Church Sound Article Tue, December 02, 2008

Church Sound | Feature |

Live Sound House of Worship Showcase - First United Methodist Church

By Mark Frink

Summary

  • Part 2 of an 11 part series from the Live Sound International Showcase of Churches

    In the beginning there was the Word. As the congregation grew, sound reinforcement was needed to hear clearly at the back of the sanctuary. Few sound systems have as many challenges as those installed in modern houses of worship. Contemporary worship services have incorporated rock bands and have ambitions that rival corporate and theatrical productions. The service is often a cross between a high school musical and a Broadway show – all on a mission from God. Expectations are high, yet the band, singers and crew are volunteers, while most buildings have inherent architectural and acoustic challenges. The technical department is consumed by training operators and a budget that gets eaten up by moving lights, video and broadcast equipment. Yet all agree that the single most important improvement is a top-shelf sound system.

    Many churches upgrade their technical systems – video, lighting, and sound – in phases, addressing one department or core function at a time as finances allow. With a plethora of high-quality sound equipment to choose from, the time has come to look at recent upgrades in modern houses of worship.

First United Methodist Church - Texarkana, AR
A few years ago, the First United Methodist Church in Texarkana was destroyed in a massive fire, but a new 500- seat replica of the original century-old sanctuary was built, including wood ceiling and floors, and massive stained-glass windows that still created numerous audio reflections, making communication difficult.

To rectify this, the Church turned to Jeffrey Crisp of Texarkana Pro Sound, with whom they had a strong existing relationship. Crisp was hired to design and install a completely new system. He developed a detailed acoustic model using EASE, which allowed for testing of loudspeaker selections and placements. The designs were then scrutinized to make sure improved intelligibility was achieved.

Crisp installed a sound system using JBL Precision Directivity Series loudspeakers. Two PD5322/64 loudspeakers, each with a PD5122 loudspeaker attached beneath, were arranged in a left-right design for the lower level. This PD Series combination forms a low-frequency spaced-source, providing low-frequency directivity to project energy into the room and keep it off the stage. The result is more level consistency in the seating areas and better microphone gain before feedback.

Pattern control was achieved to 125 Hz, which reduced the sound on the stage area and allowed for more microphone gain. “The pattern control of the PDs limited the reflections off of the large stained-glass windows, which helped with the intelligibility of the system,” Crisp noted. The balcony was covered with two JBL VRX932LA line array loudspeakers, located at the original main loudspeakers’ point. “The quality and detail of the sound produced by JBL’s PD loudspeakers are unmatched,” Crisp comments, adding “the VRX loudspeakers are easy to suspend and need little EQ as they have a very flat frequency response, making them easy to integrate into various systems.”