Agenda - Council Work Session - 01/31/2000

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MEMORANDUM TO: DATE: FROM: Jim Norman, City Administrator, and City Council, City of Ramsey Jan 24, 2000 Kevin Scattum, QCTV Government Coordinator Estimate, moving cable coverage equipment to city hall basement Preliminary: first of ail, the most economical route may be to move existing equipment, as is. The most difficulty would lie in moving the AMS microphone system. The microphone supports would need to be attached to a dais or table, best done by drilling into the surface. If the current dais is moved downstairs, this is less of a concern. New cables would have to be made and hard-wired into the mixer since this system does not use basic XLR connectors like most professional audio boards. Additionally, the current AMS mixers would have to be un-installed from the playback rack, which otherwise would not have to be altered or moved. Following is a recommended alternative course of action: Some of the following costs will be incurred whichever route is taken, e.g., outside labor costs (which actually would go up with the above action), cables, connectors, adaptors, etc. Equipment Costs: Video: with the exception of new cables and connectors to connect cameras and ELMO visual presenter/chamber vcr to control console, there should be no additional video costs incurred in this move. Item: 1. Cables/connectors/adaptors, miscellaneous Price: $100 Audio: this would be an appropriate time to replace the current AMS (Automatic Microphone System) with the new system proposed for wherever the chambers permanently resides in future. The new system would differ from the old in that the cable technician would monitor and adjust audio levels rather than allow automatic circuitry in the system to do this job. The automatic systems, which sound good in theory, have proven not to be as "aware" and responsive as a good operator can be. They also tend to get confused by ambient audio. Further, the microphones currently in use (microphones suspended on the end of a gooseneck extension) are not as effective as lavaliere, or "clip-on" type mics. Gooseneck types tend to be misdirected from target and allow speakers to lean back, away, or to the sides, throwing their voices outside the pickup pattern. Lavaliere mics, since they are basically pinned on one's shirt, cannot be evaded, no matter how a speaker turns or sits.