Overview

 

Spring 2007 saw London's internationally acclaimed Young Vic theater reopen after a major three-year redevelopment project. Integral to the rebuilding of the theater premises was a radical overhaul of the backstage and technical facilities, including a Yamaha M7CL-48 installed as the main front of house console.

Originally opened in 1970, the Young Vic's primary purpose is to develop the talent of younger theater professionals by combining their work with the guidance of "old hands" in the industry. Parallel with that ethic, it also exists to encourage young people to enjoy theater and to embrace it as an art form that is relevant to all ages. Visited annually by around 100,000 people at its London home, and many more on its touring productions, the Young Vic and continues to be an incredible success story.

Web site:

http://www.youngvic.org 

Installed Products

Mixers:

M7CL-48

Details

Updated Sound to Match an Updated Space

The redevelopment meant the Young Vic had the chance to provide a technical specification that would match the revamped space in terms of versatility. Theater sound specialists Orbital Sound were brought in to supply new sound equipment, with the company's Tom Byrne working closely with the Young Vic's technical manager Phil Gladwell and resident head of sound Sarah Weltman.

"Young Vic shows often feature quite complex audio because of what can be done with the space staging-wise," says Sarah. "The auditorium can be configured in pretty much any seating and staging arrangement, which is obviously something that designers and directors want to make the most of. There is often a need for audio coverage on four sides and always scope for surround on two levels, so outputs are always at a premium."

A Natural Progression to Yamaha

Orbital has a long relationship with Yamaha and the Young Vic also had experience of Yamaha digital consoles, already owning a DM1000 and having regularly hired in 02Rs and 01Vs. So installing a new Yamaha digital desk was a natural progression of that experience with the products.

"Our brief was that the console had to be easy to use, to fit within a budget and it also had to be practical to use for live applications," says Tom Byrne. "It was also a requirement for an operator to see all the faders all the time. The M7CL satisfied all of those criteria."

"Other things to be considered were, as I've mentioned, a need for as many outputs as possible, plus the ability to use MIDI functions and compatibility with Stage Research's SFX (our preferred show control software)," adds Sarah. "In addition, functions such as internal effects/delaying and the ability to mix a live show were vital. I also wanted a desk that shared hardware with the DM series and other Yamaha desks, mainly ADAT I/O cards so that they can be shared across our three venues."

Intuitive Control Makes Life Easy for Young Vic Staff and Visiting Sound Designers

Because of the variety of shows that the Young Vic puts on, a regular stream of visiting sound designers are keen to take advantage of the venue's flexible space. So it's helpful to the resident sound team that the M7CL is an intuitive console to teach and learn.

"The majority of visiting sound designers so far have found the desk very intuitive, and they agree that it is well suited to the Young Vic's needs," says Sarah. "The touch screen, display and icon layout certainly makes it easier to teach than other digital desks."

The ability to back shows up on to a USB key is another advantage, as will be the ability to instantly load the console's settings if it goes out on one of the Young Vic's touring productions.

System Designer/Integrator/Supplier

Orbital Sound

Country

United Kingdom

Web site

http://www.orbitalsound.co.uk

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