UK - After a decade of success in film and TV, URSA has introduced its latest range of Performance Pouches. Specifically designed for theatre and live events, they have been developed in collaboration with theatre professionals from a wide range of venues and disciplines.
URSA products are robust, off-the-shelf solutions for effective live technology placement. Co-founded by production sound mixer, Simon Bysshe and costume designer, Laura K Smith, URSA’s solutions have become essential tools for sound teams working on TV shows like Adolescence and Succession and are a staple in the kitbag of many audio freelancers.
One of the theatrical collaborators was Laura Gingell, a sound engineer with a decade of experience in the West End and currently working at the Lyttelton Theatre. Gingell realised the sound department had invested huge amounts of money into state-of-the-art technology, but their belts and pouches were often reused until they fell apart. Knowing URSA from her freelance work, she was keen to offer the company feedback on this latest range of products.
“Mic pouches are time consuming and difficult to make,” she explains. “By beginning to swap to URSA Performance Pouches we can reduce the pressure on the costume department to make so many. The nice thing is, we can put them onto our existing belts, so we’re not wasting usable belts. The URSA fabric is much more hardwearing than the fabric we’re currently using for pouches, so they’re going to last longer, too.”
Crafted with URSA’s proprietary fabrics, Performance Pouches are available in sizes to suit transmitters like the Shure ADX1M and Sennheiser SK6212. Designed to be flexible, Performance Pouches can be added to in-house belts or work in combination with URSA belts. The new Pin-It Pouches, meanwhile, can be used as stand-alone solutions that can be pinned into costumes or under wigs. They are comfortable to wear, engineered to last, and low profile enough to hide almost anywhere.
Every URSA product is designed and manufactured in the UK, allowing the company to maintain high-quality standards and respond quickly to user feedback. This responsive, collaborative approach is central to the URSA philosophy.
“Transmitter placement is often overlooked, yet it directly affects performers, sound, and costume teams,” says Bysshe. “URSA was born out of our desire to do things better, and our goal with the Performance range is to offer practical, reliable solutions that work for all disciplines. By including professionals like Laura in our development process, we know we’re making products that will genuinely improve working life backstage.”