Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc.

Gateway Fellowship, a growing multi-generational church in Poulsbo, Wash., has become the first house of worship to install a Meyer Sound LEOPARD linear sound reinforcement system. The church selected LEOPARD following a long search for an adaptable system to support the diverse musical styles in its worship services and fit its needs for power, coverage, spoken word clarity, size and weight, and budget.

"LEOPARD was a perfect fit across the board as soon as it was introduced," reports Chad Rose, the church's worship arts pastor. "I was amazed by the clarity and intelligibility. Our church has difficult acoustics, and our worship services cover everything from pipe organ to contemporary band music. On all counts, LEOPARD has met or exceeded our expectations. The only thing I can compare it to is listening to studio monitors, or a premium hi-fi system. It doesn't sound like your typical PA."

Gateway Fellowship's new system deploys twin arrays of eight LEOPARD line array loudspeakers each, supported by three under-stage 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements. Six UPM-1XP loudspeakers supply front fill, and a Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system with one Galileo Callisto 616 array processor takes the signals from a Yamaha CL5 digital console. The system was designed and supplied by Lake Forest, Ill.-based TC Furlong, Inc., a professional audio company specializing in sound system design and equipment rentals and sales.

The church's senior pastor, Tom Duchemin, tested the new system by speaking through his DPA headworn microphone. "We had no feedback correction EQ on the console, yet we could turn him up far louder than we would ever need to on Sunday, even when he walked out to the middle of the seating," reports Rose.

The LEOPARD solution was recommended by TC Furlong. "I've been working with Meyer Sound for 25 years, and I knew I could rely on the MAPP XT system design tool and SIM 3 audio analyzer which guaranteed that predicted performance would be realized on site," says Furlong. "I'm extremely pleased with the results at Gateway, and will recommend LEOPARD again in a heartbeat."