Finding an A/V installion company...how'd ya do it?

[JoeyUnity]

When searching for an audio and video installation company where was the first place you guys searched? Search engines? A magazine? if by a magazine which one?Trying to figure out the best way to locate a good and reputable installation company. thank you in advance.

[Brad Weber]

Originally Posted by JoeyUnity

When searching for an audio and video installation company where was the first place you guys searched? Search engines? A magazine? if by a magazine which one?Trying to figure out the best way to locate a good and reputable installation company. thank you in advance.

First, figure out what it is you are looking for them to do in terms of both the scope of the work and the scope of their services. For example, some installation companies may generally only install systems they also design and sell, others may be happy to procure and install a system that somebody else designed or even install what somebody else designed and procured. Others may be very good with larger projects but struggle with smaller ones (or vice versa). It may help avoid dead end paths if you know as much as possible what you are looking for in and from a provider before starting to look at potential providers.

The best sources for recommendations and references are usually other churches, other venues and others in the industry. I do always add the caveat to consider what role the person you speak with may have actually had and if they are providing direct experience or more rumors and hearsay. I've had past clients give poor references because of things that had nothing to do with our work and in some cases that had even specifically been excluded from our scope or were done by others, but somewhere along the way we got associated with the results.

Industry groups like InfoComm (http://www.infocomm.org/membersearch/index.asp) and NSCA (http://www.nsca.org/Home/IndustryRes...0/Default.aspx) have member search resources that can at least provide a starting point to get some possible firm names. And since you posted the question here, definitely consider those that give their time and efforts to CMN, most probably do not expect any such direct return but it is still nice to support those that are investing their time and effort to help others.

[Esoteric]

Yeah, we get recommendations from all over. But we have had the same guilt by association problems from time to time.

[bobbycito]

if you have any members who are tied into the industry you can check with them, also look at community teathers and other churches, and like venues in your area.
Ways to find companies could be looking at the manufractres of products you are going to use and look at the local dea;ers and installers for your area. Also do you one 1 company to do it all or companies that are more specilized (Audio, Video, Lighting).

[[Admin] osborn4]

We talked to similar sized churches in the area.

[Josh Scott]

We hired a AV consultant/designer, he designed and decided what equipment would fit the room the room then got bids to have it installed.

[Gracetech]

It's pretty easy for me to separate the chaff from the "Good Part". Usually when i move into an area i get all sorts of recommendations and i will ask some of the more highly recommended to come out and consult on a project and if he doesn't know his stuff i'll shut him/her down pretty quick. Alot of times i simply use installation companies as just that, installers. If they will allow it and usually after talking with me for a little while they have no problem doing that.

The problem with most installation companies is that they get stuck in a rut of doing things one way and while it might work great for making things look great you don't always get the best design for usage. When you talk to installers talk about usage and they will give you their spill on it and then think about that usage and if that works for you then you will probably have a good installer.

If you know someone in the industry that has a good understanding then you might want that person to weed through the installers for you.

crt

[Esoteric]

Very true Chad. We will do anything consult only, supply only, or install only, or we will do it all from beginning to end.

There are tons of posts around here about the difference between consulting and design/build firms and the pros and cons of each.

As far as getting "stuck in a rut" there is one caveat. Sometimes we are not stuck in a rut, but we do something the same way every time because that is the way it must be done.

[Gracetech]

Mike just to add clarity that was more of a jab at the design element when it comes to getting in a rut. Like most things this just applies to a certain percentage. I understand using standards when it comes to rigging and such. It's more of the placement of speakers that usually drives me up the wall. A couple of firms that i have correct work for in the past just never learned that having the mains hovering over the 1st to the 3rd row is a bad idea. It's not that the mains were rigged poorly or wired incorrectly just not placed well for the room and seating. It was like they place the loudspeakers were ever they wanted them not even taking into account of the seating. Some i believe just had too much faith in front fills and hoped they would some how penetrate the people in the first row to fill in the next few rows. I've even fixed rooms where the mains didn't even pick up until the 9th row back. Makes me sad.

crt

[Esoteric]

I am with you chad. But, for instance I have had to hang stage lighting before at a 60 degree angle to the subject because that was the only suitable rigging point for stage lighting.

Just throwing out another possible side to things.

[Gracetech]

I've always had walk away power when consulting so it was either do it right or don't do it at all, or atleast i wouldn't do it. If i had no choice but a few rigging point then i would adjust the height until it was at or below 45degrees. If it wouldn't work because of sight lines then i would pass on the install. I have to say that it's not to often that i have found places that i couldn't rig things. If the structure couldn't handle the rigging much less the gear then i would advise against the project.

The most important thing a consultant can do sometimes is kill a project. I've seen to many close calls and accidents from a project that should have been killed. Instead the sales person looking to make a sale would sell a project promising alot of what he/she couldn't deliver.

That's probably a good question to ask now that i think about it. How many projects have you NOT done...because things would not work right or would not be safe.

crt

[Brad Weber]

Originally Posted by Esoteric

As far as getting "stuck in a rut" there is one caveat. Sometimes we are not stuck in a rut, but we do something the same way every time because that is the way it must be done.

There are indeed times that one does something a certain way every time because you discovered the hard way that other approaches don't work or because you tried various approaches and that particular one worked best. There is also a natural tendency to continue doing what you know works until something is proven better or until what you did is no longer viable or effective.

This can apply to both contractors and consultants and there are potentially both pros and cons to it. The primary difference to me is whether it is a matter of applying a known approach or solution because it is a good response to the situation at hand versus applying it simply because it is what you know and/or how you do it.