Higashi Betsuin Temple in Japan has choosen Renkus-Heinz to deliver sound in the main hall whilst respecting the building’s traditional aesthetics.
The Nagoya Betsuin of the Shinshu Otani-ha is a historic temple located in Aichi Prefecture’s Nagoya City. Affectionately known as ‘Higashi Betsuin’, it has grown into a central place of worship in the Japanese region since its construction in 1632. As well as hosting Buddhist ceremonies and religious events, the temple is used for exchange events and markets, making it an important meeting place for the local community. However, the building’s distinctive architecture comes with complex audio challenges, including intelligibility in the main hall.
To resolve long-standing acoustic issues and improve clarity for attendees, the Taimensho reception hall was recently upgraded with the help of Renkus-Heinz distributor Beetech, who installed an Iconyx Compact audio system.
The reception hall is a large, traditional temple structure boasting a grand architectural style built with thick concrete. Buddhist sermons (Howa) are delivered here every day, as well as large ceremonies. As a place of reflection and religious importance for both locals and tourists, it was imperative that the new audio system reflected this significance by delivering precise sound.
Around 10 years ago, the building underwent a major renovation. Original tatami flooring was replaced with carpet laid over concrete, whilst shoji paper screens on the sides were changed to a more durable, tear-resistant material. The renovation, along with the temple’s previous loudspeakers, caused significant issues with reflected sound from walls and ceilings. The sound-absorbing properties of the tatami flooring and shoji paper screens were lost, leading to increased sound reverberation and a significant drop in speech intelligibility when using the PA system. A substantial upgrade was necessary for the temple to continue hosting sermons and other events successfully.
A representative from equipment supplier A&V suggested Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers would be a suitable solution due to their narrow form factor, high performance and beam-steering technology. After conducting a successful demonstration with the Iconyx Compact Series ICC12/3, the decision was made to officially install the system.
The ICC12/3 was a fit due to its neat, compact design, avoiding any potential interference with the building’s historic characteristics. The slim cabinets blend seamlessly with the venue’s pillars for minimum distraction. Its diminutive dimensions notwithstanding, the ICC12/3 delivers exceptional flexibility and directivity without sacrificing performance. The loudspeaker’s high vertical directivity can effortlessly penetrate acoustically challenging spaces such as the temple.
A representative from the temple explained: “With the introduction of the ICC12/3 system, we were able to deliver sound evenly throughout the room with minimal power. This reduced the need for excessive output to the rear, effectively helping to control reverberation. Since the installation, there have been no complaints during the daily Buddhist sermons. I believe those involved in the setup and tuning worked very hard, and I sincerely appreciate their efforts.”
Where the temple’s previous sound system used portable loudspeakers, the new fixed installation needed to be mounted on the pillars. Due to the temple’s unique architectural design and structural limitations, installation locations were highly restricted and required careful consideration to achieve optimal audio performance. To address these concerns, the installation team designed custom mounting brackets that allowed the loudspeakers to be positioned with maximum precision. The brackets were also engineered to be almost invisible behind the array, ensuring minimal disruption to the hall’s traditional appearance.
Hanging the speakers from the front pillars raised concerns about potential sound distortion; however, using the ICC12/3’s beam-steering technology guaranteed minimal reverberation. The technology allowed integrators to freely adjust the output sound angle, allowing precise control over the focus and therefore minimising echoes around the pillars. The result is clear sound throughout the hall, allowing all attendees to hear lectures and speeches with crisp clarity.
Furthermore, Renkus-Heinz’s Rhaon II software’s 8-band equaliser was used to adjust the acoustics to match the existing system for input devices such as wireless microphones and mixers, creating an optimal acoustic environment whilst maintaining seamless integration.
Three months after installation, the local sound engineer was delighted to report that the Renkus-Heinz ICC12/3 sound system had vastly improved the experience for both attendees and lecturers. He noted: “The lecturers are extremely pleased with the results. The issues we faced have been resolved, and we are highly satisfied."
Higashi Betsuin is now equipped to host a multitude of events, from Buddhist ceremonies to other religious proceedings.