All photos courtesy Fraser Brearley
The Evangelical Chinese Church of Seattle, Washington is transitioning from a traditional worship style to a more contemporary, dynamic environment designed to engage a younger generation. A big part of the change includes a full-scale lighting, audio and video upgrade by Elation dealer Morgan Sound, Inc. of Lynnwood, Washington. The company is integrating a state-of-the-art Elation lighting rig and Obsidian NX4 lighting control system. The project, just completed in October, marks a major step forward for the 200-seat church.
A Complete Modernization
Led by Fraser Brearley, Sales and Systems Associate at Morgan Sound, with Art Howard as Project Manager and Jamey Atkins and Steve Gregory as lead installers, the Morgan Sound team has designed and implemented a fully-integrated AV system. The upgrade includes a new PA line array, video wall, and lighting positions for front, stage and side areas.
“The church’s old audio and lighting system was extremely basic,” says Brearley, who served as lighting designer and sales technician on the project. “They only had a few Parcans running off an NSI dimmer pack. It was time for an upgrade in general—they wanted to transition to a more modern worship style with dynamic lighting and a more performance-level system overall.”
Aesthetic and Technical Design
Working closely with Elation rep firm Audio Source and Jim Graham, who was instrumental in assisting with product selection and demos, Morgan Sound selected Elation fixtures that fit the space both aesthetically and functionally.
Two Fuze SFX LED spot FX moving heads and six full-color-spectrum KL PAR FC LED units, both in white housings, were installed behind the stage on a power-and-DMX integrated pipe, resulting in a tidier look. “Aesthetics were an important part of this project,” the Morgan Sound lighting designer and sales technician noted. “The white housings help the fixtures blend in with the stage and back wall and add to a cleaner install.”
Front Lighting
Front lighting is handled by two Fuze Profile LED framing moving heads and five full-color KL Profile FC ellipsoidals, also mounted on a power-and-DMX integrated pipe. The KL Profile FCs are used with a soft focus for a front wash, while the Fuze Profiles provide hard-edge spots and specials.
“The KL Profies are very versatile,” the designer says. “One reason I specified them is because of the zoomable lens, which means you don’t have to swap out different lens tubes and live with a beam angle that doesn’t work. If I want something between 26 and 36 degrees for example, I can get that.”
With an integrated manual zoom range of 7° to 50°, the KL Profile FC requires no additional lens tubes, reducing cost and complexity and providing flexibility. A full blackout manual framing system lets users refine the beam shape as needed.
Sanctuary Uplighting
To further enhance the sanctuary’s aesthetic, outdated fluorescent uplighting was replaced with KL PAR FC fixtures, which were placed on a soffit between the sanctuary’s side windows. “It’s a great look and helps bring the feel of the stage out into the room for a more immersive experience,” Brearley says.
Color Match
The KL PAR FC, KL Profile FC, and Fuze Profile all share Elation’s RGBMA color mixing engine for consistent color reproduction across the rig. The five-color system delivers a full-spectrum palette from rich saturates and subtle pastels to precise whites with fine control over color temperature.
“Having the same LED engine and color mixing, the complete package with consistent color performance, ensures a unified look across all fixtures,” he adds. “The system’s been very reliable and we haven’t had any issues.”
Obsidian NX4 Control and DyLOS Integration
For control, Morgan Sound specified an Obsidian Control Systems NX4 console—Morgan Sound’s preferred platform for most of their projects. “The NX1 is great for small venues but is still very powerful, and the NX2 works well for clubs,” Brearley says. “For this install, we went up to the NX4 to have the motorized faders, the color picker, the bigger screen, and more DyLOS zones. It’s a great console.”
Morgan Sound also incorporated Netron data distribution nodes, using one EP4 Ethernet-to-DMX gateway for the power-and-DMX integrated pipes and three EP2 units to manage the soffit uplights. “They were super easy to set up and have been rock solid for us,” he says.
The ONYX lighting control platform is a Morgan Sound favorite, frequently specified in their projects and used to power the lighting system in their showroom. Brearley is a longtime user and gives special praise to the platform’s DyLOS pixel composer. “With DyLOS, in a minute I can create an interesting, dynamic look that would have taken me an hour to program otherwise. I simply bring DyLOS in over the top of a cue like an overlaying video and it works great.”
Tools for Creativity
The team trained the church’s technical team on the NX4 and DyLOS, preconfiguring palettes and other elements for easy operation. Staff were also referred to the Obsidian training videos online. “Every time I do an in-person training, I recommend that they go onto the Obsidian website to watch the training videos,” Brearley says, adding that the Obsidian forums are also invaluable. “We provide the tools and infrastructure so that others can do the art.”
Enhanced Worship and Livestreaming
While moving from eight dimming channels to a full lighting rig naturally came with a learning curve, the church team has adapted quickly. The new lighting system is now used during weekly services, supporting a full modern band and improved livestream production through a four-camera broadcast setup. “It was also important for them to improve the lighting for livestreaming,” the designer confirms. “In every way, they’ve gone from bare minimum to a professional setup.”
The new system creates a wealth of new possibilities for the church, and they’re already introducing more engaging activities for youth, a key factor in attracting and retaining young attendees. Brearley offers one example: “For a summer camp, they used the Fuze Profile and SFX heads to create an aurora borealis effect in slow movement and pastel colors, which was really beautiful. That was something that would have been impossible before.”
Visualization and Client Collaboration
Capture previsualization software was used to pre-visualize the design and present it to the client. “I use it on all my jobs, even when lighting is a minimal part of the project,” says Brearley. “It’s great 3D model software and a powerful sales tool. It’s been a game changer for us.”
Morgan Sound has helped the Evangelical Chinese Church of Seattle achieve its vision of transforming to a vibrant, modern worship environment designed to resonate with the younger demographic, a transformation made possible in part by the Elation lighting system.
Lighting Designer and Sale Technician: Fraser Brearley
Project Manager: Art Howard
Lead Installers: Jamey Atkins and Steve Gregory
Elation Gear:
28 x KL PAR FC
5 x KL Profile FC
2 x Fuze Profile
2 x Fuze SFX
1 x Obsidian NX4
3 x Netron EP2
1 x Netron EP4
For more information, visit elationlighting.com.
