The Sanctuary of Lourdes’ Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and its esplanade recently embarked on a sonic journey to revamp its sound system with Active Audio and APG speakers from Arbane Groupe. Built between 1883 and 1889, and consecrated in 1901, the Roman-Byzantine style house of worship boasts an impressive 2000sqm of mosaics and can accommodate 1,500 worshippers.
After a record three decades of loyal service, the original outdoor APG audio system, already installed at the time by local integrator Audiomaster Technologie, a subsidiary of ACE EVENT GROUP, on Our Lady of the Rosary esplanade, found itself showing the signs of its journey after weathering extreme temperatures (-10°C winters and +40°C summers), humidity and daily operation:
Fast forward 30 years later, Audiomaster Technologie rose again to the challenge with the aim to revamp both the esplanade and the inside of the basilica with a sound system capable of ensuring perfect intelligibility for celebrations, masses, spiritual teachings and religious songs while respecting the basilica’s architecture, mosaics and decorations.
After a series of tests and comparisons, Audiomaster Technologie once again opted for APG speakers, drawn by its warm audio and wide coverage, as well as having the manufacturer close by. “This close relationship between us and Arbane Groupe is essential,” said Loïc Bourgain, engineering design officer at ACE EVENT GROUP. “It allows to develop better projects by building upon the ideas from when we first started working together.”
On and around the esplanade, which can host thousands of visitors, Audiomaster Technologie installed 70x APG iX8-O compact outdoor loudspeakers, embedding a two-way coaxial design, bass reflect and an IP54 rating. 36 speakers were fitted to the lighting poles along the 421m-long main driveway. Sixteen loudspeakers graced the Rosary esplanade and an additional 16 units were positioned alongside the river and the sacred grotto. All speakers are powered by six Powersoft Quattrocanali 2404 DSP amplifiers coupled with a Xilica Solaro processor. To complete the immersive and smooth sound experience wanted by the client, the decision was made to have no delay and install the loudspeakers facing each other to deliver the same sound everywhere in perfect sync.
Eric Grandmougin, marketing director at Arbane Groupe, added that another deciding factor on selecting APG was the ability to create bespoke speakers: “We could custom make the speaker’s colour to seamlessly merge with the environment and hide them from the pilgrims,” he said. “We also organised live demos prior to the installation and created a 3D model showing how we’d cover the sound in the basilica, giving them a much better idea of what the end result would be.”
Inside was an ageing sound system lacking intelligibility. “Thousands of pilgrims come from the other side of the world and for some, it truly is the journey of a lifetime,” said Vincent Fernandez, head of the audiovisual department at Sanctuary of Lourdes. “A great acoustic experience is therefore crucial. It was important to find discreet speakers that would not be noticeable by the pilgrims while ensuring perfect clarity.”
Bourgain added: “The first aspect we considered was the visual element which led us to column speakers. We then needed directivity control to achieve a better speech transmission index. “It was essential to respect this historic venue, and make sure that the visitors wouldn’t notice the sound system to focus instead on the preaching. Audiomaster did a fantastic job in integrating the speakers discreetly.”
Audiomaster Technologie used four Active Audio StepArray 180P (1.8m long) column speakers and two StepArray 250P (2.5m). The StepArray range features digital and geometric radiation control (DGRC) patented technology and electronic directivity adjustment, ensuring precise directivity while remaining compact and secure.
“The presence of numerous surfaces in the basilica imposed the integration of a minimum number of loudspeakers, but with enough directivity control and precision to limit interfering sound,” said Grandmougin.
To achieve this, Audiomaster Technologie separated the six Active Audio StepArray speakers in three groups: two StepArray 250P column speakers located at altar level to offer sufficient directivity control while respecting the layout constraints; two StepArray 180P located in the 30m long nave behind the area occupied by the dome; and two more installed in the transept, limiting reflections on the curved walls of the chapels. All speakers are powered by Active Audio MPA82000 amplifiers and a NUT audio processor, while a Powersoft Mezzo 322A amplifier is used for speaker monitoring. A Xilica Solaro processor handles the delay and equalisation settings.
