LACKAWANNA, NY – Ronco Specialized Systems recently installed a Renkus-Heinz Iconyx digitally steerable line array at Our Lady of Victory National Shrine and Basilica, a church known for its collection of religious artwork and 19th century architecture.
The church features marble columns and pillars throughout its interior design, and its marble floor, sloped similar to a sports arena, provides a foundation for mahogany pews that seat 1,200 parishioners. A main altar is also adorned with marble structures, as tall as nine feet, and a giant pipe organ made of wood and metal pipes that reach 18 feet in height.
"We designed a pretty basic system primarily for vocal reinforcement in an extremely large reverberant space," said John Burckhalter, pro audio/video manager at Ronco Specialized Systems, referring to the challenge posed by all the reflective marble surfaces. "We chose the Iconyx Series due to its digitally steerable line array characteristics and pattern control," he added.
The new system includes several Iconyx IC16 loudspeakers mounted on four marble columns flanking the main altar. The Iconyx loudspeakers allow for the acoustic center to be raised or lowered electronically, improving high frequency performance with consistent broad horizontal dispersion. "The Iconyx IC16s perform flawlessly and cover the required seating areas evenly," said Burckhalter.
The IC16's slender design let it be flush-mounted to blend in with its surroundings, minimizing its aesthetic impact. A Biamp Nexia CS processor provides audio signal processing, and input source mixing is provided by with a RED-1 wall controller programmed to adjust volume levels. The Iconyx loudspeaker processing is used for the main equalization and delay setup. Several JBL Control 25 loudspeakers provide additional sound reinforcement, mounted on each column located at the sides and rear of the church, all powered by Crown CT Series amps.
Al Colucci, Ronco sales engineer for the basilica project, said church officials were "delighted with the sound quality and clarity of the Iconyx system. It has never sounded so clear and clean in the church. The new Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers really live up to their claim."
For more information, please visit www.renkus-heinz.com.
