Voice of Pentecost goes digital with Presonus

‘Our old console was very constrictive for the things we wanted to accomplish, particularly for the musicians,’ said Mr Hallmark. ‘We have anywhere from six to 10 musicians up on stage at any given time. The band is on in-ears, and the singers are using wedges. With the old mixer, we were only able to provide them with four monitor mixes. Everyone’s mix was a poor compromise, and no one really got what they wanted. Needless to say, it didn’t contribute to their performance.’

It also affected the sound in the sanctuary. ‘We were pumping so much volume into the monitors that we’d have to compensate by making the front-of-house mix louder. At a certain point the service becomes less than enjoyable,’ explained Mr Hallmark.

‘We knew we needed a digital console to get the features we wanted, and we started researching our options,’ continues the media tech. ‘The StudioLive console had all the features we were looking for, and the price point was very economical - so economical, in fact, that we were initially a bit skeptical. But the more we looked into it, and the more we compared features, sound and build quality, the more impressed we were.’

Sound quality was a major factor in selecting the new desk. ‘The preamps on this console are just fantastic. We’re using the same microphones we had before, but the choir sounds so much better,’ said Mr Hallmark. And other StudioLive features have also been useful for the church. ‘I'm using the iPad to mix pretty much every service. It enables me to sit with the congregation and hear what they're hearing and to be a part of the service, rather than being tied to the console.’

The desk is also used by Voice of Pentecost to record and broadcast its services over the internet. ‘We archive every service online,’ noted Mr Hallmark. ‘We record CDs and DVDs as well. We record everything to Capture. I’m able to fine-tune the mix and adjust the vocal levels, and I save a backup file of every service. I dedicate one monitor mix specifically for the Web feed, so I’m able to create a different mix from what's in the room, and easily monitor what it sounds like going out over the web.’

The recorded services are also useful to the tech team for other purposes. ‘I can pull up a mix when the room is empty and try out different compression and effects settings, without worrying about affecting the live sound,’ said Mr Hallmark. ‘And because our audio staff is largely volunteer-based, I can pull up a mix to train a volunteer on how to run the console, without the stress of teaching them during a service.’

According to Mr Hallmark, the congregation has also noticed the improvement. ‘People have been complimenting us on the sound of the services. It is just incredible what this console has allowed us to do.’

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