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Digidesign Provides the Quality and Solution for Monkey
With extremely successful runs in Manchester, Paris, Charleston and the Royal Opera House, Monkey: Journey to the West has now opened at the O2. For Monkey, a bespoke venue with its own 2,500 seat arena, bar and restaurant has been created adjacent to the main dome in the Meridian Gardens.
Damon Albarn's Chinese extravaganza is a real multimedia experience; in his version of the old Chinese fable of the monkey king's quest for immortality, Albarn has linked up with his Gorillaz partner Jamie Hewlett, who is responsible for the striking design, animation and costumes. His absorbing, imaginative visuals are on a giant screen, and the stage in front of it sees a stunning combination of circus skills, contortions, flying, ballet and martial arts. Albarn's score is played by an orchestra, using both Western and Chinese instruments, complements the vulnerability and mood changes of Cao Jiangtao's Monkey King with genuine emotion.
Barry Bartlett is the sound designer and FOH engineer for the show and has specified the same equipment list from the start, at the heart of which is a 96-channel Digidesign D-Show system, with optional TC VSS3 Reverb, TC DVR2 Reverb, TL Space Reverb, Rane Parametric EQ and Rane Dynamics plug-ins. The loudspeakers are d&b Q-Series with J-Series subs and mics and radio are Sennheiser.
Bartlett comments: "The show demands a real harmony of sight and sound; it contains all the elements of opera, theatre and rock and the remarkable visual elements are closely matched by the varying impact, subtlety and emotion of the vocals and orchestra, with its wide variety of instruments". For Bartlett, it was essential to maintain the standards they achieved at the start for the full run and subsequent venues. "I chose the Digidesign for sound quality, obviously, but equally for its flexibility and comprehensive programme and recall facilities, which allow for complete simplicity of operation on the night. The complexity of what it achieves could not have been imagined a few years ago but it's the simplicity of operation which maintains the reproducible standard."
Monitor engineer Kevin Smith and radio mic technician Zoe James have worked on Monkey alongside Bartlett from the start, and the audio system is supplied by Entec Sound & Light, who have also had a long association with Bartlett. Entec's sound manager, Dick Hayes, was also complimentary about the Digidesign D-Show system, "We saw its potential when it was very first demo'd to us and we invested at the first opportunity. It's a great desk and is increasingly high on the list of specified products for shows and events". Entec purchased the D-Show system from Digidesign's UK distributor, Egham-based HD Pro Audio.
Andy Huffer of HD Pro Audio commented: "We're very pleased to see the D Show in use on Monkey as Barry really makes use of its flexibility and facilities and demonstrates its outstanding audio quality. Entec also invested in a Pro Tools HD2 system as part of their Digidesign package and this is currently out for the recording of Roisin Murphy on her current tour."
5th December 2008
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