A new build at the site of a former outlet store, the StoneBridge Millard Campus in Omaha, NE is built around a worship space in a small rectangular 50-foot by 80-foot room with its own set of unique challenges.
“It’s an unusual space with a corner-loaded stage and a low ceiling with lots of HVAC structural equipment that slopes down from 19 feet to about 17 feet at the back of the seating area,” said Mike Sessler, project lead for CCI Solutions of Olympia, WA, which handled the installation. “Because the stage is in the corner of a long room, we had an extended throw down the long wall, a short throw to the wall on the other side and another throw to the opposite corner where FOH is located.
“All of which made it a real challenge to cover the audience evenly front to back and side to side, and the FOH area. That’s why we ended up going with two of the Martin Audio CDD12s located directly above the center of the stage in a split mono cluster with another CDD12 located close to the center, about two-thirds back in the room. The system also includes a Midas M32 console and a Bose RoomMatch system for amps and processing.
“The two CDD12s are flown above the front of the stage on either side of two CSX218 subs located in the center,” Sessler explained, “with one CDD12 going up the long side, one going across the short side and the third for back fill and coverage of FOH.”
The sound system for the worship space needed to support both spoken word and music reproduction. “We run audio about 90dB and the music is full spectrum (keys, guitar, acoustic drums, bass, vocals), so we had to have a PA that could reinforce the band in a small room without the volume getting out of control. That was non-negotiable,” said Scott McCord, tech pastor for the Millard campus.
“When Mike first brought up flying the subs, we weren’t overly keen because we felt we needed something on the ground,” McCord continued. “But now we’re very impressed with how they perform. The coverage is incredibly even throughout the room with a lot of tight, well-defined low end. We’re absolutely blown away.”
According to McCord, they’ve gotten many comments from the congregation since the opening about “how clear and distinct everything in the room sounds.
“We’re particularly happy with how it sounds for the front row of seats which is five or six feet from the stage,” he added. “When they first turned the system on, we were amazed at how clean the sound was right in front of the stage. We wanted every seat in the house to be a good experience, and it really is.”
PRODUCT AT WORK
Martin Audio CDD12
The CDD12 is a compact, passive two-way system designed for installations that require high output levels. Its high-specification 12-inch LF/1-inch exit HF Coaxial Differential Dispersion driver delivers sound across the audience over medium-throw distances.
