-out ports, respectively. 

Also, the DS-44HM, DS-66HM 

and DS-88HM high-performance 

DVI routers feature 4-in-4-out, 

6-in-6-out and 8-in-8-out ports, 

respectively. All 6 matrix routers 

offer full HDCP compliance, 

letting users transmit HD audio 

and video signals simultaneously 

to as many as 8 displays. 

With the matrix routers, DVI and 

HDMI signals from popular AV 

devices, such as AV receivers, 

satellite set top boxes and Bluray 

disc players, can be sent simultaneously 

to 4, 6 or 8 different 

displays without degradation 

in signal quality. 

RTcom USA 

(973) 383-4878 

www.digitalextender.com 

n 




Electrosonic’s Website 

Electrosonic’s redesigned website 

offers improved navigation, 

content and appearance. Its 

top page directs users to Electrosonic’s 

Products Division’s 

global website or regional websites 

for Electrosonic’s Solutions 

businesses. This design reflects 

the Products Division’s recent 

separation from the AV Systems 

Integration and Service business. 

Navigational menus along the top 

and left side ensure that visitors 

know where they are within the 

site. A photo montage on the top 

page scrolls through select Electrosonic 

products. The Solutions 

website’s montage shows photos 

of completed AV installations. 

Electrosonic 

(818) 333-3600 

www.electrosonic.com 

Minicom Digital 

Signage’s Catalog 

Minicom Digital Signage’s 8-page 

color catalog, displaying all of its 

solutions, can be downloaded 

from Minicom’s website. It offers 

extension, distribution and 

screen management solutions for 

“last mile” connectivity. The catalog 

offers a range of multimedia 

extenders and distributors over 

Cat5/6/7 cable, and presents 

HDMI/DVI, AV, USB and serial 

extensions, and the recently 

launched VGA Extender. 

Minicom Digital Signage 

(908) 486-2100 

www.minicomdigitalsignage. 

com 

Liberty Launches Website 

Liberty Wire & Cable has launched 

an upgraded website, intended to 

save customers time, effort and 

money while increasing their ability 

to manage projects online. The 

site is simpler to use and features 

streamlined graphics. Navigation 

is easier and faster, and rotating 

banners offer online-only money-saving 

product promotions. 

Detailed specification sheets for 

Liberty’s 7000-plus commercial 

and residential wire and cable 

Listen’s E-Commerce Site 

products are downloadable without 

registration requirement. Customers 

can track billable materials 

online, get price quotes, pay 

online and fully manage projects 

and accounts. 

Liberty Wire & Cable 

(719) 260-0061 

www.libertycable.com 

Listen Launches 

E-Commerce Site 

Listen Technologies launched 

an e-commerce website at www. 

Liberty’s Website 

shoplisten.net, providing a secure 

way to purchase accessories and 

submit repair requests. It was 

created in response to dealer 

requests for an easy way to route 

customers directly to Listen to 

purchase accessories with small 

sales totals. Customers can view 

availability of company products. 

Orders are processed for sameday 

shipping. The site accepts all 

major credit cards. 

Listen Technologies 

(801) 233-8992 

www.listentech.com n 

spotlight of sound 

(Continued from 57) 

is almost guaranteed. 

cases, when the employees By using directional tech- 

can’t easily turn the system nology, the customers in this 

off, they will break them. area hear the sound clearly, 

A well-known convenience 

store chain recently and the clerks are not sub- 

while the other customers 

deployed a large fleet of directional 

sound systems in distractions. 

jected to the extra noise or 

several regional markets. Some marketers have 

Each store has two LCD been even more creative. 

screens, each with a corresponding 

system aimed can be “beamed” much like 

Recognizing that sound 

to the area directly in front light, they would project 

of it. The selections were the sound onto the product 

chosen to be the highest rather than “shine” it at the 

traffic areas, and also where customer. One bookseller 

people were most likely to was able to have the books 

linger. The coffee bar, for themselves “read” excerpts 

example, where people are to passing customers. Supermarkets 

are experimenting 

preparing and stirring their 

coffee, is a perfect location with cereal boxes that play 

for news, weather reports a character’s voice, or laundry 

detergent that makes 

and customized advertising. 

It is one of the only places the sounds of the outdoors. 

where the customer’s attention 

(tens of seconds of it) enabled purely with the 

These new abilities are all 

audio 

technology; no modifications 

to the products themselves 

were needed. 

When considering the use 

of sound in retail environments, 

it’s important for any 

designer to consider carefully 

who should be hearing 

the sound, as well as who 

shouldn’t be. For delivering a 

uniform soundtrack to large 

continuous areas, traditional 

loudspeakers are a perfect 

choice. However, new directional 

sound technology has 

given us much more flexibility 

in sound design: the ability 

to provide sound only to 

those who want it (or those 

we want to hear it), while 

preser ving the quiet for 

those who do not. n 

Sound Advice 


as can be seen readily, the 

coverage is far from consistent, 

varying from 120 

degrees at 500Hz to just 40 

degrees at 5 to 6kHz. (The 

grayscale shading is 3dB 

per division.) 

The vertical coverage 

plot is shown in Figure 

15. The coverage pattern 

is immediately obvious. 

Although control is mainand 

be right because, at 

some frequency, this is 

what it can do. 

In fact, the only consistent 

aspect of this device 

is that it is consistently 

inconsistent! So, not a good 

loudspeaker to use—for 

any purpose—except, perhaps, 

as a door wedge. 

But being forearmed 

with loudspeaker coverage 



tained down to around 

300 to 400Hz, it collapses 

rapidly as the frequency 

increases and becomes 

laser-beam narrow over 

the 1.2kHz to 6kHz range 

before widening out again 

above 8kHz. If asked to 

state the vertical coverage 

angle for this device, you 

could pick any number 

between 5 and 120 degrees 

how: technology 


which United Christian 

Faith is growing, it is all but 

assured that its relationship 

with Sound Hill Technologies 

will continue, with additions 

to, and expansions 

of, the audiovisual outfitting. 

“They’re just busting 

out at the seams, and what 

we designed is going to be 

too small before too long,” 

admitted Hill. Asked to 

specify what technological 

additions are in the offing, 

he explained, “We’ll 

be expanding the lighting, 

and we’re also going to be 

adding more to the sound 

Figure 14. 

Horizontal 

coverage 

for typical 

column 

loudspeaker. 

Figure 15. 

Vertical 

coverage 

plot for 

poorly 

designed 

column 

loudspeaker. 

data is to be forewarned 

and, hopefully, will result 

in the correct device being 

used for the job. At least 

you should not have a 

nasty shock on the jobsite, 

though, if you do, I would 

suggest that you start 

reading this description 

over and seeing where you 

might have lost the plot 

(literally!). 

n 

system. We’ll be adding 

some compressors, limiters, 

gates, etc. And, we’ll 

probably need some more 

speakers. Finally, their television-related 

needs might 

lead to more expansions.” 

United Christian Faith 

Ministries typifies contemporary 

churchgoing…a 

lively and exuberant worship 

experience. However, “the 

message” would be neither 

as loud nor as clear without 

Sound Hill Technologies 

and the AV assortment with 

which it ably outfitted its 

client. 

n 

Sign age 


the amount of user training 

and assistance you’ll 

provide. This can be a real 

profit center when handled 

properly, or a money pit if 

user expectations are not 

managed well. 

“Support should be 

completely focused on 

post-installation support 

and should clearly spell 

out who does what,” 

recommended Lesak. He 

suggested that annual 

maintenance fees include 

line items, such as data 

subscriptions and remote 

monitoring. 

“Digital signs are frequently 

profit centers for 

our customers who are 

aware that advertising 

revenue from the signs can 

how: business 


Although most HOWs use 

some type of public address 

system during services, only 

a few use video projection. 

There are notable exceptions 

in Austria, Belgium, France, 

Germany, Holland and Italy. 

HOWs in Eastern Europe 

range from minimal use to 

amazing use of communication 

technologies, but media 

use in European HOWs overall 

is far less than in other 

parts of the world. 

• South America (Latin 

America) is experiencing 

amazing growth in HOWs, 

possibly more than any 

other continent. Brazil, 

Colombia, Costa Rica, 

Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, 

Mexico and Venezuela, in 

particular, are using audio 

and video technologies 

in functional and creative 

ways, including recording 

audio and video for 

broadcast and distribution. 

There are many HOWs 

lead to a project paying for 

itself within a short period 

of time,” noted Taylor. 

“Because of this, most 

clients will be interested 

in a service model that 

provides for an adequate 

number of critical spares 

for essential hardware, 

and electronic notification 

of hardware failures. This 

means that time-to-repair 

can be measured in hours 

and minutes, rather than 

days and weeks.” 

With careful planning 

and management of client 

expectations, the costs of 

deploying a digital signage 

system can be controlled 

to maximize both profitability 

and customer 

satisfaction. 

n 

that have yet to purchase 

tech, but they plan to do so 

in the near future. 

My rough picture of tech 

use around the world is 

far from complete. Many 

HOWs have yet to purchase 

and use communication 

technologies. I believe 

that, in the near future, 

they will. The fact that 

tech use is now seeded in 

many countries, and plays 

a major role in society at 

large, suggests that HOWs 

will continue to purchase 

and use communication 

technologies. 

Working globally is 

challenging for most of us. 

However, looking toward 

the future, I believe that 

there are many opportunities 

for integrators who 

are able to view the HOW 

market in global terms. 

That’s what I believe. Now, 

I want to know what you 

believe. 

n 


AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO SOUND & COMMUNICATIONS 

Biamp Systems 

Remote Ethernet Device (RED-1) 

Biamp® Systems announces its newest innovation - the Remote Ethernet 

Device (RED-1), a graphical remote control. RED-1 is an easy-to-use control 

that can be installed and configured to fit the needs of any application. The 

new remote control features an easy-to-read OLED screen and a capacitive 

touch wheel that gives users the option of adjusting or initiating up to 32 

selectable system volumes and actions. Additionally, the control functions are 

pre-programmed into the Audia® and Nexia® system software, making RED- 

1 a natural fit for any Biamp installation. RED-1 connects through standard 

CAT-5/6/7 cabling and is powered over Ethernet, eliminating the need for 

custom cabling and local power sources. Additionally, RED-1 surface mounts 

to any wall, which enables a fast and simple installation. 

WEB ADDRESS: www.biamp.com 

Crest Audio 

CV 20 Console Now Available 

Crest Audio is now shipping the CV 20 live-sound mixing console, an incredibly 

flexible VCA audio solution designed for applications such as front-of-house, 

monitors and monitors from front-of-house. The CV 20 is available in 32, 

40, 48, 56 and 64 mono input configurations with four-band sweepable EQ 

and fully parametric mid-frequency control on each mono input. A feature 

set of 12 aux sends, eight subgroup assignments and L/C/R panning to the 

Left/Right and Mono busses provide a wealth of audio routing options as well 

as Crest Audio’s renowned pristine sound quality. Standard on all frames are 

eight stereo input channels; four dual-line channels; eight VCA masters; 12 aux 

masters; eight subgroups; 128 VCA assignments; 144 mute scenes with MIDI 

control; 16 mute groups, an 11x4 matrix that is expandable to 19x4; fader 

reverse; and full dynamics on all subgroups and main busses. 

WEB ADDRESS: www.crestaudio.com 

Vaddio 

The ClearVIEW 

HD-18 

The ClearVIEW HD-18 single CCD 

robotic PTZ camera offers affordable 

high-quality HD/SD integration 

with Vaddio’s already-popular Cat. 

5 cabling technology. This groundbreaking 

PTZ camera is equipped with a 1/3-inch, 1.3 megapixel CCD imaging 

sensor, a glass multi-element wide dynamic zoom lens (18x optical), tally light 

and a 1.8-lux rating, providing superior images in a wide range of high-definition 

video applications. The HD-18 is the only multi-format PTZ camera that 

delivers component HD in 1080p, 1080i or 720p and simultaneous SD video. 

Control runs via VISCA command protocol or the IR remote that is supplied. 

High-torque, micro-stepper precision robotics enhance performance with 

smooth pan/tilt operation for accurate camera movement and control. The 

HD-18 is compatible with any Polycom or TANDBERG videoconferencing 

codec. WallVIEW CCU and WallVIEW systems are also available. 

WEB ADDRESS: www.vaddio.com 

E-MAIL: kperkins@vaddio.com 

LG Electronics 

65-inch LCD Monitor 

For hospitality and entertainment applications that require larger digital signage 

needs, LG has introduced an all-new 65-inch class Full HD capable monitor 

(model M6500C). With a 1920 x 1080p display resolution and an ultra high 

contrast ratio of 3,000:1, this 65-inch class model allows for crisp imaging on 

a big screen. The largest of LG’s LCD screens, the 65-inch class monitor is 

truly diverse and can be applied in any number of settings. Whether it’s for 

the big game, or information sharing, the M6500C can be used in video wall 

applications with its unique built in matrix tiling capability. From displaying 

bus or train routes in larger terminals to playing the latest sports game in 

hospitality settings to running continuous news feeds in corporate environments, 

the 65-inch monitor can enliven any environment. 

WEB ADDRESS: www.LGcommercial.com 



For advertising rates and deadlines call 800-YES-7678 x514 

SUPPLIERS 


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AtlasSound.com 

800.876.3333 

©2009 Atlas Sound LP. Atlas Sound is a trademark of Atlas Sound. All rights reserved. ATS003596 RevA 6/09 

For the largest selection of 

Pro A/V Premium Baluns 

ATS003596 ROCKFA62T-BR 2in S&C.indd 1 

6/30/09 11:06:56 AM 

www.etslan.com 1-800-752-8208 

STEEL ROLLTOP CABINETS 

Offers Beautiful AND Secure Storage for all 

of your Audio, Video, and Lighting Equipment. 

Beautiful Laminates to meet any decor requirements. 

Perfect for Gymnasiums, Auditoriums, 

Multi-Purpose Rooms, Theaters, Live Music 

Venues and Houses of Worship 

Tel: 614-873-0480 

Fax: 614-873-2450 

www.securecabinet.com 

FULL DISCOUNTS • FAST SERVICE 

Pro Audio Sales 

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TOLL FREE 

800•203•5611 

WWW.SOUNDPRO.COM 




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Number: 

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Full product line for sound control 

and noise elimination. 

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AD INDEX 

Company Page # 

AES..............................................19 

Astatic..........................................36 

Atlas Sound............................. C-III 

Bittree..........................................52 

CEDIA.........................................33 

ClearOne Communications.......48 

Community.................................17 

Crest Audio.................................11 

Da-Lite Screen Company.....14/15 

Digital Projection........................13 

Doremi Labs...............................39 

Electro-Voice.............................C-II 

Galaxy Audio...............................27 

HM Electronics..........................57 

Holosonic Research Labs..........41 

InfoComm...................................29 

International Audio Visual..........8 

ITSENCLOSURES.....................23 

Lectrosonics................................45 

LG Electronics..............................5 

Omnivex......................................22 

RGB Spectrum............................31 

Samsung Electronics America..21 

Sony Electronics..................... C-IV 

Speco Technologies.....................3 

Stardraw.com..............................51 

SurgeX.........................................32 

TeachLogic..................................47 

Vaddio..........................................37 

Yamaha Commercial Audio.........7 

Yamaha Commercial Audio.......25 

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SUPPLIERS 

 

 

 

 

 

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Established Rep Firms. 

Phone: 253-395-9500 

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email: chriseomnisistem.com 

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View our digital edition at 

www.soundandcommunications.com 

and use the search feature 

to find items of interest! 




SUPPLIERS 


for sale 

SOUND/LIGHTING CO. FOR SALE 

Profitable 40yr old west coast sound 

& lighting co. Turnkey mgmt. 

Events/permanent installations 

• Retail Sales • Full Service 

Production • Contracting/Installations 

• Rentals • Complete Service and 

Repair. Sales $2.4 MM with 40+% 

gross margins. 

Madeleine Eno Piper Group 

International 503.620.1800 

meno@pipergroupinternational.com.

Retail Environments 


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

(the 24 th edition, published with this issue) and the Worship Center Survey (the 12 th edition, published with the March 2009 issue). 

To tie in with this month’s retail theme, we are analyzing 

information provided by respondents to the 24 th 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 retail 

integration projects. 

Question #4 relates to business trends, specifically total 

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

from the 24 th annual Commercial Systems Integration Survey 

is the first we have had that reflects the economic downturn 

that began in early 2008, so it is not surprising that business 

has dipped from 2007 highs. In 2007, 92% of respondents reported 

experiencing a business increase of some magnitude, 

with 75% enjoying a bounce of 5% or more. This time, that has 

dipped to 79% experiencing increased business, with only 61% 

attaining that 5% or more business bounce. However, the data 

from 2005 and 2006 helps put this downturn in perspective; 

indeed, 2007, a hugely successful year for integrators in this 

segment, is made to look anomalous. Retail still appears to 

be on solid footing in terms of AV applications. 

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

find some rather dramatic changes here. For instance, in 2007, 

a whopping 57% of respondents reported that their average 

project size fell between $5000 and $25,000. This time, that 

has plunged nearly 20 percentage points to 39%. However, 

this time, 25% of those surveyed reported their average size 

is less than $5000, whereas, in 2007, only 11% so reported. 

Thus, one might conclude that, with budgets constricted, AV 

projects in the retail space are getting a bit smaller. Nevertheless, 

there are still some larger projects to be found. For 

instance, 28% of respondents indicated their average size falls 

between $25,000 and $100,000. Higher values once again got 

their typically low response. 

Question #10 relates to the number of projects completed 

in the previous six-month period. If project sizes are getting 

smaller on average, as the discussion about Question #7 seems 

to indicate, then, naturally, more projects must be completed 

in order to achieve profits. This seems to be exactly what 

is happening. In 2007, merely 7% of respondents reported 

completing between 21 and 50 projects in the previous sixmonth 

period; this time, that has surged to 33%. It appears as 

though just about all of those percentage points came from 

the 6-10 and 11-20 answers. Contrary to this trend toward 

more projects, though, is a seven-percentage-point increase 

in those reporting five or fewer projects in the previous six 

months. 

n 

Based on responses to the 24 th Annual Commercial Systems Integration 

Survey, published in this issue, which polled 4800 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. 

61% 

Increased 5% or 

more 

Average dollar size of jobs 

11% 

75% 

25% 

13% 

11% 

39% 

57% 

$1,000,000 

100 

33% 



7% 7% 7% 7% 

14% 



Complex Problems 

I need a speaker line I can trust from a full 

line supplier. One that’s been proven in real 

world applications! 

Customers demand premium quality sound. 

I need a speaker that can exceed performance 

expectations at an affordable price! 

Consistent voicing and performance 

between models is important. I need a full 

line for many different installations! 

Atlas 

©2009 Atlas Sound LP. Atlas Sound and Atlas Learn are trademarks of Atlas Sound. All rights reserved. 

ATS003597 RevA 6/09 

FAP82T 

FAP62T 

FAP42T - UL2043 

FAP8CXT 

FAP40T 

FAP42TC - UL2043 

FAP62T - UL2043 

FAP40T 

FAPSUB 

FAP42TC 

SAFETY FIRST: New UL2043 Listed models 

can be installed in true plenum spaces without 

additional considerations. These models use 

a new plastic polymer that passes burn test to 

keep toxic fumes out of the air 

handling systems and keep your 

customers safe. 

All models are 

UL1480 Listed! 

Solutions 

Atlas Sound FAP series 

 

 

 

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Twenty-Fourth Annual 

Commercial Systems 

Integration Survey 


SUPPLEMENT TO SOUND & COMMUNICATIONS


 

24 th Commercial Systems Integration Survey 

Sound & 

Communications’ 

TWeNTy-Fourth Annual 

Survey of the 

INTEGRATION Business 

The Low-Voltage Integration 

Community Reports on Itself. 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 

20% 

15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

Western 8% 

Q #1 Respondents By type of Region 






Rural Suburban Urban (Large) Urban (Small) 

Q #2 Respondents By Region 

Northwest 4% 

Southwest 16% 

Central Plains 3% 

North Central 3% 

Midwest 15% 

Great Lakes 13% 

South 10% 

Northeast 16% 

Eastern 12% 

By David A. Silverman 

Sound & Communications’ Commercial 

Systems Integration Survey offers a statistical 

snapshot of the low-voltage integration community. 

A service to the industry, this 24 th annual 

independent analysis is included as part of each 

reader’s subscription to Sound & Communications 

magazine. It offers long-term tracking from 

within the industry, including five-year trends 

when appropriate. 

This analysis evolves each year, just as 

commercial systems integration changes, and 

responses from industry executives continue to 

provide invaluable information. For details about 

how this survey is formulated, see “Methodology.” 

As always, we continue our efforts to make 

this material more visually appealing. For that, we 

thank graphic artist Janice Pupelis for her creative 

efforts. 

Methodology 

For the second year, we used a “green” approach 

to handling the survey questionnaire and 

responses. We emailed 4889 of our subscribers 

who classified themselves in our official BPA Audit 

as “Management/Owners” within the “Contractors: 

Sound, Systems Integration, Audio/Video” categories. 

This eliminates the printing and snail mailing 

of paper in both directions. (Note that, in 2007, we 

replaced 1500 of the “Contractors” category with 

“Management/Owners” of the “Consulting/Engineering/Design 

Firm.” As a result, some of the 

answers demonstrated a “skew” from the different 

base within the five-year comparison charts. This 

was addressed in the text of that year’s report.) 

As always, we thank all who spent the 20 minutes 

or so it takes to complete the questionnaire 

with frank, detailed information about their businesses, 

and are grateful for the higher response 

this year. This is a proven industry resource that, 

in essence, is written by you for you! 

As always, we also tweaked some questions. 

These changes are detailed with the discussion of 

individual questions in “Results.” 

Survey questions were presented in such a 

way that responses could be displayed as percentages 

contributing to the whole, such as pie charts; 

for questions allowing multiple answers or where 

multiple-year comparisons are more valuable, 

results are shown in bar graphs. 

In addition to numerical results, we include 

some of the more interesting (and, in some cases, 

entertaining) answers to two open-ended questions 

about trade associations and manufacturers. 

Results 

Each year, respondents’ locations have been 

similar, with Urban and Suburban locations typically 

dominating. For this 24 th report, however, we 

see a large shift in Rural and Suburban responses

Q #3 total number of employees 

60% 

50% 

40% 






in Question 1. You can see that Rural went from 

7% to 20% this year, with Suburban losing 14 

percentage points (23% compared to last year’s 

37%). Because of these changes, we’re continuing 

with a five-year bar graph for this question. 

Although regional changes depicted in 

Question 2 typically are relatively insignificant 

from year to year, this time we have about twice 

the response from the Midwest versus 2008, with 

Western showing a drop from last year’s 13% to 

the current 8%. The other regions are about the 

same. 

Staffing typically has been consistent from year 

to year, as represented in the chart for Question 3. 

Discounting the 2007 data (see earlier comments 

about that report), we see little change. The commercial 

systems integration community remains 

a primarily small-business segment, with 78% 

reporting 20 or fewer employees. This is carried 

through in Question 3a, asking about company 

ownership. At a fairly consistent 66% in the 

Family-Owned category, and another 32% calling 

themselves Non-Family, Independent Company, 

our industry continues on its entrepreneurial way. 

Companies such as AVI-SPL and The Whitlock 

Group, for example, are atypical. 

InfoComm International’s 2008 “Dealer 

Compensation & Benefits Survey” (the most 

recent data available) reported an average of 6.7% 

growth for our industry in 2007, with 2008 projected 

to be +6.1%. Of course, the world economy 

went south in the 2008/2009 period, and it’s hard 

to predict real growth numbers at this point. 

With that said, Question 4, reflecting Business 

Trends, illustrates that, although not “recessionproof,” 

our traditional base continues growing. 

This is a result of the technology that commercial 

systems integrators offer: Audio and video have 

become a virtual requirement across the board 

in our society, whether by government mandate 

(such as Americans With Disabilities Act requirements 

and assistive-listening and life/safety 

systems), cost savings (telepresence and audio 

conferencing for business) or societal pressures 

(flat screens almost everywhere, from retail to 

restrooms), for example. 

Even with 10% showing a decrease in business 

of less than 5%, and 14% indicating a decrease of 

more than 5%, we see 64% reporting an increase 

in 2008 of some magnitude, almost identical to 

2006’s combined 63%. Certainly, there is still hope 

for similar, if not better, numbers for 2009, which 

we’ll report on in July 2010. 

How readers categorize their company’s business 

has remained relatively stable over the years; 

this time is no exception, as can be seen in the 

chart for Question 5. 

The chart for Question 6, “What Do You Call 

Your Business?”, shows consistency, as well, 

other than the obviously anomalous Dealer category, 

which has returned to its traditional level. 

30% 


10% 

0% 

< 5 6 - 20 21 - 50 51 - 100 > 100 

Q #3a business ownership 

80% 

70% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 


10% 

0% 

Family-Owned Company Non-Family, Independent Company Part of a Larger Firm 

Q #4 business trends 

80% 

70% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 


10% 

0% 

Increased 5% Or More Increased Less Than 

5% 

Stayed The Same 











Decreased Less Than Decreased More Than 

5% 

5% 


 

24 th Commercial Systems Integration Survey


 


Q #5 characterize your company’s Business 


18% 

16% 

14% 

12% 

10% 

8% 

6% 

4% 

2% 

0% 

Q #6 what do you call your business? 

45% 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

Equipment 

Sales 

Equipment 

Rental 

System 

Design 

System 

Installation 

System 

Integration 

Q #7 average value of jobs completed 

45% 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 






Consulting 

System 

Service & 

Maintenance 






Other 

Dealer Installer Consultant Contractor Systems Integrator Design/Install Firm 

< $5000 $5000-$25,000 $25,000-$100,000 $100,000- 

$500,000 

500,000- 

$1,000,000 




N/A N/A N/A N/A 

N/A=Not Available 

0% 0% 

>$1,000,000 

We changed the values in Questions 7 and 8 

three years ago to better reflect the realities of 

the cost of jobs in today’s world of integrated 

systems, raising the top three job values and 

adding a sixth level of >$1,000,000. Thus, we 

have a three-year history to report here. 

Just as we illustrated in our 23 rd report, the 

charts representing those questions’ responses 

are indicative of a healthy industry. When reporting 

about the Average Value of Jobs Completed 

(Question 7), 4% were ranked at more than 

$500,000…so the money’s still out there! 

For 2007, there seemed to be fewer small 

jobs, but that has rebounded. The rest of the 

categories are also relatively steady over the 

three-year reporting period. In Question 8, the 

largest category (>$1,000,000) may have been 

affected by several large stadium-type projects 

(Yankee Stadium, the Cowboys Stadium and Citi 

Field, for example), major hotels or other such 

installations that were in the pipeline before the 

economy changed. 

Nonetheless, 77% of the industry’s projects 

last year were in the under-$500,000 category, 

with 26% under $25,000. 

These results continue to be consistent with 

our 12 th Annual Worship Center Survey (published 

with Sound & Communications’ March 

2009 issue), with media/AV ministers reporting 

their spending patterns. Their spending on both 

audio and video continues. (Additional copies of 

that report are available for $2.95; send an email 

to surveys@testa.com for information.) 

In Question 9, related to average time from 

order to job completion, the 3-5 weeks category 

continues to dominate, indicating 40% 

this time and 45% last year. The categories of 

11-20 weeks and >20 weeks have returned to 

their more traditional levels, around 10% of our 

respondents. As customers’ tastes become more 

sophisticated and the technology capabilities 

increase, it takes more time to fine-tune these 

installations. 

Although Question 8 indicated that there 

are fewer of the very small (

Q #8 largest job completed 

40% 

35% 

30% 




25% 


15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

< $5000 $5000-$25,000 $25,000-$100,000 $100,000- 

$500,000 

500,000- 

$1,000,000 

>$1,000,000 

ALTHOUGH NOT 

‘RECESSION-PROOF,’ 

Q #9 average time from order to job completion 

OUR TRADITIONAL BASE 

50% 

45% 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 

5% 






CONTINUES GROWING. 

AUDIO AND VIDEO HAVE 

BECOME A VIRTUAL 

REQUIREMENT ACROSS 

THE BOARD, WHETHER BY 

GOVERNMENT MANDATE 


 

0% 

Q #10 

35% 

30% 

25% 


< 2 weeks 3-5 weeks 6-10 weeks 11-20 weeks > 20 weeks 

number of jobs completed, last 6 months 






OR SOCIETAL PRESSURES. 


15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

< 5 6-10 11-20 21-50 51-100 > 100

Q #11 number of jobs booked, next 6 months 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

< 5 6-10 11-20 21-50 51-100 > 100 

Q #12 2009 CRITERIA FOR SELECTING BRANDS TO CARRY 






from last year, this might be a result of some of 

the large stadium and similar projects that have 

been completed and are no longer on the books. 

Reliability and Performance are the leaders 

in Question 12, related to Criteria For Selecting 

Brands To Carry, followed by Manufacturer/Rep 

Support and Quality Of Manufacturer’s Warranty 

Service; later, we’ll see how this relates to Question 

32. Lowest on the priority list are Credit 

Availability and Exclusive Distribution. 

As in past surveys, response to Question 13, 

asking about ranges of competitively bid jobs, 

remains consistent. 

Last year, we saw a drop in publicly funded 

jobs (Question 14), and remarked that the 

economy might have been a factor at that point. 

This time around, we see a major jump in publicly 

funded projects. No doubt, this is a result of 

the new administration’s initiatives: With the billions 

of dollars being pumped into the economy, 

it makes sense that some part of it will reach the 

integration segment. After all, one of President 

Obama’s stated goals is to upgrade our educational 

system. How else than by making schools 

more IT- and AV-centric while improving the 

infrastructure and staffing? 

Here’s the first of the two most important 

questions in the survey: #15, which details the 

types of work respondents do; later, #18 covers 

where they do it. 

Respondents to Question 15 rate each 

category as a percentage of their company’s total 

sales. Last year, we saw spikes in Commercial 


Q #12 2008 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

 

0 


Dealer Dealer Margin Margin 

Credit Availability 

Reliability Reliability 

In Stock/Availability 

Performance Performance 

Manufacturer/Rep Support 

Customer Customer Perception Perception Of Brand Of Brand Prestige Prestige 

Length Of Manufacturer’s Warranty 

Quality Of Quality Manufacturer's Of Manufacturer’s Warranty Warranty Service Service 

Exclusive Distribution 

4 

3 

2 

Most Important 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

Least Important

Audio Systems, Multimedia AV Presentation 

Systems and Residential Systems. That makes 

sense: The first two form the backbone of our 

industry. With all of the economic changes in 

2008, the residential segment took a big hit. 

However, we’re surprised to see those first 

two drop so much, although they’re both still 

major contributors to overall sales. Some of 

the drop is absorbed in slight upticks in Paging 

Systems, Video (Nonsecurity)/Digital Signage, 

Alarm, Security, Life Safety and Sound Masking. 

Some of these shifts are predictable based 

on economic and other obvious factors; but, 

because our survey respondents differ from year 

to year, some may be a result of demographic 

differences. 

Some of the “softness” in certain categories 

may also be attributed to the fact that, recently, 

there has been less major innovation in related 

technology; thus, there may be less impetus to 

spike any given category. Because other survey 

questions show positive activity in installation/ 

integration, this is not something about which to 

be concerned. 

Lighting is not everyone’s cup of tea, but 

the responses to related questions, #16 and 

#17, remain relatively consistent from survey to 

survey. Although we don’t display Question 16 

graphically, it is important to note that, last year, 

45% of respondees were working with lighting-specific 

systems and 24% were considering 

such installations; this time, 49% are already 

involved, with 21% on the fence. 

Q #13 percentage of jobs competitively bid? 

76-100% 

< 10% 

51-75% 

7% 

12% 

31% 

27% 

23% 

26-50% 

11-25% 

Q #14 PERCENTAGE OF JOBS PUBLICLY FUNDED? 

50% 

45% 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 






35% 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

5% 

0% 

< 5% 6-15% 16-30% 31-60% 61-100% 

Q #15 COMPANy ACTIVITIES’ CONTRIBUTIONS TO overall SALES 







 



 


Q #17 estimated expenditures for lighting-specific systems 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 


10% 

0% 

Q #18 venues 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 

$500,000 

5% 

0% 

Q #19 ELECTRICIAN’S LICENSE (COMPANY OR ANY INDIVIDUAL)? 

No 

68% 

Yes 

32% 






0% 

Of those 49%, the chart for Question 17 

shows a spike in the $10,000-$50,000 category, 

while most others (aside from $100,000- 

$500,000, which was basically flat) indicate a 

drop. Regardless, 77% of the lighting business 

is in the lower end, ranging from

Question 19, asking if survey recipients or 

their companies have an electrician’s license, 

doesn’t change much from survey to survey; 

it’s no different this year, with only a 2% shift 

from the previous report. We continue to advocate 

adding this capability to your “toolbox.” 

It opens up a lot of potential opportunities 

outside the traditional AV market. 

We keep asking Question 19a, related to 

familiarity with the Construction Specifications 

Institute’s 2004 MasterFormat changes. As potentially 

important as this issue is for the lowvoltage 

segment, it still hasn’t filtered down 

to systems integrators. For more, read the 

“Industry POV” written by InfoComm’s Randy 

Lemke, PhD, and “Architectural Perspectives” 

by RTKL’s Tony Warner, CTS-D, CSI CDT, LEED 

AP, both in our June 2009 issue. 

Question 20, asking about current contact, 

hasn’t really changed over the five-year history, 

so we’ve brought it back to a simple pie chart. 

The Customer/Facility Manager is “king.” 

The Customer/Facility Manager is also 

“king” when integrators relate with whom they 

should have more contact, followed closely 

by the Architect (Question 21), with slowly 

increasing numbers. Perhaps, when more 

integrators actually have increased contact 

with the architects, we’ll see more of an understanding 

of the benefits of MasterFormat 04 

showing up here. 

As we said last year, “Looks like [working 

with] the Consultant isn’t high on systems integrators’ 

lists”; this has been the case throughout 

the history of Question 22, which asks 

about the function with which you should have 

less contact. Integrators and consultants often 

don’t see eye-to-eye on design and brands, for 

example. The head-butting continues. 

Now we get into an interesting area of this 

survey, with questions asking about use of 

technology. (Note: N/A indicates that the options 

are relatively new to our survey, so there 

is no data available for the indicated year.) 

Question 23, asking about technologies 

used for the first time recently, shows that 

there has been little movement over last year’s 

responses. It’s always interesting to note the 

None of These response: The people we’re 

hearing from may have been using many of 

these technologies for years…or, on the other 

hand, are not planning to try anything new just 

yet. It can be interpreted either way. Nonetheless, 

we keep adding categories as needed; 

Audio Over IP Systems, Digital Signage and 

Lighting Systems/Control are the most recent. 

Question 24 asks about planned use 

of newer technologies. The recently added 

categories just mentioned will see a lot more 

activity in the next year, based on our readers’ 

response here. Audio Over IP Systems and 

Digital Signage show the biggest potential 

activity for the near future. 

The new categories typically are of interest 

to integrators who understand the changes 

in societal applications of communications 

technology, and who want to try to make their 

customers’ installations as future-proof as 

possible. And, of course, getting into something 

new before the crowd allows for higher 

margins and a competitive edge—at least for 

the short term. 

Q #19a are you familiar with the major revision of the csi 

masterformat in 2004 and how it may affect your 

business? 

Q #20 

Q #21 

50% 

45% 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

No 

68% 

Yes 

32% 

FUNCTION WITH WHICH YOU HAVE the MOST CONTACT 

Architect 

6% 

Consultant 

9% 

Customer/Facility 

Manager 

77% 

Electrical Contractor 

8% 

FUNCTION WITH WHICH YOU SHOULD HAVE MORE CONTACT 






Architect Consultant Electrical Contractor Customer/Facility Manager 


 



10 


Q #22 FUNCTION WITH WHICH YOU SHOULD HAVE LESS CONTACT 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 


10% 

0% 

Q #23 

TECHNOLOGIES USED FOR THE FIRST TIME 

IN the LAST 12 MONTHS 

Question 25 has to do with something about 

which every industry association—InfoComm 

International, NSCA, BICSI, ESPA, ESTA and others—is 

concerned: how the industry views the value 

of training. Obviously—and we’ve said this many a 

time over the years—training is not high on the list 

of systems integrators. The numbers tell all. We see 

some positive movement, but certainly not enough. 

It doesn’t have to be certification, even though all 

of InfoComm’s CTS programs have been ANSI-certified 

for the first time; attending non-commercial 

programs, or even sponsored programs, is critical 

to keeping up with the newest technologies—such 






Architect Consultant Electrical Contractor Customer/Facility Manager 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 

5% 






N/A 

as those in Questions 23 and 24—and applications, 

as well as upcoming changes in the 

industry. 

Last year, we offered a five-year history of 

Question 25 for the first time. We were excited 

to see the change in the 3-4% category, 

and offered, “Let’s hope this is a trend, not an 

anomaly.” Anomaly it must have been, because 

we note here that, not only was the 3-4% 

improvement a fluke, but we also have more 

in the 12% categories are showing some 

improvement (5% and 2%, respectively) 

As we’ve said in our editorial pages, training 

is a must for the long term. Over the years, 

many integrators have told us, “We don’t have 

the time.” Well, now, when the pace may be a 

bit slower because of the economy, this could 

be the time. Take advantage of this opportunity 

to educate staff. That, along with the proper 

employee benefit/incentive packages, will keep 

your staff for years to come. 

On a positive note, InfoComm International 

CTS numbers continue to rise, about 9000 as 

of this writing. Of course, this is good, but the 

number still represents only a small portion of 

our industry. 

Question 31 asks, “Industry trade/professional 

associations, in addition to offering 

training and certification for individuals, should 

encourage the establishment of a quality standard 

(i.e., certification of shops, not individuals) 

for the contractor/dealer/installer/integrator 

community.” We were surprised for the last two 

years by the big jump in those who agree, thinking 

that at least the 2007 data was anomalous 

based on our different demographic. Last year’s 

percentage was relatively consistent. But, alas, 

that was too good to be true. One would think, 

as the industry grows, and margins get tighter, 

that industry members would want to have 

quality standards that weed some of the trunk 

slammers and others out of the bidding mix. 

Obviously, we’re wrong on this count! 

The world wide web is playing a larger 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A N/A N/A 

0% 

N/A=Not Available

ole each year, and the importance of easy-tonavigate, 

up-to-date, comprehensive websites 

can’t be overstated. As a result, effective with 

the June 2009 issue, you can find 

your monthly Sound & Communications 

and twice-yearly IT/AV Report, 

featuring the most recent technical 

information available, online at www. 

soundandcommunications.com. 

In Question 32, we ask about how 

equipment manufacturers’ websites 

are fulfilling that goal. It is good to 

see that 91% of our respondees feel 

that manufacturers’ websites are doing 

the job. However, there is always 

room for improvement, as can be 

observed in the 9% category. (Last 

year’s numbers were 49% (Somewhat 

Useful), 44% (Extremely Useful) 

and 7% (Need Improvement). 

Question 33 asks about the relationship 

between AV and IT professionals, 

and how it’s affecting the 

bottom line. Perhaps some people 

responding are already working 

extensively with IT segments and 

understand the potential positives 

from this relationship, which would 

give them a “No” response. Or, others 

may not want to have anything 

to do with IT, so still answer “No.” Regardless, 

this is an important issue for the growth of this 

industry, and those “Undecided” really need to 

get off the fence. 

It’s good to see, in Question 34, that 64% 

offer service/maintenance contracts, a number 

that has been relatively stable over its four-year 

history. We firmly believe that offering these 

services, which have relatively low overhead 

(and no inventory requirements!), can produce 

the most profit potential for systems integrators. 

How long has it been since you made a sizable 

margin on a piece of hardware? Engineering/installation 

fees during the project and long-term 

relationships (contracts) following completion 

are most conducive to making an actual profit. 

As with the training issue discussed earlier, we’d 

like to see these numbers improve, as well. After 

Q #31 

80% 

70% 

60% 

80% 

50% 

70% 

40% 

60% 

30% 

50% 


40% 

10% 

30% 

0% 


There should Be a Quality 

Standard For Shops 

Q #24 

35% 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

50% 

45% 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 


15% 

10% 

Agree Neutral Disagree 

5% 

0% 

technologies expected to be used for the first 

time in the next 12 months 

Q #25 






PERCENTAGE OF SALES SPENT ON TRAINING 






< 2% 






3-4% 5-7% 8-12% > 12% 






N/A N/A N/A N/A 

N/A=Not Available 

all, keeping an existing customer is more profitable 

than having to start from scratch with a new one. 

The Annual Commercial Systems Integration 

Survey (published with Sound & Communications’ 

July issue) and the Annual Worship Center Survey 

(next one to be published in March 2010) are created 

and supported by Sound & Communications 

and its publisher, Testa Communications. If you 

have comments about our conclusions or suggestions 

for next year’s editions, please send them to 

dsilverman@testa.com. 

n 


11 


10%

Q #32 I find equipment manufacturers’ websites: 

Somewhat Useful 

Q #33 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

40% 

Need Improvement 

9% 

Extremely Useful 

51% 

is your company concerned about it professionals 

affecting your bottom line in the next year? 






Q #29 

WHAT ONE ACTION COULD 

MANUFACTURERS TAKE TO HELP 

YOUR BUSINESS? 

n Additional training opportunities. 

n Keep product in stock. 

n Better customer service under a warranty situation. 

n Respect the AV integration channel. 

n Standardize RS232 protocols or just go to IP 

control. 

n Offer exclusive lines through custom installation not 

offered in big box retailers: Show they care about our 

channel by offering products with actual profitability 

in mind for the expense of the inventory space their 

products consume. 

n Improved website information and print-ready sales 

information. 

n Sell only to licensed contractors and dealers. Stop 

selling to end users!!! 

n With the decline in project budgets, keeping prices 

competitive and accessible for customers to purchase 

system upgrades. 

n Make dealers aware of availability issues when they 

arise, rather than when the order is late. 

n Stop competing with their own dealers. Too many 

reps and manufacturers are working against their 

own dealers for business. Why would anyone want to 

inventory product or promote a company only to lose 

a sale to their rep? 

n Online training and product-specific certification. 

n Leads, leads, leads. 


Q #30 

WHAT ACTIONS WOULD YOU LIKE 

A TRADE ASSOCIATION TO TAKE? 


12 


10% 

0% 

Q #34 

80% 

70% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 


10% 

0% 

Yes No Undecided 

does your company offer service/maintenance 

contracts? 

Yes 

No 





n NSCA: Make insurance group the entire NSCA 

membership so sole proprietors can have access to 

better, less expensive healthcare and other insurance. 

n NSCA: Education should be streamlined with more 

on-line classes and a clear cut manner as to how a 

firm should proceed with its staff. 

n BICSI: More promotion to other industries as to the 

need for BICSI. 

n Add subcontractor division. We know everyone 

uses them, but they are treated like a red-headed 

stepchild. 

n Lower overhead and guidelines to participate with 

associations. 

n An electrician’s licensing program that would be 

valid in all 50 states. 

n Continue offering training, and set standards. 

n Education with less focus on the “business model.” 

n Consumer education as to why trained and certified 

professionals are worth the added expenses. 

n Help toward National Quality Standards. Certification 

of firms using totally independent assessors (i.e., 

not from within competing firms). 

n More public marketing. 

n More online training. 

n Monitor manufacturers and reps doing backdoor 

selling. 

n Remove dishonest members. 

n Pick up the tab or pressure companies for more 

reasonable fees for the training classes. Hard to make 

the profit on equipment when you have big box retailers 

cut-throating, yet needing the training to win the 

contracts only to give up another portion of the profits 

for the training! 

n Talk about how companies can work together to 

strengthen our industry. 

n Actively establish standards. 

n Standardize which side the power cord goes on.

Sound & Communications July 20, 2009 issue

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