MediaMerge provides AVL systems for new construction and renovation projects. We can work directly with your church or as a sub-contractor. Technical renovation projects that do not involve major construction are often completed turn-key with MediaMerge serving as general contractor.
Design - We believe that good design is good stewardship, and it ultimately pays for itself. It’s easy to connect two devices and get a signal. The real challenge lies in identifying needs, anticipating pitfalls, providing clear communication and overcoming architectural limitations. That’s where we live.
Installation - Safety is the first concern when it comes to installation. Whether it’s hanging equipment overhead or pulling wire, our installers follow code to the letter. All wiring is meticulously managed and documented for future serviceability. We can’t wait to see the smile on your face when you see your racks for the first time.
Training & Support - Our official policy on training is that we don’t have one. If your team can’t use our technology then we have failed. Whether it’s one short training session or ten, we guarantee that your team will get the training and support they need.
Audio Systems - Loudspeaker Systems | Mixing Consoles | Stage
Monitoring | Wireless Microphone & IEM Systems |
Recording | Distributed Audio | Stage Design
Acoustics - Acoustical Modeling & Analysis | Room Shape |
Reverberation Time | Acoustical Isolation | Ceiling &
Wall Absorption
Video Systems - Video Projection | Multi-Screen Video | Triple-Wide
Edge-Blending | Image Warping | Monitoring | Digital
Signage | Switching & Routing | System Calibration
Lighting Systems - Incandescent & LED Instruments | Moving Head |
Software & Hardware Consoles | DMX Distribution |
Infrastructure | House Lighting | Programming
Broadcast Systems - Cable/Air Broadcast | Streaming | Camera Systems |
Color Correction | Switching & Routing | Broadcast
Audio | Post-Production Systems & Workflow
In many instances facility design is a living process in which the final concept evolves over the life of the project. In many cases, the architect and general contractor will require details, drawings, specifications early in the process so that bids can be solicited for structural elements, electrical work, etc. However, the sound, video and lighting systems are not usually designed at this point, and in many instances the integrator has not even been chosen.
To solve this chicken-and-the-egg predicament, we’ve developed the Design Retainer Process. In this arrangement the client can retain our services to provide design support for infrastructure and logistics while the media system design is being fleshed out with the client. Architects receive conduit & electrical drawings, layouts, and all of the design documents they need to move forward with the project before the client is locked into a particular media system design. Once a final proposal is adopted the retainer fee is applied toward the purchase of the system.
In this arrangement we are able to provide the design support required by the architect with minimal financial risk to the client up front. Perhaps the biggest benefit of this approach is that we are able to establish a deeper relationship with the client and a better understanding of the project prior to proposing specific system solutions. Over time the Design Retainer Process has minimized construction delays and delivered a superior end-result because the system design is the result of an active dialogue rather than our best guess at the client’s real needs.
Depending on the scope, the Design Retainer Process may work as well for renovations as new construction.
A phone interview is normally the first step. We typically request copies of any facility documentation that is available: images of the room, floor-plan drawings, elevations, etc. We review those documents and the notes from the initial interview in order to determine what approaches seem reasonable. Sometimes more information is required at this point, and in some instances the next step would be a site visit with your team.
Whether it’s 50 miles or 500 miles, most communication is going to involve a phone call or email. In this day and age, business just works that way.
Modern conference technologies and the internet have made long-distance collaboration a reality. Whether the client is down the street or across the country, it tends to be the preferred method of communication.
Most service issues can be resolved remotely, as well. With our proprietary control systems and active reporting technologies we often know about technical problems before our client does. Almost everything interfaces with a computer, and those computers can be accessed remotely. With many systems, our techs get an email the moment parameters fall outside of system norms.
The best advice for this particular issue is to contact our past clients if you have concerns about this issue. Their real world experience provides the best response to the question.
Over the last 20 years we can now predict almost every obstacle that could potentially halt momentum during any project. We have learned to prepare for those obstacles and have developed a go with the flow mentality to things like change orders, building codes, structural changes, and even budgetary constraints.
MediaMerge only offers design/build services and does not provide stand-alone consulting or bid on the installation of other consultants’ designs.
While design/bid may work well for typical construction, in most cases we do not believe that this approach is in the best interest of our clients when it comes to presentation systems.
The warranty is completely comprehensive and covers everything but abuse or mis-use.
Your team will know how to use the system effectively when we are finished.
We offer on-site sessions during the completion of the installation, and we field phone calls and email on a regular basis. Some clients get it in a few hours. Some clients need several sessions over the course of weeks.
The bottom line is that our job is not complete until you are comfortable with your new system.
Over the years we’ve come to believe that the best results are achieved when presentation systems are designed and installed in a turn-key design/build fashion. There are three key reasons:
The first deals with economics. Let’s just consider labor. Consultants typically charge 10-20% of the total budget for presentation systems. The system contractor’s installation/project management labor will usually cost 10-15% of the budget. In this arrangement total labor will typically fall in the 20-35% range. In a typical MediaMerge project labor averages 12-14% of the total budget. The difference largely consists of the time and effort needed to communicate ideas between two separate entities. You’re also paying the overhead for two separate companies when there is a consultant and contractor at the table.
Accountability is another big factor in the equation. A consultant designs the system and then a contractor interprets the design and installs it. When a problem presents itself, whose responsibility is it? The contractor will say it is a design problem, and the consultant will argue that the design was not implemented properly. Meanwhile the client is in the middle waiting for someone to step up and own the issue. With our design/build approach, there is only one point for accountability. There are never cost overruns due to design errors. If we make a mistake, we own it. If there is any kind of issue, it’s our responsibility and our time is spent developing the solution and not a defense.
Finally, the bid process is simply not conducive to creativity. With two factions defending territory, flexibility goes out the window. Every change brings a flurry of meetings and paperwork. Creative ideas do not abound in this type of atmosphere.
While the competitive-bid process can work in the right application, we just don’t believe it produces the exceptional results that are the hallmark of MediaMerge systems.
Our projects have taken us across the country, working with a wide range of worship styles. We approach each project as a clean slate. Whether it’s large or small, traditional or contemporary, your church is unique, and we strive to understand your needs. The process usually looks something like this:
Needs Assessment - We work together to identify your stated goals and uncover your hidden needs
Design Development - Your goals are translated to conceptual designs including preliminary budgets
Drawings & Documentation - The design is formalized with drawings and schematics
Installation - Systems are built, tested and installed according to the documentation and drawings
Commissioning - The systems are programmed and tested to ensure they meet our specifications
Training & Support - Your team is trained to use the systems effectively
Bubba Eubank
Worship Pastor, Green Valley Baptist Church
Our projects have taken us across the country, working with a wide range of worship styles. We approach each project as a clean slate. Whether it’s large or small, traditional or contemporary, your church is unique, and we strive to understand your needs.
We use the latest 3D modeling technology to work out concepts in the virtual realm long before construction begins. This technology
enables us to show you a wide range of options to solve each design challenge.
You don't invest in new technology every year, and we get that. Our creative background in a broad range of projects helps to design a turn-key AVL system that can be rolled out all at once or in phases depending on your needs.
Selling you a system without taking into full consideration the people who will use the technology day-in and day-out is not good stewardship. We focus on finding the right equipment to meet your needs and experience level. Then we engineer the systems to be use-able by your team.
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12585 Old Highway 280 | Suite 105
Chelsea, Alabama 35043
Call us: 205.678.0588
Toll free: 866.678.0588
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