“We’ve never really had a sound system that worked for our church. Since 1982, when the worship space was built, it has always been a challenge to provide full, consistent audio,” admits Charles Malmede, Media Services Director for Whitesburg Baptist Church of Huntsville, Alabama.
Twenty five hundred seats wrap 180 degrees around the sanctuary, including a full balcony. Embracing a wide variety of both traditional and contemporary music, an average service demands versatility from any sound system. Malmede spent most Sundays dealing with unsatisfied parishioners,
“There were complaints every week. Our goal is always +/- 3 dB, which was hard enough; but the real problem has always been the frequency. It was clear we needed to fix our sound, but we have never had any particular success in the past.”
However, after Spectrum Sound’s Ken DeBelius began consulting with Whitesburg Baptist, he knew he could offer a solution.
“We’ve worked with d&b audiotechnik for years and they are our preferred loudspeaker systems,” DeBelius explains. “After hearing the church’s sound problems first hand, I knew the d&b ArrayCalc simulation software could help model the auditorium precisely and that we could then adjust loudspeaker positions and the settings specifically for that room.
“It’s always accurate, and allows us to be very intentional with the system. Plus the d&b White range of loudspeakers was specifically designed for this type of installation: affordable, efficient, and aesthetically appropriate for any church.”
DeBelius was so confident, he brought Malmede, and other senior executives of the church leadership team, to visit a similar installation in Nashville.
“I knew they would be able to hear the quality. We played a recording of lead pastor Dr. Jimmy Jackson and the difference was apparent,” he expalins. “It was so clear, everyone left convinced d&b would be their next sound system. It took almost two years for the purchase of these installation loudspeakers to be finalized and custom installed, but now that the d&b sound system is being used regularly at Whitesburg Baptist Church, it has exceed expectations. I am very proud of the results.”
Malmede agrees, “There used to be at least a handful of complaints every week. I heard the full spectrum, too loud and too soft; fuzzy, and harsh; a wide range depending on seat. We even offered hearing aid devices for our older members. Now, no one asks to use one. They don’t need to. It’s amazing. I haven’t had even one negative audio comment since we installed d&b in January. Not one. Dr. Jimmy has been lead pastor here for thirty five years. This is the first time he has been completely happy. Like every church, we have to be very thoughtful about our purchases. I think this new sound system was one of the wisest choices we have recently made.
