InfoComm is larger than WFX and even LDI, smaller than NAB, but it is perhaps the most focused event on live production, especially productions and presentations in fixed installations, in the world. For the average church tech, there’s probably no better place to be immersed in audio, video and lighting presentation technologies.
So what did we learn from attending this year’s show? Projector manufacturers are pushing back against the influx of LED screens. The LED screen market appears to be consolidating or maturing as there were fewer LED panel manufacturers on the floor than in previous years. Projector manufacturers, namely Digital Projection, Hitachi, Sony and others, continue to innovate with higher power, lower maintenance (laser light engines) and lower costs.
Competition in the loudspeaker market is heating up too. Many of the previous market leaders have been absorbed into larger companies where the bureaucracy and short-term financial goals have zapped much of the energy and risk-taking that inspiries innovation. d&b, L-Acoustics, DAS Audio, RCF, Meyer Sound and others had significant footprints on the Infocomm show floor. Adamson told us they were being intentionally low-key. Fulcrum Acoustics and Vue Audiotechnik appeared to have good traffic. Newcomers to the US market, Coda and EM Acoustics, had significant product launches and appear poised to make a push into the church market in North America.
Attendance seemed to be a bit lighter than previous years. As of this moment, official figures haven’t been released, but another explanation for the reduced crowds on day two and three might be the expanded footprint. As the show floor expands, audience density can decrease giving the impression of fewer people. Who knows?
Each year the Church Production staff, writers and advisors scour the show floor of several major North American tradeshows with the goal of finding the best and most applicable new A/V products for the church market. As we’ve chronicled in previous “Top 5…” articles, it’s a tough job. With hundreds of exhibitors showing thousands of products, it’s difficult to see every possible option. Regardless, with the help of some stealth attendees at the show, in combination with the products Church Production staff saw at our booth appointments and scheduled press conferences we proudly present in alphabetical order the “Top 5 Products for Churches from Infocomm 2018.”
Allen & Heath SQ-7 48-Channel, 36-Bus Digital Mixer
The new flagship of Allen & Heath’s SQ Series digital mixers was introduced at InfoComm 2018: the SQ-7 48-Channel, 36-Bus Digital Mixer. Under the hood it’s very similar to the previously available SQ-6, but the new SQ-7 offers a larger frame with 33 faders, versus just 25 on the SQ-6. Having more faders should make it easier for volunteers on church tech teams to mix larger events without having to resort to using layers.
Allen & Heath SQ-7 48-Channel, 36-Bus Digital Mixer
Other features include 32 onboard preamps, 16 custom soft keys and eight user-definable soft rotary controls (versus four on the SQ-6) and forthcoming Dante, Waves and SLink audio networking cards that will further extend the scope for expansion, system integration, FOH / monitor splits and recording.
For more information on the Allen & Heath SQ-7 48-Channel, 36-Bus Digital Mixer, please visit.
Digital Projection M-Vision 21000 WU Single-chip DLP Laser Projector
Laser-powered projectors are becoming the standard in the large-venue marketplace, which of course, includes churches. Previously limited to sub-10,000 lumens, manufacturers took a few years to develop and introduce laser-based projectors that were powerful enough for large-venue applications. With lower cost of ownership due to lower maintenance costs and longer-life laser light engines, they are now they are becoming common, and more affordable.
Digital Projection M-Vision 21000 WU Single-chip DLP Laser Projector
At 20,000 lumens, the new M-Vision 21000 WU Single-chip DLP Projector from Digital Projection (List price: $29,995) is reportedly the most powerful single-chip DLP projector available, making it a high-powered, reasonably affordable option for medium- and large-scale houses of worship.
For more information on the Digital Projection M-Vision 21000 WU Single-chip DLP Laser Projector, please visit.
Kramer Brainware A/V Control System
While the promise of unified A/V control systems for churches has been looming for decades, it’s not become commonplace due to the complexity and high cost of programming. Those days may be coming to an end with the new Kramer Control Integrated Brain Software for KT–107 Touch Panels system.
Kramer Brainware A/V Control System
Based on what we learned at InfoComm 2018, the new Brain Software will allow a church tech with no previous programming experience to design a system that will execute all your A/V control functions using one of Kramer’s KT-107 family of touch panels. Power and control over switchers, scalers, video displays, audio amplifiers, media players, sensors, screens, shades, door locks, lights, AC, and more can be programmed for volunteers and non-technical staff to perform functions that previously required a trained church tech. Kramer calls the cloud-based, enterprise-class system “revolutionary.” If the new Brainware system can reduce the stress and manhours placed on the average church tech, we will whole-heartedly agree.
For more information on the Kramer Brainware A/V Control System Software for KT–107 Touch Panels, please visit.
Sony VPL-FHZ120L 3LCD Large-venue Laser Projector
At 12,000 lumens, Sony’s newest 3LCD laser projector launches the brand into a new category competing with Digital Projection, Panasonic, Epson and others vying for large-venue installations. The images we saw from the new Sony VPL-FHZ120L 3LCD Large-venue Laser Projector ($17,999) at InfoComm 2018 were quite impressive, especially compared to the breath-taking images from the company’s Crystal LED (CLED) panels on an adjacent 32-foot wide display in the Sony booth.
Sony VPL-FHZ120L 3LCD Large-venue Laser Projector
At 1/100th the size of conventional LED diodes, CLED technology is not ready for the broader church market, but Sony representatives insist there is interest from some larger broadcast ministries, and they say the technology is coming down in price and may eventually be competitive in the traditional LED panel market. For now it’s a very customized, specialty product and Sony continues to develop and refine its projector line up, hence the new, higher-powered laser projectors like the VPL-FHZ120L 3LCD.
In addition to the lower cost of ownership and increased mounting flexibility (mounting at any angle) offered by most other laser projectors, the new Sony VPL-FHZ120L 3LCD Large-venue Laser Projector is sRGB100% compliant for very precise color management and includes what Sony calls “industry-leading wide lens shift capabilities” of max vertical ±107%, horizontal ±60%” for even greater installation and mounting flexibility.
For more information on the Sony VPL-FHZ120L 3LCD Large-venue Laser Projector, please visit.
SSL Live L100 Digital Mixing Console
Solid State Logic (SSL) launched a smaller, more affordable L100 digital mixing console at Infocomm 2018, marking a continuing effort to reach down-market from the brand’s traditional haunts at the high-end of the studio and live production markets.
SSL Live L100 Digital Mixing Console
First introduced in 2013, the SSL Live series came to market with the L500 with positively massive I/O options. The L300 followed in 2015. The L200 was introduced in early 2017 and now the L100 (Starting price $40,000) in June 2018.
The new L100 sports a diminutive 12-fader (plus two) frame for space-constrained applications like smaller churches, monitor positions, video production booths and OB trucks. But despite the small footprint, the L100 offers 96 processed signal paths allow capacity for small- to mid-sized live productions, and flexible architecture configured with up to 64 input channels, 36 aux sends, 12 stem groups, 12 VCAs, and four masters. An additional 4 x 32 input, 12-ouput matrix is also available.
Once a very exclusive, ethereal, boutique brand, the realities of the pro A/V market have prompted the company to move into a previously unthinkable position: competing on the basis of price.
For more information on the new SSL Live L100 Digital Mixing Console, please visit.
