Two Klang:fabrik immersive IEM mixing systems have joined the performav=ce resources of the Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville, Georgia. Together, they provide 32 inputs and 12 individual immersive IEM mixes for the church’s band members, connected through an existing DiGiCo SD9 FOH console.

Purchased for use in its main worship sanctuary, the units were acquired through A/V systems integrator Production/Co, who also installed the system ready for resumption of capacity-limited and socially distanced services. ‘They had taken their existing in-ear monitoring solution as far as it could go – they needed a more flexible and sophisticated IEM solution, and the Klang:fabrik was it,’ says Cason Cleveland, owner of Production/Co.

Its broad compatibility with widely-used audio interface protocols – including Madi and Dante – and the ability to use the Klang:app on iOS, Android, Windows and Mac devices, and be controlled via integration into DiGiCo’s SD-Range and Quantum consoles, Klang:fabrik offers an immersive monitoring environment for up to 16 individual musicians.

‘The ability for the musicians on stage to completely control their own mixes was important, because the church often relies on volunteers to mix services,’ says Cleveland. ‘Each musician having their own app onstage means that monitoring is one less thing the front-of-house mixer has to worry about, allowing them to focus on making the house sound as good as it can be.’

Cleveland says the SD9’s own routing flexibility was of assistance here, as he was able to assign a feed from the inputs from the stage to the Klang units through the console, connected via Madi, giving the stage every input needed to create local mixes.

‘We just copied the input assignments internally on the SD9 and assigned that to the Klang:fabrik units – it was that simple,’ he explains. ‘It was also very helpful that we could set the Klang units up as completely separate systems from the rest of the audio system. As a result, we can apply processing such as EQ individually, as well.’

‘With the Klang system, we more than doubled our monitoring channel count and as a result we’re able to give everyone on stage the ability to build complete mixes in their ears,’ says Lakewood Baptist Church Technical Director Coltyn Cooley, referring to the eight to ten musicians who perform for each service. ‘For instance, the drummer now has individual channels for kick, snare and other instruments, whereas before we could only give him a submix. Now each vocal has its own mix; before, we used to have to gang up the vocals. Then put the immersive technology on top of that and they are having their minds blown on stage.’

Cooley, who was introduced to Klang by Cleveland, and who was sold on it after reading numerous case studies online, adds that the Klang:fabrik has given the church musicians a new perspective on themselves. ‘We know it sounds good out here, but now they can hear just how good it sounds on stage,’ he says.

Cleveland says the church’s musicians, worship pastors, and audio team have all been impressed by Klang:fabrik’s performance. ‘The ability it gives them to spread out the mix and have better defined and detailed sound on stage means individual instruments don’t have to be as loud, which keeps overall volume better under control, another way Klang:fabrik makes the front-of-house engineer’s job easier and also preserves the musicians.’

And there’s also a substantial economic case to be made for the Klang:fabrik, he adds: ‘It is a bit more expensive than some other, less-sophisticated systems on the market, but when you factor in that it completely eliminates the need for a second console for monitors and someone to run it, it actually ends up saving money. Those are some pretty compelling arguments.’