London-based Storm Events has celebrated its tenth anniversary by increasing its inventory of QL5, QL1 and TF1s to serve the diverse array of events that the company supports. Two of the most recent saw Yamaha consoles mixing the sounds of safari and sport.

Safari in the City was a charity gala dinner hosted by the Zoological Society of London at Regent’s Park Zoo. Held in a large, tepee-style tent to raise money for the fight against the poaching of rhinos, elephants, tigers and other wild animals, the key audio requirement was to provide enough coverage and volume for a gala evening, without any unnecessary spill. ‘We used a QL1 because of its comprehensive facilities in a very small footprint,’ says Storm director and head of sound production, Dave Warner. ‘A Rio1608-D I/O unit was positioned by the lectern to keep the XLR cable length to a minimum, while Ro8 boxes were deployed in different areas of the tent to feed local amps and help reduce cabling.

‘Especially useful features were the QL1’s matrixes and the ability to easily push channels to different areas with different delays and EQ,’ he continues. ‘Additional delay on the Dante channels allowed for individual send controls without going to the amps. Premium Rack compression on the mix bus also allowed us to put a “safety net” on the overall volume, without it sounding compressed, to ensure the nearby zoo animals weren’t disturbed. The StageMix app control aided the set-up, especially with EQ and delays in each area.’

Two of Storm’s Yamaha consoles enjoyed another high-profile assignment when they provided pitch audio control and relay at the biennial Hockey Champions Trophy at the Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Here, a QL5 was used for the broadcast mix and a TF1 for live commentary, announcements and background music for the spectators. A Rio1608-D and two Ro8 took care of the inputs and outputs around the venue: ‘Last year Lee Valley hosted the hockey European Championships and we provided a similar set-up – it’s a very neat solution,’ Warner says. ‘We trust Yamaha consoles because of the features, reliability, the simple, neat layout and their suitability for both live and broadcast sound. They are so easy to use that the vast majority of engineers can operate a Yamaha desk straight away, even if it’s their first time.

‘The QL’s Dan Dugan automix functionality works wonders on panel sessions with eight open radio mics. We have also been expanding our Dante capability with more Ro8 units for the amp racks and broadcast risers at press events. Meanwhile, the TF1 has proved the ideal console for smaller events where the audio infrastructure doesn’t need to be quite so complex. Our six are continually in use.

‘It is straightforward to set up systems for corporate meetings, press conferences and other events which might include multiple microphones, broadcast feeds and multitrack recording. We can quickly put in a compact system that is easily operated by one person, but which satisfies – and invariably surpasses – client expectations.’