CBC Technical worked closely with Buck Tallman and Dave Brown from Quantum to design and install an extensive Electro-Voice sound system to provide high-resolution sound for the SOAR's atmospheric soundscapes.
Chris Batchelor, Sales Manager for CBC, comments: "We've been supporting summer shows at the San Diego Zoo on a rental basis for the last few years with a system built around an Electro-Voice XLD compact line-array system. This year the producer of this new, permanent show asked me to put together a system that could provide sound from any point around the audience.
Using a range of EV products, including weatherproofed Zx and Sx series loudspeakers, we took a different approach this year, designing what is basically a 7.1 surround sound system, a system that can direct sound anywhere, immersing the audience in the sounds of birds flying overhead. There's even a scene in the show where the whole forest venue catches on fire - the flames start off in the distance and end up wrapping around the entire audience - it looks and sounds like you're in the middle of a forest fire. There's also thunder, lightning, and all sorts of other great effects, and we needed a system with the sonic ability to create a believable experience."
During the summer months of its 17-month run, SOAR will perform two daytime shows and one at night, and will continue during the Zoo's daytime hours as the show runs through the fall, winter, and spring. For a system to withstand the rigours of daily outdoor use for 17 months, the system needed to combine sturdiness, low-profile aesthetics, and excellent audio quality. The system at Hunte features Zx5 main loudspeakers, Zx1 front-fills, and Xsub and Sx600 loudspeakers as delays.
NEI, the San Diego Zoo, and SOAR's producers are very pleased with the new system. Show producer Steve Martin comments, "The sound system CBC Technical installed in our amphitheatre exceeded my expectations. The quality of the sound is incredible - more like something I would imagine in an expensive indoor venue rather than our outdoor amphitheatre. The speakers blend nicely in our natural setting and the 7.1 surround sound pinpoints our audio effects with precision that has all heads turning in unison. I couldn't be happier with the quality of the system and level of support we have received from CBC Technical."
Lisa Passamonte Green of Visual Terrain, technical director for the production, added: "CBC Technical was a valued member of the team and Visual Terrain enjoyed their collaborative spirit throughout the entire process. CBC was extremely proactive and ready to tackle every issue as they arose."
"We expect the same quality that we get from every piece of EV equipment we install," adds Batchelor, "but we were just amazed by how little adjustment we had to do to the system in this venue once it was installed. Minimal EQ tweaking was required, which is often the case with our EV gear; inherently good sound quality not only makes our jobs easier, it keeps our customers happy."
(Jim Evans)
