Welsh National Opera trusts wireless solution from Riedel Bolero

Welsh National Opera (WNO) recently invested in a full Riedel Bolero digital wireless intercom system, specified by Autograph Sound, in need of a new in-house communication system. The prestigious opera company is a prolific operatic ensembles in the UK, with a national and international touring schedule including an average of 120 performances per year.

“We spend around 5-7 weeks, twice a year, at our home in the Millennium Centre, producing our operas. From there, we head off on tour for around 7 weeks at a time,” explains Benjamin Naylor, Head of Lighting and Sound at WNO. “We’re on the move a lot and require a communication system that works for us, not against us.”

Based in Cardiff’s landmark Wales Millennium Centre, its team were using an outdated digital wireless system prior to the upgrade, which had served them well for around 7 years but had run its course as upgrade requirements and maintenance began to incur considerable costs. “The old system was liable to a lot of interference on the line, and from a health and safety point of view we needed a system that provided clear communication,” explains Naylor. “Range is also important for us – our team covers a lot of ground.”

Autograph recommended a wireless system from Riedel, a clear choice that fitted WNO’s critical needs.

“Welsh National Opera stressed the fact that they wanted a system that was quick and efficient to set up when they go on tour,” explains Nacho Lee, UK Sales Manager at Riedel.

“Clarity of communication was the second most important requirement. Riedel Bolero ticks several boxes for systems that move around a lot: clear communication, ease of use and incredible range, no matter the venue. So, we recommended Bolero.”

The system was commissioned in August 2022, with both Riedel and Autograph in attendance to ensure WNO were confident in setting up and using the Bolero system. “In total, the system consisted of three wireless antenna w/PSU, fifteen Bolero belt packs, three 5 bay chargers with rack mount kits, an NSA-002A interface box with rack mount kit and the standalone licence for the system. A network switch for communication and supplying POE to the antenna and NSA units were also part of the package,” explains Will Cottrell, Technical Sales Engineer at Autograph.

Once installed, the system was put to the test both at home and on tour. “We implemented a soft introduction of the system, to ensure everyone was confident using Bolero,” explains Thomas Roberts,

Lighting Supervisor at WNO. “During the first season, we configured the Bolero system like our old system before rolling out more features throughout the company.”

“We use 2-4 channels at a time, with roles defined per department plus separate chat channels alongside the main channel, to avoid overloading any one channel,” continues Roberts. “Not only does this system provide the best audio quality I’ve ever experienced, but it’s also much better at dealing with distances between team members than our previous system. It’s like having a normal conversation with someone – you can hear the inflection in people’s voices so it’s easy to determine who is speaking.”

The intuitive user interface of the Bolero system has also improved WNO’s communications. “The user experience couldn’t be simpler. The screen is easy to understand, and the buttons are much nicer than competitors’ offerings,” confirms Roberts. Stage Manager, Amy Batty echoes these sentiments and adds, “The ergonomics are good and the buttons are intuitive and easily accessible. You forget you’re wearing it and it becomes part of the day, part of the routine – there’s no thinking, we just use it.”

One of the most crucial requirements of the system was its portability. “With the new Riedel system, we just pack the system in a flight case and take it with us,” explains Roberts, who is responsible for maintaining and managing the communications systems. “Once we arrive at a venue, we unpack the system, install two antennas and we’re ready to go.”

The project has been a success for all parties involved, and WNO can now rely on the system to support them throughout their touring season. “It was great to work with a company as well-known and historic as Welsh National Opera,” reflects Cottrell of Autograph. “The end result of this project is a very reliable, clear and portable system which allows the same excellent levels of communication whether at home in Cardiff or on tour.” 

Jordan’s largest and most prominent mosque use to broadcast regularly its religious services for worshippers at home; this new integration of robotic camera control aims to capture not only religious services but visitors flows and other events

The project of the live TV studio was funded by the Royal Hashemite Court (RHC), who also managed the tendering process and supervised the commissioning of the project. The robotic systems officially went live on March 20th of this year, 2023.

The King Hussein Mosque, as the largest and most prominent mosque in Amman, Jordan’s capital town, offers a fully functioning TV studio that provides live broadcasts of important events such as Friday prayers, Holy Eids and Ramadan. That studio and the building’s main prayer room now include robotic camera systems from Telemetrics, an innovator in robotic camera control.

The new equipment consists of five HP-S5 robotic Pan/Tilt heads installed throughout the mosque and a RCCP-2A control panel to operate and adjust the cameras as needed. The project also included installation of a Telemetrics PT-WP-S5 weatherproof camera system on the building’s roof for unique POV shots.

“The five cameras are distributed inside the main hall of the mosque recoding live video footage from different angles without distracting the worshipers from performing their religious duties,” said Omar Hikmat, Founding Partner and CEO of local systems integrator HEAT. “This is very important in Islam to show respect and dedication to God.”

Hikmat added that the mosque staff has found the equipment easy to use and like the results it is providing.

“The client is very happy, and all of the equipment is working very reliably.”

For those looking to improve operations efficiency while reducing costs, the PT-HP-S5 Robotic Pan/Tilt head— with its Advanced Servo technology—is the ideal choice as it offers smooth motion, whisper-quiet operation, and improved production values for venues like the King

Hussein Mosque. The rugged construction of the PT-HP-S5 Camera Head is perfectly suited for daily use in applications where support of mid-to-heavy payloads of up to 40 pounds is required.

In addition to a variety of features for programming and launching creative and consistent camera moves, the RCCP-2A Robotic Camera Control Panel offers Telemetrics’ exclusive reFrame® Talent and Object Tracking software that, using special artificial intelligence algorithms, automatically keeps the talent in frame at all times.