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Nexo Geo S System for the Pope’s Annual Visit to Lourdes
Every year, Pope John Paul II makes his own pilgrimage to the city of Lourdes, the holy city in France where, in 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared to the maid Bernadette Soubirou. His annual visit always draws a huge crowd; this year, more than 300,000 people attended the ceremonies which took place over the course of a week, culminating in a keynote speech by His Holiness, concerts given by choirs and orchestras, and the long-awaited mass, celebrating Mary Immaculate, mother of God.
Even On, the French PA company chosen by the event’s organizers to provide the sound reinforcement system, supplied a very considerable number of Nexo Geo S tangent array speakers, setting them along the route taken by the Pope as well as on the central stage.
A total of eight towers, six for the delays and two for the main stage, were set up on location, carrying a total of 74 Geo S805s and eight Geo S830s, powered by 16 Camco Vortex 6 power amplifiers, each delivering two x 2,100 watts per channel. The whole system was managed by Nexo NX241 controllers and controlled through a Soundcraft MH4 48 channel mixing console linked to a Yamaha DM2000 digital production console.
Even On was one of the first rental companies in France to purchase a Nexo Geo S system, and, over the last two years, has built up extensive expertise with the system, enabling them to assess accurately the unique requirements of such a large event.
“Since our company installed the public address system at this location, known as La Prairie, we knew exactly the coverage angle and sound pressure levels required for such a wide outdoor area," says Even On director Francis Pecoste. "We’d already used our system in an underground church located in Lourdes and, despite the acoustical challenges posed by such a venue, it did a perfect job. Our competitors came up with solutions using much bigger systems, but we were confident that, despite its deceptively small size, the Geo S was the right box for the job."
As the event was broadcast on live television, an active splitter box was used for the connection to France Television’s digital broadcasting unit directly from the front of house console. Even On also supplied nine outdoor LED displays and all the lighting.
“This contract, the biggest to date in Even On’s history, has been a complete success. Every part of the event went extremely well and, from the live classical music to the numerous speeches given by prominent church figures and the Pope himself, the system always responded with perfect accuracy,” noted Pecoste.
26th October 2004
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