LIGHT & SOUND INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER 2016 ENTERTAINMENT • PRESENTATION • INSTALLATION

IN THIS ISSUE: Bad Company & Paul Rodgers Old school touring at its best JBL at 70 Celebrating an audio icon Tech: KLANG:Fabrik Award-winning 3D in-ear mixing www.lsionline.co.uk

DIGITAL EDITION Audio wizardry in the West End

TECH TRAIL: THE TRUSS STORY PT2 • NILE RODGERS & CHIC IN ROME • PROFILE: AED UK PROFILE: LAMP & PENCIL • TECH: HES SOLASPOT PRO 2000 • BOSE LAUNCHES SHOWMATCH INTERVIEW: GLP’S NOEL SMITH • TECH: ELATION’S SATURA PROFILE . . . AND MORE! IN THE NEWS Aladdin’s Audio Genie-us

LSi reports on the pro audio wizardry at work behind the scenes for the current West End production of Disney’s Aladdin . . .

Photo: Deen van Meer © Disney

UK - Disney’s Aladdin brought a riot of colour to London’s West End when it opened this summer. Ken Travis and his “We wanted associate, Alex Hawthorn, designed the sound for the a system that show’s Broadway run and wanted to create an intimate would be both atmosphere in London’s Prince Edward Theatre. At the same cinematic and time the audio system had to be intimate . . .” almost invisible. Although Ken is an - Ken Travis established Broadway name, Aladdin is his first West End show. Candidly admitting that he didn’t know what to expect, he was assisted by UK-based knew the ideal way to achieve Autograph. “d&b sounds great Tracker PCs (one as backup). associate sound designer it would be if the audience out of the box and the Array Two sensors are mounted Tony Gayle, along with Andy could localise who was singing, Processing provides an amazing upstage, two at the pros and Brown, senior production sound no matter where they were amount of control over EQ and three on the balcony front. Only engineer at Autograph, and onstage. That way when the volume. The room it gives a two sensors need to ‘see’ for sound operator Simon Fox. show gets big, like during Friend designer is amazing,” says Ken. tracking, so this setup provides “They really helped to guide the Like Me, the audience would still Three TiMax2 SoundHub S64 plenty of coverage. US team through the process. feel connected to the performer. units (including a hot spare) link The SD7T sends MADI Honestly, I have never felt so Finding that balance of intimacy via TiMax MADI64 card to the sources to all three TiMax relaxed walking into a theatre and power is tricky, it takes a lot SD7T via Optocore and the d&b units via MADI bridge splitters, as I did knowing that Autograph of speakers and processing.” amps via DirectOut MADI to including radio mics, plus were on the job,” says Ken. Ken and Alex specified AES interface boxes. The TiMax sound effects feeds from QLab, He continues, “We wanted a d&b Y series rig, with a TiMax Tracker system consists of seven band mix and reverbs for a system that would be both delay matrix and a DiGiCo TT Sensors, with rackmount TiMax to spatialise across the cinematic and intimate. We SD7T console, all supplied by POE Hub and two 1U TiMax loudspeaker system.

20 NOVEMBER 2016 • WWW.LSIONLINE.CO.UK QLab plays sound effects D Andy Brown (left), senior into TiMax inputs via the DiGiCo, production sound engineer at along with MIDI commands to Autograph, and sound operator trigger TiMax dynamic spatial Simon Fox with the DiGiCo SD7T surround pans. TiMax also console manages routing snapshots C The TiMax processors and d&b triggered by QLab. All this amps occurs simultaneously with the real-time TiMax Tracker control of delay-matrix vocal localisation across 11 different stage zones - plus three elevated ‘magic carpet’ zones 3m above midstage. Out Board’s Dave Haydon provided TiMax Tracker commissioning and training onsite at the theatre. area takes the space of just Andy Brown’s job has been additional L-R hangs to cover what Autograph is all about, eight seats. to take Ken’s design and choice the balconies, a row of Y subs trying to make it the best it can “The racks and control of equipment and to make the and a full surround system. be from all perspectives.” systems are sub-stage in most show happen, both technically “We needed a lot of Further logistical challenges West End shows. Even with and aesthetically. One of the key loudspeakers to make the magic that the Autograph team had to shows that have quite a lot of challenges was that the entire happen, but the only way we overcome were the ever-greater lifts and other things within the system had to be as visually could achieve it in Cameron’s demands to reduce seat kill at floor, we’ve still managed to fit unobtrusive as possible, an theatre was to hide it,” says the mix position and a change the racks around it. But on this ongoing commitment by Prince Andy. “The main PA is behind of location for the system racks. show, because of the amount of Edward theatre owner Cameron scrims, while all the surround “The mix position is getting sub-stage engineering, we had Mackintosh. This was no easy and delay loudspeakers are smaller . . . It becomes more of to move all the racks up onto task with an L-C-R system painted to match the theatre a challenge to fit in the console a new platform, stage left, just comprising 13 d&b Y Series walls. It’s all about a package and have room for enough below the grid. That also meant each side of the proscenium, and making sure that we do people behind it all,” says Andy. it was a major job to re-route the plus a centre cluster of 16, what is best for the show. That’s “On this production, the whole

Audio showcontrol Dynamic delay-matrix Moving 3D surround TimeLine and PanSpace

Spatial wizardry 3D performer tracking for real-time vocal localisation

outboard.co.uk

WWW.LSIONLINE.CO.UK • NOVEMBER 2016 21 IN THE NEWS

Photo: Deen van Meer © Disney cabling - and there’s a lot of it Photo: Deen van Meer © Disney for this show.” Nowadays much of that cable is fibre optic. “The digital “We wanted networking side of things has changed massively in recent to stay out of years. We pull in multiple fibres with a job like this, which we the 2.4GHz terminate on site,” says Andy. “Everything is effectively run band, because through fibre, even MIDI, which so many other we use for triggering TiMax and also lighting effects. We use it things use it . . .” as the backbone between FOH and backstage for just about every production we do.” A total of 16 of the show “I also think the SD7T is a communications system, Aladdin. I’m equally pleased principals and ensemble are fantastic desk. It is the fastest which has worked extremely that we were able to meet and using the TiMax matrix. “I hadn’t console to program and it well in such a crowded RF exceed Ken’s expectations on worked with TiMax before, but I sounds great.” Simon agrees, environment. “There’s a lot of his first West End project - really like it,” says Simon. “It has adding: “The functionality of the scenery and the issue is trying I hope we get to work with him taken quite a lot of fine-tuning, SD7T is perfect for this kind of to choreograph the movement and his team again soon.” as it moves the sound both from production. It’s quick to navigate of it all, because the wing space left to right and up and down, Despite not knowing what and I think you would physically is so limited,” says Andy. “We for the magic carpet. But once to expect from a West End struggle to do something this needed a system that allows it’s done, it’s a case of ‘set-and- production, Aladdin has been big on another desk.” multiple people to talk at the forget’. During the book scenes, a positive experience for Ken which are very intimate, you can Cast microphones comprise same time and we wanted to and he is quick to praise the hear someone is speaking from 42 channels of Sennheiser stay out of the 2.4GHz band, Autograph team. “Andy, Simon, stage left or stage right, and SK 5212 transmitters with EM because so many other things Adam Taylor and Megan when they move upstage it gets 1046 receivers, which Andy use it, including the scenery McDowall have been great. They quieter, so you don’t have to and Simon believe is the best- automation. Freespeak II works mix and maintain an incredibly make that adjustment manually. sounding and physically fitting in the 1.9GHz band and the busy and complicated design “We have about 130 inputs to wireless system for theatre, number of conversations you and do it with smiles on their the DiGiCo SD7T, but output- and a mixture of DPA 4061 and can have at any one time is faces,” he says. “Don’t tell any wise it’s a bit unusual because Sennheiser MKE1 miniature almost unlimited, so it was the production managers, but we all of the 16 characters using lavalier microphones. “We use perfect way to go.” were finished sound-checking 5212s on the majority of our Autograph’s Duncan Bell TiMax have a subgroup out to eight hours ahead of schedule. shows; it’s still the best in terms remarked: “It’s always a privilege it. It’s all fully digital, from the If Arsenal hadn’t been playing of quality,” notes Andy. to work with a truly global brand input through to the d&b D20 away that weekend, we would all and D80 amplifiers.” One new innovation for an and so I’m delighted that we have been at the match!” I “TiMax is our ace in the Autograph West End show have continued our association hole on this show,” says Ken. is a ClearCom Freespeak II with Disney Theatrical on P www.autograph.co.uk

22 NOVEMBER 2016 • WWW.LSIONLINE.CO.UK