Help me out - control rooms
- Thread starterBillConnerFASTC
- Start date
@RickR I realize what you're saying but it's not "curious" at all and why one of the FOURTEEN (14) booths in a nearby purpose built opera and ballet space is one entire booth devoted exclusively to simultaneous translation(s). Dependent upon the specific performance and production, they're doing simultaneous translation for radio &/or television broadcasts as well as patrons within their auditorium. [Think verbal descriptions for blind patrons in addition to routine interpretations of foreign language operas for blind viewers at home unable to read Surtitles]
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.
The look of a venue is a front porch. If the front porch is unattractive, you could get mixed responses from audiences/users/stakeholders. It could color their general impression of the events that take place there. It can also depress their interest to contribute donations or attend events.
The whole business model isn't going to collapse because a window got put into an opening on House Left and the opening on House Right was left empty, but if you make something stand out like a sore thumb and throw all of the project weight behind functionality over form, it does have a consequence on the impression it leaves with patrons, parents, and the community.
FWIW, good ideas that aren't blended with architecture tend to be the first or second to get VE'd. They are easier to single out as specialty, luxury features than something that looks like it was supposed to be that way all along.
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jtweigandt
Well-Known Member
That said, I prefer to work in the open booth, having done both.. I mostly do lighting. Yes I'm a dedicated amateur, but have worked at the schools and a small barn with closed booth as well. At the main venue 500 seat or so, we have a Central wide window for lights on the second floor with 2 enclosed spotlight bays on either side. it is open, and not at all a problem for quiet comm with the carpeting and acoustic tile on the ceiling. Sound is directly in front of us on an open "porch" dropped down a step so we see over their heads. The whole shebang is symetrical and functional. They can lean on us for comm if a mic head needs replacing etc, or other need arises, just by turning around and quietly talking. We all sit about 10 feet above the audience. Before we had the porch, lights and sound worked side by side, but even the window opening restricted the ability to hear what is really happening. They're lots happier with the porch.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
These are mixed porch metaphors correct? Last two posts.
I liked this booth I saw once. It looked a lot like the front end of a Cobra Gunship. The Sound guys were down and forward of the lighting controls. the booth sat right over the center, back entrance into the room. so the floor of the sound booth was only 10-12 feet off the floor of the auditorium. they had window that could be opened up. The Lighting control deck was about 6-7 feet high and about 10-12 feet further back. could see the whole stage but any sound they made was bounced down to the floor by the sloped glass front. of the booth. Really cool design I thought.
Yup.
I was referring to a metaphor the athletic director at my hometown’s high school has used over the years. Actually was quoted on just last week:
I was referring to a metaphor the athletic director at my hometown’s high school has used over the years. Actually was quoted on just last week:
Its funny, I was thinking about a venue like that, stopped by there while on tour, it was a college I think, thought the booth was really cool....wish I could remember that place...
One thing I remember about that place, 400 amp switch, but the breaker in the basement that feed it was only a 200...oops, I turned that breaker back into sand...
sorry for the left turn, back to your regular scheduled topic...
Sean...
edit: added bad story memories...
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
You should see the Wilow Creek control - two rows - probably 10 positions each - at back of msin floor - and a spiral to racks and video control below.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
The Place I was thinking of was the "new" arts facility built in Jenks, Oklahoma in 1982-83. State of the art at the time. The back of the house had two rounded walls that spun around to seating or spun back to face the lobby where they were used as lecture halls. Pretty snazzy for the 80's... God I'm old.
taneglaus
Member
I worked in a 2,800 seat balcony HS on stage crew. Everything was originally enclosed...even sound. They upgraded the sound & lightng systems & Put the new sound position about 5 rows in front of the existing enclosed booths. Your symatry. But lighting, follow spots, & massive film projector behind glass. It worked very well.
Being off center a little shouldn't be fatal for sound, since in a wide room, you have no business mixing in stereo anyway.
The preferred location for the FOH sound booth is not on center - most acoustics texts have you place it 1/3 of the way in from one wall. If there are going to be acoustical problems or sound system comb filtering issues, they're most likely to occur on center in a symmetrical room.
+1 on the "Stereo" - very few auditoriums have a real stereo system. It's more like an L/R dual mono with plenty of interference in the middle. Even if you get a system designed so that the level difference between left and right at each seat is minimal (one of the requirements of stereo imaging), the distance (time) difference between sides blows up the stereo effect for any seats not near the center of the auditorium.
EWCguy
Active Member
We have a single booth about 12' above the audience. I pulled the windows out because 1) I couldn't hear to do audio, 2) I couldn't see because of the glare, 3) the fire-safety glass with diagonal wires inside blocked our wireless signals (before I mounted antennae outside the booth). I still have to take the flight of stairs down to the house level to really know what's going on with sound. Grr. Our spot booths are located above back of house right and left exit doors, quite open for fan noise to permeate the seating area. Sigh.
Craig Hauber
Well-Known Member
That’s a puzzlement. How do you balance a stereo mix if you’re not on center ?.
You don't.
Sound systems aren't usually designed to give an equal amount of Left and an equal amount of Right to every seat in the house, at the same moment in time and at the same SPL level, no matter which seat you're in.
Being able to send an L/R, or L/C/R or L/C/R/FF/FL/FR/S mix to a system is great for balancing, blending, and theatrical sound effects, but unless the room is shaped like a shoe box and designed like a cinema, if you hard pan something to the left a whole lot of people aren't going to hear it, and if they can hear it, it's not going to be how you hear it from your sweet spot at the center of the room.
The best wisdom for doing something a little different in the Left and Right mixes, especially if you have L/R subs, is that if you send a little different mix to each side, you make a good effort toward nullifying weird comb filtering.
David Ashton
Well-Known Member
I totally hate enclosed control rooms with glass distorting my view, even worse with double glazing, I have removed glass from so many, although they were for sound as well. As for architects, I had to fight one who wanted the booth behind stage as he thought that with modern AV it could be run off a tv monitor and got very upset when the school made him spoil his vision of the high foyer with an ugly control room.
As much as I don’t like an open booth for lights, I have one in our school. Lights and sound share a booth, in a huge auditorium. It has a door on the side and a 9’x5’ opening in front. The way the seats are arranged, there are about 15 or so seats that might be affected by the talking. This only works because the room is large.
Lately, it seems like the booth students’ parents/guests tend to sit in those seats. They like to hear/watch their kids’ “performance” instead of the show. After all, between learning the tech and protocols, these kids spent an awful lot of time preparing, and they are in a black room where nobody can see. I love catching a Facebook shot of kids running cues in the booth from a proud parent.
Lately, it seems like the booth students’ parents/guests tend to sit in those seats. They like to hear/watch their kids’ “performance” instead of the show. After all, between learning the tech and protocols, these kids spent an awful lot of time preparing, and they are in a black room where nobody can see. I love catching a Facebook shot of kids running cues in the booth from a proud parent.
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