At a glance
- Client: VMG Partners, a consumer-brand investment firm
- Location: Building 39, The Presidio, San Francisco, California — Suite 111 conference room, lounge and AV closet, the Golden Gate Room in Suite 310, and three private offices
- Scope: A Crestron-controlled Zoom conference room with Biamp Parlé beamtracking ceiling microphones, a lounge, a dedicated Zoom Room, three DTEN ON 55-inch Zoom offices, a lounge rework and a microphone expansion
- Platform: Zoom Rooms on Apple Mac mini and DTEN ON, Crestron RMC3 with iPad control, Biamp Tesira
The situation
VMG Partners works out of Building 39 in the Presidio, a former Army post that is now a national park. Its office sits in a renovated historic building, with Skyline Construction as general contractor on the build-out. It is one of several investment-firm offices in San Francisco where we have built financial services AV.
The firm needed a conference room AV system in Suite 111 for video calls, presentations, cable TV and music. It needed a lounge for casual viewing. And it wanted a small room in Suite 310, the Golden Gate Room, set up purely as a Zoom Room.
The work did not stop there. The firm came back to us for three private offices with Zoom displays, a rework of the lounge audio, and a larger microphone pattern in the conference room. This case study covers each phase, in order.
What made a historic Presidio office hard?
A historic building does not give you a blank shell. Equipment had to fit the existing walls, windows and ceilings rather than a purpose-built AV room.
In the Golden Gate Room, the display had to go on the wall between two windows. Two of the three private offices had concrete walls, which changed how the display mounts could be fixed. The conference room head-end went into a small AV closet rack rather than into the room.
Each space also did a different job. The conference room ran full video calls, the lounge ran TV and music, and the Golden Gate Room ran only Zoom.
How did we design each room?
Suite 111 conference room
An LG 86UU340C 86-inch display hangs at the end of the table on a Chief XTM1U. A 60-inch display the firm already owned went on the side wall to mirror it. Three sources route to both screens through a Crestron HD-MD4X2-4K-E switcher: an Apple Mac mini running Zoom Rooms, Crestron AM-101 AirMedia for wireless presentation over the client network, and the owner’s cable box.
A Logitech PTZ Pro camera sits below the display. Biamp Tesira TCM-1 and TCM-1EX beamtracking pendant microphones pick up the table, and a TesiraFORTE AVB VT4 in the closet processes them. A Lab Gruppen LUCIA 240/1-70 amplifier drives six JBL Control 65P/T pendant speakers. An Autonomic MMS-1e streamer adds music.
A Crestron RMC3 runs the room from an iPad mini 4. Staff set volume, pick sources, route content, power the displays and run the Zoom app from one screen. Building that interface is control and DSP programming work.
Lounge
The lounge has an LG 65UV340C 65-inch display on a Chief LTM1U in front of the chairs. Two JBL Control 65P/T pendants play whatever is on screen, fed from the cable box or the music streamer. The same RMC3 and a second iPad mini control it.
Golden Gate Room, Suite 310
This room is a Zoom Room and nothing else. An LG 55LW340C display sits on a Chief MTM1U between the windows. A Huddly GO camera mounts below it, wired to a Mac mini behind the display. A HuddleCamHD HP-AIR-BK wireless speakerphone picks up voices for Zoom. A Revolabs FLX2 wireless conference phone with a charging base handles phone calls. AirMedia AM-101 covers wireless sharing, and an iPad controls the Zoom meeting.
Three private offices
Later, three private offices each got a DTEN ON 55-inch all-in-one Zoom display with a built-in 4K camera, 16-microphone array and speakers. Two hang on Chief TS325TU swing arms. The third uses a Peerless-AV PA750 articulating mount. Wiremold C310 cord covers hide the cables on the walls. These are video conferencing systems in one box, so each office needed only power and data.
Our AV design and engineering team produced check sets, a For Construction set and as-built drawings for Suite 111.
Equipment by room
| Room | Count | Display | Codec / platform | Camera | Audio | Control | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference room (Suite 111) | 1 | LG 86UU340C 86-inch, plus owner 60-inch mirror | Zoom Rooms on Apple Mac mini | Logitech PTZ Pro | Biamp Parlé TCM-1 and TCM-1EX pendants, TesiraFORTE AVB VT4, six JBL Control 65P/T | Crestron RMC3, iPad mini 4 | AirMedia AM-101, cable box, music streamer |
| Lounge (Suite 111) | 1 | LG 65UV340C 65-inch | — | — | Two JBL Control 65P/T | Crestron RMC3, iPad mini 4 | Cable box and music |
| Golden Gate Room (Suite 310) | 1 | LG 55LW340C 55-inch | Zoom Rooms on Apple Mac mini | Huddly GO | HuddleCamHD HP-AIR-BK, Revolabs FLX2 | iPad for Zoom, handheld remote | AirMedia AM-101 |
| Private office | 3 | DTEN ON 55-inch | Zoom on DTEN ON | Built into DTEN | Built into DTEN | Owner tablet | Concrete walls in two offices |
Parts list
| Function | Model | Qty installed |
|---|---|---|
| Conference room display | LG 86UU340C | 1 |
| Lounge display | LG 65UV340C | 1 |
| Golden Gate Room display | LG 55LW340C | 1 |
| All-in-one Zoom display (offices) | DTEN ON 55-inch | 3 |
| Display mounts | Chief XTM1U | 1 |
| Display mounts (60-inch mirror, lounge) | Chief LTM1U | 2 |
| Display mount (Golden Gate Room) | Chief MTM1U | 1 |
| Swing-arm mounts (offices) | Chief TS325TU | 2 |
| Articulating mount (office) | Peerless-AV PA750 | 1 |
| Zoom Rooms computer | Apple Mac mini (Core i5) | 2 |
| Room control tablets | Apple iPad mini 4 | 3 |
| Control processor | Crestron RMC3 | 1 |
| Wireless presentation | Crestron AM-101 AirMedia | 2 |
| 4x2 HDMI switcher | Crestron HD-MD4X2-4K-E | 1 |
| HDBaseT extenders | Crestron HD-EXT3-C-W | 3 |
| HDMI extender (Golden Gate Room) | Crestron HD-TX-101-C-E and HD-RX-101-C-E | 1 set |
| Conference room camera | Logitech PTZ Pro | 1 |
| Golden Gate Room camera | Huddly GO 200-000001 | 1 |
| Original ceiling microphones (conference room) | Biamp Tesira TCM-1 (1), Tesira TCM-1EX (2) | 3 |
| Added ceiling microphone (expansion) | Biamp Parlé TCM-1 (white) | 1 |
| Added expansion microphones (expansion) | Biamp Parlé TCM-1EX (white) | 2 |
| DSP | Biamp TesiraFORTE AVB VT4 | 1 |
| AEC expander (expansion) | Biamp Tesira EX-AEC | 1 |
| AVB network device (expansion) | Biamp TesiraCONNECT TC-5 | 1 |
| Amplifier | Lab Gruppen LUCIA 240/1-70 | 1 |
| Pendant speakers | JBL Control 65P/T (white) | 8 |
| Music streamer | Autonomic MMS-1e | 1 |
| Speakerphones (Golden Gate Room) | HuddleCamHD HP-AIR-BK, Revolabs FLX2 10-FLX2-200-VOIP | 1 each |
| PoE switches | Cisco SG110D-08HP | 2 |
| USB extender (conference room camera) | SnapAV B-300-USB2-CATX | 1 |
| AV closet rack | Middle Atlantic CFR-10-18 | 1 |
| Rack cooling | Middle Atlantic QBP-2A | 1 |
| Rack power | Furman (Panamax) D10-PFP | 1 |
| Lounge audio converter (rework) | SnapAV Binary B-220-DAC | 1 |
| Owner-furnished | Sharp 60-inch display, cable boxes, office tablets, lounge computer | — |
Network and IT
AirMedia shares content over the client’s own network, so the firm’s IT team set up the network side. In the closet, a Cisco SG110D-08HP PoE switch and a TP-Link TL-POE150S PoE injector power the AV devices. The Golden Gate Room has its own SG110D-08HP.
The ceiling microphones run over AVB on shielded Cat6 back to the Tesira in the closet. A SnapAV B-300-USB2-CATX extender carries the camera’s USB link over Cat6, and Crestron HD-EXT3-C-W HDBaseT extenders carry video to the displays.
Everything in Suite 111 lives in a Middle Atlantic CFR-10-18 rack with a QBP-2A quiet blower panel and a D10-PFP power distributor. Keeping the head-end in the closet left the historic room free of equipment. That split is part of our AV installation services.
The rollout and later phases
Suite 111 went through three AV check sets and a For Construction set before install, and closed with as-built drawings. The Golden Gate Room followed as its own project with its own scope and pick list.
The firm then kept adding to the system, one phase at a time:
- Conference room microphone: a change order added one more Tesira TCM-1EX and shielded Cat6.
- Three Zoom offices: DTEN ON 55-inch displays on swing arms and an articulating mount, with cord covers.
- Lounge rework: we installed a SnapAV B-220-DAC behind the display, ran the display’s optical output back to the rack, replaced the HDMI-over-Cat link to the cable box, moved the rack, loaded new code and updated the iPad controls.
- Microphone expansion: we added three Biamp Parlé pendants and moved the existing three into a 2x3 pattern, ran new Cat6 homeruns to the IDF, added a Tesira EX-AEC and a TesiraCONNECT TC-5, loaded updated code and ran test calls.
Each phase built on what was already there instead of replacing it. Rooms that keep changing also drift out of spec if nobody checks them, which is what our AV maintenance and support plans are for.
Frequently Asked Questions — A Conference Room AV System and Zoom Rooms in a Historic Office
Answers to the questions office managers and IT leads ask most often about Zoom Rooms, ceiling microphones and phased AV work in an older building.
What goes into a conference room AV system for Zoom calls, presentations and TV?
At VMG Partners’ Presidio office, Creation Networks built the Suite 111 conference room around an LG 86UU340C display, an Apple Mac mini running Zoom Rooms, a Logitech PTZ Pro camera, Biamp Tesira beamtracking pendant microphones and a Crestron RMC3 controlled from an iPad mini 4.
A Crestron HD-MD4X2-4K-E switcher routes the Mac mini, AirMedia and the cable box to both the 86-inch display and the owner’s 60-inch mirror screen. Six JBL Control 65P/T pendants carry program audio.
How is a dedicated Zoom Room different from a general conference room?
A dedicated Zoom Room runs one platform with minimal hardware: VMG’s Golden Gate Room pairs a Huddly GO camera and a Mac mini with an LG 55LW340C display, a HuddleCamHD HP-AIR-BK wireless speakerphone and an iPad that controls the meeting, with no DSP, switcher or control processor.
The Suite 111 conference room, by contrast, adds a Biamp DSP, ceiling microphones, a matrix switcher and Crestron control for more sources. The Golden Gate Room also has a Revolabs FLX2 wireless phone for audio-only calls.
Is an all-in-one Zoom display a good fit for a private office?
For VMG’s three private offices it was: each got a DTEN ON 55-inch all-in-one display with a built-in 4K camera, 16-microphone array and speakers, so the install needed only power, data, a mount and cord covers rather than a separate camera, speakerphone and room computer.
Two displays hang on Chief TS325TU swing arms and one on a Peerless-AV PA750 articulating mount. Owner-furnished tablets control them.
Can modern AV go into a historic building without a dedicated equipment room?
Yes: in VMG’s Building 39 office in the Presidio, Creation Networks put the conference room and lounge head-end in a small AV closet, in a Middle Atlantic CFR-10-18 rack with a QBP-2A quiet blower panel, and ran video and camera signals to the rooms over Cat6.
Crestron HD-EXT3-C-W HDBaseT extenders carry video to the displays, and a SnapAV B-300-USB2-CATX extender carries the camera’s USB link. The rooms themselves hold only displays, camera, microphones and speakers.
How do you mount displays on concrete walls or between windows?
By choosing the mount for the wall: in VMG’s Golden Gate Room, Creation Networks centred an LG 55-inch display on a Chief MTM1U between two windows, and in two private offices with concrete walls the DTEN ON 55-inch displays went up on swing-arm and articulating mounts.
Wiremold C310 cord covers hide the surface cable runs in the offices, so no walls had to be opened to run power and data.
Can ceiling microphone coverage be expanded without replacing the audio system?
Yes: in VMG’s Suite 111 conference room, Creation Networks added three Biamp Parlé TCM-1 and TCM-1EX pendant microphones, moved the existing three into a 2x3 pattern, and added a Tesira EX-AEC expander and a TesiraCONNECT TC-5 in the IDF, keeping the original TesiraFORTE AVB VT4.
The job also ran new Cat6 homeruns to the IDF, one per three-microphone daisy chain. We loaded updated DSP code and ran test calls before handing the room back.
What are beamtracking pendant microphones?
Beamtracking pendant microphones hang over the table and steer their pickup toward whoever is talking: VMG’s conference room uses Biamp TCM-1 units with TCM-1EX expansion mics on AVB, processed by a TesiraFORTE AVB VT4 with echo cancellation on every input.
Because they hang from the ceiling, the table stays clear of microphones and cables. They connect back to the DSP over the AVB network.
Can an office add AV in phases instead of all at once?
VMG Partners did exactly that: after the Suite 111 conference room and lounge and the Golden Gate Room, Creation Networks returned for a microphone change order, three DTEN ON Zoom offices, a lounge audio rework and a 2x3 ceiling microphone expansion, each as its own small scope.
Each phase reused what was there. The lounge rework, for example, added a SnapAV B-220-DAC behind the display and updated the existing iPad controls rather than replacing the system.
What does reworking an existing lounge AV system involve?
At VMG, the lounge rework meant installing a SnapAV B-220-DAC behind the display, running the display’s optical audio output back to the AV rack, replacing the HDMI-over-Cat link to the cable box, relocating the rack, and loading new code with updated iPad controls.
We then tested input switching and audio. The display, speakers and control processor already in place stayed in service.
Technology partners on this project
Creation Networks, Inc. — nationwide commercial AV integrator, CTS-D certified, based in Concord, CA and Incline Village, NV. Design, engineering, programming, installation, and support from a single point of contact. Call 888-230-3661 or email sales@creationnetworks.net.
Conference room and Zoom Room AV
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