Cathedrals, temples, churches, mosques. Throughout the world, these and other places of worship are sources of inspiration. Inspiration conveyed through music and words.
To provide congregations with full, natural music and clear, intelligible speech, many places of worship now choose Bose® sound systems. Bose systems help deliver precise, natural sound coverage while blending easily into your interior design.
Case Study - St. Johns Cathedral
19th Century Architecture with 21st Centure Sound.
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Venue
St. Johns Cathedral was designed in 1888 by John Loughborough Pearsons. With its beautiful stained glass windows, vast sandstone columns, and magnificent arches supporting its 17m high stone vaulted ceiling, the cathedral is a truly stunning piece architecture. It can cater for congregations of up to 1000 people as well as small chapel services for intimate groups.
Challenge
With numerous pillars and obstacles previously rendering the sermons unintelligible, the challenge was to provide a sound solution that could maintain clear audibility throughout the many reflective stone surfaces. The variation in congregation sizes (anywhere from 200 up to 1000 congregants) also dramatically altered the acoustic properties of the space. A discreet, simple-to-use and flexible sound system was required to fulfil the needs of this acoustically challenging space.
Solution
The solution to these challenges was based around utilising the existing installation of Panaray® 502®A loudspeakers where appropriate, with the integration of a new main system based around the Panaray MA12 Modular Line Array loudspeaker. The main nave utilised Panaray MA12 loudspeakers to cover the first 15-20m, with an additional pair to cover the rear of the cathedral. The preset levels, delays and equalisation were able to be modified depending on the congregation size and style of worship. Choir stalls were clearly covered by a pair of Panaray MA12 loudspeakers, hidden on several sandstone columns, with additional support of FreeSpace® Model 32SE loudspeakers hidden in the choir stalls footing.
For larger services, the outer aisles were covered by a combination of Panaray MA12 loudspeakers and Panaray® 502®A loudspeakers with equalisation and delays varying to suit the congregation size.
Result
The resulting system is a success, providing clear speech and overcoming the acoustic challenges of the building. The system is able to adapt to the varying congregation size, ensuring intelligibility of voice and music at all times.
