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Stagecraft Techniques: practical, real-world advice from Performing Musician

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A night at the Opera

L-Acoustics dV-DOSC rig • Yamaha M7 desk

Published in PM November 2007

Technique : Stagecraft

Amplifying an open-air opera provides a very different technical challenge to the average rock gig. Accepting the role of Sound Director, rather than running one his his own rigs, Performing Musician's PA correspondent ends up working with an L-Acoustics dV-DOSC rig, a Yamaha M7 desk and Roland digital multicore.

Mike Crofts

Almost all the live sound gigs I have done have involved using my own gear, or providing a system for someone else to use, for example when a band travels with their own sound engineer. Occasionally a gig comes along where I get to use someone else's rig — perhaps in a club with its own installed system, or when standing in for the regular person. A different kind of opportunity arose this summer when I was asked to be Sound Director for an open-air charity opera event, and to take overall responsibility for the sound but without using any of my own gear or crew

As I had worked with the production company, Candlelight Opera, before, I had no worries about the organisational side of things, as this is an organisation that stages opera performances at some quite prestigious venues around the country. The event in question was a charity event to be held in the grounds of a splendid hotel in the New Forest, the aim being to raise funds for the Jigsaw Cancer and Blood Disorders Appeal at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

The requirements were to achieve good quality coverage of the live performance without the sound system being too visually obtrusive, and that the sound should be as natural as possible. The performers to be amplified were five soloists (all professional opera singers) accompanied by a small orchestra consisting of two violins, viola, cello, bass, single woodwind (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon) and one each of horn, trumpet and trombone. The piano was, thankfully, an electric one and the percussionist was using pedal timpani plus various other standard instruments. Everything was to be individually miked, and the singers would use stand mics as this was a concert setting with no movement planned.

The early discussions with the Artistic Director of Candlelight Opera (and Producer of this concert), David Norman, were all about whether or not to hire in a sound company or to use my own rig and crew. From the site plans I received, the audience area was about 60 metres deep and about 80 metres wide, with quite a steep uphill slope from the stage to the back of the listening area. My first thoughts were to go with what I knew, ie. my own gear, but there were other factors to be considered.

It has been my experience that most outdoor gigs fall into one of two categories: those where the audience tries to get as close to the performers as possible, and those where the audience seems to want to get as far back as they can for a better overall view. Most 'Battle of the Bands' type shows and band gigs where the audience is mostly younger and standing tend to fall into the former, whereas events like afternoons in the park which attract or encourage a seated audience tend to be the latter. In this particular case I was told that the audience would tend to fill up the space from about halfway up the slope to the top (in other words, the rear half of the space), but also that the corporate sponsors of the event would have reserved seating on a terrace right at the back, and that they would expect excellent sound quality!

Array, array

The desk used was a Yamaha M7 digital console, partnered with a Roland digital multicore. The console's basic I/O and routing was able to be programmed the day before the show.

In light of all the above it was becoming pretty obvious that the way to go was with some sort of line array, as this configuration would give controlled coverage over the required area. My own inventory doesn't include a line array so we decided that hiring in a complete sound solution was the best bet. It was only at this point, when I knew I was going to be responsible for the sound but without using any of my own equipment or regular crew, that the implications of being 'Sound Director' started to become apparent. Fortunately we were able to secure the services of Paul Nicholson and Midas ProSound, based in Salisbury, who were technically well equipped for the job and have a wide experience with orchestral and operatic events. This was a very important factor for me, as orchestral musicians are used to practicing their instruments and usually performing without the aid of sound systems, and many don't feel completely comfortable with a microphone invading their space — it's particularly difficult for string players, because the closer the microphone is, the more it gets in the way and can present a physical obstacle to actually playing. I had worked with most of the soloists before at Candlelight Opera events, and I already had a pretty good working relationship with them. On previous occasions we had even discussed interesting things like proximity effect, and the fact that if you sing into the microphone it will work better, and so on! Having played in and conducted many orchestral concerts myself I do understand the performance issues associated with miking up, and provided you explain what you're trying to achieve, listen properly to any concerns the performers may express, and don't wear a black T-shirt emblazoned with threatening slogans or imagery, then most problems can be overcome.

All things considered, I didn't have many worries about the performers, but putting myself completely in the hands of a sound team I'd never met did give me a few things to think about. Our Producer told me that the quote from Midas ProSound was within budget, and that my next task was to make contact and "suss them out"

Common ground

The ground where the stage was being built was very uneven and soft from recent heavy rain, so it seemed likely that the stage build would over-run.

Following a visit to site by one of his sound crew, I talked with Paul Nicholson over the phone, and after a few rather wary initial questions I was very relieved to find that we were indeed talking the same language and that Paul had a wealth of experience — far more than my own — with this type and scale of event. I had made out a suggested list of preferred mics for close-miking the orchestra, but we never got as far as that because I was very much in tune with the sort of things Paul was saying. We agreed that the orchestra mics would be a combination of small- and large-diaphragm condensers close to the instruments, that the vocal mics would be used on stands, and that we probably wouldn't need any monitoring on the stage. Paul said that he would take along some monitors just in case, but we agreed that it would be much better not to use them if at all possible to keep the on-stage sound as clean and natural as possible, so I made a mental note to discuss this on the day with the soloists and the Musical Director.

Regarding the front-of-house system itself, Paul had already used the site plan and site visit to construct a three-dimensional model of the venue, including ground contours, stage position, the need to keep the corporate sponsors on the terrace happy etc, using L-Acoustics' proprietary Soundvision software. He planned to use a short vertical line array of three L-Acoustics dV-DOSC units on a four-foot platform over a single L-Acoustics dV-SUB on each side. Paul was also considering the use of delayed fills to cover the rear of the audience area, but was pretty confident that the coverage from the dV-DOSC boxes would be sufficient. A major practical factor with this venue was that no trenching was to be allowed, so any remote speakers would have to be served by cables running directly across the grass and through the audience. Paul suggested that, as the sound control tent would be in the middle of the listening area and just over halfway back, he could, if needed, place any additional speakers at the rear of the tent and thereby avoid the cable runs. At the end of the conversation I was happy that we had made the right choice of sound company and Sound Engineer, and that whatever happened we could sort it on the day!

Comfort and Joy

A vertical line array of three L-Acoustics dV-DOSC units and a single L-Acoustics dV-SUB were used on each side to provide the necessary coverage.

As a member of the production team, one of my main tasks as Sound Director was to keep the Producer informed of progress and to stop him worrying about anything connected with the sound side of things. I rang David Norman and told him that everything would be fine with our chosen company, and that I was happy that they fully understood our requirements. David was kind enough to remind me that it was completely my responsibility and that he was sure I would look after everything!

Arrival

No matter how much you plan and look at maps and pictures, it's not until you arrive at the venue that you really get a feel for the gig, and can make tactical decisions about what will work best on the day and what might cause problems. Working on the principle that the person responsible should be the first on site, I made sure that I arrived early, around 8.30 in the morning, and took a good look around. The hotel grounds were extensive to say the least, and the concert site was nothing but grass, trees and a much steeper slope than I had imagined. The stage construction began on schedule at 9am, and the rest of the Candlelight production team arrived shortly after. I had confirmed to the Producer that the sound crew would get in at 10.30, but the ground where the stage was being built was very uneven and soft from recent heavy rain, so it seemed likely that the stage build would over-run. There wasn't much I could do at that point apart from help with unloading the Candlelight Opera van (for some reason they'd put the timps and piano in last and the tea stuff in first), but I did scout out the least soggy route for the sound company's truck, and agreed with the hotel manager where the vehicles could and couldn't go for unloading. It's far better to make friends with the management early on at a new venue, well before the "Get that van moved now!" stage. I double-checked with both the Producer and the hotel exactly where the control tent was to be placed, what the approved route for the power cable was, and where the toilets were. By then it was just on 10.30, and there was the Midas ProSound truck, heading straight for a particularly soft patch of ground. Time to run and wave the old arms about a bit.

The setup

Paul Nicholson of Midas ProSound at the Yamaha M7 digital desk in the sound control tent.

I must say I found it difficult to stand back and watch other people unloading a van and rigging a sound system! I offered to help carry things if needed, and then left the guys to their business and kept well out of the way. It's always nice to receive a genuine offer of help, but personally I am usually happier to coil my own cables and assemble my own gear because then it's done my way and I know that everything is in its proper place.

I introduced myself to the sound crew and had a quick chat with Paul Nicholson about how things were going, especially with the stage construction taking longer than planned. Paul suggested that only the main speakers be rigged to begin with, and that we should decide on whether delay speakers were needed once we'd heard the initial results with some recorded material. I confirmed that we would not rig any monitors unless there was a real problem on stage, as I was still convinced that the performers would be able to hear themselves easily, and would prefer the natural balance between orchestra and voices — remember we're talking about professional opera singers here, who know all about power and projection, and who don't generally suffer from a lack of confidence

Paul's crew placed a subwoofer a few feet to each side of the building site that was to become a stage, and assembled platforms above for the mid/top cabinets. As planned in the Soundvision mapping, a vertical array of three cabinets was used, the first firing straight ahead at the front part of the grass slope, with the other two covering the middle and uppermost areas — the top speaker was aimed to provide coverage on the terrace, and would be the most critical element in deciding whether to use additional speakers at the rear of the site. Paul explained that although the horizontal coverage of these units is a nice, wide 120 degrees at the -6db point, the vertical dispersion is only 7.5 degrees, which meant that the sound could be precisely aimed exactly where it was needed — in this case it was designed to cut off sharply just above head height on the terrace.

The stage company were also providing the control tent, and luckily they had enough crew to work on this at the same time as the main stage, so Paul was able to start rigging the desk end so that we could hear the system. At this stage it was becoming apparent that the cable run between the stage and the mix position would, due to the distance involved, have to be a straight line through the audience area. As we weren't allowed to bury anything, we used rolls of matting to cover the cables (which included sound control, DMX lighting control and mains power). This was made much easier because Paul was using a digital multicore system, which only needed two small-diameter Cat 5e cables instead of a big, chunky analogue snake.

Team talk

I always feel it is important to complete the rigging of the sound system before the musicians start arriving on stage.

Late morning, and David Norman called a production team meeting to discuss progress, problems and re-establish target times. The main problem of the moment was getting the stage construction completed, but the overall schedule laid down in the Production Book was still looking good. As far as I was concerned, my next two major milestones were to ensure that the sound system was up and running before the orchestra were called for their afternoon rehearsal at 1.30pm, and to liaise with the orchestra, conductor and soloists if there were any problems with mic placement and usage, or any issues with hearing everything clearly on stage. The Candlelight Opera production team are all very co-operative people with a passion for what they do, and although this event was very high-profile and both expectations and pressure were high, I was really enjoying working with them and felt confident, even at this early stage, that we would deliver a great result.

First sounds

The dV-DOSC line array provided ample coverage, without the need for delayed fills.

Not long after the production meeting, Paul fired up the main system and we carried out a comprehensive walkabout to check coverage of all parts of the site. The vertical arrays really did their stuff — the projection to the terrace at the rear was nothing short of exceptional, and the sound balance was even all the way from front to back of the listening area. My main concern all along had been to maintain a natural-sounding balance, with the PA acting purely as a means for the people further away from the stage to hear properly, and about as far away from rock & roll as you can get. I needn't have worried because the sound was excellent and smooth throughout. We listened to a variety of orchestral, classical, opera and instrumental material through the system, and decided that the rear-fill speakers were definitely not needed. Now all we had to do was set up the stage microphones, tidy up the cable routing and be ready for the players to arrive for their three-hour rehearsal.

It's a sound check, Jim, but not as we know it

Since orchestral musicians don't normally perform with the aid of sound systems, many don't feel comfortable using microphones — particularly string players, for whom a mic can present a physical obstacle while playing.

It's a really stressful time for any sound crew if the performers arrive and start setting up on stage before the system is ready. On this occasion it was also vital to remember that the orchestra would regard this afternoon session as a bona fide rehearsal, and would therefore be entirely focused on sorting out their performance rather than paying any attention to the sound system. With professional 'scratch' orchestras — as in this case — the afternoon run-through is very often the first time they have assembled as a group and seen the music, and is literally the only opportunity they have to rehearse the performance.

I placed the players' chairs and music stands on the stage and identified where all the instruments would be, so that the crew could start putting up the instrument mics. As the conductor hadn't yet arrived, I had to guess how he would want the 'back row' laid out — I thought that that he would probably want the brass in the upstage centre, and the woodwind to one side, so we just went with that and kept our fingers crossed. As the performance was to run into the evening, lighting on stage had to be considered too, and I sorted out the music stand lights and cabling to try to avoid running them too close to the mic leads — I also learned how to assemble banqueting chairs!

There was no time to test all the mics individually at this stage, and Paul seemed to be quite happy to go with the flow of the rehearsal, taking opportunities to solo and adjust various mics as they arose. One thing I noticed was that whenever he adjusted any individual channel he always listened to the whole mix straight afterwards, to keep everything in context and make sure that the natural balance was maintained.

A word about the gear

The different sections of the orchestra were divided into subgroups on the mixing desk.

Along with the L-Acoustics dV-DOSC system, Paul chose a Yamaha M7 desk, a Roland digital snake, and ADK microphones for the orchestra with Shure Beta 58s for the singers. When he had a moment to spare I asked him about his choice of equipment for this job, and this is what he told me: "This type of set up is perfect for me. You simply can't beat anything by L-Acoustics, and the M7 is just as quick as an analogue board in my opinion, but far more flexible. The Roland digital snake integrates really well with the M7 and you only need to use a couple of Cat 5e cables to link to the stage. The whole system is neat and tidy, and delivers exactly what the client wanted". Having seen and heard the system in action I would entirely agree!

The desk had been programmed and labelled the day before the show according to the schedule we had sent, and gain, EQ, and sub-groups assigned. Paul took a few minutes to explain that the settings for many previous shows were stored in the desk's memory, with the ability to dump and store many more externally. Our setup was duly stored, so that all the final settings could be recalled in an instant if the concert were to be repeated in the future — what a neat trick!

Final tweaking

It can be helpful when commenting on the overall sound to refer to specific parts of the programme, rather than just say "it sounds great, mate" — it indicates that you really have been listening, and it will be appreciated.

One useful aspect of the rehearsal/soundcheck was that plenty of time was allocated, and by about halfway through, the sound balance was just about sorted. I repeated my earlier site walkabout to listen to the balance and coverage, but this time with the sound produced by live performers. It's worth bearing in mind when fine-tuning a system for this type of live event, that singers (and some wind players, especially trumpets) must pace themselves when faced with a long rehearsal before a concert, and will sing or play quite conservatively until the actual performance.

Reassurance

Now that the sound was all coming nicely together, I went to give the Producer another "all's well" report, and went round checking that everything was looking neat and tidy, and that any trip hazards were attended to. The Musical Director had expressed a desire to go out front and listen to the sound for himself, but in the end this didn't happen, and he was content to take my word for it that everything was sounding good. I find it can be helpful when commenting on the overall sound to refer to specific parts of the programme rather than just say that everything is all right. For example, "the strings sounded nice and warm in the Puccini," or "the horn was a bit prominent at the start of 'Die Fledermaus' but we've moved the microphone back a bit and it's fine now," is a lot more reassuring than "it sounds great, mate," and it does indicate that you really have been listening, and it will be appreciated. I also try and have at least a quick word with most of the individual players, because it lets them know that you are paying attention to their particular instrument, and establishing a good rapport and being seen as the 'good guys' helps everyone to have an enjoyable gig.

Time for tea

At last everything was ready, and the whole company went for tea as the gates opened and the audience began to occupy their favoured listening positions. The hitherto-vacant grass began to fill up with a mixture of posh frocks and sun hats, Hawaiian shirts and dinner jackets, picnic hampers, tartan rugs, folding chairs and a considerable quantity of fizzy drink. After one last look around the backstage area I went off to fulfil another part of my contract — the part that required all the production team to wear black tie.

Briefing

I had noted during the rehearsal that the soloists were adopting differing attitudes to the stand mics, and so I had a last-minute chat with them as they were waiting to come down to the stage. They were all happy with the sound balance on stage (luckily we hadn't needed to deploy the monitors at all), and I just reminded them to try and stay 'on' the microphone at a fairly constant distance if possible. As the five singers would be coming on and off stage and singing solos, duets and ensemble pieces in various combinations, it wasn't possible to set up one mic per person, but if they all approached the mic in roughly the same way it would make life a little easier for Paul on the desk.

In concert

Apart from providing Paul, as mix engineer, with sound cues from my programme notes, all I had to do during the performance was listen, and pay attention to the audience, watching for signs that anyone was unhappy with what they were hearing. I stood alongside the mix position and told Paul what to expect in terms of who was singing with whom, and when the MC would be talking (I had a copy of his script, which was very useful in terms of knowing exactly where we were), although most of the time we had good visual cues. The excellent sound that Paul had achieved during the afternoon remained just as excellent during the concert, and many people were kind enough to offer very positive comments on the quality of the sound. Perhaps most importantly for me, the Producer, David Norman, was completely happy with our efforts, and the show was presented exactly as planned. When, at the end of the programme, I heard the applause echoing all around the venue at the opening bars of 'Nessun Dorma', it was a memorable and inspiring moment, and I'm really looking forward to being involved with the next large-scale production, and working again with Paul and his team. 0