Ed Sheeran's Mathematics world tour successfully completed its India leg in February, employing a KSL PA system from d&b audiotechnik's SL-Series to address the need of a lightweight, flexible system with no compromise in sound quality. The tour also marked a couple of notable firsts for the region's live touring industry.

The d&b KSL system was supplied for Sheeran by Mumbai-based NJSM ProSound. Signalling the KSL system's wide acceptance across the sub-continent, the entire tour of India used a d&b KSL system supplied by one vendor. More importantly perhaps, the India shows were preceded on January 24 by the first ever international concert in the small Himalayan country of Bhutan, before playing in five cities in India and then completing in the country's capital, Delhi.

To ensure a smooth and successful delivery of the system design and supply, with all the logistical challenges inherent in a tour across the vast sub-continent, NJSM ProSound's team worked closely with d&b India's EAS (education and application support) representative, Neil Lean.

Shows for this leg were presented in end-on format -- a less complex setup than the 360-degree in-the-round productions of previous legs -- chosen to minimize deployment challenges to cater to tight setup schedules. d&b's KSL was chosen because the production needed a top-tier system which would be available in enough cities to allow it to leap-frog a touring PA, while supplementing the inventory with local supplies where required.

The system design featured main hangs of KSL8/KSL12 (16 cabinets per side), accompanied by ten flown SL-Subs per side, plus 24 ground-stacked SL-GSubs in end-fire configuration. These were complemented by d&b's V8 and V12 cabinets as front-fills, with delays provided by KSL, XSL, and V-Series cabinets, depending on the specific needs of each venue.

The biggest challenge for the team was transportation logistics. India is almost the same size as Europe, excluding Russia, and cargo landing in a city in the early morning would have to be converted to a tuned system by 10am. Another logistical challenge was the need to ensure that the correct amp racks and connectivity was available at each venue.

Thanks to the characteristic ease of deployment of the d&b system, with its dedicated dollies and integrated rigging solutions, plus the on-site support provided by d&b India, the system was flown and tuned at each site.

The cardioid performance of KSL, a defining characteristic of d&b's SL-Series, ensured the music was enjoyed without distortion or feedback by the entire audience, the company says. "The SL-Series' cardioid pattern allowed us to open up the body of the system with no worries about feedback from the small body guitars Ed was using on stage," says d&b's Neil Lean.

He adds, "The best way to judge a touring PA is by how consistently it can deliver, show after show, and this system performed flawlessly throughout the tour. The production teams, including the representatives of AEG and its India partner, BookMyShow, were very happy with the quality the system delivered, and we had great comments on social media about how good the audio was in every city we visited."

Ed Sheeran's touring sound team -- Simon Kemp at front-of-house and systems engineer Adam Wells -- echoes the audience's positive feedback, expressing their admiration not just for the audio quality but also for the commitment and professionalism of the local crew. "We delivered outstanding results, and it's incredibly rewarding to have Simon and Adam share that sentiment," says Warren D'Souza of NJSM ProSound.