A regular solution for boardrooms and meeting spaces, Yamaha’s VXL1 slimline array loudspeakers are also proving themselves in houses of worship, enhancing sound without compromising the aesthetics of their interiors.
Opened in 1815, the current Gothenburg Cathedral is the third on a site in Sweden’s second-largest city, which dates back to the early 1600s. The building has seen constant improvements, including being the first Swedish church to be fitted with central heating.
The latest upgrade has been to its sound reinforcement system. Installed 11 years ago – including a Yamaha LS9 digital mixing console, DME24N digital mixing engine and ICP1 surfacemount controller – the installed loudspeakers were lacking quality and coverage by today’s standards.
‘The main need was to improve the intelligibility and provide a more even sound in the main part of the cathedral and the side chapel, as well as enhancing monitoring for the choir,’ says Sten E Ranwald of Gothenburg-based audio specialist, Ljud & Sakerhet.
The cathedral’s classical interior meant that there were very strict rules about the aesthetics of the system, so Sten chose a pair of Yamaha VXL1-24 loudspeakers to enhance the sound in the main part of the cathedral and a pair of VXL1-16s for the side chapel, powered by PX3 and PX5 amplifiers. He also upgraded the LS9 to a compact Yamaha TF1 mixing console.
Notably, the DME24N and ICP1 were retained. Even after 11 years, it is a powerful, flexible and reliable solution, able to continue managing the multi-zone system for many more years.
‘Choosing Yamaha products for the upgrade was easy,’ Ranwald says. ‘The VXL series loudspeakers have the perfect aesthetics and we knew that they would make a great improvement to the sound. They fitted seamlessly into the existing system, which was important because the DME24N still does everything that the cathedral needs, minimising the upgrade costs. With its power and the ICP1’s ease of use, it means the cathedral does not need a dedicated sound engineer for regular services.’
Like the LS9 before it, the TF1 console is integrated into the main system. For larger events – especially at Christmas, Easter and other festivals – the sound can be mixed via the installed system and also a movable PA, which features a pair of versatile Yamaha MSR400 powered speakers for house or monitor sound.
‘The improvement to the cathedral’s sound has been staggering,’ Ranwald says. ‘Visitors have commented on how much better it is and the cathedral’s staff now have the peace of mind that they will get a great result for every service and event.’
More: www.yamahaproaudio.com
