Updating a fringe theatre system...

[Vella]

Hi folks,

I'm looking at updating the system for a London fringe venue, and was wondering what the most flexible/best value kit would be.

The theatre's only 50 seats, with playing space roughly 4.5m x 8m. However, it's a studio theatre and so changes configuration almost every show.

The current setup is two ancient speakers with a mismatch of amps, hooked up to a 12 channel Yamaha. All the cable also runs parallel with LX cabling.

I was thinking of using several controls in the grid, with a couple of subs for support, and hooking it up to a multicore. It'd be nice to upgrade the desk to have at least six outputs, plus a decent set of amps. This could then be plugged into a Mac and run off Qlab.

It'd also be great to be able to run LX from the same Mac.

So, my question is really, what would be the best kit for this on a modest budget? Or is there a more effective system that can be durable, flexible and decent quality?

Cheers!

[trussmonkee]

Hi folks,

I'm looking at updating the system for a London fringe venue, and was wondering what the most flexible/best value kit would be.

The theatre's only 50 seats, with playing space roughly 4.5m x 8m. However, it's a studio theatre and so changes configuration almost every show.

The current setup is two ancient speakers with a mismatch of amps, hooked up to a 12 channel Yamaha. All the cable also runs parallel with LX cabling.

I was thinking of using several controls in the grid, with a couple of subs for support, and hooking it up to a multicore. It'd be nice to upgrade the desk to have at least six outputs, plus a decent set of amps. This could then be plugged into a Mac and run off Qlab.

It'd also be great to be able to run LX from the same Mac.

So, my question is really, what would be the best kit for this on a modest budget? Or is there a more effective system that can be durable, flexible and decent quality?

Cheers!

 

just out of interest whats the budget, give or take, or at least ball park?

when you say several controls, I asume you mean 'control ones'?, is this to allow changes in format or to spread them around like delays, if so would you delay them? may be two single points would give a clearer sound if stereo is all you need or want, but a pair of controls as surround speakers could work well and negate the need for subs maybe.

also does it have to be qlab?, there are plenty of great pc based play back systems that would save you a fortune, but either way chamsys would be a good bit of software for lighting and very cost effective but still allowing the system to grow.

[paulears]

The danger with these spaces is that they change format and needs frequently, and you're trying to provide a system to do everything! If you have a grid, I'm assuming it's a scaff tube type square grid. When I worked in one of these, we just had 4 EV 300 speakers with mounts and lighting hook clamps, and we just hung them like the lights, and pointed them to where the sound was needed, and ran out a speaker cable. Not really neat, but took very little time. You are trying to install a saturation system - but this means much kit, most redundant most of the time. Great if you have funds, but control 1s, while great - are not really up to every thing somebody asks for. If they need loud thunder cracks, explosions and gunshots - they struggle a bit, and you need the subs. The EVs I used managed these things with plenty of volume, quite easily. We didn't even have subs, and didn't find it a problem. On one show we brought in a couple of subs for specific requirements, but that was all. If you have to rig lights, the added few minutes for a couple of speakers isn't much - and I'd have to be honest and say that for much of the time we had one in each corner and left them there!