Rambert is known for its use of live music and is the UK's only contemporary dance company to tour with an orchestra, performing a wide range of contemporary and classical repertoire, some composed specifically for the company.
"The music side of the shows is now playing a larger role, so the whole sound infrastructure has got a lot bigger," says Rambert's front of house engineer Tomás O'Connor. "Because of the wide range of repertoire, from orchestras to bands to electronic, we could have up to eight pieces in rep for a tour, then depending on the venue we perform any three of those pieces. We have to be flexible enough to do them all, and retain continuity over the whole thing."
O'Connor took the decision to buy a PRO3 along with sound designer David Tinson. "We realised we'd have to upgrade as the time available to set up a show now demands the flexibility of a digital desk, as shows become more complex," he says. "We'd both used lots of digital desks and were sceptical of sound quality, which seems to be the main compromise. However we thought the Midas XL8 and PRO6 were amazing, and when we heard the PRO3 was to become available there was no other choice."
"Everyone at Rambert is used to a great sounding analogue desk, and the PRO3 sustains that continuity," says O'Connor. "The show is also widely perceived to be acoustic, so we try to gently amplify it in a way that nobody realises it's been amplified, while providing the sound energy they're creating to every seat."
(Jim Evans)
