An import of the famed Edinburgh pageant which also uses TiMax, the Basel Tattoo is staged outdoors in front of the 18th century Kaserne Hof barracks next to the Rhine. Various collections of marching or dancing performers are spread out over a 70m by 25m parade arena surrounded by audience seating on three sides.
Swiss sound designer Thomas Strebel this year specified a TiMax2 SoundHubR32 which received MIDI preset control and twelve groups of MADI audio from a Soundcraft Vi6 console, comprised of over 32 radio mics plus CD and harddisk playback content for various dance troupes and effects. The TiMax was supplied by Bleuel Electronic as a sub-rental to sound contractors Winkler.
Out Board's Robin Whittaker provided on-site TiMax setup and programming support to Strebel's audiopool crew at front-of-house, with Felix Hohl running the Vi6 and Roman Huber in charge of TiMax. As well as its essential delay-matrix localisation function TiMax was used for equalisation and zone control across a dozen Kling & Freitag clusters on poles in front of the side-seating audience plus four separate channels of d&b J8 line arrays on the ground in front of the main VIP stadium seating.
In addition, six independent K&F B5 sub channels were spread out under the seating areas, all separately delayed back to 17 TiMax Image Definition localisations across the arena, with additional images also created for the clock bell, tower and a new stage-right orchestra platform introduced this year. Sub-bass alignment was particularly important for several acts who integrated an amplified rock band and drummer into their sets.
Joining the UK's Royal Marines Band and the usual multinational horde of Massed Pipers were military musical ensembles from Australia, Norway, Mexico, Holland and Switzerland plus a troupe of Highland Dancers from South Africa. And this year a parade of cows added to the ever-expanding range of animal species which have performed at the event since its inception. As with previous years the event sold out all nine performances, with standing ovations for the spectacular set-piece finale.
Meanwhile this year's Edinburgh Tattoo marked its eleventh and final year using the TiMax Classic Rack system prior to undergoing a full arena and production re-design for the 2011 event. Out Board are already in discussion with sound contractors Wigwam Acoustics and sound designer John Del'Nero to see how the new TiMax2 SoundHub platform can help with the next year's show design.
(Jim Evans)
