"Due to the importance of this event on an international scale, Events AVP - exclusive Outline distributor for Jordan - was selected to provide the sound systems required given its reliability record and event direction experience," said Sharif Tabbara, co-owner of Events AVP. As an official guest to His Majesty King Abdulla II of Jordan, Pope Benedict XVI's Grand Sunday Mass was master planned and managed by the Royal Protocol Department, who oversaw the overall production and running of the event.
For the acoustic coverage of the venue, Events AVP used a system comprising 100 Butterfly Hi-Packs and 32 Subtech 218 subwoofers; all powered by T-series amplifiers.
With a view to this event, Events AVP also decided to increase its stock of Outlinearray, purchasing additional elements to reach a present total of 40 CDH 483 Hi-packs and 20 Subtech 218 subwoofers.
For front-fill work, the audio design featured the multi-purpose Outline DVS 12 enclosures, while the monitor set-up for the Pope and the cardinals consisted in a number of Outline Micra II SP systems.
The fine tuning of the Butterfly rig was entrusted to Carlo Gennaro, a system engineer with considerable experience in the use of the Outlinearray along with the relative aiming software, the Outline VIP (Vector Implementation Protocol).
He commented: "The requests of the Vatican audio technicians, in particular the person responsible for the Pope's voice, Roberto Calvigioni, were very precise, but once again we exceeded all expectations; the distribution of the people in the stadium meant extra care had to be taken to keep the sound level at a very constant 105 decibels for 270 degrees of coverage around the stage during the event. I know the Butterfly system very well - it's a reference point at world level in terms of precision, acoustic transparency and phase coherence - and I'm always happy to be able to use it."
(Jim Evans)
