Australia-based AV Integrator Spotlight: Pro Sound and Lighting

Australia AV Integrator, Pro Sound and Lighting based in New South Wales is a full-service professional AV company. They sell, hire and Install AV equipment for live productions, corporate events, clubs, pubs, schools, churches, and a range of other events. We spoke to Leonard Buckley, Production Manager, Pro Sound and Lighting, to discuss the pivot they made during the pandemic, his advice to other AV installers and his favorite songs for system testing.

Let’s dive in!

Tell us about your company

Australia-based AV Integrator Spotlight: Pro Sound and Lighting

[LB] Pro Sound and Lighting started off around 12 years ago mainly as a DJ business and party hire business. As we grew and began employing more and more AV professionals, we saw that there was a gap in the market for AV integration. I’ve been here for the past four years and in that time, I’ve really focused on the installation integration side of the business, particularly as the pandemic hit.

We’re quite new in the market for AV integration but we pride ourselves on being very easygoing with our clients. They appreciate just telling us what they want to achieve, and then let us go and do it. Our whole business model with most of our clients is very chilled and laid back.

How did you get started in the industry?

Australia-based AV Integrator Spotlight: Pro Sound and Lighting

[LB] I began in the music theater industry doing audio engineering and lighting and other live production work. When the pandemic started, I realized that none of that would be happening and I really had to push the integration and installation side of the business. The work was there, we just had to go do it and find the people to go and install it.

What's the most challenging project you’ve worked on?

Australia-based AV Integrator Spotlight: Pro Sound and Lighting

[LB] I would say the one we did with LEA, the Beachcomber Resort, was probably the most challenging we’ve done, just because of the scale of it. Our client was very open-ended about what they wanted, so we had to do a lot of interpretation of what they wanted and decide for them. They didn’t have the time to go into detail with us. They just said, “Look, we want to achieve this and this in these certain areas, just make it happen.” They said, “This is about how much money we’ve got, just fit it within that budget and everyone’s happy,” so that’s what we did.

What are the common frustrations of an av installer?

Australia-based AV Integrator Spotlight: Pro Sound and Lighting

[LB] I would probably say making clients realize what they can realistically get for their budgets and again, the constantly-changing scope of a job. We’ve got a lot of clients that do these big renovations or these big projects by the skin of their teeth. So that’s been the biggest challenge for us because nothing is concrete.

What can manufacturers do to make it easier?

Australia-based AV Integrator Spotlight: Pro Sound and Lighting

[LB] In terms of LEA, what they’re doing is amazing, they have really nailed it from the start. It seems as though LEA either comes from an integration background or they’ve done an incredible amount of consulting with integrators just to make things simple, easy, and to ensure there’s no catches with the products. With LEA you just get what they offer, so many manufacturers have little caveats or you can’t have this if you do that, etc. but with LEA it’s just simple. LEA’s product lineup is incredibly simple which is brilliant as far as I’m concerned. Some of the manufacturers have an incredible amount of lines of products but LEA does one thing and they do it really well.

What are your go-to songs for system testing?

Australia-based AV Integrator Spotlight: Pro Sound and Lighting

[LB] Well I think I’ve got five main songs: I Will Remember by Toto, Home at Last by Steely Dan, My Today by D’Sound, Soul with a capital S by Tower of Power and Kiss in Blue by Yello.

How do you measure success from job to job?

Australia-based AV Integrator Spotlight: Pro Sound and Lighting

[LB] For me, it’s hearing good feedback or no feedback. I feel whether it’s installation or production, if you don’t hear from the people you’re working with, that means things have gone well. You will generally hear very, very quickly if something isn’t right.

What's one piece of advice for others who aspire to be AV installers?

Australia-based AV Integrator Spotlight: Pro Sound and Lighting

[LB]Listen carefully to your client and manage expectations. Clients will ask for the world, but just let them know what can be done.

What’s one thing you always do in order to get prepared for a new install?

Australia-based AV Integrator Spotlight: Pro Sound and Lighting

[LB] I think it’s drawing a very simple block diagram of how your system’s going to flow and what’s going to be in each area and how you’re going to control it. I’m always thinking of signal flow and how that’s being managed.

We’d like to thank Australia AV Integrator Leonard Buckley and everyone at Pro Sound and Lighting for taking the time to speak with us and also for working with our CONNECTSERIES amplifiers in their recent installation project in the Beachcomber Hotel & Resort, which you can read more about here.

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