It’s time for the episode that you’ve all been requesting … AV Math! And because this requires a lot of writing and graphics, I’ve included all of those below. So do feel free to give this episode a watch, and let me know if you have any questions or want to work through anything together […]

One thing about Luke Jordan? He gives great advice. Whether you’re studying to get your CTS for the second time like me or it’s your first time studying, he’s been there. So enjoy this episode as I pick his brain about what I should spend time doing the second time around and about some best […]

This isn’t an overexaggeration when I say that so many of you have been asking about extra study materials other than simply watching/listening to this podcast. I feel you! I’ve had a hard time navigating everything that’s available while also trying to figure out what CTS study methods work best for me. So, you’re going […]

She’s baaaaaaack! By “she” I mean me and by “back” I mean ready to study and take the CTS test (again)! That’s right people; I failed on my first try. But I’ve taken some time, collected my thoughts and in season two, I’m making sure to study the right things, build a test-taking strategy and […]

In today’s Study With Steph episode, Jay Rogina from Spinitar jumps on a call with me because we are talking about site surveys! If you consider yourself a good integrator, you’ll know the importance of a job site evaluation and what can go wrong if the evaluation is done the wrong way. Jay walks me […]

Let’s talk about gathering customer information. It’s an important part of specifying any room — you have to know what the customer needs. Of course, gathering info requires a certain level of communication. What are the best ways to communicate with a customer or client? What questions do you ask to properly find out what the customer […]

In the latest episode of Study With Steph, I invite Pete Putman (just in time apparently since he announced his retirement the week after we recorded) to chat with me about wireless radio systems. As you may have learned from Gary Kayye’s Rants & rAVes episode, Pete has had a long and fruitful career in the AV industry, […]

*Lizzo voice*: Y’all been waiting for this one! Every time I’ve asked someone for study tips for the CTS test, the first thing I’ve heard is “learn Ohm’s law.” So, being the physics-averted person I am, I avoided it like the plague for as long as possible. But I’m back. I’m ready to learn. Jim Maltese from Level […]

Control systems — they’re such a mystery to me. What are they about? What can they do? What do they want? Steve Greenblatt of Control Concepts, Inc. sits down with me to discuss just that. So — if you need help studying: commands versus functions, how a CPU communicates, types of control systems, etc. this is […]

It’s time to talk about the way we connect. No, not with one another. I’m talking cables and the things at each end you use to plug them into stuff. If you’ve ever wondered what a Phoenix connector is, why wires and cables are NOT interchangeable terms and why building an AV rack the proper […]

In today’s episode of Study With Steph, I catch up with my pal, Justin Kennington, to help me with networks. We answer the following questions: What is a network? Why does topology matter? What the heck is up with Ethernet (I previously thought it was just a cable. It is not just a cable.) For clarification […]

I took a few weeks to rearrange my episode structure, and now I am back here with all of you — and I am ready to learn! If you’re still following the CTS Exam Guide, I’m so sorry that the chapters no longer match the episode numbers. I will let you know we are still on […]

Now that I have some extra time to study for the CTS exam, I decided to take my time with this next section. Instead of hopping right into understanding video systems, I invited Sony Electronics Professional’s Chrissy Sara to discuss some concepts of light with me. As it happens, light works similarly to sound! Chrissy […]

In case you live under a rock and didn’t know, AVIXA has postponed InfoComm 2021 to Oct. 27-29. This news was a big sigh of relief for many in our industry because there is no way that Integrated Systems Europe and InfoComm in the same month was going to be easy for anyone. This week […]

This week, it’s the subject many of you have been dreading: audio. I (very stupidly) thought this would be one of my best subjects — and I now know how much physics goes into understanding sound. I invited AVIXA’s Chuck Espinoza on with me this week to talk about sound propagation, acoustics and more — […]

Hello #AVtweeps, this week’s podcast is a support group for any of you who have ever had trouble understanding the difference between analog and digital signals. Or, alternatively, if you understand the difference by concept but not by much of anything else. Tom Kehr, systems designer and trainer at Almo Pro A/V, was kind and […]

Welcome to episode 2 of Study With Steph! This one goes out to all my homies who have decided they want to take the CTS exam — but then get confused about what to expect of the test and what is expected of you. In this episode, I met up with two of AVIXA’s be […]

It’s that time of year again where everyone makes ridiculous resolutions they probably won’t keep. Instead of doing all that this year, I wanted to make a resolution that would be achievable — no matter how hard it seems. So, I am studying to get my CTS! To keep me accountable, my co-workers at rAVe […]

Hey everybody! Welcome to the very first episode of Study With Steph. In case you haven’t heard, I am on a mission to become a Certified Technology Specialist. Word on the street is — it’s no easy feat. But that’s what I’m here for! I am taking a look at a test subject per episode […]

rAVe’s own Steph Beckett joined Gary on his latest videocast to talk about an all-new podcast logically titled: Study With Steph. Steph’s been in AV for a few years now, and Gary challenged her to get her AVIXA CTS certification. Well, challenge accepted. But, since Steph never does anything alone, she’s taking you along on her CTS journey — so any and all AV’ers (who want […]