Delivering live event production at Shrewsbury Castle takes more than great equipment. It requires careful planning, technical design and a production setup built around the venue.
Pro Audio Services & Hire Limited has worked with Loopfest for a number of years, helping deliver event production across the festival, with a particular focus on one of its key outdoor stages at Shrewsbury Castle.
Loopfest brings live music to venues throughout Shrewsbury, from smaller indoor spaces across the town to larger outdoor stages. The Castle stage presents its own set of technical considerations, requiring a carefully planned combination of sound, lighting, staging and video within the constraints of the historic grounds.
For this year’s event, our team designed a bespoke stage layout around a saddle-span canopy supplied by another contractor, while developing a sound system deployment tailored to the site and its audience.
Designing the stage around the venue
Making the most of the available space was a key part of the planning process. The stage needed to accommodate the performers, technical crew and production equipment while working within the dimensions of the canopy.
We designed a 6 × 6m main performance platform, with adjoining 2 × 2m technical spaces on both stage left and stage right. These provided additional space for the technical requirements of the performances, including monitor world, while keeping the main performance area clear for the bands.
Behind the main platform, a separate 6 × 1m riser accommodated the video wall and rear lighting package.
The layout required careful consideration of the available footprint, ensuring the stage could support the production requirements without compromising the space needed by performers and technicians, all whilst remaining within the height confines of the canopy structure.
By planning the arrangement in advance, we could bring the different production elements together into a cohesive setup designed specifically for the site.
Sound, lighting and video production
Alongside the stage design, we supplied a coordinated technical package covering sound, lighting and video.
The video system featured a 3 × 2m, IP-rated LED wall with a 4.8mm pixel pitch, displaying band content and client advertising throughout the event. The system was driven by a compact video processing setup, with our video wall processor connected to a production laptop running Resolume Arena. This provided flexible control over the content displayed on the wall throughout the event.
The lighting package combined ground-supported totems with moving-head wash, spot and beam fixtures. This provided a versatile range of lighting options for the performances, while the rear riser allowed the video wall and lighting equipment to be positioned behind the main stage area.
Bringing these elements together meant considering how each component would work within the overall stage layout, from the available space and equipment positions through to the presentation of the performances.
Engineering the sound system with RDShape
Sound system design was a particularly important part of the project.
We deployed our TT+ Audio system entirely in ground-stacked configurations. With insufficient space available to deploy towers for flown elements, the system needed to be designed around a ground-stack arrangement from the outset.
Using measurements taken on site, we modelled the audience area in RDShape to calculate appropriate deployment angles for the GTX10 line arrays.
The aim was to achieve effective coverage across the grounds, from the audience close to the stage through to those further back on the grassy rise. By modelling the space and refining the array angles, we could plan the deployment around the different listening positions and work towards delivering the clarity and detail needed for live music throughout the audience area.
Low-frequency coverage required its own consideration. We used the modelling results to help determine the spacing between the GTS29 subwoofer clusters, aiming to distribute bass as evenly as possible across the grounds.
GT8 point-source speakers provided additional front fill along the crowd barrier, helping cover the area immediately in front of the stage.
Together, the GTX10 arrays, GTS29 subwoofers and GT8 front fills formed a system designed around the specific characteristics and limitations of the venue, with deployment decisions informed by measurements and acoustic modelling rather than equipment placement alone.
Working within the constraints of Shrewsbury Castle
Producing events in historic locations brings practical challenges that can influence everything from equipment choices to site logistics.
At Shrewsbury Castle, even getting equipment into the grounds requires consideration. The castle gate is so narrow that a van only just fits through, making vehicle access and the movement of equipment important factors in planning the production.
The available space also influenced the stage configuration and sound system deployment. With the canopy dimensions dictating the stage layout and insufficient room for flown sound system towers, we needed to develop solutions that worked within the site’s limitations.
These are the kinds of considerations that happen well before an audience arrives. Understanding the venue, measuring the available space and planning the equipment deployment all contribute to delivering a production that works on the day.
Production built around the event
Our ongoing work with Loopfest reflects the approach we take to live event production: understanding the requirements, planning around the venue and bringing sound, lighting, video and staging together into a cohesive technical setup.
From bespoke stage layouts to sound system modelling and equipment deployment, each decision plays a part in how the finished production performs.
Whether supporting an established festival, an outdoor concert or a corporate event, Pro Audio Services provides event production and technical hire tailored to the requirements of the project.
Planning your next event?
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