Ocean Grove’s Great Auditorium Audio Upgrade
Designing a great audio system in a modern venue is one thing…doing it inside a historic landmark is another entirely. The Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove, New Jersey is a space rich with history, architectural beauty, and character, but those same qualities make delivering clear, consistent audio a challenge. When the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association needed their system to live up to the scale and importance of the space, they turned to us to reimagine what was possible.
THE CHALLENGE
The Great Auditorium is one of Ocean Grove’s most iconic landmarks—an expansive, historic venue originally built in the late 19th century and designed to host large gatherings, music, and spoken word long before modern sound reinforcement existed. Known for its distinctive architecture and massive interior, the space has served generations of audiences, and featured speakers such as Presidents Garfield, McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Eisenhower, Nixon, and famous preachers like Billy Sunday and Billy Graham
The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association approached us with a clear goal: improve the performance of their existing audio system so it could better serve the space.
The challenge wasn’t starting from scratch; the client wanted to retain as much of the existing equipment as possible. However, the room itself posed significant obstacles—its age, scale, under-balcony areas, and the need to preserve the building’s historic character made many potential solutions ineffective.
THE SOLUTION
Rather than replacing the system entirely, we redesigned it with a focus on control, coverage, and usability, while respecting both the budget and the building.
We retained the existing EAW system but upgraded the FOH mains to powered adaptive column speakers, enabling us to precisely control where sound traveled. EAW AC6 adaptive column speakers ensured clear, intelligible audio reached the audience without bouncing off of reflective surfaces, spilling into unwanted areas, or obstructing views of the auditorium’s historic organ.
To further improve coverage, we added additional under-balcony speakers using EAW MKD526 compact dual 5″ full-range loudspeakers and strategically repositioned several existing loudspeakers from their system throughout the room. This created a more even listening experience across the entire auditorium.
Recognizing the volunteer-driven environment, we also replaced the previous mixing console with a more intuitive and volunteer-friendly option. The new Allen & Heath SQ-7 provided powerful capabilities while remaining approachable for operators of varying experience levels.
THE RESULT
The transformation was immediate. Even before the final room tuning, the client noticed a dramatic improvement in clarity, coverage, and overall sound quality. After completion, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association shared that this was the first audio system they had ever truly loved; a system that matched the scale and significance of The Great Auditorium.
By combining thoughtful system redesign, precise sound control, and user-friendly technology, we delivered a solution that honored the venue’s history while bringing its audio capabilities into the modern era.
