The Cinematic Orchestra is a British jazz and electronic group whose music, as its name indicates, is expansive in scope, employing live electric and acoustic instruments, turntables, samples and electronic elements. The group has scored a number of films and released several albums.
“This event presented us with some extremely challenging logistics,” noted Mark Hornsby, owner of London sound contractor Hark, which supplied the Soundcraft consoles for the concert. “Because we needed to mic a full orchestra, three backup singers and a number of guest vocalists in addition to the band members, we needed more than 100 input channels. Since most of the instruments were acoustic, getting clear and accurate sound quality was particularly important. In addition, we were given a relatively short time to set up.”
The monitor mix requirements were equally demanding, as monitor engineer Paul Hatt pointed out: “The Cinematic Orchestra usually uses wedge monitors but for the Royal Albert Hall performance, almost all the band members had to use in-ears, and we used wedges for the guest vocalists, supporting acts and as a general backup, along with some spot monitoring for the conductor and some sections of the London Metropolitan Orchestra.”
“I specified the Soundcraft Vi4 because I knew it was up to the task – it’s become the obvious choice for me now. Its combination of analog-sounding mic preamps, intuitive control layout and flexible buss structure make it stand out from other digital consoles in its class, and I always find it a real pleasure to use. In fact, it excels in high-pressure situations like this concert.”
Hatt continued, “I took eight returns of mixed-down groups of first and second violins, viola, celli, brass, woodwinds, double bass and harp and assigned them to eight VCAs. Although I generally made the orchestra’s presence felt in the band’s in-ear mixes, I was mindful not to give them too much, as inevitably that amount of open microphones can quickly taint the mix if not pulled down appropriately at the right moments. I ran 11 stereo-in-ear mixes, nine wedge mixes plus two effects for this show and the Soundcraft handled it all with ease.”
Hornsby added, “Although this was an extremely complex installation requiring three linked consoles, they all performed impeccably.”
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.
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