"I love grandMAs. It is such an intuitive desk; it is insanely powerful without overwhelming the operator, its user-centric interface is hands-down the best that's out there."
Since 2010, Rouse's talents have been seen on shows such as Diversity and Katherine Jenkins tours, television productions such as Let's Dance for Comic Relief, and further theatre productions including Richard III at the Old Vic and the 25th Anniversary of Phantom of the Opera. "I've been really lucky to have had such a diverse portfolio of work come my way," comments Rouse, "but part of that luck has to be down to what the MA2 has helped me achieve in my programming.
"Looking back it does seem like I've been using these consoles forever. They are constructed in a way that makes them so logical to use. You end up with exactly what you want without feeling that you have battled with the console to get there. In comparison, I find using other desks can be a bit like pulling teeth - they make you work very hard to achieve what you are looking for."
As MA Lighting has continued to develop the grandMA2 range, Rouse has incorporated those innovations into his programming toolbox. "Although my work these days is probably more inclined towards the live touring sector, the theatrical skills are still used on shows such as Viva Forever and one-offs like the BBC Proms in the Park - programming for Tim Routledge - and the MTV EMAs at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam designed by Tom Kenny. And to come full circle - I would say that Mark Cuniffe's design on Robbie's current tour has a very theatrical flavour to it."
(Jim Evans)
