St. Mary's Seminary and University, Baltimore, MD
As designers know all too well, no two houses of worship are alike in terms of architecture, acoustics, and functionality in the Roman Catholic Church. And many are in need of a custom audio overhaul.
One in particular, St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, recently received a wireless mic overhaul from Monte Bros. Sound Systems, a longtime house-of-worship audio equipment integration specialist and a close collaborator with wireless microphone solutions manufacturer Audio-Technica. The goal at 800-seat St. Mary's was to accommodate daily mass and other events where just the celebrant and servers are at or near the altar, but then reconfigure the microphone system to handle multiple people speaking during ordinations and other large services.
Monte Bros. reps report that the majority of the microphones spec'd at St. Mary's Seminary are A-T 3000 Series wireless products. Four body packs are paired with two AT899 lavaliers and two BP894 headset mics. There are also four handheld wireless mics available.
The sound room at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore features Audio-Technica 3000 Series wireless products.
In addition, System 10 PRO bases are paired with ES925/XLR’s with MicroLine elements at the pulpit and the lectern, while a pair of ATW-T1006 Boundary Microphone/Transmitters are stationed one at each end of the altar. A microphone on the piano transmits through a fifth System 10 PRO base.
Of the wireless mic solutions, Monte Bros.’ Steve Minozzi says, “Just in the last two years, we've done an incredible number of spaces using this technology—because it works.” And on the St. Mary's project, he adds, "The problems were typical to most houses of worship. People couldn't hear.”
