Over the last decade many churches have realized to the advantages of upgrading to a digital console. However, many churches simply can't afford the price tag. The digital consoles that the average church can afford don't meet most church's needs, and the digital consoles that meet their needs cost more money than they can afford.
It is clear that a digital console would fix many issues that most churches (big or small) face, but for many houses of worship that have large dramas or a big music program the price for a decent console can quickly run up a bill of $20,000-$50,000 or more. Many people have become discouraged because their budget could not come close to what they thought they needed.
Keith Seely, technical director for Goodlettsville Church of the Nazarene in Goodlettsville, Tenn., a church of about 500 people, felt the same way, and so he began a search for a creative solution to help his church step into the 21st Century. “Our church hosts a lot of community shows year round. Some of these shows are religious and some are not,” he says. “They all require different settings on our console. This often left Sundays a wreck. While we loved our old Crest Century GT analog desk, I knew we needed to go digital.”
Seely says, “We looked at the Allen & Heath iLive console which was perfect for what we needed, but it was going to be over $25,000 for the number of inputs we required. It fit our needs, but it was out of our price range.”
In searching for alternatives, Seely found the Software Audio Console (SAC). "It was really a price issue,” Seely adds. “This console only cost us $6,000 for 48 inputs and outputs”. While the church originally thought they were having to compromise, they now like the Software Audio Console so much they don't miss the other consoles that were originally on their wish list.
Assembling the Console
“The console allows you to pick out exactly what parts you want to use,” Seeling continues. The church chose a Dell 9150 tower for the host computer with four gig of ram. The computer receives mic preamps optically from two Motu 2408 systems. This allows us 48 in and 48 out. All of the mic preamps are the Behringer ADA8000s. “Most people look down on Behringer, but these mic preamps sound good. If they do break, they are cheap to replace. Most people would never be able to tell the difference between the Behringer preamp and another one twice the price,” according to Seely. They are also using two Behringer BCF 2000s MIDI controllers with moving faders as control surfaces for the console. Seely found one of the great features of the software console is that it is easy to upgrade everything if you can't afford exactly what you want at first. “Because you put all of the pieces together it is easy to upgrade everything individually,” he says.
Custom Configuration
When asked he needed help setting up the console, Seely says, “I used to build audio consoles for a living so I felt that I would be able to handle this myself. The console was easy to setup. The only difficult part at all was putting the pieces together. However, all of my questions were answered through the Software Audio Console forum. The forum made me comfortable enough that I didn't feel I was missing anything by installing it myself“. Anyone who works with computers would be able to make this work with some help from the forum on the Software Audio Console website.
How Does It Sound?
Keith said the console sounds a lot better than he expected. “Just plugging it in cleaned up the way the room sounded a lot. The room feels a lot tighter from the start”. Keith also said the EQ and the compressors sound very realistic as well. “While the Allen &Heath would have sounded a little better, the truth is that 99% of people in the audience wouldn't be able to tell the difference,” he adds.
Plug-ins Anyone?
The Software Audio Console can use plug-ins. The developer has proprietary plug-ins, plus third-party plug-ins work with the system. ”While I can use higher-end EQ's and compressors, the only thing I would want to upgrade with a plug-in would be the reverb and maybe a delay. Everything else really does sound good enough on its own,” Seely continues.
A fit for small and large churches?
“No other console came close to the price of this unit. Our church runs about five hundred people and I feel it works for us”. he says, “ The only reason why this system would not work for other churches would be if they needed more than 72 in or 72 out. “
Got issues?
When asked if there was anything he didn't like about the console, Seely says, “The biggest issue is that I had to learn to mix differently. Using the two Behringer control surfaces for all of the channels has been something I had to get used to”. He also tells us it took a little longer to teach other volunteers how to use it, but he feels that any digital console would come with a learning curve.
Advice for those considering this system?
The greatest thing that Seely stressed to Church Production Magazine is that while it was a lot cheaper, he doesn't feel he sacrificed quality for price. “Don't count this system out because of the price. It sounds great”. If you are not computer-savvy, the best set-up and trouble-shooting tool is the forum. “The forum is extremely helpful --- especially for someone who is not really confident with a computer.”
According to Technical Director, Keith Seely, Goodlettsville Church of the Nazarene feels that they have found an exception to the rule. They found a digital console that fit their existing needs, gave them room for expansion, and fit into their budget.
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