UK audio engineering, sound management and design consultancy Vanguardia has appointed Roly Oliver as Head of Live Business, to establish and oversee the company’s distribution of sound management tool MeTrao in the UK, for which Vanguardia has secured sole rights.
In a 25-year career, Oliver has provided sound engineering expertise for the Manic Street Preachers, Daft Punk, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Pet Shop Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snow Patrol among other artists. Oliver was previously sales manager at Britannia Row Productions, where he handled Robbie Williams’ and Red Hot Chili Peppers' stadium tours as well as the Lovebox and T in the Park festivals. In 2008 he set up the UK operation of US-based Eighth Day Sound, managing to build it up in testing economic times.
Joining Vanguardia from Eighth Day Sound, he will be responsible for all concert touring and festivals, building the company’s reputation and promoting the its comprehensive raft of services, including noise control and management, event site feasibility assessment, event site noise modelling, sound system design and testing, licence representation, expert witness and hearing protection.
As an integral aspect of his role, Oliver will oversee the UK launch of intelligent sound management unit MeTrao. Devised to enabler event organisers to meet noise control regulations, MeTrao measures all sound-related data and provides real-time frequency and zone specific solutions to any arising issues. Uniquely, MeTrao provides correlation information enabling the unique source of a sound from a specific stage at a multi-event festival to be pinpointed and adjusted, so potential breaches of regulations can be identified in advance and avoided.
‘We've enjoyed such significant growth in our live events work and developed our own tools such as Audioview to serve our clients,’ says Vanguardia Director, Jim Griffiths. ‘MeTrao is a further development of this technology and to partner with it makes perfect sense, primarily because the product's ground-breaking innovation will continue to keep us at the cutting edge of the industry.
‘To lead this venture, we knew we needed someone who combined hands-on sound engineering expertise with a proven track record in sales – a specific combination of divergent skills. Thankfully, Roly Oliver is exactly that person. We are over the moon he has joined the team and look forward to working with him.’
‘The consultancy is held in such high esteem throughout the industry, making this a dream appointment for me,’ Oliver replies. ‘From decades of experience with some of the world's top acts, I've developed an in-depth understanding of the complex set of issues faced by sound engineers at live gigs and festivals. I know inside-out the quirks and specifications of many of the UK’s top venues – as well as the difficulties of festival production and sound level management at outdoor stages or inside tents.
‘I can't wait to introduce fellow sound professionals and event organisers to the technical innovation of MeTrao. It removes all the headaches – both literal and metaphorical – surrounding noise control, resulting in the finest quality audio at the highest possible legal levels.’
More: http://vanguardia.co.uk
