Worship AVL March-April 2021

AV LIGHTING SOUND REINFORCEMENT RECORDING STAGE SOUND BROADCAST

March–April 2021

March–April 2021

MILITARY PRECISION RCF equips Russian cathedral

MICA (P) 059/05/2020

PLANNING FOR A POST-COVID WORLD

ENGAGING WORSHIPPERS IN 2021

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Contents Issue 69

March–April 2021

NEWS RELOCATION DAS Audio helps House of Praise move to larger premises

4

FAMILY FOCUS Chauvet lights up Sunday Nights Kid Service

6

UNDER THE STARS L-Acoustics celebrates Christmas outdoors

8

HIGH ENERGY LD Systems reinvigorates services in Pondicherry

10

BLENDING IN Martin Audio installs hidden PA system

11

ON THE ROAD Zach Williams calls on DPA for drive-in tour

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INDEPENDENCE DAY Online Polish tribute event illuminated by Prolights

14

IMMERSIVE MIXING Lakewood Baptist Church invests in KLANG:fabrik

15

FULL SOLUTION DiGiCo supplies three Quantum7 consoles in Tennessee 16

PROJECTS SHURE WEBINAR Engaging worshippers in 2021

18

MILITARY PRECISION Russian winters are no problem for RCF

20

VICTORY IN SINGAPORE Low ceiling complicates upgrade at Victory Chapel 24 NEW DIRECTION DWR upgrades technology at Acts Christian Church

26

KEEPING IN TOUCH CAVSolutions helps college students study from home 28 NEW AUDITORIUM Brisbane church selects Adamson PA system

30

KNOWHOW LOOKING AHEAD Gordon Moore starts planning for a post-Covid world

32

LIVESTREAMING Casey Hawkins looks at what to prepare before a live event 34 MAINTENANCE John Black takes advantage of the Covid-19 shutdown

36

TECHNOLOGY UNCHAINED AUDIO Using wireless and faderless mixing consoles

Editor’s note

Email: rlawn@worshipavl.com

We’ve all learnt a lot over the past few months, and it looks like 2021 will only continue to extend our steep learning curves. Yet like so many communities, the HOW sector continues to come together and draw on our collective experiences and knowledge. I had the privilege of taking part in our latest webinar and Q&A session sponsored by microphone manufacturer, Shure, on page 18. The discussion brought together three industry specialists from Southeast Asia who have been helping HOWs successfully transition from traditional, in-person services to livestreaming and recording to audiences in their homes.

Lectrosonics’ Gordon Moore in his article on page 32 considers that an online presence for weekly services is here to stay, and I’m inclined to agree.

If your HOW went online during the pandemic, whether through livestreaming or prerecorded services, Gordon believes that there could be negative consequences if an online presence isn’t continued when in-person services are resumed. The internet has allowed worship to be extended to new groups of people that previously couldn’t attend the sanctuary or that live in other countries and many will be looking for this option to continue in a post-Covid world.

As we head into Spring in the northern hemisphere, warmer weather will inevitably lead to HOWs looking to move their services to an outdoor location where there is more room to spread out and adhere to social distancing regulations. Elation’s Bob Mentele talks us through some of the options available for lighting outside events in the evening in his article on page 42.

I hope you enjoy the issue.

IN THIS ISSUE

38

24

TECH UPGRADE ATEN considers how livestreaming can reach wider audiences 40 OUTDOOR WORSHIP Bob Mentele discusses lighting outside events

42

PRODUCTS Equipment launches and updates

44

THE TECH VIEW The Barn turns to DWR for livestreaming needs

58

28

42

34

Contacts ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sue Gould T: +44 1892 676280

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Caroline Moss T: +44 1892 676280

SENIOR REPORTER Simon Luckhurst T: +44 1892 676280

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Karen Wallace T: +44 1892 676280

SALES ASSOCIATE Carolyn Valliere T: +1 562 746 1790

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cmoss@worshipavl.com

sluckhurst@worshipavl.com

kwallace@worshipavl.com

cvalliere@worshipavl.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER Adrian Baker T: +44 1892 676280

DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER Nick Smith T: +44 1892 676280

VIDEO EDITOR Chris Yardley T: +44 1892 676280

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Jessica Ubhi T: +44 1892 676280

GUANGZHOU MANAGER Sue Su T: +86(20)85633602

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ssu@worshipavl.com

COVER: The Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces PRINTER: Times Printers Singapore LICENCES: Singapore: MICA (P) 059/05/2020 PPS 1644/05/2013(022954) CIRCULATION: circulation@worshipavl.com All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the copyright owners.

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NEWS

House of Praise relocates with help from DAS Audio “Their old sanctuary seated 500 people and the new one seats 1,500,” explained Mike Greco, account executive and production designer for Ashen White. “Services are contemporary in nature and include both a praise band and a vocal team. The space measures 27m x 49m [WxL] and there is a 6m x 12m [DxW] stage with a side wing for the praise band.”

CANADA Established in 2000, House of Praise is a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the fastestgrowing churches in the world with over 32,000 parishes in over 180 countries. Guided by Pastor Wale Akinsiku and Co-Pastor Tope Akinsiku, House of Praise recently moved into larger premises and called on Ashen White Audio Visual Executives of Mississauga, Ontario, to install a new sound system that draws from the Event series catalogue from DAS Audio.

Working in conjunction with David Gardner, president of Supreme Media Distributions of Pickering, Ontario, which serves as the authorised distributor of DAS products in the region, the Ashen White team deployed a loudspeaker system that consists of 28 DAS Event-210A three-way powered line array enclosures augmented by 12 Event-218A powered sub-bass enclosures, along with 10 Event-210A three-way powered stage monitors.

Mike Greco Greco and his crew flew three loudspeaker clusters across the front of the stage area. The right and left hangs each consist of six Event-210A enclosures, while the centre cluster employs four Event-210A boxes and is positioned

Elation lights up Bayside Church’s Christmas village USA After a tough year due to the ongoing pandemic, Bayside Church in Granite Bay, California, wanted to do something special for its congregation. As a special holiday gift to the community, Bayside built a Christmas village complete with ice-skating rink, towering Christmas tree and special Christmas light show, and called on IP-rated luminaires from Elation Professional. Alec Takahashi, a former lighting designer and lighting director at the church, worked on creative production with the church’s creative team, including Bayside creative director, Corbin Phillips. Felix Lighting of Southern California supplied all of the lighting gear for the project.

The Christmas experience, which included a 10-minute light show, opened on 25 November and ran

through until 3 January. Takahashi said one of the main challenges was getting the vision the church had for the project to fit within a tight budget.

“Their ambition for the show visually was massive so trying to match that with a limited amount of fixtures and still have that wow factor was quite a challenge,” he explained. “When initially thinking about what fixtures I wanted to use, the Proteus line was

the first that came to mind. I knew its reputation as high-quality, IP-rated fixtures was phenomenal. We ended up using 48 of them on the project.”

The LED-based Proteus Maximus fixtures served a variety of purposes, from textures onto the church building to generic washes for the Christmas village, to punchy beams into the night sky. Positioned on rooftops and other structures, some from behind the

to cover the immediate down-fill area directly in front of the stage.

Spread across the front of the stage floor, there are six Event-210A stage monitors. Another four enclosures are used by the praise band off to the side of the stage.

The setup is augmented by 12 Event-218A subwoofers across the front edge of the stage area within specially designed spaces that neatly position the subwoofers under the stage. A delay system, with two additional flown loudspeaker clusters – each consisting of six Event-210A enclosures – resides approximately 18m back from the front of the stage area.

“We’ve received numerous kudos for the system from church management and the congregation,” reported Greco. “The music reproduction and the clear, articulate dialogue this system produces have really impressed people. Simply put, it’s been a win–win for everyone involved.” www.ashenwhite.com www.dasaudio.com www.suprememediadistributions.ca

village to give the look depth, others worked from lighting towers 45m away.

Takahashi commented: “For the main look of the show, we had building rooftop fixtures zoomed at their tightest and shooting beams into the sky. There was often some low fog or the surrounding houses were burning fires so it added a texture of smoke to the air, which was a great look. People came wondering what was going on and then stayed for the festivities.”

Also used to create atmosphere by colouring the building, structures and ice rink in holiday colours were 93 Elation Fuze PAR Z120 IP LED PAR lights, along with 55 SixBar 1000 IP LED battens. “We didn’t want to use their existing parking lot lighting or building lighting but wanted the atmosphere to be something different, so we lit the whole area including the walking and general use areas in colourful, warm lighting. It made for a great feel. The end result was very pleasing to the church and all the feedback that came from the community was also very positive.” www.elationlighting.com

4 WORSHIP AVL March–April 2021

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NEWS

Sunday Nights Kid Service comes alive

Jericho J7 Horn lands in Singapore SINGAPORE

USA The production team at Life Challenge Church in Odessa, Texas, takes special joy in putting together Sunday morning kids services.

Creative spirits run a little more freely, and new ideas are waded into more deeply, as everyone channels the child’s imagination inside their adult selves to make Bible stories come to life for young worshippers.

“The kids service gives us an opportunity to go a little more outside the box,” said Gabriel Loera, technical director at Life Challenge Church.

“We do more immersive and moving fixtures and contrasting colours across the crowd. We use more upbeat and themed EP backgrounds during the full service rather than just during worship.

The kids really respond well to the full immersive environments.”

Contributing to the immersive environment through the sanctuary for the event were richly saturated colours from the rig’s COLORado and Ovation fixtures. Loera positioned six COLORado 1 Solo fixtures above the first rows of pews and six over the upstage deck to provide a consistent colour wash throughout the performance area. He also lit the audience area with four Ovation E-910FC ellipsoidal fixtures.

To complement the effects, Loera relied on the warm white light of 12 Ovation F-265WW Fresnel fixtures.

He positioned six units above the crowd and, drawing on their tight zoom range, used them to focus light on the altar. The remaining six units were positioned over the upstage deck and used for back washing.

Recently, the church gave adult worshippers the opportunity to channel their childhood imagination with a Sunday Nights Kid Service, an event that shared imagery from the children’s programme with the congregation at large. Helping to create this unique experience was a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Sweet Southern Sound.

“We do this several times a year,” said Loera. “It’s a family focus initiative that lets parents experience worship as their children do every Sunday morning.

Everyone really enjoys it.”

To add texture patterns that complemented the projections that surrounded the stage, Loera called on three Maverick MK1 Spot fixtures.

“This was a complete design package that had us use multiple elements to put the audience in the middle of Bible stories, from three Hebrew boys being saved from the fiery furnace to journeying to the sea,” said Loera “The stories are told to touch the imagination of children, which is why everyone loves them.”

Bartley Christian Church has become the first venue in Singapore to acquire Danley Sound Labs’ J7 Jericho Horn. Local AV integration firm and regional Danley distributor, Soundsmith Solutions, designed and installed a new sound reinforcement system for the HOW that centres on two Danley J7-95 Jericho Horns, a variety of Danley smaller fullrange boxes for fill and four Danley TH118XL subwoofers for low-end support.

control was also an important factor.

Danley’s patented technologies provide even coverage within the beam and remarkably little output outside of the beam. The pointsource phase coherence and fidelity were also important considerations.”

The new system relies on two Danley J7-95 Jericho Horns for the majority of coverage. In addition, two Danley SH95 loudspeakers provide down fill, two Danley SH46 loudspeakers provide side fill and six

Bartley Christian Church was founded 50 years ago and has grown organically into one of the largest churches in Singapore. The sound system in the fan-shaped, 1,200-seat sanctuary built in 2006 could not keep up with the church’s shift to higher impact music. “The existing system at Bartley Christian Church, being 10 years old, was showing its age and struggling to keep up with music they are playing these days,” said Nicholas Loe, regional manager, Danley Asia. “Additionally, the way the previous system was designed and installed interfered with the line of sight to the projection screen.

Many seats had an obstructed view of the stage and screen. After two years of research and discussions with existing users, church officials made the decision to go with Danley Sound Labs.

“The Danley J7-95 Jericho Horn proved to be the right box for Bartley Christian Church’s sanctuary,” Loe added. “Line arrays would have failed the line-of-sight requirement, whereas Danley’s small footprint and big output could get the job done. Pattern

Danley SH minis provide front fill. To round out the low end, four Danley TH118XL subwoofers (two per side) reside behind the Jericho Horns and extend the system’s response. An Allen & Heath Avantis Mixer controls the new system.

“This Danley design proved to be the winning combination for Bartley Christian Church,” Loe concluded.

“The measured results showed a tremendous improvement over the previous loudspeaker system. The Danley boxes deliver vastly greater intelligibility, with an average of 0.76 STI achieved across the hall with very little deviation. Clarity is way up compared with the previous system, as is dynamic range. There is ample headroom and feedback is not a problem. Sightlines are also great. Everyone can see the large screen, even those sitting at the extreme edges of the seating area.

To top it off, the front-of-house crew is now happy because they have a representative version of the mix from their position.” www.danleysoundlabs.com

www.chauvetprofessional.com

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NEWS

L-Acoustics helps CCV celebrate Christmas

At the Peoria campus, Clearwing flew four Kara arrays over KS28 subs USA When it came to its annual Christmas event for 2020, Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV) in Phoenix, Arizona, wasn’t going to let Covid-19 halt its plans. Instead, it produced Christmas Under the Stars outdoors at all of its 10 campuses over six nights during the holiday. Enjoyed by an estimated 50,000 people, audio was delivered through the deployment of 210 L-Acoustics loudspeaker enclosures and components provided by the Phoenix office of Clearwing Productions.

“It was pretty incredible,” recalled Clearwing audio engineer/designer Joe Spitzer, who is also a certified and accomplished L-Acoustics K System Engineer (KSE). “We approached this as we would a music festival with 10 separate stages. L-Acoustics had the perfect mix of speakers and technologies to let us design and build PA systems that were exactly matched to each location’s acoustical and coverage needs, as well as make sure we had consistent sound quality across all 10

side for the main arrays and six more per hang for the side arrays. Six SB28 subs provided low end, and the whole system was powered by four LA-RAK II amplified controllers, each containing three LA12X amplifiers.

The other nine campuses had combinations of six Kara or eight Kiva II speakers per side, most stacked atop a pair of either SB28 or KS28 subs, while two locations had six Kara hangs flown per side. One location, an auditorium with a wide, fan-shaped seating area, used two A15 Wide and two A15 Focus enclosures per side. In all, Clearwing’s technicians deployed

CCV’s Scottsdale location used ARCS II enclosures atop SB28 subs sites. Plus, it was consistent with the sound the church is used to hearing because they have L-Acoustics Kara or Kiva II systems in more than half of their campuses. So the system was familiar to their engineers.”

The main Peoria campus had the largest single system, consisting of a flown PA using seven Kara boxes per

74 Karas, 48 Kiva IIs, 10 X8s, six X15 HiQs, six ARCS IIs, four A15 Focus, four A15 Wides, eight 12XTs and two Syvas, paired with a total of 28 SB28s, 16 KS28s and four KS21 subs, plus 25 amplified controller racks.

One particular application of the LA Network Manager control and monitoring software that was heavily

used for Christmas Under the Stars was the Autoclimate feature, which allows for the simultaneous adjustment of air-compensation filters based on measured temperature and humidity conditions. “The band would do its soundcheck during the day but, by the time the show was to go on, the temperature had dropped, and there was more moisture in the air,” he said.

“The change in humidity accentuates high frequencies and Autoclimate allowed us to automatically compensate for changing air conditions, dialing high frequencies back as needed.”

The church agreed. Production director Blair Drake was impressed by how consistent the sound quality was between the various outdoor performance locations and how closely it matched what the audience members hear inside the churches. “The Soundvision modelling was extremely accurate – what the software predicted was very true to the end result,” he added. “It’s one of the many reasons we’ve been using L-Acoustics for so long.”

All of CCV’s new locations in the last six years have had Kara and Kiva II PA systems installed, and the pending new locations for 2021, in the Phoenix suburbs of Laveen and Queen Creek, will have L-Acoustics A Series sound systems. “Clearwing did a fantastic job on this project, making it work under very challenging conditions,” concluded Drame. “But L-Acoustics gave us the right tools to make it all happen.” www.ccv.church www.clearwing.com www.l-acoustics.com

St John’s Lutheran Church expands with P.Audio INDIA St John’s Lutheran Church in Renigunta, Andhra Pradesh, has become the recipient of a P.Audio speaker system courtesy of Chennai-based pro audio company, John Pro, in time to raise spirits for Christmas. In December, the HOW celebrated its new church dedication and opening thanks to P.Audio’s XT-15 loudspeakers which translated the preachings given by Bro. Anil Kumar of AWE Ministries, who inaugurated the premises.

Mr Jaychandra from John Pro, who was part of the installation process, shared: “The church was

asserted that the P.Audio XT-15 would be the best fit. Not only is the XT-15 super dependable and high on performance value but it is also compact and easy on the eye.

The speakers perfectly address the church’s architectural challenges and the sound is projected evenly within the church with great intelligibility. The management at St John’s Lutheran Church as well as the worshippers are overjoyed with the quality of sound and only have praises for it.” seeking an efficient audio system for delivering their services. Keeping in

mind their requirements for space, ease of use and performance, we

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NEWS

Hosanna AG Church keeps services engaging

INDIA Hosanna Assembly of God Church in Pondicherry dates back to the 1990s when Reverend I Asir – the presbyter of Pondicherry AG Churches – started the HOW in a rented house on Christmas Eve. The church grew steadily in size and, after further land was purchased, a multi-storey facility was built from 2010–2014 under the leadership

of Reverend Allen Prosper, who has been pastor at the church since 1999.

Recently, the HOW has reinvigorated its services with energy and enthusiasm, thanks to a newly acquired LD Systems MAUI 44 playing a crucial role in representing the Word of God. The audio solution was installed by Tamil Nadu-based

SoundVisionPro which is a wellknown company in the area for audio equipment, catering to a wide base of customers.

Jacob Alexander of SoundVisionPro, who consulted with the church during the install process, shared: “The management of the church was seeking an efficient and aesthetically pleasing audio system that would improve their regular services. So, we suggested the MAUI 44 active column PA owing to its great quality and delivery with even sound distribution and distortion-free audio reproduction. With an enormous 1,600W of total output and a wide dispersion angle, just two units of this compact column PA are enough to cover an area of 1,500m2 and that’s what’s most impressive about it. All in all, the church management is extremely happy with the sound, and so are we.” www.ld-systems.com

Two MAUI 44s are positioned either side of the stage

ADJ transforms Radiant Church’s children’s

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USA With five locations spread across Tampa Bay in Florida, Radiant Church has updated the AVL system in its dedicated space for elementary school children aged 9–11 years. The HOW has continually invested in AV technology to keep its worship vibrant and engaging for those gathering in person or online, and its latest project was to overhaul the space used for children’s ministry at the church’s flagship South Tampa campus.

Atmospheric Productions supplied the new audio, video and lighting system.

“The technical setup in this room was previously very basic, so we really started from scratch, although we did use a few ADJ Mega 64 Profile Plus LED PARs that were already there,” said Andre T Miller, co-owner of Atmospheric Productions. The first new fixture Miller settled on was ADJ’s Focus Beam LED. He positioned two on the stage itself to shoot beams upwards and another two on the ceiling in the centre of the room. “I didn’t want all the lighting to be onstage; I wanted to have some beams out in the room, over the kids’ heads,” stated Miller. “I think this helps them to feel more involved with the worship and everything that is happening.”

used the 60° option for fixtures that serve as house lights, which allows them to fill the whole room evenly.

Being able to do multiple functions with the same fixture gives maximum flexibility to the church for the future.”

To complete the system, Atmospheric Productions supplied a Magma Prime hazer from ADJ’s sister company, Magmatic. Miller programmed a variety of different looks and effects that can be selected by the volunteer lighting techs who run the equipment on a weekly basis.

“The senior kids’ pastor was very excited when he first saw the new The second fixture Miller chose was the Focus Spot 4Z, placing four on an upstage bar with the existing Mega 64 Profile Plus units. The lighting package onstage is completed by six UB 12H linear LED wash fixtures. Four are lined along the back of the stage, with a further two fixtures positioned at either side of the stage pointing inwards.

“The UB 12H bars really serve two purposes,” explained Miller. “The room is only around 3.3m tall, so those four bars at the back really fill up the stage with colour. Then the two on the side provide colour fill to give depth to the lighting of the pastors and musicians

onstage. Not only do they create nice primary colour washes but the UV element of the HEX LEDs allow us to create some fun moments as well.”

The final product is the MOD STQ LED wash fixture. “We considered various different options for both front and house lighting but, in the end, decided on the MOD STQ because of its flexible lens system,” added Miller.

“We used the 20° option for a tighterfocused front light, with three fixtures positioned in the centre of the room usually set to white and a further pair of fixtures positioned further out to allow their use as colour fill. We then

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NEWS

Martin Audio blends in at Kentucky church USA Having already completed several projects for First Christian Church in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, JCA Media has delivered a Martin Audio main PA system and ceiling speaker installation for the church’s worship areas, classrooms and children’s play areas.

JCA Media has installed three Martin Audio CDD10s as L-C-R speakers alongside a pair of SX112 subs flown above the stage to deliver smooth, even coverage across the space. “For this project, the CDDs merged together within the main worship area and it was great to see the stage arches accommodating those types of cabinets so well,” stated Alex Peake, integration specialist at JCA Media.

Because the church didn’t want anyone, particularly children, to be near any of the cables, the decision was made to fly the PA above the stage. The black ceiling blended in with the all-black PA system, meaning it essentially disappeared into it. “The ability to blend into the background is so important for church

ministry

projects as you don’t want to take the attention away from the congregation’s experience,” Peake commented. “This also meant that while the PA was hidden, the visuals were able to take over. There are four laser projectors – two of them environmental and two of them for the

lyrics and content. They wanted all of the audio to disappear so the house lights could create this remarkable atmosphere.”

The integrator also used a single CDD12 to cover another worship area and a pair of CDD6s for the children’s

play area. To cope with emergency situations, JCA Media also connected the system to a mic at FOH so the whole wing would duck to that channel when an announcement needed to be made. “If you needed to make an announcement across all the rooms, even if one was playing music or another a movie, it would stop everything and make the announcement the priority,” Peake added.

“When we fired it up, we were all just as giddy as could be. We actually hadn’t even tuned the room yet because we were not finished with laying down the carpets but we were all thinking, ‘I don’t think anything needs to be changed at all’, and we were able to call it a day right there and then which was excellent.” www.martin-audio.com

CONTROL FREAKS.

setup,” confirmed Miller. “The ministry likes to keep things fresh and exciting for the students by having different themes throughout the year, so they decorate the space accordingly.

This new lighting rig makes that super easy; they can completely change not only the stage lighting but the house lights too, to a colour scheme that matches the current theme.” www.adj.com www.atmosphericpro.com www.weareradiant.com

C S-S E R I E S. On-board DSP and optimization give you unparalleled power and control. This is Adamson’s legendar y sound, evolved for the networked future of professional audio.

E X PLO R E C S-S E R I E S AT P OW E R. A DA M S O N SYS T E M S.C O M

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NEWS

DPA hits the road with Zach Williams USA When Covid-19 disrupted his headline tour, Christian country/rock star Zach Williams was keen to carry on delivering his gift of song to fans.

Together with Big Daddy Weave, Williams organised the “Drive-In Theater Tour” and although social distancing protocols required smaller crews and less gear onstage, Williams’ FOH and monitor engineers were in agreement that the DPA d:facto and 2028 vocal microphones were essential to the performances.

“We had one 20x24 SL100 mobile stage, definitely smaller than what we’re used to, and all of the attendees would park and stay in or near their car,” explained Carson Brannock, monitor engineer for Zach Williams.

“I didn’t even realise there were this many drive-in theatres still operating in the country, but we did about 30 separate tour stops. From an operational perspective, the biggest difference on our end was that we didn’t advance any local stagehands in order to keep the crew consistent throughout. No one was allowed

backstage, not even family, so we did everything on our own.”

One thing that didn’t change between Williams’ headline tour and the Drive-In Tour was his use of the DPA d:facto 4018 VL vocal microphone. “What I really love about the 4018 is that I don’t have to process it nearly as much to get the tone that Zach is looking for,” added Brannock. “It has

great low/mid detail, but it doesn’t sound muddy; you get all the nuances of the vocal without having to add in a bunch of high frequency. Zach is also very dynamic. He wants to be able to hear all the breathy details and the d:facto just naturally has that clarity.

I don’t find myself cutting or adding frequencies the way I did with other microphones.”

In addition to the 4018 VL, the Williams team also selected the company’s 2028 vocal microphone for background vocals. “The thing that I notice at FOH, and what I like most about both of the mics, is that there is a very similar perceived tonal response across different SPLs,” said Matthew Floyd, production manager and FOH engineer for Zach Williams.

“Whether our guys are getting louder or softer, the frequency response doesn’t change much, and that gives

me more freedom to create. Zach likes that the mic sounds similar to a large diaphragm condenser and it gives him the feeling of being back in the studio.”

As cars are a prominent piece of any drive-in, this new audience style also played a considerable role in how Brannock addressed the live sound.

“There were a lot of windshields out in the fields, which resulted in the sound hitting the glass and bouncing back on my end,” he explained. “I didn’t use any audience mics for these shows, but I noticed that with the 2028, the pattern is just so tight that the reflections didn’t affect the mic.

Since Zach was positioned downstage centre, we did get a little bit of PA bleed, but despite the d:facto being a supercardioid condenser, reflections from the cars weren’t an issue.” www.dpamicrophones.com

Bringing cathedral sound into a new age RUSSIA First built in the 14th century, Kaliningrad Cathedral is home to Russia’s largest pipe organ, as well as the tomb of philosopher Immanuel Kant. It was destroyed by fire in its third century and rebuilt again in 1992 to become an important symbol of change and endurance in the region.

The cathedral was designed for a narrow range of acoustic properties, specific to the human voice, limited instrumentation and, most importantly, the pipe organ. Today,

the cathedral is used for pipe organ concerts in one direction but, for amplified performances, the space is used in reverse, with the stage at the other end.

Chief engineer of Russian K&F distributor Audio Solutions, Petrenko Matvey Vladimirovich, explained: “There is too much reverberation here. Conventional speaker systems aren’t up to master the acoustic complexity and deliver detailed, intelligible sound.”

Three-per-side VIDA L speakers

Yevgeny Kobylyansky is both a composer and head of the project for the new sound reinforcement design. His goal was for the space, the microphones, the speakers and the control inter faces all to act as one large musical instrument. To do this, he turned to Kling & Freitag’s VIDA beamsteering array speakers to create a custom acoustic/sound reinforcement design.

Six VIDA L speakers have been installed in arrays of three on each side of the performance area. They comprise a total of 288 individual amplifier and digital signal processing channels that allow precise control of the sound beam. VIDA C cardioid sub modules have been added to the back of the arrays to enhance the sound quality for the performers by minimising low-frequency spill onto the stage. The combination of the VIDA L/C units focuses sound to cover only the audience area and reduces the unwanted room excitation to a minimum. SCENA 12 stage as well as PASSIO speakers fill in areas behind the large columns and complete the new system, bringing the cathedral into a new age and a new life.

“Everybody is very pleased by the sound quality of this installation,” added Vladimirovich, “so now organ, chamber, choir and other music genres will be enjoyed here.” www.kling-freitag.com

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Prolights celebrates Polish Independence Day POLAND Broadcast for TV and online viewers, A Tribute to Independence has taken place at St Bridget’s Church in Gdańsk, Poland, including performances from several well-known Polish artists. Event supplier Grupa Profit was responsible for the lighting and specified 20 Prolights Luma 1500 (with SH and SP modules) and eight Sunblast 3000FC LED strobe and blinder fixtures.

“We decided to use 12 Luma 1500SH fixtures with the framing shutter module as front lighting for artists, and eight Luma 1500SP with the animation module (SP) to fill the sides of the church and complete the scenery with animations and gobos, displayed on the ceiling,” said Konrad Ingielewicz, technical director at Grupa Profit. “We chose them for their great colour spectrum, smooth

dimming (necessary for television broadcast), very quiet operation and very high-power output with low-power consumption.”

Four units of Sunblast 3000FC were placed behind the artists (in the preacher’s lectern area) to highlight the unique altar. “Due to their

extremely high-power output, they also excelled at illuminating the ceiling, which was one of the focal points for the camera. The other four units were strategically placed on the sides of the church to achieve the perfect architecture illumination,” Ingielewicz added.

When asked about his choice of moving lights, Ingielewicz explained: “Our team is very proud to use Prolights fixtures. The Luma 1500 is our ‘weapon of choice’ for most events, even the smaller ones where power consumption is often a concern.

They are, without a doubt, the best front and spot lighting unit. Another reason we choose Prolights equipment is the perfect customer service by the Polish distributor, Show Design.” www.prolights.it

The House in Modesto upgrades with Adamson USA The house AV team was impressed with the upgrade. Colby Higgins, the church’s monitor engineer, stated: “I love the Adamson system, it sounds much better than our previous PA. I am blown away by how a small box like the S10 can output more both in clarity and volume than our previous bigger, clunky boxes.”

Rightnour echoes this sentiment: “When I first saw the PA being flown into position with eight boxes per side, I was thinking, ‘this is not going to be enough PA to fill this room’. But after the rig was installed and tuned, I was in shock with how loud it got.”

Church members were also quick to comment on the upgraded system.

Rightnour received compliments on the install on the very first weekend the PA was deployed. “I had different people come up and tell me how much better it sounded, that there was clarity in the pastors’ speeches as well as a much clearer sound when the band played,” he concluded.

He also notes that the auditorium is a live room with many reflections and little to no acoustical treatment, which makes achieving optimal sound difficult, yet the Adamson PA made a noticeable difference in the sonic quality as well as reach of the sound.

Image courtesy of Jason Rightnour

A recent upgrade to an Adamson sound reinforcement system is changing the way that the 1,800-person congregation at The House in Modesto, California, can experience worship. While the pandemic limited live services temporarily, The House has kept the community close with online worship and outreach and is ready to welcome its full church family back home.

Jason Rightnour, audio director at The House, chose to install Adamson speakers in the auditorium after auditioning products from several other manufacturers. Rightnour was impressed by both the clarity and power of the Adamson product line, he explained. “I went to tradeshows, conventions and speaker shootouts but I couldn’t find a system that fit our needs until Adamson. Once I heard this PA, I was in shock with how clean the box sounded with its crystal-clear highs and no distortion.”

It was important for the AV team that this new system provided quality sound without any tonal loss, harsh tones or distortion for both their regular services and special events like concerts or youth services, which tend to be run at a higher decibel level. With its minimal footprint, the Adamson system has also allowed the church

to maintain great sightlines and a clean aesthetic.

The system installed by Clark Productions comprises two main arrays of eight S10 boxes, four S10ns on top and four S10s underneath.

Low-end coverage is from six E219s flown above the centre of the stage in an end-fire configuration, while two E119s placed on the floor provide additional presence. Two S10p point source cabinets flank each side of the arrays for side fills, while 10 PC5 speakers act as front fill.

The balcony features seven S10ps, while M12s are used onstage as monitors.

An array of eight S10 boxes

www.adamsonsystems.com

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Lakewood Baptist Church increases monitoring with KLANG:fabrik USA Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville, Georgia, has purchased two KLANG:fabrik immersive IEM mixing systems for use in its main worship sanctuary. Acquired through systems integrator Production/Co, the units provide a total of 32 inputs and 12 individual immersive IEM mixes for the church’s band members, connected through Lakewood’s existing DiGiCo SD9 FOH console.

“They had taken their existing in-ear monitoring solution as far as it could go – they needed a more flexible and sophisticated IEM solution and the KLANG:fabrik was it,” said Cason Cleveland, owner of Production/Co. “The ability for the musicians onstage to completely control their own mixes was important because the church often relies on volunteers to mix services. Each musician having their own app onstage means that monitoring is one less thing the FOH mixer has to worry about.”

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assistance here – he was able to assign a feed from the inputs from the stage to the KLANG units through the

units – it was that simple,” he explained.

“It was also very helpful that we could set the KLANG units up as completely

Technical director Coltyn Cooley with a tablet running KLANG:app console, connected via MADI, giving the stage every input needed to create local mixes. “We just copied the input assignments internally on the SD9 and assigned that to the KLANG:fabrik

separate systems. As a result, we can apply processing such as EQ individually as well.”

Continued the church’s technical director, Coltyn Cooley: “With the

KLANG system, we more than doubled our monitoring channel count and, as a result, we’re able to give everyone onstage the ability to build complete mixes in their ears. For instance, the drummer now has individual channels for kick, snare and other instruments, whereas before we could only give him a submix. Now, each vocal has its own mix; before, we used to have to gang up the vocals. Then put the immersive technology on top of that and they are having their minds blown onstage. They love it.”

The church’s musicians, worship pastors and audio team have all been impressed by KLANG:fabrik’s performance. “The ability it gives them to spread out the mix and have better defined and detailed sound onstage means individual instruments don’t have to be as loud, which keeps overall volume under control,” said Cleveland. www.klang.com www.lakewoodlife.org www.productionco.com

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NEWS

Full DiGiCo solution for Cornerstone Chapel Bellevue Baptist Church embraces AoIP with Lawo Image courtesy of Jason Rightnour Paragon 360

The new DiGiCo Quantum7 console at FOH USA The 6,800-seat main sanctuary of Bellevue Baptist Church in the suburb of Cordova, Tennessee, has completed a complete renovation of its audio systems, including extensive acoustical work throughout the sanctuary. The HOW is one of the leading churches in the Southern Baptist Convention and the largest church in Memphis.

The project was led by the church’s long-time systems integration partner, Paragon 360, which had previously designed and installed a scenic, lighting and video system.

The installation features three DiGiCo Quantum7 consoles deployed at FOH, monitors and broadcast. In addition, an SD12 console has been added to the church’s fellowship hall. “When looking to update its loudspeakers and consoles, the church required a mixing system with a high channel count, and DiGiCo was one of the few that could handle this, being able to mix 256 inputs and offer 128 outputs, all running at 96k,” said Mark Coble, audio/acoustics design and commissioning lead at Paragon 360.

“Reliability and customer support were also very important reasons they chose to go with the DiGiCo platform.”

In the main worship centre, two fully loaded, 32-bit mic preamp-equipped SD-Racks with custom distribution are located onstage. Two additional SD-Racks are found offstage to take input from all of the existing floor pocket inputs, with a fifth rack, an SD-MiNi, parked at FOH. “Two more SD-Racks are in the broadcast suite for capturing local sources and distribution of signals via analogue and AES,” added Coble. “An SD-Rack with custom distribution is also located on the fellowship hall stage and one SD-MiNi Rack is in the offstage room for system drive.”

A BroaMan Optocore AutoRouter is managing all the SD-Racks via fibreoptic connectivity and allows the entire campus to be interconnected. A pair of DiGiGrid MGR units are being used to support 128 channels of recording and playback for virtual soundcheck at both FOH and monitors. A DiGiCo Orange Box is an on/off ramp for Dante within the system to support the church’s Axient wireless microphones and any other Dante devices that are on the network.

One of the technical challenges was addressing how the broadcast console would be able to access the inputs from the worship centre and fellowship hall. The process of switching venues was previously done through a large analogue patch bay, which was time consuming and prone to errors.

Paragon 360 designed the console system with an Optocore auto-router so that the fellowship hall could live on the same fibre loop as the worship centre consoles, giving the broadcast console full access to all available inputs at any time.

The project was also notable for its time constraints. “We had to completely decommission the old system with its traditional three-way splitters and install the new DiGiCo system in the main sanctuary within four days so the church could continue to operate on its normal schedule,” Coble recalled. “Not easy, but we did it. Now, the church benefits from a high input count, excellent reliability and the same software platform across all SD/Quantum consoles.” www.bellevue.org www.digico.biz

USA After deciding that investing in an IP audio system was a prudent decision for the future, Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia, has acquired a 32-fader Lawo mc²56 audio production console for its FOH audio system. Expanding the HOW’s mixing capacity and completing its transition to IP, the console handles both live performances and broadcast needs.

The installation includes a Lawo A__UHD Core providing 512 DSP channels, two Compact I/O stageboxes, a Nova73 router capable of routing 8092x8092 mono channels and Dante integration to feed the facility’s Yamaha CL5 monitor console

The A__UHD Core and Nova73 router

The mc256 at FOH and other Dante equipment. The mc256 also includes Waves Super Rack integration and smart GPIO settings to change the DSP presets of the BSS audio processor.

“This Lawo solution provides Cornerstone with features that will cover our FOH needs for the foreseeable future, as well as providing expandability for future projects,” explained Cornerstone’s audio director, Joey Burdette.

“Because the A__UHD Core can be a pooled resource for up to four consoles, we can easily expand our capabilities just by adding additional surfaces and stageboxes around the campus. Connecting everything with an IP network makes growing the system very easy.”

Burdette was already familiar with Lawo having previously worked on an mc²56 at FOH and an mc²36 at monitor position at McLean Bible Church at Tysons Campus in Washington, DC. “The relationship we

have with Lawo is unlike any other,” added Burdette. “Lawo goes above and beyond to discuss features and solutions that are tailored to exactly what the customer needs. We really value the integrity of the company.

The flexibility, workflow, reliability and expandability of our mc²56 are things no other console offers. And the audio quality is beyond anything else on the market. Our operators love how user-friendly it is and how fast it is to work on; the console adapts to their workflows instead of the other way around.”

Cornerstone already has plans for expanding its new Lawo IP system.

“We’re already looking to add more Lawo audio consoles to our facilities, and we’re looking at Lawo video infrastructure products too,” Burdette concluded. “With Lawo, we’re prepared to handle whatever the future brings us.” www.lawo.com

www.paragon360.com

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WEBINAR

New ways to engage worshippers in 2021 Shure South Asia and Worship AVL’s Richard Lawn bring together an expert panel to discuss current issues facing HOWs in Southeast Asia, including livestreaming, recording and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic Panellists

Discussion

Rishmond Tew Having previously attained many years of pro audio experience as an audio solutions counsellor, Shure market development specialist Rishmond Tew is based in Singapore. In his current role, Rishmond supports many clients across the Southeast Asia region, ranging from corporate to education and government agencies.

Azizi Bin Ala Having cut his teeth at Digistar and LCT Systems/ IAV after graduating with a degree in electronics and electrical engineering at Universiti Teknologi Mara, Azizi Bin Ala founded Acousticon in 2012. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Azizi has positioned Acousticon as a dedicated audio systems solutions and integration specialist for the Malaysian mosque sector market.

Azizi’s references are notable and include the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz mosque in Selangor, which has the biggest dome in Malaysia. Extensive works at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur resulted in simpler operation and reliability and he was also consulted to solve audio problems at the Muhammadi Mosque, the state mosque in Kelantan.

Robert Soo As a virtuoso musician, Robert Soo began his career overseeing productions of performances in a multitude of venues. He gained invaluable experience working for Intricon Asia where he managed the R&D division within the pro audio and micro-medical communications company over a 10-year period. In 2011, Robert pioneered his own consultancy business and training division, Cogent Acoustics, capturing a wide range of clients operating within the houses of worship, educational, theatrical, commercial and corporate sectors. In addition to his ongoing AV and acoustic consultancy works, Robert recently returned to Intricon Asia as a part-time technical consultant on product and strategic development programmes.

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When microphone manufacturer Shure first approached Worship AVL to host a webinar and Q&A session entitled “Ways to Engage Worshippers in 2021”, two leading consultants topped the wish list. Fortunately, both Robert Soo and Azizi Bin Ala were delighted to confirm their attendance.

In addition to looking ahead at probable future trends, the expert panellists discussed current issues facing HOWs in Southeast Asia, including streaming and recording techniques together with overcoming technological and Covid-19 challenges. At the conclusion of the 80-minute session, their provocative and thoughtful insights had enlightened both the audience and me. It served as a taster for further discussion and debate.

During a normal year, both consultants offer engaging commentary based on their unique experiences with the specific aim of enhancing musicality and intelligibility in these varied and challenging venues. However, 2020 was a unique vintage. Like the elephant in the room, Covid-19 dominated all our actions, responses and subsequent directions.

In the knowledge that their doors would be closing for an indefinite period of time, all church leaders and elders were confronted with the fact they would have to hold services online. Who are you going to call? For those in the know, a leading consultant or knowledgeable friend. Highly recognised amongst the Islamic and Christian communities around Kuala Lumpur and Singapore respectively, Azizi and Robert proved to be of enormous help. Through their guidance, they enabled HOWs to successfully transition from hosting traditional to online services in a matter of frantic days.

Covid-19 lingered. As a result, worship leaders were forced to continue their successful engagement with their tighter-knit communities of worshippers. Whether we will return to our old ways or adopt a hybrid model remains to be seen, but technicians have had to adapt accordingly with strict hygiene and social distancing restrictions in place.

For many years, both Robert and Azizi have inspired me with their enthusiasm and visionary perspectives and so this discussion served to stimulate new ideas for those seeking direction ahead. One such question, which saw Robert asked for tips to make a broadcast worship audio mix sound more live and engaging to those worshipping at home, reflects just how far we have come within a year. We’ve come a long way since hosting those initial broadcasts from a smartphone!

While anticipating debate on microphone techniques, wireless solutions and evolving audio networking technologies, both speakers highlighted the lack of skilled operators in today’s HOW setups as being a main obstacle.

This is a primary factor as to why both Acousticon and Cogent Acoustics conduct basic and intermediate training classes for volunteers and technicians. “Malaysia has almost 6,500

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mosques nationwide and less than 1% of them have operators who are competent enough to manage and maintain their AV systems,” suggested Azizi. “While a mosque operates at least five times a day for worship, there is no dedicated operator to maintain the system during worship activities.”

As such, Acousticon specialises in creating automated AV systems that the Imam can simply turn on and turn off via a simplified GUI touchscreen.

While an Imam may perfect his personal microphone technique over the years, technical problems such as feedback, inconsistent levels and digital drop-outs can be mitigated or, better still, eliminated by installing fully automated systems. While charismatic and expressive church services benefit from automation, technical engineers and experienced volunteers need to oversee the services.

To enhance engagement levels, both speakers note that intelligibility is key in a physical HOW. As such, correct microphone techniques, directional PA systems and integrated DSP have helped tame harsh acoustic surfaces over the years. However, 2020 saw users seeking advice and tips on better streaming, networking and recording. Somehow, the strength of the wired internet connection and the IT skills of the worshipper became vital components for preaching and carrying the message from the sanctuary to the living room.

Both Robert and Azizi were quick

www.shure.com

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Azizi Bin Ala oversaw the AV upgrade of the Malaysian National Mosque to dismiss the notion that many worshippers won’t return to their community HOW from the comforts of their own home. “People like to congregate, pray and sing together – ultimately, we’re all human and we crave contact,” suggested Robert.

The discussion moved on to highlight the analogue-todigital switch. Although this was flicked several decades ago, the transformation was notably accelerated in 2020. The digital domain has come of age as IT networks continue to enhance the reliability of services and productions, ensure that videos can be streamed to remote locations and multifunctional venues and satellite spaces can be connected.

As the primary source in any audio signal chain, Shure has increasingly

Numerous churches including Hakka Methodist have received Robert Soo’s AVL signature over the years enhanced digital technology within conferencing, live audio and recording setups. The US brand’s wireless Axient, ULX-D, SLX-D and GLX-D platforms are a testimony to the manufacturer’s evolving digital

developments, which can be remotely configured and managed via the Wireless Workbench software.

Robert and Azizi may not be blessed with a crystal ball, but the nature of their business allows them to assess trends and developments that will promote consistent and reliable quality together with ease-of-use functionality. In order to enhance audio and video streaming quality, churches and mosques will further invest in conferencing technology.

As such, AV manufacturers will need to collaborate with video service providers to enhance the user experience.

As restrictions gradually lift in Southeast Asian houses of worship, both Robert and Azizi are looking forward to congregating with worshippers, technical assistants and religious leaders once again. While religious leaders and worshippers have maintained a solid connection between the microphone and smartphone speakers over the internet, there can be no substitute for the spoken word or musical performances powered by full-range audio. With hybrid services now firmly in place, the individual will dictate how those transmitted instructions and messages are received. In turn, the resultant demand will determine what solutions SIs, consultants and manufacturers can create for an evolving audience.

The webinar whet our appetites in a sufficient manner, that we hope to host another soon.

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PROJECTS

A 3D model of the site

Military precision RCF has provided hundreds of speakers for the indoor and outdoor areas of the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces in Russia THE MAIN CATHEDRAL OF THE Russian Armed Forces sits at the heart of the Patriot Park in Kubinka, near Moscow. Also known as the Church of the Resurrection, the cathedral is dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Russia’s victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 and calls on all Orthodox Christians to pray for the millions of soldiers and civilians who were killed during the war.

The vast site of the Patriot Park was opened by the Russian Ministry of Defence in 2015 and includes military museums plus sports facilities, historical exhibitions and expositions of weapons and equipment samples.

The facilities allow people to not only look at the exhibits but also drive and fly military equipment simulators, shoot combat weapons and take part in parachute jumps.

The cathedral building is 95m high and incorporates symbols of the Great Patriotic War in its design, with the steps and some of the metal elements cast from melted German weapons. The diameter of the central dome is 19.45m, representing the year the war ended; the belfry is 75m high in honour of the 75th anniversary in 2020; and the small dome is

President Vladimir Putin (centre left) and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow (centre right) look at plans for the cathedral

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PROJECTS 14.18m high, commemorating the 1,418 days and nights of fighting in the Great Patriotic War. A building steeped in such history required a top-tier sound reinforcement system to amplify its message, and renowned Russian systems integrator Avilex was called in for the job.

Discussions surrounding the building of the cathedral began back in 2019.

Every year since 2015, something new has been added to the complex, be that a new building, museum or additional infrastructure. Avilex was involved from the start, providing advice on both the AV systems and IT infrastructure portions of the project.

The SI has had experience working on other projects commissioned by the Ministry of Defence and invited Russian distributor ARIS to become a partner for the audio elements of the project; the two companies have been collaborating together on other installations since 2009.

When ARIS and Avilex commenced work on the cathedral, the main requirement was for high SPL levels of more than 90dB as well as a high STI rating of above 0.6. The reliability and robustness of the speakers were considered and, given the huge scale of the project and the need for hundreds of cabinets, they also had to be cost-effective. For these reasons, RCF was selected to be the main audio supplier.

With the cathedral site spanning around 11,000m2, the building itself has the capacity to hold up

to 6,000 people. The outdoor area surrounding the cathedral has been outfitted with RCF speakers for audio reinforcement. This includes 50 wide-dispersion P 3115T weatherproof coaxial speakers from the Italian manufacturer’s P Series to cover the parade square in front of the cathedral, in addition to two HL 2290s at the left and right of the entrance to provide maximum SPLs. The street area and buildings around the perimeter have been outfitted with 88 CS 6940 weatherproof column speakers, while the far side of the complex has been equipped with HD 3216 horns. A total of 252 HD 3216 cabinets have been used across the whole site.

The HD 3216 horns have also been called to action at the “Battle for Moscow in 1941” open-air museum, which includes a reconstruction of the area where the Red Army halted the German advancement on Moscow and where the Soviet counteroffensive began.

The gallery around the cathedral takes 1,418 steps to complete – a further reference to the 1,418 days of the Great Patriotic War. Here visitors can find the interactive “Road of Memory” museum that contains a mosaic panel comprising 33 million photos of soldiers who took part in the war and its events on a day-by-day basis. This area has been equipped with 150 MR 33T nearfield, two-way speakers and L 2406 columns, while the museum

The Road of Memory museum

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Pylon holding an RCF P 3110 speaker

The open-air Battle for Moscow museum

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PROJECTS also has three multimedia rooms where war chronicles or other films are shown, and those have been equipped with products from RCF’s C Series, including C 3108 and C 3110 speakers.

In addition to the loudspeaker components, ARIS specified a DiGiCo mixing system together with beyerdynamic microphones, a Biamp Tesira as the core of the audio system and Biamp’s Vocia as the emergency voice alarm system. A mobile speaker setup comprising RCF’s EVOX speakers has also been provided that can be moved to any location across the site.

Unsurprisingly for a project of this size, there were a number of challenges during the installation.

Measuring 300m x 150m, the parade square in front of the cathedral is a large expanse of empty space with pylons sparsely located around the area, so the only option was for the engineers to mount the speakers on the pylons. As this is such a large, open expanse of land, the direction of the wind and how far the wind would blow the sound away were crucial components that had to be taken into consideration.

“We are pleased with the sound of the cathedral complex. We were afraid that it would be impossible to provide high SPLs in such a large area, but the RCF speakers cope extremely well,” states Boris Mikhailenko, project engineer at Avilex. “There are big events for thousands of soldiers that

The arrival of the bells during construction

take place there regularly, and soldiers spill out of the church into the square.

It was very important that they can all hear the speeches and prayers.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, President Vladimir Putin and Minister of Defence Sergey Shoigu have all visited the site and given speeches and their words must be audible. It was mission-critical for this venue that SPLs and speech intelligibility were up to the job.

“The EASE simulation created by the ARIS engineers turned out to be correct. It was important to make the simulation not only in EASE Focus, but in EASE by AFMG, which calculates not only direct sound but reflexions from the ground as well. The RCF speakers are so reliable – we use them outdoors in the whole of the Patriot Park. Rain, snow or Russian frosts are not a problem for RCF.” www.arispro.ru www.avilex.ru

Consecration of the main bell

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PROJECTS

Riverlife comes alive

Jerry Chua specified a Yamaha Rivage PM10 console for the main sanctuary in 2018

Richard Lawn revisits Riverlife Church and the recent audio upgrade of its Victory Chapel on level one of the building AT THE TIME OF WORSHIP AUDIO ASIA’S inception in 2005, the doors of the newly built Riverlife Church in Pasir Ris had just opened. Local resident and audio specialist Jerry Chua took up the challenge to manage the AV systems needed for the contemporary services. Over the decade-and-a-half time span that has followed, the Grammy-

As the first church to take delivery of a flagship Yamaha PM10 digital console for their main sanctuary three years ago, Chua took on the additional role of influencer.

The Rivage series has since been extended with smaller-format PM7, PM5 and PM3 control sur faces, but it was Riverlife’s purchase that helped to stimulate sales

Several months later in 2018, a Nexo GEO M10 line array system was specified for the secondary phase upgrade of the sanctuary.

Simulations were created using NS-1 software with local integrator ATECH Integration Engineering adopting the L-R configuration. “Nothing came close in terms of power, coverage and indeed price performance,” confirmed Chua following an evaluation of several

Ceiling-suspended Nexo ID24 speakers provide a discreet delay solution

The diamond-shaped room, complicated by a low 5m ceiling and lack of acoustics nominated mixing and mastering engineer has closely assisted the musicians and technical volunteers. At the request of the church, he has overseen a number of equipment upgrades that would not look out of place on a major tour rider. Riverlife has backed up his recommendations at each juncture and in doing so has placed this peripheral easterly point of Singapore into the limelight of other aspirational HOW technicians.

enquiries for Yamaha Music Asia, Singapore. “I love mixing services on the PM10,” comments Chua, who sometimes allows three volunteers to develop their mixing skills by operating FOH vocals, FOH instruments and monitors from time to time. “The volunteers don’t need much training as they can intuitively navigate on the PM10. I still take the files back to my home studio and mix in stereo to evaluate better.”

loudspeaker demonstrations. “The GEO M10 system is punchy yet provides this altogether sweeter tone.”

ATECH Integration Engineering created secondary beams above the ceiling for suspending the 300kg loudspeaker hangs. Each L-R hang comprises eight GEO M10 cabinets, with the eighth 10-inch enclosure being an M1025 down-fill model providing 25° x 120° (VxH) dispersion for enhanced coverage for the seats closer to the stage. A central hang combines four LS18 single 18-inch subwoofers with a pair of ID24 cabinets for low-frequency extension and front-fill coverage, respectively. All

18 speakers and four subwoofers are powered by just one NXAMP4x1 and two Yamaha NXAMP4x4 amplifiers.

Incorporating DSP parameters, the three amps are managed and controlled over the Dante network.

“We’re running the M10 system at 85dB – previously this was 95dB,” comments Chua. “As Riverlife is in a neighbourhood area, we don’t want to upset the nearby residents by playing the system too loudly. Not only did the congregants and church leaders express their satisfaction with the upgrade, but the musicians noted that the added bass response of their Digital Audio Labs LiveMix IEMs allowed them to lower their own volume levels.” Twelve IEMs provide 24 channels of individual monitoring, so that the FOH technician can listen in to any of the musicians when required. Deprived of IEM technology, the worship leaders monitor their own performances courtesy of four Nexo PS10 speakers onstage.

Having more than satisfied the audio requirements for everyone in the levelthree sanctuary, the church committee was tasked in 2020 to specify an audio upgrade for Victory Chapel on level one. Used for Chinese, Youth (Megalife) and English services over the weekend, the 450-capacity, diamondshaped room is further complicated by a low 5m ceiling and a lack of acoustics. Contemporary services are accompanied by singers and musicians operating a Sennheiser G3 ew 300 wireless mic system. Following a tender process, Riverlife once again

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PROJECTS nominated the winning combination of ATECH Integration Engineering and Yamaha Music Asia, Singapore. Since taking ownership of the PM10 three years ago, Chua and his team have not recorded any problems with either the control surface or the software. “We have used a variety of vendors since 2005, but Yamaha really stands out head and shoulders above the rest. If we experience a problem at 7am on Sunday morning, for example, I know that I can call Lawrence Tan or any of his team, in full knowledge that they will solve the problem immediately before Sunday service begins.”

Despite being a smaller venue, the budget for the Victory Chapel was sufficient to specify a Yamaha CL3 32-channel console for mixing the services. Incorporating a two-section fader layout for 64 mono and eight stereo input channels, the CL3 features 16 DCAs and 24 mix/eight matrix output busses. The centralogic interface enhances the operating experience, although a selected channel interface is also included.

“The audio quality is very clean, the 24 inputs on the control surface are ample for our LiveMix IEM platform and there are more than enough outputs for our needs,” commented Chua.

Sweet Your “Above all,ai161133707211_How the after-sales support from Yamaha is exemplary.”

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A Yamaha CL3 32-channel console mixes the chapel’s services Like the sanctuary, digital audio networking was a factor in the purchase with the CL3 control surface connected to a RIO3224-D2 remote I/O stagerack and two Ri8-D local inputs. Digital control management is enabled courtesy of three SWR231018GT Dante network switches and a Dante-MY16-AUD2 network card Nexo LS18 subs under the stage inserted into the DME24N digital mixing engine.

A relatively simple point source ID24 delay speakers. Single Nexo loudspeaker system enhances NXAMP4x2 MK2 and NXAMP4x1 MK2 intelligibility while ensuring even audio controlled amplifiers provide ample dispersion characteristics. Augmented headroom power in addition to DSP by dual 18-inch LS18 subwoofers, presets as required. the L-C-R configuration comprises ATECH Integration Engineering Sound half copy.pdf Nexo 1 1/22/2021 AM ceiling-suspended P12 12-inch 10:37:53 installed the entire upgrade coaxial enclosures and four discreet over five days between weekend

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services. Despite appearing to be a straightforward upgrade, the technicians encountered an obstacle with the old subwoofers built into the stage below. “In addition, ATECH had to cut many temporary holes into the stage in order to pull the cables through,” furthers Chua. “As a result, all the cabling is hidden from view.

Having witnessed the team at work, our church leaders concluded that no other contractor would have gone to such lengths to ensure such clean aesthetics.”

Like all other houses of worship, Riverlife is allowing limited services within the church, but continues to encourage its congregants to join online. “We’re restricted to just 100 worshippers on a first-come, firstserved registration basis. For now, we mix the streamed services on the PM10 and transmit via Facebook and YouTube.” Chua is naturally frustrated with the current setup and is relishing the day when all congregants will be allowed back with open arms.

Given the glowing endorsements the sanctuary’s audio system received in 2018, Yamaha Music Asia, Singapore will also be counting down the days for an end in restrictions. www.riverlife.org.sg sg.yamaha.com

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PROJECTS

Sunday morning worship at Acts Christian Church

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Technology upgrade DWR Distribution has helped Acts Christian Church Midrand take services in a new direction TECHNOLOGY PLAYS AN important role at the Midrand Campus of Acts Christian Church and the last few months have seen the organisation invest in a variety of new audio, video and lighting equipment to improve both the quality of its streaming productions, which have attracted thousands of followers over recent months, and the experience for congregants present at the church.

The upgrades at Acts Christian Church’s modern auditorium have been facilitated by DWR Distribution.

The new equipment includes four Strand 300 S LED Softlights and two Strand 150 S Softlights for the livestreaming studio and video material, as well as 16 Showtec Pixel Strip 40 LED strips to create an eye-catching background for the main stage area for both congregants and online viewers. These are accompanied by a new ArKaos MediaMaster Pro 5 licence. On the audio side, a Waves SoundGrid

system consisting of Waves SuperRack and a Waves SoundGrid Server One-C will complement the Midas console.

“DWR Distribution has played a vital part in our upgrade plans” Pastor Peter de Fin and his wife Tammy started Acts Christian Church in 1999, taking over what was previously a small mission church. “We really wanted to focus on the local church and to build this city,” the pastor explains. “Both my parents and grandparents were missionaries and started churches in places like Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland. But we had the heart

to train the local people and, over the last 20 years, have built four campuses. We also realised that the modern church has become very technical. It’s not about producing a show, but it is about using equipment to create atmosphere and to welcome the next generation to the service.”

Their approach has been to upgrade technology little by little each year.

“DWR Distribution has played a vital part in our upgrade plans,” furthers de Fin. “Robert Izzett and the guys just get things done and are willing to do the hard work.”

Pastor Sam Wuytack, a worship leader and part of the technical team, agrees. “DWR has gone beyond just giving us service and that’s what I really appreciate about the company. In the past seven months, they have come out to our homes to see how they can help us set up our virtual studios. They have even come up with design work and

solutions from the manufacturing department. From my side, it has been a great service and I really appreciate the team.” de Fin highlights the walls on either side of the stage, a multi-colour light curtain made possible with LED strips. “That was on the of the big things we did a number of years ago and we just love it. It adds something to the entire feel of the church.

Most of what you see in our church, especially when it comes to colour and lighting, is from DWR.” The most recent purchase has been 16 Showtec Pixel Strip 40s for the main stage. “We have always had, what we call, a black hole in the centre of the stage,” he explains.

“Our stage was too short to add an LED screen as it would feel as if the screen was on top of us.

Over the years we’ve tried different things, hoping to add something that would take away the black space. The Showtec Pixel Strip was

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L–R: pastors Peter de Fin and Sam Wuytack from Acts Christian Church a fantastic new product that we were able to connect to a media server and project a multitude of different content onto. We had great fun with the product, and it has added depth to the stage.”

The Showtec Pixel Strip 40 is a 100cm strip with 40 individually controllable RGB pixels. At Acts Christian Church, they have been attached to a metal frame manufactured by DWR and can be taken off and repositioned when needs be. The church also purchased a new ArKaos MediaMaster Pro 5 to pixel map the Showtec products using Kling-Net. The software will also provide access to a range of digital media as well as a turnkey solution for running seamless video shows on the church’s existing LED screens.

“With people watching movies and videos, they see where concerts are going. Young people want to engage with churches that are progressive,” says de Fin. “At Acts Christian Church, we don’t want the lighting to be over the top, but we do want to keep growing and modernising with tasteful lighting that creates the right mood to worship and pray.”

During the Covid-19 lockdown, Acts Christian Church created a virtual

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studio and did a vast amount of green screen work. “We purchased the Strand Softlights for backlight at our studio and for some of the smaller satellite studios created at a few homes,” furthers de Fin. “The Strand fixtures give you an incredible flat light so that the camera doesn’t fight with your green screen. We previously used LED lighting fixtures but the colour temperature was wrong. The Strand Softlight units were able to give us the colour tone we needed and just worked.”

The studio facility has helped change the way the church communicates with its parishioners and the world outside. “For the children’s ministry, as an example, we have puppet shows (the puppets are made by people in the church, with virtual bees flying around them).

We have incredible people, including the media teams, who have done a fantastic job. We have also managed to rent out the green studio space to an artist who made his music video here, and we have a few other people interested in using the facility.” www.actschurch.co.za www.dwrdistribution.co.za

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PROJECTS

A creative college streaming solution Creative Audio-Visual Solutions (CAVSolutions) has helped Oakhill Bible College in North London stay in touch with its students simple preset-led Kramer RC-208 keypad. This arrangement ensures reliable audio management (sound is carefully controlled both within the room and call separately via a digital audio mixer, reducing the likeliness of echo) and provides the means to ensure an engaging teaching and learning experience by changing camera angles and allowing those at home to ask questions and be fully involved and visible within the lecture.

A trolley-mounted 65-inch Philip’s Q-Line professional LED display within each space allows students present in the lecture to view the entire call as well as spotlighting a

Control Contractor speakers, Sennheiser ew 100 G4 radio microphones and DBX DriveRack digital audio processors manage and maximise audio clarity and intelligibility for both the room and Zoom call.

With space at a premium (bearing in mind social distancing requirements), even the college’s dining hall and chapel have become temporary teaching spaces – all with similarly designed systems for current and future requirements. All this was achieved within a two-week installation window before the winter semester of 2020. Further rooms

The chapel has been turned into a temporary teaching space STREAMING HAS UNDOUBTEDLY become the technology requirement for churches and related organisations as we navigate our way through these uncertain times. Allowing churches to keep communicating with their congregation and the wider world is vital, and a well-designed system will allow your church to be ever present where fellowship and togetherness are perhaps more important than ever.

Creative Audio-Visual Solutions (CAVSolutions) delivers audiovisual and streaming systems into all types of church buildings as well as Christian organisations (for teaching and conferencing) in the UK. It ensures that the designed system allows the expected optimum levels of communication and is usable and accessible to all levels of engineer, whether it is a system that runs “in the background” or where a dedicated operator is available.

There are of course many ways of achieving this, whether hardware- or software-based and also whether you are outwardly communicating only (via YouTube and Facebook live, for instance) or within a more interactive environment using Zoom (allowing members of the congregation/ audience to actively participate within the meeting). Contacting a specialist company will ensure the system perfectly suits your requirements, is reliable and accessible at all times

and proves to be a good stewardship of valuable resources.

A good example of how advanced video and streaming technology has been utilised successfully within a teaching environment is at Oakhill Bible College in North London. CAVSolutions was tasked with installing a flexible Zoom-based system that would allow all students, whether physically present or learning remotely “at home”, to fully interact with each other. The brief was clear that the learning experience needed to be the same for everyone.

To maximise learning space and capability, systems were installed in the main lecture theatres as well as standard classrooms and more temporary areas. Within the main lecture theatres, a combination of fixed and motorised PTZOptics cameras provide coverage of the main platform, lecturer’s podium and the class students. These were routed through two computers running the Zoom “call” – a custom workstation with multiple LED displays at the podium manages the presentation, main camera and audio input from the room’s digital sound systems. A secondary AVoptimised laptop at a designated lead student position manages the call, provides input from the secondary fixed cameras and grants control for the motorised cameras via a

A Zoom-based system allows remote students to interact with each other particular remote student during a question. Upgrades to the rooms’ visual matrices (SY HDMi 8x8), projectors (Christie LWU-900 laser) and connectivity (utilising Kramer Electronics integration and HDBaseT transmission hardware) provide full capability to the streaming element of the system and provide an increase in audiovisual quality and flexibility for general lecture/event requirements going forward.

Within each of the smaller teaching spaces, dual wall-mounted 75-inch Philips displays were preferred to projection, with multiple fixed cameras providing adequate room coverage for lectures. Upgraded audio systems featuring JBL Professional

are earmarked for Zoom integration in 2021 as requirements continue to push the need for the optimum learning experience during the Covid pandemic.

“This brief created some level of complexity with regard to system design and operation but, through the use of a dedicated student control position in each room to manage camera positions and multiple smallformat screens for the lecturers, we commissioned systems that are both fully functional, manageable by all and discreetly installed. The college is delighted with it,” says Rob Alvis, project director at CAVSolutions. www.cavsolutions.co.uk

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PROJECTS

Heading down to Brisbane Bridgeman Downs Baptist Church has selected an Adamson PA system to fit out its new 1,000-seat auditorium LOCATED IN THE NORTH OF Brisbane, Bridgeman Downs Baptist Church had been feeling the pressure of not having enough space to welcome all its parishioners for some time, with many unable to find a seat in the existing sanctuary. Following construction of a new auditorium and additional parking, the HOW explored PA systems from three different manufacturers, but it was ultimately Adamson Systems Engineering that ticked all the client’s boxes in terms of price and performance. The installation was carried out by IJS Productions Australia Pty Ltd. The system was designed around an Adamson is10 line array consisting of eight is10 mid/ high elements per side in a stereo configuration. Given the seated area wrapped around the stage, two is7px 70° mid/high out-fill elements were included in the design to cover the small out-fill areas, one on each side. These were deployed very close to the bottom of the main arrays to mechanically align the out-fill elements as close as possible, minimising the amount of electronic time alignment required.

Eight-per-side Adamson is10 enclosures The stage forms an arc under the PA system and the seating begins approximately 4m in front of the stage. For lip-fill support, the design incorporated six Adamson PC5

dual-concentric dual 5-inch mid/high elements in spaced pairs around the stage lip.

The stage is made from poured concrete with a cantilevered lip across the entire stage front. This allowed for subs to be hidden under the stage to minimise stage resonances. Several sub designs were discussed but, given the budget at the time of the installation, it was decided to implement a centre cluster of six Adamson is119 sub elements.

These maximise coupling and radiate evenly from a single source.

Once the PA was installed, aligned and attenuated, the subs ended up approximately 7dB down. “This is a testament to the efficiency of the small is119 cabinets,” explains Scott Mullane, business development manager at IJS Productions Australia. “The entire system was designed to deliver a maximum unweighted SPL of 131dB across the room, so there is plenty of headroom, especially when you consider that the nominal SPL the system is run on in any given day is under 100dB.”

One Lab.gruppen D-40 four-channel amplifier and four Lab.gruppen D-180 four-channel amplifiers were also specified as part of the installation.

“The system tuning was subjective only with small 0.5dB notches at around 400Hz and 3kHz,” adds Mullane. “It delivers a smooth, mid-forward, clear and powerful result that was one of the cleanest responses I have ever heard. Add to this the incredible pattern control and the results were truly stunning.

From an operational point of view, the pattern control assisted greatly with preaching headset mics and choir mics, allowing for greater gain before feedback and very flat responses rather than the carvedup headset curves you often see in churches. The pattern control delivers exceptionally good rear attenuation from the mains.

“Ultimately, the client was ecstatic with the result and is enjoying an ease of mixing from its volunteers not previously seen in this church.” www.adamsonsystems.com www.bridgeman.org.au www.ijs.com.au

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KnowHOW

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Looking to the future Gordon Moore asks, are you planning now for a post-Covid world?

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS altered, significantly, the worship experience worldwide. New safety protocols, shutdowns, streaming and new demands for production changes have evolved rather rapidly for keeping our congregations active and in worship.

How will you change in the new world?

In March 2020, we were only just starting to see an impact of the Covid pandemic here in New Mexico.

There were just a couple of cases at the beginning of the month and we were unsure about whether or not we would be seeing any ramifications. It spiralled out of control very rapidly.

By the third Sunday in March, we were adopting face masks and had ceased music practices and performances. And, on the fourth Sunday, we were in shutdown and working to adapt.

The shutdown forced us to examine our options. Streaming via our internet service? We did not have, nor could we get, enough bandwidth for streaming. Hardware for streaming was suddenly sold out and unavailable for months to come as hundreds of thousands of churches migrated to an online presence.

Streaming via cell phone service/ social media? The examples we

saw that first Sunday ruled that out – interruptions, unreliability and poor production values were the “standard”. One social media-based church service was hacked with pornography revealing a serious danger. That church had huge attendance the first Sunday when they were hacked – only a handful attended online the next week.

Record a live service and post it?

That would violate the limitations on gathering and increased risks for singers, musicians and worship leaders. Local rules prohibited more than five people gathering at a time.

Even though we are a small church, our worship team and choir are bigger than that. Additionally, our choir had many seniors who are at

much higher risk of complications.

It is important to point out here that we established a policy of safety first and adherence to government regulations.

Ultimately, we decided on a production model where the various sections of the service would be recorded in advance with limited personnel (less than four in the room).

The entire service was edited, then posted online via YouTube. Music was created at in-home studios using public domain songs to avoid copyright issues. Those soundtracks were then tied to images (moving and still) to create song-specific videos for the music sections. All this was to be done by volunteers – we have no paid professionals on our staff because

we are a relatively small church – less than 250 people. We expected this to last about six weeks. That ended up going all the way into October.

An interesting phenomenon occurred. Our attendance increased.

Our outreach expanded, crossing state lines and getting regular visitors from all over the country.

Gifting and tithing held solid and the budget was met. We started hearing from former members who had moved away who enjoyed our online services and from new people thousands of miles distant.

In October, the Governor announced we could resume live services but with attendance, social distancing and masking restrictions. The pandemic was only taking a short break. Live music was still a problem (rehearsals would mean too many people in the room). But we resumed live services with prerecorded music. At this point, we discovered that the online presence, originally perceived as temporary, had evolved into a permanent ministry with a positive impact on lives outside our original congregation. There was no “option” to discontinue.

This brought us to a change in the production. Instead of prerecording, the live service is now recorded with multiple cameras. Public domain music suitable for streaming copyright issues is substituted for the more contemporary videos shown

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KnowHOW in the live service. Then the entire service is edited and posted later Sunday afternoon. We are still not streaming live.

There are some drawbacks. A prerecorded service allowed for more editing options – mistakes could be easily eliminated and second takes were possible. (I have a blooper reel of the mistakes made by the pastor and youth leader.) Now, if mistakes are made, they might not be editable.

So, what lessons can be learned from the Covid crisis and where do we go from here?

Lesson 1: an online presence is here to stay If you went online because of the pandemic, you will have serious negative consequences by failing to keep that presence up after the pandemic recedes. A whole world of people have been reached who, in the pre-Covid days, had fewer online options for attending services. Instead of a few mega churches, the internet has opened worship to even small churches to reach new people and spread their message.

A continuing online presence means taking a hard look at your future equipment and staffing needs. Before this began, I needed projection producers, audio engineers and lighting specialists. And only a few of them. Today, I need more. Do you need: Cameras – what are you currently using (someone’s cell phone?). If you are planning on better production values, you will need to assess several things. What resolution will be reasonable? 1080p? 4K? Remember that you will need more uploading bandwidth for higher resolutions. In our church, we stopped at 720p given the limitations of our internal systems.

We shoot at 1080p and render in a YouTube-compatible format at 720p and the congregation is happy with how it looks.

Livestreaming – the cameras will need good solid tripods with fluid heads for smooth pan/tilt. LANC control for onhandle zoom control is also desirable.

Audio – are you recording scratch tracks to the cameras and then bringing in a separate audio track?

We are using the microphones on our rather low-end cameras for scratch tracks (and back up in case of trouble) and recording a stereo mix to a portable drive from our Yamaha T3 mixer. We synchronise the file with an old-fashioned slate clap for editing.

Are you broadcasting live? Then you will need a separate dedicated mix for the livestream broadcast and that

should be controlled by a separate sound operator. Don’t expect your house mix to sound the same or as good on a streamed broadcast. And don’t ask for the FOH mixer to be responsible for the streamed mix at the same time.

Are your microphones adequate for recording? When you go from a live-only environment where air conditioners, crowd noise and other ambient sounds can cover up issues, these will become very obvious in your recordings. Recording is much harder than live sound. Fabric rubbing noise, background sound, bleedover from unwanted sources (cymbals?) and handling noise are all issues made worse in a poorquality microphone. Take the time to audition every microphone you plan on using. Listen carefully with a good set of headphones and weed out the poor performers, replacing them with better-quality or more correctly designed microphones.

Time code – if you are using more than a few cameras and planning on more elaborate production values in post, then consider time code synchronisation for all your video and audio tracks. Time code will simplify the synchronisation process in postproduction. This is not necessary if you are only putting up live services via streaming.

Video switching – going live with more than one camera? Then you will need a good video switcher and a welltrained operator for that purpose. The video technician will be responsible for smooth and content-appropriate changes between cameras and computer graphics. A switcher is not needed for post-only productions – you can mix and switch in the software.

Lesson 2: if you go live, you will need more help Camera operators, a second sound operator for the streamed mix, a video controller and someone to act as a director all become important.

Where can you find all these bodies?

Volunteers are best found by being “volun-told”. Many people would love

to run a camera but don’t feel they are qualified or capable. Recruit and train them and don’t get hung up on age. I have a 13-year-old programming and running lights and youngsters running cameras. Look for maturity (regardless of age) and a willing spirit.

Lesson 3: live or edited/posted – you must choose As you can tell from the earlier sections of this article, livestreaming requires more gear and more people.

Stop before going too far in one direction or the other and assess exactly how critical it may or may not be to stream live. For my small church, the decision to go with an

Protect your people above all other things. We have a safety protocol that requires masks, gloves, distancing, disinfecting work surfaces upon arrival and again before leaving.

Audio – sanitation, preparation, setup and standard practices.

Include audio flow diagrams. I handle most of the technical systems in our church. There is a manual with all the equipment manuals, all the system diagrams and a thumbdrive with backup files for everything just in case I get hit by a bus. I have seen several instances where the institutional knowledge was all in one head, written nowhere. When that head was lost, the church ended up with a new tech leader who, because they couldn’t figure out the existing system, demanded a new system at great cost.

Video procedures and training – how to properly pan, tilt and zoom. When to hard switch and when to cross fade. If doing it all in post, write down the workflow so someone can learn it, one step at a time.

And, finally, make a single document with a list of all software packages used in your system, where to get new downloads, licences, passwords and file

Rio Rancho United Methodist Church’s planning diagram edited production posted later worked best for our needs and capabilities.

Video, audio, edits and transitions can all be handled by one person in post (we use Adobe Creative Suite) fairly rapidly. The services ends at 11am; the production is posted on YouTube by 2:30pm every Sunday.

Lesson 4: training and documentation have become critical Write it all down and break it out into operational protocols.

Safety – what Covid-safe and other health practices are you following?

structure. Keep that document on an offsite thumbdrive just in case the building burns to the ground or some similar disaster.

The post-Covid world will require long-term planning for gear, training, personnel and processes. Begin now. The pandemic will be with us for several more months but hopefully we will be back to the NEW normal later in 2021. By taking all these steps and planning ahead now, your future services – both live and online – will reflect a greater commitment to worship through excellence.

Mix well and be blessed.

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KnowHOW

Are you heading down the livestreaming highway?

Beware the event that claims they will do their own streaming

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“We have someone who is going to do our livestream for us. All we need is an internet connection.”

Sometimes this works as planned but, in my experience, most of the time this is rare. They might have a person come with a laptop and some kind of software to encode to some CDN somewhere but, when they arrive, things don’t work like they thought and you will end up having to troubleshoot their entire system in order to make it work because that is what will be expected of you. The best way to combat this is to require these people to visit weeks before their event to do a test stream so that you can work all those bugs out without the added stress of it being only an hour before the event starts.

I have found that when someone else’s system does not work, that does not fall on them – it falls on me to figure out. I am not sure why, but that is how it happens every time. My advice is to beware of this possible reality.

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Casey Hawkins runs through some factors to consider before livestreaming events MEET THE AUTHOR Casey Hawkins is the director of video engineering and IMAG operations for Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, a Southern Baptist megachurch with over 17,000 members. Having begun his career in 1990 volunteering at his childhood church in Fullerton, California and later at Green Acres in Tyler, he spent the past 25 years in broadcast television working for Casey Hawkins multiple television stations in the US. He has worked as a broadcast technician for a major telecom company, managing national and international television broadcast signals over a switched fibre optic network. He also owned and operated an independent video production firm in Tulsa, Oklahoma for 10 years before returning to Tyler in 2016.

A streaming setup at GT Church in Pennsylvania

I AM SURE YOU HEAR IT ALL THE time: “can we livestream it?” I do.

Especially during the Covid shutdown, every ministry at the church was asking how they could livestream their events in order to keep the church going and the members engaged. After all, nobody knew how long the shutdown was going to last.

After several months of “returning to normal” and consequently a reduction in the number of streamed events in late 2020, we are now facing additional struggles and fear about the resurgence of the virus. So, while we all work to figure out how to utilise today’s technology to best serve our audience, we will again hear that question daily. But what does it really mean when someone asks: “can we livestream it?”

In my experience, the more miracles I work the more miracles become expected. It becomes the “new normal”. And while I am ultimately thankful for this newly developed “need” for my position, it has created an unsightly side effect: it establishes a whole new precedent each time.

Simply only a year ago, hardly anyone asked if we could livestream their event. We livestreamed some of our services but that was primarily because we could and everyone else

was doing it. And since it was the same event at the same time in the same room each week, it was not an exceptionally difficult task to manage.

Only a few hundred watched each week and so it was not a primary function and most people never even thought much about it.

Today it seems like everything that happens, there is an underlying idea to livestream it. But this is not like deciding to livestream all services that happen in the same room using equipment that never moves week after week … this has morphed into folks wanting to livestream events in rooms all over the campus and at different days and times of the week. And since it seems to happen so easily for the main services, the automatic and seemingly unconscious assumption by most is that it is easy to make their event “live”.

Very few have been keen on the idea to just record it and post it for on-demand viewing later. They really want the element of joining “live” with everyone else. This, I might add, is the opposite of how television viewers are watching mainstream television today. Network television is almost all on-demand now. Folks do not want to adjust their schedules around what is on television and

when, like we did just 10 years ago.

But for church, they seem to demand live. So, we do it!

Here are some things you should know before heading down this speedy highway.

Everyone seems to want something slightly different I am not sure that I have done two events the same way so far in the past year. Every event manager wants something unique that we may not have encountered or done before.

With that seems to come challenges.

These requests can range from wanting chat features, to wanting it on their Facebook page or group.

Some just want a link to provide to people who show interest in watching the event. Some want an immediate archive of the event after it is over, and some do not. Others want an edited version uploaded somewhere for on-demand viewing later. All these little variances change your setup, and sometimes drastically. So, remember that to most people, these seem like easy tasks, when in reality they are hard to pull off as imagined.

Sometimes you do not have much lead time to prepare for these things, so whatever you have to do to get the

job done might have to be developed quickly.

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KnowHOW Doubt an unknown internet connection “Oh, we have great internet here!”

Never trust that. If you are going to be responsible for the livestream of an event, then you best test that setup at least a few days before the event. So many times, the great internet I hear about is Wi-Fi only and low and behold my livestreaming identifies all the problems in their network. Live video is extremely sensitive to unstable internet connections. When the normal daily use of that connection is only email and social media, and those data applications are largely unaffected by most connection issues, then those users might have a false confidence in their internet quality. It is not their fault, but you are the one who will get bitten by it.

Always use a wired Ethernet connection when it is available and, if it looks like it is not available, look harder. There might be a connection in a nearby room or office that you can tap into. Somewhere, there is a connection feeding a Wi-Fi router.

Do not ever trust a cellular hotspot, either. First, it will kill your data plan very quickly. Secondly, it is very unstable. A wired connection is not a guarantee to perfect internet, but it removes a lot of variables that are prone to streaming problems.

Also, always question the amount of people that will be using the connection during the event versus the test time. You can test an internet

connection on a Tuesday with five people around and it is fine, but when 1,000 people are there on a Sunday for the event and all those people are using the Wi-Fi for sending and checking emails, uploading videos and photos and status updates to social media, listening to or watching the ball game they are missing and text messages all at the same time, then your connection just got a lot weaker and slower. Always try to test days ahead and in real-time scenarios or at least consider the differential between your test environment and your real event environment.

Learn from errors and mistakes They are going to happen. The best thing you can do is learn from these errors and mistakes. Always try to determine the ultimate cause of any problems you encounter before tearing down and leaving the event. You will never again be able to recreate that environment so exhaust all your testing and troubleshooting skills before you leave. You cannot fix a problem that you don’t know anything about. Also, this can often lead to an explanation

of why there were problems and it can very easily take the heat off your back if it was a problem unrelated to you, such as internet connection or other issues outside your control.

I don’t think livestreaming for the church is going away any time soon so the best thing I can advise is to take the challenges like a pro, get the job done the best way you know how and learn from your challenges and failures. Try not to let other people’s requests get the better of you. Make each challenge an opportunity to grow and become more valuable.

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My The Worship Center control room at Green Acres Baptist Church, Texas

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Lighting maintenance

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Taking advantage of Covid John Black considers how the downtime created by the pandemic allows for maintenance tasks to be done that often get put on hold

C IN MY AREA OF THE WORLD AT the time of writing this, religious gatherings have been experiencing further restrictions on holding services in person. During the summer months, in-person gatherings, though limited in occupancy, were beginning to happen again and it looked like restrictions would be lightening up. A second wave hit and restrictions tightened up again, only to be loosened for a brief period later in the autumn. Currently, we are experiencing the third wave of the pandemic and in-person religious gatherings have once again been banned.

Though there certainly are frustrations and other feelings that have risen as a result of the restrictions, for anyone involved in the production side of things, this has provided not only a time to think outside the box and be creative with streaming or pre-produced service content, but also a unique downtime allowing for maintenance tasks to be done that often get put on hold.

Though there are “busy” and “less busy” times throughout a normal year, opportunities for shutting down, updating, cleaning, repairing and performing preventative maintenance often slide into the schedule only as they are able to, rather than this opportunity that we have to thoroughly go through all parts of our systems.

While I personally can’t wait to have the doors opening again to my facilities and have the energy of a full house back again, I am taking advantage of this downtime to provide some TLC to the equipment, systems and facility and I hope that you can too. The following lists, in no specific order, are some of the maintenance tasks that I have been working through. Of course, there may be items that don’t apply to your situation and there may be things missing from my list because I don’t have the gear that you may have. My hope, though, is that you will be encouraged to make the most of this Covid period so that everything is ready to go when the restrictions are lifted and you can enjoy your resources to their full expected lifespan.

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Disassembled fixtures ready for cleaning

Cleaning fixtures Like anything else, the output and functionality of your fixtures will only be as good as the upkeep of the fixtures themselves. Quite often, fixtures get some attention when a lamp needs to be replaced (and therefore may need to be bench-focused) or when a problem creeps up. But they need to be regularly maintained to operate at their intended performance levels, regardless of if they are conventional, LED or automated fixture types.

Dust is perhaps the biggest culprit when it comes to cleaning out lighting fixtures. Ensure the fixture is not connected to a power source and give the fixture a good clean, beginning with the exterior. A vacuum with brush attachment can work for loose dust, or a damp cloth if particularly grimy.

With conventional fixtures, pay special attention to the vent areas located around the lamp housing as this is where heat needs to be able to escape the fixture. Be sure to also check that the yoke and c-clamp are tight and can rotate smoothly, as well as any shutter blades or accessory slot covers. I also make sure to check

that all of the electrical conductors in the connector are properly tightened.

Then move to the interior of the fixture (be sure to check the manual for your specific fixture as to how to open it up for cleaning). Vacuum and/or wipe all loose dust, especially the parts closest to the lamp as dust can be combustible. Be sure to also clean both sides of the lenses. You should not use standard glass cleaners or any cleaner that is flammable. A clean, damp cloth works best for us. Once the fixture is put back together, this is a good opportunity to bench focus the unit, but be sure the fixture is completely dry before plugging it in.

Moving lights and LEDs can also suffer from a buildup of dust, especially around the fans and filters that assist with airflow through the fixture. Using an air compressor is particularly useful when blowing these components out. Be sure to blow from the inside out so that you aren’t adding dust into the fixture components. As with the conventional fixtures, be sure to clean the lenses according to the recommendations in the product manual. If the fixture has a permanent power cable, check the

electrical conductors in the connector and run the fixture through some tests to make sure that it is behaving properly. Moving lights and LEDs are complicated machines with quite a few mechanical parts that allow for movement and accessory control.

Unless you are qualified to maintain those parts of the fixtures, best leave them be and engage a qualified service technician when needed.

Cleaning dimmers Believe it or not, your dimmers and dimmer racks also can collect a fair amount of dust through the fans that help to manage the airflow through the racks. I clean the filters of my dimmer racks twice per year, but Covid has provided the opportunity to more thoroughly clean the entire rack. Be sure to completely power down the racks before you get started.

I find that the best tool to have when cleaning dimmer racks is an air compressor. Use it to blow out all of the filters and fans in each rack. As with lighting fixtures that have fans and filters installed, be sure to blow out from the rack so that you don’t

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KnowHOW end up moving dust into the system that wasn’t there to begin with. Also, remove the individual dimmer modules and blow any dust out of those that may have settled over time. If you have different types of modules installed in a single rack for specific power needs, be sure to take note of where they are installed so that when you are finished, you can reassemble the rack exactly as it was prior to being cleaned.

Checking cables Ever been setting up for an event, went to grab a jumper or DMX cable, plugged it in and nothing happened? I know this has happened to me and it can be frustrating. I’ve used this Covid time to put all of my lighting jumpers, two-fers, DMX cables and any other cable through testers to be sure that all conductors are securely fastened and that cables are working properly.

When times are busy, I also have a “repair crate” in each facility where equipment that is broken or misbehaving is laid and looked at when time is available. Mostly, this crate consists of cables instead of rehanging them and experiencing the

same frustration all over again. Covid has provided a time to be able to go through all of my repair crates and get things back in order.

Cleaning pipes, truss and catwalks Not only does the equipment suffer from dust buildup but all of the hanging and rigging infrastructure also suffers from this. If you have battens that you haven’t wiped in an extended period of time, grab a ladder, lower them down – or however you access them – and look for a buildup of dust on the top of the pipe. I’ve used this time to wipe off every batten, every truss, vacuum the catwalks and do an overall cleaning of the facility infrastructure. Less dust sitting around means less dust with the potential to find its way into fixtures.

Lighting console – updates and resets If I’m not careful, my consoles can sometimes fall behind on software updates or become bloated with programmed material from previous one-off events that I never remove

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The output of fixtures will only be as good as the upkeep (or get so used to that I don’t restore my default settings). If that’s you, this Covid time has been a good opportunity to make those updates, restore (and update if need be) default program patches and settings, and ensure that everything is still talking to each other. I never recommend a software update without having time to troubleshoot or get used to any updates. For schools, that’s easy – I always recommend that updates be

made the week after school lets out so that kinks can be worked through over the summer before the new year begins. For HOWs, that can be more difficult as there often aren’t breaks from weekly services. As such, Covid has provided a time to be able to do this without having too much of an impact (or risk) on the weekly schedule.

Conclusion If you’re a one-person team or have oversight over all production areas of your facility, I recommend using this time to dig deep into system and equipment maintenance, not just for your lights but for all of your production systems and equipment.

Not only is it a productive use of time during the pandemic, but it will keep your systems working efficiently and hopefully keep them running longer as well.

Covid has had so many negative impacts but this has been one way that I have taken advantage of this time and taken something very positive out of it – I hope it can be the same for you as well.

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TECHNOLOGY

Unchained audio

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The unusual nature of worship right now is helping to drive the adoption of wireless, faderless mixing consoles, discovers Simon Luckhurst

CONTACTLESS – NOT ONLY WAS this a buzzword of 2020, but something the events of last year have slightly changed beyond just paying for things. Manufacturers of faderless audio mixing consoles already had no shortage of reasons why they should be adopted, and there are several that come before simple hygiene for why their value increased throughout 2020.

But in much the same vein as discussed by Bob Mentele in this issue’s Technology feature on outdoor lighting, your congregation’s physical setup and configuration (if you even have one at the moment) probably doesn’t bear much resemblance to what it did 12 months ago. There are entire ministries operating their typical weekly services via a bunch of “set it and forget it-type” presets and workflow automations. In normal times this is great, and the benefits at those times are obvious, such as there being no requirement for skilled staff to be present before proceedings can kick off. But, of course, this also means that if things go wrong there might not be anyone present who is qualified to remedy the problem. Therefore, flexibility is massively restricted by design.

Why should touchscreens be especially helpful to HOW users, you

ask? It’s an amalgamation of several factors, including the ubiquitous familiarity of touchscreen consumer products and their prevalence in the marketplace matched with the nearlimitless possibilities of sophisticated routing, and the networking features of easily upgradable modern audio mixing software.

When it comes to audio mixing, the FOH position has traditionally been static – the mixer is where it is and you do all your work from that spot.

This obviously has its disadvantages, in that the mix might sound perfect at the position where you’re standing, but compromised acoustics (and the sound coming from the backline) might mean it sounds absolutely terrible for audience members in different parts of the venue. Having the freedom to walk around while mixing means you should be able to arrive at a mix that sounds good everywhere.

With a static FOH position, you’re reliant on feedback from the audience on how the mix sounds at their location – which is always subjective at best – or are forced to walk back and forth between the mixer and listening positions. This procedure will probably have to be done prior to the service to minimise disruptions, and without a full auditorium is anything

but a perfect science. Surfaceless mixers can remedy these issues easily. Even large, well-funded HOWs have notoriously suffered from bad mix positions over the years, as placing the engineer in an ideal spot is often an aesthetic no-no.

It was back in 2012 with the release of Mackie’s DL Series mixers that this new niche market began. While quite limited compared to today’s offering, the DL Series mixers were a notable and brave move from the American manufacturer and went on to form the beginnings of a radical change in the mixing of small- and medium-scale events. Whereas many console manufacturers had begun to appreciate the potential that remote mixing could bring to engineers, fully embarking on this paradigm was a risky commitment. Back then, despite

Mackie’s DL32R can be wirelessly controlled

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TECHNOLOGY younger generations’ apparent willingness to integrate digital technology into nearly every aspect of modern life, those users whose careers took off in the heyday of analogue desks were less embracing of change.

Nearly a decade later and this is not such a major stumbling block anymore. The majority of manufacturers opted for a step-bystep transition to completely softwarebased operations, thereby retaining the traditional control surface layout while gradually introducing more fully featured software interfaces. The DL Series stood out because Mackie jumped in headfirst, removing every single hardware control on its DL32R bar a headphone level adjustment.

The platforms have matured a lot since this time and operation is now unlikely to be a hindrance. Instead, the use of such devices allows levels of mixing freedom never previously possible.

At the time of the DL32R’s release, then Mackie product manager Ben Olswang had the following to say: “We feel that a lot of the digital mixers on the market, and digital mixers in general, really came about to make engineers feel like they’re mixing on an analogue desk and,

while this was important in the early days, we think we’re past that point and that the more traditional approaches are really holding back the future of mixing. We realised that if we let go of these old conventions and really rethink what mixing should be in today’s digital world, then we can bring some great new features to the user.”

And it was the house of worship market for which Olswang could see the most potential for the technology.

“The house of worship market has

The Behringer X AIR XR16 been huge for our 1608 and we think that it’s going to be even more so with the DL32R,” he furthered, “whether it’s a small church that doesn’t have a fixed location and needs a very quick setup for FOH, or a larger church that has a secondary room or portable system.” Olswang didn’t need a crystal ball to make such a prediction and it was not surprising to see how the market has developed since.

QSC’s TouchMix series was another pioneer for touchscreen mixing and continues to enjoy great popularity to this day.

The same can be said for the Behringer X18 which offered similar hands-free capability but at a fraction of the price of the competition.

Now the pandemic has introduced new challenges, ones that are well suited to the surfaceless concept. If your congregation is lucky enough to still be enjoying in-person services, then it should (at the minimum) be socially distanced – perhaps the setup and configuration are now different every time you meet.

Grabbing a tablet as you mix and walking these positions as you listen

is the quickest and most effective way of catering to ever-evolving audience configurations. Divorcing the means of control from the mixer also allows the backend audio equipment to be kept out of sight behind the stage rather than out with the engineer taking up valuable audience space.

Secondly, these mixers introduce the concept of BYOD – bring your own device. While there might be some reluctance to use your own personal devices for such applications normally, the hygiene benefits are obvious as the sharing of equipment can be dramatically reduced and you can mitigate multiple users touching the same surfaces. Additionally, many of the popular wireless mixers provide some form of dedicated headphone output allowing musicians to create their own headphone mixes. This again is one more level of separation between the engineer and FOH.

The TouchMix-16 and TouchMix-8 from QSC

Musicians can use their own iOS devices for personal monitoring

The vast routing and networking options opened up by such technologies can also prove highly alluring for houses of worship. “There are a couple of immediate benefits,” noted Olswang at the time of our initial conversation. “Any computer on the network, anywhere in the venue, can pop on there and record channels right off of a Dante network.

In a church that has a dedicated record room elsewhere, users can record off of that network.” Perfect for socially distanced working environments. If your tech team is instead operating services from their home, then the surfaceless mixing format is far more accommodating to being moved around.

Since Mackie’s DL32R entered the market, countless manufacturers have released their own surfaceless consoles. Particularly popular models for use within houses of worship are Behringer’s X AIR XR12, XR16 and XR18, Studiomaster’s digiLivE 16 (which is not a true surfaceless mixer but offers complete wireless control), Allen & Heath’s Qu-SB, QSC’s TouchMix-30 Pro, Soundcraft’s Ui12 and Ui16, and Mackie’s DL32R among others. If you never embarked on wireless-based touchscreen mixing before, there’s only one way to find out how it will suit your church’s everchanging needs. Now is the perfect time to give it a try.

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TECHNOLOGY

Sponsored by

Using livestreaming to uplift worship services

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Thomas Chang, assistant vice president in the Consumer Product Center at ATEN International, discusses how livestreaming solutions can help houses of worship reach wider audiences with higher production quality

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Thomas Chang

Livestreaming at Immanuel Baptist Church in Arkansas THE ONGOING PANDEMIC situation has put a strain, or complete halt, on in-person attendance for many houses of worship around the world. Just as it seemed that the era of “virtual congregations” was coming to a close and worshippers could regather in person, new waves of the pandemic struck in various countries and governments issued new lockdown orders and halted public gatherings.

For houses of worship that in recent years had already been facing the challenge of low attendance, the Covid-19 crisis couldn’t have come at a worse time.

But not all hope is lost. Technology in various forms has helped to keep worship services running, and chief among them is livestreaming.

However, rather than simply rely on using a smartphone to stream on a single platform, today’s houses of worship need to be more tech savvy to keep pace with viewer expectations. Doing so can be complicated, expensive and require extra manpower to control cameras,

switch between them and create graphical overlays or other effects. However, new livestreaming devices have hit the market recently that make the process much easier, faster and cheaper for end users. With solutions such as these, houses of worship can create professionallevel livestreaming content on the fly and ensure their worshippers can take part in an uplifting service, no matter where they are.

Create better livestreams with a few tools Communities of faith have a lot to contend with these days: depending on their state or national laws, they might be operating under a hybrid model or not have any in-person

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The ATEN UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO is an all-in-one four-port HDMI AV mixer gatherings at all. What applies today might be different tomorrow, too. In the US, for example, most states have limited in-person worship services, and 10 states have prevented them altogether. Only a handful of states, such as Texas, deemed in-person worship services to be essential.

In-person gatherings must follow social distancing, cutting down indoor capacity to something between 50% or even all the way down to 20% of pre-Covid attendance. One workaround has been for houses of worship to also hold drive-in services, but this cuts down attendance numbers even more. In addition, drive-in worship services are also not future-proof as governments can issue stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders at a moment’s notice.

Houses of worship have largely, though, turned to the internet to get their message out and hold worship services. Everyone, from the smallest church to the Office of Campus Ministry of Notre Dame, has been holding online services and even virtual retreats. For most, this means using video conference platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Teams and more.

It also largely means a one-camera setup with no transitions and no overlays or other effects, and even poor audio quality, to grab viewers’ attention. Yet certain devices can bypass these issues and, unlike

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TECHNOLOGY before, are relatively simple to use and won’t break the bank.

“Rather than using a single smartphone or camera connected to a laptop and simply outputting a raw stream feed to one platform, houses of worship could be streaming to two platforms at the same time, and with some fairly advanced effects like picturein-picture,” says Ethan Yu, product manager in the Consumer Product Center. “You can also easily switch between up to four cameras with transition effects and add overlays.

What’s more, you can connect certain devices to an audio mixer board and use quality mics to record sound in better quality. What all of this does is give your worship service a pro-level and your audience will never know that you’re doing it all without a bunch of expensive, hard-to-use equipment.”

Implementing a nextlevel livestreaming solution Picking the right livestreaming solution can be tricky: many houses of worship might only be familiar with streaming from a webcam or their mobile device on a single platform and with their device’s built-in microphone. Taking a livestream to the next level of

expensive mixer boards, and you can potentially use any camera, from a DSLR to an action camera, camcorder or point-and-shoot one.

ATEN’s 3022 has two HDMI inputs for connecting two cameras production values doesn’t need to be extremely expensive, but it will take more than the aforementioned tools.

An all-in-one AV mixer device can do this and while some can get pricey, not all are. By integrating a device such as this, houses of worship can connect multiple high-res cameras for different camera angles, an audio mixer board with mics and even create overlay graphics for logos, title cards and more. These can even be saved as scene presets that can be easily customised, so there’s no need to create brand-new graphics for every stream.

In addition to the former, certain streaming devices can also stream simultaneously on two platforms, such as Facebook, Livestream and YouTube, something that simply can’t be done with a mobile device using a single app at a time. This allows you to reach a wider audience based on people’s viewing platform preferences.

Ethan Yu, product manager in ATEN’s Consumer Product Center Depending on the device, as well, you can control the entire stream from a mobile app, including scene switching and editing graphics. The end result is that a pro-level stream can potentially be done by just one person using their cameras, mic, and either a tablet, smartphone or laptop. No need for a crew or large,

Staying connected with your congregation “Streaming your worship services doesn’t need to be overly expensive or a chore to pull off,” says Yu. “In fact, once you start streaming in better quality, with effects and on multiple platforms, it becomes a joy and your congregation will no doubt appreciate the step up in quality.”

Streaming out your content to congregations is a big, but important, step towards staying together and future-proofing your services. It’s also good practice on staying flexible with your AV solutions in the face of constantly changing situations and regulations regarding social distancing and in-person gatherings.

Despite these issues, houses of worship remain places to uplift and bring people together, and the right streaming solutions can help you do that for less, and more easily, than ever before. www.aten.com

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TECHNOLOGY

Outdoor lighting Elation’s Bob Mentele hopes that warmer weather will allow HOWs to move their services outside – but what does this mean for lighting?

MEET THE AUTHOR Bob Mentele, worship market manager at Elation Professional

Bob Mentele Lighting is an essential element of any outdoor event held in the evening

IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE OUR congregations have been able to worship together in person.

Gathering limitations and other factors have kept the majority of our members away. While none of us expected these new changes to last as long as they have, we’ve become accustomed to finding new solutions to allow us to continue to reach our congregations, whether they are able to join us in person or from home. As the warm weather returns, many facilities are putting together plans to move their worship services to an outdoor space where there is more room to spread out, allowing more of our congregations to join together to worship.

While some congregations will not need to use any stage lighting when they meet outdoors, others would like to maintain the visual interest that the lighting can provide. And, of course, if a service is to take place in the evening, a lighting system of some capacity will be needed.

Using lighting in an outdoor space can be simple and straightforward, if we plan ahead properly and take certain precautions. One of the initial hurdles we face universally is inclement weather. Most lighting

Elation’s Paladin Panel can illuminate large areas of any outdoor event fixtures today contain electronic components and these need to be protected from the elements.

Not too long ago, when using entertainment-style fixtures in outdoor applications, our options to protect them from damage were limited. We could do a low-cost option and cover them in plastic bags when not in use, but that also made them unavailable to use until the bag was removed. If the weather was still unfavourable, we had to do without them or risk permanent damage by exposing them. A more expensive option was

to purchase specialty housings to place the fixtures inside. The use of these housings was rare in temporary event situations because of the size and added hassle of setting them up. However, they were quite popular and are still used in permanent outdoor displays and venues.

As the need to use entertainment lighting outdoors increased, companies began to develop weather-resistant lighting fixtures.

Initially, the offerings were limited to simple, static incandescent wash or spotlight fixtures. As technology

improved, static outdoor LED fixtures became readily available.

And finally, we are now getting to a point where there are a number of outdoor-rated moving lights to choose from as well.

How do these outdoor versions of lighting fixtures differ from the indoor styles we are used to? And what information is important to know about the specifications of the fixtures when looking to use them for our outdoor event or service?

Those are the main questions that come up when discussing these types of fixtures. While the differences may seem to be minimal, they are important to take note of.

One obvious specification that we should look into is the IP rating of a fixture. The IP rating standard was created by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and is applied to any industrial or consumer device. This rating system gives us an idea of the type of environment that a device can operate in without the risk of causing damage to the internal components. IP stands for Ingress Protection and is designated by a two-digit number and possibly two additional letters. The first

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TECHNOLOGY number designates the device’s protection from solid particles, such as dust. This is given on a scale of 0–6 – 0 indicating no protection and 6 indicating a dust-tight device.

The second number represents a device’s protection from liquids.

This is given on a scale of 0–8 – 0 indicating no protection and 8 indicating the product can be immersed up to 3m in depth.

Most indoor-rated entertainment fixtures have a rating of IP20. They can filter dust but buildup will occur, and they have no guarantee against liquid ingress damage. When wanting to use a fixture outdoors, a rating of at least IP65 is preferred.

This will ensure the fixture is dustproof and can withstand water jets hitting the enclosure without it causing damage. Some fixtures offer a lower rating of IP54, and those can be used outdoors, but should not be left exposed for any extended periods of time and should not be in standing water or heavy rain.

IP-rated or outdoor lighting fixtures have a few key differences that we need to take note of when looking into purchasing them. One weak point in entertainment fixtures is the temporary power and data connectors that we use. IP-rated fixtures use IP65 connectors and, to maintain that rating, the cables that are used to send power and data to the fixtures need to use IP-rated connectors on their end as well. Some IP connectors are not

compatible with non-IP versions, but XLR is one that is, so make sure that you choose IP65 XLR DMX cables when using the devices outdoors.

Because of the IP rating and the seals that are required to protect against water, the fixtures may require specialised tools to per form any maintenance.

maintenance than non-IP versions because of their dust and water protection. IP-rated fixtures do not have to be regularly disassembled and cleaned like their non-IP versions. This is a side benefit of the technology. For some customers that use a lot of atmospheric effects in their spaces, installing IP fixtures offers protection from fluid buildup and

ADJ’s 18P Hex IP is rated IP65 Any time a fixture needs to be opened or the seal needs to be broken, for even a lamp or gobo change, an IP test needs to be per formed to ensure the IP rating is maintained. This test needs to be per formed with an IP test tool approved by the fixture manufacturer. Luckily, IP-rated fixtures typically require less

dust accumulation, which saves money on maintenance. So even if they are not going to use the fixtures outdoors, they could install IP-rated versions to eliminate the regular maintenance requirements.

We should also mention that IP-rated fixtures are going to be heavier than non-IP rated versions.

This is because they use metal

exterior components and heavy gaskets to seal the device and provide the protection. If we are going to being hanging a system of IP fixtures, you may not be able to rig as many on a structure because of the increased weight. It also may be beneficial to use more than one technician to lift a fixture into place, so please take note of this as you are planning your rigging.

Hopefully we can return to a more normal worship environment soon, but we will continue to adapt to the challenges we face. If we want to enhance our outdoor service or produce a special evening event, IP-rated fixtures would help to alleviate the additional challenge that inclement weather could present. It could also be useful to some venues that don’t have easy access to fixtures to per form regular maintenance. Numerous styles of fixtures are available with IP ratings, so we will not be limited in our choices if we need to explore that option. Not too long ago, IPrated lighting was a very specialised category, limited to architectural installations. Its entrance into entertainment lighting has certainly solved a lot of problems and headaches that we faced in the past in simply using creative lighting outdoors. Its growing popularity and availability will allow us to continue to offer the high-quality visual experience that our congregations have come to enjoy, whether our service is offered indoors or out.

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The WP-02 is an inflatable dome for Elation 250–1,500W moving head fixtures

Unconventional worship locations became a common feature of 2020

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NEWPRODUCTS

PRODUCTS

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

A–ZCONTENTS

Capture, stream, switch The UC9040 StreamLIVE Pro from ATEN Technology is a more advanced version of its forerunner THE UC9020 allows users to capture, stream and switch between two Full HD video inputs over the internet and create multi-camera setups that reportedly take video production to the next level. It offers users an all-in-one, four-port HDMI AV mixer, containing direct streaming, direct recording and scene-based switching capabilities.

The UC9040 also uses the ATEN OnAir app to turn an iPad into a

touch inter face for controlling, preview monitoring, real-time editing and arranging multi-elements into programme mixing, helping to reduce the complexity of a user’s livestreaming setup, equipment and cabling. The app includes DVE (Digital Video Effects) and a built-in graphic editor to make a user’s iPad a personal video editing suite. Videos can be combined, cropped and scaled to make PnP,

ADJ Ashly Audio ATEN Audix Blackmagic Design Calibre City Theatrical Datavideo DirectOut DPA Dynacord Focusrite High End Systems HK Audio JBL Just Add Power L-Acoustics Lectrosonics MA Lighting Martin Professional Powersoft PR Lighting PreSonus Prolights QSC RCF Ross Video Rotolight RTS Shure Sommer Cable Soundcraft Strand Symetrix Telestream

PbP or split layouts. Transparent PNG images and backgrounds can be added from an iPad photo library, as well as title overlays with professional-looking effects.

The UC9040 integrates 1080p video capture, video recorder, video switch, streaming encoder, video converter, video splitter and audio mixer. It is reportedly compatible with every major platform and can livestream to two platforms at the

VS3IP 46 AquaControl update 55 UC9040 StreamLIVE Pro 44 TM2 50 Fairlight desktop console 46 HQPro1000 update 47 Multiverse Studio 44 NVS-34 47 EXBOX.RAV/DANTE.SRC.IO 49 4098 Core 50 Sonicue 1.2 55 RedNet R1/Red 8Line 51 SolaFrame Studio 56 Move 8 48 IRX115S 49 ST1 53 Contour XO 51 DCR822 52 grandMA3 I/O Node 56 ERA 600 and 800 Profile 56 ArmoníaPlus v2.0 54 Aqua Marine 580 BWS and Beam 57 PD-70/CDL12P/Eris Sub8 48 EclProfile CT+/EclProfile FW 57 Core Mode for NV-32-H 55 DMA 82, 162 and 162P 50 TouchDrive/Lucid 47 Titan X1 56 OMS (OMNEO Main Station) 52 MV7/DuraPlex 50 SC-MERCATOR CAT.6a highflex 53 Nano Series 51 Neo Compact 10 55 Composer 8.0 54 Lightspeed Live C4 46

same time, such as Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Livestream or any custom RTMP destination.

The device is plug and play, so computers, monitors or complicated setups or software settings are not required. A built-in encoder and streaming server mean users only need to connect to their video sources and network. www.aten.com

City Theatrical adds to its Multiverse CITY THEATRICAL’S Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM technology is now available for video projects with a new line of Multiverse Studio products, including the Multiverse Studio Receiver, Multiverse Studio Kit and Multiverse Studio Add On Kit. The Multiverse Studio Receiver contains a long-life lithium-ion polymer battery giving 20 hours of use, while its full four-button user interface with a backlit LED display reportedly makes setup easy and gives feedback on system performance. Each Multiverse Studio Receiver includes a DMX corded connector, which allows the external antenna to hang below the lighting fixture, giving improved data fidelity. The 900MHz/2.4GHz (P/N 5904) version has two built-in radios, 2.4GHz (for worldwide use) and 900MHz (for use in the Americas only), which allows the user to select which single universe

to receive and which radio band to use via the Multiverse SHoW ID. The 2.4GHz (P/N 5905) version can be used worldwide on the 2.4GHz band.

The Multiverse Studio Kit will help lighting technicians plan, set up and operate wireless DMX/ RDM onset – all with contactless charging. Each kit includes six Multiverse Studio Receivers, one Multiverse Transmitter with hanging bracket and clamp (for multi-universe broadcasts), one Multiverse Node with hanging bracket and clamp (for single-universe broadcasts), one DMXcat Multi-Function Test Tool (to turn on and troubleshoot any lighting fixture onset), one RadioScan Spectrum Analyzer (for planning) and various accessories to keep equipment organised, mounted and charged.

The Multiverse Studio Add On Kit was developed to provide an easy way for video professionals to

scale up wireless DMX projects. This kit features six Multiverse Studio Receivers in a contactless charging case. Individual chargers and USB cables are also included to enable charging or powering individual units outside the case. www.citytheatrical.com

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PRODUCTS

Mosque Sound made simple.

Pray with faith.

Recommended by

If you are looking for a reliable, elegant sound solution for your mosque, look no further. TOA’s MX-6224D digital mixer amplifier, designed especially for mosques, incorporates DSP function and a two-channel class-D amplifier. An optional remote control is also available, making it convenient and easy to use. The MX-6224D is the perfect choice for your house of prayer. www.toa.eu |

TOAEurope |

TOA Electronics Europe

We supply sound, not equipment.

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PRODUCTS

ADJ expands Vision Series THE VISION Series of LED video panels has a new member. Designed for both inside and outside events, the VS3IP is ADJ’s highest-resolution, IP-rated LED video panel to date. It features a 150x150 matrix of three-inone SMD1921 LEDs, delivering a pixel pitch of 3.84mm for a pixel density of

Fairlight mixes multiple tracks

in use for a particular deployment. A viewing angle of 160° x 140° (HxV) at 3m can be further enhanced using the optional angling feature. It allows the panels to be joined together at either a concave or convex angle of 3° or 6°. This means that curving LED video screens can be constructed Fairlight desktop console

67,816 per m2. It delivers a maximum brightness of 4,500 NITS with a contrast ratio of 5000:1, making it suitable for use in daylight hours. The VS3IP also offers 0–100% brightness adjustment allowing the output to be reduced when required, for example in smaller indoor applications or to ensure that video content doesn’t overpower lighting fixtures and onstage content when used as a backdrop.

The panel features protection of its front surface from liquid and particles rated to the IP65 standard. The rear panel has an IP54 rating and the unit is fitted with IP65-rated locking sockets for power and data (RJ45).

The input and thru connections for both are also fitted with rubber caps to provide added protection during transit and also if a thru socket is not

to allow better viewing for audience members positioned to the side of a stage or to fit with the contours of a curved stage set or venue design.

Weighing 9kg, the panel is fitted with retractable corner protectors that fold out from the back of the unit to keep the corners safe from knocks during transportation, setup and teardown. The low-profile panel measures 576mm x 576mm x 76.8mm (HxWxD) and can run on any voltage between 100V and 240V (50–60Hz), making it suitable for international touring duties. It has a maximum power consumption of 210W per panel and an average operating power consumption of 84W per panel. www.adj.com

BLACKMAGIC DESIGN has unveiled its new Fairlight desktop console, a portable audio control surface featuring 12 touch-sensitive flying faders, built-in LCDs above each channel strip for pan and effects control and full automation control.

It also features an HDMI interface for connecting a monitor to view an expanded graphical interface with audio status and metering. The manufacturer describes the console as a complete audio mixing control surface for mixing multiple tracks at once, automating a variety of parameters and plug-in settings, controlling channel functions, recording, monitoring and navigation.

Features include precision control knobs and illuminated buttons for quickly identifying channels.

Customers can use the knobs and buttons to control channel parameters, EQ, dynamics and plug-ins.

The built-in HDMI output lets users connect a display, giving them the same interactive graphical feedback as larger consoles. The faders are described as smooth and are said to provide the perfect amount of resistance for making subtle adjustments. Individual LCDs display track information for each channel.

The Fairlight HDMI monitor interface has also been launched. It lets customers use any HDMI or SDI television or computer monitor with the large Fairlight studio consoles.

For users who like to customise their

large audio consoles and even design their own custom desks and studio furniture, this converter will reportedly allow them to use any display to get a real-time Fairlight graphics user interface with channel status and full audio level metering. The interface lets customers use their own HDMI monitor with Fairlight 2, 3, 4 or 5 bay studio consoles for direct visual feedback.

It works by converting the console’s Ethernet data into HDMI and SDI. In other news, DaVinci Resolve 17 comes with over 100 new features and 200 improvements. The colour page features new HDR grading tools, redesigned primary controls and an AI-based magic mask. Editors get a metadata slate view with bin dividers, zoomed waveforms for audio trimming, smart reframing, a unified inspector and dozens of other time-saving tools.

In addition, compositions created in Fusion can now be used as an effect, title or transition on the edit and cut pages. Power Window drawing has been improved and features new split screen wipe options, an additional Sat vs Lum curve, improved scopes and support for 17-point 3D LUTs. Other features include an HDR grading palette which lets customers create new colour wheels with custom roll-off for specific tonal ranges; a mesh-based warping tool so that two colour parameters can be adjusted at once; a new transient analysis tool which automatically detects individual words, beats or sound effects; and new features for the cut page to help users finish projects faster.

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Lightspeed productions TELESTREAM HAS added a third model to its Lightspeed Live family.

According to the manufacturer, the Lightspeed Live C4 server has up to 50% more encoding and processing power when compared to the current C3 server and is capable of running Telestream’s Live Capture

and Live Stream applications simultaneously across up to eight SDI channels and IP inputs of live video data. Live Capture C4 supports capturing from eight concurrent SD/3G-HD SDI inputs or two concurrent 4K/UHD inputs, or from several Transport/RTMP IP

XAVC-Intra Class 100/300/480, at the same time simultaneously creating H.264/AVC proxy files and storing them to a large local media RAID or to external shared storage such as a NAS or SAN. inputs. It records in multiple video formats, including AVC-Intra and

www.telestream.net

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PRODUCTS

Streaming to multiple destinations THE NVS-34 from Datavideo is an H.264 multi-platform video streaming server which offers two distinct bit rate options for streaming and recording simultaneously and supports vertical video streaming. The encoder accepts SDI and HDMI inputs, along with embedded or analogue RCA unbalanced audio. The recording file system supports NTFS, FAT32 or exFat for continuous recording without file size limitations.

Other features include H.264 livestreaming to dual destinations and vertical video encoding for mobile platform social media streaming. Users can select the audio output – embedded audio, external audio or mixed audio – and the server is reportedly compatible with all major streaming platforms and RTMP(S), SRT and many other streaming protocols. It has a multilanguage web UI (English, traditional

Chinese or simplified Chinese) and LED status indicators. The NVS-34 can record MP4 or TS files to an SD card and can be remotely controlled

using a mobile device with a web browser. www.datavideo.com

Ross keeps in touch DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY for technical directors, Ross has unveiled the latest update to its Carbonite range of production switcher panels.

TouchDrive is a new family of control panels and brings the same touch technology from smart phones to video production switchers. Every display on the control panel is touch enabled. These high-resolution displays, based on IPS LCD technology rather than monochromatic OLEDs that fade over time, reportedly make source and device control faster and enable functions like bus map creation without having to dive into menus. The new curved panel design is said to put every button within easy reach and the custom colour schemes enable users to configure and organise the panel look to their specific preference.

TouchDrive also includes a built-in DashBoard computer, enables integrated DashBoard control for various Ross products (such as XPression graphics, Ultrix routing and Tria replay) and reportedly features

convenient power/display/control connections for an additional external display. Available in five different sizes, from a single-row, 15-button panel to a three-row, 25-button panel, TouchDrive replaces all current Carbonite Black models except for the compact Carbonite Black Solo.

The Lucid platform is a replacement to the UX solution and will become the primary configuration and control interface for all Ross virtual studio and augmented reality applications.

Lucid comes with a new user interface featuring the new Aura visual

Lucid language that will be a key aspect of many future solutions. The interface enables operators to design their own customised layouts, as well as save and recall layouts based on personal preference or production stage.

Several software updates have also been released. Ultrix V4.4 is the latest version of Ross’ Ultrix routing and AV processing platform and sees the introduction of Ultrimix-MXR, a full virtual audio mixer licence option.

With 128 inputs and 64 outputs (partitionable into smaller mixers so users can have multiple instances within the frame), Ultrimix-MXR has access to any audio source in the system. It includes four-band parametric equalisers, noise gate and compressor/limiter on every input. In addition, it has 128 direct outputs for simple audio processing as part of its standard feature set.

OverDrive V20 features a big update to QuickTurn, a tool to automate the production of segments for websites and social media. QuickTurn connects to the rundown in OverDrive and records a production live into a server that automatically encodes and prepares clips of content for publication to the web. www.rossvideo.com

New features for Calibre’s LVS

INCLUDING THE HQPro1000 processor with modular architecture and 4K60 4:4:4 image processing, Calibre’s Live Virtual Solution (LVS) offers support for multiple

sources and layers, along with a confidence monitor output. Scaling is provided by the manufacturer’s low-latency HQUltra technology which reportedly provides seamless, fast

and transitional switching between scenes.

New features of the HQPro1000 for LVS include high-quality chroma-keying and luma-keying with no requirement for any additional hardware or software preserving the latency for live presentations, objects or presenters where the background can easily be inserted. Advanced area of interest provides adjustments per layer to show what users want to concentrate on, whether the source is a camera on a pastor or something prerecorded.

Up to 10 presets are available allowing users to define, store and recall different screen layouts. The

FPGA processor can handle powerful resources including 3D objects and can reportedly handle any image size.

LVS has flexible options to incorporate an HDMI-USB converter to transform the HQPro1000 output image to a computer camera image for live events. Users can also choose an H.265 encoder to record and stream video directly to a preferred video platform such as Facebook, Twitch or YouTube. An optional 12G-SDI module card provides high frame rates and deep, saturated colours from 4K and Ultra4K signals over a single cable. www.calibreuk.com

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PRODUCTS

HK goes forward with Move 8 HK AUDIO has extended the Premium PR:O series of loudspeakers with the addition of a high-performance, battery-powered version. Equipped with a 60W Class-D power amplifier, 8-inch bass woofer and 1-inch tweeter horn, the low-resonance MDF wooden cabinet can be deployed as a floor monitor or on a stand or table. The portable 8.5kg cabinet comes with an integrated handle and operates within a 65Hz – 18kHz frequency range (±3dB).

Move 8 has a slot for two rechargeable batteries, which are either inserted simultaneously to extend the running time or inserted alternately to ensure hot-swappable uninterrupted playback. Allowing up to 11 hours of continuous operation,

Move 8

an optional external quick charger provides uninterrupted battery operation. A rear panel four-channel mixer includes microphone, line signals and instrument XLR and jack inputs, with a useful two-band EQ and reverb for each channel. The instrument channels come with their own bass and treble control, together with adjustable reverb.

Added for playback devices, an aux channel offers audio streaming via Bluetooth 5.0, in addition to the stereo mini-jack input. The instrument channel activates original Celestion cabinet simulations (impulse response) of the most popular guitar speakers, including the Greenback, V30 and Blue, promoting itself as a partner for mobile guitar preamps. The Move 8 App promotes remote control functionality together with additional features such as pitch adjustment and modulation effects for the instrument channel.

The German manufacturer has revealed a series of powered PA speakers featuring moulded plastic enclosures. Complemented by the Sonar 115 Sub D subwoofer, the Sonar 110 Xi, 112 Xi and 115 Xi full-range models integrate a 24-bit DSP controller with colour display.

The rear panel connections include two mic lines and a single aux channel together with a three-band EQ on each channel. All settings for the Sonar Xi models can be

J remotely controlled from a Sonar Remote App; signals can also be streamed wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.0 via the aux channel when using two Sonar speakers.

The 115 Sub D subwoofer also features a 24-bit DSP controller with a display for configuring crossover frequency, polarity and delay, together with other parameters and two presets for cardioid operation when using two subwoofers.

A network-compatible system subwoofer has been added as part of the Elements family. The E 115 Sub D system subwoofer comprises a 15-inch woofer and

E 115 Sub D a 900W power amplifier that is capable of driving up to three E 835 mid/high units. A new integrated digital controller provides detailed processing of the audio characteristics in both the bass and the mid/high frequency range. In addition to providing full networking capability of several Elements stacks or Linear 7 speaker models, the HK Audio DSP Control Software allows networks to be controlled from the mix position, including volume and line adjustment in addition to full parametric 10-band EQ, tunable high- and low-pass filters, delay times, limiters and other parameters. When connected to a Linear Sub 1500 A via the cardioid output of the Elements E 115 Sub D, the cardioid bass function can focus forward bass radiation with rear bass attenuation of approximately 30dB. www.hkaudio.com

Sonar 112 Xi

More voice, less noise with PD-70 DEVELOPED FOR podcasters, YouTubers and livestreamers, the PreSonus PD-70 dynamic broadcast microphone focuses on delivering clarity within the spoken word spectrum. The manufacturer reports that the PD-70 has a superior off-axis rejection and eliminates mechanical noise, unwanted reverberance and electrical hum, while capturing the natural sound of a voice. The dynamic end-address microphone provides a cardioid polar pattern across a 50Hz – 20kHz (±3dB) frequency range. A windscreen and integrated hard mount are included with the package.

The CDL12P full-range, constantdirectivity, powered soundreinforcement loudspeaker combines the best attributes of point source and line array technology. The design allows it to radiate a highly focused pattern with consistent SPL throughout the frequency-response range, both on- and off-axis. The

PD-70 CDL12P is portable and can be used alone, in tandem with a subwoofer or in an array. Each unit consists of eight 2-inch drivers aligned in a segmented circular-arc high-frequency array

centred in front of a 12-inch woofer.

The outputs of the low-frequency driver and the high-frequency array travel on the same acoustic axis, as with a coaxial studio monitor.

Because the highs and lows emanate from the same point, they reportedly arrive at listeners’ ears at the exact same time, so the CDL12P is said to eliminate smearing in the crossover frequencies. A low 420Hz crossover frequency will help minimise comb filtering. Each CDL12P delivers 120° x 15° (HxV) dispersion, so six enclosures rigged together form a 120° x 90° coverage pattern.

PreSonus has also added the first subwoofer to its Eris studio monitor line. The 100W Eris Sub8 drops down to 30Hz – a full 50Hz below the Eris 3.5s. Users can connect existing monitors via ¼-inch TRS or RCA, set the input level to their liking and invert the polarity. High-pass filter and low-pass crossover control reportedly

A CDL12P array ensure that the Eris Sub8 starts working at the precise low-frequency point where main monitors stop working to avoid the redundant bass reproduction that occurs without a crossover. www.presonus.com

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JBL extends IRX series OPERATING WITHIN a frequency range of 35Hz – 147Hz (–10dB), JBL has added the IRX115S subwoofer to the IRX series of powered loudspeakers.

Incorporating a customised 15-inch woofer with a 3-inch voice coil and driven by a 1,300W amplifier, the new model is capable of producing a maximum SPL of 128dB. Weighing 29.65kg and housed in an MDF enclosure with

a reinforced honeycomb grille, the por ted enclosure is designed to optimise system response and reduce woofer noise. Rear panel settings include polarity and crossover adjustments at 80Hz, 100Hz and 120Hz in a variety of applications. By pairing the IRX115S with the 8-inch IRX108BT and 12-inch IRX112BT powered loudspeakers, the system can benefit from dbx automatic

DirectOut’s IP migration

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FOLLOWING THE success of its EXBOX.MD MADI/Dante converter, German manufacturer DirectOut has expanded the series with the introduction of EXBOX.RAV, a compact solution to aid the migration from baseband audio to

IP. The device runs on Ravenna and supports NMOS for stream discovery and connection management.

Four gigabit Ethernet ports with an internal switch and PoE, and three MADI ports in BNC, SC and SFP format, provide bidirectional

The IRX115S, IRX108BT and IRX112BT feedback suppression, ducking and EQ presets, while also streaming Bluetooth audio. A built-in pole mount and integrated

handles enhance user flexibility and por tability.

conversion and routing of up to 64 audio channels.

In addition to EXBOX.RAV, DirectOut has also unveiled two new audio network modules to its Prodigy Series, each integrating state-of-the-art sample rate converters. DANTE.SRC.IO (Dante) and RAV.SRC.IO (Ravenna) are equipped with FPGA-based SRCs and enable asynchronous operation between the modules and the Prodigy mainframe, independently from the configured reference clock of the device. The new modules are suitable for when connections between mixed and asynchronous Dante and Ravenna/ST 2110 networks are a must.

The Prodigy series has recently gained support for Ember+ with its latest software update. Up until now, control of Prodigy.MC and Prodigy.MP devices was only possible via the front panel touch display and the remote control software globcon. Ember+ has now been added as the first network-based, third-party protocol. It is an open control protocol based on an initiative of the Lawo Group. The DirectOut implementation allows control over the configuration, the settings of the microphone preamp and the routing matrix, including channel labelling, as well as monitoring the status of the device.

www.jblpro.com

www.directout.eu

S-Series

Scan for more information

Dante 48 Systems

Networked Audio

Including:

DMI-DANTE64@96

Why not add...

DMI-KLANG Immersive Mixing

3 x A168D STAGE

A164D WALL LCD

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DMI-AMM Automatic Mic Mixer

Unit 10 Silverglade Business Park, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, KT9 2QL. UK

wwwDiGiCo.biz 25/11/2020 14:26:08 27/01/2021 10:17

PRODUCTS

An expanding RCF catalogue FORMING PART of the Business Music range are two new digital mixer amplifiers: the DMA 82 (2x80W) and DMA 162 (2x160W). According to RCF, both provide a powerful matrix/ DSP platform with recallable speaker presets, while the OLED front panel RCF’s Business Music family

DMA 82 is said to make the setup extremely user friendly. Configuration can also be performed via the RCF universal RDNet software, using the optional board.

Some of the device features can also

be controlled from third-party systems via serial protocol. DMA can distribute four audio channels to satellite DMA-P units for “easy installation and scalable architecture”.

With on-board DSP, the DMA 162P (2x160W) amplifier has been designed to increase the installed power in a multi-room architecture. One analogue stereo input and four-channel bus

(via Cat-5 cabling) can be routed to power outputs via DIP switches. DSP configuration and presets are only via RDNet. Each unit can receive four mono or dual stereo channels from the fourchannel audio bus, with a local stereo input as an alternative. Line output for the subwoofer is also available.

Working in conjunction with the DMA units, the RC 401 remote control

and the BM 404 paging console are said to expand the features further.

The RC 401 offers volume control and source select, while the BM 404 microphone base can manage up to four zones, with up to four paging consoles connected in a daisy-chain fashion, interlocked. www.rcf.it

Audix engineers an Integrated Acoustic Coupler for IEMs US MANUFACTURER Audix is shipping the TM2 Integrated Acoustic Coupler for in-ear monitors (IEMs). Designed as measurement devices, the ear simulator couplers are used by IEM manufacturers during

the R&D, final production and quality control stages.

The TM2 incorporates the functionality of lab-type testing equipment into an integrated compact package for live sound and studio engineers who want an

effective way to test IEM performance.

Comprising precision-machined brass and aluminium components, the TM2 includes adapters to fit a wide range of IEMs, including custom moulds.

“We saw a need for a tool that didn’t really exist and, instead of waiting for one to come along, we just built it,” commented Audix director of US sales, Steve Young. Live monitor engineers

and HOW technicians previously had no reliably consistent method to test the functionality of IEMs. With the TM2 and readily available measurement software including Rational Acoustic’s SMAART or Studio Six Digital’s Audio Tools, engineers can confirm the functionality of each performer’s IEMs. www.audixusa.com

4098 gooseneck goes to the Core Shure takes recording to the next level

DPA MICROPHONES has upgraded its 4098 gooseneck microphone to include its Core by DPA technology.

Designed for podium micing, the 4098 Core is described as the ideal solution for applications that require high speech intelligibility.

“By increasing the dynamic range of the mics, Core by DPA extends the point at which the distortion is

just starting to become audible,” explained René Moerch, product manager at DPA Microphones.

“Incorporating this technology into the 4098 allows pastors to be heard through the mic as though they are speaking to the viewer/listener directly.”

With Core by DPA technology, the 4098 Core mics reportedly capture a wider dynamic range so that the 1% THD is now lifted by 8dB to 133dB SPL. It is best suited to the installation market and, with a linear response, low distortion and large dynamic range, performs well in challenging environments. www.dpamicrophones.com

SHURE HAS unveiled its DuraPlex subminiature 5mm omnidirectional lavalier and headset mic which boasts the manufacturer’s first IP57 rating. Offering the same features and durability as TwinPlex, DuraPlex consists of the DL4 omnidirectional waterproof lavalier microphone and the DH5 omnidirectional waterproof headset microphone. DuraPlex comes with a carrying case, snap-fit and foam windscreens, single tie clip and a presence cap. The DL4 also comes packaged with a sticky mount.

In other news, the MV7 podcast microphone is Shure’s first hybrid XLR/USB microphone and is laser focused on the user’s voice so that the audience gets a clear and rich reproduction regardless of whether the recording is made at home or in a studio setting. Auto Level Mode sets gains in real time, so the output levels stay consistent to

MV7 allow users to focus more on the content rather than mic technique.

An integrated touch panel lets users adjust the gain, headphone volume, monitor mix and mute/unmute, with an option to lock customised settings. www.shure.com

The 4098 Core family

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PRODUCTS

L-Acoustics Focusrite sees Red and JH Audio co-develop premium IEMs BUILT ON JH Audio’s in-ear technology, Contour XO is the first in-ear monitor (IEM) to offer the L-Acoustics sonic signature for professional and personal audiophile use. The collaboration between the two R&D departments draws together Jerry Harvey’s multi-driver in-ear monitoring and Dr Christian Heil’s L-Acoustics line source array technologies.

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Widely viewed as the benchmark for the live music and performing arts industries, the L-Acoustics sonic signature is described as natural, dynamic and consistent.

The limited-edition Contour XO serves as a reference IEM onstage, at the mixing desk, in the studio or on the move.

In addition, the development of Contour XO supports the upcoming release of new L-ISA binaural object-based mixing software tools currently in beta testing.

Designed to elevate the standard for in-ear monitoring, the IEMs incorporate 10 balanced armature drivers and three-way crossover in a quad low, dual mid and quad high configuration. The Contour XO IEMs offer low-end control with bass adjustment of up to 15dB above flat response.

Available via the L-Acoustics eStore, customers can choose from both universal and custom fit options in personal packaging. www.l-acoustics.com

DESCRIBED AS being able to “supercharge” any audio interface from the Red range, Focusrite has unveiled a new remote desktop controller named RedNet R1. The device is capable of controlling a range of different monitor output setups, from mono through to 7.1.4 surround, Dolby Atmos and other immersive audio workflows, while completely custom setups of up to 12 outputs can also be configured for bespoke speaker configurations.

RedNet R1 can be used to control groups of outputs from a Red interface’s sources and destinations, including Pro Tools | HD and other DAWs, analogue inputs and outputs, ADAT and S/PDIF connections, and from entire Dante audio-over-IP ecosystems, simultaneously. Toppanel control includes level, reference level preset selection, cut, dim, mute and a variety of solo modes. There’s also an A/B functionality for switching between numerous monitoring presets, and up to four fold-down presets allow for the fast checking of downmixes.

The controller also features Danteenabled talkback, an internal mic and an XLR input for connecting an external mic, and a high-powered headphone output so users can interact with their Dante system. Up to four talkback destination groups are available when used with a Red interface (when used with other Dante devices, a single talkback group is available). Two on-board LCD displays permit level metering of the outputs,

sources and headphone outputs, and provide visual cues for navigating menus. Additional features include a 1 ⁄4-inch jack socket, which accepts a footswitch for talkback management and LFE muting. It can be powered via Ethernet to reduce cabling complexity (using the PoE standard) or by DC power supply.

Aside from the remote controller, the British manufacturer has added a new model to its Red range of Thunderbolt interfaces. With mini-DigiLink, Thunderbolt 3 and Dante connections, Red 8Line makes it possible to instantly switch between Pro Tools, other DAW applications and a vast world of audio-over-IP, without the need to reconfigure audio settings.

Updates to the RedNet A16R and RedNet D16R Dante interfaces

have brought new functionality in mission-critical scenarios. The new MkII models share the same feature set as their predecessors but are upgraded with individual level controls for input and output channels. This allows precise calibration of all inputs and outputs, reportedly making the process of accurate alignment of connected equipment more straightforward.

Last but not least, new drivers have made Red range interfaces compatible with Windows computers for the first time, meaning that PC users running Windows 10 with the appropriate Thunderbolt 3 hardware can now use Red interfaces in their audio systems. www.focusrite.com

Compact mixing THE FOUR mixers in Soundcraft’s Nano Series – the Nano M08BT, Nano M12BT, Nano M16 and Nano M24 – have been designed to support a wide range of sources, including microphones, musical instruments, digital playback and recording.

The models feature playback and recording from a USB flash drive, simple Mac and PC connectivity via USB and physical vertical faders.

The M16 and M24 multichannel analogue mixing consoles cater for various application requirements from live performances, to studio recordings and fixed installations.

They have a built-in USB player,

Nano M08BT support MP3 format audio file playback and recording storage. The M12BT supports Bluetooth-enabled digital playback devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, Macs and PCs. The mixer also has USB playback and recording functions,

allowing it to play the supported tracks in the USB flash drive or record and store directly to the USB flash drive.

The integrated USB audio interface of the M12BT and M08BT can work with both Macs and PCs, making them compatible with commonly used audio production software. The M12BT and M08BT have flexible input and connection options, a built-in compressor, a sound effects processor and vertical channel faders, making them suitable for various application scenarios, including live performances, studio recording and fixed installations. pro.harman.com

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PRODUCTS

S f Bridging analogue to digital and IP DESIGNED FOR analogue partyline users who want to enter the world of digital and IP communications while extending the working life of their legacy equipment, RTS has released OMS (OMNEO Main Station), a hybrid IP/digital/ analogue main station for partyline intercom systems and the core component of a new product family: RTS Digital Partyline.

OMNEO IP technology – incorporating Dante (audio transport) and AES70 (device control) – allows OMS to interconnect with RTS Digital Matrix products (including ADAM, ADAM-M, ODIN, KP series keypanels and ROAMEO DECT wireless) and forthcoming new members of the RTS Digital Partyline family.

According to the manufacturer, OMS can provide a path from legacy equipment to the latest technology, allowing users to migrate to the flexibility of an IP infrastructure

without the complexity of a matrix system.

OMS is a communications multi-tool for a wide range of customers, including theatres, houses of worship, broadcast, AV rental, industrial facilities and entertainment/event venues.

It is available in five licensed configurations to suit the user’s budget and application requirements: Advanced, Intermediate and Basic digital (each with OMNEO); and Analog Plus and Analog (main station options for analogue-only partyline systems).

Users requiring both analogue and digital should upgrade to OMS Intermediate or OMS Advanced.

All OMS configurations feature a high-resolution, full-colour front panel display and an icon-based menu structure. The panel layout will be familiar to partyline users and has dedicated colour-coded controls for each channel

(talk/listen/call/volume). Each of the four button sets can be programmed to function with any destination in the system. For example, button set one does not necessarily need to control partyline one; it can be assigned as a relay or to a keypanel. Three headset variants are supported.

The AC power supply has a locking IEC connector, and the unit’s low power draw and venting enclosure design reportedly mean that no cooling fans are necessary.

Support for four ports of analogue AIO four-wire, four ports of analogue two-wire (equipped with echo cancellation), two program inputs and one stage announce output are included. Ethernet connectivity is via copper or fibre (for OMS Intermediate and OMS Advanced versions with OMNEO). Additional OMNEO expansion audio ports are included for networking with other OMS units, enabling additional

system capacity and partyline capability as part of a distributed or multi-site system. OMS Intermediate and OMS Advanced configurations support the TIF-2000A digital telephone interface.

The fully equipped OMS Advanced version allows the user to convert between four different formats: OMNEO, RVON, four-wire AIO and two-wire. G.711, G.722 and G.729AB codecs are supported.

Up to 40 OMNEO devices may be connected, including ROAMEO beltpacks (for which OMS can also serve as a standalone base station), up to eight keypanels and up to 16 partylines. OMS Advanced supports four channels of RVON (RTS Voice Over Network) via RTS KP series keypanels, for remote networking with other RVON-capable equipment (RVON Trunking not supported). www.rtsintercoms.com

Lectrosonics reveals next-gen digital receiver WITH THE introduction of the DCR822 dual-channel portable receiver, Lectrosonics aims to build on the benchmark digital RF and audio performance features set by the legacy UCR411a. Designed for field and location production, the compact receiver is compatible with all the current Lectrosonics mono and stereo digital transmitters, in addition to being backwards compatible with any of the Digital Hybrid Wireless transmitters manufactured since 2002.

Equipped with two independent receiver channels, the DCR822 tunes across 144MHz (A1B1 version) or 155MHz (B1C1 version), with over 6,000 frequency choices. Ideal for use in portable bag systems and on sound carts, settings can be adjusted using tactile buttons and a high-resolution LCD interface on the front panel. To overcome interference problems, an RF spectrum analyser and SmartTune are built into the receiver and a two-way IR sync hastens the setting

up of matching transmitters. The new receiver includes a USB jack on the back panel for connectivity with the Lectrosonics Wireless Designer software for frequency coordination and RF system monitoring.

RF signals from two receiver front ends per channel with differing phase angles to obtain maximum energy. This delivers artefact-free performance in all modes and can take transmissions compromised

The RF gain stages in the front end use a newly developed design to provide low noise RF amplification and extremely low susceptibility to intermodulation with an IP3 (3rdorder intercept point) of +15dBm. The DCR822’s Vector Diversity subsystem continuously combines

by multipath interference and reassemble them into solid signals.

Along with Vector Diversity on each receiver channel, the two channels can be used together for a single Frequency Diversity channel operating on two different frequencies for full redundancy.

The mechanical design of the receiver fits into the same dimensions as the UCR411A, allowing existing mounts to be used.

To decrease weight, the new receiver provides two independent channel receivers in one unit powered by four AA Lithium batteries or external DC. The receiver is also equipped with a microSD card slot for data transfer, such as firmware updates and frequency group information.

The machined aluminium housing and panels are surfaced with a hardanodised finish with laser etched markings to withstand the rigours of field production. Audio outputs are via two locking TA3M connectors with either analogue mic/line level or AES3 digital outputs selectable in the menu. The DCR822 can record audio channels directly from the receivers onto the card in the industry standard .wav (BWF) file format at 24-bits/48kHz for compatibility with any AV editing software. www.lectrosonics.com

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Sommer patching cable feels the flex THE LATEST cable release from German manufacturer Sommer is a flexible Cat-6a 10Gbit patch cable named the SC-MERCATOR CAT.6a highflex. The new model has an external diameter of just 6mm and also boasts a very small bending radius of 20mm, making it ideally suited to bending its way through patch panels, data cabinets and

wire pairs. The overall construction has been guaranteed to meet Cat-6a performance up to 500MHz. The standardised, ready-made C6AFU patch cable comes with ultra-compact 25mm short RJ45 connectors and 50mm transparent

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touring racks. Despite this flexibility, Sommer promises that the cable remains sturdy due to its robust PVC jacket, plus S/FTP design with a braided shield and AL/PT foil screen around the 4x2xAWG26/7

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shrinking tubes for individual labelling. The Neutrik NE8MX/NE8MX-B etherCON cable plug protection can be retrofitted anytime.

In or out FUNCTIONING AS either an input or output, Just Add Power has introduced its 2GΩ/3G ST1 sound transceiver, an audioonly component that allows integrators to add a stereo audio source to any J+P system or extract stereo audio from an existing transmitter. The ST1 feeds stereo audio into a J+P system. Any audio source with an analogue audio out – a TV, Sonos amp, CD player, microphone and more – can be connected and played on any receiver. As an audio output, the transceiver is reportedly capable of playing any stereo audio content from any J+P device, while providing variable audio control. This allows users to send analogue audio from a display to the main rack without having to run an extra network cable.

By combining the transceiver with J+P transmitters and receivers in the same installation, installers have the ability to mix audio and video in “new and

unique ways”. They can provide clients with the ability to watch sporting events while listening to radio commentary, give a presentation by mixing PC video with microphone audio or even add an audio return channel. As with all models in the J+P lineup, the ST1 is said to integrate seamlessly with any generation of the company’s products. www.justaddpower.com

www.sommercable.com

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PRODUCTS

Powersoft in harmony with SIs PROVIDING SYSTEMS integrators with the tools to manage intricate installation projects through its dedicated Install Skin, Powersoft has updated the ArmoníaPlus software.

The v2.0 release extends the capabilities of Powersoft amplifiers by delivering new features in addition to streamlining existing ones. While live sound projects in ArmoníaPlus maintain the same structure as

the original version, Install System projects now assist SIs with sources and zone management, allowing customisable user interfaces and controls to be created in the new Views Designer. By registering a copy, users can gain access to the MyPowersoft online platform through a single sign-in procedure.

Powersoft amplifiers are now capable of managing mono, stereo and multichannel sources and

zones. This allows for decentralised system processing, removing the requirement for an external matrix in many applications and reducing the number of cable runs. Any analogue or AES3 signal can be converted into Dante and shared over the network through the Dante Matrix, which is now natively integrated within ArmoníaPlus. Patching between amplifiers and Dante sources is only performed when required, allowing the creation of offline sources and providing a lighter solution for systems that require the selection of Dante sources.

ArmoníaPlus 2.0 also introduces a series of solutions aimed at remotely controlling key system functionalities such as zone level control, source selection and system scene selection. With Passive Controls, the WM Level and WM Select can be shared over the network for connecting a passive wall controller to one amplifier via GPI and controlling the parameters of other devices in the same network. WM Level

controllers can be configured to adjust the level of an amplifier output in addition to single or multiple zones. WM Select controllers can be set to work as source selectors for a zone or configured as scene selectors, allowing users to choose from different system configurations.

Customisable user interfaces can be created in The Views Designer, which promotes the controlling and monitoring of multiple source and zone functionalities from any mobile device with a web browser.

Performed in the new Views Designer, Powersoft System Control is a dedicated app that controls system views and loads ArmoníaPlus project designs to the amplifiers and external controls.

V2.0 also introduces features aimed at improving the user experience, including multiple workspaces, a synchronisation mode and new Control and Views modes that let WebViews and App Views users choose how they control their system.

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Symetrix composes an update SYMETRIX HAS announced the release of its latest free Composer programming software for Edge, Radius NX, Prism and Solus NX DSPs. Composer 8.0 for Windows expands the power of the Symetrix ecosystem with new features, including Lua scripting, Radius NX AEC enhancement, audio playback and Media Manager.

Lua scripting allows users to create custom Intelligent Modules for Composer. These modules allow the software to control and monitor any device that can be controlled by a third-party system or provide system logic functionality which previously required large and complex logic programming.

The Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) cards for the Radius NX have a new configuration option that increases the total number of AEC channels when using

discreet AEC references. When processing AEC, the AEC channels in each room need to receive an AEC reference signal specific to that room which presents an increased processing load for the DSP chip.

With Composer 8.0, the Radius NX with AEC-2 card is now capable of up to 12 channels of simultaneous

AEC. This enables a single Radius NX to manage as many as 12 different rooms.

Audio recording functionality in the Radius NX is now joined by audio playback. Audio systems often include a message playback device for audio cues, such as background music. The Radius NX can play up to eight audio tracks simultaneously from a local USB drive.

The Radius NX Media Manager is a browser-based feature providing upload, download, playlist and organisation functions for recordings on the USB drive of the Radius NX. Whether a Radius NX is playing background music, announcement messages or timing chimes, audio files need to be uploaded to the Radius NX before they can be played and organised on the drive. Radius NX Media Manager also provides full control of all media files on the device using any web browser. www.symetrix.co

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AquaControl software update

NV-32-H

QSC expands Q-Sys Ecosystem QSC HAS announced the release of the multipurpose NV-32-H (Corecapable) native network video endpoint for the Q-Sys Ecosystem, which now allows users to toggle between Core Mode, which transforms the device into a fully capable Q-Sys processor with local HDMI switching capabilities, and its existing Peripheral Mode, which is designed for network HDMI video distribution over standard AV networks. The Core Mode is said to offer a fully featured audio

processing engine, including 32x32 network audio channels, eight AEC channels, one VoIP softphone instance and optional support for software-based Dante. As with the rest of the Q-Sys processing portfolio, it also features a software-based control engine to reportedly provide simple control integration for native Q-Sys devices, as well as third-party connected devices. www.qsc.com

Sonicue updated to v1.2

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THE LATEST software release (1.2) for Dynacord’s Sonicue sound system software expands the scope of the solution by adding full support for the new MXE5 matrix mix engine, completing the sound system by providing input, routing and mixing functionality, in addition to DSP functions. When integrated with Dynacord’s IPX series amplifiers, the MXE5 can serve as a system head for overall system supervision, monitoring and control, while the system logic supports communication with other Open Control Architecture (OCA) devices, including third-party products.

Running as independent apps on desktop PCs and the TPC-1 touch panel controller, v1.2 adds customisation features for user control panels and system logic for advanced tasks.

The software’s new control panel designer is described as a comprehensive toolbox that allows

the creation of standalone, lockable applications. The design of the user interfaces is customisable and assignable with different functions according to the required user type.

Together with the new system logic and customising functions, the applications can be loaded with dynamic content for specific application modes. The update also includes an activated routine for loudspeaker databases and an overview that displays the current firmware of all supported devices.

In addition to the Sonicue updates, Dynacord has also made third-party loudspeaker presets from popular manufacturers available inside the software, expanding the lineup of third-party loudspeaker options for integration into Sonicue. A list of supported brands is available on the manufacturer’s website. www.dynacord.com

ASHLY AUDIO has launched the first major update to its new AquaControl software suite. Following partner and customer feedback, new changes, including templates, additional filter types and link groups, are free to download.

Integration setups can be saved

low-pass filters. These include Bessel 5th-order (30dB/octave), Bessel 6th-order (36dB/octave), Bessel 7thorder (42dB/octave), Butterworth 1st-order (6dB/octave), Butterworth 5th-order (30dB/octave), Butterworth 6th-order (36dB/ octave), Butterworth 7th-order

and recalled with updated template capabilities. Mic/line input, stereo input and output DSP signal chain configurations can be stored and imported into other AquaControlcapable devices. Eight new filter types for crossovers have been added to the software, in addition to high- and

(42dB/octave) and Linkwitz-Riley 6th-order (36dB/octave). Designed to assist the setting up of stereo or multi-zone systems, the Link Groups feature allows DSP functions to be linked across the channels. www.ashly.com

Small but powerful STRAND HAS unveiled a more compact version of its NEO lighting console – the NEO Compact 10.

The 7-inch touchscreen is said to make it easy to program a complete light show, while the ability to add an external touch monitor “brings the full programming capabilities of the NEO software for more complex productions”. Thanks to the integrated 10-button numeric keypad and command line support, the NEO Compact 10 reportedly offers fast programming of its advanced effects capabilities. It comes with seven different on-board effects engines as well as user-configurable buttons, faders and palettes that let users adapt NEO to the way they work.

Strand is also debuting the NEO Compact 10 PC Wing, a USB control surface accessory for Strand NEO PC that is based on the same hardware design as the Compact 10 console. The 10-fader USB wing offers NEO PC users the same 10-button numeric keypad, as well as a touchscreen interface that allows users to quickly select palettes and groups. With the NEO Compact 10 PC Wing and a laptop running NEO PC, users can reportedly program upcoming shows from anywhere or run a live production with tactile buttons and faders from a laptop. www.strandlighting.com

Neo Compact 10

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High End Systems adds to SolaFrame series SOLAFRAME STUDIO is an automated luminaire which uses a 300W high CRI bright white engine to produce 10,000 lumens. The fixture’s convection-cooled engine reportedly allows for completely fanless operation. Features include a

high-quality 13-lens optic system with patented Lens Defogger, a 5.5–57° zoom, a CMY/CTO-Linear colour mixing system, a seven-position plus open replaceable colour wheel, a fullcurtain framing system for control of beam shaping, a 16-blade iris for tight

A new ERA MARTIN HAS expanded its ERA range with the ERA 600 and 800 Profiles, which join the ERA 300 Profile and three ERA Performance fixtures.

Designed for applications needing an all-in-one moving head that is compact, lightweight and bright, the ERA 600 incorporates a 550W, 6,500K LED engine that produces 19,000 lumens and the ERA 800 comes with an 800W, 6,500K LED engine that produces 34,000 lumens. Both units are said to deliver sharp image projection with a flat field. Additional benefits include 1:8 zoom, electronic dimming/strobe, CMY/CTO, iris for beam adjustment and dual rotating gobo wheels, plus an additional static wheel loaded with gobos from the Martin MAC range.

The manufacturer has also announced that its P3 System

beam effects, a light diffusion with additional, optional heavy diffusion, a seven-position plus open rotating gobo wheel and a linear prism for controlled pattern replication across a stage. www.highend.com

Signal distribution made easier Controller software version 5.2.0 is now available as a free update for the entire family of Martin P3 System Controllers. The update comes with a range of features and improvements that benefit newer products such as the MAC Aura PXL and VDO Atomic Dot, as well as long-time favourites such as VDO Sceptron, VDO Fatron and Exterior PixLine. Users can toggle individual fixtures between video control and DMX control and create an Art-Net to P3 Bridge using the PixelMap Input functionality to visualise lighting designs in real time. Other benefits include receiving PixelMap input from a lighting desk for up to 128 universes, driving fixtures with a video feed from a media server or dynamically switching between the two.

MA LIGHTING has released two tools for signal distribution said to make daily life easier for grandMA3 users. The grandMA3 I/O Node and grandMA3 I/O Node DIN-Rail can be used for receiving and sending external signals. They come in the same housing as a grandMA3 2/4 Port Node DIN-Rail and are also available as PoE versions.

The displays show the status of all input and output signals. Once the units receive MIDI, timecode or DC

enable all necessary parameters for visualisation. All compatible 3rdparty manufacturers are MA-Net3 members on the network and can visualise all granted parameters instantly. grandMA3 viz-key also enables all non-granted parameters for visualisation.

The manufacturer has also unveiled grandMA3 software version 1.4.

This release rolls out enhancements that reportedly improve the basic workflow, as well as new features that “enrich the overall lighting control experience”. Additionally, it introduces the new concepts of Recipes and MAgic (MA grid interpolation concept). The MAtricks have been expanded from a Selection Tool to a full three-dimensional manipulation tool for Phase, Speed,

www.martin.com

Titanic return ROTOLIGHT DESCRIBES its Titan X1 as a pioneering LED that reinvents the 1x1 light. Featuring SmartSoft, the manufacturer’s electronic diffusion technology, users can control diffusion, focus and spread without the need for gels. The LED builds on the Titan X2 and includes a high-speed sync RGB flash and built-in wireless connectivity (Bluetooth/wDMX).

Users can access key features through the touchscreen display and reportedly save time with an easyto-use interface, quick-start icons and 50 customisable presets. The Titan X1 also includes Rotolight’s RGBWW pentachromic colour engine for “precise skin tones and vivid

grandMA3 viz-key colour saturation”. With CRI and TLCI performance across the entire CCT spectrum, the LED is also said to help save time in postproduction. www.rotolight.com

Remote signals, these are available immediately throughout the grandMA3 lighting control system and can be used in any grandMA3 onPC or console. The same applies for transmitting MIDI or timecode signals. Both units can be used to connect locally with external signals to integrate them into the MA-Net3 workflow. grandMA3 viz-key is described by MA Lighting as the easiest way to crossconnect between any scale of grandMA3 lighting control system and compatible 3rd-party visualisers. Users can connect the grandMA3 viz-key with the visualisation computer and it will

Fade, Delay and several Invert Value and Invert Encoder functionalities.

The streamlined UI – known as Phaser Editor – is now available straight from the Encoder bar and hosts a step editor. The Programmer and Cue-Parts can host Recipes for pre-arranging events, changing ingredients and re-cooking single parts or the whole event. Along with an optimised 3D window, there are different selection modes to copy any selection straight into the grid view. The colour picker improvements for additive colour mixing also allow generic use of GDTF colour information to match colours of different fixture types.

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www.malighting.com

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PR Lighting move outdoors WITH THE unveiling of the Aqua Marine 580 BWS and Aqua Marine 580 Beam moving heads, PR Lighting has added two new IP66-rated outdoor moving models.

A double-layer special coating of the chassis accompanied by PR’s sealing system reportedly makes the marine-grade fixtures resistant to a wider range of corrosive media, promoting their use for projects close to or in sea water.

Housing either a Philips MSD Platinum 25 R lamp or Osram Sirius HRI 550W XL, both the Aqua Marine 580 BWS (PR-2596) and 580 Beam (PR-2568) are fully featured. Colours include a CYM linear mixing system with macros, a colour wheel with 12 colour filters, Rainbow effect with bidirectional and variable speeds and stepping/linear colour changing

Aqua Marine 580 Beam

Aqua Marine 580 BWS

while the filters can be in any position.

Both moving heads accommodate one fixed gobo wheel and a rotating gobo wheel with seven interchangeable rotating gobos, bidirectionally rotatable and

shakeable at variable speeds. There are four different facet prisms, which can be overlapped. The graphic effects wheel offers bidirectional rotation with variable speeds and can be overlapped with the fixed and rotating gobo wheels.

Features also include an independent frost filter. Other functions consist of DMX linear focus and zoom, 0–100% dimmer and double shutter blade strobe.

Head movement includes 540° (pan) and 270° (tilt), with auto-position correction. The 580 BWS’ light angles are 0–2° (beam), 2–40° (spot) and 3–50° (wash). The 580 Beam has a dedicated 2° beam angle. Ancillary features include adjustable pan and tilt speeds, lamp/fixture hours displayed, RDM protocol, optional Art-Net and wireless DMX512. The dust- and waterproof cast aluminium fixtures are also suitable for high temperatures and resistant to marinegrade corrosion and neutral salt spray for up to 1,500 hours. www.pr-lighting.com

Prolights expands its catalogue ECLPROFILE CT+ is a six-colour mixing LED ellipsoidal. Its custom LED array and on-board colour control reportedly allow it to reach bright and high-quality whites, up to 97 of CRI, keeping a consistent output and a total control of the light. The wide feature set includes special theatrical functions such as tungsten emulation on dimming, colour gels, virtual CTO and studio functions, such as ± green correction on linear white CCT from 2,800–10,000K. The EclProfile FW is a high-quality, full white LED profile, in tungsten (3,200K) and daylight (5,600K) variants. The unit has been engineered in the same housing and optical design as the EclProfile CT+ fixtures. However, the FW fixtures were created with higher brightness and quality on a specific white point, with the LED scoring over 97 CRI, as well

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EclProfile CT+

as very high R9 and TM30 values. The EclProfile range has a broad range of lens barrels available, with fixed or zoom high-definition, anti-reflection lenses for different applications, but it also accepts third-party accessories.

Sunrise 2IP is an IP-rated and convection-cooled modular 2x1 LED blinder, designed to replace

Sunrise 2IP classic halogen fixtures of any sizes.

It comes with an on-board, fastlocking mechanism that allows the Sunrise 2IP to be combined into a 4x1 or a 2x2 blinder. It is equipped with 2x75W COB warm white, pixelcontrolled LEDs and its optical system is capable of outputting the same performance and beam angle as the fluorescent bulbs, including dimmer ramp with red-shift.

The DeltaPix 48T is a rental LED screen for outdoor use with a 4.8mm pixel pitch and the DeltaPix 29B is a rental LED screen for indoor use with a 2.9mm pixel pitch. The panels can be curved up to 10° concave and support automatic power backup in case of any PSU failures.

The DeltaPix 48T can also be floor mounted, by placing panels on their dedicated floor base and applying a selection of black or transparent floor coverings.

The ArcPod 15Q is a compact exterior wash fixture featuring highintensity light. The unit is equipped with 15x10W RGBW/FC LEDs, delivering an output of more than 5,900 lumens and a wide gamut of colours and whites. The slim size, as well as the wide range of available optics, reportedly makes the ArcPod 15Q a flexible architectural fixture to complement bigger versions in large outdoor installations.

The ArcPod 96Q is a two-headed bright outdoor wash light designed for large-scale outdoor installations and long-throw projection. Equipped with 96x10W RGBW/FC LEDs, it comes with two different optics on each head

DeltaPix 48T

Ra 2000ProfileHB (10° top and 15° bottom). Its slim size and wide range of optics mean that users can customise or change each single head, which reportedly makes it an ideal architectural lighting fixture for larger setups.

The Ra 2000ProfileHB is the high-flux variant of the Ra 2000Profile, offering the same footprint and feature set but engineered around an LED source, which scores 40% higher intensity with lower colour rendering. Equipped with both framing shutters and an animation wheel, the 6,300K LED engine has been custom-engineered to make the Ra 2000ProfileHB achieve a 18,900-lumen output, while the on-board CRI enhancement filter can obtain a CRI > 83. One colour wheel provides split colours and linear CTO allows the Ra 2000ProfileHB to blend in with traditional sources. The unit includes a gobo wheel, adjustable framing shutters, an animation wheel, iris, prism and dual linear frost. www.prolights.it

March–April 2021 WORSHIP AVL 57

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THE TECH VIEW

Getting it right The Covid-19 pandemic was not going to stop The Barn Christian Fellowship Church from spreading its message The Barn technical director Jonathan Charles with worship and young adult pastor Bryce Kwant

A KITTED-OUT TOYOTA HILUX, WITH roof rack and mods, stands outside The Barn Christian Fellowship Church in Boskruin, Johannesburg, as the days of running missions in Zambia and elsewhere in Africa have come to a sudden halt with the Covid-19 pandemic. But this was not going to stop the church from sharing its message. Activities at The Barn, like many other houses of worship in South Africa and beyond, have instead been forced to migrate online in recent months. It’s been a learning process for all involved.

Bryce Kwant is the worship and young adult pastor at The Barn, and his work also entailed equipping the church’s crossover to livestreaming. He laughs as he unpretentiously shares how The Barn first started “recording” in 2019 solely with the use of a mobile phone.

“We had a couple in the church who moved to Ecuador, and that actually started the conversation, as they wanted to stay connected with us,” he recalls. “We hadn’t even thought of having our services online, so initially we took a broom, taped a phone to it and, because they were so desperate, we shared the service that way until we could get it right.”

The church has come a long way since those days. At the onset of the

pandemic, it became clear that the only way The Barn congregation would be able to meet under the strict gatherings act, was online. “Seven of us moved into the church, just taking along our own beds from home,” recalls Kwant.

“Our families were with us, and it was like a long camping trip, while every evening we broadcast prayer meetings.”

The team quickly realised that they had to improve their equipment and sort out a broadcasting system, purchasing a Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and Studio Camera 4K 2 and a selection of Robe and Strand 150S lighting equipment through DWR Distribution. Together, they created a broadcast room in what was formerly a kitchen space, with gear comprising two computers and a vision mixer that used to be kept in the auditorium.

Luckily, the church had DWR’s expertise to guide them through the process. “In general, it was very hard to get to grips with all the changes we would have to make but even harder trying to find the right information out there for us. Research is always key,” notes Kwant. “Going fully online gave us the freedom to give the best quality we could give to an online audience because we could solely focus on

The Barn pastors during their recent 7 Days of Prayer livestream their experience rather than juggling inperson as well as online viewers. DWR helped us in a large part by working alongside us in building our new broadcast room as a ‘mission control’ for all things online. They provided excellent service tailored to us and always have the customer in mind.”

Having made the shift, the last six months of livestreaming services have shown The Barn how powerful new technology can be to a church. “Often, churches can get stuck in old routines or patterns which prevent them from technologically moving along with the world but, by using technology, we can truly reach our goal to make more disciples and spread the word of God anywhere in the world,” furthers Kwant.

As a result of its recent success and in a bid to continually improve online programming, The Barn already has

plans to further improve its setup, the repurposed vision mixer being top of the list. “We would definitely like a new video switcher with multiple M/Es and more cameras, as well as introducing more sound consoles into our system to have separate broadcast, monitor and FOH mixes,” shares Kwant. “The more we change or upgrade our system, the more we become aware of new technologies that could help us improve and get us the level of broadcasting we would like to have. Our setup will often see a change whether we have to juggle both in-person and online services or whether we are doing online-only services.”

Kwant praises The Barn’s Allen & Heath SQ-7 digital mixer as his most valuable recent purchase. “It has to be our new SQ-7 which offers so many large-format console features in a smaller and much cheaper package while giving us the flexibility of option cards to integrate Dante or Waves into our audio workflow,” he explains. “Soon we would love to move to a DiGiCo solution but as Abe Lincoln says: ‘Good things come to those who wait, but only what’s left from those who hustle.’

So, we plan on making the big shift as soon as we can.”

One last tip from Kwant for other churches still to make the leap online, is to “research, research, research beforehand,” he says. “Buy the right thing the first time to avoid any problems you can foresee in the future, even if it requires a slightly higher budget.”

The events of 2020 have set The Barn on a course unlikely to be reversed any time soon. “Definitely, we plan to continue improving and building our broadcast system and working to continue to reach people, not only physically but virtually around the world and provide flexibility for our viewers to watch our services anywhere in the world but also by providing wellpresented content.” www.dwrdistribution.co.za www.thebarn.co.za

58 WORSHIP AVL March–April 2021

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MD 445 and MM 445

Closer. More direct. More intense.

The most powerful version of our dynamic high-end microphone series enhances vocals with an unprecedented intimacy and range of detail.

At the same time, the high-rejection, super-cardioid pattern offers an extremely high level of feedback resistance.

Learn more about the MD 445 top-of-the-range microphone and the MM 445 capsule. www.sennheiser.com

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