When the congregation of this beautiful and very traditional protestant church decided it was time for a new sound system, they asked us to help.
We worked with a technology committee that included the pastor and the sexton, who was also in charge of the church’s music program. Their primary need was for better speech intelligibility. As in many older churches, the plaster walls and hardwood floors in the sanctuary provided a great effect for the choir and organ but made understanding the pastor’s voice, especially when amplified, difficult at best.
We met with the committee, listened to their needs and concerns, then designed a pro audio system based on a Bose line array, which would allow us to keep most of the sound pressure on the people in the pews and off the highly reverberative walls and ceilings.
We wrote up a proposal with a detailed scope of work and, once approved, created an acoustic model of the church using Bose Modeler software. This model allowed us to predict the exact acoustical properties of the new sound system, helped us choose the best possible components, optimize their placement and verify our original concept. We were also able to use the model with a piece of gear called the Bose Auditioner to allow the committee to hear a close approximation of what the new system would sound like when it was installed in their building.
It was not necessary at Holliston, but in more difficult environments, we will create the acoustical model (for a modest fee) at an early stage of the process, then use it to choose components and create the initial designs. Generally there’s some give and take between the optimal and the practical, as budget constraints are nearly always a consideration in pro audio systems.
Once we installed the new sound system, we commissioned it using a combination of computer tools and expert judgement, carefully adjusting the gains, filters, equalization and other settings of the audio processor that was part of the electronics of the system.
In any fine sound system, there’s a trade-off between setting up digital presets and allowing an operator to tune the system for a particular event. At Holliston, we built a fairly hands-off system, with presets for weekly services and routine events, such as weddings or funerals. But we also included the electronics and controls needed to tie in a digital mixing console for special concerts and events that the church holds. At these events, they normally have a skilled operator available.