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.
Sennheiser is proud to distribute
this innovative brand of
high-quality loudspeakers.
Tips & Tricks
Learn how worship facilities are using and installing products
Village Baptist Church
Destin, FL
The 1,400-seat Village Baptist Church in Destin, Florida hosts an ambitious calendar of dramatic productions,
multi-media activities, and services that span traditional to contemporary. Unfortunately, their wireless
microphone collection, which didn't work well even when it was new, reached the end of its useful life and began
distracting the focus of their services. Instead of praise for God and lessons from the Bible, annoying crosstalk
between microphone channels and, worse, periodic interference from nearby Eglin Air Force Base captured the
attention of church members despite their best attempts to ignore it. The Church tried hiring outside sound
companies to handle their productions, since experience had taught them that attempting to use more than a dozen
of their own wireless microphones was guaranteed to end in disaster. The results were not much better. "And we
were spending a lot of money," deadpanned Robert Curtis, media director for Village Baptist.
Against this backdrop of wireless frustration, the church used six wired Neumann KMS 105 live vocal condensers and
a handful of Neumann TLM 103 large diaphragm studio condensers. "We were very excited about the sonic qualities of
those microphones," Curtis recalls, "and when it became clear that we would be upgrading our wireless system, we
knew we wanted to move in that direction."
With an upcoming production on the horizon, Curtis contacted Bill Manning at All Pro Sound in Pensacola, Florida
to get a new system in place. "Of course, Sennheiser is well known for their RF stability," Manning says, "but
when you add to that the excellent sound quality of their handheld and headset microphones, along with their
ability to incorporate Neumann capsules, Robert was convinced."
Village Baptist received a host of new microphones to fit the various needs of their services and productions. A
total of 11 Sennheiser HSP 2 ultra-lightweight head-worn microphones, combined with eight SK 500 G2 and three
SK 5212 belt-worn transmitters, provide inconspicuous reinforcement for vocalists. Seven handheld SKM 5200
transmitters with Neumann KK 105 capsules deliver on the "Neumann sound" that the church had come to love in their
KMS 105s for vocals and speech. An impressive rack of Sennheiser EM 3532 and EM 550 G2 dual-channel, true-diversity
receivers tie all 18 of the Sennheiser wireless channels down to the rest of Village Baptist's existing sound
system.
In addition to microphones, the church upgraded to 12 Sennheiser ew 300 IEM G2 wireless personal monitors capable
of supplying four separate stereo mixes via a pair of SR 3256 transmitters. Aviom A-16 series rack-mounted monitor
mixers and remote control units feed the systems and ensure that everyone has a perfect monitor mix.
To coordinate all of these wireless channels, along with 10 hangers-on from the old system, Sennheiser sent
engineers to analyze Village Baptist's local frequencies to minimize crosstalk and interference. Taking
Sennheiser's advice, the church purchased a Sennheiser NET 1 system to integrate and organize all of its
frequencies with a computer interface.
"This is seriously great gear," Curtis says, "and it works beautifully. We've run 27 channels simultaneously
without flinching. We'll replace our old wireless microphones with Sennheisers as the old mics die. It's
frustrating, but we've learned the hard way. We bought less than the best in the first place and so ended up
buying again. That's more expensive in the long run and we were forced to struggle with inadequate gear for so
many years. From now on we do everything with excellence. Go with the top tier from the start and we save money
in the long run."
Other Installation Articles:
More Information
Worship Events
Testimonials
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