Terry Jardine, sound designer for Follies and Autograph's managing director, chose a new and unique loudspeaker product for this show, the Insider 665. A line source product from Sweden, manufactured by LLW, the Insider 665 was being used for the first time in the UK, typical of Autograph's innovative approach to new products. This new Swedish loudspeaker has been designed to handle wide and long distance coverage in large indoor venues, synchronized with pure sound reproduction. Six cabinets a side were used at the Royal Festival Hall for Follies, with no further delay speakers required throughout the venue. This unusual design even left a mark on the critics, Charles Spencer from The Telegraph commented on the natural sound of the orchestra ". . . what a pleasure to hear a big pit band that doesn't rely on electronics."
Terry Jardine was extremely pleased with the results he and his team achieved with this interesting new product, the speakers passed a difficult test with flying colours. "Follies was a tricky project given the venue and the short time scale of the production period, the Insiders did everything I could have hoped for and proved that they are a product well worth using. The sound they produce is full of information, orchestra and vocal detail was very exact, indeed given that the cast spent most of the show three meters downstage of the speakers, the clarity and level of the vocals produced should not have been possible."
(Lee Baldock)
