Sound of Music recently outfitted the Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Centre with a complete HARMAN Professional Solutions networked AV system for a wide range of conferences and events.
Located in the tech hub of Bengaluru, Sheraton Grand Bengaluru’s convention center is the largest meeting and conference venue in the city. Catering to the professional demographic, the hotel features an 8,500+ square foot convention center with 50-foot ceilings and can host up to 2,000 guests. In order to ensure perfect coverage and premium clarity throughout the main convention space and eight private meeting rooms, hotel management hired India’s leading AV integrator Sound of Music to install a state-of-the-art networked AV system. Sound of Music selected a comprehensive HARMAN Professional AV solution consisting of JBL speakers, AKG microphones, Crown amplifiers, Soundcraft mixers, BSS signal processors and AMX network controllers.
“The hotel operators asked us to supply an advanced AV solution that would meet industry standards while remaining flexible and easy to use,” said Sunny Sarid, Director & Chief Consultant, Sound of Music. “They also wanted the system to be able to handle almost all hosted events, eliminating the need to rent any additional AV equipment. I have worked with HARMAN on many large projects, and their after-sales support is critical to the success of large-scale installations. HARMAN’s iconic brands provide all the technical proficiency necessary to provide a perfect solution for even the most challenging requirements. We are extremely satisfied with the results achieved at Sheraton Grand Bengaluru.”
The main audio system in the convention center is comprised of JBL VTX V20 three-way line arrays and S28 dual 18-inch subwoofers. Sound of Music also included JBL VTX M20 dual ten-inch stage monitors, while JBL AC18|26 two-way loudspeakers provide front fill coverage. The team powered all speaker systems with Crown I-Tech HD and XTi Series amplifiers. AKG wireless microphone systems provide intelligible voice reproduction with clarity and untethered freedom of movement anywhere in the facility. The Sound of Music team overcame the challenging acoustics of the large space with dbx AFS224 processors, delivering top-notch automatic feedback suppression. Sound of Music also provided Soundcraft Vi3000 digital mixing consoles to ensure professional mixes for every type of event.
“We had to overcome several complications and challenges due to the venue’s architecture,” continued Sunny. “We designed each and every aspect to deliver a versatile solution without altering the building’s aesthetics. For example, we used acoustic treatment to reduce natural reverberation, and we rigged the speakers from the sidewalls for maximum coverage. The convention center’s AV system lives on a digital backbone with an easy-to-use interface and delivers flexibility to accommodate future changes on the same infrastructure.”
Additionally, Sound of Music installed JBL Control 26CT and 24CT ceiling speakers to provide background music in the foyer, dressing rooms and rest rooms. The team powered these speakers with Crown DCi 4|300N amplifiers, which are outfitted with BLU Link to facilitate better monitoring, control and routing.
The entire AV system is networked with BSS Soundweb London BLU Link processors and AMX NX-2200 NetLinx controllers, encoders and decoders to provide staff with an easy method to select sources and adjust volume levels in each zone of the large space. The project marked the first ever networked-AV-over-IP solution of its kind in a hospitality venue.
“We are honored to have helped with the first ever installation of a networked-AV-over-IP solution at a hospitality venue,” said Prashant Govindan, Sr. Director, HARMAN Professional Solutions, India & SAARC. “The installation posed a significant challenge because the Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Convention Center serves a wide range of events, conventions, meeting, concerts and weddings. Rather than relying on a third-party AV company, the owners wanted an in-house AV system and team to handle all the facility’s needs. We helped create a comprehensive integrated solution with both audio and video distributed over a digital backbone with HARMAN’s proprietary formats. We thank Mr. Sarid and the Sound of Music team for being a true supporter and partner to us and believing in our technological vision. JBL VTX V20 line arrays deserve a special mention for proving their versatility in a fixed installation scenario and delivering concert-like sound quality in a complex, multipurpose venue.”
