acoustically

Trinity of Fairview Baptist Church Updates with Fulcrum Acoustic

For over a decade, Fletcher North Carolina’s Trinity of Fairview Baptist Church has used a number of loudspeaker design approaches and systems in search of their perfect sound. The church entrusted B&R Audio founder/owner Bruce Jensen to design and install a sound system capable of taming their elegant yet acoustically challenging, octagonal sanctuary.

Challenges

Precise pattern control was essential to keep sound energy off hard reflective surfaces. Compact loudspeakers with high output and exceptional clarity were also required to support a dynamic worship band, as well as intelligible spoken word.

Solution

“Trinity’s unconventional layout, exposed wooden roof, and glass and plaster surfaces make for a very acoustically live room,” explains Bruce Jensen. “Complicating matters, the stage takes up a third of the sanctuary’s floor space, and the angled walls behind it act as a parabolic reflector due to lack of proper acoustic treatment in the church.”

Jensen utilized the eight laminated wood beams branching out from the octagonal room’s 40-foot high apex as locating points for his sound system design. Three Fulcrum FH1596 full-range, high-sensitivity coaxial horns with 90° x 60° dispersion are rigged from beams in an expanded left/center/right mono cluster for optimal room coverage. A single downward-firing Fulcrum CX1295 12-inch coaxial speaker with a 90° x 45° horn is centered behind the cluster to serve as a choir monitor.

“Trinity’s worship band tends to play louder than one might expect from a traditional Baptist church, averaging between 96 and 100 dB,” says Jensen. “The FH15 horns and CX12 coax give us all the headroom we could possibly need for the full band and choir.”

“My history with David Gunness predates his co-founding Fulcrum Acoustic in 2008,” states Jensen. “His innovative use of DSP as an integral part of the design process has revolutionized our industry. When Fulcrum released the FH Series of coaxial horn systems as a DSP-aware update to the traditional horn-in-horn coaxial loudspeaker concept, I trusted they’d get it right. I specified FH horns for Trinity before even hearing them, and couldn’t be more pleased. The FH horns’ output and sonic character make them sound like studio monitors on steroids.” 

“Trinity of Fairview Baptist Church loves the new system’s sound quality and uniform coverage,” concludes Jensen. “They’ve finally found the sound they’ve been waiting to hear for years.”

Concert Review: NEEDTOBREATHE at Stifel Theatre

​NEEDTOBREATHE, the American Christian-Rock band from South Carolina, brought their Acoustic Live tour to Stifel Theatre Monday night. Opening the show was Matt Maeson, weeks away from his first album debut. Maeson performed all his songs acoustically, sticking to the theme of the tour while also displaying some impressive vocals. For an opener, all it took was one man, one mic, and a guitar to show off his talented skills and get the audience ready for the headliner.

​Fans made it known that NEEDTOBREATHE was highly welcomed to the stage as they cheered and chanted when the band came out. Kicking off the show with hits from their album “Rivers in the Wasteland,” NTB played crowd favorites “Forever on Your Side” and “Difference Maker.” Weaving through popular songs from their six studio albums, the show continued on – and almost every song was accompanied by the rhythmic clapping of the audience. (Literally, almost every song. The vibe was phenomenal.) You could hear audience members singing along with brothers Bear and Bo Rinehart as the band continued with “Multiplied,” “Happiness,” and “Wasteland.”

​Band members made good banter on stage in between songs, whether it was the origin of how the song came about, or just playful talk amongst themselves – but it kept audience members engaged and smiling. In fact, Bear Rinehart was sporting a bolo tie the entire show given to him by a fan during a VIP meet-and-greet, which he again thanked her for during the show. This opened up conversation for some of the weirder gifts the band has received from fans before, an example being the ashes of a fan’s pet dog. Bear then made the statement “Bolo ties. Dope. Dog ashes. Not so dope.”

​After a brief intermission, the second half of the show came back in full force – causing most audience members and fans to remain standing for the remainder of the show. I can say, I was truly impressed with Bear’s voice during their cover of Lucinda William’s “Joy,” as the band absolutely stunned me with their vocal range and display of how their voices collaborated and filled the auditorium. It is needless to say thatNEEDTOBREATHE knows how to harmonize with one another, only adding power and strength to some of their rock ballads they perform.

​Unaware if it would work or not, the band then went completely unplugged to perform “Hard Love” and “Brother.” To their satisfaction as well as the audience members, it’s fair to say that it worked. Even without a mic, fans weren’t afraid to lend a hand when it came to the vocals as the entire theatre sang together, creating an intimate moment between both the band the audience. And of course, no concert is complete without an encore – as NEEDTOBREATHE was welcomed back to the stage once more to cover The Killers “Human” and then end the show with crowd favorite “More Heart, Less Attack.” I’ve never seen NEEDTOBREATHE as a headliner, but then again, it has been years since I’ve seen them perform live. It’s fair to say, they’ve only gotten better, and I’m sure fans would agree that this acoustic show was definitely one that you wouldn’t want to miss. They put on a fantastic show, interacted with their fans in such a unique way, and created an experience nobody in attendance will be forgetting any time soon.

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Matthew Kistner

Matthew Kistner is not new to ReviewSTL.com, as he has been an avid reader for years. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to write for them, as he has a passion for reading and writing. Matthew graduated from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville with a BA in English, and a minor in communications. In his spare time, he is a huge film buff, a total book nerd, and is in a never-ending battle to clear out his DVR - a battle he has yet to win. He also loves writing, and has continued to experiment in modern poetry, short fiction, as well as nonfiction pieces, and wishes to return to get his Masters degree in English beginning in 2019.

Watch MELVINS Play "Edgar The Elephant" Acoustically On A San Diego Trolley

Melvins are generally pretty loud and distorted, but their recent performance on a San Diego trolley didn't require earplugs for anyone. The band recently participated in the A Red Trolley Show series with a performance of their track "Edgar The Elephant" and you can watch that below. Melvins also reveal they'll probably put out new music this year, which comes to the surprise of absolutely not a single person.

It'd probably be more shocking at this point if they didn't put any new music out in 2019.