Based in Reno, Nevada, SoSu.TV has built a niche in serving government agencies by helping them broadcast public meetings and improve community engagement. Ensuring citizens can engage in these meetings is vital for transparency and communication between government officials and the public. With little AV expertise, SoSu.TV faced several challenges in supporting remote clients; they were often manually patching together systems and configuring solutions from various manufacturers. Collaborating with Yamaha and integrating the brand’s ADECIA system has been essential to overcoming these challenges.
Before partnering with Yamaha, SoSu.TV primarily focused on streaming and broadcasting, leaving AV systems integration to third parties. The sudden shift to virtual meetings due to the pandemic, when in-person attendance was restricted, pushed them to get more involved in AV integration. This transition was essential because poor audio quality in virtual meetings, such as open microphones and background noise, would often disrupt communication between government officials and the public. “The meetings we service are treated with a level of care and excitement similar to the Super Bowl; it’s equally as important to the government as it is to the citizens,” Mark Hatjakes, co-founder at SoSu.TV noted.
As they expanded services to rural and smaller agencies, the need for a scalable, user-friendly AV system became apparent. Many of these government agencies lacked dedicated AV teams, relying instead on IT or communications personnel with limited technical knowledge. SoSu.TV needed an audio solution that was easy to install, configure, and manage remotely, allowing them to support agencies without having to send technicians on-site for every new meeting setup.
“Working with Yamaha is unique because, despite being a massive company with vast resources, they operate like a boutique startup,” Hatjakes said. “They actively listen to end users, even touring our facilities to see installations firsthand. Their openness and responsiveness to feedback mean you get the best of both worlds: the support and resources of a large company, combined with the personalized attention of a smaller one.”
Delivered as an all-in-one audio solution for high-quality audio capture and playback, ADECIA includes 12-inch wireless gooseneck microphones that are ideal for government meeting rooms, where clear, real-time audio is essential. Wireless setup allows clerks to easily position the microphones before each meeting, and the team at SoSu.TV created custom legends in the software so users would know exactly where to place each mic. The VLX array speakers are connected via a single POE Cat5 cable, simplifying installation. The Yamaha RM-CR Processor acts as the brain of the system, integrating audio processing and control. SoSu.TV developed a custom touch panel using Yamaha’s ProVisionaire software, allowing government staff to manage key functions, like muting mics and speakers after a certain time limit. This easy-to-use interface for clerks enables them to adjust microphone and speaker levels from an iPad.
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One of the most significant advantages of the Yamaha ADECIA system is its scalability and remote management capabilities. Because the system is easy to install, SoSu.TV can ship it to agencies where IT staff can handle setup with minimal support. Once installed, SoSu.TV can manage the system remotely, troubleshoot, and provide configuration and updates without needing to send personnel on-site. This reduces service requests and frees up SoSu.TV’s team so they can run more meetings and focus on other tasks. Additionally, the ADECIA system has allowed SoSu.TV to reduce its equipment footprint, moving from large, two-rack systems to compact, half-rack configurations.
By reducing the amount of hardware required; scaling down on-site visits; and offering an easy-to-use, remotely managed system, SoSu.TV can deliver more services without a proportional increase in resources. These cost savings are passed on to government clients, making it an attractive option for smaller agencies that may not have large AV budgets.
For government meetings that offer public participation, SoSu.TV’s Nindeo platform integrates easily with web conferencing solutions, allowing citizens to engage with local government, ask questions, and make comments.
By leveraging Yamaha’s advanced audio technology, SoSu.TV is successfully enhancing broadcast quality for their government clients. Government clients have reported higher satisfaction with the quality of their broadcasts, and citizens appreciate the improved audio clarity. This partnership not only improves the technical aspects of the broadcasts but also strengthens the trust and engagement between government agencies and their communities.
