AV Equipment

**DigitalAssassin** · 06-12-2006, 07:17 AM

For those of you into AV stuff...

Our church just opened our new campus this weekend. I'm a member of the tech crew so all of the new 'toys' made it like Christmas in June.

The growth of the church necessitated building a larger worship center. This in turn necessitated upgrading our equipment...

We moved to a digital audio console, the Digidesign Venue. Not much rack equipment to go with it besides CD players and recorders as ALL of the processing is internal to the console...

We also had to upgrade our video equipment. We have moved to a three camera setup with full CG and broadcast capability. The broadcast equipment isn't fully in place yet but will include a ProTools HD system. The audio console dumps directly to ProTools for tracking. Here is a shot of the Production Suite...

**loyalguard** · 06-12-2006, 07:24 AM

Wow! I haven't messed around with AV equipment for a while so I am out of touch but that looks like an amazing setup. That's amazing that all the processing is internal.

I do have one question though: Did the Mentos come with it or are they an add-on?

**DigitalAssassin** · 06-12-2006, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by loyalguard

I do have one question though: Did the Mentos come with it or are they an add-on?

You would think for $80,000 for the console they would include a years supply of Mentos but no, I had to pick them up at the convenience store down the street.

**WhiskeySix** · 06-12-2006, 09:15 AM

<drool>

must be a big congregation! our church has a PC and a 16ch analog mixer

**DigitalAssassin** · 06-12-2006, 09:20 AM

Our attendance just hit 4,000 consistently.

6 years ago (we started going about 4 years ago) they had 500. The growth is the big reason for the move because our existing worship center could only set 500 and we were running 10 services a weekend at different locations.

Whiskey, it wasn't that long ago we were doing the same thing. It's been a bit of a learning curve as we went from a 48 channel analog board to this one but the things that this console can do are amazing.

**CingularDuality** · 06-12-2006, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by DigitalAssassin

Our attendance just hit 4,000 consistently.

6 years ago (we started going about 4 years ago) they had 500. The growth is the big reason for the move because our existing worship center could only set 500 and we were running 10 services a weekend at different locations.

Whiskey, it wasn't that long ago we were doing the same thing. It's been a bit of a learning curve as we went from a 48 channel analog board to this one but the things that this console can do are amazing.

Pardon my ignorance, but what in the world would you need this kind of equipment for? Does it let you hear god better? Or god to hear you better?

**DigitalAssassin** · 06-12-2006, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by CingularDuality

Pardon my ignorance, but what in the world would you need this kind of equipment for? Does it let you hear god better? Or god to hear you better?

Legitimate question Cingular.

Our worship is very contemporary so during worship it's effectively a concert tech-wise. We have multiple guitars (electric & acoustic), plenty of drums, multiple keyboards, singers, etc. Add in vocal mics and lav mics and we easily use 48 channels of audio (8 of them just on the drums).

Additionally, the need for all of the video equipment is we are starting regional campuses that are on a week delay as far as the message/sermon so multiple cameras and post-service editing during the week is done to allow for the message to be edited together in a way that when it is played back and projected at their location that the viewer feels engaged in the lesson.

And, I'm sure most of us can appreciate this next bit...

We are going to be running simultaneous services in the same building starting next month that are a little smaller (i.e. 250 people max) and are acoustic as far as worship. The big challenge with something like that is you can't make the message a week delay because the live message is happening 50 feet away, but synchronizing two different bands to end worship at the exact same time so you can take the sermon live from the main worship center is next to impossible as well. The solution???

TIVO!

To answer your actual question, neither if we are doing it right. It's not the equipment or even the music style that matters in the end, it's the message that you put out. Our senior pastor just wants to present the message in a culturally relevant way and these tools help us do that. For anyone interested, our church is modelled after Saddleback Church in California. If you know anything about Saddleback and how it operates, we are very similar, just smaller.

**CingularDuality** · 06-12-2006, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by DigitalAssassin

Our worship is very contemporary so during worship it's effectively a concert tech-wise.

Wow! I had no idea that a church would do so much! I hope you didn't find my question offensive. Re-reading it, I see how it could easily be misinterpreted to be a snarky question...

That sounds very cool, BTW!

**DigitalAssassin** · 06-12-2006, 01:25 PM

No offense taken. So many people today think church has to be a 'I listen and get lectured to by a dude in a suit and robes' and don't necessarily associate it with being a 'fun' experience. You'll only catch our pastors in suits during weddings and funerals. Otherwise, it's very laid back and casual, jeans are the norm.

Nothing against traditional churches, they present the same message as contemporary ones like ours, just in a different way. My family just prefers contemporary. Plus, the geek in me loves all of the gadgets I get to play with.

Many many churches are starting to upgrade their AV, it's just that to get stuff like this you have to be a mega-church of sorts because the stuff is just so pricey but it's what you need if you want to do it 'right'.

**Grunt 70** · 06-12-2006, 01:27 PM

My Unitarian Universalist Congregation here in Quincy MA is lucky to see 4000 attendees in a year...never mind in one weekend...wow!! what church is it and do you have a website?

**DigitalAssassin** · 06-12-2006, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Grunt 70

what church is it and do you have a website?

Sure...

www.westsidefamilychurch.com

**Trooper** · 06-12-2006, 01:59 PM

DA i usta run sound for my church before i moved, we had a 46 channel mixer and 5 5k wat amps, fully automated lighting and rear projection screens. I know exactly what kind of fun can be had with awesome tech and crew in a church. Actually had the cops come over and say we where to loud and had complaints. Really is alot of fun to see awesome gear like this in a church.

makes me slober a bit just looking at it

**CingularDuality** · 06-13-2006, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Grunt 70

My Unitarian Universalist Congregation here in Quincy MA is lucky to see 4000 attendees in a year...never mind in one weekend...wow!! what church is it and do you have a website?

Huh... You go to a UU church? I've thought about looking for one of those to go to...