Custom Installation

What is Multi-Room Audio & Video?
Well it all started a long time ago when customers said “I'm very pleased with the hi-fi system I bought from you, but can I add some speakers so I can listen to it in the kitchen as well? And could I control the volume in the kitchen independently from the main system? And, by the way, could you hide the wires?

The answer, of course was yes, we can do that.
And then the systems expanded: “ I'm delighted with the speakers and volume control you installed for me but now I would like them in the dining room, master bed room, family room and what about the patio? And, would it be possible to select different source components and control them from each room as well?”

The answer was yes again. But this took a little more thought, planning, organisation and a few specialist components and skills. It developed into what we now know as Multi-Room Audio & Video

The early switching boxes have given way to “switches” in each room, usually built into the wall like a light switch but sometimes taking the form of a fixed or mobile touch pad. Often referred to as control panels, touch screens or key pads, they give you control over volume and source selection while the more sophisticated provide feed back such as radio station name, CD title, artist and track information.

Video distribution works in much the same way with the wall or touch pad switches selecting your chosen source and routing the signal to your display. They provide the convenience of selecting what you want to watch or listen to from wherever you are in the house and they avoid clashes of interest: you can watch football or listen to your new CD in the lounge while your partner watches a soap or listens to a favourite track in the kitchen.

What is Custom Installation?
If you want your music and film or TV in several rooms you probably also want a minimalist look with the electronics located out of sight. You (or your partner) won't want to see any wires, but you will want an easy way for all the family to control the equipment.

As well as a system to control your Hi-Fi and Sky box, you may well want to integrate the control of other products such as lighting, heating and closed circuit TV, as this saves on the number of controllers needed and keeps the walls clear of too many buttons, displays and switches! It's also nice to bring together several functions such as dimming the lights, dropping a screen, starting a DVD playing and drawing the curtains, and this automation can be included quite easily in the control system. The planning, design and fitting of these bespoke systems is called Custom Installation. The end result of more complex systems is often described as the Smart Home. Imagine phoning home before you leave the office and having a whole house system draw the curtains, turn on the central heating, switch on the lights and open the garage door for when you arrive.

You may be about to embark on a complete refurbishment project, have an extension or new home built. Perhaps you have been thinking about a loft or basement conversion. Whatever your plans, you should consider the electronic products available to you as they can bring fun, convenience, remote control and extra security to your project.

New looks and new developments
You might wonder if adding extra functionality to your home entertainment system will mean even more clutter. Thankfully it won’t. In fact, as custom installations have become more widespread and popular, the designers have become ever more skilful at integrating these systems stylishly, and often nearly invisibly, with your décor.

Your home clutter will disappear as tuners and CD players are housed in a central location, cables are hidden and speakers are discreetly installed in your walls or ceilings. There are a huge number of speakers available, from small ones disguised as downlighters to in-wall bass subwoofers - so performance need not suffer. With the products now available to us, we can distribute audio and video to as many rooms as you require with as many users and source components as you need.

If it’s home cinema that excites you then it’s definitely time you called into one of our shops to see the latest technology in action.We can supply and install the best plasma screens, LCD displays and projectors available, along with the most up-to-date audio electronics. So, whether you’re looking for a budget setup or a no-holds-barred, high-end cinema system, we have the expertise to create the home cinema of your dreams.

If it's multi-room audio that you want then there are many storage and distribution systems available, in plainer English, easy to use, purpose built computers that enable you to store and quickly access the contents of hundreds of CDs and even DVDs on hard disk. They’ll pipe different music to different rooms simultaneously and will catalogue your music collection by accessing music databases on the internet. This means that you can choose music to play automatically according to your chosen criteria or mood: just ask for, say, ‘Classical’ or ‘Sinatra’ and the system does the rest. These systems can also access internet radio giving you the opportunity to listen not only to your usual programmes but also to stations around the world.

If it's lighting control that you're after then again there are several systems that we use for both new and retro fit-able systems. These systems allow you to create the right mood using pre-programmed scenes - dimmed for a romantic dinner or a film, a little brighter for reading or full on for working or cleaning. Lights can be programmed to give the impression you are there whilst actually on holiday and they can all be turned on or off from one location. Rooms can be automated individually (for example when you install a home cinema) or the whole property can be integrated into one lighting system (more suited to a new build, of course).

And then there are electric curtains - often regarded as the ultimate indulgence! These systems can operate curtains and blinds remotely or as part of a programmed sequence at the start of a film, for example. Imagine the luxury of waking up in the morning and pushing a button by the bed to open all the curtains in the room, or even in the whole house! Imagine the system closing them again when it gets dark, maybe while you are still out at work.

And remember, it's not just cinemas, hi-fi systems, curtains and lighting that we can help you with.We are happy to be involved in projects concerning satellite systems (we are authorised Sky installers), CCTV and entry systems, network cabling, bespoke furniture (from our friends at Conquest furniture and others) and commercial systems for board rooms, bars and restaurants.

CEDIA - dedicated to doing it right

Cedia - the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association - is dedicated to raising and maintaining the highest standards in the custom installation industry by training members in the latest techniques and technologies and insisting on adequate insurance protection. Audio Excellence and Audio T are members of CEDIA, so we will do the job properly: whether it’s just a case of hiding the wiring away safely or commissioning a cabinet maker or builder to provide the electronics with a stylish or concealed hide-away.

Householders, architects and interior designers turn to us as members of Cedia because we’re in touch with experts in all the disciplines involved and we can recommend the best way to configure your system so that it fits in with your home and lifestyle perfectly.

As Cedia installers we will make sure that your installation is set up with a view to future expansion. You might want to start off simply with a main hi-fi system in the living room that can send music to the bedroom and kitchen. A year later, you might want to add home cinema capability to the system, maybe with a projector and drop-down screen. You then might want to pipe sound to the children’s rooms as well. It makes sense to cover these eventualities at the outset by pre-wiring.Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could just walk in, connect the speakers to a pre-wired jack on the wall and have the job done quickly?

Audio T and Audio Excellence installers can call upon years of experience to ensure that you receive an unmatched level of service, and provide you with an installation that’s wholly appropriate for your needs – now and in the future.

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