Sven Pro Sound (Milwaukee, WI) recently completed a campus-wide audio upgrade at Eastbrook Church of Milwaukee, utilizing a range of d&b audiotechnik loudspeakers as the primary components in four new sound reinforcement systems.
The Worship Hall, the largest venue at the church that’s very wide and topped by a tall ceiling, resulting in a reverb time of about two seconds, had been outfitted with a system plagued by performance, reliability and electrical issues. In addition, the loudspeakers were mounted on very large unistrut beams.
In its place, Sven Pro Sound (SPS) deployed a new design with d&b audiotechnik Q-series loudspeakers serving as mains. Specifically, only three Q10 loudspeakers are needed to cover the main floor, configured to provide stereo imaging to the vast majority of the space.
Two d&b 8S compact loudspeakers reinforce the balcony, while two QSUBs, flown centrally with the main loudspeakers, provide even bass distribution to the entire room. Monitoring for the choir, which performs bi-weekly, is handled with dual flown d&b MAX12 monitor wedges. The entire design was performed with an assist from the d&b ArrayCalc modeling program.
In addition, the loudspeakers are mounted directly to the building structure, enabling the large uni-strut beams to be removed. And, all loudspeakers are driven by three d&b D12 amplifiers that also provide EQ, limiting and delay.
“This design enabled us to be considerably less costly than other competitors while still providing touring-grade equipment capable of concert-level volume without limiting,” states Isaac Svien, president of SPS.
Meanwhile, in the multipurpose gym that’s been plagued by acoustical problems since it opened, church leadership considered acoustical treatment to reduce reverberation, but SPS suggested two highly directional loudspeakers pointing across the room to avoid reverberation off the walls. Programming is both speech as well as music for youth nights and recorded tracks for basketball games.
After running ArrayCalc software to predict coverage (and SPL levels), the solution proved to be a pair of d&b E12 full-range loudspeakers, mounted horizontally at precise angles, powered and processed with a single D6 amplifier. The tight, even dispersion of the loudspeakers is focused on the primary listening area (on the floor and bleachers), and does not directly reflect off any wall surfaces.
“We also worked with the church to trade in the components of the old system, and they had enough value that the client didn’t need to allocate any additional funds on the new system,” Svien notes.
SPS also took a “less is more” system approach for a multipurpose hall used primarily for roundtable events and meetings. The previous system offered an abundance of loudspeakers—all pointing inward at the microphones, creating feedback issues.
In place of this approach, SPS implemented carefully positioned d&b E8 compact loudspeakers powered by a D6 amplifier, delivering ample headroom without the feedback problems. “And,” Svien says, “listeners wonder if there are subwoofers present in the room because of the dynamic range of the E8s, but in fact, bass was tuned out of the system during installation.”
Finally, the church’s coffee shop, Holy Grounds, which is used for live acoustic performances, also received an audio makeover. The low-quality system, which had elicited complaints for inconsistent coverage and a lack of clarity, was replaced with two d&b E3 loudspeakers and a single E12-SUB subwoofer driven by three d&b E-PAC V3 amplifiers, with tailoring and tuning performed via the internal EQ and delay of the amps.
“The church was looking for a durable, high-quality yet unobtrusive system for higher-volume and more bass-heavy open mic nights,” Svien says. “The system literally disappears in the rafters yet has plenty of volume and power, along with clean, clear sound. They’ve never run into the limiters on the amplifiers.”
