Volume 4, Issue 3 — March 30, 2015
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House of Worship Trends The Future of HOW
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Solutioneering: Helping Churches Define AVL Budgets
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
How much should a church set aside for making audio, video and lighting (AVL) upgrades? As each church is unique and budgets are vastly different from church to church, the best way to answer that is to look at what drives their budget. Considering about 50 percent of a church’s annual finances are dedicated towards staffing and operational costs, whatever the budget for AVL is doing to be, it’s working out of whatever is left after these recurring expenses are covered.
When it comes to helping churches realistically define AVL budgets for churches, it’s important to note that they are driven by three main components:
- Vision from church leadership (Value: how important is AVL technology to leadership as it pertains to services and events at their campuses?)
- Content and frequency (Application: what will be utilized and how often will it be in use?)
- Personnel – the ability & quantity of technical personnel (Expertise: who can provide the technical content, support, and maintenance?)
These three factors have more importance in the budget total than do attendance, membership, denomination, operating budgets, or location.
Helping Churches Identify Real-World Costs of AVL
Imagine driving a defined sales pipeline that is as simple as checking options off of a list. That’s dreamy for vendors, and it’s a helpful reality for the vast majority of churches that lack the technical expertise on staff to make decisions encompassing AVL technology purchases.
To help churches with this process, start by identifying which parts of the solution you’re offering and how they need to consider allocating budget for the five budget line items for Media:
- Hardware upgrades/new hardware
- Software upgrades/new software
- Preventative and ongoing maintenance
- Personnel training (conferences and trade shows) and education
- Peopleware — outsourcing of contract labor for projects and special events
New Construction Budget
Another useful bit of data that can help give context to the question of ‘how much’ are the budgets for AVL technical systems in new construction projects. It’s not uncommon to see 8 percent of the total budget allotted to provide a rudimentary AVL system. Twelve to fifteen percent of the total new construction budget will provide a solid system, and 20-22 percent of the total budget will build a technically-savvy venue. So for a $1 million new building campaign, anywhere from $80,000 (rudimentary) to $220,000 (technically savvy) can be budgeted for the technical systems alone.
Annual Operating Budget
Even though Media budgets vary greatly from church to church, it’s safe to apply 5-10 percent of the A/V/L system cost (if budgeted correctly using the above three averages) as yearly operations and maintenance dollar amounts. So if a church spends $150,000 on your A/V/L system, then anywhere from $7,500-15,000 a year can easily be spent making sure the systems remain in perfect operational order and that they’re getting the software and hardware updates as well as replacement parts that are necessary in order to keep the technology from becoming obsolete or failing due to inadequate preventive maintenance.
A “rule of thumb?” Even though there’s not hard scientific data on this budgeting process, but I will point out one bit of scientific data from a report that I co-authored. Back in 2005, I helped TFCInfo create the first scientific report on how churches allocated budget for projection technology.
The main bit of data shows that of the churches that participated in the survey (n=650), 45 percent of them spent more than $11K on their projection system. This data is striking when the average size of the church in the survey was revealed: under 300 in attendance. Churches with an average attendance between 500-1,000 spent $32K on projection alone and mega churches (2,000+ attendance) spent $186K on average. All of those numbers are from the research we did in 2005, but it’s the only accurate data on the subject, so I offer it as a baseline reference point.
Conclusion for Vendors
The future is here and now. When manufacturers leverage their massive expertise at leveraging technology and systems integrators provide the helpful insights to demonstrate good stewardship of financial resources through realistic budgeting for technology, the opportunities will present themselves.
Though I risk saying it again here on rAVe [Publications] for the umpteenth time, the House of Worship market is ready and willing to spend money with those who help them define the scope, protect their finances from wasteful spend, and equip church leaders to make meaningful decisions around AVL technology.
How is the A/V/L industry doing at educating and equipping churches? Share your views and links in the comments below. Leave a Comment
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Church Video Venues in High Demand
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
When churches realized the value of video had also intersected with high brightness and low cost, the multi-site and satellite campus model went from a handful of mega churches (churches with greater than 2,000 in weekend attendance) to tens of thousands of churches. With this exponential explosion of multi-site churches — that is, a separate venue utilized as another service style option or for more seating capacity — manufacturers and systems integrators have key sales opportunities for entirely new audio, video and lighting systems to make these venues a reality.
I have identified four types of church video venues; each represents an ever-increasing substantial technology deployment and greater sales opportunities for those firms willing to address this high-growth segment of the house of worship market.This is the stunning opportunity of church video venues in high demand.
Type 1 – Overflow Video Venue
Growing churches will find themselves running out of space in their main meeting venue. A seemingly simple step is to open up another part of the facility, run a video and audio cable to the room and fire up a projector and portable sound system. Voila! A “video venue” is born. Well, not really. While the concept of space-sharing is great, the implementation of the technology and the logistics of planning are often overlooked.
Example of a video overflow room
Larry Osborne, the pastor of North Coast Church in Costa Mesa, Calif., is credited with being the grandfather of video venues, as their church was the first to use video in this way. His vast experience of trial and error led him to underscore an important lesson from creating a simple overflow video room: Adding video and audio to an empty room does not a video venue make. In fact, he noted that when technology was the only thing in the room, people didn’t pay attention and the very essence of the community feel was lost. Larry likened it to putting people in a ‘penalty box’ for showing up late for service and not being able to sit in the main church auditorium.
The solution was to add people and not just technology. From ushers and greeters to worship leaders, the only person not in the overflow room is the teaching pastor on the screen. This is an important lesson for manufacturers and systems integrators to learn as they need to position technology as being in concert with adding staff and volunteers for overflow venues.
Type 2 – Video Cafe Video Venue
Often called a Video Cafe, the worship service format/space/style can be very different from the main service auditorium, but still utilize the sermon videotaped (or live or time-shifted — more on that in a minute) from the main auditorium. The term Video Cafe usually equates with a Starbucks type of setup, but in all reality is just a term that more accurately describes a different venue from the main service.
A Video Cafe can be on-site (at the same campus but in a different venue) or off-site (at a satellite campus), depending on the vision and intent of the church leadership. Technically, these can utilize single or multiple screens (venue specific as the needs fit) and most have a single tape/disc of switched camera shots recorded during the main venue service. Most will only include the sermon/message portion from the main service, opting for live (and often different) music, or video roll-ins for these alternative worship services. The biggest difference is in the contextualization of the service type.
One of the most interesting technical aspects of video cafes is the opportunity to change the seating and layout of the space to accommodate the various gathering sizes. Thinking very much like a cafe indeed, this level of flexibility often can be applied to the technology, allowing for inventive uses of video screen, and sound systems. For some, this might be a distributed audio system instead of a cluster or line array, allowing for seating to face in multiple directions. Flexibility in the technology and design is paramount in these venues.
Type 3 – Independent Satellite Campus Video Venue
Satellite campuses can take on many forms — from temporary facilities like school gymnasiums or fine art centers to new campuses. Aside from the logistics of set-up and tear-down between temporary venues and new permanent venues, the technology is often utilized much like a Video Cafe, only without the shared facilities.
Having visited dozens of church satellite campuses, I’m convinced that the ultimate (and, unsurprisingly, most expensive) format includes a multi-screen, multi-source approach. In this setup, two (or more, as the venue needs demand) side screens provide the IMAG feed.
Defining IMAG – The use of close-up and medium (*mid-leg to waist-up) camera shots used to visually engage those seated far from the platform. In video venues, close IMAG camera shots are used on the side screens, while a larger center screen shows a locked-down (*doesn’t move to follow any action) shot of the main stage area, covering an area slightly taller than the main teaching pastor, often without panning the camera to follow. The end effect is a life-sized person on this center screen ‘walking around’ on the stage while the side screens capture the up-close IMAG.
It was North Point Church in the Atlanta area that started out using high definition video for their lock-down camera projected onto a center screen (borrowing an HD camera from NASA, no less). Since that time, many churches have implemented HD video and had stunning success with what I call the “suspension of disbelief.” What happens is that two sources — one recorded from the main campus IMAG switcher and one recorded directly from the center locked-down camera — are routed to the screens. The IMAG feed goes to the side screens and the center camera video is sent exclusively to the center screen (which drops down after the music is concluded). They are synchronized with Time Code and play back in perfect sync.
Example of a very large center screen with a projected pastor (he’s about 8 1/2 feet tall on the screen, but not to the eye) that provides the suspension of disbelief for the viewer
Example of a center screen with a ‘larger-than-life’ teaching pastor sitting on a stool.
Example of a center screen dropped to the stage floor, utilizing a locked-down center camera shot from the main auditorium.
Notice how people on the left side look across to the right screen (which is squared to them) and how even the people in the middle largely watch the close-up side screens.
Example of a very large center screen with a projected pastor (about 8 1/2 feet tall on the screen) that provides the suspension of disbelief for the viewer.
The end result: the audience watches the tight shots (IMAG) on the side screens (non-HD) while they see the main speaker/teacher in their peripheral vision. Because people see a “life-sized” version of the person on the stage (in HD), they quickly forget that it’s not real for two important reasons:
- The HD image quality is far superior to standard NTSC video, resulting in a more life-like version on the center screen.
- The physical spacing between the side screens and the center screen allow your mind to believe that the center screen is the ‘real thing,’ especially if it’s either hung low enough to be near/at the stage or it’s an ascender screen that comes up out of the stage (see the four photos above).
I’m often asked why I’d use SD video on the side screens when HD looks so much better. There’s my answer above, of course, by the truth is that an HD camera with good glass and in good lighting will still produce beautiful SD downconverted video over SDI. Most people wouldn’t notice the difference of live video SD being “less pretty” without a side by side comparison (which wouldn’t happen since the center screen would never show the same image). The suspension of disbelief is the point here.
Type 4 – Interactive Satellite Campus Video Venue
The most difficult of the four types of video venues, by far, is the interactive satellite campus video venues. The technology required to connect — in real-time — campuses spread out by miles is not inexpensive or easy to manage. But, for the church willing to make this leap, the results can be amazing.
The trick here is to have a live audio and video backbone (over dark fiber, microwave or satellite), and enough channels of audio, video and communications (such as Clear Com), as well as the necessary bandwidth to do it all in real-time. It’s usually done over dark fiber, with direct connections made through a dark fiber backbone (point-to-point or point-to-multi-point) so that bandwidth is never an issue. It’s very expensive (think hundreds of dollars per mile, per month).
Often, though, because video is bandwidth-intensive, some systems integrators will compress the video to reduce the file size during transfer. However, remember that the whole point of that center screen was to make it life-like (hence, the use of HD video). So, if the HD signal needs to be compressed to make it fit over a connection, the end result can be less-than-HD video quality, which negates the point of HD in the first place.
Other than that, just the sheer logistics, staff and volunteers necessary to pull this off is staggering. I know of one church in Florida doing this, going so far as to share the mix between three campuses in real-time, such that the FOH engineer at each campus can pull in the vocals/instruments from any of the other campuses for their own mix. This requires incredible planning and logistics to pull off, and I’m not personally sure this is something I’d ever want to do. But… it can be done.
Conclusions for Manufacturers and Integrators
This opportunity numbers in the thousands, as the shift to video venues and satellite campuses is happening in both traditional churches and more contemporary houses of worship. The key considerations from a vendor perspective include:
- If you’ve not yet done it, build out a House of Worship section on your website. Make it easy and obvious for churches to find solutions that fit their context using your technologies.
- Offer video venue options that align with the four kind of video venues above. Give churches options and consider the limitations and opportunities present in each kind of venue.
- Don’t push products — offer solutions. Nothing turns a church off from a potential sale faster than feeling like you’re trying to push things on them that they don’t need. Honesty and forthright descriptions for each solution go a long, long way in the H.O.W. market.
- Demonstrate your expertise by speaking to their pain points and solving problems they haven’t even yet considered. Don’t talk down to them; simply talk with them as if you’re just waiting for them to join the conversation.
How should manufacturers and systems integrators make the most out of the explosive video venue market? Share your views and links in the comments below. Leave a Comment
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Bose Professional Expands ControlSpace Dante-Enabled Products Bose Professional has expanded its range of Dante-enabled ControlSpace offerings with several new Dante endpoints and a new fixed-I/O DSP, providing integrators more options for creating installed audio solutions using Dante. The new ControlSpace products — ESP-1600 engineered sound processor; EP22-D and EP40-D endpoints; and WP22B-D and WP22BU-D wall plates — were designed to allow for Dante connectivity in houses of worship, classrooms, conference centers, hotel meeting and ballrooms, sporting and live performance venues and others.
The ControlSpace ESP-1600 extends the line of Bose fixed-I/O engineered sound processors with a new model designed for up to 16 analog inputs. The ESP-1600 features a built-in ESPLink output for sending eight digital audio channels to one or more PowerMatch amplifiers and when combined with a Dante card, the ESP-1600 becomes a powerful, high-quality and cost effective input processor (e.g. stage box) for Dante network distribution.
ControlSpace Dante endpoints, including the EP22-D 2-in/2-out Dante endpoint, EP40-D 4-input Dante endpoint, WP22B-D 2-in/2-out Dante wall plate and WP22BU-D 2-in/2-out Dante wall plate, complement Bose ControlSpace ESP products and PowerMatch lines and share configuration and control using ControlSpace Designer software. ControlSpace Dante endpoints, combined with ControlSpace ESP products and PowerMatch amplifiers, allow installers to create Dante-enabled systems of nearly any size, in either new installations or when retrofitting existing systems. Available in wall-box and rack/wall-mount versions enabling installation in various locations (surface, table, shelf, rack), Bose ControlSpace Dante endpoints are convenient and cost-effective for connecting analog devices like microphones and mixer amps.
Also, the company’s ControlSpace Designer software has been updated to version 4.2 to support the ControlSpace Dante endpoints and the ESP-1600 processor.
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Apogee Announces Compatibility with Logic Pro X Audio Interface ControlsApogee has announced the availability of new software installers that provide compatibility with the audio interface remote controls recently introduced in Logic Pro X 10.1 and Logic Remote 1.2. Now Logic users with Apogee Duet, ONE, Quartet, Ensemble or Symphony I/O can adjust hardware input parameters directly from the Mixer view in Logic Pro X and Logic Remote, including mic pre gain, input type selection, phase control and more. This simplified user experience lets Logic users focus on a single session window when recording, and offers complete visibility and control of input parameters.
These same input controls are also now accessible through the Logic Remote App on iPad, enabling Apogee users to wirelessly adjust their input levels and settings from anywhere in the studio. Drummers can adjust mic pres without having to get up from behind the kit, engineers can do a line check while still setting up mics, and home musicians recording themselves can switch between a microphone and directly connected instrument without having to be in front of their computers.
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BenQ Launches New 5,000 Lumen SU917 ProjectorBenQ America has introduced its new SU917 Colorific projector aimed at large venues.
Featuring 5,000 lumens of brightness, high 7000:1 contrast ratio and WUXGA resolution, BenQ’s all-new SU917 projector equips presenters with content-display capabilities that make images fly off the screen, even in rooms with ambient light. Incredibly easy to set up, the device’s 1.5x big zoom lens provides a wider throw distance range while vertical lens shift capabilities — 120 percent to 145 percent — reduce the need to make frequent adjustments to the projector’s placement. To further facilitate installations, the projector’s 2D keystone (+/- 30) lets users easily align images while corner fit allows installers to adjust the four corners of any projection manually by setting both horizontal and vertical values. A hotkey directly on the remote walks users through a seamless setup process.
Equipped with MHL technology, the SU917 enables streaming and mirroring capabilities for users’ handheld devices, allowing presenters or participants to transfer small-screen content to the big screen directly from any portable unit. For added flexibility, the projector features Wireless Display for cable-free connections to content sources. When paired with BenQ’s QPresenter Pro app, users can transfer files from both iPhone and iPad devices.
Featuring BenQ’s energy-saving SmartEco technology, the SU917 automatically adjusts lamp power by up to 70 percent in order to apply just the right level of brightness. To further increase power savings, an “Eco Blank” mode allows presenters to blank out the screen whenever a source isn’t detected for more than three minutes. For quick rebooting whenever the projector is accidentally switched off, an Instant Restart feature lets users immediately reactivate the SU917 during 90 seconds where power is maintained at 30 percent.
BenQ’s SU917 projector is now shipping. All the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Mackie Updates My Fader App for DL Series Digital Mixers Mackie today updated its My Fader control app that controls the Mackie DL32R, DL1608 and DL806 digital mixers. Designed for iPhone and iPod touch, My Fader v3.0 is designed for on-stage performers controlling their own monitors or engineers who need quick mobile control over any mix. The new version includes a new updated user interface and an expanded feature set for additional control on-stage or off.
My Fader v3.0 new features include support for control alongside Master Fader v3.0, which delivers total control of any Mackie DL Series mixer from an iPad. It also features support for iOS8 and the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The user interface has been redesigned, with a modern look and feel that is in step with the main Master Fader control app.
The new design also supports better functionality and control. Channel ID can now be configured using My Fader. Users can add custom names, icons or even photos for effective identification during the show. Channel colors and output colors are also now supported. In the mixer view, users now have access to subgroups and VCAs for additional mix management. This allows one-touch volume control over groups of channels like backing vocals, horns or other channels that need to be controlled at once. The view group selector is now accessible, allowing users to view only the channels needed for that particular song or setup. Access limiting has also been updated, providing even more control over what each device can control, keeping specific users out of other mixes, including the front-of-house mix.
My Fader v3.0 is available now as a free download here. Leave a Comment
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Audio-Technica Ships System 10 PRO Rack-Mount Digital Wireless SystemAudio-Technica is now shipping its new System 10 PRO Rack-Mount Digital Wireless System, the latest addition to the A-T System 10 wireless solutions. Like all System 10 models, the System 10 PRO Rack-Mount operates in the 2.4 GHz range, keeping it free not only from TV interference but also from the uncertain regulatory future facing the TV bands. Its durable rack-mount chassis houses one or two receiver units that can be operated locally within the chassis or be removed and mounted remotely (up to 300 feet away) via Ethernet cable. This groundbreaking approach to delivering wireless increases the versatility of the system while also greatly enhancing wave propagation – without the substantial expense of adding an antenna distributor and corresponding cables. Additionally, up to five System 10 PRO chassis (10 receivers) can be linked together using the RJ12 cable included with each system, creating a stable multichannel system with the simultaneous use of up to 10 channels.
The chassis’ LCD Dual System Display shows RF signal level, system ID, transmitter battery level, and system link status for both channels. Like all the products in the System 10 wireless family, the PRO Rack-Mount features 24-bit/48 kHz wireless operation, easy setup, clear, natural sound quality, and three levels of diversity assurance: frequency, time, and space. Frequency Diversity sends the signal on two dynamically allocated frequencies (with automatic frequency selection) for seamless, interference-free operation. Time Diversity sends the signal in multiple time slots to maximize immunity to multi-path interference. Space Diversity uses two antennas on each transmitter and receiver to maximize signal integrity. A ground-lift switch helps eliminate audible hum caused by ground loops.
Each System 10 PRO Rack-Mount system includes an ATW-RC13 receiver chassis, one or two ATW-RU13 receiver units, one or two AT8690 receiver-unit mounting brackets, one RJ12 cable, two rack mounting brackets, one joining plate, one AC adapter, and one or two ATW-T1001 UniPak body-pack and/or ATW-T1002 handheld transmitters. Both the receiver chassis and transmitters feature easy-to-read displays.
System 10 PRO is available in these configurations:
- ATW-1301 Single Channel Bodypack System $599.00
- ATW-1301/L Single Channel Bodypack System w/ Lav $699.99
- ATW-1302 Single Channel Handheld System $629.00
- ATW-1311 Dual Channel Bodypack System $1,059.00
- ATW-1311/L Dual Channel Bodypack System w/ Lav $1,259.00
- ATW-1312 Dual Channel BP/HH System $1,089.00
- ATW-1312/L Dual Channel BP/HH System w/ Lav $1,189.00
- ATW-1322 Dual Channel Handheld System $1,119.00
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Adamson to Launch New S-Series Line Array Family Adamson Systems Engineering just launched its new S-Series a sub-compact line array system, which consists of the S10 line array enclosure, S119 subwoofer, Blueprint AV and the E-rack, Adamson’s new unified rack solution.
The S10 is a two-way, full range, sub-compact line array enclosure ideal for mid-size arenas, theaters, churches and dance clubs, as well as outdoor festivals. It is loaded with two newly designed 10” ND10-LM Kevlar Neodymium low frequency drivers and an NH4TA2 1.5” exit high frequency compression driver mounted to a wave shaping sound chamber which produces a slightly curved wavefront with a nominal dispersion pattern of 110° x 10° (H x V). The compact solution — 265/10.4 x 737/29 x 526/207 (mm/in) — weighs in at a mere 27/60 (kg/lbs).
Due to extensive boundary element testing, the chamber exhibits increased vertical response with minimal sacrifice of high frequency energy in the far field. The S10 offers tremendous output (max peak SPL 141.3 dB) for such a compact enclosure.
The overall sonic characteristic of the S10 enclosure is amazingly clean due to Adamson’s patent-pending Controlled Summation Technology — a design method that brings the LF drivers as close together as possible, while symmetrically outwardly splaying them. Adams says the end result increases usable frequency range while decreasing summation at the crossover point, reducing interference. The LF drivers are also recessed behind the exit of the HF sound chamber, so as to not limit the size and shape. A small amount of delay aligns the lows to the high frequency energy, with some dynamic overlap control in place as well to diminish any remaining noticeable interference.
The companion S119 subwoofer is loaded with a light-weight, long excursion, 19” ND19 Kevlar Neodymium driver utilizing Adamson’s Advanced Cone Architecture and a 5” voice coil for exceptional power handling. It is mounted in an ultra-efficient front-loaded enclosure, designed to reproduce clean, musical low frequency information.
The cabinets for both the S10 and S119 enclosures are constructed out of marine grade birch plywood, aircraft grade steel and aluminum and feature SpeakonTM NL8 connectors. The S-Series utilizes Adamson’s new SlideLock Rigging System which allows angles to be set prior to lifting, which then fall into place when weight is taken. A stacking pin is also present to maintain proper enclosure angles when ground stacked. The S10 enclosure is also available as the S10i, utilizing a plated rigging system for permanent installation. The S10i’s slimmed down rigging reduces the weight and cost of the enclosure.
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Bryston Expands BIT Lineup of AC Power Isolation Devices Bryston has launched the new BIT (Bryston Isolation Transformer) models aimed at larger applications. The new 45- and 60-amp models feature a 220/240-volt input with a 120-volt output and are available with or without AVR technology (Automatic Voltage Regulation). In addition to these new models, all BIT products will now be available with standard rack-mount faceplates, making them ideally suited for larger residential and commercial installations.
Bryston says the BIT product lineup was developed to address the need for an AC power device that accomplished three key objectives: power line conditioning, isolation and non-MOV-based protection. Existing models include 5-, 15- and 20-amp versions, now available with either 17-inch standard faceplates or 19-inch rack-mount faceplates.
Bryston’s new BIT products are already shipping and range in list prices from $5,900-$8,900.
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Harbinger Announces 14-Channel LP9800 Powered Mixer Harbinger’s new LP9800 is 14-channel powered mixer, part of its LvL series, that provides 800 watts of power. Users are able to drive stereo mains, split the power to handle both mains and monitors, or deliver all 800 watts in Mono Bridge mode. Each power-amp channel (mains and monitors) has a level control and a 5-segment LED input meter so you can check levels at a glance.
Line-level preamp outputs are provided for feeding powered stereo main and mono monitor speakers, so Harbinger says the LP9800 works great with virtually any speaker system. A pair of 1/4-inch line-level inputs let you route stereo signals directly to the amplifier.
You get 14 input channels with nine XLR microphone inputs and 1/4″ TRS balanced line inputs-each with a -25 dB pad, rumble filter, and clip indicator-plus three stereo channels with XLR mic and 1/4″ TS inputs, and a total of 14 line inputs. That’s easily enough to mix and manage sound for an entire band. Every input channel has a three-band EQ, effects send, and aux send. Globally switched, +48 volt phantom power serves all microphone inputs.
Dual, 9-band graphic EQ lets you shape the main or monitor mix. RCA Aux In and Aux Out jacks can route break music from a CD/MP3 player, send the main mix to a recording device, and more.
A 24-bit, stereo, digital effects processor delivers studio-grade reverb, delays and various other effects, complete with a Quick Parameter control, on/off switch, and 16 performance-ready presets. The effects can be routed to both the mains and the monitors, with separate level controls. You even get a jack for an effects-bypass footswitch (not included).
It lists for $349 and all the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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Extron Ships Six Input, Four Output Audio Expansion Processor with AEC and Dante Extron is shipping the AXP 64 C AT, an audio expansion processor with six mic/line inputs and four line outputs for remote connectivity to a Dante-enabled DMP 128 audio system. It is used to place six mic/line sources onto a Dante audio network, and route any four Dante channels from the network to an amplifier or other destination. The AXP 64 C AT features Extron ProDSP with gain, filtering, and dynamics processing for all inputs and outputs. Four of the inputs also include AEC, 48 volt phantom power, and dedicated control ports for mic control. FlexInputs offer the additional capability to process Dante channels in place of the first four local inputs. A single Ethernet cable from one AXP 64 C AT, or several linked units, to a central equipment rack greatly reduces the effort and expense of pulling one cable for each endpoint.
The AXP 64 C AT includes four independent channels of AEC with advanced algorithms for fast convergence and optimal intelligibility in conferencing applications. The AEC-enabled inputs also offer FlexInput capability to route a Dante channel through the processor in place of a local mic/line input. The flexible input selection enables the AXP 64 C AT to process audio from remote wireless microphones, wallplates, and other sources from anywhere on the Dante network.
In an installation with a large number of mics, the AXP 64 C AT audio expansion processor places audio signals onto the Dante audio network using standard IP networking. Signals are received as expansion inputs at one or more DMP 128 AT processors. A sound system designer can incorporate several AXP 64 C AT or Extron AXP 50 C AT audio expansion processors to create a large mixing matrix with up to 56 remote inputs and 24 outputs per DMP 128 AT using the built-in four-port Gigabit switch. This greatly simplifies scalability and the audio cabling infrastructure by avoiding long analog mic cable runs. To further simplify the audio cabling infrastructure, the AXP 64 C AT converts four channels from the Dante network to line level audio signals, processes them, and routes the optimized audio to local sound reinforcement systems.
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Lumens Intros New VS-LC101 Compact CaptureVision Lecture Capture Station Lumens Integration today introduced the VS-LC101 CaptureVision lecture capture station. The VS-LC101 can capture up to four different signals while synchronously recording, broadcasting and streaming up to 1080p.
The VS-LC101 CaptureVision Station is compatible with HDMI, VGA and RJ45 (networked content) and it can capture and record each of the inputs synchronously in the classroom, including Full-HD network cameras, a PowerPoint presentation from a laptop while using a document camera, digital microscope and DVD player, for example.
Lumens’ claims that a proprietary so-called, Signal Separation Technology, allows the flexibility of a single or dual source front stage (live lecture) display while simultaneously performing multi-source and multi-screen recording.
The VS-LC101 CaptureVision Station comes with an internal GUI and a remote control. The administrator of the CaptureVision can comletely control it either live or remotely via the network.
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tvONE’s Voyager USB 2.0 Fiber Optic Extender Ships tvONE has just started shipping its new Voyager USB 2.0 Fiber Optic Extender that allows extension of USB 2.0 up to 500 meters from a computer using multi-mode fiber. Distances up to 10KM can be reached using single-mode fiber and upgraded SFPs. The Voyager USB 2.0 Fiber Optic KVM extender is two units: the CPU Transceiver and the Remote Transceiver.
The Voyager USB is designed for extending USB peripherals including keyboards, mice, interactive whiteboards, touchscreens, flash drives, hard drives, audio devices, cameras and any other USB device across a dedicated multi-mode or single-mode fiber connection. And each pair can accommodate up to 14 different USB devices at one time. When used in combination with Magenta Voyager Matrix routers, such as the VG-48 and VG-160, designers can build remote managed computer/video applications with thousands of endpoints on a security-isolated fiber infrastructure over a 10km radius.
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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).
Don’t like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below.
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
To read more about my background, our team and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top |
Copyright 2015 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: Sara@rAVePubs.com
rAVe contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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