Clarity and Consistency For Chattanooga Church

Abba’s House is a large evangelist church in Hixson, a suburb of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its existing sound reinforcement system had become due for replacement, being life-expired and underpowered to satisfactorily cover a semi-circular auditorium with close to 3000 seats. An Alcons Audio pro-ribbon system has brought radically improved sound to worshippers and fans of Christian music alike.

Music is an integral part of Abba’s House services, which blend traditional and contemporary elements, while its status as the largest church auditorium in Chattanooga means it welcomes a wide range of Christian performing artists. The sound reinforcement system needs to throw effectively over 100ft (30 meters), the equivalent of a system used for large format concerts.

The congregation includes people of all ages, so it was important for the sound quality to be pleasant for young and old alike, while long-term reliability was essential to ensure a good return on the church’s investment. This was something the previous system had fallen short on.

“We finally have a system that truly supports what we do—and lets people hear the Word the way it’s meant to be heard.”, Dana Harding, Director of Technical Services Abba’s House

Dana Harding, the church’s director of technical services, contacted Tracy Miller, owner of Chattanooga-based db Technologies. The two men had worked together before, while Tracy had also previously worked with Abba’s house. So it was natural for him to be the first port of call

Tracy is a longtime Alcons Audio rental partner, dealer and installer, who says, “The first thing I noticed when I listened to an Alcons pro-ribbon system was the smoothness of the high frequencies and how articulate it was.”

They listened to systems from various manufacturers, but Dana was impressed by the power, clarity and smoothness of the Alcons pro-ribbon drivers. Tracy contacted Alcons’ North America sales manager David Rahn, who provided a demonstration system for the Abba’s House auditorium, also assisting with setup and tuning.

Impressed with its performance, and the fact that it eliminated the need for 14 delay speakers, covering the back risers and balcony, the church accepted Tracy’s recommendation for an Alcons system.

This comprised flown left/right arrays of six LR24/120 and two LR24/90 mid-size line-array modules per side, with five BC543i triple 18”, very high output cardioid subwoofers mounted under the curved stage front. Front fills were provided by five SR9 ultra-compact monitors, embedded in the stage above the subwoofers, while the system was managed and controlled by seven Sentinel10 4 channel amplified loudspeaker controllers for the main arrays, plus a Sentinel3 for the SR9 fills.

Audio consultant Dennie Miller of Nashville-based Miller Audio Industries, which provides system optimization and design services for large-format installs and touring, a.o. for Miguel and Volbeat, was brought in by David Rahn for the system’s final tuning and commissioning.

He agreed that the system was a good choice for Abba’s House. “I’ve heard nothing else that sounds like the Alcons pro-ribbon driver. It’s transparent, smooth and never gets harsh,” he says.

Dennie credits the church’s active role in the room’s acoustic design and Alcons’ early involvement in the project for minimizing tuning challenges. “The ingredients for a low-variance system were already built into the space. We mainly focused on tonal consistency across the audience area, making sure it sounded not just uniform, but right for their content.”

“The clarity, detail and fidelity of the sound really stands out, and the coverage throughout the large, semi-circular auditorium is very consistent,” adds Tracey. “I walked from the back of the auditorium to the front with a friend who is experienced in sound and he noted that it didn’t change at all. Another really impressive thing is how, at Abba’s House concerts, I’ve been able to have a normal conversation and have left without my ears feeling fatigued.”

From traditional hymns to contemporary worship and high-profile concerts, Abba’s House now has a sound system that meets its mission: to serve with clarity, excellence, and impact. As Dana sums up, “We finally have a system that truly supports what we do—and lets people hear the Word the way it’s meant to be heard.”

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