19th Century Architecture Meets 21st Century ELAN g! Technology in Artisan Art Gallery

When David and Linda Fox decided to open a second art gallery in Franklin, Tennessee, they wanted it to be different than the high-end gallery that Linda curates. After finding a gem of a property, a local home built in the 1860s, David knew that combining a historic American home with 21st century technologies would allow him to run a successful high-traffic art gallery. Using only an iPad, David can control The Copper Fox’s lighting and music with the ELAN g! system and mobile app, access the security and surveillance systems and conduct transactions with Square technology.

“I wanted the gallery to be techy behind the scenes,” Fox said, “but present a rustic, historic ambience that visitors can’t find at other galleries. Now with the ELAN g! system, my security system and Square’s transaction technology, I can literally run the entire store from my iPad. It’s been an incredible boon to be able to adjust lighting and music on the fly, so if I notice it’s an extra bright day or the music got a bit too loud, it takes about ten seconds to adjust everything, and I don’t have to leave the floor!”

Working with local electronics integrator Audio Video Elements, David was able to strike the perfect balance between technology and artistry. Aaron Lawrence, owner of Audio Video Elements, was careful to keep every component hidden from view, so as to leave the art as the centerpiece with the technology providing the backbone. Using a small ELAN system controller, the ELAN g! iPad app, Lutron lighting, Panamax surge protection, Speco Technologies cameras, a Digimerge 16-channel DVR and audio components from JBL, Monitor Audio and Marantz, Lawrence made the store seamless to operate.

“In addition to the simple lighting and music control, the iPad affords me the opportunity to make house calls and generate more sales,” Fox continued. “Now when a client is interested in new pieces I can bring the pieces to their home, show them how they would look, and they can buy right there with a credit card. There’s no checks or receipts to write, so it makes it easy for me to sell and easy for the client to buy. What all of this technology really has done is remove any barriers between my clients and the art. When they walk into the store they don’t know that the lighting and music is set to very specific levels, or that I can change it at a moment’s notice without leaving the gallery floor. All they know is that the room is inviting and relaxing, and that the art is gorgeous. That’s how I think technology should work, accenting our surroundings and not dominating them.  When you are in a restored 150-year-old house, retaining a tech free visitor experience with all the benefits of behind-the-scenes technology just makes sense.”

According to Fox, The Copper Fox processes a lot of transactions for an art gallery, up to 500 a month. The technology he chose allows him to move freely throughout the store without worrying about shoplifters or missing a sale, since they can transact right out on the floor if the patron desires.  Everything about The Copper Fox is unique, including the name, which was recommended to David by a friend after he witnessed the new copper roof that was installed during renovations.

While the security and surveillance systems are not yet tied into the ELAN g! system, David has a separate iPad app that allows him to access each system wirelessly. One of the reasons David and Aaron agreed on the ELAN g! system is that it can be expanded in the future to include the gallery’s climate controls, additional lighting, and the existing security and surveillance systems. Besides that, the ease of use was a important selling point.

“Almost anyone can use the ELAN control system the first day it’s installed with no training or instruction,” Aaron Lawrence said. “I knew it would be a perfect fit for The Copper Fox, as multiple employees would need fast and easy control of everything in the gallery. It’s truly amazing that David can run the whole store off of his iPad, and I’m glad to have been a part of his successful new business.”

Growing Bank Makes the Most of its Office Space With ELAN g! - Controlled Convertible Conference Room

As a company grows, its technology infrastructure can get complicated quickly. At Franklin Synergy Bank’s new headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, the company is taking steps to keep things simple, starting with its recent installation of an ELAN g! control system.

Working with local integrator Audio Video Elements, Franklin Synergy Bank was able to maximize its real estate by creating an AV system that works double duty in a convertible conference room with a retractable divider. Thanks to the ingenuity of the integrator and the flexibility of the ELAN g! system, the room’s AV system can be operated easily whether it is utilized as a single large conference room with one media presentation, or as two smaller rooms with separate audio and video for each room.

“Creating a single AV system that is easy to use in multiple configurations can be a challenge,” said Aaron Lawrence, owner of Audio video Elements, “but with the ELAN g! system nearly anything is possible. The final result is a multi-purpose room that converts from a large conference room with a singular AV system to two smaller rooms with two distinct AV systems, using all the same equipment and the same controls. Simplicity was extremely important for this project, and that extends all the way to the custom podium we designed that includes a 10-inch monitor so speakers can follow their presentations without having to turn around.” 

The room includes two identical projection systems with Optoma 1080p projectors and 132” motorized Draper projection screens that drop from the ceiling, along with six pairs of in-ceiling speakers and two Shure wireless microphones. Video can be displayed from permanently connected cable boxes, users’ laptops or a Blu-ray player. When the motorized divider is open, the full room can be controlled from a 7” ELAN touchpanel to the right of the projection screens, and when the divider is closed, that same touchpanel controls only the right side equipment, while a second 7” ELAN touchpanel adjacent to the left projection screen controls the left side equipment. Lawrence programmed the g! system so that this happens seamlessly, with no work required to switch between a single- or dual-room configuration. To add to the convertible nature of the room, the stage is hydraulic and can be lowered to ground level to increase floor space when required.

“We installed TVs and data infrastructure throughout the whole building, requiring more than 100 Cat5 runs, but the crown jewel is this conference room,” Lawrence said. “The versatility of this conference room will allow Franklin Synergy Bank to use it as they see fit, and to do so easily. Even though the technology is very advanced, it took less than 10 minutes to show employees how to use it.  That’s what’s so great about the ELAN g! system, that it can perform all these really powerful automation processes but is easy enough for a complete technophobe to operate.”

In addition to the ELAN touchpanels, several employees have access to the system through the ELAN g! mobile app on their smartphones. This way they can operate the system without getting up, if necessary. All of the equipment is housed is a separate room in a rack that is protected by a Panamax M4315PRO surge protector, ensuring smooth operation for years to come.

Furman Helps Commercial Sound and Video Keep Its Clients' Systems Safe

Commercial Sound And Video has been building a business serving AV clients throughout Georgia, particularly houses of worship. Company founder and owner Nathan Miller says that Furman’s CN-2400 SmartSequencer™ is now a regular part of his recommended equipment lists. At the New Hope Baptist Church, in Atlanta, Commercial Sound And Video installed several CN-2400S units as part of a newly installed lighting system that consists of two Chauvet Ovation 165 LED Fresnels and a Chauvet Ovation 190 Ellipsoidal fixture. These bring dramatic lighting effects to the pulpit area and the CN-2400S units bring sequenced on and off functionality, protecting the church’s investment. In addition, a Furman CN-15MP Remote Power Relay Switch was installed on the lighting truss for remote power on/off of the lighting fixtures. 

At the Alpharetta First Baptist Church, Commercial Sound And Video installed two Furman CN-2400 SmartSequencers to protect newly installed Electro-Voice ZLX in-ceiling speakers in the church’s youth playroom. The CN-2400S allows anyone to operate the sound system there safely and with confidence by sequentially turning these self-powered speakers on and off.

“The Chauvet lights and the E-V speakers are top of the line in their categories, and no small investment on the part of these churches,” says Miller. “I always recommend that they make the relatively small additional investment in power protection and sequencing to protect the big investment. And the products we recommend to do that with are from Furman. The CN-2400S is reliable, simple to install, intuitive to program and easy to for end users to operate. It’s become out first choice for power protection.” 

Photos and a system diagram are available at: http://www.howavl.com/new-hope-baptist-perry.html

Ceiling Mounted TVs With iPad Control Bring Big Smiles To Orthodontist’s Office

A lot of parents know how hard it is to get a child to go to the orthodontist — let alone get them excited enough to jump right up into the chair when they get there!  But what if the orthodontist’s office had TVs on the ceiling above each chair that patients could control from an iPad while they get a check up? That’s exactly what Chad and Wendy Wilhelm did at WOW Orthodontics in Brentwood, Tennessee, and all it took to achieve this was a little help from a professional installer and the ELAN g! control system from Core Brands.

“We wanted to provide a more appealing and contemporary atmosphere for the patients, and they love it!” said Chad Wilhelm. “We believe that providing a comfortable environment for our patients is one of the most important, if not the most important thing for our business. The patients have to be comfortable and enjoy their experience for us to be successful, and with the ELAN g! system and the TVs we have set up with iPads, our young patients are always excited to hop into the chair.”

Working with Aaron Lawrence of Audio Video Elements, the Wilhelm’s were able to update their office to cater to each patient and provide a more personal experience. Using the powerful ELAN g! control system, Lawrence connected five cable boxes to six TVs that can all be controlled through the ELAN g! Mobile app on an iPad purchased just for the office.

“Hiding all the components and wires in a separate room really makes the office look highly professional, while at the same time showing that we aren’t like every other orthodontist and we want every patient to enjoy their time here,” Wilhelm continued. “Our goal is to create the brightest smiles we can, and giving kids a cool experience they won’t get anywhere else, like TVs in the ceiling, makes our jobs easier and makes the whole office a bit more fun. Plus the ELAN g! system makes it easy to use and manage all six TVs, and we can even turn on or shut off the whole system at once with special ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’ buttons in the g! app.”

The office has four examination chairs, which each have their own 32” Samsung LED TVs mounted in the ceiling above, and an additional 32” and 40” TV are wall-mounted in the waiting room. Throughout the office six Niles CM610 speakers provide premium audio, which can be used to play music or the TV sound, depending what the patients want to listen to. According to Aaron Lawrence, unique installations like this help businesses separate from their competition and can really change how customers perceive a business.

“Now that the price of a control system has dropped below $3,000 it’s a no brainer to create cool installations like I did at WOW Orthodontics,” Lawrence said. “The Wilhelm’s wanted the TVs in the ceiling, but they didn’t know how they should control and manage six TVs.  When I showed them how easy it was to control multiple TVs and speakers with the ELAN g! iPad app they realized a control system was the way to go, and the low cost of installation compared to other control systems made it an easy sell. It’s fun for me to work on unique projects, and I hope that more businesses realize the value of sophisticated AV systems that keep customers coming back."