Based in Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre, the Welsh National Opera (WNO) is one of the most prolific operatic ensembles in the UK, with a national and international touring schedule that consists of an average of 120 performances per year, and in need of a new in-house communication system, the group recently invested in a Riedel Bolero digital wireless intercom system specified by Autograph Sound.
“We spend around five to seven weeks, twice a year, at our home in the Millennium Centre, producing our operas. From there, we head off on tour for around seven weeks at a time,” explains Benjamin Naylor, head of lighting and sound at WNO. “We’re on the move a lot and require a communication system that works for us, not against us.”
Prior to the upgrade, the team at WNO was using an outdated digital wireless system that had served them well for several years but had run its course as upgrade requirements and maintenance began to incur considerable costs. “The old system was liable to a lot of interference on the line, and from a health and safety point of view we needed a system that provided clear communication,” Naylor says. “Range is also important for us – our team covers a lot of ground.”
“Welsh National Opera stressed the fact that they wanted a system that was quick and efficient to set up when they go on tour,” adds Nacho Lee, UK sales manager at Riedel. “Clarity of communication was the second most important requirement. Riedel Bolero ticks several boxes for systems that move around a lot: clear communication, ease of use and incredible range, no matter the venue. So, we recommended Bolero.”
The system was commissioned in August 2022, with both Riedel and Autograph in attendance to ensure WNO were supported in setting up and using the Bolero system. “In total, the system consisted of three wireless antenna w/PSU, fifteen Bolero belt packs, three 5-bay chargers with rack mount kits, an NSA-002A interface box with rack mount kit and the stand-alone licence for the system. A network switch for communication and supplying POE to the antenna and NSA units were also part of the package,” explains Will Cottrell, technical sales engineer at Autograph.
Once installed, the system was put into action both at home and on tour. “We implemented a soft introduction of the system, to ensure everyone was confident using Bolero,” says Thomas Roberts, lighting supervisor at WNO. “During the first season, we configured the Bolero system like our old system before rolling out more features throughout the company.”
“We use two to four channels at a time, with roles defined per department plus separate chat channels alongside the main channel, to avoid overloading any one channel,” he continues. “Not only does this system provide the best audio quality I’ve ever experienced, but it’s also much better at dealing with distances between team members than our previous system. It’s like having a normal conversation with someone – you can hear the inflection in people’s voices so it’s easy to determine who is speaking.”
Roberts also notes that the intuitive user interface of the system has also improved WNO’s communications, saying, “The user experience couldn’t be simpler. The screen is easy to understand, and the buttons are much nicer than competitors’ offerings.”
Stage manager Amy Batty adds, “The ergonomics are good and the buttons are intuitive and easily accessible. You forget you’re wearing it and it becomes part of the day, part of the routine – there’s no thinking, we just use it.”
