Oregon-based audio production and installation company Alpha Sound recently deployed NEXO ID series column loudspeakers (larger ID84s and more compact ID14s) in sonic upgrades for the worship sanctuaries of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and Kingwood Bible Church, both located in Salem, OR.
“When we first got our hands on the ID84, we discovered something very different from a conventional column loudspeaker,” explains Devin Sheets of Alpha Sound, which is also based in Salem. “First, the soft dome tweeter array lends what I would describe as an almost ‘hi-fi’ sonic characteristic, with an open, natural high end that’s perfectly suited to speech reproduction that makes up so much of a typical church service.”
“Then there’s the coverage,” he adds. “With continued downward off-axis response intelligibility, we found that a pair of ID84s mounted 20 feet up delivered consistent SPL and frequency coverage right to the very back of the venue. It’s fair to think of the ID84 as a viable substitute for a small line array in applications where the budget is limited.”
The main system at St Paul’s uses a pair of ID84s to deliver coverage in what is a long, narrow, and semi-reverberant liturgical space, while compact ID14s supply supplemental coverage to the transept, choir, and overflow areas. Audio power is supplied by an NXAMP4X1MK2 amplifier for the ID84s and a DTD/DTDAMP4x0.7 for the ID14s.
“People have said, ‘Wow, the system sounds great, but where is it?’” Sheets notes. “It’s just another example of how the NEXO ID Series is so well suited for applications in houses of worship.”
A similar main system is deployed at Kingwood, where the main space is somewhat shorter and with relatively dry acoustics. Another pair of ID84s serve as mains joined by a pair of ID14s for the balcony areas, with a single NEXO L18 subwoofer extending low-frequency response. A single NXAMP4X1MK2 amp drives all loudspeakers.”
“The NXAMPMK2 is our go-to amplification solution” Sheets says. “Having pre-sets for every cabinet and horn configuration makes it quick and easy to configure systems that combine different speakers from the NEXO range. And it’s also very cost-effective. We can even use a couple of spare channels to power legacy speakers such as existing ceiling speakers in other rooms.”
