"Orbital has been fantastic throughout. We enjoyed working with them last time we were in Europe in 2010 and since then our relationship has developed further.
David has designed a great system, which has really impressed the whole team. The end result is an A-class quality rig, for what amounts to a relatively low-budget show. The performers dance their legs off each night, and the big rock sound keeps up the energy!"
Ballroom dance spectacular
Burn the Floor opened in London in March, at the Shaftesbury Theatre, with its fast-moving, high-energy production attracting excellent reviews.
Billed as the "Ultimate Ballroom Sensation", the show has returned to London after a two-year gap, and Orbital has once again provided the production's sound, handling all aspects in house, including the system design. With the show's emphasis on a non-stop stream of high-impact dance numbers, the sound is key to carrying the audience.
Orbital's David Bartholomeusz handled the system design for the show – which utilises a line array-based approach and is mixed on a Yamaha PM5D – working closely with the production's Sound Designer, Derek Wilson, to translate the show's specification into the venue and create the desired rock-band atmosphere.
To help generate the right effect, loudspeakers are also positioned under the band riser, to integrate the sound of the small on-stage band with the many pre-recorded tracks. Working on the production with David were Orbital's project manager Keith Hutchinson, along with production sound engineer Marcus Wadland, and build engineers Dave Sorrell and Jay Dodds. Installing the system in the Shaftesbury took place within a tight five-day window, with everything in place in time for press night.
Derek Wilson, who has been with the show for some six and a half years, commented:
"We have a generic rider regarding suitable systems, and Orbital came in with a successful offer based on their system design. Orbital's service is a known quantity for us, as they supplied the sound for the show's last visit to the UK, two and a half years ago. We've played so many venues, and it's not an easy task to hang a line array and support truss for the stalls and circle, along with a flown truss for the gallery.
"I'm currently mixing the show, but also in the process of training up the Sound No. 2, Jo Matthews, as I need to spend a few weeks out in Germany shortly, preparing for another show. This involves putting a different version of Burn the Floor into a new Norwegian Cruise Line ship, the Norwegian Breakaway. The show tours constantly, and we're often running in one country while we prepare for the next.
"The main challenge with mixing Burn the Floor is achieving a convincing blend between the live band and the studio-recorded tracks. This current West End production features a line up of drummer, guitarist, keyboard player and percussionist, together with two singers – they are great performers and have been getting excellent reviews in their own right.
When the show first started we had almost a full band, with a relatively small handful of recorded tracks, whereas now we have a small live band, with all the other musical parts pre-recorded by our musical director in Sydney, and played out from a MacBook Pro running Digital Performer 7. There are hardly any cues as such, and the show runs through non-stop, with timecode running out to the lighting console to ensure very tight sync between sound and lighting – it all has to be very slick and polished.
Getting as close a match as possible between the live and recorded sound is essential to maintaining the show's high-energy live-band atmosphere. David Bartholomeusz' interpretation of the show's design has helped to keep this aspect really convincing, with the speakers under the band riser and the whole system aligned back to that point. Makes for a nicely integrated image."
"Orbital has been fantastic throughout. We enjoyed working with them last time we were in Europe in 2010 and since then our relationship has developed further.
David has designed a great system, which has really impressed the whole team. The end result is an A-class quality rig, for what amounts to a relatively low-budget show. The performers dance their legs off each night, and the big rock sound keeps up the energy!"
