The reactivated Radiophonic Workshop (RWS) has enlisted
BEHRINGER’s X32 Digital Mixing Console and EUROLIVE Active loudspeakers for a
series of upcoming high-profile electronic music events. Recognized the world
over for their groundbreaking recording and sound design work, the reactivated
RWS considered various top manufacturer’s mixing desks, monitoring systems and
front of house loudspeakers before settling on BEHRINGER as
their single source supplier.
Established
in 1958 to provide sound effects and original music for BBC radio, the RWS
went on to innovate with music and soundscapes for some of the BBC’s
legendary radio and TV programming. Most notable of these is Doctor Who a
show with whom RWS became synonymous. Although the BBC decommissioned RWS in
1998, original members Paddy Kingsland, Peter Howell, Roger Limb, Dick Mills
and Mark Ayres are working together again on a new album and a series of live
events. The project will include collaborations with popular musicians who
have all drawn from the RWS’ work over the years.
This year
marks the 50th anniversary of BBC Television’s Doctor Who — an institution
that the Radiophonic Workshop\’s extraordinary music helped propel into the
consciousness of the British public. To celebrate both the return of RWS and
the anniversary of Doctor Who, the RWS joined a 200-strong cast of musicians
for the BBC Doctor Who Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall in July. The
concert, broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, will also be shown on BBC television
in November as part of the Doctor Who anniversary celebrations.
The RWS will also be curating and headlining a
mini-festival celebrating the Workshop’s legacy and their return to the stage
at the London Roundhouse in November, a venue they sold out when they last
played live in 2009. As well as two sets from the RWS and guests, the event
will feature a recreation of the Radiophonic Workshop in 5.1-surround sound
that onlookers will be able to interact directly with. The on-stage mix, FX and
monitoring will be handled by the X32 console and the S16 and P16 stage units.
Other RWS events this year include an appearance at
Festival Number 6 in
Port Merion, Wales and other festival appearances across Europe. Their new
album (featuring a number of well known collaborators and guest musicians) will
be released in 2014 to coincide with a series of vinyl and CD reissues of their
influential (and frequently sampled) back catalogue.
Other RWS
events this year include an appearance at Festival Number 6 in Port Merion, Wales and
other festival appearances across Europe. Their new album (featuring a number
of well known collaborators and guest musicians) will be released in 2014 to
coincide with a series of vinyl and CD reissues of their influential (and
frequently sampled) back catalogue.
The current
RWS on-stage rig consists of a BEHRINGER X32 Digital Mixing Console, two
S16 Digital Snakes, the
POWERPLAY P16 Personal
Monitoring System, EUROLIVE B812NEO Active
Loudspeakers and B1800D-PRO Active 18\”
subwoofers for the entire audio distribution.
In planning
such complex live performances Mark Ayres, chief tech for the RWS, was clear
about what he wanted from a digital desk. \”Designing the system we
needed was a daunting task. The RWS combine vintage analogue synthesisers
with live musique concrete, discovered sounds and the latest computer
technology. Creative mixing and live sound treatments are as much a part of
our performances as the playing of our old modular synths. Any system we used
had to be incredibly versatile, intuitive and responsive to the demands we
make of it in the challenging modern live environment. We had to interface up
to 32 channels to one computer, and bus the 5.1 surround mix from another. We
needed a highly flexible routing system to allow us to easily switch the
shows from mono to 5.1, to use our own PA or the venues\’ local FOH or a
combination of the two.
We will be
playing at festivals where the set up time is inevitably short. We were
looking for a monitoring matrix that would permit each band member to tailor
and control their own local mix too. In addition it had to be scale-able and
expandable. The system also had to be compact, portable and robust enough to
meet the demands of touring and studio use.
In the
BEHRINGER X32 we found the ideal on-stage mixer, and we found that our other
needs have been easily met by the addition of the BEHRINGER S16 stage boxes,
P16 monitor distributors and associated personal monitor stations. These
products deliver the perfect integrated solution for us. In using the X32 I
found it easy and intuitive to navigate; it has quickly become an integral
element of our touring rig. The X32 has been a revelation, and most of all,
we enjoy using this gear.\”
