After years of struggling with its audio system, the 3,500-seat Christ’s Chapel at Oral Roberts University (ORU) in Tulsa, Oklahoma has been blessed with a new installation.
The upgrade to a Meyer Sound Mica line array loudspeaker system has brought a revival of musical impact – and spoken word clarity – to the twice-weekly student services as well as other events in the chapel.
‘I sang through the old system for almost a year, and I can tell you it was time for it to go,’ says Wayne Lee Jr, recently appointed as ORU’s Director of Student Worship & Media Production. ‘This new system gives us a sweet sound that extends to every seat in the building. You feel the energy of our contemporary worship, but there’s no place in the room where your ears hurt.’
The choice of a Meyer Sound system was due in large part to Dr Mark Rutland, ORU’s new president. When Rutland came to the Tulsa school from Southeastern University in Florida, he convinced Lee – who had held a similar post there – to come with him. Both were familiar with Meyer Sound, as Southeastern had benefited from Meyer Sound systems installed earlier by Mabe Production & Installation.
‘They did consider another system option for Christ’s Chapel, which would have come in a bit less. But in the end, the quality of the product tipped the balance,’ says Harvey Mabe of Mabe Production and Installation. ‘They knew this was a critical long-term investment.’
Installed by Mabe, the new system comprises main LR clusters of nine Mica line array loudspeakers with a single UPQ-2P centre loudspeaker. Completing the system are 700-HP subwoofers, eight MM-4XP miniature loudspeakers for front fill, and eight UP-4XP loudspeakers as under-balcony fill. Drive and processing is provided by a Galileo loudspeaker management system with Galileo 616 and 408 processors.
‘With the Meyer speakers you clearly hear each and every instrument,’ Lee says. ‘Some loudspeakers will emphasise one frequency range or the other, but with the Meyers you just don’t have that. You have a balance from high to low, so every frequency range has full power and clarity.’
‘Wayne is a very energetic worship leader who likes to feel the music and Dr Rutland is an eloquent speaker, so the intelligibility needs to be there,’ Mabe observes. ‘Using the Mica-based system, we were able to give them everything they need. Once you get used to that level of quality, it’s hard to go back and settle for something less.’
More: www.mabepro.com
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