UPPERROOM

UPPERROOM is a house of worship in Dallas, Texas, that has given new life to a former industrial space. The main worship space, which can accommodate almost 1,600 people, hosts a program including lecture-style verbal communication plus a variety of musical performances, from soloists to full modern praise bands.

With such a wide and varied program, the space needs an advanced audio system, through which it is able to maximise sound quality and versatility, thereby enhancing the experience and engagement of the congregation.

It is an oval-shaped room with a partially raked floor, a glass wall on one side and multiple roof support poles situated throughout. These types of architectural and structural elements are well known to pose an acoustical challenge for any area intended to host a gathering of people.

Despite these inherent challenges, the team at Epic Resource Group transformed this reclaimed industrial space into a worship environment that successfully accommodates all these varying needs.

Through a combination of over 100 d&b loudspeaker enclosures and the d&b Soundscape 360 immersive platform, Epic Resource Group was able to work around the acoustic anomalies of the space, to provide clear, audible sound while subtly energising the room, helping to create an environment that encourages congregation participation.

Multiple, small format loudspeakers minimised the visual impact in the room while providing even acoustical coverage at lower and higher volume levels throughout the listening area. When combined with the Soundscape 360 platform and its En-Scene software, congregants benefit from better audio localisation as the focused dispersion of acoustic energy imperceptibly guides attendees to the placement on stage where the speaker or performer is standing. The mix engineer can also express creative sonic placement beside, behind or even above the audience for a fully immersed listening experience.

At the same time, via Soundscape’s En-Space software, the overall delay time of the room can easily be adjusted to create a simple reflection – or even emulate the sound signature of a cathedral – allowing for a variety of content to be creatively realised in the room.

This unique reclaimed industrial space is a great example of how a seasoned integrator with the proper implementation of product can overcome a variety of significant audio, acoustical and aesthetic challenges. Despite “less than optimal” room acoustics, limited space for traditional L / R loudspeaker arrays and the challenge of supportive columns/building infrastructure within the main worship space, the d&b solution that Epic Resource Group implemented enabled the UPPERROOM Church to achieve its design, build and audio goals.

This space is now in near constant use, supporting a variety of worship content styles and programs, able to present everything from a quiet meditative space for personal reflection, to worship services that feature music from a single instrument and cantor or a high-impact praise-band.

The inclusion of the d&b Soundscape 360 system with the En-Space software module provides congregants an auditory experience that can transform the acoustics of the worship space from “dry” room to a cathedral-like environment – or anything in between – all at the click of a button. This enables the worship team to create a more lively environment which encourages congregant participation.

The Soundscape En-Scene module helps worshipers quickly identify and localise an audio source subtly guiding them to focus to the area where the pastor or performer is located. It also encourages unlimited creativity as the mix engineers explore this new way of experiencing sound.

While the sonic experience is the focus, the visual experience is equally seamless as lighting adapts to the outside ambient light, the lighting halo connects the audience to the stage, video blends into the architectural theme, and the broadcast systems produces high quality content for UPPERROOM’s global audience. This one-of-a-kind installation is many things at once: a music venue, a lecture hall, a recording studio, a video stage, and a rally point for a diverse congregation with a unique creative identity.