Meyer Sound M'elodie Opens New Possibilities for Cathedral Hall in Moscow

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"We have received numerous favorable reports from both performers and audience members since (the Meyer Sound system) was put into service." - Demidov Roman Mikhailovich Head of the Communication Department, Christ the Savior Cathedral Trust

The visually stunning Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior was demolished in 1931 by Stalin and was not rebuilt until the 1990s. Since then, the exquisitely detailed Russian Orthodox Church has attracted an increasing number of conferences and musical performances to its 1,300-seat auditorium located beneath the main sanctuary, and this made the acquisition of a new sound system an imperative in order to provide the high-quality sound required for these events. To that end, the hall received an audio makeover in 2008 with a Meyer Sound system based around 34 M'elodie line array loudspeakers.

System design and installation was entrusted to Theatre, Technics and Technology (TTT) of Moscow, under the supervision of Managing Director Deynekin Pavel. "We confronted multiple challenges in both design and logistics," Pavel recalls. "We could not allow loudspeaker clusters to block sightlines to the paintings and mosaics, and placement of the three seating areas at 90-degree angles made sound localization problematic. Also, distance to the back rows is considerable, but architectural features limited the use of delay loudspeakers. Fortunately, with help from Meyer Sound's Design Services and MAPP Online Pro (acoustical prediction program), we were able to develop an excellent solution, relying on M'elodie arrays to cover most of the seating areas."

Four M'elodie arrays are flown at two locations to the left and right of the stage. Two front-facing arrays of nine cabinets each cover the central section, while adjoining arrays of eight each are directed at the steeply raked, perpendicular side seating areas. A clustered pair of UPA-2P loudspeakers provides center downfill. Four 600-HP subwoofers supply low-frequency energy.

The delay system, scaled to blend into the architecture, comprises five UPA-1P loudspeakers plus a rear-flown USW-1P compact subwoofer. A Galileo loudspeaker management system with two Galileo 616 processors provides signal processing and drive to the loudspeakers with low-impedance, high-level outputs.

The system also boasts a unique custom configuration for co-location—with easy placement and removal—of the eight UPJunior VariO loudspeakers for frontfill and eight MJF-212A stage monitors. Innovative custom enclosures fitted to the stage steps hold the UPJunior loudspeakers while providing a secure platform for the MJF-212A monitors.

"The hall now has expanded its programming to include not only church observances and liturgical choral chant but also theatrical performances, children's events, and even pop music concerts," observes Pavel. "We are extremely pleased that, as expected, the Meyer Sound loudspeakers transparently carry the full acoustical palette for all of these events."

Demidov Roman Mikhailovich, the head of the communication department of the Christ the Savior Cathedral Trust, comments that "the quality of sound has essentially changed" with the new installation. "We have received numerous favorable reports from both performers and audience members since it was put into service," he reports.

January, 2009

M'elodie

600-HP

UPA-1P

UPA-2P

UPJunior

USW-1P

MJF-212A

Galileo 616

MAPP Online Pro