After careful consideration of the layout of the building and the acoustics of the space, Ashdown AV recommended that a Bose ControlSpace DSP audio management system be installed to control multiple Bose Panaray speakers. The installation includes Bose Panaray MA12 line array speakers delivering clear music and voice to the body of the church, plus Bose Panaray 402 II speakers cleverly flown from the ceiling to cover additional areas, with Bose MB12 bass support.
According to Canon Colin Preece, "At its heart, the refurbishment of St. Mary the Virgin Ashford has been about making this ancient parish church a shared sacred space. For many years the church has been used for concerts and exhibitions. It was not a convenient space for this but we managed. Alongside this the congregation and PCC have longed not only to encourage more visitors, but also to open the doors of the church to the wider community, and to develop its mission and ministry to the people of Ashford. There is no doubt that since its completion, the church has seen a tremendous growth in the number of visitors, and its regular congregation is growing."
Peter Roe of Ashdown AV, who worked with Bose engineers on the specification and final set-up, adds, "With eight different modes plus emergency override and fire alarm, the ControlSpace DSP is perfect as it is intuitive and can be operated by the church with relative ease. In addition, the Bose speakers worked well straight out of the box and, with a little EQ, the system sounded superb. It must be one of the first installations I have worked on where a lapel radio mic works nicely even with a totally flat EQ! The church can now use the new system for most of its planned concerts without needing to hire in a bigger rig."
(Jim Evans)
