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| A Primedia Property | |
| September 16, 2004 | |
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Table of Contents Houses of Worship Top Story LEDs starting to find a place in churches Installation News Presbyterian church in Northern Ireland gets SR and distributed audio system Northwest Church selects Yamaha PM1D assignable digital console for sanctuary Product News Turbosound launches Class-D digital power for QLight Astatic introduces 930VP variable-pattern surface-mounted boundary condenser mic Altinex releases MT103-121 twisted-pair distribution amplifier card 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 LEDs starting to find a place in churches Large LED displays, once chiefly found in arenas and stadiums, may soon become more common in America's larger churches. One of the reasons is a trend in architectural design, says Al Jensen, vice president/marketing at Barco Media and Entertainment in Logan, Utah. "Churches are getting a lot brighter and more open," Jensen says. "The old ambient light problem is always there. But with LEDs you don't have that problem." 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 LEDs also eliminate concerns about the space required for rear projection, mounting front projectors for correct throw distance, and such ongoing maintenance requirements as periodic lamp replacements. These advantages, Jensen says, could largely offset the higher initial cost of LED technology, which he says will need little or no maintenance over many years. "The cost of LEDs is also starting to come down," Jensen continues. A new LED array with a screen diagonal of 150 inches can now be bought for under $200,000. "That still sounds like a lot of money," Jensen says, but high-brightness, large-venue projectors can easily cost $50,000 or more, and lamp replacements can run to $5,000 every time. Meanwhile, he cites a 50,000 hour service life for LED displays. Over that long a time, the actual cost of ownership can become comparable to that of a large-venue projector, Jensen says, and the big advantage of LED's high light output could swing a decision. Not always, though. Dave Smith, media minister at Grace Outreach Center in Plano, Texas, says, "We looked at the LED option, but it was just so cost-prohibitive. We could put three high-end Barco or Christie units in for the same price." Jensen believes the advent of 8mm and 6mm LED technology will soon drive prices down. "In a church you don't really need a six; a good 8mm will do everything you need." One high-profile current install of LED display technology is about to go on display at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. A new 7,200 seat auditorium is scheduled to open in early fall, and one of its most prominent features will be a 14'x25' LED display. One factor in the selection of LED technology was the fact that the auditorium has full fly space for theatrical productions, which did not allow the backstage area that would be needed for rear projection. Large windows at either side of the stage create a very bright environment, which also argued for the LED choice. The install is being implemented by Acoustic Dimensions, which provides more details at www.acousticdimensions.com/profiles/willowck.htm. Philip Nelson, senior director of video marketing at NewTek in San Antonio also sees more clients opting for LEDs but points out additional complexities some clients don't foresee. "One problem you will run into with the LED boards is that with them on, you won't really be able to darken your auditorium," he says. "They pretty much glow all the time. In a giant arena this isn't much of a problem. I guess it depends on the size of your church." Nelson says church media pros need to consider their sight lines, as well. "LED boards look better the further away you are from the screen," he says. Barco's Jensen agrees. Compared to projectors, he says, "The resolution is very comparable at viewing distances of 25 to 50 feet." That may work with the distance to the front row in a large church -- but maybe not. At present, real-world church installs of LED displays are scarce. But Barco, at least, hopes the combination of ever-brighter church designs and ever-lower technology prices will soon change that picture. "I can see the demand peaking," Jensen says. Installation News Presbyterian church in Northern Ireland gets SR and distributed audio system When Jim Hooks was asked to present a design and specification for a sound re-enforcement and distributed audio system for a new-build church project in Carnmoney, Northern Ireland, he knew that it would present quite a challenge. But what made this particular installation unique for him was the fact that the church, Carnmoney Presbyterian Church, just outside of Belfast, was his own congregation and house of worship. This meant high expectations and demands. After meeting with Mark Findlay of architects Kennedy Fitzgerald and David Black of consultants Taylor Fagan, plus the church committee and developers, Jim Hooks, proprietor of DJ Kilpatrick, decided to employ the services of Darren Gardiner of L&SFX, Coleraine (KV2 Audio agent for Northern Ireland). Gardiner explains, "Having built up a great working relationship with Jim over the last couple of year, we were pleased when he contacted us to ask our advice on the Carnmoney project he was working on. From our first site visit, we knew we wanted to use KV2 on the project." Jim Hooks says, "Both Darren and I have known and worked with Andy Austin-Brown from KV2 Audio Europe on previous successful projects. When we asked him to come on board we explained our requirements, a finite design and specification for the main house audio system, with a clearly defined intention regarding utilization and operation." Due to the complexities in the design of the church and the program material they wanted to run through the system, the team was looking at two options. One was a flown cluster of speakers and the other was a left/right cluster. After consultation and advice from Andy they opted for simplicity, both in terms of operation and especially aesthetics, utilizing a left/right configuration of two KV2 ES1.0 mid high enclosures and one KV2 ES2.5 subwoofer. Four KV2 Audio EPAK2500 amplifier/system controllers were wall-mounted, allowing easy and instant access. Both Hooks and Gardiner had slight reservations about coverage at the extreme edges of the church, but Andy assured them that all would be well. The installation of the speakers and EPAKs was completed in a two-day period with Andy Austin-Brown on hand to commission the system. The new-build church reflects an ever growing trend for an environment which has very clean, almost high-tech finishes, as well as some extraordinary shapes and dimension - in this case the main hall shaped rather like an eye or a rugby ball. This is topped off with a beautifully executed tower, appearing to extend into the heavens. There were only two fixed position points that could and would be accommodated by the interior designer and architect as far as the loudspeaker enclosures were concerned, creating an enormous challenge with regard to correct coverage patterns and small details such as feedback rejection. The system had to be capable of accommodating visiting praise groups, bands, and public speakers from around the world. The main criteria were that every single seat in the house of worship had to be in receipt of equal quality, volume, and tonality. KV2 Audio LLC in the Czech Republic responded with a special order for cabinets in a specific color, and all delivered within one month of order. Gardiner says, "We played a wide range of music through the system ranging from Norah Jones to Nigel Kennedy to Bon Jovi. All our team and Jim were more than impressed; in fact, they were actually astonished at the output, clarity, and coverage we were able to achieve from a system with such a small footprint. I have no hesitations in specifying KV2 product on our forthcoming projects. If they all turn out like Carnmoney, my life will be a lot easier." The church opened its doors for an inaugural service on April 24. Having personally walked and seated himself along with senior members of the committee in every seat, Jim Hooks pronounced that everything requested had been achieved and surpassed. Northwest Church selects Yamaha PM1D assignable digital console for sanctuary The experience of a collection of young people working at a church in Fresno, California, has proved that digital mixing systems need not be intimidating. Two of its teenage operators were able to master a Yamaha PM1D Digital Production Console recently installed at Northwest Baptist Church within just few hours. They were mixing the following Sunday's service on the new system. Northwest Church comprises an 850-seat sanctuary that offers three services each Sunday, in addition to wedding and funeral services during the week. For two Sunday services each month, the four- to eight-person choir is joined on stage by a five-piece rhythm section. As Carnot Pease, the Church's head technician, explains: "I had approached Leo's Pro Audio in Oakland, California -- our local Yamaha dealer and contractor/installer -- about a replacement console for the existing 32-channel analog Yamaha PM1800 mixer. Jerry Liles from Leo's Pro Audio came to Fresno, checked out what we needed, and recommended the digital PM1D. I've known Jerry for 25 years and dealt with him on many occasions, so I trusted his opinion. The church had been talking about an upgrade for two years and, once the budget was approved, we made the decision to install a leading-edge digital console." Leo's Pro Audio delivered a demo PM1D console just before Christmas 2002, Pease recalls. "Because we were close to our busiest season of the year, I decided to place the digital console in our gymnasium, where we also had a 24-channel analog console that we use for our Sunday Contemporary Services for college-age and 20/30-year-olds. There, we could evaluate the new digital mixer without disturbing our rehearsals and services in the sanctuary." The church has also been using a Yamaha ProMix01 for over six years and recognized the advantages of digital mixing, including recall and assignablility. The new system attracted an interested duo. "Within a very short time, two of our part-time technical staff -- high-school students Henry Hinkle and Shaun Lamonski -- had hooked up the PM1D and were using it in the gymnasium," notes Pease. "While the existing analog mixer remained in service, the PM1D was put through its paces using a series of 48-track rehearsal recordings from a hard-disk system. "In just a few hours, Henry and Shaun were up and mixing on the new system," Pease says. "The PM1D proved extremely easy to master and produced excellent mixes." "At first we ran the console in basic mode," Hinkle explains, "with no effects and compression; we didn't want to make the job too complex too early. But the PM1D is very easy to understand, and pretty soon we were using all of the console's powerful functions. It was just like ringing a bell!" Following its trial period, the demo system was removed and in August 2003, Leo's Pro Audio delivered the new 48-fader/96-channel PM1D Digital Console to Northwest Church's sanctuary. "We replaced the PM1800 with the PM1D -- it took just a couple of hours, since the wiring was already in place -- and started to use it [to provide house sound and on-stage monitoring] for our Sunday services and other events," Pease continues. "The console's control surface is located at the back of the sanctuary along with the interface electronics rack." The Core Engine with remote-controlled mic pre-amplifiers and I/O connections are located in a second-floor technical loft, and connects to the PM1D control surface via dual 68-pin SCSI cables and two BNC cables. Following the permanent installation, Pease says, "Henry and Shaun continued to extend their experience on the PM1D and can now handle a service totally by themselves." Hinkle prepared the house mix, while Lamonski looks after the separate tape mix. "One of my favorite features," 17-year old Henry Hinkle says, "are the eight built-in effects processors that can be inserted into any of the input, output, or matrix channels. And every channel strip features a built-in compressor/limiter/gate and great-sounding EQ section." In addition, a total of 24 graphic equalizers can be assigned to console outputs for overall processing. "I also like the ability to store channel and EQ libraries," Hinkle adds, "so that I can recall EQ and assignment settings, for example, of the drum miking which we use every week to ensure a consistent sound from service to service." "I love the PM1D's digital compressors," Lamonski says. "Since we can insert these directly, there are no pops, and no surprises. And, unlike external analog effects, we can produce a more consistent, integrated sound, since all settings are stored and recalled from the built-in memories." Pease is a self-confessed digital convert. "In terms of its capabilities," he says, "the PM1D is very flexible. We can store and recall complex mixes from previous services; that capability will save us a lot of time and lets us concentrate on the creative aspects of mixing." Product News Turbosound launches Class-D digital power for QLight Turbosound, the British manufacturer of live-performance and installed-sound loudspeakers, has released a new range of digitally powered systems in its Qlight series. The three new models - the TQ-445DP three-way design in a trapezoidal cabinet, the TQ-310DP two-way system in a trapezoidal enclosure, and the TQ-308DP trapezoidal two-way design - all employ new-generation Class-D power amplifiers. These amps incorporate revolutionary DSP technology using a class-leading 96kHz sample rate. Turbosound is one of the first manufacturers to offer Class-D amplification in self-powered loudspeaker systems, and these additions to the Qlight series utilize a new design of lightweight Class-D power amplifier module. The new models boast a 110dB dynamic range and are capable of operating at more than 90 percent overall efficiency, making these the most powerful self-powered systems in their class. In addition to the dramatic increase in efficiency, which is maintained even at relatively low power levels, Class-D operation also brings advantages in terms of heat dissipation. The design's use of pulse-width modulation techniques enables the new twin-channel module to run far cooler than the more conventional Class A/B types, removing the need for a heat sink and resulting in significant weight savings. The loudspeakers' sophisticated 96kHz DSP technology incorporates active crossovers and output limiters to ensure the new systems are perfectly optimized and completely self-contained, needing only a signal feed from a console and no additional outboard processing. The system's amplifier/DSP module is equipped with an RS-232 port for software updates. This port also provides a contact-closure loudspeaker-mute facility. This enables the loudspeakers to be deployed in installations that need to meet the requirements for voice evacuation systems. Turbosound's new amplifier module, which can be retrofitted to earlier Qlight powered systems, delivers 2 x 800W into 8 Ohms. It features an ultra-fast switch-mode power supply, with auto sensing from 100V to 240V, enabling easy operation anywhere in the world. The TQ-310DP and TQ-308DP models feature a rotatable HF Converging Elliptical Waveguide. This provides a 100 degrees horizontal by 60 degrees vertical coverage pattern, and can be removed and turned through 90 degrees to allow the loudspeakers to be used horizontally. The loudspeaker's rear panels include Neutrik Powercon connectors, limit Hi and limit Lo LEDs, and an EQ contour selector for speech or music optimization. Turbosound has a reputation for engineering innovation, sonic excellence, and reliability, and is headquartered in the English countryside south of London, in a purpose-built manufacturing facility that houses the company's design, sales, test, and production departments. Sennheiser Electronic Corporation located in Old Lyme, Connecticut, distributes all of Turbosound's products in the U.S. and Latin America. Astatic introduces 930VP variable-pattern surface-mounted boundary condenser mic New from Astatic, the 930VP low-noise, variable-pattern surface-mounted boundary microphone can reduce the products required for an audio system by offering users the choice of cardioid, supercardioid, figure-eight, and omnidirectional patterns and a wide range of polar patterns in between for optimum gain before feedback. Its nearly infinite pattern variations allow the installer to precisely tailor the microphone's pickup pattern for the best performance depending on the application or environment. With a frequency response of 50Hz to 18kHz, the 930VP features a clear, articulate sound with high definition. The microphone comes equipped with a multi-function, feather-touch mute membrane switch and selectable high-pass filter, making it ideal for use on altars, conference tables, stage floors, or broadcast production situations. It features an advanced, self-contained transformer-less design. Engineered for user-friendliness, the 930VP contains a soft-touch membrane switch with a programmable LED indicator light. Little effort is required to actuate the switch and the actual area of actuation is wide and responds to the lightest touch. The membrane switch may be configured in any of four operating modes: push-to-talk, push-to-mute, momentary talk, and momentary mute. The mic will power up as "on" or power up as "off" based upon the switch programming. The 930VP is is equipped with a switch-selectable 12dB-per-octave hi-pass filter that eliminates unwanted or unnecessary low frequency, reducing the need for additional signal processing. Extremely rugged, the 930VP features a die-cast zinc base and perforated steel screen construction, with a foam filter located under the steel screen to suppress pops and wind noise. A thick, soft rubber foam pad on the bottom of the mic provides shock-mount isolation while preventing the mic from sliding across a surface. The tamper-resistant, variable-pattern selector, membrane switch and hi-pass programming all are flush-mounted on the bottom of the mic. Exceptionally practical, the mic can be permanently mounted on most flat surfaces using two mounting holes located on the bottom. When mounted on a flat surface, the 930VP will take advantage of the "boundary effect" increase in signal-to-noise ratio. The 930VP comes with 30 feet of detachable, high-quality microphone cable that has a miniature three-pin connector on the microphone end and a professional XLR-type connector on the opposite end. Astatic national sales manager Kevin Madden says, "Because the 930VP has variable pick-up pattern selection it can shorten the list of products an audio system designer requires when boundary mics are specified. Now one mic can suit almost any challenge when tasked to perform on altars, conference tables, stage floors, or in media production." For more information, visit www.astatic.com. Altinex releases MT103-121 twisted-pair distribution amplifier card Altinex announces the release of the MT103-121, a MultiTasker twisted-pair, audio and video distribution amplifier. The MT103-121 is designed to be used with Altinex twisted-pair (CAT-5 type) transmitter and receiver, such as the DA1930CT, DA1931CT, DA1920SX, and DA1921SX, as well as large number of related MultiTasker twisted-pair cards. The MT103-121 is a one-in, six-out twisted-pair distribution amplifier card, which is typically used to distribute video and audio signals. The MT103-121 typically receives video signals from a twisted-pair transmitter, such as the external DA1930CT or the MultiTasker-based MT103-122 card, and amplifies and distributes it over long distances to an external twisted-pair appliance or MultiTasker-based twisted pair cards. The MT103-121 has equalization adjustment built-in and allows users to adjust signal quality for long cable runs. The equalization circuitry works well for distances up to 400 feet. An on-board switch allows users to choose between hardware and software control of video equalization. The total can be a long as 700 feet at resolutions up to UXGA. The loop output feature allows users to daisy-chain multiple MT103-121 cards. Hardware switch settings allow the user to select between Loop Output or no Loop Output. "The MT103-121 allows the user to build large twisted-pair (CAT-5 type) AV systems and extend the distance between video source and destination to over 400 feet. The typical application for this card is in schools, colleges, and universities, as well as training centers and public places. This product allows to build AV systems with up to 50 percent space savings and up to 80 percent cost reduction on installation and maintenance," says Mark Grieco, international regional manager. Altinex, a leading manufacturer of audiovisual signal management solutions, offers a complete line of computer video interfaces, distribution amplifiers, switcher, matrix switcher, special application products, cables, and related accessories and software. Visit Altinex at www.altinex.com. |
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