Central Assembly of God Elevates Worship Sound with d&b audiotechnik Soundscape with En-Scene

	The new Soundscape system with the En-Scene module provides Central Assembly of God with spatial audio capabilities that accurately position each instrument and vocal within the sound field.

In an effort to create a more inviting and engaging setting, Houston, Pennsylvania-based Central Assembly of God installed an advanced d&b audiotechnik Soundscape system. Installed by performance audio-visual integrator Fresh Tech, the system includes the DS100 Matrix Processor with En-Scene spatial processing to deliver consistency across the octagonal sanctuary.

With a 20-year-old sound system combined with outdated implementation practices, Central Assembly faced the challenge of a system that could not deliver consistent coverage across its uniquely shaped sanctuary. "With the old system, if it sounded good in the front, it was way too quiet in the back," says Brandon Cecil, founder and head designer of Fresh Tech. "They were opting to run their PA on the quiet side, which affected their congregation's ability to hear the message and be moved by the worship band."

Central Assembly's worship pastor, Adam Brock, had already budgeted for a more traditional left/right configuration from d&b audiotechnik when Cecil invited him to hear a Soundscape demonstration at the nearby Allison Park Church.

Upon hearing Soundscape with En-Scene, Brock says, "I told Cecil that there wasn't another solution I'd be willing to install at Central Assembly of God. I loved it and immediately called our leadership to say that for the modest price increase of a Soundscape system, it'd be a misstep if we didn't make this decision for the church."

Fresh Tech worked closely with Central Assembly of God to design a Soundscape system that would meet the church's specific needs, while maintaining the established budget.

"Because of the depth and consistency of d&b's product offerings, we were able to design a cost-effective solution. Our goal was to squeeze every bit of performance out of every dollar to deliver what they wanted, full immersion via Soundscape," Cecil says. "Because of the nature of the technology, you install more speakers in a room, but they're much smaller. Yet, designing in ArrayCalc enabled us to achieve full coverage for the room with the minimum number of speakers needed. ArrayCalc combined with d&b's flexible rigging hardware also simplified the install by allowing us to use existing fly points from their previous system. Plus, d&b's amplification is so efficient, we can run that system with less power requirements than on comparable installations. All of these contributed to managing the cost."

The new Soundscape system with the En-Scene module provides Central Assembly of God with spatial audio capabilities that accurately position each instrument and vocal within the sound field. The result, the company says, is a more dynamic and detailed sound environment that feels natural, giving each worship performance new depth and presence.

"Early on, someone on the tech team exclaimed, 'I've never heard that backup singer before; in fact, for the first time, I can hear everybody'," Brock relays. "With our old system, it was hard for anybody on stage to stand out, but now with En-Scene, each performer has their distinct place in the mix, which is remarkable when you consider we have 14 musicians and seven singers on Sunday morning."

"Spatialization and immersion are great, and they're synonymous with Soundscape, but another huge benefit is the clarity and consistent coverage it brings," Cecil comments. "I can't think of anything better for houses of worship. The audio system should complement the ultimate message being conveyed. You want everyone to experience the same thing. A shared experience builds community, and by bringing Soundscape to Central Assembly of God, we've provided a consistent experience to their entire congregation."

Brock reports that the church has heard many comments that "this is the best the band has ever sounded," which he expected, but comments from the older generation of the congregation took him by surprise. "They said they more than ever understood the message during teaching time. I knew that musically we'd have a big jump in quality, but I didn't expect the improvement in voice intelligibility."

The d&b audiotechnik system installed by Fresh Tech for Central Assembly of God comprises five 24S point source loudspeakers for the main sanctuary and six B6 subwoofers in inframode, with eight 5S point source used for fills. Two 40D amplifiers with a DS10 audio network bridge power the main speakers and subwoofers, while two 5D amplifiers support front and out fills. Processing is provided by the DS100 Signal Engine with En-Scene software, all managed via the R1 Remote Control software.

Other equipment in the system includes an Allen & Heath Avantis at the front of house and an Allen & Heath GLD for the in-ear system. ME1 controllers on stage provide discrete mixes for the musicians. Both the Avantis and the GLD feature Dante cards for routing and connectivity with the DS100. Dual Netgear AVLine 24-port switches ensure robust signal routing for the Dante network with built-in redundancy for seamless operation.