BBC Proms in the Park returned to Glasgow Green this month. The live event took place as part of the BBC's wider Last Night of the Proms celebrations. The event featured X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, Young Traditional Musician of the Year Claire Hastings and world-renowned saxophonist Amy Dickson
The Scottish Symphony Orchestra, under Stephen Bell, performed a versatile show, with music ranging from Bernstein's overture Candide and Sibelius' Karelia Suite to a specially adapted Poldark Suite by composer Anne Dudley from her music for the popular television series, and a host of imaginatively crafted accompaniments to main acts that also included the locally recruited amateur enthusiasts of Glasgow's Big Big Sing. The different Last Night events from around the UK joined together to sing a track from the Sound of Music.
The Warehouse Sound Services provided top of the range sound equipment alongside a talented audio crew to BBC Proms in the Park. The company have worked with the BBC Proms over the last eight years.
An advanced sound-set up is required due to the diversity and complexity of the music involved, the outdoor setting and the fact the event is broadcast live across BBC Networks.
For the first time, The Warehouse developed a d&b audiotechnik sound system utilising Array Processing. The system comprised of J8/J12's and JSUBS with T10 front-fills. Adam Hockley of d&b audiotechnik Application Support & Education was on-board to implement d&b's new Array Processing technology for the D80 amplifier. This huge space of Glasgow Green is an acoustical challenge for any system and engineer and d&b's array process provided the perfect solution.
Pete Harris, hire manager at Warehouse and the man behind the front of house sound mixing said, "I have mixed the BBC SSO at the same location for many years using the d&b J series but still the site presents many problems when trying to achieve even coverage. The park has various undulations and generally slopes right to left.
"Over each instalment of the Proms, different set ups have been utilised as d&b ArrayCalc simulation software has advanced. Year on year the advances in technology has meant the sound quality has improved. For 2015, these improvements were once again superseded by the introduction of the D80 twinned with the Array Processing expertise of Adam Hockley."
Additional equipment used during this year's performances including the Digico SD10 and Avid S3LX mixing consoles, d&b audiotechnik M4 wedge monitors, Shure Axient radio mic systems, Shure PSM1000 IEM systems and DPA microphones.
Pete Harris concluded, "The amazing Array Processing compensated for the natural attenuation of sound, to smooth the contour of sound pressure levels and the tonal response inherent to couplings between enclosures. Mixing the show was a very relaxed experience, safe in the knowledge that the full mix was getting to the back of the audience."
(Jim Evans)
