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Site Survey

Site Survey

Brian: Hey Paul, I've got an interesting one for you. I recently went out to do a site survey for an upcoming show and had a rather awkward experience. You see, one of my clients is a local Christian radio station that promotes a variety of CCM concerts in the area. They typically use one of the larger area churches as the venue. While I am used to most of the rooms, I occasionally have to look at a new room that we haven't done a show in before. It was on one of these visits that I got myself into a bit of a bind. I listened to their system a bit and determined that I would rather bring in my own rig to cover the room, as I was not pleased with the coverage that their distributed house system provided.

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All or Nothing at All

One thing out of the way right from the start: Yes, this is another special House of Worship issue. Yes, the desire to do these is driven by the business folks who feel they can sell more advertising because — unlike a lot of other venues — churches are still spending money on audio gear. But, if I did not truly believe that we were bringing something of value to the table for the READERS of FOH, I would stomp my feet and hold my breath and scream and yell (quite a feat to do all at once) and likely end up fired for refusing to be a "team player."

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Winter NAMM

Winter NAMM 2007 is as big and loud as ever, but a little light on the pro audio side.

While the giant noisefest that is Winter NAMM was not totally devoid of any worthy-of-mention pro-grade live audio products, you did have to hunt a bit to find them. No big surprise. NAMM is, after all, a show aimed at music store buyers and not soundcos. But we went along for the ride regardless and came up with a few potential gems.

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One Left and Two Rights Can't Be Wrong

When leaders of The Vineyard's congregation first sought out the help of Jeff Sanderson, the principal consultant and founder of Olympia, Washington-based Onpoint Designs, they came seeking a key that would unlock the "techno-handcuffs" they felt were inhibiting their worship services.

"The Vineyard is a rapidly growing church," Sanderson says, revealing a major factor influencing what turned into a successful collaboration between his firm and the congregation. "Prior to moving into the 1,100-seat sanctuary they call home now, they were in a very small space where not much could be done. It had a low ceiling and seated 500 or so. They wanted to change the look and feel of their services entirely with a theatrical stage offering rigging for curtains and props, and most importantly, a sound system that could manage everything from weekly services to national touring acts."

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Vital Stats

STATS

Rane Corporation

Pro Audio and signal processing for the live sound, installation and DJ markets.

Mukilteo, Wash. (20 miles outside of Seattle)

Founded in 1981

Fulltime employees:

About 100.

Number of products in catalog:

Services provided:

Technical and application support, product repair.

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Harvesting the Right Sound

Audio and video are not only gaining acceptance among churches, they are rapidly becoming integral components of the worship experience, as they have proven themselves adept at making the teachings of the church a more engaging experience — particularly among a younger generation of worshippers. Recognizing the significance of this, the Harvest, a non-denominational, contemporary church located in Lexington, S.C., recently completed a new sanctuary where music and sound are key components of the worship experience.

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Regional Slants

We recently did one of those shows where the budget is weak and you have to drive three to four hours to get to it. But it was a Wednesday night and the client — an agent and a personal friend of mine — needed a favor.

This was a gig that should have paid $7000 plus travel and meals, but it was paying more like $4500 plus travel and meals. We came to terms on what he would get for the money, with a little "gimme" for the act on my part to make everyone happy.

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On the Bleeding Edge

The sound reinforcement industry will soon face a serious issue of which many people are not even aware. I am referring to legislation brought before the United States Senate and House of Representatives, specifically known as The Communications, Consumer's Choice and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 (S. 2686, H.R. 5252). Introduced early in 2006, this amendment to the Communications Act of 1934 incorporates proposed telecommunications reform, including FCC adoption of new rules to increase competition in sports programming, Internet Neutrality allowing 'Net users to access lawful content of their choice and connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network, and legislation designed to speed transition of TV broadcasting from the current analog system to digital transmission. These and other aspects of the bill do not directly impact those of us working in sound reinforcement. However, part of this bill (and its subsequent revision) is a provision called the Wireless Innovation Act of 2006 ("WIN Act"). This portion of the bill proposes freeing up so-called "underutilized" broadcast space for wireless broadband use.

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Years Pass, But the Mysteries Remain

December 31, 2006, 8 p.m. Four more hours, and I will be heralding in a new year with hope, faith, renewal, good cheer and great expectations for the next 365 days. I have resolved to transform my negative behavior into a positive force that will change the world and enrich all of mankind. Believe you me, I have some lofty ideals for a guy who is home alone on New Year's Eve, but it wasn't always like this. As a matter of fact, I took great satisfaction in my own personal record of having worked 15 straight New Year's Eve events. Quite frankly, it was a matter of pride to know that I had a gig on New Year's Eve, since the money was always good and the party always fun, but in 1999 I decided that it was more important to welcome in the New Year with my family than to be out mixing a show and drinking with strangers. Ironically, seven years later, my teenage kids are out at parties, and my wife, who is an OB-GYN, is on call delivering babies, which means that I will be welcoming in the new year with my computer and a cold beer. That said, I probably won't even make it past 11:00, but that's OK, since I now take pride in the fact that I have not taken any New Year's work for the past seven consecutive years. Things change.

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Disturbing Turns

It's one man versus 10,000 fists and one of the most rambunctious rock bands that hit stages last summer — Disturbed — yet FOH mixer Scott Canady doesn't look worried. It might be because he spent a number of years with the quartet — singer David Draiman, guitarist Dan Donegan, drummer Mike Wengren and bassist Fuzz — working as their monitor engineer, taking them from wedges to personal monitors, or it might just be that he knows what he's doing.

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I Love You, Mommy Dearest

Our 400-seat theatre often plays host to children's theatre productions requiring lots of sound reinforcement for the child actors involved. In addition to having to try to get the kiddies to understand that they don't have to grab the lavaliere capsule and shove it into their mouths to be heard, we also have to make sure that they don't step all over any boundary microphones that we might place on the front of the stage.

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The Peavey 32FX, TC Electronic C300 Compressor and Behringer UL2000M Wireless Mic and Receiver

The Peavey 32FX

By Roddy Pahl

Greetings! I'm Roddy Pahl, sound engineer of 20 years — long-time reader, first-time reviewer. I have done everything from duos to orchestras, rock to country, punk to jazz, full-on production shows to my daughter's 2nd grade school production and 10 years of touring. I am currently the lead audio engineer for the Fremont Street Experience 3rd Street Stage, and I am an audio tech for the New York New-York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Since this is the first time I have written for FOH, I thought I oughta clue you in and let you know who I am. After working with some of the FOH crew at a Fremont Street gig a few months ago they asked me to review some gear, and the first piece they gave me was the Peavey 32FX mixer.

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