 At Lambda Audio Visual we always want to make sure we spec the right tool for the job. As AV integrators it’s our job to take multiple tools and combine them into one functional, practical system. We love it when we find one great product suited for a specific task. This time that product was the Maxhub IFP or Integrated Flat Panel. This is a unique piece of equipment that we installed in a workspace and will continue to become very popular option for many businesses and collaborative community spaces!
When NAMI or the National Association On Mental Illness was moving into their new space they reached out to us for technical recommendations. They had a double meeting room with collapsible divider in the middle. They wanted this space to be functional for just about every type of meeting. Nami’s needs were a Zoom room, Microsoft teams, a white board, PowerPoint presentations, music, the list goes on and on.
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"Don't cross the streams. That would be bad." |
 | After weeks of rigging and installing tech gear, it’s on to wire pulls at Cross and Crown (CC). In preparation for starting at CC, we worked with their electrician on conduit layouts throughout the building to provide safe, easy places for wire runs. We tried to plan ahead by leaving space not only for what is needed now but for any future wire that might be added to the building later on. On this, as with many of our installs, we use a high-speed network backbone with fiber optic in between network switches to condense normally large groups of wires and provide flexibility. We still have plenty of analog speaker lines, camera lines, and other cable runs, but it certainly helps to reduce the amount of cable in a space. |
| With a map of the conduit in the building, we were able to produce a list of all the needed wire runs. To streamline the process, we built a schematic listing the start and destination for each wire as well as any stops it needed to make in between! Once wires are pulled, we begin “terminating” or putting ends on them and plugging them in. With the wiring complete and terminated, we get to move on to installing gear and racks, and beginning to move the final pieces into place to begin testing. It's great to see pieces being put in place and equipment turned on! In just a short amount of time, CC will be up and ready to move into their new building, but for now, we hope you have a restful Thanksgiving week! |  |
The phone began to ring and when I, Ryan, looked the caller ID read WJFW-TV in Rhinelander Wisconsin. I assumed it would be a scam call but answered anyway. On the other end, Marty and Walt from WJFW-TV were calling to discuss a previous article we wrote on an early PTZ camera design. The system they owned was a similar version to what we wrote about many years ago. When they saw how much we liked the system, they wanted to ask how we got it to work so well. I laughed, “We didn’t!"
When I (Ryan) was in high school, I took a series of courses from D20 as part of their tech pathway. These courses were all about becoming a Cisco Certified Network Associate. These classes offered basic understanding of how to setup, design, and configure computer networks. Fast forward to post college with a degree in Broadcast Video Production that I never thought I would use, but today basically all our Audio, Video, and Lighting systems use networks and use them in advanced ways.
 | When we first connected with Woodmen Valley Chapel (WVC) it was to look at solutions for specialty pan tilt zoom cameras for streaming. However, in a passing comment the tech staff noted that they had many problems with their Dante audio networking setup, and it wasn’t in a stable configuration. Talking with the staff about the issue, we were able to present a solution we knew would stabilize things for them. This solution was replacing the older network switches with a properly configured set of Netgear series M4250 switches. |
When it comes to networking today, the simple “dumb” switches, or switches straight out of the box, simply aren’t enough for demanding, time critical, AVL (Audio, Video, Lighting) events and systems. So much data is moving around in these systems that it is absolutely critical to have switches configured correctly for the protocol or service being used. In this case, Dante audio requires large loads of audio specific timing and multicast settings to make sure audio is delivered on time and the clock is never dropped.
| You might have noticed we’ve been a little quiet lately. We’ve been gathering and putting the final details on a few big, exciting projects! Over the next few months, we’ll be equipping a new build with brand new AV and will highlight the steps from finishing construction to a functional meeting space! |  |
We often break down entire video systems and give you an overview of everything we did on an install. This time we wanted to provide you with a glimpse into some of the thought processes of deciding what gear you should choose and how different combinations of equipment can change the result of your production.
While there is no wrong answer to what camera or lens you should select, you want it to fit your use case. When picking out the configuration of your AV gear, it can be hard to find the information required to even start to figure out what pieces you want, let alone what you actually need. We often see this come up with the Ursa Mini camera by Blackmagic Design. Blackmagic offers several Ursa Mini camera variations, and on top of that, multiple mounting options: Pl, B4, EF, etc. Let’s look at a quick overview of these.
We all know that the last few years have brought a lot of new ways in how people interact with AV. It has highlighted the area's businesses will need to focus on as they build their systems and seek to keep people engaged and connected through changing times. So, what does this mean for you, and how does it affect your vision for your business?
Many churches get to a point when growth, new goals, new building, or just equipment age forces them to think about upgrading. Everything might still be working reasonably well, but it’s harder to accommodate new asks or larger worship teams. Or perhaps the equipment is just old enough that parts are no longer available and your confidence in it lasting through a weekend just isn’t there anymore. If this is the case, where do you even start to make a plan? This is really where Lambda comes in. Rocky Mountain Calvary in Colorado Springs hit a point where their equipment was old, goals were changing, and budget was available to make some changes, so they reached out to us looking for an idea of what steps to take next.
When we met up with the RMC tech team, they expressed first of all wanting to upgrade the audio system. The tech team very much wanted a new soundboard and waves audio plugins. When we saw their building though, we noticed speaker system was more than 10 years old and had lost much of the fidelity from when they were installed. They also just didn’t fit the space as well as new technology could. So, we suggested upgrading the speakers first and then replacing the soundboard, integrating waves audio effects, and maybe even some new mics. This would ensure they would have good audio from the absolute start to the end. We met up with the team from RMC several times to build request lists, talk about dreams and goals, and even moving through older equipment talking about what new equipment is capable of. In the end, they decided on upgrading four major areas: Camera lenses and a video switcher, speakers, soundboard, and house lighting. We also discussed future steps such as led walls and staging pieces to add dynamic.
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