Among Slovenia’s many historic churches, two have recently installed Renkus-Heinz UBX loudspeaker systems to improve speech intelligibility and deliver clear audio – the Basilica Brezje and St Jernej’s Church.
Acoustic engineer and project manager Mitja Borko led the effort to transform the sound in both venues. After evaluating a range of loudspeakers, the UBX Series UBX8100V passive column loudspeaker from Renkus-Heinz emerged as the preferred choice. MTD Electronics, a Renkus-Heinz partner in Slovenia, supplied the loudspeakers in both churches.
Alongside its sound quality, the UBX8 has Renkus-Heinz’s accurate beam-steering technology of the company’s flagship Iconyx loudspeakers in a compact passive column – particularly well suited to use in aesthetically sensitive surrounding that require audio accuracy. Eight neodymium transducers and a versatile wall-mounting system ensured that the installation process is both simple and that sound is delivered precisely where desired.
Brezje is best known as the home of Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, the largest pilgrimage church in Slovenia, and attracts more than 400,000 visitors each year. The building’s high ceilings, stone walls and wide interior space caused significant reverberation in the nave, hoever. ‘The room required loudspeakers with a tight vertical pattern and wide horizontal dispersion, which is why I thought the UBX Series would be a good solution,’ Borko explains.
The church’s ornate historical architecture meant thatthere were limited options for mounting the loudspeakers but were able to be placed on side pillars without disturbing the building’s aesthetics.
‘UBX8 proved to be a perfect choice for the Basilica,’ says Borko ‘The church is a work of art; it’s breathtaking inside. Thanks to Renkus-Heinz, the congregation can hear the liturgy clearly while basking in the visual splendour.’
The small but picturesque Church of St Bartholomew sits on top of a hill in the village of Sveti Jernej near Slovenia’s eastern border. Cuilt in C14th, the church has undergone various transformations and, in 1917, was damaged so severely by an earthquake that it could not be used for several years, eventually being repaired and reopened in 1922.
The church has a high-peaked, wood-panelled ceiling and other hard surfaces compromise speech intelligibility in the space, previously making it difficult for churchgoers to understand worship services. Here, again, Borko turned to Renkus-Heinz’s UBX Series to address the problems.
Now, visitors can enjoy intelligible speech and crisp audio during services: ‘The church staff were thrilled with the audio improvements,’ Borko notes. ‘Masses are intelligible for the entire nave – even parishioners sitting in the back of the large sanctuary can still understand the liturgy.’
In both churches, the audio systems are supported by a Yamaha 16-channel mixing console, 31-band equaliser and a Klein Hummel power amplification. ‘The improvement in speech intelligibility is remarkable,’ Borko reports. ‘I highly recommend UBX loudspeakers for future installations.’
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