3D productions began in the early 1990s with the purchase of 6 Parcan lamps and a production of Alfie that landed in the West End, which Hazel Plummer affectionately says ‘got a bit out of hand.’ The company has grown over the preceding decades to become West Yorkshire’s largest hire company. Continuing to support its theatrical clients, 3D Productions has just invested in two brand-new Quantum 326s and two Quantum 225 DSs, with two Fourier transform.engines and four 32-bit SD Racks, all supplied by Solotech.
“We’re very excited to be receiving the very first Q225 DS consoles!” Hazel exclaims. “It’s a great product and it’s going to fly off the shelf. They’re pre-booked onto a lot of shows, and having a matching pair gives us lots of options.”
Hazel is the General Manager and Hire Manager for 3D Productions. Beginning as a lighting production company, the team have steadily increased investment in all aspects of live production. The result is a company that is fully capable of delivering exactly what an event needs. From touring shows and festival stages, to outdoor events, theatrical productions, and sporting fixtures, the team is accompanied by a world-class inventory with DiGiCo at its core.
“Live productions are one of our main markets, so we’ve invested in the Pulse software and will add in the Theatre software on demand,” Hazel continues. “We undertake a lot of touring theatre projects and work really hard to provide complete turnkey packages. We’ve got clients that are putting multiple versions of the same production on the road, so we need consistency across each one. The Theatre software has a lot of cueing functionality that is really desirable. That’s why we’ve gone for this package of consoles and periphery. It’s incredibly flexible and suits all the different markets that we cover.”
3D Productions is part of a vibrant independent sector in Yorkshire. Another specialism is business-to-business support, along with dry hires and turn-key packages. This work is in addition to the company’s production work where 3D Production staff will deliver all parts of the production requirements. The latest iteration of this work is still looking for a definition but, as Hazel continues, DiGiCo consoles are a huge part of the support the company offers.
“We’re providing support packages for sound designers who are not touring with the show, so it’s great for tours where many of the very experienced team members are not staying with the show after the initial rehearsal period,” she explains. “3D Productions will design and implement the system, providing all the equipment and supporting the designer so they can concentrate on the creative process. We build in remote access, so if there is an issue we can dial in and see every connected piece of kit in the audio system. It’s really helpful, both for the client and us, because we’re building in a huge amount of redundancy & support. It’s a really collaborative process.”
The company has also invested in Fourier transform.engines alongside the Quantum 225 DS and Quantum 326 consoles. Supplied by Solotech, the purchase came hot-on-the-heels of the Quantum 225 DS announcement. Having two powerful consoles with compact footprints extends the company’s available options for shows where space is at a premium, but power cannot be compromised.
“The theatre tours will generally be taking the Quantum 225s. Because of the footprint and production budgets, it’s a perfect fit,” she adds. “I think we’re also going to see the Q225 at front of house for a lot of festivals this year, and a lot of temporary venues. We support Leeds council with their Millennium Square site, which they run for several weeks in the summer. We’re going to be providing SJM Concerts Sounds of the City with a pair of Q225s this year, and also Q326s for the Opera North orchestral week with a Fourier transform.engine at FOH.”
With a busy summer ahead, the team at 3D Productions is excited to get their new equipment straight out the doors. As soon as Solotech delivers them, the consoles will be put to work and, as Hazel concludes, she could not be happier with that outcome.
“The Quantum 326 feels like a really powerful tool for those headline touring control packages, where people are wanting consistency for festivals, etc,” she finishes. “When combined with the transform.engines and our 32-bit SD Racks, we will have a powerful system that can cover local shows to arena level. DiGiCo is the absolute clear choice at the top of the market, and that’s where we like to be. Various manufacturers have done the best over the years, and we’ve always tried to keep a bit of a mixed selection but, at the moment, DiGiCo is what everybody is asking for, so that’s what we’ve committed to.”