First Redeemer Church’s active and wide-ranging production schedule includes weekly radio, video and live events, from spoken word and contemporary five-piece bands to concerts and large choir and orchestral productions.
A Studer by Harman Vista V digital console is at the heart of every performance, delivering the flexibility and sound quality any active broadcaster requires.
Typical Sunday mornings for the production team begin with a band and rhythm section rehearsal, followed immediately by a full choir and orchestra rehearsal, and then a quick reset back to the band to begin the day’s programs.
“Between rehearsals and productions, we have a tight schedule, where we’re switching between very different shows and events, often with little time in between,” said Jeff Baggett, director of audio for First Redeemer Church. “The Studer Vista V allows us to set up an almost unlimited number of control and I/O configurations that we can switch to instantly. System flexibility and ease-of-use are critical for us, and the Vista V allows us to set up anything we need.”
The Vista V is used for live front of house and monitor mixing for an average of about 70 channels. A pre-broadcast mix is sent from the main console in the 2,200-seat sanctuary up to the in-house studio via MADI fiber, where it is repurposed for broadcast production.
“The sound quality of this console is awesome,” said Baggett. “When we first brought it in, we had a chance to A/B compare the Studer console with our existing desk, and there was really no comparison. The Vista V sounds amazing live and in post. We’ve since brought in a full drum enclosure, and we moved our choir back. The Studer Vista V has really helped us dial in and upgrade our sound.”
Baggett and First Redeemer Church are already planning for future expansion. The church will be breaking ground soon on a new children’s theater and school as part of a three-story education complex.
“When we open up the new theater and facilities, we want to keep with the Studer and Soundcraft family of consoles,” said Baggett. “We want to be able to have engineers move around, work with different productions and be familiar with the desks. At the same time, we’re working to connect other rooms and facilities together with networked audio, like our gym and banquet hall, since we have a lot of events outside the sanctuary. The service and support we get from Harman Professional Solutions are very valuable, and we will continue with the relationship as we grow.”
