Q&A with Audio & Recording Manager Gerardo Marrone
Q&A
As technology evolves and budgets tighten, we want to provide more opportunities for emerging creatives to develop their skills. You can read our Q&A with Gerardo below to find out how he trains the next generation of sound technicians at Kings Place. Every pound raised can make a difference today and help provide more opportunities to support the creatives of tomorrow.
Hi Gerardo! Please tell us what you do at Kings Place and what an average day can look like for you.
I’ve been the Audio & Recording Manager for Kings Place for the past two years now and the in-house Audio Technician for two more before that.
My current role is quite complex as I deal directly with all matters which relate to sound and, as you might guess, it’s a vital part of what we do as a cultural hub promoting all sorts of music and spoken-word events. It ranges from early engagement with the client/artist, all the way to the technical delivery of the event passing through pre-production, system integration, PA design, maintenance and coordination of our crew. As Audio & Recording Manager in such a multi-faceted venue, my days never look the same.
‘As Audio & Recording Manager in a such a multi-faceted venue, my days never look the same.’
Catching up with the rest of the technical team is essential to guarantee the smooth-running of all operations. I liaise with a carefully selected pool of partners and suppliers to provide the best technical support available as well as making time/space for more training with our crew of freelancers.
Thanks to our creative partnership with d&b audiotechnik, we are able to use 360° Soundscape equipment in Hall Two. Can you tell us more about the cutting-edge technology and how you have been involved with training others to use it?
The Soundscape system by d&b audiotechnik, which enables you to spatialise sound dynamically in the room, is without a doubt my favourite part of our programme. It’s such a flexible tool for immersive audio and it enabled us to bring to life so many shows, all unique.
Our Hall Two sound set-up at Kings Place is bespoke with a 2-in-1 design which allows quick turnarounds from a front-stage performance to an in-the-round show, both of them rendered extraordinary by the use of Soundscape.
The training of sound technicians to become fluent Soundscape operator has been developed in tandem with d&b audiotechnik and it requires them to have a good understanding of the software side.
A system like Soundscape crosses the usual technical domain, diving right into the more creative field, so the most challenging part was to create a vocabulary to translate requests from artists into technical instructions, almost like creating both an owner’s manual and a dictionary that was never dreamed of before.
Why is it important that we, as a sector, offer paid opportunities like this?
I strongly believe that opportunities like this can radically change someone’s perception of the live-events. It’s a massive opportunity to grow side-by-side an organisation like Kings Place with a wonderful pool of competent and dedicated people.
‘It's a massive opportunity to grow side-by-side an organisation like Kings Place with a wonderful pool of competent and dedicated people.’
Most technicians and producers out there have to fight daily to get access to this level of detail, most of the time with nothing more than word-of-mouth by trusted collaborators and that’s where we sometimes see some talented individuals getting lost in the process, demotivated and undervalued.
We take training seriously at Kings Place and we support internal and external growth of all people on board. I would personally encourage people from all different technical backgrounds to apply to learn a lot more about this industry, you won’t be disappointed.