LVPR_LakewoodChurch

Nation’s Largest Easter Services Broadcast in “Pristine Audio Quality”- Thanks to Fiber Optics

– LightViper™ fiber optic “audio snake” is state-of-the-art solution for delivering concert-quality sound to 45,000 Easter worshippers in Houston, TX — and millions of TV broadcast households worldwide —

April 26, 2005 — FiberPlex, Inc., a world leader in fiber optic data communications, announced that its acclaimed LightViper™ VIS-1832 fiber-optic professional audio snake system was utilized for this year’s Lakewood Church Easter Services at Houston’s largest public entertainment venue, Minute Maid Park (formerly, Enron Field/1999). The large, open-air, retractable-roofed baseball stadium is the current home to the Houston Astros.

Lakewood Church, an American mega-church In Houston,TX, boasts the nation’s largest congregation (over 25,000 in four typical Sunday services*). Audio Analysts, a Colorado Springs, CO - based audio production company, deployed two portable LightViper VIS-1832 systems for this year’s revival event which drew more than 40,000 worshippers on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005. Audio Analysts were first contracted in 2004 to provide simultaneous live sound concert as well as audio broadcast feed facilities for last year’s Easter services for Lakewood. The service, led by charismatic tele-evangelist, Joel Osteen, was also broadcast Easter Sunday to millions of viewers on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The Easter program was re-broadcast on April 3rd to numerous syndicated networks including: The ABC Family Channel, PAX, the Discovery Channel, BET, and USA Network, among others.

Audio Analysts handled all aspects of the extensive, state-of-the-art sound system provisioning which required a sophisticated fiber-optic distribution technology implementation for the important weekend’s unique worship setting.

“The Lakewood event required us to use two LightViper 1832’s units arranged with two splits,” says Audio Analysts’ Crew Chief for the large gig, John Overton, ‘both went to an OB (Outside Broadcast) truck which was stationed1,000 feet from the large stage; to maintain the highest signal integrity for the broadcast, the most critical feed went via the LightViper fiber optic system. We used all 64 microphone inputs on the ”Vipers” and the show went off without a hitch. For normal FOH mixing and monitors, we used a conventional copper snake. It was an A-plus show.”

Lakewood’s Director of Audio, Reed Hall, was even more succinct: “Audio Analysts and the LightViper’s provided us with absolutely pristine on-air sound quality!”

John Cooper, house engineer for artist Bruce Springsteen and formerly, Wynonna, was AA’s Systems Engineer on the high-profile Houston,Texas religious event.

Ed. Note:

The basic LightViper 32 x 8 snake system is made up of two pieces of hardware: the VIS-1832 “stage box,” and the VIM-1832 mix position box. Connecting these two components is an extremely lightweight military specification fiber optic cable. Two LightViper fiber optic snakes and stage boxes provide a total of 64 x 16 inputs/outputs available at the mix position. Optional optical outputs on the stage box allow for up to three splits; provision for a remote truck (recording and/or OB) and an FOH and monitor console split is automatically built into the system.

The LightViper VIS stage boxes and the VIM mix position units handle all analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog signal conversions for the mic and tie lines, with the VIM’s routing to the analog inputs of a digital console which, in turn, performs its own A-to-D conversion. Runs of up to 6,600 feet without signal loss or degradation are possible with fiber cable, and it is inherently immune to ground loops, RFI, EMI and electromechanical noise. The fiber connection also maintains the gain structure of the line level signal on stage.

Audio Analysts has spec’d the LightViper system into other worship and educational projects. FiberPlex are also working with audio manufacturer, Yamaha, to develop circuit card interfaces for the PM1D and PM5D digital consoles that will allow direct connection from the LightViper cable to their console’s digital inputs, replacing the current interface that requires a DA/AD conversion.

FiberPlex includes a lifetime limited warranty with all its LightViper system hardware components.

The suggested Professional Audio user price for a typical LightViper VIS-1832 configuration is $8,646.00; this includes all components (one Stage unit [VIS-1832] and one Mix position 1U rack unit [VIM-1832]), 300 feet of fiber optic cable, four 10-foot sends and one 10-foot return breakout cables and a hand reel for the fiber optic cable. A wall mount enclosure for fixed installations is available (VBZ-1832) at $194.00.

*The Houston City Council voted to award the long-term lease of the city’s Compaq Center (the former home to the NBA’s Houston Rockets) to Lakewood last year.

NOTE: LightViper™ is a registered trademark of FiberPlex, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

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