Worship AVL May–June 2017

Issue 47 May-June 2017

REFURBISHING THE MOTHER CHURCH Life Baptist Presbyterian’s audio reboot

SO ALL MAY HEAR Even sound for a challenging, multi-tiered sanctuary

GOSPEL EXTRAVAGANZA FOR 2,000 A&H’s dLive S7000 makes Kenyan debut

REINFORCING THE DALAI LAMA Delivering sound for 3,000 in New Delhi

A QUEST FOR SOUND SOLUTIONS A small package delivers big sound in Texas

BROADCASTING ACROSS TURKEY Dynanet Radyo deploys Studer desks

COVERING 180 DEGREES AT PURPOSE CHURCH Tailored, adaptive coverage

FADERS FLY ACROSS VIETNAM Qu-16s racked up in multiple locales

CONTROLLING SOUND COVERAGE AT JEIL CHURCH Steering the sound

SURROUNDING WORSHIPPERS WITH SOUND 3D immersion

CLEAR COMMS OVER THE VALLEY OF THE SUN Multiple venues linked CHOP TRANSITIONS TO DIGITAL Rednet and Dante enable the shift

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST UPGRADES Monarch HDX simplifies streaming

When working with technology, it’s easy for technical ministry staff members to be consumed by the details and process of gear operation. It’s serious business, requiring attention to detail, knowledge and practice. On top of signal flow and the gear control functions to master, there’s the mechanics of the button to push, the fader to pull, the knob to twist. There’s learning the flow of a service and based on the list of events, which mics need to be on when and when to cue lighting events and when to begin playback of visuals.

These elements will vary across the range of traditional to contemporary services. They’ll vary from church to temple to mosque. Whatever degree of complexity there is to the AVL tools in use, mastery of basic knowledge and skills are key to the successful application of technology to worship. Snapshots, scene memories, cue and playlists can ease the requirements for operator training and proficiency, though someone knowledgeable must set all those things up to start. Beyond those tech essentials is where creativity comes in to play. Knowing when to EQ a microphone. Having the skill and vision to blend lighting elements to set a mood. Understanding how to edit video to tell a compelling story. Such advanced skills can bring a worship experience to a new level.

When acquiring new skills, be judicious in using them – it’s easy to go overboard when driven by enthusiasm. But do experiment during rehearsals. Get feedback from team members and worship leaders. Continuously honing your skills keeps you engaged, and fresh ideas benefit your ministry.

Refurbishing the mother church

installed above the choir position. From these metal enclosures, the four microphones can be lowered into position as required by a switchcontrolled motorised mechanism.

A Yamaha TF5 36-channel digital console is positioned at the side on the upper balcony during the services, so as to enable media technology officer C L Lun and the other members of the PA crew a reasonably good monitoring position. ‘It’s an old church and so we haven’t got the space to

overspill congregations and separate events. This additional speaker zone can be activated from a customised wall-mounted switch when required.

‘This was quite challenging as we only had three weeks in which to complete the works,’ explains Concept Systems Technologies GM, Gerald Fong. ‘As is normal with most churches, we only had five days between weekend services, so we had to clean up each time and take all our equipment away.’

SINGAPORE: Built in 1962, the reformed Life Bible-Presbyterian Church (LBPC), located off Dunearn Road in Singapore, was the first BiblePresbyterian church in South East Asia. As the mother church of BiblePresbyterian churches in the region, the 1,000-capacity building is open at all times to its worshippers. Although the Sunday services largely consist of spoken word sermons and prayers, music is performed on a piano and an organ with the backing of a choir.

The pre-existing loudspeaker system was in need of replacement and, as such, local suppliers and SIs were invited to tender for the project.

Following an evaluation, the church committee selected a Norton Audio loudspeaker system demonstrated by Concept Systems Technologies. The distributed system in the sanctuary is served by two sets of left-right I12 12inch coaxial speakers, whilst four NF8 8-inch coaxial models are employed as

rear delays and front-fills. The upper gallery area requires its own dedicated audio speakers in the form of six NF8 and two I12 speakers.

Powered by three Norton Audio ND2 and five Electro-Voice Q99 amplifiers, additional loudspeaker management is enabled courtesy of an EV Netmax N8000 16x16 digital audio processor. Located on the upper gallery above the stage, the control room houses the racked equipment, including a Furman CN3600SE power conditioner/ sequencer, enabling powering on and off of the system.

Six channels of Shure SLX and LX wireless microphones are available for the pastors and for other presenters. However, owing to the limited space, the choir required a relatively unique microphone system to serve their needs. Housed in compact metal boxes with sealed covers, four Servoreelers SRL-8 condenser microphones have been

So all may hear

KOREA: The Presbyterian Church of the Lord in Songpa-gu has a congregation of approximately 2,000. The Seoul-based church recently installed a new sound solution to reinforce sermons with uniform coverage throughout the multi-tiered sanctuary.

The church opted for a TW Audio solution and turned to the manufacturer’s South Korean distributor, Star Networks, to complete the design and installation. As there were no architectural drawings or blueprints of the sanctuary available, the Star Networks team measured the entire space before building a CAD file. The file was then used to run an EASE simulation and produce the system design.

The installed solution comprises

an array flown on either side of the worship space, each consisting of nine Vera10 loudspeakers and a

area within the pews,’ explains Mr Lun. ‘Thankfully, we can mix easily using a wireless tablet with the Yamaha Stagemix App.’

Inside the church, new cabling was routed through existing conduits to a new facility panel to the right of the stage. Outdoors, 12 EV Evid 6.2T speakers, powered by two CPS4.5 amplifiers, have been added for

‘We kept adding elements to the pre-existing system over the years and it showed. Concept Systems Technologies completely overhauled it within a tight time frame and, also within our budget. The audio quality for both speech and music has been significantly enhanced.’

www.concept-systems.com.sg

pair of L24s. Handling the lows are four B18 subwoofers, while four M8s serve as front-fills and monitoring

is delivered by four C12s and two C15s. To ensure coverage under the balconies, six M6 cabinets are installed beneath the first floor balcony and six M8s serve as under balcony-fills below the second floor balcony. The entire solution is powered by 12 Powersoft amplifiers. ‘The way the installation has been carried out guarantees a very even distribution of the sound to all the seats,’ says the church’s sound engineer, Jang. ‘It is a very fine sound the system provides. The speech of the pastor is very clear and defined. Vera10 has a clean and delicate sound, which is loud enough to reproduce the band’s dynamics as well. We are very happy with the TW Audio system.’

www.twaudio.de

Singapore’s Life Bible-Presbyterian Church

The upstairs video control position

The Presbyterian Church of the Lord has a congregation of 2,000

Gospel Extravaganza hosts praise and worship for 2,000

KENYA: Trueblaq Entertainment recently organised and staged the third annual Gospel Extravaganza in Kenya, partnering with Live Gigs Entertainment and Royal Media. The

T12 and four T8 loudspeakers. Shure microphones were employed to capture the sounds of the vocals and instruments. For monitoring,

www.allen-heath.com

www.chauvetlighting.com

www.dbtechnologies.com

www.trueblaqkenya.com

of Kenyan artists including Esther Wahome, Size 8, Willy Paul, Solomon Mkubwa, Mercy Masika and Pitson. An estimated 2,000 worshippers attended the event.

Sound Creations was enlisted by Trueblaq to supply the audio solution for the event. The company delivered a system comprising six dBTechnologies

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Chauvet lighting fixtures implemented

dBTechnologies arrays hung on each side of the stage

Sound Creations partnered with Trueblaq to supply the setup at Gospel Extravaganza

Ground-stacked dBTechnologies subs

Allen & Heath’s dLive S7000 Surface was deployed

LDS Conference Center - Salt Lake City, UT

Reinforcing Dalai Lama’s message

INDIA: His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama recently spoke before a crowd of 3,000 at New Delhi’s Talkatora Indoor Stadium. The talk was titled, Reviving Indian Wisdom in Contemporary India, and addressed the need for ancient Indian wisdom and how it can be applied to the country’s global responsibilities.

His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, during the event.

The event’s organiser, Vidyaloke, contracted Global Pro-Audio Management to provide a sound solution that would deliver vocal intelligibility. The New Delhi-based audio company serves as the exclusive regional distributor for

A quest for sound solutions

USA: Kevin Stone, the worship leader at First Baptist Church in the Texas city of Groesbeck, sat through several loudspeaker demonstrations when the church decided to install a new reinforcement solution. With each passing option, what was presented was either not up to the standard the church needed, or exceeded the budget.

A member of the congregation then happened to see local installer Larry Rochelle playing with his band. ‘I’ve been using a K-array KR200

system for over 5 years for my band and it is still going strong,’ explains Mr Rochelle. ‘It never ceases to wow people and I get tons of compliments and inquiries.’

And another inquiry soon came Mr Rochelle’s way, as the church made contact. ‘I took my system to the church for a demo and there was no “selling” involved,’ recalls the installer. ‘They didn’t even have to say anything; they could hear the difference and were sold.’

First Baptist purchased K-array’s

Pinnacle KR202 portable system with a white finish so as to blend with the décor of the sanctuary. The subwoofers were set up on the stage for the church band’s bass player and drummer. Both use IEMs, and so the inclusion of the subs helps them to get a feel for the low frequencies.

The Kobra loudspeakers were mounted either side of the pulpit with specially made brackets produced by another member of the congregation.

‘The array height worked perfectly,’

Broadcasting across Turkey

Radio Library respectively.

When Diyanet Radyo required a new audio mixer for three on-air studios and its recording and back-up facility, representatives from the station researched the options available and came across a solution installed at Turkey’s national broadcaster, TRT. The radio station would then turn to the systems integrator responsible for the installation at TRT, SF Ses ve Işık Sistemleri A.Ş.

cabinets at FOH, six per side in an L-R configuration, supplemented by six DBS 18-2 subwoofers. Employed for centre- and out-fill were eight Mantas 28 vertical line array elements, while iSM 115s were used for stage monitoring. Meanwhile, in the larger breakout area, Outline’s Doppia II 9075 point source systems were set up, and DVS 15P iSPs provided coverage on the smaller breakout

‘Outline’s extensive product range has given me the opportunity to develop relationships in every market here, from large events and live productions through to all types of installation work,’ says Gaurav Malvai, Global Pro-Audio Management founder.

www.dalailama.com

www.globalpro-audiomanagement.com

www.outline.in

says Mr Rochelle. ‘We achieved the desired vertical coverage and kept the audible perception consistent with the visual sound source perception.’

With the installation complete and the new system in use, church staff, including Pastor Stone and church administrator Spencer McDonald are reportedly impressed. ‘Those things are amazing,’ commented Pastor Stone.

www.k-array.com

radio station based in Ankara’s Çankaya district that broadcasts across Turkey and streams online. Its shows include Kur’an Dostları (translating to: Friends of the Qur’an), which features discussion between those who have

Qur’an, Kur’an-ı Kerim Meali, during which verses of the Qur’an are read, and Din ve Hayat, which translates as Religion and Life. The station also produces programmes that explore health and books in Radio Hospital and

The solution provided by Ses ve Işık Sistemleri A.Ş.comprises three Studer OnAir 2500 Modulo broadcast mixing consoles for the live studios and a Vista 5 M3 desk for the recording and back-up studio. The setup is interconnected via Madi in such a way that each console backs up the rest. Due to the continual nature of

radio broadcast, the installation was completed in phases over the course of a year.

www.diyanetradyo.com

www.sf.com.tr

The 14th Dalai Lama addressed over 3,000 people at Talkatora Indoor Stadium

An Outline solution reinforced His Holiness’ speech throughout the venue

Studer’s Core Live DSP engine and D21m interface

Three Studer OnAir 2500 Modulo broadcast mixing consoles were installed for the live studios

This isn’t about new loudspeakers.

It’s about bass lovers and partygoers, sports supporters, music fans and absolute clarity connecting congregations; it’s about dynamic daily programs and tireless listening for everyone, every time. It‘s not about the new 24S/24S-D point source loudspeakers and 21S-SUB taking the performance of the installation specific d&b xS-Series to empowering new levels, in cabinets designed for easier aesthetic integration. It‘s about solutions tailor made to task: d&b amplifiers, software, and accessories, all perfectly integrated for highly efficient, versatile solutions. www.dbaudio.com

Horbst Hall, Germany

USA: Purpose Church, located in Pomona, California, recently decided to upgrade a 25-year-old sound system. The fan-shaped church sanctuary, with seating for 1,800 to 2,000 worshippers, features a wrap-around balcony that necessitates a 180-degree soundfield. The space is made up primarily of hard, flat surfaces, with little or no acoustic treatment. The room layout called for sound reinforcement with custom-tailored coverage, easily defined by the user; the church was interested in a system with the ability to vary coverage from one service style to another, ideally with presets to simplify the process.

Peter Wilson, audio tech director for Purpose Church, and Jeremy Rynders, audio/acoustic system designer, researched sound system options that would meet the HOW’s needs.

‘The room is wider than it is deep and features a stage with a band/orchestra space in front of it,’ explains Mr Wilson. ‘We hoped to put in a system that could easily adapt from full room coverage, to

just main seating without the balcony or even dial it in smaller for more intimate events.’

Mr Rynders ultimately specified a left-centre-right system with the left and right arrays each made up of two independently aimned columns – one column with six EAW Anna modules and the other with three. The centre cluster consists of two Anna columns, each three high. A total of 24 Anna modules are in use. Anna’s 100-degree horizontal dispersion was paramount to providing the coverage the seating area required, according to Mr Rynders.

‘The system is a true left-right-centre system with each array creating a custom shaped 180-degree horizontal coverage pattern,’ he explains. ‘EAW’s Resolution software is used to change the adaptive coverage patterns for different seating requirements and for different services. All of the vocals and spoken word go through the centre, which covers the entire room. Left and right are music – true stereo from farthest left to farthest right.’

Mr Rynders and Mr Wilson worked closely with EAW’s application engineering team to build the church model in Resolution and create the custom presets that would allow the church team to adapt the system for a variety of applications/seating configurations.

Anna modules hang straight, without any vertical splay or array curvature, a concept that EAW says allows the left and right arrays to be hung high enough to keep the line of sight for the video screens open while still serving the audience seating directly below. Coverage patterns are determined by onboard DSP controlling each loudspeaker component individually. The centre cluster at Purpose Church is located behind a screen, keeping it largely hidden from view. According to EAW, with Resolution 2 control, the church had much more flexibility in the placement of the arrays than with a traditional point source or mechanically-articulated line array solution.

‘At one point, we looked at building a point source cluster that would do what Anna did, and realised it would take days to achieve such seamless coverage – plus more work, more amplifiers, more fine-tuning and it would not be better or as versatile,’ says Mr Rynders. ‘So why do it? This was the ideal solution for this room and it gave the church exactly what it wanted.

‘What makes what we do here really challenging is that we do three different services designed to attract three totally different audiences – choir, contemporary, and altcontemporary. We have two different bands and we don’t have a lot of time to sound check,’ Mr Rynders concludes. ‘So what we pull off every Sunday is complicated. Having a system that meets all of that criteria in a single day is impressive. It’s a unique challenge and Anna met it.’

www.eaw.com

www.purposechurch.com

Purpose Church’s EAW Anna system

Faders fly across Vietnam

Controlling sound

KOREA: Since February 2017, worshippers at the Jeil Methodist Church in Wonju, South Korea, have been benefitting from much-improved sound coverage. Point source systems had previously been in use at the church, with additional delay

stone columns. All modules are used in Two Beam mode, to better deliver even sound coverage over the entire congregational area (including the gallery). The module beams have been configured so that they travel over the altar area – avoiding the lectern and microphone, and thus, feedback –directly targeting the seating from the front row to the very back.

The systems’ low frequency coverage has been extended with four XS-30 compact subwoofers. These are positioned on both sides of the altar area and are driven by a D-2.1500 digital DSP amplifier. Fohhn’s Ralf Freudenberg was on hand to support LNS during the calibration process.

VIETNAM: Allen & Heath has reported a surge in popularity for its Qu-16 digital rackmount mixer in

the Vietnamese house of worship market. The Long Toan and Long Dien churches in Bà Ria and the Vietnam Quoc Tu national pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City have all acquired Qu-16 mixers in recent months to manage their audio requirements, as specified by installation company Nguyen Vinh Hoang.

‘All house of worship installation projects require an audio system offering premium sound quality for speech intelligibility,’ says Mr Khuong, a technician at Nguyen Vinh Hoang. ‘The Qu series is renowned for easy and precise audio control, and also has the added benefit of a comprehensive suite of effects to manage a building’s challenging acoustics. All of the venues are very happy with their new sound systems.’

www.allen-heath.com

general ‘look’ of the interior, these systems had now become unable to meet the church’s increasingly varied sound reinforcement requirements, for example for choral and band performances alongside more traditional worship. A new sound system was needed that could integrate unobtrusively into the surroundings, while delivering the best possible results for speech and music. Following a technical demonstration, LNS Corporation Korea ultimately scored the highest ratings with a Fohhn Beam Steering system. The judges cited that both its functionality and visual integration had ultimately tipped the scales in favour of the brand.

Behind the raised altar area, two Fohhn Focus Modular systems have been installed: Two 3m - high speaker columns, each consisting of two FMI-400 low-mid modules and one FMI-100 high frequency module, have been mounted to the left and right of the organ on the back wall. The speakers’ slim linear design blends in with the organ pipes and

Wonju’s methodist community is reported to be delighted with its Focus Modular systems, citing high levels of speech intelligibility during services, and excellent sound quality during choral, band or orchestral performances, such as at youth worship events.

www.fohhn.com

www.fohhn-audio.co.kr

www.wjji.or.kr

One of two Fohhn Focus Modular beam steering arrays

Jeil Methodist Church

Long Dien church in Bà Ria

Long Toan church’s new Allen & Heath mixer

Clear comms over the Valley of the Sun

Surrounded with sound

USA: Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV) operates seven campuses across Phoenix, Arizona with an average weekly attendance of 24,548. In addition to hosting so many at its physical locations, the church also streams its services on its website.

To ensure communication between A/V production staff members, many of whom are volunteers, CCV has installed Clear-Com LQ Series interfaces at all seven campuses. Each of these has its own blend of Clear-Com intercom equipment which is interconnected via the LQ Series systems. The concept is for the intercom systems to act as a single solution.

‘When it came to LQ, it was a breeze to set up and link the intercom systems across multiple locations,’ says Andrew Gustafson, CCV’s production director. ‘We cannot do what we do without

reliable communication. Sometimes we think, “my phone is just as good”, but it’s not an instant way to communicate; especially across multiple locations simultaneously.’

The LQ solution ties the intercom systems together over an IP network. It is put to use during services and during the week while fine-tuning the production schedule. ‘At CCV, we are using the LQ Series to communicate with all of our campuses around the Phoenix valley,’ explains Mr Gustafson. ‘The Series has provided us with a cost-effective way to ensure the highest level of communication for stream testing, communicating changes, and staying connected to each other during our services. The ability to integrate new and expanded technology with an older analogue system is ingenious.’

www.clearcom.com

www.ccv.church

USA: In little more than quarter of a century, Sun Valley Community Church (SVCC) has grown from a congregation comprising only the two families that founded the church to a community of more than 8,000 regular attendees that span five campuses. One advantage of operating across multiple locations is that it provides a house of worship with the ability to experiment more freely with its services and the technology it uses. That very opportunity was recently seized by SVCC as it trialled a surround sound PA system developed by A/V systems integrator, Wave, at two of its sites.

and the audience. When Klang came out, we immediately saw how it would fit in with the Venue Flex methodology.’

‘I’m a musician who is also a sound guy, so I know the value of a naturalsounding monitor system,’ says Mike Ward, the audio director at Sun Valley Community Church. ‘I saw that the Klang system would give our musicians a greater level of control over their own monitor mixes while eliminating the need for a separate monitor console and a dedicated monitor engineer. At the same time, it lightens my workload at the FOH position because I don’t have to worry about mixing monitors from the FOH console. I can just send 24 channels of audio down a single cable, over a Dante network, and the musicians on stage have up to eight stereo mixes each of them can personalise using their own smartphones or tablets.

The 1,300-capacity Gilbert broadcast campus and 700-seat Queen Creek location are both equipped with Wave’s Venue Flex system, which uses custom DSP algorithms developed by the Wave team, allowing the FOH engineer to direct delayed and processed signals to the surround speakers. This reportedly results in a more natural sounding space that is also optimised for livelier and louder worship sessions.

The Venue Flex setup has been paired with a 3D IEM audio-mixing system from Klang:technologies. Klang:fabrik provides the church’s live band with a surround sound solution of its own.

‘The way our Venue Flex system works fits extremely well with how Klang works,’ explains Armando Fullwood, executive director at Wave. ‘Both systems are intended to make the environment in which music is performed and heard as natural as possible, as though there wasn’t a sound system between the performers

‘And I’m running the Klang:fabrik 3D app on a computer, so I can interact with any of them at any time if they need help with the system,’ Mr Ward adds. ‘It’s been hugely effective for us.’

The Klang:fabrik solutions have been integrated with a DiGiCo SD8 console at the Gilbert campus and an S21 at Queen Creek. ‘We’re planning on switching all of our consoles to DiGiCo, because they sound great and that gives us consistent platforms to work with at every location,’ furthers Mr Ward. ‘And the DiGiCo consoles are a good fit with the Klang:fabrik 3D systems, which we’ll also eventually have at all of the locations thanks to the Dante compatibility they both have.’

‘3D sound is excellent for music anywhere, especially in houses of worship,’ declares Mr Fullwood. ‘And the Klang:fabrik 3D audio-mixing system allows the band on stage to be part of that.’

www.klang.com

www.sunvalleycc.com

www.wave.us

CCV’s services are streamed across its campuses and online

Clear-Com’s LQ interfaces link the intercom systems of the seven campuses

Performers at SVCC are provided with their own surround sound mix courtesy of Klang:fabrik

The Klang setups at both campuses are integrated with DiGiCo consoles

Christian House of Prayer transitions to digital

USA: Located in Killeen, Texas, just outside the sprawling Fort Hood United States Army base, the Christian House of Prayer (CHOP) was founded in 1980. From both its main location in Killeen and a satellite location in Copperas Cove, CHOP provides a ministry that reaches across the country and into Europe. As the need to improve the sound at the main sanctuary became increasingly apparent, the inquiries of Chris McKinney, the church’s head audio engineer and production manager, led him to select the Focusrite RedNet suite of Dante-networked audio converters and interfaces to bridge the existing analogue sound system to the Danley PA system it intends to install later this year. ‘Looking at the features that RedNet offered,’ Mr McKinney recalls, ‘including the Dante connectivity and the amazing mic preamps, it was clear pretty quickly that RedNet was the key to our sound system’s future.’

Supplied by Sound Productions of Irving, Texas, a system of numerous RedNet components was installed as

the foundation for the larger transition to a more advanced sound system. Eleven RedNet MP8R 8-channel remote-controlled microphone preamplifiers and A/Ds link directly to CHOP’s digital consoles and, via a pair of RedNet HD32R 32-channel Pro Tools Bridges, link with the Pro Tools HD recording system located in the church’s broadcast control room.

The 11 RedNet MP8R’s are housed in a rack in the Killeen location’s choir area and are connected to the Soundcraft Vi Series consoles used at the FOH, monitor and broadcast positions by two strands of Cat-6 cabling. Mr McKinney points out that only a single run of Cat-6 is necessary, with the second run used solely as a back-up. Testing

Seventh-Day Adventist upgrades streaming and simplifies post

quality, the church recently looked to upgrade its old analogue system to a digital SDI solution.

As part of the upgrade, SeventhDay Adventist also sought to simplify the postproduction process for its recordings, which had been very time consuming, and wanted recording to be in H.264 due to the codec’s quality and smaller file size. Conducting tests of a range of solutions from multiple manufacturers, the church ultimatesly opted for the Matrox Monarch HDX.

confirmed that if the network cable failed, the back-up took over the signal transport seamlessly, without dropping a note or a word, he notes, adding that, ‘We had 128 analogue copper cables before RedNet; now, we have two Cat-6 cables, and we only really need one of them. That really shows you the scale of the transformation that we’ve been able to accomplish just with RedNet.’

The two HD32R interfaces enable CHOP to connect the stage outputs directly to the multitrack recording system, bypassing the consoles and directly feeding Pro Tools, which Mr McKinney says makes recordings clearer and editing easier. ‘Once the new sound system is installed next year, RedNet will have already provided us with the foundation for a digital signal transport that will make the new sound system perform even better,’ he says. ‘RedNet makes a big difference.’

www.chop.org

www.focusrite.com

www.soundpro.com

SDI digital video cameras were deployed to capture the event, the signal was then fed to a video switcher and distributed from there to the Monarch HDX. The Matrox appliance will continue to see use for all major events that the church stages in the region, as well as for weekly services.

UAE: The Seventh-Day Adventist church was established in America in 1863. Today, though its global headquarters are located in the state of Maryland, the church also has Middle East and North African headquarters in Beirut and Gulf headquarters in Ras Al Khaimah.

Hundreds of congregants from around the UAE attend the church’s weekly services and to reach a

wider audience from further afield, Seventh-Day Adventist live streams its services to followers around the world via its website, as well as social media platforms, including YouTube, while also making recordings to edit and upload for on-demand viewing. Following increased demand from those watching online for an improved streaming experience with higher

Following the acquisition of the Monarch HDX streaming and recording appliance, the Seventh-Day Adventist church put it to use during its recent four-day festival in Ras Al Khaimah, Campmeeting. More than 1,000 were in attendance at Campmeeting, with people flocking from all around the GCC, Europe and America. It was streamed in high quality and at low bitrate to a global audience and simultaneously recorded for archiving and VOD.

‘The Matrox Monarch HDX is extremely easy to use with its onetouch button that can be operated by any team member or even a volunteer, without necessitating a full-time technician to take care of the arduous manual audio/video synchronisation,’ explains Jozsef Kurucity, Seventh-Day Adventist’s IT technician. ‘The appliance saves us a lot of time during the postproduction process: since the audio output from the Monarch HDX is of high quality and frame synchronised, there is no need to extract the audio and work on it separately; it can be edited in the same software used for the video.’

www.adventistgulf.org

www.matrox.com

Chris McKinney, head audio engineer and production manager at CHOP with several of the church’s Focusrite RedNet units

The Monarch HDX system was first used to stream and record the church’s Campmeeting event

Rooftop reinforcement

SINGAPORE: The Central Christian Church has been operating in Punggol for several decades. It occupies a sizeable building that has been its home for over 10 years and its main sanctuary is located up on the third floor. However, due to ever-rising attendance at the non-denominational church, the decision was recently made to expand to the rooftop.

The new rooftop sanctuary, as with its counterparts below, required a sound system to reinforce intelligible speech as well as live music. GW International has served as the church’s audio, video and lighting vendor for many years and was called upon to design and install a solution for the new sanctuary.

The project specification highlighted the need for a system that would not intrude upon the visual aspects of the space, while at the same time not compromise on sound quality and coverage. Chosen to meet these requirements was a solution designed around the Curv 500 system from Adam Hall brand, LD Systems. This was chosen due to its unobtrusive design and the wide coverage and

this setup are two FBT X-Pro 10 active speakers serving as rear/partitionfills, with a further two delivering foldback. The solutions were provided by Medusa LVS Pte Ltd.

‘The requirement was to have an unobtrusive speaker system which

proven to be a hit with the users. For use with speech and live music, the Curv 500 proved to be up to the job.’

GW International was also responsible for the lighting solutions employed in the rooftop sanctuary. This saw Medusa LVS provide

eight Cameo RGB LED PARs for the stage lighting with an MT DMX 96

Mr de Silva notes that the lighting

Kling & Freitag balances passion with precision for uncompromising audio quality and 'German engineering'.

We are driven by a desire to provide and technically guarantee music and sound as a genuine sound experience. This is what each product by Kling & Freitag stands for - or, as we say, 'Passion built in'

Eight Cameo RGB LED PARs were also installed

solution was ‘easy to install and set up. The LED PARs have been lighting up the stage with vibrant colour mixes.’

www.adamhall.com

www.medusalvs.com

www.seachurchesmedia.org

Central Christian Church’s new rooftop sanctuary

University Christian Church illuminates worshipers

USA: University Christian Church in Manhattan, Kansas, home to Kansas State University, is a fast-growing church with a large number of studen attendees population. The ministry outgrew its existing multipurpose venue and brought in Elation dealer House Right of Lexington, Kentucky, to oversee a new theatrical and house lighting design for a new 1,000-seat space on its existing campus.

‘The church previously met in a multipurpose room onsite with a hodgepodge of PAR 56s,’ explains Matt Cooper, principal lighting designer at House Right. ‘We often say they were “breaking all the rules” of church growth – lots of services, cramped quarters, and really challenging lighting conditions. In fact, the old space didn’t really have a true house light system.’

‘World’s largest’ gospel Experience

Because University Christian Church has a large young adult population, a relevant visual experience during weekend services was deemed key to connecting with students.

The House Right team ultimately chose a lighting setup that includes Elation Sixpar 200 LED PAR colour changers and Sixbar 1000 LED colourchanging battens. House Right was also involved in space planning, helping to fit an adequate gathering space within a tight footprint.

The Sixbar 1000 and Sixpar 200 fixtures are used to support weekend services in the church’s primary venue. ‘I’ve become a huge fan of the Sixbar,’ says Mr Cooper. ‘The sixcolour mixing system combined with the per-pixel control creates a really high value package. We utilised the fixture in a dual-purpose role as ground supported low backlight to colourise the atmosphere, but then leveraged pixel mapping to create movement. It also matched perfectly with the colour mixing of the overhead Sixpar 200 backlight. Ultimately, the visuals in the space, thanks to the Sixbars, were high impact but not high dollar, which fit the needs of the project perfectly.’

Product support on the project was provided by Elation’s manufacturer rep firm, Five Lakes Marketing, which Mr Cooper was more than happy to work with. ‘Five Lakes is one of House Right’s most trusted partners and a huge part of our success working with Elation,’ he states. ‘Ed Cheeseman at Five Lakes has bent over backwards to support our team, from helping expedite orders to facilitating service and support.’

Mr Cooper says that the team at University Christian was also a major factor of the lighting install’s success.

‘They never feared rolling up their sleeves and working with our team to execute the vision,’ he explains.

‘Their trust and partnership with House Right continues and, in many ways, envisions how we like to help churches. We’re all working towards the same goal and end up becoming family in the process.’

www.elationlighting.com

www.houseright.com

www.uccmhk.com

NIGERIA: The Experience is an annual gospel concert held in Lagos and organised by The House on the Rock Church. It brings together gospel music ministers from all across the globe as well as attracting a huge attendance of more than 700,000 worshippers for what is considered to be the ‘world’s largest gospel concert’.

16 DBS 18-2, eight Subtech 218 and four LAB 21 HS subwoofers. An additional 18 GTO C-12 were employed to deliver the required coverage for the audience areas to the side of the stage. Serving as delays across the venue were 32 Outline Butterfly line array systems and filling in the near-field were eight DVS 12 enclosures. A pair of Doppias and four Subtech 218 handled side-fill, while T-Series amplifiers powered the entire setup. Outline’s Openarray-3D acoustical prediction software was put to use as the Cytech World Communication team were given a limited timeframe to design and implement the

Taking place in Tafawa-Balewa Square, the 11th edition of The Experience saw music ministers Don Moen, Donnie McClurkin, Frank Edwards, Smokie Norful, Travis Greene, Chioma Jesus and Tope Alab all take to the stage, as well as the Lagos Metropolitan Gospel Choir of House on The Rock, among others. British-based Subfrantic Production Services Ltd delivered production and control services for the mammoth event, while local audio rental company Cytech World Communication provided an Outline sound solution for the fourth year in a row.

At FOH, this comprised 30 GTO C-12 line-source systems with a pair of GTO-DF modules hung beneath as down-fills. Low and infra-low frequencies were taken care of by

system on site. This ensured that the solution deployed would cover the entire 280 x 200m TafawaBalewa Square and those seated on the 20m high x 30m deep tiered seating.

www.cytechworld.com

www.houseontherockng.com www.outline.it www.subfrantic.com

www.theexperiencelagos.com

The view from the congregation at University Christian Church

GTO C-12 loudspeakers served as the main PA

An estimated 700,000 attended The Experience

The main stage at University Christian Church

Cytech World Communication delivered the sound solution

Kobra

• Closely-spaced full-range sound sources

• Perfect phase response

• Covers long distances uniformly

• Stainless steel frame with a fine finish

Technology upgrades seven years in the making

SWEDEN: The tallest church in Scandinavia, Uppsala Cathedral’s history dates back to the 13th century. It previously served as the burial site for Swedish royalty and currently houses a range of historical items in the cathedral Treasury Museum, located in the north tower. Artefacts include the golden dress that belonged to Margareta, queen of Denmark, Sweden and Norway until 1412, which is the only surviving, preserved evening gown from the Middle Ages anywhere in the world.

A place of much historical significance, the cathedral is listed as a protected structure. However, a congregation still attends regular services within the sanctuary and as such, effective sound reinforcement is required. This can be difficult to achieve, particularly because any installation need not affect the building’s stonework.

Viktor Wadelius from Swedish systems integrator Svensk Klimatstyrning AB was tasked with upgrading the audio solution in the cathedral as part of a larger technical infrastructure installation. The project took almost seven years to complete due to the great care that needed to be taken in not harming the listed building.

‘It’s a very personal project,’ states Mr Wadelius. ‘I’ve worked with the cathedral on every electrical element. It means a lot to me that everything is right. It’s the biggest cathedral in Sweden and I also grew up in Uppsala, so it’s a big part of who I am.

‘The Cathedral is very big, and one of its unique characteristics is that during the services, the priests move around a lot,’ he continues. ‘They start in the middle of the cathedral, at the

the high altar, then back to the pulpit, and so on. One service will take place across many locations – we call them scenarios. It’s unusual to have to create a speaker system for this kind of environment.’

The system chosen was a RenkusHeinz Iconyx solution, providing the ability to handle the challenging acoustic environment, while providing steerable control and the sound quality required.

‘We headed out into Europe to visit the big cathedrals and find out what they were using to solve similar problems,’ Mr Wadelius recalls. ‘We went to Cologne, Germany, and we went to Lund, here in Sweden, and we went to Trondheim in Norway, and they all had Renkus-Heinz. They were all happy with their sound systems. So then we made contact through RenkusHeinz distributor Benum Sweden AB.’

Renkus-Heinz was contacted and invited to make a presentation at the Cathedral. In turn, Renkus-Heinz’ regional representatives brought in a single Iconyx IC32 loudspeaker array for demonstration, placing

it at the central altar. Though the distance from the altar to the rear of the seating measures approximately 40m, the single IC32 proved sufficient to convince the evaluation team that they were on the right track with the loudspeaker series, those participating noting a ‘clear difference’ in performance. After questioning whether that difference was based on the use of pre-recorded tracks as a sound source, several priests got involved in active testing, and the performance was further validated.

‘The cathedral wanted the best possible audio system, which would sound just as good no matter where you were seated,’ says Mr Wadelius. Though their original concept was based around a priest delivering a sermon from the central altar, Renkus-

discovered that there were at least four different points of focus, even for regular services, plus special areas, such as the rear of the building where baptisms take place. Covering all the areas of the Cathedral with consistent sound levels, also delivering each of those spaces high-quality, high-fidelity sound, meant creating one of the largest Iconyx installations in Europe, with 40 individual loudspeaker arrays deployed.

The 40 units installed include 22 IC16-8 columns, eight IC8 arrays, five IC24 columns, four ICX7 arrays and a single IC32. The project also signifies the first use of the manufacturer’s Iconyx Gen5 presets, ensuring delicate control over the acoustic energy is maintained by each speaker.

‘Even with the extremely reverberant acoustic environment - measuring around 5s – we have successfully achieved very good intelligibility and audio quality,’ confirms Michal Poplawski, Renkus-Heinz technical sales manager, Europe.

‘We came up with a special clamp that we could use to mount lights and loudspeakers without having to do any drilling,’ says Mr Wadelius, explaining how he overcame some of the challenges with regards to the listed structure. ‘If the cathedral needs to be returned to its original state then they can just remove the clamps and there will have been no effect. Both the clamps and the loudspeakers are painted in the same colour as the columns, and so they blend in very nicely.

‘I am absolutely proud of what we’ve achieved,’ he concludes. www.renkus-heinz.com www.svklimat.se www.uppsaladomkyrka.se

Uppsala Cathedral

Svensk Klimatstyrning AB’s Viktor Wadelius worked on the technical infrastructure project for seven years

22 IC16-8 columns were installed

Modern gear for modern services

AUSTRALIA: The WorshipCentre Christian Church in the Brisbane suburb of Carina has recently upgraded its technical infrastructure with a new loudspeaker system. Production Audio Video Technology (PAVT), who already had a relationship with the church, was the successful bidder on the project. Carrying out the installation was third party HOW specialist firm, CPC Production Services. According to PAVT project manager, David Watson, and sound designer, Ben Clarke, the specification was for a typical modern Pentecostal style church system. ‘This included good intelligibility for spoken word,’ shares Mr Watson, ‘as well as great energy transfer for modern music styles including full band and concert style presentations.’ In addition, the system was expected to provide even coverage to the seated area for a maximum of some 1,000 or so congregants. PAVT recommended Powersoft X Series amplifiers powering an EAW loudspeaker system.

The room was modelled using the EAW proprietary modelling and optimisation software, Resolution. ‘The building design had some challenges that required some acoustic treatment of surfaces, with the need to keep as much of the PA energy away from the surfaces as possible,’ Mr Clarke reports. ‘We needed to make sure we delivered clear, coherent, hi-fi style sound to the seated areas.’ PAVT cites

experience from a 14-year distribution arrangement with Powersoft as providing confidence that the amps would partner well with the EAW KF740 line array. ‘The X Series has incredible and precise control over the EAW speaker elements that made up the system,’ continues Mr Clarke, ‘allowing the delivery of highly accurate and coherent results.’

The Powersoft amps were configured with an X8 running six cabinets of fourway EAW KF740 line arrays on both a left and right hang. Also on each side, a Powersoft X4 drives a EAW QX564 bi-amped speaker cabinet for side fill. Two channels are assigned to the high- and low-frequencies, while the remaining two channels run front-fill JF8 speakers.

In addition, a pair of Powersoft K20 amplifiers drive four EAW SB2001 dual 21-inch subwoofers, with each output channel running one enclosure. These subs can draw up to 4,000W at 2-ohms fully driven, while transients can demand up to 9,000W.

‘This amplifier is comfortably more cost-effective per channel than others we have tried,’ Mr Clarke says of the Powersoft X series. ‘Plus, it sounds fantastic, occupies less space and is extremely powerful.’

WorshipCentre’s Powersoft amps and EAW processor

Column speaker 4 x 6.5"

Sophisticated power amplifier solutions of superior quality and flexibility

Building on a leap of faith

GBI Alam Sutera took advantage of underutilised space in a mall complex, maximising the physical space and technical infrastructure to draw a congregation where none previously existed. Richard Lawn investigates

IT’S ENTIRELY PLAUSIBLE THAT THE town planners in Jakarta were so impressed with the 1989 movie Field of Dreams that they decided to create a new town in the western suburbs near Tangerang called Alam Sutera. In that film, an Iowa corn farmer heard a voice telling him ‘If you build it, he will come’ and in doing so interpreted this as an instruction to build a baseball diamond in his fields.

The relatively affluent Alam Sutra settlement is now home to 32,000 people. Nestled into Alam Sutra and designed by an international architect, the mall @ alam sutera complex opened in December 2012 in a bid to entice middle class shoppers to its lifestyle stores and shops. The new development is taking some time to attract the numbers desired to sustain all the retail outlets; when a bedding store had to close its doors, the mall’s management made a request to the GBI church for them to take the space so as to add a new dimension to its floor plan. Having agreed, GBI’s leap of faith has paid off for both the church and the mall with the creation of PRJ-CK7 – better known as GBI

Alam Sutera Mall.

Having fully converted the old retail space into a sanctuary with adjacent children’s classrooms, the building contractor also integrated acoustic control elements, including perforated rock wool and gypsum, throughout the converted development. A loudspeaker demonstration was then held in which four systems were tendered, for which an FBT Muse self-powered system was specified on account of its high power, compact form factor, even distribution and price-performance features. As a result, PT Promedia Innovative

supply and install a full Muse turnkey audio system into the newly created 700-capacity sanctuary and four adjacent children’s rooms.

No stranger to the GBI fraternity, the Jakarta distributor and systems integrator laid the cabling in September 2016 in the full knowledge that the church had set a deadline for opening before Christmas. The main conduit runs overhead from the stage to the purpose-built rear control room. Sales engineer Teguh Prakoso – who also volunteers at the church – understood

what system would suit the pastor, teachers, musicians and singers best. ‘It was a hard shoot out as the other three brands were big names, but the FBT Muse line array scored highly with the judges for a room of these dimensions,’ comments Mr Prakoso. ‘Sourcing the rest of the equipment was straightforward as I understand what all the participants wanted in order to create the best possible worship experience.’

Measuring 17m x 28m, the worshippers in the 8m high sanctuary receive even audio coverage courtesy of the eight Muse 210LA and dual Muse 118FSA low frequency cabinets in each L-R stereo array. Weighing 38.2kg, each 210LA cabinet produces 90-degrees of horizontal dispersion, which is more than sufficient for a venue of such dimensions. ‘We made our predictions in EASE Focus but could only suspend seven 210LA per side initially as the ceiling height was 7m,’ furthers general manager Yosua Yan Heriyanto. ‘The church committee agreed and the general contractor obliged by extending the false ceiling above the stage by a further 1m. It

The two L-R loudspeaker arrays each include eight FBT Muse 210LA and dual Muse 118FSA low frequency cabinets

Teguh Prakoso and Yosua Yan Heriyanto

Audio and video control are in the back of the sanctuary’s seating area; extensive sound treatment is used thoroughout

A GBI Alam Sutera Mall worship service

made a lot of difference.’

The Birch plywood cabinets combine dual 10-inch woofers with a 1-inch compression driver coupled to a HF waveguide, which can be flown and vertically splayed from 0- to 10-degrees in 1-degree increments via simple pin adjustments on the integrated fly-ware. The LF and HF elements are powered by internal 600W and 300W RMS Class-D amplifier modules ensuring external amplification is bypassed. Although onboard DSP is available with up to eight presets, two DLM26 2-in/6out digital loudspeaker management processors provide the desired DSP settings for the varied styles of service. In addition to the four flown Muse 118FSA cabinets, the low frequency performance has been further extended with the addition of six Mitus 218SA dual 18-inch bass reflex subwoofers below the 17m x 5m stage.

advertising jingles,’ adds Mr Prakoso.

FOH and monitor mixing is performed on an Allen & Heath dlIve S5000 digital console located in the spacious, windowless control room. ‘The church is familiar with the Allen & Heath iLive platform and so they wanted to operate a console that they were familiar and confident with,’ furthers Mr Prakoso. ‘The dLive is a 96k upgrade on the iLive for which the house engineers are familiar with the GUI and the layout, they appreciate the warm preamps, feel reassured with the dualredundancy and are starting to benefit from the control and Dante recording options.’ The dLive control surface is connected to a DM64 MixRack that has been integrated into an onstage rack together with the DLM26 processors. ‘The audio quality is extremely good and the platform suits GBI’s needs perfectly in terms of inputs and outputs.’

An M-Dante card has been inserted into the MixRack providing digital audio networking options with 64 channels of bi-directional audio. The interface was specified at GBI Alam Sutera Mall for multi-track recording, primarily for allowing the musicians and singers to monitor their individual performances following a service and for recording special shows. ‘The video production team also benefit from the Dante multitrack recording capabilities offered when synchronising their own video editing as well as creating

The charismatic services are heavily musical in nature for which stage left is an assemblage of musicians who prefer to monitor themselves on wedges rather than in-ear alternatives. Twelve FBT Verve 115MA self-powered speakers are stored and deployed for use where required, whilst the drummer also benefits from an additional 18-inch X-Sub. ‘They’re compact, sleek and provide powerful SPLs just where you want them with little spillage,’ furthers Mr Prakoso. The drum kit is miked with a beyerdynamic TG drum set including four TG D35d (toms and snare), two TG I53c (overheads) and one TG D50d (bass drum), whilst the other musicians rely on Shure SM57 microphones. For the pastors and singers, a combination of Shure ULX-D with Beta SM58 handhelds and beyerdynamic TG1000 digital wireless UHF transmitters and receivers are available.

Chromakey text overlay from an HDR200 harddrive-based video recorder.

The two fixed and two portable cameras are controlled from the RMC-180PTZ camera control unit, whilst an ITC-100 eight-way talkback system allows the mobile A/V operators to communicate with the control room personnel individually or simultaneously on all channels. Furthermore, live video for sharing with any overspill congregation, together with recordings of services, can be made on the SE-1200MU HD six-channel video switcher, which marries video inputs with digital content. Operation is enabled on one of the four PCs together with the RMC260 control panel.

Nazareth, draw various age groups in a corridor outside the main sanctuary. None of the classrooms have been spared any A/V expense as the gear is used to fully engage with its young audience. An array of professional equipment including Datavideo SE700 switchers, 115-inch LED screens, 84-inch HD screens and Allen & Heath Zed22 FX mixers blend in with the colourful customised furniture. In terms of loudspeakers, an assortment of FBT self-powered cabinets including the X-Pro15A and X-Pro12A speakers, X-Lite 12A and StageMaxX monitors and X-Sub18A subwoofers provide more than enough SPL for the young attendees.

The video production installed by V2 draws heavily on an array of Datavideo products, supplied by PT Harmoni Yogia Inti Sellars. Measuring 8m in width x 4.5m in height, a Unilumens 16:9 resolution LED screen at the rear of the stage provides the entire congregation with HD content. A 6-channel SE-2200 HD video controller lies at the core of the operations. Prior to scaling the final picture quality it transmits to the LED screen, it receives dedicated feeds from the Datavideo fixed cameras and portable operated cameras, in addition to the content provided from four PC computers, a Blu-ray player and

The lighting blends six PRC XR330 moving heads at the front of the stage with Focus LED moving heads at the rear. Wall-mounted and overhead Fresnels and PAR cans add varying hues and moods, all of which are mixed on an Avolites Tiger Touch II console. The multimedia room at the rear of the venue is a hive of activity during the service, although nothing is left to chance with the service wellrehearsed in advance.

Like most modern churches, GBI appeals to its children and youth by engaging them with interactive classrooms. The four classrooms, with names including Jerusalem and

Twenty-three years in the making and Alam Sutera has grown into a large, affluent community. The church took a risk in locating a new branch in the underused shopping mall, but that decision has been fully vindicated. ‘Church membership has grown enormously since they opened their doors in early January,’ attests Mr Heriyanto. ‘From March, three Sunday services will be held to cater for the increase in worshippers.’ As in Field of Dreams, it would appear that the GBI built its church in the knowledge that its worshippers would come. www.promediasolution.com www.mallalamsutera.com

A Noah’s ark themed children’s area, with FBT loudspeakers and a large LED video monitor

A beyerdynamic TG 153 condenser from the drum mic kit

Datavideo gear is central to video control

FBT Verve 115MA wedges are deployed for stage monitoring

Allen & Heath’s dLive console handles audio chores for the church

Mission impossible

THE CREATION OF UNIQUE, stunning venues often draws a sigh of pain from an audio consultant or systems integrator as it often translates to problems and constraints that are rarely overcome. Sometimes, the challenges are so great, that those tendering for a project are forced to run to the hills.

Exemplifying this point, GBI Mekar Wangi Stairway from Heaven is a five-storey house of worship concealed under an artificial mount leading to its summit 30m above. At its apex, the newly constructed Ahava chapel, sculptured entirely from a lattice frame incorporating 600 individual curved triangles of glazing, provides the bride, groom and assembled wedding party of up to 125 guests with stunning views across the hills and city of Bandung in western Java. So when Pastor Rubin Adi Abraham and his team including audio technician Eko Mulyono decided that an audio system was needed to enhance speech intelligibility in addition to providing musical accompaniments, the offer to tender for such a project was greeted with silence. However, Jakarta-based Kairos Multijaya rose to the challenge in the knowledge that they possessed a product that would more than satisfy the chapel’s requirements.

‘It wasn’t only the glazing of this curved space that presented enormous acoustic challenges,’ explains Kairos Multijaya project manager Leo Tanzil. ‘The horseshoe shaped floor is composed of marble and the ceiling is gypsum. Furthermore, we couldn’t hang any

drapes or acoustic materials and the chairs are made of plastic. Therefore, this combination enhanced the reverberation time significantly.’ The blueprints submitted and approved in 2011 by renowned architectural designer Samuel Budiono lay dormant before the long search to locate a glazing supplier was fulfilled. ‘Not only

did the church require us to provide an audio solution that would blend in with the interior design, but the quality had to match the standard of the d&b audiotechnik Q-series loudspeaker system in the main 2,000 seat sanctuary below,’ furthers Mr Tanzil. Rather than running away down the 99 steps to the Jalan Mekar Laksana

and never return, Mr Tanzil faced the challenge by working closely with his colleague, Aurellia Faustina, together with the general contractor to provide a design for the chapel’s bespoke needs. The simplistic audio solution could be executed once conduits and cabling channels had been added during the construction phase. Furthermore, the general contractor ingeniously created waves in the gypsum ceiling to slightly diffuse the

Designed primarily for vocal reproduction and chamber music, Meyer Sound’s CAL (column array loudspeaker) was identified as the chapel’s solution by Mr Tanzil and

Aesthetically stunning spaces filled with large windows and marble floors often provide the biggest audio challenges. Solving them is difficult but not impossible discovers Richard Lawn

The Ahava chapel has been sculptured from a lattice frame incorporating 600 individual curved triangles

Meyer Sound CAL32 columns cover the chapel

Non-AVB audio inputs are fed into an Allen & Heath Qu-Pac mixer

-user friendly interface

-in-depth networking

-full remote control via Armonía

-lockable control functions

Ms Faustino. When it was originally launched in 2011, CAL was the first speaker to be created as a provider of seamless interoperability with other third party AVB devices. The three available models – CAL32, 64 and 96 – each produce a vertical beam of programmable width before digitally steering the beam’s pattern to a maximum of 30-degrees up or down in 1-degree increments. The drivers inside the cabinet don’t actually physically change angles to adjust the vertical coverage as this is simply adjusted by changing the timing relationship between the transducers. Given the relatively confined dimensions of the room which

in addition to an AES/EBU input, whilst GPIO terminals cater for mute and override together with logic inputs to change presets.

Mr Tanzil used Meyer Sound’s MAPP system initially to simulate the results in the desired speaker positions on two white vertical pillars. Within these pillars, the cabling has been discretely routed to the rear of the cabinets from the power supply and Qu-Pac. Blending in perfectly with the aesthetics in a white finish, the installed speakers were then configured using the Compass software, which provides a visual representation of what is happening in the vertical plane,

whilst accessing other features such as the on-board parametric EQ. Four preset configurations can be built and uploaded into the CAL, for which the upload takes several minutes, but once completed, switching between configurations takes less than a second. To do this CAL mutes its output briefly while switching configurations.

‘There are many column speaker solutions on the market today for which Meyer Sound is only one,’ explains Mr Tanzil. ‘However, when you study these all carefully, they differ markedly. The CAL system stands out as the proper beam steering algorithm and enclosure ensure there’s a minimal back lobe. This would have been an immense problem in Ahava as these lobes would have hit the glazing to the rear of the columns and reflected back into the room.’

To enhance the musicality of the services, a single Meyer Sound USW-1P compact subwoofer extends the lower frequencies down to 32Hz.

doesn’t exceed 30m in length, the smallest CAL32 model was identified as the best for purpose. Equipped with eight four-inch drivers and 24 one-inch tweeters each driven by its own dedicated amplifier channel, CAL32 operates within a frequency range of 100Hz to 16kHz. Satisfying the chapel’s requirement for clear speech together with musical accompaniments, including a Yamaha mini grand piano, non-AVB audio inputs are fed into an Allen & Heath Qu-Pac mixer before being fed to the stereo CAL32 speakers. CAL is further equipped with three analogue inputs

‘When you position the subwoofer next to the speaker, the need to create a crossover is bypassed,’ further explains Mr Tanzil. ‘It overlaps with the CAL32 speaker without having to match it and as such the phase is the same – you just need to push it a notch in the parametric EQ.’ The price tag of CAL32 may be a deterrent to many potential users, but for a venue of the acoustic challenges that Ahava posed, it was the only solution for its needs. Not only are the weddings conducted intelligibly by the pastor with tastefully arranged musical accompaniments, the technology is virtually invisible to the visitor. GBI office manager Rene

Mangindaan confirms his pleasure with the resultant audio. ‘Like the glazing we had set our hearts on having, the provision of clear speech and amplified music in this space looked an impossible quest at times. Not only did Kairos fulfill our needs –they surpassed our expectations.’

As the wedding parties make descents down the hill to embark on Good Times Bad Times, their senses have been further stimulated by the dramatic sunsets and perfectly timed audio delivered to the ears of the listeners.

www.gbi-bethel.org

www.kairosmultijaya.com

www.meyersound.com

The gypsum ceiling design slightly diffuses the sound waves

The chapel provides a wedding party with stunning views across the hills and city of Bandung

Rene Mangindaan, Leo Tanzil and Dudhi Rudiawan

A single USW-1P subwoofer extends the low frequencies

Ahava features a Yamaha mini grand piano for musical accompaniment

Kairos Multijaya installed the system

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Good neighbours

RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS ARE often very good at forming strong relationships within their local communities. These bonds are obviously beneficial for a congregation, but they can also be advantageous to the house of worship too. When a HOW requires expertise that it can trust, who better to turn to than a member of the community that it has a relationship with already?

This point was recently proven by the Ortaköy Armenian Church Foundation, an organisation that looks after houses of worship which practice this particular branch of Oriental orthodoxy in the Ortaköy region of Istanbul. It had struck up a positive relationship with Turkish distributor and systems integrator, SF Ses ve Işık Sistemleri A.Ş, which had formally been headquartered in this region of the city. With the need to upgrade the audio system at the Ortaköy Armenian Church of Virgin Mary, the foundation decided to call on SF’s experience.

‘They had asked for our support in many instances due to our warm and genuine relationship,’ recalls Buğra Kezan, SF project manager for the upgrade. ‘They contacted us for this synagogues and similar houses of

In instances where the sound is converted electroacoustically and the sources are no longer voices, the traditional acoustical architecture of worship halls are usually a disaster.’ This problem was further exacerbated by previous attempts to improve the church’s audio. ‘At the Ortaköy Armenian Church of Virgin Mary the speakers had been placed randomly and thus the acoustics were not

levels and design technology meant the CBT 70J-1 formed the perfect solution. We also installed two pairs of JBL Control 25AV to the side walls of the sanctuary in order to keep the clarity of the speaker’s voice, maintain

Added to this, its wide distribution

Armenian Church of Virgin Mary includes a preacher at the front of the church as well as a polyphonic chorus which moves throughout the sanctuary. The challenge for SF was to pick up these different elements in an unobtrusive way that was not visible to the congregation.

Solving this problem for the preacher at the front of the sanctuary was relatively straightforward. ‘In order for the public to hear the teaching of the preacher, we placed AKG C400BL boundary microphones carefully hidden within candles and books at the

The positive relationship struck up between the Ortaköy Armenian Church Foundation and a neighbouring A/V installer led to a sympathetic audio upgrade. James Ling finds out more

The main sanctuary of the Ortaköy Armenian Church of Virgin Mary

JBL CBT 70J-1 cabinets form the main system

Two pairs of JBL Control 25AV speakers have been installed on the side walls of the sanctuary

The Soundcraft mixer and all the racked equipment is hidden in a niche

altar,’ explains Mr Kezan. ‘Furthermore, for other speeches we installed an extra AKG CGN321STS platform microphone.’

It was the movement of the polyphonic chorus that created a challenge for the design. However, this was overcome using some of the church’s existing fittings. ‘During services the polyphonic chorus performs on the balcony, through the aisle and so forth, so we needed to install multiple microphones to cover them properly,’ recalls the project manager. ‘In order to incorporate the chorus’ sound into the system we placed AKG CHM99WH ceiling suspended microphones at several different locations within the sanctuary, such as hidden in the chandeliers, and this achieved the desired result. To capture the performance up on the balcony we installed a pair of AKG C391 B condenser mics.’

The microphone setup is complete with further AKG CHM99WH ceiling suspended units in the baptistery while the manufacturer’s C516 ML captures the sound from the digital piano.

The rest of the audio equipment can be found tucked away in a small niche. This houses the church’s Soundcraft FX16 analogue mixing desk as well as the rack-mounted JBL CSM-32 and CSM-21 zone processors and the

Crown XLS series amplifiers that power the system. The solution is completed with a JBL CSR-3SV control panel, Klotz cabling and Neutrik connectors. Installing the three-zone solution was a relatively straightforward task.

‘We supplied the electrical blueprints to the necessary firm and we were on site while they did the cabling,’ says Mr Kezan. ‘Following that, once the site was ready it took us three days to

install everything and then another day carefully testing and fine-tuning the system.’

Reflecting on the project, Mr Kezan believes the end result meets all of the church’s needs. ‘Our customer asked for clarity and quality which they got. With many careful pre-investigations of the installation site, we were able to come up with the perfect positioning of the necessary equipment. The

One Transmitter. Multiple Uses.

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same equipment, if used incorrectly, would not be able to produce the same results. This is where prior field analysis becomes very important. We are very happy with the end results and we would not have done anything differently.’

the relationships it has built in the local community.

www.sf.com.tr

AKG microphones were hidden in the chandeliers

Four Control 25AV speakers cover the courtyard

A church on the rise

Fellowship Alliance Chapel’s new technically-sophisticated facility employs expansive AVL systems with the capacity to accommodate growth, reports Claudia Kienzle

FELLOWSHIP ALLIANCE CHAPEL

(FAC) had a vision of relocating to a new ground-up facility. There is something special about a greenfield project. A completely fresh slate gives a greater opportunity for both the house of worship and its systems integrator to bring an entire vision together, with preparation for future opportunities.

Horizon AVL, a full-service systems design and integration firm, found such an opportunity with FAC, a long-time client. The new Medford, New Jersey facility’s infrastructure includes an audio, video and lighting system big enough to host live concerts and events in the centrepiece main sanctuary, which seats 1,700 on the floor and 500 in the balcony.

‘The overarching trend in houses of worship is that churches are really looking forward now from a technology perspective, especially with things like LED wall technology, digital signage, audio networking and 4K video,’ says Horizon AV COO Joshua Kell. ‘This facility really captures all of that, and brings it together into a full system that saved us time and labour on the integration side, while giving the end user a strong foundation to build on for future A/V opportunities.’ General plans have already been outlined for new spaces when expected growth demands.

From the project start, the Horizon AVL team interfaced with Medfordbased architectural design firm, Holberg and Adison. ‘We looked at every aspect as the blueprints were drawn and the site was prepped for construction,’ says Mr Kell. ‘First and foremost, we paid special attention to the audio side, as we needed to eliminate the grounding, hum and other issues they were having in the old sanctuary. We quickly turned to video, with the goal of establishing reliable video distribution that would support HD, 4K and beyond.’

The specification called for network cabling to support all signal transport, which reduced costs and labour while

providing plenty of headroom for future needs. Even in the present, the multitude of signals moving around the facility are impressive: In addition to switching camera signals, graphics and text to display screens from an Analog Way switcher, a headend with Atlona gear supports all video distribution around the building – to a broadcast control room, children’s rooms, and common areas.

‘We went with shielded Cat-6A for video to achieve very long transport distances totalling several hundred metres, and we needed to futureproof beyond 1080p video,’ says Mr Kell. ‘Most of the building is prepped for 4K with that backbone in place.’

Brand new sound

Cat-6 network cable was also run for a quick roll-out of a digital audio network. Horizon AVL set its sights early on a Dante network from Audinate, which was reportedly about two-thirds the costs of deploying a legacy system. ‘One thing we focus on at Horizon AVL is remaining at the cutting edge of technology, as changes happen fast,’ elaborated Mr Kell. ‘Dante is the most versatile option and the easiest to deploy; the total time to run cables, and configure the network and switches was well under a week.’

The overwhelming majority of the church’s audio signals and connections live on the Dante network, outside of a copper wiring run between a legacy stagebox and the front of house Allen & Heath S7000 mixer. From that mixer, the Dante network passes through an Allen & Heath DM64 digital signal processor, with a Shure ULX-D wireless microphone system also Dante connected.

Mr Kell points to the simplicity of bringing the various microphones onto the network as a key example of Dante’s value from an integration standpoint. ‘These are all wireless mics that we brought right onto the Dante network, without taking up any physical channels on the mixing rack. The Allen

The view across the Allen & Heath dLive S7000 digital console at FOH

Fellowship Alliance Chapel’s new home

& Heath system itself has several I/O slots, five of which we can utilise right now. With Dante, we only need to use one of those slots to achieve a 64x64 routing architecture – and we have maybe ¹/5 of those channels spoken for. That is a lot of capacity for future needs.’

Beyond the microphones, the Dante network extends straight to the loudspeaker systems, which comprise steerable line arrays from PreSonus with integrated Dante-enabled amplifiers. This not only slims down the infrastructure, but keeps everything on the network through the end point. ‘This is the first line array system to move beyond steerable FIR filtering for sound management,’ claims Mr Kell.

grounding issues are eliminated all the way to the electrical panel. The speech and overall intelligibility through to the steerable line arrays is top-notch – you can hear every syllable, every nuance in the vocals and every instrument, with the low latency that is important in live worship.’

An engaging vision

Horizon AVL’s Cat-6A shielded backbone also laid the foundation for moving signals around the sanctuary from acquisition to projection. An Analog Way Ascender 32 4K switcher is used to switch Vaddio PTZ cameras and other source equipment. These signals are sent direct to a curved LED video wall for live image magnification, and into the Atlona switching and distribution headend. An Atlona ATUHD-PRO3-88M acts as the matrix to distribute camera sources to the internet and to eight NEC displays

TripleHead2Go systems to take two outputs from a Renewed Vision ProPresenter 6 system, which feeds the Ascender 32 4K switcher. We’re also taking in the lyrics from another ProPresenter 6 feed and producing an overlay. We can basically take multiple inputs and layer them over each other, and then we use the Ascender to produce a hard-edge blend of two outputs.’

The Ascender is a key element for addressing both the unusual aspect ratio for the 68:13 wall, as well as standard 16:9 feeds. As camera shots change on the big screen, it produces the effect of appearing like two projector screens. However, it’s acting as one projection due to the multi-layer effect. ‘Because we have multiple layers, the exact camera shot moving through the Ascender is output as a single camera feed to the building, with the lyrics and other elements on top,’ continues Mr Kell. ‘The result is a multi-camera experience coming from one box.’

Making connections

With so many video switching and distribution needs beyond the stage displays, Mr Kell wanted a dedicated system to support a variety of formats and I/O connections. ‘That is what particularly attracted me to Atlona,’ he shares. ‘They have a lot of different options to serve different capacity needs. The AT-UHD-PRO3-88M is one of their largest matrix switchers, and provides the team with the I/O capacity and distribution flexibility they need.’

the Ascender switcher for the camera shots and Renewed Vision feeds, as well as an Apple TV. The other two inputs feed digital signage content: When live sermons are not in progress, the system immediately switches to distribute the signage content, including wayfinding maps and information on upcoming events in the various rooms.

Mr Kell notes that all the Atlona gear is HDBaseT capable, which allowed his team to cleanly accommodate signal extension and audio/video control within the same system. ‘Just as Dante changed audio, HDBaseT has been an important driving force when selecting displays, projectors, input and outputs,’ he explains. ‘It saves a tremendous amount of time and labour compared to dealing with fibre terminations, which kept us within budget on the video side.’

they purchased Worx Audio a few years ago. We have all been in discussions about making Fellowship Alliance Chapel the model for this innovation.’

Mr Kell adds that audio quality is massively improved, compared to the old sanctuary. ‘The labour and troubleshooting of adding transformers, isolating hum and managing ground noise all goes away in the digital realm, because phase

The unusual 68:13 LED video wall dimensions were chosen to take full advantage of the architecture from a height perspective, and limit the width to ensure the line arrays didn’t obscure anyone’s view. As a result, the Horizon AVL team had to design a system that could support a 3,744 x 832 pixel resolution. ‘That’s an unusual resolution,’ says Mr Kell, ‘and to scale to that size we are using Matrox

At present, the FAC team is using four inputs and eight outputs, the latter of which distribute signals over the Cat-6A backbone to eight Atlona AT-UHD-EX100CE-RX receivers. These receivers were selected as they could be hidden behind the displays, with an HDMI out feeding each display with live and digital signage content.

The four inputs on the 8x8 matrix include the live building feed from

The headend resides in a tabletop rack in production control with the Vaddio camera controller and supporting video equipment. The FAC team has the flexibility to change inputs on the fly, and route video to different places. They can also turn the web interface on and off as needed, which helps them control what content they want to broadcast to internet viewers from the headend.

‘What’s nice is that the video is being distributed throughout the service, and everyone knows where everything is headed at a moment’s notice from the stage to the pastor’s prep area,’ Mr Kell continues. ‘Atlona helps us reliably target all this content to very specific destinations.’

Video and audio infrastructure converge in how the church distributes digital music with Dante Via, Audinate’s computer-to-computer networking software. This includes an integration with Renewed Vision’s ProPresenter 6 software for audio track playout in alignment with video and lyric presentation.

With its facility vision realised, the church’s focus is on fulfilling its spiritual mission, until that bears fruit and necessitates the planned expansions.

www.faconline.org

www.horizon-av.com

A hallway monitor used for digital signage and images from services

Fellowship Alliance Chapel’s video control room

The Fellowhip Alliance Chapel main sanctuary

The drummer’s view from inside an on-stage isolation booth

Video distribution is via HDBaseT interconnection, using an Atlona AT-UHD-PRO3-88M matrix as the control room hub

Lighting with passion

AFRICA

IS HOME TO SOME OF

THE best attended live worship events in the world. From famous preachers filling stadia to worship bands drawing tens of thousands of people to music festivals, there is a clear appetite right across the continent to be part of a praise experience.

The focus of these events will always be worship, but backing this up is an increasing move towards production techniques that are usually found in the entertainment industry. Nowadays it is increasingly common to see the kind of technical setup more often akin with high-end concerts such as powerful sound systems and intricate lighting rigs.

The 10th anniversary edition of Gospel Skouspel was no exception to this rule. For the past decade, Hardus Zevenster from Tygerberg FM has been responsible for bringing the popular event to the stage. The significance of this outing ensured that the highest production values would be required.

The live praise concert took place on consecutive weekends at the Moreleta Park Auditorium in Pretoria and the Grand West Arena Cape Town. The line up included performances from the likes of Retief Burger, Joe Niemand, Loyiso Bala, Bobby van Jaarsveld,

Corlea, Adam, KrissTel, Henry Pike, Louis Brittz, Neville D, Rouchelle Liedemann, Juanita du Plessis, Elvis Blue, Manne wat Glo and Kriss. With the Cape Town leg of the event also scheduled to be filmed for DVD, the technical design needed to be flawless.

For the previous two editions of the event Mr Zevenster has enlisted the support of Marius Marais from Audio Logic to assist with the look and feel of the concert. This in turn has led to renowned South African lighting designer, Joshua Cutts, using his expertise to boost the concert visuals. ‘This is Hardus’ brainchild,’ offers Mr Cutts. ‘It’s a project he has put

together for Tygerberg FM. He is really passionate about it and about getting gospel music to the masses.

‘This time the challenge was to make it even more exciting and vibrant than last time,’ Mr Cutts continues. ‘We decided to make it look more technical, and used trussing over trussing to give it that advanced technologically styled look. We multi-layered the band, using truss structures as stage decks for the band members. These small stage structures raised the band at varying heights between 1.5m to 2m in the air. The trussing used for two entrances on stage were also dressed with lights, which added “bling and zing” to the

The industrial and technical looking stage theme carried over to the artists. Instead of the usual evening wear, they dressed in ‘funky urban and modern attire’, further complementing the contemporary feel and making the show more edgy. ‘So the whole show itself was then transformed,’ reflects Mr Cutts.

The extensive lighting rig serves to emphasise this point. Mr Cutts had at his disposal 12 Robe ColorBeam 700E AT Electronic Ballast, 20 of the manufacturer’s LEDForce 18 RGBW 25 Deg, 24 LEDBeams, eight Robe Robin 1200 LEDWashes, 20 Robin 600 LEDWashes as well as six Robin BMFL Blade 1700W Profiles. ‘My tried and trusted Robe BMFLs were used as front lights, and of course I had my standard Robin range,’ recalls Mr Cutts.

In addition to the Robe lighting, a pair of Robert Juliat Aramis 2.5W HMI followspots, 36 Claypaky Sharpys, 12 of the Italian manufacturer’s Alpha 1500 Spot/Profiles and 20 Elation Cuepix Panel RBGA LED 5x5s completed the rig.

Control for these elements was via MA Lighting grandMA2 consoles. ‘We had two of them in Grand West, with MA VPUs for pixel mapping and MA NPU networked processors for backstage,’ explains Mr Cutts.

With the Cape Town leg being filmed, the lighting designer also deployed 150 VuePix E12 Pro Panels together with

Automation allowed easy setup when the event moved between cities

The sound design was sophisticated at Gospel Skouspel (All photo’s courtesy Janco Haywood)

The tenth anniversary of South African live worship event, Gospel Skouspel, called for a lighting design that would leave a mark, as Worship AVL discovers

the manufacturer’s LED strips to help emphasise the staging. ‘We followed our tried and tested tools of how we use lights for DVDs and a similar sort of lighting rig to what I use on most of my gigs. I used 100m of the VuePix LED strips which is the largest quantity I’ve used. It was a nice highlight in between the LED screens and it added a nice flavour to the whole stage.’ Away from the lights, further technical elements included an MDG theOne Haze Machine while the audio design

once we get it right, it remains right.’ While Mr Cutts designed the show, he appointed Herman Wessels as the operator and asked Alan Muller to work as the co-designer and to handle the project in Cape Town as Mr Cutts could not be there himself. Mr Wessels also went to Cape Town. ‘They’re a great team and they had lots of energy,’ notes Mr Cutts. ‘Attention to detail, it’s what I noticed about the two of them. They’re both very meticulous, so when you put two like-minded people

called on L-R hangs of 10 JBL VTX cabinets for the main PA with the manufacturer’s PRX speakers on stage as monitors. Control was in the form of a Studer Vista 5 SR console while performers used a Shure mic package. The combination of the technology and efforts from the whole team, including the main technical supplier MGG Productions, are key to the success of the event. Mr Cutts describes the concerts as well organised, musically, and explains that the production team works to create ambience and feel throughout the event. ‘Because they put so much effort into the music, we get to timecode it with precision which allows us to take an identical show from Pretoria to Cape Town. Once in Cape Town we don’t have to do much in the venue other than update presets.’ Timecode is, ‘just easier,’ says

together, suddenly you get great results. What’s nice about working on a show like this is putting a new lighting team together with people whom you don’t often work with. As we’ve all been in the industry for a long time, you get to share experiences and share knowledge… it’s actually a growth experience for everyone.’

Looking back on the event, it’s clear that Mr Cutts gets a deep level of enjoyment out of working on Gospel Skouspel. ‘Why I enjoy doing it is because everyone involved in the project is extremely passionate and for them it’s a very important project. You kind of get drawn into the passion of it and you then become as passionate as they are.’ With experiences like this, it is no wonder that live worship events draw huge crowds in Africa.

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A stage setting at Gospel Skouspel

A variety of looks set the mood for a mix of performances at Gospel Skouspel

“I refuse to become a victim of bad

EDUCATION

1-2 MAY

Prolyte Campus at PROvision – Dubai Dubai, UAE

Prolyte Group is running a Prolyte Campus seminar at PROvision, in collaboration with the event’s organisers. Attendees will gain first hand product training and technical information.

www.prolyte.com

10-11 MAY School of Emerging Technologies 4K Bangalore, India

The School of Emerging Technologies is designed to allow system designers and integrators to master A/V technologies, including 4K video. The course will also help participants to prepare their A/V infrastructure to future proof for the transition to 8K.

www.extron.com

16 MAY

BSS Training Dubai, UAE

GSL Professional is hosting BSS training in Dubai, covering the HiQnet Audio Architect Introductory (AA100) and BSS Audio Soundweb London 101 modules.

www.gslprofessional.com

13-16 JUNE

Make Creative Editing Decisions for Moving Images Singapore

This course will enable participants to develop a better understanding of the role of a video editor. Part of Singapore Media Academy’s Workforce Skills Qualifications, it has a strong emphasis on the art of creative thinking in editing.

www.mediaacademy.sg

Dante Level 2 Certification comes online

WEB: Following the success of Audinate’s Level 1 Dante online training programme that saw over 5,000 people become certified, the Australian manufacturer has now made Level 2 Dante training available online. Having previously only been available at live events, the Level 2 course also includes an interactive simulator for the hands-on skills test.

‘We have been thrilled with the level of interest in the Dante Certification programme since it was first introduced last year,’ noted Joshua Rush, VP of marketing and product

at Audinate. ‘We are excited to announce that the Level 2 certification course is now available online so that consultants, integrators and customers can now get certified whenever they want, and wherever they are located.’

The company describes the Level 2 training as an intermediate to advanced level course that prepares A/V personnel to design larger Dante network systems, and provides training on audio networking concepts such as clocking, unicast and multicast, latency and redundancy. The course contains 10 instructional videos, a knowledge test and the simulated skills test. The Level 2 certificate is awarded to those who successfully complete all modules, and pass both tests.

www.audinate.com

Sun Infonet introduces C Class in Mumbai Procom declares training success

INDIA: Sun Infonet introduced Allen & Heath’s new C Class compact series during a recent dLive masterclass. The event took place at the Mumbai Hotel Holiday Inn and was led by Allen & Heath head of product marketing Nicola Beretta.

Sound engineers and dLive users from across the region attended the masterclass, the focus of which was on processing tools, such as DEEP

processing, Dyn8 and RackExtra FX, and audio networking with Dante and Waves SoundGrid.

‘The masterclass was a great success,’ said Mr Beretta. ‘It is important for us to talk to sound engineers in order to listen to their feedback and requirements in the field.’

www.allen-heath.com

www.suninfonet.com

Adamson standardises education

that are designed to bring all participants to the same level before the in-person training commences. The in-person training then starts with a two-day Applied Certification course that will cover the framework required to properly design, deploy and control an Adamson loudspeaker system, using Blueprint AV simulation software and Lake Controller.

UAE: Procom is hailing the success of its recent Avolites training session. The two-day event took place at the distributor’s Dubai showroom and attracted more than 30 participants.

WORLD: Adamson Systems

Engineering has introduced a new educational programme to deliver a combined understanding of general live sound principles and productspecific training. The programme is tiered with modules aimed at all levels, from novice technicians to skilled engineers.

The programme begins online with video tutorials and user handbooks, among other pre-training materials,

The next level comprises a three-day Advanced Certification course. This is aimed at touring engineers and integrators in particular, exploring more in-depth aspects of design and control. Those that complete this course are then advised to partake in the Adamson Certified System Engineer (ACSE) programme, for which a certificate of achievement is presented upon completion.

www.adamsonsystems.com

The event was presented by Aziz Adilkhodjaev and Rebecca Harding from Avolites UK alongside Wiam Boutine of Procom. It introduced the participants to the latest version of Titan and how it can optimise their creative visions and accelerate their workflow. This included the latest additions such as key frame shapes, pixel mapper, live busking techniques, internal visualiser and undo history.

The sessions also covered the Avolites media server software, AI and demonstrated its productionbased workflow. The participants reportedly found the training very useful as they were able to practice live on their laptops using the Titan software simulator.

www.procom-me.com

The training session took place at Procom’s Dubai showroom

Adamson has launched a new education programme

REINFORCEMENT AT THE FIRST TIER FOR ALL TIERS

INTEGRATED IMPERCEPTIBLY AT THE PROSCENIUM

Hearing does not have to be seen.

Dramatic coverage, exceptional speech intelligibility, electronically controllable sound dispersion, and precision spatial locating. Cue the high performance FOCUS MODULAR beam steering system. About the most accomplished line-up for opera houses and theatres. And for the National Opera of France, the Opéra Bastille? It’s in the house. www.fohhn.com

Opéra Bastille, Paris

Creative use of audio

Gordon Moore shares how creative use of audio can bring more impact to a service

THE PURPOSE OF A HOW SOUND system is the enhancement of the worship experience. Worshippers should leave the service saying, ‘Wasn’t that an amazing service?’, not ‘That sound system sure sounded great!’. Getting creative with the audio system can play a part in adding impact to worship.

Use music to set the worshipful mood

Praise teams and choirs are often tasked with a great deal of work load for a service. Try building a library of good music that is calming for playback before a service and afterwards to help congregants achieve that worshipful frame of mind. Keep volumes low, in the background, so the attendees can gather in fellowship and develop their relationships. If your services are exuberant, loud and exciting, a calming prelude can still be effective, giving the

MEET THE AUTHOR

Audio expert and industry veteran Gordon Moore is the director of technical ministries at Rio Rancho United Methodist Church in Rio Rancho, New Mexico; president of Lectrosonics Inc; senior faculty member for the InfoComm Academy; and was named Educator of the Year for InfoComm in 2000.

worship leader an opportunity to use the music in the actual service to build that excitement from a calm start to an energetic crescendo. The pre-service playback also assures the technicians that the sound system is up and running and ready to go (we once had a service start with the amplifiers off because the sound team was checking levels on their headphones rather than the house speakers and didn’t realise they forgot to throw the switch – early

playback would have helped them catch that mistake).

Sound effects – be a Foley artist

Sound effects can be very effective in bringing a drama closer to the message. There are many sources available for effective sound effects and you can even prepare your own

1/2PAGE HORIZONTAL

A Foley artist at Vancouver Film School – HOW’s can borrow Foley techniques for special event sound effects

Gordon Moore

for your purposes. But don’t simply ‘play them back’. If your sound system delivers Left/Right or Left/Centre/ Right sound, use the pan control to give spatial relationship to the sound – chariots running from the left of the stage to the right, for example.

Atem takes control of HyperDeck

HyperDeck and trigger recording or playback automatically.

your own sound effects.

to control up to four separate HyperDecks. HyperDecks can be controlled from either the Atem software or hardware

THE 6.8 update for Blackmagic Design’s Atem switchers has added control over HyperDeck

Studio disk recorders to all Atem switchers. Following the update any Atem switcher will be able

The update means HyperDecks can reportedly be used as fully controllable sources in the switcher workflow for live production. Users can also see a list of clips on each

Apantac targets new price point with Mi-16

APANTAC IS bringing the technology developed for its Tahoma family of multiviewers to more budget-sensitive applications with the Mi-16 range. The threemember collective forms part of the manufacturer’s Crescent series and can reportedly be used instead of monitor walls for numerous signal monitoring applications.

The three multiviewers are the Mi-16, the Mi-16+ and the Mi-16#. While has its own unique attributes, there are some shared features common across the range. These

you hear on the screen are recreated in a Foley stage. Creaking doors, wind noise, light sabres are all created by the Foley artists. Try creating your own sound effects. Use a good quality microphone preamp that feeds a USB port on your computer. Create sound effects as you need them and organise your sound files. This can actually be a lot of fun. For example, a recent science fiction film needed a sound of a mechanical assassin centipede crawling across the floor. They wanted an organic sound but it also needed to sound metallic. They used two microphones. The first microphone recorded someone tapping metal wires on a metal plate. The other microphone recorded a second person squishing their fingers into a grapefruit at the same rate as the metal tapping. The two tracks were combined in the editing software to make the organic-metallic sound of this killer insect sound real as it

The HyperDeck Studio is connected to an Atem switcher via Ethernet for control and communication, and via SDI for video playback or recording. Once each HyperDeck has an IP address, it can be labelled so it can be seen as a source on the control panel. Once the HyperDeck is set to remote it can be controlled by the switcher.

www.blackmagicdesign.com

crawled across the floor.

When using sound effects, create a library of good effects and keep them available. Use an audio editing program for playback (we use Adobe Audition or Audacity for playback of all audio files). The effects can be easily lined up in chronological order and the playback track is cued for easy playback, in

include low latency, the ability to size and move windows freely and passive loop outs so users will reportedly never lose a source even if the multiviewer is turned off. In addition, the units all feature analogue and digital clocks, up and down timers, static and dynamic UMD, tally, video and audio alarms, safe area display and

order, during the service. For a Good Friday service, we played the sound of the crowd demanding Christ’s crucifixion at fairly low levels so the conversations and narrative could be lower levels as well. We also played a very low frequency tone (80Hz) into the room during the drama. You could barely hear it but it made people

optional redundant power supplies. The multiviewers also have 32 GPIOs for tally, counters and alarms and can decode 16 channels of embedded audio displayed as meters. The differences come with some specific functionality. The Mi-16 is a 16x1 multiviewer comprising 16 3G/ HD/SD-SDI inputs with passive loop-

outs and HDMI and SDI output. The Mi-16+ meanwhile is a single or dual output multiviewer offering 16x1 or 8+8. It has 16 3G/HD/SD-SDI inputs passive loop-outs and dual outputs where each independent output supports the display of eight inputs. Finally, the Mi-16# is a 16x2 dual output multiviewer with 16 3G/ HD/SD-SDI inputs with dual outputs. The manufacturer states that each input can be resized and duplicated up to 16 times and can be assigned to both outputs. Each independent output can reportedly display up to 16 windows.

www.apantac.com

nervous and ‘on edge’. But when the time came for the sound of the nails being driven into the cross, we brought that in at a much louder level as the room went dark. The effect was bone chilling and shocking to some – some congregants were moved to tears. After nearly 40 minutes of low, quiet, almost whispered sound, the impact

Sound effects files lined up for sequential playback in a DAW, the gaps between allow for operator reaction time

The Atem Switcher 6.8 update allows control of HyperDeck

Apantac’s Mi-16 multiviewer

sound was jarring. The hammering was done in another room (out of sight and hearing range) so that the sound would be more impactful coming from the speakers – the hammer bearer was wearing an in-ear monitor so he could hear his cue and hammer on time. We used a wireless lavaliere microphone mounted on a very large piece of wood. The microphone was suspended with an elastic band to decouple the microphone from the wood. A large nail was hammered into the wood – we tried several nails beforehand looking for that perfect ringing sound of metal on metal. The nail was located about 3cm from the microphone. We added reverberation to the channel so the impact hung in the air – not too much, just enough to give it depth. The congregation did not see the nails driven in, only heard them – their imaginations were far more effective at creating the agony than any visual could have been.

Floor monitors can localise sound

As many houses of worship move to in-ear monitors, the floor monitors are silenced or even removed. Don’t tear out those floor monitors, cables and circuits! There is still useful life in floor monitors as sources for sound effects or for localising a special instrument. If the sound needs to come from stage left, a monitor located there can carry only the sound effect mix which draws the audience attention to the far left rather than to a generalised sound coming from the main

The Haas effect

THE HUMAN ear/brain “machine” has a remarkable capability for locating the source of a sound based on the time domain – not the amplitude. The source of the sound is located by the brain based on the source of the first arrival of the sound to the ear, not how loud it is. The room illustrated here is a long narrow hall. To provide adequate volume for the people in the back of the room, a pair of supplementary speakers are placed at the halfway point at 30.48m (100-feet). If there is no time correction for the speakers, the people in the back will hear the sound first from the back speakers and then, 88ms later, they will hear the sound from the stage speakers. This creates an unpleasant echo in the sound system and reduces the intelligibility of the audio.

To counteract this, the sound system design uses a delay to hold the signal for the back speakers until the sound wave from the stage speakers arrives at the same time as sound from the supplementary speakers. This places them in ‘step’ with each other, eliminating the annoying echo.

However, for the people in the back, the sound is now coming from the side rather than from the front. Because they hear the sound from the back speakers at the same time as the sound from the front speakers arrive, they will localise the sound and correctly perceive it as coming from the side.

The Haas effect can be used here to fool the perception of the origin of the sound. By delaying the sound from the rear speakers by about 15ms longer – instead of the correct 88ms for an exact match, the back speakers are delayed 103ms. This means the people will hear the sound (at pretty low levels) first from the front, then 15ms later from the back speakers. The brain/ears will

the Haas effect (see sidebar) to your advantage.

In this long hall, delaying the back speakers by 88mS would time align their output with the front speakers. Adding an additional 15ms delay would create the impression that all sound is coming from the front of the hall

have already localised the sound as coming from the front, even though the real volume is coming from the rear speakers.

In my church, the main speaker, which hangs about 8m in the air above the area where the pastor speaks, is delayed by 18ms. I have often been told by members of the congregation that the speaker doesn’t seem to be working. When I ask why they say this, they reply:

‘Because I hear the sound coming

from the pastor but not from the loudspeaker.’

‘Where were you sitting?’ I ask.

‘I sit about 10 rows back near the middle,’ they reply.

‘Could you hear him speaking OK?’

‘Oh, yes.’ they respond, ‘he was quite clear and loud.’

This is because they are localising the sound coming from the main speaker downward to the pastor, who they hear first, although at a lower level.

cluster. This is effective even if your system is strictly a mono centralised speaker setup. There is no rule that says, ‘All sound must come from the main speakers at all time.’ Auxiliary feeds to small speakers scattered around the stage can offer a much more effective aural environment. In this case, no delay can help – use

Less is More

Often, sound technicians tend to go overboard trying to make the sound system a bigger part of the service. In doing so, they draw attention to the sound and away from the message. sound effects, for example, can be very helpful during drama or the sermon.

But try making them subtle instead of overwhelming – barely audible instead of standing out. If the drama requires a crowd background effect, the noise of the masses greeting Christ as he enters Jerusalem, bring that sound track in a low, ‘I can hardly hear it’, level. In doing so, you will be drawing the attention of the congregants in to the message. Don’t force the actors to force their voices louder to shout above the noise. This will allow better dynamic

range in their delivery of the dialogue – you can even keep the dialogue a bit lower, making the audience ‘lean in’ to hear better.

As with anything new, before trying these methods out in a service, practice, practice, practice to avoid making mistakes or distracting from the service. Remember, your purpose is to enhance the worship experience. Be subtle, be creative – and mix well. Be Blessed.

A stage monitor, like this d&b audiotechnik MAX2, can be used for localised sound effects

SCAN. SYNC. PLAY!

Audix Performance Series Wireless

Whether you’re a vocalist, musician, performer or presenter, the Audix Performance Series delivers the ease of setup and pure, accurate sound you’ve been waiting for in a wireless system. The simple Scan and Sync process takes you from set up to performance within seconds. Professional, durable and versatile, the Audix Performance Series o ers multiple configurations for handheld, lavalier, headworn and instrument microphones.

Available in two performance levels, the Audix Performance Series provides quality and feature options at a price point that is unmatched in the market today. Learn more at audixusa.com.

Distributor list

Australia Production Audio Video Technology Pty. Ltd.

Cambodia AV Designs & Consulting Engineers Co., Ltd.

India Acoustic Arts Pvt. Ltd.

India ProMusicals

Indonesia PT Suara Visual Indonesia

Japan Sound House Inc.

Korea Chungbo Sound Inc.

Malaysia Search Music Sdn. Bhd.

New Zealand Webb Enterprises Ltd. TA NZ Rockshop

Pakistan V-Sel Music

Philippines JB Music and Sports Inc.

Singapore Consolidated Audio Networks Pte. Ltd.

Sri Lanka Euro Entertainment (Pvt.) Ltd.

Taiwan Seapower Technology Co., Ltd.

Thailand Music to Home Co., Ltd.

Vietnam Viet Thuong Trading Service

Manufacturing Corporation

Creative projections

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS to enhance the mood of worship services and accentuate the message at heart, from simple and colourful lighting setups through to projected imagery and ultimately pixel mapping the entire stage. Each brings their own set of benefits and drawbacks. While something like pixel mapping will certainly pique people’s interest, the complexity and expense involved are also unlikely to be that attractive to many ministries. Projected imagery is a great halfway house. Visual elements can be introduced into services with more flexibility, control and therefore creativity than just a colourful lighting setup, and the technology involved can also provide other useful and practical purposes. While a creative desire might be a good reason to explore such technologies, increasingly it has also become an expectation with younger congregants.

In its simplest definition, projected imagery can be considered as any kind

of visual content that gets displayed from a projector. But this doesn’t necessarily have to mean a projector aimed at the stage. ‘For better or worse, we live in a world where digital

technologies have made it possible for visual content to be created and disseminated in real-time. The younger generations

especially are now growing up with mobile visual display technologies in the palm of their hands, which creates much higher expectations when it comes to immersive storytelling or communication strategies in general,’

The choices on offer are as wide as the vision itself. It’s time to get creative with projected imagery, discovers Simon Luckhurst

An example of a fairly simple IMAG setup using DP projectors; (Right): Digital Projection international marketing manager, Mark Wadsworth

some arches by using some basic projection mapping techniques? If you have a domed building, why not have a beautiful dome projection too?’

Selecting a vocal mic

‘While projections in worship services have become quite common in the USA and Asia, things are slower in Europe,’ notes Digital Projection’s Mark Wadsworth. However, the Basilica of St Michael in Bordeaux is one such church that’s taken architectural

What goes into choosing the best vocal mic for a given application? Gordon Moore demystifies the process

MICROPHONES HAVE A WIDE range of applications and purposes as well as a wide range of sonic characteristics from one model to the next. What works for one application doesn’t work well for another. So how do you select a microphone when choosing it for vocal purposes?

Vocal mic choice begins with the selection of the element, the

projection to the next level, albeit for outside of services (see Figure 1). While the visuals are being used in this capacity as a tourist attraction, there’s no reason why its management couldn’t or shouldn’t consider augmenting their services in the same fashion. I’m sure you will agree, the results are quite breathtaking. Elsewhere there are typically modern churches using projected imagery to simulate interesting or historical architecture. ‘By the same token, continues Mr Stucken, ‘a truly uninspiring architectural foundation can be made to look very beautiful

transducer component in the head of the microphone – many elements are available in both hard-wired and wireless versions. The ‘best’ microphone sound is highly subjective and in many cases based on the ear of the performer or the sound engineer. A microphone that may sound great for a crooner such as Sun Nan or Rain Bi will be a terrible choice for a

The Audio-Technica AE4100 is a dynamic handheld vocal mic

1/2PAGE HORIZONTAL

1/2PAGE HORIZONTAL

Figure 1 - Projection mapping at Basilica of St Michael to highlight the buildng’s architectural features

Figure 2 - Asbury United Methodist Church using projectors to simulate stained glass windows

Wireless mics, like the Shure model being used here by Hillsong artist, Taya Smith, typically have interchangable capsules

server and the projectors and screens. We’ve also been noticing a trend for high brightness projectors in many houses of worship as they often let in lots of ambient light. A further benefit of high-brightness projectors is that interior lights won’t have to be dimmed to make the projection sufficiently visible, which could be an important consideration for maintaining things like mobility during longer services. Laser projectors are now barely more expensive than traditional lampbased models but offer a multitude of benefits, such as the ability to be mounted in any orientation, and setand-forget installation without the need to perform regular maintenance.’

‘One has to look at a multitude of factors including the basic architectural parameters, viewing distance, the

time, on the high-end side of things, people are beginning to adopt ever higher resolutions of 4K and beyond,’ says Mr Stucken. Adding that, ‘no matter how great your projection screens, projectors and media servers, an equally important question has to be whether the content you will be able to use is able to do justice to your technical capabilities.’

it can be used and adjusted easily, without always needing an experienced

‘In terms of the projectors that we offer, we have lamp and laser-based models at a range of brightness and price levels to choose from to suit a particular venue, and between them they are capable of input/outputting just about any format likely to be used,’ says Mr Wadsworth. ‘Again it’s really up to the integrator’s vision to decide how they are likely to be installed and used.’

‘It’s all about finding the right balance though,’ adds Mr Stucken. ‘What one doesn’t want is beautiful and frankly expensive visual content to be barely visible because of weak projectors or the wrong type of projection surface. But at the same time it also makes little sense to have an ultra bright and ultra highresolution projector when all one is projecting is very basic imagery.’ Future thinking will also pay dividends, especially when you consider the original argument that visual technologies and displays are increasingly expected. Although you might think an IMAG setup will suffice for a long time, for a modern ministry, will it really serve its purpose in say five or 10 years?

light/brightness situation,’ explains Mr Stucken. ‘The actual structure and look of the surfaces that might be particularly suitable or unsuitable for projections has to be taken into account too. One can decide to use an actual building’s surface directly as a projection surface for purely artistic reasons, but usually a mobile or fixed screen is a good choice as well.

‘In terms of projection screens,’ he adds, ‘AV Stumpfl can offer a great variety of different types, mobile or fixed, different sizes and different projection surface materials to find the solution that will truly suit a particular venue. Should a roll-up screen be suitable, we have developed rubber mounted noiseless motors for our Inline system that mean you can roll the screen up and down without any unwanted noise disturbing the solemn mood of a worship environment.’

‘In terms of the projectors themselves, you will need to think about whether you’re going to mount the projector up high or whether you want to mount it at the back of the room, but it will always want to

be positioned in the middle of the congregation,’ instructs Mr Wadsworth. ‘After that, you’ll want to consider which lens to use because as you move into the high-end projectors, or most projectors to be honest, the lenses come in different ranges from long-to-short throw, wide-angle or those with zoom.

‘You also don’t have to just do front projection,’ he continues. ‘You can get creative with rear projection using mirror systems, enabling you to fill very big halls with projectors that are hidden behind the screen. You can blend multiple projectors together to create a massive panorama, be that front or rear projection. The possibilities are literally endless, it’s really just bound by the creativity of the integrator or technical director and what they want to do. If you want to project almost anything onto pretty much any surface you can do it with projectors, be that a straight surface, a curved surface or an irregular surface.’

‘Although high brightness projectors are coming down in price, at the same

Another primary concern in terms of content is the equipment in charge of playback – the media server. Although media servers from various manufacturers differ greatly, most will be up to the task for simple HOW projections, making secondary elements such as ease of control, connectivity and programmable, preset workflows just as important. ‘Using our Avio show control technology, you can also create touchscreen based controls that will enable just about anyone to control a given setup with just a few buttons on a tablet or similar device. The ability to combine our highlyreliable 24/7 server hardware with the Wings Vioso system for automatic camera calibration make it perfect for venues that want to make sure that

‘It all comes down to the type of equipment one uses, so sadly there is no easy answer,’ reasons Mr Stucken. ‘Some types of hardware are great at pure playback, others already offer a more creative feature set. And there is everything in between. So on one hand it may make sense to go for a bigger feature set early on in order to be able to handle content in a more creative way later, but one has to remember that there is always a learning curve, even with very simple systems. On the other hand if you know that your technical staff are highly enthusiastic and tech savvy, a bigger creative feature set to go with one’s media servers and/or playout devices may actually make sense.’

www.avstumpfl.com

www.digitalprojection.com

Different standard Vario screen sizes offered by AV Stumpfl

Digital Projection’s HLL Laser 4K projector

Hans Stucken from AV Stumfl

Creative use of lighting

Visuals set the mood in worship, and lighting frames the visuals.

John Black shows that going beyond illumination, into the world of lighting design, is possible for HOWs large and small

MEET THE AUTHOR

John Black serves as the theatre manager for Seoul Foreign School in Seoul, South Korea. Holding a degree in Theatre Design, he provides technical production support and design in three state-of-the-art performance venues on campus for over 40 major concerts and productions a year in the areas of sound, lighting, video and staging. John especially enjoys sharing his passion for entertainment technology with high school students each year through his student production team, Crusader Live!, giving students the opportunity to learn and work with professional-level technologies in a demanding production environment.

LIGHTING IN HOUSES OF WORSHIP is diverse. The lighting needs for some may be simply to provide basic visibility of a speaker, while other houses of worship strive to create and control specific and intentional atmospheres and experiences during services. Regardless of where your house of worship falls on the spectrum, there is no denying that lighting can and does have a significant role in people’s response to an environment.

We’re going to look at a couple of simple, creative uses of lighting. Sometimes creative decisions are in your face and instantly recognisable. More common in the house of worship setting creative decisions are subtle –felt, but not necessarily noticed so as

not to distract the worshipper. We’ll begin with a quick review of the basic purposes of lighting. Whether specifically discussed within these contexts or not, all lighting decisions will touch on one or more of these purposes. By reviewing them, they can give you a context for creative lighting applications.

Review: Purposes of lighting

While these are most often discussed in the context of theatrical lighting, the basic purposes of lighting hold true in most lighting circumstances. Some decisions may place more emphasis on certain purposes over others to

for Seoul Foreign School

achieve particular effects, which is where the creativity in lighting design comes from. The basic purposes of lighting are selective focus/visibility, mood, composition, revelation of form, and reinforcement.

Selective focus/visibility refers to choices made to direct a spectator’s attention to exactly where the designer wants them to look. In contrast, it also refers to choices made to direct a spectator’s attention away from what the designer doesn’t want them to see. For example, you may want people to focus on a drama being performed on one side of the stage while the opposite side is being reset for a speaker, lighting only the active portion of the stage so that the set change doesn’t distract from the

drama being performed.

Mood refers to choices that are made to set the tone for the message of what is being presented or to evoke certain emotional responses. After all, lighting is very psychological and human emotions are often linked with colours, intensities and directions of

light. For example, if wanting to create a quiet, reflective atmosphere, the lighting designer would not choose to wash the stage or audience area in yellow-coloured light as that

Layered lighting as backdrop for event

Uplighting on white fabric pillars for event backdrop

GET CLOSER TO TROUBLE-FREE SOUND

Enabling outstanding sound in acoustically-challenging venues can be very tricky. But choosing the proper microphones makes everything easier. The right mics can minimize potential problems before they pop up and guarantee customer satisfaction after project close. Whatever the setting, DPA supercardioid mics combine controlled directionality with excellent rejection of background noise into an elegant mic solution for even the most difficult space.

• Rejection of mobile phone interference

• Consistent sound from every microphone, every time

• Maximum speech intelligibility regardless of acoustical environment

• High gain before feedback leading to fewer speaker placement issues

would create a completely different, unintended mood and atmosphere.

Composition refers to the use of light to create the overall stage picture. Many houses of worship utilise very little scenery or backdrops like what would be found in a theatrical setting. Lighting can be used to create the backdrop or stage picture that the designer wants people to see. An example would be the use of layering visible light beams from several trim heights and positions to create a sense of depth on an otherwise shallow stage. This technique requires the use of atmospheric haze and a black backdrop that ‘disappears’ behind the beams.

Revelation of form refers to lighting that is used to reveal the form of a performer or subject and help them stand out from the background. This is particularly emphasised in dance situations to accentuate the curves, muscle definition, and poses of the dancers. In non-dance situations, this is more often addressed with regards to lighting subjects from a variety of angles and how the light creates highlights or shadows on the subject in intentional ways. Revealing form by lighting subjects such that they are

each other when making creative choices regardless of the size of your lighting rig. Let’s take a look at four creative uses of lighting that you may be able to employ or build upon to suit your needs.

Coloured uplighting

If your facility has a shallow stage and perhaps you have a limited

the surface due to protrusions and cavities.

Patterns as backdrops

Another subtle creative lighting use that is also related to the backdrop of what is happening on the stage is to focus fixtures onto the back wall of the stage, adding patterns to project images onto the wall. Patterns could be abstract and used with colour to add texture to an otherwise flat surface. Alternatively, patterns could also be recognisable or realistic to support a particular season or message. For example, if desiring to create a Christmassy, wintry feel, the projection of snowflakes can help set the season. If performing a drama, a realistic pattern of architecture can set the location for the scene.

Varying house light intensity

Though often overlooked as it is not related to the presentation stage,

one particularly effective creative use of lighting is the very subtle, intentional use of varying the house lighting throughout a service. At its simplest, varying the intensity during certain portions of a service can guide and usher congregants through the worship experience. For example, your service may look like this:

Pre-service - HL @ Full

Welcome / AnnouncementsHL @ 75 per cent

Prayer - HL @ 65 per cent

Praise & Worship - HL @ 45 per cent

Sermon - HL @ 75 per cent

Slow fades between each portion can guide the worshiper through periods of internal reflectiveness and outward awareness in ways that he or she may not actually notice being encouraged by the lighting.

Shifting focus

The majority of lighting, in most situations, begins elevated above the stage or auditorium and focuses on the stage. This helps draw attention to the subjects or action on the stage. In a house of worship, it is often desirable to help people focus away from the stage and on their worship. Placing fixtures on the stage floor or in low positions and focusing them up and over the auditorium can shift the focus away from the stage and draw the worshipper in as an active participant as opposed to spectator.

Conclusion

These are just a few simple creative uses for lighting that you may be able to employ. Remember that whichever way your creativity takes you, in a house of worship the most important thing is to ensure that the lighting reinforces and supports the purpose for the service and doesn’t steal the show.

drawn out from the background is important when lighting for video to avoid the subject having a flat, or twodimensional, look on camera.

Finally, reinforcement refers to choices made to specifically support and communicate the story being told. Whether through use of colour or specific patterns used on surfaces, reinforcement is an element of the visual story. For example, when lighting a scene that takes place in a cold, damp cellar, the lighting designer wouldn’t use bright colours and angles that eliminate all shadows and suggest a happy, warm location. All these purposes interact with

lighting rig, a simple though effective use of lighting you could employ is adding fixtures along the floor of the back wall of the stage, creating beams of uplighting, and then adding colour (gels or fixtures capable of colour mixing) to establish mood. This is a common technique used to not only add a colour backdrop behind the action happening on the stage, but to provide depth to an otherwise flat surface. As the light gets higher, the beam will spread wider and fade out, creating a gradient on the surface. Coloured uplighting is especially nice if the wall is textured, creating highlights and shadows on

Patterns can be used as an alternative backdrop

Patterns on white back wall for event

Gobos and projection on white walls for backdrop

Headworn Microphones

itself. Bodypacks should be properly secured using the accompanying clip. Cables that aren’t managed and secured properly can be susceptible to catching on things, which can tug at the bodypack, the headset, or both, and may result in damage to some or all of the components. Whenever possible, cables should be carefully concealed in clothing to prevent them getting caught on foreign objects.’ Where mics have captive cabling, as opposed to removable cabling, damage where the wiring couples to the headset means the mic will have to be replaced, he warns.

a gooseneck assembly that allows for the microphone to be positioned.’

When headworn mics are not in use, they still require care. A headworn mic, notes Mr Murphy, ‘can be inadvertently damaged or have its shelf-life reduced if not stored properly. Be sure to use a hard case, preferably one built for the product, and store them in a drawer or box away from cables and tools. It helps in finding them when you need them.’

HEADWORN MICROPHONES, ‘ARE designed to be durable and resilient with normal use and proper handling,’ says Lofty Whitaker, senior sales representative for Audix Microphones. That said, he adds that, ‘there are special handling instructions for headworn microphones, which will help to support the device’s performance and preserve the life of the equipment.’

John Murphy, who works in technical support for Point Source Audio, agrees. ‘We see product that lasts months while others can last many years. The difference is in how much care is put into handling the product on a daily basis.’ Mr Murphy says that most failures occur from either over-bending or over-stressing the boom and the junction point between the boom and cable, and the wire/connector junction. ‘Product failure is preventable,’ he says.

‘The cable/bodypack combination

unless it’s designed with a gooseneck

single-ear headset are designed into position, many are not.’ Bending a mic not designed for repositioning can result in a microphone designed to work with

but one, as once bent, straightening might not be possible. ‘For example,’

microphone is designed to be adjusted by sliding the boom arm back and forth in the earpiece. Whereas the HT5 has

Mr Whitaker adds that when storing the mics, ‘the cables must be properly coiled to avoid knots and undue wrinkles. Remember, that beneath the cable sheath, there are thin, delicate wires that can be bent or broken,

The diminutive cabling and transducers characteristic of headworn microphones make them susceptible to damage. Manufacturer insiders tell WAVL how to protect your investment

Audix’ HT2 headworn mic

Point Source’s CO-8WD headphone mic

it was a necessity since we had a sold out show with over 20,000 people in the audience.’

electronic equipment, avoid storing them in extreme temperatures; you don’t want to store them anywhere exceedingly warm or damp.’ Never wrap wires around your fingers or too tightly.

Headworn mics can be cleaned, confirms Mr Murphy, ‘In fact, cleaning is encouraged – especially when makeup or tape residue start to build up and adhere to the boom. This helps with aesthetics and is more comfortable for the user. Rubbing alcohol or citric-based oil are great for cleaning a headworn microphone. Gently wipe down the microphone spending extra effort on areas with extra build-up. Care has to be taken to not let the element get wet if the product is not rated as waterproof. Makeup can build-up in the element aperture reducing high frequency performance. Do not use a pin, compressed air, paperclips or anything else to clean this out – this will most

Moving on to Durban, the system was notably smaller for the 3,600 capacity City Hill Church. Here 16 V-series cabinets made up the L-R main arrays the same number of V12s for frontshows took place at the city’s Hillsong campus. This was the smallest venue the band played at 1,000 people and made use of the church’s in-house d&b system. This comprised 12 V-series cabinets running ArrayProcessing via the manufacturer’s 30D installation handle low frequencies. Control was again via the R1 remote network.

DPA’s dual ear mounted d:fine 66 headset microphone

Bethel Music played four concerts in their recent tour of South Africa

graphs and API collaboration with Lake Controller software. A Lectrosonics

Whitaker, who repeats his admonition against submerging a headset, warning also to avoid ‘harsh chemicals that can, over time, deteriorate the materials’. Cable cleaning is ‘not required for proper performance’ says Mr Whitaker, but if done, care must be taken not to apply excessive force to joints.

‘The tour went down very smoothly with no real issues worth noting,’ says Array. ‘The biggest challenge was the turnaround time between shows, but

‘The product is tiny so be gentle,’

how quickly the d&b PA systems can be designed and deployed. Rigging d&b very little and the control network just

‘What a pleasure to simply open up our ArrayCalc design in the R1 control software and to have all the settings of other settings) “dumped” into the

eye,’ he continues. ‘No other PA system works this quickly, reliably and easily and gives you such a consistent level of audio quality, scalability and control.’

Rensburg is clearly happy with the performance of his team and the equipment. ‘This wasn’t a loud rock/ dance show, but a more intimate and detailed audio production and we were translated to the audience, from the front row, all the way to the last seat in the back row. The highs were crisp, the mids were full and warm, the lows were deep and punchy throughout the whole venue and we were very pleased with the coverage.’

This high-level of planning ensured a hitch and showed the advantage that houses of worship can get from calling in professionals for major events.

www.bluearray.co.za

Chase

(Petaluma,

USA)

to the in-house system, but this time Grand West Casino Arena was covered line array elements with four stacks of

While the PA changed to meet the needs of each venue, the way they were driven remained the same for

Gigacore 16XT managed switches processors and three Atterotech for delay signal and control. Live Capture tuning software was used for the alignment and voicing of the PA

echoes Mr Murphy. Care can pay

The new Embrace earworn mic from Point Source Audio

An Audix wireless system

Oaks’

CA,

senior pastor Jeff Jones relies on Point Source Audio’s CO-8WD headset microphone

d&b audiotechnik systems were used for three of the concerts

Staying legal with wireless mics

‘THE WIRELESS CONSUMER

infrastructure has caused a lot of changes on the regulatory front,’ says Mark Brunner, VP corporate and government relations at mic manufacturer, Shure. ‘Many things that were stable for quite some time, are now undergoing a lot of revision. It’s a global phenomenon, and it’s happening in different parts of the world at different rates.’ For the house of worship market, he continues, ‘The impact of that, is that some of the equipment that might have served these people well, and is still installed in their facilities, may be subject to some of these revisions, and the performance of the products may suddenly change.’

Boxed in by broadband

A great deal of bandwidth was once assigned to overthe-air television. The ‘white spaces’ between the television stations serving a given market were ‘borrowed’ by wireless microphone users. With the advent of digital television, spectrum was shifted and the white spaces drastically reduced. To various degrees, depending on

in the USA, for example, mobile data traffic has doubled since 2015 and is expected to nearly double again in the next two years, growth curves mirrored by trends world-wide. Some countries, Japan and Australia, for example, have set-aside some protected spectrum for wireless microphone use, but the available spectrum has been reduced

globally. The bigger the production –the more wireless channels needed for microphones, IEMs, instruments, and intercom/IFB systems – the harder it becomes to find enough available bandwidth in the changing RF landscape.

Where’s the info we need?

‘The equipment that may have served you well for the past five to 10 years, could all of a sudden experience some disruption,’ says Mr Brunner. ‘It’s incumbent on the house of worship audio crew to stay abreast of changes in their market, to consult with their national authority or consult the information available from those authorities, about legal operation.’

Joe Ciaudelli, director of US spectrum affairs for Sennheiser Innovation and Research, adds a caution that, ‘Some administrators in these agencies are not intimately familiar with wireless mics because they often consider mics as secondary devices.’

There’s no international clearing house for details on wireless spectrum availability, though there

are some online resources that cover a good number of countries (see sidebar). In addition to regulatory agencies, HOW tech staff can work with knowledgeable staff from manufacturers and distributors to determine what tools can best meet their needs – working with trusted advisors is recommended, and verifying answers with information from multiple sources, is suggested.

‘We regularly help customers with

(Above): Shure’s GLX-D Advanced is a 2.4GHz wireless mic system; (Left): Sennheiser’s SKM 6000 handheld wireless transmitter

HOWs exhibit good stewardship of resources when their wireless gear operation is legal and potential interference issues are mitigated before they occur. Frank Wells investigates

Mark Brunner – Shure

Joe Ciaudelli – Sennheiser

this kind of information,’ offers Karl Winkler, VP of sales for Lectrosonics, ‘and often we refer them to either distributors, dealers, or sales managers for those areas. These parties routinely evaluate the local laws and the anecdotal information about “what works” so that they can help customers decide which frequency bands to buy or rent, and how to apply for local licences when needed.’

Alternative wireless options

A few UHF offerings offer high density modes, trading operating range for higher channel counts within a given slice of spectrum. ‘Maybe you only have one or two TV channels available for your use,’ explains Edgar Reihl, technology director, advanced development at Shure, ‘but if you don’t have to go long distances with that, you can get a lot of audio in

Mr Brunner encourages HOWs ‘to explore some new variants and frequency ranges that are available from the major manufacturers to best suit their needs.’ Examining all the available options can sometimes mean looking back. Before the television spectrum classed as UHF became the spectrum band of choice for wireless microphone operation (UHF: Ultra High Frequencies, the overall band runs from 300MHz to 3,000MHz), wireless microphones commonly operated in the VHF band (30MHz to 300MHz).

‘We took another look,’ Mr Brunner says of VHF, and while there’s higher RF noise in the band, differences in propagation patterns and longer wavelengths (making for longer antennas), he reports that modern equipment design tools can make VHF work. Jackie Green, president and CTO of Audio-Technica US subsidiary, Alteros, agrees, pointing to wirelessphone research driven advances in antenna design (efficiency

RF system based on ultra-wideband technology in the open, unlicensed, 6GHz to 10GHz range. One rackmounted receiver handles 24 wireless transmitters. The high-end system will be distributed in the USA later this year, with other markets to follow.

Coming on strong

The most widely adopted, nontelevision band wireless option in use operates in the same spectrum as most Wi-Fi: 2.4GHz. The advantage of the band is that it’s globally available for unlicensed use. The downside is that the band is shared with a lot of other consumer products. Mr Ciaudelli offers cautions about professional use of the band. ‘Operating wireless microphones in unlicensed bands (eg 902-928MHz or 2.4GHz band) works fine if the RF environment in the area is tame. However, a plethora of devices,

don’t have to get a licence. You do have to consider whether the spectrum becomes so crowded that it won’t work, but you don’t have to worry about the spectrum going away.’ While the 5GHz spectrum also used for Wi-Fi is thus far unsuited for microphone use, HOWs can move other Wi-Fi use to the 5GHz range to relieve the 2.4GHz spectrum.

Moving forward

Ms Green advises developing a plan to be out of the 2.4GHz band within three years. HOWs should do local spectrum availability research. A HOW can coordinate with other nearby wireless users and bring in experts to analyse the RF spectrum in their environment. HOW technical ministry staff should educate themselves on RF principles and learn best practices for the gear they operate. Finally, to really go retro, Mr Winkler suggests you ask, ‘Does it need to be wireless? If not, don’t put a wireless transmitter on it (for instance, IEMs for drummers or stationary keyboard players). Wired is usually more reliable, less expensive, and doesn’t take up any spectrum.’

www.alteros.tech

www.audio-technica.com

www.lectrosonics.com

www.sennheiser.com

www.shure.com

Resource Links:

from robots to drones, use these bands and can cause interference. Thus, these bands are generally unreliable for critical wireless mics used for major on-stage or on-camera live events.’

On the other hand, Ms Green says that, ‘We’re better able all the time to make 2.4GHz gear work reliably. Obviously, it’s going to get more and more crowded, but the quality of service has also been increasing. The audio performance has also been improving.’ Her personal experience from carrying an A-T System 10 wireless rig to locations around the world has proven that such systems can be plug-and-play. ‘You don’t have to coordinate the frequencies, you

While no comprehensive international database exists of legal frequency allocations for wireless microphone use, these links lead to country-specific operation for a number of countries.

www.apwpt.org/downloads/ handoutfrequencies2017.pdf

[The Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies] itu.int [Reports BT 2069 and BT 2344 and Recommendation BT 1871. The ITU is the United Nations specialised agency on information and communications.]

en-de.sennheiser.com/servicesupport-sifa

(Above): Sennheiser’s EM 6000 wireless mic receiver; (Below left):The diminutive Lectrosonics SSM bodypack wireless mic transmitter

Karl Winkler – Lectrosonics

Jackie Green – Alteros

Audio-Technica’s System 10 is a 2.4GHz system

The video network backbone

What are the current technologies powering video networks? Worship AVL explores the main networking options available to houses of worship

to add additional outlets in existing houses of worship.’

Mr Fitzsimmons believes that while this dedicated network approach has a place, there is an increasing move towards streaming. ‘At the bottom end of the cost scale, HDBaseT is probably still the right way to do it. But if you’re looking for a bigger system or a higher-end facility then a network is probably the right way to do it now. That means video streaming over an Ethernet network,’ he explains. ‘Just like with audio, that’s packetisation of the video signal, pumping it onto the network using standard switches to pass it around the building. That comes with a number of benefits, the first of which for the house of worship market is the run length.

‘There’s an awful lot of distance for cable runs in houses of worship and you can run into the traditional run limit of HDBaseT pretty fast,’ he warns. ‘You can go 100m at best with HDBaseT,

IF A HOUSE OF WORSHIP

any form of visual content in its services, the likelihood is that the use is powered by a video network. At its most simplistic, this is the medium used to transport visual data from its source, through control and out to its distribution points.

‘For many years video topologies were point-to-point – that is, a single source to a single display,’ says Daniel Shwartzberg, manager of customer experience for the HDBaseT Alliance. ‘However, with the advent of video networking we can now create much more complex topologies. These include the ability to multicast (single source to multiple displays), and to create video switches that allow for multiple sources to connect to multiple displays (including duplication). Streaming video has also become more popular recently, and needs some form of network to support it.’

When it comes to video networks, each HOW has a choice to make. Does it want a dedicated infrastructure for this data? Or would it be better served by adding the media network into the existing IT infrastructure?

‘There are two transitional options for video distribution at the moment,’ furthers Chris Fitzsimmons, product manager at Biamp Systems. ‘One is

dedicated switching which is done by a number of brands. It is fairly cheap, it has thus far served people well, but it is dependent on dedicated hardware. If you are using a network cable for extending video, you are not using it for anything else. HDBaseT lets you bundle up various signals on that cable – video, audio, control and even gigabit Ethernet – but it’s not a computer network, it’s a set of

dedicated hardware just like analogue audio cable. It’s the same paradigm for transitioning from dedicated cabling into digital audio networks, video is having the same transition.’

‘One of the many strengths of HDBaseT is that it is a standard with its own compliance testing programme – this means that equipment from different vendors will interoperate, allowing houses of worship to choose the best offering in terms of functionality and cost (without the need to be tied to a single vendor),’ adds Mr Shwartzberg. ‘In addition, given its ultra-low latency of a few microseconds, there will be no delay/ lag between those viewing the service directly or via the video displays. Finally, HDBaseT carries much more than just video and audio – we can also carry various control protocols, Ethernet and up to 100W of DC power all on a single Cat cable. This means not only is the infrastructure low-cost and simple to install, but also there is no need to run multiple cables or even

but that implies absolutely perfect transmission, perfect cabling and no interference. Really you are down in the 70m to 80m range realistically, especially when you start pushing higher resolution. In large locations it’s difficult to get that kind of run from the production locations or content location through to the projector. Networks overcome that by allowing you to do switch hops. You can hop as many switches as you like with a streamed video signal.

‘Putting a streaming solution between cameras and the control location will extend the distance you can put between that point and the camera which gives you more flexibility of design in the bigger space,’ continues the Biamp product manager. ‘And when you are going out to the projector or the broadcasting outlet, streaming is a good solution there as well.’

A second advantage that Mr Fitzsimmons can see comes from utilising existing infrastructure. ‘Most large houses of worship have Wi-Fi,

HOWs are facing a choice over their video networking options

Daniel Shwartzberg

If you’re looking for a bigger system or a higher-end facility then a network is probably the right way to do it now

security cameras and other networks; it’s becoming much more common at the higher end. Being able to share that infrastructure between multiple services means you’re investing once in a technology infrastructure that allows you to do your media streaming content delivery as well as general computer networking and security networking.’

There are, of course drawbacks to taking the streaming approach. ‘If the video network is within a single house of worship (rather than streaming across multiple sites), IP-based networking may be less suitable due to the latencies introduced by the networking elements,’ states Mr Shwartzberg. ‘IP-based protocols tend to be more widely used when crosscampus connectivity is required. In these cases, latency delays introduced by the network are not noticeable since the viewer is remote from the source. However, for use within a single room or building, these delays can be disturbing since they lead to audio echoes and an obvious lag in the video stream.’

‘One of the most distracting video artefacts that you can get is lip sync,’ agrees Mr Fitzsimmons. ‘Your attention is degraded by the distraction, you stop paying attention to the message and start looking at the video production quality. The cool thing about using Biamp’s TesiraLUX is it’s an integrated platform offering audio and video processing capability in the same platform. When we are doing IMAG and we have a camera on the pastor we are guaranteeing lip sync. You won’t get the mouth-move disconnect that you often see.

‘People want to see good quality projection and a lack of latency between the person on stage and the IMAG close-up,’ he continues.

‘Streaming technology has developed

product, and then deliver the benefit of switched, meaning that is has all the

inherent elements needed for video networking,’ says Mr Shwartzberg.

‘HDBaseT does not (currently) use standard IP equipment for video networking, but instead vendors develop and sell HDBaseT network equipment such as switch matrices. However, at the ISE 2017 trade show in February, we announced the launch of an HDBaseT Alliance working group to develop HDBaseT over IP, which will extend all the existing HDBaseT capabilities to run over standard IP networks.’

This doesn’t mean the debate is over, using HDBaseT over IP will simply

be another way to transport data around a video network. A house of worship will still need to evaluate its needs and budget before making any video networking investment.

The overriding factor is that a HOW needs to look at its immediate technology needs and what it plans to do in the future before it makes a decision on the method it will use to form the backbone of its video network. The good news is that there are plenty of options available to meet the varied needs of houses of worship of any size.

www.biamp.com

www.hdbaset.org

5Play converges uncompressed video, audio, Ethernet, power and control through a single cable

Biamp’s Chris Fitzsimmons

A suggested networked HOW setup using TesiraLUX

If the video network is within a single house of worship, IP-based networking may be less suitable

HELO: Stream, Record and Deliver Open Up a New World of H.264 Streaming Workflows

HELO is AJA’s new H.264 streaming and recording stand-alone appliance bringing both SDI and HDMI I/O into a single device. Simultaneously stream out to a content delivery network (CDN) as well as encode and record high quality H.264 files to SD cards, USB drives or network based storage.

HELO offers a range of professional workflow options with both 3G-SDI and HDMI inputs and outputs, and the power to handle up to 1080p 60 recording formats. Small and portable, HELO offers dedicated record and stream buttons, and a web-based user interface for easy configuration.

Stream

Streaming made simple. A USB connection and robust web browser based UI allows easy, advance setup of a CDN connection. When you’re ready to stream, press one button and deliver media with flexible support options.

Record

Live means now. Live means pressure. HELO offers a dedicated record button right on the front of the device for immediate recording.

Plug in an NTFS 3.1 or FAT32 formatted USB drive, SD card or connected network storage, and you’re good to go.

Encode

Top performance. Top results. HELO encodes to H.264/MPEG-4 ensuring bandwidth efficiencies with support for a wide range of file types.

Wide ranging compatibility: from tablets to smartphones or desktops, no translation necessary.

Portable lighting systems

A FIXED LIGHTING INSTALLATION IS not only a sizable investment for houses of worship, especially when tight budgetary restraints are to be taken into account, but might not be practical or even possible. As an alternative, portable lighting systems could be worth exploring. They are often a more affordable option and do not require invasive installation, which can cause problems of both an aesthetic and structural nature within a sanctuary. Portable fixtures also offer a flexibility that installed lighting solutions can’t, which can lead to more creative applications.

‘There are venues where it is impossible, for safety or heritage preservation reasons, to have fixed lighting,’ says Mark Ravenhill, president of GLP (German Lighting Products), ‘and so portable lighting is the only option. Perhaps power availability is also a concern in some spaces and so having a system that can scale can also ensure its full usability.’

Flexibility and creativity

‘A good portable lighting system serves many purposes, both practical and

creative,’ explains Ben Dickmann, product manager for Chauvet Professional and Iluminarc. ‘These systems can be assembled and positioned in multiple ways and the use of coloured lighting especially enhances the mood or emotion of a room, and can even be used to project an effect.’

‘In any venue or site where things are developing and changing, perhaps due to growth or to using multiple rooms, having a form of portable lighting could well be a solution,’ notes Mr Ravenhill. ‘It can ensure that you satisfy all of your needs across the different spaces, without putting too much pressure on your expenditure. You can achieve flexibility in being able to work in campuses of different sizes and serve the different needs of the congregations or classes that are being hosted.

‘Having a system that is portable often means that it is in a number of parts, and therefore allows you to be creative in its design, each time that it gets assembled,’ Mr Ravenhill continues. ‘There can be other benefits too. GLP’s X4 atom for example is also IP65 rated so it can be used outdoors, even in inclement weather, giving even more flexibility and options to the way

Financial impact and maintenance

Mr Dickmann notes that portable lighting systems make for good starter solutions. ‘A portable system is a cost effective way to start. You don’t need to invest significant money into infrastructure to support a full system,’ he says. ‘It also allows you to easily adapt to other events and needs without having to rework the entire system. There are also many other considerations involved such as rigging, power and system training that you don’t need to worry about with portable systems.’

‘The financial benefit is a big one, in having a single system that can be reused in many spaces,’ adds Mr Ravenhill, before highlighting an additional cost to consider. ‘Every time that a system gets disassembled or

all the documentation included as it will tell you how to maintain your equipment for a long life.’ He also recommends investing in ‘good quality travel cases’ and states that ‘Doing so will prevent them from getting dented or scratched and also protect the delicate lens systems.’

Considerations

A portable lighting solution can be deployed and re-deployed at multiple venues and for varying purposes, but unlike a fixed installation, it will not have been designed especially for a particular space and function.

‘Typically a full, fixed system is designed specifically for a purpose,’ says Mr Dickmann. ‘Fixtures are placed in optimal positions to light the sanctuary as well as possible. With a portable system, this is rarely accomplished. While a portable system will deliver acceptable light, it more than likely won’t be optimal.’

really help protect

worth the investment,

While on the subject

lighting equipment should be properly

Another consideration is the set up and take down time before and after each service, as well as ensuring that the HOW technicians and volunteers are able to complete these tasks.

‘It takes more resources in terms of time and people to take a system down and then get it set up again in a different space,’ Mr Ravenhill comments. ‘So, having a strong network of volunteers or team members is a requirement.

‘I think a main consideration is the support resources that are needed to get a system from one place to another,’ the GLP president adds. ‘And

Chauvet’s Ovation E-910FC full colour LED portable lighting fixture

A HOW may be considering a portable lighting solution out of necessity or for creative purposes. James Cooke aims the spotlight on what to consider

Mark Ravenhill, president at GLP; (Right): GLP’s X4 atom

having the space to store it somewhere in between events.’

With many house of worship operators being volunteers and perhaps lacking in professional experience, what should they look out for in terms of portable lighting systems and what will they need to learn?

‘The key difference here is that many operators normally just come in and operate,’ says Mr Ravenhill. ‘In the situation of portable lighting, then they also need to know how a system goes together – for example with DMX cables, and how to do basic troubleshooting to get the system up and running – because you can be sure that it won’t be plain sailing every time. Courses are available if people want

to learn, and there are also a number of great books available, which people can learn from.’

‘Users should learn the basics of DMX and watch videos on proper lighting techniques,’ reiterates Mr Dickmann.

‘There are a multitude of forums and websites available with a wealth of information. Most manufacturers have product specific videos available to help get the most out of their fixtures.’

And most important of all: ‘Safety,’ adds Mr Dickmann. ‘Because these systems will often be set up near or around regular worshippers you need to be certain that your trusses or stands are properly counter-weighted to prevent tipping and also make sure your cords are taped down and not

a tripping hazard. You also need to take into consideration heat and the comfort of people around the lights. You want to make sure that you buy lighting and trussing from a reputable manufacturer that has submitted their products to government safety testing.’

Unconvinced?

If for one reason or another, a fixed installation is not possible, why is lighting needed?

‘Adding proper lighting elevates the professionalism of a service, and it gives a house of worship the ability to broadcast to their message through video,’ answers Mr Dickmann. ‘Any

assembly with a speaker should have lighting to highlight or draw attention to them. Proper lighting levels also make taking video or photography of the minister easier and better quality. The addition of some colour changing lighting can be used to enhance the mood or help portray emotion. It makes a worship leader easier to see, or using colour it can drive a specific message. It is invaluable and will keep the congregation returning and growing week to week.’

www.chauvetprofessional.com

www.glp.de

HORIZONTAL

Portable lighting solutions from Chauvet in use at a Hanuman Chalisa celebration in South Africa

Portable lighting solutions offer creative flexibility

Chauvet’s GigBar2 pack-n-go 4-in-1 system can be easily transported

Lighting consoles

required. Also, does it fit in the space available, and can they afford it?’

Budget

It’s unavoidable. Budgets will always play a role in a purchase decision of this magnitude.

‘The good news here is that most of the main console manufacturers offer a range of consoles at different prices,’ enthuses Mr Baird-Smith. ‘However, spending the whole budget on fixtures and then not having a console to get the best from those fixtures is a false economy.’

A HOUSE OF WORSHIP CAN INVEST heavily in an array of lighting fixtures. It may have purchased the latest LED models and acquired several moving heads with the aim of creating stunning visual effects along with a range of strobes, beams and washes. But this means little if said HOW has no means to control its new lighting system or to program the lighting effects it wishes to achieve. A lighting console, often referred to as a ‘lighting desk’ or ‘lightboard’, forms the brains of any lighting operation and is therefore the key to unlocking automated intelligent lighting effects, while providing control for luminaires that can move, change colours or create gobo patterns. Some lighting consoles can even control fog machines, hazers and myriad other special effects devices.

Skills

For many HOWs, the primary concern –aside from those of a budgetary nature – when selecting a lighting console will be in regards to the level of skill and technical expertise needed by those who will operate it, as they will often be volunteers, perhaps with no prior experience.

‘A key thought during decision making is ease of use,’ says Eaton

Lighting Systems’ Tyler Holpin, international sales –Zero88. ‘Many HOWs rely on volunteers and need something simple enough for them to use. This makes researching how each console is used and its control of the lighting crucial. You want to be looking for big and advanced features that are accessible by simple and intuitive control.’

‘The console is likely to be used by many people with different skill sets,’

manager at LSC Lighting Systems. ‘Therefore, it is important to keep things as simple as possible and have everything well documented so users can become confident with their new lighting rig. ‘If you have a skilled operator then their personal choice is likely to be something more complex, but consideration has to ensure that lesser skilled users will find it easy to use.’

‘The right console will offer advanced programming features, like effects engines and pixel mapping, which can be programmed by a keen and tech-savvy volunteer, and saved to faders so that anyone operating the console can have a page of go-to looks to recall,’ adds Stephen Baird-Smith, sales manager at Avolites. ‘A HOW will need to consider how the services will be run. Will each follow a particular script, or is flexibility required? A larger control surface can be easier to operate, despite first impressions, as fewer page changes and stacks are

‘From what I see, cost is slowly becoming less of a problem,’ offers Mr Holpin. ‘Getting future- and featureproofed desks for a good price used to be a key problem, but now there are consoles which are much more accessible to everyone that pack in some really cool and advanced features. Future-proofing the console gives the venue the chance to bring in new technology for one-off events or permanent installs and not have to worry about the console not being able to control it adequately.’

Mr Floyd, meanwhile, offers a stark warning to those thinking of purchasing a console that only meets the minimum requirements of the HOW’s lighting system: ‘Invest wisely! Purchase a console that is going to exceed your current requirements and is from a reputable company that can offer service and spare parts in the future.’

‘We know that we do not have the same budget for lighting control across each venue,’ admits Daryl Sutton, global market development manager – house of worship at Harman International, the parent company of lighting manufacturer Martin Professional. ‘We also all know the benefits of training your staff on one platform for ease of utilising staff in all venues campus wide. Taking these two “knowns” into account, I recommend choosing a control platform that provides scalable hardware solutions. This will allow you to train your staff on one platform with the flexibility of

Whether a HOW is simply upgrading an existing lighting setup or implementing one for the first time, choosing a lighting console can seem a daunting and complicated process. James Cooke shines a light on what to look for

A lighting console is necessary to program and control the lighting setup (imgage courtesy of Avolites)

The Zero88 FLX provides access to 2,048 channels

Tyler Holpin, international salesZero88 at Eaton Lighting Systems

ICONYX Gen5 steerable loudspeakers deliver clarity to every seat.

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It didn’t matter how far back their seats were. Or how cavernous the hall was. All they heard – all they felt – was sound that was warm, intelligible and personal. With clear, precisely-controlled sound from Iconyx Gen5 steerable loudspeakers, their seats were the best in the house. To learn more or for a demo, visit www.renkus-heinz.com.

©2016 Renkus-Heinz

©2016 Renkus-Heinz

renkus-heinz.com/iconyx-gen5

renkus-heinz.com/iconyx-gen5

Steerable sound isn’t just about being heard, it’s about being understood.

Steerable sound isn’t just about being heard, it’s about being understood.

purchasing the hardware version that meets the specific venue’s budget.’

Training

‘Most manufacturers provide online tutorials for the “how to get started” process,’ Mr Sutton continues. ‘These typically give the basic information needed to program and execute for worship. My recommendation is to find a seasoned user of the platform you have selected, and have them spend time with you and your staff, even if this means paying them. It’s worth the investment!’

Mr Baird-Smith confirms Mr Sutton’s sentiments with regards to online tutorials: ‘We offer regular free training webinars and lots of online

means the keen volunteer can easily develop their skills.’

‘We provide a range of tools for anyone to use, including a freeof-charge forum where users can ask questions to Zero88 users or staff,’ says Mr Holpin. ‘We also have distributors that provide extensive training around the world to ensure that someone is accessible in each time zone and language.’

Mr Floyd adds to Mr Sutton’s thoughts: ‘There are plenty of videos online but by far the best way to learn the basics is to get involved with your local HOW volunteers, listen and learn and never be afraid to ask questions.’

Lighting rig

Does the size of the lighting rig that a HOW owns or plans to implement impact the console purchasing decision? The answer is a resounding

universes of DMX straight out of the box,’ Mr Baird-Smith explains. ‘Even our smallest console offers 16. If more are required, we – and other manufacturers – offer network processing units to expand the channel count. A bigger console is usually for faster programming and more live access and improvisation, rather than more lights.’

‘These days most all lighting control platforms are well suited for serving the basic needs found within a normal worship environment,’ says Mr Sutton. ‘In some cases it’s more based around programmer/operator preferences. That said, one does need to ensure that the control platform will support the number of DMX channels needed to operate their lighting rig. Each fixture takes a certain number of DMX channels to operate.’

Mr Holpin elaborates: ‘It’s the type of lights, and how many DMX control channels they take which will have one of the most critical impact on the

console choice. LED, moving lights and media server devices can take anything from one channel to hundreds of channels. Faders are used less now to control individual lights. Fixtures are more commonly assigned control numbers on the console and the faders are used to store playbacks.’

So, it would seem that it is not the quantity of lights, but rather the type that will have the biggest influence on the lighting console selected.

‘If you are running a generic rig of standard fixtures then you can pick up a cheap fader based console,’ notes Mr Floyd. ‘But, if you want to run movers and LED fixtures then you’ll need to find something that can handle the extra channels and is easy to program and operate.’

‘Once you’ve moved up to an intelligent computer-based console, consider ease of use and available programming time,’ adds Mr BairdSmith. ‘A theatre-style console will

budget is strict while maintaining the programming power currently found in most platforms. As you have budget you can upgrade to additional hardware units or even to the next level of smaller formatted control surfaces while maintaining the same operating platform.’

Lighting design

While ease of use, budgets and lighting stock are important

the lighting designer hoping to create?

‘The designer needs to make sure the console has the ability to aid them in creating the more advanced looks they wish to achieve,’ says Mr Holpin. ‘Make sure the console has simple but effective ways to create effects without taking too long or being too difficult to achieve. An intuitive control interface will allow these more “flashy” effects to be created pretty much with the touch of a button.’

Mr Baird-Smith recommends ‘a desk which is easy to learn, but has advanced tools to master. Effects engines allow a user to create complex and impressive effects using any features available in the fixture. Pixel mapping is also a way of creating a different feel in the space. Precise cue lists can help to create very smooth transitions, for example, from a celebratory mood to a reflective one.’

This article began by describing lighting consoles as the ‘brains of any lighting operation’, however, Mr Sutton concludes by declaring that, anatomically, ‘the lighting control platform is the “heartbeat” of your

The Mantra Lite from LSC is designed to offer particularly intuitive control of LED fixtures; LSC Lighting Systems’ Pete Floyd

(Above): Avolites’ Quartz is part of the Titan Mobile family; Stephen Baird-Smith of Avolites

Daryl Sutton from Harman-Professional Solutions

Martin’s M-PC runs on a Windows PC, useful for training and preprogramming

The series offers easy access points for maintenance

Epson’s big projection to small budgets

Epson’s big projection to small budgets

Epson aims to provide high install flexibility for larger venues without breaking the bank

Epson aims to provide high install flexibility for larger venues without breaking the bank

EPSON HAS recently unveiled three new entrylevel projector models under the banner of the EB-5000 series.

EPSON HAS recently unveiled three new entrylevel projector models under the banner of the EB-5000 series.

Aimed at installation in larger venues, the projectors emit up to 5,500 lumens of colour and white light and offer a contrast ratio of 15000:1. The series comprises the EB-5510, EB-5520W and EB-5530U. All three benefit from vertical and horizontal lens shift with improved zoom and focusing, reportedly providing more flexibility in mounting and aiding installation.

Aimed at installation in larger venues, the projectors emit up to 5,500 lumens of colour and white light and offer a contrast ratio of 15000:1. The series comprises the EB-5510, EB-5520W and EB-5530U. All three benefit from vertical and horizontal lens shift with improved zoom and focusing, reportedly providing more flexibility in mounting and aiding installation.

The three models differ in their resolution specifications, so that whereas the EB-5510 has a native resolution of XGA (1024x768), the EB5520W’s is WXGA (1280x800) and the EB-5530U boasts WUXGA (1920x1200). Aside from that, the EB-5530U and EB-5520W share many of the same specifications, such as 50-inch to 300-inch wide and tele zoom functionality. The EB-5510,

The three models differ in their resolution specifications, so that whereas the EB-5510 has a native resolution of XGA (1024x768), the EB5520W’s is WXGA (1280x800) and the EB-5530U boasts WUXGA (1920x1200). Aside from that, the EB-5530U and EB-5520W share many of the same specifications, such as 50-inch to 300-inch wide and tele zoom functionality. The EB-5510,

shift of 38 per cent.

Each projector makes use of RGB liquid crystal shutter projection technology and features an eco-mode, which reportedly allows for a lamp life of approximately 10,000 hours. While this makes lamp replacement a rare occurrence, when it does come time to change the bulb or the filter, the ergonomic design that Epson has developed for this series is said to enable easy access that means HOW technicians will not have to uninstall the projector from the ceiling.

shift of 38 per cent. Each projector makes use of RGB liquid crystal shutter projection technology and features an eco-mode, which reportedly allows for a lamp life of approximately 10,000 hours. While this makes lamp replacement a rare occurrence, when it does come time to change the bulb or the filter, the ergonomic design that Epson has developed for this series is said to enable easy access that means HOW technicians will not have to uninstall the projector from the ceiling.

The EB-5520W and EB-5530U both feature compatibility with a wide range of external devices as a result of their HDMI and HDBaseT connectivity. The HDBaseT connections can transmit Full HD video and audio via Ethernet using standard Cat-5e and Cat-6 cables. The EB-5510 also includes HDMI ports, but forfeits the HDBaseT connections.

The EB-5520W and EB-5530U both feature compatibility with a wide range of external devices as a result of their HDMI and HDBaseT connectivity. The HDBaseT connections can transmit Full HD video and audio via Ethernet using standard Cat-5e and Cat-6 cables. The EB-5510 also includes HDMI ports, but forfeits the HDBaseT connections.

Another feature shared by the EB-5520W and EB-5530U is the Miracast function that offers the ability to project content from compatible smart devices and laptops wirelessly, without the need to install any special software. This is achieved with the

Another feature shared by the EB-5520W and EB-5530U is the Miracast function that offers the ability to project content from compatible smart devices and laptops wirelessly, without the need to install any special software. This is achieved with the

manufacturer’s iProjection application, built-in to each model. It allows for the wireless control and transmission of Full HD video and sound from a connected device, removing the complications that arise in installing a physical connection setup, which can cause plenty of hassle regarding the aesthetics in many houses of worship.

each model. It allows for the wireless control and transmission of Full HD video and sound from a connected device, removing the complications that arise in installing a physical connection setup, which can cause plenty of hassle regarding the aesthetics in many houses of worship.

The EB-500 series projectors include split screen functionally, allowing for the display of two images simultaneously, side-by-side. They are all designed to automatically power on once a signal is detected and firmware updates will be available periodically, which can be installed either across a LAN network, or by inserting a USB stick storing the update into the projector.

The EB-500 series projectors include split screen functionally, allowing for the display of two images simultaneously, side-by-side. They are all designed to automatically power on once a signal is detected and firmware updates will be available periodically, which can be installed either across a LAN network, or by inserting a USB stick storing the update into the projector.

The series offers easy access points for maintenance

Epson’s EB-5530U is one of three models that form the new EB-5000 series

The rear of the EB-5530U, showing the two HDMI ports and HDBaseT connections

SD12 promises the best of everything

DIGICO IS aiming to deliver the best features of its S and SD lines with the new SD12 mixing console, describing it as the culmination of everything that it has learned over the last decade and a half. The desk borrows from the S and SD series of consoles, uses the latest generation of Super FPGA and has a compact footprint.

In terms of the technical specs, the SD12 features 72 input channels, 36 aux/group busses, a 12 x 8 matrix and LR/LCR bus, all with full processing. The desk also offers 12 stereo effects units, 16 graphic EQs, 119 dynamic EQs, 119 multiband compressors and 119 DiGi-TuBes, 12 control groups (VCA) and SD Series Stealth Core 2 software, making it compatible with all other SD Series sessions.

It has dual 15-inch digital touchscreens which were previously only seen on the SD7 and SD5. These screens provide 24 channels in one view, dual operator mode and the ability for the right-hand screen to be the master, as well as connectivity via optional DMI cards.

EQ and dynamics controls are aligned next to both the left- and right-hand screens and sit adjacent to the graphic representation seen when an EQ is assigned. The manufacturer has also included its Hidden Til Lit (HTL) technology, with two banks of 24 encoders featuring an RGB HTL ring, as well as an SD7-style channel strip with HTL EQ encoders. There is also new dynamics metering on the channel strip and new high intensity

meters associated with the faders. The rotaries that sit below the screen indicate, by colour, what parameters they are controlling, these are also HTL. In terms of feedback of the metering, alongside the dynamics controls are gain reduction meters normally only seen on the SD7 and SD5 and metering to show the action of the gates.

There is also an assignable master section on the bottom right hand side of the worksurface, again only previously seen on an SD7 or SD5, and two assignable faders with their own displays and metering, which can be assigned to be any of the channels whether input or output, or solo master controls. Dedicated RGB scribble strips, of which there are five, can be assigned to macros with five banks giving a total of 25 macros, and there is a snapshot panel for quickly accessing and controlling the snapshots list, as well as for firing the

Harman connects solutions

HARMAN CONNECTED PA is an integrated PA ecosystem developed to streamline setup and configuration of systems from several Harman brands via a single mobile app. The solution initially connects Soundcraft mixing consoles, AKG microphones, dbx stage boxes and JBL speakers that utilise the manufacturer’s ioSYS technology.

Designed for simplicity, the Harman Connected PA app not only removes the need for multiple apps and GUIs in configuring a system, but automatically identifies and configures connected equipment with its setup wizards. The app is available for

There are two slots for DMI cards. Options include a Dante module, which can be plugged straight into the back of the console, and a Waves module alongside a variety of DMI cards that can be changed between different projects.

next and previous snapshot. On the back of the console are eight local mic/line inputs, eight local line outputs and eight channels of local AES/EBU inputs and outputs, as well as two Madi ports, plus a UB Madi connection for recording at 48kHz. 48 tracks of recording are possible with the console clocking at 48kHz and 24 tracks if it is clocking at 96kHz.

The SD12’s suite of remote control options include the iPad SD remote app which offers remote control, expansion and show control. Offline software, meanwhile, allows for session preparation and online remote. There are OSC and Ross network protocols; 16-pin GPIO that allows for audio follows video and show control; serial/Midi in/ out for MMC/MTC, Midi remote and QLab; second console mirroring and redundancy.

There is also the option to use the Optocore network with two loop options, reportedly allowing the SD12 to sit anywhere on a loop with any other Optocore enabled SD product.

www.digico.biz

iOS and Android devices, as well as ‘Musicians need a fast and easy way to set up their PA system so they can focus on performing instead of worrying about their equipment,’ explained Noel Larson, senior global manager at Harman Professional Solutions. ‘The Harman Connected PA system provides a simple and effective way to set up and operate an entire PA system from one central app, with minimal pro audio skills or previous live sound experience.’

www.connected-pa.com

www.harman.com

Local I/O on the rear of the SD12

DiGiCo’s SD12 console

The Harman Connected PA app brings Harman branded gear together in a single ecosystem

dLive goes compact

complemented by colour-mapped rotary controls.

In addition to providing capacity for 128 inputs with full processing, the CDM32, CDM48 and CDM64 MixRacks deliver 16 dedicated stereo effects returns and include a fullyconfigurable 64-mix bus architecture, with full processing abilities on all mix channels. dLive’s design architecture also makes it so that users are able to mix without a surface by combining a MixRack with a laptop or tablet.

Next-proaudio’s

PORTUGUESE LOUDSPEAKER manufacturer

flagship dLive S Class mixers, the new dLive C Class range of surfaces and MixRacks offers the dLive platform in a more compact form factor. This, the British manufacturer states, will allow the platform to be used across a wider spectrum of A/V, installation and live event applications.

The dLive C Class systems also have the DEEP processing architecture of their S Class counterparts. This allows compressors and processing emulations to be embedded directly within inputs and mix channels. The series is initially formed of three

of which possesses a 128-channel I/O port, with support for a range of networking cards, such as Dante, Waves and Madi, among others. They are all compatible with S Class hardware and ME personal mixing systems as well as the full dLive ecosystem of apps, Director software and other accessories.

On the surface side, the line-up features the 19-inch rack mountable C1500, in addition to the C2500 and the twin-screen C3500. The C Class Surfaces utilise the dLive Harmony UI, which offers gesture touch control by way of 12-inch capacitive screens,

Fast and furious

THE PRESONUS FaderPort 8 mix production controller has been produced to speed up the workflow when connected via USB 2.0 to a digital audio workstation (DAW). It reportedly delivers precise tactile control over a DAW mix with automation functionality, such as complete transport control.

FaderPort 8, as the numerical value of its name suggests, features eight touch-sensitive, motorised, 100mm faders, in addition to 57 buttons that cover 78 separate functions that allow the user to quickly zoom in on audio files for editing, adjust the click-track tempo, modify plug-in parameters, manage aux mixes and control track levels. It also includes what PreSonus refers to as Session Navigator, which provides access to eight missioncritical functions. Dedicated buttons for arming all tracks for recording, control mutes and Solo Clear, viewing only selected tracks, busses and VCAs, among other functions are also present. The four preset controls can also be customised to offer quick access to any function.

To further assist in cutting down on time, PreSonus has made the buttons on the unit notably large, in addition to being illuminated by backlights. Eight HD digital scribble strips give visual feedback and the option is also provided to select a track using a mouse.

When used in conjunction with the manufacturer’s Studio One software suite, FaderPort 8 allows users to bypass all plug-ins on any track and to open the Channel Editor, facilitating the control of each channel’s custom macro via the faders. The mix production controller also offers streamlined workflow and support for the Mackie Control and HUI protocols.

Meanwhile, PreSonus has also released the CTC-1 Pro Console Shaper, the second in its series of Mix Engine FX plug-ins for Studio One 3 Professional.

The plug-in makes use of state space modelling technology to capture and emulate the sound of analogue consoles by modelling their input drive, channel noise

Coinciding with the release of dLive C Class, Allen & Heath has uploaded a firmware update for all dLive mixers. V1.4 brings the ability to display a third, independent view on an external monitor, as well as warranty and service upgrades.

dLive V1.4’s new features include the Dyn8 plug-in, supplying four dynamic EQ bands and quad-band compression, DCA spills, Virtual Soundcheck mode and Dimension Chorus Rack effects. Embedded DEEP plug-ins have also received new features, such as Peak Compressor/Limiter 76 emulation and the Multi-Stage Ducking Processor.

www.allen-heath.com

Next-proaudio has developed a new Acoustic Simulation Tool (AST) for 2D modelling of either single subwoofer setups or subwoofer arrays. Intended to aid Nextproaudio owners when deploying subwoofers into a venue, the tool is stated to be ‘extremely intuitive and easy-to-use’. The simulator allows the user to simulate in 11 different ISO 266 spacing frequencies (20Hz to 200Hz) and is capable of predicting the acoustical performance of the subwoofers, helping the user to find the best solution for a given venue with multiple sound sources.

The AST includes a database of Next’s subwoofer models, containing sensitivity, maximum power and cabinet dimensions. Several different parameters can be tweaked, including orientation and vertical stack (up to four units), as well as electronic parameters that can be also individually configured such as polarity, delay and gain. To achieve

and crosstalk. Automatic gain compensation and a pass through option are also offered.

The CTC-1’s Drive stage is designed to re-create the characteristic dynamic behaviour of an analogue console input preamp with different modelled analogue noise on each channel. Crosstalk generated spills over into adjacent channels, decreasing the further away a channel is from the source. To prevent the CPU load from becoming too much during large projects, an eco mode reduces processing by using simplifying algorithms with less

attention paid to the nonlinearity in the signals.

Special gain compensation algorithms are also included to avoid extreme gain offsets with two settings: the Bus setting and the Channel setting. When the Bus setting is selected, master gain compensation is applied inside the bus that CTC-1 is inserted in before any bus insert effects. Whereas when the Channel setting is applied, individual gain compensation is applied in each channel routed into the bus.

www.presonus.com

PreSonus’ Farder Port 8

Allen & Heath has released the compact dLive C Class

light work of sub arrays

Find

Find

Monitoring the Radius

EASTERN ACOUSTIC Works (EAW) has expanded its Radius line with the addition of a dedicated floor monitor: the Radius RSX12M. The series now includes units designed to serve as mains, fills and subwoofers, in addition to monitors.

music:

1.77-inch voice coil compression driver handles the highs.

Next-proaudio has developed the Acoustic Simulation Tool

is interior or exterior. The use of gobos can suggest whether the scene takes place under the shade of trees, in a city or underwater.

When approaching lighting for any special event or drama, be sure not to forget that the overarching function and purpose of stage lighting is to support and reinforce the story being told. Again, creating lighting for special events doesn’t have to be expensive. Even if you’re a small facility with a small number of lighting fixtures, there are some tools that you can use to help achieve some of your desired lighting looks.

Featuring onboard 500W per channel bi-amplified electronics and including the manufacturer’s Focusing and DynO algorithms housed inside a 12-inch vented cone, the RSX12M packs a 2.5inch voice coil to drive the low frequencies, while a 1- x 1-inch exit

visit www.mymixaudio.com/how for more info

visit www.mymixaudio.com/how for more info

©2015 MOVEK, Inc.

MOVEK, Inc.

Using colour

the frequency and phase response in a desired location, with the software permitting up to four listening points simultaneously. The user only needs to indicate how far the virtual measurement will be taken and click to trace. A polar plot is also available

Coloured lighting can be achieved in a couple of different ways. If your

(0- to 90-degrees), the Virtual Arc tool performs the necessary calculations and presents the required data (sub location and delay) to input into a DSP audio processor.

www.next-proaudio.com

facility is equipped with LED-wash fixtures or automated fixtures with colour wheels or CMY-colour mixing, then you already have some tools to easily add colour to your event. If you only have conventional lighting fixtures installed, colour can be achieved by purchasing colour filters, called gels. Gels are transparent pieces of coloured plastic that are added in front of the lights, forcing the light beam to pass through. Gels are inexpensive and can be purchased in almost any colour you can imagine. Colour can be used very effectively to assist and influence the audience’s understanding of and reaction to what is being presented. It can be used to indicate literal times of day or whether a scene is inside or outside. It can also be used metaphorically to reinforce or

suggest moods that the actors are feeling, or to evoke particular feelings of the audience members. When using colour, you need to be mindful of the colour(s) used on the set or wardrobes of actors as well. For instance, shining red light on a red jacket will reinforce the red pigment of the jacket, while shining red light on a blue jacket will cause the jacket to appear darker or ‘blacker.’ If you have the opportunity, I would suggest reading up on basic colour theory for lighting applications or test it out before the event happens. In most cases, coloured lighting will come from over the stage as downlighting or back-lighting, depending on the layout of your facility’s lighting grid. If you have access to LED or automated fixtures, you will be able to wash your stage in multiple colours from a small

EAW states that the stage monitors are able to offer ‘a uniform coverage pattern of 105 x 105-degrees’ and that the system latency is as low as 2.6ms to provide ‘transparency in vocal monitoring applications’. As with the other members of the Radius family, the RSX12M is compatible with the EAWMosaic system prediction, control and monitoring app for iPad.

www.eaw.com

quantity of fixtures. If you don’t, you will need to plan on a set of fixtures (however many it takes to wash your stage) for each colour you are wanting to use as you will be unable to swap out gels during the event. Colour can also be used from the front and side lighting, though in most cases this is subtler than down- or back-lighting. For instance, a subtle cool and warm set of colours can be used in front lights to help reinforce different times of the day or locations where light can be described as being ‘cooler’ or ‘warmer.’

Using patterns

family gains a stage monitor in the

Often more understated, but just as effective as colour, is the addition of texture in the lighting plan. Texture is created through projecting images

This is what perfect sound looks like

The LR18 pro-ribbon line-array combines a superb directivity control and throw with a fully intuitive linear response with industry’s lowest distortion. The LR18 enables a 1:1 reproduction of the original sound source, due to Alcons’ multiple-patented pro-ribbon transducer technology.

USB compliant audio (24 channels)

But don’t take our word for it: The LR18 was recently tested in Germany. Read it on our website.

Selective focus deployed on actors Abstract gobos on a stage floor Gobos can be used to add patterns

Q-Sys gains AES67 support

QSC HAS confirmed that the Q-Sys Designer v5.3 firmware update will bring AES67 support to the Q-Sys platform. This will enable distribution of the AoIP interoperability standard between Q-Sys and other systems that support AES67 without the need for additional hardware.

AES67 brings a bridging compliance mode to Q-Sys for any IP networked audio system operating with standard Layer 3 Ethernet connections. This allows the system to interchange audio between different AoIP platforms and allows communication with systems running alternative network technologies, such as Ravenna and Dante.

In other Q-Sys Designer v5.3 software updates, QSC has partnered with Shure to increase the level of integration between the platform and Shure’s Microflex Advance and Microflex Wireless microphones. This includes new control plug-ins for the Shure MXA910 ceiling array mics and Microflex Wireless systems and the addition of a detailed quick start guide to keep set up and integration simple. The addition of the Shure MXA910 Control plug-in provides Q-Sys peripherals and touchscreen controllers with a variety of audio control, preset recall and monitoring functions for MXA910. The plug-in is ‘de-coupled’ from the Q-Sys platform’s own audio integration method, allowing users to control and select alternative audio transport methods, such as with analogue audio using Shure’s ANI series, the Q-Sys Dante bridging card or via AES67 software support on the

Q-Sys Core processor series. When using AES67 as the audio integration method, users can integrate all Q-Sys Core processors in the platform with the MXA910 without the need for extra hardware or software licenses.

QSC has also been busy on the hardware side, releasing the K Cardioid Subwoofer which joins the K Family of loudspeakers. Containing the manufacturer’s DSP technology and 1,000W Class-D amplification, the subwoofer is constructed as a compact unit designed for portable applications, as well as being suitable for installations.

Stating that the K Cardioid Subwoofer ‘provides all the benefits of a cardioid subwoofer array but in a single enclosure’, QSC has included dual 12-inch excursion drivers arranged in a sixth order bandpass chamber, combining to reportedly produce 15dB more output at the front of the cabinet than at the rear. The cabinet features aluminum handles and four rearmounted casters, with a pair of M20 sockets that accept a 35mm speaker pole in either vertical or horizontal deployment.

The E Series has also gained a pair

moves to the next generation

ADOPTING UPDATED technical solutions and user-friendly features, LD Systems has introduced second generation Maui 11 G2 and Maui 28 G2 active column systems. Like their predecessors, the Maui 11 G2 and Maui 28 G2 have been designed as easy-to-use PA systems in small- to medium-sized venues. The respective outputs of the Maui 11 G2 and Maui 28 G2 cabinets have been increased using Class-D amplifiers to 500W and 1,000W RMS respectively. Portability has also been enhanced as the weight of both column systems has been reduced and the Maui 11 G2 can now be

The E215, meanwhile is built with dual 15-inch LF drivers each with a 3.5-inch voice coil. It makes use of a frequency-shading topology, said to minimise vertical lobing through the HF crossover transition. Transparent high frequency reproduction is claimed for the compression driver, which features a 1.4-inch throat with

of new models in the form of the E218SW dual 18-inch subwoofer and E215 dual 15-inch full-range cabinet. The E218SW features a pair of 18-inch die-cast frame woofers with 4-inch voice coils and power handling of 1,800W continuous (6,400W peak) to deliver a maximum SPL of 132dB and LF extension down to 32Hz at -10dB. Handles and a captive-skid system facilitate ground stacking.

2.8-inch voice coil which reportedly achieves 1,200W continuous power handling (4,800W peak), while the manufacturer’s Directivity Matched Transition (DMT) technology is included for frequency response uniformity across a 75-degree coverage area, with enhanced LF extension down to 40Hz.

www.qsc.com

assembled from two sections. Housed in 15mm plywood and finished in either black or white, the Maui 11 G2 and Maui 28 G2 cabinets accommodate three 6.5- and two 8-inch LF woofers respectively. The corresponding aluminium column sections feature 16 3-inch drivers for the Maui 28 G2 and eight 3-inch drivers in the Maui 11 G2. Coupled to BEM (Boundary Element Method) optimised waveguides newly developed dual 1-inch neodymium tweeters comprise the HF sections. Four-channel mixers with Hi-Z input options, stereo line inputs the speaker columns to be used www.ld-systems.com

The latest Q-Sys update supports AES67

The E215 15-inch cabinet

Maui

Media is black and white for RCF

WITH A pair of new additions as well as black or white colour options, RCF’s Media Series of two-way passive speakers for small to mediumsized installations has been expanded. The new releases see 10-inch and 12-inch models added to the range, while the manufacturer insists that offering the range in white will make them suitable for almost any environment and architectural constraint.

Starting with the new models, the M1001 and M1201 offer a 10-inch and 12-inch woofer respectively. Both models have a 1-inch HF driver on a 90-degree x 60-degree constant directivity horn and a power handling capability of 300W AES. They both use oversized magnets and Kapton diaphragm compression drivers while the Low Impedance Compensated Crossover (LICC) design provides electronic protection for the driver.

Amate speaks Dante

RCF’s M1201 is one of the new additions to the line

As with the earlier M501, M601 and M801 cabinets, the new models can be wall- or ceiling-mounted thanks to installation points on the rear panel, top and bottom and Vesa Mount facilities on the rear of the cabinets. All models feature a steel front grille with double mesh polyester cloth, rotatable RCF front logo and a 4-pin Euroblock connector.

www.rcf.it

Countryman better connects the B6

COUNTRYMAN’S B6

omnidirectional microphone lays claim to the title of smallest lavaliere microphone in the world. In answer to a reportedly common request from users to provide the B6 with the ability to switch between different brands of transmitter, recorder and all other equipment quickly and easily, the manufacturer has released a range of detachable connectors for the microphone.

This range includes 3.5mm, Hirose, TA3F, TA4F/Tiny QG, TA5F,

New detachable connectors are available for the Countryman B6

Lemo and XLR models, covering over 400 pieces of equipment from manufacturers such as AKG, Shure, Sennheiser, Lectrosonics, Sony and Wisycom to name but a few.

To ensure the B6’s best possible performance, Countryman says the range is built to resist radio frequency interference, while the mechanical elements selected for manufacture were chosen due to the reliability and ruggedness they provide to endure professional use.

www.countryman.com

THE DSP608D adds Dante support to Amate Audio’s DSP608 digital loudspeaker management system. The 6-in/8-out, 1U device features a 2-channel Dante input, via its RJ-45 Ethernet port.

The DSP608D offers a 64-bit DSP architecture, 24-bit AD/ DA converters and 118dB input dynamic range. As well as Dante, it has four balanced XLR analogue inputs and two channels of AES/ EBU. Four inputs (two fixed analogue, two selectable between analogue, AES/EBU or Dante)

can be routed to the unit’s eight balanced XLR outputs.

Features include 1Hz frequency resolution, 10 parametric EQs for each I/O, two crossovers per output, an independent limiter for each output and delay line up to 2s (680m) per I/O. Four LEDs per I/O provide signal monitoring and it can be operated via backlit LCD and keypad or remotely via DSPLink. It has storage for 80 pre-sets and a universal switch mode power supply.

www.amateaudio.com

Instrumental mounting

AUDIO-TECHNICA HAS built upon its ATM350 series with the release of the ATM350a microphone packages. These are cardioid condenser instrument microphones designed with six specific configurations for mounting on instruments such as woodwinds, strings, brass, percussion, drums and piano.

The ATM350a microphones are capable of handling an SPL up to 159dB and feature a cardioid polar pattern to minimise side and rear pickup and protect from feedback. A switchable 80Hz hi-pass filter is incorporated as part of the in-line power module to reduce ambient noise. Making use of the manufacturer’s UniMount system, the ATM350a mics provide a variety of mounting options, such as a drum, magnetic piano, universal clip-on and expandable woodwind mount and a pair of flexible goosenecks, which can be attached to any of the mounts.

The ATM350U and ATM350UL are the 5-inch and 9-inch gooseneck models, respectively. Both are cardioid condenser instrument mics with a universal clip-on mounting system and include an AT8543 power module, AT8468 violin mount with a ‘hookand-loop’ fastening method and a protective carry case in addition to the ATM350a microphone itself.

The universal clip-on solution

The ATM350PL, ATM350D and ATM350W systems feature the ATM350a with the piano, drum and woodwind mounting system respectively. The piano mounting system is a 9-inch gooseneck, while the drum and woodwind are 5-inch versions. All three include the power module, violin mount and protective case.

The ATM350UcW, meanwhile, is a wireless version of the ATM350a and it includes the ATM350acW microphone.

www.audio-technica.com

VocoPro goes mix and match

AIMED AT theatrical productions, houses of worship or bands wanting to simplify set up and tear down, VocoPro’s latest hybrid wireless systems, the UDH-4-ULTRA and UDH-8-ULTRA are described by the manufacturer as ‘the first in the industry to offer reliable, flexible, all-inone solutions that can go from a choir performance to a band gig without missing a beat’. The systems come with four or eight handheld, lapel and headset mics, body-pack transmitters and instrument cables. VocoPro believes this system to be the first ever to allow users to mix and match

Lectrosonics updates and adaptations

FIRMWARE V4.0 has been released for Lectrosonics’ IFB-R1a beltpack receivers, adding the ability to operate in two different user interface modes. Following the update, Scan Mode delivers the original IFB-R1a interface experience whereby users scan for carrier frequencies, storing up to five. Direct Entry Mode, meanwhile, provides the option to program channels directly using the pushbutton and hex switches, and increases the channelstorage count up to 10.

The firmware update caters for those using larger IFB systems and speeds up the set up time. Users can switch between the two UI modes using the hex switches on the side of their receiver.

The latest version of the firmware

The IFB-R1a (top) has received a firmware update

is included with all new UHF IFB-R1a receivers. Older units may be installed with the v4.0 update via Lectrosonics’ parts and repairs department.

The manufacturer has also produced a bottom plate adapter for its SR Series receivers. The SRAES3 is compatible with all SR Series dualchannel slot receivers. It outputs AES3 audio at 48kHz sampling with

It’s good to Talk

LISTEN TECHNOLOGIES is boasting the ‘largest range of any existing portable FM technology’ with the 100m it cites for its ListenTalk mobile two-way communication system. The solution has been developed for noisy, crowded and/or mobile environments where people need to communicate with others and wish to avoid having to shout or whisper, such as worship services.

The system has been created to allow contact with leaders and other participants in a group via the onetouch talk-back feature. Participant talk-back mode can be set up for one-to-one, one-to-many or all-to-all communication. ListenTalk operates

with encryption on the 1.9GHz band while a docking station case charges, stores and programs the devices. Additional ListenTalk features include a removable, rechargeable lithiumion battery, simple user interface and technology that enables devices to be deployed globally.

Users have the option to carry the ListenTalk transceiver with a built-in microphone in their pocket or attach it to a belt or lanyard. The device comes standard with an ear speaker. Additionally, a variety of headsets are available, and the system is compatible with personal smartphone earbuds.

Channel configuration is done using

an internal clock and 44.1kHz, 48kHz or 96kHz sampling with an external clock, and balanced analogue audio from -50dBu to +5dBu in 1dB increments. The CH1 jack on the device can deliver one or two channels of digital audio, while CH2 feeds analogue audio.

The SRAES3’s multi-pin interface and mounting holes have the same design as on all receiver output adapters in the SR Series and an external word clock may be fed to the device via a BNC connector. A field changeable jumper applies a 75-ohms word clock connection termination.

www.lectrosonics.com

any combination of wireless mics and bodypacks in either 4- or 8-channel models.

Described by the manufacturer as plug and play, the systems include four or eight handheld microphones, four or eight bodypack transmitters with headsets and lavalieres and four or eight bodypack patch cables to enable instruments to go wireless. In terms of the technology, UDH-4-ULTRA and UDH-8-ULTRA use hybrid wireless technology for a 60m range and operates in the 900MHz band.

www.vocopro.com

Multiplying

digital

signage

USERS OF Barix’ Audio Signage platform will now be able to deliver multichannel audio tracks for digital signage to mobile phones as a result of the latest firmware update. The firmware update will run on a standard Barix

The Barix Exstreamer Store & Play

Exstreamer Store & Play and is available for free download from the manufacturer’s website. The updated Audio Signage solution is stated to work for any location where digital signage needs the additional boost of streamed audio. ‘Consider three digital signage displays running, each with a unique audio track that is transmitted via Wi-Fi to mobile phone users,’ says Barix’ Reto Brader. ‘The museum previously would have to buy and use a Linux PC to enable the delivery of channel information to the mobile app. Now, all they need is an Exstreamer Store & Play loaded with the new, free firmware.’

www.barix.com

For a powerful worship experience: Introducing the new Ascender 16

and thanks to the proliferation of ever-higher resolutions in consumer technologies, poor image quality will have a massive effect on the overall perception of the quality of services.

8-mixer scalable Presentation Switcher

Recording, control and playback abilities

Meyer Sound returns to studio monitors

Acheron screen channel line to studio monitoring.

across the screen which wouldn’t be suitable. How loud is the operating noise? Traditional congregations are likely quiet environments and any camera noise must not be audible over the background noise.

TASCAM IS targeting the professional installation and sound reinforcement markets, as well as the house of worship sector specifically, with its new range of professional rackmount products.

REPRESENTING MEYER Sound’s first studio monitor since 1995, Amie was initially developed to meet the demands of Skywalker Sound. According to the California-based manufacturer, Amie is a studio monitor that provides ‘precision translation, exceptional power and a great price point, providing intricate

‘First and foremost, choose a camera that provides the best video quality performance within the budget expectations. Essentially make sure to maximise your ROI to make your money go as far as possible,’ continues Mr Musgrave. ‘Second, make sure to choose an adequate focal range or optical zoom range that will do the job determined by the size of the space and the distance the camera is installed from the shot. Can you zoom all the way in to achieve your goals?’ he asks. ‘Thirdly, I would strongly advise you to demo cameras anywhere and everywhere possible for evaluation prior to purchase.’

The S-R250N solid-state recorder and SS-CDR250N solid-state/ CD recorder build upon the manufacturer’s existing SS-CDR200 digital audio recorder and are designed to ‘exceed the demands of modern installations’. They offer networking and scheduled recording features, in addition to optional Dante support via an IFDA2 Dante card.

colour LCD screen, start/stop control and 12 flash play buttons.

details of dialogue to dynamic music tracks to explosive action sequences’.

The new monitor features what the manufacturer describes as ‘an innovative waveguide design’ which reportedly offers ‘uniform coverage and precision imaging’.

Meyer Sound states that its new monitor has been ‘designed as a linear sound system to reproduce each sonic element with accuracy and consistency’. As such, Amie extends the translation of the

Another addition to TASCAM’s catalogue is the CD-A580, a CD, USB and cassette player/recorder. This is a multi-platform playback unit that the manufacturer states there is very much still the demand for.

Main benefits of the Ascender 16 - Ref. ASC1602:

u 12 seamless inputs with 42 source plugs

u 4 program outputs + operator’s mosaic/aux.

EAW gives birth to Anna

camera alternatives at every price point, the lower the price the more camera positions you can install. Just make sure to install cameras that will bring you the best video quality expectations.’

As you can see there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to PTZ cameras, but the features themselves are reasonably self explanatory. A thorough understanding of what needs to be achieved will lead to the right solution. Research is key but

With its flat frequency and phase response and low distortion, Amie reportedly allows listening for long periods of time without strain or fatigue.

u Independant Preview/Mosaic/Monitoring output with Full live Preview of all sources

u Customization of monitoring layouts (Up to 8 templates stored)

www.meyersound.com

u 1 native background layer per output + 8 PIP mixers

standard network cable, aiding the installation process.

u Advanced Layer Management and outstanding visual effects

EAW HAS expanded its Adaptive Systems family with the introduction of Anna. Boasting a more compact footprint and a lower weight than its bigger sister Anya, Anna has been designed for more mid-sized applications requiring precise coverage and being able to adapt coverage to any venue geometry in seconds. Each Anna module includes 14 customised transducers, including eight HF compression drivers that provide a continuous line of apertures on a horn that expands to fill the entire face of the enclosure. The MF

The SSR250N and SS-CDR250N are also designed to pair with the new RC-SS150 Flash Remote controller. Built to withstand ‘years

While a lack of budget is a common complaint in houses of worship, Mr Musgrave sees this as a positive in this instance, explaining that one of the biggest purchasing mistakes he sees churches making is the assumption that price drives quality, without even evaluating lower priced alternatives. ‘At this point there are PTZ cameras for every budget, and while you want to get the best ROI, don’t let price drive the entire decision,’ he furthers. ‘Evaluate

Connectivity

‘As much as the audio world is shifting to digital, there is still strong market demand for a cassette device,’ explained Joe Stopka, director of sales and business development at TASCAM. ‘And the CD-A580, with the ability to not only play cassette but to record from cassette to MP3 on USB is the perfect bridge from the past to the future.’

u Scalable system: 16 PIP mixers/24 inputs/8+2 outputs

Anna has joined EAW’s Adaptive Systems family

Miscellaneous

u Very user-friendly and intuitive graphic user interface

This will largely depend on your existing setup and probably be either SDI, HDMI or Ethernet. If you don’t know what SDI is, then it definitely won’t be required. The lowest cost PTZ cameras have consumer HDMI output connections, with appeal to most houses of worship, though having cable length limitations. Models accepting Ethernet connections allow for the possibility to receive video and send power down a single existing

section is composed of four 5-inch cone transducers combined with radial phase plugs and concentric summation array technology to sum

coherently with the HF wavefront. Dual 10-inch LF cone transducers encompassing offset aperture loading extend horizontal pattern control into the lower octaves for the LF section. Each Anna module is powered by 14 integrated amplifier and processing channels providing independent power and control of each loudspeaker component. Resolution 2 software controls the processing of each acoustic cell individually.

as soon as it is switched on. While recording the measurement data, it simultaneously records the audio signal as a WAV file, allowing users to analyse it again at a later stage.

more, connect with us on:

columns of Anna modules reportedly interlock side-by-side with columns of the Anya large format Adaptive Performance system, supplementing fill or horizontally expanding Anyabased systems for out-fill. Both Anya and Anna integrate with the Otto Adaptive subwoofer.

The XL2 is setup to continuously monitor low-frequency band levels at 63Hz and 125Hz and is able to measure the average LCeq in intervals varying from 5s to 60 minutes. Stored within the

In addition to being a stand-alone PA,

It’s easy to presume image quality is the be-all and end-all of video camera concerns. It is massively important, but it’s also extremely easy to evaluate. Features often overlooked are also often the cause of some big headaches down the line. For example, how smooth is the panning mechanism? Many PTZ cameras are designed for the security market and are low-cost, can be remote-controlled and remotely-viewed – some attributes that make them appealing for HOWs. If the mechanism isn’t smooth, camera movement could send the resulting image jumping

Marshall’s VS-PTC-200: The preferred controller for CV620 cameras

evaluation is paramount. Ask friendly congregations what solutions they use, or alternatively look at renting various units so you can ‘try before you buy’.

the most suitable part of a venue and the Limit Light mounted on the mixing console via an XLR cable. Limit Light features a rotary dial that dims the LED lights according to the background brightness and to not stand out at dimly lit events.

Anna modules are sold in groups of 24 or 12 enclosures with the inclusion of power and data distribution, dollies, covers, fly-bars and cabling. The entire power plant including amplification, DSP and communications is replaceable, independent of the module’s acoustic package.

www.nti-audio.com

www.marshallelectronics.net

www.eaw.com

www.shotoku.tv

The SS-CDR250N solid-state/CD recorder

The XL2 is designed for live sound monitoring

Ross Video’s VR-one PTZ head mounted with traditional broadcast camera

monitor mixer

Amie from Meyer Sound

Penn Elcom quietly keeps its cool

PENN ELCOM has released a new ‘quiet’ exhaust fan for heat extraction in cupboards and other enclosed environments that feature 19-inch rack equipment. The product comes with a drill template to aid installation, creating an extraction hole and then fitting a cover to keep the overall cabinet enclosure looking smart. With an operating low-noise specification of 22.5dB, the FT80-Q fan is well-suited to low noise environments

Measuring 80mm, the fan is also

small enough to be ensconced ‘just about anywhere’ in a cabinet.

A thermal sensor accessory can be plugged in to the temperature sensor socket which is set to start operating at 40-degrees Celsius, and will reset at 30-degrees Celsius. The sensor accessory is supplied with an acrylic adhesive pad to be positioned in an area where it can detect the ambient temperature of the equipment being cooled.

www.penn-elcom.com

Chauvet gets colourful

CHAUVET’S DJ launched several new lighting fixtures applicable to the house of worship and corporate market, including the Colorband PiX-M USB, FXpar 3 and FXarray Q5.

The Colorband PiX-M USB is described as a moving LED strip light that serves as a wall-wash able to create sweeping, chase and blinder effects. It has a rotating base, pixel-mapping capabilities and the ability to control each of its 10 LEDs individually. In terms of connectivity, the Colorband PiX-M features D-Fi USB compatibility for wireless master/slave or DMX control but users can also access pre-built automated programs with or without DMX. Wireless, operation is available with the optional IRC-6 remote.

FXpar 3 is a compact effects PAR

Cameo takes control

WITH ITS DVC 4 DMX interface and associated D 4 software, Cameo is allowing DMX-compatible fixtures to be controlled via a Mac or PC. In live mode, the plug-and-play interface offers 512 DMX channels. Used in standalone mode with 256 channels, programmed light shows can be copied to the integrated flash memory.

The free D 4 software package reportedly contains over 15,000 device libraries and a scan library editor to create and edit device profiles. The free Easy Remote app, which can be downloaded from the Cameo website, adds remote control by iPhones, iPads and Android.

In other news, the Adam Hall brand has released four new lights in the form of a pair of moving head LEDs and two outdoor PAR cans.

Starting with the moving heads, the Auro Spot 400 and Auro Spot 300 are both RDM-capable single LED lights which feature a battery-powered sixbutton display for offline configuration, three-pin and five-pin DMX inputs and outputs, Neutrik PowerCon connectors

and a temperaturecontrolled low-noise fan.

In terms of differences, the Auro Spot 400 sports two gobo wheels, rotating and fixed gobos, two colour wheels and a choice of three rotating prisms enabling 12 colours, split colours and two temperatures of white. The movement is 630-degrees pan and 230-degrees tilt. It provides 5-channel, 19-channel and 27-channel DMX control and auto programs for operation as master, slave and standalone. Functions include motorised focus, frost filter, a choice of four dimming curves, shake effects and a 0Hz to 20Hz strobe.

The Auro Spot 300 meanwhile offers eight colours plus white and split colours, a rotating 3-facet prism, eight fixed and six replaceable rotating gobos. In terms of movement, it can achieve 630-degrees pan

and 235-degrees tilt. It features 5-channel, 15-channel, 24-channel DMX control modes, automated programs and sound activation as well as master, slave and standalone capabilities. Functions include a choice of four dimming curves, gobo shake and a 0Hz to 20Hz cycle strobe. Heading outside, the main difference between the Zenit P 130 and Zenit P 40 is the LEDs used. The

compatible with the IRC-6 for remote control over all features and includes sound-activated and automated programs.

Lastly, FXarray Q5 is a quad-colour LED wash light featuring an array of RGB+UV LEDs to spread light evenly across an area. The wash LEDs and the RGB SMDs can be controlled separately to create dynamic light shows and effects together with sound-activated and automated programs. The FXarray Q5 is also compatible with the IRC-6 remote for control over all features.

www.chauvetdj.com

P 130 is equipped with four 32W RGBW Osram Ostar LEDs while the P 40 offers the same number of the 10W version. The rest of the functionality is remarkably similar. Both models are IP65-rated PAR cans with an 8-degree beam angle plus the option of 25-degree or 45-degree angles through light shaping diffusers. Both models are also RDM-compatible and include seven modes of DMX control, automated programs as well as master, slave and standalone capability. The lights feature colour temperature and individual LED colour correction, strobe, four selectable dimming curves and adjustable dimming response. To enable daisy-chaining, the die-cast aluminium housing provides locking 5-pin DMX and AC power inputs and outputs. An OLED display with four touch buttons enables configuration.

www.cameolight.com

Penn Elcom’s FT80-Q exhaust fan kit

The DVC 4 and associated D 4 software

Chauvet Colorband PiX-M USB

Elation lights the way for broadcast

ELATION PROFESSIONAL’S two new offerings, the TVL Softlight DW and TVL Panel DW, are designed particularly for use in broadcast applications with flicker free operation, said to make them a consideration for a house of worship that broadcasts, streams or records its services and events. Both incorporate cool white and warm white LEDs as well as linear colour temperature control to offer myriad variable shade projections, from warm white tungsten to cool white daylight.

Both luminaires offer white colour reproduction with a CRI of more than 95. Design features include 16-bit dimming, variable dimming curve effects, electronic strobe and eight-leaf

adjustable and removable barn doors.

The TVL Softlight DW and TVL Panel DW are both controlled by multiple DMX channel modes and include 5-pin DMX I/O, RJ-45 EtherCon (Art-NET) and PowerCon True1 connections.

A 180-degree reversible LCD menu display and four-button touch control panel facilitate navigation through DMX and manual settings and multiple unit power linking is provided as an option.

The fixtures are also reportedly built for energy efficiency, lower running costs and reduced maintenance, all advantages that are typical with LED systems. They also include an autosensing power supply that handles worldwide voltages and frequencies.

As for the differences between

the two fixtures, the TVL Panel DW possesses 480 cool white and 480 warm white LEDs and a beam angle of 150-degrees, while the TVL Softlight DW features 240 cool white and 240 warm white LEDs and a beam angle of

Anolis architects LED fixtures

ANOLIS USED ISE 2017 in Amsterdam as the platform to launch its new architectural LED fixtures. The first of these is the Ambiane range of intelligent downlighters, which initially comprises two models, an RGB white and a tuneable white version. They each offer DMX as well as Dali control. The tuneable white solution possesses a colour temperature range from 1,000K to 6,500K and 18-bit digital dimming.

Meanwhile, the Divine UV 60 is a 160W all-LED luminaire that is

output of UV via its precision UVstable components that are encased

is targeting installation and themed applications in particular with the

Gefen shows its support for HDMI 2.0a

AS THE transition to 4K UHD continues, so too does Gefen in its development of new products to facilitate the format. The latest additions to the brand’s 600MHz line-up are a pair of matrix products, the EXT-UHD600A-44 and EXTUHD600A-88, both of which support the full bandwidth of HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2 standards in addition to providing a few extra features.

As well as being HDMI 2.0a and HDR compliant, the new matrix products both support all 4K timings and Chroma subsampling formats

and feature analogue and digital audio breakouts that separate the audio stream from each HDMI output, allowing sound content to be individually distributed to its own speaker systems and amplifiers. With independent scalers built into each unit, two of the EXT-UHD600A44’s outputs are able to downscale a 4K signal to HD while the other two upscale HD to 4K.

Both systems include a professional API feature that provides users with access to new information and enables new

interactions between the Gefen products and control/monitoring systems. The EXT-UHD600A-44 also possesses long range power (LRP) functionality, removing the need for an external power supply when using a compatible extender to increase the matrix’ output.

Meanwhile, the EXT-DP-4K600-1SC extender has been developed to allow 4K 600MHz DisplayPort 1.2 sources and displays to be placed up to 200m apart with complete optical isolation between the sender and receiver. This new DisplayPort 1.2 fibre optic extender furthers the distance that HDCP 2.2, HDCP 1.4 and DPCP compliant feeds can be distributed over the system. Formats supported also include WQUXGA (3840 x 2400), 4K UHD (3840 x

130-degrees. The Panel’s linear white colour temperature is variable from 3,000K to 5,400K, and the Softlight’s is variable from 3,200K to 5,600K.

www.elationlighting.com

Divine UV 60, and as such, has provided numerous mounting options. Finally, Anolis Divine 160 is a 440W luminaire designed to offer high output. The lighting manufacturer has described the fixtures as being ‘ideal for a variety of architectural lighting scenarios’, such as producing ‘dynamic colour changing effects on building exteriors and façades or for illuminating complete areas with subtle CCT controllable white light’. www.anolis.eu

2160) and 4K Cinema – DCI (4096 x 2160) up to 60Hz frame rate and 4:4:4 Chroma sub-sampling.

The EXT-DP-4K600-1SC can be powered by Gefen’s EXT-PS52AU-M1.3-6-AL power supplies, powered USB ports or using an external power supply. Although designed for plug-and-play with most setups, for those occasions when signal optimisation needs to be carried out, EQ switches on the sender and receiver allow manual control. DisplayPort technologies such as multi-streaming and auxiliary channel are supported, and the system’s compact enclosures have been constructed to enable them to be easily hidden.

www.gefen.com

Gefen’s EXT-UHD600A-44

Elation’s TVL Softlight DW

Anolis’ Ambiane Downlighter fixtures

Web Presenter simplifies streaming

miniaturised live production switcher with eight inputs (four 3G-SDI, four HDMI), a built-in control panel, two still stores, digital video effects, an audio mixer, a camera control unit and upstream and downstream keyers among other features. At ⅔ of a rack space wide, the manufacturer claims that Atem Television Studio HD is the ‘world’s smallest all in one broadcast switcher’.

MORE AND more houses of worship are taking to streaming services and events online. For those that are already broadcasting content over the internet or are considering doing so, Blackmagic Design’s Web Presenter provides assistance in delivering feeds from professional SDI and HDMI video sources to streaming software and sites, including YouTube and Facebook Live.

Billed as a cost-effective alternative to dedicated streaming encoders, Web Presenter features 12G-SDI and HDMI connections and works by converting any SD, HD and UHD sources down to appear as if they are that of a 720p USB webcam. Blackmagic says that while these sources aren’t guaranteed to work with all streaming software, webcams do. Therefore, Web Presenter allows users to stream video via any service or software and the 720p format

ensures HD quality and a 16:9 aspect ratio while keeping data rates low. When used in conjunction with Blackmagic’s Mini Smart Panel, Web Presenter also facilitates live switching of programmes via its twoinput production switcher.

Replacing the Atem Television Studio, Blackmagic has released the Atem Television Studio HD, a

It is compatible with all SD and HD formats up to 1080p60 and also includes SDI and HDMI multiview outputs, aux and programme outputs, two analogue audio inputs, built-in talkback and a pair of flash-based media players. RS-422, Ethernet and a built in IEC power supply are also featured. Every input features resynchronisation for ‘glitch free’ syncing, which enables the device to be utilised as a front-end controller for

A/V systems. The front panel contains eight buttons to switch between sources, as well as audio buttons, down stream keyer, fade to black, media player and cut buttons. An LCD screen, spin knob and additional menu buttons adjust settings and parameters, while a software control panel for Mac and Windows is also provided.

Finally, the HyperDeck Studio Mini is reportedly ‘the world’s first miniaturised broadcast deck with non-stop recording to dual SD card recorders in all SD, HD and Ultra HD formats up to 2160p30’. It is designed to use most SD and UHS-II cards to record and playback broadcast quality 10-bit video and features 6G-SDI connections. Including HDMI for monitoring, builtin sync generator and Ethernet for uploading media via FTP, Blackmagic states that it is ‘an ideal solution for digital signage’ applications.

HyperDeck Studio Mini has been developed to handle a variety of tasks, such as ISO recording at multi-camera events, as a playback deck for multiscreen digital signs, for review and approval in client suites, in postproduction with an editing system or as a fill and key source for sending animated broadcast graphics to a live production switcher.

www.blackmagicdesign.com

Blackmagic’s Hyperdeck Studio Mini

Christie’s new Boxer is not too bright

THE NEWEST addition to the Christie Boxer range, the 3DLP Boxer 4K20 is designed for users who don’t require the 30K brightness of its older Boxer 4K30 sibling. In addition to providing ‘full native pixel-perfect 4K resolution’, Christie states that the 4K20 features 20,000 lumens as well as a simplified GUI for ease of use.

It is suited to fixed installations as well as being equipped for use as a standalone projector and includes Christie’s TruLife electronics platform, which is designed to deliver ultrahigh resolution and high frame rate video while also supporting a video-processing pipeline of up to 1.2 Gigapixels per second, allowing for a performance of 4K DLP at 120Hz. The projector houses a high bandwidth multi-input card (HBMIC)

that enables 4K 60Hz over a single cable using 12G-SDI, HDMI or DisplayPort and offers a range of connectivity options for high bandwidth 4K signals. The Christie Link transmitter can also be bundled with the Boxer 4K20, or purchased separately later on. The HBMIC facilitates direct fibre input capability with Christie Link and that, along with all other inputs on the 4K20, delivers preview capability, fast synchronisation and the ability to switch between inputs.

Meanwhile, a firmware update has been released for the Christie Phoenix content management system. Version 1.5 enables direct integration with Milestone’s XProtect open platform IP video management software (VMS). Following the update Phoenix will retrieve H.264 camera data

server initiates automated videowall control. This makes for what Christie describes as a ‘unified solution for video management and control room operations’.

Also a part of the firmware update is a pair of new operating modes:

is said suitable for most users as the stringent mode is designed for highsecurity environments. Added security allows client systems to comply with NERC/CIP requirements.

www.christiedigital.com

The new Boxer 4k20

Acuity enhanced

IN ORDER to ‘better serve the needs of high-end production environments working in SD, HD or UHD formats’, Version 5.0 of Ross Video’s Acuity vision mixer has grown its capabilities. The release sees the mixer’s MultiFeed functionality improved with added Split ME controls. This makes it possible to set up an Acuity ME as two MEs with up to eight keyer assignments. The Version 5.0 release reportedly allows an eight ME machine to be configured as a 16 ME system

– or a four ME UHD (4K) switcher. Other features of the release include new warp effects and lighting engines while a new signal processing format enables Acuity to accept 1080p25 inputs and manage them natively. Further to this, in collaboration with Evertz, Acuity can be equipped with

IP (10G) I/O signal management. The Acuity IPBlades work with Aspen and SMPTE 2022-6 protocols and also provide standard SDI connections. According to the manufacturer, these IP I/O cards can coexist with standard Acuity I/O cards permitting hybrid IP/ SDI system configurations.

Barco brings laser to all screen sizes

mid-sized screens is the 2K SLP series, while the 2K/4K BLP range is intended for mid-to-large screens.

The manufacturer has also announced two new high-contrast flagship laser models for the Premium Large Format (PLF) segment that reportedly double the contrast of its previous flagship laser models.

hours of constant brightness and 2K resolution. Additionally, their light output can be dimmed to 30 per cent of the initial brightness to enable 2D and 3D showings from the same projector. The DP2K-8SLP outputs 7,000 lumens while this is boosted to 9,500 lumens for the DP2K-10SLP.

In related news, Ross Video has also released the Acuity DoubleDown Panels. Aimed at large I/O systems in sport and other fast-paced productions where shift functions to access mapped sources are undesirable, DoubleDown bus models double the number of key/aux bus assignment buttons for every ME row. The manufacturer states that this greatly reduces or eliminates the need for shifts entirely.

www.rossvideo.com

without purchasing a new unit, by retrofitting their existing model with a laser phosphor module.

THE LATEST product offering from Barco sees laser projectors introduced for screens both big and small. Targeted at small-to-

The 2K SLP range is Barco’s entry-level range of laser projectors for screens ranging from 6m to 13m in size. Currently comprising two models, the DP2K8SLP for 6m to 9m screens and the DP2K-10SLP for 9m to 13m screens. Both models boast 30,000

Moving up in size to the BLP series, the DP4K-17BLP has been launched for screen sizes ranging from 13m to 18m and the DP4K-23BLP for screens sizes from 18m to 25m. Image brightness and resolution have also increased to 17,000 lumens and 24,500 lumens respectively and DCIcompliant native 4K.

Existing owners of B- or S-series Barco projectors can reportedly benefit from the new laser technology

RovoCam 2.0 aids HDBaseT workflows

HDBASET CAMERA workflows have been given a boost with the latest software update for AJA’s RovoControl platform and the release of the RovoRx-SDI Receiver. Version 2.0 of RovoControl adds new presets and better multicam support, while the new receiver includes four 6G/SDI outputs plus an Ultra-HD capable HDMI output, genlock and framesync. The combination is stated to offer several workflow enhancements to the RovoCam HDBaseT compact block camera ecosystem.

Compatible with both Mac and Windows computers, RovoCam 2.0 allows users to control RovoCam from companion AJA HDBaseT products, such as the RovoRx-SDI,

RovoRx-HDMI and Corvid HB-R. It also reportedly provides an affordable way of supporting UHD or HD uncompressed video, audio and control over a single Cat-5e/6 cable at lengths of up to 100m. Version 2.0 of the software is also stated to offer greater colour and white balance control, aiding matching with other cameras, improved auto and manual spot focus options, offering better focus for off-centre subjects, new low-delay mode that decreases latency and removes image stabilisation while in use, and

gamma detail and visibility enhancer settings added to the UI. There is also improved UART/RS-232 support for third-party RS-232 adapters.

The new RovoRx-SDI receiver is

Finally, the two new high-contrast models in the manufacturer’s premium LHC series are the DP4K20LHC and DP4K-40LHC, both of which promise doubling of the contrast ratio compared to previous models to 6,000:1, while retaining the same colour saturation and uniformity. The DP4K-20LHC boasts an 18,000 lumens output which increases to 36,000 lumens for the DP4K40LHC. The manufacturer also states that existing owners of DP4K-60L projectors are able to upgrade them to a high-brightness model.

www.barco.com

a companion UltraHD/HD HDBaseT receiver for RovoCam offering four 6G/3G-SDI outputs, HDMI video and audio outputs, and genlock and frame-sync capability. The four 6G/3G-SDI outputs support 6G/3G/1.5G with embedded audio and the device includes a DA Mode for distributing multiple 6G-3G-SDI signals from HDBaseT sources and an REF in/ out that can be genlocked with other broadcast gear. Integrated framesync reportedly ensures stable video output, while a USB port enables software configuration of settings. www.aja.com

DP4K-23BLP

An AJA RovoCam

Hitachi ducks the frequency at complex LED installs

Sony’s VPL-PHZ10 and PWZ10 projectors use a 3LCD Z-Phosphor laser light source

Sony projects from hard to reach places

SONY IS targeting installation in hard to reach locations with its new VPL-PHZ10 and VPL-PWZ10 projectors. The two models are both 3LCD Z-Phosphor laser light source projectors, giving them a reported 20,000 hours of virtually maintenance free operation, while the included HDBaseT interfaces mean a single cable can be used to run the video, audio, control and IP signals up to 100m.

As laser projectors, both models offer instant on/off functionality, tilt-angle-free design and wide range vertical/horizontal lens shift. The

5,000 lumens WUXGA VPL-PHZ10 and 5,000 lumens WXGA VPL-PWZ10 projectors feature 3LCD BrightEra technology, projecting red, green and blue components of the image separately. Further highlights include the Reality Creation system which analyses any input source using a pattern database for up-scaled images and Contrast Enhancer which refines light and dark areas of the image in real-time. The projectors also offer auto dimming and auto brightness features to save energy.

pro.sony.com

wisywig R38 enters the wild

VERSION R38 of the wisywig lighting program from Cast Software has been realised following an extensive period of beta testing.

With textured curved surfaces, extruded arcs and splines now create a curved surface, which can be textured by applying a single image or video source to it. Transparency in textures means it’s reportedly possible to texture a complex shape to

or LED panels.

New import functionality means that users can take fixture information listed in a spreadsheet file (CSV, XLS, XLSX) exported from other software and/or lighting consoles – providing a new import process to help insert fixtures into a drawing more easily. Furthermore, the Import Floorplan feature has been extended to more

HITACHI HAS launched a new projector incorporating the latest CMOS imaging technology to ‘tackle challenging LED lighting environments’. The Z-HD5500 HDTV studio and field production camera offers High Dynamic Range capabilities – both the Hybrid LogGamma and HPQ HDR specifications – and native 1080p resolution. The Z-HD5500 also provides a choice of connectivity, with optional support for both SMPTE fibre and triax infrastructures. The camera can be paired with dedicated fibre or triax camera control units (CCUs), or with the dual-cable Hitatchi CUHD1300FT.

The CU-HD1300FT also offers both optical fibre connectivity and Hitachi

Kokusai’s fourth-generation digital triax system, which is stated to offer ultra-low-latency H.264 codec technology and multilevel digital modulation for long-distance triax transport of 3GB/s 1080p video plus intercom, teleprompter returns and other signals.

‘An increasing number of studios, churches and venues are integrating LED lighting, display and projection systems that operate across a wide array of frequencies,’ said John J. Humphrey, VP of business development, Hitachi Kokusai Electric America Ltd. ‘The Z-HD5500 is optimised to deliver impeccable results in these environments.’

www.hitachi-kokusai.co.jp

Industry’s first HDBaseT

2.0 DVI dual view extender

a flat surface instead of drawing the shape in CAD.

Volumetric laser beams have been updated to be brighter and ‘much’ faster performing in Live mode, while creating LED walls and screens is said to be easier now with updates to the Quick Video/Image tool. The software can now auto patch image and video subsources to each individual screen

an image or PDF in each of the three view directions: Plan, Front/Back Views, and Left/Right Views.

Finally, in R38 a new fill calculation formula has been introduced which incorporates both saturation and intensity, said to make the fill colour lighter and easier to read.

www.cast-soft.com

ATEN IS staking a claim to an industry first with the release of the CE624. This is reportedly the inaugural HDBaseT 2.0 DVI dual-view extender available on the market, which allows for the visual quality provided by HDBaseT technology via a single Cat-6/6a cable, which is able to transmit uncompressed video with very low latency and multi-streaming for dual-view applications. This, the manufacturer states, makes it ‘ideal for applications where convenient remote access is required’.

The CE624 is designed to extend HDBaseT Standard mode with

1920x1200 resolutions up to 100m, and can also facilitate the extension of dual-view video, audio, USB and RS-232 signal transmission up to 150m with resolutions of 1280x720.

It includes three USB 2.0 ports as well as two-channel PCM digital audio to offer fast transmission speeds to computer mice, keyboards and other peripherals, in addition to high-quality audio transmissions via DVI. Meanwhile, the extender’s dualview function enables the displaying of video output on two monitors.

www.aten.com

The Hitachi Z-HD5500 studio and field production camera

The Aten CE624

Wooley Springs Baptist Church

room monitors – Mr Sockwell’s favourite part of the system, for a very practical reason. The system, he says, ‘allows me to control power and source selection on all the TVs using an app on my iPhone. Before the control system was functional, it took me 30 minutes to power the TVs on each Sunday. Now I press a button on my iPhone and go about my day.’

WOOLEY SPRINGS IS A SOUTHERN

Baptist church that has experienced marked growth in the past 15 years, regularly serving 600 attendees weekly. That growth has led the Toney, Alabama church to expand and modernise both its worship services and the technologies used in worship. ‘During this time,’ shares Chad Sockwell, technical director at Wooley Springs, ‘we moved from a very traditional, piano-led worship service, to a blended-style with the use of a worship band. The change of the worship style meant we had to upgrade the audio system. A healthy live stream audience necessitated migrating our aging video system to HD.’ The church has two Sunday morning services and one on Sunday night. It also hosts conferences, youth events and weddings.

‘Our current facility is land-locked and has no additional room to grow,’ shares Mr Sockwell. ‘The church adopted a master plan to move the entire campus across the highway from the existing campus, where the church had already purchased land, using a phased construction approach. During Phase 1, education and children’s spaces were built.’ Pending construction of a new worship centre in Phase 2, Wooley Springs replaced its AVL systems to meet immediate needs. Both design and install were executed by Nashvillebased integrator, Essential Audio. The main sanctuary’s audio system uses a Behringer X32 at FOH with

a pair of four-channel QSC PLD 4.3 amps with onboard DSP for sound system control. The QSC amps drive a pair of Danley Sound Labs SM96 two-way loudspeakers arrayed in a centre cluster with a Danley TH115 sub mounted under the stage for low-end extension. On stage, each praise band member has their own Behringer P-16 personal mixer.

Modest effects lighting is deployed.

Six Chauvet Colorado 1-Quad Tour LED fixtures provide accent lighting on the back stage wall, with control via a Jands Stage CL console.

Song lyrics and other supporting visuals are projected onto two screens to either side of the worship stage.

NEC PA500U LCD projectors serve the main screens, with an Epson projector used to feed a rear screen for confidence monitoring. Five Panasonic AE-HE40 PTZ cameras, controlled by Panasonic AWRP50 and AWRP120 controllers, feed a Blackmagic Design Atem 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K switcher with a 1M/E control panel. A Blackmagic Design Smart Videohub 40x40 router is also key to the system.

‘Programme output is routed to a Mac Pro running Wirecast for LiveStream and to Samsung TVs in the balcony of the sanctuary, overflow room and to the education and children’s nursery and classroom TVs,’ reveals Mr Sockwell. ‘Recording is handled by a Blackmagic Design Hyperdeck and lower-third graphics for lyrics and sermon points are handled by a networked Mac Mini running ProPresenter 6.’ An additional Behringer X32 console, networked to the FOH X32, handles audio for video. Two camera operators control the five PTZ cameras. Essential Audio worked

In the children’s area, sound reinforcement utilises a pair of Vue Audiotechnik loudspeakers, bolstered by a Vue AS-115 subwoofer and powered by a QSC CXD 4.2 amp. ‘Simple is the key for this space so we used a Symetrix Jupiter 8 with wall mounted controls,’ Mr Sockwell elaborates. An iMac running ProPresenter 6 feeds a pair of 80-inch Samsung LED TVs for video support. Mr Sockwell is on the Wooley Springs staff part-time, with 15 volunteers sharing the workload. Group training sessions are held as needed; team leaders address specific training

with Danish firm, Skaarhoj, to develop a custom module for camera monitor control. Full-screen preview monitoring follows operator camera selection automatically. Tallys on the Panasonic camera controllers tell the Atem switcher which cameras to feed the preview monitors, while tally info from the switcher tells the controllers which tally lights to illuminate.

Sharing video from the sanctuary to the new spaces was imperative, using a fibre optic transmission system because of the distances involved. RTI’s XP-6 allows centralised control of all 35 campus TVs and the control

needs for their team. Prospective tech ministry members shadow experienced members to develop their skills.

‘I enjoy finding ways to use technology to improve how the church communicates with its members,’ shares Mr Sockwell. ‘I constantly tell my team members that we are here to support the ministry of the Church, nothing more and nothing less. The tech team is important to the local church regardless of the size or scale of its production. We have to strive each week for perfection – anything less has the potential to hinder congregants in their worship.’

www.wooleysprings.org

Chad Sockwell, technical director at Wooley Springs

WAVL learns how the traditions of ‘that old time religion’ harmonise with contemporary AVL tech in rural Alabama

Multiple monitors for camera and graphics preview

Wooley Springs’ Blackmagic switcher

A Symetrix wall controller in the children’s area

Vue Audiotechnik loudspeakers are used in the children’s space

Streaming broadcast audio control

... yet still reach the congregation clearly.

AM-1

Real-time steering array microphone

Placed flat and unobstrusively on the podium, the real-time steering array microphone tracks your voice and captures it clearly and uniformly. Equipped with a built-in sensor, the microphone detects sound sources and steers its beam angle automatically in real-time to focus on that source. This frees speakers to move back and forth in the vicinity of the podium, turn or tilt their heads to address different sections of the audience, or gesture naturally without concern for the location of the microphone.

We supply sound, not equipment. www.toa.com.sg I TOAasiapacific www.toa.eu I TOAeurope

No compromise in performance.

Whatever you’ve experienced before expect more, even under the toughest RF conditions. The outstanding audio quality, rock solid RF wireless transmission and proprietary audio codec from Sennheiser’s wireless masterpiece, the Digital 9000, are now available for the most demanding live productions with the Digital 6000.

No compromise for your business.

Digital 6000 is ready to be used with a wide range of Sennheiser and Neumann capsules and antenna solutions, increasing the return on your existing investments. Made in Germany, the two-channel digital wireless receiver features an ultra-wide 244 MHz switching bandwidth and a wide range of connection options, making Digital 6000 a smart, reliable choice for years of professional use.

No compromise in your workflow.

Digital 6000 integrates seamlessly into digital or analogue system infrastructures via Dante, AES-3 or transformer-balanced analogue outputs. Security is ensured by AES 256 encryption. An automatic frequency setup function and dedicated management software (WSM) make for simple, reliable operation.