Project Case Study St Francis of Assisi Church Paddington · Sydney House of Worship Audio

Heritage Church PA Upgrade

St Francis of Assisi Church Paddington — Speech-Clarity PA System Upgrade

Professional digital audio processing, reliable wireless microphones, time-aligned rear loudspeakers and simple touchscreen control brought together to improve speech intelligibility throughout a challenging heritage church.

Discuss a Church PA Upgrade → Explore Worship AV →
Clearer speech Sermons · readings · ceremonies
Rear-delay audio More consistent coverage through the nave
Digital wireless Reliable hands-free voice capture
Simple control Volunteer-friendly touchscreen operation

The Project

A beautiful heritage space with a difficult acoustic problem.

St Francis of Assisi Church in Paddington required a modern PA system capable of making spoken word easier to understand throughout the congregation.

The church's high ceilings, hard surfaces and long nave create a naturally reverberant acoustic environment. Sound that reaches walls and ceilings can reflect back into the congregation and overlap with later words.

The existing analogue system also required regular manual adjustment, offered inconsistent rear-seat coverage and used an ageing music input that no longer suited normal parish operation.

Masters Voice Technology approached the project as an intelligibility and usability upgrade—not simply a louder PA system.

Speech Reinforcement Heritage Church Q-SYS Processing Rear Delay Speakers Wireless Microphones Volunteer Control
Interior of St Francis of Assisi Church Paddington showing the heritage worship space upgraded by Masters Voice Technology

The Audio Challenge

Loud enough was not the same as clear enough.

01

Reverberation

High ceilings and reflective surfaces allow speech energy to remain in the room, reducing definition between words.

02

Uneven Coverage

Listeners closer to the sanctuary could receive more level while speech became harder to follow toward the rear.

03

Rear-Seat Intelligibility

Long listening distances meant the system needed local reinforcement rather than simply increasing front-speaker volume.

04

Wireless Reliability

Clergy and presenters needed consistent hands-free voice pickup while moving around the sanctuary.

05

Volunteer Operation

Everyday users needed access to the controls they actually use without exposing technical DSP settings.

06

Future Flexibility

The new platform needed to support future audio and AV requirements without another complete system replacement.

System Workflow

From the spoken word to clear sound throughout the congregation.

The system is designed around a simple signal path: capture the voice cleanly, process it intelligently, present only the controls volunteers need and deliver correctly timed sound throughout the nave.

Church microphones and music inputs feeding the St Francis of Assisi Church PA system
01 · CAPTURE

Speech & Music Inputs

Wireless headsets, lectern microphones and music sources capture sermons, readings, prayers, announcements and parish event audio.

Q-SYS digital signal processing workflow for St Francis Church Paddington
02 · PROCESS

Q-SYS Digital Audio Processing

The DSP coordinates microphone levels, automatic mixing, equalisation, routing, loudspeaker delays and output balancing behind the scenes.

Volunteer touchscreen control interface for microphones and music at St Francis Church Paddington
03 · CONTROL

Volunteer-Friendly Operation

Parish users can access normal microphone, music and service controls without changing the protected engineering configuration.

JBL CBT column loudspeakers providing time-aligned rear sound coverage at St Francis Church Paddington
04 · DELIVER

Clearer Sound Through the Nave

Time-aligned JBL column loudspeakers reinforce the rear seating so listeners receive more direct speech without simply making the front of the church louder.

Integrated Audio Path

A controlled signal path built around speech intelligibility.

01 · INPUT

Voice Capture

Shure wireless headsets and fixed microphones capture spoken content close to the source.

02 · DSP

Q-SYS Processing

Automatic mixing, EQ, routing and level management optimise each audio path.

03 · TIMING

Delay Alignment

Rear loudspeakers receive the correct digital delay relative to the main source.

04 · OUTPUT

Congregation Coverage

Direct sound is reinforced through the seating area for more consistent speech clarity.

Rear-Seat Coverage

Reinforce the rear without creating a second audible voice.

In a long church nave, listeners at the rear may be too far from the front loudspeakers for consistent speech intelligibility.

Adding rear speakers can solve the coverage problem, but only when those speakers are correctly aligned with the sound travelling from the sanctuary.

The rear JBL column loudspeakers at St Francis were time-aligned within the digital processor so that local reinforcement arrives naturally rather than being perceived as a distracting second voice.

Read the Church Speech-Clarity Guide →
SANCTUARY

Main Sound

The listener should continue to perceive speech as originating from the front of the church.

REAR NAVE

Delayed Reinforcement

Local columns reinforce level and intelligibility after the appropriate digital delay.

The Solution

Modern digital audio without turning the church into a control room.

Masters Voice Technology replaced the ageing analogue workflow with a digital audio platform designed around clear speech, reliable operation and controlled access for parish users.

Q-SYS provides the central audio processing required for microphone routing, automatic mixing, equalisation, level control and rear-loudspeaker timing.

Shure digital wireless systems and low-profile MX153 earset microphones provide consistent voice pickup for clergy and presenters who move around the sanctuary.

The Q-SYS touchscreen at the lectern presents everyday controls for microphones, music and system presets while leaving loudspeaker tuning, DSP routing and delay settings protected in the background.

Q-SYS touchscreen control installed at the lectern of St Francis of Assisi Church Paddington

Volunteer Control

Show users what they need. Protect everything they don't.

Parish volunteers should not need to understand digital signal processing, gain structure, loudspeaker delay or audio routing to operate a normal service.

The touchscreen provides a simplified interface for microphone levels, music playback and normal operating presets while keeping commissioning parameters hidden.

That reduces accidental configuration changes and helps services begin from a consistent system state.

Explore Q-SYS Integration → Q-SYS TSC-70-G3 ↗

Technology Platform

Technology selected around the room, congregation and users.

Digital Processing

Q-SYS Core

Central DSP manages routing, automatic mixing, equalisation, speaker delays, levels and the control logic required for consistent church audio.

Q-SYS processing ↗
Wireless Speech

Shure SLX-D

Digital wireless provides reliable voice transmission for clergy, presenters and other mobile church users.

Shure SLX-D ↗
Earset Microphone

Shure MX153

Low-profile earset microphones keep the capsule close to the speaker's mouth for consistent hands-free voice pickup.

Shure MX153 ↗
Rear Delay Audio

JBL CBT 50LA-1

Slim column loudspeakers provide local reinforcement toward the rear of the nave while fitting discreetly within the heritage interior.

JBL CBT 50LA-1 ↗

Project Outcomes

Clearer speech. More even coverage. Easier everyday operation.

01

Clearer Spoken Word

Sermons, readings, prayers and ceremonies are easier to follow throughout the seating area.

02

More Even Coverage

Rear reinforcement reduces the difference between listening at the front and toward the back of the nave.

03

Improved Intelligibility

Controlled processing and loudspeaker timing reduce overlapping arrivals that can blur spoken content.

04

Simpler Volunteer Control

Everyday operation happens through a clear touchscreen rather than a traditional exposed mixer interface.

05

Reliable Wireless Audio

Digital wireless systems provide consistent microphone performance for mobile clergy and presenters.

06

Future-Ready Platform

The digital architecture provides a stronger base for future church audio and AV requirements.

Client Feedback

The difference is night and day — speech is crystal clear, and our volunteers love how easy it is to operate.
Client feedback — St Francis of Assisi Church project

Why This Project Matters

Church sound is not about making a room louder. It is about making the message easier to understand.

A successful worship audio system combines microphone selection, loudspeaker coverage, digital processing, acoustic understanding and simple operation so clergy, readers and volunteers can focus on the service rather than the technology supporting it.

Explore Church AV Solutions → Church Speech-Clarity Guide → Q-SYS Integration →

Related Capability

Planning an upgrade for an existing church sound system?

WORSHIP

House of Worship AV

PA, microphones, streaming, video, recording and volunteer-friendly control.

DSP + CONTROL

Q-SYS Integration

Professional digital audio processing, control, monitoring and system automation.

TECHNICAL GUIDE

Church Speech Clarity

Understand reverberation, microphones, speaker coverage and rear-delay system design.

PROJECTS

More AV Case Studies

Explore completed education, government, corporate, worship and venue projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

St Francis Church Paddington PA system upgrade.

What was upgraded at St Francis of Assisi Church Paddington?
Masters Voice Technology upgraded the church audio platform using Q-SYS digital audio processing, touchscreen control, Shure digital wireless microphones, low-profile headset microphones, Bluetooth music playback and time-aligned JBL column loudspeakers for improved rear-seat coverage.
Why was speech difficult to understand in the church?
The church has a large reverberant interior with high ceilings, hard reflective finishes and a long listening distance through the nave. Reflected sound can overlap spoken words and reduce intelligibility, particularly toward the rear seating areas.
Why were rear delay speakers installed?
Rear delay loudspeakers provide local reinforcement for listeners farther from the sanctuary. The speakers are digitally delayed so the reinforcement works with the main sound rather than being heard as a separate echo.
What does Q-SYS do in the church PA system?
Q-SYS provides central digital audio processing including microphone routing, automatic mixing, equalisation, loudspeaker delay, output level management and the logic behind the touchscreen control interface.
How do volunteers operate the church PA system?
Parish volunteers use a Q-SYS touchscreen located at the lectern. The interface provides access to normal microphone, music and service controls while technical DSP settings remain protected.
Can an old church PA system be upgraded without replacing everything?
Often, yes. A professional assessment can determine which existing loudspeakers, cabling, amplifiers, microphones and infrastructure remain suitable. The system can then be repaired, recommissioned, upgraded in stages or replaced where required.
Can Masters Voice Technology work in heritage churches?
Yes. Church AV design can take architectural constraints, restricted mounting locations, visible cabling, existing building finishes and regular service schedules into account when selecting and installing equipment.

Churches · Chapels · Worship Spaces · Parish Halls

Is your PA system loud enough — but still difficult to understand?

Masters Voice Technology designs, installs and supports church PA and worship AV systems across Sydney and New South Wales, including speech reinforcement, wireless microphones, digital audio processing, loudspeaker upgrades, livestreaming and simplified volunteer controls.

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