Davidson, NC, June 2010. The sanctuary at Davidson College Presbyterian Church has been fitted with a new sound system utilizing high-performance, low-profile Renkus-Heinz Iconyx loudspeaker systems.

Majestic architecture can be visually stunning, but it's rarely a treat for acoustical consultants. Such was the case with the sanctuary at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. The 1200-seat venue's soaring ceilings and Gothic columns resonate with proud tradition.

Unfortunately, that's not all they resonate with, and while the room's overly live acoustics work nicely with the 50-year-old organ, speech intelligibility has long been an issue. "It's a really reverberant space, and we've always had trouble with people being able to hear spoken word clearly," says Rick Cardenas, the Church's technical director.


But as Cardenas explains, aesthetic concerns had stood in the way of finding an effective solution. "It's a beautiful space, and the idea of putting a big speaker system in the middle of it just wasn't an option." The solution was found in a pair of Renkus-Heinz's Iconyx IC24-R digitally steerable line array loudspeakers. The steerable arrays are configured to provide focused coverage to every seat.


Working around the sanctuary's full calendar, Cardenas got together with college staff members to install the IC24-R systems into soffits on either side of the proscenium.


The result is startlingly effective coverage of the entire floor and balcony seating area, from systems that are all but unseen behind grilles that perfectly match the walls.

"The Iconyx system has made the worship experience more enjoyable," Cardenas reports. "People of all ages can actually hear the sermons. We'll definitely be using the Iconyx in our next upgrades as well."