When Singapore celebrated its 59th year of independence this August, the nation's most prestigious event, the National Day Parade (NDP), required a reliable sound system.
L-Acoustics certified rental provider Showtec International designed and deployed a K Series solution that delivered audio to 27,000 spectators at the open-air Padang venue. The outdoor celebration transformed the Padang field into a modern 360-degree performance space. This was followed by cultural performances from institutional organisations, community groups, and homegrown artists.
Hidayah Azman, sound and systems engineer at Showtec International, commented: "The 360-degree layout meant our speaker systems had to cover all directions while accounting for reflections from the eight-story National Gallery and the six-story FOH control booth. This required extensive pre-planning and precise optimisation."
Working alongside the event's sound designer Shah Tahir, Showtec leveraged L-Acoustics comprehensive solutions to tackle these challenges. The team utilised Soundvision 3D modelling software to predict and visualise coverage for each audience sector, strategically minimising overlap between systems.
The resulting solution comprised 102 K2 and 26 Kara II loudspeakers, strategically deployed across four color-coded audience sectors. Each zone received carefully tailored coverage. The red sector featured a main L/R system of nine K2 per side covering up to 60 meters, with five Kara II per side for the VIP area, while yellow and blue sectors each had nine K2 per side for coverage of 15 to 30 meters, while four Kara II per side served as in-fill. In the green sector, twelve K2 per side covered up to 70 meters, with six K2 per side ground-stacked for lower grandstand coverage and finally an outer audience sector used six K2 per side for coverage of 30 to 60 meters. Sixty-two LA12X amplified controllers powered the entire system, with LA Network Manager providing precise control.
Hidayah concluded:” "The software tools were game-changers. Features like Panflex allowed us to precisely control coverage patterns, while LA Network Manager's Array Morphing and Zoom Factor helped achieve optimal low-frequency response where needed."