Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Brad Weber]

The most inexpensive solution is likely the DIY approach.

Any latching, lighted switch should do.  Look at automotive type switches and lights so you can run them on 12V and use low voltage cable (mic cable) to connect them.  A 12VDC power supply, switch, and small 12V LED should be all that's needed other than the cabling.  A spare snake channel would work to connect them in a pinch, however, it would be better to use a dedicated line to ensure no microphones can be plugged into it.

Be it a switch with two obvious positions, a lit switch or a separate light, with latching operation you may want some way to verify the status at the pulpit so someone doesn't leave the light on or turn it off when they meant to turn it on.
 
If you use the approach Mac defined then a latching switch is appropriate, however if you want a momentary signal where the lamp is lit only while the switch is activated (button pushed, switch held in 'on' position, etc.) then use a momentary switch instead.

[Taylor Hall]

There are numerous remote control wall outlet controllers out there for under $20, some are even able to work with your smartphone.

Try out one of those and see if the range will allow it to reach from the pulpit to your board (most have about a 60ft range).

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001Q9EFUK/

[Michael Elphinstone]

Our pastors generally have a phrase they use to indicate that the music should start.

+1. Our pastors ask the musos to come up. As they are winding up, they usually say something like "As the band comes up, let's.....". Why have a fancy system for an issue that can be solved with words? Something like "as the music starts...". If you're having problems understanding them, ask them to be more clear.

Just my thoughts,
Michael

[Malek Pallie]

A Perfect Cue Micro may be a good solution for you guys as well. You can use it as a cue light for the pastor to signal you, or you could hook it up to a laptop and have the music cued up so that the pastor can trigger it him self when he is ready.

[Mike Sokol]

I once built a political speaker "cue" system which consisted of a little plastic transmitter box at the console with a 9-volt battery and a pair of momentary/toggle switches that would send a positive or negative polarity signal up a mic wire in a snake. The receiver box at the podium had a two-color LED that would change colors with polarity. So I could send a green light for the person to start speaking, blink a red light when they had 30 seconds left on the clock, and a solid red when their 3 minutes (or whatever) was up. Worked great for the political/public forums I was doing at the time.

It would be pretty simple to make this a two-way system with transmit buttons and receiver LED's on both ends so you could signal the pastor, or the pastor could signal you. Pin 2 on the XLR could be the transmit channel to the podium and pin 3 could be the receive channel back to the console position. You could plug this into any hard-wired snake return or home-run a mic cable. You could also use two LEDs of whatever color you like and add diodes for the positive or negative polarity visuals.

I've got the schematic laying around somewhere, but it's a very simple build that should cost less than $20 even if you have to buy new parts at radio shack. 

[ProSoundWeb Community]