Finchampstead Baptist Church

SFL provide complete system integration across sound, light & video

The Main Sports Hall is the largest space in the building with all the mod-cons of a fully equipped sports venue, but it also serves the dual purpose of being the main meeting space for the Church on a Sunday. Obviously, any equipment placed in here would need to be of highest quality, but also able to withstand the rigours of active sporting events!

With that in mind, SFL utilised Tannoy’s brand new VQ100 speakers for the main audio system, coupled with the VS-15HP subs, and driven from Roland’s M400 digital mixing console which connects via Cat5e into a heavy-duty wall plate to the main audio system, which is hidden in a cupboard next to the stage. Band inputs reach the desk using the Roland S-4000 stage box, whilst the smaller S-0816 provides all the audio input and output capability needed for amplifier feeds.

The video system in the Main Hall is based around Analog Way’s EasyFade seamless switching unit and a Christie LW650 projector. The projector had to be installed into a room all of its own, high in the roof space, focussed through a hole in the wall for safe-keeping. The video switching system is housed completely in a purpose built rack with a bespoke video multi-core connecting into a second wall panel to enable simple plug-and-play use.

The stage itself is hidden behind a large shutter door keeping everything safely tucked away during the mid-week activities. LED PAR cans border this space to add colour during the services, whilst the white light wash comes courtesy of a dozen profile spots hung from high up in the roof space, which are then encased in a mesh to stop over-zealous left-foot volleys from wreaking any havoc.

By venturing upstairs in the FBC Centre, you will stumble across the Loft. This is used for live music, children’s ministry, presentations and drama events. Once again Tannoy provides the speaker solution, with a pair of V12-HP for the main system, ably supported by two VS-15HL subs for low-end reinforcement. In a similar manner to the main hall, a Roland digital desk takes charge of mixing duties, but this time it’s the M-380 that is called into action to provide 48 channels of mixing but in a much smaller 19” frame.

 

Christie once more provides the projection services, however this time a Kramer VP-series switcher driving the video content. In addition to this, twelve more PAR cans provide the white light, with a pair of Anolis 48 LED units offering an impressive array of intense colours on the stage walls.

A quick visit into any of the meeting rooms, Children’s Centre or Café and you will be welcomed by ceiling speaker driven audio reinforcement and plasma screens for presentations and signage; each furnished with local connectivity for iPods, DVD players and laptops.

The technical provision doesn’t stop here though, the entire building then plays host to two networks; one for audio, another for video.

At the heart of the video network are Kramer and Extron switchers and distribution devices. Pulling feeds from either of the performance halls, or from behind the specially installed video inputs at the Reception desk, you can display any of the feeds in any of the halls, Café, or even the meeting rooms. At just the press of the button, you can switch from watching a PC driven notice loop, to a DVD, to a video relay camera feed from one of the halls.

The audio system offers a similar set of features, thanks to Allen & Heath’s IDR network devices. The Main Hall, Loft and Reception are all interlinked via a digital audio network enabling a sharing of sound sources between all three locations. With the press of the button from one of the A&H PL-series wall plate controls, or via the Infra-red remote, you can easily adjust the signals coming from either of the halls, or indeed the TV feed from the Reception desk; whilst also having completely independent control of two microphones and an iPod input for those smaller meetings or aerobics classes without having to pull out the mixing desks.