It’s always interesting to see how ideas evolve in our business. Also, how a concept reaches reality, especially something like this. This concept was born last summer with the need to hold video conference meetings in a couple of gymnasiums in local schools that have been re-purposed for a local non-profit that works to help local neighborhoods in various ways.

This and other projects often start out with a client needing to accomplish a goal, but not knowing the most economical solution. In this case, it was staff training on a regular basis for the primary need. A secondary need was to show movies.

So, the original request for a projector and screen made sense. Although that would work, it was not cost-effective. Projecting video in a darkened movie theater with a great sound system and room acoustics is one thing, but turning a brightly lit gymnasium with poor acoustics into a video/movie theater is quite another. It would require a super bright projector (big $$$$) and a column array sound system (more big $$$$$). Multiply that times two locations and it simply was not feasible.

So we said, how about a mobile cart with a big TV??? TVs as we learned in another article in this newsletter deliver a smaller image but make up for that largely with better brightness and contrast. Plus the whole mobile cart idea meant this package could be rolled into any classroom and used for small-group conferencing. Great concept!

So yes, the TV addressed the video delivery challenge but what about audio? The problem with audio in a gym is, a gym is one big hard-sided box of a room. Hard surfaces and intelligible audio do not play well together. In other words, gymnasium audio (other than a few short announcements during a basketball game perhaps), is pretty muddled.

So Francis AV recommended a pair of “column-array” speakers. Column arrays, (like their big brothers, line arrays, like you see at rock concerts and festivals), keep the sound projection down and off of the ceiling and walls and directed at the people listening on the gym floor, which is exactly what you need.

We were able to utilize two of the client’s existing wireless microphones for group question and answer with remote guests.

Since most of the video conferences originate from other locations, an inexpensive but high-performance digital PTZ camera was chosen for transmitting video out to remote viewers. This camera is like a webcam on steroids. It looks like an oversized webcam but unlike lesser-expensive models, it has great pan-tilt-zoom capability via the included handheld remote control. It even has a built-in microphone (like a webcam) for when the package is wheeled into a smaller room where the handheld mics are overkill.

Lastly, the engine that makes it all works is a (client-provided) mini-PC. This connects to their network with a wired ethernet cable which we always recommend. Never use Wi-Fi for a conference unless it’s your only choice as it will probably start buffering or dropping out on you at some point.

Churches are many things to many people. To us, they are important places for groups to congregate. It has been tough for them to do so during the pandemic. So creativity has kicked in. Many do a prerecorded service every Sunday and leave it at that. Others hold church outdoors in the warmer weather. But most are interested in live-streaming their services.

As we do more of these types of installs, we're finding choir (video) “confidence” monitors to be just as important as the "front-of-house" screens the congregation watches. This sometimes can be tricky when it comes to site lines. No matter who is installing your system, it's important to make sure the front-of-house TV screens don't block the view of the choir monitor from the choir. And by the same token make sure the choir monitor is large enough to maintain "read-ability". A choir monitor can be:

• Simply a big TV on the wall behind the congregation
• A big TV hanging from a ceiling beam
• A short-throw projector and large screen (or a white wall)
• Small monitor(s) near the front of the sanctuary aimed at the choir

Basically, whatever is needed so the choir (and pastor) can see the content on the screen. Of late, pastors have been asking for a separate monitor just displaying the live camera of them speaking.

The client needed an economical package for sound video and lighting for a Broadway-type production in a banquet room setting.

A banquet room is anything but a Broadway theater. Acoustics are poor, low ceilings, and space is at a minimum.

Any professional AV production is 80% planning and 20% work. We figured out a way to suspend a lighting rig from the ceiling I-beam joists. Projectors were also ceiling mounted to get them out of harm's way on the banquet floor. And lastly, a sound system complete with A1 audio technicians EQ’d a system that was second to none for the listeners that evening. We even provided a fog machine to give it that Broadway/Las Vegas show feel.

Mixing in traditional PowerPoint slides and video playback and also doing a three-camera shoot with IMAG (Image Magnification) on the two screens for the audience so everyone had a good view made it a memorable evening for our client and one of our more memorable performances.

Live Performance Production - Francis AV staff setting up

Live Performance Production - controls

Live Performance Production - Carrie Melenakos performing

Temple Concord is anything but a small country church. Besides being a Jewish Temple, its sanctuary building is on the national list of historical places. Since we installed a new PA system there two years ago, the whole property has been sold and will probably be turned into SU student housing.

The sanctuary is old and grand and has big booming acoustics that needed to be dealt with.

The congregation has its share of “senior” members who have hearing issues.

The music ministry had their own set of requirements. And the users of the traditional PA microphones had their needs as well.

The solution again came in the form of a two-column speaker array system. This kept audio from running astray against the hard-surface high ceiling and the cavernous shape of the sanctuary.

Stage mics were all put on an automatic mixer, basically auto-pilot so they would self-adjust to the different people speaking.

The music ministry musicians’ vocal mics were tied into the main PA with a snake that fed a Behringer X Air mixer. A qualified person with the use of an iPad was able to sit out where the congregation sits and listen and adjust volume and EQ levels for each individual musician. The days of sitting at a mixing board in the back of the room are gone if you want them to be.

And finally, an “assistive listening loop” was installed under the sanctuary floor. This allows anyone who has a hearing aid (or cochlear implant) to hear the service.

Hopefully, now that the building has been sold, the installed PA system can be re-purposed and still made use of.

Temple Concord speaker installation

Outside of historic Temple Concord