It’s easy to get swept up in the energy of Richard Loring’s African Footprint, a hypnotic dance production that has been captivating global crowds since 1999. Its latest successful run at South Africa’s Lyric Theatre brings precision sound to Johannesburg’s highly discerning audiences, using the clarity of a Meyer Sound M’elodie™ line array loudspeaker system supplied by South African AVL installer Prosound.

As the sound designer for African Footprint, Mark Malherbe of Prosound specified the M’elodie system to ensure that every note from the 34-strong ensemble cast comes through perfectly. “We’re at the southern tip of Africa, but our well-traveled audiences are used to seeing shows from Broadway to the West End,” Malherbe says. “I have to deliver the international standards our theatergoers are accustomed to—that’s where Meyer Sound comes in.”
A dance-based production highlighting the evolution of South Africa to the present day, African Footprint features everything from African drumming, to tap and gumboot dancing to solo and ensemble singing numbers, with hip-hop, jazz, and traditional African music influences all in the vibrant mix.
“Prosound’s experience with Meyer Sound has shown time and again that the systems will not only cater for this dynamic, but ensure that all vocals and instrumentation remain clear and defined,” explains Malherbe. “Coupled with its reliability, and the ease to reconfigure systems for different show types and styles, the M’elodie is ideal.”

Malherbe created an LCR hang configuration for African Footprint at the Lyric including 20 M’elodie line array loudspeakers, six 600-HP subwoofers, eight legacy UM-1C and eight UPA-1C loudspeakers, as well as a Galileo™ loudspeaker management system. “We use this configuration to put a lot more vocals through the center, and let the music punch from the left and right,” he notes. “The fact that Meyer Sound systems are self-powered means easy reconfigurations of the system for touring, or for the many different productions that run at the Lyric.”

With a busy fall touring schedule taking the heartbeat of African Footprint across Mexico, the USA, and France, Malherbe relies heavily on Meyer Sound’s MAPP Online Pro™ acoustical prediction program. “I use MAPP without fail,” states Malherbe. “We have extremely short move-in times for each show we do, and MAPP always informs me with extreme accuracy on my coverage and dispersion. It takes away the unknown.”

Heading into its 10th anniversary, Richard Loring’s African Footprint is a proven hit—just like its Meyer Sound system. “Everything comes down to the absolute consistency and extremely high performance of the M’elodie,” Mark Malherbe says. “It does exactly what I want it to do.”