Harman Professional Solutions provided the audio system for a major diplomatic ceremony marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the UAE in more than three decades – one of the first major live sound events since launching its ‘customer-centric organisational model’.
The event featured speeches and live performances for a crowd of 50,000 at the Dubai Cricket Stadium, where ShowTec deployed Soundcraft Vi Series digital mixing consoles with a PA comprising JBL VTX line arrays and Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers. Regional distributor GSL Professional supplied ShowTec with the Harman Professional Solutions components.
‘The JBL VTX line arrays were particularly impressive in their ability to deliver clear and powerful speech reproduction for the Prime Minister’s address,’ says ShowTec Sound Engineer, Wasim Shaikh. ‘Combined with the I-Tech HD amplifiers, there is not a system I can think of that can so elegantly transition between music and speech. The versatility is unparalleled.’
The main PA system comprised a left-right configuration of 12 VTX V25 line array elements per side, accompanied by eight groundstacked VTX S28 subwoofers per side. Crown I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers powered the system. In addition, eight JBL VerTec VT4888 mid-sized line array elements provided front fill, along with four VT4882 subwoofers, all powered by Crown I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers. A Soundcraft Vi6 console was used at FOH, while a Soundcraft Vi1 console was used as front-of-house backup. JBL HiQnet Performance Manager software enabled system set-up and management.
Eight JBL VRX915M loudspeakers and four VP7212MDP loudspeakers made up the monitor system on stage, while a pair of JBL EON515XT loudspeakers was used as backstage monitors.
ShowTec used a delay system featuring eight V25 loudspeakers, powered with Crown I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers. 20 VerTec VT4889 full-sized line array loudspeakers and ten VT4880 subwoofers were distributed around the field from the stadium’s lower balcony, powered with Crown I-Tech 9000HD amplifiers. In addition, 24 JBL Eon515XT and eight EonG2 portable loudspeakers were placed on stands throughout the stadium’s second-level balcony.
‘Our audio engineers are always impressed with the top-notch quality of sound provided by the Soundcraft Vi Series as well as how easy they are to use,’ Shaikh reports. ‘We absolutely trust the Soundcraft Vi Series consoles for a wide variety of large and small events.’
Led by Blake Augsburger, President, Harman Professional Solutions comprises industry-specific units developed to ‘better serve customers, foster continued growth and bring the best resources together to develop more groundbreaking technologies, products and customer solutions’: ‘In addition to experiencing significant global growth, tour sound is becoming increasingly complex,’ says Brian Divine, Vice President of Touring & Cinema. ‘Our entire organisation is committed to putting our customers centre stage with a new level of support and a technology roadmap that will help them realise their short- and long-term strategic goals.’
More: www.soundcraft.com
More: www.jblpro.com
More: www.crownaudio.com
