Audio Visual Installs

What is Involved in an AV Installation?

Speakers to supply the sound, lighting to supply the mood, TV’s or projector and screen to provide the entertainment event or the information. It can take any part or all of these, depending on your application requirements. From a couple of speakers and a TV for information in a doctors surgery to a full on club Install that requires many speakers and video screens to create an unforgettable experience for the customer.

How Much Does an AV Installation Cost?

Every Installation is different. We would always visit each venue, whether it is a small café bar or a theatre to make sure we are specifying the right product for the job. Until we get to a site, we have no idea of knowing what is required, or indeed how many are required. Will the venue require Sub Bass as well as the wall speakers? This will depend on the type of music and atmosphere that the venue is hoping to create. Does the church require TV’s or a projector and screen? Again, until we visit and get to understand the project, what we can and can’t do within a listed building for example, will ultimately influence our recommendations and discussions with the customer.

Is Audio Visual Equipment Expensive?

As with a lot of components that make up all types of Installation work, we would never advise to use cheap components. When you consider how long these items will be expected to last and how much use they are going to get, plus the labour cost of replacing certain items, it is not cost effective to buy the cheapest. There are many components that we consider to be within the mid price category. These items probably represent around 80% of our installation work. We pride ourselves on offering items that represent great value for money and will always balance this with working within your budget.

How Long does an Audio Visual Install Take?

This is a question that we get asked a lot and another reason why we  will always where possible, arrange an onsite  meeting so we can evaluate cable routes, speaker positioning, establishing that there is enough space in the office cupboard to house the control accessories, such as the equipment rack.  When we quote for an installation job, the length of time that it takes will always be highlighted. Now and again there are exceptions to this that are unforeseen, such as being on site with other contractors that require the same working space for example. This can sometimes prolong and extend the installation time.

Should an AV Installation be Done by Professionals?

We understand that some of the Installation work could be carried out by a 3rd party, such as the site electrician that may be doing the rewiring for example. You may know someone that is capable of doing some or even all of the Installation work. This is why the service across our group is split into 3 sections. We always prefer to carry out the complete Installation. We can be sure than any challenges that may occur are dealt with by ourselves within our own Installation team. We also offer a commission, design and supply service. If you have your own competent personnel to carry out the work, this may be a good option whilst still involving ourselves within the procurement and product placement advice. Thirdly you could order on a supply only basis from our audio equipment supply website. Either way, we will always be able to advise you every step of the way.

How do you know if the Installation has been Done Correctly?

If we carry out the Installation, before the job has been signed off as complete, we will go through every aspect of the work with you. Our job isn’t complete until we are happy that you understand how the system works and how to get the most out of it. If we haven’t done the install work we will evaluate the work during our site visit. Although we always prefer to undergo the work from start to finish, there may be aspects of the original installation work that is reasonable. We will always advise this during our site visit evaluation.

When will I know if I need another complete AV Install?

At every step of our evaluation we will advise what is good and not so good about your existing install, if this applies to you. You may have contacted us because of a crackling speaker, or you’ve noticed that the quality of the sound has changed, the radio microphone may no longer work or simply that the lighting has started to fail. We may be able to re use some of the equipment or move it to another part of the installation. If we can recycle, we will. This is beneficial all round. You may decide to go for the new digital mixer after all being as you’ve saved money by not having to replace all of the speakers!

What are the best brands for Audio Installation?

Very often the brands that we will recommend for the Installation will be based around the budget that has been allocated for the job. As part of our initial site visit, we will discuss options and look at the most suitable products to fit the profile. You may be surprised to find that certain areas don’t require a great amount spending on them compared to others. Ceiling speakers and outdoor speakers for example, tend to be of a lesser power and their quality often doesn’t need to be the same as the main or lively area of pub or restaurant. Brands such as Adastra, Clever Acoustics, Pulse, to name a few offer great value for money and will not break the bank. The majority of our installation products are within the mid price point bracket, such as Apart Audio, RCF, LD Systems, JBL, Crown Amplification, Yamaha to name a few. At the higher end of our Installation offering will be such products as Electrovoice, Inspired Audio and Logic System.

Does your Installation Team cover the whole country?

We focus the vast majority of our Installations within 50 – 75 mile radius of our Nottingham Store. However we have carried out Installation work over a far greater distance, particularly at holiday parks and venues across the East Coast, where we have several regular customers that use our services either before or at the end of their summer season. We will always consider work UK wide providing it is a viable option for both parties.

What Happens if Things go Wrong with my AV Install?

Our after sales service is one that we are extremely proud of. Another reason for concentrating on Installation work within 50 – 75 miles of our Nottingham base is that we can offer an efficient and swift support package to deal with anything that may go wrong. The products that we install are covered by a manufacturers return to base warranty, which is sometimes a little awkward if it’s a speaker hanging on a wall! We will always arrange a mutually convenient solution to deal with any such occurrence.

What if I get a Cheaper Quote with Another AV Contractor?

Pricing is always subjective and we’re confident that when quoting like for like products we offer a very competitive service backed up by 40 years experience in the AV and Lighting industry. When looking at the quotes that you may have in, make sure that you have all of the information, including finding out the quality of the cable or that the radio microphones transmit on a legal frequency for example.