Austin Ridge Church Chooses d&b KSL-Series Loudspeaker System and New 40D Amplifiers

	Austin Ridge Bible Church in Austin, Texas. Photo: Austin Ridge Church

Austin Ridge Bible Church is a multi-site non-denominational church consisting of three campuses. When its new flagship Bee Cave Campus opened earlier last year with a 2,500-seat auditorium, Austin Ridge chose a d&b Audiotechnik KSL system for their main PA needs. The church is contemporary in nature with a full band and multiple vocalists in addition to several worship leaders and singers. On a given week, it could include drums, bass, two electric guitars, acoustic guitar, keys, and up to five singers.

"Our early design effort included matching the room shape and acoustics to the church's program," states Ryan Knox, of acoustic design company Idibri. "The initial technology design effort included developing audio, video, and lighting systems that were coordinated with each other and accommodated in the architectural and structural design of the building. And after careful consideration and suggestions, the church chose the d&b KSL-Series." The system was developed by Idibri senior consultant Ryan Knox alongside d&b regional manager Todd Hartman. The unique d&b technology, ArrayProcessing was used to minimize reflections from walls and other surfaces while maintaining coverage consistency.

Knox said Idibri worked with the church to determine which speaker system would best meet their needs from an immersive perspective. "The design and performance requirements were determined early in the project and once LD Systems was brought on, Idibri used their services to facilitate different options. d&b supported us through the process to help match products to the design," Knox adds.

Once the d&b system was chosen, final integration and commissioning was a collaborative effort between Idibri and d&b. "The big thing for us with the d&b loudspeakers was that we needed a system that could support their style of music with plenty of headroom along with the rear rejection to keep the levels on stage down," states Matt Rhodes, sales engineer, LD Systems. "We worked very closely with the church and Idibri to make sure it would create a great stereo image to as many seats as possible. The technology with their management and prediction software was fantastic and the d&b 40D install amps that we just put in are great while meeting the requirements of an install as opposed to a touring situation. The support from d&b for us as the integrator has also been incredible and working closely as a team has been a great experience. The sound system works well with the room to provide an expansive mix palate and consistent experience throughout the seating."

KSL, the no-compromise, second sibling of the SL-Series, shares the family characteristics of full-range broadband directivity and extended low frequencies to deliver quiet stages and maximum clarity for the congregation. Combined with the 40D installation amplifier, the system provides a conscientious level of efficiency and maximum SPL output.

Hartmann, who also serves as the primary front of house engineer, adds, "The KSL has been a truly phenomenal system to mix on. The cleanness of the low-end allows for an incredibly impactful transient response, even at lower volumes. The vocals have perfect separation from the other midrange elements in the mix, and the top end is effortless...it never fatigues you. It's honestly hard for me to go back to mixing on anything else now."

Austin Ridge technical director, Gary Poole, said during the holiday week they added a choir of 25 vocalists in addition to their regular 8-piece band. "It sounded great in the room. Austin Ridge is thankful for the new Worship Center and proud of the partnership with d&b, who shared the vision of creating a truly inspirational and exciting place for worship."

The system is configured as Main L/R arrays: 8 x KSL8 and 2 x KSL12 per side (ArrayProcessed), outfills L/R arrays: 8 X Yi8 per side (ArrayProcessed), 270 fills: 2x Yi7P, flown subs: 3 x SL-SUBs, ground subs: 7 x 21S-SUB, front fills: 8 x 8S, under balcony delays: 27 x 8S, stage fill: 1 x 12S, 10 x 40D amplifiers to power the KSL, with an additional combination of D80, 30D, and 10D amplifiers.