Church Sound
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
WorxAudio Line Array Deployed At First Christian Church
With three services each Sunday—two of which are contemporary in nature— First Christian Church has a vibrant worship program that caters to a diverse congregation. After enduring lackluster performance from their sound reinforcement system for far too long, the decision was made to upgrade their sanctuary’s facilities with a WorxAudio compact line array.
Cape Coral, FL-based Creative Sound Solutions, LLC, an AV design/build firm that handles audio, video, lighting, and acoustics for the commercial and church markets, was contracted to design and implement the church’s new sound reinforcement system. Rob Robinson, general manager and co-owner, managed the First Christian Church project. He discussed the challenges that led to the deployment of the WorxAudio X3-P compact line array.
“First Christian Church’s sanctuary seats roughly 500 people and is 80 feet wide by 50 feet deep,” Robinson explained, “with the stage / pulpit area facing into the width of the room. As a result, the sanctuary is considerably wider than it is deep.
“This required a loudspeaker system with broad horizontal dispersion in order to provide consistent coverage from side to side as well as front to rear. The lack of consistent sound coverage with the previous sound system created a number of issues—most notably, the inability of the congregation to understand what was being said. Because of this, speech intelligibility was a crucial factor. Services are nowhere near as meaningful if people can’t understand what’s being said.”
“Music also plays a vital role in the church’s worship services,” he continued. “With a 5-piece praise band and a vocal team of roughly the same size, the new sound system had to have equally capable music reproduction characteristics.
“The WorxAudio X3-P line array is unique in that it is a 3-module, all-in-one compact system with extremely broad—160-degrees—horizontal dispersion and excellent music reproduction characteristics. After consulting with Hugh Sarvis at WorxAudio Technologies, we determined that a central cluster—positioned 20 feet over the pulpit area—would serve the room nicely.”
The X3-P’s throw capabilities mark a dramatic departure from conventional line array systems of this size and class. The upper two modules of the X3-P provide 10-degree vertical dispersion while the lower module delivers a 25-degree vertical pattern. Combined, the three modules create a 36-degree vertical system with an unusually broad horizontal dispersion of 160 degrees. The system is powered by WorxAudio Technologies’ highly-regarded PMD-1.5 digital power amp with built in DSP processing.
First Christian Church’s new sound reinforcement system was deployed in mid-November 2011 and was placed into service immediately thereafter. Since that time, Robinson reports the new system has had an extremely positive impact, “Because of the X3-P’s dispersion characteristics, we were able to cover every inch of the space. This system effectively eliminated the dead spots inherent in the previous sound system and, now, there is great sound quality and high speech intelligibility everywhere you sit. Ken Wagner, the church’s media director, was really impressed with the fact that no matter where he walks throughout the room, sound quality is remarkably consistent, clear, and free or dropouts. The new WorxAudio system has been generating rave reviews—and for us, that’s the best compliment of all.”
WorxAudio
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Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Church Sound: Locating Your Loudspeakers & Related Issues
Placement and positioning of loudspeakers can make a huge difference
The decision on the location of your sanctuary main and monitor loudspeakers will have a decided impact on the success of your presentation.
A single source of sound is best for the spoken word, whenever possible.
In a perfect world, as it relates to audio systems for worship, it’s best practice to place the sanctuary main loudspeakers in a central cluster above the front edge of the chancel riser.
The loudspeaker (or loudspeakers) are selected to provide pattern coverage over the entire seating area without putting acoustic energy on the walls, floor or ceiling.
When we put sound on people, it is largely absorbed and only minimal reflections continue elsewhere in their journey about the room.
When the pattern coverage is poorly designed, putting acoustic energy on highly reflective surfaces such as walls, floors and ceilings, the reflected sound can pass the listener’s ears several times, creating a lack of enunciation and speech intelligibility.
A properly designed central cluster allows the sound to reach the listener only once, thereby creating the most concise possible listening situation.
In many sanctuaries, however, there are physical limitations such as low ceilings or tall crosses that require an alternate consideration.
What if we can’t use a central cluster?
When forced to consider an alternate placement, the choice is usually left side and right side. It’s important to remember that sound will arrive at two different time intervals to people seated along the sides, and so we must attempt to select loudspeakers with a narrower coverage pattern.
The goal is to put sound on people at the left with the left speaker, and on people at the right with the right speaker, with as little acoustic energy crossing over the middle as possible.
How high should the loudspeakers be hung/flown?
Generally speaking, loudspeakers should be flown as high as possible (however, not to exceed 18-22 feet) in order to increase their distance from the front pew.
If the room has extremely low ceilings, we can arrive at a condition where people seated at the front are complaining that it is too loud, while the people at the rear are commenting that the sound needs to be turned up.
In such an instance, it’s advisable to turn the system down to a comfortable level and hang a second and even third set of loudspeakers perhaps every 25-30 feet as we grow in distance from the chancel.
Because sound traveling through the air takes time, the second set of loudspeakers will need to utilize a time delay so that the sound traveling from the chancel coincides perfectly with the sound emanating from the second set of loudspeakers.
A third set of loudspeakers will have to be delayed at yet a different setting to coincide with the sound emanating from the first two sets of loudspeakers.
In this manner, all sound source material reaches the ears of the listener at the exact same moment in time, regardless of how far back they are seated in the room, thereby maintaining speech intelligibility.
Though a sanctuary may have adequate ceiling height, if the room is very deep it’s still advisable to use multiple loudspeaker placements on delay lines.
Even if the chancel mains could be turned up loud enough to be heard at the back of the room, the sense of distance is audible (due to wall and ceiling reflections) and intelligibility is again adversely affected.
How can we minimize the possibility of feedback?
Despite the general public’s degree of sophistication in regards to quality audio, it’s not commonly understood that microphones need to be out of the live sound field whenever possible in order to minimize the possibility of feedback and annoying lingering overtones.
In other words, keep loudspeaker enclosures in front of the mics, not behind them. Of course, almost all pastors wear wireless mics, and many like to move about the room while speaking. A good church sound operator will be able to provide equalization so this may be done.
Attempt to keep monitor sound confined to the chancel riser.
Monitor loudspeakers are a wonderful benefit for the performers using them, but they can have a deleterious effect on the sanctuary sound.
If the monitors are positioned so that the monitor mix bounces off the back of the chancel and reflects back out to the congregation, it’s now combining at a different time interval with the sanctuary main mix and we have now adversely affected the speech intelligibility we had been striving so hard to create out front.
How loud should the monitors be?
Monitors should be just loud enough to keep the performers comfortable. If the monitors are too loud in relationship to the sanctuary main loudspeakers, no amount of positioning will help maintain clarity in the general seating area.
Since many praise band players are now middle-aged veterans of once-youthful rock bands, gently remind them that the purpose of the monitor line is to lend support and enunciation so that they may execute the material more perfectly.
If the monitors are intended to provide a studio-perfect mix of all instruments and voices for the listening enjoyment of the players, then you will need to be blessed with highly experienced and adequately funded audio technicians. Many larger churches in metropolitan areas are able to create this benefit for the praise musicians.
Jon Baumgartner is a veteran system designer for Sound Solutions in Eastern Iowa, a pro audio engineering/contracting division of West Music Company.
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Point Source Audio Conceives Miniature Lavalier Mic From Earworn Series
Point Source Audio has launched the new CO-7L Miniature Lavalier in response to customer demand for a lavalier version of its flagship CO-7 earworn microphone.
The new CO-7L Miniature Lavalier fills a need for speakers in broadcast or theatre production who generally prefer or need an “invisible” option. The CO-7L element is extremely small so it can be cleverly hidden in the hairline, behind a button, or even attached to eyeglasses. It is also water-resistant to be more resilient against humidity and moisture stemming from breath or perspiration.
The CO-7L is a miniature omni-directional condenser lavalier microphone that handles up to 140dB SPL, so it should be the choice for actors, broadcasters, presenters, or pastors looking for maximum intelligibility and clean, accurate reproduction. Additionally, the CO-7L is offered in multiple colors to allow matching or blending to hair, skin or clothing.
“Customers that love our CO-7 Earworn Mic have been asking us for a sister lavalier for quite some time,” said Yvonne Ho, Vice President of Marketing for Point Source Audio. “There are definitely advantages and applications for both an earworn and lavalier; earworn mics are extremely easy to fit, while miniature lavs can be completely camouflaged.”
The CO-7L Miniature Lavalier is shipping now and retails for $359 MSRP. The Miniature Lavalier is offered in a variety of terminations designed to work with all the most common wireless systems. Standard offerings are immediately available and special orders for custom wiring are welcomed as well.
Popular Standard Offerings:
CO-7L-AK - wired for AKG, available in Beige, Tan, Black
CO-7L-AT - wired for Audio-Technica, available in Beige, Tan, Black
CO-7L-SE - wired for Sennheiser Evolution Series, available in Beige, Tan, Black
CO-7L-SK - wired for Sennheiser SK Series, available in Beige, Tan, Black
CO-7L-SH - wired for Shure, available in Beige, Tan, Black
The CO-7L Miniature Lavalier is available at local pro-sound resellers and system integration contractors.
Point Source Audio
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SISME Named New Italian Distributor For Powersoft
Powersoft has announced SISME as the new distributor of Powersoft products in Italy starting May 2. Luca Giorgi, Pro Audio BU manager of Powersoft, made the announcement.
The trading company SISME has been importing and distributing musical instruments, sound equipment and HI/FI in the Italian market since 1967.
“Despite the substantial changes the modern retail business incurred in the last years, our company continues to evolve thanks to our competence and reliability,” says Claudio Bugari, Chief Executive of SISME. “Our dynamic vision of the market convinced us to make our presence heard in the segment of professional audio products. Tha t’s the reason we decided to complete the range of our amplification product portfolio with a quality brand such as Powersoft.”
The search for constant innovation, customer-centricity and high quality products are the strengths the two companies share. The new agreement signed aims at increasing the presence of green soul Powersoft designed amps in the Italian market.
With this in mind, SISME will continue to help customers find the best solution to their professional audio needs by offering its expertise in the field and a full line of products that will suite their needs, including Powersoft amplifiers. SISME distributes a full range of professional audio products including L-Acoustics, Shure, and HK Audio.
“We think we have found the right partner for the Italian market. SISME has a great distribution network well rooted in the Italian territory,” concludes Luca Giorgi. “Their payoff summarizes the spirit of our partnership: a quality company that distributes quality.”
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Peavey IPR Series Power Amplifiers Now Shipping
Peavey has announced that the IPR 1600 DSP and IPR 3000 DSP power amplifiers are now shipping. Loaded with a proprietary digital signal processing suite, IPR DSP Series amps are live production tools for both front-of-house and monitors.
The IPR 1600 DSP and IPR 3000 DSP power amplifiers combine loudspeaker management with the light weight power and performance of the original Peavey IPR power amplifiers.
The onboard digital signal processing system includes preset banks for popular loudspeaker types and configurations, as well as Waves MaxxBass psycho-acoustic processing.
The IPR DSP takes users through an intuitive setup wizard to set their EQ curves, delay speakers, crossover (full-range or full-range with sub), high pass and low pass; adjust a four-band parametric EQ and horn EQ; and specify the amount of Waves MaxxBass processing from 0-100 percent.
MaxxBass uses psycho-acoustics to calculate precise harmonics that are related to the fundamental tones of sound. When these harmonics are combined, it creates the effect of deeper low frequencies.
IPR DSP users can choose from a bank of popular Peavey and generic loudspeaker types, including models from the Peavey QW, SP, EU, Impulse, PR and SSE Sanctuary Series, as well as standard 10-, 12- and 15-inch loudspeakers. Program EQ curves include rock, pop, jazz, hip hop, contemporary worship, speech and acoustic. A built-in security lock is selectable for all functions or all but volume.
Designed with an advanced switch-mode power supply and a high-speed class D topology, the Peavey IPR 3000 DSP power amplifier provides 1,490 watts RMS per channel @ 2 ohms (840 watts RMS x2 @ 4 ohms) with a weight of just 7.8 lbs. The IPR 1600 DSP is rated at 900 watts RMS per channel @ 2 ohms (5115 watts RMS x2 @ 4 ohms) at 7.25 lbs.
Peavey IPR Series power amplifiers feature two channels and a variable-speed fan housed in a lightweight aluminum chassis. Inputs are combination ¼” and XLR, while outputs are combination ¼” and twist-lock connectors. Peavey’s exclusive DDT™ speaker protection with multi-point clip sampling leads a protection-circuitry suite that also includes DC, Temp, Signal and Active safeguards, all referenced on the front panel with LED indicators. Peavey IPR 3000 and IPR 1600 power amplifiers are backed by Peavey’s free five-year extended warranty.
The original Peavey IPR 1600 and IPR 3000 power amplifiers both won the Best New Power Amp Award from music-products retailers in the annual Music & Sound Awards, presented by the Music & Sound Retailer.
The Peavey IPR 3000 DSP ($799.99 MSRP/$599.99 street) and IPR 1600 DSP ($699.99 MSRP/$449.99 street) power amplifiers are available now from authorized Peavey dealers.
Peavey
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Monday, May 07, 2012
Crown Audio Begins Shipping I-Tech HD DriveCore Multichannel Power Amplifiers
Crown Audio today began shipping its new flagship I-Tech HD 4x3500HD DriveCore Series 4-channel power amplifier.
The 4-channel I-Tech 4x3500HD incorporates Crown’s sixth-generation Class I engine with DriveCore technology to deliver 3,500 watts per channel burst into two ohms, and offers a host of Crown’s most advanced features including a 4.3-inch TFT LCD with capacitive touchscreen, exclusive Harman HiQnet System Architect 2.0 control functionality and V5 DSP preset support for JBL Professional’s newly-launched VTX Series V25 plus VERTEC Series line array loudspeakers.
The Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD delivers 1,900 watts per channel into eight ohms, 2,400 watts per channel into four ohms and a massive 4,800 watts into eight ohms bridged with all channels driven at full bandwidth all from an amplifier that measures just 2U rack spaces high. This remarkable power to size ratio is made possible by Crown’s exclusive DriveCore amplifier IC chip. The DriveCore chip combines the amplifier driver stage into the power output stage (along with additional audio-signal functions), to dramatically reduce overall size and power-consumption requirements and yield energy-efficient operation that conforms to Harman International’s GreenEdge environmental initiative.
“The I-Tech 4x3500HD DriveCore Series sets a new benchmark in control, connectivity, DSP and system interfacing capabilities for professional high-power multichannel amplifiers,” said Brian Pickowitz, Market Manager, Tour Sound for Crown. “We are confident customers will immediately recognize the distinct benefits of a true 4-channel solution that this amplifier offers for a wide range of live sound and fixed installation applications.”
The I-Tech 4x3500HD provides an ideal real-world solution with its four analog inputs, four AES3 digital inputs and four AES inputs over VDrive and the ability to select four CobraNet inputs. The amplifier also includes SpeakON or banana plug speaker connectors, as well as a Neutrik PowerCON AC input connector to prevent the power cord from coming loose in transit.
The Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD provides more DSP sound-tailoring capability than any other amplifier on the market. Its proprietary BSS OmniDriveHD processing engine employs 32bit/192kHz A/D and D/A converters for superb sonic clarity and the ability to precisely tailor the amplifier’s audio output. Crown’s exclusive linear phase FIR and IIR filters provide optimized loudspeaker crossover points with improved midrange clarity and off-axis loudspeaker response.
The amplifier is compatible with the Harman HiQnet System Architect and JBL HiQnet Performance Manager sound reinforcement system design software. The inclusion of JBL VerTec V5 DSP preset tunings for VerTec Series loudspeakers interface with the I-Tech 4x3500HD’s FIR filters to improve the loudspeakers’ sound quality and horizontal coverage performance. For enhanced control and monitoring capabilities the amplifier is also compatible with the Powered By Crown iPad/iPhone application.
The I-Tech 4x3500HD incorporates a host of additional useful features including Crown’s innovative LevelMax limiter technology that combines the operation of the amplifier’s Peak, Thermal and RMS limiters for more effective protection; and a front-panel USB port that enables users to load preset amplifier settings or device files and update firmware.
Crown Audio
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Patrick Prothe Joins Biamp Systems As Marketing Communications Director
Biamp Systemshas announced that Patrick Prothe has been named the company’s new Marketing Communications Director.
In this role, Prothe will oversee Biamp’s marketing efforts worldwide with a focus on enhancing the company’s online presence, digital marketing assets and creative resources. Prothe will be based in Beaverton, Oregon and will report to Graeme Harrison, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Biamp Systems.
As Marketing Communications Director, Prothe will be responsible for Biamp’s strategic marketing direction, including developing and driving the global marketing plan, overseeing corporate communications, and directing the activities of the company’s external marketing agencies.
“With the continued growth in many of our global markets and the recent introduction of Tesira, it’s vital that our marketing efforts support the needs of our regions,” said Graeme Harrison, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Biamp Systems. “Patrick is an ideal addition to our team because he understands the importance of closely aligned marketing and sales efforts. Patrick’s extensive experience and knack for creative vision will help us broaden awareness of Biamp and continue to strengthen our leadership position worldwide.”
Prothe comes to Biamp from Viewpoint Construction Software where he was Marketing Communications Manager, responsible for overseeing all marketing and client communications programs including social strategy, content development, public relations, media relations, and trade shows. Prior to this, Prothe served as Manager, Creative Services, at Knowledge Learning Corporation, where he managed corporate branding and creative direction. Prothe has also held various positions at Synesis Design, Xerox and WARN INDUSTRIES.
“Biamp has a solid industry reputation for providing the best support and excellent service to customers,” said Patrick Prothe, Marketing Communications Director, Biamp Systems. “Being able to join this team of smart, sharp-minded individuals is a true privilege. I look forward to working with Graeme and the rest of the Marketing team as Biamp continues to grow, and ensuring that our customers around the world are fully supported by our marketing efforts.”
Biamp Systems
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Renkus-Heinz Expands Sales Management
Renkus Heinz has announced two major changes to their sales management force.
Industry veteran Phil Van Peborgh has joined the company as Eastern Regional Sales Manager, while Technical Sales Manager Ladd Temple has been promoted to Western Regional Sales Manager.
Van Peborgh comes to Renkus-Heinz after several years as a manufacturers’ representative with Highway Marketing and TechRep. He was also Director of Marketing for social media portal Knetwit.com, and General Manager of video games magazine Polygon.
Prior to moving to the US in 2000, Van Peborgh spent more than a decade working in live sound, touring the US and Europe extensively as a FOH, Monitor and Production Engineer. His resume also includes several years as a systems integrator.
“We’re very excited to welcome Phil to Renkus-Heinz,” said Rik Kirby, VP of Sales and Marketing. “His extensive career experience across a wide range of professional audio positions gives him a unique first-hand perspective into the many different markets in which our products are found, and his proven track record in sales makes him an ideal fit for our continued growth.”
“Renkus-Heinz is not just one of the original loudspeaker manufacturers in our industry, they’re also one of the most innovative,” added Van Peborgh. “Few companies can boast a track record of so many industry firsts, across so many different pro audio sectors. I’m proud to be joining such a forward-thinking team, and am very much looking forward to getting out and meeting our representatives and our end users.”
Ladd Temple, who joined the company last year as Technical Sales Manager, has been promoted to the position of Western Regional Sales Manager. Temple, who came to Renkus-Heinz after several years with Peavey Electronics, has already been providing technical and sales support to Renkus-Heinz’s extensive representative and dealer network throughout the United States.
“Ladd’s work with our sales reps has not only afforded him an unparalleled technical knowledge of the entire Renkus-Heinz product line, but has fostered relationships that will be invaluable in his new position,” added Kirby.
Van Peborgh’s territory will include the United States east of the Mississippi. He will be working from his offices in Knoxville, TN, and can be reached via email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Temple will now handle all territories west of the Mississippi, and will continue to be based in Texas. He can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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Church Sound: Understanding Noise And Isolation In A Sanctuary
If noise control is built into the structure or design it will not be nearly as costly
Here we present a portion of a chapter in the book “Sound of Worship” by Douglas R. Jones, published by Focal Press.
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Noise is a problem that every church must deal with regardless of its worship style or form.
Noise is basically unwanted sound. It is important to realize that the definition of noise includes a subjective component. Noise is unwanted sound.
Noise can be any sound that intrudes on someone’s space. It can be sound that in another context may be deemed desirable.
Noise can originate outside a structure or from within. It can be a by-product of the congregation itself.
In any case, in all styles of worship we looked at in the previous section, unwanted sound will always be viewed as a hindrance.
Unlike other aspects of acoustics, noise control or abatement is very difficult and expensive to achieve after a building is built. If noise control is built into the structure or design it will not be nearly as costly.
There are two ways that noise, or any sound for that matter, gets into and propagates through a space. Unlike light, sound must have a medium for it to propagate. Sound will travel from its source through the air or through a structure, often both. Both airborne and structure-borne sound are easy to control in theory, but in practice both can be quite challenging, as every possible path must be accounted for.
With airborne sound, we must achieve virtually airtight conditions if we are to achieve isolation. Structure-borne sound requires mechanical decoupling of the source from the structure.
Consider the following scenario. The First Baptist Church is planning a new building. The design calls for a nursery to be built, as they often are in Evangelical churches, right off the back of the sanctuary. The worshippers in the sanctuary do not want to hear the infants crying—fussing babies would be considered noise to all present with the possible exception of the parents!
However, caregivers don’t want to miss the entire service, so a window is installed in the wall between the sanctuary and the nursery so the caregivers can observe the service and hear by means of a loudspeaker system installed in the nursery. After the dust settles from the construction, and services are held in the new church, a problem emerges.
The worshippers sitting in the back four rows can clearly hear the babies crying as well as the caregivers carrying on conversations in the nursery. The architect is stymied. The walls are appropriately filled with fiberglass insulation and the window was one of those fancy sound-proof ones. How could the noise be getting into the sanctuary? An investigation revealed three paths that sound could take.
One was around the glass. If a window is not fully sealed into the frame it will not stop airborne sound. The contractor had not been careful enough with the installation, figuring the trim would cover the gaps around the window.
The second path was under the wall plate. The plate was not sealed to the floor and the drywall was cut shy of the floor, leaving an eighth of an inch gap, covered, of course, by the baseboard. Vinyl baseboard does a good job of concealing gaps, but those gaps are all potential air leaks, and therefore sound leaks.
The third offending path was an electrical outlet placed in the common wall between the nursery and sanctuary.The electrician had used back-to-back electrical boxes to feed both rooms from one drop, resulting in a significant hole right through the wall.
It is very important to note that fixing any one of these flanking paths may result in virtually no improvement. Fixing any two might yield a minor improvement. All flanking paths must be found and sealed if airborne sound is to be controlled.
Other common paths for airborne sound include traveling over a demising wall that is not sealed to the deck, sound leaking through penetrations through walls (or floors or ceilings), for example penetrations to allow for sprinkler systems. HVAC ducts are often the biggest culprits. They can be very effective speaking tubes! Noise can also intrude into a space through the structure. Sound in the form of vibration will travel very efficiently through solids.
The speed of sound in air is approximately 334 meters per second (m/s) (1130 feet per second (ft/s)). The speed of sound in common building materials such as gypsum board is on the order of 3000 m/s.
The good news is that for acoustical sources of sound, the transfer of energy from air to structure is very inefficient. A crying baby is not likely to create enough acoustic energy for the sound to travel throughout the structure and cause a problem.
However, a simple box fan sitting on a wood floor can often be heard in the apartment below as the vibration is transmitted directly through the feet of the fan to the floor. Once the vibration is in the wood of the floor it will travel to the joists and then on to whatever is attached to the joists and ultimately to the whole structure. This is a much more efficient transfer of energy than is possible through the air. We only have to lift the fan off the floor by an inch or so to prove this.
Controlling structure-borne noise can require careful engineering and be a real challenge. We must either isolate the source from the structure, or isolate the “ receiving room ” from the structure. It is most often better to consider isolating the source rather than the receiver.
In the case of a church, it would be silly to acoustically float a sanctuary from the structure of the building to get rid of HVAC noise. Isolating the offending HVAC equipment is much more practical. If we were building a recording studio in a building situated in an urban area where the structure of the building was rife with vibration from all sorts of sources ranging from traffic to HVAC to elevators, the only practical solution may very well be to isolate the entire studio by building the room on isolators.
As with airborne noise, structure-borne noise is conceptually easy to control.
Simply isolate the source from the structure. Isolation requires that the vibration energy be dissipated in some sort of elastic medium or that the path the vibration takes from the source to the structure be as inefficient and lossy as possible.
In practice this can prove to be very difficult. Many of the mistakes that we see in the field are not conceptual mistakes. Rather, they are mistakes in execution.
A small Evangelical church in Florida builds a new church. The designer, wishing to save money on HVAC ducting, located the mechanical room directly behind the rear wall of the sanctuary.
They took pains to seal the duct penetrations and of course they mounted the HVAC unit on isolators. Why then was the HVAC clearly heard in the sanctuary? It could be argued that the location of the HVAC unit so close to the sanctuary was a bad design decision.
The primary reason for the HVAC noise leaking into the sanctuary was because the contractor used the wrong isolators. The isolators were far too soft for the weight of the unit and were bottomed out, resulting in no isolation as they were unable to dissipate any of the energy at all.
The same thing can happen if the springs or rubber pads are too stiff. If there is no movement or compression of the isolators there will be no isolation. Most problems seen in the field are much more complex.
Figure 1 (below) illustrates some of the more common ways that vibration and noise can get from one space to another. It represents a common situation with an HVAC system located adjacent to a room intended for some use where the noise from the HVAC unit would be a problem. Each of the numbered arrows represents a path that sound can and does take to get from one room to another.
Please note that all the arrows emanating from one duct also apply to the other duct. They are not shown for clarity.
Figure 1. (click to enlarge)
● Arrow 1 represents the vibration that travels through the material of the duct itself and is then radiated into the receiving room. This can be eliminated or dramatically reduced by using canvas or rubber couplings between the HVAC unit and the duct work.
● Arrow 2 represents the noise created by the diffusers themselves. This noise is created by the turbulent air moving through the diffusers. This self-noise can be improved by changing the diffuser design. Most quality HVAC component manufacturers will include a noise specification at some face velocity, for example NC 20 (explained in next section) at 400 CFM.
● Arrow 3 represents the sound that originates in the fan and compressor and simply travels through the duct. It is often equally present on both supply and return ducts. This noise can be reduced by the use of duct silencers and duct liner.
● Arrow 4 represents a path that is often overlooked. It is the noise that emanates from the unit and then breaks into the duct, then travels through it just like arrow 3. This break-in noise can also be from other noise sources. It can be controlled by insulating the ducts on the inside as well as the outside.
● Arrow 5 represents the sound that will travel through any cracks left open around the duct penetration of the partition. This is controlled by making sure all cracks are sealed using a nonhardening sealant.
● Arrow 6 represents the sound that travels under the wall if the floor plate is not sealed to the deck. To eliminate this path, use a nonhardening sealant under the plate and under each layer of drywall.
● Arrow 7 represents the path the vibration will take, traveling through the structure and radiating into the receiving room. Note that the noise will not only be radiated from the floor. The vibration will be radiated from all the surfaces in the room. It can be reduced or eliminated by properly mounting the HVAC unit on isolators appropriate for the weight of the unit.
● Arrow 8 represents the sound that simply travels through the wall. This can be improved by adding insulation into the stud cavity, by adding mass to the wall, or by using materials such as QuietRock or devices like USG Resilient Channel to improve the transmission loss of the partition.
Noise, like all forms of sound, is quantified using instruments that measure sound pressure at some frequency or band of frequencies. As mentioned, noise by definition is subjective, so making a correlation between an objective measurement and a subjective outcome can be difficult. Just how quiet is quiet?
In addition, even the most powerful instruments available at this writing have trouble distinguishing between sound that is wanted and that which is unwanted. There are, however, some tools and standards that can help in the quest for quieter spaces. (Note that these tools and standards will be covered in the next installment of this discussion on PSW.)
“Sound of Worship” by Douglas R. Jones, published by Focal Press (ISBN: 9780240813394), is available here.
Douglas R. Jones is associate professor of acoustics and the founding chairman of the Department of Audio Arts and Acoustics at Columbia College Chicago. In 2006, he was awarded the Heyser Award for his contributions to education and acoustical analysis.
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Friday, May 04, 2012
NSCA Presenting Digital Marketing Boot Camp In Las Vegas
The National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA) is hosting a two-day boot camp featuring keynote speaker, Scott Klososky, from the 2012 NSCA Business & Leadership Conference (BLC).
The boot camp will be held June 11-12 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV.
Coming off of the most popular BLC, of which many topics centered around social media and marketing techniques, this boot camp will provide strategy-based curriculum on social and digital marketing strategies for marketing professionals and senior executives.
Attendees will understand the full breadth of resources available in the social media world in additional to the dynamics, processes and trends available today. Klososky notes that attendees will leave with “more knowledge to drive a noticeable, measurable impact on their organization’s bottom line and online marketing strategies over the next few years.”
The two-days will be spent on instruction and concept delivery in these key areas:
• Why social technologies are exploding, their role in today’s organizations and why leaders should pay attention;
• 15 unique social dynamics web 2.0 has delivered and you can apply to your organization’s strategy;
• Processes of social media implementation; and
• Future path of social technologies.
Klososky, a former CEO of three successful startup companies and current founder and Chairman of the Board of Alkami Technology, specializes in looking over the horizon with how technology is changing the world. His vision and ability to see trends in emerging technologies allow him to be a thought leader who applies his skills to help organizations thrive, leaders prosper, and entire industries move forward.
NSCA members receive this two-day boot camp at 40 percent off the original costs. Additionally, NSCA members can apply up to $400 in NSCA Education Credits towards the cost of the boot camp.
The training includes meals, a USB drive with process implementation documents, tools and templates supporting the strategies discussed, and all the presentations for a total cost of $1,800 per participant.
For more information visit www.nsca.org/bootcamp or contact Bonnie Taylor, NSCA Events Specialist via email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
NSCA
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Church Sound: Do You REALLY Know Your Channel EQ Controls?
Master the mixer and improve your mixing
You could potentially improve your mix quality by taking one little step: learning how the channel EQ controls affect sound frequencies.
They may not work like you expect.
Turning Knobs
I recall seeing the EQ knobs labeled “High” and “Low” as I looked upon the sound board during my first time mixing. “I know what those mean,” I thought. “I can increase or decrease those high and low frequencies.” I was only partially right.
The high and low knobs do allow me to boost/cut those appropriate frequencies, but it begs the questions;
—What are the actual frequencies being affected?
—How are they being affected?
—Are they all being treated equally?
—What about the mid-range is so important that it gets its own “Sweep” knob?
—And if your channels have a Q option….what in the world is Q?
Before digging into these questions, let’s first cover the two types of channel EQ controls.
Parametric Vs Semi-Parametric EQ
Parametric equalizers allow the control of three primary parameters:
1) The primary frequency point in which changes will occur. This is called the frequency or center frequency. A sweep-able control allows you to change this point.
2) The type and amount of change. For example, a boost or a cut and the degree to which you do that, such as a 3 dB cut or a “-3 dB” change. This is known as the amplitude or gain.
3) The range of frequencies which will be affected by the change. This is known as the Q value or bandwidth. Changing the Q will increase/decrease the range of frequencies around the center frequency.
Using a parametric equalizer, you would alter a sound by:
—Picking the center frequency with which you want to focus your tonal changes.
—Selecting the bandwidth (Q) which represents the equal number of frequencies to the left and the right of the center frequency which you want affected. For example, you can select a wide bandwidth to affect a large number of frequencies or a small bandwidth to affect a lesser number of frequencies. Ever heard the phrase, “cut narrow, boost wide?”
—Altering the amplitude by applying a cut or boost to that specified frequency range.
A semi-parametric EQ is a parametric EQ with one or more missing features, typically the bandwidth (Q). You might see this in a mid-range EQ control that doesn’t give an option for controlling the bandwidth (Q).
When it comes to digital EQ controls wherein you are using a computer screen to visualize the EQ curves and make changes, you are using a parametric EQ that also can allow for using multiple frequency center points so you aren’t limited in the number of points you can control.
Two Forms Of Control
So far, the terms frequency center point, amplitude/gain, and bandwidth (Q) have been discussed. What hasn’t been discussed is the forms of EQ in which these can be controlled.
There are two forms of EQ control:
1) Peaking EQ—A peaking EQ is exactly as it sounds. You select the frequency center point which is set up on the top of a bell curve. If you have a Q control, you can adjust the width of that bell curve. Your mid-range controls are peaking EQs. You might even have an EQ control labeled “High-Mid” which would qualify as a mid-range peaking EQ. In this image, the blue line indicates a wide boost while the red line indicates a narrow cut.
Peaking EQ. Photo provided by Iainf.
2) Shelving EQ—A shelving EQ is one in which only frequencies on one side of the frequency point are affected. It will still have a natural curve but that amplitude control is only on one side. This will be your High and Low EQ knobs. In this case, all frequencies are affected equally. For example, on the low EQ, all frequencies below 100 Hz are cut or boosted equally In this image, the red line indicates a low frequency shelving EQ with a cut to the frequencies. The blue line indicates a high-frequency shelving EQ with a boost to the highs.
Shelving EQ. Photo provided by Iainf.
Know Your Frequency Points
There is one critical bit of information we haven’t discussed and it’s the one I overlooked when I first started mixing; the baseline values.
The high and low shelving EQ’s have a set frequency point. Your mid-range peaking EQs have a baseline frequency. Do you know what they are? I hate to tell you, but you need to crack open your manual. For example, in my mixer, the frequency point of the High EQ knob is 10 kHz and the Low EQ knob is 100 Hz.
Knowing the baseline frequencies, especially with the shelving EQs, you can identify the exact frequency point in which you will base your cuts and boosts.
Going To The Next Level
Let’s look at what you can discover given all this information. I’ve got a mixer with a fixed channel high pass filter of 80 Hz. Engaging this, all frequencies below 80 Hz are completely cut out.
Considering my Low EQ frequency point is 100 Hz, then when I boost or cut my lows with the HPF engaged, I’m affecting a very small range of frequencies. If I really wanted to get some thump out of my kick drum, I wouldn’t want that HPF engaged. But what if I could use that HPF to get a sound from my kick drum that fit the song?
Take-Away
The channel EQ buttons give you a lot of control over how you modify a sound. Knowing exactly how they control them and knowing their frequency characteristics, you might see them in a new light with new possibilities. And knowing those baseline frequencies…just one more way you can master your mixer and improve your mixes.
Ready to learn and laugh? Chris Huff writes about the world of church audio at Behind The Mixer. He covers everything from audio fundamentals to dealing with musicians. He can even tell you the signs the sound guy is having a mental breakdown.
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Middle Tennessee State University Wins Eighth Annual Shure Scholastic Recording Competition
Shure has announced that a team from Middle Tennessee State University is this year’s Grand Prize Winner of the eighth annual “Fantastic Scholastic Recording Competition.”
The three-student team of Taylor Bray, Jeff Braun, and Grant Hartford—with faculty advisor associate professor Michael Fleming—won this year’s contest with an original composition by aspiring singer-songwriter Rebecca Roubion entitled “Falliday.”
“We congratulate the winning team from MTSU and thank all of the students who participated in this year’s contest,” says Dave Mendez, market development specialist at Shure, who coordinated the competition. “This year’s competition was extremely close, which is a credit to the high quality of all the submissions, and hard work of the students and faculty of these fine recording programs.”
The judges for the competition were Ken Caillat, Leslie Ann Jones, Dave O’Donnell, Keith Olsen, and John Paterno. They evaluated the recordings on their overall fidelity, clarity, and sonic balance as well as creativity in selection and placement of microphones.
“Congratulations to all the participants in this project,” says judge Leslie Ann Jones, director of music recording and scoring at Skywalker Sound. “It is wonderful of Shure to provide such a great opportunity to these teams of soon-to-be engineers and producers, and the results are quite impressive. I was very happy to be involved.”
Each of the 10 student teams worked on a recording project that consisted of tracking and mixing a performance, exclusively using a “microphone locker” provided by Shure for the competition. Teams submitted an unmastered stereo mix for review by a panel of industry professionals who were invited by Shure to judge the competition.
”We were thrilled to participate in this year’s competition,” notes Fleming. “The student team opened the mic locker like it was a Christmas present, and they really rose to the challenge of using a collection of great microphones, musicians, and acoustic sources to create a unique recording. They learned a lot from the experience and had a great time doing it.”
Having the microphone locker enabled the students to gain experience with some microphones that none of them had previously used, and to experiment with different mics on different instruments and a variety of microphone placements.
In addition to the winning team from MTSU, there were nine other competing teams from Clemson University, Delta State University, DePaul University, New England School of Communications, The NYU Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, University of Miami Frost School of Music, University of the Pacific, and William Paterson University.
The runner-up in this year’s competition was the team from The NYU Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. The students from Delta State University received an honorable mention.
As the winning school, MTSU takes ownership of a selection of Shure KSM recording microphones, which consists of one KSM313 ribbon microphone, two KSM44A, one KSM42/SG, two KSM32/SL, one KSM141/SL stereo mic pair with A27M stereo mic stand adapter, two SM27-LC, two BETA 181/S, two RPM181/O, and six SRH840 professional monitoring headphones. The entire prize package is valued at more than $11,000. In addition, each member of the winning team will receive a KSM42/SG, valued at $999 MSRP.
Go here for more information about the winners and to listen to the winning song.
Shure
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Thursday, May 03, 2012
Line 6 Now Shipping XD-V55 Digital Wireless Systems
Line 6 is now shipping the new XD-V55 digital wireless handheld, lavalier, and headset microphone systems.
Featuring microphone modeling technology, XD-V systems offer 24-bit, 10 Hz–20 kHz, compander-free performance. .
The family offers a full complement of professional features including signal encryption, dynamic filters, gain control, channel scanning and more.
Utilizing the same 4th-generation digital wireless platform as the flagship XD-V75, the XD-V55 family offers handheld, lavalier and headset systems and the compact, portable XD-V35 family includes handheld and lavalier systems.
“For performers who want wired mic audio performance and wireless freedom, the combination of Line 6 modeling and our class-leading digital wireless platform makes the latest XD-V systems the only choice,” says Steve Devino, live sound product manager at Line 6.
“Proven on countless stages and tours worldwide,” he continues, “fourth-generation Line 6 digital wireless technology ensures the best possible performance experience with crystal-clear audio, rock-solid reliability and simple, license-free operation – worldwide.”
Ensuring faithful reproduction and full-range audio clarity, XD-V systems all provide 10 Hz - 20 kHz frequency response and wide dynamic range (up to >120 dB). They do not use companders or compress the audio signal in any way, and audio quality does not degrade with distance.
XD-V systems operate in the 2.4GHz band, which is free from interference due to TV broadcast, public safety announcements, cell phone towers and other transmitting devices. Encoded DC (Digital Channel Lock) technology prevents reception of any audio interference from other 2.4 GHz devices.
XD-V handheld systems feature a selection of up to 10 models of popular vocal microphones. Using this incredibly diverse sonic palette, vocalists can choose the perfect microphone sound to match their voice and style of performance.
For active spoken-word performers, instrumentalists or singers who require a hands-free solution, XD-V bodypack systems offer selectable EQ filter models, tailored for a wide range of vocal and instrumental applications.
XD-V55 bodypack systems have three selectable vocal EQ filter models.
XD-V series digital wireless systems are incredibly easy to operate. Simply choose a channel on the transmitter and receiver and they lock together automatically. There is no need for RF tuning or intermodulation calculators.
XD-V55 family features: 12 channels, 300-foot range; 1/2U desktop receiver with externally mounted antennas; heavy-duty metal chassis.
Line 6
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Posted by Keith Clark on 05/03 at 04:07 PM
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St. Leander Updates Sanctuary With Tannoy Qflex
St. Leander Catholic Church in San Leandro, California, recently reconfigured their sanctuary to bring the worship experience closer to their members. The redesign included the installation of a new sound reinforcement system featuring Tannoy Qflex array loudspeakers.
Leo’s Professional Audio, based in Oakland, California, was asked to assist in designing and installing the new sound system.
“The redesign involved moving the alter from the back of the rectangular sanctuary to the center of one of the longer walls,” explains Graham Cooper, vice president of the contracting division at Leo’s Professional Audio. “The pews were moved to create semi-circular seating around the new alter area. As a result, the new system was designed to cover an area that was much wider than deep.”
The sanctuary, approximately 60’ x 120’, was a “vast cavernous space” with all of the hard, reflective surfaces one would expect in an older, traditional sanctuary. It was imperative to steer the sound to the seating areas and minimize any bounce back from the hard surfaces.
Cooper placed two Qflex 24 array powered loudspeakers to the left and right of the alter. The structure of the alter platform and the location of the choir area stage right dictated the placement of the loudspeakers at 15-feet above the floor.
The Qflex 24s, just under 5-feet tall with less than a 7-inch width and depth, were painted to match the décor of the church making their presence barely noticeable. With a horizontal dispersion of up to 120 degrees, Cooper was able to focus the output to cover the majority of the seating area and maximize the vocal intelligibility of the system.
“Because the room was very wide, there were a few seats in the sanctuary that were not covered by the Qflex system ,” adds Cooper. “To ensure every seat was a “good” seat we installed four Tannoy Di5DCs spread out along the front wall so that they would hit the areas at the far ends of the room as well as right under the Qflex lousdpeakers. The end result was very impressive.”
The original alter area, set off from the main sanctuary, was converted to additional seating which required extra audio support. A single Tannoy i7 line array column bracket-mounted to an adjacent column, provides ample coverage.
A nearby confessional turned rack room is home to a Lab.gruppen 5.4x amplifier to power the Di5DCs and i7 boxes. The rack includes a Rane digital signal processor for delay and EQ supplemental and two Rane auto mixers control the microphones and CD player. To provide easy on/off of the system and minimal interference to system set-up, Cooper used a Lyntek PD510-4 sequenced power system with the on/off panel located outside of the locked rack room.
“The system is literally push and play,” he explains. “They don’t even have to open the rack room to get everything up and running. The coverage is outstanding and the vocal intelligibility better than ever before. The parishioners are absolutely delighted with the new system.”
Tannoy
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Church Sound: Amplifying Child Vocals In Productions
Creative solutions to help those young voices be heard
Perhaps the most challenging sound-reinforcement job—in terms of feedback—is amplifying children. It’s often hard to hear children in dramatic or musical productions.
That’s because most children don’t project. Since they produce a low volume on stage, you must turn up their mics a lot to hear them—resulting in feedback.
Here I’ll offer some creative solutions to help those young voices be heard. I won’t cover wireless mics—even though they work well—because they are expensive and complicated to use.
Use A High-Pass Filter
Children’s voices seldom contain frequencies below 200 Hz, so you can filter out everything below that frequency. On each mic channel, switch in a high-pass (low-cut) filter set to 200 Hz, Q = 1.7 to 2.0.
Have a deep-voiced boy talk on stage while you listen to the PA system in use. Gradually turn up the high-pass frequency until the reproduced voice thins out, then back off a little. You’ve just prevented feedback for all the frequencies below about 200 Hz.
Try Temporary Close Mic’ing
Close mic’ing results in more gain before feedback than distant miking. When a microphone is close to its sound source, the mic picks up a louder sound than at a distance. So you don’t need to turn up the gain so much to achieve adequate volume in the theater.
Let’s say that a choir is singing near the back wall. Try placing a floor mic about 10 feet from the kids when they walk in, then remove the mic when they walk out. The lights could be dimmed during the changeover. That would provide more volume than mics near the stage edge.
Use A Hanging Mic
If the microphone locations must be permanent, probably a hanging mic is the best solution. Mount the microphone as shown below.
Suggested hanging-mic placement for a children’s choir.
When the choir sings, turn up just the one hanging mic, then turn it off otherwise. Try to group the children in a few rows so that the choir is narrow.
That way the one hanging mic will pick up the far left-and-right edges of the choir.
Two mics would be needed for a wide choir, resulting in 3 dB less gain-before-feedback than one mic.
Loudspeaker Aspects
Place loudspeakers close to the audience. That makes the loudspeakers’ sound stronger in the audience area. The loudspeakers are louder simply because they are closer to the audience members. So you get more volume with no increase in feedback.
Many schools and theaters have loudspeakers permanently installed over the proscenium arch. That loudspeaker location tends to feed back easily because the loudspeakers are close to the mics and far from the audience. You might rent or purchase some smaller 2-way loudspeakers (with an 8-inch or 12-inch woofer), and mount them on the wall or on stands close to the audience area.
In the figure below, an extra pair of loudspeakers is mounted near the back of the audience. That way, the front loudspeakers don’t need to be turned up so much to achieve adequate loudness in the back. You might be able to get by with a single pair of loudspeakers if your auditorium is not very deep.
You also might want to delay the audio signal going to the loudspeakers; that creates the illusion that the sound is coming from onstage rather than from the nearest loudspeaker. One low-cost delay unit is shown below.
Try Anti-Feedback Devices
Either a 1/3-octave graphic equalizer or an automatic feedback suppressor can help achieve a little more gain before feedback out of your system.
When all else fails, solve the problem at its source: train the children to project.
Bruce Bartlett is a microphone engineer (www.bartlettmics.com), recording engineer, live sound engineer, and audio journalist.
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