The Tech Arts Podcast

In this episode of The Tech Arts Podcast, David Leuschner sits down with Toby Walters, founder of Church Gear and author of Sacred Spaces, for a thought-provoking conversation about how church environments shape the worship experience.
Together, they explore why church production is about far more than lights, sound, and video. Toby shares practical insights on creating distraction-free worship, building healthy production teams, recruiting volunteers, choosing the right AVL integrator, and developing a biblical perspective on technical arts. Whether you serve in a small church or a large multi-campus ministry, you'll discover practical ideas you can apply immediately to strengthen your production ministry.
You'll also hear Toby discuss:
Why church environments matter more than ever
The theology behind church production
How to recruit and retain great volunteers
What makes a "perfect Sunday"
How technology should support—not distract from—worship
Practical advice for churches of every size
Plus, this episode features exclusive specialty segments from our incredible sponsors AC Americas, DiGiCo, Resi, Shure, and Paragon 360. These practical training segments are designed to help you become a better technical artist with real-world insights you can put to work in your ministry immediately.
Whether you're a technical director, volunteer, worship leader, pastor, or anyone passionate about creating meaningful worship experiences, this episode is packed with encouragement, leadership, and practical church production wisdom you won't want to miss.
See all resources, youtube videos and more at  techartspodcast.com 
 
#DiGiCo #Shure #Resi #Paragon360 #ACAmericas
#TechArtsPodcast #ChurchProduction #ChurchTech #SacredSpaces #TobyWalters #ChurchGear #WorshipProduction #TechnicalArts #ChurchLeadership #ChurchAVL #LiveSound #AudioEngineer #FrontOfHouse #SoundEngineer #ChurchAudio #ChurchLighting #ChurchVideo #AVProduction #AVL #ProductionMinistry #VolunteerLeadership #ChurchVolunteers #TechDirector #WorshipLeader #MinistryLeadership #ChurchGrowth #ChurchMedia #ChurchCommunications #LeadershipDevelopment #ChurchInnovation
 

What separates a good mix from a great mix? And what does it take to deliver a consistent front-of-house experience night after night on one of Christian music's biggest tours?
In this episode of The Tech Arts Podcast, we go behind the scenes with Daniel Ellis, Front of House Engineer for We The Kingdom, as we step into his world at a live tour stop. Daniel shares his approach to mixing FOH, why vocals remain the most important element in the mix, how he balances simplicity with technology, and the practical techniques he uses to keep a show sounding great whether he's mixing in a church, theater, arena, or stadium.
You'll hear Daniel discuss:
His philosophy on building impactful mixes
Why he prefers a minimalist approach to plugins
How he approaches vocal processing and clarity
The tools he uses to tune a room quickly
Virtual soundcheck workflows that save valuable time
Why listening to artists can make you a better engineer
But that's only part of the story...
We'll also take you backstage to explore how We The Kingdom team handles monitor world, talkback communication, wireless systems, and the behind-the-scenes workflows that keep a major tour running smoothly.
Plus, don't miss our special segments:
Shure Wireless Workshop – Learn what churches and production teams need to know as wireless spectrum continues to shrink and government frequency changes create new challenges for audio teams.
Resi Tech Spotlight – Practical insights that can help your church improve reliability, streaming, and production workflows.
The Paragon Angle – Our exclusive segment from Paragon 360 featuring leadership, design, and production insights you can apply to your ministry immediately.
Whether you're mixing for a local church, a touring artist, or simply looking to improve your craft, this episode is packed with practical wisdom from an engineer who has spent more than two decades mixing at the highest level.
Don't miss this behind-the-scenes look at the art, science, and leadership of live audio with Daniel Ellis.
See all resources, youtube videos and more at  techartspodcast.com 
#TechArtsPodcast #DanielEllis #WeTheKingdom #FOHEngineer #LiveSound #ChurchProduction #AudioEngineer #YamahaAudio #Digico #FrontOfHouse #LiveAudio #ChurchTech #ProductionMinistry #ShureWireless #Resi #Paragon360 #TheParagonAngle #AudioMixing #TouringEngineer #WorshipProduction

What if one cable could power your AVL future?
This week on The Tech Arts Podcast, we dive into the rapidly growing world of PoE (Power over Ethernet) and how it’s changing church production, networking, lighting, audio, video, and system design.
Host David Leuschner sits down with Anthony Stofflet from AC Americas to talk real-world applications of PoE, AVB Milan, Dante, network switches, lighting systems, audio solutions, video infrastructure, and why smarter infrastructure matters for churches building or upgrading today.
Plus — a special segment from Paragon 360 called “The Paragon Angle.”
This episode is sponsored by AC Americas and brought to you by Shure, Resi, Paragon 360, and DiGiCo.
Less cable. More control. Smarter AVL.
See all resources, youtube videos and more at  techartspodcast.com 
 

The Tech Arts Podcast – Live at NAMM 2026 
We’re coming to you from NAMM 2026, packed with insight, innovation, and real-world leadership for church tech teams.
This episode features Audio Engineer Mike Smith from Prestonwood Church, breaking down how he approaches immersive mixing in a live worship environment—including the strategy, execution, and what it really takes to pull off high-impact moments like the flying drummers with excellence.
We’re also joined by Guest Dave Hatmaker, bringing decades of experience in technical direction, leadership, and the power of building strong teams. Alongside him, Mike Dias shares insight on creativity, storytelling, and why this industry is ultimately about people—not just tech.
Featured Segments Include:
Spotlight on Sound Devices and how their tools continue to elevate production quality
DiGiCo Quantum 112 segment, exploring a compact console built for serious power and flexibility
KLANG immersive audio segment, showing how 3D in-ear mixing is changing the way musicians hear and perform
Special segment from Resi explaining how to take your streaming to the next level. 
Bonus segment from The Paragon Angle — designed to help tech teams think differently and take their systems, workflows, and leadership to the next level
This episode is loaded with practical insight, forward-thinking technology, and leadership perspective to help you grow your team and your impact.
See all resources, youtube videos and more at  techartspodcast.com 
 
 

What if the role you think is small… is actually shaping moments where people encounter God?
In this powerful and encouraging episode of The Tech Arts Podcast, David Leuschner unpacks a truth every church tech needs to hear: every position matters. Whether you're behind the console, running cameras, programming lights, or quietly setting the stage—your role is not secondary. It’s essential.
This episode will challenge your perspective and remind you that ministry doesn’t just happen on the platform—it happens in every detail, every task, and every moment of preparation. From the seen to the unseen, your faithfulness and excellence are part of something much bigger than you may realize.
You’ll walk away encouraged, refocused, and inspired to lead and serve with greater purpose—especially as you head into key moments like Easter services.
Plus, don’t miss our special sponsor segments—including The Paragon Angle and other featured content—designed to help you level up your technical skills, leadership, and excellence in ministry.
LISTEN TODAY!
techartspodcast.com
 

Why Acoustics Matter?
Brought to you by Paragon 360
At Paragon 360®, we design and build award-winning sight, sound, and scenic solutions for places of worship, auditoriums, sports complexes, amusement parks, corporate spaces, and other venues of all sizes across many market segments. Our ability to make just about any space look, feel and sound exceptional - all with unbeatable customer service and serious attention to detail – has earned us a first-in-class reputation we’re honored to uphold.
paragon360.com

In this episode of The Tech Arts Podcast, we sit down with David McCauley, author of the leadership book You Don’t Know Sheep—a practical, humorous, and deeply insightful guide for today’s technical, faith and ministry leaders. Drawing from decades of real-world experience in church leadership, technical ministry, and organizational growth, David unpacks how leaders can better understand the people they serve, make healthier decisions under pressure, lead from outside the box, and—most importantly—remember the why behind what they do. This conversation explores leadership through the lens of human behavior, team culture, emotion in decision-making, and how great leaders guide experiences for the people they lead.
Today’s episode is also packed with specialty segments to spark your creativity on audio, video and lighting!
LISTEN TODAY!
techartspodcast.com
 
 

What are three principles to building a thriving tech ministry?
Brought to you by Paragon 360
At Paragon 360®, we design and build award-winning sight, sound, and scenic solutions for places of worship, auditoriums, sports complexes, amusement parks, corporate spaces, and other venues of all sizes across many market segments. Our ability to make just about any space look, feel and sound exceptional - all with unbeatable customer service and serious attention to detail – has earned us a first-in-class reputation we’re honored to uphold.
paragon360.com