Oh, the stories I could tell about this word! How do I choose just one?
Let me paint you a picture of the kind of environments you could potentially find yourself in; especially those of you in church media ministries that send out mission teams.
Imagine, you're in Kenya, in the bush in the southern part of the country. Electricity is 60 klicks (slang for kilometers) away, and with it all your support personnel and equipment.
Ok, so that's the environment, the space you're working in. Now, let's throw some complications into the mix:
You need to shoot inside a vehicle while it's moving, but we all know that your footage will likely make the viewer seasick and there's nothing you can do about it, right? Well...if you have your camera neckstrap, don't be worried! Attach your camera strap to your camera, take up about 6 inches of slack and "paste" one hand to the ceiling of the vehicle, allowing the camera to dangle by the strap in front of you. Make sure the camera is level front to back! What you have is a modified stabilization platform. You have eliminated the up and down motion of the camera! Now use your other hand to stabilize the lateral (left to right) movement of the camera and while it won't look like the aerial "Planet Earth" gyro-stabilized helicopter shots, it WILL look a lot better than trying to shoot using the normal handheld method which has you compensating for every bump in all 3 dimensions!
Now, another problem: You have edited together an amazing video in your hotel room (still in Kenya, say you're hotel is in Nairobi), and all you're missing is some voice-over (VO). Another problem-you don't have any mics with you other than your on-camera mic, which we all know picks up EVERYTHING!!!! How can you get a quality VO and have a finished video before you even get home? Well....
There are two methods I would recommend:
1. Use if you have a sofa with cusions in your room or access to one inside a relatively quiet place.
Take the cushions off of the sofa, place the camera on the sofa, facing you. Take two of the cushions and place on either side of the camera, on their ends (not flat). Place the third cushion on top of the other two cushions; lay this one flat. What you have should look like a post-and-lintel type construction (two pillars and a flat piece on the top). Next, grab the blanket off your bed and drape it over the entire assembly.
Now just crawl inside, draping the blanket over your body, hit record, and record your VO! Hey, I know it's not perfect, but it's better than hearing everything else in your room! And it's a better quality solution than option #2, but we're talking about you being in a pinch, right?
Note: This solution might have a tendency of sounding bass-heavy or "boomy." Be prepared to compensate for that with EQ inside your editing program. Also realize the importance of the proximity effect in audio recording (Google it).
2. Use this if you do NOT have access to a sofa.
This is actually a little easier-take the blanket off of your bed, drape it over a chair that you've placed your camera on. Get on your knees and hit record and do your VO! Again, I know it's not ideal, and you won't have nearly the amount of isolation as option 1 above, but it really does work in a pinch! I know it works because I've had to do it! And once you get music in there, no one will know the difference anyway. Again, be mindful of the proximity effect.
The point of telling these stories is that your temperament will play a HUGE part in your ability to come up with creative solutions to problems that WILL arise as you continue in this industry. This is not just limited to video, either, as I'm sure you all know. Keep a cool head, and check your ego at the door-take advice and suggestions, and don't discount other people's thoughts and/or ideas just because it goes against what you know-it's so crazy, it just might work!
And just so you know, I'm not perfect and I suffer from a poor attitude a lot of times. As Christian men and women, it's important to admit when you're wrong, own what you've said and/or done, and apologize. The world is hard enough without letting divisions come between us!
That's it! Until next week!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Lighting Basics-Safety
Before we go any further, let's talk safety. Any time you are suspending, or "flying," equipment above people, you expose yourself to potential liability. A 5 lb. Par64 can might not seem to weigh that much, but when it falls from 20 ft., it has time to pick up quite a bit of momentum and can be lethal to anyone below.
For this reason, it's important to bring in a professional "rigger," or someone who is ETCP-certified. ETCP, or Entertainment Technician Certification Program, is the ONLY organization in the U.S. that certifies individuals in all aspects of permanent and temporary rigging. ETCP operates under the ESTA (Entertainment Services & Technology Assocation) organzation and provides "rigorous assessments for professional technicians. ETCP focuses on disciplines that directly affect the health and safety of crews, performers, and audiences." Near as I can tell, it is a prestigous certification to have, and you must qualify to even take the test. In order to qualify, you must have worked a certain amount of hours in the industry as a technician already (according to my math, it equates to around 3000 hours and/or some college degrees help count towards that requirement).
Imagine a touring concert, say Michael W. Smith. Let's say he's in the Staples Center in Los Angeles and he has a lighting rig that is also supporting LED screens, flying line arrays (suspended stacks of speakers), and a couple set elements that move around the set over the band during the show.
Now, suppose the rigger who set up that night was tired, lazy, or otherwise not doing his job properly and he forget to put in a shackle, or a span-set, or one of a hundred critical pieces of rigging hardware. The show is going great until an 800-lb. truss with four moving lights on it falls because of that missing piece. What do you think would happen? Nothing good, that's for sure.
You see how dangerous things get when you fly equipment? There is no room for error when rigging. I won't go into details of how to rig equipment, because I'm not a rigger. I'm interested in pursuing more knowledge and experience in this area, but it's not something I have in my head yet, so no advice. Besides, each application is different; what works for me in a certain situation may not work for you, which is why it's so important to know what you don't know, and find someone who does!
So, if there is ever a doubt in your mind about anything at all...DON'T!
Remember, if you have questions or topics you'd like discussed, please let me know!
For this reason, it's important to bring in a professional "rigger," or someone who is ETCP-certified. ETCP, or Entertainment Technician Certification Program, is the ONLY organization in the U.S. that certifies individuals in all aspects of permanent and temporary rigging. ETCP operates under the ESTA (Entertainment Services & Technology Assocation) organzation and provides "rigorous assessments for professional technicians. ETCP focuses on disciplines that directly affect the health and safety of crews, performers, and audiences." Near as I can tell, it is a prestigous certification to have, and you must qualify to even take the test. In order to qualify, you must have worked a certain amount of hours in the industry as a technician already (according to my math, it equates to around 3000 hours and/or some college degrees help count towards that requirement).
Imagine a touring concert, say Michael W. Smith. Let's say he's in the Staples Center in Los Angeles and he has a lighting rig that is also supporting LED screens, flying line arrays (suspended stacks of speakers), and a couple set elements that move around the set over the band during the show.
Now, suppose the rigger who set up that night was tired, lazy, or otherwise not doing his job properly and he forget to put in a shackle, or a span-set, or one of a hundred critical pieces of rigging hardware. The show is going great until an 800-lb. truss with four moving lights on it falls because of that missing piece. What do you think would happen? Nothing good, that's for sure.
You see how dangerous things get when you fly equipment? There is no room for error when rigging. I won't go into details of how to rig equipment, because I'm not a rigger. I'm interested in pursuing more knowledge and experience in this area, but it's not something I have in my head yet, so no advice. Besides, each application is different; what works for me in a certain situation may not work for you, which is why it's so important to know what you don't know, and find someone who does!
So, if there is ever a doubt in your mind about anything at all...DON'T!
Remember, if you have questions or topics you'd like discussed, please let me know!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Lighting Basics-Part 2
Ok, so we've covered basic terminology, now we'll move on to basic lighting principles.
There are two main schools of thought when lighting subjects. The first is from a more theatrical and event-based mentality and dictates that you must light from the center, usually with a truss span or other mounting solution. This is to provide an even wash of light.
The second school of thought comes from somewhere else, probably more film-based, and dictates that you use lighting creatively to express emotion, tone, and atmosphere in order to help your audience be immersed in what they are watching.
I tend to fall into the second school. I prefer to light about 45-degrees off-center left and right, and about 40-45-degrees from level in the vertical (see diagrams below).
This allows for some "sculpting" of the subject's face to occur, but without shadows covering half their face. If you light from the central position and your subject turns 90-degrees left or right, half of their face will disappear in the shadow created by the front light. Proponents will state that you simply add light on the sides to "fill in" the shadows. I say, if you're going to light from the sides, why not just put all of your front light on the sides and create a more visually interesting yet still acceptable image? The logic doesn't compute for me, so I just light from the sides and it works out pretty well.
Now, with any lighting system, it's a VERY good idea to think about back light, also called hair light. The purpose of this lighting is to separate your subject from the background. There are differences of opinion in this regard, as well. Some people like using white light, some people like using colored light. I will tell you this, though-if you are planning on using white light, you will need to use close to the same amount of light from the back as from the front, otherwise it will never show. However, with using colored lighting, you can get away with much less wattage and your back light will still show up because it's not having to fight through all that white light with white light. Color shows up much better against white than white does. :) Kudos to you if you followed all that logic! I'm kinda confused myself right now.
Accent lighting is another area that a lot of churches are beginning to utilize. The most popular lighting devices used for accents are LEDs and moving lights, or movers. If you want examples of what can be done with these devices, see my first post on this blog from March, 2009. You will see pictures that chronicle pretty clearly what is possible. I just love LEDs and movers-they are so much fun to experiment with, and you can create some pretty spectacular effects with them.
That will do it for this week...again, if you have questions or comments please post them!
There are two main schools of thought when lighting subjects. The first is from a more theatrical and event-based mentality and dictates that you must light from the center, usually with a truss span or other mounting solution. This is to provide an even wash of light.
The second school of thought comes from somewhere else, probably more film-based, and dictates that you use lighting creatively to express emotion, tone, and atmosphere in order to help your audience be immersed in what they are watching.
I tend to fall into the second school. I prefer to light about 45-degrees off-center left and right, and about 40-45-degrees from level in the vertical (see diagrams below).
This allows for some "sculpting" of the subject's face to occur, but without shadows covering half their face. If you light from the central position and your subject turns 90-degrees left or right, half of their face will disappear in the shadow created by the front light. Proponents will state that you simply add light on the sides to "fill in" the shadows. I say, if you're going to light from the sides, why not just put all of your front light on the sides and create a more visually interesting yet still acceptable image? The logic doesn't compute for me, so I just light from the sides and it works out pretty well.
Now, with any lighting system, it's a VERY good idea to think about back light, also called hair light. The purpose of this lighting is to separate your subject from the background. There are differences of opinion in this regard, as well. Some people like using white light, some people like using colored light. I will tell you this, though-if you are planning on using white light, you will need to use close to the same amount of light from the back as from the front, otherwise it will never show. However, with using colored lighting, you can get away with much less wattage and your back light will still show up because it's not having to fight through all that white light with white light. Color shows up much better against white than white does. :) Kudos to you if you followed all that logic! I'm kinda confused myself right now.
Accent lighting is another area that a lot of churches are beginning to utilize. The most popular lighting devices used for accents are LEDs and moving lights, or movers. If you want examples of what can be done with these devices, see my first post on this blog from March, 2009. You will see pictures that chronicle pretty clearly what is possible. I just love LEDs and movers-they are so much fun to experiment with, and you can create some pretty spectacular effects with them.
That will do it for this week...again, if you have questions or comments please post them!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Lighting Basics-Part 1
Lighting-it can be your best friend and your worst enemy. At times, it seems to have a mind of its own, taunting your knowledge. It is a constant challenge...and this is why it is my favorite area to focus on.
If you're like me, lighting is an area that you avoid because you don't understand how it works. I finally had to face it in college as part of the degree, and what I found is that once you understand some fundamental basics about light, it becomes a joy to work with...a joy tempered with frustration as you try and build on what you have learned before.
Without getting into the science of things, let's look at some of the basic terminology in lighting as it applies to the theatrical and venue-based systems:
Lamp: What some would call the bulb, it is the source of light in a lighting fixture. There are tungsten, halogen, fluorescent, LED, and many more. The most common that you would deal with in a church situation are the four I mentioned.
Fixture: The unit that houses the lamp and serves as the device that we are used to seeing hanging from a lighting rig.
Lighting Rig: A group of fixtures attached to the same mounting apparatus that provides illumination for a program. For example, you would have a stage rig that consists of fixtures that light the stage area from an overhead position.
Yoke: An arm, usually metal, that extends from the fixture that allows for mounting to an external support structure. Also used as a verb to describe how you are mounting a fixture (e.g. "You'll want to yoke that straight out to clear that rail.").
Par: A fixture that relies on a parabolic reflector to send light from the lamp down the barrel; a good general lighting fixture, it often lacks the control of the light beam that other fixtures employ.
Ellipsoidal: Similar to the par, but using a more efficient ellipsoidal reflector (hence, it's name), it often allows for "shaping" of the light beam through shutters installed in the barrel, allowing for precise positioning of the edges of the light beam. Also allows for "focusing" of the light beam, from soft to hard edges.
Mover: A fixture mounted on a yoke that allows rotation in the vertical and horizontal axes. Usually comes with other light beam modification options, such as color changing, "gobos," or patterns the light beam shines through to create a projected pattern, and others effects. These are some of the most expensive pieces of your lighting package. Always has its own dimmer, so you do not plug these into a dimmable circuit.
Dimmer: Conventional, or white, lighting fixtures, such as pars and ellipsoidals cannot dim up and down by themselves, so they must be attached to a device that alternates the electrical current being delivered to these fixtures. This device is called a dimmer, and usually consists of more than 1 dimmer per device. If a dimmer has four circuits, then you can plug four fixtures into that dimmer. There are exceptions that I will address later.
DMX: Digital Multiplex, the control protocol developed to control lighting devices. It was developed in order to provide a standard control protocol for all theatrical lighting manufacturers. Naturally resistant to interference due to the digital nature of the protocol, it can be run long distances, and is a very useful tool. Allows the operator 512 channels of control per "universe." For example, if you have 20 lights that you want to dim up and down, you will require 20 DMX channels to do so. For a standard RGB (Red, Green, Blue) LED (light emitting diode), you will require at least three DMX channels (Red-Dim, Green-Dim, Blue-Dim).
RDMX: A newer "amendment" to the DMX protocol, it allows remote control of RDMX-compatible equipment. Options like remote device management and remote DMX addressing are possible, depending on your equipment compatibility. It's even possible to receive status updates from your fixtures regarding temperature, lamp life, and more.
Universe: A full 512 channels of DMX. With lighting systems getting more and more complex, it has been discovered that often-times more than 512 channels of control are necessary, particularly if you're dealing with close to 100 moving lights, each requiring 16 DMX channels...or more. A DMX universe simply contains a full 512 channels of control and makes it easier to divide up where certain fixtures reside (Universe 1, Channel 56 vs. Universe 2, Channel 56). The same channel can be assigned in a different universe to a different fixture. It's quite ingenious!
Ok, so that covers some of the basic terminology. If I mention something that doesn't make sense, please, shoot me an email and I'll be happy to explain it.
Let's talk electricity. First, if you don't understand it, either learn or hire someone to do the electrical work for you. I know enough to be able to converse with electricians up to a point, after which I'm lost. Remember what I mentioned in one of my earliest posts-know what you don't know, and find someone who does. I personally have a healthy respect for electricity, and as such, don't mess with something I don't know about.
So, just some basic numbers for you for a 120v system (unfortunately, many lighting rigs require 240v service due to the sheer number of moving lights and other elements).
10amps=~1200watts
20amps=~2400watts
Therefore, if you have 6 575w ellipsoidal fixtures to put in and you want individual control over each fixture, you will need a dimmer with 6 10A circuits. You might thing that you could put two lights on one 10A circuit, because you would still be below the 1200 watts. However, you never want to fill your circuits all the way. You notice that I said it was around 1200 watts, not 1200 watts exactly. There are lot of other factors that go into this, but again, ask and electrician that is familiar with theatrical lighting (there are great resources available nationwide, just look up lighting rental facilities and ask to speak to someone about electrical needs).
Ok, so that concludes Part 1 of Lighting Basics. There is SO much more to lighting, this might take 3-4 posts just to cover the basics. Remember, you can have the same video system in many different facilities because the components in that system will always operate the same, without much thought to external influences. Audio and lighting systems must take many things into consideration at the facility itself, and hence why audio and lighting consultants have to create custom systems for every venue.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions I might answer, and feel free to pass this along!
If you're like me, lighting is an area that you avoid because you don't understand how it works. I finally had to face it in college as part of the degree, and what I found is that once you understand some fundamental basics about light, it becomes a joy to work with...a joy tempered with frustration as you try and build on what you have learned before.
Without getting into the science of things, let's look at some of the basic terminology in lighting as it applies to the theatrical and venue-based systems:
Lamp: What some would call the bulb, it is the source of light in a lighting fixture. There are tungsten, halogen, fluorescent, LED, and many more. The most common that you would deal with in a church situation are the four I mentioned.
Fixture: The unit that houses the lamp and serves as the device that we are used to seeing hanging from a lighting rig.
Lighting Rig: A group of fixtures attached to the same mounting apparatus that provides illumination for a program. For example, you would have a stage rig that consists of fixtures that light the stage area from an overhead position.
Yoke: An arm, usually metal, that extends from the fixture that allows for mounting to an external support structure. Also used as a verb to describe how you are mounting a fixture (e.g. "You'll want to yoke that straight out to clear that rail.").
Par: A fixture that relies on a parabolic reflector to send light from the lamp down the barrel; a good general lighting fixture, it often lacks the control of the light beam that other fixtures employ.
Ellipsoidal: Similar to the par, but using a more efficient ellipsoidal reflector (hence, it's name), it often allows for "shaping" of the light beam through shutters installed in the barrel, allowing for precise positioning of the edges of the light beam. Also allows for "focusing" of the light beam, from soft to hard edges.
Mover: A fixture mounted on a yoke that allows rotation in the vertical and horizontal axes. Usually comes with other light beam modification options, such as color changing, "gobos," or patterns the light beam shines through to create a projected pattern, and others effects. These are some of the most expensive pieces of your lighting package. Always has its own dimmer, so you do not plug these into a dimmable circuit.
Dimmer: Conventional, or white, lighting fixtures, such as pars and ellipsoidals cannot dim up and down by themselves, so they must be attached to a device that alternates the electrical current being delivered to these fixtures. This device is called a dimmer, and usually consists of more than 1 dimmer per device. If a dimmer has four circuits, then you can plug four fixtures into that dimmer. There are exceptions that I will address later.
DMX: Digital Multiplex, the control protocol developed to control lighting devices. It was developed in order to provide a standard control protocol for all theatrical lighting manufacturers. Naturally resistant to interference due to the digital nature of the protocol, it can be run long distances, and is a very useful tool. Allows the operator 512 channels of control per "universe." For example, if you have 20 lights that you want to dim up and down, you will require 20 DMX channels to do so. For a standard RGB (Red, Green, Blue) LED (light emitting diode), you will require at least three DMX channels (Red-Dim, Green-Dim, Blue-Dim).
RDMX: A newer "amendment" to the DMX protocol, it allows remote control of RDMX-compatible equipment. Options like remote device management and remote DMX addressing are possible, depending on your equipment compatibility. It's even possible to receive status updates from your fixtures regarding temperature, lamp life, and more.
Universe: A full 512 channels of DMX. With lighting systems getting more and more complex, it has been discovered that often-times more than 512 channels of control are necessary, particularly if you're dealing with close to 100 moving lights, each requiring 16 DMX channels...or more. A DMX universe simply contains a full 512 channels of control and makes it easier to divide up where certain fixtures reside (Universe 1, Channel 56 vs. Universe 2, Channel 56). The same channel can be assigned in a different universe to a different fixture. It's quite ingenious!
Ok, so that covers some of the basic terminology. If I mention something that doesn't make sense, please, shoot me an email and I'll be happy to explain it.
Let's talk electricity. First, if you don't understand it, either learn or hire someone to do the electrical work for you. I know enough to be able to converse with electricians up to a point, after which I'm lost. Remember what I mentioned in one of my earliest posts-know what you don't know, and find someone who does. I personally have a healthy respect for electricity, and as such, don't mess with something I don't know about.
So, just some basic numbers for you for a 120v system (unfortunately, many lighting rigs require 240v service due to the sheer number of moving lights and other elements).
10amps=~1200watts
20amps=~2400watts
Therefore, if you have 6 575w ellipsoidal fixtures to put in and you want individual control over each fixture, you will need a dimmer with 6 10A circuits. You might thing that you could put two lights on one 10A circuit, because you would still be below the 1200 watts. However, you never want to fill your circuits all the way. You notice that I said it was around 1200 watts, not 1200 watts exactly. There are lot of other factors that go into this, but again, ask and electrician that is familiar with theatrical lighting (there are great resources available nationwide, just look up lighting rental facilities and ask to speak to someone about electrical needs).
Ok, so that concludes Part 1 of Lighting Basics. There is SO much more to lighting, this might take 3-4 posts just to cover the basics. Remember, you can have the same video system in many different facilities because the components in that system will always operate the same, without much thought to external influences. Audio and lighting systems must take many things into consideration at the facility itself, and hence why audio and lighting consultants have to create custom systems for every venue.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions I might answer, and feel free to pass this along!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Audio Systems: What's changed?
There are undoubtedly some of you out there who are doing your best to keep current with the changes in the media ministry world, and one of the largest areas to undergo change are audio systems.
The norm is no longer made up of racks and racks of amplifiers, outboard processing units (i.e. compressors, equalizers, reverb generators, etc.), but smaller and more efficient digital devices.
Take a mixer: the overall look and functionality of the mixer has not changed all that much, but the feature-set you get with something like a Roland V-Mixer of Yamaha M7CL is a far cry from what you would expect from an analog Mackie.
You now have compressors, equalizers (EQ), limiters, gates, reverb and other effects available on each channel...standard! You can have libraries of effects you can call up on any channel at any time; you can save configuration presets so if you have traditional and contemporary services using the same system, you can simply call up a preset at a touch of a button. You can plug your laptop into the USB port on many mixers and adjust settings from the computer. Most units even have built-in recording options that let you plug in a thumb drive and record a stereo mix.
Technology is amazing, and that's just the advances in the sound mixers-what about the amplifiers and speaker systems that have control over Ethernet?!?!? I would love to meet some of the engineers who think this stuff up.
So what if you're a small to medium-size church that is looking to upgrade to a digital system? It's important, as mentioned before, to know what you don't know. For a small sanctuary with straigh walls and a fairly straightforward shape (rectangular with straight surfaces), you can probably spec out a good system without the need to go all digital (the benefits will not be fully realized in such a small space). However, if you do not have something as straightforward as mentioned above, I cannot stress the importance of bringing in at the very least a professional who can apply a professional's eye, ear, and mind to your needs. If you have the budget, also consider an acoustician who will model the space so as to understand the optimal speaker locations, how much coverage you will need, where dead spots are likely to occur, and all the little details that go into something people thought so simple at one point in time. Keep in mind this will cost a bit of money, but is it better to continue purchasing audio systems to try and solve a problem that spending the money one time would have fixed?
Microphones are another area of improvement that many people do not give much credit to. The basic argument I use is the question: Doesn't it stand to reason that with all the technological advances in so many areas in the past two decades (of my life, at least), that there would have been significant changes and improvements in the field of _____? Fill in the blank-there has been very few industries and areas that improvements have not been made, and in the field of microphones, this is also true. An EV mic from the late 80's will likely not sound as good in tone, and won't have the same pickup characteristics, as a Shure SM58 Beta, for example. Be willing to invest in newer technology in all areas of your sound system so as to eliminate weak links. Does it makes sense to purchase a new digital audio mixer, speaker system, and amplifiers, even a digital snake, if you're going to be using microphones from the 80's? Perhaps it does because you like the sound of those mics, but if the mics are falling apart, then your argument isn't a solid one...at least to me.
Finally, digital snakes. Audio snakes, for the unititiated, allow for several audio sources, such as microphones and instruments, to be connected to an audio mixer through a length of bundled wire that usually terminates in a stage box on one end (with XLRs and 1/4" receptacles) and XLRs and 1/4" plugs on the other (to connect to the back of your sound board).
Historically, these snakes have been heavy, ungainly, and were prone to breaks in the bundled cables by people walking over it, trying to bend it around a corner, etc. But, it was the only way to get numerous audio signals back to the audio mixer. Wireless did help in this regard for speaking and vocalists, but any sound person worth their salt will tell you they rely on a wire any time they can vs. wireless. It's cheaper and more reliable.
With the advent of digital snakes, this has all changed. Instead of having to roll up a 100 or 200 feet of heavy bundled cable, you simply need to roll up two lines of Ethernet cabling. The digital snake carries the same amount of audio channels that a big analog snake did, but over smaller, more inexpensive, and much lighter cable. Now yes, Cat5 cable is a bit less rugged, and thus they have tougher versions of it for touring and heavy use, but for installation, nothing could be simpler. Terminating Cat5 doesn't require solder and a solder gun, which makes repair much easier.
One of the biggest advantages that I like about Cat5 cable is that it naturally rejects interference from radio frequency (RF), as well as AC power. For this reason, it is also used to run video signals, but that's a separate blog post. :) This means that hums and radio stations you have in your sound system can be greatly reduced...IF the interference is coming through your snake. Remember, that any break in cable insulation on standard copper wiring turns that wire into an antenna, so switching to Cat5 may not be the panacea, the cure-all, you're hoping for, but it WILL help you eliminate where the interference is NOT coming from, which is a huge help in tracking that kind of thing down.
So, digital is here to stay, and more and more houses of worship are upgrading to digital equipment for the plethora of benefits the technology offers. Should you upgrade, too? That's a question for your tech team, the church, and God. Walk with Him in all decisions and he will never lead you astray.
Have a good week!
The norm is no longer made up of racks and racks of amplifiers, outboard processing units (i.e. compressors, equalizers, reverb generators, etc.), but smaller and more efficient digital devices.
Take a mixer: the overall look and functionality of the mixer has not changed all that much, but the feature-set you get with something like a Roland V-Mixer of Yamaha M7CL is a far cry from what you would expect from an analog Mackie.
You now have compressors, equalizers (EQ), limiters, gates, reverb and other effects available on each channel...standard! You can have libraries of effects you can call up on any channel at any time; you can save configuration presets so if you have traditional and contemporary services using the same system, you can simply call up a preset at a touch of a button. You can plug your laptop into the USB port on many mixers and adjust settings from the computer. Most units even have built-in recording options that let you plug in a thumb drive and record a stereo mix.
Technology is amazing, and that's just the advances in the sound mixers-what about the amplifiers and speaker systems that have control over Ethernet?!?!? I would love to meet some of the engineers who think this stuff up.
So what if you're a small to medium-size church that is looking to upgrade to a digital system? It's important, as mentioned before, to know what you don't know. For a small sanctuary with straigh walls and a fairly straightforward shape (rectangular with straight surfaces), you can probably spec out a good system without the need to go all digital (the benefits will not be fully realized in such a small space). However, if you do not have something as straightforward as mentioned above, I cannot stress the importance of bringing in at the very least a professional who can apply a professional's eye, ear, and mind to your needs. If you have the budget, also consider an acoustician who will model the space so as to understand the optimal speaker locations, how much coverage you will need, where dead spots are likely to occur, and all the little details that go into something people thought so simple at one point in time. Keep in mind this will cost a bit of money, but is it better to continue purchasing audio systems to try and solve a problem that spending the money one time would have fixed?
Microphones are another area of improvement that many people do not give much credit to. The basic argument I use is the question: Doesn't it stand to reason that with all the technological advances in so many areas in the past two decades (of my life, at least), that there would have been significant changes and improvements in the field of _____? Fill in the blank-there has been very few industries and areas that improvements have not been made, and in the field of microphones, this is also true. An EV mic from the late 80's will likely not sound as good in tone, and won't have the same pickup characteristics, as a Shure SM58 Beta, for example. Be willing to invest in newer technology in all areas of your sound system so as to eliminate weak links. Does it makes sense to purchase a new digital audio mixer, speaker system, and amplifiers, even a digital snake, if you're going to be using microphones from the 80's? Perhaps it does because you like the sound of those mics, but if the mics are falling apart, then your argument isn't a solid one...at least to me.
Finally, digital snakes. Audio snakes, for the unititiated, allow for several audio sources, such as microphones and instruments, to be connected to an audio mixer through a length of bundled wire that usually terminates in a stage box on one end (with XLRs and 1/4" receptacles) and XLRs and 1/4" plugs on the other (to connect to the back of your sound board).
Historically, these snakes have been heavy, ungainly, and were prone to breaks in the bundled cables by people walking over it, trying to bend it around a corner, etc. But, it was the only way to get numerous audio signals back to the audio mixer. Wireless did help in this regard for speaking and vocalists, but any sound person worth their salt will tell you they rely on a wire any time they can vs. wireless. It's cheaper and more reliable.
With the advent of digital snakes, this has all changed. Instead of having to roll up a 100 or 200 feet of heavy bundled cable, you simply need to roll up two lines of Ethernet cabling. The digital snake carries the same amount of audio channels that a big analog snake did, but over smaller, more inexpensive, and much lighter cable. Now yes, Cat5 cable is a bit less rugged, and thus they have tougher versions of it for touring and heavy use, but for installation, nothing could be simpler. Terminating Cat5 doesn't require solder and a solder gun, which makes repair much easier.
One of the biggest advantages that I like about Cat5 cable is that it naturally rejects interference from radio frequency (RF), as well as AC power. For this reason, it is also used to run video signals, but that's a separate blog post. :) This means that hums and radio stations you have in your sound system can be greatly reduced...IF the interference is coming through your snake. Remember, that any break in cable insulation on standard copper wiring turns that wire into an antenna, so switching to Cat5 may not be the panacea, the cure-all, you're hoping for, but it WILL help you eliminate where the interference is NOT coming from, which is a huge help in tracking that kind of thing down.
So, digital is here to stay, and more and more houses of worship are upgrading to digital equipment for the plethora of benefits the technology offers. Should you upgrade, too? That's a question for your tech team, the church, and God. Walk with Him in all decisions and he will never lead you astray.
Have a good week!
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