Martin Audio FlexPoint suits Windmark Beach Church

USA:

Windmark Beach Church in Port St Joe, Florida, has installed a Martin Audio sound reinforcement system in its permanent sanctuary, with S&L Integration responsible for the systems design, supply and installation.

The church, a campus plant of Hiland Park Baptist Church in nearby Panama City, originally operated from a portable facility before moving into a dedicated space within the WindMark Village Center. The sanctuary presented several acoustic and physical challenges, including low ceilings, structural columns and restricted sightlines, prompting the decision to use a point-source loudspeaker configuration rather than a line array.

“My biggest concern was during the design phase,” noted Reece Antley, technical director at Windmark Beach Church. “With the space we had – lower ceilings, an odd-shaped sanctuary with columns in the middle – I was worried about how it was going to work and how it was going to sound when we finished.”

Gage Helton, director of operations at S&L Integration, added: “The ceiling was a little lower than we would have liked. But this just meant we couldn’t install large boxes, instead requiring speakers that could tuck up high to keep sightlines in check.”

Using the British manufacturer’s DISPLAY3 3D prediction software, S&L Integration modelled the room to achieve a maximum average SPL of up to 100 dBA, with coverage variation of +/- 2.5 dB throughout the seating area.

The installed system comprises two FlexPoint FP12 loudspeakers in a front L-R configuration, with a second pair positioned approximately halfway back into the sanctuary to provide delay coverage. Low-frequency reinforcement is handled by two flown SXC215 cardioid subwoofers in an end-fire configuration, directing bass energy downwards while reducing unwanted spill onto the platform. “The FlexPoint FP12 was a perfect fit for the space, both in terms of size and performance,” said Helton.

The installation has received high praise from church leadership, both for the quality of the sound field and the close collaboration throughout the project. “I had experience working with S&L years ago in a corporate environment,” said Danny Hatchell, executive Pastor at Windmark Beach Church. “They had the credentials and the resume to reassure our staff and decision-makers, demonstrating where they’ve successfully done this before. They brought their talent, shared their background experience, and walked us through the entire process. They helped us make wise choices early on that continue to pay dividends today.”

Antley echoed those sentiments: “We couldn’t be happier with the installed Martin Audio FlexPoint solution. Martin Audio came in and tuned the room, offering great ideas that we hadn’t considered. The collaboration between S&L and Martin Audio in delivering the success of this project for our congregation made this my favourite aspect of the entire build process.”