COMMERCIAL SALISBURY CATHEDRAL’S MAJOR HARMAN SOUND SYSTEM UPGRADE
CBT loudspeakers are ideal for difficult acoustic spaces and function as part of an integrated HARMAN solution
The world famous 13th century Salisbury Cathedral welcomes over a quarter of a million visitors each year, either to view one of the four surviving originals of the Magna Carta, to attend its programme of major services, concerts, religious festivals, or simply for private worship. Having celebrated the 750th year since its consecration back in 2008, the administrators expect the sound in this reverberant space to be heard coherently and intelligibly. However, the last major sound system installation had taken place as far back as 2000, and with a distribution network using outdated technology, the administrators faced the prospect of a complete overhaul. Enter HARMAN Professional and an integrated audio solution featuring JBL, Crown, BSS and Soundcraft technologies, which is more than rising to the challenge of optimising sound quality in this challenging acoustic space.
Ltd, who joined the integrator for an initial site survey back in summer 2015. They trialled JBL’s CBT (Constant Beamwidth Technology) CBT100LA and CBT70J line array columns with their asymmetrical vertical coverage, which demonstrated the system’s even coverage, while addition of the supporting subwoofers showed its potential as a performance system. Previously, the Cathedral had to hirein systems for music events with limited success due to the dramatic reverberation times. Manwaring was therefore able to propose these CBT pattern-controlled column loudspeakers, which are ideal for difficult acoustic spaces, as part of an integrated solution from within the HARMAN Professional catalogue. This also comprised Crown DriveCore Series amplifiers, BSS Audio’s new generation Soundweb network processors with Dante capability and Soundcraft digital mixing console.
The task of undertaking a major upgrade in this magnificent Early English Gothic edifice, which is home to the UK’s oldest working clock, was undertaken by Ed Manwaring (of EM Communications); he had been servicing the PA for nearly ten years, but latterly this had involved carrying out a succession of repairs. “The aim was to upgrade an ageing network backbone and, crucially, to vastly improve the speech intelligibility within the Cathedral, made difficult by the enormous reverb decay time in excess of six seconds,” he explained. In a building measuring 450ft in length by 225ft in height, such reverberation would seem hardly surprising.
This he knew would provide him with the tools to cover a building divided into six zones, covering the North and South Transept, the Quire, the Trinity Chapel, the Crossing and the Nave. These locations are fed from five rack positions — the main one behind the organ and two in each of the north and south triforium‘galleries’. A total of 42 JBL CBT loudspeakers have been deployed, alternating between CBT70J and CBT100LA models. A pair of CBT70JE columns provide extended bass response, whilst JBL PRX718XLF subwoofers are provided for use for performance events. The distributed loudspeakers are driven by Crown’s state-of-the-art DCi Install Series amplifiers, eight DCi4/600 and two DCi4/300, selected for their efficiency and remote sleep facility. Crown XLS1502 amps power the CBT70J/CBT70JE combination, which is positioned at the front of the Nave.
Manwaring contacted Ben Todd, Project Engineering Manager for HARMAN’s UK distributor Sound Technology
A U T O M AT E
|
CONNECT
|
CONTROL
|
MANAGE
The entire system is controlled intuitively using iPads configured with the HARMAN HiQnet Motion Control app
In order to optimise the gain structure of the individual zones, the Soundweb digital network has been designed around a Soundweb London BLU-160, two BLU-120, and three BLU-100 devices. There is a requirement for 32 inputs (CD, mic, aux) hence the need for a BLUBIB input expander as well as two BLU-BOB expansion units providing a further 16 outputs. All devices are connected within each rack location via BLU Link, whilst the new BSS BLU-DAN interfaces the entire Soundweb system onto a Dante network. The final piece in the HARMAN Professional jigsaw is the Soundcraft Performer 3 mixing console which is used predominantly for live music and ‘special event’ productions such as Salisbury Festival. Aside from the Dante option card, it is also equipped with a MADI card to talk to the Soundcraft Mini Stagebox 32R, which meets broadcast needs by the BBC.
A total of 42 JBL CBT loudspeakers have been deployed
The entire system is controlled intuitively by the vergers, using two iPads, both configured identically, using the HARMAN HiQnet Motion Control Apple iOS app. This meets the requirements of simple operation by non-technical staff, and is due in no small part to the programming skills of Ed Manwaring. The installation has met all criteria, according to Salisbury Cathedral Floor Manager, Russell Cruse. “It has been a great success in terms of speech intelligibility and clarity and I have received positive feedback from the guides, vergers and clergy. From an operator’s point-of-view, it is much easier to use given the flexibility that the iPad controls allow.” “Overall, the whole project has been very successful,” he concludes. The distributed speakers are driven by Crown DCi Install Series amps
A U T O M AT E
|
CONNECT
|
CONTROL
|
MANAGE
Salisbury Cathedral’s major sound system upgrade features state-of-the-art HARMAN technology throughout
OVERVIEW
HIGHLIGHT
The world famous 13th century Salisbury Cathedral welcomes over a quarter of a million visitors each year. The sound in this reverberant space needs to be heard coherently and intelligibly but, with a distribution network using outdated technology, the administrators faced the prospect of a complete overhaul. Enter HARMAN Professional and an integrated audio solution featuring JBL, Crown, BSS and Soundcraft technologies, which is more than rising to the challenge of optimising sound quality in this challenging environment.
Ideal for difficult acoustic spaces, JBL CBT pattern-controlled column loudspeakers have been installed as part of an integrated solution, featuring a range of products from the HARMAN Professional catalogue; including Crown DriveCore Series amplifiers, BSS Audio’s new generation Soundweb network processors with Dante capability and Soundcraft digital mixing console.
LOCATION Salisbury, United Kingdom
It has been a great success in terms of speech intelligibility and clarity and I have received positive feedback from the guides, vergers and clergy … overall, the whole project has been very successful. Salisbury Cathedral Floor Manager, Russell Cruse
COMMERCIAL
+44 (0)207 652 9450 | www.amx.com/eu