Behind the Rack

Send us Fan Mail BirdDog VP of Sales Monte Bennett and Product Manager Christian Frink join us in-studio to break down the state of IP video in professional AV — covering every format integrators and production professionals encounter today. We go deep on NDI High Bandwidth, HX2, and HX3 — what the differences actually mean in practice, why HX3 changed the game, and how network infrastructure choi...

Send us Fan Mail From projection TVs that weighed 260 lbs to AI-generated install guides — Randy Blanchard has seen every chapter of pro AV. In Episode 14 of Behind the Rack, the industry veteran joins host Vince Lavigne to unpack why the AV rack is disappearing, why networking skills are now non-negotiable for integrators, and where AI, video walls on substrate, and decentralized AV are taking th...

Send us Fan Mail 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 stack...

Send us Fan Mail 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 toda...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 communic...

Send us Fan Mail 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 & A...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 differ...

Send us Fan Mail 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 collab...

Send us Fan Mail 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 wa...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the AV supply chain and explore how a modern distributor creates real value—service, strategy, support, and technical depth—not just logistics. We walk through the roles of manufacturers, distributors, integrators, and end users, then dig into what separates simple “box moving” from true master distribution: repairs and fast turnaround,...

Send us Fan Mail We celebrate the evolution of Pioneer DJ and AlphaTheta and explore how the CDJ-3000X is redefining the booth with streaming, caching, and seamless login features. Same trusted design — now smarter, faster, and built for the future of performance.

Send us Fan Mail Curiosity built our careers long before we had the job titles to match. We trace three winding routes into pro audio, video, and system integration—through tape machines and DAWs, car audio and DJ gigs, retail aisles and distribution counters—and unpack how those hands‑on reps turned into real judgment. No straight lines here; just a lot of doing, failing, and learning until the s...

Send us Fan Mail