AV Issue 57 by Alchemedia Publishing

Over 30 Years in Business To find your nearest Integrator/Reseller, please visit www.pavt.com.au and click-on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Where To Buyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Production Audio Video Technology Pty Ltd 4/621 Whitehorse road, Mitcham 3132 Victoria Ph:1990 03 9264 8000 Publishing since AUG 2017 www.juliusmedia.com e: sales@productionaudio.com.au

See the big releases from all of our brands @ Integrate 2017 Visit us at Integrate 2017 to experience three Best of Show InfoComm products and many other new releases from Bosch, Dynacord, EV, and RTS/Telex. New product highlights include Dynacord amplifiers, Electro-Voice prosound, commercial and portable speaker families, conference and PA/VES systems from Bosch, and the ROAMEO RTS wireless intercom system. See you in Melbourne @ stand J32.

DYNACORD L & C SERIES FIR-DRIVE POWER AMPLIFIERS Best of Show at InfoComm 2017, the L Series and C Series Amplifiers highlight Dynacord's focus on best-in-class electronics. Four models for each series have been unveiled in a new industrial design with tour-grade features, protection circuitry and high-performance digital signal processing with easy-to-use remote control software. Packed with features usually found in more expensive amplifiers, the "Live" & "Contractor" amps ensure superior audio quality and reliability at a great price.

ELECTRO-VOICE PROSOUND, INSTALLATION, AND PORTABLE SPEAKERS Electro-Voice will feature four new loudspeaker families at Integrate 2017. These will include two new portable speaker families (including the Evolve column speaker), again offering unbeatable value-for-money feature sets and class-leading performance. A new prosound installation family will also be unveiled for mid-to-large applications. Additionally, the renowned EVID commercial speaker family will grow with the introduction of five new models that have won Best of Show at InfoComm 2017.

BOSCH DICENTIS CONFERENCE SYSTEMS & PAVIRO PA/VAC SYSTEM The new DICENTIS Conference System family features four models with increasing features as you move from the discussion device through to the multimedia device. The system is ideal for corporate boardrooms, local, state and federal governments. The PAVIRO PA/VES system offers a networkable public address system with call stations, programmable alarms and messages based on time or triggers, professional sound quality and ability to grow from 4 to 984 zones.

RTS ROAMEO CELLULAR DECT-BASED WIRELESS INTERCOM SYSTEM Best of Show at NAB 2017 and InfoComm 2017, ROAMEO provides a professional, easy-to-use and future-proof solution based on the license-free DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) standard with a protected frequency band. ROAMEO allows full integration into all existing wired digital RTS matrices. The ROAMEO wireless solution allows users to address either individuals or specified groups, seamlessly roaming across wide areas.

ISSUE 57

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alchemedia publishing pty ltd (ABN: 34 074 431 628) PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 Australia info@alchemedia.com.au All material in this magazine is copyright © 2017 Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd. The title AV is a registered Trademark. Apart from any fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. The publishers believe all information supplied in this magazine to be correct at the time of publication. They are not in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. After investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, prices, addresses and phone numbers were up to date at the time of publication. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements appearing in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility is on the person, company or advertising agency submitting or directing the advertisement for publication. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, although every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy. 5/08/2017

NEWS Includes InfoComm17 news and Peter Coman’s postcards from IC17.

ASSOCIATIONS News from InfoComm International.

TERMINATION UI, UX, UWhat?

58 FEATURES

MUSEUM OF BRISBANE 100% Brisbane, 100% Hitachi

EPSON’S GERTRUDE ST SHOP Epson brings festival to life.

BULLDOG AV SPIRIT Brisbane club d&b upgrade.

FOCUSRITE TURNS PRO Rich Nevens helms new pro division.

WEB TAKES CONTROL Hardware control systems are on the endangered list. We talk to Aussie disruptor, ACA’s Jon McFarlane, VideoPro and AMX about what’s next.

CLICK GOES THE GEAR BOYS Melbourne’s Woolshed rises from the ashes with a supremely versatile AV events solution.

BIG OPERATION We’re admitted into the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL PwC pushes the AV and design boat out with its client collaboration floors.

REVIEWS

RIEDEL BOLERO We preview Bolero and talk to APAC director, Cameron O’Neill.

HITACHI CPWU8700 + FL710 LCD projector and ultra short-throw lens.

NEWS

Highlights from InfoComm 17

BOSE RETHINKS CEILING SPEAKER

BIAMP EXPANDS TESIRAFORTE FAMILY

CLEARONE UNITE PTZ

The new Panaray MSA12X steerable array features a slim acoustic design with 12 full-range 2.25-inch transducers in a column line array configuration. 12 internal power amplifiers provide 50W to each transducer, comprising a 600W rated system. Onboard DSP allows digital control and beam steering of the array’s vertical coverage patterns, while the proprietary articulated array configuration gives a wide 160° horizontal coverage. Dante network connectivity is supported. Design, setup, and control of beam coverage is provided by Bose Professional Modeler and ControlSpace software. EdgeMax in-ceiling loudspeakers are a premium option for integrators, featuring Bose PhaseGuide technology for room-filling coverage throughout rooms up to 20m wide using only perimeter mounting locations. The new dual 10-inch MB210 compact subwoofer is designed for background/foreground music and small sound reinforcement systems that require low frequency extension down to 37Hz.

Biamp Systems expanded its TesiraForte family of digital audio processors with the new TesiraForte VT. The new models include the VT, AVB VT4, and DAN VT4. TesiraForte VT provides both VoIP and POTS options within the same chassis, while TesiraForte VT4 includes AVB and Dante versions, while providing the same flexibility for small conference rooms with four analogue inputs and four analogue outputs. Zach Snook, audio product manager, Biamp Systems: "The new VT and VT4 models offer our customers greater flexibility to meet the range of room requirements without paying for features they don’t need.” The TesiraForte VT and VT4 solutions are equipped with Biamp’s AEC technology to eliminate acoustic echoes and feedback, networked audio via AVB or Dante, and USB audio to interface directly with soft-codec conferencing technologies. Other features include Ethernet control, VoIP and POTS input, RS-232, a general-purpose input/ output, as well as an OLED display that comes standard on all TesiraForte models.

ClearOne has introduced Unite 150, a professional PTZ camera for PC-based video conferencing, web conferencing, and UC applications. It pairs perfectly with applications such as Cisco Jabber and WebEx, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Skype for Business, and more. With full HD resolution and advanced 2D and 3D noise reduction, the 12x built-in optical zoom provides close-ups with plenty of clarity, while the 73° wide-angle view enables Unite 150 to capture all participants in a meeting room. The camera is compatible with both USB 2.0 and 3.0. ClearOne also introduced a duo of compact interface expanders, Converge Pro 2 USB and Converge Pro 2 GPIO, that increase the number of ports available for conferencing connectivity and room control for all Converge Pro 2 DS mixers. The USB expander acts primarily as a USB audio interface, whereas the GPIO Expander provides a dozen input and output pins to control in-room devices such as microphones, cameras, window coverings, and lights.

Bose: pro.bose.com

NEWS IN BRIEF:

Midwich: 1300 666 099 or www.midwich.com.au Biamp: www.biamp.com

As of August 2017, Audio Brands Australia will be the Australian distributor for Mipro, manufacturer of portable PA systems, wireless mics, and tour guide systems. Mipro CEO, KC Chang added, “Don [Audio Brands Director] and his team have extensive knowledge and experience in managing the Mipro brand. Their familiarity with our product lines will make for a smooth transition and future growth.” Audio Brands Australia: 0499 828 521 or sales@audiobrands.com.au Mipro: www.mipro.com.tw

Osprey Video has extended its Talon hardware encoder line with the Talon G2. It ingests video in multiple formats, encodes it to H.264, and delivers it over IP. A front-facing LCD touchscreen offers one-touch streaming control. Talon G2 also features API-level integrations with both Facebook Live and Wowza Streaming Cloud. It is capable of encoding and streaming to three destinations simultaneously. Corsair Solutions: (03) 9005 9861 or sales@corsairsolutions.com.au Osprey: www.ospreyvideo.com

QSC and Attero Tech teamed up to create the Q-Sys plug-in for specific Dante and AES67enabled devices from Attero Tech. The plug-ins provide comprehensive audio and control integration with QSC’s Q-Sys platform. Plug-ins will be available for the unHX2D HDMI audio-toDante de-embedder/embedder, the unD6IO-BT and the new unAX2IO+ wall plates. Technical Audio Group: (02) 9519 0900 or info@tag.com.au QSC: www.qsc.com Attero Tech: www.atterotech.com

PAVT: (03) 9264 8000 or www.pavt.com.au ClearOne: www.clearone.com

Vision’s room calendar solution Freespace is now sold as an app which runs on the LG 10SM3TB and Philips 10BDL3051T digital signage tablets. The app comes on a MicroSD card which carries a unique licence code. The Freespace app now runs two times faster, and by default has a full-screen calendar view with pinch-and-zoom functionality. It works with Office 365, Google, and any app-based calendar. Vision: www.visionaudiovisual.com.au

Vue Audiotechnik’s low profile h-208 system debuted at InfoComm 2017, designed for applications with restricted sight lines. The e-352 Nano speaker was also announced, joining the brand new e-Class range of architectural element systems. The three-way loudspeaker features a tweeter flanked by a pair of 3.5inch cone transducers capable of high and efficient output. Amber Technology: 1800 251 367 or sales@ambertech.com.au Vue Audiotechnik: www.vueaudio.com

dot2

THE ESSENCE of MA Lighting

The new Range of Lighting Control Solutions from MA Lighting: www.ma-dot2.com

Sydney • Melbourne • Brisbane • Perth • Auckland projects@showtech.com.au | www.showtech.com.au | www.facebook.com/ShowTechnologyAus

NEWS

Highlights from InfoComm 17

QSC CXD-Q SERIES NETWORKS PROCESSING AMPS QSC introduces the CXD-Q and CXD-Qn eightchannel network processing amplifiers. Designed for integration with the Q-Sys platform, the amplifiers can be configured and managed like all other elements of a Q-Sys system. The CXD-Q Series also features the QSC-exclusive Flexible Amplifier Summing Technology (FAST), which lets you combine up to four channels for higher output power — all with optimal energy and rack space efficiency. The amps are capable of providing up to 8000W peak and 5000W continuous with low-Z, 70V or 100V direct drive available on all channels. The Q models offer eight channels mic/line input directly on the back of the amplifiers acting as a Q-Sys on-ramp for additional amplification. The analogue inputs have been removed on the Qn models, which help reduce system cost. TAG: (02) 9519 0900 or www.tag.com.au QSC: www.qsc.com

NEWS IN BRIEF:

Making full use of the expertise of its subsidiary Revolabs, Yamaha has announced it is developing its own dedicated unified communications (UC) department that aims to focus on solutions that enhance communication and continue to develop products that help organisations reach their business goals. By fusing their technology and expertise, Yamaha and Revolabs will provide crosssolution support that will address the growing range of business communication applications. Hills: (03) 9890 7477 or www.hills.com.au Revolabs: www.revolabs.com Yamaha: www.yamaha.com

GEFEN GIVES US 30

INFOCUS CONX CLOUD ECOSYSTEM

InfoComm 2017 was a big show for Gefen with over 30 new products introduced. Three new HDBaseT extenders join the fold, each of which is capable of handling 4K with HDR, bridging a gap for a solution to extend the full 600MHz bandwidth of HDMI 2.0. Five new multi-format switchers and processors bring 4K Ultra HD presenting and processing to professionals in corporate, education, government, and digital signage markets. An all-new line of Ultra HD-capable video/ audio/KVM-over-IP products was debuted, including new DisplayPort and audio-over-IP versions. Other releases consist of new multi-format input switchable extenders including Gefen’s first wall plate formfactor, new wireless and USB extenders, and other new 600MHz Ultra HD infrastructure products. “Our goal is to equip commercial integrators with the tools they need to fully harness the latest iterations of UHD and AV-over-IP technologies,” Fitzgerald concluded. “Our new products do just that.”

InFocus’s ConX communication and collaboration ecosystem is centred around the new ConX Cloud video conferencing service. ConX Cloud connects with ConX display hardware solutions ranging from Mondopad touch-enabled displays and ConX video phones to scalable ConX video conferencing walls supporting up to 96 displays, as well as ConX software and web apps for laptops, iOS, and Android smartphones and tablets. The combination of ConX Cloud and ConX devices and software from InFocus provides an integrated collaboration experience, while built-in support for industry standards like H.323 and SIP provide freedom to connect with people using legacy systems and other video conferencing services. ConX Cloud provides dual-stream data and video allowing everyone to see both faces and information at the same time, providing the closest experience to an in-person meeting. ConX ecosystem hardware endpoints integrate advanced video and information-sharing technologies into fully configurable and scalable solutions for conference rooms, huddle rooms, and video walls.

Amber Technology: 1800 251 367 or sales@ambertech.com.au Gefen: www.gefen.co.uk

Sony expands its range of laser light source (Z-Phosphor) projectors with two new installation-targeted models, the VPL-PHZ10 (WUXGA) and VPL-PWZ10 (WXGA). Both have a fixed wide zoom lens and are designed for up to 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation, depending on the usage environment. HDBaseT interfaces are onboard both projectors for easier connectivity and signal runs up to 100m. Sony: pro.sony.com.au

Symetrix Control Server is a new network-based, dedicated control platform for Radius, Prism, Edge, and Solus NX DSP hardware. Accessed using standard HTML browsers on networked devices, Control Server is a flexible and extensible BYOD approach to control and monitoring of all Symetrix Composer-enabled DSPs, as well as select third-party AV components. It supports both wired and wireless connection and has an intuitive browserbased interface. PAVT: (03) 9264 8000 or www.pavt.com.au Symetrix: www.symetrix.co

Westan: 1300 963 963 or westan.com.au InFocus: www.infocus.com

Optoma’s new ZU510T entrylevel laser projector delivers a 5500-lumen WUXGA image with Duracore laser technology for bright, vivid, and accurate colours with high contrast detailed visuals. Images can be projected over a full 360° range along the vertical axis, including reproduction on a ceiling or floor. Crestron RoomView, Extron’s IP Link, AMX dynamic device discovery and PJLink protocols are fully supported. Amber Technology: 1800 251 367 or sales@ambertech.com.au Optoma: asia.optoma.com

The Share2U by Inogeni improves on the original Share2 by supporting a combination of HDMI and USB-based sources. It also gains a HDMI output and the capability of control over IP, making it more flexible in control system programming. Inogeni also introduced the CAM line of camera switching products which accept a wide range of signals (depending on version) and output to HDMI, USB3, or both. Corsair Solutions: (03) 9005 9861 or sales@corsairsolutions.com.au Inogeni: www.inogeni.com

Award-winning sound from small-format loudspeakers.

RoomMatch® Utility loudspeakers Bose® RoomMatch Utility loudspeakers bring the award-winning sound of RoomMatch arrays to smaller 2-way point-source designs. Available in a variety of sizes and coverage patterns, these high-SPL loudspeakers can be used for many retail and restaurant applications, and as specific zone fill and floor monitors for houses of worship and performing arts centers. The line of products features the Bose EMB2 compression driver to reduce distortion and deliver consistent tonal balance across all product models. Available in black or white.

AUS 1300 368 436 | sales_australia@bose.com NZ 0800 705 500 | sales_newzealand@bose.com

Learn more at PRO.BOSE.COM

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NEWS

Highlights from InfoComm 17

CHRISTIE SPYDER X80

MARSHALL HDBASET KITS

POWER & DSP FROM DYNACORD

Christie Digital is excited to officially launch the allnew Christie Spyder X80. It was publicly showcased at InfoComm 2017, controlling multiple displays throughout the Christie booth. The Spyder features performance capabilities that rival other similar products on the market as a flexible multi-screen windowing processor and content management solution. Spyder X80 boasts 80MP processing power with true 4K@60Hz performance across multiple displays. DisplayPort MST lets you take advantage of multiple outputs from a single 4K DisplayPort output making the X80 ideal for LED, monitor arrays, and multi-view outputs. Its I/O architecture is flexible and scalable and I/O configurations of up to 24 inputs and 16 outputs are possible. Connections include HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2, and 12G HDSDI. Christie’s Spyder Studio client software gives access to everything from simple presets to complex frame-accurate timelines.

Marshall Electronics debuted three new products that incorporate HDBaseT technology. The CV612HT-4K PTZ Camera is based on a 9MP sensor and is housed in a durable PTZ chassis, designed for smooth, simultaneous four-axis control of pan/tilt/zoom/focus. It supports video resolutions up to 4K. Adjustment settings include white balance, dynamic range, exposure, iris control, gamma, red/blue gain and black level. The Marshall VAC-HT48-POE-R receiver enables any current system to easily integrate new devices with HDBaseT into the installation. It supplies 48V PoE and RS232/RS485 control with incoming audio/video converted to HDMI 1.4 output over Cat 7/6a cable. The Marshall VAC-HT12KIT HDMI over HDBaseT extender kit (comprised of a transmitter and receiver) will convert any HDMI device into a single cable solution for uncompressed audio/ video transmission from over 100m away.

Dynacord has released two new dual-channel power amplifier series: the L Series and the C Series. Both have a linear amp design with an easy-to-use software tool to allow full configuration, control, and supervision of sound systems with multiple amplifiers. Four different models per series are available, with total output power ranging from 1300W to 3600W, stable down to 2Ω. The C Series is specifically for permanent installation, in scenarios such as providing background or live music in bars, churches, restaurants, sports facilities, and performing arts centres. C Series is also suitable for direct drive applications with 100V speaker lines. Euroblock connectors allow for convenient wiring. All models also have remote power-on delay and GPIOs to interface with third-party controls. Onboard DSP on both all models include multi-band parametric equalisers, crossovers, limiters, and delay per channel. It also has true channel grouping control with extra DSP capabilities like PEQ, GEW, and delay for each group.

Christie: www.christiedigital.com

NEWS IN BRIEF:

Synergy Audio Visual has announced its appointment as the national distributor for Vivitek Cinema and Large Venue Projectors. Vivitek, a brand of Delta Electronics Incorporated, is one of the world's largest DLP projector manufacturers, with a number of visual display, projection, and presentation products. The new partnership will see Synergy Audio Visual specialise in Vivitek Home Cinema and Large Venue & High Brightness projector ranges. Synergy Audio: (03) 9459 7474 or info@synergyaudio.com Vivitek: www.vivitekcorp.com

Corsair Solutions: (03) 9005 9861 or sales@corsairsolutions.com.au Marshall Electronics: www.marshallelectronics.netv

Corsair Solutions has established relationships with three new vendors: Z CAM, Skaarhoj and Infomir. “We are so excited to be expanding our product representation in the Broadcast, OTT and Production markets with these three great new brands,” says Mark Lampard, Managing Director of Corsair Solutions. “Expanding into the virtual reality production market has been a goal of ours over the past year, and realising this goal through our partnership with Z CAM and the local launch of the impressive S1 VR camera is very pleasing,” he continues. Corsair Solutions: www.corsairsolutions.com.au Z CAM: www.z-cam.com Skaarhoj: www.skaarhoj.com Infomir: www.infomir.eu

InfoComm offered a peak into d&b Soundscape, an all-enveloping approach to the future of sound reinforcement. Operating on the DS100 platform, Soundscape will enable sound designers with multidimensional source placement, acoustic room simulation and signal matrix processor capability. The product is presently scheduled for release in early 2018. NAS: 1800 441 440 or www.nationalaudio.com.au d&b audiotechnik: www.dbaudio.com

Bosch: 1300 026724 or sales.communications@au.bosch.com Dynacord: www.dynacord.com

Earthworks introduces the CTF tabletop gooseneck microphones with integrated base. The integrated solution provides the flexibility of temporarily placing the mic on a table for ad hoc meeting spaces or permanently fixing it to a surface. With a flat frequency response, the CTF microphones reproduce speech with intelligibility. A cardioid polar pattern gives reliable coverage for speakers. RF shielding is incorporated into the microphone’s electronic design to prevent interference from cell phones and other electronic devices. Audio Brands: 0499 828 521 or www.audiobrands.com.au Earthworks: www.earthworksaudio.com

Shure has expanded its Microflex line — available in both wired and wireless configurations and includes portable and flushmount conferencing units. Shure also announced the High Density Mode for its Microflex Wireless line — operate twice as many microphones simultaneously. Shure’s line of MX395 Microflex low Profile Boundary Microphones has been extended — any mic colour (white, aluminium, or black) and any polar pattern (cardioid, omni, or bidirectional), with or without an integral bi-colour LED light ring. Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or www.jands.com.au Shure: www.shure.com

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NEWS

InDesign Technologies’ Peter Coman shares some of his personal show highlights.

AMX Acendo Vibe ACV 5100 Conferencing Soundbar (by JBL): Starved of aesthetic options? Lucky to have the choice of black or white? AMX’s Acendo Vibe VC soundbar changes that. Love the look and options — colour, fabric. I also believe the AMX wireless control puck (with a bit of refining) will revolutionise the way we control small meeting spaces.

Panasonic Real Time Tracking & Projection Mapping Projector: Ridiculously high speed (~2000Hz), real-time tracking and projection mapping projector, capable of continuously tracking and projecting a focused image onto any fast-moving object. Amazing to watch. Great Panasonic innovation. Ricoh Meeting Manager: Ricoh Meeting Manager with IBM Watson: New player in the crowded collaboration space. Looks like just another large interactive display but Ricoh has integrated IBM’s Watson Artificial Intelligence technology to create a meeting management solution that captures an on-the-fly meeting transcript, both written and spoken content. KinectIQ Wireless HDMI Presentation System: ClickSharestyle product that uses the video output instead of the USB port to wirelessly transmit video and audio to any display with a KinectIQ receiver. It’s device agnostic and doesn’t require any drivers, just plug it into video output, press the button and off you go!

Gridd by Free Axez: With more and more corporates heading down the ABW path, cable access to isolated workstations becomes more of a problem. Gridd allows you to install and distribute power, data, AV cabling to all parts of the floor without costly building works. Better than umbilicals everywhere or drilling. Possibly the best thing since Lego.

Learning Glass Solutions: No more ‘back to the class’ lectures. Learning Glass is a large edge-lit, transparent writing surface that utilises a camera positioned on the opposite side to capture the teacher and the written content. It then inverts the image (so the content is not back to front) to allow it to be viewed via a large format display, or captured via a recording device.

Demand more from your wireless system DMS800

Dual Channel Digital Wireless Microphone System • Ultrawide band 150Mhz – 1 unit covers whole of Australian wireless spectrum • Environment frequency scanner and spectrum analyser • Run two transmitters simultaneously on 1 receiver • Dante integration

WMS470

Premium Analogue Wireless Systems • • • • •

Automatic frequency setup Operate up to 16 channels simultaneously per band Line of sight transmission up to 300m Available for Vocal, Presenter, Sports & Instrument Up to 14 hours’ battery life on transmitters

For more information please contact: akg@cmi.com.au

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NEWS

Mersive Solstice Pod: offers iOS mirroring support, dual network modes to support guest and corporate/campus users, built-in WAP, remote network configuration, synchronous desktop audio streaming, one click software updates, in a small form factor that can mounted behind any display.

We all know and love the Williams Sound TX-75 InfraRed hearing augmentation transmitter, but wouldn’t it be great if they had something a little more discreet for those smaller spaces. Here it is: the IR T01.

Samsung Innovation: Samsung’s ultra ultra ultra wide (‘UUUW’, just made that up) 32:9 desktop display — for those who can’t get enough. Yamaha VXS: Super discreet audio. The tiny VXS1ML 10W wall-mounted speakers are available in black and white, and can also be recessed with the optional bracket. Pair it with the VXS3S powered sub for a complete commercial and retail solution. This wall light/interactive projector from Hitachi is not yet commercially available, however it’s great to see companies pushing the boundaries and creating seamlessly integrated products.

Bolin Technology Tracking Camera: Lots of tracking cameras on show; this one performed better than the rest. No need for a PC, lanyards, or standing on pressure mats, the built-in facial recognition tracking was extremely accurate and smooth. The camera comes complete with HDMI and SDI video outputs, but no IP (at this stage). Control is via RS-232 or RS-422 (once again IP control would be nice)… PoE too much to ask for?

Crestron’s Alexa Integration: More evidence of the consumer sector driving the tech curve. Traditional AV vendors working more closely with companies such as Amazon and Google to provide integrated solutions. These popular voice command devices are currently only comprehending ~30% of the instructions given — plenty of room for improvement over coming years.

Flip-Disc Display from Breakfast: Possibly the most analogue product at the entire show! But that’s what makes it so unique. In a world of higher and higher resolutions, these guys have gone old school and brought back a technology developed in the ’60s. The display is a modular panel system that’s made up of thousands of tiny metal discs, with different colour on each side. An electromagnet flips the individual discs up to 40fps to create signage with ultra-low-resolution images. It’s mesmerising. Leon Horizon Interactive HIFIT Soundbar: I love the ingenious approach to integrating small devices such as NUCs, cameras, transmitters, receivers etc into the body of the speaker — reduces cabling, clutter and no more pulling the screen off the wall. Wait, there’s more! The soundbar can be customised to match the width and colour of the display or cabinetry, with perfectly matched cut-outs for any camera you choose.

Laser Projectors

Come see us at stand G18

Designed for Exceptional Performance Epson L Series large venue laser projectors take image quality to new levels with game-changing laser light sources, WUXGA resolution and 4K enhancement technology. Create powerful images with outstanding reliability and minimal maintenance that are ideal for staging and rental applications. Features include: • Up to 25,000 lumens and WUXGA resolution for bright, colourful, brilliant images • 20,000 hours of virtually maintenance-free operation for continuous and reliable use • Versatile connectivity including HDBaseT, HDMI, SDI and DVI-D • Easy integration with Crestron ®, AMX® and Extron compatibility • Full suite of lens options for virtually any staging and rental application For more information visit www.epson.com.au/LaserProjectors

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FEATURE

100% Brisbane, 100% Hitachi

useum of Brisbane has collaborated with Berlin-based theatre company Rimini Protokoll to create 100% Brisbane, an interactive exhibition experience that reflects the stories, attitudes and lifestyles of 100 Brisbane residents. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data and interviews conducted with 100 Brisbane residents, this three-year exhibition is a living, breathing snapshot of Brisbane life portrayed through a number of interactive and engaging video displays and films. WHEN THINGS ARE TIGHT

Hitachi helped to make 100% Brisbane a reality by supplying seven projectors, including its ultra short-throw and large venue projectors which were installed with specialised lenses for particular installations within the exhibition. Each data projection solution had to overcome challenges and demands unique to that particular space. Country: is a powerful selection of interviews with members of the Aboriginal community projected onto a five-metre, irregular-shaped wall. Hitachi’s CPWU9411 DLP projector and Hitachi’s USL901 ultra short-throw lens were chosen to projection-map the video content in a small section of the gallery. A Day in the Life of Brisbane: a six-metre

digital interactive learning wall (pictured) where visitors are encouraged to discover interesting facts about the city by touching and interacting with the display. The wall is brought to life by three Hitachi CPAW3005 ultra short-throw projectors, capable of delivering dynamic and interactive content in tight spaces and bright environments. Brisbane DNA: is a moving 90-minute film that reflects the thoughts, opinions and life stories of 100 Brisbane residents. This cinematic snapshot of Brisbane life is projected onto a five-metre wall using two Hitachi CPHD9321 full HD large venue projectors paired with Hitachi’s USL901 ultra short throw lens, most suited to displaying content in a blended wide screen projection installation. A Brisbane Story: A Brisbane Story is a short film written and presented by author and actor William McInnes. Frank Casablanca, Exhibition Technical Officer at Museum of Brisbane, recognised that this section of the exhibition required a projection solution capable of delivering video content in a tiny space: “What was challenging about this theatre was producing a large projected image in a limited space. We were able to achieve this rear projection using one of Hitachi’s ultra short throw lenses.” The film comes to life on a three-metre wall with Hitachi’s CPHD9321 full HD large venue projector and Hitachi’s FL910 ultra short throw

mirror lens rear projection installation, capable of delivering bright, intense colour in spaces that would otherwise be considered too small. TELLING STORIES

Phillip Manning, Curator at Museum of Brisbane, chose to work with Hitachi because of its extensive range of data projection technologies, capable of delivering detailed and vivid images even in the most demanding environments. Meanwhile, Frank Casablanca explains further why he chose Hitachi projectors: “Whether it was projection-mapping a faceted object or rear projecting a film in a very tight space, Hitachi had the products and support which allowed us to push our concept into reality for our 100% Brisbane exhibition.”  Hitachi Australia: 1800 448 2244 www.hitachi.com.au/dps

Hitachi Projector Inventory CPHD9321 Full HD Large Venue Projector FL910 Ultra Short Throw Lens CPWU9411 WUXGA Large Venue Projector USL901 Ultra Short Throw Lens CPAW3005 Ultra Short Throw Projector

FEATURE

COMPRESSED?

With TesiraLUX, you can deliver visually lossless 4K60 video everywhere your existing Ethernet network goes. Learn more at biamp.com

Please call our sales team on 1300 666 099 or visit www.midwich.com.au

OUR E PERTISE IS YOUR ADVANTAGE

017

UNCOMPRESSED?

TESIRALUX. SEE WHAT YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;VE BEEN MISSING.

018

FEATURE

Epson Shines Bright at Gertrude St Projection Festival

ertrude Street in Melbourne’s suburb of Fitzroy was bursting with visual art and culture from Friday 21st to Sunday 30th July for the 10th annual Gertrude Street Projection Festival (GSPF). Epson was a key supporter for the festival, with the company’s projectors bringing to life many of the key installations. Epson’s flagship 25,000 lumens laser projector, the EB-L25000UNL, was used at the Gertrude Hotel by artist Ash Coates in his work entitled ‘Mycolinguistics (Rubico-Sterolosis or Oneness)’. Two 12,000-lumen EB-L1505UNL projectors were also used at the festival, one by Ian de Gruchy at Turning Point for ‘Futures Past’, and the second by Peter Waples-Crowe with Megan

Evans at Turnley’s Roller Door for their work ‘Settlers and Savages’. Other Epson projectors used included an EBL1300UNL by Amanda Morgan at the Builder’s Arms for ‘If they build a wall, we can scale it’, the EB-G7905UNL by Glynn Urquhart at Johnstons Façade for ‘Future Flesh Forms’, and the EBG7500UNL by Rose Staff at El Lobo for ‘Reflective INK’. There were also Epson EB-2265U, EB1460Ui and EB-G7400UNL projectors used at other installations — a total of 11 — across the entire festival. 2017 GSPF Curator Fiona Hillary said, “We are delighted that Epson is such an integral part and key supporter of the 10th Anniversary of the

Gertrude Street Projection Festival as we see it as an invitation to artists to create glimpses for and of the future. For 10 days over winter, imagine Gertrude Street as a time capsule that explores the social, political and environmental epoch of our times. Drawing on the past and grounded in the present while projecting into the future the GSPF 2017 invites artists to contribute to an immersive, interactive and enchanting experience that ignites our collective social imaginary to explore the possibilities of multiple futures… There are no limits as we unfurl the future.”  Epson: www.epson.com.au

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FEATURE

Bulldogs’ AV Spirit

GEAR LIST d&b audiotechnik 5S Power: 60W RMS Max. SPL: 117dB Freq. Response: 80Hz - 20kHz Directivity: 100° conical Impedance: 16Ω Weight: 2.5kg d&b audiotechnik 4S Power: 60W Max. SPL: 114dB Freq. Response: 130Hz - 20kHz Directivity: 100° conical Impedance: 16Ω Weight: 1kg d&b audiotechnik 12S-SUB Power: 300W Max. SPL: 124dB Freq. Responses: 45Hz - 130Hz Directivity: Omni Impedance: 8Ω Weight: 16kg d&b audiotechnik 10D Four-channel amplifier 750W per channel User-definable EQ/channel delay Weight: 10.6kg

riginating in 1951, Wests Bulldogs Rugby Club is a leading Brisbane rugby club which competes in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition. Everything for the rugby enthusiast can be found here, whether it be for 3t0 5-year-olds in ‘Puppy Pack’ or ‘The Bullfrogs’ for Golden Oldies. The bustling club recently underwent a complete rebuild, so it required a newly-designed AV system to service its clientele. Besides rugby, the multi-space venue has several function areas which host sporting and corporate events. Each room needed its own input for bands or DJs. But, given it’s a sports club, a steady stream of live sport had to be pumped through the system for the better part of the day, so each room required a projector or a TV or two as well. LOOKS & SOUND

Jason Roesler from Soho Sound Design oversaw the AV installation at Wests Bulldogs Rugby Club. The requirement to keep all audio elements discreet was stated upfront by the architectural firm, so Jason knew he had to pick his speaker deployment spots wisely. Besides the speaker locations, everything had to be zoned in a way that suited the venue’s intended use for the spaces. In total, nine separate zones needed audio coverage: three dedicated

function rooms including a sports bar, an outdoor function terrace, the front outdoor area which is split into three zones, and two zones over the far north seating area overlooking the rugby field. BIG PUNCH

The d&b audiotechnik 4S and 5S loudspeakers pack a surprising punch for their size, and thanks to Jason’s extremely positive prior experiences, the decision to install them at Wests was a nobrainer. Brandon McDonald from NAS supported Jason in the installation. Indoor areas were tackled with a repeatable and functional system design. “The function rooms are basically one long narrow room which can be broken up using bi-fold doors,” says Jason. “I decided to go with the 5S tops and the 12S subs. Each room has four or six 5S loudspeakers and one 12S sub.” The 12S subs were creatively mounted near the ceiling corners or each function space. This keeps the large enclosures out of the way while not sacrificing coverage. Jason: “We had a 500mm gap around the edges of where the slatted wooden ceiling stopped, so we put all the subs up there. You almost don’t notice them unless you’re really looking for them.” Though they look small, the gutsy d&b 5S speakers cover all outdoor grandstand seating

areas as well. The little boxes never fail to impress during rugby matches, effortlessly handling crowds even up to 2,000. “They absolutely hammer,” says Jason. “It’s ridiculous.” All d&b speakers run off three quad-channel 10D amps. ZONE CONTROL

The whole system is zoned by BSS SoundWeb London signal processing. Staff can control all audio and video components wirelessly via custom GUIs on iPads. Jason: “The BSS MotionControl app lets you create fully customised GUIs. I created a screen for them with the BSS MotionControl app that gives the total zone breakdown — so each zone has a volume, a source select, and you can route the wireless microphone to them as well. BSS controls the video as well, so it turns the TVs and projectors on and off, it drops and raises the projector screens, and it does the video source switching. They can literally do everything from that one iPad.”  d&b audiotechnik: www.dbaudio.com National Audio Systems: www.nationalaudio.com.au SoundWeb: www.bssaudio.com Jands: www.jands.com.au

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FEATURE

Focusrite Turns To Pro

ich Nevens has come on board this year as Focusrite’s head of pro sales. Effectively he’s Mr RedNet or the RedNet Czar if you like. Rich is a serial monogamist in the world of pro audio. After a stint as an almostpop star in the ’80s, Rich headed up a nascent Euphonix sales division in the exciting early CS2000 period. After 12 years with Euphonix, Rich moved to Digidesign to give Digi’s first control surfaces some pro clout. After 13 years with Digidesign/Avid, Rich was asked by Focusrite CEO Tim Corroll to take on a similar role: expand the company’s pro presence and the sales of its pro RedNet interfaces. Of course, RedNet is Focusrite speak for Dante. And as Rich gets around the traps he’s encountering people who know all about Dante or all about Focusrite but not always both. Rich Nevens: A lot of people are not quite sure why Dante is good for their workflow. They know it’s something to do with ethernet, but they can’t see why they’d want to put their audio on the network. But, of course, RedNet and Dante open up a whole new world of flexibility and expandability. Where most other systems will have limitations regarding how much I/O you have and where you can have it, our new RedNet products allows you to set up high quality, headphone amps in various locations, for example. Or you might be interfacing with a Pro Tools system in one room and be able to lasso some cool preamps you have in another overdub space you wouldn’t normally be able to leverage. So there are many reasons why you might want to move projects or to ingest audio in different

locations… and it’s easy to do with RedNet in any modern facility with a network. AV Asia Pacific: Traditionally, putting audio on a network is about convenience rather than audio quality. Rich Nevens: And people often refuse to believe you can pump dozens of channels of high quality audio on an ethernet cable without inducing unworkable latency. The reality is that with our implementation the round trip latency is only 1.5ms, which is as good as any pro (local) interface you’re likely to use. The sound quality is excellent as well. The product’s been around long enough for the jury to be in on that count. AV Asia Pacific: What’s your brief? Rich Nevens: We’ve had good success with RedNet in certain markets. Larger churches in the US for example. The Education market as well, where you have multiple students and using RedNet to distribute audio at will to any and all of those locations. My focus will be on areas such as the post production market, broadcast and live sound. It’s about taking the message of RedNet to a wider pro audio community. Some of the new features of the second generation of RedNet are directly addressing pro users’ needs in mission critical roles. For example, we’re now more space efficient (dropping from 2U to a 1U chassis), and you’ll now find a redundant power supply, and redundant RedNet Dante port. Dante’s Domain manager is addressing security concerns — protecting your audio on the network and allowing various levels of access

people often refuse to believe you can pump dozens of channels of high quality audio on an ethernet cable without inducing unworkable latency privileges. They’re the sorts of concerns post houses and broadcast studio have. AV Asia Pacific: Going all the way back to Rupert Neve, Focusrite is famous because of the sound of its preamps and audio circuits. What’s the special sauce now? Rich Nevens: Focusrite remains a company that’s passionate about audio and engineering great-sounding, solid audio solutions. In the RedNet pro sphere we’ve built a complete range of interfaces that make for a truly scaleable solution… and flexible thanks to the combination of Dante, analogue mic pres, along with the Digilink and Thunderbolt ports.  RedNet: www.focusrite.com/rednet Innovative Music: www.innovativemusic.com.au

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FEATURE

The Web Takes Control Don’t take it personally. ACA wants to control everything on the network. AV just needs to get out of the way.

THE DISRUPTER

Jon McFarlane ACA

Jon McFarlane, co-founder (with Stephen von Takach) of ACA Projects (ACA) isn’t really a typical audiovisual type. However, he is certainly creating a lot of interest with his products now displacing traditional audiovisual systems at some serious corporations like Rabobank and PwC.

TO PA

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Text:/ Derek Powell

V and IT convergence? That horse has bolted. It’s happened. Fait accompli. Much has already changed. Matrix switchers, one of the mainstays of any sizeable installation, are on the endangered species list as more and more content moves to IP transport across a converged network. Videoconferencing, once the exclusive domain of high-priced proprietary technology, is increasingly virtualised. Just add software and any PC or phone is a videoconference endpoint. The next chapter of convergence is well under way and the next round of equipment extinctions may now be on the horizon. Will our beloved touch panels — in fact any kind of hardware control system — be next to disappear? In this article, we’ll talk to someone who’s working hard to see that languages like NetLinx and SIMPL go the way of Esperanto — fondly remembered by a few but irrelevant in today’s world. We’ll canvass the ideas of some who believe that such a future may not be so bleak and we’ll also talk to others who, surprisingly, have a foot firmly in both camps.

Around seven years ago, some seminal early projects at Macquarie University and CommSec resulted in Jon and Stephen developing a webbased control system now called ACA Engine and alongside that a web-based system to manage media through playlists and schedules called Cotag Media. But this was just the starting point for Jon, whose thinking goes way beyond audiovisual — and way beyond ‘controls’ as well. “Personally, for me, it’s always been about the user experience,” Jon declares. “At the University of Sydney, I did a Masters of Design Science and my work was in areas of rethinking the user interface. It still surprises me how many projects today are focused around the touch panel, which is sitting in the room 24/7 but gets touched very rarely, and, in many cases, such little thought is put into that user interface.” Jon’s early experiences with audiovisual systems in universities led him to ask a few very fundamental questions about how best to control meeting and teaching spaces in an environment where ‘the network’ was already ubiquitous. Why have a dedicated appliance actually in each and every meeting room when one decent-sized computer could run all the rooms in a campus while sitting in a nicely air-conditioned data centre somewhere? And why bother to put an expensive (and possibly vulnerable) touchscreen in the room when every potential user already has a perfectly serviceable touchscreen control system sitting in their pocket? ENGINE ROOM

The ACA Engine turns the ‘traditional’ audiovisual control system, based on a room controller and a control panel in every space, on its head. The Engine is a software system that typically runs on a server in the client’s

IN data centre. Every piece of audiovisual equipment — and all controls — must connect to it across the network, either directly or via a third-party interface (such as one of the converter boxes from Global Caché) that translate IP commands into RS-232 or simple contact closures. For every equipment type connected, a software device driver is installed on the Engine and the logic that defines how a room will operate is set up as a template in the system. “The main difference for us is we can take that one room as a cookie-cutter and apply it 100,000 times.” Jon says. “For us doing one room is the same as doing any number of rooms because once we have the device driver in place, and once we have all the logic settings for how the room works, that can literally be applied to any number of rooms. “Another point of difference for us, is our device drivers are open source. If we developed a device driver for an NEC display, any other integrator or partner can use our source code for that device driver. So, we get around that issue of holding the source codes to ransom and clients won’t ever struggle to get access to the source code in our projects. That was a deliberate decision based on experience we have with other hardware-based control systems that need programming. Our system doesn’t really require programming. You’re basically pulling in all the resources from our existing repositories and just changing settings to match the system design.” BEST CONTROL IS NO CONTROLS

To Jon, the best control system has no controls at all. He describes the ACA Engine as a platform that “… connects to all the

—

FEATURE

025

T STILL SURPRISES ME HOW MANY PROJECTS

ODAY ARE FOCUSED AROUND THE TOUCH ANEL, WHICH IS SITTING IN THE ROOM 24/7 BUT GETS TOUCHED VERY RARELY, AND, IN MANY CASES, SUCH LITTLE THOUGHT IS PUT NTO THAT USER INTERFACE. IS AV REALLY ‘IN THE WAY’?

“I do have sort of an interesting relationship with the AV industry,” Jon mused. “In many ways, we find they can almost get in the way of a good solution because they come into these projects thinking of hardware and products. They’re not coming in thinking of solutions or trying to solve user experience challenges, and the smart building is full of user experience challenges. “I think this is where the AV industry could have a really huge impact because they are so used to connecting devices to the network and controlling devices and providing the user experience. But I think there’s an opportunity there that many in the AV industry are missing. And I’m speaking from experience mostly in the Australian market. There’s exceptions to that. I mean we have a lot of great partners that we work very closely with, like Videopro, and the reason for that is they’ve really proven they can think differently and adapt quickly and they’re taking an all-in approach to softwarebased solutions generally.”

— JON MCFARLANE, ACA devices, communicates with them and brings everything together with logic and increasingly with artificial intelligence as well.” He is constantly thinking ‘big picture’ and is alight with the possibilities of thinking outside of the box embodied by traditional AV buttons and touch panels. “Other types of interfaces could be absolutely anything — or no interface at all,” he explained. “Actions can be triggered from other systems in the building such as the network, which may generate control events based on people’s location. Or control could be via native apps that developers create as the user interface. The interfaces can run on traditional touch panels or be any combination of the above.” “In the early days,” Jon continued, “I think we got pigeonholed as replacing what an AMX or a Crestron can do — just at larger scale — and that’s where universities and corporates started showing interest. In those days, we spent a lot of time trying to convince people that ACA is more than something you already do, at scale. It actually makes it easier to do new things.” The whole ACA experience, though, is proving to be somewhat disruptive to many in the audiovisual industry. I asked Jon if it was easier to sell his systems to the IT department: “Everything I’ve been talking about isn’t a new process in IT land,” Jon opined. “But I think AV’s been a little bit slow to adopt this technology. It feels like it’s all suddenly appeared and there’s a lot of learning and adapting that needs to happen in the AV industry. And I don’t think it has anything to do with ACA. It’s going to be there with us or without us. Server-based, web-based technology, cloud-based technology is coming to the industry. It’s already here.”

THE INTEGRATORS

Jason Derry & Matt Brown VideoPro

What do ‘traditional’ integrators make of webbased control? Following Jon’s comments, AV Asia Pacific spoke to Jason Derry and Matt Brown from Videopro, one of Queensland’s leading integrators, which has taken up Jon’s

challenge and is successfully integrating ACA into large-scale projects. We started by asking what attracted Videopro to add ACA, as a potentially disruptive technology, to their product offering. Jason Derry: We’re looking to provide the right solutions for our customers, who are becoming more and more qualified. Sometimes that will be an ACA solution, other times it will be an alternative, but our goal remains to provide the best solution for our customers, and this philosophy applies to all our technology decisions. To stay relevant in business we feel that we need to be ahead of the curve rather than being disrupted by the curve. Matt Brown: I think the attraction is that ACA is truly an open web standard product. So, we’re not bound by manufacturers’ ideas of what they think we should have. It’s open web. It’s supportable by anyone in the web industry. IT love it because it sits on their hardware and they have control of it. It is understandable to them, and they just get it. It’s a part of their world. Anyone that thinks that web standards or the ‘internet of things’ won’t enter our industry is sticking their head in the sand. From our perspective, we have embraced it fully. Our programmers that sit and program AMX, Crestron and Extron are also web programmers. They can program in Java, in Angular JS, or in this case Ruby — whatever we need. AV Asia Pacific: What benefits do centralised, web-based control bring? Matt Brown: The way that AMX, Crestron, Extron and others work at the moment, each room has a central controller that sits in the room and the cloud-based or sever-based management tool, be it RMS or Fusion, is not actually doing the room control. It is really just monitoring those room controls. So, for service or maintenance or anything that needs to happen, you go to the room or connect to that in-room device. Any new code [that you write] first has to be compiled and sent to

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FEATURE

CLIENTS WON’T EVER STRUGGLE TO GET ACCESS TO THE SOURCE CODE IN OUR PROJECTS. THAT WAS A DELIBERATE DECISION BASED ON EXPERIENCE WE HAVE WITH OTHER HARDWAREBASED CONTROL SYSTEMS THAT NEED the controller, which will then need to reboot before it can take on those new settings. With ACA, the control comes from the server, which may not necessarily be located in the same building. In one recent largescale installation it was a cloud-based server in Amazon web services. It has network connections and talks to all the devices by Telnet or socket connection. When you make a change in any room, you connect to that server, you make the change for that room, and because it’s script based, it’s all live, so there’s no rebooting. As soon as you make the change, the change is enacted whether it is as simple as changing the input of a matrix switcher or adding an input. Because it is a live web page, the touch panel will instantly update. You don’t need to reload it. There’s no downtime for the room. And it’s actually doing the control and the remote monitoring all in the one engine. AV Asia Pacific: Would this work for any project? Matt Brown: It’s not one size fits all. At the moment ACA is very much an enterprise-based solution. It’s scalable, it’s modular, and it sits on normal servers. But if you were looking at a client who had two meeting rooms and that’s all they wanted, then ACA is not the right solution and we would look at a more traditional AV solution. Jason Derry: It’s part of the continued change. I think that what we’re seeing is a broadening of the technology stack, and as it continues to broaden there’ll be new providers that will enter into our traditional market until a point where it becomes more standardised and streamlined. The current change fits with the requirements right now and it will develop into more streamlined approaches in the mediumand long-term future. I believe some of the ‘mega-companies’ (Microsoft, Cisco, Samsung and so on) will play an important part in the future of our industries. And I think that’s where the future is for us. The real key is to be able to balance the current state and future state, we need to do both, and leaning too heavily to one side can be problematic. AV Asia Pacific: I can’t remember the last time

I had a conversation with a customer or an end user where they didn’t refer to what we know as AV as IT. Matt Brown: To this point AV/IT convergence has not been a convergence, it’s been an absolute train wreck! Just a mashed-together collection of boxes that we’re putting onto a network. Then we seem to think by putting a web interface on it, that’ll make it all right. With ACA and these new technologies, we’re starting to see a true AV/IT convergence. Jason Derry: And you could replace the term ‘AV/IT’ simply with ‘Technology’ convergence. For example, the air-conditioning or lighting system, that’s neither AV or IT, but it is part of the broader technology set which is not traditionally in either the AV space or in the IT world.

PROGRAMMING.

— JON MCFARLANE, ACA

THE VENDOR

Graham Barrett avt

So fully expecting a robust defence of the traditional ways, I spoke to the world’s most colourful spokesman for all things AMX (and Harman) Graham Barrett, Head of Strategic Partnerships & Innovation at AVT. Graham did defend using NetLinx control, of course, but then, as usual, he surprised me. AV Asia Pacific: Should we be moving away from room-based hardware control systems that are the sole province of experts in AV, and give users more power to do things for themselves with open source, web-based tools? Graham Barrett: I think the industry, generally,

and some individuals within the industry, are pushing that barrow quite aggressively. In my opinion, ‘black box’, room-based hardware control systems will still be relevant for many years to come in many environments. Take Defence, for example. The potential security implications of moving to a web-hosted control system for their AV environments are huge — and the alternative of an internallyhosted solution loses some of the benefits of this approach. I’d argue that the same is true for many secure environments like some financial and legal institutions and government departments. That said, where you’ve got very large fleets and particularly when you want to quickly deploy at scale, the centralised or hosted control systems make a huge amount of sense. In some of those very large multicampus university or distributed corporate deployments where you’ve got lots and lots of rooms, it’s a brilliant solution. It allows you to deliver that ITIL-centric, iterative and continuous improvement approach to AV. That has been a real challenge historically where the AV is ‘bolted-in’ — where a programmer writes the code for it — and that’s your lot for the next five years because the cost to make a change on any sort of scale is huge. So, I truly believe there is space for both approaches. Equally, I think more and more, even if you’re looking at a hardware-style solution like NetLinx for example, the tools to allow deployment and management at scale are becoming much more capable. AV Asia Pacific: So is AMX actually doing anything like this? I know you now have a product that’s part of the SVSI range (N-Command) that can provide a network control solution. Graham Barrett: Yes! We have a major project recently completed built on the N-Command

FEATURE

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DON’T THINK IT HAS ANYTHIN DO WITH ACA. IT’S GOING TO BE T WITH US OR WITHOUT US. SERVER-B WEB-BASED TECHNOLOGY, CLOUD-B TECHNOLOGY IS COMING TO THE INDU T’S ALREADY HERE. platform. RMIT University has been one of the biggest proponents of the centralised control approach and, with Insight Systems, have just commissioned an AMX N-Command control system to deliver control of 1100+ rooms. It is centrally hosted and managed and runs on just a handful of redundant servers located in their central data centre. PROOF OF CONCEPT THE AMX WAY

are used to selling boxes and integrators are used to deploying boxes so this is the way the product is currently offered. AV Asia Pacific: Will N-Command actually do anything other than control SVSI switching? Graham Barrett: Yep. It will control absolutely anything you wish. At RMIT they have a fullycustomised graphical user interface running on an SVSI N-Touch touchpanel. It’s been developed to mimic the user interface of the previous generations of traditional AMX rooms. But from that touchpanel, just as if there was an AMX system in the room, they can control the screen, obviously the source switching which is all via SVSI, the projector or display, the audio system, the whole box and dice. AV Asia Pacific: It’s not programmed in NetLinx is it? Graham Barrett: No. It’s a PHP server programmed using JavaScript, so it’s based entirely on a ubiquitous, standards-based scripting language. All of the user interfaces are HTML5, either served to an N-Touch touchpanel or to a tablet or to any device that supports a standard HTML5 web browser. AV Asia Pacific: Is this something an IT person could update themselves and add equipment to? Graham Barrett: It depends how it is programmed. Certainly, at RMIT that’s the approach they chose to take. Whenever they want to add a new room based on the standard classroom configuration, they simply access a configuration database. They say ‘I’ve got another room, it’s got this model projector, it hasn’t got this device, it has got this device, go!’ That new system is spun up, literally in minutes.

— JON MCFARLANE, ACA By the time you read this, you will probably have heard a lot more from avt on this project, but the short story is that RMIT and Insight Systems picked up a ‘Best Project’ award from avt at its conference this year for their work on the ground-breaking RMIT Converged AV Project, which delivered a fully-converged AV system operating on the RMIT enterprise network. This project was designed to demonstrate the viability of fully network-delivered AV and was deployed in 18 rooms initially, across three RMIT University campuses. The strategy was about more than just network control. All video and audio was network-delivered, using AMX/ SVSI N Series encoders and decoders for video transport and QSC Q-SYS server/networkbased audio processing and distribution. But importantly for our discussion here, the project actually deployed sufficient centralised control horsepower using the AMX/SVSI N Command system to (theoretically) control every one of RMIT University’s 1100 AV-equipped spaces. Out in a typical classroom, you’ll find just a couple of ‘edge’ devices and the user interface. AV Asia Pacific: So there is an AMX control system now in place that could theoretically be extended until it runs all the AV-equipped spaces at the University. What is the hardware? Graham Barrett: Six SVSI SC-N8012 control servers operate the three campuses. Each campus is allocated a pair of servers which provide for fully redundant fail-over. The 8012 is literally just a server running SVSI’s N-Command Solution which is actually a VMware application. The software could equally run on standard IT hardware but in the AV world, manufacturers and distributors

EMBRACING NEW WEB CONTROL WORLD?

AV Asia Pacific: Are you able to work with other web-based control systems like ACA? Graham Barrett: N-Command and the ACA Engine product are similar, not so much on the control front but we’re working very closely

with ACA on a number of large projects now where they’re leveraging our SVSI network AV solutions for video and audio transport and switching. ACA has written a series of device drivers for SVSI devices leveraging the open API that is a common feature of just about all Harman Pro products to make the integration of SVSI into an ACA-controlled environment quick and simple. Where an end user loves ACA then we’re more than happy to work with them, the consultant or integrator on the networked AV, networked audio or any of the other components that are part of the Harman solution set. AV Asia Pacific: Let me ask you a few fairly straight forward questions. Do you see proprietary control languages like NetLinx and SIMPL continuing? Graham Barrett: For certain applications, yes. But those applications will become less and less. The next generation of hardware-based control (for want of a better term, black boxes in rooms) will probably be more standards based in programming and management. Even now we have tools within the AMX family to program the current AMX NetLinx platform using Java. It’s not very popular because the AV industry hasn’t necessarily seen the benefit of programming in Java when they can program in AV control-centric languages like NetLinx. AV Asia Pacific: Do you see things like touchpanels disappearing and being replaced with apps on iPads and iPhones? Or not even apps, just web pages? Graham Barrett: My answer to that one is twofold: the first and simple answer is ‘yes’. The reality is that everyone carries a touchpanel in their pocket these days. I can also say that in my 20-plus years with avt and AMX, every year without fail, someone has told me that I

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NG TO THERE

Ctrl

BASED

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USTRY.

won’t be selling touchpanels next year. And for 20-plus years touchpanels have remained a significant part of our revenue. So, I think the reality is, a dedicated control interface, whatever that looks like in terms of hardware, will always have a place in a meeting or teaching space. Equally, the use of ubiquitous personal devices will continue to grow. But I see the two very much complementing each other, rather than one replacing the other. JUST ANOTHER NETWORK SERVICE

As we said at the beginning, to the users, and importantly to the CIOs and the like who are increasingly the buyers of audiovisual systems — it’s all now just Information Technology. As the both the success of ACA Projects and the RMIT University example demonstrate, AV is (or can be) just another service provided by the network. Nobody can afford to ignore the change that the migration of AV content (and now AV control) to the network has brought. There will be much more to say in these pages in times to come, but for now I’ll allow Jon McFarlane from ACA to have the final comment: “I think the challenge for the AV sector is they’re so focused on AV in the meeting room that they’re missing out on opportunities more broadly in the building. The smarter the building gets, the more a challenge it becomes to the customer and the more opportunity there is for technology experts to come in and help guide that. I hope the AV industry can step up and meet that challenge.” 

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YCONFERENCE V C - 3PHONE 00 Designed using Yamaha’s well-known sound processing technologies, the YVC-300 ensures users won’t find themselves hovering around the phone struggling to hear. As a portable USB conference phone for use in huddle spaces and small conference rooms its features include: • USB, Bluetooth and audio in/out connection interfaces • Bridging connections over multiple interfaces into a single call • Support for automatic pairing of NFC-enabled devices The YVC-300 is the perfect choice to provide quality group communication for huddle spaces and small conference rooms at a fraction of the cost of dedicated equipment.

Learn more at

www.hills.com.au/audio-visual/brands/revolabs For more information on these and other best-in-class solutions from Hills call us on 1300 445 571 or visit hills.com.au T RU ST E D T EC H N O LO GY

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SHOWCASE

Panasonic PT-RQ13K three-chip DLP laser projectors at the Australian Maritime College simulator. 10,000 lumen brightness and 4k resolution meant the simulator’s massive screen could be covered with just five projectors.

PT-RZ21K SERIES 3-CHIP DLP LASER PROJECTOR

Solutions Showcase Panasonic’s AV Division uses Integrate to launch range of exciting new products.

A game-changing addition to Panasonic’s SOLID SHINE Laser projector lineup, the PT-RZ21K Series delivers 20,000 lumens and 20,000:1 contrast ratio in WUXGA (PT-RZ21K) or SXGA+ (PTRS20K) resolution for exceptional picture quality. Incorporating the latest 3-Chip DLP™ technology and proprietary image processing engines assure classleading colour performance, white balance accuracy, motion handling and more. Equipped with an efficient cooling system and new filter-free design, stable and continuous operation during mission critical applications is made possible making the PT-RZ21K Series an ideal projection solution for rental, staging and large venue installations.

anasonic Australia will use Integrate 2017 to showcase its expanding display solutions – from new innovations that enhance the guest experience at mass-audience venues; to solutions for the retail space; and new proaducts that bring the benefits of laser and 4K technology within the budget of classrooms and lecture theatres. The PT-MZ670 Series of projectors, the company’s first 3LCD Solid Shine laser range, brings the brightness and long-life performance benefits of this technology within the budget of installations in small- to mid-sized meeting

rooms, classrooms, and lecture theatres. The top of the range PT-MZ670 will be available in November priced at $9,999RRP, making it one of the most versatile and cost-effective projection solutions in its class. Other developments in projection technology include the PT-RZ21K Series. Available in December, this is a game changing addition to Panasonic’s staging laser projector lineup, with class-leading colour performance, continuous operation and compact size providing the ultimate flexibility for large venues.

“Panasonic is committed to providing solutions that help customers enhance their guest and stakeholder experience, with industry-leading performance, versatility and efficiency, regardless of the intended application," said Peter Huljich, General Manager, Media and Entertainment, Panasonic Australia. “As the marketplace evolves with greater demands, Panasonic is well-positioned to meet its customers' needs today, tomorrow, and well into in the future.” 

POINT & SHOOT PROJECTION

SIMPLE STITCHING

EASY INTERACTIVE

PT-JX200 SPACE PLAYER LASER PROJECTOR

ET-CUK10 SERIES AUTO SCREEN ADJUSTMENT KIT

TH-75BQE1 INTERACTIVE 4K TOUCH PANEL

The revolutionary 2000 lumen 1-Chip DLP™ Space Player laser projector allows you to blend video, stills, graphics, and text-based digital signage with multiple spotlighting effects in virtually any combination desired, to create engaging, projected visuals. Perfect for retail signage, museums, restaurants and more.

Panasonic’s ET-CUK10 Auto Screen Adjustment software kit for DLP projectors dramatically reduces installation time and cost for multi or curved screen installations, by eliminating the need for grid-by-grid content alignment. Saves on installation time and costs, and can also set up multiple projectors automatically and simultaneously.

Panasonic is making dynamic presentations affordable for companies and schools. The new TH-75BQE1 75inch 4K UHD Direct-LED display gains deep versatility when interfaced with free downloadable Panasonic Whiteboard Software. Write and draw; import, modify, and resave PowerPoint® files; Video- and screencapture functions; and more. .

Panasonic Australia: www.panasonic.com.au

SHOWCASE

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PT-MZ670 LCD LASER PROJECTOR The PT-MZ670 Series of installation projectors are Panasonic’s first 3LCD products to feature the acclaimed SOLID SHINE Laser Phosphor lightsource technology. The series comprises four compact 3LCD lens-interchangeable models, the PT-MZ670 (6500 lumens ANSI) and PT-MZ570 (5,500 lumens ANSI), both with WUXGA resolution, and the PT-MW630 (6500 lumens ANSI) and PTMW530 (5,500 lumens ANSI) with WXGA resolution. The projectors meet consumer demand for highbrightness solutions combining the affordability of 3LCD with the long-term cost-savings of SOLID SHINE Laser.

QUT’s The Cube was upgraded with a fleet of PT-RZ670 projectors, and now features four Panasonic PT-RQ13K 4K laser systems.

Panasonic is well-positioned to meet its customers' needs today, tomorrow, and well into in the future. — Peter Huljich, General Manager, Media & Entertainment

INSTANT VIDEO WALL

EXTREME PTZ

FULL IMMERSION

4K DAISY CHAIN LCD VIDEO WALL

AW-HR140 OUTDOOR IP65 PTZ CAMERA

360-DEGREE LIVE CAMERA SYSTEM

The new LFV8 Series LCD video wall range offers the ability to display 4K images in a 2×2 configuration and larger using DisplayPort. Available in 49 (450-nit) and 55 inches (500-nit), the displays have native 4K-capable DisplayPort inputs and outputs. When installed in a 2×2 configuration across the four Full HD panels, the result is a single, film-like 4K (3840 x 2160/30p) video image..

The AW-HR140 integrated outdoor IP64 pan/tilt/ zoom FHD remote camera is designed for extreme and challenging outdoor environments, featuring a built-in wiper and defroster combined with a thermally designed chassis. The camera is network enabled with multi-channel live streaming and control all over IP.

The 360-degree Live Camera System AW-360C10 and AW-360B10 (Camera Head / Base Unit), generates industry-standard 2:1 equirectangular format 360-degree seamless video by real-time live stitching the output of four cameras, giving the viewer the sense of immersion in a variety of scenes, such as live broadcasts of sports, concerts and other stadium events.

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FEATURE

Click Goes The Gear Boys The Woolshed rises from the ashes with an enviable events/hospitality AV backbone.

Heavy duty glazing serves to provide acoustic isolation between areas within the venue, allowing multiple parties to stage events simultaneously. Philips LCD provide the visuals (including the 98 inch monsters pictured), QSC E15s plus an E18 subwoofer take care of audio in the main Fireside room.

Text:/ Christopher Holder

t’s every venue owner’s worst nightmare. A fire. But, providing you have adequate insurance… there’s a silver lining: you can build again, and this time, really get it right. The Atlantic Group’s Woolshed venue in Melbourne’s Docklands had just such a great misfortune; and made the most of the silver lining with an newly refit restaurant, bar and events venue. The Atlantic Group runs restaurants and bars, but they almost all have an events twist. I don’t need to tell you that events are becoming increasingly reliant on technology. And specialised events venues (like conference and exhibition centres) find it a little easier to stay abreast of developments by wheeling AV in and out. Meanwhile, the Woolshed needed AV infrastructure that would allow it to provide up to date presentation technologies, but also allow it to be multifunctional and flexible. And here’s the commercial rub: if the Woolshed could leverage technology to stage multiple events, simultaneously, in its venue then it’s easy to see how the tech could soon pay for itself.

Since the rebuild, Woolshed can accommodate six entirely independent parties in its venue. Each with its own AV. Alternatively, the Woolshed can be booked out for one super event with video and audio piped throughout. Or anything in between. A LA NODE

Node Audio Visual Systems took care of the AV design and install. It’s Tom Connolly’s company and he’s more recently taken on the experienced Anthony Sottosanti as his chief lieutenant. It’s a small outfit with many years of collective expertise. Node was able to lead Woolshed management through the process. The result is a deceptively sophisticated hospitality/events system that’s transformed the way a venue does business. The transformation is clear to the venue’s GM, Duncan Laidlaw, who made this observation: “I started here in August 2008 for a January 2010 opening. So we launched with 2008 tech. By way of perspective, in 2008 I had a Blackberry with a little trackball on it — it was

the best phone on the market. Well now we’ve got the iPhone 7 and whatever else is coming out — that’s how far the technology has come and that’s how fast it’s moving.” ACHIEVING VENUE FLEXIBILITY

There are a handful of technologies that provide the backbone of the flexible solution, and they’re familiar. A Crestron DM 16x16 matrix for video routing: there are 10 Philips large-format commercial displays dotted about the venue, one TCL big screen that survived the fire, while there are video input plates, Foxtel and Nightlife music video inputs. A QSC Core DSP provides the ‘anything to anywhere’ capability via the QSC CXD network multichannel amplifiers. A Crestron control solution on iPads: Keynote out of Melbourne took care of the programming and the UI is excellent. Venue staff get an elegant whole-of-venue snapshot of what AV is active where. Crestron AirMedia: It’s the Rolls Royce of

Equipped with a long-life laser light source for continuous projection. LPWU9100 WUXGA 10,000lm LPWU9750 WUXGA 8,000lm

LPWU6500 WUXGA 5,000lm

LPWU6600 WUXGA 6,000lm

For more information on Hitachi large venue projectors please visit www.hitachi.com.au/dps | call on 1800 HITACHI | email dps@hitachi.com.au

034

wireless screen sharing but takes the heartache out of saying ‘no’ to guests with random devices that won’t plug into a display. AirMedia is easy to use and another reason why Woolshed doesn’t need to call on AV staff. QUALITY THROUGHOUT

With the technological backbone in place, the Woolshed didn’t skimp on the audio. At its core is a Core, a QSC Core 500i DSP, and QSC CXD network amps. QSC loudspeakers are everywhere. E Series passive two-ways are in the performance spaces, and multiple low-profile AD series surfacemount speakers for background duties. The main Fireside room can be configured to put the band on the west or south side of the room. As a result there are three E15 loudspeakers flown from the ceiling. When the room is reset via the iPad control, the L-shaped loudspeaker configuration sparks up the correct pair of E15s. A single E18 sub rounds out the lows. An Allen & Heath Qu rack mixer makes life easy for visiting duos and bands on the weekend. Mix control is, again, via iPad. Regulars have taken to saving their settings as a preset, which saves messing about the next time. Often the QSC loudspeakers are all individually addressed by an amp channel, with some of the smaller surface mount speakers in the restaurant and on the balcony using a 100V line transformer.

FEATURE

Strategically-placed input wallplates allow DJs to plug straight in or allow the outputs of a mixing console to be plumbed in for larger visiting bands with their own FOH engineer and gear. There are four Shure SLX wireless microphone systems that can be used anywhere in the venue — again, it’s as simple as pressing the right button on the iPad controller. BIG SCREENS

The rebuild has allowed the Woolshed to buy into one of the largest LCD panels on the market. Duncan Laidlaw and the Atlantic Group management selected three Philips 98inch commercial displays. They’re certainly an impressively large screen, but in the context of the Fireside room with its soaring ceiling height, the screen real estate is a must. The Woolshed has two Nightlife music video systems, three channels of Foxtel, and inputs that allow video to be shunted to the screens. PAYOFF

The Woolshed is an open and shut case of high quality AV paying for itself, or at the very least, being a commercial imperative. It’s also a great example of a ‘boutique’ AV integrator having the patience and the know-how to meet the individual needs of a niche industry. Certainly, it’s a pleasure to see a well-integrated

KeyNote Controls provided the Crestron programming and UI design. It's easy to interrogate the AV settings across the venue and make necessary tweaks without needing to resort to calling an AV tech to ‘get something up on screen’.

system in action, sounding and looking great. The last word should go to Woolshed GM Duncan Laidlaw: “The freedom to set the venue up without moving stuff around is amazing. For example, we’ll have a conference that will use the main space and another, they can have the same screen content running throughout, without having to plug into multiple places. Previously we would need to hire AV staff to meet those kinds of demands and it got costly. Now it’s just so easy and less costly to run.” 

Node Audio Visual Systems: anthony.sottosanti@nodeav.com.au TAG (QSC, Allen & Heath): (02) 9519 0900 or info@tag.com.au Westan (Philips Displays): 1300 963 963 or westan.com.au Nightlife Music Video: www.nightlife.com.au Crestron: www.crestron.com KeyNote Controls: greg.hunt@keynotecontrols.com.au

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Samsung UHD Displays, differentiating the consumer experience through enhanced large-screen content sharing. For enquiries please contact our Business Desk T: 1800 31 32 33 | E: businessdesk@samsung.com Please visit www.samsung.com.au/business for more information. *Picture quality may vary depending on source content. ~Only specified models (QMF 49”, 55”, 65”, 75”, 98”) are designed to operate for 24/7. Model QMD 85” is designed to operate for a maximum of 16/7.

036

FEATURE

Big Operation The Sunshine Coast University Hospital packs $15m of ‘cutting edge’ AV. Text:/ Derek Powell

ueensland’s $1.8b Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) saw its first patients in March this year and was officially opened on 19 April 2017. The hospital opened with 450 beds, and will expand to its built capacity of a 738-bed facility by 2021. Its construction was a massive undertaking in every respect, and part of the project was a truly impressive (and award winning) $15m audiovisual fitout that encompassed a total of 144 rooms. To get a feel for the project, I spoke first with Andrew Harpur who led the audiovisual consulting team from CHW Consulting. He explained that CHW was engaged by Queensland Health to undertake a comprehensive design review of the existing audiovisual proposal. As with many large-scale projects, the SCUH audiovisual brief was submitted a number of years ago and contained a high level design comprising a number of what are now legacy

systems, such as VGA and composite video. “From a Queensland Health perspective,” Andrew explained, “it wanted a contemporary system, so we validated whether it was still compliant. We undertook three months of detailed user workshops with all of the key stakeholders to validate their requirements for AV solutions in the spaces it required.” Those spaces were quite extensive and varied, comprising 25 clinical spaces such as operating theatres, extensive educational facilities including simulation labs, lecture theatres and a 350-seat auditorium plus more than 70 meeting rooms ranging from simple spaces right through to twin Health Emergency Operations Centres, capable of disaster management for the entire Sunshine Coast region. The workshops proved to be a crucial part of the process and often involved a very large cast. “We had everyone from Heads of Surgery to the Theatre Nurses who operate the technology,” Andrew recalled. “We had the

IT representatives and, because it is a teaching hospital, we had all the universities and tertiary representation as well as clinical planners, and the other Queensland Health departments such as Telehealth. “And it was quite apparent,” Andrew continued, “that there was a big gap between what users were expecting and what had currently been documented. It certainly assisted with the process, having those stakeholders on board — and having their buy-in was essential.” GOODBYE ANALOGUE

Once the review was complete, Queensland Health engaged CHW as its consultant to update and go to market with a revised design for all of the audiovisual systems within SCUH. The first task in the redesign was to reassess whether analogue signals were still needed. “It’s not just the cabling costs or the connector costs for the AV. Obviously, we need bigger switches, but then we need to look at things

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FEATURE

like pendants and joinery and cable access. In some instances, by being able to shrink pendant sizes because we’ve got fewer connectors, saves thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.” So, while VGA inputs could be handled (where needed) using multi-format input plates, the entire design was simplified to an all-digital system based on AMX DXLink transmitters and AMX Enova DGX matrix switchers, with switcher frame sizes right up to 64x64. Going all-digital helped in other ways, too. Wherever medical equipment is to be connected to the audiovisual system (for monitoring, transmission or recording) it has to be electrically isolated to ensure safety. “One of the best ways to do that is with fibre,” Andrew explained. “What we did is to standardise the interconnection between all of the roll-about ‘equipment stacks’ they bring in and out of the theatres (that could be an ultrasound or an endoscopy machine, an image intensifier, or a laparoscopic stack for instance).” Fortunately,

the AMX DGX system makes that easy with a range of fibre transmitters as well as Cat6 connections. “We implemented that through the use of opticalCON connectors — the broadcast version that’s quite tough, and can handle a roadie throwing a road case on it.” THEATRE: MACHINES THAT GO PING

As the facility is a teaching hospital, the clinical rooms (such as operating theatres) can be quite complex as they cater not only to medical and surgical staff, but also to students who may be observing locally or remotely. Andrew described a typical operating theatre: “There are two NEC 75-inch displays on opposite walls, depending on which way the surgeon wants to stand. Then we have two pendant-mounted Sony clinical monitors the surgeon can bring in nice and close in front of them. Selected spaces also have full recording facilities using Metus broadcast encoders recording onto the data centre storage servers.

Sunshine Coast University Hospital: AV Facts & Figures Total Project Cost:

$1.8 billion

Beds (at opening):

450

AV Budget:

$15 million

Total AV Equipped Rooms:

144

O/Rs /Procedure Labs

Meeting Rooms

Simulation Spaces 8

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FEATURE

TEAM DETAILS CHW AV Project Team: Tim Hales Project Director Andrew Harpur Lead AV Consultant James Kilpatrick Project Engineer Rutledge AV: Corey Cupples Rutledge AV Project Manager Glen Reus Rutledge AV Sales Estimator

There are three to four cameras in each of the spaces to facilitate both the recording and the Telehealth requirements. Every theatre has a Cisco CX80 videoconference codec and through the Telehealth network, they can videoconference to just about any other space with a Cisco Codec — lecture theatres, conference rooms, training rooms auditoriums and other operating theatres.” As well as inputs from the medical equipment (such as endoscope cameras) the larger theatres are fitted with four Sony SRG300 broadcast PTZ cameras, alongside a camera right in the middle of the LED operating theatre light. Andrew noted: “The feedback we’ve had from the users is that they are very impressed with the quality of those cameras and the whole signal chain. We’ve kept everything in HD resolution at 60 frames — as high as we possibly can through the system. We obviously had to ensure the signal chain was capable of maintaining that quality right the way through.”

INTEGRATION: 12 GUYS ON CAMPUS

Meanwhile, Rutledge AV had won the tender for the audiovisual installation, having previously worked with the builder (Lend Lease) on the Gold Coast University Hospital, completed a few years earlier. However, this was a much bigger installation contract, as Corey Cupples, onsite Project Manager for Rutledge AV, explained: “We had 12 guys onsite plus about six office staff working on it pretty much full time, across engineering, programming, commissioning, and precommissioning,” he recalled. The clinical spaces posed some interesting installation challenges not found on more routine jobs. “All the walls are lead lined which means all cabling needs to come through conduits and, once in, they couldn’t be altered,” Corey noted. In such a complex project, it was important for Rutledge AV to have its teams be organised, flexible and agile. “It’s definitely a challenge

working with a builder and only having a single narrow window of time to get cables in. Everything moved extremely quickly from a builder’s point of view with everyone jumping in and out. “We pre-commissioned a lot of equipment before it rolled on to site,” Corey continued. “We pre-built all the racks, loaded the programs, commissioned and then rolled them into the rooms.” EDUCATION: SIM CITY

As you would expect at a modern teaching hospital, training facilities are a major focus. A separate building houses the educational facilities which include six fully-equipped simulation suites where medical scenarios can be created, recorded and later analysed as a learning aid for medical students. There is a full operating theatre simulation and an eight-bed simulated hospital ward as well as a simulated birthing suite, resuscitation bay and intensive care unit. Andrew Harpur regards these spaces

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FEATURE

Equipment List Highlights

Operations: One of the SCUH rack rooms, including a rack of tvONE C2-6104A four-window multiviewers, used to enable multiple images to be recorded or used for video conferencing as a single source. The inputs can include (depending on the room), cameras, medical equipment outputs (ie. endoscopy, haemodynamic, laparoscopic, real-time scanning equipment), medical imaging, simulation equipment, patient information etc .

as second to none in Australia, featuring multichannel video, audio and data streaming, recording and replay facilities capable of capturing every aspect of the simulation from multiple angles. Other teaching facilities include a 350-seat auditorium with its own video production centre. Up to seven cameras can be used for streaming or live videoconferencing and each of the cameras can be iso-recorded for later post production using a Grass Valley EDIUS editing system. But wait, there’s more (too much more to cover in one article!), including meeting and boardrooms; other clinical spaces ranging from procedure labs to multidisciplinary training rooms, audiology and autopsy facilities plus mental health spaces. POST OP

With so much new technology, post installation support is clearly vital to a smooth transition to full operation. To address this, Ricky Cook, Rutledge AV’s Queensland State Manager, explained how Rutledge implemented a Service Level Agreement to provide a Resident Technician on-site. “It was vitally important to have somebody onsite to give the users confidence that they can make one phone call and hear from the resident technician: ‘yes I’m on my way, I’m here to help you’. And it’s also important to provide ongoing training, so if people move and somebody new comes in, they can be taught how to use the equipment.”

Cameras

145 × Sony SRG300H/W 11 × Sony SNC-EP580 PTZ

Switching

45 × AMX Enova DGX (8- 16- 32- & 64-way) 92 × AMX Enova DVX 2250 10 × AMX Enova DVX 3255

Video Transmission

AMX — DXLink including: 203 × AMX DX-TX Cat Transmitters 125 × AMX DX-TX-DWP-4K Cat Transmitters 42 × AMX DX-RX-4K Cat Receivers 227 × AMX DX-RX Cat Receivers Plus 210 × AMX DXF-RX/TX-MMD Fibre Rx/Tx 20 × SVSi 2000 series encoders/decoders

Touch Panel Controllers

96 × AMX MSD/MST 7” and 10” Panels Plus 24 × AMX TPI Pro/ELO

Central Controllers

42 × AMX NX-3200; 2200 or 1200 series

Wireless Presentation Gateways

136 × Extron ShareLink 250 series

Monitors

30 × Sony LMD2451MD 41 × NEC X651UHD 20 × NEC V Series (32-; 55-; 65-inch) 72 × NEC P Series (55-) Plus 84 × Sony KDL-series 65-inch and other receivers

Interactive Displays

112 × Hitachi HILF75101

Projectors

6 × Hitachi CPWX5500 2 × Panasonic PT-DZ870EK

Screens

Screen Technics

DSP

85 × Biamp Tesira Forte

Ceiling Microphones

128 × ClearOne CLR-910-001-013-W 50 × AKG CHM 99W

Boundary Microphones

30 × Beyerdynamic BM33B

Other Microphones

75 × AKG CK Series Condenser (CK99; 49; 31) 31 × AKG CGN 321 STS Table Mics

Radio Microphones

37 × AKG DSR-800 Receivers 19 × AKG DHT800 Hand Held Tx 59 × AKG DPT800 Body Pack Tx + D5W1 80 × Revolabs Elite MIC TA4 12 × Revolabs Elite Exec 8/4 Receivers

Amplifiers

50 × Australian Monitor AM21O/AM41P

Speakers (wallmount)

102 × Australian Monitor TXG50W (ceiling mount) 157 × Australian Monitor AM60 CS 118 × JBL Control 24CT

Auditorium Sound System

d&b Audiotechnik

After such a massive, long-term project, both designer and integrator were in agreement that communication had been key. “It seemed pretty seamless,” noted Ricky, “everybody valued everybody’s comments.” From CHW’s perspective, Andrew Harpur

agreed: “This was one of those cases where it just worked; and it shows that it worked! At the end of the day there were very few outstanding issues; we went live and it all worked. It’s one to show that the close engagement of a design consultant certainly pays dividends.” 

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FEATURE

Business as Unusual PwC pushes the design and technology boats out to meet clients in a whole new way. Text:/ Christopher Holder Images:/ Nicole England

‘B

usiness as usual’ simply wasn’t an option. PwC could see its work was changing. It could also see that expectations from clients were changing. Perhaps only 10 years ago, as a provider of financial and consulting services, PwC might pride itself in its solid advice, dependability and its global reach. These attributes, although still prized, were now not sufficient. Clients were looking for a fresh perspective, and being able to solve problems collegiately rather than simply outsourcing it to PwC. Things were changing rapidly, such that when it came time to refit and/or move its east coast city offices, the PwC partners and executive were looking for radical transformation… CLIENTS’ RIGHT

This issue we take a walk through the client collaboration floors of PwC’s new Barangaroo and Riverside Quay offices. Both these fitouts had ASL onboard as the AV consultant. The AV integration was handled by Fredon Technology. Both sites have four levels of client collaboration floors. They comprise an amalgam of meeting spaces of different shapes and sizes, flexible lounge areas (where AV can be rolled in and out

to accommodate meetings), and hospitality areas. As a PwC client you’re greeted by the welcome crew, assisted in connecting with your PwC Host, offered barista-made coffee and shown to the preferred meeting space. It’s a different experience. Not just here in Australia but potentially anywhere in the world. It’s saying: “We do things differently”. PwC CIO, Hilda Clune puts it this way: “PwC’s purpose is to solve important problems and build trust in society. There is an emerging need for spaces that are flexible and can be used for sessions with clients, where we co-create a solution to a business problem. This scenario needs richness and choice of high-tech, low-tech and tactile tools to support design thinking and accelerated solution design.”

triggering different expectations and changing perceptions. It was all about options and their clients choice in the way they want to work with PwC. PwC were really open to new ideas — they actively asked for this. We had a huge amount of scope and they were willing to take a big leap of faith. In other words, it’s a seriously radical departure. AV Asia Pacific: What are some of the key design decisions you made to shake things up? Angela Ferguson: First of all, it doesn’t look like an office. It’s more like a blend of a hotel, hospitality, retail, and even the airline industry. Secondly, it’s more open than any workspace you’ve ever seen before. There’s a whole range of different settings across the client collaboration floors that offer different degrees of privacy and TECH SAVVY ARCHITECT different types of technology. So whatever manner The interior architect for PwC’s Melbourne and of meeting you could possibly think of, there’s a Sydney offices was FutureSpace. AV Asia Pacific space that will support you to do that. spoke with FutureSpace Managing Director, Angela AV Asia Pacific: Technology is an intrinsic feature Ferguson. It’s not every issue we chat with the of the interior design, which is rare. architect but this is no ordinary fitout. Read on: Angela Ferguson: AV is too often left to the very AV Asia Pacific: Just how much of a radical end and rarely properly integrated into the interior departure is the design? architecture, which is always a big problem. Angela Ferguson: PwC’s brief was to create Especially as technology changes so quickly, I an exceptional end-to-end client experience — think clients leave that decision to the last minute

FEATURE

043

WHO’S WHO Interior Architect: FutureSpace Builder (Sydney): Lend Lease Fitout (Sydney): Build Corp Build & Fitout (Melbourne): Mirvac AV Consultants: Audio Systems Logic (ASL) AV Integration: Fredon Technology Digital Content: Downstream Web-based Building Control: ACA

and the AV becomes a bit of a bolt-on as a result; not something that’s a holistic part of the process. We like to get technology involved early. If you’re having conversations about AV early it means that you get a better result in the end. AV Asia Pacific: In your experience, why is AV often an afterthought? Angela Ferguson: Sometimes clients don’t appreciate how important it is. I also think it’s the rate at which technology changes. If you’re doing a project that’s 18 months or two years from being completed, often they want to leave that decision until much later, because they want the latest technology. AV AsiaPacific: What were the initial discussions you had with ASL regarding the AV? Angela Ferguson: We had ASL onboard as AV consultant early. They were fantastic. There were two types of technology to consider: There was the day-to-day technology which was around AV and connecting staff and clients. But there was also the signature technology; the technology that enhances the client experience. We also had Downstream onboard for that and the whole process started with PwC, because they wanted to do something that was very different from a technology point of view. They wanted

something that was of the future, in terms of technology, not gimmicky and offered a real value add to the client experience. From there, between FutureSpace, Downstream and ASL, it was a really collaborative process the whole way through. AV Asia Pacific: Can you give us an insight into some of the thought processes behind the feature tech? Angela Ferguson: As an example, PwC wanted to ensure insights could be easily shared with clients. So we’ve got the digital waterfalls that run throughout the four levels of the client collaboration floors in Sydney and Melbourne. These digital waterfalls are touchscreens: you can interact with them and input your preferences and it will ‘rain’ a constant stream of relevant information, tailored to your needs. That’s an example of designing the infrastructure around the technology; Downstream not only helped deliver the technology part of that piece, but also the content with PwC. AV Asia Pacific: How have the client floors been received in the hustle and bustle of daily commerce? Angela Ferguson: The uptake from PwC’s clients and people has been just fantastic. Both have embraced the spaces and they’re using them in exactly the way that they were intended. There’s always that nagging tinge of ‘oh I hope

this works’, because it was a risk for PwC to do something so bold compared to what the market stereotypically knows professional services to be. They’re doing something different. But people have really embraced this new way of working, this new level of openness, and it’s been amazing. And just the vibrancy and energy and buzz whenever you go there is just fantastic. AV’S NEW MASTER

It’s hard not to feel change in the air: change in the way big business wants to leverage technology to nail its innovation credentials to the mast; change in the way architects will need to be more collaborative to ensure the proper integration of tech into contemporary design; changes in what’s expected of A-List integrators faced with skyhigh client expectations in terms of how quickly projects are turned around (okay, that’s always been an issue) and how to problem solve on the hoof, even as systems are commissioned. AV may have been a technology layer that needed to be managed by the facilities team, now it’s technology that’s another citizen of the network. PwC with its Extron XTP matrix switching isn’t entirely on the network but with the CIO as the ultimate authority, AV has a new master. 

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FEATURE

A PwC client collaboration floor is a showcase of carefully integrated showpiece AV. The lion’s share of displays were supplied by Samsung, although in this shot you'll spot LG Stretch displays and a 2x3 Planar touch Welcome Wall. SoundTube pendant speakers provide sound reinforcement and noise masking.

OPEN PLAN: SVSI ON A TROLLEY Wide open airport lounge-style meeting spaces certainly appeals to many. But if a meeting requires VC, collaboration or presentation technology you have a choice: decamp to a closed meeting space or bring the tech to the meeting. ASL and Fredon have worked on a supercharged AV trolley to take care of just about any meeting requirement. The Gilkon trolley packs a Samsung display with a multi-touch overlay, Mersive Solstice collaboration and a wireless presentation system and plugs into a floorbox with only power and a category cable. ASL’s Alex Burns, and Fredon Technology’s GM Nick Orsatti and Project Manager Justin Anders explain the setup: Alex Burns, ASL: You can plug a trolley into any floor box. There’s no further configuration required other than the basic plugging into the right data socket, from there you’re able to broadcast to any and every single trolley directly over the wired network as well as doing it wirelessly. We used SVSI’s 1080p video-overIP system to achieve this. PwC was willing to try new things and try new product, which is how we were able to take the leap of faith with the SVSI system. How it works: you can nominate one of the trolleys as a main presenter. You can choose any of the four inputs — HDMI, USB3, WePresent wireless presenter and the Mersive Solstice wireless collaboration system.

From there you can work directly on that station and broadcast that out to other trolleys. You can take in other video conferencing feeds directly from the likes of a Cisco SX80 codec. The output of that is available on the SVSI network and can be sent to any trolley. Flexibility is the main drawcard. You can place a trolley wherever you like inside that network and not have to go through expensive patching or having to deal with HDBaseT matrixing, which is typically fixed to that socket. So it’s a big benefit and that’s why we were quite happy to put SVSI to the test, and the SVSI guys’ assistance was invaluable in getting both the 4K [for the 10x2 video wall pictured later] and the traditional 1080p going. Why Solstice? We’ve been using Mersive Solstice in a number of commercial projects now, and clients like its usability. It’s very friendly from that perspective; being able to get a whole group of people onto the platform, being able to collaborate with documents, pushing that backwards and forwards and having the 4K outputs. It’s one of the first collaboration systems to go 4K, so you get the most out of an 85-inch screen. Justin Anders, Fredon: The SVSI solution interacts with mobile trolleys, and heavily relied on the infrastructure of the cabling that we put in for floor boxes of the open spaces. The AV had to be dynamic as the thoughts that come in — grab your trolley, move to a floor box and without any active equipment being moved around the

place the SVSI system is there to support them for any needs they brainstorm, come up with solutions, whether it be whiteboard, 85-inch trolleys on it, 55inch trolleys as well. That was the mandate from PwC, that it needed to have that robustness and flexibility. That was a key part and that came quite late in the project — it wasn’t on the Day 1 build of materials. It was definitely an integration challenge, to ensure it was supremely flexible and for it to be addressable under the ACA room booking system as well. Nick Orsatti, Fredon: Credit needs to go to Extron for going on a journey with PwC, which is is why they have so much more HDBaseT product installed and a relatively small deployment of SVSI — it's all about being fit for purpose to meet functional outcomes And from a cost perspective a video-and-IP solution, whether that’s SVSI or something else that’s emerging, still has a significant cost element. That’s not always a hard cost — as in how much the endpoints cost; the encoders and decoders etc — but a lot of it is around the switching fabric. Take SVSI as an example. You could set up a SVSI network on a commodity-grade switch. But in many corporate environments they’re underpinned by using an enterprise-grade switching fabric. So you didn’t really get the cost-benefit there. In other words, there are other considerations and constraints at play.

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FEATURE

SHURE MXA CEILING Nick Orsatti, Fredon: Shure’s MXA Dante-based ceiling array (pictured above) addresses the challenge of making technology fit into a space that has a lot of physical constraints. In spaces where you can’t have mics hanging from the ceiling, where they get in the way of projection sightlines or LCD sightlines. When we first saw the ceiling arrays become available we were instantly attracted to the fact you could adapt the array to the size, shape and acoustic of the room

in a granular fashion. Plus it obviously gets gear off the tables, which is especially useful when the tables need to move around. (The cost of moving components around and ensuring it all still works is a big one.) So originally we planned to use a hybrid solution of different microphone types and we thought: ‘how about we take a more uniform approach, and make it easy to commission’. So we’ve used Shure MXA ceiling arrays and also Shure MicroFlex wireless as

roving mics in events and town hall spaces. The Shure MXA ceiling arrays plug straight into the Q-Sys Core. They’re very tightly integrated as platforms. You can control all of the Shure nodes and presets from within the Q-Sys environment. From an integrator’s perspective, that’s gold because you’re not trying to log into different devices that are on different subnets. When you’ve got no time to commission, the simpler you can make that process, the better.

THE POWER OF TOUCH Just about every display you see pictured is touch enabled. All the working screens are from Samsung with special purpose screens coming from Planar, Multitaction and LG. The level of interactivity, you’d have to say, is unprecedented. PwC CIO, Hilda Clune, elaborates: Hilda Clune, PwC: Touch is an important element in engaging our audience and in the adoption of technology. As technology more frequently becomes the tool of choice for innovative and collaborative sessions, increasing the opportunity for touch technology naturally lifts the degree of interaction. In the more sophisticated experiences through the journey, the technology is designed to entice the person to engage in an intuitive way. Justin Anders, Fredon: The idea is that touching and interaction is invited, in fact, it’s expected. Even in the smaller Google Hangout/Chrome box huddle spaces. PwC’s welcome wall uses Planar displays with a PQ Labs touch overlay. We’ve used Multitaction displays for the 180° curved innovation hub space in Sydney.

Conventional IR touch isn’t so suited to curved spaces like that. Nick Orsatti, Fredon: The equivalent space in Melbourne is a little larger and we’ve used SiliconCore 1.5mm pixel pitch LED, which represents five contiguous HD images. There’s no touch on those screens; presentation only. That setup and the Multitaction version has tvONE Coriomaster video wall processing behind it, to allow for the various use cases. The team at Corsair Solutions support tvONE well and applied their talents to working on that video wall application. Coriomaster looks to be well designed for presentation areas like this. Alex Burns: I’ll say one thing about the guys at Corsair Solutions, they’re up for a challenge! They were active in the prototyping because we had some interesting scenarios. We were using the LG 58:9 Stretch display in Melbourne and some of the timing and the resolutions we presented to the Coriomaster were a challenge. The guys from Corsair were there to assist with some of that and helped with some modifications, which is definitely to their credit.

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WELCOME WALL TECH Extron USB Extender/Transmitter 10× Planar MX55HDU-V-ERO-100 55-inch LED-LCD Display 5× PQ Labs Multitouch Overlay (32 Point) 5× Radius Networks PiBeacon Bluetooth Beacon/Scanner 5× SoundTube CM62-EZs-II Ceiling Loudspeakers

FEATURE

GET A ROOM: ACA DISRUPTION The brains of the control aspects of the operation is the ACAEngine, a web-standard control platform that you can read all about elsewhere this issue. Any room (regardless of size/importance) or device connected to the corporate network has access to the control solution. In small spaces such as huddle booths, the control interface might run on the staff member’s own phone, tablet or laptop. In larger meeting rooms, a mounted HP tablet is used to present the user interface. This is simply a webpage in locked-down kiosk mode. “One of the biggest advantages of using a Windows tablet,” ACA’s Jonathan MacFarlane has noted, “is that it can be managed by the corporate IT team on a standard operating environment (SOE) image.

What’s more, it can be purchased through existing IT suppliers such as Dell and fall under existing support and maintenance contracts.” On the outside of certain meeting rooms is a Windows tablet running ACA’s web-based room booking interface. Essentially, this is a custom ACAEngine interface but instead of providing the standard room controls, it allows users to make room bookings. Staff can search for rooms by AV and capacity requirements using the ACA room finding app. This is a quick and easy way to find an available room that meets your specific needs and runs on mobile or desktop through any browser. ACA integrates with PwC's room booking system (CABS) to determine availability.

SECURITY ON THE NETWORK: NEEDING ANSWERS Fredon Technology GM, Nick Orsatti reflects on the challenges of meeting IT’s stringent security standards: “The security of the information in these spaces is of paramount importance. And it’s a real conundrum, maintaining security while meeting the the demands of a client’s functional outcomes. “For example, on the PwC client collaboration floors, as a client I can reasonably expect wi-fi. We can provide guest wi-fi, but how do we enable that and allow internal people to use their wi-fi as well as guests and present on a collaboration system like Solstice? Or how do I ensure the Dante-enabled microphones aren’t picked up and recorded by someone with a virtual soundcard? The stakes are definitely higher now, and IT teams are

paying more attention to AV. “I think one of the biggest announcements that came out of InfoComm17 was Audinate’s Dante Domain Manager. With more clients seeing the benefits of AoIP, Domain Manager is a hugely significant enabler for converged networks. “Increasingly we’re working on projects where there are so many devices that we have split them up into different IP subnets. Domain Manager promises to assist greatly in managing the large scale deployment of realtime audio on converged networks with simplicity and control. Anything with an Audinate chip will automatically subscribe to Domain Manager and then you can effectively put some access control rules to lock it down.

“IT managers hate it when you can’t tell them what your device is: it’s not a PC, it’s not a printer, it’s not a server, it’s not a phone… What is this device? To them, it’s rogue. Then you ask him to break all the rules they’ve set up for uniformity to keep security in place. “Spare a thought for the IT managers for a minute; it’s a challenge for them to stay across the ever-widening scope of everything that can and does reside on their integrated network. “Equally, the IT skill set we need as integrators is now quite considerable — you can’t just sit there thinking, ‘Oh that’s a network issue, leave it to the IT guys.’”

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FEATURE

FROM THE CIO Hilda Clune, PwC: A large portion of the investment in our new way of working is the significant uplift in the presence of technology, both AV and collaborative, in all styles of spaces. It forms a part of the fabric of the space, underpinning the meeting or session being held and is considered a part of the basic design of any meeting space. To further embed the capabilities, we have ensured consistency in both the technology and control set across both our people and client collaboration floors to further endorse the need for all to be able to use the technology, regardless of whether it is an internal or client meeting. Our client experience, and ease of access to technology has also been considered in meeting the emerging need for our clients to connect as we collaborate and co-create.

FLAME TREE

EXTRON: CONTROLLING TOUCH

The LED Flame Tree in the Melbourne office is the creation of lighting designer to the stars, Bruce Ramis. The artwork extends through the four floors of the atrium then branches out below like the roots of a tree. Various, largely indigenouslystyled, content changes with the Melbourne weather which famously can swing about from hour to hour.

Alex Burns: We used Extron’s new USB networkenabled transport for all the touchscreens. And that’s definitely a game-changer. Instead of a traditional one-cable transmitter connected to a receiver, it runs through an active network switch and a managed switch — it creates touch overlay matrixes. So if you’ve got two screens in a room and a single source, you can go to both screens and control those or switch between two different sources or more — we had multiple screens being able to have, say, four different floor boxes and doing network switching reliably.

WHAT’S ON THE TROLLEY Gilkon FP8 Tilt & Mobile Screen Stands (pictured left) Extron SW4 HDMI Auto-Switcher Samsung DM55E Display with touch overlay Lenovo USB3.0 Ultra Dock Docking Station Radius Networks Rad Beacon USB Bluetooth Beacon WePresent WiPG-1600 Wireless Presenter

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052

PREVIEW

Riedel Bolero

Wireless Intercom System

iedel has a new wireless intercom solution called Bolero. Bolero operates in the licensefree 1.9GHz DECT frequency range. It can be fully integrated into Riedel’s Artist digital matrix intercom platform, and can be used three ways: as a wireless beltpack, as a wireless keypanel, and as a walkie-talkie radio. Bolero runs over a standards-based AES67 IP network. Decentralised antennas connect to AES67 switches and then to Artist frames equipped with AES67 client cards, providing a point-to-point intercom ecosystem with roaming capabilities. To the system, the beltpacks look just like Riedel panels (albeit a wireless one), providing a high level of flexibility and programmability. FLOORED BY DECT?

The Bolero voice codec provides both higher speech intelligibility and more efficient use of RF spectrum. Reidel claims it supporting twice the number of beltpacks per antenna for the same audio bandwidth as other DECT-based systems. The codec has low latency characteristics while being efficient with processing power, providing excellent beltpack battery life, and saving DSP processing power for other functions. Bolero features Riedel’s ADR (Advanced DECT Receiver) technology, a diversity receiver technology specifically designed to reduce sensitivity to multipath RF reflections. Cleverly, Bolero also uses NFR (near field communication) to speed up the beltpack registration process — just touch the beltpack to the antenna to be on your way. The beltpacks support Bluetooth 4.1, allowing a smartphone to be connected. When a smartphone is connected, the beltpack can act like a car’s ‘hands-free’ setup so the user can receive calls on their phone and talk and listen via their beltpack headset. Users can also make calls and then connect that person into the intercom matrix, eliminating the need for a telephone hybrid.

• Bolero is capable of supporting 10 beltpacks per antenna (thanks to the BV.32 codec) and up to 100 antennas in a single deployment. • Decentralised antennas connect to AES67 switches and to Artist frames equipped with AES67 client cards, providing a point-to-point intercom system with full roaming capabilities. The more antennas added, the more robust the network becomes. • The ADR technology is designed to reduce sensitivity to multipath RF reflections, making Bolero useable in challenging RF environments where other systems have great difficulty.

• There are six buttons for six intercom channels or pointto-point communications, plus a separate ‘Reply’ button to contact the last person who called. • The sunlight readable and dimmable display can be inverted so that it is readable in any orientation. • Can be used without a headset like a walkie-talkie radio, utilising an integrated mic and speaker. • Supports Bluetooth 4.1, allowing either a Bluetooth headset or a Smartphone to be connected. • When a Smartphone is connected, the beltpack can act like a car’s ‘hands-free’ setup so the user can receive calls on their phone and talk and listen via their beltpack headset. Users can also inject phone calls directly into the intercom channels, providing new levels of workflow flexibility. • Beltpacks use high-impact plastics and rubber overloads, making it both tough and comfortable to use in any situation.

BULLET PROOF

Based on Riedel’s rental experience — where product can encounter some serious punishment — the beltpacks use high-impact plastic and rubber overmoulds, to create a tough device with an ergonomic feel that provides easy use and handling. The display can be inverted so that it is readable in any orientation. The beltpack itself features six buttons for each of the six intercom channels, plus a separate ‘Reply’ button that easily facilitates a reply to the last channel that called. Finally, the beltpack can be used without a headset like a walkie-talkie radio utilising an integrated mic and speaker. 

MORE INFO Riedel (02) 9669 1199 www.riedel.net

PREVIEW

053

EPA ENERGY-EFFICIENT POWER AMPLIFIERS

BOLERO: PERFECT 10? AV AsiaPacific caught up with Reidel’s APAC Director, Cameron O’Neill, for his reflections on why Bolero is such a big deal. AV AsiaPacific: What are Bolero’s standout features from your perspective? Cameron O’Neill: The biggest one for me is the RF technology. The Advanced DECT Receiver (ADR) is a new way of receiving and processing the 1.9GHz DECT RF, allowing us to filter out the reflections that have made DECT (and other high-frequency systems) unreliable in areas like convention centres and arenas. Our rental teams were using a lot of Acrobat (as were our customers) and this was one of the major complaints. So we worked hard to fix that. The ADR alone has given us a substantial improvement over Acrobat (and other similar systems), turning venues that were “unusable” into totally acceptable. Also on the RF side of things is the antenna diversity: not only do we have spatial diversity on both the pack and the cell antenna, we also have directional diversity — the antennae are rotated 90° to each other. This further improves the reflection rejection on the packs. We’ve also spent a lot of time on the codec (the BV.32 codec ) for three reasons. One is that it is a really lightweight codec, meaning we get double the number of packs per antenna than systems using G.722 (we get 10 beltpacks per cell — even when handing over to multiple cells). It’s also incredibly fast, and we’re seeing about 35ms pack-to-pack latency. This is a massive improvement over Acrobat, and it’s at the point where you can watch someone talking to you and only barely perceive the delay. Lastly, it sounds great. Voice is clean, and tests show that it’s much more understandable than other standard codecs like G.711 and G.722 (even in wideband mode). AV AsiaPacific: The NFC and Bluetooth features look nifty as well. Cameron O’Neill: NFC registration between the beltpacks and antennae means rental companies can easily move their pool of packs from one system to another — it’ll save them hours. The Bluetooth connectivity allows you to sync your phone to the pack so you can take calls without removing your headset. Alternatively, you can add that audio to the

network, allowing your beltpack to act as a makeshift Hybrid. So there is a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to Bolero! AV AsiaPacific: If I’m an Acrobat user should I be looking to upgrade? Cameron O’Neill: You don’t have to move from Acrobat to Bolero, but if you’ve had any issues with RF (like reflections), or if you need a super low-latency system, then maybe it’s worth at least asking for a demo of Bolero. AV AsiaPacific: Meanwhile, if I’m using an Artist system, Bolero looks to be good addition? Cameron O’Neill: That’s right, Bolero can be seen as a wireless extension to Artist. If you have an Artist system, all you need to do is install an AES67 card and you’re now talking directly to your Bolero belt packs (compared to running through a CC-8 or CC-60 for Acrobat). You can also think of each Bolero beltpack as a six-key wireless panel that you configure in Director, just like your wired panels. A great feature is that the AES67 card can also talk to wired panels (like the RSP-2318 Smart Panel) or to third-party equipment; it’s not like it’s a dedicated Bolero-only card in your frame. AV AsiaPacific: What are the advantages in going with AES67 for audio transport? Cameron O’Neill: We chose AES67 for a number of reasons: Firstly, we wanted our antennae and Artist to be communicating with a full-bandwidth, ultra-low latency system, and AES67 fits the bill here. AES67 is great in that it’s being driven by some of the biggest players in the broadcast industry, and it is the standard for audio interoperability. It’s also been selected as the audio part of the upcoming SMPTE-2110 standard (as SMPTE-2110-30). But the main reason is because it is the most modern transport method that exists on Layer 3; so you don’t really need a specific switch for small systems (and if you’re going large, you only need industry-standard protocols like IGMP Snooping and PTP — which are supported by most modern switches). We have got our AVB connections for Artist and Tango, but the requirement for specialist switches made that a bit of a harder choice for us, and that’s why we’re sticking with AES67.

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054

REVIEW

Hitachi CPWU8700 & FL710

LCD Projector & Ultra Short-Throw Lens Text:/ Christopher Holder

he Hubble Telescope pitch was compelling. Rather than relying on terrestrial telescopes the size of a W Class tram, or Bond-villainstyle radio arrays/dishes; put a telescope into orbit where it doesn’t have to deal with the inherent distortion of viewing the cosmos through the Earth’s atmosphere. In other words, rather than continue to incrementally improve our astronomical ‘eyeball’, let the Hubble telescope remove the dodgy ‘contact lens’ that’s making everything indistinct. A couple of space walks later and scientists held their breath or at least remained hopeful that their breath would be taken by the never-beforewitnessed snapshots of the universe. Trouble was, they were a bit blurry. It was like waiting for your honeymoon snaps to return from the Kodak shop only to find you had your finger in front of the lens the whole time. Big let down. Thankfully they fixed the problem by sending up a lens that corrected the problem. Apparently the mirror was slightly out of whack. The only reason I mention this story is as a reminder of the crazy-clever visual sleight of hand an ultra-short throw lens is being asked to do. The good ones provide a better than 0.40 projection ratio, and offer a totally even picture quality (in terms of brightness and sharpness) across the entire image. The tolerances are super-fine. Get it right and you have yourself a huge image with the projector tucked up/down and out of the way with no shadowing. Get it even minutely wrong and you have a Hubble v1.0 problem. Hitachi’s FL710 ultra short throw lens is a keeper… no need to pull the Space Shuttle out of retirement. We brought its fraternal twin in for questioning a few years ago: the FL900. Like the FL710 the

FL900 is doing all the work optically. Unlike the FL900, the FL710 slots into the far thriftier 8000 series. The FL900 with a 9000 series projector is a magnificent combo but pricing heads north of $20,000 quite quickly. The 8000 Series/FL710 combo, on the other hand, is more like a $15,000 investment. TALK THROUGH THE LENS

The FL710 ships in a box not much smaller than the projector itself. It’s around 3kg and comes with a bracket that removes the strain on the projector, keeping it all locked into place. You can add a further bracket for compatibility with a projector mount. Fitting the lens is straightforward. Fitting the bracket is reasonably straightforward. It’s worth giving the manual a read before you embark. Once erected there’s advice as to how to proceed when using lens shift and something called lens tilt. Getting an ultra short-throw lens image absolutely tickety-boo is always bit of a fiddle, but I found working with the FL710 comparatively easy and responsive. The lens shift is an essential ‘luxury’ and getting the geometry right was easy enough. Given the unavoidably extreme nature of the distortion from the lens to throw the image, any physical distortion in your projection surface will be amplified. For best results use a perfectly-flat board screen. A high gain screen (with narrow viewing angle) aren’t so suitable, best opt for a low-gain matte screen with a wide viewing angle. It’s also worth noting that best results will be gained by spending the time placing the projector in the optimal location. Saying that, it’s nice to know the 8000 Series projectors have the fire power to get you out of a tight spot if that’s where you find yourself.

SL-712 on the CP-WU8700B

4.48m

160 inch Screen 1.29m

FL-710 on the CP-WU8700B

After giving the projector and lens time to (thermally) settle in and find its new normal I made my final focus adjustments. Again, every move is amplified when you’re dealing with a 0.38 projection ratio ultra short-throw lens, so focus noticeably alters the image size. None of this will come as a surprise to experienced installers. THINK SHORT, THINK BIG

I was testing the FL710 with a WUXGA CPWU8700 LCD projector and it’s an excellent combination. Hitachi isn’t gunning for the primary school mass-market, ultra short-throw sector so much as more specialist verticals such as museum displays, conference and exhibition centres, auditorium etc. Here it excels. 7000 lumens (oriented portrait or landscape), and the promise of a whopping 350-inch (nearly 9m in the diagonal) image with the back end of the projector only 2m away. During my tests we used a 5.5m-wide backdrop, running full HD images from an Arkaos Mediamaster player via Displayport into the back of the CPWU8700. It’s worth remembering that with the FL710 lens you don’t have any zoom

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REVIEW

MODULAR CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS

There’s plenty of I/O options for installers. 2 HDMI input terminals, DisplayPort, HDBaseT, and SDI input terminals. A handy terminal cover will neaten things up nicely once you’re finished making the connections.

available (unlike the other factory lenses), which makes projector placement even more crucial. After finding the right distance, and applying some keystone correction and lens shift we had a huge image that was very discreet from a staging point of view. The 3LCD image was bright, vivid and with great consistency of focus right into the corners. You can easily edge blend if you need to go larger still (although maintain at least a 50cm distance between projectors for the sake of the air intakes). There’s an edge blending assistant wizard in the menu. The warping features are sophisticated and there’s a downloadable (and very helpful) software warping tool to assist allowing you to conform your image to non-standard surfaces. According to Hitachi it’s possible to edge blend and warp at the same time, which sounds like the projector equivalent of walking and chewing gum. You can stack the projector for extra brightness if you have a more standard lens fitted. The projector is a thoroughbred installation unit with all the I/O you need, including HDBaseT as standard and easy control from ‘name’ commercial control systems. The 8700 even has an SDI input, which may be ‘deal sealer’ for certain applications. Touches such as the choice of colour (black or white) and the terminal cover (which markedly tidies up the look of the back end of the projector when you’re using multiple connectors) are most welcome. UPKEEP

Hitachi now does a good range of laser and LED projectors promising the customary 20,000 hours of life from the light source. The 8700 is conventional LCD projector and promises a more traditional 2000 hours out of the 430W lamp (or 4000 hours in eco mode). While we’re on the

subject of maintenance, the filter will need periodic attention. It’s not a filter that automatically feeds through on a roll. It’s a three-layer filter (two layers of unwoven cloth and a ‘High Air Flow’ filter). The filter can last up to a (quoted) 20,000 hours without cleaning, reducing maintenance time. Chances are you’d replace the filter when you replace the lamp (which is easy to access on the side panel). Lamp life and maintenance are all high on the agenda of considerations. This isn’t an ‘always on’ projector.

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CHOICE

Hitachi with its installation projectors is a credible player in a battle occupied by prominent players such as Epson, Panasonic, Sony and others and the projector itself is price competitive. The FL710 lens is a very special piece of glass and priced accordingly. There are five other lenses to choose from all commanding more regular pricing. Hitachi Australia has an experienced, stable and knowledgeable team in its commercial division. The 8000 series range looks to me to be a very credible option for any medium-to-large room installations, and the FL710 lens is a premium solution for a specific need often found in the exhibition display vertical. 

MORE INFO Hitachi Australia: 1800 448 2244 www.hitachi.com.au/dps Price: CPWU8700: $7438 (plus lens) FL710 Ultra short-throw lens: $9999

Multiple Enclosure Styles

Comprehensive Range of Connectivity Modules

For further information please contact Call 1300 859 341 Email info@audiologistics.com.au Visit www.audiologistics.com.au

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NEWS

Industry Update AV CALENDAR SIX MUST-ATTEND INFOCOMM EVENTS @ INTEGRATE 2017 Integrate 2017 in Melbourne is just upon us, and the InfoComm International team has been busy putting together an amazing program for show attendees, packed with education sessions to learn about the industry’s latest trends and challenges, and special events designed to help give business and professional careers a good boost. As a dedicated show partner of Integrate for its ninth year, InfoComm will this year offer even more professional development sessions and special events, and act as one of more than 130 exhibitors on the show floor. Individuals and companies are invited to stop by the InfoComm booth (D2) to learn more about member benefits, Audiovisual Providers of Excellence program (APEx) and volunteering opportunities within the association. Here are six must-attend happenings hosted by InfoComm from 29 to 31 August that aren’t to be missed.

Integrate Speaker and Live Theatre programs and the UC Talks for a reasonable all-in-one price. Education passes can be purchased via integrate-expo.com/education-passes

WOMEN OF INFOCOMM BREAKFAST Like every year, we invite all women of the industry to gather on the second show day over breakfast to hear a keynote presentation and exchange views and experiences on how to deal with challenges in their professional life. Come along from 7.30a.m. to 9.30a.m. for inspiration on how to plan your career, meet your peers and find mentorship opportunities. The breakfast is a free-to-attend event, but pre-registration is mandatory. Go to infocomm.org/ integrate17 for registration details.

REGIONAL AWARDS CEREMONY InfoComm has extended its awards program to Oceania, in our ongoing efforts to set a standard of excellence and recognise individuals for their achievements and positive impact on the industry. On the evening of the first show day, Tuesday 29 August, we invite everyone to join the InfoComm awards ceremony at 6pm to honour the award winners and network over drinks and nibbles.

YOUNG AV PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM New or potential AV professionals, as well as organisations that are interested in helping young people to succeed, are invited to attend the InfoComm Young AV Professionals program on show Day 3 – Thursday, 31 August from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Over breakfast and presentations, you will hear how a Student Tech Crew in an educational facility has become a career stepping-stone for its young members. Attendees will also be given a tour around the show floor. Registration is required.

NETWORKED APPLICATION LABS New this year at Integrate are the InfoComm Networked Application Labs. These labs are a great way to get more hands-on experience and in-depth training on hot industry topics such as network traffic analysis or the realms of ‘dark arts’ hacking. Each lab will be two hours long and contain instructor-led discussions as well as Q&A opportunities. You must register to secure a spot.

FLASHTRACK & SEMINARS The popular FlashTrack sessions are back again with 20-minute sessions covering the industry’s latest trends and short excerpts from InfoComm courses. Presented by industry experts, FlashTrack sessions are free of charge and suitable for all experience levels. All sessions will be held at the FlashTrack theatre (InfoComm Booth D2), with seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. InfoComm seminars on topics around major industry issues and best practices will be held in the Education area and especially attractive for those seeking Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) renewal units. Attendees can take advantage of the Education Pass options that allows the holder to attend all InfoComm and CEDIA professional development training sessions, as well as the

AV USER FORUM, BOOST BUSINESS GROWTH On show Day 3, AV technology managers, their decisionmakers and key influencers are invited to join the AV User Forum from 1.30p.m. to 5p.m. Jointly hosted by InfoComm International and Integrate expo, the forum aims to educate on the key role of integrated AV solutions to foster business growth and client engagement. The agenda includes presentations, a panel discussion, a Q&A and a networking session. Attendance is free, but registration is mandatory. For InfoComm at Integrate programme registration, visit infocomm.org/integrate17

details

and

INTEGRATE Melbourne Aug 29 – Aug 31, 2017 integrate-expo.com CEDIA San Diego Sep 7 – Sep 9 expo.cedia.net IBC Amsterdam Sep 15 – Sep 19, 2017 www.ibc.org InfoComm India Mumbai Sep 26 – Sep 28, 2017 InfoComm MEA Dubai Dec 5 – Dec 7, 2017 infocomm-mea.com Integrated Systems Europe Amsterdam Feb 6 – Feb 9, 2018 www.iseurope.com InfoComm China April 11 – April 13, 2018

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COMMENT

Termination UI, UX… UWhat? Text:/ Graeme Hague

ot so far into the future, when a child is born, they’ll be given a slap on the arse, a signed birth certificate — and their first smartphone. Maybe even before this, pregnant women having ‘baby showers’ will be gifted knitted booties, a baby’s rattle and the latest Galaxy 50 iPhone 20... no, wait. They won’t need the rattle, there will be an app for that. Just shake the smartphone and any one of 30 downloadable, customised rattle sounds can be heard. Meanwhile, in the Smithsonian Institute, there will be one of those dramatic-looking glass display cabinets surrounded by deep shadows, but otherwise lit with angled downlights. Unseen will be myriad of security measures, including those infrared security beam thingies that only Tom Cruise can avoid (because no other self-respecting covert government agent is that short and believes in Scientology). Inside the glass cabinet? It will be The Last Surviving Knob (no, not still talking about Tom here). A proper knob, like on a toaster. Conversations between children and their parents will go something like this: “What is it, Dad?” “It’s a knob, son. People used to turn them.” “Turn them into what?” ‘No, they just turned them... never mind.” At that point the concept has become too difficult to explain, a bit like quantum mechanics and Queensland electoral results. SMART I-KNOB XTREEM

The proliferation of touchscreen controllers and, by extension, apps that let you access systems for yourself, will drive the hardware interface into extinction. No more knobs, no more buttons, no more faders attached to nothing that you can move so annoying vocalists think you’re actually adjusting the foldback volume. The next step will be no touchscreen stations at all, just smartphone apps. No matter who you are, what you do or where you go, you’ll control everything around you with an app. This turn of futuristic events is being driven by something happening now. They said the ‘age

of entitlement’ is over, but more than anything people expect — even believe they’re entitled to demand — that everything can be controlled by an app. Like, “What do you mean, I’ve got to go push a button on the wall... way over there?” At which point they stab furiously at their smartphone, convinced they can download something to prove you wrong.

own smartphones, and all with the same app to control everything. Who gets to decide the level of the lighting? The temperature of the air conditioning? The next slide of the Powerpoint presentation? I mean, sure, somebody will be the boss, but how do you prevent some ambitious Wolf of Wall Street upstart-type from surreptitiously booting up the app under the table too and causing havoc? A SALIENT WARNING

the concept has become too difficult to explain, a bit like quantum mechanics and Queensland electoral results HIERARCHY OF CONTROL

In the thinking of many, the worm has turned. Before, if somebody designed a clever piece of equipment of technology, soon afterwards someone else would develop an app to control it remotely. It was all a bit geeky and cool, rather than part of the original plan — a kind of bonus. Now, if something can’t be controlled by an app, it probably won’t get built in the first place. Things will be difficult for the future: nuclear family of mother, transgender father, one child invited to Mensa and a sibling allergic to every potato crisp on the planet. With everybody having a smartphone, how do you establish a hierarchy of who ultimately controls the fridge, telly and toilet flush? In the corporate world it’s going to be disastrous. You’ll have a boardroom filled with expensive-suit executives, all with their

Thankfully, we can turn to Game of Thrones for the answer. Just like for everything else. What will happen is that the CEO, the genuine Head Honcho of Everything, will have a solid gold smartphone with priceless gemstones set around the camera lens, plus it’ll have a long, pointy dagger sticking out the bottom for slashing the throats of anyone not reaching sales targets. Apps on the CEO Gold Smartphone will override everything. Next, second-in-charge Management will have silver smartphones (no jewellery, but maybe engravings of Donald Trump’s face) and a kind of cheese-knife thing attached that’s handy during finger-food meetings. Their apps will override anything except the CEO. Last, lowly middle management will have smartphones made of plywood. The apps on these will work, but not very well; in fact the phones aren’t much good for anything except... well, making phone calls. By the way, everyone will wear lots of armour and helmets, drink gallons of crap red wine, and cleaning up the horse poo in the elevators will be a serious problem. This, folks, is the near-dystopian world we’ll live in, if we allow the humble knob to vanish from our reality and replace it with an app. Human beings need tactile interaction — like when my wife hit me with a saucepan. We need more levers and number pads. More switches, more sliders, more stuff on the walls. We need more knobs in the world, not less. (Hmm... maybe I could have put that better...)  Graeme Hague is a domesday knob hoarder. You’ll thank him later.

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