Meeting Topic: Sound Systems and Video-Technology in Churches
Moderator Name: E-Jo. Voelker
Speaker Name: Prof. M. Breitschaft (Director of the Cathedral Choir), A. Schönberger (Cathedral Organist), Th. Gabriel (Composer and St.Niemeier, Freak Sound), Wolfgang Teuber (Insitut für Akustik und Bauphysik))
Other business or activities at the meeting: Joint meeting with DEGA German Society of Acoustics
Meeting Location: Cathedral Mainz, Germany
DEGA and AES had invited to this event on Electroacoustics in Churches, which for up-to-date reasons took place in Mainz. The event was visited by 32 participants. They experienced lectures and lively discussions. Special motive is the intent of the Chapter to fundamentially improve the integrated loudspeaker-system in combination with the required video-transmissions. The demands arise from the manifold church service use of the cathedral. The accoustic irradiation of the altar facing the audience and the nave is merely one of its many uses. Located in about 100 m distance is an opposing altar in the Eastchoir, which makes an accoustic irradiation of the opposing side into the nave nessecary. In addition to the Cathedral wth approximately 74000m³ volume there are 4 further partly big-sized rooms namely the Eastcrypt, Memorie and Gotthard-Chapel, which need to receive separate systems. Their inclusion into the overall events also with video-transmittion is demanded. The Cathedral Organist can use the organ which is spread throughout the entire church from different consoles ,their distances from each other being in some cases 100 m. There were discussions on the multifaceted special impacts of the long reverberation time of the Cathedral. In the fully occupied church with choir and orchestra the reverberation times amount to approx. 6.5s. The empty church has a reverberation time of 9s. The aim is an audio- and video-system , which can live up to the demands of the manifold uses. There are approx. 50 locations for microphones as well as connection sites for mixers and further pluggable inputs. The video-system works with 2 remote-controlable and swinging cameras, moreover with approx. 10 staticly adjusted videocameras. Monitors which allow a view of the scenery and adjustable controle-loudspeakers are neccesary in different locations in order to create the demanded communication for the divine service as well as for the rehearsals. A central directing room allows live recording in addition to sound- and picture-edditing. The entire audio-operating-technology serves itsef from an Audio-Routing-System ARS, which works with frames or base stations on several defined locations.
There were many discussions on video-transmissions in the aisles as well as in the affiliated rooms. Accoustic irradiation during processions or on the Cathedral Cemetary are included.
At the end of the event the Cathedral Organist Schöneberger introduced the different Organs of the church and their sounds, while he explained the possibilities of accompanying the community during divine services.
The Chairman of the Technical Commitee of Electroacoustics thanked the Chapter for making this event possible.
