Optocore used for amphitheatre inauguration

The Greek composer Vangelis had written a celebratory opus for the grand opening and the Paris-based production company was tasked with constructing an optical fibre ring using seven of its Optocore and Sane converters to deliver the sound to an audience of 3,000 people.

This required De Préférence, and its 14-strong crew, to construct an elaborate network loop via Optocore fibre and Sane Cat-5 Ethernet platforms, using X6R-TP / X6R-FX converters.

Placed on the network were Yamaha DM2000 digital consoles, one handling the stage recording premix and one sending a chorus premix to the DiGiCo SD7 FOH and monitor consoles (for recording). From the DiGiCo environment the digital signal passed through an Optocore DD4ME Dual Madi network device to the Yamaha DME64 PA processor.

The DD4ME’s interfaced between the DiGiCo SD7 and the Optocore loop. The Madi1 Out was assigned to the chorus premix between the DM2000 and SD7 consoles, while the Madi1 In was a copy of the DiGiCo stage rack.

An Optocore DD2FR-FX was used as the Madi interface for recording, with two multitrack recorders — one for playback connected directly to the FOH DiGiCo SD7 and one to the Yamaha desk.

De Préférence sent Left/Right signals to the clusters of L-Acoustics Kara loudspeaker enclosures, positioned around the amphitheatre, via the 8-In/8-Out Optocore X6R converters; these were also assigned to the intercom, while a 64-input Optocore stagerack serviced the chorus.

‘The show was a big success,’ summarised De Préférence’s Dominique Guerder, who handled the project. ‘Thanks to our large inventory of Optocore devices we have the capability to construct advanced networks for events of this  scale.’

The concert also brought together the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and Moscow’s Yurlov State Academic Choir, boosted by soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna. 

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