The particulars of loudspeaker system configuration are the work of the production's associate sound designer, Richard Brooker, who was charged with fulfilling overall requirements set by Bobby Aitken, principal sound designer.
"I'd first used M'elodies on my design for a Spanish production of Jesus Christ Superstar," recalls Brooker. "I needed to handle a dynamic and often quite loud show, but the production had to change venues quickly. Also, in most places I could not fly the system. After much head-scratching, I went the Meyer route with M'elodies and 600-HP subs. The results were fantastic, and still are with the similar system we have for Mamma Mia!"
The flexibility of the M'elodies is also a big plus for Netherlands-based assistant sound designer Wibo Vermeulen, who uses the Meyer Sound's MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction programme to fine-tune the system for each venue. The halls range from 875 to 2,161 seats, in various shapes and sizes, from typical 'horseshoe' theatres to post-modern asymmetrical auditoriums.
"The M'elodie is adapting very well to all venues," says Vermeulen. "Because of its small size and light weight, it can be hung or stacked nearly everywhere, without compromising either sight lines or sound quality."
In larger venues, the M'elodie complement is normally configured as four arrays of eight each, covering two levels from left and right. The centre vocal cluster comprises (venue dependent) as many as 14 M1D line array loudspeakers. The complete Meyer Sound complement includes six 600-HP subwoofers, 11 UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers for foldback and fills, and three easy-to-conceal MM-4XP miniature loudspeakers for downstage lip foldback. System supply came from Autograph Sound of London.
The Dutch tour of Mamma Mia! opened in September 2009 and will close in July 2010, playing 16 venues with seven weekly shows. Other Mamma Mia! productions worldwide are using Meyer Sound systems for reinforcement, including the Spanish tour supplied by Fluge Madrid and the Australian tour by System Sound.
(Jim Evans)
