AV Transparency Project
A "Surgical" Alternative

This addresses the true underlying cause of our problems without unnecessarily replacing everything.  If we had a resident who was a true expert on AV equipment and asked them to get us out of the proprietary trap at an optimal price, this is what it might look like.  This alternative is in the $50K range!!

I found  the equipment list/budget for the existing 2018 AV system and it reveals why the system is broken:

• The Audio Brain: Biamp TesiraFORTÉ AVB AI.

• The System Controller: Crestron CP3N processor.

• The Wall Interfaces: Crestron TSW-760 touchscreens.

In a Crestron architecture, the touchscreens do not talk directly to the audio server; they talk to the CP3N controller. The CP3N runs compiled, proprietary software that sends specific command strings to specific "Instance IDs" inside the Biamp processor.

Because the original 2018 installer never handed over the uncompiled source code, that Crestron CP3N is an impenetrable black box. Even if you purchased a brand-new Biamp server tomorrow:

1. A new Biamp would have different digital block IDs and IP parameters.

2. Without the Crestron source code, no technician can reprogram the Crestron CP3N or the touchscreens to talk to the new Biamp.

3. The touchscreens would remain dead, locked out, or unable to adjust volume and room routing.

Attempting to "just fix the Biamp" leaves you stuck in Crestron's proprietary programming trap.

The Reality: What Actually Needs Replacing?

Looking at the 2018 installed equipment, the vast majority of the Aspen Lodge's AV hardware consists of high-quality, commercial workhorse equipment that is still completely functional:

• Amplifiers: Lab.gruppen C Series (C 10:4X). These are touring-grade, highly reliable commercial amplifiers built to run for 15–20 years. Replacing them is throwing money away.

• Microphones: Shure SLX wireless systems and MX690 tabletop mics. Fully functional and reliable.

• Assistive Listening: Listen Technologies induction loop system. Already installed, code-compliant, and independent.

• Loudspeakers: Existing recessed ceiling speakers.

• Projectors & Screens: Epson commercial laser/lamp projectors and recessed motorized screens.

• Infrastructure: Shielded Cat6 cabling already pulled throughout the building.

Only two things are broken or unusable:

1. The dead DSP audio router (Biamp).

2. The locked, orphaned control layer (Crestron CP3N + TSW-760 touch panels).

The Optimal Alternative: "Surgical Core Replacement"

(Estimated Cost: $35,000 – $55,000 total, including labor)

If the Board rejects the $400,000 bid, the path forward is not a full-lodge tear-out. It is a targeted, surgical modernization of the AV closet head-end.

1. Replace the Brain with a Single Unified DSP + Control Processor

Instead of buying a separate audio processor and a separate control processor, ...install a single modern commercial platform that handles both audio DSP and room automation in one box (such as a QSC Q-SYS Core, a Symetrix Radius processor, or a modern Biamp TesiraFORTÉ X).

• It handles all the automixing, room-combining logic, and feedback suppression.

• It directly controls video switching and system power.

• It eliminates the need for Crestron altogether.

2. Install Open-Standard Control Interfaces

Remove the three locked Crestron TSW-760 wall panels. In their place, install either standard commercial PoE touchscreens or commercial Apple iPads locked in secure wall frames running the Q-SYS control app.

• If an iPad or commercial panel fails in five years, staff can replace it for a few hundred dollars with zero proprietary programming lock-in.

3. Address Video Routing Surgically

Your video runs through a Crestron DM-MD16x16 HDBaseT matrix switcher over existing Cat6 cable runs. You have two cost-effective choices:

• Option A (Lowest Cost): Keep the Crestron DM-MD16x16 switcher frame. Crestron DigitalMedia switchers accept standard raw TCP/IP and RS-232 control commands. A Q-SYS programmer can control room video routing directly through standard network commands without needing the Crestron CP3N processor.

• Option B (Clean Break): Replace the DM-MD16x16 frame with an open-standard commercial 8x8 or 16x16 HDBaseT matrix switcher (brands like Blustream, AVPro Edge, or Atlona) for roughly $5,000 to $8,000. This utilizes all existing Cat6 wiring in the walls while completely removing Crestron hardware from the facility.

4. Reconnect All Existing Functional Equipment

Wire the existing Lab.gruppen amplifiers, Shure wireless receivers, Listen Tech hearing loop, and projector video feeds directly into the new core.

Cost Comparison: What ARCA Should Actually Spend

• Audio DSP & System Control:

  • $400k Vendor Proposal (Equalized): Q-SYS Core + Proprietary Add-ons

  • Surgical Core Replacement: Single Q-SYS Core 8 Flex / 110f

• Wall Touch Panels:

  • $400k Vendor Proposal (Equalized): $14,000+ Proprietary Q-SYS panels

  • Surgical Core Replacement: $3,500 – $5,000 (iPads / Open Panels)

• Video Distribution:

  • $400k Vendor Proposal (Equalized): $22,700 AVoIP network + 40G Switch

  • Surgical Core Replacement: $0 (Reuse DM) or $6,000 (Commercial HDBaseT)

• Projectors & Screens:

  • $400k Vendor Proposal (Equalized): $74,000+ Barco Projectors & ALR Screens

  • Surgical Core Replacement: $0 (Retain existing functional hardware)

• Amps & Microphones:

  • $400k Vendor Proposal (Equalized): Replaced with luxury touring hardware

  • Surgical Core Replacement: $0 (Retain Lab.gruppen amps & Shure mics)

• Labor & Programming:

  • $400k Vendor Proposal (Equalized): $45,000+ Enterprise commissioning

  • Surgical Core Replacement: $15,000 – $22,000 Clean-sheet programming

• Estimated Total:

  • $400k Vendor Proposal (Equalized): $407,000 – $417,000
    
    

  • Surgical Core Replacement: $35,000 – $55,000

Concrete Next Steps for the Board

1. Vote to Table or Reject the Current Bids: Do not sign an RFP response based on an over-engineered, touring-grade scope of work.

2. Maintain the Current Temporary Setup: The loaner server has provided functioning sound for four months. There is no operational emergency requiring an immediate $400,000 commitment this week.

3. Hire an Independent, Fee-Only AV Consultant (Not an Integrator): For $3,000 to $5,000, hire an independent CTS-D certified design consultant who does not sell hardware. Task them with writing a functional, value-engineered Scope of Work focused strictly on replacing the head-end brain and control layer while integrating existing equipment.

4. Issue a Lean, Functional RFP: Put that targeted scope out for competitive bid to local commercial AV integrators, requiring:

   • Full turnover of all uncompiled source code, DSP design files, and administrative passwords upon project completion.

   • Clear warranties that do not void if other certified technicians perform routine service.