Europe - The Outline Newton processor played a pivotal role in delivering the complex and immersive audio required for Jeff Wayne’s musical version of The War of the Worlds – The Spirit of Man Tour, which toured arenas across the UK and Europe.
Now entering its third decade of touring, the show continues to push technical boundaries.
RG Jones Sound Engineering has proudly been part of this journey since 2009, supplying the full audio system for every UK arena tour since.
“This job demands meticulous planning and precision deployment across a wide variety of venues and technical challenges,” explains Jack Bowcher, senior project manager at RG Jones. “I know the audiences attending Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds are made up of people who really do know every note; this music is as iconic as Tubular Bells or Dark Side of the Moon. From a project manager perspective, adding the Newton to a job of this scale and complexity is a game changer, and as always, it integrated seamlessly into our workflow.”
RG’s system engineer Rylan Machin was responsible for managing an intricate sound design that reflected the scale and theatrical ambition of the production. The system featured multiple flown main hangs, in-fills, front-fills, delays, subwoofers and surround arrays, each demanding precise control and alignment across a variety of large-scale venues.
“The Newton was a vital component in managing an exceptionally complex audio system,” explains Machin. “Every venue presented different acoustic challenges, and the show’s design required consistent and precise balancing of numerous system elements.”
At the heart of the setup, the Outline Newton processor enabled fast, flexible configuration thanks to its powerful matrix routing capabilities. It allowed the team to adapt quickly to the technical demands of each venue, ensuring efficiency without compromising quality.
“The Newton’s built-in EQ, delay, and filtering tools made system tuning straightforward and consistent across all environments,” continues Machin. “Its intuitive interface meant I could make quick adjustments during setup, which is essential on a fast-paced tour like this.”
Having worked with Newton on previous projects, Machin was confident in its ability to handle a production of this scale. “I had full confidence in deploying it,” he says. “Overall, the Newton was more than just a processor - it was a problem solver that made my job considerably easier on this tour.”
