Connecticut-based audio and video integration firm DNR Labs’ first installation of a RF Venue CP Architectural antenna has been completed in the Hartford location of the eight-campus Vox Church, where it is used for stage IEMs.
Along with true A/B diversity wireless microphone reception from a single mount by way of a RF Venue Diversity Fin antenna, these are the least visible elements of the elegant sanctuary’s technical infrastructure. The two antennae covering the stage are tucked behind the ends of the housing of a motorised drop screen above the stage.
‘We’ve been installing products from RF Venue since its inception,’ says DNR Labs founder and CEO Donnie Gamsjager. His company relies on antennas, combiners, distribution, band-pass filtering and cabling from RF Venue’s line of essential accessories, most recently adding RF Venue’s CP Architectural antenna to its repertoire for wireless IEM applications when aesthetics are as important as performance.
The church challenged DNR to extend the performance it already enjoyed on the worship stage into the church’s lobby. Gamsjager recalls the stated goal as, ‘we need fantastic IEM performance, seamless from the sanctuary as a processional goes into the lobby. However, the lobby could have no aesthetic changes.’ They didn’t want to see a large helical antenna, and they didn’t want to see paddles. They didn’t want to see any kind of any type of antenna’.
An RF Venue Diversity Architectural antenna was also deployed in the lobby, ensuring that wireless mics can make the transition from the sanctuary. ‘There’s absolutely no issues with ingress,’ Gamsjager says. ‘I come from an LMR [Land Mobile Radio] background; thinking of a transmitting antenna near a receive antenna, operating at such close frequencies, I was a little worried that I was going to need duplexers, band-pass filters and notch filters but we had no issues.’
The church’s full wireless IEM system delivers its 16 stereo IEM channels via a pair of RF Venue Combine8 eight-channel IEM transmitter combiners along with, in one of its first installs, the recently released Combine6 HDR six-channel combiner.
‘Another application was a smaller house of worship that has a very small band,’ Gamsjager continues. ‘It’s also a Roman Catholic church with ornate, somewhat gothic architecture – the Sacred Heart Church in Southbury, Connecticut. They put their entire worship band on in-ears using Shure PSM300 wireless IEM systems.’ With an interior ofstained glass, white walls and stone, Sacred Heart also did not want antennas to be seen. Here, DNR installed a white CP Architectural antenna that is all but invisible. ‘They used to set up portable antennas on microphone poles and then, for masses with no live music, would have to strike them, which was very time consuming. With a fixed, permanent wiring install, all they have to do is turn on the IEMs and go.’
Gamsjager awards high marks for RF Venue’s support, particularly noting its training and education services: ‘I think the bar is low in terms of RF knowledge,’ he says of end users and even integrators. ‘Whether you’re an integrator, end user, distributor, online reseller – RF Venue delivers a lot of education on how to use their products, including good documentation and videos. RF Venue comes to our office and provides valuable training – not a single RF company has ever come here to do training, except for RF Venue.’
See also:
Vox Church calls on RF Venue for wireless service
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