NEW YORK – More Midas digital consoles are being used on Broadway productions. For Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert at the Palace Theatre, there’s an XL8 at FOH. A Pro3 has been installed at 42nd Street Inc.’s New Victory Theatre. And for the Broadway-bound production of White Noise, produced by Whoopi Goldberg, there are Pro9s at the FOH and monitor mixing positions.
“In the theatre world, we’re very cue-based,” noted Brian Hsieh, associate designer/programmer on White Noise. The production requires more than 100 scenes to be programmed into the PRO9, with every scene carrying MIDI commands to at least seven devices with links and follows.
“We’re able to take any number of the 24 wireless channels and put them on the VCAs needed for that scene,” said Hsieh. “Every line is a fader move, and every scene changes the layout of the VCAs. So we use a lot of automation, and we’re constantly on the VCAs throughout the show.”
Sound designer Garth Helm, who’s worked on both White Noise and Priscilla, says of the XL8 on the latter,
Speaking on the XL8 chosen for Pricilla, sound designer Garth Helm (who’s also worked on White Noise) noted that “the automation features made it very easy to adjust to the large dynamic range of the show.”
Matt Peskie, project manager at the New Victory Theatre, also credited his Pro3 for features including scene changes, snapshot automation and group assignments. “A big key for the New Victory is that shows often come back, so they can build a library of every show and have everything stored for the next time. That’s a tremendous advantage.”
The Midas digital systems have also proved adept at handling the productions’ big I/O requirements. Although the disco-themed Priscilla has substantial I/O requirements, those needs are met with one XL8. For the hip-hop and rock themed White Noise, however, with 88 input channels at FOH and 48 at monitors; and with 35 individual mix outputs from FOH and 24 from monitors; the crew is using two consoles in tandem. A Pro9 takes care of primary mixing duties, and a backstage Pro3 handles monitors. Just three CAT5 cables handle the 144 channels of audio running between the two consoles. The PRO3 is the source for all the monitor mixes, which includes IEMs as well as wedge mixes for the band, plus various stage foldback speakers. “Those mixes are static, so there’s no need for an active monitor engineer for the show,” noted Heish. “We use the KVM switch on the Pro9 to access and program the Pro3 from the front of house – very convenient.”
The small footprint of both cabling and consoles has tangible benefits for Broadway productions, noted Helm. “As a sound designer, sound quality and technical ability will always be first for me. But economics are also a factor; ask any producer on Broadway. At $150 a seat, if you can save six or more seats by having a smaller footprint at front of house, there’s your business case for Midas digital right there.”
White Noise is also using a Klark Teknik DN9696 high-resolution audio recorder to capture the show’s musical performances. “Our game plan is to create a live performance soundtrack CD,” explains Helm. “Instead of bringing in a remote truck, we’re using the DN9696. It’s a great recorder, and integrates seamlessly into the Midas network. We’re capturing each input individually during the performances, and then we will take them to a recording studio to mix and edit.” The DN9696 offers 96 tracks of recording with 96 kHz, 24-bit resolution.
Ease of use has been a key benefit for the sound engineers visiting New Victory Theatre. “The Pro3 has all the digital capabilities we could ask for,” said David Jensen, director of production, New Victory Theatre, “but it has a very analog feel, so people can get their heads around it pretty quickly, usually within 30 minutes.”
Anthony Nittoli, design principal at Connecticut-based Akustiks LLC, upgraded the sound system at the New Victory Theatre, with Masque Sound handling the installation. “One of the biggest requirements was to find a console that was not only user-friendly, but also rider-friendly,” noted Nittoli. “Midas has always been well-accepted. No matter what’s on a rider, when you tell them you have a Midas, you’re pretty much good to go.”
The consoles have also scored high marks for sound quality. “Simply gorgeous,” said Jensen. Helm, meanwhile, noted that, “between the preamps, the EQ and the time management system, the Midas digital platform is so close to their analog sound, I can’t really say that I can hear the difference between the two.” Midas also garnered praise among the engineers for factory support.
For more information, please visit www.midasconsoles.com.
