Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
Director: Bruce Speas
Stage Manager: Matt Carly
Videographer/editor: Jace Frank
Technical Director: Andy Campbell
Costume Designer: Leslie Cook
Hair/Make Up Designer: Emma Masaitis
Sound Designer: Jenny Roegnor
Lighting Designer: Scott Chapman
Assistant Sound Designer
This show presented a lot of challenges with production being in the height of COVID as well as being a sound heavy show. Since theater was closed all around the world, Longwood Theater department decided to record and edit the show using recording studios built on a stage. We set up 5 different recording studios and ran audio and video through Zoom and recorded. I was tasked with figuring out how to run audio from SLX microphones into the Zoom program.
Routing SLX Microphones into Zoom
To route the SLX microphones into the computer I used the USB output that the Allen and Heath Qu-32 Sound board comes with. The USB output let me route the microphones into Zoom by changing the main audio input in preferences. After I had it patched in Zoom I used headphones and soloed the microphones so that I could hear them individually and EQ them. Once all the characters were EQed, I was ready for recording. The audio was recorded live for most of the show, but there was some of the moments we recored separately. These moments were added later in post production with Adobe Premiere Pro.
Thunderstorm Sound Effect
The moment in the show where this sound effect happens is in a scene change where the characters are coming back to Sir Henry’s mansion. Tension is building when the characters find out some great information.
Creation of cue
Took three separate audio files and layered them.
Mixed levels of the audio files with Audacity.
Amplified the first thunder strike to catch the attention of the audience.
Had light rain in the back ground to fill the empty space between thunderclaps.
Train Station Sound Effect
In this moment the two main characters, Sherlock and Watson, are at a train station waiting to travel to the Moors of Devonshire to solve a suspected murder.
Creation of cue
Found a train horn sound effect and amplified small parts of the audio file.
Layered on the crowd ambiance and the train on train tracks sound effect.
Distorted the train sound effects to give it a distant sound.
Distant Woman Crying Sound Effect
In this moment Watson was just led to his room by Mrs. Barrymore who then goes into a room father down the hall and starts to cry because she misses her old boss who was suspected to be murdered.
Creation of cue
Found a sound effect of a woman crying in a sound library.
Added an echo to the effect to make it sound like it was coming from father away.
Added a distortion to break up the crying.