Planning Your In-Wall Speaker System – Home-Improvement
Planning Your In-Wall Speaker System
So you've finally decided to get your favorite music throughout your house. What's next? Where do you go from here? That depends upon your requirements and weather this will be an installation in an existing home or a music system in a new construction home.First, you need to decide which rooms you would like to install your speakers. The installation will obviously be much easier during construction than in an existing home. Once you make the decision on which rooms to include, you have two choices; in-wall or in-ceiling.In-ceiling speakers tend to draw less attention to themselves. In all but basic background music applications, in-wall speakers usually sound better, everything else being equal. In-wall speakers have other problems, however. They are usually harder to integrate aesthetically in the room. They also take up valuable wall space that can be used for art or furniture.Typically, round speakers are used for in-ceiling installations and rectangular speakers are used when installing in the wall. Round speakers integrate better with other ceiling fixtures, such as smoke detectors and recessed light cans, which tend to be round as well. In addition, because most round speakers have coaxially located drivers, you are the same distance from both no matter where you are in the room. This leads to more even frequency response throughout the room. Rectangular speakers tend be better suited to in-wall, rather than in-ceiling, applications.It is best to keep the speakers two feet or so from adjacent walls or other boundaries that can cause response problems. Optimally, in wall speakers should be at, or close to, ear level. Place in-ceiling speakers so they are symmetrical with ceiling fixtures and the room.Usually stereo pairs of speakers are used in each room. Another approach that works well is to sum the some signals into mono. You can then run the system in mono for most areas that use in-ceiling speakers. The mono approach allows you to get more uniform coverage, rather than standing under a speaker that is only playing the left channel for example.You can also use one speaker for areas like small bathrooms and still get both channels of the music. There are speakers with dual voice coils and inputs for both the left and right channels on a single speaker that are also used for this type of application. It can be demonstrated that the summed mono approach using a single, standard voice coil speaker usually sounds better, however.Multi-room speaker systems can be set up as single zone or multiple zone systems. In a single zone system, all the speakers play the same source. With a multi-zone audio system, the system is divided into two or more areas that can play different sources. This flexibility is really nice when different occupants want to listen to different music at the same time. For example, with a three zone system, you could listen to three different sources simultaneously in three different areas of your house.With a single zone system, it is still desirable to have independent volume control over each pair of speakers or to turn off any pair completely. This is accomplished by using a speaker level volume control for each room. These are usually a just round knob, although other styles, such as sliders, are used as well.Multi zone systems are usually controlled by some type of keypad, system remote control, or wall mounted touchscreen. Typically, there is one of these control interfaces for each zone. There is an old saying in racing "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?" So it is with multi zone music system controls. Control costs money. How much do you want?A standard knob style volume control is under $100. Step up to a keypad for more control and you are looking at $250 to $500. Touch screen controls offer the ultimate in simplicity and flexibility. In addition, touch screens allow feedback, such as volume, radio station, and music server information, to be displayed on the touch screen. Touch screen controls begin at about $500 and can go to $20,000 each, depending upon size and options. The more sophisticated controls allow you to turn on your music and choose sources from each room. It's as easy as turning on a light.Some of the more advanced controls can operate independently,while some require a central processor. If you are installing a multi zone system, you will need a multi room controller and amplifier. These can be integrated into one component or they can be separate pieces. Prices on these vary widely. It is better for most people to contact a professional custom installer for installation of these type of components.There are a number of decisions to make when planning your in-wall speaker system. Do you want single or multi zone? In-wall or in-ceiling? Both? What type of controls would you like? You can research these questions on your own or consult a qualified professional for assistance. With careful planning you will have a music system you can enjoy for years to come.Steve Faber has almost 15 years in the custom installation industry. He is a CEDIA certified designer and Installer 2 with certifications from both the ISF and THX. His experience spans many facets of the industry, from the trenches as an installer and control systems programmer, and system designer, to a business unit director for a specialty importer of high end audio video equipment, a sales rep for a large, regional consumer electronics distributor, and principal of a $1.5M+ custom installation firm. Steve is currently is senior sales engineer for Digital Cinema Design, a CEDIA member firm in Redmond, WA. He is on the web at The Home Theater and Automation Guide
Planning Your Way to Success – Internet-Marketing
Planning Your Way to Success
Whether you are a small company or a larger corporation one of the primary keys to success lies in preparing and following a good marketing plan. Why? Because you can have the most awesome product or service to offer, but without a plan in place, you may flounder for direction and waste a lot of time and energy as a result.What a Marketing Plan Should IncludeAs you prepare your plan it should contain data and specifics pertaining to your company's goals, the product or service you're offering, how you intend to market it and a means for measuring your success. Generally speaking, larger companies create plans that are extremely comprehensive in size and nature while smaller companies will do just as well with a briefer strategy.Create an ObjectiveStarting with a clear objective for your marketing plan may mean spending a bit of time in contemplation but it's important to be certain as to the overall purpose and objective of your company. Take some time to focus on what you really want to achieve and you'll get there much faster.As an example, when I first began my writing/consulting business, I thought long and hard as to what I intended. It was essential that I share my talent in a positive and meaningful way so that not only was I personally rewarded but I also wanted to be sure that what I offered would help other people succeed. I knew that I wanted to create material that would be impressive, effective and dynamic, but I also relished in the idea of empowering other people. So with those thoughts in mind I created an intention that aligned with my purpose. It is as follows: "My intention as a Writer/Consultant is to fully succeed at providing my clients with high quality written material that uniquely reflects their objectives while helping them stand apart from the crowd!"Be Aware of Your MarketConsider whether there are particular trends in your industry. Pay special attention as to which audience you are trying to reach. Have you researched the need for your product? Are you aware of your competition? Are layoffs affecting your particular arena and if so is it to your benefit or detriment? The economy does not necessarily influence some industries, but because it does have some bearing on many markets, you may want to be aware of those markets.Your Marketing StrategyHow do you intend to market your product or service? If you are not promoting your business in some way, it's easy to forget your company, so including an effective marketing strategy is essential. Think about some of the largest companies in the world and how they are constantly brainstorming in an effort to keep the public's attention. Notice how we are collectively bombarded with new commercials and announcements daily making sure we never forget certain products or services. Of course most of us cannot compete with huge companies, however there are many ways to promote your business without it costing a lot of money. It simply requires a bit of thought and creativitySetting Time and Accomplishment GoalsGenerally your plan should cover a period of from six months to a year. Ask yourself periodically if you've taken all the steps that you planned. Are you within your schedule? Are you attracting the clientele you had hoped to attract? Are you making good contacts that return or send referrals? Are you building rapport with customers? Does the plan need some rearranging or rethinking? Check the plan you've prepared on a monthly basis as a measure for meeting your goals and objectives. If you find that you're on target keep the plan in place. But if you obviously see that something isn't working, rethink your marketing strategies.Finally, while you may hope for the day when you can sit back reaping the benefits of your efforts, you can never stop marketing. You must keep an open mind and never get stuck in sameness. If you find one avenue isn't bearing fruit, simply recognize it as an opportunity to explore other possibilities. Or simply get back to basics, which includes writing a new article, sending out a press release, saying hello to old clients via e-mail or simply getting quiet for a few days until you're inspired. As it is your goal to have the world beat a path to your door, keeping a good marketing plan updated and refined is crucial to the success of your business.Copyright 2005Charlene Rashkow brings 15 years of experience as a Writing Stylist and Author to her creative efforts as a freelance writer/consultant. She has successfully helped companies and individuals reach their objectives by writing outstanding web site content, press releases, bios, articles of interest, letters, business plans, resumes, and all other forms of marketing material. You may contact Charlene at http://www.allyourwritingneeds.com
Planning a Healthy Pregnancy
Planning a Healthy Pregnancy
Looking for healthy lifestyle pregnancy information? Here are some steps for planning a pregnancy with your healthy lifestyle in mind.The most important step in planning for a healthy pregnancy is getting you healthy. This means quitting use of tobacco products, illegal drugs and alcohol. Most doctors also advise limiting caffeine intake. A pre-pregnancy physical exam is also vitally important. Your health issues and medical history, as well as family history, will all have a bearing on the health of your baby, so discuss these issues with your doctor before conception. Your doctor may suggest a blood test to screen for some types of genetic disorders, and a review of conditions that may require special care during a pregnancy, like diabetes, should be reviewed.You should begin watching what you eat, remember, your diet will be nourishing your baby too! Eat a balanced diet and begin taking prenatal vitamins, especially folic acid, before you conceive to make sure that the developing baby will be getting all the nutrition it needs. Your doctor can prescribe these vitamins during your pre-pregnancy exam. In addition to eating well, you should exercise regularly and get plenty of rest. Although pregnancy is usually a time of weight gain, try to manage your weight to avoid complications like high blood pressure and diabetes during the pregnancy. Making healthy eating a habit prior to conception will help to control your weight gain.Finally, it is important to evaluate your surroundings for harmful substances. While pregnant and planning to be pregnant, you should avoid lead, pesticides, x-rays and other forms of radiation.By planning for a healthy pregnancy, you can help your baby be healthy too!Maria writes for Pregnancy Due Date, a site that tries to information for expectant mothers. For more great pregnancy articles, visit our Pregnancy articles archive.