Mono Plus improves sound performance for Oscar’s Church with d&b.
A familiar landmark in the Östermalm district of Stockholm, Oscarskyrkan (Oscar's Church) is a large 19th century building which can hold up to 1,200 worshippers in its three-aisled interior. Knowing the challenges of church sound systems, Mono Plus, provided a d&b solution with a difference . . .
A Sound Decision
Typical of its Neo-Gothic style, the ornate interior of Stockholm’s Oscarskyrkan features high pointed arches and vaulted ceilings, with large stained-glass windows and stone surfaces. Such spaces are renowned for being acoustically challenging, and for a long time Oscarskyrkan had suffered with intelligibility issues – a distinct problem for a church hosting a programme of services, concerts and other cultural events.
When the time came to renew and improve the sound system, the church’s management turned to the expertise of Jacob Julin of Mono Plus. Julin, an experienced designer and installer of sound systems, very familiar with the challenges and foibles of providing quality sound to church interiors.
A Different Approach
Julin relates, “When they decided on a replacement, they wanted a sound system that looked like their previous one – the same shape of boxes and positions.”
Importantly, in a protected building such as Oscarskyrkan, this like-for-like replacement would enable the work to be undertaken without the need for additional permissions. It also allowed Julin the opportunity to take a different approach.
He explains, “The d&b E8 cabinet is very close in size to the church’s previous units and was therefore a perfect match.”
The high reverberation times typically found in churches of this type tend to make the E-Series, with its fuller range, a choice to be avoided. However, in a happy coincidence, Oscarskyrkan is unusual in this respect.
Julin says, “It has a relatively short reverberation time, around three seconds, so the acoustic situation is actually quite good. We expect church interiors of that age and style to have a much longer reverb – five seconds or more. The Gustav Vasa, for example, another Stockholm church where we provided a d&b solution, had a reverb time of seven-and-a-half seconds – the most extreme we’ve had to deal with.”
Meeting Expectations
This installation sees 16 E8 cabinets, plus eight 4S as outfills to serve some additional benches along the wall, beyond the main seating – and another providing foldback for the organist. A pair of 12S-Subs complete the main system, which can effectively be used for live performance. The further extremities of the space see the familiar 24C and 16C column cabinets, with the whole system driven by eight 5D amplifiers.
Specifications included colouring the cabinets in two distinct shades of grey to blend in with the architecture. “There was an architect involved with ensuring the colours matched the interior,” says Julin, “and they were very happy with what d&b could do in that regard.”
Fantastic Result
“The result is fantastic,” says Julin. “They love it. People talking through the system have really noticed that they are now heard in a way that they were not before. They feel that the room responds really well, so they love their ‘new hall’!”
