Watermark Community Church, Dallas

Context

The Team

Sound Sanctuary: How L-Acoustics Transformed Worship at Watermark Community Church

Founded in 1999 in Dallas, Texas, Watermark Community Church is a nondenominational evangelical house of worship that has grown to serve over 9,000 attendees weekly across multiple campuses. The church has always prioritized clear communication, recognizing that sound quality is crucial to effectively delivering its message. For more than a decade, Watermark has trusted L-Acoustics for its audio needs, starting with a Kudo PA system. In January, the church upgraded to an L-Acoustics L-ISA Hyperreal Sound system with L Series loudspeakers, which was sold and installed by Clark, an integration company based in Georgia.

The Challenge

Watermark Community Church’s main sanctuary is a massive space, featuring a nearly 100-foot-wide video wall. Despite the impressive visuals, the church’s leadership wanted to ensure the sound was the single most important element in the venue. The primary goal was to achieve sound consistency and provide the largest possible number of attendees with the same high-quality, immersive listening experience. The challenge was to create a system that delivered clarity and consistency throughout the entire seating area, making the large space feel more intimate and engaging for everyone.

The Solution

To address these challenges, Watermark Community Church adopted the L-Acoustics L-ISA Hyperreal Sound technology and L Series loudspeakers. The new system was designed to provide exceptional coverage, consistency, and clarity. This upgrade improved intelligibility and fidelity for the entire congregation. The new sound system enables attendees to distinguish individual instruments, rather than just hearing a “wall of sound.” Bekah Winans, Watermark’s Audio Director, noted that while most people may not understand the technical aspects of a spatial system, they immediately recognize that it sounds “clear and amazing”. The L-ISA technology also expanded sound coverage, with at least 80% of the seating area now receiving an immersive experience.

The Result

The new audio system has significantly enhanced the worship experience, helping the church achieve its goal of becoming more engaging. According to Bekah Winans, Watermark Community Church’s Audio Director, she noted that the leadership “wanted consistency of the sound. They wanted the largest number of seats in the house to have the same great, immersive experience as possible,” and with this new system, “They do!” She also noted that attendees are “now able to pick out distinct instruments instead of just hearing a wall of sound.” She added, “For them to say that it sounds fantastic means we’ve accomplished our goal to become more engaging.”

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