With seating for more than 1200 people, the new building is a magnificent  space, with high ceilings, a marble sanctuary, concrete floors and a host of other architectural features that are wonderful to behold but challenging acoustically.

“Their Building Committee approached us during the planning phase,” says Brian Cox of Greensboro-based Audio and Light, the company behind the Parish’s new sound system. “One thing that was very important to them was the understanding that they weren’t just building a bigger space – they were creating a worship environment.”

Beginning with an EASE model of the space, Audio and Light created a system based around a pair of Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC24-R steered array cabinets covering the main seating area in the Nave. “The Iconyx arrays were perfect for providing even coverage from front to back, as well as the accurate pattern control needed to keep the sound energy off of the walls, ceilings and other reflective surfaces in the room,” says Cox.

The slim and unobstrusive design of the Iconyx was an added benefit, says Cox. “The Iconyx units, as well as all the rest of the Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers, were custom pained to match the walls they are mounted to. For the Iconyx cabinets in particular, this really helps them blend well into the background.”

A selection of other Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers covers the rest of the church, including two TRX81 two-way, eight-inch systems for the choir area. “We chose the TRX81 for its compact size and tight pattern control,” says Cox. On the sanctuary platform, a single SGX41 box serves as a monitor for the Priest.

The Chapel has a glass partition separating it from the Nave, creating a space to be used as a Day Chapel or for overflow seating. The space is equipped with four more SGX81 boxes, with two facing front and two facing rear so that audio can come from in front of listeners regardless of their seating orientation. Two more SGX41 units cover the Narthex, with a pair of CFX121M floor monitors onstage for the praise band.