Head of sound for the church, Jacob Lozier, installed the Allen & Heath live sound console as part of an upgrade that also saw the addition of Tascam CD recording and playback capabilities to the existing sound system, which features EAW speakers and Mackie amplifiers. The GL2200 offers dual-mode switching between FOH and monitor functionality, four subgroups, six auxiliary sends, and a four-band EQ section with switchable high pass filter.
Services at First Methodist range from the traditional, simply involving a pulpit microphone, to contemporary services with a full band, including drums and guitars. The console that was replaced by the GL2200 was unfortunately not up to the latter task, notes Lozier. "One of the reasons the upgrade happened was because the previous console was being overused for its capabilities." In contrast, he reports, the Allen & Heath is more than capable of handling both roles.
Lozier chose the GL2200 after a previous happy experience with it. "I'd used the GL2200 before and really enjoyed using it. It has great capabilities and a good range of use. I used it on an outdoor band performance and it was very capable of doing that, so I knew that it could handle an indoor facility, especially the size of this one." Services at First Methodist typically number about 300 worshippers.
Lozier, who worked for several years for Eagle Communication, an installation company that provided audio equipment to a variety of venues and performed the original sound system integration at First United Methodist, is now training a number of other church members on the GL2200. "A lot of them have had some experience using the previous console, but I think most people are finding it fairly simple and self-explanatory."
(Lee Baldock)
