A 2,600-seat circus tent made of hard-stretched vinyl presents complex acoustical challenges for the sound designer, and further complications are introduced by a full-thrust stage and 270-degree seating layout. Principal sound designer Jonathan Deans and assistant designer Jean-Michel Caron implemented a M'elodie line array configuration that had worked well on an earlier Cirque production, KOOZA .
"The M'elodie arrays were used because we wanted the power," states Deans, "not so much to simply make it loud but to give us dynamics. For example, the closing trampoline piece, which we call 'the wall,' is an extremely dynamic Brazilian techno number that the M'elodies support very well."
Associate designer Caron, who has mixed many past shows in the Chapiteau as FOH engineer, is most appreciative of M'elodie's precision coverage. "With M'elodie arrays we have excellent, uniform sound from the front to the last row, which is amazing. With other speakers we would get too much wash off the tent, so we'd have to turn it down for the back. That's not nearly as much a concern with M'elodie arrays."
The main arrays of six M'elodie loudspeakers each are augmented by eight UPQ-1P loudspeakers for delay, mounted in pairs on the tent-support masts to maintain a L-R-L-R stereo field around the seating area. Additional fill and surround sub-systems comprise 22 UPJunior VariO and 16 M1D loudspeakers, with bass supplied by six 700-HP subwoofers placed underneath the bleacher seats. Drive processing is supplied by a Galileo loudspeaker management system with three Galileo 616 processors.
The self-powered loudspeakers integrate seamlessly with the system's front end: Meyer Sound Matrix3 audio show control and CueConsole control surface for mixing, signal processing and control. The OVO package comprises six Matrix3 processors with Wild Tracks hard disk playback, all located backstage, plus a CueConsole with three fader modules and transport module housed at FOH.
"The open architecture of Matrix3 allows you to adapt your sound design as the show develops, and as it turns out that was critical to the success of OVO," observes Deans. "For example, with 'the wall' number at the end, we have sounds jumping all over the place, following the insects as they bounce back and forth. With Matrix3, sound is not stuck in one place; it can fly from one place to another. Dynamic movement of sound is one way to tap into emotions, and Matrix3 allows me to do that freely, almost effortlessly."
On tour, day-to-day operation of the systems is entrusted to audio engineers Patrick Burke and Martin DeBlois, who rotate FOH and monitor duties. They are assisted by Patrice Langlois and work under general supervision of Ges Edwards-Webb, OVO's technical operations director.
OVO, which is Portuguese for 'egg', was conceived and directed by Brazilian choreographer Deborah Colker. Music was composed by Berna Ceppas. Audio equipment supply came from Montreal-based Solotech.
(Jim Evans)
