San Francisco, CA – July, 2014… The Color Purple is an inspiring family
saga that tells the unforgettable story of Celie, a downtrodden woman who
–through love – finds the strength to triumph over adversity and find her
unique voice in the world. The musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s award
winning novel and landmark film by director Steven Spielberg comes to vivid
life on the stage. Set to a moving score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, and
blues, The Color Purple is a story of
hope, a tribute to the healing power of love, and a celebration of life.
Helping to ensure the very best possible audio delivery, the technical crew
behind the scenes deployed a combination of wireless microphone, DSP, and audio
networking technology from Rio Rancho, NM-based Lectrosonics.
Sound
Designer Alan Chang of San Francisco, CA-based Coral Canopy, an audio
production services company that operates the broadcast, theatrical, and
special events markets, was brought in to serve as the sound designer and mix
engineer for the Hillbarn Theatre’s production of The Color Purple, which ran May 1st through June 8th. He
discussed his involvement in the production and his reasons for deploying a
wide range of Lectrosonics products.
For
wireless microphones on this production, Chang deployed a combination of
twenty-three Lectrosonics SMV and SMQV Super Miniature beltpack transmitters as
well as LMa beltpack models. On the receiving end, he utilized five fully
stocked Lectrosonics Venue receivers outfitted with a combination of VRS and
VRT receiver modules configured for Narrowband, Wideband Mid, and Wideband Low
performance. Additionally, a Lectrosonics UMC16B UHF Multi-Coupler was used for
RF antenna distribution. This equipment was used in conjunction with DPA 4061
and Countryman B3 microphones.
Chang
shared his reasons for deploying Lectrosonics wireless microphone technology. “The Color Purple is a 3+ hour-long
musical, which entails very precise battery management that no other
manufacturer offers,” he explained. “One such example is Lectrosonics’ remote
capability to sleep the transmitters for battery conservation by playing a series
of tones and beeps from the RM Remote or from the LectroRM app on a smartphone.
In addition to the sleep capability, the RM remote and LectroRM have the
capability to change audio gain levels, frequency channels, RF power levels,
and locking features. This is a tremendous amount of capability that is
particularly useful in theatrical environments where you don’t want to disrupt
wardrobe.”
For
signal management, Chang used a Lectrosonics Aspen Series SPN1612 16-in /
12-out digital signal processor to handle the majority of the music and vocal
performances plus some sound effects cues. He also placed a Lectrosonics DM812
8-in / 12-out Digital Automatic Matrix Processor into service, which he
specifically used for the sound-effects driven loudspeakers. Further, he used a
Lectrosonics DNT0212 Dante™ network processor. This unit handled sound-effect
playback through two networked computers (an Apple MacBook Air and a Mac Mini)
and provided reverb processing and enhancement for the vocals.
When
queried about Lectrosonics audio processing systems, Chang was quick to share
his enthusiasm for the company’s Aspen Series processors. “With the Aspen
processors, the amount of internal mix busses that one is able to create is
very impressive,” he said. “I also really like the unit’s flexible internal
matrix routing capability that enables a sound designer to create interesting
and artistic sound system design.”
Before
shifting his focus back to his work, Chang offered these parting thoughts, “We
needed to specify a sound-friendly system design for The Color Purple that enabled us to have networked computers
controlling sound effects cues as well as system management. The Lectrosonics
ASPEN and DM processors were ideal for this purpose and Lectrosonics technical
support services were great in their ability to assist us. Between the power of
the Lectrosonics audio processing systems and the sound quality and versatility
of the company’s wireless microphone systems, we created a setup that sounded
terrific and delivered without any dropouts or hiccups. Everything proceeded
very smoothly. With the use of Lectrosonics gear, we’ve been able to help this
production deliver its very best.”
The
Hillbarn Theatre’s production of The
Color Purple was directed by Lee Foster with musical direction by Greg
Sudmeier and choreography by Jayne Zaban. For additional information about the
Hillbarn Theatre, visit www.hillbarntheatre.mcjr.net.
To learn more about the services of Coral Canopy, go to www.coralcanopy.com.
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Digital Resources, Inc.
2107 Greenbriar
Suite B
Southlake, TX 76092
USA
817-481-9300
www.digitalresources.com
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