CCI Solutions (Tumwater, WA) recently completed a sound reinforcement system upgrade at Christ Church of the Valley’s Etiwanda Gardens sanctuary (located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA) that’s headed by Martin Audio CDD-LIVE loudspeakers.
“The room originally had a banquet hall feel, but they did a complete renovation of the auditorium to make more space and modernize the room,” explains CCI project lead Mike Sessler. “The space measures about 96 feet wide by 67 feet with a fairly low ceiling height of 15 feet. The project scope changed dramatically the week prior to the install, which led to tight timelines for getting everything up and running.”
Specifically the upgraded system includes three CDD-LIVE 12 flown left, center and right over the front edge of the platform, with three more CDD-LIVE 12 halfway back over the congregation for delays. Two CSX-LIVE 218 subwoofers are flown over the stage in the ceiling behind and above the CCD-LIVE 12.
“The church features a contemporary Christian worship service that definitely rocks, and their biggest concerns were volume and consistent coverage so that every member of the audience could have the same experience,” Sessler says. “The low ceiling height meant point source boxes and, for us, that means CDD-LIVE. The built-in amplification and DSP make for a quick and clean install, and they sound fantastic.
“The entire CDD line provides more than enough SPL and sounds very musical,” he adds. :Low-end is a big deal for these guys, so tucking the CSX-LIVE 218 subs up high was the logical choice. The low-end coverage is extremely even while providing the designed thump in the chest.”
The new system also includes a Yamaha CL5 console with Waves Soundgrid server and various plugins, Shure Axient-D wireless microphone systems, and a Symetrix PRISM 8×8 digital signal processor. In addition, the venue’s lobby is now outfitted with 11 Martin Audio C4.8T ceiling loudspeakers while the outdoor patio has four CDD6TX-WR weatherized loudspeakers driven by a Bose Professional 4-channel amplifier.
“For most churches, the most important sound issue is speech clarity — it’s why people come to church,” Sessler concludes. “CDD-LIVE delivers excellent vocal intelligibility throughout the entire space. The differential dispersion horns provide a huge advantage, with wider coverage up close and a more focused pattern further away. The coverage maps on this project show ±2 dB for almost the entire house, without gain shading. The coverage is incredibly even front to back and side to side.
“The client loves the system and the CDD-LIVE 12’s far surpassed their expectations in terms of power, coverage and impact. They’re thrilled with the way the space sounds and already have us working on the next project.”
CCI also provided the design and installation of new video and lighting systems at the church.
