Worship StackTraxx

The long awaited worship Stacktraxx from Digital Juice is here. For those of you that are not familiar with Digital Juice, they produce royalty free animated backgrounds, music tracks, photoshop layered images, sound fx, swipes, and motion elements. If you haven’t heard of Digital Juice, I recommend you check out their website.

Stacktraxx are an amazing tool for video editors and worship leaders because of the flexibility they give. Stacktraxx are a compilation of songs that are customizable to each and every user. Digital Juice offers a free program called Juicer that allows each user to customize the music to their needs.

When you use Stacktraxx in Juicer, you are able to isolate each track of the song: drums, guitar, bass, keyboard, male vocal, female vocal, and background vocals, to be precise. This enables you to render out just the tracks you need and mix them to your project. Most churches do not have large media ministries, but for those that produce video projects for your congregation, Worship Stacktraxx will offer you audio flexibility where you need it.

For smaller churches that don’t have a praise band, Stacktraxx will give you the option to mix your own version of never before heard worship music. If you want to loop a chorus or take out the background vocals, you now have the option to do just that. Stackraxx also come with a printable songbook, as well as the option for click tracks.

Stacktraxx are available for $79.95, and have a 18 month price protection. Volume I has ten never released tracks, and they also offer a Kid’s version.

iTunes for Worship?

I guarantee the next time you venture out, you will be able to spot white earbuds on someone. You know the kind I’m talking about, Apples standard earbud for the entire iPod line. From the dentist to the mall, the gym to the office, everyone seems to have them. Have you ever stopped to think how iTunes could improve your worship service? Thats right! I said, “iTunes can improve your worship service.”

We have all been there, our pastor is ending up a message, and the perfect song is jumping around in our mind to play for the invitation. Having a library of music at your disposal is a vital tool to have access to in any service. Most churches have a band or a choir that will lead the congregation in the closing song or invitation. For those churches that don’t, they typically play a slow song or instrumental during this time. When the moment of opportunity arrives, and the perfect song is played, no one can explain the emotion or connections that is made. The obvious applications that most churches use iTunes for is pre & post music. You know, before the service and afterwards. The best tool I have found for iTunes is the playlist. I have a playlist for everything: soft, upbeat, instrumental, invitational, youth, kids, and hymns to name a few. When I am in a youth service during the meet and great, I click upbeat-then play. The atmosphere is set. During a long invitational where a somber mood has begun, I may play the instrumental. You get the picture right?

Having playlists pre-built allows you the opportunity to focus on other things rather than what song should be played next. Also for the churches that do not use a live choir or band, using these playlist for your worship service is invaluable. You can automatically set iTunes to fade to the next song in the playback section of iTunes preferences. Not having to switch cd’s out will reduce your dead time and retain the atmosphere of worship. This seems so simple, however, it can truly reduce some stress on those running the sound. iTunes in worship, give it a try.

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