Transformed Sonic Workflow by DiGiCo, KLANG, and Fourier Audio
Fresh Take:
Morris Heights Baptist Church cranks up the current with a contemporary twist on tradition. Their worship services, marked by a blend of classic and modern tunes, are powered by a tech-savvy infrastructure. Recognizable names such as DiGiCo, KLANG, and Fourier Audio, all skillfully installed by Integrated Production Solutions (IPS), bring this religious sanctuary's sound system into the 21st century.
*[Unveiling the Secrets of Cutting-edge Church Audio Solutions]***
Once the domain of IPS, the church equips themselves with two DiGiCo Quantum3 consoles (one for front-of-house and another for broadcast), paired with Fourier Audio transform.engine plug-in interfaces that allow seamless VST3 plugin integration within the audio workflow. Furthermore, they sport a KLANG:konductor linked to 16 KLANG:kontrollers, offering musicians and vocalists a comfortable yet groundbreaking immersive in-ear monitoring experience. Additionally, each DiGiCo console finds itself upgraded to Pulse, a feature that boosts their channel capacity from 128 to 156 and augments their aux/sub group count from 64 to 72.
Wade Russell, IPS's executive director of integration, and Eric Busby, Morrison Heights' director of media and technical ministries, have built a longstanding working relationship over a decade. Together, they've walked the tightrope between being on the bleeding edge of technology without courting inevitable mishaps. Russell explains, "We aim to be on the cutting edge, without crossing over to the 'bleeding-edge' ─ a territory that demands intensive training and operation." The harmony between systems at Morrison Heights is tailor-made for this purpose, marrying technical prowess with DiGiCo's renowned trustworthiness, resulting in an ideal balance of innovation and reliability.
Russell deems the Pulse upgrade as timely, providing ample room for accommodating larger event productions, such as those during Christmas, Easter, and other celebrations. The transition from a conventional IEM monitoring setup to KLANG he describes as virtually flawless, with 16 immersive mixes and processing up to 128 input signals at 96kHz latency of less than 0.25ms. Russell praises the KLANG:kontrollers, stating they cater to the church's requirements: "Eric voiced his preference for hands-on mixers over iPad interfaces. The KLANG:kontrollers seemed like the perfect fit."
In addition to enhancing audio, Busby, an IT veteran, lauds the trio of brands as a unified solution that minimizes system hassle. He emphasizes, "This fusion enables access to the forefront of technology, integrating all components into a single, easy-to-manage system. As an IT professional, this streamlines my responsibilities."
The KLANG:kontrollers also brought smoother onstage operations for the musicians, with their preference for physical knobs over touchscreen interfaces. Hailing Fourier Audio as his newfound auditory companion, Busby voices his enthusiasm: "With two transform engines, one for in-room FOH plugins and the other for broadcast plugin needs, we gain vast customizability. This agreement is heartily endorsed by Ryan Shelton, DiGiCo's national sales manager, and Russell concurs: "Eric reached out to me recently to express his gratitude, informing all potential clients that they're missing out by considering other options."
Embracing the new then acclimating to it ─ IPS anticipated the church may find the deluge of appliances overwhelming. Hence, they assembled the entire ecosystem at their Franklin facility, allowing Busby to familiarize himself with each component and the interplay between them, before experiencing them under pressure within the church.
"IPS pride themselves in being a design-build integration company. We scrutinize every product, assemble and test our systems in-house prior to installation," Busby reveals. He adds, "By doing so, we can guarantee flawless performance and ensure that all components are accounted for. I experienced this setup in our shop, running tracks through a mini-PA, and learning the ins and outs of the console before installation. This eliminated the need to acquaint myself with the console when we went live."
- The blended sound system at Morris Heights Baptist Church, built by Integrated Production Solutions (IPS), includes cutting-edge gadgets such as DiGiCo Quantum3 consoles and KLANG:kontrollers, enhancing the experience of both musicians and listeners through data-and-cloud-computing features like VST3 plugin integration and immersive in-ear monitoring.
- The fusion of technology brands - DiGiCo, KLANG, and Fourier Audio - chosen by IPS for Morris Heights Baptist Church, streamlines the audio and IT workflow, with each gadget (including smartphones) seamlessly integrated into a single system that boasts innovation, reliability, and ease of management.
