Essential Install July 2022 by All Things Media

JULY 2022

THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE AV AND SMART HOME INDUSTRY

SPEAKERS

THE NEW BATCH

MUSIC SYSTEMS

LISTEN CAREFULLY

GAMING

SIM CITY

NEW PRODUCT

HDBaseT™ Matrix with Advanced Audio Integration We are pleased to announce the launch of three feature rich HDBaseT™ Matrix, the HMXL88ARC, HMXL66ARC and HMXL42ARC-KIT. Using CSC technology, these powerful HDBaseT™ matrix support 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 resolutions over distances of 40m over a single CAT 6 cable. The new HMXL42ARC-KIT, HMXL66ARC and HMXL88ARC come into their own with advanced audio features specifically designed for maximising the integration of all AV sources in the modern home. Enhanced audio routing is achieved through the integrated independent audio matrix. This enables the audio both from displays (via ARC) and all other sources to be embedded and routed through the system at the users discretion. These ARC and audio routing features enable our installation partners the ability to create a truly immersive AV experience throughout the home.

NEW

HMXL88ARC 8x8 HDBaseT™ CSC ARC Matrix

NEW

HMXL66ARC 6x6 HDBaseT™ CSC ARC Matrix

HDCP 2.2

J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering distribution of video and audio over a single CAT cable J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI 2.0 18Gbps specification including HDR J 26 x 8 Audio Matrix independently controllable from the video

HMXL42ARC-KIT

HDCP 2.2

J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering distribution of video and audio over a single CAT cable J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI 2.0 18Gbps specification including HDR J 20 x 6 Audio Matrix independently controllable from the video

NEW

4x2 HDBaseT™ CSC ARC Matrix including Receivers J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering distribution of video and audio over a single CAT cable J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI 2.0 18Gbps specification including HDR J 8 x 2 audio matrix that is independently controllable from video.

HDCP 2.2

NEW

UNCOMPRESSED

18Gbps

PRODUCT

OVER

Uncompressed 18Gbps HDMI Over HDBaseT™ Set The HEX18G-KIT HDBaseT™ extender set is an industry leading uncompressed HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 HDCP 2.2 solution utilising the

HEX18G-KIT

latest in HDBaseT™ technology. The HEX18G-KIT supports bi-directional IR, RS-232 and PoC up to lengths of 100m over a single CAT cable.

NEW

HEX70ARC-KIT HDBaseT™ ARC Extender Set - 70m J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering uncompressed video and audio with zero latency J Extends HDMI 1080p up to a distance of 70m over a single CAT cable J Supports 4K UHD video up to 40m (3840 x 2160 @30Hz 4:4:4, 4096 x

2160 @24Hz 4:4:4, and 4K @60Hz 4:2:0)

1080p up to 150m

HEX100CS-KIT

HEX150CS-KIT

HDBaseT™ CSC Extender Set -100m

HDBaseT™ CSC Extender Set - 150m

J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering CSC scaling with zero latency

J Supports ARC from display via HDMI and optical digital inputs

J Supports 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 UHD video up to 70m

J Supports 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 UHD video up to 100m

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Interactive Online Tutorials We have re-designed our regular interactive online tutorials, focused on providing convenient, bite sized insights into the latest Blustream solutions and the day to day challenges we all currently face in our rapidly evolving market. During these unprecedented times, we have increased both the content and frequency of the sessions we are hosting to bring you the most comprehensive range of interactive webinar content available in the UK.

Our UK Address: The Service Station,

Tel: +44 (0)115 824 7000

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18 62 22

CONTENTS 4 FROM THE EDITOR’S CHAIR Summertime and the living is AV

7 ESSENTIAL NEWS A ripping round-up

14 EI LIVE! 2022 Time to register!

July 2022 60 SMART THINKING: THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME? Philharmonic AV’s Steve Harper on ISE

62 CASE STUDY: PERFECT INTEGRATION A perfect crescent

71 ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS Techtastic toys

22 PULSE CINEMAS Tyba joins the family

58 SMART THINKING: TECHNICAL ARTISAN David Hearn, Creative Technology Director at Arcstream on Generative Art

FEATURES 18 THE ULTIMATE COVER STORY Sonance Motion Flex Invisible changes everything

Supporting All www.avoke.co.uk | av@avoke.co.uk

Proud Media Partners of

ESSENTIAL SPEAKERS FEATURE

42 IN THE ZONE Ekin Binal, Director of Audio and Video Products at Crestron

26 BUILDING BETTER SPEAKERS Florian Marmisse, Junior Electroacoustic Engineer with Sonus faber

48 COMPANY FOCUS: CONNECTED DISTRIBUTION Cinema Speakers

30 GET ACTIVE! Wayne Hyde, Customer Tech Support & Education, CAVD

ESSENTIAL GAMING AND SIMULATION FEATURE

32 L-ACOUSTICS

50 REALISM AND AUTHENTICITY DRIVE GROWTH IN RACING SIMULATORS

Live and direct!

Stuart Tickle, Managing Director at AWE

ESSENTIAL MUSIC SYSTEMS FEATURE 38 ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! Nick Fichte, Global Business Director, L-Acoustics Creations

Your AV Needs www.avoke.co.uk | av@avoke.co.uk

JULY 2022

THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE AV AND SMART HOME INDUSTRY

pages 18–19

The Ultimate Cover Story: how Sonance has redeﬁned what’s possible from an invisible speaker…

SPEAKERS

JULY

SUMMERTIME! Many years ago, whilst being interviewed on American TV on July 4th, John Cleese was asked if there were any ‘holidays’ that are unique to the UK. He replied, “Yes, we have a very special day, it is called summer. People go out and sunbathe even if there is snow on the ground.” Well let’s hope that we have a slightly better summer than that this year, and after some challenging times this summer delivers some opportunities to relax, but also some good business opportunities as well. Exterior AV is a subject we have been talking about for quite a while, but clearly it is on a bit of a charge recently so hopefully this next couple of months delivers a particular shot in the arm there as well. The whole EI team has a very busy summer planned - getting ready for the upcoming EI Live! live show and Smart Building Awards (September 14-15). If you haven’t registered for the show already, get along to the website (www.eiliveshow.com) and do it today, get the date in your diary and make sure you take full advantage of the UK’s only smart home and high performance AV trade event. You may also have heard that we now have a European version of EI live! as well, UK installers are of course encouraged and welcome to attend this event, it is however primarily aimed at installers based in Europe due to specific requests from European installers and distributors. The show takes place in Amsterdam and looks set to be off to a winning start as around half the stands have already been sold. More details of the show and our key partners for this special event can be found at eiliveeurope. com. In another piece of European focused news, our website now carries a translation function offering all of our content in eight different languages as well as English. If English is not your first language, get along to the website and check it out. Nothing

04 JULY 2022

concrete available as of yet, but we are also working on some interesting projects also focused on the European market, more news as we get it. As for the UK version, the available floor space this year has already been made larger and companies are still signing up, eager to tap into the show’s consistent delivery of a high quality visitor. The Smart Building Awards are back at the show this year, taking place on the evening of the first day and promising a relaxed night of awards, industry networking and fun. More details of how to enter at the website smartbuildingawards.com. We have a preview of the show and the awards in this issue of the magazine, and we will have another one in the next issue of EI, so if you are exhibiting please let us know what you’re getting up to at the show and we will be sure to include you in previews in the magazine and also of course online. Another bit of in-house news this month as our popular reviews section returns next month. Affected amongst other things by COVID and some testing room rebuilds, our dedicated trade focused reviewer Richard Stevenson returns with regular reviews in every issue. If you have a product you’d like us to review of the audio visual variety get in touch and we can discuss things further. Like everything we do here, our efforts are laser focused on the custom install trade as we look to dig out important details and performance curves that really matter to installers, we are really looking forward to getting under the skin of some new products. Have a great summer everybody and hope to see many of you at the show!

THE NEW BATCH

MUSIC SYSTEMS

LISTEN CAREFULLY

GAMING

SIM CITY

GETTING IN TOUCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Daniel Sait, dan@allthingsmedialtd.com

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Beatrice Lee, beatrice@allthingsmedialtd.com

SALES DIRECTOR

Ian Kitchener, ian@allthingsmedialtd.com

GROUP AD MANAGER

Claire Talty, claire@allthingsmedialtd.com

PUBLISHER

David Kitchener, david@allthingsmedialtd.com

STUDIO MANAGER

Mark Weller, mark@allthingsmedialtd.com

ACCOUNTS

susan@allthingsmedialtd.com

Essential Install magazine, Suite 14, 6-8 Revenge Road, Lordswood, Chatham, Kent ME5 8UD T: +44 (0)1634 673163 F: +44 (0)1634 673173 www.essentialinstall.com

SOCIALS /INSTALL_MAG /ESSENTIALINSTALL Whilst we make every effort that everything printed in Essential Install magazine is factually correct, we cannot be held responsible if factual errors occur. All articles are copyright and remain the property of Essential Install magazine.

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BRING THE NIGHTCLUB HOME For 30 years, L-Acoustics has been the choice of the world’s top clubs, music venues, and artists on tour. This powerful pedigree and unrivaled sonic signature are now available for specification in residential, marine, and other architectural environments. L-Acoustics Creations offers professional sound systems, from stereo to spatial audio. Our team of experts provides 3D acoustic modeling using proprietary software to design and tune a space for the ultimate party vibe. Visit l-acoustics-creations.com to book an appointment in London, Paris, or Los Angeles. You can also meet the L-Acoustics Creations team at EI Live! and CEDIA Expo 2022.

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NEWS

NEWS Z-WAVE ALLIANCE SURPASSES 4,000 CERTIFIED DEVICES

Z-Wave says it continues to dominate as the SubGHz smart home standard and shows no signs of slowing down. The Z-Wave Alliance, the standards development organisation dedicated to advancing the smart home and Z-Wave technology, has announced that the Z-Wave product ecosystem has surpassed 4,000 certified devices. HOPPE AG is the Alliance member that hit that magic milestone which comes on the heels of the Z-Wave Alliance announcing that the first Z-Wave Long Range (Z-Wave LR) certified devices are hitting the market for implementation into smart home systems. “Z-Wave has been at the forefront of smart home technology and a champion of security, interoperability, and backwards compatibility for

over two decades,” says Mitch Klein, Executive Director of the Z-Wave Alliance. “Our recent bevy of announcements – ratification as a Standards Development Organisation (SDO), the addition of new board members, the first Z-Wave LR Certified devices, and now growth of the Z-Wave ecosystem to over 4,000 devices – all indicate that Z-Wave continues to innovate and advance the smart home market and shows no signs of slowing down.” Interoperability between Z-Wave products is the cornerstone of the Z-Wave technology standard; interoperability is only achieved through testing and certification. Certification ensures all Z-Wave devices – regardless of brand, manufacturer, and chip generation – all work harmoniously with each other to deliver on the promise of the interoperable and backwards compatible smart home. Certification of devices to Z-Wave standards is required as part of the Trademark and Distribution License agreement for all Z-Wave Alliance members and every device must pass a series of tests to ensure that is it compliant prior to the device being marketed or sold commercially. Z-Wave Alliance z-wavealliance.org

5.1 Audio Package

PMC PROVIDES LOST TRACKS ON ELTON JOHN’S ‘MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER’ ANNIVERSARY RELEASE PMC’s Founder and Chairman, Peter Thomas, has come to the rescue with seven long-lost demo tracks for the 50th anniversary release of Elton John’s 1971 album Madman Across The Water, enabling a collector’s dream of a full album of demos to be assembled for the first time. Peter was contacted by Elton John’s record label, Universal Music Group, following his previous assistance with supply of a track for the Record Store Day re-release of Elton’s first US album. For this 50th anniversary re-release of Madman Across The Water, Universal wanted to create a full album’s worth of demo tracks, to give die-hard fans a real insight into the creative process that went into the creation of the songs. A long-time collector of Elton John’s early work, Peter has a vast collection of his music, including many rare and unusual versions of songs and albums, which he curates as part of the PMC music archives. “After the release of earlier Elton John box sets, I contacted Universal to let them know I had in the PMC archives collection a number of never-beforereleased demo tracks that I had acquired from contacts at Trident Studios, where this album was recorded,” says Peter. “They were interested in including some of the tracks from my Elton John collection for future releases and took one for the 2020 Record Store Day release. “I was delighted when they contacted me again during the compilation of this new anniversary box set to enquire whether I could assist. Of course, I was happy to help and was able to provide seven tracks, including the piano demo of the future hit Tiny Dancer.”

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“These are not take 30 or 40, but the very first recordings made of these tracks,” commented Peter. “It’s a real treat for fans to hear them in their raw, unrefined form, before the outstanding production work by Gus Dudgeon, and Paul Buckmaster’s arrangements, turned them into the two-times Platinum album we all love.” Peter was also able to supply very rare items of memorabilia for inclusion in a 104-page coffee table book that forms part of the box set release. PMC Speakers pmc-speakers.com

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In appreciation of his assistance in this exciting project Thomas and PMC are credited on the album sleeve and souvenir book

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NEWS

INDIGOZEST JOIN FORCES WITH SOUND ENVIRONMENT IndigoZest has announced a merger with Sound Environment, a leading smart home supplier and Control4 dealer. Established in 2000, Sound Environment are experts in creating bespoke, integrated, automation systems for homes and businesses, building strong and long-standing relationships with clients and suppliers. Combining over 40 years’ experience, this merger will enable IndigoZest to provide continued service and support for all existing Sound Environment clients and projects, as well as the development of new projects. Increasing service offering, clients will also be able to benefit from IndigoZests concierge support packages, providing on-going 24/7/365 monitoring, updates and aftercare. Nicolai Landschultz, MD of IndigoZest, says “With a shared passion for bespoke home automation and customer care, this merger continues to strengthen our position in the market and contributes to the company’s growth alongside our strategic partners.” Rufus Greenway, MD of Sound Environment, will remain on board as a consultant to ensure a smooth transition for all current clients. On the merger he comments,“Holding similar values to my own, IndigoZest were a natural fit for the next stage of Sound Environment. Our customers will be able to take advantage of IndigoZest’s unrivalled support

and aftercare service offering, with no disruption to current projects.” IndigoZest indigozest.co.uk A merger between two installation companies as Rufus Greenway (left) and Nicolai Landschultz agree a deal

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INSTITUTE FOR MANUFACTURING, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, TEAMS UP WITH ABB Rising energy costs, reducing emissions and meeting environmental targets all need a change in energy management. IfM Engage, part of the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge and ABB have teamed up to develop a blueprint for better ways of working that look at technology, challenges, processes and people to plan purposeful change. In response to the energy crisis, ABB Electrification is collaborating with experts from IfM Engage3 to develop a roadmap that takes a strategic approach to improving energy management, breaking down the complex changes involved into manageable steps and building a plan for purposeful change. Reviewing processes, resources and capabilities and building on tools such as road-mapping supports the most effective change. “Sometimes organisations make the mistake of looking at what technologies can help them to ‘go digital’, without considering the broader context including where value can be created and what pain points could benefit most from digitalisation. Do not build on the status quo but think about your ideal future scenario – then develop a roadmap for your digital transformation,” says Dr Clemens Chaskel, Industrial Associate, IfM Engage. “IfM Engage and ABB developed a roadmap that will improve our technology strategy, R&D projects, customer deliverables and anticipate future trends, which has the potential to shape the energy management systems of the future. The next step

is to turn this blueprint into real world actions,” comments Giampiero Frisio, ABB Smart Power Division President. “By working with experts from the University of Cambridge, we secured our long-term trajectory for the evolution of the ABB Ability Energy Manager. We know we have a coherent and original strategy to support customers in cutting operational costs, reducing emissions and meeting environmental targets,” adds Giuseppe Casagrande, ABB Smart Power Division Digital Leader. ABB new.abb.com

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NEWS

ESSENTIAL PEOPLE Kinly, specialist in AV systems integration and remote collaboration solutions, has announced Tom Martin as its CEO to further develop the impressive growth of the business in recent years. Tom takes the reins following a successful spell as Managing Director for Northern Europe. His experience with the company stretches back 15 years, beginning with Viju in the Nordics with roles in support, services and operations. With a passion for audio, his achievements and successes have seen him climb through the ranks to VP Technical Operation in Norway before Managing Director roles in Norway and, latterly, Northern Europe. Based in the company’s Norway office, Tom envisages a bright future not only for Kinly, but for the AV sector as a whole. “This is an incredibly exciting time for Kinly and I am delighted to be announced as their new CEO,” says the 43 year old, before adding, “The past couple of years have set up the business for growth across the worldwide market and, with Kinly, we have the scale, assets & highly experienced teams to fully support local & global customers.” Tom will continue to drive Kinly’s expansion with the latest technology offerings combined with a focus on service and support. Tom takes up his appointment with immediate effect. Paul Bayliss joins PMC as Business Development Manager as Tom Baron retires after 23 years. PMC Distribution UK has appointed Paul Bayliss to the role of Business Development Manager South, overseeing sales and retailer support across the company’s PMC, Bryston, AVM, and Martin Logan brands for the southern UK region. Paul steps into the role as veteran Tom Barron retires from the company, having served the business for the past 23 years. Prior to his appointment by PMC Distribution UK, Paul worked for a UK-based custom installation distribution business and before that he was responsible for PMC’s home audio sales in the Asia Pacific region. “I am very much looking forward to my return to PMC and the UK hi-fi industry. The experience I gained working for PMC previously and latterly in the custom installation sector, will be of great benefit as I take up this new role,” Paul comments. “Taking over the territory and responsibilities of Tom Barron is a very exciting prospect and an honour for me. He is one of the most well-known and highly respected figures working in the hi-fi industry, but I am confident that we can carry on the incredible work he has done with the UK retailers to establish and grow a solid retail base,” adds Paul. Welcoming Paul to the company, Ian Sutton, PMC Distribution UK director, says, “We are delighted that Paul is returning to the PMC family and can’t think of anyone more suited to the task of following in the footsteps of Tom Barron. Paul’s experience with PMC products and his in-depth knowledge of hi-fi, custom installation and high-end home cinema projects will be invaluable as we continue to develop our portfolio and sales through the retail and CI channels.” Anna Bateman joins as Customer Success Manager focused on Channel Partners engagement utilising Visualization’s unique service offerings. Visualization announced the new key addition to the expanding team. Having met the team recently in Barcelona at the ISE show, Anna was impressed with

the vision and strategy that the Visualization, part of the VueAV group, had to offer. The focus of her new role will be services based, to build relationships and support the team, whilst assisting in successfully delivering quality projects via Visualization’s Channel Partners on time and within budget. Bateman will also add value to the sales team for distribution opportunities as part of the process. With a solid technical background, Anna has completed a degree in Sustainable Construction, written papers on the bend radius of cable and is a 18th edition qualified electrician. Visualization Managing Director, Nick Pidgeon, comments, “Anna’s industry experience and strong people skills will make her the voice of the customer, at the heart of what we do – providing the ultimate customer service. As an advocate for the business, Anna will be working closely with operations director Gavin Avery. The pair will provide a unique partnership to further develop Visualizations customer relationships.” Anna says, “I’m delighted to be joining the Visualization team. Exceptional quality of installation and service delivery are aspects where the team and I synchronise. I can’t wait to learn from Viz and to also bring the skills from my extensive career to the table. I’m looking forward to serving client requirements both old and new and forging strong and lasting relationships.” PSNI Global Alliance, the worldwide network of leading technology manufacturers and service providers, has appointed Steve Riley as Director of Global Professional Services. Steve joins PSNI with over 25 years of system integration experience. His past roles include more than 20 years within various AV integration companies, where he amassed a working knowledge of every aspect of system integration business operations, including international cultures, staff leadership, business-unit profitability, technical documentation standards, project process improvement, service and support business, and departmental and IT infrastructure. Joining the senior management team at PSNI, Steve will develop and implement a one-of-a-kind global technology integration and service deliverable program for The Alliance by leveraging the talent and knowledge available from PSNI Certified Solution Providers (CSPs) and partners worldwide to expand synergy across the network. Starting his role in June, Steve is also delighted of what the future holds for both himself and PSNI, “I am excited to be joining the PSNI family and honored to be able to bring my skillset to their talented team. I am relishing the challenges ahead and look forward to leveraging the talent and knowledge available from PSNI’s Certified Solution Providers and partners worldwide to define and implement commercecentric strategic deployment and service programs that will generate revenue to The Alliance.” Integrated security manufacturer TDSi has announced the appointment of Phil Tennent as its new International Business Development Director. With over 30 years’ worth of sales and international sales management experience, Phil will head up TDSi’s continued expansion in overseas markets through its network of professional partners.

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NEWS

John Davies, Managing Director of TDSi comments, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Phil to the senior TDSi team. With a highly impressive track record of sales and business development, he is the perfect person to lead TDSi’s continued international growth at this exciting time as we embrace the considerable opportunities worldwide for growth following the pandemic.” Phil states, “A number of factors drew me to this role, including it being a British manufacturer with a

Tom Martin

strong back catalogue in terms of product, reputation, quality, and longevity. It also presents me with a varied and challenging role with international travel, and to be part of a progressive business with a strong financial backing. TDSI is well known and respected, with trust and credibility in the market, great opportunities for organic growth, a strong partner network, a senior leadership team with high work ethics and family values, and a solid multifunctional team structure to support new and existing business.”

Paul Bayliss

Steve Riley

Ian Sutton

Phil Tennent

CHUNG-ANG UNIVERSITY DEVELOPS FRAMEWORK FOR HOME ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS A new model for machine learning automation to drive efficiency is being proposed by professors at a South Korean University. This alternative is to use machine learning, where data from thousands of users is collected, sent to a central server, and used to train a model from the ground up. This strategy, however, may prove costly, computationally complex, and susceptible to hacking. To tackle these problems simultaneously, Associate Professor Dr. Dae-Hyun Choi and PhD student Sangyoon Lee from Chung-Ang University, South Korea, have proposed a novel data-driven strategy. The researchers have developed a framework for automation based on federated deep reinforcement learning (F-DRL), combining the advantages of various machine learning techniques. The key word to note in F-DRL is ‘federated,’ which indicates a decentralised form of machine learning. In the proposed framework, each home has an automation system connected to various

appliances and devices, which collects data about its users’ energy consumption and tries to optimise a schedule for the appliances by creating a local model. These local models are all uploaded to a global server, which averages them to produce a global model. Afterwards, each automation system replaces its local model with the global model and proceeds to train it once again using local data. This process is repeated several times, progressively improving the accuracy of both global and local models. The researchers tested their approach through simulations, showcasing its optimal performance when scheduling the operation of various appliances at different homes. The researchers envision a more comprehensive version of this framework that also considers electric cars and energy trading between households. Chung-Ang University neweng.cau.ac.kr

New types of machine learning could drive efficiency in home automation

12 JULY 2022

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EI LIVE! 2022

SPONSORED BY

TIME TO REGISTER FOR EI LIVE! 2022 This year sponsored by Aico, EI Live! is back, bigger and better than ever with extra floor space, more exhibitors and more attractions to make a visit vital for the health of any forward looking install business. The EI Live! exhibition is unquestionably the main event for the residential AV and home automation industry, including smart products from the world of electrical contracting. Attracting an audience of quality customers and decision makers with specific purchasing power, the show is the UK crucible within which the next phase of the smart home and high-quality AV market is forged. Visitors are drawn by the range of exhibitors that can’t be found in one place anywhere else, together with the show’s reputation for promoting emerging technologies and innovations. Many products and companies have got their launch at the show and this year will be no different. EI Live! prides itself on being the best face-to face sales opportunity for industry suppliers, generating new custom for exhibitors. Companies will not find a more engaged audience for their business anywhere else and visitors will not find a more focused group of companies, dedicated to making their installation lives easier, more exciting and fulfilling. If you are an installer of home automation/ AV systems, work in the light commercial automation/AV world or are an electrical

14 JULY 2022

contractor looking to tap into smart utilities, the show is a must. No show in the UK offers such access to a varied choice of options for those involved in the industry - to discover fresh things about companies and systems they already work with, also finding new, exciting, and profitable opportunities to move towards. The Technical Theatre will be back this year offering its varied programme of training and learning opportunities drawn direct from the industry and interesting related fields. Look out for more information on the programme very soon. The show will also host a Control4/ Snap One training programme, offering installers to get up to speed with new products and developments. The show’s home of the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre has all the attractions and facilities of a London venue without the extra costs and hassle of reaching a venue in the capital. Located on Farnborough Airport, the venue also has excellent security and vast amounts of free commercial-vehiclefriendly parking. The venue is also surrounded by a large selection of great hotels from high-end luxury to

sensible budget choices if you are planning on attending both days.

EXHIBITORS PLANNING

With the show still some distance away in September, the time will fly by and exhibitors are already beginning to tell organisers what visitors can look out for. Headline sponsor for this year, Aico will be exhibiting at EI Live, showcasing the latest innovations and technology in home life safety. The knowledgeable team on stand 99 will enable installers to learn more about the Ei1000G Gateway, HomeLINK Environmental Sensors, Dashboard and Resident App, with live demonstrations for delegates visiting the stand. Be sure to check them out! The Starscape stand will be showcasing the stunning fibre optic Infinity star ceiling system. Now in its 10th year with over 1000 ceilings installed worldwide, the Infinity system is a market leading, and visually stunning, addition to any home cinema setting. There will be a sample Infinity array within the stand, demonstrating the simplicity and ease of installation. Starscape is primarily a trade distributor to installers focusing on the Home Cinema sector. The

EI LIVE! 2022

company works with dozens of established and experienced installers through the UK. See it all on Stand 82a. EI Live! is a huge show for Faradite and the company will be showing a number of new products that have been launched since the last time this UK based maker was at the Farnborough Exhibition centre. Notably, the Sensor Wall Mount accessory is a beautiful, solid aluminium wall mounting accessory for the Motion Sensor 360 - IP67 - Black which allows integrators to elegantly mount its sensors on the wall. Ideal for gardens when mounted on walls, garden structures, outhouses, fencing, and anywhere else that robust, discreet motion sensing is required. These units will be on display so installers can see how beautiful and rugged they are. Faradite will also be showing a brand new sensor which will be launched in the coming

weeks. The company can’t say too much at the point of publication, but it is safe to say this new sensor will provide installers with one of the most discreet custom install solutions the market has ever seen. Stay tuned to Faradite’s social media channels (@faradite) to see the latest news when the new sensor is announced. The Faradite team will be on hand to answer questions and introduce the new products to visitors on Stand 25. For EI Live! 2022, Custom AV Distribution (CAVD) are very much looking forward to exhibiting and meeting many familiar, and new faces at Farnborough. This year the distributor will be sporting its largest ever stand with a focus on design and services. The team will be displaying products from partners Ineva Design. Come and experience luxury custom cinema seating which is handbuilt in Holland and comes with ‘a delivery and

installation service that’s second to none’, says the company. Also on display will be an array of multi-room acoustic solutions by Mikodam. A selection of highly desirable 3D panels that can elevate not only the appearance of any room but the audio experience too. Mikodam’s sales support and rendering services make it easy to specify panel combinations for any room in the house. Jamie Pullen, Wayne Hyde, and Nadine Dolente look forward to welcoming you to Stand 112 and discussing how they can support you on all residential AV projects. Registration is open now, so visit the site and make a forward step for your business in 2022. EI Live! 2022 eiliveshow.com

ESSENTIAL HABITECH

THE ULTIMATE COVER STORY Promising the performance of visible speakers, the Sonance Motion Flex Invisible range changes everything, says Habitech’s Gio Scatola. In 1983 Scott Struthers and Geoff Spencer put a speaker in a wall and, arguably, catalysed an entire industry. Since then, the company they founded has been leading the charge to make audio disappear, ultimately with the completely invisible speaker. But as any engineer will tell you, the big design challenge to the wider deployment of invisibles of every stripe has always been sound quality. How do you make a speaker that’s buried in plaster sound like one that isn’t? For Sonance it’s a philosophical challenge as much as a commercial one, as Chief Engineer Todd Ryan explains: “if an invisible speaker could reproduce sound with the quality level of a visible speaker, then that would be the ultimate promise of the brand”. Today, with the arrival of the Motion Flex Invisible range, that promise has been kept.

THE GREATEST WOW OF ALL

It’s taken two years of research into the physics of flat diaphragms to refine the ideal marriage of aesthetics and acoustics. Traditionally the drivers inside all invisible speakers, including Sonance

18 JULY 2022

models, are mounted to a metal frame and drive the diaphragm directly and simultaneously. But there’s nothing to stop the waves from the mid driver rippling outwards to interfere with those from the bass driver on the same radiating surface, boosting distortion and colouration. It’s a recipe for acoustic disaster and, as it turns out, completely avoidable. Because in a breakthrough for invisible speaker design, Sonance has found a way to isolate discrete wave patterns on a single diaphragm for optimum fidelity. First the team recalibrated its Klippel laser scanning tools (designed to study the micro behaviour of cone diaphragms) to map the movement of flat surfaces, revealing that different drivers produce very distinct responses in the diaphragm: mid/hf drivers create a bending wave motion (imagine a pebble being dropped into a pond and the ripples that it would create) while woofers generate a totally different pistonic movement (back and forth like a piston). Armed with this proprietary knowledge, the team devised a blend of four innovations to ensure that the two waveforms can successfully co-exist on the same panel. They called it Motion Flex technology.

THE FRONT DIAPHRAGM

The new diaphragm is made from FibreReinforced Polymer (FRP), selected for its exceptional temperature/dimensional

stability and leading acoustic and vibrational performance. Covering the diaphragm is a paper, matching the properties of gypsum wall board to allow the topping compound to dry evenly without cracking.

Klippel analysis of flat surfaces reveals that mid/hf drivers create a bending wave motion (top) while woofers generate a totally different pistonic movement

THE TRANSDUCERS

Custom designed for the project, the allnew ‘Wave Flex’ mid/hf driver has a wide response from 30kHz down to lower midrange frequencies where it crosses over with the proprietary ‘Air Flex’ carbon-fibre woofer. As part of the Motion Flex approach, the woofer couples to a chamber of air behind the diaphragm, and it’s the air rather than the woofer itself that drives the panel, producing a uniformly pistonic surface motion.

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ESSENTIAL HABITECH

THE ISOLATING BAFFLE AND CDX CROSSOVER

Unlike typical invisible speaker designs, the Motion Flex drivers are installed within a rigid baffle formed from an alloy of Polycarbonate and ABS. Between the drivers and at the periphery, the baffle is permanently bonded to the diaphragm, allowing the area in front of the drivers to radiate freely. Effectively this divides the diaphragm into two discrete radiators, isolating the output of the Wave Flex driver from the Air Flex woofer. As a result, distortion and coloration drop like a stone, setting a new performance benchmark for invisible speakers. With the proprietary Constant Directivity (CDX) network dividing input frequencies at an unusually low crossover point, the Motion Flex system offers excellent 170-degree horizontal/ vertical dispersion and smooth off-axis response for optimal sound quality from wall or ceiling.

launch video he says, “I have 100% confidence that if these were put behind a screen and you had no idea what was playing, in a million years you would not guess that this was an invisible speaker product, even when compared with any of our competitors’ visible speakers.” This is an astonishing outcome for a system buried beneath a layer of mud.

INVISIBLE EVERYWHERE

Installation practicality has also taken a giant leap forward. At 12mm the Motion Flex baffle is the same depth as the surrounding plasterboard so installs flawlessly flush without the need for shims to compensate for depth disparity. Install flexibility is boosted by a narrower rear profile, compatible with stud and joist spacing down to 12in (305mm). And to keep contractors honest, the new range incorporates the Sonance Depth Identification Sensing Calibration (DISC) feature in which four steel discs embedded in the baffle work with a hand-held depth gauge accessory to measure the finish depth. Now you have a way to test whether the contractor has applied the ideal finish thickness of 1-1.5mm before the final finishing stage.

THE LINE-UP

The Motion Flex Invisibles work with the ‘DISC’ gauge to check the correct finish depth

PARADIGM SHIFT

The results speak for themselves, surpassing even Sonance’s lofty expectations. Test bench gains were so emphatic they made comparison with other invisibles useless. Instead, the team had to measure their next-gen progeny against flagship 8in, 3-way models from Sonance’s award-winning, visible, VP range. For Todd Ryan the Motion Flex line-up has taken the ultimate CI engineering challenge in its stride. In the

As many as seven models give you the versatility to design completely invisible fullrange systems of consistent high fidelity but with different levels of bass according to room size. Use the IS6 for smaller rooms and a broad range of applications together with the IS10W for bass support. The IS8 is the ‘sweet spot’ in the range and the best choice for medium and larger rooms. Both IS6 and IS8s can be used with the companion IS10W sub extending the system down to 35Hz. And for the biggest spaces, the daddy IS10 will deliver full-range dynamics light years in advance of any rival. Meanwhile, extra deep bass to an impressive 30Hz is available from the IS15W sub to complement its range mates in a totally invisible home theatre sound system. Imagine that! Completing the line-up there’s the 100V line IS6T and IS8T for commercial applications.

THE ULTIMATE COVER STORY

Sonance isn’t the first company to claim amazing sound quality from its invisibles, but it can back it up with universally positive testimonials from top integrators in the field. For instance, Robert Taussig, Managing Director of Robert Taussig says “the new Sonance Invisible range are the first invisible speakers which genuinely compete with the best of the flush, visible, in wall speakers whilst still retaining their unique features. “There’s a special advantage to having huge dispersion with no visible speakers. “Redecorating no longer means having to replace tired looking old speakers and critical alignment is no longer an issue when trying to overcome installation obstacles as you don’t see them!” Rhian Barnett of Affinitive AV comments “the new Sonance speakers are the best I’ve heard in years, and they’re invisible!! We will recommend these on every job”, while Andy Bell of Trusted Technology adds, “we heard the IS10 invisible speakers and were truly blown away, speechless with the quality”. And Steve Barrett of SMC concludes, “the most impressive invisible speakers I’ve heard... they represent a real step forward in plaster-over loudspeaker performance.” These guys are not easily won over, but if you’re still unsure whether an invisible speaker can sound as good as the best visible in-walls, come down to Basingstoke for a listen, and bring your best customers. Like all those before them, they’ll be wowed by the magic of the greatest disappearing act since the first in-wall speaker. And that, surely, is the ultimate cover story from the evolution of discreet custom installed sound.

Watch the launch video Visit habitech.co.uk for further information or meet us at Basingstoke for the complete ‘Designed to Disappear’ experience.

Habitech habitech.co.uk

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JULY 2022 19

ESSENTIAL TOGETHER FOR CINEMA

TOGETHER FOREVER! Ian Morrish founder of Together For Cinema (TCF) provides EI with our regular update on everything happening with the home cinema industry’s effort to support those providing special care. Since our last report we have opened two new cinema rooms, committed to two further cinema room installations, refurbished two previously installed cinema rooms, seen the Cisco partnership pilot scheme take off, attended the much-awaited ISE show, gathered lots of products and posted lots of social media. ISE was a great success and we had over 25 hugely positive meetings. The general feeling out there is one of unquestioned support and I feel very privileged to be in this position with such positive support and backing. We made it onto the BBC! Our Rainbows Children’s Hospice cinema room installation in Loughborough, as installed by Gary Mills and his team at Decorum Technology, was covered by BBC East Midlands. This install was featured in last month’s EI magazine and can be seen on the EI website as well. Having posted this on LinkedIn I’m delighted to say that we had over 4,500 views, over 50 comments and about 25 shares. The amazing efforts of Chris Pinder from HDANYWHERE have to be mentioned again and he has now raised a magnificent £46,560. Thank you to Chris, but also to all involved with Team Pinder, and of course to all those that kindly donated and backed his incredible efforts in the Sahara Desert. Watch this space for news of another crazy challenge that we’re discussing with another member of our fabulous industry.

BIG PROGRESS

At the start of the year we had an ambitious seven cinema room installations planned, and we are on target to deliver these. By the end 2022 we will have taken our installation tally to 36 rooms at a normal installation value in excess of £850,000. For 2023 we currently have seven installations in discussion. As with all plans we have to be subject to change and already there has been some swapping about so the list below is of course subject to change! The installs are as follows:• Claire House Children’s Hospice, Liverpool. Installer: TBC. • Derian House Children’s Hospice, Chorley. Installer: TBC. • Ellenor Hospice for Children and Adults, Gravesend. Installer: TBC.

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• Hope House Children’s Hospices, Ty Gobaith. Installer: TBC. • Resources for Autism, London. Installer: TBC. • Richard House Children’s Hospice, London. Installer: TBC. • Robin House Children’s Hospice, Ballach. Installer: TBC. …and for the moment, this will be the basis of our delivery for 2023. With another seven installations we will need another seven installers and seven more projectors, screens, AVR’s, speaker packages, racks, control, lighting etc… so please do what you can to help and spread the word to those installers, manufacturers and distributors who also might be able to help. We are grateful to so many of you who support the cause but we need this help to be an annual commitment in order to keep making these very special cinema rooms happen. Please do what you can. Together For Cinema now has 45 industry sponsors at varying levels of commitment. All of these sponsors can be seen on our website along with all the other partners, companies and individuals that help make Together For Cinema happen. A big thank you to you all, not only from me and those that benefit from our good work, but also our industry as a whole. This really is becoming a collaborative effort and one that is generating great support. As strong as support appears to be, we still need another four or five sponsors to achieve our minimum operational budgeted for 2022. The sooner we can secure these sponsors, the sooner we can focus 100% on completing the installations and developing our other activities to further the difference that we can all make in our community. With this in mind…

CAN YOU BECOME ONE OF OUR SPONSORS? If you are interested in becoming one of the Together For Cinema sponsors, you can do so from as little as £500. Every penny of support will be committed to furthering the cause and making a difference to the children and young adults that we look to help. You will receive a Together For Cinema sponsor pack and some social and trade media exposure, not that anyone ever donates for any specific return, but it helps us to publicise those that do. For further details please email me at ian@ad-con.uk or call me on 07768 398007. Together For Cinema togetherforcinema.co.uk

FLAWLESS MAGIC! Delivering unrivalled installation and audio quality, the new Motion Flex Series redefines what’s possible from an invisible speaker. “…the first invisible speakers which genuinely compete with the best of the flush, visible, in wall speakers whilst still retaining their unique features.” Robert Taussig

Visit habitech.co.uk for further information or meet us at Basingstoke for the complete ‘Designed to Disappear’ experience. www.habitech.co.uk | 01256 638500 | sales@habitech.co.uk

ESSENTIAL PULSE CINEMAS

TAKE CONTROL WITH TYBA AND PULSE CINEMAS Pulse Cinemas is delighted to introduce a new brand into the select Pulse Cinemas line-up as the Tyba range of automation and music delivery products joins the family. are delighted that the team has chosen Pulse Cinemas as the best fit to expand the brand’s reach into the UK market. “We are moving quickly to make both parts of the Tyba family available via Pulse Cinemas and will be offering training on the systems and making them part of our Open Day initiative for the rest of the year. We feel the products identify clear opportunities in the market and offer installers a high-quality solution for control and music delivery. Once up and running we will be handling all first line support on the brand with Tyba handling second line support, the company also has an online ticketed support service.” This highly focused manufacturer offers Turn 2 and Muse platforms designed specifically for the custom install market. Turn 2 is a highperformance, precision-built wall or table mounted room controller offering easy access to many smart home functions via its simple, but attractive turn and touch interface. Muse is a music delivery platform that so far has found many fans in the commercial space, but has real potential in the high-performance residential market as well. Kapes Patel, Pulse Cinemas COO, explains, “Both the products have been built with a huge amount of direct experience of the installation market by those with direct knowledge of what the market needs and how to deliver it. We noticed the products at this year’s ISE and were impressed, as were the RTI team who we took over to the stand to take a look. There was lots of competition following the ISE show to sign Tyba as a brand. With the company already present in 16 markets around the world, we

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TURN 2: HIGH-QUALITY, TACTILE, CONVENIENT

This attractive product is designed to offer intuitive and always available control of home or building automation via its simple turn and touch interface. The product was developed to combat the issue of too much un-attractive wall acne and offer a control option that delivered the right amount of functionality around the home for each zone in a beautiful and tactile package.

Lights, shades, climate and audio can all be bought under its spell, and with a sensor to tell the unit when a person approaches, there is never a delay in getting to the part of the system the user wants. A small LED glows in the dark to make the unit easy to find and a built-in temperature sensor adds extra functionality and data gathering capabilities. For lighting Turn 2 can set lights scenes and adjust individual circuits, climate control delivers adjustment of temperature, fan speed, modes and humidity, whilst shades can be opened or closed individually or in groups, and for music, users can change volume, skip tracks, play and pause. Turn 2 is a high-quality controller which includes a powerful ARM processor and an ultra-secure embedded operating system. Smart home integration is enabled using wired proprietary communication and over Wi-Fi using the specially created REST API. Turn 2 can also act as a location beacon supporting iBeacon and Eddystone standards. The product is also impressive on the outside, machined from a range of solid metals and available in beautiful hand-crafted finishes; black, silver, stainless steel and bronze. There are special order alternatives available as well for that

ESSENTIAL PULSE CINEMAS

extra level of bespoke delivery. The approach for this product is very much brand agnostic when it comes to automation platforms. Turn 2 currently works natively with Crestron, KNX and Control4, with 12 more integrations coming soon including RTI, the preferred automation platform at Pulse Cinemas. The company is also working on some direct integrations with platforms such as Sonos and Philips Hue. Bus Connectors make installation easy and once installed, simply connect Turn 2 using the powerful magnetic mount, no tools required for this part of the process. The Cresnet and KNX Bus Connectors enable physical connection to the control bus, alternatively the DC Power Bus Connector is the right choice when only using Wi-Fi to integrate with automation platforms or directly with the REST API. The Tyba app streamlines device setup, configuration and control, providing a powerful yet accessible interface to manage Turn 2. The product is also easy to retrofit using the optional Wall Plate. If on-wall is not desirable, the handy and attractive

Table Stand comes into its own working well in domestic or commercial spaces. The product’s display offers a rich 2.1in display screen at 216 ppi and has a chassis of W 81.6mm, H 81.6mm, D 22.6mm in size. The unit weights just 205g, operates over Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, 2.4GHz/5GHz and Bluetooth 4.2.

MUSE: MUSIC MAESTRO

Suitable for larger homes, the marine market, resorts and commercial spaces such as clubs bars and hotels, the Muse Audio System is a powerful playback platform for streaming audio to a near endless number of Dante/AES67 end points. Whether the project needs scalability or simply a focus on high quality music reproduction, Muse provides the backbone and inspiration to get the job done. Dante is the dominant AV-over-IP solution, found in over 2000 products from more than 400 manufacturers. Dante replaces point-topoint analogue and digital connections with a manageable IP network that delivers lossless

audio, massive channel counts and near infinite signal routing flexibility, all while being easy to deploy and use. Muse uses Dante as its backbone which offers the flexibility to tackle any job in the commercial or domestic space. The Muse family currently comes in two main variants. The D16 system is capable of 16 independent audio streams over Dante. This product is suited for small to medium applications where all the functionality of Muse is required but at a lower stream count. The D64 is the flagship system, providing 64 independent audio streams over Dante. Partnering all the hardware, Muse Manager provides full management of the Muse Audio System, available for Windows, MacOS and Linux. The platform delivers access and management of content, playlists, playback, stream monitoring and scheduling all in one place. Streaming services TIDAL and Deezer are built-in and the system also gives access to internet radio. Tyba is also due to deliver AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect support in the near future. Both products have dimensions of W 440mm/H 44mm/D 262mm allowing them to fit into 1RU. Audio formats delivered are AAC/ ALAC/WAV/FLAC/MP3/AIFF /OGG. Kapes sums up, “We are well known for being very choosy about what brands we work with, but this new addition really was a no brainer. The build-quality and performance is really there as is the system’s ability to fill needed roles in many market. Get in touch to find out more.” Pulse pulsecinemas.com

JULY 2022 23

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ESSENTIAL SPEAKERS

BUILDING BETTER SPEAKERS Florian Marmisse, Junior Electroacoustic Engineer with Sonus faber, gives EI a behind the scenses look at how the company designs and creates its speakers, overseen by Mario Passarelli (R&D Manager).

The mix of new technologies/simulations/experiments and knowledge is the basis of how to design the high-end audio product in the Sonus faber R&D department.

The 20 years of loudspeaker design from Mario Passarelli (R&D Manager) allows design efficient drivers, from the first coil wiring to the shore of the surround. His knowledge allows Sonus faber to start every project with a good and solid basis : the loudspeaker.

Once designed and produced, using KLIPPEL Analyser, the acoustic team can understand the physical behavior of the driver and its limits. DC Offset? Non symmetrical force factor or stiffness? Distortion? Compression? Nothing escape Mario’s watchful eye.

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Then, thanks to F.E.M. simulations, electroacoustic engineers can proceed of the optimisation of the loudspeaker. Motor non linearity optimisation, Spider and surround shape design, turbulences of reflex ports are among other what can be improved with the help COMSOL Multiphysics software.

Together For Cinema is an AV industry good cause enterprise with a focus on designing and installing home cinema rooms in children’s hospices and other deserving locations across the UK. These rooms not only benefit the children and young adults, but also their families, carers, staff and volunteers.

The recycling of second hand and B-stock is in plan and some items have already been donated and installed. Together For Cinema has excellent support and backing from the AV industry, but more can be done. Please contact us to donate product, to assist with an installation or to consider becoming a sponsor of this AV industry good cause.

available from stock

Spearheaded by founder Ian Morrish, Together For Cinema has so far completed 29 cinema rooms at a normal installation value of over £620,000. Our target of 50 rooms and £1m worth of installations is scheduled for completion by 2026. Essential Install are proud to support this great cause and be a lead Media Partner.

“Together For Cinema – together for better”

Show your support today by visiting

www.togetherforcinema.co.uk

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ESSENTIAL SPEAKERS

Beside more than the loudspeaker itself, Sonus faber has a particular attention to what’s happening inside the cabinets. Analysing the internal acoustic modes of an enclosure allows us to ensure that no resonances will be played through the duct in a bass reflex configuration for instance. The lute shape, internal braces and clever position of damping material are good solutions to study to limit it.

Once the drivers and the cabinet are tested and approved, we start the crossover design. An internal Sonus faber chart defines the optimal frequency response shape and the acceptable relative phases gap between drivers to obtain the beautiful stereo image and soundstage. To do so, simulations are once again needed. Importing inside the simulator near field / far field / on axis and out of axis measurement of the drivers in enclosure, we are able to draft a x-over that respect the Sonus faber chart.

After the simulation, the crossover is built in order to be tested and verified. In parallel with the measurements, comparative listening sessions are always performed involving all members of the design lab with different opinions on the evaluation given. Doing so, we ensure the Sonus faber sound signature is respected. At the end of the process, the complete assembled pair of speaker (with crossover included in cabinet) goes from the lab measurement area to the listening room. This room, completely decoupled from floor, walls and ceiling is built as a room in a room in order to control the vibration transmissions through solid surfaces. Moreover, an optimal acoustic treatment has been engineered in this room with the philosophy to rather diffuse the sound than absorb the acoustical energy.

This room is where the team spend the most time at the end of the project, enjoying the work every person has contributed to, listening to good music and already thinking to what amazing project will come next.

JULY 2022 29

ESSENTIAL SPEAKERS

GET ACTIVE! Wayne Hyde, Customer Tech Support & Education at distributor CAVD, welcomes a significant shift in speaker tech. It’s happening, right before our ears, a tidal wave of change in the home loudspeaker category. We are going ACTIVE! The manufacturers are all waking up to it now, the benefits of matching amplification and DSP (digital signal processing). Some are veterans of applying this technology and some have some serious catching up to do.

manufacturer. On top of this, limiting and compression can be there, on the side-lines for when the volume levels get pushed high. This is great, it protects the speaker drivers and maintains a balanced sound within the physical limits of the drivers. If you’re considering an active system with rack-mounted DSP amplifiers, then check if it has this feature.

WHAT IS ACTIVE?

THE BENEFITS TO YOUR CUSTOMER

What does active mean exactly? Most loudspeakers are passive designs, they have an analogue crossover inside which essentially splits up the frequency bands to feed to each drive unit. The high-frequency band goes to the tweeter and the low frequencies to the woofers. You can use passive speakers with an amplifier of your choice. When you ‘go’ active with DSP, that analogue crossover is replaced by a digital one, inside the speaker or in rack-mounted form. This digital crossover feeds the amplifier/s and doesn’t waste precious power to carry out its tasks. Ultimately, one of the many benefits is an improved SPL from the speaker for any given Watt of power. DSP also allows for finer EQ and digital filters to be applied rather than using analogue components. The sound of the speaker can be shaped and tuned more accurately by the

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For your customer, firstly in most cases, they hear a better sound. The speaker is under full control of the DSP amplifiers chosen by the manufacturer and presents a tighter, more controlled bass and a feeling of authority in the way the music or movie audio comes across. It’s more reliable too, the chances of a driver being damaged over the years are close to zero. It’s essentially a closed system that takes care of itself.

you can select the installation type, such as on-wall, in-wall, or away from the wall, which all affect the sound enormously. Features like these chip away at the need for auto-EQ, or room compensation software. It can be very rewarding to take an hour or two to run ‘room EQ’ when commissioning a project but sometimes the results are just different, not necessarily better. So, in many cases, there are many hours to be saved on-site with active systems. CAVD supplies a wide array of advanced loudspeakers systems for CI, get in touch to find out more.

FASTER COMMISSIONING

When speakers are purchased with matching DSP and amplifiers, compared to the traditional practice where just about any amplifier could end up connected to any speaker, you are way ahead in terms of hearing that speaker at its best. Also, DSP can often have settings where

THE HUB

LOCAL SOURCE SOLUTION STREAM ANYTHING. FROM ANYWHERE.

The HUB is a versatile network accessory that streamlines music sharing across any BluOS installation by equipping a variety of audio sources with multi-room streaming capability. With inputs for HDMI eARC, Coax, Digital Optical, Stereo Analog and a moving magnet Phono Stage, the HUB makes it possible to share audio from sources like TVs, CD players and turntables across the BluOS ecosystem, and play it back in any zone. Each HUB supports up to 5 wired sources and can simultaneously stream 1 analog and 1 digital input at any given time. Add up to 4 HUBs on any BluOS network and enjoy the convenience of having stable, high-resolution playback of digital or analog sources without having to worry about the geography of the players.

www.bluesound.com/products/hub

ESSENTIAL SPEAKERS

Billie Eilish tours with L-Acoustics equipment and with live streaming events such as Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, on Disney+ is part of a new era of content

BILLIE IDOL Nick Fichte, Global Business Director, L-Acoustics Creations, examines the market for premium performance and how new forces such as live streaming and gaming is helping to shape the next generation of iconic products. The market for premium loudspeakers evolved significantly over the decade from 2010 to 2020 as the traditional audiophile evolved and adapted to changing music media. The pandemic accelerated many of the changes into something of a revolution that has offered a rich source of high-value business for audio integrators. Pre-pandemic, the customer demographic across premium audio was already changing. From the traditional audiophile, a more techsavvy music fan was emerging, comfortable with having the world’s music library at their fingertips. Growing up with clubbing, concerts, festivals and high-end gaming, their system demands are far more about robust delivery of immersive and powerful sound than the delicate systems and micro adjustments of the Hi-Fi hobbyist. Technology has played a major role in the evolution, as solid media formats gave way to MP3 streaming to maximise the quantity of content available. Now that content quantity

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is pervasive thanks to Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal et al, quality is becoming a key driver with technologies like High Res Audio, spatial audio formats and Dolby Atmos driving the premium audio market. Live-streaming concerts at home had already become a reality long before COVID dictated that ‘at home’ was the only place you could experience a music event. That will continue to grow in popularity as Apple, Hulu and Netflix have all announced in recent months that live-streamed concerts & festivals will become a core part of their offering. Billie Eilish tours with L-Acoustics pro-audio equipment and her live-stream of Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, made a successful debut on Disney+ late last year. Gaming also plays a significant role in shaping the audio system design and requirements of the home loudspeaker systems. Advanced gaming platforms have given rise to ever more immersive visuals and sound, incorporating multi-channel, spatial and Dolby Atmos audio.

L-Acoustics X4i in custom RAL finish in Cotswold garden - Install by Homeplay

Powering the Leading Multiroom Audio Ecosystem for Custom Installation

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Make it your own Selekt DSM: the most configurable streamer ever Performing beautifully at the heart of any existing system, and featuring near endless configuration options – from source-only, to integrated multi-amping, stereo or surround, and two levels of performance – you’re able to choose the best one for you, and only pay for what you need.

Book a demonstration of Selekt DSM at your local Linn Specialist.

www.linn.co.uk/book-a-demo

ESSENTIAL SPEAKERS

The same ‘new’ customers are almost certainly looking to integrate cutting-edge gaming sound into their systems, putting further pressure on installers to deliver incredibly detailed, highly dynamic audio systems with high SPLs to truly envelop the player in the audio of the game. Perhaps the most unusual shift in loudspeaker design and implementation in recent times is the growth in outdoor entertainment. Driven initially by the rise in live music and festivals and customers looking to recreate those experiences at home, the market surged through the pandemic as people refocused on extending their daily living spaces outside. It became the safest place to gather, relax and play. Lunches extend into the evening accompanied by a great soundtrack, and, as the sun goes down, the volume levels usually go up. Having a sound system that can recreate that ‘day club’ atmosphere is becoming a more frequent request. L-Acoustics’ heritage is in providing immersive audio at some of the world’s biggest festivals and outdoor stages. Our products are designed to deliver highfidelity audio in some of the harshest outdoor environments. At the high end of the market, it’s not uncommon for clients to hire performers for a party or reception, so sound systems such as ours suited to live musical performances tick this box. Far from being just an ‘add-on’ to an inhouse entertainment system, people spend lots of money on landscaping, hot tub areas and outdoor kitchens, so the entertainment

technology should blend harmoniously into the design. If a client wants to have the L-Acoustics sonic signature yet not see the speakers when not in use, then one option is the Hyde 125 speaker system from C SEED. These house L-Acoustics drivers and electronics inside a weatherproof casing and retract into the ground at the touch of a button. All our products are available in a RAL colour finish, and the paint used is marine grade for longevity. AV integrators know that content is only as good as the system upon which it is experienced, live or recorded, and the new generation of

higher net worth ‘audiophiles’ are looking to recreate these engaging music experiences at home - inside and out. L-Acoustics Creations has been delivering the power, dynamics, and immersive experience of a premium concertgrade pro-audio system at home for almost two decades, and the market for high-end audio integration has never been stronger. This offers integrators a rich opportunity to deliver class-leading audio and AV projects that will impress and delight their customers, and their customers’ friends, for many years to come.

JULY 2022 35

Contact a Speaker Specialist today on 01684 576 348 or team@oneav.co.uk

Experience Outstanding Sound Defy the limits of audio performance with KEF's full range of speakers. From extreme home theatre and high-fidelity HiFi, to exceptional architectural - OneAV is KEF's exclusive distributor in the CI channel.

.co.uk

ESSENTIAL MUSIC ONLY SYSTEMS

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! Nick Fichte, Global Business Director, L-Acoustics Creations, examines the enduring power and love of music only systems.

Since the advent of MP3, the general trend in audio has been for quantity and convenience over quality, and for many people, music is sometimes just a background to daily life. Yet every day, we meet people seeking to reconnect with the emotional impact of music, both at home and in retail or luxury hospitality spaces. This allows integrators to deliver premium audio

38 JULY 2022

systems for a truly immersive music experience, not just to support video or for multizone ‘background music’ convenience. Cinema may have taken much of the attention and market share of integrators’ time over the last decade, but that is partially a function of the complexity of a multichannel AV system installation against a simple two-

channel DIY set-up. The evolution of audio and video technologies has also played its part in the current trend for video quality and audio convenience. While audio quality has improved over the last few decades, visual content and image quality have taken huge leaps in performance over the same period. Video production technology from the 1980s would be unrecognisable today. Long before this current video-centric trend, L-Acoustics was founded with the aim of elevating the listening experience of music at festivals, venues and clubs. Nearly 30 years on, we are at the forefront of reshaping the future of immersive sound to deliver something much more emotionally impactful in recorded music playback. We launched L-ISA (Immersive Sound Art) in 2016, enabling engineers to mix objectbased spatial audio to a new professional standard and opening new horizons for what we call Immersive Hyperreal Sound. L-ISA technology is now widely used in live events but also has numerous applications in high end residential, from spatial audio recordings, audio-visual content, gaming, multisensory art, commercial venues and even for wellbeing and sound therapy. This potential is the foundation of what we call immersive sound spaces.

Lyngdorf FR-1 Designed for wall mounting, the FR-1 is extremely compact and solid, emphasizing our focus on dynamic music reproduction without sacrificing natural timbre. The depth of the cabinet is reduced to a minimum to ensure discreet placement and to keep the drivers as close to the wall as possible for optimal coupling to the room.

Read more at www.steinwaylyngdorf.com

Prestigious yet affordable

Motion CI series

MDA8

The Motion CI series

With Martin Logan’s prestige, acclaimed sound quality and a high-end fit and finish that provides a discreet luxurious feel, what isn’t there to like? Whether you listen to music, movies or a little bit of everything, Motion CI gives you a true high-end audio experience at an outstanding price.

MDA16

The MDA series

Martin Logan also offers power with the robust MDA models - fully matrixed distributed audio with easy-touse independent room correction for each loudspeaker. MDA Series is the most flexible and adaptive distribution solution available today, delivering dramatic levels of performance where it matters - in the room.

These models are a small selection of Martin Logan’s vast CI portfolio. If you want to know more, please get in touch.

T 01767 686300 sales@pmc-speakers.com

ESSENTIAL MUSIC ONLY SYSTEMS

Is it time to lavish as much attention on music only as we have on home cinema?

Today, with the growing importance of Dolby Atmos for music and High Res Audio streaming, L-Acoustics is at the heart of this new immersive content revolution, allowing listeners to hear and feel music in new and exciting ways. Experiencing this technology is the only way to really understand what is possible from recorded music, and we regularly host integrators and our customers for discovery sessions as well as occasional special events open to the public. About once a month in our 18.1.12 resolution sound spaces in London and Los Angeles, we partner with contemporary artists for immersive listening sessions, sometimes in total darkness in partnership with an organisation called Pitchblack Playback. Whenever possible, we collaborate directly with artists and labels to access the high-res master source and optimise it for the room. People are blown away. They come back. They tell their friends. Once you’ve heard the potential, it’s no wonder the industry is beginning to embrace the new technologies that elevate music to something much more engaging and compelling. L-Acoustics L-ISA, Dolby Atmos, 360 Reality Audio, Apple Spatial Music and other formats are emerging that offer a rich source of new content. Headphones are the usual means to access such content, but connoisseurs are also seeking out high-performance systems to get the most from these formats and listen out loud, adding the physicality and sensory aspect similar to a concert or club. The level of investment is significant but not unlike many of the elaborate home cinema projects happening in the luxury integration world. Such set-ups begin at 9.1.4 to achieve a true sense of envelopment and realism, but the design really depends upon the size and shape of the space. This is something we model

with proprietary software in the same way our professional audio division maps out a sound system for a live music venue. SPL (Sound Pressure Level) is also a significant factor in our engagement and enjoyment of live music, generating a physical connection with the sound, especially at lower frequencies. Creating a system with enough power and dynamic range to comfortably achieve these SPLs with a recorded source is fundamental to the overall impact of the finished project. It’s often a matter of customer education which is why being able to experience such a system in a demo environment is key to the overall conversation and understanding what can be achieved. At the very top end of the market, our flagship Island and Ocean sound spaces and bespoke

spatial audio ‘Bubble’ recordings in 18.1 were initially conceived as a means to reproduce reality by mapping sound to the abilities of human hearing. It is a means to preserve a musical recording true to life (or bigger than life) in its frequency, dynamics and spatial reality. Having a dedicated listening space at this level is a luxury residential investment, but one that can easily be multi purpose for music, home cinema and parties. This is where clever integration and sound design come into play, ideally in close collaboration with the interior design team. There is absolutely no question in our mind that there is a place for listening to music out loud again, and the residential integration sector is in a prime position to capitalise on the growing trend for truly immersive audio.

JULY 2022 41

ESSENTIAL MUSIC ONLY SYSTEMS

IN THE ZONE: BRINGING STELLAR AUDIO TO THE WHOLE HOME

Ekin Binal, Director of Audio and Video Products at Crestron, argues the music is where it all starts. In my mind a true home automation system starts with excellent distributed audio. Of course, as Director of Audio and Video Products at Crestron Electronics, I am a bit biased — it’s my belief that every integration starts with sound. As a fan of music, I am passionate about building products that are designed to improve the distribution of audio in different types of spaces. The entire audio path from source to our ears is only as good as the weakest link in the chain. One could spend thousands on the best amplifiers, speakers, and cables and have the experience be limited by the compressed audio track from a popular streaming service. Fortunately, over the last few years there have been several surprising breakthroughs from major audio music services to improve the quality of the audio experience. Even companies such as Amazon and Apple have made significant investments to try and differentiate their music services by offering higher resolution audio and more immersive audio formats. This is great news! Even so, with better audio at the source, perhaps we don’t notice that improved audio quality in some of the environments we are listening in – whether it’s background audio in a lobby, or on headphones on a noisy commute — but when we come back home and turn on our multiroom audio systems, the difference becomes apparently clear – or, at least, it should.

42 JULY 2022

It is my position that we need to demand better audio quality in all spaces that we enjoy and experience audio in. At Crestron, when we set out to build our next generation 8-zone streaming network amplifier, that effort was not driven by what audio technology could we squeeze into eight zones, rather it was driven by how many great sounding zones could we fit in a rack mounted enclosure. Excellent content is now available from the music providers to maximise the audio experience, the hardware has been there for years, and so it would be a disservice

by not providing the means to produce great quality sound across the board. Immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio are being embraced by music services and it is only a matter of time before our customers are going to demand that the same immersive experience provided by their headphones is carried to their shared listening spaces in their homes. This not only secures the value of a quality surround sound room for home theatre purposes, but it creates the opportunity for more rooms with more speakers than ever before.

We invented subwoofers Now we’ve just reinvented them Once again, M&K Sound® has defined the meaning of deep bass. The new THX® Certified X+ Series subwoofers, including the 15-inch THX® Certified Dominus X15+, deliver even more of the legendary reference bass performance for which M&K Sound is widely acclaimed. M&K Sound’s speakers and subwoofers can be found in all major film studios and many top recording venues around the world. That surely speaks for itself.

For more information, call the UK’s exclusive M&K Sound distributor Gecko Home Cinema on 01635 268114

Source First Musical information lost at the source is lost forever. No matter how good the amps and speakers further down the chain are, you can’t retrieve that which has already been lost. At Linn, we put the source first.

Kustom DSM incorporates our proven, best-in-class streaming technology, and is hand-built by one of our skilled engineers. Providing up to 8 zones of high-quality audio from a single, rack-mountable product – it measures just 1U thin. Put the best source possible at the heart of your systems – because every inch of your installation deserves Linn-quality sound.

Linn’s Whole Home range delivers unrivalled, impactful sound quality throughout any space. Our products are configurable, reliable, easy-to-install, and integrate seamlessly with smart home automation systems.

Find out more: linn.co.uk

ESSENTIAL MUSIC ONLY SYSTEMS

People love music, its a strong driver to buy

PROVIDING SOLUTIONS FOR CI PROFESSIONALS SINCE 2000

DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING

As always, it’s important to understand the customer and his or her needs – is this an audiophile that pours a double of Scotch and sits down in a dedicated audio room? Or is this a customer that has a crowded and active household that runs from room to room? The beauty of today’s technology is that we can provide a solution that caters to all these individual needs. With advances like lossless and real-time network distributed audio (as we find in Crestron DM NAX) we can distribute high quality audio across the network so you can build a dedicated audio room while also serving up audio on a multizone networked amplifier in parallel in many other rooms – all listening to the same (or different) content in the same stunning quality. The infrastructure is there for us to lay the piping for great audio, and we should always aspire to do so. The amplifiers and speakers can

be the variables in the overall system design for the customer. Better doesn’t necessarily mean they need to be more expensive, but the types of amplifiers, speakers, control, and room treatments must be thought through to maximise the audio quality for the space. That is where you step in. As the custom installation expert you can guide the client on how they can get great sounding audio in as many zones as they want. The automation and AV industry has done a fantastic job in designing a huge library of products that can stream, distribute, control, amplify, and output fantastic audio for rooms of all types. So, in short, when we talk about multiroom audio we need to flip the narrative and ask: Why wouldn’t you listen to great music in every room? We now have the technology, and you have the skillset to provide your customers with a stellar experience in every zone of their homes.

Music has the power to move people perhaps more than any other art form

JULY 2022 45

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ESSENTIAL COMPANY FOCUS: CONNECTED DISTRIBUTION

CINEMA SPEAKERS Connected Distribution’s Mike Bonnette explains why it is important to specify specialist cinema speakers for home cinema installations and why standards are important.

“The sound and music are 50% of the entertainment in a movie.” George Lucas If there’s anyone who knows what they’re talking about with cinema sound it’s George Lucas. Not only is he the man behind Star Wars and so many other massive blockbusters, but most importantly he’s the man who founded THX. He founded it because he wanted to ensure that the soundtrack of Return of the Jedi would be accurately reproduced in cinemas, which at the time had no standards for audio playback – some were mono, some stereo, many had poor acoustics. Lucas wanted to make sure the reproduction in the cinema was the same as the mix in the studio – something that could only be achieved through consistent audio design from mixing to playback.

48 JULY 2022

From that initial requirement for better sound in cinemas was born the certification process for domestic equipment, designed to provide high quality, predictable and accurate sound in home cinemas. The standards were very rigid, with everything from processors, to amps and speakers covered by it. The standard also applied to screen size, sitting distance, creation of a baffle wall for the screen and use of non-parallel walls in the room. If correctly applied the results in a home cinema can be outstanding. Today THX has fallen a little out of fashion as the company has changed hands and some feel the standard has been watered down. But I would argue that this isn’t quite fair, as it would be better to say the standard has been widened to take in other products – some of which are of no relevance to the home cinema market. But the home cinema specs are the same - THX Ultra Certification for large rooms, ‘Select’ for medium rooms, ‘Compact ‘for small and ‘Dominus’ for expansive rooms. They still require the same conventions be met and so are still relevant and will still provide one of the best home cinema experiences for your customers. And despite what some may say, THX is still a suitable standard even for immersive cinema installations, e.g. Dolby Atmos. It’s not incompatible and we would always recommend trying to follow its basic principles for room design and use of THX certified equipment. There is a reason why the manufacturers of commercial cinema speakers and domestic cinema speakers still get their products THX certified. And it’s for this reason that our two major cinema brands are THX certified. Both Parasound amps and Atlantic Technology speakers carry the THX Ultra certification and are a fantastic combination for serious home cinema systems. Indeed, Atlantic Technology was founded by a guy called Peter Tribeman, who was the lead engineer on a project undertaken with Lucasfilm to develop a home decoder for the ground-breaking surround audio track on The Empire Strikes Back, so the company’s THX routes go very deep. Today it is one of the largest specialist THX loudspeaker manufacturers in the world.

So, what makes a THX speaker any better than a non THX speaker? It’s basically that they have been designed to a set of standards to ensure that consistent reproduction factors such as sensitivity, vertical and horizontal sound dispersion, sound pressure levels and low distortion are tested to make sure they meet the criteria before certification is possible. To reach these required performance levels, it is important to make sure you specify speakers that have been designed specifically for use in cinemas when planning your customers’ installations. A set of hi-fi speakers just won’t cut it. For a start they are generally designed to work in smaller rooms than cinemas, they tend to be less sensitive (i.e. won’t go as loud for a given amplifier power output) and they usually have a much narrower dispersion pattern, which is perfect for trying to achieve an accurate stereo effect at one listening position, but no good for home cinemas where everyone in the room needs to get the same experience. That needs a wide, even dispersion of sound and the ability to play loud to meet the specified cinema reference SPL level without distorting – hence the THX specification. Use Atlantic Technology THX certified speakers and in-wall subwoofers, together with Parasound THX amplifiers, for your home cinema installations and give your customers the performance boost they deserve.

Connected Distribution. connecteddistribution.com

Distributors of the finest high-fidelity audio components Fine Sounds UK is a McIntosh Group Company

t. 01592 744 710

www.finesounds.uk info@finesounds.uk

ESSENTIAL DbM

A MERRY OLD TIME AT MERIDIAN

Has Meridian pushed speaker performance even higher?

EI spent a great day at the recent the DbM event, enjoying many new introductions from established brands in the group, Meridian Audio itself as well as an intriguing new brand too. The demonstration parts of these regular events are always a big highlight. This year was no different with lots of great audio-visual treats to experience, however it has to be said at EI’s favourite on the day was the highly impressive new DSP8000 XE Meridian speaker. The company’s Extreme Engineering Programme commenced more than six years ago and was tasked with ringing every last drop out of Meridian’s approach to delivering an authentic, natural and lifelike listening experience. The programme was established to re-imagine each element of Meridian’s system approach, including software and hardware platforms. Meridian’s flagship DSP8000 XE is the first product to benefit fully from this programme. The speaker is built on a brand-new audio architecture, using higher specification, more powerful components and leveraging all of Meridian’s expertise in psychoacoustics. It sees the first implementation of the Precision Sonic Transport design concept – a new way of using innovative techniques and processes to ensure the entire journey taken by an audio signal through a Meridian product maintains maximum sonic fidelity. The all-new Atlas Software Core is described as a future facing audio processing and control platform and is host to Meridian’s most powerful DSP engine to date. Atlas Software Core enables the implementation of

50 JULY 2022

new enhancement technologies and features, allowing more performance to be extracted and delivered from Meridian’s existing proprietary audio technologies. The powerful processing means there’s huge flexibility with loudspeaker placement with the product well suited to the home installation market and can deliver an impressive experience for music, movies and media in all types of listening environment. Signal conditioning technologies such as True Link, Digital Precision, True Time and Q-Sync make the most of the digital audio signal delivered to the DSP8000 XE. Barry Sheldrick, Director of Sales at Merdian Audio, says, “I’ve been hosting plenty of demonstrations of our new DSP8000 XE speakers and the best part for everyone is that I honestly don’t have to say anything. “The look on the faces of the people and their natural response is absolute gold dust. They are genuinely lost for words and smiling in equal measure, itching to share what they have heard (usually for the first time) on a favourite track they have played, perhaps, thousands of times before.” Barry adds, “They talk about how wide the sound stage is, how they feel like they are in the recording and, generally, find it hard to stop playing song after song! It’s the same story in our Reference Theatre. The sheer power and

scale of three DSP8000 XE loudspeakers blows everyone away. They have a tremendous presence and authority which most people simply have never experienced before and, in a home cinema environment, they sound absolutely unreal! “The great thing is that it gets all of us talking excitedly about high quality audio in an inclusive way; this isn’t just an experience that audio geeks get excited about, this is one that absolutely everyone enjoys.”

GO BIG AND GO HOME

Elsewhere, DbM was showcasing ‘the next and best big thing’ for large, open plan media rooms with the 3000mm wide Modular Seamless Display (MSD) from LG that will be fully supported with an attractive package for integrators, covering delivery and installation right through to aftercare and maintenance. The new MSD 3000 from LG is bigger by a huge 38in than any conventional TV display. Perfect for bright environments, it features 3 in 1 surface mounted diodes (SMD) and fine pitch RGB LED technology to deliver a vivid, punchy image with bold colours and strong contrast for large living rooms and open plan spaces. Comprising of 72 individual tiles, the SMDs deliver an impressive quality of picture at a wide viewing angle with no screen burn.

The next generation of architectural loudspeakers with tool-less installation, a unique pivoting system, and 21 speakers that fit into the same cut-out of 222mm, the Director Collection provides full-bodied, reliable sound from room to room.

Contact the Invision sales team for more information on the Origin Acoustics Director speakers

01359 270280 | sales@invisionuk.com

PMC, CREATING SUPREME DOLBY ATMOS MIXES AND DELIVERING A TRULY IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE.

Find out more

ESSENTIAL DbM

The company showcased a new partnership with LG

The product can be fitted into living spaces with a unique, Scandinavian-designed free standing or wall mounted solution to provide an attractive aesthetic finish in contemporary interiors. Barry says, “This high-quality screen meets a growing client demand for large displays in big, well-lit spaces. Using all LG’s know-how, the picture quality is superb and we’re excited that we can bring it to market at a very competitive price. If clients want to go big with a premium viewing experience, then this is absolutely the rewarding and trouble-free path that integrators can now take.” Delivering an impressive and knowledgeable presentation of its high performance multi zone audio system team from nexgentec offered a real insight into what the brand can offer. Integrators working in the high-end residential and superyacht sector can now benefit from this adaptable, highly expandable approach. “Audio over IP is an increasingly popular option for integrators, seeking to offer a scalable, fully flexible and high-performance audio solution on their projects,” says Barry, “nexgentec is the innovative brand that’s spearheading the AoIP solution and we’re delighted to partner with them and supply their exceptional range into the UK and EIRE.” nexgentec empowers the IP network for audio distribution using its pioneering implementation and bespoke innovations, including Dante and AES76 technology. Renowned for reliability and high performance, nexgentec’s extensive range of digital signal processors, amplifiers and digital and

multichannel audio-interfaces work together to distribute clear audio signals from any source to any zone over a home or superyacht’s network infrastructure. Patching and routing become logical functions configured in the nexgentec software, not via physical wired links. Loudspeakers can be connected via a single network cable and nexgentec says its approach has also been designed to eliminate the need and limitations of AV matrixes in traditional audio distribution systems whilst always retaining the integrity and quality of the audio signal in transmission. Integrators can also access and control nexgentec powered audio systems remotely. Rico Vögeli, CEO of nexgentec explains, “We want to optimise solutions that work for the end client, the specialist installer and for the environment. This is a challenging market, which demands the best and so helps us to find new and better solutions every day. We pioneered network-based audio solutions over seven years ago. Finally, the whole superyacht and high-end residential market is now ready for these innovations, and we look forward to working with DbM to substantially grow the UK presence for nexgentec AoIP.”

Cinema experience now combines insane audio and incredible video, with the performance of our DSP8000 XE speakers and the Freya projector complementing each other perfectly. “The ability to show a DCI projector to our dealers and their clients is a complete game-changer. Elevating the concept of just what is possible with cutting edge projection technology helps people understand the power of creating an amazing image, and then creates just that! “The Freya produces a picture of jawdropping quality; vibrantly rich colour, awesome contrast and pin-sharp optics. Partnered with our design and specification service, DbM is making it easier than ever for our partners to pitch, design and build incredible home cinema experience for their clients.”

A HOME CINEMA DEITY

Also on permanent demonstration at DbM HQ is the Freya DCI home cinema projector, also on show during the open day. Barry explains, “Having a Barco Freya projector on permanent demonstration was a serious commitment for DbM but is totally worth it! Our Reference

DbM distributedbym.com

JULY 2022 53

ESSENTIAL GAMING AND SIMULATION

REALISM AND AUTHENTICITY DRIVE GROWTH IN RACING SIMULATORS Stuart Tickle, Managing Director at AWE, talks home simulators and their rise in popularity for thrill-seeking clients For many people, gaming is a hugely enjoyable way to spend a chunk of their free time, offering excitement, challenge and escapism. For most amateur gamers, a standard console-based setup, perhaps enhanced with additional consumer-level devices like steering wheels and pedals is enough. But what about those people who demand a realistic experience, rather than just a gaming experience? When it comes to racing sims, individuals wanting a high level of immersion and authenticity are the perfect client for custom designed and built professional simulators that will test their driving skills at the highest level. Custom-made sims for the home have grown in popularity over the last few years, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.1% from 2020 to 2027, forecast by Grand View Research. Pro based simulators provide a deeply realistic environment that simply can’t be replicated by a mainstream gaming solution, and it’s this that’s driving market demand. While amateur gamers may be seduced by the fun of racing around a track using consumer-grade devices, professional simulators far exceed this, offering opportunities for driver training and competitive racing; it’s even possible to be trained by or race in real-time with professional drivers and race engineers. The developing demand for custom sims is an example of how the high-end smart home market is evolving. As smart home solutions increase in popularity, so does the desire for something unique – we’ve seen this with the recent boom in demand for custom control and home cinema rooms. The Integrated Home Market Analysis 2021 from CEDIA highlights that custom control represents the largest share of the residential integration market in the UK, valued at almost £250 million annually. Home cinema rooms are in third place at £145 million, showing the huge interest and potential this sector represents. This report also finds that the luxury segment is where the majority of this work comes from, suggesting clients are willing to spend to get

54 JULY 2022

gaming and entertainment rooms that not only have the wow factor but also let them indulge their passions. With an entry level price point of around 25K for a custom-built standalone professional grade simulator, we’re talking high-end home technology, but for affluent clients looking for a showstopping feature for their games room, a custom sim is the holy grail. And, for those with even deeper pockets, a bespoke sim, purposebuilt into a dedicated room, featuring a real race car chassis, giant wraparound projection screen and edge-blended projection, is the ultimate prize. For those high-income clients who may also be time-poor, simulation is the best way to replicate driving high-performance cars without the need to book a track day or possibly damage their restored classic. Professional simulators are capable of delivering accurate and convincing feedback and replicating real steering torque from any race car offer the ultimate in realistic racing experiences. Software can also be enhanced within these systems to

replicate any car and setup, so this goes way beyond playing a racing game on a console. The market potential here is exciting and there for the taking. We’ve seen clients that have dedicated an entire room to their simulator, creating a fully immersive environment for pure escapism, and we expect more of this in the future. We also see more entry-level units gaining traction. What may be surprising is just how attractive these sims can be and how simple and reliable they are to use. Bulky metal rigs do not have to take up too much space in a cinema room. Realistic, high-quality design adds an element of cool to any space and using them is as simple as turning on the power, choosing your track and you’re off.

THE PLATFORM

At AWE we are the exclusive distributor of Base Performance Simulators (BPS) to the custom install market. BPS is one of the UK’s leading race simulation companies, led by three-time Le Mans winning Aston Martin factory driver, Darren Turner.

Tecla XL

The switch revolution begins

• Polycarbonate capacitive touch switch with 4, 6, 8 or 10 buttons • Fully customisable icons through the online design tool Touch MyDesign • Backlit icons • Built-in temperature probe • Built-in thermostat functionality • Luminosity and proximity sensor • Portrait or landscape installation • Available in white, anthracite and silver

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ESSENTIAL GAMING AND SIMULATION

These sims are used by many pro-drivers up and down the pro racing scene. With a focus on delivering an accurate, technically brilliant, authentic driving experience, a BPS simulator ensures drivers truly feel the ride as they learn circuits and car models. Carbon fibre seats, professional steering motors, custom pedal boxes and a unique powder coated steel frame add to the realism, while high end audio and video solutions fully immerse the driver to give that realistic experience that nothing else can deliver. The most accessible model from BPS is Blade, a custom designed and built professional race simulator for the home user.

It features the Precision Sim GPX Steering Wheel and runs a professional steering motor from Simucube. Blade is supplied with a speaker system and Sennheiser headset plus a 49in curved monitor with 120hz refresh rate as standard, although all of these can be upgraded. It runs Assetto Corsa software and a motion platform is optional. Once drivers are hooked on the realism something like the Blade can provide, they can be tempted to look at the options for an even more professional driving experience, perhaps moving to dedicated sim rooms rather than fitting a Blade into their cinema or home entertainment space.

Options here include BPS GT, which is manufactured from a genuine racing chassis, such as an Aston Martin Vantage, and fitted with BPS developed hardware. These simulators were actually used by Aston Martin Racing at the 2020 Virtual Le Mans, so their realism and quality is guaranteed. The market for professional simulators is only going to grow as awareness of the opportunities to have these incredible machines in home gaming rooms increases. From bespoke sims in purpose-designed rooms, to standalone solutions to fit any home entertainment space, specialist simulation systems offer something unique and BPS is at the forefront of this development.

SMART THINKING

TECHNICAL ARTISAN David Hearn, Creative Technology Director at software creation experts, Arcstream, explains how his company supports the exciting world of Generative Art installations. A relatively new concept in the art world is ‘Generative Art’. The medium combines artistic invention and innovation with cutting edge technology. These types of execution lend themselves extremely well to permanent or temporary experiential marketing installations, and can create deep engagement for brands and concepts, but need knowledgeable support from technology specialists such as Arcstream. The technology needed to create within this genre normally requires special hardware, software, skilful installation and maintenance to be successful. To qualify as a piece of Generative Art, the work normally involves images or audio that at least in some part are generated by a computer or algorithm, making some of the decisions of what is seen independently. These works of art are often complex to deliver from a technical point of view. Artists and those commissioning them need to have confidence that the technology partner they choose to help make the project happen understands the needs of each endeavour and can provide seamless support to make it all happen. Technical assistance has been at the heart of many of the world’s most innovative, cuttingedge artworks and this is still true today, with Arcstream fulling the role of a ‘technical artisan’ providing artists (and those who commission them) with the tools to realise their vision.

What exactly is Generative Art?

Essentially it is a work that relies entirely or partly on the use of an ‘autonomous’ system, defined as a non-human aspect, often an algorithm, that

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helps to generate and change what the artist wants the viewer to see or hear. This form of art, although enjoying considerable awareness now, has actually been in existence a little longer than you might assume. Automated computer graphics from the early 1960s are the roots of much of today’s work. Some well established artists in the genre working today include Manolo Gamboa Naon, an Argentinian who uses algorithmic tools including processing to create art. Another artist, Anders Hoff via projects such as ‘Inconvergent’, explores the behaviour and evolution that emerges from artificial systems with simple rules. Today, it is mostly accepted that Generative Art’s chief defining features include change, dynamic development and motion. As more established forms of art like painting and sculpture obviously cannot deliver these aspects, here is where technology steps in. Whilst the artist sets the rules, it is the defining feature of Generative Art that the technology makes at least some of the decisions and consequently its installation and setup need to be precise. Other triggers can be actioned by data inputs such as time of day, weather conditions, space occupancy or people walking past the screen. Most projects involve at conception some form of software. That software then needs a place to exist and do its work, often this involves specially designed and configured hard-drives or computers. Then the work needs to be seen and sometimes heard too, using high-performance, specialist audio-visual equipment. These are the basics, but the needs for each project vary. The

type and size of screens required, the nature of the hard drives to gain the correct performance from the software and protect intellectual property, are all important factors. The artist will then have a particular vision of exactly how the art will look; the brightness, speed of operation, colour contrasts, the colour pallet in general and any audio involved, all need to be perfectly tuned to the right levels and intensities. Other elements can involve precision cameras tracking movement in front of the screen. Another factor is providing data inputs that affect what the work is doing and what people see and hear. A project we are working on involves informing the work exactly what time of day it is, what the weather conditions are, the level of office occupancy and when someone walks directly past the screen. These wonderful and beguiling works are beginning to appear in many settings. Permanent installation in corporate spaces is popular too, as organisations commission artists in much the same way as they would a painter or sculpture in another setting. The works are often powerful messengers of an organisation’s standing and culture, projected out to the wider world. Generative Art also appears as part of less permanent installations for high-profile events and promotional endeavours of all kinds. Whatever the venue, intention and technical needs of the artists and those supporting the work, Arcstream has the experience and technical knowhow to make each project a success. Arcstream arcstreamav.com

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SIMPLIFYING COMPLEXITY

SMART THINKING

SUPERCHARGE

YOUR RACKS!

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME? Client Services Director at install company Philharmonic AV, Steve Harper gives his take on some of the highlights from the returning Integrated Systems Europe.

New true double conversion (online) UPS with surge suppression and AC filtering ATE-OL1500HV (1500W) and ATEOL3000HV (3000W) Keep your clients’ critical services running with clean power during input power/mains outages

sales@habitech.co.uk 60 JULY 2022

Lutron was front and centre with one of its big launches from the show, its Palladiom wirefree shades. These new products offer the chance to install fully automated, intelligent shading just about anywhere as these new lines are battery operated and so can be installed without the need for any new cabling. The replaceable batteries are stored within the shade itself and use ‘Active Energy Optimisation’, a battery management system designed to maximise efficiency. Using six or fewer batteries, the system can run between three to five years. Fully networked, the blinds also tell us integrators when the battery life is low, so we can replace them with no disruption to the customer. The blinds are controlled wirelessly over a network via an integrated antenna, so no extra cabling is needed there either. The design community will also be glad to hear that these shades are really beautiful with a choice of styles and finishes to suit any type of interior. A sector that has come on leaps and bounds in recent years is the control of ambient light within the home. This can be just as powerful as the control of artificial light, and also helps with efficiency, harnessing the power of the sun where necessary, but also limiting its entry into a property to control temperature and ambiance.

What Lutron has achieved here is bundling all the very best aspects of ambient light control into an easy to fit package, as well as offering a new palette for interior designers to work with. Consequently, Palladiom are super suitable for either new build or renovation projects.

BEAUTIFUL SOUND

There were many high-performance speaker companies making their case at the event. One that caught our ear was L-Acoustics, a brand that cut its teeth in the world of pro audio. If you have ever been to a live concert, you have probably already heard their speakers as they dominate that market. However, the brand now makes some really mean consumer products too. Soka are a new range of speakers that offer great audio, but also elegance and discretion. The company says it has seen a big rise in demand for high performance systems which integrate into luxury immersive environments and these speakers are perfect for when a sleek aesthetic and discreet solution is required.

SMART THINKING Soka and SB6i are ultra-shallow at 3.9in/ 99mm, designed to be easily enclosed in-wall or discreetly mounted on-wall, but can produce a highly impressive, very wide audio soundstage, filling the whole room. The company has used much of its knowledge from the pro audio world to deliver the performance levels needed in the luxury AV market, but also produced a fantastic looking speaker, a work of art in its own right. The speakers are happy working to deliver an immersive home cinema environment, or musiconly solutions too. Speakers like these underline a real trend with audio manufacturers who increasingly recognise that their products have to look as good as they sound, and these products certainly do that.

GREAT AUDIO, EVERYWHERE

Many people these days will be familiar with the concept of multi-room audio systems, made popular by well-known names such as Sonos. However less people are aware that there are systems that sit above Sonos in terms of quality but also deliver the same level of convenience, arguably more. Don’t get us wrong here, Sonos is a good system, however when the client requires something with a little more punch, clarity and power there are now good step up options to be offered. BlueOS is a multi-room music streaming platform which several high-performance manufacturers now use in order to build next generation multi-room music systems. BluOS allows users to access and stream lossless music up to 24-bit/192kHz to every room using their home network. Users can find music anywhere on their network, cloud music service or Internet radio, and share it with any BluOS-enabled music product in the home. A maker that has had a strong hand in developing this platform is Bluesound. This manufacturer already had a strong line-up of its own speakers and soundbars from which to create high performance multi-room audio systems, but it also now has a very clever product it calls the HUB.

This clever box of tricks allows integrators such as ourselves to bring into a multi-room music system existing products that the client already owns. Particularly cleverly, these don’t need to be modern digital products such as cutting-edge amplifiers or games consoles, they can also be analogue products such as turntables or CD players. Now customers can enjoy their favourite sources anywhere in the home. HDMI eARC, Coaxial, Digital Optical, Stereo Analogue and a moving magnet Phono stage, means the HUB can communicate with just about anything, creating a true holistic whole house music solution. The product is also small enough to be completely hidden away in a rack based installation, or is also happy discreetly fitting into the living space where the source that needs to be connected to the network is already located. Each HUB can manage one analogue and one digital source simultaneously, and up to four (4) HUBs can be added to a single network. Equipped with BluOS, the HUB makes adding audio sources simple using the BluOS Controller app setup wizard. A few taps on the BluOS app controls a whole multi-room system from a smartphone, tablet or computer. Convenient, simple, powerful.

SUPERCHARGE

YOUR RACKS!

BEAUTIFUL CONTROL

As providers of luxury smart home systems, we are always on the lookout for products that deliver the control that we want but also the looks as well. A really strong product that delivers in both of these areas was introduced at the show from Basalte. Lena is an on-wall touch interface for Basalte Home, the company’s home automation platform. Users get a clear overview of their smart home system and can control lights, shades, scenes, temperature and music in any room. Lena can also operate as a door entry system or internal intercom. However, what is probably of more interest to the design community is the products ability to blend into any interior. Lena is available in all Basalte luxury finishes such as brushed brass, brushed aluminium and nickel. Sleek and thin, the product appears to be floating on the wall. Control, beautifully presented.

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JULY 2022 61

ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY

A PERFECT CRESCENT Perfect Integration used all of its experience and some high-performance brands to deliver this world class relaxation and entertainment space to a beautiful, restored London crescent. Chris Knight, Managing Director, Perfect Integration, gave EI the tour. This detailed and high-performance project was created as a private residents club, offering many types of relaxation to the owners of the apartments above, which are also provided with automation and entertainment systems by Perfect Integration. Entering the space delivers a genuine wow factor as it is immediately apparent that the level of finish and detail is right at the top of where the industry can go. Chris explains, “We have had a long relationship with the developer responsible for

62 JULY 2022

the renovation of this attractive set of apartments. Totalling around eight years now, the building was the winner of Best Multiple Dwelling Unit project at the 2020 CEDIA Awards. The basement where the members club is located was not suitable for residential users, so our long held ambition was to provide a top class entertaining and relaxation space for residents. “To fit in with the rest of the building, we really wanted to invest in the space and produce something really impressive. We used our existing knowledge about the residents and

worked really closely with our suppliers including Habitech and in particular Wisdom Audio to deliver a space that mixes genuine luxury with high performance AV and automation.” The first space that visitors encounter is the Billiards Room, which partners a high end billiards table with fully integrated AV solutions based around a Samsung The Frame 75in TV, three Sonance invisible IS10 LCR speakers, a James PT-1000 sub and James C806-BE surrounds - all driven by an Arcam AVR40. The space is controlled with a Crestron

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R6225 SERIES

19” Convertible Wall Mount Rack Enclosure With Removable Shell Swap between secured enclosure and open form rack in moments

The freedom of an open frame and the security of a sealed cabinet The latest design in our 19” range offers rack builders and AV installers an enclosure with more freedom than ever before. The R6225 wall mount enclosures provide total accessibility on demand as well as rock-solid security when needed. The steel outer shell disengages to slide off independently from interior cables and devices to provide quick and convenient access to the rack anytime. When the shell is secured to the rack frame, security is assured with a lockable front door and high quality steel construction throughout. Choose to go open form and make device installation and management a breeze - no more struggle trying to work inside awkward and difficult to access enclosures!

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ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY

The lounge combines lighting and audio to great effect

TSW-1070 touchscreen, with a Crestron TSR-310 remote also available in the space. Residential apartments above also have Crestron, so the transition from the living space upstairs through to the entertainment space feels seamless and a genuine extension of the apartments. This is a well-appointed space and has a slightly James Bond/Kingsman feel to it, which is only enhanced when paintings on the walls rise using Future Automation lifts to reveal amongst other things a drinks cabinet. The action of the lifts combines well with some subtle lighting that really takes this feature to where it needs to be, it feels completely right for the space adding some fun and drama. The AV performance in this space is also impressive,

offering a mixture of music only and media room viewing options. The next zone offers a luxurious and welcoming lounge area which echoes the period features of this Georgian crescent with aplomb. A beautiful ceiling rose is complemented by a spectacular lighting pendant which the integration team re-engineered to not just shine down but up also into the ceiling rose as well, creating a really dramatic and stylish look. The whole scheme benefits from Lutron lighting, but in this zone its use is particularly effective in creating different moods for residents and their visitors. The Perfect Integration team used all of its experience with period features to integrate Sonance and James speakers into this

space so residents can enjoy background music or something more full on without the interior design of the space being compromised. Moving over to the gym, residents enjoying this area can call on some Sonance commercial speakers, which reflect the industrial look that has been used in this space. The wellness and spa area also enjoys some integrated speakers to help enhance the experiences and treatments available. Challenges in this area included installing marine grade speakers in the sauna and a steam room, and again Crestron control is used effectively to deliver all of the experiences that residents can enjoy here. In the spa area, lighting that reflects natural light and circadian sensibilities is used to great effect.

JULY 2022 65

ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY

HOME CINEMA HIGHLIGHT

As impressive as the rest of the club is, EI was naturally eager to experience the cinema as the space had already built up a reputation for top end performance. Before the cinema could be created, the basement had some extremely effective soundproofing structures and products installed - as the cinema sits directly below where people live and sleep. Further protection is supplied by ‘the room within a room’ build approach so the cinema can be at reference levels and not be felt at all in the floors directly above. Diffusion and absorption products from Cinematech were also used in the creation of the space. A starlight ceiling was also installed, providing some added aesthetic appeal. The cinema is built around a Wisdom Audio speaker collection and StormAudio processing. The Wisdom Audio speakers are arranged in a 9.6.8 system. The Perfect Integration team spent a long-time modelling and working out the best configuration for the space. The bass in particular needed a lot of careful planning with six subs finally proving to be optimal. The room correction software on the StormAudio processor (Dirac Live) was also used to optimise, but mostly for the lower frequencies. Chris says that the Wisdom Audio speakers proved to be so strong at producing a wide range of audio, the cinema simply didn’t need adjustment in the mid to higher ranges. Complementing the audio is a JVC X9 projector, partnering a DT Screens (3.4m wide – 2.35:1 aspect ratio screen) both chosen as optimal for the size of this room (6.5m x 4.3m). The cinema enjoys a wide range of sources, allowing users to experience movies, as well as gaming and there are also settings within the processor to allow people to listen to music using the front speaker array only. Chris explained that future plans include the

The lounge combines lighting, and audio to great effect

possibility for residents to access their own sources from their apartments (such as Sky Q) so they can jump right into their own content, set up the way the like it, as soon as they enter the cinema. Chris also explained how important Steve Rutherford, International Sales Manager, Wisdom Audio, had been during the creation and fine tuning of the cinema. “Right out of the box the cinema has always been impressive, however with an installation like this, naturally, we wanted to go as far as we could performance wise and so a lot of time was spent in calibration, and we are really happy with the final results,” says Chris. Steve was present the day EI visited and was clearly very proud of what has been achieved here. Entirely justified - as the cinema really does deliver. What’s particularly impressive is how the cinema combines power with subtlety, you feel completely relaxed and engaged no

matter what kind of content in being played. The reaction from residents has been extremely positive, revealing to many just how good a system like this can be for the first time. One resident has already asked to upgrade his own system in the apartment above based on what the main cinema has delivered. The cinema can be booked via the building’s concierge and the Crestron system driving the cinema again delivers a control approach the residents are already familiar with and so getting up and running is easy. A really impressive set up here all round, each zone providing something different tuned perfectly to the activities taking place. However it has to be said the star of the show is definitely the cinema, just a really luxurious and high performance space it’s a joy to experience. Perfect Integration perfectintegration.co.uk

The cinema is loved by the residents

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ESSENTIAL CASE STUDY

Essential Kit List General • Lighting

Lounge • 4 x Sonance Invisibe IS8 speakers

• Lutron HomeWorks QSX

• James PT-1000 sub

• Light fittings

• Dim to warm lighting

• Decorative wall lights, pendants and lamps by Bert Frank

• Bespoke pendant with up-lighting to highlight ceiling

• Architectural fittings by Orluna • Linear LED by Tagra Control • Crestron with bespoke user interface Security • Dahua CCTV with AI • Salto access control

Cardio Gym • 4 x Sonance P63 pendants • 1 x Sonance PS-S210SubT sub • Bluetooth receiver to allow Peleton and Hydrow to connect to speakers Weights Gym • 4 x James SA63-7 small aperture speakers

Non-Chinese

FCC NDAA

• 85” Samsung LED TV Cinema Equipment List • 9.6.8 Wisdom system

• RGBWW LED lighting

• Wisdom Audio: 7 x Sage Cinema Line 2

• Crestron TSW-760 touchscreen flushed into wall

• Wisdom Audio: 2 x L75i

• Crestron HR-310 remote

• Wisdom Audio: 6 x S90i subs • Wisdom Audio: 8 x ICS7A • Wisdom Audio: 11 x SA3 (3 x 500w) amplifiers

Wellness Area • 2 x Sonace Invisible IS8 speakers • Sonance VP Extreme in steam room

• JVC: NX-9 projector

• Circadian Rhythm Tuneable white lighting with bespoke wall lights

• Kaleidescape: Strato S • Apple: Apple TV 4K • Humax: Humax Freesat Tuner • Microsoft: Xbox series X • Oppo: 4K Oppo UDP203 Blu-ray Player • Crestron: TSR-310 remote

Specified

• Sonance Mariner in sauna

• StormAudio: ISP Mk2 32 • DT Screens: Custom Screen (3.4m wide – 2.35:1 aspect ratio)

Cyber-Secure

• Temp linked RGBW lighting in Sauna and steam • Crestron TSW-570P touchscreen AV Racks • 3 x Sonance DSP 8-130 power amps • Sonos Ports for musical source. Plan to add a Naim streamer • Middle Atlantic AXS slide out racks

Billiards Area • Samsung The Frame 75in TV • 3 x Sonance Invisible IS10 LCR speakers • James PT-1000 sub • James C806-BE surrounds

• Furman power conditioning • Ruckus network switches and Wi-Fi 6 APs All images courtesy of Sarah Medway Photography

• Arcam AVR40

01908 443 660

• Crestron TSW-1070 touchscreen • Crestron TSR-310 remote

contact@LILIN.uk JULY 2022 69

PRODUCTS

VIOLET GETS SMART VIOLET has announced the introduction of the new SmartSwitch Lite, 7mm thinner than the current version, with advanced connectivity and smart features. SmartSwitch Lite is a touchscreen control panel that replaces a traditional square light switch, providing convenient control over smart lighting and audio systems. Features include a one device, two power supply approach as the device supports both 100-240 V AC and 12-30V DC which means it can either replace a traditional light switch or an existing ‘smart keypad’ powered by extra low voltage wire. This new version also offers a slimmer form factor, requiring a shallower electrical back box, meaning that installation is easier and customers with smaller back boxes can now benefit from what the SmartSwitch Lite has to offer. The unit also offers advanced connectivity with third-party lighting and audio devices over Wi-Fi, SmartSwitch Lite also connects with Philips Hue and Sonos out of the box. For advanced users and installers almost any other system that uses HTTP requests can also partner the product, providing access to services like Home Assistant and IFTTT with more out-thebox integrations on the way.

The product also offers ease of operation, a simple double tap of the screen to play/pause audio or hold it to turn the lights on and off, all without waking it. If more control is required, a single tap wakes the screen and displays the sleek interface allowing simple scene recall and audio adjustment. So far, VIOLET has had a string of positive reviews on Trustpilot with a rating of 4.6/5.0 and one customer saying, “Really impressed by the Violet smart switch. Works flawlessly with my extensive Philips Hue lighting set up and the recent software update makes this smart switch versatile. Definitely recommended and will purchase again for a few more rooms in the future.”

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VIOLET violet-ultra.co.uk

A new control option

JOURNEY TO THE CORE WITH SNAP ONE Snap One has announced that it is now shipping the CORE Series of Control4 Controllers: a generational refresh of the hardware that runs each customer’s system and provides access to the full set of features available from the Control4 intelligent platform. The company also announced an update to the platform itself with the release of Control4 OS 3.3.0, which includes: new time-saving shortcuts in Composer Pro, support for Apple Watch, full integration of colour and colour temperature into the Control4 Platform with user interface controls, colour selection and ramping available to lighting scenes, as well as easy integration into personalised automated scenes for effortless highlights. Also, the Control4 apps for iOS and Android were updated to enable faster connection speeds for customers using the app while on the go, providing access to their systems up to 40% faster than before. “Snap One has invested in enhancements, optimisations and large-scale backend infrastructure changes to provide a faster experience for our customer, which will benefit our partners as well. With every product we engineer, and in all the software we design, we commit to identifying ways that we can make them easier for our partners to install and configure. Their experience with our product line matters as much to us as the experience of the customer,” says GPaul Hess, Snap One Chief Product Officer. The newly available CORE 1, CORE 3, and CORE 5 Controllers feature updated multi-core processors that run the Control4 OS faster and

more efficiently, with power to spare for the new features and functionality currently in development. By pairing those processors with a 4K HDMI output, CORE delivers the speed and performance needed for a beautiful, interactive on-screen menu for instantaneous access to video, music, lighting, comfort, and security solutions. OS 3.3.0 enables integrator partners to make remote connections faster and easier through the use of new ‘Recent’, ‘Favourite’ and ‘Search’ tabs. Composer Pro functionality has also been streamlined, with new hotkeys CTRL-R, CTRL-D and CTRL-E allowing partners to instantly Collapse Rooms, Collapse Devices or Expand All, respectively. Snap One snapone.com

GOOD 10G TO 100m

HNC 6A CAT 6A 600 MHZ

The CORE 1, CORE 3 and CORE 5 Controllers feature a heat-sink chassis for a fanless design and cool, reliable operation

JULY 2022 71

BECOME AN ACCREDITED SAVANT FUNDAMENTALS DEALER

Offer your customers the best experience in home automation Savant always has the customer in mind when it comes to updating and refining their systems and interfaces. With Savant home automation, your customers can access and control all of their home technology in a centralised location — multi-room music, a home theatre or media room, smart lighting, climate control, shading, security and surveillance, and outdoor entertainment. Join our exclusive network of dealers by taking part in our one-day accredited training course and benefit from easy-to-install solutions for a minimal investment.

To learn more about Savant or to book your space contact sales@savanteurope.co or call 01488 73366

RGB Head Office, 13–14 Headlands Trading Estate, Headlands Grove, Swindon, SN2 7JQ

Find out more at rgbcomms.co.uk

T: +44 (0) 1488 73366

PRODUCTS

LINDY IS GOING FOR 8K GOLD! Lindy has announced the launch of its new range of 8K certified HDMI 2.1 specification cables – the Gold Line High Speed HDMI range. These ultrahigh-quality cables deliver the high-performance connection solution for use in the most demanding professional environments, claims the maker. Lindy’s Gold Line High Speed HDMI cables feature triple shielded construction with heavygauge 24AWG OFC conductors for premium performance and corrosion resistance. All contacts are gold plated to maintain signal integrity and maximum reliability, and are housed in Lindy’s modern, easy-grip and fully-sealed protective metal connector hood, which is itself also gold plated. Designed for Ultra High-Definition video transfer, the Gold Line HDMI can support 8K video resolutions up to 10240x4320 4:2:0 12 bit. For audio usage, up to 32 channels of audio can be transmitted along the same cable, offering support for Dolby True HD systems. With the amount of Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency (RF) ‘noise’ on the increase, protective shielding is required so that the signal can be transmitted precisely. The Gold Line HDMI features a unique low attenuation design with triple-layer mylar foil

shielding sleave combined with a high-density copper braiding for maximum effect. The result is a cable that ensures consistent and reliable transmission even over very long distances. Available now, the Gold Line range is fully HDMI 2.1 compliant and able to support 8K 3D video, 18Gbps, HEC, ARC, CEC, Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio in lengths up to 7.5m (the cable is rated as HDMI 2.0 4K High Speed in lengths from 7.5m to 20m).

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Lindy lindy.co.uk

The cables are HDMI ATC certified, come with a 25-year warranty and are available in lengths from 0.5m up to 20m

AUDIOCONTROL BUILDS FOR THE FUTURE WITH ARCHITECT The AudioControl Architect Model P250EQ will be available July, 2022

AudioControl has introduced the Architect Model P250EQ, a high-power two-channel amplifier engineered with an emphasis on sound quality, plus key features for the custom installation channel. The P250EQ only requires a 1U rack space yet delivers the performance and functionality of much larger solutions. The foundation of the AudioControl P250EQ is the company’s Constant Power Mode amplifier design that delivers clarity and balance into any loudspeaker. Output power is 250W per channel into 8, 4 and 2-Ohm loads. The P250EQ’s Constant Power Mode amplifier platform is highlighted by an overbuilt power supply and advanced filter stage mated to robust output transistors capable of both high-current demand and rock-solid stability across the required range of load impedances. The P250EQ will extract every ounce of detail from all styles of music including the latest high-resolution digital content. The AudioControl Architect Model P250EQ features three selectable EQ curves to ease installation and setup efficiency while delivering a tailored, premium solution for each zone.

Integrators can choose from Flat, Bass Boost or Bass/Treble Boost curves that have been engineered to enhance the performance of commonly deployed architectural loudspeakers. The Architect Model P250EQ offers an impressive array of inputs designed to accommodate every application. The main audio inputs are RCA (stereo) along with both coax and optical digital inputs that are controlled by a priority switch selector. There are also multiple four-conductor speaker-level output connectors for easy termination that enable the P250EQ to drive up to four pairs of speakers. AudioControl’s SDS Priority Input Switching feature is accessible via a 3.5mm stereo input, facilitating the integration of smart doorbells, network-connected speakers and other devices that can pause/restart the entertainment content in selected zones as desired. The P250EQ features a signal-sensing circuit for auto-turn on/ off when applicable.

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AudioControl audiocontrol.com

JULY 2022 73

AUDIOPHILE QUALITY, ACROSS THE LINE IN-WALL • IN-CEILING • SUBWOOFERS • LANDSCAPE • AND MORE Our new complete line of high-performance residential speakers, made by Origin Acoustics, is designed with your most discerning clients in mind. All made with premium materials. All extraordinarily easy to install. All built to work in perfect harmony with the Crestron Home® platform, and soon with DM NAX™ Audio-over-IP products, so they’ll be perfectly tuned the moment you power up. Learn more at crestron.com/ResidentialAudio

All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. ©2022 Crestron Electronics, Inc.

PRODUCTS

SOMEONE’S KNOCKING AT THE DOOR! The new DoorBird A1121 IP access control device is now available worldwide. The WiFi/ PoE-enabled stand-alone solution provides secure access control via keypad PIN codes or RFID transponder to garages, side entrances and service rooms. Bird Home Automation, the Berlin-based manufacturer of IP video door stations, launched the DoorBird A1121 which reaches a new milestone in the field of intelligent door communication, says the company. The access control device with keypad and RFID function is particularly applicable in places where no video intercom system is desired. For example, the compact device can control access to garages, side doors, bicycle cellars, storage and service rooms. To match the installation environment, customers can choose from a variety of front panel finishes. In addition to brushed stainless steel, more surfaces and colours are available from stock, such as bronze, titanium, DB 703 pearled dark grey and RAL 7016 anthracite grey. Thanks to the weatherproof housing, the device can be surface or flush mounted in both outdoor and indoor settings. The stand-alone solution also features a configurable Wiegand interface, enabling integration into existing access control infrastructures and alarm system.

The multifunctional A1121 access control device is equipped with two relays, allowing trigger actions at two doors or gates as well as HTTP(S) calls. The A1121 can also be paired with DoorBird’s A1081 I/O Door Controller, which provides three additional relays per device. Access control occurs by entering PIN codes on the illuminated keypad or via the multi-frequency RFID reader using an RFID transponder. The administrator can define different schedules and actions for each PIN code and RFID transponder to assign individual access rights to authorised persons. An integrated tamper sensor can detect when the device is removed and send a push notification to the administrator.

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DoorBird doorbird.com All functions can be configured remotely via the free DoorBird app or the web-based administration tool

SUPER NOVA AND SAVANT Black Nova has announced the launch of the integration process for its Design Keypad Collections with Savant, which is added to a growing range of control systems, offering a sleek and stylish interface to control lighting, climate, shades and more. This new integration reinforces the brand and tech agnostic approach of Black Nova, aimed at elevating the Smart Design Keypad to a pure design object, not tied to any technology or control platform. Black Nova design keypads and touch panels are available in three distinctive collections. The ARIA is a tribute to minimalist aesthetics of the 20th century. Its natural elegance elicits straight lines, simple shapes, vivid colours and perfect glass surfaces are created to offer a stylish match for any interior. The ARIA collection is available in different control configurations up to 12 control buttons and a thermostat control panel with builtin temperature and humidity sensor. The ALBA Collection is the epitome of elegance and functionality, says Black Nova. Its bespoke look and precise performance, create an experience of pure comfort and aesthetic pleasure matching a variety of interiors, from eclectic urban loft to a mid-century living room, from minimalist conference room to classical yacht suites. Large, easy-to-use buttons with engraved icons and texts are flush into the design frame

creating a perfectly smooth surface. A subtle click confirms user touch. The ALBA Collection is available in two, four and eight button layouts and two finishes – metal and glass. AXES Collection offers fast response touch points with custom-engraved icons and text, delivers an intuitive and effortless user experience, says the creator. AXES Collection is available in different control configurations up to 12 touch points, RFID Card Reader, Card Holder, and bedside panels. The single, double and triple panels can be combined with the temperature control, media control, and sockets, offering the most extensive and customisable range of products for hospitality projects. Black Nova blacknova.co

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All the Black Nova’s Collections offer independent dimmable RGB backlight, temperature and humidity sensor, and support multi-gang frame composition

JULY 2022 75

PRODUCTS

AWE INTRODUCES PREMIUM HISENSE LASER TVS TO LINE-UP AWE now stock both the 100 and 120in L9 laser TV from Hisense

AWE has introduced the latest generation of Hisense ‘laser TVs’ to the AWE distribution portfolio. Available now, the 100in and 120in L9 models provide big screen experience under £4,500. The Hisense L9 Laser TV comes in twoparts – an ultra-short throw laser projector and a 100in, or 120in, ambient light rejecting screen.

It works exactly like a normal Smart TV. It has a built-in Freeview tuner, integral streaming services – using Hisense’s responsive VIDAA operating system, and integral 40 watt ‘Dolby Atmos’ speakers. Even the remote control looks like a normal TV remote. The projector is a single chip DLP projector and creates a 4K image using advanced pixel

shift technology. What makes it different from other DLPs is that three lasers – one red, one green and one blue – produce the bright, punchy colours instead of a colour wheel. Coming in at 3,000 lumens, the triple Laser engine offers consistent colour and brightness over a 25,000-hour lifetime. To ensure a bright image in most lighting conditions, there are two options of ambient light rejecting screen available – the 100in hard screen and the 120in soft screen. The 100in is a fixed rigid screen, with no assembly required. It’s a Fresnel screen that pushes the light from the projector directly forward, whilst rejecting most other ambient light. This means that it can be used in any room even if there’s no light control. The 120in is a soft screen that comes flatpacked and so requires assembly and, featuring a wide 150 degree viewing angle. The Hisense L9 Laser TV requires precise positioning to ensure the highest viewing quality. Each of the projectors has a fixed focal length and the lens matches the screen. Care must be taken when positioning the height of the projector and its distance to the screen. AWE awe-europe.com

NAD ADOPTS HYBRID APPROACH FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE NAD Electronics has announced the C 389 HybridDigital DAC amplifier, an audiophilegrade stereo system combining exceptional sound quality with the flexibility and the longterm value offered by NAD’s latest Modular Design Construction platform, MDC2. Available for retail sale in early Summer 2022, the C 389 will carry a suggested retail price of $1,499US / £1,299 GBP / €1,499 EUR. Featuring NAD’s HybridDigital UcD amplifier design, the C 389 has been engineered to deliver thrilling dynamics and transparent, detailed sound, says its creator. The digital section is built around a 32-bit/384kHz ESS Technology Sabre DAC chip renowned for its near-zero levels of clock jitter, exceptionally wide dynamic range, and ultra-low noise and

distortion, delivering astonishing clarity and holographic imaging on all sources. For the output stage, the C 389 uses a customised version of NAD’s HybridDigital UcD design, with multiple UcD amplifier modules in balanced bridged configuration and an innovative switch-mode power supply that can provide ample reserves of current on demand. Delivering 130W per channel of continuous power, the C 389 is designed to produce reallife listening levels with any loudspeaker load, with virtually unmeasurable distortion and noise through the audio-band, and effortless reproduction of musical transients. With a full suite of digital and analogue inputs, including an ultra-low-noise phono stage and HDMI eARC interface, the C 389

can accommodate all source components. In addition to two sets of speaker outputs, the C 389 has two subwoofer outputs, preamp outputs, and a dedicated headphone amp. The C 389 incorporates the latest iteration of NAD’s Modular Design Construction technology, MDC 2, and with its two MDC2 expansion slots, the C 389 can adapt to technical advances and evolving user needs. The MDC2 BluOS-D connects to a home network via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet. With the MDC2 BluOS-D installed, the C 389 can be part of a whole-home music system with as many as 64 zones. NAD Electronics nadelectronics.com

Seamless integrations with smart home control systems such as Control4, Crestron, RTI, URC, Lutron, and Elan are included

76 JULY 2022

Make Your Gardens Swing! Your customers will fall in love with the highest quality all-weather entertainment systems; durable, ultra-discreet and magical within gardens of any size.

In-Wall • On-Wall • In-Ground • On-Ground

Get in touch for the best in outdoor AV design www.habitech.co.uk | 01256 638500 | sales@habitech.co.uk

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Essential Install July 2022

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