Outline spreads the message far and wide in Milan
Published: WORSHIP
ITALY: Rezzato-based Cipiesse s.r.l. was recently handed the daunting task of providing audio reinforcement for a 40,000-strong crowd at Milan’s Piazza del Duomo. The cathedral that gives the square its name provided the spectacular backdrop for a concert featuring the 500-member Italian Gospel Choir, 12-piece Italian Big Orchestra, US producer and director Donald Lawrence, and artistic director at Milan’s Blue Note Club and Italian FM radio personality, Malcolm Charlton.
Also responsible for the event’s lighting and stage support, Cipiesse deployed a setup comprising two main hangs of 12 Outline Butterfly enclosures, flown on either side of the 50m-wide ‘set’, and 16 Outline Eidos positioned along the cathedral steps – which also acted as the main stage – on frontfill duty. Four Outline Subtech 218 subwoofers were flown alongside each of the Butterfly arrays and the rig was powered entirely by Outline T-Seven amplifiers.
‘This system allowed us to ensure even coverage and, in spite of the PA towers being 50m apart and the cathedral’s steps only 80cm high, the end result was excellent coverage of the whole 50mx50m zone in front of the stage, which gradually fell off in the areas alongside the stage,’ explained Cipiesse’s Marco Riva.
Assisted by Raffaele Gatti, PA manager and FOH engineer Carlo Gennaro was responsible for mixing 108 channels, while monitor engineer Maurizio Marcolini mixed signals directly from the orchestra along with a premix of the choir from the FOH platform. Monitoring on the cathedral steps included 12 Outline Hard 115 cabinets in front of the choir and a further eight Outline Micra II SPs.
‘I’d used them on several high-profile events previously,’ said Mr Gennaro, regarding the manufacturer’s solutions, ‘including a mass celebrated by the Pope at Amman International Stadium in Jordan before 50,000 worshippers and accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and 200-strong choir, as well as what was reportedly the world’s largest Gospel concert, The Experience, staged in Nigeria. As on these occasions and others, the sound quality at the concert in Milan was very good and precise, with great intelligibility.’
‘This great concert was realised with limited production facilities and budget, and I‘m grateful to all concerned for their contribution to ensuring such good results,’ concluded Mr Riva.