Recent House of Worship Projects: Nazareth Lutheran Church
No matter what faith or style of service, all churches share a common goal — that of spreading the message. Some have a greater emphasis on spoken word; others rely more on music in any variety of styles, whether it be folk, liturgical, gospel or flat-out rock ‘n’ roll. But all houses of worship need a sound system that provides clarity, intelligibility and musicality. With that in mind, we present some recent installation projects, ranging from whole system to incremental upgrades.
Upgrading for the Next Generation
Established in 1871, Nazareth Lutheran Church has undergone various changes over its past 150 years. Like many other houses of worship, one of those updates was a choice to host both traditional choir/organ and contemporary worship services on Sundays to better cater to parishioners’ preferences in worship style. Just this year, Nazareth Lutheran sought to stay current in another way—by updating its P.A. system to one that would not only deliver exceptional sound for both musical genres but also position the church for its next generation of worshipers.
Cedar Falls is home to the University of North Iowa, where more than 10,000 students are enrolled. Marc Breda, project lead for Vantage Pro, explains: “They wanted a system that would also engage a younger generation who have become accustomed to sophisticated sound. L-ISA accomplishes that.”
The L-Acoustics L-ISA II Solution
Vantage Pro provided a cost-effective immersive solution with L-Acoustics’ L-ISA II. This installation featured the new L-ISA Processor II, which was critical in bringing the next generation of sonic technology to this mid-sized church. While Nazareth Lutheran Church is forward-thinking, it’s also realistic when it comes to finances. The 1,200-seat church is relatively mid-sized and budget-conscious; that’s why the arrival of the L-ISA Processor II late last year made all the difference.
Technical System Configuration
To address the acoustical challenges of this type of traditional church architecture, the new setup includes the following hardware:
- Main Arrays: 23 L-Acoustics A10i Focus and 11 A10i Wide loudspeakers used for the five Scene arrays, two Extension arrays, and two out-fill arrays.
- Subwoofers: Six KS21i compact subwoofers flown in a center hang.
- Balcony Coverage: Five compact 5XT enclosures installed across the back edge of the balcony to cover its last several rows.
- Amplification: Seven LA4X amplified controllers power the entire system.
- Control: An Allen & Heath dLive C3500 console with an L-Acoustics LS10 10-port Milan-AVB switch acting as the network interface.
L-ISA Controller software runs on a separate computer at the FOH position to manage the system’s object-based immersive mixing, while the console is used for level and dynamics control, making it simple to understand and master, even for the church’s largely volunteer tech team.
Project Equipment Summary
| Category | Equipment Details |
|---|---|
| Processor | L-Acoustics L-ISA Processor II |
| Loudspeakers | A10i Focus, A10i Wide, and 5XT enclosures |
| Subwoofers | KS21i compact subwoofers |
| Console | Allen & Heath dLive C3500 |
| Amplification | Seven LA4X amplified controllers |
Professional Feedback and Impact
Nathaniel Parrish, the church’s music director, credited the new system as a “huge improvement in clarity and fullness.” We recently had an event with 25 singers and musicians on stage, and it sounded great. Audio contractor Dan Olsen agrees, adding that the L-ISA system from L-Acoustics represents the biggest “game-changer” that he’s experienced as an audio engineer. “The way that I can place my orchestra and choir in a different space than the lead vocal and lead instruments helps create a space in our environment that is such an incredible boost to the overall sound of my mix,” he notes.