Mount Paran Church, Atlanta

Context

The Team

A Pioneer in Worship is the First Church to Install L-ISA Technology

For more than half a century, the evangelical world has celebrated Atlanta’s Mount Paran Church as a beacon of effective ministry and rapid membership growth. With a 13,000+ member congregation, this community of faith pioneered the “one church in two locations” model in the late ‘80s, which laid the groundwork for many of today’s worship facilities with satellite campuses. This forward-thinking led to Mount Paran becoming the world’s first worship facility to install a sanctuary loudspeaker system built on L-ISA Hyperreal Sound technology.

The Challenge

Mount Paran’s former sound system was showing its age. Various hot and cold acoustic spots cropped up around the sanctuary, making it impossible for the technical team to deliver a consistent sonic experience. In some parts of the sanctuary, the volume was unbearable to patrons while in others nearly inaudible. Technical director David Mendoza sought to eliminate that, but he didn’t want to stop there. He wanted his system to achieve speech intelligibility behind their 150-person choir’s vocals while reproducing the dynamic range of the orchestral music. Church leadership also sought to remove any sightline blockage to the stage and lighting, which a traditional L/R configuration caused for large sections of the congregation.

The Solution

With the introduction of A15, L-ISA became a viable solution that stayed within Mount Paran’s budget. It offered a high density of SPL in a compact package. The L-ISA configuration for Mount Paran, utilizing A15, was within a single-digit percentage difference in price, compared to traditional L/R options. L-ISA was also the only option that met both the fidelity and sightline goals by spreading the SPL across seven A15 arrays flown over the stage. Beyond the system design, the L-ISA technology would allow the sound mixing team to design their mix for the pastor, choir, orchestra, and band with up to 96 different inputs: giving each strategically placed sound object its own space, depth, and width in the mix. 

System pictures

The Result

Since installing the L-ISA system using A15, volunteered feedback on the new system has been 100% positive. A new universe of creative options enables the FOH engineer to create an emotional connection between the congregation and what is happening on the stage. The technical team has witnessed a deeper engagement during service with more patrons immersed in the spoken word and music, standing with arms raised in praise. They’ve also seen an increase of worshippers who stay for the second service, “so they can hear it again.” 

The ability to localize sound and use space as a creative tool has been game-changing for Mount Paran’s technical team. The FOH engineer can do what feels right for transitions from spoken word to a variety of music ensembles, creating unforgettable moments in the mix. The provided training from L-Acoustics allowed for a smooth transition to L-ISA and has empowered the team to become artists at their workstations. 

Project photos