No, this month I am not launching into a heated diatribe about restrictions on the freedom of the press, as outlined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Not that I won’t be addressing this topic in some future issue, but at least for the time being, let’s examine a quite different “Free Press” theme, this being the accessibility of FRONT of HOUSE to help promote your company and/or products.
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3D Spatialization System Shows Promise
Tradeshow demo rooms tend to be pretty predictable. You walk into a boxy, less-than-ideal acoustical space, pick through some familiar CDs, then sit back and take in 117 dB playbacks with throbbing bass and piercing highs. The whole point is to provide a positive audio impression during a 10-minute presentation, but more often than not, I’ve walked out on such aural assaults before the first 90 seconds have elapsed.
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There’s no arguing that line arrays are dominating FOH systems these days. Likewise, it’s accepted that smaller, more efficient and better sounding boxes are replacing the huge, brute force boxes of yesteryear. I recently provided sound support for a unique event that magnificently merged these two trends for great results. I can’t help but feel as though this particular show was a glimpse into the crystal ball of what’s to come. Like it or not, we had better all be ready.
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Audio Achievers Voted Best in Their Region by FOH Readers
Readers across the continent weighed in on which sound company deserved the certificate, bragging rights and the chance to take home the “Parnelli Hometown Hero Award of the Year” at the Parnelli Awards gala in January. There are some fresh faces along with several who are returning to the winner’s circle, but they all offer up a few things in common: a dedication to customer service, a commitment to constantly investing in their inventory and an unflappable commitment to getting the job done. Meet the people running the companies named as the best in their region by readers of FRONT of HOUSE.
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Adding LF To Your House of Worship
Subwoofers placement and technique is tricky business for the church sound engineer. On one hand, we want our mixes to be impactful and we want them to move people. On the other hand, subs are a common source of complaints in houses of worship, at least the ones that I’ve worked in.
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Every new production of Hamlet must lay to rest the ghosts of its predecessors. With its familiar story, often quoted (and mostly misquoted) lines and contemporary spin offs, it’s among the most accessible of Shakespeare’s tragedies. The director’s skill lies in extracting the story of revenge from the Iambic pentameter and metaphysical musings so unfamiliar to the modern ear.
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At the end of each touring year, I try to go over what was done right, what was done wrong and what we could do better while out on the road and performing night after night. This past year was particularly interesting because of the variety of geographic locations to which we traveled and the diversity of gear packages that we encountered along the way.
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FRONT of HOUSE profiles four unique venues, each with their own audio reinforcement needs. There’s the Palace Theatre in St. Paul, MN, a former vaudeville and cinema mecca saved from the wrecking ball and converted for use as a live music venue, and then there’s the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre, where puppeteers wade behind a curtain in waist-deep water. We also profile the Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, Havering, London, which is making the switch from analog mixing to digital, and how acoustic treatments are optimizing the acoustics for different performances within the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, FL.
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