Houses of Worship — May 19, 2005

May 19, 2005 2:43 PM

Houses of Worship Top Story

Veteran Tips for Media Neophytes

Media technologies have been a key to growth for North Coast Church in Vista, Calif., and Technical Production Pastor Dennis Choy says North Coast's experience can yield some valuable lessons for less experienced church leaders who may be considering video and other media tools for the first time.

North Coast regularly conducts worship services at six different sites, which share a common video feed of the pastor's message even while pursuing their own separate worship styles in other ways. Moreover, the church has been a leader in the "video venues" movement, offering a DVD-based Video Venues Starter Kit through its website and proselytizing for the technique among other church leaders.

"Technology has allowed churches to grow beyond what they ever thought they could," says Choy. "We've doubled the size of our church using really simple technology."

Simplicity, Choy suggests, is the key to success for newcomers to the worship media world.

Because North Coast had a relatively small home facility, the church did not opt for image magnification and large-screen video displays, often a key step along the road to high-end video production. As a result, North Coast was able to expand to additional sites at a relatively low cost, Choy says.

In the process, the central concern was always the quality of the worship experience being delivered to remote sites, he adds. "Our biggest fear was that people would not watch a sermon on TV," he says.

To address this fear, North Coast eschewed fancier production values in favor of a single camera locked in position to deliver a straightforward image of the pastor, Dr. Larry Osborne. Rather than rejecting this video image, Choy says many congregants reported they could see and understand the pastor more clearly via video than they could in the main church facility itself.

Choy identifies several lessons less experienced media ministers can draw from North Coast's success.

"Equipment is only as good as the people running it," he says. "We rely on volunteers in all areas. Assess your team and who's going to run the stuff. You can buy pro-grade equipment, but if volunteers are going to run it, you may not get all you could from it."

On the other hand, Choy adds, "I've seen some pretty amazing things done with a $100 mixer."

This reliance on the capabilities of available personnel will lead to unique solutions for individual churches. "If you took five churches and gave them each a million dollars, you'd still get a wide range of quality in results," Choy says.

Choy cites conferences, trade shows, and vendors as reliable sources of information, and urges media specialists to start out with a clear idea of their needs.

In video, for example, he urges newcomers to start small. "There are so many formats out there now, even the broadcasters don't know which way it's going to go," he says. Starting out with something as basic as a DVD player and MPG video camcorder provides "a cheap way to get in the game."

Most churches, Choy adds, rightly focus on audio before video, since it's critical for the pastor's message to be intelligible. "If we were going to cut the budget, we would not cut audio," he says.

In the long run, he adds, one of the promises of media technology is that a church can accommodate a broad range of styles and interests among its members. "You can have a place for all the people," he says.

Installation News

Lake Charles Church Chooses Lake Contour

In order to maintain a high-resolution digital audio signal all the way through to the outputs of the loudspeaker processors, Abundant Life Fellowship in Lake Charles, La., has installed three Lake Contour units as part of a recently completed sound system upgrade. The trio of Lake Contour digital speaker processors is controlling a main system plus two delay rings of Meyer Sound speakers in the 3,000-seat church sanctuary.

"We have a 96kHz mixing board, a Yamaha DM2000 v2," explains associate church minister Charles Cloutman. Rather than introduce the possibility of a degradation of the sound by going through multiple D-to-A and A-to-D converters, he says, "We wanted to keep everything AES/EBU at 96kHz all the way up to the speaker processor. And we were looking for an uncolored sound."

Lake Contour, which supports sample rates from 44.1kHz to 96kHz at 24-bit resolution, and offers sonic purity through the use of the highest quality film capacitors, galvanic isolation, special power supplies, and a host of special engineering features, met those criteria. "It seems to be really transparent and clean," confirms Cloutman.

"Pastor Gaspard is a very talented musician," says Brad Daigle, owner of Beaumont, Texas-based design-build firm MSC Systems, of the man who started the Abundant Life Fellowship in his home in 1978. "He wanted something with pristine sound and very transparent reproduction."

Further, with each unit offering two inputs and six outputs while also incorporating a unique set of powerful DSP-based EQ and processing tools that includes crossovers, dynamics, and delays, Lake Contour allows individual control of the loudspeakers installed at the church. "We have each speaker on its own channel, so we can tweak them accordingly," Cloutman reports.

Daigle elaborates, "It's a stereo system and multi-zoned. We've got a primary zone, with four speakers in it, positioned above the stage. Each box is timed to a center point, in a left-right configuration. Then, we go to the second ring of long throw/short throw vertical hangs. Again, each box is individually timed and equalized." A third ring, positioned to cover the rear of the contemporary sanctuary's fan-shaped seating area, was installed in the final phase of the refit, and comprises six speakers controlled by a dedicated Lake Contour processor.

Established in July 1978, Abundant Life Fellowship has come a long way since the first service was held in Pastor Gaspard's living room. Today, the church is located on 80 acres with a 14-acre park, a food distribution center that helps thousands of needy people every year, a weekly television program, and many other ministries, all located on the church property.

Tyler Edwards, director of media ministries at First Baptist Concord (left), and Howard Everhart, minister of instrumental worship (right) program the FOH Allen & Heath ML5000 console snapshots for a Sunday morning service.

Allen & Heath ML Series Consoles Ease Broadcast Mix at First Baptist Concord

With the recent installation of an Allen & Heath ML4000 large-format VCA console, twin ML Series mixing desks now handle both front-of-house and broadcast sound at the First Baptist Concord Church in Knoxville, Tenn. The 3,000-seat church additionally utilizes an Allen & Heath MixWizard to create choir submixes.

Mike DeFreece is the local Allen & Heath manufacturer's rep, working out of the Millar Electronics, Inc. Knoxville field office, and also mixes sound at the church on occasion. "The ML5000 is there for the front-of-house application. We bought the ML4000 to be used for live-to-2-track recording and broadcast," he says. "We're essentially mimicking, for the most part, the exact same 48 inputs as the front-of-house console with the new console."

Two ML Series consoles of an identical input configuration were ordered to simplify the broadcast/recording mix, DeFreece explains. All ML Series console models feature eight mute groups and eight VCA groups, the assignments for which may be saved as snapshot scenes and then downloaded via the RS232 port to a PC using the supplied ML Archiver software. It is then a simple matter to save those settings to disc and upload them into the second console.

"They're able to write all of the mute scene presets on the ML5000 during rehearsals," he elaborates. "Then, they transfer all those mute scenes to the ML4000, so that somebody who perhaps hasn't even been there for the rehearsals can step through the mute scenes and open up all the right channels at the right times during the broadcast recording." First Baptist Concord only recently began the local cable channel broadcasts, which are delayed one week after the event, says DeFreece.

The contemporary services feature a full orchestra using 28 inputs, he reports, including electronic drums, a percussion section, bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, and then some electronic keyboards. There are also a large number of vocal inputs, including a praise team and a worship leader. Additionally, he reports, "We've got 11 choir mics going into an Allen & Heath MixWizard 16:2, summing them into one channel of the ML5000."

For the first major event at which the two ML Series consoles were put to use, DeFreece recalls, the input channels of both desks were completely maxed out. "The front-of-house engineer had written upwards of 70 mute scene presets for the program. The guy who came in to mix the live recording for the DVD essentially came in on the day of the first dress rehearsal, which was the first day of taping. He had never seen the program before. He had a guy helping him who had a book with the cues in it running the software with the cue changes and letting him know what wireless mics were coming up. They were living and dying by the presets."

For further information on the entire range of Allen & Heath mixing products please visit the company's website at www.allen-heath.com.

Product News

Toshiba TDP-SW25U Wireless Projector Provides High Performance and Portability

Toshiba's Digital Products Division, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. and provider of industry-leading portable computers, projectors, and other mobile-related services and products, introduced the TDP-SW25U wireless projector, a high-performance, portable presentation tool for mobile professionals, educators, corporate customers, and small-to-medium-sized businesses, priced at $1,299. Toshiba will be offering a 10 percent instant rebate for the TDP-SW25U when pre-ordered or purchased now until June 15.

The TDP-SW25U features a lightweight design and is ideal for use in almost any room size. Its DLP (digital light processing) technology enables bright, high-quality images with 1800 ANSI lumens, a 2000:1 contrast ratio, and native SVGA 800x600 resolution. Toshiba's TDP-SW25U comes with integrated IEEE 802.11b/g wireless functionality that delivers fast setup time and enables presenters to connect to the projector from anywhere in the room and deliver sequential presentations without the need for cables. The wireless projector's PC card slot allows users to store presentations on a PCMCIA type II storage card, enabling "PC free" presentations.

"The TDP-SW25U's wireless capabilities work especially well in educational settings when paired with Toshiba's Tablet PC," says Alex Ijuin, assistant general manager for Toshiba DPD's Projector Business Unit of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. "Presenters can make notes and edits directly to the presentation from anywhere in the room, providing for a more interactive classroom or training experience."

The TDP-SW25U includes a range of multimedia capabilities and connectivity options such as composite, component and S-Video inputs, and audio in/out capabilities. A monitor output connector allows users to view presentations from an external display, in addition to what is projected on the screen. This feature allows presenters to face their audience directly, rather than turning around to read slides as they appear on the screen. Weighing only 6.8lbs., users can easily transport the projector in between classrooms or offices, or when traveling. The TDP-SW25U sports a sleek, eye-catching exterior that is constructed of a metallic silver casing for a professional look and feel.

The TDP-SW25U incorporates user-friendly features, including one-touch auto set up, keystone correction, and a fully loaded remote control for seamless, professional presentations. Users simply plug the projector in and can begin making presentations.

With a whisper quiet fan that runs at approximately 33dBA (decibel adjusted) in low mode, the projector is designed to not distract the audience. The Toshiba TDP-SW25U is available for pre-order immediately and shipments are scheduled to begin June 1 through ToshibaDirect at www.toshibadirect.com.

PWS Music Box receiver

Masque Sound to Roll Out PWS Wireless Closed Circuit "Music Box"

Professional Wireless Systems (PWS), a Masque Sound company, is enjoying growing success with Music Box, a unique portable, wireless closed-circuit "radio station" used extensively by many Feld Entertainment touring shows. Music Box provides synchronized high-quality audio to virtually any point in a venue. Masque Sound VP Geoff Shearing reports the company plans to roll the innovative system out nationally. "Our PWS division has achieved remarkable results with this innovative technology. We are confident that it has many potential applications including sporting, corporate, house of worship, and educational events," he says.

Consisting of a compact central transmitter placed near the FOH mixing console and a number of small satellite briefcase units containing receiver, power amplifier, and directional antenna, the simple yet powerful system totally eliminates the need for cables and can be set up virtually anywhere.

Developed and refined during extensive field operation, Music Box combines a simple concept with high-end technology. "We utilize Pelican brand cases, and include an EV 7100, two-channel 100W amp along with Sennheiser Evolution G2 wireless receiver," explains PWS associate Jason Eskew. "We then modify the transmitter with an RF amplifier that takes it up to the maximum legal limit, to provide a broadcast-quality mono or stereo signal virtually anywhere audio is required."

"Each satellite briefcase is fitted with a cooling fan and a recessed male Edison plug for connection to standard AC wall outlets or power strips, via extension cord," Eskew notes. "Two XLR jacks are used to connect a pair of speakers and a directional antenna is mounted within the box which is aimed towards the front-of-house position. Everything inside the case is shock mounted in foam to make a truly road-worthy package. A transmitter at the FOH feeds with the audio program audio through an RF amp—it's that simple," he adds.

"The Music Box evolved out of our on-going relationship with Feld Entertainment," explains PWS principal James Stoffo. "Their Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, and other productions travel up to 15 shows around the world. With multiple concession stands at every venue, they needed a way to provide synchronized audio at each station. This enables attendees walking around the venue to maintain continuity with the program, and also provides them with highly audible public service announcements."

The PWS transmitter located at FOH feeds music programming to the Music Boxes. Each box is a self-contained unit with a receiver tuned to the "mother" transmitter via a directional antennae capable of pulling a signal hundreds of feet through concrete walls and related interference. The PWS design team included a power amp and connectors and even etched a bold arrow on the units to illustrate which way to point them towards the stage.

PWS incorporates the latest wireless technology for system upgrades, including the best in-ear system available. "We're currently using G2s because they are frequency agile," Stoffo says. "We have a couple of hundred units out there, and each venue has anywhere from 10 to 24 receiver boxes, enabling them to install remote audio wherever necessary. All they have to do is plug in our Music Box, point it in the right direction, connect the speakers and they have excellent audio quality which is well within the FCC's power output limitations."

Feld Entertainment Senior Buyer Pat Valentine reports the company has been very pleased with the Music Box units. "We recently asked PWS to devise an upgrade which will allow us to switch frequencies in our increasingly crowded RF world. The new units have already proved themselves exceptionally effective. In addition to providing our audience with high-quality music and sound from our productions virtually anywhere they go on the grounds," Valentine says. "We are also able to provide them with important public service announcements and special product offers. The PWS Music Box system is an important aspect of all Feld Entertainment events; it's like having our own closed-circuit radio station at every show."

SurgeX Unveils New Technologies

SurgeX has re-engineered its one-rack-space (1U) surge protectors and power conditioners to feature new Advanced Series Mode surge suppression and proprietary power-conditioning technologies such as Impedance Tolerant EMI/RFI filtering, SurgeX ICE inrush current elimination, and COUVS catastrophic over/under-voltage shutdown.

Advanced Series Mode technology is the latest generation of SurgeX's proven Series Mode circuitry, which uses an inductor as the first and primary surge-suppression component to intercept and contain destructive surge energy. There has never been a failure of Series Mode protected equipment. Unlike other approaches, Advanced Series Mode technology does not rely on metal-oxide varistors (MOVs) as a sacrificial component. In addition, it creates no ground-wire contamination or common-mode surges and has zero let-through voltage.

SurgeX 1U products provide guaranteed Advanced Series Mode surge protection and power conditioning for audio, video, and computer equipment. There are five 1U models: the SX1115, SX1115-RL, SX1115-RT, SX 1120-RT, and SX1215. This gives contractors a choice of Advanced Series Mode surge suppressors at the right price point or with application-specific features such as remote turn-on, front-panel lighting, or compatibility with 240-volt systems.

SurgeX manufactures a full line of AC surge protectors and power conditioners, including rackmount, standalone and NEMA models. SurgeX products are available through a nationwide network of authorized representatives. Contact SurgeX at www.surgex.com or (215) 766-1240.