While Coronavirus restrictions hastened the upgrade of Toronto’s Global Kingdom church’s audio systems to enhance their ministry, cutting-edge technology has long been an important factor in serving its congregation.
Regarding its ministry is more important than ever to those relying on the support, inspiration and community of the curch, Global Kingdom worked with Apex Sound & Light and GerrAudio Distribution in the addition of a DiGiCo Q338 mixing console and Klang immersive mixing platform to its technical systems.
‘This is not a band-aid; this is the level of quality we are implementing going forward, and we want to do it with excellence,’ insists Tom Lodu, Manager of Operations & Special Events for Global Kingdom Ministries Inc.
That pursuit has been a constant for Global Kingdom since its founding in 1956. Then, services were held in a variety of decidedly impromptu spaces ranging from parking lots to bowling alleys. Global Kingdom has since grown substantially, and is now able to host an on-site congregation of nearly 2,000 on any Sunday, and streams live services to 32 countries around the world.
The global mission is about more than adopting new audio solutions, however, Lodu adds, citing the addition of talented, younger members of the congregation to their production staff, such as Audio Director, Joshua Rambajue, who started attending Global Kingdom in 2012.
Rambajue, who began performing at the church as a musician before taking on his current role, explains that the musical component of services ranges from basic set-ups with singer and a guitar to a full praise band with from three to eight vocalists. This latest upgrade also supports a wide range of other musical activities.
‘What this allows us to do is to capture every Sunday meeting, not only for archival purposes but also for mix down and the posting worship moments online, featuring performances with or without our congregation present,’ he says. ‘And that wouldn’t have been possible if we weren’t able to multitrack using the new system.’
‘Since the mid-1990s we have supported Global Kingdom’s growth and helped them with any equipment and technical knowledge they require,’ says Liz Woods, Director of integration & Sales at Apex. ‘They’re very forward-thinking and know a lot about audio equipment, and when we proposed the new DiGiCo Quantum system they expressed a lot of interest having been familiar with the launch of the new Quantum technology.’
‘I bought my first Soundcraft console from Apex many years ago and they’ve always been incredibly supportive in helping us achieve our goals and providing us with clear information to make decisions,’ Lodu notes. ‘So, after we began having issues over the past few years with our previous console, we decided to make a change and Apex was great about providing different options for Josh and his team to try out. Ultimately, we decided to go with the DiGiCo Q338 because, knowing where Josh and the production team want to go, we felt it would take us to the next level and feed that vision, not only for today but for the future.’
Having spent a significant number of years mixing FOH at the church, Lodu was immediately impressed with the DiGiCo Quantum: ‘I love the workflow and flexibility and, of course, I love how it sounds.’
Rambajue agrees: ‘It’s a major step up in terms of the user interface, too; even the screens are brighter and easier to see, and I can navigate around the console very quickly.’ As for connectivity, he adds: ‘The ability to send audio upstairs to our broadcast/recording room via a single Cat5 cable is huge.’
DiGiCo’s Dante and DMI-Klang cards were also considerations inthe purchase: ‘We wanted to make sure our new console would pair well with the Dante network we built earlier last year, and with the DiGiCo S21 we use to handle our broadcast mix,’ Rambajue says. ‘When GerrAudio and Apex provided a demo console with Klang integrated, it showed that, with just a little additional investment, we could set up a system that was very future-proof. And the immersive nature of Klang opens up a lot of possibilities.’
‘I was concerned that using Klang would be too much of a leap from what I was used, but the experience immediately overrode any such concerns from the time parameters were set,’ saysBand Director Keegan Kalideen. ‘Just from my intuitive perception as a musician and composer, Klang is in an entirely different category than ordinary IEM; I can confidently say it felt like an in-ear experience. I’ve never been in a closed sonic environment and felt like I was ‘feeling’ actual floor monitors in the room; which completely transformed my musical engagement.
‘The virtual modelling and simulation created a space in my mind where I felt like I couldn’t get out of the zone. I was literally anticipating a steep creative drop-off at various points, only to be surprised that every consequent note felt new and inspiring. And for the first time I was able to feel the intensity of the music without higher volume levels or custom moulds. I was ready to give up on IEMs. Klang is the revolution in-ears needed.’
While the capabilities and flexibility the DiGiCo, Klang and other Dante equipment provided were key to Global Kingdom’s choice of the products, their long relationship with Apex, and the support Apex and GerrAudio typically provide were equally important considerations: ‘I can’t speak highly enough of both of them,’ Rambajue says. ‘The short conversation I had with Peter Snelgrove at GerrAudio answered all of my questions and, with Apex just a couple of stops down the highway from us, it’s very easy to consult with them and get advice and information quickly. That was a really big deal for us.’
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