With ever changing congregational needs, the New Life Assembly of God in Oak Grove, Mo., recently embarked on audio-visual upgrades to its 1,100-seat sanctuary. Over the years, the church had tried a number of different solutions. As Cates Audio of Grain Valley, Mo., stepped in to evaluate the church’s needs, its experts came to the determination that a line array solution was necessary.
“A point-and-shoot just didn’t work in the facility layout,” explains Project Manager Brian Hance with Cates Audio. “The church is so wide, it required us to use a left-center-right configuration. And with a balcony, we had to take into account the shading and splash that creates.”
Line array workability
The system is comprised of three clusters each with four HDL20-A line array modules. “The line array gave us the ability to cover all points. The pattern of the RCF cabinets let us slot sound into places that were not being reached with the previous system and provided a comfortable, evenly distributed sound,” Hance reports.
Choosing the RCF HDL20-A active dual 10-inch, two-way line array module, was an easy decision, according to Hance. In considering other solutions, he notes, “We found with many of the speaker cabinets we evaluated [that] the horns were so harsh. The 2-inch high frequency driver of the RCF was very smooth, and the box was very musical.”
Cates added two SUB8004-AS 18-inch subwoofers on the floor in front of the stage. “This was critical in our positioning so as not to create ‘power alleys’ that occur when subwoofers are set off to the sides of the room, as is so often the case.”
Versatility achieved
The church offers its congregation three different service formats. A very traditional, low-key service; a contemporary service; and a rock-and-roll service. “With the RCF, it didn’t matter,” says Hance, “whether at 80 dB or 100 dB, the performance was the same.” Once the church heard the speakers, they knew the upgrade allowed them to meet the variety of needs of each service type.
Cates Audio (www.cates-audio.com) is a sister company to Grain Valley, Mo,-based Blue Valley Public Safety, a mass communications and emergency systems management company that focuses on the public address needs of their clientele.
RCF USA Inc. is a wholly owned Edison, N.J.–based branch of The RCF Group, a privately held Italian conglomerate.
