Worship AVL July-August 2020

AV LIGHTING SOUND REINFORCEMENT RECORDING STAGE SOUND BROADCAST

July–August 2020

CREATING NEW STANDARDS Combating intelligibility at Kuala Lumpur’s National Mosque

BUYING GUIDE: ASSISTIVE LISTENING

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CONTENTS

Issue 65

July–August 2020

NEWS CHERRY HILLS PARKS UP Riedel is social distancing at Cherry Hills

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LOCKDOWN IN SE ASIA Azizi Bin Ala and Robert Soo adapt to new guidelines

6

A REASSURING GLOW Bethany Church creates warmth with Chauvet fixtures

8

HD LIVE PRODUCTION First Baptist Church reaches out with FOR-A

10

SHOWING OFF ITS CURVS Jinjang Chinese Methodist specifies LD Systems

11

CLEAR AND EVEN SOUND Danley revitalises Pioneer Memorial Church

12

RELIGIOUS TUITION QSC helps Evangel Seminary relocate

14

MISSION OF FAITH BAPS partners with Renkus-Heinz

15

NEO-GOTHIC UPGRADE Chauvet lights up Gelsenkirchen

16

BUDDHIST MEDITATION JBL provides clear audio during classes

17

SPECIAL REPORT Black Rock launches its Church @ Home service

18

PROJECTS COVER: NATIONAL MOSQUE OF MALAYSIA Acousticon solves reverberation

22

OUTDATED SOUND Protech provides Église St Cecile with a new direction

24

ADDING TO HISTORY K-array reinforces teaching at Jikjisa temple

26

SERVICE UNINTERRUPTED LINC Church turns to livestreaming

28

LED UPGRADE Olive Baptist Church retrofits its sanctuary

30

KNOWHOW WEATHERING THE STORM How to conduct remote services during lockdown

34

PRODUCTION SWITCHERS Raymond Siew and Craig Heffernan cover the basics

36

AVOIDING FLICKER John Black looks at the causes and solutions

38

MAINTENANCE Frank Wells helps avoid the risk of infection

40

LEADER It was quite a turbulent week during my visit to Western Australia during the third week of March, where I visited several churches including Faith Community and Victory Life.

As the virus started to take root in the psyche of the nation, negative publicity was directed by the media towards larger gatherings. Like live concerts and sporting events, religious services were suddenly forced to scale down their activities. Within days of limiting services to 500 worshippers, the churches were then ordered to stop services and restrict any gatherings to a maximum of 10 people.

Having quickly learnt how to repurpose or acquire video technology that would enable them to stream their services via Facebook Live and YouTube, the technicians have become unsung heroes within their communities. Like mic’ing a choir, the video transmission of SDI signals over Cat-5 has become an added skill within the technician’s toolbox.

Viewing a sermon or joining a prayer via a touchscreen or smartphone is a poor substitute for the real thing, but it beats the alternative. Most congregants have suffered dark days during the prolonged social isolation and lockdowns, so that internet link to their HOW has proved vital for many. The new normal? Just as working from home is questioning the existence of the traditional office space, there are benefits in observing a service in the comfort of one’s living room, in other words the new overspill space.

Richard Lawn General manager Telephone: +44 (0)1892 676280

Email: rlawn@worshipavl.com MEET THE TEAM

TECHNOLOGY INTERCOM SYSTEMS Clear-Com’s Bob Boster considers the advantages

42

VIDEO STREAMING TRENDS Will it change the future of HOWs?

44

LIGHTING CONTROL PART 1 Bob Mentele looks at the evolution of lighting

46

BUYING GUIDE Assitive Listening Systems and their popularity with HOWs

48

PRODUCTS Equipment launches and updates

50

TECH VIEW Green Acres Baptist Church’s Casey Hawkins returns

66

Sue Gould:

Caroline Moss:

Simon Luckhurst:

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COVER: National Mosque of Malaysia CIRCULATION: circulation@worshipavl.com PRINTER: Times Printers Singapore PUBLISHED BY:

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@WorshipAVLMagazine July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 3

NEWS

Cherry Hills parks up USA In response to social distancing measures, Cherry Hills Community Church in Denver has taken a rather novel approach. For the time being, the church is presenting its Sunday services to worshippers gathered in their cars. In order to provide expandable transport of all video, audio and intercom signals between the control room and the outdoor stage, the church has deployed a Riedel MediorNet fibre router. The gatherings are also streamed to various social networks and OTT channels.

‘We had used MediorNet previously to handle camera feeds and intercom for an event taking place on the other side of our campus,’ explained Chris Thomas, technical arts director, Cherry Hills Community Church. ‘Therefore, MediorNet was the first thing that came to mind when I was thinking about how to get interconnectivity between the building and a trailer set up in the parking lot that served as the front of house mix position for our drive-up services. Also, we had only three days’ notice to get the drive-up ministry up and running in time for weekend services. The Riedel support team was able to show us via remote

conferencing just how fast and easy it is to set up MediorNet with its simple drag-and-drop configuration.’

The church reached out to Riedel partner Touring Video, which quickly deployed the technology required for the project. Touring Video provides remote entertainment television trucks that feature Riedel MediorNet decentralised routing products within a mesh network and was eager to help fulfil the hardware requirements.

The modular Riedel network at Cherry Hills Community Church consists of two MediorNet MicroN high-density media distribution network devices. Acting as

Touring Video’s portable MicroN setup an extension of the church’s permanent IT network, the MicroNs also provide an Ethernet tunnel between the control room in the building’s main auditorium and the outdoor stage.

The MicroN unit in the control room is patched directly into the church’s video router and interfaced with an existing network switch and a Riedel Artist-128 mainframe.

MediorNet carries the video programme feed from the control room to LED screens in the car park and carries three camera feeds from the outside back into the building.

In addition, the MicroNs supply a confidence monitor feed to display lyrics for church vocalists onstage. For audio, the MicroNs extend the Dante VLAN feed out to the car park and then bring the audio feed back into the auditorium, where church technicians use their existing front of house console to mix the broadcast audio feed. The connection with the Artist mainframe

also facilitated delivery of intercom feeds from Riedel’s Bolero.

‘As long-time Artist users for our intercoms, we’re very familiar with the flexibility and reliability of Riedel systems,’ added Thomas. ‘That flexibility carries over to the MicroNs, which allow us to add signal paths at the last minute as needed. And we’ve been completely amazed with MediorNet fibre multiplexing capabilities, which have allowed us to transport all of our signals over a single fibre. Best of all, our congregation loved being able to gather for worship, albeit in their cars – they were still able to have connection, which is especially important these days.’

‘A parking lot ministry presents technical challenges that most houses of worship aren’t equipped to tackle,’ concluded Rick Seegull, manager of system consulting, Riedel Communications. ‘The drive-up services have been so successful that other churches are taking notice. In fact, we can see how a drive-up church might become a permanent approach for something like an Easter sunrise service.’ www.riedel.net

Bose launches latest podcast WORLD Bose Professional has released its latest podcast entitled ‘Being the church during the Covid-19 emergency’. Hosted by pastor Clint Nolder of Foundation Church in Newnan, Georgia, Dr Fayez Ayoub of North Florida Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida, and Don

4 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

Allensworth, president of The NewGround Group, the podcast explores how audio and technology within houses of worship can be adapted during the current health crisis and enable congregations to stay connected. It forms part of the Bose Church initiative and

explores how professional audio and video technology supports the aim of communicating and staying connected. The videos discuss how church leaders can leverage technology to continue ministering to worshippers, even during difficult times.

‘As we realise the power we have in our technology, and that it can connect us in new ways, we begin to understand “gathering together” does not have to be limited to the same room,’ stated Allensworth. pro.bose.com/BoseChurchPodcast

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KnowHOW NEWS

PROJECTS KnowHOW

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Sri Petaling in latecan February. activities ofand mosques come with set again each week.

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lighting grid

John Black discusses some of the basic lighting design theories for creating a flexible lighting grid MEET THE AUTHOR

Incorporating moving lights

If you are looking to incorporate moving lights into your lighting rig, it may be a bit overwhelming to know where to begin. John Black discusses what to consider to get started

lighting

lighting

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40WORSHIP AV July–August 2019 2020 38 6 WORSHIPAVL AVL May–June March–April 2020 2020

January–February 2019 2020 WORSHIP AVL 41 25 September–October

NEWS systems and include streaming media processors such as an Extron SMP111. In such an instance, livestreaming is simple to perform as most components, including the HD camera and processor, are already set up. As restrictions ease over time, participant numbers will be limited, so social distancing will remain an emphasis during the MCO. As such, the technology will remain in use.’

As the founder and owner of Cogent Acoustics for nine years, Robert Soo has been consulting and training on acoustics and professional AV systems in Singaporean houses of worship for over two decades.

Having experienced how SARS greatly affected social gatherings in early 2003, Soo was fully justified to worry how the pandemic would evolve.

Having designed the AV systems within the Grace Assembly of God church in 2015, Soo was shocked to witness the virus cluster emitting from the church in early February 2020, despite mandatory temperature checks, discouraged hand shaking and increased cleaning activities. With the emergence that senior pastor Wilson Teo and other members of the church were infected, the government was prompted to take some form of action limiting large numbers of congregants in HOWs. ‘At the beginning of the pandemic, when the government began encouraging social distancing and limiting the number of worshippers in each service, most of the larger churches had to quickly switch to running livestreams of their worship services,’ Soo explains. ‘As such, many churches had to quickly learn how they could equip themselves to enable livestreaming capabilities and I received many calls and emails seeking help with how to get a system running. While many had issues with video quality, some had problems obtaining the right sound mix. Strangely enough, one of the main obstacles to surface was licensing and the right to broadcast worship songs. Fortunately, these issues were ironed out quickly and both the Protestant and Catholic churches alike got things moving.’

Soo then saw a trend of smaller churches that were not affected by the restrictions in numbers. ‘Even though their congregation numbers did not exceed the limits, most saw the writing on the wall and jumped on the bandwagon to start livestreaming their worship services. It is to their credit that they took this initiative, as the government stopped all worship gatherings soon after. Today, streaming worship services has effectively become the new norm.’

A Malaysian mosque streaming a service over the internet As cases started to spike in April 2020, the ‘circuit breaker’ programme of Covid-19 restrictions was put into motion. ‘From that point in time, church AV production crews have not been allowed to meet,’ furthers Soo. ‘Most weekend services have become oneman shows in which just the preacher speaks on camera to the congregation in their homes. Some churches pre-empted the closure of church gatherings and decided to make prerecordings of worship services for their weekly uploads. One particular worship

director of a large church informed me that they had to rush out 16 recordings of their worship services in one go, before the government implemented the temporary stop to all their services.

It was an extremely stressful time for him.’

Remote worshipping techniques are now evolving rapidly it would appear.

‘For those churches who could not pre-record their worship services, a new trend has emerged seeking how to put a more comprehensive prerecorded worship service together. This

comprises a short worship segment led by musicians and singers recording their own individual parts at home. Then the preacher records his message before a video producer performs postproduction on the final clip for uploading each weekend. This is where we are at today. No church would have thought they will be doing this in 2020, but they have certainly risen to the occasion and adapted to this challenging time.’

Friday prayers and Sunday morning services are part of the social fabric in Southeast Asia, together with the traffic jams, car parking limitations and a rush for the best positions beforehand.

While a touchscreen interface is a poor substitute for the real worshipping instruction, experience and social gathering, streaming technology has become a vital safety net for those needing more than ever to keep in contact with their faith. www.acousticon.com.my www.cogentacoustics.com

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July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 7

NEWS

Forward planning pays off for Grace Polaris USA

Bethany Church projects warmth in livestream services

At a time when congregations are being advised to stay at home to promote social distancing, one church in Columbus, Ohio is reaping the benefits of a threeyear renovation project where new technology can now be used to

Dante-enabled audio network gives the church the flexibility to create a custom mix that’s geered towards an at-home audience with a separate broadcast audio console, while still mixing in-house for the benefit of the worship team.

switch their services to livestreams.

Since 1964, Grace Polaris Church has seen a rapid increase in its worshippers from a group of 30 to now over 2,000 members. In 2018, the church began construction of a new space and turned to InteRise from Nashville, Tennessee for an extensive AVL and acoustic installation.

At the beginning of the partnership, no one could have imagined a full-time switch to only livestreamed services. ‘Originally, video was not a key focus of the system design but cost savings and budget adjustments throughout the project allowed the church to add a turnkey broadcast video package,’ explained Philip Hagood, general manager at InteRise.

‘This has been pivotal in our current global situation and has given Grace Polaris the necessary tools to reach their congregation and still worship during this time.’

A Nexo STM speaker system, along with an Avid S6L-32D console, allow the church to boost its live production, record to Pro Tools and do virtual soundchecks, allowing the volunteers to record all of the channels before a service and practise mixing. A

‘With the entirety of our church services currently existing in a digital space, the excellence of our video production has become a high priority,’ said Jonnie Barlow, creative and live video producer at Grace Polaris. ‘Any small mistake becomes much more apparent when it’s the only channel that the congregation has for experiencing the service.’

Barlow added that his favourite part of Grace Polaris’ new system is the Ross Video Carbonite Black switcher and the accompanying 2ME panel.

InteRise also specified two Sony HXC-FB80 cameras, while Ross PTX PivotCams provide secondary angles to complement the Sony cameras.

‘From the beginning, the InteRise team has gone overboard to make sure not only that we have a functional system, but that we have so much more capability to learn and grow down the line,’ concluded Barlow. ‘Rather than viewing us as a sales figure, they’ve treated us as partners, helping us to accomplish our ministry goals in a technologically excellent way, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.’

USA At the start of the Covid-19 lockdown, Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana published three quarantine goals on its Facebook page: ‘calm down, get a word, stand firm’. To create a more comforting glow for its four weekly virtual livestreaming services, the church has been taking a more basic approach to visuals and using Chauvet Professional Rouge fixtures to convey a range of powerful yet reassuring tones.

some unique backlighting looks,’ said Ryan Rider, central lighting director at Bethany. ‘They add depth to the stage and we can also use them for the occasional eye candy effect.’

Rider continued by discussing how the livestreams are enhanced by the rig’s Rogue R2X VW fixtures, which are called on to light the scrim above the band and to provide a soft key light. ‘When this campus was built, we elected to go with the R2X VW instead of standard ellipsoidals,

During the livestream, the church hasn’t worried about revealing the large empty spaces inside. The services are designed to promote a clear message: a church is not a building but a place within the hearts and souls of its community. At one recent Sunday service, Bethany created a reassuring feel to the video by using 10 Rogue R2X Wash and 10 Rogue R2X VW fixtures. The R2X Wash units were positioned on mid-stage truss and used to create backlight that fills the space behind the band in the absence of scenic elements.

‘The high output and wide zoom range of the R2X Wash help us create

because of their versatility,’ he said.

‘For the same price, we not only get a key light but also a moving wash with a ton of punch. The CRI is excellent.

The R2X VW is proving that in these livestreams.’

Rider adds that the Bethany Church team and the community it serves are standing strong against the storm.

‘Our experience director Dustin West, camera director Taylor Coleman, lead audio engineer Brian Edwards and the whole team are coming together to support the message of Pastor Jonathan. It is like a family here.’ www.chauvetlighting.com

8 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

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NEWS

First Baptist Jackson upgrades to HD live production USA First Baptist Church of Jackson, Mississippi began broadcasting its Sunday services on a local TV station in the 1950s but the last time it upgraded its production facilities was in the 1980s. Atlanta-based systems integrator, Strata, has helped the church jump to HD production and has redesigned its control room with an HVS-490 production switcher and MFR-3000 routing switcher from FOR-A. ‘We’ve always tried to use technology to reach others for Christ,’ said Michael Bowen, minister of media and communications at First Baptist Jackson. ‘If we wanted to effectively use video for ministry, we were going to have to get current.’

Following the update, the church now streams live 1080p video to Facebook Live, YouTube and its own website, with local 720p replays the following Sunday on WDBD (FOX) and WLOO (MyNetworkTV) in Jackson (DMA #92).

The HVS-490 replaced an ageing Echolab SD switcher, while the HD upgrade also included new manned and PTZ cameras as well as 6.4m Vanguard LED displays in the church. Beyond multiple livestreaming and recording feeds, the HVS-490 provides outputs for the IMAG LED boards at the front of the church and digital signage

in the atrium. The aux bus feeds confidence monitors for the choir, which is located behind the altar.

Sunday service coverage uses five cameras, plus graphics from ProPresenter and another CG system. The technical director uses the touchscreen on the control panel to roll standalone videos during services.

GSJA Bandengan Church gets networking INDONESIA Systems integrator IMS Indonesia recently equipped GSJA Bandengan Church in Jakarta with a networked audio system comprising solutions from Harman’s JBL, Soundcraft and dbx catalogues. The church hosts a variety of events including musical performances, children’s prayer conferences and other special attractions for worshippers from all ages. A new sound system was needed to deliver intelligible sound for sermons and all other events.

‘GSJA Bandengan Church required an upgrade for its existing sound setup,’ explained Christian Prasetya, brand manager at IMS Indonesia. ‘Since the church hall is spread out over a fairly large area, the setup had to provide even sound distribution across the worship space. To energise services, they needed excellent vocal clarity, reliability and smooth reproduction of sound across all frequencies. To meet these requirements, we chose the JBL VRX series speakers.’

Bandengan Church was installed with JBL VRX932LAP line array loudspeakers that provide coverage for both the ground floor and balcony. IMS Indonesia also chose JBL STX812M loudspeakers as floor monitors.

10 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

The lighting director, who is located in the middle of the church across from the FOH sound engineer, has an HVS-AUX16C aux remote control panel with OLED display to review the live programme feed or other sources as needed. The shader has a dedicated HVS-AUX16C in the control room as well, so shots can be adjusted for colour and brightness before they are taken live. Bowen added that the MFR-3000 routing switcher has also provided flexibility and improved multiple workflows throughout the facility during services.

‘We wanted to find something that was professional and gave us the most value for our dollar,’ Bowen said. ‘It’s also given us a high-quality product we feel meets the standard of excellence we’re trying to achieve.

We’ve been really happy with it.

It’s been a good experience for everyone.’ www.for-a.com

Signals from the stage are fed through a Soundcraft Mini Stagebox 32iEU and connected to a Soundcraft Si Impact digital mixing console with Studer-designed preamps via Cat-5 cabling. In order to protect the loudspeakers and provide additional control, a dbx VENU360-V-EU loudspeaker management system was installed with automatic EQ and feedback suppression technology that ensured a simple setup.

‘We were seeking a powerful, dynamic audio solution that would allow our sermons and performances to resonate with visitors,’ said Jack, sound engineer at GSJA Bandengan Church.

‘Due to the religious significance of the events, reliability was our top priority. IMS Indonesia has brought our events to life. We are extremely satisfied with the solutions they chose, which met every criterion we put forth.’ pro.harman.com

NEWS

JinjangChristian Chinese Capital MethodistInternational shows Ministries off itslive Curvs goes MALAYSIA When AV United appointed to ZAMBIA: Makingwas a positive install the new AV system Kuala impact has always been into a goal for Lumpur’s Jinjang Chinese Methodist president and Capital Christian Church, GMInternational’s Timothy Lewis attended Ministries (CCMI) its worship services to better senior pastor, Bishop George understand the requirements.

The Mbulo, another of which consists church leaders demanded intelligibly, of helping vulnerable children in evenly dispersed, audio Zambia.

In order full-range to support them throughout the 300-capacity sanctuary for both the spoken word and musical elements. In addition, the PA also needed to sympathetically blend into the sanctuary’s new interior design.

‘I have previously specified Curv by LD Systems and as such was confident that this sleek, modular loudspeaker design would tick all the boxes,’ assessed Lewis. Following modelling in EASE 4.2, M7 Solutions opted for a left and right combining arrays with the configuration right tools and financial of five Curv S2 array satellites in each, resources, CCMI live streams its while a further services with 10 theCurv use S2 of speakers a Matrox have beenHD added as side- and rear-fills Monarch encoder. for the balcony and under-balcony ‘Using the Monarch HD to do live seats. ‘The from scalable design features of streaming these remote sites, the Curv 500toensured installation we’re able take a that message that, would simplified.’ two orbe three years ago, would have been trapped inside a building,’ said Randall Rike, director of technical and media USA at CCMI. ‘With live streaming, we’re literally worldwide and anyone with internet can get on and see it.’

Rike added: ‘When I saw this tiny box, it resolved everything and, moreover, I was blown away. I knew that many ministries were live Each 122mm 122mm cast streaming and Ix knew thatdie CCMI aluminium satellite comprises needed to get involved sooner rather threelater, 1-inchand high-frequency drivers than seeing the Monarch arranged ahead of a single HD made vertically me realise this was now 4-inch driver.I Adopting a very midrange real possibility. personally WaveAheadthe technology, purchased Monarchthe HD resultant for 110° horizontal angle is CCMI. The price dispersion point was well offset my vertically 10° per satellite within budgettofor these types of – hence minimising projects, and [the reflections fact that it on is] the easy sanctuary’s and floors. Each to use is an ceiling understatement.’ array is powered byevents, a slim SLA For services and the Smart Link adapter.

Finished in white, CCMI media and technical team

uses cameras that are connected to a video switcher, which sends feeds to the Monarch HD via HDMI. Some venues such as the Mulugushi Conference Centre have a high-bandwidth internet connection; however, other sites need a subscription to a local

the individual 1.73kg satellites are connected by simply slotting together using the unique SmartLink plug-in without cables before connection to the ceiling fixture from an M3 screw connection.

Low-frequency extension to 47Hz (±6dB) is enhanced with the addition of four Curv 500 DUB W subwoofers, with two 10-inch thatinare flown Zambian phone models company order andhave two that are ground-stacked.

The to enough internet bandwidth. combined Curvthe 500 modules and For these 20 sites, team bought four subwooferspre-paid are powered by just a reloadable, SIM card two 4x240W Class-D iAmp amplifiers. while the phone company provided Connected via terminal block and 3G/4G capable routers, which speakON-compatible outputs, each connects to the venue’s Ethernet. amplifier channel is capable of driving When there is enough internet up to six satellites or one subwoofer. bandwidth, the team connects In addition to supplying the HDMI video sourcethe to modular the Curv 500 HD, loudspeaker AVup Monarch which issystem, then set United provided an video Audio-Technica to stream 3Mbps to Facebook 3000 Series microphone at 720p andwireless 30fps. However, if systemisn’t as part of its the audio fulfilment there enough, Monarch HD to the Kepong church. streams 1Mbps video at 360p and Lewis notes bothCCMI worshippers 30fps, which that allows to send and streams staff at Jinjang Chinese live no matter what quality Methodist have been impressed the internet connection is. The with the upgrade.

‘Not does this Monarch HD’s SD andonly USB ports aesthetically fulfil interior design are also used to the record copies requirements of thecuts room, but it’s for the director’s during live deceptively powerful throughout the productions.

With its independent sanctuary and the balcony areas. streaming andon recording settings, In addition, theHD church volunteers the Monarch can record at the are impressed by its plug-and-play highest possible resolution and characteristics.’ quality regardless of the streaming

1/2 Vert

bitrate. www.av-united.com www.cmcjinjang.org www.capitalchristianministries.org www.ld-systems.com www.matrox.com

July–August 2019 2020 WORSHIP AVL 11 November–December

NEWS

Danley revitalises Pioneer Memorial Church

USA Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, hosts over 3,000 students, with over 1,000 of which are in seminary, and is the flagship institution in the Seventh-day Adventist school system. Located on the university campus, Pioneer Memorial

Church serves a pivotal role in the school’s spiritual and social life. New Era Technology recently revitalised the sound reinforcement in the church with Danley Sound Labs SBH10 and SBH20 columnar loudspeakers, TH212 tappedhorn subwoofers and DNA amplifiers

with integrated DSP using Danley model presets.

The New Era Technology team found that the church’s old system was lacking evenness and coverage. ‘It was a cluster of units placed 50 feet up in the air, at the top of the sanctuary’s large A-frame ceiling,’ explained Paul Black, account executive with New Era Technology. ‘Not everyone could clearly hear what was going on.’ The church needed smooth, even coverage across the pews capable of seating 1,000 people, including a loft section at the back of the sanctuary.

Pioneer Memorial Church’s new system starts with three pairs of Danley SBH-series columnar loudspeakers.

The SBH10s on each side of the stage cover the first half of the sanctuary, and a delayed pair halfway back cover the the rest of the space. A pair of SBH20s cover the loft. Two TH212 subwoofers

fill out the low end, while a pair of four-channel DNA 10k4 Pro amplifiers power the system with 20,000W combined. New Era Technology ordered the DNA amplifiers with optional Dante connectivity to connect with the church’s existing console.

There were some concerns about how the new loudspeakers would look – the old system was way up at the top of the ceiling, and the proposed system was lower and more in sight. New Era Technology worked closely with the church, producing 3D models of the space. ‘The column form of the new loudspeaker system is attractive, and they have been professionally painted to blend in with their surroundings,’ Black said. ‘The church is very happy with the look, and they’re thrilled with the clarity of their new Danley system.’ www.danleysoundlabs.com

Sound reinforcement throughout Arena INDIA The Faith Arena in the Rangpuri district of Delhi’s Mahipalpur region has upgraded its sound system with a PA setup comprising four Meyer Sound Ultra-X40 point source speakers and four 750-LFC compact low-frequency elements. Meyer Sound’s Indian distributor, Sun Infonet, assisted Ample Connections with tuning the system.

‘The church auditorium is actually a warehouse with metal walls, previously used by a logistics company,’ revealed Samarth Shukla, owner of Ample Connections. ‘Due to its structural

limitations and its height of 9m, the main reason we opted for Meyer Sound was for its low vertical dispersion angle along with a broad horizontal dispersion, minimising the reflected sound while providing a richer, direct sound to the congregation. Another consideration was to prevent the metal walls and ceilings from rattling due to low frequencies while still delivering sufficient lows.’

The church’s requirement was for good quality sound, while keeping to a strict budget. After receiving quotations

and demos from various brands, the Meyer Sound solution presented by Tanmay Masurkar and the Sun Infonet team struck the right balance between audio quality and cost.

‘Church sound requires the finesse and quality of replicating a “real” experience rather than just amplified sound,’ said Shukla. ‘This is exactly what Meyer Sound does.’

Ankit Sajwan, senior pastor of FOLJ Church and the church visionary for Faith Arena, would seem to agree. ‘The sound of the Meyer equipment is unreal and way beyond expectations,’ he commented. www.meyersound.com www.suninfonet.net

The Grainery relocates and renovates AUSTRALIA The Grainery Church in New South Wales has moved to a larger venue that has been renovated from corporate offices to an auditorium for 450 people. Despite facing challenges with the limited positions available as well as the low height of the roof and stage, Forefront Productions designed, supplied and installed a new speaker system for the site. A Nexo Geo M10 line array system was chosen due to its medium form, combination of 12°

including an array of LS18 subs.’ The loudspeakers were set up alongside a Xilica Neutrino processor, equipped with custom touchscreen programming for access and control of wireless vocal microphones, music and video replay for smaller gatherings. and 25° vertical dispersion and costeffectiveness.

‘The speaker system design is main left, centre and right arrays of Nexo Geo M10, augmented with

12 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

PS10R2 out-fill for the extreme sides of the stage seating areas and ID24 elements for front-fill,’ commented Nick Burns, managing director of Forefront. ‘All elements are flown

www.ffp.com.au www.grainery.org.au www.nexo-sa.com www.xilica.com

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NEWS

PCI over IP at Evangel Seminary HONG KONG Providing religious tuition to students, the Evangel Seminary recently located to a new facility in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Commissioned to design and install AV technology throughout the four-level building, Prime Connections International (PCI) Holding Co Ltd undertook a full survey of the premises in addition to evaluating the events being held in the class and lecture rooms. Based on the client’s budget and requirements, the Solutions Team proposed a flexible, ease-of-use and cost-effective design adopting a QSC Q-Sys AV-over-IP network at its heart.

With seating capacity for 280 congregants, the ground-floor chapel is mainly used for worship services, combining spoken word with charismatic musical performances. A powerful, yet unobtrusive, loudspeaker system has been integrated into the room’s design, adopting L-Acoustics dual Syva wall-mounted cabinets

augmented by dual 12-inch Syva Low subwoofers. Operating within a 60Hz – 20kHz frequency range, five X8 coaxial bass-reflex cabinets have been adopted into the chapel. While two are used as stage monitors, three are ceiling-mounted towards the rear of the room as delays to provide an even 100° axisymmetric directivity output.

Amplification and DSP settings are maintained by two LA4X four-channel amplified controllers.

Delivering sermons from the lectern, the pastor is equipped with dual DPA 4098 gooseneck microphones. The singers and worship leaders draw upon

Sennheiser ew 300 G4 UHF wireless handheld mics in combination with Mipro headsets, while the musicians are equipped with a combination of Shure Beta SM57 and SM87 models.

Stereo mixing conducted on an Allen & Heath SQ-6 48-channel console is also routed to the Q-Sys Core 510i Core processor for audio broadcast to other rooms in the seminary.

Enhanced with AV technology, a ground-floor lecture theatre is equipped with Shure MX418 gooseneck and Raxikol wireless handheld microphones together with Mackie Pro FX4 v2 mixers. Wall-mounted QSC AD-S802T column speakers provide intelligible reinforced speech in the ground-level student and firstlevel lecture rooms, in addition to an outdoor zone. Silence is broken in the library when a pre-recorded announcement from the programmed Q-Sys Core 510i reminds visitors that the room will shortly close. Powered by four QSC CXD8.4Q amplifiers, the public address system comprises 32 QSC AD-C4T 4.5-inch ceiling and 16 QSC AD-S802T column speakers.

Connected to the Q-Sys Core 510i platform, a series of Visionary

Solutions Duet encoders and decoders route a selection of HDMI signals over the Cat-6A network for broadcasting to a selection of 4K-ready LED displays.

In addition to serving as localised inputs and outputs, nine Q-Sys I/O-8 Flex channel expanders provide signal distribution over the Q-LAN network via the Core 510i.

The video-over-IP streaming solution allows live events taking place in the chapel or main lecture theatre to be transmitted and broadcast to other rooms during peak demand.

Each channel is remotely configured via software as a mic/line input and controlled from Q-Sys TSC-80W wallmounted and table-top touchscreens.

‘With events already scheduled, the project had to be completed within a tight time frame between semesters,’ explained PCI’s application manager, Wilson Wai. ‘It was a challenge to complete the fit-out in all the rooms together with the system programming, audio level adjustments and end user training within the eight-week period. The flexibility provided by the Q-Sys Core backbone together with the ease-of-use Q-Sys touchscreen control interface ensures that trained novices can both operate and control a sophisticated AV system that is future-proofed for many years.’ www.acoustic.hk www.evs.edu.hk www.pci-hk.com

Church of Living Water looks to the future USA A pair of Allen & Heath’s dLive C3500 digital mixing systems have become the latest members of the congregation at the Church of Living Water in Olympia, the capital of Washington state. The consoles were added as part of an upgrade designed to improve the audio quality and provide the church with technology that would evolve with their future needs.

‘The church wanted something today that would serve them well into tomorrow,’ explained Mark Pearson of CCI Solutions, the Washington-based AV integration company chosen for the upgrade. ‘They embraced the idea that technology would always be changing, and wanted consoles

The FOH dLive C3500

14 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

that wouldn’t leave them with any limitations as their needs evolved.’

The contemporary-style services for over 2,000 congregants are led by pastors Jon and Fawn Cobler and include a full band with drums, bass, guitar and keyboards requiring an average of 30 input channels. The first dLive C3500 control surface manages front of house, while the second

has been installed in the church’s broadcast control room to manage weekly livestreaming of events.

‘The audio team at Living Water had an easy time transitioning to the dLive control surfaces,’ Pearson reported. ‘The twin 12-inch capacitive touchscreens provide a level of intuitive control for anyone used to swiping away at a smartphone screen. For our operators who still prefer the feel and immediacy of rotary controls, there’s a set of those as well.

‘These desks will be around much longer than the ones they replaced.

We’ve definitely taken a big step out of the past,’ concluded Pearson. www.allen-heath.com

NEWS

First Baptist invests in second DiGiCo console USA

BAPS partners with Renkus-Heinz UGANDA For several years, the First Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi used a DiGiCo SD5 console and two SD-racks for FOH sound. The church has added an SD10 console for streaming audio for services and events alongside a DiGiCo Orange Box multi-format converter equipped with a DiGiCo Multichannel Interface (DMI) card for Dante connectivity. The SD10 was installed and integrated by Strata AVL, which previously installed the SD5.

‘We had such a great experience with the SD5 console that when it came time to replace our broadcast console, DiGiCo was the obvious choice,’ stated Michael Bowen, First Baptist Church’s minister of media and communications.

‘The SD10 has all the features that we want, including easy and reliable integration with an Optocore network, so we could have all of our audio consoles on a single network. Plus, DiGiCo has given us great service for years with the SD5, and we’re looking forward to more of that with the SD10.’

Bowen also reported how he believed that the SD10 would help with the church’s music productions including its Sunday services with a 50-piece orchestra and choir of 150 singers. ‘We broadcast the Sunday service, so it’s important that we have a console that can handle the rigours of that many

inputs,’ he explained. ‘What we found with the SD10 was a high channel count at a cost-effective price. It’s great value, which is always important for a house of worship’s budget. And the addition of the Optocore means our mixers are able to pull audio from a central location whenever they need to, which really improves their workflow. DiGiCo provided great training for the console; our professional team members were able to transition to it on day one, and our volunteers are quickly becoming familiar with it. We were up and running completely by Labor Day, and totally ready for our big Christmas event – five performances of Carols by Candlelight – which was seen by 15,000 people. We have complete confidence in all of our consoles for that.’

Scott Clark, co-owner of Strata AVL, added: ‘This has moved them from an analogue infrastructure to a completely networked digital one, with all of the major elements of the audio system creating a fully DiGiCo workflow. All of their input sources are now available at either console, at front of house or the broadcast control room. The amount of flexibility they now have here is dramatic.’ www.digico.biz www.firstbaptistjackson.org www.strata-avl.com

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is a Hindu organisation spanning the globe with the mission of improving society through individual growth by adhering to Hindu ideals of faith, unity and selfless service. Known colloquially as KV Swami, Kaivalyamurti Swami is a technology overseer for BAPS which includes the AV and IT work installed in many of the organisation’s projects.

local team during the building phase and returned to Uganda three weeks before the hall was opened to install the system. ‘After very little tuning, it sounded just phenomenal,’ he added. ‘As you walk backward from the front and listen to it, you really can appreciate how uniformed and perfect the sound is regardless of where you are sitting or standing in the hall. The

‘Over the years, we’ve worked to become self-sufficient,’ said Kaivalyamurti Swami. ‘One component of that is to ensure we are in control of the audio in every one of our halls.

And one technology that has played a prime role in our installations – from India to California – is the steerable solutions from Renkus-Heinz.’

One example of how Renkus-Heinz’s solutions have become a leading choice for BAPS’ installations can be seen at a recent project completed in Uganda. ‘When we first went to visit the Uganda site in April 2019, Kampala Hall didn’t exist,’ explained Kaivalyamurti Swami. ‘We went there and we looked at, basically, a concrete box that was in place. No interior design was settled on yet. So, we asked the team at Renkus-Heinz if they could model the location for us with the information we had.’

Using the model, Kaivalyamurti Swami worked remotely with the

speeches are crystal clear and the intelligibility is just awesome – music is divine and theatrical.’

The system comprises two ICLive XL-RD and two ICLive LLX-RD main speakers, three P3-64RD frontfills, two P3-64RD balcony-fills, two P3-64RD under-balcony-fills, three VA15S-RD centre-flown subwoofers and two DR18-2B-RD under-stage subwoofers. ‘Our spiritual leader – His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj – is a soft speaker and projecting his speech without feedback can be a challenge on many systems,’ furthered Kaivalyamurti Swami. ‘The speakers performed so well, with the hall acoustically well-treated and well-tuned, that he was able to speak naturally and be heard clearly by all. Many people expressed their appreciation for the clarity of speech the system produced.’ www.renkus-heinz.com

July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 15

NEWS

Chauvet lights up neo-Gothic church to highlight very particular spots, like the side of the church with the huge windows. Also, the middle pillars are great for uplighting. With the NET-X II, we were able to program different scenes for the different services very easily. For concerts or other events, we are able to control and change everything easily via sACN. This enables very different types of lighting effects.’

features, including its organ. At the entrance area, Lipphaus mounted 10 Ovation FTD-55WW warm white Fresnel units with barn doors.

‘From a lighting perspective, an old church is different in many ways,’ added Lipphaus. ‘The old structure requires a lot of thinking ahead, as well as a secure installation. The electric situation had to be analysed by an electrician first and some

The lighting rig features 40 COLORado fixtures and 12 Ovation units, in addition to the single NET-X II. These include eight COLORado 1-Quad fixtures positioned in the main hall, as well as 24 COLORado 2-Solo and eight COLORado 1-Solo units, which are used in the main hall and for uplighting. Some of the COLORado Solo fixtures were also used with a pair of Ovation C-805FC units to uplight the church’s pillars and other

details had to be renovated in order to support LED lighting. With the church’s impressive structure, the fixtures had to be very subtle; you don’t want the lighting system to pop in the eyes on first sight. The fixtures needed to be very quiet, but still had to be IP65-rated, because of them being placed in a moist and old structure.’

GERMANY With its green copper-capped spire reaching 75m into the sky, Saint Hippolytus Church in Gelsenkirchen stands high above the houses, shops and modern, small industrial buildings that surround it. And the space inside the 650-seat neo-Gothic structure is just as impressive inside as it is outside: colour ful ‘Praise the Space’ choir windows, towering yoked ceiling and cantoned pillars.

Accentuating the transformative effect of the church’s timeless architectural features is a new LED system featuring Chauvet Professional fixtures installed by Lambda Light and Media Design.

‘We had already done some projects for services at Saint Hippolytus, so the church was familiar with our work,’ said Markus Lipphaus from Lambda. ‘There was an understanding that the old lighting system needed to be replaced. LED fixtures were the logical choice, especially considering the energy savings.

‘This is an official landmark built in 1898 so, for us, it was important to highlight the great architecture,’ he continued. ‘I had the idea of indirectly lighting the ceiling, which was already pure white, and therefore perfect for this type of illumination angle. Next, we wanted

www.chauvetprofessional.com

St Joseph Catholic Church gains intelligibility USA Blessed with a 250-capacity sanctuary with stained glass windows, smooth white walls and an ornate baptismal font, St Joseph Catholic Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan was built in the 1910s but an outdated sound reinforcement system was making it difficult for parishioners to understand what was being said during services. Local AV integration firm, Sound Connections Group, turned to Danley Sound Labs and has installed a single SM96 loudspeaker to improve the church’s intelligibility.

‘St Joseph Catholic Church had a handful of old loudspeakers in place that were blasting the room and walls with sound and adding chaos to the already poor acoustics,’ explained Sound Connections Group’s founder and owner, Duane David. ‘The church’s priest, Father Antony, is a native of India and his accent made the sound reinforcement

St Joseph Catholic Church system’s intelligibility problem far more consequential. The church had already removed most of the low end by the time I was called in. I was able to make a few more adjustments to make the system usable, but they

16 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

really needed new loudspeakers using a fundamentally different approach, so we arranged a demo.’

David brought in two Danley models – an SBH20LF columnform loudspeaker and an SM60

loudspeaker. Following the demo, the decision was made to install a single SM96 flown above the apse to cover the entire room with very little energy hitting the walls or extending down the stage. ‘I didn’t have to do much tuning,’ David added. ‘I set the crossover and did a couple of little subtractions around 500Hz to deal with room modes and that was it.’

Following the first mass using the new Danley loudspeaker, Father Antony was said to be overjoyed. ‘The improvement compared to the old system is night and day,’ concluded David. ‘A few people approached me and explained that, with their hearing issues, they had never been able to understand Father Antony before – not a word. But with the Danley in place, they understood everything.

I really can’t imagine a better outcome.’ www.danleysoundlabs.com

NEWS

CBT delivers audio consistency in YBAT THAILAND Bangkok’s Young Buddhists Association of Thailand (YBAT) called upon Mahajak Development Co Ltd to provide clear, intelligible audio during classes and special events. Opened in 2006, the YBAT is a youth organisation dedicated

array column speakers. Powered

by Crown XLS 2502 and XLS 1502 amplifiers, JBL Control SB2210-WH subwoofers provide extended lowfrequency response, while JBL Control 28-1 loudspeakers serve as stage monitors.

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to educating youths interested in Theravadan Tripitaka, with the YBAT Vipassana Meditation headquarters home to the Mind and Wisdom Development Institute where multiple meditation and Dhamma courses are held.

‘The YBAT management wanted to upgrade their existing sound system with a robust audio solution that would enable them to spread their message powerfully, stirring every member in the practice room,’ commented Mahajak Development project director, Pongsakorn Kanchanachayphoom. ‘We selected the JBL line array column loudspeakers for their powerful output, versatility and sleek design.’

The audio in the venue is now balanced and consistent in its coverage courtesy of JBL CBT 200LA-1 and CBT 100LA-1 line

To provide staff with a simple and intuitive means of controlling the sound, Mahajak selected a Soundcraft Si Expression 1 digital mixing console. With versatile routing options and DSP, the Si Expression 1 allows the staff to dial in mixes for a variety of settings.

Signals are routed throughout the venue using a BSS BLU-100 processor, which offers up to 48 channels of audio over the Cat-5e cabling infrastructure.

‘We put our trust in Mahajak to renovate our existing audio system and they delivered exactly what we asked for,’ commented a YBAT spokesperson. ‘We needed a system that would give us professional sound quality, as well as the flexibility for future upgrades.’ www.harman.com

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visual environment technologies etcconnect.com July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 17

NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT

Black Rock reconfigures for remote services When Covid-19 caused Black Rock Church to close its doors for regular services, a new look was created for pre-recorded streamed ministry based around Chauvet Professional Maverick MK1 Hybrid, Rogue R2 Spot and Colorado Zoom WW Tour fixtures.

‘There are a couple of different stage layouts we are addressing with Black Rock Church @ Home,’ Palazini explained. ‘There’s the worship music por tion and the sermon message itself, both of which are in a fluid state as we strive to present the message of

BLACK ROCK CHURCH IN FAIRFIELD, Connecticut has a histor y of adjusting its lighting rig according to a given situation. For example, it made use of its existing AVL inventor y to completely alter its environment for its Christmas ser vices last year (see the March– April 2020 edition of Worship AVL). Now, due to the coronavirus outbreak keeping its campus closed to worshippers, the church has star ted its Black Rock Church @ Home programme, which streams pre-produced Sunday ser vices to congregants watching from their homes, and associate technical director Chris Palazini has adjusted the lighting setup once again.

‘Repor ts about Covid-19 infections increasing were obviously ver y worrisome,’ recalled Palazini. ‘The chance of some 2,400 Sunday morning worshippers – and many hundreds more attending the planned conference – being exposed to the virus was not something we wanted to risk. So, after consulting with local health and town officials, the church leadership chose to suspend onsite ser vices and postpone the conference to a date yet to be determined.’

Black Rock Church @ Home differs from the church’s regular ser vices, which are also broadcast over the internet, as it is preproduced with no live congregation adding to the atmosphere inside the sanctuar y. These pre-recorded ser vices are then streamed online

during each of the three normal worship ser vice times. Moving from livestreamed ser vices that took place with worshippers at the church to pre-produced videos shot with no one in the seats is what necessitated some changes in the lighting. The church’s lighting rig is

18 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

Jesus’ love and peace for us in the midst of a period of uncer tainty and anxiety.

‘In both instances, the lighting will play a more minimalistic role. For the time of worship, we’re creating a consistent and even look for our cameras. Since no one is in the

Worship Center seats at the time of the recording, there’s really no need to create an enveloping atmosphere as we normally would – but we are still maintaining a per formance look to the lighting.

For the sermon message, that same thought holds true – keep it simple. Our goal is to make the pastors look good for the cameras, as well as to provide a smooth, natural look.’

Palazini goes on to describe how the fixtures already in the church’s rig are helping to achieve these design objectives: ‘Normally, we use the Maverick Hybrids to isolate and highlight people and create texture on the stage. The Rogue R2 Spots contribute to the atmosphere, while the Rogue R2 Washes bathe the stage in colour to help set and por tray the emotion of the song or message. We want to create the same energy level as we would for a live audience, but in a more minimalist fashion.

Since we’re already familiar with the Chauvet fixtures, we know their light translates well onto the camera.’

Although the ser vices are being recorded, they are still streamed during regular ser vice times to provide congregants with consistency during these uncer tain times. ‘Our 8:30 ser vice is a “traditional” ser vice that usually has a choir, organ, piano as well as brass and sometimes strings, and the other ser vices are with a contemporar y band,’ added Palazini. ‘It’s impor tant to maintain that difference out of respect, and to create a sense of the familiar for our many older attendees that would normally come to that ser vice. Our goal in all of our ser vices is to provide those watching from home, with family and friends, a better sense of normalcy at a time when nothing in their ever yday lives is the same.’ www.blackrock.org www.chauvetprofessional.com

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PROJECTS

Change of service From click-counting 499 congregants into the sanctuary to streaming services on Facebook, Pastor Rob Scott has mastered turbulent times at Victory Life

Pastor Rob Scott highlights the plans for Victory Life The Allen & Heath GUI interface Centre in 2021 HAVING AMASSED MORE MAJOR players and a percussionist – normally titles than any other player in history, take the stage for the 10.30am Margaret Court is considered one and 6.00pm Sunday services in of the greatest tennis players of all the main upstairs sanctuary before time. For those followers of tennis a capacity congregation of 760 who wondered where the former worshippers. Additional visitors can world number one went after her be accommodated in overflow rooms retirement from the game in 1977, including the lower-level, 350-capacity the journey will take them far away youth room.

Executive pastor and worship director from the tennis arena named after Rob Scott has served at the church her in Melbourne to Perth in Western since 1998. ‘The singers and the Australia. Leaving the spotlight of the musicians are a talented bunch of centre court, Margaret Court opted to follow Jesus and became ordained into semi-professionals here at Victory Life,’ comments Pastor Scott. ‘Some of our full-time ministry. She has served as talent includes artists who have written a visionary pastor and senior minister at the Victory Life Centre family church and performed albums.’ The AV system that serves both their musical and for the past 25 years. broadcasting requirements is a work A talented team of trained musicians in progress. Dating back to the turn of and singers greatly enhance the the new millennium, EV Xi-1522/94 worship experience at Victory Life. The cabinets ceiling-fixed as single L-C-R musical roots are extended beyond arrays fully function as they did 19 the main Victory worship team with a years ago. Powered by Crest Audio CA9 youth worship and stand young adults’ and CA12 amplifiers, the simple but band. Virtuosos and new auditions effective FOH system is augmented practise each Tuesday night. Up to

by RCF dual 15-inch subwoofers that 17 singers and musicians – including Now in their 20th year, EV Xi-1522 speakers continue to faithfully serve keyboard players, a bassist, guitar similarly date back to 2001.

20 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

Unlike the loudspeaker components, the analogue Soundcraft MH2 mixing console needed replacing. ‘I was initially looking at investing in an Allen & Heath SQ digital board, but Marc Sharman at TAG saw our setup and recommended a dLive for our requirements,’ recalls Pastor Scott.

‘Following a demonstration, we were sold on the feature set and intuitive layout of the C3500 model that is paired with a DM64 MixRack. The work surface has an incredibly intuitive interface and its simple operation makes it easy and quick to learn.

The integrated redundancy within the dLive hardware together with the powerful processing is a world beyond analogue. Furthermore, we can add a Dante card in future for a virtual soundcheck in addition to Waves and other audio network option cards should they be required.’

The C3500 console receives its numerous microphone inputs from a MixRack iDR DM48 stagebox with a XCVI 160x64 FPGA core that can accommodate up to 48 inputs, 24 outputs and three I/O ports. In addition, six musicians now receive their individual mix from Allen & Heath ME-1 personal monitors that are daisy-chained via a PoE Ethernet hub.

Capable of handling up to 40 sources from the dLive C3500 console, features including the one-knob function control, 16 assignable keys,

BUYING GUIDE PROJECTS to usescreen them and as aintegrated wide washambient fixture OLED if desired. allowed the musicians to microphone LED transition fixtures also allow easily from wedges to the manufacturers digital world. to add further visual effects are to Having capabilities. made a rapidThere analogue typically two types of strobe digital transition, Pastor Scottlight decided designs: a more traditional-looking to investigate further benefits that the reflectedcould output and direct view.Life’s With console provide for Victory reflector needs. fixtures,‘We thedownloaded LED array is bespoke pointed a reflector blends the dLiveinto Director editor that and control the output and broadcasts software and this now allowsit back to the audience.ofSome reflected fixtures configuration the system offline also include coloured in the before a service.

It alsoLEDs allows array,technicians which allowhere the to reflector other check to andbe filledshow with files. colour.

Some use bright edit If they prefer, they can enoughthe LEDs canapp produce control mixthat live they via the from a coloured strobe light, an iOS touchscreen with while every others aspect simply provide a visual with for of the dLive surface GUIeffect replicated limited familiarity.’ output. If you prefer this type instant ofLike fixture design, needaround to other housesyou of will worship decide if you wantLife justhad a coloured the world, Victory to rapidly reflector effect or the as ability transform its services the to Covid-19 produce a coloured strobe. The virus found a firmer foothold in other style of design uses directservice, view Australia.

‘For the 15 aMarch configuration withthat the the LEDs pointed we had to ensure sanctuary directly at the to audience. of was restricted a total ofMost no more these499,’ fixtures include capability than Pastor Scottthe explains. to control LEDs in different ‘We used athe click-counter on the door zones, creating a more unique and opened the overflow rooms visual for effect.worshippers When put inthat a close array, those we could not the zone control cansanctuary. become more accommodate in the But dynamic and visually events changed rapidlyimpactful. that week Care should taken when adding and now we areberestricted to no more strobe into rig. than 10lights people in any totallighting occupying There are individuals thatwebcast are the building for our online

An MA Lighting grandMA2 console in the technical area from a separate room using the dLive Director editor and control software.

However, added personnel limitations and restrictions meant that we had The Allen & Heath dLive C3500 has to delegate the webcast mix to the enhanced music productions FOH engineer. Now that we have lost services. As such, we decreased from the congregation in the church during a large worship team down to just services, the FOH engineer needs to five musicians and singers, a vision wear headphones.’ switcher operating four cameras, one Dedicated to mixing the broadcast mobile camera operator together with feeds in the creation of audio and one lighting and one audio technician.’ video productions, a postproduction Having reconfigured the camera studio and green room to the rear setup, multi-tasking is the new order is equipped with Pro Tools 12, for the foreseeable future while the a Blackmagic ATEM 2 M/E 4K restrictions remain in place. ‘Our Production Suite, ATEM 1 M/E audio technician uses a page on our production switcher and an original, new dLive C3500 that is dedicated to fully working Yamaha O2R console. a webcast mix with appropriate EQs However, the current Sunday services The ADJanother Flash technician Rope provides lighting uploaded effects live to applied. Previously, arestrobe simultaneously used to mix in this webcast remotely the YouTube and Facebook platforms,

which can also beeffect viewed later if sensitive to the and advanced required.

‘Fortunately, we have not warning should be given so that had to add any equipment those affected are aware.such Evenas cameras our current setup as we someonetowho has never experienced have streaming for abenumber of side been effects before can triggered years now,’ effects. adds Pastor Scott.the ‘Our by certain Typically, main services attract approximately potential for individuals to experience 500 household viewsas livethe butintensity, within issues is increased 24 hoursrate thisand jumps to approximately strobe effect duration 1,600.’ are also increased. As lighting Having integrated mix to professionals, we the canwebcast be mindful good for theeffect current wheneffect the strobe is services, used. Care Pastor is now a shouldScott be taken asconsidering to the duration Dante ‘By the adding of thenetwork flashing.upgrade.

The longer effect aruns, Dantethe virtual to the moresoundcard problematic it is.

MixRack, we will be able add digital We can also reduce theto intensity mic splitting, recording of the effect.multitrack We can either turn and system expansionofwith to down the brightness theup fixture 64 of bidirectional audio or,channels by allowing the stage area to be atlit48kHz. brightly,We weare canopen-minded, create less of a self-taught who contrast intechnicians the intensity of enjoy the strobe discovering these benefits.’

Asstage. the light and the intensity of the church to extend its current But welooks shouldn’t let this hold us premises over nextto18 back fromonsite adding anthe effect our months, the main auditorium will production. increase size to a 1,800-capacity Fixtureincosts can vary greatly, venue.

‘We’ve scratched depending ononly what featuresthe or surface with the are dLive, butimportant we will specifications most be thanwith future-proofed with to more you. As any new lighting this platform once we extend fixture purchase, look over our the services.’

Advantage Heath. options and decide Allen what&would be the best fit. Also, don’t be afraid to www.allen-heath.com ask for a demo to see the fixture in www.tag.com.au your space – most manufacturers www.victorylifecentre.com.au will be happy to help.

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July–August May–June 2020 2020 WORSHIP WORSHIP AVL AVL 21 49

®

PROJECTS

The main concrete roof is reminiscent of an open umbrella

Creating new standards Richard Lawn visits Kuala Lumpur’s National Mosque where the open areas and terrace were plagued by poor intelligibility

Four TOA DH-120 horns are installed in the main minaret

22 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

REGARDED AS A SPECIALIST FOR enhancing audio intelligibility in Malaysian mosques, Acousticon Sdn Bhd continues to adopt an analytical approach when mitigating the effects of reverberance. In its 10 years of operation, its status has been further elevated having successfully integrated a user-friendly AES67 protocol network into Kuala Lumpur’s National Mosque.

With a capacity for 10,000 worshippers, the National Mosque of Malaysia (Masjid Negara Malaysia) is situated among 13 acres (53,000m2) of gardens, pools and fountains. Constructed between 1963 and 1965, the mosque is a bold and modern approach to reinforced concrete, symbolic of the aspirations of a then newly independent Malaysia. Its key architectural features are a 73m-high minaret with a folded cap and a 16-pointed star roof.

Synonymous with the tropics, the main concrete roof is reminiscent of an open umbrella, with the folded plates used to create the larger spans required in the main gathering hall.

Following major renovations in 1987, the heritage status site is once again being upgraded in phases. As such, Acousticon’s founder Azizi Bin Ala was called to site over an eight-month period to solve the inherent audio problems.

‘The overriding problem with mosques is that they are highly reverberant spaces,’ comments Bin Ala. ‘Although the dome

is always seen as the main challenge, the building surfaces are hard, the prayer areas are expansive and there are many pillars.’

Phase one of the upgrade incorporates the outer areas including the 48 pillars outside the main entrance. Determined not to leave any stone unturned, Bin Ala undertook tests and measurements to calculate the directivity, background noise, frequency response, distortion, RT60, SPL signal-to-noise and STI readings in addition to acoustic measurements. ‘For the electro-acoustic assessment, we use NTI Audio products including an XL2 Acoustic Analyser set, Talkbox and a DS2 Dodecahedron speaker set. Once all the data had been collated, I submitted an analytic report, which formed the base for an assessment and a proposal using EASE 4.3 modelling.’

With average STI readings below 0.45, the open areas and terrace were plagued with poor intelligibility. Not only had the existing column-mounted speakers been malfunctioning because of damaged high-frequency drivers and power supplies, they had also been installed wrongly. ‘To achieve the 32m throw required, the existing steerable speaker height from the floor needed to be 4.5m. In addition, set delays and time alignments were inaccurate and the 48-column pillar zone was plagued with problems.’

PROJECTS The existing audio system and acoustics were not exclusive challenges. ‘Prior to prayers and recitals, the nine imams and nine bilals all needed a competent technician to manually operate the PA,’ furthers Bin Ala. ‘Naturally, this led to human errors at times. The analogue audio system also lacked processing features for system tuning and matrix routing in addition to a power conditioner and sequencer.’

Being a heritage listed building, the audio designs needed to be sympathetic to the façade and its architecture. ‘Modifying columns and interior designs was out of the question, so a discreet solution was paramount,’ furthers Bin Ali. ‘In addition, the design had to be created with a limited budget.’

With the Iconyx and IC Live being the speakers of choice for Mecca, Renkus-Heinz was the favoured brand for the National Mosque. In addition

The Acousticon and Mercoms Systems teams reunite in the National Mosque The GUI can be fully customised to a mosque’s particular needs with zoning capabilities built in. With this digital solution and the pre-set features integrated into it, settings can be returned to traditional settings.’

The intuitive GUI displays icons for all nine imams and nine bilals, for whom Bin Ala prepared individual settings.

Once the technician has clicked on the icon of the selected imam or bilal, he can then select a combination of the seven zones for broadcast, adjust the level and play. Of the eight months that Acousticon spent working on the project, this centrepiece took just one week. ‘Q-Sys programming is straightforward, but it took me some time to photoshop the 18 images and create the exact presets.’

Acousticon designed a GUI adopting Q-Sys for the 12-inch iPad Pro screen to selecting its column speakers for the project, Bin Ali also welcomed the opportunity to work with Renkus-Heinz’s distributor, Mercoms Systems. ‘I’ve always enjoyed working with Steven Chan and his team as they offer us great support with the designs.’

In total, 24 ICX7-II mechanically steerable line arrays have been sensitively affixed in pairs to 12 columns throughout the outer areas.

Each ICX7-II comprises four LF 4-inch woofers and three 4-inch coaxial transducers with triple 1-inch tweeters, while the internal passive electronics control the frequency and phase response of each driver to create a uniform 30° beam. The pairing of two 13.4kg enclosures creates a tighter beam control of 15° while adding an additional 6dB in output. Aesthetically, the slim black matt enclosures blend in with the mosque’s vertical columns, bypassing the requirement to adjust further to the architecture.

‘The ICX7 provides an even 120° horizontal dispersion in the 48-column zone and has sufficient throw without any loss in dB,’ furthers Bin Ala. ‘By adopting the standard Renkus-Heinz mounting solution together with a customised bracket, we fulfilled the interior design objectives.’ Owing to

correct tonal clarity. On my first use when I recited the Koran, the verses of citation were crystal clear. As a result, the worshippers are totally attentive now and understand my readings.’

Feeding the delayed ICX7-II outputs, a combination of five QSC CXD4.2Q and 4.3Q amplifiers receive the audio signal from a Q-Sys 110f Core processor over a Cat-6 network. ‘Dante was cost-prohibitive, so we simply promoted the AES67 open protocol.

The digital AES67 solution uses a network switch to connect all the equipment, including the microphone panels, rack devices and steerable speakers over the Cat-6 network we installed.’

With the National Mosque, Acousticon believes that it has created the new standard for Malaysian houses of worship. ‘In future, mosques may need to be monitored for highlighting fault detections or if a user forgets to plug in a microphone. The current status of a system can be controlled, while alerts can be triggered and SMS texts and emails sent to remote engineers when a fault is detected. This is a great monitoring system for all mosques but, to allow for a service department in the mosque, you

24 Renkus-Heinz ICX7-II steerable arrays are affixed to 12 columns budgetary constraints, Acousticon was forced to slightly modify the design.

‘We re-engineered the schematics by simplifying it from a distribution solution with multiple speaker locations to a centralised solution with single locations in stackable speaker configurations.’

Until recently, all mosque audio operations in Malaysia have operated in the analogue domain, but Bin Ala is attempting to upgrade all the mosques he serves with digital solutions. ‘I love the analogue sound but, unfortunately, so many users are inquisitive and want to play around with the settings.

Over time, this leads to a degradation of sound, as the system is not reset.

‘Central to the DSP solution in the National Mosque is a user-friendly interface,’ he continues, highlighting the 12-inch iPad Pro integrated at eye level at the top of the rack. ‘I generally propose the Q-Sys platform for larger mosques with a simplistic touchpanel concept using Q-Sys iPad control.

Shure BLX wireless mics boosted by a UA874 and UA844 UHF antenna system The panel is triggered within the control room and then activated externally. ‘Consequently, the vocal tones of the imams and bilals are naturally crisp and crystal clear. The imams can be quite particular about how they sound, so I had to adjust the dB levels for all of them.’ In addition to the Shure BLX wireless system and wired SM35 microphone transmitters that are input to Attero Tech AES67 receptacle panels, a CD player can also be selected as a source.

Imam Afif agrees. ‘It’s so easy to use – I simply click on my icon and know that my voice has been improvised and optimised with the

need an internet connection and that is not always available.’

Four TOA DH-120 long-throw horn speakers installed into the main minaret constitutes as one of the seven zones. Following successful tuning and programming using Smaart v8.0 software, Acousticon’s eight-month tenure onsite was at an end. And with an STI reading boasting up to 0.59 with an average of 0.56 in the terraces and open pillar area, it’s doubtful that Acousticon will be called to site until the second phase rolls out. www.acousticon.com.my

July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 23

PROJECTS

St Cecilia’s new direction As Protech Distribution continues its mission to provide the churches of Ivory Coast with better sound, it steered in a new direction when it came to upgrading Église St Cecile

Église St Cecile PROTECH DISTRIBUTION HAS become a familiar name in the pages of Worship AVL. The distribution and systems integration company has become synonymous with house of worship projects in Ivory Coast and, with each audio upgrade project completed, word continues to spread as the country’s churches and mosques seek the Protech Distribution team, led by managing director Inza Bamba, to improve their own sound quality. Église St Cecile, translating in English to St Cecilia Catholic Parish, needed to replace an outdated sound system that was more than 25 years old. ‘Since Protech Distribution really specialises in churches and acoustically challenging spaces, the church found that our company was the best fit to provide a solution that met their needs,’ says Bamba. ‘Église St Cecile had been seeking an upgrade to its existing sound system that would deliver a higher sound pressure level [SPL] and a higher speech transmission index [STI].’

Protech Distribution had recently become the distributor for RenkusHeinz in Ivory Coast after Bamba had sought the American manufacturer out, having heard the beam-steering capabilities of its solutions. Église St Cecile would therefore become one of the first houses of worship in the country to benefit from the partnership between the systems integrator and manufacturer.

Turning to Renkus-Heinz’s ICLive X Series, Bamba and his team installed a pair of ICLXL steerable columnar array modules along with two

ICLXL steerable array speakers hang above ICLX118S subs ICLX118S subwoofers as the main system at front of house. The ICLXL modules were hung on the wall at the back of the stage in a left-right configuration, with an ICLX118S on the ground below each one. The setup is driven by a single Powersoft Ottocanali 8K4 DSP+Dante amplifier.

‘While the 118S subs were placed on the ground, the ICLXL speakers were hung 2.5m from the ground to avoid feedback,’ Bamba notes.

In addition, four CX61A and two CX62A enclosures were positioned throughout the sanctuary as delay-fills, while ONE.SP12 weatherprotected loudspeakers from One Systems were installed to deliver reinforcement outside the building.

Inza Bamba received a standing ovation

‘We chose the One Systems speakers for outdoors because of their high STI rating and weather-proof capabilities,’ explains Bamba. ‘The Renkus-Heinz speakers offer the high STI rating needed indoors and their beamsteering abilities allow for higher SPLs with strong intelligibility.

‘There are also four microphones that we placed on the altar,’ he adds. These were Audio-Technica U859QL cardioid condenser gooseneck condenser mics, supplied alongside 15 AT510 cardioid dynamic handheld microphones.

Linking up the signal chain is a Behringer XR18 digital mixing console.

The installation was considered a rousing success, with the one major challenge taken care of with ease.

‘The biggest challenge was to avoid feedback as the speakers were located behind the microphones,’ says Bamba. ‘But hanging the cabinets up high and using the beamsteering capabilities of the RenkusHeinz speakers allowed us to quite literally overcome this.’

The Église St Cecile worship team and congregation have certainly noticed the difference. ‘In fact, the priest and the congregation were so happy that we got a standing ovation when we attended a Sunday service after the work was completed,’ reveals Bamba. www.protech-distribution.com www.renkus-heinz.com

ONE.SP12 weather-protected loudspeakers from One Systems were installed outside

24 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

PROJECTS

Adding to the history of the Jikjisa temple At almost 1,600 years old, the iconic Jikjisa temple has upgraded its sound solution to better reinforce teachings and blend in with the intricate design NESTLED IN THE FOOTHILLS OF Mount Hwangak, the Jikjisa temple is thought to have been founded in 418AD by Master Ado during the reign of Silla, the kingdom that ruled southeastern Korea during the period of the Three Kingdoms between the first and seventh centuries. By today’s geography, the iconic temple is located in Kimcheon, in South Korea’s Kyungsangdo province, and is the largest temple within the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.

With the temple’s long history and, more recently, an eye to the future, it has upgraded its sound system. An older sound setup has been replaced with a new solution to project Buddhist chants and sermons with clarity, while also blending in with the temple’s intricate interior design.

Byupdeung, the Buddhist monk responsible for managing the temple, knew exactly who to call upon when the decision was made to upgrade to a new sound system, as he has a close relationship with Mr Yang, sound system consultant at pro audio systems integrator and distributor, SoundUs. Yang and his team, including sales and technical director Mr Kang who led the project, spent several days at the temple to

fully comprehend Jikjisa’s needs and determine the best possible solution, ultimately deciding on a K-array solution.

‘SoundUs has more than 10 years of experience as K-array’s distributor,’ explains Kang. ‘The Jikjisa temple wanted high-quality sound with a look that would be harmonious with the interior design.

We measured for every possibility inside the space and we knew that there was one brand with which we could meet the requirements, and that was K-array. Our team is made up of several experts who have professional knowledge combining architecture, music and acoustic spaces – one of them is even a professor in their field.’

SoundUs wasn’t automatically given the green light, however. ‘After we had scouted the design of the temple, we suggested K-array,’ explains Kang. ‘Then, we delivered a presentation, demonstrating the speakers, and won the project.’

The SoundUs team determined that the maximum peak SPL of the speaker system needed to be higher than 130dB. This led to a system design consisting of 12 K-array Python-KP52 line arrays paired with

26 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

The opening ceremony with more than 100 people from 80 different temples in attendance

A Rumble-KU212 subwoofer hangs above a pair of Python-KP52 columnar line arrays

PROJECTS speakers in Korea, as they were rendered to match with the wooden build of the temple.

Once the installation of the new sound setup was complete, along with some other remodelling works that were ongoing, Jikjisa hosted an opening ceremony with more than 100 people from 80 different temples in attendance. The K-array solution reportedly received high praise for its design and quality of sound. ‘In particular, many people were impressed with the KW8 monitoring system,’ concludes Kang. www.k-array.com www.soundus.co.kr

six Rumble-KU212 subwoofers. All 18 cabinets were custom painted with a brushed, stainless steel finish and are powered by four Kommander-KA84 amplifiers. The main speakers are spread across six different points throughout the temple to provide high-definition audio with 80–90˚ horizontal and adjustable vertical coverage.

In addition, six Owl-KW8 monitors have been installed for foldback.

‘It took about two weeks to complete the installation because we had to integrate the sound system with the electrical wiring and so on, while taking care with the interior design,’ notes Kang. The installation marks the first time that the brushed finish was employed for K-array

The Python-KP52s and Rumble-KU212s are spread across six different points in the temple

1/2PAGE HORIZONTAL

July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 27

PROJECTS

Service uninterrupted

A lockdown in South Africa meant the suspension of large social gatherings.

LINC church turned to livestreaming to retain a sense of continuity for the community WITH MOST OF THE WORLD IN lockdown and millions of people in isolation at the moment, a sense of community is more important than ever. For many, this comes in the form of the church and worship, but, with large gatherings out of the question, how can people continue to be brought together and feel less isolated?

Based in Salt Rock just outside the South African city of Durban, LINC Church is a modern Christian church home to a congregation of up to 1,000 that gather every Sunday. For obvious reasons, that’s not possible at the moment.

‘We’re supposed to only go out for emergencies or food right now,’ explains LINC Church technical director, Simon Wilkes. ‘Normally, we would have two services on Sunday morning with 800–1,000 people gathering at the church.’

A lot of people look to the church first for help, assistance and support in times of crisis. Many HOWs have felt that they couldn’t simply suspend operations just because people aren’t able to attend the site in person.

Livestreaming has become the only option to retain a sense of continuity.

While LINC Church was already livestreaming its services prior to the lockdown, it was achieving a fraction

LINC Church’s physical auditorium in Salt Rock, Durban

of the viewership it had hoped for.

‘The first service on Sunday is just a regular run-through. The second one we livestream – by then everybody’s on the same page and we know what’s going to happen,’ explains Wilkes. ‘Typically, we get about 50 people tuning into the stream.’

For a traditional service, Wilkes has three Sony cameras set up in the main Salt Rock auditorium. The feeds

28 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

serve three purposes: live IMAG for those congregants in the audience, archive recording and producing the video feeds for the livestreams.

The three Sony NX 5 cameras used by the church feed the ATEM Production Studio 4K switcher.

‘We’re using a Blackmagic Design Hyper Deck for our recordings,’ notes Wilkes. ‘We also have a Blackmagic UltraStudio 4K for capture and

playback and a Smart VideoHub 20x20 router that provides control and monitoring. These allow us to send out feeds to all of the breakout TVs located around the church in foyers, the coffee shop and mothers’ room areas. Central to our livestreaming operations is the Living As One encoder – it’s an amazing piece of kit and creates a bulletproof stream.’

PROJECTS

Wilkes would typically be manning his onsite video workstation

The worship leader sends footage to Wilkes for editing

All of this is no enviable task considering the fact that Wilkes is solely responsible for the church’s technical needs, albeit with the aid of volunteers. ‘It’s a very small team.

On the video side it’s just myself,’ he explains. ‘Our volunteer culture is very strong at the church and so we have a big pool of people – it’s taken me a couple of years to build that team up to make the production reach the level we’re at now. I think it’s got to a point now we’re producing something that’s really palatable and interesting.’

Without a congregation to meet at the church, how was LINC able to produce a livestream? Thankfully citizens were given some brief notice of the lockdown.

Wilkes’ workstation has been replaced by a temporary setup at his house

‘The lockdown was announced on 24 March and came into effect on 26 March at midnight. We basically had just two days to record as much footage as we could to last the entire three-week period. We gathered the congregation at the church to record three weeks’ worth of worship and preaching for the livestreams, and then all of the rest of the content is being produced directly by pastors at home using their smartphones.’

Wilkes edits and packages up the prerecorded footage of the congregation with the pastors’ smartphone videos and sends it over to a colleague that lives onsite at the church. He then uploads it onto LINC’s Renewed Vision ProPresenter machine which feeds

The pastors continue to create footage using temporary setups

through to the ATEM switcher and on to the Living As One encoder. Meanwhile, Wilkes’ primary Apple Mac Pro workstation has migrated to his house.

‘I’m here at home and watching the encoder online,’ says Wilkes. ‘Because it’s all scheduled, it just automatically pops up on my screen when the encoder has started and it’s going live straightaway through to Facebook and our church online platform. I’m able to sit here and monitor the “health” of those as the service takes place. On Sunday, I just open up my laptop and monitor everything from here.’

Yet, the situation is rapidly changing and there’s no guarantee that the lockdown won’t be extended further than the initial three weeks. Wilkes has enough footage in reserve for the anticipated period it is due to last, but no one knows whether it will need to be extended for longer. If so, the church still has a contingency plan.

‘We’re really lucky that our worship leader and our sound technician live next door to each other and they are literally only 30m away from church,’ the technical director explains. ‘So the worship leader will set up a camera on herself and send the footage to me to be edited. The preaching will definitely have to be done from our homes and I’m not too sure how we’ll achieve that yet.’

Maintaining two-way communication is also vitally important to removing the sense of isolation. In a livestream, you don’t get to see the audience and

the rest of the congregation. ‘We have teams remotely at home, five people per platform, that are responding and communicating with viewers on the stream,’ notes Wilkes. ‘For example, requesting live prayer and wanting to know more about the church and things such as this. Then, during the service, I take screenshots of the analytics that come through from the Living As One and send it to our online pastoral groups. It shows them where the viewership’s coming from in the world and helps keep them motivated as they see our numbers growing.

Now, it’s risen to twice the size of the church. Last week, we reached nearly 2,300 viewers.’

While some of these new livestream viewers are undoubtedly congregants that would prefer to be witnessing the action in person, it will be interesting to see what happens to viewing figures when the lockdown has ended.

‘We’re looking to build on the momentum gathered recently, and we hope that when everything opens up again, the viewing figures remain high,’ furthers the technical director.

‘We’re also expecting to see some more attendance at church.’

The church has also begun to host Zoom Hangouts during the week

One ethos of LINC Church is connections and, as such, it has instigated several new initiatives to allow people to connect during the lockdown. ‘We’re encouraging people on our church online platform to join a small group,’ says Wilkes. ‘They fill in a form and their details are distributed to people that host Zoom Hangout meetings during the week. This can be for anything from telling us that you need to still be at church while the lockdown is happening, needing someone to talk to or liaising on other church activities.’

What’s most impressive about the operations at LINC Church is how flexible things have been without the need for any additional equipment investments, and a lot of that is down to the simplicity of the gear. When normal service resumes, Wilkes also now has a few new tricks up his sleeve to rely on in times of need. www.blackmagicdesign.com www.lincchurch.com

July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 29

PROJECTS

The grandMA3 light at FOH Dartz 360

Olive’s LED upgrade Olive Baptist Church has retrofitted its entire sanctuary with a new LED lighting rig.

James Cooke speaks with director of communications, Bobby Taylor IT’S WELL-DOCUMENTED HOW LED lighting fixtures can save houses of worship money in the long run by being more energy-efficient and requiring less maintenance. That doesn’t mean that a lighting upgrade of any kind won’t be expensive if done properly. For Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida, when it decided to take the plunge and implement an LED upgrade, the church went all in by undergoing a refurbishment of its complete lighting setup – including both the house and stage lights.

‘With the LED technologies now available, we knew that the cost savings over a long period of time would save us a lot of money; we just needed to understand the upfront costs,’ recalls Bobby Taylor, director of communications at Olive Baptist Church. ‘So, we did some calculations and felt that with the age of our equipment, which was almost 27 years old, it was time to go ahead and make the switch. Especially as

we were beginning to experience a lot of problems with our dimmer racks.

As parts would fail, the room began to get darker in sections. The money it was taking to maintain the tungsten light fixtures and the wattage loads we were using determined it was best

30 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

to upgrade the entire system to LED technology.’

Replacing the old rig with another conventional system was out of the question as LED solutions offer too many benefits. The other decision for Taylor and the Olive Baptist team to

make was whether to replace just the failing dimmers, the entire dimming rack or whether to spend out and upgrade all lighting in the church.

‘We should consider the option that’s going to save you money in the long run,’ says Taylor. ‘If you’re switching over to LED, there’s going to be an upfront cost anyway, but you will ultimately save money by doing all the work in upgrading the whole setup in one go when it comes to the installation. And we’ll see that money paid back. In our case, we had 522 house fixtures. By switching to LED, we removed three 600A breakers. We had 1,800A feeding our incandescent house lighting fixtures.

We had roughly another 100 stage lighting fixtures that we just pulled out and we now have 360 house lights and about 140 theatrical lights. The result is that instead of 1,800A, we are now running on less than 400A for lighting. It doesn’t take you too long to figure out that’s going to save some money.’

PROJECTS Taylor’s background allowed him to project manage the upgrade works himself, without the need to hire a design or systems integration firm.

Before joining the staff at Olive Baptist Church, he ran an AV systems integration company of his own for several decades. ‘I personally worked in the AVL industry for a really long time before I got called into full-time ministry,’ Taylor explains.

‘I sold that business and came here to the church as the director of communications and, with my experience, have been able to do a lot of the work on what is essentially a US$1 million-plus lighting system design build in-house. That was a pretty big deal.’

Taylor’s career means he has several long-standing relationships with those in the AVL sector, including Dustin Pesnell of Freed Sales, the local manufacturer rep firm for Elation Professional. A visit to Elation’s South Florida showroom in Opa-Locka allowed Taylor to work with Pesnell to create a design specification that drew heavily on Elation and ADJ fixtures. While Taylor managed the project, the installation work was subcontracted to Current Solutions, led by Chris Mock, who handled the electrical for the house lighting, and All Pro Integrated Systems, which took care of the sACN (streaming ACN) infrastructure, components, cabling and design.

The stage lighting was designed inhouse by Taylor and his team.

A variety of LED moving heads have been installed as part of the new stage lighting setup, including four Picasso and four DaVinci fixtures from Elation’s Artiste Picasso series, as well as 12 Dartz 360 and four Platinum 1200 Wash units. ‘The choices that we made were based not only on the performance of the fixture but the fact that they are easy to maintain,’ reasons Taylor.

‘We chose the Picasso to have a super bright spot onstage with nice tight edges or a large assortment of interchangeable gobos.’ The Artiste DaVincis, meanwhile, are used for backlighting at stage level. ‘The brightness when spreading the beam through gobos is very impressive.

Not only are they quick and quiet, but the colours match well with our other Elation fixtures.’

The Dartz 360 fixtures primarily provide beam effects. ‘The fact that this fixture can pan and tilt continuously 360° gives us lots of flexibility to enhance our worship sets. With the room hazed nicely, the beam effect from this light is outstanding. It is small enough that we are able to move them about the space with very little effort and its sACN capability gives us endless opportunities for placement.’

Eight Elation WW Profile HP warmwhite ellipsoidal spots with 10° lenses have been combined with some tungsten fixtures to deliver key and backlighting on the stage.

Meanwhile, 34 SixPar Z19 six-colour

32 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

PAR wash lights are used for stage back wash and choir down-fill. ‘The ultraviolet feature of this fixture plays a big role in kids’ performances,’ Taylor notes.

Six DW Chorus white light LED battens are used to light a stainedglass window that retracts to expose a performance scrim area or an additional projection screen. An assortment of other fixtures are used for accent lighting, including 18 SixPar 100 LED PARs and 51 ADJ Ultra Hex Bar 12 linear LED fixtures.

Thirty of ADJ‘s 3D Vision panels were also installed, while key lighting is delivered by Source Four fixtures from ETC. ‘The Source Fours do a phenomenal job,’ Taylor exclaims.

‘They’re RGB units that really make the colours on some of our banners pop. It’s got ultraviolet light too, which really gives surfaces a threedimensional look.’

For lighting control, Taylor and the Olive Baptist team were some of the first users to get their hands on MA Lighting’s grandMA3 lighting console. ‘It’s kind of a big deal,’ says Taylor. ‘We were one of the first organisations to have ordered a grandMA3 and were registered for it for around seven or eight months.

Once we finally got it in, we found it works really well. We’re excited to have the grandMA3 and we’re doing all kinds of neat things with it.’

Helping to create some neat effects is an MDG Atmopsphere ATMe haze generator, which replaces three old hazers used with the former lighting setup. ‘The MDG unit works really well and creates a really smooth haze in the room that just stays for a long time, even with the air conditioning running.’

Olive also installed a Poseidon Aqua 2 low-lying fog machine, designed to create thick clouds that stay close to the floor without the need for dry ice, and a pair of Fobbles F4 four-in-one effects machines that produce fog-filled bubbles and can serve as either a hazer, fogger or bubble machine.

Both the Poseidon Aqua 2 and Fobbles F4 are manufactured by Froggys Fog.

NEWS

BUYING GUIDE PROJECTS NEWS PRODUCTS PROJECTS KnowHOW TECHNOLOGY

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39 33 45 43 25 September–October 2017 WORSHIP AVL 59 13

KnowHOW

Weathering the storm Lectrosonics’ president Gordon Moore discusses some of the options for remote church services during the Covid-19 lockdown THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE challenged the faithful in so many new ways. One of these is the ban, in many countries, on gatherings of large groups. Political implications aside, the imperative to have worship services while protecting the health of the congregation and worship team becomes very important. How do we, as the technical team, address making changes in our services while keeping our mission and faith growing?

Online: streaming or pre-recording?

For many people, being in a shutdown or told to stay in place (shelter at home) means the church building is closed and services must be provided in other fashions.

As this unfolded, I was monitoring many churches to see how they approached providing safe services.

MEET THE AUTHOR Audio expert and industr y veteran Gordon Moore is the director of technical ministries at Rio Rancho United Methodist Church in Rio Rancho, New Mexico; president of Lectrosonics, Inc; former senior faculty member for the InfoComm Academy; was named

Educator of the Year for InfoComm in 2000; and received the Fred Dixon Ser vice in Education Award

by AVIXA for his outstanding contributions to education in the AV industr y in 2019.

cutting in and out due to poor cell links. d. Make an effort to use the phone in as professional a fashion as possible. Get a tripod mount for the phone. Many services I watched were handheld and the user got shakier and shakier as the service went on. Some were even zooming using their fingers

on the screen which gave a very abrupt and uneven zoom. e. Pay attention to the audio side.

There are many interfaces that will allow you to bring a mic or line level signal from a high-quality microphone into a cell phone such as IK Multimedia’s iRig for iPhones. Do not rely on the cell phone microphone. It will be

Streaming Many churches opted for streaming their services. As I observed several churches trying this approach, I found a number of factors many failed to consider. Streaming your service requires a good pipeline – a fast internet service connection.

Sending a live AV signal requires bandwidth. There are a few approaches to this.

1) Using a cell phone service. I watched a few churches try to stream live using a cell phone on a social media platform such as Facebook. A few observations here. a. Cell phones have fairly good cameras – but not all cell phones are created equal. Use a higherquality phone. A grainy, lowresolution image will be off-putting to many and discourage repeat attendance. b. Make sure your data plan can support the service. One church I watched went from a nice, highquality image to low res as the cell phone owner’s data usage went past their limit and the quality of the service slowed. c. Make certain that you have good reception and upload links. I observed one service that was

Vertical format

Landscape format

34 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

Gordon Moore

low gain, and very reverberant/ echo-ish, reducing intelligibility to distracting levels. Use a mixer if possible and then patch that audio into the phone. f. Hold the camera horizontally. I can’t emphasise this enough because it is that important. The skinny vertical format of a cell phone held vertically makes for an amateurish, poor resolution image. If you hold it in landscape format, it will fill the viewers screen and be much more natural.

Many people like to watch online services on their large screen TV. Landscape format will always look better.

2) Using a streaming service.

Streaming a service typically requires more gear. You will need a streaming interface – a hardware device that will put your audio and video signals onto an internet connection. You will need a streaming service through which you can send a high-quality signal. Streaming services are a subscription-style service that will optimise your signals and assure the bandwidth you will need when services are live. (Social media doesn’t guarantee your bandwidth and can upset the best laid plans.)

Don’t forget that streaming a service will also require at least one camera and an audio feed.

Many churches I saw had very high production values using multiple cameras, video switchers/panning desks and additional AV inputs for computer-generated graphics.

Streaming can be very effective.

The biggest drawback to streaming is the requirement that your entire worship team must be present and working together. This can place more people in one place than many

KnowHOW restrictions will allow and increase the possibility of spreading Covid-19 among the performers and worship leaders.

Pre-recording and posting online Another option is pre-recording the elements of the service, editing it in postproduction and posting the final production online to platforms such as YouTube.

There are some advantages to recorded productions: 1) The number of people at any given time can be carefully controlled, reducing the danger of exposure for every participant. This is the solution my church selected. Every Thursday afternoon, the pastor and youth leader meet the camera operator for recording the announcements, prayers, readings, sermon and blessing/sending forth. Music is recorded separately by the worship leader and pianist off-site and sent via internet to the postproduction editor. The editor adds visual images to the songs. All songs are public domain – you cannot post popular current songs unless the fees have been paid to the copyright holders.

2) Higher production values are easier to attain, even with a small crew. In our church, we use a single camera plus a GoPro for a second angle on the speakers. Special title slides and graphics are easily added in a more controlled environment – mistakes can be easily corrected or enhanced.

3) The service can be easily put on a DVD – this is especially helpful for those who are shut in or have no access to the internet.

Streaming a live service can become a full production level event. And that leads to a major safety issue.

Remember, Covid-19 is highly contagious and potentially lethal.

Maintaining social distance becomes imperative, even for a service. One church whose streamed service I observed had the praise team all playing in close proximity to each other – what I assume was their normal positions before the pandemic. The musicians were unmasked, they were too close together and they were sharing microphones. Even though they were playing to an empty church, they were not paying attention to their own safety. They even had communion, for which they lined up 2m apart (good) and then took their communion from a common plate (very bad). Two weeks later, their pastor announced that he had tested positive.

Another church choir held a practice in a major metro area in the northeast US, even after social distancing orders had been issued.

Over 60 people gathered for a 2.5-hour practice. A few weeks later, 87% of the choir had contracted Covid-19 and two had died. Contact tracing took the cause back to the choir practice.

Take steps to protect your praise team. If you stream or if your live

Illustration 2 amount of space on the left of the stage. This worked well. We could easily hear each other, and we per formed as a tight knit, closely coordinated musical group. b. In Illustration 2, note that the worship team has been spread out now across the entire 18m stage. Use of wireless microphones, IEMs and hardwired Aviom IEMs will keep us together musically. Additional cabling is pulled under the stage to allow Dante and IEM links to be maintained. No one is singing towards another person or in their direction. We use the technology to maintain our tight

However, as with everything, there are also several disadvantages: 1) Loss of spontaneity – if overly edited or too tightly controlled, a recorded service can lose the human element. Allow a few mistakes to come through – it helps the viewer more closely identify with the service.

2) Timeliness can be lost. The time between the recorded sermon and the date of release should be as short as possible so the sermon – in case of a serious disaster or breaking news – can seem relevant and in touch with what is happening. Be prepared for last-minute changes and late nights making new edits to keep up with these rapidly evolving times.

3) Watch out for getting too repetitive – add new elements and change things around.

the trick and kill off any potential contaminents). c. Maintain social distancing – non-singers will wear masks.

Singers will be isolated as much as possible and maintain extra distance. Masks go on when not singing. d. Instruments that are used by multiple people (the keyboard for example) will be wiped down.

Only one person per session will be allowed to play any given instrument. e. The sound booth and lighting controls will all be wiped down before and after ser vices. f. IEMs will be wiped down. Each per former will have their own earpieces – no sharing allowed.

Earpieces must be stored in plastic bags – the exterior of the bag wiped down before storage. g. All handheld and wireless microphone packs will be wiped down before and after ser vices.

The mixing console will also be wiped down. Use soft cotton rags or paper towels that are moistened with the alcohol but not dripping wet. Wipe the sur face so that it is left wet and allow it to air dr y. h. Wash hands, wash hands, wash hands.

Illustration 1 services are resuming, then make certain your team is still properly protected.

1) Space the worship team far apar t – more than 2m for singers who, if not wearing a mask, can project the airborne virus for several metres. Spread them out. a. Illustration 1 shows my church team layout as it was before the stay at home orders were issued. Note that the team was concentrated to the right side of the stage. Not showing is the grand piano that took up a fair

per formance instead of close proximity.

1) Establish sanitation protocols – in writing. Post them where everyone can see them. Demand adherence.

If a staffer or volunteer refuses to follow the protocols, you must be tough and remove them from the team. At Rio Rancho United Methodist Church we will, when going live again: a. Wipe down all microphone cables and control surfaces before and after each service with 70% alcohol. b. Disinfect all handheld microphone screens each week (baking them in an oven at 56°C for an hour will do

Until an ef fective vaccine and/or treatment is available, extraordinar y ef for ts will be required by the tech team and worship leaders to assure the safety of the team and the congregation. Don’t let your equipment become a vector for the spread of the virus.

One final note – it was with some amusement that we found that our online attendance has been better than our live attendance. We are reaching more people now with His Message than ever before. That becomes our silver lining in these ver y strange days. Be blessed and mix well.

July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 35

KnowHOW

NewTek’s Raymond Siew

Craig Heffernan from Blackmagic Design

Using production switchers Raymond Siew from NewTek and Craig Heffernan of Blackmagic Design help us to get started with production switchers PRODUCTION SWITCHERS, ALSO known as video mixers, are a key component within the broadcast production chain. During a typical live studio television broadcast, the director will sit in the gallery (the production control room) next to the vision mixer, who operates the production switcher. The production switcher controls the live feed, switching between various camera feeds and other sources.

‘At its base level, a production switcher is a piece of hardware or software that allows you to mix two or more incoming video sources,’ explains Craig Heffernan, EMEA technical sales director at Blackmagic Design. ‘The operator can view multiple camera angles and cut to the best view at any given time during production. While traditionally used by broadcasters, more and more houses of worship are now using a production switcher as part of their video workflows. That means video teams can now produce live coverage of a service and package that with custom graphics and pre-cut video content.’

Houses of worship will most likely require a production switcher if they stream or broadcast services, or if they provide IMAG (image magnification) on a big screen so that congregants sat towards the rear of the sanctuary can see the worship

On the entry-level end of the spectrum is Blackmagic’s ATEM Mini

leader clearly. The switcher will be needed for setups with more than one camera, as well as if multiple video sources are being used.

‘Typically, all incoming sources will be displayed in a split screen configuration, known as multiview, and the operator controls the switcher, either through a hardware panel or software, to create a programme mix (also known as PGM),’ adds Heffernan. ‘The PGM output is then relayed to screens around the place of worship and/ or streamed live to audiences online via platforms like YouTube or Facebook Live.’

‘A production switcher is at the heart of the production workflow,’ says Raymond Siew, NewTek’s sales manager for APAC. ‘Everything else, such as cameras, VTR and graphics, is built around it. A smaller-scale production switcher can be used to focus on providing the programme feed, whereas larger systems can also support an aux monitor and IMAG from a single configuration.’

36 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

trips to other places of worship and congregations around the world to share insights and knowledge. PGM output from the switcher can also be recorded to digital video files and uploaded to YouTube or Facebook to provide “video on demand” content and further contact with a congregation.’

Capabilities Switchers for worship ‘As well as broadcasting services to screens and wider online audiences, video can also play an integral part within worship,’ says Heffernan.

‘Many production switchers feature a media pool, where you can preload additional graphics that the operator can use during a production.

Some relevant examples could be hymn lyrics for big screens in the auditorium or messages to the congregation before and after the service.

‘Away from live services, many houses of worship have their own websites and social channels that also require content, so a production switcher forms part of the professional video production setup required. This can help build a global profile and, for some houses of worship, has led to visits and

‘Depending on factors such as price and market segment, the features of a switcher will vary accordingly,’ notes Siew. ‘Of course, the primary function is to switch between camera feeds, but additional features like multi-level effects (MLE), external device control (such as robotic cameras), frame capture, DVE effects and pre/post key for distribution and recording can also be provided. A software-driven platform may also be able to offer built-in recording and playout, streaming, virtual sets, tele-prompter and automation control, audio mixing and more.’

Heffernan elaborates: ‘Production switchers have a wide variety of transitions, which is how one image moves into the next. These can add variety into a live programme mix.

Many also offer on-screen features and effects – for example, lower thirds, where captions and additional information can be added.

KnowHOW ‘If you are looking to produce multilayered content on the screen, some switchers can also allow multiple sources to be shown on screen at the same time, such as using picture-inpicture, split screen or a SuperSource function, which is a tool that allows up to four sources to be overlaid on a background source or artwork.’

Visual effects can also be implemented with the help of a production switcher. ‘Production direction can also change depending on the service and the audience, and a production switcher can help create visual differences,’ Heffernan explains. ‘Traditional services targeted at the established congregation may be slower in pace, with fewer cuts, and slower and softer transitions. Services aimed at a younger audience may be more fast-paced and dynamic, engaging the demographic with more elaborate effects and graphics.’

Options

manufacturers make their software available. ‘Some companies will sell their software as a separate product, meaning that the user buys their own hardware to run it on as the host.

Others, such as our TriCaster, deliver software and hardware. The software completes the tasks using generic computing hardware.’

As with all AV technologies, the best place to start is with plenty of research and figuring out what functionality you need to meet your needs and to fit in with your existing infrastructure. ‘A video production reseller in your region will be a really useful contact,’ concludes Heffernan.

‘They will be able to make sure you pick a switcher that works seamlessly with the kit you already have and will be able to recommend products that can also futureproof your workflow for years to come.’

NewTek’s 4-Stripe Control Panel primarily stick to switching between cameras and adding simple graphics. More advanced switchers, meanwhile, will cost much more but offer complex effects and re-entry feeds, as well as more in terms of SDI and IP inputs and outputs.’

Software options should also be considered. ‘A traditional, hardware switcher typically uses a purposebuilt FPGA [field-programmable gate array – an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a user after manufacture] for system processing, whereas software can be inflexible and complex,’ says Siew. There can be differences in the ways in which

As with almost all technology, there is a variety to choose from when exploring production switchers. Different price points provide different levels of functionality, from entry-level basic devices to complex systems that may be more appealing to creatively advanced users.

‘There is a huge range of production switchers available, with a wide variety of features and capabilities,’ confirms Heffernan. ‘The main things to think about are how many cameras are you going to be using and whether you will be using graphics and prerecorded content. This will determine how many inputs you need. Likewise, where will your video be shown? Just out to screens in the venue or do you also want to consider streaming options?

And will you be producing content in HD or 4K? ‘Hardware switchers offer a mix of SDI and HDMI connectivity, which means you can connect directly to low-cost displays or other video equipment that you already own,’ he furthers. ‘It may also be useful to look out for whether the switcher has frame synchronisers on every input. This feature will allow you to “plug and play” your equipment and switch cleanly between different sources, including consumer cameras and computers, without having to worry about converting everything to one format.’

Siew notes that the differences between production switchers of different levels run deeper than price and functionality. ‘Entry-level switchers can provide an easier learning curve,’ he explains. ‘They

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1/2 ISLAND

Untitled-2 1

July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 14:08 37 29/05/2020

KnowHOW

Image courtesy of www.bhphotovideo.com

How to avoid flicker on camera John Black looks into what causes flicker and how to prevent capturing it in the first place AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS article, many countries around the world have instituted stay-at-home programmes as they struggle to contain and control the spread of Covid-19. Houses of worship, once gathering places both large and small, have closed their doors, scrambling to create new mediums and methods through which to reach worshippers stuck in their homes.

While larger organisations may have already been broadcasting services live or on-demand, many smaller organisations have had to adapt quickly to the new reality.

In the transition to engaging their congregations in an electronic format, it may be that some have experienced a fairly common production issue when newly approaching video production: light flicker. This is possible regardless of if you are shooting video on a camcorder, DSLR, production camera or iPhone, and can be frustrating, especially if it isn’t noticed prior to a recording session and is later discovered when starting the

postproduction process for editing and then delivery.

In this article, I’ll try and explain what causes flicker on camera.

After all, understanding the cause behind it is the first step to avoiding it in the future. We’ll then look at some things that you can do to help prevent capturing flicker on camera in the first place.

Hopefully, by the publishing of this piece, Covid-19 might be behind us and you will have worked through any flicker issues in your services through trial and error or other resources. If not, this article will help you improve the video you capture and ultimately the experience for your electronic congregation. So let’s dive in.

What causes flicker on camera?

To understand what causes flicker on camera, one needs to understand the way in which light sources work to produce light. Camera flicker is an issue in situations using an artificial

38 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

light source (in other words, not the sun). If you only shoot outside under natural light, you should not encounter camera flicker because the light source is consistent (the sun is always ‘on’).

With most artificial lighting, however, the light being emitted from a light source is actually turning on and off at a very fast rate. This ‘flicker’ is not perceived by the naked eye, but cameras can actually capture this phenomenon due to frame rates that are out of sync with the light source.

A Kino Flo Celeb 450Q DMX LED fixture with yoke mount Why does this happen? Most lighting is powered using an AC (alternating current) power supply rather than DC (direct current). The result is that the filament in the lamp is turning on and off while powered ‘on’. The rate that this happens depends on where

KnowHOW you are in the world, generally at either 50Hz or 60Hz (50 cycles per second or 60 cycles per second, respectively).

To put it simply, when shooting at certain frame rates matching the cycle of the powered light source, this flicker isn’t noticeable. However, as cameras have improved their quality and options to allow very high or specialised frame rates, it is possible that inconsistencies occur where the number of cycles a light source goes through are not the same for each camera frame captured. Therefore, flicker occurs.

Can you avoid flicker on camera?

The good news is that this is avoidable. Powered lights running on AC power will cycle consistently once they are powered on and set. By the way, I use ‘set’ because if you are using dimmable tungsten lights, this flicker may be more noticeable the less bright the lamp is set at. The frequency of the cycle is staying the same, but the voltage is decreasing. As a result, the filament doesn’t glow as bright, meaning that it also cools down (the ‘off’ stage) faster.

The great thing about shooting with most modern cameras is that you are able to control the frame rate at which the camera is shooting. If you are experiencing flicker capture, this is one of the first things that you can adjust to avoid it. In general, so long as your camera is set to a frame rate that is easily divisible by the power cycle rate (or frequency) in the location you are shooting (typically 50Hz or 60Hz), then chances are you will not experience flicker. For example, if shooting in a location where the power cycle is 60Hz, if you shoot at 30fps, 60fps or 120fps for slow-motion work, you shouldn’t notice camera flicker.

You may be wondering about 29.97fps or 59.94fps that cameras may actually be using. These frame rates allow footage to be used more easily in broadcast environments and came out of the initial need for live TV broadcasts to remain in sync with household TV sets. This changed in the move from black-and-white broadcasting to colour broadcasting. Without getting into the finer details, these new rates were altered to allow for backwards compatibility (to allow live, colour broadcasts to work with black-and-white TVs). This was the birth of drop frame timecode. If interested, Frame.io has an excellent article discussing these details titled Timecode and Frame Rates: Everything You Need to Know (blog.frame.io/2017/07/17/timecodeand-frame-rates).

A Genaray LED-7100T 312 LED variable colour on-camera light

The on-camera screen of a Nikon D5 digital SLR In addition to checking the capture frame rate on your camera, another way to avoid flicker on camera is to look at what type of light source you are using.

I mentioned earlier tungsten lights similar to what you would find in a stage lighting system in any house of worship.

In those situations, capturing video uses frame rates that work with the local power frequency. However, if you are working with variable frame rates or at very high frame rates, you may need to consider the actual light sources themselves.

You may find that in many houses of worship, fluorescent light sources are in use. These light sources have a much lower flicker rate. This is because the light in a fluorescent lamp is created by an arc (the term ‘arc-source’ is given to lamps that operate in this manner regardless of fixture type) that produces a plasma inside the glass tube and causes the phosphor coating to glow.

Therefore, if you are running into flicker problems and you have fluorescent light sources in use, try changing out those light sources with tungsten lamps.

What about LED? After all, most LEDs don’t operate on AC power, but rather operate using DC. Though this doesn’t always guarantee flicker-free operation (due to troublesome power converters used for converting the AC to DC, for example), you are more likely to have success. The challenge that comes with LEDs is the ability and method used to dim them (something important when using LEDs in stage lighting). Even to the naked eye, when slowly dimming LEDs, some products will visibly ‘step’ or ‘jump’ between intensity levels.

There are two main methods used for dimming LEDs: pulse width modulation and switch mode regulation.

Pulse width modulation works by introducing periods of time where the LEDs are ‘off’ (receiving no power).

Over time, this makes them appear dimmer, but ultimately results in a pulse that can be detected as a flicker on camera. Switch mode regulation operates at a very high frequency and therefore operates virtually flicker-free, regardless of the frame rate you are shooting at.

When you are purchasing LEDs for your stage and you know that video is or will be incorporated into your services, be sure that the LED products you are looking at can dim flicker-free. You want a fixture that will allow you to create the looks you want to the naked eyes of the live congregation, as well as provide a highquality visual product to your online congregation.

If you are regularly shooting on location in a variety of settings, it may be worth looking into building your own lighting kit with flicker-free lighting fixtures that you can take with you to ensure that, regardless of the location, you have a lighting kit available that you are comfortable working with to prevent flicker on camera. There is a large number of products available on the market at all price ranges that claim flicker-free operation at full intensity and during dimming.

Alternatively, if you shoot on location but aren’t able to take a lighting kit with you, be sure that you do some testing to ensure that your frame rate is set to avoid flicker with whatever lighting is available. If you need help, RED has an excellent web tool called Flicker Free Video that will help you figure out what frame rate and shutter speed combinations should be safe to work on their website (www.red. com/flicker-free-video). They also have a free mobile app called RED Tools that is useful.

Finally, a source of flicker you may not be thinking about is a TV, computer or other type of screen used in your video shot (perhaps as sermon notes or a digital whiteboard for a speaker). It’s important to remember that these screens are essentially light sources as well and have their own refresh rate. While this isn’t necessarily an issue with newer screens, if you do find that the screen is flickering in your camera capture, adjusting your shutter speed by slowing it down slightly will typically take care of that. Don’t forget that slowing your shutter speed will also affect the capture of everything else in the camera frame, so this must be done in small increments and checked.

Conclusion I hope this has provided a bit of background insight into flicker captured on camera as well as provided you with a couple of tricks to try and avoid it. As a general rule that I try to follow, always test things out before you commit. This can prevent having to find time to redo potentially hours and hours of work.

July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 39

MAINTENANCE

Disinfecting gear Frank Wells offers guidelines designed to help your tech team avoid the risk of infection EVEN IF YOUR HOUSE OF WORSHIP has gone totally to online services during the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s likely you are still using your audio and video gear for recording or live streaming worship elements like your (properly distanced) praise band, sermons and podcasts.

Unless you have a single member on your tech ministry team, and the gear is completely secure from all but that sole individual, there is the potential for exposure to the virus.

We are learning how this particular virus spreads – mostly by hand – someone touching an infected person or surface, then touching their own mouth, eyes or nose. Airborne Covid-19 exposure appears to mostly be an issue when you are close to an infected individual, particularly if they have an active cough. A face mask can provide some protection. Medical professionals have also suggested that one of the major benefits of wearing a mask is that it reminds and discourages the wearer from touching their face.

Work with the assumption that all surfaces are infected if you haven’t disinfected them yourself or seen them disinfected. Available accepted disinfectant practices for this particular virus are thorough scrubbing with soap and water or wipe-downs with a sanitising agent that contains at least 60% pure isopropyl alcohol.

Let’s rule out soap and water – your electronics won’t like it if any conductive liquid seeps

Lint-free swabs can be used to clean tight spaces

Look for 90+% pure alcohol for disinfecting gear

40 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

into the gear. Soapy residue can also damage electronics, particularly moving parts. Let’s also rule out hand sanitisers as they contain moisturising elements that also leave residues.

You may have seen portable, handheld UV lights being marketed for surface sanitising.

Ultraviolet light can destroy viruses, including viruses in the SARS family, though I’ve found no testing that specifically studied the use of ultraviolet light on Covid-19.

Hospitals do use industrialgrade UV gear effectively for larger areas, but, without extreme care and expensive tech, it might prove difficult to ensure every surface of your gear is exposed to the light in close enough proximity for adequate time to have confidence in this method.

That leaves alcohol as your best bet.

The greater the purity, the less water or other potentially harmful elements are included. Aim for at least 90% pure isopropyl alcohol – 99% pure alcohol can be found at medical supply houses and online, if not at your local pharmacy. Alcohol wipes can also be effective, though most use less than 90% alcohol and it’s typically less expensive to moisten your own lint-free cleaning cloths or swabs with alcohol.

Turn your gear off before you start a thorough cleaning. Wear disposable or washable gloves (and if you are using washable gloves, wash them well before you start). Do not use a dripping cloth or wipe, particularly if you are cleaning any area where liquid can get inside your gear. This includes the cracks between modular portions of a console, specifically around push buttons and the fader tracks. The same applies to a lighting switcher’s buttons and T-Bars. Signal interface connectors also penetrate the gear cases and provide entry for liquids.

Wipe down every visible surface of your gear – anything a person might have touched, and that you might touch. Clean microphones

Specialty wipes are available for electronics before you put them out for the worship team. After each service, consider removing and cleaning the grilles and any interior foam windshields in microphones – this can be a place where you can use soap and water as long as you rinse and dry the parts completely before reassembly. If more than one person will use a given mic during a service, keep disinfectant wipes handy to wipe mics down between uses. Think of every camera control that operators regularly touch, and every exposed surface that they might come into contact with. Shared computer keyboards and mice are other areas of concern.

Don’t forget doorknobs, door frames, chair backs and arms – when you walk into a room, pay attention to every single surface you touch. Note every single thing you touch routinely, and even occasionally. Watch other team members in the space – what do they touch? Clean all of those surfaces.

When you finish cleaning, discard disposable gloves – one-use-only is the rule. If using washable gloves, remove and wash them immediately with soap and hot water and make a lot of suds. The bubbles help break the surface of the virus, as does hot water. Regardless of what type of gloves you are using, once you remove them, scrub your hands with soap and hot water.

Consider wearing disposable gloves while you are operating your sanitised gear. Encourage the rest of the worship tech team to do the same. If working in close proximity, consider wearing masks.

Being over cautious won’t hurt you.

Not being cautious enough just might expose you unnecessarily.

Stay Connected Your audience, your congregation, need you now more than ever NewTek can help you maintain your connection and support your community so that you may continue to deliver your message of hope and healing in this difficult time.

NewTek products with NDIÂŽ and integrated Skype TX can help easily and cost-effectively set up your studio and begin live streaming your worship services online.

Š 2020 NewTek, Inc. All rights reserved.

NDI, TriCaster, 3Play, TalkShow, Video Toaster, LightWave 3D, and Broadcast Minds are registered trademarks of NewTek, Inc. MediaDS, Connect Spark, LiveGraphics, LightWave, and ProTek are trademarks and/or service marks of NewTek, Inc.

TECHNOLOGY

Intercom systems Clear-Com president Bob Boster explains why houses of worship might consider adding an intercom system to their inventories and the benefits they bring AN INTERCOM SYSTEM IS A real-time communication tool used between two individuals, or between teams of people, working on the same project. Intercom technology has evolved in multiple directions as various requirements have developed among different markets or even sub-disciplines within a single market. Most of these developments have been around infrastructure or medium (such as wired or wireless, and what version thereof – analogue, digital, IP, different radio frequencies).

Current trends of interest are the use of

IP as a way to connect multiple sites inexpensively and accommodating more wireless users with some of those being deployed in a zoned system with multiple connection points so that users can roam around a customised coverage area.

Bob Boster

42 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

HOW trends The house of worship market is one of the fastest growing in the entertainment technology sector, and more and more religious facilities are insisting on upgrading their AV capabilities. This trend away from traditional religious

The AV team at San Francisco’s New North Church uses a Clear-Com system services to more interactive, comprehensive live productions makes them a direct competitor of more secular forms of live events.

Now, they’re on the lookout for newer technologies including lighting, PA systems, microphones, LED screens and, consequently, intercoms.

Investing in this type of technology creates an opportunity for houses of worship to serve not only their parishioners but to provide a service as a multifunctional facility for the surrounding community. Community members wanting to host non-

religious live events – conferences, concerts, dances – have access to the appropriate technology.

In addition to the growing complexities of religious productions, HOWs are also trending towards developing satellite spaces. New satellite venues are a way to increase their audience, as they are often in different cities, states or even countries, but they also present the need for more connective technology between themselves and the central location. Again, this is a situation in which an intercom system becomes a necessity.

TECHNOLOGY Size and scale Whether a house of worship is small, large or multi-campus, there is an intercom solution available. Wired and wireless solutions can work well individually or in combination. Intercom vendors are fully aware of radio frequency restrictions and equipment must pass a respective country’s compliance testing before they can be sold into a given region.

For small, single-site venues with few talk/listen positions, and where cable runs to user devices are possible, wired systems can be an ideal solution. These wired systems are typically inexpensive and very simple to manage.

For those that are medium-sized, or have high growth potential, a wireless solution can provide more flexibility, programmability and scalability for addressing the specific needs of the production. As facilities grow in size, the production tends to grow as well, and the need for more mobility arises.

A wireless system can allow for all necessary parties – mobile cameras, choir, spokespeople – to move about freely throughout the space.

For multi-campus HOWs with growing congregations, services and choirs across different locations, a combination of wired and wireless

intercom devices can be linked over IP to provide an optimal solution.

These are, of course, generalisations – all places of worship are different and may require unique solutions, but it is important to remember that intercom systems can easily integrate and accommodate growth.

As a manufacturer, it’s important to provide the right-sized tool for the job and create pathways for people to expand or upgrade their existing system as they move forward with different requirements. There is a wide variety of products available with a lot of options for size, complexity and cost, so really the choice is down to what the congregation wants to do and what kind of budget they have for doing so. Clear-Com has a lot

of experience in helping houses of worship take existing solutions and address their evolving needs, so you could say scalability is built in.

Integration Intercoms can be easily integrated with other equipment and the intercom system itself can also be built up to be more robust. As referenced before, our wired and wireless solutions are endlessly compatible and a simple, costeffective wired solution can be built up as a wireless solution as the congregation grows in size and complexity.

Intercoms can also easily interface with non-intercom products, including

audio consoles, monitors, cameras, specialised microphones, speaker systems and everything else you would need for a full-scale AV production. For example, any product that supports Dante, AES67 and SMPTE 2110-30 interoperability can integrate with Clear-Com intercom products.

Figuring out how to get it all plugged in successfully can be managed internally or externally with the help of a systems integrator as you prefer.

There is no categorical answer as to whether you will require professional experience because it really hinges on the level of sophistication of your HOW’s technology team but, broadly, if the rest of your main technology elements – audio mixing console, video switcher, streaming solution – have been something you can configure yourself, then normally you can manage the intercom yourself too. We tend to be one of the more complex aspects of a venue’s toolkit, but usually not the most challenging.

The most critical part of your journey is to understand what you want to accomplish (for example, who needs to talk to who from where and in what combinations) and generally that’s something only your team can address. www.clearcom.com

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www.clearcom.com/LQ July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 43

TECHNOLOGY

Video streaming trends to change the future of HOWs Ian Sharpe, CEO at Promethean, looks at how video streaming is being used to reach out to congregations

HOWs need to consider what will be required for the endpoints they are delivering to IN THE TURBULENT AND UNPREDICTABLE times that we live in, it is vital to stay connected to one another. The introduction of a near global isolation is making ‘in-person’ contact with others virtually impossible, but are ‘virtual’ touchpoints the solution to isolation?

Video streaming and live content is soaring in terms of daily users, accelerating trends and innovations that a few weeks ago may have seemed nice-to-have rather than an essential feature. This increase in interactions with live content isn’t just affecting one ver tical either, it is providing beneficial results wherever companies have a product to showcase, or an audience craving information.

One sector building upon the spike in online viewerships are faith-based broadcasters. Houses of worship are some of the fastestgrowing groups online, with video streaming increasingly being used to reach out to congregations and enhance the way they practise their faith. With video technology constantly evolving, it is vital for houses of worship to understand how to respond to these updates and reach audiences on the devices they are most comfor table using.

Ian Sharpe, CEO of Promethean

Houses of worship require a flexible setup

Video trends Shifting video trends are playing a more prominent role in influencing how places of worship reach and engage with congregants. Mobile is quickly becoming the channel of choice for many, especially millennials. This is particularly true in today’s world where almost everybody has a relationship with some kind of smartphone or a tablet. Combined with an internet connection, the reach for mobile congregations is massive. The correct use of mobile streaming will give HOWs the opportunity to build on a devoted congregation, making the idea of joining a service not only

44 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

easy to access, but also a modern and ‘with-the-times’ event.

Furthermore, live video services improve the flexibility and freedom that the congregation has. Where previously many could not attend a service or during periods of selfisolation, live streaming gives the congregation the choice to be a part of as little, or as much, of the service as they like, as well as being able to access the service on-the-go or at home.

Using social media in video streaming You might be forgiven for thinking that live streaming on social

media platforms will give HOWs unprecedented reach. However, while it is clearly a useful tool for messaging, technicians will find themselves coming up against challenges from Facebook’s algorithm. For instance, even if the whole congregation liked the Facebook page, and they’re on Facebook during live streaming, only a fraction of them would see the stream, such is the nature of the platform. A better alternative would be embedding a live stream into the HOW’s website, accompanied by social media to promote and reach out to both existing congregations and new audiences.

Venues can also seamlessly integrate it into video content to build a community, convey their messages and engage with their digital audience.

Implementing video analytics With the right technology in place, HOWs can access video analytics to provide more personal and accurate data. With these insights, HOWs are better equipped to understand their members viewing behaviour and create deeper connections. This will lead to accurate personalised recommendations, including related video content that will resonate with their congregations. The use of video

PRODUCTS PROJECTS TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS

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this was in a survey taken almost three years ago, we can almost certainly predict that the percentage of people wanting to make digital donations has only grown.

dLive goes ultra-compact with Wings Future of faith-based video

The prayers, fellowship and praise video gives greater lastedsermons all through thevenues night fora more opportunity to allow theirand congregation than 10 hours straight, was live to donate to online throughofthe live streamed thousands viewers stream. across the world. dLivein-house Wings During a normal, face-to-face FOL’s team handled service, the only 10–25% the congregation live broadcast,ofusing an SDI audio-will donate money.

However, whenEarth places ALLEN &feed HEATH has been embedded from Hungry of worship accept donations online, showcasing its ultra-compact dLive Productions.

‘The SDI feed went into a the figuressystems show that roughly a third of touring based on dLive Blackmagic web presenter,’ says Jerry. the congregation (33%) contribute.

Wings.

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Keeping abreast of the latest in video technology is not the core competency of many clergymen, and the vast array of potential solutions would try the patience of a saint.

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There are come. come. commercial standard flight.’ www.blackmagicdesign.com huge opportunities for HOWs willing www.festivaloflife.org.uk to be the good shepherds and create www.martin-audio.com www.martin-audio.com www.hungryearth.com www.allen-heath.com awww.zoodiopro.com lifeline to those at home. www.zoodiopro.com www.rccg.org

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July–August July–August 2019 2019 WORSHIP WORSHIP AVL AVL 27 27 2020 45 November–December September–October 57

TECHNOLOGY

Lighting control: a brief history Elation’s Bob Mentele reflects on the evolution of lighting control systems TODAY, LIGHTING CONTROL CAN BE as easy as saying, ‘Alexa, turn off the table lamp’. We may take for granted the fact that when we raise a fader on our console or computer screen, all of the lights fade up, move and change colour at our command. Simplified lighting control and manipulation has become second nature to us, but it certainly wasn’t always that way.

Electronic lighting control first made its appearance in the late 1950s.

The biggest change that made this possible was the development of electronic dimming technology. Before that was created, control of a lighting system relied on physical resistance dimming systems and, most often, a

team of people to run them. The new electronic systems used an analogue control method, typically a 0–10V signal. This signal was attenuated, or modified, using a series of sliders or faders on a control board. The level of attenuation had a direct impact on the 0–10V signal, which was then interpreted by the dimmer into the output power level to the lighting fixture. Eventually, designers created what is called a two-scene preset board. These consoles consist of two banks of faders, one for each ‘scene’. The two banks each contain a fader for every dimmer in the lighting system. The lighting settings can be adjusted and set Bob Mentele

A Strand Polarised Relay two-scene preset console, released in 1955 Image courtesy of the Alan Luxford Collection, www.threatrecrafts.com

46 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

in one bank, and the other bank allows for the operator to preset the settings for the next scene.

When it’s time to switch scenes, the operator simply has to adjust what are called ‘crossfaders’. These are a pair of inversely proportional faders. One is at full intensity when in the up position, while the other is at full when in the down position.

When the operator moves these two faders, the corresponding scene fades in or out, depending on the direction the crossfaders are moved.

The crossfaders can also be moved independently of one another, allowing for a variety of fade effects by the operator.

While this allowed for much more creative control of a lighting system, it still took an operator time to preset the following scene. If a series of scenes needed to occur rapidly, it would be difficult to achieve.

Eventually, an expansion of the two-scene preset was created. It was referred to as a preset panel.

This system was based on the same concept as the two-scene but allowed for as many as 10 different scenes to be set in advance. The system would be controlled by two operators – one would set the scenes at the panel while the other controlled the operator’s board, which had a bank of buttons to assign scenes to different crossfaders. This system

was not nearly as common as the two-scene preset due to its size and cost. Two-scene preset consoles are still available today and make a great, low-cost option for small or non-complex lighting systems.

As computer technology became more affordable, lighting companies began to develop computerised controllers. These controllers allowed for all of the lighting presets to be

A Strand Luminous Preset console, released in 1966

TECHNOLOGY to maintain. In the 1980s, a technology called multiplexing was developed. Its primary use was in the communications industry, but lighting manufacturers were able to use it to send lighting control information down a two-wire (plus ground) cable. This helped to get rid of the large infrastructure required for 0–10V control. But each manufacturer created its own version of the protocol, so we again ran into issues of interoperability. Although the size of the cable required to send the signal decreased, we were still limited on the size of system that multiplex could support, typically 96 channels.

Later in the 1980s, it was decided that we again needed a more A punch card memory system Image courtesy of the Alan Luxford Collection, www.theatrecrafts.com

set beforehand and recalled later when needed. The first version of these consoles used punch card memory systems. The lighting was manipulated by an interface with faders and buttons, similar to how we control them today. When the lighting was adjusted, a punch card would be created to allow for future recall.

Each preset in the show had its own punch card. When you needed to change the preset, you simply inserted a new card, which set the levels for the following scene and the crossfade could occur. A large show could have hundreds of presets, so hundreds of punch cards as well. But it allowed for more complex show control.

In the 1980s, digital memory became available, so lighting

Image courtesy of the Alan Luxford Collection, www.threatrecrafts.com

An LS-8 lighting console, the first computerised memory board on Broadway Image courtesy of A Chorus Line Revisited, Linda Essig, Theatre Design & Technology, December 1998

consoles could store multiple presets onto a disk for future recall. A full show of lighting presets could be stored on one disk and loaded when needed. If the show was large, sometimes two disks would be required and, at a halfway point in the show, the second half of presets would be loaded into the console.

Even through all this innovation in control interfacing, we were still relying on a 0–10V analogue signal to transmit the information. The other issue was that the actual 0–10V signal was not standardised.

Some manufacturers used other voltages, or polarities, so interfacing one company’s dimming to another company’s controller was difficult or impractical. In the mid-1970s, a standard 0–10V signal was agreed upon so cross-compatibility was possible. One big downfall with this method remained: using 0–10V required a wire from the console to every individual dimmer. As systems grew larger, that became quite a complex infrastructure

basic framework remains the same today. DMX is a digital signal, so it can include more information than previous methods. One cable of DMX can transmit a ‘universe’ of data.

One ‘universe’ of DMX contains 512 channels of control.

The use of DMX coincided with the development of various intelligent, or multi-parameter, devices in a lighting system. A dimmer is a singleparameter device, so it occupies only one fader or control channel.

Other devices like LED fixtures or moving lights are multi-parameter devices as they require more than one channel of DMX to control. With those additional channels also comes the need to have, seemingly, a more complex lighting control interface. In reality, that complexity saves us time and effort when controlling all of the various features we may need.

The lighting console has evolved from a large bank of faders that control each individual light to a large interface of buttons and encoders.

This type of interface makes it easier to manipulate complex parameters like the movement of a fixture or the fine colour adjustment of an LED. Faders cannot be as precise as we need for those fixtures. But the learning curve to fully understand the control method of a lighting console is becoming steeper.

Some manufacturers have used our familiarity with touchscreen interfaces to create more graphic and interactive control devices. Lighting consoles now come in all shapes, sizes and capabilities. The options are endless, and it can be quite

An Obsidian NX4 universal control protocol that could also handle the larger lighting systems that were being created.

The Engineering Commission of the USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology) organisation developed and released the DMX512 protocol in 1986. It has since been revised and updated, but the

daunting trying to decide what type of lighting console would work best for you and your facility.

In the next issue, we will take a look at the various options in lighting consoles today, and how to go about choosing the right one for your facility. www.elationlighting.com

July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 47

BUYING GUIDE

Assistive Listening Systems Assistive Listening Systems (ALSs) have always proved particularly popular with houses of worship. Yet, as technology has evolved, so have buying considerations What is an ALS? ONE CENTRAL ASPECT OF WORSHIP is often community and therefore it’s vitally important that all congregants can comfortably hear all aspects of a service. Here, two of the industry’s main manufacturers of ALSs detail the primary things to be aware of before making a purchase. Listen Technologies’ marketing director, Kim Spencer, and Williams AV’s vice president of sales, Tony Braun, provide some answers

Listen Technologies’ marketing director, Kim Spencer

Williams AV’s vice president of sales, Tony Braun

TB: An ALS uses modern technology to overcome hearing loss by improving intelligibility for the listener. It achieves this by helping the listener overcome hearing obstacles such as distance from the sound source, background noise and poor room acoustics. An ALS typically includes a transmitter that broadcasts sound wirelessly and directly to a dedicated receiver offered by the venue. In some instances, audio is transmitted directly to a listener’s own hearing aid or smartphone.

KS: Assistive listening provides a better hearing experience by amplifying the sound you want to hear while limiting interference from other sources. In the most basic terms, an ALS consists of four key components: a microphone to capture sound, a transmitter to send the signal across a distance, a receiver to intercept that signal and any one of several different attachments to transmit the audio from the receiver to the user.

What different types of systems exist?

KS: There are four main technology categories for assistive listening – radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), hearing (or induction) loop and Wi-Fi audio streaming. These systems can be used independently or together to create an assistive listening solution based on the needs of the house of worship. Each system consists of basically the same components, a sound source (microphone or other audio), a transmitter, a receiver and a device worn by the user to listen to the audio such as headphones or a hearing aid, but send audio to the listener by different means.

TB: Hearing loop technology is gaining significant momentum in public spaces as the broadcast audio is received directly by an individual’s own hearing aid if equipped with a T-coil. Digital and Wi-Fi systems have also emerged in recent years, offering exceptional sound quality and the ability to use a personal smart device.

Radio frequency (RF)

Wi-Fi streaming

Hearing loop

Infrared

Advantages: • Most affordable option for covering large seating areas.

• Good sound quality.

• Simple, low-cost installation.

• Receivers are not directional and do not require line of sight.

• Multiple channels can be used for different languages.

• Hearing aid users can use an FM receiver with neck loop.

Advantages: • Existing Wi-Fi infrastructure can often be configured to support audio broadcast.

• Listeners can use their own smartphone or tablet and don’t need to pick up/return a receiver.

• Has the option to support a large number of channels for multiple languages.

Disadvantages: • 72–76MHz FM frequencies not allowed in some countries.

• Listeners need to pick up/return an FM receiver from the venue.

• Signal can carry beyond the intended area.

• Adjacent rooms need to be on different frequencies.

• Some receiver management is necessary, including batteries and headphones.

Disadvantages: • Wi-Fi hardware can be expensive if not already in place.

• Venue must offer an alternate receiver option to those who do not have a compatible smart device.

• Venue must account for bandwidth needs on its Wi-Fi network in addition to typical network traffic.

Advantages: • Users rely on their own discreet hearing aids and do not have to pick up/return a receiver from the venue.

• Sound is processed through personal hearing aids for maximum intelligibility.

• Loop receivers are available for those without compatible hearing aids.

• They can be installed for use in small and large venues.

Advantages: • Affordable option for covering small and large seating areas.

• Good sound quality with the option for stereo sound.

• Up to four channels can be used for different languages and/or audio description.

• Hearing aid users can use an IR receiver with neck loop to receive audio.

• Audio is securely contained within the listening area.

48 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

Disadvantages: • Installation costs often exceed those of other technologies.

• They must be installed by an experienced technician to ensure good sound quality.

• Users must evaluate the venue for potential sources of audio interference.

Disadvantages: • Listeners need to pick up/ return an FM receiver from the venue.

• Receivers typically need line of sight to the transmitter.

• Some receiver management is necessary, including batteries and headphones.

BUYING GUIDE Which types might a HOW consider?

KS: The most widely used technology for a house of worship is RF, which wirelessly transmits audio from a fixed base or a portable transmitter to receivers with earphones or earbuds.

Guests listen to the sound and can adjust the volume on individual receivers (hearing aids can also act as a receiver with a neck loop lanyard).

RF technology is advantageous in that there are no line-of-site issues, the technology can cover a wide area, can be used indoors or outdoors and is easy to install. RF systems can also be used for multilingual audio transmission in addition to assistive listening for churches that provide services in multiple languages.

Hearing loops are also a good option for HOWs. They are more expensive and difficult to install;

What considerations should a HOW make before investing?

The LS-88-01 Portable ListenIR iDSP system from Listen Technologies however, they are often preferred by the hard of hearing because they are more discreet and connect directly to a T-Coil hearing aid, cochlear implant or hearing loop receiver. Hearing loop systems are typically installed during new constructions or a retrofit/remodel.

In addition, newer technologies

Williams AV’s DigiLoop is an induction loop solution

such as Wi-Fi streaming are gaining popularity as they can be more affordable and easier to setup/use.

TB: FM technology broadcasting on the 72–76MHz frequencies designated by the FCC for hearing loss is the most commonly used system in houses of worship.

Hearing loop technology has long been a standard for assistive listening in Europe and has expanded significantly in the US in the last decade. One of the newest technologies to be introduced combines FM and Wi-Fi broadcasts into a single transmitter, providing listeners with the option of using either a traditional, easy-to-use FM receiver or a personal smartphone.

KS: Houses of worship need to first assess the needs of the congregation, which can be done with simple surveys to determine how many congregants use hearing aids, are having trouble hearing, are not attending church because they can’t hear the spoken word or even speak a different language. The next step would be to evaluate the infrastructure – an RF or Wi-Fi system can be installed and up and running in a matter of hours, whereas a loop system could take several days or weeks (depending on the size and complexity of the seating) and is installed under the flooring.

TB: The good news is there are a variety of options to help meet the needs of virtually every space and budget, while maximising intelligibility for those with hearing loss. Consider working with an experienced AV integrator who understands the pros and cons of each technology and can assist in the selection, installation and proper configuration for the best end result. www.listentech.com www.williamsav.com

1 in 5

Guests struggle to hear your message

1/2PAGE HORIZONTAL

Create spaces to inspire 100% of your guests Assistive listening solutions for your house of worship Call: 1.800.330.0891 Visit: www.listentech.com July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 49

NEWPRODUCTS

PRODUCTS

AV • LIGHTING • LIVE SOUND • INSTALLATION • BROADCAST • RECORDING

A–ZCONTENTS

Lectrosonics records in miniature The MTCR has been designed for circumstances where a traditional, full-sized recorder is impractical LECTROSONICS HAS designed its MTCR (Miniature Time Code Recorder) for when the distance is too great or it’s not convenient to use a wireless microphone.

With its small size and rounded shape, the MTCR can travel with the subject by being placed in garments and costumes.

The MTCR records in 24-bit/48kHz digital onto a microSD card (HC type, Class 10) in the industry-standard .wav format. The unit can be jammed to external time code via the standard five-pin Lemo connector.

A headphone output jack allows for monitoring the signal input or listening to previously recorded files but cannot be used to send live audio to another device while recording. The input connector is the

TA5M jack that accepts any mic or line-level signal and provides bias voltage to power a wide variety of electret lavalier microphones. The

Adamson

IS219

53

Alcons Audio

CRMS-SRHV

52

Allen & Heath

AHM-64

56

Amate Audio

DSPStudio3

58

Apantac

MiniDE-4-QUHD

62

Ashly Audio

IS Series/AW Series

53

Aten

VE8950/VE8900 Control App

60

AtlasIED

ALA Series

52

Audio-Technica

Third-generation 5000 Series

54

Audix

A140/A145/A150/A152

54

Avolites

Q Series

60

B-Tech AV Mounts

BT9910

60

Barix

Instreamer ICE

64

Calibre

LEDFusion A160

60

Cameo

Opus H5/Evos W7

65

Chiayo

Apex Pro/Apex Evo

53

Christie

Active 3D for MicroTiles LED

60

City Theatrical

Multiverse Receiver Cards

65

Coda Audio

N-Ray

52

d&b audiotechnik

KSLi System

54

Datavideo

TPC-700/SE-3200

64

DirectOut

RAV2

56

Elation

Polar Crisp

63

Electro-Voice

PXM-12MP

54

HK Audio

SI Series

52

LD Systems

Zone X1208

50

Lectronsonics

MTCR

50

Lumens

VC-BC701P/LC200

62

Magewell

Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI 4K

62

Matrox Maevex 6152 64 input connection and NanoLumens Engage Series 59 wiring are compatible NewTek Spark Plus IO/PTZUHD 62 with microphones PreSonus StudioLive ARc/Quantum 2626 55 pre-wired for use with QSC Q-Sys Reflect Enterprise Manager 58 Lectrosonics professional ROE Visual Helios 63 wireless microphone RTS BTR-30N/VLink 56 transmitters with servo Screen Innovations Janus/Fontus 59 bias-type inputs.

TOA WG-D100 58 Setup and adjustment Vari-Lite VL5LED Wash/VL800 EventProfile 65 are made through an XTA MX24-A/MX24-D 58 interface provided by the keypad and LCD. The Time code is SMPTE 12M – 1999 housing is manufactured from compliant. The MTCR measures tough aluminium alloy then hard 60mm x 54mm x 17mm and anodised for the ruggedness weighs 71g with the batter y. It needed in field production. The comes with an M152/5P low-noise MTCR reportedly runs for over omni lavalier microphone, microSD six hours on a single lithium AAA memor y card, belt clip and AAA battery. It provides a 20Hz – 20kHz lithium batter y. frequency response, 105dB(A) signal-to-noise ratio (in HD mono www.lectrosonics.com mode) and <0.035% distortion.

LD Systems is in the zone

LD SYSTEMS has built the new Zone X1208 19-inch DSP matrix processor with a variety of remotecontrol options. Its hybrid architecture features a 40-bit floating point DSP engine that allows DSP templates to be loaded as installation requirements change.

Users can set calendar-based workflow controls and perform automated preset changes using the Zone X1208’s event scheduler function, while a Remote bus facilitates integration with future LD Systems control panels and paging microphones. The unit also

50 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

features 12 balanced mic/line inputs with microphone preamps and 48V phantom power selection per input, as well as eight balanced line outputs, eight GPI and eight GPO logic ports.

At a size of 1U, the Zone X1208 features a front panel design and an operating system based on the latest generation of Linux, enabling remote control via the Xilica Designer universal control software using the integrated Ethernet interface. In

addition, dedicated remote control apps for iOS and Android allow users to customise the user interface to meet the needs of certain projects.

A Zone X1208D version will also be available with an integrated Ethernet and Dante card for advanced AoIP applications, with 64x64 Dante audioover-IP channels. The Ethernet and Dante card is also optionally available for subsequent upgrading of the Zone X1208. www.ld-systems.com

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PRODUCTS

Alcons filters out noise THE CRMS-SRHV surround by Alcons Audio is a two-way, passive-filtered loudspeaker designed to meet the requirements of current and future immersive surround sound formats.

Including Alcons’ pro-ribbon driver technology, the CRMS-SRHV is said to combine clarity and intelligibility with a high dynamic range, reportedly offering a realistic reproduction of sound.

The system uses the RBN401 pro-ribbon driver for HF and a vented 8-inch mid-bass for LF reproduction.

The HF section has an 800W peak power input, reportedly enabling a 1:15 dynamic range with up to 90% less distortion from 1kHz to beyond 20kHz. The patented (90°) horizontal and patent-pending (90°) vertical dispersion is said to offer wide and consistent coverage up to the highest frequencies. By using identical MHF components, voice matching between screen and surround system is achieved, resulting in ‘an exceptionally wide and uniform sound stage throughout the entire listening area’.

The trapezoidal enclosure, alongside the grille and ACO colour option,

provide for low-profile wall or ceiling mounting.

The CRMS-SRHV needs to be driven by an ALC controller-amplifier and is available in 8Ω and 4Ω versions. The Signal Integrity Sensing pre-wiring reportedly ensures complete cable/ connector compensation between the CRMS-SRHV and ALC to increase response accuracy, regardless of cable length and system impedance. www.alconsaudio.com

AtlasIED blends intelligibility with aesthetics ATLASIED IS targeting houses of worship with its new ALA Series of space-saving, passive, column

line array loudspeakers. They have been designed to offer high speech intelligibility without compromising the aesthetic integrity of a room.

The ‘ultra-compact’ speakers are built to be lightweight and are available in various sizes and configurations, that can be wall-mounted or attached to an optional pole-mount bracket, making them suited to both fixed and temporary setups. The models in the series include the ALA20T with 20 speakers, a full-range line array speaker system, the ALA15T 15-driver version, the ALA10T with 10 speakers and the ALA5T five-driver variant. Alternative models that include a B suffix, such as the ALA20T-B, provide a black finish as opposed to the white of the regular versions.

The rear of each enclosure incorporates vertical channels that accept the included wall mount, allowing installers to slide the mount to the location that provides their desired vertical tilt. They are all developed to offer wide vertical and horizontal coverage and are IP32 weather rated.

The ALA Series

www.atlasied.com

Coda unveils ultra-compact N-Ray CODA AUDIO has launched N-Ray, an ultra-compact, three-way line array that integrates the benefits of AiRay technology into a more shallow and lightweight enclosure. N-Ray is part of Coda’s latest N-Series, a range of lightweight, compact systems intended to rival much larger and heavier speaker systems.

N-Ray reportedly incorporates the very latest in driver and system design technology, delivering twice the power handling and SPL, as well as significantly more low-frequency output, when compared to other systems.

It delivers high-fidelity sound with a large dynamic range and extended low frequency with ‘unlimited flexibility’, thanks to its variable horizontal dispersion.

Key to N-Ray’s efficiency is its 6-inch double diaphragm planar (DDP) wave driver, dual 6.5-inch neodymium ultra-low distortion low-frequency cone drivers, N-Ray insta-fit magnetic

coupler sums and Dynamic Airflow Cooling (DAC) technology. Together, they reportedly ensure high sound pressure and low power compression.

Offering a phase linearity similar to AiRay, a 60Hz – 22kHz (–6dB) frequency range and 1,000W power handling, N-Ray has a variable horizontal coverage of 90°, 120° or asymmetric 105°, a linear phase, variable vertical curving – 0°, 1°, 2°, 3° to 12° in 1° steps – and features an integrated three-point rigging system for flown or ground-stacked arrays, compatible to SCN-F 15-inch sensorcontrolled, low-frequency extension.

The line array facilitates systems integration with the manufacturer’s LINUS loudspeaker management amplifiers, while a hybrid multiplex/ aluminium enclosure with polyurea coating provides durability and water protection. www.codaaudio.com

HK Audio adds a new family HK AUDIO has launched the first products in its new System Integrator (SI) Series speakers: the P10i and P10j column speakers. The P10i

features 5° x 100° (VxH) directivity and the P10j has 15° x 120° (VxH) directivity. The P10j’s directional characteristic is asymmetrical and its j-shaped pattern of throw is directed downwards, a function achieved by its mechanical design, negating the need for additional DSP. Both the i and j versions have drivers arranged in a line and tuned for tight vertical directivity, making them suitable for large rooms with long reverberation times and outdoor long-throw applications. The models feature weather-resistant front fabric and speaker membranes and are reported to achieve protection class IP 66 according to EN 60529.

They have been designed for use in voice alarm systems and the manufacturer is seeking certification to EN 54 24:2008 (type B outdoor use) by the end of 2020. The speakers provide three power taps (37.5W/75W/150W) via four-pole connectors, while the transformer is said to deliver high SPLs.

The P10i and P10j

52 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

pro.hkaudio.com

PRODUCTS

Vertical pattern control THE IS column speakers are described by Ashly Audio as a costeffective way to provide vertical pattern control and consistent sound levels from the front to the back of a venue, particularly when combined with the manufacturer’s amps and processors that incorporate Protēa or AquaControl software.

The IS Series

Alongside an SP 12.1P sub, users can create a ‘system on a stick’.

Two IS speakers can be joined with an optional bracket, while pole and tripod mounts are also available.

The IS 2.8P, IS 3.8P and IS 12.1P have a power handling of 120W, 240W and 350W at 8Ω (32Ω if users change the impedance switch) and a frequency response of 115Hz – 20kHz, 105Hz – 19kHz and 39Hz – 18kHz, respectively.

The IS 2.8P has eight 2-inch, full-range transducers, the IS 3.8P has eight 3-inch, full-range transducers, both with a neodymium magnet, while the SP 12.1P has a 12-inch LF transducer with a ferrite magnet. All models are available in black and white.

The AW Series Meanwhile, the AW Series speakers have been designed for under-eave applications, as well as indoors. They are said to deliver ‘robust bass, crisp treble and accurate midrange’ so that sound can be heard over table conversation, traffic or wind noise.

Their sound can be further enhanced with Ashly power amplifiers and processors that incorporate Protēa or AquaControl software.

The AW 2.1P has a power handling of 15W and an impedance of 8Ω.

The frequency response is 250Hz – 20kHz and it comes with a 2.675-inch full-range transducer. For the AW 3.2P, the power handling is 30W, the frequency response is 150Hz – 20kHz and the speaker features 1.1-inch PEI HF and 3.5-inch LF transducers. The impedance for the AW 5.2T (50W) and AW 8.2T (70W) is 8Ω or constant voltage.

The AW 5.2T comes with 0.75-inch silk dome HF and 5.25-inch LF transducers, while the AW 8.2T is manufactured with 1-inch silk dome HF and 8-inch LF transducers. The frequency response for the AW 5.2T is 130Hz – 20kHz, while for the AW 8.2T it’s 95Hz – 20kHz. www.ashly.com

Adamson delivers compact bass THE IS219 is the latest subwoofer from Adamson Systems Engineering.

It is a dual 19-inch, front-loaded bass enclosure with a maximum SPL of 143dB and is designed with a compact form factor to fit beneath standard 60cm stages.

The IS219 possesses both front and back grilles for cardioid applications

without drawing the attention, visually, of the audience. It weighs in at 90kg and features removable handles, providing portability while ensuring it will fit in tight spaces. The sub is also said to be optimised for a wide range of install projects. www.adamsonsystems.com

Chiayo unveils an Apex evolution TWO APEX models have been launched by Chiayo: the Apex Pro portable wireless mixer PA system and the Apex Evo portable mixer amplifier.

Both models feature dual 250W Class-D power amplifiers and a built-in, two-way speaker system. The MIC 1 and 2 inputs are XLR/6.3mm combo jack connectors for microphones and other line sources, each with individual volume control and a mic/line level switch. Line in is also an XLR/6.3mm combination with 3.5mm jacks and volume control. A scan and sync button allows for a quick and simple set up and there is also the option for up to four diversity receiver modules with 100 frequencies.

A Bluetooth receiver facilitates wireless music streaming and a USB 2.0 digital input allows audio files to be played directly from a computer via a USB cable. An Active

Apex Pro Out (XLR jack) enables multiple Apex units to be linked together in larger sound setups. In addition, a 6.3mm Speaker Out jack can be connected to an external 8Ω passive speaker for playout with its own volume control.

Other functionality includes reverb with bypass, volume control for wired and wireless microphones, voice

priority for automatically lowering music volume during speech, a three-band EQ (bass/middle/treble) for all audio inputs and a digital limiter that prevents output distortion with a six-step LED audio meter. There is also a storage compartment for four transmitters and a switchable power supply. The system can be mounted

on a tripod stand and reportedly offers up to 12 hours of operation per charge with a lithium battery and six hours with a lead-acid unit.

In other news, the Taiwanese manufacturer has released the LECPRO, a multifunctional wireless lectern amplifier. It is a 225W Class-D amplifier for powering two-way speaker columns and comes with two XLR inputs for either gooseneck microphones or LED lamps. The LECPRO also features a 3.5mm line playback input with volume control, an XLR/6.3mm combo input and a mic/line output level switch. Along with a built-in Bluetooth receiver, an XLR Active output for multi-unit audio linking and dual power modes, the LECPRO is said to provide more than 16 hours of operating time per charge. www.chiayo.com.tw

July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 53

PRODUCTS

Electro-Voice cuts through noise THE PXM-12MP marks Electro-Voice’s debut in the powered stage monitor market. Created for live performances, the PXM-12MP is an acoustically optimised, high-output, two-way stage wedge featuring coaxially aligned 12-inch LF and 1.75-inch HF transducers. Its small footprint and light weight (13.5kg) make it particularly suited for applications where floor space is limited. The 55° monitor floor angle is said to allow performers to stand as close or as far away from the system without sacrificing audio intelligibility. The 90° x 90° coverage pattern means that the monitor can be used as a fill, delay or mounted on a pole for short-throw applications. It comes with several crossover settings, including for ELX200 and EKX subwoofers.

The built-in, two-channel, Class-D, 700W amplifier has been developed in collaboration with EV’s sibling brand, Dynacord, and reaches a maximum SPL of 129dB. The integrated, digital, three-band EQ features different factory

presets for various application modes, as well as five individual user presets.

A high-Q notch filter can eliminate feedback frequencies, while a delay function with 0.1m increments is said to provide precise adjustment when used as a delay speaker. The GuitarCab allows users to connect a guitar directly via a DI box.

The recessed connection panel is located on the side of the speaker and features two XLR/TRS combo mic/ line inputs, an individual phantom power option, a stereo RCA aux input for playback music sources and an XLR thru input when used as part of a distributed sound system. www.electrovoice.com

PXM-12MP

A-T welcomes the next generation AUDIO-TECHNICA HAS created its third-generation 5000 Series Frequency-agile True Diversity UHF Wireless System. It comes with dual-

up to 16 channels, while an auto squelch feature automatically adjusts the squelch setting to maximise operating range and minimise potential

The 5000 Series

compander circuitry that processes high and low frequencies separately and True Diversity operation. The receiver features a tuning bandwidth of 144MHz: DF1 470–608MHz and 657–663MHz (duplex gap) with the option of selecting a standard receiver (ATW-R5220) with two balanced XLR outputs or a receiver (ATW-R5220DAN) that includes a Dante output.

The antenna cascade output connects up to eight receivers so a single pair of antennas can feed

interference. Users can swap the backup frequency by pressing the transmitter’s multifunction button in the event of unexpected interference.

A-T’s Wireless Manager software allows remote monitoring and control of the wireless system. Two transmitters are available for use with the 5000 Series: the ATW-T5201 bodypack transmitter and ATW-T5202 handheld transmitter. www.audio-technica.com

54 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

d&b introduces the KSLi System THE INSTALLATION-SPECIFIC KSLi System from d&b audiotechnik features the KSLi8/KSLi12 speakers, combined with the KSLi-SUB/KSLi-GSUB subwoofers, the new 40D highperformance installation amplifier plus a catalogue of system-specific accessories and customisation options.

The KSLi8 and KSLi12 are acoustically identical to the mobile KSL System and are said to deliver the same performance characteristics: full-range broadband directivity control, extended low-frequency response and enhanced high-frequency resolution. With 80° and 120° horizontal dispersion, respectively, the KSLi8 and KSLi12 reportedly provide consistent pattern

control down to the lowest frequencies, in part due to the geometry of two front-facing 10-inch drivers and two side-firing 8-inch drivers, which couple and apply cardioid techniques to cause directivity with LF headroom.

The flown KSLi-SUB or ground-stacked KSLi-GSUB have been designed for applications where space or weight limits exist. The 40D installation amp is designed for fixed applications and is described by d&b as its most powerful four-channel Class-D installation amplifier. It features a 4.3-inch colour display showing a range of speaker settings and device status. www.dbaudio.com

Audix expands its catalogue AUDIX HAS released 14 new products, including headphones, earphones and large-diaphragm condenser mics.

The new headphone lineup comprises four new models: the A140, A145, A150 and A152. Each pair of headphones is closed-back with a dynamic driver for high fidelity and features detachable cable options. The A140, A145, A150 and A152 all possess unique sound profiles for various applications, including recording and live streaming.

The A10 and A10X, as well as the A10-BT and A10X-BT variants that feature Bluetooth 5.0-enabled cables with integrated microphones, form the new range of earphones. Featuring point source, phase-coherent 10mm drivers and audio cables with goldplated MMCX connectors, the A10

serves as a detailed in-ear monitor, while the A10X offers an extended bass frequency.

The large-diaphragm condensers released include the A131 and A133 fixed charge and A135 and A137 true condenser models. All four models are built with internally shockmounted cardioid capsules. The A133 and A137 are additionally equipped with pad and roll-off switches.

The remaining two new products are the A160, a transformerbased, passive, bidirectional ribbon microphone with no active electronic components and based on a classic ribbon design that does not require phantom power, and the A127 type one reference microphone with a ½-inch metal film omnidirectional capsule. www.audixusa.com

PRODUCTS PROJECTS

Simplified recording and mixing

with NeMo network control, grouping any elements together as desired.

One of the characteristics of the STM system is its perceived THE STUDIOLIVE ARc series from nearfield sound, which extends PreSonus combinescorners a multichannel, to the furthermost of the 24-bit/96kHz, USB-C-compatible, auditorium area, giving the listener the USB 2.0 audio impression thatinterface they are with closeanto the analogue mixer end, of to sermons create a action.

From thefront readings hybrid designperformances, that is said tothe simplify to live band church recording and mixing a single has reportedly noted using the improvement console.

The three models in the in intelligibility and consistency in series feature newly designed, coverage throughout the space.highGiven headroom analogue circuits, along the acoustic environment, there with the company’s XMAX were existing nodes high-gain and antinodes Class-Athe mic preamps. within room’s listening area and Thecareful StudioLive AR8c offers four mic the positioning and tuning of preamps and six balanced inputs cabinets, particularly in theline out-fill for 8x4has recording/playback, whilesonic the areas, resulted in improved StudioLive AR12c comes with eight consistency. mic preamps 12 balanced line Enjoy Churchand sometimes employs inputs 14x4 recording/playback. a front for stage thrust that encroaches The StudioLive AR16c area delivers into the usual seating and12 places mic presenter’s preamps and 16 balanced line the handheld or headinputsmicrophone for 18x4 recording/playback. worn within the field of All models‘This support recording on coverage. presented a unique every channel the mainalongside mix challenge whenplus considered over of USB feature a three-band one ourand aims for this system analogue EQbeing on every channel; installation to remove themic/ need linesmaller boost for low-level vintage synths, for front-fill speaker elements broadcast microphones and consumer and keep sources to a minimum,’ electronics; notes Burns.and Bluetooth 5.0 ‘Our design resulted in down-fill connectivity. elements of STM M28SD elements to The on-board stereo recorder the some with 120°a hasmain beenarrays, included for recording

StudioLive AR8c

rehearsal or a mobile M46 cabinets were used for the centre-fill and out-fill arrays podcast horizontal dispersion, as well as a which allows engineers to mix in a interview or centre cluster of M46s. This stereo state without concern for certain quicklyflown capturing results in theideas. sameAn sonic signature seating areas missing the benefit. songwriting all-new digital With the improved increase in across front audience and effects the processor with 16area presets headroom that the STM system has is time to ‘rich makereverbs, the centre said aligned to supply lush cluster largely delays and fatimperceptible. chorusing’ andPerhaps includes delivered, Enjoy Church has also started catering for outside events even more notable is the abilityastowell a dedicated send and return, achieve incredible gain footswitch before feedback without the need for additional as an optional bypass equipment. The auditorium is routinely from and spoken wordthe jack. performers All of the mixers come with used for school presenters evenSuper with poor microphone manufacturer’s Channel which Quantum 2626gatherings, musical presentations and concerts from technique, onto the stage can handleventuring four stereo analogue and interfaces with the Quantum 2626. touring artists. thrust digital area.’ sources at once. The Super Using Thunderbolt 3 bus that to the Thereawere expectations Anothercombines noticeablewireless improvement Channel stereois reportedly achieve a roundtrip latency sound system upgrade would lead to the stereo 5.0 imaging. a relatively Bluetooth input,With stereo input from low as <1ms, users can record aasmuch more space-consuming setup broad room and arrays the on-board SDmain recorder or that fromare a and monitor 24-bit/192kHz than the GEOwith S12upit to was replacing. also quite wide, Mac the STM’s stereoPC, USB-connected or Windows stereo fidelity through their favourite plug-main the bottom of the STM imaging have beeninputs. described However, and RCAattributes and 1⁄8-inch other news, PreSonus ins, without DAW. Thethe arrays is onlyleaving 70mmthe lower than asInpresenting listeners withhas a added to its Quantum seriesinofstereo audioimaging, former interface provides toperceived 26 inputs and system andup any perceivable increase

increase in size comes from the width of the main array, which is largely hidden from view on the dark area above the stage.

26 outputs, eighthad of PreSonus’ ‘The formerplus system subs flown XMAX Class-A analogue microphone behind the main arrays as the client preamps, inputs brief askedtwo forinstrument a clear front stageto directly connectwith basses and guitars, area, whereas the STM system andhave six balanced line inputs for we been able to level achieve a clear synths, all on front-mounted front stage area by insetting combo the jacks. The sub firstarray two inputs equipped horizontal of theare STM 118s,’ with direct andwith dedicated says Burns.outputs ‘Together the LF returns to in patch in outboard gear. An produced the air by the B112 additional 18 inputs are cabinet arrays, the LFand andoutputs sub-bass available via to ADAT/dual SMUX and in have proven be very controllable the space, with even coverage.’

The old GEO S12 system, which was still in working condition, hasn’t gone to waste. Enjoy Church has redistributed it across three of its smaller campuses, providing upgrades to those venues in the process. At the church’s main sanctuary, however, the new STM setup enables Enjoy Church to cater for its various needs and styles of ministry, from contemporary S/PDIF. Also are eight services withincluded high-impact band ¼-inch TRS outputs that are DC reinforcement, to theatrical coupled for sending control performances, spoken wordvoltages, and plus two balanced main outputs, two everything in-between. high-volume headphone outs with www.enjoy.church dedicated volume controls and MIDI I/O. www.ffp.com.au www.nexo-sa.com www.presonus.com

LivePremierTM and Picturall™ series

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©Christchurch-GroveFarm

Captivate your congregation with powerful presentation experiences using Analog Way’s high-performance live presentation systems and media servers.

Scalable ® Modular ® User-friendly www.analogway.com May–June 2020 WORSHIP AVL 27 July–August 55

PRODUCTS

DirectOut raves about Ravenna

Allen & Heath strikes a balance SUPPORTED BY scalable I/O, control and Dante solutions, Allen & Heath has unveiled the AHM-64, a 64x64 audio matrix processor. Built around a 96kHz FPGA engine, the AHM-64 has 12 local inputs, 12 outputs and an SLink expansion port allowing plug-and-play connection to up to eight remote expanders from Allen & Heath’s Everything I/O family. An I/O port enables a 96kHz, 64x64 Dante option card to be added for connection to equipment on a Dante network, including the wall-mount DT164-W and portable DT168 Dante expanders.

A range of remote-control options support the AHM-64, including an array of PoE remote controllers and the BYOD-friendly Custom Control app, enabling tailored user interfaces for multiple user and device types. ‘The AHM-64 strikes a balance between the simplicity and set latency of fixed architecture and the flexibility normally reserved for open architecture platforms, allowing it to handle sound management, paging, audio distribution, conferencing and speaker processing roles,’ explained Nic Beretta, head of product at Allen & Heath.

THE RAV2 network audio module from DirectOut has been designed to integrate into third-party products and form the Ravenna AoIP network core of the newly released Prodigy Series of multifunction audio processors and converters.

The RAV2 offers integration of Ravenna, AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110-30/31 with support for all ST 2022-7 classes. It provides 128x128 audio channels in up to 32 network streams and sample rates up to 192kHz. The module is described as equally suited to operate in synchronised WAN (wide area network) environments with greater than 500ms latency or on local networks with ultra-low latency down to one sample per packet (less than 1ms).

The RAV2 also incorporates built-in PTP Grandmaster capability (multicast and hybrid mode) and a customisable and scalable HTML-based GUI with network traffic display, selection of PTP profiles, jitter monitoring, stream monitoring and configuration, and password protection. The device offers MDNS and SAP stream announcement plus both automatic and full manual stream configuration as required. www.directout.eu

www.allen-heath.com

RTS tackles shrinking RF FOR USE in an already congested UHF spectrum, RTS has launched the BTR-30N UHF/VHF wireless intercom system with a hybrid, dual-band design. The two-channel, narrow-band system supports up to four TR-30N (dual-channel) or TR-32N (dual-channel stereo) frequency-agile beltpacks and has been designed for high performance with minimum spectrum usage.

By taking advantage of the lower VHF frequencies, the BTR-30N gives users the ability to increase their wireless system capacity beyond the more limited operating range of UHF alone. Two-way radio systems use one frequency for signals sent from the beltpack to the base station and another for signals sent from the base station to the beltpack. In most systems, these two frequencies belong to the same band and there is always some separation between them. With the BTR-30N, however, signals from the base station to the beltpack are sent in the VHF spectrum

(174–216MHz) and signals from the beltpack to the base station use UHF (482–572MHz).

Providing 25kHz of modulated bandwidth, the BTR-30N allows more users per channel in the VHF spectrum, along with a reduced footprint in the UHF band.

The system allows the beltpack operator to choose between two separate audio channels of communication, with the base station tracking the beltpack selection. This allows the user the flexibility to create a party line and a private line within the same beltpack. The units perform at line-of-sight distances of 90m and the effective operating range can

56 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

be extended further using an RTS antenna system.

The BTR-30N provides all the standard features of the BTR-80N

UHF system, such as DSP and Intelligent Power Control.

Additional features include multiple selectable transmitter power outputs, selectable receiver squelch control, RF metering on base station and beltpack displays, remote battery indicators on the base station display, beltpack battery percentage display, low battery tone indicator on the beltpack, AC or DC power input on the base station, simultaneous two-wire and four-wire operation, and the ability to expand

a system for a large number of users in half-duplex mode with the First-On-Latch-Out feature.

In other news, RTS has unveiled VLink, a fully interconnected software intercom solution for RTS matrix systems.

VLink extends an RTS intercom to any location with internet access so that users, wherever they are in the world, can be tied into the main intercom over a dedicated network or via a standard internet connection using a VPN, all without running any additional cables or leasing extra phone lines.

The software provides users with full intercom linking via 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi on standard PCs. Control and supervision of the VLink software can be accessed over the internet from any on- or off-site location, allowing users to manage multiple systems from a single point to improve efficiency and reduce time spent travelling between locations. www.rtsintercoms.com

THE WORLD'S FIRST TRANSFERABLE LED ENGINE

#RobeInnovation

PRODUCTS

TOA takes a tour TOA REPORTS that its WG-D100 digital wireless tour guide system combines ‘crystal-clear audio quality with secure and stable transmission’.

The lightweight receivers and transmitters can be carried by hand or on a clip or lanyard. They can be charged individually via a micro USB port or through the WG-TC12A battery charger. With the WG-D100SK SyncKit, the receiver channels can be synchronised while the units are charging.

Users can record content by connecting the recorder to the aux output of the receiver and there is a choice of internal mic, external mic and aux input on the transmitter. The connection of multimedia devices such as MP3 players and smartphones to the aux input of the transmitter

to transmit media content to the receivers is also supported. The receiver comes with a separate headphone output and aux level output on the receiver and it will power off when no input signal is detected for 20 minutes. The LCD display shows channel number, mic/ earphone volume, battery status and receiver signal strength. www.toa.eu

QSC manages in real time QSC HAS created the Q-Sys Reflect Enterprise Manager, a cloud-based subscription service that allows realtime monitoring and management of the Q-Sys audio, video and control (AV&C) ecosystem, including thirdparty devices. As it can be installed on the Q-Sys Reflect Cloud platform, it will also bring data oversight and managed services to AV systems.

of monitoring and management required for the organisation.

The Q-Sys architecture facilitates the connection of an entire Q-Sys system to Enterprise Manager and only needs a secure internet connection for communication with the Q-Sys Reflect Cloud. End users can also use the Enterprise Manager API to extract a device’s status

Q-Sys Reflect Enterprise Manager can provide AV/IT systems administrators with advanced event log diagnostics, intelligent alerts and notifications, as well as real-time device and system monitoring. It is designed to help with the avoidance of reactionary maintenance and to reduce overall support costs associated with AV systems.

Users can tweak Enterprise Manager’s capabilities by choosing to monitor sites, systems and peripherals from a single subscription. Different tiers can be chosen based on the level

and event logs into the software application of their choice, allowing them to see all AV and IT assets in one place. Online training from QSC is also available for technicians and administrators who want to learn how to connect Q-Sys systems to the Enterprise Manager.

In other news, QSC has partnered with Splunk as part of its Technology Alliance Programme and will develop a Splunk Add-On to further simplify integration for users of both solutions. www.qsc.com

58 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

XTA expands MX Series TWO FURTHER models have been added to XTA’s MX Series – the MX24-A and MX24-D. They have been designed to offer a simple solution to the problem of routing multiple mixing console outputs to a speaker system or system processor.

Handling 16 inputs in 2U across analogue, AES and Dante networks, these are arranged in sets of four (to typically support L-R front-fill and sub

networks with Word Clock output sync available on AES (MX24-A).

All switching takes place in the digital domain with soft cross-fades to switch between consoles. The models will automatically select the secondary source should the primary fail. If failover with redundancy is not required, the MX24 can handle up to four consoles – two each on analogue or digital feeds. Other features

feeds from an individual console).

The MX24-A works with analogue and AES audio, while the MX24-D handles analogue and Dante audio. All AES inputs have independent sample rate conversion. There is one set of four outputs, available simultaneously across analogue and AES (MX24-A) or analogue and Dante (MX24-D)

include a mono mic preamp with selectable routing, clarity filtering in DSP, switchable 48V phantom power, a stereo line input, balanced rear inputs, an unbalanced 3.5mm jack front panel input and full headphone monitoring. www.xta.co.uk

DSPStudio gets an upgrade AMATE AUDIO has unveiled DSPStudio3, designed to maintain the same onscreen appearance as previous versions but incorporate several enhanced features such as auto-detection of connected components at start-up and a faster refresh rate.

It has an optimised layout grid for any project size and can link two or more identical cabinets or groups of varying models. The update also contains information about input and output levels, heat-sink temperature, clip and protection indicators and users can edit crossover frequencies, gain, limiters, polarity, delays, five custom parametric EQs or an array of filter shapes.

The DSPStudio3 also has control protocols that support Wi-Fi connectivity (control-over-IP) when used with a CWK-D wireless communication kit. Users can reportedly edit processor values from anywhere in the venue.

In addition, the latest edition of the DSPStudio enhances the remote control of Xcellence systems with the ACTIVE+ platform via Ethernet/Wi-Fi. Full ACTIVE+ support includes limiters with multichannel gain reduction indication, selectable ECO mode, tilt sensor indication and calibration, FIR/IIR all-pass filters, 200m delay, mains condition and amplifier channel temperature monitoring. www.amateaudio.com

PRODUCTS TECHNOLOGY

SI keeps it low

might a house of worship look to implement them?

‘For light shows,’ says Adam. ‘For all the same reasons that some houses SCREEN has to keep of worshipINNOVATIONS create light shows announced the expansion of lasers its low-will their congregants engaged, voltage motor technology across its add to and enhance them.’ entire linesound of motorised The ‘Not to generic,’screens. adds Gabby, manufacturer of optical screen and ‘but there’s nearly endless effects shade materials originally rolledcan outdo the that can be made.

Our lasers technology in 2017 to agradients few products pan/tilt effects, colour (my in its portfolio but, now, every SIthey personal favourite), prisms and motorised be powered have a fewscreen built-incan moving effects and like controlled anyorbits. type ofAnlow-voltage sine wavesvia and experienced wire, includingwill Cat-5 two-conductor programmer likelyand want to create speaker wire. their own, and it’s no different than Two products to effect receiveon this new making a lighting a console.’ technology are Janus and Fontus.

Power, Janus deliversmaintenance, power and control for up to eight low-voltage screens, reportedly cost in 75% less space than its competitors.

In years, LED lighting It isrecent a dual-sided product with both fixtures have arguably become more commonplace than traditional tungsten thanks to their combination of reduced power consumption and energy efficiency, the need for less maintenance and, ultimately, a lower cost of ownership.

‘The power draw does vary from model to model,’ explains Ben Raugh, X-Laser’s senior shop technician. ‘For example, our 5W laser has a power draw of 80W typically and 100W at its peak. Lasers are energy-efficient

One other consideration to make is whether you would be using lasers to beam onto a wall or surface, or to create a variety of effects that dance through the air. ‘Generally, you should have haze or fog when creating aerial effects,’ says Gabby. ‘If you’re projecting onto a wall, where the pattern you’re projecting is the focus, it’s less important of course but, in order to see the beams in the air, you will need some atmosphere.’

NanoLumens redesigns Engage Series

UTP and terminal blocks (5x 3.8mm) and is capable of supplying power and control for any type of wire. Janus provides a scalable infrastructure via busexample in/out and 100 SDN power An ofup thetovisual effects that lasers can be used to create units with a built-in bus power supply.

Regarding costs and regulations, With they redundant power RS-485 and actually use options, less power than segmented outputs and more than 100 Gabby says: ‘They vary by country and moving lights.’ region. In general, however, there are no mounting configurations, thevary screen ‘And maintenance needs by further costs to consider, although repair measures x 155mm 43mm use,’ says216mm Adam. ‘If the userxtreats to broken-down lasers will have a cost, (LxWxH). the system like a video projector, which will vary. Lasers are regulated in Fontus supports the connection they’ll last a lifetime, but, if they of the United States but less so in other screensthe to asystem power/control source handle like a PAR can or countries. In general, it’s a good idea over any type two-conductor wire. speaker, we’llofsee it in for repair in It not to point the beams at peoples’ also ainterfaces with Janus to convert just few weeks.’ faces or other electronics. Keeping the RS-485 communication and power ‘Keeping the fans clear and clean beams above peoples’ heads by at overalways five-conductor to only will help thewire unit’s life,’two Ben LED3m MANUFACTURER NanoLumens least is a safe way to go.’ conductors. It provides full two-way elaborates. has revamped its Engage Series into control, while full power is maintained a line of more mainstream display using the manufacturer’s BCP encoding cabinetry for users in need of a and decoding protocol. Capable of ‘simple and stress-free solution’. many types of control including IR, 12V The new products reduce power trigger and DCT, Fontus includes two consumption using a common dry contact closures and a wet contact cathode and are built with cabinets closure for use with control systems. It that include a native 16:9 aspect is a plug-and-play unit with a 12V trigger ratio so that users can import and for use with projectors, can be powered display HD, 4K and all other 16:9 from any RS-485 motor and can receive content without any reformatting power via any 7–28V DC supply. issues. NanoLumens has developed A model from X-Laser’s Skywriter HPX Tour Series www.screeninnovations.com

Conclusion As with any audio, video or lighting technology, remember to have fun and get creative when incorporating lasers into your setup. There’s no need to feel daunted.

‘Lasers can be used in many ways,’ the products for users that concludes Gabby.

‘There areare many new to the industrycontrol who want options in fixtures, andaeffects simple without that cansolution be created withcomplicated them. Lasers guesswork. stand out with their high-contrast and Following NanoLumens’ newbring high-saturated looks. They’ll partnership with BrightSign, theOne the “wow” factor to any event. redesigned Series thing we likeEngage to stress withwill people be by anthey update to as newaccompanied to lasers is that are not the company’s network complicated asdisplay you might think, just management AWARE, which treat them asplatform, if it’s another moving includes media player. light and BrightSign’s you’ll see how quickly you can create unique effects.’ www.nanolumens.com www.x-laser.com

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May–June 2020 WORSHIP AVL 47 July–August 59

PRODUCTS

B-Tech takes on heavy loads B-TECH AV Mounts has announced the launch of the BT9910, a flat screen wall mount with tilt functionality for extra-large and extra-heavy displays. It supports screen sizes of between 65 and 100 inches and can handle weights of up to 130kg when mounted to the wall.

Available in black and compatible with B-Tech’s collar and pole system, the BT9910 has been designed for a wide range of

environments and offers a choice of four tilt positions ranging from 0° up to 15° depending on end user needs and requirements.

With keyhole fixings on the wall plate and a hook-on mounting system, the BT9910 is reportedly easy to install as it features height adjustment screws that allow the screen to be levelled once mounted. www.btechavmounts.com

Calibre fuses with LED

Christie experiences micro evolution CHRISTIE HAS debuted Active 3D for its MicroTiles LED that provides ‘a robust, flicker-free 3D experience’. Using active shuttered 3D glasses, users can view 3D content at 120Hz (60Hz per eye) in a 1.25mm pixel pitch. With Active 3D, MicroTiles LED displays 4K UHD content at 120fps at 1,000 nits brightness via a Christie Link E1000-3D videowall controller. With integrated Christie Terra SDVoE technology and MicroTiles LED

www.christiedigital.com

Aten stays mobile THE VE8950/VE8900 Control App from Aten is an iOS- and Androidcompatible app that enables mobile control of the VE8950 and VE8900 4K HDMI-over-IP extenders. Designed to help users switch sources/displays and apply and reschedule profiles from their IP video extenders, the Control App provides direct access to VE Manager, which enables preview, monitor and control of a user’s video sources at any time and in any location.

THE LEDFUSION A160 by Calibre has been designed to provide ‘a complete, integrated solution that can be installed by two people in an hour or less’. Packed in a single flight case, the 163-inch LEDFusion A160 is under 35mm thick, bezel-free and comes with a 170° viewing angle. The screen also features HD resolution, a 1.875mm pixel pitch, 600 nits of brightness and a 5,000:1 contrast ratio. The modular design is said to make it fast and simple to repair, while control is via an iOS/Android app. Connectivity includes two HDMI ports, 3G-SDI, two USB ports, audio output, RS-232 in/out and RJ45 for

design flexibility, the display can be customised to suit the individual’s needs.

LAN control. The unit can also be plugged into an OPS. The display includes Calibre’s HQPro1000 scaler/switcher, which reportedly delivers seamless switching, fast transitions, support for multiple sources and layers, and up to four programme outputs alongside a confidence monitor output. Scaling is provided by Calibre’s low-latency HQUltra technology that supports 4K50/60 4:4:4 RGB formats.

Streaming video using the H.264 codec is supported, as are pan and zoom, dissolve/fade, cut and through-black. www.calibreuk.com

Aten reports that it’s now easier for users to track the latest display schedule and system updates and manage their networked AV system.

Additional features include a simple setup and log-in where users can auto scan the network for devices and tap on any transmitter or receiver to log in, and real-time device monitoring for checking the status of receivers and digital signage content remotely. Users can preview video sources, edit receiver inputs or adjust videowall layouts with the GUI. By selecting the transmitter source and the target receiver via a mobile device, users can switch video sources instantly and also switch a video source to multiple receivers at once. The app provides calendar-based scheduling for checking and revising the display schedule on-the-go to save time and streamline daily operations. www.aten.com

Avolites serves an ace WITH VIDEO content and projection mapping becoming major components in many installations, Avolites has released its Q Series media servers along with Ai v12.1 with the Pioneer Pro DJ Link Bridge integration software. The Q Series comprises the Q3, Q3pro, Q4 and Qgen to suit various user requirements.

The Q3 provides one 4K output, two HD outputs and a separate GUI output and has been developed for mid-size venues. The Q3 Pro has

been designed for more demanding venues with two 4K outputs and one HD along with EDID managed HDMI outputs. The Q4 is for large venues and advanced installations and comes with four 4K outputs

60 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

and flexible input modules so users can design the server to meet ‘the most demanding needs’. With the rise in use of interactive real-time generative content providers like Notch, the Qgen provides three 4K

outputs and a Nvidia graphics card that can deliver around 30,000 Notch marks and a two-year Notch playback licence.

Key features of the Ai v12.1 release include a codebase to support 64-bit architecture and compatibility with the latest Notch blocks. Ai will now work on 64-bit versions of Windows and support 64-bit Synergy and USB Expert. www.avolites.com

New Ashly mXa-1502.

Four zones of mixing, DSP, and 2 x 150 Watts of power…made simple and compact.

T

©2019 Ashly Audio Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ashly is a registered trademark of Ashly Audio, Inc.

Retail

he new mXa-1502 mixes and processes twelve audio inputs into four different areas of a church, restaurant, school, etc. From a single rack space that includes two Ashly-reliable 150-watt amplfiers.

Even better, you (and your customers) can control it from any webenabled device with Ashly’s new AquaControl™ Software that’s served Churches from inside the mXa-1502 (no separate PC needed; no app to install !).

With AquaControl you can reconfigure or troubleshoot from your office instead of having to visit the customer.

DSP signal processing, automixing, ambient noise control, amplifier monitoring, event scheduling/triggering, and much more in a new super-inRestaurants, Bars, Hotels tuitive GUI. Since it’s built-in, you can re-configure or troubleshoot from your office.

The mXa-1502 gives you total control over four zones: church sanctuary, balcony fill, crying room and foyer. Restaurant bar, main dining room, patio and waiting area. Hotel lobby, poolside, bar and restaurant.

You get the idea.

Visit our web site Restaurants, Bars, Hotels to learn more about this simple, compact mXa-1502 Mixer/Amplifier/Processor • 8-balanced Mic/Line Inputs • Precision Class A mic preamp design • 4 Stereo Line Inputs • 4 Outputs • 2 x 150W Class D Amplifiers with selectable Multi-mode operation (2/4/8 Ohm + 25/70/100V) • Four convenient solution to 4-zone front-panel buttons for source/preset select • Comprehensive DSP on all inputs and outputs • Scheduler and RTC (Real-Time Clock) audio audio with allows user-defined automatic, timed activation of various operations • New, advanced Ashly AquaControl™ software allows easy and convenient access from many browser-based innovative DSP control. devices. No app to install • Generous integration I/O, including: Network, Serial, GPIO, VC, Standby & Fault • Compact 1U design reduces rack space requirements • 5-year Warranty

K-12 multi-purpose rooms, lecture halls, auditoriums, gymnasiums, sports fields

www.ashly.com

PRODUCTS

Magewell stays versatile FOR USERS who don’t require NDI support, Magewell has released the Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI 4K, which offers the same features as the Pro Convert for NDI to HDMI 4K such as support for protocols including RTSP, RTMP, UDP, RTP and HTTP streaming.

The new converter uses an HDMI 2.0 interface to decode input streams up to 4196x2160 at full 60fps for output

to baseband monitors, projectors, production or distribution equipment.

Designed for multi-site video distribution, IMAG, videowalls, digital signage, remote production or bridging legacy and next-generation media infrastructures, the compact device optimises output parameters

NewTek lights a spark IP-BASED VIDEO technology manufacturer NewTek has released two new Spark Plus IO converters designed to simplify the encoding and decoding of video for use in an IP-based workflow through NDI. The Spark Plus IO 4K delivers high

Spark Plus IO bandwidth NDI at 60p for low latency and high quality in and out over IP. Users can route NDI signals to TV screens or deliver a 4K signal into an NDI workflow. The Spark Plus IO SDI encodes or decodes at rates up to 1080p60 NDI for 3G-SDI environments without disrupting the existing traditional SDI video infrastructure. Both Sparks come with PoE, simple auto discovery and tally light with NDI support, all packaged in a compact design that is described as durable and easy to mount.

The Spark Plus IO converters reportedly bypass the need for a capture card solution. They are designed for a quick setup over one Ethernet cable. A web-based interface allows configuration and monitoring from a desktop or mobile browser.

The Spark family of converters are reportedly compatible with hundreds of systems, devices and applications that support NDI technology, such as the TriCaster Mini 4K and TriCaster TC1.

NewTek has also unveiled its PTZUHD, said to be the first pantilt-zoom camera that transmits full 4Kp60 video directly to NDI-compatible receiving devices across a standard network. The camera allows content creators to capture and deliver highquality UHD video with native support for resolutions up to 2160p60 using a 30x optical zoom lens and a highquality Sony CMOS sensor. Requiring only a single Ethernet connection for setup, power, operation and signal flow, the camera is said to pair perfectly with the TriCaster Mini 4K and TriCaster TC1 for a ‘configurationfree NDI experience’. www.newtek.com

PTZUHD

based on EDID metadata of the connected HDMI display, while FPGA-based video processing enables high-quality up/ down conversion between HD and 4K.

The Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI 4K measures 3.97 inches x 2.4 inches with a height of 0.92 inches and is powered via an external adapter or PoE. Users can also manage advanced features via on-unit controls, a browser-based interface or connected keyboard or mouse. www.magewell.com

Image quality in a box LUMEN DIGITAL Optics has video sources, add overlays and introduced the VC-BC701P 4K backgrounds and broadcast the 60fps UHD box camera, equipped mixed videos to various social with a professional 8MP sensor platforms, such as Facebook, with 30x optical zoom to generate YouTube, Kaltura or Panopto. It ‘a high colour reproduction, highsupports capturing various video definition signals and crystal-clear sources from up to four HDMI image quality, even in low light’. or three IP video input sources The camera supports multiple including common HDMI interfaces inputs, such as PoE, Lumens IP HDMI 2.0 cameras, and 3D NDI | HX Noise cameras Reduction and and also standard offers RTSP streams. Together triple-stream VC-BC701P with four line-in/mic-in inputs, (H.264/H.265) video format. the LC200 is also equipped The camera has been designed for with a multi-view director so that HOWs and other pro AV applications customers can roll out user-defined working in an IP-based network scenes that contain picture-inenvironment. picture and picture-behind-picture The manufacturer has also layouts, titles, logos, overlays and released the CaptureVision backgrounds. The model offers 1Tb System LC200, an upgrade from of internal hard drive storage and the previous VS-LC102 model. It supports storing media in external has been designed for recording, USB devices. Users can also record saving videos and creating live and stream video content through streams and allows users to record Outlook or Google Calendar. videos at Full HD 1080p as well as www.mylumens.com mix, encode and switch between

LC200

Processing the view APANTAC HAS announced the debut of its 8K Multiviewer. The MiniDE-4-QUHD has a 7680x4320 output resolution and accepts four HDMI 2.0 inputs, four HDMI 2.0 outputs and performs in two modes: multiviewer and videowall processor. In multiviewer mode, users can feed a quad UHD (four

In videowall processor mode, the MiniDE-4-QUHD drives four 4K monitors and displays the source signal feeding one of the four inputs in various layouts and arrangements (horizontal 1x4, 1x3, 1x2 or vertical 4x1, 3x1, 2x1) in landscape or portrait mode.

4K inputs) 8K monitor or a 2x2 4K monitor stack and the position,

62 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

size and aspect ratio of the source windows are user-adjustable.

www.apantac.com

PRODUCTS TECHNOLOGY

IK Multimedia gets creative ROE adds processing platform

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The bundle a lightweight, resolutions up to 16K wide. the system up to become a fully portable video rig with the mic, plus ‘One key advantage of the Helios fledged 8K processing system,’ IK’s iKlip Grip Pro multifunction processing platform is its giving scalability – commented Victor Kortekaas, this content in oneswitched place, usVintage locations, in Edmond, addition toOklahoma several prison www.roevisual.com The house lights on at Church in stand that is said to transform from assurance of its long-term security. campuses, with more than 30,000 handgrip to monopod to tripod ‘in Those fansofcan be noisy, and For places worship, safeguarding people attending each weekend. seconds’. A standard UNC ¼-inch they also room around content in need a digital library couldthe also An online video platform allows the thread lets users mount the iRig Mic fixture for Theytoare also not present theairflow. opportunity monetise church to realise the true potential video, lights or other accessories on approved recessed or revenue enclosed it and help for to open up new of its assets, stay connected to its environments.

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The organisation has eight Church of Church, England’s SundayFlorida services

Elation creates a wintry scene

NEW

THE STAGE ACTIVE

VARIABLE COVERAGE

PASSIVE

MONITOR

SUPERCHARGED 1/2PAGE HORIZONTAL

• 138dB Peak SPL* • Multiple directivity inside a box • Quick release grille • Magnetic flanges • 20kg * With NEXO NXAMP4X2MK2 Powered Controller, measured at 1 metre in passive mode.

Combine P12 with the L15 sub to create highperformance FOH or stage monitor systems.

Touring and install versions available.

Thinking. Inside the box.

November–December January–February 2020 WORSHIP AVL 53 49 July–August 63 May–June 2019 55

PRODUCTS

Barix goes live TO HELP users get live audio streams online quickly, Barix has upgraded its Instreamer ICE audio-over-IP encoder to reportedly enable simpler installation and is also offering customers a free audio streaming service for their websites until the end of September.

The Instreamer ICE was originally designed to encode high-quality, bandwidth-efficient AAC+ or MP3 streams for Icecast-based streaming applications such as internet radio and multi-site audio distribution.

Streams can be sent to an external Icecast system or third-party service provider for unlimited propagation,

or distributed directly to up to 100 listeners via the unit’s built-in Icecast server.

The new update helps overcome firewall issues and user limits, reportedly enabling them to deploy the unit for streaming audio through their website in less than

Matrox extends 6100 Series THE MATROX Maevex 6152 quad 4K decoder is built on the same core technology as the 6100 encoders and decodes up to four 4K streams – or many more lower-resolution streams – across up to four 4K displays from a single, standalone application. The Maevex 6152 also includes HDCP support to decode and display multiple streams of protected content. In addition, the Maevex encoder and decoder pairing is said to offer high-quality,

tool which provides control over the entire Maevex network from a single or multiple locations.

PowerStream Plus provides users with an assortment of drag-and-drop stream and layout selection options, along with available previews for decoder output configurations. The PowerStream Plus API for Windows, Linux and lower-level REST API are available for integrators looking to create personalised Maevex control applications.

Maevex 6152 quad 4K low-latency streaming, while the Maevex 6152 can be combined with third-party encoders to create new or upgrade existing end-to-end systems.

The 1U, ½-rack Maevex 6152 offers HDCP support, decoding HDCP content from a variety of sources including external Blu-ray players, set-top boxes and streaming video devices. It also includes preset layouts providing users with the flexibility to target up to eight streams on a single screen.

As with all other 6100 series products, the Maevex 6152 includes the Maevex PowerStream Plus AV-over-IP software management

In other news, Matrox has updated its Imaging Library (MIL) X software. New features include the training of deep neural networks for image-oriented classification; coarse segmentation using imageoriented classification based on deep learning; a revamped plus augmented 3D display, processing and analysis offer; and support for HDR imaging. A companion update also introduces enhancements to the MIL CoPilot interactive environment including support for training a deep neural network. www.matrox.com

64 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

30 minutes. Barix provides the customer with a configuration file

including customised streaming parameters. Users then plug their microphone or audio console into the analogue input of the encoder, connect

the device to the internet and load the configuration file. The audio stream is now ready and, once a button for it has been placed on the organisation’s website, visitors can start listening.

Customers who want to stream beyond their websites – for example, for internet radio services – still have the option of using a paid third-party streaming host. Alternatively, at the end of September, users can continue to stream for free but with the standard limitation of 100 simultaneous listeners via Instreamer ICE’s built-in Icecast server. www.barix.com

Datavideo takes control DATAVIDEO HAS unveiled two new integrated products: the TPC-700 touch panel interface and the SE-3200 switcher. The TPC-700 is described as the best assistant for all 3200 switchers and VGB-2000 presentation systems. Users only need to tap the screen to select different presets and customise each button. Multi-camera virtual studio switching, aux output, crosspoint, Flex Source and PIP assignment can all be accessed via the interface. The compact design means that the TPC-700 is easy to transport during a live production. It has a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with an 800x480 resolution, weighs 850g and measures 220mm x 152mm x 79mm (WxHxD).

The SE-3200 is described by Datavideo as its most advanced 12-input 1080p 50/60 switcher.

It is equipped with 12 inputs (eight SDI and four HDMI) and nine outputs (six SDI and three HDMI) to help users produce a ‘sophisticated and professional live event’. The switcher provides full

1080p support on every input and output and a built-in scaler for up and down conversion on each available input. Advanced features include eight PIPs, four upstream keyers for chromakey, linear and luma keys, two DSKs, two independent animated logos, stinger transitions and a 2D transition DVE. All 3200 switchers come with built-in support for Datavideo CG software which converts a regular HDMI output of a PC or laptop into a fully fledged CG interface for use with Datavideo’s CG suites. Users can connect up to two displays to all 3200 series switchers for a dual, multi-view output and choose from pre-defined, multi-view layouts.

Flex Source reportedly gives users nearly the same power of a 2 M/E switcher, in a 1 M/E switcher. It provides four PIPs with 3D borders, with a background layer and an additional key layer. www.datavideo.com

TPC-700

PRODUCTS

City Theatrical receives output from the Multiverse CITY THEATRICAL has developed its Multiverse Receiver Cards for lighting designers looking to integrate wireless DMX/RDM into their projects as part of a full Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM system, connecting up to 10 universes to a single Multiverse Transmitter, or with their lighting equipment, including props, costumes and fixtures. They are available in either the 2.4GHz or 900MHz band.

The Multiverse Receiver Cards are described by the manufacturer as ‘full Multiverse wireless DMX/ RDM receivers without the housing, XLR connectors and user interface’ typically found in wireless DMX receiving products. They feature a built-in antenna and a connection for an optional external antenna.

Configuration is done via RDM with City Theatrical’s DMXcat Multi Function Test Tool or the USB

Multiverse Receiver Cards can also deliver 0–10V output and have four PWM control outputs.

Configuration software for PC and Mac. As well as receiving wireless DMX and outputting wired DMX, the

www.citytheatrical.com

Vari-Lite updates a classic CARRYING OVER the size and quality of light from the original VL5, the VL5LED Wash from Vari-Lite comes with an RGBALC colour system, on-board motorised zoom and LED blade lights. The colour system provides lighting designers with a wide range of options, including both pastel and saturated colours from a single fixture. To simplify programming, the SmartColor Control system adjusts the six-colour engine using traditional CYM+CTO mixing control.

The colours are then reflected on the Dichro fusion blades that bring

VL5LED Wash

VL800 EventProfile

the stylings of the original VL5 along with the variable diffusion first seen on the VL6500 Wash.

For further creative options, the VL5LED Wash adds a separate ring of LEDs that light up the Dichro fusion blades a different colour than the light coming from the source engine.

It has been built for sound-sensitive

environments and comes with Standard, Studio and Whisper modes.

The lighting manufacturer has also released the VL800 EventProfile, a high-output framing profile luminaire that offers full CYM+CTO colour mixing. Other features include a small form factor with a fixed colour wheel; static and rotating gobo wheels; and a prism, frost and iris. Multi-mode fan control allows users to adjust settings to control fan noise. The 350W fixture is said to offer a low dB experience across all frequencies and comes with camera-ready frequency adjustment options. It has an IP20 rating and an 8–40° beam angle. www.vari-lite.com

Cameo promotes versatility THE OPUS H5 has been developed by Cameo to provide a versatile beam, spot and washlight hybrid with an 18,000-lumen output and 400,000 lux illuminance at 5m. The small and lightweight moving head features an Osram Sirius HRI 470W discharge lamp for bright and parallel beams and a zoom range from 2° to 42°.

The Opus H5 is equipped with a CMY colour mixing system, a colour wheel with 13 dichroic filters, two gobo wheels (rotating and static), two frost filters for flexible wash effects as well as four prisms on two wheels.

In addition to DMX, RDM, Art-Net or sACN connectivity options, the Opus H5 can be controlled wirelessly via the integrated W-DMX receiver.

The Evos W7 is an LED wash/ beam moving head with 19 40W RGBW and warm-white LEDs. The unit provides 10,500 lumens and a coverage up to 540° horizontally (pan) and 270° vertically (tilt). With a zoom

Opus H5 range of 4.5–55°, the Evos W7’s directional light beams can also be asymmetrically shaped using the included Beam Shaper. Users can individually control all of the LEDs with the Single Pixel Control, plus the moving head’s refresh rate can be adjusted in six stages between 800Hz to a maximum of 25kHz. The F4 series comprises three LED Fresnel spotlights in tungsten (3,200K warm-white), daylight (5,600K

cold-white) and RGBW full-colour with tunable white function (1,600– 6,500K). With a total output of up to 34,000 lumens (daylight version), the F4 series has been designed to replace traditional 2,000W halogen Fresnel lights and dimmer racks. All F4 models feature a high CRI of >Ra90, an adjustable zoom range from 12–40° as well as 16-bit technology for high-resolution dimming, including four selectable dimming curves

and adjustable dimming response.

Flicker-free operation is provided by a selectable PWM up to 25kHz. Finally, the H2 series has been designed to provide fixed LED room lighting with flexible DMX control options and high dimmer resolution.

Available as full colour, warm white and adjustable daylight versions, the H2 fixtures output up to 17,000 lumens (H2D) with a 180W LED as well as silent and flicker-free operation based on selectable PWM frequencies up to 25kHz. Interchangeable lenses allow the user to adjust the beam angle from 20–45°. The fixtures feature Terminal Block connectors and five-pin XLR connectors for the DMX signal. Wireless control via W-DMX is also possible, while the mounting bracket enables the H2 series to be integrated into truss and wall installations.

Evos W7

www.cameolight.com

July–August 2020 WORSHIP AVL 65

THE TECH VIEW

Hawkins’ return Casey Hawkins, director of video engineering at Green Acres Baptist Church, reflects on his career Casey Hawkins, director of video engineering

Green Acres’ broadcast control room I BECAME INVOLVED IN THE GREEN Acres Broadcast Ministry in 1993 as a sophomore in high school. I subsequently left Green Acres and the city of Tyler, Texas in 1999 to pursue my career in broadcast television engineering and production and was gone for nearly 18 years.

Thanks to Tibby Wright, director of broadcast ministries, whom I worked with as a volunteer in the 1990s, I returned in 2016.

I value my many years in the industry, my time growing up in the church and my career in television, which was filled with numerous opportunities in smalland medium-market television as well as national and international broadcast transmission engineering for a major telecoms company. However, I am proud to once again be a part of the Green Acres Broadcast Ministry.

Green Acres was established in 1955 with a single building. The Broadcast Ministry was created in 1981. Aside from our legacy weekly OTA broadcast on the local ABC affiliate on Sunday mornings, we own and operate our own cable channel and Roku channel.

The facilities supported by the Broadcast Ministry include the 3,400-seat Worship Center, 2,000seat CrossWalk Conference Center, Lighthouse administration and classroom building, One-Ten Student Center, Family Life Center, Chapel (which was previously the main sanctuary), Adult Education Building and our South Campus. Most of these facilities are connected via fibre. We also have a retreat centre located on

Lake Tyler and an outdoor recreation centre called The ROC, but those two locations require only minimal technical support. Although it came from humble beginnings, Green Acres and its Broadcast Ministry have grown tremendously over the years.

Today, my duties include the installation and maintenance of video equipment across our campuses – mainly in our broadcast production suite, cable channel master control and engineering centre, and production studio, all of which are located in our Worship Center. I built and maintain our Roku channel and I am working on other OTT offerings such as Amazon Prime Video Direct. I also provide engineering and technical support for the CrossWalk Conference Center, which three of our broadcast staff members are dedicated to, as well as other areas as needed. I am also the IMAG senior director for all live events in the Worship Center, the senior

66 WORSHIP AVL July–August 2020

producer for television spots and video content used in the Worship Center and I’m a creative consultant to the pastor, associate pastor of worship, director of broadcast ministries and other ministries seeking media to improve their impact.

Between the three venues for Sunday services, we use 17 cameras, five switchers, two NewTek 3Play IP replay systems, eight IMAG screens and seven applications of Renewed Vision ProPresenter software with five directors, three graphic artists, three lighting directors and four audio

service on television, but, for now, our existing setup is meeting the needs of our audience – and our workflow.

Since the recent coronavirus pandemic, we have made many modifications to how we do our Sunday worship and weekly Wednesday Evening Bible Study with the pastor.

We have totally relied on our live streaming, cable channel, Roku channel, social media outlets and websites during the outbreak. While we weren’t able to have any worshippers in the Worship Center, we produce a live broadcast along all platforms

engineers. In addition, we rely on the talents of over two dozen volunteers for camera operations and support, and we maintain dozens of hallway IMAG monitors, classroom projector systems and sound systems. The Chapel, which is mostly used for memorial services and weddings, has a separate system consisting of an audio console, ProPresenter, a lighting system and video projection. The Student Center also has its own audio system, lighting system, ProPresenter and IMAG setup.

We have a lot going on, as we live stream our Resonate services on Sundays. Resonate is a more contemporary service that takes place in our CrossWalk Conference Center, but we don’t live stream our traditional Celebration service in the Worship Center at this time. We have discussed options for adding live streaming to the Celebration service and also broadcasting the Resonate

at 10:30am Sunday mornings and at 6:00pm Wednesday evenings in order to provide people with a way to ‘stay in church’, albeit a virtual church experience. Daily videos, email updates and social media posts keep our membership and audience engaged while we are unable to worship in person. In my 30 years in video and broadcast, I never would have thought I would see a church broadcast live in HD over so many platforms to tens of thousands at a time, but we’ve done it and it has changed the tone and value of our Broadcast Ministry forever.

For more from Casey and the broadcast setup at Green Acres Baptist Church, read Green Acres broadcasting over horizons in the January–February 2020 edition of Worship AVL. www.gabc.org

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