An oasis of calm in the centre of the bustling Malaysia capital city of Kuala Lumpur, the National Mosque of Malaysia ( ) is made unmistakable by its 240ft-high minaret, the16-point star on its roof and space for up to 15,000 worshippers at any one time.
Since its construction in 1965, the mosque has seen several upgrades to its PA system, in both the indoor and outdoor prayer spaces, but has continued to struggle with poor intelligibility, inadequate coverage and a system that was difficult for mosque operators to manage. It wasn’t until the fourth and most recent refit using steerable loudspeakers from Renkus-Heinz and the brand’s innovative OmniBeam technology that the sound issues were fully resolved.
Leading the project was specialist A/V integration and acoustic consultant, Acousticon Sdn Bhd, reputed for its work in mosques and other worship spaces. ‘This was a highly complex project that we implemented in two phases due to scale and budget,’ notes Acousticon founder and Technical Director Azizi Bin Ala. ‘The grand design was developed in 2019 with the consultant, the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Federal Territory, using AES67 audio networking for improved interoperability.
‘We opted for a Renkus-Heinz solution throughout based on the company’s strong track record of installations in Malaysia, notably at the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque in Putrajaya. Renkus-Heinz is known for performance and reliability and is endorsed by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM).’
Delivered in 2020, Phase 1 focused on unobtrusively delivering clear sound to the mosque’s outdoor prayer area. This was a complex task due to the narrow 80m-long covered terrace, 48 supporting pillars, and the mosque’s proximity to residential and commercial properties. To address previous system shortcomings Acousticon designed a distributed audio system from Renkus-Heinz based on 12 passive Iconyx ICX7-II mechanically steerable line arrays. These were installed using the fixings of the previous system to comply with strict heritage regulations that prohibited further mountings on walls or pillars. Properly optimised with the help of Ease Focus 3 software, the new system provides clear, intelligible and properly contained audio throughout the prayer area.
The upgrade also introduced a Q-Sys digital control system, replacing complex manual controls with an intuitive touch panel interface – an essential improvement for staff with minimal audio training. Notably, this also made it the first mosque in Malaysia to implement AES67 networking.
Phase 2 of the project concentrated on improving sound within the main prayer hall, a 50m x 50m indoor space notorious for its challenging acoustics. This phase required an advanced solution: active steerable loudspeakers capable of overcoming the hall’s high reverberation time (RT60), while complying with the strict heritage preservation regulations. Following extensive Ease modelling and sound measurement testing, active Iconyx IC24-RD digitally steerable line arrays from Renkus-Heinz proved to be the ideal solution. Furthermore, as the IC24-RDs support multi-mode connectivity including Dante, Rhaon and AES67, the integration into the digital network ecosystem implemented in Phase 1 was seamless.
‘The biggest challenge was the ceiling height limitation, as it directly affects the sound throw distance,’ explains Bin Ala. ‘As a rule of thumb, the higher a loudspeaker is mounted, the further the sound can travel. To compensate for the 5.4m ceiling height limitation inside the mosque, a loudspeaker with a movable acoustic centre is essential, ensuring that sound projection can still reach up to 50m. Restoration restrictions also meant that we couldn’t mount anything on the walls or pillars as most of the surfaces are decorated with unique imported marble.’
To get around the mounting restrictions, the IC24-RD steerable loudspeakers were placed in custom-made, decorative stainless-steel poles, strategically positioned to combat the hall’s reverberation issues. Interestingly, the Ease software modelling showed that the use of just two steerable columns actually produced a better result with more efficient coverage than four columns would have due to the comb filtering effect produced by reflections from a nearby glass door – representing significant savings for the client.
Renkus-Heinz OmniBeam software played a crucial part in ensuring sound was evenly distributed across the hall. ‘Thanks to OmniBeam, we were able to achieve a consistent soundfield with a tolerance of ±2dB SPL from the front to the rear of the room – solving the historical problem of uneven coverage,’ says Bin Ala. ‘It was extremely easy to use and produced excellent results instantly.’
Moreover, the movable acoustic centre of the IC24-RD allowed the loudspeakers to be mounted at just 1.6m while projecting sound as if they were positioned at a height of 4.4m, achieving optimal sound throw without violating heritage restrictions.
With the successful deployment of Renkus-Heinz loudspeaker technology and AES67 AoIP networking, the National Mosque of Malaysia has set a new standard for mosque audio systems. The project not only solved long-standing acoustic challenges but also ensured future-proof scalability, preparing the mosque for seamless integration with evolving digital audio technologies.
Worshippers and mosque officials alike have been delighted with the transformation, remarking on the dramatic improvement in clarity, even during peak prayer times. According to Haji Ehsan Bin Mohd Hosni, Grand Imam of the mosque, ‘The new system sounds very different from the previous one, as the sound is highly intelligible, with excellent tonality and excellent coverage. In the past, I needed an additional monitor speaker in front of me, but this is no longer the case. The experience for everyone has been greatly improved.’
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