Orbital Sound Ltd

Orbital Delivers SFX Solutions to Glyndebourne's Contemporary Tangier Tattoo

Orbital's PC Audio Workstation used to great effect

Simon Yapp enthused:

"Old style tools like a Revox tape deck, mini-disk player, sound mixer and paper cue sheet are replicated with brilliant software, which is enormously powerful yet amazingly simple to use.

I can now sit anywhere at the end of a piece of CAT 5 with just monitor, keyboard and mouse, but importantly remain close enough to the director. This helps the creative process enormously.

What previously might have taken me hours to change or adjust during a rehearsal, can be made live and ready in minutes. By saving time, SFX also saves money, as there might be a 50-piece orchestra and 60-strong chorus on stage, charging by the minute. SFX has undoubtedly augmented the production process on a number of levels."

As a powerful software tool, SFX takes playback to a new level. Eliminating the need for bulky ancillary playback equipment, it relies on its sophisticated digital playback platform to provide automated facilities that increase control, enhance operation and augment creative potential.

Glyndebourne's Pro Audio Show Control version of SFX also acts as a video server providing high-resolution video imagery on the production.

Glyndebourne one of Europe's most acclaimed operatic institutions has recently introduced a Stage Research SFX PC Audio Workstation to its sound design department. Supplied by theatre sound specialists Orbital for Glyndebourne On Tour (GOT), the system has been deployed for sound and video effects delivery on the production Tangier Tattoo.

As a vibrant contemporary production, Tangier Tattoo is an operatic thriller and represents a new departure for Glyndebourne as well as a revolutionary development in the opera world. Designed to attract a new younger audience, Tangier Tattoo is created by the trio of composer John Lunn, librettist Stephen Plaice and director Stephen Langridge.

Adding a modern dimension to the traditional operatic form, the SFX system has been deployed to store and playback a host of sound FX and video footage. Integrated into the Opera's set design, it has added a new perspective, augmenting its accessibility to its targeted younger clientele.

Glyndebourne's AV Systems Operator, Simon Yapp, collaborated with Orbital's Tom Byrne to design and supply the SFX workstation, which was tailored to his exact specifications by Orbital's engineers.

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Simon Yapp enthused:

"Old style tools like a Revox tape deck, mini-disk player, sound mixer and paper cue sheet are replicated with brilliant software, which is enormously powerful yet amazingly simple to use.

I can now sit anywhere at the end of a piece of CAT 5 with just monitor, keyboard and mouse, but importantly remain close enough to the director. This helps the creative process enormously.

What previously might have taken me hours to change or adjust during a rehearsal, can be made live and ready in minutes. By saving time, SFX also saves money, as there might be a 50-piece orchestra and 60-strong chorus on stage, charging by the minute. SFX has undoubtedly augmented the production process on a number of levels."

As a powerful software tool, SFX takes playback to a new level. Eliminating the need for bulky ancillary playback equipment, it relies on its sophisticated digital playback platform to provide automated facilities that increase control, enhance operation and augment creative potential.

Glyndebourne's Pro Audio Show Control version of SFX also acts as a video server providing high-resolution video imagery on the production.