The Top 5 Acoustical Challenges of Church Video Venues
Church video venues are popping up everywhere. For many churches, they have become the go-to solution for solving the growth “problem”, which of course is a good problem to have. Church video venues are great for a number of reasons: they can offer an alternative worship music experience, they can keep a church unified by offering the same video sermon (live or recorded) to multiple venues, they can be a terrific option for landlocked churches, and much more. But what about the acoustics? What are some of the most pressing acoustical challenges of church video venues? (more)
How Churches Use Multiple Screens in Worship
My last blog discussed using a large video screen as the backdrop for your church stage. We discussed the benefits of using that type of technology. Today, we’ll move beyond the single screen. There are several reasons why we we would consider using multiple screens to decorate the auditorium of a church. This blog features photos from my time on staff at Northridge Church in Plymouth, Michigan. (more)
Video Screen Backdrops are the new Stage Designs for Churches
Decorating and designing stage sets for church sanctuaries can be a daunting task. Let’s look at a brief calendar of the church year. Traditional Christmas services are followed by volunteer holidays and a New Year celebration. There may be a Super Bowl Sunday and then a candlelit Maundy Thursday followed quickly by an Easter sunrise celebration. You’ve got weddings, funerals, baptisms, baby dedications, and on and on. And most importantly, you’ve got the “normal” weekly church services and sermon series to keep you busy. Even the best decorating committees have trouble keeping the pace. So how can you make it all work? (more)
Acoustics for Video Venues & Portable Churches
From mega-churches to small town congregations, the video-venue concept is becoming a staple of church growth. For those not “in the know”, a “video-venue” is a church meeting where parts of the service (typically the sermon or message) are piped in via video signal and projected on a large screen, while other parts of the service (like the music or announcements) are done live. Since the sermon is filmed in the “main sanctuary”, it can be broadcast to different rooms within the same church building (onsite video-venues) or to campuses across town, out of state, and beyond (offsite video-venues). As a devoted church member and as an acoustical consultant, I have experienced many different types of video venues firsthand, and I have found a common thread of acoustical “challenges” they typically face. If you are planning a video-venue or portable church ministry, here are some important items to consider before selecting your new space… (more)
How Churches Save Money with Independent AVL Design
In this economy, everyone is trying to cut costs and save money, and churches are no exception. With most church budgets relying 100% on church member donations, there is a heightened sense of concern amongst church boards to spend the money wisely. So when churches hear about an AVL company that will design a new Audio, Video, and Lighting system for “FREE!” many of them jump at the chance. But what does a “free” AVL design package really get you anyway? (more)
Why Your Conference Room Technology May Soon Be Obsolete: Part II
As the VGA connector continues its rapid transition towards obsolescence (referred to in Part I of this post) many people simply assume that using adapters (such as HDMI to VGA) will solve the digital-to-analog connectivity problem. While this may work in the short term, it ignores the looming problem of DRM (Digital Rights Management), a way of encrypting new media to protect against copyright infringement. DRM uses something called HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) to control which devices are allowed to receive the video signal. So how will you know if you’re using digitally protected content? Well, for starters, your adapter will just stop working. (more)
Psychoacoustics: Transient Noise Grabs Attention
Have you ever noticed how some sounds catch your attention and others do not? For example, you are driving down the road thinking of your plans for the day and all of a sudden you hear a squeak in the dashboard. It draws your attention immediately, while the air conditioning fan likely does not. The squeak is intermittent (and likely tonal, but that’s a topic for another blog) and therefore stands out over the more constant sound of the fan. This reaction is similar to vision, where our attention is drawn by moving objects much more so than stationary ones. (more)
Why Techies Buy Audio-Video Gear Online
My church recently decided to upgrade from our old analog mixing board to a brand new digital mixing console. The interesting part of this process was that they did not buy it through a local AV contractor. They purchased the sound board online through a company that specializes in phone and internet box sales. This got me thinking about the trend over the past few years in which more and more Audio Visual end-users purchase equipment from online sources instead of the local dealer or shop. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? And why is this becoming the norm? (more)
The Speaker Shootout at High Noon
Question: How do you assure your client that they are getting the best possible speakers for their Auditorium or Fine Arts Center? Answer: You hold a “speaker shootout”. Recently one of our clients was in this exact situation, so we did just that. We invited several manufacturers of line array speakers to show up, all on the same day, so we could let our client hear the differences in sound quality back and forth in the exact same auditorium they would be installed in. Three different manufacturers arrived, speakers in tow, to hang their line arrays for the shootout. As the client’s AV Consulting Firm, we were there to moderate the shootout and ensure that each manufacturer got a fair shake (clean signal, volume levels, sound power levels, and so on). And then we began. The client had arranged for a group of about 20 listeners and key decision makers to join us for the shootout as a virtual “jury” to help decide which speakers to purchase. May the best speakers win! (more)
Why Your Conference Room Technology May Soon Be Obsolete
You can’t get away from the digital age. It seems like digital technology is everywhere. As Audio-Video designers, the march towards all things digital is having an impact on display technologies as well. Meanwhile, flying under the radar, there is a subtle shift happening in how the average person shows information from a computer onto a projector or display. (more)
If It Sounds Like Noise to You, It May Be “Esion”
Fundamentally, sound is “that which we hear”. What we hear at any given time can greatly influence us. We use sound to communicate, to express warning, fear, pleasure and excitement. Some sounds can relax us and help us fall asleep, while other sounds can distract us and make it more difficult to perform simple tasks. Different sounds can be soothing and pleasing or annoying and irritating. Accordingly, determining “What is sound?” and “What is noise?” can become a highly subjective task. As engineers and scientists, it’s our job to generate generalized models that have a high level of correlation to humans (or to specific populations). (more)
When One Size Does Not Fit All | Diffuser Sound Levels
On a recent trip to India, I discovered a cute clothing sizing term called “free size” which is equivalent to “one size fits all”. Free size clothing must be a manufacturer’s delight since production and distribution are greatly simplified. Adjustments to the size of the garment are typically made through waist ties of various designs and if needed, permanent alterations.
In the A/E/C industry, diffuser, grille and register (air device) manufacturers have chosen the free size philosophy when it comes to providing sound data. (more)
The Varying Acoustical Needs of Churches
Some acoustical environments are straightforward in purpose. A movie theatre, for example, needs to project the sound of the movie with precision and clarity to all seats in the house. Most acoustical environments, however, have varying needs which are dependent on their content and delivery, and the Church is no exception. Today’s churches use a wide variety of forms of aural communication – drama, dance, video, soloists, choirs, the spoken word, and so on. But by far, the two most prominent aural elements in church services are music and the spoken word; two elements that require vastly different (and somewhat conflicting) acoustical environments. Today we will explore the optimal environments for both. (more)
White Space Update for Wireless Microphones
Several months ago (10-13-08) I wrote about the current state of the wireless microphone frequency spectrum and how the actions of congress and the FCC are shaping the future of wireless technology. Well, several notable updates and changes have been made since that time. You may recall that February 17, 2009, was the date set for the transition to DTV (Digital TV). Congress (in all its wisdom) decided that it would extend the deadline to June 12, 2009. (more)
The Leaky Bucket | How Sound Escapes
Blocking sound is often analogized to plugging the holes in a leaky bucket. If you plug up all the bucket holes except one, the bucket is still going to drain. In acoustics, an outstanding partition design will not adequately block sound if holes and weak spots exist where sound can find its way through. (more)
How LEED V3 Changes Everything
It’s official! The all new LEED Version 3 has been launched by the U.S. Green Building Council. The new system makes several big changes that affect everyone from architects and engineers to builders and building owners. This information is especially important if you are working on a LEED project or if you are a LEED Accredited Professional. Here are some of the initial updates at a glance: (more)
How Green Design Can Save You Some Green $$$
It seems like every project that comes across my desk has a stated goal of attaining some level of LEED Certification (LEED Silver, Gold, Platinum, whatever). We’re talking K-12 schools, universities, healthcare facilities, churches – they’re all “going green.” But how much does all this stuff cost? And can green design really save you some green $$$? (more)
Elbows vs. Sound Attenuators: Interchangeable?
It is common belief that a series of elbows near an air handling unit (AHU) can accomplish the same insertion loss as a manufactured duct sound attenuator. It’s true that elbows are less expensive than sound attenuators, but what acoustical performance is really achieved with this “low cost” substitution?
Let’s compare the two designs. Using the tables presented in the 2007 ASHRAE Handbook – HVAC Applications, for any type of elbow (round, rectangular, acoustically lined or not), the width of an elbow (in the plane that it turns) must equal or exceed 30 inches to get ANY insertion loss at 63 Hz. A 30 inch wide elbow provides only 1 dB of insertion loss (IL) at 125 Hz . These two frequencies are typically of concern when reducing sound from AHUs.
Traditional Church Acoustics: The Battle For Art and Audio
For centuries, traditional church architecture has been pregnant with meaning and symbolism. The building itself, from interior to exterior, is meant to carry a visual message that transcends language. This is why art and aesthetics play an uncompromising role in traditional church architectural planning: because they help to convey the truth of that ancient message. The traditions are upheld by creating spiritually (and aesthetically) rich environments through the use of symbolism and focal points – ornate crosses, stained glass windows, and so on. When our acoustical engineers and audio-visual design consultants (many of whom are dedicated church members and volunteers themselves) meet with churches leaders to discuss their needs, there always seems to be some tension between art and audio. So, which should take priority? (more)
It’s time for another semester, and I tell my architecture students that if there’s one thing they learn in my acoustics class, it’s that porous absorbers do not block sound. A porous sound absorber, by definition, has many tiny interconnected voids that sound travels through. Fiberglass and open cell foam are examples. The sound wave loses its energy through friction between the air particles and the fibers/void walls of the material it is passing through. (more)
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