The roots of St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore date back to its original charter, established in 1856. The seminary’s 50-acre campus, opened in 1954, recently received an extensive renovation with the gymnasium reborn as a multi-purpose facility that hosts sporting events as well as meetings, performances, and other large gatherings.
The makeover included new acoustical treatment, large screen video, and a new audio system centered on Renkus-Heinz Iconyx Gen5 digitally steered arrays.
“The interior had been gutted and completely rebuilt, and the addition of acoustical treatment certainly improved things,” observes Scott Mowell of Conference Technologies. “That said, it was still a challenging space. The ceiling is about 25 feet high, and there are several large, very tall windows on one wall, with doors and windows on the opposite wall.”
With the hall still primarily serving as a basketball and volleyball venue, the expansive hardwood floors add to the room’s very live acoustics. Creating a space that could host events would require getting control of the sound, and the new Iconyx Gen5 system was key to accomplishing that.
The system is comprised of two Iconyx IC16-RN digitally steered column arrays. The IC16-RN is part of the new Gen5 Series, the fifth generation of Iconyx beam steering technology, delivering faster and more accurate control than ever before. A pair of PN212-SUBR subwoofers, flown at the opposite side of the room, adds low end punch and full spectrum musicality.
Having worked with Iconyx systems in the past, Mowell knew what to expect, but was still pleasantly surprised. “The new Iconyx Gen5 gave us even more control, and the new RHAON II software enabled us to set up the entire system faster and more easily than I had ever experienced.”
“It’s still a very live space, of course,” Mowell adds. “But the Iconyx system enabled us to focus the sound tightly on the audience, and steer it away from the walls and windows. The difference in intelligibility is tremendous.”
