by Caleb Hopwood

Who among us hasn’t been in a situation where something as simple as a battery, cable, or lamp failed at exactly the wrong time? While we all want to handle pressure with grace, we also want to apply best practices and learn from those uncomfortable moments.

Additionally, the world is changing—and with it, the way congregants choose to worship and attend service. Is it time to upgrade your production system or add live streaming capabilities to reach larger audiences?

While no one can prepare for every eventuality, in our 45-year history we’ve found that there are a few common issues that are easily solved with a simple checklist and a few quick fixes before those big services are upon us! We’ve also put together a list of the types of products you’ll need to get started with live streaming.

Audio

Batteries

Whether you choose industrial strength disposable batteries or rechargeable, keeping a fresh batch of new batteries on hand is always a good idea. Replacing batteries after each and every service is a small investment for big services.

Mic Cables

From ready-to-use professional cables to unterminated cables and connectors you make yourself, it’s wise to do line tests on all your existing mic cables and replace worn XLR cables with new ones in advance of high attendance weekends. A decent audio cable tester is inexpensive and can save a lot of stress. A variety of XLR Cables can be found on our website.

DI Boxes

That new bass player may have killer chops, but his rogue amp settings are killing your mix. A quality DI box gives you more control over the overall sound and volume while minimizing hum and distortion.

Mic Stands

We’ve all had those mic stands that have been used for a few too many services. They won’t hold in place and the singer is forced to hold the stand to keep it from slowly falling down. If you’ve got any, it’s time to replace them. Your worship team will thank you!

Video

Projection has become a mission critical part of many services. And while video projection is a signal chain that ends at the projector, it often starts well before that.

Projector Lamps

While lamps last a lot longer than they used to even just 10 years ago, at Full Compass we have found that when you replace lamps by the 80% mark of their life expectancy, you’ll maintain a better projected image. We recommend that you keep a couple of extra lamps on hand as last-minute emergency back-ups. Also consider upgrading to new laser-based projectors which offer longer lasting brightness, lower maintenance with up to 20,000 hours of operation and improved color and contrast over lamp-based models.

PTZ Cameras & Streaming Solutions

Houses of Worship are reaching larger audiences using live video and audio streaming. There are many options available including stand-alone streaming devices, Audio/Video switchers that make it simple to edit live video while recording video streams, and full PTZ Camera/Live Streaming packages which include everything needed for multiple angle, high quality capture and distribution.

Video Converters

Like any signal chain, the more times a video signal is converted, extended, and encoded, the greater the chance of adding lag (delay) and reducing the image quality. If you’ve not yet done so, now is a good time to replace patch-and-fix connector nests with the proper video converter to simplify the signal chain and clean up your image.

Video Cables

If it’s smart to have extra XLR and TRS audio cables, how much more so for video where there are even more connector types to consider? From BNC to HDMI to RCA, pushing quality video is only possible when you’ve got the right cables and connectors handy.

Lighting

In our 40 years, we’ve seen a lot change in technology, but perhaps none so dramatically as the world of lighting. From theatrical to architectural to video lighting, the shifts in this portion of the industry have been exponential. Before the big holiday services, it’s smart to run tests to see which fixtures have dead or failing lamps, which lighting positions need to be updated, and the evenness of lighting washes across the venue, platform, and walls (for those subtle but glorious colored wall-washes).

Lamps and Bulbs

Because of the accessibility issues associated with re-lamping lighting fixtures, it’s best to make all of your lamp changes at once. That’s why assessing those lighting plots and scenes is so important when considering not only the number of lamps or bulbs that need to be replaced, but also noting how many you need for your next maintenance window. We’ve got a huge lighting lamps and bulbs in stock.

Replacement Fixtures

The saying “what got you there won’t get you to where you’re going” rings particularly true with old lighting fixtures. As you’ve upgraded throughout the years, it’s helpful to replace old, inefficient fixtures with new ones that not only create a better lighting scene but also help you standardize lamps. Over time, this strategy pays big dividends and is a good example of better stewardship.

DMX Cables

When re-lamping fixtures and updating your light plots, moving fixtures also means extending the cable runs for DMX cables. As with your audio and video cables, having a healthy inventory of these ready-to-use lighting and control cables ensures you’re not limited in fixture placement due to insufficient cable options.

Easter will be here before you know it. Any big services need your best preparation and this checklist will pay big dividends when you make smart investments like these. At Full Compass, we can help with each and every one of these checklist items.

Caleb Hopwood, contributor to this article, is a Certified Product Expert with over 10 years of experience serving Houses of Worship across the U.S. with Professional-grade Audio, Video and Lighting solutions.