Rapidly growing Asbury United Methodist Church in Madison, AL, recently built a new 1,500-seat worship venue called the Grace Building, with American Audio of Ruston, LA hired to design and budget for sound, lighting, and video systems for the new facility, in addition to being contracted to review room acoustics, wall shapes, conduit systems and AVL power needs.
“Budget was a big issue since the church wanted the quality of a high-powered touring system, but at a cost-effective price point,” states Gwin Edwards, President, American Audio.
The company’s sound system design is headed by NEXO loudspeakers and line arrays. “After hearing a NEXO demo at last year’s InfoComm exhibition, we were sold on the quality, especially at its price point,” explains Edwards.
“Once we submitted our initial design to NEXO and Yamaha engineers, we proposed the GEO S12 system to the church instead of a higher-priced system by an another manufacturer.”
Four S1210 and two S1230 cabinets are used in each of the three arrays for LCR coverage.
A NEXO PS10UV2 cabinet was added to each side array for use in outside seating coverage from the opposite array. This signal is processed using a cross-matrix and multiple delay system to minimize timing inconsistencies.
Yamaha Installation Series IF2205 loudspeakers are used as front fills at six locations across the stage front with each pair receiving a separately processed, mixed and timed signal from the LCR bus of the console.
“The final results were exactly as the NEXO prediction software said the system would work,” says Edwards. “With all of our years of experience, we have never had this level of prediction accuracy and quality from a system like we obtained with the GEO S12.”
A NEXO NX242ES processor is also used along with a BSS processor. Lab Gruppen and Crown amplifiers power the system. “The church is very impressed with the quality, power, and clarity of the NEXO GEO S12 line arrays.”
Officially opening on Easter Sunday, two services were held and filled to capacity. The church holds two concurrent services, traditional and contemporary, providing two worship times each Sunday morning. Five different church bands are used as well as a choir. The contemporary services are held at the new Grace Building.
“On a typical week, we have at least three vocalists, drums, bass and electric guitar, keyboards and piano, along with an acoustic instrument,” states Beau Miles, aCross Generation Technical Director. “Occasionally, we have a violinist and/or a percussionist. The big challenge, though, isn’t just the instruments but the bands. We have five of them, ranging in all different styles.
“The NEXO boxes allow the versatility for any sound we throw at them to sound wonderful whether it be rock, folk, funk, contemporary Christian music, etc. Our sound guys have moved from mixing in the back of a gym to mixing in a 1,500 seat auditorium,” Miles adds. “It’s been an easy transition, and a full and richer worship experience.”
“Working with American Audio was a great pleasure,” adds Miles. “They listened to the desires of the church and met and exceeded all expectations. The attention to detail makes the company one of the best. The bands and congregation have been blown away.”
