Bethany Wesleyan Church unveils Varia solution
Published: WORSHIP
WORLD: Bethany Wesleyan Church in the US recently opened its new 1,600 seat sanctuary and multipurpose room, equipped with a custom designed sound system based around Renkus-Heinz’ Varia modular point source line array.
‘The church wanted a space that would be versatile enough to accommodate everything from worship services to concerts and even sporting events,’ explained Allen ‘Doc’ Nagle of Events Staging. ‘It's essentially a gymnasium with a stage at one end and removable seating! However, thanks to good communication with the architect during the planning phase we were able to take steps to reduce standing waves and reflectivity.’
The sound system needed to keep the sound tightly focused on the room's key listening areas, which could change via a variety of room configurations. It also had to accommodate a wide range of programme material, from spoken word to different types of musical content.
‘The Varia system is perfect because it provides the best options for placing sound exactly where you need it in the room, as opposed to spilling it all over the place,’ said Mr Nagle. ‘The Varia's transitional waveguide allows you to vary the horizontal coverage from the top of the array to the bottom, which was perfect for shaping the coverage pattern off the reflective surfaces.’
The system comprises left and right hangs, each with five Varia VAX101 series cabinets. A centre-fill of two Varia 90 degree cabinets was also installed, as were eight PNX212-SUB subwoofers (four per side) into the face of the stage. An Avid Venue Profile console sits at front of house, while four CFX121M wedges provide onstage monitoring.
‘The Varia made all the difference in this installation,’ added Mr Nagle. ‘It allowed us to easily pinpoint exactly where the sound should be in the room while avoiding any unwanted interactions. It sounds amazing.’
Meanwhile, an ancillary chapel and cafe incorporate a Renkus-Heinz IC7-II steerable array with two PNX212 series subwoofers. Ashly Audio NE2424m matrix processors handle speaker management for the entire facility while providing a selection of easily recalled presets for the church's all volunteer crew.
Three 16,000-lumen projectors point towards three, 6m screens positioned left-to-right across the back of the stage. Finally, multiple HD PTZ and manned cameras and a Pro Tools system capture weekly services for distribution on DVD, with plans already in place to expand into Internet streaming and live broadcast.
‘This is a really dynamic and active congregation,’ concluded Mr Nagle. ‘They're looking to entice national worship tours, as well as setting the stage for broadcast and streaming. The combination of the Varia and Avid systems ensures them a level of sound quality and technical capability they've never had before. I'm confident they're set for many years to come.’