Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania is through the initial phase of a major refresh of the production technologies at its Arthur and Nancy DeMoss Center for Worship and the Arts. The renovation includes the installation of a new Digico Quantum225 front-of-house mixing console. The project, overseen by Andre Houser of design, sales and integration company Houser Audio, encompasses everything from high-end sound, lighting, and video systems to a stage extension and new paint, drapes, and carpet.
“Our auditorium space hadn’t been touched in going on 25 years, so the equipment was completely outdated,” says Jacob Godino, the school’s Director of Operations. The school, popularly referred to simply as DC, is a Christian college preparatory school that serves the greater Philadelphia area, and the DeMoss Center was completed for the 2000-2001 school year. The building houses a 554-seat auditorium, music and theatre classrooms, individual practice rooms, and a multipurpose commons room, providing a comprehensive venue for the school’s thriving performing arts program and a home base for its world-renowned choir, the DC Knight Tones.
The renovation project is being implemented in phases to allow the school to continue functioning while the work takes place. So far, Godino says, “We have created a new sound booth where the Digico [console] sits, and we got all new seats and flooring. Then, this summer, we will be getting new lights, new speakers, and a stage extension.” In addition to the new console, the first phase also included 24 channels of Shure ULXD microphones, which integrate over Dante with the Quantum225.
The new Digico desk has replaced what Godino refers to as “a stone-age console,” and offers a true Quantum leap in the auditorium’s audio capabilities and sound quality. “Now we have this crazy, awesome, flashy, multi-colored Digico, so our kids now can work with a top-of-the-line, industry standard,” he says, setting them up for success in the arts, if that is their eventual career choice. “Some people look at it and say, ‘Man, this is overkill.’ But our kids are going to be solid for at least a decade. The only limitation is their imagination and their creativity.”
The new audio tools are already getting recognition from the school’s peers. DC is a member of one of 12 chapters across the country that participate in The Cappies, a student-driven awards and review process. Each year, nearly 900 Cappies student critics visit each chapter’s productions and decide who among their peer performers and technicians should be recognized for awards at the end of the season. “We put in the Digico and the microphones and we won an award for sound engineering,” Godino reports. “That was a big step in the right direction for us.”
“The Digico Quantum225 was the perfect fit for their theatrical needs,” Andre Houser comments. “Its advanced Quantum engine offers powerful processing, enabling detailed scene automation and precise audio control. This level of sophistication is essential for their complex productions, ensuring high-quality sound with intuitive operation. The console’s flexibility, combined with its ability to manage multiple audio sources effortlessly, makes it ideal for both student performances and the large-scale events hosted at the school.”
Middle schoolers take theatre classes at each grade level and present an annual play each fall. Past productions have included The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and The Wizard of Oz. Upper School theatre classes additionally layer in text analysis, script writing, characterization, and design elements. The Upper School’s musical productions – which, in past years, have included Fiddler on the Roof, Little Women, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, and Hello, Dolly! – typically involve nearly a quarter of the Upper School student body.
The new multi-channel microphone system, which feeds into the Quantum225 via the school’s new Dante network, has taken production to a new level, according to Godino. “We were at a point where we didn't have enough microphones, so it’s changed the whole way that we operate. Now we can cast as many as we want, and even have a whole ensemble. And things sound really good right now, even with outdated speakers. I can't imagine how good it will sound once we get the new speakers.”
Beyond the musicals, plays, band concerts, and other live performances, DC holds weekly events such as assembly or chapel that will also benefit from the control provided by the new console. “My goal for sound – and lighting – is for students to just hit a button, because they've already programmed it,” Godino says. “Then, the faders do what they’re supposed to do; the microphones are where they’re supposed to be. That just saves so much time and effort. But you must put in that work to get it programmed right, based on the needs. So far, it’s handling everything that we’re throwing at it. I’m really excited about the continuing renovations that will happen this summer, which will allow us to maximize the console’s use.”
Outside events will also benefit from DC’s new production technologies. Gordon College, New England’s top Christian college, has already performed in the refurbished DeMoss Center, he offers as an example. “Everything we do has a community focus. We know that we don’t exist alone, so if our space can be used to further other organizations that have similar missions to us, then that’s how we’re redefining the space,” Godino explains.For more information on Delaware County Christian School and its DeMoss Center, visit www.dccs.org.
Houser Audio can likewise be found online at www.houseraudio.com.
Learn more about Digico Quantum consoles at https://digico.biz/range/quantum/.
