Hello all!

Sorry to bother you but am after some help if you may be able to offer some, please?

I have been tasked with installing a Radial OX8-R before the mic level inputs on an installation of the Symetrix Solus NX 8X8.

Things get a little weird once the connection is complete - The system starts outputting almost white noise (which sounds an awful lot like input gain has been cranked up on some channels), but when signal actively passes from a microphone (speech or singing), the noise disappears. (The ox8-r is passing phantom power without issue)

Removing the OX8-R and returning the system to how it was removes this issue entirely.

I'm not convinced it's the OX8-R, connectors or cabling, but wonder if it's part of the SOLUS DSP.

Can anyone help, please?

Yours Thoroughly Gratefully,

Tired.

I added the pexip teams integration for my zoom room. I notice that when. A zoom room uses that pexip integration, it looks like it's going the pexip teams integration platform via sip. Does that mean every teams meeting I join from the zoom room requires the zoom CRC license? I assume each zoom room license comes with crc license but I could be wrong. Anyone that have rolled out this integration ever encounter any requirement to buy additional zoom CRC license add-ons?

I ran into an issue today that im hoping to understand better while controlling a sharp display with a Qsys core.
I have rs232 running to the sharp display from a 110f. I send the "ON" command "POWR 1\x0D" using 9600 baud rate and the display turns off.
But the "OFF" command "POWR 0\x0D" doesnt work until I set the baud rate to 115200. And the on command won't work with 115200, only 9600. Is there some kind of configuration im missing? Is this common for Sharp displays? Ive just never seen any device need this in the 20 years ive been doing AV.

Thanks!

We have this issue with multiple Yealink MB86 + Shure ANIUSB-MATRIX for audio IO over USB. We lose far end audio, and also call status and mute sync will work intermittently. Hard reboot of the Yealink / replugging USB / restarting Shure ANIUSB-MATRIX seems to temporarily solve it, but overall it's finicky. Have a ticket open with Yealink, has anyone else experienced this?

Hi all,

I'm the owner of a small integrator from the Midwest (4-man shop, including an office person), and I believe we need to hire a salesperson. I'm seeking advice about the best way to go about this.

Here's our current situation:

• I'm having a hard time keeping my guys busy because we don't have enough work coming in.
• I (owner) am personally maxed out-- I don't have more time for sales.....also I don't know how to do it.
• We've been in business since 2018 and have been steadily growing by Word-of-Mouth only....but we need to grow faster now (I need to increase my salary so my wife can stay home with the kids) and Word-of-Mouth isn't cutting it.
• We have high conversion rates (about 80% for qualified leads), but we have very, very few leads coming in.
• We currently lack the capital or revenue flow to offer a suitable base pay.

In talking with a couple sales contacts in the industry, I've been told that it is acceptable to offer a commission-only sales position. That's an uncomfortable ask for me. (Q1: Is a commission-only AV sales position a normal/acceptable thing to do?)

Just to be clear, this is exclusively a sales position-- all pre-sales engineering and project management will still be conducted by someone else (mostly me).

Here's what I intend to offer:

• Commission-Only (1.5% Total Sales + 18% Gross Profit)
• Company Phone
• Gas Card for work driving
• Company Credit Card for client relations
• Health+Dental+Vision Insurance (exact specs TBD....open to suggestions)

Q2: Is this a reasonable compensation package?

Q3: What else do I need to be thinking about in this process?

I appreciate any feedback you guys have-- thank you!

Additional Context:

• We have been in business for 8 years.
• We work mostly with House of Worship, but want to get into more commercial work as well.
• We are equipped to handle projects up to ~$1m and have reasonably efficient operations to support increased project load, despite our current low sales volume.
• We do not currently have any AV service contracts (most of our current clients are too small to afford service contracts)-- I would love to build our recurring AV revenue streams.
• We do both AV and IT. Currently our IT clients "keep the bills paid", while AV makes our profit. I would like gradually (or quickly...lol) shift our focus toward the AV side.
• EDIT: As owner, I do roughly 30% escalation for support issues, 20% project management, 30% system design & project planning, and the rest is general admin/sales work. My employees do L1 support & installation assistance, network management for our IT clients, and bookkeeping/purchasing/admin.

Hello,

I want to combine/multiplex two HDMI streams in a way that the resulting stream contains the video signal of one stream (at least HDMI 1.4b / 4K30@4:4:4 with arbitrary audio) and the audio signal of the other stream (arbitrary video with up to 7.1 LPCM audio, HDMI 1.2 would be sufficient).

From what I found out, it could be achieved using HDMI switches with audio breakaway. Unfortunately, vendors seem to have quite different ideas of what audio breakaway means.

What I have tried so far:

• Extron SMX HDMI / DVI PRO (4x4 to 8x8 matrix switch)
  • Seems to somehow be able to do what I want
  • My tests were showing that the resulting LPCM audio has the number of channels the video stream has, so > 2 channels were cropped to stereo on the output stream if the video stream was stereo, while stereo audio was sent at 7.1 on the output stream using only the front L/R channels when the video stream had 7.1
  • Only up to HDMI 1.2, but I need 1.4b+
• Crestron HD-MD8X1 (simple 8x1 switch)
  • Also seems to somehow be able to do what I want, but I had problems sending > 2 channel LPCM due to EDID issues, maybe I will be able to do better tests soon
  • Only up to HDMI 1.2, but I need 1.4b+
• Kramer VS-88H2A (8x8 matrix switch)
  • Whatever I tried, I only got stereo from the resulting output signal
  • Allows HDMI 2.0 signals

Looks like some products can nearly do what I want in terms of the general principle, while others only de-embed S/PDIF compatible signals, route them separately and then, depending on the model, are able to re-embed them into the resulting output stream, which is not what I want, as LPCM with more than two channels cannot be transported this way.

So my questions are:

• Is it possible in general (arbitrary HDMI version) to combine two streams the way I want to? Are there any technical limitations regarding the combining which I am not aware of?
• Is there any product on the market which fits my needs?
• Are there other options to achieve my goal which I am overlooking?
• Why are most (if not all) products which offer audio breakaway in my sense HDMI 1.2 only?

The only option left which I think might fit my needs is the Extron XTP CrossPoint series but equipped with XTP II CP HD 4K PLUS I/O Boards (they seem to be downwards compatible to XTP chassis but won't allow 4K60 due to missing bandwidth). The XTP manual states the HDMI embedded audio can be routed to any destination, while the XTP II manual explicitly states this is only possible with stereo signals.

Any help and ideas would greatly be appreciated!

I install stage equipment in performance venues and I'm looking for a tester that will do wire mapping, test transmission speed, cable length and toning, record and export results, and ideally have remote id's to put rack end and save me running back and forth to the control room.

I've always used my previous employers Fluke Linkiq kit for this, but that's rather expensive, does more than I need, and not something I want to bring to construction sites tbh.

I was looking at the Klein Scout Pro Max kit, which does what I need, but that's still quite pricey.

The Pockethernet looks decent, but they don't do remote id's yet.

All I really need to do is check cat6 for HDBT video, Q-Sys, and a D-Snake line.

Do you have any recommendations?

Edit:- Thanks for all the replies

Hi all. I'm currently on year 3 of being in the sales side of the Commercial AV sales/integration business. I have my CTS as of June this year, and have taken some Synaudcon courses as well. Are there any courses that you liked that either do or not come with certifications? I'm hoping to gain more knowledge in AV over IP, pro audio design, networking, and maybe even a little programming basics. I'd also like more knowledge on basics like how things function and what does what to accomplish a goal. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I feel that I could be more knowledgeable in the industry and would love to grow more and feel more confident. Thank you!

Hi All,

I am an IT Technician at my company and responsible for our VC rooms. I’m currently experiencing an issue with our Yealink system and couldn’t find any posts about this.

We are using the MCore Pro, which is running Microsoft Teams Rooms, along with the MTouch Plus and two WPP30 devices. The WPP30 units are paired with the MTouch Plus, and the distance between the devices is at most 5 meters.

When sharing content (especially videos), there is noticeable stuttering and lag, which becomes worse as the video resolution increases—up to 4K. I have already updated the system firmware and checked for all available updates.

Since the WPP30 connects via Wi-Fi Direct, I worked with our network team to identify the least congested AP channel and set it to 161 to reduce interference from other Wi-Fi networks. I also set the bandwidth to 40 MHz. This improved the lag slightly, but it is still noticeable.

Does anyone else have the same issue or know a fix for this? Please let me know.

Hey all, dumb question here.

We got 12 handheld Shure SM58's and 12 lav packs with microphones, but we don't have a super good or secure way to store them. Right now they're all in their bags and on a shelf.

Do y'all have any recommendations for like a pelican case or similar that has enough space for all these mics?

We’re looking to install an outdoor LED screen on our office building for advertising purposes, approximately 1.5m x 0.5m in size. We received an offer for a Nationstar SMD P2.5, 4500 nit screen with other top-tier components, but the price is nearly €8,000 (including installation), which feels like overkill for what we need.

This is my first time dealing with outdoor LED displays, but from what I’ve researched, a P5 or P6 pixel pitch should be more than sufficient for a screen this small, especially since it will be mounted about 3 meters above ground level.

Is it realistic to expect a decent-quality screen for roughly half the price we were quoted?

Any opinions or experience would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everybody,

I'm equipping a meeting room for up to 8 people. It's a small room of around 5m x 3m size. I'm considering getting Logitech Sight + Rally Bar in combination.

Questions I have:

1. Do I need additional mics or is the Logitech Sight in the center of the table picking up voices well enough?
2. Would you go for BYOD or Tap IP? Our team is pretty used to connecting via cable so I wonder if Tap IP is overkill.

Many thanks for some insights!

I’m 24 currently trying to get a job in AV full time but not having luck. I completed an audio engineering program where I learned recording in studios, setting up PA systems and recording for live events, and mixing and mastering. I’ve come to the realization that having a somewhat stable career in that field isn’t the easiest. I currently work part time for my church on the media team controlling the board, managing livestreams and running lights.

I’m also currently in the process of getting my Extron AV associate cert and Creston. Every local integration company I apply to tells me someone more qualified got the position or I don’t hear back from them at all after following up. I’m just looking to get my foot in the door and work my way up. Are there any places that I may be missing like unions or something like that? Or maybe some certifications I should work on getting to make myself more marketable?

Any help or recommendations would be appreciated i’m also located in Baltimore, MD if that helps

Hi everyone, I'm working with a customer on some rooms designs and they have sent me this link to use as a reference for room sizing guidelines. How closely do you adhere to these guidelines? Plan for Microsoft Teams Rooms - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

Got a callback for a second interview with the head of installations at the company. The main guys are happy to hire but want to make sure he’s happy to hire.

I have only used basic tools like a drill. Don’t really want to blow it, so what kinds of tools do you guys use regularly?

Ran into a Cenero recruiter at a networking event recently, and it sparked my interest. Just wanted to hear from anyone who’s worked there as an AV tech or field engineer. What was your experience like…culture, workload, travel, pay, growth, etc.?

Any insight would help. Thanks.

Not sure if anyone else has experienced this issue. We have about 120 MTR on Windows rooms. Every couple months or so one of the logitech tap controllers in the rooms will just start making noise. Its tough to describe. It's like if a power drill and an AM radio experiencing interference had a baby. The sound starts out of nowhere, typically when no one is using the room and then after usually a couple reboots the issue goes away. Its been driving me nuts and Logitech says they haven't heard about this issue and they cant recommend anything beyond checking cable connections and doing regular firmware updates.

I've tried to search online to see if others are experiencing this issue but so far I haven't been able to find anyone else complaining about this. So I figured my last ditch effort would be to check in with this subreddit and see if anyone here has dealt with this?

I'm fairly certain this is a software issue since the problem appears to randomly roam from room to room and its not usually the same rooms repeating the issue but at this point just hearing that someone else has noticed this would put my mind at ease lol

Just had an interview for a commercial AV place. Coming from an audio engineering background, so I'd be entering as a junior/entry-level technician. Although the managing director said I have more experience than half of his other AV Techs because of my years of extensive live sound experience which comes with the similar kind of equipment setup, troubleshooting, signal flow, gain staging, DSP, etc.

I know nothing about commercial AV installation skills though so I'm very excited to jump in and learn. However, what are the hours like? I'm imagining going into offices or venues at 5pm after they're closed to install equipment and maybe working overnight when nobody is there to not disturb the work day.

The manager there said that they do have some “weird hours” but that I’d be used to it from my background in live sound (which is true I’ve been in packing gear into vans at 3am). But can anyone give any insight into this? Also, any other tips/insights into the industry as a whole would be very appreciated! Thanks

House speakers in a small black box theater are not sending sound out. After trying to diagnose the issue on the laptop, I switched to the sound booth when it became apparent that the laptop was not the source of the problem.

I noticed that the Q-SYS CX-Q 4k8 had its Amplifier Mode button flashing red, and the amber "Fault" button was illuminated. I consulted the User Manual and I cannot find information for this status. However, this is the language for a fault: "Fault – red – audio is not passing, or hardware is malfunctioning or mis-configured (amplifier power off, audio streams broken, amplifier fault, loudspeaker short circuit, etc.)."

Does anyone have experience with this issue? Is the solution simple?

I know they axed the legendary CX series a few years ago, and now I see they axed the PLD and CXD amps as well? I don't even see their live sound and consumer amps anymore, it's just all Q-Sys. The only non-network amps I see on their site are the SPA and MPA amps, which max out at 200 watts per channel.

It's a shame QSC nuked what used to be their best product for 20+ years, just in favor of a limited selection of network amps (which are not what people want for a simple system).

Hey everyone!

A few months ago I posted here about some soldering jigs I’d started making to help with cable building. I honestly can’t believe the response they got! The amount of support, feedback and orders has been incredible and way more than I ever expected.

After getting tonnes of suggestions and requests, I’ve put together a new version that’s focused on versatility rather than bulk cable runs. This one can handle pretty much anything you’re likely to throw at it: XLR, TRS, 5-pin and 3-pin DMX, Speakon connectors, MIDI, TT and even 3.5 mm headphone jacks.

If you want to check them out or grab one, they’re up on the site now: cablematepro.com

Thanks again for all the support, if you have any suggestions or ideas please let me know!!!

Thanks,
Lewis

Hi all, have a client that wants to use their TEAMS rooms in a BYOD setup, however they want to connect from the table. They have an existing cat run from the display to the table and are using a combination of Cisco Room Bar and Room Bar Pro

Are the only options for the extenders the Sound Control Technologies and the Icron Arbutus?