Lund Cathedral in Sweden has extended its permanently sound installation with a further Renkus-Heinz IC16/8-R-II active array above its altar.
The country’s oldest and largest church, it dates back to 1080 and seats 1,800 –but can accommodate an extra 800 during major events that are frequently televised. Already fitted out with a Rhaon-equipped Iconyx digitally steerable system, the new array is just the latest part of a major sound upgrade.
The cavernous nave has historically challenged the cathedral’s bishops, whose voices have become hoarse when trying to project down such a long space. Some years ago a sound system was installed to help – originally with four wired microphones and a conventional loudspeaker system.
The last time this was replaced was 1987, when the church felt it was time for something more capable – as well as increasing the microphone count to 20, including two mics to bring the sound of the church tower bells inside the church. Many of the congregation had been unable to hear the bells over the level of conversation or a sermon.
The earlier PA had proved inadequate in both audio distribution and quality – including the fact that audio control was limited to a single volume knob. Having had the space acoustically analysed, the cathedral’s architect decided that the speakers should be mounted flat on the wall rather than tilted forward. A couple of brands with that capability were examined, but it was the Renkus-Heinz Iconyx that was chosen by installer Björn Carlsson with Svensk Musik TTS. It also had the effect of reducing the number of loudspeakers in the church from over 40 just 14, including the crypt.
‘They came to us because they wanted an intelligent, efficient solution that wouldn’t need to be changed every few years,’ says says the cathedral’s Lars Jonven. ‘The main issue with the new sound system is that Renkus-Heinz won on sound quality, proven technology and its very special directivity control.’
The addition of the IC16/8-R-II (finished in a special architecturally matched colour) provides additional projection of sound to the congregation.
‘We looked at a couple of other brands and their solutions involved installing many more speakers, actually more than they had in the old system,’ Jonven says. ‘Then there was another request for us to distribute the system digitally as far as possible. So, actually, the only part in the whole system that’s analogue is the microphones; everything else is distributed by MediaMatrix and CobraNet direct to the loudspeakers. So that was another big feature.’
The cathedral also uses an iPad remote control for its Nion system. A controller is installed to the side of the nave, which remains where it is, but TTS also supplied a wireless iPad. This allows an operator to control sound from, for example, a service in the crypt, from where the fixed controller would be unreachable.
The same goes for christenings, which are held in the Northern Chapel and is also obscured from the mix position. Again, the iPad allows remote control from the chapel area itself – and is much appreciated by the church for its flexibility.
A pair of IC24-R arrays covers the central area of the nave, each delivering four separate beams of sound, while a combination of IC16-R and IC8-R arrays cover other areas with an IC7 in the crypt.
The IC16/8-RII uses coaxial transducers with triple tweeter arrays driven by multichannel audiophile high-current amplifiers, allowing up to eight individually steerable multiple beams from each unit. The triple tweeter ‘array within an array’ design reduces the distance between HF sources for greatly improved high frequency performance with consistent broad horizontal dispersion and reduced grating lobes.
‘The whole system gives us much better sound naturally,’ says Carlsson. ‘Each priest has their own headset and there are presets that adjust the EQ to their individual timbre and volume. It’s a fantastic solution.’
More: www.renkus-heinz.com
