CategoryProject Highlights Archives - Audio Visual Bend Blog

DIY Music and Workout Studio

January 9th, 2021

 

 

Earlier this year I found myself in predicament. Late at night, I would like to lift weights, work out, and do a bit of overtime, all while blasting music to keep the energy up. This quickly caused a problem as the rest of the household didn’t appreciate the concerts I held in the middle of the night, not to mention the neighbors that didn’t want that either. So I had a couple of options, I could go to a 24-hour gym (which at the time were open but little did I know that would have been a temporary fix) Or I could design my own workspace that would reduce the sound by drafting an acoustical treatment plan. 

 

Avoiding the sweaty gyms and having the freedom of being in my own home while having the option to have my music through a speaker was a no brainer choice. So my wife and I designed an acoustical plan. 

What is an acoustical treatment plan? 

 

In short, it is a design that will solve your problems and make the room better for recording and listening to audio. When making an acoustical treatment plan you need to decide what your main problems are and how much coverage you need. Most people need between 25% and 75% coverage. This is only for the walls and ceiling. Most people forget when treating a room that the ceiling is just as important when it comes to treating a room as the walls are. So when buying or collecting materials make sure to pick up some for the ceiling too. 

 

How do you go about it?

 

When I was making mine I decided to use scraps from a previous project. I had odd shapes of sound silencer material, which was perfect for the outcome but the shapes would be a creative challenge. My wife and I spent time maneuvering the pieces into intricate designs that would get the job done while still being aesthetically pleasing. This process saved us money and kept our room design unique, compared to the typical soundproofing methods. 

 

Find a store that sells soundproofing materials then draw out a design for your room while placement is important that doesn’t mean you can’t make pieces that look good in the right places. The sound silencer is a unique product, from an initial look it looks like styrofoam but it is actually tiny engineered beads molded together, which is both functional and pleasing to the eyes.

 

After implementing this plan the sound was reduced drastically. I now have a place where I can do work and be as loud as needed while others can sleep peacefully just a wall away. My wife and I had a great time working on this together it was a good problem-solving experience and gave us some extra time together. Most people think that acoustical treatments are eyesores…and they wouldn’t be completely wrong. It’s great that we were able to come up with something that worked for our space and looked cool. 

Putting soundproof panels behind canvas pictures, or cutting them into unique designs are simple ways you can make acoustical treatments a designing choice instead of a functional eyesore. This project was cost-effective, made use of old material, and solved our main problem. 

By Tony Sprando

Sources used

https://advancedacoustics-uk.com/pages/how-much-acoustic-treatment-should-i-install

 

New Avocor Interactive Touch Screen for Visitor Center

May 11th, 2017

The Lava Land Visitor Center needed an interactive display screen.  So, we recently installed Avocor’s 65” Ultra HD 4K interactive touch screen. And then, we followed up with a customer satisfaction interview with Cristina Peterson, Lead Ranger with Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Read more »

Does Your Tech Translate into Increased Revenue?

February 8th, 2017

 

Every IT and Office Manager should be asking themselves, “Does our technology translate into increased revenue?”  And although it’s a compelling question, the answer is even more important for the bottom line of a business.  I believe that it is more common than not that technology is purchased and implemented with an optimistic point of view rather than an objective one.  If you might fall in line with this way of thinking, I challenge you to change the way you think. Read more »

Part 2 – Featured Podcast – New AV for the Riverhouse on the Deschutes

December 9th, 2016

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Welcome to Part 2 of the Sound and Video Contractor featured podcast with Tony sharing more about the Riverhouse project.  The following is the transcription for your easy reference or you can click the link below to listen to the 10-minute interview.

Click here to download and listen.

This is the SVC Podcast from Sound & Video Contractor Magazine with Tony Sprando of Audio Visual Bend. Show notes and equipment links for the podcast are on the web site of Sound & Video Contractor Magazine at svconline.com.

The Riverhouse on the Deschutes hotel in Bend, Oregon got a complete renovation for its meeting areas and for a quite different ambient environment in its bar, restaurant and lounge. That called for Symetrix DSPs and JBL speakers. Tony Sprando is back to finish the story on how Audio Visual Bend got the job done. That’s right here on the SVC Podcast. Read more »

Riverhouse Renovation and AV System Featured on SVC Podcast – Part 1

November 29th, 2016

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We are so pleased to share that the Audio Visual Bend team has been featured on another national media site – Sound and Video Contractor.  The following is the transcription from the SVC Podcast from Sound & Video Contractor Magazine with Tony Sprando of Audio Visual Bend.  This is the first part of a two part series.

Click here to download and listen.

The fabulous Riverhouse on the Deschutes hotel in Bend, Oregon got a new owner and a complete renovation down to the concrete. An all-new AV system for meeting areas and the bar and lounge was needed and Audio Visual Bend was called in to design and install it. Tony Sprando is here to tell us all about it. That’s coming up on the SVC Podcast. Read more »

Landscape Music Systems and Sound – Outdoors vs. Indoors

November 22nd, 2016

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By Guest Writer: Isaac Imig, Owner of Integrated Audio/Video

There is a beautiful new memory care facility in Bend, Oregon called Mt. Bachelor Memory Care.  On their website, they state:

The mission of Mt. Bachelor Memory Care is to serve the special needs of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other forms of memory loss. Equally impressive is our commitment to providing you and your loved one with impeccable service at every level. Every day at Mt. Bachelor Memory Care we make it a goal to go above and beyond to enrich the lives of our residents. We offer exceptional care, innovative wellness programs and life enriching activities in a family atmosphere to create a community that supports the needs of those who live here.

A few months ago, the AV Bend team was contracted to participate in the impeccable service the Memory Care staff are striving to provide their residents.  What did they do? Read more »

Holding 10,000 Lumens in Your Hands

October 5th, 2016
Movie Night at Lave Ridge Elementary School

Movie Night at Lave Ridge Elementary School

A Mix-up for Movie Night

This past Friday, the PTO of Lava Ridge Elementary decided to host an End-of-Summer Movie Night in the playground.  What a good idea to bring parents together with the kids to enjoy one more good community event before the cold sets in. Read more »

TV Placement for a Fitness Room in a Hotel Chain

July 20th, 2016

 

This week, I am working with a hotel chain and the placement of a TV in a Multi-Purpose Room/Fitness Room. The typical math behind TV placement is to place the center of the TV screen approximately 10-15 degrees above eye level.  Of course, we have to consider the distance of the TV from the viewer. And naturally, the furniture and exercise equipment layout determines this. Read more »

The Many Uses of Audio Visual

December 16th, 2015

What is meant by the term “audio visual”? In a nutshell, it is the use of both sight and sound, typically in the form of slides or video and recorded speech or music.

 

This is the essence of what I do every day to help people use audio visual in business, church or educational applications. One area that will never cease is the need to rent a system for a day. No matter what the state of the economy, people want to use audio visual for selling a product or for entertainment. The most common uses are the types of events that are a part of people’s lives. Weddings and memorial services need microphones and a sound system. Celebrations of all kinds need a sound system for attendees to enjoy music. Video projectors and screens are commonly rented to add a visual element to all of these types of events. The more advanced requests may be Video Conferencing, Live Streaming or recording.

 

This post is to visually highlight a few daily rental events we did in 2015 such as:

Read more »

Audio Visual Design, the Oxford Hotel Group, and Hospitality

December 15th, 2015

Have you ever stayed at one of the hotels in the Oxford Hotel Group? If not, I encourage you to enjoy one of their locations in Oregon, Washington, Idaho or California. If yes, then you have most likely experienced their commitment to hospitality in all areas – lodging, dining, and also, audio visual surroundings.

This 2015 Project Highlight was my professional dream come true. In 1994, I started in the Hotel Industry taping down cords for audio visual events in a Ritz Carlton. Fast forward a couple decades — I had the opportunity to work beside the Oxford Hotel Group as they built a hotel from the ground up in Bellingham, Washington. Personally and professionally, I felt a bit spoiled working on this project since they owned their own Cessna (which delivered me to the site within forty-five minutes from Bend!).

Read more »