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| A Primedia Property | |
| August 5, 2004 | |
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Table of Contents Houses of Worship Top Story Integrators can help fill worship market training gap Installation News Ford Audio-Video completes AV and lighting install at Tulsa church Toronto cathedral upgrades to Soundcraft MH4 Product News FSR introduces Twister twisted-pair distribution series Tritton Technologies connects computers to SVGA over USB 2.0 Atlas Varizone solves public address/audio routing problems 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 Integrators can help fill worship market training gap "When I go and buy a new car, is it the dealer's responsibility to teach me how to drive?" asks Hector La Torre, president of Fits & Starts Productions in Red Bank, New Jersey, a company created to deliver vendor-neutral training for AV users in all settings. This year, La Torre has launched a new effort targeting the worship market, a field he believes is suffering from a true training gap. The car dealer analogy, La Torre feels, sums up the attitude of many manufacturers toward training. "For all they say about education, the majority don't truly believe that education is a priority," he says. 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 La Torre also comments that it's mostly the smaller churches that tend to lean on manufacturers for training, due to the frequent absence of a professional systems integrator in smaller install settings. Beyond this stratum of small installations, the integrator is a more prominent training resource. Al Jensen, vice president/Marketing at Barco Media & Entertainment in Logan, Utah, notes that even when vendors provide product training, they often overlook another important aspect of training. "If there's any training that needs to take place, it's in the matter of content," Jensen says. Houses of worship users in particular, Jensen says, have a lot to learn about selecting images, preparing them for display, and displaying them in compelling ways. "You can't just grab any old PowerPoint and put it up there. It's going to look all pixilated and tawdry," he says. "There hasn't been a lot of money there" for training of church personnel, Jensen says. "But lately a lot more emphasis is being put on the image. It all goes back to churches raising the bar, delivering the most pristine image possible." Where do church media specialists turn for training? La Torre says most go it alone, more or less. "The majority depend on themselves. They're going to magazines and websites, and somehow they learn it," he explains. First Baptist Church of Arnold, Missouri, has been largely self-sufficient in meeting its training needs, says facilities technical director Lee Buckalew. Vendors often provide training on high-end video equipment such as nonlinear editing systems, he adds, but for many smaller items, the do-it-yourself approach has sufficed. Buckalew also sees a need for content-oriented training, "for people who have the basic knowledge and need to learn how to do things appropriately." After in-house resources, La Torre says, the next place many houses of worship turn for training help is their systems integrators, and there's a clear opportunity for integrators to meet their clients' training needs in the worship environment. But obstacles can still spring up. The worship market may be unique in the proportion of people using sophisticated AV equipment and systems who are volunteers -- who do something else full time and give only a small part of their attention to AV tasks. "The training is there," Jensen says, noting that Barco provides training on the use of its equipment and is expanding training options that focus on creating good content. However, he says, "Courses are relatively expensive and time-consuming, and volunteers have jobs, so they can't just pick up and go." Without leaving home, volunteers "can learn a lot off the Web, but there's nothing like hands-on," Jensen says. Systems integrators can do more to bring training to the church, but the training equation is also complicated by turnover among volunteers and the difficulty of training everyone at a religious institution at the same time, La Torre says. What's more, there's no reliable connection between the technical proficiency of an integrator's staff and their teaching skills. "Their main business is integrating and installing, not educating," he notes. The training gap in houses of worship can have serious implications. Incorrect use "can actually damage their systems," La Torre says. At a minimum, "they don't allow their systems to work at anywhere near their full potential." Installation News Ford Audio-Video completes AV and lighting install at Tulsa church Ford Audio-Video (FAV) recently completed the installation of state-of-the-art audio, video, and theatrical lighting systems for Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 250,000 square foot, 35-acre site features a 3,000-seat sanctuary, as well as a 600-seat chapel. FAV oversaw the AV installation in several areas of the church including the sanctuary, chapel, choir and orchestra rehearsal rooms, Christian Life Center, and gymnasium. The sanctuary features an electronic architectural system using Tannoy ceiling speakers and Countryman microphones that are concealed throughout the sanctuary, a Yamaha DM2000 digital console mixing sound to a LCR+Sub (left/center/right plus subwoofer) EAW speaker system powered by Crown amplifiers, two large Stewart Filmscreen rear-projection screens, two NEC 6000-lumen projectors, three remote-controlled pan/tilt Hitachi cameras, an ETC Emphasis 3D theatrical lighting system, and a Crestron audio/video control system. Other rooms in the facility include the chapel, which utilizes full-range audio, dual-screen projection, and a digital console similar to that in the sanctuary; the choir and orchestra rehearsal rooms, each containing a small sound system enabling the choir and orchestra to record practices directly to CD; and the Christian Life Center, housing a small system with a projector for use during small meetings and luncheons. A small background music system and paging mic can be found in the gymnasium. FAV also provided and installed a campus-wide cable TV system that displays any live event from the sanctuary, as well as additional channels for informational and educational programming. The church held the first service in the new facility on February 29, 2004. Ford Audio-Video Systems (FAV) engineers, manufacturers, installs, rents, and services professional sound, video, and lighting systems for church, education, corporate, government, entertainment, and sporting venues. Established in 1973, FAV employs 200 at offices in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Denver, and Las Vegas. For further information, visit www.fordav.com or call (800) 654-6744. Toronto cathedral upgrades to Soundcraft MH4 Queensway Cathedral in Toronto is in the process of upgrading its sanctuary sound system and has replaced its aging desk -- installed when the 4,000-seat sanctuary was constructed in 1984 -- with a Soundcraft MH4. Of particular note, this is the first MH4 sold in Canada to feature Soundcraft's new mono input modules, which expand the use of the aux buses by adding true mono/stereo configurations to take maximum advantage of the desk's 16 auxiliary buses. The cathedral's technical director, Rich Bodnar, explains that while the old console had provided excellent service, parts were starting to wear out; and since it was configured 24/8/2 with only four aux sends, the cathedral was limited by channel capacity for its larger events. "The availability of parts and cost of repairs was proving prohibitive, and so we started to look for a new console," Bodnar says. A short-term loan agreement funded the new purchase, which was made through distributor Soundcraft Canada and Mississauga, Ontario-based Audio Operations -- a dealer with whom Queensway has had a relationship over the past seven years. The cathedral was already familiar with the Soundcraft pedigree, having owned a smaller 32-channel board years earlier in its studio. "It proved to be a competent console and this helped to shape my decision," says Bodnar. "I have also rented Series Five consoles on a number of occasions, as well as a K2. I find the Soundcraft consoles to be reliable, rugged, intuitive, and straightforward with a good number of features for the investment made." In addition, Bodnar has experienced a number of other different-branded consoles during events at both his church and others. "Having been able to speak to different engineers on their opinions, Soundcraft always appeared to have the edge in reliability, layout, quality, and cost." While Bodnar is the cathedral's technical director, he still took the precaution of bringing in two consultants "to make some recommendations upon which I ultimately made my final proposal to our board of directors," he explains. "Many factors had to considered, including monitoring capability, channel capacity, cost, and ease of use for the volunteers using the console. The MH4 easily fit the bill in all categories." During normal Sunday church setup, Queensway can expect to utilize just over half of the MH4's 36 channels and approximately 10 aux sends for the instrumentalists and vocal monitors (mostly IEM). However, the cathedral also stages large-scale Christmas and Easter productions, which use nearly every channel on the console. "During our 2004 Easter Passion play performances we used 55 of the 56 channels available as we ran 24 wireless lavalier mics, an ensemble singing group of 16, as well as instruments -- plus tracks and effects," says Bodnar. "The flexibility of switching between modes on the MH4 has been a definite asset because of the varied types of events the church is involved in." Bodnar was aware that this would be the first of the new breed of MH4 consoles sold in Canada. "We were very fortunate to have it up and running about a week and a half before one of our major events here at the church, and it certainly proved its worth and versatility through our Easter productions." Queensway's upgrade program is expected to take a couple of years to complete. The cathedral has yet to tender out the rest of the installation process, but expects this to be done in the near future. Soundcraft is a leading British manufacturer of high-end mixing consoles serving live, broadcast, theatre, and recording markets. The company's products are distributed in the US by Harman Pro North America (HPNA), which also distributes products for BSS Audio and Studer. HPNA is a subsidiary of Harman International. For more information, visit www.soundcraft.com or www.soundcraft-canada.com. Product News FSR introduces Twister twisted-pair distribution series FSR, Inc., a leading manufacturer of video and audio distribution equipment, has announced the release of its new, economical Twister CAT-5 distribution system. Twister allows you to transmit RGBHV, 3xCV, S-video, and YUV signals using cost-effective CAT-5 twisted-pair cables in distances of up to 800 feet. The Twister maintains sync, timing, and polarity of the input source and gives you excellent-quality signal distribution in both short and long distances. The system consists of a transmitter, a receiver, and a hub, which are available individually or as a kit. The hub can be used for up to eight outputs and expanded to 512 outputs. It uses HD-15 connectors for inputs and outputs and RJ-45 connectors for the CAT-5 cables. Twister is UXGA-compatible with low-skew cable and features a local monitor output. The Twister has received recognition as one of the "Top 10 Products" at the recent Infocomm show. Twister is available from authorized FSR dealers nationwide. For more information, visit our Web site at www.fsrinc.com or call (973) 785-4347. Tritton Technologies connects computers to SVGA over USB 2.0 Tritton Technologies, a provider of advanced networking, storage, and peripheral products, announces the SEE2, the industry's first USB 2.0-to-SVGA adapter. Desktop and notebook computer users can now instantly connect an additional monitor, LCD, or projector to an available USB 2.0 port for extended viewing and presenting - without having to install a secondary or specialized dual video card. The SEE2 is available now. For a list of resellers, visit www.trittontechnologies.com. The SEE2 increases productivity by allowing users to see expanded desktop applications and windows across two screens, maintaining display continuity. Users can now view multiple windows and multi-task without overlapping windows on one screen. It supports resolutions of 1024x768 (8,16 bits), 800x600 (8, 16, 32 bits), and 640x480 (8, 16, 32 bits). "The SEE2 is truly a revolutionary device that for the first time ever, enables users to truly maximize the potential of their PCs for an entirely newfound, extended viewing experience," said Chris Von Huben, president of Tritton Technologies. "It is the ideal solution for multi-tasking in applications including day-to-day word processing, graphic arts, video editing, financial analyzing/monitoring, and viewing videos and television. The SEE2 saves an incredible amount of time, money, and frustration over other multi-viewing technology products available today." The SEE2 is compatible with Windows 2000/XP systems with an available USB 2.0 port. Tritton is based in Vista, California. Tritton is a manufacturer of high-end networking, storage, and computer peripherals. For more information, visit Tritton Technologies' Web site at www.trittontechnologies.com. Atlas Varizone solves public address/audio routing problems The Atlas Varizone public address system represents a revolutionary new concept in public address/audio routing systems. The Atlas Varizone system was designed to overcome the shortcomings of standard 70V and networked public address systems. For instance, by using a combination network-matrix design, the Varizone system solves time delay (latency) and data collision problems associated standard networked audio systems. Other Atlas Varizone features and advantages include: - Point-to-point routing: any source can be routed to any speaker destination. System size can be from 8x8 (inputs/outputs) to 3000x3000. - Zone creation: Audio zones can be created electronically -- independent of physical connections. An entire system can be rezoned at a touch of a button. - Uncompressed digital audio: The Atlas Varizone system routes CD-quality audio in an uncompressed digital format. - Virtually no latency issues. Common network time-delay and packet collision issues are not a problem with the Atlas Varizone system. - In-ceiling (class D) amplifiers: Programmable Amplifier Modules, known as PAMs, are installed in the ceiling. This saves rack space and keep amplifiers close to the speakers, avoiding typical attenuation and interference problems. - IP-addressable: The Atlas Varizone system is IP-addressable. That is, it can be controlled via the Internet or over a WAN/LAN. - Remote control/monitoring: any pair of speakers in the system can have their volume or equalization set individually. Also, the system indicates when any system component (such as a speaker) has failed. Since the Atlas Varizone system is software-controlled, the user can easily instruct Varizone to do exactly what is needed. For instance, if an Atlas Varizone system was installed in major department store, specific pre-programmed sales announcements could be routed to the speakers over each department, while speakers over the entrance section of the store could carry announcements about major store-wide sales, return policies, and so on. And the whole system could be switched to carry store-wide announcements in a fraction of a second. General Purpose Interface (GPI) modules may be interfaced anywhere on the Atlas Varizone bus system or directly to the main controller (the basic controller includes a built-in 8 in x 8 out GPI). The GPI modules provide input contact closure information to the controller as well as contact closure information from the controller -- to allow control of external devices. For instance, if used as a home audio system (remember: 24-bit, CD-quality sound) Atlas Varizone's GPI system can sense when a person enters a room and turn on the lights and sound. Since 1934, Atlas Sound has been a leader in the manufacture of communications products for the commercial, broadcast, industrial, institutional, security, custom installation (home), and professional music markets. For more information, visit www.atlassound.com. |
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