The Touring Audio Seminar conducted by HARMAN Professional Solutions India on the 17th of August 2017 was aimed at imparting hands-on insights and specialized knowledge to industry professionals, both newbies and veterans alike. From product overviews to a very special masterclass to realistic practices in a practical scenario, the seminar covered it all.
When it comes to gaining insights into product features, aspects and practical insights, ‘from the horse’s mouth’ is the best way to go about it. This seminar was a perfect case in point. It was attended by a healthy mix of attendees, all eager to gain an insider’s viewpoint into the varied aspects of Touring Audio that included technologies and techniques, in addition to various tips and tricks of the trade.
After a warm welcome (made warmer by the beautifully rich reproduction of the two JBL Eon Ones) to the attendees, the floor was thrown open to the speakers. Ashish Barje, National Sales Manager (Broadcast and Lighting) was the first to share his comprehensive knowledge in the form of a product overview of the Vi1, Vi 2000, Vi 3000, Vi 5000, Vi 7000 and a few others. His in-depth presentation was filled with comparative and product differentiating highlights supported with facts, spec sheets and photographs, and were lapped up by the audience. He also shed light on the various compatibility modes, common troubleshooting issues, I/O options, interfacing, et al.
Next up was Sunil Karanjikar, Senior Application Manager (Engineering and R&D) who took over, imparting knowledge in his own witty manner. His session covered system configurations and the best possible practices in the real world scenario. He spoke at length, even showcasing the advantages of working with specialized JBL software such as Performance Manager and Line Array Calculator. The Performance Manager software was demonstrated with a live example. In fact, Sunil even gave a sneak peek at the file he had created for the Mumbai leg of the Justin Bieber Purpose World Tour! He wound up with a practical session, which included the attendees getting involved in measuring the venue itself, in order to use it as a case study for the Line Array Calculator. The P.A. showcased was the VTX series, the V20 and the G28, apart from the M22 and M20 stage wedges.
Then came the famed and critically acclaimed Vijay Dayal, the spotlight-shy and Chief Recordist at Yash Raj Studios. Everyone was eager to hear his opinions on the approaches he prefers, the practices he swears by, and the finer nuances of re-recording, mixing, and mastering. He shared numerous anecdotes from his long and interesting journey, as well as snippets from his recent recording ventures for big banner films. He also touched upon his tryst with Analog vs. Digital consoles. If that was not enough, he also made the audience listen to a few layered and un-layered samples of his mixes, for which he had used unconventional means of recording, to perfectly capture the performance space.
The seminar ended with a fruitful Q&A session, which also had the attendees walking around, checking the consoles and the P.A. out, eager to know when the next seminar would be held. In the audience were several ace FOH and studio engineers, Consultants, and Business Owners such as Camille Polycarp, Shekhar Kusuma, Osie Pinto, Purvaze Buxy, Jeetu More, and many more. Speaking of ‘from the horse’s mouth’, here are a few quotes from the attendees:
It was a very productive session. Special thanks to Sunil for the way he explained a lot of stuff which was unknown to a lot of us. Hospitality-wise, you guys always rock. Looking forward to more of these sessions with Harman. Thank you!
Aniruddha Purushe
The Seminar was Great and was like a revision to me personally, as I’ve just started working with Sound Vendors on Performance Manager recently. It was Awesome, as I was completely interested in the Audio Part of it. Thanks to all the Trainers, it’s always exciting to learn something new from people at Harman. Please keep me posted on the Advanced Seminars that Sunil Spoke to you about while leaving.
Preetam Kharmate
The time spent at the seminar was totally worth it. Saikiran’s introductions were short and sweet. Ashish’s session was good intiation before some serious class room lecture and demo. I particularly enjoyed Sunil’s Karanjikar’s session. He is well known for his P.A tuning skills and he was able to take that knowledge forward and educate the students who are willing to learn from him. I’m also glad, that you also had another industry veteran in Vijay Dayal as speaker that day. My experience is some what similar to his, even though his achievements are way way beyond compare. Hence it was easier to understand him.
Shekhar Kusuma
The seminar was really good. It was informative and up to the point. Would like to thank each and everyone personally who made the seminar possible.
Rushik Patel
Speaking of the seminar, Prashant Govindan, Sr. Director, India & Sri Lanka, opined “Over the past few years, the technology in our products has grown by leaps and bounds. As a responsible cog in the professional audio solutions machinery, we feel it our duty to bring our partners and end-users up to speed with such developments. This seminar was a long time coming. It was a perfect gathering where a lot of fruitful exchange happened; the professionals learnt about the latest updates and got insights, and we were exposed to their views, suggestions, and invaluable feedback. Where in the world will you find such unfiltered dialogue and honest exchange of ideas happening? Stay tuned, we have more of these in store.”
This article was featured in our October 2017 issue: http://bit.ly/2yK70tU
