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Chichester Festival Theatre Takes 32 Channels of Trantec
Built in 1961, Chichester Festival Theatre is a hexagonal structure centering on the famous thrust stage which is open to the audience on three sides, making the experience more intimate for both the performers and the audience. The theatre is unique in terms of the quantity of in-house shows it produces, and to retain its reputation for theatrical excellence it has now invested in a new 32 channel Trantec wireless system.
The Trantec S6000 installed by Chichester Festival Theatre consists of four 8-way racks to handle the 32 beltpacks used by the performers. The UHF system has been specifically designed and engineered for professional users who demand high levels of flexibility, and it was important that an incoming system would meet the unpredictable requirements of the Festival Theatre.
Each S6000 rack system comprises eight UHF receivers, antenna distribution, smart headphone monitoring and power supply. The bodypack transmitter, as well as being one of the smallest on the market, duplicates the same frequency range as the receiver, storing up to 64 frequencies, and eliminates the need for a different transmitter version for each individual channel.
Head of sound, Jonathan Suffolk says: “Once the decision had been made to purchase a wireless system, we focused on the available options. Last years’ ABTT gave us the opportunity to see what was on the market, and after auditioning the Trantec system we basically spent a day trying to break it! I have to say we were really impressed. Taking delivery before Christmas meant we could put it through its paces on James and the Giant Peach. That production used 22 channels, and physically the equipment is rock solid. It endured the ravages of a children’s show, and we reckon if it can survive that, it can survive anything.
“On top of the technical performance, the value for money is undeniable. It was a hard decision to invest in such a large number of channels but in the long term we know we will benefit from savings on equipment rental costs. Also noteworthy is how cheap the system is to run. We can get four shows from a single AA battery. Multiply that by the number of channels in a season and you really notice the difference.
“The bodypacks are delightfully small and we found they could be worn at any angle without loss of signal, which was useful on the younger (and smaller) kids. Indeed it was surprising that the system takes up such a small footprint. Being a thrust theatre means that we do not have much space in the wings, and we have been amazed at the number of channels you get in a small compact space. It’s a rolling rack so we can use it in both the main Festival Theatre which seats over 1200 and the Minerva Theatre seating 283 patrons.”
In picture: The cast of James and the Giant Peach with their hard-to-spot Trantec S6000 wireless bodypacks.
6th February 2008
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