Opened in 1996, the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a gala show at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on the 30th January. Performing in the show were many former students who delighted an audience of some 2000 people, among whom were Institute graduates and a number of high profile guests such as Sir Paul McCartney who as lead patron takes a close interest in the Institute and its work.
Equally supportive of the Institute is Yamaha Commercial Audio. “They’ve helped out many times by loaning us equipment over the years,” said Recording Studio Technician Jean Paul Adams. “When Yamaha learned of our anniversary celebrations they were very keen to be involved and offered us the use of one of their latest M7CL digital consoles,” he continued. Clearly an offer the Institute couldn’t refuse!
Yamaha arranged for Adams and his colleagues to be trained in operating the console at nearby pro audio dealers Wigwam some two weeks before the Gala was due to take place. “I’d previously used a Yamaha O2R desk and was very comfortable with it, but because I hadn’t used an M7CL before I was a bit anxious about using it for what I knew was going to be an extremely lively stage show,” Adams said. In the event, his doubts proved groundless. “I was immediately impressed just how user friendly the desk was. I liked the two types of EQ’s, the dynamics and the one layer system. In fact, I found everything was pretty much a touch screen away and felt totally in control.”
The desk was certainly put through its paces during the gala. “We were running 40 lines off the stage,” continued Adams, “plus lines for an external camera crew as well as logging audio and visuals. The automated side of the desk proved incredibly useful with mics feeding in from the chorus, plus a full band, main performers and backing vocalists.”
The college already has a number of Yamaha digital desks - a DM2000, DM1000, and an O2R96 and are clearly enthusiastic about the quality of Yamaha equipment and the support given by Yamaha. “We’re hoping to get a desk with a big performance and small footprint for our Paul McCartney Auditorium which is our largest performance area seating 500 people and the M7CL fits that requirement perfectly,” concluded Adams.
The Institute offers study at diploma, degree and postgraduate levels in a wide range of subjects for students who want to make a career in the entertainment industry. Courses are held for actors, dancers, musicians, technicians, managers and designers.
York based audio, lighting and staging specialists, Camel Event Production, provided the PA system for the event.
