In the mix at Charis Bible College

USA:

Charis Bible College is a Christian school with more than 70 extension and satellite locations around the world. Its main site is in Woodland Park, Colorado and has recently developed a new, 3,200-seat worship, performance, and teaching space simply named The Auditorium. AcousTech, a local systems integrator that specialises in houses of worship and has worked with the college before, was called in to equip the venue with audio, video, and lighting systems, including three Klang:vier immersive IEM mixing systems.

AcousTech’s president and founder, Roland Dutzmann, was going to suggest the KLANG systems to Charis, but before he had the chance, the school’s AVL engineer, Nate Carter, expressed his interest in the brand.

‘I was first pointed in the direction of KLANG by a Swedish friend who is a musician, composer, and producer,’ revealed Carter. ‘Our Worship Arts department practices a great deal of diversity in style and ensemble size and type. We do everything from classic and modern gospel to more modern worship styles and artists, and we’re also moving to include classical liturgical styles as well for certain events. So, in terms of our technical needs, flexibility is key. The ability to cascade three KLANG:vier units for 24 input channels, Dante integration, and the ability to create configuration presets have been vital. I use a combination of Shure PSM 900s, RedNet AM2s, and the direct headphone outputs on the KLANG:viers to accommodate all of the IEM locations needed, and I couldn't have done that without the array of I/O options integrated into these units.’

The KLANG:vier units provide each vocalist and musician control of their own individual mixes. The IEM mixes can also be monitored and controlled using an iPad located adjacent to the Yamaha CL5 mixing console at FOH or via a laptop connected to the church’s AV network when needed. However, for the most part, the performers use the KLANG:app on their smartphones to manage their own mixes.

‘The positional panning available in the KLANG system is a big hit as it allows them to get a great deal more clarity in their mix, and the proportional volume function – turning other channels down when a channel is at max volume – is very useful to them as well,’ said Carter. ‘Also, the improvement in audio quality was instantly apparent and appreciated over the former system we were using at [another facility on campus] The Barn.’