Sound reinforcement inside the theatre is the responsibility of Milan-based Backstage PA. Speech intelligibility is paramount to comedy shows, and music plays an important role in creating and steering emotions. To satisfy both requirements, the team from Backstage PA opted for sound systems from Electro-Voice. The PA comprises 24 Electro-Voice XLD281 loudspeakers (12 per side) driven by a single EV CP4000 amplifier with nine CP3000s. The monitor system that delivers foldback to the stage is also from Electro-Voice: six XLE side-fills and two XS212 monitors driven by two CP3000 power amplifiers.
Frederico Farina, the show's sound engineer, comments: "When a comedian is on stage delivering a monologue, it's crucial for him to be able to hear the audience so he can time gags correctly and his words are never drowned by laughter. In the Archimboldi the audience is a very long way from the stage, and during sketches the performers can be scattered quite widely across the stage. It's essential, therefore, for the monitor system to be of the highest quality. We opted here for the same configuration you'd use at a rock concert, with three XLE side-fills on each side of the stage."
(Jim Evans)
