Technical Director's Message
This past January, Julie and I attended the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference in NYC. We met with a lot of agents and saw a lot of showcases.
In February, we received our new sound equipment. A generous, anonymous person has my undying gratitude. The new sound system was designed with help from Harman Audio's Installed Systems engineer. And while they don't have a grant program, they DID send us to their area distributor for special pricing. We saved about $10,000 this year with this in-house sound system. This systems meets 98% of requirements from performers and saves man-hours. I no longer need to arrive 2-3 hours prior to the performer's arrival and stay 1-2 hours after the show for load in and load out.
In 2018, we upgraded to all LED lights. Now instead of pools of light that had to be moved and colored manually, it is all controlled by the light board in the booth (or my phone)! No more climbing ladders on the stage. We also have moving head spotlights for special effects.
For the 2020 season, I would like to see the Opera House purchase our own basic backline equipment. This would include a high quality drum kit, guitar and bass amps, keyboards and accessories. The equipment should meet about 90% of contracts for performers and will pay for itself within 2-3 years. This year we rented approximately $9000 worth of backline equipment. We will be looking to fund between $18,000-$20,000 to purchase backline equipment.
We have also discovered that it would be beneficial for us to have a Ultra Short Throw projector to project images on the portable screen at the back of the stage. Our current projector and screen are wonderful for movies and some performances, however the screen comes down about 8 feet from the front of the stage which limits the use of video with performers. The cost of this projector is approximately $2000.
Finally, I would like to personally thank Michael Bell, Nick Quarrier and Mike Shaver for all of their help getting artists loaded in and set up during the season. This is not easy work and your help is greatly appreciated.
In February, we received our new sound equipment. A generous, anonymous person has my undying gratitude. The new sound system was designed with help from Harman Audio's Installed Systems engineer. And while they don't have a grant program, they DID send us to their area distributor for special pricing. We saved about $10,000 this year with this in-house sound system. This systems meets 98% of requirements from performers and saves man-hours. I no longer need to arrive 2-3 hours prior to the performer's arrival and stay 1-2 hours after the show for load in and load out.
In 2018, we upgraded to all LED lights. Now instead of pools of light that had to be moved and colored manually, it is all controlled by the light board in the booth (or my phone)! No more climbing ladders on the stage. We also have moving head spotlights for special effects.
For the 2020 season, I would like to see the Opera House purchase our own basic backline equipment. This would include a high quality drum kit, guitar and bass amps, keyboards and accessories. The equipment should meet about 90% of contracts for performers and will pay for itself within 2-3 years. This year we rented approximately $9000 worth of backline equipment. We will be looking to fund between $18,000-$20,000 to purchase backline equipment.
We have also discovered that it would be beneficial for us to have a Ultra Short Throw projector to project images on the portable screen at the back of the stage. Our current projector and screen are wonderful for movies and some performances, however the screen comes down about 8 feet from the front of the stage which limits the use of video with performers. The cost of this projector is approximately $2000.
Finally, I would like to personally thank Michael Bell, Nick Quarrier and Mike Shaver for all of their help getting artists loaded in and set up during the season. This is not easy work and your help is greatly appreciated.