Product Spotlight
Wired Microphones
Rugged and dependable,
perfect for everyday use.
Find one for every application,
from vocals to instruments.
Wireless Microphone Systems
The highest level of reliability
and sound quality, completely
interference-free.
Installed Sound Microphones
Deliver the highest level of
flexibility for any worship
service.
Assisted Listening
Make your message accessible
for everyone. Easy to integrate
into your existing audio setup
K-array Loudspeakers
Big sound, small size.
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Tips & Tricks
Learn how worship facilities are using and installing products
Grace Cathedral
San Francisco, CA
Grace Cathedral in San Francisco gained notoriety in the Internet heyday of the mid 1990s as one of the first
churches to stream live webcasts of many of its services—a tradition that continues to thrive. Despite its early
Internet presence and illustrious history, the church only recently overhauled its microphone collection to
Sennheiser MKH 8020 and MKH 8040 high-end condensers.
"The church had been using some noisy 1970s-era Austrian mics with acoustic properties that were poorly matched
for the job," explains Art Yeap, director of San Francisco’s Novo Group. "The church itself is huge—220 feet from
the choir to the back wall—with a nine-second RT60 on the low-end. Those peaky old mics accentuated footfalls,
rustling papers, and other such distractions so that listening to a recording or webcast became an exercise in
keeping focused."
The MKH 8020 omni, MKH 8040 cardioid and MKH 8050 super-cardioid microphones deliver extended, flat frequency
response (up to 60 kHz), very low self-noise, uncolored off-axis response and a compact design. Yeap ordered
four cardioid MKH 8020s to cover the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys (only one of a handful remaining in
the US). He placed two more MKH 8020s above the congregation to capture congregational singing and orchestral
performances, and two more at the back of the space to capture the rear gallery organ. Yeap carefully positioned
two MKH 8020 omnis on the main organ, which is one of the largest in the state and famous to organ enthusiasts
throughout the world. The extra octave at the bottom end of the omnis (down to 10 Hz) conveyed the instrument's
rich bass, and placement at the appropriate distance allowed the sound to bloom and blend with the room.
"The experience has been amazing," Yeap reports. "The Sennheiser mics have made a profound improvement. I'm
particularly taken with the off-axis response... it comes across as 'effortless.' The noise problem is gone
completely. Overall, the MKH 8000 Series mics sound accurate and sweet." So sweet, in fact, that Yeap didn't
require any processing. Each mic feeds into an APB-DynaSonics analog console with the EQ section left completely
flat.
With the webcast sound securely rescued and archival and promotional recordings now at an audiophile grade, the
church is contemplating using the choir mics for subtle reinforcement. "They clearly have the quality now," Yeap
says. "It's just a matter of receiving the blessing from the church leaders. I'm convinced the quality of the
live services would be noticeably improved." Time will tell!
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What worship ministries are saying about Sennheiser...
"I also would like to thank you and Sennheiser for not only your assistance with the whole TVBD fiasco, but your support of the H.O.W. market in general. It is truly remarkable these days to have a manufacturer of the size of Sennheiser that allows its personnel to interact with the end-user not only through outlets such as CSC, but the rapid personal response to crazy tech guys like me! It is why I can recommend using your products so readily."
"I also would like to thank you and Sennheiser for not only your assistance with the whole TVBD fiasco, but your support of the H.O.W. market in general. It is truly remarkable these days to have a manufacturer of the size of Sennheiser that allows its personnel to interact with the end-user not only through outlets such as CSC, but the rapid personal response to crazy tech guys like me! It is why I can recommend using your products so readily."
Jay Ballard, Director of Technical Ministries, First Baptist Church of Plant City, Florida