India - 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. Founded by the eminent Indian industrialist Basan Kumar Birla, the not-for-profit institution has grown steadily over decades to promote creative freedom and provide a platform for aspiring young minds to showcase their talents and cultural expression.
Technical provision for the 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 Amongst the improvements was a new audio system which replaced its existing outdated and underpowered PA.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 Mr Umesh Bhagwan, and Star Professional Audio and Alphatec, guided by industry veteran Roger Drego, successfully installed a Coda Audio system into 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.
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 ultra-lightweight units often prove to be an advantage in this respect.
The team installed (per side) eight N-RAY supplemented by (per side) two SCN-F low frequency extensions and one SCP subwoofer for robust low end reinforcement. Three HOPS5 (ultra-compact 5” high output point source) were deployed as front fills, with a further four HOPS5 as delays under the balcony and two HOPS5 as balcony delays. Four Coda Audio Cue Four stage monitors completed the picture.
Founder and managing director of Alphatec, Devasis Barkataki, reflects 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 adds: “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.”
