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Masters Voice Technology delivered a church PA system upgrade for St Francis of Assisi Church in Paddington, Sydney, improving speech clarity, wireless microphones, music playback and simple volunteer control through Q-SYS audio processing.
Historic churches are beautiful spaces, but they can be difficult audio environments. High ceilings, hard surfaces, reflective walls and long reverberation times can make spoken word difficult to understand, especially toward the rear of the nave.
At St Francis of Assisi Church, the existing PA system had several issues:
The parish needed a reliable house of worship AV system that would make every word easier to hear, keep operation simple for volunteers and support both speech and music without compromising the look and feel of the church.
The system workflow was designed to make the church audio system simple, reliable and consistent during services, allowing parish staff and volunteers to focus on worship rather than managing complex audio equipment.
Step 1
Capture Speech & Music
Step 2P
Prcocess Audio Through Q-SYS
Step 3
Simple Volunteer Control
Step 4
Deliver Clear Sound Across the Church
Masters Voice Technology designed and installed a complete digital church PA system built around Q-SYS audio processing, Shure wireless microphones, QSC touchscreen control and JBL column loudspeakers.
The upgrade replaced ageing analogue components with a more reliable, flexible and future-ready audio platform. The system was designed to support worship, music and community use while keeping operation simple for non-technical users.
The design focused on three key outcomes:
At the centre of the system is a Q-SYS Core 110fx DSP, providing audio routing, automatic mixing, equalisation, speaker delay and level control. This allows the church to maintain consistent sound quality across different services without requiring manual mixer adjustments. For a heritage church with challenging acoustics, Q-SYS provides the control needed to improve clarity, reduce feedback risk and support future expansion
A QSC TSC-70-G3 touchscreen was installed at the lectern, giving volunteers a simple control point for microphones and music. Instead of relying on a traditional audio mixer, users can manage the system through a clean touchscreen interface. This makes the PA system more practical for day-to-day church use and reduces the risk of incorrect settings during services.
Shure Wireless Microphones
Two Shure SLXD wireless systems with MX153 headset microphones were installed to improve speech reinforcement for clergy, readers and presenters. Headset microphones provide consistent voice pickup as the presenter moves, helping improve clarity and gain before feedback. This is especially important in churches where lapel microphones can sound inconsistent as the speaker turns their head or moves around the sanctuary.
Additional JBL CBT 50LA-1 column loudspeakers were installed as rear delay speakers to improve coverage through the nave. The speakers were time-aligned within the Q-SYS processor so that sound arrives naturally across the congregation. This helped reduce dead zones, improve intelligibility and create a more even listening experience.
The completed PA system upgrade gave St Francis of Assisi Church a modern, reliable and easy-to-use audio system for worship, music and community gatherings.
The congregation now benefits from clearer speech, more even coverage and improved intelligibility throughout the nave. Parish volunteers can operate the system from a simple touchscreen, reducing the need for technical knowledge during services.
Key outcomes included:
Church audio is about more than volume. It is about clarity, participation and connection.
When people attend mass, weddings, funerals, choir events or parish gatherings, they need to hear every word clearly. A well-designed church PA system helps the congregation stay engaged and allows volunteers to manage the system with confidence.
This project demonstrates how Masters Voice Technology delivers professional church audio visual installation in Sydney for heritage churches, houses of worship, schools, halls and community venues.
The difference is night and day — speech is crystal clear, and our volunteers love how easy it is to operate. This upgrade has completely transformed the experience for our congregation.
