Church of the Saviour takes stock of Ashly amplifier

Lexington, Kentucky-based Church of the Saviour has recently invested in an ne8250.pe amplifier from Ashly as part of an audio upgrade.

In order to support increased programming, the church raised funds to build an annex comprised of three high-tech classrooms anchored by an equally high-tech foyer area. Kentucky-based Pro Sound & Lights were then drafted in with the brief of designing an A/V system for the new space. However, it soon became apparent that additional processing and amplifier channels would be required. Pro Sound & Lights’ systems engineer Chris Naughton subsequently accommodated the requested additions by specifying an eight-channel Ashly ne8250.pe amplifier with optional onboard Protea(tm) DSP processing.

"All three rooms can be combined into one larger room, with all of the technology routed appropriately," explained Naughton. "It’s functionally similar to a small conference center. Moreover, the foyer area – which will have a little coffee house and plenty of comfy places to hang out – can be used as a fourth classroom, so we included all of the A/V infrastructure there as well."

Naughton already had a processor and amplifier ordered when he received a call from Dave Grosz, media engineer, for the media communications department at Asbury University and a member of Church of the Savior. "Dave knows his stuff. He’s behind one of the leading telecommunications programs in the country," said Naughton. "He felt the new classrooms would be better served with JBL Control-series full-range loudspeakers paired with JBL Control-series subwoofers."

Initially, Naughton surmised that the simplest solution would be to order a second four-channel amp to power the subwoofers one per zone. But while revising the layout, he realised that the processor on order had only six outputs, whereas he required eight outputs for the crossovers. "That’s when I began to panic," he said. "Contracts were signed, we were good to go, and now this! Money was very tight, and so I needed to find a solution that would not only work, but would work for not a lot more money than we had already committed to."

After some careful consideration of how to proceed, Naughton discovered that he could keep the original processor, which was inextricably linked to the Extron control system to which the church had already agreed. Only four of its outputs – one per zone – would feed the Ashly ne8250.pe, which would supply the necessary crossover processing, along with delay and equalisation. "No other manufacturer has a quality solution that is as affordable as the Ashly ne8250.pe," he commented. "Despite the inclusion of the processing power, the ne8250.pe was still less expensive than two of the original four-channel amplifiers, which had no processing at all. In addition, Ashly’s shipping time was phenomenal. I received the unit two or three days after I ordered it. That gave me enough time to have the two original amplifiers rerouted back to the manufacturer."

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