Casa de Oracion de Fullerton, a Disciples of Christ church in Southern California, faced several challenges when it came to upgrading its sound reinforcement.
Because the congregation meets in a shared space, they needed a solution that would provide easy and quick setup, great sound quality and, above all else, an increase in clarity and coverage. According to church chairman Jose Vazquez, the congregation found a solution to these needs with a Line 6 StageScape M20d mixer and StageSource loudspeakers.
Three separate denominations share the same sanctuary in Fullerton, each providing its own sound system. Casa de Oracion offers a contemporary music presentation with drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitar, keyboards, and up to five vocalists. The combination of StageSource loudspeakers and StageScape mixer offers the right blend of portability, power and truly superior sound quality.
“First, we did a demo of the speakers. We tried several brands, but Line 6 sounded the best. We bought two of them, because they were such a big improvement compared to our old system,” says Vazquez. “We got lots of compliments. Then the people from Jim’s Music in Tustin, CA came out and demonstrated the M20d mixer. We liked everything about it, with the touchscreen control and easy, digital scene recall. It also had more channels than the little mixer we had before, plus it can be controlled from an iPad. That was important to us.”
The church invested in the StageScape M20d mixer and added two more loudspeakers: one L3t for use as a monitor, and one L3s subwoofer. When he set the system up for the first time, Vasquez grasped the total capabilities and scalability of the Line 6 system.
“The mixer knows what speakers are plugged into it, and how they are being used—subwoofer, for PA or for monitors,” he notes. “And the scene even tells you what channels to plug the instruments into. That is very convenient when you only have a half hour to set up. It also has automatic feedback control. But the best part is how easy it is to get a good mix.”
StageScape M20d offers a full-color touchscreen interface that enables users to quickly and easily increase qualities like brightness and clarity. “You hear the result instantly when you drag your finger on the screen, which makes it much easier for somebody who doesn’t use a mixer very much,” says Vazquez. “For me, learning to use the system was very fast, and having different scenes set up and ready for different services and events is a big help.”
The free iPad app and integrated multi-track recording functionality also appealed to Casa de Oracion. “Our mixing position is not in the sanctuary, so it is very hard to know what the mix sounds like in the audience. The StageScape iPad app lets me do all my adjustments from inside the room, with no need to run a snake through the room. That is a big improvement for us,” says Vazquez. “And to record our services is something we did not think we could get with our small budget. But all you need is an SD card, right inside the StageScape mixer. Push one button and you can record everything.”
According to Vazquez, the upgrade to the Line 6 StageScape M20d digital mixer and StageSource loudspeakers has been a total success. “For a growing church like ours, this is an excellent product. Everything is very fast to set up, very easy to use, and the sound is a big improvement over our old system. We are very pleased with the Line 6 sound system.”
