The Wattage Argument I Keep Having | Sound Perspective

A loudspeaker rated for 300 watts connected to a 600-watt amplifier can make some people nervous. But is the amplifier really the problem? In this edition of Sound Perspective, Teddy Murphy explores one of audio's most persistent debates, explaining how amplifier headroom, clipping, gain structure, and system design matter far more than a single wattage number. Along the way, he examines why clean power is often safer than distorted power and why context always matters when designing audio systems. Read More

Articles, Content

July 27, 2026

Coming Home to the Fundamentals of Higher Education Audio | Sound Perspective

Teddy Murphy takes readers back to the fundamentals of audio in higher education AV. From following the signal and understanding gain structure to microphone placement, room acoustics, feedback, and lecture capture, Murphy reflects on the lessons that continue to matter no matter how advanced our systems become. Sometimes the most effective troubleshooting tool is not a new platform or piece of equipment. It is a solid understanding of the basics. Read More

Articles, Content

June 15, 2026

My Take: Higher Education Summit 2026 Day 1

In this recap from Teddy Murphy, Day 1 of the HETMA Higher Ed Summit focused on what inclusive design actually looks like in practice. From keynote conversations about belonging and universal access to practical sessions on audio intelligibility, captioning, and real-world system design, the day balanced big-picture thinking with actionable takeaways. The strongest moments came from shared conversations, where higher ed AV professionals worked through real challenges together and reinforced a simple idea: inclusive technology is not a future goal, it is work we should already be doing. Read More

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#InfoComm26

June 15, 2026

Eleven Audio Lessons I Wish Someone Had Taught Me Earlier | Sound Perspective

In this Sound Perspective, Teddy Murphy shares eleven audio lessons he wishes he had learned earlier in his career. From microphone placement and gain structure to acoustics and troubleshooting philosophy, the focus stays on practical fundamentals that make systems easier to support and easier to use. Read More

Articles, Content

June 12, 2026

My Take: NW/MET 2026 – Learning, Community, and a Look at What’s Next

In this recap of NW/MET 2026, Teddy Murphy reflects on a conference that stood out for its strong sense of community, practical sessions, and opportunities to connect. From campus tours to conversations with peers, the experience reinforced the value of learning from one another in higher education technology. Read More

Articles, Content

May 18, 2026

Just Because the DSP Has It Does Not Mean You Need It! | Sound Perspective

Teddy Murphy takes a hard look at a common problem in higher ed AV: overprocessed audio. Just because modern DSP platforms offer powerful tools does not mean every feature needs to be enabled. This piece breaks down how overuse of AGC, feedback suppression, and stacked processing can create more problems than they solve, and why a simpler, more intentional approach to DSP design often leads to better results. Read More

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Frantic professor hitting a lot of buttons

April 20, 2026

Designing Audio Systems for People Who Won’t Use Them Correctly | Sound Perspective

If an audio system can be broken, eventually it will be. This article looks at why designing for ideal behavior fails in higher ed spaces and how smart audio and control decisions can prevent common problems. Good sound design is not about perfection, it is about resilience. Read More

Articles, Content

March 30, 2026

My Take: Why Professional Organizations Matter More for Small Higher Ed Institutions

Smaller colleges and universities make up the majority of higher education institutions in the United States, yet their voices are often underrepresented in technology decisions and industry conversations. This piece argues that professional organizations like HETMA help level the playing field by giving smaller institutions access to peer networks, advisory conversations, and trusted frameworks for evaluating solutions. It also makes the case that when smaller schools are included, the future of higher education technology becomes more practical, more representative, and more responsive to the realities of the institutions doing the most with the least. Read More

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Student covering their ears by a speaker

March 16, 2026

When the Room Fights Back | Sound Perspective

Poor acoustics can undermine even the best-designed AV systems. This article explores how modern assistive listening technologies, including Wi‑Fi–based systems and emerging options like Auracast, can serve as practical tools for improving speech intelligibility in challenging higher education spaces. When room design works against learning, direct-to-listener audio can become an effective bridge. Read More

Articles, Content

February 23, 2026

The Connected Campus: Audio in a Cloud-Managed World | Sound Perspective

Cloud-based management is reshaping how higher ed teams support audio across campus. What once required a sprint to the rack can now often be diagnosed and resolved from a browser, shifting the work from reactive troubleshooting to proactive system management. This piece looks at platforms like Sennheiser’s DeviceHub, ShureCloud, and broader ecosystems such as Q-Sys Reflect and Crestron XiO Cloud, and what they signal for AV and IT teams operating at institutional scale. The focus is not on features for their own sake, but on what visibility, role-based access, and centralized control mean for staffing models, hybrid expectations, and long-term reliability in distributed campus environments. Read More

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January 19, 2026

Ringing Out a Room: Creating Gain Before Feedback the Right Way | Sound Perspective

Most people think ringing out a room is just cranking the EQ—but the real magic happens long before you touch a filter. Teddy discusses why proper gain before feedback starts with design, not guesswork. Read More

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Sound Perspective Designing Audio for How Faculty Actually Teach Teddy Murphy

December 8, 2025

Designing Audio for How Faculty Actually Teach | Sound Perspective

One-size-fits-all doesn’t work in real classrooms. Audio should be designed around how instructors actually teach... with their input. Teddy explains why uniform templates fail, using classroom examples, and highlights behaviors to watch when designing with instructors in mind. Read More

Articles, Content

The Wattage Argument I Keep Having | Sound Perspective

Coming Home to the Fundamentals of Higher Education Audio | Sound Perspective

My Take: Higher Education Summit 2026 Day 1

Eleven Audio Lessons I Wish Someone Had Taught Me Earlier | Sound Perspective

My Take: NW/MET 2026 – Learning, Community, and a Look at What’s Next

Just Because the DSP Has It Does Not Mean You Need It! | Sound Perspective

Designing Audio Systems for People Who Won’t Use Them Correctly | Sound Perspective

My Take: Why Professional Organizations Matter More for Small Higher Ed Institutions

When the Room Fights Back | Sound Perspective

The Connected Campus: Audio in a Cloud-Managed World | Sound Perspective

Ringing Out a Room: Creating Gain Before Feedback the Right Way | Sound Perspective

Designing Audio for How Faculty Actually Teach | Sound Perspective

When Design Becomes Culture: Building a Standardized AV System That Scales | Sound Perspective

Gain Structure: The Unsung Hero of Classroom Audio | Sound Perspective

Struggling Sound: How Higher Ed Funding Cuts Are Quietly Dismantling AV Investments | Sound Perspective

Choosing the Right Tool for the Right Voice in Higher Ed AV | Sound Perspective

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