Overlake Christian Church has updated its original audio equipment with a modular Nexo STM line array system designed and installed by Morgan Sound.
The 5,000-seat church in Redmond, WA has been in operation for nearly 20 years and has an average weekly attendance of 3,500. The typical setup at OCC is 7-8 musicians and 4-5 additional vocalists, and due to the size of the space, it is also used for large-scale regional Christian concerts and conferences.
“The OCC technical staff is highly experienced in dealing with tours,” said Stephen Weeks, AV consultant, Morgan Sound. “In the past, when a tour came through, speaker systems and production would be brought in from outside, necessitating a substantial investment of time and resources to fly the PA system. The STM installation will provide a top-of-the-line tour-grade audio system for the church, visiting production tours, and conferences.”
The main STM system consists of 10 Nexo M46 mid-high modules coupled with 10 B112 low-frequency modules per cluster in a L/R configuration. Three Nexo M28 downfill speakers per side are attached under the main arrays and two Nexo GEO S1230 speaker clusters each with three modules installed for balcony outfill. In addition, 12 Nexo S118 subwoofers are flown in the centre of the church in cardioid mode to facilitate even subwoofer coverage throughout the whole space. The amplifiers include 13 Nexo NXAMP4x4 controller/amplifiers and two NXAMP4x1s giving a total of 212kW of power. All the amplifiers are connected via Dante for maximum flexibility.
“The Nexo STM really sounds extraordinary,” added Weeks. “It is very linear in the vertical and horizontal planes, and this translates to an excellent experience, no matter where you are in the room. The new rigging system is very intuitive and made the speaker hang and angle adjustment very easy.”
Morgan Sound also installed a Yamaha CL5 console at front of house and a second on stage in the monitor position. Two Rio3224-D input/output boxes are used as the snake system. With Dante networking, the CLs are routinely used for multi-track recording and virtual sound check. Dante also connects to a DM1000 with a Dante MY card in the broadcast booth for additional recording capability. A Yamaha DME64 Digital Mix Engine was installed to provide signal distribution and EQ. Weeks stated: “Yamaha and Nexo’s design and technical expertise for this project was really stellar. It illustrates how good manufacturer and AV contractor relationships can produce fantastic results!”
Charlie Morgan, president of Morgan Sound, commented: “The support from Yamaha and Nexo was extraordinary. Not only was product staged for an on-demand delivery date, we also benefitted from the expertise of the Nexo training and technical staff during the final phases of commissioning. Our partnership with OCC and the Nexo staff at Yamaha ensured a compete and successful installation in the narrow time slot allotted.”
“We are extremely pleased with the stunning performance of the Nexo STM system,” concluded Marc Breda, technical arts director at the church. “It has surpassed our goal of making a 5,000-seat room feel intimate for speaking and worship. Nexo, Yamaha, and Morgan Sound have provided remarkable support from the initial design to completion of the final installation.”
