The implementation of the new audio system for a parish church, used Line Array speakers, with a digital audio processing system and multichannel digital amplifiers.
By Richard Santa
For more than 18 years, the San Isidro Labrador Parish of Coronado in Costa Rica tried to offer a modern technological solution so that its parishioners could better listen to religious services, but the client's ignorance and the lack of a professional acoustic studio, made that for 20 years more than 10 sound systems were installed without achieving an appropriate result.
This is an old Catholic church, with a Neo-Gothic architecture and a large number of vaults and domes. It has a capacity of 1,300 people seated, but in special celebrations it can reach an occupation of 2,500 people. These are features that make any sound installation not an easy task.
"The main feature of the temple is that it has a high reverberation, above the six seconds of RT60, especially at low frequencies; making all the more than 10 sound systems previously installed result in a very poor performance in terms of intelligibility was concerned," explained Felipe Vargas, of AV Consulting Group, in charge of the design, simulation, supervision, programming and configuration of the installed system.
May the word reach everyone
The purpose of this project was to achieve a homogeneous and highly intelligible coverage throughout the audience area of the parish church. The system that worked before the intervention was an analogous solution, with conventional speakers, installed without an electro-acoustic study to support the solution, so that from the middle to the back of the temple nothing was understood that was spoken through the sound system.
Felipe Vargas explained that the approach of the solution offered was supported 100% in an acoustic and electro-acoustic simulation study. "It is important to note that none of the other companies took the time to conduct any similar study. The installed system offers high intelligibility in all audience areas, from the front of the Central Nave to the last bench, the same in the Side Naves."
The new audio system installed offers a solution with high quality equipment, with world-renowned brands, including Bose, Biamp, QSC, Shure, Liberty Cable and Middle Atlantic.
"This solution was achieved by choosing the best products from each manufacturer for this type of application. Linear, acoustic and aesthetically ideal speaker systems were installed for this type of enclosure. Line Array speakers were used, with a digital audio processing system and multichannel digital amplifiers," added Felipe Vargas.
Easy-to-use system
With the new system of the San Isidro Labrador Parish of Coronado, an intervention that was carried out between November and December 2015, important advantages were achieved for all people who have some relationship with this space.
Among them are: ease of handling the system, a robust and constant performance that no matter who operates it, the result is always the same: homogeneous coverage and high intelligibility of the spoken word.
Felipe Vargas mentioned that "no type of acoustic conditioning was carried out, since it was not viable at an economic level or at an architectural level; and yet the result has been extraordinary. The main key to success was the electro-acoustic design done through the simulation software, and to perform the installation exactly as indicated in the design."
But as in any intervention, despite the planning and the always some inconveniences and in this case was no exception. Among the main difficulties that arose is that the parish church is Cultural Heritage, so the intervention when installing the wiring required the minimum aesthetic impact.
In addition, the high reverberation demanded a difficult equalization and adjustment of the microphones and speakers. To do this they used a mixing matrix, making use of the Mix-Minus concept to reduce the volume of each microphone on the nearest speaker.
Happy customers
According to the representative of AV Consulting Group, the client has expressed the positive results of the intervention. "The high customer satisfaction has been total, and especially in the public attending the celebrations that take place in the Temple; because finally at any point of audience it is heard and understood perfectly, something that many considered impossible to achieve."
He concluded that "This satisfaction is due, in part, to the fact that the products of the brands used were chosen for their quality, high performance and reliability. The technology used was chosen as ideal for highly reverberant enclosures and based on an acoustic and electro-acoustic simulation study."
Project Overview
Company covered with the installation (final client): Parroquia San Isidro Labrador de Coronado
Place of installation: San Isidro de Coronado, San Jose, Costa Rica.
Design, Simulation, Supervision, Programming and Configuration: AV Consulting Group Latinamerica
Installation Firm: AVL International S.A.
Wiring and electrical networks: Nominal S.A.
Manufacturers (brands) involved: Bose, Biamp, QSC, Shure, Liberty Cable and Middle Atlantic.
Professionals involved:
Design, Simulation, Supervision, Programming and Configuration: Felipe Vargas.
Installation and Assembly: Nils Pinagel and Alex Pinagel.
Wiring and electrical networks: Leonardo Serrano
Installation dates: November 16 to December 11, 2015
