Early 2020 saw the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Delaware shift from in-person gatherings on Sundays to recorded services in-line with Covid-19 social restrictions. Initial offerings used 20-year-old existing audio and video equipment and, as a result, lacked detail, balance and consistent room ambiance, as well as poor intelligibility of the spoken word during services.
To help solve this problem, Westminster Director of Music Tony Thurman and members of the church’s property committee opened talks with Robert Bullington local A/V contractor Front Row Seat Productions to devise a new sound system. Together, the teams tapped DPA Microphones for its technical expertise and array of reliable, rugged and quality headsets, mics and accessories.
Bullington worked with Gabriel Antonini, Business Development Manager at DPA, to create a plan for upgrading the church’s microphones as part of a re-engineered audio system. The goal was to enable Westminster to stream choral, organ and piano music at the highest quality, providing fully balanced stereo sound comparable to attending a live service or concert.
‘To capture the shape of the space at Westminster, we deployed a wide array of solutions from DPA Microphones,’ Bullington says. ‘Included among these is a pair of DPA 4006A omnidirectional microphones with a nose cone accessory above the main aisle, spaced equidistant between the front and back of the church. Paired with the 4006A, the nose cone ensured perfect omnidirectional response across all of the frequencies generated by the massive organ, and provided a 360°, true-to-source capture.’
In addition, DPA also hung a pair of 4011C Cardioid Microphones on suspension mounts in an ORTF configuration, aimed at the altar, which enhanced the direct sound of whatever event happened to be in this sweet spot. ‘That, in combination with the 4006As, achieved a fantastic room balance for the remote listeners, ensuring continued engagement throughout the services,’ Bullington adds.
For the 30-to-60 strong choir situated just beneath the organ, Bullington installed DPA’s 4015 Wide Cardioid Microphones, which were hung 10-to-12ft above finish floor (AFF) and about 4-6ft above the choir members. The wide polar pattern of these microphones not only captures the vocalists evenly and consistently, but also rejects the organ pipes above.
‘We also flanked the choir in the front with hard left/right 4097 Supercardioid Choir Microphones, which delivered additional focus and clarity to the mix. We also placed a pair of our 4099P Core Instrument Microphones in the piano with magnet mounts, which blended with the room to provide an accurate tone and gave us the emotional intimacy required for the stream,’ says Bullington. ‘To prevent silent holes in the mix, Westminster can keep the room microphones live at all times in slightly different scene levels, to ensure a continued audio stream. This way, the audio team can adjust the mic signals as necessary or preferred,’ Antonini explains.
Front Row Seat Productions is also currently experimenting with DPA’s miniature lavalier microphones inside DPA concealer mounts. This solution, according to Antonini, will help immensely when the pastors wear robes and other difficult to mic garments. When coupled with any third-party wireless system, it also gives them the ability to roam the church during a sermon.
More: www.dpamicrophones.com
