Whether it's music fans, artists, or live sound engineers, the pursuit of higher-quality audio experiences has never ceased. In live performances, the fidelity and quality of sound, as well as the convenience and smoothness of the workflow, have increasingly gained attention. A wonderful performance not only requires "favorable timing, geographical advantages, and human harmony," but also relies on essential hardware equipment.
Among the numerous recent performances, the youth version of Gan Opera A Dream of Red Mansions made a stunning debut at the opening ceremony of the 8th Jiangxi Art Festival, with the venue completely packed. Additionally, The Replacement of the Prince with a Civet Cat, a special recommended play for the 9th China Qinqiang Opera Art Festival, has also won wide acclaim.
Youth Version of Gan Opera A Dream of the Red Chamber
The youth version of Gan Opera A Dream of the Red Chamber takes the "Begonia Poetry Club" as a 引子 (introduction), restoring classic scenes such as the first meeting of Baoyu and Daiyu, Daiyu burying flowers, and Xiangyun drunkenly reclining, interpreting the ups and downs of the fates of various characters in the original A Dream of the Red Chamber. It not only reflects the unique charm of Gan Opera stage art but also showcases the acme of Chinese classical beauty.
The creative team of this play is a top-notch domestic team: Zhang Manjun, Vice President of the Chinese Theatre Association, serves as the director. As a renowned Chinese opera director, she has directed numerous plays that won national-level awards on the Chinese theatrical stage. The team also includes Liu Xinglin, Vice President of the Chinese Institute of Stage Art, in charge of stage design; Xing Xin responsible for lighting; and Li Ming responsible for sound design. Moreover, the costume design invites the team that created the costumes for Only Green at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala to undertake the design work.
Stage design, costumes, styling, music and body movements all run through the concept of "youth". Integrating modern design concepts into the keynote of traditional aesthetics marks a breakthrough in ancient costume stage plays, which won full-house applause at the premiere.
In these traditional opera and drama performances, Mr. Li Ming has consistently chosen audio products from brands like Rupert Neve and Whirlwind. With the exceptional performance of these hardware devices, he has brought one splendid audio-visual feast after another to the live audiences.
Li Ming
Traditional Chinese opera performances are one of China's traditional arts. From a musical perspective, they can also be regarded as China's equivalent to opera and musicals. With a wide variety of fascinating genres, their performance forms integrate singing and dancing, recitation and vocalization, as well as literary and martial elements, combining the four essential skills of "singing, acting, reciting, and combat". Almost all opera performances are threaded through with music, which is why we often say that music is the soul of opera—an opera without music is incomplete. However, as our artistic taste has evolved, the audio requirements for live opera performances have gradually increased. Aware of this, Mr. Li Ming has been constantly exploring in his artistic journey, keeping pace with the times to discover the "audio marvels" in performances.
Next, let's take a look at which audio products from Rupert Neve and Whirlwind he used in these performances, and what magic attracted him? Let's explore together~
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Rupert Neve
As a "magic tool" that can enhance sound texture and expressiveness, the Rupert Neve 5045 Dual-Channel Sound Source Enhancer is reputed as "the most natural feedback suppression in the world".
The Rupert Neve 5045 Dual-Channel Sound Source Enhancer reduces the gain when there is no signal. During performances, it automatically allows the signal to pass through upon detecting someone speaking or singing into the microphone. When the person stops speaking or singing, it automatically senses the pause and appropriately reduces the gain, thus minimizing the tendency of system feedback.
Rupert Neve Designs features custom input and output transformers. Its all-analog circuitry delivers exceptional control and sonic performance without compromising the integrity of the sound source, allowing audiences to enjoy an "authentic" theatrical experience. This is also why the 5045 has become a processor on the market that can intuitively, naturally, and effectively reduce feedback.
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Rupert Neve Designs
The MBP is a multi-purpose VCA compression processor. The Neve Portico II MBP features dual-channel compression and limiter functions, as well as sound field width expansion and a powerful Silk transformer saturation function. While the MBP is simple and easy to operate, it also enables users to quickly achieve the quality and functional guarantees required for bus processing.
In live performances, Mr. Li Ming primarily uses the MBP for musical output to achieve overall timbre modification. When processing sound, he performs fine-tuning through the Silk function, which offers three different modes (OFF/Blue/Red) for selection. Considering the need for string instruments to have a "warmth" characteristic, Mr. Li Ming chooses the SILK RED mode. The principle of this mode is that by reducing negative feedback information in the output transformer, the corresponding harmonic information is perceived as strengthened, thereby altering the auditory experience.
Additionally, Mr. Li Ming also mentioned the sound field width expansion function of the MBP. The stereo sound field processing characteristics of the MBP enable it to "control" the width and depth of the stereo sound field. This capability effectively "amplifies" the performance of live traditional Chinese orchestras, making the on-site sound more shocking and immersive.
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Whirlwind pcUSB
The Whirlwind pcUSB converts digital audio into high-quality balanced stereo analog signals via a USB interface. It can be directly used as an output sound card for computers, supports long-distance transmission, and easily connects to PA systems, mixers, and other devices.
The plug-and-play feature and stable digital-to-balanced output of the pcUSB make it the ideal companion for portable digital-to-analog conversion and computer audio output applications in professional sound reinforcement.
In these theatrical performances, Mr. Li Ming spoke highly of the audio - products of Rupert Neve and Whirlwind brands. The high - quality products make the sound or music of the performance more highly restored, allowing artists to convey the most authentic sound to the audience and express their emotions through music. With the joint efforts of the director, the main creative team and the actors, the audience can enjoy the beauty of Chinese opera art more heartily.
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