ESSEN, Germany – A production of Buddy – The Buddy Holly Musical at Colosseum Theatre, which used a revolving stage designed to look like a record player for the band and singers, relied on Aviom's Pro64 audio networking gear for audio connectivity.
The set design may have created buzz, but it also complicated the audio system design by requiring that all audio signals be fed through the center of the stage via a single Cat-5 cable. The Aviom Pro64 network solved the cabling problem, simplified the design and provided the audio quality needed for the show.
To ensure that all audio was carried to and from the stage, the Cat-5 cable was attached to a Mercotac rotary electrical connector slip joint mounted in the center of the stage. The connector reduced the strain on the cable and connections while allowing the stage to rotate freely. This audio infrastructure would not have been possible with an analog snake, which would have been too thick to fit through the middle of the stage.
Performing on a moving stage was a difficult task for the musicians, who were also the live actors and dancers in the musical. To ensure that the musicians were getting quality audio via the monitoring system, two Aviom 6416m Mic Input Modules provided 16 mic-level analog inputs from the performers' instruments on stage.
These 32 channels of audio were sent to a Yamaha DM2000, which had two Aviom 6416Y2 A-Net Interface Cards installed. The Pro64 network's ability to distribute signals bi-directionally allowed audio sent to the monitor console to be mixed and sent back to the musician's wedge monitors located on stage via the same Cat-5 cable.
The same 32 channels of audio were sent to two 6416o Output Modules, which converted the network's digital signal into analog signals for the theater's front of house Cadac analog console. The engineer at front of house used an RCI Remote Control Interface and a single MCS Mic Control Surface to remotely control the audio settings on the Aviom mic pre's.
"The 6416m Mic Input Modules were easily designed in a simple configuration and allowed the engineers to transmit all requested audio signals through the single Cat-5 cable that runs to the stage," said Michael Weber, sound designer for the musical. "The stability and superior audio quality of the entire system made Aviom the perfect solution."
For more information, please visit www.aviom.com.
