For churches doing all sorts of high-end productions, the T-TAP Pro also suits high-end color grading, audio mixing, editorial, and visual effects work, as well as on-set monitoring and playback.
The AJA T-TAP Pro will soon be one of those products that you see everywhere. As a long time end user, I continue to be impressed with AJA and the simplicity and ease of use that gear like the AJA T-TAP Pro brings to the editing and monitoring workflow. With it, I can take the Thunderbolt 3 output of a laptop and output any signal to a variety of existing and compatible in-house monitors or consumer-based devices.
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Here is why I think the T-TAP Pro is such a big deal for the future of editing and color correction, either in a small edit suite, home studio, or church production area or control room.
Simplicity Is the Key
Have you ever tried to edit or color correct a project in Adobe Premiere or work in Autodesk Flame with a MacBook Pro or similar laptop? Sure you have; we all have. It works great. Now, have you ever tried to do this with a Worship Visual Team Director over your shoulder? For some editors or colorists, both volunteers and employees, it might be an uncomfortable way to work. When I am in on a session, I want to be able to see and hear edits and the final output on a much bigger monitor and trust that we have made good corrections along the way. For me, that is hard to do on any laptop, which is where the AJA T-TAP Pro steps in to remedy the issue.
With T-TAP Pro, I don’t have to figure anything out. I can take the output of my Mac Mini (with the M1) and route a signal via the unit to any compatible larger monitor or device that I have in-house. That's great for me or anyone else like me who has a bunch of different “monitors” and pro devices in the home edit suite.
Looking at the T-TAP Pro, I am convinced that it is truly a versatile monitoring and output device suitable for just about any application you might think of, including Apple Final Cut Pro; Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Character Animator; and Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools.
T-TAP Pro also features extensive compatibility with popular creative applications for editorial, graphics, effects, color, and streaming.
For churches doing all sorts of high-end productions, the T-TAP Pro also suits high-end color grading, audio mixing, editorial, and visual effects work, as well as on-set monitoring and playback. In my case, on-set monitoring makes the T-TAP Pro a no-brainer. It also provides a means for better social distancing through bigger monitors, if that’s important to you. Lastly, you can run HDR and HFR video monitoring up to 4K/UltraHD over 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 from any supported Thunderbolt 3-enabled Mac or PC, with really rich color support, including up to 12-bit RGB signals.
T-TAP Pro also features extensive compatibility with popular creative applications for editorial, graphics, effects, color, and streaming. I am also very, very particular about my audio, as I know many church technicians are, so I am glad that the AJA T-TAP Pro allows for monitoring professional audio workflows, as well. T-TAP Pro features multi-channel embedded audio on SDI and HDMI, and a 3.5mm stereo analog audio connection to feed mixers or headphones. Additionally, there is a very nice LED audio display on the front of the unit that allows for a quick visual check, and it has volume control.
AJA T-TAP Pro in My Church
So where does the AJA T-TAP Pro fit into your worship production space?
The question should be, where doesn’t it fit in?
Many churches big and small are on the move and progressive when it comes to video production. But I see a day in the near future when many will want to do even higher end production work, particularly with editing.
Maybe you have a cadre of volunteers (lucky you) that have the ability to edit from home or on the road via a MacBook Pro or Microsoft Surface. On their respective MacBooks and laptops, things look fine. But as I said before, I want to see a bigger picture. Here is where I think the AJA T-TAP Pro is a near perfect fit.
T-TAP Pro supports many formats, so you get to see what the final product is going to be.
If I get one or two really nice monitors and set up my “work area” in the control room/back of the house production area, and hook up the T-TAP Pro, on rehearsal night or any other time, my editors can either send over footage for Sunday service for review by the worship director or come in. The nice part is that if they can also access a compatible monitor during the week at home, they can just bring the T-TAP Pro home, connect it via one cable, and see the final product ahead of time. It is imperative to see how the content really looks on an actual video display, which will confirm that the video timing and the color rendition aligns with your intended vision. Additionally, T-TAP Pro supports many formats, so you get to see what the final product is going to be. The key here for me is flexibility, of course, and speaking from experience, having the ability to look at the final product on the biggest and best monitor possible is always going to be my first choice.
Conclusions
The AJA T-TAP Pro is a smart choice for house-of-worship environments, and at some point, it will be a game changer for you and your worship production team. The device is very well built and easy to use, which are two of its biggest selling points. And, at the list price of $795, there is almost nothing better, as you can be confident that your edit is going to look and sound good when it’s time to share your work.
