At the World Premiere Gala at the Princess of Wales Theatre, in Toronto, Canada, The Lord of the Rings fans heard a spectacular score and the talents of over 70 actors, singers and musicians thanks partly to a virtuoso performance by Sennheiser. A total of 155 wireless devices were used simultaneously in one location - a frequency management achievement on its own - not to mention the frequency fight going on through Toronto's crowded airwaves, to infuse listeners with the crisp sounds of Middle-earth.
"This is the most ambitious theatrical production ever staged. And thanks to a strong technological performance by Sennheiser, theatre goers are able to enjoy the powerful sounds of India's most popular composer, A.R. Rahman, and the rhythmic and forceful vocals of Finnish neo-folk group Värttinä, as well as an ensemble of outstanding performers," said the show's producer, Kevin Wallace.
Sennheiser's wireless transmission technology manages a total of 73 channels used simultaneously by the actors' wireless microphone systems (64 channels), wireless monitoring systems (four channels), Voice of God system (four channels) and a radio link system (one channel).
For example, 64 UHF bodypack transmitters (SK 5012 and SK 50) are worn by the cast. These wireless signals are being picked up by eight UHF mainframes with eight receiver modules each, while two SMCD software systems provide user-friendly visual monitoring of these 64 channels simultaneously. The system is capable of monitoring RF signal strength, audio level, the active diversity channel and transmitter battery status.
"I knew for a frequency situation this complicated it absolutely had to be Sennheiser," said Simon Baker, sound designer of the show. "It is virtually impossible that all of these signals are sharing the same airspace and not conflicting with one another, but they are. The Lord of the Rings is a tremendous accomplishment, not only artistically, but from a technological point of view as well.
"Not only will the audience benefit from the wireless technology used by the cast, they will also hear ambient sounds and music from the orchestra thanks to wired Sennheiser and Neumann microphones. Two Sennheiser RF condenser shotgun microphones pick up ambient sound on stage, while 17 Sennheiser and Neumann microphones are used in the orchestra pit.
"It is an honour to provide our state-of-the-art technology for such a prestigious event," said Rolf Meyer, president of marketing and sales at Sennheiser. "A huge array of Sennheiser transmitters, microphones, receiver systems and monitoring systems will all contribute to making The Lord of the Rings one of the most spectacular productions ever seen and, most importantly to me, ever heard."
A full review of the production of Lord of the Rings appeared in the April 2006 issue of Lighting&Sound International magazine.
(Lee Baldock)
