The installation comprises a main left and right PA with six Kara and three SB18 subs per side flown in a cardioid pattern next to the Kara, with a centre fill of three Kara. To accommodate the enormous size of the venue, delays of four Kara and two SB18 subs per side were added.
With its massive glass doors and shiny tile interior, Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham is a highly reflective and reverberant space and thus very acoustically challenging. Coupled with the sheer size of the hall, which can seat close to 10,000 faithful, it was clear that a sound system was required inside the venue to maximise intelligibility during talks, concerts, and devotional activities.
HiTech’s Senior Application Engineer, Kallol Nath added: “The venue is a highly reflective zone with a reverb time of 4.5 seconds. This was the biggest challenge, as we have to provide direct sound to the congregants who visit the auditorium.
The expansive interior of the auditorium, which measures 60 x 40 metres, features a high ceiling that houses hundreds of LED lights. This presented an additional challenge, as there was a lack of rigging points, which needed to be created during the two-week installation period.
“For the management of Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham, the project is a milestone and the audio install was a prime consideration,” added Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham’s, Bharat Kumar. “We didn’t want anyone to blame the acoustics of the hall for bad sound; rather, we wanted a company that could fix the acoustic environment with their system. We found out about L- Acoustics and thought they could provide the solution we needed.
India based L-Acoustics distributor Hi Tech Audio combined forces with the L-Acoustics Application team and J Davis Prosound and Lighting to design and install a solution that addressed this highly challenging and large acoustic environment combined with a tight timeframe of just two weeks to complete installation.
“L-Acoustics systems are based on a total solutions approach including all enclosures, rigging, amplification, and DSP,” said Santana Davis, owner of J Davis Prosound & Lighting. “This results in a highly predictive, standard system with control and monitoring that satisfies the performance requirements of the venue.”
L-Acoustics Application Engineer, Germain Simon, who provided the system design using L-Acoustics Soundvision modelling software, also travelled to Muddenahalli to assist with final testing and tuning of the system.
“From the pre-installation stage, experts from L-Acoustics were involved in this project,” added Kallol. “They designed the entire system installation in Soundvision. This was helpful to me when I was performing the installation as I had a clear picture of the sound flow across the auditorium.”
While the project was not without its challenges, Santana said the experience, and the outcome, have been “very positive”. A previously-installed LED video wall provides seated audience members a clear view of what is happening on stage and the new L-Acoustics Kara system now enables everyone to hear just as clearly. “Everything sounds clearer, fuller, and the auditorium engineer is getting a better picture of the sound in the venue,” remarked Santana.
“I know that nothing comes easy in our profession, but with L-Acoustics the end result is always marvelous,” concluded Kallol. “Now devotees can experience a truly tranquil sound in this sanctuary.”
