Wenocur
Andrew McGibbon
ON THE CIRCUIT
As we turn to the topic of houses of worship this month, we’re looking at two churches that went for large format arrays. This got me thinking about the other end of the spectrum which is listening assistance. It’s important, partly for congregations whose hearing may be aging, but also for congregants who may—through culture or language—struggle to hear the details they need to understand what is being said. As we all know, once you have lost the thread by missing even a few words, it can be hard to recover that connection. Some people may also find room acoustics overwhelming and need to listen through a more intimate device than a line array.
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For these individuals with hearing challenges or those affected by difficult acoustics, participating in a service without assistive technology can be an isolating experience. Ensuring that everyone can hear clearly is not only about inclusion; it’s about fostering community and connection.
Mike Mitchell at Sennheiser recently shared some insight on this topic. He reminds me that historically, assistive listening devices (ALDs) in these environments have relied on traditional FM or infrared systems. Those systems typically required attendees to borrow devices to amplify the service’s sound, something I also remember from my theme park days. While these solutions provided some relief, they also presented logistical challenges such as maintenance, hygiene concerns, and limited personalization options. And just the process of going to get the device and returning it afterward was not always conducive to inclusion for those who couldn’t, or didn’t want to, take that very public extra step. Furthermore, Mitchell pointed out that worship spaces often serve multilingual communities and the need for simultaneous language interpretation can add another layer of complexity.
Technology has to keep up with expectations and the modern expectation is a seamless experience, whether congregants are listening to a sermon, music, or other activities.
Today’s advancements in assistive listening technology can eliminate many of the traditional obstacles. Houses of worship to integrate userfriendly solutions that rely on personal smartphones or other mobile devices. Wi-Fi-based, two-channel solutions do even more, improving the experience with low-latency audio that can be customized to the user’s preference. Systems that can accommodate multiple audio streams are able to provide assistive listening as well as language translation. Or, these solutions can allow users to deploy their device as a microphone to contribute to the service or presentation.
“What was once a single-use device for listening is now a multi-use workhorse, thanks to the enrichment of bi-directional communication capabilities,” Mitchell tells me. “By embracing these innovations, worship leaders can enhance the overall experience, allowing all attendees— regardless of their hearing ability—to fully engage with the service and the community.” Ultimately, he says, assistive listening technology is not just about delivering sound; it’s about reinforcing the sense of belonging in an environment where spiritual connection and inclusivity are paramount.
Happy New Year and I hope bi-directional listening in all its forms will see us through the year to come, in our houses of worship and everywhere else.
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Hollywood quality
DaVinci Resolve now includes new real time editing tools, making it the world’s fastest editor for broadcast editing in feature film quality. But you can even use it for live action replay! You can edit while HyperDecks are recording live and you can even cut in the viewer to edit without a timeline! Imagine doing broadcast replays and then posting them to social media!
Get Started in a Few Simple Steps!
DaVinci Resolve lets you do replay in a few simple steps It’s as simple as watching the input view in the viewer and then pressing the POI button when an exciting event happens That will switch you from the input view to playback media, where you can see the different camera angles you have in a multi-view Now just scroll back, select a camera and you’re ready to play by pressing the run button
Build the Custom Replay System You Need!
Building a high end replay system is easy as it’s storage centric, where multiple HyperDecks record and DaVinci Resolve handles the playback Then add more storage when you need extra space and higher speed Plus, you can add more than one DaVinci Resolve system and they will collaborate globally using Blackmagic Cloud shared projects
Load HyperDeck Files Even While Recording
To start working with replay, you simply load the HyperDeck recordings into the bin One of the reasons DaVinci Resolve can be used for replay is it can edit media files even while those files are still being recorded on disk The viewer will automatically advance as the files grow in length, so you can scroll forward and get to the latest media being recorded
Add a DaVinci Resolve Replay Editor
The DaVinci Resolve Replay Editor is a hardware control panel that combines features for both replay and for multicam editing Its affordable design has the same high quality keys that gaming keyboards use, so it’s reliable and feels nice to use With features for both replay and editing, it means the same operator can work on replays while loading them into the timeline
Pro AV Today Top 5 Most Read
Microsoft brings digital signage feature to the Teams Rooms platform
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The new feature allows organizations to power digital signage for meetings and events via Teams Rooms, as well as the ability to schedule digital signage messaging throughout the company.
Walmart completes $2.3 billion acquisition of Vizio
2 The acquisition gives Walmart ownership of the brand’s advertising platform, SmartCast OS, through which Vizio made the bulk of its revenue.
SmartCast OS currently hosts over 19 million active accounts.
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Customization options for the new feature include a ‘signage mode’ which fills the frontof-room display with content while pertinent information and a calendar preview visible in the Teams Rooms banner.
Sennheiser reveals new flexible wireless microphone system
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Sennheiser has announced a new versatile audio tool for videographers. The Profile Wireless is a wireless microphone system that can be used as a clipon mic, handheld mic, or desktop mic.
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Signage mode can be customized to ignore displays’ default timeout settings, keeping content visible for indefinite periods of time in high-traffic areas.
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VPI Industries debuts fully modular turntable
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Designed to be completely modular, the first product in the Forever Series is the Model One, featuring a three-point floating suspension system and a VPI S-Tonearm.
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2024 Mac Mini teardown
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Repair specialists iFixit have shared their teardown of Apple’s new Mac Mini, now with an upgradeable SSD. Those who wish to take apart their device to increase the tiny desktop’s storage capacity will be able to do so, but not without a few caveats.
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Key Concepts
The word “key” is used in several ways in the AV and production world, and I have been confused myself at times when I was not sure of the context. For starters, of course, there’s the common English usage of key: Important or critical.
Jargon Patrol
In video and cinema lighting the key light is the primary source directly facing the subject. Conventional “three-point” lighting uses a key in front, fill to the side, and a backlight (sometimes called a hair light) to separate the subject from the background. In reality, good lighting often requires many more lights, and more sophisticated techniques, to achieve the desired look on camera.
A related use is the Key Grip on a TV or cinema shoot. The Key Grip is a senior/principal role that leads the grip crew. Going down the jargon rabbit hole, Grips handle the equipment and setup that supports (figuratively and literally) camera and lighting. This may include all kinds of hardware, rigging, and tools that are in constant flux during a shoot. Grip is one of many distinct roles that became formalized as the cinema industry evolved.
A third use of key is for a video effect that makes one video image appear to be “in front of” another image. A common example is putting
text, like someone’s name and title, over the video of that person. In this case, the complete key consists of a black/white signal that “cuts a hole” in the background image, and another signal that fills the hole with the full-color text. (See Production Switchers...)
Likewise, when shooting with a green or blue screen the idea is to “key out” the colored background and replace it with something else. It’s entirely possible that the Key Grip will tell his crew to move the key light to optimize the green screen key.
Eric Wenocur
Ivy League
Princeton University Chapel is an elegant house of worship in the style of the English Gothic cathedrals of the 14th century.
Constructed in 1928 after a fire destroyed the previous worship site, the cruciform chapel cost over $2 million to construct and was the largest university chapel in the US. Complete with seating for almost 2000 worshippers, the nave features sandstone walls with limestone highlights and towering 80 ft-high ceilings, but its admirable aesthetics compromised the speech intelligibility of liturgical services.
To resolve these issues, the chapel’s staff contacted Maryland-based audio-visual integrators Washington Professional Systems (WPS) for a new audio system. The brief specified clear and intelligible speech for all congregants, acoustically balanced music enhancement, broadcast capabilities, and better audio clarity for worship leaders, the choir, and the musicians. With consultancy support from SIA Acoustics, the chapel upgraded to a beam-steering system from Renkus-Heinz.
Going into the historically sensitive project, WPS worked closely with the project architect. WPS deployed a tiered escalation process to identify any modifications and sought guidance on how to proceed, ensuring the impact on the chapel’s irreplaceable stone and woodwork was minimal.
“The system utilizes 13 different self-powered Renkus-Heinz IC Live Gen5 loudspeakers throughout the main sanctuary, located on each side of the
altar, on the columns of the nave, on the sidewalls of the balcony, and at the Marquand Chapel,” explains John V. Fish, senior project engineer at WPS. “Each loudspeaker receives an independent audio signal from the DSP and is programmed with specific delays to act as one unit, creating the effect that the audio is being delivered from the altar.” The system takes advantage of Renkus’ new accessible OmniBeam beam-steering configuration algorithm for custom-tailored sound that covers the exact geometry of the space, with consistency from the front to the back of any venue.
“The beam-steering capabilities allow control of sound dispersion from the loudspeakers in the vertical plane. This capability helps fine-tune the system for highly intelligible speech in the very reverberant and reflective Chapel,” furthers Sam Berkow of SIA Acoustics. “Additionally, the IC Live Gen5 loudspeakers allow us as designers to control the vertical dispersion of sound to the point where we can create the sense that sound is coming from the presenter or worship leader themselves, rather than from the loudspeakers.”
The system is mixed through an Allen and Heath Avantis digital console, and a Dante-based network is used to transport audio signals throughout the sanctuary, the choir, and the altar. All system inputs and outputs are available on Dante, which means each signal can be routed as needed, including to specific loudspeaker groups. “By offering multiple modes of operation, the design allows Chapel staff to activate and use the system without navigating a complicated startup procedure,” concludes Fish. “Additionally, the system has enough headroom to be used for a wide variety of events with no drop-off in quality or sonic clarity.”
Displacement Dreams
Willow Creek Community Church, a pioneer in contemporary worship, has a reputation for setting the bar for audio excellence. In collaboration with integration partner Clark, the church recently installed a new loudspeaker system in its 7,200-seat auditorium, replacing a decades-old system with one of the largest L-Acoustics L Series installs in North America.
The L Series-patented Progressive Ultra-Dense Line Source (PULS) technology is a big change for the worship experience at Willow Creek. Frontof-House Engineer Fernando Gamas describes significant improvements in coverage, clarity, and sound quality. “Our previous PA system, nearly 20 years old, struggled to provide full coverage for every seat,” he says. “I had to run that system very conservatively, at around 88 to 90 dBA for services, to avoid complaints about the volume and the harshness of the sound,” Gamas explains. “With the L Series, we’re now able to run at higher volumes—averaging between 90 and 93 dBA, sometimes as high as 95—while maintaining an excellent sonic signature that’s smooth, clear, and engaging. Plus, intelligibility is maintained throughout every decibel level. Speech feels intimate and right in your face, and music feels big and dynamic at any volume.”
The new left-right system comprises hangs of two L2 over one L2D per side, driven by six 7.16i amplified controllers, paired with adjacent out-fill arrays of one L2 over one L2D, driven by four more LA7.16i. A dozen KS28 subs are split six per side and flown, complemented by a center cluster of six more KS28, all powered by three LA12X. Over 100 ultra-compact 5XT coaxials,
plus nine A15i ring delay enclosures, are deployed out in the house to cover the massive balcony area, while a compact A10i setup onstage provides a monitoring system for the pastors.
The L Series’ versatile directivity uniquely allows Willow Creek’s enclosures to use a combination of cardioid and supercardioid configurations, which reduces rear rejection by up to 15 dB. This capability is crucial for managing stage audio and enhancing spoken word clarity. “That’s a huge win for an organization like this with all of the speaking mics and other things that they have on stage, and it’s very helpful with the spoken word as well as music,” says Gamas.
JB Bowling, Clark’s vice president, emphasizes the unique challenges and opportunities presented by Willow Creek’s auditorium. “When you consider the combination of size and seating, this auditorium is truly one-of-a-kind in North America. It’s got a 100-foot proscenium opening and an 80-foot fly house— it’s huge,” he notes. “L Series’ compact form factor and solid power output made it the perfect choice for such a distinctive venue. It didn’t affect any of the sight lines or get in the way of any of the line sets or moving bridges. Yet there’s enough displacement in those boxes that it was able to sonically cover this massive room. Small footprint, big displacement: perfect combination.”
For Gamas, the benefits extend beyond the main PA. He now uses a pair of X8i speakers as reference monitors at the FOH position, experiencing seamless transition between them and the main arrays. “The mixes translate perfectly between the nearfields and the main system, enhancing our ability to deliver consistent, high-quality audio throughout the venue,” he notes.
Fidelity and Joy
Commissioned by non-profit arts organization FirstWorks, Bostonbased artist collective MASARY Studios deployed Epson laser projectors to create an immersive performance installation for visitors at the historic Grace Church in Providence, R.I. As part of Providence’s “Three Nights of Lights” public celebration, MASARY Studios delivered an immersive experience of illumination and sound titled “Recursion and Release” using Epson’s powerful projectors with stunning images and vivid color.
MASARY Studios is a transdisciplinary art studio that explores environments through site-specific installations using sound, light, interactivity, and performance. “Recursion and Release” explored three environments at Grace Church through an acoustic vocal ensemble, digital audio manipulation, video projection, and dynamic lighting. In harmony with the spatialized sound and light, the immersive experience featured a new composition for vocal ensemble by pioneering composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Kitty Brazelton.
“Right in the middle of downtown Providence, Grace Church is an iconic building combining neo-Gothic and modern architectures; a true masterpiece for us to use as a canvas for this project,” said Samo Okerstrom-Lang, principal, MASARY Studios. “The pavilion we worked within at the church has a glass facade, and we used the Epson projectors on the contemporary vaulted ceiling to create an immersive artwork driven by choral singers. Three levels of vocal music were realized into visual images to perform and create a light and sound installation to inspire multiple senses.”
MASARY Studios leveraged five Epson Pro Series 15,000 lumen 3-chip 3LCD laser projectors with 4K Enhancement Technology to create the installation. “The quality of black from the Epson laser technology helps with the fidelity of the artwork,” said Okerstrom-Lang. “The projectors’ compact size and setup tools lend themselves to better efficiencies for our team during the installation.”
“We were thrilled to welcome well over 1,000 people to Grace Church through this magical event,” said Rev. Canon Jonathan Huyck, Rector, Grace Church Providence. “As rector of the parish for the last 14 years, I have never seen our pavilion more creatively used, and it was wonderful to see the church host such a joyful gathering in this holiday season.”
MASARY Studios brought the flexibility and nuance of the human voice together with real-time audio analysis, signal manipulation, and audio-reactive video to allow all the parts of the art to be in conversation with each other. Epson projectors helped MASARY Studios blend media art performance technologies, music composition, and choral singing into one.
“The Epson laser projector technology gave us the brightness and highquality images we needed to make a lasting impression for visitors,” said Okerstrom-Lang. “When working within a historic building like Grace Church –that wasn’t designed for the modern technologies we have today – we rely on the flexibility of the technology to create impactful images within tight space constraints. Epson offers projector frames and lens options for a variety of ranges that make our installation seamless.”
Power Support
One Church Home in Fairview, Tennessee, underscores the deep impact that the best AVL technology can have on a ministry and how important it is to support that technology with properly detailed power infrastructure.
Integrated Production Solutions (IPS), a company that excels in both production and AV integration, ensured One Church Home was ready to open its doors with comprehensive audio, video, and lighting. For audio, the church has a d&b audio system, including Yi8 and Yi12 line arrays, KSL subs, 44S fills, and 40D and 10D amplifiers, all managed through a DiGiCo SD10 digital mixing console. QSC handles the distributed audio with Q-SYS control. Lighting is managed through a GrandMA 3 Compact lighting console and Elation Fuze pendant house lights, while the video setup features Blackmagic Design URSA Broadcast G2 cameras with Fujinon XA20 lenses, URSA studio viewfinder G2, ATEM 2ME Switcher, ATEM CCU, and a squareV Vi 2.9 LED wall.
With such a robust system, power sequencing and management were paramount. The church needed the ability to sequence on and off and control a large amount of power for these systems from multiple locations within the church — the control room, front of house, and electrical room. To ensure their new home was equipped with reliable power control and
management, One Church Home IPS turned to LynTec’s power control solutions to deliver dependable, streamlined operation for the church’s AVL systems.
A power control and distribution system purpose-built for AVL can reduce the wear and tear that happens when users use their breaker panel to turn systems off — a practice that organizations aren’t aware can have costly consequences. It also prevents systems from being left on, which can generate continuous heat that can damage equipment. Finally, it protects equipment from power surges.
LynTec’s power control solutions are the chosen solution for many houses of worship; IPS has standardized on the platform. For One Church Home, the company installed a 65-breaker LynTec RPC and two XRS-20 for remote power sequencing.
The RPC is LynTec’s flagship power control and distribution solution. Based on the G3 Powerlink hardware platform by Square D and engineered to simplify audio, video, and lighting buildouts by accelerating the installation process, LynTec’s RPC power control panels decrease operating costs with simple wiring that allows electricians to quickly and easily complete the install, eliminating the need to install a separate relay panel. Available with 30 to 84 controllable breakers per panel, the comprehensive power control solution provides additional circuitswitching control capabilities in the same enclosure and grants flexible lighting control across multiple zones and control protocols, including HTTP, Telnet, sACN, DMX, RS-232, or contact closure control systems.
When it comes to properly sequencing systems, IPS knew how vital LynTec is to systems operation. Sequencing is an important step in production. For example, if an amplifier isn’t sequenced on after the mixer, the loudspeakers could be damaged. Just one circuit turned on out of sequence could translate to expensive repairs for a system. LynTec ensures every piece of audio equipment is powered on in the proper order and mitigates start-up inrush currents from electronics, including video walls.
With LynTec’s web-enabled control and monitoring, every circuit of the church’s system can have its own delay setting. With the push of one button, the crew can power on every piece of equipment in exactly the right order with the correct delay settings.
The web-enabled control and current monitoring within LynTec GUI provides power and energy data on branch circuits and mains, giving the operator an accurate and intelligent view of capacity, energy use, and reliability. For ultimate monitoring and control flexibility, RPC panels are compatible with popular control
systems, including QSC. The RPC also features brown-out protection, automatically shutting down selected circuits during over- and undervoltage situations and powering up as programmed when voltage stability is restored.
The greater purpose of all this stability is how it impacts the AVL systems and the worship experience as a whole.
“Threading that needle is the thing that matters most to me,” said Ian Gilchrist, Senior Pastor at One Church Home. “That [the congregation] be impacted by what God’s doing, by appropriately hearing, seeing, and experiencing what we’re trying to do here, without being distracted by the noise.”
Powered Clarity
Three Powersoft Quattrocanali 8808 DSP+D and one
Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D amplifiers are at the heart of a stateof-the-art new audio system at Upstate Church Haywood in Greenville, South Carolina, USA.
Elevate AVL, founded by Jordan Tripp, is a specialist AVL design and integration firm based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and founded in 2022.
Focusing primarily on houses of worship, the audio, video, and lighting upgrade for Upstate Church Haywood is its latest project with Upstate Church, a Baptist church with locations across upstate South Carolina – many of which are equipped with Powersoft amplifiers, explains Tripp.
“I’ve experienced issues with other amplifier manufacturers, with amps either dying quickly or being dead on arrival, and that’s never been the case with Powersoft,” Tripo says. “Plus, the ability to integrate Dante is also a massive plus for these kinds of installs.”
For the Greenville church, Elevate’s brief was to transform the main room into a space that supports both blended and modern worship styles, the latter incorporating electric instruments such as guitar, bass, and drums. At Upstate Church Haywood, the Quattrocanali amplifiers are paired with a TW Audio line-array system and Danley Sound Labs subs, providing plenty of power and headroom for the roughly 400-capacity room,
“The church wanted a system with a high priority on clarity, and that could also cover the room really well at higher SPLs, which is why we went with a line array as opposed to a point-source system,” Tripp explains. The result is a
system that can provide the entire room with a clear stereo image, including underneath and onto the balconies, he adds.
Upstate Church Haywood is the latest of Upstate Church’s campuses for which Tripp has overseen the installation of a Powersoft-powered audio system.
“Dante is a pretty critical element with most installs nowadays – the ability to get audio to wherever you need it over a network is key, and having that onboard capability with the Powersoft amps definitely helps a lot,” he explains. “We’re also able to use the amplifiers’ analog lines as a failsafe; having that backup is also absolutely crucial in a high-intensity environment like a house of worship.” The Quattrocanali amplifier platform can be trusted in missioncritical applications thanks to the cleverly engineered power supply, which allows reliable operation even when connected to a UPS.
Quattrocanali amplifiers are also equipped with Powersoft’s patented Smart Rails Management (SRM) technology, which maximizes the efficiency of the entire audio system and optimizes power consumption – a must-have technology for installs like the Haywood campus, when installers are limited by the electrical infrastructure in place, Tripp continues.
“When that happens, we need amplifiers that are able to provide the maximum performance with as minimum amperage as possible,” he explains, “and that’s something that Powersoft does very well. It’s important that we know that when we need to, we can put several amps on a single circuit and not be concerned about overloading anything.”
A-Frame Reflections
Bethlehem Assembly of God has long been a part of the community in Valley Stream, NY—certainly long enough that the church recently opted to upgrade its 500-capacity sanctuary’s audio and lighting systems to better convey its music and message. A big part of that upgrade included the church opting to become one of the first East Coast installations of DAS Audio’s new SARA system.
The system was conceived and designed by veteran audio engineer Burton Ishmael, who just finished mixing FOH for Madonna’s recent world tour. The system is based around left and right arrays totaling 16 DAS Audio SARA-100 compact powered line array systems with 3000 Watts of Class D 4-channel amplification. All that is supported by four SARA-SUB 18-inch compact cardioid powered subwoofers, and four DAS Audio EVENT-26a ultracompact line array cabinets, used to handle front fill duties. The system processing is covered by a DAS Audio MATRIX-66 unit controlled by the manufacturer’s latest control and management software, ALMA. Installation was handled by Jamaica, NY-based Advanced Event Services.
As Ishmael explains, the project was not without its challenges. “It’s a pretty traditional A-frame design, about 60 feet wide and 70 feet deep
with a balcony, and that means big wooden beams, high ceilings, and lots of reflectivity. It’s just not acoustically friendly. Add to that an older heating system and a foyer with open doors, and you’ve also got temperature gradient issues. It’s a classic case of a sanctuary designed for a certain era.”
The site features highly reflective walls, which were perfectly fine for a different kind of religious service in the past when the worship facility was first built. “Years ago, when most of the service was preaching and spoken word, performance didn’t matter as much,” he notes. “Once they started doing live music and bringing in drums and amplification, the room’s acoustics became an issue, and it only got worse over time. Now you want to put live drums in there? It just calls for a different approach. The previous system was pretty long in the tooth, and the SARA system really gave us the ability to give them a huge leap in sound quality.”
As a result, he opted for the SARA system and its ability to steer the sound onto the congregation and away from the walls and other reflective surfaces. Says Ishmael, “The crew are saying it’s much more of a concert experience, and it’s so much easier and faster to get the mix you’re looking for. The worship pastors feel empowered to try new and different things now, and they don’t feel limited by the technology.”
Intercom Upgrade
Prestonwood Baptist Church, located in Dallas, Texas, is renowned for its large congregation and dynamic live events. The church’s commitment to cutting-edge technology has been essential to its complex audiovisual productions and services, including on the intercom front.
Initially working with a standalone Bolero wireless intercom system, the church saw the need for a more integrated and robust solution to handle its growing communications and signal distribution demands.
The main challenge faced by Prestonwood Baptist Church was the limitations of their existing audio and video communication systems. The church’s distinctive domed, metal-framed architecture and elevated location posed significant difficulties for wireless transmission and reception. Additionally, the church needed to enhance communication and signal distribution capabilities between its main campus and a secondary campus located 27 miles away.
These challenges necessitated a technological upgrade to support their extensive and elaborate production needs.
To address these challenges, Prestonwood partnered with Broadcast Technical Services (BTS) and upgraded to a comprehensive Riedel communications system. This new deployment included an Artist-1024 matrix, various SmartPanels, additional Bolero beltpacks and antennas, and a MediorNet video distribution system, featuring MicroN, Compact, and Modular units. These units serve as the nerve center for video, audio, and network gateways, leveraging dark fiber to interconnect the church’s two campuses. This upgrade not only enhanced the reliability and flexibility of their operations
but also introduced new capabilities for managing various signal types over a single connection.
Will Schaefer, Engineer in Charge, praised MediorNet’s creative routing capabilities: “With the expansion of our Riedel communications and signal distribution infrastructure, we’ve evolved and improved our productions and events. MediorNet’s ability to manage various signal types over a single fiber connection has been invaluable and its creative routing capabilities have far exceeded our expectations, allowing us to try new things we couldn’t even think of doing before.”
“The challenges of our space took us down the Bolero wireless road, and that led us to try other Riedel products,” said Armando Escobedo, Media Operations Director at Prestonwood Baptist Church. “The Artist, SmartPanel, and MediorNet systems have provided similarly impressive flexibility, in turn enabling new workflows and capabilities, and we can’t imagine producing our shows without them.”
Bryan Bailey, Director of Media at Prestonwood echoes saying, “Bolero was our gateway into the rest of the Riedel product line,” said Bryan Bailey, Director of Media at Prestonwood Baptist Church. “I have never been so thrilled by a wireless comms product as I am with Bolero. Bolero and the SmartPanels have become vital to my job during shows. The flexibility of the Artist intercom ecosystem has unlocked endless creative possibilities for us. After switching to a fully Riedel system, we can now execute any idea we come up with, giving us the freedom to adapt communication seamlessly for Sunday morning productions—and that’s priceless.”
Scaled Up
Cottonwood Creek Church, based in Allen, Texas, has recently concluded its “Make Room” campaign which most notably increased the size of its main worship center by 800 seats to near 3000. As a result of the expansion, the existing sound system was inadequate to cover the expanded space. Dallas-based DHSystems, a systems integrator specializing in sound lighting and video equipment with around 75% of its business focused on the house of worship market, implemented a solution based around the first US-installed TT+ Audio GTX line array system delivered by RCF USA.
While Cottonwood Creek did not have a fixed budget, “the cost of the system was a concern,” says Zach Anthony, DHSystems owner, design lead, and senior systems engineer. However, he elaborates, “The cost of expanding the six-year-old speaker system with additional amplifiers and speakers was close to the cost of replacing the whole system with GTX.”
As well as not having the reach to cover the new seating, the existing PA didn’t cover the room evenly. “The design criteria was that every seat have an equal experience,” says Anthony. “Obviously, every seat can’t have an identical experience, but we got very close to that with even coverage front to back and left to right in both frequency response and SPL. We also greatly improved the signal-to-noise ratio in the room.” Pattern control was an additional issue. “Some of the boxes in the old system were very wide and put a lot of energy on the walls, so there was a lot of reflection. This system has a very precise pattern control for what we need in the room. Intelligibility has gone up.”
Based on their experience and long-term relationship with RCF USA, Inc., DHSystems had no hesitation specifying the TT+ Audio GTX 12 passive three-way line array system before the new components were even shipping. “There’s a left and right array with eight GTX 12 boxes providing primary coverage all the way front to back,” says Anthony. “The center section of the
John Hames Photography
FEATURE Houses of Worship
room does not need delay coverage at the back of the room.”
Seven TT 515-A active two-way loudspeakers (compact yet capable of delivering 127 dB SPL) are built into the front of the Cottonwood Creek stage as front fills, while three TTW 4-A active wide directivity two-way loudspeakers (with a 134 dB max SPL spec) are flown with the rest of the PA to provide left/right/center down fill. “If you’re relying solely on front fills,” explains Anthony, “as soon as somebody stands in front of it, the fill is gone. And additionally, if there was only a downfill, the problem then is the imaging is weird if you’re right against the stage – it sounds like the voice of the person speaking right in front of you is coming from overhead. The front fills augment the down fill and they also fix that imaging.” Two additional TTW 4-As are used delayed as fill for the far rear corners of the room.
Twelve of the GTX companion high-performance passive GTS 29 subwoofers, each with dual 19-inch drivers, are flown in three center arc end-fire arrays for low-frequency extension which “allows us to control the horizontal coverage of the room to where we have equal energy across the width of the room,” says Anthony. “Each sub array has four cabinets, two to the rear, two to the front, we’re able to delay the outer end-fire
arrays to steer the pattern wider in the room while still having excellent cancellation at the rear.”
The GTX/GTS system is powered and controlled by XPS 16KD Danteenabled four-channel DSP amplifiers which, Anthony points out, “has voicings and presets for all of the RCF products – even though the GTX cabinets don’t have amplifiers built into them, it is a complete, closed loop system. For this project, where we have all these speakers in the air, having the amplifiers remotely located in an amp rack is much better from a long-term support and serviceability standpoint.”
RCF’s RDNET sound system management and control software were used for the initial system configuration and alignment, including the cabinet voicing and shading. RDNET is currently used for monitoring the system status. “RDNET gives you a nice graphical interface to see everything,” says Anthony.
The TT+ Audio system was also interfaced with Cottonwood Creek Church’s existing Q-SYS network, used for facility-wide audio management, including reconfiguration for various applications. “The individual speaker voicing is powered by the RCF XPS 16KD amplifiers,” he elaborates, “but the overall system alignment is done through Q-SYS. A Q-SYS Core 610 drives not
John Hames
only the worship center but all the ancillary spaces – the lobby, the chapel, different breakout rooms, and classrooms throughout the entire campus. The signal flow is Dante from the front-of-house console into Q-SYS, and then Dante back out of Q-SYS into the XPS 16KD amplifiers. We have a hybrid system, so there’s analog drive lines. We have the passive GTX 12. We have all the additional self-powered cabinets for fills and delays, and those are fed analog out of the Q-SYS processor.” DHSystems is beta testing a Q-SYS plug-in for the XPS amplifier that lets them monitor the status, the signal level, the temperature, and other parameters and control power on and off and all other functions in the Q-SYS environment as well.
The new TT+ Audio system has made “a huge difference in power, detail, and clarity,” Anthony says. John Ellis, A1 FOH mixer at Cottonwood Creek, elaborates: “The system solved so many issues we were faced with. At low volume, the previous system was virtually unintelligible. To get enough presence out of the system, you really had to push it before. Now we can have amazing quality at any volume.” Distortion, he says, “even at reasonable volume levels,” was also an issue with the previous system. “While it may not have been noticeable to the audience, the ear fatigue and harshness was there, which led to a lot more complaints about ‘volume.’” And while SPL levels are closely monitored during Cottonwood Creek services, Anthony recalls that during initial sound checks, they were surprised when they measured a great sounding mix to be over 100 dB SPL, “approaching concert level, but there was no ear fatigue.”
Houses of Worship FEATURE
“Another major issue we had,” Ellis continues, “was variance around the worship center. With the FiRPHASE technology that RCF has implemented [an advanced algorithm that corrects phase and amplitude as necessary], and the efficiency of the new boxes, we have incredibly linear and consistent sound throughout the entire worship center – no more hot/dead spots.”
Anthony gives service and support from RCF USA high praise. “At some point,” he notes, “something’s going to break or somebody’s going to use it wrong and break it, whether it’s the best product or not doesn’t matter. I work with every manufacturer out there, but I’ve never dealt with a company that understands the urgent needs of production like RCF USA does. They treat people like the working musician who has a product down and needs it for the gig next week with the same urgency as with a major install like this one here at Cottonwood.”
Cottonwood Creek’s facility is frequently used as an event center, rented out for different concerts and events. “We’ve now had three different artists come through and every single one of them left very happy,” says Anthony.
“The system sounds amazing, Ellis enthuses. “Even in an imperfect room, it went from sounding like mixing on a distant PA with the old system, to mixing on studio reference monitors right in front of the console. I have the freedom to mix without being hindered by the system. We needed a system that would still sound present anywhere in the room, without ever sounding distant, and that’s exactly what we got! It has been an incredible blessing to the church.”
SKILLSET Switches & Relays
Switches & Relays
I’m one of those people who is drawn to buttons and lights. Even as a kid I made “control panels” out of switches and lamps from Radio Shack. Would I have gotten into electronics, and eventually broadcast and AV, if boring touchscreens were already commonplace?
Maybe, but we’re in a touchscreen boom right now. One reason, I suspect, is me-too marketing: Everything must have a touchscreen! More importantly, touchscreens make products cheaper and easier to build, and easier to modify, because they transfer the job of physical buttons and knobs to software. Sure, the screen itself may be pricey (and fragile) but it can replace an unlimited number of physical controls and their wiring.
Unfortunately, one thing all touchscreens have in common is virtually no physical presence. Even if the device with the screen has haptic feedback, such as vibration, touchscreens require the user to see what they are doing. In my opinion, this makes the touchscreen a poor interface for many things.
Believe it or not we still need physical controls of some sort to interact with the physical world, so I’d like to review some basic concepts in practice every day.
Switch Nomenclature
The simplest hardware switch, like those in Fig. 1, just opens and closes a single circuit flow. In switch parlance this is an SPST device: Single Pole Single Throw. The number of poles indicates how many individual circuits the switch can interrupt, and the throw says how many choices are available when the switch is moved. For SPST, close the switch to connect, open to disconnect, that’s all.
Single Pole Double Throw is the next simplest arrangement, which lets a signal or circuit segment connected to the common terminal, go to either of two other places. SPDT switches are used commonly in home lighting to create a “3-way” circuit, where switches in two locations control the same light. (Fig. 2 Top Row)
A toggle or rocker switch can also be SP3T, where the third option is a center position that makes no connection to either side (in other words “center off”).
When more poles are added, the switch can interrupt or redirect several signals or circuits at once. The terminals in each section of the switch are completely independent, like separate switches, but controlled by the same actuator. A very common type is Double Pole Double Throw shown in Fig. 2 Bottom Row
In AV, double pole is needed to switch balanced audio, since a set of contacts is required for the high/+ connection, and a set for the low/- connection. For example, a DPDT switch could be used to select between different audio sources going to one amp. Or in reverse, say to switch a single source between two different sets of powered speakers. To do this in stereo, a 4PDT switch is needed, with two poles for balanced left and two for balanced right. In case anyone’s wondering, it’s not necessary to switch the ground/shield connections as these are common to all the connected devices (and carry no actual signal in balanced audio). (Figs. 3 &4)
Rotary switches can come in multi-gang (multi-deck) versions with many poles to change several different circuit paths simultaneously. These are sometimes used in analog audio equipment, where different resistors and capacitors are switched in different parts of a circuit simultaneously in order to change an EQ or other parameter. (Fig. 3)
Fig. 2 SPDT and SP3T switches (top), DPDT switches (bottom)
Fig. 1 Examples of SPST Switches
Switches & Relays SKILLSET
Physical Switches
Needless to say, there are many different styles and designs of switches. A particular type may be chosen for its electrical parameters, its purpose, for the “feel” or user feedback, for aesthetics, or a combination.
Some choices, like pushbuttons on a computer keyboard, are obvious. But even there the choices run wide. I prefer keyboards with a longer stroke depth, which gives more tactile feedback, as opposed to buttons that barely move. The amount of force required, and the “snappiness” of movement are also important, to say nothing of the keycap shape and size. The way pushbuttons feel has mostly to do with their internal mechanisms, which range from physical contacts to magnetic Hall-effect or micro-reed switches, and from metal springs to rubber parts that bounce back.
Emphasizing that tactile feedback is a big consideration, I can attest that the Talk/Mute button on a certain manufacturer’s tabletop conference mics is poor indeed. It’s hard to tell where to push, or whether the push was successful. I suspect that this “button” is just a deformable covering that connects two circuit board pads, so it cannot provide a good tactile experience.
Conversely, toggle and rocker switches rarely fail to provide both visual and physical feedback. And both run the gamut from ultraminiature (mounted on the edges of circuit boards) to quite substantial in both size and
package, with two rows of connector pins, which is the original form of integrated circuit chips that aren’t surface mounted. Another common type found on circuit boards is the miniature slide switch, which is kind of self-explanatory as show in Fig. 5.
The snap-action switch is a special item that is not intended for human actuation. They are often used as “sensors” to tell, for example, when a mechanical part has reached the beginning or end of travel. These switches are commonly found inside equipment or systems
with moving parts, and sometimes their clicks can be heard when activated. Snap-action switches can have all manner of button or lever actuators, suitable for being pushed, rolled over, or blown with air, as also shown in Fig. 5.
The magnetic reed switch also stays behind the scenes, such as in alarm system sensors. Here, two tiny metal strips, the two contacts, are mounted inside a glass ampule. When a magnet is brought near, one strip moves and touches the other, completing the circuit. In the case of alarms, the magnet is usually near the switch when a door or window is closed, and the magnet moves away when they are opened. The alarm controller is set so that “closed” is the safe condition, and “open” is the alarm condition, see Fig. 5.
Going back to home electronics, old thermostats may use a mercury tilt switch to cycle the furnace on and off. In this case, when a glass ampule is tilted far enough a drop of mercury shorts together the two metal contacts. In a thermostat, the switch is moved by a bi-metallic coil that changes position with temperature (along with the “temp” dial). It’s entirely mechanical.
Other common switch parameters are momentary or latching. Keyboard buttons are, of course, momentary, and toggles are generally latching. But pushbuttons can be physically latched (push on/push off) and toggles can have spring-return on one or both positions.
Fig. 4
Fig. 3 4PDT Toggle and Rotary Switches
SKILLSET Switches & Relays
For example, a center-off toggle might be momentary in both directions to act as an “up/ down” selector for setting a clock.
Historically, switches were wired to directly control a specific circuit, such as a home light switch. The switch is carrying the 120V power for the light. Some AV equipment, such as audio power amps, may also have a hard-wired power switch, connected directly to the AC power cord (exercise caution around these).
But most buttons and switches on modern equipment are connected to inputs within the control circuitry of the device. The switch is changing a logic level that tells the software what to do. If you expand this idea to something large and elaborate, like a car, it’s easy to see why using a touchscreen is more economical than installing dozens of switches and bringing their wiring to the control processor. (Discussion
of multiplexing and scanning switches in a matrix is for another time.)
Mechanical Relays
Relays are another ubiquitous, but usually hidden, part of many electrical and electronic systems. In concept, a relay is a switch that replaces a human or mechanical actuator with an electronic signal or voltage. In its simplest form, an SPST relay has a set of contacts that are held open by a spring and closed by an electromagnet. When the magnet coil gets a voltage, it pulls the contacts closed. See Fig. 6.
This configuration creates complete isolation between the controlling circuit and what is being switched and allows the two signals (or voltages) to be radically different. Relays also make it easy to remotely control distant or dangerous devices with safe low voltages and logic outputs.
So a relay is basically an interface between two systems.
A classic example is the relay that starts an air conditioning compressor outside a house. Also known as a contactor, the primary contacts may be carrying 120 or 240VAC for the motor, but the magnet coil is activated by low 24VAC from the thermostat (or control system). Needless to say, it would be nearly impossible, and dangerous, to run the actual compressor voltage to the thermostat itself. The relay provides a link between two different electrical environments.
Like switches, relays come in myriad shapes, sizes and configurations, and are specified by Pole and Throw, as well as the voltage and current needed for the electromagnet coil. And like toggles, the throw is limited to two positions. The terms “normally open” and “normally closed” indicate which terminal is connected in the nonenergized position. These are typically indicated by NO and NC, or something similar, with the center contact designated Common.
But relays can have many poles, so that a single button or switch can control various simultaneous changes inside the equipment. Audio equipment with a completely passive signal path might use many relays, with many poles, to switch balanced audio among sources, outputs, etc.
With extra poles, it’s possible to make interesting configurations like self-latching. Here, one momentary button energizes the coil, and one of the closed contacts “holds” the coil voltage. Another momentary button breaks the coil voltage and resets the relay. If the buttons are replaced by contacts of other relays the result can be a primitive kind of “logic” switching (now done by IC chips or software). See Fig. 7.
One notable variation, the solid-state relay uses various types of electronic components to emulate the operation of a mechanical relay. There are contacts for activating the relay with a particular voltage, and the switched signal is controlled by a semiconductor gate.
The General Purpose Interface
Using relays for external control is common in broadcast and AV equipment, where it’s desirable to trigger an action outside the device, without concern for what will be controlled. A relay contact closure is a simple and generic way to provide an outside link. It’s also “safe” because the relay contacts should be isolated from the rest of the device, so whatever is
Fig. 5 Snap-action, DIP, Alarm Switch and Magnet, Other Misc. Switches
Fig. 6 Various Old and New Relays
Switches & Relays SKILLSET
contacts.
Modern switches and relays are usually enclosed or sealed, which means that they are less prone to dirt and contact degradation. Relay arcing can be suppressed by filling the enclosure with a neutral gas.
Nevertheless, for low-voltage applications, especially switching audio or video, some controls may still become noisy or intermittent. This is especially true of inexpensive switches left in one position for years. I have been given
“broken” equipment that simply had dirty controls.
Often the easy fix is simply to “exercise” the switch back and forth (or in and out) a bunch of times. With an audio device, you will hear the scratchiness improve. If it’s possible to get contact cleaner into the switch (which may not mean putting it down the actuator shaft) the remedy is Caig DeoxIT D5 spray or liquid on an applicator. D5 also works great on noisy potentiometers.
connected cannot interfere or cause damage.
As a simple example, the touch panel “button” that activates room shades might close a relay contact in the controller. That relay is probably switching 24VAC, or some other low voltage, which activates the coil of a relay in the shade, turning on the 120VAC motor. At least that’s one possible arrangement.
It’s not unusual to find a handful, or dozens, of relay contact closures available on some equipment, often identified as part of a General Purpose Interface (GPI). More specifically, if the interface provides relay closures for controlling something external, those may be identified as GPO--general purpose output. While a connection that can receive a control signal may be a GPI--general purpose input. (GP inputs are often logic-level connections that respond to a voltage or ground connection.)
Broadcast equipment has relied for decades on GPIs for functions like camera tally lights when a compatible direct interface is not possible. I’ve had many situations where I was glad to discover that a particular product included some GPIs when it became evident that no other interface existed!
Maintenance
Historically, switches and relays were often built without a case, which allowed contacts to collect dust and other contaminants, such as oxidation from exposure to air. Contacts switching high voltages would sometimes arc, causing carbon deposits and contact pitting. When maintenance was needed it generally consisted of using various chemicals, or a lightly abrasive burnishing tool, to clean and reshape
PTZ Cameras
In November, MAXHUB announced that the new MAXHUB UC P30 Dual-Eye Tracking camera is now certified for Microsoft Teams. With its dual-eye 4K 8.42M pixel camera design, the panoramic camera detects every movement in the meeting room, supported with detailed AI framing and tracking, and 4K video streaming. The UC P30 is equipped with a 12x optical zoom coupled with a 90-degree Field of View (FOV) secondary camera for tracking. This configuration provides clear image quality for every participant—even when zoomed in. The UC P30 supports Manual Pan of up to ± 170 degrees and Tilt of up to +- 90 degrees and provides an LED indicator to inform participants the camera is in use. The system also includes an electric privacy cover. The camera has USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, coupled with HDMI, RJ45, and RS232 connectivity, and PoE and an integrated mounting kit for various configurations including ceiling mount.
Writer CYNTHIA WISEHART
Chief editor
Former theme park
designer
In November, the AVER MD720UIS debuted. It’s a new medical-grade, all-in-one PTZ camera. It uses Edge AI for facial tracking and patient monitoring and supports various healthcare apps, versatile connectivity, and privacy protection. The AI provides fall and bed egress detection, as well as face and eye tracking, and supports apps for diagnostics, patient monitoring, and others. Running on an Android operating system, it can support multiple apps using PIP or POP settings. Embedded two-way audio supports telemedicine, telerehabilitation, and other specialties. It integrates with various peripheral medical devices and carries a PoE++ port for data and power. It offers local privacy mode for turning off both audio and video to ensure no information leaves the room and a mosaic feature for automatically detecting and applying a mosaic effect to bodies or faces within the field of view. Also in November, AVER announced that NDI will be standard across all their Pro AV cameras via automatic and/or free firmware update. Aver and Bosch continued their partnership in November with a new integration of cameras, a voice tracking hub, and audio systems. It combines AVer’s Pro AV cameras and MT300(N) Matrix Tracking Box with Bosch’s DICENTIS Wireless Conference and CCS 1000 D Digital Discussion Systems via RESTful API so that the camera can automatically follow the live delegates.
In April, Sony Electronics released a new flagship 4K 60p pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera model with an integrated lens, the Sony BRC-AM7. Incorporating PTZ Auto Framing technology, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology for advanced recognition, the camera facilitates accurate and natural automatic tracking of moving subjects. These innovations enable simplified high-quality video production for broadcast, live event, and sports productions.
Also in November, the new Marshall CV630-IP PTZ cameras debuted in black and white. The CV630-BI and CV630-WI cameras feature 25X UHD (HEVC) IP capabilities, making them ideal for live broadcast, newscast, reality TV, concerts, corporate, government, courtroom, house of worship, and education applications. Both are equipped with an 8-megapixel 1/2.5” sensor capturing up to Ultra-HD 3840x2160p video, with support for HD 1920x1080p, 1280x720p, and 1920x1080i. The CV630-BI and CV630-WI are equipped with synchronous pan, tilt and zoom motors for smooth and silent camera movements during operation. A 25X optical zoom block provides flexibility from 4.6mm to 120.5mm, with a nearly 68-degree angle-of-view at its widest.
Earlier in 2024, PTZOptics had announced that another of their Hive-Linked cameras, the PTZOptics Move SE PTZ camera would be NDI HX native at no additional cost to the
AVER
MAXHUB UC P30
PTZOptics Move SE
Panasonic announced in September that it will extend NDI support to its lineup of 4K integrated cameras including the Panasonic AW-UE40, AWUE50, AW-HE145 and AW-UE150. The NDI upgrades, which previously required a paid license from Vizrt NDI AB, will be made available via a free firmware update between December 2024 and April 2025. After this period, the models will ship with ready-togo NDI capabilities. In October, the company will add an Auto Framing Feature for the Pansonic AWUE160 PTZ Camera and an Advanced Auto Framing plug-in for the Panasonic Media Production Suite The built-in Auto Framing Feature for Panasonic’s AW-UE160 PTZ camera will be available from CY2025 Q1 via firmware updates and the Advanced Auto Framing plug-in for Panasonic’s Media Production Suite software platform will be available from CY2025 Q2. The Advanced Auto Framing plugin will enable auto framing for various PTZs across the Panasonic lineup.
customers. The free upgrade can be obtained via the simple firmware upgrade process. For customers who have previously purchased an NDI license upgrade, PTZOptics offers a full refund. Additional firmware updates are designed to enhance further product performance, including enhancements to the built-in auto-tracking and computer vision system unique to the PTZOptics camera line. Hive integration offers features like auto-tracking, advanced PTZ control, color correction, and NDI output, all within a single, easily accessible platform. Hive’s cloud-native capabilities allow production teams to manage over 400 supported cameras from anywhere in the world, including Panasonic, SONY, Lumens, AIDA, Bird-Dog, and Canon, providing unparalleled flexibility and collaboration. Hive is currently available for waitlist
At IBC 2024, Telycam Technology announced a partnership with Iris to bring AI-powered camera control to the Telycam PTZ range. Iris’ embedded software integration to Telycam cameras allows users to control their devices via the cloud directly in Iris from anywhere in the world in real time. Users can control camera movement, adjust settings, and deploy AI-driven capabilities like auto-trackingall from a single, cloud-based interface.
PTZ Cameras
In August, the BirdDog X5 Ultra shipped. It’s a PTZ camera designed for professional video production. The X5 Ultra allows for precise movements and with its Halo Tally system it includes AI autotracking and framing capabilities and NDI | HX3 support. The X5 Ultra also features an integrated NDI | HX decoder, a first for the PTZ camera industry. This allows for seamless confidence monitoring, return feeds, and teleprompter usage with minimal setup. The X5 Ultra offers flexibility with its 12G-SDI output, dual HDMI outputs, and multiple network formats including NDI | HX3, SRT, RTMP, RTSP, and USB webcam connectivity. It also features dual e-ink displays for customizable branding and simplified maintenance. Available in black or white.
Also in August, the Lumens VC-R31 HD debuted. This camera is the entry-level model in
the Lumens range but is designed to deliver the same stability, performance, and durability associated with the manufacturer.
Based around a Sony sensor, VC-R31 is a 12x zoom camera with simultaneous HDMI, USB, and IP outputs. It can stream secure, low-latency video to local networks and global streaming services and is an excellent companion to lecture capture systems. The camera is compatible with Lumens’ CamConnect Pro voice tracking system, making it ideal for automated multi-camera meeting rooms and video studios. The unit can be powered using the supplied adapter, or via PoE. Its 72.5° maximum horizontal field of view makes it suitable for installation in small spaces requiring a wideangle lens or in larger event spaces where the camera’s 12x zoom enables it to tightly frame an individual at a distance of 12 meters (40 feet) or
Lumens VC-R31 HD
D412UH
BirdDog X5 Ultra
TECH SHOWCASE PTZ Cameras
The dual-stream Bolin D412UH and D220UH Dante AV PTZ cameras are the first PTZ cameras to offer simultaneous hardware and software codec streaming to multiple endpoints, providing total flexibility in network bandwidth and image quality selection. Using either the new D412UH (4K) or D220UH (HD) cameras, the user can designate a Dante AV Ultra or Dante AV-H stream depending on the output locations. No matter the need or destination, these dual–stream cameras can send the video flow that best fits the destination with the quality Dante-enabled devices are known for. The company also offers the Bolin D2-210H and 220H AV-H cameras based on the software implementation of Dante AV-H.264.
Specifically targeting education and corporate video markets, the new Panasonic Connect AWUE30 PTZ camera delivers 4K30 imagery and features a 20x optical zoom and a 74.1-degree field of view. Part of the Pro Series, it supports the SRT streaming protocol, among others. A new direct drive motor system is designed for quiet, responsive operation.
The Atlona Captivate AT-CAP-FC110 is an enterprise-grade ePTZ camera designed for use in video conferencing, distance learning, huddle rooms, and small to medium-sized meeting spaces. Universal PC and Mac compatibility through standard UVC 1.1 drivers enables simple, plug-and-play operation with popular soft codec conferencing and UC platforms. The camera’s USB interface provides video and audio connectivity as well as power to the device. The 12.8” CMOS camera delivers resolutions up to 4K at 30 Hz, with a 110° wide horizontal field of view and a 4X digital zoom; a dual-element microphone array provides a 16-foot audio pickup range. Autoframing for up
to six participants is supported, as is manual positioning.
Designed to capture video up to 1080p and
provide 3G SDI, HDMI, USB 3.0, and HD video over IP, the Apantac AP-1080P-PTZ-20x aka MT HOOD NDI incorporates the NDI HX protocol into its capabilities. This technology allows video and audio sources to be shared bidirectionally across a network. The camera supports NDI|HX, USB, IP, HDMI, and SDI outputs. Control options include standard IP VISCA, serial, TCP/IP, and Pelco-P/D control protocol.
The Vaddio IntelliSHOT-M ePTZ camera is specifically engineered and certified for Microsoft Teams Rooms, featuring a 30x zoom with 70.2-degree field of view and is equipped with
Vaddio’s IntelliFrame technology, which Vaddio describes as the only auto-framing solution that can be adjusted and is based on the room conditions and user’s preferences, based on the company’s years of research and engineering in auto-framing. Rather than rely on facial recognition alone, which can fail with facial coverings or falsely identify objects like posters on the wall as people, IntelliFrame uses a combination of motion detection and complex algorithms to deliver smooth, accurate, and reliable participant framing.
The affordable Canon CRN100 4K Remote PTZ can serve for hybrid work and streaming but also supports resolutions up to 4K30 for broadcast or events. The camera’s lens features 20x optical zoom and optical image stabilization, and the CMOS sensor supports advanced hybrid autofocus to keep images sharp
Bolin Dante AV-H Panasonic AW-UE30
Apantac MT HOOD NDI
Vaddio
IntelliSHOT-M ePTZ
Atlona
Captivate AT-CAPFCC110
from wide or telephoto perspectives. It outputs up to 4K30 or 1080p60 video over HDMI or IP, and it supports NDI|HX and SRT natively. It can also be used as a webcam for video conferencing and vlogging using its fast USB-C 3.0 output. The camera is compatible with controls like the flagship RC-IP1000, and it also supports serial, Wi-Fi, and IR control. A 3.5mm mic input supports external audio; the camera supports add-on applications such as auto-tracking, and it can be powered using a power supply or via PoE+.
The ClearOne UNITE 260 Pro 4K Ultra HD camera features both a 20X optical zoom and 16X digital zoom. The camera features an AI-based smart face-tracking mode that keeps a selected presenter in the frame as they move about the room. With dual video outputs HDMI and IP, the camera supports a hybrid environment: streaming content while simultaneously showing it live where the presentation is occurring. Camera functions can be controlled by USB, Ethernet, RS-485, and RS-232.
The JVC KY-PZ540 Series CONNECTED CAM PTZ with 40x zoom and JVC KY-PZ510 Series CONNECTED CAM PTZ have NDI-enabled options and both serve for challenging capture situations. The KY-PZ540 Series PTZ Cameras are the company’s first PTZ cameras to incorporate a 40x focal length, ideal for large event spaces and instances when the need to zoom in from a distance is essential. The KY-PZ510 PTZ series has a super-wide horizontal angle of view (80 degrees) and focal length of 21.8 to 261.8 millimeters. Both include AI-enabled advanced SMART auto-tracking operations.
remote control, the camera operates with all meeting apps. Its ports include RS–232, RJ–45, HDMI 1.4, and USB 3.0. The system allows a vast choice of 255 preset camera positions and emphasizes performance in challenging low-light conditions.
The Kramer Electronics K-Cam4K Ultra HD camera has a 12x optical zoom and 16x digital zoom to focus clear images with its CMOS image sensor with 2D and 3D digital noise reduction (DNR).
The TEKVOX UV570 PTZ auto-tracking camera features 20x optical zoom, supports PoE, and requires no on-site configuration. This next-generation auto-tracking camera is the perfect option for educational environments, boardrooms, and lecture halls – any HyFlex, streaming, or video-conferencing application that requires a camera to
resolution, its AI-driven auto-tracking algorithm keeps presenters in view at all times without needing any on-site configuration or calibration. The system also includes a built-in gravity sensor to auto-adjust and re-orient the image when the camera is mounted upside-down on the ceiling.
The QSC NC Series includes three models.
The Q-SYS NC-110 is the first fixed-lens, ePTZ camera available from Q-SYS, featuring a 110° horizontal field of view (hFOV) with digital zoom capabilities for smaller, wider rooms. The Q-SYS NC-12x80 (12x optical zoom, 80° horizontal FOV) and Q-SYS NC-20x60 (20x optical zoom, 60° horizontal FOV) both offer motorized pan, tilt, and zoom (PTZ) functionality to enable a broader range of room layouts, sizes, and purpose. In addition, all NC Series cameras include hardware to allow mounting above or below displays. As native Q-SYS devices, options open up for routing and delivery including simplifying streaming to standard IT videoconferencing platforms; also users can scale down by combining with Q-SYS Core Nano or Q-SYS Core 8 Flex to expand software-based audio, video & control into smaller collaboration spaces.
TEKVOX
Q-SYS QSC NC Series
Routers and Switchers
Router designers and manufacturers have been very busy in recent years. Tasked with keeping their products simple to operate, while at the same time dealing with a wide array of analog and digital video formats. Much of the hardware must function like a supercharged interpreter, ready to translate any language into any other on the spot, in real time. This has presented a challenge to users as well, requiring them to apply considerable thought to their facility’s present and future signal switching needs. The models assembled here demonstrate how router and switcher designers have used ingenious approaches to answer the call.
Writer BENNETT LILES
Contributing Editor
IBC saw the expansion of an AV-relevant feature with the free Blackmagic ATEM 9.6.2 update, which adds support for Visca over IP camera control on all ATEM Constellation models. Now, users can control up to 100 third-party PTZ cameras via their network using the IP address of the camera. This update also adds audio output mapping for all Constellation HD models, as well as new multi-view and SuperSource features for HD and 4K models. It also provides support for 30 and 60 fps formats in all HD, Ultra HD, and 8K standards for ATEM Constellation 8K.
While initial cabling costs can be somewhat steep, one of the most solid and reliable HD video distribution formats is still SDI and the AJA Video Systems KUMO 1616-12G comes in at the light price point end for 4K/UltraHD video, an embedded web server, support for ganged dual and quad port routing for resolutions up to 8K/UltraHD2, and a redundant power supply option.
Presentation switchers must combine ease of operation with format versatility and the DVIGear DVI-3571a Universal Presentation Switcher/Scaler does just that. A wide input format field includes three HDMI (DVI), three RGB Analog (VGA), one component video and a composite video connection enabling it to handle just about anything that comes in the door. User-selectable output resolutions include formats up to 1080p and 1920x1200. Control options include Ethernet, RS232, IR Remote, and front panel selection.
In small presentation rooms where there is no room for racks, the Altinex UT260-103 under table 3X1 HDMI/VGA/DP switch can apply manual or auto-switching and transmit audio, video, and control signals up to 230ft. on one Cat 6/Cat 6A/Cat 7 cable using HDBaseT. Controlled through RS-232, local buttons, contact closure, or web server, the unit includes LED status lights and EDID management.
When small size with long signal throw are needed, the IHSE Draco tera compact can use its 8 ports in Cat X, fiber, fiber XV or universal combinations to provide delay-free switching and dynamic port assignment. Signal support includes KVM, USB 2.0/3.0, SDI (SD/HD/3G) along with multi-screen control and
IHSE Draco tera compact
DVI-3571a
Blackmagic Design ATEM
AJA Video Systems KUMO 1616-12G
Routers and Switchers
For more extensive plants running SDI infrastructure, the Blackmagic Design Videohub 120x120 12G supports any combination of SD, HD, and Ultra HD simultaneously. On each input, an LED shows signal presence, and there are mission-critical redundant power supplies. All of this is housed in a 4RU chassis with a large LCD display that shows video, routing labels, and video standards. Remote control on Ethernet is also standard.
At the other end of the size range, the KanexPro FLEX-MF24X60 is designed for large and complex switching environments. At the top of the Flex Matrix line, this unit offers independent scaling output, video wall capabilities, quad view, audio extraction, and CEC display control. Audio extraction is enabled on all inputs and there are extensive EDID and network settings. The FLEX line has three other chassis sizes to provide 8x10, 16x20, and 24x360 matrix configurations.
The AMX PR01-0808 Precis 8x8+4 4K/60 HDMI matrix switcher is ready for HDMI switching with eight inputs and outputs. For longer display reach, four of the outputs have mirrored HDBaseT connections to send output to a PR01-RX HDBaseT receiver and scaler. This switcher has 4K60 4:4:4 support, audio de-embedding, easy integration with AMX automation systems through NetLinx, and an open control API to mesh with any control system.
For top signal translation capability, the Analog Way Eikos 4K 4K60 multi-layer video mixer and seamless presentation switcher has ten inputs, two PGM outputs with edge-blending support, and one dedicated multiviewer. Inputs include four HDMI 2.0, four DisplayPort 1.2, two 12G/6G/3G-SDI, and two HDMI 1.4 or 3G-SDI using a user-selectable input plug. There are built-in clocks, countdown and timers, advanced audio processing, and EDID management.
Straight and reliable HDMI 4K and 8K matrix switching and audio de-embedding are right up the alley of the A-Neuvideo ANI-4-8K60-S. Controlled through front panel buttons, IR remote, RS-232, and Web GUI, the system also features resolution downscaling and HDR conversion for each HDMI output. For additional versatility, optical audio and balanced analog audio output are supplied as well.
For seamless switching between as many as four separate computers, there is the Apantac KM-4, a four-input KM switcher that allows a single operator to see four displays and control each one with a single keyboard and mouse. The 1RU unit uses transparent USB emulation for universal compatibility and the computer connections are mini-USB while the peripheral connections are USB Type A female.
The Atlona AT-OME-CS31-SAHDBT is a 3-input HDBaseT and HDMI switcher, mixer amplifier, and USB hub. There is one HDBaseT and two HDMI inputs along with one HDMI output. The audio amp is stereo 25W per channel and the system has DSP for audio mixing and acoustic echo cancellation for the three audio line inputs. Presence of a signal on the balanced mic input triggers ducking for program audio sources.
A-Neuvideo ANI-4-8K60-S
Atlona AT-OMECS31-SAHDBT
Apantac Mt Hood KM-4
Analog Way Eikos 4K
TECH SHOWCASE Routers and Switchers
Truly a matrix router for all seasons, the new Extron DTP3 CrossPoint 884 provides HDMI and DTP3 inputs and outputs, audio DSP with AEC, a power amplifier, and a control processor. The 3RU device can use shielded CAT 6A cable to extend video, audio, and RS232 up to 330ft. Four reversible DTP3 ports allow matrix sizes from 8x12 to 12x8. The built-in Extron ProDSP processor can connect to a Dante network and a second Extron DSP for I/O expansion.
For eight-input HDMI matrix switching, the Aurora Multimedia ASP-882A is a single rack space unit with big square buttons and a front panel display that clearly shows routing status. Video resolutions up to 4K2K @ 60Hz 4:4:4 are supported in addition to 7.1 channel digital audio. Control and configuration can be accomplished through LAN (Telnet) and DB-9 RS-232 ports. The product includes a 12V desktop power supply.
Supporting video resolution down-scaling and upscaling, 1080p and 4K video, automatic switching, and a mirrored HDMI output for its CATx output, the Black Box AVSC-HDMI2-8X2 is a 1RU model designed for small to medium-sized conference and meeting rooms. Inputs include VGA, HDMI, USB-C, and RJ-45. There are HDMI and CATx outputs as well as separate audio inputs for embedding.
The Bluestream MX22AB-8K HDMI2.1 matrix is small enough to fit just about anywhere and it is manually controlled on the front panel, RS-232, and IR or it can auto-switch based on either detecting a 5V hot plug, or a new TMDS signal. Two inputs are independently switched to two outputs. Audio switching versatility is added through analog and optical digital (S/PDIF) connections. Video support includes signals up to 8K 60Hz YCbCr 4:2:0 10-bit, 8K 30Hz RGB/YCbCr 4:4:4 10-bit, or 4K 120Hz RGB/ YCbCr 4:4:4 10-bit.
Heavier matrix switching requirements can be met by the 4RU Crestron DM-MD8X8-CPU3 4K60 4:4:4 AV signal router for DigitalMedia systems. With eight AV source inputs, this unit can send these to eight DM, HDBaseT, and/or HDMI outputs, or up to four H.264 streaming outputs. Operation, setup, and troubleshooting are done through the front panel controls, a web browser interface, or via Crestron Toolbox software.
Where space is minimum for HDMI switching the FSR DV-HSW4K-41AUD ultrathin auto-switcher works with formats up to 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 HDR and multichannel audio. Multiple built-in EDID settings allow the switcher to blend smoothly with any displays to which it is connected and it will de-embed digital stereo sound to send out to individual audio devices. In auto-switch mode, it switches to an HDMI input as soon as a new source is connected.
Aurora Multimedia ASP-882A
Black Box AVSCHDMI2-8X2
FSR DVHSW4K41AUD
Bluestream MX22AB-8K
Crestron DM-MD8X8CPU3
The Gefen GF-AVIP-MC is a matrix controller used to coordinate the operation of Gefen Video and KVM over IP based extenders. It can define and configure channel routing of audio, video, and KVM through its WebGUI. This device can also control the matrix and video wall modes of connected AVoIP units with the IP address, netmask, and extender status displayed on the WebGUI.
Another success story in having high functionality in a small footprint is the Hall Technologies HSM-88-4K 2 4K 8X8 HDMI matrix switch with fast-switch technology. Controllable through RS232, IP, IR, and intuitive front panel control buttons, the switcher uses the Hall Technologies Genesis Control Command Set (GCCS) and includes a two-line character LCD on the front panel. This model supports HDMI resolutions up to 4K @ 30 Hz 4:4:4 and 4K @ 60 Hz 4:2:0. Multiple matrix routing configuration presets can be saved and recalled.
Two HDMI and one USB-C input can be switched to an HDMI and mirrored USB-C output by the IDK IMP-V31U HDMI/USB switcher. It also has an analog audio input, RS-232 serial control connector, LAN port, and a 4-pin 12V power terminal. The audio input source can be mixed with the sound on the HDMI and USB-C inputs while the LAN port offers control through a web interface.
The Kramer VP-551X 18G 4K presentation switcher/scaler offers format translation in a variety of ways with HDMI, VGA, composite video, microphones, and HDBaseT among its ten inputs. Control options include Ethernet, RS-232, and the front panel buttons. There is SPDIF sound output along with analog balanced line level and direct speaker connections. There is also a front panel lock button for security. All of these features fit into a single rack unit.
Another unit that blends versatile switching capability with long signal reach is the Liberty AV DL-44E-H3-KIT Digitalinx Series 4X4 HDMI 2.0/HDBaseT 3.0 Matrix Switcher Kit. It handles 18G 4K60 4:4:4 video in a 4x4 matrix and sends it to 100M HDBaseT 3.0 uncompressed outputs and 4 HDBaseT receivers. Support for HDR formats includes Dolby Vision and HDR10. There is also automatic 4K to 1080P downscaling for applications with mixed-resolution displays. Control is done through WebGUI, RS-232, IR, and there is PoC Power from switcher to receivers.
Another compact device with 2 HDMI inputs, a USB-C input and an HDMI output for small conference environments is the Lightware DCX-3x1-HC20 video switcher with video resolution capabilities up to 4K@60Hz at 4:4:4. The fanless cooling system allows it to be mounted quietly close by and its USB-C input provides 4K video, audio, and power over a single USB-C connection. The switcher also features Ethernet connectivity and USB-C charging up to 100W.
One switcher that can mix and match different frame rates and formats is the Marshall Electronics VMV-402-3GSH which can use Quadview mode and Ethernet control. Inputs 1 and 2 have HDMI and SDI connections while inputs 3 and 4 are SDI only. On the outputs there is a very handy quad view and HDMI/SDI program output. Control is through front panel buttons, Ethernet, and RS-232.
Gefen GF-AVIP-MC
Hall Technologies
Kramer VP-551x
TECH SHOWCASE Routers and Switchers
Designed as a mainframe to house versatile combinations of I/O cards, the Opticis OMM-2500 32x32 optical modular matrix switcher handles up to 32 DVI, HDMI, SDI, and DisplayPort sources through an assortment of the eight I/O cards. The unit can be operated on the front panel, through command line input, RS-232, and TCP/IP. There are also dual-power hot-swappable power supplies and diagnostic functions.
For the large industrial strength routing jobs, and built around a 25G high speed core, the Pesa Fusion 12G SDI video router can operate a huge 576x576 matrix in its 18RU version. Fusion supports single-port, uncompressed 4K/p60 SDI video over single-link 12G transport streams through both modular SFP and coaxial cable 12Gb/s SDI interface ports. The smaller variant is a 9RU frame for a matrix as large as 288x288.
The PureLink MAX2 (Media Axis 2) delivers Ultra HD 4K/60Hz 4:4:4 over HDBaseT 3.0, 1LC fiber, in addition to 12G-SDI and it couples this with Dante audio. The AirLift cooling system uses hot-swappable modular fan blades for cooling customization, and they are monitored on the front panel display. Its Omni-Flex modular design offers field-upgradable components, including hot-swappable I/O cards, AirLift cooling units, and power supplies.
Available in an array of sizes to fit the needs of the facility, the Rose Electronics UltraMatrix AV Pro modular AV matrix switch can go from 8x8 up to 144x144 with hot-swappable 4-port I/O cards. With these, the system can handle HDMI, HDBaseT, 3G-SDI, DVI, VGA, audio, and fiber optic signals with ease. Automatic built-in scaling and conversion, smart EDID management, and a variety of control options allow this switcher to be highly customized.
Switching 4K UHD video and taking its output a long way via HDBaseT with PoC, the RTI VX44-18G-KIT simplifies installation and looks as good on a tabletop as it does in a rack. This 4x4 device features down-conversion on HDBaseT outputs to allow displays of lower resolution to show correctly while the 4K UHD still displays perfectly on the higher resolution monitors. Control can be done on front panel, IR, RS-232 and TCP/IP along with advanced EDID management.
The SnapOne Binary 660 Series 4K HDR HDMI Matrix Switcher-8x8 is a proven favorite for 4K HDR HDMI content and it adds some very handy analog audio breakouts for 2-channel PCM audio that is de-embedded from each HDMI output. IP, IR, and RS-232 control along with excellent ESD and surge protection are all standard features. PCs, Blu-Ray players, projectors, UHD displays, and more devices can be connected and switched.
It is one thing to be pushing buttons in an obscure server rack or control room but quite another to operate a presentation switcher with the chairman, department heads, and corporate sponsors in the room. The Tekvox TekFlex-85T Pro
RTI VX44-18G KIT
SnapOne Binary B-660MTRX-8x8
Opticis Spider OMM2500
PureLink MAX2
Pesa Fusion 12G SDI
Rose Electronics UltraMatrix AV Pro
microphones to be easily used with twelve flexible multiview configurations. With this unit’s features, any presenter can look like a pro.
Configurable at the source and capable of extremely long-throw signal distribution, the protocol agnostic Thinklogical MX48 matrix switcher is a fiber unit with modular, 16 port data cards and it is able to operate up to a 48x48 matrix. The switcher equipped with re-clocking technology and optional redundant control cards and power supplies for mission critical applications on single or multi-mode fiber.
Another heavy duty and infinitely configurable switching center is the tvONE CORIOmatrix multi-format 4K scaling matrix router. Proven in practice, this card-based model handles mixed AV, broadcast, IP, SDI, HDMI and legacy sources such as DVI. The 4RU unit can be custom configured with input cards, output cards, and control modules to assure a good facility fit for now and in the future as needs change and the technology evolves.
Among the big leagues in routers, the Utah
Scientific UT400 1056XL is recognized as a reliable industrial strength switching system with modular configurability. This includes SDI management, IP decoding and multiplexing of SMPTE ST-2022-6/8, synchronizing incoming signals to a common reference, cleanquiet switching on specific outputs, audio shuffling, embedding, de-embedding, AES, MADI, and support for fiber and analog formats. This model goes up to 1056 inputs and outputs.
The Wyrestorm MX-1007-HYB 10x7 matrix switcher provides 4K60Hz switching including HDBaseT for long distance applications. Dante audio is built-in along with a DSP-equipped 100W amplifier. NetworkHD 500 sends the output signals on a 1G network and lets the system work with existing network infrastructure. The Sygma Cloud Device Management online platform allows networked monitoring, device control, firmware
Tekvox
Thinklogical MX48
Utah Scientific UT400 1056XL
Cover
VOICES CARRY
Large format line arrays for worship
When it’s time for church leadership to replace an aging sound system, the considerations are multifold. Intelligibility, architectural style, support for the congregation’s style of music, FOH preference, and rider friendliness for those churches that host visiting musical artists. Beyond that is an intangible, which is the worship experience itself and how the sound system supports community connection, reflection, and personal growth. Some churches want their systems to be as invisible as possible. Others want the technology to assert its presence and may choose large format arrays that evoke concert experiences. Two recent Meyer PANTHER installs provide some insight into why church leadership decides to go for the big voices, and how the combination of marquee line arrays and point-source components can bring the right tone to a space of worship.
New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore will celebrate 50 years of pastoral leadership this year. As a congregation that prioritizes the sonic experience, the church leadership was ready to replace an outdated system with a custom-finish sound solution tailored to meet the demands of the sanctuary. The new system, installed by Charlotte, North Carolina-based integrator WAVE AVL, was designed to suit the 3500-seat, multizone environment.
The primary function of the design is to support the weekend services and conferences at New Psalmist. The sanctuary seats more than 3,500 people and is broken into main floor seating,
additional seating in the balcony, and stadiumstyle seating in the side loges. To cover all the seating areas, the loudspeaker system design is a mix of line array and point-source components. The loudspeakers combine to form a unique stereo cross-matrix system, which was designed by WAVE and modeled in Meyer Sound’s MAPP 3D system design and prediction tool.
Two main left and right arrays comprise PANTHER loudspeakers. Two shorter arrays of LEOPARD compact linear line array loudspeakers provide side coverage. The point-source loudspeakers for over- and under-balcony fills are a combination of UPQ-D3 full-size loudspeakers, ULTRA-X40 compact loudspeakers, and ULTRA-X20 compact wide-coverage loudspeakers. ULTRAX20 loudspeakers are also incorporated as front fills. The low frequencies are supported by 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements. The full system is managed by Galileo GALAXY 816 and 408 network platforms. New Psalmist also requested the loudspeakers to be painted a custom white. The church streams all of their services to YouTube, adding to the importance of having a system that looks as good as it sounds.
WAVE handled most of the design, with input from the Meyer Sound team for the AVB networking and RMS Remote Monitoring System. Deaven Wood, Production Coordinator for New Psalmist Baptist Church explains: “With this Meyer Sound system and Milan, which is the application layer built onto the AVB network protocol, it adds a framework of interoperability for professional A/V devices. With our RMServer,
Andrew McGibbon
which is our ‘Remote Monitoring System,’ we have the ability to monitor the health of every single device in real time. That allows us to troubleshoot and diagnose an issue with precision. Overall, the combination of AVB, Milan, and the RMServer provides a robust and efficient solution for professional audio networking. By addressing key requirements such as reliability, stability, scalability, and audio quality, this technology enables the creation of large-scale, high-performance audio systems.”
“The system turned out phenomenal,” says Rob Bender, Chief Executive Officer of WAVE AVL. “It’s a large room with very high ceilings so we knew it was going to be a challenging installation, but our team made it happen. We were able to leverage existing power in the ceiling, and the new Meyer Sound system was lighter than the previous system, which helped with ceiling loads and structural approval.”
“The reactions to our new PA were beyond expectation,” Wood says. “As we lowered the old system and hoisted the new one into place, onlookers were captivated. The first time we powered it up, everyone was truly amazed by the clean, crisp, and well-rounded sound.
“This entire experience has provided us with fresh inspiration for future endeavors in all areas of our AV infrastructure,” adds Wood. “It has fueled our excitement for the future of live production technology.”
Serving over 18,000 congregants across seven campuses and a thriving streaming channel, Sun Valley Community Church (SVCC) has always been at the forefront of using cutting-edge technology to enrich its services.
SVCC’s main campus, which seats 1,200, previously housed a Meyer Sound LEOPARD system. “SVCC was ready for something special—a state-of-the-art system that would support expanded programming,” said Chris Gille, creative solutions engineer at Kentucky-based integrator HouseRight, which supplied and installed the church’s new system to meet those goals.
As it happens, Matt Kotthoff, production and integration lead director at SVCC, heard a Meyer Sound PANTHER and 2100-LFC system in action at an Ed Sheeran concert, and was soon convinced of the system’s capabilities.
“Listening to the varying dynamics in a stadium, we decided, ‘Let’s create a mini version of this.’ We aimed to provide a capability that no other
medium-to-large-sized room offers,” he said. As a result, SVCC now has PANTHER large-format linear line array loudspeakers and 2100-LFC lowfrequency control elements and has relocated the LEOPARD system to the South Gilbert campus to make way for the PANTHER upgrade at the broadcast campus.
SVCC’s new system is centered around two suspended arrays of seven PANTHER loudspeakers, supported by 10 2100-LFC lowfrequency control elements, which are both hung and set on the ground. “We have six 2100-LFCs suspended, following the recommendations from HouseRight and Meyer Sound Engineers. This setup allows us to deliver a controlled low end that projects over the congregation, creating an immersive, clean bass-heavy experience that has definition in low-end frequencies that everyone can feel and hear,” Kotthoff said. Four 2100-LFC low-frequency control elements on the ground act as a sub-boost.
“It was inspiring to calibrate and tune with fewer building blocks than had made sense in the past and have the system respond with unprecedented detail,” he continues.
HouseRight and Meyer Sound’s engineering team used Meyer Sound’s MAPP 3D system design and prediction tool to model cohesive coverage. “While designing in MAPP 3D, front-toback frequency, smoothness, and low-mid beam
control seemed a bit too good to be true, with only seven primary elements per stack, with AVB affording 1:1 drive resolution,” Gille said. “However, the reality was as predicted, and frequency banding fell tightly in line.
“With girthy power and headroom, smooth accuracy, and dynamic range, paired with the tight and boldly musical 2100-LFC, PANTHER is a great fit,” he says. When it comes to low-frequency extension, “the 2100-LFC has so much musical power and such a broad bandwidth. Because of that, you can shape it to be whatever you want.”
This May, Gille had an opportunity to mix on the new system at SVCC. “It was one of the bestsounding experiences I’ve ever had,” he says.
“This is the first system I’ve been in front of where I thought, ‘There’s something special, something different,’ and I’m telling everyone that it’s the sound of headroom.”
“We’re five weekends in, and although most people might not pinpoint the changes, we’ve only received positive feedback, a lot of it,” said Kotthoff. “Wherever you sit, you get stereo imaging with the musical dynamics PANTHER provides. It is an immersive experience from the moment people enter the room.”
“Worship is about being together in a community,” he adds. “PANTHER creates an immersive experience from front to back, left to right, transforming the worship culture entirely.”
DANTE ENABLED
Including Blaze Audio / DAS Audio / PTZOptics
Complete Immersion
Founded in 1989 by John Rodaz and Maria Banda-Rodaz, Area Stage is an award-winning theater company that has become a fixture in South Florida’s cultural scene, offering a vibrant conservatory program, opportunities for underserved artists, and an ongoing roster of innovative productions. In 2020, the non-profit moved to its current headquarters at Sunset Place Mall where two large storefronts host voice and dance studios and a black box theater.
Then, in 2024, an immersive performance space debuted in one of the mall’s empty warehouses. The distinctive performance space is designed to create an intimate experience for the audience, with seemingly random seating arrangements that eschew the traditional audience-stage scenario and have the actors roaming amongst the crowd. It’s an inventive approach that creates a unique interaction between the performers and their audience. “It’s a very playful space, with seating for only 150 guests,” explains Maria Banda-Rodaz. “The arrangement enables us to design productions where the performance is part of the environment. Rather than the audience facing the stage like a traditional proscenium theater, you are literally surrounded by the characters. You’re inside the story. It’s a very intimate experience”
“We’re not calling it theater in the round, we’re calling it theater in the everywhere,” adds Giancarlo Rodaz, Maria’s son and the director of the current production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Not surprisingly, sound design is a critical aspect of the experience, with strategically placed speakers creating an environment that quite literally
immerses the audience into the performance. “Instead of the sound coming from the front of the stage like most traditional theaters, we have the ability to create sound coming from all around, from any corner of the room,” observes Giancarlo.
The approach is not without its challenges. As Giancarlo reports, “It quickly became clear that we couldn’t create a non-traditional production using traditional sound design. There’s far less control because everyone’s in the mix, including the audience. We ended up using a lot of technology that was not specifically designed for theater.”
Unconventional Thinking
Audio consultant and sound designer Abraham Oleksnianski played a big part in planning and designing the system to help fulfill Giancarlo Rodaz’ vision. “The system ended up having more in common with theme parks than theater,” he reveals. “When they approached me about the project and told me the audience would be sitting in the set where the actors were performing, my first thought was ‘this kind of sounds like a Disney theme park ride.’ Everything is happening around you, but you never really see where stuff is coming from. You don’t see speakers, and the sound is not necessarily always localized.”
Oleksnianski’s first call was to DAS Audio’s Miami headquarters. “I knew DAS Audio was a worldwide company, with tours and installations all over the world, and I was familiar with some of their products, but I didn’t know if they would have something that would fit our needs. I figured that since they were here in Miami I could probably go to their warehouse and physically see and
TECHNOLOGY AT WORK Dante-Enabled
hear the product. I knew what I wanted, but I needed to see what they could offer. And since we were also on a major time crunch, with only a few weeks to put it all together, the thought of having a local company that could help with design and support was an added plus.”
As Oleksnianski observes, the venue’s seating is more than a little unconventional. “It’s not uniform seating by any stretch. The main floor has tables of different shapes and sizes; there’s also seating along the walls, and two elevated seating areas on either side of the main floor area. We needed to design a system that no one would necessarily see, but still get enough coverage to give everybody the full experience of the sound.”
Small is Beautiful
The system comprises a total of 24 DAS Audio DECO-6-TB 6.5-inch two-way full-range ceiling speakers, four Q-43-T 4x3-inch column speakers, and eight Q-10 10-inch compact subwoofers. As Giancarlo Rodaz notes, the goal was to design a more understated approach to the distribution of sound. “Our previous theater was a great space, but they would always get six of their largest speakers, put them on the center of the grid, and point them toward the walls. It was kind of an acoustical nightmare. So I was really insistent on using smaller speakers for a more subtle approach.”
“The DAS Audio system enabled us to completely rethink not only the design of the sound system, but the entire production,” Giancarlo continues. “By designing a system that is compact and versatile, we were able to create a production that breaks through the traditional ‘fourth wall’ between the actors and the audience.”
“I knew that large speakers wouldn’t work in the new space,” agrees Oleksnianski. “Aside from not being able to distribute the sound well, they would be too visible and take away from the illusion of being immersed in the story. Smaller speakers could be more easily concealed in the set.”
The actors roam the space freely, running through and around the audience, jumping on tables, and coming through different entrances, and as Oleksnianski explains, the PA was as much a monitor system for the actors as for the audience. “I ended up using DPA4066 dual ear headset mics with Shure Axient Digital AD1 body packs on all the actors to get the mics as close as possible to the source to avoid feedback. Traditional theater mic placement has the mics in the actors’ hair lines and foreheads which would not have worked for this setting.”
In addition to the actors, there was also the musical component to consider. The band was a mix of acoustic and amplified instruments, with two keyboards, an acoustic violinist, and a woodwind player who switched between bass clarinet, saxophone, flute, and clarinet. “The keyboards were DI’d into the PA, which made things pretty easy,” reports Oleksnianski. “The acoustic instruments were a bit more tricky. The violin had a single DPA 4099. For the woodwinds, we had one DPA 4099 strapped to a stand for the sax and clarinets, and a Countryman ISOmax 2 clipped directly to the flute. Due to the size and configuration of the room, the acoustic energy of the instruments would sometimes mask what I was amplifying. So at times I had to work with them to tone down the dynamics just a little bit.”
Coming From On High
With the venue’s unconventional arrangement, there would be limited opportunity to place speakers at audience level. “There were four arches over the main floor area, and I knew that would be a prime option for locating speakers,” Oleksnianski recounts. “So the sound had only one direction it could come from, and that was from above.”
A total of 16 DECO-6-TB speakers were positioned in the arches above the main performance area, with four more in the wood ceiling over each of the two upper seating areas. Four Q-43-T column speakers round off the coverage. Eight DAS Audio Q-10 10-inch compact subwoofers completed the system, four on each side, underneath the elevated seating areas. “The subs were important not just for the low-frequency energy,” says Oleksnianski, “but particularly since we were using smaller speakers for our mains, the subs helped to fill in and reinforce that low-mid spectrum.”
Amplification is provided by three INTEGRAL-A1604 4 channel 400W amplifiers, and two INTEGRAL-MA1604 400 Matrix amps with DSP and Dante. Speakers are zoned with each arch a separate zone, the four column speakers divided into two more zones, and a separate zone for the subs. “I had no traditional Left-Right master mix on my console,”
Oleksnianski explains. “In fact, I mixed all the voices into different mix groups. There’s a lead mix group for the lead actors and there are male and female vocal mixes for when the choir is in the background. I had eight total matrix outputs, and all the groups would go to each of those outputs.” System EQ and delays were handled by the INTEGRAL-MA1604 amps.
“There’s far less control because everyone’s in the mix, including the audience. We ended up using a lot of technology that was not specifically designed for theater.” -Giancarlo Rodaz, director
FOH is Everywhere
Mixing a show without a stage presented its own unique challenges, and Oleksnianski spent weeks mapping out a continually evolving strategy.
“From our very earliest rehearsals, he would have the actors wear mics, and he was constantly walking around with an iPad, tuning and retuning the room,” Giancarlo recalls. “We were moving furniture around, relocating seats, constantly making changes. We had this big, open playground to work with, and the same with the sound system. Where do we want this sound effect to come from? What about the music? We were able to move the speakers and really sculpt the sound of the production.”
“There wasn’t really a true Front of House position, per se,” says Oleksnianski. Though they did set up a small FOH area with a pair of DAS Audio ACTION-508A powered monitors and an Allen & Heath Avantis console in a small corner cutout area, Oleksnianski reports that, “for the most part I was mixing PA, actor mics, and band mics on an iPad, moving around the venue while the FOH mixer was actively mixing the show as I had programmed it.”
While the performance itself is highly immersive in nature, Oleksnianski intentionally shied away from implementing a fully immersive audio mix, in favor of providing a consistent experience across the entire audience. “I knew it couldn’t be the same experience from every seat, but it had to be a full and satisfying experience for every person,” he observes. “Most of the actual audio content is pretty much mono in nature. We did localize a few specific effects where it made sense, but for the bulk of the performance content we kept it pretty simple for consistency’s sake.”
The Sound Makes the Play
For director Giancarlo Rodaz, this first foray into immersive theater has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. “Far and away, Little Mermaid was the best experience that we’ve ever had with sound. It’s a real challenge doing sound in an environment like this, but it’s immensely rewarding. The technology really influences the art, and makes it so much easier to be creative.”
Oleksnianski admits to having had some initial apprehension. “I remember thinking to myself, wow, this is going to be difficult to implement because there’s always that chance that it does not go how you expect when you’re trying something this different. But I was also excited for the opportunity to do something new that had not really been done before. Even if we were to take this production into a more typical theatrical space, I think I’d still opt for using this system. I don’t ever want to go back.”
Although he has long dreamed of creating an immersive theater production, director Giancarlo Rodaz was fully aware of the risks involved. “For storytelling, I think it’s a great art form. It’s as old as people telling a story at a dinner table. I think people want real connection. They want to get away from screens. They want to feel something with people that are in front of them.”
“It’s fun for me to watch the audience reactions,” says Maria Banda-Rodaz. “You see a lot of fathers who’ve been sort of reluctantly dragged to the show by their children. At the end, when the lights come up you can see them wiping tears from their eyes. It’s a really emotional experience.”
The Area Stage company is now bringing this unique staging experience to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
David Caserta
Real World
Berklee NYC is the Berklee College of Music’s New York City campus, housed in the historic Power Station recording studio located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan on West 53rd Street.
The Live Music Production and Design master’s degree is crafted for aspiring designers, producers, and collaborators eager to enter the immersive sonic and visual experience industry. This program hones a unique design voice and equips students with foundational skills across set, lighting, and sound disciplines.
Graduates emerge ready to realize their own and others’ visions, effectively collaborate across fields, and adapt to the evolving landscape of immersive experiences. Students gain expertise in lighting, sound, content creation, and set design, with a focus on multimedia storytelling.
Daniel Pembroke, Chair of Live Music Production and Design and Director of Academic Technology has been with Berklee NYC for four years and leads courses in Introduction to Live Sound, Advanced Live Sound, Project Management, and Interactive Experience Design graduate programs. With a background as an architect and design professional and electronic artist, festival organizer, and recording professional, Pembroke brings extensive industry knowledge to Berklee NYC. He has spent the last two decades performing internationally and curating electronic music festivals, like Charivari Detroit, which bring immersive audio experiences to life. His perspective has informed Berklee NYC’s integration of tools to create dynamic, real-world environments for students.
“Our focus is on creating environments where students gain hands-on experience with professional audio interfaces, immersive mixing, and playback systems that they’ll use in the field,” says Pembroke.
Recently Pembroke expanded the school’s Focusrite infrastructure to support the graduate programs. “With Focusrite, we’re ensuring our students learn not only the technical skills but also best practices in latency reduction, signal flow, and digital over-network audio transmission,” he says.
The Focusrite collaboration has resulted in the integration of RedNet audioover-IP interfaces, Red 16Line interfaces, and PCIeNX cards throughout the campus. These devices enable students to experience and manage low-latency, high-channel-count audio systems, crucial for live sound and recording workflows. From Dante-enabled DiGiCo consoles and Yamaha mixers to Waves plugins and Ableton Live playback systems, students have access to a comprehensive toolkit reflective of the professional music production and live sound industry.
With the recent campus-wide implementation of Dante networks and Focusrite RedNet technology, Berklee NYC now supports fully networked audio across its performance spaces and studios across campus. The setup allows students to seamlessly connect between performance and studio environments, learning how to build playback rigs, integrate analog gear, and manage large-scale, networked audio systems. The Dante infrastructure lets them work with in-ear monitors, front-of-house setups, and live broadcast streaming, all in a streamlined, low-latency environment.
Just Add Video
Grace Community Church in Southern California has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the 1950s. What started out as “two small buildings and a chicken coop” in 1956 has expanded to a multi-building campus that now meets the spiritual needs of thousands of weekly congregants. Today, the nondenominational, evangelical megachurch comprises a 3,000-seat worship center, the original 300-seat chapel, a family center, a children’s center, the Master’s Seminary, a tower featuring five large classrooms, and several small outbuildings.
To streamline its AV management and keep the focus on worship experiences, Grace Community Church has deployed a large Dante-based networked AV system throughout the campus, including video capabilities using Dante AV.
The initial Dante implementation began in 2014 with buildouts in the family center and worship center, and the church has added Dante endpoints regularly, now totaling over 150 devices. During full orchestral performances, over 100 microphones are deployed between the musicians, choir, and worship leaders running through Dante-enabled Yamaha consoles. The church employs separate networks for IT, security, and AV traffic to avoid conflicts.
Given the size of the existing Dante network, they began using Dante Domain Manager a couple of years ago to great effect in maintaining and managing the sitewide deployment. The ability to route Dante audio between VLANs/ subnets has been the biggest plus for the church, allowing them to consolidate ten isolated audio systems into one integrated network.
Recently, the church created a feature documentary slated for theater release, but they wanted first to broadcast the premiere campus-wide. Not knowing how large the audience would be for such a venture, the church felt it prudent to have the worship center and several overflow rooms prepared to receive guests and broadcast the documentary. The church felt that the documentary needed to be broadcast in 4K for maximum effect, and while Grace Community Church had a pre-existing video distribution system, it could not deliver video reliably. So church leadership turned to John Mark Conaway, Sunday Technology Supervisor for the church, to coordinate the enormous challenge of distributing reliable 4K video and audio to each screening space.
“We were fully committed to Dante on the audio side, so when we heard about Dante AV, we were interested in trying it out,” said Conaway. “Our initial test in the main overflow room was a ‘set it and forget it’ trial, which worked
Dante-Enabled TECHNOLOGY
perfectly. That’s the type of reliability we were looking for, and we didn’t need to tinker with it continuously.”
The church’s AV team deployed nine Bolin D20 Dante AV Ultra transceivers throughout the campus to facilitate the live video stream from the sanctuary to overflow rooms in the satellite buildings. Bolin’s D20 Series devices are single video channel networked AV-over-IP transceivers fully compatible with Dante audio devices within a Dante ecosystem like Grace Community Church. Each transceiver device can be programmed as an encoder or a decoder. In either function, the device supports up to 4K60 streaming over a standard gigabit network with ultra-low latency and offers embedded audio output via HDMI or SDI and PTZ camera movement control via IP or IR passthrough. Based on the pre-existing SDI infrastructure, the church installed three D20H models (HDMI) and six D20S units (SDI) across the campus.
“The flexibility the D20 transceivers provided regarding audio and video distribution is a big plus,” said Conaway. “Expanding our existing Dante infrastructure to include Dante AV was not only plausible but also usable and cost-effective.”
The church wanted to provide a live introduction in 4K across the campus and then cleanly switch to the documentary being fed from a Blackmagic Design Hyperdeck. The power of being able to independently route the audio and video streams while guaranteeing clock synchronization provided the AV team with the tools needed to route de-embedded audio from the main feed and resynchronize with the video stream before inputting the signal into six
video matrices serving the overflow rooms and the three large screens in the family center. The premiere at the church was a huge success, and audience reactions to the AV experience were highly favorable.
Another event the church held where Dante AV was a huge benefit was their Shepherd’s conference. The conference brought hundreds of religious leaders together from across the country, and Conaway’s team distributed video streams with locally translated audio for non-English speaking attendees to temporary hospitality rooms around the campus. The audio resyncing with the video was made easy by Dante AV. Grace Community Church also uses Dante AV regularly for communion, offering an English service in the worship center and a Spanish-led service in the chapel building. When communion begins, the AV feed from the worship center is streamed to the chapel, where spoken words and music lyrics are translated into Spanish in real time, providing a consistent worship experience for all congregants.
“Adding Dante AV to our Dante implementation brought together audio, video, control, and management in a single platform for maximum scalability and flexibility,” said Conaway. “For us, the selling points were, first, we were already in the Dante ecosystem, so there’s a familiarity with the technology. You’re not starting over. Plus, our staff doesn’t have the time to train on new systems. Second, ease of implementation. Because Dante AV is in the same ecosystem, the integration happens much faster and easier. I don’t know another way we would have accomplished as much in the last 18 months without spending a lot more time and money.”
Networked is the Future
Writer JIM KIDWELL Audinate, Principal Product Marketing Manager
There has never been a greater need for crystal ball gazing in AV than there is now. The time-to-market for technology advancements like AI, machine learning, systems on a chip, and even PoE++ on the other end of the spectrum is rapidly decreasing and, in doing so, these shifts are challenging systems integrators to reconsider how they design, build, and support advanced AV/ IT networks.
Just as in other technology industries — consider how a dashboard on your phone now integrates data from multiple apps, eliminating the need to check multiple apps independently — the aspiration to a Single Pane of Glass (SPoG) is becoming more pronounced in AV and IT.
However, to get to this point, as our industry inevitably will, there are important prerequisites to address. Interconnectivity is an obvious first, and the AV industry has come very far in the adoption of IP, but as the definition of AV/IT networks evolves and more devices become network integrated, the need for greater interconnectivity expands. This is one reason Audinate introduced the AVIO line of Bluetooth, USB, and analog adapters. Once interconnectivity has been accomplished, the need for interoperability to facilitate the SPoG is paramount. But the understanding of interoperability is also continually evolving — what used to be signal and discovery now encompasses signal, discovery, monitoring, and control. Interoperability, no doubt, will also someday encompass encryption and security and other
standardized features and capabilities.
It’s easy to appreciate how the Walled Garden approach to network integration sounds good in a conference room, but the reality of a project jobsite suggests that integrators and designers want the freedom to choose the components they believe are best for each particular application. Part of that is the freedom to choose from the components that are available to them! Freedom of choice enables integrators to design AV systems that align with their customers’ unique objectives without being constrained by vendor limitations. This approach fosters innovation by encouraging competition and driving the development of more advanced, user-centric solutions. It also ensures that legacy systems can coexist with modern technologies, extending the lifecycle of existing investments while accommodating future growth.
Additionally, freedom of choice supports scalability, allowing networks to expand as needs evolve. Whether integrating new video conferencing tools, high-resolution displays, or cuttingedge audio systems, the ability to mix and match components from different manufacturers ensures that AV networks remain adaptable and future-proof.
As we migrate to the SPoG paradigm, opportunities present themselves for OEMs and systems integrators to provide endusers with their dashboard drawing data and issuing instructions to a diverse array of software and device technologies. This is where the need presents for APIs and SDKs that facilitate
custom integration with third-party devices and applications to control and monitor subscriptions of networked devices. At Audinate, our Dante API is used by systems integrators to enable easy access for non-expert users to update Dante subscriptions without using Dante Controller, but the capabilities extend beyond this and will likely evolve in the future as well. OEMs are also increasingly using APIs to enable native discovery and management mechanisms for Dante devices and software within the OEM’s management platform. A case in point is the September 2024 deployment by Lawo of native Dante compatibility in its HOME apps.
This new ecosystem environment will facilitate not only new network designs and applications but also new businesses and participants in the AV industry. Some will be software developers who see the increasing availability of robust SDKs to connect software tools to the AV/IT network and facilitate new workflows, practices and businesses in the same way that video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Webex connected
with AV to expand applications and opportunities for all participants including themselves, device manufacturers, integrators and end-users!
Today’s network-enabled AV endpoints are IT endpoints and should be treated as such. Ensuring the security of AV networks is increasingly essential for protecting sensitive information and maintaining the system’s integrity.
The future of AV networks will prioritize robust security measures at every level, including device, network, and media protection. Device security involves secure booting, secure firmware updates, operating system patches, and device locking to protect from digital or physical breaches. Network-level security includes user authentication, network segmentation, and event logging. Media protection rounds out AV system security with end-to-end encryption of any network-transmitted information, whether data, control signals, audio, or video.
Moreover, manufacturers and integrators must adhere to emerging regulations, so more
end-to-end encrypted solutions will likely be required in the near future. That said, not every system needs encryption, so the most robust outcome will likely include encryption capabilities in products that can be enabled through a network management system on a device-bydevice basis.
Education and awareness are equally important in addressing security challenges. AV professionals must stay informed about emerging threats and best practices for securing their networks. By adopting a proactive approach to security, organizations can safeguard their AV investments while maintaining user trust.
No one truly knows what tomorrow’s technology will look like. What is clear, though, is that pro AV is poised to be more dynamic, immersive, and connected than ever before. As advancements in AI, IoT, and virtualization continue integrating into the pro AV ecosystem, we can expect unprecedented levels of automation, personalization, and interactivity.
TECHNOLOGY AT WORK Dante-Enabled
PTZOptics Link 4K
This camera comes with 4K/60fps with Dante AV-H enabled out of the box and also features SDI, HDMI, USB, and IP streaming outputs, which allows users to control and manage their audio and video devices all in one place. One of the standout features of the Link 4K is its onboard auto-tracking capabilities. This award-winning technology eliminates the need for a dedicated camera operator, allowing teams to focus on other aspects of production. With PoE+ capabilities and options for 12x, 20x, and 30x optical zoom, the Link 4K can seamlessly integrate into any production scenario. The Link 4K also offers users access to the latest Web UI, which provides everything needed in one simple menu. The Web UI includes a
Audinate Dante Controller Dark Mode
In December, Audinate announced the availability of a significant update to Dante Controller. The popular tool for IT and AV managers to route signals, monitor latency, and diagnose network issues gets an update to a modern look. Audinate says they integrated valuable feedback from the passionate community of Dante users to create this update. The open and easy-to-use routing matrix and entirely new graphic design make it more pleasing for users. “This release addresses the most commonly requested feature of Dante Controller – that it can’t easily be used in a dimly lit room,” says Laurence Crew, Senior Product Manager of Audinate. “Even if we hadn’t overhauled the visual representation of everything else in the application, Dark Mode is easily the most welcomed feature of the release. ”Dante Controller is an easy-to-learn and powerful tool that enables interoperable signal routing, control, and network diagnostics among the over 4000 Dante-enabled audio and video devices currently available from over 600 different manufacturers. Dante Controller and its new user interface is available as a free download for all Dante users. Visit www.getdante.com/controller to download.
PowerZone Connect 2U Series
The PowerZone Connect 2U series is a line of full-matrix DSP-enabled Class-D amplifiers with a total system power ranging from 1000 W to 6000 W. The PowerZone Connect 2U series powers both ) loudspeakers and constant voltage (70 V/100 V) transformercoupled loudspeakers, and features proportional distribution in both Lo-Z and Hi-Z modes. Specific models of the PowerZone Connect 2U amplifiers, including the PowerZone Connect 3004D (pictured) offer compatibility with Audinate Dante AoIP networks and installations. The intuitive PowerZone Control web app is built into all PowerZone Connect amplifiers for easy system setup. PowerZone Control facilitates customization of even the most challenging audio/voice systems by delivering many DSP configuration options and tuning features, including multizone setup, input mixing, priority and ducking, restriction, input and output EQ, S/PDIF output routing, high-pass filter, speaker presets, delay, Wall-S1 controller configuration, sine generator, and more.
