Sound design is by Dan Moses Schreier, who was also responsible for the sound on the last three Stephen Sondheim revivals, with a Cadac J-Type Live Production Console taking a key role at the heart of the show's sound system.
Staged at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, the musical involved a delicate balance, featuring an intricate and highly lyrical score delivered at a cracking pace. Dan Moses Shreier explains:"This show poses an extraordinary challenge from the sound perspective, based on getting the balance between the voices and the orchestra exactly right. We are working in a very small space - just 15 by 20 feet - and with the actors also being the band, it is critical to ensure that the clarity of the lyrics is preserved. The musical quality of the show meant that the choice of console was paramount, and I therefore insisted on a Cadac J-Type for the role. Its quality and musicality make it perfectly suited to a show like this, supported by the warmth of the mic pres and output stages of the console. When you are trying to preserve a natural acoustic performance on stage, you need a console that can capture and reflect this sound - the J-Type does just that. I am really looking forward to checking out Cadac's digital console for this reason as well - they take such care when producing a mixer. When I was first invited to design Sweeney Todd, I was extremely nervous as it is such a demanding show creatively. Yet one year on, we are all thrilled that the show continues to get such a good reception and is running so well."
The sound system involved an A/B system, comprising a mixture of d&b E3 cabinets alongside Meyer UPMs, complemented by the in-house Meyer UPM surround sound system. With such a small playing platform for the actors/musicians, a key issue was to avoid any phasing issues. Moses Shreier's design exploited the theatre's surround system to the full, deploying Lexicon 9600 reverb units. Wireless microphones include APIs and Sennheiser SK50s and 5012s, alongside DPA hand-held microphones. For the string instruments, Moses Shreier used a combination of the Sennheiser and API units, while for the clarinets and flutes, the actor/musicians have wireless mics at the wrist. Sweeney Todd is scheduled to tour the US next year, while for Moses Schreier, his next challenge involves working once again with Patti LuPone - this time on his first operatic project with the LA Opera, on Kurt Weill's celebrated The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.
The latest news from Cadac Electronics revolves around the launch of its new S-Digital mixing console at the PLASA 2006 exhibition this September, marking the company's first full-scale digital console. The Cadac S-Digital is designed primarily for live theatre applications, building on the company's 20-year history at the forefront of theatre sound. In a major departure from conventional paradigms in digital console design, the S-Digital is specifically conceived to reflect the surface architecture of Cadac's J-Type analogue console.
The S-Digital offers sound designers, producers and theatre owners a credible digital alternative to the Cadac J-Type analogue console, and enters production in October 2006.
(Chris Henry)
