Already a multi-award winner, the The sell-out London run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard hit Broadway with the aim of film and live stream the actors outside the theatre as part of the performance. While the performance was already ground-breaking in many respects, following cast members from dressing rooms to the street brough fresh technical challenges.

Sound Designer Adam Fisher and Production Engineer James Melling, rose to the occasion with the use of Sennheiser equipment and expertise, including Fisher’s system of choice, Digital 6000.

‘I’m a big fan of Sennheiser, so it was always going to be a Sennheiser show, the fact there was camera work and video work meant we expected our main challenge to be RF interference from the big screen,’ Fisher says. ‘Once we were into rehearsals, Show Director, Jamie Lloyd, had the idea to do some remote action. It was a lot of work to figure out the best way to make it happen. Not only from a radio mic point of view, but also from an IEM standpoint.’

‘Sennheiser is our go-to solution for all of Adam’s productions,’ Melling says. ‘On this show, we’re using D6000 receivers with SK 6212 mini-bodypack transmitters. With the added challenge of leaving the building, we needed the reliability of long battery life in addition to the strong antenna design and small body-worn packs. The really cool thing was the EK 6042 camera receiver. It works with all the Sennheiser products and uses the same batteries, so we could integrate it with our existing charging solutions.’

Filming the performers as they left the building and went back to stage through tight corridors without losing signal at any point was down to Autograph Sound Radio Lead, Matt Bird. ‘We needed to use multi-zone antennas, a mixture of Sennheiser AD 3700 directional and A 1031-U omni-directional antennas, which is something we don’t often do in theatre,’ he explains. ‘This system gave us rock-solid RF reception inside the building and when we left the building, we were able to connect to camera receivers, which gave us additional range and flexibility. It’s hugely ambitious and is what sets this apart.’

The team settled on the two-channel EK 6042 camera receivers, which are compatible with a wide range of both analogue and digital Sennheiser microphone systems, including Digital 6000, and feature a very wide switching bandwidth of 184MHz to cover multiple transmitter frequency windows. The EK 6042 has exceptionally low latency, so the performers can stay in time with the music as they perform in a completely different and remote environment.

Relationships are also key to solving challenges, with Sennheiser providing the team with their expertise. Sennheiser Business Development Manager Kevin Gwyther-Brown was instrumental in ensuring the team in the theatre and at Autograph Sound had all the information they needed, offering expert advice and insight.

‘Autograph’s relationship with Sennheiser goes back decades, and it’s stronger than ever,’ says Autograph Sound Hire Manager, Will McGonagle. ‘Kevin looks after us incredibly well and it means that when last-minute ideas like this come up, we can respond instantly,’ he says.

Always keen to keep abreast of the latest developments, Fisher attended Sennheiser’s Sound Experts event in Düsseldorf to find out more about the upcoming Sennheiser and Neumann technologies, such as Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems (WMAS), to support developments in theatrical performance.

‘Using the SK 6212 transmitters for Sunset Boulevard keeps everyone happy,’ Fisher says. ‘The small size and incredible battery life make them stand out from every other competitor, but the new WMAS technology is even more exciting. It would make situations like escaping outside the theatre more easily achievable and give us some really creative options. WMAS technology will open up many more possibilities, it’s a really exciting design tool.’

‘We were delighted to have Adam join us at our recent event in Germany which aligns perfectly with the Sennheiser Group’s strategy of keeping sound designers and industry professionals up-to-date on the latest technologies, as well as offering a glimpse of what’s coming next,’ concludes Gwyther-Brown. ‘This is integral to the trust and openness between us and our industry peers.’

More: www.sennheiser.com