Audio here at NewSpring Church is a key element in all of our services. Without it the band would sound odd, our pastor’s would loose their voices, no one could really watch livestream or broadcast, it would just be a bad situation all the way around.
We currently have four systems on campus, our main auditorium is our most complex system on campus.
For our FoH system we have an Allen & Heath iLive T112 with an iDR48 attached. It is a really solid digital board with many benefits that we did not have before with our Allen & Heath ML4000. Especially in the area of naming, patching, saving, recalling, it has been really easy to get things up and running compared to the old school patch bay. The transition between analog and digital was a very smooth one too. We transitioned in December of 2009, got the system installed in less than a week and started training 2 days before a weekend and we had a great weekend.
Along with the control system we are using Tannoy VQ speakers. With an 85% efficiency rate it cuts the cost of ampage and still produces a very clean sound. To power these bad boys we use Lab Gruppen C Series amps. Everything is being controlled by our BSS DSPs, although not as nice as their more up to date brother the London Blues, BSS still producing great stuff to handle sound processing.
Volunteering on Audio
Volunteering at NewSpring in the tech crew Audio is always an option for those interested. Normally the training process goes through a few steps -
Phase 1 – 2 Weeks of observation (you observe myself or another volunteer running the board)
Phase 2 – Hands on observation (you run a song or two during a service with me there)
Phase 3 – Run service by yourself (at the end of this service we have a quick constructive criticism time)
Phase 4 – Approved to run any service anytime.
The reason for all the different steps in Audio is due to how exposed it is. Also it’s there for you to set your own learning pace on Audio. Not everyone has an ear for sound, some can develop it through time though, this gives you the opportunity to try to develop your ear and your skills on the board itself. Notice how phase 2 and 3 do not have times associated with them, I usually leave that up to you as to the next steps in your training.
Time requirements for Audio are heavier than other positions due to being a key element in the service. We have four services on a weekend and when you are scheduled you only need to do one full day (two services either Saturday or Sunday), also attend the practices on Thursday 6:30pm-8:30pm, Saturday 4:00pm (if you are scheduled for Saturday), Sunday 8:45am (if you are scheduled for Sunday).
The weekly schedule would look like this…(keeping in mind you only need to do Saturday or Sunday not both)
Thursday 6:30pm-8:30pm
Saturday 4:00pm-7:30pm
Sunday 8:45am-12:15pm
We use an online program called Planning Center Online to handle all of our scheduling needs for any service here at NewSpring Church.
With Audio there is no past knowledge required at all. The door is wide open in this position and I’m ready and willing to train anyone that would like to give it a shot =)
For more information you can contact Luis at luis.alicea@newspring.org
FAQ
Q: What microphone system do you use for your communicators?
Pastors – DPA 4088, 4066
Drama – Countryman E6i, ISOMAX
Q: What Decibel level do we run our auditoriums?
The goal is to keep the audio under 100dB on an A-weighted Scale, with an average of 95dB. (following OSHA regulations here.)
Q: What equipment do you use in your main auditorium?
Tannoy VQ60 with Downfills
Tannoy Dual 18 Subs
Tannoy Dual 15 Subs
Lab Gruppen C48:4
Lab Gruppen C88:4
Lab Gruppen C28:4
BSS 9088ii DSP
Q: What do you use for your drum shield?
Our drum shield is an in house made cage. A four wall box with the front being glass and the side and back walls covered in sound absortion “egg shell” foam. For more details contact Luis at luis.alicea@newspring.org
