St Mary's Cathedral

Designing an audio system for a House of Worship can present many challenges. Loudspeaker performance is one of the most critical aspects because they are the last interface in the electro-acoustic path between what we hear and the message that is being delivered. We need to consider a number of aspects such as the architectural impact and aesthetics, especially in heritage buildings. Slim column speakers are a popular choice due to their unobtrusive design and ability to blend in with architectural features, especially in Romanesque architectural and heritage listed buildings.

The brief for the St Marys Cathedral, to scope an audio upgrade path that would provide intelligible audio throughout the cathedral and enhance musical performances, particularly at Christmas and Easter. Ultimately, the Tannoy Qflex met the brief, providing even audio coverage, and maintaining SPLs across the listening plane as a result of the asymmetrical pattern that allows similar SPLs both in the near and far field.

‘Previously, when entering the cathedral from the rear door, the audio sounded muffled even when half-full. With the Tannoy system it’s much more balanced, audibly clear with close to 100% coverage, and there’s no need to adjust the levels, and a dynamic range that can cover the large crowds at Christmas and Easter’