One of the most important elements of worship ministry today is the broadcast mix. Through a church’s broadcast mix, the gospel is shared, God’s Word is preached, and the church is made accessible. But building, running, and accessorizing a broadcast mix station isn’t easy, so that’s where Churchfront is here to help!
In this post, we’re going to pitch five solid and helpful broadcast mix accessories that will be sure to improve your worship ministry. But if you want in-depth training on how to build and operate your church’s broadcast mix with excellence, check out our Broadcast Mix Mastery course. From Ableton, to using plugins, to running a livestream, we cover it all. So check it out!
First Accessory: Klark Teknik DN9630
A computer running an Ableton broadcast mix needs audio from the mixer, right? Well, running audio over USB more than probably 5 to 10 feet is a bad idea. USB cables start creating issues when they run really long.
Introducing the Klark Teknik DN9630.
Newcomers to Churchfront will learn quickly that we advocate using a Dante network over AES50 protocol to route audio throughout the room. However, this tool can act as a great stand-in for those who maybe can’t order or access a Dante card at this time. If a church owns a mixer like the Behringer WING, then this is where the three AES50 ethernet ports on the back come in handy. Use the A and B ports for stage audio, and then use the C port for the broadcast mix. Running audio over CAT-5 can span hundreds of feet without connectivity issues.
Second Accessory: The Optogate PB-05
Talkback mics are important. They help volunteers in the back interact with the worship leaders at the front. But isn’t it annoying to hit the talk back button every time you need to talk?
This is a cool little tool. The Optogate is a noise gate that only opens up via infrared. So put your mouth up to the mic and the infrared red sensor is triggered that opens the gate. Just start talking! Never worry about toggling a button again.
Third Accessory: touchAble Pro App
This is an accessory for controlling an Ableton broadcast template with an iPad. Purchase it for $15 on the app store, connect it over USB or Wi-Fi to the computer using Ableton, download the desktop app, and touchable will automatically sync with the computer, giving complete control through the iPad.
Screenshot of touchAble Pro on iPad
The visual feedback for the faders is great, even better than the feedback Ableton provides. TouchAble provides audio metering, it matches the color-coding, and you can record and solo channels. It does it all, and it’s always connected.
Fourth Accessory: Alclair In-Ear Monitors
Jake getting his ears molded for his Spire Six Drivers
A recent video highlighted Jake upgrading his headphones when he stopped by Alclair. Jake ordered six driver headphones, the Spire Six Drivers, to be exact. They go for $849 here on Alcair's website. Jake was blown away by the difference from his RSM Quad Drivers to these headphones. He could hear the highs and lows so much better.
The RSM Quad Drivers are great. But if you have the money, we would recommend these Six Drivers over the Four Drivers. The difference is significant, especially when comparing between two custom sets. These are very important tools for a Broadcast Mix because hearing everything that’s going on is crucial. The mix also has to be very isolated, excluding any room noise bleeding in to the mix. This is where the Six Drivers shine.
Fifth Accessory: Elgato Stream Deck
The magic of a Stream Deck is that settings can be changed within different applications at different stations with just the push of a button. It uses MIDI commands through a native Stream Deck app and toggles functions of other apps/devices. Whether it’s muting/unmuting, mimicking keyboard commands, or other commands, the Stream Deck removes the pain of pointing your cursor to click on things. It saves time. It makes things simple.
It has things clearly labeled, and it provides great visual feedback. Most of all, the amount of errors that a tech team could make.
There you have it!
We hope these accessories can be a blessing and improvement to your worship ministry and broadcast mix. Again, be sure to check out our Broadcast Mix Mastery Course if you or your team desire more training in all things broadcast mix and live-streaming. Happy mixing!