It’s a familiar story that happens to a lot of churches. A congregation starts off in a smaller facility, eventually outgrows the sanctuary and moves to larger space, which may not have the warm, intimate acoustics of the original church. And so it was with the Clinton Frame Mennonite Church of Goshen, Indiana.
For the first time since moving into a large sanctuary a decade ago, church members are experiencing the exhilarating power of congregational singing, thanks to a new Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system. Constellation not only restores the sense of a unified worshipping community that was present in their previous smaller church, but by engaging different presets, it also adds acoustic “life” to the spoken word and energizes both the worship team and the rest of the congregation.
“Total Engagement”
Constellation gives venues the ability to modify their room acoustics at the press of a button, allowing them to host a wide range of events and provide the acoustics most appropriate for them. For houses of worship like Clinton Frame, Constellation offers the ideal sonic characteristics for congregants to feel immersed in their environment and inspires them to join in.
“The first time they used Constellation, the congregation sang ‘It is Well with My Soul’ a cappella, and when they were done, everybody burst into applause,” says Doug Hood, president of Fort Wayne-based CSD Group, which provided and installed the Constellation system. “I was told that this sense of total engagement hadn’t happened in the church for years — since before they moved into this space.”
The Constellation system at Clinton Frame’s 1,000-seat sanctuary is configured with multiple acoustic presets, four of which are primarily used for worship, with about six changes made during a typical service. The system is built around a D-Mitri digital audio platform that hosts patented VRAS acoustical algorithms. Acoustical ambience is captured by 23 miniature cardioid microphones, and the enhanced acoustical response is delivered through 81 MM-4XP self-powered loudspeakers, eight UPM-1XP loudspeakers, and 12 MM-10XP subwoofers.
“During services when the worship team sings through the P.A., we turn on Constellation and the crowd response keeps building as they join in. This folds back energy to the stage, and it just goes back and forth and gets stronger and stronger. The worship teams are just soaking it in and saying, ‘Wow, we can’t believe this is happening’,” reports Joel Miller, head sound technician at Clinton Frame.
“We installed Constellation for a cappella singing, but we didn’t expect how much better speech would sound with a subtle blend of early reflections, and how the right setting could improve a musical performance by the worship band,” Miller continues. “In the past, visiting choirs told us they wouldn’t return because of the acoustics. They now want to come back here for revivals because singing sounds so amazing.”
CSD Group (Custom Sound Designs), the integrator on the Clinton Frame Mennonite Church installation, was founded in 1989 and started out doing a variety of projects, from exotic car audio to home theaters and even a custom speaker system for Gulf Stream Aerospace and NASA.
After completing its first church project in the early 90’s, CSD has mainly specialized on the house of worship market and today has expanded with a network of industry professionals across the U.S. and a portfolio of successful installations in more than 30 states.
Provided by CSD Group, the Constellation system is part of a complete package that also includes a reinforcement rig with 12 Meyer Sound MINA line array loudspeakers, two 700-HP subwoofers and a Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system with a Galileo Callisto 616 array processor. The upgrade also encompasses a Midas M32 digital console, three new projectors and a computer-controlled LED lighting system.
About Constellation
A breakthrough in acoustical science, Meyer Sound’s Constellation system provides an effective solution to the complex challenge of attaining optimal, yet flexible acoustics in building design. With Constellation, users have the ability to design state-of-the-art sanctuary or multipurpose venues without the constraints or expense of traditional materials and room shape. The system’s effectiveness, ease of control and invisibility can enhance the success of many venue projects.
The Constellation technology enables the acoustical properties of a room to be altered to suit the nature of the event taking place. Combining a patented algorithm, advanced digital processing and miniature transducer technology with decades of research into the acoustical attributes of exceptional listening spaces, Constellation provides flexibility unattainable with traditional mechanical methods of variable acoustics, such as movable walls, drapes, orchestra shells, or secondary chambers.
Provided as an integrated, turnkey solution, Meyer Sound works with the design team to ensure the results meet all of the agreed project goals, and at a price that’s far less expensive and more flexible than architectural solutions. Once Constellation is installed in the venue and tuned, a simple press of a button can instantly change the room’s acoustical properties. Aesthetically appealing and virtually invisible, the system implementation is equally well suited to be part of a retrofit or new construction project.
