Bethlehem Baptist Church’s newly equipped sanctuary
On October 4 and 5, 2005, Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minn. will host systems integrator Audio Video Electronics’ (AVE) annual Sight and Sound Seminar, where attendees can hear how the church’s newly installed 14 Sound Physics Lab loudspeakers helped turn a former cavernous industrial warehouse into a house of worship filled with spiritual music.
AVE, based in Brooklyn Park, Minn., 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.
Four distinct SPL models— B-DEAPs, td1s, runts and triks—were largely responsible for giving the church its new sound capabilities.
Using data compiled for the first time ever on the SPL speakers, as part of the popular EASE model, AVE president Stefan 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.
“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,” Svärd 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.”
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.
Visit www.soundphysics.com for more information.
