Orbital Sound Amplifies 2009 TPi Awards at Grosvenor House

Successful 2nd year for Orbital's event sound & comms at TPi Awards

The 2009 TPi Awards celebrated the great and the good, at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on February 9th,
with Orbital Sound handling all aspects of the event sound for the second year running.
Despite the current economic climate, attendance at the event was strong with guests numbering over 900 for the gala evening.
The extensive equipment list included an all d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker line-up, with the main system using Q7 cabinets
complemented by C7s, C7 and B2 subs with Q7 delays - powered by d&b D6 and D12 amplifiers.
The TPi Awards featured a UK first for the brand new DX121 digital wireless communications system from HM Electronics.

A relieved TPi Awards Creative Director Mark Cunningham commented after the event:
"This was our second year at Grosvenor House and our second with Orbital, who once again excelled with their standard of equipment and knowledgeable, helpful crew. Under considerable on-the-day pressure, they played their part wonderfully and contributed to what many people have said was the best TPi Awards since we launched this annual event in 2002."

The show was mixed by Orbital Sound's project engineer, Marek Tkacik, on a Studer Vista 5 mixing console, with all system EQ and delays controlled via fibre on a Lexicon 480L system.
Engineers Alistair Westell and Mark Deighton were responsible for the system, stage and radio microphones - all under the overall watchful eye of Senior Project Manager, Eric Simpson.
The team used a combination of Sennheiser radio mics, including the 5212 transmitter packs with ME104 microphones and EM3532 receivers, together with Shure UHFR Series hand-held units.
Orbital Sound's Charlie Garrick handled the extensive communications, using a Riedel C44 DPL Matrix Base Station with C3 DPL Belt Packs and Sennheiser HMD463 Headsets.
This was interfaced with a HME DX200 Radio Comms Base Station, used in conjunction with BP200/HS14 beltpacks and WS200 integrated beltpack/headsets.
Paul Szabo took care of all PA rigging, with the event also using d&b Max12 monitors as well as the house system of d&b C6s and E9 loudspeakers.

Show caller Alex Clayton knitted the whole production together on the night, using the new HME DX121 crew communications systems for the first time. "I'd not seen Orbital's new HME
crew communications system before, but it's easily the best I have ever come across. It's clear, lightweight and robust, with excellent volume capacity and control.
I don't want to use anything else now."

From Orbital's perspective, the TPi Awards is an exciting challenge, giving the company the opportunity to showcase its expertise in front of a highly critical audience.
It's a challenge that Managing Director Chris Headlam relishes, explaining: "When we got involved with the event last year, we knew that we were putting ourselves up
for some pretty close scrutiny, in terms of the technology we use and the way we handle the event. That really fired us up - after all, this is what we do for a living!
This year, we showcased some exciting technology and everything came together really well. We do commend TPi for giving us all something to celebrate - it was a great evening!"