Sumber Ria provides audio for Pekan Olahraga Nasional opening and closing ceremonies
Published: ASIA
INDONESIA: Sumber Ria was the sole audio provider for the recent opening and closing ceremonies for the multi-sport event Pekan Olahraga Nasional in the Riau Main Stadium. Often referred to simply as PON, the national event (which commenced in 1948) is held every four years, and featured more than 11,000 athletes competing in approximately 43 sporting events.
Opening the first ceremony was Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which was followed by the singing of the national anthem, fireworks and a traditional Riau welcome dance. Approximately 1,000 dancers performed in both the opening and the closing ceremonies, the latter having been attended by vice president Boediono.
Two Sumber Ria teams were involved in the preparation for the set-up for both ceremonies, and completed each installation in approximately three-to-four days. Meanwhile the second team – which comprised a combination of operators and chief engineers – completed all fine tuning and sequencing for the audio for the rehearsals and the live events.
In total, 48 large format EAW KF 760 line array loud speakers and 44 SB550 subwoofers were spread out throughout the entire stadium, whilst a number of KV2 and Meyer Sound speakers were used for the presidential balcony area.
An Avid Pro Tools HD system was used to provide the audio material, which was synchronised with multimedia displays and lighting using SMPTE timecode. Meanwhile, a DiGiCo D1 console with a redundant D1 were utilised for both events, as was a DiGiCo D5 for the TV pole and another D5 for monitors.
Sequencing engineer Sadat Effendy discussed the challenges that come with tackling such large-scale events: ‘Eliminating the slapback and the delays that usually occur in big stadiums is always a challenge, and a balanced coverage was required for the performers, audience and the presidential balcony where the president and government officials sat during the event,’ he explained.
‘I particularly liked the Pro Tools HD due to its reliability during live events as well as the sound quality,’ he added. ‘Pro Tools handled the fixed timeline audio playback while I used a separate system for the contingent parade, the lighting of the PON torch, as well as the flag ceremony where I had to play certain audio sequences on the fly. Various government officials also praised the sound quality as well as the crew’s work ethic and passion.’