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Articles by Peter Janis
Life Beyond Touring: The Wealth Of Opportunities Available To Audio Professionals
Some of the best people on the supply or manufacturer side of professional audio have come from the “other side of the counter.” For example, at Radial Engineering there are several; before joining the company, some toured as front of house engineers, others were studio engineers, still others served as stage techs, and two were musicians.
Honorable Mention: The Domino Effect, Continued: Furthering The Discussion Of The Impact Of COVID On Pro Audio
Editor’s Note: See part 1 of this discussion here. I’ve been in the audio industry coming on 50 years. Hard to believe. During this time, I’ve witnessed business to business communication evolve from teletype transmission and fax to email and video conferencing. With the coming of the digital era, catalog mailings have been replaced by websites and email blasts.
Honorable Mention: The COVID Domino Effect, Part 1: The Impact On Industry Supply-Demand & Possible Ways Forward
What crazy times! When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the world shut down. To address the problem, governments everywhere unchained their coffers by delivering checks to individuals, launching infrastructure programs and subsidizing businesses. The intent was clear: by taking on debt, governments would avoid another 1930s-style Great Depression. Although these funds provided many with the household basics until their jobs came back, there were many unanticipated ripples – the domino effect.
The Domino Effect, Continued: Furthering The Discussion Of The Impact Of COVID On Pro Audio
Editor’s Note: See part 1 of this discussion here. I’ve been in the audio industry coming on 50 years. Hard to believe. During this time, I’ve witnessed business to business communication evolve from teletype transmission and fax to email and video conferencing. With the coming of the digital era, catalog mailings have been replaced by websites and email blasts.
The COVID Domino Effect, Part 1: The Impact On Industry Supply-Demand & Possible Ways Forward
What crazy times! When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the world shut down. To address the problem, governments everywhere unchained their coffers by delivering checks to individuals, launching infrastructure programs and subsidizing businesses. The intent was clear: by taking on debt, governments would avoid another 1930s-style Great Depression. Although these funds provided many with the household basics until their jobs came back, there were many unanticipated ripples – the domino effect.
Daunting Dilemma: When Is New Technology Too New?
Back in the early 1980s, I was working for a high-tech shop in Ottawa that did both PA and keyboard retail sales, along with audio installations in churches, clubs, restaurants and arenas. This was were I learned much of my selling skills. In fact, I got so good, that I quickly became the top salesperson in the operation. It’s important to note that I was paid a base salary plus commission. I’d just won a vacation to Jamaica and was absolutely on top of the world.
Mind Over Matter: Making The Best Of Mistakes When Predicting The Future
Despite current uncertainties, now may actually be a great time to enter into a new business venture – all you have to do is ...read more → A veteran panel talks about the key relationship that can make or break the live audio experience – the one between engineer and technician.
Mind Over Matter: Making The Best Of Mistakes When Predicting The Future
When making business decisions, you just have to be mostly right to be on the winning side – the challenge, of course, comes down ...read more → It’s sometimes difficult to record the audience in a way that captures its true sound – here are some techniques and considerations that can ...read more → Just because we're able to add a microphone (or two) to every source on stage, does it mean we should?
Common Denominator: Bringing Sanity To Signal Routing On Stage
Many of today's live stage productions have become tremendously complex, so applying simplicity and standardization can be a true asset in general along with ...read more → The band is complaining that the bass guitar sounds “fuzzy” in all of their in-ear monitors – here are some recommendations.
It’s Alive: The Process Of Bringing New Pro Audio Products To Life
Product development is an undertaking that begins with an idea or concept, and most of the best ideas come by way of filling a ...read more → Working with some great DJs (as well as some not-so-great ones) got me thinking of things that I’ve noticed help the great ones stand ...read more → Managing all of the “area” between the extremes, for each and every sound you record, is a skill that's critical to making a good-sounding ...read more → On most shows, I have less than 15 minutes available...
Working Effectively With Keyboards In The Electronic Realm
Electronic keyboards, the start of it all. Right from the beginning of modern concert sound, DI boxes have played an essential role in getting the sound from the stage to the PA system. Probably the most iconic “direct” instrument of all was the Fender Rhodes. Harold Rhodes started developing the idea as far back as the 1950s, but it was in 1970 that the Rhodes Stage piano took the concert stage bringing the first “portable” keyboard to market.
Counterintuitive, But... How Supply Chain Shortages Can Open The Door To Opportunity
When things get tough, it provides an avenue to new opportunities. It’s merely up to us to uncover them. There is always a way. Talking with a UK native who's worked her way up in the industry over the course of two decades and is now holding a ...read more → Experiments in the field using a portable power station plus some portable loudspeakers with their own Lithium batteries.
The Right Balance: Exercising Discipline, Patience & Foresight In A Difficult Economic Time
Discipline and patience may well be the catchwords for the future.
Sometimes It's Not The System: Straightforward Approaches For Improving Room Acoustics
With modern sophisticated loudspeakers and digital electronics, it has become apparent that simply changing the sound system may still leave plenty of room for ...read more → Great mixes are a combination of loud and quiet, bright and dark as well as instruments that are percussive and others that sustain – ...read more → Some tips and tricks learned from many years behind the console that can assist musicians in sounding their very best in the house mix.
Editor’s note: This one goes back a few years, but the question remains relevant. I go to a lot of concerts. Most of the time, I arrive at sound check to spend some time talking to the techs and engineers about new gear or problems that need fixing. This is also a source of new product development. Then, if time permits, we usually try to go out for a quick dinner before heading back to the venue for the show. My favorite position to hear the band is at front of house.
Marketing Your Brand to the Church Market
The other day, I was reading an article in the Economist about cloud computing whereby it compared Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Although all three firms offer cloud computer storage, Amazon and Microsoft rule the roost. The article pointed out that while Google employs typical serve-yourself menus for customer support, Amazon, and Microsoft are service-centric with access to real people. This got me thinking … how do you differentiate yourself from your competitor?
Is It Time to Redefine Your Brand?
For Americans, the Star-Spangled Banner represents freedom, democracy, and a land of opportunity. At the same time, it sets us apart. It tells a story and paints a picture of our core beliefs. It is supported with The Declaration of Independence, our laws, and the Constitution. These are the very foundations of the American brand and its logo.
Under Control: The Value Of Setting Limits In A Variety Of Ventures
A healthy society needs limits to help keep things in order. Posted speed limits, even though rarely adhered to, provide a guideline so that when we do “push the limit,” we do so with a baseline reference. I vacation in Mexico every year, and although a majority of drivers are very respectful, it always amazes me to see some – cabbies in particular – who go through red lights and/or pass on the right using the service lane.
How to Deal With Nightmare Clients
Everyone in sales or customer service has undoubtedly had to deal with difficult customers. The usual course of action includes listening carefully to the problem at hand, allowing the customer to vent, always taking the high road, and treating the client with respect. And perhaps most importantly, not getting upset. You want to keep things on a professional level. Remember, none of this is personal. Why go to such lengths? The simple answer: customer retention.
Passion For Perfection: The Value Of Doing What You Like, Not What You Have To Do
While lecturing at business seminars, you wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve had someone stand up and say: “I can sell anything as long as I believe in it.” Wait a minute… Does the fruit-stand salesperson believe in bananas? What happens if she doesn’t even like the taste of bananas? Now what? Does she stop selling bananas or put up a big sign that says, “No bananas sold here!” Being passionate about what you do in business is a huge asset.
Business: Growing Pains
facebook twitter youtube instagram RSS The key to growing a design business or a brand is being able to assign enough resources to get the task done. If it all falls on your shoulders, then you aren't ready. by Peter Janis, Church.Design 06.01.21 12:00 AM Growing a business can take many forms. For some entrepreneurs, retaining absolute control is part of their DNA. For others, bringing in financial partners to speed the process makes more sense.
Under Control: The Value Of Setting Limits In A Variety Of Ventures
A healthy society needs limits to help keep things in order. Posted speed limits, even though rarely adhered to, provide a guideline so that when we do “push the limit,” we do so with a baseline reference. I vacation in Mexico every year, and although a majority of drivers are very respectful, it always amazes me to see drivers – in particular cabbies – who go through red lights and/or pass on the right using the service lane.
You're Afraid You're Losing the Client. Now What?
Why is it that we always tend to shift blame on factors outside of our control? It’s so easy to blame the other guy or, in this instance, the COVID pandemic. Church designers, let me set the stage from my personal experience. This past fall, Westjet, Canada’s second largest airline, was accepting reservations for flights to and from Mexico--knowing full well that these would likely be cancelled. They were. I know this because every one off my flights last winter were cancelled, and guess what?
Identifying Opportunities: Keys In The Process Of Taking A Concept To Reality
I once had the brilliant idea to make square tires – put ‘em on your car and you’ll no longer have to use the hand brake when parked on a hill! Because the concept is totally unique, these would be the only ones on the market, and without competition, I’d rake in huge sales. Brilliant! How could this go wrong? Ideas are like fish swimming by in a river. Some are keepers, some are not.
A Four-Letter Word for Business Risk Assessment
A SWOT analysis is merely a tool to help you bring lucidity to your decision-making. Launching a business opportunity is like driving down a pot-hole laden mountain road with a cliff on one side and steep avalanche-prone outcrops on the other. If you drive too fast, you may hit a pot-hole and get a flat, hit a recently fallen rock, or skid off the cliff. Dramatic? Maybe.
The Power Of Repetition: Recognizing & Using Patterns To Our Advantage
Editor’s Note: “Lessons Learned: A Rock n’ Roll Guide for Entrepreneurs,” a new book by Peter Janis, the founder of Radial Engineering and affiliated brands who unfortunately passed away last August, is now available. How many times have you sat in a beach chair, watching the waves, counting… trying to figure out if the seventh wave is actually the biggest?
Is Your Decision-Making Style Serving Your Business or Strangling It?
"A company is either growing or it is dying." Peter Janis, Business Leader, Author, and Church.Design Contributor Have you ever written an email, hit send, and then wished you had not? Everyone has. These days of fast-food restaurants, next-day deliveries, and impatient customer service have likely pushed all of us over the expectation edge. Just recently, I read how 3D printing on the International Space Station eliminated the need to carry spare parts.
The Secret to Nailing It with Your Design Business Brand
Which brand conjures up a more powerful image that sticks in your mind: (a) The Fizzy Drink Co. or (b) Pepsi-Cola? How about: (a) The Super-Fast Car Co. or (b) Ferrari? The first is what I would call a descriptor, while the second is more of what I believe is a true brand.
Wishful Thinking: Letting Our Imaginations Get The Best Of Us
One day, I received a phone message from Chick Corea’s manager saying that there was a problem. For those who don’t know Chick Corea, he’s one of the world’s preeminent keyboard players, alongside Herbie Hancock. and was one of Radial Engineering’s most prestigious endorsers. For the next couple of hours, I stewed over the situation, wondering if we’d done something wrong or if he wanted to shut down his endorsement agreement.
Is It Time to Redefine Your Brand?
For Americans, the Star-Spangled Banner represents freedom, democracy, and a land of opportunity. At the same time, it sets us apart. It tells a story and paints a picture of our core beliefs. It is supported with The Declaration of Independence, our laws, and the Constitution. These are the very foundations of the American brand and its logo.
Autonomous Audio? Artificial Intelligence, Robots And Creativity
The other day, while watching the Vienna Open tennis championship, I felt that something was amiss. Something just did not sit right. First, I noticed that ball boys and girls (the young people who retrieve errant balls during matches) looked like they had tennis rackets in hand. After careful review, it turned out they had something that actually resembled a fishing net. Further, the usual count of six people had been culled down to three. Further, the tennis court seemed clean – very clean.
With Discipline, You Can Drive Your Design Business to Better Places
In business, you are either growing or dying. This is why most business owners and managers are incurable optimists. We believe that if we lay out a plan and the team follows our lead, we will win. As I type this article, I am watching a Sunday night NFL game and I am absolutely sure that the coach has done the same: he set the plan, the team will work the plan, and they will win. The reality is, even the best well laid plans do not always come to fruition. Stuff happens.
Relentless Pursuits: How Failure Can Actually Make Us Better
When bringing a new venture to market, some people look at all of the challenges that stand in their way instead of looking for the solutions that may be discovered on the road ahead. They beat themselves out of the race before they have a chance to succeed. I just finished reading a book about business magnate (and much more) Elon Musk. Many of those interviewed characterize him as an unrelenting maniac that demands the impossible coupled with a curt and often callous temper.
Solving Problems: Customer Service Equals Customer Retention
There’s not a day that goes by that we’re not faced with brutally bad customer service. Yet, occasionally we’re still surprised. It makes one wonder what sets the bar in today’s world. My wife Carla and I bought a condo last year that was in serious disrepair. I love a challenge, so I gutted it and started over from scratch. As part of the finishing touches, Carla bought a complete lineup of General Electric (GE) appliances.
The New Business Reality
Many years ago while working for Fender Canada, my boss's church was having a problem with its PA system. Apparently, the sound was distorted and it did not produce sufficient volume for the congregation to hear the sermon. As a remedy, the priest was asking the executive committee to approve the funding for a new PA system. My boss, who was on the executive committee, asked me if I could stop in and visit his church to have a look at the sound system and give him a first-hand evaluation.
Marketing Your Brand to the Church Market
The other day, I was reading an article in the Economist about cloud computing whereby it compared Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Although all three firms offer cloud computer storage, Amazon and Microsoft rule the roost. The article pointed out that while Google employs typical serve-yourself menus for customer support, Amazon and Microsoft are service-centric with access to real people. This got me thinking … how do you differentiate yourself from your competitor?
DI Boxes For Guitars: Different Approaches For Acoustic And Electric
When amplifying an acoustic guitar, the use of a microphone can lead to concerns about feedback as well as being able to adequately amplify the instrument. With electric guitars, there are also concerns about the microphone adequately and accurately picking up the sound from the guitar amp, and in many cases, there’s also a desire for a quieter stage. Both scenarios lead to the use of direct (or DI) boxes as an alternative.
Location, Location: Factors In Where Products Are Produced (Audio & Otherwise)
I’ve made many predictions over the years. Some have been spot-on, others not so much. For instance, during the 1990s I came to the conclusion that fiber optic technology would supplant copper as a means of transporting audio in live concerts and broadcast. The mere thought of deploying a 50-channel, 300-foot audio snake night after night gives hives to even the saltiest audio tech.
Stable & Steady: The Value Of Keeping Emotion Out Of The Decision-Making Process
Humans are driven by emotions. Banks long ago discovered that making decisions based on emotions gets them in trouble. When folks go to a bank to apply for a loan, they never meet the people who actually signs off on the approval (or not). Instead, they meet with an associate that takes all of the necessary personal information and this is submitted to the powers that sit behind closed doors.
The Fate of Specifiers' Favorite Tradeshows
When it comes to tradeshows, a common refrain you hear these days is: "I don’t need to attend, I can find out all I need by going online." There is certainly some truth to this, but finding out about new technology is only one aspect of attending a tradeshow. Business is built on relationships and trust. This begins by shaking hands (with gloves of course!) and looking a person in the eye.
Discipline: How We Hate That Word (Even Though It's The Key)
Last night while sequestered in my home, I was watching “Heat,” an old movie starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. During a scene in a restaurant, the two are talking and the good cop (Pacino) asks the bad guy (DeNiro): “So, during a heist, if the heat becomes too intense, are you prepared to give up your relationships, everything, to get out?” DeNiro replies, “Yes. This is the game. To win requires discipline.” No matter what your business, you need discipline.
Market Currents & Patience: Key Steps In Building An AV (And Any Other) Business
Chiseling stone is an arduous task. Author Ken Follett’s novel “The Pillars of the Earth” describes how generations of stone masons would painstakingly undertake the building of a cathedral over a century or more. Carving stone takes patience. Repeated strikes with a hammer and chisel slowly develop fissures in the rock which eventually turn to cracks and ultimately, a small piece of granite falls off.
Reamp to Improve Your Wireless Tone
Learn how to reamp to improve your onstage wireless tone. Wireless systems have been in use since the 1980s, and they have become better and costs have come down. However, the continuing problem with wireless systems is dependable transmission, as you need a high-quality, digitally agile diversity system that has really good dynamics and low noise.
Direct Boxes: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
For many musicians and engineers, a DI is merely a little black box that changes a connector. But a DI box does so much more, and just like microphones, there are many to choose from, depending on your application and the desired outcome. Why a DI? The primary function of a direct box is to convert the unbalanced high-impedance signal from an instrument to a balanced low-impedance signal that is compatible with a P.A. or recording system.
Reamp to Imporve Your Wieless Tone
Wireless systems have been in use since the 1980s, and they have become better and costs have come down. However, the continuing problem with wireless systems is dependable transmission, as you need a high-quality, digitally agile diversity system that has really good dynamics and low noise. In addition, unless you have a super high-end system (such as the Shure Axient or Sennheiser 9000), the wireless will introduce a tonal change and/or slight delay (latency).
Improving the sound of interviews with acoustic treatment
The use of hand-held recorders, desk-top microphones, ceiling mounted microphones, video cameras and even multiple microphone setups is common in today’s interview settings. The type of recording equipment can vary depending on budget and of course the room itself. Smaller rooms tend to employ a basic recording system while larger rooms tend to be equipped with more complex systems.
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