For more than a decade, Stevenage's 500-seat Gordon Craig Theatre and Orbital Sound has had a close working relationship, reflected in the theatre's most recent investment, a new d&b audiotechnik auditorium system. Comprising principally T-Series loudspeakers, with B4 Subs and E6 front fills, the system also features Yamaha CL5 and QL5 consoles, with Rio stage racks, together with an essential element of show control hardware in the form of a Nemesis Audio UMT-2D USB MIDI Trigger.

The Gordon Craig's new system is configured with a hang of six d&b audiotechnik T-10s per side, a further four T-10s in a centre cluster, six E-6 speakers as front fills, plus four B4 Subs, with the system powered by d&b audiotechnik's new 10D and 30D install amps.

Dave Nott, Chief Technician at the Gordon Craig Theatre, explained:
"We needed to upgrade, as much of our previous system was over ten years old, with many components around twice that age. Over the last five years or so, we have been hiring in a system from Orbital Sound a few times per year � once for our ten-week 100-show panto season, and then at least twice throughout the rest of the year for our in-house productions. We concluded that it was more economically viable all round to replace our permanent system with equipment that would address all our long-term requirements � to ensure we had a system that would give us another fifteen to twenty years' service, while also saving the annual hire costs."

The Yamaha CL5 console is used for front of house, with the QL5 normally deployed for band monitoring, with two Yamaha Rio 32-24 stage racks, operating via a Dante network. One Rio unit is located stage left and one in the orchestra pit. With an emphasis on longevity and flexible connectivity, the venue installed comprehensive Cat5e infrastructure throughout, along with the Dante network capability, which will enable Dante inputs and amplifier outputs to be routed anywhere, and remote control of the d&b install amps via the Cat5e patching.

Dave Nott continued:
"Orbital Sound fully understood our need to maximise the available budget and worked hard to provide us with an exceptionally competitive solution. This included supplying us from their ex-hire stock, which saved us a considerable amount. We elected to go with d&b audiotechnik again, as the T-Series system has been proven excellent in our venue, but also because our previous d&b system had given us such good service. In fact, we have retained some of the older units to give us a portable foyer and small event system. The configuration of the new kit, particularly for our in-house shows and the pantos, is giving us the complete Left-Right system that we haven't had the benefit of before, with Left, Left-Centre, Centre, Right-Centre and Right, plus Left and Right subs.

"On the interfacing front, we love our CSC show control system and the Nemesis UMT-2D USB MIDI Trigger is its perfect partner. It's just so easy, and you don't have to worry about dealing with setting up MIDI ins and outs, as the unit takes care of it. You can plug the MD's start/stop into it, and away it goes. It was developed specifically for this type of application, which really shows in its operation and complements the CSC software ideally.

"Back-up is also a very important element for us, which is where our relationship with Orbital Sound has always worked well. You can even phone at 9pm on a Saturday night and you know someone will help you. They have a great team, from Bill Addison on tech support, and Richard Carter particularly with support on the Yamaha front. When it came to choosing the kit, Phil Dormer invited us down to see the equipment before we purchased it, and a week before delivery we went down to Orbital Sound again to finalise the kit list and check we had included everything we needed. Great service, and I can't fault it."

Supporting installations for entertainment establishments forms a major part of Orbital's regular activity, with its expert sales and installation teams establishing a reputation for technical excellence across a wide cross-section of complex projects. The emphasis is on offering a scalable range of options, from design consultancy, application support, product sourcing, installation, training and ongoing technical support. Orbital Sound's director of sales, Andy Simmons, added:
"Our rental division has nearly 30 years of practical knowledge working in the UK's entertainment venues and has unparalleled experience in their day-to-day requirements. When a venue takes the plunge to upgrade or invest for the first time, we fully appreciate that it's a big deal for them - and a big deal for us. We have a responsibility to make sure they get the best use out of their hard-earned money - and all those years' experience at the front-end really comes into play because we strive to give them what they need - what they will truly benefit from for many years to come. That obviously includes training and support - but just as importantly, it's about investing in the right kit and ensuring they spend their budget to best advantage. This is our focus � making Orbital Sound a natural partner for entertainment venues."

The Gordon Craig technical team handled the installation in-house, with the process starting in early August. The first show to use the newly installed system was the theatre's in-house production of Sister Act, which ran for some ten days during the second half of August.