§ 0
Event facts
| Fact | Status |
|---|---|
| Devcon 8, Mumbai — November 3–6, 2026 | Confirmed |
| JIO World Convention Centre | Confirmed |
| Music Space registered as Culture Track — DIP #8576 (2026-04-20) | Confirmed |
| Prior activations: Devcon 6 Bogotá · Devcon SEA Bangkok · Devconnect AMS / IST / BA | Confirmed |
| Exact room / hall allocation at JIO World | TBD — Devcon production |
| Provision split: Devcon house stock vs. OSO local rental | TBD |
§ 1
Space & stage — Sanctuary Tech
The stage is circular and non-directional. There is no "front." Performers face one another; the audience wraps around the music. Warmth, belonging, refuge — a home with clear boundaries and an open invitation.
| Requirement | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated open space | 100+ m², soundproof or acoustically isolated (per DIP) | Confirmed ask Allocation TBD |
| Circular stage | 6 m Ø performance circle (fits 6–10 players + floor seating), defined by rugs + low LED ring — eye-level, walk-in, no barrier | Proposed |
| Floor-seating quadrant | Rugs + cushions for Indian classical players (tabla, harmonium, bansuri) — essential, not decorative | Proposed |
| Location | Near community hubs / meal area / main circulation (per DIP) | Confirmed ask |
| Stage management corner | Facilitator desk, comms, patch access | Proposed |
| Overnight storage | Lockable, in or adjacent to the space (per DIP) | Confirmed ask Security detail TBD |
| Audience wrap | Standing ring + cushion ring; 360° circulation kept clear for convention-centre egress | Proposed Venue ops TBD |
| Room occupancy limit | For the allocated space | TBD — venue |
§ 1.5
The circle, drawn
How to read the circle
- ◎ The performance circle — Ø 6 m proposed, defined by rugs and light, not barriers. Walk in from any side.
- 🥁 Kit & sub at one pole — the loudest source sits opposite the floor-seated classical players. Acoustic kit TBD
- 🪕 Floor-seating quadrant (teal) — tabla, harmonium, bansuri on rugs & cushions, condenser-mic'd.
- ▣ 4× powered tops at the quadrants, firing outward — even 360° coverage at low level. Proposed
- ◢ 4 wedges + side-fill: performers spread wide in a circle need their own mixes.
- ⏨ FOH at the perimeter with sightline into the ring, on hardline internet for the stream.
- ⚡ Power drops at every station — nobody runs a cable across the circle. Ever.
§ 2
PA / mains — sound in the round
Distributed, modest, warm. This is a sanctuary inside a convention centre — coverage, not concert SPL.
| Item | Spec | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mains | 4× compact powered tops (10–12" class — QSC K12.2 / d&b E-series class) on poles at the four quadrants, firing outward | Proposed |
| Alternative | 2× column arrays (Bose L1 Pro32 / Maui class) opposite — cleaner sightlines, easier load-in | Proposed fallback |
| Sub | 1× compact powered sub, placed to minimise boundary build-up; bypass switch for acoustic/classical sessions | Proposed |
| Alignment | All quadrants time-aligned to circle centre; mono-compatible — the circle is one instrument | Proposed |
| Actual provision | Depends on Devcon production house stock — this section doubles as the spec sheet | TBD |
§ 3
Mixing & FOH
| Item | Spec | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Console | 24–32 ch digital — Behringer X32, A&H QU-24/SQ, or similar | Proposed |
| Aux sends | 6–8 aux outs for individual monitor mixes | Proposed |
| FOH position | Perimeter, clear sightline into the ring; hardline network for the streaming rig | Proposed |
| Engineers | 1–2 from production provider (per DIP); OSO community engineers support alongside | Confirmed ask |
| Multitrack | Console USB/SD multitrack — feeds §11 recording | Proposed |
| Show file | One shared "Circle" safe scene + per-slot snapshots; open jams always return to Circle | Proposed |
§ 4
Input list — the 24-channel Circle Patch
Built around the committee's 13-mic inventory + 8 DIs, with floating channels for walk-ups. Channels 1–18 are the permanent community backline; 19–24 are the permissionless layer — always line-checked, so a walk-up is one fader away from the circle.
| Ch | Source | Mic / DI | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kick / dhol low | Beta 52A / D112 | Shared kit & dhol |
| 2 | Snare | SM57 | |
| 3 | OH L | Condenser (SM81/C414) | Also covers percussion circle |
| 4 | OH R | Condenser (SM81/C414) | |
| 5 | Percussion 1 — djembe/congas | SM57 | |
| 6 | Percussion 2 — cajon | SM57 | Float: brass/woodwind walk-ups |
| 7 | Tabla | Condenser | Floor-seating quadrant |
| 8 | Bansuri / traditional lead | Wireless HH #1 / condenser | Roaming traditional instruments |
| 9 | Bass | DI | DI primary, amp optional |
| 10 | Electric guitar amp | SM57 (float) / DI | Shares w/ ch 6 full-band |
| 11 | Keys L | DI | Electric piano / synth |
| 12 | Keys R | DI | |
| 13 | Drum machine L | DI | |
| 14 | Drum machine R | DI | |
| 15 | Laptop / DAW L | DI | Live coders · algorave |
| 16 | Laptop / DAW R | DI | |
| 17 | DJ L | Line / DI | Booth out |
| 18 | DJ R | Line / DI | |
| 19 | Vocal 1 | SM58 | Rotating vocal ring |
| 20 | Vocal 2 | SM58 | |
| 21 | Vocal 3 | SM58 | |
| 22 | Vocal 4 | SM58 | |
| 23 | Wireless HH #2 | Sennheiser EW-class | MC / roaming performers |
| 24 | Spare / walk-up | — | The "yes, and…" channel |
§ 5–6
Mics, DI & connectivity
| Qty | Type | Use | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Dynamic vocal (SM58-class) | Rotating vocalists | Proposed |
| 2 | Wireless handheld (Sennheiser EW-class) | Roaming performers, traditional instruments, MC | Proposed |
| 3 | Condenser (SM81 / C414-class) | Overheads, acoustic & traditional instruments | Proposed |
| 3 | Instrument dynamic (SM57-class) | Percussion, brass, woodwinds | Proposed |
| 1 | Kick (Beta 52A / D112) | Drum kit / dhol | Proposed |
| +1 ea | Spare of each class | Mic attrition at a 4-day permissionless jam is a law of nature | TBD — RIDEOSO adds |
Connectivity
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| 6–8 DI boxes (synths, drum machines, acoustic guitars, DJ gear) | Proposed |
| 20+ XLR · 10+ ¼" instrument cables | Proposed |
| +6 spare XLR · +4 spare ¼" · 2× 3.5mm→dual-¼" walk-up adapters · gaffer/board tape at every station · spare strings/sticks/reeds basket | TBD — RIDEOSO adds |
§ 7
Backline — the community instruments
Core band (rental ask per DIP)
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Drum kit — ⚠️ open question: can the room take an acoustic kit? Fallback: e-kit + hand percussion | Proposed TBD decision |
| Electric guitar + amp (Twin Reverb-class) | Proposed |
| Acoustic guitar | Proposed |
| Bass guitar + amp/DI | Proposed |
| Electric piano + synth/MIDI keyboard w/ laptop DAW (or two electric pianos) | Proposed |
| Drum machine | Proposed |
Percussion circle
| Djembe · cajon · congas · shakers/tambourines basket | Proposed |
🇮🇳 Indian instruments — the cultural heart of this edition (Aakash curating)
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Tabla (pair) | Proposed |
| Harmonium | Proposed |
| Dhol | Proposed |
| Bansuri-friendly setup (condenser + floor seating) | Proposed |
| Sitar / sarod / veena — rentals fragile; prefer artists bring their own, OSO provides secure storage. Aakash finalises with local musicians | TBD |
DJ rig
| DJ system (XDJ-XZ or CDJ pair + mixer) · laptop stands · DJ table | Proposed |
§ 8
Monitors
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| 4× floor wedges minimum — a circular stage spreads performers wide | Proposed |
| 1× side-fill for wide-ensemble coverage · 6–8 independent mixes | Proposed |
| 2× wired headphone/IEM cue packs at FOH for live coders & DJ cue — cheap; saves the wedges from laptop-bleed wars | TBD — RIDEOSO adds |
§ 9
Power
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| 20+ circuits distributed around the circle (per DIP) · strips + extensions at every performer station | Confirmed ask |
| Dedicated clean circuit for FOH console + streaming rig; UPS on console/recorder — a 4-day jam losing a multitrack to a power blip is a tragedy preventable for $40 | TBD — RIDEOSO adds |
| All cable runs ramped/taped to convention-centre egress standards | TBD — venue |
§ 10
Visual & light — serving the sanctuary
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| 6–8 LED PAR cans — warm, moodable; community-glow, not concert-blast | Proposed |
| Low LED ring defining the circle's edge — the stage is the light | Proposed |
| Projector + surface for visuals / VJing / live-coding sessions (ref. Alaska's Swarm work) | Proposed |
| Crops/garden visual language on screens & signage — "we steward this stage like a garden" | Proposed |
| House state: warm dim, never off — a room people walk into, not a show they enter | Proposed |
§ 11
Streaming & recording — the P.I.T. tie-in
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Board feed (stereo XLR or USB) + console multitrack of curated sets | Proposed |
| Decentralized streaming + on-chain artist donations rig (Alaska's workstream) — needs reliable hardline internet at FOH | Proposed Hardline TBD |
| P.I.T. Knowledge Transponder integration — the Devcon P.I.T. is declared (publicinform.com): the circle's sessions archived as open knowledge | Confirmed (family) Interface TBD |
| All recordings released to the community — copyleft, Creative Commons | Confirmed |
| Consent signage at all approach paths: "this circle is recorded & streamed — entering is consent," with a visible opt-out path. Pluralistic privacy is power. | Proposed |
§ 12
SPL & the convention centre
A music space inside a convention centre is a negotiation with physics and neighbours.
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Soundproof / acoustically isolated room (per DIP) — the single most important line in this rider | Confirmed ask |
| Target: ≤ 85 dB(A) slow at room boundary · 90 dB(A) peaks in the circle | Proposed |
| Venue SPL policy, quiet hours, adjacent-session rules — in writing | TBD — JIO World / production |
| Sub bypass for acoustic/classical sessions · no sub before 10:00 | Proposed |
| SPL meter at FOH, logged — being able to show the number ends most complaints before they start | Proposed |
§ 13
Changeover — the circle never stops
| Protocol | Status |
|---|---|
| The Vamp Rule: during any swap, hand percussion or the house DJ keeps a pulse — silence is the only failure state | Proposed |
| Curated changeovers ≤ 15 min; next act line-checks on spare channels (19–24) while the current act plays | Proposed |
| Open-jam seat rotation: facilitator-guided, one-in-one-out at natural musical breaths — never mid-song | Proposed |
| Instrument checkout/return table at entrance (token system); nothing leaves the room | Proposed |
| Walk-ups: pickup → nearest free DI · acoustic → wireless HH #1 or floating 57 · channel 24 always hot | Proposed |
| Daily reset: 30-min line-check to the safe Circle scene before doors | Proposed |
§ 14
Crew & ops (OSO-provided — context, not an ask)
| Role | Status |
|---|---|
| Core on-site team 10–12: Shaka (artistic steward) · 3–4 local Indian musicians (cultural anchors) · 3–4 OSO international (protocol maintainers / stage managers) · 3–4 volunteer coordinators | Confirmed (DIP) |
| 2 Devcon-provided sound engineers · shift-based continuous facilitation, all 4 days | Confirmed ask |
| Volunteers ↔ free tickets via the musician sign-up form | Confirmed |
| Comms (radios vs. group chat) · engineer shift overlap · crew meal access | TBD |
§ 15
Schedule skeleton
| When | What | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 1–2 | Pre-production: load-in, install, soundcheck, volunteer training, storage systems live | Confirmed |
| Daily 09:30 | Doors + 30-min line-check to Circle scene | Proposed |
| 10:00–12:00 | Ambient / acoustic morning (no sub) — bansuri, keys, soft percussion | Proposed |
| 12:00–17:00 | Open jam blocks + curated sets interleaved (facilitator-run) | Proposed |
| 17:00–19:00 | Featured circle — curated ensemble with local Indian musicians | Proposed |
| 19:00–close | DJ sets, live coders, algorave — SPL-aware wind-down | Proposed |
| Nov 6→8 | ETHGlobal Mumbai bridge — the 3am jam tradition | TBD — separate venue |
Daily grid, slot lengths & curated lineup = the committee's September–October curation workstream.
§ 16
Hospitality
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Water at the circle at all times · hot chai station (Mumbai — non-negotiable) | Proposed |
| Musician green corner: 6–8 seats, shade from house lights, device charging | Proposed |
| Earplugs basket at the entrance — care is a spec | Proposed |
| Towels, gaffer, tool kit, spare consumables (strings / sticks / reeds / heads) | Proposed |
| Local musician support: transport + meals for invited artists | TBD — committee budget |
| Instrument damage/loss policy & waiver text | TBD — Devcon legal |
"The whole is infinitely greater than the sum of its parts — because the parts are listening."
— the Open Source Orchestra
§ 17
Top open questions for the committee & production
- The room: which space at JIO World, and what are its actual isolation/SPL facts? This one answer cascades into the acoustic-kit decision, PA size, and the daily schedule.
- Acoustic drum kit: in or out? (Fallback e-kit is specced either way.)
- Provision split: what does Devcon production supply from house stock vs. what OSO rents locally in Mumbai?
- Hardline internet at FOH for Alaska's streaming/donations rig — confirmed drop + bandwidth?
- Overnight storage security: lockable room, or lockable cages inside the space?
- Venue SPL policy + quiet hours, in writing.
- Engineer shifts: do the 2 production engineers cover all 4 days × full open hours?
- Instrument damage/loss waiver: whose paper, whose terms?
- Curated lineup timeline: when does September–October selection lock the daily grid?
- ETHGlobal bridge (Nov 6–8): same rig travels, or a second smaller kit?