Portfolio
Random Wireless Microphone Dropouts?
A church in the suburbs of Chicago was having seemingly random wireless microphone dropouts on Sunday mornings. We traced it to a set of frequencies that were also being used by emergency services. Once we tuned to better frequencies the dropouts stopped and the microphones have had flawless reception ever since.
PCI-DSS Network Audit
A business failed their PCI-DSS compliance audit based on an analysis of their computer network. We were presented with the findings and went to work. Our solution was to segregate traffic based on type onto different subnets, close all existing inbound connections, setup VPN access for remote users, implement a next generation firewall with intrusion detection and prevention, and deploy data loss prevention software to of their point of sale tills. They were able to request a re-scan of their network and gained compliance without issue.
Audio System Design, Installation, and Commisioning
Another technology company needed to supplement their team for a large audio, video and lighting project at a church out of state and subcontracted us to design, install and commission much of the audio system as well as act as a liaison to the church’s IT staff. We visited the end user’s site and took some measurements and some pictures. We proposed a solution to them based on their budget and stated objectives including modeled acoustic coverage. Once approved, we had all product delivered on time to the site and traveled back there to advise the rest of the installers and commission the system. The client was elated with the sound; it was the first time they had plenty of gain before feedback, uniform sound everywhere in the room and higher fidelity than they had thought possible.
While there, we were also given a fun additional project: the church also wanted an upgrade for their gym but were budget constrained. We took components that we had removed from their old sanctuary and gym systems and measured them to verify function and specification. Then we created a model to test the ideas, and with the blessing of the project manager, installed two complete systems—one configured for the room as an assembly space, the other only covering the bleachers for sporting events. Both covered their areas to within ±3dB and the only cost to the church was our labor, wiring, rigging supplies and a mixer. As for timetable, since we didn’t need to have anything shipped in, we were able to do this on a quick turnaround too. The church walked us through their goals for the space on Wednesday afternoon and we turned over the systems to them on Saturday evening.
Best Paging System Ever
A research, development, and manufacturing company was having trouble with their paging system. Their pages weren’t being heard in most of their building. Additionally, in the areas where the system could be heard, radio interference caused disruptions throughout the day. We upgraded the system’s amplifier, fixed wiring and input interface issues, added transformers where they were missing and tested the system thoroughly. When we were finished, all areas of the front office, labs, warehouse and plant could hear clearly and the interference had been eliminated. We were told that the system hadn’t worked that well in over 30 years despite multiple other companies coming out to try to fix it.
Student Center Audio Problems Solved
In a church’s Student Center, a previous audio company had installed a whole rack of amplifiers and 10 speakers. Coverage was uneven, intelligibility suffered and the system was unnecessarily complicated. We were able to re-design the system with existing parts, dropping from 10 speakers down to 3 and only one 4 channel amplifier. We then used the other speakers in the building of two more systems—saving the church a large amount of money—and the church still had parts left over. Not only that, but their Student Center is more even and more intelligible than ever! Feedback is a thing of the past and many people have commented on how good the system sounds.
Theatre Program Audio Support
For a large children’s theater program, we provided technical support, building racks of wireless microphones, visiting the venues to analyze the RF environment, coordinating radio frequencies, training volunteer operators, setting up and troubleshooting sound and lighting systems and being on call for the crew for both rehearsals and performances.
Adding Turnkey Live-Stream Support
A local church wanted to expand the impact of their ministry by adding a live-stream. We installed a turnkey solution designed to be operated easily, including a high performance PC which we configured to be optimized for stability and efficiency to return the computer to their management rather than Microsoft’s unwanted bloat and spyware. The church already had network support and we were careful to work within their structure and document all of our additions as well as be available for any later questions.
Cafe-Gym-Atorium Acoustic Problem Solving
A church and school regularly put on large scale musicals in their cafe-gymn-atorium, but excessive echo and reverberation made intelligibility challenging and a low frequency buildup that made music almost impossible. They were rightly concerned about the cost of acoustic treatment without having a strong understanding of its effectiveness so we measured the acoustic response of the room and were able to quantify both their starting point and their goal. This allowed us and them to have confidence that the prescribed solution would be correct. At their request, we walked them through the physics and the math and took them on a tour of another similar facility. They self-installed acoustic absorption and we re-measured. In the end, all frequencies were brought under control with the worst problems showing the most improvement and to use their own words, they were “thrilled” at how “the space has been transformed in such a positive way from where we started.”