LAS VEGAS — Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Las Vegas is in the midst of a major facilities expansion program, with some help from Meyer sound. By the middle of 2007, for example, the main worship auditorium will be expanded to more than double its present size. Part of the plan calls for installation of a 40-cabinet self-powered Meyer Sound system, with MICA curvilinear array loudspeakers as the keystone element. As it turns out, that long-planned installation will be "step two" of the system. The first step arrived, somewhat unexpectedly, earlier this year.
"The church's original sound system, which was almost 10 years old, suddenly reached the end of its rope," remarks Adam Ogden, technical director at Canyon Ridge. "When some major components died, we decided not to patch it up. Instead, we went ahead and bought part of the proposed MICA system, and simply scaled the arrays to fit our present size."
With a seating capacity of about 1,250, the current worship auditorium now contains left and right arrays of five MICA cabinets each. Twin floor-standing 700-HP subwoofers generate sub-bass, while an LD-3 compensating line driver takes care of the system drive processing. The interim upgrade also included a DiGiCo D1 Live digital console. The systems were supplied and engineered by Ford Audio/Video, with logistical coordination by Kevin Potts and project engineering by Jason White, both of the Las Vegas office.
"Even though it's an interim system, it works extremely well," remarks Potts.
Canyon Ridge's "step one" system gives the church a head start on the larger system, which will be scaled to cover a room with a maximum capacity of 2,790. The church's expansion plans had been in the works since early 2003, with the Dallas-based consulting firm of Acoustic Dimensions brought on board to design the AV systems. Several preliminary proposals were already under consideration when Ogden was hired as technical director later that same year.
"Soon after I arrived the expansion program was put on hold for a year, and that gave us a chance to evaluate all our options," recalls Ogden. "Being in Las Vegas, I took the opportunity to listen to some Meyer Sound systems, and I took a technical tour of the system at the Colosseum at Caesars built for Celine Dion."
Acoustic Dimensions' project manager, Robert Rose, worked with Acoustic Dimensions' Rick Lavin to develop the basic concept into a finished design. The final proposal includes left and right arrays of eight MICA cabinets each, with one CQ-2 narrow coverage main loudspeaker per side to provide fill to the corners. A CQ-1 wide coverage main loudspeaker fills in the center, and UPJ-1P compact VariO loudspeakers serve as downfill and rear delays. The two 700-HP subwoofers will remain in service, and the present plan is to supplement bass for the center and rear with a flown array of four M3D-Sub directional subwoofers. Two Galileo loudspeaker management systems are dedicated to signal distribution, EQ and delay.
For more information, visit www.meyersound.com.
