The J-Types will be used in two spaces - in the main 2000-seat theatre and in the 1600-seat concert hall - with each space having a console located in its own dedicated control room, plus another console for the FOH mix position. This is complemented by two floating 24-input extension frames that can be deployed whenever needed. The desks arrive on-site in early June, with Cadac working closely with Esplanade's sound team to provide on-site training sessions to ensure a smooth, fast commissioning process.
Production Manager Kenny Wong explains: "Our mission is to make Esplanade totally accessible. It may sound obvious, but we wanted to specify equipment that would be used as much as possible - meaning that it had to be able to fulfil just about every possible requirement. We felt that by investing in the best, we would be able to help reduce the cost of productions and pass the savings on in terms of lower ticket prices. In conjunction with our theatre consultants, TPC, we began chasing the elusive ‘industry choice’ for every piece of equipment. In terms of deciding which mixing console to go with, we looked at what types of production would make the heaviest demands - namely, the musical. Looking at the majority of musicals out there in West End, Broadway and touring the world, the main console is the Cadac J-Type. So, the J-Type became the obvious choice for our theatre. The choice for the concert hall was less clear, as the demands are a lot more diverse. In the end, we decided also to go with the J-Type - by having another Cadac system in the complex, we can 'mix & match' to create a larger system when required for either the theatre or the concert hall."
The sound team at Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay - is headed up by Robin Shuttleworth, a veteran in theatre sound from South Africa, supported by a staff of nine. Cadac is represented in Singapore by Sennheiser Electronic Asia Pte Ltd.
(Ruth Rossington)
