Technology is constantly evolving at a staggering rate. Over the last few years the projection industry has been no exception, with the industry experiencing a laser revolution, with laser light sources used in most large venues and cinemas, rather than the more traditional lamp light source that has been the staple of projection technology for the last 20 years.
You may have seen that we have previously written an article comparing lamp and laser to give you a good idea of the major differences and the pros and cons of each. If you haven’t seen it, then you can find it here: https://churchsoundsystems.co/learning-hub/projection-vision/quick-start-guide/
Quite frankly, projection has been in a race to keep up with flatscreen technology, where we have come to expect ultra-high definition and great colour contrast for viewing our content. Great advances have been made in the world of displays to make them as power-efficient as possible, making them a great choice for environmentally-minded consumers. However, without investing serious amounts of cash, projection is still very much the go-to option for large screen viewing, particularly in church and heritage buildings where the screen can be hidden when not in use.
Now that laser technology has evolved to have a strong foothold in the new projector market, manufacturers are spending time refining the technology further, to make this new breed of projector more compact, brighter and reducing the amount of energy they consume.
Panasonic are one of our preferred projector manufacturers due to the great balance of cost and reliability their devices offer. They offer a wide range of projectors, from ultra-compact short-throw projectors for meeting rooms, to huge 30,000-lumen projectors for cinemas.
They have just announced a revamp of their market-leading laser installation projection range, which makes the argument for choosing a laser model for your new projector even more convincing. The updated range - the MZ882 series - is innovative in the way that recycled materials have been used in the construction of the housing, with Panasonic claiming to have used up to 10% recycled resins for each projector. It also uses an eco filter which can be washed and reused, rather than replaced.
The most important upgrade to the MZ range does not come from the recycled content, but from the increased brightness that Panasonic can now achieve from the same laser light source, all while using 8% less energy to do so. 8% may not sound like a lot, but over the lifetime of the projector (20,000 hours), that will make a huge difference to the size of the electricity bill you get when running it.
During that same period, not only will a lamp projector have been serviced several times (which may not be easy if specialist access equipment is required to reach it), but you will have changed the lamp unit 5 times, creating harmful waste (lamps contain mercury and have to be disposed of safely).
This means that there is a significant ongoing maintenance cost that comes with installing a lamp projector, which isn't the case for a laser model. On average, a new lamp is around £120, but it can be far more expensive depending on the model of your projector.
Does this improved efficiency and focus on making projection as environmentally friendly as possible spell the end for the trusty lamp projector? It's hard to say, but the case for laser is only going to become increasingly convincing.
If you can afford the larger upfront cost, then the long-term benefits of a laser light source both for quality and efficiency are unmistakable. Panasonic are only one of the many companies to manufacture projectors, so we are likely to see many more new product ranges from their competitors with an increased focus on their environmental impact.
You can find more information on the Panasonic MZ882 Series by clicking here to go to the product information page on their website.
The APi Sound & Visual team will be exhibiting on stands A11 and A15 at the CRE Midlands from 8 to 9 November 2023 at Cranmore Park in Solihull, Birmingham.
Join hundreds of local church leaders, officers and anyone involved in Christian work and ministry in this one-stop shop for church supplies, resources and ideas.
This will be a great opportunity to ask Andy and the team any questions you might have and gain free expert knowledge and advice.
You will be installing bespoke audio-visual systems for a variety of customers of which at least 80% are in the church market, with the remaining 20% split between the Education, visitor attraction and commercial sectors. You will be working with a well-established engineering team based in Exeter with a mixture of local work and travelling to areas typically Southern England, Wales, London and Home Counties. You will be expected to stay away whilst on jobs typically more than 2 hours from Exeter and this will involve periods of being away from home.
This role may suit someone who already has extensive experience in the audio-visual sector or someone who has practical or technical skills from a related field. You must be able to work in a team and be keen to learn new skills from experienced staff but also be able to complete tasks independently.
A clean driving licence is essential and all candidates will have to pass an enhanced DBS check to remain in the post due to regular work in the education sector.
Good health - The role is a physical one whilst on site and often requires working at height, manual handling of equipment and fixing to walls and ceilings.
Strong IT skills - especially in networking and streaming are desirable, with an interest in gaining some programming knowledge.
Construction/practical skills - in the course of a project it is often necessary to use metal and woodworking skills.
A large part of installations involves running cabling to equipment, so an eye for detail will be necessary to ensure this is completed to a high standard.
Problem-solver who is able to work flexibly.
Confident and listening communicator.
The confidence to deal with customers is essential and skills in managing customer expectations will often be required.
We welcome applications from people who have experience in the electrical installation trade or have held a position in a practical discipline.
Experience in live sound and video distribution plus basic networking and a general interest in technology.
We use the Google Ecosystem for all our internal systems, so familiarity with Google Drive would be beneficial.
10-14 April 2023
Spring Harvest Festival (Butlins, Minehead)
The Spring Harvest Festival held in April at Butlins, Minehead will be an opportunity for APi Sound & Visual to engage with the church in the exhibition space. This longstanding event is an annual source of inspiration and spiritual refreshment for the church.
Visitors of all ages enjoy worship and community plus the holiday atmosphere.
Tickets are selling fast, so if you would like to attend please contact Spring Harvest.
APi Communications will be exhibiting from Stand J6 at the forthcoming CRE National 11-13 October 2022 at Sandown Park, Surrey.
Described as a one-stop shop for church resources, supplies and ideas; it’s a great opportunity for some free and practical advice in relation to your AV system and to meet some truly inspiring people!
As an exhibitor, we are pleased to offer FREE tickets to the exhibition (worth £8 on the door).
To book simply click on the following link:
https://eventdata.uk/Comp/CRENational2022.aspx?TrackingCode=API
To enter all you have to do is :
Register your details with the APi team on Stand J6 at the CRE National between 11-13 October 2022, completing all questions in our survey.
One lucky winner will be randomly selected (24.10.22) and contacted by direct message. The winner will be announced on APi’s Facebook page. All entrants must be UK residents aged 18+.
For more information about the exhibition please go to http://creonline.co.uk
Be sure to come and say hello to Andy and the team on Stand J6, we hope to see you there!
Come and visit us on stand J6, and find out how we can help your church get its message across. We design and install sound and projection systems, as well as streaming systems.
It takes place at Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey. Situated only 15 miles from central London, Sandown Park is easily accessible by rail and road and parking is free.
As an exhibitor, we are able to offer free tickets to the exhibition, worth £8 on the door. To book simply click HERE
For more information about the exhibition go to http://creonline.co.uk
The transmitter packs are simply slotted into the charger and left ready for the next use. You can then be confident that they won't let you down, and also be saving the environment and money.
If these ever need replacement we will send you a new pair free of charge for the lifetime of the system.
Our systems are designed for the slightly lower cell voltage of rechargeables so will give a predictable 10 hours plus of service between charges, unlike other brands which should only be used with alkaline batteries.
Hearing loops turn an incoming audio signal from a microphone say into magnetic field that can be turned back into speech by a hearing aid with the necessary function (called a ‘T’position, hence hearing loops being referred to as ‘T’ loops by some users). This enables the person to hear directly from the speaker using the microphone and not have to hear the background noise in the room which makes intelligibility so difficult for them.
This new sign contains a loop receiver and progressively lights up a hearing loop symbol to indicate that the loop is working and broadcasting at the correct level. This is a vast improvement on a simple sticker or light up sign (just indicating that the system is switched on but no more).
For users it is a very obvious indicator of a correctly working and available system and for venue operators a confidence sign that their provision under the Human Rights Act is functioning.
It is amazing how often a faulty loop system is only pointed out to the operators after someone has missed an important event through not hearing. This handy device should give both confidence.
We can retrofit these to any loop system as they can be mounted anywhere within the area of coverage where there is a power socket. The system should have a full check and calibration during the fitting process to ensure that the sign unit is correctly indicating loop operation.
LED Laser and hybrid projectors have been with us for sometime and initially promised much more than they delivered as regards colour fidelity which was pretty appalling. They usually favoured green over red. This proved acceptable to the lower end of the education market, where the low running costs ie no replacement lamps, rather than the lower energy costs were a decision driver.
Now the market has matured somewhat and even the entry level products are producing good images, with the higher level units giving excellent results.
So what are the deciding factors now when choosing laser over lamped units?
Currently there is still a considerable percentage difference in the cost of laser above lamp within all levels of the market, typically adding 30 to 50% to the purchase price. So what decision you make depends on your usage pattern:
If you are running everyday for several hours you are going to be replacing lamps on a regular basis. So the total cost of ownership is going to be heavily influenced by the cost of lamps, and possibly by the additional cost of access and installation of the lamps if your projector is sited at high level. Using a laser based product in these circumstances would definitely be a good idea if you can stand the initial purchase cost.
For those with less demanding usage requirements the decision is slightly harder, as in many cases, such as churches where use can be confined to a few hours a week, the original lamp may well be the only one in the life of the projector. With technology and resolutions moving so fast, many customers prefer to change the projector rather than fit an expensive lamp in an out of warranty unit.
However where this equation changes is in a situation where the projector is mounted in a location that is difficult or expensive to access safely. If you have to factor in the cost of two technicians and a scaffold tower or powered lift, then a laser unit with 10,000+ hours of laser life and a long life or filterless design becomes very attractive.
Add to this the advantage of laser technology that overcomes the traditional lamp issue of rapid reduction in light output after around 50% of lamp hours, and the declining cost or laser projectors, laser becomes an attractive alternative.
Some projector brands are already saying that in two years they will not be selling a lamped projector in the UK, having replaced all of their product with laser alternatives.
To discuss how APi Sound and Visual could assist your church with a laser projector, please call us on 0845 5578350 or contact us online.
Digital mixing desks have been in widespread existence since 1987 when Yamaha introduced their first digital desks. From then until about 10 years ago they were seen as the province of the recording studio or touring company.
Since this time with processing power ever increasing and manufacturing costs decreasing they have filtered down further into the whole of the market place. In the last few years pricing has fallen further so now they are a serious option and worth paying a small amount more for.
Digital mixing desks have all of the same functions of an analogue desk but many incorporate additional features such as graphic equalisers, compressors, and other effects that would normally require a stack of additional black boxes and cables to achieve.
Lets first look at why you might not have considered a digital desk in the first place:
Now let’s look at some of the disadvantages of analogue mixers:
Ok so I have described what they are and some of the attributes, let’s look at why now is a great time to buy digital for your new system.
Your prime concern is ease of use but you need more inputs than a traditional ‘one knob per input’ mixer amplifier can offer we can supply units with a simple user interface from 8 to 32 inputs and beyond without getting buried in hundreds of knobs you don’t use but if set in the wrong place can trip you up.
Every time you use your current system the previous user has changed settings and you want a simple way to go back to the default ones All digital desks have multiple memories that can simply be recalled at a single button push or by turning the power off and on.
You would like to be able to have wireless control over the system so that you can sit anywhere or the minister can operate it from their seat, this is also good for security as the mixer is safely locked away. All mainstream digital mixers have wireless control apps that work with a variety of tablet computers.
You would like a simple way of recording services without having a rack full of equipment Most digital mixers have a record to USB stick function. Your music group would like to have individual control of their foldback (monitor) levels Up to 10 tablets or smart phones can be connected to allow for individual control.
You would like to have a variety of options for where your stagebox for music group input connections could be located to give flexibility for different services and events Some mixers are completely wireless and take the place of the traditional stagebox, others have a single low cost connection using network cable from the mixer to digital stagebox allowing several low cost connection points to be installed.
APi Sound & Visual has wide experience in the church market and our staff use a variety of digital mixers in their own worship settings. Our systems are always focussed to deliver the best match to our customers requirements and operational skills.
We have close cooperation from our three main brands Mackie, Yamaha and Allen and Heath so that we can offer the most appropriate solutions.
So returning to our list of objections to digital we can now say:
And looking back to the disadvantages of analogue, digital offers:
Digital mixers now offer far more value for money and a more flexible and simpler user experience with complete backup of important settings.
