The Hanoi International Fellowship (HIF) church draws a congregation of more than 400 people from more than 40 nationalities to its Hanoi HQ.

The church recently moved to its first permanent building, and its challenging acoustics presented problems for Singapore-based Soundsmith Solutions. The new sanctuary seats more than 200 people, and HIF’s services are punctuated by a full band playing contemporary music. ‘Previously, the congregation met at a local five-star hotel, and the hotel provided them with the usual hotel sound system,’ says Pastor Jinggoy of the Hanoi International Fellowship. ‘That system was uneven. It was too loud toward the front and inconsistent throughout the rest of the room. The subs were boomy and the high-end was harsh.’

In addition to designing the system, Soundsmith Solutions also supplied the components – including a Danley Sound Labs SM-80, SH-micro loudspeakers, TH-mini subwoofers and an Allen & Heath mixing desk. Pastor Jinggoy helped coordinate the church’s own contractors to install the system based on Soundsmith Solution’s drawings and specifications.

‘The big challenge in the new space was very low ceilings,’ says Soundsmith Solutions Project Manager, Edwin Ng. ‘It used to be a warehouse, so none of the walls were designed with acoustics in mind. This was was compounded by the fact that there were few places to position loudspeakers that wouldn’t interfere with sightlines. The Danley Sound Labs boxes were a fitting solution due to their low profile and their exceptional directivity.’

At FOH is an A&H GL2400-424 console feeding a Xilica XP8080 digital loudspeaker management processor and QSC RMX 4050HD and RMX 5050 amplifiers. These drive two Danley SM-80 loudspeakers that provide main coverage, six Danley SH-micro loudspeakers that serve as delays, and one more Danley SH-micro that fills in the centre front.

‘The SM-80s were ideal loudspeakers for the mains because they are so slim and could be mounted into the wall without any trouble,’ Ng says. ‘Both the SM-80 and the SH-micro are highly directional, which was great for these low ceilings. The sound goes where it is supposed to go and nowhere else! Importantly, that directivity extends down to 400Hz.’

To provide low-end support for the system, Ng included two Danley TH-mini subwoofers, which the installers mounted into the front wall below the SM-80s.

‘The TH-mini has to be the smallest but loudest sub I’ve ever heard,’ he says. ‘The amount of bass coming out of this box when properly powered is nothing short of amazing. Subjectively, every bass note is tight and punchy.

‘All together, the new system is way, way better than the system they used at the hotel. Everything sounds clear, crisp, and pleasant to the ears, and it doesn’t matter where you sit. The whole room is evenly covered – even when the microphones are placed right underneath the centre fill, there is no feedback.’

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