Santa Barbara, California

Wyatt Olsen

CEO of Firebird AV — AV designer, automation & electrical engineer, Crestron expert.

Two decades designing, engineering, and programming world-class AV, automation, network, and security systems — residential to commercial, a single keypad to global flagships. No black boxes. No compromises.

Start a conversation Firebird Audio Video ↗
2003
in the industry since
20+
years designing & programming
2010
founded Firebird AV
global
projects worldwide

About

I turn complex technology into experiences that feel effortless — and I've been doing it, hands-on, for over twenty years.

My career began in 2003 installing home theaters for Best Buy. By 2005 I had opened my own AV design, installation, and programming firm. Along the way I ran a residential home-theater company in Narragansett, Rhode Island while programming for a worldwide Crestron and AMX integrator — work that sent me across the globe, including a flagship installation in Singapore.

Born in Santa Barbara and raised mostly in Shelburne, Vermont, I came home to the California coast in 2009 and founded Firebird Audio Video in 2010. Having earned my stripes as both a laborer and a programmer, I built Firebird into a firm known for engineering-first integration: systems designed on paper, documented, and built to last for years, not seasons.

If it plugs in, talks, or thinks — I design it.

From reference home theaters to commercial venues running flawlessly through a Saturday rush, the work holds up because the infrastructure underneath it was engineered first.

What I do

Expertise across the entire stack.

design

AV System Design

Residential and commercial, schematic through calibration — engineered before anything is bought.

programming

Crestron Expert

Master-level Crestron control programming with deep AMX experience — the brains that make it all one button.

engineering

Electrical & Automation

Power, low-voltage, lighting control, and whole-building automation engineered to spec and to code.

commercial

Commercial AV

Boardrooms, hospitality, restaurants, venues, digital signage — high-output systems built to run all day.

residential

Residential & Theater

Reference theaters, whole-home audio and video, lighting and shading — tuned to the room and the client.

networking

Network Design

Enterprise Wi-Fi, fiber backbones, and segmented networks that carry AV, control, and everything else.

security

Security & Surveillance

Cameras, access control, and alarm design — discreet, always-on, integrated with the whole property.

leadership

Principal & CEO

Master designer, programmer, and entrepreneur leading the Firebird team and standards from the front.

A labeled, color-coded equipment rack — core switch, Crestron processors, structured cabling

The part no one sees

The rack is where I prove it.

Anyone can mount a TV. The difference is what's behind the wall: clean racks, labeled runs, segmented networks, and documentation you actually own. Every system I deliver is engineered to be serviceable — a fix is a phone call, not a forensic project.

Crestron, AMX, enterprise networking, structured cabling, power and sequencing — built right the first time, and built to last.

The journey

From the field to the firm.

2003

Started in the trade — Best Buy

Began as a home-theater installer, learning the craft from the ground up, cable by cable.

2005

Founded an independent AV firm

Struck out on my own with a design, installation, and programming business.

2005 – 2009

Rhode Island & the world

Ran a residential home-theater company in Narragansett, RI while programming for a worldwide Crestron & AMX integrator — delivering internationally, including a flagship installation in Singapore.

2009

Home to Santa Barbara

Relocated back to the California Central Coast where it all began.

2010 – present

Founder & CEO, Firebird Audio Video, Inc.

Built and lead Firebird AV — an engineering-first custom integration firm serving Santa Barbara, Montecito, and beyond.

Credentials

Earned, not claimed.

Licensed in multiple statesContractor's licenses across multiple states · California CSLB #1108192
Highest-level certificationsPassed the top tier of manufacturer certification programs
Crestron & AMX programmingExpert control-system programming, residential to enterprise
20+ years, hands-onLaborer, programmer, master designer, entrepreneur — every seat

Beyond the work

Off the clock.

Wyatt Olsen

Outside of work, I'm a dad to a 1-year-old and live in Santa Barbara with my wife, Camille, and a houseful of dogs and cats. I'm an avid fisherman, though these days the baby happily takes up most of my free time.

When I'm not on the water, I'm usually tackling a construction project, out on the trails or in the gym, or in the kitchen — I cook, barbecue, and brew my own beer. I've got more hobbies than I can count, and a lifelong love of all things tech.

Interests Fishing · Mountain biking · Hiking · Construction · Real estate · Homebrewing · Cooking & BBQ · Fitness · Tech

Contact

Let's build something that lasts.

A flagship project, a partnership, or just a conversation about the craft — drop me a line and I'll get back to you.

Message sent — thank you.

I read every one and I'll get back to you soon.