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AV Systems Design

Media Systems Design Group (www.msd-group.com) was part of the design process for the Gallo Center performing spaces almost from the inception of the project, delivering the original spec for both performance spaces in September 2003. Audio system essentials included center cluster front of house systems and analog FOH consoles for both the large and smaller performance venues, though the infrastructure for the addition of digital consoles was specified at the time, says Timothy Hart, project lead.

By June 2006, administrative changes on the client level brought about revisions in the basic specifications; the center cluster design for both venues became left-right vertical arrays, and the analog console spec was replaced by digital consoles, with the addition of monitor mix capabilities.

Mary Stuart Rogers Theater: a closer look
The Mary Stuart Rogers Theater seats approximately 1250, with as many as 945 patrons at the orchestra and parterre levels, and 305 patrons in the balcony.

The hall is a traditional shoebox shape, in keeping with its primary use as a classical music venue, with a maximum width of 97 feet, tapering to approximately 72 feet between the side walls just forward of the proscenium—dimensions favorable to directing early sound reflections towards the center portions of the orchestra seating areas.

The farthest seat from the proscenium is in the balcony at approximately 100 feet, assuring a good degree of intimacy and overall loudness of sound throughout the hall. A demountable orchestral shell serves the dual purpose of enhancing on-stage hearing for musicians and projecting early reflections out into the audience. Forestage reflectors suspended in the audience chamber just forward of the proscenium extend into the hall over the orchestra pit direct early reflections from within the orchestra shell to the front positions of the seating area, enhance on-stage hearing for players situated on the pit lift forward of the proscenium, improve ensemble hearing in the orchestra pit, and provide reinforcement of low power string instruments.

The forestage reflectors help frame the 27'-0" high proscenium. Sliding tormenters adjust the proscenium frame width from between 60' 0" to 40'-0". The stage is 45'-0" deep by 102'-6" wide with a scene dock beyond that provides storage space for the orchestra shell towers and accommodates rear-projection.

The orchestra pit, a portion of which extends under the stage to assure balance among orchestral sections, is sized for approximately 40 musicians. The rear wall is articulated to promote sound diffusion and is provided with removable draperies for variable sound absorption.

A tension grid providing theatrical lighting positions above the audience is arrayed along concentric arcs mimicking the seating rows below and forming a virtual ceiling plane or "chandelier," with integrated house lighting fixtures. Follow spot positions are located above the balcony. Balcony edge and sidewall locations fill out the theatrical lighting positions within the house.

The project was put out to bid in August 2007, and the audio system design bid awarded in April 2007 to Professional Communication Design, Santa Rosa, Calif. At that time, says Hart, other revisions to the spec were made, mainly in the wiring for both venues to include more flexibility for mic patching from the stage to the control rooms.

The FOH systems for both the Rogers and the Foster theaters are based around Yamaha digital consoles: a PM5D-RH in the larger theater, and an M7CL in the smaller. (Control rooms in both theater venues are supplemented by mix positions on the floor.) A second Yamaha PM5D-RH handles monitor duties for the Rogers theater but can be moved to the Foster theater where the Yamaha M7CL FOH console can be used for monitor mix as well. "The staff and anyone who has mixed on them finds these consoles easy to use," says the Gallo Center's Director of Production, Scott McKay. "My experienced staff is always finding something new they can do with these consoles."

The loudspeaker systems are JBL: Vertec Series mid-size line arrays in the Rogers (eight Vertec 4888's per side supported by four subs) and VRX Series line arrays in the Foster. (six VRX932LA's per side supported by four VRX Series subs, not part of the flown system). Renkus-Heinz center clusters—six loudspeakers in the Rogers and three in the Foster—complete the flown systems. "Stage lip fills [five Tannoy's in the Rogers and three in the Foster] were added to the system with the final budget alteration," says Hart. "These were a welcome addition."

Both public and professional reception for the Center and particularly for the Rogers Theater, have been uniformly enthusiastic.