A massive, all-Meyer Sound system of more than 600 loudspeakers recently
supplied seamless coverage for a festive crowd of over 300,000 that converged
near the Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec for an open-air Holy Mass with Pope
Francis. Held across a sprawling event site temporarily constructed on a vast rain
catchment plain known as El Caracol, this was by far the largest event of Pope
Francis’s five-day visit to Mexico.

“We have had excellent results using Meyer Sound to ensure the best possible
listening experience for the public, so we decided to use Meyer Sound speakers
exclusively for this event,’ says Jose Antonio Ruiz, production manager of Total
Event Productions S.A. de C.V., the systems supplier. “It’s important for us to use
speakers that we know will deliver a superior performance at all times, even when
the system is kept working for more than 30 continuous hours.’

The canopy-covered main event stage for the pope and his guests was flanked by
front arrays that included 32 LEO-M line array loudspeakers and 96 LYON™ linear
line array loudspeakers.

In addition to the pope’s homily, which received headline news coverage worldwide,
the program also offered music from an orchestra and traditional Mexican
ensembles. To provide full-range music reproduction across the one-kilometer-wide
site, 54 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements were deployed.

LEOPARD™, MILO®, MICA®, M3D and M’elodie® line array loudspeakers were also
positioned for various fill and foldback applications over or near the stage, with
more arrays supporting the four front and 28 remote video screens. MSL-6, MSL-4,
UPA-1P, and UPJ-1P VariO™ loudspeakers and MJF-212A stage monitors were also
deployed. A Galileo® Callisto™ loudspeaker management system with nine Galileo
616, 13 Galileo Callisto 616, and seven Galileo Callisto 616 AES array processors
was linked by Total Event Productions’ own fiber optic distribution network.

Assisting Ruiz were Audio Manager Ramiro Paramo and FOH Engineer Everardo
Cano.

Total Event Productions has previously supplied Meyer Sound systems for the NAFTA
Summit (with the presidents of Mexico, USA, and Canada) and a state visit by the
King of Spain.

“Meyer Sound Mexico always provides us with in-depth design and technical support
for these major events to make sure we achieve the best results every time,’
reports Ruiz. “It’s a level of service no other company in Mexico can offer.’

Meyer Sound reinforcement systems were also deployed the previous day for
welcoming ceremonies on the main square in central Mexico City, as well as for
Pope Francis’s arrival and departure ceremonies at Benito Juarez International
Airport.