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VUE al-4 Line Arrays Help End Years Of Audio Challenges At Sarasota’s Church Of Hope

Replaces existing LCR and delay clusters with simple left and right hangs of eight al-4 elements per side

When Church of Hope opened its new 250,000-square-foot facility in 2007, the congregation was ecstatic to begin its next chapter, yet while the rapidly expanding Sarasota, Florida ministry has successfully reached countless thousands in the years since, the church has grappled with a sound reinforcement system falling dramatically short of expectations.

In an effort to rectify the problem, leadership recently partnered with the experts at Fort Myers-based Tech-Tronics, and after a comprehensive renovation, the church reports that VUE Audiotechnik al-4 subcompact line arrays have helped resolve a seven-year quest for quality sound.

“The original system consisted of traditional left, center, right clusters above the stage, along with three delay clusters,” explains Teddy Roepke, principal at Tech-Tronics. “While the speakers were from a very well respected manufacturer, the system’s complexity made tuning extremely difficult. The net result was really spotty coverage and several troublesome hot spots that, despite countless tweaks, were simply not addressable with traditional boxes.”

Founded in 1999, Tech-Tronics i sa leading full service sound and lighting companies. With a client roster that includes a wide-ranging mix of live events and festivals, the Tech-Tronics team has honed a diverse skill set that includes extensive experience deploying line array systems in the most challenging environments.

“We knew immediately that a line array would solve their problems,” Roepke notes. “But aesthetics were also important to the church, so we set out to find a really compact system that would provide a good balance of output, sound quality and coverage.”

“I first heard VUE’s al-4 at InfoComm, and was really impressed by the amount of clean sound emanating from such a small system,” he continues. “I immediately thought the al-4 would be perfect for Church of Hope, but I was admittedly concerned about its ability to deliver ample coverage in such a wide room.”

EASE modeling was implemented to optimize the al-4 configuration. Tech-Tronics then replaced the existing LCR and delay clusters with simple left and right hangs of eight VUE al-4 elements per side. Two VUE V4 systems engines provides power and processing for the line arrays, while the church’s existing subs were retained for low frequency support.

“On the very first try the VUE line array hit all the desired listening areas exactly as predicted,” says Roepke. “This was one of the easiest installations I’ve ever done. Pattern control from the al-4 is exceptional and the sound quality is absolutely stunning. You can push this system well beyond the usual limits and it remains perfectly clear.”

Ultimately it’s customer satisfaction that wins the day, and after eight years living with an under-performing sound system, the Church of Hope team is grateful to finally put their audio struggles behind them.

“The VUE system is so clean that you can actually hear breath,” states Jared Reall, technical and media arts producer at Church of Hope. “In fact, I’m finally able to use my Full Sail training to optimize the mix for different acts. Our old system was far too muddy to attempt anything that subtle. I’ve used a lot of different line arrays over the years, but the VUE system easily outperforms anything I’ve experienced before.”

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dBTechnologies is an Italian-based speaker manufacturer, leading in the Touring & Live sound market by providing innovative audio solutions. Their flagship ViO series is made up of an entirely active/self-powered series of loudspeakers. The dBT lineup also includes passive loudspeakers, software, and amplifiers, all delivering uncompromising performance. dBTechnologies speakers headline some of the largest festivals and concerts worldwide, setting standards in both Live and Installation markets.