A large, non-denominational church with a charismatic worship style and a desire to take their church worldwide through the internet is front and center. We will explore the audio, video projection, lighting and post-production technologies as they apply to this church.

In reviewing the audio design, one can quickly see that sound (and lots of it) is very high on the priority list. The Worship Center boasts a capacity of 4,000 and includes a balcony. Meyer Sound was tapped to provide the FOH main, main delay and satellite delay. These speakers were suspended in a broken main cluster array with delay fills for the balcony sections to either side. The CQ-Series, UPM-Series and UPA-Series mains are complimented with stablemate PSW subwoofers. These speakers are being fed via an Allen & Heath ML-Series mixing console with the optional sidecar module, giving the church a total of 72 microphone inputs. QSC CX-Series amplifiers are pushing the OAP Audio floor monitors designated for platform personnel. The AKG Acoustics flagship WMS4000 wireless microphone systems with combiners and remote antennae allow vocalists and speakers to move about the platform effortlessly. A Countryman E6i earset microphone means the congregation hears every word the speaker says without the big, bulky headset microphones of the past. AKG microphones are also in the choir loft, on the off-platform organ leslie, drum kit and used to capture ambience in the Worship Center for recordings. Signal processing includes Sabine feedback exterminators, BBE sonic maximizers, Yamaha digital effects processor, Behringer compressor/limiter, and the BSS Soundweb and dbx DriveRack speaker management systems. A TASCAM combo CD/cassette deck, TASCAM DAT Machine and a Marantz CD recorder make for easy playback and recording. The platform musicians benefit from the personal monitor control provided through the Aviom in-ear monitor system with Shure E2 earphones. Listen Technologies systems provide hearing assistance and language translation for all services. JuiceGoose PRO power sequencing system allows the technicians to properly power the system up and down correctly every time. Making the connections to and from the platform are ACE Backstage floor pockets and Horizon audio snakes. The control center’s support team includes Raxxess equipment racks housed under the desktop surface.

With a large seating capacity comes a need for a sizable video projection system. Two Da-Lite Perm-Wall custom-size projection screens are either side of center front and in the center rear for platform personnel. SANYO PLC-XF series LCD video projectors, anchored with Chief Manufacturing mounts and ceiling adapters, provide bright, vibrant images visible throughout. Kramer Electronics items include switcher/scalers, distribution amplifiers, line drivers, and matrix video switchers and support both composite and XGA signals. A Dell XPS computer system with flat-panel monitor loaded with the popular EasyWorship management software provide the lion’s share of viewed images, while a Samsung DVD/VHS deck supplements the computer system. Again, Raxxess equipment racks house the equipment under the desktop surface.

At the heart of the theatrical lighting system is thirty (30) ETC SourceFour 5 degree ellipsoidal fixtures with long-life lamps. Other existing equipment makes up the rest of the lighting system.

The post-production system enables the church to keep the Great Commission by allowing distribution of service recordings and live internet streaming. For this system, the Sony Broadcast camera series was selected. Each camera includes a Sony camera body, Fujinon lens, Sony viewfinder, Sony triax controller, Bogen tripod, Manfrotto fluid head and Bogen tripod dolly. An AVID Xpress Pro post-production editing system is in place. A Sony DFS-Series switcher is the nerve center of the production suite. Sony DSR-Series VTRs and Sony flat-panel monitors are secured in the custom console manufactured by Winsted, who also provided the tape media storage cabinet on this project. Kramer Electronics format converters and distribution amplifiers were used. A CompuServe Waveform Vectorscope was installed for the broadcast system. The audio chain is processed by an Ashly Audio mixer, a dbx compressor and M-Audio studio reference monitors. To facilitate communications with the technical team, the Eartec Kenwood ProTalk XL wireless system with headsets is in use. A stand-alone Dell computer system is in use to provide streaming video through the internet.

The Worship Center is not the only area of the facility to benefit from these technologies. A closed-circuit television (CCTV) system provides remote areas of the church the ability to view and monitor activities during services. AKAI flat-panel monitors are in place, along with a ChannelPlus RF modulator and ChannelPlus distribution amplifiers. A DVD/VHS deck from Samsung is included for playback purposes.

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