By Ali Pechman

Sound difficulties that plagued last year’s production of “Company,” such as static and microphone failure, will be eliminated by the purchase of an entirely new $120,000 sound system for Rugby Theater, arriving in its entirety this month. 
The new system includes custom-made speakers with amplifiers built in, all new wireless Sennhesier microphones and a new Yamaha soundboard, which has already arrived. 
 “We really needed a new system,” Lighting and Sound Designer Adam Howarth said.
The old sound system was 10-years-old and was damaged by dust from set construction that took place onstage before Master Builder Rees Pugh got his own workshop. 
“[Dust] is hard to get rid of when it gets into the speakers,” Howarth said. “It cut the life span of the equipment in half.”
During a dress rehearsal of “Company” last year the cornerstone of the entire sound system failed.
When Howarth investigated the problem, he found the microphones, speakers and soundboard all were in need of replacement.
“It sort of snowballed from there,” he said.  “Only about 50 percent of the old board functioned.”
The new sound board is digital instead of analog, which means it can process and route sound right from a computer as opposed to being sent by individual commands on the board. 
All of the new equipment did not arrive in time for this past weekend’s performance of “Cabaret,” for which rented sound equipment was used, but it will be here for “Love’s Labours Lost” in February.