For a performance on such a large scale it was considered especially vital for the audience to localise to the individual performers if the English-translated libretto was to come across clearly. 

Sound design was as usual the responsibility of Bobby Aitken, who consulted with Robin Whittaker of TiMax developers Out Board on how to appropriately scale up their Albert Hall distributed source-oriented reinforcement concept. Chris Ekers handled system engineering and management with Autograph’s Jim Douglas looking after supply and installation.  Front of house engineer was Paul Stannering.

TiMax Tracker was deployed for performer tracking in its first large arena-scale production, using six TT Sensors mounted on balcony rails above the corporate boxes.  The raised s-shaped stage platform and lower forestage aprons were divided into 36 tracking zones which Tracker used to  control continuously varying matrixed delay times in a 48-channel TiMax SoundHub processor. 

Twelve leads and chorus members wore miniature TT Tags which transmit radar-frequency UWB pulses allowing the Sensors to track them in three dimensions down to an accuracy of 15cm over a 100 metre range, using a hybrid of AOA (Angle of Arrival) and TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) analysis.

Thirty low-profile Meyer UPJ arrays were mounted in adjacent pairs on 1m high stands around the stage edge.  These were arranged as crossfiring pairs to cover all lower tier audience seats from opposite aspects so that the TiMax precedence delays could do their localising magic up, down and across the stage.

Upper tiers were covered by no less than 12 independent radially-arrayed Meyer line-array hangs, which were also being continuously dynamically focused by TiMax to the onstage localisation zones.  A separate stereo music system hung above the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra who were located about two-thirds of the way upstage to help keep musical timings intact.

Carmen was a world first for performer tracking over such a large area, but the TT Tags and Sensors proved up to the task, providing consistent localisation even up to distances of 80-100m.  As would be expected in such a vast undertaking the company and hence the mix took a little time to settle early in the first performance, but suffice it to say even The Guardian newspaper were moved to comment “..the sound is sensitively done..” -- an almost unheard of shower of praise from an opera critic.

And a number of audience members remarked to the sound crew “Clever how you make the sound move..”  Somebody must have been doing something right.

www.outboard.co.uk