The DTV, HDTV Transition & White Spaces

Bennett Liles

In this edition of Church Production Magazine Online Update, we speak with Bennett Liles, freelance production expert in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Bennett provides some background on the February 17, 2009 transition from analog to digital broadcasting and the possible effects to video production in houses of worship. Bennett also provides some background on the "White Spaces" issue and how it relates to wireless audio devices.

Technical support for this Podcast courtesy of D&M Professional (www.d-mpro.com), Audio-Technica (www.audio-technica.com) and Blue Sky (www.abluesky.com).

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Millwall's Global Day of Prayer Gets Help from d&b

Focused on the day of Pentecost, Global Day of Prayer (GDOP), celebrated at Millwall and simultaneously at many other venues throughout the world, is an apt demonstration of what can be achieved with a proper sense of community and belief. The GDOP at Millwall ran for four and half hours, featured a choir of five hundred adult and two hundred children's voices, singing against a musical backdrop provided by a thirty-piece conventional orchestra and six piece electric contemporary band.

Andy Barr from Pure Solutions provided the production expertise for GDOP,
engaging the services of Reading-based, SFL Group, to supply sound,
lighting, and video expertise. "It's the second such event we've done for
GDOP," said SFL's, Mark Payne. "Last year it was staged at West Ham's
ground; the shift this year was done in order to be accessible to different parts of the community. We provided a full stage lighting system; the front end video PPU, cameras and mixing; and a comprehensive audio system."

"In some ways it's harder than any rock event, even fast turnaround festivals. People forget how challenging it can be, a massive mix, and in the midst of it tiny children's voices, but you've got to find room to get them across. There are two main factors to contend with, the performers you already know about, though I would add there were also three solo vocalists, nine backing singers, three worship leaders, and a full orchestra plus the high energy contribution from the Psalm Drummers, an astonishing group of thirty percussionists. The second is the audience. Because this is a family event, access is given to all the grandstands as well as the pitch itself. Naturally the audience moves around throughout the day so audio cannot be attempted in the fashion of a rock show. Coverage and intelligibility are paramount for obvious reasons, and levels across the full audio spectrum need to be sustained at even and comfortable levels. And that doesn't mean quiet; excitement is an important factor, but we're not here to exhaust, rather to delight."

Of note on stage was Payne's use of DPA Millennium Bug mics for the string section; "We had to make an acoustic design of the stage to control the variety of local levels. The Bugs are a custom development by Greg Jackman that enable really close mic'ing of sensitive instruments like violins in noisy environments, and they produce a really fresh vibrant sound, you can
really capture the life of the strings. But as ever, it's all in the preparation and that means system delivery and for us that means democracy for all the listeners. The field is a hundred meters long; we rigged two eleven meter tall tepees from which we suspended d&b audiotechnik J-Series J8 line array loudspeakers, with two of the wide angle J12 cabinets at the bottom of each hang. The only areas these couldn't cover were the extreme sides of stage into the stands. Here we ground stacked the more compact d&b Q-Series loudspeakers, curved upwards, which worked exceedingly well. With no public access within 5 meters of the stack, this enabled the correct application of power to reach the topmost seats without blasting the people sitting closest. Across the front of stage we also placed three cardioid J subwoofers per side, to relieve the orchestra from having to hear the low end on stage; these also had Q10s on top of them for front fills."

"With the main system, J loudspeakers toed out 10 degrees. This gave me perfect coverage across the pitch and stands to seventy-four meters from stage, well behind the mix position. There was, of course, slight decoupling of the main system in the middle ground, but the J12s covered that area perfectly. At the seventy-four meter point, I chose to rig delays to cover the rear and side stands, again Q-Series loudspeakers ground stacked; this time on top of cardioid stacked Q subwoofers. It's a way of using the Qs we had perfected the previous year at West Ham, when the stage was placed mid-field facing
straight into the grandstand with no people on the pitch at all. There we provided a distributed system of ground stacked Qs; an easy and effective solution for a wide, high-tiered audience area."

Payne mixed using a pair of Yamaha M7CLs front of house (PM5D for monitors with d&b MAX wedges). "This was a ninety-six input show and I ran the whole output system digitally in AES/EBU to the d&b D12 and D6 amplifiers to minimise the number of AD/DA conversions. Because of the distance limitations of AES/EBU over standard balanced lines, we ran into Neutrik impedance conversion transformers enabling us to run the signal over 75Ohm video coax cable still in digital form over 100 meters all the way to the various amplifier locations where it was converted back to 110 ohm AES/EBU before going into the amplifier system. All the D12 amplifiers were positioned local to their relevant stacks and linked by CAN-Bus driven by the new d&b R70 interface that enables long distance remote control over Ethernet, a system that performed absolutely as expected. With the d&b R1 Remote control software and a wireless station FoH, I was able to access all
parts of the system and my desks from my laptop anywhere in the stadium for EQ and delay settings. The most difficult part was to effectively set the delay for the Qs at the stage sides for the listener who is sitting at the extreme side of stage. These loudspeakers have a different point zero to the main system, you can't align them to the same point as the main PA, you have to use your ears and the natural environment to tell you what works, focusing on the transition point between them and the main system. Because the character of the two boxes, the Qs and Js are so alike, this is a lot easier than you might think."

www.SFLgroup.co.uk | www.pure-solutions.co.uk | www.gdoplondon.com | www.psalmdrummers.org | www.dbaudio.com

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United Theological Seminary Offers Media in Ministry Certificate Program

Many churches have invested in digital technology and then wondered why the presence of a screen in worship hasn't automatically equated to growth and transformation.  This is exactly the challenge addressed by the all-new Media in Ministry Certificate program at United Theological Seminary.

Beginning this September, the seminary will begin offering a series of courses that will explore a number of topics ranging from camera operation, lighting and sound, and editing, to building a media team, and will include other facets of digital communication. Students will have the option of custom designing their own programs depending on their individual strengths, weaknesses, and goals.  The classes are designed specifically for the laity and for pastors from congregations of all sizes who would like to explore and implement this technology into the life of their church.

Each course is three weeks long and will be held at the UTS campus in Ohio. Registration is available by phone, mail, and at www.united.edu. For more information, call Shannon Sellars at 937-529-2201 ext. 4000, email at ssellars@united.edu.

www.united.edu

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Elation Education Experience Contest Offers New Lighting Designers a
Free Trip to WFX Show in Houston

Elation Professional announces the third annual Elation Education Experience (E3) contest, which offers students, House of Worship (HOW) 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 HOW market. Entrants (or the persons nominating them) should 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.

www.fucinipro.com/Elation/e3/e3contest.htm

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Worship Facilities Conference & Expo Announces an Unprecedented Three Keynote Presentations

Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX), announced today that WFX Houston will host an unprecedented three Keynote Presentation line-up at its upcoming event taking place November 5 - 7, 2008 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. WFX attendees will experience three unique keynote presentations tackling topics from facilities growth to enhancing services with technology, and offering three very different perspectives: Lead Pastor Dave Ferguson of Community Christian Church, a fast growing, innovative, multi-site church; Senior Pastor Joel Osteen and the Lakewood Church Team from the largest church in the United States; and a panel of the Top Tech Directors from across the nation with moderator Bruce Smith, former Technical Director of Willow Creek Community Church.

"WFX is recognized for providing attendees with top-tier keynote presenters," states Brian Blackmore, WFX Advisory Council member and Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Church Production Magazine and Worship Facilities magazine, presenters of WFX. "This fall, WFX Houston attendees will hear from nationally renowned church leaders on three very different topics that can be applied to every church undergoing a growth project."

In the Opening Keynote Presentation, Dave Ferguson, Lead Pastor of Community Christian Church in Naperville, IL will share his experiences and expertise to inspire and equip attendees with the know-how to creatively and effectively achieve their goals. An innovative multi-site missional community, Community Christian Church has grown to over 5,000 attendees every weekend meeting at eight separate locations. Over the past year, the church opened a new location where the same single weekly message is communicated in English and Spanish. Much in part to the leadership at Community Christian Church, it has become one of America's Top 25 Multiplying Churches and Most Innovative Churches (Outreach Magazine). Dave Ferguson's keynote will take place on Thursday, November 5, 2008 at 10:30am at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

The Lakewood Experience, taking place at Lakewood Church and also featuring a behind-the-scenes facility tour, will provide attendees the unique opportunity to hear from Pastor Joel Osteen and the Lakewood Church team during an exclusive keynote presentation and Q&A session. As the largest church in the United States, Lakewood hosts 40,000 attendees each weekend in their 16,000-seat auditorium, with their message reaching 200 million viewers each week through their international media broadcast. Pastor Joel and the Leadership team will share challenges, tips and success stories on areas such as fundraising, construction, planning, growth management, children's facilities, acoustics, lighting, production, branding and more. The Lakewood Experience will take place on Thursday November 6, 2008 at 7:00pm at Lakewood Church.

WFX brings several of the nation's top behind-the-scenes tech directors front and center for a rare opportunity to share and compare challenges, accomplishments, mistakes, theories and questions with the audience at WFX Houston with the first-ever Tech Talk Keynote – Role Reversal: Top Tech Directors Take Center Stage. Moderated by Bruce Smith, former technical director for Willow Creek Community Church, attendees will hear from the folks that make the magic happen at churches large and small, with support teams from two to two hundred. Visit www.wfxweb.com for a list of panelists. The Tech Talk Keynote will take place on Friday, November 7, 2008 at 10:30am at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Keynote presentations are open to all registered attendees and further information on the keynotes, conference program, expo and special events can be found online at www.wfxweb.com.

www.wfxweb.com

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Community's M12 Gets a Make-Over

Community's M12 stage monitor has been redesigned, making a good thing even better. In response to customer feedback, Community has improved the M12 with rubber pocket grip handles for portability, and a larger, easier-to-access connector base. The M12's new recessed handles are designed to make it easier to lift and carry by both handles or just one, making it ergonomically correct.  

The base of the M12 has also been redesigned to provide easier access to the input connectors, streamlining setup and teardown times for live events and portable applications.

The M12's high frequency driver is mounted to a molded one-piece asymmetrical horn with a 90-degree pattern at the top and 40 degree at the bottom, allowing full-range monitor output close up or at a distance. This unique pattern delivers even coverage while keeping energy away from stage walls. For installers seeking to mount the M12 to walls or ceilings, an optional built-to-order install version will also be available with four M10 hang points and a mounting bracket plate for permanent installation.  

The install version of the M12 can be used anywhere a conventional 12-inch two-way speaker cabinet would be used, as well as in many applications where a conventional speaker cabinet would not, such as overhead or under-balcony use, conference rooms, and distributed systems.
 
The M12 is available in low-luster black or white finishes, with the HF horn molded into the faceplate to either the right or left of the LF driver. With Community's latest improvements, it is also now available with or without handles or mounting points.

www.communitypro.com

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Data Video Announces a New Digital Switcher Line

The SE-800 digital switchers come standard with analog inputs. The SE-800DV model includes DV inputs and output plus an SDI overlay for use with character generators that use a down stream keyer (such as our CG-100). Additionally all SE-800s include an internal audio mixer with both mic and line level audio inputs. They also have voice sync to slew the voice relative to the image adjusting from "Audio Advanced" to "Audio Delayed". This works in all formats, including DV. All SE-800's include built-in format converters so each source may be seen with a composite video monitor.

SE-800s are supported with a family of accessories including monitor holders, shipping cases and mobile studios as well as compatible products, such as intercoms, character generators, and more.

www.datavideo.us

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Times Square Lighting Adds the Series 720 Broadway CyC to the Product Line

The Broadway Cyc is a lightweight fixture designed with an asymmetrical reflector to provide a bright, even wash of light for cycloramas and backdrops. Rated for 1500 watts, this unit features adjustable lamp holders which accept lamps of three different lengths. A joiner bracket allows this luminaire to be easily converted into multiple cell units. This fixture is available with a variety of yokes and other hanging hardware to accommodate various overhead and ground row mounting configurations.

www.tslight.com

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