"We initially supplied the M1D system on a hire basis," recalls Lee Thomson of Prosound Pty Ltd of Johannesburg, Meyer Sound's South African distributor. "We rigged it up for a weekend of services, and for a special concert later that week by the well-known British songwriter and worship leader, Matt Redman. What the church leadership heard clearly tipped the decision in favor of the Meyer Sound solution."
The new, permanently installed system's main left and right arrays each contain six M1D cabinets and one M1D-Sub ultra-compact subwoofer. A Meyer Sound LD-2 line driver tailors the signal precisely for the system components.
Principal designer of the system was Prosound's technical director Mark Malherbe, with contributions from Lee Thomson. "We used the MAPP Online Pro (acoustical prediction) program, and it was very helpful in demonstrating to the client what the coverage would be like," says Thomson.
Over the months following installation, the church congregation and leadership were pleased to discover that their experience during the trial period was repeatable on a weekly basis. "Compared to the old system, we've noticed a great improvement in power, coverage and clarity," comments Gary Bradshaw, an elder at the church responsible for financial oversight. "The most noticeable characteristic is the uniformity of coverage. This system is great for the spoken word, as we don't have dead spots. For music, we've noticed that we no longer have areas where the music booms. The sound engineers have an easier time creating a mix that sounds good throughout the hall."
Mixing duties at the church are performed on its other principle new acquisition: a 32-channel Midas Verona console. According to Prosound, the church's Verona is the first installed anywhere in South Africa.
Although the M1D system is the first installed in any South African church, Prosound expects more to follow. "We've had excellent results with the M1D in theatrical applications - most notably with the District Six production - as well as at conference venues like the Capetown International Convention Centre," reports Thomson. "Regardless of where it is used, the M1D is remarkable in its ability to provide uniform coverage, outstanding intelligibility, and more gain before feedback."
(Chris Henry)
