5 Pleas for Sung Worship

OpenLP: Adding & Formatting Songs

 

WorshipMD: 10 Tech Tips

WorshipTrac: Using WorshipTrac

OpenLP: Building a Service

OpenLP: Using Themes

This video will demonstrate how to create, edit, export and import themes in OpenLP:

Podcasts / Audio

Podcasts

Podcast Episodes

Audio Lectures

 

Sound Board: Recording Sermons

Introduction

We record sermons and other messages for archival purposes and transmission to those who cannot attend or have to occasionally miss.

Recording Sermons

  • Plug the headphones into the headphone icon in the dark output pane in the top right corner of the soundboard
  • Turn on the sound computer (the emachines PC on the left)
  • Remove the USB dongle from the bottom of the blue wireless mouse and plug it in one of the USB port on the front of the PC
  • If the PC launches a web page, go ahead and close it
  • Click the Reaper (x64) icon on the Desktop to launch the recording software
  • Click Insert>Insert track from template>FBC Recording
  • If you have a mic that is unmuted, have someone speak into the mic
  • You should see the yellow bars toward the left of the screen bounce with the vocal input
  • You should also hear the vocals in the headphones
  • Once the speaker is ready to begin the recording, click the red, circular Record button toward the bottom left of the screen
  • You should see soundwaves scrolling across the largest pane in the top right of the screen
  • Once the sermon is over, click the Record button again
  • Save the project by clicking File>Save As…
  • It should default to E:\REAPER Media\
  • Save it with the format MM-YY-DD
  • It will take a couple of minutes to save
  • In order to upload the audio to website/podcast/etc, copy the .wav file from the directory you just saved it to.
  • Close Reaper

AVBooth: Startup Procedures

Introduction

  • The church’s audio/video ministry is a vital part of the Sunday worship service that helps enable the music and preaching ministries.
  • This ministry includes the management of light, sound, and video hardware, as well as computer hardware and software
  • This ministry, much like, oxygen, is completely invisible when it works well, and quite noticeable when it does not

 

Startup

  • Go to the mechanical room, east wall, left breaker box, and turn on breaker #53–this is for the stage lights
  • Go to the AV booth and use the remote to turn both projectors ON
  • Go to the rack and ensure all the switches in the PDU (Rack item #2) are ON
  • Ensure that the following are ON:

Lights (Rack item #1)

  • Buttons 1-8
  • Sliders 1-6 to top
  • DO NOT TURN ON 7-8

 

Wireless Mics

  • Stackable JTS boxes on left of soundboard ON

Mics

Belt mic

  • Install AA batteries from charger
  • Hold button 1-3 seconds to turn ON
  • Push tiny black button to connect/disconnect either ear mic or lapel mic if necessary
  • Help the preacher get the mic connected, and then do a mic check to ensure it is working properly.
  • Mute the belt mic AT THE SOUNDBOARD–not on the belt mic itself

 

Mixer aka Sound Board

  • Rack item #5, power button in bottom right ON
  • Sound board, rocker switch on back of board on right ON
  • Master Level sliders in bottom right, slide the top of sliders against 10
  • Individual desired mics centered on -6 ,then adjust as necessary
  • Power on rack item #3

Unmute mics

  • Red light “clip” above mic slider means mic is muted
  • Push button so it pops UP and red light turns OFF to unmute
  • Whether mic is muted or not green “sig” light will show you that you have sound signal

 

Recording Music

Power Down procedures

  • Use the remotes to turn the projectors OFF by clicking power/power off once, which will pop up a dialogue box, then clicking power/power off again

Troubleshooting

Lights

  • If the lights will not turn on, check the following
  • Mech Room: Breaker is on
  • PDU: All switches are on/lit
  • Lights Panel: Lights buttons are on
  • If you have checked all of these try the following:
  • Lights Panel: power off rocker switch, wait 30 seconds, power back on

Projectors

  • If a projector will not turn on, go to the mech room and turn breaker #57 OFF, wait one minute, then turn back on

Camera

  • If the camera no longer responds to the joystick / keyboard input, press the CAM button, then type 1 and Enter

Tips

  • Bruce speaks softly, so mic him a little louder

Software

We use a number of software products to schedule and produce materials for our worship services:

  • CCLI SongSelect: Paid subscription licensing. Legal requirement for us to project lyrics
  • WorshipTrac: web-based scheduling software. Paid subscription.
  • OpenLP: downloadable lyrics projection software. Integrates with CCLI SongSelect. Free, open-source, cross-platform.
  • WordPress: online content management system used to host this blog
  • Microsoft PowerPoint: used by pastor to create his sermon note overheads. Cross-platform, paid subscription.
  • ShareFaith: paid subscription, online graphic / video resources

These may or may not be the best tools for us to use, but for now they are quite helpful. If you have suggestions for software that could help us do more with less labor, please let me know. My only requirements are:

  • That you have already tried the software yourself
  • That it is either web-based or cross-platform (not Mac-only or Windows-only)