Several new sound reinforcement systems at Bethel Church in Richland, WA, including one to replace a failing rig in the main auditorium that dated back well over a decade, are headed by a variety of loudspeakers from Danley Sound Labs.
With the exising system not doing the job, church technical director Sam Rodriguez and the team began looking for an upgrade, spending time traveling to sister churches over the course of a year to listen to a variety of systems. They studied coverage graphs created by these prospective manufacturers’ prediction software and spoke to a variety of prospective integrators.
“After hearing our favorite line array options, we determined our budget and made the decision at the executive level to allocate the funds,” says Rodriguez. “Then, it was up to select which system we thought best. Before making our final choice, Dave Dartnall, CEO and founder of [system integration firm] FOCUS, introduced Danley Sound Labs and some options which might provide a better system for us.”
The Bethel team experienced two listening demostrations Danley Sound Labs products, preferring the J7-95 loudspeaker combined with the TH118XL subwoofer. “The Bethel team was clear that everything said, sung, played and prayed mattered,” Dartnall says. “Danley offers incredible clarity, exceptional sound quality, best-in-market pattern control, unmatched power, and more. They also offer a punchy, full, resonate and not muddy low end that few, if any other systems could offer.”
Rodriguez adds, “After receiving FOCUS’ proposal from Dave, we were shocked at how much less the Danley system would cost compared to the highest-end line array systems we were considering. We were so elated that we decided to upgrade three additional venues in the building with Danley as well as have the best Allen & Heath mixing systems in all the rooms.”
The first installation was the main auditorium, a fan-shaped 1,500-seat facility with a balcony, that’s equipped with three J7-95 enclosures as mains joined by four TH118XL subwoofers. For coverage under the balcony, Four SHMini loudspeakers extend coverage under the balcony, with two and Go2-8CX loudspeakers for front side fills. The loudspeakers are driven by DNA 20K4 Pro amplifiers for mains, subs, and side fills, with a DNA 5K4C amplifier for the SHMini loudspeakers.
The Allen & Heath dLive mix platform was the choice at the other end of the system, including an S7000 surface, DM32 MixRack providing 32 x 16 I/O, an AH-DX168 16 x 8 stage box, and supporting components that include Dante 128 x 128 networking cards.
Next up was a new system for the HUB, a multi-use worship room. “While the main auditorium was straight forward, the HUB auditorium was more of a challenge,” Dartnall explains. “The HUB has a polished cement floor and an HVAC venting system that cuts across the middle of the room hiding the former speakers from half of the seating area. This made front of house mixing positions nearly useless.”
The challenge was overcome with a SBH10 loudspeaker mounted on each side of the stage as well as under the HVAC system obstruction. Because of their “narrow in height, wide in width” coverage pattern, they limit reflections off the floor. A THMini subwoofer and a DNA 10K4 amplifier complete the system.
For the Church’s Kids & Desert View auditoriums, the choice was a Mini 180 loudspeaker and a THMini-12 subwoofer were used in each room, each powered a Danley DNA 5K4C amplifier. Allen & Heath SQ5 consoles were also installed in the other auditoriums as well.
“We got so much more for the money by choosing Danley,” Rodriguez says. “Coverage is even across all seating areas with the same amazing sound no matter where people may sit, even in or under the balcony, or in the extreme corners up front or in the back of the room.”
Dartnall concludes, “In addition to the dozens of ‘thank you’ handshakes and hugs I received, on the first Sunday with the new Danley system, there was a moment when I knew the new system was the right choice. Bethel’s professional drummer walked into the auditorium during the first song, stopped in his tracks, spread his arms open wide, and looking up with his head tilted back said, ‘oh my gosh! This is unbelievable.’ And he just stood there soaking it all in for a moment before he and his wife went to be seated. They couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”
