The Project
St Giles’ Church in Codicote, Hertfordshire, is a historic parish church serving the local community. With its traditional English church architecture and welcoming atmosphere, it provides a place for worship, reflection and community gatherings.
St Giles required an upgrade to its existing audio and visual systems, improving speech clarity, hearing assistance and presentation capabilities while creating a more flexible solution for worship, live music and external events.
The project brings together a new digital audio system, upgraded hearing loop, professional wireless microphones, discreet visual technology and a new AV infrastructure. Particular emphasis was placed on simple operation, allowing less experienced users to operate the system confidently while retaining advanced functionality for more demanding events.
Challenges
- Improve the coverage and performance of the existing hearing loop
- Enhance speech clarity and wireless microphone performance
- Support everything from simple services to full live-band setups
- Introduce flexible presentation across the Nave and side aisle
- Keep equipment, cabling and controls as discreet as possible
- Create a system with scope for future expansion
Key Features
Flexible Digital Audio
An Allen & Heath SQ-Rack digital mixing system delivers advanced processing and up to 48 channels when expanded with digital stageboxes. Presets allow different service and event configurations to be recalled at the touch of a button, while wireless iPad control offers either simple or advanced operation depending on the user.
A discreet digital stagebox gives musicians convenient connections for live performances, with additional connection points at the chancel and organ.
Improved Speech & Hearing Assistance
A new professional wireless microphone system enhances speech clarity and consistency throughout the church, while the existing hearing loop is being re-laid to improve Nave coverage. A new gooseneck lectern microphone further improves pickup and intelligibility.
Flexible Visual System
A new long-throw projector and discreet 2.1m winchless projection screen create the main Nave display, complemented by a 43" commercial display in the side aisle. Wireless presentation supports AirPlay, Chromecast and Miracast, with simple central control for the visual system.
Connected & Future-Ready
A new professional wireless network supports AV control and future connectivity throughout the church. A secure 42U rack houses the AV equipment, chargers and accessories, with centralised power management enabling straightforward one-button system operation.
Solution
The completed system gives St Giles a modern, flexible and accessible AV platform that can adapt from straightforward speech-led services to full live-band events. Discreet infrastructure, wireless control and preset operation make everyday use straightforward, while the expandable digital platform leaves plenty of scope for future development.
A separate battery-powered portable PA with integrated wireless microphones extends the church’s capabilities beyond the building, offering a practical solution for outdoor and community events.
The installation also introduced our DM Wave wireless video monitoring system, allowing AV feeds to be streamed directly to iPads, tablets and smartphones connected to the church’s Wi-Fi network, without the need for additional apps or cables. This provides convenient wireless confidence monitoring for the team at the front of the church, while also helping partially sighted members of the congregation view content more clearly by bringing the front of the church closer to them.
