Theatre Sound 2014 by Future PLC

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Theatre

Sound 2014

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INTERNA TIONAL EDITION

CONTENTS

>>> CONTENTS

May Issue 2014

> > > > > > >

Welcome to the first ever International Guide to Theatre Sound. A new addition to our series of informational and promotional Guides, this publication will help you navigate through the growing market for theatre-specific pro-audio kit.

Theatre Control: Digital Consoles Case Studies: National Theatre & Kammerspiele Vienna

8 Case Studies: Tonight’s The Night & I Can’t Sing

9 Sennheiser

10 PreSonus

14 Critical Characteristics for Theatre Microphones

16 Case Studies: The BodyGuard & The Commitments

For more details visit www.audiomedia.com Jory MacKay, Audio Media

18 Theatre Loudspeakers: Consistency and Flexibility

>>> MEET THE TEAM > Commercial Director

Manufacturer Directory

Darrell Carter darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk

>ADVERTISER INDEX Advertiser

Page

Allen & Heath

Cadac

DiGiCo

5, 12-13,23

DPA

Waves

PreSonus

Radial Engineering

www.audiomedia.com

Unlike their counterparts in other sectors of the live performance industry, the motto of the theatre sound engineer is to ‘be heard and not seen’. While productions traditionally relied on the vocal strength of the actors and singers, the demand for bigger shows has led to advancements across the entire theatre sound workflow from sound reinforcement to microphones, to consoles. The theatre community has embraced digital technologies wholeheartedly, relying heavily on the advancements in digital consoles to allow for quick recall of settings, playback of sound effects and music, and control of the sound from any number of actors on stage. But what do you need for your production? What about microphone choices, wireless spectrum issues, or even the choice of loudspeaker to best suit your production? That’s where this guide comes in. Within the pages of the 2014 Theatre Sound Guide you’ll find informative and promotional articles on the current offering of all of the components needed to pull off a successful production, from consoles, to microphones, to loudspeakers. Alongside promotional articles from the top brands in theatre sound, we’ve put together a number of articles showing how kit is being used in the real world at some of the world’s largest theatres, from The Theater at Madison Square Garden to the National Theatre in London. Lastly, we’ve also included a manufacturer index at the back for your reference. Whether you’re a sound designer or operator, this guide will help you find the kit that’s right for you. This guide, along with the others in the series (DAWS & Plug-ins, Microphones, Monitors & Headphones, Broadcast Audio, and Consoles) are Audio Media projects and are designed to help you navigate your way through the swaths of products currently available.

> Editor Jory MacKay jory.mackay@intentmedia.co.uk

> Group Head of Design & Production Adam Butler adam.butler@intentmedia.co.uk

> Production Executive Jason Dowie jason.dowie@intentmedia.co.uk

AUDIO MEDIA (UK) Audio Media is published by Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, England. www.audiomedia.com Telephone: 020 7354 6001 www.nbmedia.com

> Designer Jat Garcha jat.garcha@intentmedia.co.uk The contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or in part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Great care is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but neither NewBay Media nor the Editor can be held responsible for its contents or any omissions. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or artwork. © 2014 NewBay Media. All rights reserved.

May 2014 03

THEATRE CONSOLES

Source Control Central Steve Harvey talks to four theatre sound engineers about the flexibility provided by digital consoles.

igital audio consoles, with their nearinstant reset capabilities and powerful DSP, are ideally suited to theatre environments, where quick changes between events or between scenes in a performance are commonplace. Use a digital desk in such an application and you will likely wonder how you ever managed with an analogue board. “I used to do the Grand Ole Opry with a pair of Paragons!” laughs Kyle O’Connor, an engineer at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “We’re spoiled now.” According to O’Connor, flexibility and the ability to quickly reset the entire console were important criteria for the selection of an Avid Venue SC48 for the institution’s new 800-seat CMA Theater. “Our theatre has been open for six months now, and we’ve done everything from R&B bands, orchestras, and corporate shows to solo acoustic artists,” he says. In fact, the venue acquired three SC48s plus a Profile from Avid, allowing the audio crew to provide whatever system is required at any of the three performance spaces, which also includes the 1,200-capacity Event Hall and the compact Ford Theater. “On shows where I’ve got a band performance followed by video playback followed by audio playback followed by an orchestra, the faders can be where I want them and everything can be on pages,” he elaborates. “I do a lot of shows where record labels or management groups will showcase six, seven, eight acts. A band will play, then someone will talk at the podium while the next band is setting up. I can use recall saves and keep the channels I need hot while editing other scenes for other bands, bouncing back and forth, all without losing time or having to stop the show.” In late 2013, New Jersey-based proaudio sales, rental, and installation company Boulevard Professional installed a pair of compact Yamaha CL5 digital audio consoles – one at FOH, the other at monitors – at the Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) in Englewood, NJ. “In a theatre like bergenPAC, or any roadhouse where there are multiple acts of every possible genre going through on a regular basis, the thought was to get the most flexible audio console possible to be able to handle as many inputs as possible,” says James Cioffi, co-owner, Boulevard Pro. “Yamaha’s CL5 is scalable, meaning you can always add-on inputs with stage boxes,”

4 May 2014

Keeping tabs on the Yamaha CL5 installed at bergenPAC are (l-r): Ralph Grasso, monitor tech; James Cioffi, Boulevard Pro; Joe Feola, tech director; Paul Denise, audio department head

he continues. The bergenPAC system is configured with 64 inputs and 32 outputs, not including AES outputs, he says. “It could be 48 out; that’s very powerful in that footprint.” The ability to fire off scene changes was also a major attraction for Marc Waithe, audio supervisor at The Juilliard School at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. Waithe oversaw the addition of a DiGiCo SD10T and SD10-24T at the school’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater. “With the changeover between the different shows and sometimes different days, I can have the set-up change by the push of a button, rather than having to physically move everything around on the console. That’s huge,” he says. “Being able to save cues in the board is the best thing for live theatres. Then I don’t have to mute and unmute everyone individually; I can just hit one button,” says Paul Deutsch, house sound technician at the Paramount Theater in St Cloud, MN, which installed a Soundcraft Si3 as part of an all-Harman rig that includes VRX line arrays and Soundweb system processing. At bergenPAC, another point in favour of Yamaha was its Audinate Dante networking capabilities, according to Cioffi, noting that bergenPAC controls its Lake processing from the CL5. “In a theatre, there are multiple zones, and it seemed to be an easy way to have complete control at somebody’s fingertips. It’s embedded in the console with a MY card.” “We have a recording department that records all of the performances in the school,” says Waithe. “I run off Optocore for the racks, but to send to recording, I’ll run off the MADI

split. The fact that the new V6 software allows me to change the MADI stream, so I can send any input to any MADI outputs, was huge, too. We’ll send a feed of whatever mics we have with the MADI split through an RME interface.” Waithe also uses the Dante Virtual Sound Card for playback, via two DiGiCo Dante cards in the stage racks, but has another reason for utilising the Audinate network: “I’m interfacing with the console using MADI-toDante and then coming off the computers back into the console through a Focusrite RedNet 6 interface; that’s a futureproof thing. I have the Lake LM44 processors, so I’m running AES now, but might move to Dante in the future.” O’Connor found the Pro Tools system integrated into the SC48 to be of use when initially setting up the theatre’s PA rig. “We could listen to individual inputs and band mixes in the room before the first show and see how the room reacted, and get it dialed in as we needed before even getting any musicians involved,” he adds. The Pro Tools system can also host plugins, of course. “We use the standard plug-in package. I also have the C6 from Waves. I’ve had that for years; it’s my go-to, saveeverything plug-in,” says O’Connor. Paramount Theater’s Si3 came standard with four Lexicon effects engines, while bergenPAC’s CL5 includes an Effect Rack with VCM analogue circuitry modeling and a Premium Rack that includes Rupert Neve Designs Portico plug-ins; at The Julliard School, Waithe is running a SoundGrid server with the SD10T system to host Waves plug-ins. The International Guide To Theatre Sound 2014

CASE STUDIES

London’s National Theatre Goes Digital with Sennheiser Just over 50 years on from its first ever performance, the National Theatre is still going strong helped in part by the recent addition of Sennheiser’s Digital 9000 Series microphones. “There’s a real energy in our department and creating relationships with suppliers is part of that,” says the National Theatre’s head of sound and video Jonathan Suffolk, who has been instrumental in continuing the facility’s history of technical knowhow and foresight. “The NT has a long-standing relationship with Sennheiser, going back to the early 90s when we migrated from Micron microphones to Sennheiser,” he says. “The Olivier Theatre is full of Sennheiser equipment and we use them for many of the Olivier’s shows.” “However, last year, when work started on the production of The Light Princess in the Lyttelton Theatre, we considered whether to hire or buy additional radio mics,” he adds. “We felt that working at the cutting edge of technology was very much in the spirit of what the NT is about – not always using equipment we’d relied on previously.” To that end, and with the encouragement of theatre sound designer and NT sound department member Mike Walker, Suffolk and his team felt they should fully embrace

the digital audio domain. “Having Mike on the team is really important,” says Suffolk. “He’s a purist when it comes to sound. When the 9000 Series was produced, his report to us was glowing and he brought it to the theatre for us to consider. “There were concerns about potential latency with a digital system, concerns which were more instinctive than scientific. We decided the best way to allay that fear was to have a shoot out, which we did between Sennheiser and another microphone brand. Both systems were great, but the audio quality of the Sennheiser 9000 was astonishing, it was fully digital and compander-less.” “Sennheiser is quite technical in its approach to the development of its equipment,” he continues. “But where they focus their efforts is on the quality of the audio and that is absolutely apparent in the 9000 Series. There were moments on The Light Princess [the first production on which it was used] where 18 mics were being used at the same time. The quality of the sound was

The production of The Light Princess featured 18 of Sennheiser’s 9000 Series mics

extraordinary.” (Sound designer Simon Baker has received an Olivier Award nomination for his sound design.) To date, Sennheiser’s 9000 Series has been used on The Light Princess and From Morning to Midnight, and is currently being used simultaneously on Home in The Shed (fittingly, a temporary venue slated as ‘celebrating new theatre that is adventurous, ambitious, and unexpected’) and Silver Tassie in the Lyttelton Theatre. www.sennheiser.co.uk

Stagetec Polaris touch Moves Into Kammerspiele Vienna During the summer break of the touring season last year Kammerspiele Vienna underwent a full refurbishment including additional loudspeakers and an updated audio control room. As part of the refurbishments of the 471-seat Kammerspiele Vienna theatre, Salzbrenner Stagetec Mediagroup was commissioned to install the audio technology and parts of the video technology. The company chose to equip the theatre with a portable Polaris touch audio console, which is operating in combination with a CAS Mix, the predecessor to the Polaris touch (which has been in operation at the Viennese theatre for the past 10 years and was recently upgraded from four to six DSP boards). The Polaris touch takes over as the main console responsible for mixing the wireless microphones and orchestra, while the CAS Mix, permanently installed in the sound control room, handles all playbacks. A unique factor of the install is that the CAS Mix and Polaris touch use the same DSP unit, which is possible as the CAS Mix DSP unit can be accessed in parallel by up to four control surfaces. 6 May 2014

Opening night of Catch Me If You Can Credit: Rita Newman

The theatre’s sound reinforcement system was partly revised and complemented by new components with the Nexus audio router now distributing all signals to the power amplifiers with connection to the DAWs, SFXs, wall panels, as well as the entire sound control room. New Alcons Audio QR36/QR18 line-source systems have been installed along with Kling & Freitag loudspeakers.

The first show to take advantage of the set-up at Kammerspiele Vienna was the European premiere of the Scott Wittman/Marc Shaiman/Terrence McNally show Catch Me If You Can. The show was directed by Werner Sobotka and featured Martin Berger as FBI agent Carl Hanrattat, and Rasmus Borkowski as Frank Abagnale Jr. www.stagetec.com The International Guide To Theatre Sound 2014

CASE STUDIES

Sound Innovation on I Can’t Sing The irreverent new musical based on the X Factor recently opened at The London Palladium, featuring an innovative sound design by Gareth Owen, with kit supplied by Orbital Sound. For the new musical I Can’t Sing, sound designer Gareth Owen specified d&b audiotechnik’s J-Series speakers for the first time on a West End production, as well as building a one-of-a-kind 256-channel mixer and a proprietary surround sound system. The FOH system is configured with seven J8s with two J12s aside, complemented by V-Series cabinets in the gallery and T-Series for the centre cluster. Describing it as a ‘challenging show’, Owen explains why he chose the J-Series: “There is no other theatrical venue in London quite like the Palladium, and we wanted a system that would deliver the power we needed without sounding loud. The major advantage with a box the size of the J-Series is that it lets you do this – it combines extremely high output and headroom with d&b’s customary transparent and detailed audio performance.” The mixer is based on two Avid Profiles, a

MADI matrix system, and custom software, as Owen explains: “There quite simply wasn’t anything else available that would give us the channel count, the native handling of plug-ins and the programming flexibility. This show features so many different styles of music with very quick changes between numbers. Using the plug-in racks, we can change mode really fast.” Owen and his team are intent on pushing the boundaries of what is considered to be

best theatrical sound practice. In the case of I Can’t Sing, this involved coming up with some unconventional new techniques. Another unique feature involves the surround sound system, with the objective of giving every seat in the house the full surround mix. Using a proprietary MaxDSP-based control system, it involved a lot of cunning speaker placement, and custom-designed software to get the result. The show also included a technical first, in connection with the communications specified for The London Palladium – Orbital Sound supplied a Clear-Com FreeSpeak digital radio comms system, configured with 12 fully duplex multichannel beltpacks and six antennas. The system, which uses multiple linked reception ‘cells’, has enabled coverage around the theatre – connecting the venue’s communications comprehensively for the first time. www.orbitalsound.com

Tonight’s the Night for Yamaha Ben Elton’s Tonight’s The Night – The Rod Stewart Musical is currently on a major UK tour with a Yamaha CL5 at the helm. Originally staged in London a decade ago, Tonight’s The Night is currently on its second UK tour. After the success of the Yamaha PM1D that was specified by sound designer Rory Madden of RM Sound Design for the 2006 tour, the CL5 was the obvious choice for this outing. The CL5, a Rio3224-D, and two Rio1608-D i/o units were supplied by Orbital Sound, with associate sound designer Jon Sealey operating the show. “The advantages of both a console and multicore which are much easier to handle are obvious, especially on an intensive tour where there is just six hours for the get in and soundcheck,” he says. “The CL5 is just a twoman lift, even in its flightcase, which means less time lumping gear around and more time doing sound.” The R-series i/o units handle 24 inputs from the six-piece live band, plus 28 from cast wireless mics and a pair of acoustic guitars. “The cast play the acoustic guitars themselves,” says Sealey. “It’s a nice way of bringing the music right into the narrative.” An interface in one of the CL5’s MY 8 May 2014

expansion card slots allows the band to use an Aviom personal mixing system. “It didn’t take the musicians long to be happy with it and it saves us so much time. It’s an instant link - one Cat5 cable and it’s done,” says Sealey. One of the challenges of mixing the show is that the audience largely comprises Rod Stewart fans who are up for a raucous singalong, but the production has a surprising amount of light and shade. “The audience come expecting it to be loud and upfront, like a live gig, but at the same time the director wants it to be quite natural,” he continues. “It’s a very dynamic show and

we have to find the balance between making the dialogue come across naturally, ensuring that the audience can hear the words over six excellent musicians, while delivering the excitement of the songs.” Sealey has been particularly impressed with the dynamic EQ in the CL5’s Premium Rack effects. “It’s been a lifesaver. We’re using DPA 4066 headset microphones, which are very close to the mouth, and the EQ is really good for that,” he says. “The Premium Rack is fantastic, it’s been a real help to keep outboard to a minimum and cut down our footprint.” www.yamahacommercialaudio.com The International Guide To Theatre Sound 2014

SENNHEISER

The British National Theatre is among the stages that have opted for Digital 9000

Sennheiser – A Passion for Sound From large theatre productions to cabaret, and from big live shows to intimate club gigs: Sennheiser microphones ensure optimum live sound for any stage. A passion for the job is the common denominator in the entertainment business, from the manufacturers of audio equipment to sound designers, and from audio engineers to actors and artists. This passion is almost palpable at Sennheiser, and is reflected by the products the company offers for stages big and small.

www.audiomedia.com

THE MUSIC STAGE Whether wireless or wired: stage microphones need to be rugged, reliable tools for the live sound engineer. On the wired side of things, Sennheiser’s evolution series has become a standard on stages around the world, covering the entire backline and offering a wide choice of vocal microphones. The series comprises the 600 line instrument and 800 line vocal mics as well as the e 900 series of both vocal and instrument mics, with such acclaimed models as the e 935 vocal microphone. The evolution mics are joined on stage by such all-time classics as the MD 421 – a firm favourite on guitar amps, toms, and wind instruments – and recent additions to the portfolio such as the MK 4 large-diaphragm mic, which excels at vocals, acoustic instruments, guitar amps, and drums. As regards wireless microphone systems, large touring productions will rely on Sennheiser’s 3000, 5000, and 9000 series wireless systems, while the smaller live stage usually works with 2000 series and evolution wireless – which include the mic heads from

their famed wired counterparts. For wireless monitoring, Sennheiser offers its industry standard evolution wireless G3 IEM and 2000 series IEM systems.

WIRELESS SYSTEMS MANAGER To monitor and remotely control wireless microphone and monitoring systems, Sennheiser offers its customers a free software programme: the Wireless Systems Manager. This allows the engineer to import and export frequency plans, preprogramme systems prior to an event, scan the radio environment on site, get frequency recommendations for mics, IEMs, and spares, and much more.

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THE THEATRE STAGE Frequency-agile, reliable wireless transmission, high-quality audio, and inconspicuous mic’ing are key for theatre microphone systems. Sennheiser wireless systems have been designed with these requirements in mind, and have become synonymous with reliable multi-channel transmission in complex RF environments. Destined to become a reference standard throughout the theatre production industry, Sennheiser’s Digital 9000 is the only digital wireless system able to transmit uncompressed audio in the UHF range, thus enabling sound designers to set up professional multichannel systems in the digital realm. The system consists of the EM 9046 eight-channel receiver (328 MHz switching bandwidth) and a choice of bodypack or handheld transmitter. The compact bodypack can be combined with Sennheiser’s well-established range of subminiature microphones such as the MKE 1 or MKE 2.

Other firm favourites for theatre productions include the 5000/3000 series with the EM 3072-II dual-channel receiver and SK 5212 bodypack transmitter and the 2000 series with its EM 2050 dual-channel receiver and the SK 2000 bodypack.

INFORMATION

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG t +49 (5130) 600 0 w www.sennheiser.com Sennheiser UK Ltd

t +44 (0) 1628 402 200 w www.sennheiser.co.uk

May 2014 9

PRESONUS AUDIO ELECTRONICS

PreSonus StudioLive AI-series Loudspeakers a live show that sounds great in a wide variety of venues and with virtually any musical genre. This fantasy has become reality thanks to a partnership between PreSonus and Fulcrum Acoustic’s legendary engineer David Gunness (formerly of EAW and Electro-Voice). Rather than take the usual brute-force approach to PA-speaker design, the team designed a coaxial loudspeaker that employs Fulcrum’s specialised TQ™ DSP algorithms, which correct acoustical problems normally associated with coaxial designs.

Meet the family! Clockwise from top left: StudioLive 328AI (horizontal), StudioLive 312AI, StudioLive 315AI, and StudioLive 18sAI subwoofer

THE COACTUAL SOLUTION All full-range StudioLive AI systems employ an 8in midrange driver and 1.75in titanium compression driver configured in a proprietary coaxial design called “CoActual™.” CoActual speakers reproduce transients with very little change in the shape of the waveform, and unlike conventional designs, they have an inaudible crossover transition, both off- and on-axis. This produces superior intelligibility, so the audience can hear the lyrics and feel the percussion; less distortion at high soundpressure levels, resulting in more volume without pain and a less fatiguing listening experience. THE FUTURE IS ACTIVE INTEGRATION Products that work together via wireless and wired communication, are seamlessly integrated with software, and run on CPUs far

PreSonus® StudioLive™ AI-series Active Integration™ coaxial loudspeakers and subwoofers are the first affordable, active PA speaker systems that deliver studio-monitor accuracy – exceptionally clear, coherent sound – at high sound-pressure levels and offer sophisticated networking and iPad control. PreSonus® StudioLive™ AI-series 3-way, coaxial, active PA loudspeakers employ highend DSP technology to deliver studio-monitor accuracy at high SPLs, with amazing imaging and without distortion. There are three fullrange speakers in the series, distinguished by woofer size, plus an 18-inch subwoofer. These loudspeakers offer system-control and performance-monitoring features that give you unprecedented control, thanks to SL Room Control, a free speaker-management and remote-control/monitoring software for Mac®, 10 May 2014

Windows®, and iPad®. The speakers are ready to network out of the box; just add a laptop or iPad, a wireless router, and user-friendly SL Room Control. STUDIOLIVE: STUDIO SOUND ON STAGE StudioLive™ AI-series loudspeakers are the first affordable, active PA speakers that deliver studio-monitor accuracy – exceptionally clear, coherent sound – on stage, while supplying the features and protection systems required to mix

The rear of the StudioLive 312AI reveals an assortment of I/O jacks and controls for many of the features. Many more features can be accessed via free SL Room Control software The International Guide To Theatre Sound 2014

PRESONUS AUDIO ELECTRONICS

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subwoofers – but a lot louder, thanks to a more powerful than competitors’ 1,000 watt, Class D power amplifier. It adds current audio products – PreSonus up to punchy, round-sounding lows that has realised this dream with its new make kick drums, basses, and other bottomActive Integration™ technology. dwelling sounds come alive. Each StudioLive AI speaker Full-range StudioLive AI speakers are contains a computer with enough phase- and time-aligned to create a true fourprocessing power to handle the TQ way system when paired with a StudioLive algorithms for tuning the coaxial 18sAI subwoofer, with or without the 100 Hz system while providing extensive highpass filter engaged. But the StudioLive remote control over system 18sAI works well with other powered performance, EQ, and much more. loudspeakers, too. Connections include stereo Since StudioLive AI speakers line inputs (XLR/0.25in combo) and fullhave more DSP than a rackrange, switchable stereo/summed-mono line mounted speaker-management outputs (XLR). system, you don’t need On SL Room Control’s Speaker Edit page, you can create external processing devices. settings for each individual speaker. Other pages let you create COMING SOON: THE DIVINE Furthermore, the networking settings for groups of speakers and for the entire system. INTERFACE and communications features Active Integration doesn’t stop at remote SL Room Control lets you group speakers make Active Integration products incredibly control. Swap out your StudioLive in order to manage specific parts of the system, convenient to use. loudspeaker’s Ethercon control card for the then save all settings for the entire system in a StudioLive Dante upgrade, and you can ditch single preset. Create settings for each speaker, REMOTE-CONTROL EVERYTHING those analogue cables. Audinate’s Dante is for speaker groups, and for the entire system. Every StudioLive AI-series speaker includes a combination of software, hardware, and wired and wireless communications. The network protocols designed to transfer many MEET THE FAMILY included USB Wi-Fi LAN adapter enables channels of uncompressed, low-latency digital The StudioLive AI series consists of three fullwireless networking with a router. Wired audio over relatively long distances and to range systems and a subwoofer. Each employs a communications are provided via an installed option card with an Ethercon port that connects CoActual system with a woofer, driven by 2,000 multiple locations, using a standard Ethernet network. watts of triamped, Class D amplification. to your Ethernet-based LAN network. The StudioLive™ 312AI features a 12in The master control centre resides in SL ferrite woofer. It’s perfect for mains when used Room Control, a rich, easy-to-use, systemconfiguration application for Mac®, Windows®, with a subwoofer, and it makes a great sidefill or floor monitor. If you need more “woof,” and iPad that offers individual and group consider the StudioLive 315AI, which features control of all StudioLive AI-series speakers INFORMATION a 15in woofer. on the network. A Network Setup Wizard If space and ease of transportation are issues, automatically detects each speaker and allows consider the StudioLive 328AI; instead of a you to quickly connect to your network. Once PreSonus Audio Electronics single woofer, it pairs two 8in midrange drivers connected, you can easily create, edit, save, and PreSonus Audio Electronics to deliver surprising low end. recall speaker-setup parameters. 18011 Grand Bay Court The rear of each full-range system sports Baton Rouge, LA 70809 USA For each speaker, SL Room Control a combo XLR/TRS line input and an XLR accesses a 500 ms alignment delay with 0.1 ms T: +1 225 216 7887 microphone input with an XMAX™ Class A increments, 8-band parametric EQ, 8 notch F: +1 225 926 8347 W: www.presonus.com/products/ filters to eliminate feedback (full-range systems), mic preamplifier and 12V phantom power, as live-sound-reinforcement well as an XLR mix output to connect multiple control of input level to set a hard limit on a United Kingdom & Ireland speakers. In addition, you get speaker levelspeaker’s output, a 100 Hz highpass filter (fullSource Distribution (UK distributor) attenuation control and USB and Ethercon range systems), polarity reverse (subwoofer), Unit 6, Pembroke Buildings connections. Cumberland House Business Park and muting, solo, and output level. You also can London UK NW10 6RE Each full-range enclosure is pole-mountable select DSP contours that change the character and has ergonomic side handles, interlocking of each speaker to customise for different T: +44 020 8962 5080 F: +44 020 8968 3218 stacking, and M10 fly points. Dual-position applications, such as FOH, floor monitor, and E: sales@sourcedistribution.co.uk pole mounts for the 312AI and 328AI allow you compensating for artifacts when playing MP3s. W: www.sourcedistribution.co.uk to mount the speaker atop a stand or StudioLive Every setting is immediately stored onboard Germany & Benelux 18sAI subwoofer at 90 degrees or at a 10-degree the loudspeaker in a User Layer. You can Hyperactive Audiotechnik GmbH downward tilt. Neukirchner Str. 18 configure your system and then disconnect SL 65510 Hünstetten, Germany Room Control without changing the sound. GET DOWN WITH THE You can remotely monitor key performance T: +49 (6126) 95 36 50 F: +49 (6126) 95 36 569 STUDIOLIVE 18SAI indicators in real time for each speaker on the E: info@hyperactive.de The StudioLive™ 18sAI active, 18in ferrite network: real-time temperature, driver overW: www.hyperactive.de subwoofer gets down to 35 Hz (-6 dB) with excursion, and signal levels that are too hot for an accuracy usually found only in studio the converters.

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www.audiomedia.com

May 2014 11

THEATRE MICROPHONES

The famed La Jolla Playhouse at the University of California, San Diego has been using a slew of 2011C twin diaphragm cardioids as foot mics

Critical Characteristics for Theatre Microphones The right microphone choices can make or break a theatre production, writes Steve Harvey.

ir Winston Churchill’s famous comment about blood, sweat, and tears not only symbolises the effort that goes into any theatrical production but also represents a shortlist of just some of the challenges that may be encountered by microphones used in that environment. As if that weren’t enough, microphones in theatrical applications must often also be impervious to the vagaries of the wireless frequency spectrum, endure hours of constant use, and be nearly invisible. Oh, and they had better sound great, too. Speaking of blood, Carrie: The Musical, based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel, features a bucket of it. At the musical’s west coast premiere at The Victoria Theatre in San Francisco in late 2013, the actor playing Carrie had four gallons of fake blood dumped on her at every performance. San Francisco-based Sound Productions supplied 21 Countryman E6i omnidirectional earset microphones as part of the sound design and engineering services that the company provided. Anton Hedman, general manager of Sound Productions and owner of Hedman Sound, reports that one E6i was hidden in Carrie’s tiara for the prom scene. “We positioned the mic face down and protected it with a funnel-shaped wrap of medical tape around the capsule and a solid wrap around the ear connection to repel most of the liquid. We were all amazed at how well it worked!” He adds: “We typically use these mics with Shure SLX, ULX, UR, and ULXD wireless

14 May 2014

systems and, together, they make a great combination.” Carl Casella, sound designer at Sound Associates, a sound equipment rental and sales house with locations in the New York City area, is also a fan of Shure’s ULX-D system. Casella recently wrapped a production of A Night with Janis Joplin at the Lyceum Theater on Broadway. “In the [radio spectrum] space of three conventional microphones, you can fit 32 of their digital ones,” says Casella of the ULX-D digital wireless system. Having used it on the show’s regional tour, he says, he was adamant about retaining the system for its Broadway run. “It was so reliable and so bulletproof. I said, I just want to stay with the ULX. In New York, we added all the guitars on it also,” he says. “It’s served me well for 18 months without a problem.” Since its founding in 1947, La Jolla Playhouse, a storied complex of theatres located on the campus of the University of California, San Diego, has produced 44 world premieres, 24 west coast premieres, and seven US premieres, reportedly sending more shows to Broadway than all other theatres in the country combined. Serving as both teaching facilities for the school’s dramatic arts students and as a venue for professional productions, the Playhouse acquired a selection of DPA microphones during 2013, including 2011C twin diaphragm cardioids and 4061/4062 omni-directional miniature mics.

According to Joe Huppert, sound and video supervisor for the UCSD department for theatre and dance and the La Jolla Playhouse, the venue often works with Broadway sound designers on the premieres of new productions. “They always expect us to have DPA microphones,” he reports. “We look for a realistic, somewhat intimate, sound reinforcement environment where we need high-quality sound rather than high levels of sound. All of the DPA mics that I’ve encountered have filled these needs.” The DPA mics are typically deployed as foot mics and on instruments at the Playhouse. “We’ve used some other brands as foot mics, but we found them to be much more difficult to EQ and get a good sound,” says Huppert. “When we throw in a really good mic, like DPA, it makes it easier for us to teach our students how to get a good production.” According to Eric Stahlhammer, the theatre’s sound designer and owner of Greater Sound Designs: “The DPA mics are just way better in terms of flatter response, full coverage, and off-axis response.” When he elected to use the 2011C model for the Second City Comedy Troupe, says Stahlhammer: “We didn’t have an issue with feedback and what was going into the microphone was clean from the PA.” Mindful of the impending FCC auction that could soon see wireless mic users moved out of the 600MHz frequency spectrum, David Hallock, production manager at the Park City School District’s Eccles Center for the Performing Arts in Park City, UT, recommended the purchase of a Lectrosonics system in autumn 2013. The centre purchased 18 Lectrosonics LMa beltpack transmitters, six HH handheld transmitters, three Venue mainframe systems fully loaded with VRS receiver modules, and a pair of ALP650 LPDA antennas. “The very narrow band transmission capabilities of the transmitters, along with the rock-solid stability of the company’s Digital Hybrid Wireless system, made this equipment the ideal choice for futureproofing ourselves against the expected sale of the 600 band of wireless spectrum,” says Hallock. “From an audio quality perspective, Lectrosonics’ lack of companding offers truly uncoloured audio performance and excellent response.” The system proved its value during a student revival of the popular 1960 musical Bye Bye Birdie, when it was used in combination with the centre’s existing RF equipment. “We were able to run 36 channels for two and a half weeks with no dropouts. The LMa transmitters held up to everything the students had to offer – without so much as a scratch,” he reports. The International Guide To Theatre Sound 2014

CASE STUDIES

DPA Stays Invisible for The Bodyguard Based on the 1992 film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, the hit stage musical features DPA miniature mics on all cast members. When it comes to mic’ing musicals and theatre productions DPA microphones have been heard (but rarely seen) on numerous shows from Broadway to London’s West End. One of the latest productions to join this club is The Bodyguard, the hit stage musical written by Alexander Dinelaris and based on the 1992 film, which is currently playing at the Adelphi Theatre in London. The Bodyguard uses DPA’s d:screet 4060 omnidirectional miniature microphones on all members of the cast who have spoken lines. Ania Klimowicz, deputy head of sound for the show, says the d:screet 4060s were chosen because sound designer Richard Brooker and director Thea Sharrock didn’t want any microphones to be visible to the audience. “We use paint, tape and make-up on the mics to make them look as invisible in the actors’ hair or wig as possible,” Klimowicz explains. “We mainly use mic clips and occasionally elastic to fix the mics to the performer’s head. Male actors with shaved heads are probably our biggest challenge – in those cases we abandon the usual centre top of forehead fitting and fit the mic over the ear.” There are 32 actors involved in this current production of The Bodyguard, with 22

Beverly Knight as Rachel Marron Credit: Paul Coltas

performing in each show. There is also a 10piece band, a three-person sound crew, and a backstage cast of 45. When it comes to sound, the show is operated by one person who live mixes the band and vocals, as well as firing the sound effects. “Three members of the cast are ‘double mic’ed’ meaning they wear a main and backup DPA d:screet 4060 head microphone,” Klimowicz says. “Some of the girls wear a headset, a head-mic, and use a handheld microphone a various points during the show. Generally the sound for the spoken parts of

the show is reinforced but remains naturalistic. This contrasts with numbers such as Queen of the Night or So Emotional, which are set during concerts and therefore need to feel big and more rock ’n’ roll.” “The DPA d:screet 4060 microphones sound great and are also very reliable. We rarely have an issue with them,” she says. “Occasionally they get damaged and need replacing, but given the amount of wear and tear they face on a daily basis, they are incredibly rugged.” www.dpamicrophones.com

DiGiCo Proves Perfect Solution for The Commitments A quarter of a century after the film of Roddy Doyle’s best-selling novel became a resounding hit, the stage show is proving equally successful.

Richard Scott with the DiGiCo SD7 Credit: James Cumpsty

The stage adaptation of The Commitments – adapted by the novel’s author working with director Jamie Lloyd – is playing at London’s Palace Theatre, which has been home to some of the most successful productions of all time. Rory Madden, a 40-year veteran audio 16 May 2014

engineer, is sound designer for the show. His rental company Sonalyst provides all audio equipment, including the DiGiCo SD7 at the heart of the system. “This show certainly has some challenges,” says Madden. “One has been making it sound less than perfect at the start, which goes completely against the grain.” The Commitments follows a group of working class Dubliners who form a soul band. At the beginning of the show, the band – who can’t yet play particularly well – play in a bedroom and a shop window. “The biggest challenge is how fast the sets move. It’s almost like a film, everything moves from scene to scene very quickly.” The frenetic pace of the show also means that the SD7 is worked hard, with 150 inputs

in use and constant cue changes throughout the show. “We’ve used every single part of the desk,” says Madden. “Sonically it’s great and with the sheer amount of things we have to change on so many cues, it’s probably the only desk in the world that could have done this show. It’s a very high channel count because there are effectively two bands. The Commitments – the actors – play their instruments live all the way through, but there is a second, seven-piece band for underscores, accents, and other bits and pieces of musical emphasis.” The SD7’s ease of programming aided the team’s ability to give focus to different parts of the production using 18 effects speakers which are fixed in the set. www.digico.biz The International Guide To Theatre Sound 2014

THEATRE LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEMS

George Washington University’s 1,500-seat Lisner Auditorium recently updated its audio system with a Martin Audio MLA Compact line array system installed by MHA Audio

Consistency and Flexibility Flexibility is key when it comes to audio systems in theatres, writes Strother Bullins.

n comparison to outdoor performance areas, sheds, and large arenas, modern theatres tend to be very reflective audio environments, imposing significant character to any audio programme that grace their stages. And by ‘character’, we usually refer to frequencyaltering issues that sound system designers must acknowledge. In multipurpose theatres, install engineers face an added, greater challenge: there’s always a new production, each with widely different needs and overall SPL levels, among other varying day-to-day issues. For these reasons, building out a flexible theatre sound rig begs for careful choices, most commonly employing line array systems. Manufacturers including d&b audiotechnik, JBL Professional, L-Acoustics, Martin Audio, and Renkus-Heinz have researched the market’s needs and developed system configurations to systematically correct for zone-based frequency variations, thus providing equitable coverage throughout a theatre, sometimes within a 2dB SPL variance from any one seat to another, anywhere in the house. As a result, each staff or visiting mixer is allowed the comfort of knowing their mix is everyone else’s, too. With a history of work in theatres, the engineering team at Clair Brothers Audio Systems is well versed in applying line array 18 May 2014

technology to complex, large, and overall acoustically challenging rooms. By installing a well-designed line array, “we’re giving mixers a solid foundation to build on”, explains Jim Devenney, Clair senior engineer. Clair’s work on The Theater at Madison Square Garden, one of MSG Entertainment’s key venues, is an ideal example of this: Devenney and his team had an early opportunity to utilise the new JBL VTX line array system. As it is the biggest theatre in Manhattan – hosting a broad range of acts in its 6,000-seat, balcony-less, low-ceiling environment – the necessary wide main PA placement required careful selection of a strong centre cluster, two rings of delays, and sideboxes. “The very nature of the line array – not having to set up a bunch of point-and-shoot boxes – reduces comb-filtering across the listening area,” explains Devenney. “There’s no setting up longer-throw boxes across the top, and – because the theatre is so wide – you’d have to have an array of a couple of boxes wide, so there would be comb-filtering between them, too. The line array just makes the coverage area smoother. Being prepared for anything from The Muppets to The Who, we also had to make sure the system was powerful enough to handle anything,” recalls Devenney. “With the new Crown Audio I-Tech HD 4 X

3500 amplifiers and VTX sub-lows (hanging four per side), we were ensured that we had it covered. It’s easier to scale back than to scale up.” Specing a system that will assure visiting engineers is always a good move, but sometimes being one of those visiting engineers can provide some insight as well. After serving audio needs at George Washington University’s 1,500-seat Lisner Auditorium for 20 years, Maryland-based MHA Audio owner Mike Scarfe recommended configuring a Martin Audio MLA Compact line array system for the venue’s unique sonic characteristics and needs. “Having a history there, and by knowing the cross-section of entertainment they host, choosing the system was straightforward,” he said. “I’ve personally been using Martin Audio MLA for a little over two years now, so it was a no-brainer for me to suggest they step up their game and go with this ground-breaking technology.” FEWER BOXES, MORE COVERAGE Belgium’s Oostende Post Office – a modernist, former public building considered one of that country’s finest post-war architectural endeavours – now hosts De Grote Post, a multipurpose performing arts centre with slightly over 400 seats, redesigned for music, The International Guide To Theatre Sound 2014

THEATRE LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEMS

Sixteen high powered JBL AM7112 with a narrower pattern, 60º wide, served-us well; we could put more of them in with less overlap. It allowed us to get more power to the delays in the first delay ring. In the second delay ring, in the raised ceiling area with low ceilings and restricted sight lines, we had the same number. One of the main challenges is to get power to the back in low ceiling, deep room situations.”

De Grote Post, a performing arts centre in Belgium with 400-plus seats, has the first European installation of Renkus-Heinz’s VARIA modular point source line array

dance, and traditional theatre. It also marks the first European installation of Renkus-Heinz’s VARIA modular point source line array, with four VARIA VA101 cabinets per side, a two 22.5º cabinet centre cluster, and a third cabinet ground stacked atop two VA15S subwoofers. Four TRX61 loudspeakers provide front fill for the first few rows. Steven Kemland of Foundation for Audiovisual Commerce and Engineering (FACE) – De Grote Post’s systems provider – explains: “Most of the systems we looked into would have required many more cabinets to provide even coverage across the entire seating area. The VARIA’s variable coverage patterns enabled us to configure a system with fewer boxes than a traditional line array. It’s very compact and yet it sounds like a much larger system.” MULTI-BRAND SYSTEM SELECTION Masque Sound – the New Jersey-based theatrical sound reinforcement, installation, and design company – tackles a variety of summer theatre festivals around the country, ranging from the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusettes, which it has handled for over a decade, to the high-profile Shakespeare in the Park festivities at the Delacorte Theater in New York, to The Muny in St Louis. For the Williamstown Festivals, sound supervisor Alex Neumann confirms that a carefully chosen amalgamation of Meyer Sound, d&b audiotechnik, and L-Acoustics speakers – including Meyer M’elodie line arrays, UPQ-1Ps and UPQ-2Ps, d&b 20 May 2014

audiotechnik E0s, E4s, and E9s, L-Acoustics 108Ps and DV subs – covers its 511-seat main theatre, proving line array selection can be customisable. “On the two main stages, we turn over shows in 24 hours, so we need to make sure the sound equipment we are using can hold up to the rigours of our crazy schedule,” Neumann explains. “Equipment selection is essential and knowing that Masque Sound consistently provides reliable and well-built gear allows me to focus my attention elsewhere. That is a huge help.” “Although we provide unique audio equipment setups, our goal is to supply the sound designers with the flexible, customised equipment packages they need to create an environment in which every audience member feels a connection to the show,” confirms Dennis Short of Masque Sound. KEEPING OUT OF SIGHT IN MIND Somewhat like house of worship environments, where aesthetics and sightlines are almost literally and figuratively sacred, theatre loudspeaker installs are often presented with some unalterable acoustic tendencies to work around – yet another good reason for going line array, as Clair’s Devenney notes about The Theater at Madison Square Garden installation. “One thing that [MSG Entertainment’s] Tom Arrigoni and I wanted to make sure of was that the centre cluster could keep up with the main PA. [Because the ceiling is so low], we couldn’t put up large delay speakers.

NEW TECHNOLOGY IN SET SPACES At Lisner Auditorium, Scarfe deployed cutting-edge line array technology in a traditional theatre environment: “Lisner Auditorium was certainly designed to project unamplified content from the stage; it’s a very live room. Using Martin Audio’s proprietary Display2 optimisation process, I was able to designate the back wall of the auditorium as a ‘hard avoid’ area and the ceiling as a ‘nonaudience area, minimising reflections from those two surfaces.” “Other than a little bit of acoustic treatment on the back wall, there was none, and it wasn’t in the scope of this project,” continues Devenney on the sheer size of MSG’s Theater. “The acoustics are what the acoustics are. It’s a city block wide with low ceilings for a venue with that many seats. Usually theatres are stacked up with balconies, and there are none here. You take all those seats that balconies add and bring people closer, and it makes the room fan-shaped, deep and wide. We covered it well with delays, making sure that it is even in all places.” BENEFITTING FROM BALANCE A more even coverage throughout a theatre allows visiting engineers to mix with confidence. At MSG’s Theater, “the mix position is kind of close to the stage, compared to most theatres where you are close to the back, even under the balcony”, says Devenney. “You’re close to the stage, at the edge of the coverage of the main PA, but the centre field helps. It’s a great place to mix.” Scarfe touted MLA’s ability to provide consistent sound throughout the venue, and the fact that the farthest seat from the stage receives the same sound quality as the front row serves the historic Lisner Auditorium well; he recently engineered an outdoor MLAbased spoken word event where, at 350ft from the stage, SPL was only 2dB down from the podium, with no delays. “In these cases, gain before feedback is always an issue,” he notes, adding: “MLA is really the only option to get this kind of controllable decibel balance throughout such venues.” The International Guide To Theatre Sound 2014