Renkus-Heinz enhances intelligibility at Saint Luke Greek Orthodox Church

Iconyx loudspeakers are helping Saint Luke Greek Orthodox Church overcome acoustical challenges for a transcendent worship experience

Pennsylvania’s Saint Luke Greek Orthodox Church is a renowned house of worship, known for its Byzantine architecture. The church serves as a spiritual and cultural hub for the community. However, poor speech intelligibility was a growing concern within the congregation. These concerns led the church to turn to Renkus-Heinz technology to elevate the auditory experience.

With its high-domed ceilings, expansive nave and traditional Orthodox design, the sanctuary is visually stunning, but this poses significant acoustical challenges. Congregation members struggled to hear the spoken word clearly, leading the team at Spinnaker – led by VP of project development Fenicia Redman – to select a sound reinforcement system from Renkus-Heinz.

“Many elderly members expressed frustration that they couldn’t clearly hear the liturgy,” explained Redman. “We knew we had to find a solution that provided pristine intelligibility while maintaining the church’s sacred atmosphere.”

Spinnaker conducted an in-depth acoustic analysis using EASE modelling to determine the best possible system. “The natural warmth of the sound was something that truly stood out, making the choice clear,” continued Redman.

The final installation featured a single Renkus-Heinz Iconyx Gen5 Series IC24 column array. Spinnaker used Renkus-Heinz’s OmniBeam beam-steering technology to determine that the loudspeakers should be discreetly positioned between the front two window. This system is now powered by a Yamaha MTX5D processor and TF Rack, with simple, intuitive control via an iPad.

While the installation itself was straightforward, a particular challenge was protecting the church’s ornate interior. “The walls are adorned with 24-karat gold leaf,” Redman said. “We had to be incredibly careful during the installation process to ensure nothing was damaged.”

Another consideration was ensuring that the new sound system complemented the church’s existing acoustics. “Rather than fighting against the natural acoustics, we worked with them,” Redman explained.

Since the installation, the church has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from parishioners of all ages. Now, other religious spaces are following suit and houses of worship are being reborn around the globe with cutting-edge AV technology.

Discover more about Renkus-Heinz at renkus-heinz.com