TEP goes far and wide for the Pope
Published: WORSHIP
MEXICO: The task of providing spoken word intelligibility to a 300,000-strong crowd must seem like an everyday activity to the Pope and his team, regularly touring the world and attracting ginormous crowds. Nothing could be further from the truth however – ensuring every word of a sermon is listened to without causing fatigue, often for hours at a time, is no small feat. Such a task was handed to Total Event Productions S.A de C.V. when the Pope visited Mexico recently. The solution – more than 600 Meyer Sound loudspeakers spread out across the vast rain catchment plain known as El Caracol.
‘We have had excellent results using Meyer Sound to ensure the best possible listening experience for the public, so we decided to use Meyer Sound speakers exclusively for this event,’ recalls José Antonio Ruíz, GM of Total Event Productions. ‘It’s important for us to use speakers that we know will deliver a superior performance at all times, even when the system is kept working for more than 30 continuous hours.’
A canopy-covered stage area was constructed for the pope and his guests, flanked by front arrays that included 32 Leo-M line array cabinets and 96 Lyon enclosures. In addition to the Pope’s homily, music was featured from an orchestra and traditional Mexican ensembles.
To provide appropriate low-end output across the 1km-wide site, 54 Meyer Sound 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements were deployed. Leopard, Milo, Mica, M3D and M’elodie line array enclosures were positioned for various fill and foldback applications over or near to the stage, in addition to supporting the 28 remote video screens erected. MSL-6, MSL-4, UPA-1P, and UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers and MJF-212A stage monitors were also used. A speaker management system with nine Galileo 616, 13 Galileo Callisto 616, and seven Galileo Callisto 616 AES array processors was linked by Total Event Productions’ own fibre optic distribution network. Total Event Productions’ in-house Meyer Sound inventory was supplemented by dry-hire loudspeakers from a number of Mexican rental companies.
‘Meyer Sound Mexico always provides us with in-depth design and technical support for these major events to make sure we achieve the best results every time,’ reports Mr Ruíz. ‘It’s a level of service no other company in Mexico can offer.’
Meyer Sound systems were also deployed the previous day for welcoming ceremonies on the main square in central Mexico City, as well as for the Pope’s arrival and departure ceremonies at Benito Juárez International Airport.