d&b SL-Series Delivers Clarity and Coverage for the late Pope Francis’s Papal Mass in Singapore.
The Event
On 12 September 2024, the late Pope Francis delivered the homily at the Papal Mass in Singapore. The event was touted by many attendees as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity — not to be missed, as many were sure they would never get to attend such a mass by the Pope in their lifetime again.
The mass was truly a special event. Held at the Singapore National Stadium, one of Singapore’s largest venue, it was attended by some 50,000 people. As a production, the mass boasted a choir of 1600 members, who were part of a large group of over 2000 people involved.
The last time such an event happened was some 40 years ago, in 1986, when Pope John Paul II visited and conducted a Papal Mass in Singapore, at the old National Stadium. Since then, Singapore’s venues have come a long way in terms of architecture and construction, and the National Stadium itself has been rebuilt. Naturally, such a space and event had to be kitted out with a solid sound system that could be an effective conduit for Pope Francis’s message and for the liturgy.
The Challenge
Leading this operation was Mark Spencer, Front-of-House (FOH) Engineer from Big Boy Sounds SG, who brought both experience and quiet confidence to the event, having mixed in Singapore’s National Stadium multiple times before. His familiarity with the venue’s acoustic challenges, paired with his meticulous approach, proved invaluable for an event of this scale and duration.
Large-scale events like this often require audio engineers and their teams to overcome limitations with sound design, as well as with troubleshooting the PA systems. In particular, with the 8-hour Papal Mass event, the sound system had to be able to deliver a range of sound experiences from different sources. It had to capture and amplify clear audio from a soft-spoken liturgy, support a 1600-member choir and a theatre-style performance with lavalier mics, be available for all manner of media content playout, and reinforce a 7-piece praise & worship band with no less than 23 open vocal microphones. With such a wide range of needs during that event, Mark reported being well aware of potential challenges and stress-points for the sound engineering team.
In such an impressive space, it is often tricky to provide even sound coverage for all areas of seating without some areas experiencing differences in volume or clarity. The work of calibrating and creating a clean, yet immersive sound system then falls rested on the precision of the engineering, the strength of the system design, and the seamless teamwork of all involved — particularly the technical expertise of The Show Company, Singapore’s seasoned AVL provider with deep experience in stadium-scale productions.
The fix
For an event of this scale, efficiency and accuracy were critical. With limited time for design and deployment, the tools offered by d&b — including ArrayCalc — ensured the system was safe, precise, and fast to bring from concept to reality. Once the SL-Series was rigged and powered up, very little optimisation was needed. The system performed exactly as predicted in the design phase, allowing the crew to focus on fine details rather than troubleshooting.
“All the tools offered by d&b really did increase the safety, efficiency and accuracy of the designed system from concept to reality. Once the system was flown and fired up, very little was required in the way of optimisation, and we were up and running at a good point very quickly indeed.”, states Mark.
The SL-Series itself proved invaluable. Its engineering innovations — extended low frequency performance, cardioid dispersion, and broadband output — provided outstanding gain-before-feedback, exceptional rear rejection, and uniform sound across the entire stadium. For Mark and the team, the process of deploying such a complex system felt not only streamlined but also remarkably reliable.
This translates to even sound quality and volume even in large venues, while preserving the clarity of sound for the audience. Think minimized reverb, no muffled speaking, and yet even volume across most seating areas. The resultant aural experience is hard to beat, and that was exactly the outcome at the event at the National Stadium. There was excellent coverage for all seating areas that day, without any area experiencing uncomfortably high volumes from the systems.
To well-tuned ears such as Mark’s, the SL-series produced an incredible experience that day: “The system kept its cohesive sonic quality throughout all sound pressure levels and content and the comments from everyone that attended the event were really nothing short of being in awe.”
Equally important was the support. From early planning to load-in and rehearsals, the d&b team worked closely with The Show Company, system engineers, and Mark himself to anticipate challenges and respond quickly to evolving needs. Their constant communication and professional expertise provided confidence and calm throughout the production.
