Volume 4, Issue 5 — May 22, 2015
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House of Worship Trends The Future of HOW Editorial
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Pushing Technology for Churches
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
The debate between those who want technology turned off during church services versus those who not only want it on, but want to actively use it as part of the church-going experience, is a matter of personal preference. That being said, there are plenty of churches using passive technology that would jump at the chance to engage the audience with active technologies. In fact, they have.
The paradigm of church culture in North America, in particular, continue to shift towards the adoption of technology as a viable method for creating awareness, generating engagement, and enabling action on the part of the congregation. From the typical audio/video/lighting (AVL) to the adoption of church member management software (ChMS), to the explosive increase in social media usage by staff and church ministries, to check-in software for children not sitting with parents in ‘big church’, there’s a significant push to adopt technologies that create scale, efficiency, and engagement.
Pushing Technology for Churches
Some churches have either built their own or bought into companies that provide white-labeled mobile applications to further increase member engagement. Once the app is installed on a congregants’ smartphone, the church can use push notifications through the application, even when it is not actively running. Through manual updates or scheduled content pushes, the church staff now have the ability to drive specific content to targeted user demographics or, conversely, send church-wide notifications to all users.
The next step in active engagement is another passive technology: iBeacon, Apple’s Bluetooth 4 enabled short distance geolocation push devices. The technology enables a smartphone or other device to perform actions when in close proximity to an iBeacon. iBeacon by works using the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, also known as Bluetooth Smart.
iBeacon uses Bluetooth low energy proximity sensing to transmit a universally unique identifier picked up by a compatible app or operating system, including both Apple and Android devices. The identifier can then be looked up to determine the device’s physical location or trigger an action on the device such as a check-in on social media or a push notification.
iBeacon in Churches
Originally focused on indoor, retail applications, the use within churches is a similarly logical jump. The iBeacons do not push notifications to receiving devices (other than their own identity). However, mobile software can use signals received from iBeacons to trigger their own push notifications.
The most obvious advantage is wayfinding in a large venue. Integrated with digital signage, the ability to direct users to specific areas of the church takes on a whole new level of personalization. Thinking one step beyond, though, is the idea of the church staff using the aggregated data to understand traffic patterns (and not just on foot, but even as users drive onto the parking lot, if outdoor iBeacons are utilized) of various demographics. Children’s check-in always clogged up on the East side of the building? Have the system push alerts to parents, letting them know about less congested check-in locations as they enter the facility.
If people are arriving in service late and seating in the main venue is limited, this technology could be utilized to direct them to a video venue and even push content such as what might otherwise be found in a printed bulletin, complete with hyperlinks to ‘learn more’ or even follow a call-to-action such as donations or signing up for volunteer opportunities.
When AVL Goes Beyond AVL
Sure, I can hear the questions in your heads: “How is this related to AVL?” It’s related to systems integration, which includes AVL. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, there are a huge number of opportunities to both expand the scope of AVL automation, business intelligence (dashboards), and anytime, anywhere access via IP-enabled technologies. The iBeacon concept is one that simply adds to the value of integrating technologies for the benefit of the users and the client.
The cost per iBeacon device is surprisingly low: hardware iBeacons can be purchased for as little as $5 per device to more than $30 per device, with differences mostly around battery life and power/range. From a system integrator’s perspective, this kind of low cost of installation and ownership means the focus can be on the customization of the service and integration with existing software.
Technologies like the iBeacon represent a shift in the way business-as-usual, or, in this case, church-as-usual, is done. What kind of opportunity does it represent for your business?
Share your views and opinions in the comments below and be sure to click the share buttons for social media to put this in front of your church clients. Leave a Comment
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Justify the Expense: Churches Need Metrics
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
The old sales trick of providing a list of desired features and benefits to overcome purchase barriers may still work with some church leaders, but the Internet has taught consumers a thing or two about what is offered and what they really want. To justify the expense, churches need metrics from real data.
Rethinking Repairs
Technology marches on, and time can reveal the limitations and wear-and-tear on gear. Either way, repairing audio, video, and lighting (AVL) equipment is inevitable. Church operations are based on the Sunday-comes-every-seven-days schedule, plus weddings, funerals and mid-week events, where windows of opportunities for making repairs or updating AVL systems are extremely limited — and Sunday downtime is always unacceptable.
The typical solution is to identify failing/failed hardware and swap out the old for new gear. Rarely better than a mere band-aid, it is ostensibly cheaper than a partial system overhaul but usually only fixes a symptom, not the problem. When a church calls for a repair, the better solution is to not only fix the singular issue, but add in a review of each system and identify where automation can be inserted to both streamline operations (always important in volunteer-operated environments) and report on the status of technology in real-time. This is the first step in building a relationship of trust with the church, and is a stepping stone towards building out full automation and reporting technology across all venues/campuses.
Demonstrate With Data
The Cloud and Big Data are terms consumers are now familiar with, thanks largely to mobile applications and online storage and sharing.
Making little data from Big Data is a key to identifying the trends and opportunities of capturing greater market share in the House of Worship space.
It’s one thing to add in automation and control systems for simple power sequencing or instant feedback during an event, but it’s another to think about what kind of Business Intelligence can be derived from AVL. This is not something that’s caught on with the vast majority of systems integrators, as it’s a design space typically reserved for command and control military or large corporate environments. However, it ties into the mobile life of even consumers, who are given visualized representations of their consumption or engagement as a way of making little data out of Big Data.
For the thousands of churches with multiple venues, both on the same campus and at satellite/multi-site campuses, a visualization dashboard could report, in one screen, the overall health of each AVL system, in each venue, and which technologies are in use. This provides the technical teams with instant access to their overall AVL infrastructure and allows for troubleshooting from any location as well as instant notifications to key staff of any issues. Further, it represents a holistic viewpoint for seeing utilization patterns for noting preventative maintenance and setting automation to turn off any AVL technology that is accidentally left on (think projectors burning expensive lamps, moving light fixtures, and even digital signage left on during off-peak hours.
Business Intelligence as Church Stewardship
When you can demonstrate value with actual representative data, you’re helping the church technical leaders demonstrate good stewardship to the senior leadership team and providing helpful insight into the workload and potential issues that are more easily seen over time through trend analysis.
The concept of Big Data is a bit of a stretch here on a church-by-church basis, but when a systems integrator or manufacturer potentially has access to how products are used over time from all of their installed products in churches, the roll-up of many churches’ data tells a very helpful story for understanding maintenance needs/trends as well as operational lifetime management of a product category or series of products. Of course, this has to be spelled out to the church clients so that data of operational usage can be shared, but I would be hard-pressed to think of even one church that wouldn’t agree to this kind of harmless data gathering when it helps them with automation versioning (think firmware updates sent to an entire product line via IP) and automation of operation for greater efficiency and stewardship.
From a manufacturer’s point of view, I submit that it’s well past time to stop positioning your products as standalone devices; the Internet-of-Things (IoT) will affect consumers soon enough (if it hasn’t already) and their comfort level and expectation of stuff “just working” for them will be the norm. How can the AVL industry take advantage of this beyond retail applications? By blowing up the past paradigm of box sales and re-tooling the hardware, firmware, software, and networking capabilities to reflect the new reality of instant access with high availability.
While this is a future-thinking article, it is this author’s belief and experience in an enterprise-level Private Cloud that the future is already here — and the AVL industry as a whole needs to catch up fast.
What do you say about churches and business intelligence dashboards? Or about making little data out of Big Data for the AVL industry? Anthony Coppedge and rAVe want to hear from you! Comment below.
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InfoComm: Feeding Audio Into an Assistive-Listening System
By Cory Schaeffer Listen Technologies
I was recently discussing assistive-listening systems with Brian Davidson, Production Director at Park Cities Baptist Church, in Dallas. He had some really great advice about feeding audio into the system, and about utilizing assistive-listening systems in houses of worship so that everyone enjoys better experiences. Here is some of what he told me:
When setting up an assistive-listening system in your venue, it is important to remember that speech is paramount. However, in many religious contexts and performing art venues, music will accompany the spoken word and is generally mixed through the sound system at a higher volume than the spoken word. In order to account for this, when setting up the assistive-listening system, it is best to take a feed from the main (L/R or Mono) output of the console and run that signal through a compressor before sending it to the assistive-listening transmitter.
“With a weekly attendance of 2,500 congregants and 50-plus assistive-listening users, I use a mono-matrix output fed from the left and right main outputs on our Soundcraft Vi1 digital console,” Brian says. “I also use the onboard compressor to compensate for the decibel fluctuation between music and the spoken word before sending the signal to the assistive listening transmitter. If you are using a console that doesn’t have matrix outputs, you can also use a mono or record output. Or, as a last resort, you can use a post fader auxiliary output with all of the individual channel’s “aux” sends set to nominal. The compressor is key!”
If you aren’t running a digital audio console, consider the purchase of a compressor as part of the overall assistive-listening purchase. “When setting the compressor, I start with a 5:1 ratio before adjusting the threshold just under the average spoken word,” he says. Then set the input volume on the assistive-listening transmitter. Further compressor adjustments may be needed, he says, but this is a good starting point.
Your final step is to take an assistive-listening receiver with headphones and listen to the end result during a live production or service. At this point, make your final compressor adjustments and set the “contour” on your ALS transmitter to optimize speech intelligibility. “It’s important to get input from those who have hearing loss and use the system,” he says. “Consider asking several users of the assistive-listening system how it sounds to them, then make adjustments as reoccurring complaints or suggestions occur.
“At Park Cities Baptist Church, we use a separate assistive-listening transmitter as a translation system for our Spanish speaking members,” Brian continues. “Setup of the system for this situation is simple. Plug any microphone into the XLR or 1/4-inch input in the back of the Listen Technologies transmitter. Speak into the microphone at a normal level while setting the input volume on the LT-800 transmitter. A compressor is not necessary in this situation since the assistive listening system will only be handling the spoken word from a single person.”
One last consideration for your venue: Promote the fact that the assistive-listening system is available and how people can pick up a receiver. Promotion can be done via the website, programs, and newsletters, as well as in-venue digital signage.
Good advice.
This column was reprinted with permission from InfoComm International and originally appeared here. Leave a Comment
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Mackie Ships Dante Expansion Card For DL32R Mixer Mackie has started shipping its new DL Dante Expansion Card that allows for the networked audio to the DL32R wirelessly controlled digital live sound mixer. The DL32R is controlled wirelessly, using the Mackie Master Fader control app for iPad, freeing sound engineers to mix from any location in a venue. The DL32R delivers 32-channels of digital mixing with convenient direct-to-drive multi-track recording/playback, new Onyx+ recallable microphone pre-amps, in an ultra-compact 3U rackmount design.
The new DL Dante Expansion Card provides 32×32 channels of network audio I/O, allowing the DL32R to be connected to any Dante-powered AV network. Dante delivers the easiest-to-use AV networking solution, featuring automatic discovery of devices, simple graphical audio routing, incredibly low latency and flawless interoperation with hundreds of Dante-enabled products. Flexible IO patching in the DL32R lets the user route Dante signals to any channel input, and send any of the mixer’s outputs to the Dante network.
The DL Dante Expansion Card ships with a license for Dante Virtual Soundcard software, allowing direct recording/playback of up to 64 channels of audio from any Dante network to a PC or Mac computer.
All the details are here. Leave a Comment
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Turbosound Ships iQ Series Turbosound today announced that it’s started to ship the new iQ Series networked loudspeaker product line.
The iQ Series combines Turbosound’s loudspeaker product with Klark Teknik’s networking and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technologies to create what they are referring to as “Acoustic Integration.”
Acoustic Integration allows for changes to overall sound system performance, in real time, without ever leaving the mixing desk. Users can easily set up and adjust built-in DSP parameters directly at the loudspeakers, or remotely via PC.
Perfect for FOH and floor-wedge applications, the iQ15, iQ12, iQ10 and iQ8 two-way loudspeakers are lightweight, portable, and provide premium-quality sound. Added support for low-frequency performance comes from the iQ18B and iQ15B subwoofers, which provide exceptionally deep and powerful bass. All enclosures feature standard 35 mm pole-mount sockets, for deploying dynamic full-range systems that are ideally suited for even the most demanding sound-reinforcement applications.
The iQ Series is affordable enough for small to medium-size venues, such as theaters, schools and houses of worship — yet powerful enough to easily accommodate festival stages, dance clubs and convention center corporate events.
The full range iQ8, iQ10, iQ12, iQ15, and Q15B and iQ18B subwoofers are available starting at $549.99 and all the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Vaddio’s AV Bridge MATRIX PRO Ships Vaddio is shipping its new AV Bridge MATRIX PRO that adds audio and video mixing functionality directly to your PC for any UC application (Skype, WebEx, etc.). It’s an AV encoder with simultaneous IP and USB 2.0 streaming, a four input seamless HD video switcher, three built-in Quick-Connect interfaces for Vaddio cameras, an 8×4 audio matrix mixer/switcher with acoustic echo cancellation (AEC), four audio ports for Vaddio EasyUSB microphones with built-in AEC and a web server for configuration programming, control and remote management.
The AV Bridge MATRIX PRO is aimed for simplified AV from cabling to control in applications such as a distance education classroom, house of worship, large meeting venues, and other markets. It facilitates the use of multiple cameras, microphones and displays and allows for sound and video mixing. Users retain all the capabilities of traditional conference rooms with the added capability of cloud connection and content distribution.
Control for the AV Bridge MATRIX PRO is provided via the embedded web server with a simple user interface. Simply connect the AV Bridge MATRIX PRO to the network and the user has access to video and audio configuration, matrix mixing and routing, streaming (USB and IP simultaneously), room labels, networking, security, diagnostics and image controls. Full specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Epson Adds PowerLite 4770W to Large Venue Projector Lineup Epson today introduced the PowerLite 4770W, a $1,999, 5,000 lumens (of color brightness) WXGA (1440×900) resolution 3LCD projector, the newest edition to the PowerLite 4000-Series.
The 4770W includes horizontal and vertical lens shift, has HDMI, VGA and DisplayPort inputs as well as wireless projection via Epson iProjection app as well as these features:
- Built-in lens shift: Up to 70 percent vertical lens shift and 38 percent horizontal lens shift
- Remarkable video processing: Faroudja DCDi Cinema technology for exceptional video quality without introducing artifacts
- Split Screen Capability: Project two images (video or still) side by side from two different sources, simultaneously
- Network management and control tools: Remote presentations, built-in schedule function and EasyMP
- Monitor tool to monitor and control all networked Epson projectors, setup email notification, and verify and change internal settings
- Advanced installation features: Including point and arc correction to easily adjust each side of an image for a perfectly rectangular image
- Centered lens design: Position the ceiling mount, screen and projector independently; screen will align with the lens at the center of the projector
- Convenient test patterns: Nine patterns to check linearity, color reproduction, bleeding and tone production; distortion detection included
- Long lamp life: High efficiency lamp lasts up to 5,000 hours in ECO mode and 4,000 hours in normal mode; lamp and filter located on the side panel for easy access and quick, easy replacement even if the projector is mounted
Here are all the tech specs. Leave a Comment
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Sescom Introduces New Line of Premium Audio Cables Sescom today announced the availability of an entire new line of Premium Audio Interface & Microphone Cables. These professionally hand crafted cables feature the highest quality connectors from Neutrik, Switchcraft & Connectronics. According to Sescom, they are built using industry standard star-quad cable from Canare, Belden & Mogami. Sescom’s audio cables come in a variety of styles and combinations including ¼ inch, 3.5mm, RCA and XLR and are manufactured in the USA.
The entire line of Sescom premium audio cables is available and shipping now and you can see it here. Leave a Comment
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Anchor Audio to Launch Bigfoot Powerful Portable PA System at InfoComm 2015 in OrlandoThe Bigfoot Line Array is being promoted by Anchor Audio as the most powerful battery-operated, portable PA ever built — and it will debut this June at InfoComm 2015. The Bigfoot outputs 130 dB and 400 watts AC/DC of sound through its five 8” neodymium woofers and one high-efficiency tweeter, all powered by three rechargeable batteries. It comes in a durable UV resistant enclosure and two rugged, heavy-duty 8” wheels.
The Bigfoot is the first Anchor Audio portable sound system that offers up to four built-in UHF wireless receivers. Standard inputs and outputs include: two universal microphone inputs, one 1/4” balanced line input, one 3.5 mm AUX balanced line input, and USB charging for portable devices. It also features standard built-in Bluetooth connectivity on all models and an optional built-in CD/MP3 combo player. The Bigfoot includes bass and treble controls for fine-tuning as well as a battery level indicator.
The Bigfoot Line Array is available à la carte as well as in packages with either two or four wireless receivers and microphones. The cost of a base unit starts at $3,350 and the top of the line package, the Bigfoot Quad, includes the system with standard built-in Bluetooth, a built-in CD/MP3 combo player, four wireless receivers and the customer’s choice of four wireless microphones.
Here are all the details. Leave a Comment
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Bogen to Debut Four New Lines at InfoComm Bogen Communications will be introducing several new products at InfoComm 2015 including a line of compact, half-rack width amplifiers; a 500-watt amplifier; a compact line array loudspeaker system; and a digital loudspeaker controller.
The CC4062MBT is the latest model in the CC-Series of amplifiers which are 40-watt compact amplifiers with varying inputs and features. The new CC4062MBT provides seven inputs (three mic/line, one aux, one tel, a built-in Media Player with EQ, as well as Bluetooth source-pairing capability) and an MOH output. In addition, it offers individual phantom power for MIC inputs, volume controls for each input, priority muting, bass and treble controls and a REC output. These amps are housed in half-rack width enclosures. Each amplifier measures 8-1/4” wide by 3-1/2” high by 10-3/8” deep and weighs 11 pounds. They work with 70V, 25V, 4-ohm and 8-ohm speaker systems.
Bogen has also added a 500-watt amplifier to its Gold Seal Series. This new addition, Model GS500, provides the same features as the other five models in the series but with double the power (500 watts). Features include seven inputs (four mic, one mic/tel, one mic/aux, one aux); 10-band graphic equalizer; loudness contour control; audio enhancement; phantom power for each MIC input; variable music muting; remote master volume control; automatic level control; balanced line driver output; low-cut filter for MIC channels; and AUX fade back after TEL page.
The Gold Seal Series works with 4-ohm, 8-ohm, 25V, 25VCT and 70V systems. The GS500 provides several safety features such as thermal and overload protection. Separately sold accessories include a tamper-resistant front cover, rack mounting kit and a remote volume control.
Bogen’s ALA-1 system is a compact line arrays system consisting of four parts:
- The ALA-1 is the main array, which incorporates four metal-alloy woofer cone drivers featuring the pioneering voice-coil guidance system by NEAR, with Ferrofluid in the magnet gap.
- The ALA-1LT Long-Throw module increases the array length by 50 percent, focusing this extra energy to augment and extend the performance of the ALA-1 for longer distances.
- The ALA-1DF Down-fill Module increases vertical coverage below the main array greatly improving articulation in front row near-field listening areas often eliminating the need for stage-based front fill speakers.
- The ALA-1S has a 12” woofer which provides high output and extended bass for music and video productions. In addition, a unique mounting bracket that allows the full ALA array to be suspended and tilted.
Finally, the Apogee Model DLX24 is a two-input by four-output digital loudspeaker controller that they say is designed for both live sound and fixed installations. The DLX24’s software allows custom configuration of any combination of Apogee speaker presets and provides remote volume control and monitoring of the speaker system through a PC USB interface. Users can access up to 8 bands of parametric equalization, up to 910 milliseconds of delay, LP and HP crossover filters, and peak compressor/limiter (per input channel). Output channels offer the same input capabilities and include an additional RMS compressor/limiter. Output channels can be specific protected Apogee speaker presets or non-protected for non-Apogee products.
All the specifics will be posted here when they officially announce. Leave a Comment
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Yamaha Ships TF Series Digital Consoles, Debuts TF StageMix Mobile Mixing AppThe new Yamaha TF series digital consoles are now shipping and, simultaneously, they have launched TF StageMix, a free iPad app that provides wireless remote control of TF digital mixing console functions via a simple, intuitive graphical interface. The app is designed to make setups faster and lets engineers adjust monitor mixes from the vantage point of the performers onstage or the listener out in the audience using a simple touch interface that directly controls mixing parameters, including channel strip, noise gate, compression and EQ.
The TF series (which stands for TouchFlow Operation) comprises three compact digital mixing consoles, the TF5, TF3 and TF1, which feature 33, 25, or 17 motor faders, respectively, along with 32, 24, or 16 rear-panel analog inputs. Each console includes recallable Yamaha D-PRE pre-amplifiers for the first time in a digital console, which facilitates support for live music and events where full setup changes need to be made on the fly. There are a total of 48 inputs on the TF5 and TF3, with 40 on the TF1, including dual stereo analog/USB digital inputs and dual returns. Advanced live recording features include up to 34 x 34 channel recording and playback via USB 2.0 and 2 x 2 with a USB storage device. All of this, plus seamless operation with high-performance I/O racks.
Some of the TF series features include a 1-knob COMP and 1-knob EQ features make it easy to dial in the ideal sound via a single rotary control on inputs for adjusting individual sources and on outputs for overall sound control. The GainFinder feature facilitates optimum gain setup for individual input signals, making ideal overall signal quality easily achievable.
The TF5 (List: $4,200), TF3 (List: $3,500) and TF1 (List: $2,950) are now shipping. Here are the detailed specs. Leave a Comment
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe HOW out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
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To send me feedback, don’t reply to this newsletter. Instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas, Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I’ve been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don’t think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.
Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship ePublication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GHGav [Green, Healthcare & Government AV] in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com
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