Pro Audio Asia July–August 2017

API and Budee open technical service centre

SINGAPORE: Adam Hall Asia

instrumental in setting up the

CHINA:

Bodo Falkenried, Chandan Mahtani and Markus Jahnel

Representatives from across Asia attended the summit

A demonstration of the Gravity stands

Concept Systems crafts a Bräuhaus system

SINGAPORE: Locating a hostelry opposite Suntec City’s conference centre and shopping mall guarantees a high rent in return for a continuous stream of thirsty visitors and weary exhibitors looking timers entering through the doors of the Paulaner Bräuhaus in Singapore normally draw looks of curiosity at the very least. Greeted by the sight of Bavarian-themed decorations, an enormous copper kettle vat behind a long curved bar, where patrons sip freshly brewed beers from Germanic mugs served by waiters and waitresses in Lederhosen, bears a stark contrast to the surroundings along Millenia Walk outside.

microbrewery to open its doors in 1996, the owners don’t simply rely

on the aroma of German sausages and hoppy Pilsner lagers to draw the crowds. As such, hospitality specialists at Concept-SystemsTechnologies were called upon to provide an A/V solution throughout the venue that will ensure a steady

The business was closed for several weeks in spring 2017 to allow for a complete refurbishment, including the removal of the original JBL speaker system that had been in continuous use for almost two decades. The small stage located above the bar and the copper kettle vat allows a two-piece band –commonly a singer with a musician to provide live entertainment

every night. ‘You don’t require too much reinforcement owing to the windows, large timber tables and Concept Systems Technologies GM Gerald Fong.

Powered by two Norton Audio incorporating DSP capabilities, the FOH system consists of L-R ceiling suspended i1212 three-way coaxial cabinets. Providing a nominal 80° conical dispersion in addition to producing a maximum SPL of 135dB within a 45Hz to 20kHz frequency range ensured the addition of subwoofers wasn’t required. ‘Space is limited around the bar area and on stage,’ Mr Fong continued. The stage itself can accommodate two Norton Audio NF8 eight-inch speakers for monitoring, as they provide a compact footprint whilst producing a targeted 118dB SPL. Serving as satellite speakers, a further three NF8 models powered

ceiling mounted in the corners of the bar directing their energies inwards. Connected to a Dante-enabled TIO1608-D breakout box, live performances are mixed on a Yamaha TF1 16-channel digital console for which two of the inputs are dedicated to Shure

SM58 handheld mics operated over SLX wireless channels. When the bands take a break, an Apart PC1000RMKII multisource CD/ USB/SD-card music player is called upon to provide BGM. An EV DCOne processor provides complete speaker management duties for the lower-level Norton Audio cabinets.

to a traditional blue-and -white striped maypole that soars high past the upper gallery towards the ceiling overhead. The lower SPL requirements of the restaurant and the adjacent German Dragons private dining room are managed by an EV ceiling speaker system combining 24 C8.2 eight-inch coaxials with 12 C10.1 subwoofers. A dedicated Apart PCR1000R MKII music source is fed into a Bosch Plena 8x8 DSP matrix and distributed to the ceiling speakers

Simplicity of use has been granted to the restaurant manager courtesy of the Plena PLM-WPC wall-mounted source and volume controller. The bar also attracts sports fans for televised screenings of FIFA and Bundesliga matches featuring German teams on two large LCD displays on both levels. Eiki WAU200 3,000 ANSI-lumens projectors

PIMS partners with mm2 and Rhizophora Ventures

MALAYSIA: mm2 Entertainment has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios (PIMS) and Rhizophora Ventures. The agreement will see all three parties collaborate to produce content, while also promoting PIMS. The MOU calls for a strategic partnership and co-investment from mm2 Asia and Rhizophora Ventures dramas within the next three years at PIMS.

‘We are very excited about this tripartite partnership which will

provide excellent opportunities for our creative talents in the region to produce top-notch content,’ said Chang Long Jong, CEO of mm2 Entertainment’s parent company, mm2 Asia. ‘As the strategic collaboration partner of Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios, our

producers and directors have ready and convenient access to their world-class facilities. Along with the valuable support and funding of Rhizophora Ventures, the Iskandar region will be abuzz with our production activities. This will in turn attract more international

can be called upon to provide HD quality broadcasts onto the LAV 2m x 2m screens. A Kramer VS-44HN 4-in /4-out HDMI matrix switcher is ample for the venue’s needs, including two 42-inch HD TV screens. The video system is also used for a variety of multifunctional requirements, including corporate events and private functions.

opening, Mr Fong returned to speaker system whereupon he was greeted by the sight of an added design element that had been omitted in his plans. ‘Three metres

industry partners there.’

PIMS is a fully equipped production facility offering 9,290m2 2 of HD television studios with the capacity to seat an audience of more than 1,000, as well as 3,437m2 of workshop space,

above the bar, a long curved shelf for aesthetics. Unfortunately it was located in the direct path of the i1212 cabinets. As such we could not reposition the two FOH speakers and selected to tilt them away from

area. Luckily this works as the NF8s cater for the peripheral seats.’ www.concept-systems.com.sg www.paulaner-brauhaus-singapore.com

dressing rooms, hair and make-up recent credits include Asia’s Got Talent Marco Polo

‘This collaboration marks another reputation as a production hub for the region, providing industry leaders with a state-of-the-art facility with unique on-the-ground resources and competitive production costs,’ stated Rezal Rahman, CEO of PIMS.

www.mm2asia.com

www.pinewoodmalaysiastudios.com

The traditional blue-and-white striped maypole dominates the restaurant

Music and ale combine to enterain

The ground floor audio system rack located at back of house

The L-R Norton i1212 three-way cabinets had to be repositioned away from the glass shelf design above the bar

JPJ Audio scores Hans Zimmer production

AUSTRALIA: Hans Zimmer recently travelled to Australia as part of the Revealed Tour, conducting an array of musicians, singers, an orchestra and a choir as they performed some of his most recognisable tracks from Gladiator, The Dark Knight trilogy and The Lion King. With so many musicians this was a complex production from an audio standpoint and JPJ Audio was tasked with supplying the equipment and crew members in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The core band consists of 22 people, including six keyboard players who each switch between other instruments. The choir is formed of 16 members and 12 string players and nine brass players make up the orchestra. This results in the need for 63 monitor mixes and 260 input channels.

‘To control all of this we have a DiGiCo SD7 at FOH and monitors, plus an SD11 to sub mix the orchestra and choir,’ explained Colin FOH engineer. ‘The main reason for choosing the DiGiCo consoles was their high channel count coupled with their ability to “copy audio” over high channel count of the SD7, I was creating “stems” of the playback and certain sections for Gavin Tempany at monitors, since he could not take all the inputs directly as he had a reduced input count due to his high number of monitor outputs.’

A TC Electronic M6000 was also implemented at FOH to handle vocal reverbs, using an internal Tap Delay and Audio Enhancers inserted across the keyboards and electric cello. The show is reliant on surround sound effects, most of which are provided by the keyboards on stage and the rest by the playback rig.

Providing the surround sound reinforcement for the Australian leg of Revealed was the Clair CO12 system from JPJ Audio’s inventory.

‘We ended up with 16 CO12 a side as the main hangs, and 12 CO12 as side hangs,’ recalled Mr Pink.

‘As the content of this show has

six subs per side next to the main hangs and had another 12 subs across the front of the stage. This gave us a very smooth coverage and plenty of headroom. Added to this we have a full surround system; it is soundtracks after all!’

At the start of the signal chain, DPA clip-on microphones were provided to the string players, while the band members were given ‘standard’ mics. Everyone used IEMs for monitoring, so there were no wedges littering the stage. Guitars were run through Kemper emulators.

Mr Pink and the tour crew were happy with the service that JPJ Audio provided. The rental company is even sending its rig out for the European stretch of the tour. ‘JPJ looked after us for the whole of the Australian the JPJ Sydney crew of Joel and Alex meant I never had to wait for any part of the PA ahead of sound checks.’

www.jpjaudio.com.au

Sun Infonet introduces Audiofocus

INDIA: Having been announced as the Indian distribution partner for Audiofocus during Pro Light + Sound, Sun Infonet recently staged a launch event to formally introduce the Belgian manufacturer’s products to the market. The event took place at the Lalit Hotel in Mumbai and was attended by sound engineers, rental company owners and Sun Infonet channel partners.

Audiofocus sales director Alexandre

with a presentation covering the manufacturer’s history, functionality and execution of the equipment and support offered. Products demonstrated included six FR-X 15 loudspeakers stacked over four MTSub218MKII subwoofers,

a pair of CM 12a stage monitors on speaker stands and three FR-X 12 also mounted on stands. Sun Infonet director Neeraj Chandra closed the event, thanking everyone for attending and providing assurance of the continuous pre-and post-sales support that the distributor will provide.

‘Based on the response we received from our current and future perspective customers, we consider the decision to go for Audiofocus at Frankfurt was the right one,’ said with our consistent service support, customers will go for Audiofocus along with us.’

www.audiofocus.eu

www.suninfonet.net

JPJ audio supplied a Clair rig

Hans Zimmer toured Australia

ITAV and Jands team up at Whoa! Studios

is entitled Custard’s World and was Wallace and Gromit

theatre and restaurant. The design was laid out to keep the audio

to be installed in the theatre. The 70 speakers that were deployed

The Visi Remote app has been configured with the Vi3000

Rohde & Schwarz acquires Motama

WORLD: solutions. While joining the Rohde

and potential within Rohde &

www.gmit-gmbh.de

www.motama.com

www.rohde-schwarz.com

have been installed throughout the

unbeatable pre- and post-sales

www.itav.co.nz

www.jands.co.nz

www.whoastudios.co.nz

at a later stage.

www.corporate.tvb.com

www.s-a-m.com

NEW ZEALAND: David Sutherland brought in ITAV to integrate the A/V

HONG KONG:

The Soundcraft Vi3000 console

JBL pendant speakers have been installed

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Demo Acoustique

INDIA: Celto Acoustique’s master distributor for the Indian subcontinent, AG Acoustics, recently organised an event to demonstrate some of the manufacturer’s products to sound engineers, dealers and rental companies in New Delhi. Celto’s technical director, Nicolas Lucas, was at the event to showcase the IWAC line array system, which was provided by local rental company Modern Stage Services (MSS).

That setup comprised 16

with 16 CT218S subwoofers and power from Crown IT5000HD and IWAC210s were ground stacked with six IWAC118S subwoofers, all of

stage monitors were in the form of also provided the LED wall, trussing and staging, as well as production services.

‘We saw some prominent industry colleagues from dealers, sound engineers, rental business heads and DJs from all over India attend this event and celebrate the IWAC movement,’ said Moshe Aston, country head, India at Celto Acoustique.

AG Acoustics CEO Siddharth Sood is happy with the progress that Celto is making in the market.

Adam Hall expands footprint

WORLD: Adam Hall has invested over €20 million in a pair of new buildings at its Neu-Anspach headquarters. The expansion is part of a wider plan that also includes a new corporate image for the German manufacturer.

Scheduled for completion in late 2017, the new 14,000m2

The integrated R&D department located in the other half of the Experience Center will house an anechoic measuring room, various endurance and climatic test rigs, a photometric laboratory and space for designing, modelling and 3D prototyping.

Mr Lucas, who provided a training seminar covering rigging, aiming and EASE focusing for the IWAC system the day before, discussed his global experiences from the pro audio industry before demonstrating the line array solution. New Delhibased band Noor then took to the stage to properly demonstrate the live sound setup.

‘After having worked with major international brands I’am extremely proud to be associated with such a young and dynamic company, which truly puts its heart and soul into each product,’ he said. ‘I would like to thank Nicolas for his time and effort in coming to Delhi to help make this event a success.’

www.celtopro.com

manufacturer almost 10,000 pallet spaces and 17,000 container spaces. Following this, in spring 2018 the company plans to open an Experience Center located in the new Adam Hall Str 1. Designed with business customers, partners, associations and employees in mind, the Experience Center will include a fully equipped product showroom, a large theatre auditorium for live demonstrations, facilities for the Adam Hall Academy and Come Together, the company restaurant.

‘Our new positioning underscores the identity of the Adam Hall Group and clearly expresses what drives us,’ said CEO, Alexander needs are our main focus, and we want to provide professionals with innovative, user-friendly and affordable event technology solutions to enable more people to realise their creative ideas.’

‘After more than 40 years serving the industry, we are proud that Adam Hall is a well-established name among professionals in event technology,’ added Markus Jahnel, COO. ‘With so

much growth and expansion, especially in the last 10 years, the company has gradually evolved into a manufacturer and full-scale provider of event technology solutions. The comprehensive range of pro audio, LED lighting, stage equipment and hardware underlines this.’

‘Future-oriented innovations –created with passion by people for people – and increased focus on delivering customer-oriented solutions are just a few of the key messages, which the new positioning and new corporate design aim to communicate,’ concluded Nikke Blout, global marketing director. ‘All of this gives customers, partners and the industry a clearer picture and above all, an understanding of the values of the Adam Hall Group.’

www.adamhall.com

Siddharth Sood, CEO of AG Acoustics, and Nicolas Lucas, technical director of Celto

Top of the class

JAPAN: A Shure MXA910 ceiling array microphone has been installed in the colloquium at the Osaka Ibaraki Campus of Ritsumeikan University. The microphone, from the range, was required to reinforce classes, as well as a variety of other types of conference that the colloquium stages.

‘The colloquium is not only used for our usual classroom sessions, we sometimes rent it to people outside the university for events such as academic meetings and

The lobes automatically activate as needed when the speaker moves. In the colloquium, the ceiling is 4m high and the microphone covers a 9m area between the whiteboard and the students’ seats.

‘When a speaker turns his back to the microphone to write something on the whiteboard, the sound changes accordingly and you are still able to hear,’ said Mr Kurashina. ‘In the coverage area, spoken voices are

‘Another reason for choosing the MXA910 was also the high degree

conferences,’ said Kengo Kurashina Infrastructure, Information System Department at Ritsumeikan University. ‘We have a wireless handheld microphone available, but operating the large touch panel display in the room is not easy when you have a microphone in your hand. We considered a lavalier microphone as an alternative, but they sometimes pick up noise if they are not attached properly and they can easily cause feedback.’

PC-668R & PC-668RC

Ceiling Mount Speaker

had been interested in the possibility of using a ceiling microphone since taking responsibility for the systems design for the university’s learning spaces. ‘I tried many different products,’ he recalled. ‘With

The MXA910 has been mounted in the ceiling at the front of the room above the whiteboard and touch panel display used by the teachers. Shure’s Steerable Coverage technology enables the system to capture vocals by aiming eight discrete lobes at the presenter area.

These TOA Ceiling Mount Speakers come integrated with resin panel and speaker frame. Designed as a 15W, 8” double cone-type ceiling speaker, its’ capability for clearer and higher sound quality is undeniable.

Its’ spring clamp mechanism facilitates easy mounting to ceiling and the slim speaker frame design allows it to blend into any interior design of the application.

The PC-668RC, comes with input terminal block which makes cable connection easy when bridging wires.

We supply sound, not equipment.

TOAasiapacific www.toa.com.sg

of freedom associated with the installation, as it connects via a single Cat-5e Ethernet cable and uses Dante audio networking,’ he added. ‘Especially for video conferencing systems, more and more audio devices will be networked.’ Impressed by the performance of the MXA910, the university now plans to introduce MXA310 table array mics in the video conferencing rooms of Ritsumeikan Primary School.

www.ritsumei.ac.jp

www.shure.com

Kengo Kurashina

The Shure MXA910 ceiling array microphone

... yet every sale offers’ annoucements can still be heard clearly.

A

legend is born with Ashly

MACAU:

Vega Project upsizes

JAPAN:

WORLD:

www.ashly.com

www.digitalcl.com

UC focus for Yamaha

www.vega-global.co.jp

The Yamaha CS-700 collaboration system for huddle rooms

WORLD:

www.next-proaudio.com

RCF Group gains strategic partner

WORLD:

www.yamaha.com

www.pfh.eu

www.rcf-group.it

Attero Tech aloft in Perth

AUSTRALIA: Stokes Technologies was brought in to design the A/V infrastructure for the meeting and entertainment spaces at Aloft Perth, the latest addition to Aloft Hotels’ global portfolio. Although the hotel’s to be incorporated into the system, the A/V systems integrator elected to offer an alternative using Attero Tech wall plates.

‘A patch bay only lets you send one point to another point,’ explained Aaron Mitchell, system engineer at Stokes Technologies. ‘While patch panels production guys here don’t like them. Going with Dante and Attero Tech allowed us to bring all the channels to the DSP, route them wherever we want and make control easy.

‘We initially priced the job with point-to-point XLR cables but when

we changed to Attero Tech wall plates and a network, we found that running

one Cat-6 instead of six XLR cables can cover the cost of the wall plate. In

addition, we can get electrical trades and IP trades to run and terminate our Cat cables so our brain trust can work on the programming instead of soldering cables.’

The installation covered the hotel’s W XYZ bar, Re:Mix Lounge and outdoor pool on the ground

the mezzanine and a rooftop area comprising the Springs Ballroom and an outdoor terrace. ‘This is a new hotel, so it’s ground-up construction,’ noted Mr Mitchell. ‘We built a groundlevel system that is networked to the mezzanine system and a rooftop system that’s connected by network spaces of background music across the ground level and mezzanine. We’re using two Attero Tech unD6IO 4-in, 2-out Dante wall plate interfaces in each mezzanine room, with balanced, switchable mic/line inputs and phantom power.’

The rooftop is equipped with seven Attero Tech wall plate locations, each comprising an unD6IO and an unDX2IO 2-in, 2-out Dante wall plate to provide additional channels. These solutions are managed from

‘We also used unDIO2x2 2-in, 2-out Mr Mitchell. ‘There are 170 channels of Dante going across the system, including 70 from the rooftop level.

HDMI transmission over IP.’

In the W XYZ Bar is a BGM system and a wall-mounted television that receives IP TV signals. ‘We’re taking audio from the IP TV box to a unDIO2x2 interface,’ explained Mr Mitchell. ‘This deploys it back onto the audio network, from which it can come back through the BGM speakers.’

Achieving even coverage throughout the bar was a challenge due to the narrow space, high ceilings and several obstructions. To combat this, Stokes Technologies installed ceiling speakers. ‘We have speakers at 6m high and at 2.5m all within one zone,’ Mr Mitchell reported. ‘We’ve got Crestron pendants in that area because of the ceiling height.’ A range of sources are set up at the start of the signal chain in the bar. Mood Music Players located on the roof level and an Essential CD player provide four BGM audio channels. There’s also a local Attero Tech unD6IO input with XLR microphones and the television. Source selection is via Crestron touch panels. The Stoke further by programming default states, ensuring the system functions without the touch panel.

www.atterotech.com

www.stokestechnologies.com.au

The narrow, high-ceilinged W XYZ bar was fitted with pendant and ceiling-mounted speakers

The rooftop solutions are managed 13 floors below

INDIA: Mumbai-based rental company Electrocraft has added a pair of Avid Venue S6L systems to its roster. The purchase comprised of a Venue S6L 32D and Venue S6L 24D system, with the S6L being

and speed of operation. Electrocraft has already deployed the S6L 32D for a few large-scale events, including a sold out concert by superstar Bollywood composer duo

Salim–Sulaiman at Laxmi Lawns in Pune, which drew an attendance of approximately 10,000 people. The purchase was made through Indian Avid distributor, Ansata.

‘We’ve worked with Leslie and his team at Ansata several times before, and we’ve known them to be a company that has always maintained high standards – be it the great range of products that they represent, the sales experience or the impeccable quality of service and technical support that they offer,’ commented Electrocraft director, Roger Drego. ‘They also provided our team with extremely helpful training support. When you invest in next generation technology, it’s important that you work with good people who know their technology and are able to back you up on anything whenever needed.’

Electrocraft chief audio engineer Yohann Fernandes offered some feedback on the S6L having used it for Salim–Sulaiman. ‘We were working an extremely tight schedule for this show, and this is exactly the system really is in terms of setup and sound checks. A quick run through and we were pretty much good to go. Working during the show, some key features like gain tracking really impressed us. Plus,

and DSP engine made working through any scenario quite easy. Finally, the fact that the system sports Avid software, which we’re all familiar with, made it an absolute breeze to navigate around the new surface.’

‘The Venue S6L will help team Electrocraft in solving challenges of even the most demanding live sound productions, and deliver only the best sound quality, while added Ansata’s Leslie Lean. ‘We’re extremely happy to note all the rave reviews from Roger and his team, and we wish them the very best to come.’

www.ansata.net

www.avid.com

www.electrocraft.net

Aten looks to the future

WORLD: Media and broadcast software developer Scisys has moved to new headquarters having outgrown its former premises in the German city of Bochum.

the Westfalentower building in neighbouring city Dortmund.

The company cites its dynamic

WORLD: Yellowtec is the latest company to join the Telos Alliance’s Livewire partnership. Established by Telos Alliance subsidiary Axia, Livewire is an AoIP protocol designed Yellowtec manufactures broadcast solutions such as desktop mixers,

broadcast microphones, HD audio interfaces nd studio lighting products.

‘Access to various AoIP networks is essential when it comes to futureproof connectivity,’ said Hanno Mahr, CEO of Yellowtec. ‘This is why

growth across space and media broadcasting divisions, which led to the hiring of many new employees as the reason for having to upsize. The new address is Scisys Deutschland GmbH, Westfalendamm 87, 44141 Dortmund.

www.scisys.de

ASIA: Taiwanese IT connectivity and management solutions manufacturer Aten is targeting the IoT (Internet of Things) and smart city markets across the ASEAN and

of our overall growth momentum,’ said Kevin Chen, president of Aten International. ‘To sustain that growth as well as expand our brand presence and market share, we’ve now set our sights on smart cities with the goal of selling our solutions to a more diverse range of vertical markets.’

held in Indonesia and Singapore

it has never been a question for us to become a Livewire partner. It was an obvious move to get on board in order to meet the increasing demand for Livewire connectivity.’

www.telosalliance.com

www.yellowtec.com

South Asia regions. This comes as a response to several government throughout the regions and has led to the creation of the Aten Solution Day (ASD) conference series.

‘Aten has built a strong sales base in the ASEAN and South Asian markets through our local distribution partners in all the major cities, which serves as an indicator

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under the title of Powering Smart Cities with IoT Solutions. With more than 150 systems integrators, service providers and end users in attendance at each, the events were used to build an awareness of IoT and the opportunities it presents. Further editions are planned for India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines.

www.aten.com

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Electrocraft’s Yohann Fernandes with the S6L 32D

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Distributor list

Australia Production Audio Video Technology Pty. Ltd.

China Digital Media Technology Co., Ltd.

India Acoustic Arts Pvt. Ltd.

India ProMusicals

Indonesia PT Suara Visual Indonesia

Japan Sound House Inc.

Korea Chungbo Sound Inc.

Malaysia Search Music Sdn. Bhd.

New Zealand Webb Enterprises Ltd. TA NZ Rockshop

Philippines JB Music and Sports Inc.

Singapore Consolidated Audio Networks Pte. Ltd.

Sri Lanka Euro Entertainment (Pvt.) Ltd.

Taiwan Seapower Technology Co., Ltd.

Thailand Music to Home Co., Ltd.

Vietnam Viet Thuong Trading Service Manufacturing Corporation

Neve teaches that bigger is better QSC collaborates with Logitech

AUSTRALIA: The Australian National University (ANU) School of Music’s newly refurbished recording studio has been equipped with a Neve Genesys G96 to enable students to produce analogue, digital and hybrid recordings. The 48-channel console is reportedly the largest of its kind in Australia. The studio refurbishment was made possible by an AUS$250,000 grant for equipment that the university received from Wired for Sound. The project was managed by associate professor Samantha Bennett, who sought to assist in the delivery of ANU’s music technology degree and facilitate research outcomes for the School of Music’s staff, while also providing a world-class facility to hire out to musicians and bands. She worked with acoustician John Sayers, audio consultants Sound Advice and buildling company Cobul Construction.

With the ability to handle a full orchestral recording and lines linking it to the nearby Llewellyn Hall concert venue, the new recording facility has also been installed with Pro Tools HDX, Ampex and MCI analogue tape recorders, a Dynaudio

surround sound monitoring system and compressors and preamps, in addition to the Genesys G96.

‘We have built this world-class studio to the very highest acoustic and technological standards,’ Professor Bennett declared. ‘The creative research and educational value is huge. Recording opportunities will underpin all of our majors, especially in the delivery of our new undergraduate Composition for Film and Video Game Major, as well as being an invaluable resource for postgraduate students and researchers. Our Neve Genesys is the

jewel in our studio’s crown.’ Professor Kenneth Lampl, head of ANU’s School of Music, believes that the new studio will serve as a breeding ground for Australian artists and researchers. ‘This new recording studio provides students with a unique 21st-century musical experience by creating a vibrant intersection between performance, composition and technology, nurturing the values of creativity, excellence and entrepreneurship,’ he said.

www.ams-neve.com

WORLD: QSC has joined the Logitech Collaboration Programme (LCP) as an integration partner in the programme’s Complementary Technology Provider track. The

between QSC’s Q-Sys and Logitech’s SmartDock for Skype Room System.

solution and provides users with a robust meeting room experience.’

‘We believe that our inclusion in the Logitech Collaboration Programme will encourage the integration of our two platforms to achieve the best user experience possible,’ added Martin Barbour, product manager for installed

‘Adding QSC to our LCP offers end users another reliable option to enhance their video conferencing experience,’ said Sudeep Trivedi, head of business development and partnerships for Logitech Video Collaboration.

‘Logitech SmartDock allows users to easily start video calls with one touch and streamline the overall collaboration experience. Adding additional enterprise meeting room capabilities provided by the Q-Sys Platform further enhances our

systems at QSC. ‘QSC takes an IT-centric approach to video conferencing by utilising standard network technology for audio, video and control transport and distribution. It also leverages driverless USB connectivity to any in-room solution offering softwarebased video conferencing like the Logitech SmartDock for Skype Room Systems.’

www.logitech.com

www.qsc.com

The Neve Genesys G96 is described as the ‘crown jewel’ of ANU’s new studio

PreSonus establishes Commercial Division

WORLD: In an effort to unify its commercial audio related products, PreSonus has launched the PreSonus Commercial Division. This combines products such as mixing consoles and processors that fall under the PreSonus brand with the professional sound reinforcement products of the WorxAudio catalogue.

‘When WorxAudio Technologies became a member of the PreSonus family, I knew there would be changes,’ said Hugh Sarvis, founder of WorxAudio Technologies

Amate serves Whisky Samba

INDIA: Whisky Samba offers its patrons in Gurgaon a choice of more than 140 varieties of whisky, with 2,500 bottles on display behind the bar. The venue also serves a range of meals, while dance music from around the world provides the lively ambience via Amate Audio loudspeakers.

and chief designer of PreSonus’ loudspeaker division. ‘While the WorxAudio name may no longer be the dominant brand in terms of customer recognition, it has been

a truly rewarding experience to see how our products have become part brand presence the world over.’ Coinciding with the creation of the

new division comes the launch of a dedicated PreSonus Commercial Division website. This will focus on products for commercial install applications and provide detailed product information, technical required for producing project documents.

‘The new PreSonus Commercial Division enables us to leverage the well-known PreSonus name to boost visibility of all these excellent products,’ explained Jim Odom, PreSonus president and CSO.

‘Whereas in the past, integrators as to what products were available to them, the new product structure resolves this. Be it a mixer, a Dante-equipped rack mixer, a power amp or one of our many other commercial product offerings, they are all an integral part of the new this will help broaden the PreSonus brand name while streamlining other aspects of the business.’

commercial.presonus.com

B6 speakers serve the outside terrace

JK26 point source systems from Amate’s Joker series have been deployed inside the bar/restaurant with Key18W

subwoofers and Key8 speakers serving as the DJ monitors. B6 multipoint solutions reinforce the outdoor terrace. The entire system is processed by a DSP206 loudspeaker management system and powered by HD800, HD2000 www.amateaudio.com

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Packing a 138 dB wallop, Kiva II breaks the SPL record for an ultra-compact 14 kg/31 lb line source. Kiva II features L-Acoustics’ patented DOSC technology enhanced with an L-Fins waveguide for ultimate precise and smooth horizontal directivity. WST® gives Kiva II long throw and even SPL, from the front row to the back, making it the perfect choice for venues and special events that require power and clarity with minimal visual obtrusion. Add to that a 16 ohm impedance for maximized amplifier density and a new sturdy IP45 rated cabinet, and you get power, efficiency and ruggedness in the most elegant package. www.l-acoustics.com

Mothership lands in Hong Kong Taming acoustics at the Java Jazz Festival

HONG KONG: Burl Audio toured America and Asia for The Flight of the Mothership, a series of studio demonstrations highlighting its new Bad8 eight-channel ADC card for the B80 and B16 Motherships. The Kong’s Avon Studio, where the manufacturer teamed with its local distributor Budee to organise the demonstration.

Budee invited recording sound and Shenzhen. Burl Audio sales manager Will Kahn set the gain level of each fader on the studio’s Neve 8068 console to ensure there was no difference in level between all 16 tracks played through the Mothership and Pro Tools. The demonstrations showcased the difference between various AD/DA conversions. Rich Williams, Burl Audio president, also discussed the system’s design and together with Mr Kahn, took part in a Q&A session.

‘It was a very successful event,’ said Patrick Lau, sales director at Budee. ‘We connected several engineers from the regional music industry with Burl.’

www.budee.com www.burlaudio.com

INDONESIA: The 2017 edition of Jakarta’s Java Jazz Festival saw an Adamson E-Series speaker system deployed by local rental house

Jakarta Java Jazz Festival enjoys a reputation as one of the world’s biggest jazz festivals. Supplied by the manufacturer’s regional distributor, Big Knob Audio, the

E12 system was used in one of the festival’s venues across all three days.

‘Adamson was the clear choice when we got the call for Java Jazz 2017, and it definitely delivered,’ commented Pongky Prasetyo, Soundworks managing director. ‘It provided us with the competitive edge to win this elite world-class show.’

Soundworks was responsible for audio production in ‘The features a 12m curved ceiling, While this would typically present myriad acoustic challenges, the team credits the manufacturer’s Blueprint AV prediction software with ably navigating these issues. The system comprised arrays of nine E12 enclosures per side arranged horizontally across the stage in Adamson’s FB-cardioid

the grand piano with the lid open’. Soundworks also deployed three S10 compact cabinets stacked on monitor package comprised Adamson M12s and a Yamaha for the band King noted that the entire system ‘sounded clear and powerful despite the challenging acoustic environment’.

‘We had plenty of comments about how musical this system sounded and how dynamic and responsive it was, especially

commented Big Knob’s Timo Wibianto. ‘We had local engineers from other halls come over and listen to the system – many for great enthusiasm.’

www.adamsonsystems.com

The Adamson, Big Knob Audio and Soundworks team

SCB reinvests in Mahajak relationship

THAILAND: Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) recently updated the A/V equipment at its training centre in Tawanron. Mahajak was enlisted to design and install the solutions required, having worked with the

‘The customer contacted us to discuss the problems and limitations of their system,’ recalled Supachai Sakulchoo, project sales engineer at Mahajak. ‘This project was to replace old equipment that was damaged or obsolete and to supply new supplementary systems. They needed wireless microphone systems

SINGAPORE: Daniel Yam shot

Time, using Blackmagic Design’s URSA Mini Pro and completed colour correction using DaVinci Resolve. The portable camera as it could be used as a handheld, on a dolly and with tripods to speed up the production process.

with clear sound for events that can be moved easily for use in other rooms.’

The installation began on the that accommodates 60 people in a classroom setting. In here, Mahajak deployed a Soundcraft Signature12 compact analogue mixer with a dbx DriveRack PA2 loudspeaker management system and a Crown pair of JBL Control28-1 speakers. In the building’s main conference room, Mahajak installed another two JBL Control28-1s with a dbx

DriveRack PA2. While SCB was already covered in regards to conference room, retaining existing

solutions, Mahajak also provided a Panasonic PT-LX321 projector for visual reinforcement. Meanwhile, the amphitheatre was equipped with a Panasonic PT-LB412A projector.

Mahajak also installed sound solutions in three of the four meeting rooms and microphone solutions across the entire site.

Shure wireless microphone system including ULXD4D wireless receivers, ULXD2/SM58 handheld wireless

mic transmitters, ULXD1 bodypack transmitters and MX150B/OTQG wireless omnidirectional subminiature lavaliers.

‘Their existing equipment was kept where possible,’ concluded Mr Sakulchoo. ‘We hope to continue our business relationship with SCB for many years.’

www.mahajak.com

‘The URSA Mini Pro has spectacular dynamic range, natural colours and a high frame rate’. said Mr Yam. ‘It did not overheat or give any issues when we were shooting in the sun, so we could focus on getting great shots.’

Time was commissioned as part of Viddsee’s partnership with the Singapore Film Commission and

mother struggling to balance her son and work and relies on colour and tones to reinforce the narrative. The URSA Mini Pro captured 4.6K raw footage and DaVinci Resolve software was then used to achieve the desired visual mood.

www.blackmagicdesign.com

A Crown XLS 1502 amplifier drives the systems in the fourth-floor meeting room

One of the JBL Control28-1 speakers

SINGAPORE: Mediacorp has

CHINA:

www.barco.com

www.mediacorp.sing

www.ssl-sg.com

KOREA:

www.sovico.co.kr

www.sovicopro.com

www.christiedigital.com

www.wincomn.cn

Six-axis motion seats are installed to further immerse audience members

This year’s Sovico Spring attracted 250 guests in Seoul

Sovico’s Jay Han introduces B&C Speakers’ Gianluca Dalessandro for a presentation

The SAC PLA powered line array was displayed in the pre reception area

Viva V-Series

INDIA: Goa-based rental company Casant Entertainers was enlisted to supply the audio setup for the 2017 edition of Viva Carnival (also known as Goa Carnival), putting to use its newly acquired d&b audiotechnik V-Series line array system, purchased from the manufacturer’s Indian distributor, Ansata.

Casant Entertainers V-Series rig comprises eight V8 and four V12 loudspeakers, as well as six B22 subwoofers, all powered by supplying the solution, Ansata’s Neil Lean also provided training for the rental company’s staff, ArrayCalc system design software and R1 remote control software. Meanwhile, Jacob Payyapilli was on

hand from the distributor to ensure smoothly at Viva Carnival. ‘We wanted a system that was a

regular name on all tech-riders,’ explained Anthony Fernandes of Casant Entertainers. ‘Our focus was quality engineering and quality performance and we found that in the V-Series.’

The Casant Entertainers team reported a happy client at Viva Carnival, while also pointing out how Ansata’s training and support helped. ‘Neil’s style of training and approach to the technology our team member has taken to the system easier than expected. The Viva Carnival is proof of this, hand how simple it was to rig the system, align and tune it. By the end of the show, we had several of the artists complimenting us on the great quality of sound

that we’d put together, and these positive sentiments were echoed by the event’s producers.’

www.ansata.net

www.dbaudio.com

Hippotizer visuals at the Logies

AUSTRALIA: The 59th annual Logie Awards were held at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium with lighting and production company Colourblind handling the media server and console setup. Colourblind utilised Green Hippo’s Hippotizer media

nice blur to content, slow it down, speed it up or play it in reverse. Most importantly, the colour manipulation is perfect for TV. Operating a media server from a console instead of a timeline works well for us. With

servers to spread visual effects and video across three screens on stage and a wrap-around screen that surrounded the audience and pixel chandeliers.

The server and console setup was managed by Colourblind director Lynden Gare. A pair of Hippotizer Karst 2U servers were deployed. One fed a 4,884-pixel wide image canvas to the three screens on stage via SDI and handled the pixel mapping duties, feeding the 192x160 output to LED chandeliers and sent a 1,920-pixel wide image to the screens around the auditorium.

Green Hippo’s Australian distributor, Lexair, provided a Hippotizer Taiga as a back-up for the event, as it was also broadcast live on the Nine Network.

‘We like to drive media servers with a console and Green Hippo has

Mr Gare. ‘It’s really easy to add a

was done in rehearsals, but with a console, we can change timings or move a fader slightly slower or faster.’

www.colourblind.com.au

www.green-hippo.com

www.lexair.com.au

A 4,884-pixel wide image canvas was fed to the three screens on stage

The Green Hippo setup used for the Logie Awards

Casant Entertainers purchased a d&b audiotechnik V-Series solution

The new V-Series rig was utilised for Viva Carnival 2017

sound at WooBar

THAILAND: The W Koh Samui Retreat recently called in Vichai Trading 1983 to design a new audio system for its WooBar venue. The hotel required a solution that offered more targeted audio inside the bar, as guests were complaining that sound was spilling into their rooms during DJ sets and when BGM was played. This led to the installation of a single Renkus-Heinz IC Live beam steering line array cabinet.

‘Music is playing in the WooBar from 2pm to midnight, so the potential to disturb guests sitting below was obviously quite substantial,’ said Patiyuth Gludnim from Vichai Trading.

The Vichai Trading team had recently solved a similar problem at a nearby museum deploying an IC Live system in the hotel bar.

‘The project was recently completed and the WooBar has since been used to celebrate a number of special events,’ Mr Gludnim said.

‘The response to the IC Live solution has been extremely positive. It is providing the directive audio that was required to allow the WooBar visitors to carry on enjoying the music – and the villa guests to enjoy their peace.’

www.renkus-heinz.com

www.vichai1983.co.th

SINGAPORE: Broadcast Solutions

Singapore as part of plans to strengthen its Asian presence. The team in Singapore will be led by Joe general manager, and will serve the company’s customers in the region by offering on-site consultancy and support.

‘We are very happy to take the next logical step in developing the Singapore,’ said Peter Jakobsson, business development director at

Broadcast Solutions. ‘With Joe Tan, being in the business for many years and having strong relationships in the regional broadcast market, I am sure this will be a major step forward for the company and will broaden Broadcast Solutions’ market presence.’

Mr Tan possesses almost two decades of experience in the broadcast industry, having held sales and marketing roles in the sector throughout Asia.

www.broadcast-solutions.de

SINGAPORE: Barco has established a partnership with Singapore-based turnkey solutions provider Datumstruct, which manufactures control centre, data furniture solutions. The agreement

results in the integration of Barco’s OpSpace operator workspace solution in Datumstruct’s control centre designs and product portfolio. OpSpace is designed as a personal workspace with several displays for viewing, monitoring and interacting that interface with multiple networks with different security clearances. Users with a mouse and keyboard setup can manipulate data within a single pixel space.

‘Barco developed OpSpace to make life easier for control room operators and help them raise their productivity,’ explained Mark Bultinck, VP APAC at Barco. ‘We are excited about this new partnership as it enables Barco to better service the market with a new platform that is designed to streamline the busy workday of control room operators.’

www.barco.com

Joe Tan

NEP partners with Lawo for OB Hubs

AUSTRALIA: Lawo has entered into an agreement with NEP Australia that sees the German manufacturer serve as a key technology partner for the outsourced broadcast production solutions provider’s new IP-enabled production ‘Hubs’ in Sydney and Melbourne. The Hubs are expected to go live in March 2018 and will reportedly create the world’s largest network of production facilities and enable multiple concurrent outside broadcasts.

network. In addition, mc296 audio consoles will be installed in six control rooms, while the deal also incorporates the supply of audio and IP processing equipment, including four mc256 consoles for four new OB trucks as well as the upgrade of

virtualised environment based on IP that would be agile enough for all our sporting codes, scalable for any size project, and integrate well

Each Hub will allow for remote, distributed production and accommodate the majority of a production team, while cameras and microphones will be located at the broadcasted event’s venue. NEP has sports broadcasts in mind.

Lawo’s involvement will result in the rollout of the V_matrix platform, the Virtual Studio Manager (VSM) control and monitoring solution and theWall multiviewer control tool across the

with audio and communications,’ detailed Marc Segar, director of technology at NEP.

Lawo CEO Philipp Lawo also commented: ‘We are looking forward to delivering on NEP’s vision on this pioneering project and in close cooperation with our local partner, Professional Audio and Television (PAT).’

www.lawo.com www.nepinc.com

INDIA: The Jaipur War Museum recently debuted a new immersive A/V experience that brings the scenes of historic Indian battles and the country’s army to life. This draws upon 3D projectors, a 2x2 panel video wall and automated lighting, controlled by an Elan-based system with custom automation. Museum management initially feared that such an attraction might detract from the overall visitor experience. However, systems integrator USAM and distributor Vinshek put these concerns to rest by demonstrating the Elan solution.

‘The museum was concerned that technology would be an unreliable distraction from the beautiful relics on display,’ recalled Mohit Mahipal, USAM MD. ‘We assured them that they would be able to control everything from a single, easy-to-use interface. With project consultation

and system design guidance from Vinshek, USAM customised an Elan system to automate the museum, integrating all aspects of its displays and ambiance.’

The control solution was built around one Elan gSC10 and a gSC2, which are accessible via the manufacturer’s touch panels, mobile app and remotes. USAM also integrated a Rako lighting system, which can be controlled and automated by the Elan setup. Meanwhile, the 3D projection system, which comprises a 3D mapping projector, 3D hologram projector, the large scale 2x2 panel video wall and several large format display panels, was installed by has been integrated with the Elan control system.

The outdoor exhibition is formed of 18 jharokhas, which in Indian

architecture are a form of enclosed balcony commonly found in Rajasthan, which display various scenes.

‘This is the most complex project

Diganchal Singh Sengar, senior Elan programmer at Vinshek.

automatically turn on at 7pm and run until 10pm. During the evening show, Elan controls the lighting and visual displays to work in tandem with the audio walkthrough. The lighting system is integrated with Elan so that each activity automatically operates at a pre-

would have ordinarily taken a couple of days to complete, but thanks to

www.elanhomesystems.com

Operation in channel-rich 5GHz frequency l Interference-free in congested site environment l Wired-like wonderful audio quality with maximum clarity l Up to 128 Beltpack connection per Base Station l Up to eleven(11) full-duplex audio channels l Up to five(5) group communication channels l Patent-base super-scalable IP based repeater solution - RBS25 with up to thirty(30) RBS25 connection l Hands-off like a butterfly & bee l No limitation on the number of Beltpack linkable per RBS25 l Compact Beltpack for high mobility l Compatibilities with other wired systems l AES 256bit level 3 encryption l Mobile Station in the line-up l LaON in-house solution including the wireless SoC and RF module builtin the systems l Easy wiring and installation l More with less cost-effective solution

NEP’s Marc Segar with Philipp Lawo

Scenes are displayed across 18 jharokhas

INTERCOMmunication-maker

LT750 Expert system with up to 7.2KHz audio frequency

Callum Baker plugs in with Metric Halo IBC starts up new forum for 2017

AUSTRALIA: Australian songwriter, producer and engineer Callum Baker recently added Metric Halo’s He works at Bulletin Place Studios in Sydney with international artists such as BLIIS and was introduced to ChannelStrip during a recent project

‘Everyone was using it, and, on top of that, I heard that Serban Ghenea and Dr Luke were both big

‘Because I’m a huge fan of both of those guys, I grabbed the demo and

Noting his appreciation for the speed at which the plug-in helps him to achieve a good sound, Mr Baker continued: ‘ChannelStrip has become an integral part of my

Because it sounds so great I know I can just load it up on every track and get working with the

Mr Baker followed up by adding Metric Halo’s Dirty Delay plug-

went from using long, complex delay auxiliary channels to just using Dirty Delay on my sends,’ he

sit back delays that are sticking out too much just by adding more harmonics and allowing them to blend in with the other

www.mhlabs.com

WORLD: IBC has announced that a new initiative, Startup Forum, will debut at the 2017 edition of its Amsterdam-based trade show in

Startup Forum aims to bring together digital media start-ups, media houses and investors for a series of keynote presentations, panel sessions and pitching and networking

September with Startup Forum taking

‘In 2017, the media and entertainment business is being transformed by start-ups,’ declared reason, established media houses and investors are actively seeking out the new technologies that will embracing this by launching the IBC

Ruisheng keeps it consistent in Changchun

CHINA: Guangzhou Ruisheng Lighting & Audio Equipment has provided a complete audio solution for the auditorium at Changchun Normal string of projects in the city at the Changchun Museum for Culture, Fine Arts and Science, Jilin College of the Arts and Changchun Children’s Palace, the company’s local dealer, Changchun Hanrui Electronic, implemented a similar TW Audio and

The main PA system comprises six TW Audio T24N point source speakers with six S33 subwoofers and 12

Start-ups and young companies in areas such as VR and AR, social media, advertising technology, AI, eCommerce, eSports, mobile apps, search engine marketing and SEO are invited to apply to take part in

IBC will select approximately 75 businesses to attend based on the deemed level of interest from media

then have the opportunity to acquire discounted tickets and to pre-arrange meetings with media houses, VCs

show.ibc.org/ibc-startup-forum

M-Series speakers (four M6, M8 provides monitoring and power is

A Midas Pro1 was installed in the control room with DL151 and DL152

Shure ULXD4Q and AKG DMS800

Changchun Hanrui Electronic ran a simulation before starting the installation to ensure consistency

www.china-rs.com www.twaudio.de

Ruisheng once again delivered a TW Audio setup

Callum Baker

Changchun Normal University

Sony Music Japan reverts to analogue

JAPAN: Studio 5 at Sony Music Studios in Tokyo has recently been installed with a Neve 88RS analogue recording console, which replaces an existing digital mixer. Studio management felt that with digital technologies evolving so rapidly, maintain.

‘The original concept for Studio 5 was for surround format mixing,’ exp lained Koji Suzuki, chief engineer at Sony Music Studios. ‘Back in

Maat launches

WORLD: Friedemann Tischmeyer has established Maat Incorporated, an audio manufacturer of software and hardware aimed at production professionals with varying skill levels and budgets. The company’s headquarters are in Santa Cruz, California and in addition to Mr Tischmeyer, is formed from a core group of pro audio veterans and entrepreneurs.

‘We will accelerate complex tested designs,’ said Mr Tischmeyer. ‘With considerable AI knowledge

within our team, we will be applying that expertise.’

Maat has also partnered with the Pleasurize Music Foundation to take over the development of its TT DR

Meter software. The newly formed company will also collaborate with Algorithmix to ‘modernise’ its Linear Phase parametric equalisers.

Algorithmix president Dr Christoph Musialik will also serve on the Maat advisory board.

With the launch of its website, Maat has also made a free download of its 2BusControl metering and monitor controller

www.maat.digital

established, it was easier for us to handle surround formats with a digital console. After 15 years, the and so we made the decision to replace it.’

With 72 channels, the analogue 88RS was reportedly selected due mixing, in addition to its longevity and audio quality. Engineers at Sony Music Studio are also familiar with the Neve console, as three were previously installed across three of

Extron working with LG Business Solutions

WORLD: Extron Electronics is working in collaboration with the American branch of LG Electronics Business Solutions to develop and certify control drivers for LG’s commercial displays. This will lead to integration of LG displays with Extron A/V control systems.

‘This new project with LG Business Solutions will enable us to provide

drivers for integrating A/V systems with maximum performance and reliability,’ explained Art Garcia, VP business development at Extron.

‘Working with Extron gives LG the opportunity to expand the choices

integrators have for controlling and monitoring LG displays,’ said Clark Brown, VP digital signage, LG Electronics. ‘Extron’s control platform is a robust control solution that offers

Robe creates a Singaporean Tropicana

SINGAPORE: Tropicana the Musical at Singapore’s Capitol Theatre with lighting designer Yo Shao Ann provided the lighting equipment, which included Robe’s Viva CMY LED

spot making its Singaporean debut. The musical was produced by Tan Kheng Hua for Spare Room Productions and directed by Beatrice Tropicana’s lighting rig included 10 Viva CMYs, which were shipped in ahead of the show and set up on the upstage house

bars to deliver back lighting. Spiiders and CycBar 15s were also existing inventory. The Spiiders were located on the overhead rig and used for general stage washing, while the CycBar 15s were tucked in around the front of the stage and

the facility’s other studios.

‘Although there are operational advantages to a digital console, the Neve 88RS is timeless and durable,’ added Mr Suzuki. ‘Its attraction does or trend. As a matter of fact, the three 88R consoles in our Studios 1 to 3 have been used for over 15 years, and moreover they will continue to be used for much longer.’

www.ams-neve.com

www.sonymusicstudio.jp

and exceptional ease of operation, complementing LG’s advanced display technologies.’

www.extron.com

www.lg.com/global/business

used as footlights. Jens Poehlker from Robe’s Asia CMYs were available in time for the show.

www.eai.com.sg

www.robe.cz

Studio 5 has been installed with a Neve 88RS analogue console

WORLD: For the second year in a row, Mipro has received Red Dot Awards. In 2016, the honour was earned for the design of its MA-

708 portable wireless PA system, while this year the Taiwanese manufacturer has been presented with two: one for the MA-808

TVB follows Hong

HONG KONG: TVB has updated its audio mixing setup, replacing legacy Calrec Alpha desks with three Artemis digital audio consoles from the British manufacturer. Each Artemis console serves a different production studio at the broadcaster’s facility and all three were sold, installed and tested by Calrec distributor Jolly Pro Audio.

‘Calrec is a vital and trusted partner in our operation,’ explained Mr Law, studio production department assistant manager at TVB. ‘Therefore, when it came time to modernise

our facility, we had no hesitation in choosing Artemis. The Artemis

to our studio operations, with support for the latest standards and built-in capabilities for today’s audio requirements, such as multiformat audio and loudness management.’

Anthony Harrison, international sales manager at Calrec, described the sale as ‘the latest example in our growing momentum among Hong Kong broadcasters’.

www.calrec.com

wireless PA, the other for its ST-24 wireless saxophone set.

Red Dot Awards are given for the design of products voted on by a panel of 39 experts gathered from around the world to judge entries over the course of several days in Essen, Germany. The MA-808 integrates wireless microphones, speakers, a CD/USB player and a Bluetooth interface for wireless music streaming into a single compact form factor. The ST-24, meanwhile, integrates a microphone with a wireless transmitter, allowing saxophonists to move freely around the stage.

‘Red Dot winners have recognised that good design and economic success go hand in hand,’ said Red Dot Award CEO and founder Dr Peter Zec. ‘The award by the Red Dot jury documents their high design quality and is indicative of their successful design.’

www.mipro.com.tw

www.red-dot.org

Mipro has won two new Red Dot Awards

Alcons Audio showcased live in Singapore

SINGAPORE: More than 100 people from all walks of audio life followed an invitation from to an event presenting Alcons Audio loudspeakers in a real-world scenario. Set at The Terrace, an outdoor venue at The Star Performing

Eklektric formed to provide A/V business consultancy

WORLD:

Jim Sides has launched his latest venture: Eklektric. The company is set up as a specialist consultancy development and commercial

Audio system had been brought in, comprising six LR18 line array modules per side, eight BF181MKII for stage monitoring, all powered by

The system was to reinforce performances from three locally known bands. ‘In addition to increasing awareness of the Alcons Audio brand, our goal was to demonstrate the capabilities of the speakers with a wide variety of

could be better than a live setup with bands from different music

Partner rental company The Production People helped with providing sound and lighting gear and logistics, ensuring the event was

presented in a concert format.

not only competes well with conventional drivers but has some

at the event. ‘The output across the entire frequency range is plenty

www.alconsaudio.com

www.creatorssolutions.com

entertainment sectors worldwide. It also provides consultancy for sales, marketing and brand development, international distribution and mergers and acquisitions.

‘Our mission is to provide clients with strategic perspective, unbiased advice, new contacts, vision, awareness, creativity and Sides. ‘While many consulting companies tend to focus on a single discipline, market segment or geographical region, we have a broader perspective, with professional associates

www.eklektric.com

• Up to 10 beltpacks per antenna

• 100 antenna, 100 beltpack system capacity

• Best-in-class voice clarity

• “Touch&Go” beltpack registration

• 6-channel beltpack plus dedicated REPLY button

• Built-in microphone and speaker for Walkie-Talkie mode

• Smartphone integration via Bluetooth

• Ergonomic, robust beltpack design

• Sunlight-readable display with Gorilla Glass™

• Decentralized AES67 IP networked antennas

• Seamless integration into RIEDEL‘S ARTIST intercom matrix

www.riedel.net

The invitational event demonstrated Alcons Audio solutions

SOUNDBITES

BRITANNIA ROW ACQUIRED BY CLAIR GLOBAL

WORLD: Clair Global has acquired Britannia Row Productions. The two rental companies have been linked as part of a strategic alliance implemented at the start of this year to target the live entertainment sector.

Scene Change ushers in Adamson

AUSTRALIA: Scene Change has become the latest company in Australia to take on an Adamson S10 rig as it required a system to cover larger shows. The A/V hire and production company purchased 16 of the line array elements and eight S119 subwoofers from distributor CMI following a shootout between the Adamson solutions and systems from three rival brands.

‘Both companies see this as the perfect way to expand and strengthen their worldwide client base, allowing them to offer consistent service in all major territories,’ explained Britannia Row directors Bryan Grant and Mike Lowe in a joint statement.

Troy Clair, president and CEO of Clair Global, noted that culturally and professionally, both companies are on the same page. ‘The synergies we’ve experienced with the entire Britannia Row team have been overwhelmingly positive,’ he said. ‘We are excited to bring this new level of global support to our clients and better serve their passions to advance this industry.’

www.britanniarow.com

www.clairglobal.com

SONIFEX HOLDS UP TO STANDARDS

ANZ: Sonifex’ DHY-04, DHY04S and DHY-04T telephone hybrids have been approved for sale and use in Australia and New Zealand by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). ACMA regulates broadcasting, internet, radio and telecommunications in Australia, adopting industry standard AS/CA S002 analogue interworking and non-interference requirements for equipment connected to the public telephone network.

The three DHY-04 models passed a rigorous testing process, making them fully compliant with the AS/CA S002 standard. Due to a recognition agreement between Australia and New Zealand, the systems are approved for sale and use in both countries.

acma.gov.au

www.sonifex.co.uk

‘Our point source inventory is no longer the right tool for the job,’ said Scene Change director John Dinh. ‘The scope of shows that are coming through our regular venues now require a larger PA in the form of a line array. Our senior audio technician, Nathan Salt, spent a lot of time researching our options. We went through grading systems on price, rigging, weight and usability. The shootout process was a critical component of our purchasing decision.’

The shootout was staged at one of Scene Change’s regular venues: a function space at Bay 17. CMI was invited to rig and tune the Adamson systems, as were the distributors of the other three manufacturers put to the test. The representatives from each distributor provided hands-on tutelage of how to

respective systems.

‘Rigging Adamson systems is a huge part of my job,’ said Eighth Day Sound’s Simon Farrell, who assisted the manufacturer’s APAC sales manager James Ritter and CMI’s pro audio sales manager Garry Farmer at the shootout. ‘One array of S Series by themselves.’

Eve monitors Korean producer

KOREA: Keyboard player and producer Jangwon Kim recently installed an Eve Audio SC207 studio monitor setup at his facility. Mr Kim purchased the system through the German manufacturer’s Korean distributor, Sound n Music, using it for monitoring as he composes soundtracks for Korean movies including Ditto and My Boss My Hero and for artists such as Bada, Seo Yeong Eun and Acourve.

‘Before using the SC207 I’d used various studio monitors,’ explained Mr Kim. ‘I was working with a 4-inch woofer that provided the necessary clarity and was well balanced, but couldn’t produce the lower frequency range as well as I had hoped. So I searched for the right match and found the Eve Audio SC207.

‘The lower frequency range was more rich and powerful than ever, the little details I couldn’t hear before were now crystal clear and transparent. The system offers

Mr Dinh described how having all four PA options perform in the same acoustic environment helped Scene Change to make its purchasing decision. ‘I wanted my staff to set up each of the PAs with their representatives so that they could experience the rigging, cabling, tuning and tweaking of each of the systems,’ he added.

‘The Adamson system is simple, clear and easy; plot the system in Adamson’s Blueprint software, take your angles, preset pins on Dante connectivity straight in to Lake processing on the Lab.gruppen amps is another great thing for us, as we can mount the amps in our Yamaha CL mixing consoles and patch straight from there.’

www.adamsonsystems.com

www.scenechange.com.au

a wider stereo image and helps capture the movement of the instruments.’

www.eve-audio.com

‘Originally I was aiming for the SC307 or 208 but considering the size of my studio I decided to go with the SC207,’ he continued.

Haivision and Wowza form the SRT Alliance

WORLD: Haivision and Wowza Media Systems have established the SRT Alliance along with the open-source availability of the SRT video transport protocol, which reportedly facilitates the delivery of secure, low-latency and high-quality video over the internet. The SRT Alliance seeks to overcome low latency video streaming challenges and supports the adoption of the freely available open source video transport protocol in an effort to accelerate innovation through collaborative development. The

alliance will promote SRT as a common standard for low-latency internet streaming.

explained Charlie Good, chief at Wowza. ‘To accomplish this

interactive streamers is being able to deliver at scale while maintaining high interactivity,’

feat, you need a protocol that can deliver across the technology stack, seamlessly and without fail, but does so with the lowest end-

to-end latency possible. SRT is the by the leaders in the streaming industry that has the potential to transform streaming applications.’ SRT is available as source code on GitHub with build tools and sample applications. As with the majority of open source solutions, developers are able to improve upon, use and contribute to the protocol under an LGPLv2 licence.

www.srtalliance.org

Jangwon Kim’s studio setup with the Eve SC207

Jangwon Kim

Hello. We are the world’s most compact three-way studio monitors, and the

Intercommunication at the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly

Conference and DIR Digital Infrared Audio Distribution systems was supplied in full from the DLC Events roster to facilitate communications.

BANGLADESH: Dhaka served as the host city for the 136th InterParliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, which was staged throughout several halls at the Bangabandu International Convention Centre.

Organiser Asiatic Events enlisted Thai A/V conference solutions provider Mighty Mice Asia to supply interpretation and discussion systems for the assembly. However, due to the size of the event, which called for 48 interpretation booths, 1,700 delegate receivers and 450 conference microphones, Mighty Mice Asia sought assistance from

Dubai-based DLC Events.

The IIPU Assembly is staged twice a year in different cities around the world, bringing together government representatives to explore global issues and recommend solutions.

The scope of the conference was such that even DLC Events’ deep inventory provided only half of the interpreter booths required. Therefore, support was sourced and provided from several other suppliers around the region to ensure that the assembly was fully equipped with enough booths. A mammoth solution comprising Shure’s DCS 6000 Digital

In total, 1,700 Shure DR6032 delegate receivers were deployed to ensure that all representatives could listen to the speakers comfortably, while 24 RA6025 infrared digital radiators were each able to transmit up to 32 channels, enabling delegates to listen to their chosen interpreted language. At the start of the signal chain were 24 DC6990 portable touchscreen conference and 450 DC6190 portable conference microphone units. For interpretation, 94 Shure IS6132 interpreter desks were set up, as were 28 MultiCaisses interpreter booths and 25 interpretation booths from Audipak’s

9000 series. Meanwhile, the eight control racks housed Shure CU6110 central control units, DT6032 digital transmitters, AO6008 audio output units, each of which can output up to

IR language distribution, and Marantz PMD580 solid state recorders. A further challenge presented itself due to the location, as Dhaka was new to all parties involved, meaning extra care had to be taken to ensure deadlines were met in regards to logistics and local customs procedures. Additionally, the amount of equipment that was shipped in from Dubai weighed approximately 15 tonnes, raising the potential

on cargo aircraft. With the event

being of such importance, support was provided by the Bangladesh government and the IPU organising committee, ensuring the equipment was fast tracked through customs in a matter of hours as opposed to weeks.

‘It was a learning curve from start team involved from both Thailand and the UAE,’ said Mark Breakspear, project manager from DLC Events. ‘Delivering an event in Dhaka for the a fantastic opportunity to work in a country whose development has seen so much growth in recent years. We look forward to returning again.’ Sally-Anne Sader from the presented the team with a special commendation following their efforts on the project. She noted that it was a ‘great pleasure to attest to the professional and competent way in which both Mighty Mice and DLC Events undertook the task of ensuring that all the booths and equipment were installed for the Assembly in a timely manner’.

www.dlcevents.com

www.mightymice.asia

WORLD: Jünger Audio has partnered with broadcasting and telecommunications software developer Tecom Group, resulting in the integration of the former’s Level Magic audio processors with the latter’s Loudness Analyzer software. Loudness Analyzer will combine Level Magic’s momentary, shortterm, integrated loudness and truepeak input and output values that have been logged and transferred to J*AM Loudness Logger software

with the broadcast schedule. It will then calculate the integrated loudness for each programme block and compare the integrated loudness of neighbouring events before producing an analytical report used for checking compliance with local regulations.

offered from the integration of the hardware and software solutions include measurement data delivery over networks, software-based

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analysis without the need for additional hardware and access to analytical reports for the detection of loudness deviations.

‘It’s a step towards a new level of loudness control where real-time to complement each other,’ said Alexander Kabanov, GM at Tecom Group.

www.junger-audio.com

www.tecomgroup.com

The 136th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly was held in Dhaka

DLC Events assisted Mighty Mouse Asia in providing the comms for the assembly

24 DC6990 portable touchscreen conference mics were deployed

Acoustic Technologies blends in at Customs House

AUSTRALIA: The University of Queensland recently enlisted audio consultant Peter Patrick a sound reinforcement solution for the function room and cultural centre of Customs House. As

the building is heritage listed, the project brief stated that no be made to the building and the the décor. To meet these needs, as

highly intelligible system, Mr Patrick Technologies. and heritage facility. The system designed by Mr Patrick comprised FS line array column speakers the manufacturer recommended ‘These AT products are beautiful installations such as

Williams of Acoustic Technologies. architecture and décor. They are truly a “heard but not seen”

www.atprofessional.com.au www.scientific-acoustics.com.au

Cense brings Stagetec Asia back around

MALAYSIA: Cense Media called on Stagetec Asia to deliver the studio for the launch of its second radio station: City Plus FM. The media company previously employed the speakers and microphone systems. A Sonifex Telephone hybrid has also been supplied to ensure an industry

and completing the setup is a Stage Tec Nexus audio router and

Marcus Sia, expressed his enthusiasm at the opportunity

Stagetec Asia and the training they

‘We are delighted and honoured

Stagetec Asia managing director Advon Tan. ‘We believe our

The solution paired ALA16 FS column speakers with MKB200 wall subs

Brisbane’s Customs House

ALA16 FS line array columns blend in with the décor

WORLD: Video optimisation has acquired Wohler Technologies’ RadiantGrid intelligent media transformation platform. The agreement results in the integration of RadiantGrid’s intellectual property, products and support technology development.

SDVoE Alliance expands

explained Lance Maurer, president use of Tachyon technology within the RadiantGrid platform made it an obvious decision to acquire RadiantGrid and market it as our own.’

by adherence to SDVoE Alliance

product,’ enthused Gerry Raffaut, CEO of ImagSystems. ‘We’re seeing interest from dozens of projects in many sectors.’

RadiantGrid software platform as the processing framework for its Tachyon Wormhole system. Wohler has served as the master distributor of Tachyon Wormhole since 2014 and had acquired RadiantGrid Technologies itself back in 2012. closely with Wohler for many years as a worldwide distributor of the Tachyon Wormhole appliance,’

Wohler will continue to provide transition period.

‘The transfer of the RadiantGrid

Wohler to concentrate on building next-generation hardware and software tools within the signal focuses on providing customer support and product development of RadiantGrid,’ said Wohler president and CEO Mike Kelly.

www.cinnafilm.com

www.wohler.com

WORLD: Guangzhou MediaComm Technology (MediaComm), Panduit and ImagSystems have all joined the SDVoE Alliance. Founded earlier this year, the alliance is formed of technology providers and manufacturers to promote SDVoE solutions to systems integrators, designers and consultants. MediaComm joins as an adopting member and plans to introduce SDVoE-compliant AV-over-IP transmitters and receivers to the domestic Chinese market. ‘This will provide our customers with the pristine video experience and low latency required in command and control environments and other demanding A/V applications,’ said Alan Wang, general manager at MediaComm. ‘Our customers will also appreciate the interoperability with other pro A/V products offered

Arrayable Point Source

Australian lighting manufacturer ImagSystems has also become an adopting member of the alliance and has released an advanced encoder/decoder built on SDVoE technology, Lightning. ‘The time is absolutely right for SDVoE technology and our Lightning

Panduit is a contributing member of the alliance. ‘Panduit and connectivity manufacturer to join the SDVoE Alliance as a contributing member,’ noted Dennis Renaud, vice president of Panduit’s enterprise business.

www.imagsystems.com

www.mediacomm.com.cn

www.panduit.com

www.sdvoe.org

The new Coda Audio APS combines the userfriendliness of a point source with the perfect arrayability of a line array creating a unique category in sound reinforcement.

ONE for ALL

The most flexible solution for medium size applications

LT550 installed at National Museum of Ethnology

JAPAN: The National Museum of Ethnology is Japan’s largest research institute for humanities and social sciences. It recently commissioned the installation of a LaON LT550 5GHz digital wireless intercom system, which was delivered by Studio Equipment Corp.

Cooking up audio with Wisycom

AUSTRALIA: Wisycom solutions have been used by audio operator

Patrick Wilson on the popular Australian TV cooking show, Everyday

Mr Wilson selected the equipment based upon its simple operation, reliable performance and the ability

found out about it while working with Gearhouse Broadcast on an outdoor broadcast in Melbourne.

‘I was very intrigued by what I was hearing about Wisycom,’ explained Mr Wilson. ‘The OB supervisor explained how operation is much easier when we have the Wisycom

truck. I purchased some secondhand gear and was hooked. I bought Wisycom’s MTP40S and MCR42 with BPA42HPN slots. I really like using the MTP40S for its limiter and great battery life.’

Unlike a traditional studio-based cooking show, Everyday Gourmet travels all over the world to inspire home cooks to get more out of their kitchen by simplifying good gourmet food. Mr Wilson and the show’s crew front of all kinds of backdrops, from open seas, to white sandy beaches

The client required an intercom system to cover multiple areas, reportedly selecting the LT550 system due to its performance and cost effectiveness. The solution provided to the Osakabased museum comprises a Base

10 BP550 belt packs, as well as accessories. The system offers wireless coverage throughout the facility, including the control room, main hall, waiting rooms, corridors and the information zone.

www.laon-tech.com

www.studioequipment.co.jp

or steep foggy mountains. Capturing clear, uninterrupted audio can be challenging in these locations.

‘Being invisible on set is key to impressing clients,’ he continued. ‘Not having RF breakups or artifacts from a weak signal, and being able to handle unpredictable high-SPLs with the MTP40S limiter means less interruptions during production. These features separate high-end equipment from the low-end gear and help to build my reputation with all of my clients. In addition, the amazing ENC compander setting is a must for me now. When in the studio, of kitchen sounds, including oil and fat sizzling on hot pans, and bowls and knives chiming very well, without introducing horrid artifacts or not being able to capture them at all.’

Mr Wilson also found Wisycom’s wideband features boost his

travelling. ‘I no longer have to research clear frequency blocks before I travel to a new city,’ he said. ‘I just arrive, do a scan and space. Another great feature is the ability to switch from ENC to ENR modulation quickly and without

hassle. In Japan, the director surprisingly wanted to shoot using a long lens. We were located atop a high mountain with a fair amount of stray RF noise from surrounding towns. I quickly switched the talent transmitters and my receivers to ENR. I placed the transmitter on the front of the talent’s body to try and achieve some more gain. Everything went great, even without the time to run to the crew bus and switch to high-gain antennas. We got the shot with no issues and moved into a kitchen setup where I effortlessly switched back to ENC.’

Aside from his Wisycom equipment, Mr Wilson’s audio kit comprises DPA, Sanken and Sound Devices products. ‘For mics, I use either DPA d:screet 4060s or Sanken Cos-11d, depending on wardrobe,’ he offered.

the new concealers. Everything is mixed on a Sound Devices 633 and stored in an Orca 0R-30. I power my bag off a Lightpro 95wh V-Lock

Lawo and Cisco to collaborate

WORLD: Lawo has announced a partnership with Cisco to develop and market IP-based video and audio systems for broadcast television. The move is reportedly in response to the television industry’s migration to Broadcast 3.0, broadcast infrastructures built around COTS technology allowing for the production of content on formatagnostic IP platforms.

‘Our partnership unites Lawo’s expertise in video and audio systems, monitoring and control

BXB addresses the class

HONG KONG: Po Leung Kuk CW Chu College has been equipped with a BXB WMP2100 public address system. The manufacturer’s distribution partner in Hong Kong and Macao, Sunrise Trading Company, visited the school to understand its needs and presented the option. The setup installed comprises a WMP-2100 PA control unit with WSC-2100 graphical control software, as well as 80 WMP60D remote decoders and a microphone for capturing music. ‘What our customer needed was

a PA system with high stability, an affordable price and sound after-sales services,’ said Sunrise Trading’s project manager. WMP-

with Cisco’s innovations in network infrastructure for live broadcast,’ explained Felix Krückels, director of business development at Lawo.

‘Combining these strengths results in an incredibly fast, robust solution for TV production.’

The two companies have started the relationship by taking on a project with a large American broadcaster. This will see the deployment of an all-IP Lawo routing infrastructure based on a Cisco IP technology backbone. This will combine Cisco’s Nexus 9000 switches with Lawo’s V__matrix, Soul and VSM control and monitoring systems.

and Powerex Recharge AAs for the MTP40S. I also use Rode NTG3, K-Tek boom and beyerdynamic DT 770 headphones on monitor duty.’

commendation for Wisycom’s build quality. ‘I have dropped my Wisycom transmitters into sand, rocks and concrete from a fair height and they anyone on set watches me drop the transmitter, I usually laugh and assure the crew I am not worried, as I glance to my receivers and see full RF strength. The Wisycom transmitters allow me to mic up the host at the start of the shoot and not have to change batteries for the entire day. This is key to keeping everyone happy and I think this is where good sound recordists shine. I look forward to bringing my Wisycom kits along for the remainder of this season’s studio shoot schedule and on any other projects.’

www.wisycom.com

‘Integrating Cisco data center switching systems with Lawo IP-based hardware and software products opens up new opportunities for television broadcasters,’ said Bryan Bedford from Cisco. ‘Working with Lawo brings Cisco an innovative partner that can immediately provide broadcasters.’

www.cisco.com

www.lawo.com

2100’s cabling is very simple, which saves on labour costs.’

www.bxb.tw

WSC-2100 graphical control software was included with the system

An RBS25 repeater in the information zone

ShowMatch™ DeltaQ™ loudspeakers provide better coverage for outstanding vocal clarity.

With DeltaQ technology, new ShowMatch array loudspeakers more precisely direct sound to the audience in both installed and portable applications. Each array module offers field-changeable waveguides that can vary coverage and even create asymmetrical patterns. The result is unmatched sound quality and vocal clarity for every seat in the house.

Learn more at SHOWMATCH.BOSE.COM

A letter from America

How could VR change the concert experience? Dan Daley explores a future that is virtually here

LIVE MUSIC IS A COMMUNAL EXPERIENCE,

shared by concertgoers and performers alike. Virtual reality – VR – is by nature an almost solitary event, experienced by the person wearing the goggles. Both, however, are immersive experiences, and that shared nature makes them ripe for a media mashup.

A performance by Courtney Barnett at the Nelsonville Music Festival last summer reveals how VR can put the viewer on stage with manipulated remotely and available discretely, with each viewer able to control perspective according to his or her tastes. Once you grab hold of the camera from your computer you instantly realise the potential here: you are on stage, you can move between Barnett and her bass player, and you can spin around and see individuals in the audience as they see them. You can look up and explore the lighting grid or look to stage left and see the monitor mixer in action. The novelty doesn’t wear

off; instead, you wish there were a few more cameras. Soon, there will be. This is VR’s promise: to upend the traditional relationship between performer and audience. An experience will not replace being there, but it will offer an alternative presence that can exist alongside an actual physical presence in a venue, while also offering those that couldn’t make it, in the words of a 1970s Bell Telephone commercial, ‘the next best thing to being there.’

I spoke recently with Josh Antonuccio, the director of the Immersive Media Initiative at Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communication School of Media Arts and Studies, where he’s helping nudge VR into actual reality. And an important part of that is how it will interact with live music. Right now, there’s live music the way we currently experience it. A long time ago, I pronounced in print that the word ‘analogue’ came along to describe the world before digital, simply

A letter from Europe

An innovative and award-winning use imagination of Phil Ward

I THOUGHT IT WAS A JOKE, AT FIRST.

The organisation Visit Faroe Islands – can we carry on assuming we know what that means? – has announced that it was a winner during the prestigious World Media Awards at London’s trendy Ham Yard Hotel, in the Travel and Tourism category. And in truth, it’s a great idea: by a clever deployment of Google’s 360° cameras, they literally put the Faroe Islands on the map – Google Street Maps, to be precise – thereby increasing hugely the all-round electronic media presence and investment value of the islands, its people, its culture and, most of all, its sheep.

and you can see why I thought someone was getting up to some postmodern internet fake news, to achieve comprehensive photography of the islands’ rugged terrain, Google’s local agent and friends literally attached the 360 cameras to selected specimens from various

wandering herds of the native Faroese breed, presumably singled out for their trustworthiness in possession of, let’s face it, some pretty expensive hardware. There are four 360° cameras that work with the Street View app: Ricoh’s Theta S; Samsung’s Gear 360; the Iris360 by NCTech and the LG 360CAM – none of which should be put in the hands of the more irresponsible farm animal, like a dog or a duck.

You need Wi-Fi, too, to connect with the app – so some more prehistoric creatures must have passed this way before now putting up wireless routers, perhaps deer whose antlers would come in handy in areas of poor reception. Anyway, as a result you can now see a lot more of the Faroe Islands online than before, and nothing speaks more eloquently of our headlong plunge into 360° media than this slightly crazy – but, it turns out, real – project.

because the world before we had digital didn’t need a name — like snow for Eskimos, it just was. We’re going to need to make that same lexicographical leap for live music once VR gets proper hold of it.

Mr Antonuccio’s programme is pretty evolved. In 2016, the university’s Innovation Strategy programme awarded US$878,000 to the Immersive Media Initiative to develop a new curriculum and hands-on research and creative projects for Ohio University students to gain the experiences they need Media Initiative team has used that to build an infrastructure around VR, and just in time, too, perhaps. It’s clear that live machinery that manufactures the hits that drive people to spend US$300 for a stadium ticket is declining, and the legacy acts that still make up about half of the top-10 tours each year are slowly but surely heading into very

comfortable assisted-living facilities. VR offers touring music the ability to vastly broaden the places a show can go. Concert developers make getting there and being there even more compelling than it is today. And that may well extend to bringing the VR experience itself into the live experience, in the form of VR’s cousin, Augmented Reality (AR), which can be used to annotate live shows, presenting the viewer with lyrics or alternative views, a kind of live director’s cut.

No one knows what the future will look like exactly, but it’s going to include VR. How that technology gets applied to live music is being worked out as we speak, although that work is being largely carried out by academics and important, just another content element in their view of the universe. It’s time for those help steer where that future is headed.

naturally, so is the 360° audio to go with it. Based at East London agency Visualise, sound designer Henrik Opperman likes to go where even sheep would fear to tread to record 3D

developed in the 1970s but really coming into their own now that audio and its production paraphernalia have been digitised. He’s been villages, on Caribbean islands and the back streets of Bermondsey in the search for authentic audio that can then be fed from his Sennheiser Ambeo VR mic into any one of a number of compatible DAWs from Pro Tools to Pyramix. Various new software packages already exist to transform individual signals, stems or sub-groups into the ingredients for binaural soundtracks that will work on conventional headphones and speaker

Other facilities in the UK capital have evolved from traditional audio postproduction

studios into 360° specialists, such as Bamsound VR – once known as simply ‘Bamsound’, and adding the rather telling ‘VR’ appendix in a strategic repositioning of the business. This is likely to happen across the range of media sound industries, simply to video gaming or similarly exciting virtual reality escapes such as grazing cattle in Scandinavia. 360° audio and video will be everything 2D media is now: corporate, TV and radio broadcast, cinema, documentary, medical… you name it.

It doesn’t stop there either, on the Faroe Islands. More human volunteers have been shooting 360° from their skateboards, in a kayak, on horseback and on bicycle, while local farmer and friend of Google’s ‘Trentor’

video – has got a 360° camera attached to his wheelbarrow, oh yes he has. No stone unturned for Google, it seems.

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EDUCATION NEWS

SEMINAR DIARY

18 – 20 JULY

EASE Training Singapore

AFMG presents an intensive three-day, one-evening seminar on the EASE software platform using materials especially prepared by AFMG staff and representatives in Germany and the USA, as well as dedicated contributions by the Australian instructor, Tim Kuschel.

www.afmg.eu

19 JULY

AMX

Programmer 2

Shanghai, China

This intermediate-to-advancedlevel course allows attendees to practise programming NetLinx control systems. You will learn how to improve your coding skills and topics including the use of custom variables (structures) and sequential events (timelines), and the programming of advanced mastering and switching systems.

www.amxasia.com

25 JULY

BSS Audio Programming 132

Wellington, New Zealand

This course (formerly known as Audio Architect AA100) covers Audio Architect concepts common to products from all Harman brands within Audio Architect. provided in subsequent courses.

www.jands.co.nz

23 – 24 AUGUST

School of Emerging Technologies 4K

Seoul, South Korea

Presented in Korean, this course explores how to anticipate, correct for and design to the challenges of 4K or UHD video distribution. Attendees will learn how to design practical, working systems that incorporate the full range of digital technologies available, and achieve optimal images using video signal processors transmitted over varying distances.

www.extron.com

S6L enrols at Audio Academy

Audio Academy by the Ansata team, at an educational facility in India.

‘While the S6L is primarily used to train students, it is also used to support touring engineers from time to time,’ explained Niranjan Shivaram, CTO at Audio Academy. ‘We also run workshops to prepare engineers who want to take it on tour.’

switch is programmable.’

The academy’s live sound engineer, Ashwin Shetty, is impressed with the new console.

‘The S6L is capable of handling 144 channels with 64 busses,’ he said. ‘It is undoubtedly one of the best sounding consoles I have come across and is highly customisable.’

INDIA: Audio Academy has purchased an Avid S6L control surface from the manufacturer’s Indian distributor, Ansata. The Bangalore-based live sound school already possessed an S3L and

AES and NAMM partner for education

WORLD: The Audio Engineering Society (AES) has formed a collaborative alliance with NAMM to integrate pro audio training covering topics such as live sound, performance audio and recording technology at The NAMM Show in 2018. The society’s technical sessions, speaker presentations, handson workshops, tutorials and networking events will form a part of The NAMM Show.

‘Audio is everywhere, and it’s a growing part of NAMM,’ said Alex Case, president of AES.

‘When it comes to professional audio, attendees and exhibitors alike want to know more and a growing number of attendees will want to experience new AES educational opportunities, audition new audio products and grow their professional networks to include audio pros through AES at NAMM.’

NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond stated that The NAMM Show brings together the global music and sound industries to offer a unique platform for business and learning. ‘Through our collaboration with AES, we are now further united in a shared vision of showcasing exciting new products, technologies and educational offerings for the good of the entire industry,’ he said.

www.aes.org

www.namm.org

made the decision to acquire an S6L to ensure that it keeps its students up to date with the latest technology and due to the support provided by Avid.

The S6L, which was installed at

‘What particularly attracted us to the S6L was its exceptional sounding preamps with a sampling rate of 96kHz, and its high channel and bus count to meet the growing demands of today’s touring acts,’ added Vauhini Venugopal, Audio Academy CEO. ‘We’ve had it just over two weeks, so the students are just getting familiar with it. They love the layouts and the fact that every

EV and City Music target HOW market

Ansata CEO Leslie Lean noted that the S6L purchase highlights Audio Academy’s commitment to ensuring future-proofed engineers.

‘Niranjan and Audio Academy have been working hard to equip the next generation of sound engineers with knowledge and a good ear for sound,’ he said.

www.ansata.net

www.audioacademy.in

A-T teaches Basic Audio Techniques for Video

SINGAPORE: Electro-Voice and City Music recently co-hosted a 120 Minutes to Great Sound seminar at City Music’s showroom in Singapore. Targeted at consultants, sound crew, musicians and personnel from the house of worship business segment, acoustic and A/V consultant Robert Soo of Cogent workshop in a trilogy dedicated to identifying best practices for creating better audio.

For the initial session, attendees learnt how to eliminate unwanted reverberation, whilst gaining a better understanding of accessing the right tools for their particular venue.

system optimisation and audio quality, discussed the importance of selecting the correct equipment and highlighted other factors affecting audio quality.

As over 100 attendees subscribed to the debut event, the organisers are seeking a larger capacity venue for the second and third sessions scheduled for 12 August and a date interested in attending should make their enquiries to Susan Kuek at Susan.Kuek@sg.bosch.com

www.citymusic.com.sg www.electrovoice.com

WORLD: Audio-Technica has launched a series of 13 tutorial videos via its YouTube channel, dubbed Basic Audio Techniques for Video. The series covers various aspects of sound capture for video production and broadcast applications, including how to use a boompole, selecting the right shotgun and handheld mics, and miking the inside of a car.

‘A-T has been actively involved in the video production community for many years,’ said Audio-Technica marketing director Gary Boss. ‘One of the things we found consistent is the general lack of quality information regarding the how, what and why of audio for video. As video content demands continue to increase, we felt it was time to produce a series of instructional videos that can educate the new video creator, but also have enough depth to appeal to the seasoned veteran.’

www.audio-technica.com

Ashwin Shetty and Gautham Pattani of Audio Academy with the S6L

ZSound takes training abroad

gets a new home

WORLD: RCF has opened a brand new lecture hall for its Audio Academy. Based in a recently constructed building at the Italian Reggio Emilia, the venue features has been acoustically treated in addition to being equipped with a range of A/V solutions and a mixed

Audio Academy seminars that

were previously staged in the old classroom will now take place in the new lecture hall, while others will

laboratories. Additionally, the new venue will host the sound engineering course organised by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, which is currently in its sixth year.

www.rcf.it

THAILAND: ZSound recently conducted a training seminar covering the use of its products, Smaartv.7 and EASE Focus 3 software for sound engineers in Thailand. The workshop was presented by ZSound training manager Johson Zhou and held at Thai distributor, T-Lighting. The ZSound products

demonstrated included the M44T digital processor, as well as the

session was given in English, so as to capture a wider audience.

‘ZSound holds many training explained Mr Zhou. ‘Those are limited to the language and geography and cannot cover

overseas customers who also need our support to better use our

Teerasak Wattanarom, welcomed his staff. He noted that his team now has a much clearer idea of ZSound product applications.

www.prozs.com

QSC delivers new online training platform

WORLD: QSC has launched a new online training platform to coincide with the release of the Q-Sys Level 1 Training programme in German and French, adding to the existing English, Spanish and Mandarin versions. Other new features provided by the platform include TouchMix digital mixer training, as

well as courses for its loudspeaker content is available publicly for free. Users are now able to create

to track their progress through each

themselves following the expiry of search function has also been added that explores the dialogue in each video and enables users to skip directly to a certain topic within a video based on a particular keyword.

‘We are very excited to offer videos in more languages and bring online QSC training to an said Patrick Heyn, director of marketing for QSC. ‘QSC is committed to providing worldclass product education to our industry in ways that are useful,

enjoyable and technologically accessible. For example, the Q-Sys training programme has become a benchmark for our systems business with thousands of people training.qsc.com

1/3 PAGE

power to scale. pro range

RTI keeps Mindstec up to speed

HONG KONG: RTI’s South East Asian distributor, Mindstec, recently held a three-day training seminar covering the manufacturer’s automation solutions for its sales and technical staff. The event took place in Hong Kong and was attended by local staff and their colleagues from India, Taiwan and China.

Gregory Revell, RTI director of the USA to conduct the workshop along with the manufacturer’s

Biamp takes training online

WORLD: Biamp has made its individual product platform certification available online to allow users and systems integrators to learn at their own convenience. The ondemand platform delivers self-guided sessions and tests throughout the programme, covering a range of topics and products such as TesiraForté, Tesira Server, TesiraLux, Vocia,

Audia and Voice-over-IP for Technicians. The certification training is free of charge.

The TesiraForté and Vocia courses are also available in Spanish.

‘Making our certification training completely available in an online, on-demand environment puts the power of education at your fingertips – at your convenience and at your own pace,’ said Kiley Henner, director of customer experience at Biamp. ‘Whether you want to grow your knowledge, gain InfoComm International renewal units or just refresh with some tips and tricks, Biamp leverages the expertise of our application engineers to create training sessions that fully support A/V professionals.’

www.biamp.com/training-online

technical team. Training was also provided for the RTI’s audio and video distribution and lighting and shade control solutions, including control processors, wireless controllers and control panels. In other news, RTI has brought Justin Bresnahan aboard as its new director of training, as part of its Advanced Control University (ACU). He will work to build the control and automation manufacturer’s training team and develop the inhouse training and demo facilities,

coordinate training programmes with distribution partners and oversee the production of training resources for dealers.

www.mindstec.com

www.rticorp.com

Gregory Revell flew in for the seminar

Korean distribution extensions

KOREA: Several pro audio developers appointed new South Korean distribution partners ahead of this year’s Koba Show. Amphenol has joined Daon SD’s portfolio, Sound Solution now represents Astro Spatial Audio and L-Acoustics has appointed Klausys as the dedicated distributor for its non-line array products such as the XT coaxials, LA cabinets.

Amphenol’s cables and connectors were exhibited at Koba alongside the other brands that Daon SD distributes in Korea. ‘Amphenol’s new Dante connector provides us with a great opportunity to further develop the brand as South Korea fully understands the advantages of Dante and other digital networks,’ explained Julie Lee of Daon SD. ‘I’ve long been familiar with the brand and deeply admire the solid build

and reliability of their connectors.’ Sound Solution currently represents Adamson Systems, Countryman, D&M, Fenix, RCF and Sommer Cable as well as Music Group brands Klark Teknik, Lab.gruppen, Midas, Tannoy and Turbosound. The distributor has taken on Astro Spatial Audio to complement these brands, as CEO Hong Lee explained: ‘As we are purely a distributor, we have a large team of designers that can exemplify and demonstrate the advantages of the Astro Spatial 3D rendering system in their performance space. Its application further enhances the overall appeal of our product range in a number of vertical markets.’

While Klausys will distribute L-Acoustics’ non-line array systems, Seoul Sound and Dream Sound will continue to manage the manufacturer’s line array solutions. ‘By making this appointment, we have opened up the sales channels more to the rest of the market,’ said L-Acoustics regional sales manager David Cooper.

Additionally, Klausys has added the LK Connectors and Eurocable brands from Link and ASL Intercom to its distribution catalogue.

www.amphenol.com

www.astroaudio.eu

www.klausys.com

www.l-acoustics.com

pro audio portfolio Comsec adds to Bosch portfolio

SINGAPORE: Swee Lee Holdings is the new exclusive distributor of ADAM Audio’s pro audio products in Singapore. The distributor and reseller started life as a retailer in 1946 and today supplies pro audio equipment and customised audio and video solutions to customers across Asia.

Audio’s existing home audio distributor, Guru Acoustics, has taken on responsibility for representing the manufacturer’s pro audio range. The manufacturer appointed Guru to distribute its residential systems in 2015 and has been impressed with the service provided.

PHILIPPINES: Bosch Security Systems has appointed Comsec I-Tech Corporation as the exclusive distributor of its CCS range of conference solutions in the Philippines. The agreement sees Comsec take on the sales and marketing responsibilities for Bosch’s CCS 900 and CCS 1000D discussion systems and stems from an existing relationship between the two companies. Comsec was founded in 2006 and has served as a Bosch partner since then and its technical training team is well versed in providing support for many of the manufacturer’s solutions. ‘Comsec has a good understanding of both the commercial and technical aspects of the conference system industry

‘Swee Lee is all you look for in a distribution partner,’ said Melanie Becker, international sales manager at ADAM Audio. ‘They are dedicated to their brands, have superb technical knowledge and service attitude, their approach to the marketing and the modern omnichannel environment is outstanding and they have more than 70 years

Swee Lee managing director Meng Ru Kuok looks forward to a long and fruitful relationship. ‘We are delighted to be welcoming ADAM Audio’s pro audio range to our line-up of exclusively distributed products in Singapore,’ he said. ‘There truly is global recognition for the quality of ADAM’s products, in line with Swee Lee’s commitment to continuously bring the best products to our customer base.’

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, ADAM

‘We are happy to expand our business with Guru Acoustics,’ said Ms Becker. ‘They have proven to be a great and knowledgeable partner for us in the home audio sector and we audio range is in good hands, too.’ Guru Acoustics co-founder CM Lee recalled his history with the German manufacturer: ‘I used to be before establishing Guru Acoustics. I reviewed ADAM Pencil speakers by their performance. I immediately recommended them to my friends who have been enjoying them up to this day. It was a great pleasure to become the agent for ADAM Audio when I started my own company.’

www.adam-audio.com

www.guru-acoustics.com

www.sweelee.com.sg

in the Philippines,’ explained Biswas Surajit, VP ASEAN sales at Bosch.

‘We look forward to a successful ongoing partnership between the two companies.’

Tagle also commented on the new deal: ‘With Comsec’s expertise in the

activities, this partnership will ensure Comsec and Bosch capture a large portion of the conference market in the Philippines,’ he said.

www.boschsecurity.asia

www.csi-tech.com

Goshen Swara joins the community

Juergensen. ‘Indonesia is an important market for us within the ASEAN region and with Goshen’s approach to adding value I am

valuable long-term partner.’ commented Cunario Suriya, MD at Goshen, ‘Community is a wellknown brand with a comprehensive product range and outstanding technical support,’ he said.

INDONESIA: Goshen Swara has expanded its distribution portfolio with the addition of Community Professional. The loudspeaker manufacturer appointed the Indonesian distributor due to its strong network in the country

and experience of representing manufacturers such as Apart, Biamp, Rane and Shure.

‘Goshen is a well-established and respected A/V distributor in Indonesia,’ said Community’s APAC sales manager, Kim Muurholm

‘Together with our value added distribution and committed network of installers and integrators, we are with the right combination for a successful business.’

www.communitypro.com

www.goshen.co.id

Audioprof Group International CEO Koen Claerbout, Goshen Swara MD Cunario Suriya and Kim Muurholm Juergensen from Community

Sound Solutions’ CEO Hong Lee with Spatial Audio’s Bjorn van Munster

Amphenol appointed Daon SD as its South Korean distributor

Cheol Jang and Nikki Jung from Klausys with ASL Intercom’s Wil Stam

Swee Lee has been appointed to distribute ADAM pro audio products

API expands Korean distribution network

KOREA: Music Metro has been announced as the new South Korean distribution partner for API. The Seoul-based distributor has been operating within the country’s pro audio market since 2005, specialising in supplying solutions for pro audio, live sound, recording studios and broadcasting.

Music Metro showcased API solutions at the Koba show, marking the first time that the manufacturer’s wares were on display at the trade show.

‘With a team made up of audio professionals and more than 10 years of experience in the music industry, Music Metro will strive to offer the highest quality audio gear and the best solutions to our local

customers,’ said Music Metro CEO Seung Gyu Choi. ‘API is a legend in the world of professional recording, and we are extremely pleased to be an exclusive distributor and

Kenderdine Electrical takes on GLP

NEW ZEALAND: Kenderdine

Electrical of Auckland will apply its 60 years of market knowledge to serving as the distribution partner for GLP (German Lighting Products). The distributor will be supported by its sister company Professional Lighting Services.

‘We had been aware of GLP for a long time but at the time it was being represented by an Australian company who also had

Duc Tu takes on Apia in Vietnam

VIETNAM: Apia has appointed Duc Tu Acoustic as its new Vietnamese distribution partner. Based in Hanoi, the distributor will manage the entire Apia product catalogue. It specialises in the import and distribution of pro audio equipment and provides turnkey solutions for applications such as live music events, conference rooms, schools, theatres and houses of worship.

supply their products to the Korean market.’

www.apiaudio.com www.dawmall.com

‘We know our professional audio market very well and Apia’s products are perfect for our projects,’ said a spokesperson from Duc Tu Acoustic. ‘Our strength is to think ahead and Apia’s products convinced us immediately with their high-quality construction, extensive

speaker solutions and amazing sound.’

www.apia.pro

Mipro appoints new ANZ partners

X4 L from second-tier hire and production companies. We will also be showing the units to TV companies and government-owned theatres who have the budget to run their own lighting stock.’

distribution for New Zealand,’ explained Chris McKenzie, sales director, Professional Lighting of our product portfolio to provide our professional customers with a world-class brand.’

Kenderdine looks to educate potential new GLP customers, while keeping the manufacturer in the minds of existing users.

‘We have had very positive feedback from those who know the product but more especially from customers who are seeing GLP remarked. ‘In particular we have received solid local interest in the X4 Atom, X4 Bar 10 and 20 and

Søren Storm, GLP’s sales director for the APAC region, commented: ‘Kenderdine has a long and strong history as a distributor who can represent a brand well, with a strong, dedicated team that knows the industry.’

Kenderdine staged a launch event at the Aotea Centre in Auckland. ‘We had rental companies and production companies from Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch attend the presentation and they were pitched with a well-choreographed show,’ recalled Mr McKenzie. ‘After run through the attributes of all the again before customers were able to check out the kit close up.’

www.glp.de www.kelpls.co.nz

ANZ: Mipro has appointed Audio as its new exclusive distributors for Australia and New Zealand respectively. The staff at both distribution companies possess vast experience of the pro and commercial audio markets in their

countries and will support the Taiwanese manufacturer’s existing customers while also targeting new customers and market segments.

Audio Brands Australia was founded in 2013 by Don McConnell, in 2014 by Marcel Reinen. ‘We

have known both gentlemen and their teams for 20 years due to our previous business relationships with Audio Telex and later, Hills,’ said KC Chang, Mipro CEO. ‘They have extensive knowledge and experience in managing the Mipro brand previously. They know our wireless technologies and how Mipro can serve their customer base. The familiarity with the product lines will make for a smooth transition and future growth.’

Mr McConnell commented on his company’s new relationship with Mipro. ‘We are absolutely thrilled to be appointed as distributor for Mipro. Both myself and the Audio Brands team have extensive experience with Mipro, and we’re very excited to be partnering with such an innovative and respected manufacturer.’

www.audiobrands.com.au

www.mipro.com.tw

www.pacificav.co.nz

Lavoce partners with Narain for India

INDIA: Italian transducer manufacturer Lavoce has announced Narain Audio & Lighting as its exclusive distributor for India.

The experienced 50-year-old distributor is described by the manufacturer as possessing ‘an excellent reputation and knowledge of transducers’. The partnership was

Palm Expo India.

‘After our team visited the Lavoce facility in China, we knew there was something special about the Lavoce proposition,’ commented Narain partner, Manoj Motwani.

‘Their factory is world class and

their product range is perfect for the India market. We will be offering a really competitive package to our

customers, which will include cabinet designs and spares support, to help ensure Lavoce is a big success in India in the coming years.’

‘Manoj and the team at Narain are very focused on offering new and innovative products to their customers and with Lavoce they will be presenting many interesting products for this exciting market,’ added Kevin Shove, Lavoce Italiana business development manager. ‘We are so excited to be working with Narain Audio & Lighting.’

www.lavocespeakers.com

www.narainindia.com

Søren Storm and Chris McKenzie

Kevin Shove (Lavoce) and Manoj Motwani (Narain)

Gordon Smart and Dan Zimbleman from API with new Korean distributor Music Metro

DiGiGrid joins the Budee line-up

CHINA: DiGiGrid has named Development (Budee) as the exclusive distributor of its desktop and rackmount solutions across Greater China. Budee already represents brands such as API, Avid, DK-Technologies, Electro-Voice, Lectrosonics, Martin Audio, Nugen Audio, Sennheiser and Wheatstone among others. DiGiGrid states that the appointment forms part of its continued focus on the ‘rapidly growing Chinese marketplace’.

BXB looks to Simply

SINGAPORE: Simply Connect has been named as BXB’s sole distribution partner in Singapore. The distributor also serves as the Singaporean representative for Aten International, which BXB recently partnered with to host the Aten Solutions Day events taking place both in the Lion State and Indonesia. Following the agreement, Simply Connect collaborated with BXB as part of the Singapore Aten Solutions Day to demonstrate the Taiwanese manufacturer’s ICP-5000 IP-based

broadcasting and conference system during a joint presentation concerning the Internet of Things (IoT).

‘Simply Connect provides outstanding customer service to their dealers,’ said Jerry Hung, executive vice president of BXB. ‘With their network expertise and pro A/V knowledge, we believe they are the best company to present BXB in Singapore.’

www.bxb.tw

www.simplyconnect.com.sg

distribution agreement

CHINA: ImagSystems has appointed Advanced Communication Equipment International (ACE) to provide sales and support for its video-over-IP products in China and Hong Kong. The distribution

‘There’s great momentum building for the region and Budee is the ideal partner to help us continue developing our presence in this complex and dynamic market,’ said Dan Page, brand manager at DiGiGrid. ‘As we continue to expand our audio portfolio, our regional partners are absolutely key to our ongoing success, and we are looking forward to working in collaboration with Budee to extend our reach in this key region.’

Budee’s director of strategic alliance, Mills Xu, expressed

excitement at expanding the reach of DiGiGrid’s solutions in Greater China. ‘The brand has already been very well received by Chinese broadcasters and studio customers as these intuitive solutions help audio and music professionals

‘DiGiGrid’s interfaces are well known for helping customers capture and deliver premium audio quality, realtime DSP and networking to a much wider user base.’

www.budee.com

www.digigrid.net

Meyer Sound elects principal Korean distributor

development and planning strategy.

‘ImagSystems is a clear leader in Gerry Raffaut, CEO of ImagSystems, noted that he was seeing growing interest in AV-over-IP solutions

agreement covers the Australian manufacturer’s Lightning solution, an encoder/decoder built on SDVoE technology that delivers uncompressed 4K video with multiview functionality and zero latency over 10GbE networks that won the award for Best New Video over IP Product at ISE 2017.

towards the delivery of video-overIP networks in our regions,’ stated Fong Wan Shing, ACE director of

around the world from a variety of sectors, including hospitality, corporate, education, and healthcare customers. ‘We’re delighted to announce this partnership with a distributor of such a high calibre, and we’re looking forward to developing new opportunities in Asia with them,’ he said.

www.acehk.com

www.imagsystems.com

KOREA: Seoul-based distribution company Ingang Audio has been appointed to represent Meyer Sound for the majority of vertical markets in South Korea. The manufacturer will also retain its prior relationship with Kinoton Korea, which oversees the distribution of Meyer Sound products for two vertical markets –cinema and baseball stadiums –while Ingang Audio manages all others.

‘Several key people at Ingang Audio have experience working

with Meyer Sound through prior association with a former distributor,’ explained Brian Chow, Meyer Sound sales manager for Japan and Korea. ‘They know our technologies and how Meyer Sound can serve their customer base. This experience, combined with the more dynamic structure of Ingang Audio, will make for a smooth transition and for rapid growth.’

Ingang Audio will work to build a stronger dealer network for

Meyer Sound in the country.

‘Meyer Sound products are well known in the Korean market for their quality and durability,’ said Ingang Audio owner Steve Kim. ‘We will build on this reputation with more promotional activities, expanding our dealer network and strengthening relationships with existing dealers, consultants and end users.’

www.ingangaudio.com

www.meyersound.com

Brian Chow, Eric Han, Joo Hong Chang, Helen Meyer, John Meyer, Steve Kim

DiGiGrid has appointed Budee as its Chinese distributor

BXB has appointed Simply Connect as its Singaporean distributor

ImagSystems CEO Gerry Raffaut and ACE’s Fong Wan Shing

The Business Crossroads of Music, Sound and

The Music Begins Here

APPOINTMENTS

‘In his new role, Rich will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business and execution of our strategic plans,’ president Paul Ingebrigtsen. ‘I look forward to working with Rich to drive the business forward.’

Heinz Schwarz steps down from Fohhn board

WORLD: Richard Nestel has joined the supervisory board at Fohhn

WORLD: Richard Lough has been promoted from his role of chief to the position of chief operating part of the manufacturer’s global growth plans.

Mr Lough described his promotion as an honour. ‘I look forward to working with other members of the management team and our employees as we focus on this exciting growth path,’ he said. ‘I am incredibly energised and plan on leveraging my experiences to help lead the company.’

www.williamssound.com

Williams Sound CFO promoted to COO beyerdynamic adds to senior team

WORLD: German manufacturer beyerdynamic has expanded its senior team with the addition of Edgar van Velzen as managing director. He takes the helm alongside long-standing fellow managing director, Wolfgang Luckhardt.

‘We value the extensive experience that Edgar van Velzen brings to the company and are delighted to have acquired such an accomplished audio industry executive – and someone who knows exactly how to handle the challenges of the digital age,’ said Professor Wolf Michael Nietzer, chairman of the administrative board of beyerdynamic. ‘He is an expert in developing global

Wohler sets sights on Middle East and India

MIDDLE EAST/INDIA:

Wohler

Technologies has named Kaunser Dar as its new regional sales manager for the Middle East and India as it aims to expand its presence in the region. Mr Dar will develop the territories for the manufacturer by introducing new product lines, leading interactions with end users, dealers and systems integrators and by monitoring local broadcast industry trends.

‘Kaunser comes to us with many years of experience in the broadcast industry, including product range,’ explained Craig Newbury, vice president of sales at Wohler. ‘We look forward to working

for 16 years alongside Winfried Baumbach and Prof Dr Jörg Knoblauch and been involved with the manufacturer since its inception in 1993. Mr Nestel has served as the manufacturer’s tax advisor for several years.

with the company during his tenure and is credited with advising on all major strategic decisions throughout Fohhn’s history, including the development of a successful digital strategy. He also helped to develop the fundamental system concept

applied to all Fohhn products. and welcome Mr Nestel to the supervisory board, a ceremony was

distribution strategies and understands the importance of a strong brand.’

‘I am highly motivated when it comes to driving forward the strategic development of the company,’ added Mr van Velzen. ‘I continuously challenge myself to get the very best out of a product, with the customer and their needs

‘I am full of admiration for what the workforce and managing director Wolfgang Luckhardt have achieved in the past few years,’ he continued. ‘Teamwork is a top priority for me, as I believe that this is the key to success.’

www.beyerdynamic.com

with him to further expand our presence in India and the Middle East as we continue to develop our business there and look forward to the contribution he will make especially as we continue the expansion of our signal monitoring solutions.’

‘I look forward to making a positive contribution to the company, introducing exciting new products to our users and educating professionals in the region about what the Wohler brand has to offer,’ said Mr Dar. ‘Joining the Wohler family as the new regional sales manager in India and the Middle East is an exciting opportunity.’

www.wohler.com

The evening included a performance from string duo Jochen and Katharina Kefer.

www.fohhn.com

Biamp hires new regional manager

ASIA:

East Asia, Korea and Japan. Thomas Mills joins the company from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he served

brings more than 25 years of global manufacturing and technology knowledge as well as experience of operating his own consultancy, which provided programme management, industry assessment and market entry strategies for companies based in China.

‘Bringing Thomas on board will strengthen Biamp’s current relationships and build new ones,’ said Matthew Packer, sales

On a global basis, Jody Thomas has been named as Biamp’s new director

of business development, bringing more than two decades of business and product development experience to the role. In his new position, Ms Thomas will be responsible for directing the manufacturer’s sales channel, sales and product management team, and strategic partnerships.’

www.biamp.com

EAW gains new engineering project manager

joins the American manufacturer with a chemical engineering degree and 15 years of experience in both manufacturing and engineering environments.

WORLD: Marilyn Fernandes has joined Eastern Acoustic Works’ (EAW) engineering project management team. Taking responsibility for product execution, including planning, budgeting, oversight and documentation, Ms Fernandes

‘Marilyn is highly knowledgeable in all aspects of manufacturing engineering,’ explained EAW engineering manager Geoff her expertise and analytical skills.’ Ms Fernandes most recently served as project manager for Dorel Juvenile. ‘I look forward to contributing to the excellence EAW is known for,’ she commented.

www.eaw.com

Edgar van Velzen

Thomas Mills

Prof Dr Jörg Knoblauch, Richard Nestel, Jochen Schwarz, Heinz Schwarz, Uli Haug, Winfried Baumbach

Marketing and R&D promotions at Genelec

WORLD: Genelec has made two senior promotions across its marketing and R&D departments.

Howard Jones has risen to the role of marketing director from his former position as international project manager, while Jussi Väisänen has become principal engineer, having served as lead acoustic designer on the R&D team for several years.

Mr Jones gained experience in distributing Genelec products for the manufacturer’s UK partner, Source Distribution, where he was director of distributed brands before joining Genelec in 2016. ‘It’s such a privilege to work with a company that is so innovative,’ he said.

in 1999. ‘It’s hard for me to imagine

another place where the dedication to R&D is higher than it is here,’ he said. ‘My role is to work with the teams across acoustics, mechanics, electronics and software to provide guidance and supervision when

Rich Nevens hired to lead new Focusrite division

WORLD: Focusrite has appointed Rich Nevens as VP of worldwide sales for its newly formed business division, commercial and pro audio.

Mr Nevens joins from Avid, where he previously worked with current Focusrite CEO Tim Carroll and served in a number of roles.

working on developing new products, systems and technologies, while steering the work and making sure longterm strategies and goals are met.’

www.genelec.com

Tamburri brings four decades of experience to Ashly

WORLD: Ashly Audio has hired Bob Tamburri as its new product manager. Mr Tamburri is a pro audio veteran of 40 years and will oversee the full lifecycle of the manufacturer’s products, as well as marketing and support. He will report to CEO Jim Mack.

‘Between positions at Sony and TOA, Bob has 15 years of direct product management experience,’ explained Mr Mack. ‘The totality of his experience is much broader. In addition he served as a sales representative for Sennheiser, the national education and

merchandising manager at Onkyo and an A/V designer and integrator at Manny’s Music.’

Mr Tamburri noted that Ashly was

one of only a few companies that was on his radar. ‘I used to install

when I worked at Manny’s in the 1980s, and I’ve always respected the company’s integrity,’ he said. ‘When I worked at other companies, we monitored Ashly and held it up as an example of a company that was doing things right. I’m excited to be a part of that legacy now and to help grow the business to take advantage of new opportunities.’

www.ashly.com

Neets targets international growth with new hires

experience as a sales director for several telecoms companies.

‘Neets has a strong potential for international growth,’ said Mr Jordansen. ‘I’ve always been very passionate about building relationships with distributors and the role as head of sales will allow me to do this on a global scale.’

Mr Rumph takes responsibility for leading initiatives to develop new products. He joins with more than 20 years of sales and systems design experience within the A/V sector.

‘Rich Nevens is a highly respected professional audio business leader with many years of experience operating at the senior decisionmaker level,’ said Mr Carroll. ‘Rich will initially be focused on developing a world-class network of distributors, resellers and systems integrators to accelerate our growth in the broadcast, postproduction and professional markets.’

The new commercial and pro audio

business unit provides an umbrella for RedNet, Red interfaces and the ISA product range. ‘Our Dantebased RedNet and Red ranges are experiencing substantial growth and, as such, we have decided to form a dedicated business unit to focus on the professional audio community,’ said Damian Hawley, director of global marketing and sales.

www.focusrite.com

Axon strengthens SEA support

engineering support for customers across the region.

‘This is an exciting time at Axon as the team continues to unveil new innovative solutions to the market,’ said Mr Yip. ‘I’m delighted to be joining the Axon family.’

SOUTH EAST ASIA: Dominic Yip has been appointed as technical support manager for South East Asia at Axon. Based at the company’s Singapore and project delivery experience gained at Megahertz, Oasys, Imagine Communications and Vsolutions to

Mr Yip will report to Liming Fu, Axon’s managing director, APAC, who expressed his delight as the manufacturer continues to expand its APAC team. ‘With the move to 4K and IP we’re in an excellent position to help our customers address the challenges of transitioning their operations to take advantage of the latest technology,’ he said.

www.axon.tv

Bosch director takes

over

RTS and Telex product management

WORLD: Neets has hired Bo Jordansen as its new head of sales and Michael Rumph as product manager. The new additions arrive as part of the Danish pro audio manufacturer’s efforts to expand its international footprint.

In the head of sales role, Mr Jordansen will be responsible for directing all sales and reseller relationships outside of the EU as the company looks to expand across

American regions. He brings aboard

‘I believe I bring a strong understanding of what customers are looking for in A/V products, and I look forward to helping Neets continue to deliver products that meet and exceed customer expectations,’ Mr Rumph stated.

www.neets.dk

WORLD: Denis Castanet has transitioned, from his role as director of business development for the EMEA sales region at Bosch Security Systems to the director of product management position at Bosch subsidiaries RTS and Telex. Mr Castanet replaces the retiring Ralph Strader and brings a decade of telecom systems product management experience to his new job.

‘RTS is in a unique position as part of the Bosch Security Systems family of brands, with a broad portfolio including pro audio solutions as well as intercom and security systems,’ said Mr Castanet. ‘We look to leverage synergies not only between

all our brands and products but also with those coming from third-party solution providers such as Audinate. It’s an exciting time for our industry and for our brands.’

www.rtsintercoms.com

Bob

Howard Jones and Jussi Väisänen

Michael Rumph and Bo Jordansen

A COAXIAL studio monitor, while not unknown, is fairly uncommon among the major speaker manufacturers. The applications like studios – a coaxial design where the tweeter is housed in the alignment issues that are common a wider listening area without suffering colouration. Manufacturing the Minimum

And is something that Genelec says has taken more than decade in its R&D department to perfect as the midrange and tweeter both share the compact magnet assembly.

‘The number of big ideas contained within these small monitors is truly remarkable,’ boasted managing director Siamäk Naghian. ‘The 8351 has already become the trusted standard for its neutrality

and its smooth frequency response both on- and off-axis. Now that same precision

The Ones family includes the larger, by two new smaller models, the 8331 and 8341. They all feature a dual-coincident

interesting in that it occupies almost the entire front of the enclosure, obscuring

for the 8331, and 110dB for the 8341. Frequency responses are 45Hz and 38Hz

a compact footprint, 299mm x 189mm x 212mm for the 8331 and 350mm x 237mm x 243mm for the 8341, and both incorporate three stages of Class-D

energy. The coaxial design also permits a

listening distance adds an extra 5dB to the potential SPL of each model.

less fatigue during long listening sessions. Like the 8351, the 8331 and 8341 can be adjustable IsoPod base for isolation. The short-term maximum output capacities are stated at 104dB (at 1m)

Finally, the Ones family can also be set up Monitoring solution, which permits up to 40 monitors and subwoofers per network to be automatically optimised for the surrounding

www.genelec.com

The Ones studio monitor family sees Genelec capitalising on its recent success with coaxial monitoring

The HDL 30-A selects the best of both

the smaller HDL 20-A allowing it to be transported with up to four enclosures on its own dolly. One of the new features incorporated into the HDL 30-A is air absorption compensation allowing each cabinet to independently control the cluster size low frequency by up to 10dB in 1dB increments and

updated RDNet group interface (array group) can be shared with all the RCF RDNet controllable arrays that simplify system tuning.

The electroacoustic components of the bi-amped two-way design comprise dual 10-inch LF neodymium woofers and a 3-inch exit HF titanium compression driver married onto a symmetrical time coherent waveguide for constant horizontal coverage. Both sections are powered by a 1,100W RMS-

loudspeaker parameters can be managed courtesy of the internal DSP that includes HF projection correction and special presets for indoor and high curving situations.

voice coil and a 1,400W RMSbirch plywood cabinet is glued with water resistant adhesive ensuring weatherproof characteristics. Designed to be stackable and lightweight, the SUB 9004-A is equipped with pole receptacles both on the top and the side. A controlled input section includes selectable onboard presets with RDNet remote and powerCON connectors, whilst heat dissipation generated by the 4-inch voice coil is catered for by a ventilation system.

Also new is the HDL 6-A, designed for live sound reinforcement and installed applications. Powered by a 1,400W 2-channel Class-D

FiRPHASE algorithms, the cabinet incorporates two 6-inch woofers and a high-powered compression driver mounted on a 100° x 10° waveguide, delivering a maximum

SPL of 131dB and 48kHz, 32-bit processing.

Accompanying the HDL 6-A on the low end of the frequency range is the HDL 12-AS subwoofer. This compact unit houses a 12-inch woofer and a 1,400W Class-D

digital stereo crossover (DSP) with adjustable crossover frequency to connect the HDL 6-A line array module or a satellite.

Finally, RCF has further upgraded its ART 3, ART 7 and D-Line HD series by incorporating its FiRPHASE optimisation

ensure coherent audio distribution without phase distortion, minimising latencies to the system. The newly redesigned ART now bears a black square base plate in addition to a new grille shape and change of colour from grey to black.

www.rcf.it

Fisco for Disco and LF apps

THE IB 210 been developed by KME for extending the low frequencies driver arrangement, the ceiling or wall installed courtesy of the square dimensions.

FOLLOWING THE success of the HDL 20-A as a line array that allows quick set up and assembly, RCF has added the HDL 30-A to the family. The composite polypropylene cabinet shares the same features and rigging concept as the larger HDL 50-A model including transducers, waveguide design, mechanics and compact chassis shares the same dimensions, low weight mass and symmetrical acoustic design as

RDNet networked monitoring and control enables save and recall system presets, read out tilt angles of the individual modules, testing of individual components gain and delay adjustments and

for medium to high frequencies together with air compensation for long throw applications.

Designed to accompany the HDL 30-A cabinet, the SUB 9004-AS subwoofer incorporates a single 18-inch neodymium, hyper-vented, long-excursion woofer with a 4-inch

Bass for no space

A NEW line of compact subwoofers for both rental houses and integrators has been released by French manufacturer APG Audio that promises high low frequency reinforcement in applications where space is an issue. The SB Series comprises four models ranging in size from 10- to 18-inches.

According to the manufacturer they were all engineered using the same acoustic load, based on a variation of a band pass design to maximise performance – providing 300W for the 10-inch SB110, 600W for the 12-inch SB112, 1,000W for the 15-inch SB115-M2 and 1,400W for the 18-inch SB118. The smaller SB110 and SB112 enclosures host a ventilated ferrite cone driver

with a 3-inch voice coil, while the SB115-M2 and SB118 feature a neodymium driver.

Furthermore, the SB112 can be combined with MX and DX series speakers to form portable FOH systems for corporate events and other A/V applications, while the SB115-M2 can also be deployed for distributed audio in largescale installations. The slots in the top of the enclosure allow for coupling with APG’s DX12 and DX15 speakers to form compact

SB118 also complements DX and Uniline Compact systems, and can

www.apgaudio.com

a slim design as a result of the dual 10-inch woofers that employs a direct radiating 15-inch driver for which the grille is on the complete front side of the cabinet creating a tunnel has reportedly been synchronised to an absolute

Filling the void as a 5-inch two-way compact installation been designed to provide homogeneous tonal playback. Ensuring consistent dispersion, KME has created a special waveguide that can be rotated according to the application, allowing the cabinet to be either horizontally or vertically mounted. Complete with a range of installation accessories and M8 hanging points, the cabinet dimensions promote discreet integration.

Additionally, KME has developed the GB 218 dual 18-inch subwoofer as a bass array for its Galo G 10 line array system. Optimised to

is stated to offer precise bass response down to 25Hz and with very low frequency tuning. The manufacturer describes its cabinet’s audio impression as ‘voluminous but precise and responsive’. The GB 218 can be deployed either horizontally or vertically and incorporates handles, side edge protectors and stacking elements, whilst data for EASE Focus 3 software provides simulations.

www.kme-sound.com

The 15-inch SB115-M2

HDL 30-A

IB 210

SUB 9004-AS

Celebrating 15 Years of Making the World Sound Better

“We have bucked industry trends and broken industry standards to find the best possible audio solutions both analog and digital. We don’t simply gauge our system’s performances on published specifications; we gauge it by the smiles on people’s faces.”

George Krampera Founder, Chief Engineer, Legendary Pro Audio Pioneer

A pair of APS cabinets mounted above an APS-Sub

All performances great and small

JBL IS catering to both ends of the performance spectrum with its latest releases. On the one hand it is targeting large and medium-sized concerts with the VTX A12 while the needs of the smaller end are paramount to the Eon One Pro. Starting at the larger end of the market, VTX A12 is a dual 12-inch line array speaker that features new and proprietary transducer and high-frequency waveguide designs, innovations in the rigging and suspension hardware aspects of the cabinet. The new HF section features three drivers that combine the HF phasing-plug and waveguide into one part. According to the manufacturer, this yields better tolerances and increased sensitivity above 6kHz, while reducing distortion and overall weight. A newly designed Radiation Boundary Integrator (RBI) combines four 5-inch mid-frequency drivers into the high-frequency waveguide. The 12-inch woofer features a fourth-generation Differential Drive design, new dual Neo dual-coil magnet arrangement and a host

of proprietary JBL technologies for increased excursion, power handling and sensitivity.

Externally the full-face grille design helps it achieve an IP55 rating while its patented locking mechanism automatically locks the cabinet angles to the desired position. All VTX A12 accessories are designed to be lightweight, durable and sized truck dimensions. Staying with products for this scale of production, the manufacturer has also created the JBL Array Link app for iOS and Android and made updates

Unrivalled Quality, Performance & Stability

to its Performance Manager and Line Array Calculator software applications. The app enables systems engineers to see what their array size, weight, and interenclosure angles are. Additionally,

phone can be shared instantly with other Array Link users.

JBL Performance Manager 2.4 provides complete support for the VTX A12 line array while also adding an array size compensation assist. Version 3 of Line Array Calculator has a redesigned UI, delivers precise acoustic

predictions for the response of VTX systems and offers updated mechanical reports for physical array predictions. In addition, the venue prediction window offers an unlimited number of planes, additional virtual measurement probes, as well as enhanced prediction tools to support frequency response averaging of multiple virtual measurements. Finally it also offers a subwoofer prediction mode.

At the other end of the performance scale, Eon One Pro is a rechargeable portable personal linear-array PA that offers a maximum SPL of 118dB (peak). The base unit is home to an unobstructed 8-inch bass-

patent-pending Directivity Control Geometry, which optimises the spacing and angles of the six twoinch high-frequency drivers. Away from the speakers, the unit features a built-in 7-channel mixer with Hi-Z inputs and phantom power. The mixer features bass, treble and reverb controls. The unit also includes a pass-thru XLR connector for integrating additional units. Bluetooth audio streaming allows for playback of recorded music from smartphones or tablets. A USB charger connection provides power for phones and tablets when needed and the unit features an integrated tablet stand. The integrated accessory attachments allow users to add a camera or a future lighting element.

The Eon One Pro’s integrated mixer

www.jblpro.com

1/2 PAGE

Fireface UFX II

60 channels of I/O and operation up to 192 kHz / 24 Bit, outstanding low-latency, rock-solid drivers, plus equal performance on both Mac and PC. The RME Fireface UFX II is a high-end audio production solution that’s packed with everything you need for both live and in the studio.

JBL’s VTX A12

FaitalPro drives portability

FAITALPRO IS targeting manufacturers of portable speakers with the pair of new compression drivers added to its HF range.

The ferrite magnet HF111 and neodymium HF142 have been designed with reduced dimensions and at a lower weight than their predecessors.

The HF111 is a medium-sized compression driver featuring a 37mm voice coil and 1-inch mouth. It has a domed diaphragm constructed from ketone polymer and offers deliberately balanced, controlled parameters so as to make the unit compatible with a wide range of applications. The manufacturer also claims an response of between 2kHz and

20kHz and 40W of applicable power, in addition to a maximum of 80W

for use in two-way systems with a horn compatible with its 1-inch throat, as well as in multi purpose systems with a 10-inch companion woofer. Its linear response and

suitable for smaller line arrays.

Suggested applications for the HF142 include use in large monitors, two-way systems, alongside a 1.4inch horn or large woofer, in a line

by a woofer or a midrange system of large dimensions. A large driver with a 65mm coil, ¼-inch throat and a magnetic circuit with a neodymium ring, it also has a ketone polymer membrane and possesses a 4-slot

HF111

phase plug. It’s capable of handling continuous power of 80W and a

18kHz.

range, the 12RS550 is a 12-inch woofer with ferrite magnet. It is aimed at those producing two- or three-way speakers for use in a

Eight times the compression

produce linear, smooth responses with low distortion and high

variety of applications, such as in

45Hz to 2,500Hz. It houses a 77mm voice coil and boasts a maximum power of 1,000W with 500W nominal.

Then there’s the 10PR320 and 12PR320, 10- and 12-inch

woofers that mark an evolution of FaitalPro’s previous PR300 models. circuit, these are described as ideal for where ‘woofers are needed to beyond the standard products available’. Each includes a 65mm, 2.5-inch coil with a 600W maximum power by AES standards. In other news, improvements have to been made to ‘stabilise’ the dome titanium for the manufacturer’s HF drivers with 74mm voice coils. treatment on the outer diameter of the diaphragm suspension clamping. The result is said to be more stability and linearity in the response.

www.faitalpro.com

Beyma keeps cool under pressure

ITALIAN TRANSDUCER

manufacturer Lavoce has expanded its range of 1-inch exit compression drivers with six new polyester diaphragm models and two of the titanium diaphragm variety. Each model implements Finite Element Method

The 15W DF10.10LM and 25W DF10.14LM polyester diaphragm compression drivers are ferrite magnet solutions. Their diaphragms feature round CCA wire 1-inch and 1.4inch voice coils. Then there’s the DF10.14M, DN10.14M, DF10.17M and DN10.17M polyester diaphragm models with Edgewound CCA 1.4-inch and 1.7-inch voice coils with 25W, 25W, 55W and 50W power respectively. These feature ferrite and neodymium magnet designs.

As for the titanium diaphragm versions, the 60W DF10.17T

Dbox connects to Dante

NEXT-PROAUDIO HAS constructed the Dbox to serve as a bridge

Dante networks. With a 128mm it supports one RJ-45 Dante input and a pair of balanced XLR analogue outputs.

Dbox also serves as a plug-andplay solution for users looking to connect active speakers to a Dante network. This is achieved via two with the Next-proaudio DPA2000 of its active speakers. www.next-proaudio.com

and 55W DN10.17T include Edgewound CCA 1.7-inch voice coils and are of ferrite and neodymium magnet designs. On the lower end of the released the SAN214.5 21-inch neodymium magnet subwoofer. Recommended for single or dual 21-inch vented cabinets, the variants and makes use of a 4.5inch inside/outside four-layer high temperature CCAW voice coil, diecast aluminium basket, optimised cooling system, aluminium demodulation ring, double silicon spider and neodymium magnet motor design. Statistically, it

3,400W of programme power capability.

www.lavocespeakers.com

BEYMA’S 18LEX 1600ND low designed and optimised for direct radiation and band-pass subwoofers. Incorporating Malt Cross cooling system (MMSS)

cool the voice coil, the 18-inch addition produces a sensitivity

Rated with a power capacity of

MMSS technology. It comes with a three-inch copper voice coil, FEA-optimised ferrite magnetic circuit and a pressed steel frame. Weighing 8.7kg, the 600W AESrated model delivers a sensitivity

Again featuring MMSS technology, the manufacturer states its 15MC700 and 8MC300ND

1,600W AES and capable of to 35Hz, characteristics of the 18LEX 1600ND include a double silicon spider, exclusive neck coupling reinforcement (NCR), full waterproof cone treatment and an FEA-optimised neodymium magnetic circuit. Whilst reportedly exhibiting ultra-low air noise and woofer comes with a double silicone spider, 4-inch duo double layer in-out copper voice coil and an aluminium demodulating ring. Also designed for direct radiation subwoofer applications, the 18WRS600 is an 18-inch woofer whose optimised non-linear design once again incorporates

power compression losses offering features similar to larger sized coil and motor assemblies. Designed for LF and mid-bass applications, the 7.5kg 15MC700 15-inch woofer comes with a three-inch duo double layer in-out copper voice coil and an aluminium demodulating ring. It has a stated

Optimised for two- or three-way cabinets or line array systems, the 300W AES-rated 8-inch two-inch voice coil, neodymium magnetic circuit and waterproof cone that is capable of producing a

www.beyma.com

Dbox connected to the DPA2000 amplifier module of Next’s LAS118A active subwoofer

The DN10.17T is one of eight new compression drivers

The 18LEX 1600ND

John Stadius The Scientist

The future of transparency.

...with the ultimate ‘Stadius’ Mic Pre-Amp

Twenty years ago, converters changed from 16 or 18-bit resolution to 24-bit and this additional 8 bits of converter resolution was instantly audible and created an instant demand for 24-bit quality.

NEWLY DESIGNED SD 32-bit ‘John Stadius’ Mic Pre-Amp. An all-new Pre-Amp with audio qualities and sonic performance that’s simply astounding.

Main Features

Fully differential audio path from input to converter

Twin 32-bit ADC conversion per channel

Lightening quick conversion time; 73uS

Dynamic punch and increased audio depth; Dynamic range of 123dBA

Incredibly low noise; 128dB EIN

Transparency and clarity of audio; 20-22kHz <0.002% THD+N

Class leading frequency response; 20-44.5kHz ±0.1dB

Open and clear audio reproduction; 12dB harmonic weighting improvement

8 channels of temporal perfection; 0deg phase shift 20-22kHz

Mr John Stadius. The Scientist.

New DiGiCo SD 32-Bit Mic Pre-Amp

Two speakers in one

PERFORMING THE role of two speakers in one, Celestion has produced the Axi2050 wideband axiperiodic driver. Capable of operating within a frequency range of 300Hz to 20kHz without the need for a mid-band crossover, the Axi2050 has been designed to deliver a coherent signal and an extended frequency range, whilst enhancing clarity and speech intelligibility.

The Axi2050 incorporates a single, large diameter, circumferentially axiperiodic, annular titanium diaphragm. According to the British manufacturer, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, the breakthrough technology enables the device’s wideband output in addition to providing a number of other advantages. The Axi2050’s patented 175mm diameter diaphragm design consists of many

curved, axiperiodically symmetrical elements that reportedly add great strength to a very thin and light sheet of titanium. As a result, the shape of the mechanical vibration modes are tailored so they do not couple

with the acoustic modes, enabling the device to deliver a neutral performance by avoiding resonance peaks. Capable of reproducing frequencies down to 300Hz negating the need for a mid-band crossover,

the diaphragm’s large surface enables the generation of very high SPLs, even at low frequencies. The 50W RMS AES-rated driver comes with a two-inch exit throat and standard mounting.

Celestion has also added two models to its FTX series of common magnet motor coaxial loudspeakers with the development of the 10-inch FTX1025 and 15-inch FTX1530.

Aimed at making improvements in signal alignment and off-axis

offers a full frequency response in a single self-contained driver by concentrically aligning the low and high frequency drivers.

The common magnet motor assembly enables the voice coils and acoustic centres of the drivers to be brought very close together, thus boosting signal coherence and time alignment for a more natural sounding audio reproduction, states the manufacturer. The single magnet assembly is also described as offering a lighter and more compact advantage, promoting its use in applications where space is limited.

The FTX models feature a its Sound Castle soft clamping assembly reportedly reduces stress on the diaphragm. The HF and LF voice coils are edge wound using lightweight copper and copper clad aluminium with a close packing density. The addition of demodulation rings minimise the effects of power compression, whilst reducing harmonic and intermodulation.

www.celestion.com

1/2 PAGE Island

1/2 PAGE Island

FOLLOWING THE release of the C15 large format line array, Clair Brothers has unveiled two smaller models in the series.

The double 12-inch C12 and double 8-inch C8 cabinets are particularly suited for integration thanks to the inclusion of the manufacturer’s Clair True Fit technology horizontal waveguides, which are described as being ‘custom tailored for any venue’. This is accomplished through measuring the room’s attributes together with integrators and architects and then 3D optimising room. The custom waveguide is then machined using Baltic birch plywood by Clair Products, producing a bespoke cabinet. The

manufacturer promises maximum dispersion and minimal

Additionally, both cabinets can be ordered with a variety of horizontal waveguide patterns. Standard factory waveguides will be 90º and 120º, with a range between 60º and 140º also available.

The American loudspeaker manufacturer also unveiled another addition to the One Series recently. The 1.5AM+ is a self-powered version of the 1.5AM stage monitor that features a

to the 1AM+. It also allows users to power a passive 1.5AM stage monitor with a slave output.

www.clairbrothers.com

The Axi2050 HF driver

Celestion’s FTX1530

The C12

Adamson loads up V4

VERSION 4 of Adamson’s Load Library for Lake Controller is now available, bringing several new features to the platform.

The manufacturer’s loudspeakers are now presented as a single module inside the Lake software, making the process of output routing and the assigning of groups a simpler and quicker affair. This has reportedly been achieved through the use of custom FIR cabinets that deliver a more

B&C creates nextgeneration subwoofer

UTILISING A longer four-layer

as ‘a next-generation subwoofer’. The Italian manufacturer claims that this design results in the

tailored response, particularly in the crossover region.

Another major feature of the update is the introduction of an improved limiting structure.

The manufacturer has tweaked Lab.gruppen’s PLM, PLM+ and purportedly resulted in increased headroom and a ‘cleaner’ transient response.

Furthermore, Array Shaping has been made available as a recallable preset in version 4,

clad aluminium wire voice coil, rating, 98dB sensitivity and over leap forward from similar models in the B&C range, the 18-inch subwoofer operates within a 30Hz to 1,000Hz frequency

include a neodymium magnet, a double silicone spider, a ventilated voice coil gap and an aluminium demodulating ring.

www.bcspeakers.com

making the process quicker by eliminating the need to recall subgroups and allowing the use of all 28 available groups in Lake Controller while lowering the amount of DSP used.

The V4 software is available to download form the Adamson website, with the individual module

www.adamsonsystems.com

The 18DS115

Porsche drives Maui to greater heights

A COLLABORATION between the Porsche Design Studio and Adam Hall’s pro audio brand, LD Systems, has resulted in the creation of the Maui P900.

Designed to be the ultimate column speaker system in architectural integration, the 2,173mm high housing has been cast from a solid block of aluminium. Whilst

modules with LD Systems’ DynX DSP technology, 50 neodymium transducers are incorporated within the P900. The 32 1-inch HF and 16 2.8-inch MF components have been arranged according to WaveAhead tweeter arrangement technology to provide a 140° high x 1° wide dispersion. Operating within a frequency range of 42Hz to 20,000Hz (±10dB), patent pending SonicGuide technology merges the signals of the mid-range and high frequency transducers to the coherent plane wavefront that has been precisely time- and phase-

aligned. Capable of producing a maximum SPL of 131dB, two 10-inch LF woofers complete the LF section in the 1,400W RMS-rated speaker. Available in graphite black, platinum grey or white, the rear user interface panel boasts a stereo Bluetooth streaming button in addition to a power connection, a dedicated mono XLR output for system pairing and two XLR stereo line inputs. Designed for small-scale applications, the Maui 5 Go is described by the German manufacturer as ‘the world’s

column-PA system’. The lithium-ion replacement batteries can provide up to six hours of battery life from a single charge, which can be instantly replaced as a result of Quick-Swap technology. The 400W RMS-rated system is equipped with both a microphone and a 4-channel mixer with individual input, main and subwoofer level controls and a

HK Audio delivers packages

variable HF boost together. Further features of the 13kg four-piece speaker system include multi-pin connectors for quick assembly, Bluetooth streaming connectivity and DSP offering multiband limiter, equaliser, compressor and crossover functions. Flexibility is enhanced owing to its immunity to system feedback, promoting its use as a stage monitor.

www.ld-systems.com

K-array releases the hounds

THE MASTIFF line of stage monitors from K-array has been designed to give performers a choice of coverage pattern on stage thanks to their asymmetrical 100° by 30° horn. The larger models of the Mastiff line, the KM312 and the KM312P, feature three 12-inch woofers and produce a maximum SPL output of 136dB (peak). The Mastiff KM312 is the active model while the Mastiff

EM has ESP

EM ACOUSTICS’ ESP Series systems are designed for a variety of live applications, such as small FOH setups, speech reinforcement, monitoring. The series launches with two multipurpose loudspeakers – the ESP-8 and subwoofer, the ESP-15S. Both ESP loudspeakers take advantage of the same coaxial design and compact, lightweight, multi-angle enclosure and include processing technology. The amp power supply found inside ESP-8 and ESP-12 is of universal voltage

design, that will operate anywhere in the world, while four built-in presets allow for stand-alone use, and stage monitoring.

The ESP-15S lowers the frequency range of the ESP Series to 45Hz. The subwoofer also has four

KM312P is passive.

The smaller Mastiff KM112 and Mastiff KM112P offer a coaxial 12inch woofer and reach a maximum SPL of 133dB (peak). According to powered KM112 has a power output capable of driving the KM112P passive version, which in turn can drive a stereo mix, as well as a

The four-member family of powered and passive monitors offer a birch chassis and stainless steel grille.

www.k-array.com

HK AUDIO has created a collection of stereo and twin stereo packages for its Lucas Nano 600

German manufacturer has taken a package approach to the sale of its systems, it also offers a similar solution for its Elements, Lucas, Linear 5 and Key Rack products.

The manufacturer has created four packages for its Lucas Nano 600 series – the Lucas Nano 602 Stereo System, the Lucas Nano 608i Stereo System, the 608i/602 Twin Stereo System, and the 602/602 Twin Stereo System. The two stereo system packages allow users to build a 2.1 stereo rig with either a

602 or 608i active sub and two satellites. The packages also include two König & Meyer stands to connect the Nano satellites and two speaker cables featuring Neutrik SpeakOn connectors. The stereo systems are both designed to serve an audience of up to 120 people. The pair of twin stereo packages comprise two active subs and four satellites and have been designed to serve crowds of up to 200. These feature two Lucas Nano units plus a stereo link cable and two of HK Audio’s S-Connect Pole LN signal-routing speaker poles.

www.hkaudio.com

presets, each with a different low boasts integrated handles, a castors.

www.emacoustics.com

NEXO HAS made its NeMo system management software available to

on the iOS platform in 2013, version 2.0 of NeMo sees every feature now replicated for macOS, so that users have the choice of going wired or wireless.

The update sees advances in remote control and monitoring

accessed direct from a Mac laptop which can now be plugged into the NXAMP. Users can monitor the over a wireless network, in real or past-time, and store the data as a log.

(in the macOS version). The user

their settings and later match them to online devices, using a device

NeMo version 2.0 also embraces the manufacturer’s new DTD Controller, allowing the remote control of one or several DTDs simultaneously, including preset, patch, EQ, compressor, gain and delay editing, as well as level monitoring. Aside from this version 2.0 offers zones, alert emailing, automatic update of preset libraries and an EQ library, as well as improved performance and stability.

www.nexo.fr

The Mastiff line of powered and passive monitors

The Maui P900 in all three colours

NeMo is now available to Mac users

The multipurpose ESP Series

HK Audio has released four packages for its Lucas Nano 600 series

SMALL VERSATILE LOUD

Active Line Array Series*

LA122A - Active Line Array Element

2220Wprg 2-Way amplification 135dB max SPL (Full-space)

LAs118A - Active Arrayable Subwoofer

2960Wprg amplification

138.5dB max SPL (Half-space)

* Networkable DSP, control software included

Next-gen steering

WITH EIGHT years having passed since the release of Fohhn Audio’s original Linea Focus beam steering systems, the German manufacturer has provided an update with the next generation DLI-130 and DLI-230 models. The new Linea Focus loudspeakers, acoustic conditions, provide new features and digital inputs, including AES/EBU and Fohhn Airea, as well as optional interfaces for Dante, Optocore or analogue inputs.

The Linea Focus DLI-130 and DLI-230 line source units house eight and 16

Resolution software updates for Adaptive series

and feature specially developed DSP technology. They can each be controlled and monitored remotely via Fohhn Audio Soft.

The DLI-130 is equipped with eight 4-inch excursion drivers, while the DLI-230 possesses 16. Additional new features include password protected access control, data readout from an integrated tilt sensor

Power Save functionality. Meanwhile, the inputs and outputs both offer DSP functions.

www.fohhn.com

EAW HAS launched an update for its Resolution software to provide its Adaptive series with three new features. Resolution v2.3 delivers spatial equalisation, improved air loss compensation and preset recall functionality to the loudspeaker range. The spatial equalisation feature enables users to EQ particular parts of the loudspeaker coverage by selecting the audience areas that they wish to adjust. This has been designed to save time during set up and due to the high transducer resolution of the Adaptive systems, the function

OutBoard enters the VR game

OUTBOARD’S TIMAX SoundHubVR, brings the British manufacturer’s spatial audio platform into the virtual reality market. Aimed in particular for use in theme park and ‘experience’ attractions, it is designed as a compact package addressing the need for low-latency

immersive audio synchronised to multimedia VR content.

With an optional DC power supply it can be built into onboard sound systems, providing the likes of rollercoasters and gaming seats with sequenced dynamic spatial audio. SoundHubVR’s half-depth

reportedly offers greater precision and accuracy when compared to traditional mechanicallyarticulated line arrays that only allow entire zones to be adjusted. The new air loss compensation algorithm, designed especially for the Adaptive series, is described as generating greater high-frequency throw while also improving HF consistency throughout an entire venue. It facilitates the optimisation of a system’s HF response, offering up to 12dB of extended HF energy at distances of more than 90m.

Allowing users to store and recall

2U rackmount chassis delivers instant playback of 16 random-access tracks, EQ, delay and zoning DSP, 16 analogue or Dante outputs and 12-24VDC or 90230VAC PSU options, as well as the TiMax Portal MicroServer multimode

showcontrol hub and custom GUI server.

In other TiMax news, OutBoard has released the StageSpace visual programming interface. This

EAW has launched Resolution v2.3

system presets via Resolution, the new preset recall function saves and sets different coverage and voicing settings for different applications that are used on a repetitive basis.

www.eaw.com

multiple vocal localisation objects on a stage when using the TiMax SoundHub spatial audio processor and TiMax Tracker stage tracking automation system.

www.outboard.co.uk

Fohhn’s Linea Focus DLI-130

NX AMPLIFIERS ADAPT.

Power Requirements

Choose from 36, two-and four-channel models from 75, 150, 400, 800, 1500,

All with common feature sets and come with a 5-Year

to drive Low Impedance (2, 4, 8 Ohms), or Constant Voltage (100, 70, 25 Volt) available exclusively on 1U or together with Ashly Protea™

Energy Management System by and

Ashly Remote, a free iPad® remotes, and/or hardwired Ashly remotes including analog, as well as serial and Ethernet

Distributed control with Avatus

DESCRIBED AS a new mixing console format that blends the functionality of a fully IP-based large mixing console with a contemporary look and feel, Stage Tec’s Avatus surface boasts 21-inch multitouch displays, and unlike other models in the German manufacturer’s portfolio, utilises an operating philosophy that is described as being ‘less technical’. This is achieved through the use surface and a control surface consisting of just three panel types with no central panels. The system’s control elements and interfaces are connected the surface and other elements communicate via IP networks. An that multiple users can operate a console from different locations with access to all parameters and central functions.

The Avatus concept provides more than 800 input channels and 128 sum buses. Channel

formats range from mono to 7.1, and additional features include a de-esser, implemented as an audio module, loudness metering, multiband compression, and the Stage Tec automixer.

from 12 to 96 channel strips. Interconnectivity with other standard.

Some new features have also

been added to the manufacturer’s existing models via the latest

the 4.3 software release, Stage Tec has created several new audio processing functions for its Aurus platinum console platform. Whilst all the processing functions previously utilised continue to be available, an automixer based on gain sharing can be used on every input channel, providing a better

four separate groups. For scene switching in theatres, the Aurus platinum scene automation

crossfade curves and times for each individual channel. Loudness

R128 is available in group channels ensuring that no channel capacity is lost, whilst all the modules in the channels remain available.

A further software release from the German manufacturer comes in the form of v5.28 for its Nexus systems. Prior to this availability, the number of Base Devices had been capped at 31, for which the audio network could manage by combining an enhanced number of Base Devices with the recently increased capacity of

existing systems can reportedly be upgraded to more than double the www.stagetec.com

Ray joins the Artemis family

input channels, and to serve in environments where space is at a premium, such as inside OB vehicles.

THE LATEST addition to Calrec’s Artemis console family, Artemis Ray, is capable of handling up to 72 faders – the same

amount as its big brother, Artemis Shine. It is also designed to be more powerful than Artemis Beam, delivering 456 fully featured

digiLive heads to the rack

HAVING FIRST launched the digiLive 16 compact mixer last year, Studiomaster has now added rackmount ‘black-box’ versions with the introduction of the digiLive 16RS passive and digiLive 16P-600 selfpowered formats.

By combining simultaneous integrated touchscreen and iPad operation, the new models exhibit the same features as the original model, such as the 7-inch touchscreen and remote iOS app iPad operation. Sharing the same 16 input, 16 bus and eight effects bus format as the digiLive 16, the ‘black box’ models

DA conversion. Whilst the 16RS

features stereo XLR master outs the 16P-600 comes with four smart

two-stereo on both models, for which USB interface.

As well as the new digiLive models rated at 3,000W, 4,000W and 6,000W together with two 4-channel models rated at 6,000W

in stereo, parallel or bridge mode and

panel, which is also now available on the Artemis Light, Beam and Shine consoles and allows for the inclusion of more faders in a smaller area. The panel is the same width as the standard Artemis fader panel and includes with Artemis Ray’s chassis, this allows for the 72 faders to span a footprint of 2,372mm.

The console operates at several sample rates, providing up to 456 channel-processing paths, track outputs and 32 auxiliaries at channel, as well as offering 70 minutes of assignable delay and three independent APFL systems. The British manufacturer has also released an update for its V8 software, providing RP1 support sample rates. The update delivers several new features to the

Brio console, which can now be and offers stereo- and 5.1-path spill leg access and independence controls. Now able to operate at multiple sample rates with the options for 44.1, 48, 88.2 ducker with selectable sidechain the dynamics section. A second with single- or 3-band options on all channels, groups and mains.

www.calrec.com

power switching power supply that operates universally between 90250VAC. A 32A mains power input socket is also incorporated into the 1U design together with thermal, overload and DC protection circuitry and indicators, balanced XLR inputs, an output limiter and variable speed fan cooling.

incorporate adjustment technology that claims to provide over 95% under high current, low impedance

For applications that require a little less power, there are now eight

range, including four 2-channel units rated at 300W, 500W, 700W and models rated at 600W, 1,000W, Weighing less than 12kg, all eight

Lastly, the UK manufacturer has also upgraded the Livesys5 micro SD and USB recording and playback functionality together with Bluetooth connectivity.

www.studiomaster.com

With the release of Artemis Ray, the family gains a new panel

John Stadius goes to 32-bit

JOHN STADIUS and his team at DiGiCo have been designing pre-amps for more than 40 years. Having already witnessed a resolution increase from 18-to 24-bit. The British manufacturer has now revealed the newly designed 32-bit ‘John Stadius’ Mic Pre-Amp. The 32-bit SD Mic Pre-Amp Card provides a fully differential audio path from input to converter and twin 32-bit ADC conversion per channel. Its conversion time is is 123dBA. The card also offers a frequency response between 22kHz of transparency and clarity with 12dB harmonic weighting improvement and eight channels of temporal perfection with a 0°

phase shift. Phantom power up ultra-low noise linear power

Gold acoustic series capacitor is the only phantom power blocking capacitor in the audio path. DiGiCo also promises a fully shielded with no artefacts and a reduced operating temperature.

consoles can now be controlled from an iPad thanks to the DiGiCo S iOS app. Compatible with S21

enables wireless remote control and provides an overview of the console layout.

The app facilitates control of allowing the saving of each session.

on/off functionality for each unit as

An overview mode allows users to select the bank that they would like to control. Connection details can be

BSS Blu-USB

Harman USB integration

CONNECTION HAS been the theme running throughout several new releases from Harman’s audio brands this year. Continuing along this line is the latest addition to the BSS catalogue: integrates devices such as PCs and Macs with Blu link-enabled audio systems via USB. This allows audio to be sent to and received from the Blu link bus. The manufacturer describes it as ‘ideal for corporate meeting room applications that use a variety of web-based conferencing services’. Blu-USB can send and receive up to eight channels of audio simultaneously and offer options of resting on top of a conference table or for mounting beneath a table or on a wall.

‘Blu-USB solves the distance limitations associated with

solutions manager at Harman. ‘By converting audio to Blu link close be located in a different location up to 100m away.’ www.bssaudio.com

The 32-bit ‘John Stadius’ Mic Preamp

New numbers for Cadac

through-system propagation delay from inputs on stage to outputs, including all processing and A-D/ D-A conversions in 37 samples (at 96kHz), reportedly making it the audio industry’s lowest latency protocol. The console combines 16 creative onboard stereo effects and is 64 x 64 Waves interface. This enables direct connection to a Waves MultiRack SoundGrid server in addition to multitrack recording directly to a laptop.

OFFERING ENHANCED production capabilities with an expanded dual 23.5-inch, 16:9 HD touch screen and a 36-fader control surface, Cadac has created the CDC seven as an addition to the medium format CDC six digital console. Offering 96 inputs, the new addition doubles up on both the large format LCD touch screen and associated encoders, together with the physical fader count. The new console retains the CDC six’s 56 busses, for which 54 of them software update.

The CDC seven’s ‘human interface’ has been designed to dual LCD touchscreens display the CDC swipeable user interface. Encoders immediately to the right of and below both screens encourage the use of touch and swipe operation in navigating and

operating the console. Dual screen operation provides simultaneous display and control tasks, so that screen whilst the inputs to the

The faders and encoders naturally follow the GUI displayed on the individual screens, resulting in further increases in the speed

An additional centrally mounted 6.5-inch LCD touchscreen provides access for system control. Further features of the CDC seven which employs the MegaCOMMS digital audio network include a unique monitor mode with mix focus and the ability to create custom fader layers.

All 36 motorised faders on the CDC seven feature stereo metering and a full colour user

CDC audio protocol allows total

CDC console software, Cadac has added Sticky Channels with custom layers on the 23.5-inch touch screen, which allows the creation of custom layers with any combination of inputs, outputs

fader bank. These either ‘stick’ to the left hand side of the screen starting at channel one or the right side ending at channel 16. On the CDC seven and CDC eight this is an option for both screens, so two custom layers can be deployed at the same time.

an additional six busses if LCR is not required, cross-fade added to cue events, metering on each bus output within monitor mode, access to GEQ from monitor follow, a console lock and a revised Patching GUI.

www.cadac-sound.com

Ruby takes over the airwaves

TAKING INSPIRATION from the touchscreens that consume daily life, Lawo has built a new mixing console aimed at radio broadcasters which blends physical faders and switches with multi-touch controls. Described as a ‘visual radio console’, the German manufacturer has named it Ruby. ‘With Ruby, operators can work the way they like: with touchscreen displays or physical controls,’ explained Stephan Türkay, Lawo senior product manager. ‘We provide a wide range can craft their own custom screens with our GUI builder.’

The console features AES67 and MADI interfaces with eight expansion slots for the addition of mic, line, AES3 and studio I/Os. It reportedly enables operators to mix and route audio as they would with other onscreen studio tools and its soft controls are able to co-exist with other studio applications,

Soundcraft Notepads at the ready

SOUNDCRAFT IS targeting podcasters and singersongwriters, as well as audio professionals, with its new entrylevel Notepad mixers.

The Notepad-5, Notepad8FX and Notepad-12FX are all desktop analogue mixing surfaces featuring Lexicon’s signal

Stagebox 32i and Mini Stagebox 16i, both of which provide additional I/O channels for Soundcraft’s Si consoles.

Equipped with Studer-designed preamps, the new stage boxes enable up to 80 mix tracks when used in conjunction with the Si Impact mixer.

including playout systems, phone queues and codecs. Available in

to 60 faders, Ruby offers a choice

styles.

Radio engineers should also note that Lawo has released an upgrade for its R3lay virtual radio

processing technology and USB I/O connectivity.

Soundcraft Notepad mixers also include microphone preamps, XLR combination jack mic/line inputs and ¼-inch balanced inputs.

Designed for ease-of-use, the three models incorporate a traditional channel strip layout and three EQs per channel. An aux/effects send allows for audio signal distribution and a master fader with LED metering allows XLR stereo output level control, while control for master mix or aux output levels is provided by a rotary headphone level.

In other news, the Harman brand has introduced the Mini

Ruby offers a mixture of physical faders and touchscreen controls

Additionally, they can be used for more complex mixing environments, such as adding an optional Dante card for receiving from a house router while recording up to 32 tracks over USB to a connected digital audio workstation.

The Mini Stagebox 32i and 16i both include built-in MADI over RJ-45 connectors and dedicated XLR mic pre inputs which enable 32 or 16 simultaneous channels of external analogue input respectively. The 32i provides 12 analogue outputs, while the 16i delivers eight.

www.soundcraft.com

The Notepad-12FX

The two new Soundcraft Mini Stageboxes

PRODUCTS

No solid console required

SOLID STATE Logic has listened to continual requests from its customers for a means to directly control a broadcast mix without the need for a physical console. The response: The Tempest Control Rack (TCR), which enables users to build modular systems from System T components.

TCR is a 3U system with a retractable touchscreen, making use of the System T control software, therefore allowing it to serve as a standalone control interface for System T installations. Its custom screen-mounting solution facilitates and for the entire system to be mounted within a traditional 19inch rack or angled for integration in studio furniture. It features myriad connections, including dual PSU, primary and secondary OCP and Dante network connections, studio integration and SSL network connectivity, as well as facilitating T-Solsa control from a PC on the same network. USB connections are present on both the rear and front panel, while HDMI and DVI-D video

outputs are provided.

Alongside TCR comes the release of the T25 Tempest Engine.

Described as a cost-effective, lower capacity processing option than the existing T80, the T25 offers 256 paths, compared to its bigger brother’s 800. It can be used with both the TCR and a System T surface, allocating paths and processing in real time. The T25 and T80 engines can also be deployed as mirrored redundant pairs.

Combined, TCR and T25 increase the scalability of any SSL

dLive gets super connected

A NEW interface card from Allen & Heath has been introduced to boost the connectivity options available for dLive systems in both broadcast and live scenarios.

The SuperMADI houses eight traditional BNC connectors and transmission. Both the coaxial and optical formats are stated to offer up to 128 inputs and outputs at 96kHz, with redundancy and sample rates that are switchable per link pair. The card can also be used to link a MADI-enabled thirdparty console to a dLive.

‘We’re seeing a strong demand for our dLive systems in dedicated broadcast scenarios and in situations where a venue or rental company needs to provide a feed for broadcast or to an OB truck,’ explained live sound product manager Ben Morgan. ‘The

SuperMADI card makes it easy, whatever their sample rate or format requirement.’

In addition to SuperMADI there is also a new range of four AES3 interface cards, comprising 2-in/8-out, 4-in/6-out, 6-in/4-out, and 10-out formats. The cards provide a solution for digital patching to system PAs, monitor amps and speaker controllers or for combining consoles. The ouput sample rate on the AES3 cards is switchable between 96kHz, 88.2kHz, 48kHz and 44.1kHz, while the inputs offer sample rate conversion from 32kHz to 192kHz.

Both the SuperMADI and the AES3 cards can be housed in the networking slots of any dLive S Class or C Class surface or MixRack.

www.allen-heath.com

Network I/O. Large, scalable AoIP infrastructures can be built from Dante or AES67 networks to connect to other AoIP solutions, while Network I/O and Dante systems can be controlled and routed from TCR, System T surfaces or third party routing control systems via the Dante API.

On the subject of Dante, SSL has expanded its Network I/O range with the addition of an onstage I/O unit: the SB 32.24 Stagebox. Featuring the manufacturer’s SuperAnalogue preamp design, Network I/O SB

32.24 supplies a pair of redundant RJ-45 Dante network connections, can be equipped with RJ-45 or optical connectors as required and on-board gain-compensated Dante “split” capability. The 5U system also houses dual redundant power supplies, 32 mic/line inputs, 16 analogue line outputs and eight digital inputs and outputs on four AES3 input/output pairs. Each network connection can be utilised as an extension or for connection to a second independent Dante network. Meanwhile, the BLII-Dante HC Bridge serves as a 1U bi-directional bridge between the manufacturer’s

Blacklight II format and a Dante HC connection. It is said to deliver 256 channels of ultra-low latency 96kHz audio for SSL Live consoles to and from a Dante network.

New from SSL on the software side enables AWS channel features to be automated, while the new AU (Audio Units) Single Fader version of the plug-in allows users to access record and mix bus automation. A also been released for all Matrix2 and Matrix consoles.

www.solidstatelogic.com

Network I/O SB 32

Powersoft boosts OEM options

POWERSOFT STATES its LiteMod 4HC and MiniMod 4 new benchmark when it comes to low idle power consumption, for its OEM customers. Targeting active loudspeaker manufacturers, the company goes on to say that the modules can be ‘tailored to customer requirements, seamlessly integrated into the chassis, and fully optimised for the product’.

‘Both platforms will provide any loudspeaker’s designer with an a complete range of products said Luca Giorgi, sales and business development director at Powersoft. The manufacturer also insists it will assist with after sales service.

Designed for use in all high channel count applications, threeand two-way systems, subwoofers

Powersoft’s LiteMod 4HC

and satellite systems, the LiteMod 4HC integrates a PFC-equipped power supply for universal mains operation, as well as four output stages, delivering a maximum total four-, three-, two- or single-channel

MiniMod 4, meanwhile, is suitable for all high channel

count applications, three- and two-way designs, subwoofers and satellite systems, as well as MI and consumer audio. Offering integrated module with a universal mains switching mode power supply with PFC and a total of two- or single-channel power output.

Features shared by both modules include low standby power consumption, smart rails management to optimise consumption and reduce heat, auxiliary output voltages, output short circuit protection and thermal shutdown with monitor output.

www.powersoft-audio.com

The MiniMod 4

The new SuperMADI and AES3 cards

SSL’s Tempest Control Rack (TCR)

Apart launches Revamp8250

DESCRIBED AS the most

in its range, the Apart Audio Revamp8250 is an 8-channel bridgeable amp that, when or matrix, can be used to create eight zones in mono or four zones in stereo, or to create four bridged mono or two bridged stereo systems.

The unit’s rear panel houses an overload LED indicator and input level attenuators on all inputs to aid installation, while the front panel

for each channel. Connections on the rear of the device include eight unbalanced RCA with pass through and eight balanced inputs on euroblock terminals. Power output

Outline puts Newton in control

LA4X following hot on its heels. The French manufacturer has been a 2015 and has reportedly committed its development resources to open

be launched with both Bridge and Listener technology. All LA4X models manufactured since June ready and can be enabled via a

variable speed fan to keep the unit cool.

www.apart-audio.com

units manufactured before June 2015 will require an updated DSP card, which is available through the manufacturer’s service team. Alongside the

the LA Network Manager software has also been updated with an manufacturer, this will ‘ease connection with other systems’ and ‘integrate seamlessly via an easy and natural user interface’.

www.l-acoustics.com

Yamaha and Revolabs huddle together

SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED for huddle rooms, Yamaha has created the CS-700 as an all-in-one collaboration solution. The CS-700 wall-mounted system incorporates audio, video and collaboration capabilities including Revolabs’ microphone technology. The beamforming microphone array ensures audio can be captured and delivered to the far end, whilst four speaker elements provide audio coverage for all participants in the room. Through the integrated USB port, the CS-700 can be connected communications platform such as Microsoft Skype for Business.

In terms of visuals, the unit is equipped with a wide-angle video camera, whilst a high ‘pixel-per-face’ resolution ensures that participants can recognise nuanced facial expressions. The plug-and-play design with its USB connection to

a laptop or tablet allows users to seamlessly join a meeting. Remote management by IT personnel from one location is made possible with the CS-700’s integrated network management system.

In other news, Yamaha has partnered with Ultimate Ears to deliver EQ presets for the former’s Rivage PM10, CL, QL and TF series digital mixing consoles that reportedly provide optimum performance when using the latter’s in-ear monitors. The presets have been developed for use with UERM, UE11, UE18, UE4, UE5, UE7, and UE900 IEMs that can be instantly recalled whenever

needed on Rivage PM10 consoles

and QL series consoles can be downloaded into the user area for

OUTLINE HAS designed its new multi-function centralised loudspeaker processing and control system to be revolutionary and as such, has named it after one of history’s greatest minds. Newton is described by the Italian manufacturer as an FPGA-based ‘Multimedia Nucleus’ that, in addition to providing loudspeaker system control, facilitates media conversion, sync and clock management and audio distribution with networking capabilities.

Available in three hardware and outputs, Newton is equipped with analogue, AES, MADI optical, MADI coaxial and Dante I/Os as standard. These can be combined

upon the application. The system is also able to manage multiple clocks from different sources simultaneously, enabling the connection of several nonsynchronised digital protocols without affecting the phase coherence of audio outputs.

quick access from the Yamaha website.

Staying with Yamaha consoles, the CS-R10-S control surface has been released to provide the same functionality as the CS-R10 in environments with limited space. At the size of its older sibling, the CS-R10-S includes dual console functionality, allowing two CS-R10 or CS-R10-S surfaces to be connected to a single DSP-R10 DSP engine.

Providing a safety net for live applications, the system can be types as a main or backup with automatic switchover in the event of failure. It also features dual redundant internal power supplies and separate AC inlets. In addition, the Italian manufacturer has released the second generation of its OpenArray prediction software. OpenArray2

New features include the ability to select and drag multiple objects, quickly create complex solids and create multiple surfaces from a section view. It is also possible to obtain a 2D simulation on the plane of a line array and to choose multiple measurement points and show multiple frequency responses on the same graph when using the microphone function. Outline also provided the capability to convert OpenArray1 projects to OpenArray2.

www.outline.it

Yamaha’s Rivage PM10 series has received an update with mixers with an Eventide H3000 Live ultra-harmoniser plug-in and support for Dan Dugan Sound Design automated mixing. The Japanese manufacturer’s TF series digital mixers also support Dugan auto-mixing following their the MTX3/MTX5-D and MRX7-D upgrade.

a TwinLANe card that supports single-mode optical fibre and expands the system connection flexibility of a TwinLANe audio network by supporting singlemode fibre connections.

www.revolabs.com

www.ultimateears.com

www.yamaha.com

THE LA12X

The CS-700 collaboration solution

The CS-R10-S

The Revamp8250

Pack away and set up with ease

frequency extension and detailed bass reproduction. The K175, on the other hand, utilises an on-ear design with 40mm transducers. The manufacturer also claims that all three models are low impedance and possess the best frequency response and sensitivity for their class, resulting in a higher output before distortion even when playing back from lower-powered mobile devices. The K275 and K175 feature a closed-back design for live recording and monitoring, while K245 features a semi-open design suited for editing and mixing.

In addition to a foldable headband that features a three-axis hinge, the headphones have self-adjusting

quicker set up times and the ability to instantly recall performer presets. Additional products with embedded ioSYS technology and Connected PA compatibility include the Soundcraft Ui24R mixer, JBL PRX800W loudspeakers, dbx Di1 direct boxes and AKG P5i microphones.

www.akg.com

Axient goes digital

BUILDING ON the technology employed in the UHF-R, ULX-D and Axient wireless systems, Shure has developed Axient Digital. The manufacturer states that the new digital wireless microphone system was created in response to continued RF spectrum pressure and that it offers high-performance RF and hardware scalability.

FOLDABLE STUDIO headphones from Harman AKG’s brand have been released for on the go musicians and audio professionals. The new family comprises the K275, K245 and K175 models and is said to combine robust build quality and comfort for long listening sessions with an ‘accessible’ price point.

The K275 and K245 models feature 50mm transducers that reportedly provide great low-

AKG has also unveiled a new microphone adapter for the Harman Connected PA system. Featuring embedded ioSYS technology, the portable MDAi CPA Connected PA microphone adapter is compatible with dynamic vocal mics from both AKG and other manufacturers. The company states that using the products is as easy as plugging the adaptor into any mic, as it

the Harman Connected PA app

to work in the available spectrum,’ said Nick Wood, director for wireless products at Shure. The system’s receiver is compatible with a pair of transmitter options: the AD Series and ADX Series. Axient Digital operates as standard when used with the AD Series transmitters. However, when used with the ADX Series, ShowLink is incorporated to supply realtime control of all transmitter parameters. The ADX Series also

features a micro-bodypack with an integrated self-tuning antenna. Compatible with the Shure Battery Rack Charger, Wireless Workbench and ShurePlus Channels software, Axient Digital features Quadversity receiver technology, reducing the risk of signal fades, interference and dropouts. Digital audio is delivered via Dante and AES3 with a frequency range between 20Hz and 20kHz and wide dynamic range is also offered along with AES-256 encryption and 2ms latency from the mic transducer to the analogue output. Its wide tuning range of up to 184MHz presents options for dual or quad receivers when combined with a common receiver platform supporting AD and ADX transmitters.

www.shure.com

The

The K245

Duet with Dante

THE DUET digital wireless monitor system is a new IEM solution from Lectrosonics that incorporates Dante digital inputs in addition to being able to accept analogue feeds. It comprises the M2T dualstereo half-rack transmitter and M2R diversity beltpack receiver. Designed with touring, installation, applications in mind, it covers a UHF frequency range between 470MHz and 608MHz using digital modulation for transmission.

The M2T transmitter allows for up to four stereo or dual-mono transmissions and enables audio

as either analogue or Dante.

Analogue inputs are all XLR/TRS ports, whereas Dante networked audio inputs are received via dual RJ-45 connectors that facilitate a Dante Ultimo interface. A further RJ-45 port provides an Ethernet connection for programming and

control using Wireless Designer software, while a USB dock on the

Meanwhile, the M2R receiver runs on a pair of AA batteries for a reported operating time of more than four hours when employing alkaline cells. It has been developed to offer seamless audio by making use of antenna diversity switching during digital packet headers. The headphone jack receives its feed from a 250mW

AT strengthens

noisy environments. Both the M2R and M2T boast two-way IR sync, meaning that scan data from the receiver is distributed to the transmitter and on to the Ethernet network. From there, Wireless Designer can be used for frequency planning and coordination.

www.lectrosonics.com

Intelligibility around the boundary

EARTHWORKS HAS designed its CTB30 boundary microphone with a focus on speech intelligibility and coverage, incorporating a that makes it suited to conference rooms, boardrooms, classrooms, lecterns and houses of worship.

from 60Hz to 30kHz and reportedly has a fast diaphragm settling time, which the manufacturer states ‘allows more subtle details of the human voice to be reproduced’.

The CTB30 utilises the manufacturer’s True Semisphere polar response technology, providing what is described by Earthworks as ‘omni semisphere coverage’, essentially delivering the same level of intelligibility for speakers located around the microphone without the loss of high frequency. The pick-up

pattern is said to be capable of covering a conference table seating 12 people.

At 4.1-inches in diameter and available in black, white, silver or Nextel dark black to blend with myriad décor, the microphone includes RF shielding and a

minimise interference from

ambient noise. It comes bundled with a 3m cable with XLR-3M that can be attached beneath or to the side of the CTB30. A pair of 6-32 screw holes and a keyhole are located on the base of the unit for secure mounting during permanent installations.

www.earthworksaudio.com

Aviom stays static in large networks

Aviom personal mixing systems. The D800-Dante allows up to 64 Dante channels to be routed to the A-Net network, while the D400-Dante halves this to 32 Dante channels.

THE THIRD model to join Audiostudio microphone range has been unveiled as the AT5047. Joining the existing AT5040 vocal and AT5045 condenser instrument mics, the AT5047 is a cardioid condenser with a transformer-coupled output that is described as offering a ‘noticeably smooth sonic character’ and high SPL handling. It can also reportedly cope with wide variations in dynamic range, making it suitable for everything from a brushed snare drum to vocal, guitar or brass instruments.

Like the other models in the series, the microphone is handconstructed from aluminium and brass and features an internal shock mount to decouple the capsule from the body. It can also be used with the included AT8480 mount, to isolate against

knocks and vibrations from the surrounding environment. It also ships with a hard-shell carry case.

www.audio-technica.com

DPA strives for studio quality on the go

DPA MICROPHONES has journalists in its sights with the launch of the d:vice MMA-A digital audio interface. The two-channel microphone preamp and A/D converter is compatible with iOS, Mac and PC, and has been designed to capture studio-quality audio for recording and broadcast

controlled via an iOS app, allowing users to store gain settings and

Third party apps can also be used to complete tasks such as live broadcast and high quality recordings.

NEW FIRMWARE for Aviom D400 and D800 Dante A-Net Distributors has added the ability to set a static IP address, a much requested feature from users working with large and complex audio networks.

In addition, both A-Net Distributors now allow users of AES67-capable products to access channels assigned to the Aviom units. The units are designed to distribute power and digital audio data to

The updates are available immediately and can be found in the Support section of the Aviom website.

www.aviom.com

The Danish manufacturer has built mono, dual and stereo capabilities in to d:vice, allowing it to adapt to the situation, including for two-channel interviews or stereo ambient sound recordings. It comes bundled with interchangeable lightning and USB cables, while its MicroDot inputs facilitate connection with all DPA miniature microphones. With a 2-inch diameter, d:vice is

In other news, DPA has released the SCM0013-B four-way d:screet microphone clip, developed for situation requiring hidden microphones. Offering upwards, downwards, left and right mounting options, the clip possesses three cable attachment points and is available in black. It is compatible with the d:screet 4060 series, Slim series and 4071 omnidirectional microphone.

www.dpamicrophones.com

Earthworks’ CTB30

The d:vice MMA-A digital audio interface is compatible with iOS devices

The Goliath HD

The new look Orion Studio

The MC7.1 surround sound monitor controller

S6L targets theatre Venues

THE LATEST Venue software for Avid’s S6L live sound system and capabilities based on the manufacturer’s MediaCentral platform that are intended to aid the console’s use in theatre applications. Venue 5.4 includes updates to the Avid Venue Snapshot and Events architecture as well as functionality to enable

were previously time intensive. The updated Snapshots system includes new momentary (nonsequential) snapshots, snapshot groups. Parent/child snapshots

and aux sends (up to 96) can also be added to the snapshot Scope. Events updates are stated to offer trigger events via external MIDI commands, LTC/MTC timecode values, the channel colour and X&Y switches on the control surface.

The software also allows users to freely assign outputs between networked S6L systems that are sharing I/O, enabling for example engineers to assign Stage 64 outputs per output card instead of having to assign a Stage 64 entirely to one S6L system or

another. Customers with a valid Avid support plan can download Avid Venue 5.4 software from their Avid Account.

Avid has also launched a new free version of Media Composer called Media Composer First. Much like Pro Tools First, it’s fully-featured but limited in the number of audio and video tracks that can be used – four video tracks and eight audio tracks.

bins but are not supported for

project and bin sharing via Avid Nexis.

Furthermore, the Media Composer row of buttons and information in

Riedel advances the intercom platform with Bolero

BOLERO HAS been designed to be an expandable, full-roaming, DECT-based intercom system in the licence-free 1.9GHz frequency range. Fully integrated into Riedel’s Artist digital matrix intercom platform, Bolero offers a rich set of features and connectivity that can be applied as a wireless beltpack, a wireless keypanel or a walkietalkie radio thanks to the integrated mic and speaker. A point-to-point intercom ecosystem is created by operation over a standard AES67 IP network, for which the decentralised antennas connect to AES67 switches and Artist frames equipped with AES67 client cards. The beltpacks take the appearance of Riedel panels, but are wireless.

The Bolero high-clarity voice codec provides enhanced speech intelligibility together with an reportedly support twice the

number of beltpacks per antenna for the same audio bandwidth as other DECT-based systems. Riedel says the codec also offers exceptional latency characteristics,

processing power, providing enhanced beltpack battery life that reduces DSP processing power for other functions.

Bolero features Advanced DECT Receiver (ADR) technology, which

and allows the system to be used in challenging RF environments.

The incorporation of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology into both the beltpack and the active antenna lets users touch the beltpack to the antenna in order to complete the registration process. The beltpacks support Bluetooth 4.1 allowing for either a Bluetooth headset or a smartphone to be

the Source/Record and Timeline windows, and there are only 10 www.avid.com

connected. When a smartphone is connected, the beltpack acts like a hands free setup so that calls can be received on the phone via the headset. Calls can also be made to connect a person into the intercom matrix, thus eliminating the need for a telephone hybrid.

The hard wearing and ergonomic beltpacks combine high-impact plastics and rubber over-moulds, whilst the display can be inverted so that it can be read in any orientation. The beltpack features six buttons for each of the six intercom channels together with a separate reply button for promoting a reply to the last channel called.

www.riedel.net

Clear-Com cuts additional keys

THE NEWEST additions to the V-Series of lever key panels from Clear-Com have been designed in such a way to provide a third more lever keys in a 2U intercom and 1U expansion panel. Comprising the V32LD 32-key intercom panel and V16LDE 16-key expansion panel, the series has been created to allow for advanced programmability in the same panel space as existing systems.

A 2U panel, the V32LD offers four programmable function buttons

The V32LD joins Clear-Com’s V-Series

that can be used to access system functions including key, IFB, partyline and group assignment. These buttons also allow for advanced level operations available in Eclipse HX systems. Power is courtesy of a USB charging port,

while new features not available on previous V-Series solutions have been added, such as 10-character international font displays, native IP connection, the ability to host two aux channels over IP, DSP audio EQ and dynamics. Also new

is the ‘Listen-Again’ feature for playing back the most recent incoming call.

The new models join the existing 1U, 12-key and 12-key portable desktop units in the V-Series. It is therefore now possible for users to combine up to four expansion panels to access 48, 64, 80 or 96 keys at once, while eight named shift pages facilitate additional key labels on the main panel.

www.clearcom.com

AES67 comes to Harman audio and video products

A VARIETY of Harman networked audio and video product families will now support the AES67 protocol. The manufacturer’s BSS, Crown and AMX brands will all offer products with this capability.

The products from BSS supporting the protocol are Soundweb London Blu-806DA, Blu-326DA and Blu-DA devices which will support both Dante and AES67 natively and replace the Blu-806, Blu-326 and Blu-Dan devices respectively.

will also support AES67 through a Finally, AMX Networked AV N2000 and N1000 Series Video encoders and decoders will also support AES67. The model numbers of these encoders and decoders denoting AES67.

A new release of HiQnet Audio

Architect will include the Soundweb London devices and updated

the existing Soundweb London Blu806, Blu-326 and Blu-Dan devices, to enable AES67 functionality in devices already deployed in the Staying with audio networking, Enova DGX audio switching boards with Dante integration offer Dante networked audio feeds to and from Enova DGX 100 Series digital media switchers. With support for up to 16 stereo decoded inputs and outputs, users can independently route audio from traditional and networked A/V sources to virtually any other directly connected or networked A/V device via internal switching and standard Cat-5e, Cat-

The audio switching boards also offer integrated DSP on every output and an on-board 10-band parametric EQ.

The boards are offered in pairs, with one providing direct Dante networked audio connections on the input side, and a separate board for the output side of Enova DGX enclosures.

The new audio switching boards are available in two models, each compatible with varying Enova DGX solutions. The DGX3200-ASB-Dante kit brings eight stereo decoded inputs and encoded outputs to Enova DGX 800, 1600 and 3200 enclosures, while the DGX6400ASB-Dante kit brings 16 stereo decoded inputs and encoded outputs to Enova DGX 6400 enclosures.

www.harman.com

Push the button

DUE TO growing demand from intercom users, RTS has launched three new pushbutton models as part of its KP-Series. These new additions are the KP-5032PB and KP-4016PB keypanels, and the EKP-4016PB extension keypanel. The pushbutton KP-Series systems are designed to facilitate a simple push-to-talk operation as well as easy switching between talk and listening mode. As with existing solutions in the range, they offer digital audio via Bosch’s Omneo IP technology, including Dante AoIP streaming. Omneo supports the Open Control Architecture (OCA) protocol and is compliant with the AES70 standard. RTS has also released

enabling users to choose between the Omneo IP or RVON (RTS Voice over Network) protocols. Each model includes a selection of different connectors, such as GPIO and RC, and allows for backward compatibility with earlier matrix generations.

www.rtsintercoms.com

Double the duty, half the height

THE SONIFEX PC-AD2 is a digital PCIe half-height card that serves as a dual stereo analogue input/output and dual stereo AES3 digital input/output sound card. With a dedicated AES11 sync input and two GPIO inputs and outputs, one of its analogue inputs is able to serve as a dual mono or stereo mic input.

The PC-AD2 is compatible with a range of APIs, such as Windows Wave, DirectSound, DirectShow, MCI, MIDI playback and Core Audio. It can also be used with various audio compression modes via software compression systems, including Windows Audio Compression Manager, and has been tested against radio broadcast standards Broadcast Radio Myriad, Enco DAD and RCS.

Phantom power can be applied at +48V when the card serves as a microphone input. However,

Fibre for all

OPTOCORE HAS launched the SFX7 network interface controller as a ‘complete industry-wide network solution’. Designed to be built into third-party product the form of interoperability and integration for any product via IP for audio channels as well as advanced control data, SFX7 has been developed for full functionality within a single form factor. When used as a full IP solution, it utilises a built-in Ethernet switch creating a large IP network with all other nodes.

Optimal

this is removed should Line Input 1 become active. The mic input possesses an audio limiter, while the clipping threshold is set by the peak analogue level for analogue inputs of +15, +18, +20, +22 or +24dB. The core sampling rate is synchronised with an external source, either from the AES-3 inputs, the AES-11 sync input or another PC-AD2 via an inter-card cable.

Multiple cards can be installed on a single PC and independent asynchronous sampling rate conversion on the inputs supports rates from 32kHz to 192kHz as well as an output rate from 192kHz to 32kHz. An optional 44-pin D-type connector for XLR and 9-pin D-type breakout leads, dubbed PC-AD2BC, is also available.

www.sonifex.co.uk

The manufacturer claims that SFX7 provides ‘the lowest latency on the market’ and has conceived it for simple plug-and-play operation.

The module boasts 512 channels of input and output and includes two redundant Optocore links, a pair of SANE Cat-5 extension ports, two LAN ports and a third-party board integration slot.

A high channel matrix between

connectivity and LAN is also supplied, along with Word Clock generation.

www.optocore.com

quality

AIMING TO improve the quality of lossy, compressed audio, Orban is claiming its NeuStar Air2 codec pre-conditioner provides perceived audio quality of twice the effective bitrate. The codec pre-conditioner the sonic performance of low bitrate internet streams, HD Radio multicasts, DAB/DAB+ and DRM

from low bitrates

channels.

The proprietary codec preprocessing engine has reportedly been tuned for operation at 24kbps, 32kbps, 48kbps, 64kbps and 128kbps rates with any codec

DESIGNED TO provide sonic consistency for FM radio stations with limited budgets, Wheatstone has created the FM-55e multiband audio processor. Incorporating the same features as the FM-55, the second generation model adds enhanced iAGC (intelligent audio gain control) in addition to an entirely new bass processing design.

limiter and stereo generator

enhancement and programmeadaptive L-R control for multipath mitigation.

Like the FM-55, the FM-55e fully supports the WheatNet-IP Intelligent Network and comes equipped with two analogue composite outputs, two SCA inputs, balanced analogue L/R outs and an AES digital out that can be switched to deliver either discrete L/R or a baseband 192 digital multiplex signal.

Running at 192kHz sample rate, the 1U device houses a front panel OLED display and offers GUI navigation.

Existing FM-55 owners can also update their current unit with the new FM-55e software free of charge later in the year. Following its acquisition of PR&E, the broadcast manufacturer has also introduced the PR&E DMX AoIP console line for on-air and production applications.

The standalone studio system combines a console surface and IP audio network routing for two- or three-studio facilities where each studio can act

including HE-AAC v2. According to reduces artefacts from lossy codecs and other low bitrate sources’.

www.orban.com

Waves mixes up its automixing tools

WAVES AUDIO is offering its Waves Dugan Automixer together with the Dugan Speech plug-in as a single bundled purchase. The Dugan Speech plug-in is for use with the Waves LV1 live

mixing console, while the Dugan Automixer can be used with other major live sound consoles.

Dugan Speech houses the Dugan automixer interface in a designated layer mode with the

LV1. For those without an LV1, it can be used together with the Dugan Automixer plug-in via the Waves Multirack plug-in host.

www.waves.com

either independently or together. Providing 1GB connectivity for most existing radio automaton systems using WheatNet-IP automation drivers, the DMX AoIP is all-inclusive and negates the need for an external Ethernet switch.

Available in an eight-fader (DMX8) or 16-fader (DMX-16) frame with four programme busses and bus-minus on every fader, the control surface incorporates a knob on each channel for adjusting pan, mode and input sources. As well as LED metering, built-in timer and four-event recall, other features include talkback and cue functions together with control room, studio and headphone monitoring. The console surface is available with a 1U DMX mix engine and Razor I/O module, which both include 1GB Ethernet ports and RJ-45 connectivity.

Lastly, version 7 of Wheatstone’s Vox Pro software has now been made available and offers a new signal processing toolset that lets talent clean up phone calls for on-air presentation. The new ClipCleaner toolset includes spectral display, parametric EQ, de-esser, compressor, expander, limiter and noise gate for processing channels independently or jointly. With a GUI derived from Wheatstone’s ClipCleaner toolset includes a standard library of presets for fast setup.

www.wheatstone.com

Optocore application engineer manager, Maciek Janiszewski shows off the SFX7 at PL+S 2017

The PC-AD2 PCIe half height card

The FM-55e

Consistent audio at a comfortable price

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It didn’t matter how far back their seats were. Or how cavernous the hall was. All they heard – all they felt – was sound that was warm, intelligible and personal. With clear, precisely-controlled sound from Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers, their seats were the best in the house. To learn more or for a demo, visit www.renkus-heinz.com.

renkus-heinz.com

©2017 Renkus-Heinz

It isn’t just about being heard, it’s about being understood.

Dante makes it on Broadway

THE DANTE Broadway networking chip has been designed for midchannel count audio products and is available in 8x8 and 16x16 channel versions. Dante developer Audinate states that it is ‘ideal for adding Dante audio networking to products such as small mixers, interfaces and conferencing solutions’.

Combining the small form factor of Audinate’s Ultimo products with several features from the Brooklyn

II

support. Redundancy is supported availability applications and a range

Astro keeps track of performers

ASTRO SPATIAL Audio has taken the wraps off its second-generation Stagetracker solution. Stagetracker II is the result of collaboration with Norway’s TTA. The new engine is stated to provide ‘previously unseen degrees of precision’ together with vector-based tracking in all three dimensions.

Tracking data comes from discreet RFID tags that can be placed on individuals and transmit to RadioEye RF receivers with an accuracy of 2cm – enough to

d3 adds 2x4pro

A SCALED down version of Technologies 2x4pro is the latest addition to the pro series. The new server supports the manufacturer’s interchangeable VFC (Video Format Conversion) cards, enabling users to drive up to eight outputs as DVI, 3G-SDI or two DP1.2 from a single d3 2x4pro. It also features a dual 10Gbit/s media network and 2TB of ultra fast solid-state storage chassis with the same rugged connectors to be expected from d3s pro range servers,’ explained product development engineer, Thyge Haarberg. ‘The system has decoupled sensitive components and a new ruggedised VFC backplane offers increased stiffness and reliability.’

www.d3technologies.com

enable the system’s use for lighting and video in addition to just audio. Up to 100 tagged performers can be tracked with each tag able to transmit up to 100 positions per second.

The Stagetracker II and Sara II engines have been designed to complement one another in the rack, both with 2.8-inch front-panel touchscreens for operation. The Sara II engine can accommodate up to 64 MADI or 128 Dante

of control interfaces, including SPI, UART and GPIO. Dante Device Protocol, packet bridging and AES67 are all supported, while seamless connection to a Danteenabled audio product is promised.

‘We are pleased to add Dante Broadway to the range of solutions we offer, giving OEMs a costeffective way to add Dante to midtier channel count products,’ said David Myers, COO of Audinate.

www.audinate.com

Barix talks Linux

of which are assignable to at least 32 audio objects. Stagetracker II communicates with Sara II via Open Sound Control (OSC), and

Roland keeps us updated

can reportedly link to any Artnetequipped lighting console.

www.astroaudio.eu

software on a PC or Mac, as well as support for providing a size picture in picture window in addition to the previously available ½ and ¼ sizes.

Additionally, the RCS software functionality for titling creation and keying capabilities for live production and streaming on both the VR-4HD and V-1SDI. ‘Still-store capability has been a popular feature request from users, and we are excited that we can provide this capability and also a powerful and easy-to-use image and title editor,’

THE BARIONET 1000 universal programmable I/O device for IP-based control and automation programmable in Linux using the Open WRT framework. It is also the wireless support and a USB port. The manufacturer opted for Linux to give systems integrators and OEMs a clean slate to program the device for almost any control or automation application desired. ‘The beauty of this device is that it has real computational power inside,’ said Reto Brader, Barix’ vice president of sales and marketing. ‘You can develop the program in Linux Open WRT and load it onto the Barionet 1000, and the device can make software-

ROLAND HAS released a Version for its VR-4HD A/V and streaming

switcher and V-1SDI live video switcher. The update supports the capture of still images from the RCS

Sum of larger numbers

THE LATEST for DirectOut’s Andiamo series of audio converters provides a new summing feature that facilitates communication signals to be gathered from a larger number of devices, such as remote cameras.

Firmware version 6.4 can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website and is compatible with the Andiamo 2, Andiamo 2.XT and legacy Andiamo and Andiamo.XT systems.

Following the download, users are

able to sum input signals onto four available summing busses, which

Remote control software’s routing matrix. Each routed signal is summed to the same signal level and to avoid clipping, an individual master level is applied to each bus that can be reduced in 6dB increments. The bus output can be routed to any output on the Andiamo unit in use. The summing feature also enables demanding measurement activities

proav.roland.com

Physically, the Barionet 1000 has two USB host ports, one 10/100 Ethernet port, one DB9 RS-232 serial port, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, and is IPv6 capable. Requiring a 9-30VDC power supply, the device is encased in a Barionet Din-Rail case with two relay outputs, four open collector (digital) outputs, and has eight contact closure inputs, four of which are analogue capable. The Barionet 1000 also DRAM, and an interface for a Dallas 1-wire 18DS20 temperature sensors.

www.barix.com

to be completed. Correlated input signals divided across multiple analogue inputs can be summed to increase the signal-to-noise

ratio, when the bus master level is reduced.

www.directout.eu

module, Dante Broadway reportedly offers latency as low as 0.25ms as well as Gigabit Ethernet

Audinate has launched Dante Broadway

RCS software for VR-4HD

The Stagetracker II Core and Net

Connected projection

EPSON’S 3LCD EB-2000 family features an in-built light-optimising sensor which detects environment brightness levels and automatically adjusts the projector brightness for model delivers up to 5,500 lumens with

Connectivity to smart devices and laptops include an MHL-enabled HDMI input for mirroring Android mobile devices in addition to HDBaseT support

The Miracast function enables screen mirroring with wireless transmission of full HD A/V from compatible smart the projectors come with multi-PC projection capabilities for connecting up to 50 terminals through a host PC

from smart devices and laptops can be code function enables connection by scanning a projected QR code, whilst a remote control function is also built into iProjection for controlling projector

Equipped with a built-in camera, the projector provides automatic vertical and horizontal keystone correction and adjustment in real-time which enables the projector to display the corrected image less than a second

Furthermore, the split screen feature enables input from two different sources to be displayed side-by-side on the same screen in video conferences allowing contents and participants to be

44mm thick, the EB-1700 series

lumens, all the projectors in the series

Once again the series offers split screen and real-time automatic vertical and horizontal keystone correction and

www.epson.com

...and a real team player!

Stage Tec mixing consoles are real workhorses when you‘re talking live events. Reliable, fast and with redundancy

Take the AURUS platinum for example, which is currently touring with the ‚Pop-Oratorium Luther‘ and ensuring the highest audio quality.

Rapid set up, with perfect ergonomics as impressive as its technical features:

More than 800 input channels (at 48 kHz), 128 Buses at both 48 kHz and 96 kHz, reely configurable, extensive dynamics, scene automation

Basically, just a real team player you can count on!

SAM has a new Vibe

AS THE demand for user-generated news content continues to rise, Snell Advanced Media has introduced Vibe, a real time production solution offering a scalable combination of media storage, production tools and is designed to blend the agility of sQ

IT storage platform, allowing for input from any device to be distributed to

‘The challenge for content providers is to meet demand for content anywhere,’ said SAM EVP and GM, media software solutions Neil integrated single platform approach

to creating and distributing content

orchestration layer dubbed the Vibe Core, which is able to control media no

in its original format, while packaging

Vibe also offers three types of user interface: Creative applications, providing a choice between SAM’s Rio editor or Adobe Premiere; Browserbased editing, which allows use of the SAM Go! Editor from anywhere with an internet connection; and PAM

www.s-a-m.com

www.stagetec.com

Epson EB-2065 projector

Klotz ais offers customisation

CUSTOMISATION IS key for Klotz ais with its Misset Modular Interface System. The solution has been designed to provide users with an XLR splitter which will a 32-channel splitter into only 4U and 150mm depth. Inputs/outputs are split in a ratio of 1:3 while signals are reportedly unimpaired and transmitted one-to-one. The product is supplied as individual components for user assembly but can be built and electrically tested by the manufacturer.

Away from customisation, the German manufacturer has also

unveiled its Vintage ’59 Pancake Patcher cables. These have connectors in a classic look and feature a textile jacket around copper spiral shielding.

Staying on the cable theme, its catalogue with a plethora of options. The OL22P OmniLIVEPUR - AES/ EBU Multicore Cable is aimed at live applications that need to transmit AES/EBU signals over long distances. The VD083LP has a 6.1mm external diameter and is suitable for transmission distances of up to 70m. The Premade DMX

Isolation keeps a

THE ISOACOUSTICS

Iso-Puck has been designed to provide pro audio speakers and acoustic isolation. The round isolator has a height of 3cm going down to 2.5cm, a diameter of 6cm and each has a weight bearing capability of 9kg. Multiple IsoPucks can be combined to support the weight of particular products.

According to the manufacturer, the multipart isolation construction of the Iso-Puck allows it to move to isolate and manage the energy.

on the top which adheres to the speaker or top surface, as well as

adheres to the supporting surface, with a sliver ring around the bottom of the isolator to maintain shape.

www.isoacoustics.com

and AES/EBU series have been redesigned and includes the DMX5N1PBD and DMX5N2YSD that cover transmission distances of up to 80m.

Another redesigned series is the Hybrid Cable range. This includes

the H3W33ET Hybrid Cable Drum System which offers two RamCAT network lines, two AES/EBU or DMX lines and a 3G2.5mm² power line. The IP67-rated SmartBeam Quad Mini is compatible with connections like the Tyco Pro

Radial’s LX-2 splits and attenuates signals

RADIAL’S LX-2 passive line splitter and attenuator has been designed to allow signal sources to be sent to two destinations at once with the ability to attenuate the input signal and tame hot outputs via a mixing console or mic preamp and without noise. Constructed from 14-gauge steel, it is built to ensure reliability during long tours. With a compact footprint and allowing up to eight units to be rack-mounted using Radial’s J-Rak, LX-2 delivers both Jensen transformer-isolated line level splitting and attenuation.

Radial’s LX-2

Middle Atlantic goes big with vertical mount

MIDDLE ATLANTIC Products is describing its VWM series as offering ‘the industry’s highest capacity in a vertical mount’. Available in pre-

cabinets reportedly provide vertical

mounting of deep equipment as well as small devices.

VWM offers multiple positions for vertical mounting. These include range of sizes that can be mounted where needed within the cabinet’s

back pan design. The system also employs the company’s Lever Lock tool-free mounting system, allowing the integration of small devices throughout the cabinet’s back pan or inside the front door. The manufacturer states that VWM

Tasker screens out interference

ITALIAN MANUFACTURER Tasker is currently promoting its line of cables featuring Carbon Screen Technology. All of the cables in the family feature an internal carbon sheath designed to provide greater shielding against signal loss and interference. Starting with the smaller, the family comprises the C300 and C285, which both have a 6mm overall diameter with a nominal section of 0.22mm2 and 0.5mm2 respectively. Due to reportedly well-suited for live event use.

Beam Mini and Telecast MX – at transmission rates of up to 4 x 10GB/s. The Ford Patch Cables for short distances of up to 20m are available with LC and SC connectors and as multimode or single-mode cables.

Finally, away from cables the German manufacturer’s StraightLink SLW series stageboxes have been upgraded to offer laser engraved numbers and optimised fanout lengths. From 12 channels and up, the fanouts feature a drop bus grip as strain relief.

www.klotz-ais.com

delivers optimal thermal management, cable integrity, and power distribution while providing a secure location for components of all sizes.

www.middleatlantic.com

Intended for studio use as a result of their very low attenuation, the TSK1031 and TSK1032 feature a 7.2mm diameter with a 0.5mm2 nominal section. Internally, the TSK1031 features the Carbon Screen with a spiral shield, while the TSK1032 comprises the Carbon Screen with a braided shield.

Recent advances in manufacturing have allowed Tasker to bring the Carbon Screen Technology to longdistance applications up to 500m with a stated 0dB loss. This has resulted in the introduction of the TSK1026, which features a 6mm

An XLR/TRS combo jack input facilitates the splitting of balanced or unbalanced line level signals. The Jensen transformer maintains the quality of the frequency response and phase coherency and isolates the two XLR outputs, reducing ground loop noise, which is further reduced by ground lift switches on each output. The trim control, meanwhile, enables the attenuation of overly hot signals and is activated by a recessed ‘set and forget’ switch.

www.radialeng.com

diameter and nominal section of 0.25mm2 together with the Carbon Screen and spiral shielding and the TSK1028, which has a 6.3mm diameter and 0.35mm2 nominal section together with the Carbon Screen and braided shielding. All of the Carbon Screen cables are customisable with different kind public installation, PE or PUR for outdoor installations with or without metallic armour in case of the presence of rodents.

www.tasker.it

The Misset line is taking the customisable approach

Multiple Iso-Pucks can be used to isolate specific products

The loyal guard dogs all musicians need on stage.

Mastiffs-KM312

Stage monitor featuring asymmetrical horn with 100° by 30° adjustable orientation

K-array is exceeding industry demands for speakers that are heard but not seen www.k-array.com

Genie in a bottle

Disney musical Aladdin is appearing around the globe, with TiMax systems operating on all shows. PAA investigates the Tokyo production

DISNEY’S LATEST MUSICAL, ALADDIN, PREMIERED ON Broadway in March 2015. It was such a success that a year later the show opened in Japan, where its long run continues at the Dentsu Shiki Theatre Umi, presented by the Shiki Theatre Company. More productions have followed in Hamburg and London and all shows feature TiMax spatial audio delay-matrix processors for vocal imaging and effects spatialisation at the heart of the sound design.

Beauty and the Beast, in Tokyo back in 1995, drawing on the best and latest technology available at that time. That production is still touring Japan today, and while there has been no big transition in the equipment being used, there has been a gradual evolution that has resulted in the digital system now operating on the production.

Other Shiki Theatre Disney performances, which include Aida and The Lion King, have also enjoyed long runs, with equipment being replaced for newer models as it became available, sometimes during the same performance run. When it came to Aladdin, Shiki obtained permission from Disney to use a similar system design to the one deployed on Broadway. Ken Travis, the original sound designer for the New York show, gave Shiki the

All audio image movement for the show is being managed by TiMax. Image objects have been created for vocals, music and sound effects and the objects and movement are memorised by the TiMax SoundHub for each scene. The Aladdin TiMax system was supplied to Shiki by local Japanese distributor, SC Alliance.

One difference in the TiMax implementation in Tokyo is that the panoramic vocal localisation changes are pre-programmed in the TiMax Cue List and triggered manually by the sound engineer via MIDI from the mixing console. On the Broadway, Hamburg and London versions, TiMax SoundHub is combined with TiMax Tracker real time stage tracking of the actors to automate this vocal imaging in real time.

The theatre decided to use different consoles from those on the original production, with SSL Live L500 and Live L300s adopted for the Japanese version. Shiki had considered various digital consoles, and the operator was clear that the chosen one should be the most up to date model available to

interface for multiple connectivity is being used to transmit all audio signals between the stage and the consoles. The L500 is being used mainly for vocals, with the L300 handling the orchestra and QLab sound effects. The consoles operate at 96kHz and provide the required separation of orchestration and vocals. ‘The sound we hear is very close to the original; almost exactly the same as the natural voices of spokesperson. ‘What has struck me the most is that there is 96kHz. Previously, the sound could feel a bit “blunt”, but not with this system. It is so clear, yet full and rich. I believe this format will be mainstream from now on. We only use analogue for playback to the console, and for connection to the monitor

Rather than using a real orchestra, multiple playback music tracks come from main and backup pairs of Fostex D2424 hard disk machines. Inputs for the show number around 130 channels, mixed down in the SSL Live consoles onto grouped mic, band, effects and foldback stem feeds to TiMax. Two TiMax SoundHub-S64 units then feed 88 outputs to the distributed main PA system, subs, surrounds and foldbacks.

arrays for the main sound reinforcement system, plus individual

supplemented by a main ground sub array plus two orchestra sub low elements at either side of the stage. Extra infra sub cabinets are positioned stage left and stage right near the front

Rack-mounted TiMax SoundHub-S64 units

www.dbaudiotechnik.com

www.outboard.co.uk

www.solidstatelogic.com

Aladdin on stage in the West End (Photo Deen Van Meer)

Outboard Electronics’ Dave Haydon

Finding a sweet sound

Ruifeng is building up its festivals division, and the latest outing for the Chinese manufacturer was Bonbonland in Guangdong. Sue Su reports

DINGHU MOUNTAIN IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE, SOUTHERN China, is known as the ‘green gem on the Tropic of Cancer’. Located 18km east of Zhaoqing City and replete with lush scenery, waterfalls and a deep gorge, the mountain is currently the second most-searched-for tourist spot on Chinese website, Sina Weibo, thanks to its latest attraction. The region makes a spectacular setting for the Bonbonland Dinghu Mountain Music Festival which launched in 2016 and

returned this year as a two-day event, attracting 150,000 music lovers. Over 48 hours, a combined total of 3,000 artists and staff worked to present what has become the largest outdoor music festival in southern China. Held over the Labour Day bank holiday, Bonbonland 2017 attracted more than double the attendance of last year’s inaugural event. To accommodate this growth, the festival moved to the 33-acre People’s Park at the foot of Dinghu Mountain,

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which offered four times more space than last year.

The festival is organised and produced by Ruifeng Culture Communications, a division of Guangzhou-based audio manufacturer, LAX. According to the company, the joy it aims to spread is comparable to that derived from eating bonbons, the French word for candy from which the festival has derived its name.

While Ruifeng is no stranger to large-scale events, having handled the Beijing Olympics, Asian Games and many large concerts, the heavy rain which fell before the festival presented some challenges. ‘The setup was tough for us, and some parts of the park needed to be reconstructed,’ says the festival’s engineering director, Wei Lai. ‘We moved into the park on 20

Made in Denmark

April, but it rained on seven out of 10 of the set up days. We had to work really fast all day and through the night once the rain stopped.’

LAX for public address, provided festival-goers with interactive – were arranged around the tower, together with a food area,

organiser; we were happy to have such an opportunity and it also proved the reliability of our wireless products.’

www.lax-pro.com

www.rf-c.cn

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Mr Wei with a Live One system

Relacart wireless mic systems were put to use

Bonbon stage was dedicated to electronic dance music

The ADAM S Series S3H

Live and direct

ZEPP HALL NETWORK HAS BEEN PART OF THE CONCERT-GOING experience in Japan for the past 20 years. The concept, which permanently installs all Zepp venues with standardised sound and lighting systems and stage machinery, offers advantages to tour promoters and artists alike. Pre-equipped in this way, Zepp venues allow bands to turn up and play without having the hassle and expense of sourcing the equipment to stage a full production.

Now Zepp is branching out across Asia, starting with a new venue which opened in Singapore in April. Located on Level 3 of the Big Box complex in Jurong East, the Mega Box Event Hall has been remodeled to open as Zepp@Bigbox Singapore, a joint venture between Zepp Hall Network and Singapore-based Big Box Investment. Two more are planned to open in 2020 in Taiwan and Malaysia.

‘This came together because Big Box had the building, and Zepp had the experience,’ says Shinichiro Honda, hall director

of Zepp@Bigbox, explaining that a pre-installed venue like this is unusual for Singapore, which is better known for smaller bars hosting live music, as well as traditional venues such as Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay.

‘It’s a bit of a different style, and will appeal to young people in particular. Bands can arrive in Singapore and come straight here. It’s ready to go, and they don’t have to worry about sound and lighting.’

Having worked in the music industry in his native Japan for almost 10 years, Mr Honda moved to China In 2007. ‘The market for live entertainment hadn’t really developed at this stage,’ he explains. ‘The country hosted the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics and the Shanghai Expo in 2010 but nobody really knew what the possibilities were, going forward. Those possibilities were the main reason I moved to Shanghai, and soon I was setting up the MAO Live House performance venue in Shanghai. I quickly realised how important it was to maintain

the technical quality of the equipment. So when I heard that Zepp – which at that time was a 100% subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan – had a plan to develop its concert hall model overseas, it really interested me.’

Mr Honda joined Sony Music Group in 2014, becoming part of a team set up to research expansion into other territories. The tie-up with Big Box came a year later, when the company’s real estate arm located the Jurong venue.

Next came the decision on what equipment to install. ‘The Zepp Hall Network in Japan has a sound consultant, so I spoke to him and we decided together on a Nexo/Yamaha system for Singapore,’ says Mr Honda. This was a departure from the equipment setups in Japan, for a very good reason. ‘We needed a good support network, and Yamaha has subsidiaries throughout Asia, so they can offer very good support for their systems,’ he continues. ‘In addition, sound engineers in Japan are very familiar with Yamaha

A live performance concept new to Singapore is looking to repeat its success in Japan. Caroline Moss investigates

Motome Tanaka, Lawrence Tan and Chihaya Hirai, Yamaha Music (Asia); Shinichiro Honda, Zepp@Bigbox Singapore

consoles, and everyone knows how to operate a CL5, which we’ve installed here at FOH. We wanted to open the doors to everyone, while at the same time, providing a very good sound quality. And that’s why we chose to use Yamaha

According to Lawrence Tan, assistant general manager of Yamaha Music (Asia) which is also the local Nexo distributor, STM is the ideal choice for the venue, which is a large box that

2. ‘The STM is a very directional system, and very well controlled,’ he says. ‘It’s not dispersing onto lots of different surfaces, so it’s targeting the audience.’ Careful system design was carried out to reduce any problematic acoustic issues and to focus the audio where software was used to work out solutions to tackle tricky room acoustics. The team, including systems integrator Atelier Vista, worked closely with Nexo’s Nicolas Poitrenaud, who travelled to Singapore to help with system set up and alignment.

M46 main modules and nine STM B112 bass units, hung two deep. Two STM M28 omni purpose modules are suspended subwoofers have been arrayed along the front of the stage to

network cards.

On stage, eight PS15 R2 speakers and eight 45N12 line array

of signal processing. Yamaha CL5 digital mixers have been

Reach the Summit

MA-808 Portable Wireless PA System

The MA 808 innovatively integrates wireless microphones, speakers, CD / USB player and a Bluetooth interface for wireless music streaming into a sturdy, compact case that offers an entirely portable sound system anywhere it is needed. MIPRO supplies UHF and 2.4 GHz receiver modules options and matching handheld or bodypack transmitters, as well as the exclusive miniature transmitters for musical instruments, such as violin, saxophones, erhu, guitar, cajon, and so on,

the MA-808 portable wireless PA system.

The Ultimate in Convenience

Lightweight with built-in pull-up handle and sturdy wheels for easy transport, the economical rechargeable battery system enables operations indoors or outdoors without AC power and cumbersome cables. Even handheld & bodypack transmitters can be stored within the sleek cabinet.

used for FOH and monitors, with a QL1 providing a main FOH six Yamaha SWP1-16MMF network interfaces.

The Nexo cabinets are complete with touring dollies so the system can easily be derigged and redeployed in a different venue when required. An adjacent hall separated by moving partitions can join forces with the main space for bigger shows. ‘One of the reasons we installed STM was for its scalability,’ continues Mr Tan. ‘If the hall ever needs a bigger system, we can build it up. If there’s the need to open up the second hall, they can rent in a delay speaker stack, as additional Nexo STM systems are readily available to rent in Singapore. For smaller shows we can reduce the size of the system, and there’s the possibility to deploy a part of it in a different area, so we could run two systems if we needed to.

Mr Honda is now involved with the day to day running of the venue. ‘For the time being, we’re looking at one show per almost every day, because there are so many domestic artists who want to play at our venues. In Singapore, where the local market isn’t currently as strong, we’re hoping to contribute to building up the local music industry, as well as attracting overseas talent.’

Japanese band The Radwimps kicked off proceedings at the venue’s grand opening in June, with a lineup of acts from ‘Our musical policy will be very democratic,’ declares Mr Honda. ‘Of course we will put on bands from Sony Music, but we will also take anyone who it feels right to have here.’

‘This has really created a new benchmark for Singapore,’ adds Mr Tan. And if Zepp Hall Network’s expansion plans continue, similar benchmarks are waiting to be created across South East Asia.

www.nexo-sa.com

www.yamahaproaudio.com

www.mipro.com.tw

Yamaha consoles at FOH

STM S118 subs along the front of the stage

A considered approach

CONCEALED WITHIN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA, Theatre Yong merits stage credentials far beyond its normal children’s performances. Having opened in October 2005, the traditional proscenium theatre located in Seoul’s Yongsan-gu district engages in a full cultural arts programme including classics, plays, ballet, dance and musicals for its younger audiences. Like are limited to annual budgets that need to be fully utilised within the 12-month period without any possibility of being frozen for a longer-term investment. As such, ongoing works will continue to be a feature for this concealed venue.

Separate rear-control rooms serve the 900-seat theatre for dedicated audio, lighting and video production. Indeed, during Pro Audio Asia’s tour of the facility, the central room housing the Strand 530i/350CH lighting console, digital signalling system (DMX) and 272-circuit dimmer has been lifted for the routing of new cabling. Fortunately, the front of house section isn’t concealed behind glazing with monitors and has been centrally located at the rear of the hall under the balcony. An overdue analogue-to-digital conversion late last year reduced its size to provide more seating, whereby a DiGiCo SD7T console is now

theatre operations team sound director Yoon Seok Hong, referring to the 60-channel Midas Heritage 2000.

‘We wanted to go digital in 2011, but we didn’t have enough budget until last year,’ furthers Mr Hong. ‘About half of the performances in this theatre are mixed by touring engineers and the majority of those prefer digital surfaces. Before we made a decision on the console, we consulted many of these engineers to see what features they liked. In addition, the quality and redundancy features of a DiGiCo SD11 that we had been

using as a portable mixer outside the theatre had impressed us. Having done thorough research of what was out there on the market, we narrowed our choice down to two ultimately, but we opted for the SD7T on account of its many features and the fact that most touring engineers always quoted it as their preference. They simply insert their own USB into it and they’re off.’

Boasting up to 255-channel inputs, the console can easily connect to any of the 188 microphone points connecting the for years to come. As such, orchestral miking for up to 30 musicians will no longer require a sidecar accompaniment.

life expectancy of the board will be further extended, ensuring

a healthy return on investment. Furthermore, with on-board processing including Waves plug-ins, the vast outboard that was required to enhance the vocals, instruments and performers has been removed to reveal more production area space.

While the acquisition of the SD7T could not be staggered, the

four Meyer Sound CQ1 and CQ2 wall-mounted speakers as the main stereo L-R pairs augmented by three under–stage HP650P subwoofers and the front seats are served by six MM4 speakers concealed into the lip of the stage. A JBL surround

so an L–C–R system was created in 2013 with the addition of a central cluster that combines 10 Meyer Sound M’elodie cabinets. Furthermore, certain productions demanded a clean stage without wedges or IEM monitoring. Accordingly, 12 Nexo M620 speakers have been suspended above the stage left and right area and directed back towards it.

With the main L–R speaker system up for renewal, suppliers have been invited to tender and demonstrate a new design that will replace the CQ1 and CQ2 cabinets. ‘Meyer Sound is a great brand and it would make sense to stick with Meyer in terms of system compatibility,’ furthers Mr Kong’s assistant manager, Jonghwa Kim highlighting the Galileo 616 processing. ‘It would be ideal to upgrade everything at once, but this is the real world and so you make a wish list and prioritise,’ explains

good suppliers who understand our needs. Soundus not only provided us with the best console for our needs, but they also gave us full training and have always been on call should we need them for anything.’

www.soundus.co.kr

www.theateryong.or.kr

The staggered upgrade at Theatre Yong has seen the venue make the move to digital with the installation of a new desk. Richard Lawn tours the theatre

The 900-capacity theatre affords good views of the stage from every seat

A Meyer Sound M’elodie central cluster was added in 2013

A DiGiCo SD Nano rack connects to the SD7T at FOH

Technicians with the DiGiCo SD7T console at FOH

BRIO: DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE UK.

Small and perfectly formed

easily hidden under bridges leading to the private rooms. These space with a powerful and even coverage.’

THE LIMITED REAL ESTATE OPTIONS ON HONG KONG Island can make life challenging for acoustic consultants and systems integrators. Clubs, bars and restaurants need ingenious solutions, not only when it comes to creative interiors but also in providing a sound system for small footprints and low ceilings. And the two often go hand in hand. These systems need to be unobtrusive, blending into the décor while or the intelligibility to operate as a sophisticated background

premises, and a recent rash of installations has broken out in some of the island’s newest eateries.

Deng G bistro and baijiu bar, the latest offering from restaurant group Elite Concepts, is one such establishment. Located on Queens Road East, it was opened in conjunction with Chef Deng Huadong, who ran Deng G in Shanghai and has collaborated with Elite Concepts’ Paul Hsu since 1988. The Hong Kong brand specialises in Sichuan dishes from the chef’s native province and cocktails based on the Chinese grain-based liquor, baijiu. Food and drink are foremost here, with music providing a subtle backdrop. A K-array system for the restaurant was designed and installed by Kowloon-based systems integrator, Tones Tailor.

2-inch Tornado-KT2 speakers and four Rumble-KU26 ultra thin

Additionally, a Piccolo stereo speaker system is providing the sound for a 12-person private dining room. Audio is managed via

Downstairs in the smaller bar area, four Kobra-KK52 line array

Over on Hollywood Road, Iron Fairies is the latest fantastical creation from Australian designer Ashley Sutton. Mr Sutton has unique interior, recreating a Victorian foundry in iron, timber, suspended from the ceiling, and some hand-cast iron fairies for good measure.

‘The original sound system, intended to reproduce soft lounge president of global sales and marketing, Marc Vincent. ‘However, the growing popularity of this underground bar has turned it into a club featuring top Hong Kong DJs and live bands.’

This shift in purpose saw the installation of a new K-array system this April into the small venue, to provide the high SPLs at short distances required for DJ and live performances.

The installation, carried out by local A/V consultancy V Group, elements mounted above a Thunder-KMT218 18-inch subwoofer horizontally. The two active double 18-inch subwoofers were

Just along the road in Wyndham Street, new Moroccan restaurant, lounge and bar Lilya hosts DJs from the moment its doors open, beginning the early evening slot with soft, Arabianinspired lounge music which segues through to pumping club tunes as the night progresses. Again, the sound system had to be discreet enough to disappear into the sophisticated interior décor, while being capable of providing club-style SPLs.

array elements are located in all four corners of the main lounge area, supplemented with a Thunder-KMT18 ultra light subwoofer and powered by a Kommander-KA24 quad amp. A total of 16 Tornado-KT2s are mounted in the corners of the restaurant, private room and terrace, together with four Rumble-KU26 subs and powered by two KA7-7 quad amps.

‘Our products are all about acoustic and visual elegance, and our Hong Kong clients are appreciative of their uniqueness,’

décor, which is very attractive to high-end restaurateurs. The ability to provide high quality music reproduction as well as comfortable, even coverage also makes K-array products an obvious choice for these demanding applications.‘

www.k-array.com

Frog-Is FP8 8-inch two-way active monitors are being used, four for live acts and one for DJs.

K-array is proving a popular choice for the bijou bars and restaurants of Hong Kong. Caroline Moss visits a few

Two active double 18-inch subwoofers were hidden under bridges at Iron Fairies

Deng G bistro and baijiu bar

Two Rumble-KU210 subs provide the low frequencies at Deng G

Big thinking For smaller boxes

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Take our coaxial drivers for example: unlike conventional designs, our FTX range uses a cutting-edge common magnet motor design to deliver big improvements in signal coherence and time alignment for a more natural sound from a very compact and lightweight speaker. Visit our website or contact us now to find out more about our innovative PA driver solutions.

Out of sight - out on site

WHEN A SUPPLIER OR A CONTRACTOR IS SUCCESSFUL in landing a large tender, the likelihood is that the company will be committing man-years’ to that site. From the creation of blueprints, through the dust clouds of construction to the

endurance test.

interest are many and complex. Located in the Gwanghwamun district, the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul drew a multitude of leading A/V suppliers to its newly built property. They had all exacting criteria drawn up by Hong Kong-based consultant IHD Designs, who in turn worked within strict parameters set out by the architect Heerim Architects & Planners on behalf of the

Prior to installation, general contractor Daelim Group suppliers to the hotel’s Pu Dong property in Shanghai to

technology selected to enhance the guest’s experience during

As in the creation of wine, art meets science in the ballrooms, restaurants, bars, three-storey spa complex, meeting rooms and corridors of the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. Design

throughout.

art collection, A/V technology is gate crashing the scene. As

such, products were primarily selected for their discretional ticks Heerim’s box as it is largely concealed with the exception digitally adjusted.

six is home to the 46 rack-mounted Symetrix Radius 12x8 EX DSPs. Fitted with I/O expansion cards, the Symnet audio

routing, processing and mixing can be managed and controlled

The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul called on a wide cast to ensure its complex yet discrete A/V system design would become a reality. Richard Lawn

Creating a user-friendly and intuitive GUI was among the project’s top priorities

One of the 49 Symetrix ARC-2a wall controllers in the hotel

The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is located in the Gwanghwamun district of the Korean capital

for which wired MSD-1001 10.1-inch touchscreens serve as an alternative GUI.

Unfortunately for Heelim and the interior designers, audio technology hasn’t really progressed much since Edward W almost 100 years ago. That inevitably requires cutting out anything up to 12-inch concentric holes in ceilings or worse still,

Located on the third level, the Grand Ballroom can host up to 800 guests in reception mode, but can be divided with an acoustically treated partition for more intimate events. Its elegance has not diminished with the addition of unobtrusive combined and divided settings. Measuring 160mm in depth,

Suspended from the 5.2m ceiling, the line array system is capable of providing continuous 133dB SPL over a consistent space. Sharing the same form factor, additional KS4P models KH4P models. adequate for catering for up to 300 guests when assembling in the 275m2 pre-function area prior to Grand Ballroom admittance. may provide up to 108dB SPL (continuous) but it was the 20mm

Audio components. Elsewhere, the hotel’s meeting rooms, restaurants and bars utilise K-array KT20CMA Tornado point the eye of an audiophile would be drawn to such elegantly designed enclosures, they are both capable of delivering 101dB and 104dB continuous SPL from their respective 2- and 4-inch enclosures.

Crucially selected for its IP56-rated waterproof properties, the One Systems 103IM two-way models that adorn the level sightline requirements. Elsewhere, the musical nature of the level 10 spa and wellness centre required a full range BGM solution and as such the lower frequencies have been

Finally, the 15th level outdoor garden provides BGM, having

quantity of CXD 4.3 and PLD4.2 models.

Both the Grand and Junior ballrooms can host live performances for which nine Shure QLXD wireless channels with a selection of Beta 87a handheld, headworn and lapel

UA845SWB antenna distributors.

surfaces located in the main A/V control room. Hidden from

eight analogue output cards ensure the hirer’s options won’t with either SD9.’

resultant Panasonic projection and camera system was respectively. When not in operation, they are hidden from view above the ceiling but can be lowered into position on their projector lifts together with the screens at the touch of an AMX the inputs including Blu-ray and Sarotech media players together design criteria with best in class technological functionality. One

The scene is set upon entering the ground floor lobby by Heerim Architects & Planners

The sixth level main control room rack bears multiple QSC Audio power amplifiers and Symnet processors

Digital signage has been sympathetically blended into the interior design

Visitors’ attention upon entering the Grand Ballroom is fixated on the ornate chandaliers rather than the A/V technology

An open flame is a focal point in the reception

of the rooms is equipped with a Polycom HDX9000 conferencing system promoting collaboration and HD multi-connectivity. BGM can be switched between a local source or a Sarotech media player, whilst other HDMI, VGA, audio and USB HD inputs are fed into AMX Enova DGX8 8x8 routers and output to Panasonic PT-EZ770Z WXUGA 6,500 ANSI lumens projectors and 75-inch LED screens. Ease of operation is assured in each room from the individual AMX MSD-710 7-inch wired touch screens that are integrated within.

For the many A/V suppliers involved, the journey from Pu Dong the selected products were individually and thoroughly tested to

FEATURES:

ensure that they were appropriate for the hotel’s requirements. products to site, both the sales and technical managers from all the suppliers were required on site until completion date.

any of our products following installation by the contractors during the day,’ disclosed Soundus sales manager Jesse Park. stabilise the system and train the hotel’s system managers. Following that, we would continue to check the system and quarterly basis.’

Together with his technicians, Young Suk Byun rarely has to venture out of his A/V control room and is out of sight like the majority of this digitally controlled A/V system. ‘It took some time to adapt to the digital technology,’ confesses Mr Byun. ‘If there is need redundancy and a back-up with digital. From a technical perspective, there is a compromise with the A/V design, but there’s no way around that when you’re operating in a modern hotel. There were many suppliers working on this project and I thought that there would be a problem, but every single one of them worked well together to reach a common goal.’

K-array Tornado speakers whilst browsing through the restaurant menu created by executive chef Ralf Dohmeier. Nor will they be any more distracted by the evenly dispersed, powerful SPLs of the KH4P and KS4P system in the Grand Ballroom whilst inhaling Lorenzo Villoresi Firenze scent. Having dedicated their lives to this three-year project, the entire cast can be proud of the valuable roles they played. Having been called upon to often sprint through sections of this marathon whilst worrying about it’s complexities during those few precious hours away from site, its hardly surprising that those responsible in the creation of such grand designs are reluctant to return.

www.fourseasons.com

The Symvue GUI of the Grand Ballroom on an AMX 10.1 wired touchscreen

A/V section chief Young Suk Byun in the A/V Control Room

Raising the bar

Richard Lawn investigates

RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE FUTURISTIC NEW neighbours at One-North and Buona Vista, Tanglin Trust school in Singapore. The school was established in 1925 to provide a quality education for the children of expats living in the region. Today, TTS’ 2,720 students – of whom around 70 arts programme in addition to an ongoing tradition of Britishbased learning. From nursery to sixth form, there are many opportunities for students to participate in music, theatre, dance and arts in order to stimulate their creative, social and intellectual development. Following the recent construction of

The new facilities include a multi-purpose auditorium, fullydepartment, a main rehearsal space for larger groups and a professional recording and performance studio. The Moot is a 500-seat auditorium with full-length windows and an unobtrusive A/V system to enhance assemblies, presentations and small-scale performances. The theatre-style seating is fully exhibitions or conferences.

The A/V consultant for the project, Inova, worked closely with Electro Acoustic Systems (EAS) which was awarded the tender to install the A/V and lighting technology throughout the new west wing. EAS project manager Patrick Chee and his team of technicians was initially challenged by the room acoustics in the Moot, where the only form of absorption in the challenging venue was provided by the full-length black drapes. Following equipment placement commenced.

Three Nexo PS15 cabinets have been bracketed to an overhead the lower frequencies by two Nexo LS18 subwoofers. The FOH with Dante cards to promote connectivity from the microphone connected to a Cisco SG200 POE 20-port audio network switch located in an open control room area above the retractable with stored presets to assist the facility technicians, including Johnson Manuel, Neevan and Miguel, in their roles.

Nine channels of Shure SLX4 wireless receivers, together with SM58 LC and SM Beta 58A hand held receivers, SLX1 clip-on and head-worn models, are available for productions, while the podium is equipped with a pair of Shure MX418 goosenecks. Performers and speakers using the portable stage can be

portable DBR12 models can be plugged into any of the multiple facility panels that also come equipped with Crestron HDMI and USB connectivity in addition to Dante, VGA and power connections enabling PowerPoint presentations and projections.

for gentler BGM and announcements.

Two Remaco Ten (XXL) motorised screens can be lowered overhead Panasonic PT-DZ13K 12,000 ANSI-lumens projectors. Inputs fed into a Crestron DM-MD32x32 HDBaseT matrix player and a Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Studio SSD-based recorder. The camera system enables recording as well as two 75-inch screens have been suspended to the overhead lighting bar, while two 55-inch screens have been added into the reception and pre-function area.

Crestron control of the entire A/V and lighting operations are made possible courtesy of the CP3N processor connected to a dock, an iPad Air2 is the preferred interface. In addition to the visual assistive screens and projectors, hearing-impaired

RX22 earphone and neck loop lanyards. These are connected to receivers whose audio signal from the Mod-232 transmitter is

Beyond the Moot auditorium the EAS technological touch has Foley studio and control room, where students can design sound effects, produce ADR (automatic dialogue replacement)

workstations, Sennheiser MK4 recording microphones, a headphones and speakers are tools at the students’ disposal. It would appear that no expense has been spared for the colour-grading and visual effects studio, which comes with a Remaco screen and a 7.1 surround sound system. The audio together with a Denon DN-500AV surround processor and

edit their work.

A 40-seat screening room with auditorium style seating is Remaco micro-perforated cinema screen. The adoption of iPad Air2 touchscreen. A Panasonic PT-EZ580E projector takes outputs from Blu-ray and PC sources courtesy of VGA and HDMI signal inputs fed from a Key Digital HDBaseT receiver.

green and black, together with ceiling-mounted studio lighting rigs. The addition of a Panasonic PT-EZ580E projector, motorised has been built into the fabric of the room.

Not even the lower level infants school and canteens have been spared the EAS touch as they too are furnished with throughout the classrooms and studios.

It’s no idle boast when TTS promotes itself as offering worldclassrooms, tomorrow’s young artists are growing in stature and

www.easpl.com.sg

www.tts.edu.sg

One of Singapore’s longest-established schools, Tanglin Trust has constructed an arts wing to rival the most progressive newcomers.

The Moot auditorium is equipped with an unobtrusive A/V system and fully retractable theatre seating for 500

TTS theatre technicians Johnson Manuel, Neevan and Miguel with EAS’ Daniel Wong

L-C-R Nexo PS15 cabinets have been bracketed to an overhead speaker frame together with two LS18 subwoofers and four Yamaha DXR10 active monitors

Crestron control capabilities for the entire A/V and lighting operations are conducted on an iPad Air2 tablet

A fully furnished music editing suite

VIO S318

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Max SPL 143 dB Delay control up to 9.9 ms

On-board cardioid array configuration preset

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VIO L210

Active 2-way line array module HF 1x1.4” Neodymium LF 2x10” Neodymium

DIGIPRO® G3 Class D 900W/RMS Amplifier

Max SPL 135 dB On-board double rotary EQ Control System

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DIGIPRO® G4 Class D 1600 W/RMS Amplifier with PFC

Max SPL 139 dB Modular slot for expansion cards System auto-test for quick diagnostics

Outside the box

Students at Singapore’s Ngee Ann Polytechnic are learning the ins and outs of networked audio thanks to a new purpose-built production studio, discovers Simon Luckhurst

IT’S A TRICKY TIME FOR EDUCATION WHEN IT COMES TO sound.

while the other favours what it already knows. Furthermore, audio equipment doesn’t come cheap and school budgets often aren’t huge – so decisions need to be made.

The Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore is already lucky enough to be able to treat its students to a conventional hybrid recording space featuring traditional connections and running on an Avid system. However, this also meant spending big on a second digital-based studio was out of the question. Kim Lau, lecturer and senior manager of audiovisual technology at the polytechnic took on the task of researching and designing its latest studio initiative, a self-contained ‘blackbox’-style recording space complete with a live area and full A/V production capabilities named ATV Hive.

‘The idea,’ explains Mr Lau, ‘is that students will have a modern recording space, formed from two acoustically isolated booths and even eventually incorporating lights for video production, where they can mix and work on projects in much the same way a real-life studio would. We wanted to showcase audio-over-IP, and also control over the network via Eucon. We are also doing video switching as well with KVM over IP.’

Taking the digital route, the new space is fully-Dante networked. ‘Initially, we were using EtherSound,’ shares Mr Lau. ‘We had existing EtherSound bridges, which we used as digital snakes, and we also deployed EtherSound for our and connections, that is where we took on Dante. We also switching, and not just based on daisychaining.’ While the space is intended to be completely self-contained, the use of Dante affords other options for signal distribution outside of the immediate vicinity. ‘We wanted a system that would work on a Layer 3 protocol, so that we would also have

the possibility to route audio out of the LAN-based system,’ recalls Mr Lau. ‘Currently, everything is LAN-based, but we have a few venues, so in order for everything to connect better, we

to do that, which is how Dante came into the picture.’

The recording setup is built around an Avid S6 desk that is typically used alongside Pro Tools or Logic. A DAD AX32 serves as the main audio interface and monitoring unit and Soundcard as the Core Audio interface.

‘Because a lot of our studio stuff is based on Pro Tools and

Logic, the DAD AX32 with the Dante option was our prime choice,’ says Mr Lau. ‘It acts as an audio interface together with a matrix, so for me can do much more. We use Dante Virtual Soundcard (DVS) to pull things from the Mac into the DAD for monitoring purposes, and anything that uses Core Audio is done soundcard in the computer, and then it is able to route via network to any Dante compatible devices. That is really useful. We also have a dedicated audio interface, but the DVS is just a lot more convenient to use. Each workstation has a Dante VS that we can route sound from any station to the house system.’ Furthermore, a Yamaha QL1 with Rio 1608 and DiGiCo S21 are also employed as house mixers for live sound. ‘Those two actually come in to work as the house board and are primarily for students to practice and for use during workshops,’ explains Mr Lau.

provided is with digital monitoring. ‘Digital monitoring becomes

Kim Lau, lecturer and senior manager of audiovisual technology at Ngee Ann Polytechnic

The studio layout at ATV Hive

very tedious because you cannot connect to devices running differing sample rates,’ says the audio visual lecturer. ‘In conventional audio production you have to rely on a word clock, and the clock has to be according to sample rate and nothing else. But we are able to use Dante in two modes –INDI and COMBI. In INDI mode, every station works on its own with the sample rate clocked by the Preferred Master on the network. In COMBI mode, every station works on the same sample rate as a sync-locked satellite of a bigger system, connected by the Dante network that supports various sample rates based on one Preferred Master. That is a pretty amazing thing about the network.’

Mr Lau goes on to describe the layout as such: ‘Literally, we split our whole production area into four areas – the two booths, one area containing the house boards and the other the Mac workstations. In the individual mode, all the devices are on the network but they can be potentially running at different sample rates. In production, we’re normally working at 96kHz, where as live sound is at 48kHz. Some mixes given to students are done at 44.1, so this setup allows us to have one booth running at 44.1 and another at 96, and outside in the room it runs at 48. They work individually on their projects but all the devices are on the network and synchronised by Dante.’

This way of working still creates some issues with when it comes to digital monitoring however, as the sample rates need to be identical for Dante devices to connect. ‘In the future,’ says Mr Lau, ‘it would be great if Dante had more devices promoting sample rate conversion for ease of connections.’

approach. The studio uses Eucon for sending control data and makes use of Networked Attached Storage (NAS) so data can be accessed in many areas.

‘The NAS is a very centralised part of the work. It means we can access work done in the studio here from our main studio and vice versa. The NAS data network is pretty important for that, and also provides the basic internet connection. Video runs on a separate network. This was necessary because video consumes

bandwidth and you can’t have it share the same Gigabit network with audio,’ explains Mr Lau. ‘However, we are actually running Dante, Eucon and NAS on the same network with no VLAN. It co-exists smoothly, partially because we do not transport too many channels through the network, but also because we are running at 96kHz. So far the controller is working well, the data no problems. In the future, I would like to separate the data out, and have that go into another network. But at the current moment everything is together and it works smoothly.’

From his description, Mr Lau makes it sound as if construction of the new recording space at the Polytechnic was simply a matter of letting everything fall into place. ‘I actually encountered several problems during this set up, and I am keen to share how Dante can be deployed for an educational setup like this. The process has been so involved that I may even write an AES paper on the work we have done here!’

www.audinate.com

www.np.edu.sg

A student conducts voiceovers in one of the acoustically-isolated booths

Screen star

FILM AND AUDIO TECHNOLOGY IN INDIA HAS UNDERGONE a considerable change since Senthil Kumar embarked on a computer science degree at the Regional Engineering College, now the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, in 1982. At that time, Mr Kumar – who had a fascination for undergraduates in the country. He also found himself father – a Tamil director – was working on, particularly the audio component.

‘I soon discovered that sound technology was quite primitive and backward in India at that time,’ he remembers. Determined to change this, he started educating himself on the possibilities of audio by reading books and magazines on the latest technology.

By 1986, Mr Kumar had secured some savings and a postproduction facility in Chennai. He imported equipment music scores and mixing. Equipped with an Amek Angela mixing desk, Otari 2-inch 24-track recorder, Yamaha 16-track digital mixer, Genelec monitors and comprehensive sound multitrack recording on the subcontinent.

programs in the country including Doctor Narendranin Vinodha Vazhakku (The Strange Trial of Dr Narendran) and En Iniya Endira (My Sweet Robot), both of which were highly acclaimed by TV audiences.

However, as is often the case, new opportunities arose from the ashes, and the subsequent rebuild saw Mr Kumar reinvent the studio. This was shaped by a friend whose company, Navodaya, was producing Bible ki Kahaniyan, a new TV serial by Indian state broadcaster Doordarshan. During this project Mr Kumar had glimpsed the future: computer-based editing. ‘Nonlinear editing was just beginning to happen, and I started looking around for the best option,’ he says. ‘From among the two or three choices available I settled on Avid, which looked like the most promising one.’

An Avid Film Composer was purchased by Navodaya, and Mr Kumar helped to set it up and train the staff. When a representative from the US manufacturer came to Chennai a couple of months later, he was reportedly surprised to see the

system up and running, editing the TV series that Navodaya had produced. Discussions with Mr Kumar led to Avid offering him the opportunity to promote and sell the technology in India, and in 1992 he joined forces with Jayendra Panchapakesan, a set up Real Image.

editors back then to switch to non-linear editing was enormous. ‘Most of the editors in the early nineties were not from apprenticeships,’ he remembers. ‘They didn’t even know how to operate a computer, so we had to start from the basics and teach them how to use a mouse.’

studios quickly adopted the new technology, including Famous, Western Outdoor, Crest Communications, National Film Development Corporation and Filmkraft Productions.

of the leading studios in the south of the country as well as facilities in Mumbai,’ recalls Mr Kumar. ‘The technology was

Qube Cinema Technologies – previously Real Image –has come a long way since its early eighties debut in South India. Caroline Moss reports

Company HQ in ChennaiThe Real Image Team at Broadcast India 2016

L to R: Senthil Kumar and Jayendra Panchapakesan

Preview theatre

By that time, excellent sound was being created in postproduction studios across the subcontinent. However, most cinemas were equipped with poor sound systems that were unable to do justice to the new, improved soundtracks.

improve sound in the cinemas. The resulting tie-up with Digital Theater Systems (DTS) would enable Indian cinema to skip a generation, going directly from mono sound to digital.

established whereby 20 units were installed in cinemas around three years the format had taken hold, and was being licensed across the country. leading studios, specialising in mixing in the DTS digital features and television programmes including Aladdin and The Lion King into Indian languages.

the century, the company was turning its attention to video.

aggregation platform, and the following year, Justickets, the

and Hyderabad. Recent innovations include the Qube Cinema Network, which uses patented technology to allow centralised control of advertising with local control of movie selection and window system for theatrical distribution into all territories across the world. This allows distributors to manage their theatre in the world.

the perfect time to change the way movies are distributed Ramachandran, who is actively involved in the development

technology, and began to develop its own. In 2003 Qube Digital Cinema, an end-to-end solution for the mastering, distribution initially rolled out across Tamil Nadu in 2005, and by 2007, Guru

Initiatives have been introduced over the years, such as watermarking and advanced forensic technology to combat piracy, as well as 3D formats. By 2010 the company had developed a cost effective, non-DCI 3D digital cinema server,

However, its original business of providing technology to the the 50-strong Real Image technical marketing team continues and Dubai.

established worldwide, with more than 7,000 systems installed including around 4,000 in India. It is the only Indian company to produce DCI-compliant digital cinema technology, and one of the few worldwide. The company masters nearly 1,800

level of security, comprehensive theatre database and unique feature set will be invaluable for global content owners,

the exacting needs of DCI. ‘Qube Cinema is committed to creating a seamless world of digital cinema with products that

technology along with vast experience in the production, postproduction and exhibition industries – a unique combination of expertise that has helped in the development

www.qubecinema.com

At the 2016 Digital Studio Awards Rajesh Ramachandran

QC department

Mastering engineers

Gaining experience with Jünger

DAVID

CHAN HAS REPRESENTED GERMAN BROADCASTING

brands for almost two decades now, drives a BMW and has developed an understanding of the language. So when he assumed a new role in 2014, it came of little surprise perhaps that the Malaysian entrepreneur was representing a Berlin-based company. As general manager for Jünger Audio Asia (JAA) Systems in Malaysia, the distributor has taken on a wider range of products to distribute throughout South East Asia. It may have taken almost two years to reveal, but the business portfolio now presents an eclectic mix of products, not all of which are German, to provide a full turnkey solution for TV and radio broadcasters.

Having graduated in R&D engineering, Mr Chan initially cut his pro audio teeth working for Klotz Digital. As part of an internationally acclaimed team assembled to work on illustrious projects such as the Putrajaya Convention Centre, he gained invaluable experience. When the opportunity arose in 2004, he co-established Salzbrenner Stagetec Asia with fellow ex-Klotz Digital employee Philip Gan. Under no illusions at the time, Mr Chan realised that developing a high-end German digital console brand with no heritage in the region would require a long term strategy. Following the departure of Mr Gan he further developed the business by adding compatible broadcast products to the Salzbrenner Stagetec Asia portfolio, including Jünger Audio.

Following Mr Chan’s decision to step down from the managing director role at Salzbrenner Stagetec Asia, he was

approached by Jünger Audio Asia’s MD Kim Poh Tan to helm its Malaysian subsidiary, JAA Systems. ‘We had distributed Jünger Audio for six years at Salzbrenner Stagetec Asia and I was familiar with their quality products and the respect they commanded in the broadcasting market,’ he comments.’ I therefore showed no hesitancy in deciding to develop their distribution business in South East Asia.’

Differentiating itself from Jünger Audio Asia (JAA) which is based in Singapore, the Malaysian company – with ‘S’ standing for system is primarily established to provide Jünger service and support to its customers regionally including Astro MEASAT. JAA.S is currently based in One City USJ, and

support is the main focus. ‘Mr Tan explained that he wanted me to take the business forward as part of his succession policy,’ he furthers. ‘While promoting some of Jünger Audio’s solutions including Level Magic to broadcast stations, I realised we were lacking a mixer in our portfolio that would help us better compete for project tenders.’

To rectify this, JAA Systems took on Klotz Communications within weeks of Mr Chan joining the company. The appointment represented a homecoming of sorts for Mr Chan. ‘I have always been a big fan of their radio mixers and digital audio routers such as the Graphite 1, Graphite 2, Integra and Touchstone consoles, in addition to the new AoIP g2 platform, which is compatible with Vadis products by Klotz Digital. I was part of the team that helped to develop the Klotz brand in Malaysia over 15 years ago. The clients I keep in contact with still use the equipment we sold and installed then, with some installations dating back more than 15 years. Our aim is not only to make the Klotz brand strong again but to take it to the next level’.

Prior to Klotz Communications, JAA.S had also opted to distribute Prodys in Malaysia and Indonesia. Soon after, the addition of Orban audio processing products for the Malaysian market followed. ‘Klotz, Orban and Prodys products are quite well-known and established in this region, so we were honoured to be able to promote these brands to our many customers,’ explains Mr Chan.

Having been synonymous with German brands during a career spanning and narrow with new role at JAA.S

Peter Pörs, Kim Poh Tan and David Chan

David Chan and Azhar Latiff of JAA.S at the Astro Awani studio with the newly installed Calrec Brio.36 console

During IBC 2016 JAA.S announced it had entered into an agreement to distribute Calrec. Having promoted German console and networking broadcast technology for over 10 years, the decision to represent a UK audio mixing broadcast console manufacturer broke that trend. Furthermore, the sales territory was expanded beyond Malaysia to Indonesia and Singapore with the recent addition of the Philippines and Thailand as well.

‘I decided to attend the Brio36 launch at NAB last year and couldn’t help to be impressed with its attractive price performance features,’ recalls Mr Chan. ‘I spoke to Ian Staddon from sister company DiGiCo and he asked if I wanted to distribute Calrec. I thought he was joking initially. However, following discussions with both Anthony Harrison and Dave Letson, it became apparent that we were on the same wavelength. It was never my intention to promote larger format consoles again, but Brio is really a small-medium-sized board and Calrec retains a good brand value.

‘I was initially impressed by the connectivity options together with the large capacity features of Brio. Furthermore, it can easily be adopted by live broadcasting applications, which until now have been the domain of analogue boards and live sound digital mixers owing to the price limitations of a true broadcast digital audio mixer. Malaysian and regional broadcasters could not easily afford a full broadcast digital board before, and with current analogue formats and live sound digital mixers, they were presented with a lack of capacity and broadcast-centric features. Brio changes this as it comes with 36 faders in a small does it offer a large number of channels with lots of I/Os and expand the platform with more I/Os when needed.’

So far, Mr Chan and his team have demonstrated the Brio36

and Artemis platforms to broadcasters at RTM, Astro Awani and Media Prima in Kuala Lumpur. ‘We happened to be in the right place at the right time at Astro Awani, as they were looking to upgrade one of their 24-hour news control rooms as the existing console was more than 10 years old.’

JAA.S has earned the trust of its clients and is called upon to deliver the goods when required. ‘We had just six hours of downtime to switch from our old mixer to the Brio console,’ explains Rizal Ali, senior assistant vice president, technical operation-management at Astro Awani. ‘With the help of JAA.S, we were able to integrate the new console into our facility and bring it online very quickly.’

JAA.S is now promoting new solutions using a combination of technologies to good effect outside traditional broadcasting

and A/V applications,’ explains Mr Chan. ’One such example is the Dolby Preview demo room at Astro’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. This involved collaboration with Dolby and as such we’ve created a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos listening environment. This has now led to another project in which we are creating a 40seat theatre designed to simulate cinema for the home user.’

Most recently, Media Prima Berhad (MPB) used a Calrec Summa console to handle the 5.1 surround mix during its live

coverage of the Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) annual singing competition. Staged at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur and broadcast to millions, the signal was levelled and converted to the Dolby E format using a Jünger Audio system before being streamed live via a satellite link to a cinema hall in Malacca. Once the signal reached the theatre, the audio was decoded and processed courtesy of another Jünger Audio system, and played back over the venue’s surround sound speaker setup. ‘The Summa is one of the simplest mixers that I have ever used,’ explains MPB head of sound Mohd Zaidi Mohamed Taib. ‘It is a true broadcast mixer, for which the audio quality is great and integration is straightforward.’

‘I learnt during my time at Salzbrenner Stagetec Asia that you cannot survive on large format console sales alone and that’s why we started to add higher volume, lower margin products providing us with more consistent sales,’ adds Mr Chan. ‘We’re not collecting brands for the sake of it as we are dedicated and committed to those that we represent. RTM for example has been using Klotz Digital for more than 15 years and this is a great endorsement for us. Our customers also happen to be friends, and without their support we wouldn’t be here. But you cannot survive on good friendships alone – you need to consistently deliver the right products and support; you have to go the extra mile.’

In addition to distributing products that are right for the market based on customer feedback, JAA.S has started to become involved with its own research and development. A recent collaboration with Media Lab Alliance has given birth to the MMS Lite. ‘This resulted from listening to what our customers wanted for their daily practises. The SMS Comms acts as a monitor for the audio signal, which can detect a fault to trigger an alert. It

and radio broadcasters, but it can also be adopted in industrial settings such as offshore oil and gas rigs. So with this product I’ve come full circle back to my R&D engineering background. It’s a straightforward product, but I’m really excited as it will allow us to test the market and if it makes an impact we can add more products alongside this.’

As JAA.S is distributing several brands throughout South East Asia beyond its native Malaysia, Mr Chan is enjoying developing

which is quite different from Malaysia, but we’re really enjoying the challenges. It takes time, but if you offer consistently good support with the right products behind you, the market gradually accepts you.’

www.jaasys.com

Calrec’s Anthony Harrison and JAA.S’ David Chan at IBC 2016

Dolby Laboratories C.T.O Craig Todd presents David Chan with a token of partnership at a Mediagrounp Academy

The next stage

New

‘A COMPANY IS ONLY AS GOOD AS ITS EMPLOYEES’ GOES the old saying. Extend this onto an international platform, substitute ‘partners’ for ‘employees’, and it’s an adage that formation in 1993. German engineers and business leaders the German methodology, precise attention to detail and an permeates through the company, from the way it handles and through to production.’

For many on the outside, this was a confusing time, and one the good result that we were expecting.

Riedel is one of the latest brands to join the Stagetec Asia portfolio. Here, Riedel’s Cameron O’Neill presents Advon Tan an award in recognition

ownership and a fresh plan of action is broadening Stagetec Asia’s horizons. Simon Luckhurst asks what’s changed and what’s next for the company

The entire team at Stagetec Asia

success in Malaysia and elsewhere in the Asia region during the television and radio sector’s migration from analogue to digital. ‘We are also a partner for DHD, Zenon Media, RTW, Linear Acoustic, Minnetonka, Adam Professional, Mobile Viewpoint, Sonifex and also now Riedel Communications, ASL Intercom, AVT (Audio Video Technology) and most recently,

A major foothold in the regional broadcast and live sound industry, combined with its German-backed pedigree, also affords Stagetec Asia a certain credibility when it comes to the transfer and promotion of new knowledge and skills. Soon after Academy in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, to educate users in the current and latest industry technologies.

‘It’s important to do lots of training to ensure knowledge transfer from Europe into the Asian market,’ enthuses Mr Tan.

time we appointed Jean-Paul Moerman, a European consultant

for the industry in Asia, but today we are an adviser for audio loudness for local broadcasters such as RTM, Astro Media Prima, as well as regional broadcasters. We advise them on the audio loudness formats and standards. Today, we conduct ongoing courses on audio loudness standards, sound design for broadcast, Dolby courses, surround sound mixing for live broadcasting, sports broadcasting and live concerts.

The overall philosophy behind the Stagetec Media Academy and other initiatives by the distributor is that of connecting people. ‘We want to build bridges between people, between products and people, and between products and solutions,’ explains Mr Tan. ‘We are a bridge to our partners across the region. The products that we represent are a connection to the solution for our clients. Our professional training is a connection that enables the transfer of knowledge through to our clients.

clients and staff. In the past, we have been very much productdriven, and from now on we are concentrating more on the overall solution and transfer of knowledge, which will ultimately

the Berlin parent company has given the distributor another

chance to introduce new solutions to its clients. ‘Right now we are introducing the Avatus and new Nexus components to broadcasters here,’ says Mr Tan. ‘At the same time, we’re also looking to do more business in South East Asia, particularly in territories such as Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. At this point in time, in many of those regions there is still an analogue way of thinking. Now that the the right time for us to start focusing on them.

‘As you can see, despite restructuring, our business continues, and is in fact even stronger than before. There was only a small period of uncertainty. All of our partners and clients are well aware of the ownership changes that have taken place and know that we are here to support them. We stay steady and do what we do best. After the restructuring, and with some great projects ongoing, things are going in a really positive direction.’

As Stagetec Asia settles back into its stride following a year of uncertainty, it’s reassuring to see an ambitious spirit reignited under Stagetec Berlin GmbH.

www.stagetecasia.com

A pair of 48-fader Crescendo Platinum consoles have been installed this year at Taiwan’s Formosa TV

Advon Tan with the new Stagetec Avatus console, which the distributor is now introducing to S

The distributor has outfitted four RTM radio stations with digital systems so far in 2017

Fundamentals of enhanced audio production - part 3

Dennis Baxter has been a sound designer for international sports

IN THE LAST FEW ARTICLES, WE HAVE EXAMINED THE concept of what immersive sound is as well as some of the tools you can use to achieve spatialisation. In this segment, we will discuss practical application and implementation of immersive sound design and production. Fundamental principles of sound design apply to 2D productions – stereo and surround – as well as 3D production – immersive sound – because most sound designs are inherently trying to create a sense of dimensional space and perspective for the picture. Immersive sound clearly improves the authenticity of the production. The challenge is how to use the additional dimension to contribute to the sound design and enhance the perspective of the production. Perspective is basic to any sound design and perspective certainly can be enhanced by the magnitude of the sound design and reproduction. For example, when you show the bobsleigh course from inside the bobsleigh, the intense sound from above, beside and fully around the listener completes the illusion of being inside the sled. This point of view (POV) of the athlete is an attempt to place the viewer closer to the competition. This method uses the surround channels and the height channels to reinforce the competition sound by moving some competition sounds to the sides, middle and above the Presenting the sound from the point of view of the spectator consideration and starting point for any two dimensional or three dimensional sound design. The POV of the spectator is a more traditional approach to sound design that establishes the viewer’s perspective from the venue seating while watching the event in front of them. This puts the sports sound effects in front of the listener and the ambience sounds around the listener. The use of the height channels to reproduce a sense of space above and around the event would seem to be the obvious designer is: what are those sounds above the spectators and how do these sounds contribute to the immersive experience? In most sports venues, the discernable sounds above the spectator would be the PA which includes chatter and music. However, audience adoption of immersive sound. For indoor venues and partially roofed outdoor venues, the listener really are. I have experienced situations where the sound above the spectators differs from what sounds you would expect or hope for. Mechanical noise and sound buildup are a event.

Each perspective appreciably contributes to the believability of the visuals and enhancement of the experience and each

Sound design is an evolving art and understanding how the height channel contributes to perspective is an ongoing process with discussion, mixing and listening tests.

Where do we start?

Film and drama have an obvious use for sound above the viewer. Weather, mechanical sounds or even effects are really above the ground action and contribute to the believability even though you may not see what is above. However, the obvious need for sound above the listener at a sporting event is subject to interpretation. I have heard 3D recordings of sports stadiums and understand the concept of being at the event, but most microphone sound experience from some mystical best seat in the house. The level of effectiveness for a sound production may guide the sound designer in effectual utilisation of immersive sound.

what do you use the immersive channels for and how does and other produced forms of entertainment programing, the height channels contribute to the believability of the production because aeroplanes and thunder really do exist above the useable sounds exist above the spectator and how they

The height channels

The height channels contribute to the creation of acoustic space. They reproduce the ambience above the listener and

are a factor in interjecting a more spacious impression of the space (such as an indoor swimming pool) is more realistically conveyed with immersive sound because the acoustics and brain remembers.

localisation and are effective tools for separating sounds. by unmasking audio elements. Unmasking sound elements allows them to be easily heard without increasing volume levels. Additionally, the height channels can contribute to a desired effect by surrounding the listener. For example, when the sounds are moving both laterally and vertically, it can contribute to a sense of speed and motion.

Finally, using the height channel to create and contribute to

channels, to positively reinforce speech, music and effects improving clarity, detail and even speech intelligibility.

Atmosphere production

Fundamental to the auditory experience is consideration for the acoustic space that surrounds the visuals and how it injects the listener into the visual space. A wide shot of a venue arguably calls for an expansive - wide-sound of the venue. With immersive sound atmosphere there is a natural perception that the sound appears more diffused as you move away from the sound source. This natural perception of depth can be replicated by the practice of capturing layers of sounds that are perceived to be close, moderately diffused and widely diffused and layering those sounds from low to high in the immersive sound mix.

Effects production

sounds can be achieved with elevation that can be applied to static sound elements or dynamic moving sound elements. Taking an effects mix and elevating and separating the channels has the effect of widening the sonic space and creating a cinematic effect with more sound all around the listener.

Dynamic sound elements/objects are audio sources that can be panned in the XYZ axis in real time by the audio mixer. This is a very powerful tool that realistically reproduces the sensation of motion.

Field sports tend to remain consistent with the soundfield production

Object-based audio

The sound design that has been discussed in this series of by ambisonic-based reproduction or by speaker/channel-

Music production

Music playback is common in sports production and an element can be easily up-processed into the height channels and used as

Changing sound perspectives

Contrary to the radical changes in picture and sound like the Spatialisation – spatial unmasking and phantom imaging using the spatialiser tools emanates only from that channel and not from any adjacent accurately localised in a dimensional space because of the

The big picture

Case study: half pipe production

THE AUDIO MIXER/SOUND DESIGNER MAY

of the sound is the dominant sound design element and is

dimensional sound production and reproduction techniques to

Audio sources can be panned in the XYZ axis in real time by the audio mixer

Adding a few degrees of separation among sound components expands the apparent soundfield

Using a mic cluster at the X Games Austin 2014

The NAB Show 2017

THE USA’S NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS (NAB) held its annual convention in its long-time traditional venue this April, encompassing all of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). The NAB self-describes as ‘the premier advocacy association for America’s broadcasters’. This year’s show theme was ‘The MET Effect, MET for media, entertainment and technology’. The expanded explanation of media, entertainment and technology are converging and becoming something far greater than the sum of their parts’. Preliminary registered attendance numbers reached 103,443 for the 2017 NAB Show, up from 102,513 in 2016. Of the total, representing 160 different countries, 26,714 individuals were international visitors, down slightly from the non-US attendee count of 26,781 in 2016. The exhibition featured 1,806 companies spanning over a million square 750 of the exhibitors were based outside the USA. Exhibiting including the likes of Google and Vimeo, indicative perhaps of that MET effect.

New technology-focused pavilions featured the latest

developments in the ATSC 3.0 television broadcast standard, connected cars, Facebook Live solutions and an IP showcase, demonstrating real-time

emerging interoperable standards.

Collected here are attention-grabbing products from the exhibition that still have folks talking.

Michael Johns, product manager for Shure’s new Axient Digital wireless microphone system introduced the new top-shelf product line at NAB 2017. In addition to touting the digital radio’s interference rejection capabilities, Mr Johns cited the system’s HD mode (which trades operating range for a 47 channel count per TV band), quadversity reception (allowing use of four antennas to pick up one microphone channel) and, with the ADX version of the transmitters, deployment of Shure’s Showlink technology for remote transmitter control from the receiver or from the company’s Wireless Workbench software control platform. On the impressively diminutive side of the equation, ‘we also have an automatically tuning and recalibrating internal antenna’, said Mr Johns.

While moving towards interoperability, the digital interface landscape is still populated with numerous standards and options. Wohler, which pioneered in-rack signal monitoring, is giving users audio and video options that can evolve with the broadcast market. ‘In the iAM series, we’re accommodating different signal technologies, particularly customers who are looking to work in a hybrid fashion,’ said Wohler sales VP Craig Newbury. ‘We’re enabling traditional signal inputs like analogue and AES, and MADI, and SDI, but also augmenting those on the same rear-panel with new technologies like audio-over-IP, Ravenna, AES67 and Dante.’ The iAM units also incorporate rear SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) interface slots for current and emerging formats like SMPTE 2022, 2120 and HDMI. The iAM series monitoring capability is being brought out of the rack by way of a browser-based remote monitoring interface which, Mr Newbury said, ‘means that customers can essentially can scale away from having to stand

in front of the unit itself and [instead] consume that data wherever they need it to be’.

The ubiquity of Audinate’s Dante networking means that ever more devices and elements of a production infrastructure can share a network. ‘The new product announcement, which is Dante Domain manager,’ was really driven around security, being able to add more security to a network revealed VP of marketing Joshua Rush,. Scale, being able to add more devices and more domains to a Dante network. And visibility accountability, reporting, networking, alerting; all of that is critical to growing a large Dante network.’

Analogue audio is still to be found at NAB, even if one has to look closely. Bittree, for example, has been making patchbays for nearly 40 years. As market changes have decreased the demand for large analogue patchbays, Bittree is extending its product line to serve new realities. ‘We’re still in the Oceanways of the world,’ said Ari Baron, general manager of Bittree, while acknowledging that production paradigms are shifting towards

Any discussion of wireless audio from NAB would have to include Lectrosonics’ Duet digital wireless IEM/ISB system, with compact transmitters and compact, battery-powered, stereo or dual-mono receivers. Noting that Duet was sales, Karl Winkler, also noted a bandwidth-saving feature – in each half-rack transmitter, four audio inputs (analogue or Dante) feed dual carriers with two channels each. For IFB use, that means four channels can be carried with only two carriers committed. Mr Winkler furthered that with Duet, ‘we can also use the receiver to do a frequency scan, and we can import that information into Wireless Designer’. The receiver data is shared via an infrared link, and can be used for frequency coordination of other Wireless Designer connected devices.

smaller installations. He added that, ‘as broadcasters are now being able to broadcast through Facebook and YouTube, the production studios are smaller and smaller and they don’t need the big infrastructure that they once did’. Bittree’s answer

a patchbay with 24 TT-jack ins and outs that are front-panel programmable for normalling – conceived to pair with such hardware as API’s Lunchbox.

The trending focus of the exhibition on Audio-over-IP and software solutions continued this year at NAB. Albeit that most have a network interface, there were still innovations in gear and software to be found in the acres of exhibition space

The NAB Show day one crowd

Michael Johns – Shure

Craig Newbury – WohlerJoshua Rush – Audinate

DiGiCo’s new SD12 is all about control in a mid-sized footprint, with dualscreens and the detail strip from the SD5 and SD7, plus a built-in recording interface for virtual soundchecks. Speaking of control, DiGiCo’s S21 and S31 now have iPad app control.

Blackmagic Design’s acquisition of Fairlight turned some heads last autumn and at NAB that attention snapped into focus as it demonstrated how quickly Fairlight’s audio prowess was incorporated into the multioperator version 14 of Blackmagic’s correction platform, Davinci Resolve.

‘For some of the market, that’s what they’re looking for because they tend to do FOH and monitors,’ noted Matt Larson, US national sales manager for professional audio for DiGiCo distributor Group One. ‘The app can actually control multiple faders at once, not just one or two.’ DiGiCo has also introduced the Stadius Ultimate 32-bit mic the leading edge that it will hold that status for years. ‘It’s a groundup design with superior sonic performance all the way through,’ stated Mr Larson. ‘It’s got its own dedicated power supplies, with dual 32-bit converters on every single channel, completely shielded all the way through, including the XLR.’

‘Fairlight is an established name in the audio market, but maybe hasn’t been that accessible to that many people because of its cost,’ said Blackmagic Design’s Stuart Ashton. ‘What we’ve been able to do with Fairlight is extract all of that software, all the quality and the R&D that’s been done over the last 25 to 30 years, and we’ve been able to put that software into its own independent tab within Divinci Resolve.’ While exponentially improving the software’s capability, Blackmagic has actually lowered the price of Resolve to US$299 from US$995, with much of that capability available in a free version. Increased adoption of the platform presumably will boost sales of hardware controllers – including the large console format Fairlight work surface – to harness the Resolve software, perhaps also staging a run for taking market share from Apple’s Final Cut Pro and Adobe’s Premiere Pro.

Calrec is leveraging its top-market broadcast console expertise downward to serve a new range of customers.

The Calrec Brio 36 compact broadcast console is cost effective, features built-in I/O and has a quick learning curve, according to marketing manager Kevin Emmott. ‘The control surface leads you through what you need to do to get a signal into it and to get it out the other end,’ he said. ‘In the US, especially, it’s been very popular in schools and colleges, because it’s cost effective enough for them to get it, but also what it does, it gives students the opportunity to work on a console that’s out there in the real world.’

2017 Dates: 24 – 27 April

2018 Dates: 9 – 12 April

Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center

Total exhibitors: 1,806

Attendance: 103,443

Contact: www.nabshow.com

Kevin Emmott – Calrec

Matt Larson – GroupOne

Stuart Ashton – Blackmagic Design

Koba 2017

JOINTLY OPENED BY THE KOREA BROADCASTING ENGINEERS and Technicians Association (KOBETA) and Korea E&EX, Koba 2017 got underway on 16 May for its annual four-day trade show. As in other countries, the annual national trade show – when professionally managed – is a good indicator of the economic development of that particular industry. Now in its

It’s a fairly consistent show as once again roughly 1,000 companies participated, occupying three halls with the latest proceedings, Koba ran the World Media Forum 2017 with a programme of international speakers, together with the International Broadcast Technology Conference run by the KOBETA and the Koba Technical Seminar.

As in previous editions, broadcast and video equipment enticed the masses to the upper third level halls, while the suppliers. Although technically a broadcast show, Koba has developed into becoming Korea’s main annual audio event, attracting a range of buyers from the touring, recording and as suppliers attempt to eke out a competitive advantage with such as Dasan SR and Sovico.

Sound and NAB, many new products were making their debuts

large Absen new Coda beyerdynamic wireless system Waves plug-ins and the DiGiCo SD12 Vulcan digital console.

performances and discussions with artists promoting Shure Axient

for Genelec, its large booth incorporated an impressive display of monitors including the 4000 series. In addition, the Shure display Intellimix audio conferencing processor.

Allen & Heath S7000 console, Yamaha

years of digital mixing’ banner. Avid really did seem to be everywhere boards evident on various dealers’ booths. Solid State Logic

Mixing consoles were in abundance. Ingang Audio promoted the Calrec ARX, Blue, Crest and Samson displays. Roland’s products the Sound Square booth with Martin Audio Blackline speakers. In addition to hosting an S6 console with Zon Acoustics, Nugen and PMC monitors, Music Metro showcased the API

the hottest item in our market currently,’ commented import are drawn to this product, the 1608 is attracting the attention

is a perfect partnership for them.’

Exhibiting in the content and video halls upstairs, Dongyang Digital displayed Studer Vista 1 Black, X and V models alongside

the On Air series including the new Glacier. The vast booth also hosted products from Fairlight Ghielmetti Lawo (VSM), Lynx, Orban (Optimod processors), Sonifex and Wohler

2

witnessed on the Sound Fox International booth, while a Fairlight EVO also took a prime location on the vast Blackmagic Design

show this year seems to be smaller than last year, but we still meet plenty of technicians and operators. The department to meet them there.’

Although some exhibitors highlighted the large proportion of students walking the show, many embraced tomorrow’s

The Sama ProSound booth hosted regular Shure promotions

TW Audio’s Bernard Wüstner with the Vera36 array system; Kim Hg of ASL with the latest column speaker

Chris Pyne with an Allen & Heath S7000; Roberto Mataloni flew to the KOBA show to support Kevic promote FBT; Meyer Sound introduced Ingang Audo as its Korean distributor

Gordon Smart and Dan Zimbleman from API joined its new Korean distributor Music Metro at this year’s exhibition

Iconyx Gen5 explanations were provided on the DK Vascom booth

integrators at Koba,’ observed Star Network Sound’s president Su Keun O. In addition to the TW Audio inventory of B, C, M, T and Vera systems, the supplier once again presented the eyecatching Leia virtual touchscreen display from Poland. Sound Solution hosted Adamson Systems, Countryman, D&M, Fenix, RCF and Sommer Cable exhibits alongside the Klark Teknik, Lab.gruppen, Midas, Tannoy and Turbosound brands from Music Group. To bolster the appeal of these products in HOW, educational, theatre and arts centre project tenders, the distributor has taken on Astro Spatial Audio. ‘For our customers who desire better room acoustics without having to reconstruct their venues, it’s a very cost effective solution,’ explained CEO Lee Hong. ‘As we are purely a distributor, we have a large team of designers that can exemplify and demonstrate the advantages of the Astro Spatial 3D rendering system in their performance space. Its application further enhances the overall appeal of our product range in a number of various vertical in from the Netherlands to support his new distributor at Koba. ‘With Sound Solutions, I know we’re in good hands here,’ he commented. ‘The team is extremely proactive in the market in terms of interaction with their vertical sectors and are focused in delivering solutions for their clients.’

In terms of microphone technology, Sennheiser was showing alongside products from the 9000, 5000 and 2000 series. The Ambeo VR 3D audio and Team Connect meeting collaboration technologies took a central position surrounded by a vast range of wired and wireless microphone products, earsets and Neumann studio models.

Audio-Technica was on display on the Seki booth, while Taiwanese wireless microphone technology was well represented by Chiayo, JTS and Mipro Danley SH46 and SH50 speaker systems took centre stage on the Media House booth, together with Carvin and Inspired Audio cabinets. Evident on the BLS stand was DPA with a large display including the 4099 instrument

models in addition to Braehler, DirectOut, DiGiGrid, Focal and Rode Televic also beckoned visitors with its conferencing solutions including Plixus towards the front of the hall. Although an increasing number of Korean manufacturers are becoming evident on the world stage, the domestic market ensures their turnovers are healthy. Daikyung Vascom, DLOGIXS, Inter-M and Kevic took the opportunity to discuss business in their native language. While the Ecler, ElectroVoice and Renkus-Heinz brands shared space with Daikyung Vascom and DLOGIXS products, Inter-M was exclusive in showing only its own networking, source, EN54 EVAC and loudspeaker systems.

Having distributed Electro-Voice many years ago, Kevic recently took on responsibility for FBT and dedicated a large booth entirely to the Italian manufacturer’s complete range of professional and contractor catalogues. ‘It’s an interesting market here in Korea and we’re delighted to be represented by Mr Jeung and his dedicated team,’ explained FBT export manager Roberto Mataloni. ‘Kevic is very competitive in government projects in addition to the private sector. There has been a lot of interest in our IP-66 rated Shadow speaker system, and one of our best sellers here is currently the portable Amico series.’

Absent from Koba last year, Meyer Sound was very much in evidence on the Ingang Audio booth, which has now taken up distribution for the entire range with the exception of the CAL column and cinema series speakers. In addition to barista

support its newly appointed distributor, while demonstrating the Amie monitors, MJF-208 monitor, 750-LFC and 900-LFC subs, as well as the Lina and Leopard line array modules. ‘It’s been a highly successful show for Meyer Sound,’ commented sales manager Brian Chow. ‘Although we are already very strong here in Korea, we are looking forward to working closely with Ingang Audio as they further develop business for us here.’ Further changes in distribution could be seen downstairs in hall A.

An Amphenol exhibit could be noted as an addition to Daon SD’s product line of Cornered Audio, JTS, Tendzone and Void Acoustics. ‘I’ve long been familiar with the brand and deeply admire the solid build and reliability of their connectors,’ explained Julie Lee. ‘Their new Dante connector provides us with a great opportunity to further develop the brand as South Korea fully understands the advantages of Dante and other digital networks.’ L-Acoustics continues to enjoy successful working relationships with Seoul Sound and Dream Sound in South Korea, but it used Koba as the platform to introduce a dedicated distributor. Designed to extend the appeal of its non-line array products cabinets together with the latest Syva column, Klausys has been tasked with sales, marketing and technical assistance. David and Dream Sound can now concentrate on what they do best – hosting world class productions and installing our products in the best venues. By making this appointment, we have opened up the sales channels more to the rest of the market.’ Taking the role of support act to L-Acoustics, Klausys has also added the LK Connectors and Eurocable brands from Link in Italy and ASL Intercom from the Netherlands. ASL

and Enchorus digital systems. ‘Klausys understands our technology very well and is active in the theatre, OB and live sound markets, so the timing was right.’

Well-organised and vibrant, Koba’s national appeal is evident suppliers serving this unique, highly demanding and mature market are wary of simply showing face to encounter the same attendees each year. As they seek more focused, intimate, cost effective means to deliver their marketing message, Koba may stimulate sales enquiries.

2017 Dates: 16 - 19 May

2018 Dates: 15 - 18 May

Venue: COEX convention and exhibition centre, Seoul

Total exhibitors: 1014

Attendance: 40,191

Contact: www.kobashow.com

(Clockwise): Thomas Kautz from Brahler Systems with the latest Digimic lean conferencing solution; Jan Pages of Ecler and Patrick Han from DK Vascom with Ecler IP65-rated IG108 speakers; The Blackmagic Designs booth was home to a Fairlight EVO console

Live demonstration on the Electro-Voice booth

(Above): The Daktonics team

(Below): Media House showcased loudspeakers by Carvin, Danley and Inspired Audio; Soundus’ DJ Kwan with the DiGiCo ‘Vulcan’ SD12 console

Ace Yip and Anthony Harrison from Calrec on the Ingang Audio booth with the Artemis console

Jason Lee from Samasound in the Genelec monitoring booth

Broadcast Asia 2017

Broadcast Asia returned to Suntec City in a new three-day format this year.

HAVING ABANDONED ITS IBMX TAG ON THE SHOW FLOOR of the Marina Bay Sands Exhibition Centre in May 2016, Broadcast Asia returned to Suntec City under the newly created guise of ConnecTechAsia. Encompassing EnterpriseIT and CommunicAsia in addition to a new division spotlighting emerging technologies christened NXTAsia, the newly-created brand anticipated a healthy increase in visitor numbers following on the heels of NAB only four weeks prior to the event, those debuted products and technologies could only further embolden Broadcast Asia’s credentials.

Coinciding with a new three-day format, the return to Suntec City has created more space for other events at Marina Bay Sands. Perhaps this was the reason for the queues of eager attendees lining up at the registration counters at both venues

there was plenty for 40,000 visitors to see, as 1,800 exhibitors from 62 countries revealed their latest technology in the combined exhibition space of 65,000m2

executive of show organiser UBM SES, who explained that the division of the shows was down to the proliferation of technology’s impact on industry and society. Identifying key themes of 2017 as being the Internet of Things, cyber-security,

industry in Asia today as being the transition to IP. Accordingly, the Broadcast IP Inter-Op lab was introduced this year at Suntec

This year’s theme of ‘Imagination Unbound’ attempted to engage the changing ways in which people are consuming media largely focusing on continued digitalisation, broadcast audio-over-IP, 4K/Ultra HD (UHD) and high dynamic range the technologies being developed to facilitate those changes.

Setting its stall out within the relatively newly refurbished venue, level three enticed visitors with a packed conference schedule, whilst levels four and six were home to a variety of suppliers exhibitors argued that a segregation of TV and radio based technologies on both levels would perhaps enhance visitor clarity, the conglomeration of showcased technologies ensured an even dispersion of activities.

and a multitude of national broadcast shows all vying for attention, Broadcast Asia needs to cement its status as a regional hub for future exhibitions. Over the three days, it would appear the switch to Suntec City clocked up slightly lower visitor numbers and only 45% of visitors heralded from overseas destinations. This statistic prompted several exhibitors to propose that most Vegas, leaving facility managers and technicians to visit Broadcast Asia. However, most exhibitors stated that those who had come to familiarise hardware were more dedicated professionals who had not merely wandered up the escalator to take a break from EnterpriseIT.

developments and possibilities.

The organiser was ill prepared for the registration queues that marred the opening two hours on day one; The Broadcast IP Theatre on level 6 hosted many crowded workshops

Klotz ais Peter Klotz and Norman Lim together with Klotz Communications’ Andre Sauer welcome Chad Batchelor and Andre Supryanata to their booth

Team Beyerdynamic

Miyoun Park from Laon Technology

Canon’s Johnny Ng

ASL Intercom’s Wil Stam

Yellowtec’s Andy Mikutta

Boon Siong Tan, Andreas Hilmer and Gregor Erlitz, promoted Lawo’s 3.0

CEDAR Audio’s Gordon Reid on the CDA Audio booth engaged in a conversation regarding the DNS2

What did the exhibitors think about Broadcast Asia 2017?

Anthony Gofton, vice president, Asian sales, Solid State Logic: ‘We prefer it now that the show has moved back to Suntec City, it’s a more central location. The division of the show has affected the amount of visitors we are seeing, but the people here are coming because they know what they want.’

Advon Tan, director, Stagetec Asia: ‘We have been seeing quality visitors who are really involved in the industry this year, but not a big crowd because the shows have been divided into the two locations.’

Andy Tan, sales director, Ross Video: ‘We have been very busy welcoming quality crowds similar to what we experienced last year although with the exhibit space and change of location, I have to say our booth was better positioned. Our top customers came and we also had quite a number of walk-ins including a good mix of international visitors from Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India. We introduced 11 new products including the Abekas family of video servers, the latest generation of Furio SE and the Graphite all in one production solution at NAB, so many

Yoichiro Hosoi, TASCAM: ‘We’ve taken our own stand at good move. As a manufacturer we want to show a strong presence. Lots of Singaporean customers have been visiting our booth, and we’ve also had many visitors from other countries including Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Indonesia and India.’

Daniel Shihata, regional sales manager, S E Asia, TSL Products: ‘Broadcast Asia is a good opportunity for us to meet key customers, and we’ve met lots of people from Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh. I’ve noticed a drop in attendance from places like Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines though, and I don’t think that’s down to splitting the show locations this year. It could be there’s a slight downturn in those markets, or that it’s close to Ramadan this year.’

2017 Dates: 23 – 25 May

2018 Dates: 26 – 28 June

Venue: Suntec City, Singapore

Total exhibitors: 1,800+

Attendance: 40,000+

Contact: www.broadcast-asia.com www.sesallworld.com

Video: https://youtu.be/W_UB_qguMBQ

SSL Asia’s Malcolm Chan with SSL’s Anthony Gofton promoting the Live L200

Stagetec Asia’s Advon Tan

Ross Video AP sales director Andrew Tan promoted Furio, Mira and Graphite

TSL’s Chris Exelby, Swarup Mukherjee and Daniel Shihata

Peter van Beusekom, sales and technical support engineer, Orban, with the Optimod-FM 8700i featuring the patented Xponential Loudness algorithm

Digigram’s Samuel Defour and Nancy Diaz Curiel

Mark Humrichouser, vice president, Americas and Asia Pacific, with the team from Shure Asia, which chose to exhibit at CommunicAsia at Marina Bay Sands

Taku Uesugi, assistant manager, sales group, Roland, with the VR-4HD A/V mixer for web streaming. ‘We have met many customers from all over Asia.’

Audio Technica’s S K Tan, Christina Koh and JinFu Chen promoted several mic solutions used on their Audiolog Kuala Lumpur video

RTS Intercom’s Fredrik Borjesson joined his Bosch Singapore colleagues to promote the Roameo wireless keypanels

The technology behind Broadcast Asia

Pro Audio Asia

Anthony Harrison, international sales manager, Calrec: ‘Everyone is talking about audio-over-IP, and the trick is making it work for your installation, so our approach is agnostic towards the different protocols. We’re supporting it all and letting the end users decide. In terms of major installations based on IP structures, it is early days but we are ready for it.’

Marcus Brooke, managing director, Sonifex: ‘Audio-over-IP is the big one for us; our products use Ravenna, and new for the show we have the AVN-TB10AR 10-station talkback intercom with AoIP portal. We are in a good location at the show as we’re near the Audio-over-IP forum and people are being drawn past us and the new products.’

Lawrence Tan, assistant general manager, Yamaha: ‘Audio-over-IP is the main thing right now. There are so many structures around but key to the process is central management software that can monitor everything. Dante is providing possibilities for this as its open architecture is being adopted by many manufacturers, which is a very good thing.’

Daniel Lovell, audio product specialist, Avid: ‘Our industry is all about trying to capture audiences, and whether it’s via immersive audio, high dynamic range vision or virtual reality, it’s all about telling a story. We’re really lucky that we’re in a time where companies are developing platforms for that technology, which people can access on their phones, tablets and laptops. It’s about having the tools to tell a great story and it’s a really exciting time to be in the industry.’

Richard Lim Heng, director, Asia, Blackmagic Design: ‘We’ve been focusing on developing 4K content creation and production right from a camera all also developed small footprint cameras for integration into a 360 rig, and in postproduction this footage can be made into immersive video. On the audio side, Fairlight can handle up to 22.1 channels so is fully equipped to handle immersive audio. And we’ve transported the entire Fairlight platform to our Davinci Resolve software, so users can carry out audio and video editing and colour correction within the same software.’

Eugene Yeo, general manager, Acoustic & Lighting System: ‘There’s a growing trend for big live entertainment TV shows in this region, so our focus is on full integration of the entertainment element for live streaming, providing the entire infrastructure backbone from audio to video to lighting. As well as the growing family of SSL Live consoles, we are focusing on the d3 integrated video production suite which is a media server and also a real-time 3D

towards virtual and pre-visualisation. It saves time on setups, and can also be used as a presentation tool.’

Simon Jones, global business development manager, Sennheiser: ‘Ambeo is an umbrella for all things immersive, from speaker setups to mic setups to software. It is all part of the Sennheiser drive towards immersive audio, from consumer through to pro. We picked 30 companies to create immersive experiences for our virtual reality demonstrations, and it’s been very well received. VR has given ambisonic recording a real vehicle for the mass market.’

David Tan, director of sales and marketing, JAA.S: ‘The buzz word now is IP and streaming, and everyone is offering Audio-over-IP systems. We are showing products such as the Quantum XL from Audio Design which can transmit audio over 3G and 4G and back to the studio via IP. We’re also showing Junger Audio’s Smart Audio which automatically delivers audio content with minimal requirement for manual control or operator intervention.’

Yamaha’s Koay Kheng Ying, Aloysius Tang, Andy Cooper and Lawrence Tan

Calrec’s Anthony Harrison and JAA Systems’ David Chan with the Brio 36

Marcus Brooke from Sonifex

Avid’s Craig Dwyer, Ozzie Sutherland and Daniel Lovell demonstrating Dolby Atmos mixing for Pro Tools HD and S6

Richard Lim Heng, director, Asia, Blackmagic Design

Acoustic & Lighting System’s Eugene Yeo, Yeo Kim San and Michelle Yeo

Kim Poh Tan of Junger Audio Asia with David Chan from JAA Systems

Sennheiser’s Ambeo virtual reality presentation drew the crowds

Palm Expo India 2017

THE FIGURES LOOK GOOD. ACCORDING TO SHOW ORGANISER

Asia Business and Conferences (ABEC), the level of both exhibitors and visitors at Palm Expo India was this year up by around 20%. And the show’s footprint – now 27,000m2 –certainly seemed expanded.

ABEC’s decision to split the audio and lighting/staging exhibits the audio hall seemed to interpret this as a licence to actually produce audio as speakers were regularly cranked up to earshattering volumes.

Yamaha Music India was showcasing its own brand together with Nexo for instruments and consoles, Nexo line arrays and speakers. Meanwhile the adjoining hall showcased the equipment in a live setup, to great effect. Nearby Demo Qubes numbered four this year as RCF, LAX, Roland and Bose took advantage of a proper space in which to unleash the decibels.

Harman, which was hosting the Live Arena for the eighth year, demo needs to be in a properly treated, curated environment,’ explained Prashant Govindan, director, professional division, performances so we want good, real-life content to be played.’ line array demo receiving a visit from the authorities following

Eventually the demos were allowed to continue in short bursts, angering those who’d invested time and money to take part. ABEC was promising compensation, meanwhile blaming the Bombay Exhibition Centre for moving the demo site without shortcomings of the venue.

the show is very different,’ said Rune Jacobsen, newly appointed VP of sales at Dynaudio, who was on the stand of distributor

parallel importers, but now things are more settled, with proper dealers and distributors.’ fantastic show,’ added DiGiCo’s VP of sales Ian Staddon from exhibition is really high and the market has matured. There are good quality visitors who know more about what they’re looking at.’

KV2 Audio done, the exhibition is better run and the halls and the outdoor areas are nicer. A big part of this is because of the development of the industry and for us it’s an important exhibition.’ Naveen Sridhar, from beyerdynamic India has been coming to the quality of visitors is increasing,’ he commented. Others questioned the relevance of attendees to their sort of visitors we are looking for,’ said Sunny Chhibber from Acoustic Arts.

hungry for entertainment, it’s almost a given that Palm Expo 2018 will be bigger than ever.

Now in its 17th year, Palm Expo India holds a mirror to the region’s rapidly expanding entertainment industry. PAA looks at how the show is faring

Registration queues went round the block on the first day

The Yamaha and Nexo demo halls

The Stonewater and Precision Devices teams on the PD booth

Sun Infonet’s Neeraj Chandra and Allen & Heath’s Chris Pyne showcase dLive to attendees

Beatbox Entertainment director Suchit Ahuja

Outline’s Giorgio Biffi (right) with Gaurav Malvai from new distributor Global Pro Audio Management

Jurgen Eicker of Nova with Rajesh Sadaranghani from Rivera International

Dena Tsui with the new double 12-inch speaker from Audiocenter

Ohm’s Gareth Coleman

A large team from Shure had come to assist distributor Sun Infonet with demos and the South Asian launch of Axient

Amphion’s Michael Di Stasio (right) with Dipanshu Mitra from Ansata

Adam Hall’s Chandan Mahtani with KEI director Sanjay Chawla

Daisuke Imagawa had travelled from TOA HQ in Japan to support S Raghuram and the TOA India team

Are international performances on the rise in India?

‘A few years back there was a surge of foreign acts, then it slowed down. But I think it’s starting to come back again. For an international artist the venue is very important, then you need to have the right staff and world-class equipment available locally. We now have access to all the big brands, and they are capable of supporting local rental companies putting on the bigger tours. Our RF experts will travel to support wireless gear on shows. The market is maturing, but venues still leave something to be desired.’ Vipin Pungalia, sales and marketing director, Sennheiser Electronics India

‘A reduction in entertainment tax would encourage more international acts, as the ticket price is still very high. Overseas, artists can perform multiple gigs, but I think we are still far away from that. Cultural changes are needed which probably won’t come until the next generation.’ Karan Nagpal, director, Sonotone

‘The only reason why big acts weren’t coming before is because the previous government enforced a ridiculous so we should see more coming through.’ Clifford Pereira, sales and customer support, Genelec

‘I don’t really see that many more international artists coming, though I think it’s been fairly consistent. The scene

here is still nowhere close to Europe or America. I think it’s easy for the industry to gear up for these productions now, but the rest of it is down to bureaucracy: permissions, organisation and policing. Even if our industry isn’t quite ready now, I think it could be very quickly. There is support here for the bigger brands.’ Sunny Chhibber, director, Acoustic Arts

‘People are expecting the taxes to come down, and then it’s much better than before. The promoters working on the event.’ Shiv Sood, director, Sound Team

‘I would say there are more international acts coming here now. The equipment required is more readily available, the level of expertise is much higher and people have more also seeing Indian artists and freelance engineers going abroad and being exposed to new equipment and ways of working, bringing that back and making those demands on the rental companies.’ Peter Owen, sales manager, L-Acoustics

‘There have been some international artists coming in the last few years, but many of the big artists are still

nights in on their way east. We have some of the highest entertainment taxes in the world, which drive ticket prices up. However, the industry can now provide what is needed for international productions. We have one of the highest concentrations of JBL product available for rent anywhere in the world – the Justin Bieber show had a complete JBL rider and also Martin Professional lights.’ Prashant Govindan, director, professional division, Harman International (India).

‘As the economy has grown there are more and more people in India now who can afford tickets for international bands. However, there are still problems with permissions and legislation, such as having to shut down at 10.30pm in most places. I think it’s improving in some cities but not at the pace that we’d like.’ Vikram Shetty, director of marketing, Stonewater

2017 Dates: 1 – 3 June

2018 Dates: 31 May – 2 June

Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre

Total exhibitors: 225

Attendance: 27,191

Contact: www.palmindia.com

Weifa Trussing

Frank Andrewartha from Quest Engineering introduced the Q1K compact amp on the Sun Infonet stand

Sonodyne stand party

Rasesh Parekh and Kekul Sheth of IES Harman’s Prashant Govindan with drummer Ranjit Barot and Ankush Agarwal

Karan Nagpal from Sontone with P.Audio’s Howard Chen

InfoComm 2017

What were the innovations on show as InfoComm made its biennial appearance on the East Coast of the USA?

DURING THE COURSE OF A TRADE SHOW, JOURNALISTS are often asked for their opinions of that particular show or indeed the industry it represents. With reference to InfoComm, it’s impossible to answer when trying to absorb almost 1,000 exhibits spread across some 75 aisles in addition to some 40

2 of carpeted Orange County follow, thoughts crystallise and patterns start to emerge. It would appear that the days when InfoComm participants

Perhaps the fear that the IT industry is hurtling like an out-ofcontrol juggernaut towards the A/V world is too stark a reality.

to assemble the preferred processors, speakers, screens houses of worship, educational institutes, conferencing rooms, ballrooms, bars, restaurants, outdoor pool areas, cruise ships but just as no man is an island, it’s rare to cite any hardware or software as a standalone solution.

New show elements including the TIDE conference, Centre enhanced the appeal of this year’s InfoComm. In doing so, a trade show, 3,700 attendees took part in InfoComm’s training

encourage pro A/V stakeholders to reimagine the technological of speakers shared their insights from the design, retail, entertainment, VR, AR and science communities. All presenters underscored how storytelling has become a critical aspect of mindset,’ offered InfoComm International’s director of growth by offering content and programmes that speak to

Day one queues at the registration booths

the outcomes achievable through A/V solutions,’ commented InfoComm International executive director and CEO David Labuskes. ‘As we build greater awareness of the magic of A/V, we believe the InfoComm show will continue to draw more and different market participants, from content creators to enterprise decision-makers. InfoComm 2017 has proven to be a Fortunately for loudspeaker manufacturers, physics hasn’t undergone a revolution since Edward W Kellogg and Chester W

However, the humble ceiling and box cabinet speaker continues to evolve and transform itself according to the whims of interior designers and systems integrators who jointly demand that

Bose appealed to ornate ceilings everywhere with its EdgeMax

InfoComm is where you can get excited about things like behind screen wall boxes

Around the demo rooms

For the third consecutive year, the exhibition granted an extension of opening hours to the demo rooms on the eve of the show. The opportunity to get a preview of the newly developed technologies and products ahead of the packed

Community’s punchy 30-minute demos promoted an extension to its I-series compact range, whilst Martin Audio showcased its Wavefront Precision speakers, Ikon technology and XE/LE monitors and Danley served up a mix of music from jazz to bone shaking bass to better exemplify its SM80LF system and Jericho 6 horn.

Immersive audio is making further inroads, for which Meyer Sound’s Constellation setup combined 56 speakers and subwoofers including the IntelligentDC models, SpaceMap multi-channel panning and D-Mitri processing to create a sonic envelope. L-Acoustics enticed passers-by with a Syva source system setup with the P1 networked audio processor in addition to a special L-ISA immersive audio experience. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, Alcons Audio teamed up with fellow Dutch innovator Astro Spatial Audio to promote immersive audio technology incorporating an Alcons cinema systems and Sara 3D. An extensive Tannoy DI8 system fell short of being immersive, but live music being played through it helped to promote the Klark Teknik Reverb Twenty Four 3D multi-channel reverb processor in the Music Group demo suite.

With a stronger dollar, more loudspeaker manufacturers from the Euro zone are making their way to the world’s largest single market. Whilst Kling & Freitag debuted its developer Coda Audio promoted its three-way Arrayable Point Source (APS) system with a live vocalist and selected tracks in a demo room. The Soundscape demo conducted by d&b audiotechnik showcased the DS100 platform and its ability to modify the acoustic environment. RCF showcased its Art series speakers, HDL6 line array system/Sub8003A subwoofers with the latest FIR-Phase settings, whilst sister company dBTechnologies plugged its ES1203 speaker system operating via the Aurora Net software in addition to the VIO S318 and S118 subwoofers. A wide range of

speakers incorporating PhaseGuide Technology, purposely designed to provide a room with even dispersion from a peripheral out-of-sight cornice. Electro-Voice enhanced its wallmounted credentials with its latest Evid Compact Sound series, created to simplify wiring connections together with quick, secure mounting options.

The ‘network’ continues to entice or discourage products from joining its carousel, so the whispers that Audinate will soon become a listed company were generally welcomed.

QSC laid down its claim as the standard bearer of AVC/ IT convergence having developed the Core 2200 and 5200 processors. The Californian manufacturer further reinforced its position by announcing collaborations with Atlona’s Omnistream and Attero Tech. The Audio tag seems to have been omitted from the company name – a software company in the making perhaps. The audio world revolves at a more sluggish rate than IT, but some companies like QSC and Biamp Systems are orbiting away from the pack as they cater for giants such as Intel and Dell. Having unveiled the TesiraLux platform at InfoComm 2016, Biamp revealed it will soon be shipping the video-based platform.

Given the ubiquity of smartphones and the tendency of smartphone users to have ear buds handy, the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) movement is growing with potential applications expanding. Listen Technologies has been one of the pioneers in the category of assistive listening and personal streaming audio solutions. The Listen Wi-Fi v2.0 solution is scalable, offering up to 48 channels of audio to up to 1,000 listeners.

unique speaker solutions were on offer in K-array’s room including portable (Axel and Pinnacle), installed (Tornado, Vyper, Kobra, Python and Lyzard) and concert sound (Firenze) systems together with the latest Domino cabinets and Mastiff monitors. DAS Audio raised the SPL’s with SoundForce, Nexo rolled out the M120 line array and KV2 Audio explained the design philosophy behind its VHD technology.

ADATive Anna and Otto components together with QX point source and Radius series’ took the stage for EAW RenkusHeinz C- and T-series models. Meanwhile, Shure educated visitors

networked systems software and MXA910 ceiling arrays for VoiceLift applications.

Coda Audio’s Luke Jenks, Svetly Alexandrov, Ineke Priepot, Paul Ward and Michael Creason

Andrea Torelli explaining the Anakonda principles to an interested attendee

George Goodwin from the RCF USA office proudly presenting the large format array HDL 50 A

dBTechnologies’ Marco Cantello with the latest ES1203 system

ISI’s John Krupa and FBT’s Roberto Mataloni presenting the Ventis, Vertus, ProMaxX, Mitus, Archon, Shadow, Muse and SubLine series

One Systems’ Amanda Whatley and Doug MacCallum with the new Silver Series direct weather speakers

Williams Sound engaged listeners with its Hearing HotSpot real-time audio via Wi-Fi further demonstrating scalability, unlimited channels and ultra-low latency. ‘It’s all about the audio environment you create for each individual who enters your space,’ explained CEO Paul Ingebrigsten. Sennheiser previewed its own approach to this product category with the 1U Connect Station CS1-M hub and companion Wi-Fi access point module and the MobileConnect smartphone apps. Meanwhile, ClearCom has added mobile phone compatibility to its LQ series of intercom-over-IP devices, with LQ Agent-IC software allowing Intercom IP app users to connect via mobile phone regardless of location.

Acoustic treatment is a surging marketplace, according to Primacoustic’s Steve Dickson. The growth is not only in its traditional role of managing acoustics for music production, playback and performance, but also for spoken word and in less traditional spaces ranging from schools to restaurants. ‘It’s a much easier sell now than it used to be,’ commented

Mr Dickson. ‘There’s a perception within the industry that acousticians have created an elitist science out of acoustics and so many SIs generally stayed away from it. But what they realised over a period of time is that it’s just a matter of installing the correct number of speakers in that commercial room. In the InfoComm world, in most instances, we’re dealing with square and rectangular rooms, and the percentage of absorption is really important in those rooms. So, if you’re just treating a room for speech attenuation, you only need 10% absorption. If you get to 15%, you can cover a little bit of video playback, or maybe a guy playing an acoustic guitar on a Saturday night. Around 20% covers the church with the contemporary service and at 30% you’re getting into home theatre and some performance theatres. Crucially, it’s just getting that right percentage.’

It’s six months since Harman,including its AMX and Martin Professional brands, was acquired by Samsung. Located far away from the red carpet of the audio halls, the company’s display was less audio-orientated than ever before. Almost

Clear-Com’s Steve Watanabe presented the LQ series updates

Brian Hogue from GCI Distribution with Lars Heinrich from Kling and Freitag

Aten’s Rojin Liao with the VM3200 32x32 modular matrix switch

Antonio Peruch, Francesco Faninni and Marc Kocks from Powersoft combine InfoComm work with pleasure

Allen & Heath’s Glenn Rogers with the newly launched dLive LX168 expander rack

Work export manager Ricardo Martinez with the BlueLine DSP connectors

DPA Microphones’ Evan MacKenzie urged visitors to Get Closer

QSC Audio’s Kristine Fowler presenting the newly launched Enterprise Core 2200 and 5200 processors

Wendy Charak with the jacks and plugs Switchcraft guitar

Lectrosonics’ Max Francis with the M2T Duet Digital Monitor System

Clair Brothers’ Josh Sadd and Wayne Grosser with the new C series

Yuval Kramer demonstrates the Kramer Sound and Waves Audio-powered IP-based DSP engine

Maureen Hayes and James King woo visitors to their demo suite

mirroring a modern installation where the interior designer has dominated proceedings, the newly launched Crown CDi DriveCore JBL AE Powered and LCT 81C/T ceiling tile loudspeakers did not leap out of their display settings. However, the buzz on the booth was tremendous. The show’s alternating locations draw unique audiences – Florida entices more individuals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and of course the Eastern seaboard of the

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

USA. With its off-site attractions, Las Vegas arguably appeals to visitors more than Orlando, although the statistics tend to take away credence from that claim.

Challenged to provide this very article as soon as the curtain came down is a thankless task. What you see here is a mere sample of the show. The new launches will appear in the products sections over the forthcoming editions, whilst our new website provides a visual report by way of a short video.

2017 Dates: 14–16 June (Orange County Convention Centre, Orlando)

2018 Dates: 6–8 June (Las Vegas Convention Centre)

Total exhibitors: 950

Attendance: 44,077

Contact: www.infocomm.org

Chiayo promoted Messenger Pro portable speaker solution

Australian QSC Audio distributor TAG brought a team of leading A/V consultants to demonstrate the Q-Sys platform

Adamson Systems sales and marketing director James Oliver with the IS10 and IS119 speaker system

Revolabs’ Phil Marechal and Michael Fitch demonstrating the new CS700 video sound collaboration system

Earthworks product specialist Craig Breckenridge with the new CTF microphones

JTS Microphones’ Dowson Yu with UC900 RX Antenna Combiner

Williams Sound’s Paul Ingebrigtsen promoting Hearing Hotspot

Building Bolero

RIEDEL’S BOLERO WIRELESS INTERCOM SYSTEM HAS captured the attention of many people since its launch. Features such as its Advanced DECT Receiver (ADR) technology and AES67 networking capabilities have made it an attractive proposition and as Jake Dodson, Riedel director of product management explains, this was the intention from the outset. ‘It all started with a theoretical exercise where we knew we had lots of problems ourselves with our existing products in terms bane of anyone’s life in RF because the environments we use wireless intercoms in are often constantly changing. We knew that we were sensitive to this and other companies’ products know if that idea was theoretically possible.’

Exploring and testing this theory led to a new receiver concept and ultimately formed the foundations of ADR technology. ‘It started off with theory and seeing if the maths worked,’ continues Mr Dodson. ‘Once we had got to the point of saying the maths works we then built a prototype device with this new series of algorithms running. We knew that we wanted to be in the DECT frequency space because it is generally licencefree globally and has the potential for very high performance. Because of the frequencies and the wavelengths it offers good

nobody had done DECT properly, including ourselves, so that was our initial starting point.

‘We built this breadboard proof of concept with the ability to switch the ADR on and off frankly blown away because the performance completely out did our expectations,’ he continues. ‘What we saw were improvements across a very wide range of time spreads. So we immediately realised that we had something in terms of the core foundational technology that we could build a really world-class product on top of.’ Running in parallel to this process, the manufacturer was also building Bolero’s product requirements. This aspect saw a project we used to run a waterfall development approach, very sequential,’ states Mr Dodson. ‘We decided we wanted the entire product development of the company to move over to an Agile methodology.

‘I look at Agile as a process,’ he furthers. ‘It obviously started out life in the software domain, but if you look at some of the core characteristics, what Agile is all about is teams committing

to a sprint. It is a commitment to doing something and at the end of it the result is tested on the internal customer but with daily scrums and daily standouts which encourage communication and problem solving. If you can’t solve the problem on your own you raise a hand and say you have an issue. That process starts to increase communication which is critical when you are developing areas with a lot of unknowns. If you already know how to solve the problem then it is very unlikely that you are going to be doing much on the innovation front because you’ve already solved those problems in the past, so what is going to come out is very average. Whereas if you’re pushing on the innovation side you are naturally increasing the number of unknowns in your environment so you have to have a mechanism to be able to tolerate that, otherwise you’d all believe that the task was impossible. I think that Agile helps in that process.’

Mr Dodson believes that development process was the collaborative environment it created. ‘We had multiple sessions that were purely focused on the product and the architecture before we really developed anything other than the core foundational technology. We spent six months just locking ourselves in a room on multiple occasions and arguing. We were able to create an environment where people could argue with each other without taking personal affront. Often people don’t suggest things because they are worried about being embarrassed. We were able to create an environment where people would suggest things and because we managed to get the team into that mode of operation we were able to challenge areas that we might never have challenged. The creation of that core team and that process meant that everybody felt a really high sense of ownership.’

Jake Dodson, Riedel director of product management

Bolero was put to use for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest

Bolero features a decentralised antenna structure on an AES67 network combined with a synchronised DECT layer

Do 10,000 likes make a sale?

THE WAY WE WORK, LIVE AND COMMUNICATE now means that it is almost impossible to avoid social media. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WeChat and LinkedIn are increasingly where people head to gather information. Pro audio companies have reacted to this with many focusing their efforts on increasing their social media platforms present and how are companies using them to grow their businesses?

‘We use social media to increase our brand image with a monthly promotion plan and sharing news about events,’ explains Apia’s Saverio Wongher. ‘We can reach many potential customers with targeted advertising and increase our brand perception in the market using the different platforms.’

‘With large-ticket items such as PA systems, social media is almost entirely used as part of the branding and communication toolkit, rather than for lead generation and sales,’ adds Nexo’s Ginny Goudy. ‘At Nexo, we started years ago. At that time, we had about 3,000 followers on Facebook, and in recent years, we have increased that to over 100,000. We’ve found that the Facebook platform best suits our material (usually photographic) and our message (succinct victory stories about new customers, concerts or installations), so it has become our primary social media channel. I’d describe the method as “endorsement by peer group”, so we keep the messaging oriented to the Nexo “family”, delivered in deliberately un-corporate language.’

‘Social media is an important part of Meyer Sound’s communications strategy,’ furthers media is a great medium for engaging with our audience and developing a steady cadence of conversation in the community.’

‘It helps us engage with our customers and potential customers,’ offers Harman Professional’s Stephanie O’Neill. ‘It helps us promote our products. It helps us gain brand awareness. It helps us offer support and earn repeat business. It keeps us in front of our customers and potential customers, so they come to us when they are ready to buy. Our social media efforts also help support distributors and dealers. In addition to sharing user-generated content from end users, we often feature our partners’ content, which extends their reach to our brand audiences. Conversely, our partners can also share our social media content on their channels, which adds to the original content they are creating themselves.’

‘The most important approach for our social media channels is that our content is users,’ explains Christina Balanon from Bosch Communication Systems. ‘Content, including promotions, are regionalised as necessary. We also put high value on user-generated

getting the most attention. We have a team that monitors our social media channels 24/7 so we can react immediately to customer inquiries. This team is in close contact with all departments including customer support, sales, tech support, R&D and marketing. This allows us to establish close contact with our fans and learn what they like, don’t like and the different ways our products are used. And this helps us create better solutions for our customers.’

Social media is a useful tool for user engagement and building relationships with a global community. But is there a direct link between social media likes and sales?

‘Likes are never going to be responsible for an end sale, because we are not selling baked beans, it is a considered sale,’ states Martin Audio’s James King. ‘What it shows is a level of engagement with the brand, maybe a particular interest in a product, or simply an entertaining piece of content. It is try to sell them something. That might come if they engage over a period of time, visit the website regularly, private message a query

the website. Ultimately what we focus on with social media is creating engaged audiences that are helping to spread our messages, generate advocacy and loyalty, and be a helping hand to them if we can, and that over the long haul will be part of the conversation to helping generate revenue.’

‘We get enquiries about new business, particularly via the messaging function on Facebook,’ adds Funktion One’s Mike Nicholson. ‘Generally speaking, however, social media is a way of communicating with a fairly wide audience and letting them know what we do. Some of that audience will be potential customers, who may see an event or installation featuring Funktion One, or a new product, that they are inspired by. It may lead to winning business, but it’s hard to put a measure on that.’

‘Pro audio people appreciate relevant knowhow and expertise,’ adds Denise Kipf from d&b audiotechnik. ‘Social media provides a means to access information, and – in the best case – share it easily with friends and colleagues. Whether a “like” leads to a sale will ultimately depend on the quality of the content. Right now, our social media objective is to involve the community, and increase brand awareness.’

All of these platforms also offer analytics, but there are mixed opinions about the relevance of this. ‘We don’t employ any analytics tools or anything, but we keep an eye on how big our audiences are and how quickly they are growing,’ says Mr Nicholson. ‘Certain types of posts get more reactions, but that doesn’t really affect what we share. Our audiences are growing and people like what we’re sharing, so we must be doing okay.’

‘Social media has many tools to measure effectiveness,’ adds Mr Wongher. ‘Our strategy is pushing everybody on our website

where we can see the real value of visitors and analyse which products provide the most interest.’

‘Overall, we look at engagement,’ offers Ms O’Neill. ‘This includes likes, shares and comments. The number of followers isn’t as important as it used to be – it’s about how much your followers engage with your company, your brands and your content.’

‘Facebook offers excellent analytical tools so we can examine the outcomes more closely than other social media options,’ furthers Ms Goudy. ‘For instance, we can see clear trends in terms of language and geography. Obviously there are rational explanations for some of this, such as the very high uptake in Latin American countries, where we have energetic distributors but there is also a dearth of high-quality pro audio publishing. Analytics also allows us to monitor comparable corporate pages, which helps to understand the size of potential audiences as well as our own penetration, and the rhythms of the market, for example around trade shows, product launches and seasonal swings.’

‘Social media analysis tools and big data user behaviour,’ states Ms Balanon. ‘We create several variations of a post or an advertisement to determine which version is more attractive and creates more impact. Some platforms (like Facebook) allow us to tailor promotions by target audience demographics and location. This allows us to be more precise and increase the chances that the content is relevant for the recipient. We also measure the effectiveness of our social media presence using various banners, traceable links and analysis tools, which give us a very detailed analysis of user behaviour. This impacts the content of our visual and verbal messaging including social media promotions and website content.’

It’s clear that social media is important to pro audio companies and can help their businesses. But as Mr King concludes, it needs to be part of a wider strategy. ‘Social media has helped generate awareness and advocates for the brand and has helped start initial conversations, but I honestly doubt that it’s ever solely been responsible for a sale. But it’s definitely increasingly part of the journey, part of the conversation. Our business is not about the hard sell and users of social media don’t want to be sold to, they want to learn, be entertained and be listened to.’

www.apia.pro

www.boschcommunications.com

www.dbaudio.com

www.funktion-one.com

pro.harman.com

www.martin-audio.com

www.meyersound.com

www.nexo-sa.com

Is social media just a way to communicate with your customers and celebrate their success or can it also be a genuine sales tool that helps to grow your business?