Facing speech intelligibility issues typical of large, reverberant spaces, the Custer Road United Methodist Church (Custer Road UMC, in Plano, Texas) congregation struggled to fully connect with services. In search of a solution, the church leadership recently underwent a major renovation.

‘We knew it was time to improve the audio system, and EAW’s AC6 ADAPTive system was the perfect solution,’ says Electro Acoustics Account Manager, Shawn Slocum.

Custer Road UMC discovered the capabilities of the AC6 Column Loudspeaker during a demonstration in the sanctuary led by Clayton Mills, Sales Manager at Highway Marketing.‘We needed a space for an AC6 training session, and the church graciously offered its sanctuary,’ he says.

‘It turned out to be the perfect setting. After hearing the AC6 system in action, the church immediately knew it was the right fit for them.’ adds Custer Road UMC Director of A/V and Computer Services, Jim Carter. ‘The demonstration from Highway Marketing was all that it took from my end to know that we had found a solution to our problem.’

With the AC6 system chosen, Electro Acoustics worked with Highway Marketing and EAW to implement a custom design. The installation includes triple-stacked AC6 speakers on each side of the sanctuary, EAW MKD526 Loudspeakers for under-balcony fill and SB828P subwoofers. This design addressed the church’s technical needs, while blending with the sanctuary architecture. ‘One of the final touches that really impressed the church was the ability to custom paint the speakers to match the sanctuary’s new colour scheme,’ Mills says. ‘It was a small detail, but it added to the overall experience and integration.’

The new AC6 system’s adaptive technology, powered by EAW’s Resolution software, provided precise tuning and exceptional sound coverage throughout the space. This solution solved acoustical challenges posed by the 43ft-high ceiling and wraparound balcony, significantly enhancing audio clarity.

‘The new EAW AC6 system has drastically improved the church’s audio quality,’ Slocum reports. ‘It brings the sound closer to the congregation, making it feel more intimate. The ADAPTive technology ensures that every seat in the sanctuary receives clear and consistent audio, which is a huge win for the church.’

Since the upgrade, Custer Road UMC has seen notable improvements in microphone gain before feedback and enhanced clarity for both spoken word and musical performances.

‘The renovation has been very successful in increasing the intelligibility of the spoken word in the room,’ Carter says. ‘With the positive feedback we continue to receive from the congregation and staff members, we have been able to accomplish our goals. Many thanks to EAW, as its products gave us the opportunity to have that success and take us into the future at Custer Road UMC.’

With its new EAW ADAPTive system, the church has a worship environment that combines the visual and auditory, allowing everyone to fully participate in the experience.

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