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Mike Walker |
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In this edition from the exhibit floor of WFX 2007, we speak with Mike Walker of Mike Walker Creative from The Colony, Texas. The discussion focuses on Walker’s WFX session, "Who Are You? A Primer on Church Branding". For more information on church branding go to www.mikewalkercreative.com.
Equipment for the interview was provided courtesy of D&M Professional
(www.d-mpro.com) and Audio-Technica (www.audio-technica.com).
Eastside Foursquare Church Gives Thanks for Soundcraft Vi6
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Assistant Engineer Thom Collins (left) and Head Sound Technician Blair Schmautz with the new Soundcraft Vi6 console |
Because church services can vary dramatically from week to week, with PA systems often in the reins of inexperienced volunteer staff, finding the right mixing system for a house of worship can certainly present its share of challenges. However, when the time came to replace a nearly 20-year-old Soundcraft Vienna desk at Eastside Foursquare Church in the Seattle suburb of Bothell, the decision was a Soundcraft Vi6 digital live sound console.
“We were hired as the consultant to look at sound and video systems within the church that could benefit from an update,” says Jeff Sanderson of Olympia, Washington-based consulting firm, Onpoint Designs. “The original console, although it had served the church well, was long overdue for a replacement as we knew that current-generation technology could offer enhanced sound and reset options. So we recommended three digital designs that we felt provided fairly comparable capabilities and Eastside Foursquare Church chose the Vi6 hands down based on affordability, user friendliness, and processing power.”
Supplied and installed by Morgan Sound of nearby Lynnwood, the Soundcraft Vi6 represents the first phase of an upgrade project that will soon also comprise a new PA system for Eastside Foursquare Church’s 1,250-seat sanctuary.
According to Blair Schmautz, the church’s head sound technician, “The Vi6 is extremely versatile, sounds great, and is easy to use. Our services typically involve more than 40 channels of live instruments and vocals. For special events we might use all 64 channels. The desk’s Vistonics II interface brilliantly displays all parameters for 32 channels at a time, which is something I’ve not found on any other digital sound console in this price range.”
“We often have large 30- to 60-piece choirs during our Sunday services,” he continues, “as well as a medium-sized combo onstage with guitars, keyboards, bass, and drums. All of these things, along with a variety of playback sources for CDs and other media, can be easily accommodated on our new digital console. Plus, we also host concerts here at the church several days a week, which keeps me pretty busy, but the Vi6 effortlessly handles it all.”
Of particular note, the church’s Vi6 benefits from Soundcraft’s new DSP facilities, which bring Lexicon delay/reverb effects and BSS Audio equalization as standard to the desk. “The processing card provides us with an array of great sounding effects,” Schmautz adds. “The reverbs sound very realistic and blend well with natural ambiances. And the delays are truly studio-quality.”
Northland Features First Worship Facility Installation of Meyer Sound Constellation
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Northland Church |
Northland, A Church Distributed has been a pioneer in building networked, multi-campus churches. With four central Florida locations and a total number of weekly worshippers of over 12,000, Northland decided to build a new 3,300-seat facility to accommodate the congregants, replacing the original space in Longwood that was previously converted from a roller rink. Known for leveraging digital AV technology to unite the worshippers in the different sanctuaries, Northland adopted the most advanced technologies in their new building to create a supportive environment for their worshippers. The result is a highly sophisticated sound system featuring Meyer Sound loudspeakers and the company’s groundbreaking Constellation electro-acoustic architecture system, the first installed in a worship facility.
In designing the new sanctuary, Northland wanted to create a worship space that would facilitate intelligibility for the sermons, power for the musical instruments, and a flexible system that would accommodate the ministry’s wide variety of presentations. It was also critical for Northland to maintain the aural perception of a close-knit congregation in the larger space by having a system that would enhance a sense of community and encourage participation of the attendees.
“A congregation isn’t passive like the audience in a theater or concert hall. Worshippers play a vital, active role. We needed to create an environment that connects them to each other and supports their participation,” says Tim Tracey, Northland’s Executive Director of Worship. “Constellation was the solution to all our concerns.”
Part of Meyer Sound’s LCS Series of innovative digital audio products, Constellation incorporates the physical acoustics of a space with powerful technology and expert services to create flexible acoustical environments. It is a fully integrated turnkey solution based upon the company’s patented VRAS technology that combines rigorous design, calibration, and certification methodologies with a flexible hardware and software package. Each Constellation system is designed from the ground up to match the specific needs and circumstances of the venue in which it is installed.
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Northland system |
Constellation gives venues the ability to modify their room acoustics at the press of a button, allowing them to host a wide range of events and provide the acoustics most appropriate for them, while remaining invisible to the audience. For houses of worship, Constellation allows congregants to feel immersed in their environment and inspires them to join in.
“Constellation really encourages congregational singing, far more than any of us anticipated,” comments Tracey. “During the first service in the new room, those of us on stage were overwhelmed by the increased participation in congregational singing, compared to the old building. We could tell that they were hearing each other, and that encouraged them to sing out.”
The Northland Constellation system was designed by Sierra Madre, Calif.-based Platt Design Group and installed by the Burbank office of Electrosonic Systems, Inc. The system encompasses MS-Constellation processors, MS-VRAS processors, Mic-Omni Constellation microphones, as well as the company’s most compact and versatile loudspeaker models including UPJ-1P compact VariO loudspeakers, UPM-1P ultra-compact wide coverage loudspeakers, and MM-4 miniature wide-range loudspeakers. The system is programmed with three settings corresponding to physical spaces with reverberation times of 1.7, 2.2 and 3.0 seconds. Together with “off”, for a dry characteristic, this affords four choices to adapt the room to different musical styles and either presentational or congregational sing-along selections.
For acapella groups, the church’s 60-voice choir, and quieter ballad-style numbers, Constellation is engaged to envelop the congregation with acoustical ambience. The same rich ambience will also be used to good effect when Northland hosts upcoming performances by the Florida Youth Symphony Orchestra. For most rock-style worship songs, however, Constellation is turned off, allowing the MILO-based Meyer Sound loudspeaker system to function in the least reverberant setting.
Independent of the Constellation system, the sound reinforcement setup utilizes a total of 36 Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers to provide intelligible, uniform, wide-bandwidth coverage with extreme headroom reserves. It includes 16 MILOs in the center, two CQ-1 full-range wide coverage loudspeakers, six UPJ-1Ps, four UPM-1Ps, two CQ-2 full-range narrow coverage loudspeakers, and six M3D-Sub directional subwoofers. System processing and drive are supplied by a pair of Galileo loudspeaker management systems. The final system was tuned using SIM3 Audio Analyzer.
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Northland system |
Senior Audio Engineer at Northland, Todd Herrbach, who is also a veteran sound mixer, finds Constellation’s subtle effects on listeners both intriguing and amusing. When asked to demonstrate the system, Herrbach usually turns it on before the visitors come in the room. “They walk around, talk and clap, and then ask me to turn it on - assuming that what they are hearing is the sound of the physical room. I tell them that Constellation is already on, and then I turn it off. They immediately hear the difference,” says Herrbach. “You can’t miss the way it feels.”
Herrbach acknowledges that it’s always a challenge mixing a wide variety of musical styles in one acoustical space, let alone four potential acoustical spaces. Still, he looks forward to the creative potential offered by Constellation. “It gives me a level of environmental control that I’ve never had before. It’s a creative tool that will offer a lot of potential for years to come. It’ll be exciting as we dive into it even more.”
Tracey cites one specific example of how Constellation can heighten the emotional impact of music: “We were rehearsing a bluegrass gospel song, Bill Monroe’s ‘Get Up John,’ at first just using the main PA. Then we flipped on Constellation, and it was amazing. All of a sudden there was more air in the acoustic instruments and in the vocals. Instantly we had an acoustical environment that was just right for high-energy bluegrass.”
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Northland Church |
After six years of speculating, Tracey is relieved to find that Constellation really creates acoustics that fully support worship participation. “It’s remarkable as an affective tool,” he observes. “It’s subtle. You can’t just look at a chart and see what happens. You have to experience it to understand why it’s so powerful.”
Constellation is the first successful integrated system that uses components with the linearity and consistency to produce uncolored sound, and at the same time, providing optimal acoustics for different types of programming. Besides Northland, A Church Distributed, multipurpose venues like University of California Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall and Westfield High School in Houston, Texas, have also been equipped with Constellation, enabling them to host a variety of presentations and enhance the experiences of performers and audience alike.
Harman International Promotes Blake Augsburger to Position of Country Manager of Harman USA
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Blake Augsburger |
Harman International Industries announces that President and Chief Executive Officer, Blake Augsburger is expanding his responsibilities as he assumes the newly created position of Country Manager, Harman USA. In his new assignment, Augsburger will report directly to Harman International Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Paliwal.
As Country Manager of Harman USA, Augsburger will be responsible for the management of support functions that cross divisional and business lines. Furthermore, he will serve as the chief spokesperson for Harman in the United States to build brand equity. He will also serve as liaison to the chief executive officer for implementation of group directives.
“I look forward to my new responsibilities,” Augsburger said. “This new position represents the first step in the evolution of Harman’s organizational structure which will include the appointment of a Country Manager in a few strategic countries. We believe this approach will help to leverage synergies across multiple Harman businesses while improving consistency among business processes in the company’s major markets.”
Lectrosonics and Heil Sound Announce Strategic Partnership
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Bob and Karl Cut Cord |
Lectrosonics and Heil Sound have formed a strategic partnership. The agreement combines two audio producers, with the result being a new handheld wireless microphone.
The first product resulting from the combined effort is known as the Lectrosonics UTPR20. Combining the capsule from Heil Sound’s PR20 microphone with Lectrosonics UT Series Digital Hybrid Wireless transmitters, this new handheld, wireless microphone system integrates two technologies into a single device.
The UTPR20 will have a distinctive look when compared to the standard UT transmitters in the Lectrosonics line. The UTPR20 employs Heil's grill basket and capsule identifier ring. At the foot of the transmitter, a gold-colored battery access ring matches the unit’s overall color scheme. The UTPR20 features 100 mW RF power that facilitates long range application usage, 256 synthesized frequencies, and full compatibility with Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless and analog receivers.
Lectrosonics Director of Business Development, Karl Winkler, commented on the new strategic partnership, “I'm personally very excited about the partnership between Heil Sound and Lectrosonics. This is a win-win partnership in every way.”
Bob Heil, ceo and founder of Heil Sound, echoed Winkler’s enthusiasm. “We’re very proud and honored to announce that two American companies have collaborated on an exciting new product for the entertainment and commercial audio industries,” said Heil.
www.lectrosonics.com | www.heilsound.com
Live Design Offers Broadway Master Classes
Broadway Sound Master Classes
May 16-18, 2008
Legendary sound designer, Abe Jacob, will once again serve as creative consultant for the 6th annual Broadway Sound Master Classes (BSMC). BSMC is an in-depth exploration of the current trends in Broadway sound design and reinforcement. It will be held at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, 721 Broadway, New York, NY.
Broadway Projection Master Classes
May 19, 2007
Join us for a special, full-day of exploring the design and technology that creates compelling theatrical projection design on Broadway. It will be held at the XL Video LED Lab located at 584 Broadway, New York, NY.
Broadway Lighting Master Classes
May 20-22, 2008
Tony Award-winning lighting designer, Jules Fisher, returns as creative consultant for the 14th annual Broadway Lighting Master Classes (BLMC). BLMC is three days of intensive, in-depth sessions focused on the art and science of professional theatre lighting design. It will be held at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at the corner of Washington Square South and LaGuardia Place, New York, NY.
Introducing the Opti 30 RGB from Elation Professional
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OPTI 30 |
Elation Professional has added a new model to its Opti Series of LED stage par cans. The new Opti 30 RGB is a high-output RGB color-mixing par can with 12 powerful 1-watt LEDs (4 red, 4 blue, 4 green), which can be combined via DMX to create virtually any color in the spectrum. Additionally, it comes equipped with color changing macros and manual control option.
A compact version of Elation’s Opti RGB, the Opti 30 LED is a color-changing stage light for smaller spaces and also fits easily into 12” box truss for truss toning.
The Opti 30 RGB comes with a standard 25 degree beam angle lens, but can be modified if a wider angle is desired. It includes a Gel Frame Holder, which allows users to insert their own frost or diffusion filters for creating wide-angle effects.
Another upgrade is a user-friendly LCD menu display for DMX addressing and function settings, which replaces the more complicated dipswitches,and makes set-up a snap. “We added the LCD menu in response to feedback from our customers, who said they wanted an easier means of DMX addressing than the cumbersome dipswitch-binary code method,” said Eric Loader, director of sales for Elation Professional. “We are upgrading many Elation fixtures to this LCD menu system.”
Yet another upgrade on the Opti 30 RGB is a double yoke. This feature allows the unit to be set on the floor for up-lighting.
The Opti 30 RGB can be operated in 4 modes: DMX, Sound-Active, Macro and Auto. In the DMX mode, users can control 0-100% dimming and a color strobe effect. Depending on the features the user wishes to control, the Opti 30 RGB can be operated in 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 7 DMX channel modes.
NEC Display Solution Offers 65-inch Commercial Grade CD for Information Display and Digital Signage Applications
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LCD 6520P |
NEC Display Solutions announces the 65-inch NEC MultiSync LCD6520. The LCD6520 is embedded with NEC's Digital Signage Technology Suite (DSTS), which includes more than 20 features and functions developed specifically for digital signage. It contains an expansion slot that provides the option for additional technology components. This new display features a 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution with a 2000:1 contrast ratio, 6-millisecond response time, and Ambix Technology, which supports both digital and analog inputs. The LCD6520 LCD display is the largest direct-view display ever offered by NEC, and is available in both portrait and landscape models.
Mackie Adds Two Compact Models to Its VLZ3 Series Mixers
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802-VLZ3 |
Mackie expands its VLZ3 compact mixer line with the release of the 402-VLZ3 and the 802-VLZ3 Premium Mic/Line Mixers. Both the 402-VLZ3 and 802-VLZ3 incorporate the same technology as the other VLZ3 compact mixers.
“The 802-VLZ3 is designed for someone who wants the overall quality of a 1202-VLZ3, but doesn’t need that many input channels,” says Greg Young, Mackie product manager. “The 402-VLZ3 is compact with an intelligently scaled feature set that maintains the sound quality and performance of the other Mackie VLZ3s”.
The 402- and 802-VLZ3 feature the studio-grade XDR2 (Extended Dynamic Range) mic preamps, proprietary Active EQ, and modern summing bus architecture to ensure high-headroom, low-noise performance. The compact, all-steel chassis houses switchable line/Hi-Z instrument inputs, phantom power for use with condenser microphones, and bright stereo LED meters.
The 402-VLZ3 contains two mono mic/line channels, a dedicated stereo line channel, and an assignable stereo RCA input channel. Mono channels each include an XDR2 preamp, switchable high-pass filter, 2-band EQ and a channel overload LED, and can be hard-panned for stereo applications.
The 802-VLZ3 includes five channel strips with three XDR2 mic preamps, the Alt 3-4 bus, a pre-/post-switchable aux send, a dedicated stereo aux return, plus a comprehensive control room section.
www.churchproduction.com | info@churchproduction.com
Church Production Magazine, Worship Facilities Magazine and
WFX-Worship Facilities Expo are divisions of Production Media Inc.
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Copyright (c) 2007 Production Media, Inc.