Published on 15^th January, 2026

Mount Carmel Forane Church, Carmelaram, is a space where devotion runs deep and congregational participation is central to worship. However, since its construction, the church had been struggling with major audio clarity issues for over a decade. For nearly ten years, speech intelligibility, feedback, and uncontrolled reverberation remained persistent challenges, affecting the worship experience despite multiple attempts at improvement. Recognising the need for clarity without disturbing the sanctity of worship, Fr. Augustine Puthiyedathuchalil OCD (Bijo Jose), along with the trustees and church committee, entrusted Zacs and Phils® with reworking the church’s audio system so every prayer could be felt, not just heard.

Challenges: The church presented a demanding sonic environment. The reverberation time exceeded four seconds, severely impacting speech intelligibility. There was no acoustic treatment of any kind. Hard reflective surfaces such as tile and granite flooring dominated the interior. Natural reverberation was amplified by the volume and geometry of the space.

This was not a space where louder sound would help. It required controlled dispersion, precise tuning, and disciplined system design.

The Solution: Zacs and Phils® adopted a precision-driven, evaluation-first approach. Multiple site visits, detailed listening tests, and acoustic measurements were carried out to study reflection patterns, decay behaviour, speech intelligibility loss zones, and gain-before-feedback limits. The objective was unambiguous. Maximum clarity. Natural musicality. Absolute respect for worship. All within the assigned budget.

System Architecture:

The system is built around HH Audio CLS column arrays. Four CL32 units handle main FOH and delay coverage, supported by two CL32J units for FOH extension and two CL16J units for additional delay fills. The column-array format was chosen for its controlled vertical dispersion, significantly reducing ceiling and floor reflections, which is critical in a reverberant, untreated space. 2 HH Audio TNA 1800SA subwoofers provide warmth and body to hymns and liturgy while avoiding unnecessary low-frequency buildup that could excite the room’s natural reverberation.

4 HH Audio TRM1201 stage monitors are deployed for choir, altar, and sanctuary monitoring. These were selected to deliver clarity at low sound pressure levels with excellent feedback rejection.

System management is handled by the HH Audio SP48 DSP, offering precision equalisation, crossover control, time alignment, and delay optimisation. All processing was tuned specifically to the church’s acoustic response.

Mixing and control are managed through a Behringer X32 digital mixer paired with an S32 stage box, providing flexible routing, scene-based operation, and consistent tonal balance across services. Signal distribution is supported by a Behringer MX882V2 splitter, ensuring clean and reliable signal flow.

Choir and vocal pickup are handled by AKG D5S hypercardioid dynamic microphones and AKG D7S condenser microphones, selected for their high gain-before-feedback and articulate vocal presence.

For celebrant and lectern applications, AKG CGN521 STS gooseneck microphones ensure focused pickup and clear articulation. Wireless requirements are addressed using the Electro-Voice R300 HD system, providing stable and interference-free performance.

At the altar, the ASTON Microphones Apex Void microphone was chosen for the priest, valued for its natural tonality, clarity, and consistent presence in challenging acoustic conditions.

Power amplification is provided by HH Audio M1500D amplifiers. System protection is ensured through SXDS1611i surge protection. Belden microphone cabling totalling 300 metres and Belden 2.5 square millimetre speaker cabling totalling 600 metres were installed with careful routing to preserve the visual and spiritual aesthetics of the church.

Despite an untreated and highly reverberant environment that posed challenges for nearly a decade, the transformed system now delivers clear and intelligible speech throughout the congregation, defined and transparent music without echo buildup, stable performance with excellent feedback control, and a natural sonic character that complements worship rather than overpowering it.

Mount Carmel Forane Church stands as a testament to what engineering discipline and thoughtful system design can achieve, even in the absence of acoustic treatment and after years of unresolved audio issues. With this project Zac and Phils made sure not to fight the space but understand and conquer it.