L-Acoustics takes the high road
Published: WORSHIP
UK: AdLib Audio’s specialist installation division has completed the design, supply and commissioning of an L-Acoustics XTi sound system at the brand new Chapel of the Smithton-Culloden & Nairn Free Church, located just east of Inverness in the beautiful Scottish Highlands.
The weekly main chapel worship services frequently draw capacity attendances of up to 400 people, and they required a dynamic audio system to provide complete room coverage for spoken word services, A/V presentations and worship group musical performances. Smithton’s technical manager David Eglinton contacted L-Acoustics UK, whose technical manager Stuart Down discussed some initial loudspeaker options, also advising Eglinton to contact AdLib to undertake and realise the project. AdLib’s installations team, led by Roger Kirby and John Hughes, offered additional sonic advice and a detailed audio design for the church.
L-Acoustics’ Soundvision modelling software was used to map the church’s acoustic spaces and virtually optimise the audio coverage, a task completed without a site visit due to the rapid construction schedule. Instead AdLib’s design team relied on photographic images of the room, their own expertise and AutoCAD plans provided by the architects.
The system design features four flown L-Acoustics 12XTi speakers supported by two ground level SB15P subs, positioned towards either side of the elevated performance space. For the arrayed seating, two additional 8XTis are flown to cover the wider stall seating either side of the room. To blend in with the brilliant white internal architecture, all the flown speakers and associated hardware have a matching white painted finish.
‘The loudspeakers deliver a clear, accurate, naturally defined response for spoken word services,’ commented Mr Eglinton, ‘and a well balanced tone at the higher sound pressure levels required for the worship and youth group performances. The white-coated L-Acoustics Xti range blends inconspicuously into the space and aesthetics of the room, offering minimal distraction and sounding fantastic.’