Murphy’s Law Lighting Disasters Wanted by Wybron

posted August 19, 2008

Have you experienced problems, mishaps, or disasters involving lighting equipment? Wybron wants to hear from you.

The lighting company is collecting stories that illustrate Murphy’s Law – the old adage that says, “Whatever can go wrong will go wrong.” It’s a truth well-known by those in the live production world.

Go to http://www.wybron.com/murphyslaw to share your stories of lighting equipment difficulties and disasters. Five randomly selected people who fill out the custom survey will each receive a $20 iTunes gift certificate.

Wybron plans to feature the best stories in an article that discusses how lighting feedback systems can warn users about problems before they happen.

For more information, visit http://www.wybron.com or call (719) 548-9774.

Jars of Clay Kicks off “Music Builds Tour” in Detroit with Aviom Gear

posted August 18, 2008

The Music Builds Tour, a traveling festival to raise money and awareness for Habitat for Humanity kicks off this month. The tour’s 22 dates take place at a variety of outdoor and amphitheater venues across the country and features Jars of Clay, Third Day, Switchfoot, and Robert Randolph.

Nashville-based rock band Jars of Clay makes Aviom’s Pro16 monitor mixing and audio distribution gear a regular part of its audio toolkit. This year, as the summer touring season heats up, Aviom products will travel with the band from city to city as part of the Music Builds Tour.

We are going on five years using the Aviom Pro16 rig,” says guitarist Matt Odmark. “We travel with it all the time, and we have never had an Aviom product fail. We’re excited to use it on this tour; we are hoping to play to almost 200,000 people by the end of the summer!”

According to Odmark, the modular design of Aviom’s monitor mixing and audio distribution equipment enables the band to easily adapt their set-up for any number of situations. The six-member band uses various configurations of three A-16II Personal Mixers and three A-16R rack-mount mixers with A-16CS Control Surfaces and Sennhieser belt packs for wireless in-ear-monitoring. All are networked via the A-16D A-Net Distributor, an AN-16/i-M Input Module, and the Aviom-16/o-Y1 card, which enables Aviom to connect directly into a Yamaha mixing board.

“Aviom has given us vastly greater flexibility in monitoring while on the road, has drastically improved the sonic quality of our monitoring experience, has simplified onstage communication and has basically made better performances possible in the most unlikely of scenarios,” Odmark says. “It makes high-pressure performances, where sound checks are quick and things are constantly changing, so much less stressful. Whereas before our expectations were something along the lines of ‘I hope I hear something,’ now I know that no matter how crunched we are, I can always dial up a preset mix that will not only get me through the gig but will allow me to concentrate on the music.”

In addition to touring, Jars of Clay uses Aviom in its Nashville rehearsal space and plans to extend its use in the near future. “We are constantly experiencing the benefits of the Aviom system, and if we ever have to do a gig without them, the difference is immediately noticeable,” Odmark says. “I anticipate us installing a monitoring rig using Aviom in our studio, which we expect will be constructed in the next year or so.”

MUSIC BUILDS TOUR 2008 http://www.musicbuildstour.com

Featuring artists: Jars of Clay, Robert Randolph, Switchfoot & Third Day
8/21/08 Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy

8/22/08 Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless

8/23/08 Chicago, IL @ Charter One Pavilion

9/11/08 Cleveland, OH @ Blossom

9/12/08 Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless

9/13/08 Holmdel, NJ @ PNC

9/14/08 Washington DC @ Nissan Pavilion

9/18/08 Birmingham, AL @ Verizon Wireless

9/19/08 Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek

9/20/08 Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood

9/21/08 Nashville, TN @ Sommet Center

9/25/08 Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion

9/26/08 Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless

9/27/08 San Diego, CA @ Coors Amp

9/28/08 Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train

10/2/08 Oklahoma City, OK @ Ford Center

10/3/08 Houston, TX @ CWM Pavilion

10/4/08 San Antonio, TX @ Verizon Wireless

10/5/08 Dallas, TX @ Smirnoff

10/10/08 Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center

10/11/08 Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center

10/12/08 Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center

Syn-Aud-Con Tampa Includes Church Technical Tour

posted August 18, 2008

Syn-Aud-con is returning to Tampa after 12 long years. The full week of audio education will take place September 22-25 and will be complimented with an AV technical tour of Idlewild Baptist church. The Sound Reinforcement for Operators seminar and the Sound Reinforcement for Technicians seminars will both be offered. The site is located two miles from Busch Gardens for attendees who would like to make this a family trip.

The motto of seminar for operators is “A sound system is only as good as the operator.” It takes place September 22-23. Attendees are promised knowledge that is essential for operating a sound system. Important subjects such as microphone selection, mixer setup, and signal flow are extensively covered. The emphasis is on the practical rather than the theoretical, using real-world explanations of potentially complex subjects. Multimedia listening demonstrations drive the point home and convey a level of understanding that will help head off problems before they occur.

The Sound Reinforcement Seminar for Technicians is for those who install, configure and calibrate sound reinforcement systems. It takes place September 24-25. The seminar covers the theory behind how systems work, and demonstrates how to use instrumentation to look “under the hood” to troubleshoot systems. Advanced topics such a crossover adjustments and equalization are presented in a technical, yet practical manner. This course will teaches how systems work and how to fix them when they don’t.

The principles presented in the Technicians course are built on those discussed in the Operators course, which is recommended as a prerequisite for this seminar (although it is not required).

Complete information and pricing available at http://www.synaudcon.com.

ProPresenter 3.4 Updates “Best Overall New Video Product” from 2007 WFX

posted August 17, 2008

Renewed Vision is announcing immediate availability of ProPresenter 3.4, a free update to the award-winning lyric presentation and media playback application written exclusively for for Apple’s MacOS X. Selected as “The Best Overall New Video Product” in 2007 by Worship Facilities Expo, ProPresenter 3.4 is designed for church worship presentations and lyric presentation staging or concert events.

New features include the Alpha Keyer Module ($999), producing a true key/fill output for professional quality CG integration with broadcast level video switchers.  “The Alpha Keyer Module introduces key/fill outputs for the first time in a software specifically designed for the church market,” says Brad Weston, President of Renewed Vision.  “This allows the church access to a professional level tool at a fraction of the price normally associated with CG solutions.”

Three Screen support has been added to the Advanced Module ($199) allowing simple, single computer support for three screen output in conjunction with the Matrox TripleHead2Go.  The module allows the user to output text to any of their three screens and tile or stretch backgrounds to span across the three screens.  “We wanted to offer a solution to the church that eliminated the need for multiple video switchers and computers for a three screen set. Now using an off the shelf Mac, ProPresenter, and a TripleHead2Go churches have a very simple yet powerful means of achieving a fantastic looking set for their congregation,” Weston adds.

ProPresenter (a Universal Binary) manages entire lyric, video, and audio clip libraries in a simple interface and plays back media with high-quality cross-dissolves, cross-fading video and audio, optional Firewire or SDI video output, and pre-sequenced slide presentations. Pricing is $399-$799. More information is available at http://www.renewedvision.com/propresenter.

Latin America’s Largest Christian Church Installs Meyer Sound System

posted August 15, 2008

Guatemala’s Fraternidad Cristiana de Guatemala (also known as Mega Frater) is the largest Christian church in Latin America. Measuring a stunning 1,217 million square feet, this massive structure includes a school, restaurant, swimming pool, full television and radio production facilities, a heliport atop an eight-story parking garage, a 12,500-seat theatre in their main sanctuary, a stage larger than most major concert venues, and much more. 

To find a powerful sound system capable of delivering even coverage for spoken word and live music material in the expansive room, Mega Frater turned to Guatemala City-based Pro Sound. After thorough considerations by a committee which included the church’s senior pastor, Jorge Lopez, a self-powered system based on Meyer Sound’s MILO line array loudspeaker was chosen.

“For me, the biggest priority for our sound system is intelligibility,” says Pastor Lopez, “It’s not just about the volume or output of the music. People come here to be moved by the word of God. We need the best audio solution which allows our audience to enjoy every facet of our services.”

The installed system is comprised of four clusters of nine MILO line array loudspeakers and one MILO 120, along with eight M3D-Sub directional subwoofers flown for low frequency content. Six M1D line array loudspeakers and 12 UPM-1P loudspeakers provide fill at the front and under balcony. Meyer Sound Galileo loudspeaker management system with two Galileo 616 units handles drive and processing.

Pro Sound President Melvin Chuy handled the sound system design with Pro Sound’s Pablo Hernandez “El Chino” and Miguel Chuy. “Given the size and layout of the main theater, we knew that four clusters would be the best design to reach all points in the auditorium evenly,” explains Melvin Chuy. “When we played around with MAPP Online Pro (acoustical prediction program), we tested several different cabinets, and found the MILO to be the best option. Its response, power, coverage area, and especially its intelligibility were all astounding.”

Melvin Chuy is delighted with the customer service and technical assistance from Meyer Sound staff in Berkeley and Mexico throughout the installation process. “We had amazing support from Meyer,” adds Chuy. “Its engineers came and helped us with measurements and various details. They also provided training to the in-house engineers to help them learn the new system.”

Pastor Lopez says the end result is pristine sound for Mega Frater’s services and a reliable audio system that the crew can depend on. “As a church, we couldn’t be more satisfied with Mega Frater’s level of audio,” says Lopez. “And for the musicians on stage, it’s like a dream come true.”

WFX Houston Teaching Churches How to Go ‘Green’

posted August 13, 2008

The WFX Houston ‘Green’ Educational Focus highlights nearly a dozen classes that touch on a variety of ways you can help your church save money, increase efficiencies and feel good about the work you’re doing. The Worship Facilities Conference and Expo (WFX) is scheduled for November 5-7, 2008 in Houston, Texas.

Attendees can explore ways to increase energy and cost efficiencies for their church through the WFX conference program. Nearly a dozen classes will include discussions on environmentally friendly designs, products and practices. From mega-churches to smaller churches, these classes will provide tips and techniques that will help churches in their ‘green’ efforts.

Classes that feature a ‘Green’ Focus include:

Reframing the Design Process
Presenters: Craig Janssen, Principal, Strategic Dimensions; Rex Miller,
Founder, Operation Mindshift

Multi-purpose and Expandable Worship Centers
Presenter: Todd Phillippi, President, WPH Architects for Ministry

Renovating and Repurposing Your Existing Facilities
Presenters: Bill Chegwidden, President/Principal, CDH Partners, Inc.; Craig
Janssen, Principal, Acoustic Dimensions

LED Color Confusion
Presenter: Novella Smith, Co-founder, Selador

Developing a Creation Care Audit for Your Church
Presenter: Bob Adams, Church Development Consultant, JH Batten

Efficiency Success Stories in Large/Mega Churches
Presenter: Jerry Lawson, ENERGY STAR Congregations, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

I Am Trained in MINISTRY, How Am I Supposed to Manage a Construction Project?
Presenter: Stephen B. Lafferty, AIA, PMP, LEED AP, Principal, Innovative
Project Solutions & Lafferty ARCHitecture Group, LLC

Emerging Trends in Worship Facility Design
Presenter: Richard Shiffer, Senior Principal, RNL

Building and Maintaining the Green Way
Presenter: Paul Claybaker, Consultant, FacilityTree

LED General Illumination for Green Church
Presenter: DJ Chou, Director of Engineering, enLux Lighting

For session descriptions, dates, times and speaker bios, visit http://www.wfxweb.com. Look for the green recycling icon identifying classes within the ‘green’ focus. In addition to these classes with a ‘green’ focus, WFX features classes for all church sizes and budgets across its four tracks in the Conference Program:

• Facilities Planning, Design & Renovation Track
• A/V & Lighting Track
• Facilities Operations and Energy Management Track
• Digital Church Strategies Track

To view all WFX conference sessions visit http://www.wfxweb.com.

WFX Houston also features over 400 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services, dozens of special events, exhibitor-offered trainings, three unique keynote presentations. Register today to take advantage of savings on group and team registrations. Register your team by September 12 for best savings!

For more information about WFX, or to download the Conference Brochure, visit http://www.wfxweb.com or call 800-598-6031.

StageGear Protecting Portable Productions at Saddleback Church

posted August 13, 2008

Saddleback Church’s active, purpose-driven congregation sponsors many live events that include great music. In addition to hosting events at its headquarters in Lake Forest, California, and its other Southern California locations in San Clemente, Irvine, and Corona, the church sponsors events at a number of regional campus churches. This means storing lots of expensive equipment in trucks and trailers and hauling it to an assortment of venues. Safely transporting and conveniently deploying all that mobile gear presented a big challenge and Saddleback wanted the best available protection for its investment.

The church uses StageGear, a company with 25 years of experience and dedication to service. “We use many different StageGear cases,” observes Saddleback technical director Greg Baker, who oversees the church’s audio, video, and lighting teams. “We use StageGear work boxes, cable trunks, and racks, including many rolling, portable racks. We also bought a great computer case and a couple of cases for motorized TV lifts. StageGear even built several custom cases designed for our specific needs.”

Baker says with StageGear, you’re not just buying cases, you’re building a relationship with a company that works hard for you. “StageGear as been great to work with,” says Baker. “Their customer service is excellent, and they make all cases, even the custom cases, quickly. StageGear founder and president Bob Blackhurst gave us a full solution and continues to help us through new projects.”

Of course, in the end, what matters the most is quality. “The cases are the sturdiest I have used,” insists Baker, “and the designs are well thought through. Furthermore, I cannot beat the price for a case of their quality. StageGear does top quality work.”

Russ Berger Elected President of National Council of Acoustical Consultants

posted August 12, 2008

Russ Berger, president of Russ Berger Design Group, has recently been elected president of the National Council of Acoustical Consultants (NCAC). He begins a two-year term as president following a long history of board participation and membership. Berger’s duties will include supervising all affairs of the Council as well as serving as an ambassador for the consulting profession.

“It is an honor to be selected by my peers to help bring to light the importance of acoustics in everyday living,” says Berger. “NCAC member firms are working hard to find better ways of communicating solutions that serve society by controlling and managing noise, vibration, and the acoustical environment.”

The NCAC (http://www.ncac.com) is an international organization committed to supporting the acoustical profession and promoting the applied science of acoustics that deals with issues in real-world settings. It supports member growth through peer interaction and by positioning itself as a resource to the public to help match the appropriate consultant to each project. Membership requires that the firm principals who practice acoustical consulting must be full members of either the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) or the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE). Other membership criteria include references from professional peers, demonstrated experience, and adherence to a strong Canon of Ethics supporting the highest standards of business practice, technical consulting, and client service.

“Russ is a very active participant within NCAC and the industry as a whole — so taking on a leadership role is a great fit for him,” says Jackie Williams, executive director of NCAC. “With his extensive knowledge base, along with his commitment to education, we’re excited to have him help to further the message of NCAC over the next two years.”

One of Berger’s priorities as president is educating those new to the industry. “I am particularly excited about building on the excellent relationship NCAC member firms enjoy with higher education, and expanding our commitment to supporting meaningful academic programs in acoustics, architecture, engineering, and design.” His commitment is evident in his relationships with some of the top university communities, board positions at higher education institutions, and continued participation in speaking engagements for schools and professional organizations.

With over 30 years in the industry, Berger has had ample opportunity to hone his talent, and has lent his signature sound to some of the top recording and broadcast studios across the country. His designs include Whitney Houston’s personal studio, NFL Films and NFL Network, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and Sony Music NY. He is one of the acoustical pioneers in the green revolution, developing some of the first LEED-certified studio spaces for Circle R Media, Sweetwater Studios and the University of Las Vegas.

Best Buy to Begin Selling Musical Instruments Nationally

posted August 12, 2008

Best Buy, a consumer electronics retailer, has announced it will begin offering musical instruments and musical recording equipment at an additional 75 to 85 Best Buy stores across the U.S. and online at http://www.BestBuy.com. The diverse musical instrument and recording line-up will include more than 1,000 guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and recording equipment, as well as other musical instruments and accessories, all available at entry level and professional price points.

“The introduction of musical instruments is a natural progression for Best Buy,” explains Steve Hehir, Best Buy’s senior vice president of musical instruments. “Consumers have always looked to us as a resource for music in a variety of formats. Now they’ll be able to rely on us for help with musical performance and creating too.”

Existing as a “store-within-a-store,” Best Buy musical instrument locations will feature trained musical instrument specialists. In addition to retail sales, Best Buy musical instrument stores will offer group and individual guitar lessons.

“Whether they’re just learning to play, or have been playing for years, customers can trust the knowledge and expertise of our trained musical instrument specialists,” says Kevin Balon, Best Buy’s vice president of musical instruments. “Our musical instrument specialists can help anyone find the perfect instrument.”

Seven Best Buy stores in Southern California and Minneapolis participated in a successful pilot of the musical instruments store-within-a-store concept that launched earlier this year. The program recently expanded to Chicago and Washington D.C., bringing the current musical instrument store count to ten. The rollout of 75 to 85 Best Buy stores is expected to continue through late December. For consumers who are unable to visit a store location or who prefer shopping online, BestBuy.com will offer an expanded musical instrument assortment beginning August 1.

Lab.gruppen Powers Praise at Mount Pisgah UMC, Georgia

posted August 12, 2008

Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church has been serving the community of Alpharetta, Georgia (northeast of Atlanta) for more than 175 years. The congregation’s relatively new 3400-seat sanctuary, an uplifting blend of traditional and contemporary architecture, hosts “updated traditional” Sunday worship services as well as occasional concerts by high-energy Christian artists such as Michael W. Smith, Jeremy Camp, and Steven Curtis Chapman, to name a few. To complement the visual aesthetics with superlative sound, the church recently installed a new system based around three SLS Audio line arrays and seventeen Lab.gruppen C Series multichannel power amplifiers.

The system was designed and installed by Chris Austin of Atlanta-based Austin Sound Design, following close consultations with Mount Pisgah director of technical ministries, Keith Frey. Although Austin demoed several different loudspeaker systems during the process, he recommended Lab.gruppen amplifiers exclusively.

“I won’t use anything else on a project of this scale,” says Austin. “The Lab.gruppens work 100% of the time, support is second to none, and they have an excellent computer interface. On top of that, they just sound great.”
The Lab.gruppen C Series complement is anchored by 13 four-channel C 48:4 units, which are used for driving the trio of SLS line arrays (each with rear-flown bass cabinets for low-frequency steering) and the monitor wedges. A pair of four-channel C 28:4 amplifiers drive the rear delay mini-arrays, and a C 20:8x eight-channel amplifier supplies 70V signal to the under-balcony speakers. A massive Lab.gruppen FP 10000Q powers the four dual-18 subwoofers.

According to Keith Frey, the Lab.gruppen amplifiers won immediate approval during the exhaustive demo sessions. “The ultimate benefit for us was the clarity and the sonic performance,” he comments. “That was the number one priority. But we also liked the integration of the amplifiers with the control bridge, and the software interface that allows us to monitor over Ethernet.”

The Lab.gruppen NomadLink controller and network bridge is connected to a wireless access point, allowing Frey to control and monitor amplifier functions using his wireless-enabled laptop computer. “For system calibration and maintenance this feature is priceless,” Frey asserts. “We can walk up to a line array or a front fill and turn individual amplifier channels off and on to evaluate speakers.” Frey also cites the Lab.gruppen’s thermal efficiency as a positive factor. “Units that don’t move their heat efficiently tend to fail under rigorous use,” he observes.

The installation of Lab.gruppen amplifiers and SLS Audio loudspeakers represented one phase of a long-term audio upgrading program at Mt. Pisgah UMC. Other recent additions included a Yamaha PM1D digital console, Audix choir and instrument microphones, and Shure wireless microphone systems.

Robe Lighting Offers Flexible Financing Package

posted August 11, 2008

Robe Lighting is collaborating with Netherlands-based Leasing Services to develop a series of dynamic financial packages for its clients and business partners.

These can either be arranged directly with the client/rental company/end user or via over 40 of Robe’s worldwide distributors.

“We have been looking for a suitable and solidly reliable leasing partner for some time, and a lot of careful consideration has gone into our decision to team up with Leasing Services,” comments Robe lighting MD Josef Valchar. “This agreement is a major step forward in Robe’s evolution, and will greatly benefit a majority of our business partners and clients by facilitating a wide range of accessible, flexible, cost-effective finance options.”

The overall effect will be to open new doors and assist in the general growth and the challenges of achieving more business for those who have invested in the Robe brand.

Interested parties will be able to fill in the initial inquiry forms on the Robe website http://www.robe.cz and send these directly to the relevant financial partner to get the ball rolling quickly and efficiently.

Leasing Services is an international provider of financial services that has focused on the professional sound and lighting industry since 2006, before which it provided consultant services to large internationally based financial institutions.

“We are a typical niche player, bridging the gap between stakeholders in the sound and lighting industry and financial organizations,” says Frans Jansen, MD of Leasing Services. He spotted a gap in the market for active international involvement in this special area of the professional entertainment and leisure industry. “Freeing up working capital and offering staged repayment on equipment over a period when the investment is actually generating income is common in other areas like IT, but relatively new in this industry,” he observes.

Robe lighting and Leasing Services will fine tune and rollout the program over the next few weeks, with the service officially launched on September 6th.

Altinex Announces Availability of New Product Catalog

posted August 11, 2008

Altinex, a manufacturer of modular A/V signal management solutions, is pleased to announce the availability of the company’s new product catalog. Encompassing an extensive range of control, routing, and connectivity solutions for the most technologically sophisticated A/V system designs, the new catalog serves as a one stop shop for customers to locate and identify the Altinex products best suited to a particular installation.

Among the many new products found in this year’s catalog are the recently introduced MultiTouch touch screen panels that provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for controlling audiovisual equipment. Similarly, the new Altinex AVPortal line provides multiple solutions for customizing A/V wall plates. Additional new products found in this year’s catalog include the TNP601 table mount connector system—part of the Altinex Tilt ‘N Plug family, the DS801-121 surface mount connector plate, and a greater selection of cables.

The expanded line of Altinex Matrix switchers (or routers) is another area of interest professionals will surely appreciate. With over 70 available plug in cards from which to choose, the MultiTasker product line provides greater freedom in configuring a system, coupled with increased savings, as contractors need not acquire any more I/O capacity than is required for the scope of the project.

Altinex President and CEO Jack Gershfeld comments on the company’s new product catalog. “The new Altinex product catalog represents our company’s most comprehensive assortment of product offerings to date. Easy to navigate and including both pictures and product descriptions, I believe this catalog will prove to be an invaluable resource for anyone involved in A/V system design and installation.

To obtain the new Altinex product catalog, simply log on to http://www.altinex.com and follow the link located on the home page or call (800) 258-4639.

Meyer Sound Self-Powered UPJunior Loudspeaker Nominated for TEC Award

posted August 11, 2008

Meyer Sound’s UPJunior VariO loudspeaker has been nominated for the prestigious TEC Award in the category of Sound Reinforcement Loudspeaker Technology. The winners will be revealed at the annual TEC Awards ceremonies, to be held on October 3, 2008 at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, the site of this year’s Audio Engineering Society Convention.

Founded in 1985, the Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards recognize the achievements of audio professionals. Presented annually by the Mix Foundation for Excellence in Audio, the TEC Awards honor the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, films, TV shows and live performances.

Introduced in April 2007, the UPJunior is used across a wide range of applications, from the Cannes Film Festival to Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days Fiesta. Among numerous installations, UPJunior can be found in such diverse venues as Laboral University in Gijon, Spain; Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham; Berlin Philharmonie; and MGM Grand Macau.

The latest addition to Meyer Sound’s UltraSeries products, the UPJunior delivers the power-to-size ratio of the UPJ-1P in a compact package weighing only 28 lbs (12.7 kg) but with a peak output of 126 dB. Combining the convenience of self-powered design with the flexibility of a rotatable 80-degree by 50-degree VariO horn, the UPJunior is suited for small- to medium-sized sound reinforcement systems, stage monitoring, under-balcony coverage and distributed systems.

Meyer Sound enjoys more than 20 nominations and five TEC awards including the 2004 award for the MILO line array loudspeaker, as well as back-to-back awards in 1999 and 2000 for the PSW-6 cardioid subwoofer and the UPM-1P loudspeaker. IM source independent measurement system and the HD-1 studio monitor were also honored with a TEC Award.

The 2008 TEC award nominees were compiled from submissions by a broad-based panel of audio industry professionals. Winners are selected by the readers of Mix magazine, who will cast official ballots found in the August issue of the publication. To vote, please visit the Mix Foundation’s website: http://www.mixfoundation.org.

WFX Expanded Conference Program Offers More for Smaller Churches

posted August 11, 2008

Worship Facilities Conference and Expo (WFX) is expanding its focus on smaller congregations for WFX Fall in Houston, TX.  The conference takes place November 5-7, 2008 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

Within the 55 sessions scheduled, there are now classes specifically focused on the needs of smaller churches. Covering topics from smaller church growth to financing a project and sound system basics, these classes provide the information a small church is looking for, on a scale that works for a smaller facility and budget.

Specific Classes for Smaller Churches Include:

Positioning Your Church for Growth
Presenter: Terry Bates, Founder/Executive Director, BGW | Vibrant and Senior Pastor, Faith Church, Oklahoma City, OK

Media Ministries in the Smaller Church
Presenters: Glenn Collinge, Technical Director, The Atlanta Vineyard and Sales Manager, FSR Inc.; Dennis Choy, Technical and Production Pastor, North Coast Church; Kent Morris, President, Cornerstone Media

Basics of Lighting Design 101
Presenter: David Buerer, Product Manager, Leviton Mfg. Co., Inc.

Sound System Basics for the Smaller Church
Presenter: Bob Langlois, Senior Technical Support Representative, Meyer Sound

Tight Credit Markets: How to Get Your Project Financed
Presenter: Scott Rolfs, Managing Director, Ziegler Capital Markets

In addition to these specific classes for smaller churches, WFX features classes for all size churches and budgets across its four tracks in the Conference Program:

• Facilities Planning, Design & Renovation Track
• A/V & Lighting Track
• Facilities Operations and Energy Management Track
• Digital Church Strategies Track

WFX Houston also features 400 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services, dozens of special events, exhibitor-offered trainings and three unique keynote presentations.

For more information about WFX, visit http://www.wfxweb.com or call 800-598-6031.

Abundant Living Faith Center in El Paso Finds Solution to Harsh Concert Sound with L-ACOUSTICS

posted August 8, 2008

When Pastors Charles and Rochelle Nieman first answered the call to preach the Gospel in 1977, they were holding services in a tiny railroad hall in El Paso, Texas. Partners in life and ministry for 38 years, the Niemans have shared their message around the world, but their true spiritual home is in El Paso, where they have built a ministry dedicated to spreading God’s word through modern methods.

Today, the Niemans’ vision has been realized in the newly constructed home of their Abundant Living Faith Center (ALFC), which counts more than 15,000 active members. With approximately 8,000 worshippers attending services at ALFC weekly, the new facility’s 3,620-seat main auditorium was designed and built to deliver music and liturgy clearly and intelligibly via a complete
L-ACOUSTICS sound solution.

A fellowship built on contemporary ministries and musical performances, ALFC placed audio, video, acoustics, and lighting at the top of their list of priorities for the new worship facility. Early in the design process, Michael Garrison Associates (MGA) was brought on board to integrate these technology systems throughout ALFC’s new home. With careful consideration for ALFC’s somewhat limited budget, MGA set a course to dazzle visitors not only at regular services, but also the regional and national conferences, and high-level contemporary Christian music concerts hosted by the fellowship.

It was these concerts that MGA President Michael Garrison used as his guide when designing the sound system for the main auditorium. “Their sound reinforcement system needed to meet the requirements of the A-list touring groups’ technical riders,” Garrison observes. “These days, that almost always calls for a line-array loudspeaker system.”

Despite this seemingly simple solution, the Niemans weren’t sure of the line-array option. They had heard a fair number of line array systems in other houses of worship, as well as at concerts in their local civic center. “Their opinion was that all the line-arrays they ever heard were too harsh and too aggressive for their tastes – to the point of walking out of some high-priced concerts that featured their favorite artists,” Garrison recalls. “They really wanted a system that could deliver concert sound levels, but with a more refined sonic quality than what they had yet heard.”

On a quest to find the right sound system solution, MGA led the Niemans on a tour of several large churches, where they listened to several line-array systems. They were unimpressed. But construction on the new worship facility was moving forward, and in the interest of keeping pace MGA provided infrastructure to support both a line-array system and a more traditional exploded cluster array.

Then, just as the sound system question seemed insurmountable, a solution arose. MGA turned to L-ACOUSTICS, the loudspeaker manufacturer they had relied upon on previous projects, including the Christian Faith Center in Seattle, Washington; Lakeside Church in Sacramento, California; and Calvary Temple in Irving, Texas. Upon hearing the L-ACOUSTICS KUDO system, MGA concluded that it “uniquely had all of the performance characteristics that ALFC wanted and needed – not only the very refined high level sound, but also the ability to adjust the horizontal coverage angle of each KUDO box to avoid directing a significant amount of sound energy to the side walls,” Garrison says.

In order to optimize KUDO for the space, MGA’s design team worked closely with L-ACOUSTICS’ technical support team, including Steve Armstrong of PROS, Inc., the Northern California and Northwest representative for the manufacturer. In the end, due to budget, the very wide fan-shaped seating arrangement and some difficult sightline issues, ALFC and MGA agreed to execute a monaural system consisting of left, center, and right arrays. The three six-box arrays of KUDO and two four-box arrays of flown L-ACOUSTICS SB28 subs are all powered with the new LA8 amplified controllers.

When height limitations and structural elements made it clear that the three main KUDO arrays could not cover a significant portion of the farthest seats, MGA’s senior consultant Brian Roggow made the decision to supplement them with L-ACOUSTICS KIVA delay arrays. These four six-box KIVA arrays covering the gallery sections are powered by L-ACOUSTICS LA4 amplified controllers. Additionally, five 8XT front fills were added to complete the system.

The audiovisual and lighting systems were substantially completed and operational for the dedication services, held December 29-31, 2007, though the general construction of the new facility was not completed until just recently. The results were apparent from day one, however. “Everyone at ALFC and MGA is very pleased with the performance of the sound system,” Garrison says. “We have had to make several adjustments to aiming and tuning due to things like the acoustic wall panels being installed well after the dedication services and structural support elements not being exactly where designed, but the system has responded well and coverage is excellent.”

For more information on Abundant Living Faith Center, visit http://www.alfc.com.

Michael Garrison Associates can be found on the web at http://www.mgawest.com.

WFX Houston Adds 30 New Classes

posted August 8, 2008

Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX), presented by Worship Facilities Magazine and Church Production Magazine, and produced by EH Events, will feature an expanded conference program. Now in its 4th year, WFX Houston will offer over 55 sessions, 30 of which are brand new to WFX including educational focuses on the needs of smaller churches and strategies for “going green.”

Taking place November 5 – 7, 2008 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX, WFX will attract more than 5,000 church and industry leaders from across the country eager to gain the knowledge necessary to reach their growth goals.

WFX has continued to grow each year and the conference program reflects that growth. Attendees receive three full-days of educational programming from industry experts covering critical areas for church growth across four distinct tracks:

• Facilities Planning, Design & Renovation: Attendees learn how to plan their ministry and outreach objectives using the latest trends in design, construction, renovation, planning, project management, and financing.
• A/V & Lighting Technologies: Featuring hands-on training, real-world techniques and tips from industry experts, attendees learn how to powerfully project their church’s message using today’s audio, video and lighting technology.
• Facilities Operations & Energy Management: New facility or old, attendees learn the latest ways to keep it running efficiently inside and out.
• Digital Church Strategies: Classes explore how to optimize church websites online opportunities to further support church outreach and growth.

This year, WFX Houston welcomes dozens of new presenters and many returning presenters who have been a part of WFX since it began in 2005, helping to set and maintain the high level of education that attendees have come to expect. “The quality of the WFX conference program keeps attendees coming back each year,” says Brian Blackmore, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Church Production Magazine and Worship Facilities Magazine. “The level of education provided by WFX adapts every year to the new emerging industry trends making it possible for attendees to tailor the program to meet their specific growth and ministry needs.”

Within the larger conference program, WFX Houston features new educational focuses with classes specific to A/V, growth and construction needs of smaller churches and classes that highlight ‘going green’, providing attendees with ways to increase energy and cost efficiencies. “We have worked hard over the past four years to build a program that churches and facilities of all sizes and budgets will value,” states Nicole Derany, WFX Show Director. “Our new educational focuses for smaller churches and ‘going green’ will ensure that accommodation and continue to create the environment within WFX where churches of any size can realistically plan for their facility’s future.”

WFX will take place November 5 – 7, 2008 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. For more information about the WFX Houston Conference program, expo floor and special events, visit http://www.wfxweb.com. For exhibiting information, please contact Patrick Shaughnessy at 508-663-1500 x267.

Media Registration is now open! Please visit http://www.wfxweb.com/houston/register/mediareg.html to register.

Nexo Line Array Demo Coming to New Jersey

posted August 7, 2008

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. invites all Atlantic City and Southern New Jersey dealers, consultants and end users to attend a NEXO S12 Series Line Array Showcase on Wednesday, August 20, between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm to be held in the Superstar Theater at Resorts International located at 1133 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Very flexible and array-able in vertical as well as horizontal configurations, the NEXO GEO S12 Series is ideal for venue, corporate, churches, schools, clubs, and theatrical installations. The GEO S 1210 and S 1230 have a 10° and 30° horn dispersion difference and are intended to be a scalable building block that can be stacked or positioned in a horizontal or vertical array. When positioned in a vertical array, the two models have a higher SPL output then standard GEO S boxes, perfect for high traffic walking areas such as train platforms, airport corridors or anywhere that high SPL paging is required.

For more information and to confirm your attendance, contact Bob Quinones, District Manager, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc., at (201) 398-0505 or e-mail .

Two Ontario Chinese Churches Expanding Sound with JBL

posted August 6, 2008

Two growing Chinese-speaking churches in Ontario, Canada are incorporating JBL sound systems into their new facilities. The installation at Richmond Hill Chinese Community Church was part of an extension to the existing facility, with the addition of a 1,600-seat worship sanctuary, while the installation at Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church was part of a brand-new, uniquely designed church with a sanctuary capacity of 1,000 people.

One of the main challenges faced in the design of the Richmond Hill sanctuary was its circular shape. VanVeldhuisen continues, “It’s a unique church in that it’s a circular. There’s a point of origin at the stage and it spreads out in a circular fashion from there.”

The Richmond Hill Chinese Community Church features a main PA system that includes a center cluster of three JBL PD5322/43 loudspeakers, which are hung above the main stage area and include a JBL PD5322/64 loudspeaker on each side. Westbury also installed two JBL VPSB7118 subwoofers in the stage. There are eight AC2212/64 loudspeakers installed in the over balcony area and eight MS28 loudspeakers installed in the under balcony area. The system is complimented with a choir fill system containing three JBL AC2212 loudspeakers that are located behind the main center cluster.

The driving forces behind this extensive JBL system are Crown CTs series amplifiers. Three CTs2000 amplifiers are driving the high fills while five CTs3000 amplifiers are driving low fills.  Four Crown CTs1200 amplifiers drive each of the over- and under-balcony loudspeakers respectively. Two CTs6000 amps power the high fills for the choir and two CTs1200 amps power the low fill. The audio distribution is done from the front of house console through four BSS Soundweb BLU 80’s and three BLU 32’s, which are part of the HiQnet-enabled London Architect system design and control protocol. 

David VanVeldhuisen, CTS, project manager of Westbury National Show Systems, says, “The PD Series loudspeaker is a great product and the Crown amps were a great match. We get very good quality of sound from PD series loudspeakers and they’re easy to install.”

The brand-new Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church is a uniquely designed church with a long stage and four seating sections that accommodate a total of 1,000 people. Westbury National Show Systems installed an audio system featuring a left/right setup containing two JBL VP7315/64 loudspeakers and one VP7215/95 loudspeaker on each side.  Each cluster also includes one VP7212/64 for stage fill and two SB7118 subwoofers that is hung from the ceiling. 

The Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church also features six JBL EON10 loudspeakers as stage monitors, while the lobby area and the nursery include JBL Control 26CT loudspeakers and two EON10 stage monitors. Westbury also installed a BSS Soundweb BLU 80 and BLU 32 system for DSP functions.  A Crown CTS600 drives the lobby. The chapel has two AC2212/64 speakers, two EON10 stage monitors and a Crown CTS600 amplifier. 

According to VanVeldhuisen, the installation at Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church was a success. “The church loves the sound, we achieved great coverage from the system,” he says. “The onboard power of the VP Series made the project much more convenient, because we had limited space for racks. It greatly simplifies the installation process and it’s a nice box that’s easy to address.”

Fine Arts and Production Priority for Evangelical Free Church of America National Youth Conference

posted August 5, 2008

In late June the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) National Youth Conference attracted 5,400 high school students to the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah. Known as the ‘Challenge Conference,’ the five-day event brought the students together to grow in their ministry maturity level, model outreach and to share ministry training. During the course of the event, the students prepared 250,000 meals for ‘Kids Against Hunger’ and set a Guinness Book of World Records for the Largest Kazoo Band.

The event planners made fine arts a priority in all of the sessions, highlighting poetry, dance, drama, and music. National recording artist “Starfield” served as the house worship band for the week.

Audio Logic Systems of Bloomfield, Minnesota provided full production. Early in the production planning stages the conference staff decided to host this event in the round, allowing the audience to be closer to the stage. This proved to be a challenge considering the beams in the exhibition hall are only 30 feet high. Bringing the audio, video, and lighting together for both functionality and aesthetics, required extensive technical pre-planning. The entire show plot was designed in advance and completely laid out in Vectorworks, beginning over one year prior to the event. The design was drawn and carried out by Ed Coutu, Production Manager and Michael Klaers, Lighting Designer at Audio Logic Systems.

Two Yamaha consoles were used at the event: a Yamaha DM2000 digital at console at front of house and a Yamaha M7CL digital console for monitors. “The Yamaha DM2000 is still one of the most versatile consoles on the market, and is still my overall favorite as a FOH console when you’re not sure what you’re going to run into,” states Ed Coutu. “I use a Waves plug-in card with an L1-Ultramaximizer on a regular basis for live audio recordings and feeds to video recording. The ability to configure my aux sends and matrix sends in a way that is most functional on the fly, combined with the DM2000 preamps makes this an outstanding console.”

“This particular console was purchased when the DM2000 was first released, and it’s one of the first 100 production models,” notes Coutu. “I think that says a lot for the longevity of Yamaha consoles. The case was custom made to contain a four-space rack which houses a PC computer and keyboard drawer. Above the lower rack is a work surface, which is always needed at FOH. Above the work surface there is a five-space rack which holds additional preamps and recording hardware.”

Audio Logic Systems also chose the Yamaha M7CL-48 for its interface speed as a monitor console. “It’s the fastest digital console available; the speed of operating the console was key because things happened quickly at this event, and there was a lot going on with various dramas, dancers, and speakers. The console enabled Nic Hentges who was running monitors, the ability to mix the band on in-ears and then seamlessly switch to wedges for the drama actors, dancers, and speakers - paramount to keeping everyone comfortable on stage. I have to say that both Nic and the M7CL-48 did a wonderful job!”

The event utilized a d&b Audiotechnik speaker rig consisting of 36 Q1’s, eight Q7s for downfills, four B2s, eight Q-Subs, Q10’s for frontfills, eight M4s for monitors, and 40 D12 amplifiers. All amplifiers were controlled from front of house using R1 software. Four Shure UHF-R handhelds were used on the stage with KSM-9s for the vocalists. The musicians in “Starfield” used Shure UHF-R beltpacks for guitars and bass, allowing them to move freely around the stage and interact with the audience in every direction.

Lighting for the event was controlled by a full-size GrandMA at front of house in command of 60 1k pars, 60 ETC Source4 Pars, 48 ETC Source4’s, and 12 Vari-Lite VL3500 Spots. Video for the event was seen on four 16’x9’ screens. A Broadcast Pix 1000 video switcher (SDI/HD-SDI) controlled the images going to four Barco R12+ projectors via HD-SDI. There were six cameras in total: four on studio tripods with two Fuji 70x lenses and two Canon 32x lenses, as well as two portable cameras. 27” 16:9 LCD’s were used to provide additional video outputs for the front rows of the audience as well as confidence monitors on stage. Rigging support for all lighting, audio, and video was on one complete truss grid. The grid was made using 285’ of 20.5” truss from Tomcat and Total Structures, 130’ of 12” truss from Tomcat, and was hung using 14 one ton CM Lodestars, and seven half ton CM Lodestars.

ClearView Baptist Overcomes Limited Electrical Load Capacity in Effort to Cross-Broadcast Video

posted August 5, 2008

When ClearView Baptist Church in Franklin, Tennessee, wanted to ramp up its stage lighting for video production, designer Peter Vaque knew the project would be a challenge. His production company, Springtree Media Group, also in Franklin, had worked with ClearView just a few years before, and Vaque was aware of the Tennessee church’s limited electrical load capacity.

“Several years ago, before video became a factor, ClearView wanted to improve its stage lighting, and they were told there was no way they could do this without spending a fortune on a new transformer,” recalls Vaque. “We went in and showed them how they could do it on their existing circuitry, using intelligent lights. We installed several CMY color-mixing intelligent lights, and the look was phenomenal.”

Now with its membership passing 2,000, ClearView is growing into a need for quality video to cross-broadcast sermons to a planned second facility. The CMY lights produce too many hotspots under the camera, so the church is calling on Springtree to revamp its stage lighting once again.

One of Springtree’s suppliers, Elation Professional, has just come out with a new type of RGB color-mixing LED par can, the ELED Tri 64B, which Vaque feels will be perfect for the job. LEDs are an obvious choice for ClearView, because of their low power draw. But the ELED Tri 64B goes beyond the typical RGB LED par can with a new innovation from Elation called Tri-Color LED Technology. Each of the Tri 64B’s 18 LEDs is actually a 3-in-1 “tri” lamp, comprised of three 1W LEDs, a red, green and blue. This breakthrough lamp design allows RGB color-mixing to be done within each lens. Thus, all of the Tri 64B’s lamps remain on continuously, regardless of which color is being produced, unlike RGB LED fixtures with single-color LEDs, where certain lamps are turned off during the color-mixing process.

The result, says Vaque, is that the Tri-64B produces better, more even-toned mixed colors. It also eliminates the three-color shadows that commonly appear around objects illuminated with traditional single-color RGB LED fixtures. What’s more, it generates a warm, natural-looking white, and it’s completely flicker-free, so it’s ideal for video, notes Vaque.

Fourteen Tri 64B’s were installed to wash the entire front of ClearView Baptist Church’s stage, and an additional six units were positioned across the back. Although equivalent in output to a 500W halogen-powered Par 64 can, each Tri 64B draws only 70W; thus, power load was not an issue, even with the church’s meager electrical capacity.” You can put 28 of these fixtures on one 20-amp circuit,” says Vaque.

Even more impressive than their energy efficiency is the performance of the Tri 64Bs. “When they’re on at full light, it’s the equivalent of putting a bastard amber gel on a traditional ellipsoidal. It’s a very warm, even white,” says Vaque. “The church’s video guys just went nuts over it, because you can walk across the stage with a meter and there’s zero difference all the way across.”

ClearView video production specialist Tim Vincent echoes this view: “The camera loves it,” Vincent comments. “It’s a nice warm, consistent look across the stage.”

Plus, unlike with traditional ellipsoidals, Vaque points out, “there’s no heat, no hassling with gels, and you don’t have to worry about induction noise on the filaments when you’re dimming coming across your sound system.”

Vaque, whose company is handling the complete lighting, audio, video overhaul at the ClearView Baptist Church, including the installation of a new JBL VRX Line-Array System, says he plans on using the Elation Tri 64B par cans in the church’s new, under-construction second chapel. He says his company envisions a wide range of other applications for the innovative LED par can, which is ETL approved. “We have already installed 15 Tri 64B’s in the event spaces at three Barnes & Noble bookstores. With all the advantages they have to offer, we anticipate implementing them in commercial buildings, government facilities and other types of architectural settings in the future.”

Sennheiser Employees Band Together for Charity

posted August 5, 2008

Even with the rising cost of gasoline, food, and other necessities, Sennheiser Electronic Corporation (SEC) employees created a smart charity program entitled “SECares,” facilitating their fellow co-workers to continue supporting good causes. This voluntary program provides an easy way for Sennheiser’s approximately 130 employees to contribute any monetary amount, large or small, to two well-known charities throughout the year.

Starting in August, Sennheiser will offer contribution programs for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and United Way. The program collects donations via a payroll deduction, making it easier for employees to support valuable causes without seeking out multiple organizations or writing several checks. It also allows associates to amass a sizeable contribution at the end of the year, no matter how much they give each pay period. Plus, employees’ donations will make an even greater impact as the company will match 100% of all contributions.

“Charity initiatives have always been important to our employees,” John Falcone, president and CEO, says. “I am pleased to see such generous spirit at Sennheiser.”

Sennheiser Electronic Corporation is no stranger to charitable actions. This year, the company donated ten percent of the sales of each Sennheiser CX 300-Pink headphone directly to Susan G. Komen for The Cure. As a result, Sennheiser contributed $15,000 toward a cure for breast cancer.

In addition to making donations as part of the SECares program, Sennheiser employees will also raise funds this fall at the Light the Night Walk at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Connecticut. The walk, which will be held on September 24, is celebrating its ten-year anniversary. Organizers hope to raise $630,000 toward leukemia and lymphoma research and family support.

The SECares charity initiative is spearheaded by the company’s Employee Activities Committee. Established in 2006, the committee is part of a core group of employee-headed teams that can actually make a difference in the workplace. Others include the Green Team, which evaluates and suggests new methods of operating that reduce the company’s carbon footprint, and the Human Resources Committee, which assesses and recommends corporate policies.

The WFX Houston Conference Brochure is Available Online

posted August 5, 2008

Whether you are planning a facility expansion, renovation or new construction project, looking to enhance your church audio/video and lighting, optimize your IT infrastructure or better manage your facility, WFX provides you with the environment, education, and experience to learn what will work best for your facility - no matter the size, no matter the budget.

The WFX Houston Conference Brochure is now available to download online. Featuring event details, a conference program schedule, class descriptions, registration information and more, the WFX Houston Conference Brochure is your total event guide to WFX. Visit http://www.wfxweb.com, or go to http://www.wfxweb.com/downloads/WFX08CBweb.pdf to download the conference brochure today!

If you have any questions regarding WFX, please feel free to contact the WFX Help Desk at (800) 598-6031, Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm EST.

beyerdynamic Introduces CobraNet-Based Wireless Microphone System

posted August 4, 2008

beyerdynamic states that they are proud to be the first manufacturer to present a wireless system with CobraNet for digital transmission. The new NE 900 D Cobra 2-channel-receiver for the Opus 900 wireless system provides an integrated CobraNet interface to connect the receiver to all CobraNet-capable devices of more than 40 manufacturers. Transmission is via standard CAT5 Ethernet cables.

CobraNet connectivity presents many significant advantages for the wireless systems, especially for large-capacity systems or complex buildings with many rooms. The cabling is considerably reduced, as with CobraNet technology up to 32 channels can be transmitted in each direction with a single 100-Mbit network cable. Maximum flexibility is achieved using CobraNet, as signals can be sent from any node. Settings can be quickly changed via software without any cabling changes. The receiver can be placed anywhere in the room making installation in space-starved environments easier. Analogue input requirements are reduced, saving the cost of multiple audio cable runs. The digital transmission via CobraNet is less interference-prone than the analogue transmission, ensuring a high sound quality even over long distances.

Guitar Center Professional Opens New Sales and Demo Facility in Rockville, Maryland

posted July 30, 2008

Guitar Center Professional which focuses on the needs of professional users, has opened a new sales and demo facility within the Guitar Center location in Rockville, Maryland, serving the greater D.C. area. The new space was opened in mid-February and will bring even greater comprehensive coverage to the high-tech region around Rockville.

The new 24,000-square-foot GC Pro sales and demo facility will offer high quality professional audio gear inventory as well as a dedicated listening environment. Centered around an SSL AWS 900+ analog workstation system, recording clients will find an array of top outboard signal processing equipment from brands such as Manley, Avalon, Empirical Labs, SSL and Neve, as well as microphones from manufacturers including Audio-Technica, AKG, Sennheiser and Neumann, in addition to monitoring from Ocean Way, Genelec, Adam and Dynaudio, among many others.

For live touring sound customers, the facility will offer consoles and sound reinforcement systems from all major brands, including JBL, Yamaha, Midas, EAW and Studer/Soundcraft. GC Pro offers a vast spectrum of products lines, personnel resources, superb service and expert advice.

The new Rockville, Maryland facility joins the other 24 key Guitar Center Professional locations within Guitar Center’s stores nationwide, among them Chicago, Hollywood, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, New York City, Seattle, Sherman Oaks and many more.

“The vision for this new Guitar Center Professional location was that it reflects the diverse nature of the professional audio industry in and around the D.C. area,” comments Scott Schwartz, Account Manager at the new location and a GC veteran of over six years. “The area has several large professional recording studios. In addition, the region is a major hub for the live sound/DJ business, with a variety of churches, nightclubs and outdoor concert venues. We wanted to create a comprehensive resource for all of these customers and make it as accessible as possible.”

Billy McCommis, Store Manager for the Rockville Guitar Center store (which opened in 2001 and is now home to the new GC Pro facility) agrees, adding, “The D.C. area is one of the most high-tech markets in the country. Scott has been planning the design and execution of the new Guitar Center Professional facility here for quite some time, and the result will show that level of effort. This gives Guitar Center Professional even greater coverage of a region that has a long and deep investment in professional audio.”

Connecting Two Campuses a “Sync” for Gateway Church and Bandit Lites

posted July 30, 2008

Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas has grown from just 180 attendees in 1999 to nearly 16,500 attendees on Easter, 2008. In November 2007, the church opened a new campus in North Richland Hills, a community in the center of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. The building is almost 50,000 square feet in size and sits on approximately nine acres. The weekend services at the NRH Campus are a mirror of those at their main Southlake campus with live worship and personal ministry, but also include a live video message from the Southlake Campus.

Gateway chose Bandit Lites to bring the two campuses together. From a design perspective, Bandit Senior Sales Consultant, John Rolison says Gateway Church decided to go heavy with technology, including moving lights (Martin MAC 250 Spots and Washes), LED fixtures (AC Lighting and Coemar), and Ethernet control. “In addition to the lights, Gateway purchased a very sophisticated lighting control console in the Jands Vista,” Rolison continues. “They are a very forward-thinking church and they are not afraid to invest in the technology.”

Both a challenge and the intrigue of this project was the concept of coordinating the production between two different locations. Rolison explains, “Basically the South Lake facility is the main church that is hooked by fiber to the North Richland Hills facility. They do live video feeds between the two campuses. So the bands play together, the preacher preaches live and there is interaction between the congregations of both campuses.” In order to achieve the live-feed, Gateway Church chose a single mode point-to-point fiber between campuses. This allows them 270mbs full-uncompressed SDI signals.

They have 2 video feeds coming in from the main campus and 1 returning to the main campus. Utilizing EVS servers, they are able to perform slightly delayed live applications (such as the sermon). They use the audio lines to feed click and tie the bands together during their full live situations. The fiber system only has 2.5 frames of delay between the campuses allowing them to perform live applications without any major time issues.

Currently Gateway Church uses the live application to synchronize a song between the campuses. Each campus sees the other campus twice during the song and this provides a sense of being one church with two campuses. After that, the remaining music portions are separate and respective to the individual campus. They re-sync for the sermon using the EVS server delay technology. The satellite campus runs slightly longer than the main campus and this time over run allows the time delay technology to work its magic. To the audience, everything for the Sermon looks live, as it is timed perfectly.

Once the installation was completed, Gateway Church brought in Lighting Director, Kyle Russelburg to be the lead programmer at the church. “What makes the lighting unique here at Gateway is the fact that we run 120 events a month. So we needed a system that could handle the abuse of everyday use,” Russelburg explains. Russelburg says that Jands Vista has been a significant part of the lighting package. “We stream live on the web and to other campuses every week, so lighting for TV was a major need. With the Jands Vista T4 at front of house, we can recall and play back anything at any time. Working in the timeline made synchronizing up commercials and live onstage action so simple,” Russelburg explains. “I would say the most interesting part of the install is that you can control any fixture anywhere in the building from the Jands Vista. You can also over-write the Vista from the local control interface from the Pathport Uno system.” Russelburg adds, “Bandit did an awesome job with this installation, and the support has been great. I’ve never had to wait for a response to any questions. They have been on top of everything.”

Deadline Approaches for 2008 WFX Solomon Awards Applications

posted July 28, 2008

The deadline for the 2008 WFX Solomon Awards is coming up soon!  Worship Facilities Expo will be taking applications for the awards until August 8, 2008. The WFX Solomon Awards recognize church teams and individuals who have been instrumental in achieving excellence with their facilities design, management, marketing, usage and audio visual production. Sixteen categories give churches of all sizes the opportunity to share their achievements with WFX attendees and the readers of Church Production Magazine and Worship Facilities Magazine.

Winners from 2007 include:

Most Innovative Church Facility: Crossroad Christian Church
By using world-class creativity and stewardship principles, including several innovative strategies derived from the theme park, entertainment, and event center world, Crossroads Church (Corona, California) appears not as a massive structure, but as a village-like composition of towers, metallic cornices, portals, and graphic walls intended to evoke a Mediterranean hilltown.

Best Special Project: Lake Tulloch Bible Church
The church set out to design a room for youth that would promote excitement and stability. This room, which has been named “Crosswalk” has incorporated lots of multimedia to enhance the ministry of worship, preaching, and discipleship. This project is a teenager’s and youth pastor’s dream come true.

Best Tech Director: Bill Swaringim, Windsor Crossing Community Church
Bill Swaringim is the Technical Director for Windsor Crossing Community Church in Chesterfield, Missouri. Bill’s gifting is as much about the people as it is about the technology. His gift for building teams and creating connection make him a gifted technical director.

Details regarding entry requirements and benefits of participation, as well as the online entry form, are available at:

http://www.wfxweb.com/houston/programming/awards.html

Those interested may contact Cindy Server at or 508-663-1500 x311.

‘We Are Together’ Project for South African Agape Orphanage Aided by sE mics

posted July 28, 2008

After playing keyboards and bass in various bands, Ludwig Bouwer converted his love of music and technology into a career, becoming the owner and engineer at One Big Room Studios in Pretoria, South Africa. Nothing could prepare him for his biggest challenge, though, when the producer and two-time Grammy winner Robin Hogarth called him up and asked him to help out with the ‘We Are Together’ project, a recording and film about a choir at the Agape Orphanage. Suddenly he had to assemble 20 top-notch singers from that choir and the Soweto Gospel Choir in his studio, and record them.

“The SGC (Soweto Gospel Choir) and the children from the orphanage had trouble getting together for one song, literally. Robin wanted to know if I was willing and crazy enough to squeeze 20 top-notch performers into my live room, I said yes!”

“Then I realized that I didn’t have enough microphones to handle the choir and lead singers. I figured I needed seven similar mics, with figure-of-eight patterns. The choir is split into four voices, and there were three lead singers. SGC recorded everything live with no overdubs – that’s how good they are! The hunt for gear ‘favours’ was on. I knew that sE mics are excellent, having heard them before in other studios, so my first port of call was Turnkey Music, in Johannesburg. I managed to get hold of the owner, Peter Tuerk, who immediately offered ‘as many sE mics’ as we needed. Shortly after that, Paul Martin arrived at my studio with four sE Electronics Z5600aII’s and three sE Electronics Z5600 MKI’s, including three heavy-duty stands.”

“The mics sounded beautiful,” Ludwig continues. “With almost no tweaking, the choir sounded great. I found the mics to have a lovely top-end, clear but in no way harsh. The low-end response was also great, especially considering that the choir was not exactly standing on top of the mics. With very little noise floor, the mics are very quiet – great for dynamic vocal work and good side-cancellation in figure-of-eight mode, it was easy to get good levels out of the mics. Overall, the sE Z5600a’s sounded like really, really good tube mics - which is exactly what they are!”

“The mics were just ‘set and forget’. As long as you have some idea of what you want to pickup and what should be excluded, the mics just go to work. It was actually almost too easy to get a good sound. I did not own any sE gear at the time, but now I know the mics are just so excellent, every engineer should have some.”

The recording ended up being perfect for the project which has since received great reviews for its moving story about the children of the orphanage attempting to raise funds for the facility. Meanwhile Ludwig’s own band The Lemmings (http://www.thelemmings.co.za) are touring the States from September (“with sE mics, no doubt!”) and he has just finished a wonderful acoustic/alternative project for Namibian singer Andra (http://www.andra.co.za).

Full Range of Stantron A/V Products Now Available Online

posted July 28, 2008

Stantron, a division of Mayville Products Corporation, now has its full line of audio and visual products available in catalog form at http://www.stantronracks.com. A complete listing and description of the company’s line of equipment racks and power systems can be downloaded from a literature download section of the site.

Stantron’s products for the Pro A/V market include the new Glide and Turn equipment rack, introduced at this year’s InfoComm Expo, held in Las Vegas in June. The Stantron Glide and Turn rack, features all-steel construction and is ideal for professional applications such as corporate board room presentations and education, studio applications, and home theater installations. The Glide and Turn rack is designed to fit into a wall as part of the architectural design, or inside a closet, although it can be positioned virtually anywhere.

Other A/V equipment from Stantron includes: the Presentation rack, PowerOptions power strips, the PowerMount system for mounting vertical power strips within a rack, Vertical and Horizontal lacing bars for cable management, LightingOptions and CoolingOptions. The CoolingOptions range of products allows customers to strategically target equipment with high heat generation and lower AC and electrical bills. The LightingOptions range works well in black or dark colored cabinets helping installers and users see marking on cables and connection points. Lights affix to a magnetic strip, providing a flexible, portable illumination solution for any situation.

The following link provides all information on Stantron’s A/V line:
http://www.stantronracks.com/documents/24-0166A_ProAV_StantronCatalog_Web.pdf

For more information, please call Stantron at 1-800-821-0119.

Elation Education Experience Lighting Contest

posted July 24, 2008

Elation Professional announces the third annual Elation Education Experience (E3) contest, which offers students, House of Worship volunteers and new lighting designers a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to the WFX Show in Houston on November 5 and 6.

The goal of the contest, which was started in 2006, is to encourage more young lighting designers and students to consider specializing in the House of Worship market. Entering is simple; entrants (or the persons nominating them) just have to complete a form explaining why they represent the best of the future of HOW lighting. 

Lighting students, lighting designers with three years or less experience, and volunteer or part-time workers in a HOW lighting department are eligible to participate in the contest. Deadline for submitting a nomination is September 19, 2008, 5 pm Pacific Time. Winners will be announced before September 26. Up to three winners will be named.

“As a company, we believe strongly in the future of the HOW market and the rewarding opportunities it offers members of the lighting profession to immerse themselves in meaningful and challenging projects,” says Eric Loader, Director of Sales for Elation Professional and Acclaim Lighting.  “Our sponsorship of this contest is one small way in which Elation and its sister company Acclaim Lighting are supporting the continued growth of the HOW market.”

Prizes include airfare, two night hotel accommodations, tickets to the WFX Show at the George R. Brown Convention Center, ground transportation in Houston, dinner with Elation executives, $100 spending money, a commemorative plaque and a private tour of the Elation WFX booth. To enter please visit http://www.fucinipro.com/Elation/e3/e3contest.htm.

The Life Church in Kansas City Enhances Audio with Mipro Wireless

posted July 21, 2008

When it came time to outfit their new sanctuary with sound reinforcement equipment, senior management at The Life Church wanted to ensure that the pastors and musical performers alike had capable microphone and monitoring equipment. They wanted a system that would enable them to speak or sing comfortably, while also being able to hear clearly. After contracting with Raytown, MO-based Progressive Electronics Incorporated to design and implement the project, a sizeable collection of MIPRO wireless technology—distributed in North America by Avlex Corporation—was introduced.

The Life Church’s services can best be described as active contemporary charismatic. Music plays a vital role in the worship experience and typical services include a group of six to ten praise singers, a choir, and an instrumental ensemble consisting of keyboards, drums, organ, and guitars. It’s not the least bit uncommon for these services to run most, if not all, of the 48 channels available on the front of house mixing console.

Progressive Electronics, a design/build firm that handles a wide variety of A/V projects for major corporations, large athletic complexes, schools and universities, plus many houses of worship, recognized that wireless microphones and in-ear monitoring capabilities could offer significant benefits for the performers. According to Steve Brown, who handles Systems Design and Sales for Progressive Electronics, “Our initial design concept included wired mics and monitor wedges on the floor, but after a closer look at MIPRO’s product offerings, we elected to go with a comprehensive wireless microphone and in-ear monitoring setup, as this enabled us to reduce the number of stage wedges from eight to two while greatly reducing stage ambient noise. In the process, we were able to make both the vocalists and the pastors completely wireless.”

To accomplish this, the Progressive Electronics team outfitted and configured The Life Church with eight MIPRO MI-808R in-ear stereo receivers paired with the E8P earbuds. The MIPRO MI-808 system consists of a professional UHF-band stereo receiver and transmitter that is frequency-agile over a 24 MHz bandwidth with 16 selectable pre-programmed, non-interference frequencies. The MI-808 receiver utilizes advanced dual-antenna true diversity technology that eliminates signal dropouts and enhances signal stability, while the receivers operate in user selectable mono or stereo output modes, have selectable built-in limiting for aural protection, and feature a lightweight, exceptionally durable magnesium alloy case.

For their wireless microphones, Brown and his crew deployed MIPRO’s ACT-707 PC-Controllable Wireless Microphone System. This system encompasses ten MIPRO ACT-707HM handheld microphone transmitters for the vocalists and two ACT-707T body-pack transmitters along with two HS-09 beige ear-worn microphones for the pastors. On the receiving end, the system utilizes six MIPRO ACT-707D dual channel receivers. Additionally, MIPRO’s AD-707 UHF antenna divider enables multiple receivers to operate from a single pair of antennas while the MIPRO ACT-707SD PC control system provides system management via a connected personal computer. Rounding out the church’s new microphone system is six MIPRO MM-707CP wired vocal condenser microphones plus several MS-131 boom stands.

With the system up and running, Brown reports that the MIPRO equipment has delivered exceptional performance and was easily accepted by both the pastors and the praise vocalists. “The MIPRO equipment appears very durable and has performed exceptionally,” notes Brown. “When we had our first rehearsal with the praise band, they were a bit tentative—not being used to in-ear monitors. Within an hour they were absolutely ecstatic, moving all around the stage and, very obviously, enjoying the new experience. It was fun to observe. The senior pastor recently took me aside and emphasized how proud they are of their new system. Everyone is enthusiastic.”

Pastor Stan Gleason, Senior Pastor at The Life Church concurs with Brown’s assessment. “The freedom of movement that our MIPRO wireless equipment provides has been a very pleasant surprise,” notes Gleason. “These wireless systems enable us to focus on the message without being the least bit constrained by traditional wired microphones and floor monitors. I believe going wireless has enabled all of us to be considerably more effective.”

Gefen Launches New Website

posted July 21, 2008

In an ongoing effort to enhance the customer experience and streamline the company’s expanding product offerings, Gefen has revamped its website, http://www.gefen.com.

The most prominent new feature is the intuitive navigation, with major product lines listed according to functionality. “The goal was to make the site very easy to navigate and move around,” says Hagai Gefen, president and CEO. “Our in-house designers worked very hard to make the site clean, attractive and informative for anyone looking for solutions among Gefen’s growing product lines.”

Gefen offers connectivity solutions for professional A/V, information technology, digital signage, consumer electronics and home theater environments.

Main product pages have been redesigned to offer information in a one-window format, with tabs directing users to specifications and other key statistics, as opposed to a scrolling design. Users can view close-up product shots from all angles, one-page marketing brochures, user- manuals and wiring diagrams for most of the products online today.

Detailed product news, events, support documentation, company information, worldwide distributors and a user forum for technical support questions are also available on the expanded http://www.gefen.com site.

Seattle University Presbyterian Church Pipes and Reflectivity No Challenge for Meyer MILO

posted July 21, 2008

The west coast’s largest Presbyterian Church has upgraded its sanctuary with the installation of a new Meyer Sound system. As Director of Media Services at University Presbyterian Jeff Blackburn explains, the Seattle church’s 1,400-seat sanctuary has a history of sonic challenges.

“This is a very tough, reflective room,” says Blackburn. “And our old PA was directing the sound to all the wrong surfaces.”

The owner of the second largest pipe organ west of the Mississippi, University Presbyterian has 7,000 pipes adorning the front walls. With different services running the gamut from traditional Christian music to a range of contemporary styles, the new system also had to address the needs of a diverse congregation.

Curt Hare of Seattle-based Point Source Inc. specified a center array of five MILO line array loudspeakers and one MILO 120, augmented with a delay hang of five M’elodie line array loudspeakers. A pair of 600-HP subwoofers are flown directly behind the MILO array.

“We flew the subs in a cardioid pattern to reduce low frequency buildup on the stage, as well as above it,” says Hare, referring to a large resonant area between the room’s ceiling and exterior roof.

Meyer Sound’s Galileo loudspeaker management system handles the subs, as well as several zones of delay and processing. The room’s reflectivity was addressed by acoustician Michael Yantis with a treatment of rear wall diffusers.

Blackburn reports the new system exceeds all expectations. “When I heard the system, my first reaction was: Change nothing,” he says. “It sounds like a recording, everywhere in the room. If a better sound system exists, I haven’t heard it.”

Triple Keynote Presentations In-Store for WFX Houston

posted July 19, 2008

WFX Houston welcomes well-known speakers to share their first-hand success stories, expertise, and inspirations. This year, WFX Houston will feature an unprecedented three Keynote Presentations, offering valuable information to take back to your church, regardless of your size or budget.

Explore three vastly different Keynote Presentations:

Opening Keynote - Dave Ferguson, Lead Pastor of Community Christian Church in Naperville, IL

The Lakewood Experience - Hear from Joel Osteen & The Lakewood Church Team

Tech Talk Keynote - Role Reversal: Top Tech Directors Take Center Stage, moderated by Bruce Smith, former Technical Director for Willow Creek Community Church.

WFX is designed to educate and allow your church executive, facilities and tech teams to learn together through a unique conference program that focuses on 4 tracks for facilities and tech teams, a day long executive seminar for pastors, the largest expo floor for the church market filled with thousands of products and services, and a special events program that will offers something for every member of your team.

Register your team by 9/12 for best savings on Conference Passes, the Pastor’s Pass, or register for a FREE Expo Pass. Access to the Keynote Presentations are included with all passes.

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Opening Keynote: Dave Ferguson, Community Christian Church
Thursday, November 6, 10:30am

Continuing the WFX tradition of inspiring opening keynote presentations, Dave Ferguson, Lead Pastor of Community Christian Church, will share his experiences and expertise to inspire and equip you and other church leaders with the know-how to creatively and effectively achieve your goals.

With eight campuses in the Chicago area, this multi-site church is earning accolades as one of the most innovative and influential churches in the nation. Join us and learn about the innovative strategies and ideas that have brought about the formation and growth of one of America’s Top 25 Multiplying Churches and Most Innovative Churches (Outreach Magazine).

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Joel Osteen and the Lakewood Church Team: The Lakewood Experience
Thursday, November 6, 7:00pm

As the featured WFX Houston destination for a behind-the-scenes facility tour and evening Keynote on Thursday, November 6, all attendees are invited to hear from Senior Pastor Joel Osteen and the administrative, facilities and technical leadership team from Lakewood Church.

The largest church in the United States, Lakewood hosts more than 40,000 attendees each weekend in their 16,000-seat auditorium, and their message reaches 200 million viewers each week through their international media broadcast.

Did you know that Pastor Joel Osteen has an extensive technical background, and once served as technical director for Lakewood Church?

Churches of all sizes will appreciate the Lakewood Experience, an educational tour of Lakewood Church covering many aspects of the administrative, educational and behind-the-scenes technical areas. Even if you’re not a mega-church, or don’t intend to become one, there are lessons to be learned from the Lakewood Church growth experience. Fundraising, construction, planning, growth management, children’s facilities, acoustics, lighting, production, branding and more are all part of the information to be shared in the Lakewood Experience at WFX.
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Tech Talk Keynote - Role Reversal: Top Tech Directors Take Center Stage
Friday, November 7, 10:30am
Moderated by Bruce Smith

We bring several of the nation’s top behind-the-scenes tech directors center stage for a rare opportunity to share and compare challenges, accomplishments, mistakes, theories and questions with you and your team. Moderated by Bruce Smith, former technical director for Willow Creek Community Church, you’ll hear from the folks that make the magic happen at churches big and small, with support teams from 2 to 200.

Panelists will be announced on http://www.wfxweb.com in August!
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At WFX Houston attendees will hear from these leaders who have helped grow their churches to where they are today. All WFX attendees are invited to attend Keynote Presentations. For a list of all WFX Houston Special Events, visit http://www.wfxweb.com.

Register by 9/12 for best group and team savings. WFX has also arranged discounted hotel rates at two nearby hotels.

Allen & Heath Launch Online Configuration Tool for iLive

posted July 17, 2008

Allen & Heath has launched the iLive Configuration Utility, a new online tool to aid customers wishing to purchase the new modular digital system.

The Flash-based web application enables users to build their own iLive system, selecting iLive control surfaces, iDR10 MixRacks and the various components needed, to design a system tailored to their specific requirements.

The application comprises 3 screens, starting with the iLive surface, followed by the MixRack, finishing with the addition of extra modules or accessories. There is a simple ‘drag and drop’ configuration utility, whereby modules can be ‘dragged’ to the corresponding slots on the back of an iLive surface and MixRack. An item code is generated for each iLive surface and iDR10 MixRack built, and up to 5 surfaces and 5 MixRacks configurations can be saved during the process. Upon completion, the configs can be forwarded to a local sales representative.

“As iLive is modular with a wide variety of options and components, it can be difficult for customers to visualize and cost a system. This tool allows them to explore the range of options available, pick and choose according to their requirements, and match their budget,” explains Allen & Heath’s sales director, Bob Goleniowski. “Everything can be saved, recalled and sent to our sales distribution network, which also eliminates any order errors. It will really help streamline the sales process for this complex product.”

http://www.ilive-digital.com

HowAudio.com Offers Three-month Summer Membership Special

posted July 15, 2008

You have big passion for music? So does HowAudio.com. According to the company, they offer the largest selection of on-demand audio how-to video tutorials anywhere, available by online membership (or in some cases on DVD), any time you need it: 24/7/365. Now, for a limited time, HowAudio.com is pleased to announce a three-month summer special rate of $30 (normally $19/month). You get every existing tutorial and every new tutorial added during your membership. Currently there are over 1,200 individual movies online and growing. After three months the plan reverts back to $19, which is automatically renewed every month. This ensures that you have the information that you need, accessible 24/7/365. The deadline to take advantage of this special offer is July 31, 2008, so sign up now at http://www.HowAudio.com.

With HowAudio’s online resources, fast-track your learning with our vast library of in-depth titles ranging from audio software and hardware, to music-, business-, and gear-related how-to’s—over 1,100 movies on 40 topics—presented by working music professionals who are experts in their respective fields. We are consistently adding new titles to the library to ensure that you have all the tools at your disposal to master your craft and make the best music possible. Our revamped website also offers monthly gear giveaways from top manufacturers, and our “Talking with the Pros” section, spotlighting conversations with in-demand music professionals. Coming soon is our “Product Spotlight”, where you can see and hear cool gear at work.

“What differentiates us from our competition is the sheer number of titles we offer on the widest range of topics, our affordable monthly or yearly subscription rates that give users the biggest bang for their buck, plus the caliber of our trainers,” says HowAudio.com CEO Thel Rountree. “No other company offers as many in-depth topics as HowAudio.com for one price. Our trainers are established award-winning industry professionals who have Platinum records, Grammy’s and Academy Awards to their credit, ensuring our subscribers will reap benefits, not only from the teachings and training, but also from their real-world experience and expertise.”

Integrated lighting solutions grace El Paso’s Abundant Living Faith Center

posted July 15, 2008

When it comes to planning a new worship facility, some of the most important people in the process are the technical consultants, whose job it is to make sure all the building systems work together, that the end product is aesthetically pleasing, and that the church’s needs are met without creating added costs. During a major renovation and expansion project at the Abundant Living Faith Center (ALFC) in El Paso, Texas, Paul Luntsford at PLA Designs, Inc., of Aloha, Oregon—a consultant for design/build systems integrator and ETC dealer Michael Garrison Associates (MGA) of Fresno, California—accomplished this challenge, in part through lighting solutions provided by ETC. Luntsford and PLA staff, working with MGA and the architectural team, helped design everything from catwalks and seating, to lighting and distribution for the church’s new 3,620-seat main auditorium, along with the lighting systems and controls for the church’s new youth worship area and game room.

In ALFC’s main worship space, an ETC Eos console controls the stage lighting and an Ion—the newest console in the ETC control line—is used in the youth room. The houselights throughout the church are controlled by an ETC Unison architectural system.

“ETC provided the best solution for a lighting control infrastructure. Their modular SmartBars offered affordable distributed dimming for ALFC’s conventional stage fixtures,” says Luntsford. “By using the SmartBars, there was a lot less costly wiring, conduit and labor needed to get a lot of channels of stage lighting control. This helped ALFC pay for more lighting gear.”

The lighting system designed by PLA includes (24) NEMA L21-20R outlets as well as ETCNet2 Nodes, and 20A non-dimming circuits near the catwalks, in order to provide proper support for lighting effects, power supplies and the Source Four Revolution moving lights. The circuits for house lighting are controlled via ETC Sensor+ and Unison DR dimming racks, while the worklights and associated non-dimming circuits are controlled via several ETC SmartSwitch panels. The system is controlled over the ETCNet2 system using four DMX universes.

Luntsford recommends churches put an emphasis on installing the right number of lighting fixtures. For ALFC, this meant ETC fixtures. “Source Four ellipsoidals provided a full range of beam angles and good definition. OceanOptics SeaChangers could also be placed on each one. Since the SeaChangers come in spot and flood versions, we can have great ellipsoidal performance and also simulate Fresnel functionality, but with dichroic color changing. This allows me to keep all my basic wash and spot lighting within the same color gamut,” says Luntsford. “We were able to use fewer units and have excellent lighting coverage and flexibility. And by using the Source Four Revolution moving-lights for specials [unique effects not part of the usual rig lighting], the circuit and fixture density was also reduced.”

The fact that ALFC tapes some of its services for television broadcast added another level of challenge for the lighting system. “We had to make sure the stage and house lighting were balanced properly for color, uniformity and intensity,” says Luntsford.

Richard Allen Designs (RAD) of Portland, Oregon was, at Luntsford’s recommendation, commissioned by ALFC to design a stage backdrop and scenic effects for the main auditorium’s stage. PLA specified some LED and automated lighting fixtures, including ETC’s Source Four Revolutions and several Vari*Lite units to enhance stage lighting, in conjunction with RAD’s use of (40) PixelRange LED RGB flood fixtures. The LED fixtures provide backlighting for set pieces, adding another dimension to the church’s lighting. They work seamlessly with the rest of the system via an ETCNet2 network.

The orchestrated efforts of architect Rod Kroeger (Moore, Nordell, Kroeger Architects),
Robert Borunda (PE, Electrical Engineering), MGA, and PLA Designs’ expert staff, were critical to the success of ALFC’s new facility. Luntsford also credits the church for the smooth installation: “We really want to commend the pastors and their staff for having the courage to stick to their vision and demand the best value for money spent. They believed in what this facility could be, and now it is bearing fruit beyond even their original vision.”

Analog Way Soft Edge Blending Classes certified by InfoComm International’s Certified Technology S

posted July 15, 2008

Analog Way, a designer and manufacturer of image converters and presentation switchers is proud to announce the certification of its soft edge blending classes by the InfoComm International’s Certified Technology Specialists (CTS) Training Program – Earning 1RU.

The demand for soft edge blending (SEB) installations and shows is rapidly growing due to the profound impact of the presentations enabled by this technology. Soft edge blending consists of the set up of a large screen image using multiple video projectors with overlapping areas that make the seams between projectors invisible. This application requires specific techniques from the calculation of the screen size to the adjustment of image parameters in order to obtain a perfect seamless image.

To enhance the service provided to its customers and the end users of its products, Analog Way developed a training program called Analog Days. The success of the sessions organized in Europe pushed the company to move this program even further with the organization of training sessions dedicated to soft edge blending offered on its booth during InfoComm08, Las Vegas. These sessions of one hour each, offered in English and Spanish, allowed the attendees to gain all the necessary knowledge and experience to create a perfect soft edge blending installation or show.

Following these classes, attendees were presented with an Analog Way soft edge blending certificate of achievement level 1 and the InfoComm International’s Certified Technology Specialists (CTS) Training Program certified these soft edge blending classes. From now on, each soft edge blending class offered by Analog Way will give credit to attendees for 1 RU, ensuring the quality of the training delivered.

City Church of Seattle, Washington, Utilizes Dynacord in New Sound System Installation

posted July 15, 2008

Lift Music of Seattle was contracted to install new sound systems at two of City Church’s five Seattle-area campuses and at their Washington, D.C. location, and their performance has caused City Church Chief Audio Engineer Wade Steele to plan Dynacord systems for additional sites.

“The size and weight to performance ratio Dynacord delivers is beyond impressive,” says Steele. “Steve Palermo and Justin Friesen (of Lift Music) exceeded all our expectations with these systems. The first system we purchased was the D-Lite 2000, as a high-performance portable PA for our Kirkland (Seattle) location. ‘Blown away’ does not even convey the awe that struck me when I first heard the D-Lite. At first sight I didn’t think it looked big enough to do what we needed. But then I fired it up, put in a CD, and ‘Bam!’ I was simply amazed at how much coverage and power came out of such a small system. The sound was so massive my jaw hit the floor. In my experience nothing comes close to providing D-Lite’s combination of small size and big sound.

“After the D-Lite system made such a strong impression,” Steele adds, “we spec’d more Dynacord for our Washington, D.C. and Alderwood (Seattle) campuses. At the D.C. campus we have two flown VL 212 loudspeakers, coupled with eight Dynacord Sub 112 units for the low end, all powered by Power H 2500 and 5000 amps. At Alderwood we have a central cluster of two flown Variline VL152’s; these were installed without subs and they still sound incredible. They have completely changed my perception of what a 15-inch speaker can do. People ask me ‘Where are the subs hidden?’ and I grin when I tell them ‘This system doesn’t have any.’

“To have so much power coming out of such compact units, with great throw and coverage, has really changed our services for the better. The Power H amps powering the Variline loudspeakers are loaded with RCM-26 remote-control DSP modules with FIR filters and protection algorithms; when Steve and Justin first tuned the boxes to the room and adjusted the FIR filters, I was staggered by the clearness and depth of the sound. The fact that hitting that high level of performance doesn’t require endless tweaks on expensive outboard gear, and the fact that the protection features keep everything safe and sound at all SPLs, is all added-value above and beyond the fundamentally brilliant sound quality. I love these systems!”

Grace the Gothic Nave of San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral Deals with Recorded Sound Issues

posted July 15, 2008

Apart from being world-famous for the majesty and longevity of its structure, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco gained notoriety in the Internet heyday of the mid 1990s as one of the first churches to stream live webcasts of many of its services, a tradition that continues to thrive. Over its long history, Grace Cathedral has hosted many of the world’s most cherished religious leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Billy Graham, and Desmond Tutu, and many of its most celebrated weddings, including the ceremony for Courteney Cox and David Arquette. With such an illustrious history and such an early Internet presence, it is a bit surprising that until Art Yeap, director of San Francisco’s Novo Group, recently overhauled their microphone collection with Sennheiser MKH 8020 and MKH 8040 high-end condensers, the recorded sound of Grace Cathedral was middling at best and marginal at worst.

“The church had been using some noisy 1970’s-era Austrian mics with acoustic properties that were poorly matched for the job,” explains Yeap. “The church itself is huge—220 feet from the choir to the back wall—with a nine-second RT60 on the low-end. Those peaky old mics accentuated footfalls, rustling papers, and other such distractions so that listening to a recording or webcast became an exercise in keeping focused.”

While Yeap initially selected the MKH 20 and 40 Series for Grace Cathedral, area Sennheiser representative Marke Burgstahler demonstrated the new line of MKH 8000 high-end condensers. The MKH 8020 omni, 8040 cardioid, and 8050super-cardioid deliver extended, flat frequency response (up to 60kHz), very low self-noise, and uncolored off-axis response. Moreover, all of the MKH8000-series microphones are small, a factor that was aesthetically important for Grace Cathedral. Although the mics would hang from a hundred feet above the floor, they would still be below windows that would provide revealing top light.

Yeap ordered four cardioid MKH 8020s to cover the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys (only one of a handful remaining in the States). He placed two more MKH 8020s above the congregation to capture congregational singing and orchestral performances, and two more at the back of the space to capture the rear gallery organ. For the main organ—one of the largest in the state and famous to organ enthusiasts throughout the world—Yeap carefully positioned two MKH 8020 omnis. The extra octave at the bottom end of the omnis (down to 10Hz) conveyed the instrument’s rich bass, and placement at the appropriate distance allowed the sound to bloom and blend with the room.

“The experience has been amazing,” reports Yeap. “The Sennheiser mics have made a profound improvement. I’m particularly taken with the off-axis response… it comes across as ‘effortless.’ The noise problem is gone completely. Overall, the MKH 8000 Series mics sound accurate and sweet.” So sweet, in fact, that Yeap didn’t require any processing. Each mic feeds into an APB-DynaSonics analog console with the EQ section left completely flat.

With the webcast sound securely rescued and archival and promotional recordings now at an audiophile grade, the church is contemplating using the choir mics for subtle reinforcement. “They clearly have the quality now,” says Yeap. “It’s just a matter of receiving the blessing from the church leaders. I’m convinced the quality of the live services would be noticeably improved.”

Barbizon Helps Illuminate Billy Graham’s Legacy

posted July 15, 2008

The Billy Graham Library and Visitor’s Center is dedicated to celebrating the life and work of the legendary evangelist who has had strong spiritual influence on people worldwide and in the process become one of the most visible personalities of the 20th century. This brand new 40,000-square-foot library depicts Graham’s life and is designed to inspire visitors as part of the ongoing mission of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). The library offers visitors a look at Graham’s historic evangelistic events; his innovative use of radio, television, and film to reach out to millions of people around the world; meetings with presidents and world leaders; his work for racial equality and religious freedom; and a glimpse into his personal life.

ITEC Entertainment Corp served as the designer and producer for this unique and immersive experience and among their responsibilities were producing, installing, and commissioning all of the exhibit displays, audio and video media, lighting, projection systems, animated figures, and control systems. Jeffrey W. Burton, ITEC’s executive producer points out that there were a number of challenges facing himself and his team from ITEC. “We were challenged to create a site, facility, and exhibits that leave lasting memories of the key aspects of Billy Graham’s life, mission and message, thus serving as a continuation of his ministry. We had to find creative ways to condense hundreds of hours of archival film and thousands of photos to relate an engaging storyline, keeping the presentation fresh and avoiding a simple repetition of standard video screens.”

ITEC design solution was to create immersive settings depicting key timeframes or subject matter from Graham’s life in which archival video and photos are presented using a variety of techniques to support the storyline without dominating the setting. Guests move from space to space, feeling a part of the setting and gaining insight into each aspect of Graham’s life and ministry. The high-tech library is in a dairy barn-styled building. “The entire setting of the barn forms a background context of the humble beginnings of the man, Billy Graham,” says Burton. “This theming is consistent, starting with the Graham family homeplace and continuing into the barn lobby, the bookstore and the dairy bar. When guests enter the exhibits, the theming moves from the barn setting to parallel the content of each scene.” The tour features a range of exhibits and multimedia displays including a recreation of Graham’s landmark 1949 Los Angeles big tent meetings; a Berlin Wall display reflecting Graham’s efforts in eastern Europe; theatres where sermons and other films are shown; and more than 350 photographs of Graham’s work, ministry team, and family life.

ITEC brought in Barbizon Charlotte, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, to help realize their design, commissioning Barbizon to furnish, hang, and focus the lighting fixtures and accessories. Burton feels that the theatrical lighting is a key aspect that supports the exhibits and galleries. “Immersive exhibits that depict the specifics of Billy Graham’s ministry and life use programmable, colored theatrical lighting to complete the scene and to focus the guest’s attention. These immersive scenes depend almost completely on controlled theatrical lighting for their illumination.” Burton continues, “The galleries also utilize blacklight fixtures to illuminate suspended written copy, giving it an added emphasis within the space. We also employed hundreds of fixtures to frame lighting upon individual photographs and written copy. The design includes dark blue fabric wall coverings that reflect little light and help the illuminated images ‘float’ in the space.”

John Hartness, systems division manager of Barbizon Charlotte, talks about the solution of projecting text on some of the walls. “The projection of scripture on the walls was a challenge. Anytime you have a projection of text, there are certain issues created by the laws of physics, i.e. blurring of the image as you move towards the edges. Apollo Design Technology did a great job working with us to achieve a good final image. The sheer number of fixtures that we put into such a tight space was also challenging,” continues Hartness. “With over 400 instruments, finding places to put everything and cabling everything in an attractive fashion was certainly a challenge. The galleries were a particular challenge, with many artifacts in a confined space, each requiring isolated lighting. The project certainly tested the ability of our installers as far as focusing in a tight space. The use of a Martin Professional Mac 150 as a guard tower light in the Berlin Wall exhibit was something I found particularly ingenious.”

The equipment package also included Electronic T