Holding station as the cathedral church of the Archbishopric of Athens and all of Greece, Athens Metropolitan Cathedral is still undertaking reparatory work following damage by earthquakes in 1981 and 1999. With structural support and maintenance of the decoration of the temple completed in July 2016, ABAS (Automation Broadcasting Audio Security) was appointed to install a new sound system that would deliver high quality, intelligible sound while merging acceptably with the attractive architecture of the historic building.
Built from 1842 to 1862, the beautiful interior is highly reverberant, due to its height and reflective surfaces, making the acoustics a challenge for voice transmission. To achieve the intelligibility desired, ABAS’ acoustic engineers designed and installed a system using Community’s E Series column loudspeakers. With narrow vertical and wide horizontal dispersion, E Series ensures sound is kept away from the hard ceiling and floor while providing even coverage for the congregation.
Two ENT212 loudspeakers were used for the main temple, while 14 ENT206 cover both floors and an additional six ENT203 provide coverage for the chantries and the altar. The narrow profile of the loudspeakers enabled them to be mounted in positions that provided the coverage required whilst being aesthetically unobtrusive. The system is powered by ten Monacor amplifiers, each driving loudspeakers in groups that enable different sound levels to be set for the front and mid/rear areas of the temple. Monacor is also used to provide the required system DSP functions, including loudspeaker processing, delay and room equalization. ABAS chose Sennheiser microphones to complement the overall sound quality of the system.
‘Athens Metropolitan Cathedral was an extremely prestigious project and we’re very satisfied with the results,’ Kostas Drosos of ABAS reports. ‘The new system provides excellent quality and high intelligibility in all areas. It was configured and equalized to sound very natural and visitors do not discern any changes in sound level while moving throughout the building.’
