A sound reinforcement system upgrade for the 5,000-seat worship sanctuary at Hope Church in Memphis utilizes the venue’s existing JBL Professional VTX Series line arrays joined by new components in a different configuration in a project headed by integration firm Diversified Systems.
Hope Church audio director Tim Kanter reached out to Jeff McOlgan of Diversified Systems, and with support from the HARMAN Professional Applications Team, conducted a system review to see if quality could be improved with the addition of more JBL loudspeakers. The team utilized EASE and Line Array Calculator (LAC3) software to design and implement the new configuration that’s resulted in more comprehensive coverage and clarity.
“I have been a big fan of JBL since the beginning of my career in the late 80s,” saysf McOlgan. “For me JBL is the perfect mix of quality and value. HARMAN’s Jay Fullmer and his team are an added bonus when I need assistance supporting the client. The outcome of the collaboration has always culminated in a positive outcome. I am — and more importantly our client is — exceedingly pleased with the performance of the new array configuration at Hope Church.”
The system is based on a traditional left-right system configuration of two 10-unit arrays of JBL VTX V20 elements, with two outfill arrays of 10 V20 loudspeakers each to increase the horizontal coverage in the large room. Five AE Series loudspeakers were added in delay fill positions to cover the separate rear raked seating areas, and a high-output center fill enclosure also offers a stronger focal point for the front-center seating area. Finally, 12 VTX S28 subwoofer enclosures in three-box cardioid groups are also horizontally steered for more even lateral coverage
After conducting extensive listening tests, the staff has noted the desired improved coverage across the entire room and tonal consistency between different seating sections. “There are huge improvements noticed by everyone we have talked to,” Kanter concludes. “The biggest system improvements include more clarity, punch, better sound at lower SPL levels, with a lot less sound on stage.”
