NEW YORK — A bilingual production of West Side Story recently opened at the Palace Theatre on Broadway with a Studer Vista 5 digital console mixing the show. The iconic production makes its return to Broadway after a 29-year absence, and sound designer Dan Moses Schreier and his associates selected the Vista 5 for its capabilities and audio quality.
Dan Moses Schreier has been using Studer products for many years, and he has also been the sound designer for Broadway productions such as Julius Caesar starring Denzel Washington as well as The Tempest starring Patrick Stewart. Schreier initially intended to mix West Side Story on an analog desk, however he chose the Vista 5 after working with the board.
“The Vistonics interface was a huge factor in selecting the console,” said Schreier. “Many digital consoles feel like you are mixing off a computer monitor and what is terrific about the Vistonics interface is that it feels more like an analog console in the sense that you always see what you need to see at the channel strip. In the theatre when things are happening fast and in the moment, this makes it easy to make corrections or find problems with great ease. But ultimately, it is the sound of the console that determined my decision.”
Schreier described the feel of the board as “logical,” saying that it “enables engineers to build and construct a show.” He also liked the traditional feel of parameter controls, calling them “remarkably straightforward” and “analog-like.”
There are 48 wireless microphones for the actors/dancers, 30 musicians in the orchestra with 62 microphones and 81 speakers on West Side Story, making it an elaborate project. Because it is such a classic show, there is enormous pressure.
“It's like mixing The Beatles' Abbey Road live every night,” said Schreier, “with everyone expecting it to sound just like the album. The Vista 5 handles the demands of the show with great transparency and ease. The compact size of the console and the clarity of its layout made the size of the show extremely manageable. But ultimately, it comes down to how the show sounds—and this production of West Side Story sounds fantastic.”
The enthusiasm for the Vista shown by Schreier and others has prompted Studer to develop further theatre-specific features to help with the production workflow. A new software version for Vista, V4.2, was launched at the Pro Light & Sound show in Frankfurt and includes facilities for enhanced cue lists, character/actor libraries and events, VCA/Mute assignments and dynamic automation. Furthermore, Virtual Vista, a PC-based offline/online editor is now available which allows designers to check and setup the sound at any point within a venue, and even control the desk in parallel with the surface.
Visit www.studer.ch for more information.
