Bose Professional MSA12X Resonates an Impeccable Sound Experience At MIT Loni-Kalbhor’s Colossal Dome
The Maharashtra Academy of Engineering Education and Research's Maharashtra Institute of Technology, popularly known as MAEER'S MIT college, is home to one of the largest domes in the world. Measuring 160 feet diameter and 263 feet height, the colossal dome shaped structure at the Loni-Kalbhor (Vishwarajbaug) campus symbolises the unity of the Indian identity through its religions, ideologies and literature; and houses the MIT World Peace Library which boasts a wide variety of books including few rare ones, along with a massive 3500 person capacity prayer hall which is adorned with 55 golden statues of saints, philosophers, scientists and intellectuals, all of which depict the message of world peace and humanity, as enunciated by the age-old Indian culture, tradition and philosophy. The structure, as affirmed by Dr Vishwanath Karad, Founder of MAEER'S MIT College Pune, is one of the largest domes in the world, and is also home to a subliminal audio experience thanks to the world’s leading brand in innovative professional audio technology – Bose Professional.
Mr. Kulkarni – IT Head at MIT Loni-Kalbhor, and the man in charge of the project in terms of its technological infrastructure including the acoustics and sound reinforcement, shares “MIT is a place where history and legacy meets science and cutting-edge technology; and this is a virtue that we are both proud of and abide by very strictly. This fact is amply demonstrated through the establishment of the massive dome structure at our Loni-Kalbhor campus. Thus, by default, it was imperative that we acquired only the best state-of-the-art pro audio system for the dome. There were several key considerations that factored in the selection for the appropriate sound system – from aesthetics to superior sound quality and unmatched distribution and coverage. After checking almost every available option in the market, we found the Bose system to meet all our requirements. We met with the team that finally commissioned the sound system here, and they proposed a precise design sketched through their Modeler Presentation system. We must commend the fact that they went the extra mile in providing a live demonstration of the entire proposed solution which certified the modelled results; and that is when we were completely convinced about the positives of the system, and of the system being an absolute value for money investment.”
The dome, in all its architectural glory, embraces cutting-edge audio technology with the installation of a state-of-the-art audio architecture from global pro audio leaders, Bose Professional – designed and integrated by the Bose Professional’s in-house technical engineering team in association with their Indian distribution partners Cubix, and the system integration partner for the project – Intart TechSolutions. The audio system inside the dome comprises the avant-garde Panaray MSA12X self-powered digital beam-steering loudspeakers integrated and aligned in a Left-Right Stereo configuration cluster of three units each, following a detailed acoustical analysis of the space. The Panaray MSA12X, with Bose’ proprietary Articulated Array transducer configuration, allows it to overcome several acoustical challenges posed by the dome’s structural nuances; and deliver wide, 160° horizontal coverage throughout the room.
Intart TechSolution’s Director, Nitin Deo, elaborates on the nuances of the Bose Professional Panaray MSA12X that made it the perfect system for the project, as he shares, “The Panaray MSA12X is a fantastic system offering a host of features that allows SI’s and installers to achieve superlative sound even in the most challenging venues. Designing a great sound solution for dome shaped structures is always challenging, considering the acoustics of the space due to its geometry. Such spaces are highly reverberant in nature, and the larger the dome, bigger is the challenge! At the MIT Loni Kalbhor campus, we were met with the same dilemma. Due to the geometry of the venue, the loudspeaker system had to be installed at a height no higher than 4 feet from the base; and achieving consistent coverage with uniform SPL and tonal balance in such situations is highly unlikely with conventional sound systems. However, with the Panaray MSA12X’s Flat Floor Optimized Beam Steering pattern, which is optimized for venue with evident height restrictions and flat floors, we could ensure that the sound is projected unobtrusively throughout the dome with consistent coverage from the front row to the back row of the room, across the audience area, and with impeccable tonal balance and uniform SPL. This is what makes the MSA12x a truly revolutionary system, and an absolute delight for any install sound professional!”
The Panaray MSA12X loudspeaker system is controlled and managed through a Bose ControlSpace ESP1280C processor, which highlights the system’s Dante digital audio network interfacing capability and ensures smooth and easy control of the entire system.
Mangesh Karad praises the quality of the new Bose system, as he quotes, “The sense of presence is astounding thanks to the amazing quality of sound. And the overall feel is absolutely spectacular. Bose has given us everything we needed in a sound system; and we are extremely pleased to have opted for Bose!”
The dome was inaugurated on 2nd October 2018 by the honorable Vice-President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu, in commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi; and also witnessed announcement of the path-breaking World Parliament of Science, Religion and Philosophy, where Maharashtra’s Governor Vidyasagar Rao presided over the function along with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chairman of NITI Ayog Rajeev Kumar as guests of honor. The occasion witnessed the attendance of over 120 distinguished speakers from across the world, consisting of scientists, philosophers, scholars, educationalist, Nobel laureates, religious and spiritual leaders, in addition to almost 3,000 delegates. And according to Mr Kulkarni – the entire program unfolded smoothly, much to the delight of everyone in attendance, with special commendation towards the subliminal sound experience thanks to Bose, where the primary FOH system comprising the Bose Panaray MSA12X loudspeakers delivered a flawless performance, along with the revolutionary Bose L1 System deployed as fills along the flanks of the dome during the function.
Vibhor Khanna – Country Manager – SAARC, Bose Professional expressed his thoughts about the brand’s association with the project as he asserted, “The MIT is an iconic institution in our country’s education legacy, and the MIT Loni-Kalbhor campus is now a symbol of excellence for the world, as it is now home to an architectural marvel. The dome depicts the advancements in design and technology that we as a country have achieved; and it is a matter of such great honour and pride that the management at MIT Loni-Kalbhor decided to partner with Bose Professional for an unmatched sound experience. We would like to thank and commend the entire management at MIT Loni-Kalbhor for investing their faith in our brand; and a special vote of thanks to the entire audio commissioning team for a job well done in commissioning a truly state-of-the-art audio architecture at the dome. We are proud to deliver the kind of world-class audio solution that an iconic and exemplary structure like the MIT Loni-Kalbhor dome truly deserves.”