BROOKLYN PARK, MINNESOTA: When Bethlehem Baptist Church opens its doors October 4 and 5, it will be inviting guests to witness a revival, not of
faith in a higher power, but rather in the ability of a set of loudspeakers to transform a church's sound system.
On those days, attendees of systems integrator Audio Video Electronics' (AVE) annual Sight and Sound Seminar will be able to hear for themselves how 14 Sound Physics Lab loudspeakers
helped make a former cavernous industrial warehouse a friendly environment
for the kind of music only a Baptist congregation could produce.
AVE, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, chose the Minneapolis church for its annual
AV education and product showcase event so it could tout the speaker
solution it devised as part of a broader AV upgrade it provided the church.
"This project turned out so well we thought we should highlight it,"
says
AVE president Stefan Svärd. "We're going to talk about the reasons
we chose
the SPL speakers and we'll showcase the speaker technology as part of a
mixing seminar we have scheduled."
With many of its end user attendees expected to come from the church
community, which is migrating toward better sound solutions for their houses
of worship, Svärd says exhibiting a successful installation may convince
more in the church market of the potential for well-conceived sound system
upgrades.
Four distinct SPL models, - B-DEAPs, td1s, runts and triks - were largely
responsible for giving the church its new sound capabilities. Svärd selected
SPL speakers for the job after learning about the technology they employ at
a recent National Systems Contractor Association show.
"I've always been a fan of using accurate, high-quality speakers in my
jobs
and I had heard of ServoDrive (the name that preceded Sound Physics Labs)
because the line was well known for its line of powerful subwoofers," Svärd
says. "We had a chance to meet with them and we were able to learn more
about the technology behind them. I was fascinated by it."
Another reason Svärd chose the SPL products was the ability to accurately
model them in the application. Using data compiled for the first time ever
on the SPL speakers, as part of the popular EASE model, Svärd was able
to
determine exactly how they could be configured in the venue to overcome
acoustical challenges and deliver the needed coverage. More importantly, the
modeling was able to show the church decision makers that the AVE solution
would work. "We were able to get a visual on how they would work. And after
seeing that we went with that solution across the board for the church,"
Svärd says.
AVE's layout involved installing a cluster of three SPL-td1s in front of the
stage area, and another cluster of two halfway back in the room, which seats
about 1,200. In addition, three SPL-runts were placed on the stage for
front-fill purposes, and four SPL-triks were tucked up against the ceiling -
two on either side of the stage. Also, under the front of the stage, AVE
placed two SPL B-DEAP subwoofers. They were placed in specially constructed
vaults.
Given the difficult acoustics in the former warehouse, and the need to
disperse sound over a large area, the SPLs were the ideal solution because
of the unique technology they employ.
"Since they're passively driven boxes, the SPLs made for a cost-effective
solution, and you don't need four-way crossovers and a bunch of power amps,"
he says. "Because they're horn-loaded, you get good pattern control and
an
ability to keep the sound from bouncing off the walls and around the room.
Their sound quality is phenomenal, and they work almost right out of the box
without a lot of fiddling."
Given the tight budget constraints he was working under, Svärd says the
SPLs
made sense. Their excellent coverage and power helped overcome acoustical
challenges that couldn't be met with potentially costly acoustical
treatments to the inside of the facility.
Having successfully outfitted Bethlehem's new, long-awaited home with a
state-of-the-art sound system, AVE is now contemplating additional
opportunities with the client. Svärd says there's a chance AVE might be
tapped to install a similar SPL-based solution in the church's other
facility, which is still employed as their downtown location.
Meanwhile, though, the church is enjoying its newfound sound capabilities.
With the sound system on display for the rest of the metro area's church community
in early October, chances are that at some point in the future, Bethlehem won't
be the only church with outstanding sound.
Audio Video Electronics to hold its Sight &
Sound Seminar at Bethlehem
Baptist Church October 4-5 with a full complement of Sound Physics Labs
loudspeakers
Sound Physics Labs is the parent company of ServoDrive, Inc. ServoDrive
manufactures the industry benchmark BassTech7 and ContraBass subwoofers.
Sound Physics Labs is responsible for the complete line of Unity
loudspeakers.
ServoDrive: www.servodrive.com
Sound Physics Labs: www.soundphysics.com
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THE SIGHT
AND SOUND SEMINAR PLEASE CALL: (763) 561-0433
