Effects Unlimited has recently completed the design and installation of a new sound system for St Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, based around Community E Series column-format line source and point source loudspeaker systems.

The church has been a landmark of the Wyoming Valley since the 1850s, with the current magnificent neo-gothic church on Pennsylvania Boulevard completed in 1887. With its interior featuring high vaulted ceilings and reflective surfaces, St Nicholas turned to audio specialist Effects Unlimited to design a system that would deliver high intelligibility and complete coverage in the acoustically challenging space. Specialising in installation, as well as rental and live production services, Effects Unlimited is one of the largest providers of audiovisual systems in the region.

The Community E Series loudspeakers were chosen for their audio quality, reliability and dispersion that addressed the congregation while substantially avoiding reflective surfaces. A demonstration of the system’s performance provided the customer with confidence and Effects Unlimited was commissioned to install the proposed system.

The main system comprises six full-range Ent-FR high performance column line source loudspeakers. Designed for use in difficult acoustic environments, the Ent-FR delivers high intelligibility with wide horizontal and extremely narrow vertical dispersion. Its elegant slim profile also provided a good aesthetic solution that merged well with the church’s interior architecture.

Six Ent206B compact column point source loudspeakers and four D Series DS5 high-output, high-quality surface-mount loudspeakers provide additional coverage and fill, and two VLF208B dual 8-inch subwoofers extend the low frequency for warmth and music quality.

The system is controlled by QSC Q-Sys, with a TouchMix-8 digital mixer and a PoE touch screen interface for ease of use. Power is provided by a combination of QSC CXD4.3, CXD4.5 and CX204V amplifiers. To complete the system’s quality and provide flexibility, Effects Unlimited chose a combination of Shure wired and wireless mic systems and a Gemini CDMP-1400 CD/MP3/USB player provides an additional source for pre-recorded material.

‘The results were outstanding, with superb audio quality and even coverage,’ David Grogan of Effects Unlimited reports. ‘The customer was blown away by the performance of the system.’