Orlando, FL (June 29, 2015)—Sennheiser debuted its new MobileConnect streaming solution in the US during InfoComm in a dramatic fashion, putting it to use for company guests at a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba at nearby Downtown Disney.
MobileConnect is a new technology intended to provide capabilities and features to the hearing and visually impaired. During the event, 50 A/V consultants were hosted by Sennheiser for an exclusive social gathering, followed by a demonstration of MobileConnect on the Cirque du Soleil stage. La Nouba, which is performed ten times a week in a custom-built theater that seats 1,650 patrons, has been running since 1998.
“When we approached Cirque du Soleil with our MobileConnect solution, they liked the concept of having their patrons utilizing their own devices and headphones,” commented Frederick Girard, Sales Director, System Integration, Sennheiser. “Even though they have assistive listening devices on site, our solution reduces the logistical challenges of picking up and dropping off these devices, while ensuring a positive theatrical experience for the hearing and visually impaired.”
“Additionally, Cirque du Soleil’s team immediately spotted potential interruptable foldback (IFB) applications and was eager to test MobileConnect’s capabilities backstage, in the green room and other production areas,” Frederick said.
Sennheiser guests were treated to dinner at House of Blues before being provided with a pair of headphones and instructions on how to download and use the MobileConnect—which reportedly took only 2 minutes. “MobileConnect requires next to no training to use — it is a very simple solution that is easy to operate and understand,” Girard explains.
During the La Nouba production, Sennheiser worked with Cirque de Soleil’s production crew and FOH sound technicians to create two separate channels on the MobileConnect application: one capturing all of the stage microphones, the other capturing the stage microphones plus the production intercomm. The 50 attending Sennheiser guests were able to effortlessly toggle between both channels and listen to ‘behind the scenes’ production calls.
“I was personally very excited to look around and see our customers engaging the MobileConnect system,” concluded Girard. “The low latency of the system, ease of use and flexible feature set worked flawlessly as expected. Moreover, it seemed very natural for audience members to be using such a system — it was a genuine live test of the technology and everything seemed to fit.”
Sennheiser
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