Gothenburg Cathedral renews its sound system with Yamaha

In this 17th century building, two VXL1-24 have been installed in the main part of the cathedral and two VXL1-16 in the side chapel., powered by PX3 and PX5 amplifiers. The LS9 console has also been upgraded to a compact TF1 mixing console..

The VXL1 slimline line array loudspeakers Yamaha are known for delivering high-quality sound in boardrooms and meeting spaces, but also, They are proving to be the option to use in places of worship as they improve the sound without breaking the aesthetics of the church interiors..

This has been the case of Gothenburg Cathedral. Inaugurated in 1815, This is one of the most important in one of the largest cities in Sweden. The building has been the subject of different restoration and renovation projects.

The latest update has been made to its sound reinforcement system. Installed ago 11 years, This is integrated by a Yamaha LS9 digital mixing console, a DME24N digital mixing engine and an ICP1 surface mount controller. In this infrastructure the speakers were the weak point, lacked quality and coverage by current standards.

“The main thing was to improve intelligibility and provide a more uniform sound in the main part of the cathedral and in the side chapel, as well as optimizing choir supervision”, comments Sten E. Ranwald, from Gothenburg-based audio specialists, Sound & Matter of fact.

When installing new speakers, it was necessary to keep in mind that very strict rules regarding the aesthetics of the system had to be taken into account.. Sten chose a pair of Yamaha VXL1-24s to enhance the sound in the main part of the cathedral and a pair of VXL1-16s for the side chapel, powered by PX3 and PX5 amplifiers. The LS9 has also been upgraded to become a compact Yamaha TF1 mixing console..

DME24N and ICP1 were maintained, since after 11 years is still a powerful solution, flexible and reliable, capable of managing multi-zone system.

“Choosing Yamaha products for the upgrade was easy. The VXL series speakers have the perfect aesthetics and we knew they would improve the sound a lot. They fit perfectly into the existing system, which was important because the DME24N continues to do everything the cathedral needs, minimizing upgrade costs. With its power and ease of use of the ICP1, means you don't need a dedicated sound engineer for regular services”, Sten adds..

Like the previous LS9, TF1 console is integrated into the main system. For larger events, especially at Christmas, Holy Week and other festivals, sound can be mixed through the installed system and also a mobile PA, featuring a pair of versatile Yamaha MSR400 speakers for home or monitor sound.