Project Overview
Calvary Baptist Church in King, NC engaged CIAVL to design and install a new AV system for the CCS (Calvary Christian School) Chapel — five direct-view LED video walls, an Allen & Heath Avantis audio system, and a multi-camera broadcast chain for services and streaming. Design, installation, programming, and commissioning were delivered entirely by CIAVL’s in-house team under a single point of accountability.
Challenge
The chapel needed a visual platform that could carry lyrics, sermon graphics, IMAG, and live video for both school chapel services and weekend worship — paired with an audio and broadcast backbone capable of live mixing, personal monitor mixing, and streaming. Key requirements:
- Fine-pitch LED walls bright and sharp enough for IMAG and close viewing without the pixelation of older LED or the washout of projection
- Unified control so non-technical volunteers and school staff could run services from a single interface
- A 96kHz digital audio backbone with enough I/O for stage, choir, and platform mics
- Independent in-ear mixing for each musician on the platform
- A broadcast control position with direct sight-line to the platform for multi-camera coverage
Solution
LED Video Walls — Five 1.875mm COB Displays
The visual centerpiece of the chapel is a set of five SBC Crystal-series COB LED video walls, each measuring 11.81’ × 6.64’ at a 1.875mm pixel pitch. COB (chip-on-board) construction gives the walls a flat, matte finish that holds up to close viewing and stage lighting without hot spots or visible pixel structure — a meaningful improvement over SMD LED or projection at this viewing distance.
Each wall is driven by a dedicated NovaStar MX20 LED processor, with 185 COB panels and 180 wall-mount brackets across the full deployment. XS-B 6×6 landscape trim kits finish the edges of each wall for a clean architectural look. Factory onsite commissioning and training were included as part of the LED package.
Video Signal Routing and Control
Signal flow to the walls is handled by a set of Decimator 12G-CROSS converters: eight configured as 12G SDI to 3G HDMI cross converters for wall feed distribution, five as HD/SDI to HDMI converters, and one as a 4K HDMI to 12G/SDI converter for the presentation computer. An Extron HAE 100 4K Plus de-embeds audio from the presentation computer’s HDMI output into the house audio system.
The entire visual environment — LED walls, routing, and presentation sources — is operated from a single Extron TLP Pro 725T 7” tabletop touch panel, driven by an Extron IPCP Pro 350 xi control processor. One interface, one workflow for the volunteer team.
Audio — Allen & Heath Avantis Network
A 96kHz Avantis console with the DPACK upgrade (DEEP processing and DYN8 dynamics) anchors the audio system. Front-of-house is fed by an AH-DX168 stagebox, with an AH-GX4816 48×16 stagebox handling main stage I/O. An AHM-32 audio matrix processor distributes audio to overflow zones and feeds the broadcast system. A Waves V3 interface card provides virtual soundcheck capability for rehearsal without the band present.
Eight Allen & Heath ME-1 personal mixers connect to an AME-U 10-port monitor hub, giving each musician independent control of their own in-ear mix. Platform and choir coverage comes from an AKG PCC160 pulpit boundary mic, Earthworks C30 hanging choir mics, FW730 stand-mounted choir mics, and Audix M55W ceiling mics for ambient capture. An RF Venue antenna distribution system with a dedicated band-pass filter supports the owner-furnished Shure QLXD wireless mics.
Broadcast and Streaming
Three Data-Video PTC-305 4K PTZ cameras and a PTC-305W cover primary chapel angles, with a Marshall CV380-CS POV camera and CS1150 11-50mm lens for fixed close coverage. A Data-Video RMC-300A control unit with a 5” touchscreen gives the operator joystick control of all four PTZs from the control position.
Program routing runs through a Blackmagic 10×10 12G-SDI matrix switcher with multi-view and program monitors. A Sonnet Thunderbolt expansion chassis connects the owner-furnished Mac streaming computer — running Wirecast with a Blackmagic capture device — into the broadcast chain. ProPresenter 7 training was included for platform content operators.
Rack and Infrastructure
Equipment is housed in a configured rack with Juice Goose JG 9 power conditioning, Furman protection, Legrand cable management, and Extron RSU 129 rack shelving. Plenum-rated CAT-6A runs carry data between the rack, control surfaces, and LED processors. Digital stage I/O is carried on single Cat-5E runs to each stagebox, reducing cable pulls and simplifying future changes.
Outcome
The CCS Chapel now runs on a unified AV platform — five LED walls, a 96kHz Avantis audio system, and a 12G-SDI broadcast chain — operated from a single Extron control interface and backed by documented wiring and a one-year on-site warranty. The system was delivered end-to-end by CIAVL’s in-house team, from design through commissioning and staff training, with headroom in the SDI matrix and audio network for future additions.
