Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2012 - 15

We had Meyer Sound Labs (Galileo
and Cue Command), Yamaha Pro
Audio (M7CL-48ES), and Soundcraft (Vi1) populating our Digital
Mixer Station. Our Playback Station
included QLab from Figure53 and
D-Mitri, operating with Cue Station
and Wild Tracks, from Meyer Sound
Labs. Our Surround Sound Station
included a Pro Tools system from
Diablo Sound and surround speakers from L-Acoustics. The variety
of gear from such a large group of
manufacturers was unprecedented.
Where else but at a USITT conference could all of these groups come
together in one room to create this
space. Near the end of February,
Dave Mendez at Shure provided us
with the finishing touches for our
Wireless Microphone Station. Dave was able, at the last minute,
to arrange for us to have the brand new Shure Axient system as
well as the new ULX-D microphones available to us for the lab.
Sound Lab, we thought, was now complete. Not quite, as we
were soon to discover.
As February turned to March, the folks at 1602 Group inquired about adding their TiMax SoundHub and Tracker to the
existing systems. Though the conference was just a couple of
weeks away, TiMax was going to be in Long Beach anyway as an
exhibitor in Stage Expo, so we welcomed them aboard.
Now, there wasn't a day that went by that we didn't work
on the Sound Lab. There were presenters with questions and
confirmations with manufacturers. There were conference
calls to finalize schedules and personnel needs and to work
out the final details of the load-in. The lab needed security, pipe
and drape, video, and power. We even created our own logo.
During the final week before the conference, Michael Hooker,
Vinnie Olivieri, BC Keller, and their students at UC Irvine were
busy collecting equipment from vendors and packing up UC Irvine gear for the lab. As always, there were last minute changes,
sessions to be moved, times to be adjusted, and small forgotten
details to be worked out.
Finally the day was upon us, about the same time I was
boarding a plane in Michigan to fly to Long Beach, students
from UC Irvine and Michigan Technical University along with
Mac Johnson and Steve Bush from Meyer Sound, as well as a
host of others, began the installation in Long Beach. When I
made my connecting flight in Phoenix, my phone chimed with
a message from Mike Hooker that included a photo, the truss
was on its way up and for the first time the actual size of what
we were attempting to pull off started to sink in. When I arrived
in Long Beach Sunday afternoon and walked into Ballroom A,
I stopped and marveled at just what was being accomplished.
The truss was almost complete and the students were starting
to hang loudspeakers, it was a sight to behold. The gleaming

The size and
scope of the
lab, the amount
of equipment,
and the industry
of the students
seemed to all of
us an example of
USITT at its best.

spring

structure of the truss, the thicket of cases, the room teaming
with students and professionals at work was inspiring. The
remainder of the load-in Sunday was a blur of running cables,
unpacking boxes, setting up stations, and hanging speakers.
As members of the Sound Commission arrived during the day,
I enjoyed seeing their reactions-that momentary shock. The
size and scope of the lab, the amount of equipment, and the
industry of the students seemed to all of us an example of
USITT at its best.
The student volunteers under the expert direction of Mac
Johnson and Mike Hooker were running the miles of wire and
hanging the speakers, setting up the stations and connecting all
of this equipment together. Sound Lab was near completion.
When we closed the doors on the lab Sunday evening, it was
with an exhausted but satisfied smile. Unfortunately, we worked
so late on Sunday that the convention center doors had been
chained shut-with us on the inside. An adventurous member
of the team figured out how to slip out of one door where the
chains were too loose, alerted security, and managed to get a
round of drinks ordered at the bar for the rest of us.
On Monday morning we returned bright and early to finish the setup. It was also a chance for the students to get some
training and insights from Steve Bush as he started testing and
tuning all of the speakers we had hung. Right around one o'clock
we took a break for lunch, and for the day. The afternoon was
reserved for the Meyer Sound staff to do their private system
tuning, which we dubbed adding the Meyer Secret Sauce to the
system. While the testing continued into the evening, those who
had been working so hard were treated by Mike Hooker to a
tour of the truly impressive Meyer Sound Design Studio in the
Contemporary Arts Center at the UC Irvine. There we experienced
amazing equipment in well-designed and great sounding rooms.
It was hard not to be just a bit jealous. We moved on to a lovely
dinner and social evening with the UCI students, Sound Commission members, friends from the area, and the folks from Meyer
Sound. Mike and his students put together an amazing evening,
generously hosted at Mike's home. This was just what was needed after the hard work of the past days.
Tuesday morning found us back in the Sound Lab refreshed and ready to finish this whirlwind of a project. There
was testing to do, the final equipment for the stations appeared,
and believe it or not, the atmosphere was relaxed and calm.
We loaded projects and content onto the computers in the stations. We tested speakers and systems, and we even spent a
fair amount of time exploring the equipment ourselves. The
students spent more time with the experts from Meyer Sound,
gleaning precious tips and knowledge. This was also the time
when we started to see other members of USITT wandering into
the space. Their reactions ranged from curiosity to awe, but
every person seemed to be truly impressed by the lab and what
we had accomplished. Finally as Tuesday drew to a close, Vinnie Oliveri, Brad Berridge, and Davin Huston took over the lab
to take advantage of the open time and prepare for their Saturday afternoon session. We knew we were ready for the first day
of Sound Lab 2012.
2012

theatre design

& technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2012