Houses of Worship

A Look at Some Recent Audio Upgrades

Providing sound in a sanctuary can be a difficult ordeal. Worship services range from traditional piano/organ with voices to high-SPL contemporary music at rock concert levels; or with many churches, it may be a combination of the two, serving different congregations just hours apart. Unfortunately, few H.O.W. spaces are designed with acoustical needs in mind, often occurring in over-reverberant spaces with extensive use of wood, glass, marble and other lovely — though acoustically difficult —treatments.

Fortunately, today’s technologies have made enabled the creation of worship environments with high intelligibility, wide bandwidth, superb coverage, controlled dispersion and mix tools that allow the FOH engineer to translate the power of the message to the entire congregation, whether seated near the altar or in the last row.
With that in mind, we present some recent installation projects, with both whole system and incremental upgrades. Each of these took a different route in their approach, proving there are numerous solutions to any audio problem — large or small — for any sanctuary.

 

First Baptist Church, Alpharetta, GA

The First Baptist of Alpharetta hosts two contemporary and two traditional worship services each Sunday and supports numerous special events using two Allen & Heath dLive digital mixing systems designed to operate in the church or become portable for outside events. Additionally, contemporary services are streamed and recorded them for presentation on its website.
The Allen & Heath dLive duo is part of a complete audio upgrade designed and installed by Velocity Productions of Atlanta, GA. Brian Morrison, director of AV design & integration at Velocity says, “First Baptist’s outside events often include their band, so we installed both of their stage racks in road cases. This way, they can take the smaller C3500 Surface and CDM32 MixRack out and recreate the same experience and sound they have in their services.”
For normal worship, a dLive S Class S5000 surface and DM64 MixRack serve FOH while the dLive C Class C3500 surface and CDM32 MixRack mix the church’s streaming broadcast, along with its recorded audio and in-ear monitors for the band and vocalists. The two MixRacks are connected with Allen & Heath gigaACE cards and include AES cards to feed the church’s main system. Morrison says, “dLive is far superior to the church’s older digital mixer on everything from sound quality to workflow.”

Morrison says the church’s tech crew picked up the dLive quickly. “Once you get the basics and learn how to put a mix together, it’s all straightforward. And, when we demoed the dLive for the church, Mike Smith, the church’s technical director, had a fantastic mix set up in about 15 minutes. You give somebody with talent the right kind of tool and they can make magic!”

First Baptist of Alpharetta

• Key Components: Allen & Heath dLive
• Designer: Brian Morrison
• Integrator: Velocity Productions

 

Pathways Baptist Church, Gaithersburg, MD

Located just northwest of Washington DC, Pathways Baptist Church of Gaithersburg, MD formed in 2016 when the members of the First Baptist Church of Gaithersburg and Streams of Hope Church voted to merge into one unified church. With a need for a sound system for the new worship space, integrator Audio Plus was called in.

The Lusby, MD-based integrator has built a reputation over the last 20 years for their church service. “We started out in the event production business,” says owner Dennis Wilson. “As we did more events for churches, we saw the need for good quality sound in those sanctuaries,” and the business evolved from there.

With seating that envelops the altar, and services that range from contemporary to traditional bell choir, Audio Plus teamed with the RCF engineering support group to provide a high performance system with products from the RCF TT+ Theatre and Touring series.

The system is comprised of two left/right hangs of six RCF TTL33-A cabinets. The TTL33-A’s are three-way enclosures with two 8-inch neodymium woofers, an 8-inch neodymium cone midrange and three one-inch exit neodymium HF compression drivers. Onboard is 1,250 watts of Class-D triamplification. Covering the outer seating in the wide sanctuary are two TTL6-A active (1,650-watt) dual 12-inch line source cabinets for the side areas and three trapezioidal TTS6-A subwoofers (two forward-facing/one rear-facing) to form a cardioid configuration.

The audio design — with all cabinets flown — provides an unobtrusive view of the sanctuary’s clean lines, with ample punch for the praise band and even coverage throughout the wide space. But other factors were also important, says Wilson. “The level of support provided by RCF has opened up new opportunities for me,” he adds. “The engineering and behind the scenes efforts RCF puts forth to support the installation is top notch.”

Pathways Baptist Church

• Key Components: RCF TTL33-A line arrays
• Designer: Dennis Wilson
• Integrator: Audio Plus

 

Life Challenge Church, Odessa TX

Earlier this year, the Life Challenge Church wowed its worship community with the unveiling of a completely renovated sanctuary. One of the notable components is a new Adamson IS-Series audio system supplied and serviced by Beaumont, TX’s Sweet Southern Sound.

“Administrators at Life Challenge had a vision for a beautiful new sanctuary that would include state-of-the-art audio, lighting, and video systems,” notes Sweet Southern Sound owner Clint Hill. “When we came into the project, Adamson’s IS-Series had just hit the market and we knew right away that it was the ideal solution. In addition to the top-tier audio quality and intelligibility for which Adamson is well known, the IS-Series’ clean look and discreet rigging system keeps the focus on the aesthetic of the space and, more importantly, the words or music being shared.”

On top of the need for clear and intelligible speech, music is also a vital component to many of Life Challenge’s initiatives, making the IS-Series the ideal solution. The left/right system at Life Challenge has eight IS7 two-way, full-range line array cabinets per side with a pair of IS118 subwoofers flown behind each array. An additional three IS118 subwoofers are positioned under the center lip of the stage.

“We’ve received very positive comments from our community about our new sanctuary, and our Adamson IS-Series system is a significant reason why,” says Gabe Loera, technical director at Life Challenge. “The sound quality throughout the sanctuary is incredible for both speech and music, and on top of that performance, we’ve been more than pleased with the support of Adamson and Sweet Southern Sound throughout the entire process.”

Life Challenge Church

• Key Components: Adamson IS-Series system
• Designer: Sweet Southern Sound
• Integrator: Sweet Southern Sound

 

Ark of Salvation Church, Inman, SC

Sometimes what a church needs isn’t necessarily a new line array or digital console swap, but something simpler, such as a new approach to miking. When the Ark of Salvation needed an audio makeover for its 1,500-member facility, they called Paul Korchak of Digital Pro Sound, based in Portland, OR. Church officials offered simple instructions: provide the best possible sound with the least number of microphones.

The church choir has a core group 120 singers, but that number can swell to 200 as young congregants fill the stage to join in the performance. To provide adequate coverage, Korchak hung 12 Audix Micros Series M1280Bs cardioid mics overhead, configured in two rows of six.

“I used the M1280s for their sound quality and their ability to capture just about every detail in the choir without picking up peripheral noise,” said Korchak. “The church records every service and makes them available on the internet, so audio quality is critical. They were impressed with both the sound and the look of the M1280s.”

The baby grand piano also needed sound reinforcement, so Paul chose the SCX25APS piano miking kit. Although most users will use the provided DFLEX harp rail mounts, Paul mounted the pair of SCX25A microphones by using a Mirizio piano mic mount. “Everyone loves the SCX25As,” said Korchak. “They capture the full tonal range of the piano with no dropouts. People from other churches have come to hear them.”

A versatile portable miking solution was needed for the occasional children’s choir, walkup acoustic instrument, small orchestra, drama performance or other special performances. Paul selected the Audix MicroBoom MB5050 system, which combines a lightweight 50-inch carbon fiber boom with an M1250 mini-cardioid condenser mic.

Finding the best mic solution for the podium was a unique challenge as the church often has two people speaking side by side. Paul used two Audix Micropod18HC gooseneck miniature condenser mics with the hypercardioid pattern for tighter pickup.

“When both mics are active, one mic can be flipped out of phase with the other,” explained Paul. “Together with the hypercardioid pattern, and a Rupert Neve 5045 enhancer, which allows an increase in gain before feedback — feedback and other distortions are eliminated.”

The FOH sound is delivered to the congregation via 18 NEXO speakers, with six NEXO wedge monitors for the performers. To fine-tune the sound throughout the sanctuary, Paul first measured the space with the Audix TM1 test/measurement mic, then used the data to fabricate and install 180 custom acoustic panels.

Ark of Salvation Church

• Key Components: Audix Micros Series choir mics
• Capacity: 1,500
• Designer: Paul Korchak
• Integrator: Digital Pro Sound

 

Cross Church, Springdale, AR

Cross Church spans four campuses throughout northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. The church’s embrace of technology and innovation now includes a new sound system featuring Bose Professional ShowMatch speakers at the main campus in Springdale.

Attaining good sound with consistent audio coverage of the wide sanctuary presented a significant challenge for the church’s technical staff. The fan-shaped auditorium seats 2,400, with 750 seats in an expansive balcony, 300 seats in two side “spillways” that flow down from the balcony height to the floor, and five sections of seating on the floor.

Installed in 2002, the church’s old audio system left some seats in the sanctuary with less than optimal sound. Leo McGriff, director of technical services for Cross Church brought in audio experts Diversified, of Kenilworth, NJ to assess the situation.

Diversified recommended the Bose ShowMatch system and set up a demo of the more compact, high-powered ShowMatch DeltaQ array speakers at Springdale. “With just a single hang and the older Bose RoomMatch RMS218 subs, coverage was amazing,” recalls McGriff.

Diversified and McGriff worked closely with Bose specialists, who used Bose Modeler room acoustic simulation and field mapping software along with the ShowMatch Array Design Tool to design a new system and accurately predict its acoustic performance in the sanctuary.

To maximize audio clarity and coverage, the team decided on a monaural system employing four array hangs with two inner arrays of 10 ShowMatch modules covering floor seating and center balcony areas while two outer arrays of eight ShowMatch modules reach side seating and balcony areas. “The height of the array hangs was critical in covering the hard-to-reach balcony seats and allowed the removal of 14 balcony fill speakers,” says McGriff.

A combination of 36 ShowMatch array modules with 5-, 10- and 20-degree vertical dispersions was configured with 70-, 100- and 110-degree horizontal waveguides to provide precise coverage variations for the seating areas and to complement its contemporary worship services. Six Bose RoomMatch RMU206 front fill speakers were installed to localize sound to the stage for the closest seats.

In all, 66 modules were installed, including 24 ShowMatch SMS118 high-output, single-18 woofers that extend response down to 29 Hz. Driving the system are 27 Bose PowerMatch PM8500N amplifiers configured with Bose ControlSpace Designer software.

“When we initially brought the system up, I was overwhelmed by the sound,” recalls McGriff. “The audio was extremely clear and present, with nothing that sounded distant.” McGriff is also pleased with the uniform coverage. “It’s solid,” he says, “from the first seat in the room to the top of the balcony.”

Cross Church

• Capacity: 2,400
• Key Components: Bose ShowMatch
• Integrator: Diversified

 

Trent Vineyard, Nottingham, England

Located two miles from the historic City of Nottingham, England, in an edge-of-town location, Trent Vineyard is a vibrant, contemporary church where worship plays a vital role. Its 1,200-capacity central auditorium makes Vineyard one of the largest venue spaces in the region. When not in use by the church, the facility is available to the corporate community as a conference center.

Last year, when the venue was expanded and refurbished, the church turned to integrator SFL to design and install a system capable of meeting its needs, along with a fast-turnaround corporate conferencing clientele.

“The expanded auditorium space is the same in depth, but substantially wider than previously, so in designing a new system for the larger, differently-shaped space, we had a good starting point in terms of what the outcome should be,” says SFL’s Pat Smith.

“Consistent and even sound coverage is critically important, and actually fairly easy to achieve from the stage to the back of the auditorium. The more complex task was extending that even coverage to the far left and right corners of the room,” adds Smith, who opted for a d&b audiotechnik solution.

Along with using d&b ArrayCalc to model the performance of various designs in the new space prior to the construction being completed, SFL physically configured a number of different installation options for testing to ensure that the ideal audio setup was achieved.

The result is based around four arrays of four Y8 loudspeakers and Vi-GSUBs. Coverage is then enhanced by three newly-installed E8 loudspeakers. Eight E0s and two E3s were also repurposed from the previous system. Four d&b 30Ds provide amplification.

Much of the old d&b system was used in equipping the Trent Vineyard’s onsite Kids’ Centre; itself a new, fairly big space. “We tested those loudspeakers,” Smith added, “measuring their performance today against when they were brand new. For the most part, the difference was undetectable, even after 15 years of hard use.”

James McBrien, Trent Vineyard’s sound overseer, said that “large-scale corporate conference events place very different demands on our sound system compared to those of a wedding with 300 guests. Even for our two Sunday services, there’s a wider age range in the morning than in the evening, so we can mix bands differently at the services. The d&b R1 remote control software lets me make subtle adjustments quickly and easily. It’s not so much a case of being as loud as possible — it’s all about being flexible, and as loud as is appropriate.”

McBrien continued, “The upgrade has massively elevated the level of sound quality. Apart from the greater versatility we now have, our sound is smoother, cleaner and more rounded.”

Trent Vineyard

• Capacity: 1,200
• Key Components: d&b audiotechnik Y8s and Vi-GSUBs
• Integrator: SFL

 

Seattle Revival Center, King County, WA

To improve the sound reinforcement capabilities of its sanctuary, the non-denominational Seattle Revival Center elected to deploy a new sound system. Integrator One Pro Audio Video Lighting (Bellevue, WA), coordinated with Lynnwood, WA-based consultants Quincy Owen Solutions on the project.

“Seattle Revival Center’s worship services are both contemporary and charismatic,” explained Darren Chilson, owner and CEO of One Pro Audio Video Lighting. “The sanctuary’s stage spans almost the entire width of the room, which accommodates a good 350 or more people. Seating is moveable, and the ceiling height is 35 feet at the room’s center point. The church makes regular use of both a live vocal team and a praise band, so music is a vital component of their services. Vocal clarity was among the key considerations, so that everyone would be better able to hear and understand what the pastor was saying. In addition to speech intelligibility, they wanted the loudspeakers to be positioned in such a way so as not to interfere with line-of-sight considerations.”

To address the church’s requirements, the One Pro Audio Video Lighting team flew DAS Event-208A 3-way active line array elements — four each for the left and right hangs — over the front edges of the stage area. For low frequency support, they also deployed two DAS Event-218A powered subs. These enclosures are positioned on the floor, with one each at the left and right edges of the front-most stage area. On-stage monitoring was provided by four DAS Action M12A stage monitors, which can be freely positioned depending upon the requirements of any particular service.

“Speech intelligibility was a crucial consideration and consistent sound quality throughout the sanctuary was equally important to church management,” Chilson emphasizes. In this regard, the DAS Event-208A line arrays really deliver — both in terms of intelligibility and dispersion.”

With most install projects, responsive and capable customer and tech support services are crucial to integrators. “It has been amazing to work with the DAS team,” Chilson reports. “They have quick response times and equally important, the design process was assisted by DAS Audio’s Chris Gonzalez. Chris provided unprecedented support throughout the entire project, from demoing all the gear to finalizing the Ease Focus models. We were very impressed.”

Seattle Revival Center’s first service with their new SR system took place in June and Chilson reports the project has been a tremendous success. “Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, this project has been one of the smoothest and easiest installation projects we have ever experienced. Together, we defined and installed a world-class sound system that will serve the church well for years to come.”

Seattle Revival Center

• Capacity: 350+
• Key Components: DAS Audio Event and Action Series
• Designer: Quincy Owen Solutions
• Integrator: One Pro Audio Video Lighting

 

Hope Fellowship Church, Frisco, TX

Generally, when houses of worship are considering adopting new audio technologies, those decisions are typically driven by outside “experts.” But not always, as is the case of Hope Fellowship Church and its new KLANG:fabrik 3D in-ear monitor mixing system.

Glenn Setchfield is a design engineer for Georgia-based audio, lighting and video provider Clark. When asked about what drove the decision to integrate the KLANG system into the church’s new Frisco East campus he credited Hope’s technical production director Derek Milton and his team. “They approached us really excited about the product,” Setchfield notes.

Milton also wanted to avoid the “usual stage clutter of a bunch of personal mixers on mic stands and the expense of all that hardware. A powerful system our worship musicians could easily control via their own mobile devices was attractive right from the start.”

The two-rackspace KLANG:fabrik unit can take up to 56 input channels via Dante, MADI and ADAT Lightpipe — or a combination of them — and create up to 16 individual mixes. It offers flexible routing for mixes as well as all digital inputs to analog XLR outs or any of the digital formats to connect Dante-enabled KLANG:quelle headphone amps or IEM wireless systems. Using the free KLANG:app for iOS, Android, PC and Mac devices, users can not only create their own mixes, but can also place each sound source in a 3D sound field around their head —including front and back, plus up and down placement in addition to left/right. Of course, it also offers standard stereo mixing.

Setchfield was converted as soon as he saw the EQ interface. “The graphical way the EQ is set up is so great for non-technical musicians,” he says. “And the system at Hope Fellowship is totally set up around the single FOH console with no separate monitor desk. House of worship engineers using the KLANG system can concentrate on the sound coming off the stage and the worship experience of the congregation instead of spending time and attention trying to make a hi-hat sound ‘right’ for the musicians on the stage. It lets them put their attention where it belongs.”

At Hope Fellowship, the adoption of the KLANG system also ended up saving them money. “Adopting the KLANG:fabrik allowed us to do everything we needed for a typical service with just the single FOH desk, which was a big part of our decision.”

Hope Fellowship Church

• Key Components: KLANG:fabrik 3D IEM system; DiGiCo SD12 console
• Designer: Clark
• Integrator: Clark

 

McLean Bible Church, Vienna, VA

McLean Bible Church (MBC) has a history of incorporating cutting edge technology to help spread its message. Several years ago, the main 2,400- seat Tysons sanctuary was the first-ever house of worship to install an L-Acoustics K2 loudspeaker system. To improve audio quality, boost I/O capacity using a networked infrastructure, and manage routing for multiple campuses, recording facilities, and multiple-language broadcasts, the northern Virginia church steps forward again, this time integrating Lawo mc² mixing and routing systems.

Services at the MBC Tysons campus typically feature a full band, singers, worship leaders, orchestra and choir — while also broadcasting feeds to other campuses in the D.C. area. “We were looking for a system that provided excellent sound quality and reliability and had the flexibility to expand and grow with us through the years as our requirements continue to evolve,” says Marvin Haines, MBC’s director of technical arts. “It came down to two factors: tonal quality and infrastructure. We were blown away by the tonal quality that the Lawo console was able to reproduce right out of the box.”

MBC Tysons now features a 48-fader Lawo mc²56 console that handles FOH and broadcast mix duties, with a 40-fader Lawo mc²36 console for monitor mixING Both consoles can independently access and control all sources over an IP network created by fiber connections to a Lawo Nova73 Compact router. Several Lawo stageboxes are connected to the router, including two Compact I/Os located on stage, an additional Compact I/O at FOH, and an A__mic8 to provide live translation routing.

The Lawo mc²56 is capable of 888 fully configured DSP channels with 144 summing buses and an 8,192 x 8,192 mono-channel matrix capacity. The system gives MBC Tysons the flexibility to route and assign any combination of I/O signals to any fader. It also includes Automix capability, built-in dynamics, and signal processing along with tight integration and control of Waves SoundGrid for additional effects plug-ins, which can be assigned and controlled directly from the console surface.

The Lawo mc²36 console handles monitor mix duties and includes up to 192 DSP channels with its own internal 512 x 512 router and all the same operational features and functionality offered on the mc²56. The entire system can be managed either directly from the console surfaces or remotely via software.

“Now we can provide high-quality audio throughout our facility and store productions and snapshots to simplify operation and centrally manage the routing for our multiple campuses, recording facility, and multiple language broadcast feeds,” says Tony Aiello, MBC’s AV engineering director.

“The expandability and flexibility of the infrastructure was also a big factor in our decision,” adds Haines. “The ability to tie other consoles and equipment in through the network will help us for special events in the future, as well as for some recording initiatives we have planned.”

McLean Bible Church

• Capacity: 2,400 (Tysons Campus)
• Key Components: Lawo Consoles, L-Acoustics K2 system

 

Victory Christian Ministries International, Woodbridge, VA

 

The new Woodbridge, VA campus of the non-denominational Victory Christian Ministries International has installed a system anchored by 20 Meyer Sound LYON line array loudspeakers, with LF bolstered by a directional, end-fire array comprising 12 1100-LFC low frequency control elements.

The Meyer Sound system was part of a complete package of acoustics, audio, video, production lighting, security and IT solutions designed and specified by the Warrenton, VA-based consulting firm Polysonics, with principal Gordon Jacobs heading a team that included project manager Steve Boudreau and AV consultant Josh Wise. Systems integrator was Washington Professional Systems (WPS) of Wheaton, MD, with Todd Neil as project manager.

‘‘We have a variety of artists who bring their ministry here, so we will have anything from laid-back acoustical styles or classical with full orchestra to contemporary urban sounds with powerful low ends,” comments Ian Clarke, VCMI’s technology administrator and project manager for the new campus. “We needed a system that would accommodate that full range without compromises, and the LYON system with the 1100-LFCs certainly does that.’’

Rounding out the Meyer Sound complement for the 2,000-seat auditorium are fill and underbalcony delay systems comprising four Meyer UPQ-1P, two UPQ-2P, eight UPM-1XP and six UPJ-1XP loudspeakers.

‘‘For clarity and speech intelligibility, the LYON system is absolutely wonderful,’’ continues Clarke. ‘‘Our pastor has a soft-spoken, conversational style, and this system allows him to engage in intimate, personal conversations with the congregation. And then we can flip over to a bass-heavy sound where the band can rock out without stressing the system. The dynamic capability is phenomenal.’’

Victory Christian Ministries

• Capacity: 2,000
• Key Components: Meyer Sound
• Designer: Polysonics
• Integrator: Washington Professional Systems

 

Bethany Community Church, Seattle, WA

Established in the early 1900s, the Green Lake campus of Bethany Community Church (BCC) in Seattle now has a weekly attendance of approximately 3,000 people across one online and six physical campuses.

This year, the Green Lake location upgraded with a NEXO STM line array and Yamaha CL5 digital console for its 600+ seat sanctuary. The campus has an average attendance of around 1,800 at its three main Sunday services.

Morgan Sound was contacted by church technical director Bart Brueck, who was looking towards upgrading the audio system at the main Green Lake campus. Priorities for the contemporary worship service included higher SPLs, multi-track recording, virtual soundcheck, new in-ear monitoring and a separate streaming mixing system.

“Morgan Sound has been the primary BCC contractor for over ten years to provide equipment and expertise for the main and the satellite campuses,” states Morgan Sound senior A/V consultant Stephen Weeks. “All the locations include Yamaha or NEXO products, so volunteers have a common operating platform across all of the venues.”

BCC currently owns QL5, CL3, and TF5 consoles, “so the CL console was the logical choice for the main Green Lake location,” Weeks notes. The NEXO STM M28 was selected due to “its compact size and stellar audio quality,” says Weeks, adding “sonic excellence is the overriding feature of the STM M28 system.”

The NEXO system includes eight boxes per side of M28s, seven ID24 speakers used for front fills on the stage stairs, six ID24s used as under-balcony delays, three RS15-P dual-15 Ray Subs in custom bunkers under the stage, a pair of PS10 speakers in monitor mode for general onstage use, NEXO NXAMP4X4 and NXAMP4X1 amplifiers, five NEXO Dante cards, an Aviom distribution amp, and a Waves Impact Server with two WSG-Y16 cards for 32 Waves inserts.

A Yamaha CL5 Digital Audio Console and Rio1608-D and 3224-D Stage Boxes were implemented over the new Dante network. Morgan Sound added a Waves impact server along with Yamaha MY cards for 32 channels of Waves plug-ins. In the broadcast suite, a Waves LV1 server and mixing software was installed to enable a completely separate streaming/broadcast mix to be utilized for live video streaming and audio recording.

Brueck said “The NEXO system has just completely blown us away in terms of fidelity and openness. The articulation and evenness throughout the worship space comparatively is night and day. The integration of Waves plug-ins at front of house and with the LV1 system for broadcast coming straight out of Dante, has totally transformed our live stream mix. We couldn’t be happier with this installation.”

Bethany Community Church

• Capacity: 600+
• Key Components: NEXO STM line array; Yamaha CL5 console
• Integrator: Morgan Sound