PreSonus AudioBox
PreSonus AudioBox by Jeffrey B. Scott I was recently given the opportunity to try out a package product put together by Presonus, called the AudioBox Stereo Recording Kit at my …
Tectonic Audio Labs Technical Video Series
Tectonic Audio Labs has produced a 21-part technical video series explaining the function, performance and application of Distributed Mode Loudspeaker (DML) technology. Unlike traditional speaker systems that utilize pistonic cone and compression drives to produce audio, Tectonic speakers employ large format flat panel DML resonant mode devices to propagate audio.
“DMLs produce audio in a fundamentally different way than a typical loudspeaker does”, explains Tim Whitwell, physicist and DML expert. “This technology can seem quite counterintuitive to those not familiar with resonant mode devices.”
The Tectonic Technical Video Series condenses over three hours of conversations between Whitwell and transducer & loudspeaker systems engineer Marcelo Vercelli. Together they explore and explain DML technology. Each five minute video module covers a single topic in detail. Titles include:
- How DMLs Work – Parts 1-4
- DMLs vs. Pistonic Transducers
- DML Feedback Resistance
- DMLs In Reverberant Spaces
- DML Stereo Imaging
“We set-up a video library on our web site that allows visitors to easily browse and sample topics of interest”, says Scott Garside, Marketing Director. “There is a wealth of information here that provides a fundamental understanding of resonant mode audio propagation. The function and benefits of DMLs are quite remarkable.”
The Tectonic Technical Video Library is available at:
www.TectonicAudioLabs.com/technical-video-library
Second Baptist Church Chooses DiGiCo Consoles
Superior audio, ease of use, simple firmware updates and seamless plug-ins cited in upgrade to SD5 desks at SBC’s massive West Campus
Christmas services this past December never sounded better at Second Baptist Church’s 400,000-square-foot West Campus in Houston thanks to a recent audio system upgrade to two DiGiCo SD5 consoles. Installed by local HOW systems integrator Covenant Communications, the new consoles replace a pair of legacy DiGiCo D5 Live FOH and monitor desks for the church’s 5,000-seat “in-the-round” worship center, which also televises its lively services.
Second Baptist Global Tech Director Mark Sepulveda notes that after seven years of duty, the time had come to retire the previous consoles and make an upgrade. “The SD5s were chosen based on what our team thought were the best overall live audio consoles on the market that continued to give us superior audio with the DiGiCo brand, continued ease of hands-on functionality, easy firmware updates that will continue to add new features in the coming years, and the ability of the SD software to integrate with Waves SoundGrid for a seamless plug-in experience,” he says.
Covenant Communications has largely handled Second Baptist’s audio/video/lighting needs for the past four years, and the eventual upgrade choice came after considering various options. “I put a few things in front of Mark,” notes Joe Smart, Covenant’s sales manager. “Our role is to be objective; it’s not an emotional decision, but one to find the best solutions for them.” The SD5’s flexibility was perfectly suited for the church’s typical need for a quick “flip around to different worship styles” – from traditional to high-energy contemporary sound – and “recording audio for future TV broadcast,” notes Smart.
Smart points out that Second Baptist required more than the 128 inputs processed by its previous system: “The new spec required close to 160 inputs, no doubt in part to accommodate the fairly large band, including 12 to 15 rhythm players and 20 to 30 string players. That doesn’t include the enormous choir of up to 180 singers, 24 of those members being wirelessly close-miked and processed for a massive choir sound.”
JVC’s GY-HM890 ProHD Camcorder
JVC’s GY-HM890 ProHD Camcorder By Mark Varner No matter what size your church is, getting your message (content) outside the walls of your building is a vital component to your …
Elation Professional EPV6 LED Video Screen
Feeling Elation: Fairhaven Church’s New LED Wall by Mike Rall Since early 2010, Fairhaven Church’s Centerville, OH campus has been renovating, especially regarding technology, while at the same time running …
NewTek’s TriCaster
A New England bible-teaching church uses TriCaster to further its mission By Joe Sommers Bethany Congregational Church in Greenland, New Hampshire, is a bible-teaching church within the state’s seacoast region …
Ka You Satellite
Ka You Satellite – The Best Choice for North Coast Church By Dennis Choy North Coast Church was started in a warehouse facility in 1998, and has since exploded across …
Tricks for Singers Using In-Ear Monitors
As a singer, are there any special tricks you should know about when using in-ear monitors?
I’m so glad you asked. I’ve been waiting to talk about mic techniques. But before we go there, we need to talk about free space and what happens when you sing without using in-ears.
Free space is the environment between your ears and a speaker. And lots of strange things happen in this space. There are refractions. Absorptions. Reflections. Sound interacts with things and people and hats. Hats are the worst. Cowboy hats especially. They’re like a giant parabolic reflecting dish—changing the dynamics of what you actually hear. And so far, I’m only talking about just 1 speaker. But on a stage, you are surrounded by speakers; not just your floor wedges but the side-fills and even the PA system. Whenever you move and where ever you go, you introduce new variables into the free space and the combination of all these factors affects what you are able to hear. Some frequencies may be boosted. Some may be canceled. It is entirely unknown. Sound is dynamic indeed. And all of these variables get picked up by your vocal microphone as well.
So by eliminating the floor wedges in front of you and by shifting the speakers into your head, you negate the free space. The distance from speaker to ear becomes null and as such, external environmental variables become zero. Not only that, your mic is far less likely to pick up external noise. Without floor wedges, your mic will only pick up the room and the rest of the stage noise. As an important side note, the more quiet your stage becomes, the more control you have over every aspect. A completely quiet stage can actually feel like a recording studio. Tell that to your band mates so that everyone can experience that level of control.
Back to your ears. So you’ve eliminated the free space but you’ve introduced a few new variables. 1) There’s that slight feeling of disassociation, of being sealed up. You’ll get over that. 2) You’re hearing yourself with a clarity that you’ve never experienced before. This makes a lot of singers nervous. And a normal response is to get timid or to sing with less strength. Or to compensate for the new loudness in your head by moving the mic farther away from your mouth. Or by relying on your engineer to constantly adjust your vocal levels. But those are the wrong solutions.
City Theatrical’s SHoW Baby5
Saving Time the Right Way: SHoW Baby 5 from City Theatrical By Al Grosskuth How valuable is your and your volunteer servant’s time? Many churches today find themselves in the …
Blackmagic Studio Camera HD
A New Studio Camera for a NOW Church By Ricky Perinchief One of my jobs is to oversee all technology for NOW Church in Ocala, Florida, and we are …
