The Rat Pack at the Strand Theatre (London), showcasing the voices,music and lifestyles of legendary performers Dean Martin, Sammy DavisJr. and Frank Sinatra, is delivered via 30 Turbosound Qlight™enclosures in a sound system designed and installed by WE Audio (UK)and supplied through Marquee Audio (UK).
Forming the core of the system are Turbosound TQ-440 speakers withTQ-220 and TQ-230 models for under-balcony delays and fills, whilesub-bass gets support from TQ-425 and TQ-115s, with the TQ-310 speakersas stage monitors.
The show re-creates the style and ambience of the famed Las VegasSands Casino, the scene of many performances by the original Rat Packmembers. To this end, WE Audio’s Wayne Barker, working withassociates Tim McCall and Andy Playford, designed the systemspecifically to reinforce the nightclub atmosphere and to providesupport for the show’s strong vocal styles over the sound of the15-piece band. Barker explained: “We paid a lot of attention to manydetails—from microphones to loudspeakers—to present thesound of a ’60s nightclub as faithfully as possible, andundertook considerable research to find the most appropriate tool foreach aspect of the sound. Right from their launch, we identified thesize and performance of Turbosound’s TQ systems as being highly suitedto theater applications. The TQ concept is a perfect match for thisshow’s specification, which called for a compact system that was easyto work and rig. WE first deployed them for the show’s tour prior toits West End arrival. The speakers performed incredibly well withmaximum coverage from very few boxes.
“The TQ systems have also proved to be flexible enough to produceexcellent results in the huge range of venues in configurations rangingfrom a single proscenium-hung pair to a large central cluster. TheStrand system has been expanded to ensure that we addressed theauditorium’s acoustics as carefully as possibly and achieved evencoverage throughout the stalls in addition to the venue’s three balconylevels. The very natural midrange vocal quality of the TQ-440loudspeakers is excellent for the powerful, big band dynamics of the15-piece orchestra.”
WE Audio’s system at the Strand is powered by 24 Crest Audio Pro7200and Pro8200 amplifiers, two Turbosound LMS-D6 loudspeaker controllers,eight channels of Drawmer compression and two BSS Soundwebs to handlethe configuration and routing of the system’s 27 loudspeaker sends.
The Rat Pack’s loudspeaker system is configured using TQ-440enclosures at either side of the proscenium, positioned for the stallsand for each of the three balcony levels. Sub-bass TQ-425 units arelocated under the front of the stage and in the dress circle, withTQ-115 systems providing extra low-level support for the highestcircle. The narrow-profile TQ-220 and TQ-230 systems are hung undereach balcony to handle the delays, with separate units providing spotfills for the theater’s boxes as required. TQ-310 units, configured totake advantage of their rotatable HF waveguide and trapezoidal cabinetdesign, are being used in horizontal format as stage monitors.
WE Audio has worked closely throughout the project with AndySharrocks, production manager for Flying Music, the show’s productioncompany. The WE Audio team responsible for the show comprises WayneBarker, sound designer; Tim McCall, system programmer; Andrew Playford,sound manager; David Burrows, front-of-house engineer; and JamesLoveless, monitor engineer.
For more information, visit WE Audio at www.weaudio.co.ukor Marquee Audio at www.marqueeaudio.co.uk/index.html. For moreinformation on the speakers, visit Turbosound at www.turbosound.com. For more touring news, visit mixonline.com/live_sound_tour_profiles/index.htm.
