Seacoast Church, prominent in the church propagation field, has a dozen physical locations in South Carolina and one in North Carolina. Additionally, its online presence reflects its status as one of the largest churches in the Eastern United States. The church currently has 10,000 attendees weekly. It also employs advanced worship technology. Recently, Seacoast Church implemented a new DiGiCo Quantum338 console at the front of house. The installation was for its main and broadcast location in Mount Pleasant, S.C., that seats 2,500 people.
DiGiCo, is of course, a UK-based manufacturer of digital mixing consoles for the live, theatre, broadcast and postproduction industries.
Installing the DiGiCo System
A new DiGiCo Quantum225 console is also on order for the campus’ 1,300-seat Student Center auditorium. Besides this, a third future Quantum225 is in the works for the church’s 800-seat warehouse space.
The new FOH Quantum338 is complemented with a pair of SD-Racks for a total of 96 inputs and 48 analog outputs. It also has 32-bit “Ultimate Stadius” microphone pre-amps. All of the DiGiCo desks will also be fitted with DMI-KLANG and DMI-Dante cards. This will support the church’s Shure PSM 1000 and 900 IEM monitoring systems and planned-for connectivity throughout the campus, respectively.
Per a statement, WAVE, the Concord, N.C.-based design and integration firm installed the DiGiCo products. Preston Russ, director of design, Wave, underscores Seacoast Church’s emphasis on sonic experience. He adds, “The music is Contemporary Christian and high energy, so the sound has to be great. DiGiCo assures that.”
The church further reveals another key factor i.e. creating a new and future-proof workflow ecosystem. According to a statement, it would start at the Mount Pleasant location, which also serves as the main broadcast site. From there, it would roll out throughout the Seacoast community of church plants.
Positive Feedback
Russ remarks that the church was also looking for ease of use, reliability and stability. He then states that the Quantum technology provides those features. “…These were the first DiGiCo consoles they’ve used, but Mike Ward, their main mix engineer, has had a lot of experience with DiGiCo and he was already very comfortable with the idea of using them,” he says.
Russ also spotlights Brandon Lake, one of the worship pastors who had a forward-thinking approach to technology. “…[Lake] was very impressed with the kind of ecosystem that could be built [at the church],” he states.
On the other hand, Ward, Seacoast Church’s production director, was sold on DiGiCo well before he came to the church nearly three years ago. “There is literally no other console I’d rather mix on,” he says.
However, he adds, the new console acquisitions are highly strategic. In fact, the goal is to have unified console platforms and software in all three worship spaces on the campus. Ward adds, “…That way, our musicians can be familiar and comfortable with the same monitoring in every room, our mixers can also be familiar and comfortable using the same worksurfaces and workflow in every space, and they’ll be able to take and use show files and channel strips from room to room.” This, Ward continues, will provide workflow and sound-quality consistency throughout the entire campus.
He then remarks, “The Quantum consoles and software are really the basis for an entire new audio ecosystem for Mount Pleasant and beyond.”
Also Read: Full Sail University Adds DiGiCo Quantum338 Added to Tech Lineup at Full Sail Live 1 Campus
Further Expansions for Seacoast Church
The DiGiCo decision has already produced economic benefits for Seacoast Church. Russ states that church has been doing without its previous dedicated monitor console. He attributes this to the implementation of the DMI-KLANG card and the 16 discrete stereo mixes it offers for their Shure IEM system.
However, Seacoast Church’s goal remains the future. “The MADI capabilities of the Quantum technology will play a big part in how the DiGiCo ecosystem migrates throughout the rest of the church and the other locations,” says Russ. “There will be splits from the Quantum338 to recording and other uses in the future, and we’ll be able to add an Orange Box, more Dante, and other components as well. This will be the hub of a much larger and very efficient audio-production environment that can take the church into the future,” he concludes.
Click on “View Slideshow” on the upper-right corner for images of Seacoast Church.
