Bose Professional convenes a stellar aural experience at the iconic Minto Hall’s New Convention Centre in Bhopal
“Restoring the Minto Hall building with the latest in ultra-modern offerings, while preserving its heritage value and original grandeur was the primary objective” said Hari Ranjan Rao, principal secretary of MP Tourism department and managing director of the State Tourism Board, as he emphasized the state government’s vision to resurrect the statured building back to its former glory and eminence.
From the architectural standpoint, Minto Hallexudes a synthesis of Nawabi era and Imperial style, and post-independence, the building was used as the mainstay of the MP state assembly up until 1996. Following the recent Rs. 64 crore makeover, however, the magnanimous structure now stands tall as a state-of-the-art convention centre complete with luxuries that one would expect from a world-class establishment. “The idea was to have an iconic and world-class space that would promote meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism in MP” explains Mr Rao.A bespoke and leading-edge audio architecture for the entire space using a plethora of products from global pro audio leaders Bose Professional proved to be the answer that the management was looking for.
A carefully selected amalgam of high-performance products from Bose Professional’svastly impressive FreeSpace® and ControlSpace® series of products features in each of the key congregation areas at Minto Hall which includes the main hall,two meeting rooms, a committee room, a boardroom, and a luxurious roof-top dining space called ‘1909- The Crown of Bhopal’ where one can enjoy the vibrant beauty of the city.
“Partnering with Bose was a decision that was motivated by the brand’s long-standing reputation for delivering outstanding pro audio systems and services not just in India, but across the world. We found only Bose to have the kind of expertise in products, technologies, and design methodology that would meet and exceed our expectations – not just in terms of the sound performance, but also in terms of aesthetic appeal and maintaining the structural and visual integrity of the building” explains Mr. Aparjit Dhamija of Fortune Telecom, the project’s Official Integrator.
The stellar highlight of the premise is undoubtedly the main hall, which now stands as a multi-purpose space to host occasions like large-scale get-togethers, banquets, felicitations, etc. Sporting a flexible-seating capacity of over 500 people along with a plush balcony section with a fixed 120 seating hilt, the dexterous functional nature of the main hall warranted the need for an agile sound system that could proficiently reinforce the wide range of MICE activities that the venue management envisaged. The technical team from Bose Professional worked closely with the venue’s management and principal architect Mr Puneet Sohal of Urban Systems to understand various nuances of the building’s architecture and aesthetics, following which an exhaustive analysis that involved comprehensive acoustic modeling of the main hall was conducted.
Puneet Sohal shares, “We had clear guidelines to work by, of which the most critical aspect was ensuring that the structural integrity and architectural beauty of the building be maintained. This automatically posed several restrictions in terms of speaker placements; which was compounded by the fact that the hall space is inherently reverberant owing to its dimensions and structural composition.The integration team, however, had a befitting answer to all the challenges. Their team of experts along with Bose Professional’sfantastic line of products eventually delivered a superlative sound system that provides great quality sound performance,all while sticking to the brief provided by the venue management.”
Following a detailed physical mapping of the hall space, the design and integration team used Bose’ Modeler design software to identify key reverberation and peculiar reflection patterns, and subsequently narrowed down on the precise combination of RoomMatch loudspeakers, PowerMatch amplifiers and ControlSpace processors that would be apt for the space in terms of delivering a superlative soundscape coverage that would encompass every seat. Modeler also helped the team in determining the precise height of the FOH array system such that it canceled any untoward sound reflections while ensuring that the audience seated in the balcony section enjoyed a clear line of sight.
“The integration team have done a fabulous job with the sound system throughout the entire property; the main hall in particular, where the sound experience is absolutely fabulous. The convention space sounds so beautiful – the sound experience is truly immersive. Whether you’re seated at the balcony section or down at the main congregation space, the quality of sound is spectacular, and anybody who’s ever been a part of any function at the main hall will testify to this. The main hall will absolutely love the sound.Our audiences love the atmosphere here, and it is so heartening to witness how deeply engaging the sound system actually is. Kudos to the entire audio team, and great commendation to Bose Professional for offering us such a wonderful solution”, exclaims Mr Jitendra Bhardwaj, executive engineer at the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC).
The auditorium’s system consists of Left-Right asymmetrical RoomMatch arrays, with the left array comprising RM602810, RM602820, and RM602840 modules, while the right array comprisesRM286010, RM286020, and RM286040 modules. The specifically tailored dispersion angles and highly steerable nature of these modules allowed engineers direct the sound in a manner that almost negated unwanted reflections from the side walls while providing maximum impact of high-quality sound directly at the main audience area including those seated at the balcony section. Additionally, the RoomMatch arrays’ revolutionary Delta-Q progressive directivity technology proved to be the cornerstone in achieving uniform SPL equalization and pristine tonal balance. Multiple units of the RMS 215subwoofers assuring top quality low-frequency fidelity, have been suspended as part of the arrays;with the modules and subwoofers being aligned and tuned to precise perfection to form a well-balanced and harmonious sound system that assures a truly premium aural experience. Multiple units of the Bose RoomMatch Utility multi-utility loudspeakers,which use the same compression drivers as the main array speakers,have also been integrated within the space to further enhance the listening experience, with the RMU108 and RMU105 speakers deployed as stage monitors and stage front-fills respectively. The balcony section too enjoys superlative sound, with multiple numbers of the RMU206 multi-utility loudspeakers deployed at strategic locations ensuring pristine audio experience at every seat. The loudspeaker system at the main hall is driven by highly configurable PowerMatch amplifiersPM8500 multi-channel amplifiers providing clean and efficient power; while processing and overall management take place through the modular ControlSpace ESP-880 Engineered Sound Processor.
In addition to the main convention hall, the high-quality performance value of Bose Professional products is experienced across other areas of the premise as well, with a range of install specific products from the acclaimed FreeSpace and ControlSpace series deployed throughout the three-floor expanse of the premise. Sections like the lobbies and walk-throughs sporting multiple units of the DS16F in-ceiling speakers which are almost inconspicuous but provide high power output with pristine quality sound. The plush rooftop restaurant, 1909 – The Crown of Bhopal, also features the compact yet extremely powerful FS3 surface-mount satellite speaker system complete with subwoofers for that extra bit of punch when party mode kicks in. The loudspeaker system across all common areas including the restaurant is controlled through units of the ever-efficient ESP-880 engineered sound processors and powered through the ever-dependable PowerMatch PM8250 amplifiers.
Vibhor Khanna, Country Manager, Bose Professional India, professes his elation saying, “Minto Hall is a symbol of architectural beauty and rich heritage, and for us at Bose Professional to be chosen as their preferred sound partner is a matter of great pride.The cumulate of our technologically superior products and Fortune Telecom’s team of dedicated seasoned professionals has enabled us to live up to the faith that the management entrusted in Bose to deliver a truly world-class sound experience for the new convention space. And the eventual sound experience there is something that everyone can be proud of. The Minto Hall convention centre is a shining example of a truly exceptional congregational space, and it is only befitting that the hall sounds every bit as spectacular as it looks!”