Trinity Baptist Church offers the San Antonio community three campuses for worship. Recently, church leadership decided that it was time renovate the sanctuary at the Mulberry campus – the first church in the group – and as part of the process, implemented a new sound reinforcement system with Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) loudspeakers.
The existing system at the church was an older, distributed system that was long past its prime. Vocal intelligibility and coverage had been an ongoing issue and the sanctuary required additional choral and orchestra support. The shoebox-shaped space, with a wrap-around balcony and seating for 1,300, also received a complete facelift during the audio-video upgrade.
At the beginning of the process the church contacted Idibri, a prominent design firm located in Dallas, to formulate a sound design capable of meeting the current and future needs of the sanctuary. San Antonio Sound & Light (SASL), located in San Antonio, was tapped to install the audio components as well as a new video system for the church.
“We were very familiar with EAW’s QX loudspeakers and immediately looked at them for a solution,” explains Steve Reed, project manager at Idibri. “It is a box that arrays really well. We can put multiples together and it works seamlessly. Combine that with EAWs Focusing settings and you end up with a box that is easy to implement and EQ with a very natural sound – exactly what the church was looking for.”
Reed and senior consultant Casey Sherred specified a center cluster made up of five 3-way QX500 Series loudspeakers, while side fill and choir loft coverage is provided by four 2-way QX300 Series enclosures.
For the center cluster, the boxes are hung three over two. The top row, provides long throw coverage, is made up of two QX594i and one QX564i. The bottom row consists of two EAW QX564i for short-throw coverage. Two ceiling-mounted subwoofers are located behind the cluster for low end support.
Side fill and upper balcony coverage is handled by two QX364 hung to the left and right of the cluster. Two QX394 loudspeakers are positioned to fire down on the choir loft located behind the altar.
The QX technology platform is based upon a bilaterally symmetrical design, with all frequency sections sharing both the vertical and horizontal axes. Four 12-inch low frequency drivers are spaced symmetrically at tuned distances to deliver pattern control well into the low-frequency passband.
SASL installed a custom support structure above the lathe and plaster ceiling to support the specified APE Rigging frame that the center cluster was mounted on.
“The compact nature of the QX loudspeaker was also a benefit,” adds Sherred. “It was important that the cluster not interfere with the upper balcony site lines. Not only are the boxes small, but the white version blends in with ceiling perfectly, making it aesthetically pleasing as well.”
The system is powered by Lab.gruppen power amplifiers with processing provided by BSS London processors.
SASL also assisted with the installation of a complete video system, specified by the Idibri team, that includes an audio recording studio with a Midas PRO2 console, a video recording studio with a Newtek Tricaster TC460, two Barco 1080p video projectors, two JBC GY-HM850 broadcast video cameras, one Vaddio HD PTZ camera and Blackmagic/ZeeVee video distribution to displays throughout the facility.
