ANNISTON, AL – Joey Hutto of Sound Solutions, Oxford, Ala., equipped Sacred Heart Catholic Church with a sound system that would address two problems: the 800-plus capacity church's slate floor, cinderblock walls and a wood ceiling; and the lack of a qualified engineer to operate the church's 16-channel analog mixer on most Sundays.
Hutto provided a new Electro-Voice line array tuned with the filters, EQs, delays, and dynamics of an open-architecture SymNet 8×8 DSP, set up so that the SymNet-centered DSP audio system could be controlled by an ARC-2 interface located right in the priest's lectern.
"When there was no engineer, which was often, they were forced to un-mute every channel that would be used during the service," said Hutto. "It was a 'cross your fingers and hope for the best' kind of situation, and the best wasn't very good. On good days, they had a lot of noise and bleed. On bad days, they had feedback or levels that were far out of line." In addition, unidentified fingers made a habit of tweaking faders and knobs.
Combined with a SymNet BreakIn12, the 8×8 DSP provides the requisite inputs, mixes them intelligently, and keeps that mix from meddling hands. Hutto set the system up so that most channels could sit "open," but now with high-threshold gates keeping them quiet when unused. Together, with intelligent auto-gaining, an integral part of the SymNet's skill set, the mix usually takes care of itself.
Access to the system comes in the form of three Symetrix ARC-2 interface panels: one at the lectern, one in the choir loft and one in the equipment rack. The ARC-2 contains an eight-character backlit display, a menu button, and a pair of buttons to raise or lower values. The priest or an assistant can now make changes in real time right from the pulpit. The choir can change their monitor volume from the ARC-2 located in the choir loft. Lastly, Hutto himself can make changes directly from the ARC-2 located in the equipment rack.
"The new system does two things that make everyone's life much simpler and more predictable," said Hutto. "First, many of the problems that would have required the attention of an FOH mixer, whether a dedicated volunteer or the Father himself, no longer exist. No feedback. No tweaked knobs. No unused, open channels. So there's less to do from the outset. But if something does need to be adjusted, it is simple and possible right from the lectern. No more interrupted services!"
He continued, "SymNet was the right tool for the job because it offered the processing power and wits to get the mix right together with an appropriate and simple interface for the user. On my end, it was easy to set up and configure."
With the new system in place for several months, Sacred Heart is benefiting from improved sound, uninterrupted services and a less-distracted Father.
For more information, please visit www.symnetaudio.com and www.symetrixaudio.com.
