Product Reviews

Protect your AV equipment with the new 1000VA UPS surge eliminator.

You're in the middle of your weekend service and the lights go out.  Not only do you flinch, but the audio and video systems go off then on, and then off again with a flicker, a bang, and a flicker and bang again.  We've all been there, but what can you do?

The first things that we were all taught about audio systems is to make sure that your low-level electronics (mixer, equalizers, processors, recorders - everything except the amplifiers) are to be turned on first (before the power amplifiers) and off last.  In a blackout, everything goes off at once and comes back on together and you'll often experience a loud bang, sometimes followed by puffs of blue smoke from your speakers.  And no one has ever figured out how to put the smoke back inside once it escapes.

Okay, you got me.  That's a little bit dramatic, but spikes from turning some low-level devices on and off are strong and very audible if amplified.  Those spikes can damage your speakers as a result of blackouts or other power failure.  Those power failures can also cause you to lose unsaved settings on computers and other devices in use during your services.

Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) have been commonplace in the computing world for years.  The advantages are obvious.  No lost work, longer lasting equipment - no more surges, spikes, blackouts and brownouts, more stable voltage and more.

Why now?  People have been asking for it.  If it makes sense for the computer world, it makes sense for the AV world, too. I'm not sure why this has taken so long.

I can hear your brain humming.  Can I put my entire sound system on one?  In a word, no.  The goal of using a UPS in the worship setting isn't to keep the systems operational, but to give you time to get your wits about you and to shut things down in an orderly fashion.  I can envision one of our clients, in particular, running toward his amp racks now.

The SU1000Li will give you about four minutes to either shut things down in an orderly manner, or to wait for the power to come back on.  Since your low-level electronics will remain on, what the SU1000Li will allow you to do is to make sure that your amplifiers are switched off and/or that you're ready in case the power comes back on in a hurry.

When the power goes out, as long as all of your low-level electronics are plugged into the SurgeX SU1000Li, your system will go silent after the load on the amplifiers bleeds off what's left.  Without the SU1000Li in a power failure, there's a good chance that one of your processors will send a big spike down the line to the amplifiers and that spike will bleed off what's left in the amplifier with a big bang, and maybe a little bit of blue smoke.  If you happen to avoid the blue smoke (which you probably will), and the power happens to come right back on, you'll probably get another big bang.

Those bangs, over time, damage your system and especially your speakers.

The SurgeX SU1000Li offers advanced Series Mode surge elimination, Impedance Tolerant EMI/RFI Filtering, Over/Under Voltage protection, 1000VA battery backup, voltage regulation, power management and diagnostic software, and a 10-year warranty.  It's not only a battery backup, but it's part of the SurgeX family - with some of the most advanced power protection circuitry available today.

The SurgeX SU1000Li is $1189.00 and it's available today.  Please find the SU1000Li in our webstore for specifications and more information.

 

SU-1000Li, SU 1000Li

Effortless Grand Piano Sound - well, almost

Sometimes, it’s hard to get great sound.  Sometimes, it’s not.  Actually, getting fabulous sound can be pretty easy and almost effortless, but that ease comes at a price, and many folks think that they can’t afford it. 

Most days, I can be found scouring the world of audio and video equipment for products that I think will fit the unique needs and budgets of the typical church.  Today, it hit me.  What does a “typical” church look like? 

The challenge that I present to myself every day is to find products for you that are the right fit for your needs.  Sometimes, the right fit might be the most expensive products we sell – products that you think that you can’t afford until you start counting the costs and benefits of performance, reliability, ease of use, and long-term effectiveness. 

Contrary to what I believed at one time time, the “lowest cost” doesn’t stop when you buy something.  Anyone can sell for less.  That’s easy.  Providing the lowest cost of long-term ownership takes effort, planning, and making sure that you get the right product.  That way, you have tools on which you can depend – week in and week out, so that you can focus on your purpose. 

I’d like to introduce you to a product – one that you might never have seen before, and a product that might not be for you.  But then again, when you count ease of use, exceptional quality, long-term service, and other factors, you might just find that it's the perfect fit. 

It used to drive me crazy that my dad would go to the same stores and pay “too much” for a pair of khaki pants when he could shop and shop and shop like I did and get a better deal.  His response to my questioning went something like this, “Dave, I know that these pants are more expensive, but I know that I can drive to the store, pick them off the shelf – in any color – and that they’ll fit, wear well, and I’ll like them.  It’s just not worth the time and hassle to try to save $50.” 

Granted, we’re not talking about $50 savings, but the principles still apply.  In order to get a great piano sound every week, what would the right solution be worth?

Read more: Earthworks PM40 Piano Mic System

Over the past 5 years or so, the earset-style microphone has revolutionized the worship market. The small size and flesh color makes them inconspicuous. The proximity of the microphone to the mouth makes them feedback resistant. They are an obvious choice for many churches.

DPA has taken the idea a step further by adding world-class sound in a two-ear model. When it comes to appearance, all of the earset microphones look great – you can barely see them. That’s the whole point. When it comes to feedback rejection, differences begin to appear, but put any microphone an inch from your mouth and feedback shouldn’t be much of an issue. When it comes to staying on your head, a one-ear style unit simply can’t compete with two-ear unit. And when it comes to sound quality, DPA is head and shoulders above the rest.

DPA is a Denmark-based manufacturer who, for 15 years, has been quietly making microphones that are among the best in the world. In 1982, I was an exchange student in Denmark. The Danish take great pride in their electronics. You may have heard of Bang and Olufsen – the makers of audio and video electronics for the home. Their designs, even in the early 1980s, made what I knew from the United States and Japan look archaic. My host family took great great pains to point out various Danish technological advances as superior to everything else in the world. Take a peek at the B&O website to see what I mean.

Back to DPA. DPA makes highly advanced condenser microphones and it does it extraordinarily well. DPA makes a couple different models of earset microphones (DPA calls them headband microphones), and they are compatible with a variety of wireless microphone systems. The models that we sell most frequently are the DPA 4088F cardioid and the DPA4066F omnidirectional headband microphones.

If you’re interested in the ultimate earset sound, give us a call. You won’t find a better microphone, and at twice the price of the competition, you shouldn’t be able to. When you see an inconspicuous, secure two-ear headband microphone on television or at a high-end performance, and you can’t quite figure out who makes it, you can be virtually certain that it’s a DPA.

Follow these liinks for more information on these extraordinary microphones.  Price include adapters for specific wireless microphones.

DPA4066 Omnidirectional Headband Microphone from $715.00

DPA4088 Cardioid Headband Microphone from $754.00

Available in multiple colors to match flesh tones.

 

Wireless Microphones that Simply Work!

Is there anything worse than when your wireless microphone doesn’t work? I can’t think of a thing. Not one. Hopefully, you’ve never had to deal with an intermittent wireless microphone. The message that churches bring each week is too important to be left to chance. Unfortunately, with more wireless devices in use, successfully using wireless microphones and trying to diagnose problems can be very frustrating.

The other day, we received a call from a new client who wanted to try a particular wireless microphone that he had seen advertised. The unit of interest had lots of neat features, and appeared to be top drawer in terms of quality. I was familiar with the unit, and actually can sell it if I so choose. The church is here in Columbus, Ohio, so I arranged an on-site demonstration of the wireless system. Just for kicks, I also took along an Audio Technica 4000 Series handheld system.

Initially, the church was hesitant to try the 4000 Series because the other unit had lots of really cool extra features and looked great. After I arrived at the church, we set up the 4000 Series and I handed it to the sound technician. He put it through its paces and he liked it – he just smiled when he heard his voice. He’s a radio guy, so a big, warm sound is very important. Later in the evening, the church had a special guest coming in, so we set it aside. I offered to set up the unit that they wanted to hear, and the technician said that he’d do it later. I went home.

A few days later, I called to check in. He raved about the Audio Technica – its warmth, its clarity, its appearance, its dendability, and he went on. I asked about the other unit. He simply said, “No” which wasn’t the answer to my question. I pressed him a little and he started to explain, and then just said “No” again. He didn’t even want to talk about the other unit.

When you find something that works, you stick with it.

The Audio Technica 4000 Series has fabulous features (996 channels UHF, automatic frequency scanning, dual companding, well-constructed metal transmitters, and more) and extraordinary sound quality. The other unit looked like the best of the best, but only where it doesn’t count – on paper.

When it comes to choosing a wireless system, you want one that works dependably, one that’s easy to use, that will last and one that sounds great! The 4000 Series is all of that. It’s the wireless system that I use at my own church for my own pastor. Why?

It works extraordinarily well week in and week out.

Our systems have been in service for five years - never a dropout, never a broken part -- they just work.

And equipment that does its job costs less in the long-run than buying cheap stuff and hoping for the best. 

The 4000 Series has appeared on lots of concert tours, and is part of the sound system at churches all over the country. Take it from me. You won't be disappointed.

Audio-Technica 4000 Series Complete Systems from $849.95 – FREE Shipping on 4000 Series Systems! Click here to visit our online store!