Watermark Church

Recently I had the opportunity to meet Ryan Howell from Watermark Church and check out their very new facility here in Dallas. Ryan is their very passionate TD and he was kind enough to show me and some friends around this amazing space. We had a great time hanging out with Ryan and his team. I was totally blown away with the design of the church. It was the most inviting and comfortable space I've ever been in for a large auditorium. Both the lobby and the auditorium are very well done. Designers should go make notes on how to create a great place for people to meet and worship. Its sad that I can't take a decent picture that can really convey the feel of this amazing room. I would have never thought that multi-colored seating would work, but it does. This church has done what I have believed for a long time, build a place that is more like a modern performing arts center than a church.
The two main projectors were truly impressive. They are HD Christie projectors who's pictures jump out at you. The center stage screen is actually a large white scrim, not a projection screen. They do have projectors for imaging the scrim as well as a number of lighting fixtures to create all kinds of different looks. What a great idea. There are also 2 smaller projectors that are used on the walls outside of the main projectors. It creates incredible visual art with all those projectors running together.


The primary reason I went to visit was to get a little time behind the Digidesign Venue console they have for FOH. My church is buying one for our new satellite campus that is under construction right now. I do have a good bit of digital console experience, mostly with Yamaha PMs and DMs, and I very much like the Venue. Although I must admit I am baffled by why the console is designed to have the VCA/Master section on one end. I know you can move the extra fader bank to either side but it is labeled to be on the left side there by putting the master section on the far right. Overall, a great console on first impressions. The Venue is driving a six box per side array of L-Acoustics Kudo boxes all getting their groove on from some Dolby Lake processors. I hope I can get there some Sunday and be a part of the service.