Volume 3, Issue 11 — November 18, 2014
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House of Worship Trends The Future of HOW Editorial
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How the A/V/L Industry Sees the Church Market
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
“This church market — it’s kind of a thing now, eh?”
Manufacturers and systems integrators are highlighting their House of Worship (H.O.W.) market products and installations more than ever before. The emphasis is directly correlated with the increase of sales into churches, which are starting to make a more significant impact on the bottom line for even the “big boys” of the audio, video and lighting industry.
In the last four months, the news stories on ravepubs.com have had the lion’s share of the attention. From mid-July 2014 through mid-November 2014, 43 percent of all news stories on rAVe Pubs were focused on the house of worship market. Of those, 3.4 percent were about video products, 41.3 percent were about lighting, and 51.7 percent were about audio in churches.
Telling Church Stories
Free press is always a good thing, so it’s not surprising to see manufacturers and integrators taking advantage of the opportunity to share their success stories. While press releases are nice, success stories are even better. It’s interesting to note the increase in H.O.W. market case studies and installation highlights on major manufacturer websites, a clear sign that associating products with actual usage in churches helps to both showcase the product and demonstrate the usage opportunity for church buyers.
I looked at a random sampling of major manufacturers that sell consistently into the H.O.W. market and found, anecdotally, that they’re finally paying attention to this under-served market. I’ve been writing about this for some time: The Day the A/V/L Industry Changed, How Do You View the House of Worship Market?, House of Worship: A Billion Reasons to Enter This Market, and The Future of Selling to Churches.)
What I Found On Randomly Chosen Manufacturers’ Websites
The list below was, as stated, random, so while I know of others that have done this too, I don’t want them to feel slighted for not being included. What’s important here it to see examples of how these manufacturers have decided to create an intentional focus on serving this vertical market.
Manufacturers that placed a major emphasis on the H.O.W. markets:
Epson
Sennheiser
Christie Digital
Digital Projection
Piksel
Manufacturers that had a H.O.W. presence on their websites:
Panasonic
NEC
AC Lighting/Jands
Shure
A slew of others I checked had nothing about the H.O.W. market on their websites, but I think this is due to the fact that many old-school manufacturers still place too great an emphasis on pushing products instead of offering solutions for various vertical markets or applications; in these cases, the church focus was missing because no focus on market types or buyer personas exists on product-centric pages.
There are many manufacturers that hire H.O.W. market specialists/managers to help systems integrators and end users find applications for their products. It simply seems odd to me that you’d hire a high level person for this vertical market and not provide H.O.W. specific landing pages for integrators and church buyers to research their offerings.
Packing & Making Products for Churches
It’s one thing to position a product in a line-up of offerings on an H.O.W. specific page on a website, but it’s another when a manufacturer either repackages products for churches (or makes products exclusively for churches).
This is small, but it is an example of doing this exact thing, as Sennheiser demonstrated with its “Praise Pack” of microphones for churches. Praise Pack is tailored for the needs of small and medium-sized churches, consisting of four dynamic microphones housed in specially embroidered gator case. All for $349, which is about a $50 savings from ordering four of the $99 mics, plus you get the case thrown in.
Simple, right? But that’s the beauty of it, too. They understand various demographics within the H.O.W. space and guide them towards specific purchases that fit both their needs and their perceptions. Sennheiser has a reputation as a premium brand, so this is introduces smaller, growing churches to their brand and provides them with an obvious choice for upgrades as the church grows.
A decade ago, I worked with NewTek on a unique little sub $5k product called TriCaster, now updated to the latest TriCaster Mini. What was most impressive to me was the engineering decisions to develop the product with my feedback about how churches — a majority of the targeted user base for the product — would use it. The product ended up winning a Technical Emmy Award, so their engineering was great, but that they went so far as to rethink the signal flow of video through the unit that scaled to fixed resolutions (uncommon at the time) and had a user interface that was built for the average church volunteer made this product a hit with small to mid-size churches.
Just think about how your products could be re-packaged or even have a GUI (graphical user interface) that was an option for churches. As Sennheiser and NewTek have found, focusing specifically on churches may include more than building H.O.W. specific landing pages.
How Much Business This Represents
I can’t name brands here because of non-disclosure agreements, but I’ve seen how much this market can represent to the bottom line of manufacturers. In some cases, H.O.W. accounts for nearly 25 percent of all sales, while for others it’s a single-digit percentage. What’s crazy to me was when I met with a juggernaut firm that shared that they thought church sales accounted for up to 10 percent of their overall sales of a division within this multi-billion dollar organization. I asked them “that’s what you’re selling without any focused effort. What would happen if you actually tried?” Today, that firm has a single person national manager responsible for the H.O.W. market, not exactly the effort I was hoping they’d make, but it’s a start. Hey, turning a big ship like that will take a while, so I give them grace.
In the meantime, here’s two very important questions for you to ask your C.F.O.: What percentage of our sales are to churches? And what would happen if we really went after this vertical market?
The economy can be up or down, bull or bear markets, and churches remain fairly consistent through it all. This is not a market to be lightly considered, but one that could — and should — represent significant contributions to your bottom line.
What do you think — is creating a H.O.W. section of your website or re-packaging products for churches a possibility for your business? Comment below. Leave a Comment
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Church Video Production – Selling the Workflow
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
Near cinema-quality field video capture is available for well under $10K, a price point so low that the A/V/L industry feels threatened by low cost technology dazzling the focus and buying power of consumers. A visit to InfoComm or NAB quickly reveals a rush to service the exponential growth of the sub $10K market space, but this is only a fraction of the full story — one that has respectable profit margins, repeat sales opportunities and the all-important value of selling service.
Why Low Cost Isn’t a Problem
In the house of worship market, the fastest growing segments of the space are still mega-churches (attendance of 2,000+ per weekend) and new church plants (brand new churches launches). Right along with this trend is the abundance of young pastors and leaders who quickly invest in technology as a key part of their weekend services. And while Sunday happens every seven days, it’s the Monday through Friday focus on producing compelling videos that has firmly taken hold in the church market.
A decade ago, there were still churches considering if video projection was a viable option. Today, it’s everywhere and churches are realizing that the rush is on for what is the hardest part of the video technology equation: quality content.
Video cameras have long been a part of mega churches for use as IMAG (Image Magnification — larger-than-life video medium and tight shows projected for those sitting far from the stage), but it has been a slower adoption rate for the rest of this vertical market due to the costs and, frankly, the need for ENG-style cameras. That all changed with the birth of the DSLR, digital cameras that not only took stunning, high resolution pictures, but for the first time allowed HD video recording in a device that shot (and looked) a lot like film.
Though the online retailers have made margins slim, it shouldn’t be a big deal to systems integrators that DSLR video capture is inexpensive. Actually, they should see it as a conversation-starter towards the reality of capturing video and audio in the field at HD (or higher) resolutions; the post-production workflow; and, last but surely not least, church service playback workflow.
At every step of the way, content is the common denominator. For content to be useful in churches there has to be an education process on the entire workflow. And while I’m focusing on video in this article, the overarching reality of the need for quality audio and great lighting are necessities for compelling video.
Dollars and Time
It’s one thing to capture video to a Canon EOS C100 Mark II and audio to a Tascam DR-60mkII; it’s quite another to manage gigabytes/terabytes/petabytes of video and audio for storage, editing, archiving and playback.
Ask any church technical director tasked with this scenario, and they’ll tell you that a lot of time is spent waiting. Truman’s Triangle (you can have Good, Fast or Cheap, but only two of the three) shows up every time. Capture, ingest, edit and render quickly? That’s not cheap. The digital workflow may well include sub-$10K cameras, audio recording and computers, but it also has to conform to the realities of the limited bandwidth (time) of many church video staff, most of whom wear multiple hats in A/V/L and IT, too.
Thought the DSLR is inexpensive, the workflow is not. What started out looking like a small dollar investment has a very real, much larger dollar acquisition of the digital video workflow.
Sure, some churches are cheap; others are simply trying to be good stewards. In the case of the latter, get past the price question and talk about the real cost of time when Sunday comes every seven days. Deadlines, deadlines; value proposition, value proposition. Remember: When price is everything, the product means nothing.
Short and Long-Term Archival Options
If content is king in production, the what is a church to do with archival content? The need expands to encompass long-term storage. Sure, hard drives are cheap, but there are limits to how and where to store and manage them as well as data degradation issues to consider.
LTO (Linear Tape-Open) has been around for a while and has been used in larger media-rich environments, but in the house of worship market, the typical solution is to use hard drives or tape/solid state storage (Sony’s XDCAM HD and Panasonic’s P2 HD formats are typical for medium to large churches). And to share those files? iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox prevail. Not exactly great short or long-term solutions, but at least they are in the Cloud, so it’s a simple (but inefficient) short-term fix.
Coming in 2015 is the anticipated roll-out of the optical Archival Disc, jointly developed by Sony and Panasonic, with a promised 50-year shelf life and meta-tagging for managing long-term archives. We’ll see how this prices out, but I anticipate it’s going to be not aimed at the small to mid-range commercial video production company market, much less the H.O.W. market.
At 4K uncompressed, the storage needs will exceed 2.3 TB for one hour of recording — common for the length of many church services being recorded. Heck, even ProRes422 requires over 400 gigabytes of storage for that same hour. Houston, we have a storage problem. Inexact math, sure, but it’s close enough to paint the eye-opening picture of massive file sizes. And that’s not accounting for multi-camera recordings used in editing. These file sizes quickly become stupefying.
In the meantime, the ridiculous video capture resolutions on the latest smartphones are cranking up the need for storage (even highly compressed). Hello? Does anyone see a near-line and archival storage market opening ever-wider to a lower bandwidth market? McFly… McFly…
Cinema Quality Recording Needs Cinema Quality Presentation
It’s one thing to capture and post in HD; it’s quite another to preserve those high quality videos all the way to the flat panels in church lobbies and large screen projection in the sanctuary. Even with 4:2:0, the image quality and file transfers have to be accounted for all the way to the eyeballs of the attendees.
It would seem that in the rush to hype 4K resolution, someone forgot to tell the consumer that up-sampling HD to 4K does not make 4K look stunning.
It’s important to educate the consumer across all vertical markets, including the H.O.W. space, the truth about 4K and the workflow and storage issues it presents. It’s great to shoot in 4K. It’s great to have a 4K 120Hz laser projector. My contention is that it’s everything in between that’s missing in the sales conversation.
Serve this market by education and selling towards a unified, digital workflow. There’s real money to be made — only one step after the DSLR purchase.
What do you think — is the increasing demand for media storage and archival a conversation starter for selling the entire digital workflow? Comment below. Leave a Comment
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InfoComm: Big Video: Churches See the Light
By Dan Daley Special to InfoComm International
It’s sometimes hard to reconcile the putative mission of a church with what has become the technically sophisticated entertainment experience inside many of them. But irony hasn’t stopped many houses of worship from pursuing ambitious AV technology strategies in an era when video dominates media of all types. If anything, video technology has become more critical for churches, as the trend toward satellite locations continues to expand.
Today, many churches grow by opening new outposts in towns, cities, and states — in contrast to the late 20th century growth model that ushered in the rise of the mega church. These satellite churches sometimes adhere to the cookie-cutter model of secular retail, whereby new stores look like smaller versions of flagship locations. When it comes to growing churches, if the main sanctuary has three screens, so will the satellite locations. That way the lead pastor looks exactly the same on Sunday mornings, regardless of where parishioners receive the message.
“Whether they use ‘sneaker-net’ or live streaming, the ability to have the same pastor and the same sermon at each location is what gives the strategy its coherence,” says Gary Zandstra, director of sales and marketing for Parkway Electric, an AV integrator in Holland, Michigan.
The bottom line? More screens, more projectors, more video.
Changing Times
But there are several forks in the road as HOW video progresses. Most notably, many churches now are pondering their choice between conventional lamp-based projection and increasingly affordable and ever-larger LED/LCD video displays. As LCD screens blow past 90 inches, they become practical options for small and mid-sized churches, or in much larger sanctuaries, as the screens that flank big, center-projection systems.
And as their bezels get thinner, flat-panel displays also are being combined into video walls. Integrators say some churches are even embracing stackable LED cubes, capable of 1,300 or more lumens and controllable via Wi-Fi.
“The brightness of LED walls is a big attraction for churches because many of them have a lot of windows and have to deal with a lot of ambient light during services,” observes Zandstra.
Zandstra says that some churches may initially be put off by the cost of an LED panel-based video wall, which can cost as much as 40 percent more than conventional lamp-based projection. However, he says, customers also are quick to realize that LED screens don’t periodically need new projection lamps, which can cost hundreds of dollars each. In addition, lamp-based projectors generate heat, which can add to a church’s cooling bills.
“There’s a lower cost of operation that can offset the additional cost of LEDs to a significant extent,” Zandstra says, citing a recent project his company worked on where the client opted for a $50,000 video wall over a $30,000 projection system, after doing the calculations. “As the cost of LED panels comes down, more churches are looking at that option.”
Projection Pushes Back
However as a technology platform, video projection isn’t standing still in its efforts to win the hearts and minds of video-hungry churches. Laser-based light sources are quickly developing as an alternative for projection systems. Sony’s VPL-FHZ55 3LCD laser-light source projector, touted as the first of that kind when it was introduced earlier this year at a cost of $4,460, asserts 20,000 hours of operation for its laser. Roughly speaking, a conventional projector lamp might need to be replaced several times over that same span, at a cost of $1,500 or more.
That said, conventional projection still has scale on its side. While LED video walls can get as large as 100-plus feet, today’s projection technology increasingly is being used to map entire stages, creating virtual environments from video “paint.” Such projection-mapping solutions may be used for weekly services, but they’re especially useful for seasonal productions that might have required substantial amounts of physical scenery in the past. It’s what Chris Jordan, president and self-styled Chief Steward at Ft. Worth, Texas-based AV integrator Electro Acoustics calls “environmental worship,” which he credits with making churches less reliant on multiple screens and in the process keeping the focus on the pastor.
“Mapped video makes the experience more immersive and that makes the technology less distracting,” he says. “Instead of the video as boxes on the stage, the video becomes part of the stage.” Jordan says projection is being used to “paint” scrim and other architectural elements of the stage, allowing it to change as the nature of the sermon or music changes.
Brian Poole, production manager for Elevation Church, a multi-campus church in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area, says projection mapping has become standard practice at his church since it first employed the technology to create virtual scenery on stage for an Easter pageant in 2012. Now, Elevation Church uses Green Hippo’s Hippotizer HD media server, MadMapper video-mapping software and Millumin video management software to manage a multi-projector array. Not only does the solution, which comprises projectors ranging from 3,500 to 20,000 lumens, perform video mapping, it also drives the left-center-right projection-screen configuration used at most of the church’s 11 campuses.
The video projection that Elevation Church uses for its weekly services has become so bright that it’s essentially merging with venues’ lighting, a phenomenon that touring entertainment productions have reported in recent years. In fact, many of the church’s video elements are now fired from the lighting console, with the video and lighting directors collaborating on the color palette for music and other effects.
“We have to watch out that none of this becomes a distraction from the message,” says Poole. “That’s something we find ourselves discussing a lot.”
LED Catches On
But as flexible as projection has become, it’s apparent that LED is gaining mindshare in the HOW technology universe. As Poole speaks about his experience with video projection and mapping, Elevation Church has also been in the process of specifying its first LED video wall, in conjunction with its partnering AV integrator LMG of Orlando, Florida, which he says imports its own LED panels from overseas.
The expectation is that the three conventional projection screens at Elevation’s largest location will be replaced by a single large LED wall — one that can be reconfigured in any way imaginable using a server.
“You have the IMAG [image magnification] images and other content across a single wide-format screen,” Poole says. “You can put any image or piece of content anywhere at any time. You don’t have to assign certain things to certain screens. And it’s bright enough that we feel sure the pastor will be seen easily from 150 feet away.”
Chris Jordan at Electro Acoustics, which has already installed an LED video wall at one church and expects to integrate more soon, says the introduction of the technology will render aspect ratios meaningless. “We’re moving toward an environment in which we no longer have to be limited to conventional [aspect ratio] formats,” he says. “That’s going to give a tremendous boost to creativity.”
The future, HOW integrators say, must also include video on personal devices, from smartphones to tablets. How that concept will integrate with the sense of shared experience that defines the word “congregation” remains to be seen. But video’s pervasiveness in the larger culture suggests it will find a way.
This column was reprinted with permission from InfoComm and originally appeared here.
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Mackie Launches DL32R Digital Live Sound Mixer Mackie launched a new 32-channel digital mixing system controlled wirelessly from Mackie’s intuitive Master Fader iPad app.
The Mackie DL32R features a mix of flexible, professional I/O in a 3U rackmount design. Each of the 32 inputs (24 XLR, 8 XLR/TRS combo) feature Mackie’s all-new Onyx+ recallable mic pre-amps, with remote control over preamp gain and phantom power. The new Onyx+ pre-amps outperform the industry-proven Onyx design, which has garnered rave reviews for its boutique-quality sound and performance.
Fully-assignable using the Master Fader control app, there are 14 XLR outputs great for anything from stage monitors to matrix outputs. The front panel also features a stereo AES digital output for connecting gear like speaker processors. A dedicated stereo monitor output is ideal for connecting an in-ear monitor system for detailed listening from anywhere in the venue.
With complete wireless control of the system using Mackie’s Master Fader iPad app, a new world of mixing possibilities opens up. There is no longer any need for a fixed FOH position. Place the mixer where it works best – be it next to the stage, backstage or even tucked away in a utility closet. This can also eliminate the need for an expensive, bulky analog snake.The DL32R does away with troublesome FOH positions such as under a balcony, behind a pillar, etc. The user can tune the room right from the problem spots and get on stage to ring out monitors or work with the band to dial in the perfect monitor mix.
Multiple engineers can work wirelessly from a single DL32R mixer using their own iOS device, including monitor engineers and performers who wish to control their own monitor mixes. The lead engineer can apply access limiting to additional control devices, keeping the user from making unwanted changes.
Multi-track recording and playback are critical for professional applications and the DL32R features two flexible methods for multi-track recording and playback. The first of these is direct to USB hard drive, which is currently a 48 kHz, 24-bit, 24 input by 24 output platform. This will be expanded soon to 32×32 via a free firmware update. The direct-to-disk option delivers unprecedented wireless control over your multi-track recording and playback
An additional USB 2.0 computer audio interface is available for 32×32 recording and playback that can directly connect with any DAW, great for studio applications and rehearsal spaces. Both methods provide the ability to record the band and perform a virtual soundcheck at the next show.
The DL32R is loaded with powerful DSP that eliminates the need for racks of expensive outboard processing. Each of the 32 inputs features a 4-band parametric EQ with a separate high-pass filter plus gating and compression. Four return channels feature dedicated EQ and compression. Each of the 14 aux sends, six matrix busses and main L/R busses feature a 4-band parametric EQ, 31-band GEQ, a compressor limiter and alignment delay. Six subgroups feature EQ and compression. Each processor features Modern and Vintage voicing options, delivering sonic choice to the user. Three separate effects processors with dedicated sends allow for two reverbs and one delay with tap control. Six VCAs and six Mute Groups round out the processing.
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QSC Unveils New Processing Amplifiers QSC has announced the addition of GXD Series Processing Amplifiers to their line of amplifiers for entertainment and production applications. Featuring what QSC is calling “contemporary styling,” multiple routing options and advanced protection circuitry, GXD Series Amplifiers are housed in a 2U rack-mount configuration, feature class-D power output in a so-called lightweight chassis design. The GXD models offer a DSP that includes High and Low-Pass filters (24dB LR), 4-band parametric equalizer, signal alignment delay, and RMS/Peak speaker protection limiting. To allow users to get up and running quickly, 20 preset “starting points” for selected typical systems are provided. The GXD Amplifier’s digital limiter prevents destructive clipping which can damage loudspeaker components while still delivering the maximum usable output. Smart loudspeaker protection is set by selecting the loudspeaker’s continuous power and impedance (4Ω and 8Ω), and either a Mild, Medium or Aggressive protection mode as desired.
The GXD Series front panels include a power switch, four status indicators, and a large LCD screen that provides metering and status monitoring. When combined with the two rotary encoders and three menu buttons the user is offered complete amplifier control allowing parameter selection and adjustment of amplifier gain and DSP parameters. The rear panels include XLR and ¼” TRS inputs, NL4 and binding post outputs and the AC power inlet. With a solid 400-watts-per-channel at 8 ohms (600 watts-per-channel at 4 ohms), the GXD 4 provides a Max Total Peak Power of 1600 watts while the GXD 8 provides a robust 800 watts-per-channel at 8 ohms (1200 watts-per-channel at 4 ohms) with a Max Total Peak Power of 4500 watts.
The GXD 8 has a list price of $999.99 and the GXD 4 is $599.99 and both models will be available in January 2015 and complete specs are here. Leave a Comment
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PreSonus Adds Dante Networking to StudioLive AI Loudspeakers PreSonus has introduced the SL-Dante-SPK, an optional input card that adds Dante networking to the company’s StudioLive AI-series Active Integration loudspeakers, making StudioLive AI-series the first Dante-enabled active loudspeakers on the market. The SL-Dante-SPK card houses one network port for Dante audio networking and remote control via the free SL Room Control application for StudioLive AI-series loudspeakers.
Dante-enabled StudioLive AI-series three-way active loudspeakers allow users to create a complete, networked audio system with any Dante-enabled mixer using a standard 1Gbps Ethernet switch and Audinate’s Dante digital-media networking technology, which offers self-configuring digital audio networking. Dante is the audio networking standard of choice for more than 130 manufacturers.
Users can also connect non-Dante mixers to the analog inputs of a Dante-equipped AI loudspeaker and then broadcast the signal over the Dante network using standard Cat5 cables.
The Dante upgrade works with StudioLive 312AI, 315AI, 328AI and 328i loudspeakers and the StudioLive 18sAI subwoofer. It lists for $199 and details are here. Leave a Comment
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K-Array Launches the Next Generation of Touring Line Array SpeakersThe KH8 is one of the world’s first flexible digital “slim array technology” line array speakers (S.A.T); slim and compact in design, self-powered and weather resistant providing an exceptional peak output of 145 dB SPL offering a rather different solution to the touring audio market. It is fully controlled by the on-board DSPs for hyper detailed beam steering and maximum operational flexibility. Its counterpart, the KS8, is a compact, self-powered, weather resistant subwoofer element providing a peak output of 148 dB SPL. This too has dynamic set up options for optimum delay calibration.
A system of 24 KH8 units can be flown in just 10 minutes. This is possible because it is not necessary to dismount the entire cluster: the speakers are anchored in groups of three within rigid frames that can be connected quickly to create longer clusters (uJZ picp to 24 units). Compared to traditional systems that require wiring and a mechanical connection for each speaker, the KH8 saves time. Every unit can be independently tilted to focus the sound mechanically and then digitally steered. The portability and ease of assembly are just some of the advantages of configuring a “straight array.”
For example, suppose you want to change the inclination angle of a speaker when the cluster has already been hoisted: with the KH8 it is not necessary to pull the cluster down, it is sufficient for someone to change the tilt of the single speaker, an operation that requires no more than a few minutes. In addition, the “straight array technology” minimizes the cluster’s volume and allows maximum freedom on where they are hoisted. For instance, you don’t need much space in depth behind the cluster which instead can be flown almost attached to a wall or a Layer tower.
More details will be on the K-Array website here. Leave a Comment
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Earthworks Ships 40kHz High Definition FlexMic Podium Mics Earthworks has expanded its FlexMic Series of podium microphones to include 40kHz High Definition models, which feature an extended frequency response from 50Hz to 40kHz.
The original FlexMic models feature a 50Hz to 20kHz frequency response, while the new High Definition models have 50Hz to 40kHz response that the company says offers even greater clarity and intelligibility than the 20kHz models.
All FlexMic and HD FlexMic models feature a new slimmer 7 millimeter diameter gooseneck, and a shorter tip, providing an overall lower profile. The FM and FMHD models feature a fully flexible gooseneck, while the FMR and FMRHD models have a rigid center with flex at both ends. All FlexMic models are available with either cardioid or hyper-cardioid polar patterns in 13, 19, 23 and 27 inch overall lengths.
Every standard and HD FlexMic utilize Earthworks’ patented polar technology, which allows speakers to move as much as 90 degrees off-axis to either side, above or below the mic and still maintain the same sound quality with high intelligibility. All FlexMic and HD FlexMic models are currently shipping and specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Martin Audio Debuts PSX Self-Powered Subwoofer Martin Audio has released its PSX, a self-powered subwoofer for the DD6, XD12 and XD15 loudspeaker systems. Featuring a 15”/4” voice coil and long-excursion driver in a reflex-ported enclosure, it houses two channels of Class D amplification, one channel for itself and one channel to power an XD12, XD15,or up to three DD6s.
The PSX’s Class D amplifier section is spec’d to produce a total peak output of 2400W, with 1400W allocated to the 15” subwoofer and 1000W to drive the full-range system. Its switched-mode power supply auto-ranges to global mains voltages from 100 to 240V 50/60Hz, and Power Factor Correction smooths out the mains current draw over the whole of the AC waveform. The operating range of the PSX is 48Hz to 150Hz, with a peak SPL capability of 136dB at one meter.
An onboard DSP handles delay, crossover and EQ functions, while the PSX plus full-range system can be controlled and monitored from a laptop or wireless tablet PC via intuitive VU-NET proprietary software. PC connection can be made directly via micro USB, or via Martin Audio’s proprietary U-NET network and Merlin loudspeaker and network management system.
An important feature of the PSX is its Internal memory, which allows factory ‘plug-and-play’ or user-generated DSP preset ‘snapshots’ of the PSX/full-range combination to be recalled by means of a preset selector button on the rear panel, instead of using computer control.
The PSX’s plywood enclosure is coated in hard-wearing polyurethane and its Declon backed steel grille is pre-curved to, according to Martin, resist deformation in the field. Practical features include a pole-mount fitting in the top surface, bar handles and protective skids. When stacked, the skids on the base of the upper PSX enclosure align with recesses in the top of the enclosure below.
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Harbinger Introduces New LvL Series Mixers Harbinger’s new LvL Series of compact mixers are available in multiple channel configurations and are being marketed as “affordable.” Offered in 12-, 8-, and 5-channel configurations, LvL Series mixers are equipped with what they are calling “professional grade,” studio quality pre-amps and features include integrated LvL Series EQ, Input/Peak indicator LEDs on every channel and a five-segment LED main mix meter. All models feature switchable phantom power for condenser mics, convenient headphone outputs, and RCA inputs for easy connection to computers or external recorders, as well as a robust AC power supply. Plus, all mixers are housed in a rugged, all-metal chassis.
LvL Series mixers are designed for compact and portable applications, including rehearsals and small to mid-sized combos. Small broadcasters and podcasters will likely appreciate the LvL Series for voiceovers, interviews and webcasts.
LvL Series mixers include the 12-Channel L1202FX, 8-Channel L802 and 5-Channel L502 models. The most compact of the series, the L502, features five inputs including XLR mic preamp and dual 1/4-inch stereo inputs, along with 2-band LvL Series EQ and assignable Tape In routing. The mid-sized L802 offers dual XLR mic preamps and two dual 1/4-inch stereo inputs with +4/-10dB sensitivity selection, 3-Band LvL Series EQ, as well as unexpected features like assignable Tape In routing, separate Main and Control Room outputs, and a dedicated Aux Send/Return. The flagship L1202FX model packs even more features into its compact footprint, including four XLR mic preamps with 1/4-inch TRS balanced/ unbalanced line inputs, four more 1/4-inch balanced/unbalanced stereo inputs with +4/-10dB sensitivity selection, four channels of 3-Band LvL Series EQ, 75Hz high-pass filters on each mic input, dedicated Aux Send/Return, on-board digital FX including tap tempo delay and a full-sized master fader.
List price on the L502 is $44.99; the L802 sells for $64.99 and the L1202FX is $109.99. All are here. Leave a Comment
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Dante PCIe Now Includes Thunderbolt Expansion Support Audinate has released its latest firmware update for the Dante PCIe soundcard. Version 3.7.1 delivers a range of new features, including audio signal presence indicators, latency statistics monitoring and packet error detection. In addition, the Dante PCIe high performance soundcard may now be used with several popular Thunderbolt expansion chassis, to enable connection to computers such as Apple’s Mac Pro, MacBook Pro and Mac mini. And, the Dante PCIe soundcard has been certified to run with Apple’s latest version MAC OS 10.10. The soundcard will also run on Microsoft Windows servers: both Windows Server 2008 R2 and Window Server 2012 R2 are supported.
The Dante PCIe Soundcard supports up to 128 channels of bi-directional audio with low latency.
The Dante PCIe soundcard has been improved to support the advanced Dante Controller feature set to monitor the status of the audio network. This allows the Dante Controller to remotely detect audio signal presence on computers running the Dante PCIe soundcard, which can also report latency statistics and packet errors to the Dante Controller.
For more information on the Dante PCIe soundcard, go here. Leave a Comment
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Roland Intros New Dante-Enabled M-5000 Live Mixing ConsoleRoland has announced support for Audinate’s Dante audio networking solution as an optional expansion card in its new M-5000 Live Mixing Console. Supporting Dante in addition to REAC, MADI and Waves SoundGrid positions, the new Roland M-5000 Live Mixing Console and the O.H.R.C.A platform as one of the most openly networked audio consoles on the market.
The Roland M-5000 Live Mixing Console sits on a new platform called O.H.R.CA. This represents “Open,” “High Resolution,” and “Configurable Architecture” by delivering definable audio paths, supporting multiple audio format protocols, plus 96 kHz sound quality throughout the system. The M-5000’s internal mix architecture is not fixed and can be freely defined for mixing channels, AUXs, Matrices, subgroup buses, MIX-MINUS buses within a range of up to 128 audio paths allowing the user to create a console structure to suit the needs of the application.
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DiGiCo Releases SD App DiGiCo has an iPhone/iPad App for its SD Range that allows users to take advantage of both Apple and DiGiCo’s touch screen technology. This application takes the existing feature set and presents it in a new way to take advantage of the extra screen. This allows engineers to implement very specific functions dedicated for FOH or Monitors.
Aimed at installation and touring applications, the DiGiCo SD App includes a number of dedicated screens that open up the iPad surface to a selection of the consoles’ functionality. For example, there are eight macros available on the hardware buttons of an SD9, but by connecting the iPad via the DiGiCo SD App, a large number of user-defined buttons will be available; these can reside on the iPad screen, allowing for quick access, while the console remains clear to mix the show on.
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AmpliVox Upgrades Audio Power of Integrated Multimedia Lecterns AmpliVox Sound Systems has unveiled major upgrades to over 15 of its integrated multimedia lectern products, now equipping them with 150-watt digital amplifiers. An upgrade from the 50-watt amps in previous models, each lectern also includes new connectivity and control features. In addition, the lecterns are now integrated with Bluetooth audio streaming capability from a smartphone or tablet, with volume and playback controlled from the lectern panel. Additional upgrades include a 16-channel UHF wireless receiver, a hot gooseneck dynamic microphone for all S/SW models and a standard AC power plug. Many lecterns can be customized with logos, colors, lamps and other design choices.
They’ve published a comparison guide here. Leave a Comment
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Hosa Intros Cable Line For Simplying Connection of Consumer Products to Professional ProductsHosa Technology’s new Hosa Pro line of cables are designed to make the process of interfacing consumer audio products with professional equipment easier. With Hosa Pro Breakouts, any consumer audio product equipped with a stereo minijack output can be interfaced with professional units with quarter-inch Tip/Sleeve, XLR, or even RCA connectors.
Hosa Pro Breakouts are available in three configurations. The 3.5 mm TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) to dual RCA option—identified as the HMR-000Y Series—designed for DJ mixers or home stereo systems. The 3.5 mm TRS to dual 1/4-inch TS (tip/sleeve) breakout—identified as the HMP-000Y Series—can be plugged into patch bays or a mixer’s phone inputs. The third category, the 3.5 mm TRS to dual XLR3M breakout—known as the HMX-000Y Series—is for connecting into discrete channels on a professional mixer or similar interface.
All three configurations utilize nickel-plated REAN connectors (a brand of Neutrik AG) for efficient signal transfer and durability. Hola says these cables sport 24 AWG Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) conductors for enhanced signal clarity and 90 percent OFC spiral shields for a higher signal to noise ratio.
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