Installation 234 September 2020 by publications

September 2020

AV integration in a networked world

Issue 234

LEARNING CURVES EXPLORING THE EVOLUTION OF EDUCATION

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CONTENT Editor: Daniel Gumble, daniel.gumble@futurenet.com Group Content Director, B2B: James McKeown, james.mckeown@futurenet.com Graphic Designer: Sam Richwood, sam.richwood@futurenet.com Managing Design Director, B2B: Nicole Cobban, nicole.cobban@futurenet.com Production Manager: Matthew Eglinton, matthew.eglinton@futurenet.com ADVERTISING SALES Account Director: Duncan Wilde, duncan.wilde@futurenet.com Account Manager: Nathalie Adams, nathalie.adams@futurenet.com Overseas Sales Contact - Executive Vice President: Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com MANAGEMENT Senior Vice President, B2B Rick Stamberger Chief Revenue Officer Mike Peralta Vice President, Sales & Publishing, B2B Aaron Kern Vice President, B2B Tech Group Carmel King Vice President, Sales, B2B Tech Group Adam Goldstein Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance Head of Design Rodney Dive

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Welcome The term ‘new normal’ is one that many of us have been seeing, and probably using, quite a lot in recent months. We still don’t really know what it means, but it’s a simple way of acknowledging that the ‘old’ normal is something of a redundant concept. It is this idea of the ‘new normal’ that we have placed at the heart of the September issue of Installation. Whether personal, professional or educational, our lives are currently in a state of profound transition, as we try to navigate the disconcertingly unfamiliar territory of life after lockdown. And for so many of us, whether we realise it or not, AV is playing an ever-growing role in shaping the landscape. In a comprehensive report on the education sector (p16), we hear from some of the foremost authorities in the industry on how AV technology is evolving the world of education. From remote learning to the development of hybrid classrooms and beyond, there are some fascinating insights into what the future holds for students of all ages. Meanwhile, we hear from Clevertouch’s enterprise product specialist, James Temishe, about the industry’s response to the pandemic and how versatility and flexibility are essential to creating the workplaces of tomorrow (p12). Elsewhere, AVIXA’s senior director of market intelligence, Sean Wargo, tells us about the ever-advancing role that AV technology has to play in the retail sector in a post-COVID world (p36). In addition to our future-gazing features, we have in-depth exclusive interviews with the likes of Bluesound Professional VP and general manager, Graeme Harrison, about the company’s bid to take on the AV market (p46), while Waves exec Mick Olesh discusses the firm’s strategy for the installation and AV markets with its new range of Commercial Audio products (p34). Plus, we have the latest updates on who has moved where over the past month, along with all the latest news, views and market analysis. Enjoy.

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In this issue... People P9 Jobs Find out who’s moved where over the past month in the pro AV and installation market

P6 RENKUS-HEINZ

P11

Brad Price The Audinate exec takes us inside the comprehensive AV overhaul of the University of Southern California

A LOOK AT THE BENEFITS OF BEAM STEERING TECHNOLOGY

Report P16

Education In an extensive special report, we hear from some of the most influential figures from the world of education about the far-reaching impacts of AV tech on the future of learning

P27 Immersive AV David Davies delves into the ever-more sophisticated world of immersive AV technology

P12 THE WORK PLACE OF THE FUTURE

CLEVERTOUCH’S JAMES TEMISHE TALKS THE TECH OF TOMORROW

P31 Green days Phil Ward assesses the progress of carbon-neutral AV presentation

Interviews P34

Mick Olesh The Waves exec gives us the inside track on the company’s newly launch Commercial Audio product range and its ambitions for the installation market

P34 Sean Wargo AVIXA’s senior director of market intelligence discusses the state of the retail sector and AV’s advancing role within it

P24 SHARP FOCUS

BRIGIT JACKSON EXPLORES THE WORLD OF DIGITAL SIGNAGE

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The value of beam steering technology Michał Popławski, technical sales manager at Renkus-Heinz, discusses the value of digitally steerable audio solutions and why the market may be underestimating their benefits...

elf-powered, beam steerable speakers are a proven solution for delivering significant improvements to communication in the most challenging acoustical spaces. These loudspeakers are regarded as the cutting-edge solution for clarity and intelligibility. When it comes to placing sound, digitally steerable solutions may be the only answer. However, we may still underestimate the value of digitally steerable solutions. Intelligible messages are critical; it is important that the message is clearly understood the first time, for instructional and emergency scenarios in public buildings and transportation hubs. If the cost associated with missed messages due to intelligibility issues was a line item, it would be considerable. Why digital beam steering? The biggest challenge is designing a system that will have a high direct to reverberant sound ratio. Practically it can be difficult to achieve this with conventional loudspeakers. With beam steering technology it’s possible to aim sound precisely where it’s needed, while avoiding unwanted reflections from ceilings or walls. Every listener within a defined space receives direct sound without the detrimental effects of reflection on intelligibility. Beam steerable loudspeakers can reduce the overall costs of a system, and offer a number of advantages over conventional Constant Voltage distributed systems with fewer speakers covering larger areas with improved intelligibility. Fewer, easier to install loudspeakers substantially reduce installation and maintenance costs. The challenge in PA/VA The requirement for speech intelligibility is becoming law and being written into legislation. We must provide the features required to meet worldwide standards. Examples of these standards and codes of practice: EN54, NFPA, BS5839 and EN50849. Sound reinforcement systems in public spaces must meet a minimum Speech Transmission Index (STI) score for public safety reasons. While the EN54

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standard excludes self-powered units, for now, there are special cases allowing these unique loudspeakers to be a part of the evacuation system. In fact, there are a number of features that selfpowered, beam steerable loudspeakers can offer to help to make an exception and allow these loudspeakers to be used as the main PA in voice alarm system. Learning from many successful projects – it has been possible to define and develop features, which provide strong benefits and, actually, are core to the solution. As part of a PA/VA system in critical applications the beam steerable loudspeaker also needs to guarantee complete system integrity. Consider the following benefits of such a setup: Digital audio and network – digital audio has been

a standard for many years, but networkable loudspeakers that can be easily integrated with IT infrastructure are still considered to be a novel solution. If the distance to the loudspeaker is long, it is much simpler to supply mains voltage locally and run a network cable directly to the loudspeaker. Networkable loudspeakers can be a simple additional network device that can be accessed remotely using conventional network equipment. With propriety software, or a custom-tailored API, many different parameters can be remotely controlled, like power on or standby, volume, presets, equalisation. They can also be remotely monitored, gaining insight into power supply voltages, temperature, faults, signal presence, network status, etc. Fiber optic is an option – some applications of networked audio require cable runs in excess of the 100-meter limitation of copper Ethernet. To meet the needs of these installations, it is possible to offer a fiber optic connection directly to the self-powered loudspeaker. Networkable loudspeakers, especially audio over a network require attention to security as well. This is where an application such as Dante Domain Manager comes into play – its built-in security layer helps to protect the system from unwanted changes. Redundant input – if the main digital audio signal fails, the amplifier can instantly switch to the backup input, which can be an independent analogue feed. The fail-over is immediate and inaudible, adding an extra layer of redundancy.

Michał Popławski (top) and Croke Park (above)

API / Fault Relay – the API gives the ability to write and/or read specific parameters of the self-powered loudspeaker. The end-user/maintenance engineer can be informed about the status of the network, amplifier, signal, and the transducers themselves, all in real-time. There can be an extra layer of remote monitoring outside the network as loudspeakers feature a Fault Relay. A Normally Closed (NC) or Normally Open (NO) relay reports if the mains voltage drops below the operational level, if the amplifier temperature is too high, or if there is DSP failure. Once an issue occurs, and it is reported to the central unit, it’s easy to troubleshoot the system from there. By running software that keeps the log file writing on the hard drive it is easy to understand the origin of the problem in the system and solve it. DC power option – beam steerable speakers with this option have a DC power connector. The DC power can either be a secondary, backup power source or, if mains power is unavailable, the DC can

be the primary power for the loudspeaker. When used as a backup power source, the loudspeaker will run on mains voltage until it drops below the normal AC voltage range, down to 90-95 volts. At that time, the amplifiers will instantly switch to the DC power. If the mains voltage is restored, they will switch back to the mains power as soon as it exceeds 95 volts. Pilot Tone/Open Coil Test – Monitoring signal presence and transducer health is key in Voice Alarm applications. The impedance of the transducers can be measured by triggering an open-coil test. The amplifier will send a sine wave tone to each of the transducers and measure the impedance. The result of the test is a status flag for each component tested. These open-coil tests can be scheduled before or after any event in the venue. At the same time, the pilot tone can be sent to the input of the loudspeakers and then a flag can be raised over a network (API) if the signal is there or not. This is extremely useful to monitor entire signal flow, from a microphone up to the loudspeaker’s amplifier and transducers themselves, as it is required by BS5839-8 norm. Redundant loudspeaker array – larger loudspeaker arrays can be constructed using two or more master modules. Each of the master modules receives power, network, digital audio, analogue audio and fault relay connection. When a column within the array is down or in a fault state, the remaining columns remain functional and still deliver audio. The API could automatically recall preset on the working columns to adjust the needed coverage. Weatherised enclosures – the exact nature of the treatment varies with cabinet types and construction. Enclosures constructed from multiply hardwood are finished with a shell of durable, gelcoated fiberglass that is virtually impervious to harsh environments. The multiply hardwood is chosen for its durability and low moisture absorption characteristics. Other extruded aluminum enclosures are finished in durable paint. Other considerations, such as unique three-layer protective grilles and corrosion resistant hardware can also be applied to loudspeakers. Each of these ideas improve the outcomes one would hope to gain from a Voice Alarm system and, in the end, make a location safer for those in attendance. Further, they should be applied to an increasing number of applications in the audio world. With digitally steerable solutions bringing many benefits to the table, one simply can’t leave out the consideration of how they fit in any integration.

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Stay in the loop with the latest appointments, hires and promotions from across the installation industry…

MAVERICK AV SOLUTIONS EXECS JOIN COLLABTECH FORMER Maverick AV Solutions execs Jon Sidiwck and Jane Hammersley have joined collaboration and AV solutions specialist Collabtech as president and SVP global alliances, respectively. Collabtech provides physical and virtual enablement services in over 110 countries. In his new role, Sidwick will spearhead the innovation and growth strategy for the business, which includes establishing a European headquarters in the UK. Maverick Collaboration exec Hammersley will also join the business as SVP global alliances, with the mission to work with the business’s

clients to develop solutions to suit the rapidly evolving world of collaboration. Sidwick said: “Over the past few years, we have watched Collabtech evolve into one of the exciting and agile businesses in the market right now. They have a unique set of skills deployed with care and the highest quality for the channel. “I am so pleased to be able to work with Shawn and the team to take the business to the next stage. This moment is pivotal for the market as companies adjust to a new normal and Collabtech can help scale enablement like no-one else.”

HOCK THANG JOINS

BILL HENSLEY

TIG HIRES

VISIONARY SOLUTIONS

JOINS RTI

MATTHEW BAILEY

VISIONARY Solutions has appointed Hock Thang to the newly created position of APAC regional sales manager. He joins after over 14 years with Symetrix, where he oversaw sales and marketing for the firm’s Asia Pacific operations. His expertise contributed to the company’s dramatic growth in the region. “We are proud to have Hock representing Visionary Solutions in the APAC region,” commented Scott Freshman, chief operating officer. “He brings with him many years of experience in AV from the sales and technical side, as well as a deep understanding of our technology.”

RTI has appointed Bill Hensley as head of global marketing. “As RTI expands our solutions in residential and commercial applications, we do so with a customer focus and a service orientation that helps our dealers drive more business,” said RTI CEO Joe Roberts. “Bill shares this focus and is a storyteller and strategist with a deep understanding of the control and automation market.” “RTI has a rich history in control and automation, and the product line offers real advantages in residential and commercial projects,” said Hensley. “I look forward to working with the RTI team.”

TECHNOLOGICAL Innovations Group (TIG) has appointed Matthew Bailey as its UK regional sales manager for unified communications (UC). In his new role, Bailey will work with the TIG sales division to bring his experience of the unified communications market to the team and will be responsible for driving the development of new business for TIG’s ecosystem of brands that integrate with Crestron’s UC portfolio. Bailey said: “With my experience, drive and passion for UC technologies, both company and ultimately Client success are on the horizon – I simply cannot wait to start, meet everyone and get going at TIG.” www.Installation-International.com

Ahead of the curve: USC We take a look inside the major audio overhaul of the University of Southern California with Brad Price, senior product marketing manager at Audinate...

IN 2019, the prestigious University of Southern California (USC) embarked upon a thorough upgrade of its AV systems. AV expert Dr. Joe Way was brought on board as director of learning environments to spearhead the project, and construction was started. This was to be a top-to-bottom project that moved the campus to AV-over-IP solutions. A cleverly designed AV-over-IP workflow is used to provide local audio and video in each lecture hall and classroom, while simultaneously sending video and audio feeds to the lecture capture system, other spaces and rooms on campus, and to streaming services. The system captures everything needed for the production of high quality material: cameras for instructors, external cameras for documents and objects, presentations, and multichannel uncompressed audio from software, as well as personal and room microphones. Because everything runs over a network, distances on campus are not an issue and connections of feeds to production studios and streaming services can be made directly. Dr. Way and USC thought such a system would greatly benefit the school, but they had no idea what was coming around the bend - and how fortunate they were to have made the commitment to AV-over-IP before the world heard about COVID-19. Adapting approaches during COVID It is no secret that educators are scrambling to devise workable, safe solutions for the upcoming 2020-21

school year. The rapidly evolving response to the pandemic means institutions must be ready to change course quickly while still delivering educational value. At USC, the decision to migrate to AV-over-IP went from a great idea to a brilliant solution overnight. As it looked at all the potential requirements for different types of distanced or remote learning, it found that the network approach worked for everything, and in ways that no analogue or point-to-point system ever could. If it needed to spread lectures among multiple rooms, it didn’t need to run special cables - it simply added network routes. If they needed to distribute real-time classes into student living quarters, they didn’t need to run a special conduit - they simply used the existing network. “The system needs to be flexible to change at any time,” Way said. “We are moving to all-network-based AV that will allow us to transmit any signal to any location. Dante is critical in our ability to lecture-capture and microphone-share.” AV-over-IP flexibility Fortunately, schools in similar dilemmas can benefit from the USC workflow. AV-over-IP can be rolled out in segments, replacing the most critical signal paths while retaining older, functional gear through the use of cost-effective network adapters. As pieces age out, they are replaced with fully networked equivalents. The key is to ensure that all critical media is on the network, and not locked in a point-to-point transport

system such as analogue or AES3. Fundamentally, using networks allows signals to be freely distributed where they are desired without the labour and materials cost of laying down expensive, single-use type cables and connectors. Networked media can be used to drive loudspeakers and monitors in the classroom, while simultaneously delivering the same signals to recorders, production editors, remote rooms, streaming services and more. This can be very simple in practice. Using a small number of devices and only network connectivity, a classroom can be fully prepared for traditional in-room instruction, extension into remote rooms, and lecture capture. The ability to change and add routes using only software is a huge strength, enabling systems to adapt with endless variations without moving a single wire. Need to add more microphones? Just plug them into any network port on the system. Getting started In a time of uncertainty, AV-over-IP is the most flexible, cost-effective choice schools can make to help instructors and students achieve their educational goals. And, while USC built its system out in-house, now is the time for integrators, installers, consultants and others channel partners to offer up similar solutions and workflows for schools in their area. Again, AV-over-IP can be rolled out incrementally - but they must, ultimately, be rolled out correctly to ensure education continues regardless of what may come ahead.

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‘A complete refocus’ James Temishe, enterprise product specialist at Clevertouch, speaks to Installation about the AV workplace of the future…

Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am enterprise product specialist at Clevertouch. My role involves understanding the AV world, how different sectors use AV and what they’d integrate with in their day-to-day use. We then work together to tailor our solution and deliver the desired experience across multiple sectors. I am also available to support businesses as needed with hardware advice, helping with easy adoption of the Clevertouch brand. What has been your view on how the AV industry has responded to the pandemic, with regard to collaboration at home and in the

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workplace? The pandemic has caused a complete refocus for some. All in all, I think the industry has handled it well. Seeing how UC has bridged nicely with AV has been phenomenal. Easy access has been a key word. With many AV solutions accommodating cloud drive access, this has proved a saver for employees and workers. What can people expect their new workplaces to look like as they start going back to the office? Though many are keen to go back to their offices, I feel working from ‘the office’ will be different in the new workplace. Open space meeting

environments will be used more as staff will have more room to social distance and Huddle spaces will be used a little less. I also think that those who have been ‘afraid’ of technology will be more open to adopt. Workers will also be looking for the flexibility to be able to work remotely as and when needed, meaning we expect to see an increase in technology refresh as many will reconsider their technology and set ups, asking questions around its ability to adapt to different ways of working as and when needed. What do you expect workplaces to look like in the short term? As businesses slowly begin to go back to

September will be times when businesses are working hard at getting the right technology that is safe and future proofed. From October and November onwards we hope to begin to see things looking a bit more ‘normal’. Of course, we expect that safety and flexibility will always be at the forefront. Do you expect concepts like virtual hybrid classrooms to become more commonplace? Virtual hybrid classrooms have proved effective in the last few months students would have received no education without them. I’d like to think that schools will leave this option open in spite of what progress is made so we expect that it will become more commonplace. What are the biggest challenges in setting up a workplace/school for effective workplace collaboration? The biggest challenges in setting up an effective collaborative workplace have always been: A: A rigid business model: “If it isn’t broke don’t fix it” mentality B: No time for adoption: Businesses find themselves too busy to train users on new technology so have been reluctant to adopt

their offices, caution and safety will be at the forefront of their thinking. We are seeing a small percentage of teams within businesses go into their office at any given time - a handful of people having meetings in the same room etc. That said, it is in times like this that decisions are made for the long term. Do you imagine this is also how things will look for the long term? Or is the ‘new normal’ something that will continue to develop? It is likely that things will develop cautiously. We have just been through something profound so we don’t expect a rush back to where things were. I’d like to think that the months of August and

What kind of long-term impact will the remote working we’ve seen over the past few months have on large professional gatherings like trade

shows? Do you think that mass trade show gathering as we have known them will become a thing of the past? Trade shows have been a great way not just to showcase technology but meet other professionals. I’m sure that, just as consumers are able to visit supermarkets in large numbers while keeping safe, trade shows will be begin again in the future. The AV industry thrives from trade shows. How has your job been affected by the pandemic? And What are some of the key things you have learned or discovered about the market’s ability to adapt? We were very quick to move things remotely at Clevertouch. I have worked from home, showing our solutions and how they integrate with various UC applications. Nothing beats physical contact but it was nice to have an alternative way to work whilst restricted by the pandemic. Businesses have adapted differently, some forcefully, others thoughtfully. Forcefully when having no other choice but to work remotely; thoughtfully, considering different avenues or partnerships that could compliment, also focusing on trying to future proof technology. Whether the former or latter, there has undoubtedly been adoption and I look forward to seeing more business thrive in the current climate.

"Things will develop cautiously. We've been through something so profound, we don't expect a rush back to where things were"

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COMPANY PROFILE

We take an in-depth look at how pro AV specialist Audiologic has become one of the fastest growing companies in the business... Audiologic - The Logical Choice for Audio Solutions Founded in 2004, the Audiologic story began when Simon Stoll and Matt Boland spotted a great gap in the market. No one else was offering a specialist service for pro AV and installation contractors. Audiologic has since become one of the UK’s leading AV distributors. Headed up by managing director Andy Lewis, the company’s mission is simple - to provide empowering, unifying, and inspiring AV solutions via integrators for all types of customer - ranging from corporate spaces to universities, theatres and bars to schools, government buildings and retail spaces. Central to this is a dedicated team, united by a passion to provide the best customer service and experience in the industry. More than 15 years on, Audiologic has achieved widespread recognition as an award-winning provider of high-quality AV solutions across the UK, delivering a raft of unrivalled product support services to installers and integrators. Strategy The company-wide focus is on tailoring the best possible solution that will always exceed expectations, something Audiologic is well positioned to achieve

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with its commitment to innovation, operational excellence and in-depth product and market knowledge. With proven results and full access to a wide and growing portfolio of more than 40 highly respected international brands, the company is able to make a meaningful difference and drive innovation on every level; enhancing the customer experience, ensuring the future needs of the business are taken care of, driving the outcome beyond initial expectation, and ensuring ongoing operation and maintenance is easy and straightforward. Growing the portfolio and reaching new markets Evidence of Audiologic’s motivation to offer the best customer service can be seen with the continued expansion of its product and service portfolio. Andy Lewis tells us more: “For Audiologic, it is about finding the right product and brand to do the right job in the right place, exploring how the team can tailor those products together to provide the best fit. We then simply wrap the right service around it to deliver a superb experience to our customer.” A recent example of this comes with a new distribution agreement with DiGiCo. DiGiCo is a UK-based manufacturer of some of the world’s most successful and ground-breaking digital mixing consoles The company hand-picked Audiologic for its wealth of first-hand experience and expertise in the installed sound market, where a fully integrated solution is often both critical and complex in equal

measure. For Audiologic, DiGiCo’s 4REA4 digital processing engine puts high quality audio at the heart of a permanent sound solution, with a vast processing resource and redundancy support not normally found in this price category. The ability to integrate with top tier, permanently installed products natively, without complex programming, enhances the flexibility of this solution making it suitable in the wider AV market. There are four built-in DiGiCo Multimedia Interface (DMI) slots and a current range of 11 compatible card types/protocols to choose from. These four DMI cards slots, paired with the 4REA4’s additional ‘tie lines’ routing system, allow for the easy format conversion between any of the four DMI card protocols without using up any onboard processing resources. Dante IP connectivity adds flexibility and familiarity. This means that facilities with an existing network infrastructure can place I/O for their 4REA4 anywhere on their network. The new DMI Dante 64@96 card with Sample Rate Conversion allows 4REA4 to take advantage of existing legacy 48K Dante networks and I/O devices, allowing the addition of DiGiCo’s renowned audio quality to bring new life to an existing installation. Ben Spurgeon, Senior Applications Manager at Audiologic is hugely enthusiastic: “The DiGiCo 4REA4 is a truly unique product offering for the world of installed AV. A brainchild from the live sector, the processor perfectly caters for multi-use spaces in a way that no other product can. With a 96kHz sample rate and an incredibly intuitive GUI, quality is at the heart of the processor.” We go on to ask Ben some further questions…

SPONSORED How does the addition of 4REA4 complement your existing brands? The 4REA4 is the perfect joint venture for both the live and installation worlds. A lot of existing processors offer mixer integration via either analogue or networked inputs, whereas the 4REA4 is designed for fully combining live and install spaces with mixing console integration. There is not another product out there that offers the same feature set of this product, it really does sit in a world of its own. What are the specific benefits for your house of worship customers? The uptake of live music within houses of worship has been incredible and it is now a baseline requirement for most venues. For the AV (or PA) system, this requires huge amounts of flexibility to be able to cover both services and live music. Often, we see that the in-house system will also be supplemented by a live system and the two used independently. Not only can this cost more, but it also means the users have to learn to operate two separate systems. Implementing a sound system and back-end processing that can look after both scenarios simplifies everything. Services can be near fully automated with very little user input and yet when live music is required, a simple pre-set can be recalled providing full control via a DiGiCo mixing console, still utilising the same system. What are the specific benefits for your customers in the Education sector? A similar scenario rings true for the education sector, specifically lecture theatres and multiuse spaces. The flexibility requirement for lecture theatres these days can be expansive and the 4REA4 can easily adapt to allow for this. Built for up to four areas, the product also is not just for a single space. Having up to four assignable areas allows for multiple multipurpose management, all from a single processor. What are the specific benefits for your customers in the Corporate sector?

Multi-purpose auditoriums are now used for a multitude of events within the corporate world, hosting launch events, company meetings and all sorts of company-wide entertainment. On a dayto-day basis, these spaces may just need background music, if they are operating as a canteen or social space for example. Should a need arise for an event, a mixing console can simply be deployed to allow for anything up to a large-scale production. How will you demonstrate its capabilities in practice? With a sample rate of 96kHz, the processor also has superior audio quality to other available DSPs. Coming from the live market, this increased sample rate was key to keeping the high quality of live performance. The 96kHz also still allows for masses of networked audio channels, reaching an impressive 512 I/O count. Due to its semi-fixed architecture design, the programming and commissioning time is also greatly reduced and very easy to learn. The simple to use GUI will be familiar feeling to any programmer/engineer to allow for rapid deployments of even the larger sized systems. Priorities In a world that is changing rapidly, the Audiologic team and its culture is what makes the company special. They are growing their talent at all levels, building critical capabilities, and strengthening

functional excellence. An experienced team of application engineers design and build comprehensive solutions starting from the initial project plan and ending with the always-there, alwaysready support.Â Learnings are enthusiastically shared with an education and training facility at the Harlow headquarters which allows customers to visit and witness product demonstrations, receive hands on training and the opportunity to work closely with the Audiologic team on project planning and product selection. This process is a key priority as part of their continuing desire to become a central knowledge hub for the industry. As an example, Audiologic has been active during lockdown in providing a series of free webinars on â€˜Audio Fundamentalsâ€™ (in partnership with QSC) for those keen to brush up on their understanding of the basics of audio. Future Audiologic remains agile and adaptive to the needs of the market in these uncertain times. Developments in AV will continue to change the foundational elements in the wider environment in new and unforeseen ways. It will continue to listen closely to its customers, invest in the team, expand the product offering and service delivery, whilst working closely in partnership with key manufacturers to continue to deliver the very best customer experience available.

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AV’s role in the future of ed-tech It’s probably safe to say that the pandemic has forced the accelerated adoption of remote solutions for businesses in most sectors, and for many the changes made to their day-to-day operations will become permanent with ‘hybrid’ in-person/remote environments set to become part of a ‘new normal’. But what does this new reality look like for education facilities, and how important a role will AV solutions play in enabling flexible learning into the future? To find out, we assembled a cast of experts from the supply chain to offer their perspectives. Joining the debate are Adam Harvey CTS, solution architect, AV and digital media, University of Hertfordshire; Alistair Meachin and Ross McLee, Harmonia Consulting; John Hulen, national education director at Crestron; and Colin Etchells, group technical director, Saville Group...

What would you say is the biggest effect of the pandemic on the ed-tech sector? It has obviously accelerated the adoption of distance learning solutions in the short term, but will it trigger longer term effects, such as a more deliberate shift to hybrid physical/remote learning environments?

Adam Harvey (AH): In my opinion, what this has given us going forward is the ability to deliver a blend of teaching. Our teaching had to rapidly move online due to necessity; some of it works well and will no doubt continue, but some disciplines need to use campus-based facilities to enable the teaching to be the best it can be. The forced online adoption has given academic staff the ability to try new things, but balanced against the fact that it was a hard and fast learning curve. We do seem to be getting more ‘Why can’t I do this with product x?’ over the ‘How do I use product x?’. Support staff have been busy helping staff adapt content for online and we can now look at the technology we have and whether it is fit for

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purpose for all. What you do lose by teachers not attending on campus is the ‘University life’ which is a very important part of the journey.

Alistair Meachin/Ross McLee (AM/RM): Teaching institutions have been forced to acknowledge that they are not always in a position to deliver high quality teaching to remote audiences, especially at short notice. Those most affected were the primary and secondary schools who provide face-to-face teaching for the majority of their lessons. As the pandemic forced us into a lockdown state, the likes of the universities who already have invested heavily in virtual learning environments were able to pick up the reins and fill the gaps relatively easily. Whereas younger students were only able to download worksheets and watch YouTube videos with sporadic interaction with their class teachers. The lockdown has meant most educators have stayed at home, and there was little need for them to go back to the classroom and deliver their lessons from there. It is likely we will continue to see a greater

demand for IT-based solutions for virtual classrooms at home, with the AV elements provided through consumer products that your average YouTuber might use. Improved audio (be it a headset or studio microphone) along with improved lighting and acoustics will possibly become the norm. Educators may set up a space in their homes as a dedicated studio space. With the advent of virtual backgrounds, with or without a green screen, teachers may even take a photo of their classroom and set it as their background. Virtual classrooms are all very well, but does it lead to the best teaching experience, where students learn effectively? Probably not. The social interaction and visual cues students and educators get from being in the same room together is a far cry from clicking a mouse on a button to raise your hand and ask a question. Certainly for younger students the whole online meeting experience with the likes of Zoom or Microsoft Teams has been overwhelming, to the point where many are either disengaged or no longer attend. They are unnatural and create a distraction from what you are trying to achieve, and that is teach. Practical activities: PE, art, lab experiments and technical skills cannot be solely taught online. So a balance has to be struck between virtual and reality. These activities may very well be recorded and distributed to learn how to do them, but you still need students to practice them so hybrid environments do lend themselves well in this respect. We may see a more obvious division between subjects that can be taught well remotely, and those that need real interaction. If school attendance is limited, this time may be focussed on the latter. ‘Hybridised’ classrooms will continue to be developed and deployed both to aid current distancing requirements and provide future resilience.

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John Hulen (JH): The pandemic has exposed how institutions which rely solely on in-person learning and their brick and mortar campuses will struggle in the new era of online education and remote learning. Today’s students value the virtual experience. They move easily between interacting physically and virtually. Student engagement and teaching material should be viewed in the context of being equitable, whether students are physically in the room or joining remotely. Crestron is offering mobile UC cart solutions and installed UC systems to accommodate groups meeting regardless if some members are in-person and others are located elsewhere.

Above: Alistair Meachin Top: Adam Harvey

Colin Etchells (CE): Many higher education (HE) establishments already had distance learning solutions in place, with managed and virtual learning environments (MLEs and VLEs) in common use for delivering content perhaps to a smaller population of a university’s students. Suddenly and with limited notice, lecture and lessons plans needed to be rethought, rewritten and delivered in a completely different way. Distance learning, just as video calling from home, suddenly became mainstream. Videoconferencing, video streaming and content management platforms, such as Blackboard, Moodle, etc became business critical like never before. The ability for many HE institutions to cope at short notice has without doubt shown that a hybrid learning model is here to stay. The benefits have already been demonstrated and as we enter a postlockdown era, many educational facilities are starting to roll out their ‘new normal’ learning experiences that combine the best of online and in-person study. From your perspective, do you think that the full value of AV solutions is becoming better understood by the education community, or is there an ongoing education process (no pun intended) that needs to take place?

AM/RM: There has been a significant acceptance of remote working and now remote learning across all areas in the education sector. Students are ever more capable of accessing content online, live and recorded. The expectation is that content (educational or otherwise) should be accessible online 24/7. Expectations are raised even further when the quality of material is of a high standard. YouTubers who have poor quality videos are often ignored and channels with the better production standards are followed in their millions. To keep students engaged remotely requires the content to be engaging and interactive. A deck of PowerPoint slides, a voice over

and a worksheet just won't cut it. Educators are realising this and their ability to produce high quality and engaging material is now under scrutiny. The quality of the AV systems needs to support this. Rapid deployment of simple solutions has filled a gap, but may not be strategically aligned to long term plans. The ‘just get it done’ approach we have seen to accommodate the pandemic conditions needs to be readdressed and a strategy needs to be developed on how to produce such content. While students and parents are very much appreciative of the efforts our teachers have gone to to continue to deliver 'something' during lockdown, there are educators out there who are reluctant to record their teaching material in fear that it will simply be copied and distributed, devaluing them as mere talking heads on-screen. Indeed, there are instances where microphones have been deliberately removed from classrooms to ensure a recording cannot take place. This is a mindset that is not without justification; institutions need to reassure their teaching staff that their intellectual input and their ability to engage with students is still highly valued.

CE: Having worked in the HE sector in a number of roles, I can in all honesty say that the value of AV within the education sector has always been well understood and over recent years the innovation and adoption of state-of-the-art technologies has become more prevalent. There are huge benefits to be gained by both lecturers and students when technology is embraced correctly so that it empowers both. As the sector has become more competitive and commercialised, the focus on leading by technology has become more intense. Many institutions have AV systems that align with many high-end corporates. This in itself is a positive

AV is the king, enabling technology for one-to-one or one-to-many information transfer and the pandemic has aided its rapid adoption by everybody Colin Etchells www.Installation-International.com

as businesses look to enhance and improve their AV systems so that the full potential of postgraduate students can be realised in the working world.

JH: The education community is beginning to understand how impactful AV technology groups are, and do collaborate with them to some extent. However, we envision a time when the faculty and administrators aren’t just asking for input, but instead depend on the AV groups to help them deliver the necessary learning objectives. Schools which have prioritised the use of technology are requiring faculty members to learn how to use the tools and are investing in the training/support, which will help those instructors be successful. And as they are learning about how technology can help them, teachers will be able to improve and adjust course material for more effective results. AH: Luckily my institution has long appreciated the role AV plays in delivering gold standard teaching and we have had great investment over the years. A lot of the conversations I have now are about how we deliver a range of products and services via the AV to support a diverse teaching programme that is simple to use. Using technology to collaborate in-room and remotely and helping everyone engage is a key part of the standard design now. We have a good real estate of great quality AV solutions so that does help teachers think about how they use it to support their teaching and we have a team of people to assist with that. How important a role does AV play in the future of education, both on and off-campus? How much of an enabler can/should/will it be?

CE: AV will always play a pivotal role in the transfer of information/knowledge from one person to another. Whether that’s a lecturer presenting in front of a lecture theatre full of students using extensive AV facilities or using VC and associated peripherals to deliver a remote tutorial to a student sat at home. AV is the king, enabling technology for one-to-one or one-to-many information transfer and the pandemic has aided its rapid adoption by everybody. That said, there is typically no single one-size-fits-all solution and different facilities will need to discover what works for them and their particular circumstances. Students still need to access and learn from a collaborative, group focussed style. The change is that for many, that has now moved from the lecture theatre to a multi-party online experience. Without streaming AV solutions and the traditional, premisebased infrastructure that supports them, the modern learning experience cannot function. AV is pivotal to the success of HE into the future.

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JH: Our vision is that AV technology plays a vital role in enabling learning, increasing student engagement, and empowering instructors to use every effective method. Automated systems can work with scheduling software to start/end classes, get voice commands to change volume levels or video sources, provide remote access for support teams, as well as allow for analytics and metrics to better manage and monitor systems all around campuses. In addition, as augmented/virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and other smart sensors or devices are integrated into teaching spaces, Crestron will continue to provide AV groups with the resources to enable any type of learning experience desired. AH: It’s extremely important as a tool to deliver. Using the right tool for the job is always key. Also important is not to make complex systems complicated to use. The user experience is the major factor in design right now. We have a role to ensure that all academic staff, and professional staff for that matter, have what they need to do their job and there is no massive ‘joining tax’ to using it. The pandemic and switch to working from home has pushed a lot of people onto the likes of [Microsoft] Teams very quickly so we need to make sure everyone knows how to use the technology to the best advantage. AM/RM: AV will continue to play an important part of teaching. Students are able to absorb more information through watching multimedia content. Anyone with children who watch the likes of Horrible Histories will know their kids love the gory details of the past and are able to retain far more information than if they had read it from a book or worksheet. Being able to show this sort of content in-lesson and have access to it at home is ideal. But is that what AV in a classroom means? ‘A screen on a wall’ does not replace the teacher. Their skill-set goes far beyond a few clicks on a computer and getting the kids to watch TV all day. Sometimes the technology is a distraction from the other skills children need to develop. That is where a real teacher is able to develop our children's knowledge and skills. I think it is likely that online learning content (like BBC Bitesize or Open University) will become more prevalent in the classroom. With other online content creators producing more material to be played out, good quality AV systems will continue to be needed in every classroom. The bottom line is that forced rapid technology adoption has driven a leap in acceptance that will push up production standards and expectations, but has also made very clear where AV is no substitute for real life interaction.

Top: Colin Etchells Middle: John Hulen Bottom: Ross McLee

Case study Award-winning AV installation As part of our education feature, we showcase Visavvi’s work on the Lower Mountjoy Teaching and Learning Centre at the University of Durham which won Education Project of the Year at June’s 2020 AV Technology Awards THE brief was to create a highly flexible network of AV technology suitable for 21st Century education, agile and adaptable enough to be future proof, making the new £40m Lower Mountjoy Teaching and Learning Centre at the University of Durham one of the best facilities in Europe. The centre is not only a cornerstone of Durham’s teaching and learning but is also a conference venue which will support the wider economic impact of the University. It’s also a place of research – the AV solution had to enable new teaching and training methods to be developed as well as supporting existing techniques. Timeframe from concept to completion Initial engagement with the university started in Easter 2017. Throughout the evaluation, design and installation phase lasting 30 months, Visavvi worked with the University, third-party building, IT and service contractors plus technology manufacturers to ensure all were working in unison to achieve the deadline for the University to open its doors to students at the beginning of a new academic term in September 2019. Achieving the budget According to Visavvi, the project required the creation of the largest SVSi deployment and the largest AV over IP network in UK higher education.

Following a comprehensive consultation process, Visavvi showcased the benefit of adopting a core AV over IP solution. Distributing AV content over the IT network removed the need for additional cable and containment presenting a significant installation saving. Traditional AV methodologies would not have provided the scale and flexibility required, and would have challenged the available budget, extending the engineering requirements to complete the project. Additional savings were accomplished when programming the SVSi devices. Programming individually would have incurred substantial engineering costs, therefore Visavvi engineers created a bespoke software script that allowed all of the SVSi units to be programmed at the same time. The benefits Infinite flexibility and ease of use are the hallmarks of the system, which handles more than 19,500 possible input and output configuration combinations and provides the platform for modern teaching the university needs. The system enhances

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A student learning zone with 100 networked PCs for personal study Central booking of meeting rooms with Onelan touch screens displaying booking information

the students’ learning experience and integrates with existing technology throughout the rest of the university. Visavvi set out to create a flexible, agile system featuring a custom user interface which is common throughout the wider campus. This ensured rapid adoption for users who were already familiar with the technology interface, enabling sessions to run to schedule and minimising the support time the in-house team needed to dedicate.

The benefits provided include “ease of use for academic staff ensuring rapid adoption, delivering more teaching time increasing the student experience”. In addition, the environment can be used as a conference centre, generating income both for the university and the local economy. The impact is estimated to be worth up to £2 million, with 4,500 delegates able to use the facility and local amenities and accommodation.

Site overview Two lecture theatres, seating 500 and 250 people can be used as one teaching space with audio and video streamed into both simultaneously. The 500-seat auditorium features a single surface 11.4metre wide projection screen – the largest ever installed by Visavvi.

The client’s view Dr Crispin Bloomfield, the university’s director of IT operations, said: “It’s been arguably the most ambitious IT development project the University has undertaken… and it’s left us in the position that we have a real flagship development, not just for Durham, not just for the UK higher education market, but something that has a global presence and importance. "It’s symptomatic of the way we want to develop space in the future and create a really agile teaching environment. We couldn’t have done that without the expertise and professionalism of the Visavvi team.”

In addition, the project covered: - Three learning labs: flexible learning spaces of 100, 80 and 30 seat capacities with pods of desks, desktop PCs and a large screen mounted on the wall by each pod. This allows small group working, with students collaborating on projects Nine experimental learning suites for academic development. Facilities include a recording room for selfassessment training well as 3D projection and VR labs - Nine seminar rooms ranging from 100 to 200 seats including video conferencing capabilities

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Thinking. Inside the box. www.Installation-International.com 23 14/08/2020 14:09

'Dynamic content will drive digital signage after COVID' 12

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Digital Signage has become an integral part of the modern urban landscape, both indoors and out, but the days of passive content are over. In 2020, the experts believe dynamic content will come to the fore. Here, Brigit Jackson, commercial director of visual solutions at Sharp, looks at the emerging trend for dynamic content on digital signage and its role in the post-COVID world...

he digital signage market is at an exciting point in its evolution – it has grown rapidly in the last few years as solutions have become more affordable and businesses embark on digital transformation strategies to combine offline and online experiences. In terms of hardware, the large format market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of eight per cent by the end of 2023 and we have seen technological leaps in resolution with 4K and even 8K screens available able to produce images at a higher resolution than the human eye can capture. Over the course of August 2019, partners from Sharp’s Open Architecture Platform were surveyed online and via a series of phone interviews to combine their observations and predictions for the digital signage market and to identify the upcoming trends for the year ahead. Here, Birgit Jackson discusses these predictions and considers how they will intersect with the new normal after COVID-19... The rise of dynamic content Our partners expect dynamic content – localised, real-time content that changes based on the audience or location, like the weather or the news – to appear

most widely on digital signage screens in 2020. There are a number of key trends those surveyed believe will have an impact on the evolution of digital signage in the coming few years. 59 per cent of those surveyed believe that Audience Measurement will be a key driver for many businesses, followed by audience recognition (41 per cent) and even voicebased interaction (35 per cent). Followed closely by passive content, more traditional forms of images and video that fit the digital signage space and include promotions, inspirational messages and information. Our partners agree that timing will be key in understanding what messaging

development at Cenareo, a digital signage platform provider that develops solutions for managing digital signage in software-as-a-service (SaaS) mode, believes retailers in particular need to use digital signage more intuitively to offer the customer a unique experience and face down the challenge of e-commerce. “The high street has a problem. With e-commerce, the consumer has unlimited choice, availability, convenience and price, plus online retailers can identify consumers’ tastes and preferences, and target them more effectively with their advertising,” Bailly explains. “Meanwhile, the high street is a passive set-up, and to survive it must offer the

"Timing will be key in understanding what messaging works best and in which environment" works best and in which environment. For example, commuters stuck in traffic jams have more time to absorb digital signage messaging during rush hour than at other times of the day. Similarly, people arriving 10 minutes early for a meeting have more time in reception to absorb longer-form content on screens. Interactive content is likely to be less prevalent and we expect interactive technology to play a role in specialist signage applications. Interactive can work really well with applications where it can be used effectively such as wayfinding or catalogues. Digital signage and the post-COVID retailer Michael Bailly, head of global business

customer experience that e-commerce cannot – a physical experience – it cannot compete on the same grounds as e-commerce. It’s all about emotion, so the high street must move from ‘one-to-many’ signage to one-to-one, personalised signage, using whatever device is required to achieve that.” This dynamic content will be especially important as retail reacts to the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown measures. The need to appeal directly to individual shoppers is heightened in the context of greatly reduced footfall as the pubic continuous to observe social distancing and, in some cases, shielding. Retailers will need to rely on engaging, one-to-one personalised signage to increase sales.

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IMMERSIVE TECH: The key to the artsâ€™ resurgence? From reconfigured halls to drive-in venues, Covid19 has prompted some quick thinking to keep the arts in business. But could it be that immersive technologies will provide the key to a longer-term renaissance, asks David Davies...

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s spring has turned into spring, the headlines about the predicament of the arts have made for increasingly sober reading. From forecasts about the catastrophic impact on smaller music venues to dire projections bout job losses, the arts have faced their toughest year since the Second World War, with governments around the world responding at distinctly varying speeds to the obvious need for emergency funding. While it is increasingly likely that many of the artistic “crown jewels” (to use the somewhat reductive phrase of UK culture secretary Oliver Dowden) will be saved, the future is much less certain for small-to-medium sized venues and institutions. For instance, in the UK, not only will many smaller regional theatres not receive financial assistance, their older designs and infrastructures mean that they may have limited options in terms of support for the kind of recalibration that enables social distancing. Hence it can be argued that more modern ‘empty shell’-style venues are fundamentally at an advantage – not only because they can more easily adjust their configurations, but because they can also open up to new or different technologies that support alternative styles of events. Immersive technologies are a case in point, and these have become increasingly important to the multifunctionality sought by New York’s National Sawdust venue since it was established in 2015. ‘Sense of adventure’ Located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, National Sawdust’s primary remit to date has been the ‘development and discovery’ of classical and new music. An eclectic list of past performers includes Laurie Anderson, Terry Riley and Agnes Obel, while a desire to provide technologies that complement the innovative nature of the events led to the 2019 announcement of a partnership with Meyer Sound that sees National Sawdust serving as a ‘lab for learning, discovery and innovation in performance’.

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The most salient consequence of this relationship is that the venue has been fully equipped with immersive audio technologies from Meyer Sound. As well as an extensive complement of the new LINA line array speakers, a Constellation acoustic system allows the reverberation time, early reflections and other primary room characteristics to be controlled digitally. The D-Mitri DSP platform is also integral to the installation and is used in conjunction with the Spacemap audio mixing system, which enables a total of 102 speakers to be dynamically panned on the fly or via pre-programming. The upshot is that, as National

Sawdust production manager Garth MacAleavey comments, “every performance can have its own custom acoustic environment that is perfect for just that piece. With Spacemap not only can we place sounds anywhere in the room, but we can also move them spatially around the audience in realtime. We can fully envelop the listener to enhance an artist’s work, and in so doing introduce them to a new world of hearing perception.” Both artists and their technical teams have engaged enthusiastically with Spacemap, says Meyer Sound director, spatial sound Steve Ellison, who led the tuning of the National Sawdust

Photo credit: Jordan Rathkopf on earbuds and laptops, and so I think that there will be a lot of demand [for immersive concert experiences] when they are safe to take place,” says the venue’s technical director, digital, Charles Hagaman. In the meantime, National Sawdust has been looking at the possibility of alternative events – such as art installations attended by smaller, sparser groups – that could also utilise the capabilities of its immersive technologies.

installation. “The feedback has been very positive, including from performers and composers who want to utilise Spacemap and incorporate its capabilities into their works,” he says. The new Spacemap Go tool, which was previewed at ISE 2020 and leverages Meyer Sound’s GALAXY Network Platform, is expected to extend the reach of this spatial audio technology. More generally, there is a feeling that post-lockdown audiences will have increased expectations of their cultural event-going given their distinctly reduced options of late. “I know I am not alone in saying that I quickly became sick of listening to things

‘Differentiate their offerings’ Among the vendor community there is also an expectation that immersive technologies could be about to play an increased role in bringing audiences back to live performance. Mark Tuffy, director cinema business development at Dolby, remarks that “venues are where the emotional connection is made between the public and art, whether it be music, movies, plays or other entertainment experiences. Technologies like Dolby Atmos provide a new way of appreciating live content, allowing artists to present their work in ways audiences have never experienced before, reinvigorating that emotional connection. This will provide venues with the opportunity to differentiate their offerings as well as deliver an unparalleled experience unheard of in live entertainment.” Tuffy expects technologies like Dolby Atmos to be applied on both a permanent-install basis as well as to specific event series. The latter might be typified by a recent residency with Carlos Santana at the Las Vegas House of Blues: “This was innovative as it was the first time a full band (with no prerecorded content) was mixed live in Dolby Atmos. "Our team worked alongside the Santana creative team to provide a playback system and workflow that allowed the flexibility to craft the band’s performance in Dolby Atmos while ensuring we did not overburden the FOH team with new workflow elements.” The company has also recently partnered with Tate Liverpool and National Museums Liverpool on an

immersive experience celebrating The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Indicating the increasing reach of Next Generation Audio, Tuffy says that installations now span “a diverse range of venues such as universities, colleges, concert venues, planetariums and theatres.” Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT) also observes an increasingly broad appeal for its SpatialSound Wave technology. “The requirements for audio quality in the entertainment sector have increased significantly,” says business manager René Rodigast. As immersive audio becomes more ubiquitous in home and cinema systems, it is “expected to become standard in the theatre and installation sectors as well, and the creative opportunities offered by objectbased immersive content, in particular, will create new formats for theatre or concerts.” Rodigast believes that there are particular opportunities for technology to enable new arrangements for “effects or soloists in the room, which can lead to new forms of musical performance. For instance, the musical director might wish to place the sound as individually as possible regardless of the technical limitations of the sound system.” He also anticipates growing demand for “spatial movement of sources in conjunction with dynamic reverberation time extension”, such as at the Zurich Opera House, where SpatialSound Wave helps the audio team to “meet the scorebased production requirements” associated with modern operas. At the time of writing both the trade and mainstream press are running regular news stories about innovative new outdoor live concepts, including drive-in comedy and limited-attendance concerts with gig-goers positioned on hydraulic ramps. But in terms of luring customers back indoors, it is sure to be the quality of the experience in all aspects – and the extent to which it fully transcends any domestic entertainment experience – that makes a vital difference, and in this context immersive technologies will continue to gain in importance.

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GREEN DAY S Phil Ward assesses the progress of carbon-neutral AV presentation…

s a relatively clean but hi-tech industry, AV’s carbon frontline is energy management. According to the non-profit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), correctly applied energy efficiency could save the US 800 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, which is a lot of lightbulbs. How many Presidents it takes to change just one of them is a matter for Congress. Power zone The ACEEE also lists the following measures as those most likely to make a difference, and all of them have real relevance to AV presentation and installation: waste heat recovery systems; insulation for large buildings; and technology upgrades such as new light sources or devices that can achieve lower consumption without loss of

performance. Globally, the entire supply chain has paid a lot of attention to exactly these measures, and if there were a league table for industry sectors doing their bit, AV would at least be challenging for a Europa League place. Which is where you would definitely find Amsterdam Arena, for which an audio upgrade highlighted by a new d&b audiotechnik system streamlines power consumption with some elegance. “The quality of the d&b system is not just a few steps up in terms of sonic delivery, there are other benefits, not least massive savings in power consumption,” says arena project manager Tim Oosterop. “The old system, to comply with evacuation regulations, had to be on 24/7. With the new solution it can be off when not in use. For smaller events where just part of the stadium is used, the system is zoned, so we have default

programmes within the evacuation control customised for us, that trigger the evacuation system to move people out zone by zone. “Not only is sound improved throughout the venue, audio power consumption has reduced by 85 per cent. That has a huge financial impact, and it’s also a great ecological result.” Something as simple as switching to rechargeable radio mics could have enormous impact, which is what UK-based DeltaLive determined when it re-stocked with Shure’s Axient Digital series. Operations manager Phill Chapman notes: “The decision to supply these microphones is part of our effort to think green, think sustainable sound. We always consider the quality of the equipment we’re purchasing. Is it a good product? Does it meet and/or exceed our expectations? Will it improve our

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offer?” Theatre project More complex is the Green Theatre scheme in London, supported by among others White Light, the lighting and AV services supplier based in Wimbledon. When UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was still Mayor of London, he announced the campaign as part of his commitment to “reducing the city's emissions by 60 per cent by 2025,” adding that “forwardthinking contributions such as Green Theatre will inspire many industries to help us meet this target together.” The project demands contracts that bind suppliers to energy-minimal solutions. At White Light, head of business development Lee Dennison agrees that venues can do more to facilitate carbon neutrality, such as installing fixed systems to reduce the footprint left by the freight of touring. “If you establish a strong infrastructure, it’s a lot easier to bolt on boxes as required,” he says. “But the selection of permanent systems is problematic. Everybody has their own preferences, and you cannot please everyone. Maybe brand loyalty is shifting among younger engineers, but venues have to be very careful.” “It also depends on the size of the production,” says Werner ‘Vier’ Bayer of d&b. “It’s OK for up-and-coming bands with less budget, and the 500 to 1,500-capacity clubs, but once you get to major artists with bespoke set designs and 10,000-seat arenas, you can't say ‘this is the installation – use it’.” “I’m prefacing all my venue conversations with a clear message,” asserts Jamie Gosney, audio system designer at Stage Electrics. “I’m telling them that we must begin to minimise all vehicle emissions related to production, starting with venues seriously considering the installation of highquality audio systems to prevent trucks, or even just vans carrying heavy equipment. Venues around the world have started to understand this need. It has the twin advantages of reducing footprint and ensuring that the system is specifically and reliably tailored to the acoustics of the venue.”

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Beit Lessin Theatre, Israel

Furthermore, believes Gosney, such a measure should add value and prestige to the venue. “It takes courage,” he admits, “but the positives far outweigh the negatives.” The response, he says, has been overwhelming. “Many just hadn’t thought of it,” he continues, “and are now taking this message to rights owners with the will to make a difference. It will take time, but we can take a lot of inspiration from the market leaders – not least the Royal Albert Hall.” Also a d&b solution, it might be added. Anything else that can be done to reduce traffic should be considered, at this pivotal moment. White Light also has something of a secret weapon called SmartStage, designed for broadcast and, especially, streaming from its HQ. “It’s a 5m x 5m x 5m stage,” Dennison explains, “quite a big performance space that allows a performer to feel engaged with content and really relax.” Far more than a conventional broadcast studio, SmartStage exploits VR and AR to expand the visual context of planned events, which can be ticketed and monetized for online consumption as well as utilised as corporate B2B engagements with video links. Eco boost The renewable energy corporation ECOHZ, headquartered in Norway and Switzerland, takes the view that events can compensate for the footprint they

can’t avoid by ensuring two things: that attendees consume only renewable energy at the venue; and that organisers purchase carbon offsets – mainly by investing in environmental projects elsewhere as a counter-balance. Anyone can do this, and AV interests are encouraged to investigate solutions offered by ECOHZ tailored to their precise activities: www.ecohz.com is the place to start. FIFA has promised to deliver a carbonneutral World Cup in 2022, even if Qatar’s securing of the vote to host the tournament left behind as many questions as it answered when the name popped out of the hat. The application for ISO 20121:2012 and the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard certifications – achievable well before a ball is kicked, they say – will put considerable pressure on AV suppliers in a murky market. For example, the 2018 World Cup in Russia is reported to have generated 2.17 million tonnes of emissions, of which 98.6 per cent were classed within Scope 3 (indirect) emissions – meaning everything that can remotely lead to greenhouse gases after fuel, vehicles, electricity, heat and steam have been taken account of – including airconditioning, of course. Information on whether the equivalent was genuinely offset by counter-balancing measures is, however, less easy to come by.

But the will is there, even if lip service is the phrase that haunts many observers. There is no doubting Live Nation’s altruism when it announces ‘Green Nation’, an initiative to unite all of its powerful brands – Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, Festival Republic, Academy Music Group, C3 Presents, LN Media & Sponsorship, and Artist Nation Management – as “stewards of the environment”, committed to “sciencebased targets which will ensure our greenhouse gas emission reductions are aligned with the commitments made in the UNFCCC’s Paris Agreement”. Of particular interest to AV suppliers is the mandate to “minimise the impact of noise and light pollution of our events”, suggesting further investment in the kind of noise-reduction DSP and networking that has begun to impact the working lives of all engineers and production managers. The other obvious hotspot in AV rental is transport logistics. Can the recent consolidation of brands help in this regard? Absolutely, believes Paul Timmins, operations and development director at Solotech UK, the new umbrella for SSE Audio, Wigwam, Capital Sound and BCS Audio. “Something like 75 per cent of our carbon footprint comes from trucking,” he says, “and we’ve been looking at servicing our shows regionally. You might see a tour of 20 dates up and down the country, but the South will be handled by BCS, London by Capital or SSE, Midlands by SSE and the North by Wigwam. The limit is about a two-hour drive, including gear and crew.” WattsApp Messenger The widely reported audio upgrade to the Meir Nitzan Cultural Hall in Israel was designed by independent AV consultant Harel Tabibi. An L-Acoustics solution, with Kara and Kiva well to the fore, it puts the permanent installation theory to the test in the demanding context of the home of the Israeli Symphony Orchestra – just as The Albert Hall makes a similar statement. For the past eight years, in fact, Tabibi has been specifying systems in multiple venues with exactly this agenda in mind.

“I spend a lot of time explaining to venue owners the value of permanently installing a rider-friendly system,” he says, “especially the fact that they can charge for it on top of the hire of the hall. It’s an income they won’t get until they invest in it. Of course, it also cuts right down on the amount of trucking and equipment that a rental company has to engage, which means a saving for them too. Then add the savings in time and energy consumption from load-in and load-out.” By ‘rider-friendly’, Tabibi basically means the assumption that the choice of system will be L-Acoustics, d&b audiotechnik or Meyer Sound, which unfortunately pitches the lobby for reduced-footprint installation directly against the notion that the market offers a free choice from many more brands that would justifiably stake a claim for suitability in all of these venues. It’s a tricky subject… “In Israel, at least,” continues Tabibi, “these are the brands that no sound engineer would refuse even if he has other favourites. They’re versatile and scalable enough to do everything from drama to rock and roll, whereas others are in some people’s minds associated with one speciality or another. I’ve done around 12 venues in this way so far, and although it’s tough they are listening. The basic philosophy is to make the system as much a part of the venue as the acoustics.” As for lighting, most things – if not

quite everything – in pro AV are going to be planet-friendlier LED. Paul Roughton, national sales manager for Stage Electrics, acknowledges that LED can replace HID (high-intensity discharge) or tungsten today, with the added benefit of being able to colour-change, but says it does not cost-compare well with the ubiquitous rock-and-roll PAR can. “I don’t think there’ll ever be an LED equivalent for that,” he adds, “but there could be for pretty much everything else – particularly in the theatre market. We did the Linbury Theatre upgrade at the Royal Opera House [in London], and the lighting brief specified a complete LED replacement, like-for-like. Everything was lamp-less.” Sometimes a heat sink is just not enough. London’s Royal College of Physicians offers comprehensive AV packages across three theatres, including virtual event and streaming services. It has also achieved The Carbon Trust Standard, a certification of reduced environmental impact. Despite being 500 years old, total carbon footprint has attenuated by 30 per cent in the last three years with a 100 per cent switch to renewable energy. But forget amps and loudspeakers: the venue uses eight wormeries to recycle kitchen and garden waste while the sludge produced is fed to the plants and compost used in the grounds. Just goes to show: the old sound engineer adage about relative input and output quality is not always the case.

Above: Jamie Gosney (left) and Paul Timmins (right)

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Commercial break At InfoComm Connected, Waves debuted its Commercial Audio range of products, introducing the new CA1000 and CA2000 DSP engines. Mick Olesh, Waves EVP of sales and marketing, tells Installation about the company’s plans for the market…

esigned for use in corporate, commercial, government, educational, entertainment, sports and house of worship installations, the new CA1000 and CA2000 from Waves are the first products to be launched under its Commercial Audio banner. Launched in June as part of InfoComm Connected, the new products are designed to integrate into new or existing AV installations via Dante audio networking. The CA1000 and CA2000 units include 19 audio processing presets that tackle playback quality, speech intelligibility via an array of microphones and amplification systems, feedback elimination, voice processing without loss of tonality, and more. Based on more than two-dozen Waves plugins, the presets can be further customised and stored by the integrator based on their unique room or zone requirements when incorporating media playback, wireless mics, meeting room/table mics, lectern/ pulpit mics and broadcast/streaming. All presets can be customised and locked-in by the installer for individual channels, groups or zones. The CA1000 offers processing of up to 16×16 bidirectional audio channels, while the CA2000 can be configured to process up to 64×64 bidirectional audio channels over a Dante network. The units are also surface or rack-mountable. Connectivity is provided via a 1Gb Ethernet port (RJ45) for Dante networking. Here, Mick Olesh, Waves EVP of sales and marketing, talks the company’s plans for the commercial audio sector... Tell us about the new Commercial Audio range of products. We recently released the first two products of our Waves Commercial Audio line, which aim to dramatically improve audio playback quality and speech intelligibility with professionally curated

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solutions, ready to go in any Dante-based AV installation. Each of these units is a single-box software-plus-hardware turnkey solution, featuring over two dozen premium Waves processors, with professionally pre-configured, integrator-ready audio processing presets. The CA1000 and CA2000 and our upcoming Commercial Audio products enable AV system integrators and installers to deliver superior sound quality for corporate, commercial, government, educational, entertainment, sports and house-of-

worship installations.

Making Waves: Mick Olesh

Why was now the right time to launch a range of commercial products? Since we firmly believe that it was crucial to provide a full solution that delivers immediate results, we based the Waves CA product line on well established, field-tested and known applications, which Waves has released over the last several years. Testing the unit as a stand-alone solution was considered the prime objective and subsequently we have done just that by completing an extensive and highly effective test for all components of the Waves CA range. What kind of applications are they most suited to? To name but a few, these products apply to AV solutions in various environments, such as corporate, government and education, where you can substantially improve the clarity of mics across various zones, suppress feedback and add high quality live-streaming processing for public events. They are also suited to houses of worship, where a clear benefit is the ability to increase speech intelligibility for podium mics, handheld mics and headset mics. You can also suppress feedback and automatically smooth and adjust media playback audio sources; fitness gyms or retail settings, where you can now drive audio at target levels to the PA, regardless of your media source players, together with an option of music ducking for announcement alerts. What has the response from users been like so far? We have been preparing the move into the CA market segment for several years and have been discussing various options with many of the Integrators that know our software tools. In most cases, it was great to have the overwhelming acknowledgement from the leading integrators and dealers accepting the technology that they are familiar with and experiencing additional applications, all set up and ready to deliver in a onesize-fits-all system. Is this Commercial Audio range going to be a significant part of Waves’ business? Definitely. We are in the midst of developing a range of products that will greatly enhance and benefit installation-oriented users’ workflow, together with bringing to the table an array of unique solutions for common issues that these users encounter when using their system. The range was launched at InfoComm

Connected. How did it feel to launch a product at a virtual trade show? Obviously, there is a huge difference between presenting a new release at a physical trade show as opposed to a virtual one. Having said that, we are fully aware of the marketing intricacies facing us during these challenging times and we continue to make every effort to overcome and compensate for these obstacles, utilising whatever web, internet and virtual outlet available. What was the experience like? How did it compare with a typical in-person show? Waves has been participating at tradeshows like InfoComm, NAB etc. for many years. However, our philosophy has always been a hands-on approach with the client, regardless if it is an end user, dealer or integrator. We always make a point of having a physical unit with them and explaining the idea and mechanism behind each unit, be it in small groups over web, or face to face when applicable. We have been doing the same for the CA units, and our webinars provide a very good and time efficient way for us to train our customers. How is Waves coping with the pandemic? What is the company doing to battle the difficult market conditions? This is a perplexing period and COVID-19 has certainly created new challenges. We have seen that customers are still keen to acquire products that can clearly benefit their workflow and creativity, and that assist them in solving significant issues. Despite the current lull in touring and live productions, due to the situation, we are witnessing an acute increase in streaming and broadcast, all which clearly benefit from using Waves tools. In addition, as I mentioned before, although ‘live’ hands-on presentations are not always currently possible due to the pandemic, we have put in an extra effort in doing online demos, webinars and educational events which have proven to be in demand and valuable for all sides concerned. What does Waves have in store for the rest of 2020? Waves' constant growth is mainly based on its devotion to supplying tools to a diverse segmentation of users, that will enhance their creativity and offer viable and trustworthy solutions for issues that these users encounter during their workflow. The remaining months of 2020 will reflect this policy with the release of new exciting products that will cater to musicians, producers, studio and live engineers, post production and sound design and of course, AV and installation.

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Sean Wargo

Pro AV in retail:

Finding silver linings Sean Wargo, senior director, market intelligence at AVIXA, assesses the state of the retail sector and the growing role of pro AVâ€Ś

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s retail currently a market segment you serve as part of an installation business? With the constant ups and downs inherent in consumer shopping tastes and the impact of eCommerce on physical storefronts, one probably can’t blame many AV providers from taking a hard pass. Past surveys by the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA), suggest that less than 40 per cent of providers regularly serve retail customers. Given the plight of the market now, with sales slumping due to a cautious consumer content to buy online, these percentages are likely even lower. In fairness, according to AVIXA, retailer spending on pro AV products and services this year is forecasted to be down by 14 per cent in 2020 after a peak of $22.7B in 2019. As shoppers return to more pre-COVID activity growth in spending on technology also returns in 2021, expanding nearly six per cent on an annualized basis reaching $26.3B by 2025. For many expecting the full demise of traditional retail, the declines this year are likely a further proof point of armegeddon. The outlook for future growth, however, would raise a quizzical eyebrow. How can a market that is moving online drive growth for a service industry based on support for in-person businesses? The answer is short, even if somewhat overplayed – we (still) live in an experience economy. What this means to retail is a need and desire for brands and stores to differentiate themselves from each other. They do so through narratives, or the story that their brand tells to and reflects their customers. Some of this story is told online via web page presence and social media coverage. Some can even be told via a simple product listing on a general eCommerce site. But more and more this story also needs to be told in person. Yes, to facilitate a tactile experience of trying on, feeling, or seeing a product, but also just to be in the presence of the brand. The delivery of this narrative experience is the rising purview of the storefront. And with it comes a fundamental shift in purpose away from transactional focus towards marketing objectives like awareness, loyalty, and affinity. If you take a look at the retail landscape of today and the winners and losers in the battle for continued physical relevance, those stores focused on the lifestyle branding experience rather than the venues for perusing large inventories are perpetuating. Big box retail is fading out and smaller footprint boutiques are in, especially those baked by sophisticated eCommerce platforms to help complete the connection to a transaction in the ultimate end. This last point is particularly important in the pandemic normal where store traffic may be low, but sales can be attributed to specific locations through in-store pick-up or scheduled appointments. Boiling this experience down reveals the opportunities for creative AV professionals. Beyond the back-end systems for online retail and distribution, there is a

tremendous amount of technology investment and deployment at the point of interaction (rather than what we might have called the point of sale). This includes both one-way and interactive digital signage for informing and engaging shoppers, along with light, sound, and other environmental effects – the wheelhouse of the audiovisual professional. Digital signage and displays are is one of the flagship opportunities for AV professionals in retail. Despite the declines in retail spending in 2020, the market remains the single largest purchaser of displays. AVIXA estimates show $5.9B worth of displays will be purchased globally through the pro AV channel by retailers this year. As recovery takes place this grows to $7.3B in 2021. Fundamentally, displays in retail seek to solve a fundamental objective – helping shoppers locate the right product for their needs. Past AVIXA research among shoppers revealed that overall satisfaction with the retail experience is most correlated with solving this primary objective. Aligning technology integration with support of this objective, rather than just existing for its own sake, is crucial to success. Examples of effective use are becoming more prevalent. At a basic level, more displayers are finding their way into malls just to act as wayfinding devices. Proliferation now even extends all the way to the product displays themselves as network connected fact and pricing tags. Other examples include interactive displays to allow a shopper to browse available inventory or virtually try-on a product. This then also serves as a data capture mechanism for determining interest levels, orders, and demographics for marketing purposes, further empowering retailers. Displays are just one part of the picture, though they are the easiest for shoppers to recall given their literal ‘in-yourface’ presence and higher price points for the top end products. Other ambient technologies are in the mix as well, such as lighting solutions and audio for enveloping the shopper in on-brand music or sound selections. A whole new area of research has emerged about the usage of audio to create specific emotional and personal experiences to convey specific branded experiences. And new beamforming audio technologies allow for these audio experiences to be even more targeted in stores, creating a personalization even down to the specific point of interaction mentioned before. Each of the technologies listed above help support the forecast of growth for retail spending on Pro AV for the future as storefronts battle against obsolescence through diversification. Certainly, stores face challenges in the near term as the effects of the pandemic continue to simmer in many economies, but the long-range is hopeful as retailers position themselves to emerge from the ashes stronger than ever. And perhaps even more now than in the past, technology will play a crucial role in this adaptation.

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KIT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

Product Spotlight

LG LSAA LED Signage LSAA, the optimum cable-less LED Signage from LG is designed to offer exquisite images and easy installation, with a block-assembly design that makes it simple to create large displays. A single LED cabinet hub provides power and signal to the entire signage without cabling between cabinets. LGâ€™s non-contact connector technology sends wireless signals smoothly while power is sent to each

display via pin connectors located on the edges of the LED cabinet hub. With straightforward installation and expandability, the LSAA is engineered to be set up or reconfigured onsite in a fraction of the time it takes to set up other displays. The cabinet allows installers to connect multiple displays to achieve the desired size. Wall-mounts and frame-type accessories offer a number of installation options to meet

the diverse requirements of different site conditions and customersâ€™ needs. In addition to saving time, money and hassle during installation, the highquality display has a resolution that can go up to 4K UHD resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio. LG deployed the AI-powered Image Processor that made its high-end TVs so popular. The picture is vibrant, thanks to self-emissive LEDs and the narrow distance between pixels.

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Large format displays Installation casts an eye over some of the leading large format displays on the marketâ€Ś

Avocor AVW-6555 Featuring an advanced interactive display, natural inking and IoT sensor technologies, the Avocor AVW-6555 Windows collaboration display is the worldâ€™s only certified Teams WCD. Designed to enhance collaboration and accelerate teamwork, the Avocor AVW6555 also provides meaningful analysis of meeting space utilisation through the integrated certified Azure IoT sensors. Suitable for focus rooms, the AVW6555 also includes full Microsoft Teams support, providing integration with Microsoft Teams video and audio conferencing capabilities immediately upon connection to a Teams-enabled computer. The Windows collaboration display by Avocor is developed with Microsoft and is designed to enable powerful group teamwork. Featuring a smooth touch with your

finger, even while wearing gloves or the included finetipped stylus and eraser, the inking is precise down to the pixel. The native 4K resolution opticallybonded glasssurfaced display creates lifelike images with optimum depth and detail, an increasingly important feature as more meetings happen via video calls. Easy access to the full suite of Microsoft Office 365 productivity tools make the

WCD a room-scale extension of your laptop where you can present and share any content and teammates at every endpoint can instantly annotate to share ideas, support creativity and solve problems in real-time.

Sony BRAVIA FW-65BZ35F The slim, energy-efficient FW-65BZ35F BRAVIA professional display combines bright, 4K HDR image quality with easy operation, flexible networking/control and Pro mode to simplify installation and allow easy customisation of display settings to suit different applications and environments. Ideally suited for professional use, the high brightness, high contrast panel makes it ideal for presenting 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range) content, revealing subtle detail in the brightest highlights and areas of dark shadow. 40

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The 24/7 operation time, flexible mounting, and portrait compatibility, make the FW-65BZ35F a suitable choice to deliver messages around the clock, while its design can suit any environment. Also, in addition to being eco-friendly with its very low power consumption, the FW-65BZ35F comes with the added reassurance of its three-year Advanced Exchange warranty, so if there is a problem with the display, Sony will offer a free, brand new replacement product rather than repair included as standard.

AOTO CV Series Designed to add enhanced customer benefits, AOTO has released the brand new ‘slim’ version of its Mini LED product recently in the form of the CV series. On the basis of the technical merits of Mini LED, the CV series has been built to offer more stable functionality and optimum visual effects. With the dual backup system and EMC Class B, the CV Series has been engineered to be highly stable and reliable. The visual performance is underpinned by the technologies of AOTO’s exclusive Mini LED, HDR Boost, Moire Reduction, and 110 per cent NTSC ultra-wide color gamut. Viewers can freely reach the images on the screen from different positions

thanks to the 180 degrees wide viewing angle. By adopting sixdirection adjustment technology, the screen surface is flat and smooth, offering users a more comfortable viewing experience. Featuring low-level blue light

certification, the CV series features a lightweight structure design, with the cabinet only 38mm thick and weighing just 5kg. This is to help reduce transportation and installation costs. Inspired by the value of ‘intelligent creation, multi-scenario application’, the AOTO CV series has been optimised and engineered for use in a variety of different environments, from conference rooms and TV studios, to control room and digital media applications. AOTO states that is looking to capitalise on the growing international demand for sophisticated AV technology, adding that it will 'keep improving to serve its customers around the globe'.

Philips PDS C-Line Designed exclusively for corporate use, the brand-new 4K UHD Windows powered C-Line range from Philips Professional Display Solutions is the company’s most complete all-in-one dedicated meeting room solution. It has been designed to ensure maximum productivity - in the office or at home. Combining all the functionality of a PC with the convenience of a traditional wall or desk mounted whiteboard, C-Line displays – available in 55”, 65”, 75” and 86” variants – are suitable for almost any environment, ranging from large board rooms to space-limited huddle rooms. Equipped with a wide range of dedicated features, each chosen to help users to overcome many of the historical pains and frustrations associated with meetings, all participants – wherever they are – play an active role in the meeting. With screen sharing capabilities, up to 64 participants can simultaneously

work on the same document via their own connected computer, whilst C-Line’s multiple touchpoints encourage teams to physically collaborate together directly on the display, using either with your hand, passive PEN or via traditional keyboard and mouse. All work can be automatically and securely saved and shared. Connection points, such as USB and HDMI, are located on the edge of the

display for quick and easy access. The C-Line also supports Active Pen technology. For added convenience, Philips PDS C-Line displays are entirely toolagnostic, meaning that organisations can utilise all the features and functionality from their new display, while continuing to use the solutions that they are familiar with, such as Zoom, Skype for business and Microsoft Teams.

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IN THE KNOW Inside Track

FIND OUT WHAT YOU MIGHT’VE MISSED FROM THE INSTALLATION WEBSITE THIS MONTH...

WITH industry news, insights and interviews posted to the website daily, it might be hard to keep up with the pace of the pro AV and installation market. Here, we've rounded up a list of some of Installation’s top online stories from the past month to help you stay up to date. The events industry came together for the #WeMakeEvents day of action on August 11,

with a range of activities taking place across the UK to raise awareness of the issues facing the sector in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, while a number of major AV installations caught the attention of the market. You can find all of these articles and more agenda-setting, exclusive web content not featured in our monthly magazine at www.installation-international.com...

NAMM 2021 cancelled

We Make Events day of action The UK events biz came together on August 11 to call for government support, as over 715 venues and buildings were lit up in red as part of the #WeMakeEvents day of action. Twenty of the UK’s biggest cities hosted events to raise awareness of the struggling supply chain that facilitates events across the country. From Minnack Theatre Cornwall to The Queen’s Hall Edinburgh, Principality Stadium Cardiff, and the Millennium Forum Northern Ireland, venues across the country showed support for the cause. In Manchester, 200 technicians pushed redundant flight cases through the city centre, while in London a boat lit in red travelled along the Thames, passing the Royal Festival Hall, the London Eye, the National Theatre and the Tate, which were all lit up red. www.installation-international.com

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NAMM 2021 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a virtual Believe In Music week confirmed as its replacement. The LA show is the latest to be cancelled on account of the coronavirus outbreak, with the likes of InfoComm 2020 and CES 2021 also forced to launch digital/virtual alternatives. A statement from NAMM confirmed that next year’s event will be replaced with Believe in Music week: “In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the health and safety of NAMM members as the first priority, NAMM is reimagining how to connect all facets of the industry while benefiting those most deeply impacted by COVID-19 with the launch of Believe in Music: The global gathering to unify and support the people who bring music to the world.” www.installation-international.com

BenQ industry first BenQ has launched the world’s first wireless Android-based smart projector range for business. Comprised of three projectors, the EH600, EW600 and EW800ST, the range offers varying resolutions and brightnesses up to 3,500 lumens, connectivity capabilities and Smart features via its on-board Android system. With an increase of BYOD in the professional environment and a mixture of team members working from home or across different locations, the new range is designed to simplify connectivity remotely and in-person, while collectively encouraging workers on different operating systems to collaborate. Screen mirroring allows up to four users to connect from PCs, tablets or smartphones to share and edit content wirelessly to the display. www.installation-international.com

Meyer Sound upgrades Australia’s ACC The Adelaide Convention Centre (ACC) in South Australia recently completed a AU$397 million redevelopment, which included a major overhaul of the venue’s audio systems. The loudspeakers and associated processing were augmented or completely replaced with new Meyer Sound systems in seven halls, including the addition of LYON line arrays for the ACC’s largest configurable space. When combined with existing inventories, the latest round of investments brings the total Meyer Sound loudspeaker count up to 270, making ACC the largest single-site user of Meyer Sound systems in Australia. In addition to the 20 LYON line array loudspeakers and accompanying eight 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements, the latest additions also include 65 ULTRA-X40 compact loudspeakers and 10 900-LFC elements. For networkable drive and optimisation, the project included the integration of five each of GALAXY 816 and GALAXY 408 Network Platforms and, for comprehensive monitoring via the network, two RMServer. www.installation-international.com

Dodger Stadium sound system ‘best in MLB’ Dodger Stadium, home of baseball team the LA Dodgers, has upgraded its PA with a K2 system from L-Acoustics, described by Derek O’Hara, director, planning and development for the Dodgers as “the best in major league baseball”.Having completed a multi-faceted renovation, Dodger Stadium now features a new L-Acoustics K2 line source array sound system covering the stadium seating, and L-Acoustics A15i and X8 speakers covering the new Centerfield Plaza and existing Outfield Pavilion areas. “Our goal was to have a state-of-the-art sound system at the stadium,” said O’Hara. www.installation-international.com

Crestron Flex MM launch As of today (Monday, May 11) French loudspeaker manufacturer NEXO will begin restarting its manufacturing operations in Plailly and Saint-Pierrede-Côle. In accordance with guidelines sentry by the French authorities, the return to normal service will involve adjusted working hours to meet health and safety protocols. The company noted that many of its key suppliers have now resumed activity. Jean Mullor, NEXO CEO, commented: “Our first goal remains the health of our employees, guaranteeing them a safe working environment and working practices that align with government guidelines and common-sense good behavior rules.” NEXO R&D, sales, engineering support, and administration teams will continue normal operations in the ‘unlockdown period’, principally working from home. The company also states that despite the challenges the industry has faced in light of the coronavirus pandemic it has still managed to recruit new staff in key positions of its sales and R&D departments. |www.installation-international.com

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INSIDE TRACK THIS MONTH we spend 60 seconds with Clear-Com president Bob Boster, round up some of the best industry events and online tools available during lockdown, and look at the great work being done by music charity Youth Music...

60 SECONDS WITH… BOB BOSTER president, Clear-Com

How did you get into the industry? I had been active in live performance from a very young age, including using ClearCom equipment in community theatre as a child. During high school and college I expanded my interest in audio to include mixing for live performance, scoring theatre and dance, and playing in bands. I then followed my audio passion into radio. What was your first job? While I had a number of paid gigs doing audio engineering for bands in clubs, my first full time role in the industry was doing UI design for a software product at Orban. While there, I got to work with some legends in the industry like Barry Blesser, Keith McMillen, and of course the legendary Bob Orban. What does a typical day at work look like for you? One of the best things about my job is the range of different applications we address with our products, so I not only get to participate in leading many different disciplines within the business, but I also get to learn about a lot of different unique communication needs in the process. What has been your favorite/ proudest project? While I loved many customer projects that I was responsible for when I was on the front line specifying solutions for customers (the California Academy of Sciences comes to mind), I have to say that celebrating Clear-Com’s 50th anniversary in 2018 was very rewarding. We had a big story to tell and a lot of parts of it are unique in the industry. The resulting website is still up and we look forward to updating it in the future to become a more general purpose history site for the company. Having a chance to speak with such legendary figures in the audio business as Charlie Butten, Bob Cohen, and Peter Giddings was a real treat. What is the most ambitious project you’ve worked on?

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The current ‘project’ of steering ClearCom and our amazingly rich and diverse user community through this incredibly challenging time is going to end up being the most meaningful and involved thing I will probably ever have to do. Our solutions let people talk to each other to accomplish incredible things and as a result we are under the spotlight in making sure our users can do what they need to. We have a rich and inspired group of talented people within the business and keeping them safe and making sure they can keep carrying us forward by taking care of our customers is occupying an amazing amount of my heart and mind. How do you balance life and work? Having a great family who give me a lot of support is critical to my overall health and happiness. What are the biggest challenges you face in your job? Under normal circumstances I would say it’s continuing to find talented people both inside our company and in our extended community of Partners and rental customers, etc. who want to try to feel the magic of what we do in the ‘comms world’. It is not glamorous, but incredibly satisfying and for the right people it’s very rewarding. What do you like most about the industry? The excitement of the ‘the show must go on’ mentality which so many of us have brought into the business, and not just the Clear-Com business, but for all the other aspects of this world we live in. There is an understanding that we are all contributing to something bigger than ourselves, something which requires all of our input to be realised, that really inspires me to give it my all every day… I think it’s normal to have deep regard for the people you work with – in our case they give of themselves so intensely that it just puts that feeling into over drive.

EVENTS Integrated Systems Europe 2021 February 2-5 Integrated Systems Europe is the world’s largest professional audiovisual and systems integration show. More than an exhibition, it’s an essential destination for the AV channel and the end-users that it serves. In February 2021, ISE moves to the Fira de Barcelona. This modern, highly appointed venue provides ample space for the show floor to expand to meet exhibitor demand. But more than this, it’s giving us new opportunities to make ISE an even fuller, more engaging experience. InfoComm China 2020 September 28-30 An exhibition jam-packed with activities and opportunities, InfoComm China is where the world’s leading brands choose to debut their latest products and solutions. Tens of thousands of users attend the show each year to witness what Pro-AV technology and Experiential Communications solutions can do for their businesses.

With most events currently cancelled, postponed or under review, we’re rounding up some of the top online resources to get you through life under lockdown… The 2019 edition attracted 40,866 visitors. With an expected higher level of participation at Beijing InfoComm China 2020, this is the place to harness the power of Pro-AV and Experiential Communications. AV Industry Relief Resource This Facebook page serves as a community-driven hub for those in the business of AV, installation and pro audio to gather and share resources aimed at helping the industry through the challenges it currently faces. From online training to job opportunities, this group is well worth connecting with and will no doubt provide many with some much needed assistance over the coming weeks and months. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/844955695999581/

CHARITY CORNER YOUTH MUSIC Youth Music’s vision is that one day, all children and young people will be able to have musical lives. It is a national charity investing in music-making projects to support children and young people aged 0-25 to develop personally and socially, as well as musically. The charity works particularly with those who don’t get to make music because of who they are, where they live, or what they’re going through. Every year, Youth Music funds more than 300 projects nationwide, supporting around 83,000 children and young

people to make music, develop their skills, and progress on their chosen paths. It campaigns alongside young people to advocate for those who are missing out, to invest where it’s needed most, and to drive change in the music industries and education. Youth Music is funded thanks to the National Lottery via Arts Council England, players of People’s Postcode Lottery, and support from donors, partners and fundraisers. Find out more and donate at https://new.youthmusic.org.uk/

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‘We have no competition!’ Since launching in 2019, commercial audio specialist Bluesound Professional has been rapidly ramping up its activities in the market. Here, VP and general manager, Graeme Harrison, explains why the company is poised to take on the AV industry…

Tell us about the origins of Bluesound Professional? I worked at Biamp Systems for 27 years and during this time we had looked at the possibility of accessing network stored media and bringing it into our DSPs for processing and distribution. For various reasons, this didn’t happen and we found other ways of growing. When I left in 2018, I was looking for my next challenge, something that wasn’t being done in the commercial AV market. Gord Simmonds, CEO of Lenbrook Group, a Canada-based distributor and manufacturer of residential audio equipment and communications systems, was interested in getting into the commercial AV market, and it seemed like an unmissable opportunity. What does Bluesound Professional do? We make the world’s first purposedesigned range of streaming audio hardware for use in commercial spaces. If a business wanted to access digital audio content, usually (but not always) for replay in public spaces, they had various options – none of them compelling. If they were a large business with many outlets, they would go to a provider of ‘business music’. Businesses work with these providers to curate custom programmed playlists of commercially licenced content. This approach is very expensive and very inflexible. If you are a smaller business, 46

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you have a couple of options. You can install residential HiFi streamers into your business or the integrator can give you a line input to the audio system usually terminated with a 3.5mm jack plug, which you plug into your laptop, tablet or phone and sign into a streaming service etc. Bluesound Professional makes a full range of streamers, streamer/amplifiers and all-in-one speakers, which apart from the speakers, are rack-mounted, operate at commercial audio reference levels, run balanced analogue signals, are secure and provide proper control options for commercial users. This is truly unique in our industry. What are your plans for the AV/ installation market? We showed early prototype products for the first time at ISE 2019 and we started shipping in November last year. We showed second release products at ISE this year and are just about to start shipping these. Our main target markets are hospitality and retail. We are seeing installations beyond these markets now in assisted living facilities, convention centres, function spaces and more. We intend to expand into the corporate and healthcare spaces with additional functionality and services which are coming soon. How do you plan on growing the business during this time of huge

uncertainty across the market? The pandemic came at a really awkward time for Bluesound Professional as we had just started to ship products. Additionally, the hospitality and retail sectors of the market, whilst not being quite as badly hit as the events sector, have been really badly affected by worldwide lockdowns, and most businesses aren’t looking to invest but rather just to make it to the other side without going bankrupt. On the plus side for us, we didn’t really have business to lose, and most importantly we had the support of the Lenbrook Group. I have been so pleased by how Gord and our board have navigated this crisis. We have been working flat-out through all of this in developing both products and business and our moto is that we will come out of this crisis stronger than we went in. What is your biggest strength in the market? Our biggest strength is that we literally have no competition! There is no one else making a whole range of network streaming hardware, compatible with network media files, internet radio stations, streaming from custom URL’s and of course streaming from many, many streaming services, including an increasing number of services providing content which is licenced for use in public spaces.

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