United Technology Service Designs Awe-Inspiring Audio for New Macedonia Baptist Church

Aug 2, 2007 8:00 AM

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With soaring musical aspirations but only a limited budget, New Macedonia Baptist Church in Riverdale, Ga., hired United Technology Service (UTS) in Cumming, Ga., to design and install an awe-inspiring audio and infrastructure system that requires minimal upkeep and that anyone in the church can operate. Centering its audio-processing requirements on a trio of SymNet 8x8 DSP units, the UTS designers maximized the system's automation and intelligence by programming appropriate routings and signal processing for all of the church's common uses. With every element in the system connected to a local network that's password-accessible from the Internet, UTS engineers can monitor signal flow, alter system parameters, and troubleshoot from anywhere in the world, relieving the church from the financial burden of retaining costly technicians.

The new church opened on March 4, 2007, and seats nearly 1,300, although on opening Sunday and Easter Sunday the congregation swelled far beyond that number, with standing-room-only overflow. The sanctuary is octagon-shaped with soaring ceilings and a 65ft. stage that sprawls across one-third of the floor space.

New Macedonia's grand plan is to build an even larger, 3,500-seat sanctuary, at which point the current sanctuary will become a chapel.

With more than 20 years of experience in live sound and degrees in electronics engineering technology and architectural acoustics and sound system design, UTS systems design engineer Tony Crabtree led the project. He had considerable input and support from UTS President Carlos Rivera, who started the company with the belief that clients would much rather have one company design and install their entire technology infrastructure than navigate the tortured logistical terrain that is necessary when hiring multiple contractors. UTS, as its name promises, specializes in integrated video, presentation, and audio systems along with their supporting network technologies.

While New Macedonia wanted all of these things, its emphasis was on the audio. In a nutshell, it wanted a concert-quality, killer sound system.

For more information, visit www.utechserve.com.