"Digidesign were highly responsive to our requirements and were back to us really quickly with solutions," reports Gareth. "We are delighted that they have used our feedback to further enhance the console's functionality in future versions, by offering even greater flexibility to their snapshot system."
Significantly, the theatre tour has also seen the first use of Digidesign's new Personal Q system, with all eight pit musicians - including drums, reeds, keyboards, brass and vocals - being given the facility to fine tune their individual monitor mixes, using PQ Controllers.
Each PQ mix comprises 12 fully adjustable sources, with the mixing itself taking place in the D-Show mix engine, which takes full advantage of top quality signal processing and plug-ins. The mix is then fed to any type of personal monitor, headphone amp, hotspot monitor or wedge monitor
Even though each PQ mix can have its own unique user-assignable input, on this show the bass is assigned as the user input to each PQ mix, enabling each musician to add as much low end as he or she chooses.
To better serve the often opposing needs of house mix and monitor mix, several inputs are duplicated to two channels on the console, with the top layer channels feeding the house, while the duplicate inputs on the bottom layers are EQ'd differently and sent to Auxes, which in turn feed the PQ system.
As a result, the PQ control facilitates a more ambitious combination of FOH and monitor mixing scenarios and the true dual control offered by PQ allows Reymes-Cole at FOH to review any changes the musicians make to their mix and offer assistance should problems arise.
Also used is G-Type MIDI sequencing software to drive the desk, and have carried out a physical modification to their D-Show console, introducing a four-button remote control to directly interface with this and other software.
Although they are using mostly VENUE's onboard effects the production carries an external reverb engine. Gareth Owen explains, "The reverbs and sampler, which trigger the sound effects, are controlled by the G-Type - so we just have to hit the Go button which comes out of the back of D-Show on a multipin connector."
They also utilise Focusrite's 6-band parametric EQ d2 plug-in - included with every VENUE system - with 32 d2's in the plug-in rack, one inserted across each of the radio mic channels. Similarly Focusrite d3 compression and dynamics serve to control bass, brass and trumpets.
Orbital were an early adopter of digital sound technology, and having carried out thorough evaluations have become major investors in the new idiom. So why did they opt for VENUE in this instance? "Simply because of the economics of getting the console out and the fact that the desk contains a combination of the best input and output structures of other desks we have used," says Gareth. "It allows us to use two stage boxes to get 96 input channels (of which we are using 93) into a tiny frame which helps enormously in having the entire sound system up and running within six hours of opening the truck doors.
"The infrastructure involved is just so easy - particularly the fact that you can place one stage box near the radio mics and another in the pit, and then simply run a digital snake to each."
Equally emphatic is Hannah Reymes-Cole "the first theatre sound number one engineer to run a show on this desk - who has bagged it for her next tour of duty. Already an industry veteran of four and a half years, she recognises a good mixing surface when she sees one. "Once you have nailed the geography VENUE is really nice to use; the layers, the plug-in library and group EQ's are brilliant."
On Annie Get Your Gun, she uses largely Bomb Factory plug-ins (notably the Slightly Rude compressor). "The plug-in compressors are used across the drums and bass and the internal drum reverb and internal vocal chorus help fatten things up - plus we have vocal delay as well. Every vocal channel has a Focusrite insert and all groups have Focusrite d2 EQ, since each performer requires a different EQ the second they put their hats on."
Production engineer on this show is Dan Bailey who, who will be number one engineer on Footloose, which will transfer to London's West End following its provincial tour.
"Digidesign were highly responsive to our requirements and were back to us really quickly with solutions," reports Gareth. "We are delighted that they have used our feedback to further enhance the console's functionality in future versions, by offering even greater flexibility to their snapshot system."
Significantly, the theatre tour has also seen the first use of Digidesign's new Personal Q system, with all eight pit musicians - including drums, reeds, keyboards, brass and vocals - being given the facility to fine tune their individual monitor mixes, using PQ Controllers.
Each PQ mix comprises 12 fully adjustable sources, with the mixing itself taking place in the D-Show mix engine, which takes full advantage of top quality signal processing and plug-ins. The mix is then fed to any type of personal monitor, headphone amp, hotspot monitor or wedge monitor
Even though each PQ mix can have its own unique user-assignable input, on this show the bass is assigned as the user input to each PQ mix, enabling each musician to add as much low end as he or she chooses.
To better serve the often opposing needs of house mix and monitor mix, several inputs are duplicated to two channels on the console, with the top layer channels feeding the house, while the duplicate inputs on the bottom layers are EQ'd differently and sent to Auxes, which in turn feed the PQ system.
As a result, the PQ control facilitates a more ambitious combination of FOH and monitor mixing scenarios and the true dual control offered by PQ allows Reymes-Cole at FOH to review any changes the musicians make to their mix and offer assistance should problems arise.
Also used is G-Type MIDI sequencing software to drive the desk, and have carried out a physical modification to their D-Show console, introducing a four-button remote control to directly interface with this and other software.
Although they are using mostly VENUE's onboard effects the production carries an external reverb engine. Gareth Owen explains, "The reverbs and sampler, which trigger the sound effects, are controlled by the G-Type - so we just have to hit the Go button which comes out of the back of D-Show on a multipin connector."
They also utilise Focusrite's 6-band parametric EQ d2 plug-in - included with every VENUE system - with 32 d2's in the plug-in rack, one inserted across each of the radio mic channels. Similarly Focusrite d3 compression and dynamics serve to control bass, brass and trumpets.
Orbital were an early adopter of digital sound technology, and having carried out thorough evaluations have become major investors in the new idiom. So why did they opt for VENUE in this instance? "Simply because of the economics of getting the console out and the fact that the desk contains a combination of the best input and output structures of other desks we have used," says Gareth. "It allows us to use two stage boxes to get 96 input channels (of which we are using 93) into a tiny frame which helps enormously in having the entire sound system up and running within six hours of opening the truck doors.
"The infrastructure involved is just so easy - particularly the fact that you can place one stage box near the radio mics and another in the pit, and then simply run a digital snake to each."
Equally emphatic is Hannah Reymes-Cole "the first theatre sound number one engineer to run a show on this desk - who has bagged it for her next tour of duty. Already an industry veteran of four and a half years, she recognises a good mixing surface when she sees one. "Once you have nailed the geography VENUE is really nice to use; the layers, the plug-in library and group EQ's are brilliant."
On Annie Get Your Gun, she uses largely Bomb Factory plug-ins (notably the Slightly Rude compressor). "The plug-in compressors are used across the drums and bass and the internal drum reverb and internal vocal chorus help fatten things up - plus we have vocal delay as well. Every vocal channel has a Focusrite insert and all groups have Focusrite d2 EQ, since each performer requires a different EQ the second they put their hats on."
Production engineer on this show is Dan Bailey who, who will be number one engineer on Footloose, which will transfer to London's West End following its provincial tour.
