CRANFORD, NJ — Mike Sinclair of Audio Incorporated said Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC8 digitally steerable array loudspeakers have proven to be a good fit, aesthetically and acoustically, for the 600-member congregation at 1st Presbyterian Church.
“It was partly an architectural and partly an intelligibility issue,” Sinclair said, of the shingle-style sanctuary building featuring rounded arches and stained glass windows. Inside, a cathedral-style ceiling meets white walls, soft carpet and wooden pews.
“They used to have a large speaker that hung in the middle between the lectern and the pulpit which didn’t belong there visually and didn’t really do a very good job,” Sinclair added. “We suggested using two Iconyx, and we found the perfect location exactly in the corners of the room, from where we’re cross-firing them over the room. The one on stage left is firing to the right audience and vice versa, which gives everybody a very even sound field.”
Each self-powered Iconyx is configured with two nodes, the lower node digitally beam-steered down to the near most seating, while the majority of the cabinet steers a node to the larger rear part of the congregation.
“Acoustically, it’s a very nice space and the reflections sound warm in nature,” Sinclair said. “But the real challenge was getting sound to the front half, more than it was to the rear, because of the need to reach that area with sound without obstructing the architecture. By placing the Iconyx, finished in white, in the corners against the white plasterwork, they ‘disappear’ and because we’re able to steer lobes to the front of the congregation it resolves both problems.
“The cross-firing also means that anyone sitting in the front rows looking at somebody talking in the pulpit gets the impression that the speech is coming from their mouth and not from above their head — so it works well in terms of a psycho-acoustic location.”
Two small areas at the back to the left and right of the mix position, slightly shadowed from the main beams by pillars, are filled in with a pair of miniature QSC-powered Renkus-Heinz SGX41 loudspeakers, while a further pair of SGX41s serve as fills for the far end seats of the front row.
A Midas Venice console mixes the system, and it is controlled by an Allen & Heath IDR128 system, which provides simple user presets: one for the normal Sunday service mode and an auto mix setting to cater for weddings, funerals and other acoustically simple events that involve just one or two microphones in the altar area.
During Sunday services, the church is able to have children participate at the altar, almost directly in front of the Iconyx, on lavalier microphones. “For the first time ever, the congregation can hear the children’s choir properly, so they’re very happy with that,” Sinclair said, adding that the gear’s reputation for longevity helped minimize budget concerns.
For more information, please visit www.renkus-heinz.com.
