In a post-covid world, using audio video Chicago for live stream memorial services to those unable to attend has become increasingly prevalent. While clients have historically chosen to refrain from using internal video systems to capture weddings, memorial services differ. In these instances, a quality internal video production system serves as an outstanding tool to allow distant loved ones to be present live as a service is happening.

The use of video during a memorial service for real-time live streaming and archival for the deceased's family.  Although viewership may be low, it is incredibly meaningful for those who can witness the service, both live and later.  The video capture of funerals and memorial services was historically often an afterthought.  But quickly, the value of archiving this wonderful heirloom is becoming a treasured surprise, if not an expectation.

Keys to a successful experience include:
Build a simple, easy to run high quality video livestream capability
Create separate playlists for memorial services, public or private, based on the family's desires
Utilize high quality image presentation for slides or media to share during or before/after the service

Having the ability to experience worship or collaborate over distances has become not just important for shut-ins and archival purposes. Still, it provides a great outreach to communicate with people far from your location and when people can’t be in person.  The need for quality live streaming installations is now more apparent than ever.

As new families move into the community to consider finding a new local worship home, more and more are using the web to get a feel before visiting.  There is no second chance to make a first impression.  Video and audio quality and capture of the worship experience help define the perception of your worship space.  We consistently see that clients who have invested in high-quality solutions have seen more growth and less attrition by adding professional live streaming capabilities.  

Advances in collaboration technology (zoom meetings, social media, and smartphones) have increased expectations and lowered audience attention spans.  Average viewing time is significantly lower when a video production is of low quality.  The keys to a successful video solution include:

Less emphasis placed on ‘4k’ resolution, and more emphasis placed on camera image quality and smooth shot movement Utilization of multiple camera shots without the need for multiple operators System design that leverages the skills of the team – High quality systems that can be run by laypeople and small teams.

“Advances in collaboration technology have increased expectations and lowered audience attention spans.”
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Sound Planning custom designs technology solutions that combine client talents with our training and integrated system designs to provide your team with the tools for success and your current potential congregants with the experience they deserve.

Worship spaces are often known for stunning and inspired architectural designs.  However, a beautiful reverberant space can create a challenge to have clear, intelligible spoken words across all seating locations. 

While reflected sounds from hard-surfaced walls and floors can provide warmth to an organ or choir, they can make it very difficult to understand the spoken word.  Increasing the volume will only make the room resonate more.  Clear sound requires careful design considerations.

Carefully locating and concealing custom-designed and programmed audio components will blend with the surrounding architecture and provide clear, intelligible sound throughout the worship space.  Investing in a high-quality audio system that can accommodate multiple use cases will bring to life an experience that matches the visual beauty of your space.

Further, many facilities were designed to only consider video presentations.  New solutions like fully retractable screens allow them to be invisible when not in use.  In another example, organ speaker grills are replaced with acoustically transparent video screen fabric to create an instant display surface.

Clients increasingly desire beautiful clear visuals for video presentations, even when not needed regularly. Special occasions often require unique visuals and invite new visitors to enjoy the beauty of the space.  Having professional and clear visuals gives visitors a great memory of their experience.  

“Having professional visual images that match the quality and elegance of the space greatly enhances the worship experience for congregants and visitors alike.”

At Sound Planning Associates, we are a church sound system installation company focusing on audio video design and architectural elegance. 

Let’s face it: Losing a loved one is an unfortunate reality of life, and it is not always possible for every person who wishes to honor a life to physically join in the Celebration of Life or Memorial Service. The expert design-build integrators at Sound Planning understand the delicate balance that many people have had to walk, especially in recent years, so here are some discrete ways to use technology to create a comfortable, accessible option for your church or house of worship members. 

Memorial service capture is one of the many benefits that become available to you when you invest in a professional sound system or AV system installation. “Capture” or “capturing” means that you are recording an event with the intent to keep it recorded or, as is more and more common, share the event via livestream. Memorial service capture is the thoughtful, mindful recording of a memorial service or celebration of life that helps transcend the limitations of your church or house of worship by sharing a professional, organic, live recording to one or more audio-visual platforms or direct video feeds. As a service, memorial service capture is just another tool in your tool kit to help your members stay connected with one another and with your organization! Let’s explore how livestreaming, simulcasting, and the professionals at Sound Planning can help you achieve professional livestreaming results for you and your congregation.

First, let’s talk about what options you can offer with some simple upgrades to your existing audio-visual sound system. If you don’t have a sound or audio-visual system installed, consider reaching out to Sound Planning today to explore ways to get (and stay!) connected. The greatest concern for most people who are exploring options to share a memorial for a dearly departed loved one is space. In addition to general occupancy restrictions, mourners might also be dealing with concerns about spreading illness or city or state restrictions. Livestreaming a memorial service capture is a great way to ease the worry about how many people and who will be able to attend. 

As shown in the figure below, using the professional livestream results achieved with your professionally installed audio-visual system to connect people remotely can be achieved in two ways. First, consider upgrading your concept of ‘overflow seating;’ adding elegant digital signage and overflow simulcast capabilities to a different room (or rooms) in your church or house of worship can help people feel connected without feeling left out or punished for being encouraged to view the service through memorial service capture instead of in-person. If you’re concerned about mourners or family members being forced to watch the memorial service capture on a grade school tv cart, forget it! Sound Planning understands that no one wants to be confronted with out of date or clunky hardware at such a time. Your professional livestream results deserve quality, elegant digital signage to make the most of the overflow simulcast that you will be able to provide. Elegant solutions for difficult moments is the least that Sound Planning can discuss with you!

“Overflow Simulcasting and Remote Livestream” by Alex Womack  

​In addition to on-site, elegant digital signage and overflow simulcast, livestreaming can also help connect remote  mourners, family, and friends to the memorial service. Remember that professional livestreaming results aren’t just achieved overnight; understanding why you need to livestream an event is only the start of the process. However, whatever your needs, Sound Planning is here to help! Putting your faith in the experts at Sound Planning can help you find the confidence to ask for (and receive) the professional livestreaming results that your members will appreciate during events like a memorial service. High quality equipment, such as PTZ cameras that are controlled remotely, and custom programming for your hardware and software can take your livestream to the next level– and create a comfortable, immersive experience for mourners, family, and friends in their time of greatest need.
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If you or your organization are interested in exploring upgrades to make livestreaming events possible, don’t wait– contact Sound Planning, Chicagoland’s premier church and house of worship design-build integrators today!

You might have noticed: We are in a new era of information display and transmission.  You may have heard terms like ‘Livestreaming’ or ‘Simulcasting’ before… but what do these terms really mean and how can they really benefit your organizations? Let’s explore these terms below before we discuss how to achieve professional livestreaming results for yourself!

First, let’s break down the basics: 
What the heck is a livestream? When you are “Livestreaming” or “Live Streaming” a live event, it means that you are using sound and video equipment and software to first capture and record, and then immediately transmit (or “Stream”) the recorded event. Whether you realize it or not, you have most likely seen a livestream video recording before– any event on your TV that is broadcasting “Live” can be considered a version of livestreaming. Today, livestreaming refers to a live broadcast that can be viewed on your computer, phone, tablet, or other device, but you should still think of livestreaming as something people will view like they will view a professional TV program. Livestreams are usually sent to (or “hosted” on) a specific audio-visual platform, such as Facebook Live, Twitch, Discord, YouTube, etc. What the heck is a simulcast? When you are streaming a livestream video to more than one platform, that is called a “Simulcast.” For instance, if you are hosting a service or event, such as a graduation, a memorial service, or any event where attendance unfortunately must be limited, you can provide interested members of your community the option to livestream the event or to view a live recording of the event in a different space. This is often referred to as “Overflow Simulcasting,” because the event is being recorded and broadcast to multiple platforms. 

Now that you have a better understanding of livestreaming and simulcasting, you most likely already have several good ideas for how to use these powerful tools to stay connected to the members of your church or other house of worship. But before you jump in head first, remember that “Good enough for now” won’t be good for you or for members of your organization in the long run. Professional livestreaming results aren’t just something you can find overnight; like any good TV program, good results often rely on custom programming options in the recording capture software and hardware and often more dynamic video capture options, such as livestreaming with PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras controlled remotely. Before you take your next steps, you should also take the time to understand your audience. Who will you be transmitting to? How comfortable are they with technology? What events would be good candidates for tools like overflow simulcasting? This may seem daunting, but don’t worry: whatever your needs, Sound Planning is here to help. 

Sound Planning knows churches and houses of worship! In addition to 15+ years of experience in church sound system design and implementation, all of Sound Planning’s integrators are committed to customer care. This can include custom programming for the cost-efficient and expertly installed sound and video equipment and software– including the use of touchscreen technology for one-touch perfection when recording– and especially when livestreaming! To keep your audience connected and fully engaged consider key equipment upgrades; livestreaming with PTZ cameras controlled remotely is a great way to keep your livestream efforts more organic– a great way to keep your members returning week after week. This commitment also includes keeping your specific needs, skill level, and volunteer or staff capacity in mind to make sure that the end product is not only good for your wallet– Sound Planning wants to make sure that you can use what you get, no exception.

In order to achieve the professional livestreaming results you’re looking for, you will need to know your audience; consider your equipment; and trust in the professionals to give you custom programming and equipment options best suited to your organization. As discussed in a previous blog post, the Design-Build model is a powerful tool that centers you, the customer, in every aspect of your new or upgraded system. Sound Planning’s expert design-build planning and implementation gives you the support you need for this build and beyond. The expert sound system and AV integrators at Sound Planning are here to support your church or house of worship before, during, and after install. 
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Don’t wait– contact Sound Planning, Chicagoland’s premier audio-visual design-build integrators today!

The best way to stay connected is to stay live; and the best way to stay live is to build your AV or sound system on strong foundations! While you read this list, here are some things to keep in mind: The amount of money that you pay a company or a person shows a certain amount of trust. Expert installation that you can trust should focus on your organization; experienced integrators aren’t afraid of answering questions about their suggestions or their recommendations, and they welcome requests for customization. The expert design-build integrators at Sound Planning have you covered from start to finish–and beyond! But the same basic information always applies. Consider the following, no matter the size or scope of your project.  

Understand your equipment
Making sure that your system lasts is about more than how it’s designed and installed. Expert installations and the best equipment for your budget won’t mean anything if you, the end-user, don’t take the time to fully understand exactly how to use the system that has been installed. Regardless of the type of installation that you invest in, ask questions! If your integrator recommends a piece of equipment that you should think about adding remember to ask these basics: What does this equipment add to the system? Does this make the system easier to use? How easy will this be for us to fix/replace/adjust? Understanding your equipment is a right, not a privilege when you hire professional integrators. 

Commit to expert installation
Speaking of integrators… The key to understanding your equipment is asking questions throughout the process of installation. The best way to understand your equipment, then, is to commit to expert installation so you can have experts available to answer your questions! Expert installation by a design-build integrator like Sound Planning provides more than a design you can trust and a plan customized to your needs. Remember, an “expert” who can’t handle your questions isn’t much of an expert at all. Committing to experts that you can trust through every step of the project process is a great way to get exactly what you need. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for customization!
When you commit to expert installation, understanding your equipment can instantly become easier. It’s also important, however, to understand your relationship with your integrators. Expert installation isn’t a favor that someone is doing for you; it’s a service that your organization is paying for. So, don’t be afraid to ask for customization! Customization can take many forms; if you’re worried that part of the plan isn’t going to work for you or your staff, be sure to discuss the potential issue with your expert integrator. Don’t dismiss these things as frivolous! Customization is about how you will use the system that you are paying for!
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Ready to get started on building your new system from the ground up? Commit to expert installation; trust Sound Planning, the premier sound, and AV design integrators in the greater Chicago area!

The certified experts at Sound Planning know that the decision to upgrade your existing sound system or AV system can be a daunting one– especially if, like so many of us, you spent the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent world-wide shut downs investing heavily in sound and AV systems that would help keep you connected to your staff, volunteers, and your customers or patrons. Further investments to upgrade, install, or completely fix the systems that you’ve been using for the past few years– or longer– might even seem excessive. 

However, there’s a difference between buying what you need to get by and investing in long-term solutions to make all your (digital) dreams come true. Here are some guidelines for what to do and not to do no matter your AV or sound system needs!

DO call experts like the design-build integrators at Sound Planning
It’s impossible to over-value the experience that integrators like the experts at Sound Planning can bring to your project. It’s always tempting to cut costs wherever you can; when project managers and organizations have to make critical decisions about what to and what not to include in their project budget, quality assistance after a design is approved is often the first victim. But you shouldn’t discount a quality AV company– like Sound Planning!-- that can provide you with more than just a design. Sound Planning’s focus on the design-build model commits experts to your organization or project from design to implementation to completion and beyond.    

DO insist on top quality… but make sure you keep your budget in mind
It’s tempting when you do make the decision to design and implement an upgrade or a new install, it will be tempting to think that the newest tools and equipment will be the best. But the newest fads in audio-visual design might not be what you need to help you reach your digital dreams; it’s important to design for the best possible equipment for the needs of your organization and within the limits of your budget. Remember, upgrading the first system that you design isn’t just a possibility; you should design your system with upgrading in mind!
          
DON’T fall into the “quick fix” trap
We’ve talked about the “quick fix” trap before in these blogs. Many organizations and companies, committed early to audio-visual systems that they could cobble together as short-term solutions to what turned out to be long-term problems. Despite the fact that those systems were designed and put together quickly, with little to no regard for longevity or maintenance, companies and organizations are still relying on quick fixes for problems and shortcomings. Avoid the temptation to keep replacing the $20 speakers that don’t last because they’re cheap and easy to find. Instead of pouring more money than you need into equipment and systems that don’t work for you or your staff, consider investing in a fully integrated sound system or AV system that suits your needs right now and in the future!

If you’re reading this blog, it means that you care about how you spend your money. Commit to higher quality goods and design. Remember that a design-build model and experienced experts are your road to a system that works for you now and in the future. Another benefit of calling on experts like the integrators at Sound Planning is the ability to plan for the future. Don’t be afraid to plan for upgrades! Think about how much better it would be for your long-term budget to anticipate regularly scheduled improvements, instead of emergency repairs. 
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Contact Sound Planning today and let them help you reach your digital dream!

Is your church or house of worship thinking about upgrading a currently installed sound system? You’re certainly not alone! Consider your entire system when you think about upgrades, not just pieces of the system that might be causing issues for you. Remember that upgrading should put you in a growth mindset! Let’s get brainstorming! 

Here are some basic things to consider when you and your organization start thinking about upgrades. 


Fear Not; Plan Ahead!
First and foremost: don’t be afraid of the upgrade! If the experts at Sound Planning were lucky enough to help you build and install your existing sound or audio-visual system, you already know that Sound Planning doesn’t just build systems that last; Sound Planning builds systems that are designed to grow when your organization does!  If things aren’t working for you now, there’s no shame in considering what would work better. The temptation to rush an upgrade once you decide one might be needed will be strong, but consider what needs to be taken care of before you jump right in. Make a plan for your upgrade like you made a plan for your system installation to understand your finances, time, and capacity.

Lists are your friend, but now might also be a good time to consider your stakeholders! These are the people who currently use or benefit from your audio-visual system or other services provided by your church or house of worship. If you’re not sure if there’s something you should consider for upgrading, ask your community!

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Do you need to upgrade, or do you just need repairs?
As you think about your upgrade, think about the entire system. The entire system includes all equipment, any connections or control panels, and the staff or volunteers that run or maintain the system. If you find that certain pieces of equipment keep making it to the top of your list of potential upgrades, make sure you’re considering why you’re thinking about upgrading that equipment. Does a certain camera really need to be upgraded, or is it just not working properly? Are all the components of your control panel working like these should, or are you experiencing consistent issues that you or your staff have had to work with or around? Remember that upgrades should: 
Improve function,  Increase capacity,  Introduce new capabilities.  

If you take a look at your list of ‘upgrades’ and find that it’s actually just a list of repairs, equipment replacement might be what you need. Some upgrades are repairs, but not all repairs should be upgrades! Keep it simple; if it works for your organization, spend your money where it counts.
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During this great time for your growth mindset, remember that Sound Planning is your one-stop shop for all your audio-visual needs. Whether it’s first-time systems, your new upgrade, or just regular maintenance and replacement, Sound Planning is your premier option for church and house of worship audio-visual support. Not sure where to start? Contact Sound Planning today!