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Meyer Sound for Gone with the Wind
Premiering in London this month, the highly anticipated Gone with the Wind musical condenses the tumultuous passions and broad historical scope of Margaret Mitchell's classic novel onto a 60-foot wide stage. The production is directed by the formidable Trevor Nunn (Cats and Starlight Express), with sound design handled by his long-time collaborator Paul Groothuis (Sweeney Todd and Guys and Dolls). To carry the dialogue and key instruments with undiminished clarity and impact, despite obstacles presented by the staging and architecture, Groothuis ventured an unorthodox deployment of Meyer Sound's petite yet potent M'elodie line array loudspeakers.
Gone with the Wind is playing in the 900-seat New London Theatre, which was home to Cats for its 21-year run and features quasi in-the-round staging. "Seating wraps more than 180 degrees around the stage," notes Groothuis. "And since there is no proscenium, we can't use the typical towers. Further complicating matters, Trevor has actors moving everywhere, including in front of the stage and in the audience."
To maintain the uncompromised vocal clarity demanded by Nunn, while minimizing feedback, Groothuis implemented a novel concept suggested by his associate, John Owens. Provided by London-based Autograph Sound Recording, the vocal system utilizes a total of 27 self-powered M'elodies, flown in ten discrete arrays of two to five cabinets each. Timed with pinpoint delays handled with a Galileo loudspeaker management system, the ten arrays form a single virtual point source over the stage, yet with each M'elodie covering a distinct area.
The combination of the M'elodie loudspeaker and Galileo system has proven to be invaluable. "The technology in M'elodie allows us to point at a well-defined coverage area, ‘stabbing' the sound at a point, so to speak," says Groothuis. "So if Trevor puts somebody right at the edge of the stage, or in front of it, I can compensate at that one spot. It's like having one loudspeaker that acts as a single system, yet with three full-bandwidth horns that can be turned on and off independently.
"The unusual application works out very well," adds Groothuis. "We are using them in what some might consider a ridiculous arrangement, but the result is very clear and convincingly powerful."
The M'elodies are used for the vocals, as well as for key instruments including strings and keyboard. Another 58 Meyer Sound loudspeakers, which include legacy MSL-2 cabinets and 650-R2 subwoofers, support the 14-piece band. Sub-systems for delay, sound effects and fill rely on self-powered UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers and legacy UPM-1 and UPA-1 loudspeakers.
Principal sound designer Groothuis has collaborated with director Nunn on more than a dozen shows, including acclaimed West End revivals of Oklahoma and My Fair Lady. Groothuis was a member of the Sound Department of the Royal National Theatre for more than two decades, and has designed sound systems for over 120 productions.
22nd April 2008
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