Meyer Sound rejuvenates Sydney Theatre Company

Sydney Theatre Company (STC) has reopened its home venue, The Wharf, at Walsh Bay following a two-year closure for a total renovation. The technical upgrade has included the installation of a Meyer Sound system based around the company’s new Ultra-X series. supplied by Soundcorp, a Diversified company.

The system was designed by Meyer’s Bob McCarthy and Josh Dorn-Fehrmann using Spacemap Go, the manufacturer’s new tool for spatial sound design and live mixing. STC’s Playing Beatie Bow has become one of the world’s first theatrical productions to use dynamic spatial effects provided by the new technology based on the Galaxy network platform using Milan and a new iPad user interface.

The system renewal was the latest stage of a decades-long relationship between the theatre and Meyer Sound. “We did explore options from other manufacturers, but over the years we’ve been happy with the UPJ and UPM loudspeakers, which we could easily integrate into the new systems,” explained sound and video manager, Ben Lightowlers. “More importantly, we were very impressed with the new Ultra-X loudspeakers. They are excellent for vocal clarity, which is paramount as the dialogue must be out front. But they are also exceptional for music.”

Spacemap Go reconfigures the system to accommodate the 420-seat Wharf 1 Theatre’s different seating configurations, including end-on, L-shape and in-the-round, as well as sound effect source locations specific to a particular production. Sound designers can also leverage the spatial sound possibilities of Spacemap Go.

“When Spacemap Go came along during this renewal project, it was exciting to have that added dimension,” Lightowlers continued. “I’m responsible for assuring our sound designers have access to a system that will afford them full creative potential. You don’t want them to think too much about the system itself, so they can focus on their art and what they want to communicate with sound. The fact that you can control Spacemap Go from QLab via OSC made the Meyer Sound solution an easy sell.”

David Bergman, sound designer for Playing Beatie Bow, was the first to use the new technology, allocating up to 20 outputs from QLab as direct objects for Spacemap Go. “The composer, Clemence Williams, and I have been loving the way we can run various trajectories throughout the show,” he said. “Some trajectories are doing slow circles around the audience while some randomly zig-zag. It’s been great to move around sounds like wind, reverbs, and solo instruments that otherwise would be static. I love how democratic it makes the show. No one misses out and every show will feel slightly different, even from the same seat.”

Spacemap Go was introduced after Bergman’s sound design already was well underway. “We have just started exploring the capabilities,” he said. “The next time I would love to build more specific spacemaps and trajectories, with more intricate recalls from QLab.”

Added Lightowlers: “It’s exciting to have a new system that is one coherent palette and have it backed by outstanding support. Some companies will sell you the boxes and then you are on your own, but that is absolutely not the case with Meyer Sound. The ongoing support, especially regarding additional configuration setups, has been outstanding.”