Plymouth Magazine-Spring26-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 24
Upgrading Plymouth’s
Audio and Video Systems
By Alex Cooney (he/him)
Kickoff Sunday this past September
was not only the beginning of a new
program year—it also marked the launch
of Plymouth’s new state-of-the-art audio
and video systems that have been years in
the making.
The growing need for upgrades coincided
with a growing audience for online
worship. Plymouth’s online services now
reach an average of 600+ viewers each
week on YouTube and recent concerts
like “The Carols of John Rutter”in
December have garnered more than
10,000 views. Videos regularly bring
in an international audience, averaging
hundreds of views each month from the
UK, Germany, Canada, and beyond.
During the pandemic Plymouth was
fortunate in being able to quickly shift
worship online thanks to audio and
video upgrades made as part of the 2014
sanctuary renovations and subsequent
updates in 2017 and 2019. After 60+
weeks of pre-recorded online services,
the return to in-person worship in 2021
was a welcome change, but a dedicated
and growing online audience remained
a priority.
While it had been possible to edit in
titles and enhance the color and audio
of the pre-recorded services, it was not
possible with the existing livestream
system. Quotes to upgrade the system
shortly after the return to in-person
worship were prohibitively expensive,
reaching into the six-figures.
However, because of the explosion in
livestreaming technology during the
pandemic, it wasn’t long before these
upgrades became more affordable. By
early 2025 the media team was able to
design a new system that checked every
box on the wish-list, and with donated
programming time and installation labor,
costs dropped to less than a third of the
original quote.
Upgrades began in May of 2025 when
a digital audio mixer was added to the
sound system. The new mixer allows
all 32 channels of wired and wireless
microphones to be individually recorded
and remixed for concerts, plus the ability
to fully control the system remotely
via an iPad. The mixer also handles the
complex routing of sound to the assisted
listening devices, hearing loop, and more
than a dozen speaker zones located in the
sanctuary, narthex, surrounding hallways,
and Greenwood Hall.
Video upgrades followed during the
summer of 2025. Four new 4K UHD
(Ultra High-Definition) cameras
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replaced the old three-camera system.
The new Mac-based video system takes
advantage of free open-source software
to integrate camera switching, graphics,
multi-channel audio, livestreaming
and recording into a single device.
Initial programming took place over
several weeks in July using a “simulated
sanctuary” in a basement classroom,
and the system was fully installed in the
sanctuary during the last week of August.
Plymouth now hosts one of Iowa’s
first 4K livestreams twice a week, in
addition to concerts and other events
both livestreamed and recorded. If you
have a 4K TV, be sure to check out the
channel and get subscribed on YouTube
@PlymouthChurchDSM.
The new system can be operated by one
or two volunteers and training takes as
little as 30 minutes. If you’ve ever played
Pac-Man, you have all the skills needed to
operate the cameras!
Interested in learning more about the
Media Team at Plymouth? We are always
happy to give a tour of the system and
answer questions for anyone curious.
And if you would like to join the team,
we have spots available for anyone 8th
grade and up! Stop by the balcony on a
Sunday morning or contact Craig Bittick
(cbittick@plymouthchurch.com) or Alex
Cooney (acooney@plymouthchurch.com).
