ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 2008: The Mother Church of the North Georgia Conference of United Methodists - Atlanta First United Methodist Church (AFUMC) - in downtown Atlanta is steeped in 150 years of compelling history; awash in glorious light filtered through priceless Tiffany stained glass; home to one of the world's most magnificent pipe organs; and blessed with a spirited congregation that cuts across the socio-economic fabric of Atlanta.
The bell that hangs in its belfry rang out over the town to announce
Sherman's tragic advance at the end of the Civil War, and there are several
references to the church in Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind" (it was
then known as Wesley Chapel).
When Pastor Wayne Johnson came to the church in 2003, he found that
parishioners were justifiably fed up with a woefully inadequate sound system that was far from worthy of the church's distinguished past. "You could see
what the previous system designers had tried to do, however unsuccessfully,"
commented David Clark, operations manager of dB Audio and Video. "Because
the inside of church is so aesthetically immaculate and includes a near
floor-to ceiling pipe organ smack in the center of the front wall, they were
hugely constrained in where they could place speakers without messing up the
aesthetic. And because the pattern control of the existing conventional
loudspeakers was minimal at best, their odd placement led to dramatically
uneven coverage, terrible gain before feedback, and lousy intelligibility."
Shortly after Johnson's arrival, AFUMC was given a significant endowment
donation to renovate their cherished pipe organ, and the pastor jumped at the opportunity to renovate the sound system at the same time. He hired dB
Audio and Video, who had very successfully worked on two projects at his
previous church, Johns Creek United Methodist. "Wayne was very clear about
what he wanted," recalled Hedden. "He wanted a great sound system, but
didn't want gawky-looking speakers hanging all over the place - especially
in front of the organ!"
Clark and the dB team were prepared to meet that challenge - a challenge
that no other designer had yet met at AFUMC - because they were armed with
the patented technologies of Danley loudspeakers, which deliver uniquely
phase-coherent full-range content with sharp pattern control even at low
frequencies, as well as deep, robust subwoofer content. Thirty-five feet
above the sanctuary floor, dB flew two Danley SH-50 and three SH-100 full-range loudspeakers complemented by two Danley TH-115 subwoofers.
Because the Danleys do not require bi or tri-amplification, dB was able to save AFUMC money with a modest rack of Yamaha power amps.
"Conventional loudspeakers wouldn't function properly in the same location,"
said Clark. "Their poor pattern control would spray energy all over the ceiling and walls - and you're obviously not going to put acoustical
treatments over the Tiffany! So you'd be forced to lower the speakers, but then they'd be in the way of the organ, which was also unacceptable. So
you'd start sticking speakers in odd places to cobble together some kind of coverage. This is exactly the way we found the pitiful system before our
renovation!"
"The Danley system," Clark continued, "really enabled a respect for the past
with an eye to the future that was previously impossible to achieve. It's a high-horsepower system to be sure. And although they'll seldom use it
full-tilt, the headroom is nice to have." Indeed, AFUMC recently amended their traditional services with a Sunday night contemporary service that
will press the Danleys a little harder.
In addition to new speakers and amplifiers, dB Audio and Video completely
gutted and rewired the entire system. A Yamaha 01V96 digital mixer was
installed to help keep the front-of-house mix position small and
unobtrusive. This console supplies a digital feed to an additional 01V96 console installed in the broadcast suite located in the church basement.
AFUMC airs its services on a local cable affiliate.
Sadly, Johnson died unexpectedly from a rapidly advancing illness before the
project was complete and never witnessed the fulfillment of his request. His
death shook the church, and Pastor Jim Ellison stepped in to see the job's
completion.
Tom Danley is one of the most innovative loudspeaker designers in the
industry today and is recognized worldwide as a pioneer for "outside the box" thinking in professional audio technology. His legendary designs have
been utilized in projects ranging from ground zero bombing simulation, jet
engine active noise cancellation, and sonic boom generators to critical
listening mastering studios, high-end home theatre, and houses of worship around the world.
Danley Sound Labs
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