Leasing: Alternative Methods for Financing Equipment Purchases

Scott Cole

In this edition of Church Production Magazine Online Update, we speak with Scott Cole from Pro Lease of Newport Beach, California. Scott helps define what capital leasing is and explains how it differentiates from other types of leasing. And provides examples of different types of leases in regards to making equipment purchases for houses of worship.

For more information contact Scott at (949) 260-1000 ext. 207 or visit www.proleaseusa.com

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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StageGear Is Answer to Saddleback's Prayers

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 found its solution when it discovered StageGear, a company whose 25 years of experience and dedication to service enables it to provide the right equipment case with the right features for each client, including an industry-leading warranty and rigorous quality assurance.

"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."
 
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."

Please visit www.stagegear.com for more information

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Worship Facilities Conference & Expo Houston: Where Churches Go To Grow

EH Events www.ehpub.com, Worship Facilities, and Church Production magazines, announce that registration is open for Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX) Houston, taking place November 5 - 7, 2008 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. Now in its fourth year, WFX continues to be the leading event for church executive, facilities and tech teams as it delivers the most relevant education and latest products and services available to the house of worship market.

WFX Houston will offer the largest show to date accommodating more than 5,000 church leaders seeking the best practices, advice, education and products and services to help them grow their facilities and upgrade their technical production. Over 70 conference sessions, an expansive expo floor and dynamic special events line-up make it the most action-packed WFX yet. WFX Show Highlights include:

Comprehensive conference program covering facilities planning, architectural design and renovation, finance/fundraising, AV and lighting technologies, operational efficiencies, "Green" practices/energy management, and digital church strategies.

The Expo Floor: 400 exhibitors will be offering the latest products and services including: architectural design services, master planning, finance/fundraising, audio/video/lighting, building materials, information technology, building systems, digital signage, new media, website solutions and more.

Pastors X-Forum: This 'eXecutive' training session for Senior and Executive Pastors provides top-level church leadership with concepts and strategies to successfully lead their church through the facilities growth process.

The Lakewood Experience: Take part in guided tours and a dynamic keynote presentation from Pastor Joel Osteen and the Lakewood Church Team.

Design Central: See dozens of successful church designs for facilities small and large at the new WFX church display gallery.

Attendees will uncover the secrets of the Solomon Award winners on display at WFX, honoring excellence in facility design, management, marketing and audio-visual production.

Tech Talk Keynote: Top tech directors take the stage to share their challenges, accomplishments, mistakes and overall experiences with the audience.

Opening Keynote Presentation: Dave Ferguson, Lead Pastor of Community Christian Church in Naperville, IN, will share 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).

Exciting fellowship events include popular peer-to-peer discussions, early-bird breakfasts and local gatherings around town.

Attendees have the opportunity to experience audio, video and lighting technologies first-hand with Hands-On Training, including beginner and advanced classes to accommodate all skills levels.

Exhibitor Offered Training: Classes highlight the products and services that are showcased on the expo floor.

WFX attendees from smaller churches will be able to explore a new "small church" focus within the conference program, making WFX a beneficial event for churches of all sizes and budgets.

Registration is now open for WFX Houston. Church teams experience the best savings when they register by September 12. WFX is the #1 Event for Church Facilities and Technology Teams and takes place November 5 - 7, 2008 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. Visit www.wfxweb.com for more information and to register.

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Lectrosonics Announces Factory Authorized Service In Greater NYC Metropolitan Area

Jaycee Communications

Lectrosonics announces it now has factory authorized service available in the greater New York metropolitan area. Bayside, Queens-based Jaycee Communications, has served the RF systems business throughout greater New York for the past thirty years. As an authorized Lectrosonics service center, audio professionals throughout the New York area now have access to local service that is expected to greatly expedite product repair.

Jaycee Communications' owner Jerry Cudmore is enthusiastic about the new arrangement with Lectrosonics. "I'm delighted to have Jaycee Communications be selected as a factory authorized Lectrosonics service center," said Cudmore. "Jaycee Communications has a long-standing, proven track record in the RF systems business and I look forward to providing the same high level of repair service-at the same price structure-Lectrosonics customers have come to expect from the Rio Rancho office. As a local service provider, Lectrosonics customers can now avoid the delays caused by shipping time to and from New Mexico. We have been factory trained and authorized to repair Lectrosonics products and I genuinely believe the audio community won't find a more sincere, customer-oriented company in the RF systems business."

Lectrosonics Service Manager Dean Slotness is equally optimistic about the creation of a New York City-based service center. "As a leader in the wireless market, Lectrosonics has a large installed base of users in the greater New York area," notes Slotness. "The establishment of Jaycee Communications as an authorized Lectrosonics service center enables audio professionals and rental houses throughout the area to obtain highly qualified service without having to incur the delays caused by shipping products to and from our corporate headquarters in Rio Rancho, NM. Jaycee Communications' Jerry Cudmore has received extensive factory training and now has access to the full resources of our technical services division. Myself and the entire Lectrosonics technical services team are confident Jaycee Communications will be an invaluable resource for the audio community throughout greater New York."

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Meyer Sound's Education Program: Bringing Sound Science to Every Corner of the World

Since the first "SIM School" held in 1984, Meyer Sound has continually expanded its education program into an effort that now stages an ongoing series of science-based professional seminars on six continents. In 2007 alone, Meyer Sound conducted a total of 79 seminars worldwide, and in 2008, that number is expected to increase to more than 126 seminars in 29 countries. The award-winning company even went so far as to build a 57-seat theatre at its headquarters for hosting seminars.
 
The long-standing initiative stems from the company's notion that its purpose was not simply to manufacture the highest quality loudspeakers and audio products, but also to educate audio professionals in the principles that guide their best use.
 
As the reach and scale of Meyer Sound's seminars has grown, so has its scope. Today, the course offerings cover line array technology, the use of acoustical prediction, sound system design, mixing, programming of the powerful Matrix3 audio show control system, and, of course, source independent measurement.
 
Far from cursory overviews or thinly veiled sales presentations, the seminars, which vary in length from a single day to a solid week, are comprehensive, in-depth examinations that deliver understandable explanations of theory, then show how it is put to practical use in the field.

The program's strong expansion in the last five years has spurred corresponding growth in Meyer Sound's team of educators and an increase in "on-the-ground" tactics to ensure the seminars are accessible to customers and audio professionals all over the world.
 
In the U.S., David "Mac" Johnson joined the company's education staff at the firm's Berkeley, Calif., headquarters, while Steve Cochran anchors the program in the Eastern U.S., operating out of the company's Nashville, Tenn., offices.
 
The already burgeoning European arm of the Meyer Sound seminar series also received additional focus recently, with Educational Programs Manager Gavin Canaan relocating to Europe in 2007 to gain more immediate access to the region, and the creation of a dedicated training space at Meyer Sound Germany's new offices in Montabaur.
 
A look at the calendar of upcoming events shows a constant flurry of international activity; it's a lot of people doing a lot of teaching in a whole lot of places. But Meyer Sound's commitment to education is not limited to seminars: the company supports trade groups like USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology), and Broadway Sound Master Classes, as well as funding the John and Helen Meyer Scholarship program in Spain.
 
To learn more about Meyer Sound's education program, visit www.meyersound.com/education/. More information is available at www.meyersound.com.

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AES Historical Events Trace Audio Evolution

Tamara Horacek, Historical Events Chair

"Audio history has always been an intrinsic element of AES Convention programs, but as we celebrate our 60th anniversary this year, at the Moscone Center Oct. 2 - 5, it seems even more relevant," remarks 125th Committee Co-Chair Valerie Tyler. "Historical Events Chair Tamara Horacek collaborated with AES members Marina Bosi, Gene Radzik and Steve Fields to develop an absorbing program which lends a timely perspective to three of the most significant sectors in today's professional audio industry." As a Dolby Laboratories research librarian since 1993, Ms. Horacek oversees Dolby's Technical Library, Archives and Museum programs. Her research skills coupled with her deep insights into the field of sound development has contributed to a trio of intriguing panels:

EVOLUTION OF VIDEO GAME SOUND: Thurs. Oct. 2 - 2:30 – 4:30PM: From the discrete-logic build of Pong to the multi-core processors of modern consoles, video game audio has made giant strides in complexity to a heightened level of immersion and user interactivity. Since its modest beginnings of monophonic bleeps to the high-resolution multi-channel orchestrations and point-of-view audio panning, audio professionals have stretched the envelopes of audio production techniques, as well as the game engine capabilities. The panel will address the challenges of landmark game platforms, techniques used to maximize the game audio experience, the dynamics leading to the modern video game soundtracks, and where the game audio experience is heading.

Organizer: Gene Radzik - Audio Engineering Society, Historical Committee Co-Chair; Moderator: John Griffin - Marketing Director, Games, Dolby Laboratories, US, Panel:  Charles Deenen - Sr. Audio Director, Electronic Arts Black Box, Canada;  Will Davis - Audio Lead, Codemasters Software Co. Ltd., UK; Tom Hays - Director, Technicolor Interactive Services, US; Simon Ashby - Product Director, Audiokinetic, Canada

THE WORLD'S FIRST AUDIO RECORDINGS: THEIR RECOVERY AND RESTORATION - Lunchtime Keynote: Dave Giovannoni, First Sounds - Friday, Oct. 3, 1 - 2 pm:  First Sounds, an informal collaborative of audio engineers and historians, recently corrected the historical record and made international headlines by playing back a phonautogram made in Paris in April 1860-a ghostly, ten-second evocation of a French folk song. This and other phonautograms establish a forgotten French typesetter as the first person to record reproducible airborne sound 17 years before Edison invented the phonograph. Primitive and nearly accidental, the world's first audio recordings pose a unique set of technical challenges. David Giovannoni of First Sounds discusses their recovery and restoration.

PERCEPTUAL AUDIO CODING - THE FIRST 20 YEARS: Fri. Oct. 3 2:30 - 4:30PM: Who could have imagined in 1988, that everyone would be clamoring for pocket-sized devices with MP3/AAC perceptual audio decoders? These communication/entertainment units have become integral to our daily lives, via DVD players, cell phones, mobile devices and broad/webcasting, etc. What made this possible and where is this going? This panel will present an overview of the technology, address the consumer market evolution from niche to necessity and where the field is headed.
Moderator: Marina Bosi, Consulting Professor - Stanford University, author of Introduction to Digital Audio Coding and Standards. Panelists include pioneers who helped advance the field of perceptual audio coding: Karlheinz Brandenburg, Fraunhofer-Institut Digitale Medientechnologie and Institut fuer Medientechnik, TU Ilmenau; Bernd Edler, University of Hannover; Louis Fielder, Dolby Laboratories; J. D. Johnston, Neural Audio; John Princen, BroadOn Communications, Gerhard Stoll, IRT and Ken Sugiyama, NEC.

THE HISTORY OF AUDIO PROCESSING: Friday, Oct. 3, 4 - 6:30PM: Moderator, Emil Torick, CBS Laboratories (ret); Participants: Marvin Caesar, Aphex; Frank Foti, Omnia; Bob Orban, Orban / CRL; Glen Clark, Glen Clark & Associates; Eric Small, Modulation Sciences; Mike Dorrough, Dorrough Electronics; and Dick Burden, Burden Associates. These pioneers in audio processing developed the tools still used today. A lively discussion of the ongoing "Loudness Wars" is anticipated. This session is a must for understanding how and why audio processing is used.

MIX FOUNDATION 2008 TECNOLOGY HALL OF FAME: Saturday, Oct. 4, 6 - 7PM:  Hosted by Mix Magazine Executive Editor/TECnology Hall of Fame director George Petersen: Presented annually by the Mix Foundation for Excellence in Audio to honor significant, lasting contributions to the advancement of audio technology, this year's event will recognize fifteen audio innovations. "It is interesting to note how many of these products are still in daily use decades after their introduction," Petersen said. "These aren't simply museum pieces, but working tools.  We're proud to recognize their significance to the industry."

INNOVATIONS IN LIVE SOUND - AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Sunday, Oct. 5, 2:30 - 5PM: New techniques and products are often driven by changes in need and available technology. Today's sound professional has a myriad of products to choose from. That wasn't always the case. What drove the creation of today's products? What will drive the products of tomorrow? Sometimes a look back is the best way to get a peek ahead. A panel of industry veterans will take a look back at past live sound innovations with an emphasis on the needs and constraints that drove their development and adoption.
Chair: Ted Leamy, COO, Pro Media | UltraSound - Panelists:  Ken Lopez - University of Southern California; John Meyer. Meyer Sound; Hartley Peavey, Peavey Electronics; Graham Blythe, Soundcraft.

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New Projectors from Vivitek  

Vivitek Corporation, announced its newest projectors. As with all of Vivitek's projector products these new models use the latest DLP technology from Texas Instruments and feature its BrilliantColor initiative for exceptional brightness and vibrant hues.

The D825MS and D825MX, with native SVGA (800 x 600 pixels) and XGA (1024 x 768 pixels) resolutions respectfully, offer 2200 ANSI lumens of brightness with a 2000:1 contrast ratio.

"These newest projector offerings are representative of our intent to bring the highest value products to market," said Sam Malik, Vivitek's VP of sales and marketing. "We build with our customers in mind, enabling impressive, feature-rich units, with acute attention to price considerations, and with our own promise of environmental care during manufacture and production."

Designed with Vivitek's continuing consideration for the most cost-effective and ecologically and energy efficient features, the 5.7 pounds D825MS and D825MX projectors are both dust- and filter-free, minimizing maintenance and replacement needs and keeping the projector running at top energy efficient levels. Both projectors also have a lower wattage Eco-Mode lamp setting enabling up to 4,000 hours of lowered energy performance for fewer lamp replacements and reduced refuse. The instant shutdown capability in the D825MS and D825MX projectors allow users to immediately enable ON/OFF functions without wasted time and energy during warm-up and cool-down periods. This makes for rapid and considerate start-ups and getaways when accommodating tight classroom or business conference room schedules without damage to the projector.

Vertical digital Keystone correction allows users to manually and easily adjust the image in the most challenging presentation environments, and both units are equipped with built in Kensington security locks to prevent theft or unauthorized removal of the projector. Connectivity features include full video and PC compatibilities, and an RS-232C communication port for full integration into classroom or meeting rooms with white boards or remote control systems.  

Vivitek's D825MS and D825MX carry MSRP's of $699 and $799 respectively, and are available now through authorized Vivitek dealers and distributors nationwide. The projectors both have 3-year limited warranties on parts and labor, a 1-year lamp warranty, and the industry's first 5-year DLP chip warranty. For more information, please visit www.vivitekcorp.com.

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Tascam announces CC-222SLmkII

TASCAM announces an update to its combination CD & Cassette recorder, the CC-222SLmkII. The new model includes a pitch control for the CD as well as the one for the cassette, making it more useful in a wide range of installations.

"TASCAM continues to offer the widest choice of recorders for the installation market," notes Frank Frombach, National Contractor/Consultant Liason for TASCAM. "The CC-222SL has long been a staple for live and house of worship installations. The new CC-222SLmkII adds even more to this reliable recorder, now in its fifth generation. No one has a wider selection of combination cassette/CD components than TASCAM."

The CC-222mkII features a cassette recorder and a slot-loading CD recorder transport. It offers MP3 CD playback, pitch and key control and a sample rate converter for 48k input. Two sets of unbalanced RCA outputs can be configured for independent operation or both transports can play through the same set of outputs.

For additional information, contact: www.tascam.com

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Clear-Com New Concert Version 2.0

Clear-Com Communication Systems, a brand of The Vitec Group, announces Clear-Com Concert Version 2.0, the latest incarnation of its software-based intercom solution. The upgraded standalone system includes a new client user interface optimised for quick, simple navigation of common communication functions, ideal for the fast-paced environment of live production. Also new is connectivity with Clear-Com's Eclipse Digital Matrix intercom system, establishing a single communication environment for all users within a facility. 

Designed with the tight time frames and rapid pace typical of live performances in mind, Clear-Com's Concert Version 2.0 user interface offers easy access to the most frequently used button keys, including talk, end-call, chat and sound adjustment. The "My Calls" pane provides push-to-talk or chat button access for quickly accepting or rejecting a call from incoming callers, while user availability can be determined by a brief glance at the "presence awareness" feature, now including color-coded buttons to specify availability. Also new to the panel is a quick-list view of all active communication sessions. 

"Clear-Com recognizes that extraordinary time pressures and fast turnaround times are the norm in live performance production, and that this demands a voice communication system that is simple and intuitive for users," says Craig Frederickson, IP Product Manager at Clear-Com. "The advancements we have made to the user interface of Concert Version 2.0 empowers users to access and communicate with others with unprecedented levels of ease, taking a great deal of stress out of the entire process and making the entire production experience vastly more efficient." 

The user interface also plays a crucial role in another major advancement to the Concert system, the connection with the Eclipse Digital Matrix system. The interface features an Eclipse panel view, enabling users to participate in Matrix communications from any windows PC with a network connection, including over the Internet. This facilitates
ad-hoc communications, allowing the user to participate in traditional Matrix communications, as well as build new work groups and audio conferences,with easy drag-and-drop functionality and simple point-and-click controls. 

Users of Concert can communicate with those on Clear-Com's V-Series user panels and/or integrated wireless beltpacks.  Also, from a single panel view, those working remotely can join in on intercom discussions occurring in-house, offering a cost-effective way to connect both remote and adjunct production crews. 

Like the original Concert, Version 2.0 is based on Novel IP routing algorithms over a standard IP network, providing secure, low-latency voice communication capabilities. Scalable to hundreds of users, Concert is designed with proprietary protocols and error recovery algorithms for mission-critical applications. The system is highly secure, using AES 128-bit encryption for protecting the privacy of transmissions. While Concert 2.0 is an enhanced version of its predecessor, it still offers the same popular features of the original model, including enhanced audio that delivers crystal-clear sound and non-blocking communications over a standard Local Area Network or Internet between local and remote users. 

More information can be found at www.clearcom.com and  www.vitecgroup.com

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