Sound upgrade at Valley Life Center

USA:

Valley Life Center in Dallas, Oregon has been equipped with a new sound system consisting of Nexo’s Geo M6 compact line array speakers and a QL5 mixing console and Tio digital I/O stagebox from parent company Yamaha. The setup, installed by Alpha Sound, comprises two arrays of six M6 speakers and a single LS18 subwoofer per side. A Nexo ID24 speaker has also be installed on each side for out-fill, while NX4x1 Mk2 amplifiers power the system.

‘The 400-seat, intergenerational congregation sanctuary previously had a mono centre cluster of horns enclosed in a fabric cloud and a simple analogue console with a few wedges for monitors,’ recalled Devin Sheets, head engineer at Alpha Sound. ‘The new system will serve this church community very well for decades to come.’

‘The clarity and detail of this new system is absolutely incredible,’ clarifies head pastor, Chris Barker. ‘Many people can hear the instruments and voices for the first time, and the younger crowd really loves the new depth of sound. Because it all sounds so smooth, we really aren't getting complaints about the volume, even though it is actually a lot louder than ever before.’

Modern worship styles and their sonic demands were the driving factors behind the decision to purchase the new equipment, as well as a desire for consistent and ergonomic functionality. ‘The very first Sunday on the new Yamaha QL5, with no previous rehearsal, we had 32 inputs and 15 monitor channels (12 IEMs via the Monitor Mix App) up and running within satisfaction in under an hour,’ added Mr Sheets. ‘For Valley Life Center, this freed up the personnel at front of house to concentrate entirely on the house mix.’

‘The ability to digitally save Alpha Sound's settings on the mixer and start from that week to week is wonderful,’ added the church’s tech director, Roger Shinn. ‘Also, having everyone onstage both young and old adjusting their own monitor mixes through their phones has been a major relief.’