The Cultural Arts Center (CAC) in Lancaster, SC, originally constructed by the First Presbyterian Church congregation in 1862 and now serving as a multipurpose arts center, was recently outfitted with a new sound reinforcement system utilizing components from d&b audiotechnik.
With the departure of the First Presbyterian congregation in 1926, during the following 30 years, the building was used intermittently for a variety of historical and cultural purposes, but, despite efforts to restore and maintain the building, it gradually fell into decay. In 2008, with the assistance of the City of Lancaster and private donations, the Lancaster County Society for Historical Preservation launched a concerted effort to restore the church structure and to bring it back to a new life as the Lancaster Cultural Arts Center, and in 2010, the first concert was held in the restored building.
The year 2020 brought major changes to the CAC; a spacious vestibule/ lobby, a large “green” room, and new restrooms for both the audience and performers were added. As noted, the sound system was also upgraded, with integrator XL Mediaworks deploying two d&b 24C cardioid column loudspeakers with 24C-E column extenders (all white) driven by a 10D power amplifier in a system that’s primarily for speech, background music, and acoustic/unplugged-type scenarios. The very small but reverberantly warm venue also holds events such as classical piano, small orchestra, and jazz performances.
“The 120-seat room has an average decay time of approximately four seconds and is a loud room acoustically,” states Jerry Temple, owner of XL Mediaworks. “Minimal noises such as a door closing resonate the space and un-amplified speech is un-intelligible. The space is also used for community meetings and things such as local political debates where intelligibility is required.”
The early Gothic style architecture has 16-inch thick walls of plaster that are marked to resemble stone. The 4-inch LF drivers of the 24C columns are arranged in a proprietary cardioid setup that’s stated to deliver significant directivity down to 370 Hz, and when combined with the 24C-E extender, directivity extends down to 190 Hz. The cardioid pattern helps minimize energy behind the loudspeakers, reducing reflections and resulting in more balanced level distribution across the listening area as well as higher intelligibility.
“Before the installation, voice presentations were barely audible unless one was close to the speaker,” states Johannes Tromp, Lancaster Cultural Center. “Today, voice is clear throughout, and the system allows for piped-in music providing great sound background in both auditorium and vestibule areas. This full and rich sound has added a dramatic atmosphere to the center. We are delighted with the results and look to benefit from the system for many years to come. XL Mediaworks has been a pleasure to work with and is providing ongoing training to achieve the maximum benefit of the equipment.”
Temple concludes, “The client did not want any acoustic treatment in the space but wanted both great speech intelligibility and premium quality sound. Having installed many 16C and 24C systems, we knew the 24C and 24C-E would be the best solution. Also, the d&b 10D amplifier allows systems such as this to be designed and deployed with one amplifier which helps for the overall budget.”
