Eastridge Church in Issaquah, Washington, recently upgraded its main campus with a new Meyer Sound LEOPARD system that meets the high production values and diverse audience demands of its contemporary services. Designed and installed by AV integrator and concert/corporate sound provider Point Source Inc. in collaboration with Meyer Sound, the new upgrade replaces a legacy system that had become a bottleneck for both sonic quality and programming flexibility. “We were struggling with old equipment that was causing disparities in sound quality and volume all around our room,” says Lead Pastor Josh Jamison. “These guys came in and made our needs the focus and priority. They worked alongside of us as a true partner in ministry. Our experience, both in quality of work and quality of product, has been stellar.”
Eastridge Church’s production team oversees full-service audio, video, and broadcast support for both in-person and online worship, as well as special events and strategic partnerships with touring artists. Production Director Keefe Bieggar says the old audio system was holding them back—not just in terms of sonic performance, but in consistency and reliability. “Our old system was incredibly harsh and had substantial coverage issues,” says Bieggar. “The issues extended to the low end with a poorly deployed ground sub system. You could stand in one place and get blown away, then move four feet over and not hear any low end whatsoever. Every person in the congregation was getting a different experience.”
The new Meyer Sound system at Eastridge Church centres around eight LEOPARD compact linear line array loudspeakers per side, supported by a flown centre cluster of three 2100-LFC low-frequency control elements in an end-fire cardioid configuration for focused, even bass coverage. Additional fill coverage is provided by ULTRA family point source loudspeakers, including ULTRA-X40 and ULTRA-X42 centre and side fills and ULTRA-X20 front fills positioned along the stage lip. The system is managed by a Galileo GALAXY 816 Network Platform.
Point Source Inc. led the installation and system design, in collaboration with Meyer Sound Technical Support Specialist David Vincent and Eastridge’s in-house production team. “LEOPARD was the right size and scale for the room,” explains Curt Hare, Point Source’s owner. “It gave us the right visual impact, the right weight load, and the right coverage and power.”
“Now, with LEOPARD and a unique flown 2100-LFC system, it sounds the same in every seat,” Bieggar says. “The response has been incredible. It doesn’t matter where we put the fader—we can run it quiet or loud and it sounds nice and smooth. The comments we keep getting are, ‘I can’t believe how clear everything is but it’s not harsh,’ and ‘It doesn’t hurt anymore.’” Meyer Sound and Point Source worked closely with Eastridge to meet both sonic and budget targets, leveraging the capabilities of the 2100-LFC to reduce system complexity and cost compared to previous designs.
“Out of the three bids we received, Meyer Sound actually came in under the other two,” says Bieggar. “I wish every church could have Meyer Sound—it solves so many problems, and it’s shockingly affordable considering it’s a premium product.” With improved coverage and headroom, Eastridge Church is poised to support not only its weekly worship but also additional events and special programming. “The old system just couldn’t handle touring shows. Acts had to bring in their own rigs on crank stands, which ate up seating and impacted sightlines,” Bieggar explains. “With the new Meyer Sound system, we can handle most of the events that come through without needing to bring in extra gear. It’s a huge win for us. This upgrade isn’t just about being louder or newer,” he adds. “It’s about removing barriers to the message. When the sound system becomes transparent, it stops being a distraction, people can actually engage with what’s happening. And that’s the whole point.”
