Expanding the mix at Acts Christian Church
Published: WORSHIP
SOUTH AFRICA: The senior pastor at Acts Christian Church is Peter de Fin, a former touring sound engineer. With that being the case, audio quality is of high importance.
Acts is a New Testament church comprising two campuses in the city of Midrand: one a 2,500-seat sanctuary in Glen Austin, the other venue in Vorna Valley that accommodates 600 seated congregants. And, with the congregation continuing to grow at both sites, the church required a higher channel count and additional monitor sends to facilitate intelligible audio during its contemporary services, as well as flexibility. It was decided that a new digital mixing solution was needed.
‘We use quality microphones, loudspeakers and instruments so it was important to us that the console didn’t become a bottleneck in process,’ explains Pastor de Fin. The church’s existing setup involved a Midas 3.0 desk and a Pro3, and the pastor was keen to stick with the brand, purchasing a Pro X and Pro1, while five DL stage boxes to replace the Pro3. ‘We love Midas as a brand and the new desks not only look great, but sound great and are very easy to use.’
The Pro X has been connected to a Neutron engine that is hidden behind the scenes at the Glen Austin venue and serves as a distribution rack for the Midas inputs and outputs. A DL153 has been installed in the media room to handle the audio sends from radio mics and A/V outputs, while another has been deployed as a stage box for use with any extra outboard equipment or kit brought in by visiting artists. Meanwhile, the Vorna Valley facility has been equipped with the Pro1 alongside a DL153, DL152 and DL251.
To free up the sound engineer and enable them to concentrate on the FOH mix during services, Acts Christian Church is also using the Pro Series Mixtender iPad app. This allows the members of the church band and any visiting musicians to control their own mixes through 12 stereo sends.
‘Using the latest Pro X software has been really fun and our volunteers love the Midas experience,’ concludes the senior pastor. ‘Once you have the freedom of more channels you quickly grow into using more capacity so we’re already using more than we thought, and that flexibility is incredible for us.’