The Sound at Marques de Sapucaí: Practice Makes Perfect.
Visiting G.R.E.S. Acadêmicos do Grande Rio Samba School Shed, Samba City, Rio de Janeiro
Last week I was invited to visit Grande Rio's Shed at the Samba City during their "de-production" stage. This is when they dismantle all the structures they created for Rio's Carnaval Parade. It's also the time when they assess their work, evaluate the results, think about what went right and wrong, etc.
Rio's Carnaval is the biggest carnival party on the planet with around 2 million people taking the streets to celebrate.
"In 2023 it generated around 850 million dollars. A third of all money circulating in Brazil during the 4 days of Carnival comes from Rio de Janeiro city. 45 thousand people work officially at Rio's Carnaval." - Forbes (https://lnkd.in/ecshPCVu)
"Sound at Marquês de Sapucaí: practice makes perfect, by Miguel Sá, Revista Backstage, June 2020 (https://lnkd.in/eAdSx96J) (Google Translation)
The configuration of work at Rio de Janeiro's carnival may seem simple, but the system is complex. The feeling of simplicity comes from Gabisom's 19 years of practice at Marquês de Sapucaí.
The way of working, already established over these years, has no secret: in a first console, the signal screening is carried out. After sorting, the signal goes to the mixing board, where the timbres are adjusted and the three groups sent to the delay board are assembled, made with the voices, harmony and drums. In addition to the groups, a general mix is also sent to the table that does the delay and distribution.
If the way of working hasn't changed much during all these years, the equipment and practicality have changed. Due to advances in the technology of amplifiers, consoles and speakers, today there is a whole structure that allows only two AD / DA conversions in the entire path traveled by the signal. Remembering that there were more than ten at the beginning of Gabisom Sistemas de Som e Equipamentos Musicais's work, it is possible to measure well the benefits that the advancement of digital technology has brought to work with audio.
But if there's technology, there's also people. They are the ones who make the work really happen. And, from Peter Racy, who coordinates the work, to Mario Jorge in midfield between Liesa and Gabisom Sistemas de Som e Equipamentos Musicais, Marcos Possato in reception of the signal, Eder Moura in charge of digital distribution, Luiz Carlos T. Reis and Marcelo Saboia in mixing and Valtinho on delay, they are the ones who tell us how they make everything work.
..." Check out their interesting article about the sound at Rio's Carnaval.
