Need advice on speaker configuration and selection

[bjwhite]

I could really use some expert advice and suggestions for renovating the sound in our small church. I have created a video walk-through of the sanctuary at


youtube [dot] com [slash] watch?v=NHvXE6xHG1s

The sanctuary is about 60 feet wide and 30 feet deep (from pulpit to rear pew.) We would like to purchase new speakers with a new configuration. One thing to note is that the sound is completely absorbed by that rear "social area" in the center part. I'm thinking we might need to have two speakers in the rear at that opening since those folks in the center section are having a difference experience than those at the two extreme sides, where there is a solid wall behind them.

I read something that said that a single source cluster hung from the ceiling isn't the best choice for a WIDE room like ours. Maybe 4 medium/small speakers positioned to point sound straight out and then two in the rear center area? I do have a decent amp with quite a bit of power over two channels. Also, can you give me a recommendation of budget-conscious speakers that would do the trick in our space? We do plenty of contemporary music along with the traditional music and spoken word.

Thank you so very much.

Brian
Music Director
Zion UCC, Delaware, OH

[bjwhite]

Sorry -- it wouldn't let me post a link to youtube since I'm such a newbie on the forum.

[cmchamp]

I'll look at it tomorrow BJ. Just got home from a concert at The Gospel Barn up here in Hillsdale, MI.
I do most of my work with "small" churches, and you're not too far away if you need a face-to-face meeting.
C.

[bjwhite]

Thanks so much! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We have a wide variety of hearing abilities in our worshippers, so we are trying to meet all of their needs.

I did notice today that in the center rear, it really did feel like a black hole behind me -- especially with some of the extra background noise back there (fans and outside traffic sounds making their way in.) A consistent sound/experience in 98% of the main sanctuary would be thrilling.

Again, we have very little budget for this, so we really can't afford to be buying $4000 worth of speakers. We have a lot of other building issues that are being tended to, so we have to be frugal with every dollar invested.

Thanks again to anyone that can offer advice.
Brian

[cmchamp]

Brian - worship band or no?
Music styles listed in reference to what is sung by special music?
I've got some ideas, but only after I hear the boxes in person. I should have some demos here in the next week.

[bjwhite]

We do all styles of music, and I am pretty much a one-man-band. I use the contemporary accompaniments from a nice Clavinova (amplified through the sound system a bit) for drums/guitars...etc.. I often play the pipe organ WITH those accompaniments or I might play a hymn only with organ or only with the piano sound on the Clavinova.

I have arrangements of hymns in MANY styles ... ballad, jazzy, gospel, worship rock, acoustic guitar ballad...etc.. We need the speaker system to sound pretty tight with guitar and drum sounds but more importantly, the spoken word needs to be very clear.

Right now, there is one 12" Peavey monitor mounted 10ft high to the left at the early view in the movie (stage right) and then there are small relatively generic best-buy shelf speakers on the clavinova (stage left on that 45 degree part near the choir loft) waste high.

There is a home speaker system (amplifier and two large shelf speakers) on the organ that amplified only the clavinova music accompaniments. This helps the choir hear the clavinova accompaniment and also helps me hear the clavinova while I'm sitting at the organ console.

I like that it "feels" like the music all comes from the same place -- the organ corner. When I have an organ / clavinova duet, the folks sitting in the back corner (furthest from the organ) shouldn't be getting an extra dose of clavinova from the nearby speakers simply because they're sitting so far away from the unamplified organ.

Right now, however, I am mainly concerned with getting the spoken word to be clearly amplified -- wherever one sits in the space. I would imagine that as long as the speakers can also handle a wide frequency response, then any music would also sound great.

By the way, i also figured I'd be getting a subwoofer to put in some hidden place to give the lower-end some extra punch. This might allow the upper speakers to be smaller? Just a thought. Obviously, I'm no expert but would really like to be able to make a good, educated decision with this up-coming investment.

[bjwhite]

Still seeking guidance on this possible installation. I would love to make a pitch to our church council in the next couple of months.
Thanks for any insight! It is much appreciated.

[bjwhite]

As I was sitting in the sanctuary this weekend, I was imagining the configuration attached to this message:
2 main speakers hung above from the main support beams and tilted downward by 15 to 20 degrees or so.
2 smaller rear speakers for the folks in the center section of pews who don't have the benefit of a rear wall. There is a lot of distracting ambient sound (traffic and fans) in the rear social area, too.

Thoughts?

Originally, I was thinking four speakers relatively equally spaced across the front and then the two in the rear. It's such a small space, though, so that might be unnecessary. Thoughts?

Also, right now I do separate right/left channels. With the configuration pictured, wouldn't mono be best for a consistent experience?

Thanks!