Preparation for new stage productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Sound of Music saw sound designer Dan Samson making extensive use of d&b audiotechnik systems and DiGiCo mixing consoles. Supplied by Orbital Sound, these comprised Q-Series loudspeakers, complemented by the compact line array T-Series, B2 Subs as well as E6 and E8 cabinets.

The shows are among seven from the Bill Kenwright Ltd stable hitting the UK touring circuit in the early part of 2015, with preparations made at Orbital’s Brixton facility, including all system planning, building and testing prior to the tours going out on the road under Technical Director Bill Addison.

‘Both shows involve exciting new elements in terms of the overall technology, compared to the last time that they toured and this has given us some great scope to play with,’ Samson says. ‘We are using an E0-based surround sound system on both productions, which has added an extra dimension – for example, in creating the ambience of the large Abbey spaces in The Sound of Music, as well as for the crowd effects on Jesus Christ Superstar.

‘The systems are quite similar,’ he continues. ‘Both use DiGiCo SD10T consoles along with the Q-Series, although their styles are very different. Jesus Christ Superstar is such an iconic musical, with a very big dynamic sound – our job is to make sure that audiences are not disappointed. The set is a major challenge, in that it uses a big metal bridge on two levels. There is a lot of movement and one issue was to make sure that the cast had really good coverage at all times, so we had to make sure there was the right level of foldback wherever they are. The show has been redesigned from the ground up, and we have gone for a more arena-style sound set-up, which is working really well. This is mainly because we are using the orchestrations and arrangements from the recent arena tour, giving the show a really big sound at some points, with the focus on a confident rhythm section in order to recreate the feel of the original 70s concept album.’

With his knowledge of the UK touring circuit, Samson’s focus was on designing a flexible system that would deliver a high-quality sound irrespective of the venue – bringing in some additional equipment as required to handle the bigger venues, while keeping the touring rig as compact as possible. The core system configuration in both cases involves stalls hangs of Q1 cabinets with Q7s used for out fill or in fill. Q7s also provide a point-source option on the fills. Further left and right hangs of Q1s are used to provide coverage for the upper levels, with a T-10 centre cluster used whenever possible, depending on venue. The QSubs are positioned on a venue-by-venue basis – essentially wherever the team can fit them in! Dan has been impressed by the performance of the d&b D80 amplifiers, as well as the new version of R1 remote control software, which is proving to be very stable. Overall, his emphasis has been on deploying a system that he has high confidence in, having used it successfully on many previous occasions – an essential element for a gruelling tour with a weekly venue change.

The Sound of Music requires a more traditional and often subtle approach, with audience expectations always very high with regard to the musical’s score. Technically, it is more about achieving a careful balance between the big moments as well as the more atmospheric sections. Added to this are the challenges of miking nuns wearing habits, three teams of children changing over on a regular basis, hats being taken on and off – for the sound team, attention to detail is crucial. For Samson, the SD10T’s dedicated theatre software is an enormous plus, giving specific control where it is needed with channel flexibility.

The productions are part of a major new line-up from Bill Kenwright Ltd for 2015, as the UK’s largest independent theatre company. Other new shows include Dreamboats and Miniskirts, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Blood Brothers.