Live music returns to Sri Lanka with drive-in concert series
Live music returns to Sri Lanka with drive-in concert series
Live music has returned to South Asia with the BNS Drive-in Concerts series, with Universal Sound Productions deploying a Harman Professional solution for the large-scale events.
Put together by the Sri Lankan entertainment channel TV Derana, and hosted by pop duo Bathiya and Santhush, the concerts were held at Colombo International Airport as part of the “Restart Sri Lanka” initiative, and were designed to motivate the community. The concerts enforced strict health and security guidelines, while proceeds from ticket sales were donated to the Itukama Healthcare and Social Security Fund.
“The venue had many challenges to overcome,” said Malinda Lowe of Universal Sound Productions. “The stage was directly facing massive aircraft hangers and many of them were made of metal structures, so we had to work with the JBL Line Array Calculator (LAC) to get rid of all the slapback with accurate measurement. We were also not in a position to deploy towers, as they would obstruct the view, so we managed to deliver the required vertical coverage, despite the heavy surrounding wind. One thing I love about the JBL loudspeakers is their HF/MF waveguides and power handling.”
The concerts, featuring artists such as Umaria, Wasthi, Yohani De Silva and Infinity, drew more than 6,000 fans in more than 1,200 vehicles each night. Guests were not allowed to leave their cars, so audio was broadcast on a high-definition FM station in addition to the sound reinforcement system. Instead of clapping or cheering, fans honked horns and flashed headlights to show their appreciation during the performances.
“Another challenge was to match the PA feed with the broadcast feed,” continued Lowe. “The JBL Performance Manger software and Soundcraft ViSi remote app played major roles in accomplishing this task. By measuring a few vehicles running pink noise through the radio feed at different locations, we managed to match the radio broadcast with the PA and outer-fills.”
Universal Sound Productions deployed 40 JBL VT4888 three-way high-directivity loudspeakers, with left and right arrays comprising 12 speakers and the remaining 16 deployed in four ground stacks. A total of 24 VTX G28 dual 18-inch subwoofers were arrayed across the front of the stage, with eight VT4882 midsize subwoofers on the sides. The system also featured eight SRX712M 12-inch stage monitors and a PRX618S 18-inch self-powered subwoofer. The system was powered by nine Crown VRack 4X3500 HD amplifier racks as well as 20 Macro-Tech i Series and six XTi 6002 power amplifiers. JBL LAC was used to design and configure the system, with Performance Manger used to tune it. The show was mixed through a Soundcraft Vi3000 digital console and controlled via a Soundcraft Realtime Rack and two dbx DriveRack 4800 speaker management systems.
“As usual, the sound system delivered pristine audio with the clarity and punch we desired,” said Bathiya Jayakody of BNS. “We have been using Harman products via our audio and venue sound partner Universal Sound Productions for over 10 years now.”
