1st Sep 2005 - Derby theatre choses another Zero 88 console.

After its launch in the first half of 2005, the Robert Ludlam Theatre in Derby was one of the first venues in the UK to purchase a Frog 2 (the very first in the UK was purchased just down the road at the Derby Assemby Rooms).

Kevin Greene, Technical Manager, LD, board operator and general Mr Fixit at the theatre, has been a fan of Zero 88 for many years. Known to those on Zero 88's dedicated Frog forum as LX Kev, he has been a pivotal contributor to the forum discussions and as such has helped shape the development of the Frog range software over the last 5 years. When he saw the Frog 2 for the first time he knew it was exactly what he wanted for the theatre.

Originally Kevin used the Zero 88 Sirius 500 at the venue, but after several years service and the increasing diversity of shows being staged in the theatre, he needed a more flexible console. He bought a Bull Frog and his love of Frogs was born.

The theatre is part of the St Benedict Catholic School & Performing Arts Centre and so must provide for a huge variety of performances including those put on by the school, its own productions and those of the local community. This means that in any given month the theatre may be used for student productions and performance exams, choir or musical recitals, dance, live performances and theatrical productions.

The Bull Frog has proven itself over and over as the desk of choice for such a multipurpose venue. Its ease of use, flexibility in playback, and time saving features such as the effects engine and palettes all contributing to its versatility and make it a great busking console.

However, with an increase in number of performances being held at the venue and the demand for more theatrical productions Kevin needed a board that offered a more traditional solution. "What I particularly like about the Frog", explains Kevin, "is that it has a great theatre stack and loads of subs. Combine this with the user definable buttons and faders and you have an extremely versatile console that is quick and easy to programme. When you have 2 or 3 completely different shows in a day and only a hour to programme you need a console that has been intuitively designed to work for the operator in these conditions."

As a regular visitor to the Frog forums Kevin continues to contribute to product development and is once again helping to shape the development of the Frog 2 console. "I took one of the very early consoles as I saw its potential and enjoy being involved in the development process. Bugs, quirky features missing functionality inevitably come up along the way, but these are all part of the learning curve. What's good about Zero 88 is that when these things are reported they get fixed, and if not there's a good reason why. The support they offer is a major reason why I chose another Zero 88 console for this venue."

The Frog 2 was supplied by Andy Elsegood at Stage Electrics, Birmingham.

Venue Website: www.robert-ludlam-theatre.org.uk