Shawn's Tech Tips

Blog Merge

2009-04-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

In order to manage our outreach more efficiently, Shawn's Tech Tips will be integrated into OVM News effective immediately. Please visit www.ovmonline.com for information on the OVM feed.

Shawn Howell

Media Shout V4

2009-04-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

For those of you using Windows systems in your projection ministries, Media Shout Version 4 has now been released. The new version appears to be pretty cool. I have used pretty much every projection software on the market and have leaned in the direction of Media Shout for gigs over the past few years, including the GEORGIA MOUNTAIN PASSION PLAY.

At first glance I see some things I like - such as the ability to project two different feeds, one for the congregation and one for the choir (with no pretty backgrounds). For those of you using confidence monitors, this is a NICE addition.

I also found that the new interface appears to be much more user friendly. I found some of the earlier versions of the software to be difficult to use. While V3 was a huge improvement, I believe that V4 really takes the software to a new level. I think everyone will be pretty impressed. Check out the FREE demo at http://www.mediashout.com/products/mediashout.

Full Edition $429
Upgrade $249

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
* Windows XP or Vista
* Dual Core Processor
* 2GB RAM
* Multiple Video Cards (DirectX 9+

Christianbook.com free shipping code

2008-12-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

Want to do your Christmas shopping without shipping charges? Christianbook.com is offering special deal through December 10th! Just place an order of $25 or more, enter promotion code 289265BCLLJC and choose standard shipping.

Later,

~Shawn

Christianpowerpoints.com

2008-12-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I just ran into some really good looking stuff over at www.christmaspowerpoints.com.

If you are still working on Christmas graphics, take a look around and see if there is anything there that can help you out.

~Shawn

Mac Applications

2008-09-30T17:02:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have been bitten by the Mac bug (like me), I have an awesome site for you. It's called Cool Mac Apps and has a great database for your enjoyment. Take a look around and enjoy!!

http://www.coolmacapps.com

Worship House Media Sale

2008-09-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

Worship House Media is having an awesome sale - u p to 75% off. Check it out HERE.

Another Awesome Video Resource

2008-09-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

This month I am going to feature another of my favorite video clip sites - Aluna Blue. These videos cost more than clips you may purchase from Christian vendors, but they are broadcast quality (and I mean quality) clips that are awesome for building your own sequences. Enjoy!

http://www.alunablue.com

iWorship Flex

2008-09-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

I recently ran into one of the neatest worship products I have ever seen for projection/music ministries. I just had to share it with you guys.

The iWorship Flex is different from other song videos in that it breaks the song into sections, allowing you to skip verses and run the song at your own pace.

Check it out at http://www.iworshipflexx.com/

Shawn

Sermon Spice Sale through 9/22

2008-09-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

If you are a Pastor, Media Director or Evangelist who enjoys using video to compliment your service, you are probably familiar with the guys over at Sermon Spice. I am a regular customer and tremendous supporter of this awesome ministry/business and thought that you guys might like to have an opportunity to save 25% on selected videos through September 22, 2008.

Visit our friends at www.sermonspice.com and check out some of their material. Be sure to enter the sale code (FPA247) to ensure that you get the best price possible.

Also, be sure to check back every month for a free video.

Shawn

Media Exchange

2008-09-06T05:44:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite places to visit on the internet, especially when working on a major project, is the Media Exchange at www.churchmedia.net. With one of the biggest, highest quality galleries available, you are always sure to find media you can use - or that will inspire you to create your own images. The minimal annual cost of a pro membership is WELL worth the cost and will save you thousands of dollars you would have spent elsewhere.

I have posted a few of my images on the site and have also found it to be an awesome part of our ministry. We have received requests to use our materials from across the globe, most recently, we were contacted by a church in Maryland that wanted to use one of our graphics on their web page. We consider it to be a part of this community and hope that you will join us there as we all work together to serve our Lord.

- Shawn

The Wired Church

2008-08-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to announce the release of an awesome new book from one of our favorite vendors (Midnight Oil) entitled THE WIRED CHURCH. With an arsenal of information about church media, this book is a MUST for church leaders and tech enthusiasts.

Table of Contents:

* Part One: Developing a Mission for Media
* 1—Understanding Digital Media
* 2—Four Ways to Understand Media in Ministry
* 3—The Shape of this Cultural Language
* 4—The “Entertainment” Question
* 5—Concurrently Cultural and Countercultural

* Part Two: Designing Meaningful Media for Worship
* 6—Beyond the AV Mentality
* 7—Visual Preaching and Worship Planning
* 8—Basics for Building Visual Elements
* 9—A Quick Guide to Video Production
* 10—How to Make Great Graphics

* Part Three: Building a Championship Crew
* 11—Establish the Game Plan
* 12—The Roster of a Winning Media Ministry
* 13—Training Camp for Your Team
* 14—Spiritual Coaching and Leadership
* 15—Preparation for the Big Event

* Part Four: Mastering the Technology
* 16—A Story on Getting Started
* 17—Lessons on the Use of Technology
* 18—Technical Basics
* 19—The Phasing Plan

For more information, visit the book website at http://www.thewiredchurch2.com/ or buy the book at www.midnightoil.com.

WFX 08

2008-08-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

Attention all tech geeks, pastors and church administrators. Don't miss out on the awesome adventure of attending the 2008 WFX conference in Houston, Texas. Having attended two of the three conferences hosted by Worship Facilities and Church Media Magazines, I have to say that THIS IS THE CHURCH MEDIA EVENT OF THE YEAR!! Unfortunately, our schedule will not allow OVM to be a part of this year's conference, however, we would be glad to post any reviews from you guys that get a chance to attend.

While OVM is not a supporter of Joel Osteen Ministries, the tour of Lakewood Church would be an awesome experience for anyone interested in seeing how to do media the right way.

Don't miss out on this awesome opportunity to sit under the teaching of such church media icons as ARMONDO FULLWOOD and ANTHONY COPPEDGE. This year also features a new series of sessions focusing on smaller churches.

I guess what I'm basically trying to say is - if you are at any way involved in the growth of your church, whether it be for tech, finance, administration or postoral care, THIS CONFERENCE IS FOR YOU!!

Visit www.wfxweb.com for more details.

Media and Economic Woes

2008-05-23T20:26:00.001-07:00

As we face a dark time in our nation's economic history, many churches have been forced to start trimming budgets. Our observations have shown that not only are people failing to GIVE, but they are also starting to attend services less. With soaring gas prices, many folks, especially long distance commuters, are having to make decisions about what services they can afford to attend and how many times a week they are able to travel to church. As budgets are slashed, OVM would like to encourage churches and ministries to consider the opportunity of media and communication ministries during this time. With many folks unable to attend regular services, video and audio services posted online can be an awesome way to reach out to your congregation and help them maintain a relationship with the church.

I would also like to recommend setting up social groups and message boards. This is a tried and PROVEN method of helping church members stay involved, even those that are stationed in the military, missionaries, part time members, etc. are given an opportunity to feel like they are still a part of their congregation. In larger churches this approach even presents an opportunity to allow members to get to know others in the congregation that they may never come in contact with during a normal service.

I know this isn't a popular belief among many folks (especially fellow Baptists), but a change in society DOES require that we rethink our ministry approach. Ancient Jews did not worship the way we do in today's services. If you don't believe me, do an in-depth study of Leviticus. The "Old Time Way" isn't about singing "Amazing Grace" and "Victory in Jesus. I personally love the old hymns, but the church was not founded on our method of worship. I believe we sometimes confuse cultural tradition with God's will. The church was not founded in the 1800s. It is much older than that. The early church didn't have church musicals, fellowship time, gospel concerts, sanctuary choirs or even church picnics. The hymns of today are relatively new. God never changes, but sometimes we must rethink our ministry strategy and even how we worship. Think about it. Pray about it. Follow God!

In Christ,

Shawn Howell

Projection - Getting started

2008-03-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are just getting started into the world of projection ministries, I recommend taking things slow. This is not for your sake as much as it is for your congregation. The change of adding video imagery is one that can be difficult for many of your older congregation members and should be done at a pace that does not overwhelm. Give the congregation time to get used to the additions and take things slow.

I always recommend the use of a church logo for "down time". Simply having the screens remain lit at all times is one way to get people used to it. When you are using the screen for lyrics and sermon notes, take it easy and use static backgrounds with bold text that is easy to read. As time goes on you can expand into creating video to compliment special music performances and using sermon illistrations from sites such as www.sermonspice.com, but give your folks a little time to get settled in before you do too much, especially if you are in a traditional church.

Until next time,

Shawn

Projection Ministry - Quality Counts

2008-01-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

As you will often hear me say, the most important thing you must remember in any ministry is QUALITY. Remember, we not only serve the King of eternity, WE REPRESENT HIM! I have never understood why churches spend a great deal of money on building and grounds, yet don't have the money to properly fund technical arts. What good is a building if the peole can't properly see or hear the message?

Having started the projection ministry in our church from scratch, I have experienced the initial complaints, and then the wave of "wow, I never realized church could be so exciting" comments that follow. Projection will help your church RETAIN the message like you have never imagined, but it must be done properly - with quality. Stay far away from clipart (it was designed for newsletters, not presentation screens and web pages).

Web sites such as www.churchmedia.net have media exchanges in which you can download ready-made backgrounds that you can download for a very small annual fee. If you have someone with image design talent in your church, invest in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements (there are just no substitutes for Adobe's image design software). You can get QUALITY free and cheap pictures at www.sxc.hu to use for custom designs.

Next time we will look at how you can expand on the ministry through the use of video. Visit often or subscribe to our blog to make sure you don't miss any of our posts.

Shawn

Web Page Upgrade

2007-11-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

Please bear with us as we update www.ovmonline.com. Our database will be offline temporarily as we seek to bring you the BEST of the Christian web.

Shawn

WFX summary

2007-11-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

For those of you who didn't make it to WFX 2007 in Atlanta, you missed an AWESOME time.

My good friend and fellow techie, Wes Fulghum, joined me in the big city for three fun filled days of learning, fellowship and checking out the tremendous showroom. This year I decided to follow one of the new tracks - concerning internet ministries. The overall theme seemed to greatly focus on internet ministries as a social event, not simply as a digital brochure. I'll be posting some of the information I received shortly, so stay tuned.

Wes and I had the lifechanging experience of visiting Buckhead Church, one of Andy Stanley's remote sites. If you ever get the chance to visit this church, I strongly suggest it. It is an awesome example of how a large church can use their resources to serve God in new ways to reach a new generation!

The exciting news is that this year brings a new surprise. Two WFX conferences, Spring and Fall. The first will beheld in Indiana, the second in Texas. Check it out at http://www.wfxweb.com/.

Introduction to Projection Ministry

2007-08-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

For the past five years or so, my greatest passion in church media has been projection/imagery.
It can be somewhat of an adjustment for churches at first, but they all seem to quickly understand the benefits once they see it in action. Rotating announcements on the screen before the service help to keep members informed, lyrics on screen allow you to sing songs that aren’t in the hymnal, sermon notes and illustrations emphasize the message in ways you can’t understand until you see it in action, and as time passes your staff and volunteers will become more creative tying your services together as you could never have dreamed before.

Two years ago I started posting reviews about church projection software on OVM Online. Before long I was graciously contacted by several companies asking that I use their software in exchange for reviews. To date, I have tried pretty much every projection software available on the market and have two favorites.

For the past 5 years, I have regularly used Easy Worship in or church and in my personal ministry. I have to say that it is the easiest software to use and volunteers pick it up quickly. I strongly suggest that you try to recruit volunteers that have some understanding of computers, but I assure you that you will be impressed with the ease of use involved in this software.
Easy Worship supports the importing of Powerpoint, Video Clips, Pictures & is constantly evolving. It has a built in nursery alert system and customizable announcement text scroller. Learn more about this program and sample the free trial at http://www.easyworship.com/home.php.

Media Shout has long been a favorite among church media professionals, however, it requires a little more understanding of computers and takes some getting used to. For those of you with a little more understanding of computers and technology, this may be your best buy. It allows the use of flash and has it’s own text creator that allows you to quickly put text on the screen. One of my favorite features is the ability to import audio files, which I have used for OVM on several occasions. If your church currently uses Media Shout, I strongly recommend making the move to V3.

Recently, the manufacturer introduced Media Shout Express for those who are ready to start their own projection ministry, but have older computers or don’t want to spend the money. Media Shout Express give you the most popular features of the software with less system requirements and is nearly half the price. Visit www.mediashout.com for more information.

The Church Leadership Event of the Year!

2007-08-09T14:44:00.001-07:00

WFX 2007, now in its third year, will bring together 5,000 church and industry leaders and 400 exhibitors from around the world to create the must-attend event for facilities and technology decision-making teams for churches of all sizes.

WFX is dedicated to growing churches that are seeking information and resources to help plan, execute and manage their growth objectives through the use of their facilities and today’s revolutionary audio, visual and lighting technologies.

I was able to attend WFX two years ago in Nashille, TN and was quite impressed at how one conference could cover all aspects of the church so completely, and expansions this year have made it even more exciting. Church Administrators, Pastors, Media Personnel, Webmasters, groundskeepers, building committees, and more will find tons of useful information in this exciting event through workshops, church tours and a HUGE showroom.

For more information on WFX Atlanta (2007), visit http://www.wfxweb.com.

~Shawn

Sound Board Mix Tips - Subbing/Grouping

2007-06-11T09:35:00.001-07:00

One of the most wonderful features on sound boards to me is SUBBING (sometimes called grouping). It is basically the same as if you were mixing off of another board and running it through a channel on your main board. How is this useful? In church music It’s VERY useful.

Let’s imagine that this week you are mixing for a praise group with a live band. Your first step would be to assign all of the mics for the group to Sub 1 and all of the musical instruments to Sub 2. This is done (on most boards) by clicking on the “sub 1-2” button (generally located near the fader). To assign the mics to Sub 1, turn the PAN control to the LEFT on those channels. To assign the instruments to Sub 2, turn the PAN control to the RIGHT on the instrument channels.

Now, make sure that Subs 1 and 2 are assigned to the Master Fader (could be L/R, depending on your configuration). Pull the fader for Sub 1 to zero and set the mix for the voices, then do the same for the instruments on Sub 2. Now you can adjust the mix between the music and the voices by simply adjusting the faders for Sub 1 and Sub 2. It’s that easy!!
I hope this helps. As I always tell those I am training . . .play with it. Get to know and understand it the operation of your board is crucial to the ministry of your church.

Until next time,
Shawn

Sound Board Basics

2007-05-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

I always get a kick at how people gaze at sound boards with a sense of reverence and fear. The truth is that the basic operation of a board isn’t that difficult. This isn’t to say that operating a board PROPERLY doesn’t require skill, but simply that the basics of operation are easy to understand.

When training new folks on a sound board, I first break down the board into individual channels. Although there are quite a large number of knobs on a sound board, if you learn one vertical row dealing with just one channel you have learned what 90% of the rest of the knobs do.
Look at one channel of y our board. More than likely, you will see a knob at the top labeled Gain, followed by a number of EQ knobs, Aux controls, Pan, Mute and a Fader. You may have or less on your board depending on the brand and model, but for most boards, this is the norm.

GAIN
The gain knob is how you control the input level of the device plugged into the channel. It is recommended to set the Gain to a point on each channel that when the fader is on zero, the audio has a comfortable level of sound.

EQ
The EQ knobs control the tone of the input device. You want to make the device, voice, etc. sound the same through the system as it does without the system. The best operators are invisible to those listening!!

AUX
Aux controls were designed to allow you to create a separate mix from the same board. This is most commonly done in monitors (when you may not want as much mic), but can also be used for recording devices (computers, cd recorders, etc.) and even hearing impared systems/personal monitors.

PAN
The PAN function is generally used to shift the audio from the channel to either the left or right speaker, however, it can also be used when dealing with Subs/Groups (we will look at this later).

MUTE
I’m sure you can figure this out on your own. The Mute button simply stops the output of the channel in question. Some fancier boards may have mute presets that allow you to set up groups of channels to mute, but for the most part, you will probably be muting individual channels as needed.

FADER
The fader is your final control before your audio exits the board. If you have your gain set properly, your fader should be at a comfortable level around zero, however, you will need to make adjustments to each channel to make sure that the mix between them is even.

Stay tuned for our next audio lesson on SUBBING/GROUPING channels together for an easier mix.

~Shawn

Microphones Part 3 - Impedance

2007-02-24T06:47:00.000-08:00

In our final microphone blog for this season, we are going to look at MICROPHONE IMPEDANCE.

One of the most misunderstood areas of microphone selection is the microphone's impedance rating. In my experience and travels, I have learned that very few church media workers understand what imedance is or why an impedance rating is important. Today's lesson is intended to help you understand how it effect you and why it is important.

Impedance is an electronics term which measures the amount of opposition a device has to an AC current (such as an audio signal). Technically speaking, it is the combined effect of capacitance, inductance, and resistance on a signal.

Impedance is measured in ohms, shown with the Greek Omega symbol Ω or the letter Z. A microphone with the specification 600Ω has an impedance of 600 ohms.

All microphones have a specification referring to their impedance. I have usually found this somewhere on the mic itself, but you may have to look into your manual. If the microphone is WIRED, you can easily tell the difference because HIGH IMPEDANCE MICS have a 1/4" jack and mics with an XLR connector are LOW IMPEDANCE.

There are three general classifications for microphone impedance. Different manufacturers use slightly different guidelines but the classifications are roughly:
Low Impedance (less than 600Ω)
Medium Impedance (600Ω - 10,000Ω)
High Impedance (greater than 10,000Ω)

High impedance microphones are usually quite cheap. Their main disadvantage is that they do not perform well over long distance cables - after about 5 or 10 metres they begin producing poor quality audio (in particular a loss of high frequencies). In any case these mics are not a good choice for serious work. In fact, although not completely reliable, one of the clues to a microphone's overall quality is the impedance rating.

Low impedance is generally your preferred choice.

Remember, however, that a low impedance microphone should generally be connected to an input with the same or higher impedance on the sound board. If a microphone is connected to an input with lower impedance, there will be a loss of signal strength. There are converters, however, that can adjust your impedance level, HOWEVER, I really suggest purchasing a better quality mic than getting a cheap one and trying to convert it.
In some cases you can use a line matching transformer, which will convert a signal to a different impedance for matching to other components.

Fonts

2007-02-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

One of the questions that I hear very frequently is "Where can I find some new fonts. Many times I point them to sites such as Bravenet, however, I recently ran into a new site that has some pretty cool fonts on it, especially for those working in graphic design. This page has a rather large selection and is fairly easy to navigate. Ignore all the bad grammar and enjoy the fonts. :-D

http://www.webpagepublicity.com/free-fonts.html

Until next time,

Shawn

Microphones Part 2 - Directional Patterns

2007-01-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

This week I would like to take a look at the different directional patterns of microphones and how to select the proper one for the audio you want to capture. With any of the microphone types that we mentioned in the last post, different directional patterns of response can be produced.

Directional patterns or directionality is the microphone's sensitivity to sound from variou directions. Some microphones pick up sound equally from all directions, others pick up sound only from one direction or a particular combination of directions. The types of directionality are divided into three main categories:

OMNI-DIRECTIONAL
Picks up sound evenly from all directions.

Uses:
Capturing ambient noise; Situations where sound is coming from many directions; Situations where
the mic position must remain fixed while the sound source is moving.

Notes:
Although omnidirectional mics are very useful in the right situation, picking up sound from every direction
is not usually what you need. Omni sound is very general and unfocused - if you are trying to capture sound
from a particular subject or area it is likely to be overwhelmed by other noise.

UNI-DIRECTIONAL
Microphones in this category pick up sound more strongly from one direction. While there are a number of mics under this category, I am going to look at a few of the most popular Uni-Directional Mics.

Cardoid
Picks up sound predominantly from one direction. Cardioid means "heart-shaped", which is the type of pick-up pattern these mics use. Sound is picked up mostly from the front, but to a lesser extent the sides as well.

Cardoid Uses:
Emphasising sound from the direction the mic is pointed whilst leaving some latitude for mic movement
and ambient noise.

Cardoid Notes:
The cardioid is a very versatile microphone, ideal for general use. Handheld mics are usually cardioid.

Hypercardoid
This is exaggerated version of the cardioid pattern. It is very directional and eliminates most sound from the sides and rear. Due to the long thin design of hypercardioids, they are often referred to as shotgun microphones.

Hypercardoid Uses:
Isolating the sound from a subject or direction when there is a lot of ambient noise; Picking up sound from a subject at a distance.

Hypercardoid Notes:
By removing all the ambient noise, unidirectional sound can sometimes be a little unnatural. It may help to add a discreet audio bed from another mic (i.e. constant background noise at a low level).
You need to be careful to keep the sound consistent. If the mic doesn't stay pointed at the subject you will lose the audio. Shotguns can have an area of increased sensitivity directly to the rear.

BI-DIRECTIONAL
Uses a figure-of-eight pattern and picks up sound equally from two opposite directions.

Uses:
As you can imagine, there aren't a lot of situations which require this polar pattern. One possibility would be an interview with two people facing each other (with the mic between them).

VARIABLE DIRECTIONALITY - Is "Three in one" better?
Some microphones allow you to vary the directional characteristics by selecting omni, cardioid or shotgun patterns. This feature is sometimes found on video camera microphones, with the idea that you can adjust the directionality to suit the angle of zoom, e.g. have a shotgun mic for long zooms. Some models can even automatically follow the lens zoom angle so the directionality changes from cardioid to shotgun as you zoom in. Although this seems like a good idea (and can sometimes be handy), variable zoom microphones don't perform particularly well and they often make a noise while zooming. Using different mics will usually produce better results.

Microphones Part 1 - Types of Mics

2006-12-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

Let's move on from sound board basics and look at another crucial area of your sound system - microphones.

Basically, a microphone is a transducer which detects sound signals and produces an electrical image of what it "hears". This signal can be manipulated by adjusting the signal as it goes through a sound board on it's journey to the speaker, however, using a microphone of the proper type and of adequate quality is crucial. Your audio will never be any better than your mic. Quality is very important, but contrary to popular belief - ALL MICS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL.

In future weeks we will get into Directional Patterns, Impedance & other selection criteria, but for today, let's look at some of the different TYPES of mics and how their construction effects frequency response and may lead to additional purchases.

Dynamic
In a Dynamic Mic, sound moves through a cone. The attached wire moves in the field of a magnet which produces a voltage creating an image of the pressure variation. These mics are usually low in cost, but lack the clarity and frequency response of others. If you have a low budget, a dynamic mic may be your best bet, however, don't rush out and buy the cheapest one you can find. I suggest purchasing a quality Shure or EV mic. I have used both in my ministry and can vouch for their quality.

Ribbon
In a Ribbon Mic, the air movement caused by the sound moves a mettalic ribbon in a magnetic field which generates an imaging voltage between the ends of the ribbon. These mics tend to have a warmer tone and accents the lower range in the mix when miked closely. These mics can be much more difficult to EQ due to the accentuation of the lower range when the mic is close to the source and are never recommended for outside use.

Condenser
In a condenser Mic, sound pressure changes the spacing between a thin metalic membrane and a plate in the back of the microphone. When mixed with an external power source, the plate is charged, which images the pressure. These mics have the best frequency response but are usually quiet expensive and require an external power supply (i.e. Phantom Power)

As with any purchase, planning is crucial. In the following weeks I would strongly suggest taking an inventory of what mics you currently have and how they are used. Also keep in mind any additional uses you have in mind for your mics. Hopefully by the time we complete this segment you will have a better understanding of what you need to make your church audio reflect God's message as best as you can.

Until next time,

Shawn