India - Mahindra Independence Rock is one of India’s premier rock festivals with a rich heritage of bringing high-calibre performances to its Mumbai audience. The 30th edition of the festival took place in November 2024 and once again featured the country’s leading rock bands, including Bloodywood, Motherjane, Indus Creed and 13AD.
Taking care of the event’s audio was its long-time partner Electrocraft, under the supervision of managing director and pioneering sound engineer, Roger Drego. Electrocraft supplied a Coda Audio AiRAY system to meet the needs of the festival’s demanding brief.
With no compromise on audio quality, for this edition the organisers required a compact, lightweight, flown sound system that required as little trussing as possible, which could be set up with minimal manpower, and ensured maximum stage visibility by not impacting audience sightlines. Taking everything into consideration, this was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate Coda Audio’s credentials to their full potential in this high-profile, long-established event.
Yohan Martinez of Electrocraft designed the system using Coda’s proprietary prediction software System Optimiser, and deployed eight AiRAY per side supported by a cardioid arrangement of 24 x SCP dual 18” sensor controlled subwoofers. An additional eight CiRAY units were positioned as front-fills for optimal coverage.
Founder and managing director of Coda Audio’s Indian distributor Alphatec, Devasis Barkataki, comments: “As the first events supplier in India to own and work with Coda Audio systems, the setup was a unique experience for Roger’s team at such a massive rock concert. Initially, the sound felt different from customary setups, especially given their long-standing familiarity with other systems. However, through close attention to detail and precise tuning, the Coda system very quickly demonstrated its exceptional potential and delivered an outstanding performance.
“Adapting to the new system required a learning curve but Electrocraft’s team applied their full technical expertise to master the audio dynamics, System Optimiser and the venue acoustics. Once this was achieved, the AiRAY system not only met, but exceeded expectations, proving to be a real game-changer for the event and meeting every aspect of the challenging brief.”
The impact of the system at Mahindra Independence Rock was not lost on artists and technicians alike. Lead singer of evergreen veteran band 13AD, George Peter, comments: “I loved the performance of the Coda Audio system. The setup delivered the perfect kick and bass, making our performance truly awesome. Our FOH engineer said that the overall sound was massive with exceptional clarity and described mixing for the band on the Coda Audio system as an incredible experience.”
Paul Ward of Coda Audio adds: “Alphatec’s excellent work on behalf of Coda Audio in India is paying dividends, and we’re delighted to see AiRAY making its debut for Electrocraft at such a prestigious event.”
