Fixed Mixes: Multimedia Help
Mclean Bible Church upgrades sound & vision
Situated in the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC, McLean Bible Church
has become one of the Metro area’s most dynamic and rapidly-growing churches.
With a congregation currently numbering in the thousands, their unique
contemporary services include diverse multimedia experiences along with
a blending of modern and traditional music, video and original drama presentations.
A TWO PHASE PROJECT
The church’s vision has consistently been to teach the practical, everyday
Bible applications and to provide fellowship for people who don’t have
a traditional church background. Exponential growth facilitated the purchase
of a 23,000sq.ft(2,138m.sq), multi-story office/ warehouse building on
a 51acre tract, formerly the headquarters of the National Wildlife Federation.
Site development is occurring in two phases. The first, Phase I, (see
Photo #1) was completed in January 2001 and included renovation of the
first floor to provide an interim auditorium with seating for more than
1100, plus nursery and classroom space, two large meeting rooms and offices.
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Phase II, currently in design, will include construction of a new
2400-seat performing arts auditorium. When completed, this building
will boast almost 280,000sq.ft (26,013m.sq) of finished space. In
the meantime, McLean will utilize both its current and the interim
Phase I facility to hold up to eight services on Saturday and Sunday.
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Audio and media systems were installed by Rockville(MD)-based RCI Systems.
(see Photo #2) The audio system was one of the first to utilize the DME32
Digital Mixing Engine—Yamaha’s versatile DSP processor—for a house of
worship application, with three “engines” dedicated exclusively for speaker
control.
THE DIGITAL
Paired with the DME32 units is a single AD-824 A/D converter and eleven
DA-824 D/A converters. “Every amp input has signal being routed through
a DME,” explains Jim McCandliss of SIE. “They control time, EQ and filters
on every box in the room.
“Experience has shown that to create consistent L-C-R systems, you must
have individual control of every box in the system. This requires a lot
of digital outputs and can get very expensive in a large system. But with
128 outputs available on the DME32, we got the functions we needed at
an affordable price.”
The DME32 is a 32-input, 32-output processor, expandable to 128X inputs/outputs
with 32 cascade busses. Applications include loudspeaker system control,
matrix/routing, multi-effects processing, surround mixing, submixing and
format conversion. Parameter adjustments, scene changes and other functions
can be accessed from the front panel, using an intuitive “block diagram”
style programming, proprietary software and an outboard computer.
“The design of this building wants to be a church,” adds McCandliss. “However,
in function, it will behave like a performing arts center. This church
has intentionally taken ministry to a whole new level.
“Their weekly programs are very diverse and require a lot of technical
support. This facility, accordingly, needed a lot of versatility with
several special features and functions.”
The main, “multipurpose” auditorium contains a stage with two seating
zones. “The main seating area is on the sloped floor,” he notes. “The
second is a raised, terraced area in the back of the room, where the seating
is raked like a theater. We had to design a speaker system that would
work with the room. It had to be transparent and provide sufficient coverage
for two distinct areas, yet act as one system.”
The main six channel speaker system is comprised of eleven L-C-R clusters
over the stage, containing EAW ASR665 (3-way 60x45) and EAW ASR695 (3-way
90x45) cabinets, all driven by Crest V-1500 amplifiers. “With the near
throws on the bottom and far throws on top, the main speakers cover the
main floor and continue coverage into the terraced area in the back,”
McCandliss explains. “Four EAW CR-58 cabinets act as stereo surrounds,
with eight EAW SB-180 subs providing bottom end.”
ZONE TWO
The secondary speaker zone, the “mezzanine fill,” consists of twelve EAW
MK-5194 (2-way 90x45) cabinets, also driven by Crest V-1500 amps. “Using
the routing and delay options in the DME32 software, we were able to create
an L-C-R image back there as well,” he adds.
“The low ceiling over the terraced seats creates a different acoustical
environment than in the high ceiling space over the main seating, but
the flexibility and component options in the DME32 allowed us to make
both parts of the room sound the same.”
To accommodate the stage area and the two catwalks, a corner of the building
had to be raised almost fifty feet.
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The three-sided stage itself measures over 50ft(15.2m) from front to back. Due to this depth, a series of movable walls with reflective and absorptive properties was also installed. “Depending on the musical or dramatic event taking place, those
panels can be moved via a track system,” says McCandliss. “They
can be reversed so that the appropriate surface is facing the stage,
which changes both appearance and stage acoustics.” Monitor speakers include ten EAW model SM-122E and a pair of EAW model SM-155E, also driven by Crest V-1500 amps. Effects processors include Lexicon PCM-80, T.C. Electronic 3000, Eventide H7000 and Yamaha SPX990. Microphones include a selection of Sennheiser Evolution Series 545 wireless handheld and 501 lavalier units. |
Sound reinforcement systems for Phase I’s two community rooms are a combination
of new components and existing pieces brought in from McLean’s former
facilities. Speakers include ten EAW MK-5195 (2-way) cabinets and a pair
of EAW LA-400 subs, driven by Crest V-1500 amps. An additional Yamaha
DME32 provides speaker control. Consoles include a new Yamaha GA32/12
and existing M2000/32.
TOP DOWN DYNAMICS
“This church is one of the most dynamic groups we’ve ever worked with
in terms of music, drama and graphics,” McCandliss notes. “There are a
lot of creative people in this congregation - many who have even come
from ‘production’ backgrounds.
“Senior Pastor Lon Solomon has a defined concept of how space should be
designed,” adds Schatzman. “A first-time visitor should be able to walk
in and think, ‘they designed this for me.’ It has to be inspiring and
most importantly, make them want to return. We think they’ll definitely
be back.”
September/October 2001 Live Sound International