The Sanctuary of Lourdes has seen a century of prayers, worship and contemplation, drawing more than 3.5m pilgrims from around the world each year. In a contemporary transformation, the Sanctuary of Lourdes’ Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and its esplanade recently revamped its sound systems with Active Audio and APG speakers from the Arbane Groupe.

After three decades of service, the original outdoor APG audio system installed by local integrator Audiomaster Technologie on Our Lady of the Rosary esplanade was suffering from extreme temperatures (-10°C winters and +40°C summers), humidity and daily operation.

‘Thirty years ago, our engineers spent almost a year on-site to design a totally bespoke product. This is arguably why the APG speakers lasted through the harsh weather conditions,’ explains Arbane Groupe Technical Sales Engineer, Rodolphe Portet. ‘It really is a great testimony to the quality of the product and our bespoke engineering efforts.’

Recently, Audiomaster Technologie – a subsidiary of Ace Event Group – set to revamp both the esplanade and the inside of the basilica with a sound system capable of ensuring intelligible celebrations, masses, spiritual teachings and religious songs while respecting the basilica’s architecture, mosaics and decoration. After a series of tests and comparisons, APG loudspeakers remain the preferred option.

‘This relationship between us is essential; it allows to develop better projects by building upon ideas from when we first started working together,’ says Ace Event Group Engineering Design Officer. Loïc Bourgain.

Arbane Groupe Marketing Director Eric Grandmougin says that another determining factor was the availability of bespoke loudspeaker finishes: ‘We could custom make the colour to merge with the environment and hide them from the pilgrims,’ he says. ‘We also organised live demos prior to the installation and created a 3D model showing how we’d cover the sound in the basilica, giving them a much better idea of the end result.’

On and around the esplanade, which can host thousands of visitors, Audiomaster Technologie installed APG iX8-O IP54-rated coaxial two-way outdoor loudspeakers – 36 on the lighting poles along the main driveway, 16 along the Rosary esplanade, and an additional 16 alongside the river and the sacred grotto. All are powered by six Powersoft Quattrocanali 2404 DSP amplifiers coupled with a Xilica Solaro processor. To complete the immersive experience wanted by the client, there are no delays, and loudspeakers face each other to deliver the same sound in sync.

Overlooking the esplanade is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. It too had an ageing sound system that lacked intelligibility. ‘Thousands of pilgrims come from the other side of the world and for some, it truly is the journey of a lifetime. A great acoustic experience is therefore crucial,’ says Vincent Fernandez, head of the Audiovisual Department at Sanctuary of Lourdes. ‘It was important to find discreet speakers that would not be noticeable by the pilgrims while ensuring clarity.’

‘The first aspect we considered was the visual element which led us to column speakers. We then needed directivity control to achieve a better speech transmission index,’ explains Bourgain.

Portet confirms the aesthetic importance for such a sacred space: ‘It was essential to respect this historic venue, and make sure that the visitors wouldn’t notice the sound system to focus instead on the preaching. Audiomaster did a fantastic job in integrating the speakers discreetly.’

Fernandez considers the acoustic element as the most important: ‘Visitors come to attend mass, meditate and pray, and if the sound is not up to the task, they will not be able to listen properly and therefore be disturbed.’

To achieve both the aesthetic and sound requirements, Audiomaster Technologie used four Active Audio StepArray 180P (1.8m) columns and two StepArray 250P (2.5m) columns. The StepArray range features digital and geometric radiation control (DGRC) technology and electronic directivity adjustment, ensuring precise directivity while remaining compact and secure.

‘The presence of numerous surfaces in the basilica imposed the integration of a minimum number of loudspeakers, but with enough directivity control and precision to limit interfering sound,’ Grandmougin says.

To achieve this, Audiomaster Technologie separated the six speakers intp three groups – two StepArray 250P columns at altar level to offer sufficient directivity control while respecting the layout constraints; two StepArray 180P in the nave behind the area occupied by the dome; and two more in the transept, limiting reflections on the curved walls of the chapels. All are powered by Active Audio MPA82000 amplifiers and a NUT audio processor, while a Powersoft Mezzo 322A amplifier is used for speaker monitoring. A Xilica Solaro processor handles the delay and equalisation.

Energy consumption for the sound system during operation is comparable to the prior set-up on standby, representing a fourfold decrease. According to Grandmougin, the system provides ‘identical coverage throughout the site and excellent intelligibility despite very complex acoustic challenges’.

Fernandez is extremely pleased with the final result, saying ‘not only was the work carried out on schedule and equipment was integrated discreetly, the quality of the Sanctuary’s sound system has greatly improved. We have a duty to provide a warm welcome to the worshippers, and that includes great acoustics.’