For the production of Beauty and the Beast at the Kings Theatre in Glasgow, the RCS was primarily used by the radio mic technician to check the functionality of the numerous radio mics in use at one time by the cast. When connected online, the M-480 RCS can be configured so that the remote screen (PC/Apple Mac) can view and control separate content than that which is live on the screen of the console itself. In this case, the M-480 itself was used to mix the show FOH (utilising all 48 channels), but at the same time, by working with a separate screen, keyboard and mouse, the radio technician could check all the radio receivers and view all the meters.
As well as making things simple in the rehearsal, the radio mic technician could also check each mic as they were handed out during the live performance - without any interruptions to the show. Even the radio mic of the soloist could be constantly monitored by the operator by just checking one screen. In terms of extra hardware - the only additional items were two Cat 5 cables and a headphone amp - keeping the setup easy and the footprint small.
For Beauty and the Beast, Sono Vie also used the M-480 RCS in combination with a VNC (Virtual Network Computing) application/ Remote Desktop for adjusting levels when setting up the system. The screen of the iPad resembles that of the console itself and allows the engineer to adjust EQ, delay time and levels in real time from different locations in the venue.
(Jim Evans)
