To create the deafening explosion effects throughout the show, Clarke insisted upon EM Acoustics MSE-118 Quake subwoofers, after his success with them when designing the West End production of the same show. He specified a quartet of Quakes, hidden within the set. One reviewer for the New York Daily News describes the effect as "deafening and devastating", as well as saying "it assaults your ears, and then your gut. You feel queasy, like you've been punched".
Clarke comments: "Quakes are quite simply extraordinary loudspeakers, capable of generating the most abundant amounts of low frequency information. The very first London production of Journey's End utilised a different manufacturer's subwoofers; when we later switched to the Quakes the change to the impact of the sound design was amazing, to the extent that I had to stick with them or risk the integrity of the design. They just move the most staggering amounts of air without complaint. That is not to say they are merely big pumps; I have also found, on other projects, that the quakes can be deeply elegant, musical animals."
The Quakes were supplied along with the rest of the system by NYC-based PRG ProMix - who purchased the subwoofers specifically for the show at Clarke's request.
EM Acoustics' Mike Wheeler said: "We were thrilled to see the write-up in NY Daily News - extreme LF performance is exactly what the Quake was designed for, and as such to have a non-industry reviewer pick up on their performance is brilliant - both for us and for Greg Clarke as the designer on the show".
NB: Gregory Clarke has been nominated for a Drama Desk award for Outstanding Sound Design for Journey's End.
(Lee Baldock)
