For houses of worship of all types, installing a high-quality audio system that delivers clear speech from the altar, supports musical performances, and accommodates live streaming is often the most critical component of a new build or retrofit. Achieving the right balance between speech intelligibility and musical reinforcement can be challenging—particularly if acoustics, architecture, and aesthetics are not carefully considered from the outset.
The specifics of an effective audio system depend heavily on the space itself, as well as the technologies selected to support it. Two recent projects—one a modern chapel in Texas and the other a historic church in New York City—illustrate how thoughtful system design, collaboration, and planning can overcome acoustic challenges in vastly different worship environments.
Modern Problems
Located on the campus of St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano, TX, Hasley Chapel was designed to be as visually striking as it is acoustically refined. Designed by Dallas-based architectural firm GFF, with audio system specification and installation by local integrator Clear ProAV, the chapel overlooks a pond and wooded area and hosts traditional worship services, weddings, memorials, small conferences, and other events.
Compared to the church’s main worship hall, which accommodates both contemporary and traditional services, Hasley Chapel is more intimate, seating approximately 120 people on the main floor, with a balcony for overflow seating or a modest choir. Despite its smaller footprint, the space presented significant audio challenges: The area behind the stage is entirely glass, the stone side walls feature multiple windows, and the chapel’s 35-foot ceiling and high-pitched roof further complicate sound control.
While the chapel embraces a traditional aesthetic, its modern execution demanded that technology be seamlessly integrated. “The aesthetics are huge,” explained Chad Fuller, systems designer at Clear ProAV. “Everything we did, especially with the audio, had to fit into the design. The look and feel of the chapel are beautiful, but there are a lot of reflective surfaces to contend with. We really had to think carefully about the system as a whole and how it fit into the space.”
The floor-to-ceiling glass walls limited speaker placement options and increased concerns around reflections and glare from natural light. Working closely with church leadership and the architectural team, Clear ProAV focused on minimizing the visual impact of technology while maintaining consistent, intelligible coverage.
A custom-designed L-Acoustics audio system was selected for its sonic performance and its ability to visually blend with the chapel’s stone walls. Subwoofers and front-fill speakers were also discreetly integrated into the stage and surrounding steps, while an additional pair of L-Acoustics speakers supports the balcony. All audio is managed via a Q-SYS control system and a Yamaha digital mixing console.
The result is a system that delivers “natural, even sound” throughout the room, according to Fuller. “Anytime we’re designing audio in a traditional space, reflective surfaces like stone and wood are a major concern,” he added. “We also had to account for the balcony to ensure coverage to the back of the room while minimizing reflections.”
To address these issues, Clear ProAV collaborated with the architect to slightly tilt the glass balcony panels downward, redirecting reflected sound into the audience rather than back toward the stage. Speaker placement was also carefully calculated to minimize energy directed at the glass wall behind the altar.
Equally important was preserving the chapel’s visual integrity. “They don’t want to see a big PA hanging in the room,” Fuller explained. “In a space like Hasley Chapel, the audio system must become part of the architecture. So, we’re taking our technology and making it part of the room.”
While acoustic treatments such as wall or ceiling panels can help control reflections, they are not always acceptable from a design/aesthetic standpoint. “If we can find treatments that match the aesthetic, we’ll recommend them,” Fuller said. “But sometimes the client wants a nice, clean look with no visible treatment at all.”
Retrofitting History
If new builds pose challenges, retrofitting audio systems in historic worship spaces can be even more complex. Michael Walker, director of engineering at system integrator IVCi, in Hauppauge, NY, recently worked on a major audio upgrade at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City.
Preserving the church’s architectural heritage was paramount. Over nine months, the church collaborated with reseller AudioPros, design consultant Salas O’Brien, and IVCi to deploy a new audio system—including an Allen & Heath AH-SQ-5 digital mixing console, Shure microphones, and Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) AC6 ADAPTive column loudspeakers, all on a Dante network.
“One of the biggest challenges is that St. Bartholomew’s has the second-largest pipe organ in the world. There are thousands of pipes throughout the building, so you can’t just drill wherever you want," Walker noted. "Everything must be planned very carefully.”
In some cases, the installation team drilled through more than a foot of limestone to route new fiber cabling to the basement. Structural engineers were also brought in to confirm that mounting locations could safely support the selected loudspeakers.
The team chose EAW AC6 speakers for their “steerability,” which allows sound to be precisely directed to a specific area of the room, using EAW’s Resolution software. “You install the speakers, then steer the audio so it goes where you want it and nowhere else,” Walker explained. “That’s critical in a space with long reverberation times.”
EAW's Resolution software (specifically Resolution 2) is free-to-use simulation software for audio engineers to design, model, and optimize EAW loudspeaker systems. It can accurately predict coverage and performance in venues using EAW's proprietary F Chart acoustics modeling software engine for precise acoustic and mechanical analysis, which includes interactive array adjustments and real-time feedback for systems like adaptive audio.
Resolution enabled Walker and his team to use detailed sound mapping, whereby individual lobes of the loudspeaker could be focused on specific seating areas. The approach helped maintain sonic clarity while reducing reverberant buildup caused by the church’s soaring cathedral ceilings.
“Directional control in loudspeakers is extremely important in these environments,” said Bryan DiFabio, application and support engineer at EAW. “It keeps sound on the audience and off reflective surfaces like walls and balconies.”
No Substitute for Planning
DiFabio noted that EAW’s proprietary design tools such as Resolution and F Chart allow system designers to model performance in advance, experimenting with different arrays, heights, and coverage patterns before installation. “That reduces guesswork and helps ensure a consistent, high-quality experience for worshippers,” he said.
Maintaining speech intelligibility while delivering adequate sound pressure levels remains one of the biggest challenges in worship spaces. “You want a strong direct sound-to-reverberant ratio at every seat,” DiFabio explained. “High ceilings, reflective surfaces, and long decay times make that balancing act especially difficult.”
Modern IP-based audio systems rely on software tools to fine-tune performance. At IVCi, Walker’s company has developed custom internal applications for project management, system design, and pricing, alongside industry-standard tools such as sound pressure level (SPL) meters and real-time analyzers to identify and correct problematic frequencies.
Ultimately, both projects underscore the importance of planning and communication. “Everyone has to be on the same page well before you step on site,” Fuller said. “You have to understand the space and have a clear plan for how you’re going to fill it with sound.”
Whether designing a modern glass-walled chapel or retrofitting a centuries-old landmark, successful audio installations in houses of worship depend on careful coordination between architecture, technology, and acoustics—ensuring clarity, consistency, and reverence for the space itself.
