Pennsylvania’s Delaware County Christian School has completed the initial phase of a major refresh of production technologies at its Arthur and DeMoss Center for Worship and the Arts, including the installation of a new DiGiCo Quantum225 front-of-house mixing console.
The project was overseen by Andre Houser of design, sales and integration company Houser Audio, and encompasses everything from high-end sound, lighting, and video systems to a stage extension and new paint, drapes, and carpet. ‘Our auditorium space hadn’t been touched in going on 25 years, so the equipment was completely outdated,’ says the school’s Director of Operations Jacob Godino.
Generally referred to as DC, Delaware County Christian School is a Christian college preparatory school that serves the greater Philadelphia area, with the DeMoss Center having been completed for the 2000-2001 school year. The building houses a 554-seat auditorium, music and theatre classrooms, individual practice rooms and a multipurpose commons room, providing a comprehensive venue for the school’s performing arts programme and a home base for its world-renowned choir, the DC Knight Tones.
The renovation is being implemented in phases to allow the school to continue functioning while work takes place. ‘We have created a new sound booth where the DiGiCo sits, and we got all new seats and flooring,’ Godino says. ‘Then, this summer, we will be getting new lights, new loudspeakers and a stage extension.’
In addition to the DiGiCo console, the first phase of work also brought 24 channels of Shure ULXD microphone into plays, linked via Dante to the Quantum225.
The new mixing desk has replaced what Godino refers to as ‘a stone-age console’, and offers a leap in the auditorium’s audio capabilities and sound quality. ‘Now we have this crazy, awesome, flashy, multi-coloured DiGiCo, so our kids now can work with a top-of-the-line, industry standard, setting them up for success in the arts, if that is their eventual career choice,’ Godino says ‘Some people look at it and say, “man, this is overkill”, but our kids are going to be solid for at least a decade. The only limitation is their imagination and their creativity.’
‘The DiGiCo Quantum225 was the perfect fit for their theatrical needs,’ adds Andre Houser. ‘Its advanced Quantum engine offers powerful processing, enabling detailed scene automation and precise audio control. This level of sophistication is essential for their complex productions, ensuring high-quality sound with intuitive operation. The console’s flexibility, combined with its ability to manage multiple audio sources, makes it ideal for both student performances and the large-scale events hosted at the school.’
Middle students take theatre classes at each grade level and present an annual play each autumn. Past productions have included The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and The Wizard of Oz. Upper School theatre classes additionally layer in text analysis, script writing, characterisation and design elements. Their musical productions – which, in past years, have included Fiddler on the Roof, Little Women, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and Hello, Dolly! – typically involve nearly a quarter of the Upper School student body.
The new multichannel microphone system has taken production to a new level, according to Godino: ‘We were at a point where we didn’t have enough microphones, so it’s changed the whole way that we operate. Now we can cast as many as we want, and even have a whole ensemble. And things sound really good right now, even with outdated speakers. I can’t imagine how good it will sound once we get the new ones.’
Beyond the musicals, plays, band concerts, and other live performances, DC holds weekly events including assemblies chapel services that will also benefit from the new DiGiCo console. ‘My goal for sound – and lighting – is for students to just hit a button, because they’ve already programmed it,’ Godino says. ‘Then, the faders do what they’re supposed to do; the microphones are where they’re supposed to be. That just saves so much time and effort. But you must put in that work to get it programmed right, based on the needs. So far, it’s handling everything that we’re throwing at it. I’m really excited about the continuing renovations that will happen this summer, which will allow us to maximise the console’s use.’
Outside events will also benefit from DC’s new production technologies, with New England’s top Christian college already having performed in the refurbished DeMoss Center. ‘Everything we do has a community focus,’ Godino continues. ‘We know that we don’t exist alone, so if our space can be used to further other organisations that have similar missions to us, then that’s how we’re redefining the space.’
The new audio tools are already getting recognition from the school’s peers. DC is a member of one of 12 chapters across the US that participate in The Cappies, a student-driven awards and review process. Each year, nearly 900 Cappies student critics visit each chapter’s productions and decide who among their peer performers and technicians should be recognised for awards at the end of the season.
‘We put in the DiGiCo and the microphones and we won an award for sound engineering,’ Godino reports. ‘That was a big step in the right direction for us.’
