|
|
|
| A Primedia Property | |
| April 19, 2004 | |
|
|
|
|
Table of Contents Houses of Worship Top Story Pros and Cons of Distribution Channels Installation News Acoustic Dimensions Chooses Barco SLM G5 Executive Projector for Pinelake Baptist Church DB Acoustics and Sound Installs Sound Physics Labs Loudspeakers in Georgia Church Western Springs Baptist Church Chooses Sennheiser Mics Product News Cirrus Announces New Digital Audio Networking Processor Primacoustic Introduces Polyfuser ADVERTISEMENT Since 1980, FSR has been providing ultra high quality audio and video control and switching solutions to the a/v industry. Located in West Paterson, New Jersey, all FSR products are "Made in the USA" and carry the warranty and support that you require. At FSR, "We have what you need". www.fsrinc.com Houses of Worship Top Story Pros and Cons of Distribution Channels By John McKeon Combine a nonprofit client, a tight budget, and the allure of burgeoning low-cost product distribution channels. The result can be a challenge for systems integrators -- a challenge that often crops up when the client is a church. Church leaders are seeing projectors in direct mail pieces they receive from Dell Computer and Gateway. They know they can buy all kinds of hardware over the web at rock-bottom prices. And they may have their local stereo or home entertainment dealer whispering in their ear, "How hard can it be?" ADVERTISEMENT  TV One produces over fifty products for the professional video market worldwide, including Seamless Switchers, Scan Converters, Video Scalers, HDTV Converters, Standards Converters, SDI Converters, Matrix Routing Switchers, Digital Video Recorders, Video Servers, LCD Monitors, Frame Synchronizers, Distribution Systems and other Video Terminal Equipment. www.tvone.com The systems integrator needs to be able to coexist with other sales channels, but also has to be ready with persuasive arguments for church clients who may be on the brink of major mistakes. "Once the church size gets to 500 seats and over, the level of sophistication needed for both audio and the projection system goes beyond the typical church's knowledge," says Paul Martin, president of TFCInfo in Austin, Texas. "The higher level of sophistication stems from the fact that there are several very complex lighting issues which all must be addressed simultaneously." Outside of the main sanctuary, Martin sees an opportunity for churches to economize and still meet their needs in other areas. "The low-cost projectors now showing up in consumer electronics stores are not useful for worship services," he says. "But they are great for Sunday school environments. Churches that use projectors in classrooms need multiple projectors that are bright enough for small rooms but do not break the bank, and they can compromise on lower resolutions." This approach can stretch a church's budget by allowing it to buy more projectors with however much (or little) cash is left over after it has fully equipped its sanctuary, Martin adds. Church media consultant Tim Eason, author of Media Ministry Made Easy, agrees. "For consumer-level products such as DVD players and VCRs, your local electronics store is just fine," he says. "If you are buying a projector for classroom use, you still would probably be OK with a local office or home entertainment store." Internet sales, also, are often appealing. "To their credit, some online vendors have tried to educate buyers so that they can make their own decisions on what to buy. However, it seems that the target audience is corporate or educational buyers, and a church is vastly different. It is a 'live' event. A concert promoter would not shop for a projection system online." "Box dealers" may be able to offer some initial advice in selecting relatively simple systems, Eason says, but buyers should not expect after-sale service, setup help, or much in the way of customized support. The next step up is often a local A/V company. "A local shop will have knowledgeable reps and can offer complete systems, but the prices are often dramatically higher than some of the larger discount dealerships," says Darren Macdonald, president of Shepherd Ministries, a self-described "large discount dealership" specializing in religious markets. "The only other risk I see is that sometimes these shops really specialize in sound and lighting and may not be as experienced with video." Too much of an audio orientation can be a limiting factor even in dealing with higher-end systems integrators, says Eason. "A company that does mainly audio with video as a sideline should be avoided," he says. Once clients focus on outfitting a large auditorium, the stakes go up dramatically. A recent TFCInfo study found that "relatively bright (4,000 lumen) projectors were, in many cases, not bright enough for today's churches....Many have to purchase expensive 7,000-plus lumen projectors for their main sanctuary." Cash outlays themselves may be enough to send many media ministers in search of professional help. If not, Martin notes some other motivations. "Churches often underestimate the specialized knowledge that is required to complete a useful and functional audiovisual system," he says. "They should recognize that if they choose to design the system themselves it will only be as good as the most knowledgeable person on the team." Other often-overlooked factors include ongoing service and maintenance and the need to train the volunteers who will run the new systems. A high-end dealer or systems integrator is more likely to offer such services. In the long run, both complexity and cost argue in favor of turning to a seasoned professional, says Martin. "Usually the 'extra money' a church spends with a systems integrator is money that would be spent later to correct mistakes or upgrade to the proper equipment." ADVERTISEMENT  Project the word in a new light! Capture your congregation's attention and inspire your audience by engaging them in an audio visual experience they will not soon forget. IAVI can help by providing state of the art LCD Projectors at an affordable cost. For more information call us toll free at (888) 999-6564 or visit our website at www.iavi.com Installation News Acoustic Dimensions Chooses Barco SLM G5 Executive Projector for Pinelake Baptist Church Pinelake Baptist Church in Brandon, Mississippi, has purchased the Barco SLM G5 Executive projector for its new 2,500-seat auditorium. The 5,000 ANSI lumen projector will be used to display lyrics, sermon support, and video clips during worship services. The church, which was founded in 1971, recently completed a relocation project to accommodate its growth in both size and ministry. "The Barco SLM G5 Executive was chosen for its built-in switcher, which met the programmatic needs of the church while staying within budget," said lead video designer on the project, Steve Reed of Acoustic Dimensions. "It gives the church seamless switching ability without requiring them to purchase an external switcher." Tim DeLaere, Regional Sales Manager, Barco Presentation, stated, "Barco is committed to serving the church market with leading-edge product solutions that reduce total cost of ownership and enhance the presentation experience". The Barco SLM G5 Executive delivers dazzling multimedia and video content to impress large audiences in high-profile presentation venues, customer centers, conference areas, and other applications where image quality is extremely important. The SLM G5 offers a light output of 5,000 ANSI lumens, includes state-of-the-art XGA micromirror devices and offers picture-in-picture and seamless source switching capabilities. Barco, an international company with US Sales headquarters in Atlanta, is active in three key areas of imaging technology. Barco designs and develops solutions for large-screen visualization, display solutions for life-critical applications, and systems for visual inspection. Barco has a network of subsidiaries, distributors, and agents in almost 100 countries. Barco is quoted on Brussels/Euronext and is a BEL 20 and a Next 150 company. For more information, please visit www.barco.com. DB Acoustics and Sound Installs Sound Physics Labs Loudspeakers in Georgia Church The First Baptist Church of Cumming, Georgia, is known as a dynamic, contemporary congregation that features a progressive blend of hymns and praise choruses. Its last sound system, however, was neither dynamic nor contemporary. The poorly designed system rendered inadequate, uneven coverage and meager clarity. For resolution, the church turned to Mike Hedden at dB Acoustics and Sound, a design/build firm that specializes in contemporary churches with production-oriented worship. "We do about a church a week," says Hedden. "Our philosophy is that the A/V system needs to be a seamless part of an incredible worship service. If we do our job correctly, the congregation won't be distracted by technology. Rather the technology will enhance the overall act of presentation/communication." This church project was a retrofit, which can be very difficult for both client and installer. "The building was only two years old," explains Hedden. "The system was a rather dated design, using small-format horns and a few woofers. The coverage wasn't adequate and the quality of sound at the seats that where covered was equally inadequate. Patch bays for mic level signals were also included, which really isn't good practice from a technical standpoint but also leads to mass confusion for the operators. What they needed was a simple system for the various church operators that would sound absolutely great. The church had initially invested in a lot of good gear, like Crown amps and a Soundcraft K2 console. But good gear doesn't equate to good sound -- good gear needs to coupled with rock-solid design/build savvy to get the right results. For cost savings, we kept as much of the original gear as possible." The main room, which covers about 120 square feet and seats 800-900 people, suffered from a host of problems, including poor frequency response. "The room is a very big, open fellowship hall," describes Hedden. "The reflective parallel walls needed acoustic treatment but it was omitted in the new construction as an attempt to save money. Folks need to understand that anything that impedes effective communication never saves money. Actually, it costs more money over time in lost tithes and offerings. We specified some acoustic treatment which immediately improved the room's behavior." Hedden and his team from dB Acoustics and Sound installed a mono distributed system featuring a main center cluster of two Sound Physics Labs (SPL) triktraps and two SPL-td1 subwoofers. SPL-triktraps provide wide-angle coverage of 60x60 degrees and boast a frequency response of 50Hz-18kHz +/-3 dB. The compact, lightweight Baltic Birch enclosure weighs only 106 lb. and arrays neatly. The SPL-td1 subwoofer is also a compact, high-output cabinet that provides low-frequency directivity with a small speaker array. The subwoofer cabinet houses two 12-inch low-frequency drivers in a proprietary vented box alignment. The enclosure is also made of Baltic Birch on a 30-degree trapezoid angle. Two additional SPL-C3 Contractor Cubes on the left and the right provide lateral fill, while two SPL-B-DEAP-32 subwoofers do their job hidden in the organ chambers. The SPL-C3 Contractor Cubes deliver unprecedented clarity and output from its 19 x 19 x 21.5-inch, 105-lb. cabinet. The SPL-C3's "petite" frame houses two 10-inch low-frequency drivers, four five-inch mid-frequency drivers, and a single one-inch high-frequency driver with a 60x60-degree coverage pattern. The SPL-B-DEAP-32 subwoofers represent an evolutionary design utilizing the company's patent-pending Boundary Dependent technology. The B-DEAP design takes into consideration the physical space outside the actual box, utilizing boundaries, enclosure walls, and geometry to form a bass horn external to the unit. Signal processing is accomplished with a Crown USM810. The room and loudspeaker system were measured with a TEF 20 analyzer. The new system has a coverage deviation of +/-2 dB and articulation loss no greater than 5 percent Alcons. "Overall it worked out very well. I couldn't have asked for a better system," says Hedden. "The Sound Physics Labs loudspeakers are so well designed that they make it very easy to attain quality audio. Most importantly the church is very happy with the new sound system." Sound Physics Labs' website is at Western Springs Baptist Church Chooses Sennheiser Mics Western Springs Baptist Church, also known as the Village Church, reserves its place in history as the only church where Reverend Billy Graham served as pastor (1943). Years later, it would also be the home of the "Songs of the Night" radio program, which featured renowned singer George Beverly Shea. "The program was broadcast out of the sanctuary. When Pastor Art Brown joined us, it moved to the Moody Church. Since then we've had a hodge-podge sound system for the last 25 years," explained George Winkler, a congregation member for the past 35 years. "The control booth was in the back of the church. You had to use a scary straight ladder to get up there." In 1999, the church began a fundraising drive to fulfill its vision of worship in a new, state-of-the-art sanctuary. Two years later, construction of the new sanctuary began as part of a $6 million renovation of the church campus. Members of the congregation moved to a temporary space for 16 months while awaiting completion. "The old sanctuary is now classrooms with modern updates," said Brad Shockley, the church's director of media. "In the newly constructed sanctuary we installed a total A/V package, including projection screens, presentation tools, and new wired and wireless microphones." SPL Integrated Systems installed and designed the system. The installation included six www.sennheiserusa.com EW 300 handheld wireless microphones and three Sennheiser EW 312MP wireless lavalier microphones. Also included are two Sennheiser e 845 vocal wired microphones. The media staff uses two Sennheiser HD 25 headsets for live mixing and recording. The choir is recorded using four Crown CM-30 microphones. Additionally, there are nine Sennheiser EW 300 diversity wireless receiver systems, six Sennheiser BB25 50-ohm terminated antennae, two Sennheiser ASP 1-NT1 passive antennae splitters, three pairs of Sennheiser A1031-U antennae, and one Sennheiser AB1 antennae booster in the control room. The church's most recent Christmas concert used all six of the Sennheiser wireless microphones at once with no issues. "I was in it because I am also in the choir. There's just no comparison between the new and the old system," said Winkler. "I am also involved in creating and operating the screens and projections during the services. We project graphics, song words and readings, which adds so much to a service. We also use our Sennheiser headphones to record our services live onto cassette tapes and MP3 files. The MP3 files are transferred to CDs for use by the congregation." "The microphones are used within the sanctuary with the receivers based in a rack in the media booth located on the upper balcony, approximately 80-100 feet away. The media booth handles all A/V for the church," explained Shockley. "I like the Sennheisers for their narrow coverage pattern. It doesn't pick up resonance or ambient noise. That is helpful since sometimes we have inexperienced mic users or small children who perform. We've had zero feedback issues, even with people standing right next to a loudspeaker." Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, www.sennheiserusa.com>Sennheiser is a world leader in microphone technology, RF-wireless and infrared sound transmission, headphone transducer technology, and most recently, in the development of active noise-cancellation. Sennheiser Electronic Corporation is the U.S. wholly owned subsidiary, with headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Product News Cirrus Announces New Digital Audio Networking Processor The Commercial Audio Products business of Cirrus Logic has announced the availability of the CS18101 digital audio networking processor, a new generation of Cirrus Logic CobraNet technology. The CS18101 is the first release of CobraNet technology integrated into a microprocessor. CobraNet technology is the professional audio industry's de facto standard technology for distributing uncompressed, real-time, digital audio over a Fast Ethernet network. Capable of handling eight bidirectional audio channels, the new CS18101 is ideal for use in powered speakers, power amplifiers, and signal processing devices. The CS18101 will allow manufactures to embed CobraNet technology, previously available only through the use of design using discrete components, into a wider range of audio devices due to the great reduction in parts costs compared to the original reference design. Washington-based Symetrix introduced four new DSP audio backbone products -- the Express 12X4 Cobra, Express 4X12 Cobra, Express 8X8 Cobra, and Express 4X4 Cobra -- at the 2004 NSCA Convention. These new Symetrix products, which feature the CS18101 chip, target commercial audio applications. "We are pleased to see a leading manufacturer, Symetrix, showcase new products based upon the CS18101 networking processor," said Rich Zwiebel, vice president of Commercial Audio Products, Cirrus Logic. "There are currently 42 licensees of CobraNet technology, and now that we've integrated the technology into silicon, commercial audio system manufacturers are able to offer the CobraNet technology in lower-cost products. This opens entire new market segments to the power, performance and flexibility of CobraNet technology utilized across Ethernet networks." The CS18101 and CM-2 are currently sampling to key customers with expected volume production in Q2 2004. Primacoustic Introduces Polyfuser The Primacoustic Polyfuser is a 2' and 4' high x 4' wide device that combines the excellent characteristics of an elliptical diffuser to disperse mid and high frequency energy with a poly-cylindrical bass trap for low frequency absorption, making it ideal for installations in churches and other large venues where acoustic control is required but complete absorption is not. Pricing starts at $350. For more information on this and several other new products, visit www.primacoustic.com. |
|
About This Newsletter To unsubscribe click here: Unsubscribe To subscribe to this newsletter, click here: Subscribe For information on advertising in this newsletter, please contact: Erika Lopez |
|
|
|
You are subscribed to this newsletter as <*email*> To get this newsletter in a different format (Text, AOL or HTML), or to change your e-mail address, please visit your profile page to change your delivery preferences.
For questions concerning delivery of this newsletter, please contact our Customer Service Department at:
Primedia Business Magazines & Media 913-967-1300 Copyright 2004, PRIMEDIA. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of Primedia Business Magazines & Media Inc. |