AV Issue 36

GRANDSTAND FINISH: RANDWICK’S 800 HI-DEF NETWORKED DISPLAYS CONNECTED CLASSROOMS: AUT’S MASSIVE UNDERTAKING BELIEVE IT OR NOT: SUNTEC’S 664-SCREEN BEHEMOTH REVIEWED: EPSON EB-G6900WUNL

issue #36 $6.95

ELEGANT DESIGN, LIFELIKE AUDIO. MicroexTM Wireless Systems Enterprise-scale Microphone Solutions for Managed AV Environments ™

Microex Wireless systems bring vivid, lifelike audio to meetings, panel discussions, teleconferences and other applications in managed AV environments — from signature boardrooms and concentrated multi-room environments to networked corporate campuses.

• • • • • • •

Flexible mic options – Gooseneck, boundary, bodypack and handheld microphones Modern, low-prole designs – Fit comfortably into diverse AV environments Dante™ digital audio networking – Low latency, multichannel audio over Ethernet networks Advanced rechargeability – Smart lithium-ion batteries enable remote monitoring Browser-based control software – Comprehensive system setup and real time control Automated frequency coordination – Ensures clean frequencies for every wireless channel Encrypted wireless – AES-256 protection for secure over the air wireless audio

Distributed by

www.jands.com.au

PLENA matrix DSP power amplifiers Very clever amplifiers at very silly prices. smart

The PLENA matrix power amplifiers have brains as well as brawn. Their built-in DSP processor is packed with powerful zone-mixing and sound processing features, making them ideal as mixer amplifiers, stand-alone amplifiers, and loudspeaker processors for smaller venues.

Additional intelligence comes with PC and iOS (iPad, iPod, iPhone) control, and the Auto Standby feature, which with the aid of motion detectors, can cut down power consumption by over 97% when zones are unoccupied.

As for brawn, the two amplifier models come with: • 4 channels of 220 W or 125 W • Ability to bridge outputs (1–2, 3–4) • 4 ohm/8 ohm/70 V/100 V impedance/ voltage per output • 8 EQ filters, Dynamic Bass and 120 ms delay per channel All of this, and more at prices we are really having trouble describing.

Perfectly professional. Perfectly priced.

smart silly Now compatible with AMX and CRESTRON control devices!

Bosch Communications Systems T: +61 (2) 9683 4752 E: plena.matrix@au.bosch.com boschcommunications.com.au/plenamatrix

Scan to get product specifications and download the PC GUI.

04

NEWS

Editorial No Limits to AV? I’m often conflicted and confused about what exactly falls under the label ‘Audiovisual Technology’. This question comes up for us pretty regularly here at AV magazine, partly because we’re trying to work out if this week’s definition of AV is sufficiently broad to include some interesting technology or type of project that we’ve not covered before, and partly because of the turf wars between this magazine and our stablemates that cover such equally looselydefined areas as: audio technology, digital signage, video and filmmaking, and venue design and technology.

The magazine you’re holding in your hand is a prime example of that uncertainty. It looks at the obviously AV-related case of the virtual chamber orchestra, a touring installation that comes complete with audience-remixable 13.0 audio and 13 x HD video replay streams (in 3D), all of which are generated on-the-fly from the original beds, for each performance every half hour. Of course, our feature on audiovisual facilities of the new grandstand at Randwick racecourse needs no further justification, as racecourses have had broadcast-quality colour television distributed on screens around the courses since the late 1960s.

Suffice it to say that our look at Royal Randwick in the 21st century reveals a few more screens than those days, at resolutions somewhat higher than 576i and with a great deal wider choice of audio and video content.

Screens are also a pretty important part of Auckland University of Technology’s Sir Paul

Reeves building that featured as a finalist in the 2013 AVIAs. Not only are there screens aplenty in the teaching, collaborative learning and student common areas, there are video walls in the public spaces to keep everybody informed and even entertained as they move about this section of the campus.

We just had to take a quick look at a video wall in Singapore that’s so humongous the Guinness Book of World Records was brought in to certify it as the biggest on the planet. The Suntec Exhibition and Convention Centre has chosen to paper its feature wall with some 664 x 55-inch LCD display panels. And then there’s the remarkable melding of digital signage, video art, social media and just plain clever product branding and promotion that put a BMW Mini covered with 48,000-odd RGB LED pixels on the streets of London, to make sure everybody thinks the current (not so mini) Mini is the coolest and most desirable car in the hipster universe.

As a token gesture to the rest of us who are into more traditional rock ’n’ roll, we also look at what the Hard Rock Cafe in Sydney at Darling Harbour has done with the house audio as part of a move into its new premises, located just metres from the demolition site that was until quite recently a perfectly adequate convention and exhibition centre for so many of our tradeshows and conferences. (I’m going to take a bit of convincing that this SCEC replacement was a clever move.)

Finally, I can also invite everyone to come

and have a look at AV’s most recently arrived sibling, Video&Filmmaker magazine. Intended for people interested and involved in the telling of stories with moving digital images, variously referred to as video or film making, this magazine is not and never will be available in print. It has the core attributes of a real magazine, with carefully selected and edited original material, laid out by real human designers, but it’s only available on any digital platform you chose. The pilot issue was available only through the Apple Newsstand for iPad owners but now you can read it on your Windows phone, your Android tablet, your Linux desktop or any other device that can fetch and show you a web page. This is not a blog, a news website or an aggregation of material found elsewhere on the web, although we have all of these things and more as part of our information stream for filmmakers and their sympathisers, it is a real magazine but without the printing or the need for the work experience kid to lick the stamps to post it to you.

Have a look at videoandfilmmaker.com and make sure to send me your bug list. (If it’s good enough for Microsoft to charge you money to beta test their software, you can’t complain if ours is free. Besides we may even fix the bugs for the next issue).

Andy Ciddor, Editor: andy@av.net.au

the AV Industry’s Lunchroom Noticeboard • Who’s doing what work where • What’s happening on the technology front • What training is available • Who’s hiring

Subscribe now: www.av.net.au

Includes control software for Mac and PC plus Photoshop plug ins for direct graphic downloads.

Connect professional SDI or consumer HDMI cameras in SD, HD or Ultra HD! Imagine your event in full Ultra HD!

Rack mount design lets you install into road cases for portability.

Ethernet lets you plug direct to your computer for control and uploading graphics.

Aux output allows connection to on stage screens and projectors. Aux switching can be done using the front panel buttons!

HDMI inputs let you plug in video cameras or even computers for slide shows!

You can even plug in SD, HD or Ultra HD broadcast cameras using the 6G-SDI inputs.

SDI and HDMI program outputs for sending your live program feed to your audience!

Includes down converter from Ultra HD to HD.

See all your cameras and program video output using a single TV with the built in multi view.

Audio inputs connect direct into the built in audio mixer for professional and consumer HiFi audio sources.

Introducing the world’s first Ultra HD live production switcher with 6G-SDI technology!

Smash quality barriers with the world’s first Ultra HD live production switcher!

ATEM Production Studio 4K lets you connect up to 8 SD, HD or Ultra HD video cameras, disk recorders and computers. You get all the features you expect from a professional switcher including chroma key, transitions, media pool, downstream keyers, built in 24 channel audio mixer, multi view, aux output with front panel aux switching and the world’s first 6G-SDI and HDMI 4K video connections!

Live Creative Power

More Connections ATEM Production Studio 4K can be switched between SD, HD and Ultra HD so it connects to a wide range of HDMI and SDI cameras! You get 4 x 6G-SDI and 4 x HDMI 4K inputs for up to 8 simultaneous live inputs. All inputs feature re-sync so you can plug in anything! Also included are 2 balanced XLR audio inputs and HiFi audio inputs for connecting audio sources!

Built to Perform

ATEM Production Studio 4K is a true professional M/E style switcher, perfect for live music, sporting events, theatre productions, program production, conferences and more! You get the most creative solution for live switching with cut, mix, wipe, dip and more!

You can even load graphics directly from Adobe Photoshop into the 2 built in media players for live keying!

Incredible Features ATEM includes upstream chroma key for green and blue screen shooting. You also get pattern, shaped and linear keying, 2 downstream keyers, 2 built in media players and more! The built in multi view allows all camera’s, preview and program to be viewed on a single SDI or HDMI monitor or television, so ATEM is perfect for portable location use! Now you can cover any live event, anywhere!

ATEM uses a familiar M/E style of operation so you get an instantly familiar workflow that’s fast and easy to use.

ATEM includes a software based control panel for Mac and Windows! If you need a hardware control panel then simply add the ATEM 1 M/E Broadcast Panel for a true broadcast solution. Thousands of ATEM switchers are used today for live broadcast events such as sports, music festivals, drama, reality TV and much more!

ATEM Production Studio 4K

2,085

$

Learn more today www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/atemps4k

Take a closer look The new range of Samsung Commercial Displays The new Samsung ME-C, PE-C, UE-C and UD-C series LED BLU* displays have all received important upgrades from the previous models, offering great new features for digital signage applications, video wall set ups and information sharing.

The new Samsung Smart Signage Platform with MagicInfo™ Premium S Enabling web based^ multi-display signage networks** without the need for external media players!

Included with the latest ME-C, PE-C, UE-C and UD-C series displays, SSSP eliminates the need for external PC media players, streamlining display and content management.

Combine with MagicInfo™ Premium S** software, to create, schedule and deliver content to either a single display or multiple displays over a network**^ Easy Image Rotation – use the display settings to rotate your content The image rotation feature enables simple rotation of screen content using display menu functions. This feature is designed to allow content to be reoriented without losing its aspect ratio, and can also be delivered to multiple screens via DP1.2 loop out (daisy chain), eg. to expand landscape content across 3 displays in portrait mode (as shown).

DP1.2 Ultra High Definition Loop Out for 2 x 2 Video Wall Configurations The new Samsung ME-C, UE-C, PE-C and UD-C series displays utilises DP1.2 technology to help enable delivery of UHD content across 4 separate displays (each display sold separately) when set up in a 2 x 2 landscape video wall configuration. Simply loop out of the first display with a DP1.2 cable,* daisy chain the displays and they are ready to accept Ultra High Definition (3820 x 2160) content.** *DP1.2 cables sold separately (4 required) **Content delivery device must be able to deliver UHD content via DP1.2 to the first display

HDCP Support using DP1.2 loop out* The new ME-C, PE-C, UE-C and UD-C Series, now offering the DP1.2 loop out, also offer HDCP support through DP1.2 loop out for up to 7 daisy chained compatible displays.

This helps to overcome HDCP compliance issues for multi screen deployments or video wall applications where you need to deliver protected content from one device to multiple displays. *DP1.2 cables sold separately

Share Content to multiple displays with DP1.2 Loop Out daisy chain*

The new SSSP, streamlining content and display management

*HDCP up to 7 displays.

Easy content rotation

Create, collaborate, communicate

Images simulated for illustration purposes only. Cables and computer not included. *Samsung LED BLU Commercial Displays use LCD display panels with LED back or edge lighting. **MagicInfo™ Premium S software is included with displays for stand-alone applications only. For network applications, server licenses are required at additional cost. ^Internet connection required. Data and subscription charges may apply. Usage may be subject to third party service provider agreements.

There is more to see!

www.samsung.com/au/business it.sales@samsung.com

Crew Graeme Hague worked for the last twenty years in regional theatre venues as an audio, lighting and AV technician, before leaving to work freelance for local production companies and focus on becoming a fulltime writer based in the south west of WA. Graeme is a regular contributor to Audio Technology magazine and was the principal writer for the new Guerrilla Guide to Recording and Production (www.guerrillaguide. com.au). He owns a Maglite, a Leatherman and a wardrobe of only black clothing which proves he is overwhelmingly qualified to write on any technical subject.

Advertising Office: (02) 9986 1188 PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086

Editorial Office: (03) 5331 4949 PO Box 295, Ballarat, VIC 3353

Editor: Andy Ciddor (andy@av.net.au) Publication Director: Stewart Woodhill (stewart@av.net.au) Editorial Director: Christopher Holder (chris@av.net.au) Publisher: Philip Spencer (philip@av.net.au)

Marcus has worked in the entertainment industry for over 15 years. He has lit everything from TV to tours, corporate to circus, galleries to garages, and yet he’s still smiling and always up for a joke. He spends much of his time looking after a large client base for Melbourne lighting company Resolution X. He is currently a committee member of the Australian Lighting Industry Association, a member of the AVIAs judging panel, and has a continuing passion for lighting in all fields.

Art Director: Dominic Carey (dominic@alchemedia.com.au) Graphic Design: Daniel Howard (daniel@alchemedia.com.au) News Editor: Graeme Hague (news@av.net.au) Accounts: Jaedd Asthana (jaedd@alchemedia.com.au) Circulation Manager: Mim Mulcahy (subscriptions@av.net.au)

Starting out in life training as a dentist, Stuart soon saw the error of his ways. Instead he started up an AV company in London in 1984, and has been in AV ever since. His expertise is vision for live events, from 35mm slide to videowalls, projection, and more recently, blending and multi-projector systems. He has worked as technical director for touring television shows and corporate events of all sizes, and has spent the past 10 years as General Manager at Haycom.

alchemedia publishing pty ltd (ABN: 34 074 431 628) PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 info@alchemedia.com.au All material in this magazine is copyright Š 2013 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. 6/11/2013

Derek is an audiovisual consultant with AVDEC, specialising in tertiary education projects. Starting in broadcast TV and radio at the ABC, he bounced between event AV and video production before settling for 12 years at the University of Queensland. He is past president of the Association of Educational Technology Managers and has been a regular judge of the AVIA awards.

He now divides his time between consulting, writing and the occasional video production assignment.

TM

Call or E-mail now to arrange a live interactive demo Production Audio Video Technology Sales@productionaudio.com.au 03 9264 8000

Issue 36 REGULARS NEWS AV industry news and new products.

14

INFOCOMM ASSOCIATION NEWS InfoComm International welcomes its new board of directors.

47

TERMINATION Regions to be cheerful?

50

FEATURES

18

22

32

AN EYE FOR THE BIG PICTURE Suntec’s epic video wall.

18

A STUDY IN COMMUNICATIONS Auckland’s University of Technology massive connected classroom undertaking.

22

THOROUGHBRED AV Royal Randwick’s grandstand: 800 networked hi-def displays, 60 audio zones and the biggest videoboard south of the equator.

28

A VIRTUAL DOUBLE ACO invites punters to remix its virtual clone.

32

ROCKING HARD Bosch’s new Plena matrix makes light work of Hard Rock Cafe’s audio.

38

TUTORIALS NETWORK BANDWIDTH Network data transmission.

49

REVIEWS

28

20

38

ALLEN & HEATH QU-16 Digital Mixing Console.

40

EPSON EB-G6900WU 3LCD Installation projector.

44

Let your business shine

LG PROFESSIONAL DISPLAY SOLUTIONS. LG’s innovative business-to-business electronic display solutions are ideal for airports, hotels, restaurants, clothing stores and more. LG screens represent some of the most advanced digital signage and specialty display solutions available. We call it big picture thinking, with attention to detail.

Explore the full range of Professional Display Solutions, at LG.com.au/Commercial

It’s All Possible.

014

NEWS

THE GALAXY EXPANDS

A 3D MIRAGE

MORE MOVEMENT AT CLAY PAKY

Barco has introduced its enhanced Galaxy 4K projector range, designed for higher stereo resolution in virtual reality applications. Capable of showing content with 4K resolution in both mono and stereo up to 120Hz, the Galaxy 4K range promises excellent response times for any user interaction. Barco’s Galaxy 4K series consists of three models – Galaxy 4K-12, 4K23 and 4K-32 – with light output of 12,000 lumens, 23,000 lumens, and 32,000 lumens, respectively.

The projectors have been significantly enhanced to respond more quickly to user interactions via tracking systems or haptic devices. In addition, stereo content can now be visualised at full native 4K resolution (instead of reverting to 2K resolution). Using the new DisplayPort 1.2 inputs, the colour accuracy has been increased from 8-bit/colour to 12-bit/colour depth and an upgrade to the MCM-400 high-quality warping and blending processor provides support for 4K resolution at higher frame rates and colour depth, allowing systems of multiple Galaxy 4K projectors.

Availability will be the first quarter of 2014.

Barco: (03) 9646 5833 or sales.au@barco.com

Christie has released an expansion of its Mirage Series 2D and 3D projectors with the launch of the Christie Mirage WQ-L, an LED-based one-chip DLP projection system with WQXGA (2560 x 1600) resolution and 800 ANSI lumens. Offering a stable and reliable LED light engine rated at 60,000 hours (approximately 6.5 years) life cycle, the Christie Mirage WQ-L includes Christie ArrayLOC for synchronised colour and brightness management, which reduces calibration requirements. The projector’s sealed LED-based light engine eliminates the need for filters, reduces heat and makes it virtually maintenance-free. Its flexibility and low-maintenance design makes it a display solution for a wide range of customers that require a high-performance system that is also eco-friendly.

The Christie Mirage WQ-L operates off the exclusive Christie KoRE electronics and firmware platform, which provides an extensive level of input capability and control flexibility for advanced visualisations systems.

Christie Digital Systems Australia: (07) 3844 9514 or www.christiedigital.com

Four new products from Clay Paky: The ALEDA B-EYE provides unique lighting effects as a wash-light with colours and a 6° to 70° zoom. The beam can be closed further down to as little as 4°, switching the light from wash diffusion into a parallel beam. It generates a pulsating bundle of individually controllable microbeams, each with its own colours and shades. The front lens can be rotated and many small beams are created that can be unfolded or closed like petals.

Adding colours and dynamic patterns, B-EYE can generate countless kaleidoscopic projections. For applications where a simpler, yet powerful washlight is required, Clay Paky developed the A.LEDA CC (Colour Changer), featuring R-G-B-White colour mixing. When colour changing is not required, the Clay Paky A.LEDA TW (Tuneable White) can be used, providing tunable colour temperature ranging from 2600 to 7500K. Finally, for the simplest applications, the A.LEDA W (White) is a moving head LED flood-light generating a fixed 7500K white light.

Clay Paky Australia (03) 9682 7522 or sbarrett@claypaky.com.au

NEWS IN BRIEF:

Solid State Logic is pleased to announce that its long-standing partner Amber Technology has been appointed as its Live console distributor in Australia and New Zealand. Amber is the latest company to join SSL’s growing commercial distribution network for the live sector.

Amber Technology: 1800 251367 or www.ambertech.com.au

Blackmagic Design announced a new model of UltraStudio 4K, claimed as the world’s first video solution to include lightning-fast Thunderbolt 2 technology. The new UltraStudio 4K replaces the previous model and is available now for $1165.

The UltraStudio 4K is a rackmount: (03) 9722 9700 or www.newmagic.com.au

Barco has introduced the new CSM Base Unit for its ClickShare collaboration and presentation system. ClickShare now comes in the CSM Base Unit and the original full-featured CSC Base Unit. The new CSM Base Unit displays images up to full HD resolution – via its HDMI or VGA output – and is fully compatible with both the ClickShare Button and the free apps for iOS and Android. Only one user can share on-screen at a time, but eight buttons can be connected wirelessly. A set consists of the CSM Base Unit and two ClickShare Buttons.

Barco: (03) 9646 5833 or sales.au@barco.com

KLM Group has been rebranded to Programmed Electrical Technologies.

KLM Group was acquired by Programmed in 2010 and the name change is designed to bring the businesses in line with the overall unified branding strategy for Programmed. The company structure, direction and strategy remains unchanged as does the ABN and other logistical details.

Programmed Electrical Technologies: (03) 9320 3420 or www.programmed.com.au

Digital Projection’s new Highlite Laser 12k delivers 12,000-lumen output and promises 20,000 hours of stable solid-state illumination with a WUXGA resolution. The projector was developed with an emphasis on ‘fit and forget’ – meaning installers and system integrators can deploy the projector and need not worry about lamp changes or expensive maintenance cycles.

The first public showing of the projector will be at ISE 2014 and is scheduled for shipping in March 2014.

Digital Projection: www.digitalprojection.com

DISCREET SWITCHER

ADVANCED POWER PROTECTION

Extron has announced the immediate availability of the DTP T USW233, a three-input switcher for sending HDMI or analogue video, audio, and control up to 70 metres over a single Catx cable to an Extron DTP230 receiver. The DTP T USW233 is HDCP compliant and provides two HDMI inputs, one RGBHV or component video input, and one DTP230 twisted pair output. The analogue signals are digitised to ensure a high quality digital video signal is transmitted to the DTP230 receiver. The switcher also offers many integrator-friendly features such as EDID Minder, Key Minder, auto-switching between inputs, audio input assignment, and remote powering. These features, plus the low profile enclosure, make the DTP T USW233 suitable for discreet placement in lecterns, beneath tables, or in other environments requiring input switching and signal transmission. Supported HDMI features include data rates up to 6.75Gbps, Deep Colour up to 12-bit, 3D, and HD lossless audio formats.

RGB Integration: (08) 8351 2188 or www.rgbintegration.com.au

LSC has released its new intelligent power distribution unit called APS (Advanced Power System). APS has been designed to remove the problems common with modern switch-mode power supplies, often resulting in breaker trips. For portable or permanent installation, APS solves these issues by controlled application of power to its output circuits. APS also offers power monitoring of voltage, current and frequency which can be displayed both locally and remotely. Control is via the detection of any DMX512 signal, manually via the front panel LCD or remotely via RDM or external dry-contact closure. Voltage limits can be set on each phase to protect equipment and program a staggered startup across multiple units. APS is available in 12 x 10A, 12 x 13A, 12 x 16A or 6 x 20A configurations with a choice of Australian GPO, Socapex, Wieland, Powercon, Shuko or Terminal outputs. Each circuit is protected by an MCB/RCD combination circuit breaker (RCBO), with neutral disconnect to provide a high level of safety.

LSC Light Systems: (03) 9702 8000 or www.lsclighting.com

True To Your Pitch Wi-Fidelity

Epic digital wireless technology, now amazingly affordable.

TC Group has announced the appointment of Audio Products Group (APG) as the exclusive distributor of Lab.gruppen and Lake in Australia and New Zealand. The new business agreement commences on February 1st 2014, when APG will take over from the current distribution partner Hills SVL. This appointment consolidates TC Group’s relationship with the Australian distribution company, after it took on Tannoy in 2010.

Audio Products Group: (02) 95780137 or www.audioproducts.com.au

VuWall Technology announced the release of VuWall2 Mobile, an Android application designed to manage and control video walls powered by Matrox Mura MPX Series video wall controller boards.

The VuWall2 Mobile app consists of a design interface and a control interface. The design interface allows users to open windows, arrange groups of windows and save layouts. The control interface lays out a set of buttons to launch layouts. Multiple users can control the Matrox Mura-powered video wall simultaneously. VuWall2 Mobile is available on the Google Play Store as a free download.

Multimedia Technology: (03) 9837 2500 or matrox@mmt.com.au

Kramer Electronics has premiered its new K-TV YouTube Channel videos, produced and filmed on location at Kramer Electronics’ new U.S. Headquarters.

These videos will serve as tutorials for audiovisual professionals, giving them practical advice for solving common interfacing problems they may encounter when working with professional AV products. Viewers will enhance their skill set, making them more efficient and confident at troubleshooting and fixing interfacing issues, while minimising their reliance on Kramer technical support.

Kramer Electronics Australia: (07) 3806 4290 or www.krameraustralia.com.au

Videopro Business Solutions has appointed Chris Marsh as Business Development Manager at the Videopro’s office in Brisbane. Chris Marsh will focus on developing Videopro’s relationships with key accounts and seeking new business opportunities to support its rapid growth.

Videopro Business Solutions: (07) 3250 0026 or www.videopro.com.au

Introducing the DWZ Series with affordable 2.4 GHz technology. You get solid-gold, 24-bit linear PCM digital audio to keep you sounding your best.

You get robust transmission and easy channel selection. Even automatic feedback reduction, encryption and battery charging are available.

And Sony has pre-assembled DWZ packages for presentation and speech, as well as musical instruments.

Sony’s DWZ Series. Sound like a million bucks without spending it. pro.sony.com.au/audio

016

NEWS

MEYER KEEPS A LOW PROFILE

PRO HDMI DISTRIBUTION

CANON DISPLAY COMPLETES THE PICTURE

Meyer Sound has released a self-powered MJF-210 low-profile, high-power stage monitor, the MJF210, announcing it’s the lightest stage monitor in the company product line and yet still promises the performance of the MJF-212A stage monitor – which apparently gets a flogging by the likes of Metallica, Judas Priest and… Michael Bublé (okay, fair enough those Big Bands can make a heck of a racket on stage). The MJF-210 features a low-profile design with an impressive power-to-size ratio and very low distortion. Each monitor measures less than 355mm high and weighs 30kg. The front of the MJF-210 slopes at an optimal 40° from the stage, while the constant directivity horn (50° H x 70° V) gives the performer more freedom to move on stage while staying within the wide vertical coverage. The MJF-210 houses two high-power, long-excursion, 10-inch low-frequency drivers, as well as a four-inch diaphragm compression driver. The drivers are powered by a three-channel Class D amplifier. For real-time monitoring of loudspeaker parameters, the MJF-210 can be integrated into the Compass RMS remote monitoring system using the optional RMS module. Compass RMS features the RMServer and can be controlled in the Compass software.

Meyer Sound Australia: 1800 463937 or australia@meyersound.com

TVOne has introduced a new series of HDMI Distribution Amplifiers consisting of three professional units that distribute up to eight HDMI signals. The 1T-DA-670 series consists of the 1T-DA672, which provides dual, independent outputs from a single HDMI input and the 1T-DA-674 and 1T-DA678, which provide either four or eight independent outputs. Each product within this series is compliant with HDMI v1.4 specifications. The 1T-DA-670 series supports SDTV resolutions 480i/576i, HDTV resolutions to 1080p and 4K UHD resolutions to 4096 x 2160 @24Hz and is HDCP compliant. In addition, these HDMI DAs provide high bandwidth (up to 300MHz – 9Gbps) and provide signal amplification and equalisation for high performance processing of audio and video, allowing signals to travel great distances without quality loss. DVI 1.0 format is supported (using cable adapters) and the product provides automatic discovery of monitor EDID. A screw-on power adapter cable prevents inadvertent disconnection of power and, as a bonus feature, all HDMI outputs can be cascaded to additional DAs. Corsair Solutions: 1300 562 779 or www.corsairsolutions.com.au

With the introduction of the DP-V3010, together with Canon’s Cinema EOS System of cameras and lenses, Canon now provides a complete product range for 4K digital cinema and other video production workflows. Canon’s DP-V3010 is a 30-inch display for professional use. The DP-V3010 features an image engine developed by Canon, along with a proprietary RGB LED backlight system and an IPS LCD panel, to achieve faithful colour reproduction, high resolution and high contrast. The DP-V3010 corrects in-plane non-uniformity for on-screen colours and brightness using a 10-bit panel driver and image engine working together to make possible the display of 1024 gradation levels for each RGB colour. The IPS LCD panel has 4096 x 2560 pixels, so the DP-V3010 can display true DCI 4K resolution (4096 x 2160 pixels) without having to perform any scaling processes.

Additionally, with a panel aspect ratio of 16:10, the display is also suited to PC-based editing tasks.

Canon Australia: 131383 or www.canon.com.au

NEWS IN BRIEF:

Blackmagic Design’s HyperDeck 4.1 software vadds three new Apple ProRes file formats for the HyperDeck Studio broadcast recorder. This update allows customers to get longer recording times for the same file size so they can use low cost solid state drives while still recording high quality video in all SD and HD resolutions. Using ProRes 422 (Proxy) it is possible to record over 24 hours of 1080HD video in a single 480GB SSD. HyperDeck 4.1 update is available now free of charge from the Blackmagic Design website.

New Magic Australia: (03) 9722 9700 or www.newmagic.com.au

InfoComm International, the trade association representing the commercial audiovisual technology industry worldwide, announced that it will offer free and discounted InfoComm University training to attendees of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), 4-6 Feb. 2014, at the Amsterdam RAI. All attendees will receive a voucher for two free InfoComm professional development courses, plus the opportunity to purchase additional course vouchers at a discounted rate.

InfoComm International: www.infocomm.org

Marshall Electronics, manufacturer of rackmount LCD monitors and broadcast solutions, has announced a free warranty extension on all its professional LCD monitors. The offer extends the regular one-year warranty to two full years from the purchase date, including equipment already bought. A warranty extension form will be packaged with all Marshall monitors purchased after November 15, 2013. Note that warranty registration is required to obtain the second year of product warranty.

Quinto Communications: (03) 9558 9377 or www.quinto.com

Professional Audio Technology (PAT) is now the official distributor of JoeCo’s range of BlackBox multi-channel live audio recorders and players in Australia, adding to PAT’s already comprehensive portfolio of pro audio brands covering the broadcast, live sound, conferencing and hire industries.

Professional Audio Technology: (02) 9476 1272 or sales@proaudiotechnology. com.au

Kramer Electronics has announced a global joint sales, supply, development and business co-operation agreement with British electronics manufacturer Calibre UK. Calibre’s key models for the Pro-AV and Broadcast industries are to be incorporated into Kramer’s product line-up. The two companies have also agreed to work together to accelerate Calibre’s future product developments and have plans to roll out a comprehensive range of premium video processing, routing and control products.

Kramer Electronics: (07) 3806 4290 or www.krameraustralia.com.au

ALL SQUARE WITH GEFEN

GOOD FEEDBACK FOR MACKIE

Gefen has released the 4x4 Seamless Matrix for HDMI, which provides full cross-point routing of four sources to four displays. The built-in scaler allows precise video refinements up to 1080p full HD with the added ability to resize each image for alignment and performance. The 4x4 Seamless Matrix for HDMI allows up to 10 routing scenarios for professional installations. Users can assign names to all inputs and outputs, then configure and recall them at any time using 10 presets on the front panel. Users can also upload configurations on the fly using IP connectivity.

The ability to route, upload and save EDID information from any connected display to the internal memory, then assign it to any source virtually eliminates compatibility issues among different sources and displays. All switching and control options are available through the matrix’s front panel buttons, IR remote, RS-232 port and IP connectivity. HDCPcompliant, 1080p full HD video in the HDMI format is fully supported with all lossless audio formats.

Amber Technology: 1800 251367 or www.ambertech.com.au

Mackie has released Master Fader v2.0, the primary control app for Mackie DL Series Digital Live Sound Mixers. Master Fader v2.0, which is available as a free download, delivers new features that are a direct result of customer feedback – the good kind, we’ll assume. Mackie DL series mixers are completely software controlled from your iPad, iPhone and iPod touch – there is no built-in operating system as such – thus Mackie can add features with a simple app update. The new features of Master Fader v2.0 are wide ranging, from small performance and workflow updates, to items that will change how people use the app. In-demand new features like input channel and aux send linking were implemented for easily controlling stereo input sources like a keyboard or when using in-ear monitors. The addition of mute groups and view groups are for users that want customisable control of their work surface. A new Quick Access Panel gives access to important controls without taking up screen real-estate. Plus, 'tons' of additional navigation enhancements have been included.

CMI Music & Audio: (03) 9315 2244 or vwww.cmi.com.au

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Epic digital wireless technology, now amazingly affordable.

Aaron Binion of Lightmoves Pty Ltd has won the Lighting Technical Representative Award (LiTra) at the recent 2013 IES Victorian Tasmanian Lighting Awards. The Award recognises the efforts made by representatives of lighting suppliers and manufacturers in providing quality lighting information and education to their clients.

Lightmoves: (03) 9701 2500 or www.lightmoves.com.au

High End Systems has released a new version of its software for the Hog 4. This software has more than a dozen new major features that add further value for existing Hog 4 users as well as new purchasers. Some of the top features are media picker, support for digital media server thumbnail previews using CITP, direct DMX channel control (DMX test/Art-net merge) and subtractive kind masking.

High End Systems: www.highend.com

New Magic Australia Pty Ltd is now the exclusive Australian and New Zealand master distributor of Schneider Optics lenses. Schneider Optics recently announced the new family of prime lenses specially designed and built for digital cinematography with full-frame sensor HDSLR and other professional cameras. Built in Germany by Schneider-Kreuznach, the new Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon FF-prime lenses are the latest addition to the company’s line of high-end optics.

New Magic Australia: (03) 9722 9700 or www.newmagic.com.au

Buildings services and sustainability consultancy Umow Lai has appointed three new staff members to its Melbourne office. Humberto Saback and Paul Kemp have joined Umow Lai’s ICT department. Humberto has a Masters degree in Project Management as well as a degree in computer science. Paul Kemp is an audio visual engineer who has worked in Victoria and Europe over two decades. Sam Adams has joined Umow Lai’s electrical engineering team, and has a keen interest in sustainable design, lighting design and renewable energy.

Umow Lai: (03) 9823 0322 or www.umowlai.com.au

Introducing the DWZ Series with affordable 2.4 GHz technology. You get solid-gold, 24-bit linear PCM digital audio to keep you sounding your best.

You get robust transmission and easy channel selection. Even digital EQ and interchangeable mic heads are available.

And Sony has pre-assembled DWZ packages for vocals, guitar/bass, wind instruments, presentation and speech.

Sony’s DWZ Series. Sound like a million bucks without spending it. pro.sony.com.au/audio

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NEWS

An Eye For The Big Picture

Guiness World Records – more readily associated with hotdog eating contests, and very large pumpkins – has recognised something quite remarkable in the world of professional AV: the ‘Largest High Definition Video Wall’.

Standing over 15 metres tall and 60 metres wide (a whopping 556.1sqm in all), ‘The Big Picture’ is located inside the main lobby and entrance to Singapore’s Suntec Exhibition and Convention Centre and is fast becoming a major attraction in an of itself. Combining 664 55-inch full HD LED screens from LG Electronics, The Big Picture boasts 84 times the resolution of full HD, or, if you like, 21 times that of Ultra High Definition resolution. Wrangling the content and managing the millions of pixels (32,051 pixels wide by 7941 pixels high!) for 16 hours each day, are 21 Watchout display servers from Dataton.

The Big Picture acts as a standalone exhibit allowing a combination of multiple media such as still images, animations and video clips to be shown simultaneously or a single media image in native format to be displayed over the entire wall.

Interactive features are integrated, with RFID tracking systems and sensors on the escalators located just in front of The Big Picture. With these integrated sensory systems, The Big Picture can be adapted to display welcome messages, or show specialised content alongside riders on the escalator from Levels 1 to 3.

Mr Oh, Technical Manager, LGE Singapore explains: “The Big Picture is controlled and operated by three major subsystems which are

the video wall, playback, integration and control.

Playback manages content and the principle of the design is to support multi-display and 4K images from 21 Watchout display servers, serving 84 full HD outputs. The integration and control system acts to control The Big Picture and servers, turning them on or off as required. It also manages playback where a part of a show at a specific time can be selected or it can be used to manage interactive content.”

Content for the system can be updated according to the exhibition taking place. It also uses a variety of ultra-high resolution content from Suntec Singapore and its advertisers. Lasanthi Bandara, manager, audio-visual technology and content at Suntec Singapore explains: “Watchout is being used to primarily display content on all 664 screens seamlessly. Content is also designed, animated, and produced within the Watchout system itself. There was no other feasible and scalable technology available in the market that could enable us to create such high definition display. Watchout was selected because of its primary capability to display synchronised content on multiple screens.”

Bernard Ng, digital creative curator at Suntec Singapore elaborates: “Audio, video and graphic content are used together to create spectacular showcases and presentations on The Big Picture. The design challenge here is simply the immense size of our entire screen. Producing and rendering videos and animations at this scale is incredible but potentially time consuming.

However, production time is greatly reduced by maximising Watchout’s ability in allowing us to create amazing content directly within the system itself. For content management, Watchout allows content to be stored and managed in media containers with auxiliary timelines.

This allows my team to manually organise and manage content according to scheduling and requirements."

Operationally there are benefits to Suntec, such as reduced costs and increased advertising revenue that assist the centre’s bottom line. But let’s not kid ourselves, The Big Picture is all about the ‘wow’. Indeed, Suntec Singapore is delighted with its reception on multiple social media platforms (tagging Suntec Singapore as their check-in location), along with the newspaper and media coverage, as well as interest from filmmakers.  Interactive Controls (Dataton): (02) 9436 3022 or www.interactivecontrols.com.au LG Electronics: (02) 8805 4409 or www.lg.com.au/commercial

True To Your Sound Wi-Fidelity

Epic digital wireless technology, now amazingly affordable.

Introducing the DWZ Series with affordable 2.4 GHz technology. You get solid-gold, 24-bit linear PCM digital audio to keep you sounding your best.

You get robust transmission and easy channel selection. Even automatic feedback reduction, encryption and battery charging are available.

And Sony has pre-assembled DWZ packages for presentation, speech and vocals, guitar/bass and wind instruments.

Top: At 32,051 x 7941 pixels the wall covers a World Record 556.1sqm Above: Suntec Singapore is a full-function convention and exhibition centre. Images courtesy of Suntec Singapore.

Sony’s DWZ Series. Sound like a million bucks without spending it. pro.sony.com.au/audio

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NEWS

“The crew counted around 48,000 pixels on the car, which weighed in at a hefty two tonne” LIVE STREAMED MOBILE LED CAR ART TURNS CORNER

We’d recommend YouTube-ing ‘Mini Art Beat’ before you read on – this project really is quite extraordinary and needs to be seen to be believed.

For two weeks in August a Mini Countryman, fitted out with a hi-tech LED ‘skin’ took up residency in London playing bespoke, live-streamed video and animations.

In practice, the process started with a website, Facebook page, and smartphone app that allowed users to upload a photo or video, choose a graphic design, change colours, choose a soundtrack, and enter up to 140 characters of text to be displayed on the car. Once approved, the submission was transmitted to the car via multiple 4G modems.

Avolites’ new AI Server combined the graphic designs with the user’s colour preferences, keying the text, and incorporating the video files which were transmitted live to the car (rather than as files for upload). Some sophisticated pixel mapping then presented the output onto the car. The car was then recorded 24 hours a day (via another fullyrigged Mini, of course) and streamed live to the internet. It’s a perfect promotional feedback loop.

Kitting the car out was a technical challenge.

MORE THAN A MOBILE CHRISTMAS TREE

The Mini Countryman was completely gutted and rebuilt by Tait Technologies. A generator was installed to provide power while driving, as well as additional air conditioning to keep the electronics cool. The car was covered with custom-made LED strips backed in velcro, which attached directly to the car. Each strip could be replaced relatively easily if a fault occurred. The crew counted around 48,000 pixels on the car, which weighed in at a hefty two tonne.

There were two ‘modes’: driving and static.

Special permission was granted by Westminster Council, London Police, and Transport for London to allow the car to drive while active. The only condition was that no lights could be active on the back of the car while driving. The car was driven eight hours a day (between 7pm and 3am), while for the other 16 hours a day it stood in conspicuous

London locations such as Tower Bridge and Pall Mall. When static, the car was plugged into mains power and a satellite system to provide for greater data connectivity and a third broadcast camera was added to provide an additional angle.

THE BRAINS TRUST

The project was conceived and managed by Berlinbased agency, KKLD*, which not only came up with the concept, but designed and managed the complex IT aspects of the project.

Damn Good Productions (with offices in Sydney and London) was engaged by KKLD* to design and operate the camera, switching, and streaming systems, and to provide local support to the event including crew and logistics.

Damn Good provided a full HD, fully-mobile broadcast quality turnkey system. The LED car has a camera attached to the roof with a wide-angle lens – this was then transmitted in full HD by a Gigawave microwave system to a second Mini, set up as a portable control room. The ‘camera’ car had a second camera on its roof, this time with a pan and tilt head operated by the switcher riding inside. Both cameras were then fed into a Tricaster, where the signals are mixed and a soundtrack added. The HD output was then fed to a LiveU LU70, which bonds multiple 3G and 4G modems to output a stream in excess of 5Mbs, and the signal then transmitted to both Ustream (which streamed the event 24 hours a day for two weeks), and also to a custom system which could determine the time of each clip, cut it from the stream, add a top and tail with the user’s name on it, and then deliver it to YouTube — sending the punter an auto notification in the process.

Clearly this was a deceptively complex IT and AV art project that brought together everything a marketeer loves: brand recognition, media buzz, social media feedback, and lasting international PR repercussions (we’re talking about it four months later after all!).

And no, Mini has no plans to release the one-off Countryman as a production model! 

Mini Art Beat: www.minispace.com/artbeat Tait Technologies: www.taittowers.com KKLD*: www.kkld.net Damn Good Productions: (02) 9699 5553 or www.damngoodproductions.com.au

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022

FEATURE

A Study in Communications Resolution AV Consulting has provided a hi-tech fitout to the School of Communication Studies at the Auckland University of Technology where the watchword is ‘connection’.

Text:/ Derek Powell

FEATURE

As he opened the new NZ$97m Sir Paul Reeves building, New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key stood directly beneath his own image on a massive 16-monitor videowall that symbolises the hi-tech fitout of a very modern university building.

The architecturally complex 12-level building sits at the heart of the campus and forges important new links between the surrounding buildings via bridges at several levels.

Though the PM didn’t mention it, this idea of linking also serves as an apt metaphor for the design of its audiovisual installation which is making connections between rooms, between students and between ideas.

Resolution AV Consulting was the project’s integrator, which was a worthy finalist in the crowded ‘Best Application of AV over $500k’ category of the 2013 AVIAs. The massive project took four months to install and included three major lecture theatres ranging in size from 97 to 386 seats; a suite of linkable Flexible Blended Learning Spaces across three floors; a trio of videowalls; a raft of meeting and seminar rooms; and around a hundred LCD screens that do double duty as student collaboration stations or digital signage displays.

FLOORED BY WALL

The focus of the building is undoubtedly the vast atrium so this might be a good place to start our exploration. Even from the outside, it’s impossible to miss the three videowalls that separately (or in concert) bring a lively stream of images to the glass-roofed foyer.

The walls function alternately as presentation screens for functions and events within the space; as an information centre; or as massive digital art installations which showcase student’s work across a number of media.

The Forum is a 16-screen array of Samsung UE55A monitors which can display a single image across all screens or four separate images over four screens each.

Around the corner is a separate nine-screen wall comprised of Samsung 400UX-3 monitors that can output a single image or three, three-screen segments. A portable lectern can be deployed at a number of locations connected via floor or wallboxes to allow for a variety of different events – such as the prime-ministerial opening. A pair of Turbosound TCX-8B speakers provides front-of-house program sound to the left and right of the

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main screen but that’s only the start of the audio system. Because the giant image can be viewed from three floors, Turbosound Impact 55T’s are deployed as ceiling speakers on Level 3 and 4 so viewers on the balconies can be fully involved in events taking place on the floor below.

A third, nine-screen wall known as the ‘Mini Forum’ has its own fixed lectern and sound system, and operates either as a single-picture display or carries six different images across segments of the wall.

While the system is astonishingly flexible, the routing which feeds the interconnected walls is surprisingly simple. Resolution AV’s managing director David Rees explained there is no traditional videowall processor and no huge matrix switcher. Instead, the Forum’s 16- and nine-screen walls are fed by a two Crestron MD8X8 matrix switchers and a MD6X6 with the outputs distributed by seven HDMI DAs to feed the seven segments of the walls. The splitting of the images is performed within the Samsung monitors, with the control system telling each panel whether at that moment it is a onesixteenth part of a big image or a quarter of a smaller segment. It’s a

“Using Fusion, the service desk staff can get a real feel for what is going on in the room … they can not only view the touchpanel controls but also ‘drill down’ to get extra information”

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very clever and cost effective design that provides maximum impact by taking full advantage of the processing power built into the Samsung panels.

Inputs to the Crestron matrix come from Cisco videowall players or from the School of Communication Studies’ own central routing system – a 32x32 HD-SDI matrix which can provide live camera feeds, off-air television and other sources to any or all of the walls.

To top it off there is a fourth video wall providing a variety of news sources to budding journalists at the aptly named Newsfeed Café.

There’s much more to see in the lecture theatres and teaching spaces, but before we leave the public areas of the building we should take note of the numerous ad hoc student collaboration areas, group study rooms and cafe-booth style meeting places scattered throughout.

At many of the digital signage stations students can plug in their own devices to the Samsung MD32 or MD40 displays which will auto-switch from their regular display of the AUTV student broadcasting program. “The building was designed to be student-centric and it is great to see that from early morning to late in the evening, the whole building is just abuzz with small groups of students working together,” noted Bruce Colloff, teaching and learning manager with ICT Client Services at AUT University.

FEATURE

LECTURE THEATRE NOTES

There are three major lecture theatres in the building and all are equipped with full surround sound audio systems to complement the projection. “We’ve been able to put the ‘theatre’ back into lecture theatre,” David commented. Each room has the capability for a single, central image (which can be used to play a Blu-ray) or two, side-by-side images for general teaching.

In the 386-seat theatre, stacked projection is used to achieve the required brightness levels, with a total of six NEC projectors in the space. Bruce Colloff pointed out that dual projection provides a great deal of redundancy – very useful in a space that is so heavily booked. The lectern can operate from any three floor boxes, allowing a variety of configurations for the theatre. A Denon DN-500AV takes care of Dolby 7.1 decoding while the speaker line-up includes Turbosound TCX-10Bs across the front and JBL 8340As on surround duties. Four Quest M210s boxes provide the appropriate subwoofer capacity.

Plenty of spare capacity is provided within the Crestron DM-MD16X16 router and the BSS BLU-100 audio DSP to allow for future expansion through videoconferencing and connection back to the School of Communication’s production systems.

New Zealand’s Pime Minister John Key (top) opens the new facility being looked down upon by a towering facsimile of himself. The 16-screen ‘Forum’ is joined by another nine-screen array (top left) in AUT’s atrium. Stacked NEC projection (above) provides the necessary firepower for the 386-seat theatre.

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FEATURE

Flexible spaces can be reconfigured to create classrooms of 70 or 105 using moveable dividers. Each set of rooms is controlled by a single Crestron DM-MD8X8 matrix which feeds three NEC PA-500U projectors.

As you would expect from a new University teaching building, plenty of space has been devoted to Flexible Blended Learning Spaces. On three of the teaching floors, there are three joinable spaces for 35 students. Following on from the building theme of ‘linking’, these can be configured ‘two-up’ or ‘three-up’ to create classrooms of 70 or 105 using moveable dividers. Each set of rooms is controlled by a single Crestron DM-MD8X8 matrix which feeds three individual NEC PA500U full HD projectors, allowing for separate images or a single source when the spaces are joined.

COMMS, NO DRAMA

Overseeing all this and adding to the ‘connected’ theme is an extensive implementation of Crestron’s Fusion management system.

David Rees explained its importance: “Using Fusion, the service desk staff can get a real feel for what is going on in the room. If a call comes through, they can not only view the touchpanel controls but also ‘drill down’ to get extra information from the advanced and technical levels to see information on the resolution that is connected and so on.”

The last word on the success of the system belongs to Bruce as AUT’s teaching and learning manager: “We’ve just come through the first semester with no dramas at all!” he noted. For any new building packed to the rafters with the latest digital technology, that’s got to be the best possible start.

KEY ITAV PERSONNEL

CONTACT

Onsite project lead: Robert Wills Lead programmer: Twelve Li Engineering: David Rees, Steve Smith and Martin Ellis

AUT: www.aut.ac.nz Resolution AV Consulting: www.resolution-av.co.nz Samsung: 1300 362 603 or www.samsunglfd.com Hills SVL (Turbosound): (02) 9647 1411 or nsw@hillssvl.com.au Crestron: www.crestron.com.au Jands (BSS): (02) 9582 0909 or info@jands.com.au NEC: 131 632 or www.nec.com.au Cisco: www.cisco.com/web/ANZ Denon: au.denon.com

GEAR LIST DISPLAYS Forum Video Wall: 16 x Samsung UE 55A Bridge Video Wall: 9 x Samsung 400UX-3 Mini Forum Wall: 9 x Samsung 400UX-3 Digital Signage: 10 x Samsung MD32B, 64 x Samsung MD40B, 6 x Samsung MD 55B Media Centre: 8 x Samsung ME40B Seminar Room: 4 x Samsung MD46B PROJECTORS Teaching Spaces: 34 x NEC PA 500U, 11 x NEC PA 550WG DIGITAL MEDIA MATRIX SWITCHERS 3 x Crestron DM-MD16X16 1 x Crestron DM-MD6X6 13 x Crestron DM-MD8X8 1 x Crestron DMPS-300-C

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FEATURE

Thoroughbred AV Royal Randwick’s new $180m grandstand has been a huge audiovisual undertaking. And when it comes to the punt – it’s mission critical.

Text:/ Christopher Holder

To understand the AV at the Australian Turf Club’s (ATC) Royal Randwick race track in Sydney, you need to understand race day.

The PA People, has done a stadium or two over the years, there’s no doubting that, but the Sport of Kings is a horse of a very different colour to other game day scenarios or sporting events.

Horse racing is about prestige, glamour, money, power and influence. You won’t find the royal family owning a stake in West Ham United, but you will find royal families of all persuasions taking a keen interest in thoroughbred horse flesh.

But regardless of whether you’re a sheikh or a taxi driver, once the horses are under starter’s orders, there’s only one focus, and that’s on the race call: “We needed to ascertain how the client wanted to operate the system and work with them,” explains The P.A. People’s project manager, Josh Jones. “We’ve worked with Royal Randwick for a number of years now, but requirements evolve, so we put our listening ears on.

“There’s an audio hierarchy that exists. Ultimately, the race call is king – once the horses leave the barrier every audio zone is taking the race call. The rest of the time it’ll switch back to what you have running locally — free-toair, Sky Sports, etc. The bookies’ areas are a little different.

The interstate race results will override the background audio, while any announcements from Randwick’s weights and measures room will have precedence over the interstate results. It took a few visits to the Autumn Carnival to get all this down. We learnt a lot.”

CALL IT AS YOU SEE IT

It’s interesting just what a great leveller that race call is.

This is a $180m new grandstand development. There are dozens of private suites and function spaces. There’s the new ‘Theatre of the Horse’ parade ring, an owners’ pavilion, the Directors’ Lounge, and, of course, acres of visitors’ concourse and a grassed area along the track for the hoi polloi in for a casual punt. Josh Jones again: “Part of the Norman Disney & Young consultant’s spec was to cover everyone on the grass (up to 20,000) with 100dB of audio. That’s some serious level. But just as important was to avoid caning the horses with 90dB of audio as they galloped past to the finishing line. This is all from a distributed PA mounted 40m up on the lip of the roof of the grandstand. Using a combination of BSS BLU DSP processing, Crown CTS amplifiers (with BLU PIP cards) and weather-rated JBL AE Series loudspeakers we’ve got that area covered.”

And that’s just one zone. Along with the aforementioned VIP spaces, functions rooms, etc., there are more than 60 zones.

Josh Jones: “For audio signal transmission we went with Dante over fibre (with copper backup). With 160plus channels we needed something that would provide us with the audio channels backwards and forwards that run through the building. You could say it was a comparatively simple job in terms of knowing what the ‘plumbing’ needed to be but we needed the horsepower to make that happen. Which was one of the reasons we went with Dante.

“For example, we have every free-to-air TV channel (30-odd channels), each one of those is a discrete audio channel that gets selected and controlled directly from the system in each one of these rooms – it can be independently routed to each room at the user’s discretion.

As well as that, you’ve got the race-caller and the local use of microphones and announcers in the parade ring… everything runs over the same fibre backbone.”

IPTV: 800 NETWORKED SCREENS

Hearing everything is one thing, but that’s only half the equation in the new grandstand, there are 800-odd screens (including ~500 Sony models) for the public to see everything.

The screen network is powered by an Exterity IPTV system. The system handles everything from terrestrial free-to-air TV, satellite pay-TV, outside broadcast van feeds, production facilities, and locally-produced digital signage generated in-house by the ATC. In fact, there are some 60 channels available at the site, together with over 30 pages of digital signage screens. Each display is independently-addressable from the Exterity central management platform.

High definition displays are absolutely everywhere.

In fact, I challenge anyone to walk into any front-ofhouse area and not clock a screen in their line of sight.

Bars, suites, ballrooms, dining areas, outdoor spaces and management facilities, they’re all covered. The raceday operator of the Exterity system can provide central control, while a good number of AMX wall panels allow those in hospitality suites to tailor the visuals to their needs.

Video is on the same fibre backbone as the audio but on a separate VLAN (Virtual LAN). And the TAB – with its self-service kiosks and odds screens? Well, unsurprisingly, that runs on its own totally-separate data infrastructure – even the racks are segregated and locked with a different key.

Viewed from the final straight, Royal Randwick's new grandstand is a towering edifice of glass and soaring lines.

Right: In the hospitality areas, each table (some 200 in all) has its own Sony Vaio touchscreen – effectively a self contained tablet PC – which allows patrons to change the channel via an idiotproof interface designed

by The P.A. People.

Far right: The the JBL AE Series PA delivers 100dB of high intelligibility sound to the trackside areas from its perch on the outer lip of the grandstand roof.

FEATURE

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FEATURE

LIVING LARGE The finishing-post Daktronics Semaphore 15HD LED video display is a showstopper. Along with the same format screen (420sqm) at Rosehill Racecourse this display is the biggest south of the equator. It features 720 x 2568 pixel resolution at a 15mm pixel pitch. Daktronics screens are well regarded for their wide viewing angle, high brightness and high contrast, and the full IP65-rated outdoor Semaphore display provides a genuine focal point for all 40,000-odd people on race day.

Indoors, Daktronics has two of its large-format 6mm pixelpitch LED panels taking care of all the odds and vision from races around the country – one above the bar and another above the TAB. The control features are state of the art. Using the Daktronics show control solution the displays are fully integrated with the TAB interface, taking the TAB data and displaying it in any format the ATC desires. Practically this means the traditional basic-but-serviceable TAB readouts are replaced with better looking fonts and colours, and the data can appear anywhere on the big screen that works best.

Daktronics: (02) 9453 4600 or www.daktronics.com

SADDLE UP

The P.A. People has been responsible for some significant installations, but according to Josh Jones this one is: “without doubt, the biggest rollout of an integrated audiovisual project that The P.A. People has been involved with”. And said with the lack of equivocation you’d expect from a man who has come out the end of a very long, mentally-arduous process.

It’s the ATC’s challenge to now exploit the high level of amenity the grandstand provides during ‘down time’. What with the wonderful interior design from architects Woods Bagot, the generously-proportioned ballroom areas and the excellent catering facilities, I’d hazard a guess that Royal Randwick will be keeping itself busy all year round.  CONTACT The P.A. People: (02) 8755 8700 or www.papeople.com.au Hills Antenna & TV Systems (Exterity): 1800 720 000 or www.hillsantenna.com.au Sony: pro.sony.com.au Jands (BSS, Crown, JBL): (02) 9582 0909 or info@jands.com.au

Apart from the trackside Daktronics signboard, there are two more installations inside the grandstand – at the TAB (above) and bar (right, but unpowered in the picture).

(left) There are 60 audio zones throughout the venue. with the above interface showing only one floor. The setup combines the DSP and zoning prowess of BSS BLU processing, Dante over fibre for transmission, Crown CTS amplifiers (with BLU PIP cards) for power and JBL installation speakers for the rest.

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FEATURE

A Virtual Double What happens when an orchestra sends its virtual clone on the road and lets punters remix its performance?

Text:/ Mark Davie

The big money is on the road. It’s what everyone’s saying. That albums are just an audio press release for the tour and the t-shirt. But night after night of playing the same repertoire can be a drag. And you can only ever be in one place at a time, severely limiting earning potential. If only there was a way you could multiply yourself, be in more than one place at a time.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) and Mod Productions have gone one better.

They’ve figured out how to play in multiple places at once, without physically being in any one of them.

PITCH HITTER

The ACO first got in contact with Michela Ledwidge, Director of Mod Productions, after she gave a presentation at an ABC event on her history with re-mixable film and interactive story-telling. It hit the nail on the head for the ACO, which had been researching ways it could expand its audience.

Michela: “I was commissioned to spend a week looking to see if there was an opportunity to leverage the kind of interactive film projects I’d done in the past. Our framework was all about how to get the audience involved in a high-end audiovisual experience where you don’t have to interact, but if you do interact, there’s a real remixable potential.”

There were a number of criteria the solution had to satisfy. The obvious one was broadening the reach of an orchestra that can only ever be in one place at one time. But also, the costs of touring an ensemble are enormous, so finding a more cost-effective distribution of its performances was also high up the list. But lastly, the ACO’s audience is generally longer in the tooth, so if there was a means of bringing younger audiences into play, that wouldn’t be sniffed at either.

The result of all the research is the Virtual ACO roadshow. A travelling kit of seven video projectors (two performers per projector), a 7.1 (minimum) surround speaker system, two spec’ed out PCs and an iPad on a stand that lets attendees shine the virtual spotlight on specific performers as well as giving detail about the four-song repertoire from Bach, Grieg, Smalley and Piazzolla.

The numbers are promising. A typical ACO

10-day might ring up costs in excess of $100,000, whereas Michela estimates the total cost of putting together the open-ended Virtual ACO at about $400,000. Mod Productions absorbed a lot of the labour costs because they now own the technological intellectual property. It means Mod can use the staging format for other similar shows in the future.

So far, the Virtual ACO has performed at the Gold Coast Regional Arts Centre and Swan Hill Gallery. But the plan is to keep the touring package out on the road for at least a couple of years, with plenty more venues showing interest in staging the concept. To stage the show, the

“The ACO is an adventurous bunch that took a leap of faith to allow its recordings to be remixed by punters” venue hires the kit off the ACO. And Mod Productions has got it down to a one day bumpin, and three-hour bump out. If it keeps going well, and funding permits, a second kit might be pressed into action, and more repertoire recorded to keep the Virtual ACO ticking over for years to come.

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

When the Virtual ACO rolls into town, the performance is projected on the walls of a room with the speaker system distributed between each projection. The trick is being able to precisely overlay the phantom audio image over each player. Michela explains how the system integrates with the projections on the gallery walls: “In the centre of the space is a music stand with an embedded tablet. As each piece starts, a full body image of each player in that piece appears on the tablet screen. By swiping your finger across the screen you toggle, or select one

or more of the players to be spot-lit on the walls.

“When a player is spot-lit, their lighting comes up on the main displays and the audio is remixed automatically so the audio from the spot-lit players is brought to the fore. It’s quite a subtle effect because it’s not simply turning the volume from the video up to 100%. It takes into account different weightings depending on what instruments you’re selecting and the number of players. It’s quite a sophisticated, interactive audio patch that is doing the dynamic changes.”

It’s quite a big risk, putting the control of your mix in the hands of laypeople, but Michela has a vision for the future, and re-mixable performances are a big part of growing interaction with audiences. Michela: “The ACO is an adventurous bunch that took a leap of faith to allow its recordings to be remixed by punters. We’ve put parameters around what the remix experience is, but it’s exposing members of the ensemble in ways that they would never otherwise be exposed.

So there’s still a degree of bravery required to enter this space and it’s not been the easiest vision to sell. I’m biased, but from my perspective, it’s definitely the next phase.”

THE ACO IN A BOX

Michela: “The show is currently running off two very high spec PCs, each with an RME MADI card and an Nvidia Quadro K5000 4 x HD video card. On the core engine is a program called TouchDesigner, which manages up to 39 different videos’ worth of material and triggers all the audio as required. We built layers of software on top of that for our logic, and the web management is all controlled and managed by a web service.

“On the second machine we’ve got Plogue Bidule with a range of plug-ins for sweetening, acoustic modelling tuned for each venue. The show control messages come to Plogue Bidule via TouchDesigner, and TouchDesigner gets its messages from the audience via a custom-built iPad app.

“There’s a huge amount of traffic going between the audio and video PCs. A MADI connection transfers all the audio, and some additional logic inside Plogue manages all the OSC messages coming from the audience interface to figure out how a particular mix can

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Ever wanted to conduct a chamber orchestra? Now you can! The iPad interface allows visitors to highlight and blend performers, via seven projectors and a 7.1 audio setup.

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FEATURE

The soundstage where the ACO was recorded and filmed. A degree of sonic separation (~20dB) was required for punters to aurally highlight performers in the final interactive production.

occur without drowning out the violins with the bass, for instance.”

Simon Lear, the ACO’s head engineer picks up the trail: “Plogue Bidule is like Max/MSP but at a higher level. If you want an eight-channel mixer you don’t have to build it from scratch. Just grab a device and drop it. It’s a visual, modular audioprogramming interface. It takes the MADI input, and, based on the conditions, it does various things with it. The real hub of the audio side is a plug-in from Flux called IRCAM Spat – a surround spatialisation and reverb processor that generates the localisation and the reverb in real time. It’s hosted in Bidule as a VST plug-in, and it comes out of the MADI card to an SSL D/A converter and goes straight to the speaker.”

Each time the kit is rolled out in a different gallery or performance venue, the system has to be re-tuned to make sure the audio localisation matches the new positioning of the projections and the players within them. Simon: “The audio is a phantom image between the speakers – it’s a virtual position so we have to tune that localisation to each space and physical setup. At that point I hand over to sound technician, Felix Abrahams, that’s his department. He installs it

and does a fantastic job of tuning the system and its localisation.”

The automatic mix is not just a matter of turning one player up and the other down, it fluidly transitions between selections, as well as figuring out what to do when the orchestra gets switched back in. Simon: “If you’re going from a full orchestra to one player spotlight, there’s going to be a natural drop in level which could make it feel less impressive. So when you go from a full mix to a single person, you need a level boost, and then if you add people you still want a boost but less of a one for each player.

There’s no compression or limiting going on, it’s just manipulating the levels based on conditions, and all the ambience is generated in real-time. As more people are added, it dynamically adapts – it’s like a matrix of gain settings.”

SPLITTING UP THE BAND

The ability to manipulate individual recorded parts in an orchestra must set off warning bells for the classical engineers out there. It’s probably obvious by now, but the recording process didn’t follow any of the standard orchestral miking techniques – no Decca trees fanning out above

the ensemble. The orchestra had to be captured individually for the system to work, and not only that, each performance had to be filmed against a green screen.

It was a conundrum, because orchestral players aren’t used to operating in isolation, and using a click track would be a leap too far in the wrong direction. In the end, the orchestra was set up on a film sound stage. Each player was stationed on a plinth a couple of meters apart with the two main desks of violins and violas facing each other, while the cellos and bass rounded out the horseshoe configuration.

Simon: “The sound stage was a nice, big, open room with quite a bit of absorption built into it, but it didn’t sound like a great hall or studio.

Much more than that, it was a real challenge for the players to play physically separated from each other because they’re accustomed to standing next to each other.”

The players weren’t the only ones in an unusual situation. Simon had to figure out how he was going to capture each instrument without sacrificing overall tone and dynamics.

Simon: “I individually miked them with Schoeps MK4 small diaphragm cardioid

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condensers, and DPA 4061 miniature mics on Shure radio packs, which we really didn’t end up using. They were a bit of an aid in postproduction and I just wanted them for a backup.

I had a few Beyer M160 hypercardioid ribbon mics on principals, that were more of a friendly frequency response I could use as a reference. But most of what you hear in the installation is just a straight single Schoeps per player.

“I knew from doing tests from a pilot with the quartet that I’d get about 20dB of separation between players. And that worked with the brief because the players didn’t want to be 100% isolated in the final installation and for some of the pieces that wouldn’t work at all anyhow.

FEATURE

“There was a settling period working out how much isolation there would be, because different departments had different views. But it found its own way, and in the end the spill from the mics fell into the groove. It wasn’t too destructive.

“We hired a redundant recording system which was based on API 8MX2 preamps split into dual Tascam X48 [digital multi-track] recorders. And we used a Midas console as a monitoring hub.”

Once the best take was chosen, Lear did a bit of post-production cleanup in Magix Sequoia – getting rid of noises, thumps and clicks – but didn’t use much EQ on the individual instruments. The main EQ’ing happens in set up to attain the right room balance. And because the balance could be

mixed on the fly by punters, a lot of the effort was in setting rules for the automix logic.

It’s a strange way to record an orchestra. But allowing punters to participate in a performance by spotlighting players and following along with the score has brought down the barriers for people unlikely to set foot inside a concert hall.

But has it replaced the ACO’s touring schedule, is everyone now sitting at home without a job?

Simon Lear says the orchestra is going “120%”.

Better than ever. The Virtual ACO is just another string to the bow, a way of doubling the coverage of an orchestra already spread thin. Now if only we could all do that. 

CAPTURING 13 x 3D VIDEOS To capture simultaneous stereographic (3D) videos of all 13 musicians, DOP Paul Nichola used a fleet of 13 DSLR cameras with dual-mirror rigs in an echo of the 3D stills cameras popular in the mid-20th century.

In the controlled lighting of a film sound stage, and with essentially static performers, Nichola was able to tripod-mount a pair of first-surface mirrors at the appropriate interaxial separation and matching focal distances to enable a single DSLR camera to record adjacent half-frame images of the same performer.

Testing the rig: when selected the performer(s) is ‘lit’ via one of the seven projectors and the audio is automatically remixed so the sound from the spot-lit players is subtly brought to the fore.

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FEATURE

Rocking Hard A new audio matrix with iOS control? Rock ’n’ roll!

Text:/ Graeme Hague

It’s easy to take global franchises for granted and forget that some of these retail behemoths had humble beginnings – even almost accidental ones. Such is the case with the Hard Rock Cafe.

The original venue was opened in 1971 by two American hippy-like chaps who lamented the lack of any decent burgers in London so much they decided to open their own joint. The official Hard Rock Cafe website doesn’t explain how the ‘Hard Rock’ name came about, but the venue quickly became the cool and groovy place for musicians and music-lovers to hang out. The first live gig was Paul McCartney and Wings doing a warm-up show before their 1973 UK tour. At some point Eric Clapton asked that one of his guitars be hung over his favourite stool to mark his spot (the rock ’n’ roll equivalent of draping your beach towel over the best poolside chairs – German readers take note) and, not to be outdone, Pete Townsend did the same. Yes,

Fenders and Gibsons were cheap back then. The Hard Rock Cafe’s memorabilia collection is now up to 79,000 items worldwide and – we’ll do the math for you – the company has been in business over 40 years.

That kind of success doesn’t solely come from a couple of blokes who can’t stomach fish and chips wrapped in newspaper. Over the years the Hard Rock Cafe has developed a winning formula and company identity, and the latest example of that is evident at the Hard Rock Cafe Sydney, Darling Harbour.

IN THE ZONE

Despite the name, the Hard Rock Cafe caters for a clientele beyond heavy metal fans and one of the problems that creates is providing a diverse Hard Rock “experience” for everyone, allowing for a range of musical tastes, all in the same venue. In particular, ensuring the different zones

of background music and even live performance don’t overlap and interfere with each other. In general this is usually just a matter of volume and maintaining the required ambience of each zone, since Hard Rock Cafe sources all its music from a global server. Still, the capability to broadcast different content to the various zones or perhaps speeches and corporate presentations is a necessity, and must be ready to implement with a minimum of fuss and expertise required.

Hard Rock Cafe Sydney, Darling Harbour, has a capacity of over 500 people and includes several bars, an outdoor balcony dining area, a live performance area and a retail shop. In all, the refit determined there would be eight separate zones for broadcast. Getting the balance right throughout the venue is a priority for the Hard Rock brand, and the existing PA system was deemed incapable of cutting the mustard (cutting the mustard – get it? It’s a burger joint, so… never

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FEATURE

The 500-capacity Hard Rock Cafe Sydney, Darling Harbour, comprises eight audio zones. The new Bosch Plena Matrix takes care of the loudspeaker processing.

(Above) EV ELX118 subs provide the low end support..

mind). Sydney-based AV integrator VisionX was invited to install a solution, designed by principal ICT consultant Mal Barnes from Umow Lai, which is multi-disciplinary Building Services Engineering and Sustainability consultancy.

PLENA OF REASONS

Mal had recently seen presentations and the specifications of the new Bosch Plena Matrix system and, call it Fate or just a happy coincidence, could see it was pretty much exactly what the Hard Rock Cafe needed. The venue required those eight zones of sound distribution and control – the Plena Matrix comes with an 8x8 DSP mixer plus a comprehensive loudspeaker processor.

No surprise, it’s never going to be quite that simple to spread a single system throughout one venue and guarantee the right results everywhere.

Taking on the task of keeping the project on track was Bryan Davidson, Senior Engineer, Bosch Communications Systems, who oversaw the installation and fine-tuned the system EQ. The folks at VisionX are due a special mention, too. Due to the long operating hours of the venue the VisionX crew only had limited, late-night opportunities to get the work done. Let’s hope lots of good coffee was on tap.

For Bryan’s final setup, the Plena provides plenty of tools via a PC GUI connected through a network. DSP mixer input controls include multiband equalising, gain control and dynamic range compression on each input. Output controls include multi-band equalising, filtering, dynamic range compression, delay and limiting, plus the ability to mix several inputs for up to eight outputs in real time. Any integrators familiar with these types of parameters will find setting up the systems relatively straightforward, then the

results can be saved in Scenes that can be recalled whenever necessary. Advanced adjustments can be safely locked away behind a password, in case the kitchen staff decides to take DJ duties into their own hands.

Of course, the venue staff needs hands-on and immediate control of some aspects of the music and while Plena wallplate controllers are available, for this project Hard Rock Cafe opted for iOS devices and the dedicated Bosch Plena Matrix app. The advantages are obvious for tailoring the sound in each zone from deep among the Great Unwashed, although you probably wouldn’t want to let slip that you can tweak the sound system with the same iPad you’re using to take a drinks order. Everybody’s a sound engineer, right?

DOOF FOR THOUGHT

The Hard Rock Cafe Sydney, Darling Harbour, almost exclusively uses EV ZX1-i loudspeakers in all of the zones, mounted and focused to minimise overlap into adjacent areas. The EV ZX1-i is a passive two-way eight-inch loudspeaker rated at 200W and you’d expect it will keep most patrons happy, but after all this is a hard rock cafe and, let’s face it, ‘food’ is actually doof-doof spelled backwards (okay, twice) and some customers are going to order a side-dish of extra bass sometimes.

The venue can serve this up in two of the zones using four EV ELX118 subwoofers, which are a passive 18-inch device rated at 400W. Some of the features of the Plena Matrix system weren’t required at the Hard Rock Cafe, but they can be easily implemented in the future if needs be. For example, the system can be integrated with Bosch BlueLine Gen 2 motion detectors, powered by the amplifiers, and the system will automatically shut down zones that

aren’t being used – something that will never happen at Hard Rock Cafe Sydney, Darling Harbour, but certainly can be a factor in other applications such as museum exhibitions or an art gallery. In an installed system with motion detectors, an associated Auto-Standby power management facility can result in significant savings in electricity costs and wear ’n’ tear on the equipment.

The Plena wallplates and call stations, as mentioned earlier, were eschewed in favour of the iOS app. Again, these can be easily added later since they require only Cat5 cabling making retro-installation relatively simple.

BETWEEN A PLACE & HARD ROCK

It’s interesting to compare the level of technology used in the Plena Matrix system to the kind of music technology the Hard Rock Cafe celebrates.

Messrs Hendrix, Presley, Morrison and the like would surely be befuddled at the concept of their music being streamed from half-way across the world and distributed throughout eight different areas of a restaurant in Sydney, Australia. It seems anything is possible.

This does leave one final, very important question. With all this hi-tech, electronic trickery in place, does the Hard Rock Cafe deliver on that American-style burger that was so sorely missed back in 1971? According to Mal Barnes the burgers are indeed great.  More information Umow Lai: (03) 9249 0288 or www.umowlai.com.au VisionX: (02) 8070 9309 or www.visionx.com.au Bosch Communications Systems: (02) 9683 4752 or boschcomms@au.bosch.com

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REVIEW

Allen & Heath Qu-16 Digital Mixer Compact, powerful, and as easy as analogue.

Text/ Mark Woods

I’ve been using digital desks for some years now but I’m still generally reluctant to use them if I have a choice. These days I do a lot of one-off live shows and small- to mid-sized festivals and prefer the familiarity of having all the controls visible and accessible all the time.

The functionality of analogue desks is definitely limited compared to the digital equivalents but with analogue I can ‘feel’ the mix whereas digital desks can push me too much towards ‘thinking’ about the mix.

If you’re doing big tours, or complicated theatrical productions (try doing King Kong with an analogue desk!) then the routing flexibility and recall options available in the digital format will almost always win the day… but for quick-setup, no-soundcheck, seat-of-your-pants gigs then I find analogue desks are easier. Of course, part of this is familiarity with the machine: analogue desks don’t have to be learnt in the same way as digital consoles, the I/O connections are obvious, and there’s no potentially confusing layers or menus to be navigated before getting sound. I might be showing my age, but when presented with an unfamiliar digital console it still feels like doing homework until I get the routing sorted and learn how to get to the essential functions.

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

Enter the Allen & Heath Qu-16 digital console and I can feel the analogue/digital dividing wall crumbling. Straight out of the box it looks

familiar and at first glance there’s not many mysterious buttons or controls on the operating surface. Physically, it’s about the same size as a MixWizard and rack-mountable, but it’s unusually shaped: the body is only 40mm thick and it wraps around and under at the top to make a hook shape. This is a good design, Óit takes up the least space possible but provides clear access to the rear panel, and lifts the back of the desk so it sits at a good angle to see and operate the controls. It has an 800 x 480 touchscreen that doesn’t dominate the workspace; the motorised faders and audio controls do. The rear panel is very analogue-like with 19 XLR/jack mic/line ins and XLR outputs for the main stereo mix plus the 10 other possible mixes. At 10kg it’s certainly light, and the shape makes it very easy to grab, pick up and carry.

HEY PRESTO

For the first time I can recall with a straight-outof-the-box digital console, I put a mic in Channel 1, connected speakers to the main outputs, pushed the faders up and (yes!), got sound. I know that’s what you’d hope for, but still, I was pleasantly surprised. Heck, the channel gain default setting was even normal for a vocal mic!

In fact, all facets of operation aren’t at all daunting. For example, the dynamics section includes a gate and a compressor/limiter. It’s easy to use and provides predictable results. Saying that, here’s one quibble I do have: strangely, the

compressor doesn’t display gain reduction in decibels; it uses a little red bar graph to indicate how hard the compressor is working. At first I thought it was to keep things simple but there are comprehensive numerical readouts for other parameters so I’m not sure what the thinking is — it would be an easy thing to include with a software update.

BUT IS IT ART?

The Qu-16 is pleasingly simple to use but there is a lot of processing power beneath the surface.

According to Allen & Heath there are five dualcore DSPs to control channel and FX processing and a further five 200MHz ARM core processors for the hardware. In use, the Qu-16 boots up quickly and returns to the last used settings.

The first show I took it to was an art showcase event involving several performances in one large space. Each performance involved only a handful of channels going to powered speakers but with one of my analogue consoles I would have had to share outputs and swap them around between acts, or use several different consoles (and several different outboard processing racks). With the Qu-16 I was able to set up separate inputs and outputs for each performance with settings optimised for the various acts, and it was easy to do. I had no complaints about the sound quality and having such comprehensive processing available on all channels made it easy to hone in on the exact requirements of each act. The Qu-16

REVIEW

doesn’t take up much space either; sometimes that doesn’t matter but in an art gallery it was neat to be able to set up the desk without the companion racks of outboard gear, and the space underneath the Qu-16, created by the distinctive body shape, was handy for storing my test mic, CD player, mobile phone etc.

The Qu-16 has a few tricks up its sleeve too. My favourite is Qu-Drive, which gives you the ability to insert a flash drive into a socket at the top of the operating surface and, once formatted, use it to record the main L/R output or all 16 channels (plus a patchable stereo pair) in 24-bit/48kHz quality. These recorded tracks can be switched to playback through the console channels enabling virtual soundchecks. A separate USB interface on the rear panel allows for USB audio to and from a DAW (Mac only at the moment). The free Qu-Pad iPad app and a wifi router in the Ethernet port enable remote control over many of the desk’s functions. Total recall of settings and scenes is possible through the motorised faders and the digitally controlled preamp gain.

GETTING PICKY

Thanks to my brush with success at the art gallery show, I took the brave step of packing the Qu-16 for the Kelly Country Pick, an annual event I do in Beechworth featuring acoustic acts, mainly bluegrass and old-timey.

The first thing I noticed was that I had more room in the car — the desk is smaller than even my smallest 16-channel analogue mixer and I was able to leave my usual effects rack, drive rack and delay device at home. As well as the main outputs to the PA, I had four sends of foldback and delay speakers. All these were easily configured from the desk with the main outs and foldback sends all having 31-band EQ across them. These acoustic music events are all about accuracy and purity of sound and both the performers and the audience share a keen interest in the sound quality. I applaud this attitude but it does keep you on your toes sound-wise, especially with no soundchecks and minimal time between acts. I was using my PA and the first time I fired it up I noticed it sounded different… it wasn’t a better or worse thing, just different, but it seemed quieter (it probably was) and perhaps more transparent.

The virtual 31-band EQs were a little vague in operation, and they shared the dynamic processors’ quirky feature of not displaying the actual decibels of cut or boost. It forced me to make the moves by ear (not a bad exercise) but I’d still prefer to have the number of decibels as a reference. The first night’s show went well and the desk came in for some favourable comment about its looks and modest form factor.

QU THE MUSIC

The next night (in the same venue) was a tougher test: there were more bands on, and the room was full and noisier. Most of the acts were playing into condenser mics for the instruments, and normal dynamics for the vocals, so setting up each act was as simple as getting the right mic in the right place. I had a little of each mic in the foldback but with condensers you can’t get much out of the foldback anyway, and the acts don’t rely on it. But then a couple of acts wanted to use DIs for their instruments and hear them through the foldback. This is commonplace enough

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REVIEW

FEATURES FAT CHANNEL Each channel features: Mute, Select and PFL buttons.

The audio control section packs gain, HPF, EQ, dynamics and pan. Use the hardware controls or select the relevant function on the touchscreen and use the matching knob under the display.

FADER BRAIN The 16 faders are in two layers, where the upper layer gets you to the three stereo returns, the FX sends and returns, and the master faders for the 10 alternate mixes. You can apply a 31-band graphic to the L/R mix and Mixes 1-4 (for foldback, normally). Hit ‘Fader Flip’ to use the faders to adjust the GEQ. The other three stereo mixes get the same parametric equaliser as the input channels, stereo returns and FX returns.

THUMBDRIVE RECORDING With Qu-Drive you can insert a flash drive and use it to record the main L/R output or all 16 channels (plus a patchable stereo pair) in 24-bit/48kHz quality. These recorded tracks can be switched to playback through the console channels enabling virtual soundchecks.

MIX OPTIONS A row of buttons select the main mix, the FX mixes or the 10 other possible mixes.

and my usual routine is to talk to the players through the foldback and get them to play; I look at the level and when it’s right I push up the channel fader and have a quick listen (if it sounds okay, I give them some through the foldback). If there’s four sends, for instance, I apply different amounts to the various sends as required. I go through all the instruments then tell the band to start. This routine is more time consuming with a digital desk. Each foldback send is on its own layer and to apply different levels to different foldback sends, in a hurry, saw reset faders flying up and down all over the place and I made a few mistakes by being on the wrong layer. I know it’s operator error but ease of operation is important when you’re in a hurry and I missed the visual feedback provided by all sends being visible all the time. That was my only complaint, otherwise it worked very well.

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

The Qu-16 is intended as an entry-level product but doesn’t sound or look like it’s been compromised to meet a price point. The rotary

encoders are smooth and the buttons engage in a positive manner. The faders are the only things that feel a bit cheap; they are not particularly smooth, and they are a little noisy when they move, either manually or via their motors, but it’s a detail rather than a problem. I like the way the Qu-16 can be used as a complete stand-alone mixer with integrated inputs and outputs, or used as a control surface with a remote ‘brain’ via the Cat5 dSnake. It’s also compatible with Allen & Heath’s ME personal monitoring system.

The easy functionality and intuitive operating surface help it rise to the top of the budget digital consoles and I can imagine this desk appealing to a wide range of users, including bands, small venues, hire companies, schools and corporate applications. It’s a small and convenient front-ofhouse console that will deal with any application that requires up to 16 channels and it would also make a neat foldback desk. You might say, it’s a digital console for analogue people. 

MORE INFO PRICE $3495 CONTACT Technical Audio Group (02) 9519 0900 info@tag.com.au www.tag.com.au SUMMARY Think of the Qu-16 as a digital Mix Wiz, only with effects, graphics, comps on every channel and a bunch more mix outputs. Deceptively powerful, well priced, compact, pleasing to look at, and set to lead the smallformat pack.

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REVIEW

Epson EB-G6900WUNL A stealth-black 3LCD venue projector Text:/ Stuart Gregg

Although Epson is one of the world’s largestselling brands of projector in many markets, it is not a brand I normally think of for projectors in professional AV, so when I opened the box I was almost expecting to see the new printer I had recently purchased for home, not a projector resembling a stealthed aircraft.

The EB-G6900WUNL joins a host of midrange projectors with a vast array of features making it either too clever for its own good, or just the tool for the job, depending on your needs at the time.

The unit is based a round a 3LCD projection path and delivers a WUXGA image at a claimed 6000 lumens and from my first impressions I don’t doubt its claim. Epson markets this unit as a professional projector for large venues such as conference rooms, stage shows and houses of worship, and while I don’t disagree, I feel that 6000 ANSI lumens only just cuts the large venue tag nowadays. Given some of the built-in features such as HDBaseT, edge-blending, Faroudja’s DCDi cinema chipset and geometry correction, it would serve equally well in the digital signage market and larger home cinema setups.

You have all the regular inputs such as: • Composite • YC • RGBHV • VGA • HDMI • Stereo audio mini jack As well as some not so standard: • HDBaseT • DisplayPort • SDI Network and Control inputs: • LAN • RS 232 • Mini jack remote

With the optional HDBaseT transmitter we sent full HD signals over 75m of Cat6 cable with great results. We also hooked up PC laptops and MacBooks via the HDMI and DisplayPorts and the resulting images were clean, punchy and accurately reproduced a good range of colours.

We also connected the same sources via VGA and got good results with the auto-setup, without resorting to any advance image settings.

The projector has a number of colour modes including: Photo, Presentation, Theatre Dynamic, sRGB, Multi-Projection, DICOM SIM, 3D Presentation, 3D Theatre, 3D Dynamic and 3D Multi-Projection. We found Presentation mode worked well for all our normal PowerPoint images and the Theatre Dynamic mode did a good job of movie images.

The projector can be installed in any orientation. It can be rotated 360° in any direction off-axis, which makes it useful for floor projection or any of those other odd angles you sometimes need in specialist installations and digital signage applications. Alongside this you have a reasonable amount of lens shift. There is ±67% vertical and 30% horizontal shift, although this is achieved via the manual knobs on the top of the projector, not electromechanically via the remote. Given the additional cooling capacity required to achieve this flexibility the projector was remarkably quiet.

Geometry correction is provided in the form of keystone correction both vertical and horizontal arc, and point correction which allows the removal of any barreling of an image projected onto a curved screen, as well as correcting images projected onto or into corners. With only one review unit we obviously could not test the blending, but the feature was easy to understand and work.

The G6900WUNL comes without a standard

lens, but has a full range of optional lenses available. Our review unit came equipped with a 1.26:1-2.3:1 zoom.

If you were to use this unit in a permanent install, it can be controlled and monitored via Epson’s Easy management software or RS232.

If it was installed stand-alone you can use the internal scheduler to turn the projector on and off to the time of day.

The unit uses a 380W UHE lamp with a claimed life of 2000 standard-output hours or 4000 in eco mode. Again, I challenge anyone to be happy with the light output at 1000 hours on any unit. Lamp replacement costs online looked to be reasonable at around $300. This price was not from the manufacturer direct, but from a lamp wholesaler.

The projector weighs in at just over 9kg with lens and measures 505mm x 405mm x 171mm, so is a compact unit for its light output. I am not sure about the stealthy matte black finish, but that’s a matter of taste and maybe it will influence where you choose to install it.

In summary, it’s a decent unit with some nice easy-to-use features. Although they’re sold in their millions in other markets, I have not had much personal experience with the longevity of Epson projectors, but this one looked built to last, and would be one to put on the list when considering a 6000 lumens projector.  Price: Recommended Retail (inc GST): $6999 Enquiries: Epson Australia: (02) 8899 3666 or srogers@epson.com.au

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NEWS

InfoComm News

News from the Oceania Region

INFOCOMM WELCOMES NEW BOARD

InfoComm International is pleased to announce election results for the 2014 InfoComm International Board of Directors.

Craig Janssen, LEED AP, of Acoustic Dimensions, has been elected Secretary-Treasurer. Deb Britton of K2 Audio LLC, and Michael Carter of AMX, have been elected as directors. In addition, Zane Au of Shen Milsom & Wilke, and Sarah Joyce of Electrosonic have been appointed to serve two-year terms on the board.

InfoComm thanks the outgoing Chairman of the Leadership Selection Committee Greg Jeffreys (Paradigm Audio Visual Ltd.), and board members Andrew Milne, Ph.D. (Tidebreak Inc.), Thierry Ollivier (projectiondesign AS) and Jan Sandri (FSR Inc.) for several years of dedicated service to the InfoComm Board of Directors.

“Greg Jeffreys has been extraordinarily generous with his time over the past several years, helping InfoComm by broadening our global perspective, developing industry standards and raising the bar for the AV profession,” said David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD, Executive Director and CEO, InfoComm International. “I also want to thank Andrew Milne, Thierry Ollivier and Jan Sandri for devoting their time and vision to the InfoComm board. The industry is stronger as a result of their involvement.”

A complete listing of the 2014 InfoComm Board of Directors appears below: Board of Directors LSC Chair: Tony Warner, CTS-D, CDT, LEED AP, RTKL President: Johanne Belanger, AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions President-Elect: Matt Emerson, CTS, CEAVCO Audio Visual Co., Inc. Secretary-Treasurer: Craig Janssen, LEED AP, Acoustic Dimensions Directors: Zane Au, CTS-D, LEED AP, Shen Milsom & Wilke; Deb Britton, K2 Audio LLC; Michael Carter, AMX; Jeff Faber, Sharp's Audio-Visual Ltd; Gary Hall, CVE, CTS-D, CTS-I, Cisco; Sarah Joyce, Electrosonic; Julian Phillips, Whitlock; Jeff Stoebner, AVI Systems, Inc

program, involvement with students interested in careers in AV, developing an industry mentor program and providing more onsite training at companies. We will be working with McGraw Hill to release a Networked AV Systems book in February that will provide essential information that today’s AV and IT professionals need to know. We are putting together a group of members who will help to define the exceptional AV experience.

The Certified Audio Visual Service Provider program will be revamped. And our country advisory groups, including one in Australia, will be developing and recommending programs that can be adopted locally around the world. We will be offering new conferences on Unified Collaborative Conferencing and Digital Signage at InfoComm 2014. InfoComm will also be reexamining the industry’s role in smart building technology. We are grateful you have been part of our past, and look forward to working together in the future.

GET THE NETWORK KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED

75 YEARS IN 2014

InfoComm International is partnering with AMX Australia to provide networked audiovisual systems training to AV professionals in Australia and New Zealand. Thanks to the generosity of AMX Australia, 100 Oceania professionals will be able to take InfoComm's popular Networked AV Systems class at a discounted rate in Sydney, the Gold Coast, Auckland and Melbourne, increasing the number of trained professionals in the region. Classes will begin to be offered in Feb. 2014.

Classes will be offered as follows: 5-7 Feb., 2014, Gold Coast; 10-12 Feb., 2014, Sydney; 2-4 April, 2014, Auckland; 7-9 April., 2014, Melbourne; 28-30 May, 2014, Gold Coast; 2-4 June, 2014, Sydney; 23-25 July, 2014, Melbourne; 28-30 July, 2014, Sydney; 24-26 Sept., 2014, Auckland; 29 Sept. – 1 Oct., 2014 Sydney; 12-14 Nov., 2014 Melbourne; and 17-19 Nov., 2014 Gold Coast.

In addition to AMX’s sponsorship of this program, AMX Platinum Dealers may claim up to 50 percent of the cost of staff members attending the course as part of their Marketing Co-Op from AMX. For details contact Kit Davidson: kit. davidson@amxaustralia.com.au.

To enrol, contact InfoComm Regional Director Jonathan Seller at oceania@infocomm.org or visit the InfoComm Online Store at infocomm.org.

InfoComm International is celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2014. Be part of the celebration by sharing your favourite InfoComm experiences. Please send them to bjaffe@infocomm.org.

As we move forward in 2014, you can expect us to launch new initiatives, including enhanced online education

InfoComm International has elected a new board of directors, including (from top) Secretary-Treasurer: Craig Janssen, LEED AP (Acoustic Dimensions); Zane Au, CTS-D, LEED AP (Shen Milsom & Wilke); Deb Britton (K2 Audio LLC); Michael Carter (AMX); Sarah Joyce (Electrosonic).

All The AV Industry Employment News Delivered to your IN box with AV Newswire Any time you want it at www.av.net.au

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049

TUTORIAL

Network Bandwidth This is an excerpt from the section ‘How Data is Encoded and Transported’ in the InfoComm University course Networking Technology Online. The course is a prerequisite for the classroom course Networked Audiovisual Systems, which is being offered in Australia and New Zealand in 2014. The first sessions are in Sydney and the Gold Coast in early February.

BANDWIDTH

When describing the data transmission on a network, bandwidth is one of the first characteristics you should think about. In fact, as an AV professional, the network’s bandwidth is one of the attributes you care most about. It has an enormous impact on the network’s ability to transport AV signals. If you don’t have sufficient bandwidth your signal quality will plummet, or your signal simply won’t arrive at its destination at all.

AV professionals are accustomed to thinking of bandwidth as analogue signal bandwidth, measured in Hertz. Whenever the term is used in the context of networking, however, it refers instead to data throughput.

GLOSSARY: BANDWIDTH (NETWORKING)

Bandwidth is the available or consumed data communication resources of a communication path, expressed in terms of bits per second. It is also called throughput or bit rate.

The term bandwidth is used to refer to: • The capacity of the network connections – eg. a particular switch has a bandwidth of 100Gbps.

• The throughput requirements of the data or devices – eg. a specific videoconference requires 4Mbps of bandwidth per endpoint.

When you’re thinking about using an IT network to transport AV data you’re not really concerned about bandwidth capacity. Your real concern is bandwidth availability. You need to make sure the network has enough unused bandwidth to handle your AV signals.

So, how much bandwidth is enough? That’s not a simple question to answer. Internet traffic is ‘bursty’. Even if you’re only using half your ready capacity on average, at peak traffic times the pipe can still get very full. There has to be enough bandwidth to withstand peak traffic onslaughts.

Industry experts say you should specify no more than 50 percent of a network’s ready capacity for average use.

Of course, no two networks are the same.

Your AV devices may be on a separate LAN, in which case you don’t have to worry about

bursty internet traffic crowding your network pipe. This allows you to comfortably plan to use a larger percentage of the available bandwidth.

If your network has Quality of Service (QoS) implemented, you may also get more leeway. QoS helps the network intelligently decide which data to keep and which to throw away or delete if the bandwidth runs out. Conferencing data in a realtime interactive DiffServ (Differentiated Service) class should be prioritised above internet traffic in a high-throughput data DiffServ class. Work with a network engineer or IT manager to find out how much bandwidth you can actually plan to use for AV. BANDWIDTH BOTTLENECKS

Different parts of a network will have different bandwidth availability. When you’re trying to determine how much bandwidth is available to your system, remember that bandwidth availability is only as large as the smallest pipe the data has to travel through. The average doesn’t matter. If most of your network has a capacity of 1Gbps, but one network segment has a capacity of 100Mbps, then bandwidth available to your system is 100 Mbps. In order to accurately assess available bandwidth you have to identify any bandwidth bottlenecks.

If your data must leave the local area network (LAN) and travel across a wide area network (WAN) there will always be a bandwidth bottleneck. For LANs, the ready capacity can exceed 100Gbps – it’s effectively unlimited.

You can expect a WAN to have a tenth of that capacity for downloads, and less for uploads or symmetrical transfers like conferencing. As much as possible, when using an IT network to transport AV signals, you should aim to: • Keep high-bandwidth traffic within the LAN • Minimise the number of individual highbandwidth streams which must be sent over the WAN. BASEBAND

Data transmission can be described in terms of whether the frequency range of the connection carries one signal, or many. That is, is the signal baseband or broadband?

In the simplest terms, baseband is a frequency range before it is cut into smaller chunks (modulated) and after it is glued together (demodulated). Baseband uses an entire frequency range from near zero Hertz to a highend cut-off frequency. In other words, baseband is an unmodulated, raw electromagnetic wave.

Ethernet is transmitted as a baseband signal.

Ethernet baseband uses pulses of DC current.

Direct current requires exclusive use of a wire, and therefore only one signal (one channel) can be carried on the wire. Baseband has three states: one, zero, and idle. This makes it ideal for transmitting 1s and 0s across copper and fibre.

Baseband communication is limited by attenuation (signal loss). You can overcome this distance restriction by using a repeater to refresh the signal in-transit.

BROADBAND

Broadband is baseband cut into pieces. With broadband the frequency is split into discrete sub-frequency ranges (multiplexed) so each subfrequency range can carry a different signal.

Then the frequencies are rejoined (multiplexed) for transmission. By using sub-frequencies more information can be passed since each sub-frequency carries its own data. Broadband requires the use of a modulator and demodulator (modem) or similar technology to split the frequency.

Broadband has few limitations but uses higher cost equipment. Long distance wide area network (WAN) communications like Digital Subscribers Line (DSL), optical fibre and cable are examples of broadband communication.

050

Termination Region Grief, Local Bloke Text:/ Graeme Hague

1 2 3 4 5 6

In an ideal world – where your world is a small town like mine – you spend your money close to home. Bugger the world economy, or even Australia’s for that matter, what’s really important is that the wheels of commerce continue to spin in your own main street. Sometimes it’s not so easy.

I have what you might call a less-thanmainstream taste in music. An eon ago it might be labelled ‘Progressive Rock’, largely defined by long-haired groups of rock virtuosos performing songs so long that the stylus was scrunching halfway through the record label as the final bars faded away. Lately prog rock has been enjoying quite a renaissance and the genre has been split into all manner of subcultures like alt-metal, neo-progressive and even math rock (honest – apparently you need a PhD in quantum mechanics to make the grade as a performer).

CRAZY PROG

The problem for prog rock fans like me is that you’ll never buy this music in your local record store (if we had one).

Particularly concert DVDs – you have to trawl the internet and buy direct from the bands’ websites or perhaps the US and UK Amazon stores.

Which would be fine, if we didn’t still have this infuriating DVD region code system. So much for the global bloody marketplace.

You see, I decided to treat myself to a new Blu-ray/DVD player and while the feature list was obviously going to be important to an astute AV guru like myself, the one function I definitely needed was that the player be either region-free or (ahem…) could be hacked. So I can still play my obscure prog rock concert DVDs. If you read this magazine, you’re well aware that, for years, region coding on

DVD players has been a joke. Once you take the player out of the box, all you need do is dance backwards around the room three times, chant the brand name loudly and enter Steve Jobs’ birth date backwards on the remote control – and voila! The region coding mysteriously disappears. It got to the point where sales people would do it for you, while they took your credit card details. So surely (I’m thinking as I consider my options) DVD player manufacturers have long given up on this farce?

Doing the right thing, I went down the local vittles store where I knew they had a few DVD players in a corner, next to the stock feed and the chain saw spare parts.

Sure enough, they had a rather impressive Blu-ray/PVR unit, but region free? Nope.

Unbelievable. And a bit of investigative web-searching suggested it couldn’t be hacked, although the manufacturer would do it for a modest ‘service’ fee. Which only makes the whole system even more bizarre.

More internet research invariably directs you to dedicated forums and questions posted by people looking for the same hacks, and where it’s revealed that customers are, on the whole, spectacularly stupid. They buy products before confirming it can actually do what they want – and are outraged when thwarted. And they buy products at seriously discounted prices from obscure no-name, no-return policy, not-even-goingto-answer-the-phone online companies and never stop to consider there’s a very good – or bad – reason for that dodgy, bargain price. To be fair, people rarely post on forums because they’re happy. Forums are for complaining, loud and long, and for explaining how their experience with a certain product has been the most torturous and exasperating thing in their lives. Mind you, there is plenty of evidence that many of these aggrieved customers couldn’t plug in a toaster, let alone a DVD player, and

YOU ARE HERE

trouble was inevitable. The bottom line here is that if you only had information and recommendations about hi-fi/AV equipment from internet forums, you’d never buy anything. Ever.

STEP AHEAD

I’m back to square one. I heard a rumour that Blu-ray players are locked into Blu-ray region codes, but will ignore standard DVDs. Brilliant – and absolute rubbish, it turns out. Resigned to a fate, I started looking at my DVD collection and belatedly discovered that almost all my DVDs from overseas are Region 0 or Region All anyway… despite their funny haircuts, substance abusive (they drink gallons of energy drinks) and black teeshirts, these clever prog rock fellows have been onto this problem since day one. I should have known.

Which suddenly opens up a whole industry of products and retailers for me to choose from – so I went and bought that player/PVR from the local vittles stores. It cost me 70 bucks more than the best online price, but I bought it anyway.

Why? First, because he’s a neighbour (his free-ranging chickens have a death wish and only survive because the turning circle of a delirious great dane is much larger than a panicking chicken) and I want his business to survive. Secondly, I paid the money and he handed over the player – right there and then without any shipping or delivery period. Thirdly, after-sales service can involve chasing him around the shop and demanding to know what’s gone wrong with my new DVD player – a forum registration isn’t required.

Yes, there’s a lot to be gained from spending your money close to home. 

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EPSON lands at IDT

Full stocked range of Epson projectors now available at IDT Exclusive bundles with Chief Mounting Solutions and Dalite Projector Screens Buy any entry level projector and receive a $20 pre-paid Visa Card* Purchase an Epson Education Interactive Projector and receive a bonus lamp and extended warranty via redemption** EB-475Wi: Bonus lamp and extended warranty (5 years total) EB-485Wi: Bonus lamp and extended warranty (5 years total) EB-475Wie: Bonus lamp (5 year warranty is included) Contact sales to arrange a demo of the MeetingMate interactive projector. * Valid between 2 January 2014 and 28 February 2014 or while stocks last. ** End-user promotion valid between 1 November 2013 and 31 January 2014. All claims must be registered online by 15th February 2014 and proof of purchase received by 21st February 2014. Excludes EB-475Wie which has 5 year warranty as standard.

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