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NYnet are a broadband provider in North Yorkshire. They provide high speed access for businesses and addresses that are not catered for by the larger providers. This week long event, which was the brain child of NYnet, proved to be quite a unique event for all those involved.
Utilizing recently purchased high-end video conferencing equipment, NYnet were able to take full advantage of their high speed broadband links. This was in the form of musical masterclasses between two schools in the Yorkshire region. With CSS providing the sound and light in both venues, (one which contained members from the Southbank Sinfonia and the other pupils from another school up to 50 miles away), it was possible to have a system by which the pupils played an arrangement to the other venue. This allowed the professional musicians to comment on their playing style and provide hints to aid in their performance. Real improvement could be seen almost instantly, a testament to the skills of the Southbank Sinfonia and the success of the technology involved.
ANS group, who supply the conferencing equipment made a recording of the masterclasses which has been placed on the BBC web-site.
This is available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8376570.stm
The culmination of the masterclasses was a 150 piece orchestra at the National Railway Museum in York on the Saturday. The orchestra consisted of many of the children that had been coached throughout the week. This was to be filmed and a DVD created of this performance. CSS provided the recording facilities as well as the lighting.
Sound consisted of:
ML4000 desk
dbx166 compresesors
TC- one multi fx
Lexicon PCM91
16x AKG SE300/91, 4 x AKG SE300/93, 2 x M201, 4 xAKG 414, 2x AT4040, 8 x AKG c451, 2 x Shure KSM32, 4 x AKG C747, 4 x F15, 4 x MD421, 3 x DPA 4006.
Lighting consisted of:
36 x 1KW parcans,
6 x Robe700
6 x MAC500
White Syc
Avolites ART24
Unfortunately we were limited by the power of the venue as the amount of lighting we could provide. However our lighting designer on the day did an great job in getting what we had looking excellent on the DVD.
Our sound crew consisted of Martin Stansfield as the recording engineer and Sebastian Knowles as stage technician. Lighting Designer was Dave Dickinson and Lighting Crew Dave Hughes. They all did a very professional job, impressing the clients and the audience with their abilities. The DVD will be online soon – a link will be posted here as soon as possible.
CSS would just like to thank NYnet for allowing us the opportunity to work with them on such a unique and enjoyable event.
Christmas Lights 21st November
Yes…it’s that time of year again! Time for sound and lighting engineers to huddle under their FOH easyup while rain soaks their stage and speakers.
CSS provided the sound system for Cheltenham’s eagerly awaited switch on, taking place in Imperial Gardens. This consisted of 12 MSL4’s and 6 650-P subs, run off an ML3000 desk.
Unfortunately the rain proved too heavy and several of the bands were cancelled. This however didn’t dampen spirits and the turn on still proved to be a good success.
Now it’s time to start counting down the days until Christmas while we scrape the mud off all the gear!
End of the Road Festival 11th – 13th September 2009
Though only in its fourth year, End of the Road has already well established itself within the festival industry. With an eclectic mix of music and assortments of activities all housed in the stunning scenery of Larmer Tree Gardens this is a must for all festival lovers. The weather was perfect with the peacocks out in full force: stubbornly refusing to move when a long wheel base sprinter asked them to!!!
CSS have been privileged to work with End of the Road since the beginning. 2009 proved to be another successful year – from both the festival and CSS’s perspective.
CSS were the main supplier of sound for the site: providing for 6 stages. These varied from a pair of UPA’s and a MixWiz right up to a concert size system.
The Big Top stage utilised CSS’s stock of d&b MAX15 wedges as well as the Meyer Sound MSL-4 – 650P system, two hangs of four M’elodie line array helped reinforce the system. Front of House was controlled by freelancer Chris Jones with James Southby on monitors and Rob Horsall stage tech. They all did a fantastic job throughout the weekend, with their positive attitudes and golden ears impressing everybody that set foot in their venue.
The two other band venues made use of the Shermann systems – which proved to be the last outing of this tried and tested system (it currently resides in an install into the Front Rooms: an exciting new music venue in Cheltenham town centre). These were both very popular venues with their marquees full to capacity every night.
CSS hopes to continue this great relationship with such a good spirited festival in 2010.
http://www.endoftheroadfestival.com/
Greenbelt Festival 2009 27th – 30th August
CSS have returned to the Cheltenham Racecourse to provide sound and light for the ever popular Christian Arts Festival: Greenbelt. We know this festival intimately as we have been involved with it for the past fifteen years. Each year this festival has gone from strength to strength with new challenges and venues to ensure no complacency what-so-ever on our part.
21000 people, young and old, visited over the course of the weekend. They were entertained with a wide variety of music acts, seminars, circus acts and general socialising in what is an incredibly friendly and relaxed festival.
This being our biggest festival of the year means a logistical as well as technical challenge – one which we rise to year after year. 2009 saw us provide a wide range of sound and light from small workshop venues all the way up to a full concert system and lighting systems in Centaur. We worked closely with Peterborough based sound and light company, B+H, in what is a new Greenbelt relationship. This proved to be successful with this year running incredibly smoothly. Hopefully we can continue this into future years to bring high quality sound and light to a very important festival for us and all those involved.
CSS invests further in d&b stock
CSS have recently purchased eight d&b E3 loudspeakers and two pairs of EPAC amplifiers. This adds to our hire stock of MAX15 monitors and E1’s and reinforces the companies desire to extend further into the d&b brand.
We believe they are of exceptionally high standard and already have shown their quality over the Morgan Centenary Celebrations at the Cheltenham Racecourse. Drop us a line for more information.
Morgan Centenary Celebrations 31st July – 2nd August
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Morgan car band a huge event was organised at the Cheltenham Racecourse. This saw thousands of Morgan enthusiasts come from all over the world to share in their passion of such a unique car.
A gala dinner on the Saturday of the festival was attended by over 900 people in Centaur, on the racecourse. This fabulous venue was transformed into something simply amazing! GLS provided the lighting and Unusual Rigging hung four Morgan Cars from the grid. You must see the pictures to see how good the place looked! CSS provided the sound for Ray Lamontagne as well as the guest speakers: Charles Morgan and the original Stig, Perry McCarthy.
Several seminar venues across the racecourse gave CSS the opportunity to get out the newly acquired stock of d&b E3’s. They performed fantastically, looking small and neat while providing the necessary levels to allow great sound distribution – the expected outcome from such a high quality manufacturer.
CSS provided the lighting for the main stage. With an assortment of parcans, Robe 700’s, ACLs, pixel tracks and molefays, this looked stunning. The inclusion of the English Symphony Orchestra on the Sunday, coupled with very impressive fireworks over the last few arrangements gave an amazing spectacle which CSS was immensely proud to be part of!
http://www.morgan-centenary.co.uk/index.html
Guiting Power Festival 26th and 31st July
CSS were invited back to Guiting Power to provide sound for this small, but good spirited and well attended event.
The rain this year didn’t dampen spirits as the faithful crowd braved the English ‘summer’ weather to enjoy the day. The high quality Jazz bands on show provided great entertainment for everybody (almost as good as the hog roast there!!!).
Front of House sound consisted two MSL-4’s and 650P subs. Allen and Heath MixWiz 16Ch desk was used alongside a rack containing TC Electronics M-ONE, dbx compressors and XTA graphic equalisers.
Many compliments were given to the crew on the day as to the quality of the sound, with some saying it was the best they had heard it! This is both testament to the standard of the gear as well as the professionalism of the staff involved.
CSS wishes to thank everyone involved with Guiting Power Festival. We look forward to working with you next year…and to the delicious hog roast!
Wychwood Music Festival 29th-31st May
Once again CSS has been heavily involved with this young festival providing sound and light in the Big Top, Bar Stage and several workshops. Main stage lighting was also supplied by CSS.
The Big Top consisted of Meyer Sound MSL-4 and 650P with d&b MAX15 for monitor wedges. Yamaha M7 digital board was providing FOH sound. The Bar stage consisted of four UPA-1P and subwoofers. Several smaller workshop venues utilised CSS’s small PA rigs with d&b E1’s and ElectroVoice S200’s.
2009 proved to be another successful year for Wychwood. It is hoped that CSS can continue this long running relationship with such a fresh and exciting festival.
http://www.wychwoodfestival.com/
Shrewsbury Music Festival 22nd-24th May
CSS was very excited to be involved with the first Shrewsbury Music Festival. This new event saw CSS providing all sound and light:
FOH:
16 x Meyer Sound MSL-4
8 x Meyer Sound 650-P
Yamaha M7
Foldback:
14 x d&b MAX15 monitors
Allen and Heath ML4000
BSS EQ
Lighting:
48 x Parcans
8 x Pixeltrack
6 x Martin Macs
12 x Robe 700AT
6 x Molefays
With many high quality tribute acts including Queen, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Carlos Santana this event had something for everyone. The Sunday saw National Symphony Orchestra take to the stage with G-4 star Jonathan Ansell in a spectacular show.
Two exceptional freelancers ensured the sound was of the highest quality for the audience and the artists: Martin Stansfield on FOH and Dave Warner on monitors.
New Dawn Events, the organisers, were so impressed with the service CSS offered they have given us the contract as main supplier of sound and light for two other festivals over August. We look forward to continuing this relationship with our new friends at New Dawn Events!
CSS retained the lighting for Jazz Festival for another year. Cheltenham Town Hall was once again the centre of the festival. Lighting therefore needed to be of the highest quality. This was ensured with the inclusion of ten Robe 700 spots, four Martin Mac 500’s and around fifty parcans, all run off CSS’s Avolites 24 way ART Dimmer Rack.
Numerous other lighting rigs were constructed throughout the town hall by CSS, in what proved to be another successful year for the highly renowned Cheltenham Jazz festival.
