Sight N Sound Design Inc. Achieving expertise in complex systems, including major courthouse projects Canadian Design and Construction Report special feature Sight N Sound Design Inc. has used its expertise in audio visual systems over three decades to design and build complex solutions for projects across North America, Mexico, Bermuda and the United Kingdom. From its head office in Richmond Hill, ON, the company works with architects, interior designers, and electrical, mechanical, acoustical and independent commissioning consultants to achieve tight timelines and complex, com- prehensive and integrated designs. President Ken Lewis says the company has become knowledgeable in the complex needs of courthouses through the completion of several courthouse consolida- tion initiatives in Waterloo, St. Thomas, Quinte, and Thun- der Bay, Ontario. “Courthouse projects are complex, requiring specialized knowledge in the technology and the operational require- ments of how a courthouse functions,” he said. “Sight N Sound provides detailed audio visual drawings and speci- fications that provide all the required information needed by the audio visual build team and the other team consult- ants to ensure that audio visual systems are aesthetically, architecturally and technically integrated into the facility.” Lewis says these courthouse audio visual systems com- prise a number of sub-systems including voice enhance- ment, audio recording, assistive hearing, interpretation, electronic evidence display, annotation, audio conferenc- ing, video remand, remote testimony, lighting control and control of courtroom privacy blinds. 36 – Fall 2014 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report “One of the most important mission critical systems in a courtroom is the voice pick up system which is used for the audio recording, teleconferencing, video conferencing and voice enhancement.” He says courtroom sessions are recorded on a digital recording device known as a DRD and the recording qual- ity must provide the court reporter with a minimum capa- bility of producing a transcript which is 97 per cent certifiable as accurate. The participants and public must also be able to hear the courtroom proceedings clearly and this requires high levels of speech intelligibility. “This level of quality is achieved by careful selection and placement of microphones for the judge, clerk, witness, accused, defense, crown and jury. Low profile micro- phones are placed discretely in millwork surfaces such as the front of the witness box, jury box, and court clerk’s desk to ensure that counsel are captured when, for exam- ple, they approach witnesses or the jury box.” Lewis says microphones and loudspeakers are also dis- cretely placed within the accused box to be vandal proof. High quality voice enhancement is achieved for the entire system by adopting a technique known as ‘mix minus.’ “Sight N Sound was one of the early pioneers of this technology and has produced performance ratings numer- ous times that were once thought to be impossible.” He says careful placement of loudspeakers is also re- quired throughout the courtroom. These are electronically connected to the various microphones via a sophisticated matrix audio mixer and amplification system equipped with specially designed algorithms.