Advanced Systems Group recently announced that long time audio industry pro Mark Haynes has joined the company. Prior to joining ASG, he was vice president of sales for Leo’s Professional Audio, and had worked for that Oakland, CA-based company for 26 years. Haynes will contribute his perspective on audio for the video-centric projects that ASG specializes in. Haynes took a few minutes to share some ideas with us.
BE: Have broadcast and recording industry technologies converged in the last several years or grown wider apart?
Mark Haynes: “Convergence seems to be a natural tendency with most technologies in our industry. As “software suites” and “acquisition tools” broaden their enhancements and penetration into both audio and video, it would be fair to say that the line has blurred a bit as to what might have previously been considered solely a broadcast or project studio tool.”
BE: Is there an analogy to the recording industry “project studio” in the broadcast industry, and how does ASG address it?
Mark Haynes: “Speaking as someone with an audio background, I have witnessed the broadcast industry absorb more from the project recording studio side (assuming we’re speaking of a pro-level project studio) than the other way around. Honest, well-balanced studio monitors, acoustical treatments, flexible and affordable digital audio consoles, those sorts of things seem to have found many happy homes in broadcasters’ facilities. On the other hand, not many (if any) project studios deal with the media workflow, content management, retrieval and archival demands inherent in the broadcast field. So, assuming convergence means the coming together of things to the same point, I’d have to say while they’re obviously not convergent, they are certainly moving in similar directions and sharing many common tools.”
BE: Why is this job a good fit for you?
Mark Haynes: “ASG is a professional services company that happens to sell stuff. To ensure that our products are the right stuff is the company’s challenge, and the client’s reward when things are done right. With the right research (which includes asking the proper questions beforehand to ensure equipment compatibility), doing real-world demos, developing a project-focus early on in the process, and defining a realistic budget, a great product line will naturally emerge. That’s what I’ve been doing for a long time, and I’m elated at being asked to do it here with ASG.”
