WHO IS CoLine Audio Systems
Coline Audio Systems is a natural outgrowth of our Sound Systems Contracting firm CZ SOUND LLC.
For over 25 years CZ SOUND LLC has designed and installed very successful sound systems in some of the most acoustically challenging spaces in Western Pennsylvania. Our success is solving sound reinforcement for the challenged spaces continued to bring us ever increasing challenges.
Over the last 10 years we've found loudspeakers to successfully apply to our designs and installations that were clearly "Out of the Box Thinking" devices. As our success continued, we were found ourselves with challenges that were limited by architectural and physical constraints. While the solutions we were using would solve the electro-acoustic challenge, there were often aesthetic issues that prevented their deployment.
As a result, we CZ SOUND had to invent solutions that worked with the architectural and physical limitation issues.
Our first application of our new techniques was the solution at a major Cathedral that had always been Sound Reinforcement Handicapped. The latest solution, prior to our arrival on the scene, which had been in place for Fifteen years, was really no better than any other solution that had been there before. This was especially disturbing to the client since they had paid a lot of money to an internationally known Acoustic Consultant for this solution.
In an effort to improve the system, the same consultant was called in before we were invited. After a review of the space, the Acoustic Consultant stated before leaving that they really couldn’t provide an adequate solution.
Over the years, this same client had been told by many of our clients that they should contact CZ SOUND for a solution. Because the space was so acoustically difficult for speech intelligibility, it took over a year to arrive at a solution.
Our solution was designed and installed with a commercially available line device. We had solved the problem of understanding speech while preserving music quality in this space. Three tears since that installation the client and us continue to receive praise for the system.
THE SOLUTION IS A SYSTEM.
Although the commercially available line source was part of the solution, it was in no way the silver bullet. That device only provided a solution for the speech band, the client wanted full range audio reproduction. We had become very aware that there are several no so well known, understood, or even publicized reasons why loudspeaker systems don’t reproduce accurately. Our Coline system solution addressed these issues. We are convinced that solving these issues along with the use of our CoLine loudspeaker configuration solved the speech intelligibility problems while preserving the full range quality of music reproduction.
OTHER EXPERIENCES THAT SHAPED OUR UNDERSTANDING.
Over the same 25 years CZ SOUND LLC was actively involved in Sound Reinforcement for live Cultural Events. Our experience with The Pittsburgh Symphony, and many other fine Arts Events directly contributed to our success in this area. We applied the same techniques that we use to solve the design/install problems to our Production Sound Reinforcement Systems. Implementing these solutions resulted in sound reinforcement quality that was very noticeable. You could now hear the texture in a 60 to 100 member Orchestra, vocals didn’t become buried in the accompaniment, and percussion instruments had the same dynamics through the Sound Reinforcement system as they did on stage. This experience further solidified our belief that our choice of loudspeakers and supporting systems was a solution to improved Sound Reinforcement.
THE PROTOTYPE EXPERIENCE
Because much of our work, both Design/Install and Production Sound Reinforcement found us in acoustically inhospitable spaces and because there we couldn’t find a commercially available solution, we took it upon ourselves to design our own solution. We designed and built a loudspeaker and supporting DSP package that we could use for demonstration and Live Production Sound Reinforcement. We used this package over the course of a year in many different venues and events. We found that the CoLine exceeded our expectations of providing full range sound reproduction in a scaleable package of manageable size. Our clients gave us accolades that also confirmed that we met our design goals.
Once we were fully convinced that we had a solution package that made a real contribution we formed a separate business to focus on manufacturing and distributing the Coline Audio Systems.
We chose to make our initial distribution different than the typical loudspeaker or amplifier manufacturer model. We feel that a close synergy between manufacturer and end user is the key to rapid product solutions and high integrity use and installation. We believe that Qualified Audio Systems Contactors and Acoustic Consultants can be part of the chain. However we are not convinced that a Factory Rep Organization is required for effective distribution of the systems. Since we are "Solution Results" oriented, adding more steps in the distribution to the final user only serves to increase costs and diminish the quality of the finished system.
We are looking for Contractors that aren’t afraid to think and work outside of the box. Because this solution is different than long accepted norms, the sale of these systems requires a staff that is highly educated and skilled in Audio and Acoustic Analysis, DSP implementation, and High End Sales Skills. If that isn’t available in the Contractors Organization, we can Co-Sale the package solution. However, your in-depth knowledge of the system and why it works is of extreme value.