Church Production Magazine News

Alcons Brings Modern Sound to Belgian National Basilica

posted June 29, 2009

In houses of worship, intelligibility of the spoken word is crucial, something both the clergy as well as the technical crew of God’s houses have become aware. The Belgian national basilica, the “Basiliek van Koekelberg,” is the country’s largest church, (the world’s fifth largest basilica) and used for national ceremonies and services with international acclaim.

It’s cross shaped base-form with a 2500 capacity main nave and big side aisles, each with a capacity of some 250 visitors, a depth of 60m./197ft. plus the seven-seconds reverb made the assignment to provide accurate sound reinforcement a true challenge for audio company Pa-P.A and Alcons’ engineer Philip de Haan.

After a first demo-session with Alcons QR36 sets equipped with double RBN1801 pro-ribbon HF drivers: two columns in the main ‘national’ nave of the Basilica, one column in the ‘parish’ nave, where it excelled over the existing recently installed beam-steered system in the A/B test, the church management decided to invest in the Alcons system. “The result of the tests was astonishing and far better than the telephone-sound they had before,” enthuses Luc De Paepe, managing director of Pa.P.A, “And the church administration gave the green light for an Alcons configuration in the national nave. The QR36 was designed for difficult acoustic environments, but the national Basilica became the first church to install a set - contrary to most line array systems (“that still have too much dispersion”) they offer a perfect, almost absolute 3° vertical dispersion angle, projecting the sound right to the church audience.”

With the Basilica’s architect Jos Van den Breeden, the Alcons QR36 speaker enclosures were tailored to fit the monumental architecture, and Alcons’ engineers configured the system from two meter QR36 columns, to obtain the perfect sound for the church. The speakers and custom stands were supplied in a special RAL ‘ancient’ green finish, contrasting with the basilica interior and terracotta-finished pillars.

Each of the QR36 combinations was equipped with an additional Alcons VR8 full range speaker cabinet for out-fill – with large worship services, the VR8’s are used as monitor speakers for the choir and in the side aisles.

Pa-P.A. removed the old and worn speaker system and installed two Alcons QR36 sets serving the whole church – all of the cabling was replaced and incorporated in the church architecture. A mobile control desk, featuring two Alcons ALC2 controller-amplifiers and pre-configured DDP processors; A Soundcraft EPM8 console completes the configuration and provides an easy operable unit.

Luc de Paepe: “the intelligibility over the entire space is remarkable, with a measured STI of 0,7. The full-range 70Hz to 20kHz system response makes the vocals crystal clear, warm and “in the face”, even for the last row of seats; From front to rear, we have a 1dB SPL drop-off in the mid/high frequency band. And the nice part is, the system is very user-friendly, as it doesn’t need any difficult (beam-steering) processing, it’s really ‘plug and play!’ The system was ‘baptised’ during a celebration for the Belgian army and in a ceremony with Congolese Bishop Monsengwo and stood the test glamorously. And this was the real reason for the renovation of our installation: we as a church attach much importance to God’s word – if one cannot understand this, there’s no reason for gathering in this church,” says Basilica rector Herman Cosijns. “More than the evolution in experiencing religion, with music and choir, the word is crucial. It’s great that we have been able to purchase this equipment with the support an donations of so many in the archbishopric.”

More information on http://www.alconsaudio.com or http://www.pa-pa.be

TC Group Americas Announces New CEO

posted June 22, 2009

TC Group Americas announces Marc Bertrand will succeed John Maier as CEO effective July 31, 2009. TC Group Americas Inc., formed in January 2009, distributes Tannoy, Lab.gruppen, TC Electronic, TC-Helicon, Dynaudio Acoustics, Lake, and Linn products in the US and Canada.

Anders Fauerskov, CEO of corporate parent TC Group, confirms the appointment. “The board of directors is very pleased to announce that Marc Bertrand has accepted the position of CEO for TC Group Americas and we are fully confident that under Marc’s leadership the company will continue its strong growth and performance. Marc brings nearly 20 years of industry experience to the position and has a proven track record of success in our organization.”

Bertrand has played a critical role for the Tannoy brand’s North American sales since 1996. He was tapped to serve as the Managing Director of Tannoy North America in 2004 and grew the company’s sales by double-digits each year. Bertrand most recently acted as vice president of sales for the commercial installation division for TC Group Americas, while concurrently overseeing operations of the Canadian-based headquarters and sitting on the TCGA board of directors with Maier.

Maier started with TC Group’s North American distributorship in 2002 and was promoted shortly thereafter to CEO. Under Maier’s leadership, sales from 2003-2006 grew by 40% putting the company on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing privately held companies in the US.

Fauerskov continues, “Over the past seven years John has been instrumental to our success in North America. We are equally grateful for John’s tremendous contributions to all of TC Group and fortunate to have a strong successor in Marc to continue the strong growth and commitment to superior customer service at TC Group Americas.”

Bosch Communications Systems Adopts Audinate’s Dante Networking Solution

posted June 22, 2009

Audinate Inc. announces that Bosch Communications Systems has entered into a company-wide license agreement to implement Dante audio networking solution into their products. The agreement allows all Bosch brands including Electro-Voice (EV), Dynacord, Telex, Midas, Klark Teknik and Bosch to incorporate Dante.

“Dante will become the foundation of our Common Audio Protocol (CAP) communications solution across the Bosch Communication Systems companies,” says Bill Scott, vice president of engineering and technology, Bosch Communications Systems. “We selected Dante because of its ease-of-use, lower latency and scalability.”

Audinate’s patent-pending Dante solution provides a no-hassle, self-configuring, plug-and-play digital audio network that uses standard Internet Protocols. Dante is a scalable solution that works on both 100Mbits and 1Gigabit Ethernet. Using Dante, many bulky cables that are typically needed to provide point-to-point analog wiring for AV installations are eliminated. Dante combines industry-leading low latency and sample-accurate playback timing with the convenience and economy of using today’s standard computer networking hardware. In addition, incorporated within Dante is an innovative automatic device discovery and system configuration capability. With this capability, specialized skills are no longer needed to set-up and manage an audio and video media network.

Draper Unveils New Screen and Offers Green Training at InfoComm

posted June 16, 2009

Draper’s new StageScreen is a unique product designed to save setup time and money and is being unveiled at InfoComm 2009. With the StageScreen there’s no need to purchase multiple projection screens. The StageScreen allows users to build different screen formats and sizes with different combinations of the same parts. The more additional viewing surfaces and pieces, the more sizes you can build.

Despite the flexibility of this modular design, the StageScreen’s eight-inch truss system is stronger than traditional truss, with virtually no deflection even in large sizes.

Truss segments attach quickly, easily and securely end-to-end—there are no parts to unfold, and no hinges to pinch fingers. Draper’s proprietary screen attachment system works without snaps, making it easier than ever to attach the screen surface. In less than 10 minutes, two people can have a 17’ x 20’ screen fully assembled and ready to fly.

For more information on the StageScreen, visit http://www.draperinc.com and booth 5048 during InfoComm 2009, June 17-19 in Orlando.

Draper will also present a manufacturer’s green training course during InfoComm 2009. “A/V in Green Buildings: What You Need to Know,” will be presented June 17, 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., in room MT32. This class will discuss green buildings, the issues that they represent for A/V conditions and how to overcome these conditions with proper product selections and new product considerations. The session will also cover how to impress your buyer on green A/V products.

The course will be presented by Amy Madden, MBA, LEED-AP, CTS, who serves as a regional manager for Draper, Inc. Her background includes specialized expertise in LEED requirements, being one of the first manufacturer’s direct reps to earn the LEED AP in early 2007. Amy has presented LEED training at CEDIA, to Draper dealers and to Draper personnel. She presents AIA Continuing Education Courses to Draper customers and to the architectural community on an ongoing basis.

“A/V in Green Buildings: What You Need to Know” is worth 1.5 CTS renewal points.

For more information visit http://www.infocommshow.org and follow the education link, or go to http://www.draperinc.com/go/green.

Adaptive Technologies Adds New Manufacturing Facility

posted June 15, 2009

Adaptive Technologies Group, parent to Allen Products and ATM Fly-Ware, is growing. Adaptive has recently acquired a manufacturing facility in La Verne, Calif., to further expand its production capabilities and reduce its lead times. “With so many major venues on the books, it was time for us to expand our capacity and this is the perfect economic climate to do so,” says Paul Allen, CEO of the Adaptive companies.

“Production of both our standard and custom designs will benefit tremendously and investing in today’s technology makes it so much easier. Our design team in Signal Hill can now create products and entire structures in CAD and send them straight to machines in La Verne and start manufacturing instantly,” Allen continues.

This additional facility will also allow Adaptive to rapidly expand its product lines, such as the FasPac Series, a system that places multiple loudspeakers into rigid planar arrays for rigging, and HoverPro, a flying display system for single and multiple LCD and plasma screens.

Allen says bid and order activity is back on the upswing for Adaptive, so many new products and projects are being planned and this recent acquisition is just in time to meet the needs of re-emerging industry.

For more information about Adaptive Technologies Group, visit them on the web at http://www.adapttechgroup.com or contact them at their California headquarters at 562-424-1100.

WFX California Educational Training Now Available Online

posted June 11, 2009

Were you unable to attend WFX California? If so, you can still take advantage of all the educational training that took place at this spring’s Worship Facilities Conference and Expo (http://www.wfxweb.com). Audio and HD Video recordings are now available for purchase online.

WFX and Invidium have worked together to provide a comprehensive compilation of slides and audio of nearly all 55+ conference sessions. Individual sessions as well as the entire collection is available at a reduced price - and as an added bonus, the full conference package includes HD video of the exciting keynote presentations from Dave Gibbons, Lead Pastor, Newsong Church, John Ortberg, Senior Pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and the Tech Talk Keynote.

Disc Features:

* Over 50 hours of conference material
* Keynotes in MPEG HD Video (Entire Conference & Keynote Session Only)
* Presentation material (Powerpoint slides, PDF’s)
* Audio in MP3 format
* Ipod ready
* Presentation material synchronized to Audio

To order a media disc click here to place your order on Invidium’s secure server.

Save the date for WFX Charlotte: October 28 - 30, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

J.R. Clancy Names New President

posted June 9, 2009

Mike Murphy, executive vice president of J. R. Clancy, Inc., has been named president of the rigging design and manufacturing company.

A veteran of the theatre rigging industry for more than 30 years, Murphy joined Clancy twelve years ago. His responsibilities have included administration of Clancy’s International Standards Organization (ISO) 9001 activities, making him responsible for the development and implementation of Clancy’s quality management program.

As president, Murphy oversees sales, project management, production and engineering for the company, while continuing to supervise Clancy’s quality initiatives.

Murphy takes over the president’s responsibilities from Bob Theis, who remains with the company as its chairman and chief executive officer.

Draper Offers “Green AV” Training Course at InfoComm 2009

posted June 8, 2009

During the 2009 InfoComm trade show, Draper, Inc. is once again presenting the “green” face of AV. Draper will present a manufacturer’s training course during the 2009 show.

“A/V in Green Buildings: What You Need to Know,” will be presented June 17, 12:30 PM - 02:00 PM in room MT32. This class will discuss green buildings, the issues that they represent for A/V conditions and how to overcome these conditions with proper product selections and new product considerations. The session will also cover how to impress your buyer on green A/V products.

The course will be presented by Amy Madden, MBA, LEED-AP, CTS, who serves as a regional manager for Draper, Inc. Her background includes specialized expertise in LEED requirements, being one of the first manufacturer’s direct reps to earn the LEED AP in early 2007. Amy has presented LEED training at CEDIA, to Draper dealers and to Draper personnel. She presents AIA Continuing Education Courses to Draper customers and to the architectural community on an ongoing basis.

“A/V in Green Buildings: What You Need to Know” is worth 1.5 CTS renewal points.

For more information visit http://www.infocommshow.org and follow the education link, or go to http://www.draperinc.com/go/green.

Acoustic Dimensions Announces Merger with Sound Technology Consultants

posted May 27, 2009

In 1992, Craig Janssen, Vance Breshears and David Kahn met together to discuss forming a consulting firm that would provide whole systems design thinking to spaces where people gather together to share an experience. David had opened the NY office of Acoustic Dimensions the prior year. Craig and Vance, armed only with this dream of making a difference, proceeded to open the Acoustic Dimensions office in Dallas and the Acoustic Dimensions team was formed.

Acoustic Dimensions’ reputation quickly grew. Early successes included Grand Ole Opry, Wildhorse Saloon and Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the conversion of the Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway in New York City for David Wilkerson’s ministry, The Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Autzen Stadium at the University of Oregon, and venues at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Universal Studios in Orlando. During this time, Nicholas Edwards joined the team with his office in Coventry, UK taking the firm international.

In 1995, Breshears and his wife, feeling the pressure of being far away from their families, returned to the San Diego area where Vance started Sound Technology Consultants, providing AV and acoustic design services for worship, education, and entertainment projects.

Both Acoustic Dimensions and Sound Technologies Consultants grew independently over the next fourteen years—occasionally competing, but for the most part focusing in different geographic areas. As each company expanded, core values, work ethic, dedication to excellence, passion for innovation and a strong desire to serve client’s needs remained common threads.

In 2008, a conversation over coffee led Janssen and Breshears to consider the possibility of teaming again. After all, both organizations shared nearly identical values and were independently successful. A blending of talents and skills between the two groups could be extremely successful. Technology could also help facilitate real-time collaboration in a way that wasn’t possible back in 1995.

As the conversation continued over the next several months, the expanded team seemed more and more viable. The advantages were undeniable: efficiencies of scale, shared resources, an expanded pool of talent and greater geographical reach. Perhaps most importantly, there was a common vision for the future—one based on innovation.

And so, in May 2009 Acoustic Dimensions expands its geographic base across the entire US with a dynamic California office that has some very familiar faces.

Analog Way Offers Soft Edge Blending Class Level-1 during InfoComm 2009

posted May 26, 2009

Analog Way, designer and manufacturer of innovative image converters and presentation switchers, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary, and will offer specialized training sessions focusing on Soft Edge Blending at InfoComm in June.

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. The profound impact of the presentations enabled by this technology is of significant interest for installations and shows. Soft Edge Blending technology requires specific techniques from the calculation of the screen size to the adjustment of image parameters in order to obtain a perfect seamless image.

The training sessions Analog Way will offer during InfoComm 2009 will allow the attendees to gain all the necessary knowledge and experience to create a perfect Soft Edge Blending installation or show.

The presentation will consist of an initial theoretical explanation of all the parameters to be considered such as the screen size calculation, the design of background images, the selection and placement of video projectors, the adjustment of the different screen zones, etc…

A tutorial will then merge the theoretical with the practical through the case study of a two-projector SEB screen using Analog Way software and hardware with the opportunity for hands-on participation.

Following the classes, attendees will be presented with an Analog Way Soft Edge Blending Certificate Of Achievement Level 1. This certificate is recognized by InfoComm International Certified Technology Specialists (CTS) credential Committee – Credit = 1 RU

Class schedule:
- Wednesday June 17th: 10AM-11AM / 12PM-1PM / 2PM-3PM (*) / 4PM-5PM
- Thursday June 18th: 10AM-11AM / 12PM-1PM / 2PM-3PM / 4PM-5PM (*)
- Friday June 19th: 10AM-11AM / 12PM-1PM (*) / 2PM-3PM
(*) Sessions taught in Spanish

For further information, visit http://www.analogway.com

WFX California Attracts Hundreds of Churches to Debut Event

posted May 26, 2009

Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX; http://www.wfxweb.com; @WFX), a leading event for church executive, facilities, and technology teams, announces the success of its west coast debut, WFX California, which was held May 13-15, 2009 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, CA.

Presented by EH Publishing, Church Production Magazine, and Worship Facilities magazine, WFX California provided nearly 1,800 attendees with the knowledge and cutting-edge information they need to reach their unique goals through in-depth conference programs, keynote presentations, networking opportunities, and a vibrant expo floor for the worship market.

“We are happy with the positive response to our first West Coast event,” says Nicole Derany, WFX Show Director. “The success of WFX California is an indication of the importance of this event, which gives our attendees the tools and solutions they need to enhance their ministries. We would like to thank all of our attendees, exhibitors, and speakers.”

WFX delivered compelling keynote presentations from church pioneers: Larry Osborne, Senior Pastor of North Coast Church; Dave Gibbons, Lead Pastor of Newsong Church; and John Ortberg, Senior Pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. WFX also presented the Tech Talk Keynote, moderated by Bruce Smith, former technical director for Willow Creek Community Church. Smith was joined by panelists Aaron Asay, Media Communications Director of Kearney eFree Church; Jill Gille, Director of Weekend Experiences at Eastside Christian; MJ Maltbie, Production Director of Central Christian Church; and Jason Widney, Media Arts, Park Community Church.

The WFX Expo Hall was packed with over 120 leading companies revolutionizing the design, building and outfitting of worship facilities. Attendees explored the latest audio, video and lighting technologies, and equipment for their house of worship with the products and services presented on the expo floor. They also interacted directly with the exhibitors through Hands-on Training and Exhibitor Offered Training, learning how to implement the latest technologies in their churches.

New for WFX, the Social Media Lounge made its debut as a popular gathering place on the Expo Floor. Social Media experts demystified how churches can benefit from social networking applications, including Twitter and Facebook. Social networking was encouraged during the event through TweetUps and a real-time Twitter feed on the WFX homepage (@WFX, #WFX).

WFX California was also broadcasted through various outlets during the event, including live streaming video on the WFX website. Hosted by “The Church Bartender,” Michael Trent, these videos included in-depth interviews with church leaders and footage of show highlights. All videos are available On-Demand in the WFX video player on http://www.wfxweb.com.

Leading Christian radio station KKLA-FM also produced The Frank Pastore Show from the Long Beach Convention Center. Pastore interviewed Keynote Presenter Larry Osborne, WFX co-sponsor Diffenbaugh, and Brian Blackmore, WFX Conference Chairman and founding editor of Church Production Magazine and Worship Facilities magazine.

The next event, WFX Charlotte, will be held October 28-30, 2009 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Event details and registration will be available in the coming weeks.

For exhibiting information, please contact Patrick Shaughnessy at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 508-663-1500 x267.

To register for media credentials or to receive future press releases, contact Jessica Camerato at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

About Worship Facilities Conference & Expo Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX) is the leading event for church facilities and technology teams. WFX is presented in the spring and fall of each year by Church Production Magazine and Worship Facilities magazine.

About Production Media Inc. Production Media Inc. (PMI), publishers of Church Production Magazine and Worship Facilities magazine, and presenters of WFX, is a full-service media company specializing in the house-of-worship market.

About EH Publishing EH Publishing, Inc. is a leading media company specializing in technology-based markets. EH offers integrated media solutions including e-media, print, event, research and custom products. Key market segments include custom electronics, house of worship and robotics.

Avid’s New Digidesign Venue SC48 Designed for Small- to Medium-Sized Churches

posted May 14, 2009

Avid introduces the Digidesign Venue SC48: a fully-integrated audio and processing live sound solution developed for small to mid-sized houses of worship, clubs, and corporate A/V companies, as well as touring customers. As a cost-effective and compact system, this solution delivers exceptional sound quality and compatibility with industry standard professional audio and video systems. Venue SC48 also combines I/O, digital signal processing and tactile control and offers built-in support for a number of professional audio plug-ins that provide customers with more creative mixing options.

•Building upon the sound quality and clarity found in the Venue family of professional live sound systems, the Venue SC48 introduces several new features designed to enhance and streamline the mixing process including:

Professional Plug-In Support enables customers to install and use software plug-ins from Digidesign and a number of third-party developers to easily and instantly re-create and recall an artist’s signature studio sound during a “live” performance.

•Direct Connection to Pro Tools LE makes it simple to record shows and perform Virtual Soundcheck: a timesaving process that enables customers to playback and mix tracks recorded from a previous performance using a computer connected via Venue SC48’s built-in USB port.

Channel Control allows easy access, display and adjustment to any channel parameter with the single click of a button. In addition, any eight parameters can be assigned to the color-coded framework for immediate access during the mix.

•Center Flex Channel provides immediate access to any key input, such as a lead vocalist’s microphone, without having to go through fader layers.

•VCA and Group Spill provides easy control and quick access to grouped channels within a mix by focusing the control surface layout to match the logical groupings created by VCA and Group style mixing.

“The sonic quality of the SC48 far surpasses any other digital desk I’ve mixed on and has really helped us improve our finished product,” says Eric Kibbe, audio manager and mixer of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. “Our services often change on the fly, and the size, flexibility and layout of SC48 enables me to work more quickly to address things in the mixes that were never before possible.”

All Venue systems, including the Venue SC48, Mix Rack, Profile and D-Show console, use the same Venue D-Show software, allowing customers to easily transition show files between any system in the Venue product line within a familiar interface. And with Venue D-Show 2.8.1 software – available in June to registered Venue system owners for $149 USD via authorized dealers – customers can take advantage of several new workflow innovations, popular user-requested features and other enhancements to increase workflow and mixing efficiency across all Venue systems.

“We realize that our wide spectrum of customers have different requirements. With the Venue SC48, we’ve been able to advance our popular Venue platform to meet the specific needs of customers in smaller to mid-sized applications, at an aggressive price point,” adds Tex Schenkkan, Avid’s vice president and general manager, audio. “By expanding the current portfolio of the Venue product family, the solution’s open plug-in architecture also enables our customers to integrate the console with industry-leading creative tools, enhancing the live sound experience.”

For more information, please visit Digidesign (>>>create hyperlink>>>http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&navid=544&itemid=6682&ref=1038)