Portable FOH
The front-of-house mix position moved to the main floor as part of the process; previously it had been located in the mezzanine-level equipment room overlooking the floor.
A 32-channel Soundcraft K2 console, in custom Opticase road case, as well as a rack of Lexicon outboard effects processing and Denon source gear, are rolled from storage into position at the rear of the room, where they can be patched into the system.
The K2 does double-duty, supplying four monitor sends. A PreSonus 8-channel compressor/gate can be applied where needed, while a Symetrix 551 parametric equalizer allows the opportunity for tailoring.
Overall monitor processing comes courtesy of SymNet, with QSC CX amplifiers driving up to four EAW SM122 compact wedges that can be positioned where needed on the platform.
In addition to fixed podium microphones, up to six Shure dual-channel UHF diversity wireless systems are available. These can be supplied with bodypack transmitters and Sennheiser MKE-104 lavalier microphones or with Shure U2/58 handheld transmitters.
The custom floor pocket at the mix position was a chief focus of Eldridge.
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“The existing system had numerous connectors throughout the room – at the stage, on the lift, and a few more on the main floor, in addition to double-ganged quad boxes with four XLR connectors in them, mounted at the stage as wall panels” he says. “The goal was to centrally integrate all of these and maximize interconnectivity as much as possible.”
The floor at the mix position was carefully cut to allow the installation of a custom, recessed panel with a 40-channel and two 20-channel mass connectors, all from Whirlwind and linking to two new 40-channel connector panels that are now wall-mounted to each side of the stage.
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The floor panel also includes XLR connectors that allow patching into 8 tie lines with the system, video coax feeds, and an interconnect for the production staff’s ClearCom intercom system.
“My.paranoia in cutting the beautiful parquet floor was extreme. Not only did we not want to mar its look, but we wanted the cover to not be visible, to totally disappear,” Eldridge notes. “The cover, crafted by a mill worker, is made of matching parquet that perfectly fits the space, and the job was done so well it’s hard to find the cover unless you know exactly where it is.”