Sound installation in the Grand Mosque in Dushanbe!

Constructed over ten years at a cost of million, Dushanbe Central Mosque is the largest mosque in Tajikistan and one of the largest in Central Asia. The mosque turned to the A&T Trade Professional team to ensure the highest quality sound reinforcement in religious services and events. A&T Trade Professional carried out the selection of the most suitable sound system, project development, all calculations, testing of the carpet and materials of the mosque premises, delivery of the sound system, monitoring of the installation process, and commissioning of the project.

It was necessary to create a project for an already finished building without changing the materials in the building. Located in one of the warmest climates on the planet—where temperatures have been known to peak at 42° Celsius during summer months—Dushanbe Central Mosque needed a sound system that could not only deliver crystal-clear speech intelligibility, but also withstand the environmental conditions. 

“From the very start, we knew that this system would be extraordinary,” Zaneribs, Project Manager, A&T Trade, said. “We used HARMAN Professional’s top-of-the-line products because they provide exceptional speech intelligibility and background sound reinforcement, even in difficult acoustic conditions. We were constantly pushing ourselves forward, and the JBL Intellivox loudspeakers helped us hit all of our targets. This is the largest showcase of Intellivox products that I know of.”

“I don’t know any other loudspeaker that lets you guide its directivity as tightly as the Intellivox,” Zaneribs said. “You can direct the sound exactly where you need it. The fact that you can adjust the delay on the loudspeaker itself was a life-saver in this project, because the mosque’s structure created a very complicated delay matrix. With Intellivox, we were able to create a uniform sound that was consistent as you walked through the halls. I can’t imagine any other loudspeaker being able to do this job.”

In addition to providing unmatched sonic performance, A&T Trade chose Intellivox loudspeakers to blend in seamlessly with the mosque’s architecture and décor. The columns feature a slim, low-profile design, and A&T Trade took advantage of their paintable enclosures to match the color of the mosque’s interior. A variety of fixed and hinged mounting brackets allow the loudspeakers to be mounted discretely, further helping them blend in.

“The mosque challenged us to calculate all of the performance parameters for the acoustical system to ensure it could achieve the desired speech intelligibility and SPL levels,” said Janis Zaneribs, Project Manager, A&T Trade. “Once we proved it would, they gave us the green light for the project. As for the sound, our goal was to go above and beyond and give them the best possible speech intelligibility in this type of building with such specific conditions.”

Calculations were made using the AFMG EASE software. A simulation of objective indicative parameters of sound quality was also created. The JBL Intellivox sound system showed high efficiency - and this also proved to be true in practice. 

72 JBL Intellivox DS series acoustic systems with a total power of 40 kW were installed in the 12,000 m2 main hall, while JBL Intellivox HP-DS370 and HP - DS170 loudspeakers with IP-55 protection were installed in the main gate (~8000 m2). A&T Trade modified the IP55-rated HP-DS370 and HP-DS170 loudspeakers by removing the electronics and placing them inside the building to protect them from the heat. The 75 m high towers house the Biamp Community RSH-462 system.

In total, 170 JBL speakers are installed in the mosque. 

To power and control the expansive audio system, A&T Trade equipped the complex with BSS Soundweb London signal processors, AXYS and Crown amplifiers, and a Soundcraft mixer. The early decision to use a Dante networked audio distribution system was a key driver in the product selection. AXYS IndustryAmp PB-800-DN and Crown DCi Series amplifiers provide pristine sound and plenty of power for the system with Dante connectivity for seamless control. BSS Soundweb London BLU-806DA signal processors provide a high-bandwidth, fault-tolerant digital audio bus that provides advanced matrixing and routing capabilities via an easy-to-use interface. To ensure high-quality sound reinforcement in the main prayer hall, A&T Trade supplied a Soundcraft Si Impact mixing console. An AXYS WinControl server provides central supervision and control of the entire network.

The project has also been nominated for the prestigious Inavation Awards 2021 (powered by Inavate + ISE) - one of the most prestigious awards in the audio, video and installation industry.