With 65,000 pilgrims attending the Papal mass at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow, the task of delivering Pope Benedict XVI’s voice with absolute clarity across the site was entrusted to a pair of Soundcraft Vi6 digital consoles, supplied by SSE Audio Group — augmented at the last minute by a Soundcraft Vi1 to increase the channel count.
Once SSE became aware that they would also be mixing a 35-piece brass band, as well as an 800-piece choir — plus various ensembles and pre- and post-show concerts, the Vi1 was brought in specifically to handle the choir sub-mix; this was then piped back into the main Vi6 FOH desk, and sent as a L/R monitor feed to the Vi6 stage desk.
With years of personal use and high-quality results with Soundcraft consoles, SSE Audio project manager, Dan Bennett has become accustomed to the Vi6 digital consoles. “It is one of my favourite desks,” he said. “I always wanted to specify these for the show, and for me it provided complete peace of mind.
“The audio quality is fantastic and the surface features ensured the utmost quality for the performance.”
He explained that originally a pair of 64-channel Vi6’s had been assigned, but as the programme changed, they quickly placed stage racks at each end to run the house Vi6 in 96-channel mode with the aid of an additional DSP card. But it still wasn’t sufficient. Some 24 channels of the Vi1 were then assigned to the choir with a further eight split between the comms and evacuation system. Additionally, splits to the OB truck were sent from the monitor desk.
As a result this landmark religious event — the first time a Pontiff has visited the UK since 1982 — used up nearly 130 digital channels to ensure no note or prayer was unheard across the half a square kilometre seating area.
Mixing at FOH was the experienced Craig Pryde — a long-time Soundcraft Vi devotee (whose induction into the Soundcraft environment had originally taken on the first Vi4 prototype).
He and monitor engineer Kevin Sparkes — who had been relishing the chance to use a Vi6 — spent the two load-in days building up their desk templates so that by rehearsal day they were ready for anything the production might throw at them.
This included all the pre- and post-show entertainment (including a performance by Susan Boyle), school choirs and VT — interspersed with a two and a half hour long mass.
For FOH engineer Craig Pryde this was an unforgettable experience. “Once we learned of the brass band, we were fortunate that the size of SSE meant that there was a Vi1 available in the warehouse — it just required a bit more work on the day. We set up a quick generic patch for around 108 channels and it was very much a high-speed playback show.”
Unlike the mass, presented in part-English, part-Latin from seven mic positions (including an audience call and response) the pre- and post-mass entertainment was fully sound-checked. During the mass itself the sound engineer took cues from an interpreter from the Vatican, who accompanied him on the mix riser.
After the show, Craig Pryde stated, “Kevin and I both agreed it was the most surreal show we had ever done,” summarized Pryde. “I was behind the desk from 9am until 8.26 without moving.”
With such a duty cycle, he says that within the context of this event, the best feature of the Vi6 is “simply that it never breaks down — it’s 100% reliable. When you are doing a show like this, with a billion people watching on TV, that’s vital!”
All SSE’s consoles were purchased through Sound Technology Ltd, Soundcraft’s UK and Ireland distributor.
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