The Buzz: Installation Spotlight: The Grove Community Church, Riverside, Calif.
Jul 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Staff Report
Because The Grove Community Church in Riverside, Calif., hosts a wide range of events—from weekend services with a large band and vocal team to full Broadway-style musicals to large holiday events—its AV system had to be robust. CCI Solutions specified a range of JBL Professional loudspeakers along with QSC PLX2 and PowerLight Series amplifiers to ensure the message could be heard.
Beginning modestly in 1925 out of a large tent in Riverside, Calif., The Grove Community Church has evolved into one of the largest houses of worship in the area, changing locations several times to accommodate its growing congregation. Today, a new 36-acre campus in the Orangecrest neighborhood of Riverside hosts several buildings — the most predominant of which is its main sanctuary, which holds 1,700 people.
The Grove Community Church has long been known for its contemporary worship format, featuring a blend of modern Christian rock songs and traditional hymns. The church is equally distinguished for its wide range of events — such as weekend services with a large band and vocal team; full Broadway-style musicals with orchestras; and holiday events that include large bands, a pit orchestra, and dramas that incorporate wireless technology and several video cues. With this in mind, the church sought an elaborate AV system for its new worship space.
“As a church, we were looking for a system that was flexible, reliable, and covered the different programs that happened on a regular basis in our facility,” says Rob McInteer, technical director at The Grove Community Church. “Our other main requirement was to achieve high intelligibility from the audio system, yet still retain a high level of musicality and feel in the house system. It is very important to make sure that everyone who steps on stage is understood clearly.”
Enter CCI Solutions, an Olympia, Wash.-based, award-winning systems design and integration firm. For more than 30 years, CCI Solutions has offered acoustical and audiovisual consulting, products, technical systems, and expertise for a variety of applications — including houses of worship and public and corporate facilities.
According to CCI Senior Systems Consultant Mark Pearson, the church had several specific requirements of the new system. “The church wanted a system built around a left/right mono configuration. To answer that requirement and more, we developed an LCR matrixed, multiple-cluster loudspeaker system to provide a certain level of flexibility that would allow them to rearrange the system according to the needs of an individual event,” he says. “Because of the church’s contemporary worship style, the system also needed to pack a heavy punch. While the main worship space is not meant to be a concert house, they do occasionally host concerts with well-known Christian artists, so having a rider-friendly system for these artists was also a priority.”
Additionally, the church wanted excellent clarity from its loudspeaker system. To that end, CCI used JBL Professional PD5000 Series loudspeakers. The two main clusters (left and right) each contain six PD5322 three-way, full-range loudspeakers and eight PD5122 low-frequency loudspeakers. An additional four custom 15in. low-frequency loudspeakers are located in each cluster. Four JBL AM6200 loudspeakers provide down fill, along with six JBL ASB6128 subwoofers. Additional PD5322 loudspeakers are used for delays.
“We know what to expect from the PD Series loudspeakers, so the controllability made them an easy choice for this project,” Pearson says.
QSC PLX2 and PowerLight Series amplifiers power the system. Front-of-house equipment includes a Yamaha PM5D console, TC Electronic effects racks, and a Lexicon effects rack. “The TC Electronic and Lexicon outboard gear gives the church a little more flexibility with the effects,” Pearson says.
Digital-signal processing for the entire complex is done using a BSS Soundweb London processor with a CobraNet backbone to be able to route audio between the worship center, the chapel, and the high-school building.
The Buzz: Installation Spotlight: The Grove Community Church, Riverside, Calif.
Jul 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Staff Report
A BSS Soundweb London processor with a CobraNet backbone handles
digital-signal processing for the complex, and a Magenta Research system distributes video Christie Digital DW6K and Roadster S+12K projectors, which shoot onto a total of three screens with the help of two Analog Way
Centrix seamless switching systems.
From the stage, orchestra pit, and catwalks, there are 100 microphone inputs that are connected to a Whirlwind E Snake system and then routed via an EtherSound-based network to the PM5D at the FOH. In addition, there are 16 Shure U4D wireless microphone systems routed through the network.
“The flexibility of an all-digital system is a wonderful thing when you have elaborate events booked back to back,” McInteer says.
On stage, two Crest Audio XRM mixing consoles reside at the monitor position to create a 24×12 monitor mix for the Aviom system. In addition to the Aviom A-16II personal mixers are four channels of Shure PSM 600 in-ear monitors that are controlled using Aviom A-16R and A-16CS mixer controllers.
“I love not having to mix wedges,” McInteer says. “The musicians have everything they need. They love having control over their own mix, and the stage volume is a lot lower.”
Equally elaborate are the theatrical lighting and video components of the system. Two Christie Digital DW6K HD, 7000-lumen projectors and one Christie Roadster S+12K 12,000-lumen projector shoot video in a 16:9 widescreen format onto a total of three screens (one main screen in the center and two side screens). Two Analog Way Centrix seamless switching systems help manage the video content. The lighting system is composed of three ETC Sensor SR48+ dimmer racks, an ETC Unison control system for the architectural controls, and the ETC Congo theatrical control console.
Two JVC GY-HD100U HD cinema production cameras record the services. Video is distributed throughout the building and to the projectors through a Magenta Research system. All video content is displayed using Song Show Plus software on a PC tower.
As is often the case with projects such as The Grove, timeline issues posed a significant challenge for CCI and its client.
“Our main obstacle was the overall schedule compression that happens with large projects of this nature,” Pearson says. “Everything comes down to the wire and needs to be done very quickly — this is certainly not an uncommon occurrence, but is challenging nonetheless.”
“Our project was running behind its construction schedule and this caused the AV team to accelerate its schedule to meet the opening-day deadline,” McInteer says. “The CCI crew was really good about working around the building construction crews so they could keep up with the schedule that was given to them.”
Training volunteer-based tech crews is another common challenge in house-of-worship installations, and the project at The Grove was no different.
“Initially, during the planning, we were worried about the learning curve of the new gear and getting the right training for our tech crews that run the equipment during service,” McInteer says. “We ended up having training days before we opened and the techs were awesome at picking up the new gear. With training from CCI and some rehearsal time, services have run terrifically smooth.”
McInteer adds that the collaboration between CCI and the church could not have been a more successful endeavor. “To me, with a project of this size, communication is crucial — and CCI answered every call and email quickly and knowledgably,” he says. “The gear has been really adaptable to all of the various things we have thrown at it, and our staff at church has been really pleased with the outcome of our time and investment in a system that has fit our needs well. The JBL speakers have great coverage and sound great at any volume we run them at, the video system handles anything we can throw at it, and the Christie projectors really look great.”
SVC ENEWSLETTERS
- The Briefing Room Extra
- Houses of Worship
- Corporate AV
- Residential AV Presents Connected Home
- AV Over Fiber
- AV in Education
- Digital Signage Update
BREAKING INDUSTRY NEWS IN YOUR EMAIL INBOX EVERY OTHER WEEK! SUBSCRIBE ATWWW.SVCONLINE.COM
INDUSTRY EVENTS
AUGUST
5-7
Building Blocks
San Jose, Calif.
www.digitalhollywood.com/BuildingBlocks.html
24-25
Pro Audio and Lighting Showcase
Toronto, Ontario
www.palshowcase.com
FOR A MORE DETAILED LISTING, SEEDIGITALCONTENTPRODUCER.COM/TRADESHOWSEVENTS
