Maritsally Photography
The Abba Pater Church in Arecibo, Puerto Rico is now worshipping in a new facility.
The church was relocated to a larger structure and underwent a complete retrofit that included a new sound system comprised of Martin Audio CDD speakers and CSX subwoofers.
Given the importance of the Abba Pater's Music Ministry, Church Director Pastor Jose Montijo Soler collaborated extensively with consultant-integrator Jose David Irizarry to find the best sounding audio system that would still work within the church's budgetary constraints.
As Pastor Montijo Soler explains, “We looked at several proposals from top-tier manufacturers and eventually chose Martin Audio because it enabled us to obtain a high quality system at a price that made sense. Due to the ceiling heights in the new space, the Martin Audio CDD speakers worked perfectly based on their compact dimensions. They met all of our expectations from audio quality and coverage to price and aesthetics.”
Consultant Irizarry echoes the Pastor's sentiments: “During various meetings, the Pastor pointed out very clearly that he wanted the best equipment for the church. Being a chemical engineer with a Master's and PhD. Degrees, I was certain he really had a clear understanding of what makes certain equipment brand names stand out. We were all impressed with the clarity, power and musicality of the CDD and moreover, the price was excellent for what they were getting.”
The Martin Audio system was provided by Caribbean Broadcast Suppliers, Inc. (CBS) and consists of 5 CDD12 above the altar with 4 CDD6 as delays mounted half way back in the room where the ceiling gets lower, and 4 CSX212 subwoofers in special niches on each side of the proscenium. The system also includes Martin Audio MA3.0 and MA2.0 power amps and a Midas PRO2 console.
It is worth noting that due to a customs hold at the shipment's arrival, the speakers were released at 11am on the day of the church's opening and all of the speakers were installed in less than 3½ hours, ready to go even an hour before the service started.
Summing up, Pastor Montijo Soler points out, “the service during the installation was excellent, from the support of our consultant to CBS and Martin Audio sales agent Alex Rojas from PRO AVLS, and it was second to none. Once the system was installed and configured, the sound in our church was spectacular––the instruments and vocals have a unique definition and the coverage is exceptional throughout the space.”
Irizarry adds, “During the inauguration night, comments started pouring in immediately from musicians and church members. I was astonished by the sound from the FOH position, it sounded like you were mixing in front of two studio monitors and I had to constantly remind myself that it was live.
“Some people said it sounded like a CD, others, in addition to praising the Lord, praised the punch and low-end clarity provided by the CSX212 subs. That night there were many pastors from nearby churches assisting this event. The Senior Pastor told me that many of them were asking him for information about the sound system and were interested in acquiring Martin Audio for their churches. This system is world-class quality at an absolutely affordable price. If I would have the opportunity to do this project all over again, I wouldn't change a thing!”