The picture above shows an unusual view of an ICONYX loudspeaker – in a rather unusual position.
Viewed from behind the drum kit on stage at the
Presbyterian
Church of the Masters in Miession Viejo, California, the slender
IC16 column sits on a steel plate, which in turn rests on a
12 ft long rail. Its purpose? To allow the church’s audio team
to physically reconfigure their ground level PA according to
whether or not there’s a live band taking part in a service.
And that’s not all that makes the modern, 60s-formed (but
recently totally rebuilt) Mission Viejo church different from the
norm.
The award-winning architects
Dominy & Associates, hailing
from San Diego, have worked with Church of the Masters on
three major projects, the latest of which has seen a brand
new sanctuary constructed. An attractive, asymmetrical design
with a balcony to one side and the rear, it features pleasant
acoustics and a modern pipe organ (donated by a member of
the congregation). Weekly worship includes two conventional
services and one that’s more contemporary. The church has
a strong choral tradition, with a blend of choral music and
praise singing.
The challenge? After the 750-seat room was designed, the
church decided to install video screens which meant plans for
loudspeaker locations and conduits had to be re-thought.
Acoustician and AV designer
Vance Breshears of
Sound
Technology Consulting provided the new system design,
working with integrator
Scott Oosthausen at
Sound Image.
The church’s audio technician,
Vince Pilar, takes up the
story:
“We were happy with the acoustics, and acoustically
we do not need sound reinforcement to present music to the
congregation. We have about 200 seats up in the balcony
where the Yamaha DM2000 console is, 500 downstairs and
50 in the choir". The challenge we had was that the screens were not in
the original design, which entailed putting loudspeakers into
a new location.
Vance was concerned about overpowering the
room, which is why he started looking at
ICONYX, with the
TRX42 infill stair step speakers covering the seats closest to
the centre.
He adds:
“Shortly after the speakers were hung, our
organist walked in and asked, “Where are the new speakers?’
He didn’t see ‘em.”
Says Breshears:
“The challenge was that the facility didn’t
lend itself to sound reinforcement. One of the architects’
criteria was that the speakers could not impose on the facility
architecturally. We considered a tradition cluster, but nobody really liked
that idea, and then ICONYX, which gave us the option to
make good sound in the balcony and on the floor. So we put
that idea to the guys at the church and they liked the concept
of it."
“ICONYX – and Sound Image – helped us overcome the
challenge very well. We are very pleased with how it sounds;
the guys from the church are as well.”
