St. Sebastian's Major Archi-Episcopal Pilgrim Forane Church, India

Zacs and Phils and Alphatec worked together to upgrade the audio system of a church nestled in the rural hills of Kerala, elevating the worship and communal experience for churchgoers.

At the heart of every worship service lies the power of the spoken word. Ensuring that spiritual messages are conveyed clearly from the pulpit to the pews is of utmost importance for churches, and St. Sebastian’s Major Archi-Episcopal Pilgrim Forane Church is no exception.

Sitting on top of the hills of Nedumkandam in Kerala, the pilgrim church primarily serves a growing community of over 2,000 families under the Nedumkandam parish. While the church has been around for a long time, the institution’s committee recognised the need to upgrade its sound system to create better spiritual experiences for churchgoers.

For this project, Zacs and Phils was appointed as the systems integrator and they partnered with Alphatec. Manu Philip, business manager at Zacs and Phils, shares how the project came to fruition: “The construction of the project started almost seven years ago. All this while, the church had been maintained by the members of the parish. The AV upgrade was the only aspect completed via a contract, for which we had pitched a proposal and eventually won.”

However, meeting the priest and parish members presented its own set of initial roadblocks. Conversations progressed with challenges as Manu details: “It was difficult to pitch higher-end brands to them. This is because the church is located in a rural area of Kerala, leading to a different perspective on AV compared to our clients in tier-one cities. However, it is a matter of educating the clients and making them aware of the benefits of well-thought AV systems.” As the conversation turned towards outcomes, progress started to be made. Manu details the client’s requirements for the project: “For this specific client, they requested an audio system that could provide crystal-clear audio within their permissible budget. They had been facing difficulties in the past decade due to unclear messaging and announcements during service, so this was a problem that we strove to rectify.”

To kickstart the project, the integrators conducted a site visit and took drawings and measurements to understand the acoustics of the space. He comments: “We did an RT60 measurement and identified that there was high reverberation in the church. Therefore, we needed to provide them with a speaker that could focus sound on the congregation.”

The church’s audio setup was meticulously designed to ensure optimal sound quality for both spoken word and musical performances. For the main PA system, four units of Tannoy VLS 30 speakers were installed. These speakers, installed at the FOH and as delay speakers, were powered by Lab.gruppen amplifiers — ensuring consistent and powerful sound distribution throughout the venue.

Manu explains the choice of technology: “There were no acoustic treatments done on the church’s walls and ceilings, plus the flooring was granite. Based on our research and knowledge, we decided that the Tannoy VLS 30 was the best option because it has asymmetric dispersion, allowing us to direct sound effectively towards the congregation. We also ran a few e-simulations for the church based on the drawings that the architect had provided. Through this, we confirmed that the Tannoy VLS 30 would fit the budget and was the best solution possible since we were also able to mount the speakers at a height of over 8-ft.”

To drive the main system, the Lab.gruppen PDX 3000 amplifiers were utilised, while the low-end frequencies were supported by M18B subwoofers from Turbosound. At the same time, a mixer from Yamaha was deployed. The entire audio system was programmed and managed using a Marani DSP, providing control and customisation to suit the church’s unique acoustic environment.

Audio-Technica MB3K microphones were chosen to meet the specific audio pickup needs of the church. Manu details this choice: “The church’s leadership opted against gooseneck microphones as they felt that they presented a constraint when delivering sermons. They requested dynamic microphones as they felt that these would provide better outcomes for singing and preaching. The Audio-Technica MB3K microphones fit the requirements and budget, and were deployed for various purposes such as the priest’s use, the choir, and more.”

Designing the system involved strong collaboration with Alphatec’s design team. Manu elaborates: “The engineers from Alphatec have a very strong sound design background. With their expertise, they guided us in designing the solutions for this specific venue. We also took inputs from our acoustic consultant.”

He expounds on the process of integrating the technology into the church space: “We’ve been doing installations with Tannoy and Turbosound products for over 10 years, so the process was relatively straightforward and simple. We’re also seeing more of our clients prefer these brands as there’s a consensus that good audio can be delivered without having to pay a premium cost. It was, however, our first time using the DM3 series of the Yamaha mixer. Though there were some initial complications, we were able to learn and adapt quickly to get it up and running.”

He adds: “In terms of procuring the products for the installation, we were in contact with an Alphatec distributor in the South of India.” Manu highlights the project’s significance: “In the Idukki district alone, there are around 300 churches. Most use costeffective point-source speakers that don’t meet the standards for a good audio experience. This project was the first in Idukki to use Tannoy speakers, and the difference in audio quality is palpable.”

The importance of a reliable and high-quality audio system in churches cannot be overstated. As demonstrated by members of St. Sebastian’s Major Archi-Episcopal Pilgrim Forane Church, investing in the right audio technology can truly elevate the worship experience — strengthening the impact of every sermon, speech, and song.

Manu concludes: “The priest, church committee, and even the architects were thoroughly pleased and impressed with the audio setup, and we were happy to be able to deliver a satisfying outcome to our client.”

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