then you ’ d want to ensure that you are working at the highest sample rate and bit depth possible and weaving in redundant recording methods , etc . ( along with an added focus on the overall sound of the microphone preamps , etc .)
The same idea goes with the audio playback aspect - are you going to play a few ‘ house music ’ stereo tracks as folks walk into the sanctuary , or do you envision full-on ‘ virtual soundcheck ’ functionality ? If you ’ d don ’ t need virtual soundcheck and you don ’ t want to record anything fancier than an archive LR mix , then the existence of those features in a console on your list is a bonus at best and shouldn ’ t get a lot of weight when it comes time to weigh your product selection options . If these features aren ’ t necessary and they are costing you more money , then you may want to look a notch down the line in your console selection for something less full-featured . Remember the goal here is to match up your requirements with the console features as closely as possible , not to find the console with the most impressive specs and every bell and whistle across the board .
Let ’ s dive into one more of the sub-questions in the same sort of manner : Is there a connected monitor console ? The point we ’ re trying to get at here is how that other console is going to receive its audio signals . Seems simple enough , right ? Depending on what your exact needs are , you may be able to sufficiently meet your needs with the native console networking protocol . The same sort of sub-questions pop up here again , though : ‘ how many channels do you need to send to the monitor console ?’, ‘ what sample rate ?’, ‘ how can the monitor console receive that audio ?’, etc . This is where things can get really fun . The plot can quickly thicken for sure . If you have a need for piping audio in and out for recording and you have a clear need for multiple consoles across the system , it may be time to look at audio networking protocols like Dante . Suddenly the standalone console decision may have expanded to include AoIP ( audio over IP ) protocols and all of the connected devices in your audio system . Gotcha !
I ’ ve written a number of articles about the use of Dante in house of worship , head over to this March 2019 piece if you need a quick primer . The nutshell version of what Dante is and what it can do for you , from the Audinate website : “ Dante replaces point-to-point audio and video connections with easy-to-use , scalable , flexible networking . Adopted by hundreds of manufacturers in thousands of professional products , Dante is the de facto standard for
modern AV connectivity .” I came across a recent market research report from RH Consulting that shows just how pervasive Dante really is , with about 300 non-Dante networked products out in the market compared to over 3000 Danteenabled end points and devices . De facto , indeed !
Rather than dive into the debate about which protocol really is the best here , I ’ ll just return back to the point I made before on our goal with these requirements gathering : to match up your needs to the features offered by the console you ultimately select . So , should you make sure the console you pick definitely , certainly , absolutely has Dante onboard ? Only if you ’ ve made the determination based off of your requirements gathering that Dante ( or any other AoIP protocol ) would bring value by meeting one or more key needs . Otherwise the existence of Dante options falls into the ‘ nice-to-have ’ or ‘ kinda cool !’ category . And remember to be careful you aren ’ t overshooting your needs too far and having audio networking features land in the ‘ extra stuff I ’ m paying for that I don ’ t need ’ column . Happy requirements gathering and console hunting !
Jeff Hawley A 20-year music industry veteran — equally at ease behind the console , playing bass guitar , leading marketing teams or designing award-winning audio products . He currently heads up the marketing for Allen & Heath in the US .