Dream Theatre Sound System

[Bobbsy]

"All of the above" plus more besides

 

Yes, acting styles have changed to a far more naturalistic way of doing things. Although there are some performers who specialise in live theatre, but a lot more earn their main living in TV and Film. Look how many panto "stars" this season have "day jobs" in soap operas or whatever. Partially because of this and partly just because of style, acting schools are more likely to teach their students to mumble creatively than to fill a theatre.

 

Yes, expectations have changed. Again, this may be because of TV and film, but the "stagey" style of acting isn't popular any more. Similarly, after a generation or two of rock music (and musicals) audiences expect the "amplified" sound.

 

Yes, audiences have forgotten how to listen. Partly because of the point above, lots of people complain they "can't hear" if sound levels aren't as high as they're used to hearing in cinemas/at concerts/in their iPod earphones. It's sad, but people aren't willing to concentrate on what they're listening to anymore.

 

Beyond the above, there are several others factors:

 

Styles have also changed in the type of show and orchestration that is used. There are far more productions at least partially rock-based with plenty of electronic instruments.

 

A large percentage of the current and next generation actually have faulty hearing CAUSED by the levels they listen to with earbuds. A different topic, but that style of transducer is far more dangerous for hearing than loud music through a speaker. I was shocked recently to find that my hearing (at 54) has a better high-end response than several of my children in their teens and twenties. If you're turning up your iPod to drown out background sounds on the street or a train, you're likely damaging your ears.

 

Theatres are somewhat noisier than they used to be. Moving lights, colour scrollers, ventilation systems and the like all contribute to a higher noise floor...and the actor or the sound op still has to generate a minimum differential from the BG noise before they can be heard and understood.

 

Finally, I suspect there's an element of "because we can". It could be argued that elaborate lighting also takes away from the "pure experience" of watching an actor. However, I don't hear anyone suggesting that theatre design should go back to open-air venues like the Globe with performances in daylight only.

 

Bob

[paulears]

I must admit that I have often wondered how things worked before technology popped along. Take something like My Fair Lady, the King and I etc where there was a full orchestra in the pit. The music must have been really impressive, but how did the audience hear the cast over that lot? I'd love to hear from somebody who remembered those shows first time around. Even with a cast of Brian Blesseds, I wonder if you really could hear them?

[Ynot]

I must admit that I have often wondered how things worked before technology popped along. Take something like My Fair Lady, the King and I etc where there was a full orchestra in the pit. The music must have been really impressive, but how did the audience hear the cast over that lot?

I suspect that the MD's in those days had more control over the musi's. Not that a modern MD can't control them, but nowadays most orchestras are mic'd and it's the soundie who has the control.

And I'd hazard a guess that older scores were written in such a way that when soloists sang, the number of instruments being played went down.

 

Just a theory....

[James]

Were the cheap seats cheap beccause you couldn't hear anything?

 

Historic theatres, I have never seen a microphone used in Sam Wanamaker's recreation historic theatre on the south bank and never had a problem with audbility when I've attended productions.

 

Can it be that modern orchestras can't perform a proper pianisimo anymore?

 

Is it with modern soundtracks and sound reproduction technology improving current perception of an acceptable dynamic range has increased?

 

Have modern film and television soundtracks "raised the bar" of percieved accceptability in audability?

 

Are modern audiences no longer willing to work to hear what is happening?

 

 

 

 

Are modern musicals unperformable without the use of sound re-enforcement technology?

[lifeisacabaret]

This discussion could go round in circles, and is ultimately pointless. Sound re-enforcement and amplification is a fact of life in modern theatre, and always will be, so you might as well get used to it.

 

Edited: To include that this is purely a reference to professional musical theatre, and that I would never say that 'It has to be amplified to be good'.

[Ynot]

This discussion could go round in circles, and is ultimately pointless. Sound re-enforcement and amplification is a fact of life in modern theatre, and always will be, so you might as well get used to it.

RUBBISH!!

There are, I'm sure, MANY performances that don't need or use reinforcement. Maybe not in the majority for the reasons outlined already, but they are out there.

Not every show in our amateur venue feels the need to use mics, for example. Many plays don't need mics.

As has already been said, those performed in the new Globe aren't specifically mic'd.

[Ben Langfeld]

Are modern audiences no longer willing to work to hear what is happening?

 

I think this is silly to be honest. Why should the audience have to struggle to hear what is going on? They want to relax and be entertained, not have to work to hear.

[paulears]

I can think of quite a few companies and productions where NO sound enhancement was the norm. It doesn't have to be amplified to be good.

[The Boogie Man]

Quite true Paul, I'm not saying Mr Riff is good :) , but the acoustic songs don't actually need amplification. It's purely a response to the background noise they have to compete against to be heard.

[Bobbsy]

It's the exception, not the rule, for me to use any reinforcement on "straight drama" as opposed to musicals...and even on musicals the amount of reinforcement is determined by the style and orchestration of the music and the acoustics of the venue (as well as the abilities of the cast sometimes).

 

Very often "less is more" and it can also be fun to concentrate on sound effects and "soundscapes" rather than fuss about with 20 or 30 radio mics!

 

As for the Globe, one of the things about the design is that the entire audience is relatively close to the stage.

 

Bob

[Chris Hinds]

This discussion could go round in circles, and is ultimately pointless. Sound re-enforcement and amplification is a fact of life in modern theatre, and always will be, so you might as well get used to it.

I don't think anyone would argue that all productions are totally exempt from amplification, but that it is used as a technical sticking plaster in far too many cases, especially in circumstances other than the West End level shows. Many of the high end productions are incredibly physically demanding on the performers, with elaborate dance routines, multi level sets, performers off stage doing voice-of-god etc. The key is not going from one extreme to the other but simply appropriate use of amplification.

 

In particular I am thinking of a university production of "A Chorus Line" where for want of any real need other than showing off, the Sound designer opted to put a radio mic on every one of the 18 cast members. It was a disaster at the time from a sound point of view, because the performers were told at an early stage that they would all have microphones.

 

What was said: "You'll have microphones on for the shows"

What the performers heard: "We'll be amplified so projection doesn't matter"

 

As a result, you couldn't tell who was singing in any piece let alone ensemble pieces because the sound all appeared to come from the L + R flown speakers. The lack of localisation was incredible to the point that I found it a very bad show to watch because I spent more time trying to work out where my attention was supposed to be focussed than actually following the performance.

 

The use of microphones is inevitable, but it is not essential. During a performance of "City of Angels" I would deliberately run at the lowest level of micing required to get the cast over the band, and in most cases was bringing the band up to the level of the cast, such was the control of the conductor. With an electronic band in many cases now, this is even easier.

 

Different styles of musical would demand difference amplification, a Rock musical like Starlight Express is more in need of amplification and expected in the style of show, while City of Angels is much less of a Rock show and more traditional. We Will Rock You, while technically advanced, is principally a Queen tribute act loosely linked and as such is more of a Rock piece again.

 

Just my 2p.

 

Regards

 

Chris

[dbuckley]

It's the exception, not the rule, for me to use any reinforcement on "straight drama"

That was my position too, until this little gem arrived by email:

We did enjoy the Allo Allo however just a suggestion: most of your audience were over fifty years and the old hearing is not as good as it was. You should have amphilication as the natural voice in that theatre is not easily heard. I would not return to your shows without better sound.

Which raises an interesting point. This theatre is a proper prosc arch theatre, designed the best part of a century ago, when all you had was actor projection and theatre acoustics. I, in any seat of the theatre, with my somewhat shot hearing, and not quite being in my fifties (yet!), can hear every word uttered on that stage perfectly, but there was clearly a part of our audience who were not (or maybe believed they were not!!!) deaf enough to need hearing aids, but who had difficulty in hearing.

 

So for the following show I resolved to change matters, and thus hired a couple of PCC160s and helped the GBF position with a Behringer Shark. This worked a treat, significantly increasing the speech level in the auditorium, and indeed in the foyer :)

 

The folks who run FOH for us come to see the show at the dress, and one of the dears had forgotten her hearing aid, and was thus sure she would not enjoy the production as she feared wouldn't be able to hear it well. But she had a great time, and heard every word.

 

We've only had positive comments, so this is going to become a permanent feature, this society will be purchasing PCC160s.

 

The humour here is that there are no PCC160s for hire in the South Island of New Zealand, which stunned me silly: I got em mailed down from Auckland (yay for Oceania Audio), and then the delivery bloke managed to total my mailbox (we have US style mailboxes here) by "inserting" the package into the mailbox, interference fit style... bar steward. Just to save driving up the drive to our house.