AV Case Study: St Peter’s Cathedral
‘Struggling to hear’ has been a common refrain from parishioners for decades but no longer. AV Integration installs a transformational Fohhn loudspeaker system.
10 September 2025
Text:/ Christopher Holder
St Peter’s Cathedral is not just a landmark of Adelaide, but a treasured piece of South Australian heritage. Upgrading its audio system was never going to be a routine job — that much was clear when I visited earlier this year. The team from local firm AV Integration, responsible for the design and installation, approached the project with a sense of civic pride. They understood the significance of their work — adding their contribution to a long lineage of designers, artisans and technicians who, over more than a century, have helped shape and preserve this iconic place of worship and architectural masterpiece.
The upgrade would include a new PA, hearing augmentation system and livestreaming platform. But it all started with the same complaint – we’re struggling to hear.
LET’S BE CLEAR
The Dean, Bishop Chris McLeod, is hard of hearing himself and this project, naturally, had extra importance, knowing what it’s like to feel detached from proceedings through lack of audio intelligibility.
“I’ve been Dean here at St. Peter’s for three and a half years, but part of the cathedral community for 34 years. One of the most consistent complaints we’ve heard over that time was that people couldn’t hear clearly. I have a hearing impairment myself, and for over 20 years I struggled to hear anything clearly in the cathedral. Many congregants blamed the presenters, assuming they weren’t loud or clear enough. But really, the audio system just wasn’t fit for purpose.
“We discussed the issue with the Cathedral Council, and agreed it needed addressing. Some members of the congregation were so passionate they donated significant funds towards the upgrade.”
A SYSTEM THAT SERVES
Christian Donoghue, Project Manager for AV Integration, recalls the original brief: “Initially, it was just about replacing the loudspeakers and radio mics — a basic swap-out of the broken kit. But once we started discussing what the system could be, the Cathedral team really got behind the idea of doing it properly from the outset.”
That decision unlocked a more holistic approach. “It was no longer just about the speaker system,” comments Jason Sifis, Systems Engineer with AV Integration, “but the whole signal chain, control, and streaming infrastructure. The end result is something that’s easy for non-technical users to operate.”
Above all, the new system had to be intelligible. “That was the number one goal,” Jason confirms. “Hearing augmentation is obviously important, but if the base system is intelligible to begin with, then the need for assisted listening is reduced. We didn’t want a situation where people with hearing aids had a better experience than those without — the system needed to serve everyone equally well.”
ENTER FOHHN
While AV Integration had used Fohhn previously, this was the first major deployment. “We were aware of Fohhn and had used their products on a couple of smaller jobs,” says Jason Sifis. “But this was our first foray on this scale.”
AV Integration reached out to multiple manufacturers. “We received several solid proposals, but Fohhn’s stood out. The level of detail in their proposal was exceptional. From the moment we engaged with Audio Brands and Fohhn, the support has been outstanding.”
The Fohhn LXP Series proved ideal. “We considered a few different approaches,” notes Audio Brands’ Greg Collins. “Beam steering was on the table, but the passive beam steering in the LXP Series modelled really well and has delivered great results on similar projects.”
That decision wasn’t about selling the most expensive solution — it was about choosing the right solution. “The LXP unit has a built-in five-degree vertical down-tilt,” explains Greg. “That means you can mount the columns vertically – no awkward angling – and still get excellent coverage across a flat floor. For a raked environment, like a lecture theatre, you’d look at a fully steerable product. But for a cathedral, LXP is perfect.”
The LX220 was chosen for front-of-house duties. “Fohhn’s passive beam steering operates across the highs and the low-mids via the crossover network,” Greg points out. “Some other brands only steer the highs, but this works across the full range — which is critical. And with the ability to customise finishes, we matched the timberwork and stonework precisely. Fohhn makes that easy.”
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Previously, people were guessing or reading from service sheets. Now, they can sit back and simply listen
RESPECTING HERITAGE
Aesthetic sensitivity was paramount. “I think I can speak for Bishop Chris when I say there’s been no criticism of the new speakers’ appearance,” says Cathedral Administrator Peter Burdon. “The way the choir speakers were installed was particularly impressive. Everything had to pass through State Heritage, down to the colours — and they were very pleased with the care shown.”
AV Integration’s Michael Birkin, who oversaw the project from a logistics perspective, agrees. “Working with Heritage and ensuring the speaker colours blended in was a huge part of the job. And the Cathedral remained open throughout — we didn’t have the luxury of shutting down for a fortnight. We were constantly working around services, funerals, concerts… The system also had to stay operational until the final switchover.”
MODELLING TO IMPLEMENTATION
Initial modelling from Audio Brands was spot-on, requiring only a few minor tweaks. Greg explains the final layout: “In the nave, we’ve got two Fohhn LX220s, with another pair in the side aisles. There are LXP60s as delays in the aisles and in the gallery. An LXP100 covers the transept and sanctuary areas. Two 12-inch Fohhn subs sit under the main arrays. The choir area has two LXP60s as well. That covers just about everything.”
Jason nods: “Exactly. The transept speakers also solved a long-standing issue — now preachers can actually hear themselves. The only rear-facing speakers are for the choir.”
The system is powered exclusively by Fohhn amplification, with onboard DSP and Dante. “That also gives us a five-year warranty across the board,” notes Greg.
Jason elaborates: “Each speaker pair has its own amplifier. It’s a mono system, not stereo, but nothing’s daisy-chained – every speaker is individually controlled. That gives us complete flexibility for tuning or reconfiguration down the line.”
A Crestron control system provides the icing on the cake, complementing AV Integration’s ‘simplicity’ mantra. “The GUI is extremely simple – open the rack, press one button, and it works,” comments Jason Sifis. There’s an ‘Advanced Mode’ for external contractors, giving access to extra features. Behind the scenes a Biamp DSP replaces the need for mixing console.
COMING TO LIFE
For Greg Collins at Audio Brands, the real win was how the LXP Series performed beyond expectations: “From our perspective, the key win was achieving beam-steering-like control with the LXP Series. That, combined with visual integration – which is something Fohhn is really passionate about – made all the difference.”
Credit was shared all round: “Working with the AV Integration team was a two-way street. And Scott Angove from Audio Brands/Fohhn was fantastic — incredibly passionate and helpful throughout.”
Commissioning fell to Jason Sifis and the AVI team. “We used Fohhn Optimizer, its iPhone-based commissioning tool — being able to walk the space, take measurements, and adjust on the fly was brilliant,” he says.
Mike Rodda, Managing Director of AV Integration, took a step back to acknowledge the team effort: “We had around a dozen people work on this project over time. Jason and Christian put in a massive effort to get it over the line. Damien and the rest of the team on-site did an outstanding job.”
For AVI Operations Manager, Michael Birkin, this was no ordinary install. “It became a bit of a passion project for us at AV Integration. It’s not just any job – it’s the Cathedral. And being Adelaide locals, we all felt a real connection. As we got to the commissioning stage and the audio was coming to life, everyone from the warehouse, logistics, and account management popped in to hear it. Everyone had a hand in it.”
From the Cathedral’s side, the collaboration could hardly have been smoother. “We couldn’t have asked for a better relationship with AVI and all the suppliers,” says Peter Burdon. “Everyone was incredibly responsive.”
JOINING THE HEARD
Ultimately it’s about being heard. At the time of my visit, the livestream system was still in the throes of going in and the WilliamsAV Wavecast hearing assist solution was being bedded down, which will all greatly increase the capabilities of the cathedral’s AV. But the Fohhn Audio loudspeaker solution is carrying the bulk of the intelligibility load, and doing it with aplomb:
“People can actually hear the sermons,” confirms Bishop Chris McLeod. “That might sound obvious, but it’s transformational — they can connect with what’s being said. Previously, people were guessing or reading from service sheets. Now, they can sit back and simply listen. The stress and frustration of trying to follow along without being able to hear has gone. There was also a reasonable expectation from many that the Cathedral should enable people to hear — and now it does.”
Word has got around. AV providers for state funerals and other events know they have an installed sound reinforcement system they can depend on. Something not lost on Bishop Chris McLeod: “The upgraded system is suitable not just for the congregation, but for high-profile civic events as well — exactly what you’d expect from a Cathedral in a capital city.”
RESPONSES