Volume 5, Issue 1 — January 28, 2016
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House of Worship Trends The Future of HOW
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Cost Savings vs. Stewardship: Tech Buying in Churches
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
There is a saying that churches buy a sound system three times. The first is the one the building “comes with” that was most likely designed by the general contractor or a local music store. A well-meaning but ill-experienced volunteer who adds some new equipment typically installs the second system. The third system is usually the result of the church leadership (and members) being tired of the problems. A consultant or design/build A/V firm normally designs this third system and does it right.
The Online Price Bait & Phone Sales
This first type of mistake isn’t the fault of the Internet. It’s the mind-set that brings about this type of purchase: determining budgets before assessing needs (or even knowing how). Not knowing how to determine the right projector and associated hardware leads to wasted money and frustrated viewers.
In my years of design/build and then consulting churches, the story is almost always the same. They shop the model number or even a ‘system price’ (why do some systems integrators do this?) and go for the lowest price. What they fail to realize is that while it’s possible to buy cheap for a commodity item, the cost of ownership isn’t calculated into the price. What was a ‘good price’ is potentially a poor value.
Similarly, you simply shouldn’t sell a system over the phone. It’s impossible to know what the church needs, what the environmental factors are in the building, or what kind of structural or electrical limitations exist. A site-survey is in order.
Sure, someone can ask good questions, but unless the church knows what kind of light meter readings to take, what how to measure the acoustics of a room, what type of cabling and infrastructure are present, they’re really just skimming the surface. I have yet to find a church that has had a system sold to them over the phone that was even remotely close to what the church needed. And, yet, I find advertisements to churches that say things like:
“[Company name here] is the leading provider of multimedia equipment to the religious market.” — How can they even begin to back that statement up, factually?
“Brilliant, vivid projection even in normal room light.” — Because sunlight is equal in every room on every size screen? I actually found this advertisement pitched by a Christian bookstore — obvious projection experts.
I’m amazed that a few of these “church A/V firms” are still in business. One, in particular, is infamous in our industry for poorly designed systems. Yet, they’re still in business. How is this possible? The answer is that a shockingly large (majority?) percentage of churches don’t check references. At all. How hard is this? Promote your list of references! Encourage them to make those calls.
When Churches Buy Too Fast
If a church is not a fast-growth with lots of A/V/L projects happening repeatedly, chances are they’re not going to be up-to-speed when it comes to knowing what’s now possible since their last system was installed (a decade or more ago). This can lead to last minute, we-need-it-fast purchases.
Generally speaking, entire system upgrades happen for three reasons in churches:
1) New building program
2) Renovation of existing building
3) Expanding to a new multi-site campus
If a church is about to begin new construction, build relationships with the architects and general contractors in your town. Implementing the A/V/L design at this stage will save the church thousands of dollars down the road as important infrastructure such as conduit, power runs, screen placement, speaker weight loads, control point access, lighting fixture hang points, and wall plate and floor box locations that affect A/V/L design will be mapped out early on in the process (and is a cost-savings on change orders, too).
Well-meaning architects want a pretty space, but marrying form with function isn’t an easy process. I’ve been brought in countless times after a building was mostly constructed, only to find out that we couldn’t move the screens to the correct location because large steel I-beams are irrevocably in the way, or no conduit was run to key positions. Your value to churches at the beginning of the process will save them money and even building delays by the mistakes that are not made. This isn’t even a sales-pitch; this is just the truth.
If a church is in the renovation process, the same is true: Earlier is better. Be the experts and a champion for the church. You fight the battles with electricians, GC’s, and architects for the right A/V/L infrastructure to allow the church to have flexibility with technology long after the remodel is completed.
And, if a church is just beginning to use dive deep with A/V/L, work with them to not only recommend equipment, but also train their volunteers and staff on the operation and ongoing maintenance. Heck, position the service contract and contract labor options to help them get ramped up and running smoothly long after the installation is complete.
Let churches know you will help them to create a unified system, and give them a clear upgrade path for growth. With the desired outcomes defined, the system will have a value that is greater than the sum of the line item pricing.
Good Stewardship Usually Isn’t Low Cost
One of the truths I’ve taught for nearly two decades is that churches are spending money that comes from the sacrifice of the congregation; as such, being a good steward is key. Because of this, more than a few churches associate good stewardship with cost savings. But if a church saves some money on a cheap system that doesn’t meet their needs, it’s just a matter of time before they have to buy more (or replace what didn’t work). There’s even situations where a church buys a system three times before they finally spent money on what actually worked for their ministry. That is the antithesis of good stewardship.
Good stewardship is less about how much money was saved, and more about how much money wasn’t wasted. Buy a system three times? Yeah, that’s not good stewardship.
Help churches be good stewards. Sell them value, and let price be what it is: the summation of what it takes to create their desired outcome.
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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It’s Time to Upgrade Church Video Systems
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
Like the sound systems of old, large screen displays have undergone a major change that would benefit churches with lower cost of ownership and far greater visual support. And, also like old sound systems, it’s time for an upgrade. Especially when it will be less expensive and more effective within even the next five years.
It wasn’t too long ago that 2,000- to 3,000-lumen projectors were the most brightness-per-dollar for the majority of churches. Spreading those lumens across hundreds of square feet of screen required black-box rooms and limited to no ambient light for even high contrast text for song lyrics and sermon notes to be viewable around a church auditorium. During the 1990s and early 2000s, projector technology’s steady increase in brightness allowed for more flexibility in content and opened the door to new ways of using projection. We started to see 10,000+ lumens in medium sized churches with the addition of campus venues. For example, the entire church satellite campus movement was made possible because of larger, brighter projection devices and significant improvements in screen technology. Today, the variety of display technologies is at an all-time high, affording churches the ability to fit the right technology into specific applications and venues.
Projection Still Rules
Easily the most ubiquitous display technology in church auditorium is the video projector. Dollar per square foot, this technology has steadily increased in usage and in function for churches of all sizes and denominations. Less than 50 years ago, the adoption of projection was still underway in local churches, often slowed by a reticence to adopt coupled with the expense. But technology marched on at a blistering pace and adoption by churches increased. Fast forward to today, and many of the technological changes have ushered in more manufacturers and, as a result of supply and demand, lower prices. A scant few years ago, it was common to easily spend $2 to $5 per lumen on a projector. Today, depending on the projector, it’s not uncommon to find a projector for as little as $.25 per lumen for smaller devices. Not to be left out, the high-end, 3-chip DLP projectors rated at over 10,000 lumens have dropped considerably in price from $10-$15 per lumen to less than $5 per lumen. Even the screens used for projection have changed dramatically, as evidenced by the popularity of higher-contrast “grey screen” technology.
Though projection may still be the cost-conscious leader, new LED and micro-tile based displays allow for modular screen sizes (and even screen shapes) and boast incredible contrast ratios to overcome ambient light in many situations. And for smaller venues, the opportunity to use newer 100” diagonal (or larger) LED flat-panels provide stunning picture quality with extremely low power consumption and long life spans with no consumable parts (like lamps on projectors). Even the projector game has changed with the advent of LED and Laser light sources.
Right-fitting Displays into Churches
In spite of these developments, placing screens has seemingly been an afterthought in many church projection designs with screens relegated at odd angles and in off-axis positions. Sometimes, these strange screen placements are due to architectural limitations, but often they’re placed far to the sides of the stage as a means of avoiding the bright stage lighting (saving money on the brightness required of the projectors).
Though screen materials have dramatically improved viewing angles over the years, good design rule-of-thumb is to make sure line of sight to the front-center of the platform is considered. For single/center-mounted screens, the vertical placement should be high enough to see the bottom of the screen just above the head of the pastor or worship leader, but not so high as to make the viewer in the audience choose either to look at the screen or the leader on the platform. With dual side screens, bringing the screens in close enough for those to the side to see over the head of the leader without being too far to the side to also keep the viewer from being forced to choose either the screen or the leader. This design consideration often requires mounting side screens at an angle to face those on the opposite side of the room rather than those closest to the screen. Pastors have been known to require their tech arts teams to turn off projection during the sermon so that as the leader looks out to the audience, the attendees are looking at (or at least in his direction) the pastor for full visual engagement.
Another limitation in projection is the size of the screen. Generally, the height of the screen is determined by measuring the distance from the proposed screen location to the viewer furthest away and dividing by 6. This simple math equation will give the height of the screen. Armed with this data, the width of the screen is automatically determined by the aspect ratio (16:9 is typical). However, even Infocomm has realized that this general rule of thumb needed to be addressed with the advent of higher pixel counts.
Environmental Projection
The concept of projecting onto the ceiling and walls has had a home in a growing number of churches for years. Perhaps the leading expert in the field of environmental projection is Camron Ware of Visual Worshiper. Ware has been finding creative ways to apply environmental projection with fairly inexpensive equipment and using software from Pro Presenter and Pro Video Player. “When [pastors] see imagery that sets the tone for worship, brings scripture verses to life, and visually supports the message, they love it,” declares Ware. “The entire room changes when you can bring visual meaning to the sacred.”
One of the benefits of environmental projection is that almost every surface can be used, making ‘screen position’ for this kind of projection irrelevant. Wrapping the room in imagery and color opens the door to limitless creative possibilities. However, there are trade-offs with environmental projection, namely brightness. For every doubling of the image size, a quadrupling of the brightness is required to maintain the same intensity. In the past, Ware’s solution was (and often still is) to simply reduce the room lighting to accommodate projection without breaking the bank on super-bright projectors. But that, too, is changing, with the increase in both lumen output and exponentially increased contrast ratios.
Re-Engage Churches to Re-Imagine Video
The opportunity to fire up your sales databases and re-engage both old prospects and existing clients is significant. There is no question that display technologies will continue to find new, cost-effective ways into churches; only when and where it will be leveraged by these houses of worship. The calculations of savings per year, reducing the total cost of ownership (power consumption, lamp replacement, etc.), and exponentially increasing the picture quality and perceived brightness will not only appeal to tech leaders, but to pastors who now know what a high quality HD (or better) image looks like in their own living rooms.
While it’s an easy sell, it’s an important part of the overall discussion about upgrading the video system’s ease of use, volunteer training, and signal processing for maximizing their content and output. It’s always a good time to help churches make the most of technology, and this is yet another example of how this vertical market continues to expand their use of A/V/L technology.
From new projection to micro tiles to environmental projection, the opportunities for church video upgrades are impressive. How are you re-engaging your church prospects and clients with upgrade options?
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CAST Software’s wysiwyg R36 Lighting Design Software ShipsCAST Software’s wysiwyg R36 lighting design and previsualization software from CAST is now shipping. CAST has just added a couple of enhancements including support for 4K resolution and 4K image export in Shaded View. The Shaded View feature now exports image views of up to 4096×4096.
wysiwyg R36 has increased compatibility with the latest Sketchup 3D modeling software SDK and associated file formats. Users can import drawings directly from Sketchup into wysiwyg, and textures, layers, surfaces and object groupings are now preserved as they were created. wysiwyg also supports new file formats: Wavefront OBJ, Filmbox FBX, Collada DAE and 3DS Max.
R36 is fully compatible with Windows 10. It is available as a three-, six or 12-month lease or free for all wysiwyg Members. Download it here. Leave a Comment
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Video Devices Ships PIX-E7 4K MonitorVideo Devices has started shipping its PIX-E7 4K recording field monitor. The seven-inch PIX-E7 is the largest model in the PIX-E Series, joining the five-inch PIX-E5 and PIX-E5H.
The 4K-compatible PIX-E7 offers a full suite of precision-monitoring tools, SDI and HDMI I/O, plus the ability record the all available Apple ProRes codecs, up to 4444 XQ 12-bit. The PIX-E7, like the PIX-E5 and PIX-E5H, is also compatible with the innovative, super fast USB-based SpeedDrive — a custom-made enclosure that holds an mSATA solid-state drive. The PIX-E7 also accepts external timecode via a BNC linear input connection, and features a second SDI In, and a general purpose input/output port for tally light and remote control workflows.
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Panasonic Expands SOLID SHINE Series With 5,000-Lumen Laser Phosphor ProjectorPanasonic today introduced a new PT-RZ570U 1-Chip DLP Laser Phosphor projector as part of its new SOLID SHINE series aimed at education.
Utilizing the latest WUXGA DLP resolution chip (1920×1200), the PT-RZ570U’s is specified at 5,000 lumens and a 20,000:1 contrast ratio. Features include Dynamic Mode (designed to increase image brightness) and Standard Mode/Graphic Mode (which adjusts color-wheel timing to produce higher saturated colors).
A filter-less projector with a sealed optical engine block, Panasonic says the PT-RZ570U requires no maintenance for up to 20,000 hours. It also uses a heat-pipe cooling system and robust heat sink work to reduce fan speed, cutting operational noise to just 29 dB on Silent Mode.
The PT-RZ570U features include free 360-degree (vertical and horizontal) installation with auto image rotation for ceiling mounting, 2x zoom lens, extra-wide-range manual lens shift, curved screen and corner keystone correction, Geometric Control, Wave Form Monitor and a HDBaseT-compliant DIGITAL LINK single-cable connection. DIGITAL LINK allows video and control signal transmission for up to 492 ft in Long Reach Mode when used together with Panasonic’s optional ET-YFB200G DIGITAL LINK network switcher.
Edge blending and color matching functions are built in for multi-screen installations and other features such as instant ON/OFF capability, Fade In/Fade Out, Picture-in-Picture modes and Eco Management.
Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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Neutrik Announces XIRIUM PRO Cable Replacement System Neutrik USA just announced the XIRIUM PRO Wireless Digital Audio System. Designed as a cable replacement system, providing audio signals to and from devices without long or complicated cable runs, XIRIUM PRO delivers studio quality, full bandwidth audio with extremely low latency that is free of any compression.
Central to XIRIUM PRO’s is something called DiWA (Digital Wireless Audio) that was developed by Neutrik. DiWA technology provides what they claim is compression-free, FCC license-free, wireless transmission of audio within the 5 GHz band. Delivering ‘cabled’ audio performance, DiWA delivers no compromise, full range (20 Hz – 20 kHz) audio that is free of any compression or compassion.
Neutrik’s new XIRIUM PRO Wireless Digital Audio System accepts Neutrik powerCON TRUE1 connectors. As a result, there are no ‘wall wart’ power supplies necessary. With its ruggedized outdoor rated housing, the system can be used indoors or outdoors. For added convenience, XIRIUM PRO supports control and system adjustments system via tablet or computer.
Here are the details. Neutrik’s XIRIUM PRO Wireless Digital Audio System will also be available through an exclusive relationship with BTX. Leave a Comment
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Waves Audio Now Shipping the eMotion LV1 Live MixerWaves Audio is now shipping the Waves eMotion LV1 mixer, a live digital mixing console that provides real-time audio mixing for front-of-house, monitor and broadcast engineers. Based on Waves SoundGrid technology, this software mixer delivers the superior sound quality for which Waves is renowned, as well as the convenience and speed needed in demanding live environments.
eMotion LV1 gives live engineers unprecedented control over their sound. Each of the mixer’s channels has its own plugin rack capable of running up to eight Waves and third-party plugins. This means you can mix live with hundreds of instances of your favorite plugins, all running inside the mixer itself. All plugin presets and chains saved in eMotion LV1 can be shared with the Waves MultiRack and StudioRack plugin hosts, allowing engineers to move seamlessly between live and studio environments.The mixer’s channel strip — its standard EQ, filters and dynamics processing — is provided by Waves eMo plugins: eMo D5 Dynamics, eMo F2 Filter and eMo Q4 Equalizer. All eMo plugins are designed for maximum clarity and efficiency in a live environment.
eMotion LV1 comes in three configurations: 64, 32 or 16 stereo/mono input channels. The mixer can be controlled by hardware control surfaces and multi-touch devices, ranging from four touchscreens to a single laptop or tablet.
eMotion LV1 uses the SoundGrid infrastructure for audio networking. It can be configured as a portable or stationary setup, and can connect to any SoundGrid-compatible I/O or server. This means that live sound engineers can easily take their mixer with them and run it anytime, anywhere — at home, in a hotel room, on the tour bus, or at the live venue. This way they can have all the time they need to work on their sessions, whether offline or with full-on audio, and make sure they are 100 percent ready for the show.
Features:
- Up to 64 stereo/mono input & 36 stereo buss/return channels
- Run eight SoundGrid-compatible plugins directly on each channel
- Standard channel processing provided by Waves eMo plugins
- Up to 16 auxes, eight audio groups (stereo/mono), L/R/C/Mono, eight matrixes
- 16 DCA faders, eight mute groups, eight user-assignable function controls
- 32-bit floating point mix engine; up to 96 kHz sample rate
- Compatible with industry-standard control surfaces
- Connect to diverse SoundGrid I/Os & drivers and to multiple DAWs
- Windows/Mac 64 bit-compatible
Here are the details.
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Schertler Adds JAM to New Amplifier SeriesSwiss manufacturer Schertler announced the release of JAM, the third member of its “next generation” acoustic amplifier series. Representing an evolution of the company’s JAM 150 amplifier, this new five-channel “all-rounder” offers greater flexibility in both live performance and studio situations. The amp combines a comprehensive feature set with the updated technology and enhanced “look” that is characteristic of all the models in this series.
Equipped with a 1″ dome tweeter and 8” woofer, and featuring an optimized two-way bass reflex construction, JAM offers 200W (150W + 50W) of bi-amplified power. The amplifier includes a balanced microphone (XLR) input, an unbalanced mic/instrument input and an input offering both balanced microphone and unbalanced mic/instrument options. Both instrument inputs feature a Bootstrap technology that enables the input to automatically adapt to any impedance. A separate stereo input channel will additionally accommodate devices such as a computers, MP3 or CD/DVD players. A fifth FX Return channel can also be used for inputting line level devices.
The three main microphone/instrument input channels include a gain control for input sensitivity regulation and three-band EQ, with parametric mids on input channels 1 and 3 and a switchable resonance (notch) filter (240Hz/150Hz) on channel 2. Phantom power is supplied for condenser and electrostatic microphones. Each of these channels also features an overload LED. Channel 1 is additionally equipped with a phase reverse switch to prevent feedback, or unwanted effects between the various channels.
JAM’s Master Section controls include a new adjustable DI out, a new mute button, a line out enabling the connection of external systems, a digital reverb and an insert for connecting an external dynamics processor. An aux out (on channel 1) offers additional connectivity to other systems. A low cut filter (cutting frequencies below 180Hz) can be used with instruments that generate aggressive low frequencies. This also enables a separate subwoofer to be connected without causing any damage to the amplifier. JAM is additionally equipped with a high voltage CLASS-A preamp that has no integrated circuits and No Negative Feedback (NFB).
A choice of wood or anthracite grey finishes is available. Models with the wood finish have a textile front speaker cover. This makes them well suited to normal domestic/home/club use, where they can integrate with a range of interiors or design stages in live music clubs. Models with the anthracite grey finish are equipped with a metal front grille. These have been designed for more robust stage and road use, where there is greater exposure to daily wear and tear or to potential damage during transportation.
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Mojave Audio Debuts MA-50 Large-Diaphragm Transformerless Condenser MicrophoneMojave Audio announced the new MA-50 Large-Diaphragm Transformerless Condenser Microphone. Mojave Audio’s new MA-50 uses the identical capsule as found in the company’s MA-200 and MA-201fet models and handles transients — all the way up to 140dB. The microphone’s transient response and its ability to handle high SPLs make the MA-50 an extremely versatile model: one that is well suited to capturing vocal performances, voiceovers, acoustic instruments, Foley / ADR, as well as percussion instruments and use as drum overheads.
The new MA-50 utilizes a large-diaphragm, fixed-cardioid polar pattern design. The microphone incorporates a 3-micron capsule, employs transformerless circuitry that results in an extremely low noise floor. Details are here. Leave a Comment
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Grund Audio Design Announces New LC Series of SUBsGrund Audio Design announced three new subwoofers designed for use with the company’s LC Series column line arrays — completing the company’s offerings in this product class. The LC-2SA, LC-5SA and LC-8SA subwoofers are all powered systems that incorporate a 2.1 amplifier designed to drive both the subwoofers and stereo satellite column array loudspeakers. The LC-2SA uses a 12-inch LF transducer while the LC-5SA has a 15-inch transducer and the LC-8SA offers an 18-inch transducer.
The LC-2SA subwoofer features a 1200-watt Class D amplifier while the LC-5SA and the LC-8SA employ 1600 and 1800-watt Class D amplifiers respectively. Of particular note, all three subwoofers include on-board DSP capabilities that provide programmable loudspeaker management settings that optimize the column array / subwoofer combination for a variety of environments ranging from corporate presentation spaces and houses of worship to education and DJ.
The new LC Series subwoofers are built using 13-ply Baltic Birch wood for superior performance and cabinet rigidity. The combination of the LC Series column arrays and subwoofers is easily expandable from the basic 2.1 system to more elaborate setups, as the DSP / power module can be switched to accommodate larger systems as more loudspeakers are added.
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Digital Projection to Debut 13K DarkChip Projector at ISE Digital Projection will add to its 3-chip DarkChip DLP-based HIGHlite Laser large venue projector range at ISE with the new HIGHlite Laser II (13,000 ANSI lumens). Digital Projection says that their video processing is improved and the refresh-rate is now 120Hz for the DisplayPort input and 120Hz or 60Hz for HDMI. The 2,000:1 contrast ratio projector is spec’d at 20,000 hours for a solid state laser phosphor light source.
The HIGHlite Laser II includes image edge blending and geometric warp correction. Also in 3D, it includes frame rates up to 144Hz. Two HDMI 1.4, DVI and 3G-SDI inputs are included, as well as HDBaseT connectivity.
It’s not on their website yet, but when it is, it will be here. Leave a Comment
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PreSonos Launches StudioLive AVB Mix SystemPreSonus unveiled its new StudioLive AVB Mix Systems, which combine one or two StudioLive RM-series rack mixers, a StudioLive CS18AIEthernet/AVB control surface, and integrated control, recording, and production software. Scalable, fully recallable, networked over AVB Ethernet, and tightly integrated with included software, the StudioLive AVB Mix Systems put your I/O in an onstage, rack-mount mixing system with an integrated recording interface, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet networking, while providing an advanced control surface at front-of-house with 18 touch-sensitive, motorized faders and 4×2 I/O.
Four systems are available: The StudioLive AVB 16AI Mix System, with one StudioLive RM16AI mixer; StudioLive AVB 32AI Mix System, with one StudioLive RM32AI; StudioLive AVB 48AI Mix System, with one of each RM model, cascaded to form a 48-input, 64-channel system; and StudioLive AVB 64AI Mix System, with two cascaded StudioLive RM32AIs for a 64-input system. You also can start with a single-mixer AVB Mix System and expand it later by cascading a second RM-series mixer. Both mixers in a cascaded AVB Mix System can be controlled from the StudioLive CS18AI and from UC Surface touch-control software.
Equipped with 100 mm, touch-sensitive, motorized faders and AVB networking, the StudioLive CS18AI control surface provides a compact, intuitive mixing solution for StudioLive RM32AI rack-mount digital mixers and for Studio One 3 digital audio workstation, which is included with all AVB Mix Systems. The CS18AI and RM mixers connect to the network with CAT5e or CAT6 Ethernet cable, eliminating the need for cumbersome analog or digital snakes and stage boxes.
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PreSonus Unveils Studio 192 Mobile Audio Interface/Studio Command CenterPreSonus is shipping its new Studio 192 Mobile USB 3.0 22 x 26 audio interface and studio command center. Studio 192 Mobile claims the same high-end audio, low-latency monitoring, tight software integration, and studio command center functionality introduced in PreSonus’ Studio 192 audio interface but in a smaller form factor suitable for both mobile and studio use.
The Studio 192 Mobile records at up to 192 kHz and combines two digitally controlled XMAX Class A, solid-state mic preamps and premium Burr-Brown converters with 118 dB of dynamic range. It offers 18 channels of digital I/O, making it easy to add up to 16 additional remote-controlled microphone preamps when expanded with two DigiMax DP88 A/D/A converters.
Like its big sibling, Studio 192 Mobile was designed to provide more than just abundant I/O and an impeccable sounding front end. It’s also the central command center for your studio, featuring talkback control, Mono and Dim for the main mix output, word clock I/O, a dedicated DAC for the headphone output, and the ability to use its six balanced outputs for monitor mixing or for speaker switching.
Studio 192 Mobile also features the same Fat Channel plug-in found in PreSonus’ Studio One DAW to add parametric EQ and dynamics processing, which can be used for near-zero-latency monitoring or printed to tracks. When used in conjunction with Studio One 3 (Artist edition included), the hybrid Fat Channel plug-in shifts to native processing on playback for a seamless experience between recording and playback.
In addition to Fat Channel processing, the Studio 192 Mobile features extensive integration with the Studio One production environment, including full preamp control and zero-latency monitor mixing. All Studio 192 Mobile features are also controllable from Studio One Remote for iPad, giving you the freedom to step away from your computer while recording.
For third-party DAW users, PreSonus’ innovative UC Surface touch-ready control software for Mac, Windows and iPad is included for easy management of all Studio 192 Mobile functions, including speaker switching and talkback. Use your iPad or Windows Surface Pro as a second screen dedicated to Studio 192 Mobile functions, including preamp control, to simplify gain staging when recording alone. The preamps can also be controlled from the Studio 192 Mobile front panel and via MIDI in third-party DAWs.
The Studio 192 Mobile offers two front-panel mic/instrument inputs and twp rear-panel direct-to-ADC line inputs, 16-channel ADAT optical in and out (eight channels at 88.1 or 96 kHz) coaxial, stereo S/PDIF I/O and BNC word-clock I/O. You get four balanced TRS outputs, balanced stereo main outputs, and a headphone amplifier with independent output, level control and cue source switching.
The Studio 192 Mobile is $599.95. All the specs are here. Leave a Comment
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TASCAM Previews SD-20M RecorderTASCAM has announced the SD-20M, a solid-state recorder in a 1U rack mount that includes a pair of microphone preamps with phantom power for direct microphone recording. Both the mic inputs and line inputs can be recorded simultaneously in four-channel mode. The dual recording mode captures a copy of your audio at a lower level, as insurance against distorted takes.
The SD-20M includes a battery backup system — AA batteries can keep recording for hours in case of power loss. A wired remote or footswitch can be attached to control recording and playback. Variable speed playback allows the playback to be changed without affecting the pitch.
Designed for installations like schools, house of worship, and conferences, the TASCAM SD-20M is a flexible, affordable solution for long-form recording.
- Four-channel solid-state recorder
- Two microphone inputs with phantom power on XLR – 1⁄4″ combo jacks
- RCA stereo line inputs and outputs
- WAV or MP3 recording formats supported
- AA battery backup – keeps recording even after power loss
- SDXC media slot supports up to 128GB cards
- File divide feature
- Dual recording function records a copy of your audio at a lower level for a distortion-proof safety track
- Variable speed playback changes speed without changing the pitch
- Simple user interface
- 1/4″ stereo headphone output
- Remote jack for wired or footswitch control
The SD-20M will list for $249.99 and will ship in May. Here are the details. Leave a Comment
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Mackie Adds New ProDX Wireless Digital MixersMackie just launched a new line of ultra-compact digital mixers with complete wireless control — the ProDX Series. The line features two models, the four-channel ProDX4 and the eight-channel ProDX8. With wireless streaming and control, powerful processing, and an extremely intuitive control app for iOS and Android, ProDX mixers deliver the amazing benefits of digital mixing in Mackie’s most compact mixers ever.
ProDX Series mixers couple the power of digital mixing and an ultra-compact form factor perfect for solo performers, small bands, venues and commercial applications that require lower channel counts. Both mixers are equipped with Mackie’s Wide-Z mic preamps. These combo inputs allow connection of mic, line and instruments and require no gain adjustment for easy setup. And with their single knob hardware design, any user can make quick and easy level adjustments. Using the companion MixerConnect control app, users unlock powerful processing and total wireless control plus the ability to wirelessly play back music or backing tracks from any Bluetooth capable device.
ProDX mixers have built-in hardware that allows easy control over any channel and output via a single knob. This is perfect for applications such as restaurants, commercial applications, rehearsal studios that have many users that only need quick level adjustment with virtually no learning curve and often in dimly lit or tight spaces.
ProDX mixers provide the essential tools users need to dial in a great mix. Easy-to-use three-band EQ w/ sweepable mid, low cut and no-hassle compression per channel delivers pro sound with zero fuss. The built-in ReadyFX effects engine offers a choice of 16 great-sounding effects, so users can pick the perfect delay for their guitar or apply reverb to add life to any vocal application. A flexible graphic EQ on all outputs allows fine tuning of the overall mix. Users can save their mix and and instantly recall at the next show for quick setup.
The Mackie ProDX4 and ProDX will be available worldwide starting April, 2016. ProDX4 lists for $259.99 and the ProDX8 lists for $389.99. Here are the details. 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).
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 2016 – 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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