Storch Entertainment Systems: April 2009

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Maitland Lakefront

Rough-in work has begun on this classically styled lakefront home in Maitland. Designed and constructed by Bill Felkel and featuring interior design by Mark Rash with interior detail from Daedalus Design, Storch Entertainment is responsible for the built-in music, video, alarm and network systems.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Orlando Parade of Homes 2009

Work is in full swing at Phil Kean Designs Parade of Homes 2009. This beautiful home, located in Winter Park on Cherokee Lane, will be open for public viewing May 3rd through May 17th.

We will post more photos as the project progresses.

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Joe Kane visits Storch Entertainment

Joe Kane, the world's (yes, the world's) foremost video expert conducted a one-on-one training class at our offices recently (the photo shows Joe in our conference room). We are proud to announce that Storch now offers the Joe Kane Productions-approved Samsung video projection monitor. This unit, according to Joe, "is the world's only VIDEO projector", as it is manufactured and calibrated specifically to reproduce only the highest quality video images. Joe is in high demand among video manufacturers and Hollywood production engineers alike to provide training and expert advice regarding all things video, we are happy to have had him pay us a visit. Please call or email if you would like to experience first-hand our theater featuring this new projector. Aside: This is the same projector used by Paramount and Dreamworks in their film-to-video editing suites.

Professional Quality Sound, part 2

After installing our first Genelec theater system, we can only say - WOW! The sound quality (and quantity) is so far above consumer oriented speakers, it's easy to understand why most professional studios employ Genelec speakers. Our experience was revelatory-the high frequencies are detailed and "airy" without being harsh, and the bass (holy moly, the bass!) is not only tight and deep, but visceral-we felt the low frequencies as much as we heard them. Lastly, the quantity of sound-the Genelec system never, never ran out of steam. I play music and concert videos loud and have shut down many systems. The Genelecs never suffered from any compression or distortion even at very loud, concert-level volumes. This high level of performance made me curious at exactly who uses Genelec speakers. The list includes: 20th Century Fox, ABC, CBS, CNN, Disney, Dolby Labs, Discovery, ESPN, Fox News and Sports, The Library of Congress, Lucasfilm, MTV, NASA, NPR, Pixar, and The Superbowl to name a few.

Professional Quality Sound

What do George Lucas (in his personal home), The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Grammies and American Idol have in common? They all use Genelec loudspeakers. Genelec speakers are used in the most critical listening environments where millions of dollars are riding on the quality of the sound. Professional recording engineers trust Genelec to reveal all of the important details and nuances in their mix. Storch Entertainment is pleased to offer this same experience to you. From small computer speakers to large home theater and media rooms, Genelec offers astounding performance.

Sonos

We just received our first Sonos music player. WOW! This is a great music player that allows streaming access to any MP3 files on your computer (or network). Even more fun, though, is its ability to play practically any Internet music source including: last.fm, pandora, Rhapsody, Internet radio, Sirius, Napster. WOW, again! We've been playing with this unit for a few days and love it. I especially love the remote: I am using my iPhone to control the player. It provides real-time feedback of the artist, album, volume level, etc. Very cool!

July's Heavy Rotation

Goth country, Goth Appalachian? One reviewer has said "Bonnie "Prince" Billie (aka Will Oldham) has always threatened to make a completely devastating album and this is it. Brooding and strikingly intimate, I See a Darkness picks through the abandoned camps of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, finding lonely tales and ragged melodies strewn about. The magic comes in the light Oldham is able to shine on these songs, rendering them both gorgeously baroque yet starkly modern." A cover of Johnny Cash's "I See a Darkness" is definitely worth a listen!

New Product Announcement - super WAP

Until recently, I have had a love/hate relationship with my wireless network. It was great in the 3 rooms closest to the wireless access point (WAP) but dropped its signal around the corner into the kitchen (what could I expect for $59?). Also it didn't stretch past my front porch which made using my iPhone in the yard very slow. This is no longer an issue since I installed Pakedge's "super WAP." Pakedge makes the most powerful WAPs (indoor and outdoor) allowed by the FCC. They also precisely implement the wireless standards for the highest performance available. We are now able to be able to offer Enterprise Class wireless networking as one of our installed services.

Equipment Rack

Storch Entertainment installs all but the smallest of our systems in an equipment rack. When we mention "the rack," we are often asked, "what's that (and why do I need it)?" Pictured is a typical rack that contains all of the equipment required to provide music throughout a home. In addition to music, this rack contains all of the components for the surround sound system located in a family room. This type of rack allows us to assemble, wire, test and program the systems in our offices prior to installation in the house. After installation, if service is required, the rack rolls out for access to the rear of the components. Put simply, a rack allows us a simpler and more reliable installation with fewer loose ends than if we built the system on site.

March's Heavy Rotation

"Let's face it, we'd all play that way if we could." I'd say that pretty much sums up Stan Getz's talent. A Musical Biography features a compilation of Getz's music and includes The Girl From Impanema, perhaps the best known of his work and the song that exemplifies the Bossa Nova style. This album also features collaborations with Astrud Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Chick Corea. This is a great disc to get an introduction to Getz. The quote regarding Getz's style was none other than the great John Coltrane.

Storch Entertainment Systems

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Maitland Lakefront

Monday, April 13, 2009

Orlando Parade of Homes 2009

Best Concert Video (ever)

January's Heavy Rotation

Contact information update

Storch Project Featured on Auralex Website

Joe Kane visits Storch Entertainment

Storch Project Featured on Middle Atlantic Website

November's Heavy Rotation

Storch Wins Second Golden Hammer

Storch Project Featured on Screen Research Website

Professional Quality Sound, part 2

October's Heavy Rotation

Professional Quality Sound

Sonos

Storch Featured on Triad Website

Storch Wins Golden Hammer

July's Heavy Rotation

June's heavy rotation

Blog Archive

Creative Kitchen Design

New Product Announcement - super WAP

Equipment Rack

April's Heavy Rotation

March's Heavy Rotation

February's Heavy Rotation

January's Heavy Rotation

December's Heavy Rotation