L-Acoustics Kara II line array system has provided the audio for the new SOUL Church purpose-built auditorium in Norwich, UK, which boasts 1,250 seats.
Founded in 2014 by Pastors Jon and Chantel Norman, SOUL Church has over 2,500 members and hosts a variety of services throughout the week and an annual Christmas spectacular, which attracts nearly 10,000 attendees. SOUL Church partnered with L-Acoustics Certified Partner Solotech, to design and install the system.
The auditorium’s unique layout, with 400 ground-level seats and tiered amphitheatre seating, presented challenges for the installation. Solotech used L-Acoustics Soundvision 3D modelling software to optimise speaker placement and coverage.
Soundvision provided detailed heat maps of the SPL coverage for different speaker layouts. This allowed the church and installation team to choose the best option for the room.
The final design incorporates a combination of flown and floor-mounted subwoofers for optimal low-end coverage, complemented by a stereo line array and front fills. The system comprises 16 Kara IIi loudspeakers, two A15i Wide, five A10i Wide, six SB18 IIi subs, four KS28 subs, and four X12 coaxial speakers.
The setup is powered by L-Acoustics amplified controllers: two LA12X and six LA4X, managed by a P1 processor and an LS10 switch for Milan-AVB networking.
The audio system installation process presented a unique challenge. The stage construction blocked the main entryway for the equipment needed to lift the speakers into place. To solve this, Solotech had to carefully coordinate with the stage construction team. In the end, they used a spider boom lift that just fit through a side door to complete the audio installation.
Gareth Lee, of the directional leadership team at SOUL Church, said: “Building a new church of this scale in Western Europe is truly unique. We wanted a sound system that could match the ambition of our new facility and provide a world-class experience for our congregants.”
He concluded: “Numerous churches and organisations have toured the auditorium to learn more about the setup and gain insights into our infrastructure. We’ve even been referred to as ‘one of the most state-of-the-art facilities north of London’.”
