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The DJ booth has quietly become one of the most technically complex positions in live event production — and most people haven't noticed. 

In Episode 13 of Behind the Rack, hosts Franco and James join us for a candid roundtable on the 5 biggest shifts transforming the modern DJ booth: the evolution from stand-alone performer to full production hub, the rise of monitor stacks and line arrays behind festival booths, how mobile DJs are now controlling lighting and video from a single controller, the slow death of the MC skill, and what AI might realistically bring to the DJ world in the next 18–24 months. 

We also get into the real talk on sound quality vs. aesthetics at weddings, the democratization of DJing (and whether it's raised or lowered the bar), vinyl's surprising comeback, and how music curation — not just playback — is what separates great DJs from average ones. 

If you're a DJ, a live event production pro, an AV integrator, or just someone who's ever been to a wedding and noticed something felt off with the sound — this one is for you. 

Topics covered: 

• The 5 shifts reshaping the modern DJ booth 

• Festival booth logistics: rolling setups and pre-production meetings 

• Why mobile DJs now need to know lighting, video AND sound 

• The MCing skill gap and why it matters 

• Column speakers and aesthetics: when looks beat SPL 

• Audio fatigue, speech intelligibility, and the father-of-the-bride problem 

• Shure SLXD wireless scanning — done right 

• DJ software reliability: the case for whatever doesn't crash 

• Networking cables in the DJ booth (yes, really in 2025) 

• Barrier to entry: $200 controllers and the democratization debate 

• AI in DJing: BPM matching, stem isolation, facial recognition — what's coming? 

🎙️ Behind the Rack is produced by SFM, a Midwich company — Canada's trusted AV distribution partner for Broadcast, Pro/Live, and Systems Integration. 

📍 New episodes every two weeks. 

🌐 sfm.ca 

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Unified Communications didn’t suddenly appear during the pandemic—it was already in motion. What changed was the pace, and more importantly, the expectations.

In this episode of Behind the Rack, we sit down with David from DTEN to explore how the UC space has evolved from hardware-based systems and dedicated codecs to the software-driven, cloud-connected platforms we rely on today. The conversation traces that journey—from early interoperability challenges to the rise of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and the shift toward simpler, more accessible meeting room experiences.

DTEN’s story fits directly into that evolution. Starting with interactive whiteboards, the company moved early into all-in-one collaboration systems, helping redefine what a meeting room can look like when everything—from camera to compute—is built into a single platform.

But this discussion goes beyond product design. It looks at how user behavior has changed, why hybrid work exposed gaps in traditional AV deployments, and how expectations around simplicity and reliability are now driving decision-making.

We also explore what’s coming next. From digital whiteboarding and persistent collaboration to the growing role of AI—both in the cloud and at the edge—the future of meeting spaces is becoming more intelligent, more responsive, and more aligned with how people actually work.

For integrators, consultants, and anyone involved in designing collaboration environments, this episode offers a grounded look at where Unified Communications stands today—and where it’s heading next.

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Immersive audio isn’t just another format—it may be the most significant shift in music production since the move from mono to stereo.

In this episode, George from Apogee Electronics joins us to explore how immersive audio is reshaping the way music is created, mixed, and experienced. From the early days of digital recording to today’s rapid adoption of Dolby Atmos, we unpack the technical, creative, and commercial forces driving this evolution.

The conversation dives into the realities behind immersive workflows, the role of major platforms like Apple in accelerating adoption, and why this format is finally succeeding where surround sound struggled.

For integrators, engineers, and anyone working in pro AV, this episode offers a grounded look at what immersive audio actually means—and where it’s going next.

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What is Unified Communications — and why is it now critical to how we work?

In this episode of Behind the Rack, we’re joined by Josh Blalock (Shure, Microsoft MVP) to break down the evolution of UC and collaboration technology — from the pandemic-driven boom to today’s shift toward AI-powered meeting experiences.

We explore how platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom are shaping the modern workplace, why meeting rooms are being redesigned, and how audio and video quality now directly impact AI-driven workflows.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone in AV, IT, or business leadership looking to understand where collaboration technology is heading next.

In this episode:

•  What Unified Communications (UC) means 
•  Microsoft Teams vs Zoom trends 
•  How AI is transforming meetings 
•  Why meeting room design matters more than ever 
•  The shift toward simple, scalable AV solutions 
•  The importance of audio quality in AI workflows 
•  What organizations are getting wrong about collaboration 

About the guest:

Josh Blalock is Director of Collaboration Ecosystem & Engagement at Shure and a Microsoft MVP with over 20 years of experience in enterprise communications, Microsoft Teams, and collaboration technologies.

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Immersive technology is rapidly evolving — and it’s starting to intersect with the world of professional AV in new and interesting ways.

In this episode of Behind the Rack, we’re joined by Daniel Grozdavov from Imagine360 to explore the world of Extended Reality (XR) and how technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are reshaping how organizations communicate, train, and create experiences.

Together, we discuss what immersive technology really means beyond the buzzwords, how these environments are built, and where XR may intersect with the ProAV ecosystem.

Topics include:
 • Understanding XR, VR, and AR
 • How immersive experiences are designed
 • Applications in storytelling, education, and experiential environments
 • The role AV infrastructure plays in immersive deployments
 • The future of immersive technology

Whether you work in ProAV, broadcast, content creation, or experiential design, this episode explores how immersive technology is beginning to influence the next generation of AV experiences.

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Infrastructure isn’t the flashy part of an AV system — but it’s the part that determines whether everything works… or fails when it matters most.

In this episode of Behind the Rack, we break down the most common infrastructure mistakes we see across Commercial AV, Pro Live, Broadcast, and Enterprise deployments.

From poor bandwidth planning and VLAN misconfiguration to IT & AV misalignment, lack of redundancy, and scalability blind spots — we’re talking about the real-world issues that cause instability, downtime, and expensive rework.

If you’re deploying AV-over-IP, wireless microphone systems, IPTV, or live production environments, this episode will help you design smarter from day one.

🎧 Topics include:

• Why infrastructure often gets overlooked
• Network & bandwidth planning pitfalls
• IT and AV alignment challenges
• Segmentation and VLAN mistakes
• Redundancy and single points of failure
• Future-proofing for scalability
• Documentation & commissioning gaps

Strong infrastructure isn’t optional — it’s foundational.

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Designing Pro AV audio systems wasn’t always straightforward — especially when it came to pairing loudspeakers and amplifiers. In this episode of Behind the Rack, Antony Chliaropoulos joins the conversation to explain how matched audio systems have changed that.

We discuss how system design has evolved, why manufacturer-tested pairings reduce guesswork, and how modern tools help integrators deliver more consistent results. Drawing on years of experience across professional audio brands, Antony shares perspective on what this shift means for dealers, integrators, and end users alike.

This episode covers:
 • Loudspeaker and amplifier pairing fundamentals
 • Why matched systems reduce risk and complexity
 • System consistency, performance, and support
 • Lessons from real-world Pro AV deployments

A practical, experience-driven conversation about simplifying audio system design in today’s Pro AV landscape.

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Audio has always been the unsung hero of immersive storytelling — until now.

In Episode 6 of Behind the Rack, we go deep into experiential audio capture with industry veterans Everett Saylier and Bill Oakley, exploring how modern broadcast workflows are evolving — and why audio is finally catching up to video.

We break down Shure’s DCA 901 planar array microphone, how it differs from traditional shotguns and parabolic mics, and why broadcasters, leagues, and live productions are rethinking how sound is captured in high-pressure environments. From live sports and poker tournaments to armored MMA and major broadcast events, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to make immersive audio work — especially when everything goes off the rails behind the scenes.

🔊 In this episode, we cover:

• What experiential capture really means — and why it matters more than ever
• How planar array microphones work (without the marketing fluff)
• Why audio is still the most critical element of storytelling
• Real-world broadcast use cases: NBA, NHL, MLB, MMA, poker & more
• How AI DSP and tracking systems elevate subtle, game-critical sounds
• The reality of live production when things break — and how pros recover
• Why modern workflows demand networked audio, flexibility, and fewer hands

Whether you’re in broadcast, Pro AV, live sound, or systems integration, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how next-generation audio tools are redefining what audiences hear — and feel.

🎧 Listen now and discover why the least interesting thing about this mic… might be how good it sounds.

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AV Industry Outlook 2026: Pro AV, Systems Integration & Broadcast Trends

In this episode, we look ahead to 2026 and the future of the AV industry, breaking down the biggest Pro AV, systems integration, and broadcast trends shaping what comes next. From AI-driven orchestration and self-healing AV systems to AV over IP standards, immersive LED design, and next-generation collaboration spaces, we explore how integrators and end users can deliver bigger experiences with fewer headaches.

We discuss practical strategies for staying flexible, scalable, and resilient as pricing volatility, supply chain challenges, and multi-vendor environments continue to reshape Pro AV and broadcast workflows.

Topics covered include:
• Wireless audio, lighting, and emerging wireless power trends
• NFC and e-ink tools for faster AV setup and troubleshooting
• Lower-cost LED walls, transparent and curved panels, and projection mapping
• Object-based audio, beamforming, and presenter tracking
• Pricing instability, tariffs, and short-quote strategies
• Multi-vendor Plan A/B/C design and diversified sourcing
• Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms bundles, including 21:9 collaboration displays
• AV over IP standards and choices: ST 2110, IPMX, and NDI
• Broadcast orchestration with MXL and cloud-based workflows
• Agentic AI for pre-production, auto-switching, translation, and system repair
• Reliability, service models, and the push toward self-healing AV systems

Whether you’re an AV integrator, consultant, IT leader, or broadcast professional, this episode offers a clear outlook on what’s coming in Pro AV in 2026 and how to prepare for it.

Leave a comment and let us know which AV trends you think will have the biggest impact next.

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What if one of the biggest upgrades to your system wasn’t a new amp, speaker, or camera… but the power feeding it?
Yep — in this episode, we sit down with Wade Bussey from Furman and Panamax to talk about the part of AV everyone forgets until something goes wrong.

Wade walks us through why clean power can make your audio feel more open, your video look sharper, and your network way less moody. We get into noise floor (the silent troublemaker), why quick burst current actually matters for music, and how wideband filtration keeps today’s digital gear from freaking out.

We also dig into BlueBOLT, which basically lets your rack fix itself when things go sideways. No more weekend “my system died” calls.
Plus, we hit on the “circle of protection” — AC, coax, and telco — and why it matters more than ever in real homes and real installs.

If you’ve ever heard a system suddenly “breathe” after adding a conditioner, this episode is going to click instantly.
 Grab a coffee, plug in, and enjoy the chat.