HomeMy WebLinkAboutC27160 - Proposal - K2 Audio, LLC Contract No. C27160
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4900 Pearl East Circle P A L H C E S E R 7. C A
Suite 201 E
Boulder,co 8030� 2Q01 JUN�0 AM 9� 4 I
303-865-5500 main
303-865-5504fax
www.K2audio.com
19 June, 2007
Rachelle Klassen, CMC
OfFice of the City Clerk
City of Palm Desert
73510 Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92260
RE: Notice Inviting Proposals
Professional AudioNisual Consulting Services
Dear Ms. Klassen:
K2 Audio is pleased to offer the City of Palm Desert this proposal in response to the notice
inviting proposals for a professional consultant to provide a needs assessment and ongoing
consultation. We are a team of highly skilled and innovative audio/video/acousticaf
consultants. Our goal is to find the best solution for our clients' needs within their available
budget. We strive to exceed our clients' expectations, and to supply them with services that
they wilt be very happy with for many years. We believe in using the latest, proven
technology, yet we always pay careful attention to making the systems that we design
intuitive and easy to use.
Our staff is well known and highly respected within the industry. As can be seen by reviewing
our team's resumes, we have provided design services for many of the world's most well
known venues including legislative chambers, houses of worship, stadiums, arenas, theme
parks, educational facilities and corporate facilities. We are currently designing the new audio
and AV systems for the United States Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, DC, several
Hearing Rooms for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and providing design
services for the State of Wyoming.
Given our team's combined experience in audio and AV systems design, we feel that K2
Audio can offer the City of Palm Desert services that are unsurpassed in the AV consulting
industry. We thank you for inviting us to respand to your public notice, and hope that we will
have the opportunity to work together.
Sincerely,
K2 Audio, L C
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Deborah J. Britton
Vice President
Contract No. C27160
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16 October, 2007
Rachelle Klassen, CMC
Office of the City Clerk
City of Palm Desert
73510 Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92260
RE: Consulting Services Proposal
City of Palm Desert, CA
Dear Ms. Klassen:
K2 Audio is pleased to present you with this proposal for audio/video consulting services for
the City of Palm Desert, CA. One of our staff Senior Consultants, Ray Rayburn, visited the
City Council Chambers on June 12, 2007. Based on Ray's visit, we believe that there are a
number of specific services that we can offer to the City of Palm Desert that would greatly
improve system intelligibility, functionality and usability. This proposal will address each
major item individually.
Speech Intelligibility
Currently, speech intelligibility in the council chamber is poor, due mainly to the room's
circular shape and the dome ceiling. Although absorptive treatment added behind the wood
slats at rear of room has improved the acoustics, the quantity and type of loudspeakers used
in the ceiling are contributing to the poor intelligibility.
K2 Audio proposes to redesign the chamber loudspeaker system to improve intelligibility
both in the audience area, as well as for the council members and staff seated at the dais. As
part of this scope of work, K2 Audio would:
• Review any architectural drawings of the council chamber to determine room
dimensions and ceiling height.
• Use a room modeling program to determine the optimum solution for loudspeaker
placement given the existing acoustic environment.
• Create AV schematic drawings that show the new loudspeaker system and its
interconnection to the existing system electronics.
• Create drawings showing the recommended mounting locations of the new
loudspeakers.
• Provide specifications detailing the new components required, as well as any
technical guidelines for installing the new loudspeakers.
• Provide a cost estimate for the new loudspeaker system.
Contract No. C27160
Page 2 of�
• Assist the City of Palm Desert with contractor pre-qualification, bid reviews and
contractor selection, if requested.
• Respond to questions and provide direction to the contractor during installation.
• Modify the existing NION configuration file to accommodate the processing for the
new loudspeaker design.
• Provide final system testing and adjustment to optimize the performance of the new
loudspeakers within the Chamber.
We found the loudspeakers located in the hallways and other miscellaneous spaces to be
perfectly acceptable and do not recommend a change.
Digital Recording and Streaming
It is our understanding that the City desires to move away from the use of cassette tapes for
audio recording and implement a digital recording system. There are a number of available
options for doing this, ranging from low-cost computer applications that create MP3 files, to
purpose-built municipal software "suites" which include audio recoding, as well as many
otherfeatures.
In addition, there is interest in streaming the audio live in MP3 format over the internal
network.
K2 Audio proposes to research available technologies for digital recording and streaming
systems and integrate these into the existing system. KZ Audio will:
• Research available digital recording options.
• Research available streaming options.
• Provide the City of Palm Desert with a description of each system's features, pros,
cons and estimated cost to integrate.
• Provide drawings detailing the integration of the City's selected digital recording and
streaming options into the existing system.
Microphone Switches
The push-to-talk (PTT) switches for the main dais seats are located in a position that is difficult
for the members to see. As a result, the members may not always be aware of the
microphone on/off state. We believe that it should be possible to duplicate the microphone
status indicator on the gooseneck microphone weighted bases used on the main dais.
In addition, there is one position at the dais where the PTT switch stays lit only as long as it is
held in place. We suspect that this switch is incorrectly wired.
K2 Audio proposes to design a modification for the existing microphone base. K2 Audio will:
• Determine the existing wiring scheme of the PTT switches from as-built drawings or a
field investigation.
• Create a design that would indicate microphone on/off status on the microphone
base itself.
• Provide schematic drawings showing the new wiring of the microphone base.
Contract No. C27160
Page 3 of 7
. Provide a drawing showing the integration of the new lamp into the existing
microphone base.
. Provide an equipment list detailing any additional parts, connectors, and wiring
required.
System Control and AMX
We understand that the existing AMX system has some issues resulting from modifications
that were made to the programming. If the touch panel at the witness table is used it "locks
out" some of the functionality of the touch panel used by the Cierk. In addition, the Clerk
must now perform some things manually that in the past had been automated, and the
adjustment of control zones are now located on a wall plate behind the Clerk's position,
instead of being part of the Clerk's touch panel as it had been in the past. We understand
that there is also a desire to reduce the work load of the Clerk through automating certain
functions, and perhaps moving some of the audio system control responsibility to other staff
members.
By taking advantage of the fact that the existing NION digital signal processor is connected
to the City's computer network, it is possible that some of the loss of functionality can be
recovered, and some of the audio system operation can be off-loaded onto the IT
department. This NION control connectivity could also provide some form of backup in the
event that the AMX system ever fails.
K2 Audio will:
• Configure the NION so that network access is possible.
. Investigate the possibility of providing access to the wall-mounted zone controls
through the NION project file.
• Provide NION project file modifications that would allow a remote user to connect to
the NION through a PC, to make changes to the audio system settings.
• Provide NION project file modifications that would limit remote access to the NION
system to authorized users through a username and password scheme.
• Acquire the current AMX code, if made available by the AV contractor, to determine
reprogramming solutions that would eliminate the Clerk's touchscreen from being
locked out when the witness table screen is used.
Ceiling-Mounted Camera
As we understand it, a ceiling-mounted camera aimed at the table top is used when large
source documents must be viewed during meetings. Unfortunately, the image shakes and the
shake appears to have worsened over time. We suspect that the source of the vibration is the
HVAC system. K2 Audio proposes to design a vibration isolation mount system for the
camera that will eliminate the shaking image.
K2 Audio will:
• Verify the exact source of the vibration.
• Gather the specifications for the existing camera and mount.
• Research vibration isolation mounting options.
Contract No. C27160
Page 4 of 7
• Provide specifications detailing the specific materials and instructions for
implementing the camera system mounting scheme.
Miscellaneous Recommendations
There are a number of items that Ray observed during his visit that could provide measurable
improvement to the performance of the system. These are not items that require our
consulting services, but rather a technician from the City of Palm Desert, an AV firm such as
Muzak, or a "trade" professional, such as an electrical or mechanical contractor.
We noticed that wire numbers were not present on most, if not all of the AV system wiring.
We highly recommend that this information be added to the existing cabling to improve
long-term system troubleshooting and maintenance.
We recommend that the City acquires the source code for any AMX programming or NION
programming present in the system. This is invaluable if changes or additions are made to
the system in the future. As I believe Ray mentioned to you, the NION configuration file is
accessible by connecting to the NION using a standard a laptop or PC. If you would like our
assistance in doing this, we would be glad to walk you through this process over the phone
at no charge.
The receive antennas for the "audience" microphone are located on the back of the receiver
inside the steel rack and adjacent to the Williams system transmitter/transmit antenna. We
recommend that the Williams system be moved away from the wireless receivers, and at least
the wireless receive antennas be relocated to a position inside of the Chamber.
The rack room should have cooling added, which would greatly improve the life-cycle of the
equipment.
As we understand it, there are currently problems with the switches mounted in the edge of
the dais being damaged by chair arms. A flush-mounted switch would prevent this from
happening. An acceptable option would be the EAO 61-8410.22 switch with 61-9671.2 red
button, 61-1100.0 universal momentary push button actuator and 61-9930.0 square black
bezel. The exact lamp used in conjunction with the new switch will depend upon the voltage
used in the current system.
Currently, the mayor uses a short gooseneck microphone, and as we understand it, has a
habit of talking while facing to one side or the other rather than facing the microphone. We
suggest trying a headset microphone such as the Countryman Ebi earset, the DPA 4065-FL
headset, or the Mipro MU-55HNSX headset at the mayor's position. While any of these
microphones can be used wired or wireless, we suggest wired for reliability, as well as to
prevent the microphone from being mistakenly removed from the Chamber while being
wo rn.
The NION and AMX system should be connected to an uninterruptible power supply, or
"UPS".
Contract No. C27160
Page 5 of 7
The current lighting for the ceiling camera is poor and causes glare on the video image. We
recommend that the City consider modifying the lighting in this area to support two lamps
spaced well away from the camera and aimed at the table top, instead of the existing single
lamp which is located very close to the camera.
In general, the "as-built" system documentation that the City has been provided is not
suitable for long term maintenance and system serviceability. We highly recommend that the
City of Palm Desert work with an AV contractor to have the following information added to
the system drawings:
• Wire numbers
• Interconnection of system components with the recently-installed Peavey NION
added
• Details for switch wiring (i.e., schematic details showing any applicable voltages
supplied, connector pinouts, etc.)
Fees:
We propose to provide the services described above for the fixed fees outlined below:
• Speech Intelligibility: $5,630
• Digital Recording and Streaming: $1,050
• Microphone Switches: $750
• System Control and AMX: $4,760
• Ceiling-Mounted Camera: $900
The fees are based upon our best assessment of the needs of the project. The Fees are
predicated upon the work defined in this document only. Where additional work is
requested, we will be happy to comply on an hourly basis at our rates in effect at the time the
service is provided, or provide a proposal for those additional services. A current rate
schedule is attached for your reference.
Expenses (such as printing and reproduction, use of specialized test or measurement
equipment, and shipping and delivery) incurred in conjunction with providing the design
services described above are included in the fixed professional fees. Because it is possible
that the City of Palm Desert may wish to engage us to provide multiple services which could
possibly be performed on the same trip to Palm Desert, we have not included the cost of
travel and accommodations in our quoted fees. We will be happy to work with the City to
schedule any related travel in the most cost effective manner possible, given the scope(s) of
work desired.
We invoice every thirty days based upon time spent on the effort, with payment due in full
without retainage, within 30 days of receipt of invoice. This proposal is valid for a period of
sixty (60) days from the date of this document.
Contract No. C27160
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Page 6 of 7
Acceptance:
This proposal/agreement contains the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes
all prior oral and written agreements. NO waiver or modification to the terms of this
agreement is valid unless executed in a written document signed by K2 Audio, LLC.
Thank you for this opportunity. We look forward to providing consulting services that will
fulfill the City of Palm Desert's needs for many years to come. Please let us know if we may
provide any additional information. Thank you.
Sincerely,
K2 Audio, LLC
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Deborah J. Britton
Vice President
ACCEPTED BY:
Name
Title
Date
Contract No. C27160
AUDIO, LLC
49W Pearl East Circle
Suite 201F
Boulder,CO 80301
303-865-5500 main
303-8b5-5504fax
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K2 AUDIO CONSULTING - PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
STANDARD RATE SCHEDULE
(Effective January 1, 2006)
CLASSIFICATION HOURLY RATE
Principal Consultant $165.00
Senior Consultant $125.00
Consultant $110.00
Senior Designer $85.00
Designer $75.00
Contract No. C27160
AUDIO, LLC
Consultants in
Audio, Video &
Acoustics
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K2 Audio has extensive experience in the design of systems
ranging from small meeting rooms to large legislative
chambers. Our customers range from local churches to the
United States Senate. The staff at K2 were pioneers in
audio networking, and our expertise in DSP-based systems
is unmatched in the industry. Whether creating a speech
reinforcement system for a smail church, or a technically
sophisticated control facility for an experienced broadcast-
er, we pride ourselves in our ability to provide user inter-
faces that make the job of the system operator simple and
straightforward. The systems we've designed are in use in
mission-critical facilities which are seen and heard on the
national news every day.
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Company Overview
With over 100 years of colledive experience,the rep- The team at K2 has developed what is considered to
resentative projects of K2 Audio's staff span theme be the state of the art in technical systems for legisla-
parks, government facilities, recording studios, per- tive facilities. The systems we design include audio
forming arts facilities, stadiums, houses of worship, reinforcement, audio distribution to the media, video
concert halls and educational facilities. Our experi- display, broadcast-quality robotic camera systems,
ence enables us to ask the right questions during the Internet streaming, videoconferencing, and remote
design process, so that the end result is optimized to monitoring and control facilities.
the exact needs of our clients, and the long-lasting
relationships we have with our customers reflect this.
Each of our consultants is a highly-skilled and innova-
tive audio professional, and our belief in teamwork
provides our clients with the full benefits of each indi-
vidual's area of expertise. The staff at K2 Audio is in
this industry because of our passion for what we do.
Audio and video are big parts of each of our lives,
and the best reward for us at the end of a project is
a happy client.
What We Do � «�� -:
From churches and recording studios to legislative
facilities, we provide complete turn-key designs that
include building acoustics, audio systems, video sys-
tems, facility-wide control, and if applicable, the net-
works that carry these signals. � - �
K2 Audio specializes in the custom configuration and
programming of DSP-based digital audio systems, . . . .
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clients' goals. •
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We also understand the importance of aesthetics. We When standard, off-the-shelf products will not provide a
work closely with the architect to assure that our tech- satisfactory solution to meet a client's exact needs, K2
nical designs blend in with the aesthetics of the space. Audio will develop custom hardware and software solu-
tions that address their unique requirements. The
"member panel" in the photo below was developed as
a result of one client's need for bi-directional audio,
switch controls and a witness timer at each Member
location. The panel connects to a custom "desk unit"
mounted under the furniture that carries all audio
and control signals, as well as power, over a single
CATS cable.
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Audio Systems AudioNideo Networks
We specialize in the design of audio reinforcement As the team that brought audio networking to profes-
systems. We have particular expertise in the use of sional audio systems, K2 Audio's experience in the
configurable DSP-based products, and we use these field of audio networking is unmatched in the industry.
to achieve highly customized designs to meet our cus- Our team has designed some of the largest
tomers' specific needs. Our ability to create custom audio/video networks in existence, for some of the
software and programming to achieve these needs most well recognized projects in the world. We pio-
makes us truly unique in the audio consulting industry. neered the ability to easily tie the audio systems in
� many rooms together via the use of Ethernet net-
works. We have also developed the most sophisticat-
ed means of monitoring audio systems for faults over
networks, for distributing audio to the Internet, and for
providing redundant systems that greatly reduce the
risk of system failure. By making use of a building's
Ethernet data infrastructure, we are able to provide
very significant cost savings by eliminating many of the
dedicated conduit, wiring, and labor costs associated
, � with a new infrastructure.
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Video Systems
We design many types of video presentation systems
which use projection and flat screen display technolo-
gies. We also design camera systems, and have partic- '
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cameras, and the conversion of different signal types
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Control Systems
While there may be complex technology working to
provide the solution,we provide s+mple, intuitive, con-
trols for the staff that operate the systems.
Room Acoustics
Calling on decades of experience with room acoustics,
we do not attempt to design technical systems around
the acoustical environment of a space, but rather, we
design them in conjunction with the environment. In
many cases, acoustical solutions such as adding
absorptive treatments to certain areas of the room can
provide for increased intelligibility. As acoustical con-
E �' ,? E _ sultants, we are able to determine where an acoustical
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The K2 Audio Design Team
At K2 we believe that the most important part of a "�
company is the people who make up the team. Our ;�
staff have designed and commissioned many of the 4 �
largest systems in the world. These projects have �"
included park-wide audio for some of the largest,
most well known theme parks, and audio systems
ior the United States Senate and House of
Representatives. While each team member at K2 Deb Britton
Audio has their particular area of expertise, there is
one thing that we all have in common: we each have a K2 Audio's Vice President and lead project manager,
passion for our work. This characteristic is an essential was involved in the design of the most advanced park-
part of our team. Each person is not satisfied with just wide audio network in use at a theme park for Disney's
designing another "cookie cutter" system but rather, DisneySea Theme Park in Tokyo, Japan. She has also
will strive to create a better design that precisely taught many seminars on audio networking, chaired
meets the needs of each individual client. an audio networking seminar for the Audio
Engineering Society, and lectured to groups for
It is the combination of our individual skills that allows N/omen in Engineering. She designed audio systems
us to provide truly outstanding designs for our clients. for the Concert Hall located inside the Petronas
Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and taught
'�;� ' '� acoustics at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
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Ray Rayburn
K2's President, has been designing audio systems for
over 30 years. He has served as a consultant on many Ray has been an engineer in acoustics, audio systems,
of the world's largest projects including the Toronto and telecommunications for over 30 years. He is the
Skydome, the Georgia Dome, the Las Vegas current chair of the AES Standards Subcommittee on
Convention Center and many corporate headquarters Interconnections, and was one of the authors of the
in America. Rich was the inventor of the first product Handbook for Sound Engineers, which is considered
that provided a means of graphically configuring a the "bible" of professional audio design. He has cre-
digital audio processor to "create a sound system in ated some of the most advanced software-based proj-
software". This concept has become the accepted ect designs in use today, including the United States
industry standard method for creating sophisticated Senate Chamber, and taught the "advanced users"
6 sound systems. Rich was a founder of the company training seminars on the MediaMatrix configurable
that invented CobraNetT^^, the industry standard for DSP product. As a recording engineer for RCA, Ray
audio networking in use by most of the world's lead- recorded the Chicago Symphony, the Philadelphia
ing audio manufacturers. Orchestra, and Frank Zappa.
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Garret Maki Mark Seeker
Garret has designed numerous audio and video sys- Mark specializes in sound system design for perform-
tems, and specializes in mechanical design for integra- ing arts facilities and churches.Working for many years
tion. He recently completed a centralized Video Media at a world-renowned acoustics consulting firm has
Center for the United States House of Representatives given Mark a deep understanding and appreciation
which includes 12 remote camera control booths, used for acoustics that clearly translates into his designs.
to control the video production from over 40 Hearing
Rooms. He was also the lead designer on the U.S.
Senate Chamber sound system. •r
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Mike Perlmeter
Mike specializes in designing architectural acoustics
Rodrigo Ordonez solutions which can be applied to both new and exist-
ing rooms. Attending intensive lectures with the
Rodrigo's background provides a perfect balance world's most famous studio acoustics designers, has
between audio, software engineering and client rela- given Mike a solid basis and perspective on the evolu-
tions. He specializes in custom programming to meet tion and state of the audio consulting ind�stry.
a client's specific needs, and recently designed a sys-
tem for the United States Senate that centrally moni-
tors the audio network devices in all of the remote
Hearing Rooms. As a main point of contact for some
of our most well known clients, Rodrigo conducts
requirements interviews, provides training to system
end-users, and is responsible for making sure that the
systems we design for our customers continue to meet
their needs long after the installation is complete. �
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We consider our relationships with our
clients to be permanent ones. We are
always just a phone call away.
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