Henry Pfeiffer Chapel of Pfeiffer University

Founded in 1885, Pfeiffer University has long been recognized for its excellence in church music programs. The Henry Pfeiffer chapel was well-designed to support choral singing and the pipe organ. Consequently, when the chapel was renovated, maintaining this acoustic was a primary goal. However, the University has inaugurated an Emerging Worship program for pre-ministerial students, so the chapel also needed to be suited for contemporary worship styles. In addition, the chapel is often used for lectures, and there is a need for "operatorless" operation. CIAv addressed the confilcting acoustical requirements by choosing a Renkus-Heinz speaker system with excellent pattern control, so that sound from the speakers is directed at the listeners, not at the walls and ceilings. In this way, no acoustical absorption was required that would have been detrimental to choral and organ music. The use of a Yamaha digital mixer and digital signal processor provides great flexibility and recallability for the sound system, as well as automixing for lectures.