Making Sound Improvements; Reviewing your AV for maximum impact

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When was the last time you reviewed your AV?  Does it always creep down the agenda as budget gets allocated to other projects?  

Making sure you are getting the most from your AV doesn’t have to mean a full scale refurbishment project.  By appointing a specialist AV consultant to carry out a review, quick fixes can be identified to help you to get the most from the AV you currently have, both for your clients and staff alike.  An AV review will also identify how things can be improved further with more investment over the longer term, to really make a difference to your venue and the customer experience that you offer.

Do I really need to review my AV?

Ask yourself a few simple questions;

• Is your current AV problem free?  
• Do you know what AV systems you currently have?  
• Do you still talk with the contractor who installed your AV system?
• Do your staff have the correct training to get the best from your current AV system?  
• Are you fully embracing new technology in your conference and meeting rooms?  
• Is your AV giving you the edge on your local competition?

If the answer to any of these questions is ‘No’, then you could definitely benefit from an AV review.

For example, if you offer meeting and conference facilities you will realise that modern delegates are very technologically savvy and have a lot of AV requirements.  Are your conference and meeting rooms offering the facilities to enable;

• BYOD capability
• HDMI connectivity
• HD resolution projection
• Interactive presentation facilities
• Collaborative meeting spaces
• Audio for conferencing from both phones and mobile devices
• Projection bright enough to view without dimming the lights, enabling delegates to still view their note pad
• Loud, even and clear sound and vocal reinforcement throughout a room to hide external sound sources and create the emotional impact required by the speaker or presenter?

An AV review can help you to determine how to offer all of these facilities effectively to business guests, helping to ensure that they continue to choose your hospitality venue.

What can I expect from an AV Review?

CGA Integration are specialists in sound.  We can attend your venue, survey, test and quantify the AV systems and review the hardware you currently have. We specialise in AV for restaurants, bars, spas and hotels, where we design, install and maintain AV systems across all hospitality areas from conference and meeting rooms through to lobbies and ballrooms.

As experienced installation and service engineers, CGA Integration will look holistically at your AV systems and review them, not just as a stand alone systems, but also as part of your overall trading system and how it currently sits with market requirements.  We will consider all aspects of AV requirements including those that affect both your staff and your customers relaxation and business needs.

An AV review by CGA Integration will ensure that;

1. Your AV systems are working as you expect
2. You are offered best options and paths for upgrades to maximise your AV effectiveness
3. You are offered the best and increased levels of support

Here at CGA Integration, we have often found that all some AV systems need is a little TLC.  With a few minor changes to facilitate new and additional functionality, existing AV systems can often offer our customers key differentiators to really help them to sell and upsell their hospitality venues.

So why wait?  Please get in touch to release the full potential of your AV systems and make a sound investment for your hospitality venue.
Info@cga-integration.co.uk

CGA Integration; ensuring a sound Brand Fit for you

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Technology can be a minefield. The pace of development is fast and the breadth of choice on the market can be staggering. What brands should you choose to ensure the best quality sound or lighting systems in your venue? The task can be daunting.

That’s where CGA Integration can help. We pride ourselves on our objectivity; we are not tied into using one specific brand and do not hold any items in stock, giving us maximum flexibility to choose the best products for you.

When we design a sound, light or video system, we spec each piece of technological equipment based on the individual needs of a customer for that specific project, so you know you will be getting the best possible solution for your venue.

The suitability of equipment has many variables; price, functionality, size, colour and shape, to name but a few, but possibly even more important in the longer term are; reliability, ability to support and a clear road map to illustrate how upgrades and future features can be added to your systems when they are needed. CGA will consider all of these factors before recommending what we believe will be the best possible solution for you and your venue.

Here at CGA Integration we can help to steer you through this technological maze. We will always specify quality products but are open to installing and supporting new technology as well as tried and tested options. We have a well established successful relationship across the pro audio, lighting, video and automation supply markets and are proud to have access to most major brands. We are proud to be approved
installers of the following Brands;

• Amina invisible speakers
• EV/Bosch sound processing, amplifiers and speakers
• Iris Net sound processing software
• Future automation product
• Sennheiser radio microphones
• Media Matrix digital sound processing system
• Systemline
• Cloud electronics

and are happy to specify, install and support others such as; JBL, Crown, Crestron, Hantarex, Mitsubishi, Crest Audio, Robe Lighting, Annolis LED, Samsung, Phillips, Formula Sound, Somfy, Kramer, Signet, Apart, Klein & Hummel, BSS, QSC, Sure and many more

Contact CGA Integration and let us ensure that your new sound and lighting systems don’t cause you a headache but are music to your ears.

For more information on how CGA Integration can help you with a specific project please contact us on: 0845 058 4650 or e mail us on info@cga-integration.co.uk

We know exceptional venues require exceptional partners.

Why buy a Radio Microphone licence?

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Act now to prevent ‘Silent Nights’ this Christmas

With the deadline for operating UHF wireless microphones using channel 69 swiftly approaching, users need to think quickly about obtaining a microphone licence and check that they have all the compatible hardware they need by the end of 2012.

Do I need a microphone licence? 

The answer to this frequently raised question is generally yes!  Anyone who is using a microphone be it for a company presentation in a hotel function room or a sermon in a Sunday morning church service, needs a microphone licence to safe guard the quality and reliability of their broadcasts.

Why should I buy a radio microphone licence?

Holding a microphone licence guarantees your use of a designated frequency to broadcast on without the concern of others being able to legally utilise that channel and interrupt any presentations or broadcasts you may be making.

Why the change now?

Recently the government sold off may frequencies which people were broadcasting on, including channel 69.  As many users were broadcasting illegally or without licences, the number of active users was masked and it appeared that the sale would affect far less people than it actually has.  Subsequently many users have had to replace their hardware to continue to broadcast as these channels will no longer be available after 31^st December 2012.  Moving forward, if all users hold a licence this will clearly demonstrate the number of active users and help to prevent this from happening again in the future.

What about other users in my venue?

Hotel function rooms and church halls are often used by DJs for corporate or private functions.  DJs can broadcast on licence free channels and these will not interfere with the licensed frequencies you want to broadcast on.

What about the hardware?

Generally the equipment needed to operate on licensed channels is of a higher quality, with more accessories, which in turn provides superior performance.  Typically licensed hardware includes;

• A rechargeable battery system so you know your microphone is always ready for use and you do not have to constantly buy new batteries.
• External and specialist aerials to ensure that you have a perfect reception in all areas.
• Rack mountable accessories to ensure that you equipment can be stored neatly to improve its longevity and give good ROI, (return on investment).
• A good range of interchangeable microphones and heads for all types of voice and sound reinforcement applications.

What do I need to do?
If you are unsure about how to proceed to ensure that you are ready for the switch over at the end of 2012, please contact us at CGA Integration and we can talk you through all your requirements and the steps you need to take to make sure that the transition is seamless.