FEATURES: BROADCAST
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Swing out sister
FOH engineer Naho Yamada from MSI Japan
Front
One of China’s latest broadcast hits combines reality TV with a musical talent show as all-female contestants battle it out for the top slot. Sue Su reports from Hunan MANGO TV’S ALL-FEMALE TALENT SHOW, Sisters Who Make Waves, has become a major hit across China since the first season aired last year. The muchanticipated second season went on-air just four months after the first one ended, with its April finale featuring popular singers such as Na Ying, Zhou Bichang and Joey Jung. With production values even higher than for the first season, which had already raised the bar, sound director He Biao designed a huge and complex wireless system for both the reality TV and the performance areas, using the new L-Acoustics K3 line array he purchased last year. This was the first-time use of K3 on a Chinese entertainment show, and the largest K3 system used on a show of this kind in Asia. “The sound requirements were greater than those of the first season,” says audio director Li Ming. “We wanted the performances to equal or exceed the sound of a top concert, and deliver a good experience to audiences both onsite and in front of the TV. We have worked with Mr He’s team for many years. From both a technical and an artistic point of view, they are one of the top teams in China.” The venue for this season was a hall in Hunan International Conference and Exhibition Center. Special staging, scenery and facilities were constructed for the show, which featured a reality TV element alongside stage performances, with both parts recorded in the same space at the same time. To solve the problem of crosstalk and reflection, the production team invested in sound insulation and absorption treatment between the two areas to provide acoustic isolation, allowing both areas to be used for simultaneous recording. The performance area was equipped with a main and a second stage, connected by a long, narrow T-section in the middle. A 60m-wide audience area on either side of the stages accommodated around 2,000 people. The seating,
Sisters Who Make Waves sound director, He Biao together with complicated stage mechanisms and lighting equipment, limited the flown weight of the sound system. “The first season was held in another venue, and L-Acoustics Kara was used,” continues He. “This season, the venue was relatively large but its load-bearing was limited. We needed lighter speakers with a high output, and L-Acoustics had just launched the K3, which was a perfect fit in terms of weight, SPL and bass performance for the show.” Launched last year, the dual 12-inch K3 is of a similar size to many dual 10-inch boxes on the market. The show’s FOH engineer, Naho Yamada from MSI Japan, is one of the first engineers to use K3 in Asia. “When I heard K3 for the first time, I thought its sound was very gentle,” she says. “I have used K1 and K2 three-way systems in this venue before but,
A total of 36 K3s in four hangs of nine covered the live performance area
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25/06/2021 12:01