L-Acoustics Sound System for Smithton Church

Liverpool, UK, based ADLIB's specialist installation division has completed the design, supply and commissioning of an L-Acoustics’ XTi sound system at the brand new Chapel of the Smithton-Culloden & Nairn Free Church, located just east of Inverness in the beautiful Scottish Highlands.

The weekly main Chapel worship services frequently draw capacity attendances of up to 400 people, and they required a dynamic audio system to provide complete room coverage for spoken word services, AV presentations and worship group musical performances.  

Keen on utilising the latest and highest quality communications technology to reach out to its congregation, Smithton technical manager David Eglinton and other church committee members had also heard the fantastic audio results of L-Acoustics in other venues, and wanted to cost up an L-Acoustics solution for Smithton.

Eglinton contacted L-Acoustics' UK, whose technical manager Stuart Down discussed some initial loudspeaker options, also advising Eglinton to contact - amongst others - ADLIB to undertake and realise the project.

ADLIB's installations team led by Roger Kirby and John Hughes, has a vast fund of experience and knowledge of using the L-Acoustics brand. They offered additional sonic advice and a detailed audio design for the church. They were not the only company approached, but presented a winning scheme that fitted the church's budget.

‘Soundvision’ modelling software was used to map the church's acoustic spaces and virtually optimise the audio coverage - a task completed without a site visit due to the rapid construction schedule. Instead ADLIB's design team relied on photographic images of the room, their expertise and AutoCAD plans provided by the architects.

The room's system design features four flown L-Acoustics 12XTi’s speakers supported by two ground level SB15P subs, positioned towards either side of the elevated performance space. For the arrayed seating, two additional 8XTi s are flown to cover the wider stall seating either side of the room.

To blend in with the brilliant white internal architecture, all the flown speakers and associated hardware have a matching white painted finish.

ADLIB spec'd a single LA4 power amplifier to drive the system. This offers 4 channels of high efficiency amplification with onboard DSP that can be operated, controlled and monitored over the network using the LA Network Manager PC software.

The software allows the generation of custom programs, so different cabinet ranges can be driven by adjacent channels of a single amplifier.

The actual installation of the sound system was completed by HCVF Television, who were also commissioned by the church to install a projection screen presentation system for the main chapel, plus a multi-room AV network running throughout the building complex.

The church is delighted with its new sound system, which ticks all the boxes!

The loudspeakers deliver a clear, accurate, naturally defined response for spoken word services, and a well balanced tone at the higher sound pressure levels required for the worship and youth group performances.

The white coated L-Acoustics Xti range blends inconspicuously into the space and aesthetics of the room, offering minimal distraction and sounding fantastic!

Says Eglinton, “The level of service and attention to detail I have received from John and Roger at ADLIB has been first class. The volume of e-mail and amount of phone contact was highly efficient, and nothing was ever a bother for them. Their product knowledge is amazing, and when Roger was on-site his attention to detail, work ethic, politeness, thoroughness and general skills were all highly impressive.  Both John and Roger are fantastic ambassadors for ADLIB and I look forward to working with them more in the future”.