Author: GMI Automation

The power and simplicity of a Crestron automation system built and deployed by the #DoneRightNotEasy crew is a thing of beauty. Walking into your home and with the press of a button turning on lights, music or entertainment to your exact specifications, and having it be as second nature as flipping a light switch quickly becomes a luxury you couldn’t imagine living without. Though nowadays, with busy travel and work schedules, oftentimes our clients are spending more and more time away from their homes and creature comforts. Luckily for them, their Crestron system doesn’t stop working no matter where in the world they may find themselves.

Benefits of Remote Automation

One of the great benefits of using Crestron control systems is that the associated mobile apps allow you to control your home remotely from your smartphone or device. This functionality gives you the ability to control your lights, thermostats, audio/video, and other systems even when you are not physically in your home. GMI will also integrate home security features directly into your automation system, protecting your home when you are away. You can even use the Crestron mobile app to grant access to your home to housekeepers or pet caretakers with ease. Don’t want to worry about manually granting access? Your system can be programmed to give specific access to an individual based on a specific user code, ensuring they only are able to access the parts of the home in which they are needed to work.

With GMI, you can enjoy the ability to control your lights, thermostats, audio/video, and other systems even when you are not physically in your home.

Benefits of Automation While You Are Away

As we mentioned at the top, your control system continues to work behind the scenes no matter if you are home or not. Integration into the security system will communicate the occupancy status of your home to the system which will then automatically regulate the environmental conditions, lighting, security and power use without you having to lift a finger. Other automation solutions rely on direct user interface in order to adjust and monitor these environmental systems, but GMI understands that our end users time is valuable, so we create and program systems to work effortlessly in the background leaving the end user to focus on their work or travel needs. Real-time notifications will alert you to any potential security issues and remote access to your camera system will allow you to look in on your home from anywhere, all from within the same app.

Concierge Support From GMI

Our white glove concierge level service not only means that we build systems catered specifically to our end users experience, but we also go the extra mile to make sure your system is working properly at all times. This comes in the form of proactive monitoring systems which keep track of the system and notifies us of any device failure or latency. They can even be programmed to notify of negative trends, allowing us to address system failure before it happens. Even greater is the the ability to remotely access the system and address issues regardless of how far away we are from the physical location. Since our systems are comprehensively documented, if an issue pops up when you are away from home we can oftentimes address and repair without you worrying about keeping track of the system yourself.

About GMI Automation

It’s for all these reasons and more that GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew build simple, intuitive and reliable Crestron control systems that our end users never have to worry about. Traveling for work or taking a vacation free from stress about the status of your home is a luxury that comes built in with all of our systems.

It’s unfortunate to think that we live in a world where home improvement and technology vendors devise ways to take advantage of their clients on the job site. Whether they are being dishonest about the need for an expensive piece of equipment or installing sub-par components that simply won’t live up to the end users expectations, GMI has seen it all. This is why we constantly go the extra mile to ensure we work with integrity and honesty at every step of our jobs, including keeping other vendors in line with our vision to ensure our customers are happy and treated fairly.

Many Crestron systems fail to deliver the desired effect because the integrator fails to properly consult the customer and in turn design the system properly.

It Starts With Honesty

As with all of our work, the integrity we bring to every job begins with the planning and consultation stage. As we’ve discussed previously on this blog, many Crestron systems fail to deliver the desired effect because the integrator fails to properly consult the customer and in turn design the system properly. GMI takes care to adequately consult our customers on the scope of the project, taking their needs and concerns into account. This includes being honest about the real costs and benefits of the products we will be using in their systems and making sure they have an understanding of what we are putting in their home.

Effective Leadership

The real test of an integrators integrity on a job site comes when we begin working alongside and dealing with vendors from other industries. Home automation is a complicated process that involves working with electricians, HVAC professionals, landscapers, and many others. As we work alongside these vendors we are constantly ensuring they aren’t cutting corners or taking shortcuts with their work. Since the automation system touches all of these systems in some way it is up to us to take the responsibility if something goes wrong, which means elevating other vendors to our level of work ethic and quality to ensure a great end user experience for our clients. We build with the customer’s space and aesthetics at the front of our mind and put the onus on ourselves to make their system great no matter what outside influences come up.

Extensive Documentation

Another way we maintain integrity and honesty on the job site is with our extensive level of documentation. Not only does document and keeping track of every wire we run and component we place to allow us to easily maintain and monitor a system, it also serves as a check and balance against cutting corners ourselves. Our team often spends dozens of hours preparing and updating documentation over the course of a job, which directly serves to save our clients frustration and dollars by reducing failure points and streamlining maintenance.

Team Communication Is Key

Everything, of course, comes back to our broad knowledge base about how these technologies and components work. Understanding how different parts of our system interact with different systems in the home allows us to keep other vendors in check, and understand when mistakes have been made.  Constant interaction between team members and vendors to work out the unique challenges of Crestron automation is critical. In order for this to be successful, we strive to work with vendors who possess the same level of integrity as us which means being willing to communicate and accept criticism when their work is not up to an acceptable level for our clients.

At the end of the day, integrating technologies in a home is more than just plugging in and programming Crestron control systems and calling it a day, the interplay between the #DoneRightNotEasy crew and other on-site vendors, and our ability to manage and control the outcome of a job are crucial to the happiness of the end user and their family.

You don’t have to spend a lot of time on the internet to understand that Home Automation is one of the biggest buzzwords in the market today. Apple, Amazon, Google and even Ikea are entering into the home automation market and attempting to make a splash with the modern, technologically inclined homeowner. For the luxury home homeowner, however, these market level solutions are simply not enough to fully automate a large home and satisfy luxury tastes. This is why Crestron has been a pioneer in the automation industry for years and is the product of choice for true luxury home automation.

If you’re a luxury homeowner looking to incorporate Crestron control into your home, here’s 4 things you need to know!

Choose the Right Integrator

Not every Crestron integration professional is created equally. We have seen more than our share of clumsy mistakes in integration projects that cause system downtime, or even total system failure. It is because of this that it is incredibly important to work with an integrator with integrity and experience such as GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew. We take time to work with our clients to build simple, intuitive, and reliable systems they can be proud of.

You’re Limited by Only Your Imagination

Using Crestron technology, GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew build some of the most dynamic and impressive automation systems out there. As we begin to consult our customers many are surprised by just what these systems are capable of doing. It’s important to know before diving into the world of Crestron automation that with a capable integrator such as GMI, you can automate every aspect of your home, and it’s encouraged to ‘think big’. Of course, when you let your imagination run wild, our next item is critical.

Understand Costs

It’s incredibly important to be clear about your budget and consult with your integrator fully prior to launching into a project. An experienced integrator like GMI is honest and upfront with you about the true cost of your system, and won’t simply yes you to death with no regard for your pocketbook. Without this honesty and integrity in the initial consultation, you can see Crestron system costs quickly rise, leaving you with an incomplete or under designed system when you reach the high end of your budget.

Service Matters

It’s no secret that Crestron automation systems are complicated, and with complicated systems always comes the need for a robust service department and engineers who can address and diagnose problems. With our cleanly built and wired racks and components, our back end monitoring capability and our concierge level customer service, GMI ensures that our end users Crestron systems work every single time they are needed. Without this level of service, a Crestron end user can easily get frustrated and grow tired of their costly automation system.

If you’ve been to see a movie lately you may have noticed –  alongside standard, 3D and IMAX showings – showtimes with higher ticket prices being advertised as being played with a new type of Dolby cinematic sound. This feature is what is known as Dolby Atmos, a revolutionary new surround sound technology that has been utilized in select theaters across the country since 2012. Today we will be discussing the ways that through Crestron automation and the ingenuity of the #DoneRightNotEasy crew, GMI can bring this sound revolution into our customer’s luxury home theaters, and how we carefully build these theaters for the ultimate in surround sound experience.

What Dolby Atmos technology provides is essentially an enhancement of traditional 5.1 surround sound but with additional height channels which provide a more enveloping sound effect in your room. For example, rather hearing a Spaceship fly past your head at the same height as your ears in 5.1 Surround, you will hear it move over your head and into the distance.  Of course, a technology of this kind that is designed for large movie theaters can be complicated when it’s brought into a home, which is where Crestron automation and our comprehensive system design process come in.

Crestron audio processors are uniquely powerful in the amount of data that they can manage and distribute from control racks into theater rooms. Since Dolby Atmos provides audio across up to 124 individual channels, the data load is substantial. Crestron processors utilize a technology called Digital Signal Processing, or DSP, which takes digital audio signals and mathematically manipulates them for maximum quality and instant deliverability into any part of the home. Combined with the proper speaker set ups, Crestron can bring Dolby Atmos not only into a home theater but into other rooms in the home as well all from the centralized control rack. This is not a simple process, and because of this many integrators will fail to bring the true Dolby Atmos experience into the home.

As usual, GMI tends to go the extra mile to ensure that your home theater surround sound is the highest quality available. This starts with the room itself, which we prepare by custom designing acoustic panels and placing them strategically along the walls and ceiling of the theater room, testing as we go to ensure the perfect soundscape. We then cover the acoustic treatments and speakers with acoustically transparent fabric walls for an extra clean look coupled with the ability to access and repair a system competent with as little intrusion as possible.

For the ultimate in high-end theater, we install one of the most impressive sound quality devices even further behind the scenes. To do so we install a high-end Taurus Power converter, whose function is to clean all of the energy coming into the home and to all of the system components. This allows our system to manage voltage specifically for high-level audio and control audio spikes in an intelligent manner, culminating in a luxury home theater experience like no other.

When you think of how Creston can be used to manage a large, luxury home, you think of many things. High end home movie theaters, lavish backyards, and custom automation beyond even the homeowners imagination are all staples of our powerful Crestron automation systems.  One thing many luxury homeowners fail to take into account when being consulted about a new Crestron system is their collection of fine art. Artwork of all kinds is a popular investment for many wealthy clients and today we will be talking about how we can use Crestron automated lighting systems to preserve the life of this fine art without the end user having to lift a finger.

Where traditional lighting systems will give unneeded light exposure on valuable artwork. A dedicated Crestron artwork lighting system is designed to accent art with the highest quality light while preventing damage and unneeded exposure. Exposure to light can result in cumulative and permanent damage to light-sensitive objects, and even low light levels over a long period of time can cause equal or even greater degradation as intense light for a short period. This damage to a piece of artwork can occur because light is radiant energy that causes irreversible change, either through radiant heating or photochemical action. Art can be damaged by radiant light in a variety of ways including color fading, yellowing, and embrittlement. Since this type of light damage is both cumulative and irreversible, it is incredibly important to monitor and limit the duration and intensity.

To solve this problem, GMI builds isolated lighting control for art fixtures which is designed specifically for art preservation. We use several types of light meters that measure both foot-candles (a measure of light intensity) and microwatts per lumen (a measure of visible light emitted). The lights themselves can also be equipped with  films and filters that significantly eliminate the UV part of the spectrum. Similar to the main lighting system, artwork lighting can be set on a custom timing system so that artwork is only lit when it needs to be based on time of day or occupancy of room. This panelized lighting will also reduce wall clutter and is controllable from any of your Crestron Touch Screens or hand held remotes.

Any owner of fine art will tell you that it is an investment worth protecting at any cost. GMI and Crestron work together to install and program custom lighting solutions to ensure your art collection maintains its value and beauty so you can rest easy.

Now that the summer is underway, many luxury homeowners will undoubtedly begin spending more and more time at second or even third homes. Be they beach houses, lake front abodes or mountain getaways, GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew use our experience and know how to bring the power, comfort, and familiarity of a Crestron automation system to your home away from home.

When two or more separate Crestron control systems are connected to one another, they each maintain a separate group of processors and control equipment, built and stored locally at each site. Through the powerful network integrations, we include with our Crestron packages they are then linked together through a secure internet connection. This process allows the systems to directly communicate with one another and provides access to everything from cameras, media, and access control. In a recent dual build, we even included a robust intercom system which allowed the end users to use any control panel to speak with someone at any other control panel, no matter in which house they happen to be.

Streaming HD Audio

Maybe the coolest feature of connecting multiple Crestron enabled homes together is the flexibility with regards to streaming music. Using our go to streaming device, the powerful MMS-5 streaming server by Autonomic Control, our music loving clients can stream from Pandora, Spotify, and any other streaming music service they desire at any of their homes. The most powerful feature of this connected streaming is the MMS 5’s integration with Google Drive. This integration allows us to link music stored on a hard drive at one location into a custom built cloud streaming platform giving both homes access to the same music library without having to duplicate and store large music files in more than one location. This means that when an end user purchases and downloads a new record or song, it is instantly available at all of their Crestron enabled locations.

Multiple Homes

Of course, with proper engineering of the automation system, adding an entire second home doesn’t necessarily mean that the two systems are connected and communicating with each other. One of the advantages of using an experienced integrator like GMI is that we have the knowledge and technical skill to create a seamless user interface experience. Meaning that the end user at either of their homes will see almost no difference in how their Crestron control system operates, eliminating the learning curve required to learn a new system.

Planning & Deployment

None of this would be possible without the level of documentation and planning that goes into every one of our Crestron system deployments. Engineering jobs out through documentation at every stage of the installation allow us to streamline our system infrastructure and create more simple, reliable and intuitive systems. This level of documentation is critical when designing similar systems at more than one location to ensure the end user experience is streamlined across each home.

The #DoneRightNotEasy crew is no stranger to poorly designed and installed Crestron control systems. One of the most glaring errors we see when taking over a system for a new client is control and streaming components localized throughout a home rather than being centralized and consolidated. A few weeks ago we discussed this concept in our common Crestron issues series and today we’ll be taking a deeper dive, looking at the top 5 reasons that centralized and consolidated control racks are critical to proper Crestron system design.

The return of your valuable space

When you build and work in luxury homes, every square foot carries significant value. Rack consolidation starts with the removal of all video content devices from TV locations to a centralized control rack, immediately returning this valued space back to the homeowner for storage and ascetic purposes. This also means that equipment cannot be accidentally altered or damaged by cleaning staff, children or other individuals moving about the space.

Creating redundancies for better performance

When you bring video source components to a central location they are no longer locally connected to a specific device, allowing the end user to access any device from any screen in the home. These redundancies are also created to protect against failing equipment, f one piece of equipment fails the user is immediately moved to a backup device with zero downtime.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Centralized equipment provides service engineers detailed audit trails of system history, pinpointing and issues to a specific device allowing for speedy troubleshooting and service. The information provided to engineers by a centralized rack is incredibly detailed and allows them to remotely monitor overall system health.

Lower your footprint

Centralizing equipment allows all equipment to reside in one temperature controlled room, which not only results in better device performance and increases device lifespan, but also reduces the cost of cooling multiple device and rack locations down to one, thus lowering the recurring expense of the energy and maintenance of multiple cooling systems, further maintaining the energy efficiency of your system in total.

Fewer Failure points

When control racks are centralized it means much shorter cable runs between devices which greatly reduces the possibility of problems stemming from cabling and or cable damage. Overall reduction of failure points throughout the system means any issues can be identified and addressed quickly and efficiently without support staff needing to move throughout the home.  

With all these factors and more, It’s easy to see why we at GMI insist on centralizing and simplifying our control systems, giving our clients more robust and powerful automation.

We’ve spent the last few entries in this blog discussing the many ways that Crestron automation can transform your backyard with swimming pool automation, outdoor distributed video and audio systems. These systems, of course, will be set up for failure if the system connectivity in your the yard is weak or underpowered. For the final installment of our series on bringing Crestron control technology into luxury backyards, we wanted to take some time to discuss some of the methods we use for effectively extending wi-fi and internet connectivity into a large luxury backyard space.  

What Makes GMI Different In This Space

Depending on the distance that you are dealing with, in an average home, a wireless access point in the attic towards the back of the house will cover most smaller yards. However, as readers of this blog will know, the #DoneRightNotEasy crew specializes in taking care of big jobs and unique spaces that require additional steps to provide strong wi-fi throughout a spacious backyard. To accomplish this we will install as many outdoor-rated wireless access points as it takes to cover the property in an effective and safe manner. We utilize Ruckus wireless access points for these jobs as we have found them to be the most reliable, powerful and robust pieces of network hardware to offer to our clients. To connect these access points to the system at large we will use one of two methods. 

What About Infrastructure?

The traditional method to connect outdoor access points to a larger network is through a copper wire infrastructure, however as we discussed when talking about distributed video in outdoor spaces, copper should only be utilized when absolutely necessary, and with the health and safety of the system in mind. In a more heavily populated or tree lined area and in a less than 300 foot distance, copper is usually ideal, in any other scenario we recommend the use of fiber optic cable which will isolate an electric surge from the main system. The use of fiber for connecting to wireless access points does have one downside, in that the access points cannot be powered over ethernet as with a traditional copper infrastructure. To combat this we install an enclosure which converts the fiber back to copper wiring and powers the access point, while still keeping it separate from the main system. 

Don’t Forget About Security…

The security of a wireless network is always on the forefront of our customer’s minds, especially when their networks may be carrying sensitive information. Since our outdoor wireless access points and infrastructure are localized into the control system, these networks operate seamlessly with the secure network inside. We take this commitment to security to the next level by using a local network control to manage all individual access points, both inside and out. Whereas other integrators may opt to utilize a cloud-based network control system, we believe the hardware based solution is the most secure and robust option for our clients. These network controllers sit behind the systems firewalls ensuring the maximum level of network security across all wireless networks. 

In Summary…

Although wireless internet is truly awesome and a has been a boon to everyone’s life, when possible, nothing beats a secured hardwired connection. When connecting outdoor components to the internet, especially if the device is carrying vital information for the security or control system, we strive to hard-wire devices directly into the control system itself. Keypads, touch screens, and televisions, while often having wireless capabilities, are still hardwired in this manner, especially when located in a protected outdoor structure such as a veranda or pool house.

About GMI Automation

GMI Automation is a full service automation company that specializes in simple to operate, reliable automation systems that exceed client expectations. We design, integrate and support systems that are easy to use, with touch screen drag and drop functionality.

Seamlessly distributed audio throughout a home is one of the hallmarks of a well-built Crestron automation system. As we have previously discussed with outdoor video distribution and swimming pool automation, Crestron technology also allows capable integrators to bring this dynamic audio experience throughout your luxury backyard. Today we will be continuing our series on Crestron and your backyard by discussing the ins and outs of effective audio distribution into an outdoor space. 

Misconceptions

As readers of this blog will surely know, there are a wide variety of audio technologies on the market today boasting of robust sound for spaces of all kinds. However, just like distributed video, bringing a powerful audio system into a backyard or other outdoor space requires more than just a centrally placed speaker, loudly blasting sound across an open yard. This is a popular misconception among homeowners looking to incorporate outdoor audio into their control systems, and the truth is that powerful speakers are actually anathema to a dynamic outdoor audio system.

How It Should Work

The reality is that proper outdoor audio systems should be built around 70 and 100 volt systems, also known as “constant-voltage”, 70 Volt and 100 Volt speaker systems allow for long wire runs using small-gauge wire, and provide the potential for connecting numerous speakers per circuit. This technology allows us to run a single wire and hook up as many speakers to it as our heart desires, as long as we are putting out the proper wattage on the head end. Outdoor subwoofers can also be integrated into the system using the same type of infrastructure. What this speaker system design accomplishes is truly evenly distributed sound throughout the backyard. Speakers and subwoofers are spaced properly throughout the yard and calibrated specifically so that no matter where in outdoor space you are, the sound is equally as amazing.

Pro Tip: Proper outdoor audio systems should be built around 70 and 100 volt systems, also known as “constant-voltage”.

Installation

At this point you may be asking, won’t all the speakers and subwoofers required to correctly distribute this sound conflict with the landscaping of a luxury backyard? Well good news, when building out Crestron outdoor audio systems we most often opt to use landscape speakers that can be mounted anywhere you want outside while also being easily disguisable to keep your property looking clean and natural. We also utilize Crestron outdoor subwoofers, which are watertight and planted in the ground, exposing only a few inches of the port tube, which resembles an outdoor mushroom.

None of this is possible of course without the #DoneRightNotEasy crew’s understanding of the correct equipment type and location during the initial design of the system. In the larger outdoor areas we are used to working in, it is sometimes necessary to put in place outdoor splice boxes in order to properly distribute the sound throughout the yard. Much like everything we do, when installing an outdoor audio system it is important to be honest with yourself and your client about their future needs, and therefore understanding that the system must be built in such a way that it can be expanded upon. Both building long wire runs constant-voltage systems and incorporating outdoor audio splice boxes are two ways in which we future proof our client’s outdoor audio systems.