Turbosound TQ-440 speakers form the core of the show's system, which utilizes TQ-220 and TQ-230 models for under-balcony delays and fills, with sub-bass support from TQ-425 and TQ-115 enclosures. TQ-310 speakers are also included, configured as stage monitors.
The show recreates the style and ambience of Sands casino in Las Vegas, the scene of many performances by the original Rat Pack members. To this end, WE Audio's Wayne Barker, working with associates Tim McCall and Andy Playford, designed the system specifically to reinforce the nightclub atmosphere, and to provide support for the show's strong vocal styles over the sound of the 15-piece band.
Wayne Barker explained: "We paid a lot of attention to many details - from microphones to loudspeakers - in order to present the sound of a sixties nightclub as faithfully as possible, and undertook considerable research to find the most appropriate tool for each aspect of the sound. The TQ concept is a perfect match for this show's specification, which called for a compact system that was easy to work and rig. We first deployed them for the show's tour, prior to its West End arrival and found we could successfully cover a reasonable-sized theatre with very few boxes.
"The TQ systems were used in configurations ranging from a single proscenium-hung pair to a large central cluster. We have now been using the TQ systems on Rat Pack for just over a year. We've expanded the system for the installation at the Strand, to ensure that we addressed the auditorium's acoustics as carefully as possible and achieved even coverage throughout the stalls, as well as the venue's three balcony levels."
WE Audio's system at the Strand is powered by 24 Crest Audio Pro7200 and Pro8200 amplifiers - also making their first West End appearance - and is employing two Turbosound LMS-D6 loudspeaker controllers, plus two BSS Soundwebs, to handle the configuration and routing of the system's 27 loudspeaker sends. The system also includes eight channels of Drawmer compression, with WE Audio reporting that all the equipment survived the recent very high ambient temperatures in London without any problems - the racks room housing the power amplifiers reached over 38ºC on occasions! To add visual authenticity to the system, WE Audio arranged for a batch of Shure SM58 microphones to be specially chrome-finished, as the decision to use genuine examples from the fifties and sixties was ruled out on practical grounds.
The production's loudspeaker system is configured using TQ-440 enclosures either side of the proscenium, positioned for the stalls and for each of the three balcony levels. Sub-bass TQ-425 units are located under the front of the stage, and in the dress circle, with TQ-115 systems providing extra low-level support for the highest circle. The narrow-profile TQ-220 and TQ-230 systems are hung under each balcony to handle the delays, with separate units providing spot fills for the theatre's boxes as required. TQ-310 units, configured to take advantage of their rotatable HF waveguide and trapezoidal cabinet design, are being used in horizontal format as stage monitors.
Due to run at London's Strand Theatre until early 2004, Rat Pack is directed by Mitch Sebastian, with musical direction by Barry Robinson. WE Audio has worked closely throughout the project with Andy Sharrocks, production manager for Flying Music, the show's production company. The WE Audio team responsible for the show comprises Wayne Barker, sound designer; Tim McCall, system programmer; Andrew Playford, sou
