New Hope Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, MI, recently underwent a renovation of its 750-seat sanctuary and associated overflow and ancillary rooms, with a new sound system centered on Ashly Audio processing, amplification, and user control as a centerpiece of the project.
The Ashly gear came in at a price point that allowed the church to meet its needs reliably without breaking the budget. Pro Audio Inc. of nearby Grandville, MI designed and installed the new system.
“The performance of Ashly gear is top-notch and yet its cost is very reasonable,” says Ken Reinecke, owner of Pro Audio Inc. “That’s a rare combination. In terms of sound quality, Ashly’s processing and amplification is transparent. What goes in is what comes out, plus whatever dynamics or equalization I’ve dialed in.
“And the gear can run at 96 kHz for super critical situations,” he continues. “Programming Ashly’s Protea DSP platform is straightforward. I just drag and drop whatever processing I need, and drag appropriate inputs to appropriate outputs. Linking groups is also handy. Ashly gear is also tremendously reliable – it basically never breaks or fails.”
Because space at New Hope Baptist Church was at a premium, it also helped that Reinecke could fit all of the system’s processing and amplification in just six rack spaces.
A new Soundcraft Si Performer 3 console serves as the user interface in the sanctuary itself. From there, an Ashly ne8800 8×8 Network DSP Protea processor handles all of the loudspeaker settings for the sanctuary’s new JBL VRX928LA line arrays, joined by JBL 915S subwoofers. The stereo line arrays are powered by a single Ashly nXe 3.04 network four-channel amplifier rated at 3,000 watts per channel, providing ample power to the main sanctuary system.
Additionally, output from the console feeds an Ashly Pema 8250 combination 8 x 8 Matrix Protea processor and 8-channel 250-watt amplifier. The Pema 8250 takes additional inputs, such as wall jacks for microphones or music players that are located in the narthex and other out rooms. The 8-channel Pema 8250 handles all of the audio routing, signal processing, and amplification for New Hope Baptist’s two nurseries, nursing room, bathrooms, and narthex.
Four Ashly WR-5 programmable wall-mounted remote controls located strategically around the out rooms provide customized, intuitive control of those inputs, as well as of the sound from the sanctuary.
“The nice thing about that arrangement is that folks can make changes in all those rooms without bothering the sound tech,” says Reinecke. “While the main system is controlled entirely from the Soundcraft console, the church staff can use the mic inputs and the Ashly WR-5 remote controls to play music or have a stand-alone PA for meetings and small events in those out rooms.”