KENLY, N.C. Just nine years ago, the Faith Free Will Baptist Church was rebuilt after a heavy snowstorm overloaded its roof and pushed out its walls. Included in that renovation was the installation of what was then a new sound system.
But in that short period of time, the results were such that it was decided to upgrade the sound system this year for the 200-seat house of worship, built in 1962.
The previous sound system, according to RMB Audio Tech Matt Johnson, who served as the planner, installer and designer for the system, "wasn't providing the coverage or clarity they needed, especially for some of the older congregants who couldn't hear the sermons."
For Johnson, the connection to the Kenly church is incredibly strong, as his great-grandfather had donated the land to build the church 53 years ago, along with being the church's original pastor, while his father, Edgar Alberdeen Johnson, Jr., is a deacon at the church.
To achieve the improvements sought with the installation of a new system, a pair of Martin Audio CDD10 speakers were chosen, installed to the 13-foot high cathedral style ceiling. For Johnson of RMB Audio, he saw the CDD10 speakers as the right choice for Faith Free Will Baptist, in large part because "they can effectively cover such a short and long distance with a smooth frequency response." The new speakers will focus on reproducing the spoken word clearly, as well as for acoustic instruments and CD playback during plays and worship singing.
Having had experience with the Martin Audio brand previously, Johnson said, "Once I heard them, I knew they were something I could use that was more affordable," while achieving the sought-for results that had eluded the church in recent years. With such an option, he added that it "means small churches can now afford to put in an excellent sound system."
His father, and the deacon of the church, said that with the new speakers, "Everything's clearer, more natural and it sounds like the pastor's right in front of you." Deacon Miles Moody, another of the church's deacons, added that with the benefit of the speakers, "You can hear everything so well in every seat of the church."