Mondo DR - APG

054 VENUEPALLADIUM THEATERSTUTTGART, GERMANYEUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICAWhen you think of Broadway and West End musicals, some of thefirst productions that may come to mind are The Lion King, MammaMia, Cats and Wicked. The company responsible for these shows- and many more across Europe - is theatre production company,Stage Entertainment.Its current President, Joop van den Ende, founded the company in1998, and since its formation it has taken on many guises. It is notonly a theatre production company, Stage Entertainment actuallyconsists of 35 companies, which together produce a variety of liveentertainment across Europe and the US.Stage Entertainment owns a number of theatres in Europe, and theGerman arm of the company (Stage Entertainment Germany) ownsthe Palladium Theater in Stuttgart. The stage show currently runningat the theatre is the story of Daphne du Maurier’s novel Rebecca,which has been adapted into a musical. The story is based aroundthe second wife of Maxim de Winter, who has to contend with thecherished memory of his first wife Rebecca. His second wife - whois never named in the novel - is the complete opposite to the late Rebecca,and she tries desperately to live up to expectations. There areplenty of twists and turns along the way, and by the end the audiencewww.mondodr.com

VENUE 055perceive Rebecca in a very different way.Rebecca the musical first opened in Vienna, where Sound DesignerHendrik Maassen was responsible for the audio specification duringits three-year stint in the city. Hendrik started out in the audio worldas many people do, as a musician. Hendrik explained: “When youwrite songs you have a certain idea about how a song should sound.So when we recorded the songs in the studio I was quite often disappointed.I started to sit by the desk and asked the sound guy whilsttwiddling the knobs, ‘how does it all work?’. From there I started toproduce people, I was asked to mix concerts and it developed fromthere.”Hendrik entered the world of musical theatre with West Side Story,and he really enjoyed the combination of people acting, singing, anddancing on stage. His work in the field continued when Cats touredin Germany and he was employed as a sound engineer. Perhaps oneof the most pivotal moments in his career was his first encounter withUK veteran, Martin Levan. Hendrik continued: “Martin Levan, in mybook, is the best sound designer. I started to work on Phantom [ofthe Opera] with Martin and then started to design my own shows. Iworked as an associate designer for Martin. Now I work as a freelancer.”Martin’s career in the music business began in 1971, at MorganStudios in London where he was employed as the tea-boy. Heclimbed the ladder quickly and in just a few years he progressedwww.mondodr.com

056VENUEto a recording engineer and began to produce some of the world’sbest-loved albums from a number of high profile artists.It wasn’t until just over 10 years later, in 1982, when Martin beganto work in theatre. Martin worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber on thestudio side, and it’s no coincidence that it was he who invited Martinto work on his first theatre production, Song & Dance in London.After taking up the position, Martin went on to earn himself a crediblereputation amongst his fellow theatre enthusiasts. He worked onmany famous productions including Phantom of the Opera, Cats andSunset Boulevard. Martin went back to the studio side in the early‘90s, when he set up his own recording studio, Red Kite Studio inthe charming Welsh countryside.Martin’s work has inspired Hendrik during his career, so much so thatwhen the Palladium Theater asked him to supply a sound design,which the theatre would purchase specifically for the production ofRebecca, he opted to base his design around the A-B system Martindeveloped in 1988.Sound Coordinator of Stage Entertainment Germany, Michel Weber,is responsible for budget, communication, installation and all soundrelating issues during the process of specifying audio equipment fora specific production. Michel said: “The designer does the sounddesign, he specifies the system, the amps, console and the positionsof the speakers.”The system design for Rebecca started with APG inviting Hendrikto Paris to hear its new line array system. He had worked with APGproducts in the past so he was aware of their capabilities, Hendriklistened to the Uniline and loved it. He said: “I’ve always been interestedto see what line arrays could do [in theatre], as they give youdirectivity. It’s the opposite of a coaxial system. I wanted to achievethat nice focus on stage, but until the Uniline system came aroundline arrays didn’t match with the coaxial system. You would hear twodifferent systems. The Uniline is very direct, and it matched very wellwith the coaxial speakers. It brings different dimensions and a depthof sound.”The Uniline system is flown above the stage in a central cluster andit comprises 24 APG UL210 cabinets in two hangs of 12, plus fourAPG TB215S subwoofers, two on each outer edge. The left hangrepresents the A system, while the right hang is the B system andtogether they create the A-B system. Hendrik explained further:“The advantage of the A-B system is when people are on stage forexample, singing to each other, they don’t have phasing. If you havejust one system, and people talk to each other, you will get somephasing. Basically, both microphones not only hear that voice, theyalso hear the opposite voice as well. So when you feed both microphonesinto one source you get phasing because of the time delay.“Now, with the A-B system, you can put one person in one systemand the other person in another system so they are totally separate.With a lot of microphones plugged into one system it can sometimesget a little bit mushy and I guess the A-B system kind of cleans thatup a bit.”In addition to the APG Uniline array, Hendrik specified eight APGSMX15 as proscenium speakers, which are hidden behind aspeaker gauze because Hendrik doesn’t like the look of speakers.The speaker gauze was created by stretching special speaker clothover a frame. The cloth is transparent enough for the sound to passthrough, but at the same time thick enough so the speaker can’t beseen. Hendrik said of the SMX15’s: “I started using coaxial speakersbecause I think they work very well in theatre, very dimensional andthey sound very natural. The SMX15’s are actually very close tobeing a studio monitor, so whatever you put in there is what’s comingout.“I think in theatre it’s very very nice if you don’t have colourations,and the dispersion of the speakers engage the room. I like thatpeople sit in the room and don’t feel that the sound is coming fromthe speaker. I like that they sit in the sound, not even really thinkingabout sound, that in fact they are just trying to follow the story.”Completing the APG speaker line-up are five APG DS15S coaxialspeakers for sound effects, six APG TB118S effect subwoofersin cardioid configuration, plus an impressive 146 APG MX1’s, thesmallest speaker in the APG range. Michel said: “APG was a verygood partner for us. They understood our problem of choosing thesomewhat unknown Uniline system, but guaranteed maximum supportand taking part of our ‘risk’. Personally I have a very positivefeeling about APG, and that made it easier to go for it.”There are five MX1’s per side on stage to add depth, some are usedas front fills, others are mounted on the wall for surround sound,and the remainder have been installed under the balcony for delays.Hendrik said: “We have a lot of surround speakers on the wall. Theyare used for sound effects and ambiant sounds to make it sound asnatural as possible. We’re using Cadac D16’s as a matrix to feedthose sound effects into all the speakers.”The Cadac theme continues at FOH, which has three Cadac J-www.mondodr.com

058VENUEPhoto by Stage EntertainmentType consoles. The J-Type desk is one of the most versatile consolesavailable due to its customisable frame size. Sound operators caninsert any module in any position to create the desired desk for anyapplication. Sound Operator for Rebecca, David Prikryl, said: “It’svery flexible and it sounds great. You can swap different modulesduring the show. With the analogue desk, you have a lot of possibilitiesif one channel breaks to get into where you need to get to, notlike with a digital where if one channel has a fault, the whole thinggoes down.” Prikryl has been using the Cadac J-Type for most of the12 years he’s been in pro audio. He added: “I really like it becauseit’s reliable and we know how it works because we often use it in thistheatre.”The consoles feature an automated mixer with 256 inputs, 12 auxs,16 subs and 32 matrix outputs. Hendrik said of the Cadac desks:“The Cadac J-Type comes in different frame sizes so for each showyou can do a new desk. They are just frames, you can pull out everymodule so you just design the desk every time. That’s a big advantage,it’s not a fixed frame, you can put just inputs in, just outputs, soyou can create a new desk every time you need a new desk.“Originally when I did Rebecca in Vienna I also had a Cadac desk sowe stuck with what we know. It’s a theatre standard and has beenfor many years now. Other companies are coming up and they havenew and interesting desks but of course there is always change. Butfor the last 10 - 20 years they have been very popular in the theatreworld. They are very very good desks.”Another advantage of the analogue Cadac desks is their compatibilitywith the A-B sound system. Throughout Rebecca singersneed to be switched from one system to the other, and this can bepre-programmed using the desks. Hendrik explained: “Not very manyanalogue desks can do that. It’s computer controlled and all thesnapshots are computer controlled.“Originally it was a very good studio desk, and when Martin Levanworked in studio he said to Cadac, ‘we need this in the theatre’, sothey started to develop, along with other designers, to make it dowhat it needed to do. It’s a very flexible desk.”Amplification is provided by a number of different manufacturers andmodels. This is mainly due the way European production companiesoperate. Many of them acquire stock over time, purchasedfor other productions, so when a venue is being kitted out for anew production, it is often the case that equipment is re-used. ForRebecca, Hendrik used eight Crown MA-3600VZs, eight PowersoftK3’s, two Crest 8001’s, 22 Yamaha H5000’s, 18 Lab.gruppen iP2100’s and 15 Lab.gruppen fP 2600’s. The Powersoft K3 2-channelamplifiers were recommended by APG, however, as Hendrik isa self-confessed old fashioned sound guy, he was skeptical at first.He said: “I’m not a big fan of switch mode power supplies becauseI think there are very few that have really nice impulse response.It might sound old fashioned but if you compare a classic amplifierwith a switch mode amplifier, the music just doesn’t have as muchdynamic.”The switch mode, class D K3 amplifiers are compact at just 1U inrack space, yet offer high quality sound performance. Hendrik is inagreement: “They work very nicely and I don’t think we’ve had anyproblems. For me, as a designer, you go with what sounds right withwhat you want to achieve.”For the proscenium SMX15 system, Crown MA-3600VZ amplifierswere chosen, because in Hendrik’s opinion, these amplifiers providethe optimum power and impulse response for the APG SMX15speakers. Hendrik continued: “We have a lot of delay speakers andstuff like that so it was a compromise, we couldn’t buy all new, so weused what we had. We’ve mixed them up and put them in the placeswe think they work best.”Processing at the 1,800-seat Palladium Theater was similar toamplification, in that more than one product was specified, however,there was a different reason behind this decision. The mix of processingtechnology is for practical reasons. Hendrik explained: “Forthe line arrays and proscenium speakers we use APG processing.We really wanted to use their processing because I know it worksvery well. APG is not yet, but I hope that changes for them, a brandthat everyone accepts. Whereas Meyer Sound, if you say MeyerSound then lots of sound designers will say ‘oh yeah, that’s cool’. Sothe producer asked me if we could use Meyer Sound controllers incertain places because when we close the show it will be easier forthe next designer to use those controllers.”There are eight APG DMS26 digital processors, 22 APG SPMXquad static processors and three APG LPDS15S stereo processorsinstalled at the theatre. Two Meyer Sound Galileo loudspeakermanagement systems look after the delay lines, the subs and thefront fills, while three Meyer Sound MM4-CEUs provide frequencyand phase response correction circuitry specifically for the 48 MeyerSound MM-4 loudspeakers installed at the theatre.Microphones for the performers are a combination of Sennheiserand DPA. The majority of the singers use Sennheiser MKE-I’s, twocast members perform with DPA 4060-B03’s, five use SennheiserPlatinums and just one has the Sennheiser MKE II-Gold. Testing wascarried out before the live shows, to establish which microphoneTECHNICAL INFORMATIONSOUND24 x APG UL210 Uniline cabinet; 4 x APG TB215S subwoofer;8 x APG SMX15 speaker; 5 x APG DS15S coaxial speaker; 6 xAPG TB118S subwoofer; 146 x APG MX1 speaker; 48 x MeyerSound MM4 speaker; 3 x Cadac J-Type console; 8 x Crown MA-3600VZ amplifier; 8 x Powersoft K3 amplifier; 2 x Crest 8001amplifier; 22 x Yamaha H5000 amplifier; 18 x Lab.gruppen iP2100 amplifier; 15 x Lab.gruppen fP 2600 amplifier; 8 x APGDMS26 digital processor; 22 x APG SPMX quad static processor;3 x APG LPDS15S stereo processor; 2 x Meyer Sound Galileoloudspeaker management system; 3 x Meyer Sound MM4-CEU unit; Sennheiser MKE-I mics; 2 x DPA 4060-B03 mic; 5x Sennheiser Platinum mic; 1 x Sennheiser MKE II-Gold mic;Sennheiser SK5212 transmitters; Sennheiser EM-3732 receiversLIGHTING & Visual116 x Vari-Lite moving lights including VL3500Q Spots, VL3500Washes, VL3000 Washes and VL2000 Spots; ETC SourceFour profiles; 120 x generic colour scroller; Amptown lightingfixtures; 2 x MA Lighting grandMA full size console; 2 x Barco HDprojector; 1 x 50ft semi-translucent theatrical drape; 3 x GreenHippo Hippotizer Grass Hopper media serverwww.stage-entertainment.dewww.mondodr.com

060VENUEFRANÇAISLe Palladium de Stuttgart est un des théâtres possédés par StageEntertainment - une entreprise de production théâtrale - renomméà travers Europe et les Etats-Unis pour son engagement à produirecertains des spectacles les plus appréciés du monde de théâtre.La production la plus récente à être présentée dans ce lieu estRebecca, une romance gothique. Le système de son et d’éclairageest normalement fourni par une entreprise de location locale, enfonction de ce que la production individuelle exige. Toutefois, pourRebecca, l’entreprise a choisi une route différente. Un tout nouveausound system d’APG a été acheté pour l’occasion. Le sound designerHendrik Maassen a spécifié un système Uniline qui est suspenduau-dessus de la scène dans une configuration de type AB. cedernier est complété par 146 cabines MX1, qui sont utilisées pourle son ambiant et les échos. L’éclairage est fourni par des têtesmobiles Vari-Lite et des profils ETC Source Four, contrôlés via desconsoles MA lighting de grandMA. Les éléments visuels frappants- via des projecteurs Barco et des serveurs média Green Hippo -complètent l’installation. Les trois éléments se complètent pendant laperformance de Rebecca, renforçant une rupture depuis les normesqui apparaît comme la bonne décision pour Stage Entertainment.suited each individual singer. Sennheiser SK5212’s are utilised fortransmitters, while Sennheiser EM-3732’s were specified as receivers.To bring any musical to life, the audio could perhaps be deemed asthe most important element, but the combination of that with lightingand visual technology allows the audience to be fully encapsulatedby the story. The lighting at the Palladium Theater was also installedspecifically for the production of Rebecca. The main lighting rigcomprises 116 Vari-Lite moving lights including VL3500Q Spots,VL3500 Washes, VL3000 Washes and VL2000 Spots. TheVL3500Q Spots are 1,200W luminaires so are capable of producingsuperior colours and high brightness outputs, they also have aquiet operation mode, which is ideal for theatre application. While theVL3500 Washes were chosen because they are well equipped with20,000 lumens of output and excellent beam control.Frank Staudt, who is in charge of lighting at the Palladium Theatersaid: “The Vari-Lite [fixtures] stand out, when lighting designers saywhat they want to use, most of the time they ask for the Vari-Lite[fixtures] because they have the best light output and the biggestcolour range. The 3500’s really are monsters, they make big lights.”ETC Source Four profiles with varying degrees, 120 colour scrollersand some generic theatrical lighting fixtures from Amptown make upthe remainder of the lighting installation. To control the entire lightingrig, the theatre has two MA Lighting grandMA full sized consoles.One is used as the main desk and the other is for back-up. Frankcontinued: “We use the MA Lighting grandMA because it’s verystable, and that’s a really important point for us. There are two deskspre-programmed and ready during the show at any one time. Weneed the highest security factor every day because we play eightshows a week and we have the knowledge that if one desk does godown, we have a back-up.” To date, Frank hasn’t encountered anyproblems with the console and is very happy with his choice of thegrandMA.Video content for Rebecca is projected onto a 50ft semi-translucenttheatrical drape. The content projection is handled via Barco HDprojectors and features in between the scenic set pieces to tell thestory. All of the content was custom made for Rebecca, and it is thensaved and triggered during the show using three Green Hippo HippotizerGrass Hopper media servers - two as the main content providersand one programmed for back-up.There is a lot of history behind this story, from the 20th century novelthe musical is based on, to the inspiration bestowed from Martin toHendrik in the ‘90s. The history is bringing enjoyment to present dayaudiences, whether that be audio fanatics, regular theatre goers, orjust family and friends taking a trip to see arguably one of the mostfamous examples of gothic literature.DEUTSCHDas Palladium in Stuttgart ist nur eines der Theater im Besitzvon Stage Entertainment – eine Theater-Produktionsfirma, diein Europa und den USA für ihr Engagement für die Produktioneiniger der beliebtesten Musicals der Theaterwelt bekannt ist. Dieletzte Produktion, die in diesem Treff aufgeführt wird, ist Rebecca,eine Schauerromanze. Das Sound- und Beleuchtungssystem wirdnormalerweise durch ein lokales Verleihunternehmen bereitgestellt,entsprechend dem Bedarf der jeweiligen Produktion. Für Rebeccahat das Unternehmen allerdings einen anderen Weg gewählt. Einbrandneues Sound System von APG wurde durch den Treff erworben.Sound Designer Hendrik Maassen entschied sich für ein UnilineSystem, das über die Bühne in einer AB Konfiguration gewehtwird. Hinzu kommen 146 MX1 Boxen, die für Raumklang undVerzögerungen verwendet werden. Die Beleuchtung wird durch Vari-Lite Moving Heads und vier ETC Source Profile bereitgestellt, dieüber MA Lighting grandMA Pulte gesteuert werden. BestechendeGrafiken – freundlicherweise von Barco zur Verfügung gestellteProjektoren und Green Hippo Media Server – komplettierendie Aufstellung. Alle drei Elemente ergänzen sich während derAufführung von Rebecca gegenseitig und bestätigen, dass der Bruchmit der Norm für Stage Entertainment die richtige Entscheidung war.ITALIANOIl Palladium in Stuttgart è solo uno dei teatri posseduti dalla StageEntertainment – una società di produzione teatrale – ben conociutain tutta Europa e negli Stati Uniti per il suo impegno nel produrrealcuni degli spettacoli teatrali più amati nel mondo. La produzione piùrecente che verrà messa in scena in tale sede è Rebecca, una storiad’amore gotica. Il sistema di illuminazione e del suono è solitamentefornito da una società locale di affitto, a seconda di quello che vienerichiesto dalla produzione individuale. Tuttavia, per Rebecca, la societàha intrapreso una strada differente. E’ stato acquistato un nuovissimosistema acustico dalla APG. Il Progettista del suono Hendrik Maassenha incluso un sistema Uniline che viene guidato sopra il palcoscenicoin una configurazione AB. Questo è integrato da 146 elementi MX1,utilizzati per il suono di tutta l’area e i ritardi del suono. L’illuminazioneè fornita dai proiettori Moving Heads della Vari-Lite e dai proiettoriSource Four della ETC , che vengono controllati grazie alle consolleMA Lighting grandMA. Le rappresentazioni notevoli – per gentileconcessione dei proiettori Barco e dei media server Green Hippo– completano l’allineamento. Tutti e tre gli elementi si completanodurante l’esecuzione di Rebecca, e rinforzare il distacco con le solitesoluzioni è stata per la Stage Entertainment una decisione corretta.ESPAÑOLEl Palladium en Stuttgart es uno de los teatros pertenecientes a StageEntertainment - una compañía de producción teatral - muy reconocidaa lo largo de Europa y de los Estados Unidos por su compromiso enproducir algunos de los más queridos shows en el mundo del teatro.La producción más reciente a presentarse en el sitio es Rebecca,un romance gótico. El sistema de sonido e iluminación normalmentees provisto por una compañía del alquiler local dependiendo de losrequerimientos individuales de la producción. Sin embargo, paraRebecca, la compañía eligió un camino diferente. Se adquirió unflamante sistema de sonido de APG para el sitio. El Diseñador deSonido Hendrik Maassen delineó un sistema Uniline que sobrevuelael escenario en una configuración AB. Éste es complementado congabinetes MX1 que se utilizan para sonidos envolventes e intervalos.La iluminación es suministrada por cabezales móviles de Vari-Lite yperfiles ETC Source Four que son controlados mediante consolas deMA Lighting grandMA. El atractivo visual - cortesía de los proyectoresde Barco y los servidores de Green Hippo - completan el arreglo. Lostres elementos se complementan entre sí durante la interpretación deRebecca, reafirmando que el hecho de desprenderse de las normas fueuna correcta decisión para Stage Entertainment.www.mondodr.com