PRELUDE Life in the fast lane...
STICK THAT IN YOUR HORN... Unless you’ve been living on another planet over the last few weeks, you’ve probably been aware that World Cup fever has been upon us. That’s the 2010 FIFA World Cup, not the Soccerball World Series, as some Americans seem to believe it’s called, or a pathetic waste of air travel and luxury accommodation as any self- respecting England fan will tell you. Did anyone notice that the background noise of those pesky vuvuzela trumpet
wotsits during TV broadcasts appeared to diminish slightly after the first wave of group matches? Well, they did, and apparently we have Waves Audio to thank. Waves crafted a real-time processing chain consisting of two plug-ins — the
WNS (Waves Noise Suppressor) and the Q10 Paragraphic EQ — that reduced the vuvuzela noise whilst increasing the intelligibility of the commentary... depending on who was commentating, of course. The intelligibility of some of the footballers is another subject altogether, but let’s not go there. Although I only managed a few hours at
June’s ABTT Theatre Show (due to pre-arranged meetings with Bon Jovi’s The Circle Tour crew
at the O2), I could detect a warm and fuzzy feeling from most of the attendees. Naturally, this wasn’t due to a massive turnaround of the economy, or even that Bono’s on the mend. It had more to do with the style and size of the show itself. With the best imagination in the world, you’d
“Its biggest asset is the absence of the
audio cacophony that blights nearly every
other trade show we attend...”
find it hard to label me a theatre luvvie, but there’s something about the ABTT Show that — as trade shows go — puts so many others in the shade. Its biggest asset is the absence of the audio cacophony that blights nearly every other exhibition we attend, meaning that relaxed socialising and networking is not only possible, but a delight. It’s small enough to get around without fear of missing anyone but big enough to keep you busy for two days. At the registration desk, I joked with the badge-printing operative that I wouldn’t
need a show guide on account of most exhibitors’ stands being in exactly the same place as they were last year... and the year before. That’s the sign of a successful trade show and long may it continue for the folks at the ABTT. Nearly two years since we began publishing Jerry Gilbert’s historical Chronicle
series on the people, companies, events and technologies that have shaped today’s live production industry, it’s gratifying to know that we made the right decision. Chronicle has proven to be very successful at reconnecting a large number of
friends and associates who played crucial, pioneering roles in the mad old, bad old days when PA systems were made from sticky back plastic and lighting rigs were constructed from torches and discarded chewing gum. Today’s kids will never believe you.
Mark Cunningham Editor-in-Chief
TPi JULY 2010 • 03
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