The AIC team began by scoping out the system design using Meyer Sound's MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction software. "MAPP is powerful and accurate," says AIC head engineer Mark LeCorre. "First we worked out the design in MAPP, then my system engineer Jamie Howieson and I spent a lot of time walking every part of the room with a WiFi-enabled tablet PC that controlled our system processor, making adjustments, and using our ears as well as the measurement tools. We worked very hard to get the coverage dead even, because with an event like this one you want every word heard, and if somebody's sitting in the one seat that happens to be a dead spot, it's no good."
Howieson says that their strategy for dealing with the acoustics was to avoid overkill that would put more energy into the space than was needed. "The whole idea of this system was one of using a minimal amount of PA equipment for maximum coverage," he says.
The evening's presentation was almost entirely spoken word, with the rest consisting of musical entertainment from a 16-member Tibetan children's choir backed by a sextet of musicians playing traditional Tibetan instruments. Since none of the instruments contained significant low-frequency content, the crew at AIC made the election to forgo subwoofers.
The Dalai Lama recently completed his speaking tour of North America, and will be moving on shortly to speaking dates in Asia and Europe.
(Jim Evans)
