St Geoge’s Church in Chichester, UK has installed a Bose sound system designed to provide clear spoken word. AB Audio Visual, a Bose Pro partner, installed the system in less than a week.
The church’s ageing sound system was not reaching everyone in the congregation, and messages were being lost due to the variations in the speaking pace and style of visiting clergy and lay speakers. Constant manual adjustments were required to get the best results.
Bose Pro Partner, AB Audio Visual, were invited in to discuss the issues, presented some options and demonstrated a system that they believed would give the best results. Once agreed the installation was completed in less than a week.
Four Bose Panaray MA12 line array speakers, double stacked at the front of the church with single bass support, deliver sound to the congregation, whilst four Bose FreeSpace DS40SE speakers cover the choir. The line array speakers have been powder-coated to blend in with the stone columns. All controls were programmed by AB Audio Visual to make the system as intuitive as possible, with clear labelling and documentation. A Bose engineer balanced the system and setting up each microphone channel.
Father Stuart Cradduck, Rector of St George’s said: “[The system] has produced a dramatic improvement in sound clarity, with an equally welcome reduction in unwanted noise or need for any adjustments. The main controls are small and easy to use, and the extra speakers in chapels and church hall, etc., can all be turned up or down locally as required. There is a full control desk available for more sophisticated or unusual purposes, but afterwards the system defaults to the day-to-day settings.
“AB Audio Visual have trained key members of the Church to operate and adjust the system where necessary, but routine use of the system mainly involves turning the main switch on or off, with everything else being automated.“