OTHER TECH

Did you get interested in consumer electronics when you were kids? David (above, right): Yeah. Zach's been tinkering with electronics since he could stand.

Zachary (above, left): There are stories of me taking apart my grandma's clock radios back when I was a kid.

David: We think Zach invented lighting control. We grew up on Long Island, and he used shoelaces and string together so he could lie in bed and turn the light on and off by pulling them in various directions.

Ah, a Ferris Bueller wannabe over here . . . [all laugh] How did you guys decide to join forces and start an installation business? David: We started Davis Audio in May 2004. With my business background, I saw an opportunity here in Chicago, and called Zach up about it. At the time, he was working out in San Diego, then he moved back here to do this.

I wasn't exactly sure how it was going to go at first, but as soon as Zach started talking to people, I knew we'd be okay. Zach can talk home theater, system electronics, and wiring to anyone; he really knows his stuff. So in my head, I knew this would work.

Do you have a set goal in terms of what you want people to see and hear in a system you design and install? Zachary: My goal, really, is to deliver what the client wants. In the end, everyone wants something different. And I want to make it an easy system to use.

David: We want people to sit back, press the one button to watch TV or listen to music, and see them smile. We want to give them what they want. And Zach wants it all done perfectly. [all laugh] It has to be perfect, neat, and clean - and work exactly right.

Zachary: If we don't deliver what the client is expecting in the end, then we didn't do a good job. From the interview process through the execution of the concept, we make sure they get exactly what they want.

Do you have to talk your clients through the process? Are they able to articulate just what they want, or do you have to prod them? Zachary: We do have to prod sometimes. Most people have an "idea" of what they want, but you have to let them know what's out there. The thing is, though, you always have to be the overall architect of the system.

Tell me a little about your goals for the Wrigley Field Rooftop Club install. Zachary: I drew up three scenarios: good, better, and best. The owners went with the best. And that's what we put in there.

David: The owners said they want the coolest, greatest thing anyone's ever seen in a rooftop install. So we asked them: "What if we could put in a touchpanel where you could control everything from that one screen? How about a corporate presentation system that could disappear into the ceiling and then come back down whenever you need it? Do you want to be able to watch anything on any of the TVs? How about a matrix switcher so that you can choose from eight sources and then throw the source to whatever TV you want?" They said, "Yeah, yeah, we want all of that." Pretty much anything we threw at them, they said, "Awesome, we want that." [all laugh] Then it was a matter of sitting down with the designer, the carpenter, and the electricians to figure out what worked and what didn't.

And then you found you had to modify some of your plans based on what they all had in mind, like moving the equipment rack from the mechanical room into a closet behind the bar. What other changes did you have to make? Zachary: After we put the Auton projector lift and the NEC DLP projector in the ceiling, the designers came to us at the last minute and said we had to move the lift. It was a fire-code thing.

David: Because the ceiling detail is all wood, the fire marshals came in and said, "No way, you need to have to have sprinkler pipes above all of this stuff, not below."

Zachary: So we had to take it down and really move it a few feet back, which changed the lens we needed to use to an NEC NP07ZL zoom lens. It took three of us to put the lift on our shoulders to move it.

But there were certain things we were just not going to do. Standing your ground as an installer is important. I understand architects and designers all have looks that they want. But we have a certain look for the sound and design.

You guys already have ideas for upgrading some of the gear, right? Zachary: Oh yes. The 46-inch SunBrite all-weather outdoor LCD TVs were all pre-purchased, so we had to go with them. But they don't have the screen commands like the newer models do. One of the problems is that someone has to go outside and physically turn the TVs off for the night. As a reminder, we set a command to pop up on the AMX touchpanel behind the bar: "Please go turn the SunBrites off." When we get around to the upgrade, we want to control the outdoor TVs from the touchpanel.

I'm sure there will be more upgrades to come - plus, we have the other building's install to work on and get ready for next season. Like any install, it's an ever-evolving project.