There are multiple sides to every option, at least that’s how the saying goes. In today’s world—where information, choice, and connectivity collide—the ability to crowdsource decisions has become commonplace. At its best, crowdsourcing by way of reviews, articles, videos and personal conversations can greatly enhance our ability to make informed decisions. On the flip side, this method can sometimes prove costly as we rely too heavily on others’ circumstances and unique environments while ignoring our own.
Within most church production departments, full-featured lighting consoles are a big ticket item in terms of cost—a cost that has long-lasting ramifications. While the lure of a new desk can stroke the ego of any production professional, various factors should be taken into careful consideration before finalizing a decision on a new lighting console.CPM spoke to several lighting directors about this process, taking a look at those who use different brands of full-scale lighting consoles and what factors influenced their choices, how they integrate the lighting rigs at each respective venue, and specific console features that have proven beneficial from both a design and operational standpoint. Although personal preference will always come into play, a thorough understanding of a venue, staffing and location—plus the lighting needs both currently and into the future—will provide a clear basis on which to research, test and ultimately purchase your next lighting console.
What are we solving?
While it’s easy to become enamored with lists of dream gear or with simply purchasing an item you’ve only read about, there’s much more to the process. In the case of choosing a lighting console, this starts with asking a simple question: what problems are we trying to solve and what outcomes do we desire?
“Buy a lighting console because it’s the right fit for your team and long-term vision of the church, not simply because another place in town is using it.” Chris Kozen, Live Production Director, Valley Creek Church, TX
Decisions on gear, especially when it comes to control surfaces, can often be made without taking into consideration who will be operating it on a weekly basis, who will be training those operators, and what consistency is needed throughout multiple production areas of the church.Tim Ottley, lighting director and media manager for Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Okla., emphasizes the importance of understanding your venue’s needs. “We run a traditional and contemporary service each week, so the lighting needs are vastly different for each,” he says. “We needed a console platform that would be flexible for 200-plus conventional fixtures in our traditional service, then integrate moving and LED fixtures for the contemporary.
As many churches today utilize a multisite approach, the idea of gear consistency becomes increasingly important.
For us, the Jands platform was the right solution. As many churches today utilize a multisite approach, the idea of gear consistency becomes increasingly important. “As we evaluated consoles, we needed our solution to be scalable across all our campuses, which vary in size,” says Chris Kozen, live production director for Valley Creek Church, a multisite church based out of Flower Mound, Texas. “Since we broadcast to multiple campuses, we also considered backup possibilities such as: what was available in the local rental market in case we had a console failure? Would our broadcast campus console be replaceable on a last-minute notice?”
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Trinity Fellowship Church, a multi-campus church based in Amarillo, Texas, sought to network various locations together in its lighting infrastructure. Russell Kollaja, who has worked extensively at Trinity Fellowship on its lighting networking, says the church’s solutions have been a huge step forward. “We utilize ETC networking products and consoles. This has allowed us to tap into any lighting rig at any campus or wing in our main building and immediately help troubleshoot or update fixtures,” he notes. “As a church with many volunteers, this has been instrumental in maintaining consistency and reliability.” Knowing your staff and volunteer capabilities is paramount for any production leader. Various consoles and systems have a different learning curve and choosing one that can be taught and understood by your team is of utmost importance during the purchasing process.
Operation and flow
For the majority of churches, volunteers and part-time staff are heavily relied upon for week-to-week operation of consoles during a service. “We’ve had an Avolites console here for a while, so when we upgraded to their flagship model, the Sapphire Touch, it made sense to stay with that platform since so many people in our church already knew the workflow,” says Zach Carringer, lighting designer at Faith Promise Church in Knoxville, Tenn.As the primary designer for the church, Carringer says several console features have proven invaluable in that process. “We use over 20 movers in our rig on a weekly basis. The Avolites console’s ability to track shapes throughout the programming process has been a huge time saver for me,” he says. “Also, the workflow seems natural, for me, and makes sense for what we’re trying to do here—not only weekly, but several times during the year when we add fixtures for holiday services and special events.”Kozen echoed this sentiment in a similar way. “You know, there are a lot of great consoles and platforms out there. The most important thing is to find the one that makes sense for you and your team.
For us, the GrandMA platform was the right solution.” Kozen says he and his team have enjoyed the ability to create effects pallets and console groupings that give operators an intuitive ability to bounce around and follow the flow of the service as needed, customizing layouts for each operator.Operation and workflow also includes redundancy and fail-safe contingency plans. “Our main broadcast campus uses two ETC Eos consoles: a client desk and a backup. The main RPU (remote processing unit) lives in our server room. If that fails, the backup desk immediately takes over.”, says Russell Kollaja. For a church as large as Trinity Fellowship, this safety net is necessary to ensure smooth operation week to week.
The Asbury UMC team has also seen the workflow for their Jands console integrate into their varied services. “In addition to the contrasting lighting needs for two services, we utilize environmental projection, spanning 300 feet wide. The Jands software is set up to recognize the Arkaos media server as a fixture, so I can easily import content into the server then program that content within the lighting design effortlessly,” Ottley reports. Ottley also says that the flexibility for them has been great, since they can grab one of their smaller M1 controllers from the youth wing and integrate it as a sidecar with their larger S3 surface in the auditorium for additional faders and control.
Expand your knowledge
Churches occupy an interesting sector in that, for many, equipment is installed then used for years without change. Because of that, it’s easy to become disconnected from new technology, and from staying on the forefront of what’s out there. “When you work in a church, you use the same gear all day, every day. So I try to get out there and talk to AV professionals. They are on the leading edge of what’s going on. It’s important to get their advice and insight, especially when it comes to making purchases or upgrades,” says Ottley. And he adds, “It’s not helpful when decisions are being made by one person. There needs to be multiple people considering the needs and space of the church.”The notion of developing relationships outside the church will pay off not only in the short term, but for years to come. Carringer notes that Faith Promise’s long-term relationships have been beneficial on several fronts.
"I try to get out there and talk to AV professionals. They are on the leading edge of what’s going on. It’s important to get their advice and insight, especially when it comes to making purchases or upgrades.” Tim Ottley, Lighting Director and Media Manager, Asbury United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK
“We’ve developed a great relationship over the years with several dealers, which has helped tremendously with technology support, troubleshooting, and a better understanding of our space and needs. It’s been a huge help in knowing our end goals and how we can better accomplish them.”Learning to ask the right questions is essential when thinking about lighting consoles and other gear for your church. “Buy with a master plan and vision in mind. Ask enough questions to know why it’s the right fit. Buy because it’s the right fit for your team and long-term vision of the church, not simply because another place in town is using it,” Kozen emphasizes. As you prepare to expand or upgrade lighting consoles and infrastructure at your own venue, take time to ask the right questions, clarify the long-term goals, and see the results play out in real life and at other locations. This due diligence will help your tech team ensure that the selection process is thorough—and that your choice results in a solid investment for years to come.
