Investing in AV systems is a major investment. Planning to replace the system is usually the last thing on anyone’s mind when the system is installed.  After a few years, if working well, the system is taken for granted and over time individual pieces of equipment begin to fail or are outdated by advances in technology.  Then comes a time when either there is a system failure or a partial failure and a cry goes out to replace the system! And there is a scramble to find the money to repair or replace the system! Is there a way to be prepared for the inevitable?  Yes!

All equipment has a life cycle. Planning for future replacement can be organized.

Build a master inventory of each system and its components.

This inventory should list purchase dates, an estimated life of each piece of gear and space for recording repairs.  For example:

Crown CTs 800 amplifier, Purchased 4/2012, Est. Life: 8 years, Repairs: _______

Shure SM57 microphone, Purchased 3/2009, Est. Life: 3 years*, Repairs: ________

* In the case of the very portable SM7, the life cycle includes a loss factor.

How does one determine what the life cycle is for each piece of equipment is?

Ask your Audiovisual Integrator! Or check manufacturer web sites.  Look at the   warranty for each piece of equipment.  The warranty is a good indication of how long the manufacturer believes the equipment will last (a rule of thumb is two years beyond the warranty).  Manufacturer’s estimates are usually based on average use. How the system is used will also play a part in how long a system will last.  If a system is used 24/7, or is used in a hostile environment (outdoors) or is loaded in and out of buildings on a regular basis, the life cycle may be significantly shorter than a system that is build into a conference room or a church.  Over time, the record keeping will be key to figuring life cycles for gear.

How can the life cycle of equipment be extended?

The most effective way to extend the life of an audiovisual system is to properly maintain all of the equipment.  Proper maintenance can reduce repair costs and extend the life of a system. A good maintenance partner can point out potential problems before the system shuts down.

Live Technologies offers service contracts that can be tailored to meet the needs of any facility. Live can assist in doing an initial inventory, provide life cycle estimates and assist in planning for the future. Call today to find out more!

Looking forward to Summer?

Does the hectic pace of the life of your organization slow down a bit when Summer arrives? While members of your organization and/ or students are basking in the sunshine, it’s a great time to catch up on maintenance for equipment that experiences heavy use during the rest of the year.

Projectors, amplifiers, dimmers, even cables and connectors need attention to stay in good operating order.

Is the control system functioning correctly?

When was the last time that filters were cleaned?

What is the status of the lamps?

When was the last time that the software in any of your systems was updated?  When was the last time that the speakers were tested?

How about wall jacks, cables and microphones tested?

Live Technologies to the rescue!
Live can be the Lifeguard for you AV systems.
Summer is a busy time for Live Technologies!
We want to make sure that Live can schedule maintenance for your facility.

Call now to insure that your summer can be stress free!

For decades, VGA (Video Graphics Array) ports have been essential for connecting laptops to presentation systems. In the switch from analog to digital video signals, laptop computers are making the transition from VGA to HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). Soon, consumer devises will no longer come equip with a VGA port, but instead, will come only with the HDMI port.

Why HDMI? HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. HDMI transmits a better quality video signal, offers High Definition audio, a more secure content protection, and enhanced communication between the video source and the display source than does VGA.

What does this mean for me? (A) Because the HDMI output is digital video and VGA is analog video, the switch will require a converter. Unfortunately, a VGA to HDMI adaptor cable does not exist, so a converter will become a necessity.  As you might imagine, most schools and conference rooms that are outfitted for analog video will need to be converted to digital video.  (B) If you have copyright material embedded in a PowerPoint presentation, the content will not play when the computer output is switched to HDMI.

What’s happening to VGA? By 2014, new models of consumer devices will no longer produce High Definition video with an analog video connection. (For Blu-ray players it was January 1, 2011.) New computers having the capability to play HD video will only get HDMI output connectors.

The switch is referred to as the Analog Sunset.

A Real Live Pro’s Perspective

Live Technologies! Service Technicians have the Certified Technical Specialist certification. A CTS certification means our technicians have met the industry standard, as required by Infocomm, for both knowledge and experience in the audiovisual field. To begin your switch from VGA to HDMI, contact the Live! Service Department at 614-278-7777.

Cracked and worn cables, and broken and bent pins on connectors may work for a while, but they may also fail at the most inopportune times. Be sure to inspect your cables before use. It doesn’t hurt to shake or twist the cable to insure that it is working properly. It’s better to find the crackle or the distorted video before it finds you!

Live Technologies recently partnered with Gerling Associates to bring the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Discovery Zone exhibit. The exhibit, a 40-foot long truck, has been touring the U.S. since its debut in and aims to educate people on food safety in a fun and interactive way.

In December 2011, the truck returned to Columbus for routine maintenance and upgrades. Although the truck rides on an air ride chassis, which helps protect the electronics from severe potholes and bumps in the pavement, U.S. highways can take their toll on sophisticated electronic displays, such as the Knife and Fork clock. Reworking the clock was, perhaps, the greatest challenge of the project. The Knife and Fork Clock is a combination of mechanical and computer control used to rotate the knife and fork (which look like the hands of a clock) to four different positions on the face of a clock that identifies food safety parameters. Finding the right combination of sensors and the correct weight of the knife and fork “hands” was critical to getting accurate performance from this display.

The majority of the upgrades were intended to make improvements on the ergonomics of working in the vehicle.  Live relocated positions of computers, printers, monitor and playback devices to allow the operators more freedom of movement and ease of operation while operating the exhibit. The original design called for all of the electronics to be installed in the storage area over the cab of the truck, which meant U.S.D.A. staff had to crawl into this space to make adjustments to trigger playback, retrieve data and to retrieve documents from their printer. Live! relocated media players, computers, keyboards and monitors to the galley kitchen and installed the printer in the bathroom (very convenient!). The display automation was upgraded with a new, larger Crestron touch panel and additional programming. All of upgrades were accomplished in a ten-day period, before the vehicle was delivered back to its home base in Beltsville, Maryland.

Check out this video to see the inter-workings of the USDA exhibit.

Whether using a flashlight at home, or a remote control for a video conferencing unit at work, we rely on batteries to help us function everyday technologies. Dead batteries can leave a person in the dark—literally—or stranded during the middle of a presentation.

Here are a few tips on how to check the battery life in technologies you use everyday:

Wireless microphones

• Typically contain a four-segment indicator for the life of a battery. Segments can be found on the transmitter on most microphones and on some receivers.
• Rule of thumb for changing the battery: two segments or less = change the battery
• Check the battery life of each microphone before conferences and meetings. If the meeting will last all day, start with a fresh battery.

Wireless remotes

• Typically don’t have meters that show how much battery is remaining
• We recommend that you change the batteries in handheld remotes once a year to prevent failure.
• Frequent use of wireless remotes may require batteries to be changed more often.

Rechargeable batteries

• When buying rechargeable batteries, make sure the charger unit has an automatic shut off when the battery is charged. Over charging batteries will shorten the life of a battery, and even rechargeable batteries have a limited lifespan.
• Crestron, the industry leader in system automation controls, recommends that rechargeable battery units be changed once a year.

It’s a new year; why not start with new batteries in all of your wireless units. Live Technologies can help!

Have your wireless microphones developed buzzing, dropped their signal frequently, or not been working at all? We may know why.

The FCC has licensed a new low power TV station, broadcasting from downtown Columbus, which is affecting wireless units around the Columbus area. The broadcast frequency range is TV Channel 44 or 644 to 656 Mhz. If you have a frequency agile system, fixing that buzz is a matter of finding new open channels. Live Technologies Service Department can help you get your systems running like never before, and buzz free!

Call us at 614-278-7777 and ask for the service department.

Columbus, Ohio - October 20th, 2011 – Nominated for the second year in a row, LIVE!  Technologies received the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s 2011 Community Arts Partnership Award.  This award recognizes outstanding support of local arts in the past year.  LIVE! Technologies was nominated in 2010 by BalletMet, and won this year after being nominated by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.
Award recipients were announced at GCAC’s annual Community Arts Partnership Awards luncheon on Thursday, October 20th at COSI Columbus.

The benefits of a strong, continuous partnership with an audiovisual vendor are invaluable to non-profit and arts organizations.  Central Ohio organizations retain LIVE! Technologies not only for their expertise in audio, video, lighting and staging, but because LIVE! never sacrifices creativity even – or especially – when budgets are tight!

In true partnership, LIVE! Technologies’ lifetime of in-kind donations on behalf of the symphony easily approach $250,000. LIVE! is also a steadfast partner for the symphony’s annual Music Educator Awards program.

LIVE! Technologies understands exactly what is at stake with each and every project, and they deliver on the details to make the right impression for guests, patrons and audience members. LIVE! is a valued partner and generous supporter of many different organizations, and the result is a more creative, financially stable arts community.

For more information about the Community Arts Partnership Awards or to see a complete list of nominees in all categories go to: http://www.gcac.org/community-arts-partnership/community-arts-partnership-nominees.php

Network like a Rock Star at LIVE! Technologies on September 23rd with Columbus Business First, presenting sponsor Expedient Communications, and hundreds of Central Ohio business professionals.

Where: LIVE! Technologies

When: Friday, September 23rd from 7am to 9am

Parking: Complimentary at Haydocy Buick GMC, 3895 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43228 (Tour bus shuttles will be provided to LIVE! Technologies)

• Take a backstage tour of LIVE! Technologies
• Enjoy live music
• Complimentary breakfast suited for a Rock Star
• Network with hundreds of Central Ohio business professionals at LIVE! Technologies
• Pitch story ideas to Business First editors and reporters
• Register for great door prizes
• Take advantage of special subscription rates
• Outdoor event (weather permitting)
• For more information and registration:  http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/event/44761

Exhibitors: Nationwide Insurance, DeVry University, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and CareWorks Consultants, Inc.

About Our Sponsors:

Venue Sponsor- LIVE! Technologies is your one-stop-shop for audio, video, lighting and staging, as well as creative development and show content. LIVE! Technologies produces Business Theater and Conferences, Galas, and Special Events, Concerts, Festivals, and Community Events. LIVE! Technologies also designs and installs permanent audiovisual equipment for Boardrooms, Classrooms, Theaters or Churches. Contact us at: 800.83.STAGE or visit us at:  www.reallivepros.com

Series Sponsor- Expedient Communications may be new to Columbus but is certainly not new to the data center and managed services community. With 8 data centers across the Midwest and up the east coast, Expedient has a suite of managed services such as cloud computing, virtualization, remote backups, management of equipment and more, all interconnected with a 10GB fiber backbone.

Martin Professional, Inc. is hitting the road for the second leg of our 2011 Road Show! The Road Show is a 20 week, 15,000 mile tour that’s headed to a city near you. Martin staff will travel to 32 cities across the country and hold over 120 events for local customers. The “Engineered for the eye” Road Show tour is an innovative approach to relationship building that brings Martin directly to as many important lighting professionals as possible: LDs, end users, dealers, design houses, system integrators, venue owners and operators among countless others.

Join Martin and the Real Live Pros at LIVE! Technologies on Tuesday, August 30th from 10:00am to 4:00pm!  Check out Martin’s trailer full of new, innovative products, and enjoy a free cookout lunch!

Click to Register:

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2071059595

June 21, 2011

9:30AM – 5PM

Free Admission!

LIVE! Technologies will host Yamaha Commercial Audio as its Showroom/Classroom truck rolls into town on Tuesday, June 21^st.  Join us for a day of Yamaha training seminars and equipment demonstrations!

Four instructors from Yamaha will be on site to discuss a full menu of topics throughout the day, including:

• EtherSound and Dante audio networks applied to digital SR and recording consoles.
• M7CL V3.5 Series console upgrades, including M7CL-ES + SB168ES Digital Snake.
• StageMix IPAD application for remote monitor mix control of M7CL and LS9 consoles.
• New File Conversion software for popular consoles: PM5D, M7CL, and LS9 Series.
• New Dan Dugan “Automixer” Card option, compatible with all Yamaha DSP models.
• Hands on “Tips & Tricks” with all levels of our SR & Recording Digital Console families.
• Supplemental handouts & useful technical guides and resources.
• Q&A with Leland Green, Martin Dombey, and other Yamaha product specialists.

A full day of workshops will be complimented with a catered lunch and a drawing for a Yamaha Micro Stereo System. Please plan on attending this unique and FREE event at LIVE! Technologies: 3854 Fisher Road, Columbus, Ohio 43228. Be sure to reserve your spot by June 10th!

Contact Dawn Jacobs at djacobs@reallivepros.com or (614)278-7777 with any questions. We look forward to seeing you soon!

***SPECIAL***

10% off all Yamaha items from 6/21/11 – 7/31/11