Why Your Wireless Systems No Longer Work

Click Here To Read The FCC History of Wireless Devices

If you don’t want to read the history of how and why we got to where we are today, know that we have a very small amount of air space to operate our wireless microphones, monitors, etc. We have to work around the sources causing radio interference outside and inside. Most people don’t know wireless systems compete for space with non-audio wireless equipment. In fact, wireless systems compete with things that aren’t audio-related at all. LED lighting, LED video walls, video displays and other non-audio components create interference.

Our customers benefit from our on-site service. We scan sites to know all of the interference, inside and out, BEFORE making recommendations for purchase. Some mail-order suppliers will reference online resources like this one from Shure. Frequency finders show how many simultaneous units can be used in each zip code. While these resources show what is possible in a perfect world, they do NOT show local users and the interference they may generate.

Every system we design and install has filters to reduce the interference caused without and within the four walls. Antennae are explicitly selected for the environment. The cables, length, and amplifiers are chosen to minimize noise and maximize reception. Antenna distributors and combiners ensure each receiver receives the strongest, cleanest signal from one central antenna.

We receive calls weekly from wireless users who have lost all functions of their illegal systems and don’t know why. They can’t understand why wireless can’t be turned on and left unchanged for decades without issue. Those days are over! Wireless is no longer a set-and-forget thing. It should not be considered reliable without active management. Active management requires learning to scan, choreograph frequently, and test systems to compensate for internal and external changes.

Contact us today for on-site service and training.

Cleaning and Sanitizing Microphones

Before COVID-19, microphone hygiene wasn’t much considered in live sound. In live sound, the mic's pop screen or “ball” might be replaced if it became caked with spit and plaque. Studio engineers and owners have always been aware and taken measures to minimize spital on delicate and expensive microphones.

When we speak, tiny liquid droplets leave our mouths with the air we exhale. These droplets of saliva can accumulate in and on the windscreen of a microphone, especially during close mic’ing. Although it is not very likely that these droplets will leave the windscreen, there is a possibility that the next speaker or singer will touch the windscreen with their lips. If this windscreen was contaminated, the virus could enter their body. The virus can also be transferred when replacing a windshield and not observing the necessary hygiene measures. If you touch a windshield that has just been used and it touches your face, you may contract an infection.

Protecting and cleaning microphones and accessories used close to the mouth and by multiple users is essential. Have just one user per microphone (including the accessories). Clean all surfaces, i.e., microphone housings, head baskets, and accessories, after each use, and leave the microphone unused to air dry for a while. Utilize plastic gloves, windshields, and thin plastic film bags to add protection.

We must wash our hands and maintain good oral hygiene when using microphones. It is essential for those using head-worn and earset microphones to wash their hair and behind their ears. We can transmit lots of germs behind the ears.

When it comes to cleaning and sanitizing microphones, we must understand the differences. The difference applies to all surfaces, kitchen pots and pans, dishes, computer keyboards, toilets, etc. Clean is free of visible contaminants. Sanitized is free of invisible pollutants. We should be concerned for both. A microphone must first be cleaned before it may be sanitized.

We have some general rules for cleaning the exteriors of microphones. Care must be taken not to rinse, submerge in water or clean the interior of the microphones with chemicals. Use ethyl alcohol (ethanol) or isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol), a 70% solution, to clean the exterior housing. Apply with a disposable soft cloth, a soft brush, or paper tissue. Ensure that the liquid is applied only to the outside of the microphone and does not enter the inside or the capsule. Do not use rough materials which might scratch the surface. Do not use solvents stronger than ethanol or isopropanol, as these might damage the surface. Never use sprays directly onto the microphone, as these can deposit on the membrane and thus damage the microphone capsule. Please be aware that extensive use may cause cosmetic damage to the microphone.

With some microphones, the head basket can be easily removed or replaced if the head basket is bent in any way. Go ahead and replace it. Mishaped heads affect the performance of the microphone. If you clean it, do not touch or damage the capsule! With the head baskets containing foam windshields, remove the inner foam and wash it separately, as described in the latter. Metal head baskets can also be cleaned inside with ethanol or isopropanol. You may also immerse the head basket in clean, hot water (e.g., 70°C/160°F). Do not use a dishwasher. The finish and shape of the head may be affected; spray the foam screen with Lysol surface disinfectant. Do this in another room so the airborne particles cannot accumulate on the microphone diaphragm. Let the basket and foam dry out entirely before re-assembly. A certified technician should complete any further cleaning and maintenance.

Advanced Sound & Communication has a sanitizing solution essential for churches, assisted living communities, retirement centers and community centers where those with compromised immunity systems use microphones, the RF Venue Li.LAC. This microphone disinfector yields a level of 99.99%* for surface disinfection. The independent, accredited laboratory Opsytec Dr. Gröbel GmbH has approved it.
The departments of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) have conducted comprehensive scientific studies to evaluate the effectiveness of Li.LAC. Viruses were sprayed onto microphones, similar to singing into the mic. The results show a reduction of 99.3% of the viral load on strongly contaminated microphones (including the metal grille and foam underneath) after 10 minutes irradiation inside Li.LAC.
RF Venue https://www.rfvenue.com/products/lilac

Contact us today for more information, pricing and availability

Get A New Lease on AV Life With Section 179

Advanced Sound & Communication provides audio, video, lighting, security, and financial solutions to pay for them and save capital. Section 179 of the IRS Tax Code is an incentive created by the U.S. government to encourage businesses to buy equipment and invest in themselves. An equipment lease is the best way to get what you need while saving capital.

Section 179 allows a business to deduct the total purchase price of financed or leased equipment and off-the-shelf software that qualifies for the deduction. The deduction limit is $1,080,000 for new and used equipment, with a spending cap on equipment purchases of $2,700,000 and a bonus depreciation of 100%. There are additional bonus depreciation allowances of up to 100% for qualifying equipment.

The equipment purchased, financed, or leased must be within the specified dollar limits of Section 179, and the equipment must be placed into service in the same tax year that the deduction is being taken. The equipment must be put into service between January 1st and December 31st of the year the deduction is to be taken. The IRS does not plan to waive the “put into service” requirement because of supply and demand issues. Therefore, projects should be ordered as soon as possible to ensure delivery in 2023.

We have great news for you if you are considering more than an audio, video, lighting, or security upgrade. Section 179 includes all types of business equipment, off-the-shelf software, and commercial vehicles. Our leasing partners will provide one lease for all. There are requirements, so contact us for details.

Leasing provides the daily usage of the equipment you need today with affordable monthly payments and tax deduction benefits. You can keep your capital in your business. You own the equipment without the financial hit on the front side.

Contact us for more information:

Brent Handy, CTS: 816-564-7281. brent@advancedsoundkc.com

2023, The Year For Baby Steps.

We ended December with a very different reality than expected in January. Economists and manufacturers give us some certainty for 2023. It will be slightly better than in 2022 and exponentially better than in 2020 when little Milo was born. We have already seen an improvement in order fulfillment over December 2021. As with all things in our personal and professional lives, we must remain aware of the situation, plan accordingly, and live in grace when ETAs come and go multiple times throughout the year. It is what it is for the foreseeable future. New manufacturer price lists for 2023 reflect higher dealer costs, discontinuation, replacements with new components, and slow deliveries.

The tech industry is being forced to make changes. Changes in manufacturing locations, facilities, staffing, components, firmware, and shipping will take time to implement and perfect. As with all things tech-based and man-made, there will be issues. What is essential is how problems are addressed and how quickly the manufacturers and the service providers solve them.

Advanced Sound & Communication sells only the best and most reputable brands, favoring those based and manufacturing in the USA. You can start 2023 with an experienced, respected, talented team helping you navigate the uncertainty of your audio, video, lighting, security, and control system replacement, training, and service needs. Our manufacturers have local representation and service departments with factory-trained technicians. When you have a problem, we will address it and resolve it as soon as possible. When the name of our company, Advanced Sound & Communication, was chosen, “sound” represented all things related to sound systems, and “communication” described phone and video conferencing. There was a time when companies like ours were very specialized and only did one thing. Technology, users, and expectations have changed. We aren’t limited to any one thing. We provide all things related to audio, video, lighting, security, and control systems. If you have a need, any need at all, small or monstrous, contact us. You don’t even have to ask, “Do you do X?”. The answer is probably, “Yes!” Milo is now three. He won’t answer the phone or reply to emails. But he will show you his cars, trucks, trains, and his new little sister on Messenger. He loves Messenger.

Conference Room AV: Why Audiovisual Presentation is the New Normal in Office Spaces

Corporate presentations used to follow a pretty predictable format. Speakers would address a room full of people, and maybe use a projector screen to flick through a few slides behind them. Meetings would involve a verbal discussion and some handouts. But modern workplaces require different styles of presentation, involving audiovisual options that suit the way people currently work.

At Advanced Sound & Communication, our AV experts are happy to advise on the right equipment and installation to get the best possible AV setup for your office. Contact us today!

A Better Way to Deliver Information 

Whether in schools, lecture halls, or conference rooms, it’s now widely accepted that sitting and listening to long monologues is not the best way for people to retain information. Different people learn in different ways. Visual delivery of information will be more suited to some, while others prefer to listen, read, or physically interact with information such as on a touchscreen or their handheld devices.

Audiovisual presentation allows all of those elements to be part of a teaching experience. And regardless of which method a person prefers, everybody will find multi-media meetings and presentations more engaging if there is some variety to them.

Conference Room AV Allows Collaboration 

In modern conference spaces and meeting rooms, it’s common for every participant to have their own handheld device that allows them to view or share content. With good conference room AV, anybody can link their own device to a display at the front of the room and bring up content for everyone to see. Instead of saying, “I’ll get back to you with that,” anybody in the room can pull up something from their drive or the internet for all attendees to view, share, and discuss right away. 

This kind of collaboration is a part of daily life in the workplace, and conference rooms that don’t allow collaboration between attendees will soon look outdated. Along with good displays for screen sharing, reliable connectivity is very important for collaboration, and any conference room AV setup needs faultless connectivity whether its wired or wireless. 

Suited to Remote Working 

Video conferencing is now used regularly in most offices. It saves time and money by avoiding the need for people to travel to meetings, and it’s well suited to people who work remotely. Having customers, clients, and colleagues in various corners of the country or even the world is also very common. In terms of relationship-building, video conferencing can be just as effective as having regular face-to-face meetings. 

Video conference shouldn’t mean several people huddled around a laptop. High-level conference room AV should make video conferencing as seamless as if everyone were in the same room. It should also allow for options such as dual displays, so participants can view content while being able to see the people they are conferencing with. Good quality speakers and microphones are also an important part of office AV, whether for video conferencing or to ensure that people in the room are not distracted by audio problems.

If you’re looking to upgrade the AV in your office, it’s advisable to get the help of AV professionals who think of the little details that most people overlook. At Advanced Sound & Communication, our AVIXA CTS certified technicians are on hand to help with installation, upgrades, and repair. Contact us here!