Sangit Kala Mandir is one of Kolkata’s premier cultural institutions, committed to promoting the arts and music by hosting an entertaining and varied year-round programme of events. Technical provision for venue’s 1000 capacity Birla Auditorium was recently upgraded to meet the expanding requirements of its multi-faceted programme.
Amongst the improvements was a new audio system which replaced its existing outdated and underpowered PA.
A team combining the expertise of Sun Media Ventures, headed by AV system design consultant Umesh Bhagwan, and Star Professional Audio and Alphatec, guided by industry veteran Roger Drego, successfully installed a Coda Audio system in the auditorium.
With a brief to deliver clear, balanced, and powerful audio to every seat in the house, they chose a system based around Coda’s N-Ray line array. N-Ray is a 3-way line array that places the benefits of Coda’s flagship Airay technology into a cabinet designed for theatres and performing arts centres.
Heritage buildings frequently present challenges to audio integrators, and the Birla Auditorium was no exception. As well as determining the optimal positions for the arrays - made more difficult by the height of the balcony - the team also had to evaluate and ensure the safety of the hanging points for the arrays without any compromise to audio quality. Coda’s lightweight units proved to be an advantage in this respect.
The team installed (per side) 8 x N-Ray supplemented by (per side) 2 x SCN-F low frequency extensions and 1 x SCP subwoofer for low-end reinforcement. Three HOPS5 (5-in point source speakers) were deployed as front fills, with a further 4 x HOPS5 as delays under the balcony and 2x HOPS5 as balcony delays. Four Coda Audio Cue Four stage monitors completed the picture.
Founder and managing Director of Alphatec, Devasis Barkataki, reflected on a challenging but satisfying project: “The project’s success was underpinned by the expertise of Roger Drego whose extensive experience and deep understanding of handling audio brands, coupled with our skilled Alphatec team, proved invaluable in overcoming the unique challenges posed by the Birla Auditorium. His guidance was instrumental in navigating the complexities of the project and harnessing the power and precision of Coda Audio. The final result was a transformed audio experience, bringing the historic Birla Auditorium into the modern age of sound reinforcement.”
Paul Ward of Coda Audio added: “It’s great to see N-Ray chosen to elevate the audio quality in this historic venue. We’re seeing Alphatec doing great work across India both in the live sound and install sectors, firmly establishing Coda’s credentials in this exciting market.”