Essential Install June 2020

JUNE 2020

THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE AV AND SMART HOME INDUSTRY

Introducing Arc

Brilliant sound in 3D Bring all your entertainment to life with the premium smart soundbar for TV, movies, music, and more, featuring Dolby Atmos.

MATRIX FEATURE

A MEETING OF MATRIX MINDS

TRAINING TIME

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

EI LIVE! TECH TALKS

A NEW WEBINAR SERIES LAUNCHES!

16x16 4K 18Gbps MATR IX SU P P OR TING

NEW C U S T O M P R O

The Custom Pro Matrix has been specifically designed to operate in challenging AV environments. Its robust housing and interlocking board configuration make both installation and maintenance a seamless experience. Advanced optional features include audio breakout, simultaneous HDBaseT™ / HDMI outputs, RS-232 pass through, and a web browser interface module for enhanced control and configuration.

PRO16HBT100CS

Custom Pro Matrix Hub featuring 16 x HDMI 2.0 inputs, 16 x HDBaseT™ outputs (4K 60Hz 4:4:4 to 70m, 1080p up to 100m) and 12 x simultaneous HDMI 2.0 outputs.

J Supports 4K UHD video up to 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 (18Gbps) over HDBaseT™ using Colour Space Conversion up to 70m at 4K 60Hz 4:4:4, or up to 100m at 1080p J 16 x analogue L/R audio inputs which can be embedded onto corresponding HDMI / HDBaseT™ zone outputs J Audio breakout board with line-level volume control J 3rd Party drivers available for major commercial & residential control brands

Blustream_EI_MAY_2020.indd All Pages

4K HDR up to 40m

PRO88HBT70CS

Custom Pro 8x8 HDBaseT™ CSC Matrix (4K 60Hz 4:4:4 up to 40m) Supports 4K HDR, IP Control, PoH, 2-Way IR, 4 x Simultaneous HDMI outputs , Audio Breakout with volume control J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI 2.0 18Gbps specification over HDBaseT™ J Supports 4K resolutions including HDR (4K 60Hz 4:4:4) to a distance of 40m

J Smart Scale technology - automatic 4K to 1080p scaling

1080p up to 150m

HEX100CS-KIT

HEX150CS-KIT

100m HDBaseT™ Extender Set Supporting 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 (70m)

HDBaseT™ CSC Extender Set Supporting HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 up to 100m (1080p up to 150m)

J Advanced HDBaseT™ technology offering CSC scaling with zero latency J Supports 4K UHD video up to 70m (3840x2160 @60Hz 4:4:4 and @60Hz 4:2:2 including HDR)

J Advanced Colour Space Conversion (CSC) supports HDMI2.0 18Gbps specification including HDR support

M U L T I C A S T

IP200UHD-RX/TX Multicast 4K UHD Video Receiver / Transmitter J Supports up to 4K HDR UHD video sources (3840 x 2160 @30Hz 4:4:4, 4096 x 2160 @24Hz 4:4:4 and 4K @60Hz 4:2:0) J Advanced signal management for independent routing of IR, RS-232, USB/KVM, audio and video

C O N T R A C T O R

4 K

U H D

V I D E O

O V E R

I P

S E R I E S

C44-KIT Contractor 4x4 HDBaseT™ Matrix Kit J Includes 4 x HEX70B-RX HDBaseT™ Receivers

Become a Certified Blustream Installation Partner

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.

Register now: www.blustream.co.uk/advanced-learning-portal J

Our UK Address: The Service Station,

Tel: +44 (0)115 824 7000

J Video over IP vs HDBaseT - which should you back?

Melton Road, Hickling Pastures,

Email: sales@blustream.co.uk

J with 10 more courses to choose from...

Nottinghamshire,

Web: www.blustream.co.uk

Current Tutorials Available

J Specifying a Custom Pro Matrix with 18Gbps support

J CAT Cable Certification & Verification J When is 4K, Actually 4K?

Book now at J www.blustream.co.uk

LE14 3QG United Kingdom.

27/05/2020 17:45

15

39 32 25 46

CONTENTS 5 FROM THE EDITOR’S CHAIR A thing of beauty

7 ESSENTIAL NEWS

People, products, pronouncements

June 2020 39 ROOM CORRECTION COMPARISON Which system is best?

51 ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS Magic metal machines

12 SONOS ARC LAUNCHES

FEATURES

15 ONEAV

MATRIX AND SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION 21 MATRIX REBORN?

All about the Arc

Let’s go outside!

17 INSTALL PIONEER

Dr. Mathias Johansson, co-founder and CEO of Dirac

Nick Mawer, marketing manager, Kramer Electronics UK

22 SOLVING THE MATRIX

Taft Stricklin, Sales Team Manager, Just Add Power and Vincent Bova, RTI’s Director of Dealer Experience, take on our matrix focused questionnaire

28 PULSE CINEMAS Fab Fortress Seating

25 MATRIX FUTURE

HDANYWHERE assesses the state of and future for the matrix market

30 EI TECH TALK

Our new webinar series launches!

YOUR DISTRIBUTOR F www.avoke.co.uk | av@avoke.co.uk

22

51

26 THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

Kevin Cray, Technical Product Development Director CYP, ushers in a new era in innovation

HVAC CONTROL AND INTEGRATION 32 UNIFORM COMMUNICATION

Dave Robinson, Managing Director of Sensible Heat, looks at recent developments in HVAC controls

TRAINING FEATURE 45 WONDERFUL WEBINARS EI and Bemco deliver KNX intro

46 TRAVEL LESS, TRAIN MORE?

Kevin Cray, CYP’s Technical Product Development Director, talks future training techniques

48 COMMITMENT IN THE FACE OF COVID-19

35 LEARNING CURVE

Justin Wells, Director at Polar Bear Design, describes how to design a 21st century interface

Neil Walton, EMEA Training Manager at Crestron and Richard Sasson, Global Director Technical Services present a case study of Crestron’s reaction to COVID-19

37 ESSENTIAL CEDIA How to begin again

R FOR Smart Home www.avoke.co.uk | av@avoke.co.uk

LINEAR THINKING ANTHRA LINE LindyCables.com

DISCOVER LINDY lindy.com

JUNE 2020

THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE AV AND SMART HOME INDUSTRY

Introducing Arc

Brilliant sound in 3D Bring all your entertainment to life with the premium smart soundbar for TV, movies, music, and more, featuring Dolby Atmos.

MATRIX FEATURE

A MEETING OF MATRIX MINDS

TRAINING TIME

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

EI LIVE! TECH TALKS

A NEW WEBINAR SERIES LAUNCHES!

GETTING IN TOUCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Beauty and the beast, does the industry need to have aesthetics more central to its mission statement? (image courtesy of Perfect Integration)

JUNE

A THING OF BEAUTY

Daniel Sait, dan@allthingsmedialtd.com

SALES DIRECTOR

Ian Kitchener, ian@allthingsmedialtd.com

GROUP AD MANAGER

Claire Talty, claire@allthingsmedialtd.com

PUBLISHER

David Kitchener, david@allthingsmedialtd.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Mark Weller, mark@allthingsmedialtd.com

ACCOUNTS

susan@allthingsmedialtd.com

BUSINESS SUPPORT ADMINISTRATOR carol@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.

EI has been looking at some particularly beautiful installs recently, where the technology and interior design of the space really work hand in glove, taking the dwelling up to a totally new level of comfort and design. It got EI thinking, could we learn just as much from the design community as they can learn from us? Often the emphasis in our sector, especially in the past, has been to try and ‘educate’ the interiors community as to why a speaker can’t go in a particular space or what the do’s and don’ts are of getting high performance from the AV. Now EI is not saying that needs to stop we can all learn from related trades - but is it worth considering that we need to think harder about how things look? If for no other reason that the customer will almost certainly care what their home looks like more than how well the AV or automation performs. That’s just a fact.

Of course, all good installers make sure the technology weaves effectively into the home or if it is visible, attractive equipment is chosen, maybe even in the client’s favourite colour if that option is available.

However, can we go further and borrow some priorities and techniques from interiors professionals and really put attractive products and design at the heart of what we do, not just because it’s necessary, but because having beauty in mind when designing anything gives a new perspective and will ultimately deliver a better performance because the client will love it more. Could we look at things from

a more aesthetic point of view more of the time? Not just hide things or integrate because the project requires it, but because it IS better. Also when we pick a product that is going to be seen take looks into account much more and (dare I say it) as much as the sound, because one thing is certain, looks are going to matter to the customer just as much, usually more.

This does not mean we have to compromise on what we do, not a bit of it - performance always needs to be projected. However, EI would argue that delivering more systems that not only stun with performance, but also design, make the sector more vital. Including artwork on projection screens or using projectors creatively in the home for more than just viewing pleasure are just two examples that spring to mind that add something different, turning technology from an add on, to just as much a part of a home as the other services that make a home tick. The big difference is, nobody ever says I love my plumbing, but our sector has the power to excite the senses and not just provide practical support, but environments that are genuinely beautiful that will attach emotionally to a customer in a way very few products or services can.

Daniel J Sait Editor

JUNE 2020 05

ProofVision “Making it work in challenging conditions�

Watching 4K TV in direct sunlight for an out of this world experience.

The Outdoor TV range from ProofVision.

Stay alert.

Distributed by

01684 576 348 sales@oneav.co.uk oneav.co.uk

NEWS

ESSENTIAL PEOPLE After 23 years with the business, Jon Sidwick, Managing Director, Maverick AV Solutions, has announced he has left the company as of May. After an illustrious career which has seen Maverick transform from a local projection supplier to become a leading pan-European solution provider in the professional AV, smart signage and smart collaboration markets, Jon is passing the baton to current vice president, Maverick AV Solutions, Europe, Joel Chimoindes, who will continue to manage the European senior management team and 19 specialist country divisions.

Jon said, “Maverick has been in my DNA for over two decades since I started as managing director with just six employees. We have seen a huge deal

of change, which has accelerated in recent years with new opportunities arising from the proliferation of VC and smart technologies. The business has never had more exciting prospects and a more brilliant portfolio of vendors, so I feel that now is the right time to pass the baton of leadership to Joel and the team.

“In my life post Maverick, I will be exploring some new projects and look forward especially to my role next year as chairman of AVIXA, at a time of huge change and opportunity for our industry.”

Joel Chimoindes added, “Maverick is a brilliant business and this is due in large part to the team spirit, collaboration culture and focus on innovation which Jon has instilled throughout the countries. It has been a pleasure to work alongside him for the last three years. We have never had such an inspirational vendor line up or such great leadership throughout the business to take his legacy forward.”

L-Acoustics provides the pro audio industry with premium solutions for live events worldwide.

L-Acoustics Creations, a new division of the company, brings this concert-grade technology to sound spaces in private residential, cultural, and marine AV environments.

The appointment of Nick Fichte to the role of Business Manager, L-Acoustics Creations, completes the existing new business team and positions the division to make headway in key installation markets, leveraging the relationships and knowledge that Nick has forged in his 15-year career in the AV industry.

Having worked as an installer at Audio Vision (including managing one of the company’s Bang & Olufsen branches), Olive Audio and Inspired Dwellings as well as at automation manufacturer Crestron as Regional Sales Manager, Residential,

Nick is well qualified for this new challenge. He said, “I am extremely excited to join such a world-renowned professional audio manufacturer to drive growth as we enter the residential and marine AV markets. With unique solutions designed for the most exclusive homes and yachts, this is going to be a great journey.

“Although confinement and social distancing have impacted our dealings at this time, I welcome the opportunity to connect remotely during the coming weeks and lay the groundwork for doing business together in the future.”

“We are very pleased to have Nick on board,” commented Christian Heil, President and Founder of L-Acoustics. “L-Acoustics Creations brings a new way to experience music and home entertainment to market. It requires rethinking current approaches, which, in turn, requires close collaboration with integrators and end users. Nick’s proven ability to liaise with key players and stakeholders in the AV industry and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships will be key to our success.”

Technological Innovations Group (TIG), the AV sales agency for commercial and residential smart spaces in EMEA, has announced Paolo Bravin as its new Business Development Manager in Italy.

Paolo’s role will be critical in defining TIG’s longterm goals in the region and building successful relationships with end-users and consultants. Paolo will be responsible for ensuring customers’ needs are met by offering TIG’s smart space solutions, as well as developing a detailed and strategic action plan that supports new business leads.

TIG has also announced the appointment of Nena Dreher as its new UC Sales Manager for the DACH region.

Nena will be the go-to technical expert for TIG’s UC team across

the DACH region, focussing in particular on the Enterprise product range from Crestron. Her in-depth knowledge of the entire Microsoft ecosystem, and UC/AV sales experience with brands like Cisco, Poly, Citrix, LifeSize and Blue Jeans, serves as a huge benefit to assist TIG customers in choosing the best solutions to suit their specific UC needs.

New Savant Pro Remote X2 Completely redesigned in an all-new sleek and minimalist design, the new X2 features a 3.1” touch screen with voice control and Siri integration, end-user personalisation features, multi-room support, and quick touchscreen access to Savant scenes, settings and services.

Upgrade your customers today and save over £150! *Terms and conditions apply

For further information on Savant, contact the industry professionals at RGB.

rgbcomms.co.uk or call us today on

01488 73366 RGB Head Office, 2 Lambourn Business Park, Lambourn Woodlands, Hungerford, RG17 7RY

Distributor of the Year Finalist

JUNE 2020 07 EI Strip Ads June.indd 1

26/05/2020 14:05

NEWS

LUTRON LAUNCHES FREE ONLINE TRAINING Lutron Electronics is launching a series of free, interactive online training resources.

Over 300 courses and videos on lighting control fundamentals, shades and fixtures are now available through Lutron’s Lighting Control Institute.

The training series aims to help upskill electrical contractors and wholesalers, as well as AV installers, by focusing on specific applications across residential and commercial sites.

With lockdowns in place across the world, electricians and AV installers face an extended period of reduced activity. Lutron says it is investing in these professions, providing a range of tailored opportunities to learn about developments in lighting control technology and the wider industry.

The Lutron ‘Learn from home’ portfolio of online training includes foundation courses, such as Fundamentals of Lighting and Introduction to Lighting Control, delivered by industry Lutron experts.

The programme also includes multiple live events and on-demand content spanning all aspects of Lutron’s residential, commercial, hospitality and shading applications.

Areas covered include Residential including the company’s wireless solution, RA2 Select, that allows personalised lighting and blind control for any and all rooms. RA2 Select is designed to deliver users with more convenience, comfort and

reliability, allowing homeowners to stay in touch with their home even when they are not there.

Following the completion of the course, attendees will have a high-level understanding of the UK smart home market, will have explored the main pain points associated with smart home lighting controls and have an understanding of the key factors in residential lighting control specification and installation.

There are also assets delivering knowledge of Vive, Lutron’s commercial focused lighting system, designed to be used in new constructions as well as retrofit situations, meeting the budgetary constraints of all facilities managers and facility management (FM) service providers. Lutron says Vive provides the flexibility to handle on-site installation and maintenance with ease, limiting disruption and the need for call-backs.

Lutron lutron.com/lcionlineeurope

Lutron wants more installers to get trained on the RA2 Select system

ATLONA UPDATES ONLINE TRAINING PORTAL AND WEBINAR SCHEDULE Atlona has updated its online Training Portal to better organise its global educational initiatives, given the increased number of visitors accessing the website during the COVID-19 crisis. The company has also added a series of new webinars for integrators seeking education in specific product and integration categories that involve Atlona solutions.

The updated Training Portal divides training initiatives into five distinct categories (Atlona Academy, Education Portal, Webinars, Live Training Events, and Meet Our Trainers).

A selection of the most popular videos follows, along with a link to Atlona’s complete on-demand video library.

Atlona has also delivered a series of new webinars for global audiences which began on April 28 and ran through to May. The April 28 webinar provided a detailed look into Atlona’s latest Velocity Control Solution upgrades, with a second Velocity webinar on May 26 focused on IP configuration and control. In between, Atlona offered a special webinar (May 12) that provided an overview of Panduit Connectivity and Routing products – ideal for integrators seeking

detailed education on the Layer 1 infrastructure and its relation to AV over IP systems.

“Atlona first ramped up its Atlona Academy training and certification programme in early 2019, and has since added higher level courses for systems integrators seeking to sharpen their AV over IP expertise,” said Ilya Khayn, CEO, Atlona. “The initiative meets growing demand for targeted, certified training with continuing education credits, along with an updated suite of accredited online courses.”

All Atlona Academy certification courses offer industry credits towards CTS and CEU renewals.

Additional information on programmes and certifications across all education levels can be found at the Atlona Education Portal. Requests for individual training sessions can be made through the ‘Meet Our Trainers’ page, where Atlona training professionals are listed by region.

Personalised wireless smart lighting and shade control.

RA2 Select and HomeWorks QS from Lutron is a smart home control system like no other. It’s simple and easy to set-up, delivering a personalised whole-home experience that seamlessly controls your intelligent lighting and shades at the touch of a button.

For further information on Lutron, contact the industry professionals at RGB.

rgbcomms.co.uk or call us today on

01488 73366

Atlona atlona.com

RGB Head Office, 2 Lambourn Business Park, Lambourn Woodlands, Hungerford, RG17 7RY Altona has beefed up its online training opportunities Distributor of the Year Finalist

JUNE 2020 09 EI Strip Ads June.indd 2

26/05/2020 14:05

Driver Driver Value Packs Driver Value Packs Packs Contain Containour ourfull fullrange rangeof of drivers Contain ofdrivers drivers All Allnew newdrivers driversadded added free of All new addedfree freeof of charge chargeto toexisting existingpacks packs charge to existing packs Huge Hugesavings savings Huge savings Full Fullsupport support Full support

w ww ww w...i iinn ntttrrri iinn nsssi iicc m w w w cdd dee evvv. ..cc cooom m

NEWS

The L-Acoustics Creations range will be available for demo as soon as lockdown rules allow

DELTALIVE NAMED INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR FOR L-ACOUSTICS CREATIONS L-Acoustics has appointed DeltaLive as international distributor of the full L-Acoustics Creations product range. At the end of 2019, L-Acoustics welcomed DeltaLive into the L-Acoustics Group, a family of companies focused on the design, manufacture and commercialisation of L-Acoustics sound systems. One of the stated aims of this acquisition was to devote resources to preparing the market entry for L-Acoustics private residential, multichannel sound spaces, Island, Ocean and Archipel.

At ISE 2020, L-Acoustics announced a new division, L-Acoustics Creations, along with the official launch of the division’s flagship sound space, Island Prestige. DeltaLive is represented

by Paul Keating, Director of Corporate & Private Relationships for L-Acoustics Creations.

“The team at DeltaLive possess a unique technical and regional savoir faire,” explains L-Acoustics CEO Laurent Vaissié. “Their proven ability to forge connections with key markets and influencers, their technical expertise in audio visual support, and their ability to deploy and demo L-Acoustics Creations solutions makes them the ideal partner for us as we present our marketleading audio products and technologies for specification in state-of-the-art residential, artistic, cultural and experiential spaces.”

DeltaLive is tasked with supporting projects and opportunities with integrators, architects,

interior designers, property developers, creative technologists, sound artists, and end users interested in high-end solutions that will elevate their media to a powerful and breathtaking concert-level experience in any environment.

“We are surrounded by immersive technologies and experiences. It’s time for a different approach to home entertainment that transcends traditional high fidelity and cinematic audio formats to offer a more visceral listening experience,” stated L-Acoustics Founder and President, Christian Heil.

“The surge of wellness and mindfulness practices also underscores the need to offer truthful sound.

Hearing and sound are key components to feeling and emotional well-being. Sound is still poorly understood, and often neglected, in designing a space. We’re here with the technologies and the teams to make listening spectacular again.”

Post-confinement, discovery sessions of L-Acoustics Creations Island and Ocean will resume subject to appropriate safety measures at L-Acoustics locations in London, Paris and Los Angeles, and at DeltaLive in Surrey. In the interim, Paul and the L-Acoustics Creations team remain available remotely to answer any questions or provide information.

DeltaLive deltalive.com l-acoustics-creations.com

JUNE 2020 11

SONOS

SONOS LAUNCHES ARC, PREMIUM SMART SOUNDBAR As well as Arc , Sonos has announced updates to the SUB, Play:5 and has trailed its new app, all launching in June.

Sonos says Arc represents its most immersive home cinema experience yet. The company is certainly putting a lot of effort into promoting this project with a fully co-ordinated global launch: it’s clearly a very important product for the brand.

The audio headline is the inclusion of Dolby Atmos compatibility with Arc’s multi-directional speaker array, the product can also adjust to deliver within a Dolby Atmos field if other Sonos speakers are involved moving towards delivering front and Atmos channels if rears and a subwoofer are added.

Sonos says Arc builds on its innovations in home cinema, with software-driven audio that immerses listeners in detailed, crystal clear dialogue and impressive bass, featuring the aforementioned support for Dolby Atmos.

Billed as more than a soundbar, Sonos says Arc brings accomplished sound to anything users care to stream, tuned for what is playing from the TV to music, podcasts and radio when the TV is off. Powered by Sonos’ new sound experience platform, Arc is designed to make home cinema easy with lots of choice in what to listen to, how to control, with the option to expand the system.

“Home has never played a more important role in our lives and we’ve always been about making the home more enjoyable with great sounding products and new experiences. Arc brings the sounds of our favourite shows and artists to life like never before,” says Patrick Spence, Sonos CEO. “Our goal is to make any room you have a television a place you can easily enjoy all of the great streaming video and music

12 JUNE 2020

that exists today. Arc illustrates our commitment to brilliant sound and premium design, and sets a new standard for soundbars.”

Clearly Sonos wants to capitalise on the continued increase in streaming popularity, for audio and for video too. There are now more than 25 video streaming services that include Dolby Atmos content, making enhanced audio experiences more accessible.

Sonos Arc has been created as a premium, smart soundbar, delivering an ultra-wide soundstage and impressive bass, says its maker.

Given the task of backing up this claim are 11 drivers, including two that are upward firing for ‘3D audio’.

Sonos also points out that Arc has been tuned in partnership with Oscar-winning mixing engineers, and the product adjusts its sound profile through software, based on the home cinema set-up and what’s playing, whether stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, or Dolby Atmos.

Listeners can refine Arc’s sound in the Sonos app with features that existed on previous soundbars, such as Speech Enhancement to clarify vocals, Night Sound to temper loud explosions, and an update to Sonos’ Trueplay tuning technology, adjusting Arc’s acoustic profile based on the room, accounting for horizontal and vertical sound that comes with 3D sound. Trueplay is still only available via Apple portable products, and whilst it’s understandably difficult to build a reliable platform for the myriad of Android mics out there, perhaps a dedicated mic for pro users would not go amiss?

Arc, available in matte black and matte white, features a 270° rounded metal grille for a better-looking product and one that suits its multi-directional array. Arc can sit in front of a standing TV or be mounted to the wall with a separate custom designed wall mount. Handily, the soundbar knows when it’s wall mounted and again makes adjustments to the audio.

Arc is joined by an updated SUB and Five (replacing the Play:5)

SONOS

A simple connection through HDMI eARC or ARC keeps set-up simple. Built on Sonos’ next generation S2 software platform, Arc can be controlled from the new Sonos app (also coming in June) an existing TV remote, voice using Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant, and Apple AirPlay 2. Arc replaces Playbar and Playbase in the Sonos line-up and is available globally on June 10.

FURTHER SONOS UPDATES

Sonos has introduced two updates, with the Sonos Sub getting a Gen 3 makeover and the Sonos Five replacing Play:5 (Gen 2), bringing increased memory and faster processing power while delivering the same sound experiences customers have come to know.

The updated Sub brings the same design with enhanced performance, available in black and white.

True to its predecessor, Sonos Five can be used as a standalone speaker horizontally, or as a stereo pair in the upright position for detailed stereo separation. Sonos Five is available in black with a black grille and, for the first time, white with a white grille. Both these speaker updates are also available from June 10.

NEW APP

Starting June 8, Sonos customers will also be able to download the new Sonos app, delivering an upgraded software platform that will power the next generation of products and experiences from Sonos, including Arc, Five, and the third generation Sub. The three new products will run exclusively on the new app, so if the user has them, you need to upgrade the app. This new generation app features support for higher resolution audio technologies, evident with the Dolby Atmos experience on Arc, as well as increased security and improved design for easier use.

Sonos says user interface updates make it simpler for customers to search for content, control sound, and personalise the experience with new features starting with saved room groups. Customers will download the new app and transition their system to the new platform, says the maker, as all favourites, services, and settings will be saved.

Sonos launched Sonos Radio, a free, adsupported streaming radio service, exclusively available to customers in more than 10 million homes globally. Complementing the 100+

streaming options available on Sonos, the platform says this new service introduces a holistic and cohesive way to explore radio, bringing together more than 60,000 stations from multiple streaming partners alongside original programming from Sonos. Of the channels EI has tried so far, Rock Pantheon is a decent choice.

So, combining Dolby Atmos, with probably the most popular speaker form on the planet right now, is Sonos onto a winner?

There is certainly lots of real estate in terms of content that can move right into this space, and for the pro install community the Arc looks to be an interesting proposition for ‘second’ systems in a larger home or as primary deliverers in MDUs or more compact dwellings.

Sonos sonos.com

A new app will launch in June

JUNE 2020 13

SPECIAL OFFER Order any (55" or larger) Proofvision Aire TV + mount and we'll discount any accompanying Monitor Audio outdoor speakers by 50%.

ESSENTIAL ONEAV

BOUNCE BACK WITH THE BACKYARD AV OPPORTUNITY! OneAV Sales Director, Andy Oattes, urges installers to ‘pump-prime’ their businesses post-lockdown, scoring some quick-win installs by taking advantage of the fast-growing market for outdoor AV at the moment (and OneAV’s special Outdoor AV combo offer).

There’s a huge business opportunity for the installation of outdoor TV and audio at the moment. The phrase ‘fast-growing market’ is overused in our industry, but with better weather upon us and cabin-fever of lockdown, the urge for potential clients to utilise their garden space more has never been stronger. The potential to increase profits with garden AV installations shouldn’t be underestimated.

At OneAV we’ve come up with a profit-boosting offer that combines the impressive (all-weather) performance of Proofvision TVs with Monitor Audio’s outdoor speakers. Until further notice, whenever a Proofvision TV (plus mount) is purchased, we will discount any accompanying Monitor Audio’s outdoor speakers on the order by 50%. We want OneAV customers to earn well from outdoor AV projects and if we can help jump-start some businesses post-location with the help of this deal, then all the better!

Proofvision is specifically designed for commercial and residential applications in gardens, courtyards, patios and sun terraces.

With the most extensive range of outdoor displays on the market, Proofvision offers a wide selection of sizes and models with varying degrees of brightness and robustness, so you can find the perfect solution for your outdoor project. The standout product from the range is the stunning 75in Aire model, which delivers cinematic Ultra HD 4K video on the brightest screen in the range at 3000cd/m2, which co-incidentally at the moment has a ridiculous 25% off, making it unbeatable value in like-for-like spec comparisons.

Monitor Audio’s range of Climate Garden System outdoor loudspeakers have been designed to take Monitor Audio’s award-winning Hi-Fi audio into the garden and you can depend on them to deliver great sound, whatever the weather. CLG comprises of super-discreet all weather satellite speakers and a subwoofer. Its ground level installation amongst shrubs and trees delivers a luxury blend of unobtrusive aesthetics and natural full range audio in gardens of any size. 70/100 V line arrays of up to 12 satellites per subwoofer makes the Climate Garden System expandable with additional satellite and subwoofer sets according to garden area.

Adding in a bit of video distribution, an amplifier, maybe a streamer and outdoor AV not only delivers for the client, but also for your install company’s bottom line.

You can explore the full Proofvision TV range (exclusively available to the trade from OneAV) and Monitor Audio’s loudspeaker offering at our website.

OneAV OneAV.co.uk

JUNE 2020 15

ESSENTIAL INSTALL PIONEER

ESSENTIAL INSTALL PIONEER

EI spoke with Dr. Mathias Johansson, co-founder and CEO of Dirac, audio improvement pioneer, to find out how this innovative company got started and what it can offer now and in the future.

Dirac Live has built its reputation by offering a range of audio enhancement technologies to be found in the automotive, portables/headphone markets and home cinema sectors. The Dirac Live platform in particular has been finding friends as part of room correction and bass enhancement approaches carried within products by companies such as ARCAM, AudioControl, Lexicon, miniDSP, NAD and StormAudio, Datasat, Bryston, Emotiva, Focal, Lexicon (Harman), quadral, Monoprice, Theta Digital and Wisdom.

So, where did the company get its start?

Mathias explains, “The group that went on

to found Dirac all did their masters on digital techniques to improve sound in the Signals and Systems Group at Uppsala University in Sweden.

The idea was to use digital technology to improve the sound of speakers without having to alter them physically. Our first experiments were with quite low-quality speakers, but we were delighted by how much we could improve sound even when the equipment was not of the best quality.

“Right from the start we were keen that our technology should be able to help everyone, no matter what type of equipment they were using or what environment they were in. So, in 2001, four PHD students and two professors began Dirac proper, combining the knowledge in digital signal processing that they had gained from years of study with a passion to improve music and audio for everyone.”

The name of the company was inspired by the British theoretical physicist Paul Dirac, some of whose work lies at the heart of what Dirac delivers today. Mathias recalls that the company’s first contract came from a surprising source.

He explains, “Dirac Live was our first product, but it was not the home cinema market that we got our first contract in, it was the automotive sector as we signed a deal with BMW in 2004 to include our technology in the company’s incar audio systems. At the time, any kind of digital signal processing tended to be seen as a bad thing within the Hi-Fi and AV markets, but in the car market they were less conservative and were open to what we had to offer.

JUNE 2020 17

ESSENTIAL INSTALL PIONEER

“BMW were one of the first car manufacturers to realise that it was not just about how their car engines performed, it was about the whole experience, and high-quality audio can add a huge amount of satisfaction to the overall experience of owning a vehicle. We were given a car to work on and began to use our technology to re-imagine what in-car audio could be like. Improving audio within a car is a big challenge, as the speakers are rarely where you want them to be and there are loads of very early reflections to deal with. However, its also a big opportunity, and we were immensely proud when our little company from Uppsala was able to show this giant car maker how much we could improve their products and we were awarded our first major contact.”

As for cracking the AV sector, Mathias reveals, “We just kept banging our drum until people listened! The idea that digital technology was not the enemy began to spread, which helped, but also the fact that we were very upfront and honest about what our technology could do and what it could not. Gradually we were able to literally demonstrate what the improvements were that we could offer. Datasat was one of the first companies to include Dirac Live in its products, first in the pro cinema world and then the home cinema market, which it still does today. Later on, other high-quality makers such as StormAudio joined the Dirac family, very recently including lots of Dirac Live functionality in the company’s latest firmware update including Dirac Live’s latest Bass Control addon.” Dirac has also picked up other manufactures in the quality AV world such as AudioControl, Lexicon, miniDSP, NAD and ARCAM. So, what is the point of Dirac Live? What does it actually do? “It was clear to us right from the start that the weakest link in most systems is the room and the speaker’s interaction with that environment,” says Mathias. “You can have a very high-quality system and still suffer from lots of colouration because of this.

Our job is to come in at that point and give end users and professional installers a way to tackle that. We are confident that for actually very little effort, we can deliver very significant and immediate improvements.”

The major audible benefits should include improved staging (localisation of sound events), higher-quality clarity and intelligibility in music and vocals and a deeper and tighter bass free of resonances throughout the listening environment. Able to offer lots of improvement

18 JUNE 2020

for two-channel listening, its creators underline that the abilities of Dirac Live become even more important in multi-channel systems and home cinemas which often have more complex room interactions to combat.

The latest version of Dirac Live comes in desktop and smartphone/tablet guises, has an improved UI and has an Enhanced Phase Correction algorithm for better stereo.

Mathias continues, “With Dirac Live we can really take on those early reflections that can be such a problem, the voice we can present really front and centre and the separation of musical instruments is particularly strong. In the home cinema arena, bass control, particularly when there is more than one unit, can be a real challenge. This is another area Dirac Live is really strong in, our algorithm can really get the bass spread out all over the room.

“It’s important to remember these cinemas are family spaces, not a place where you want all the good audio dumped on one place - it needs to be a positive and high-quality experience for everyone.

“We are keen to add one really big area of improvement to Dirac Live every year. This year it has been the new bass control abilities, and we are planning for another big launch for next year too. Look out for Q4 of this year for more news. No clues as to what it will be right now, but are continually working to deliver significant enhancements.”

STREAMING?

Dirac recently received fresh investment ($6 million) and announced the appointment of Jonathan Forster to the board of directors.

Jonathan is a former Spotify executive which is a strong indication of ambition in a new area for the company.

Jonathan has spent 25 years scalingup digital companies and had a number of senior positions at Spotify, where he spent ten years after being one of the company’s first five employees.

ESSENTIAL INSTALL PIONEER

COMMERCIAL AUDIO

Mathias explains, “We want our technology to be everywhere, it’s flexible enough to do this and part of our mission has always been to offer improvement no matter what the application.

Our focus right now is on offering technology that improves the experience of listening to a streaming service via headphones, but we want to be able to offer a choice for streaming services and their users when quality matters.

“Currently people choose their streaming service for lots of reasons. Quality can be one of them, but it’s just one aspect in a relatively complex situation. What we would like to get to is a similar situation to how our technology works in the AV and home cinema market, where users have a choice to include the technology as an addition to whatever hardware or other technologies are involved in the listening process.”

Mathias continues, “Until relatively recently, the streaming market was all about building numbers of subscribers, but with a more mature market now, platforms are looking to differentiate, so the reception to technology like ours is improving all the time. Some of our new investors were involved in the early days of Spotify, so they knew Jonathan already and his involvement is a really significant boost to our ambitions to build a presence in the streaming market. It’s already opening many doors and raising eyebrows so that is very positive. Jonathan also has an intimate

knowledge of how streaming companies work and what their priorities are, so we are having some very positive conversations and let’s just say ‘watch this space’ for now.”

HEADPHONE IMPROVEMENTS

As well as announcing new investment and its ambitions for the streaming market, the company has also recently launched a breakthrough Dirac headphone technology in the form of an Android app that automatically enhances the performance of any connected headphone to reveal more of the music that can be lost in standard headphones.

Whatever the quality of the headphones being used, the algorithm within the app has been created to expand the listening field and provide better detail and a strong sense of the immediacy for the music or audio being delivered. Users can turn the app on and off to get a real sense of the improvements made.

The reception at launch has been positive with most users, even non-audiophiles, able to really appreciate the difference. Importantly, the effect is there no matter what CODEC was used to record the audio, which is important when the company wants to offer similar solutions to platform’s music streaming apps, podcast players, YouTube and other browserbased content.

With the COVID-19 situation, making conference calls and video chat sessions, often with multiple people involved, has come to the fore like never before. One area that pretty much everyone agrees could do with improvement is the audio quality, particularly when several people are involved.

Mathias reveals, “We are definitely active in exploring this area. In fact, improving the smaller speakers this type of interaction normally happens over was one of the first things we did when developing our technology.

“Services like Zoom and Skype usually work pretty well if the interaction is one-to-one, however when more than one person is involved, the audio can get confusing and the quality of the experience suffers. We can use our technology to create a more ‘3D’ soundscape placing different voices in different places within the sound field, so it’s much easier to tell who is talking and hear clearly what they are saying.

“People should be able to talk at the same time and still have a meaningful interaction, much more like a real conversation or group interaction. The potential for this type of interaction is obviously huge. The current situation has opened the eyes of many companies as to how more efficient their processes and interactions could be, but the tech does need to improve. Perhaps the ultimate aim would be some sort of AR experience where the interaction over technology feels a lot more natural than it does now and the interactions can move closer to the ‘real thing’. We are definitely working to see what we can offer in this sector.”

So, this company with pretty humble beginnings, but with some real innovation, not to mention enthusiasm, looks to be building on what was already a very impressive set of achievements. Music and audio communications are one of the life-bloods that keep the world turning, making improvements to how these are experienced will ensure we hear a lot more about Dirac in the future.

Dirac www.dirac.com

JUNE 2020 19

MHUB

U

MHUB MINI, for the many.

Our first WiFi-enabled MHUB delivers 4K HDR (18G) native or compressed and downscaled to suit. Packed with the power of uControl, voice control* and slick integration to deliver room-to-room entertainment without compromise.

WiFi

MHUB U (4x1+1) 40

AV A I L A B L E N O W HDANYWHERE.COM

Patented GB 2548668

ESSENTIAL MATRIX AND SIGNAL CONTROLS

MATRIX REBORN?

The amount of information needing to be processed inside a matrix is increasing

Nick Mawer, marketing manager, Kramer Electronics UK, responds to some of the key questions facing the matrix and signal management sector.

THIS MARKET IS RELATIVELY MATURE NOW, WHAT ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS/ FUNCTIONALITIES DELIVERED?

The main function of a matrix switcher is to send any signal to any or all outputs. In the context of a residential installation with a number of rooms and a number of source devices, this ‘matrixing’ allows the sources, wherever they may be in the property, to be routed/switched to any or all of the displays.

This can mean for instance that fewer source devices can be installed, saving cost. A typical matrix switcher passes through the signal without altering it in any way. This requires careful management of EDID and HDCP information. If the screens are of different resolutions it can be possible in a poorly designed system to send high resolution signals to a display that cannot accept them. Matrix switchers can have different types of outputs in them to overcome distance issues. For example, a matrix switcher might have some HDMI outputs, as well as HDBaseT or even in some cases fibre optic outputs too.

WHAT AREAS CAN BE ADDED TO OR IMPROVED ON FOR THE FUTURE?

The biggest challenge for matrix switchers moving forward will be support for the massive bandwidth that HDMI 2.1 requires for 8K signals. The Kramer VS-34D frame has already been designed to be 8K compatible.

WILL THE SECTOR BECOME MORE OR LESS RELEVANT IN THE FUTURE?

With the increasing adoption of AV over IP technology, there is a question as to whether the traditional centralised matrix still has a place. AV over IP systems are very flexible, as inputs and outputs can be added one by one, and even the network switches that provide the signal routing are relatively inexpensive.

Currently, the best alternative to traditional matrices are SDVOE IP encoders/decoders such as the Kramer KDS-8 that can support 4K60 4:4:4 colour with mere micro-seconds of latency. Although they do require 10Gb network switches, these are significantly more expensive than other IP solutions and can be more expensive than traditional matrices. They also require a different skill set for the systems integrator, brought up on a diet of analogue video and can even be a challenge for those

who understand an HDMI matrix. Luckily, for those wanting to learn, many manufacturers are providing training for those integrators wishing to jump into this brave new world. Personally, I think that the challenges posed by HDMI 2.1 to the AV over IP industry will mean that for a couple of years at most, the more traditional matrix switcher will be unopposed in the field, but new compression engines will be developed and once again, AV over IP will be a serious contender.

HOW IMPORTANT IS TRAINING TO GETTING THE MOST FROM THESE PRODUCTS?

Training is crucial with regards to traditional matrices. EDID, HDCP and distance all need to be managed, and managed correctly. This starts right from the design stage so that the person working on the concept can understand what is possible, right up to the rack builders and commissioning engineers who need to ensure that the correct signal goes to the correct display.

JUNE 2020 21

MATRIXES & SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION

SOLVING THE MATRIX Taft Stricklin, Sales Team Manager, Just Add Power and Vincent Bova, RTI’s Director of Dealer Experience, take on our matrix focused questionnaire.

This market is relatively mature now, what are the main benefits/functionalities delivered?

Taft Stricklin (TS): Manufacturers of AV-over-IP solutions need to be able to distinguish themselves from the crowd. With over ten years in the market, we at Just Add Power have been able to do this by listening to our dealers and introducing new features and hardware based on their needs. In addition, we’re well known for building robust products that last for decades. Beyond that, manufacturers must offer outstanding customer support and ensure that their solutions are compatible with all the other systems and components in an installation.

They also need to augment their product lineup with control system drivers and software for configuration and diagnostics.

Vincent Bova (VB): The main benefit to using matrixes for signal distribution include less expansive options that do not require enterprise-grade network infrastructure. When comparing costs, AV installers need to factor in the time, support considerations and budget.

In addition, matrixes continue to deliver optimal results without much learning curve. Products are popping up with self-contained advanced diagnostics, which are easier to install in matrixtype solutions.

22 JUNE 2020

What areas can be added to or improved on for the future?

TS: Technology-wise, content, content, and content are the three things that could greatly improve. Most watched events are far from being in 4K. From an overall standpoint, communication could be better between stakeholders. For example, if an end user wants something that’s impossible, it’s the installer’s job to effectively communicate why it can’t be done and provide an acceptable alternative. By clearly setting that expectation level, they will have a much happier client.

VB: As network standards begin to change and fibre becomes mainstream, matrixes and signal distribution will become less relevant.

To effectively compete, prices will need to come down even more, and more advanced compression and diagnostics need to be integrated into each box solution.

Will the sector become more or less relevant in the future?

TS: As the world changes, video distribution has become even more relevant. It is in high demand in both residential and commercial installs. However, it might become more simplified when it comes to sources. With the proliferation of streaming devices, the functionality of multiple sources can be combined into one tiny component like an Apple TV or Roku player.

VB: Due to the flexibility, ability to accommodate several different scenarios, and new networking standards, this sector will

become less relevant in the future as audio and video over IP will become more prominent.

However, that would require pricing and expensive networking equipment to come down in price.

How important is training to getting the most from these products?

TS: Training is absolutely essential. And as people learn differently, it needs to be available in multiple forms to reach the broadest range of installers, whether it’s white papers, manuals, videos, or in-person classes. Essentially, they are all forms of communication. And in an industry that is constantly changing, if you’re not providing that communication, you’re not telling anybody about the great new products and features you’ve developed or how to use them.

At Just Add Power, our training programme not only focuses on our products, but in helping the installer become a better network professional overall. In today’s world, that is very valuable.

VB: Training is an essential ingredient to ensuring the system is delivering the optimal client experience. More importantly, the ability to understand EDID, troubleshooting, and learning how to separate traffic is a mandatory skill set when deploying these types of systems.

Eurosat recommends

a mini control system within every MHUB Every MHUB ships with uControl - a universal remote app that can control Sky, BT, Virgin, AppleTV and pretty much any display.

Download the app today.

T: 020 8208 4444 E: sales@eurosatlondon.com W: www.eurosatlondon.com

WF100 Cca IN STOCK FOR NEXT DAY DELIVERY www.fscables.com sales@fscables.com 01727 840841

perpetual innovation Crestron HomeTM software keeps getting better. Now, teamed with the new MC4-R control system – our most powerful ever – you can unleash its full potential for small, medium, and MDU projects. We’ve added Dark Mode. Adjoining room media control. Pool/spa control. And more. Plus, a steady stream of new features to come.

Learn more at crestron.com/home 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. ©2020 Crestron Electronics, Inc.

Ad_2020-03_CrestronHome_DarkMode-MC4-R_v5_HIDDENWIRES.indd 1

20/04/2020 09:41

ESSENTIAL MATRIXES AND SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION

HDANYWHERE ASSESSES THE STATE OF AND FUTURE FOR THE MATRIX MARKET. HDANYWHERE assesses the state of and future for the matrix market.

HDANYWHERE (HDA) calls its matrix family MHUB, forming an integral part of a centralised installation that connects a variety of video sources to multiple displays, giving end-users the convenience of enjoying whatever they want to watch, wherever they want to watch it. Primary benefits of a centralised system architecture are a neater installation, greater system reliability and much better delivery of a luxurious integrated user experience.

HDMI, while ubiquitous, continues to be complex and difficult to distribute, possibly more so now that we have HDR (in various, sometimes incompatible forms) and higherbandwidth 4K coming. HDA argues its range is purposely engineered to simplify the reliable delivery of content from various HDMI sources of differing output capabilities to multiple (usually dissimilar) displays by acting as the media hub (hence MHUB) for all that HDMI content being distributed. As long as there are multiple brands and services vying for a place in every consumer’s home, the company says MHUB will continue to be a relevant and practical component in meeting the challenges of integrating them all reliably into a single system.

HDA argues that MHUB’s up-to-date specifications help deliver all manner of content with all models now supporting up to 18Gbps 4K in and out to ensure compatibility with current and next-generation content. Selected models also support ARC (Audio Return Channel), an increasingly useful feature as Smart TVs join the list of sources to a distributed audio system. The flagship MHUB PRO 2.0 series also sports an audio matrix and on-board, selectable 4K downscaling to any zone. MHUB also has abilities to improve the user experience and to enhance integration with third-party home control systems to improve installation simplicity and overall system capability, says the maker.

As for the future, having Alexa and an app does not a smart home make, but in saying that, HDA says it is seeing growth in areas that the company claims no one else can compete in.

These include small distribution projects with only two displays where there’s usually no budget for control and people often opt to spend money on the least expensive solution, not on the inherent control problems that these solutions cause. Thanks to uControl, the new MHUB MINI 4x2 matrix, in particular, solves both the distribution issues as well as the control issues, acting as a gateway to introducing more

consumers to the power of a unified control experience with no additional cost for the control system. The other growth point for MHUB machines is in commercial applications, where long-range, lower cost and simple, reliable user interfaces are valuable commodities while many of the IP-based solutions still have a higher cost of entry and greater complexity.

To keep MHUB relevant, HDA says it will continue to develop deep integration with third-party control and automation systems whilst still exceeding the needs of people who do not require or have the budget for such systems, but still desire crystal clear content in multiple rooms and a user-friendly, consistent control experience for everyone.

HDA’s recent investment in expanding its training capacity is with the primary purpose of continuing to deliver what it says is some of the best product and industry training in the business, making sure that integrators help endusers benefit from the power of an MHUB matrix - now and in the foreseeable future.

HDANYWHERE hdanywhere.com

HDA argues it is working hard to keep at the cutting edge of product design and installer support

JUNE 2020 25

ESSENTIAL MATRIX AND SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ Kevin Cray, Technical Product Development Director CYP, ushers in a new era of innovation.

The introduction of AV over IP has made the installation of AV distribution systems not only retrofittable over a LAN network, but also flexible, as users are not limited to the number of inputs and outputs. Ideal for the commercial market and larger residential projects, if you have not used AV over IP, it is worth looking at.

As AV over IP has matured, we can now see three technologies providing different benefits.

From entry-level H.265 (even H.264) systems, to the revolution of A-Speed IC based IP systems, and also the highest specified SDVoE systems, AV over IP offers the widest range of quality, compatibility and flexibility.

All of these have the advantage of flexibility over fixed format hardware, allowing systems to be expanded easily, simply by adding additional transmitters or receivers. So why would you choose one over the others?

KEY DIFFERENCES

H.265 High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) has the advantage of being low bandwidth, but its latency is high and its low Peak Signal to Noise Ratio means that the overall fidelity of the picture quality is average. However, it still has its place in low bandwidth networking systems, or where older CAT5 cables cannot be replaced. It can

perform wonderfully, allowing installers to deliver AV signals in IT environments that 1G A-Speed and SDVoE systems cannot perform in, such as where the cabling/switching infrastructure is not up to the job.

HEVC systems have been mainly used by computers rather than AV hardware. For example, the in-development CYP IP-HEVCTRX transceiver, is a dedicated standalone encoder and decoder that can build matrix and signal distribution systems where the main aim is to deliver the AV signal with lower bandwidth where latency is not a key factor.

These HEVC based hardware units can stream video directly via streaming platforms (Facebook, YouTube, Twitch etc) so anyone can view them, at the same time as providing a closed network system. The ability to be able to offer both types of AV over IP delivery methods is an advantage over the closed network only systems of 1G and SDVoE. 1G IP A-Speed hardware has been on the rise for a few years and we are now beginning to see development that has only been seen in HDBaseT hardware in the past. We have an IP TX wallplate, the IP-7000TXWP, due be to released in Q3.

These 1G bandwidth-based systems employ variants around the Motion JPEG standard and require more bandwidth from the IT network infrastructure. As 1G networking is now a minimum standard, it is uncommon to find corporate IT systems not capable of using this technology.

The chart shows the three AV over IP technologies and where each sit

26 JUNE 2020

Improved latency and PSNR (Picture Signal to Noise Ratio) improves the signal, switching times and picture to a point where most system requirements can be met. This technology will normally add additional functionality like endpoint scaling (adding in more endpoints, video wall processing and pre-set management).

Finally, with SDVoE, you can provide the highest 4K resolution and HDR support. You need to use more expensive 10G IT networking infrastructure, but you get flawless picture quality.

SDVoE has been designed to have minimal latency so it surpasses the specifications for medical operation theatres, allowing surgeons to view operation cameras in close to real time.

If it is good enough for surgeons, even your most decerning customer will acknowledge its worth.

With these features, coupled with Gen-Lock scaling, video wall and multiview arrangements, you begin to understand the flexibility of SDVoE. Only with the use of a 10G network infrastructure can you begin to offer your customers a perfect solution for any corporate or residential system with none of the compromises of HEVC or 1G systems.

Configuration and control must be thought through - integrators do not want to have to become IT engineers to install these systems.

Dedicated hardware controllers are the answer, preferably one type of controller that can be used for each type of AV over IP systems, that provides a similar platform that integrators can become accustomed to.

Whilst these systems can be more complex than traditional HDBaseT systems, it is simply a matter of us all familiarising ourselves with them. Some training, either face to face, through webinars or online videos can enable any integrator to get up to speed.

This is just an introduction of the technologies and what each system offers. For more info, just get in touch!

ESSENTIAL PULSE CINEMAS

BUILD A FORTRESS AND PROTECT STYLE AND COMFORT Simon Schino, Pulse Cinemas Internal Senior Sales Manager, explains why Fortress Seating is the distributor’s one and only choice when it comes to building world class cinemas.

As ‘AV people’ there can be a tendency to think about this aspect of a project and perhaps put slightly less emphasis on other areas of the room. This is to be avoided because one thing is for sure - your customer is going to care about the style and comfort they experience in the space at least as much as the performance, on many occasions, more. However, this is not a problem, because working with Pulse Cinemas means you have the best home cinema seating brand in the world to call on. Fortress Seating creates high-quality bespoke seating in its own factory, the company can accommodate any bespoke requests, and Fortress even produces a special edition seat just for Pulse Cinemas, to keep the cost of delivering a truly class beating home cinema seat at a keen price.

Located in its own premises in California, this family owned company was founded 80 years ago and still adheres to the same principles of highly skilled craftspeople building the seats from scratch that the company was founded on.

Using high-quality materials such as alder hard

28 JUNE 2020

woods, and nine ply Baltic birch, the frames are bolted seamlessly together for a strong foundation from which to deliver longevity and comfort. Next, several layers of high-quality foam are used creating ergonomic and comfortable designs, and a wide range of leathers and fabric are available, which is all cut by hand to the exact design needed for each seat. Working this way with highly experienced staff means that, in particularly when working with leather, any natural imperfections in the material can be spotted and removed. Building any other way just does not give you the level of control and the highquality finish Fortress insists on delivering. When working with fabric, it takes real skill to make sure patterns repeat perfectly over the whole seat or groups of seats. The level of competency here means than when creating bespoke designs, installers can have confidence that the seat will be of the highest quality and impress the client with the level of choice available to match their interior scheme. In the sewing room, the same level of skill is apparent, making sure this part of the process keeps the high level of quality and finish as the rest of the process. Seams are double stitched and sewn to upholstery tape for extra strength and at this point, even the type of thread used or type of stitch can be customised.

Have a bespoke design request?

Its never a problem

The build quality and attention to detail are unrivaled

ESSENTIAL PULSE CINEMAS

Want French stitch or a contrasting thread to the material for aesthetic reasons? It’s no problem.

As the seats near completion, attention to detail goes up another level where the experienced staff check all the seam lines to make sure everything lines up perfectly and elements such as the nail heads are applied uniformly and with the correct spacing. Having experienced eyes belonging to craftspeople who really care about what they are producing really makes the difference here underlining the expertise available within Fortress that puts its creations on another level. One of the final stages is to add the mechanisms or accessories specified in the design and, naturally, all of these are thoroughly tested to ensure 100% compliance and quality. Each department at each stage of manufacture is responsible for its own quality control; however, once an order is ready for shipping it goes through one final check of all the components for extra peace of mind. This stage also ensures that the products produced also match perfectly the sizes required for the cinema and any bespoke elements are in full compliance with the request. One of the final stages to ensure ultimate customer satisfaction is - once an order is completed, staff take pictures of the seats that can be shown to the client prior to shipping. This does not just add a level of reassurance, but underlines the care given to each order and confirms that the company is very serious about making sure it delivers exactly what the client asked for. Even the packaging that the seats are shipped in is of the highest standard, doubled walled, with re-enforced corners to prevent any mishap in transit.

The company’s commitment to delivering for its partners and customers does not end there however. We are really proud that our relationship with Fortress Seating goes as far as them producing a special edition of their most popular design, the Matinee - just for us - that comes in at the impressive price point of £2.5K all in. The seat delivers the comfort and durability Fortress is known for and still includes features such as stainless-steel cup holders and a precise incline mechanism. However, this special edition uses a high-quality faux leather to deliver the new price point. As well as the standard cinema seat, other options such as sofas and chaise lounge are available with the same design approach. The special edition Matinee was created by working directly with the company’s VP Gabi Wolper, which underlines the great relationship we have built up with the brand.

Creating comfortable seating that also delivers a wide range of bespoke design options, delivers the vital base from which any cinema can be experienced and enjoyed, working with Fortress Seating means installers can relax, this area is taken care of.

Custom styling and stitching is never a problem

Pulse Cinemas pulsecinemas.com

JUNE 2020 29

Installers Infrastructure solutions...

Installers Infrastructure • solutions...

NEW LAUNCH!

Huge Hugerange rangeofofinfrastructure infrastructurebrands brands stockedcincluding overingrracks, acks, cables, stocked, cables, networking, power powermanagement management networking. and switching switching

Over 28of years of industry Over•28y ears industryknowledge knowledge from skilled technical from skilled technicalproduct range •Huge Hugespecialists rangeofofinfrastructure infrastructurebrands brands product specialists stockedcincluding overingrracks, acks, cables, stocked, cables, networking, powermanagement management • Outstanding support, including networking. power Outstanding support, including a a range of professional services to and switching switching range of client professional services to support specifications and •specifications Over 28of years of industry support client and Over 28y ears industryknowledge installation knowledge from skilled technical installation from skilled technicalproduct product specialists specialists

• Outstanding support, including Outstanding support, including a a range of professional services to Switching Switching services to range of client professional support specifications and support client specifications and installation installation Racks

Racks Switching

Mounts

Switching

Power management

Racks

Racks Networks

Networks Mounts HDMI cables

Power management Fibre cables

Networks

Networks Racks

Available from the experts at HDMI cables

Available from the experts at

rgbcomms.co.uk or call us today on

0148 87 336 6 RGB Head Office, 2 Lambourn Business Park Lambourn Woodlands, Hungerford RG17 7RY

rgbcomms.co.uk or call us today on

0148 87 336 6

Distributor of the Year Finalist

RGB Head Office, 2 Lambourn Business Park Lambourn Woodlands, Hungerford RG17 7RY 26/05/2020 14:05 Distributor of the Year Finalist

30 JUNE 2020 EI Strip Ads June.indd 3

Davy Currie, Managing Director of Infracore, will be our lead presenter and moderator for EI Live!

Tech Talks, a new webinar series

We are very excited to announce that a new webinar initiative called EI Live! Tech Talks is launching very soon, offering a new way for installers and the market to exploit the power and reach of the EI brand.

It won’t have escaped anyone’s notice that online forms of communication and learning have come to the fore during the COVID-19 outbreak, their value and potential taking on a new import during this difficult period.

This of course has led to a wider conversation about the potential for this type of comms for the future. How can we best exploit what it is good at and avoid what its not so good at?

Fortunately, before all of the COVID-19 restrictions came into place, EI was already working on a plan to expand our EI Live Technical Theatre which takes place, of course, at EI Live! each year (For 2020, October 19-20, Farnborough International Exhibition Centre) and create an online cousin, which looks to inform and entertain those who take part. The downturn in business activity has allowed our team to accelerate the development of this content which we are now officially announcing as: EI Live! Tech Talks.

SO HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?

Fibre cables

Racks

June.indd 3

EI LIVE! TECH TALKS LAUNCH

26/05/2020 14:05

With any EI brand we never want to just replicate what already exists in a given space, we want to re-invent and improve, so here is how the content is going to work.

We are delighted to have teamed up with Davy Currie, Managing Director of Infracore, for this venture. Highly experienced in the install market, Davy has a special interest in the area of online learning and is going to act as our main presenter/moderator for the series.

Added to Davy’s expert eye will be a panel of 12 experienced install professionals (our Expert Digital Dozen) who will rotate a few at a time to join in a panel discussion on the subject of each webinar/broadcast. Each webinar will have a specialist speaker, expert in the area for discussion, who will deliver insight for the panel to then discuss.

Each session will take on a key subject/trend and explore the implications for the market right now and in the future. We will be unveiling the first topics for discussion soon, however the aim

is to deliver 12 over a 12-month cycle. Taking a broad-brush approach, we will aim to make the sessions thought-provoking and inspiring as well as informative.

This format is designed to drive lively and informative debate and engage those who log on to not just learn something, but also spark a debate in the viewers’ own world as to how what they have learned can be applied to their company and experience in the market.

Many of the Expert Digital Dozen have already been appointed and we will announce the complete line-up as soon as the group is completed, but suffice to say they are drawn from different aspects of the install market, all skilled and experienced, with something genuine to offer the discussions they will take part in. We can reveal one name at this point, our own EI editor Daniel J Sait, will be one of the ‘Dozen’, stand by for the rest of the group very soon.

PRACTICAL ADVANTAGES

Naturally key to this type of venture is getting enough viewers to make the initiative worthwhile.

EI is unique in the market in having the power of its website, social media reach, printed magazine and EI Live! show to drive footfall and interest in this opportunity. We will of course be reaching out to our many partners in the market who will also help in this regard. Each session as well as the content in general will be marketed very hard in print, online and via social media. Able to watch both live and later after broadcast, viewers get the best of both worlds, but you do have to register to qualify for the watch-later opportunity.

We will also be choosing a reliable, stable and high-quality platform for our broadcasts. Zoom is great for a quick group chat, but will not deliver what we need for this particular approach, so we are in the final stages of nailing down which system to use with some trial runs.

So, exciting stuff as they say, and we are really excited about this new dimension in the offering from EI. It’s going to be educational, it’s going to fun and its going to be the future!

TECH TALK SERIES

SensibleEssentialInstal_05_SensibleBro2013_02.qxd 18/09/2014 16:43 Page 1

THIS MONTH’S ESSENTIAL SUPPLEMENT

HVAC

sensible heat Do the Sensible thing; call us today!

Advanced HVAC controls for the home

ESSENTIAL HVAC

SMART HVAC Dave Robinson, Managing Director of Sensible Heat, looks at recent developments in HVAC controls and how this has changed the marketplace For many years the AV industry had been faced with a blank page when it comes to deciding how to present HVAC functionality to the end user. The original ‘fully-programmable’ AV touchscreen systems generally didn’t come with ‘standard’ HVAC user interface screen designs – this was left up to the installer; to devise, implement and test a user interface for the HVAC functions, potentially from the floorup, on every project.

This approach, whilst ultimately flexible, and leaving plenty of scope for adding value in the form of a unique user experience developed by the installer, had a number of problems. Firstly, cost; in order to generate the programme behind the unique user interface, lots of code needs to be written, which takes time, costs money and like all custom code, needs very careful checking.

Secondly, functionality and ergonomics; in fact, designing a clear, unambiguous user interface for HVAC which is usable by non-technical people is a non-trivial task. At the risk of upsetting lots of skilled programmers in the industry, are the people who write custom code in C+ or a

similar language, necessarily the right people to devise a screen display using the right words, colours, buttons etc, with the aim of presenting a simple-to-use front end for an underlying system which is actually quite complex? I have to say, in our experience the answer to this is mixed – sometimes undoubtedly the results can be outstanding, screens are easily understood, navigation from screen to screen is obvious, and so on. Many of the bigger installers ended up developing their own templated schemes for HVAC user interfaces (and also for many other functions like lighting and blinds etc) which generally worked very well, but obviously required significant investment to develop and maintain them, and needed people with the right skill-set to design the graphics.

In other cases, the results were very poor, with crowded screens, too much data, arcane rules for what happens when you press a button, and so on. Some of these schemes were barely usable, and this could cause major issues for our industry – the poor implementation by the installer was interpreted by the end user as a failure of the HVAC control system, or the AV touchscreen system itself, or both, rather than putting the blame where it belonged, with the installer.

As such, many customers, having been ‘burnt’

Are systems like Crestron Home making life easier for HVAC integration?

once, would not repeat the experience on their next property – we’ve had many customers who have refused to have any AV integration in their latest project, because of earlier disasters, which although resulted in a sale for us, represented a loss to our industry in general. But was it really the installer’s fault? Perhaps the very flexibility of the fully-programmable systems was also their Achilles heel, requiring individual installers to reinvent the wheel on every project, some of whom would lack the skill-set, the budget, or both.

So, the introduction of ‘configurable’ AV systems, with standardised GUIs for HVAC (and some other functions) was a welcome innovation from our perspective. Beginning with Control4, and closely followed by Savant, and now the latest entrant Crestron Home, the HVAC displays of these systems have developed from a limited, inflexible first release into a standardised-butflexible offering. The notion of standard ‘room modes’ (for example Off, Heat, Cool, Auto etc) are now becoming familiar and standardised across different systems, and although we have to sometimes work quite hard behind the scenes in developing new features in our ‘drivers’ for these systems, we can normally make even the most complex HVAC schemes behave in a sensible and logical manner using these templated screens. Our latest driver, for Crestron Home, has been used successfully on several projects already with minimal fuss.

It is perhaps a little bit like the early automotive industry; in the early years, cars had a variety of different user interface arrangements.

The Model T Ford, for instance, had three foot pedals – but none of them performed the nowfamiliar functions of throttle, brake and clutch! It looks like our industry has now largely coalesced around a standard HVAC interface. The benefit of this approach is a more guaranteed outcome for the end user, at a lower cost, but of course does not at all preclude the use of fully-programmable solutions for projects that demand their power and flexibility.

SensibleEssentialInstal_banners_02_Layout 1 18/09/2014 17:10 Page 1

info@sensibleheat.com www.sensibleheat.com

sensible heat Advanced HVAC controls for the home 32 JUNE 2020

A truly technical, value-add, AV distributor

• We stock a wide range of brands, covering infrastructure, lighting, acoustics, control and more!

• Over 28 years of industry knowledge from skilled technical product specialists

• Outstanding support, including a range of professional services to support client specifications and installation

Infrastructure

Lighting

Acoustics

Control

rt

For further information visit our website:

rgbcomms.co.uk RGB Head Office, 2 Lambourn Business Park Lambourn Woodlands, Hungerford RG17 7RY

RGB-Full-Page_June.indd 1

or call us today on

0 1 4 8 8 7336 6

Distributor of the Year Finalist

26/05/2020 14:03

As a North Gold Partner we have been using the Commander and Zip systems for over 16 years. Here at Intelligent Controls (UK) we have been busy as usual building and integrating BMS and control panels.

We find that our control panels for HVAC integration are more popular than ever. We have also seen a rise in the demand for CrestronHome® integration projects as well as the regular Crestron®, Control4®, Lutron Palladiom® and Savant®.

Please call John who will be happy to assist and guide your project HVAC installation, be the project large or small.

Remember to mention

“Its All About Numbers” when you call.

CALL 01342 717748 support@intelligent-controls.co.uk www.intelligent-controls.co.uk

Accessories for Sonos Move SM-WM Wall Mount for Sonos Move Suitable for use indoors or outdoors UV resistant silicone rubber protects the speaker High grade-steel construction

SM-FS Floor Stand for Sonos Move Bespoke design securely holds the Sonos Move and the charging base Positions the speaker at ideal height for seated listening Includes adjustable carpet spikes and rubber feet for wood/tiled floors

Available from Exertis: 01256 378 550 or Alltrade: 0844 225 2700

ESSENTIAL HVAC

THERE SHOULDN’T BE A LEARNING CURVE TO USE A THERMOSTAT.

Cooling and heating systems butting heads is one of the key issues systems must address

Justin Wells, Director at Polar Bear Design, takes a look at some of the issues and technical challenges that must be addressed when creating a HVAC product fit for the 21st century.

installations where a small probe is placed on a wall and wired back to a cupboard. This not only adds kilometres of unnecessary cables, it increases the risk of faults and increases costs of servicing. Probes can also get painted over or Just as lighting is a key aspect to enjoy any damaged. A hidden cost to these designs is that space, the client experience is also affected by the any changes a user wants to make means this temperature of that space. The user experience must be programmed into the control surface, of temperature control is often overlooked as it such as increase of the dead band, changing is seen as something difficult and out of many from Centigrade to Fahrenheit, fan control or installers’ comfort zone. disabling heating. This could mean a BMS or AV In many luxury buildings, air conditioning is controls engineer call-out, and updates done to standard. However, these are typically commercial the core of the home’s control system. We all systems that require a significant amount of know what happens when that update is done on design and calculations. This industry is heavily Friday evening! commercial based and the idea of elegant, easy to This approach also means the homeowner, use controls is often lost. With all the calculations, guests or staff have to understand the layout of environmental impact and performance a touch screen and adapt to your way of thinking. specifications, the consideration of the user is lost.

Whilst none of this is wrong and, in some situations The goal of the Zentium thermostat is to meet the can work, it is a solution to a problem that should concerns of installers and interior designers in a not have existed in the first place if there had been process that benefits everyone. an elegant thermostat fitted at the start.

The importance of styling is paramount in AESTHETICS luxury developments, but the Zentium thermostat Superbly engineered commercial control systems has added ease of use and integration to that. lack a luxury user interface. For this reason, the We’ve all heard of the phrase ‘form over function’ industry seems to have adopted a less than ideal but our philosophy is based on three pillars; form, approach which is typically to hide the thermostat, not a customer centric design. We also function and integration.

SensibleEssentialInstal_banners_02_Layout 1 see 18/09/2014 17:10 Page 2

Advanced HVAC controls for the home

SIMPLICITY

It is not uncommon for a thermostat to have buttons that just don’t do anything. Maybe the feature has been disabled, maybe overridden; for whatever reason, this complicates the experience and can even lead to support calls as the user’s perception is that the system is not working. This is also true for the strange choice of symbols and cryptic hieroglyphics displayed on a screen.

The luxury client is not interested if it’s in frost protection mode, the floor has reached max temperature or in the angle of the ventilation grills. Yes, this information is important and should be accessible, but does it need to be so prevalent? The best user interface is one that from a glance the user knows what’s happening and how to use it.

The Zentiums’ digital crown is a universally understood control interface. Turn it up and the room temperature increases, turn it down it stops heating or starts cooling. Press the crown to change pages to fan speed, zone two or towel radiator.

There is no language barrier to this interface and different features that are being disabled can be altered. This allows the same thermostat to be used across spaces with different requirements without causing confusion.

info@sensibleheat.com www.sensibleheat.com

sensible heat JUNE 2020 35

ESSENTIAL HVAC

INTEGRATION

Something that looks great often lacks the technical features that a quality installation requires. As an installer, your company profit is reliant on repeatability from the lessons learnt on previous jobs. Why have a different solution if you use Crestron, Lutron, Control4, Savant, Elan etc. Choose a thermostat that can be used with all these control systems so a repeatable design profile can be created. Additionally, it is important to consider its integration with BMS control systems such as NorthBT, Trend and Delta etc. Many AV installers shy away from this key part of an integrated smart building, in much the same way they stuff the thermostats in a cupboard. The broad spectrum of integration offered by the Zentium thermostat allows AV and BMS companies to work in a much more harmonious way. The benefits of this are the deep technical knowledge that BMS companies offer, allowing for a truly customer centric design.

THE DEAD BAND

We are all aware of the simplicity of underfloor heating. It is cold, turn the underfloor actuator ON, it’s too hot, turn the actuator OFF. The Zentium can create a third state, with no additional parts.

When a large slab of floor is being heated it builds up a huge amount of residual heat. If the supply of that heat is turned off only when the room gets to temperature, then that residual heat carries on heating that room beyond the target temperature. The worst effect of this can be oscillation, where the cooling kicks in to reduce the room back down, then the heating turns on in this fight between heating and cooling systems.

Traditionally this is dealt with by incorporating a dead band. A dead band is a temperature range at which neither heating or cooling occurs.

This dead band can typically be two to four degrees wide! So a target temperature of 21 degrees wouldn’t trigger heating until it got to 19 degrees, or cooling until 23 degrees. While this technically does reduce the effects of the heating and cooling systems fighting, it also leaves the client a with a wide variation of temperatures within that space.

The Zentium has a few tools to help reduce this and give superior temperature controls. One of these is to create a third state in which during the last one degree of heating, the underfloor heating actuator will be modulated between on and off. This slows the heating process of the slab and reduces overshoots.

The second tool is the principle of a minimum floor temperature. The Zentium can be configured so the floor does not drop below a certain temperature. This means that a space does not have the same amount of potential difference between the current and target floor temperature. Imagine a fly wheel, if it is allowed to stop it needs a significant amount of energy to get it turning again, versus one that is just turning very slowly. The third tool allows the dead band to be different for cooling or heating so a larger band can be assigned to the cooling aspect than the heating. The dead bands can also set to half degree increments to improve responsiveness.

VRV & VRF INTEGRATION

The Zentium has a feature that can avoid this scenario as it can be set to use a ‘virtual’ temperature sensor. This allows the cooling system to effectively send its building room temperature reading to the Zentium wall thermostat. The Zentium then uses this as its own room temperature and display it to the user, while also using it to calculate its internal control strategy. This effectively ties the two systems together, creating a much tighter feedback loop between the two systems.

Commissioning a heating and cooling system can be difficult as this relies quite heavily on the actual weather conditions. One day you need it freezing cold to check the heating system can handle the demand, the next day you need a heat wave so you can ensure the cooling system does not collapse under the strain.

With Zentium’s virtual temperatures you can now simulate these conditions. A simulation in the BMS can then artificially set room temperature ‘readings’ to a desired temperature (this is not the setpoint, this is a fake room temperature).

This in-turn triggers all the plant and systems into action. Creating such a commissioning plan after installation can really reduce the after sales visits on those wild weather condition days.

At a given time, different locations within a room will vary in temperature. The temperature on a wall will be different to the temperature on the ceiling and different from a door architrave. The difference between these temperatures will also be The Zentium is one of a new generation of HVAC controls that fluid and not follow any linear address aesthetics and simple control. The Zentium shown relationship. hear is mounted with a Lutron Palladiom keypad.

For this reason, when controlling a VRV or VRF unit that has its own room temperature sensor built in, the thermostat on the wall can be displaying a different temperature to that of the cooling unit. This leads to a situation where the cooling system can shut down or overrun beyond that of the user’s setpoint, because it uses its own built in sensor to govern when it turns off.

This leads to frustration and potential support issues as it’s not clear to the user why this is happening.

SensibleEssentialInstal_banners_02_Layout 1 18/09/2014 17:10 Page 3

info@sensibleheat.com www.sensibleheat.com

sensible heat Advanced HVAC controls for the home 36 JUNE 2020

ESSENTIAL CEDIA

BRAVE NEW WORLD? Andrew Royall from CEDIA member company, Eclectic Home Technology, asks what’s next for agile, resilient integrators returning to a new world.

As governments throughout the EMEA region continue rolling out strategies to address life after COVID-19, home technology integration businesses of all kinds are formulating their own plans to carry on. What will the future hold when we are back to work and how have businesses already been affected?

Half of my business focusses on bespoke home technology installs, while the other half involves work for marine applications. While the marine projects in Europe have almost completely stopped and appear to be on ice until next year’s yachting season, the home technology market isn’t doing too badly.

I’ve seen an upturn in enquiries, an upturn in design work, and an upturn in the sort of projects that will commence when the dust settles — those projects at the moment appear to be designed under the old regime, or preCOVID-19 and haven’t yet been adjusted for the change in all our lifestyles.

The work that I’ve managed to take on during the global health crisis has been about doing simple things effectively — helping customers with the IT for their children’s home schooling, converting their home gyms for video conference personal training and Joe Wicks sessions, and helping mitigate the effect from falling victim of spear phishing, to name a few examples.

Importantly, these jobs have demonstrated a level of trust from customers who have shut the doors to others but have opened the doors to us.

We have rewarded this trust with little things like providing their children with blue light blocking glasses to reduce eyestrain from spending their days home schooling on computers.

THE NEW AND THE NEXT

More and more people will have done their own cooking. More and more people will have found exercise that doesn’t necessarily involve a gym. More and more people will have found that they really need their data network and that a home hub doesn’t cut it. More and more people will have found that they have actually worked very closely beside their kids. We need to continue some of those things that people have liked and give some of those experiences proper

thought, instead of cobbling them together on the fly as we have done in the past.

Another realisation that customers have reached from this time at home is a need for differently defined spaces. Whether this means a dedicated workspace, indoor exercise space, flexible and connected outdoor space, or even an integrated country home, demand will rise.

We’re doing lots of this already, but have seen it move in our client’s perception from ‘nice to have’ to ‘necessary and used every day’.

IN CLOSING

It’s difficult to predict when typical work schedules will return, but once they do, projects that were designed before COVID-19 will no doubt need adapting to suit the new ‘home life’.

Whether projects going forward are practical — like bolstering the networking backbone of the home, adding audio to gardens or providing an at home ‘tech’ gym — or whimsical — like collaborating with designers to curate eyecatching video conferencing backgrounds — integrators and industry stakeholders will have their hands full and minds occupied when work comes back. I am hearing the term biophilic design more and more as a trend for homes and work places — the integration of nature into these spaces will require technological input from companies like mine to maintain and manage it without owner intervention, so we’ll be learning some new tricks along the way.

The existence we perceive as normal has been altered forever, and for integrators as a community and in particularly, as CEDIA members, we are going to have to look at the way that we do things and whether we band together and collaborate on some projects and make some business decisions we would not have otherwise considered. For us and all CEDIA members, now is the time to establish what the new normal is.

What’s vital for seeing your business come out the other end? Customer service, personal connections, and the asset integrators offer that no one else can: their expertise.

I discuss this topic in greater length on a CEDIA podcast ‘After the Pandemic EMEA’ with Wim de Vos and Steve Moore. More info can be found on the CEDIA website.

CEDIA cedia.co.uk

JUNE 2020 37

The Gramercy & Nero

the benchmark for luxury theater seating

The Ferrier A triple-motorized incline mechanism allows the user to operate the footrest, backrest and headrest INDEPENDENTLY from one-another. This allows the user to ensure maximum comfort by fine-tuning their preferred seating position.

cineak . com Antwerp, Belgium +32 (3) 354 03 66 - Los Angeles, USA +1 (866) 458-0529

Essential Install-add-2019.indd 2

23/01/2020 06:55

SMART THINKING

ROOM CORRECTION SYSTEM SHOOT OUT One of the hottest subjects in the industry right now is room correction, taking high-performance systems and tuning them specifically for the environment they are to be located in. But, how do they work? Which one is the best? We invited those in the know to explain the benefits.

ROOM PERFECT

Rob Sinden of Gecko Home Cinema, UK supplier of Lyngdorf, which includes its RoomPerfect technology.

As the owner of DALI loudspeakers, Peter Lyngdorf was disappointed that customers didn’t hear the speakers they bought at their best in their homes.

This led to his research into room correction for high end stereo systems in 1990. Three years later they released the world’s first full range digital room correction system.

The system was very complex to set up, but the biggest problem was that it changed the sound of the loudspeakers that were being used.

The measurement process took a reading with a mic at the listening position, firing towards the ceiling. This process was then repeated across the seating area. This process didn’t capture the sound of the speakers, so their characteristics couldn’t be preserved.

The system works by changing the sound of your speakers to try and match the target curve that the correction system has stored. In a home cinema this may not be an issue, but where people

RoomPerfect is included on a wide range of price points in the Lyngdorf and Steinway Lyngdorf families

have spent years finding their favourite speakers, customers were not happy that the sound of their speakers had changed. This approach is the one all correction systems still use.

Demonstrating the technology in his stores, listeners commented that all the speakers sounded virtually identical after set-up. This led to a complete rethink of their approach to room correction.

After four years research and an investment of $9,000,000, RoomPerfect was patented with 54 separate elements protected by one of the largest patents in the history of audio.

RoomPerfect requires the mic to be pointed at the speakers for the first reading. This captures the characteristics of the speakers with the addition you would expect from the room they are used in. Then the full height, width and length of the room is captured. Room errors are a three-dimensional problem so measurement across all of the room is required.

The process typically takes 15 minutes for stereo and under an hour for the largest Dolby Atmos systems. RoomPerfect is also unique in measuring and correcting the speakers with the subs so they are perfectly integrated. In systems

where dual subs are used, RoomPerfect is unique in seamlessly blending the right-hand sub to all speakers on the right of the room and vice versa. This gives true stereo bass down to 20Hz. Steinway Lyngdorf and Lyngdorf products with RoomPerfect are totally silent. Lyngdorf created the first fully digital amplifier, the Millennium, in 1998 which reproduced music with none of the noise inherent in analogue amplifiers. Because the signal was in the digital domain, room correction could be added without the noise of extra A/D and D/A to the signal path.

While room correction is an essential addition to any surround processor, most processors add noise to a system that high quality stereo pre amps don’t, another barrier for use in systems with great stereo performance.

In the stereo world, room correction has not been accepted because the systems available add noise to the system and change the nature of the speakers. With RoomPerfect, these reservations are removed with Lyngdorf TDA amplifiers costing as little as £2,200.

Gecko Home Cinema lyngdorf.com, geckohomecinema.com

JUNE 2020 39

SMART THINKING

TRINNOV OPTIMIZER

Tom Garret, International Sales Manager at Trinnov Audio, which delivers its Trinnov Optimizer technology.

Trinnov Audio started research on loudspeaker/room optimisation in 2003 and released its first multichannel processor featuring its Optimizer technology in 2005.

The first Optimizer processor was primarily intended for studios and Trinnov built its reputation with this technology while winning the trust of some of the most demanding sound engineers in broadcast, music, and post-production studios around the world.

The Optimizer has been gradually refined over the years and is now the only ‘room correction’ system widely used throughout the production chain, from studios to some of the finest commercial and private cinemas. It is used daily in over 1,500 studios worldwide to produce some of the content you enjoy every day.

The Optimizer is also used in over 1,500 commercial theatres.

Unique in many ways, the Optimizer relies on Trinnov’s iconic 3D Microphone to localise speakers and capture sound in three dimensions.

This microphone is designed by and unique to Trinnov, and each one is individually calibrated for accuracy to ensure the most reliable acoustic measurement.

Indeed, because Trinnov feels nothing should be left to chance, they keep the entire signal

Trinnov Optimizer has been in the market since 2005

40 JUNE 2020

path within a Trinnov-controlled environment (in their processor) rather than relying on external software, operating systems and audio interfaces.

The Optimizer captures a huge amount of acoustic information in each measurement and performs time/frequency analysis to better understand and characterise the behaviour of the speakers in the room. Indeed, without the time domain, frequency response alone shows irregularities in response but doesn’t provide enough information to correct the errors properly, with the appropriate method.

The highly-detailed information is then processed using Trinnov’s proprietary algorithms, providing a full acoustic analysis of the room and revealing more information than any other automatic system. As an example, the acoustic graphs generated by the Optimizer for each measurement point include the phase response, group delay, and impulse response of each speaker, all of which are important to understand what is occurring in the room over time.

Most people understand that time-aligning speakers is important; but the point Trinnov has made since 2005 is that time-aligning frequencies is also essential for improving sound staging and transient reproduction. This is an area where passive acoustic treatment, although extremely important, cannot help.

The sophistication of acoustic analysis performed by the Optimizer may sound like overkill for the consumer world. However, Trinnov is understandably proud of its pro

audio background and believes consumers deserve no less. The Optimizer simply can solve problems that other systems cannot, and this is an area where Trinnov reigns supreme.

Fortunately, Trinnov introduced a setup wizard to simplify the initial measurement and calibration process. Trinnov has also introduced a step-bystep calibration assistant to simplify the whole process including Active Crossover calibration.

However, the manufacturer remains clear about the fact that every system is unique.

Many acoustic parameters come into play, whether they are related to room acoustics, electroacoustics or psychoacoustics. The best possible results can only be achieved by a trained ear and experienced calibrator. This fact is not specific to Trinnov but is true for any system, regardless of its sophistication.

Trinnov really shines with respect to the level of integration of the Optimizer within its products. The Optimizer does not require external equipment beyond the microphone. It takes only a few clicks to make the system sing, whether you do it locally or remotely over the internet. Since the measurement data resides in the machine itself, subsequent tweaks are easily made, all with 64-bit floating point precision. All Trinnov products include the Optimizer technology, including the Altitude AV Processor range.

Trinnov trinnov.com

SMART THINKING

ARC Genesis recently received significant upgrades

ARC GENESIS

Ben Lancaster, Head of UK Sales at Pulse Cinemas, UK suppliers of Anthem products which contain ARC Genesis room correction.

An audio system’s performance is always negatively affected by a room’s unique characteristics. The size and shape of the room, its construction, the furnishings, and other factors cause standing waves, resonances, and reflections that can colour the sound played by loudspeakers. Using proprietary algorithms developed by Anthem engineers, ARC Genesis creates custom correction curves that retain the favourable acoustic signature of speakers and remove negative room contributions. These custom filters are then used to programme high-quality digital signal processing (DSP) technology embedded within compatible audio products.

This third generation of ARC represents a major leap forward in room correction with the most comprehensive features ever. ARC Genesis transforms the audio performance of compatible speakers or electronics to the unique characteristic of any room. Proprietary Digital Signal Processing (DSP) software works in tandem with the calibrated microphone provided with your ARC enabled product to provide an astonishing improvement to the sound you hear.

Key features include Demo Mode which offers access to the full suite of tools without having an Anthem, MartinLogan, or Paradigm compatible product connected. For products such as Anthem’s MRX audio/video receivers and AVM home theatre processors, ARC Genesis allows you to configure the assignable amp channels from within the software, making quick work of setting up your receiver for zone 2 or height effects channels. For products such as Anthem’s MRX audio/video receivers, AVM home theatre processors, and STR preamplifier and integrated amplifiers, ARC Genesis not only optimises the performance of your system, it also lets you set up bass management from within the software. To redirect bass to a subwoofer (below a speaker’s Crossover frequency), set the Send Bass to Subwoofer (or Low-Frequency Extension Slope) control to ‘Send bass to the sub’. With ARC Genesis’ Professional Mode, the target curves for the system as a whole, are adjustable using room gain, deep bass boost, and tilt controls. Individual sets of speakers allow for the adjustment of high-frequency roll-off and crossover frequencies and slopes. Subwoofers allow for the adjustment of high-frequency extension, low-frequency extension, and lowfrequency extension slope. ARC Genesis also allows you to set a different maximum correction frequency for each set of speakers, up to 20,000 Hz. For example, you may want to use room

correction on your dipole electrostatic front speakers up to 400 Hz and your small in-ceiling height effect speakers up to ARC’s default of 5,000 Hz. Some devices also allow you to create multiple measurement sets (up to four, depending on the device). We recommend more than one if some significant transformation predictably takes place within the room that can alter the room’s acoustic response. For example, take one set of measurements with a drop-down video screen deployed and another with the screen hidden, drapes up or down, doors open or closed, and so on. You can also use multiple profiles to optimise your system; say, as a multi-channel home theatre with sub and another as a two-channel music system without a sub. If the system gets an upgrade with only one speaker being changed, you can retest just measuring the new component, you don’t have to start all over again. ARC Genesis also allows you to examine graphs in detail and support for several languages is available (Chinese, English, French, German and Spanish).

When creating multi-room music systems, it’s also possible to use Arc Genesis to compensate for all rooms in the system.

Anthem anthemav.com pulsecinemas.com

JUNE 2020 41

SMART THINKING

DIRAC LIVE ROOM CORRECTION

Jakob Ågren, Head of Product Management, Dirac, creators of Dirac Live.

The Dirac Live room correction system celebrates its tenth year on the market in 2020.

It was first introduced in the Datasat professional cinema product range and has since found its way into any system that aspires to be the best in room audio reproduction.

Since its release it has been more or less alone on the market in being able to correct not only for the coloration of the sound (the magnitude response), but also for the phase.

While it is not conceptually difficult to correct for the phase, doing so while not introducing audible artifacts has proven much more tricky, which is why Dirac Live has been such a success with both consumers and installers; there is simply no other system that can achieve the same fidelity while maintaining ease of use.

Being able to correct for the phase has several benefits. It will improve the transient response, more accurately reproducing the

Dirac Live is celebrating 10 years of innovation

42 JUNE 2020

harmonics in a system – this is important for all sounds, but perhaps especially critical for speech intelligibility. Furthermore, it also improves the sound stage, the positioning of instruments in a stereo recording, and allows true immersion.

Rather than listening to a bunch of speakers you become immersed in sound, the way it was intended to be by the content creator.

Dirac Live does not run using an onscreen display like room correction systems of old.

Instead, you use your smartphone, tablet or PC to run the room correction software. This allows significantly more computational power, and the calibration is partly performed in the cloud for additional compute horsepower. The Dirac Live calibration tool will connect to your equipment over your network, and you can optionally connect the microphone to your PC instead of, for instance, the AVR. This is especially convenient for installers, who often face the problem that the equipment is sitting in a machine room somewhere, and not in the listening room, making it impractical or even impossible to perform a measurement based room correction if it requires the microphone to be connected to the AVR.

Dirac Live comes with multiple different feature levels and OEMs so end users can choose which features they want to include or use. The upper and lower frequency limits for where Dirac Live should perform room correction is end user adjustable, if desired.

Between these two points the desired target response can be adjusted to achieve the optimal sound from the system. Dirac Live also includes a measurement based multi subwoofer bass management system, called Dirac Live Bass Control. The main objective of the Bass Control feature is to reduce the spatial variations in the bass, so that regardless of where you sit, you will have the same amount of bass. This is extra useful for big installs, where the listening area is large, but also useful in your home.

Dirac’s plan for it’s Dirac Live product is to add a new and exciting feature every year, always pushing the limits of what’s possible to do, using digital signal processing and acoustic measurements.

Dirac Live dirac.com

Hi-Fi sound quality in a CI package.

Multi-award-winning, High-Resolution 24bit/192kHz audio processing with MQA decoder built-in Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, Deezer, Napster Amazon and Spotify streaming.

Control 4, Crestron, Lutron, ELAN, RTI, URC, Push, and Roon integration Works with BluOS App, Amazon Alexa and AirPlay 2 Simple control and system expansion Multi-Room Streaming with CI features

50 years of pedigree

Powerful AV Receivers, Streamers, & Amplifiers

Powered by BluOS

Distributed by

020 8977 8633 info@anatech.co.uk anatech.co.uk Unit 4, Heathlands Estate, Twickenham, TW1 4BP

UK’S LEADING MANUFACTURER PROJECTOR LIFTS - PROJECTOR SCREENS - AV RACK MOUNT SHELVES

The worlds most compact Ceiling Recessed Projector Lift requires only 220mm void height to fit the Sony VPL-VW570ES projector.

puretheatre.com Telford, UK +44 (0) 1952 898 533

Pure Full Page Advert May 2020-1.indd 1

puretheatreuk

@Pure_Theatre

24/04/2020 12:20:51

ESSENTIAL TRAINING

TRAINING TO WIN! EI recently hosted a webinar training session in conjunction with UK-based manufacturer, Bemco, underlining the abilities and advantages of the KNX system for UK installers.

One thing that everyone can agree on about the awful COVID-19 situation is that the whole install community has learnt to really value alternative forms of communication as opposed to face to face contact. As a tech sector, of course we were already aware and perhaps better prepared than some who were coming to online training and communications as a new starter; however, even in our sector, the situation has changed a lot of people’s thinking around the value of online training and webinar sessions. These versatile forms of communication will inevitably play an increasingly important part in our sector, not just out of necessity, but out of choice.

EI has big plans in the area and will be hosting a whole series of webinars in our EI Live! Tech Talk Series, working in partnership with the live show and presenting on a whole range of exciting subjects.

EI was also delighted to get our activity in this area off to a flying start by helping to host and promote an introduction to KNX course as presented by Bemco.

Julian Barkes, Director of Marketing at Bemco, explains, “The idea was to offer an interactive introduction to KNX session, exclusively for EI readers. Rather than death by PowerPoint, we wanted to create something a bit more involving, that set out the basics of the technology as well as explaining the opportunities that KNX offers CIs. We wanted to cast the net quite wide to start with and then host a follow-up ‘deeper dive’ session a couple of weeks later to go into the more technical aspects of the protocol for those wanting to go further.”

The introductory webinar session covered KNX infrastructure, the basics of KNX programming using ETS5, which applications work best with KNX, the wide range of KNX products, the design aesthetics and integrating AV and other Control systems (eg. Control 4 / Crestron / RTI / Savant / Elan / AMX) with KNX.

Julian adds, “Ably introduced by EI editor Daniel J Sait, the main session was presented expertly by our experienced and knowledgeable trainer, Jeremy Aston, who is an experienced KNX integrator in his own right.

To incentivise sign-ups via the highly effective promotional programme that EI delivered for us, we offered three prizes for those attending the webinar.

The first prize was one free seat on a KNX Partner course (worth a tasty £750), the second prize was one ETS5 Lite Dongle (worth £100) and the third prize was one ETS5 Lite Dongle (worth £100). The marketing and recruitment for the event was focused on social media platforms; Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter as well as direct mailing to EI’s own database. We got 63 signs-up and 43 people logged on to the webinar and stayed the distance.”

The winners on the day were as follows: the first prize went to Damian Keogh from Accurro; the second prize to Karl Ferguson from Sumera; and the third prize was awarded to Ashley Williams from Skips Electrical.

Julian concludes, “We’ve been doing lots of these kind of training initiatives in this new environment we all find ourselves in and will continue to do so. In fact, it works very well, particularly in partnership with a respected publication such as EI. “We plan to ramp up the training programme so that we can provide ‘Workshops’, more focussed sessions on specific products and problem solving issues, as well offering ‘Certified’ training courses later in the year that will provide full KNX Partner qualification. We’re delighted to be partnering with EI and look forward to planning future sessions.”

So, it would seem that, although it’s relatively early days, online training has a big future and EI stands ready to help you promote and host your training initiatives. Get in touch if you want to find out more! Email Claire Talty (Claire@essentialinstall.com) or Ian Kitchener (Ian@allthingsmedialtd.com) for all the options.

JUNE 2020 45

ESSENTIAL TRAINING

TRAVEL LESS, TRAIN MORE?

Kevin Cray, CYP’s Technical Product Development Director, talks future training techniques.

It is a hot, sticky day in August 2019, and I am heading to the airport to fly to Europe to deliver some CYP face-to-face training to a key partner.

The airport is rammed, massive lines of holiday makers and business travellers’ throng around the check-in desks, eyed by the army of staff and security personnel, and we pass through and finally board the plane.

After a short flight, we land and are met by our friendly partner. As we drive to the hotel, we review the activities planned for the next two days: a busy schedule including both training of our partner staff and customers, as well as the normal business review meetings.

A large group of delegates shuffle into their seats as the training session start time draws near. It’s a good-sized room but space is a little tight as you always overbook the delegate numbers, yet most are in attendance today. And so it begins….

46 JUNE 2020

.... it is now May 2020 and Europe is in COVID19 lockdown. I look back at how we delivered training only a few months ago and think ‘Will we ever do it like that again?’ Whilst I remain positive society will regain its energy, it feels like training and business travel will never be quite the same again. This is, perhaps, a good thing in some ways, as my airmiles along with my carbon footprint is significantly reduced, although I’ll miss having a few drinks with colleagues at the end of a busy day training.

Our industry, like many others, was already moving towards more online, webinar style presentations and training, but COVID19 has pushed this forward in every company’s mind, and it is no different for CYP. We, of course, cancelled all face-to-face training and began offering our newly developed webinar training presentations. Three have already been created, covering AV over IP systems, HDBaseT systems and SDVoE systems, with more being planned.

We have already delivered many online sessions to our partners and customers. These sessions are open to anyone to join and what has been very encouraging has been the industry’s thirst

for knowledge and the popularity of our courses to date.

Having delivered many webinars in the last two months, we have developed a CYP style for these sessions. We have two CYP employees that deliver each session, which we have found creates better engagement and allows the training to feel more social. But, how can we go further to help engage with our partners and customers? Skype, Zoom or whatever platform you are using to deliver these sessions only gives you so much power and engagement, and no matter how well you plan and present your content and however good any webinar is, there are both positive and negative points to consider.

Crucially, we can reach far more people than we could with face-to-face sessions. Delegates sign up and are invited to watch the webinar and are encouraged to ask questions both during and after the main content is delivered. This is a very efficient use of time, as clearly we can fit many more people on a webinar than we could ever hope to reach for a single session at our training academy. However, we have found that the attention span of webinar watchers is

ESSENTIAL TRAINING

about an hour, so, as we can’t cram a whole day’s

Of course, as with any business, there is a cost

content into a single hour, we have to divide up

attached to everything and obviously webinar

the course into multiple sessions. This works

training is significantly more cost-effective than

well and maintains focus but also relies on the delegates attending all of the sessions for the full package.

Although time efficient, I do miss the personal contact face-to-face training offers. For example, anyone who has given training sessions over the years will understand what I mean by having the ability to ‘look ‘em in the eye’ and know that you have their full attention and that

face-to-face sessions. You don’t need a location or to supply refreshments etc. However, during a webinar it is very difficult to manage any kind of practical exercise, which is where we have seen significant benefit in the past.

So what opportunities do webinars offer for our industry and how can we quickly engage with this prospect? Certainly, we can offer more focused general training opportunities, which can be to a very large or very small group of

what you are saying is actually sinking in. Clearly

individuals. For example, we have already been

this is much harder on a webinar as not only are

asked to deliver two of our courses to a couple

you concentrating on delivery of the content,

of small groups of installers, tailoring it to their

you also can’t see the delegate and it is far too

needs and talking about job-specific details

easy for someone to be completing another task whilst having a webinar on in the background.

Additionally, spending time with delegates chatting over coffee or lunch has revealed some great tips, stories and even the odd product development lead, which sadly is much harder over a webinar. What we have done to try and replace this is to call each delegate the day after the webinar and discuss it through with them.

Will we ever get back to pre-coronavirus lecture theatre-type training? Perhaps we will, but it will take a long time and might well be in a different format. Fundamentally though, we have to keep training and spreading the knowledge to make us all better AV professionals, regardless of what tools, restrictions and technology we have at our disposal.

In the meantime, CYP hopes you, your friends and family are all well and we urge you to stay safe, as things will never be quite the same again.

without the worry of revealing any confidential details to a competitor.

Essentially though (and this is true of face-to-face training or webinars!) it is all about the relevance of the content and the expertise on hand to deliver it. Any training session needs to be compelling and actually teach a new skill or expand knowledge. In addition, having the right tools to deliver webinars professionally and in highquality is also crucial. After all, we as an industry

Not ideal and you can miss the moment but we

are responsible for delivering ultra-high-quality AV

have to adapt where we can.

systems, so should practice what we preach.

JUNE 2020 47

ESSENTIAL TRAINING

A COMMITMENT TO TRAINING THAT DOESN’T CHANGE EVEN AS THE WORLD DOES Neil Walton, EMEA Training Manager at Crestron and Richard Sasson, Global Director Technical Services, present a case study of Crestron’s reaction to the training challenges of 2020.

As personal and professional communities face the challenge of a world changed overnight by COVID-19, those of us in training have had to evolve our approach just as quickly. This has been especially critical for Crestron, given our long held and widely known commitment to superior training.

Previously, we offered two types of training: onsite and online. Behind the scenes, we were planning to launch an interactive online training initiative in July. COVID-19 changed all of that.

THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY. THE SPEED OF OUR CHANGE. THE SUCCESS OF OUR PROGRAMMES.

The health and safety of our employees and their families, our partners, and our customers is paramount. That’s why, within 10 days of suspending our in-person instructor-led classroom training, we took the necessary steps to migrate 12 courses to interactive online training. The instructor-led courses are now available in 10 different time zones and several languages. Subjects include how to design and configure systems, as well as instruction in programming while connecting to control processors remotely. Our new online training supports partners and dealers while they work from home, preparing them to hit the ground running as the world gradually re-opens.

A NEW APPROACH FOR A NEW WORLD

For our online training to be a success and truly deliver for partners and dealers, you can’t just put a teacher in front of a classroom, replace the students with a webcam and call it a day. A new approach was needed. That’s why our instructorled online training is as interactive as possible.

For instance, we use a two-instructor approach for every training session. One instructor serves as the presenter, the other as co-host. While the first instructor teaches, the other monitors questions and chats, visits separate break-out rooms, and helps assess exercises when the class is divided into smaller groups. To increase

48 JUNE 2020

engagement, students are encouraged to ask questions and participate in polls.

MEETING OVERWHELMING DEMAND

Since introducing more instructor-led online training, we have seen demand skyrocket. Our numbers clearly show that people want to get educated while work is slow, or they are on furlough. Since March 23, over 4,200 people, globally, attended one of our trainings (not including Masters). By comparison, during this same period last year, we trained approximately 1,400 people via in-person classes. There’s also been an unprecedented rise in demand for selfpaced online courses. Our videos went from 12,000 views in February to over 83,000 views in April.

MASTERING THE CHALLENGE OF MASTERS’ TRAINING

We’ve also had to devise a solution for Crestron Masters, held every year in the US and Europe.

Given the unpredictability of the COVID-19 crisis, we first considered postponing this signature event. Ultimately, with the well-being of everyone being front and centre, we decided that interactive online training is the best way

to provide the Masters training so valued by our customers and key to their professional development. So, for the first time, we offered the Master Technology Architect (MTA) track to all our customers worldwide, and it was a huge success. The opening session had a record 1,477 attendees, with the second MTA class having 2,006 attendees. In total, over 2,200 people registered for MTA programmes throughout May. The Master Certified Programmers track has been virtualised as well, as our students will be able to work interactively online.

ON THE HORIZON: A HYBRID APPROACH While online training has proven quite successful, it won’t work for all subjects. There is no online solution for training that requires plugging equipment in, troubleshooting systems, getting a real feel for equipment, etc. While we expect instructor-led online training to be the major way of training for the foreseeable future, we do believe that as things slowly return to some sort of normal, demand for in-person courses will return. Overall, a hybrid approach of instructorled online training, combined with in-person coursework, may be the best approach to provide effective training for all our students.

We write drivers.

We We write write drivers. drivers.

They work. work.

They Comprehensive support.

Comprehensive Comprehensivesupport. support.

Free driver packs forshowrooms. showrooms.

Free Freedriver driverpacks packsfor for showrooms.

Introducing Arc

Brilliant sound in 3D Bring all your entertainment to life with the premium smart soundbar for TV, films, music, and more, featuring Dolby Atmos.

PRODUCTS

SOMETHING IS GOTTEN FROM THE STATE OF DENMARK Karma-AV has expanded its select brand line-up with System Audio’s versatile range of home speaker systems.

Hand built in Denmark since 1984, System Audio’s product offering has evolved to include slender floor-standing speakers, subwoofers, compact stand-mount models, elegant on-wall speakers and home cinema satellites, available in white or black satin finishes for a wide variety of stereo and home cinema applications.

The range also includes the Legend Silverback line of active designs for floor, stand and wall installation, featuring driver-dedicated amplification/processing and the latest wireless connectivity via the WiSA-enabled Stereo Hub, a 24/192 capable control centre for wired and wireless sources.

Karma-AV will carry the complete System Audio line-up comprising five Silverback models from £2,400 to £7,000 per pair, six passive Legend

speakers from £1,450 to £5,000 per pair, and no fewer than 11 models in the brand’s Saxo range of passive and active designs from £379 per pair to £1,450 per pair. Silverback amp modules are available to upgrade selected Legend speakers.

System Audio’s passive models are covered by a seven-year warranty, while its active systems and components are covered by a two-year warranty.

Commenting on the new venture, which becomes operational at the end of May 2020, Karma-AV’s Ian Severs says, “We are very excited by the opportunity to develop System Audio’s huge potential in the UK. Ole Witthøft and his team clearly understand today’s audio consumers because the line-up has everything you’d need to connect and enjoy high performance audio from many sources around the home.”

Karma AV karma-av.co.uk

Karma AV has a new brand

PRIVACY MATTERS TO ATMOS HOME Atmos Home has announced its AtmosControl smart home hub, which locally deciphers commands without sending a user’s voice recordings to cloud-based servers, reportedly making it the world’s first-ever privacy-focused standalone smart home hub.

The AtmosControl is billed as the only plugand-play, platform-agnostic smart home hub to combine Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave and infrared with voice, touch, smartphone and gesture controls. AtmosControl is, according

This new device is designed to solve ‘privacy issues’

to its creators, essentially a universal remote control for all smart home devices regardless of the brand or manufacturer.

Previously, voice-controlled smart home hubs such as Amazon Echo and Google Nest Home have required assistance from cloud-based servers in order to detect and decipher commands.

Voice commands are uploaded to cloud servers which interpret the speech, then send the data back to execute the command. These

voice-to-cloud transfers have demonstrated some security gaps, lack user privacy controls and can become limited when offline.

Atmos Home appears to want to target the install community and homeowners too as it claims the systems are easy enough to be installed by homeowners should they want to do it themselves.

The Atmos Home team is composed of industry experts in hardware design, product development, production and scaling growth.

Mark Lyle, founder, CTO and product development director for Atmos Home, says, “Digital assistants such as Amazon Alexa in many cases are being used for smart home device control. Many users are not even aware that these devices’ microphones are always on and recording them, and that many times these recordings are being listened to by employees of the companies that make them. This is a huge privacy issue.

“Until now, the technology did not exist to recognise more than a few basic commands in an edge computing application, without sending voice recordings to the cloud.”

The AtmosControl Smart Home Hub is expected to be available in Q4 2020 and the company is currently raising funds on a crowdfunding campaign.

Atmos Home control systems and accessories are designed and built in the United States.

Atmos Home atmoshome.com

JUNE 2020 51

PRODUCTS

BUILD IN THE BASS WITH ARTISON Artison has unveiled two new models of next generation Reactance Cancelling Configuration (RCC) architectural subwoofers. Building upon Artison’s past performance and innovations, the maker says the Mark II series of RCC subwoofers offer increased output levels, exceptional dynamics, lower distortion, and a significant increase in efficiency.

Designed to deliver evenly distributed bass reinforcement from the ceiling, Artison says the RCC160 MKII provides a balanced, blended audio experience using multiple points of sound.

This concept is designed as a strong fit for active entertainment spaces where integrators must deliver superior sound even as people move throughout the space.

Artison says when the RCC160 MKII is coupled with Savant’s Micro Aperture in-ceiling speakers, this full-range loudspeaker combination delivers a musical soundscape that is rich in dynamics and detail, plus delivers a perfect grille match required for aesthetics.

Each RCC160 MKII aluminium enclosure features two 4in by 6in drivers generating the approximate surface area of an 8in circular woofer from an impressively small package.

Designed for both in-wall and in-ceiling installations, the RCC320 MKII delivers higher output, designed for dedicated music or home cinema rooms.

This version employs four 4in by 6in subwoofer drivers per unit in an extruded aluminium enclosure engineered for tight spaces, with easy preconstruction or retrofit installation into a standard 2 x 4 stud bay.

The Artison RCC320 MKII can be specified with a discreet speaker grille or an HVAC-style ceiling grille. For installations that require stacked pairs of RCC320 MKIIs, a single double-length discreet speaker grill can be ordered.

Partnering these speakers and rated at a meaty 1000W, the RCC1000-SA DSP-enabled

amplifier features all-new firmware that was developed specifically for the Mark II series subwoofers.

The 1U digital amplifier can drive up to four RCC320 MKII or eight RCC 160 MKII simultaneously, making installations featuring multiple subwoofers both cost and space-efficient on a per-zone basis.

Artison savant.com/artisonspeakers

RCC160 MKII or RCC320 MKII subwoofers are available to order now

ATLANTIC TECHNOLOGY’S FS SERIES SETS SAIL Atlantic Technology has announced that it is shipping the FS Series wireless powered subwoofers, two slim compact subwoofers that deliver bass to any TV, soundbar or audio system.

By using low-latency SKAA wireless audio technology, these subs work with Atlantic Technology’s growing line of wireless multi-room SKAA speakers, soundbars and amps as well any other brand of soundbar, TV, AV receiver or other audio source.

The FS Series receive low-latency long-range SKAA wireless audio signals from a growing line of Atlantic Technology SKAA wireless multi-room products such as the FS-252 active bookshelf speakers, the STA-200 integrated amp and the upcoming Gatecrasher3 active multi-room soundbar. Another plus is an assortment of small, affordable adapters that can turn any audio device into a SKAA transmitter so users can easily add bass in a slim design. The subs also feature RCA line inputs and outputs for maximum value and versatility.

Like all the brand’s subwoofers, the

52 JUNE 2020

FS Series are engineered using the latest technology, starting with proprietary advanced drivers designed and manufactured by Atlantic Technology. The long-throw bass driver uses a massive vented magnetic motor structure and a high temperature, four-layer aluminium voice coil.

The new thin form factor comes in a sturdy MDF enclosure for low distortion and deep bass in a compact cabinet that is 7in deep. The FSS65 is finished in an all satin-black finish and a high-gloss piano-black finish with the FS-S8. This thin cabinet gives placement versatility and can be positioned vertically behind a couch, horizontally, hidden under furniture, or can be wall mounted.

To match the subwoofer to any system, the FS Series includes versatile optimisation controls. The adjustable 50Hz to 300Hz, 12dB per octave low-pass crossover delivers blending with satellite speakers or a soundbar while making the woofer less localisable. The level control matches output volume to the rest of the system and a 0°/180° Phase switch is included for better acoustic matching with satellite

speakers. Finally, automatic stand-by features signal sensing turn-on with a 20-minute auto turn-off for convenient use. The UK distributor for the brand is Connected Distribution.

Atlantic Technology shop.atlantictechnology.com connecteddistribution.com

The FS Series features SKAA wireless audio comms delivering reliable interference-free, long range with a latency of only 36ms

@e il ive show #e ilive s how2020

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE

OCTOBER 19-20

EI Live! 2020, the UK’s national show for the AV and install market, will boast a greater focus on smart products from the world of electrical contracting; delivering a unique platform on which a smarter, brighter future can be established.

Register for your FREE ticket to attend at www.eiliveshow.com

SUPPORTING THE UKʼS FINEST CUSTOM INSTALLERS

W: www.pulsecinemas.com

E: info@pulsecinemas.com

T: +44 1279 647 039