Burnsville, MN – Experience Church in Tacoma, WA, has undergone a remarkable transformation, redefining its worship-focused production resources with a state-of-the-art AVoIP workflow that includes new camera systems, FOH audio, LED walls, control room gear, and an array of RTS intercom systems including an ODIN (OMNEO Digital Intercom) matrix, ROAMEO DECT-based wireless intercom systems, RTS Digital Partyline, KP-Series keypanels and RTS headsets. From the tech director orchestrating the service to camera operators capturing podcast content, the entire crew now communicates seamlessly through their IP-based RTS intercom system.
Experience Church has been growing in leaps and bounds over the last few years, in no short measure due to their worldwide reach through various content channels. As one would expect, the demand for content continued to grow in step with this expansion of their congregation, and the church soon felt the pinch of out-of-date production technology.
The church leadership sought the expertise of nationwide systems integrator Key Code Media to assist them in an extensive AVoIP upgrade. Today, the network-based infrastructure and flexible, user-friendly interfacing has helped them to significantly increase their operational efficiency while distributing program feeds anywhere on the network. It’s been a game-changer, largely thanks to the future-proof flexibility afforded by RTS OMNEO media networking technology.
OMNEO media networking technology allows the secure, reliable transport and easy management of media, control and other data over IP networks. It provides exceptional audio quality as well as synchronization, all while ensuring the lowest levels of latency in a highly reliable and secure setup. OMNEO also makes it easy to connect different kinds of devices over IP to exchange information, including control and audio content for use in application domains such as conferencing, intercom, pro audio, public address, security and video. OMNEO fully supports standards and protocols such as Dante, AES67/70, SMPTE ST 2110 and more, providing a seamless audio and control experience.
“One of the benefits of the move to digital was the option of upgrading to an IP intercom,” explains Mark Siegel, vice president of Key Code Media. “The RTS OMNEO-equipped intercom system has increased efficiency and flexibility for the production team. No matter where they are broadcasting from – in the field, production studio, or sanctuary – they can still tie into cellular, Dante, and everything needed for seamless communication.”
At the heart of the RTS system is an ODIN matrix, a highly scalable digital intercom system in a 1RU package. A single unit can grow from 16 ports to a maximum of 128 ports. A maximum of eight ODIN matrices can be interconnected via an optical Inter-Frame Link, creating a matrix system with up to 1024 ports. The total number of licensed ports may be allocated freely to any port hardware type supported by the unit.
In addition to accommodating an in-person membership that exceeds 1,100, and an additional 800 online viewers every week, Experience Church also creates content for its social channels and hosts a regular podcast. Lastly, they “Zoom” their services to a sister church in Nepal. In total, they are reaching a minimum of 2,500 people a week, which had been no easy task with outdated technology. The new AVoIP workflow and integrated RTS intercoms have made production far easier than the previous system.
“We were highly confident that the RTS intercoms were the right choice at the right price point,” adds Siegel. “They were already familiar with RTS quality, this new system will allow them to grow and expand. It was built for today’s requirements while thinking about what they might need down the road. Experience Church is extremely technically savvy, especially for a church of their size – they are not a mega church. Most churches will only use 30% of the capabilities of their system. These folks are probably using 95% and keep pushing the envelope. It’s going to be exciting to watch them continue to grow.”