Norwood, MA – December 4, 2019 – Atlantic Technology recently exhibited over 30 new products which begin to roll out this holiday season and throughout 2020. The first to hit the market is the FS-HAL1 Hi-Res Audio Certified In-Ear monitors. These lightweight, stylish in-ear monitors are designed for users to upgrade to the audiophile sound quality of over-ear headphones to play Hi-Res music files or streaming services like Qobuz, Amazon or Tidal with the convenience and portability of In-Ear monitors.

“For 30-years Atlantic Technology has delivered premium speakers with outstanding performance and value, reliably delivering the award-winning sound quality that the company is famous for and across a huge spectrum of home audio products. Now they are applying that expertise to headphones,” said Paul Fredrickson, Director of Business Development at Muto Communications, Atlantic Technology’s marketing and global PR agency of record. “The FS-HAL1 monitors are the perfect upgrade for mobile or home use – they are lightweight and provide superb sound, comfort and long-life with features and technology that delivers fatigue-free use to keep you and your music going all day.”

The FS-HAL1 are Hi-Res Audio Certified, a top-quality industry standard for music recorded and delivered at better-than-CD sound quality sought after by music lovers and audiophiles who want the best from all of their music listening. The monitors deliver Hi-Res audio by leveraging Triple Hybrid Drivers with Graphene woofers and Dual Balanced Armature mid and high-frequency drivers. This array produces deep rich bass and crystal-clear detail in mid and high frequencies.

The monitors are comfortable and secure for active users thanks to the ‘around-ear loop’ memory cable and the Pro-style, gold plated snap-lock MMCX monitor connectors that rotate 360⁰ for comfortable tangle-free wearing. The convenient in-line 3-button remote, controls volume up/down plus on/off talk and is compatible with most Android™, Windows® or iOS phones.

The MMCX connector is an industry standard that makes cable replacement or upgrades easy to extend the life of the in-ear monitors should a cable get damaged or a different connector needed. The detachable 4-foot 20-strand Oxygen-Free-Copper cable maximizes signal transmission to either a gold-plated 3.5mm jack or a Lightning connector depending on the version selected.

These stylish ergonomic in-ear monitors are available in four colors: White, Red, Blue and Black. A variety of ear tips are included to create an optimum comfortable fit with up to 25 dB of noise isolation. A hard travel case and 3.5mm to ¼-inch gold plated adapter are also included.

The FS-HAL1 carries an MSRP of $199 for the standard version with a 3.5mm connector and $239 for the version with the Lightning™ connector for iOS devices.  Both are shipping now.

Located in the north-west suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee, Temple Church is a striking, angular building where music features heavily in worship services. Featuring a gospel choir, full band, soloists and enthusiastic participation from the congregation, a high-quality sound reinforcement system was needed, but one which could seamlessly fill the large fan-shaped nave of this modern church. Finding the right system was difficult, but once the church staff heard Alcons Audio’s pro-ribbon technology, they knew it was the right solution.

Eddy Hobby of Nashville-based Prosonic AVL maintains the church AV systems and was looking for a high quality, powerful system, which could be precisely aligned but which was also visually discreet.

“Being in Nashville, the church has a lot of talented musicians and singers. The musical director has very high standards and quality bass was also really important,” he says. “They wanted great sound, but it was also important that there were no sightline issues between the congregation and the video screens.”

Eddy was introduced to Alcons Audio systems by company representative Scott Hough of Griffith Sales. Eddy was impressed enough to ask the company’s North America Sales Manager David Rahn to demonstrate an Alcons system.

As the church’s band and choir do a full rehearsal on Thursday evenings, David chose that time to demonstrate the system. He set up a rig based on two arrays of the LR16 compact line-array module, which not only showcased the audio quality of the system, but also how it could be aligned to seamlessly cover the large, triangular space.

“The room is around 160º wide, so getting the coverage right was crucial. At the same time, they still wanted a really big, immersive sound,” he says. “Due to architectural and rigging challenges, the left and right arrays had to be flown close together, almost as a dual central cluster. Mitigating the interference between the two line arrays was also challenging. However, due to the precise accuracy of the cylindrical wavefront along, with a centrally deployed RR12 point source array module, the transitions were incredibly smooth, and the achieved coverage was optimal and precise.”

The demo was a complete success, with the church so impressed that it chose a system that was almost identical to the rig that David had presented.

The installed system comprises six LR16 compact line-array modules and one LR16B compact line-array bass module per side, flown close to each other above the front center of the stage, but angled outwards to cover the whole congregation. A single RR12 point-source array module is flown between them, angled down for front fill, with a BQ211 compact high-output subwoofer floor-mounted each side of the stage. The whole system is powered and controlled by three Sentinel10 amplified loudspeaker controllers.

“We were all floored by the demo,” says Carlos Jarrett, Temple Church’s chief sound engineer. “We had never experienced anything like that quality and coverage before. When the band and choir are in full voice there is a lot of sound coming from the stage, but the gain before feedback of the Alcons system was exceptional. We had no hesitation in specifying it for the church.”

The ‘out of the box’ usability of Alcons systems meant that, once the system was set up, it was straightforward to tune, meaning the church could quickly start to enjoy its benefits.

“Our services feature a range of music styles. Some are very ‘full on’, whereas others are more subtle,” says Carlos. “Of course, speech is also incredibly important for worship and the Alcons systems copes equally well with absolutely everything we do. It has been a fantastic addition.”

“I was very impressed by the musical talent and energy in Temple Church and their enthusiasm for high quality sound,” adds David. “I am really pleased that they chose Alcons to be a part of their worship. They really appreciate the quality of what our pro-ribbon technology delivers.”

For more information, please visit: http://www.templechurch.org and http://www.alconsaudio.com

WUPPERTAL, Germany — Dec. 5, 2019 — For the seventh straight year, Riedel Communications Switzerland AG provided a comprehensive communications infrastructure for the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen, held last August in the historic old town of Winterthur, Switzerland. In its biggest commitment to date for the world-famous music festival, Riedel supplied a communications and signal routing backbone based on its Bolero wireless intercom and MediorNet real-time signal transport, processing, and routing technology.

Now in its 45th year, the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen showcases the best in Swiss music including international newcomers, promotion of young talent, and an exciting supporting program. The festival spanned 12 days and included five stages, featuring over 70 acts and supported by 1,000 volunteers.

“The Musikfestwochen grows bigger every year, and this year’s production was the largest and most complex ever,” said Sandra Smolcic, Co-Director of the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen. “It is essential that we have an experienced and reliable partner at our side, and Riedel Switzerland is that partner. It’s the perfect win-win situation: We get a first-class and tailor-made communications backbone, while Riedel Switzerland leverages our close partnership to implement new concepts and solutions at the festival. With its local Swiss presence, Riedel’s close proximity to our operation and optimal service are also critical success factors.”

Riedel once again provided the radio-based communications infrastructure for this year’s festival, deploying 110 digital radios and seven radio groups to serve the organization, security, and medical services as well as supply and cleaning. Working within the constraints of the special and challenging infrastructure of the old town, Riedel devised a solution for optimal radio coverage by installing a repeater in the bell tower of the city church.

For the first time, Riedel added 15 beltpacks of the award-winning Bolero wireless intercom system integrated with three MediorNet modular frames. The MediorNet nodes networked the front of house, stage, and sidestage. Thanks to the range of the Bolero beltpacks, Riedel was able to cover the entire festival area, spanning the entire old town of Winterthur, with just four antennas.

“As an outstanding cross-disciplinary festival that is carried out with a lot of passion and initiative, the Musikfestwochen in Winterthur is particularly close to our hearts,” said Roger Hess, General Manager, Riedel Switzerland. “Rich in tradition, the music festival is growing steadily without losing any of its unique charm. At the same time, the demands and challenges placed on organizers and infrastructure expand every year. In this sense, the festival is a wonderful example of the scalability and flexibility of our solutions.”

Further information about Riedel and the company’s products is available at http://www.riedel.net.

INOGENI has announced the release of the 4KXUSB3 Ultra HD (4K) to USB 3.0 and Magni HDBaseT to USB 3.0 converters. It features an HDMI loop output, analog audio I/O and a VISCA port for PTZ cameras. It requires no drivers, making it a reliable and convenient tool to capture uncompressed video with audio from your HDMI equipment for recording, editing, videoconferencing and streaming applications (including soft codecs such as Zoom, WebEx, Skype and others). The 4KXUSB3 supports resolutions up to UHD 4K (3840/4096×2160) at 30 fps and 1080p at 60 fps. The internal Digital Fluid technology maximizes frame rate and reduces latency with any PC.

The new MAGNI HDBaseT to USB 3.0 connects your HDBaseT camera up to 100 meters with a Cat5e/Cat6 cable and captures uncompressed video with audio for recording, editing, videoconferencing and streaming applications. The MAGNI supports PoE+ power source equipment. The HDMI loop output gives you the ability to see the camera content without going to a computer. MAGNI may be used for connecting HDBaseT cameras to your video conferencing system.

Here’s the 4KXUSB3 Ultra HD to USB 3.0. Here’s the Magni HDBaseT to USB 3.0.

Sony Electronics announced Tuesday the North American launch of TEOS, a suite of new workplace management solutions that gives AV, IT and facilities managers full control over devices, signage and content across the entire workplace ecosystem. From meeting rooms to reception areas, the TEOS workplace management solutions offer a simple, scalable and cost-effective way to manage facilities in corporate and education environments.

The solutions come with a range of features and functionalities, including:

• advanced analytics
• mobile room-booking app for employees
• remote firmware updates
• universal remote control
• wayfinding capabilities
• the ability to manage and integrate video wall content
• secure visitor check-in process

Additionally, the core workplace management solutions feature a design that includes a search bar and a workplace solutions section, giving AV, IT and facilities managers the ability to customize and control all add-ons.

The full suite of solution add-ons includes:

• TEOS Reception — A cost-effective solution for organizations without a dedicated receptionist, allowing visitors to announce their arrival using a dedicated tablet or interactive touch screen.
• TEOS Connect — Enables users to present wirelessly from laptops to Sony’s BRAVIA Professional Displays. It is great for collaborative work sessions because there is no extra hardware needed — the technology is built right into pro BRAVIA models, so users are ready to go.
• TEOS Mobile — Employee mobile application for meeting management with an intuitive user interface; users can search and book meeting rooms from anywhere, without needing to be on the company network.
• TEOS Wayfinding — Wayfinding content for interactive BRAVIA and touch tablets helps users navigate and enables them to easily book rooms and access key information such as a floor map, hotspot or security location; this functionality, which takes the form of a floor map integrated into the central TEOS software, will also work for floating desks to facilitate a more seamless user journey throughout the working environment.
• TEOS TV — Empowers customers needing a corporate TV inside their company to easily create and manage IPTV channels; directly incorporated into TEOS Manage, users can capture meetings, corporate presentations or pertinent updates and display them across all offices through one central system.
• TEOS Videowall — Users can easily cut and synchronize video wall content in any configuration on Android BRAVIA or players for TEOS.
• Device compatibilities — Integrates with videoconferencing devices, including Cisco, to control and manage them remotely.
• Languages — TEOS is available in 12 languages.

The family of TEOS Workplace Solutions also includes a wireless mirroring solution, a room booking solution, visitor sign-in solution and professional corporate tablets, which, in conjunction with the Workplace Management solution, help drive efficiencies and increase productivity across workplaces. Together, the suite of TEOS Workplace Solutions helps create a workplace where employees can work smarter and more efficiently.

Sony Electronics plans to begin offering TEOS Manage in North America in December 2019.

Waves Audio just announced the eMotion LV1 V11, an updated version of its eMotion LV1 live software mixer with new user-requested features, including the new MyMon Personal Monitor Mixing App.

Based on Waves SoundGrid technology, each of the mixer’s channels has its own plug-in rack capable of running up to eight Waves and third-party plug-ins. Subsequently, you can mix live with hundreds of your favorite plug-ins, all running inside the mixer. This adds the power and versatility of Waves plug-ins to the arsenals of engineers everywhere while shrinking the form factor of a full mixing system down to a portable carry-on size.

This digital mixing console for front-of-house, monitor and broadcast engineers has now been updated to V11, with new exciting features. These include Waves MyMon, a personal monitor mixing app for mobile devices, which communicates remotely with eMotion LV1. MyMon gives musicians on stage direct control of their monitor mix: they can adjust input levels, mute and pan, apply post-mix EQ and link channels to custom single-fader groups.

eMotion LV1 V11 also increases the aux and matrix channel count of each of the LV1’s three configurations. The 64-channel LV1 now features 16 monitor auxiliaries; the 32-channel LV1 now features 16 monitor auxiliaries and eight matrix mix busses; and the 16-channel LV1 now features eight matrix mix busses. Also, eMotion LV1 V11 expands the mixer’s I/O sharing abilities within a Waves SoundGrid network: Now, computers, DAWs and hardware I/O devices can be shared between multiple eMotion LV1 systems. Other new features in eMotion LV1 V11 include improved store/recall of sessions, scenes and snapshots; tap tempo on main toolbar; full integration with Waves’ award-winning V11 plug-ins; and full compatibility with Windows 10 and macOS 10.15 Catalina.

The mixer’s channel strip — its standard EQ, filters and dynamics processing — is provided by Waves eMo plug-ins: eMo D5 Dynamics, eMo F2 Filter and eMo Q4 Equalizer. The plug-ins are designed for maximum clarity and efficiency in a live environment. The eMotion LV1 also integrates with the Dugan Speech and Dugan Automixer plug-ins (purchased separately), which are easily accessible from each LV1 channel.

You can control eMotion LV1 using industry-standard hardware controllers, multi-touch screens and various portable devices, from four touch screens to a single laptop or tablet. Whatever device you are using, the LV1 has the same intuitive workflow, with a user interface built for flexibility and speed. Waves eMotion LV1 uses the Waves SoundGrid infrastructure for audio networking. It can be configured as a portable or stationary setup and can connect to any SoundGrid-compatible I/O or server. This means you can easily carry your mixer with you and run it anytime, anywhere — at home, in your hotel room, on the tour bus or at the live venue.

eMotion LV1 owners with a current Waves Update Plan can download the latest version of eMotion LV1 free of charge. And, here are more specs on the eMotion LV1 V11.

Kandao Technology is now shipping its 8K, 360-degree videoconferencing camera dubbed Kandao Meeting. Kandao Meeting combines two high-quality fisheye lenses, eight mic arrays and a speaker. It can be put in the center of a meeting room to capture all the attendees at 8K resolution, while automatically focusing on people as they speak. The remote participants on the other end will get a 1080p HD stream with close-ups of the speakers’ view, making them feel like everyone is in the same room.

By using AI-enabled facial recognition and eight omnidirectional microphones to pick up the sound, Kandao Meeting can automatically locate the active speaker and highlight his or her gestures and facial expression.

Kandao Meeting is compatible with Skype, Zoom, Webex and most other videoconferencing platforms with just a USB connection. To turn off the pop-up, 8K, 360-degree camera as a way to protect privacy, all a user has to do is press down on it. The camera needs no software for installs or upgrades.

As a smart conferencing camera, three different meeting scenarios were considered in its design. When the team has a discussion, the camera will show a split view of who is speaking. If the meeting is about presenting a proposal, the camera switch modes to deliver an exclusive shot of the principal speaker and will turn to others when necessary. The third mode shows a global view of all attendees without auto-focusing.

Kandao Meeting 360-degree all-in-one conferencing camera is $659.

Datapath today introduced a new KVM-over-IP solution called Arqa, the company’s first hardware-based KVM solution. Designed for command and control environments, as well as any application for those who need to monitor, control and share access from a variety of workstations, Arqa gives operators access to multiple remote sources without sacrificing video quality or round-trip latency. It supports up to 2,000 endpoints within a single 1Gbps switched video distribution network.

With built-in One Control technology, switching between multiple sources can be done with ease. Users can simply drag the cursor to the edge of their monitor and seamlessly glide through multiple sources of interest with zero latency, just as if all sources were connected locally. Datapath says Arqa uses an intra-frame compression algorithm that results in a significant latency advantage over other methods, such as h264, RDP, VNC. This aids in what Datpath says is “visually lossless” image quality.

Arqa can be controlled by Arqa Network Manager, a Windows-based application that handles network device discovery, device configuration, video routing, sharing configurations as well as administrator settings.

Datapath Arqa will ship in Q1 of 2020. All the specs are here.

Yamaha Unified Communications announced today that its CS-700 Video Sound Collaboration System and USB speakerphones now integrate with Intel Unite, a customizable wireless collaboration solution that enables users to start meetings quickly and securely without the need for dongles, adaptors or cables. From the Intel Unite app, users can control Yamaha audio and video products for more seamless meetings and greater productivity.

The Intel Unite solution comprises an Intel Core vPro processor-powered hub that communicates with the app for PC, Mac or tablet devices, as well as a small server component that manages the solution across devices and network hubs. From the Intel Unite app, users can mute products and control the unit’s volume and camera zoom, right alongside the platform’s other capabilities. The app is available now for all mobile devices and operating systems.

The Intel Unite solution is designed to simplify the meeting experience through a central, user-friendly management platform designed to integrate with a business’ chosen UC system and meeting technology.

The Intel Unite app is compatible with Yamaha’s YVC-1000, YVC-1000MS, YVC-300, YVC-330, YVC-200 and CS-700. The plugin file will be available for free from Yamaha’s website here. More information on Intel Unite is here.

Here’s a video we shot about Intel Unite works in a conferencing or collaboration application at InfoComm 2019:

MXL Microphones is shipping its Overstream and Overstream Pro Bundles for livestreaming and gaming. The bundles include a choice of either the 990 Blaze or 990 Blizzard condenser microphone with a desk-mounted, hinged-arm mic stand and an integrated all-in-one pop filter and shock mount. The Overstream Pro Bundle includes all the products within the Overstream Bundle with the addition of MXL’s Mic Mate Pro XLR-to-USB audio interface.

Both the 990 Blizzard and 990 Blaze Condenser Microphones offer professional-grade studio design and deliver what MXL says is exceptional sound quality with a wide frequency response, tight high-end and solid low- and mid-range production. The microphone’s cardioid polar pattern helps reject any noise from behind while the illuminated LED lights in the grille complement any modern streaming or gaming rig. The MXL 990 Blaze features glowing red LED lights in the mic grille while the MXL 990 Blizzard has glowing blue LED lights.

The included MXL-BCD stand is a desk-mounted microphone stand with fully adjustable mic placement. It consists of an integrated XLR mic cable while offering table clamp and swivel mount options for easy placement in any set-up. The MXL-SMP 1 provides metal pop filters and shock mounts to dampen vibrations and eliminate plosives for clear speech intelligibility and pristine sound quality.

MXL’s Mic Mate Pro XLR-to-USB audio interface, only included in the Overstream Pro Bundle, is both Mac- and PC-compatible and features a single USB input. It offers a 1/8-inch stereo headphone jack along with the ability to control gain and headphone volume directly from the interface.

Here’s more information on the Overstream and Overstream Pro Bundles.

The dnp Supernova XL is a large optical front projection screen that’s available as a single-screen solution in sizes up to 230″ (vertical). dnp has announced a new version of the Supernova XL which, thanks to a new frame design, now appears to be floating 10 millimeters from the wall to which it is mounted.

dnp also says the updated version of the Supernova XL is easier to install than its predecessor, with installation time reduced by about 20%. The new screen is also up to 25% lighter than the previous version.

The extra-large screen is created by joining together two sheets of optical film, which dnp appears to be seamless to the viewer while in use. It’s designed to maintain a geometrically flat and uniform image. The framing systems keeps the screen material tensioned, with vertical and corner reinforcement bars to prevent sagging and twisting. The standard screen has an 80-millimeter black frame, but options include four different colors.

The dnp Supernova XL ships rolled up. It is ideal for large venues such as auditoriums and houses of worship.

See complete specs on the dnp Supernova XL here.

Here’s a video we shot of the dnp Supernova XL at ISE 2019:

CONCORD, CA (December 5, 2019) – D-Tools, Inc. and GreatAmerica Financial Services Corporation, a nationwide provider of commercial technology financing and value-added services, have worked together to provide electronic systems integrators using D-Tools System Integrator (SI) the ability to offer their clients flexible payment options for projects and services, and present them as part of the proposal process. This new integration is available now for all US-based firms utilizing the D-Tools SI software solution.

AV as a Service (AVaaS) is an alternative business structure that enables integrators to offer their clients the ability to pay for technology solutions along with product updates and ongoing service in small monthly payments as opposed to incurring a large up-front expenditure.

GreatAmerica provides an AV as a Service-like program, AV AMP, that allows integrators to bundle hardware monthly payments with their recurring support costs.

The AVaaS model benefits system integrators as follows:

• If accounted for properly, system sales can be recognized as recurring revenue, which increases the value of the business;
• Automatically builds in a service contract, guaranteeing service contract revenues;
• Has the potential to reduce the length of the sales cycle and increase close rates by transferring the decision for a large up-front investment to one with small monthly payments, and
• Provides a mechanism for maintaining a long-term relationship with the client.

AVaaS also benefits the clients of system integrators by:

• Eliminating the risk of technology obsolescence because technology is updated, as required, and
• Reducing system downtime due to the benefit of continual technology updates and an integral service plan.

“The idea of AV as a Service is finally becoming a mainstream commercial reality.  Thanks to the limitless scalability of the Internet of Things, more customers across more vertical markets are moving away from wanting to own a depreciable asset that requires more maintenance over time,” said Kevin Kelly, President and CEO of Stampede. Kelly continues, “The emerging new reality is making a ‘pay-as-you-go’ service model much more appealing to a broader range of customers. This, in turn, is creating exciting new opportunities for forward-looking systems integrators to profit from an entirely new business model based on a shorter technology lifecycles. For the past 20 years, the IT industry has benefited from a 3-year lifecycle on its products, and AVaaS provides our industry with a similar opportunity. The growth implications for our entire industry are staggering.”

Bob Lobascio, a CTS and Partner at Corporate Sales Coaches, adds, “As Chuck Wilson, Executive Director of NSCA, stated, ‘the financial health of integrators in the future will hinge on their ability to perform business model transformation.’ The key component to business model transformation has been to increase the ratio of RMR, and in the process, drive margin improvement. AVaaS is the best way to accomplish these goals.”

“Clients expect everything to be offered on a subscription, and monthly payments are critical for system integrators to sell more projects,” said Lee Rozeboom, Managing Director of Sales for the technology financing division at GreatAmerica Financial Services. “We are thrilled to offer D-Tools System Integrator users the ability to quickly quote monthly payments and add them to their proposals, along with monthly recurring charges.”

To learn more about this integration and its distinct benefits, D-Tools will host a free webinar titled, “What’s New in D-Tools System Integrator version 13” on Tuesday, December 10, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Pre-register here to attend: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2070354409988229132.

To see how D-Tools System Integrator can deliver profound visibility and results, sign up now for a free, personal online tour by visiting https://d-tools.com/live-demo-webinar/. A free 30-day trial of D-Tools can also be downloaded anytime at https://d-tools.com/hosted-free-trial-signup/.

To learn more about GreatAmerica Financial and its offerings, visit http://www.greatamerica.com.

NSCA just opened its 2020 Excellence in Business Awards entry period. Submissions will be accepted through Jan. 17, 2020; there are no entry fees. Winners will receive recognition in various NSCA and industry publications, blogs, social media channels and newsletters, as well as recognition at NSCA’s 22nd annual Business & Leadership Conference on Feb. 26-28, 2020, in Irving, Texas.

Companies with solid business sense and creative tactics continually beat their competitors to the finish line – whether it’s through successful strategies in fiscal responsibility, marketing, training, or strategic advancement. NSCA’s Excellence in Business Awards recognize integrators that address challenges head-on by implementing tactics and strategies to improve business performance.

Applications can be found here. Winners will be announced on Feb. 2, 2020, and recognized at the Business & Leadership Conference’s Welcome Reception. There, the winners will discuss business strategies and transformations with attendees.

Integrators can apply in one of six categories:

• Business Performance (establishing methods for accurate job costing, new ways to trim operating expenses, etc.)
• Employee Engagement (corporate culture exercises, increasing job satisfaction, etc.)
• Differentiating Strategies (implementing new sales strategies, growth strategies, etc.)
• Strategic Transformation (entering new markets, increasing RMR, etc.)
• Customer Experience (increasing customer satisfaction scores or repeat business, etc.)
• Talent Development (cross-training, onboarding, recruiting, career development, etc.)

The NSCA Excellence in Business Awards are here.

Just Add Power (J+P) announced this week that its new third-generation (3G) thin two-gang HDMI wall plate transmitter is now shipping. The VBIS-HDIP-707WP2 allows users to incorporate laptops and other HDMI devices as sources for its 1G AV-over-IP systems at a depth of only 1.5 inches.

Offering ultra-low latency (JPEG2000 compression), the VBIS-HDIP-707WP2 wall plate distributes Ultra HD and 4K video with HDCP 2.2 over a single Cat5e cable and supports HDMI 2.0 devices and all lossless multichannel audio formats. Additional features include CEC control, image pull and plug-play-present functionality for easy connection of HDMI sources. The unit’s faceplate is available in black or white, as well as custom colors.

Here are the specs.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – December 2019 – Known as “The King of Country” and considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time, George Strait keeps going and going. While he officially retired from touring after his 2012-2014 Cowboy Rides Away tour, Strait—who has amassed a total of 60 number-one hits, giving him more chart toppers than any other artist in any genre of music—still does plenty of live shows. Most recently, he was one of the first headliners at Fort Worth’s new Dickies Arena, playing two back-to-back, sold-out shows in late November.

With those shows and others now being mixed on a DiGiCo SD12 96 desk at front of house, Strait stays at the forefront of live sound technology. Commissioned by Epicenter Productions of Dallas, the console was acquired by George Olson, who has been with Strait since 2004.

“It was the SD12’s compact size, and the power that it packs into that footprint, that really convinced me to go with it,” says Olson, who bumped up the console’s channel count from 72 to 96 with DiGiCo’s latest software, increasing its desirability as a rental unit for his GP Productions company when he’s not using the desk for shows with Strait. “When I looked at its dimensions, I knew that it would fit in virtually any truck or trailer, or the back of any bus, so it would always be able to get to the gig,” he says. “But when I saw how many features they had crammed into that console, I knew it was the one I wanted.”

Olson cites the SD12 96’s two DMI slots, which he’s filling with Waves and Dante cards, and the 192kHz SD-Rack that’s fully loaded with 56 32-bit mic pre-amp inputs, 40 analog outputs and 16 AES connections among those attractive features. “Plus, the SD12 has the dual screens of an SD5, but in a much smaller size, which makes it great for a wide variety of types of venues,” he adds.

Needing to replace his previous console quickly—and on the cusp of a huge show in Atlanta—the FOH engineer appreciated that switching over to the new desk was fairly painless. For the sake of timing, Epicenter furnished him with a demo SD12 evaluation unit just a few days prior to the big concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Olson reports that the transition was a complete success.

“With George Strait, we don’t do a week of production rehearsals; we’ll just go and do a few songs at soundcheck and then the band leaves, so integrating a new piece of equipment isn’t easy,” he explains. “But in Atlanta, I went backstage that night and was able to build the file I needed for the show using the virtual soundcheck feature. The next night, I heard, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, George Strait!’ and with more than 55,000 people in the audience I thought to myself, ‘Here goes nothing…’ And it was flawless. Absolutely perfect.”

Olson says the SD12 96 not only packs a lot of features, but they’re so advanced that his purchase will keep bringing positive ROI well down the road. “I feel that this is going to be the compact console to carry DiGiCo into the future,” he says. “There is still a ton of headroom in the DSP, and the SD12 went from 72 to 96 channels almost the day I bought it, so this console will be at the cutting edge for years to come.”

For a list of George Strait’s upcoming shows, visit http://www.georgestrait.com/calendar.

CEDIA has announced Michael Sherman as the recipient of the 2019 CEDIA Young Professional of the Year award. Sherman is the owner/director of Henri, a CEDIA Member of Excellence company based in France. The award recognizes Sherman as an emerging leader who is making an impact on the home technology integration industry. The award elevates and celebrates the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of industry professionals under the age of 40.

Sherman joined Henri — a company founded by his grandfather in 1961 — more than a decade ago. The custom integrator has grown over the years to include offices in two cities, Paris and Cannes and now has 40 employees. Henri has been a CEDIA member since 1999. Sherman was also named Entrepreneur of the Year in the greater Paris area by the France Chamber of Artisans.

Throughout his career and involvement with CEDIA, Sherman has helped expand the association’s global presence. He has also served as a judge for the CEDIA Awards selection process.

Here’s more about CEDIA’s Young Professional of the Year award.

As you may know, rAVe [PUBS] is now part of THE rAVe Agency — a full-service creative agency that serves the AV and UCC markets exclusively. We just launched a new service called [STORYTELLING] that helps you tell your brand, product or service story using words, video or voice. No, it’s not PR — there are plenty of awesome PR firms out there; this is [STORYTELLING]. Listen to the leader of [STORYTELLING], Morgan Lawrence, share how your company can benefit from it.

Following up from my earlier blog post about buying a new TV, our household is moved to the new house. And we’re mostly unpacked.

My friend and former co-worker Mike came over last week to help me hang the new TV on the wall, and I’ve rebuilt the AV system. It’s fully functional, now I’m fine-tuning the control programming.

The thing that struck me, even though it’s blindingly obvious, is that the entire system is connected with only five cables.

Five HDMI cables, and that’s it.

It’s wild how far we’ve come.

Okay, fine, there are also power cords. But those don’t count.

Not more than a month before we moved, my antique Denon DVD player finally died. So I gave it a proper burial and treated myself to a new Bluray player.

It’s still a work in progress, but show me someone’s home system that isn’t.