After relocating to La Joliette district, the Jesuit community of Marseille required a new audio system for its new chapel and adjoining conference room. Impressed by Ecclesia Sound’s recent sound upgrade to the Saint-Ferréol church in Marseille, the Jesuits again called on the system integrator with the chapel.

Housed on the ground floor of a five-storey building – which also hosts private apartments – Ecclesia Sound was able to install the cabling prior to construction, ensuring the chapel’s aesthetic would not be compromised. ‘I got on the project exactly one year before the delivery of the site,’ says Ecclesia Sound founder and acoustic engineer, Joachim Fritsch,. ‘I was able to redraw the original wiring plans, which also gave me an opportunity to place all the ducts in the right place.’

Active Audio, part of the Arbane Groupe, provided two of its Ray-On 110 passive column loudspeakers to be installed in the the hexagon shaped room, which seats up to 60 people. The Ray-On series comprises four models that are suited for small to large-size venues whether standalone or as part of a distributed system for churches, conference rooms, station platforms and shopping malls.

Due to the loudspeaker’s discreet size (128mm width) the system integrator could fit the equipment flush with the back-lit stained glass windows to maintain the integrity and beauty of the space.

‘A temporary fabric-ceiling had been fitted awaiting the permanent wooden replacement, so ceiling speakers were not an option,’ Fritsch says. ‘After speaking with the architect, we agreed that aligning the speakers flush with the windows would work. Importantly, the embedded technology in Ray-On speakers means that there is no need to tilt them, which notably improves sound and aesthetics.’

The R110 column loudspeaker boasts a throw of up to 20m at ±5dB. Ray-On’s p[roprietary DGRC technology delivers consistent sound coverage, as well as clarity and sound quality traditionally found in high-end controlled directivity systems. A single Powersoft Mezzo 322A amplifier powers both column loudspeakers.

Alongside the Active Audio and Powersoft elements, the audio system is completed by a Shure Microflex MX412 gooseneck microphone, a Sennheiser MEB 114S-W surface microphone, a Shure SLXD/B58 wireless microphone; a Yamaha MTX3 digital processor, and an Apart PCR3000R media player with infrared remote.

The chapel’s adjoining conference room, which is open to the public, also required an entire A/V system, where Ecclesia Sound installed Yamaha in-ceiling loudspeakers and a subwoofer, all powered by a single Powersoft Mezzo 604a amplifier, which was again chosen for its robust build, longevity and energy efficiency.