In outfitting San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre for Duncan Sheik’s musical Whisper House, the sound design team of Dan Moses Schreier and associate designer David Bullard – who designed the audio for the current Broadway hits Westside Story, A Little Night Music and Sondheim On Sondheim – drew on years of combined experience for every scenario of the complex audio production.
With an on-stage orchestra, a cappella vocal performances, large-group sequences and loud, complicated battle scenes transitioning throughout the entire play, they needed an audio system that could reproduce it all – from loud, overbearing sound effects to quiet, intimate spoken scenes – and ultimately selected AKG frequency-agile DMS 700 wireless microphone systems and JBL VRX Series loudspeakers.
The DMS 700 digital wireless microphone systems were outfitted with a variety of AKG handheld mics, such as the C5 condenser, D5 dynamic, D7 dynamic handheld.
The most notable feature, according to Bullard, was the digital system’s ability to do frequency scanning for the entire spectrum and automatically determine the optimal channels to use.
Open mics for on-stage musicians created a challenge. Acoustic leakage from traditional stage monitors led Bullard and Schreier to outfit the Whisper House singers with AKG IVM 4 in-ear monitors using AKG SPR4 pocket receivers.
Bullard reports “the male lead wasn’t accustomed to using in-ear monitors, but once he heard his vocal through the AKG IVM4 system he said ‘this is fantastic.’ The system was easy to use, easy to set up and reliable.”
According to Schreier, the premium audio quality and ultra-wide tuning range of the AKG equipment provided reliable transmissions that always sounded crisp and intelligible.
“The AKG equipment made this a true plug-and-play system,” Bullard said. “We were able to set the channels and adjust all of the variables in a matter of minutes and then just hand the microphones to the performers and we heard strong, intelligible sound throughout each performance.”
Meeting the demand for high-fidelity reinforcement of Duncan Sheik’s score, left and right clusters of JBL VRX932LAP Powered 12-inch 2-way line array loudspeakers were suspended from the proscenium for the orchestra-level audience, and two arrays of VRX928LA speakers targeted at the balcony to provide the perfect amount of coverage throughout.
The VRX cabinets adjustable EQ eliminated the need for additional outboard processing and allowed Bullard to quickly achieve even response and coverage.
Four VRX918SP subwoofers, which were mounted in the ceiling, gave more than enough power to produce low frequency impact of Whisper House’s battle scenes.
To reinforce sound effects, a surround sound system was installed incorporating JBL AE Compact Series AC26 loudspeakers.
“The AE series speakers were positioned close to the audience and gave full 120 x 60 foot coverage without overwhelming the front row,” commented Bullard. “The VRX and AE series speakers that we used here are also very versatile, and with this musical, we had to really push the limits in terms of different audio applications.”
Crown iTech amplifiers powered the loudspeakers, with audio mixed using a Soundcraft Vi6 digital console outfitted with Lexicon FX6 reverbs and a rack-mounted Lexicon PCM 96 Processor.
Bullard and Schreier were able to remotely configure Crown and JBL system components using Harman HiQnet control protocol and Harman System Architect software which greatly enhanced the workflow.
“The Harman Professional equipment, primarily the JBL loudspeakers and AKG microphones, provided a level of performance and an ease of use that we simply couldn’t get with any other brand,” commented Schreier. “The whole crew was more than pleased with the results, as were David and I, and we will certainly look to Harman Professional equipment for other theater setups in the future.”
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