Have meetings in your Dallas, TX, office been less productive or engaging than you would hope recently? Your audio might be to blame: Sound issues are one of the most distracting issues you can face while video conferencing, but we have a few solutions to try. Keep reading to see how to mitigate audio setbacks and engage your staff with the help from the DeVance Electronic Lifestyle team.

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Maximize Your Microphones

You want everyone on the call to hear your message, loudly and clearly, but you’ve probably experienced poorly installed incoming audio that sounds garbled, quiet or staticky. Figuring out exactly where to place your microphones often requires a professional audio-video integrator’s skills, so that’s where we come in.

Have you ever asked someone to speak up in the conference call, only to get louder volume with more distortion? When we perform video conferencing equipment installations, we place microphones close to the people speaking so that sound quality doesn’t depend on volume. Digital sound processors, or DSPs, can distinguish between people speaking and noise, while automatic gain control can fine-tune your sound so that your microphone balances both your louder and softer-spoken participants.

Also consider whether omnidirectional or directional microphones work best for you. Many people think omnidirectional microphones at first because they pick up sounds from multiple directions: This effect captures audio from people speaking all around the room. However, omnidirectional mics pick up ambient noise, too.  Directional microphones target the meeting participant close by, and many microphones include DSP processing capabilities to clarify incoming and outgoing audio alike.

In today’s offices, you see a complete transformation from the business scene of just ten years ago. Alongside less fluorescent lighting and fewer cubicles, another lasting trend we’ve noticed is the huddle room: According to recent market trends identified by Frost & Sullivan, huddle rooms are projected to replace almost 70% of all meeting rooms by 2022.

What is a huddle room, though? It’s too small to be called a conference room and too business-oriented to be a break room, so imagine, if you will, something in between. Maybe two or three employees want to spend half an hour rehearsing a presentation but don’t want to book a conference room. Or a peer leader wants to instruct an employee on a topic that needs a visual aid. In these instances and several others,  a huddle room proves a handy tool in your overall commercial audio video and automation setup. Why would your Dallas, TX, office need one, especially when you already have a few conference rooms? We’ll explain below.

SEE ALSO: 3 Commercial Audio Video Trends You Need to Know

A Welcome Break From an Open Office

The open office concept seemed to crop up in nearly every business last decade. According to a 2010 study by the International Facility Management Association, 68% of people worked in an office with either no walls or low walls–and the number has undoubtedly grown.

Regardless of the cons of the layout, which we’ll discuss below, owners continued to build them for their cost-efficiency and collaboration benefits. Some studies have noted that banishing the closed-door office has leveled the manager-employee playing field and made executives seem more approachable.

If the headline seems like a simple question, you're probably well on your way to building a security system that will keep your Dallas, TX, business safe. But for many business owners, there's a lot of confusion surrounding the topic. What's the difference between surveillance systems and smart security cameras? Which one is right for your company? The answers are a bit more complicated than you might imagine. Keep reading to learn more.

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Surveillance Systems

A surveillance system is a network of devices designed to record and store video information for security purposes. That includes cameras, DVRs, and the appropriate digital networking to make it run.

You're probably already familiar with cameras, but as technology continues to develop, there are different types of cameras you should be aware of. For instance, a security camera is any camera that's part of a security system. But a "smart" security camera is one that connects to your smartphone, tablet, or computer to offer a direct feed and controls remotely.

Smart security cameras are typically self-contained systems. They’re designed to give you visual access to an area. They often boast features like connectivity with other smart devices and offer a small amount of local storage. They’re perfect for small residential spaces but not great for larger, high-traffic commercial areas.

A distributed audio system lets you play your favorite songs in any area of your Highland Park, TX, home. Wouldn’t you love to host a party where the speakers pulsated with the same beat throughout the house and the patio, playing your favorite song for the entire party to hear? What if you could pause your movie halfway through and resume it in another room because your audio-video equipment was perfectly in sync?

Welcome to the world of whole-home, high-performance audio. If you’re starting out with a single-room setup, and the prospect of adding music to every room feels daunting right now.

That’s why we always recommend enlisting a tech integrator’s help before trying to DIY your multi-room audio. We partner with the best brands, such as Origin Acoustics and McIntosh, and we know how to strategically wire speakers for the optimal sonic experience. Keep reading to see a few options to weigh when we look at your home.

SEE ALSO: What Is Whole-House Audio Video?

#1: You Enjoy Entertaining

You’re that person that can’t imagine a single holiday passing without throwing that one party that everyone talks about. Everyone has a different entertaining style: You might go all out with a five-course dinner party or chill on the sofa during a game day event. Perhaps you decorate for elaborate themed soirees. Or maybe you convert your biggest room into a dancing space where you can drink cocktails with friends all night long. No matter what, your Control4 system facilitates playing and pausing music, switching tracks, adjusting volume, and anything else you need to manage.