The Oasis English Press sat down with Darshan Walchale, Coordinator of the Department of Sounds to discuss their responsibilities in the upcoming cultural fest.

The Department of Sounds is responsible for handling the auditory experience for all events held in the Main Auditorium, as well as renting out equipment for other events. ‘If you were to simply take all the audio input from the mics and the instruments and play it through the speakers, you would get nothing but a muddy mess’, Darshan stated. He also mentioned that Sounds would be supervising the events organised by other departments.

Darshan believed that it was trust and coherence that allowed his department to function with a team of six. ‘If something happens, I can trust them to handle it,’ he explained. According to him, it was often hard to understand the exact work of the department due to the sheer amount of technical detail that was involved. Still, a simplified way to understand it is that the audio from various sources, instruments and vocals, is combined and edited to make it into the enjoyable music we hear, as one sound and not a disjointed combination of many sounds.

Darshan believed that the department currently lacked some technical knowledge required for its functioning and had been consulting department alumni for guidance. ‘The transfer of knowledge did not take place,’ he added, underscoring the idiosyncratic nature of this year’s fest.

For him, a large part of the skill required was the automation of the handling of various sections of the work while simultaneously focusing on what is most important. ‘Having a good ear is essential,’ he explained, when asked how he managed to handle all the complexity of production, stating that a certain instinctive understanding is necessary.

Darshan mentioned that they would have to spend entire days inside the auditorium due to the heavy workload, due to their responsibilities extending to managing timetables and acquiring equipment for this Oasis. There are a lot of times when decisions were made on the fly while being sleep deprived, tired, and exhausted, and that is where Darshan believed the practice was most essential. ‘The fact that we have to handle only one aspect of the production definitely makes it much easier,’ he added. 

In handling responsibility, Darshan mentioned that one needed a good relationship with their club or department members to ensure smooth functioning and balance of work. Apart from that, he said the role of practice in ensuring one can handle responsibility was understated.

When asked if there was something he wanted BITSians, in general, to know, Darshan wished to change the perception of audio production. ‘Nobody knows what goes in between the mic and the listener,’ he explained. Moreover, he said that the culture of ‘seasonal change’ and ‘temporary motivation’ should be discouraged, highlighting the importance of consistency.