TOA horn solution installed at Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque
MALAYSIA: Mosque sound specialist, Acousticon Sdn Bhd recently installed a TOA horn speaker system at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque – the state mosque of Selangor, Malaysia. The mosque has four minarets and has the capacity to accommodate 24,000 worshippers at any one time.
A site survey was conducted by the Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR) of Selangor state, which acted as consultant regarding the sound projected from the mosque’s minarets. Test results showed that most of the residents nearest to the mosque were not sufficiently covered, and that the Adzan prayer call could not be heard clearly.
The client opted to upgrade its existing horn speakers in order to ensure an improved quality from the minarets’ four cardinal directions, enabling the muazzin to be heard during Adzan.
‘This is the country's largest mosque and is also the second largest mosque in south east Asia after the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta,’ said Azizi Ala, technical director of Acousticon Sdn Bhd. ‘Twenty-five years ago, the Sultan Salahhuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque owned the most advanced and robust horn sound system ever to be installed in Malaysia. However after two decades, the systems installed have slowly started to show the signs of needing an upgrade. The "degradation of performance" – as the client, Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS), put it – was noticed.’
It took approximately six weeks to complete the project, which included dismantling the existing equipment, supplying and installing the new systems, installing new cabling, interfacing with the main audio system, and testing and commissioning.
Acousticon Sdn Bhd installed a number of TOA DH-120 straight horn speakers, comprised of DHA-11 and the DH-12B components, as well as various two-in, six-out M-66 multi-route units, a DA-550FH four channel 500W/100V digital power amplifier, a MP-032B 10-way multi-channel monitor amplifier, a 30W/100V TU-632M driver unit and a UC-200A weatherproof driver unit cover – all from TOA. All TOA equipment was supplied by TOA Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd through Acousticon Sdn Bhd, which acted as the authorised installer and dealer for this project.
Further equipment installed included an AX3700 six-channel auto changeover unit and a PS9400 24VDC regulated power supply from Amperes Electronics, as well as a customised horn speaker floor-standing bracket, throat unit adapter and reinforcement bracket. Amperes equipment was supplied by Amperes Electronics Malaysia Sdn Bhd. All the equipment (aside from the long-throw straight horn speaker and accessories) is located within a 19-inch rack located in the mosque’s PA room.
‘We needed equipment that was rugged, robust and that could be depended on because most of the mosques in Malaysia are not usually maintained or serviced by experienced sound technicians,’ explained Mr Ala. ‘Outdoor equipment needs to be weather resistant in order to ensure that the products installed can survive for at least 20 years from the installation date. For this requirement, all driver units used are IP65 rated and are equipped with a protection cover to ensure long-term protection from severe weather conditions.
‘The biggest challenge that we faced was working on how to improve the sound audibility as far as a 5km radius from the mosque – with a limited budget,’ he continued. ‘The final result was very impressive, as 61dB at 5km can be achieved as per the design target when all the horn speakers upgraded to four drivers to form an “array” format in a single cluster.
‘The client is very satisfied with this new horn system,’ he enthused. ‘Hj Ahmad Mustafa, the imam of the Sultan Salahhuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, remarked that the system is “loud and clear when compared to the previous equipment”. This is the first installation “array" configuration ever installed in Malaysia using a long throw straight horn speaker,’ he furthered. ‘We expect that this kind of configuration will be in demand in the market soon as loudness verses budget is usually a client’s main concern.’