What to know about AV control in Tempe
Busy nights are the real test
Mill Avenue has about 30 businesses that opened on or near it in 2025 and 2026, according to the City. A control system earns its keep on a packed night, when staff need to change a game or lower the music in one tap.
Control holds a patio at a level you set
Tempe judges noise on whether it is unnecessary, excessive or offensive, and weighs time of day and distance to homes. A control system can hold the patio at a fixed top level and drop it automatically after a chosen hour.
Source: Tempe City Code Sec. 20-11
Control wiring may be exempt from the electrical permit
Tempe's Administrative Code exempts Class 2 and Class 3 control and signal circuits not essential to human life from the electrical permit. The City doesn't say which systems qualify, so we confirm with the Permit Center before we start.
Source: Tempe Administrative Code 105.2
Codes changed on July 1, 2026
Tempe adopted the 2024 I-Codes and the 2023 NEC with local amendments, effective July 1, 2026. Applications can use the 2018 or 2024 codes through December 31, 2026, and only the 2024 codes after that.
What a control system does
A control system sits between your staff and the equipment. Instead of three remotes and a phone app, there is one screen, and nobody needs to know which remote belongs to which TV. Staff press Game Day and the right TVs, audio zones and levels change together.
- Select the game on a TV or a row of TVs.
- Change music and volume by zone.
- Turn screens on and off at open and close.
- Lock top volume levels so a zone can't go past a set limit.
Panels, tablets and phones
A wall panel is simple and can't walk out the door. A tablet is flexible. Phone control suits owners and managers. We often combine them, with a limited panel for staff and a full one for managers.
Programming it for your staff
Most of the work is deciding what each button should do. We sit with your staff, learn how an ordinary night runs, and build the screen around it. Buttons are named in plain words, not model numbers.
We test the screen with the staff who will use it, then adjust. A button that makes sense to the installer but confuses a new hire on a Saturday night is a bad button, and it is cheap to fix before we leave.
Works with what you have
Many TVs, amplifiers and switchers can be controlled over the network or through an infrared or serial connection. We connect what you own when it works, and we replace only the parts that can't be controlled.
Older gear sometimes lacks any control port at all. In that case a small adapter or a newer model of the same device is usually cheaper than replacing the whole system, and we tell you which before we quote.
Maintenance and changes
Menus, TVs and rooms change. We can update the programming when you add a screen or change a zone, and service is Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
We also leave a short written guide at the rack that says what each device does, so a future technician or a new manager can find their way around without guessing.
Often paired with
Control goes with TV and video distribution, commercial audio and conference rooms. Our other Tempe services are on the Enzo in Tempe page.
