EV’ SX LOUDSPEAKERS OPEN UP THE POSSIBILITIES AT PHOENIX CHURCH’S MULTI-PURPOSE SPACE

Jim LaRue (owner of LES) has specialized in providing complete AV systems for Churches for over 20 years. LES works with manufacturers like EV to provide personalized attention to detail in bringing the Pro Audio elements of these systems to their clients. LES Systems Engineer and Designer Stephen Lund explained the project from a problem/solution perspective:

“This is a new gymnasium/multi-purpose room at First Institutional Baptist Church, near downtown Phoenix. The space is also going to be used as a youth service venue, so it needed a sound system with high fidelity and full-bandwidth coverage. Of course, being designed as a gymnasium with block walls, there were acoustical issues. Our first step was to recommend additional absorptive material across the whole ceiling. We did EASE™ intelligibility plot predictions, both with and without the ceiling material, which showed substantial benefits from the treatment. It also allowed us to arrive at an exploded cluster design with delay speakers. The plots were instrumental in showing the client the advantage of delay speakers to even out loudness and intelligibility. We often use this speaker configuration to also achieve better gain before feedback. The delay speakers give a definite increase in potential acoustic gain (PAG). Since we anticipate people using area microphones for choirs and multiple lavaliers for dramas and lectures, we wanted to give them as much PAG as possible. The delays also really help to direct the sound more precisely to listeners in this highly reverberant space.“

Lund continued: “We put an Sx600PI in the center of the cluster, with an HP1240 horn mounted directly underneath it for immediate downfill. One Sx300PI is flown on either side of the Sx600 for side fill. Five more Sx300PIs make up the main delay ring. We then positioned three more Sx300PIs immediately over the bleachers. These can be independently used during sports events to get sound to the crowd without pumping too much sound into the entire room from the main speakers. In this “game’ setting, we also have extra EQ ’punch’ to cut through when they really start cheering. Despite having to work around retractable backboards and lighting fixtures, we were able to implement this design to achieve a great functioning system. The Sx series speakers gave us a great sound at a moderate cost.“

Why the Sx600? Lund explained: “It’s a two-element vertical line array in a single enclosure that also comes with a full range of flying hardware and mounting accessories. Stacking what amounts to an Sx300 and an Sb121 together in a single package makes the installation much easier than using separate components. It offers the installer the ideal balance of power and precision, allowing high levels of output and intelligibility in acoustically challenging environments like this. Being a well thought-out unit, it made a great choice as the primary source loudspeaker. It solves a lot of the problems system designers face every day, as this installation proves.“

Lund added: “Through this thorough system design and installation process we were able to exceed the Church’s expectations, which is our primary goal. They have conferences, live music, speech, and a variety of other adult and youth-oriented activities in the room, and now they have a flexible system with the clarity and coverage to make it all sound great.“ http://www.lesaudio.com

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Electro-Voice (EV), is a professional audio brand of Telex Communications, Inc., a leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of sophisticated audio, wireless, multimedia, aircraft, broadcast and communications equipment for commercial, professional and industrial customers. Telex Communications markets its products in more than 80 countries under the brands EV, Telex, RTS, Dynacord, Midas, Klark Teknik and others.

Guy Low

Public Relations Producer

Telex Communications, Inc.

12000 Portland Ave. South

Burnsville, MN 55337

Phone: 952-736-3935

Fax: 952-736-4582

guy.low@us.telex.com

James Edlund

Public Relations Manager

Telex Communications, Inc.

12000 Portland Ave. South

Burnsville, MN 55337

Phone: 952-736-3901

Fax: 952-736-4582

james.edlund@us.telex.com