There’s no such thing as a cookie-cutter house of worship install project — every sanctuary is unique. Even if there were such a thing as identical McChurches, the services — and sound reinforcement needs — would vary. One aspect that all worship services have in common, however, is the need for clarity and intelligibility so that the spoken message can be heard. Another requirement is musicality — whether the favored style is traditional hymns, Gospel music or flat-out rock ‘n’ roll. With those common threads and variances in mind, here are some recent house of worship installation and upgrade projects.
New Life Church, Corpus Christi, TX
New Life Church turned to E2i Design for a speaker system design for their new worship center, which opened its doors last summer.
The new location, adjacent to a military airstrip, required the construction of a non-acoustically optimal tent structure with its inherent lack of reflective surfaces. Despite those challenges, E2i Design found d&b audiotechnik Soundscape with En-Space an ideal solution.
“Tent fabrics don’t offer the same reflectivity as permanent construction,” said Evan Hamilton, chief technical officer at E2i Design. “Soundscape with En-Space enabled us to create natural-sounding reverb times with resonances better than many traditional church environments.”
The decision to include the Soundscape En-Scene module proved to be instrumental to the venue’s transformation. “New Life Church has a large worship band with six singers,” said Hamilton. “En-Scene allows us to place those musicians in the mix, corresponding to where they are on stage, and provide a great sense of localization to everyone across the congregation. En-Scene is incredible, you gain depth and spaciousness in your mix where you never previously had it.”
In the process of deploying Soundscape, E2i Design realized that lackluster tent acoustics affects the sound experience of those on stage and also negatively impacts the experience of the congregants. “I am particularly proud that we leveraged Soundscape to provide an even more immersive environment through a voice-lift system,” said Hamilton. “With mics hung over the congregation and piping them through En-Space, everyone in the audience experiences a greater sense of presence, especially while singing along…they feel like they’re in the same acoustic space as the band making them feel more connected.”
E2i Design was able to provide a cost-effective solution to New Life Church by repurposing the existing d&b audiotechnik xS-Series system, which was previously deployed at the church’s old location. “When constructing New Life Church’s new location, their dream was to create an immersive worship experience, even though it was in a tent,” said Hamilton. “We were immediately off to a great start with their previously purchased, xS-Series system. We integrated it with the DS100 and some additional d&b loudspeakers, and now New Life Church has a full-scale, Soundscape PA.”
“The planning and approvals required due to the church’s proximity to the military airstrip made this a long process,” continued Hamilton. ” Now that the church is finally open, they have so much pride and passion for their new home because of its uniqueness and how amazing it sounds. Hector Lebron, New Life’s technology director, said they ‘loved their earlier d&b audiotechnik system and now they’re blown away by their new Soundscape system.’ He also added ‘We’ve received nothing but positive feedback from the congregation.’”
When asked if he’d recommend d&b audiotechnik Soundscape for other church installations, Hamilton volunteered what he views as the technology’s most compelling feature for houses of worship. “Yes, absolutely, but there’s another huge benefit to Soundscape for churches, beyond the apparent immersive aspect,” Hamilton said. “Soundscape with En-Scene empowers a volunteer who knows absolutely nothing about audio, let alone immersive audio, to easily create a phenomenal mix with space and depth. Plus, because elements don’t compete against each other, your overall volume is down across the board. We’ve had so much success with clients by showing them this one thing alone, I find it one of Soundscape’s most compelling features.”
The complete system installed by E2i Design for New Life Church included five xS-Series 24S-Dloudspeakers for the mains, two 10S-D point source as extensions, six 21S subwoofers, eight 8Sloudspeakers as surrounds, and six 44S loudspeakers for front fills. The system is powered by a combination of 30D and 5D amplifiers. A DS10 Audio Network Bridge Networking handles signal routing, and processing is provided via the DS100 Signal Engine running Soundscape with En-Scene and En-Space software. Half of the 8S speakers and two 24S-D were sourced from New Life Church’s earlier d&b audiotechnik installation.
New Life Church
- Capacity: 2,200
- Key Products: d&b, Soundscape, En-Space
- Integrator: E2i Design
Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, TX
Although its main church location in Plano, TX now boasts many state-of-the-art technologies, Prestonwood Baptist Church has followed a pattern of implementing tech innovations on a smaller scale at first, then expanding, rather than diving headlong into the latest technical trends.
Since the 7,000-capacity main campus opened in 1999, for example, the sound system has undergone gradual improvements. More than two decades after opening, the church worked with Paragon 360 on a major upgrade to its digital audio control, routing and management capacity by investing in three DiGiCo Quantum7 consoles for its FOH, monitor and broadcast mixes.
This control setup helps the church when it stages elaborate productions like The Gift of Christmas, which features close to 1,000 cast and choir members — including flying drummers and angels — performing in a spectacle that includes everything from a Living Nativity Scene with live camels, virtual scenery with huge LED displays and music from a 50-piece orchestra.
Along with the DiGiCo consoles, which had been installed with SD-Racks, SD-Nano Racks and SD-MiNi Racks at FOH, monitors, backstage, onstage and in the broadcast studio, the 2024 Christmas production benefitted from an expanded array of KLANG systems to give performers greater control over their monitor mixes.
The foray into KLANG began more than two years ago, beginning with a single KLANG:konductor immersive IEM mixing processor and eight KLANG:kontrollers (one of which was a spare) provided for the church’s core band. Mike Smith, Prestonwood’s live production lead and lead audio engineer, credited former monitor engineer Matt Pickins for taking the first step. “Matt was on staff and he helped get the infrastructure for KLANG all dialed in so that when we did switch over, it was seamless,” Smith said.
With the core band giving a thumbs-up, more :kontrollers and :konductors were gradually added. “Once they tried it, the musicians and engineers began really enjoying the clarity in the mix,” said systems engineer Will Schaefer. Soon, the original seven KLANG:kontrollers used by the band were joined by 27 more for the orchestra, and for the 2024 production, “we added :kontrollers to the string and brass sides of our orchestra to get all of our instrumentalists off of the older Roland M-48s we had been using and onto the KLANG system.”
Music director Jonathan Walker noted that “if we were a little bit slow on the uptake, it’s just because, here at Prestonwood, the scale of everything that we do is so big,” adding that no one wanted to make the orchestra members, many of whom are volunteers, feel overwhelmed. “We wanted to create something that was easy for them to understand and easy to migrate to, and that process was seamless.”
KLANG is now a fully integrated part of the audio workflow at Prestonwood Baptist Church and used for regular church services including those conducted in Spanish, with nuances that are elevating the experience of engineers and performers alike. “The flexibility of having 128 channels allowed us to customize it so that, for instance, the first violin has their own violin channel in the first channel,” Smith says. “And the user interface on the monitor engineer side is really powerful and allows us to load mixes for people and tweak things from there.”
Another example of how Prestonwood Baptist Church experiments first with, then gradually adopts new technologies is with their Riedel Bolero setup. What started out as a stand-alone Bolero wireless intercom system has grown into an expansive Riedel deployment. “Bolero was our gateway into the rest of the Riedel product line,” noted Bryan Bailey, director of media. “It has been a total game changer.”
“The challenge of our space took us down the Bolero wireless road, and that led us to try other Riedel products,” added Armando Escobedo, media operations director. With its location at the highest point in the area and its domed, metal-framed architecture, the worship center staff faced wireless transmission and reception challenges.
After finding that the initial Bolero installation overcame those challenges, the church invested in more Riedel technologies. The enhanced system adds a full Artist intercom ecosystem, including an Artist-1024 matrix, various SmartPanels plus additional Bolero beltpacks and antennas.
In addition, Prestonwood added a complete MediorNet video distribution system, with MicroN, Compact, and Modular units serving as video, audio, and network gateways. And while they initially chose MediorNet for video distribution, the technical team soon expanded its use, realizing the systems are also capable of distributing audio and communications signals, connecting all kinds of endpoints effectively.
“With the expansion of our Riedel communications and signal distribution infrastructure, we’ve evolved and improved our productions and events,” said engineer in charge Will Schaefer. “MediorNet’s ability to manage various signal types over a single fiber connection has been invaluable, and its creative routing capabilities have far exceeded our expectations, allowing us to try new things we couldn’t even think of doing before.”
Through its partnership with Broadcast Technical Services (BTS) to design and deploy the new Riedel systems, Prestonwood has improved the flexibility, reliability, and reach of communications, as well as signal distribution between its two campuses, 27 miles apart.
The expanded Riedel system was designed by consulting engineer Ryan Sartell, who worked with Schaefer and Riedel’s systems consultant services. BTS partnered with Riedel to oversee the deployment and integration of the new systems, with Sartell and Schaefer handling the on-site commissioning.
Prestonwood Baptist Church
- Capacity: 7,000
- Key Products: DiGiCo, KLANG, Riedel
- Integrators: Paragon 360, Spectrum Sound, BTS
Germantown Baptist Church, Germantown, TN
Paragon 360 was contracted in 2023 by Germantown Baptist in Germantown, TN for a large-scale, sanctuary and lobby renovation project that would include audio, video and lighting (AVL) systems, custom scenic and architectural elements, custom rigging and acoustical work.
Paragon was originally connected with Germantown via Todd Foster at Fulcrum Audio in March of 2022 where the conversations centered around immediate audio needs and a future sanctuary renovation. However, after a devastating water pipe burst on Christmas Day of 2022 left major damage to the lobby and sanctuary space, the conversations quickly changed in January of 2023.
With the extensive water damage from late 2022, the 3,000-seat sanctuary would have to be completely renovated from top to bottom. Paragon was tasked with a complete redesign of the main platform space with the goal of creating a warm and inviting space. This would include aesthetic changes to the entire space, and a redesign of the front in addition to updating AVL systems to current technology. Paragon worked alongside MNB Architecture on the project and together delivered an incredible sanctuary renovation.
The technology upgrades were extensive and incorporated replacing the existing PA system with a new Fulcrum PA system with Powersoft amplification that included mains, under balconies, front fills and subs. One of the biggest challenges was that the design criteria required the loudspeakers to remain behind existing soffits which required diligence in getting the right components to make that work.
Paragon also replaced the aging PM-1D’s with new DiGiCo Quantum consoles at FOH, monitors, and broadcast. All new stage monitoring and distribution was provided as well as new wireless microphones and IEM’s from Shure.
Paragon also utilized its signature choir monitoring system featuring (34) JBL Control One speakers. The new audio and acoustic design by Paragon called for extensive acoustical work in the space which resulted in over 10,000 square feet of FabriTrak product.
The renovation also included new video systems, LED lighting and scenic elements throughout the stage space and audience areas, and Paragon also worked in the adjoining lobby space. “Our decision to hire Paragon 360 was the right decision, and I would do it again,” said senior pastor Matt Brown.
Germantown Baptist Church
- Capacity: 3,000
- Key Products: Fulcrum Acoustic, DiGiCo
- Integrator: Paragon 360
Whitinsville Christian School Auditorium, Whitinsville, MA
After Whitinsville Christian School faced significant audio issues in its 400-seat auditorium, the school’s leadership reached out to Revelation, a nearby AV integrator, for an upgrade. With the previous system, white noise and electronic malfunctions impeded the quality of the school’s musical and theatrical performances.
“The original system was not that old, but it had a lot of issues that needed addressing,” said Anthony D’Elia, president of Revelation. “The school also did not want to install front fills below the stage because when the students were doing choirs, they would line up on the steps at the front of the stage and block the audio coming from the speakers.”
Revelation proposed the deployment of the EAW ADAPTive Series, featuring AC6 column loudspeakers and Otto subwoofers. The gear was flown in stacks of two in a left, right and center arrangement above the stage. This allowed for precisely directed audio so that sound could reach the front rows without reaching the back wall of the auditorium, which lacked acoustic treatment.
The installation process included a thorough evaluation of the existing rig points by a structural engineer to ensure safety and stability. Revelation’s system engineer and head of audio also conducted extensive tuning with measurement microphones for sonic precision.
The response from the Whitinsville Christian School community has been encouraging. “Everything has been working exceptionally for almost a year now,” said D’Elia. “The adaptability of the AC6 Loudspeakers has allowed for effective sound distribution, creating a more engaging experience for students performing live. Being able to run the system in a cardioid pattern and reject all the low-end frequency on the stage has been very helpful.”
Byron Flagg of Whitinsville Christian School credited the new system for optimizing sound quality without being overly intrusive in appearance. He added that the system was a good fit with the auditorium’s acoustics, which are optimized with live orchestra and choir music in mind and also commended the on-board processing. “Having critical system parameters locked inside the speakers ensures that the system remains properly tuned for as long as possible.”
Whitinsville Christian School Auditorium
- Capacity: 400
- Key Products: EAW ADAPTive Series
- Integrator: Revelation
