When First Baptist Church Cleveland’s front-of-house audio console unexpectedly failed just weeks before the church’s busiest season of ministry, the leadership team turned to Integrated Production Solutions (IPS) to deliver a reliable, future-ready solution, ensuring worship services and Christmas celebrations continued without interruption.
With a heart for serving the church and a commitment to excellence, IPS completed a full audio infrastructure upgrade, beginning Monday and delivering a fully operational system in time for Wednesday night youth service. The new system was designed not only to meet immediate needs but to support the growing congregation and long-term vision of the church.
“This project came together on an incredibly fast timeline,” said Carter Music, Account Manager at IPS. “Their existing console failed right in the middle of discussions about next steps, so everything was fast-tracked to make sure they didn’t miss a single service, especially heading into their Christmas season.”
First Baptist Church Cleveland is one of the largest churches in the greater Chattanooga region, welcoming thousands each week across multiple worship services and ministries. With a sanctuary seating approximately 1,200 and continued growth prompting future building plans, the church sought an AVL solution that would faithfully serve their congregation today while preparing for tomorrow.
IPS installed a DiGiCo Quantum338 front-of-house mixing console equipped with the Pulse upgrade paired with a fully loaded DiGiCo SD Rack, connected via ST fiber, forming the core of a newly deployed fiber-based audio infrastructure. The system is integrated with an Optocore Autorouter, which serves as the central signal controller, managing connectivity between the console, stage rack, monitoring system, and other networked audio components throughout the installation.
To further support the worship team, IPS implemented a KLANG:konductor immersive in-ear monitoring system, integrated with Shure wireless IEMs and eight KLANG:kontroller personal mixing interfaces. The Quantum338 is equipped with a DMI-Dante card, enabling seamless networked audio integration and flexible routing across the system.
Together, these components form a streamlined digital signal network, with the Optocore Autorouter providing centralized routing and connectivity between the Quantum338 console, SD Rack, and KLANG monitoring platform while supporting future system expansion.
“It’s a really solid and scalable system, but the bigger story is how it positions the church for the future,” Music explained. “This was their first project with IPS after years of conversations, and it created a strong foundation for where they’re headed as a ministry.”
The upgraded infrastructure also simplified connectivity throughout the campus, reducing traditional copper runs, improving reliability, and preparing the church for future room expansions and production needs.
While the technical improvements were significant, IPS leaders emphasized that the heart of the project was the relationship built with First Baptist Cleveland’s staff and volunteer teams.
“One of the things that stood out most was the trust they placed in us,” Music shared. “When we told them we believed we could hit the timeline for their Wednesday night youth service, they made the decision to keep everything in that room instead of relocating, simply because they trusted we would do what we said we would do.”
That trust was rewarded as the system was fully operational ahead of services, running smoothly through their first Christmas programming without interruption.
“It was incredibly rewarding to attend their first Christmas service after the upgrade and see everything working seamlessly,” Music added. “The church was thrilled with the outcome, and that’s always the goal. To serve the ministry well and remove any technical distractions from worship.”
IPS also partnered with DiGiCo to provide hands-on training following the installation, ensuring church staff and volunteers felt confident stewarding the new system immediately. More than a quick solution, the project marked a major step forward in First Baptist Church Cleveland’s worship production capabilities, replacing aging equipment with a modern, scalable platform built to grow alongside the church.
“This wasn’t just about replacing a console,” Music said. “It was about setting them up with an infrastructure that will serve their congregation well for years to come, especially as they continue to grow and plan for future expansion.”
With growth already driving increased attendance and additional services, First Baptist Church Cleveland is now equipped with an AVL system that enhances clarity, consistency, and flexibility across every worship gathering, event, and ministry opportunity.
