Among the largest and fastest-growing churches in the UK and Western Europe, Soul Church has opened a purpose-built 1,250-seat auditorium in Norwich. Equipped with an L-Acoustics Kara II line array system, it the third largest in Norfolk alongside the Anglican Cathedral and St John the Baptist Catholic Cathedral.
The church occupies the site of its predecessor, which was destroyed by fire in 2006, leaving only a 25ft metal cross intact. The new church hosts a variety of services throughout the week, from large Sunday gatherings to intimate Bible studies. The new L-Acoustics system will support these gatherings, as well as Soul Church’s annual Christmas spectacular, which attracts nearly 10,000 attendees.
‘Building a new church of this scale in Western Europe is truly unique,’ says Soul Church Directional Leadership Team member, Gareth Lee. ‘We wanted a sound system that could match the ambition of our new facility and provide a world-class experience for our congregants.’
Soul Church partnered with L-Acoustics Certified Partner Solotech, a leading audio-visual solutions provider, to design and install the system. The decision to choose L-Acoustics came after extensive research into top venues and churches worldwide. Solotech’s expertise, combined with L-Acoustics renowned sound quality and support, made for an ideal collaboration.
The sanctuary layout has 400 ground-level seats and tiered amphitheatre seating, presented challenges to the installation. Solotech used L-Acoustics Soundvision 3D modelling software to optimise loudspeaker placement and coverage using SPL heat maps of the coverage for different loudspeaker layouts. This allowed the church and installation team to choose the best option for the room.
The final design incorporates a combination of flown and floor-mounted subwoofers for optimal low-end, complemented by a stereo line array and front fill. The system comprises 16 Kara IIi loudspeakers, two A15i Wide, five A10i Wide, six SB18 IIi subs, four KS28 subs, and four X12 coaxial loudspeakers.
The set-up is managed by L-Acoustics amplified controllers: two LA12X and six LA4X, managed by a P1 processor and an LS10 switch for Milan-AVB networking.
During the installation process, it was found that the stage construction blocked the main entryway for the equipment needed to lift the loudspeakers into place. To address this, Solotech had to coordinate with the stage construction team, using a spider boom lift.
The new L-Acoustics system has received widespread praise from the congregation, visitors and industry professionals alike: ‘Numerous churches and organisations have toured the auditorium to learn more about the setup and gain insights into our infrastructure,’ Lee confirms. ‘We’ve even been referred to as one of the most state-of-the-art facilities north of London.’
The cross from the destroyed church now hangs on the front of the new building.
More: www.l-acoustics.com
