Newly built St Andrews Church opts for Electro-Voice
Published: WORSHIP
UK: A new church has been consecrated in the British suburb of Crawley, near London, with an Electro-Voice audio installation serving the varied needs of its congregation. Named St Andrew's Church, the Anglican house of worship has been constructed to replace the previous church of the same name which has served the local community since 1969.
With the original church having fallen into disrepair, the decision was taken to construct a new St Andrew’s seven years ago. The now completed building boasts modern architecture and a versatile audio installation that is capable of serving a diverse spread of events ranging from christenings, weddings and normal services, to concerts and theatrical productions.
Creative Audio Visual Solutions was the company entrusted with designing the new installation. ‘These always pose a challenge,’ reflected sales manager Rob Alvis. ‘On the one hand, the sound reinforcement system has to be versatile, offering the benefits of the latest technology and meeting the requirements of a wide variety of applications. On the other, it has to be a system that users with very little technical expertise can operate without problems. A further factor is that a way must always be found to deliver uncompromised sound quality without compromising the church's budget into the bargain.’
A series of room simulations combined with acoustic calculations based on the architect's drawings helped the company to determine its chosen solution. The final install comprises four white EV ZX5 loudspeakers flown above the altar with two TX1181 subwoofers placed on the floor to enhance the low frequency range. Five powered ZXA1 monitors are also on hand to provide foldback to the various ensembles that perform in the church. Power is provided via two Electro-Voice CPS 2.9 amplifiers and one CPS 2.12, while two Electro-Voice DC-One processors have been provided for control.
For mixing, Creative Audio Visual Solutions has installed a wall panel loaded with presets, meaning the church does not have to employ a sound engineer.
‘We have obtained excellent results with Electro-Voice installations on numerous occasions in the past,’ continued Mr Alvis. He added praise for the ZX1 floor monitors, commenting: ‘They are equally well suited to live music and the spoken word, even running very softly with little or no power, they still perform exquisitely."