Established in 1930, Vancouver’s Glad Tidings Church has occupied three different locations, moving to its current site in 1963 and built a new 1,900-capacity sanctuary in 1983 – which remains its home today. While the structure of the sanctuary has changed little over the years, it has evolved technicallt, the most recent development being the installation of a Halo-C compact line array from British manufacturer, EM Acoustics.
Recognising the need to replace an aging point source system, Glad Tidings approached Canadian production company and A/V integrator, Gearforce, headed by Bryan Adams’ long-term monitor engineer, Rob Nevalainen.
With the touring scene on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, Nevalainen had turned his expertise to designing audio systems: ‘This year Glad Tidings has a new pastor who was keen to revitalise the building and grow the congregation. One of his most important criteria was to ensure that his words could be heard clearly throughout the auditorium so that every member of the congregation could benefit from the same worship experience, regardless of where they were seated.’
Gearforce was asked to specify a sound system that could deliver exceptional audio at a reasonable price point. Specifically, Nevalainen and co-designer Dakota Poncilius were looking for a system with a high level of predictability and even propagation. ‘We looked at all of the major manufacturers, and EM Acoustics came out ahead, says Nevalainen. ‘They were the only ones that matched all of the criteria, so it was an easy choice.’
Gearforce designed a system based on a central hang of six Halo-C cabinets supplemented by a pair of EMS-129s in a column configuration per side, and a further EMS-129 per side to cover the outer room areas. Low frequency support is handled by an array of six EM Acoustics S-18 compact reflex subwoofers. Six EMS-41 for front fill and a further seven EMS-41 under-balcony fills complete the install. The system is powered by EM Acoustics Advanced System Amplifiers – two DQ20s and a DQ6 – which also handle system routing and processing.
The church’s previous sound system was concealed behind a scrim above the stage, a consideration Nevalainen and Poncilious decided to retain. ‘We only had an aperture of six feet deep to work with, meaning that we had to use a system that allowed us to achieve sufficient vertical coverage through a small opening as well as even horizontal coverage,’ Vevalainen explains. ‘The Halo-C compact line array supported by EMS-129s and an S-18 subwoofer array allowed us to deliver a consistent audio experience from the near seats right to the upper balcony where previously there was no coverage at all.’
‘The sound clarity we have achieved with the new system is amazing,’ reports Glad Tidings Sound Director, Bien Bernadino. ‘Properly tuned to the space, it delivers balanced sound throughout the spectrum. In particular, it eliminates the spikes in the high and mid-high frequencies that used to be a huge issue with our old system. It also delivers the punch on the low end without the congregation complaining that it’s too loud.
‘Another major improvement is in coverage – we can now cover the sanctuary from end to end with no dead spots or uneven coverage. Coupled with the front fills and under-balcony system, we now have clear, intelligible audio throughout the room. Everybody benefits from the same audio experience at the same intensity, regardless of where they are seated. It’s made a huge difference to the worship experience.’
‘Haol-C was an excellent choice for this application,’ Nevalainen concludes. ‘It’s laser-precise directivity, especially in the vertical plane, allowed us to precisely target the areas required whilst keeping energy off the stage which greatly increased gain before feedback. Supported by the rest of the system, coverage throughout the venue is smooth, even and crystal clear. We’re very pleased with the results from our side, and the client is delighted.’
More: www.emacoustics.co.uk
