Acoustic Dimensions Turns To JBL Loudspeakers For New Worship System At Prestonwood Baptist Church North

Acoustic Dimensions recently completed the design and commissioning of a JBL VERTEC® line array system at a new Prestonwood Baptist Church location in Prosper, Texas. Designed to accommodate a variety of musical performers and video presentations, Prestonwood Baptist Church North seats 1,500 and complements the main Prestonwood Baptist worship facility, located 17 miles to the south in Plano.

Having previously designed the acoustics and sound systems for the main Prestonwood worship space, Acoustic Dimensions designed the entire audio/video/lighting system at Prestonwood North. According to Jim Burdette of Acoustic Dimensions, the construction of Prestonwood North marked a natural step forward in the evolution in Prestonwood’s worship style. “The main worship space in Plano was built in 2000 and they’ve gradually moved towards a more contemporary worship style without taking it too far,” said Jim Burdette of Acoustic Dimensions. “They wanted to go further with that style in this new space, to have a more intimate, more acoustically controlled room that lends itself to more contemporary worship.”

With the knowledge that the size and scope of the Prestonwood North sanctuary called for a smaller-scale line array, Acoustic Dimensions orchestrated a comparative listening test including several different options, to help the church’s audio staff choose the appropriate loudspeaker model for the space. “We held the test at the main church and simulated the seating plane to resemble Prestonwood North,” Burdette said. “The JBL VERTEC line arrays were the clear preference of the client.”

Acoustic Dimensions designed a left-right arrangement of JBL VERTEC VT4887A compact bi-amplified 3-way high directivity line array elements, designed to cover 80 percent of the center seating section. Featuring JBL’s advanced technology Differential Drive® loudspeaker components, each VT4887A includes JBL’s patented Radiation Boundary Integrator® (RBI) and a pair of annular ring radiators for smooth adjacent-bandpass integration and extended high frequency performance. “There is a noticeable clarity in the VT4887A loudspeakers, and the high-frequency response is really nice,” Burdette noted. Additionally, JBL PD (Precision Directivity™) Series loudspeakers were installed outside each of the line arrays in the wide listening space, to address outer seating area coverage.

To support the system’s low-frequency performance, Acoustic Dimensions designed custom subwoofer arrays including three JBL ASB6128 enclosures per side in a cardioid configuration next to each main line array, as well as two ASB6128 subs installed in a cavity below the stage. “We spent a good bit of time working through the placement of the cardioid sub arrays since the roof was in close proximity above, and the proscenium walls at a spaced distance behind. We did many calculations and models to figure out the right placement to achieve the correct directivity,” Burdette said. “When we’re evaluating subwoofers, we not only look at the specs and sonics, but also how well we can integrate and tune them, as well as which models best suit a particular room design. For us, these JBL subwoofers were an excellent fit for the application.”

For more information on Acoustic Dimensions, please visit www.acousticdimensions.com or call 972.239.1505.