Early bird pricing and new basecamp training courses available at networking event Global design and BIM software provider Vectorworks, Inc. announces open registration for its fifth Vectorworks Design Summit. From …
There’s been a lot of talk about assistive listening systems in houses of worship, particularly when it comes to what your facility is legally required to provide by law (Assistive Listening and the Law, TFWM, March 2015). Having an assistive listening system in place ensures that all your congregants have an opportunity to fully participate in worship, hear the message, and remain a vital part of your church community. However, listening assistive systems can be used for more than just helping your congregants with hearing loss; they can also be used for translation services – and, as the country continues to grow more multi-cultural, this use will become more important.
What would it mean for your facility if you could offer real-time translation of your pastor’s message for the non-English speaking members of your congregation? For example, if you have a high-percentage of Spanish-speaking congregants, having someone who can translate the message and transmit that translation to them via an assistive listening device allows them to participate more fully in worship, and shows them that they are a valued member of your church community.
Many devices offer multiple channels and programmable receivers, so you could run both translation and assistive listening at the same time – just let your guests know what the channel assignment is for their specific need.
VERO BEACH, FLORIDA: After years of steady increase, Calvary Chapel in Vero Beach, Florida had the welcome problem of outgrowing its 350-seat sanctuary. The church came up with a plan to demolish two older buildings and erect a new 600-seat sanctuary. They relied on member Joey Hale and his integration firm, Propulsion AV, to design and install an intelligible, big-impact, sound reinforcement system for the room. Hale, in turn, relied on Danley Sound Labs’ patented loudspeaker and subwoofer technologies to make good on his responsibility, with big help from Danley’s on-staff engineers for the system design and commissioning.
“Although we don’t run full concert-level SPLs, our services are very contemporary,” explained Hale. “We have a full band with a couple of acoustic guitars, a couple of electric guitars, keyboards, bass, a drum kit, a percussionist and vocalists. Our new sanctuary is approximately ninety feet across and seventy-five feet deep, with a tall, thirty-foot ceiling. It’s a big, industrial-style building, and the architect worked within our budget to make the most of the acoustics. The walls are lined with corrugated metal sheeting, which helps with some things but does make the room a little bright. The floors are concrete, but the padding on the chairs and people help. The ceiling is open, which allows the insulation to help with the sound.”
Hale continued, “I walked into a Danley demo at InfoComm in Orlando a few years ago, and I was blown away! I liked how articulate the Danley boxes were, which is especially important in a church setting where you want spoken and sung vocals to come through clean. The Danley boxes had nice, clean mids that weren’t muddy, nice musical low end, and high end that was perfectly present but not at all piercing. It was an ideal mix of what I’m looking for in a speaker. At one point during our planning meetings there was talk of going with a line array, but I felt that Danley was a better choice. Bencsik Associates [the area Danley rep] came out to our old sanctuary and simply laid a few Danley boxes on the stage so everyone could hear the Danley sound. Later, to really prove the concept, we took a trip up to Calvary Chapel Melbourne where they have Danley rigs throughout their campus. Everyone liked them, and the guys at Melbourne had glowing reviews, which added to our peace of mind.”
Middle Atlantic Products, a brand of Legrand | AV, today announced its industry-recognized Forward installation solutions are now shipping. Built to install today’s systems at tomorrow’s speed, Forward is designed around an innovative new rackrail and Middle Atlantic’s patented universal hole pattern that allow the family’s blank and vent panels, cable management, lighting, and other rack solutions to be quickly installed without tools. With Forward, integrators can install everyday rack builds five times faster and with the reliability to ensure a satisfying and positive AV experience.
“When we asked installers where they spend a majority of their time and where they experience the biggest challenges, they told us it was inside the rack,” said Paul Dolynchuk, director of product management at Legrand | AV – Middle Atlantic Products. “Using that feedback, we created Forward. The highly anticipated family of options cleverly solves the most time-consuming rack-building tasks — from working in pitch-black spaces, mounting panels, and anchoring unwieldy cabling spaghetti, to dealing with power blips — without ever picking up a drill. Now integrators can release their inner speed demons, building an AV rack system more quickly and efficiently than they ever thought possible.”
The Forward accessory and options line addresses the entire system lifecycle and builds upon industry-leading products that integrators have depended on for decades.
From its unique double-height dimensions to the extensive use of reflective marble surfaces used during its construction, the Royal Academy of Art’s (RA) new Benjamin West Lecture Theatre in London …
MXL Microphones
MXL Microphones, a leading manufacturer of consumer and professional audio products, introduces its APS Podcasting Bundle, offering three standout hardware components including a microphone, stand and XLR/USB adapter, specifically designed for live streamers and podcasters. These products provide users with easy-to-use and professional-sounding tools to create high-quality audio podcasts.
The MXL BCD-1 Broadcast Dynamic Microphone is an end address microphone with warm, rich tones designed to make vocals stand out in any recording or broadcast. It delivers a bright sound, with built-in shock mount to negate vibrations and unwanted noise and features excellent side rejection. The tuned grill eliminates internal reflections while the built-in swivel mount allows for perfect positioning when combined with the MXL BCD-Stand. The BCD-Stand with articulating hinge arm allows for easy mic placement and provides a professional look and feel for podcasters. Additional clamp and swivel mount options are also available.
The Mic Mate Pro is an XLR-to-USB audio interface adapter that allows podcasters and live streamers to connect their microphones directly to their computer, effectively converting any XLR microphone into a USB microphone. With 48V phantom power, gain and headphone volume control, and studio-quality preamp capabilities, the Mic Mate Pro is a versatile and compact universal interface. It allows podcasters to instantly start recording without any special driver installations for a plug-and-play solution. To further simplify use, the MXL Mic Mate Pro handles microphone gain and headphone volume adjustments with low-profile rotary knobs, while the built-in headphone jack allows for zero-latency direct monitoring.
Marshall Electronics Inc., a leading manufacturer of professional audio and video products, is announcing the creation of a new division of MXL Microphones dedicated to the growing Unified Communications and …
DPA Microphones welcomes Matt Frazier as Northwest Area Sales Manager. Reporting to Christopher Spahr, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for DPA USA, Frazier, whom has nearly 15 years of experience in product sales and support, is responsible for sales throughout the northwest region of the United States.
“We’re very excited to have Matt join our team here in the states,” says Spahr. “DPA has seen tremendous growth over the last several years and Matt’s longtime experience in the music and pro audio industries will help us continue to grow our brand recognition to customers in the northwest. This includes especially crucial territories such as Seattle, which has an amazing musical culture.”
New Models Easily Integrate Contact Closure-Driven Switch Sets With an RJ-45 Connection, Eliminates Soldering Tasks
LynTec, a leading manufacturer of innovative electrical power control solutions for professional audio, video, and lighting systems, announced the addition of RJ-45-connections to switch sets. The SS-2LRP locking rack plate switch set, SS-2DPL brushed aluminum decora insert, and SS-2PL single-gang stainless-steel wall plate no longer require the task of soldering wire connections for contact closure-driven switch sets with a simple RJ-45 connection.
“Soldering is a dying art due to increased use of RJ-45 connectors and corresponding cables,” said Mark Bishop, president of LynTec. “By not requiring the connections to be soldered, our new switch sets not only reduce installation costs with less labor and required wire involved but also simplify post-installation maintenance and troubleshooting, since no soldering has to be redone. This addition to our accessories keeps pace with the increasing use of RJ-45 connectors on projects and aligns with our ongoing commitment to deliver power control options that streamline the installation and user experience.”
by Christian Diehl
Intercom systems today come in many different shapes and sizes. When considering an intercom system, it is important to prioritize the things that are important. Make sure that you get the sound quality and scalability that you need!
In terms of sound quality, digital systems will provide the highest quality sound with virtually no hums or buzzes. In a quiet church environment, extra noise can be especially annoying. In a concert environment or during outdoor services, the ability to hear and be heard are not just instrumental to the success of the production, but often can be key elements in the safety of the production crew and audience alike.
Scalability is a completely different issue because it’s something that can be easily overlooked or disregarded. Yet, in an effort to make your productions better or to service and reach more people, it is often necessary to grow your intercom system. The ability to do so without spending a lot of time, money, and spirit is the essence of scalability.
