The recently completed 2,500-seat Veronica Auditorium in India’s Bihar state has included Shure, Allen & Heath, Audiofocus, Quest Engineering and Meyer Sound components in the audio systems installed by contractor Sun Infonet, having been instructed to emply leading brands for crucial audio, video and lighting components.
Founded in 1940, Patna Women’s College was the first higher education facility of its kind to be opened in India. Today, its Veronica Auditorium’s stage can accommodate more than 350 performers, and can be used for live band performances, theatre shows, cultural events, video conferencing and cinema screenings. The main Samsung P4 active LED screen is supported by AMX switching, with four networked cameras and 14 smaller Samsung display screens installed alongside, and in the green room, VIP room, control room and main hall
Following the successful completion of another project for Patna Women’s College, Punjab-based Soundxperts won the contract to supply a complete turnkey solution for the auditorium. The company worked closely with distributor Sun Infonet. ‘Having the complete audio solution under one roof, Sun Infonet is known for its commitment, timely delivery, technical support and after-sales service,’ says Soundxperts owner, Amninder Warraich.
For the main PA system, Soundxperts installed eight Audiofocus Ares 8a line array elements and three B 18a LF extensions on each side of the stage, plus a further cluster of four Ares 8a cabinets as centre fill. With the potential for large numbers of artists onstage, eight Audiofocus CM 15a low-profile monitors were provided, together with four MTSub 218a twin 18-inch subwoofers.
‘Audiofocus has always focused on transparent tonality that needs minimal equalisation,’ says Sun Infonet Senior Application Engineer, Kallol Nath. ‘Audiofocus being the main PA system gives the user ease of operation. As all cabinets are equipped with internal Wi-Fi, the user can check and alter any parameter of any loudspeaker whenever needed. This brings a lot of flexibility to the entire system.’
In addition to live events, the PA system is capable of delivering full 7.1 Dolby cinema sound for screenings. For this configuration, 18 Quest HPI 110 loudspeakers are installed, with a further 13 HPI25 cabinets as front fill under the stage and balcony, and two QM4 as side fill, plus a pair of QM18SA speakers on each side of stage. Four Quest QSA200i active loudspeakers have been positioned in the main and stage control rooms. Quest QX2280 amplifiers power speakers in the main control room and entrance foyer.
A pair of Allen & Heath Avantis mixing consoles console serve FOH and monitor mixing. The main PA and surround systems are managed by an Allen & Heath AHM-32 matrix processor, with DX168 and DX012 I/O expanders connected over S-Link. Presets recalled from the AHM-32 front panel transform the auditorium from a live venue to a cinema.
‘Allen & Heath’s AHM DSP is built for scenarios where we have multiple sources and zones,’ Warraich says. ‘The ability to link AHM-32 to external input and output modules expands its horizons and allows you to control the entire system with surrounds, green rooms and control rooms.
‘Avantis consoles are very flexible and take the main responsibility for mixing all the acts on the stage,’ continues. ‘Equipped with a gigaAce card and a DX Hub remote audio networking hub, Avantis controls the stage as well as the control room and multiple inputs coming from the Shure wireless microphones and also provides enough inputs and outputs for any other operations that need to be done.’
Shure wireless microphones are used throughout the auditorium and control rooms, including the Axient digital system for the main presenter, plus ULX-D, SLX-D and SVX systems for audience, anchors, performers and main control. All Shure systems are networked and can be managed through Shure’s Wireless Workbench application. The system is designed to cover the entire facility, enabling easy communication between audience members and guest speakers during panel discussions, and allowing interaction between the stage and control rooms.
In addition to the wireless microphones, wired Shure CVG 18RS-B/C gooseneck mics have been installed at the podium. SM7B vocal microphones were supplied to enable studio quality recording of key performances and speeches. The college has also invested in an inventory of mics for musicians and performers, adding Shure Beta 91/A/C-X, SM57, SM58, PGDRUMKit7, MX 418D/C, MX393/C, SM81-LC, PSM 300, PGA57 and PGA58 to for all performance scenarios. Shure UA844+SWB antenna distribution systems and UA874 active directional antennas have also been used to ensure uninterrupted wireless signals.
‘Today’s auditoriums go above and beyond to provide high-impact entertainment, from video, to music, to live performances, delivering an awe-inspiring experience,’ Amninder says. ‘Our high-end range of audio products delivers full fidelity, full bandwidth sound over a range of programming, from announcements to music. We installed India’s largest P4 Samsung active LED screen at the Veronica Auditorium, with a super wide viewing angle. It adds another star to the venue and allows multiple pieces of content to be shown at once.’
