Feb 2002
Meeting Preview
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Feb 2002 Meeting Preview |
Four Projects in Review - Engineering Harmonics Engineering Harmonics is a Toronto based engineering company that has worked on a multitude of signature projects. Phil Giddings, President, will provide a brief history of the firm, discuss it services and markets and outline the challenges the firm faces in entering the international market.
The following four projects will be discussed:
Mile One Stadium
- This is the new home of the St. John's Maple Leafs hockey team of the AHL. The arena features a fully distributed system of lightweight loudspeakers suspended over the dasher boards and facing the spectators. Two clusters of similar loudspeakers are suspended over the ice to cover the ice surface with the capability for the future addition of subwoofers for enhanced musical "punch". The loudspeaker system features digital signal processing, which allows flexibility and control for different types of events. Team and production intercom systems are provided, as are connections and routing for sound connections to press and outside broadcasting trucks. Paul Alegado will be the presenter.
House of Commons - Committee Room Prototype
- Engineering Harmonics is currently studying, analyzing and planning multi-media systems for the House of Commons and the Parliamentary Precinct in Ottawa. This program is part of the long-term architectural renovations of Parliament Hill. One current project is the redesign of committee rooms from a first principles basis. In order to test various aspects of the Committee Room, a prototype room is being constructed. Our work is in assisting the House in the Technical Design and Testing of Multimedia in the prototype. Jeff Bamford will review the design of the multimedia systems and how that design was meticulously arrived at.
Walt Disney Concert Hall - Dave Clark will discuss this concert hall that will be the new home of the Los Angles Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert hall is a 2300 seat venue. Frank Gehry has designed the building. As such, it is a room with significant architectural constraints. Two systems have been designed: a retractable main system for contemporary programs and an "invisible" system for announcements and narrative. The systems will both use fully digital processing. The system has been designed to be quickly reconfigured from one event to the next.
IBM Canada's Executive Briefing Centre
- Phil Giddings will review this project. IBM uses this centre for multimedia presentations and demonstrations that examine the broad impact of the Internet and the importance of networked communications to the sharing and use of information. The new campus, completed in 2001, features one of the first corporate IP-based video conferencing facilities in Canada and an advanced dual projection display system. Special design considerations for this project included the assessment of network addressable control and projection technology.
ENGINEERING HARMONICS INC.
Independent Specialists Audio, Video and Control Systems and Facilities Design
Engineering Harmonics Inc. is a professional engineering firm specializing in the design and project management of audio, video, A/V, multimedia, control and communication based systems.
Engineering Harmonics has consulted on projects such as:
1. Corporate Presentation and Training Rooms - IBM Centre For Software Development Markham, Canada,
2. Entertainment and Public Facilities; Film and Performance Theatres - Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto
3. Recreational Complexes, Stadia, Arenas and Other Sports Facilities - Copps Coliseum Hamilton, Montreal Molson Centre Montreal, SkyDome Toronto
4. Broadcast and Recording Studios - CBC Broadcast Centre, Toronto, Sounds Interchange Recording Studios (Manta DSP) Toronto, TSN, The Sports Network, Toronto
Designs include: sound systems, video teleconferencing, audio teleconferencing, A/V systems, intercom, production video, paging, technical grounding, technical power and broadband, baseband and fiber optic distribution.
Philip Giddings, P.Eng., President
Philip Giddings is a graduate of McGill University's Electrical Engineering program. He is founder and principal of Engineering Harmonics, with offices in Toronto and Vancouver. Philip has dedicated his efforts exclusively to the field of audio, A/V and related technologies for the past 18 years.
Phil's major authorship credits include:
Audio System Design and Installation, a 650-page engineering handbook, published by H.W. Sams and Company, 1990
An Introduction to Electromagnetic Interference and Electromagnetic Compatibility for Audio System Designers and
Grounding Systems and Their Implementation (co-authored), for the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
Grounding and Shielding, Sound and Video Contractor magazine; Philip was invited to write the bulk of this trade magazine issue.
His technical presentations include:
Syn-Aud-Con, Grounding and Shielding Workshop, 3 day, 1997
Audio Engineering Society Convention, San Francisco, 1994
Canadian Acoustical Association Conference, Ottawa, 1994
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Toronto,1992
Lighting Dimensions International, Houston, 1992
Audio Engineering Society Convention, New York, 1991
AES Audio Overview II, Toronto, 1991
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Baltimore, 1991
Society of Broadcast Engineers Chapter, Washington, 1991
Audio Engineering Society Convention, Los Angeles, 1988
Audio Engineering Society Sections - Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Washington
Philip has served the Audio Engineering Society in the following ways:
Papers Chairman of the AES Session Acoutics, Sound Reinforcement and monitoring, New York, 1997
Co-chairman of the AES workshop entitled 'Grounding, Shielding and Interconnection in Analog + Digital Systems', New York, 1993
Papers Chairman of Toronto AES Sections, Overview I (1986) and Overview II (1991)
From 1980 through 1985, he served on the Toronto Section as Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and several terms as a Commitee Person.
Philip is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario, the Audio Engineering Society, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, the Canadian Acoustical Association, International Association of Assembly Managers and the US and Canadian Institutes for Theatre Technology.
Dave Clark, P. Eng., Director of Audio Engineering
Dave Clark is a systems designer and project manager at Engineering Harmonics. Dave has been designing sound systems for ten years and has been operating them for many more. He has had design responsibility for many sound systems projects including:
SkyDome, Toronto
Orpheum, Queen Elizabeth and Playhouse, Vancouver
Ford Centres for the Performing Arts, Vancouver, NYC, Chicago
Molson Centre Arena, Barrie, Ontario
Hershey Centre Arena, Mississauga, Ontario
Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton, Ontario
For the Toronto Transit Commission's subway traffic management system, Dave has successfully implemented a large-scale computer-integrated system.
Dave is a Professional Engineer, licensed in the Province of Ontario with a B.A.Sc (Industrial Engineering) degree from the University of Toronto and a member of the Audio Engineering Society.
His professional interests include equalization, fire alarm/sound systems integration, hearing impairment and the physiology/psychology of hearing.
Gary Tibshirani, Director of Audio/Visual Systems
Gary Tibshirani has over 17 years experience in the communication systems industry managing supplier and consultative programs. He has managed the supply of digital audio teleconferencing initiatives for the Provincial and Federal governments, corporations, telcos and distance education providers. He has also specified and managed the procurement of purpose-built audio, audio-visual and video teleconferencing facilities serving corporate boardroom and training centre requirements across Canada and abroad.
Gary directs the Corporate Communication and Training segment for the firm, meeting the needs of Fortune 500 clients. Projects include the design of audio, audio visual and/or video teleconferencing for:
The Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) Provincial Courts
Pharmacia & Upjohn
Andersen Consulting, Rothmans
Bell Canada
Sprint Canada
CIBC
CAW
Jeff Bamford, M.Sc., Designer
Jeff Bamford joined Engineering Harmonics in 1996 after graduating with a Masters in Physics from the University of Waterloo where he studied in the Audio Research Group.
Jeff is proficient with the Ease Acoustical Modeling Program; he has created acoustical simulation models for many Engineering Harmonics projects, including the Hershey Centre in Mississauga and the SkyDome in Toronto. He also is a "Factory Certified Soundweb Designer" and a registered "SIM System II Operator". He designed the new overall network structure for the Soundweb installation at SkyDome. Jeff contributed largely to the new Courthouse Technology Standards for Ontario Courthouse. He has also designed systems for Court Houses in Cornwall and Toronto as well as Hearing Rooms for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and the Labour Relations Board of Ontario.
Jeff is also in charge of the computer network and infrastructure at Engineering Harmonics.
For more information please see their website: http://www.engineeringharmonics.com
Presented by Engineering Harmonics Date Tuesday, February 26th, 2002 Time 7:30 pm Place Ryerson Eaton Lecture Theatre, Rogers Communications Building Address 80 Gould Street, Toronto, ON corner of Gould and Church, one block east of Yonge St (Dundas Subway) Pre-Meeting Dinner 5:30 pm Pre-Meeting "Dutch Treat" dinner 5:30 pm at the Pickle Barrel (corner of Edward and Yonge in the Atrium)