Martin Audio’s WPS Wavefront Precision line array has been installed at Apex Baptist Church in North Carolina, as part of an audio upgrade designed to improve speech intelligibility and coverage for both spoken-word and full-production worship services.
The installation comprises flown hangs of 10 WPS elements per side, driven in single-box resolution, with a flown centre array of three SXHF218 subwoofers in a cardioid configuration, which is designed to help keep low-frequency energy off the stage. Six FlexPoint FP6 loudspeakers act as front fills and six FlexPoint FP4 enclosures provide upper-balcony fill, while the system is powered by three iKON iK81 and three iK42 amplifiers.
The work was carried out by AV integrator S&L Integrated, which combined acoustic treatment on the walls and balcony face with the directional control of the array. The sanctuary has a large main floor, a deep balcony and highly reflective side walls, and Martin Audio’s DISPLAY software was used to model the space and define trim heights, pick points and x/y dimensions.
Gage Helton, director of operations at S&L Integrated, said: “Acoustically, it was a classic house-of-worship puzzle. High RT60 reverb times, flutter echo off the side walls and balcony face, and severe acoustic shadowing under and above the balcony.”
Helton added: “While the church had grown significantly, the old system just couldn’t keep up. Speech clarity was lost due to a lack of coverage, particularly in and under the balcony sections. The upgrade was also designed to remove previous technical barriers to elevate their Sunday morning experience, building a scalable platform that could support future growth and higher-production events.”
Helton added: “The room sounds open, warm, and exceptionally clear. Vocals sit effortlessly on top of the mix without ever feeling harsh or pushed, and the low-end coupling from the flown cardioid sub array gives worship music a visceral, high-fidelity impact without room boominess.”
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