Avenue Systems Delivers Premium Martin Audio Solution for Calvary Church Expansion

Avenue Systems has completed a comprehensive AV infrastructure installation at Calvary Church in Jupiter, Florida, following the ministry's recent $13m expansion and relocation to a new auditorium.

Originally founded in 1997, the church required a high-energy yet budget-conscious audio solution that could deliver consistent coverage across a wide, relatively shallow room. To meet these requirements, the Milwaukee-based specialists designed a site-wide Martin Audio CDD point source system, opting for a distributed layout rather than a traditional line array to best suit the acoustic profile of the new space.

When Calvary Church in Jupiter, Florida, recently expanded its ministry into a new facility, it wanted the best audio experience it could deliver to its members and congregants inside its new auditorium.

And so the church — originally founded in 1997 before acquiring its own permanent property in 2008 to accommodate its growth — turned to Milwaukee-based Avenue Systems to design and install the new AV infrastructure. This was after they had acquired the additional land, committing $13m to the new development and repurposing the pre-existing auditorium.

Knowing that within the new space, Calvary would need to meet all requirements of a modern contemporary church — "relatively high energy sound but not concert levels", according to Avenue Systems' Director of Client Relations, Terry Rhodes — the audio-visual specialists set about creating an elevated experience. A key ingredient was a site-wide Martin Audio CDD point source solution, which offered clear and consistent coverage.

The new technical infrastructure also needed to work within a scalable space. Rhodes noted: "As this wasn't a particularly deep room there was no requirement for a line array — however, it was relatively wide. So distributed audio from point source boxes made more sense, and was also more economically friendly to their budget, considering they had a number of issues to address."

He also observed that Calvary's technical team, under production director Steve Sweeney, required ease of use, affording volunteer-friendly operation, automation and flexibility. He emphasised that "the partnership we formed was all about trust and building a relationship."

His sound reinforcement design is based around a pair of CDD15 each side of the stage, with four CDD12 set back in a delay ring along with a pair of CDD10, and five of the ultra-compact CDD6 serving as infills. "We also had four SX218 subs buried in bunkers at the face of the stage," he added. These were powered by Martin Audio sister company, Linea Research's 44M20 4-channel amplifiers, managed through Q-SYS processing.

To truly optimise the system, the new room required acoustic treatment to tame reverberation, flutter and echo.

The team at Avenue Systems was able to relax knowing they had the full support of Martin Audio where required, and specifically that of regional rep Martha Callaghan.

Avenue Systems continue to offer close support to Calvary Church, making resources available to strengthen infrastructure where necessary, with confidence that this robust AV solution will serve not only the current congregation but also future generations.

Steve Sweeney agrees, adding: "It goes without saying that having a great relationship with an integrator makes all the difference. Avenue Systems was always there for us, both answering questions to help our volunteers understand the 'why' behind our new space's audio design and taking time to showcase the value of Martin Audio's CDD line. We were so impressed by how the speakers delivered a complete, balanced sound experience for our congregation during both contemporary worship and our Bible Teaching led by our Sr. Pastor.

"Terry Rhodes was both a great advocate for Martin Audio's line of audio, and the value of Linea Research's amplifiers and how well they integrate with our other systems and controls. We're glad we made this choice, recommended by Avenue Systems. Martin Audio makes phenomenal speakers."

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