WHEN IT COMES TO CREATIVE SOLUTIONS, IT PAYS TO KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY

Rob Alvis, sales director at Creative Audio-Visual Solutions (CAVS), describes one example of a church that has a long relationship with the company.

AS MUCH AS NEW BUSINESS excites us, as a company that values long-term relationships we especially treasure projects with current customers who feel that continuing to work with CAVS is the best decision for their church.

St Mary’s Parish Church in Watford originally had a large audio-visual installation from us almost 20 years ago, and although the strains of older technology were showing in its latter years, the system had always been reliable and flexible – aided by regular system servicing and support from CAVS.

The church had a major re-ordering project a few years ago, which mainly covered the aesthetics of the building – new seating, stonework etc – but also involved new cable infrastructure for the expected full audio-visual upgrade which was completed earlier this year.

This new work included the full upgrade of the system to digital/HDMi, with a Roland V8-HD production mixer to run both the inhouse projection images and separately mixed streaming output: with keying, overlay and picture-in-picture functionality. Three new highdefinition cameras were installed, one fixed for general central coverage and two motorised PTZ variants for flexible images of the font, lecterns, pulpit and altar, as well as entrances for weddings and funerals – with a network joystick controller for both manual and preset image operation.

The three existing projectors were replaced with an Epsom 7,000 lumen for the main chancel screen and two 5,000 lumen laser high-definition systems for long-term reliability and impressive image quality in daylight conditions. Pillar-mounted ‘confidence’ LED displays allow a clear view for the dais service leaders and the musicians and choir.

Although the speaker system generally remained as before, the control system was updated from a large and overly complex analogue mixer to the latest Allen & Heath AHM-64 matrix system with additional AR2412 stagebox: providing simple control via hardware fader controllers (IP8s) of up to 48 inputs and outputs . Clear labelling of all channels with multiple presets ensure the system is useable by all levels of operator, as well as in situations where no operator is present or control is needed via iPAD away from the console.

The radio microphone system was also upgraded to a multi-channel Sennheiser EW100 G4 system with lapel, headset and handheld transmitters. Antenna distribution and remote high-gain antennas ensure clear reception throughout the church. For ambient pick-up of both the congregation and organ, a number of AKG C1000S condenser microphones were installed – routed specifically to the streaming and induction loop systems.

The adjacent church meeting room and crèche features a 65” Philips commercial smart LED display and Polycom video-conferencing sound bar for both church service relay and local meetings, including Zoom and Skype calls.

Finally, CAVS were commissioned to upgrade the full church and wider building wi-fi network with cloud-managed Engenius access points – providing public and private access for the church staff and visitors, as well as ultrareliable control for the audio-visual system.

We look forward to a continuing relationship with St Mary’s and all our customers – bringing them our renowned high-quality, cost-effective audio-visual solutions.

To join our family, for an on-site installation consultation or advice on the right equipment for your church, call or email CAVS. Local references are available upon request. q

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