When Ewing Covenant Church decided to return to its original historic building, known as the 1867 Sanctuary, for its weekly services, the congregation faced the challenge of achieving clear, high-quality audio in a space that is as beautiful as it is acoustically complex.
To support its renewed presence in this landmark building, the church partnered with audio consultant and systems integrator Robert Bullington of Front Row Seat Productions to design a modern sound and livestream system centered around DPA microphones.
Founded in the 18th century as First Presbyterian Church of Ewing, the congregation has returned to its original space after leasing it to a local historical foundation, which used it as a performance venue. Under the leadership of Pastor Morgan King, the church has undergone a revitalization, becoming younger, more multi-generational and increasingly focused on enhancing the worship experience. As part of this process, a comprehensive audio system upgrade became essential.
The building is stunning, but it also presents significant acoustic challenges. The goal was to capture everything that makes their services special — the choir, pipe organ and congregational singing — while ensuring clear speech intelligibility and a natural sound in the livestream, all without altering the aesthetics of a sanctuary with more than 150 years of history, explains Bullington.
To meet these needs, Bullington turned to DPA Microphones, known for their precision engineering, natural sound and discreet design. “I recommend DPA when there is a real problem to solve”, he adds. “Their microphones make difficult spaces sound great, and this sanctuary is a perfect example. We worked with Gabriel Antonini (DPA Global Support Manager) to ensure the microphone selection and placement were perfectly suited to Ewing Covenant’s needs”.
At the core of the new system are two DPA 4015 Wide Cardioid microphones, discreetly suspended from the high ceiling to capture the chancel, choir, organ and congregational singing for the livestream. “The 4015s behave almost like omnidirectional mics, but with enough rear rejection to avoid picking up unwanted audience noise”, explains Bullington. “They provide a rich and natural stereo image. The livestream sounds better than you would expect with just two microphones”.
For spoken word reinforcement, the church installed several DPA 4080 cardioid lavalier microphones, allowing worship leaders to move freely throughout the sanctuary without the risk of feedback. A DPA 2061 omnidirectional lavalier is used for ceremonies such as weddings, where a single microphone must capture multiple voices, while DPA 2028 vocal microphones are deployed in both wired and wireless configurations at the pulpit.
All DPA microphones integrate seamlessly with a Sennheiser EW-D digital wireless system, which connects to an Allen & Heath QU-5D mixer with Dante capability. This setup enabled Bullington to create independent mixes for the sanctuary sound system and the livestream with ease. “One of the great advantages of DPA is that its microphones adapt smoothly to any wireless platform”, he notes.
After holding the first services in the 1867 Sanctuary, the reaction to the new system was immediate. “The congregation was impressed by the clarity”, says Bullington. “Finally, the sound of the space matches its aesthetics”.
From the pipe organ and handbell choir to guest musicians, the system captured every element with precision, both in the livestream and in the in-house mix. In addition, volunteers — many of them new to live production — quickly adapted to the system.
“It’s very easy to manage”, says Bullington. “The tech team picked it up right away. That speaks both to the church’s commitment and to how intuitive and versatile DPA microphones are”.
Today, the restored 1867 Sanctuary stands as both a tribute to Ewing Covenant’s legacy and an example of what modern audio technology can achieve in historic spaces.
The congregation is delighted with the sound results. DPA has helped bring new life and clarity to a space that means so much to them, adds Bullington.
