Active Audio selected for Jesuit chapel sound system

Active Audio column speakers have been installed in the Jesuit chapel in La Joliette, Marseille as part of an audio project led by integrator, Ecclesia Sound.

Having been impressed with the integrator’s recent upgrade to the Saint-Ferréol church in Marseille, the Jesuits decided to work with the firm again to install a sound system in a new chapel.

Two Active Audio Ray-On 110 passive column loudspeakers were fitted to deliver sound throughout a hexagon-shaped, 60 capacity room. The discreet width of the speakers (128mm) allowed for a subtle installation near backlit stained glass windows to maintain the beauty of the chapel.

The R110 column loudspeaker boasts a throw range of up to20m at ±5dB. Ray-On’s patented DGRC technology delivers consistent sound coverage, as well as superior clarity and sound quality traditionally found in high-end controlled directivity systems. A single Powersoft Mezzo 322A amplifier powers both column loudspeakers.

“A temporary fabric-ceiling had been fitted awaiting the permanent wooden replacement, so ceiling speakers were not an option,” said Joachim Fritsch, acoustic engineer and founder of EcclesiaSound. “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 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 an infrared remote.

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