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Using 16×9 video screens in ...

I have always liked the impressive size of having a large portrait size screen left and right of the stage for talking heads and speaker presentations and in the past we have usually had to  edge blend two projectors vertically per screen.

However the clever people at Analog Way have built into their newest machines a program as part of their new LiveCore (TM) platform that allows you to take a video camera picture and export it instead of horizontal onto a  9x16ft screen, but onto a tall portrait 16x9ft screen using only one projector.

How is this possible? Simply turn the projector onto its side and the LiveCore TM software will reformat the camera feed to fit a 9ftx16ft tall screen.

However if you have a lot of graphics and actual video footage to show you are going to need an imag screen somewhere on stage to show full size video otherwise everything will be cropped to fit and play on the portrait screens as a smaller image.

See the new Analog Way Live Core TM video below.

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Meyer Sound Install ihopkc

MeyerSound Install at FCF - ihopkc in Grandview, MOihopkc – Forerunner Christian Fellowship
Grandview, MO.

It is always exciting to renovate a PA system with the latest state of the art equipment and that is exactly what happened at the FCF iHOP-KC Meyer Sound install in Grandview Missouri first week of April.

Resource Group AV installed a new 15 box system in the Foreruner Christian Fellowship, Grandview, Missouri, the third consecutive Meyer Sound install at iHOP-KC produced by RGAV.

History.
Back in 2012, Stephen Brown from Resource Group AV was asked to provide a design for a new sound system at FCF. Brown reached out to his colleague Roger Gans – NY Sound Designer who was the sound designer for the 285,000-square foot Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, built at a cost of $413 Million. Gans first spent a weekend taking measurements and layout before designing the acoustical sound design using the appropriate Meyer Sound boxes for the church.
With FCF’s busy schedule it took until the first week of April for the church to have enough spare time and space on their calendar to do the install.

Install.
Firstly before the install started the electricians had to come in and put a new isolation transformer into place that would power the speakers at 220/208 throughout the building and provide an isolation from all the other equipment in the building. Resource Group AV put the bid out to tender and chose Teague Electrical as the electrical contractors who won the final bid. Ray Russell from Teague was extremely helpful throughout the whole install as well as Mark and Chris the actual install guys.

The first week of April crew from RGAV flew to Grandview to begin the install of the system.

The system comprised of:
6 x MeyerSound UPQ 1 with 3 x MPA UPQ Flyware to create Left, Center, Right clusters flown over the stage area
1 x Meyer Sound UPQ 2
6 x MeyerSound UPQ 1
2 x Meyer Sound UPA 1
4 x Meyer Sound UPJ
2 x Meyer Sound MJF212 to supplement the 3 MJF212 already on stage.
2 x Meyer Sound LCF 1100 subs
1 x Meyer Sound Galileo

6 Drive lines from the front of house gave maximum control over the Galileo for the system.
Then each speaker had its own dedicated line run to it to enable greater control over the system throughout the room.

After three days of installation, then two days of tuning and time alignment of the system, the system was ready for rehearsal by the first band of the weekends events and presentations by the speakers for the weekend.

Everybody’s reaction to the new system was how clear the sound was and the great intelligibly. Mike Bickle founder of iHOP-KC said that the new Meyer Sound system was a dramatic improvement from their previous system and Misty Edwards who is over the music and sound department commentated that she could hear an immediate improvement in tonal quality of the music and speech.

Andrew Bottom who is the head of Audio services at Grandview and ihopkc was a tremendous help in the install and worked under Roger Gans on the Galileo 616 and all the settings, EQ, etc involved.

Steve Brown

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20 Subcompact and Mini Line ...

List of 20 Subcompact and Mini Line Arrays reviewed.

KIVA Line Array
The increase of small and subcompact line arrays today has enabled almost every space to benefit from line array technology.

When Line Array’s first came onto the market their size limited their application especially in Live sound in ballrooms, houses of worship, etc.

I remember testing the original Meyer Sound MD3 in Daytona, FL in the Ocean Center Arena and thinking what a great sound and box – but totally unsuitable for anything less than large arena’s and stadiums because of its weight and size, giving it a limited scope of usability.

Keeping with  Meyer Sound as an example; Meyer Sound now has a line array for every facility and venue, from their new Milo through to Mina.

So what else is there available? Tech Decisions recently did a list of 20 of the subcompact and mini line arrays currently in use.

Click here for the guide to 20 Subcompact and mini Line Arrays from Tech Decisions.

Steve

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How much do you know ...

What do you know? Take the test.

Whatever level of experience you have in the AV field, technicians and engineers are always learning each day about new technology, as well as great tips and tricks to save time on setup and what works best with this or that piece of equipment.

But how many of the AV engineers that we know, actually sit down and prepare for exams on AV?  A lot of the time, experience is passed down first hand on the job, or in the office, or warehouse during QC and prep for events.

I am all for education. I enjoy reading about new technology but its also good to evaluate what you think you know, and then if there are any areas you need to revise, you can focus on getting that area of expertise up to standard too.

infocomm internationalI was on InfoComm International site this week and found a number of quick written tests you can download and take, to see how much you have learned so far, and see where you need to improve. Answers are at the back of the test – but don’t look until you’ve finished.

Here is their website Infocomm International-self-assement you can scroll down and see 8 practice exams to test how much you do or don’t know.
Take your time, some of the questions will make you think.

Here is the link to download  the Certificate Preparation Pretest Essentials.pdf try it and see how you do.

Steve

 

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Top 10 tips for great ...

Top 10 tips for great video projection
1 Choose the brightest projector that your budget will allow. There is a big difference between a 2500 ansi SD NTSC table top projector and a 5000 ansi HD-SDi projector, especially if you are showing video or graphics in a well lit room.

2 The size of screen(s) should be proportional to the size of audience and room size you have. A good rule of thumb is an equation of 1/10. If the room is 100ft long divide by 10 and your screen height should be approx 10ft tall. For HD that would be 9x16ft screen and for SD that would be 10.5x14ft screen

3 Check the manufacturers recommendations as to whether the projector needs to be placed level with the bottom of the screen, or whether the projector needs to be in the center of the height of the screen. This helps reduce keystone, having to lens shift too much and helps with focus on the screen edges.

4 What to do when showing graphics…

5 Type of Lenses…

6 Power type…

7 Connections to use…

8 Type of cabling…

9 Cold Stacking…

10 Lamps, lens cleaning, filters…

<- Click logo Top 10 tips for great video projection to read the full list of 10 tips for great video projection.

 

Steve

 

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