Nigerian cathedral equipped with L-Acoustics system (AV Magazine)

A new cathedral in Lagos, Nigeria, has been equipped with an L-Acoustics system. The task was undertaken by Ghana-based Amsons Audio, which is owned by Eben Awuah, after being approached by Reverend Mother Abimbola Esther Ajayi, founder of Love of Christ Generation Church.

Awuah and his business partner, Charles Amoah, had previously worked on installing an L-Acoustics system at the Reverend’s London church before being asked to design a sound system for the 5,500 capacity place of worship.

Initially, the designers encountered some difficulties. “We looked at the drawings that had already been produced, and the design was for speech only. The system would be used for music as well, so we knew it would be a disaster,” Awuah recalls. “We said, ‘Let us design something new and fresh, and we’ll come back to you.’”
Left/right hangs of nine L-Acoustics Kara per side form the main PA in the 3,000-capacity main auditorium, with three Kiva II per side for out-fill and hangs of four KS28 positioned behind the Kara. Four hangs of two Kiva II are used as under-balcony delays, and Syva paired with Syva Low provides front-fill.

For the 2,500-capacity multipurpose hall, the main PA comprises two hangs of three Kiva II, positioned left and right of the stage, with two further hangs of three Kiva II for delay. Four X12, two on either side of the room hung from columns along its periphery, were proposed for out-fill. A stack of four SB18 subs was placed in front of the stage with X12 for on-stage monitoring. X8 would deliver audio in the lobbies. The system is controlled by ten LA4X, five LA8, and two LA12X amplified controllers, with a spare of each also provided.

The installation began in March 2020, with a rigging crew flown to Nigeria from London, although they had to return a week later due to the pandemic. The project took a lot longer than expected due to the limitations on staff numbers, but the sound system was finally commissioned in April 2021.

Despite the presence of a marble floor, Awuah says the acoustics in the building are “great” and that Amsons Audio also provided a system handover for the church’s team, including a workshop on LA Network Manager.

“We understand that a lot of churches have volunteer engineers with limited experience, so my policy is that every installation we do has to be as easy to use as possible,” says Awuah.

“We let the system do the hard work so that volunteers can come in, turn it on, push a couple of faders up and be ready to go for mid-week services, choir rehearsals, bible classes, etc. When it comes to the main services, the experienced engineers turn up, so we give them the ability to have more control.”

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