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Eastside Christian Church's new system replaces prosumer analog gear with HD-capable digital equipment including a Grass Valley Jupiter router and control system, a Grass Valley Kayak production switcher, a Miranda Kaleido-Alto-HD multi-image processor and conversion and processing systems from Cobalt Digital, Analog Way, and Evertz. |
Eastside Christian Church Adds Flexible, Cost-Effective HD Infrastructure
What does a church do to upgrade video for its IMAG, video venue and DVD ministry, while at the same time considering a physical expansion of their existing building, growth into a broadcast ministry, and/or a complete relocation? Eastside Christian Church in Fullerton , Calif. called on TV Magic, a systems integrator based in San Diego to design and install a flexible affordable HD upgrade.
Eastside Christian Church, with Senior Pastor, Gene Appel, is a growing church of 3,600 attendees located in Southern Calif. The integrator presented the church with a smart investment in HD systems and to improve video quality significantly for its iMAG system, feeds to overflow areas, and DVD production of worship services.
"TV Magic has performed successful design and installation projects for some of the most sophisticated worship centers in the United States, so we felt confident following in our colleagues' footsteps and working with TV Magic to achieve our video production goals," says Chris Gille, CTO at Eastside Christian Church. "The company's expertise in making a cost-effective HD transition was invaluable during this process, and the improvement in our video quality has been dramatic."
Eastside Christian Church's new video production systems were installed into the church's existing attic space. The resulting infrastructure allows the church to improve the quality of video distributed throughout the worship facility, and to do so while planning for possible expansion, broadcast, and relocation opportunities in the near future.
TV Magic replaced the Eastside Christian Church's prosumer analog gear with HD-capable digital equipment including a Grass Valley Jupiter router and control system, a Grass Valley Kayak production switcher, a Miranda Kaleido-Alto-HD multi-image processor accommodating up to 10 inputs, a 52-inch Sony flat-panel rear-wall display, multi-format video monitors from Sony and Marshall, Wohler audio monitors, a Clear-Com intercom system, and conversion and processing systems from Cobalt Digital, Analog Way, and Evertz.
"Flexibility and value are a critical combination in today's HD installations, and the systems integrated into Eastside Christian Church were carefully selected to ensure a significant positive impact in the short term, as well as the long-term utility and performance so important within the house of worship market," adds Benito Behar, vice president of sales at TV Magic. "We're pleased to have partnered with Eastside Christian Church to enhance the worship experience and to build a smart foundation for the church's ongoing growth."
www.analogway.com
www.clearcom.com
www.cobaltdigital.com
www.eastside.com
www.evertz.com
www.miranda.com
pro.sony.com
www.TVMagic.tv
www.wohler.com
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STUFF YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW ...
Does the FCC Know Churches Exist?
By Brian Blackmore
Editor and Publisher
Church Production Magazine
The short answer is yes, the FCC knows the church market exists, but the extent to which churches rely on wireless communications (microphones, monitors, inter-coms etc) is something FCC administrators in Washington may not completely grasp.
As the FCC continues to sell off wireless bandwidth and allocate existing segments for new products --- mostly hand-held internet devices that will likely hit the market within a year --- the commission has requested current users of wireless communications provide input on several proposed solutions to designed to promote compatibility between new and existing users of the wireless devices.
According to several sources we talked to within the industry, the FCC understands how broadcasters, theater operators and concert touring companies use wireless microphones and monitors. Churches, arguably the largest users of wireless microphones and monitors in the United States, are a group our sources say the FCC does not understand.
Does your church use wireless systems?
Please fill out this brief survey so the FCC can better understand how your church uses wireless systems.
Your input is vital. First, please take our short survey <link to above URL> so we can tell the FCC how you are using wireless communications. Second, please respond directly to the FCC with your individual comments. Shure has taken several steps to simplify this process. The company has assembled guidelines on how you can submit comments on this issue. Simply send an email message to wirelessmicrophones@shure.com. You will receive a reply message with details on what information must be included in your comments and how to file them with the FCC.
Comment deadline is Monday, February 22, 2010, so please do not delay.
Historic Chapel Gets 21st Century Audio Upgrade
The Church of Redeemer in Baltimore, MD, built in 1858, is blessed with a beautiful traditional design that brings with it a natural reverb time of well over a second. The soaring ceilings and ornate wood and glass common in structures of that era can literally take one’s breath away.
Sadly, those same features that create visual intrigue can also take away most of the intelligibility from even the best of presenters, leaving those in the back rows straining to hear the message. The acoustics in these grand old sanctuaries can turn even a traditional choir and organ’s sound to mush
The Church of the Redeemer’s congregation has grown. The 400-seat venue has seen increased demand, including the addition of contemporary services to complement their traditional ones. As Joseph Schwartz of Baltimore-based HP Electronics explains, that demand eventually led to the installation of a new sound system featuring a pair of Community Entasys line array loudspeakers.
“With both traditional and contemporary services now being held in the chapel, the need for a versatile, high-quality sound system became clear,” says Schwartz. “We had originally been discussing the idea of a small line array, but during the time the church was raising the funds for the project, Community’s Entasys appeared on the scene. We’d heard a demo of it during InfoComm and knew it was worth a closer look.”
Crown CDi2000 amplifiers power the system, which also includes a Biamp Nexia to provide automatic mixing, leveling, EQ and feedback control. An AKG CK47/GN30 microphone resides on the lectern, just a few feet from the loudspeaker column, and a Shure ULX-series wireless is also in regular use.
“Given the lively acoustics of the room, we were initially concerned about getting adequate gain before feedback, but the Entasys was exceptionally easy to tune,” Schwartz continues. “The celebrant was boasting to one of the techs recently that he could point his lavalier mic right at the speaker from only inches away and not get any feedback, and happily demonstrated it to him.”
For musical performance, a pair of Community VLF208 subwoofers provides ample bottom end to the system. “We chose the VLF subs for their compact size and ability to easily stack,” says Schwartz. “We had to place them under a pew on the platform, which reduces their output slightly, but they sound great and can’t be seen, so both the musicians and the traditionalists are happy.” A separate feed from the mixer is provided so an instrument can be dialed into the subwoofer as much or as little as desired, thereby keeping the microphone feed out of the subwoofers for better performance.
The loudspeakers were custom painted so they seamlessly blend in with the chapel’s architecture. “The speakers are actually less noticeable than the molding of the proscenium they sit next to,” says Schwartz. “We’ve received many compliments on both the look and the sound.”
www.akg.com
www.biamp.com
www.communitypro.com
www.crownaudio.com
www.shure.com
SynAudCon Upgrades Audio Education Seminars With New On-Line Training Program and Web Presence
Synergetic Audio Concepts (SynAudCon) announces new on-line training courses to their audio education offerings. "Our goal is to provide training to more people and to encourage more "synergy" among our members," Brenda Brown, SynAudCon director explains. "With the changes in technology and the world economy, we think our new programs will be a valuable option to the industry."
The on-line training program will consist of three levels, each offering training modules in a variety of subject areas. Audio professionals will have the option of subscribing to the levels that best suits their needs.
"The hands-on content and materials that are constantly changing will continue to be offered as in-person training," Brown continues. "Topics that are well-suited for online learning will be incorporated into the new program."
To support this new online model, SynAudCon will roll out an upgraded web presence that will encourage synergy and sharing among its members. Existing and new content will be reorganized and easier to access and new content will be added frequently, establishing SynAudCon as a definitive source for audio information. The new site infrastructure will allow SynAudCon to remain in the forefront of innovation in the face of today's ever changing technology. "We have dedicated all of our resources, as well as the resources of a group of experts in web technology to implement these changes," Brown concludes. "We plan to roll them out in phases during the first part of 2010."
www.synaudcon.com
| NEW PRODUCTS |
01. |
Point Source Audio Reversible Dual Earset Microphone
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Point Source Audio (PSA), a specialty manufacturer of ear worn microphones unveils their Reversible Dual Ear Microphone accessory, a “one-size-fits-all” approach that provides improved flexibility for users to wear their Point Source Audio ear worn microphones in four different configurations.
With significant advantages over current options that are fixed specifically for one ear or the other, the Reversible Dual Ear Mic Clip allows users to self-adjust the microphone for either the left or right ear position. With a simple clip-on accessory, the CO-7 and CO-5 microphones will now accommodate as many as four wearing styles: 1) Single ear left microphone 2) Single ear right microphone 3) Dual earset left microphone and 4) Dual earset right microphone. The Clip also converts the CO-3 to a left-only dual earset wearing option. Rental facilities, resellers and houses of worship with numerous presenters will find this flexibility highly advantageous—allowing them to fulfill customer and user requirements without having to invest in individual microphones for each presenter.
For some microphones applications, especially in active environments, users prefer a dual ear option to provide added microphone stability. The Reversible Dual Earset Mic Clip is specifically designed to convert the CO-7, CO-5 and CO-3 ear worn microphones to ear “sets” for either left or right ear placement of the microphone. With a simple twist of the ear hook, it can rotate left or right for use, or fold flat for convenient and secure storage with the microphone in its case. The Reversible Dual Earset Mic Clip is offered in Beige to complement the microphones.
Additional information and a video demonstration can be viewed online at www.point-sourceaudio.com. |
02. |
Primera BravoPro Xi-Series Disc Publisher |
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Primera Technology, Inc. announces availability of its BravoPro Xi-Series Disc Publishers, new and improved versions of Primera’s award-winning BravoPro Disc Publishers. With their built-in high-speed recorders, direct-to-disc printing and fast robotics, these desktop units automate the process of burning and printing quantities of CDs and DVDs.
Features of the Xi-Series include: 300% faster robotics for higher throughput, interior blue LED lighting with job status feedback, seventh-generation disc picking mechanism, compatible with Windows XP/Vista/7 and Mac OS X 10.5 (or higher), optional Blu-ray Disc recordable drives and new lower prices
Three Xi-Series models are available: BravoPro Xi AutoPrinter: 100-disc capacity for print-only applications; $1995 (MSRP). Print up to 172 discs per hour.(1)
BravoPro Xi Disc Publisher: 100-disc capacity and one high-speed CD/DVD drive; $2995 (MSRP). Burn and print up to 32 discs per hour.(2)
BravoPro Xi2 Disc Publisher: 100-disc capacity and two high-speed CD/DVD drives; $3295 (MSRP). Burn and print up to 60 discs per hour.(2)
“We’ve taken all the best features from BravoPro – the world’s best-selling two-drive disc publisher – and enhanced them to deliver the most compelling and feature-rich 100-disc capacity disc publishers available today,” says Mark D. Strobel, Primera’s vice president of sales and marketing.
www.primera.com |
03. |
Sonnet Fusion DX800RAID Video Storage System |
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Sonnet Technologies introduces Fusion DX800RAID, a high-performance, eight-drive RAID SATA storage system with a built-in SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) expander that enables connection of up to 16 eight-drive enclosures to a single Sonnet RAID controller. This newest addition to the Fusion line provides the speed required for working with uncompressed 10-bit 1080 HD video; the data security and monitoring critical in a large RAID system; and the straightforward scalability necessary for cost-effective, incremental expansion of storage capacity. The DX800RAID system supports RAID 5 and RAID 6, enabling safe recovery from single- and double-drive failures, respectively.
“The Fusion DX800RAID system’s expander architecture makes it simple for users to increase the capacity of their storage systems and bring needed storage online quickly without needing an additional PCI Express slot in their computer,” says Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. “As users expand online RAID arrays to 16 drives or more, RAID 6 formatting provides even greater data protection while retaining high performance levels.”
The Fusion DX800RAID is designed to provide reliable, flexible, high-performance, direct attached storage for office and studio use. With its eight drives formatted as a RAID 5 group (data protection for a single-drive failure), a Fusion DX800RAID yields impressive read and write file transfer speeds of up to 680 MB/sec and 640 MB/sec respectively, fast enough for single-stream 2K (2048 x 1556) LOG RGB capture and playback. Expanded to 16 drives, RAID 6 formatting gives the new Sonnet system failsafe protection in the event of two concurrent drive failures. With the release of this new product, Sonnet now offers RAID 6 support with all of its Fusion RAID desktop and rackmount storage systems, and current owners can add this capability to their systems by downloading the latest software from the Sonnet Web site.
The reliability of the Fusion DX800RAID is further enhanced through SES (SCSI Enclosure Services) 2.0 compliance, a feature more commonly found on enterprise storage systems, and enhanced S.M.A.R.T (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) data reporting for each hard drive installed in the system. Integrated into the Fusion DX800RAID, SES functionality provides enhanced real-time monitoring and reporting of drive, power supply, and temperature status, all conveyed to the user through utilities application screens and the illumination of conveniently placed LEDs on the enclosure. S.M.A.R.T. data criteria can be used to notify the user of an impending drive failure, thus enabling the user to minimize downtime as a result.
Complete Fusion DX800RAID storage systems include the eight-drive enclosure with eight formatted (Mac OS) 3.5-inch Enterprise/RAID edition hard drive modules, along with a Sonnet RAID controller card, two heavy-duty two-meter mini-SAS data cables, a power cable, a software CD, and documentation. Four-meter and six-meter cables are optionally available. Fusion DX800RAID expansion systems include the enclosure, drives, and power cable.
www.sonnettech.com |
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