Image courtesy of Revolution Church, Canton, GA
For churches with live bands, wireless microphones and in-ear monitors (IEMs) are essential—but they can also be a headache. Frequency interference, complex coordination, and the need for multiple devices per musician often leave production teams juggling cables and troubleshooting mid-service.
That’s where wireless multi-channel audio systems (WMAS)* technology comes in. WMAS is a new wireless standard that powers Sennheiser’s Spectera, enabling churches to run more microphones and in-ear monitors in a smaller spectrum while reducing setup time, interference, and equipment overhead.
Bidirectional audio is the next leap forward in wireless design.
Revolution Church, a multi-site church in Canton and Jasper, Georgia, recently upgraded to Sennheiser’s Spectera system, the first wireless audio system to be built on the WMAS standard. The upgrade was driven by the system’s configurability, which allows them to allocate beltpacks to receive in-ear monitor mixes, act as microphone/instrument transmitters, or both.
“We wanted something dependable, rock-solid, and future-proof,” says Brian Damerow, production and creative minister at Revolution Church. Damerow has overseen production and creative teams across both campuses for almost 13 years, and his background as a drummer and audio engineer helped him understand the practical benefits a cutting-edge wireless system could bring.
Brian Damerow, Production and Creative Minister at Revolution Church shares, "“Spectera has changed the game for us. It saves time, reduces stress, and gives musicians a better experience. I don’t have to think about it during services—it just works.” Image courtesy of Revolution Church, Canton, GA.
Revolution Church’s Canton campus has a capacity of 1,200, with Jasper adding another 500–600 attendees per service. Every weekend, multiple bands and worship leaders use wireless microphones and IEMs, creating a challenging RF environment. Before Spectera, each musician needed a separate pack to transmit audio and another to receive their in-ear mix. That's no longer the case through Sennheiser's implementation of WMAS technology. Also, the older Sennheiser G2 and G3 systems struggled with wireless density as the church added more bands and performance spaces --- a problem that no longer exists with the new system.
One beltpack, two functions: transmit and monitor seamlessly.
Spectera’s 6 MHz carriers each allow for up to 64 channels of audio to be run on the same frequency, maximizing spectrum efficiency and dramatically increasing robustness, minimizing the chance of dropouts. Bidirectionality allows a single body pack to both send and receive audio, eliminating the need for separate packs for instrument and in-ear use. The result is fewer devices, simpler setups, and lower chances of frequency conflicts.
Image courtesy of Sennheiser.
The Spectera system integrates seamlessly with Revolution Church’s existing console setup, which uses Waves LV1 for monitor mixing. The system ensures all wireless channels are managed automatically, freeing the production team to focus on creative decisions rather than troubleshooting RF interference.
Fewer devices mean faster setups and fewer chances for RF issues mid-service.
“Compared to our old G2/G3 gear, it’s eye-opening,” Damerow says. “Musicians are hearing a much more accurate reference of their instruments and vocals in their ears, which improves the experience for everyone.”
Redundancy and coverage were other deciding factors. The Canton stage has four antennas, two of which are redundant, along with redundant power supplies. The Spectera system operates over standard ethernet cabling, powered via PoE, eliminating signal loss associated with long coax runs. Even in an RF-dense environment, the system handles the load with low latency.
“Depending on the event, we can reallocate the packs on the fly, whether it’s in-ear mixes, instrument packs, or something else. It’s incredibly versatile,” Damerow adds. “Spectera has changed the game for us. It saves time, reduces stress, and gives musicians a better experience. I don’t have to think about it during services—it just works.”
With bidirectional wireless, intelligent spectrum management, and robust redundancy, WMAS-enabled systems like Sennheiser Spectera demonstrate the future of church audio. For production teams facing increasingly complex setups, smart wireless is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Editor’s Note: This article is drawn from an interview with Brian Damerow and crafted with AI assistance.
