I often get questions about using DSLR cameras for live streaming and I always recommend against it.
Why? Because live video is very different than production video.
If you compare a football game and film set, you will notice that they use very different tools. This has to with the different work flow of each situation.
In a live environment, there are no retakes. Each service happens in a finite time slot. Having the right camera helps you get the best results in real time. Things like zoom and auto focus are important tools to help you get a fast result in live situations.
In live video, camera positions are not always ideal. In a production environment, you aren’t dealing with a congregation and so you can put cameras exactly where you want them. In a live service, you probably aren’t going to put your in the middle of the center aisle. A camera with a good optical zoom lens can help you get the shots you need.
In a live environment, lighting can be less than ideal. Unlike a production video, where you can set up three point lighting and control everything, most auditoriums are not a lit for video. Cameras that work well in low lighting will help you shoot better video. Cameras that are built for the studio need lots of light because they are designed for a well lit studio environment.
So what do I recommend?
Good quality video cameras or PTZ cameras. They have solid autofocus, smooth zoom controls, good low light performance if you pick the right ones.
But what about that one big church, whose livestream looks amazing? If you had a media budget that size and professional broadcast gear your stream might look that good. But they aren’t using DSLRs.
I had a Senior Pastor chat with me the other day about his sound tech having an adversarial relationship with the Music Pastor. It made me sad to hear. Remember, God has placed these folks in church leadership. We are there to support and accommodate anything that we can do. If we know it will create problems, then we can appeal to authority in a kind and Biblical way. Here are some suggestions.
1. Before or instead of saying “We can’t do that,” suggest an alternative idea.
2. Be flexible. Change will happen, it’s your job make sure it’s done in the best way possible.
3. Take it as a challenge. (if it’s possible to do it) sometimes we lose our curiosity or innovative spirit. Let it spark new ideas and new passion for what you do.
4. Suggest a trial run to see how it works, generally Sunday Morning is a bad time.
5. If your attitude is, “That’s just more work for me.” Maybe it’s time to step away for a season.
I get it, it’s easy to become comfortable with how things are and be resistant to change, but remember our job is to support the leadership God has placed in our church, with a willing spirit and joyful heart. Let’s not let pride get in the way of our service to the Lord.
A person recently asked, “We’re planning on changing the ceiling in the auditorium. Will that impact the sound system?”
The answer is “probably.” If you’ve made any major changes to the main surfaces in your auditorium and the sound just isn’t as good as it used to be, it might be time to have a audio professional take a look. Painting over an acoustic ceiling (for example) might change how much sound it absorbs or reflects. Replacing the carpet from your auditorium with any hard flooring surface, switching pews for chairs, removing heavy cloth curtains, adding a large window, covering over concrete block or any other major changes can potentially create problems. Each system is tuned to the room as it was when the system was installed. Changes over time can make things sound worse or create feedback problems that seemingly pop up out of nowhere. If you are just repainting a painted wall or replacing carpet with similar carpet then you probably won’t have anything to worry about as things are not changing significantly. But if you have major remodeling planned, be sure to include sound system maintenance in your budget. Happy Updating!
The longer I work in church tech, the more I see it as an opportunity to not only build good teams but also to mentor young techs. We are exhorted in God’s Word that older believers should teach younger believers. I think that this extends to any ministry where you are involved in teaching. The lessons learned while serving the Lord can stick with them throughout life. We can help young techs see how their service is important to the body. We can find teachable moments to remind them and guide their thinking about working with others, responding properly to authority, and faithfulness. Take a minute to listen, encourage, laugh and cry with them. Yes, they’ll learn some tech things along the way, but being a positive role model in their lives is something they will not soon forget.
For many of us COVID is bringing big challenges. We’re taking on more responsibilities with streaming video, ect. Let’s be honest, some of us are control freaks. It’s difficult to bring someone on and delegate a task to them, especially if it’s not done exactly as we would do it. But it’s time for you to teach others also. We need to learn how to train and delegate responsibilities to new volunteers. Sure, once in a while things aren’t going to go just right, but that’s how we learned for the most part. Take up the challenge in 2021 to train some new tech volunteers and then let them take over certain parts of your responsibility. You need help. You can’t keep doing everything all by yourself or you may end up burnt out and bitter. I know it’s hard to delegate and let go of things that are “your ministry” but you can do this with the Lord’s help. Even Paul needed help. Remember his words in 2 Timothy 4:11 “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”
This is one of my favorite verses, yet I’ve often been to churches where the sound system is so bad that people can’t understand what is being preached. Clear, understandable, sound should be the goal of every church sound system. It really doesn’t matter how loud your sound system is, if people cannot hear and understand the preaching of God’s word.
The FCC’s Part 15 and Drive In Church – Is it Legal?
There is a buzz going around right now about Drive-In Church and using FM transmitters to broadcast the service to all the car radios. But before you go and buy a bunch of gear, there are a couple things you should know.
It is legal to transmit in both the FM and AM band.
You may not interfere with licensed broadcast stations.
Violations by individuals or institutions can result in fines by the FCC.
So what is Part 15 and what does it say about unlicensed use of the AM/FM spectrum? Part 15 includes FCC’s regulations for unlicensed use of the AM/FM broadcast channels. According to a Public Notice released by the FCC on July 24, 1991; “There are two basic types of low power broadcast operation permitted – licensed and unlicensed. The following tables describe the basic criteria for both. It is important to note that the forms of broadcast operation listed on these tables are the only ones permitted. Operation of an AM or FM radio station at a power level greater than that permitted for unlicensed operation and less than the minimum required for licensed operation is NOT permitted.”
The FCC’s chart indicates the following:
For AM Unlicensed broadcasting the maximum power is 0.05 watts.
For FM Unlicensed broadcasting the maximum power is 0.01 microwatts.
So what does this mean?
Practically speaking, consumer level FM transmitters are available. But in many areas, the FM spectrum is packed full of stations. Even if you find an empty frequency, you’ll most likely have some sporadic signal or bleed from adjacent stations to overcome, which reduces the effectiveness of your transmitter.
Even if you live in a place where you have a nice clean, open FM channel, 0.01 microwatts doesn’t cover a large area. 200 ft is an ideal situation.
Many transmitters found on Amazon and other sites are not FCC compliant or require licensing to use legally.
FCC compliant AM transmitters are easier to find but the audio quality can be lower.
Let me suggest another idea. You could use a powerful WiFi access point and a low latency audio encoder like the Listen LW-100P-02. This can accommodate many users via a downloadable smart phone app and be rolled into your assistive hearing system when you are done with it. However, I strongly recommend a good IT and audio professional to set the system up properly.
So yes, this can be done legally. Can it be done effectively? That will depend upon the team you pick to set it up and the quality of available AM or FM channels available in your area.
P.S.
In talking to some broadcast engineers, they recommend the AM transmitter over the FM. They also mentioned that the higher frequency you pick, the better signal you will get with the limited antenna the FCC requires.
Below are links for equipment mentioned in this article as well as other resources you may find helpful.
“Because Physics.” That’s a phrase that I find myself using when I explain “the why” about sound systems. Often I hear questions like; “Why can’t we put the speakers here?” or “Why can’t we use this kind of microphone?” As a system designer, I’m keenly aware of how sound waves interact with the structure of your room or how microphones work. Physics is why your sound system can have feedback or your hearing assistance system can’t transmit properly when you push the expandable antenna all the way down. Physics is the reason that you can hear low frequencies but not high frequencies when you stand behind a speaker. Physics affects if I recommend acoustic treatment in some rooms and not in others. Physics is critical in everything from the gauge of speaker wire to the location of wireless mic antennas. I’m not just expressing my opinion, that’s how God made the world. It has rules and we have to live by them. Sound has predictable characteristics if we take the time to understand them. So take a minute, be curious and revisit your high school physics class. You might be surprised at how it can help you understand your sound system.
I’ve more than once seen the “overkill” system. It is often inflicted on small traditional churches who hire a big tech company to fix the sound system. They install something so complex that users barely know how to operate it. And when that “one guy” who knows how to run it takes a new job in another state… you’re in trouble. Why do they install these? I can’t speak as to motive but I think it’s because the designers tend to be sound techs. It’s easy for them to forget how overwhelmed you were the first time you sat in front of a mixing console. Sometimes it’s because the newest whiz-bang tech is what they think you want. It’s important to communicate what you need and if the company isn’t listening, move on. Sometimes it’s because there’s more overhead in selling you a bigger fancier system than a simple solution to your problem. Money makes the world go round. A well engineered system keeps you in mind. Chances are, your volunteers are not full time sound technicians. They are just trying to serve the Lord and help out the church. A well engineered system is simple to use, simple to learn and as feedback proof as it can be, given the laws of Physics.
“The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer.” (Proverbs 30:25)
I’ve seen it many times. Something fails and the church is in panic mode trying to find a replacement before the next week. Sometimes this is unexpected, but often the audio or video system has been on the fritz for several months or even years. You’ve had signs and problems, but no plan, either financially or practically. This creates more long term issues. Instead of a well researched solution that works properly for your ministry, you buy whatever the local music store happens to have in stock or call your local audio visual company with a plea for help. You’ll often spend more money than you need to, since you’re in a pinch. The previous verse says that the ants are “exceeding wise” for planning ahead. As you start a new year, take stock of your sound system. Maybe you just need to replace small things like mic cables. Perhaps you need big things like a new mixer board. Possibly you’ve been putting off replacing your wireless mics because “we’ve got plenty of time.” and now the July 2020 deadline is only months away. Have a chat with your tech crew. Ask about things that are failing and come up with a replacement plan and budget, because today is always the best time to create a plan for tomorrow.
