Category: Lighting

Using Equipment To It's Capacity

5/5/2020

During social distancing we at Lambda have made sure to include lots of training into our days! Not only have we brushed up on our OSHA training, but we’ve virtually attended a Danley Sound Labs seminar, BTX’s Stem Audio systems and so much more! Now is a great time to learn more about your equipment or do some trainings you’ve been putting off until you have more time. We hope to come out of this social distancing equipped with more knowledge and information on new systems and refreshed on our favorite ones. We hope you can do the same!

Why You Need an Audio Visual Integrator for You Next Project

4/1/2020

What does it matter? I can do it myself...

There are some who feel like they do not need a professional integration company or an Audio Visual design engineer when they change the AV system in their business. Perhaps they have a background in operating tech or maybe they are quick learners and feel confident they can easily plug new equipment in and start using it for a new project. Where there is a possibility you could get away with this once, chances are things won’t go according to plan. We’d like to take a minute to tell you why you need to consider having a professional Audio Visual Integration company for your next system install.

One.

What does an Audio Visual Integrator or design Engineer do for you anyway? AV engineers have specific skills and usually specialize in a certain area. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying that it takes a village to put on a production, just so, it takes a village of experts to design, process and install an AV system. What’s the benefit? With each person involved they bring skills to the table to take you from the very beginning design steps through to completion. They have the knowledge to make sure the equipment you buy will not only work but has the functionality to do what you want. They can come alongside your team and understand what your ultimate goals are. Armed with the big picture, an AV engineer can then find the balance between function and budget.

In addition, they will make sure that the new items are compatible with existing equipment. Maybe you’ve found the perfect lighting control wall plates, but just aren’t sure they will work with your network. Or your camera is in perfect working condition, but you need a different memory card. Perhaps someone in your organization already spent the money on new projectors, but you have no idea how to mount them properly or at the correct distance. These are problems we’ve been able to solve or spot in advance of them becoming problems. This is where an Integrator can come alongside you to help! There’s nothing like getting a new piece of tech and finding out the rest of your components won’t work with it.

When to Update to the Latest Equipment

2/17/2020

It's New and Fancy, but is it Right For You?

Last week we looked at knowing when it’s time to replace your equipment or if you could “hold it together” with a repair or a patched in new part. This week we wanted to take a different look at updating equipment. How do you know when you should update your equipment with the latest and greatest?

This line of thought is much like when you are considering to update your phone to the most recent model that just came out. You know it’s out, fancy and new, everyone is talking about it and everything in you is screaming, “I want one too! I want to be like the cool kids!” We all want to have the newest tech on the street, but sometimes it’s a hard decision to make when we have limited funds and our outdated equipment is still working. So, how do you know when to go for it and get that new piece of tech and when to wait?

To Upgrade? Or Create Something New?

2/17/2020

Deciding When Your Old System Needs Something New

If your main Audio Visual system has been installed for a while you might be starting to wonder if it’s time to upgrade your system or start from scratch. We all try to save money if we can and Audio Visual is certainly an area we want to save money in. Sometimes a simple update in a piece of equipment is all you might need. Other times it might save you money over time to create a whole new system. How do you know when you can no longer upgrade? When is it time to tear out your legacy system and start over from scratch?

With older systems there are several options you might take: wait it out, simply maintain, or eliminate completely. Each has its pros and cons. Let’s walk you through each one.

If you wait as long as you possibly can to upgrade, it may save you money now but will probably cost you in the future. Many times, these systems are relied on a weekly, if not a daily basis. By waiting until pieces of your system fail, you put yourself in a position where you must make a quick, pressured decision to get the system back up and running. And sometimes you must settle for a piece of equipment that you might not like as much because the one that you want isn’t available that quickly. Or you might have to spend extra money to rent equipment until your new equipment can be ordered and installed.

Lighting Maintenance Pt. 2

1/25/2020

To continue with our Lighting Maintenance Checklist we wanted to highlight cleaning your console area. Where cleaning your actual lights may only need to be done every 3-6 months, the console gets used all the time! We’d suggest doing these items every 1-2 months.

The obvious points are to clean off the dust and fingerprints from your equipment, so often it may be the software updates, etc. that are more easily ignored. We all know it’s never good when your equipment forces itself into an update. At that point who knows how long it will take to restart?
Just like we mentioned in our Audio Maintenance articles, it’s a good idea to back up your show now and again for the same reasons. You never want to make it to the day of the show and an update to erase everything, or for an accidental mistake to delete everything you worked so hard on. It’ a simple task, but paramount in making sure your show and equipment continue to run smoothly for years to come.

We asked John Tabor, a lighting professional who runs shows across the country, for his pro tips to care for lighting equipment to write these articles. Be sure to check your inbox again if you missed last week's Checklist on caring for your lights.

"John has worked on projects as big as the world’s largest aquarium, a Super Bowl halftime show and the Grammy’s."

Check out
@zebraproductionslive
on Instagram!

Lighting Maintenance

1/25/2020

If you’ve worked with Lambda, you know we are big fans of taking care of your equipment so it will last longer and serve you well while you have it. We’ve put together several resources for you about maintenance (Click here for free Resources), so what could be better than to continue with Lighting Maintenance? This time, we brought in a good friend, a lighting expert, to help us put together this information. John Tabor put together a list of things he sees as important to maintaining your lighting equipment. Tabor owns Zebra Productions Live and with over a decade of lighting experience he has worked on projects as big as the world’s largest aquarium, a Superbowl halftime show and the Grammy’s. John now puts on many Christian conferences across the nation and supplies us with much of our LED lighting fixtures. Ryan has worked alongside John Tabor to produce shows across the country for many years now, so it seemed only natural that when we wanted lighting tips, we would ask John.

"John has worked on projects as big as the world’s largest aquarium, a Superbowl halftime show and the Grammy’s."

Check out @zebraproductionslive on Instagram!

Or visit www.zebraproductionslive.biz

Using Equipment To It's Fullest

5/6/2019

One of the biggest things we like to push at Lambda Audio Visual is using your equipment to its fullest. Almost every piece of equipment we work with and sell is positioned not only fill your needs but to grow with you. Our tech tip this week is non-other than the equipment user Manual!
We affectionately speak of this amazing tool on our crews as our most important and knowledgeable crew member ‘El Manuel’ (of course we say it with an accent). “Have you checked with Manuel”, is a common day to day saying for us. This is because while our training's do a great job of getting teams started and helping to solve problems, it’s only when you dig in to what the manufacturer has designed the equipment for that you can fully understand it.

Lambda Design Services

2/19/2019

Here at Lambda Audio Visual we, like many of you, love to dream and try ideas with our company. One of the tips that we love to pass along is for you to visualize what it is you really would like to do and how you would like to communicate in your space. It's not just about what products you want to use, it's about creating the atmosphere to accomplish your goals and to create new dreams. That's why we are announcing a service we have been providing over the last year now as a tech tip available to all our customers!
Introducing Lambda Design Services. We know that it’s hard to make decisions based on a list of items, or even based on pictures of other rooms, buildings, and auditoriums.

With that said, we want to help you see what your room can look like based on your dreams and ideas. Take a look at some of the ideas we have put together over the last year. There are so many wonderful ways to show content with one regular size screen, two screens, an ultra-wide screen or even with a combination of screens and LED walls. Try us out, ask us to put together some views of your space, all we need is some measurements. Usually there is an additional cost involved, but because we want you to use the service and get benefit from it, any payed cost for Design is a 100% discount from services, installation, or products ordered based on the Design drawn up for you by Lambda. Try this out and try some fun new ideas, colored lighting, interesting screen sizes and shapes, or LED wall. Let us help you design your dreams and make them come true!

Creating Modern Meeting Places

2/5/2019

AAFCU Case Study

Meeting rooms in recent years have made a major transition in space needs. Gone are the days of a central computer at a podium or lectern in the corner or a large rack of automation equipment. The purpose is no longer for a single executive to speak to a room of employees. Meeting rooms today are dynamic environments with a number of people presenting in a live and cooperative environment.
This is where we began with AAFCU a local credit union in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Their IT staff came to us with the challenge of cleaning up an aging mess of wires and updating technology to turn an often-used board room space into an environment for creativity and corporate inspiration.
The first goals set were to clean up the existing hardware that had been ad hoc over the years for conferencing. Next they wanted to update viewability around the conference table for better engagement of all employees. The staff at Lambda Audio Visual set out to understand the problems of the conference room and it's designated uses and put together a solution to make the room usable for a new generation of meetings.

Superlux Communication System

2/5/2019

Here’s something new for you to check out! The Superlux IS-103 is a complete wired intercom system that provides clean, clear communication for video, film, broadcasts, house of worship and schools! This Superlux is a great low cost solution for auditorium and church staff communication between positions. It uses simple XLR mic cable and can support up to ten belt packs so you can keep everyone in the loop!

Comfortable, lightweight and easy to use, this could make communication seamless for everyone involved in your project. We love finding and providing affordable options for our clients for all your needs. If you are looking for something in particular, don’t hesitate to ask!

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Authors

All of the Lambda Staff contribute to the Blog. If you have any questions about the info we provide, please don't hesitate to ask!

Resources

Check out our resources page for FREE checklists and tools we mention in articles! We are here to help you improve and maintain your Audio Visual Systems!

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