Users' Comments
This is a collection of comments which have been submitted by users of our products. Please e-mail us if you would like to add your comment to this collection.
"indispensable!"
I have been using Palladium with Moves and Micplot for almost 3 years now with Show Cue Systems Pro and an Allen and Heath Qu-32 soundboard and have found it indispensable!
Chris was extremely helpful and fast to respond in the early days when we were developing the driver, since then I (and the crew I've been using it with) have done 6 productions with it in our local private school, Senior High School, and Community Theatre. So impressed were the latter two that they are now in process of procuring identical systems for their venues (including Palladium license). We regularly control 25-32 mics with ease where it used to be a major struggle! One of the longtime professional sound designers marveled at how easy it was to focus on the quality of the audio instead of whose mic was on.
The programming is easy (I trained my 13 year old to program the 25 mics for Addams Family in a few minutes, a few hours to input the names into moves and 2 more hours to define the scenes, from an already marked up script, and we were ready to import to Micplot and Palladium). I also love the flexibility to adapt to different shows for different needs (e.g. Wizard of Oz - able to automate turning on and off the "Big voice" effect precisely when needed).
We integrated Show Cue Systems for music and sound effects, but note that the pro version of SCS is required to communicate. We also use the Qu-32's soft keys to manage show control timing - awesome features all.
I can't say enough great things about this, but wonder how in the world we ever got along without it!
Thanks again Chris,
-Joel Strand, PE
Sound Designer,
Saints on Stage,
(also Buffalo Community Theater, Buffalo High School)
Buffalo, MN, USA
"greatly assists sound designers and operators"
Chris is exemplary of the latest crop of programmers who are making software that so greatly assists sound designers and operators in the theatre now. His advice on the Theatre Sound list is always freely given and accurate and he has quickly become a respected authority and resource.
Charlie Richmond, Richmond Sound Design, Canada.
http://www.richmondsounddesign.com
"makes my life easier"
I've been using Chris's software products with excellent results. MicPlot has eliminated the headscratching and "what if" work that I used to do when planning wireless mics for theatrical productions. The ability to export the results directly to Palladium for show control is another time saver, not to mention the Excel export function for mic lists, transmitter labels, etc. The library of template files from users who have done shows in the past is a real resource and time saver. A little tweaking, add your cast, and you are pretty much ready to go!
Palladium controls many functions on my Allen & Heath ML series consoles and allows almost unlimited scene presets for complicated production needs that exceed the 128 built in snapshot memories.
His software certainly makes my life easier!
G. P. Howell, Partner, HH Audio, Virginia, USA
"invaluable time saving and cost saving tool"
MicPlot has been both an invaluable time saving and cost saving tool. MicPlot has found pack swaps for me that I probably wouldn't have found on paper saving me the cost of hiring additional, unnecessary, wireless systems and can achieve these results in just a few minutes; leaving me with more time to work on my overall design, rather than dealing with the headache of paperwork.
Chris's support has been unbelievable; answering questions at all hours and providing suggestions on how I might achieve better results both with MicPlot and Palladium.
John Penisten, Wisconsin, USA
"a total solution"
I used MicPlot and Palladium for the first time ever on my last production. The programs worked well and integrated perfectly with my sound effects playback, thus providing a total solution. The functionality and capability, combined with the support offered, made the purchase well worth its value. I'm looking forward to using them again on my next production.
Seth Iiames, Ohio, USA
"changed the way I am able to design"
MicPlot has changed the way I am able to design. I no longer spend hours charting every actor movement in a massive spreadsheet. MicPlot (and Moves) now do so much of the work for me. And they are able to generate all the paperwork I need (and some I never thought I needed and now can't live without!). Instead of having to rechart everything when the director changes things (that never happens!), a few clicks and MicPlot regenerates all the necessary paperwork. I cannot wait to add Palladium to my toolbox and really be able to concentrate on designing aural experiences and not just the mechanics of sound.
Joel Howden, California, USA
"Great for working with students"
Great for working with students. I use MicPlot to involve my students in helping to make mic decisions. It gives them more ownership of the plot and the show as a whole. It also forces my sound ops to read the script before, which helps when they run the show.
Bo Warmbold, Illinois, USA
"perfect pair of applications for the sound designer"
MicPlot and Palladium are the perfect pair of applications for the sound designer, and they have made my life much easier. I don't know how I could have done my last two productions without them, as they added numerous possibilities to my design that previously weren't possible. Chris is always open to my suggestions and ideas. Thanks Chris!
Fernando Fortes, Sound Designer, Brasil.
http://www.fernandofortes.com.br
"takes the stress out of running a fast paced show"
My partner and I do sound, primarily for community theater, in addition to our day jobs. We don't have a lot of time and we ARE the roadies; when the curtain goes up, Palladium takes the stress out of running a fast paced show with lots of mics. We typically have little interaction with the director before load in. With MOVES in the hands of the director or SM during rehearsals they can define all the "moves". So the input we use for MicPlot and Palladium IS what the director wants, not our interpretation of the script. Dry tech moves faster than ever and everybody loves the documentation that MicPlot creates. In addition, having an extensive background in computers, I can say Chris provides top notch customer service!
Mac & Aaron (aka: Borrowed Sound), New Hampshire, USA.
"saved us time"
We used MicPlot to optimize our wireless mic swaps and positions for our last production and it saved us time as well as allowing us the option to make edits and "what-ifs" without hand writing a whole new chart each time. For our next production, I look forward to making use of MicPlot even earlier and in more depth to get a better handle on our wireless mic usage.
Thanks for a good and useful program.
Jeremy Johnston, Technical Director, Kalispell Christian Center, Kalispell, Montana, USA.
"audio for musicals in the smartest way"
I truly find your software to be the core of doing audio for musicals in the smartest way. To me, there isn't anything that touches it, and it's hard to remember the pain of doing shows with the limits of 99 scenes, or having to copy and paste changes through whole shows, or the worst was transferring shows between venues with different consoles. I'm a big fan of your approach, your software and your designs.
Michael Miceli, Miceli Productions LLC, Connecticut, USA.
http://www.miceliproductions.com
"simply the best"
Success in sound for musical theater is all about the pre-production. MicPlot is simply the best tool out there for facilitating that planning process. If all it did was generate the paperwork and labels, it would be a big, big help. But having the ability to quickly adjust to last minute script or casting changes, and to test different wireless groups and plots is, quite simply, HUGE. It saves time, saves my client money, and saves my sanity on just about every single show.
Kirk Longhofer, Douglas Production Group, Wichita, Kansas, USA.
http://www.dpg.net
"does exactly what you expect it to"
It's hard not to fall in love with a piece of software that does exactly what you expect it to. It's even harder when the person who wrote it obviously cares about its users. Even for small shows (i.e. where there aren't more channels of wireless than fingers) there is nothing like the peace of mind knowing that I'll never forget to turn off someone's mic (the actors love it too). Even better, by not being constantly distracted by thoughts of "which mics do I need to mute next?", I can really concentrate on the job of giving the actors and the audience the best sounding show possible. The files on the website cover a diverse range of consoles and other units, and Chris is more than happy to answer any questions. Moreover, the software is flexible enough that, with a little preparation, you can really customize it to suit whatever your preferred mixing style is. I can't see myself ever doing a musical without Palladium.
Thanks Chris!
Russell Ault, Edmonton, Canada