MALAYSIA: Revisiting Canning Garden Methodist Church in Ipoh, Malaysia, a full two decades after undertaking the original audio installation, Systems Electronic & Engineering (SENE) has added a much needed modern touch to the venue’s production capabilities thanks to a new system based around Mackie’s HD Series.

‘We knew that Systems Electronics & Engineering was a reliable and professional company,’ commented Wern Sze Gill on behalf of the Church. ‘We were very impressed by the proposal and felt it was thorough and covered all the bases with regard to our needs and the system’s functionality.’

To commence the project, the entirety of the church’s sanctuary was surveyed with all of the relevant data then entered into Rational Acoustics’ Smaart 7 software to evaluate various options early in the design stage. The result was a significant improvement in front to rear coverage within the room, and also in the frequency response delivered.

‘It was indeed an honour to be chosen to design the upgrade,’ commented SENE country manager, Lim Kheong Sen, who was responsible for the design of the new system. ‘I designed the original sound system in 1992 and it has been in continuous use up till today. The only notable difference is that the current technology, better design knowledge and techniques meant that we were able to make a notably distinct improvement to the sound.’

Audio reinforcement at FOH comes from a Mackie HD system based on three active HD1531 15-inch, three-way full range enclosures, each delivering a maximum of 1,800W. The three loudspeakers are flown above the stage in a left-centre-right configuration and are joined by three HD1221 12-inch, two-way down-fills that ensure even coverage for the entire sanctuary. Two 18-inch HD1801 subwoofers add the low-end punch required to complete the system, with signal processing delivered via a Mackie SP260 DSP.

A pair of Mackie DLM8 powered loudspeakers on stage provide monitoring for the presenters/musicians in addition to a selection of Allen & Heath ME-1 personal mixers that can be called upon as required. The British manufacturer was also tasked with providing the main FOH mixer, with SENE opting for a GDL112 with a singe accompanying AR2412 stagerack and two AR804 expander racks. As well as shifting the interface closer to the stage, the stagerack provides connections for the A&H personal monitors. Finally, two Furman CN3600 SE power conditioners ensure that the system doesn’t receive any unexpected interruptions.

The result marks a substantial improvement on Canning Garden Methodist Church’s original system, with enough flexibility in the new design that the house of worship is able to cater for a variety of different events. It’s no wonder that both Lim Kheong Sen and the church’s committee are equally confident of many years more service to come.

Located in the northern city of Ipoh, Malaysia, Canning Garden Methodist Church’s sound system has been upgraded by Systems Electronics & Engineering.

Photo Credit: Canning Garden Methodist Church, Ipoh