Renkus-Heinz brings balanced sound to the Art of Living through BeamSteering technology.
The Art of Living Center is an urban oasis in the heart of Los Angeles. Part of a global nonprofit movement dedicated to reducing stress and fostering wellbeing through meditation, breathwork and community service, it serves as a hub for personal growth and community connection. As one of the world’s most prominent Art of Living centers, this Los Angeles space brings the community together through transformational wellbeing programs, volunteering initiatives and community events. The building is an early 20th-century architectural gem, featuring what was once the world’s largest concrete poured dome, extensive glasswork and a historic pipe organ—creating a visually stunning yet acoustically complex environment.
The vast volume of the space, its reflective surfaces and the historic character of the central sanctuary make it an inspiring place to gather, but also make it challenging to deliver clear, intelligible sound. To address this, Art of Living partnered with Menlo Scientific Acoustics’ principal consultant, Neil Shaw, FASA, FAES, and electronic technology integrator Russ DuBrow to design and install an audio system capable of delivering speech intelligibility and musical clarity while respecting the building’s historic architecture.
The chosen solution was a system of digitally steerable Renkus-Heinz IC Live Gen5 ICL-F-DUAL arrays, supported by a pair of SA112 subwoofers.
In addition to spoken word and meditation programs, the sanctuary also hosts occasional musical performances that require higher sound pressure levels. This diversity of content was one of the key reasons for selecting IC Live: the system’s ability to deliver both high output and precision makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, from spoken word and chanting to more powerful musical elements, including full ensembles with keyboards, guitars and bongo drums, without sacrificing clarity.
“Most AV professionals would walk away from a space like this”, jokes DuBrow, “but with today’s digitally steerable arrays, we finally have the tools to confidently tackle large, highly reverberant rooms”. Two custom-painted Renkus-Heinz ICL-F-DUAL arrays were installed on either side of the venue’s projection screen. Their slim enclosures provide a discreet, elegant solution along with precise vertical pattern control.
Digital technology provides a major advantage in such a large space, where you normally can’t control much. It allowed us to manage unwanted frequencies and the complex reflections from the dome far more precisely, while the line-array capabilities enabled us to steer sound away from reflective surfaces, continues DuBrow.
During installation, a previously unaccounted-for wall-mounted projection screen was discovered to obstruct the originally planned loudspeaker locations. To avoid interference, the arrays were repositioned approximately three metres farther apart. “It actually improved the design”, notes Shaw. “Coverage was good before tuning, but after applying beam steering and optimisation, the improvement was dramatic”.
With limited acoustic treatment in the room and no possibility of adding more without compromising the architecture, the two ICL-F-DUALs, discreetly mounted on the front columns, deliver controlled, focused coverage to the seating areas. “The steerable beam allowed us to direct sound toward the audience while avoiding areas where it wasn’t needed”, adds Shaw.
To complete the audio system, two SA112 subwoofers were installed at the front of the stage, placed directly on the floor to prevent unwanted resonance and low-frequency absorption. A dedicated niche was built for the subwoofers to mitigate energy leaking beneath the platform, resulting in a compact yet powerful low-frequency performance. As part of the final integration, a custom metal grille and frame were designed to match the curvature of the stage. A digital Allen & Heath GX4816 mixing console and a Cat5/6 extender with a D-snake DT168 stage box were later added, providing a significant upgrade in signal routing and overall system control.
The installation has significantly improved speech intelligibility and sound uniformity throughout the sanctuary, ensuring that lecturers, presenters and spiritual leaders can be heard clearly across the space and fully supporting the center’s wide range of activities. The system now achieves greater gain before feedback, delivering reliable performance across different microphones and speaking styles, as well as during more energetic musical productions. Improved clarity has also made communication noticeably easier during talks, chanting and meditation programs, providing a level of support that was not previously possible. “I’ve used Renkus-Heinz on several projects; there’s a clear trust factor. I know what these arrays are capable of, and they’ve delivered excellent performance time and time again”, concludes DuBrow.
After spending more time with the system, we’ve found its performance has exceeded our expectations. Even during small gatherings, with people seated on the floor close to the stage and the hall’s reflective surfaces more exposed, everyone can hear clearly and consistently. We’re also getting balanced, full-range sound for musical performances, says Philip Fraser, meditation teacher at the Art of Living Center.
Thanks to the collaboration between acoustic consultancy, technical integration and the precision of Renkus-Heinz’s steerable arrays, the sanctuary now features a sound system ready to support its diverse uses, without compromising the architectural elegance that defines the Art of Living Center—ensuring that every voice, chant and note reaches the audience with clarity for many years to come.
