When the team at Heatherwood Baptist Church in Newnan, Georgia, invited us from Churchfront to help transform their worship experience, we knew that improving their acoustic treatment was key. The church had upgraded to high-powered speakers and amplifiers, but persistent reverberation and feedback issues plagued the sanctuary, leaving the worship leader and pastor struggling to communicate clearly with the congregation. Our solution involved installing cloud panels and Teles Escape acoustic treatment to create a balanced, high-quality sound environment.
Identifying the Challenges
Despite advanced audio equipment, the sanctuary’s octagonal shape and multiple ceiling levels created a highly reflective environment, resulting in 14-16 seconds of natural reverb. Congregation members struggled to hear the pastor clearly, particularly from the back rows, and the constant feedback at the worship leader’s microphone only worsened the issue.
Creating an Acoustic Plan
After joining our Churchfront Accelerator Program, Heatherwood Baptist laid out its goals and top acoustic challenges. We designed a two-pronged approach:
Primacoustic Cloud Panels: We installed 40 cloud panels across the sanctuary ceiling, carefully planning their layout to align with existing architectural structures while maximizing coverage. Suspended in a way that preserves room ambiance, these panels significantly reduced reverb times, achieving the optimal two-second decay while ensuring the congregation could still hear themselves singing.
Teles Escape Acoustic Treatment: These panels along the back of the stage blended in seamlessly with the black wall while reducing echo and improving clarity. This treatment enhanced speech intelligibility and balanced the room acoustics.
Tips and Tricks from the Installation
We made sure to implement these key tips for an efficient installation process:
- Measurement Templates: Using MDF board templates ensured consistent anchor placement both on the ceiling and on the back of the panels. We designed the template to work around lighting fixtures and other obstructions.
- Panel Offsets: By drilling offset holes, we overcame the challenge of metal studs, ensuring accurate installation.
- Cable Management: Using pliers and clamps, we secured eye bolts to the anchors, maintaining suspension integrity.
- Fabric Wrapping: For the Teles Escape panels, precise wrapping techniques gave the panels a professional look that matched the room’s aesthetics.
Calibration and Results
After installing the panels, we used Rational Acoustics’ SMART software to calibrate the system carefully. We discovered a reversed polarity issue with one set of speakers and corrected it, then optimized delay and EQ settings for the stereo system. The result was immediate. Donald Raymond, a long-time member of Heatherwood Baptist, observed a drastic improvement. Feedback issues vanished, and the pastor’s words were finally clear to everyone, regardless of seating location.
Moving Forward
The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the congregation confirmed the success of our work. Members noticed the clarity instantly and appreciated the subtle yet effective visual integration of the acoustic panels into the sanctuary’s design. Heatherwood Baptist is already planning further upgrades across the campus.
If you’re facing similar challenges in your worship space, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Churchfront. We’ll help you design and implement acoustic solutions that transform your worship experience. Visit us at churchfront.com, and let’s start this journey together.
