National Mosque of Malaysia (Masjid Negara)

Set within thirteen acres of tranquil gardens, the stunning National Mosque of Malaysia (Masjid Negara) is an oasis of calm in the centre of the bustling capital city. With a 240ft minaret, a 16-point star on its roof, and space for up to 15,000 worshippers at any one time, the mosque is one of the most iconic in Malaysia.

Since its construction in 1965, the mosque has seen several upgrades to its PA system, in both the indoor and outdoor prayer spaces, but has continued to struggle with poor intelligibility, inadequate coverage and a system that was difficult for mosque operators to manage. It wasn’t until the fourth and most recent refit using beam-steering loudspeakers from Renkus-Heinz and the brand’s innovative OmniBeam technology that the sound issues were fully resolved.

Mounting restrictions due to heritage preservation also complicated the installation. The recent work was the second phase of a five-year plan initiated in 2020 but with a good deal of forward thinking to ensure seamless integration with future developments and built-in flexibility for evolving needs.

The main challenges included poor intelligibility, inadequate coverage, and complex manual controls.

In Phase 1 (2020), Acousticon used 12 Renkus-Heinz ICX7-II line arrays, installed using existing fixings, to provide clear audio in the outdoor prayer area. At the same time, a Q-SYS DSP and control system was installed to simplify operation. In Phase 2 (2024), the main indoor mosque area was addressed. Sixteen IC24-RD steerable line arrays were mounted on custom decorative poles due to wall mounting restrictions. Renkus-Heinz OmniBeam software was used to configure the beams.

OmniBeam is a revolutionary coverage-generation tool that dramatically simplifies the deployment of digitally steerable loudspeaker systems. The engineer no longer needs to configure and direct multiple different audio beams to provide even audio coverage; instead, they simply define the coverage area dimensions and click ‘Snap to Audience’. OmniBeam then automatically calculates the optimum beam position and settings, delivering custom-tailored coverage for optimal audio performance. In the mosque, this advanced technology ensured consistent, intelligible sound with an indiscernible ±2dB SPL coverage difference across the entire area.

An important strategic decision in 2020 was to incorporate AES67 Audio-over-IP interoperability in the system design. The use of this standard enabled easy connectivity between Phase One and Phase Two and will allow the mosque to deploy other networking protocols in the future without being tied to one vendor.

Renkus-Heinz IC24-RD loudspeakers were an excellent choice for this project as they support multi-mode connectivity, including Dante, Renkus-Heinz RHAON control and, of course, AES67. The integration with the Phase One system was carried out seamlessly, without the need for any redesign or additional system elements.

The culmination of years of planning, the project successfully resolved long-standing and extremely challenging audio issues in one of Malaysia’s most iconic mosques. The combination of Renkus-Heinz’s beamforming column arrays using OmniBeam technology achieved exceptional clarity and coverage while respecting architectural integrity. Strategic loudspeaker placement and acoustic modelling reduced costs and optimized performance.

The installation of Q-SYS simplified operation for the largely non-technical staff. The use of AES67 future-proofed the system for evolving digital audio technologies.

Careful planning and forward thinking ensured seamless integration between both phases of the project despite them being a few years apart.

The result is a clear, immersive audio experience that enhances the spiritual atmosphere for worshippers.