The Cathedral of Parma is one of the most important Italian Romanesque cathedrals, consecrated in 1106. It has an impressive height of over 85 meters making it one of the biggest attractions in Parma. When deciding on their new sound system, they faced many challenges that come with a complex building like a cathedral. Speech intelligibility and keeping reverberation in mind was crucial to the success of this project. To make sure they have a professional audio solution that fitted the cathedral perfectly, they contacted Audiosales, exclusive AUDAC distributor in Italy, for their expertise in such difficult projects.
To ensure the audio installation has enough power to fill the cathedral with premium sound quality, Audiosales provided the PMQ600 WaveDynamics™ quad-channel 70/100V power amplifier. The acoustics of the amplifier can be optimised by the filters which is extremely beneficial to the sound quality in such an acoustically challenging building.
6 SP22 heavy-duty sound projectors were installed to guarantee good speech intelligibility to make sure the visitors can hear the priest loud and clearly when attending mass. The professional audio set-up is also equipped with 36 KYRA12 column speakers. These speakers have a beam width of 174° x 9°, this unique property makes them the perfect fit for the cathedral since they reduce echo and microphone feedback. The combination of these 2 products really improved speech intelligibility in such a high-reverberation environment.
Another crucial part was protecting the architectural heritage of the building. All the speakers have a beautiful and sleek design which makes them perfect for fitting in with the environment. The white colour of the column speakers blends perfectly with the stones that are used within the cathedral making the speakers almost invisible.
The combination of the products used in this audio integration was the perfect solution for the demanding needs of the cathedral. Visitors can now enjoy the full experience the church has to offer, from the beautiful interior to the premium sound that goes throughout the entire cathedral.
