The One Computer Every Church Production Team Should Have
As production equipment has increasingly become software-driven, managing it from a computer has become standard practice. Whether it’s your audio console or video switcher, there’s a high likelihood that software exists to control it. I appreciate the convenience of being able to install updates or program equipment prior to arriving on site or before weekend services. However, using this software on my laptop can be cumbersome for several reasons.
First, it’s not practical to always be on site to handle programming. I find myself in various weekly meetings and am not always physically present. Some software struggles to perform well over a VPN and functions better onsite. The second issue is that I want to avoid managing different software versions across multiple computers. If my team members and I need to connect regularly, it's crucial that we all use the same software versions.
To solve these problems, we implemented a dedicated engineering computer at all of our campuses.
If you're unfamiliar with the concept, an engineering computer is a computer whose sole purpose is to connect to and manage all production equipment that requires management via software applications. Having a computer designated for engineering has several benefits.
The first is that it’s not on your laptop. Some of the software I use to manage our systems doesn’t work well if I use a VPN and connect to it from outside my church's physical network. With an engineering computer, the physical machine stays on site. I can connect remotely using software like Splashtop or a VPN and then access it via RDP or VNC.
The second is that all the software is loaded onto one computer, allowing you to save config files on that computer (or on a NAS or server, preferably). Having the software on that computer also helps ensure there is never a firmware/update mismatch between the software and the hardware you are programming.
The last benefit I’ll point out is that the engineering computer can be used on multiple networks. For example, we have our primary church network, but we also have a private lighting and audio network. The engineering computer can connect to all those networks and manage devices on each of them. Without an engineering computer, I’d need to juggle multiple USB-C Ethernet dongles on my MacBook—far from ideal.
So I’ve convinced you on engineering computers. Now what?
The first question you have to answer is Mac or Windows? I’m a big Mac guy for my personal and professional use. My work laptop (and most of our Production computers) are Macs. However, not all the software I need to manage equipment will work on a Mac. For example, our DiGiCo console editor doesn’t install onto a Mac and only works on Windows. You need to determine if you have Windows-only software requirements. If so, you have your answer. Buy a Windows computer.
Next, you need to build out the computer. The good news is that you don’t need anything crazy powerful, but you don’t want to replace your computer in two years, either. Don’t worry about a fancy graphics card. The basic Intel integrated graphics will work just fine for this use. If you have multiple networks you're managing, you’ll have to consider how you will connect to those networks. We install multiple network cards into each of our engineering computers. We either order them when we purchase the computer or install them later. I’m personally a big fan of PCI network cards and not dongles. I don’t have to worry about them disconnecting.
Finally, choosing a reputable brand is essential. If you use a Mac, you only have Apple as your choice. Windows is more complicated. I was an IT guy in my former work life, so I’m pretty set on Dell business-level computers. They can run 24/7, have excellent support, and have enterprise-level hardware. If you want your computer to last a long time, I’d recommend not going to Best Buy to buy a Windows computer. Instead, go to the company's website and buy their business models.
If you’re tired of software headaches and connectivity issues, an engineering computer might be your solution. Have questions? I’d love to help—reach out anytime!
