Autograph and Simon Baker "All Shook Up"

Autograph Sound Recording

, the sound design and theatre rental specialist, will work on the new musical Jailhouse Rock, based on the classic 1957 Elvis film of the same name and currently playing in the West End.

Production company Theatre Partners chose Autograph's award-winning Simon Baker to design the show after their collaboration on the British musical 125th Street. Baker was recently honored with the LDI Sound Designer of the Year award.

Jailhouse Rock celebrates 50 years of rock and roll and features a rich catalogue of classics from the 1950s. Part of the show’s premise, in which the entire cast play their own instruments live with no orchestral backup, required a more complex and intuitive system design from Baker.

In response to the unusual sound requirements, Autograph have supplied a CADAC F type mixing console, as well as three additional digital Yamaha D1000 desks: one for foldback, one to pre mix all on-set microphones, and the third for a multitrack pre-recorded mix.

An extensive, and practically exclusive, range of Meyer Sound loudspeakers are used for the fast-moving rock musical, including the M1D ultra-compact cabinet as the main system, and MSL-2s as a central cluster, with several more positioned on stage for sound effects. A number of UPM-1Cs and UPA-1Cs have been employed for foldback, and a further 50 UPM-1Cs are installed around the auditorium for delay and surround sound effects.

The show uses a large volume of microphones for both cast and set: 20 Sennheiser SK5012s for the cast, 16 SK50s for live instruments. There are also 30 Sennheiser compact low distortion e604s installed into drainpipes around the set, each cut and tuned to emit varying musical notes when struck. However, the most demanding microphone positions are located on the jail's cell bars. Baker decided on the use of C-ducer microphones. Less than 1mm thick, the mike is flexible and ideal for wrapping around the bars; it picks up the vibrations of the set and adds further vigor to the sound effects.