Lewisburg, WV, May 2013
A – Lewisburg Baptist Church in Lewisburg, WV unveiled its recently completed building and a brand new sound system driven by three Powersoft M Series HDSP+ETH amplifiers on Easter Sunday. Icon Media of Buford, GA provided design and installation of the church’s new audio system, which also features a Renkus-Heinz CF/CFX Series modular point source speaker array, in addition to lighting, video projection, AV recording and web streaming equipment.
Chris Austin, President, Icon Media, relates that he included the Powersoft amplifiers in the system design for a number of reasons: “Rack space saving, power efficiency that is second to none and Powersoft’s damping control.” All Powersoft M Series class D amplifiers offer maximum efficiency yet minimal weight in a compact 1RU form factor. Integrated damping control compensates for the DC resistance typically associated with low impedance speaker circuits associated with subwoofer or low frequency speakers.
“The overall sound is amazing, the DSP has all the power that we need and the networkability is fantastic,” adds Austin. “But one of Powersoft’s greatest assets is Ken Blecher, the company’s executive vice president. He was always available for assistance and to help with any questions that arose during this, and all other projects where Powersoft amplifiers were used.”
A Powersoft M50Q HDSP+ETH four-channel amplifier drives the Renkus-Heinz CF101 mid/high cabinets, while an M30Q HDSP+ETH two-channel amplifier powers the CF15S subwoofers. The arrays are flown in a left-right configuration above the raised stage in the church’s 600-seat auditorium. A Powersoft M28Q HDSP+ETH four-channel amplifier provides power to a pair of wedge monitors, two flown choir monitors and a number of Galaxy Audio Hot Spot vocal monitors.
The HDSP+ETH digital signal processing and Ethernet connectivity options provide unparalleled levels of control and monitoring through Powersoft’s ArmonAa Pro Audio Suiteâ„¢ software. Having used ArmonAa to optimize the speaker system, Austin made sure that no one could tamper with the DSP settings. “We left no interface connected to it, so nobody can go in and alter the settings,” he reports.
Austin is so pleased with the performance and quality of Powersoft’s entire range that the amplifiers are now his first choice for any system design. “We had been using another brand pretty exclusively for the last several years when I heard about Powersoft. The rep delivered some samples to us, and after using the software and listening to them we were so impressed that we decided to switch all of our system spec’s over; now we’re specifying Powersoft on all of our systems. We have not been disappointed,” he says, also noting, “Their customer service is excellent.”
In addition to the PA system, Icon Media also supplied Sennheiser wireless for the pastor and his team and Audix wired microphones for the choir. A PreSonus StudioLive 32.4.2 digital mixing console that the church had previously purchased controls the entire set-up. Audio from the console is fed to a video switcher that distributes sound and picture to displays in the nursery, foyer and other parts of the building. The AV signal is also recorded into a Mac Mini computer and sent to the web as an H.264 stream. Icon also supplied and installed Chauvet COLORado 1 LED lighting fixtures, a JVC HD camera, a Christie HD projector and a Stewart Da-Lite projection screen.
“It’s not one of our driving design goals but we did try to keep everything very energy efficient and ‘green.’ That goes a long way with everyone,” says Austin. “We rocked their world!”
About Powersoft:
Powersoft is a well-established company serving the professional audio market for the past 18 years. The company designs and produces lightweight, high power, energy efficient, single rack space amplifiers and amplifiers modules. With Headquarters in Florence (Italy) and offices in Ventura, CA (USA), Powersoft associates the experience and precision of its production department with exceptional components to deliver products with perfect audio performance and high reliability. Its state-of-the-art amplifiers can be found in an array of markets, ranging from stadiums, sporting arenas, theme parks, performance venues and airports to places of worship, convention centers and clubs, and are used by the world’s leading tour sound companies. For more information, visit the Powersoft web site @
