MT PLEASANT BAPTIST CHURCH

THE VENUE

Mt Pleasant Baptist Church is a thriving Christian ministry based in Booragoon, WA; 15 minutes drive from Perth’s CBD. The church also has a secondary WA campus in Coolbellup. With vibrant programs and activities catering to everyone from children to seniors, the church holds three services each Sunday at its Booragoon venue, which seats a culturally diverse congregation for 800+ people. Not just services, the church also runs Mt Pleasant College which offers Certificate II and III courses in Music, Film & Design, Technical Production, and Christian Ministry.

THE CHALLENGE

The folks who designed the Booragoon campus’s main auditorium had a purpose-built, acoustically self-sufficient concert hall space in mind — so the eventual addition of a concert PA system wasn’t exactly on the cards. The room is prone to bass build-up, and its 800 seats are spaced out over a wide area making the previous dual-speaker point source setup rather unsuccessful in delivering even coverage throughout. Because of this, and due to the college students’ use of the same auditorium, the need for a high-quality PA grew over the eight years the previous system was in place.

THE FIX

The National Audio Systems team weighed up the options and worked within the specified budget to deliver the perfect outcome. A line array system was a no-brainer in order to provide full 180° coverage over the whole area. After consultation, the dB Technologies DVA system topped the list. The upgrade came as part of a larger scale revamp of the auditorium, including new lighting, a stage redesign, and ongoing acoustic treatment of the space.

The installation was carried out by Craig Tucker, PA Product Manager at one of Perth’s premier music retail stores Mega Music. The new system was supplied by NAS, the Australian distributor for dB Technologies, with the help of Kerry Panara, WA Territory Manager.

Commenting on the fresh install, Craig Tucker said, “We definitely feel like we’ve got the right coverage where everyone can hear from front to back and side to side. The processor that dB Technologies utilises in its software is very good. It’s got all the things you would need to be able to fully tune it up. DSP-wise, it’s just as good as any other higher-grade system. And there isn’t a noticeable difference in sound between the two DVX D10 HPs side fills and the T8s. They blend evenly right around the room.”

THE RESULT

Thanks to the NAS team the whole process was easy and smooth sailing, from system design to installation to commissioning to handover — all with outstanding support provided throughout. Consistent and even dispersion of sound throughout the space now allows both the church congregation and college students to enjoy a first class facility. In addition, the new system makes the venue capable of accommodating conferences, touring artists and bands, and multicultural events.

Tom McKeown, Technical Producer at Mt Pleasant Baptist Church, has been receiving a barrage of compliments. “We’ve had really positive feedback overall, especially with the side fills fixing the huge gap we had with our old setup. Accomplished musicians and speakers walk up and say there’s amazing clarity as well as a really warm sound to the dB Technologies system.”

National Audio Systems is made up of industry experts with decades of experience under their belts. Should you find yourself in need of a PA upgrade and don’t know where to begin, NAS can provide you with a similar stunning solution within your budget requirements. Get in touch today.

Uniform sonic coverage is the ultimate goal of any PA installation, especially in a venue that hosts music. The dBTechnologies T8 line array modules give Mt Pleasant Baptist Church even sound dispersion throughout the 800-seat auditorium, from the front row to the back. The two DVX D10 HPs extend clear sound seamlessly to the far corners of the wide space.

Further information on the full range of dBTechnologies products can be found here.

dBTechnologies T8
Max. SPL: 132dB
Freq. Response: 66Hz-18kHz (-6dB)
Directivity: 100° x 15°
Weight: 14.2kg
Crossover Points: 400Hz/1.9kHz

dBTechnologies DVX D10 HP
Max. SPL: 127dB
Freq. Response: 85Hz-19kHz (±3dB)
Directivity: 90° x 70°
Weight: 15.8kg
Crossover Point: 1.6kHz

dBTechnologies DVA S20 DP
Max. SPL: 138dB
Freq. Response: 35Hz-120Hz (±3dB)
Directivity: Omnidirectional (with cardioid option)
Weight: 84kg
Crossover Point: 90Hz, 120Hz