USA - Elation dealer Morgan Sound of Lynnwood, Washington recently completed a full-scale lighting, audio, and video upgrade for the Evangelical Chinese Church of Seattle, integrating an Elation lighting rig and Obsidian NX4 lighting control system. The project, completed in October, marks a major step forward for the 200-seat church as it transitions from a traditional worship style to a more contemporary, dynamic environment designed to engage a younger generation.
Led by Fraser Brearley, sales and systems associate at Morgan Sound, with Art Howard as project manager and Jamey Atkins and Steve Gregory as lead installers, the Morgan Sound team designed and implemented a fully-integrated AV system. The upgrade included a new PA line array, video wall, and lighting positions for front, stage and side areas.
“The church’s old audio and lighting system was extremely basic,” said Brearley, who served as lighting designer and sales technician on the project. “They only had a few PAR cans running off an NSI dimmer pack. It was time for an upgrade in general – they wanted to transition to a more modern worship style with dynamic lighting and a more performance-level system overall.”
Working closely with Elation rep firm Audio Source and Jim Graham, who was instrumental in assisting with product selection and demos, Morgan Sound selected Elation fixtures that fit the space both aesthetically and functionally.
Two Fuze SFX LED spot FX moving heads and six full-colour-spectrum KL PAR FC LED units, both in white housings, were installed behind the stage on a power-and-DMX integrated pipe, resulting in a tidier look. “Aesthetics were an important part of this project,” the Morgan Sound lighting designer and sales technician noted. “The white housings help the fixtures blend in with the stage and back wall and add to a cleaner install.”
Front lighting is handled by two Fuze Profile LED framing moving heads and five full-colour KL Profile FC ellipsoidals, also mounted on a power-and-DMX integrated pipe. The KL Profile FCs are used with a soft focus for a front wash, while the Fuze Profiles provide hard-edge spots and specials.
“The KL Profiles are very versatile,” the designer said. “One reason I specified them is because of the zoomable lens, which means you don’t have to swap out different lens tubes and live with a beam angle that doesn’t work. If I want something between 26 and 36 degrees for example, I can get that.”
To further enhance the sanctuary’s aesthetic, outdated fluorescent uplighting was replaced with KL PAR FC fixtures, which were placed on a soffit between the sanctuary’s side windows. “It’s a great look and helps bring the feel of the stage out into the room for a more immersive experience,” Brearley said.
For control, Morgan Sound specified an Obsidian Control Systems NX4 console. “The NX1 is great for small venues but is still very powerful, and the NX2 works well for clubs,” Brearley stated. “For this install, we went up to the NX4 to have the motorized faders, the colour picker, the bigger screen, and more DyLOS zones. It’s a great console.”
Morgan Sound also incorporated Netron data distribution nodes, using one EP4 Ethernet-to-DMX gateway for the power-and-DMX integrated pipes and three EP2 units to manage the soffit uplights. “They were super easy to set up and have been rock solid for us,” he said.
The team trained the church’s technical team on the NX4 and DyLOS, preconfiguring palettes and other elements for easy operation. Staff were also referred to the Obsidian training videos online.
The new lighting system is now used during weekly services, supporting a full modern band and improved livestream production through a four-camera broadcast setup. “It was also important for them to improve the lighting for livestreaming,” the designer confirms. “In every way, they’ve gone from bare minimum to a professional setup.”
