Compact to Full Size Arrays

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 by Mike Taylor

 

JBL has come to the table yet again!

The new 4886 is a 110 x 15 degree adjustable line array cabinet that weighs just 34lbs.  As part of our packaging, we can fit 12 of these guys in a standard CTS Audio cable trunk.  What a great speaker for a trailer tour when you just don’t have a lot of space.  We took delivery of these speakers last year and are continually impressed with all that you can do with such a small speaker.

When you do have space I would recommend the newest kid on the block, the VTX series.  With 3 new products just released in this series this box brings some serious volume when you are looking for that extra bit of level.  The VTX25 is the mid-hi box that brings some new technology with dual diaphragm drivers as well as a newly designed wave guide for smoothing out problem areas.  Add to that the new S28 and G28 (Flyable and Ground) cardioid-arrayable subs with deep excursion drivers and this PA goes toe to toe with any PA on the market.  We look forward to adding these to our inventory in the near future.

For more on the VT4886:

http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/general/ProductFamily.aspx?FId=21&MID=4

For more on the VTX25:

http://www.jblpro.com/products/tour/vtx/index.html

Yamaha CL Digital Consoles

Friday, March 30, 2012 by Mike Taylor

The long wait is over and the console has arrived.

After groundbreaking consoles like the PM1d and the PM5d, Yamaha has delivered again.  The release of the new CL5, CL3 and CL1 digital mixing consoles comes at the perfect time.  With a partnership with Rupert Neve, Yamaha has put together the complete console.  Everything you have ever wanted a digital console to do, sound warm, easy to operate, great sounding effects, small packaging, modular, easy record ability, digital capability and the reliability you have come to expect with the Yamaha name is here with this console.

We had the pleasure of demoing these new consoles this week, and the response from our engineering team and customers has been well received.

Read more about it here:

http://www.yamahacommercialaudio.com/ca/uk/10_news/40_product/archive/2012_03/21_cl_series/index.html

As soon as we take shipment of the new consoles, we’ll let you know so can come by and see it for yourself.

Meadowbrook gets HD Video, Lighting Makeover

Thursday, March 15, 2012 by Neal Watson

CTS Audio recently completed another project for long time client, Meadowbrook Church of Ocala, FL.  This year’s task was upgrading the lighting and video systems for their 2200 seat sanctuary as well as an upgrade to HD for their television and internet broadcasts.

Every year, Meadowbrook provides a breathtaking series of Christmas programs that have grown to be loved and anticipated by the entire Ocala community. This year was no different, and in order to constantly bring a higher quality experience, the church pushed to have everything installed on time.

The previous video projection system was installed before the time of cost effective HD projection technology and so it utilized standard definition 4:3 projectors and screens. With everyone moving to HD, they began scaling the projection images in order to output a 16:9 image without the HD resolution. This caused the projectors to lose brightness and create a dim image on their screens. Meadowbrook decided that HD costs had come down significantly and it was time for true HD.

CTS worked directly with Mike Quistad (Production Manager at Meadowbrook) and his team to develop a plan to transition all video capture, generation, control and projection to full HD resolution. Three Christie Digital 8,000 Lumen 1920×1080 DLP DHD800 projectors were chosen and installed. The Christie projectors were able to bring the screens to life with greater brightness and clarity. Now, stunning image magnification and content adds to the development of the worship environment.

Phase two of the transition to HD included upgrading cameras and moving the entire front end of the video system from FOH to a controlled production suite. The video feed to the production suite is driven by (2) Ross Carbonite One M/E 16 switchers with Miranda Routers. The difference in creative and operational flexibility for the system and crew was immediate.

Meadowbrook was looking to upgrade their lighting controller to a new platform and expand their lighting fixture inventory.  For previous Christmas programs, the church had rented additional lighting and a control console and now it was time to make a permanent move.  Jands Vista controllers were selected for their versatility, scalability, and efficient operating platform. The Jands Vista T2 met all of their needs and Mike and his team made the transition.

Mike also wanted to add new LED fixtures in order to expand the flexibility and range of the lighting system.  Not only did the fixtures need to be versatile, reliable and cost effective, they also could not have any fan noise because of the broadcast.  (28) Chauvet COLORado 1-Tri Tour LED fixtures were the perfect choice, giving them an infinite amount of color washes and combinations. These fixtures were immediately tasked in the Christmas service to create the warm, dramatic environment Meadowbrook and their attendees were looking for.

“The difference is night and day,” says Mike. We always enjoy working with Mike and Meadowbrook Church, but when our work benefits the church and its outreach to the community through excellence in both ministry and production, it’s truly icing on the cake.