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Modern Classic: Athens’ Newest Venue Installs First Greek XL8
The Badminton Theatre in Athens has become the first Greek venue to install a Midas XL8 Live Performance System. The system was supplied by Midas and Klark Teknik’s Greek distributor, Omikron Control.
The Badminton is now a 2,500-capacity theatre, but a clue to the venue’s original function is in the name: it was created from a badminton arena built for the 2004 Olympic Games. After the games, the building was used to stage a four-month run of Cats, proving it could function as a successful theatre. It has been rented by the Athens-based A.B.C.D company for a 20-year term, and a major six-month renovation project took place which included digging down 7.5 metres to create an amphitheatre-style auditorium.
Wanting to provide the best possible quality right across the theatre, A.B.C.D. opted for the Midas XL8 when it came to choosing a mixing system. “We wanted to create a high quality theatre experience for our audiences by providing the best-possible sound, lighting, visuals, seating etc,” says Renos Papapaschos, technical director of A.B.C.D. “Because we felt the XL8 was the best possible live console we could buy, we were happy to be one of the first customers to have this system installed into our venue.”
Papapaschos, a long-time Midas user, stresses that it took just five minutes for him to feel comfortable in front of the XL8 control surface. “The operation is so similar to that of Midas analogue consoles that engineers who haven’t trained on digital can learn it quickly,” he says. “A lot of different shows come through here, so it has to be easy to use. Many engineers also pass by to find out how it works. Everyone experiences the same thing: it’s very user friendly, and most things you need to access are right in front of you. This removes the problem experienced with most digital consoles: losing instant access to a lot of information. It also sounds even better than the Midas analogue consoles I’ve worked with over the years, which is really saying a lot. I recently did a classical mix with orchestra, choir and tenors, and I didn’t need any EQ because the sound of the console was so good.
“We are also impressed by the XL8’s other main features such as its automation, which you rely heavily on in the theatre. For our recent production of Jesus Christ Superstar, the XL8 was also used for all monitoring, so we used all the inputs and outputs and had the desk working to full capacity. Its networking capability provides very good communications via fibre optic, and it’s great to be able to check the network and make sure everything’s working fine. And as we don’t need to load lots of plug-ins, it boots up and starts working quickly and reliably.”
However Papapaschos has opted to use a Klark Teknik Helix digital EQ with the XL8. “This is a great add-on to the console,” he says. “It allows very fast access to the auxiliaries through the Solo Tracking System function, which shows the solo’d outputs on the Helix master unit or a wireless tablet PC. I often use this for EQing the surround speakers; it’s very fast and accurate to press solo and do the EQ.”
The Badminton XL8 now has a number of high profile musicals under its belt, from the opening production of Swan Lake, through to Tap Dogs, a show by Greek composer Giannis Markopoulos and Jesus Christ Superstar.
The Midas XL8 in the Badminton Theatre, Athens
16th July 2007
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