DBS Solutions Supplied sound, lighting, and audio visual equipment as well as a turn key production design service for the latest production of Les Miserables. The show performed by CODYS productions at the Brindley Theatre Runcorn was a sell out success. dBS Solution’s Andrew Waddell and Ian Threlfall attended to the sound while Chris Bogg designed and operated the sizable lighting rig for the show.
The sound design by Waddell consisted of a proscenium system of Ohm moon speakers for the stalls and circle with moon subs and four BR6 front fill speakers. This was augmented by the house systems centre cluster to help adjust the image to the stage. This system assisted in amplifying the 16 strong orchestra from the pit conducted by Richard Winter.
On stage two independent BR6 units provided down stage fold back and some imaging for the complex sound effects required for the show. Up stage behind the set, sat two Ohm TRS218 subs and TRS212 high packs to provide the realistic battle soundscape and other subsonic effects during the show.
“It was important that the battles sounded realistic and chilling” Andrew commented. Sound effects and show control was managed be Cue lab and routed though eight audio outputs direct to the outputs of the desk.
The show was mixed on a Yamaha LS9-32 with the 16 channels of Sennheiser radio microphone system mixed on an 0v 96. “This system allowed me to assign individual channels or groups of channels to a fader group or DCA that could then be controlled from a master fader. The assignment of these remote groups was then changed scene by scene via midi and cue lab” said Andrew. The added bonus of working this way is that every actor can have their own desk channel with their own EQ and dynamics and the only thing that changes is the routing.
On the sound of the Ohm system Andrew comments “ I was very impressed with the moon system, the boxes are small and discreet yet produce a very open and transparent sound. They did a great job.”
Chris’s lighting design incorporated 8 of the new Futurelight PHS260 spots for gobo washes and spot pickups into the house stock of around 80 generic lanterns. This along with two neutron hazers, Antari and Jem fog machines, and an Antari DNG Log fog unit where all controlled from a ChamSys Magic Q system.
“The automated lighting although used in almost every scene in the show, were not intended to be seen moving by the audience”, said Chris. “ I utilised the consoles auto move wile dark function and this worked fantastically. Controlling the moving lights and the in house scrollers in this way cut down on programming lots of mark cues and helps keep an already busy show file tidy”.
With a large number of effects and moving lights, speed of use, familiar user interface, and features are so important I wouldn’t chose any other console” Said Chris.
The video elements of the show where played back from cue lab from the show control system and projected onto a black gauze. The shutter of the projector was controlled from the lighting desk giving a two user dead mans handle. With the complex stage floor revolve and flying CCTV cameras where installed and distributed around the venue to aid the cast to see the musical director and for the crew to see the stage during the performance.
The week of performances has been met with critical acclaim and several very good reviews. For more information on CODYS productions and their up coming performances please see the web site.
www.codysproductions.com