Sound.Com supplies audio for Divya Shanti Mahotsav 2012
Published: WORSHIP
INDIA: Sound.Com Pvt Ltd supplied and installed a substantial audio reinforcement system for the recent DSM 2012 - Divya Shanti Mahotsav (mega peace rally) worship event in Jalandhar, Punjab. The two-day event is reported to have attracted 3,500,000 people.
Members of the spiritual movement Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan contacted Sound.Com after hearing positive reviews about the company. ‘What they found really revealing was that even our peers spoke highly of us,’ said Warren Dsouza, managing director, Sound.Com. ‘Reputation is everything and such was the story when we headed to Jalandhar. They wanted to be reassured that we could deliver, and the first thing that we did was to walk into the field 600m from the main stage so that they could show us how far and wide we needed the audio to cover,’ he explained.
‘We did not even bat an eyelid, and that was something the organisers found very comforting, as they needed to be absolutely sure that we could do this,’ he smiled. ‘For Sound.Com this was just another day in the office. Needless to say, a top-tier audio team from the Sound.Com stable was fielded for this gig.’
The team designed the system on an entirely digital audio transport network utilising various Optocore devices, which Mr Dsouza described as ‘the solid foundation and backbone of the success of this project, assisted by the Dolby/Lake processors that did our delay and EQ. We were dealing with such large distances that we literally exploited every Mesa module for delay and EQ. A redundant back-up of a secret analogue drive line was also implemented in case the digital network were to fail.’
Each loudspeaker tower had an OptoRack to distribute signals and facilitate local control. The immediate OptoRacks were linked to each other by multi-mode fiber cables, and the redundant loop was closed by a 1.2km single mode fiber cable from the last delay stack, back to FOH.
‘Optocore gave us an extremely robust and secure way to transport audio of broadcast quality, and the proficiency at which it operated really made this very easy,’ commented Sound.Com’s chief engineer Sunil Karanjikar.
The PA system comprised a total of 10 sound towers rigged at an equal height of 15m, which were evenly distributed over a distance of 600m with an array length of 12 boxes each. This was predominantly made up of JBL’s VT4889s, VT4888s, VT4887s and VT4880A VerTec models, with the last two delay towers running on an EAW rig comprised of KF760s and KF740s.
Further JBL speakers were used for monitors, including VRX915Ms, SRX712Ms and AC95/96s, with support from 8040As from Genelec. Powering the systems were Crown’s ITech-HD12000 amplifiers, Lab.gruppen’s PLM10000Qs and K3 and K10s from Powersoft. Consoles were provided for in the way of a 96-input Avid Venue desk with Pro Tools HD3 and a 96-input Soundcraft Vi6.
Sound.Com stated that its ‘biggest challenge’ for major products is the rigging infrastructure and power distribution, leading Mr Dsouza to insist upon ‘very strict guidelines’ regarding construction and safety standards.
‘We were doing such large distances with so many delay stacks that we ordered a Lectrosonics TM400A wireless measurement system,’ added Mr Dsouza. ‘The distances were so far between the delays and the main stage that we had to use PWS Helical antennas to pick up the measurement mic signals.’
Mr Dsouza and Mr Karanjikar painstakingly measured each stack to get accurate delay measurements. The distances were so great that Mr Dsouza clipped a Rational Acoustics measurement mic onto a motorcycle with a Manfrotto clamp to ride to each stack and measure each delay, while Mr Karanjikar completed the calculations at FOH.
Monitors were handled by Ranjeet Singh, who introduced in-ear monitors to the various musicians for the first time. ‘After a day’s rehearsal and a lot of genuine concern, the sound in their ears immediately made them converts,’ insisted Mr Dsouza. ‘This really helped us keep the sound on the stage so quiet that we had enough and more drive on the PA to cover those lengthy distances.
‘The Gold Channel was His Holiness Shri Ashutosh Maharaj ji’s’ voice,’ Mr Dsouza continued. ‘We knew that the only microphone that would be worthy of reproducing his voice would be in the Schoeps Colette range. This was the highlight of the two days, attracting 3,500,000 people and over 35,000 volunteers – all yearning to listen to his rich baritone voice. Everyone was waiting to hear his speech on the PA system for the first time. It was quite a sight to see the gratitude on the faces of the chief priests when they heard the quality of the audio. We just knew that it was mission accomplished,’ he concluded.
Additional mics and associated equipment included products from Shure, Sennheiser, Audix, AKG and Radial Engineering. For measurement and control, the team chose SysTune 1.2 software, Rational Acoustics’ Smaart V7, JBL’s HiQnet Performance Manager 1.1, Lab.gruppen’s Lake Controller v5.8, an RME Fireface 400 and a Shure PWS HA- 8089 antenna.