Omaha, NE – December 2011…A
The restoration of Omaha’s Greater Beth-El Temple is complete after a June 2008 arson fire set by mischievous neighborhood youths that nearly destroyed the Apostolic Christian church, popular among Omaha’s African-American community. The congregation was forced to relocate while the temple underwent a complete renovation. Left virtually an empty shell after the fire, the building required new floors, a ceiling, a stage, seating, and numerous other necessities including a sound system.
Greater Beth-El services include a full musical ensemble playing contemporary Christian and gospel music. Theatrical performances and concerts are also regular events at the temple. According to John Manhart of Direct Pro Audio LLC, the contractor who designed and installed Greater Beth-El’s new audio system, low profile looks combined with large sound capability were paramount in selecting the new system.
“Greater Beth-El needs a sound system that blends well aesthetically with the temple’s décor but still provides enough output to handle their sound requirements,” explains Manhart. “They want to avoid big hanging speaker boxes that might block the view of their stage backdrop and projection screen.”
Direct Pro Audio opted to install an Iconyx IC Live Digitally Steerable Array System by Renkus-Heinz. IC Live’s slim profile and customized color make it virtually disappear into the wall, a major factor in its selection.
The installed system includes two ICL-FR-DUAL loudspeakers, each with 16 drivers per side. The loudspeakers have been custom-painted to blend almost seamlessly into the temple’s stage area and are mounted permanently on both walls flanking the stage. Two IC Live sub-woofers are tucked into a nook just below the speakers.
Other system components include a Roland M-300 digital mixing console and a variety of Audix wired and wireless mics.
The renovated temple has seating for approximately 600, but a moveable air wall located in the rear of the temple allows them to accommodate up to 800 people when necessary.
Reports Manhart, “The IC Llive system is low profile, custom painted to match the décor, and has great quality sound output. Nothing else on the market can really do that.”
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