MEDELLIN, Colombia – For Pentecostes, a day-long Catholic festival that recently drew thousands to Medellin's Plaza de Toros la Macarena with a combined Mass and concert, Master Espectaculos and Eventos Totales provided D.A.S. loudspeakers for audio support.
The facility posed a challenge for Master Espectaculos' chief sound engineer, Jose Alejandro Castro Castaño. He detailed how the arsenal of gear helped him optimize coverage and sound quality within the 18,000-capacity bull-fighting arena, which measures 328 feet in diameter and has a ceiling height of 82 feet.
"Achieving a good, clear, full range mix in this round structure is never easy," Castaño noted. After they modeled the sound system using a combination of EASE Focus and AudioCore Version 8.71, they opted for a system based on an inventory of 40 D.A.S. Audio Aero 12A self-powered, 2-way line array elements. These enclosures were then augmented with additional loudspeakers from the company's original D.A.S. Audio Aero series, along with models from D.A.S.'s Avant and SML lines.
The main arrays consisted of two dozen D.A.S. Aero 12A loudspeakers, flown 12 per side. Eight LX-218A self-powered dual 18-inch subwoofers provided low frequency support on each side of the stage. The system was governed by a combination of D.A.S. Audio DSP-2060A and DSP-4080 digital signal processors.
Two 2-box arrays of Aero 38A self-powered, medium format line array enclosures were stacked at the side and front of the stage, and two 4-box Aero 38A arrays were flown to address the upper sides of the audience. The delay system included two pairs of Aero 12A 4-box arrays, with the first pair 75 feet from the mains at a height of 52 feet and the second pair hung towards the back, 75 feet high.
"For monitoring, we used a combination of loudspeakers from D.A.S.'s Avant and Stage Monitor Series," Castaño noted. For the vocal chorus, they provided six Avant 12A self-powered, full-range loudspeakers. "The Avant 12A is particularly useful for a wide range of applications, as they offer both a pole mount for use as a top box in portable PA applications as well as multiple angles that enable the system to be used as floor wedges," Castaño said. "We also used two more Avant 12As for the keyboards."
For the primary downstage vocalists, Castaño and crew provided SML 15A self-powered stage monitors. They also used SML 15As for the percussionists and brass players. The drum fill consisted of an Avant 18A self-powered subwoofer with Avant 215A self-powered dual 15-inch full-range enclosure on top. Side-fills were the same combination of Avant 215As stacked on Avant 18A subs.
Mixers and Microphones
The FOH mix position-also under the control of Castaño-was centered around a 48-channel Yamaha MC7L digital live sound mixing console while monitor world was employed a 32-channel Yamaha LS9 digital mixing console. "We had 36 channels in use for this event," Castaño said. "I like having the ‘breathing room' in terms of input capacity, as you never know what might be requested once you're actually on site."
The Pentecostes 2011 gear list also included Shure, Sennheiser and beyerdynamic microphones. Wireless mics included Shure's premium ULX systems, with ULX2 transmitters and BETA SM58 capsules. Cabled mics included four Shure SM BETA 58As, four Shure SM 58s, eight Shure BETA SM57As and two Shure SM81s. Castaño also used a pair of Sennheiser MD 421s as well as eight beyerdynamic TG series drum mics.
"I'm really pleased with the performance of the entire setup, and I'm really glad we went with a fully self-powered loudspeaker complement," said Castaño. "With that many loudspeakers, the sheer weight of the amplifier racks would have been a considerable burden. The fact that every loudspeaker was powered made truck pack and other aspects of transporting the equipment considerably easier. Further, by using a powered setup, system cabling was also streamlined considerably. For a job of this scope, these are really important considerations."
"The Plaza de Toros la Macarena is a very difficult venue for sound reinforcement, but the project turned out really well," Castaño concluded. "Everyone involved with the project did a tremendous job-and this was reflected in the enthusiasm of our client. Already, we're discussing next year's event. When a job like this leads to repeat business, it doesn't get any better than that."
