Cathedral of Faith in San Jose, CA, is relying on an assortment of Countryman H6 Headset and E6 Earset microphones in conjunction with its wireless system inventory.
“Cathedral of Faith is a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, contemporary Christian church,” explains Roberta Starr, director of audio at the cathedral. “Our services are contemporary and multi-sensory. We utilize a variety of media, including a live band, worship vocalists and choir, special effect lighting, live drama, dance, engaging props and illustrations, multimedia, and video.
“It’s essential that all dialog and vocal performances reach the congregation with a high level of speech intelligibility and, for singing, a natural, musical sound quality,” she continues. “To achieve this, we depend on our Countryman microphones.”
Over the past 10-plus years, the church’s wireless microphone inventory has grown to encompass three Countryman H6 Headsets and 20 E6 Earsets. “We use our H6 microphones for our weekly services and also utilize them for any dramas that are performed throughout the year,” Starr notes. “I love the fact that, with their dual ear loops and adjustable headframe, they provide a really comfortable, secure fit that enables one to focus on the message, or in the case of a theatrical presentation, their lines, as opposed to being distracted by an uncomfortable fit.
“These mics are also extremely low profile, so they’re practically invisible. Most importantly, they sound very natural.”
“I’m also very fond of the E6 Earset mic,” she adds. “Our E6 microphones are used for our large dramas. Each year, we perform an elaborate Easter Drama that frequently involves as many as 300-plus cast members, live music, special effects, dancers, live animals, and multimedia. For these productions, we typically use all three of our H6 microphones plus all 20 of our E6’s, and sometimes more. With their detachable cables, it becomes very easy to outfit the microphones with the proper connectors for our Sennheiser, Shure, and Audio-Technica wireless systems.”
In addition to her preference for Countryman microphones, Starr is also pleased with Countryman Type 85 direct boxes. “We have eight Type 85 DI’s that we use for our various instrumentalists. They’re a great tool for interfacing various instruments with the house mixer because they provide a strong, clean signal to the board without adding any noise or distortion. Further, these versatile little boxes are really rugged, built like a tank.”