Live Business won the tender for the contract to design and install a completely new sound and lighting system for the theatre in time for a pantomime run. Live Business International director Roland Hemming designed the installation, which besides being high quality, required a great deal of flexibility to cope with the very different types of use. The systems also needed to have the sophistication to cope with relatively complex productions, yet be useable by in-house staff for lectures and simpler performances.
Hemming specified a Turbosound-based audio system, with TCS59 cabinets and TCS108 bass bins, along with TCS20 delay speakers and a pair of the new TQ310 multi-purpose speakers for foldback. The whole system is controlled by two BSS Omnidrives and powered by Yamaha amplifiers. The control room, which doubles as a basic pre-editing suite, boasts a Soundcraft LX7 console, and the system is completed by Trantec radio mics.
The new lighting systems comprise 24 channels of Botex dimming, eight channels of switching, a variety of fixtures including Par cans, profiles and fresnels and a Jands control console. A Techpro intercom was installed throughout the theatre. Comments Hemming: "We put a lot of work into the infrastructure in sockets and cabling so that equipment can be used wherever it’s needed and extra lights can be put in at a future date without requiring further wiring."
Live Business International added further value to the installation by providing training sessions for the house staff. The company also guaranteed the technical success of the first production by providing sound and lighting engineers as part of the package.
(Ruth Rossington)
