Islamic Centre Improvement - Yamaha System Enhances Worship in Indonesia

Within a year of its inauguration, worshippers at the Baiturrahmi Islamic Centre mosque in South Tangerang city, Indonesia, were expressing concern about the poor sound of its audio system. A replacement Yamaha system has solved the issues.

The Baiturrahmi Islamic Centre mosque is one of the largest mosques and religious facilities in the Indonesian province of Banten.

Inaugurated in April 2022, it serves as a hub for Islamic activities and can accommodate thousands of worshippers. Very quickly it was found that the audio system was inadequate, with many complaints from worshippers about issues with echo that made the sound unclear, as well as several areas of the mosque where it could not be heard properly.

Systems integrator HLS Music was asked to upgrade the system, with the objective of significantly reducing the echo issues and improving sound clarity to ensure clear and consistent coverage, both inside and outside the mosque.

They specified a complete Yamaha system, including a pair of VXL1-24 slim line array speakers, reinforced by 12 VXS8 two-way, surface mount loudspeakers for full coverage of the main prayer hall. 20 further VXS8s were installed to cover the mosque’s exterior, with all speakers driven by six PX5 power amplifiers. A TF Rack compact rackmount digital mixer was installed to mix the system’s inputs, which include wired, wireless and lectern microphones.

“Thanks to the vertical line array design, the VXL1-24s precisely control vertical sound dispersion directs audio toward the congregation, rather than the high, domed ceiling. This has resulted in clearer speech and improved intelligibility throughout the space,” says Ahmad Barizi, HLS Music audio engineer.

“It has noticeably enhanced the sound quality during worship, particularly in reducing excessive reverberation.”

As well as the sound becoming significantly clearer, replacing the system with Yamaha products has also improved its operation. In particular, the user-friendly TF Rack has made it much easier for inexperienced users.

“During the installation and on-site acoustic treatment, it was clear that the sound quality had improved dramatically, compared with the previous system,” says Ahmad Barizi.

“Complaints from worshippers have substantially decreased and the mosque management have said how pleased they are with both the results and after-sales support.”