Audix

The Ark of Salvation, a Slavic Pentecostal church located in Inman, South Carolina. When they needed an audiomakeover for their 1,500-member facility, they called in Paul Korchak ofDigital Pro Sound, based in Portland, Oregon. Church officials gave Paul simpleinstructions: provide the best possible sound with the least number ofmicrophones.

The choir at the Ark of Salvation church has a core group120 singers, but that number can swell to 200 as young congregants fill thestage to join in the performance. To provide adequate coverage, Paul hung 12Audix Micros™ Series M1280Bs cardioid mics overhead, configured in two rows of six.

“I used the M1280s for their sound quality and their abilityto capture just about every detail in the choir without picking up peripheralnoise,” said Paul. “The church records every service and makes them

available on the internet, so audio quality is critical.They were very impressed with M1280s, both the sound and the look: they thoughtthey looked ‘cool’.”

A crucial accompaniment to the choir, the baby grand pianoalso needed sound reinforcement, so Paul chose the SCX25APS piano miking kit. Although most installers will use the provided DFLEX harprail mounts, Paul mounted the pair of SCX25A microphones by using a Miriziopiano microphone mount.

“Everyone loves the SCX25As,” said Paul. “They capture thefull tonal range of the piano with no drop outs. People from other churcheshave come to hear them.”

Although the hanging M1280s do an excellent job of capturingthe choir, the audio system also needed a versatile microphone solution toaccommodate the occasional children’s choir, walkup acoustic instrument, smallorchestra, drama performance, or other special musical performances. Paul chosethe Audix MicroBoom MB5050 choir miking system, which combines a lightweight 50-inch carbon fiberboom with an M1250 mini cardioid condenser mic.

“They liked the flexibility and portability of theMicroBoom™ system,” said Paul. “In fact, they plan on ordering more.”

Choosing the best microphone solution for their podium was aunique challenge because at the Ark of Salvation church they can often have twopeople speaking side by side. Paul used two Audix Micropod18HC gooseneckminiaturized condenser microphones with the hypercardioid pattern for tighterpickup. “When both mics are active,one mic can be flipped out of phase with the other,” explained Paul. “Togetherwith the hypercardioid pattern, and a Rupert Neve 5045 enhancer, which allowsan increase in gain before feedback, feedback and other distortionsare eliminated.”

The sound captured by the choir mics, MicroBooms, and podiummics is delivered to the congregation through 18 Nexo speakers. Performers cancheck their sound through six Nexo monitors. To fine tune the sound throughoutthe sanctuary, Paul first measured the space with the Audix TM1 test andmeasurement microphone, then used the data to fabricate and install 180 customacoustic panels.

The Ark of Salvation church was very happy with the result.

 “I already have fourmore jobs lined up, thanks to leads from the Ark of Salvation,” said Paul. “Thenext in Atlanta, then Tennessee, Charlotte, and Everett, Washington — and,because they were so well received by the Ark of Salvation, I certainly plan tocontinue to use Audix microphones.”