At 10:45 AM 27/06/96 -0500, Avery wrote: > Since I "sort of" started the discussion about "carpeted acoustics/sound >projection, I've been following it with great interest. However, I don't >remember seeing anything about the system at Centennial Auditorium. Is it >possible to elaborate a little more about it? It sounds interesting. It >sounds like it's essentially a Wenger type of system done a different way >with a great flair. What they (the stage carpenters) have done there is to make very tall (40'?) slightly curved panels out of oriented strand board (OSB) about 8 feet wide on a 2x4 and 2x6 frame which are on locking casters. Individually they look quite ungainly because of their height. These "reflectors" cover the wings and the rear of the stage and the "teasers" (sides) can be added or removed to make the stage more or less deep. Additional curved panels are flown from the grid like a "tormentor" and lowered and locked into position to prevent the sound from being lost above the stage. The visual effect of an orchestra against the panels is absolutely stunning and the sound is wonderful in that large hall. I've heard the system set up for both orchestral and solo piano and it works equally well for both. The advantages of this system over the Wenger are that in halls without a proscenium stage the entire stage may be used with style rather than having ugly squareish Wenger panels that look like they belong in a high-school gym and only isolate a portion of the stage. The panels can be custom designed for a particular hall, and the "tormentor" panels can be raised and lowered and to some degree "focussed" to allow for more intimate settings and the best sound. Since the panels are curved and slightly rough due to the OSB it would also minimize the unwanted reflections that can occur from the Wenger's rather unforgiving hardboard surfaces. It's also very quick to set up considering the size. The disadvantages are that they are somewhat bulkier and harder to store and the paint does require periodic touch-up and that's a LOT of not-inexpensive paint! > I'm not familiar with "chroma-key blue". Is it a shade similar to the >the normal sky-blue backdrops that are sometimes used on stage? Chroma-key blue is the colour normally used for the effect you see on TV where a news or weathercaster is in front of a picture or map. Occasionally they may use a C.K. green if the announcer wears a lot of blue or has very blue eyes. The chroma-key electronics replace anything the camera sees that is that colour and replaces it with the signal from another source. The colour is highly saturated and is intensely blue! For more information on how this one was designed and built you could probably contact Don Rutley at the Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) Centennial Auditorium, at 306-975-7777 voice or 306-975-7804 by fax. John John Musselwhite, RPT Calgary, Alberta Canada musselj@cadvision.com
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