by KMB Communications | Nov 18, 2021 | News
SI’s Zen 2 motorized outdoor shading system recognized by CEDIA as an outstanding new product for the custom integration market.
AUSTIN, TX (November 17, 2021) — Screen Innovations (SI), premier manufacturer and supplier of design-forward optical screen and shade materials and technologies, received the coveted CEDIA Best Product Award 2021 for its new, revolutionary motorized outdoor shading solution, Zen 2. Applauded by the CEDIA judging panel for its technical excellence, innovation, and benefits to home technology professionals, Zen 2 exemplifies a winning combination of style and substance, the CI industry’s first décor-minded motorized shading system for outdoor environments. Zen 2 features a customizable motorized cassette and a choice of shading fabric to effortlessly transform decks, gazebos, patios, and other outdoor areas into comfortable, beautiful living spaces.
Accommodating areas up to 25 feet wide and 16 feet tall, Zen 2 includes everything needed for a complete installation including mounting hardware, a motorized shade cassette, and a wide selection of popular outdoor shading fabrics. Zen 2 installs in half the time of other outdoor shading systems with its unique snap-in tube and hidden bracket attachment. The cassette can be pre-installed, the tube snapped into place, affording a simple, hands-free installation process. The zipper track system provides integrators twice the freedom of other track systems, simplifying the specification and installation process.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award from CEDIA for Zen 2, a labor of love thoughtfully designed and engineered to cater to the needs of integrators interested in capitalizing on the growing outdoor entertainment trend,” says SI CEO, Ryan Gustafson. “Without question, Zen 2 will make integrators’ lives much easier, all while attracting new business from architects, home designers, and end-users with a beautifully designed, automated outdoor shade. We truly feel that if integrators, designers, and homeowners are happy with a product, we’ve hit a home systems homerun, and this award from CEDIA is validation.”
For more information about Zen 2, as well as SI’s other innovating shading and screen solutions, visit https://www.screeninnovations.com/shade/zen-2/. winners will be announced at the regional shows on Thursday 11th November
About Screen Innovations
Screen Innovations engineers and hand-builds all its screen and shade solutions at its 75,000 square foot factory in Austin, Texas. Dedicated to developing the most unique and innovative screens and shade for the custom residential and commercial markets, the company offers a wide variety of design-forward products that suit any viewing environment. As a leading manufacturer of screen and shade solutions, Screen Innovations is focused on the implementation of new technologies into its products and providing its dealers with the services and tools they need to differentiate themselves and grow their custom installation businesses.
For more information about SI please visit screeninnovations.com and follow the company on Facebook @screen innovations and on Twitter @SIScreens.
Media Contact
For interviews, editorial appointments, or media tours, please contact Katye (McGregor) Bennett of KMB Communications by phoning (425) 328-8640 or emailing katye@kmbcomm.com.
All products, product names, trademarks, and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners, all rights reserved.
by KMB Communications | Nov 17, 2021 | AV Industry News, Wall-Smart
WALL-SMART Solid-Surface Mount recesses 7-inch Crestron touchscreen flush with walls made of black walnut
Creative Systems USA elevates the fit and finish of touch screen installations in custom homes, MDUs, and yachts by using WALL-SMART flush mounts.
If there’s one thing that rubs Harry Blanchard of Creative Systems USA the wrong way, it’s technology that looks as if it was “slapped” onto expensive wall materials. “It pains me to see homeowners spend a fortune on marble backsplashes or rare hardwood finishes only to the surfaces marred by white electrical outlets and surface-mounted screens,” Blanchard says.
Specialty mounting hardware that enables these and other home tech products to be recessed flush with wall and ceiling surfaces certainly helps create a more pleasing aesthetic, but according to Blanchard, WALL-SMART’s solutions take this effective strategy a step further. “WALL-SMART’s attention to detail in the design, engineering, and fabrication of its mounts make touchscreens appear to be a natural part of the wall, not an accessory that was added later,” he offers as an example. “They become not just a technological addition, but a design element that complements or enhances the fine finishes of a home.”
Camouflaging Cavities in Retrofit Projects
TVs aren’t the only technology that has shape-shifted from a squarish 4:3 aspect ratio to a 16:9 widescreen format. Touchscreens have, too. For many of Blanchard’s retrofit projects, this technological evolution has required yanking out old 4:3 touchscreens and fitting new 16:9 versions in their place. Blanchard facilitates the swap by widening the wall cavity, “not a problem,” he says, “but the open space that remains above or below the new touchscreen also needs to be contended with.” Here’s where WALL-SMART’s retrofit-friendly mounts “save the day.” The paintable bezel that applies easily around the perimeter of the WALL-SMART touchscreen mount completely covers the cavity, saving Creative Systems USA from needing to repair and/or color match older wall materials.
WALL-SMART New Construction Mount for 15-inch Crestron touchscreen
Minimizing Large Touchscreen Footprints
As touchscreens have grown rectangular in shape, they’ve also sized up significantly. And for good reason. These command centers of the smart home juggle many responsibilities, many of which users need to visually monitor and manage. It’s simply easier, more efficient, and intuitive to initiate lighting scenes, review and monitor the status of devices, and choose music from a large library of playlists when you can use a 22 -inch screen instead of a 10-inch screen. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to minimize the visual impact of the bigger option, “unless it can be recessed flush with the wall surface,” Blanchard says. “I wouldn’t dream of surface-mounting a 2-inch-thick touchscreen in a luxury home.” Needless to say, WALL-SMART has become his go-to mount provider for Crestron’s 22-inch panels.
Saving Space and Shoulders
Touchscreens are slim by design; still, even the slightest protrusion from the wall can make a big difference in small spaces. Take the Lady Rebecca, a luxury yacht Blanchard outfitted with a Crestron control system some years ago. No conventional surface-mount installation would suffice, here, as even a minor lip of touchscreen could have been easily clipped by the shoulders of passerby strolling the vessel’s narrow hallways. Nor would it be acceptable for touchscreens to blemish walls made of black walnut harvested from the owner’s farm. Blanchard mitigated both concerns by using WALL-SMART’s solid-surface mount for Crestron touchscreens to recess the technology flush with the wall surface.
WALL-SMART Retrofit Mount required no patching or painting of the plaster wall when replacing an old touchscreen for a new 15-inch Crestron touchscreen
Securing Control Assets in Commercial Projects
iPads are one of the most familiar and pervasive of technologies, so it’s no wonder the administrators of an MDU development company wanted to use the device to control audio and video in its leasing offices and amenity areas. There was just one hitch in this plan—people could easily leave the iPad in a hard-to-find place or worse yet, walk off with the device. WALL-SMARTS’s flush mounts for iPads reduced the likelihood by providing a single stationary location to sequester the iPad.
Customizing with Care
Luxury homes require a highly customized approach to the integration of technology—including the way in which the devices are installed. Creativity, craftsmanship, and an eye for design must be applied. It’s a philosophy that Creative Systems USA stands by and has built a successful business around. “WALL-SMART’s flush mounts for touchscreens help me convey to my customers that I care about the final product—not just how it operates but how it looks. We’ve been able to go the extra mile in terms of design for our customers by using WALL-SMART’ solution, and the stellar fit and finish that WALL-SMART mounts provide is the icing on the cake.”
A new 22-inch Crestron touchscreen will sit flush with the wall of this new home, thanks to WALL-SMART
About WALL-SMART Ltd.
WALL-SMART is the leading designer and manufacturer of custom flush ceiling and wall mounts for high-end home electronic devices, including tablets, touch screens, Wi-Fi access points, security cameras, voice assistants, and more. Dedicated to providing cutting-edge, creative, and cost-effective concealment solutions for technology in new and existing homes, WALL-SMART inspires homes that are both technically advanced and exceptionally beautiful. A wide range of products, combined with simple installation, and fast, hassle-free shipping, poises WALL-SMART as a valuable smart home resource for home systems integrators, home builders and contractors, architects, and designers.
For design inspiration and to see our products in use, find and follow WALL-SMART on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
by KMB Communications | Nov 11, 2021 | Wall-Smart
WALL-SMART launches custom wall mounts for iPad Mini 6 just a month after Apple’s release of the device.
BUFFALO, NY (November 4, 2021) –WALL-SMART, a leader in the design and manufacture of innovative mounting hardware that beautifully recesses a variety of home technology products seamlessly within wall and ceiling surfaces, is shipping flush mounts customized for Apple’s recently released iPad Mini 6 tablet. Uniquely designed for the iPad Mini 6, the mounts come in several different varieties to suit the installation requirements and enable easy user interaction with the tablet.
Available and shipping in the iPad Mini 6 portfolio are mounts with or without an audio grille for installation in drywall during construction, mounts with bezels for retrofit applications, and mounts for installation in solid surfaces like marble, wood, and concrete. With so many choices, home systems integrators, designers, builders, architects, and discerning homeowners now have a way to turn a popular device that once cluttered coffee tables and countertops into a complementary design element.
“One of WALL-SMART’s primary objectives is providing attractive mounting solutions for smart home products soon after they are released. Once a product is launched, we too go to work to customize a special mounting solution for it, paying close attention to every detail to ensure exceptional fit and finish within all types of home environments without any compromise of the device’s functionality or performance. Our new iPad Mini 6 mount is a reflection of this commitment,” says WALL-SMART Co-CEO and Founder Galia Ben-Dor. “We think every home should be as beautiful as it is smart, and our new flush mounts for the iPad Mini 6 adhere to this core WALL-SMART philosophy.”
In addition to lending a clean, modern appearance, WALL-SMART’s new flush mounts for the iPad Mini 6 provide secure, stationary placement of a product that often gets left behind or lost. The tablet can be easily inserted and removed from the mount and a built-in USB adapter keeps it fully charged.
Like all WALL-SMART’s design-forward mounting solutions, the iPad Mini 6 offerings are constructed of moisture-resistant, chemically treated MDF and install similar to that of any drywall application. In addition to drywall and plaster, the mounts can be recessed into solid surfaces including concrete, brick, wood, marble, glass, and metal. This flexibility of installation allows integrators to install smart home controls where they can be conveniently accessed regardless of the wall surface. The mount can be oriented vertically or horizontally for even greater installation flexibility, and its bezel or trim can be painted to match the wall surface.
About WALL-SMART Ltd.
WALL-SMART is the leading designer and manufacturer of custom flush ceiling and wall mounts for high-end home electronic devices, including tablets, touch screens, Wi-Fi access points, security cameras, voice assistants, and more. Dedicated to providing cutting-edge, creative, and cost-effective concealment solutions for technology in new and existing homes, WALL-SMART inspires homes that are both technically advanced and exceptionally beautiful. A wide range of products, combined with simple installation, and fast, hassle-free shipping, poises WALL-SMART as a valuable smart home resource for home systems integrators, home builders and contractors, architects, and designers.
For more information about WALL-SMART, please find and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Media Contact
For interviews, reviews, or more information, please contact Katye (McGregor) Bennett of KMB Communications by phoning (425) 328-8640 or emailing katye@kmbcomm.com.
All products, product names, trademarks, and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners, all rights reserved.
by KMB Communications | Nov 5, 2021 | AtlasIED, News
New 62,000-square-foot YMCA serves as the communications hub for the eventual integration of sister YMCA and schools, using AtlasIED GLOBALCOM.IP.
The administrators of a new 62,000 YMCA in Urbana, Maryland, had more than the recreation center’s current communications needs in mind when they contacted Audio-Video Group to design and deploy an IP-based audio system throughout the massive, state-of-the-art facility. “One of their main objectives was having a high-quality communications system that would serve all their needs now, but could be easily expanded over time to connect with an older YMCA location across town, as well as with the school district’s middle and high schools that sit directly behind the property,” says Audio-Video Group sales director John Pierce.
For Pierce, and the rest of the AV integration team, AtlasIED’s enterprise-class GLOBALCOM.IP system was the obvious choice, given its installation and configuration flexibility. Audio-Video Group paired the customizable communications platform with a combination of roughly 100 AtlasIED speakers and IPX Series endpoints to ensure that guests and employees—whether on the basketball court or in the swimming pool, taking an outdoor yoga class or running on the track–can hear and see routine and emergency notifications.
GLOBALCOM.IP System Divides and Unites Multiple Audio Zones
An AtlasIED dealer for 21 years, Audio-Video Group has installed numerous GLOBALCOM.IP and IPX Series products in many schools, healthcare facilities, and houses of worship throughout Southern Maryland. Needless to say, the technology was familiar territory, and one that Audio-Video Group knew would stand the test of time as the YMCA’s communications needs changed.
That’s not to say this project was void of challenges. “Unlike most projects where we design a communications system for a specific space, for the YMCA we needed to design a system to serve many different types of spaces but within the same enormous facility,” Pierce says. Within the structure are an aquatics center, health and wellness center, a running track, several fitness studios and gymnasiums, meeting rooms, outdoor exercise spaces, and more, each with its own unique acoustical and communications requirements. Through the GLOBALCOM.IP GCK software, Audio-Video Group was able to customize messages, alerts, announcements, and music for each of the YMCA’s 15 audio zones; for example, broadcasting pre-scheduled, pre-recorded daily reminders only in certain zones, while playing music in other zones.
15 Audio Zones Join Forces for Emergency Notification Facility-Wide
Live announcements issued from the microphone of AtlasIED GLOBALCOM.IP Digital Communications Stations are also distributed to whichever zones employees select via the station’s built-in touchscreen. This minimizes unnecessary distractions yet affords staff the flexibility to page facility-wide when necessary.
The GLOBALCOM.IP IP-100 Announcement Control System handles emergency alerts with similar smarts. Each zone is equipped with a panic button, which when pressed, triggers the GLOBALCOM.IP processor to transmit a pre-recorded notification to preset zones. “This highly customized method of communication ensures that the right people receive the alert,” Pierce explains. For example, if there’s an emergency on the pool deck, the alert goes exclusively to the central office and offices of the aquatic staff. However, for campus-wide concerns like a fire, everyone throughout the entire facility is alerted. When the YMCA’s fire alarm system trips, the GLOBALCOM.IP system automatically sends an audible alert to all AtlasIED pendant, surface-mount, and analog speakers, as well as red-colored text notifications to the built-in LCDs of AtlasIED IPX endpoints.
GLOBALCOM.IP DSPs Tame Wild Acoustics
Getting the right information, in the right format, to the right places was only part of Audio-Video Group’s punch list. They would also need to carefully calibrate the audio to deal with the YMCA’s challenging acoustics. Huge expanses of glass, hard rubber flooring, and high ceilings could have made audio intelligible if it weren’t for the many DSP tools available via the five DPA804 AtlasIED amplifiers on the GLOBALCOM.IP network. After analyzing the acoustical characteristics of each audio zone, Audio-Video Group set the level, EQ, and high/low filter of each amplifier to work around the acoustic obstacles.
A Solution for Every Space
As plans for the new YMCA rolled out, Audio-Video Group was there every step of the way. “We had eight design meetings with the YMCA team at different stages of the project, reviewing the facility room by room, space by space,” Pierce says. This provided Audio-Video Group and the YMCA with a clear vision of how the communications system would operate, and AtlasIED had a solution that suited every square inch of the cutting-edge recreation center. “AtlasIED’s GLOBALCOM.IP communications system and IPX Series endpoints bring a unique blend of form and function to the YMCA,” says Pierce. The integrated clocks on the IP endpoints and the stylish speakers complement the structure’s modern aesthetic, while the GLOBALCOM.IP system meets every communication need now and in the future.”
AtlasIED Equipment
GLOBALCOM.IP IP100 Announcement Control System
GLOBALCOM.IP GCK Core Software
GLOBALCOM.IP Touch Screen Digital Communication Station (2)
DPA804 800-Watt, 4-Channel Amplifiers with Dante Accessory Card (5)
AP-15T Horn Speakers (6)
AP-30T Horn Speakers (7)
SM63T-B 6.5-inch 2-Way All-Weather Speakers (8)
IPX Series IP-DD Dual Sided LCD Endpoints with LED Flasher (5)
IPX Series IP-DM Wall Mount LCD Endpoints with Talkback Microphone (3)
IPX Series IP-SDM Wall Mount IP Speakers with LCD Display and Talkback Microphone (6)
FAP43T 4.5-inch In-Ceiling Speakers (6)
PM4FA 4-inch 2-Way Pendant Mount Speakers (60)
For the Case Study Download PDF, Click Here
by KMB Communications | Oct 21, 2021 | Leon Speakers, News
Mike Han’s “Detroit Vibrations” painting series, created exclusively for Leon, is part of a new Artist Edition Collection for Leon’s Ente SoundTile, merging art and audio in a way never seen before.
Ann Arbor, MI ̶ As a company with strong roots in the arts, Leon is always looking to support artists both near and far, and when Noah Kaplan, Leon’s founder and president, discovered the work of up-and-coming Detroit artist Mike Han earlier this year, he knew immediately that he wanted to collaborate. Kaplan’s vision was to bring Han’s work to environments such as hotel lobbies, restaurants, cocktail lounges, and corporate reception spaces, and boardrooms, where the design of the space is just as important as the quality of the audio in it.
This collaboration culminated in the creation of a new Leon x Mike Han series titled “Detroit Vibrations”. Consisting of three distinct works of art, the series was created by Han exclusively for Leon. The pieces have been released as Leon’s latest Artist Edition Collection for the Ente SoundTile, a product that combines art and audio in one. In addition to being available for the Ente SoundTile, “Detroit Vibrations” will also be sold as limited-edition art prints on Leon’s website.
“What I love about the vision and mission of Leon at this stage is that we’re really about enabling artists to tell their stories, and we want people to be able to experience those stories in a new and different way,” said Kaplan. “Mike Han’s work has a natural musicality to it and when I saw it for the first time, I knew it would be a perfect fit for our Ente SoundTiles.”
Leon’s Ente SoundTile transforms the stereo system from a speaker into a work of art. Two channels of reference-grade audio and amplifier are concealed behind a perforated metal speaker grille with the artwork screen printed on top. The design of the Ente enables the use of any small form factor amplifier, including Creston’s AMP-X300 amplifier, to power the high-fidelity, 2-channel system to leverage the audio quality for many commercial applications. The SoundTile mounts directly to the wall, appearing more like an art piece than an audio component.
While art for the Ente SoundTiles can be sourced from online art galleries like Rosentiels, Leon also works with artists, like Han, to create exclusive Artist Edition collections for the series. Initially debuting with a selection of iconic fine art photographs from music photographer, Roberto Rabanne, the latest Artist Edition Collection, Mike Han’s three “Detroit Vibrations” pieces, can be arranged as a triptych, diptych, or as standalone pieces.
A Korean-Detroit artist, designer, and self-described “modern vandal,” Han’s work is bold, drawing influence from the work of Keith Haring, classic graffiti from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and Korean calligraphy—but with a contemporary and playful touch. “A lot of my work starts with a character, a small piece, one line that builds upon the next,” said Han. “I don’t predetermine the outcome, but I find it through the process of creation.”
For more information, visit https://www.leonspeakers.com/mike-han. Watch a video about the collaboration here: Detroit Vibrations Leon x Mike Han Collaboration.
See the Leon x Mike Han Collaboration at InfoComm
Visit booth #1701 to see the Leon x Mike Han Artist Edition Collection of the Ente SoundTile, powered by the Crestron AMP-X300 and RMC4 controller. Show attendees can also schedule a private meeting with a Leon team member in the company’s 1967 Airstream which will be traveling to InfoComm for the first time this year. To schedule a meeting go to: https://calendly.com/leonspeakersinfocomm2021/
About Leon Speakers
Leon brings a creative approach to the A/V industry by designing and manufacturing customizable speakers and technology concealment solutions that enhance the sound and style of any space. For almost 25 years, it has been a leader in the conversation on merging design with technology, creating innovative products that serve both the Residential and Commercial markets. Learn more at www.leonspeakers.com or by following @leonspeakers on social media.
Media Contacts
Press Contact: Katye (McGregor) Bennett of KMB Communications, (425) 328-8640 or katye@kmbcomm.com
Company Contact: Carolyn Ceccoli, Sales & Marketing Director at Leon Speakers, (734) 926-4092 or cceccoli@leonspeakers.com
SI’s Zen 2 motorized outdoor shading system recognized by CEDIA as an outstanding new product for the custom integration market. 
