Over the years, remarkable breakthroughs in speaker design have not only empowered pastors to reach more people with better intelligibility, but have also helped to transform traditional Sunday services into life-changing contemporary church experiences. Today, it is not uncommon to find the quality of audio systems deployed in churches to be on par with concert halls and premium theaters. However, the technology and expertise required for better audio does not come cheap, causing church leaders and audio engineers to carefully weigh the benefits of any new technology with their promise to accomplish the particular goals for the church. In this report, CPM takes a look at some new concepts in loudspeaker design, where they originate from, and how churches might benefit.
The appropriately named Anakonda has a flexible PET-grade braid exterior that permits the snake-like speaker to bend into any seamless shape you might need, while protecting the one-inch cone drivers.
An Italian company recently knocked the professional audio industry on its ear, announcing a speaker system that can curve around corners. The company’s Anakonda-KAN200 are flexible, lightweight loudspeakers that are two meters long with eight-inch by one-inch drivers that can deliver the power of 150W at 64Ω. The more imposing KAN200+ has 16-inch by 1-inch drivers and can produce an impressive 108 dB and is rated for 300W at 32Ω.
The appropriately named Anakonda has a flexible PET-grade braid exterior that permits the snake-like speaker to bend into any seamless shape you might need, while protecting the one-inch cone drivers. With male and female Speakon NL4 connectors integrated at each end to hide the wires, you can extend an Anakonda system (using a K-ANLINK accessory) to up to 32 units or just about 210 feet. The Anakonda, like the K-array’s Lizard (ultra-miniature) and Viper (ultra-flat) aluminum line array elements, can be hidden along a corner of wall, disappear under the curved lip of a stage as front fill, can be used on stage for monitors, or to make an artistic statement hung on a set.
K-array Anakonda-KAN200.
K-array provides dedicated presets to make the Anaconda work for a variety of situations and over a wide frequency range, and it can also be used as part of a complete audio system in combination with K-array subwoofers.The unique designs of K-array components that follow the tenets of the company’s exclusive Pure Array Technology, physics that its engineers have spent over a decade perfecting, allow designers to create deceivingly small systems with fewer boxes. However, it’s important to note that the technology has proven to scale extremely well. In fact, the company’s top-of-the-line Firenze electronic beam steerable touring systems are powerful enough to conquer the sound needs of the largest arenas and are finding devotees among the nation’s leading touring engineers. According to veteran FOH engineer, system designer, and Next Gen Audio owner, Rick Camp, “You really have to get in front of K-array systems to … believe what the software predictions are telling you. Most engineers just can’t believe how good the sound is and how much sound a system with just a few boxes can produce.”For churches, great sounding smaller systems can solve a number of problems. In addition to increased intelligibility and better sound from loudspeakers that are precisely steerable, more diminutive systems can improve sightlines and preserve the look of a sanctuary. In addition, fewer boxes with better coverage can simplify installation and significantly reduce the overall cost of a new system, keeping the decision to upgrade inline with good stewardship.
Renkus-Heinz DC12/2
Renkus-Heinz has been a well-respected loudspeaker manufacturer and leader in digitally steered sound for many years, but their recent concept of offering an ultra-compact, steerable array that can be set up and controlled by phone app is designed to bring steerable sound to the masses.Measuring only 3-7/8-inch wide by 30-1/2-inch high by 3-3/4-inch diameter, the company’s first product in the DC(Directivity Control) Series is the DC12/2, a self-powered column line array with 12 full-range, two-inch drivers powered by 12 channels of amplification. The array is designed for applications that require great sound, tight control and nearly invisible aesthetics, but what is equally impressive is that the engineers at Renkus-Heinz have consolidated over 15 years of expertise in designing and deploying sound systems into companion app, so systems can be set up via an iOS or Android device.
The DC12/2 and RHAPP are loaded with Renkus-Heinz' latest in beam shaping algorithms and advanced multi-channel amplification to help even novice users quickly achieve the natural, transparent sound quality for which the company is known.
The app, RHAPP, offers users just a few simple choices to match typical coverage patterns to the physical aspects of a room, thus tailoring the system to the specific environment. From there, further adjustments can be accomplished to the tonal balance of the system via the system’s simplified EQ controls.Although the app interface is intentionally simple, the DC12/2 and RHAPP are loaded with Renkus-Heinz' latest in beam shaping algorithms and advanced multi-channel amplification to help even novice users quickly achieve the natural, transparent sound quality for which the company is known. The system offers built-in Wi-Fi for robust, reliable control communication.Also important to less technical users, the DC12/2 is easily installed with the included wall mount and requires no vertical aiming. By offering simple installation and smart control of the DC12/2 that more users can handle, Renkus-Heinz is making their complex sound steering technology simple to install and very possibly the ideal choice for many smaller houses of worship or overflow or other remote spaces at larger churches. As new loudspeaker designs and the electronics that support them appear on the horizon, there are always questions as to whether these new designs are right for application in houses of worship. Newcomers to church sound tend to challenge conventional thinking about loudspeaker design and more traditional manufacturer’s are always looking to bring something new to the game.
Void Acoustics Cyclone Series
Some new designs might look different from traditional loudspeakers, but each has something to offer that might just be what your church needs to get to the next level in audio.Loudspeaker cabinet designs have taken some interesting turns, but none so dramatic (and artful) as the inert horn designs of UK-based Void Acoustics, where Co-Founder and Creative Director Rog Mogale’s bold designs have ensured that his loudspeakers are seen as well as heard. With a diverse background in record production, film scoring, remixing, and FOH engineering, artful and eye-catching audio design is now Mogale’s major focus. He’s been designing audio since the late 1970s, creating systems for many of the jetsetter nightclubs and trendy live venues, but Void systems have gained favor with touring companies, where their great sound and bold appearance are finding their way into more contemporary spaces.
"These systems have proven themselves over and over in concert situations, but the striking designs are also visually pleasing, you just want to reach out and touch them." - Robert Hofkamp, Director of Operations, Void Acoustics.
For contemporary house of worship venues that aren’t necessarily looking for their sound systems to “disappear” into a sanctuary space or blackbox venue, designs like Void’s iconic Air Motion V2, a sculpted loudspeaker array comprised of three optimally designed transducers loaded by isometric conical horns and housed in a format “free from restricting and potentially resonant enclosures,” can offer both great sound and make an artistic statement. Available finishes range from gold chrome to flat black and most everything in between. The company’s commitment to make art out of loudspeaker design ensures that their sleek automotive-grade finishes offer room designers the gamut of colors to color map against or contrast with the room’s decor.
Void Acoustics Air Motion
Void’s full-range loudspeakers, like Air Array (a three-way, bi-amped sculpted fiberglass loudspeaker array with 14 discrete proprietary drivers, when paired with the company’s Incubus sub, offer powerful systems for medium-to-large venues that can produce not only stunning, in-your-face sound, but outstanding vocal clarity and intelligibility. “These systems have proven themselves over and over in concert situations,” says Void’s director of operations, Robert Hofkamp, “but their striking designs are also so visually pleasing, you just want to reach out [and] touch them.”
Andy McDonough is a regular contributor to Church Production Magazine.
