Hungerford, Berkshire, UK: 10 May, 2012 – In order to help its channel partners understand that AV is not a small 'a' and a big 'V' and increase revenue opportunities from audio installations, RGB Communications, one of the top UK technical AV distributors, is running a series of Audio Essentials training courses at its Berkshire base. The first of the training sessions is taking place on 15 May and will run from 10.00 to 17.00.

"I am constantly amazed that audio is so often treated as the poor relation to video by AV professionals. Being able to clearly hear the sound when listening to or watching any kind of multimedia content is key," said RGB's CTO, David Webster. "The importance of good quality audio is often overlooked and so there is a real need to make sure that the 'A' receives just as much focus as the 'V' in AV."

"Try and follow a presentation or participate in an audio or video conference when you can't hear the speaker or, try to watch a movie with poor audio quality," continued Webster. "Without audio you are at a loss as to what exactly is happening. Not only is this extremely frustrating but, in the case of any business application, it is also very tiring as you strain to try to understand what is actually being said."

One of the reasons audio continues to have a small 'a' is that we appreciate the difference of improved picture quality more than improved sound quality. We have all become accustomed to mediocre sound quality, not even noticing how poor it is until it is missing entirely or we compare what we have become accustomed to with something audibly superior.

The emphasis on audio with a small 'a' has meant that AV professionals have been able to deliver cheap and sometimes nasty solutions and then hope there would be no repercussions around the quality of the audio which may deter the customer from working with them again.

RGB's Audio Essentials training course has been designed to encourage its channel partners to move away from delivering potentially inferior audio solutions. The objective of Audio Essentials is to raise the importance of the 'A' in AV ensuring that RGB's channel partners are, at the very least, able to explain and demonstrate the advantages of investing in higher quality audio solutions to their potential customers.

"A good overall knowledge of how audio works will enable our channel partners to deliver audio solutions which no longer simply meet their customers' needs but exceed them. In turn this will lead to increased revenue opportunities within an AV marketplace which has an equal focus on the 'A' and the 'V'," Webster added.

The Audio Essentials course starts with the basic physics of sound, what it is, how it is measured and heard. It then progresses with an overview of audio system components, including microphones and other sources, analogue and digital signal transmission, signal processing, surround sound and finally loudspeakers. The emphasis is on practical considerations for selecting, installing and using components with many useful tips about wiring and positioning etc., reinforced with the relevant theory.

"I'm sure that some AV professionals will think that the content of the Audio Essentials course is RGB trying to 'teach your Grandmother to suck eggs'," explained Webster. "But by not really understanding what sound is and how audio systems actually work, channel partners are missing out on potential revenue opportunities. It's easy to forget that sometimes you don't know, what you don't know."

Any channel partners who are interested in attending the Audio Essentials Training on 15 May and who would like details of the additional training days (5 July, 4 Sept, 27 Nov) should call +44 (0)1488 73366 and ask for Kate Wilson.