Gloucester Cathedral improves its sound efficiency with the Dante network

The historic cathedral of the English city of Gloucester has updated the capacity and flexibility of its audio system with the Dante AV over IP platform of Audinate, integrated by the specialist DM Music Ltd.

One of the challenges of this renovation project has been precisely the historical and heritage architecture of the building of the Gloucester Cathedral, dating from 1089, considered Grade One, besides being one of the best preserved in Europe and whose cloisters are famous for appearing in some scenes that recreate Hogwarts In the saga Harry Potter.

Maintaining a Grade One listed building is a challenge, and technology upgrades must be carefully considered and planned to avoid damage.. This has happened when it was decided to upgrade the audio capacity of the temple with the flexible solution, Scalable and low impact dante of Audinate.

The Dante platform is a solution AV over IP complete that allows you to transport audio data, Video and control over standard Ethernet networks 1 GB, which is compatible with more than 3.000 Products enabled for this system from more than five hundred manufacturers.

The big benefit of Dante is that it replaces peer-to-peer analog and digital connections with software-based routing., and effortlessly send AV channels anywhere on the network with perfect digital fidelity.

When the restoration project began in the so-called Chapel of the Virgin (Lady Chapel), The Newest Section of the Church, built in the fifteenth century, The floor was removed for its tuning and this meant the opportunity to install a new sound system by laying cables under the floor.

The integrator of audiovisual systems DM Music Ltd, one of the UK's specialists for protected churches and historic buildings, was selected to carry out this project.

So he explains Graham Bennewith, DM Music Installation Director: "When they were lifting the ground we had the opportunity to install a new public address system and, as is my custom in all large buildings with multiple areas, I placed a Dante compatible equipment kit, including a mixer Yamaha MTX5D, because it allows excellent flexibility. Even with the floor up, We still had very limited options for laying cables; so we installed the Dante equipment and then a network cable to the main hall.".

The Dante network allowed Bennewith's team to install the new audio system in this chapel, that while it can function independently, It also makes it easier for this space to connect with other areas of the cathedral, including the main nave.

This chapel, that can accommodate some 250 people, It is often used as an additional room for large events taking place in the main nave, with capacity for 2.500 people, and that it was recently updated with a mixer Allen & Heath AHM-64 with Dante card.

The system installed in the main hall is controlled by a touch screen Crestron and a custom iPad app that this manufacturer uses to provide mobile and wireless connectivity.

"As Gloucester Cathedral continues to upgrade its systems, each area will be enabled for Dante, Bennewith points out.. My team at DM Music is adding some microphones, all connected to a Dante preamplifier interface, as it gives us a lot of flexibility so that these devices can move with just a network connection. When using PoE, Users can take these microphones wherever they want. The main thing is that Dante is clean, Efficient and easy to use; it just works".

As this expert recalls?, "In the old analog days, We needed multiple bays and connecting lines around the buildings; Many processors and matrix systems, And the systems were complex and not easy to use. Thanks to Dante, The church is happy with its new systems and has absolutely no problems.".

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