At Grace Church in Seattle, upgrading the sound system meant solving two equally important challenges: improving intelligibility throughout the sanctuary while preserving the visual character of the space. Viation worked closely with 1 SOUND to develop a solution tailored specifically to the church’s architectural and acoustic challenges.
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The church’s sanctuary features a narrow layout with vaulted wood ceilings, large glass windows, and a center aisle that functions as a flexible performance area for liturgy, music, weddings, and special events. The pastor regularly walks and speaks throughout this center space, making consistent coverage and feedback control critical to the design. At the same time, the church wanted the loudspeakers to remain as visually discreet as possible, keeping focus on the architecture, the service, and the congregation experience.
Viation developed a custom design approach centered around Cannon C8 point sources with custom-matched wood finishes. Rather than using larger loudspeakers with longer throw characteristics, the system was designed as a distributed deployment using multiple compact loudspeakers placed strategically throughout the sanctuary. The final system deploys rows of Cannon C8 loudspeakers along both sides of the sanctuary, spaced approximately 15 feet apart and mounted along the exterior of the beams with only a minimal reveal. Additional adjacent spaces within the church utilized Cannon C5 loudspeakers, while Powersoft amplification supported system deployment throughout the installation.
Despite early discussions around adding subwoofers, the final deployment relied solely on the Cannon C8 loudspeakers for low-frequency support. According to Wilson, the result provided more than enough low-end extension for the room while maintaining balance within the highly reflective environment.
Following the first service with the new system installed, the impact was immediately apparent. Find out more below.
