Acoustic challenge met by dampb
Published: WORSHIP
US: St Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids is listed on the United State’s National Register of Historic Places and is essentially the work of architect Louis Sullivan, the so-called ‘father of skyscrapers’. The church building remains true to Sullivan’s clean modernist design, and in the 97 years since inauguration just the lightest of touches has been required to keep this building aligned to purpose, not least a new organ in 1946. However, the acoustic of the sanctuary had always been problematical.
‘The church’s acoustic is quite a challenge, as the Sanctuary is a semi-circle,’ said Wes Nygren, the man responsible for technological changes at this most traditional of churches. Indeed the shape of the room produced a confused sound image but, due to the historic listing, acoustic modification of the church’s interior demanded a very particular sensitivity. Mr Nygren duly approached Jason Kartak of Audio Logic, based some 300 miles away in Bloomington, Minnesota. ‘The room is large,’ Mr Kartak said, ‘it holds a congregation of 800, so some amplification had always been desirable, but the 1980s-vintage horn based system produced more problems than it solved. To the front of the pulpit is one huge parabola and reflections from the front edge of the balcony were a disaster.
‘For the hall itself, we ended up having to create suspension systems concealed above the ceiling for the three clusters we eventually installed. We drew up a design based on d&b audiotechnik’s White range, a new range of loudspeakers that launched when we were maybe 12 months into the project. The White loudspeakers, in this instance the xA-Series, provide a really elegant solution for a visually sensitive environment such as this, as well as proving highly economical. The three clusters are identical; each has a 10A-D 110-degrees cabinet at the top, and then beneath a pair of 10A 75-degrees boxes flanks another 10A-D. The services here are very much in the traditional fashion, heavily speech-based with choir and organ accompaniment to the hymns. However, there is a discreet nod to contemporary worship, and as such we have installed three 27A-SUBs, an inherently cardioid cabinet, in an array up in the organ loft.’
‘Audio Logic has been very attentive throughout as far as any problems are concerned,’ added Mr Nygren. ‘When they first presented their proposal we price checked, and they were very competitive. As for the new d&b system, it has definitely improved the situation.’