O'Gorman has been shepherding the sound for Riverdance since the show's inception; this makes him perfectly placed to understand the quite specific demands of focusing attention in the very 'one dimensional' space where its drama is played out. We need to hear sound from the stage centre, not from the loudspeakers. The delaying employed to achieve correct imaging is pretty complex; I'm using a couple of delay matrices to get the sound to different places on the stage so that voices, taps and instruments all sound authentic."
The system O'Gorman uses is a newly acquired Q-Series PA from d&b audiotechnik: "There were some critical considerations in choosing this system. Firstly, a Q1 cabinet is so light for the SPL it can produce, it meant I could hang it in places where typically people cannot hang, off the end of a 'house drape' pipe for example. Secondly, this is also quite the best ground stacking line array system I've ever found; the fact that it is rigid between cabinets, has a very small footprint, and the fact that you can address different SPLs at different places, balcony and stalls for example, while keeping sound off the front face of a balcony is just so easy. For a passive box it's extraordinary, high SPLs of 139dB out of such a physically small cabinet".
But, what considerations were there about amplifiers and cable managementΩ "It was never an issue, inbuilt amplifiers make for heavy cabinets, and being a passive box there is not that much cabling; besides in total, I've got forty two Q cabinets, including subs, plus some E3s and E9s for front and under stage fill, and the whole lot is driven off just sixteen d&b D12 amplifiers.
That is the other thing; I am using d&b's ROPE C remote control software to control levels, EQ and delay in the D12s, that is all front of house EQ addressed in the amplifiers! A tablet PC radio linked to a PC at the FOH is taken around the venue to instruct adjustments to ROPE C, which means I'm just passing computer instructions wirelessly, the commands to the D12s are by direct link so it is completely solid. I like that aspect of it all being designed as one."
O'Gorman had much to say on that count: "I don't even bother going to new system demos anymore; each time d&b brings out a new system I know it is going to sound better, but with that same distinctive voice. That is what I like, from crossover to loudspeakers and amplifiers these are completely thought through systems.
Riverdance toured to ecstatic reviews and sold out shows throughout Japan and Taiwan up until Christmas. The system was provided by UK based Mikam Sound North, Willie Mannion mixes FOH, JC Campbell at foldback, all under the guidance of system tech Don Adcock. The PA is scheduled to go into the Gaeity Theatre, Dublin for a summer season when it returns from the Far East. "That's another thing," concluded O'Gorman, "there is an enormous weight saving when you are flying these things half way around the world.
