Meyer Sound News : Viennese Theatre Wakes Up To Meyer Sound

Viennese Theatre Wakes Up To Meyer Sound

"Because we're using the CQ-1 just for the band, and the UPAs for vocalists and orchestra, we have good control and separation of the two parts of the whole ensemble, with extra EQing and routing possibilities. Additionally, in several scenes we are able to use the CQ-1/UPA combination as an A-B system, which can save us from phasing problems between headset mics of the singers."

- Andreas Fabianek,
Austrian sound designer

Vienna's Raimundtheater, which for more than 15 years has staged performances and musicals including Les Miserables, Cats and Phantom of the Opera, has upgraded its Meyer Sound loudspeaker system for the September premiere of a new Austrian production, Wake Up. A "Sleeping Beauty Story" set in the contemporary music scene, Wake Up is the first musical written by Austrian singer and actor Rainhard Fendrich, who also stars in the musical, and Grammy Award-winning composer Harold Faltermeyer.

Austrian sound designer Andreas Fabianek, whose wide-ranging experience includes studio work as well as live sound, worked together with the Raimundtheater's Hans Czarnik to commission the new sound system. According to the theater's requirements, this needed to provide a "very impressive powerful vocal sound without feedback problems and perfect sound coverage".

"We carried out a very positive test with Andreas and Hans in the theater itself," says Erich Hofbauer of Meyer Sound's Austrian distributor, ATEC. "The theater already owns a number of Meyer Sound self-powered UPA-1Ps and UPM-1Ps and conventionally amplified UltraSeries loudspeakers – UPA-1C, UM-1C and USW-1s - around twenty in total. It was very interesting to compare the new line array technology and specifications of the M2D and the CQ-1 with the existing speakers."

After the test Fabianek and Czarnik opted for four M2D Compact Curvilinear Array loudspeakers as a center cluster, with four CQ-1 Wide Coverage Main loudspeakers as the primary left/right front-of-house system, to be incorporated with some of their existing loudspeakers in a permanent installation for the theatre. One of the determining factors in choosing the new system was that the theater was a long-time user of Meyer Sound products, and was confident not only about the products but also the service provided by ATEC.

"We carried out our first listening sessions after the preliminary installation of the complete system and were very impressed by the interaction between the various units," says Fabianek. "Because we're using the CQ-1 just for the band, and the UPAs for vocalists and orchestra, we have good control and separation of the two parts of the whole ensemble, with extra EQing and routing possibilities. Additionally, in several scenes we are able to use the CQ-1/UPA combination as an A-B system, which can save us from phasing problems between headset mics of the singers."

The 1,200-seat Raimundtheater's new Meyer Sound system consists of ten separate loudspeaker "clusters". Four side clusters, each consisting of one CQ-1 and two UPA-1Cs, have been implemented for the stalls and first balcony level. A center cluster of four M2Ds and two USW-1s is flown for coverage of the stalls and first balcony level. Sub-bass for the stalls consists of two stacks of two USW-1s each. Four UPM-1Ps are built into the divider separating audience and orchestra for front fill, and four UPA-1Cs have been flown for the second balcony level. The stage monitoring system comprises seven UM-1C loudspeakers, with two flown in the proscenium plane, two flown at the sides of the stage three meters back from the front of the stage and three flown up in the ceiling at a height of seven meters.

Wake Up features a cast of forty, including singers, dancers and nine main characters, and a 35-piece orchestra. Said Fabianek, "Using CQ-1s for drums, bass, electric guitars, keyboards and horns in combination with UPA-1Ps for vocals, strings and woodwinds gives us a perfect balance between power and transparency for a pop musical show in a theatre. The M2D vocal system in the central position gives us perfect clarity, and the imaging comes right from the stage. The USW-1s provide warm and smooth sub-bass for the orchestra and all the special effects sounds. And The UM-1C monitors give us a good sounding, easily controllable monitor situation on stage."

"In short, all the Meyer components combine together really well to produce exactly the right sound for our show."

November, 2002