EM Acoustics Reference Series loudspeakers have been installed at All Saints Roman Catholic Church in Toronto, Canada, as part of a full sound system redesign by integrator OMS Canada.
Built in 1967, the semi-circular sanctuary seats around 800 worshippers arranged across five triangular seating zones. The previous system of approximately fifteen distributed loudspeakers produced inconsistent coverage and conflicting arrival times, while visually disrupting the building’s clean mid-century interior.
OMS Canada replaced the entire system with five EM Acoustics R8 loudspeakers mounted in a semi-circle above the congregation, each oriented to serve one of the five seating wedges. The team selected the 110 x 50-degree interchangeable waveguide option to optimise coverage per zone, with placement confirmed through EASE modelling.
The R8s are powered by EM Acoustics’ Di20 installation amplifier, which the company says delivers precise tuning through proprietary FIR filters. Supporting loudspeakers include EMS-51X units for the choir organist and choir monitor, and an EMS-41 for the dais. A Soundcraft Si Performer console provides day-to-day control.
Jeff Shorthouse, co-founder of OMS Canada, said: “Speech intelligibility is absolutely critical for worship spaces, and this is a very live, reverberant space. It wasn’t about increasing the volume; the audio needed to be clearer, more natural and provide completely even coverage across the congregation.”
The sanctuary’s structure – four overhead beams ranging from around 5m to 7.5m in height and no vertical columns – presented installation challenges. OMS Canada removed the previous infrastructure, rerouted wiring through existing structural pathways and completed the work without removing any pews or significantly disrupting services.
Dave Misener, co-founder of OMS Canada, added: “When you walk into the room now, you don’t see the sound system. That’s exactly what you want in a house of worship.”
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