Phoenix Networks has successfully commissioned its first international gig at the Kathmandu Music Festival 2024 with the Meyer Sound Panther and Leopard systems.
Hosted in the city of Kathmandu in Nepal, the Kathmandu Music Festival 2024 is a two-day event. The festival in 2024 was held on April 12, and April 13, 2024, in accordance with the Bikram Sambat calendar (the official calendar of Nepal) which marks the end of the year 2080 and the start of 2081. The event took place at the open-air ground at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Kathmandu.
The highlights of the festival included immersive live performances by internationally celebrated artists like Atif Aslam and Anuv Jain, as well as renowned Nepalese pop bands such as The Edge Band and The VEK Band. The festival also featured a variety of cuisines, exclusive sneaker and street-wear pop-ups, and a vibrant flea market.
Core to the audio experience at the Kathmandu Music Festival 2024 was the live sound experience from Meyer Sound designed and commissioned by Phoenix Networks.
According to the organisers of the event – they desired to treat their audience to nothing less than a truly world-class aural ambience. And so, the responsibility of bringing together such a formidable yet seamless audio architecture to enchant the thousands in attendance, was entrusted to Phoenix Networks.
Armed with technical expertise, determination, and the organisers’ faith in their abilities; team Phoenix Networks approached the project with zeal.
Animesh Mishra, founder-director of Phoenix Networks, said: “Accurate planning and precise execution are key to making any event a success. At Phoenix Networks, our team of over 29 members worked tirelessly from the initial planning stages to the final execution, making this event the talk of the town.”
The process began with the team investing countless man-hours in planning every last detail of the audio system and setup – right from the logistical aspects of transporting the entire system from the company’s HQ in Bhopal (India), to the systematic manner in which the system was to be rigged, aligned and tuned at the venue; and everything in between.
A specific system configuration that spotlighted Meyer Sound’s incredible Panther and Leopard systems was locked in, which was made possible through an in-depth analysis of the venue using industry leading simulation software and platforms.
The challenges that team Phoenix Networks faced included transporting equipment from India to Nepal, arranging local assistance, mitigating the uneven terrain and geographical topography, and the extreme weather conditions in Nepal.
The successful commissioning of the festival's audio system was no small feat; as an unexpected snow blizzard took the crew by surprise, making the process even more precarious.
The crew remained unfazed, as Animesh explained: “To be honest, the storm was genuinely unforeseen and we were completely blindsided by it! Such an instance would’ve been a daunting challenge for any other team in our situation, justifiably so. However, we could stay assured of the performance of our Meyer Sound system mainly because almost all of our inventory came standard equipped with inbuilt weather hoods which prevents any sort of damage to the equipment. While we did need to secure some of the gear with additional weather hoods to prevent damage to the lateral side; the self-armoured Panthers sustained the storm without any external support. In fact, we were up and operational within 15 minutes of the storm passing! That’s the beauty of the system; Every time I encounter such instances, it reaffirms my faith in Meyer Sound and validates my decision to partner with them. Their foresight is exceptional, and the advanced technology they incorporate keeps them ahead of the competition.”
To ensure great audible exposure and maintain uniformity across the vast expanse of the ground, Phoenix Networks deployed the Meyer Sound line array systems strategically. The loudspeaker system included the primary FOH rig deployed in a stereo configuration of 14 units of the Panther modules on each side of the stage which blended 4 units of the wide throw modules and 10 units of the long throw modules. The meticulous alignment and tuning of this carefully augmented FOH rig allowed team Phoenix Networks to assure clear frequency response and linearity throughout most of the venue.
Four units of Leopard line array modules serving as the front fill reinforcement assured clear and balanced sound to the audience members located closest to the stage. And to cover the entire expanse of the imposing 490-ft long venue, team Phoenix Networks stationed six units of the Leopard line array modules as the delay reinforcement solution on either side of the venue flanks; thereby ensuring a truly consistent and pristine audio experience for audience members located at the very ends of the venue.
Perfectly complementing the impeccable tonality, voicing and performance of the Panther and Leopard systems were the 1100-LFC low-frequency elements (subwoofers), which ascertained optimum coverage of low-frequency fidelity for audience members to enjoy across the massive venue. Seven units of 1100-LFC subwoofers were precisely rigged in a gradient subwoofer array arrangement on either side of the stage, while three ground-stacked units of 1100-LFC subs were deployed on either side of the stage in a cardioid pattern. This intentional subwoofer deployment not only helped in nullifying onstage low-frequency interference, but in turn, also enhanced the quality and impact of the overall soundscape.
Control over this coalesced loudspeaker system was achieved with three units of Meyer Sound Galaxy 816 processors, which ensured signal distribution and comprehensive system management.
Phoenix Networks also tailored the on-stage setup to meet the diverse requirements for the artists' performances. For example, for Atif Aslam, a DiGiCo’ SD10 digital mixing console with octa-core facility was deployed at the Front of House position. The Quantum 338 digital mixing console from DiGiCo was used for the monitor mix.
On the other hand, for other musical bands, a combination of DiGiCo’s SD10 console along with the Midas M32 Live digital mixing console was employed. For Anuv Jain, the VENUE S6L-24D digital mixing console from AVID was preferred for the Front of House position.
Furthermore, artists were assisted with 16 units of PSM 1000 advanced in-ear monitoring systems from Shure.
The team deployed Shure’s Axient Digital ADX2 wireless microphones for Atif Aslam, whereas Sennheiser’s 6000 Digital series systems paired with an HSP4 head mic was chosen for Anuv Jain. The microphone selection also included Shure SM58s and SM57s for instruments, Sennheiser e900 and Audix DP7 for drum kits, and various other high-quality microphones for delicate acoustic instruments. Wireless guitars were equipped with Shure ADX1 belt packs and SKM6000 bodypacks.
The backline setup offered by team Phoenix Networks was featured a Pearl Reference Pure drum kit, a Yamaha Clavinova CLP745 digital grand piano, a Yamaha Montage M8X synthesizer, and a Novation Launchkey 61 MK3.
Reflecting on the festival's success, Animesh shared his views: “Audience members and artists alike were amazed by the exceptional auditory experience provided by the comprehensive sound system. We firmly believe that exemplary sound reinforcement is the cornerstone of any successful show, and the festival's resounding success is a testament to this. It paves the way for us to lead the industry with unwavering dedication to achieving excellence in everything we do.”
Furthermore, he expressed his satisfaction with the Meyer Sound systems and its performance under extreme conditions, while revealing plans to integrate the Milan protocol with existing inventory through the acquisition of Luminex GigaCore Switches.
Elaborating, Animesh explained: “We were truly impressed by the performance of our Milan-certified sound system. This advanced audio networking protocol, built on top of AVB standards, ensures precise synchronization, reliability, sustainability, stability, and streamlined configuration, promoting interoperability between different Milan-enabled devices. The Milan protocol also strengthens and defines device requirements for compatible media streams, formats, media-clocking, redundancy, and controller software, providing advantages at both the network and application layers. We are excited to integrate this deterministic technology with our existing inventory by acquiring Luminex 30 GigaCore Switches to facilitate the Milan protocol. This integration will make our entire inventory future-ready, enabling us to expand our creative horizons and deliver the magic the entertainment world expects. Stay tuned, as we have many other advancements to reveal soon.”