[downinflames68]

K, so yeah, the economy blows, but I was receiving steady work up until 2 months ago. Since then, I've been looking for work. I found a really cool audio/video installation job available, but it required use and knowledge of AMX and AutoPatch equipment. I have none. I do have a lot of experience with sound, speakers, projectors, and all that stuff.. so.. I figured what the hell. It also required cad modeling skills and tuning a room for acoustics. I'm good with all that. So... anyway... does anybody have any experience with AMX/Autopatch stuff? Can you fill me on some basics?

Also, any tips on bullshit answers to questions I don't know would be great.

Wish me luck!

[iM@k]

Well you can enroll int he AMX university via the AMX website:

AMX.com - AMX University

[Laminar]

One of these would be good, too.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

K, so yeah, the economy blows, but I was receiving steady work up until 2 months ago. Since then, I've been looking for work. I found a really cool audio/video installation job available, but it required use and knowledge of AMX and AutoPatch equipment. I have none. I do have a lot of experience with sound, speakers, projectors, and all that stuff.. so.. I figured what the hell. It also required cad modeling skills and tuning a room for acoustics. I'm good with all that. So... anyway... does anybody have any experience with AMX/Autopatch stuff? Can you fill me on some basics?

Also, any tips on bullshit answers to questions I don't know would be great.

Wish me luck!

Ha!

Fill you in on the basics of AMX? There is a lifetime of learning that goes along with being an AMX programmer. At a previous job, we ran all our AV systems through AMX and Crestron controllers. The code for the master control program ran to 30,000 lines. When we wanted changes made the programmer would come back for $695/day (not including airfare and lodging) and he was worth every. single. penny. we spent on him.

My point is that AMX programming is not something you can "learn the basics of" in a couple days. It is a specialty that requires knowledge of script-writing using a proprietary scripting language in a proprietary hardware environment.

[torsoboy]

I say you tell them the truth and live with it. Lying to get past the interview will not help you when it comes to actually doing the job. Plus when they find out you lied, you'll be screwed.

Even in a bad economy, lying your way into a position isn't a good way to do it.

/off my high horse

[SpaceMonkey]

On the other hand, you can coast pretty far on charm.

[downinflames68]

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy 

Ha!

Fill you in on the basics of AMX? There is a lifetime of learning that goes along with being an AMX programmer. At a previous job, we ran all our AV systems through AMX and Crestron controllers. The code for the master control program ran to 30,000 lines. When we wanted changes made the programmer would come back for $695/day (not including airfare and lodging) and he was worth every. single. penny. we spent on him.

My point is that AMX programming is not something you can "learn the basics of" in a couple days. It is a specialty that requires knowledge of script-writing using a proprietary scripting language in a proprietary hardware environment.

Wait, coding!? Oh shit. I thought it was just a giant mixer. Like, inputs and outputs, using a bunch of RCAs, HDMIs, and those prosound connectors. Forget the name. Hrm. Oh well, I'll lie anyway and see what happens, I guess.

Why the hell would you need coding for simple a/v shit? I don't understand. They want rooms with a bigass projector and good acoustics. I can do that. Where does the AMX stuff come in to play?

[downinflames68]

See, this I can handle:

AMX Unit Autopatch Precis 8x8 Audio Matrix Switcher - eBay (item 290390158333 end time Feb-09-10 13:05:53 PST)

coding, not so much. I know how to code HTML and CSS. That's it.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Wait, coding!? Oh shit. I thought it was just a giant mixer. Like, inputs and outputs, using a bunch of RCAs, HDMIs, and those prosound connectors. Forget the name. Hrm. Oh well, I'll lie anyway and see what happens, I guess.

Why the hell would you need coding for simple a/v shit? I don't understand. They want rooms with a bigass projector and good acoustics. I can do that. Where does the AMX stuff come in to play?

Those would have been excellent questions to ask in the interview.

[Phileas]

Wait - you're an award winning industrial designer and now you're going for jobs installing stereos? What gives?

[Big Mac]

Yeah, that is strange. Is there no work in that field right now?

[downinflames68]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

Wait - you're an award winning industrial designer and now you're going for jobs installing stereos? What gives?

Due to my divorce, I was too depressed/****ed up to move away from my friends, so I signed a lease with a good friend here in Milwaukee. The shitty part, is that there is absolutely NO WORK HERE. NONE. There is Milwaukee Tool (worked there, lot of fun, but a full staff, no opportunity to get hired), and Harley Davidson (worked for them all summer. Currently no work for me). Other than that, there is JACK SHIT.

The problem isn't just milwaukee. It's the entire ****ing midwest. It's bone-dry. All the jobs are either on the west coast, east coast, or overseas.

So yeah, shit is pretty dire at the moment. My student loans are coming due, and they're about $550 a month. Ugh. So now the real issue is I have the lease on this place until August, and I'm not going to be moving until after this winter, because moving is a pain in the ass. Once spring rolls around I'll be applying at even more places.

[OreoCookie]

I'd say come clean and be honest. Everything else will come back at you to bite you in the ass.

[ghporter]

I'm with Oreo on this. Demonstrate your skills with using, setting up and configuring mixer boards, and maybe point out the Autopatch unit you linked with as something you can handle. But don't let the original "I can handle that" put you into a corner. "Yes, I exaggerated my experience, based on the Autopatch unit, which I can handle quite easily. But if the job needs actual coding, I am not experienced at all with that sort of mixer system." Honesty can get you past that awkward "I'm new here and I'm lost" phase pretty quickly.

Give 'em a demonstration of how you really can set up, configure and operate a mixer board quickly and efficiently, and maybe the "oops, I exaggerated" stuff will be forgotten.

[shifuimam]

Maybe you just shouldn't lie in job interviews...or ever...

[SpaceMonkey]

I think the only way this could work is if you are a really hot chick.

[Phileas]

Are you sure they're asking for programming skills? If we ask potential recruits for Mac experience, we mean user experience, not programming. Might this be a similar situation?

[Doofy]

at your puny "mixer boards".

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Wait, coding!? Oh shit. I thought it was just a giant mixer. Like, inputs and outputs, using a bunch of RCAs, HDMIs, and those prosound connectors. Forget the name. Hrm. Oh well, I'll lie anyway and see what happens, I guess.

I'm not sure how you can lie about that though.

Job:"Do you know AMX".

Cash: "yes"

Job: "Ok sit down and program some AMX for me here as your first task."

Cash: "My car is faster than yours".

Good luck with that.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

See, this I can handle:

AMX Unit Autopatch Precis 8x8 Audio Matrix Switcher - eBay (item 290390158333 end time Feb-09-10 13:05:53 PST)

coding, not so much. I know how to code HTML and CSS. That's it.

See all these features they list for the unit. How do you think all those settings are configured for the device? Through coding.

FEATURES

Digital volume control on each output
Digital input gain control to normalize audio input voltages
Superior crosstalk specifications ensure signal isolation and security
Gold-plated RCA connectors
10-band graphic equalizer on each output
Digital balance, tone and volume control
Standard RS-232 control port
Supports AutoPatch's simple BCS serial control protocol
Optional TCP/IP control via external APWeb module

[The Final Dakar]

Wear something low-cut.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy 

Gold-plated RCA connectors

Step 1: learn how to program old-plated RCA connectors

-t

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

I'm with Oreo on this. Demonstrate your skills with using, setting up and configuring mixer boards, and maybe point out the Autopatch unit you linked with as something you can handle. But don't let the original "I can handle that" put you into a corner. "Yes, I exaggerated my experience, based on the Autopatch unit, which I can handle quite easily. But if the job needs actual coding, I am not experienced at all with that sort of mixer system." Honesty can get you past that awkward "I'm new here and I'm lost" phase pretty quickly.

Except, the only way to configure the Autopatch unit is by coding all the various settings into it. With a 10-band graphic EQ on each output--see the specs above--there is no way the unit could occupy only 1 RU of rack space and have 8 sets of physical EQ controllers.

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Give 'em a demonstration of how you really can set up, configure and operate a mixer board quickly and efficiently, and maybe the "oops, I exaggerated" stuff will be forgotten.

Does anyone here really know what AMX equipment does? If so, they would know it is nothing like using a mixing board.

Oh, and Rob, those "prosound" style audio connectors are known as XLR connectors. Or Neutrik connectors, if you were referring to the kind of connectors used on high-end speakers/PA systems.

[downinflames68]

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy 

Oh, and Rob, those "prosound" style audio connectors are known as XLR connectors.

Thanks, brain fart. Been a few years.

Yeah, I think I'm just going to say I used an already setup AMX system, since I did, and not say I can do coding. Then again, I'm not sure they are looking for coding.

- Rob

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy 

Oh, and Rob, those "prosound" style audio connectors are known as XLR connectors. Or Neutrik connectors, if you were referring to the kind of connectors used on high-end speakers/PA systems.

Neutrik is a brand name. Speakon is the word you're looking for.

[iM@k]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

Step 1: learn how to program old-plated RCA connectors

-t

Yes, corroded and tarnished RCA connector gives the audio a "classic, broken-in" sound

[turtle777]

I see what you I did there.

-t

[downinflames68]

har har. Seriously, apart from the coding aspect, seems like a pretty good gig for a while. The pay is awesome. Here's to hoping I can BS my way into it. I have the phone interview tomorrow at 10am. Wish me luck.

[sdilley14]

Good luck! You gotta do what you gotta do when your back is against the wall.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy 

Does anyone here really know what AMX equipment does? If so, they would know it is nothing like using a mixing board.

My first glance at the picture Rob posted made it look like a 1U box with a small mixing control board...which is completely wrong. This Precis switcher is pretty darn complex; look at AMX's system diagram for the unit for just how complex it is.

Is "coding" for this done in a script, or a particular language, or what? Can you give an example of the kind of coding that is used?

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Neutrik is a brand name. Speakon is the word you're looking for.

Brain fart on my end as well.

We used them for signal on some of our speakers (EAWs or JBL, I can't remember) and for power on our Meyer Sound portable PA system. (I usually helped out with the setup and strike and let my audio guy run the board (Mackie 16xx series) for the live special event/programs we did at the museum.)

[boy8cookie]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

har har. Seriously, apart from the coding aspect, seems like a pretty good gig for a while. The pay is awesome. Here's to hoping I can BS my way into it. I have the phone interview tomorrow at 10am. Wish me luck.

this guy..

good luck sir.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

My first glance at the picture Rob posted made it look like a 1U box with a small mixing control board...which is completely wrong. This Precis switcher is pretty darn complex; look at AMX's system diagram for the unit for just how complex it is.

Is "coding" for this done in a script, or a particular language, or what? Can you give an example of the kind of coding that is used?

Under the specs listed above it mentions supporting RS-232, their proprietary control protocol, as well as control via TCP/IP through an accessory module. I never did any of the coding myself as we paid some guy a lot of money to do it for us. Having said that, I had to be part of a team to do code review on a major upgrade to the master control program and I developed a sense of the code's design and syntax. The language was proprietary to AMX but built-on some pretty standard RS-232 commands. And it functioned partly like a script--the actual command section of the code-- and partly like a program in that there were declarations, variables, runtime routines and sub-routines, etc. for the system monitoring and looping sections of the code.

There was a declarations section at the beginning of the code with a table of variable assignments that linked an RS-232 device identifier to a user-friendly device name.

After that there were code sections for device startup/initialization, time synchronization (where applicable/necessary), and device/system monitoring and/or reporting.

Then came the runtime loop where the individuals devices were started up/initialized in a particular sequence and the device monitoring sub-routine was activated. (Our system used a basic "ping" procedure, run every minute on over 100 devices, to determine if a device was alive. If a unit did not respond to a "ping" an e-mail was sent to the support staff indicating a device was off-line.)

Depending on the AMX device and what it was used for, the specific settings were either coded directly into the device for more complicated devices that were dedicated to a single piece of signal distribution or playback equipment or coded in "real-time" for something like an audio player (i.e.: the device's sound level would be set by the master control program based on what media piece was being played.)


As for the syntax of the proprietary code used by AMX, it seemed somewhat convoluted but certainly readable/understandable when viewing it in a configuration tool. If I remember correctly, it went something like the following . . .

Code:
$ deviceID command commandvariables(flags) parameters

. . . where the commands and parameters could be from a list of built-in (to the device) settings or custom-made commands specified within the declarations section of the code at the beginning. (The custom-made commands were made up of "sets" of individual built-in commands and allowed the programmer to have to write out only once a complicated command sequence that could be invoked by calling it by its pre-defined name.)



I've got to run now, going ice skating. But when I return I will see if I can dig up from my old work files some actual code we used.

[downinflames68]

Originally Posted by boy8cookie 

this guy..

good luck sir.

Hey at least I'm not wasting thousands of dollars on something boring that depreciates over $5,000 in less than a year.

PS: Real men drive stick.

[ThinkInsane]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Hey at least I'm not wasting thousands of dollars on something boring that depreciates over $5,000 in less than a year.

PS: Real men drive stick.

Yeah, but he's got a job, so...

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by ThinkInsane 

Yeah, but he's got a job, so...

Exactly.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Hey at least I'm not wasting thousands of dollars on something boring that depreciates over $5,000 in less than a year.

PS: Real men drive stick.

Originally Posted by ThinkInsane 

Yeah, but he's got a job, so...

Originally Posted by Andy8 

Exactly.

We really should have a Cash's Law along the lines of Godwin's Law. Something to the effect that "the longer a Cash thread gets, the greater the likelihood Cash will invoke the "car clause" and attack someone personally based on the type of vehicle they drive.

[PB2K]

I'm afraid he will make as ass out of himself at the interview when they ask for AMX experience. What a waste of time.

[brassplayersrock²]

Originally Posted by PB2K 

I'm afraid he will make as ass out of himself at the interview when they ask for AMX experience. What a waste of time.

I agree.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy 

We really should have a Cash's Law along the lines of Godwin's Law. Something to the effect that "the longer a Cash thread gets, the greater the likelihood Cash will invoke the "car clause" and attack someone personally based on the type of vehicle they drive.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

This Precis switcher is pretty darn complex; look at AMX's system diagram for the unit for just how complex it is.

That's actually pretty simple. I'm running 64 cables just from my recorder to my mixer (and in no way can my personal setup be described as "big").

Here's what a proper one looks like:

[Oisín]

Dinner time, all.

We’re having seaweed spaghetti tonight.

[Aeolius]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Here's what a proper one looks like...

The hi-fi of Cthulhu?

I am reminded of the guy who ran the cable/phone/ethernet cables in my house, when it was built 3 years ago. It turns out he also wired the alarm in my parents' house when I was a teen, then ran wires in both of my folks' houses when they split up. When I have a wiring issue, he shows up, we shoot the breeze about home automation (my interest; mainly INSTEON and Mac-based solutions), and he never charges me a dime. Call it an even trade.

[Spheric Harlot]

And i was just having fun rewiring my 6x24-into-24 patchbay...

[SpaceMonkey]

I feel like people who brag about how many cables they are running must be compensating for something, but....hmm...I can't figure out what it might be...

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

I feel like people who brag about how many cables they are running must be compensating for something, but....hmm...I can't figure out what it might be...

Lack of MADI boxes.

(oh, and setting Glenn straight about the relative complexity of audio wiring issues isn't bragging.)

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy 

We really should have a Cash's Law along the lines of Godwin's Law. Something to the effect that "the longer a Cash thread gets, the greater the likelihood Cash will invoke the "car clause" and attack someone personally based on the type of vehicle they drive.

You know who else had really strong opinions about cars? Hitler.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

You know who else had really strong opinions about cars? Hitler.

Do we need a Ca$hwin's Law ?

-t

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy 

Under the specs listed above it mentions supporting RS-232, their proprietary control protocol...

uhm, no. it isn't THEIR proprietary control protocol. RS-232 is the defacto standard to pass serial binary data between interfaces. they may use that to run their proprietary protocols over it. but the interface itself, is not theirs. it is/was used on just about every computer since the 1970s up to and including todays computers. you may have heard of it; it is simply referred to as; a serial interface.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

uhm, no. it isn't THEIR proprietary control protocol.

...

You know, in some versions of English a comma can be used instead of an "and" in order to separate items in a list.