Parish church rises from the ashes with new AV system

IN DECEMBER 2018 the Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Royston, Hertfordshire, suffered a devasting fire which destroyed much of the internal structure and roof of the building.

As part of the major refurbishment, Creative Audio-Visual Solutions (CAVS) were commissioned to design and install a completely new audio-visual system to blend in with the new décor while providing the latest technology for modern worship.

The visual system comprises two winched projection screens within the main nave and south aisle, driven via 7,000 and 5,000 lumen Epson laser projectors. These provide exceptional image quality in daylight conditions. Pillar-mounted LED displays provide coverage for the north aisle, choir and as confidence monitors for service leaders and musicians on the dais and within the chancel. CAVS designed and fabricated bespoke pillar brackets to avoid fixing to the stonework below the pillar capitals.

A Kramer dual-output switching-scaler system feeds the entire visual system, with a main signal and preview image onto a local console monitor – allowing any source to be cued and reviewed before committing them to the displays. Flexible HDMI connectivity is provided in numerous positions for input from laptop, camera etc and output to additional monitors as required. The audio system is designed to provide building-wide coverage for all sound sources, from full-range live worship and video/music playback to intelligible speech via fixed and radio microphones – Sennheiser EW100 with remote antenna distribution.

JBL Control-series speakers with discreet subwoofers, driven via a Dynacord MXE-5 Dante audio process and matching DSPamplification installed within a remote vestry rack, are tuned specifically to the church’s acoustics and optimised in stereo for maximum clarity when amplifying music and speech, which is highly-compromised in a monaural system. A new induction loop has been installed, with choir and congregation ambient microphones for both the loop and streaming systems.

An Allen & Heath QU-PAC iPad-controller audio mixing system provides full input and output control via local connectivity and a specific worship band/event digital stagebox for larger requirements. The system is ideal for varied levels of operator – from simple preset optimisation with service settings accessed via single buttons, through to full manual control via the iPad. A dedicated Engenius AV cloud-managed wired or wireless network provides seamless iPad control for the audio and lighting systems, with managed connectivity for live streaming, ensuring reliable online broadcast at critical times.

The network is monitored via CAVS to ensure optimal performance and to rectify any faults: offsite and at any time.

Finally, the system equipment is installed within a bespoke console featuring a tactile operating desk. It is fully lockable for security with growth space for further system development. q

• For an on-site installation consultation, or for advice on the right equipment for your church, call 01707 649355, email sales@cavsolutions.co.uk or visit www.cavsolutions.co.uk. Local references are available upon request. ‘Like’ Cavsolutions on Facebook for the latest installation case studies and product news.