Pro Audio MEA March–April 2017

Will 2017 be remembered as the year of collaboration? Since the start of the year it seems like every week there is another release about manufacturers working together. Where once there was the attitude of ‘if you can’t beat them, buy them’, this seems to have been replaced by the more traditional mantra of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’.

Partnerships that have been announced inside the industry include the likes of Biamp and Shure, Peavey and d&b audiotechnik, Sennheiser and Atlona, HK Audio and König & Meyer and NewTek and Wowza to name but a few. But more interestingly there are an increasing number of companies from outside the pro A/V world that are now coming in to develop products with some familiar names. Take for example the IT stalwarts of Dell and Intel which have recently been working with QSC and Crestron respectively.

So what is the driving force behind this new attitude? The simple answer is networking. It is now very rare to come across any project – be that live, broadcast or install – where the systems aren’t networked in some way or other. And if your products can integrate simply and quickly with other bestof-breed equipment then you are more likely to be specified in more instances.

Business leaders in this industry are pragmatists. While everyone would love to have 100 per cent of a project, this is highly unlikely. However, if you can make end-users’ lives easier by working seamlessly with other gear, you are much more likely to be used in part of a project and that is certainly better than nothing.

I hope this current trend is here to stay. Collaboration is a hugely positive force that can help everyone in the industry offer better products and do better business. Long may it continue. Enjoy the magazine!

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Cats on the road

UAE: One of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most recognisable works, Cats has enjoyed long runs on Broadway and London’s West End. The musical, based on the book by TS Elliot, is currently in the midst of an international tour and started the year with a short residency at the Dubai Opera House. Joining the performers and musicians on the tour is the show’s own sound crew, comprising Sam Brazier and Jo Stock with head of sound Andy Sharman.

‘We bring all of our own infrastructure,’ explained Mr Sharman. ‘Everything from our systems is the same at each venue, except that we tie in to some of the venue’s delays and surrounds. We’re using a DiGiCo SD7 console. We’ve got several Meyer Sound MSL2 loudspeakers on the proscenium arch, two SD racks running at 96k and we’re now on fibre. We were on Madi before but we’ve just changed over due to the longevity of the show and the size of the venues that we’re going to be running.

‘We’ve got four d&b audiotechnik B2 subwoofers, but we’re only using two,’ he continued. ‘The acoustics in the venue are nice. It’s very crisp.’

‘When you’ve got the B2 subs as we’ve got, it carries quite nicely,’ confirmed Mr Bra ier.

One particularly unique aspect of the sound design is in the performers’ monitoring solution. ‘In the back wall there’s another MSL2 either side of the backdrop,’ noted Mr Sharman. ‘So that is zero time. Everything comes from there. And then the proscenium arch is turned back to that. There’s no vocals in the back and that’s the only onstage foldback that the cast have.’

‘What they are getting onstage is what’s coming back at them from front of house,’ Mr Brazier elaborated.’

Mr Sharman expanded on the point: ‘It’s the majority of what the audience gets. It makes the image beautiful. It’s a really tight, central

focus for the image of the show.’

Unlike the majority of musicals, the band are not in front of the stage in the pit, but hidden backstage. ‘The band are not in a pit, but in a blackbox backstage, because they’re not “cats”,’ Mr Sharman chuckled.

‘Part of the show design since day one is that they never want to see any “humans” on the set. It’s a directorial decision,’ explained Mr Brazier. ‘So, they’re all up in the back with an SD rack next to them and a nice little rack of Macs for the three keyboards that play a lot of the enhanced sound. With the touring band nowadays, they lose a few musicians and put it onto the keyboard system. It’s always

had three keyboards, but they’ve gone through 24 musicians and today there are nine and a music director. Three keyboards, two reed players that are playing the soprano sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, two clarinets and a ute between them, so they’ve got a bit of a juggling act going on, bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar and a full drum kit.

changes and the sound team have all had to practice the new layout. ‘The show’s changed,’ confirmed Ms Stock. ‘Sam’s learning the changes at the moment and then hopefully I’ll get on the desk again soon.’

‘We’ve had quite a restructure of the show with regards to cutting some numbers and changing some

We were glad to lose the melody from last year’s tour so it gave us a bit more breathing space.’

‘We’re a very full truck,’ added Mr Sharman.

The crew take it in turns, sharing the mixing duties on a rota. The show has recently undergone some

numbers and re-orchestration, so we’ve done quite a lot of reprogramming,’ Mr Sharman concluded. ‘We’ve got a full Madi recording of the show, so we can practice that as if it’s real.’

Cats sound crew Andy Sharman, Sam Brazier and Jo Stock with the DiGiCo SD7

The band setup in the backstage black box

The miked up drum kit

Warehouse takes QSC outdoors

There’s also some small double 8-inch bass dotted around.

‘We tried to do the usual split for

four AD-S28Tw. Power for the system is via five QS RM 1450a alongside a pair of RM 2450a amplifiers while a Biamp Nexia SP handles the processing.

While improving the sound quality was the main goal of the project, the look of the venue was also important.

‘We tried to keep the aesthetics nice and created a few special brackets of our own and mounted the speakers on the trees,’ explained Mr Bracken. ‘We wanted to use what was already here rather than adding new poles in.’

Loft opens with Martin Audio

UAE: The outdoor area of Warehouse at Dubai’s Le Meridien Airport Village has undergone an audio upgrade thanks to the installation of a weatherproof QSC system. The solution was supplied by Sonic Wave and installed by Em-Tec AV.

‘This has totally changed, it started with a small area and it has gradually got bigger and bigger. It used to be covered by a single speaker on a wall which definitely didn’t do the job,’ said Em-Tec CEO, Alex Bracken.

‘Our brief was to give total surround sound but also without disturbing the rooms around the space.’

‘It’s outdoor so obviously we needed weatherproof speakers,’ furthered Em-Tec general manager, Andy Williams. ‘We’ve gone for QSC 6-inch, 8-inch and 10-inch depending on the spaces. I put the 10-inch speakers in to cover the bigger areas where they also want the DJ. I used 6-inch for the smaller areas and 8-inch for the other parts.

AiRay arrives in Africa

SOUTH AFRICA: Tadco, Coda Audio’s South African distributor, has confirmed the sale of the first AiRay system in Africa. The system was purchased by A/V rental company Virtual Productions, which had previously acquired a ViRay system in 2013.

‘The audio quality is exceptional and the weight ratio allows for great portability, but a key factor for us was that in the same hang width we can put AiRay and ViRay together with our SCV subs,’ said Victor Van Graan, production manager at

Virtual Productions. ‘We now have the ultimate modular system to cover pretty much any application.’

Putting its new AiRay system to quick use, Virtual Productions has already reportedly deployed it for

The main challenge for the project came from it being open and trading through the installation. ‘It wasn’t an easy install. When you do an install at a venue that’s already open it’s always a challenge. It means that things like the cable runs are not what you want,’ recalled Mr Williams.

Despite this challenge, the installer and the venue are happy with the results. ‘The sound is considerably better, they’re really happy with it,’ concluded Mr Williams. ‘They have 200 to 300 people out here and they used to leave due to the sound. Now they are choosing to stay so it is working for them as a venue much

www.emtecav.com

a range of events, such as music festivals, political rallies and gospel meetings.

‘This is another first for AiRay and the feedback we’ve had from Virtual has been fantastic,’ said Paul Ward, managing director at Coda Audio. ‘The diversity of applications that they cover really underlines for us just what a winning concept we have created.’

www.codaaudio.com

www.tadco.co.za

www.virtualproductions.co.za

TAJIKISTAN: Launched with the aim of having the best audio and lighting solutions in Dushanbe, Loft has opened its doors with a Martin Audio sound system. Moscow-based design and systems integration company, Muztorg.Pro, was responsible for the project.

The main speaker system includes five Martin Audio W8LM elements, plus a W8LMD down-fill on each side of the stage. A number of Blackline Plus F12+ speakers have also been used as in-fills and for the karaoke zones. Low end is provided by WL S hybrid subwoofers, while stage monitoring and dance podiums are covered by LE1200S monitors. A hybrid Dante and Madi signal infrastructure is used throughout the venue and controlled with BSS Soundweb Blu processing. The installation process, including truss construction and assembly, was undertaken by Muztorg.Pro over 15 days. At the opening party, both club owners and guests reportedly rated the quality of the technical installation extremely highly.

www.martin-audio.com

A weatherproof QSC system has been installed at Warehouse in Dubai’s Le Meridien Airport Village

Sonic Wave supplied the system, which was installed by Em-Tec AV

Five W8LM, plus a W8LMD form the main hangs

Loft has opened at Dushanbe

Tadco has sold the first AiRay system to Virtual Productions

SOUNDBITES

NETIA ACQUIRED

WORLD: Netia has been acquired by Anthony Savelli and Vincent Benveniste. Mr Savelli and Mr Benveniste bought the French media software solutions company’s shares from lobecast, which is part of the Orange group.

Maestro conducts audio at BIC National Day Festival

‘Having private owners committed to our roots in the south of France and to our core business, will give us the autonomy to focus on a more efficient operation,’ said Netia EO Thierry andilhon. ‘Our teams have already started a dialogue with several customers and we are confident that they will benefit from this new setup.’

‘Netia has very talented people working with the best media professionals across the world,’ said Mr Benveniste. ‘We’re honoured to lead its development from here on.’ www.netia.com

SESAR DELIVERS MERSIN MIDPOINT

TURKEY: Mersin-based dealer, Sesar, installed the audio equipment at the southern Turkish city’s branch of the Midpoint restaurant chain. The project was secured by Sesar owing to an existing relationship between the company and Midpoint’s owner and supplied by SF.

The installation lasted a week,

BAHRAIN: Maestro Sound & Light supplied its audio production services at the most recent edition of Bahrain International Circuit’s (BIC) BIC National Day Festival. The threeday event drew more than 10,000 attendees each day, who witnessed performances by major Arabic stars, such as Khalid Fouad and Abdallah Al Rowaished, in addition to what is reportedly Bahrain’s largest fireworks display. Considering the size and magnitude of the event, Maestro’s technical director, Kiran Tauro, opted for an Adamson Systems Engineering sound solution.

‘For the crucial mid-high requirements of Arabic artists these days, the choice of PA was obvious,’ Mr Tauro explained. ‘We all leaned towards the Adamson E15, which in my opinion has the best possible mid-high performance on the market. Combined with Adamson’s new E119 subs, which we used for the very first time, we had the perfect system for an event of this size and importance.’

Mr Tauro and his team designed the system using Adamson’s Blueprint AV 3D modeling software to ensure that the narrow, yet deep audience

space was covered throughout. ‘What was amazing was the fact that we only needed 24 E15 boxes to cover a significant distance with no delays,’

Those 24 E15s were divided so that 12 units were implemented per side. A total of 18 E119s were

also deployed nine per side, while a complement of Metrix boxes served as front-fills.

‘Being used to the T21 subs in the past, I didn’t know what to expect of the E119, having just the single 19-inch woofer. In the end, I was blown away. Those subs sounded orgasmic,’ enthused Mr Tauro.

‘Although I’ve used a lot of other top speaker brands in and out of the Middle East with Khalid and other artists, I have never heard anything that comes close to the Adamson E15s.’

Mr Tauro managed the system for every act with the exception of Khalid Fouad, who had brought respected FOH engineer Moosa to mix his performance. In addition to Mr Tauro, the Maestro crew comprised monitor engineer Kunal Jaiswal as well as technicians Jerin Jose and Kamal Raj Burman.

‘Adamson has always produced my favourite cabinet on the market,’ concluded Mr Tauro. ‘There was no other option for the BIC National Day Festival.’

www.adamsonsystems.com

Haezer records debut dBTechnologies at the debut Yetu Festival

KENYA: Ngong Racecourse recently played host to the inaugural Yetu Festival. The event, which was jointly organised by Kiss FM and Johari Kenya, saw a roster of Kenyan artists, old and new, take to the stage while those in attendance were treated to a combination of local food, art and music. Brought in to provide the audio setup for the event was Sound

Homeboyz also provided a Yamaha keyboard and PR Lighting fixtures.

‘I use dBTechnologies for most of my events,’ said Antoine Canella, lead sound engineer at Homeboyz. ‘The system has a throw of 50m and a high level of clarity. It is very reliable.

with Sesar implementing eight BL ontrol 28 loudspeakers, four Bogen 8 in-ground all-weather speakers, four LD Systems Sub 88 A subwoofers, three Crown XLS1500 power amplifiers, DB onePro 12 0m and 12 1m digital processors and 2 and 8 wall-mount controllers. Also deployed were six Neutrik N 3F and N 3M connectors, as well as 20m of Klotz P01 cable.

www.sf.com.tr

SOUTH AFRICA: Ebenhaezer

Smal enjoys a level of notoriety in South Africa’s EDM scene as the owner of Cape Town nightclub, Fiction, and as a music producer and DJ under the names Haezer and Embassy.

He recently recorded his first studio album, titled Exit, and made use of Audient’s iD22 USB audio interface as part of his studio setup. His studio is a large, acoustically treated room that, in addition to the iD22, contains an iMac, a Culture Vulture distortion unit, Moog Little Phatty synth, Dave Smith Mopho and Waldorf Blofeld desktop synth, as well as an Edirol

midi keyboard, a Tasman recorder and an SL1200 turntable.

‘I normally rig my synths via the Culture Vulture into my iD22. My analogue synths are all connected via USB to my iMac to have Midi control via my Midi keyboard,’ explained Mr Smal.

‘I’m very impressed with the clean I/O signal and ability of the iD22 to handle a “hot” signal from a distortion unit without any artifacts. I use the built in stereo/ mono check button all the time, too. I love this function and it keeps my phasing and stereo mono balance in check.’

www.audient.com

Creations’ rental partner Homeboyz Entertainment, which supplied a dBTechnologies setup.

The sound solution comprised 12 DVA T12 line arrays own besides four DVA S1518N in an L-R configuration. round stacked at the front of the stage were eight S30 monitors. Shure wireless microphones were used by the performers and an Avid Venue SC48 console was employed for mixing duties. Several JBL PRX 400 speakers were deployed to complement the sound solution and

‘The client was very happy with the audio and was impressed with the quality of equipment,’ he added. ‘The event went smoothly with no technical challenges whatsoever.’

www.dbtechnologies.com

www.homeboyz.co.ke

www.soundcreationsltd.com

Kiran Tauro, Jerin Jose, Kamal Raj Burman and Kunal Jaiswal of Maestro with the Adamson speakers

Ebenhaezer Smal, aka Haezer, with his iD22

A dBTechnologies solution was implemented

A variety of Kenyan artists performed at the festival Homeboyz Entertainment supplied the audio setup for the Yetu Festival

Bogen G8G in-ground speakers were installed in the outdoor area

eclipse expands Shure channel count

are considered “industry standard” and rightly so. Therefore it’s easier to make a case to invest in something which you know works and will do the job required of it for a considerable amount of time.

‘Personally, I have dealt with distributors for well over a decade in Dubai and in that time, have become extremely good friends with the NMK team,’ he continued.

Spirit Events delivers in Doha

QATAR: Spirit Events was called in to meet the audio and video needs of the recent Doha Fencing Grand Prix. The events management company put into action systems from QSC, Shure and Roland to meet its client’s needs.

‘We were approached by the Qatar

UAE: Nicolas M Kyvernitis Enterprises (NMK) has recently supplied the audio department at eclipse Staging Services with a further 24 channels of Shure UHF-R. The audio department at eclipse has grown rapidly over the last 36 months and can now boast over 60 channels of UHF-R and ULX-D.

‘Shure UHF-R is undoubtedly one of the go to RF products for radio mics of all types,’ said John Parkhouse, head of audio

at eclipse Staging Services. ‘It is widely accepted and requested in both the concert and corporate market due to being rock solid in terms of both performance and reliability. It also sounds great, so for us it is fantastic to have increased our stock in what we see as our best RF mic product that we use on a day-to-day basis. The whole audio team are very big fans of Shure products because of their functionality, build quality and reliability. Many of their products

‘Yes, we are doing business but it’s always done in a friendly manner and with the knowledge that when things need to happen quickly, they invariably do. We are in constant communication with the various sales representatives at NMK on both short term and long term purchasing options. The best thing about NMK is that you can rely on prompt replies to all enquiries and the level of service is without any doubt second to none within the region. It’s the after sales care that is most impressive. Once you have bought a product they will ensure training and support is offered at all times required.’

www.eclipsestagingservices.ae www.nmkelectronics.com

Fencing Association to handle the A/V solution for this prestigious event,’ said Sajid Mahamood Ettol, business development director for Spirit Events. ‘We provided a QSC sound system with Shure wireless headsets for the match referee. Also, we provided them with complete assistance with the visual input with

The sound system called on QSC’s KW Series with KW 153 and 152 used for the tops and KW 181 subs. These were mixed using a Yamaha CL5 console. Visual control was via a Roland V-4EX video mixer.

www.spiritevents.qa

a Roland Video Mixer.’

The eclipse audio team with the latest Shure equipment

A QSC sound system with Shure wireless headsets was implemented for the referees

Spirit Events handled the A/V requirements at the Doha Fencing Grand Prix

Bonyad Shahid adds more BXB

IRAN: Following an earlier successful installation of B B’s UFO-2000 conferencing equipment, Bonyad Shahid has equipped a second meeting room with the manufacturer’s products. The project was handled by its local partner, PTO.

The site of the new installation is the conference room in the facility’s science centre. This time B B’s ED -1000 system was the selected solution. The heart of the system is the ED -1051 main control unit. On the conference room tables, one ED -1011 chairman and 28 ED -1012 delegate microphones facilitate the discussion. ompleting the B B portion of the solution is a 901 camera control unit.

Away from the conferencing system, PTO integrated a Panasonic DMR for video recording, loudspeakers from Roland, an Alto sound mixer, three NB PT cameras for image tracking and an Aten splitter switcher.

‘Bonyad Shahid selected B B products because of the good reputation that has

built up between B B and PTO,’ said PTO project manager, Alire a Nourinejad.

‘The main reason is that PTO has implemented plenty of conference system projects equipped with B B products. In addition PTO provides professional training and after sales services, therefore customers prefer this system to all other brands.’

www.bxb.tw www.pto-co.com

Elit sets the stage at Saint Benoit School

TURKEY: Established in 1783, Saint Benoit is the oldest French school in Istanbul. Although it is over 200 years old, the school’s hall is brimming with the latest A/V technologies following a recent renovation. The new installations were carried out by Be ikta -based

subs placed at the same level as the Arcs Wide.

An Avid S3L provides control at FOH, while the DPA mics capture the vocals and reinforce musical instruments.

On the lighting side, the theatre spots have been replaced with LED fixtures from Robert uliat’s Tibo series, comprising both profiles and fresnals. Meanwhile, 24 LF Hercules LED pars deliver a wash effect on the stage. The lighting system is controlled via a High End Systems HedgeHog 4N console, with additional control provided by Robert uliat Digitour dimmers installed on the lighting bars.

distributor and systems integrator, Elit, and included sound systems from L-Acoustics, Avid and DPA Microphones, and lighting from Robert Juliat, CLF and High End Systems.

The loudspeaker setup is entirely driven by L-Acoustics, with an 12 installed per side providing coverage for the lower seating area and an 8 providing centre-fill. The balcony is catered for by an Arcs Wide on each side, supported by 5 Ts for out-fill. An additional five 5 T units were deployed as under balcony-fills. For monitors and side-fill, Elit provided 112P and 108P self-powered systems respectively, and completing the system are a pair of

‘With all these brands inside it’s like a wonderland of light and sound,’ said Emre Defne from Elit. ‘We hope to see other schools have this level of equipment, it not only gives the best quality but also durability for many years.’

www.elit-tr.com

Elit installed the audio and lighting system in Saint Benoit’s school hall

5XTs serve as under balcony-fills

28 EDC-1012 delegate microphones have been installed

Elvis delivers Etihad Museum

UAE: Elvis Technology has completed the A/V installation at Dubai’s Etihad Museum. The systems integrator drew heavily on the Harman catalogue for this project with products from BSS, Crown, AKG and JBL supplied through local distributor GSL Professional.

While Elvis has supplied a range of systems throughout the venue, one of the major areas for the museum is its theatre. The beautifully designed space can be used for presentations and lectures thanks to a wireless mic system from AKG. This comprises eight WMS 470

vocal D5 microphones, seven WMS 470 presenter sets and CGN 341 lapel microphones. In addition to this, AKG boosters, splinter stands and power supplies have also been installed.

Processing in the theatre is courtesy of BSS. This portion of the project sees six BSS Blu-101 conferencing processors, the same number of BSS Blu-Dan Dante to Blu Link bridges, eight Blu BIB eight channel line level audio inputs and six Blu BOB1 eight channel line level audio outputs.

Elvis opted to install a cinema speaker system into the theatre. This

Udaya Sound covers DragonMart concerts

UAE: Dubai-based rental house, Udaya Sound, supplied the full audio, video, lighting and trussing solution for a string of concerts which took place recently at DragonMart. The free concerts took place over consecutive

Completing the audio side of the project were Shure ULXD microphones.

The lighting effects were via 30 Claypaky Sharpys while P3 LEDs run on Arkaos GrandVJ XT software provided the backdrop. Completing the solution was Prolyte H40V trussing used to y the various elements.

‘The concert series was not actually challenging since we have done many mall shows, so we were very well prepared with measurements and planning

is based around six JBL Professional 8320 cinema surround speakers. Low end reinforcement is via a pair of

Power for the whole system comes from rown amplifiers. This has seen the installation of four DSi2000, a pair of DCi 1000 and 10 DCi 2 300 two channel amplifiers.

‘The client preferred JBL and BSS products and thought that the brands would sound the best for this particular project,’ said Karthik S, head of projects at Elvis Technology. ‘BSS is robust and because of this, you avoid too many visits by technicians. We’ve used JBL surround speakers/ cinema speakers in the auditorium which is one of the most beautiful installations thus far. The sound is amazing.’

www.elvistechnology.com

www.gslprofessional.com

SF installs emergency system in the Eurasia Tunnel

TURKEY: SF Ses ve I k Sistemleri

A. has completed its work on providing the emergency evacuation announcement system for the Eurasia Tunnel. Turkey’s Ministry of Transport, Maritime and Communication approached the Harman distributor via a tender for the project, resulting in the

requirements,’ recalled Samim Mutluer, CEO at SF Ses ve Isik Sistemleri AS, ‘and integrated with third party systems, such as SCADA, as well as radio systems.’

Fridays and saw performances from Balqees, Elissa, Tamar Hosny, Abdulla Bil Khair, Aryam, Grini, Aseel, Jamila, Mohammed Assaf and Myriam Fares.

For most of the concerts Udaya Sound deployed its Nexo Geo S cabinets in hangs of six per side. However, the backline required for the Elissa performance meant the rental company chose to y its Nexo Geo T system, again six per side. Low frequency reinforcement for all of the concerts was courtesy of the manufacturer’s CD18 subs. Yamaha consoles were the mixers of choice with LS9 and PM5D desks employed.

cables were not seen,’ recalled Udaya Sound’s Rinu Basheer.

‘There were large crowds for each event and we are very happy that the concerts were successful with good audio and lights.’

www.uscreation.net

installation of JBL speakers as well as a range of Biamp systems.

The Eurasia Tunnel officially opened in Istanbul on 20th December 2016. At 5km in length, it connects umkap on the European side of the city with o uyolu in the Asian part by crossing the Bosphorus strait, underwater.

‘They wanted an emergency evacuation announcement system which complied with EN54

The installation lasted for one month and saw SF deploy 100 Tunnel Horn ABF-260 from JBL’s Axys brand. The Biamp setup forms a Vocia distributed public address and evacuation network. It comprises two MS-1e networked messaging processors and LSI-16e life safety interfaces, a pair of CI-1 control interfaces as well as two EWS-4 emergency wall stations. A total of 18VA-8150CV digital networked eight-channel amplifiers and four VA4030CVs power the system.

With the installation complete, SF reports excellent results with client feedback exceeding expectations. In spite of the acoustic challenge presented by the environment inside, the systems integrator stated that adequate speech transmission index intelligibility was achieved and the project deemed a success.

www.sf.com.tr

Strand lights the way for Atlas Studios

upgraded five of its 10 dimmers with Philips Strand Lighting Wallrack 24 way digital dimming panels.

The upgrade came due to wear on the previous system from 14 years of use. The new dimmers were supplied by the manufacturer’s local partner, DWR Distribution, and installed by DimBright Electrical.

SOUTH AFRICA: Johannesburgbased TV and film facility, Atlas Studios, has recently undergone a lighting refresh. The studio has

‘The studio had many circuits which were faulty and could no longer be used,’ explained Keith Pugin from DWR Distribution. ‘The 10 dimmers are mounted on a wall outside the actual studios.

We removed five of the existing dimmers which were aging and irreparable and replaced them with Philips Strand. Jacob Mogale and his team from DimBright Electrical were sub-contracted to help with the install and as always did a great job.’

With the project complete, Atlas now has a full complement of circuits available to ensure proper studio lighting.

www.atlasstudios.co.za

www.dwrdistribution.co.za

3635 cinema subwoofers while the speaker setup is completed with two stand-mounted Eon 515 XTs.

Elvis Technology was responsible for the installation of the Etihad Museum

The stage setup for the concerts

Most of the concerts called on Udaya Sound’s Nexo Geo S cabinets

Nexo Geo T cabinets were used for the Elissa performance

The EN54 certified Biamp EWS-4 wall paging system

SF deployed 100 of the TunnelHorn speakers

The Biamp Vocia system installed

The Strand dimmers at Atlas Studio

BRAND NEW QUATTROCANALI SERIES

space saving design

less thermal dissipation

reduced intermedary cost full remote control via Armonía

user friendly interface in-depht networking full remote control via Armonía end-user limited control functions

less power requirements

less heat dissipation

reduced carbon footprint reactive energy recycling

SOUNDBITES

DELTA MEASURES THE GROOVE WITH BEYERDYNAMIC

UAE: Delta Sound called on a beyerdynamic TG 1000 solution with the TG MM1w interchangeable measurement microphone capsule for system tuning at Grooves on the Grass at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. The mic was supplied via the manufacturer’s local partner AVL Electronics.

Ilpo Martikainen passes away

WORLD: Genelec founder Ilpo Martikainen has passed away following a long-term illness. Dr Martikainen was a hugely respected figure in the industry and widely regarded as a pioneer in active audio monitoring since establishing Genelec in 1978. As an engineer, Dr Martikainen leaves a legacy of in uential products that built the company’s reputation.

In recent years his focus had been on involving the next generation. His children Juho Martikainen, Mikko Martikainen and Maria Martikainen have grown up as part of the Genelec family. They have been closely involved in developing the company as members of the Genelec Board since 2001. According to a company statement, the children will continue in ownership of Genelec together with the other board members

‘We used it in order to get system measurements together with Smaart software,’ explained Delta Sound project manager, Rob Eatock. ‘The analyser mic’s frequency range was good. It covered the whole spectrum from 40Hz up to 20,000Hz.’

A particular advantage noted by Mr Eatock was the exibility provided by the wireless setup. ‘The RF coverage with the antenna worked well up to about 60m. The wireless function made this very easy to position the mic where needed to take specific measurements.’

www.avlelectronic.com

www.beyerdynamic.com

www.deltasound.ae

FULLSCALE LAUNCHES WITH DIZENGOFF

WORLD: Avesco Group, the parent company of Creative Technology has been acquired by NEP Group. The deal sees CT and sister brand mclcreate join the NEP Worldwide Network to create reportedly one of the largest providers of live event solutions in the world.

FullScale International has launched

WORLD: Industry veterans

Jeff Mac, Ted Bahas and Joe de Bie have launched FullScale International (FSI), offering distribution and marketing services to pro audio brands in international markets.

The company is launching with the global distribution rights to Dizengoff Audio. ‘I am delighted to be working with FSI and using their expertise to ensure Dizengoff becomes a global brand,’ said Matt Newport of Dizengoff Audio.

www.dizengoffaudio.com

www.fullscaleint.com

Topi Partanen and Ritva Leinonen who have made their lifework with Genelec. Ritva Leinonen continues as the chairperson of Genelec Board.

‘We warmly thank Ilpo’s family for supporting him in being an essential part of our lives and journey too. We hope the whole audio and music industry will join us in extending thoughts and prayers to his family,’ said Genelec managing director, Siamäk Naghian. ‘Even if we greatly miss Ilpo we are privileged and grateful to share in the wonderful memories, passion, humanistic values, love and evolution of the Genelec story that we have experienced with Ilpo. This keeps his memory living in our hearts and deeds. He will continue to live on, through us.’

www.genelec.com

New ownership for CT dLive S7000 makes Kenyan debut at Gospel Extravaganza

NEP is a provider of outsourced solutions to the broadcast and live event industries. It currently operates four brands offering live event solutions, including Screenworks, Sweetwater, Faber, and Mediatec Solutions. With the addition of Avesco Group, NEP will expand its live event solutions capabilities in North America, Europe and the Middle East as well as adding new capabilities in the Asia Pacific region. The senior management teams will reportedly remain unchanged with Graham Andrews leading CT’s US and Asia Pacific businesses. Dave Crump will continue to lead CT’s UK, Spanish and Middle East operations and will in due course take over management of the Mediatec Solutions business in the UK and the Faber AudioVisuals business in

the Middle East. CT’s operations in Holland and Germany will fall under the leadership of Cees Faber.

‘NEP and Avesco have very similar cultures centred on delivering exceptional service to our clients, and the two companies have already had a strong working relationship for

KENYA: Trueblaq Entertainment recently organised and staged the third annual Gospel Extravaganza in Kenya, partnering with Live Gigs Entertainment and Royal Media. The praise and worship concert featured an appearance by American Christian worship leader, singer and songwriter Dr Ron Kenoly, as well as a range of Kenyan artists including Esther Wahome, Mercy Masika and Pitson.

years,’ said Kevin Rabbitt, NEP’s CEO.

‘I am excited to have them as part of our Worldwide Network, and to work with Graham Andrews and David Crump to continue to grow NEP’s live event solutions offerings around the globe. The CT and mclcreate brands complement our existing live event groups well, and together we will be able to greatly enhance our depth of service and reach worldwide.’

‘Our combined strength and resources will create a great framework for continued growth,’ stated Mr Andrews.

‘We are excited to be able offer our clients a much broader service network,’ concluded Mr Crump. www.avesco.com www.ct-group.com www.nepinc.com

Sound Creations was enlisted by Trueblaq to supply the audio solution for the event. The company delivered a system comprising six dBTechnologies T12 and four T8 loudspeakers. Shure microphones were employed to capture the sounds of the vocals and instruments. For monitoring, dBTechnologies FM12 cabinets were placed onstage and a Shure IEM solution was also employed. And, reportedly deployed for

the first time in enya, an Allen & Heath dLive S7000 Surface controlled the mix at FOH. The functionality of the console impressed the event’s lead sound engineer, Edwin Martin, who commented: ‘This is the best desk I have worked with.’

Gospel Extravaganza also featured hauvet lighting fixtures implemented by Sound Creations, while DJ MO mixed from a Pioneer DJ controller.

www.allen-heath.com

www.soundcreationsltd.com

www.trueblaqkenya.com

The TG 1000 solution with the TG MM1w capsule

Dave Crump

Graham Andrews

Ilpo Martikainen

The third annual Gospel Extravaganza in Kenya

The dLive S7000 Surface was deployed

Only TouchMix ™ guarantees results.

Splitbeam returns to West Side Story

SOUTH AFRICA: West Side Story recently played at the Mandela Theatre, also known as the Joburg Theatre, in Johannesburg. It is the same production that was performed at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town during 2015, backed by film, television and theatre producer Eric Abraham, as well as Cape Town’s

Fugard Theatre. Gearhouse Group’s theatre rental company Splitbeam was employed to supply its technical services for the Joburg run, having successfully done so previously in Cape Town.

Splitbeam’s role in the production saw it organise the logistics of scheduling, trucking, packing and

Showtech provides projection mapping

risk assessment in addition to the technical direction of the show. The Gearhouse theatre specialist also supplied a team of four technicians and a stage crew of 16.

‘Our “festoon” crew for the Johannesburg run includes “newbie” Cameron Squires, one of the Gearhouse Kentse Mpahlwa second year technical services learners who is specialising in theatre services at Splitbeam this year,’ explained Splitbeam’s managing director, Alistair Kilbee. ‘It’s an in-house Learnership initiative and our students are really privileged to have the opportunity to cut their teeth on events of this sort of scale and complexity. Part of Cameron’s remit is to manage all practical lighting including 5km of festoon light strings to create the atmospheric environment for the Tonight balcony scene as well as the industrial-feel uorescents under the lifts for the factory scenes.’

The rental company also delivered supplementary lighting equipment to complete the rig created for the show by renowned lighting designer Joshua Cutts. In addition, Splitbeam also provided equipment to fulfil all of the rigging requirements. On the audio side, Eastern Acoustics was engaged to supply the setup and sub-hired Midas Pro 9 and Pro 1

we make all the same equipment available to the small school productions or amateur dramatics as well because we believe we are all driven by the same passion and at Splitbeam we are committed to “realising the dream” whatever the size of the production and budget available.’

www.splitbeam.co.za

UAE: The Rotana Al Marooj hotel in Downtown Dubai has been rebranded as Roda Al Murooj. To celebrate the inauguration of the hotel’s new name, Roda Hotels management employed Showtech to provide sound and lighting equipment, as well as to plan, design and implement a complete building projection mapping display that would be featured for an entire week.

The rental company supplied six Panasonic 21k DLP projectors, which were divided between two stacks and fed via fibre optics and

connected by DVI cables. To achieve the desired results, the Showtech engineers spent five days installing the projectors, including warping setup and putting together the various layers of blending between projectors.

Meanwhile, the audio solution comprised eight JBL SRX 725 loudspeakers with eight SRX 728 subwoofers. The lighting setup featured 30 CityColor architectural lights, 18 Robe Robin BMFL fixtures and 16 LED par cans.

www.showtechme.com

A nu Allian e ertifies Meyer Sound’s

WORLD: revealed that the AVnu Alliance has certified its Galileo Galaxy network platform as ‘fully compliant with the open AVB/TSN (Audio Video Bridging and Time-Sensitive Networking) networking protocols developed through IEEE’. The certification serves to provide assurance to consultants, system designers and rental companies by confirming that alaxy-based Meyer Sound systems can be integrated into larger networked A/V systems featuring components from multiple manufacturers. Galaxy is the third generation of the American manufacturer’s Galileo loudspeaker processing technology with three versions available: Galileo Galaxy 408, 816 and 816-AES3. To earn the AVnu certification, the system underwent a stringent testing process

Royal Guard of Oman opts for Clear-Com

OMAN: HiTec Center LLC has installed Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak II and HelixNet systems at the Royal Guard of Oman’s performance space. The audiovisual integrator and reseller was looking for a communication solution to cover the whole venue.

HiTec turned to regional Clear-

Com distributor, Nicolas Kyvernitis Electronics Enterprises, which explained that the manufacturer’s integration between wired and wireless systems, together with an expandable antenna solution could cover the whole venue.

‘We needed a mobile communication system for the stage

Galaxy

A/V systems based on the AVB/ TSN protocols. Some of the testing was conducted in-house by Meyer Sound, while the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL), which serves as the AVnu Alliance’s approved testing partner, carried out the final testing.

‘Galaxy processors were designed

reinforcement systems of the future,’ stated Meyer Sound’s vice president of solutions and strategy, John McMahon. ‘For over a decade the Galileo platform has won acceptance as the “go-to” loudspeaker processing system, and now alaxy’s AVnu certification ensures that these capabilities can be seamlessly integrated into networked systems encompassing the full spectrum of audio, video and show control functions.’

The manufacturer previously received AVnu ertification in 2014 for its CAL column array loudspeaker.

www.meyersound.com

technicians and artist assistants and fixed intercom for standard show controls and show management,’ commented Philip Perry, business development and projects manager at HiTec Center LLC. ‘Based on my previous experience with Clear-Com analogue wired and wireless systems and their product

HelixNet systems.

‘I have used many products for large live shows and Clear-Com is always reliable,’ he continued. ‘Moreover we

the NMK team.’

www.hitecoman.com

www.nmkelectronics.com

Splitbeam specialises in theatre production

Splitbeam provided its technical services for West Side Story (photos courtesy of Jesse Kramer)

This isn’t about new loudspeakers.

It’s about bass lovers and partygoers, sports supporters, music fans and absolute clarity connecting congregations; it’s about dynamic daily programs and tireless listening for everyone, every time. It‘s not about the new 24S/24S-D point source loudspeakers and 21S-SUB taking the performance of the installation specific d&b xS-Series to empowering new levels, in cabinets designed for easier aesthetic integration. It‘s about solutions tailor made to task: d&b amplifiers, software, and accessories, all perfectly integrated for highly efficient, versatile solutions. www.dbaudio.com

Pacha Ibiza, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

PTO installs Shahrekord Chamber of Commerce

IRAN: Pezhvak Taban Ofogh (PTO) has implemented the audio, video, decoration and lighting systems for the main auditorium at the Shahrekord Chamber of Commerce. The company was responsible for every part of the project.

Shahrekord Chamber of Commerce provides a leadership role in the expansion of industries and commerce in the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces. It required technology in its auditorium that would help it achieve this aim. To meet this need, PTO installed a solution based around Montarbo loudspeakers. Four of the Italian

manufacturer’s Wide 12 cabinets have been installed on the side walls of the auditorium with a pair of Alto Professional TS15 subs providing low end reinforcement. On stage a further pair of Montarbo M22A wedges are used for foldback. Power for the system is via FBT Symbol 12000 amplifiers while the system is mixed from the Montarbo SX19 desk in the upstairs control room. Completing the system are monitors from Roland as well as a CD recorder, wireless mics and various outboard equipment.

The visual side of the project saw PTO select Panasonic projectors

and recorders as well as Sony PTZ cameras and a Roland vison mixer. Lighting saw a variety of fixtures from DTS Lighting and PSL Lighting.

‘This auditorium installation was a beautiful challenge for us because it has a special design specifically

Ciare production resumes in Senigallia

WORLD: Eighteen Sound is set to reopen the Ciare factory in the Italian commune of Senigallia. Eighteen Sound acquired the Ciare brand in late 2016, prior to which the two companies had entered into a mutual business agreement in 2015 that saw the former distribute the latter’s pro audio products worldwide.

With work resuming at the Senigallia factory, it is hoped that the launch of new products aimed at the pro audio, home and car audio market segments will be sped up. It also forms part of plans to re-establish production of Ciare’s existing product portfolio.

‘The reopening of the Senigallia

in the roof which was modelled on Persian architecture,’ said PTO project manager Alireza Nourinejad.

‘On the other hand, we were in a race against time because the project needed to be completed before the opening ceremony by the

vice president. Our decoration and electrical technicians tried their best to complete this project perfectly and achieved this right on time with full customer satisfaction.’

www.pto-co.com

factory is a key step of our strategy to revitalise and strengthen the Ciare brand, making it possible to position this historical loudspeaker manufacturer on the global market,’ explained Eighteen Sound’s sales and marketing director, Giacomo Previ.

‘I am very pleased and excited about the new opportunities we can provide

for Ciare to access new markets, as well as offering the evolving pro market manufacturers a broader range of solutions to their design needs,’ stated Pierpaolo Marziali, CEO of Eighteen Sound and Ciare.

www.ciare.com

www.eighteensound.com

PTO installed the audio, video and lighting systems for the auditorium

Shahrekord Chamber of Commerce’s control room

NMK’s New Year after party

celebrations across the country, Nicolas M yvernitis Enterprises

NM decided to wait a few days before holding an after party for the events industry. Held at Dubai’s Hard Rock af and supported by Bose, the celebration saw members from all aspects of the country’s events industry come together for a relaxed evening.

‘Most of our clients working in the

mix of local musicians, D s, events organisers, rental companies, bar nightclubs and venue operators,’ explained Dino Drimakis, operations manager at NM . ‘As an industry veteran we constantly look for new ways to engage with our clients. The event was a test platform which turned out really positive.’

www.nmkelectronics.com

ers t a lifies Acoustic Technologies

WORLD: Acoustic Technologies has discontinued developing its own amplifiers and is instead exclusively using Powersoft amps across all of its turnkey systems and amplifier modules. The manufacturer previously relied on companies from Taiwan, hina, Belgium, Spain and the U to build its amplifiers.

‘Since we have started using Powersoft amplifiers, the market reaction has been overwhelming, with system sales increasing,’ noted Acoustic Technologies’, Harry LloydWilliams.

www.atprofessional.com.au

www.powersoft-audio.com

Astorg invests in Audiotonix

WORLD: European private equity firm, Astorg, has invested in Audiotonix, the parent company behind Allen Heath, alrec and Di i o. ompletion of the transaction is anticipated to close in the first quarter of 2017.

‘We are delighted to partner with Astorg who have demonstrated an impressive understanding of our business and our core strengths,’ said Audiotonix EO, ames ordon. ‘With their support we aim to capitalise on our manufacturing capabilities, strengthen our worldwide development programme and enrich our product portfolio.’

‘We are thrilled to invest in Audiotonix and support its fast

growth trajectory,’ added Fran ois de Mitry and St phane Epin, partners at Astorg. ‘In a dynamic live sound industry, Audiotonix differentiates itself by the undisputed quality of its product, superior support to their clients, and a brilliant management team. This brand equity was crafted by years of pioneering research and development, and a long term vision of managers who are passionate and innovators of their business. We are extremely pleased to support ames ordon and his team to bring Audiotonix even further.’

www.astorg.com

www.audiotonix.com

Dino Drimakis, Nicolas Kyvernitis, Christina Kyvernitis and Mary-Jane Kyvernitis

Harry Lloyd-Williams

UAE: eclipse Venue Services has confirmed a new partnership with the newly opened Lapita Hotel. This will see the eclipse roup company supply in-house technical services to the hotel, which is part of the Marriott’s Autograph ollection of botuique hotels and is the first Dubai Parks and Resorts hotel.

‘As this new attraction is due to host millions of visitors from all over the world in its first year, partnering

Lapita Hotel partners with eclipse Lighthouse highlights The Pride of

a Nation with Robe

12 10-year old olorWash 575 ATs, whilst 24 of Lighthouse’s newly purchased Pointes were setup on angled trusses each side. The Pointes were used in conjuntion with the MM WashBeams as well as some 7 searchlight fixtures to create beam layers.

Along the front of the stage, illuminating the performers were 12 PARFect 100s. A further 12 were installed at the back. ompleting the Robe rig were ycF 8, LEDWash 1200 and olorMix 250 fixtures.

with the only hotel in Dubai Parks and Resorts places us at a pivotal point in the in-house event technology industry,’ explained Sacha Mora ain, eclipse Venue Services general manager. ‘Lapita Hotel boasts a number of both creative and luxurious aspects, and we are eager to see them brought together as a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the theme parks. We are enthusiastic about what we can offer.’

‘We are excited about our partnership with eclipse Venue Services and are confident that their team of industry professionals will provide us with the support and tools we need to plan and execute seamless events,’ enthused Sanne Emborg, general manager of Lapita, Dubai Parks and Resorts, Autograph ollection Hotels.

www.eclipse.ae

Pascal buys out minority shareholder

WORLD: The founding team of Danish OEM amplifier manufacturer, Pascal, has bought out the company’s minority shareholder, amco. The move follows the acquisition of amco by L- roup in 201 .

‘The buyout of our minority shareholder allows us to continue as

a fully independent OEM provider of amplifier solutions to the pro audio industry,’ said Pascal EO and coowner Lars Fenger. ‘As far as we are aware, we are the only OEM amplifier module provider solely focusing on the pro audio market..’

www.pascal-audio.com

UAE: On the eve of the UAE’s National Day, His Highness

Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi attended a special production of the musical, Fakhrak Ya Watan (The Pride of a Nation , along with a range of dignitaries and 10,000 members of the public as part of the celebrations in Ras al- haimah. Lighthouse Productions built the entire venue for the show, including the stage and set, backstage and production areas, and even the seating tribunes and car parks. The production design company’s owner, managing director and principal creative director, Terry Miranda, personally designed the lighting solution, which saw the implementation of almost 200 Robe fixtures.

The show featured more than 800 singers, dancers, actors and poets and included large projection mapping displays across a 92m wide set, highlighting the past 45 years while also presenting a vision of the future for the United Arab Emirates. A four-minute pyrotechnic and laser spectacular brought the event to a close.

‘There was no roof on the stage, so all the lighting positions were created from a massive structure at the back with hori ontal and angled lines of trusses sub-hung either side of a central V-shape,’ explained Mr

Miranda. A total of 32 Robe MM WashBeams were rigged across this structure for general lighting, washing the stage, gobo and beam effects.

Meanwhile, 22 300E Beams were deployed, 14 rigged either side of the stage on hori ontal trusses and eight on the vertical ones. Rear and side lighting was delivered by

In addition to a crew of 30 supplied by Lighthouse, more than 400 technical and event staff were involved in staging the mammoth production.

‘Intricate projections were mapped onto the side screens for the show whilst a large cast of dancers and actors played out onstage, so it was essential that I had the best and most versatile lighting fixtures to both support the video projections and to ensure that everyone could clearly see all the stage action across the vast area,’ said Mr Miranda. ‘I was extremely proud of what we delivered and also working very closely with the talented local Emiratis.’

www.lhpme.com

www.robe.cz

Lectrosonics engineers

win an Oscar

WORLD: With all eyes in the world of cinema on the 89th Academy Awards The Oscars , Lectrosonics engineers David Thomas, David Bundy and Lawrence Fisher received a 2017 Academy Award for Technical Achievement. The honour is in recognition of the design, development and engineering that went into producing the manufacturer’s Digital Hybrid Wireless microphone system and the impact it has made to the process of making motion pictures.

‘We are so delighted to see our engineers receive this honour,’ enthused ordon Moore, TS, president of Lectrosonics. ‘These three engineers have made significant contributions to location sound, enhancing the movie experience. To see their accomplishments recognised by the Academy is truly exciting.’ The Academy’s Science and Technical Achievement Awards took place on Saturday 11th February at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, alifornia. andidates for Scientific and Technical Awards need not necessarily have been developed and released during the last calendar year, unlike the awards in the traditional film categories. Rather, these awards are in recognition of technology with a proven track record of ‘contributing significant value’ to the film industry.

www.lectrosonics.com

Lapita Hotel

The Robe lighting complemented the pyrotechnic and laser spectacular

Lighthouse Productions provided a Robe lighting solution

Fakhrak Ya Watan was staged on the eve of the UAE’s National Day

Jesper Lind Hansen Senior R&D Specialist, CEO Lars Fenger and Senior VP Business Development Peter Frentz

The Academy Award winning Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless system

A projector protection world first at Burj Al Arab

UAE: Tempest has reported an installation of its AC Assist projection protection technology at the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. This is the first installation of A Assist anywhere in the world and the manufacturer also supplied its Cyclone 8500 enclosures and Cyclovator Tilt Kits. IBSTempest, Tempest’s protection solutions equipment provider in the Middle East, completed the installation in collaboration with systems integrator Martin Professional Middle East LLC.

The setup shields 14 Barco HDQ2K40 projectors, which facilitate

projection mapping on the side of the luxury hotel, from the intense heat in Dubai. The AC Assist technology has reportedly cooled the air entering the projectors by between 10 and 15-degrees Celsius.

‘The challenge for Tempest was the Dubai beachside environment –we regularly see night temperatures approaching 40C, and the humidity can be unbelievable. The Barco projectors have 7,000W Xenon lamps, and will shut down if they see a temperature of 35-degrees Celsius or above. At the same time, the air is full of salt, and condensation has to be avoided,’ explained Gavin Coxon, director of IBSTempest in Dubai. ‘Tempest’s AC Assist solves all these problems by combining dehumidified cooled air with outside air when the projector lamp is running, dropping the temperature of the air entering the enclosure.’

www.ibstempest.com www.martinpro-me.com www.tempest.biz

The AMWA Labs initiative begins

WORLD: The Advanced Media Work ow Association AMWA has launched the AMWA Labs initiative to complement its existing Networked Media Incubator project. The new initiative will initially seek to employ data centre and streaming technologies to explore a ‘cloud fit’ approach to networked media. AMWA Labs will reportedly provide those that take part with the opportunity to learn how discovery, transport and compression will work, while also examining the security of media content throughout an entire work ow, from start through production and distribution. The initiative’s findings will be taken under consideration, providing input, to the Networked Media Incubator project. The NMI project looks to identify the practical implementations and development of the Networked Media Open

Specifications NMOS .

‘Effective communication with both end users and their suppliers are needed to make an activity of this type possible – and that’s one of our strengths,’ said Brad Gilmer, AMWA executive director. ‘Our goal is to

further expand the NMOS toolbox to satisfy the rapidly evolving business needs of the media industry.’ AMWA Labs findings will be shared with AMWA members during the AMWA Basecamp in the lead up to NAB 2017. The AMWA is participating in the Joint Task force on Networked Media T-NM as well as providing a ‘joined-up approach’ to other trade associations.

Those interested in joining the AMWA Labs are advised to email Neil.Dunstan@amwa.tv.

www.amwa.tv

www.nmos.tv

The projectors display video on the front of the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah

The Tempest solution keeps a Barco projection setup cool in the Dubai heat

eclipse battles the weather at RedFestDXB

eclipse Staging Services recently proved its capability in handling the biggest of events, whatever the weather. James Cooke reports

REDFESTDXB HAS TAKEN PLACE

annually at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre since 2014, with eclipse Staging Services and Stage FX providing A/V and lighting solutions, among other equipment, for the most recent edition, which featured performances from international stars including Demi Lovato, G-Eazy, Tove Lo and Sean Paul across two nights. The event was once again hailed a success with more than 15,000 people in attendance, however, the weather would wreak havoc.

Severe winds were forecast and would eventually lead festival organisers to postpone the second afternoon. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries to personnel involved in the event, however setbacks were experienced. The show would go on a day later.

Taking every precaution possible prior to setup, eclipse started to load-in earlier than usual, while its HSE manager, Manu Abraham and Tom Warneke, eclipse’s project manager for the event, collaborated to put together a comprehensive wind management plan. The plan covered details such as the highest level of rain and wind that the setup could withstand and the emergency protocol. This was communicated to all organisers and suppliers.

‘Arriving at 7am, it was apparent that our workload was immense, alongside a large amount of unknowns: Would the PA work?

How many fixtures were damaged Was the rigging secure? However,

thanks to a truly incredible effort by the entire eclipse team, we were able to go from a destroyed stage and event site to an event showing zero signs of incidents within four to five hours,’ recalls Mr Warneke, discussing the scene on site the day after evacuation. ‘This could only be achieved with the dedication, skill and expertise of over 100 of our staff and the extensive resources of the eclipse Group, alongside a steadfast desire to put on the best show we could. I could not be prouder or more thankful of our world-class team.’

The LED screen was damaged beyond repair by the weather and an emergency video crew was deployed

together two new IMAG screens from 9mm LED screen not in use. Video and playback control was then rerouted to this new configuration.

The video department had also provided a USC comprising 5m x 4.2m x 7.2m hangs with a 1.2m x 13.8m banner, formed from 9mm LED and driven by a Green Hippo Taiga V4 media server with another as back-up. Live video was fed from a five-camera production unit with jib.

‘We took our time in order to ensure everything we turned on appeared safe and were fully ready for touring productions by 10:30am,’ notes eclipse’s head of audio, John Parkhouse. ‘A number of the visiting productions commented on how impressed they were that we had even been able to deliver the show, as they saw what happened the previous day.’

The audio solution included 32 d&b

audiotechnik J-Series speakers for the main PA, supplemented by 16 J-Subs and six J-Infras for the ground based sub array, while eight V-Series cabinets provided side-fill. Additional V-Subs were own behind the main arrays to enable extra low end control in the arena. Amplification was by way of six D80 touring racks and a further six individual D80 amps.

Three Lake LM44 processors, two Cisco switches and two d&b DS10 network bridges for AES digital PA feeds were also implemented. During the evacuation, the audio crew adhered to the safety protocol laid out, covering as much of the equipment as possible. Following the storm, systems were checked, breakages were rectified and the system was re- own and re-patched.

On the lighting side, eclipse head of lighting Craig Ralph and his team installed a rig consisting of main spot and wash beam elements, using Wysiwyg to get the system up in just three hours. Added precautions, such as strapping the lighting towers to the roof of the structure, were taken in lieu of the weather reports.

The lighting setup was based on that of a European style festival, to accommodate the sheer variety of acts performing at RedFestDXB. eclipse’s power department supplied three 350KVA synchronised

generators to power the stage, as well as two 200KVAs and a 500KVA for the F&B stands, VIP grandstand and other areas. Stage FX, which had provided equipment at previous RedFestDXB instalments supplied a range of its special effects equipment and was able to cover and protect its kit ahead of the storm.

‘Despite the turbulent weekend weather that wreaked havoc across the country and had forced a communal decision to push back the festival’s second day, the eclipse team really shone through, highlighting the fact that we can

for large scale events to the highest standards,’ says eclipse general manager, Martin Lubach. ‘I am extremely proud of the entire team, grateful that there was no one hurt and that we were able to end the weekend by delivering an incredible show.’

‘I cannot praise the eclipse team and the rest of the technical festival production suppliers enough for their efforts in getting a show of this calibre up and running after the storm,’ concludes eclipse’s head of video, Lee Worthington.

eclipse Staging Services and Stage FX provided solutions at this year’s RedFestDXB

eclipse impressed with its quick turnaround following the storm

Stormy weather conditions caused the second day to be postponed and a site evacuation that afternoon

EDUCATION NEWS

Students Learn from the Pros at Amity University

14 MARCH

BSS Training

Dubai, UAE

GSL Professional is hosting BSS training to cover the HiQnet Audio Architect Introductory (AA100) and BSS Audio Soundweb London 101 modules.

www.gslprofessional.com

14-17 MARCH

Prolyte Campus at DWR Distribution

Johannesburg, South Africa

This event offers a complete programme of learning activities to create awareness on the safe use of Prolyte products.

www.dwrdistribution.co.za

21-23 MARCH

The Cabsat Knowledge Hub

Dubai, UAE

Delivering whitepapers, industry reports, articles, surveys, opinion polls, features, research and insight from across various sectors, Knowledge Hub will provide a range of content.

www.cabsat.com

28-29 MARCH

Practical Audio in AV Applications

Johannesburg, South Africa

This two-day course presents a logical, intuitive, and practical approach to sound system design and integration.

www.extron.com

2-4 APRIL

Foundations of Crestron Programming

Jeddah, KSA

This three day course will teach the basic programming skills a new Crestron programmer needs in the field.

www.crestron.eu

UAE: The new Amity University Dubai campus served as the venue for Media ast’s first Learn from the Pros workshop of the new year. The session took the form of a DJ workshop for the university’s students, focusing upon products from Native Instruments, for which MediaCast serves as the regional distributor.

MediaCast audio specialist Joel Manarang started the event with a presentation that examined DJ technology, the needs of a DJ and Native Instruments’ products. This was followed by a live demonstration of how the manufacturer’s Traktor Kontrol S8 can be used to build in tracks and work up to a final track by MediaCast sales representative Benjamin Caranza.

Sami Shabazian, a student and DJ

hobbyist, then took to the stage to perform a set using his own Traktor Kontrol S4, highlighting the simplicity of the manufacturer’s products. With the assistance of the MediaCast team, attendees were then able to trial the equipment, testing the different controls while mixing scratching and transitioning.

‘I’m thankful to MediaCast for organising this fruitful workshop,

which explained the hardware and software used in developing skills and competencies in this field,’ said Dr Fazal Malik, head of the media, design and communications department at Amity University. ‘I’m sure this workshop has further enhanced the students’ interest in the subject.’

‘Since media programmes have just been introduced to the university, we were excited to have the opportunity to organise the first student workshop, where the students showed a lot of interest and curiosity, which only makes it more exciting for us,’ concluded Khadija Khalid of MediaCast. ‘We look forward to having more workshops in the near future at Amity.’

www.mediacastsys.com

Thomsun conducts Genelec training event

was aimed at broadcasters, studio engineers and content creators and presented by Genelec’s regional sales and support manager, Clifford Pereira.

particular space.

UAE: Genelec’s Dubai-based distributor, Thomsun Trading, recently conducted a half-

day technical seminar at the manufacturer’s Demonstration entre in Wafi Mall. The workshop

Pro X launched in Iran

IRAN: Ertebat Music recently hosted an Iranian launch for the Midas Pro X console. The event took place in Mashhad and also included training sessions for the manufacturer’s M Series consoles as well as the Behringer X Series of desks.

The event attracted more than 90 audio professionals. ‘The launch was based on our Midas M32 training seminar series and also included an introduction to the Music Group

The session began with an overview of the manufacturer’s history and its position in the market, as well as the technologies that make a modern studio monitor. The basics of studio control room design were covered and layout techniques were explored for achieving optimal results inside a

A demonstration concluded the seminar, offering a listening session to highlight the differences and similarities between different monitors. Those in attendance were reportedly satisfied with the training, with Thomsun stating that the attendees look forward to participating in more in-depth seminars and training sessions.

www.genelec.com

www.thomsunmusiconline.com

Vitec introduces new products to the ME

the training. ‘It was a very successful event and I am really happy about it. Mashhad is the second largest city in Iran and it has a lot of potential. All of the attendees were so happy that we chose to host this seminar there.’

www.ertebat-music.ir

UAE: Vitec Videocom recently partnered with United Broadcast and Media Solutions (UBMS) to showcase the Vinten Hexagon Tracks and Vinten Vantage compact robotic head in addition to a range of other products, for the first time in the Middle East. ey representatives from a variety of systems integrators, broadcasters, manufacturers and industry associations throughout the region were invited to attend.

A combination of product presentations and demonstrations made up the day. Attendees were able to gain hands on experience

with the Vinten Vantage and Hexagon Tracks, as well as Vinten automation and camera supports and equipment from Anton/Bauer, Autocue, Autoscript, Litepanels, OConnor and Sachtler.

‘The format afforded all attendees the opportunity to ask as many questions as required and to get hands on with all products,’ said Vitec’s director of sales development EMEA and APAC, Mark Osborn. ‘We are looking forward to continuing the dialogue at Cabsat 2017.’

www.unitedbroadcast.com

www.vitecvideocom.com

Thomsun hosted a Genelec seminar in Dubai

MediaCast conducted a Native Instruments workshop at Amity University

The students got hands-on with the equipment

Vitec Videocom and UBMS partnered for the event

Vinten Hexagon Tracks was demonstrated among other products

Ertebat Music business development manager, Majid Siyapoush, led the training

The Midas Pro X has been launched in Iran

EASY TO CONFIGURE, CONTROL, AND EXPAND

Stage Audio Works’ Mitech Distribution takes on Adam Hall

GSL expands TASCAM territory

MIDDLE EAST: Dubai-based distributor, GSL Professional, has expanded the territory which it covers for TASCAM. GSL has represented TASCAM in the UAE for many years, but an additional six countries have now been added to its remit.

The new countries where GSL will represent the manufacturer are Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq. GSL Professional Projects and GSL Professional Entertainment will provide technical, marketing, service and sales support across their dedicated markets in these territories.

AFRICA: Stage Audio Works Group subsidiary, Mitech Distribution, focuses upon the distribution of products for the MI-market in SubSaharan Africa and has been named as the new exclusive distributor for the Adam Hall Group in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

‘Our expert knowledge of the region coupled with a modern, innovative manufacturer that covers a spectrum of the entertainment industry will be beneficial for both the partners and of course for our customers,’ explained Will Deysel, founder and CEO of Stage Audio Works Group.

‘As we are anticipating a long and successful presence in South Africa and its neighbouring states, it was immediately apparent to us that the best opportunities lay in a partnership. We were especially impressed with the way in which the Adam Hall Group has positioned itself logistically in an international market and with its future-oriented research and development facilities. Such a product range allows us to fill the gaps in our portfolio, offer our customers great value and make us

both more competitive.’

‘The Stage Audio Works Group has been operating with great success in the B2B markets in Southern Africa and the adjoining areas for many years and is gaining impressive success with entertainment and installation projects as well,’ noted Markus Jahnel, COO of the Adam Hall Group. ‘They are pursuing a strategy which perfectly meets the expectation of the Adam Hall roup. Its many years’ experience in the retail-, installed- and livesound sectors links seamlessly with our broad, innovative range of professional audio and lighting products and accessories to perfectly complement Stage Audio Work’s services. It was also important for us that, in addition to products, our future partner is also able to provide the appropriate technical service and training for staff and customers alike. Stage Audio Works focuses on all of these points, and this convinced us to join forces.’

www.adamhall.com

www.stageaudioworks.com

Prokare set to represent RTI

in Turkey

TURKEY: RTI has appointed Prokare as its new distribution partner in Turkey.

The manufacturer states that the move will ‘broaden its product availability and service support’, as Prokare will offer the full portfolio of RTI solutions while also providing dedicated local service, support, and training for dealers.

‘Our partnership with Prokare is the next step in growing our global presence and support offering,’ said Wim Voet, international sales manager, EMEA at RTI. ‘Prokare provides dealers with

more than a decade of experience and expertise in the custom installation market in Turkey.’

‘RTI is well-regarded within the custom installation market,’ furthered Prokare owner Mete Ozkan. ‘Having their name within our portfolio is an honour and will be a huge advantage to our customers needing simple, elegant solutions that solve the growing complexities of today’s control and automation demands.’

www.prokare.com.tr

www.rticorp.com

‘GSL Pro ME has been a strong distributor for TASCAM in the UAE for years and we are very excited to join its sales network in the gulf countries. We’ve finally agreed to expand the distribution for GSL in the additional six countries,’ said Takashi Tsunoyama, sales chief, TEAC Professional. ‘We believe that

Prosound launches ApexPro

SOUTH AFRICA: While Prosound’s primary focus has been on serving as a systems integrator and installer for South Africa’s A V and lighting markets, it has also enjoyed success during its 40-year history as a distributor. In a bid to apply added focus to its mass-market distribution delivery, the company has launched a new subsidiary that will manage all of its distribution responsibilities: ApexPro. ApexPro provides a distribution platform that separates that side of the business from the rest of Prosound’s operations.

Prosound holds existing distribution agreements with the likes of AudioTechnica, Electro-Voice and ETC among others, and these brands are now represented by ApexPro. With the launch of ApexPro comes news of new appointments. Aadil Matwadia joins from Wild & Marr as national sales manager, bringing with him two decades of

industry experience and expertise. Earl Devereux-Quicke has been appointed as Cape Town sales manager, his last role at Rockit Distribution preparing him for his new job. Mathew Lewis, meanwhile, joins as the new ETC product specialist with eight years of experience gained in the theatre industry where he served as a lighting designer and chief electrician on multiple award winning productions around the world.

www.apexpro.co.za

PTO becomes BXB representative

organised and have a strong focus on the conference, government, educational and commercial sectors. In addition, their levels of service really impressed us – not only do they look after the design right from the beginning, they take the project all the way through to the installation.’

& Sound System as its exclusive representative in Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan and the Kurdish region of Iraq. Although the Taiwanese manufacturer has known PTO since 2012, it is only

was finalised. As B B’s ol aya Erdenechimeg explained: ‘We’ve just signed the agreement and it will be very beneficial for both our customers and end users in Iran.

PTO are very professional, well

The consultancy and installer employs over 35 staff. ‘We’re very happy about the announcement,’ said EO M Aghashiri. ‘We’ve worked with BXB products for a long time and our customers like them as not only are they very good quality but they are also priced well.’ www.bxb.tw www.pto-co.com

Joppie Maritz, Stage Audio Works Namibia, CEO Will Deysel, Mitech Distribution, Markus Jahnel, CEO Adam Hall Group

TASCAM’s Takashi Tsunoyama with Fouad Fowzi and Kulsum Khan from GSL

Bright Lights takes on Fenix

OMAN: Bright Lights Trading LLC has become the exclusive distributor for Spanish trussing, lifting towers and staging platform manufacturer, Fenix Stage, in the Sultanate of Oman.

‘Fenix Stage shares our commitment to customers’ safety and their products are designed, manufactured and tested by qualified engineers at each stage of the manufacturing process,’ said Brent Davenport, sales manager at Bright Lights. ‘We have been putting our trust in Fenix lifting towers, trusses and stage platforms in all our projects and will be honoured to continue to do so. Bright Lights Trading LL looks forward to a long term relationship with Fenix Stage and to sharing their success with their quality and innovative products.’

‘Given the strong position of Bright Lights in Oman, we view this distributor

Making the World Sound Better

as a valuable opportunity to bolster further adoption of Fenix products in this region,’ added Alex Bryan, export manager of Fenix Stage. ‘This will definitely strengthen our positioning in the MEA market and we expect to increase business and raise brand awareness.’

www.brightlightsoman.com

www.fenixstage.com

BMC named as Pakistani CEDAR dealer

PAKISTAN: CEDAR Audio has appointed BM Digital Solutions as its official dealer in Pakistan. BM largely focuses on the broadcast production, post and live production sectors and will be supported by the manufacturer’s distributor for the Middle East and Turkey, Media ast.

‘ EDAR technology drastically eliminates major problems in production environments – especially noise related challenges in postproduction which the EDAR DNS 2 solves right at the source. This will be a valuable asset to users from the TV and radio broadcast, live and recording segments,’ BMC Digital Solutions CEO Faysal Abdullah noted. ‘This partnership is yet another milestone in the improvement of the professional audio and video communities in Pakistan.’

‘I am extremely happy to have BMC Digital Solutions on board to represent EDAR Audio in Pakistan. I welcome BM to the larger network of EDAR resellers across the Middle East, and we are looking forward to very successful results,’ enthused Bala Menon, sales manager at Media ast. ‘BM ’s industry experience in the broadcast and media markets together with our past partnership with them have convinced us to have them take up this new assignment. Their proactive sales, technical and business development teams will ensure the success of EDAR in Pakistan, and that we quickly reach the market.’

www.bmcdigitalsolutions.com

www.cedaraudio.com

www.mediacastsys.com

ARX Sparks Lebanese distribution arrangement

LEBANON: Sparks Audio has been named as the exclusive distributor for ARX in Lebanon.

‘Sparks Audio is run by a group of sound engineers that have been active in the pro audio industry in Lebanon for more than two decades and are well known for their audio engineering talents,’ explained olin Park, MD of AR . ‘We decided that Sparks Audio with its many years of experience in the

pro audio installation and production industries was the ideal partner to grow the market and user base for AR ’ digital and analogue product range.’

‘AR fits perfectly into Sparks Audio’s product portfolio,’ added Sparks Audio partner ean ibran, ‘and will be of great interest to our dealers and end users,’

www.arx.com.au

www.sparksaudio.com

APPOINTMENTS

Key appointments for GSL Sennheiser appoints

UAE: GSL Professional has announced a pair of appointments in Kurt Wilson as director of business development and Prasad Rao as sales manager – projects for the UAE.

Mr Wilson joins the distribution company with more than two decades of industry experience, during which he has served as project manager for events such as the World Expo and the Olympic Games.

On the fixed installation side, his credits include project managing Warner Bros World and Dubai Parks Resort in the UAE as well as around the globe for the likes of Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Studios.

strengthen the awareness of the premium PA/VA solutions available from Harman for both professional and commercial applications. He is trusted in the region and we trust that he will be a great asset to the

‘I am excited to be a part of such robust global brands in GSL Professional’s portfolio and my primary aim would be to help our existing partners and key

‘Kurt joins us with a wealth of experience in such large projects at a senior level. This makes him perfectly suited to install the confidence our clients need in us and the Harman Professional solutions we offer,’ said Sam Brandon, general manager at GSL Pro Middle East. ‘With such a substantial quantity of upcoming large projects in the region, the requirements of the audio system is bigger than ever. GSL Pro Middle East supplies world leading solutions that can tackle any of the challenges our clients may face.’

‘I am looking forward to this new adventure with GSL Professional,’ stated Mr Wilson. ‘There is a very high degree of confidence in all of the GSL staff and the company’s capabilities. To top off the fact that I am, and always have been, a die-hard JBL supporter, I am now able to share the quality of JBL and

all of the Harman product line with existing and new clientele.’

Mr Rao, meanwhile, has a vast amount of experience in the MEA market and has worked for companies such as Honeywell International Middle East, Al Ghandi Electronics and SIS LLC. He has built a reputation as a specialist in installed sound systems for public address, BGM solutions and fire-emergency voice evacuation and alarm systems. In his previous roles he was managing PA, BGM and PA/VA systems for large scale infrastructure projects such as airports, railways and metros and key commercial buildings in the MEA region.

‘Prasad has attained considerable knowledge across all elements of the audio industry throughout his illustrious 30 year career here in the Middle East,’ said Mr Brandon.

‘He is perfectly positioned to

the prevalent A/V technologies with a curiosity on par with their counterparts in the EU. This technology awareness is ideal for reputed manufacturers and suppliers of professional audio and installed sound systems to successfully conduct business activities.’

www.gslprofessional.com

and to give support, especially for integrators. It is important to be on the ground in Saudi Arabia and you have to speak Arabic.’

While Sennheiser is a popular brand in the Kingdom, Mr Ghaoui believes his appointment will help the manufacturer win a greater share of the business in a

systems and home automation. ‘This will help me to promote Sennheiser with our clients and end users. I will give technical information and help with the design of the most cost-effective solution.’

www.sennheiser.com

Kurt Wilson

Prasad Rao

Charbel Ghaoui

‘There is a very high degree of confidence in the all of the GSL staff and the company’s capabilities’

New EMEA product specialist for QSC Pro

Christophe Anet is the latest addition to QSC’s Professional Division, joining as product specialist, EMEA. Mr Anet will be responsible for providing demonstrations, training and education on QSC Pro products across the region, as well as preand post-sales technical support for the manufacturer’s channel

Annalise Hodgson joins DWR

SOUTH AFRICA: DWR Distribution has expanded its team with the appointment of Annalise Hodgson as Duncan Riley’s assistant. Ms Hodgson is well-known in the South African A/V market thanks to spells at Tadco and Christie.

She initially joined the entertainment industry unknowingly, responding to an advert in the Star newspaper that read, ‘Join the team that’s off the wall in fun’. That advert was placed by Tadco and Ms Hodgson remembers being interviewed by Andy Rogers as owner Simon Oates was in Cape Town. She joined on 1 November 1999 in an administrative role. ‘My position grew and grew from there and in the end, I was making sure that everything worked well,’ she recalled. ‘I loved working at Tadco. Simon Oates taught me everything I know about this industry. He is a wonderful mentor and I am so grateful to him for imparting his knowledge to me.’

Her next undertaking was a personal challenge as she joined Christie in May 2012 which was opening its first office in Africa.

The office officially opened 1 une 2012. ‘It was one of the scariest days of my life,’ admitted Ms Hodgson. Phil Lord was still living in KwaZulu Natal at the time and used to commute weekly until he moved to Johannesburg. Again she was exceptionally happy at work with a role as office manager, customer care and administration. ‘Christie is a wonderful company to work for. I formed many valuable friendships and gained much knowledge in the four and half years I was there.’

In what she hopes will be her last move, Ms Hodgson joined DWR Distribution at the start of December 201 . ‘I think my official title is HELP-HIM,’ she smiled. ‘It’s a great team and I will find my feet, once I’ve done the filing. Thank you for this most amazing opportunity, I am so excited to be here.’

‘It’s an honour and a privilege to have Annalise as part of our team,’ added Duncan Riley, who has known Ms Hodgson for many years. ‘I wish her many happy years. I’m hoping that her input will mean I can spend more time with my family.’

www.dwrdistribution.co.za

‘I’m very excited to join QSC, whose people have values, vision, motivation and passion for this business that I share. Great people make a company, in addition to great products,’ stated the new product specialist, Christophe Anet. ‘Innovations and ideas are what interest me and I value the work and courage that it takes

to push forward new ideas and solutions. QSC has always shown their readiness to develop new solutions and technologies for their customers and this is greatly appealing to me.’

‘We are delighted that Christophe has joined our team,’ added Mark Bailey, EMEA director of sales for QSC Pro. ‘His experience, talent and contagious enthusiasm will surely enhance our presence and capabilities in the region. In addition, Christophe’s passion for music as a guitarist makes him a natural fit for QS ’s Professional Division. We couldn’t be happier to add this calibre of talent to the region.’

www.qsc.com

Kaushal Garg joins Ohm (UK)

products with innovative design, clearly understanding the evolving requirements of the pro audio market,’ said Mr Garg. ‘I’m really excited to be part of a company with a focused approach while continually innovating. In joining the team at Ohm (UK), I’m pleased to be working with some of the best and most renowned people in the pro audio business and I’m looking forward to the challenge.’

‘We are proud to announce the addition of Kaushal to the Ohm (UK) team, as we anticipate his experience in the pro audio market will have an immediate, beneficial impact for our customers and on sales in the Middle East and Africa,’ concluded Gareth Coleman, director of sales (international), Ohm (UK).

Africa. Mr Garg joins from Bose Professional where he was

‘Ohm (UK) has a reputation for quality, British manufactured

www.ohm.co.uk

Annalise Hodgson and Duncan Riley of DWR

Christophe Anet

Kaushal Garg

dLive goes rackmount with C Class

A NEW compact range of console surfaces and MixRacks intended to bring dLive to a wider spectrum of users has been launched by Allen Heath. omprising three new MixRacks and three new control surfaces, the dLive lass also boasts the first rackmountable dLive surface, the 1500.

The DM32, DM48 and DM 4

MixRacks all house the VI ore, providing capacity for 128 inputs with full processing and 1 dedicated stereo effects returns, in addition to a fully-configurable 4 mix bus architecture. Each surface and rack has a 128-channel I O port, supported by a range of networking cards, such as Dante, Waves, Madi, fibreA E and optical.

Fast and furious

THE PRESONUS FaderPort 8 mix production controller has been produced to speed up the work ow when connected via USB 2.0 to a digital audio workstation DAW . It reportedly delivers precise tactile control over a DAW mix with automation functionality, such as complete transport control.

FaderPort 8, as the numerical value of its name suggests, features eight touch-sensitive, motorised, 100mm faders, in addition to 57 buttons that cover 78 separate functions that allow the user to quickly oom in on audio files for editing, adjust the click-track tempo, modify plugin parameters, manage aux mixes and control track levels. It also includes what PreSonus refers to as Session Navigator, which provides efficient access to eight missioncritical functions. Dedicated buttons farming all tracks for recording, control mutes and Solo lear, viewing only selected tracks, busses

are also present. The preset four controls can also be customised to offer quick access to any function.

To further assist in cutting down on time, PreSonus has made the buttons on the unit notably large, in addition to being illuminated by backlights. Eight HD digital scribble strips give visual feedback and the option is also provided to select a track using a mouse.

When used in conjunction with the manufacturer’s Studio One software suite, FaderPort 8 allows users to bypass all plugins on any track and to open the hannel Editor, facilitating the control of each channel’s custom macro via the faders. The mix production controller also offers streamlined work ow and support for the Mackie ontrol and HUI protocols, and can control ‘almost any DAW’ without the need for any driver installation.

Meanwhile, PreSonus has also released the T -1 Pro onsole

The lass models are also compatible with S lass hardware and the ME personal mixing system and supported by an ecosystem of apps, Director software and accessories. The three lass surfaces, 1500, 2500 and twinscreen 3500, utilise the dLive Harmony UI which is capable of gesture touch control via 12-inch capacitive screens and colour-mapped rotary controls. Thanks to the dLive architecture, ‘surfaceless’ mixing is also possible using a MixRack with a laptop or tablet for control.

In addition to the new hardware, two new iPad apps have also joined the dLive family, bringing remote control and personal monitoring functionality. The remote control app, dLive MixPad, allows users to control channel processing, including filters, gates, parametric and graphic EQs, compressors and input output delays, directly from the iPad touchscreen, as well as

the mixer’s channel faders and mutes, D A faders and mutes, pan, aux sends, mic-pre control and full metering. The MixPad app also includes a real time analyser to assist with EQing monitors and the PA during system setup, also providing the facility to name and colour channel strips, custom layers with drag and drop strip setup, and channel PFL control for monitoring. Multiple MixPads can be run in conjunction with a dLive Surface or Director software to provide simultaneous control, including

In contrast, the dLive OneMix app for personal monitoring is essentially a version of the MixPad app that locks control to a single aux monitor mix without affecting the other monitors or main FOH mix. Multiple iPads can be setup by an admin user to give musicians a custom set of controls. Both of the new apps run on the current V1.3 dLive firmware, which is available to download from the manufacturer’s website.

www.allen-heath.com

noise on each channel to define the sonic character of the console chosen via inherent signal noise. rosstalk generated spills over into adjacent channels, decreasing the further away a channel is from the source. To prevent the PU load from becoming too much during large projects, an eco mode reduces processing by using simplifying algorithms with less attention paid to the nonlinearity in the signals.

Mix Engine F plugins for Studio One 3 Professional. ompatible with Studio One Professional 3.3.1 and later, T -1 brings the sound of classic British, vintage tube and custom console models to the Mix Engine F environment. The plugin makes use of state space modelling technology to capture and emulate the sound of

analogue consoles by modelling their input drive, channel noise and crosstalk. Automatic gain compensation and a pass through option are also offered.

The T -1’s Drive stage is designed to re-create the characteristic dynamic behaviour of an analogue console input preamp with different modelled analogue

API continues its legacy

API IS reaffirming its commitment to all-analogue circuitry with the release of its latest large format mixing console, the API Legacy A S. The American manufacturer has also made the decision to return to using standard 1.5-inch-width modules, allowing the use of API’s 500 Series

equalisers on a per-channel basis.

Ranging in frame si es from 32 to 80 channels, the Legacy A S provides dual input capability and access to two API 200 Series module slots.

Additionally, the console features a centre section that includes six

Special gain compensation algorithms are also included to avoid extreme gain offsets with two settings: the Bus setting and the hannel setting. When the Bus setting is selected, master gain compensation is applied inside the bus that T -1 is inserted in before any bus insert effects. Whereas when the hannel setting is applied, individual gain compensation is applied in each channel routed into the bus.

www.presonus.com

automated stereo echo returns with motorised faders, 5.1 surround monitoring and a built-in 2500 stereo bus compressor, along with onboard or remote patch bay facilities to complete the system.

www.apiaudio.com

The new dLive C Class C3500 surface and CDM64 MixRack

PreSonus’ FaderPort 8

The main interface inside the MixPad app

XPRS SERIES

ACTIVE SPEAKERS NATURAL EXPRESSION

PIONEER PROFESSIONAL AUDIO PRESENTS A VERSATILE PLUG AND PLAY SYSTEM THAT COMBINES OUR SOUND ENGINEERING WITH POWERSOFT’S ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY.

BIRCH ENCLOSURES

POWERSOFT CLASS D 2400W AMPS

AUTO-RANGING POWER SUPPLY & ADVANCED PROTECTION FEATURES

DESIGNED FOR MULTIPLE CONFIGURATIONS Amplified by

HIGH QUALITY DRIVERS

Latest Lawo update goes live

THE LATEST software update from German manufacturer Lawo for its mc2 series mixing consoles has added several new features geared to the HOW, theatre and live sound markets. This upgrade has occured following ‘significant demand from customers to use our consoles’ in these environments. Consoles running version 5.8 now feature Module ISO to prevent certain settings from being loaded from snapshots, or to create partial

audio-over-IP integration for Neumann DMI-8 digital microphone interfaces. Also in line with increased use of the manufacturer’s consoles on the live side of the industry, a new interface card for Lawo’s modular Nova73 processing and routing core has been unveiled that will provide native Dante support for its mc

Acuity enhanced

IN ORDER to better serve the needs of high-end production environments working in SD, HD or UHD formats, Version 5.0 of Ross Video’s Acuity vision mixer has grown its capabilities.

The release sees the mixer’s MultiFeed functionality improved with added Split ME controls. This makes it possible to set up an Acuity ME as two MEs with up to eight keyer assignments. The Version 5.0 release reportedly allows an eight ME machine to be configured as a 1 ME system – or four ME UHD (4K) switcher. Other

features include new warp effects and lighting engines while a new signal processing format enables Acuity to accept 1080P25 inputs and manage them natively.

Further to this, in a collaborative effort with Evertz, Acuity can be equipped with IP (10G) I/O signal management. The Acuity IPBlades work with Aspen and SMPTE 2022-6 Protocols and also provide standard SDI connections. According to the manufacturer, these IP I/O cards can coexist with standard Acuity I/O cards permitting hybrid IP/SDI

system configurations. In related news, Ross Video has also released the Acuity DoubleDown Panels. Aimed at large I/O systems in sport and other fast-paced productions where shift functions to access mapped sources are undesirable, DoubleDown bus models double the number of key/aux bus assignment buttons for every ME row. The manufacturer states that this greatly reduces or eliminates the need for shifts entirely.

www.rossvideo.com

The sum of Sigma adds up

TARGETING FIXED installation with what it describes as an ‘unobtrusive design’, Wharfedale Pro’s new Sigma Series aims to provide installers and end-clients with a range of rigging options and discreet cosmetics with each model in the series available in a black or white finish, coated in the latest generation chip resistant Rhino Rock paint. The manufacturer introduced the series with eight, 10, 12 and 15-inch two-way models, the Sigma-8, 10, 12 and 15 respectively, as well as an 18-inch subwoofer, the Sigma-18B.

Each model comprises proprietary Wharfedale Pro driver technology with a curved double-roll surround system as the LF driver. The HF compression driver, meanwhile,

features a 44mm diaphragm with a solid aluminium rear plate. The cabinets are of a size that has reportedly been reduced due to the manufacturer’s new angled-corner port system.

Dual-angle pole mount sockets are included in the 10, 12 and 15-inch models in an effort to ensure that HF is reached. All four of the twoway models include five M8 points for rigging exibility.

And already the Sigma Series has expanded with the Sigma V4 and Sigma V8 joining the range. The V4 utilises four 3-inch full range transducers, while the V8 makes use of eight. The alignment of transducers in both models aims to deliver minimal anti-aliasing effects and maximum phase alignment and

an ultra-wide horizontal dispersion of 160-degrees is reportedly achieved. Swivel/tilt mounting brackets accompany the cabinets, both of which are also available in black or white.

www.wharfedalepro.com

has a significant footprint in the

install and live sound markets. With the new interface card customers can now connect their Dante-based equipment directly to our mc2 consoles’, explained Lawo’s live sound specialist, Hervé de With the aim of further supporting the live sector, Lawo has already announced plans to add 96kHz Ravenna operation in the near future, as well as a networkoptimised gain compensation.

www.lawo.com

Ecler adds to essentials

together with one mic and two mic/ line stereo inputs. Other features include an audio priority system, two-band tone control, auto standby mode, mute port, auto standby function and a universal power supply unit.

Compatible with external 24 VDC IN backup supply systems, the higher specification 120W-rated eHMA120 self-powered mixer includes an extra mic/line stereo input. In addition to incorporating the same features as the eHMA60, it also includes independent two-zone on/off switches, an audio priority system available in three inputs and a pager/embedded chime function.

The WPmH-AT100 volume control unit can operate up to 100W and comes with a surface-mount installation box.

installation options.

Augmenting the two-way speakers, the Arqis SB10 is a newly-designed wooden subwoofer that features a 10-inch woofer (150W RMS at 8-ohm) and internal LPF with two frequency settings. Also available in black or white, the SB10 comes with 12 M10 rigging points and wall-mounting hardware.

Lawo’s MC2 36 console

Ecler’s eHMA60 self-powered installation audio mixer

Connections on the rear of the eHMA120

Wharfedale’s Sigma V4 and V8 soon joined the family

The Arqis SB10

Media is black and

An Active approach to aesthetic design

is targeting high-end stores and restaurants, bars and hotels with its new loudspeaker range, Vendôme. This is evidenced by the fact that the manufacturer has reportedly designed the series with aesthetic and personalisation options to fit the d cor of the aforementioned establishments, highlighting this alongside the audio reproduction qualities of the speakers themselves.

There are four Vendôme series available, each of which offers a

Vendôme speakers are designed to match a venue’s decor

The Classic Series comes in black, white or ‘natural’ (varnished beech finish. The Art Series model, meanwhile, sees the user provided with a unit in white primer and a masking kit for adding their own finish to the cabinet.

The Color Series supplies the user with Vend me finished in the colour of their choice, and finally, the custom series allows the incorporation of any brand specific colours.

www.activeaudio.com

WITH A pair of new additions as well as black or white colour options, RCF’s Media Series of two-way passive speakers for small to mediumsized installations has been expanded.

The new releases see 10inch and 12-inch models added to the range, while the manufacturer insists that offering the range in white will make them suitable for almost any environment and architectural constraint.

Starting with the new models, the M1001 and M1201 offer a 10-inch and 12-inch woofer respectively. Both models have 1-inch driver on a 90-degrees x 60-degrees constant directivity horn and a power handling capability of 300W AES. They both use oversized magnets and Kapton diaphragm compression drivers while the Low Impedance Compensated Crossover (LICC) design provides electronic protection for the driver.

As with the earlier M501, M601 and M801 cabinets, the new models can be wall- or ceiling-mounted thanks to installation points on the rear panel, top and bottom and Vesa Mount facilities on the rear of the cabinets.

All models feature a steel front grille with double mesh polyester cloth, rotatable RCF front logo and a 4-pin Euroblock connector.

www.rcf.it

ULTRA-COMPACT MODULAR LINE SOURCE

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 ampli er density and a new sturdy IP45 rated cabinet, and you get power, ef ciency and ruggedness in the most elegant package. www.l-acoustics.com

RCF’s M1201 is one of the new additions to the line

SoundTube speakers achieve IP65 rating

FOUR OF SoundTube

Entertainment’s SM-EZ speaker family have achieved an IP65 rating. The SM52-EZ, SM52-EZ-WX, SM82EZ-II and SM82-EZ-II-WX have all been certified as dust-tight and will withstand water jets aimed directly at the speakers. The –WX models are IP65 capable out of the box, while the standard models achieve this rating when an included port plug is installed.

SM-EZ speakers are constructed with 5.25-inch polypropylene woofers in the SM52-E and SM-52-EZ-WX and 8-inch in the SM82-EZ-II and SM82-EZ-II-WX. All four have soft dome tweeters and use the manufacturer’s proprietary BroadBeam Ring technology.

A 32W transformer with six position tap switch in the SM52-E and SM82-EZ-II offers 25.5V, 70.7V and 100V operation with an 8-ohm bypass. The SM82-EZ-II and SM82EZ-II-WX uses a 64W transformer with six position tap switch and 8-ohm bypass. Inputs are made via

ceramic terminal strips. Heading back indoors, the manufacturer has added Dante capability to some of its in-ceiling and surface-mount speakers. A unique addition comes in the form of Master speakers that allow the connection of non-Dante speakers on the network. Initially four SoundTube IPD in-ceiling models and one surface-mount speaker are available, along with two Master IPD4 speakers.

The system not only permits individual setup of speakers, it provides 40W per channel PoE

Next-proaudio launches Powersoft-powered sub

to any STNet speaker on the system with the STNet Switch. The speakers can also be connected and powered by standard PoE plus and PoE switches.

SoundTube’s speaker monitoring software graphically indicates groups of speakers; if a problem occurs in a speaker within a group, the group will be highlighted on the system manager’s screen. Clicking on the group of speakers will bring up the information for the group and will identify the speaker that is having an issue.

A Dante system controller DSP is connected to the STNet Switch via a gigabit Ethernet port. Up to 16 speakers may be connected directly via one STNet Switch and switches may be linked via a second gigabit Ethernet port for expansion of the system.

The IPD4 Master Dante-enabled speakers can power up to three additional non-IP speakers.

www.soundtube.com

ADAM raises a ne flags ip

THE THIRD generation of the S Series, comprising five models of increasing size, is ADAM Audio’s new agship range of nearfield, midfield and main studio monitors for use in audio recording and production.

The S2V, S3H, S3V, S5V and S5H form the range and see the debut of the S-ART tweeter – an updated version of the manufacturer’s X-ART.

The new S Series also includes the new, long throw ELE Extended

Linear Excursion woofers, one-piece D H dome cone hybrid mid-range driver, newly designed tweeter waveguides and a high-power DSP engine, based on the most recent SHARC chips. Each cabinet in the series is constructed from vibration resistant material to reduce unwanted resonance, with rounded edges to minimise unwanted edge-diffraction effects.

www.adam-audio.com

NEXT-PROAUDIO HAS launched a new variant of its LAs418 subwoofer that offers a 4dB increase in SPL when driven by Powersoft’s Series amplifiers, in contrast to the MA 000 that powers the current LAs418 version. The LAs418 2x4ohm houses two long excursion and high power 18-inch drivers and, according to the Portuguese manufacturer, has been designed to offer ‘ultra-low frequencies at a very high SPL, delivering magnificent precision and punch at incredible pressure levels’.

Powersoft’s 4 and 8 amplifiers provide 5,200W per channel at 2-Ohms, in addition to a DSPcontrolled Switch Mode with Power

PMC grows ATL

PMC SPEAKERS has expanded its Advanced Transmission Line ATL of loudspeakers with two new additions to its Main Monitors range. The MB3 and BB6 are the result of feedback from industry professionals, producers and engineers for ‘ultra-high-resolution active monitors with digital and analogue inputs, designed for freestanding or soffit-mounted use in recording, mixing, mastering and outside broadcast applications’.

Both monitors are available in single- MB3-A and BB -A or twin-cabinet MB3 BD-A and BB BD-A versions and feature lass-D amplification. The manufacturer has included its drivers and DSP technology within the MB3 and BB , both of which are built to further improve imaging and dispersion.

Building on the designs of the MB2 and BB5 monitors respectively, the MB3 and BB6 feature PMC’s hand-constructed 34mm softdome tweeter and 75mm fabric mid-range driver, as well as Radial’s low-frequency driver, developed specifically for use with ATL systems with an exposed exoskeleton to dissipate unwanted heat. The MB3 houses a 12-inch driver, while the BB6 possesses a 15-inch version for at responses down to 20H and 17Hz respectively.

The twin-cabinet units are stated to offer 3dB more headroom than their single-cabinet counterparts. For example, the MB3 XBD-A has

Factor orrection PF . The Series natively supports AES3, analogue inputs and two optional Dante digital streams, providing up to four different selectable input sources per channel.

The cabinet volume with optimised port tuning is also stated to provide an extremely high peak-to-peak excursion capability, delivering sub output down to 24H at -10dB and a maximum SPL of 143.8dB. The front loaded, bass re ex enclosure weighs 94kg and measures 51 mm x 920mm x 1030mm HxDxW .

Furthermore, the new 2x4ohm version incorporates eight handles and a rigging system. Housed within a multi-laminate birch plywood enclosure and finished in textured black semi-matte coating, the LAs418 2x4ohm can be deployed in either standard or cardioid configuration using the parallel wired Neutrik NL4 connector.

www.next-proaudio.com

a stated maximum SPL of 129dB, while the BB BD-A is said to produce 131dB. Amplification of each unit is via Control 1200 and Power 2400 lass-D amplifiers and each channel is powered by a single ontrol 1200 and a Power 2400, with the exception of the BB BD-A, which has an additional Power 2400 dedicated to the 15inch bass driver.

into each MB3 and BB6 monitor is designed to optimise driver response, maximising dispersion and ‘guarantees a awless 24dBper-octave crossover’. Presets can be are accessed via a wired RJ-45 desktop remote control that is bundled with each model and allows input switching and shelving EQ adjustments to be made from the listening position.

For users running multi-channel systems, dedicated centre-channel versions of the MB3 and BB6 are also available, with PM noting that ‘subwoofers are not required, as the 20 to 60Hz sub-bass range is comprehensively covered’.

While providing shelving EQ and four presets, the DSP incorporated

resonance-damped Medite MDF board panel sheets, with offset HF and MF drivers, radiused edges and acoustically absorbent StealthBaf es around the perimeter www.pmc-speakers.com

The SM52-EZ is now IP65 rated

Two of PMC Speakers’ new monitors, the BB6XBD and MB3XBD

The S Series is ADAM Audio’s new flagship range

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KRK updates V-Series

KRK SYSTEMS has updated its V-Series of studio monitors with the V-Series 4, 6 and 8, each model number representing that system’s woofer size. According to the manufacturer, the nearfield studio monitors have been designed ‘specifically for audio production applications where accurate reproduction is critical’ and are aimed at recording and broadcast

studios, sound design and audio production facilities. All three models feature 49 selectable equaliser settings, enabling users to cater for specific room acoustics, any placement anomalies and personal preferences during setup. The monitors include custom designed Kevlar tweeters, woven Kevlar woofers and bi-amped Class-D

Hedd debuts the Type 30

HEDD (Heinz Electrodynamic Designs) has started production of its agship product, the Type 30 midfield studio monitor. Although the manufacturer is relatively new, it was established by Klaus Heinz, founder and former head of R&D at ADAM Audio and his son, mastering engineer Frederik Knop, both of whom bring a wealth of studio monitoring expertise to the table. An analogue three-way system, the Type 30 is designed for use during

in-depth mixing sessions, high-end recording, broadcast applications, mastering and video and television postproduction. It houses 7-inch bass

The new V-Series monitors

amplification housed within a front ported bass re ex enclosure design. The new V-Series models also have universal threaded mounting bracket points, EVA foam pad and

an optional protective grille. Completing the feature set of the V4, V6 and V8 is acoustic and desk loading condition correction low frequency EQs, mid and high frequency EQs, an input level attenuation switch and a Neutrik combo (XLR and TRS) connector.

www.krksys.com

and 4-inch midrange woofers with diaphragms made from honeycombsandwich material, as well as Mr Heinz’ Hedd Air Motion Transformer tweeter design, and four of the latest generation ICEpower 300W amplifiers. Meanwhile, the frequency response is between 32Hz and 50kHz and the Type 30 is also equipped with a modular input card system via an empty slot on the back of the

Wheatstone corrects diversity delay

WHEATSTONE IS claiming its AirAura 3 is the first processor to accomplish off-air monitoring, measurement and real-time correction of HD diversity delay without requiring external gear. The manufacturer describes maintaining precise diversity delay as critical for minimising listener tune outs when the HD signal blends to analogue at the fringes of

a station’s coverage. The proofof-concept FM processor embeds the diversity delay, as well as its measurement and correction, within the audio processor. This means that diversity delay is reportedly always kept in perfect alignment, and removes the need for outboard hardware.

‘In many stations, the FM

processor provides the diversity delay and most FM processors can accept delay corrections from third-

unit, named the Hedd Bridge, which provides the options for connecting via USB 2.0, AES3, wireless and AES67/Dante AoIP. XLA and RCA connections also feature. With 38mm thick frontplates, the cabinet’s construction makes for 530mm wide x 280mm high x 338mm deep dimensions and a weight of 23.3kg.

www.Hedd.audio

party outboard monitors,’ explained Jeff Keith, Wheatstone senior product development engineer.

‘However, when the off-air monitoring, delay measurement and correction functions are all embedded within the processor itself, outboard gear is no longer required.’

AirAura X3 is reportedly the first processor for off-air monitoring

www.wheatstone.com

EAW’s Radius family gains a stage monitor in the RSX12M

Monitoring the Radius

EASTERN ACOUSTIC WORKS (EAW) has expanded its Radius line with addition of a dedicated oor monitor: the Radius RSX12M. The series now includes units designed to serve as mains, fills and subwoofers, in addition to monitors.

Featuring onboard 500W per channel bi-amplified electronics and including the manufacturer’s Focusing and DynO algorithms housed inside a 12-inch vented cone, the RSX12M packs a 2.5-inch voice coil to drive the low frequencies, while a 1- x 1-inch exit 1.77-inch voice coil compression driver handles the highs.

EAW states that the stage monitor is able to offer ‘a uniform coverage pattern of 105 x 105-degrees’ and that the system latency is as low as 2.6ms to provide ‘transparency in vocal monitoring applications’. As with the other members of the Radius family, the RSX12M is compatible with the EAWMosaic system prediction, control and monitoring app for iPad.

www.eaw.com

Level monitoring live and for later

DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY for level monitoring at live events, NTi Audio’s L2 sound level meter and analyser is a handheld unit that starts measuring automatically as soon as it is switched on. While recording the measurement data, it simultaneously records the audio signal as a WAV file, allowing users to analyse it again at a later stage.

The L2 is setup to continuously monitor low-frequency band levels at 3H and 125H and is able to measure the average L eq in intervals varying from 5s to 0 minutes. Stored within the measurement profile are the k1 and k2 correction values, allowing engineers to determine the level at the loudest point inside a venue and to select a pre-defined profile to be ready to monitor within a matter of seconds.

NTi’s newly available Limit Light display is a level monitoring visualisation tool powered by the same mains adapter as the L2 and its limit levels are set using the sound level meter and stored in a profile for repeat use. It was

The XL2 (bottom-right) is designed for live sound monitoring

developed to provide engineers with a solution at venues where a mixing console may be positioned at a distance from the measuring device.

The L2 can therefore be located in the most suitable part of a venue and the Limit Light mounted

On

with

the right material

 Flexible, tough multipair-cables for permanent use

 User-friendly cable solutions

 Customer oriented manufacturing

 Robust stagebox-systems

 Big stock and fast delivery

on the mixing console via an LR cable. Limit Light features a rotary dial that dims the LED lights according to the background brightness and to not stand out at dimly lit concerts or shows.

www.nti-audio.com

Amphion heads out on the road

A COMPACT pair of Amphion studio monitors intended for life on the road has been launched as part of a product bundle combining the One12 studio monitors with a pair of Amp100 mono amplifiers, speaker cables and a wooden travel case.

‘The nice thing about the One12 is that you can listen to it up really close, if you need to,’ shared Anssi Hyv nen, founder and MD of Amphion Loudspeakers. ‘I think of it as a large pair of highresolution headphones which are comfortable to wear all day long, and allow sharing the experience

Klang:fabrik adds Madi

KLANG’S 3D personal monitor mixing system, lang:fabrik, has gained Madi functionality with the release of a Madi BN interface.

Intended to allow the solution to appeal to a wider audience of users, the Madi interface joins existing Dante and ADAT connectivity. Its switchable second Madi BN input output port, together with the unit’s I O routing matrix, reportedly offers various format conversions between ADAT, Dante and Madi in addition to the in-ear mixing functionality.

Firmware OS 2.2 and the control application, lang:app 2.2, have

The Klang:fabrik 3D monitoring system

been released to support the expansion. In addition to Madi support, the update also introduces new features including OS integration and support for 9 kH operation. According to lang, the new firmware also brings several enhancements in terms of usability and exibility that cater both to the professional monitoring engineer

with the production team while taking the room out of the equation.’ The compact One12 speakers paired with Amp100 blocks is reportedly well-suited to environments where space is a commodity, such as home studios, small postproduction edit bays, mobile trucks or FOH. The monitors house a 1-inch titanium dome tweeter set in a Corian waveguide and aligned with a 4.5inch woofer with a low-crossover point set at 1, 00H .

www.amphion.fi

AES/EBU & DMX  cables

that requires complete control over all mixes, as well as musicians and performers to tailor their own bespoke mixes.

lang:app is available for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows and is available for free download at the manufacturer’s website.

www.klang.com

Individual  Stagebox systems

High flexible,   robust stage cables

Chasing Amie

HAVING FIRST unveiled its Amie monitoring system back near the end of 2015, Meyer Sound has completed the system with a dedicated 15-inch subwoofer. The self-powered Amie-Sub has been specifically designed to complement the full-range monitor and provide faithful low frequency reproduction to smaller studios. However, it is also stated to work with the larger Acheon Designer screen channel speakers, as well as the HMS series of surround speakers.

Meyer Sound states that the subwoofer provides ‘excellent transient reproduction, with ample headroom for very low distortion’ with a frequency range from 25H to 125H . The enclosure has an angled corner for connections, permitting at placement against a wall in smaller production studios. An optional bracket also enables mounting Amie-Sub from a ceiling. A complete 7.1 system can reportedly be powered from a single electrical outlet using the Power ON A loop output on both the Amie-Sub and Amie

loudspeakers.

‘It is critical that the early stages of film audio creation be monitored with precise accuracy so they will translate smoothly into the final mix,’ explained Meyer Sound cinema specialist, Steve Shurt .

‘The new Amie-Sub ensures that resulting LFE content will be ideally balanced, conform to all applicable SMPTE specifications, and allow trouble-free extension into bass management techniques for

Multichannel monitoring for TouchMonitors

WITH THE release of firmware version .0, several new customer requested features have been added to RTW’s TM7 and TM9 series TouchMonitors. Each model will now offer up to four parallel instances of its stereo vectorscope, allowing simultaneous monitoring of transmission streams. A 12th octave filter bank has been added to the RTA Real Time Analyser feature set for a more refined graduated frequency distribution analysis, and a custom selected password feature has also been implemented to help protect against unauthorised adjustment changes. allowing combinations in operation with RTW’s TMR7. Besides the new

UE Pro unveils a ne flags ip

ULTIMATE EARS Pro has announced the UE 18 Pro, its second-generation agship custom in-ear monitor. The company cites the UE 18 Pro as the benefactor of two decades of experience, incorporating recently developed technologies such as its proprietary True Tone drivers in a redesigned acoustic system. The balanced armature True Tone drivers, introduced in 2015 with the release of the UE Pro Reference Remastered IEM, are

midrange gain said to improve presence. By way of example, UE Pro says that ‘by pulling the mids slightly forward, vocalists will hear a warmer sound, guitarists can expect a more natural, less crispy sound, and drummers can hear more body from their snare drum’. Additionally, all of the manufacturer’s custom earpieces are now 3D printed. Further, the company also pioneered direct digital scanning of a customer’s inner ear. The steps

surround formats.’

The Amie-Sub cabinet incorporates a 15-inch longexcursion driver and a convectioncooled amplifier in a vented cabinet. On-board processing includes driver protection circuitry, low-pass filtering and correction filters for phase and frequency response. The standard audio input is LR-F with an LR-M loop output.

www.meyersound.com

HAVING

features, bug fixes have also reportedly been performed, as well as adjustments to the recent changes in the loudness standards around

The new firmware can be installed on all TM7 and TM9 series devices, as well as into TMR7 units. TM7 and TM9 ‘T Electronic’ devices can also be updated to benefit from bug fixes

The new firmware can be installed into all RTW TM7 and TM9 series instruments, however to access all new features and functions these devices must be upgraded with the SW20021 T onversion it.

www.rtw.com

expands s b er range

surround

Rated

www.bcspeakers.com

way crossover splits the input signal into LF, lower MF, upper MF and HF bands, while triple bores channel the audio output to the end of the IEM within the ear canal. One bore is used for the HF and a dual concentric port routes the LF on the inner bore and the MF via the outer bore. The manufacturer stresses that compared to the original UE 18 Pro and to competing IEMs, the combination of increased precision in construction, bores and driver mounting together with refinements in the crossover and the True Tone drivers in the UE 18 Pro offers users improvements in detail, separation, presence and coherence. The UE 18 Pro is also voiced with an adjusted

assembly and testing. ustomers’ digital ear ‘impressions’ remain on file for repeat orders or upgrades. The UE 18 Pro can be directly plugged into any headphone driver with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, and a -inch adaptor is provided along with a cleaning tool and case. Recognising that some headphone drivers are ill-equipped to accommodate the impedance variations inherent in crossover and driver design, UE Pro also offers the companion Line Drive, a battery powered, inline buffer amp that mitigates amplifier impedance issues with a goal of at acoustic frequency response and consistent performance.

pro.ultimateears.com

Meyer Sound’s 15-inch Amie-Sub

The B&C 15RBX100 high output ferrite subwoofer

An RTW TM9 TouchMonitor

Powersoft targets mid-sized installs with Quattrocanali

The amplifiers are remote controllable via a web app and Armonìa over Wi-Fi or Cat-5, and can also be setup of ine. They feature a customisable interface that is able to display all devices on a single screen.

Linea Research examines installations

Quattrocanali Series, Powersoft has reportedly completed its Installation Series, which already comprised the 2-channel Duecanali and 8-channel Ottocanali Series. Quattrocanali translates from Italian as four-channel, the new series therefore sits between its exiting Installation Series siblings and is designed for medium applications where the channel count is limited but the need exists for a product to work with Hi-Z and Lo-Z systems. The new 1U 4-channel amplifier platform consists of three models: the Quattrocanali 4804, 2404 and 1204. The 4804 operates at either 1,200W per channel at 8-ohms, 1,500W per channel at 2-ohms or 3,000W bridged at

600W per channel at 8-ohms, 800W per channel at 2-ohms or 1,200W bridged at 4-ohms and the 1204 achieves 300W per channel at 8-ohms, 500W per channel at 2-ohms or1,000W bridged at 4-ohms. All are available in DSP and non-DSP versions.

Each unit includes the Italian manufacturer’s switch-mode power supply with power factor correction in addition to smart rail management and bridgeable switch mode fixed frequency lass-D output circuit topology. The switchmode power supply is designed to reduce the environmental impact of the product and is what reportedly allows for these units to fit inside a 1U enclosure.

Powersoft has also added to the Duecanali range with the release of the Duecanali 1602. This new 2-channel model differs from the existing Duecanali versions, which are based on the K Series, and is said to be more in line with the Quattrocanali Series. It is reportedly able to drive low impedance loads (2-, 4 and 8-ohms) and 70V/100V distributed lines selectable per channel. It offers 16 possible output configurations, the option for network audio expansion via the Dante protocol with a capacity of 4x4 channels and has a per channel maximum output power of 800W at 8-ohms, 800W at 4-ohms, 1,000W at 2-ohms, 2000W at 8-ohms bridged, 1,600W at 4-ohms bridged, 800W at 100V and 800W at 70V.

www.powersoft-audio.com

MA40 mini amps debut at ISE 2017

AT ISE 2016, Cloud Electronics displayed a pair of development prototypes: the MA40F and MA40T mini amplifiers. At the 2017 edition of the Amsterdambased trade show, the British manufacturer showcased both models once again, this time as the newest additions to its MA40 series. Both new mini amplifiers are designed to provide

a de-centralised solution for legacy installations that require additional audio zones.

The MA40F’s list of features includes a mono 40W output at 4-ohms, a pair of stereo line inputs with individual input gain, a 70V/100V line input, a paging microphone input with independent EQ, music EQ, music mute and a facility port enabling

BRITISH AMPLIFIER and DSP manufacturer Linea Research is targeting the install market with its new networked DSP amplifiers, the C Series, which is described as matching the sound quality, power delivery and performance of the company’s M Series touring amplifiers.

Each of the 88C versions has been developed to output its full rated power into 2- 4- or 8-ohm loads or 70/100V systems on a channel-by-channel basis. As with their M Series cousins, the C Series systems are able to operate on any voltage from 100V to 240V, and have been

The C Series currently consists of a range of models divided between two variants: 44C and 88C.

The 44C variants comprise the four-channel 44C20, 44C10 and 44C06 versions featuring 5,000W, 2,500W and 1,500W respectively, each at 2-ohms per channel.

Meanwhile, the eight-channel 88C variants range from the 1,250W per channel 88C10 to the 750W per channel 88C06 and the 88C03 at 400W per channel.

designed to ensure lower current draw and thermal dissipation than an amplifier of its class would typically accept. The manufacturer’s System Engineer software is used for setup and third party control is allowed via the built-in contact closure, fault relay, RS-232, RS-485 and TCP/ IP interfaces, enabling integration with new and existing control architectures.

www.linea-research.com

the manufacturer’s LM-2 wall input and module and BT-1F Bluetooth wireless audio module to be connected.

The MA40T, meanwhile, has all of the features of the MA40 series, but with the inclusion of a 100V output instead of a low-impedance one.

www.cloud.co.uk

Cloud’s MA40F and MA40T mini amplifiers

The Linear Research 44C10

The three Quattrocanali Series models

RedX integrates SSA technology

REPORTEDLY COMBINING Class-A audio quality with higher than lass-D levels of efficiency, Red has unveiled its single stage Class-SSA amplification platform. lass-D amplifier designs consist of a Rectifier, PF , SMPS and then lass-D output stage. In contrast, lass-SSA is a direct D to A conversion of energy, combining the conventional SMPS lass-D sections into what the manufacturer describes as a more efficient ‘Single Stage lass-A’ topology.

The ‘ VS’ ero voltage switching and ‘ S’ ero current switching technology employed in lass-SSA minimises the output stage energy losses, reportedly resulting in a higher efficiency performance compared to lass-D. lass-SSA also offers true bi-directional energy ow, returning

Amate speaks Dante

Amate Audio’s DSP608D has added Dante to the loudspeaker management system

THE DSP608D adds Dante support to Amate Audio’s DSP 08 digital loudspeaker management system. The -in 8-out, 1U device features a 2-channel Dante input, via its R -45 Ethernet port.

The DSP 08D offers a 4-bit DSP architecture, 24-bit AD DA convertors and 118dB input dynamic range. As well as Dante, it has four balanced LR analogue inputs and two channels of AES EBU. Four inputs two fixed analogue, two selectable between analogue, AES EBU or Dante can be routed to the unit’s eight balanced LR outputs.

Features include 1H frequency resolution, 10 parametric EQs for each I O, two crossovers per output, an independent limiter for each output and delay line up to 2s 80m per I O. Four LEDs per I O provide signal monitoring and it can be operated via backlit L D and keypad or remotely via DSPLink. It has storage for 80 presets and a universal switch mode power supply.

www.amateaudio.com

the inverse energy generated by the loudspeaker back to the amplifier for re-use and establishing what Red calls ‘a new standard for sustainable amplifier energy efficiency’.

Audio amplification has become more efficient, as the technology has progressed from Class-A through lass-AB to lass-D. However, distortions have crept into each new development. The manufacturer claims that lass-SSA offers a ‘no-compromise lass-A sonic performance’.

Red is also offering a PoE

based amplifier product line. The PoE amplifier is fully IEEE802.3 compatible providing 9W RMS or 35W peak af or 20W RMS 70W peak at . Another Red product line has been designed for connecting portable sources to a digital mixing console or DSP processor via Dante. The product is a PoE Dante-enabled DI box featuring both a high impedance musical instrument input, as well as a standard Mic Line with stereo audio input.

www.redxaudio.com

RedX’ SSA technology

Best of both

UNVEILED AS the successor to beyerdynamic’s Opus 600 series, the German microphone and headphone manufacturer has introduced a new mid-range model to its Tour Guide series, the TG 500.

The model is intended to bridge the gap between its entry-level TG 100 and agship T 1000 wireless systems, while also providing the best value for money. Crucially, the TG 500 can be used licencefree almost all over the world depending on the frequency band selected. ‘We are now the second or third manufacturer covering this frequency range,’ stated Michael Altemark, product manager wireless microphones. ‘That’s very cool and was one of the main ideas of the system, to cover licence-free areas all around the world. Therefore we also have special frequency versions for Korea, Japan and Australia, to cover the licence-free areas there’.

TG 500 comes with two kinds of handheld transmitters, a dynamic microphone capsule or electret condenser version using the same capsules that are used in the wired models. Following customer feedback, the design and operation of the device is very similar to that of the TG 1000. However, charging

contacts have been included on the handhelds to aid with installed use. The handhelds also feature the same illuminated button as on the TG 100 to tell directly whether the battery is empty or not and it can use either rechargeable or normal alkaline batteries for power. The display on the handheld shows the battery status as well as the frequency being used.

Compared to the TG 1000 handhelds, the TG 500 models offer a mute button at the thumb position. The button is programmable and can be turned off if wanted. ‘We’ve tried to make control very intuitive, and almost everything can be controlled via three knobs – transmitter name, channel, frequency in 25kHz steps, perform a quick scan to find a free channel, adjust the output gain, selectable RF power (10mW and 50mW),’ added Mr Altemark.

The TG 500 receiver is a durable metal half-width enclosure housing balanced XLR and TRS output jacks, as well as an integrated power supply and antenna splitter. The dual receiver supplies the antenna with phantom power required for using remote antennas, while the diversity antenna operation aims to guarantee optimum reception for all the

the dual receiver can be relayed via a common output if desired, without the need for an external mixing console. Using one receiver per transmitter, the system is available in five sets, each of which contains an individual receiver and two removable antennas. The TG 550 Vocal Set is supplied with the dynamic TG 500H-D handheld

and is intended for singing, whereas the TG 556 Vocal Set comes with a TG 500H-C handheld transmitter with a TG V56 capsule, better suited to speech. There are matching microphone clamps for both handheld transmitters. The TG L58 clip-on microphone from the TG 558 Presenter Set can be worn in an inconspicuous position during presentations, while the TG

Studio Technologies takes analogue to Dante

STUDIO TECHNOLOGIES’ Model 44D is an audio interface that helps to expand Dante’s capabilities to facilities and equipment that primarily support signals in the analogue domain. The generalpurpose tool can interface two-channels of analogue line-level audio to and from applications that utilise Dante audio-over-Ethernet media networking technology. Two Model 44D units can also provide one-to-one signal paths, two in each direction, over a standard local area network. It also supports transport of contact closures or status signals between Model 44Ds and other compatible products. Each unit provides two GPIs and two GPOs. In-band audio signals (20kHz tones) are used to transport the signals through the Dante paths.

Two line-level audio inputs use standard 3-pin female XLR connectors for interfacing with balanced and unbalanced sources. The input audio signals are converted to 24-bit digital and then transported via the Dante interface. Two digital audio signals arrive via the Model 44D’s Dante interface and are then converted to analogue. A pair of 3-pin male XLR connectors on the unit’s back panel provide balanced line-level outputs. A 9-pin

D-subminiature connector, also located on the back panel, is used to interface with the GPI and GPO signals. The front panel features four 5-segment LED meters to display the level of the audio signals associated with the two line inputs and two line outputs.

For compatibility with SMPTE and EBU applications, a configuration choice allows the nominal level of the input signals to be +4 or 0dBu. The two analogue line-level output channels can also be set to +4 or

0dBu. Both inputs and outputs are electronically balanced, capacitor coupled and ESD (static) protected. The unit can be powered using Power-over-Ethernet or an external source of 12VDC. It connects to a data network using a 100Mb/s

twisted-pair Ethernet interface using a Neutrik EtherCon RJ-45 connector.

Joining the Model 44D in offering an analogue to Dante interface is the Model 5414 mic/line input and line output interface. The Model

neckworn microphone is better suited to theatre productions. Electric and bass guitars can be miked using the WA-CGI instrument cable (6.35mm mono jack), which is part of the TG 510 Instrument Set.

www.beyerdynamic.com

5414 allows four microphone or line-level sources to be connected to the unit for conversion to digital and then output via Dante. ain, high-pass filtering and P48 phantom power can be selected. Four signals arriving by way of Dante can be converted to analogue and then output as balanced line-level signals. A monitor section allows the input and output signals to be selectively observed using meters and a headphone output.

The Model 5414 can serve as an edge device for a Dante network implementation or as a generalpurpose tool to help expand Dante capabilities to facilities and applications that were initially implemented to support signals in the analogue domain. The rackmounted unit features standard connectors for all inputs and outputs, along with direct AC mains power. www.studio-tech.com

Connections on the rear of the Model 44D

The front panel features four 5-segment LED meters

The Model 5414 allows four microphone or line-level sources to be connected

The beyerdynamic TG 500 wireless system

position the mic where they want it. The ceiling version consists of

base and a d:screet SC4098 with a 45cm gooseneck, while www.dpamicophones.com

SMARTER LIGHTER FASTER STRONGER

NEW ACOUSTIC DESIGN TO ENHANCE THROW DISTANCE AND COVERAGE

BIT DSP WITH FIR FILTERS FOR A PERFECT INTELLIGIBILITY

-POINT RIGGING SYSTEM FOR SMOOTH CONFIGURATION AND SET UP ONLY

KG PER WOODEN TOP MODULE

ACTIVE SUBWOOFER WITH AN OUTSTANDING POWER / DIMENSIONS RATIO

RDNET REMOTE CONTROL

Biamp and Shure

RS-232, up to eight channels of configurable USB audio, four general purpose I Os and an OLED display as standard. TesiraForté Dan also sees the addition of 32x32 audio channels by way of the Dante Brooklyn II module. The VI, TI and CI models include Biamp’s AEC technology, designed to remove acoustic echoes and feedback. The devices can be controlled centrally or remotely via Tesira software and users are able

to dedicated Shure MXA input blocks included with the Tesira 3.0 software, reportedly reducing setup and installation times, while offering a complete digital solution.

Four fixed I O models are offered as part of the TesiraForté Dan range, mirroring the existing TesiraForté family with AI, CI, TI and VI versions, all of which feature 12 mic line inputs, eight line outputs, Ethernet control,

to connect natively and directly to Shure systems, such as the MXA910 ceiling microphone. The TesiraForté Dan processor can network with other units in the range as well as with a Tesira Server IO, should it contain a Dan-1 card. This allows servers to pass audio across an ecosystem, configuring via a Dante ontroller.

www.biamp.com

www.shure.com

Countryman better connects the B6

COUNTRYMAN’S B6 omnidirectional microphone lays claim to the title of smallest lavalier microphone in the world. In answer to a reportedly common request from users to

models, covering over 400 pieces of equipment from manufacturers such as A , Shure, Sennheiser, Lectrosonics, Sony and Wisycom to name but a few.

New detachable connectors are available for the Countryman B6

provide the B6 with the ability to switch between different brands of transmitter, recorder and other all other equipment quickly and easily, the manufacturer has released a range of detachable connectors for the microphone.

This range detachable connectors includes 3.5mm, Hirose, TA3F, TA4F Tiny Q , TA5F, Lemo and LR

To ensure the B6’s best possible performance, each connector in the range is built to resist radio frequency interference, while the mechanical elements selected for manufacture were chosen due to the reliability and ruggedness they provide to endure professional use.

www.countryman.com

TesiraForté Dan AI; the new range is the result of a collaboration with shure

First measurement microphones from AP

TEST AND measurement

manufacturer Audio Precision has unveiled a line of calibrated measurement microphones for its electroacoustic test equipment.

The free-field, pre-polarised units combine mic capsules with low-noise preamplifiers, and are described as the ideal complement to its APx audio analysers. The family includes two ½-inch and two ¼-inch measurement mics, as well as an occluded ear simulator. Each mic is delivered with its own certificate of calibration and is TEDS programmed to the IEEE 1451.4 standard for SMART transducers.

TEDS (Transducer Electronic Data Sheet) data contains microphone identification and calibration information that can be read by a connected instrument, such as the APx1701 transducer test interface.

All units are prepolarised, TEDS-compliant and CCP powered. The microphones are

calibrated, ensuring confidence in measurement results when paired with calibrated instruments such as the APx515 audio analyser and APx1701 Transducer Test Interface.

‘The addition of measurement microphones to our product portfolio is truly exciting,’ stated Dave Schmoldt, Audio Precision EO.

‘For AP system users, it creates an expanded solution for evaluating the analogue, digital and electroacoustic performance of their audio components.’

VocoPro’s UDH-4-ULTRA system

VocoPro goes mix and match

AIMED AT theatrical productions, houses of worship or bands wanting to simplify setup and tear down, VocoPro’s latest hybrid wireless systems, the UDH-4ULTRA and UDH-8-ULTRA are described by the manufacturer as ‘the first in the industry to offer reliable, exible, all-in-one solutions that can go from a choir performance to a band gig without missing a beat’. The systems come with four or eight

handheld, lapel and headset mics, body-pack transmitters and instrument cables. VocoPro believes this system to be the first ever to allow users to mix and match any combination of wireless mics and bodypacks in either 4- or 8-channel models.

The rack-mount 4- or 8-channel receiver allows users to mix and match between handhelds and bodypacks and offers plug and play operation. The systems

Time to Huddle

“I love wasting meeting time trying to connect devices and share my screen” - said no one, ever.

Imagine entering a meeting room, scanning a simple QR code on a wall or desk with your smartphone or tablet and in less than 30 seconds having full control of the room and all its technologies to begin your meeting.

WyreStorm let you do just that with a line of AV distribution, collaboration and control products for huddle, meeting and conference rooms that make sure precious meeting time isn’t wasted configuring the room.

include four or eight handheld microphones, four or eight bodypack transmitters with headsets and lavalieres and four or eight bodypack patch cables to enable instruments to go wireless. In terms of the technology, UDH4-ULTRA and UDH-8-ULTRA use hybrid wireless technology for a 60m range and operates in the 900MH band.

www.vocopro.com

The UDH-8-ULTRA features mics, bodypacks and instrument cables

Flagship functionality in a two channel receiver

WITH DIGITAL 6000, Sennheiser has brought the same long-range mode and proprietary Digital Audio odec of its agship Digital 9000 wireless microphone system to a two-channel receiver with associated handheld and bodypack transmitters. The series comprises a twochannel receiver in two different versions, a bodypack and a handheld transmitter as well as a rack-mount 19-inch charging unit. The digital two-channel receiver works across a switching bandwidth of 244MHz (470 to 714MHz), which is covered by three transmitter versions (470 to

to 718MHz). Up to eight receiver units can be daisy-chained without the need for an additional antenna splitter as the multichannel system will work with a single pair of antennas and the system latency is a reported 3ms.

The system offers true bit diversity, transmission error correction and additional intelligent error concealment for reliability while security is covered by AES 256 encryption. Digital 6000 also features automatic frequency set-up function and works with the manufacturer’s Wireless Systems Manager (WSM) control and

The Digital 6000 receiver is fitted with a white OLED display, which gives a quick overview of the RF signal, link quality, audio signal, battery status, frequency and encryption. Several home screens provide access to further information and critical operating conditions and error messages are directly indicated on the display.

The system works with standard active and passive UHF antennas, as the frequency-selective antenna filters are contained in the EM 6000 receiver. According to Sennheiser, this means that existing antenna infrastructures can continue to be used.

The SKM 6000 handheld transmitter is fitted with Sennheiser’s standard capsule interface and can therefore be combined with all the microphone heads from the evolution wireless Series, the 2000 Series, and

transmitters use the same rechargeable accupacks as the Digital 9000 units.

The L 000 charger is a 1U device that can be fitted with up to four charging modules, each of which recharges two bodypacks or two handheld batteries, respectively. Three-coloured LEDs on the front panel give a quick overview of the charging process. The L 000 charging unit can also be used for Digital 9000.

The solution can reportedly integrate into digital or analogue system infrastructures as the EM 000 receiver is fitted with a digital AES3 output, transformerbalanced analogue LR-3 outputs and ¼-inch jack outputs. The Dante version of the receiver offers an additional Amphenol RJ-45 connector for integration into a Dante network.

WITH ITS SystemOn audio asset management software, Shure is offering management of mission critical or large audio hardware deployments. The software provides centralised IT support and real-time troubleshooting for the manufacturer’s Micro ex Wireless and UL D Wireless systems and the SCM820 automatic mixer.

SystemOn is capable of remotely monitoring battery life, audio levels, and RF/spectrum status for various Shure hardware devices from a central location. It offers a hardware status view that identifies issues such as dead batteries and missing equipment and enables remote adjustment

of channel level, mute status, and other parameters. According to the manufacturer, the link between its software and hardware ‘provides greater convenience for technicians’ and serves as a ‘comprehensive, cost-effective solution that does not require complicated programming like third-party control systems’.

SystemOn software is sold through a subscription license that covers a defined time period, ranging from one to five years. Each network-connected device – such as an MXWAPT access point and M WN S charger, UL -D receiver, or SCM820 automatic mixer – requires one license.

In related news, VHF frequency bands have been added to Shure’s

provide users with 42MHz of tuning bandwidth and build on an existing portfolio of Shure wireless products designed to offer alternatives for the increasingly crowded UHF TV Band.

same features and benefits as the efficiency, recharging accessories,

variety of VHF-ready accessories are available, including the UA844+V

UA834V in-line amplifier, UA874V

UA860V passive, ground-referenced

system is switchable for UHF/VHF. Away from wireless technology, Shure has also released a pair of accessories for its earphones. The Remote Mic Lightning Accessory Cable features a premium inline DA and stereo headphone amplifier for use with any iOS device with a Lightning connector. It is reportedly the first and only accessory cable with MMCX connectors, providing digital iOS compatibility for all detachable SE Sound Isolating earphones. The second release is a Remote + Mic Accessory Cable designed for detachable SE earphones and Apple iOS devices with 3.5mm TRRS connectors. Both cables work with SE215, SE315, SE425, SE535, and SE846.

www.shure.com

Essential updates

BLUE MICROPHONES unveiled a raft of updates and enhancements to microphones in its Essentials series at this year’s NAMM show. While each model in the Essentials series is intended to provide a different character, all of the models now boast a 100Hz highpass filter, a -20dB pad and a new visual design. The updated models have been renamed the Baby Bottle SL, BlueBird SL and Spark SL.

‘We’re excited to take the legacy of Baby Bottle, Bluebird and Spark one step further,’ stated John Maier, CEO of Blue Microphones. ‘The new models were designed to enhance their distinct sounds and give customers greater control and exibility. Even the newly updated designs were finetuned to inspire creativity.’

In addition to the updated mic models, the US manufacturer has also expanded its line of premium headphones with two new models, Ella and Sadie. Intended for studio applications and detailed listening,

Ella is described as combining the ‘detailed sound of planar magnetic drivers, with the emotional impact of dynamic headphones’, while Sadie ‘refines the high-fidelity experience manufacturer’s Mo-Fi headphones to transform laptop and portable devices into complete monitoring systems’. Ella is also credited with being the first set of headphones with planar magnetic drivers to feature an on board 250mW ‘audiophile’ amplifier. Both Ella and Sadie use Blue’s reinvented headband, which features a four-point multi-jointed linkage system with pivoting arm. The earcups are shaped like ears to achieve a superior seal for accurate bass response, improved isolation and reduced sound bleed. Both headphones feature three analogue amp modes – Off, On, and On+. On+ aims to restore the missing low end to vinyl-era music.

www.bluemic.com

The SKM 6000

The SystemOn audio asset management software provides management of various systems from a central location

The new ‘SL’ versions of Blue’s Essentials series mics

Updates and adaptations

department.

The IFB-R1a (top) has received a firmware update

FIRMWARE V4.0 has been released by Lectrosonics to supply its IFB-R1a beltpack receivers with the ability to operate in two different user interface modes. Following the update, Scan Mode delivers the original IFB-R1a interface experience whereby users scan for carrier frequencies, storing up to five at a time. Direct Entry Mode, meanwhile, provides the option to program channels directly using the pushbutton and hex switches, and increases the channel-storage count

up to 10 at a time.

The manufacturer notes that the firmware update not only caters for those using larger IFB systems, but that it also simplifies and speeds up the setup time. Users can switch between the two UI modes using the hex switches on the side of the receiver.

The latest version of the firmware is included with all new UHF IFBR1a receivers. Older units may be installed with the v4.0 update via

A direct box 4-Play

RADIAL ENGINEERING is targeting musicians that employ multiple instruments on stage with the 4-Play direct box.

It features a ¼-inch jack for use with a range of instruments, as well as a mute footswitch for silencing the switcher when connecting or disconnecting. Signal is directed to a selector footswitch that will facilitate up to four channels of output. This allows for each instrument to have its own dedicated channel, should the user be working with a four-piece band. Visual feedback is provided by a series of LED indicators, which inform the user of which output is selected.

The device’s four LR outputs each include a ground lift

Radial’s 4-Play direct box

switch, designed to remove the hum and bu often created by ground loops. All connectors are constructed from glass-filled nylon that houses nickel-silver contacts. A pair of switches that the manufacturer has dubbed ‘set and forget’ enable the increase in range of a selector footswitch to either two, three or four outputs. Meanwhile, a dedicated tuner out

On the hardware side of things, the American manufacturer has produced a bottom plate adapter for its SR Series receivers. The SRAES3 is compatible with all SR Series dualchannel slot receivers, including the SRa, SRb, SRc, and SR, as well as the 5P variants. It provides audio in AES3 digital audio at 48kH sampling with an internal clock and 44.1, 48 or 9 kH sampling with an external clock, and balanced analogue audio from -50dBu to +5dBu in 1dB increments. The CH1 jack on the device can deliver one or two channels of digital audio, while CH2 feeds analogue audio.

The SRAES3’s multi-pin interface and mounting holes have the same design as on all receiver output adapters in the SR Series and an external word clock may be fed to the device via a BNC connector. A field changeable jumper applies a 75-ohms word clock connection termination.

Kramer takes HDBaseT 2.0 further

KRAMER’S HDBASET 2.0 range extenders have been designed to offer long-range A/V signal extension and management over Ethernet. The TP-590T R TP-590R R transmitter receiver pair form a 4K UHD extended range HDBaseT 2.0 system for transmitting and receiving HDMI, USB 2.0, audio, bidirectional RS-232 and IR signals. The TP 590T R converts the HDMI, USB 2.0, audio, RS-232 and IR input signals into an HDBaseT twisted pair signal that it sends to

the TP-590R R for decoding. In terms of vital statistics, the transmitter and receiver both support resolutions up to 4 0 UHD 4:2:0 and a maximum data rate of 10.2Gbps 3.4 bps per graphic channel . The system has a range of up to 130m in normal mode 2 , up to 100m in normal mode 4 and up to 180m in ultra mode 1080p at 0H at 24bpp when using the manufacturer’s B -HD at a cables.

www.kramerav.com

Dante endpoints

can be assigned. This can be set to be always on or to function in conjunction with the mute switch.

4-Play is powered by a Boss-style 9V power supply and boasts a cable lock to prevent accidental disconnection. The unit is designed for ruggedness, with a 14-gauge steel casing.

www.radialeng.com

now able to create quick Dante endpoints, promises its Australian developer Audinate, thanks to the introduction of the Dante Analog Output Module. The device is a small-form factor PCB with appropriate analogue connectors that can be used in small footprint enclosures.

The module supports one RJ45 Dante input, and one or two balanced analogue outputs. It can

Thunderbolt compatibility for Windows 10 users

THE HIGHLIGHT of the V9.0 release of UAD Software from Universal Audio is Thunderbolt compatibility for Windows 10 users. Following the release, Thunderbolt-equipped Apollo Twin, Apollo 8 Duo and Quad , Apollo 8p, Apollo 1 , and Apollo FireWire audio interfaces, as well as UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt devices can all be connected to Windows 10 computers that include a Thunderbolt 3 connection. The software release allows

current PC-based Apollo and Apollo 1 FireWire users to upgrade their rigs to Thunderbolt speed and stability with UA’s Thunderbolt Option Card. The upgrade is compatible with Windows 10 4-bit only and PCs must be equipped with Thunderbolt 3 via USB- .

The other headline feature of the v9.0 release is onsole 2 for Apollo and Apollo 1 FireWire interfaces. With improved functionality over the original Console app, Console 2 gives Apollo FireWire users a host of

new features, including drag-anddrop plugin arranging and custom channel strip settings designed by

top producers and engineers. More specifically, onsole 2 is a high resolution resi able software

network and provide studio-quality, low-latency audio via balanced output connectors to analogue audio equipment. According to the manufacturer, any audio available on the Dante network can be routed via the outputs to an amplifier, powered speaker, mixing console, digital signal processor or other analogue audio device.

www.audinate.com

interface for all Apollo models. Its channel strip presets allow users to see, save and recall UAD plugin chains. There are also new UAD plugin categories and individual show/hide functionality. Console 2 offers enhanced plugin features such as preset auditioning, per-input record/monitor effect switching and multi-level undo and redo for plugin assignments and parameters.

www.uaudio.com

Audinate’s Dante Analog Output Module

New from DiGiCo

SD12

SETTING A NEW STANDARD

Predictably Stunning

In 2015, DiGiCo launched its compact S-Series, which boasted a modern workflow at an affordable pricepoint; last year, the whole SD Range became much more powerful thanks to the introduction of Stealth Core 2 Software across the board; now, in DiGiCo’s 15th year, meet the new and predictably stunning SD12. The new DiGiCo SD12 doesn’t just re-write the book on compact multi-application consoles, it simply rips it up and starts again.

Main Features

72 input channels with full processing

36 aux/grp busses with full processing

LR / LCR bus & 12 x 8 Matrix

12 FX processors & 16 Graphic EQs

119 Dynamic EQs, 119 Multiband Compressors, 119 DiGiTuBes

Advanced surface connectivity with optional DMI cards

UB MADI & optional Optics

Talkback through your Mac

A NEW software update for Apogee’s Element Control App for Mac and iOS has added a talkback function that lets users use their built-in Mac microphone or any CoreAudio input device to communicate with artists through their connected headphones. The update also reportedly provides compatibility between all Element audio interfaces and the Apogee Control hardware remote accessory. While tinkering with Macs, the interface manufacturer has also released its Symphony Control software for the Apple machines. Symphony Control is designed especially for Symphony I/O Mk II audio interfaces and has been developed from scratch to replace Apogee’s existing Maestro software. Offering all of Maestro’s functionality, the new control software provides a customisable user interface as well as several extra features, such as talkback functionality, the simplified Essentials control window and the

err s adds ante

FERROFISH HAS announced an AD/DA convertor that offers support for Dante networking as well as a wide range of audio formats. Streamlining cabling in live, studio and installed applications thanks to the Dante interface, the Ferrofish A32 Dante offers uncompressed, multichannel digital media

effects Send mixer utility that was recently introduced as part of the Element Control software.

Using Symphony Control, users are now reportedly able to use two Symphony I/O Mk II interfaces at once, making up to 64 channels of I/O available on a Mac via a Thunderbolt connection. Mac users can also use Symphony I/O Mk II in combination with Logic Pro.

On the hardware side, the manufacturer recently unveiled Apogee Control, a remote control designed for use with the Element

The Ferrofish A32-Dante

networking with ‘near zero latency’. The unit supports 64 Madi I Os, 32 ADAT optical I Os and 32 channels of analogue I/O. Additionally, any ADAT optical connector can be used alternatively as an S/PDIF or AES/EBU interface. Audio can be freely routed (in groups of eight) between all interfaces.

Thanks to its comprehensive I/O, the unit can serve as a capable audio format converter while simultaneously functioning as an AD/DA converter.

www.ferrofish.de

A-5000 Digital Mixer Amplifier

Background music plays an important part of your business and therefore quality and reliability must also match performance, design and style. The A-5000 series offers the ability to control your music just the way you want it, with built in digital signal processors (DSP) that boast high efficiency and durability. Digital amplification for longterm use. Precise EQ settings via PC for optimal performance and security. Available in 60 and 120 Watt versions making it an ideal choice for small to medium restaurants and retail establishments.

We supply sound, not equipment.

www.toa.com.sg I TOAasiapacific

www.toa.eu I TOAeurope

www.toa.jp (TOA Global)

Series and Symphony I/O Mk II interfaces that connects to a Mac via USB. It provides access to input and output levels using its large ‘Symphony-inspired’ control knob and three control knob focus buttons. A set of eight configurable buttons deliver access to a variety of functions.

Compatibility between the Apogee Control remote and Symphony I/O Mk II audio interfaces is facilitated by the Symphony Control software.

www.apogeedigital.com

Apogee’s Element 88 audio interface

Small additions to the AXI family

EXTRON’S AXI family of Danteenabled audio interfaces has grown with the arrival of two new ¼U members: The AXI 22 AT and the AXI 44 AT analogue audio-to-Dante interfaces. This, the manufacturer states, answers user demand for ‘small form factor rackmountable Dante endpoints’. The 22 model features two mic or line inputs and two line level outputs, whereas the 44 version possesses four of each. Both units are designed to interface with any Dante-equipped audio processor over a standard local area network. Mic and line sources accepted are converted at 24-bit with selectable sampling rates from 44.1 to 96kHz for

Dante output. The AXI 22 AT and the AXI 44 AT can be powered through PoE, and include 48V switchable phantom power.

Control of level, gain and phantom power settings is via the front panel, the manufacturer’s DSP onfigurator software or using SIS commands over LAN or through USB.

Elsewhere, the Extron Control app is now available on Android

devices from the Google Play store. The app, which was previously released on iOS, enables users to connect to and control a room’s Extron control systems. The user interface can be set to emulate either the TouchLink Pro touchpanel, eBUS button panel or MediaLink Plus controller.

www.extron.com

Classic contemporary compression

THE SCHWERKRAFTMASCHINE from Tegeler Audio Manufaktur promises both classic and completely new compression combinations. The stereo compressor has been created using the analogue tube signal path of the Vari Tube Compressor, but the side-chain has been replaced with a chip that calculates the compression and reportedly enables it to emulate nearly any type of compressor on the market.

The Schwerkraftmaschine can be remotely controlled via a plugin (AU, VST, AAX) allowing all settings to be saved in the DAW. The hardware unit is equipped with servomotors so that the controls match the plugin settings at all times. Users can recall

Orion for all

CAPABLE OF delivering 64 channels of audio via HDX or USB3, Orion32 HD is the latest audio interface in the Orion series from Antelope Audio. Its connectivity makes it compatible with any DAW on the market including both Pro Tools HDX and Native systems, the manufacturer promises, while its library of FPGA sound-shaping tools can also be loaded, providing hardware emulations of some of the most popular and iconic recording devices.

‘By bringing the potent combination of pristine conversion and our versatile FPGA soundshaping tools to both HDX and

Next-gen analogueto-digital conversion

BUILDING ON the success enjoyed by the Horus and Hapi networked audio interfaces, Merging Technologies has developed its ‘new generation of A/D cards that embrace the latest innovations in technology’. This new generation currently comprises two siblings in the AKD8D and AKD8DP cards, the former serving as the standard version with a range of up to 192kHz PCM, whereas the latter extends the range up to 384kHz while also offering all DSD formats up to DSD256 and including DXD.

Following in the footsteps of their forefathers, the AKD8D and AKD8DP A/D cards feature direct analogue out connections, as well as a Ravenna/AES67 connection, phantom power switching, phase

120dB is easily achieved’ with the new A/D cards and states that the ability to select the optimal impedance for condenser or dynamic microphones can be done on a channel-by-channel basis, featuring as part of the input stage. Meanwhile, to ensure that gains are switched near to zero, an analogue detection feature has also been included and coupled with each converter’s DC servo loop. Designed to ‘guarantee that the offset is under 1mV over the whole gain range up to a maximum of 66dB’, this means that any clicks caused by switching the gain settings are suppressed. Also of note is that the AKD8D and AKD8DP are described as offering ultra-low distortion and noise

settings with presets and automate the analogue parameters, allowing for different settings within various parts of a track.

A variable side-chain-filter that works both as lowcut and

Native systems, we are opening yet another chapter in our interface innovations,’ stated Antelope’s Marcel James.

‘Studios can now easily switch between Pro Tools HD Sessions and Natives DAWs to accommodate the modern laptop producer in a ash.’

The interface itself provides HDX, USB3, Madi, ADAT and S/PDIF connectivity, as well as a 32-in/32out analogue interface via DB25.

A/D conversion is handled by Antelope’s 64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking (AFC) jitter management technology. Two word clock or Loopsync outs allow the Orion to serve as the

the manufacturer’s 10M or 10MX atomic clocks.

Finally, the interface also features a mastering-grade monitor output borrowed from the Pure2 Mastering Converter to ensure analogue signal integrity.

The associated routing and mixing software for Mac and Windows now features both Antelope’s familiar colour-coded routing matrix as well as an

real estate for multiscreen setups.

With no internal fan, the Orion32 HD is stated to offer completely silent operation.

In addition to the new Orion interface, the manufacturer’s portable Zen Studio has been given access to five new FP Abased vintage EQs, including the VEQ-1A, VEQ-55A, Helios 69, NEUPEV and the Lang PEQ2. The new models come as part of a software

responsiveness.

Orion Studio, Zen Tour, Goliath and Orion32+ haven’t been completely left out though, as they have also been treated to six new FPGAbased EQs, including the 1023 and 1084 from BAE Audio as well as the popular 70s and 80s EQs, the VEQ-STU 089, VEQ-STU 169, and VEQ-STU 900.

www.antelopeaudio.com

The AKD8D is one of two new A/D converters

The Schwerkraftmaschine stereo compressor

The AXI 22 AT and the AXI 44 AT analogue audio-to-Dante interfaces

Up, down and across the yellobrik road

aspect ratio converter, meanwhile, enables the PVD 1800 to switch a video signal’s aspect ratio by converting to letterbox/pillarbox, centre cut, stretch to fill, 14:9 and other custom conversions. This functionality is accessed via the yelloGUI software.

A region of interest (ROI) tool is also delivered with the scaler, allowing users to crop a selected region on the original video signal, scaling it to be viewed on the SDI output as a full size video. With this, Lynx Technik AG states that the user ‘has full control over the input signal cropping as well as the sizing of the output signal display’.

Play gets faster

THE FIFTH version of EastWest’s Play software, aptly named Play 5, brings with it a reported performance upgrade that makes it the fastest version to date due to improved load times achieved by the optimised engine.

A variety of professional audio processing tools are bundled as part of the release, such as the SSL/EW FX Global Suite, which includes filter, EQ, compressor, gate/expander, transient shaper and stereo bus compressor tools,

as well as 726 additional reverb impulses for Convolution Reverb. Meanwhile, the EastWest Goliath instrument collection for soundtrack composers and musicians now also includes an Amp Simulator and the Ohmicide multi-band distortion software. Both Play 5 and the Goliath update are available to download from the EastWest Support Center.

www.soundsonline.com

THE LATEST update to the PVD 1800 sees Lynx Technik AG add up/down/cross and aspect ratio conversion, as well as scaler functionality, to its yellobrik frame synchroniser. The upgrade reportedly adds to the system’s exibility as a ‘multi-faceted solution in a thrown down brick form factor, addressing multiple applications and comes as a free firmware update with the download

of the most recent version of yelloGUI from the manufacturer’s website. The yelloGUI control software itself has also been updated with a suite of tools for the control and configuration of the new features using a PC or Mac.

The up/down/cross converter and scaler provide the ability to convert between video formats for facilities operating across multiple formats, including 3G, HD and SD-SDI. The

A fast scale mode that reduces the processing delay to less than 10 lines is also offered with the scaler tool, designed for use in applications that require a short processing delay and rapid conversion. It is noted that when fast scale is activated, the module’s frame synchronisation functionality will be automatically deactivated.

www.lynx-technik.com

The PVD 1800 has been updated with new functionality

The fifth version of EastWest’s Play is now available

Check it like a master and a pro

FOLLOWING THE rapid growth of music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, Nugen Audio has introduced the MasterCheck Pro, a suite containing loudness, dynamics and codec tools specifically targeting the music industry.

MasterCheck Pro has been designed to provide artists, producers, mix and mastering engineers with the ability to preview the playout encoding and loudness matching techniques used by streaming services, as well as different codecs in real-time to help with preventing codec distortion and over-compression when a track is played via an online stream.

Users are able to compare how a track will sound on different devices over different services and how it will be affected by differing loudness matching algorithms. Loudness and PLR

Dan Dugan Control comes to iPad

VERSION 2.0 of the Dan Dugan Control Panel for iPad offers the same functionality as the Dugan Control Panel for Java, which comes supplied with networkable Dugan automixers.

The Dugan Control Panel is stated to work on any size iPad and is reportedly capable of controlling any combination of the Dugan Models E,

Dugan-VN16 and Dugan-MY16, and can also be paired with the Model K control surface.

As with the supplied Dugan Control Panel for Java, the app allows users to set up channels, name units and channels, assign groups, set weights, mute channels and manually override the automix.

www.dandugan.com

(peak-to-loudness ratio)/dynamic range are shown by the plugin’s meters and the capability to A/B test a master effects track against the uncompressed mix, or other reference tracks. It supports AAX, VST, AU and RTAS for Windows and OS X operating systems.

‘With regards to loudness and codecs, most playout services have a “letter box” through which they deliver audio. If the music doesn’t meet those criteria, then it will be forced to fit,’ explained on Schorah, founder and creative director at Nugen Audio. ‘With MasterCheck Pro’s loudness and PLR features, producers can find the sweet spot between perceived loudness and dynamics, resulting in a master that’s optimised to the format.’

www.nugenaudio.com

E-1, E-1A, E-2, E-3, M, N,

Version 2.0 of the Dan Dugan Control Panel for iPad has been released

A screenshot from MasterCheck Pro

Digigram brings AoIP streaming into software

Q-Sys gains AES67 support

QSC HAS confirmed that the Q-Sys Designer v5.3 firmware update will bring AES67 support to the Q-Sys platform. This will enable distribution of the AoIP interoperability standard between Q-Sys and other systems that support AES67 without the need for additional hardware.

capabilities of Digigram’s audioover-IP technology are now available in a software package with Iqoya *VIP. The package can reportedly integrate with any audio-software solution on a physical PC platform, reportedly enabling ecosystem partners to more quickly create their own live-streaming, processing and encoding systems.

Iqoya *VIP runs as a software service in Windows or Linux environments in both physical or virtual instances, and is among the first AoIP software engines to combine full-duplex ACIP capability with real-time audio AES67 connectivity. Capable of accepting all major broadcast audio formats, the software features

stereo virtual sound card devices, and offers multiple simultaneous encode/decode functionality, with support for AoIP streaming protocols including RTP/UDP, ACIP (EBU Tech 3326), AES67, Livewire, MPEG-TS, and Icecast/SHOUTcast.

Furthermore, to ensure the quality and continuity of each audio stream, the software features Digigram’s FluidIP redundant dual streaming with time diversity, configurable decoding backup priorities and PTPv2 clock synchronisation. The software also supports both SIP signalling and the transport of auxiliary data such as GPIOs, RDS UECP and serial data.

www.digigram.com

Apia users take control

USERS OF Apia’s QDX Series amplifiers and A I Series powered speakers can now natively control these systems thanks to Apnet Network Manager.

Created in partnership with DFM, the software will fully control and modify the internal DSP (40bit oat 192kH of the systems. It allows users to manage, edit and customise presets while also offering EQ, dynamics and delay controls. The software has three levels of EQ ±15dB (‘input/output’ 10 band and ‘group’ 7 band) including gain, FIR filters, delays, Xcrossover, limiting/compression and mute.

The Apnet software also has the complete preset library of all of the manufacturer’s products. Online or off-line system setup and tuning is possible for real-time management and monitoring from a remote PC via a graphical user interface. The Access Manager feature allows the administrator to lock the system, while still allowing a user to monitor it.

The software can be used with a desktop or laptop PC. All wiring is standard Cat-5 while all network architecture and equipment is standard Ethernet.

www.apia.pro

AES67 brings a bridging compliance mode to Q-Sys for any IP networked audio system operating with standard Layer 3 Ethernet connections. This allows the system to interchange between different AoIP platforms and communicate with systems running alternative network technologies, such as Ravenna and Dante.

In other Q-Sys Designer v5.3 software updates, QSC has partnered with Shure to increase the level of integration between the platform and Shure’s Micro ex Advance and Micro ex Wireless microphones. This includes new control plugins for the Shure MXA910 ceiling array mics and Micro ex Wireless systems and the addition of a detailed quick start guide to keep setup and integration simple.

The addition of the Shure MXA910 Control plugin provides Q-Sys peripherals and touch screen controllers with a variety of audio control, preset recall and monitoring functions for MXA910. The plugin is ‘de-coupled’ from the Q-Sys platform’s own audio integration method, allowing users to control and select alternative audio transport methods, such as with analogue audio using Shure’s ANI series, the Q-Sys Dante bridging card or via AES67 software support on the Q-Sys Core processor series. When using AES67 as the audio integration method, users can

integrate all Q-Sys Core processors in the platform with the MXA910 without the need for extra hardware or software licenses.

QSC has also been busy on the hardware side, releasing the K Cardioid Subwoofer which joins the K Family of loudspeakers. Containing the manufacturer’s DSP technology and 1,000W Class-D amplification, the subwoofer is constructed as a compact unit

four rear-mounted casters, with a pair of M20 sockets that accept a 35mm speaker pole in either vertical or horizontal deployment. The E Series has also gained a pair of new models in the forms of the E218SW dual 18-inch subwoofer and E215 dual 15-inch full-range cabinet.

The E218SW features a pair of 18-inch die-cast frame woofers with 4-inch voice coils and power handling of 1,800W continuous (6,400W peak) to deliver a maximum SPL of 132dB and LF extension down to 32Hz at -10dB. Conveniently located handles and a captive-skid system facilitate simple ground stacking ability.

designed for portable applications, as well as being suitable for installations.

Stating that the K Cardioid Subwoofer ‘provides all the benefits of a cardioid subwoofer array but in a single enclosure’, QSC has included dual 12-inch excursion drivers arranged in a sixth order bandpass chamber, combining to reportedly produce 15dB more output at the front of the cabinet than at the rear. The cabinet features aluminum handles and

The E215, meanwhile is built with dual 15-inch LF drivers and 3.5-inch voice coil. It makes use of a frequency-shading topology to minimise vertical lobing through the HF crossover transition. Transparent high frequency reproduction is offered by a large format 1.4inch device with 2.8-inch voice coil and 1,200W continuous power handling (4,800W peak) is reportedly achieved, while the manufacturer’s Directivity Matched Transition (DMT) technology is included for frequency response uniformity across a 75-degree coverage area, with enhanced LF extension down to 40Hz.

www.qsc.com

Klark Teknik heads to court

KLARK TEKNIK has begun shipping its installation-specific DM8000 digital audio processor.

The device boasts configurable DSP, audio networking and acoustic echo cancellation functionality and is intended for meeting room use for telephone/video conferencing in locations such as boardrooms, council chambers and courtrooms.

Users are able program their own ideal configuration using the provided audio toolkit, which contains a library of processing modules as part of the DSP Designer software. Furthermore, multiple DM8000 devices can be linked to create a network for system-wide programming and control of various to input sources.

According to the manufacturer, the network can accommodate multiple mic inputs, a live band or stereo music source, as well as telephony – and send the resulting mixes to up to six destinations. To aid setup and use, the processor integrates an automixer module to automatically adjust and balance levels for up to eight inputs and combine them with any output. An onboard feedback suppressor detects and removes feedback frequencies.

www.klarkteknik.com

The latest Q-Sys update supports AES67

Apnet allows Apia users to control QDX Series amplifiers and AXI Series powered speakers

The installation-specific DM8000

The E215

ATUC adds triple simultaneous translation capability

AIMING TO take some of the hassle out of providing multiple and simultaneous language interpretations, Audio-Technica has expanded its ATU -50 digital discussion systems with the launch of the ATU -50INT simultaneous interpretation unit.

ontrollable directly by interpreters via the system’s web remotebased conference management software, the unit’s front control panel also provides direct control of the headphone volume level, as well as a choice of direct or relayed language. Two ATU -50INTs can be

Single meeting solution

WYRESTORM’S MEETING Room

Kit offers what the company describes as a exible, singlemanufacturer system for conference and meeting rooms. The concept was born out of the recognition that the majority of the more complex solutions on the market require significant configuration and are capable of far more functionality than the majority of customers will ever use, while the leaner solutions don’t quite offer enough.

‘For customers, the choice is typically to either go big and pay big for a system they will not fully use, which offers a poor return on a considerable investment. Or mix and match separate products from different manufacturers to try and create a system that meets their requirements, which complicates specification and installation increasing the chance of compatibility issues and potential points of failure,’ re ected Adrian Ickeringill, WyreStorm EMEA general

manager. ‘With the WyreStorm Meeting Room it, we wanted to offer unrivalled ease of use and connectivity for the end user, with seamless switching, enhanced audio, simple room control using a static in-wall touchscreen and more advanced control with customers’ own mobile devices. This simplicity extends to the integrator, with ease of specification, installation and configuration thanks to one product code ordering with one-price.’

The solution is based on WyreStorm’s SW-0501-HDBT 5x1 HDBaseT presentation switcher featuring ScreenLink screen sharing and collaboration software which supports both wired and wireless screen sharing from up to 2 Windows and Mac laptops computers simultaneously. The SW-0501-HDBT offers switching and auto scaling of four HDMI and one V A sources to the display or projector up to 100m with HDBaseT or the mirrored HDMI output for

local connection. Included in the pack are a WyreStorm in-desk connection plate, 2m and 10m pre-made at- cables for HDBaseT transmissions and a selection of WyreStorm HDMI cables to cover all connections needed between sources, switcher and display. Features of the SW-0501-HDBT include support for 1920x1200p at 0H , microphone input with phantom power, stereo inputs and auto-mix stereo audio output. The ScreenLink software allows up to four computers to be displayed at the same time through a variety of configuration options including single, dual and quad-view modes. The audio portion of the system includes the manufacturer’s AMP001-010 HDBaseT receiver with lass-D digital audio amplification for connection to wall or ceiling speakers.

In terms of control, a variety of options are available for the SW0501-HDBT, including front panel,

linked to deliver each language for hardware redundancy.

select between the three interpretation channels on their ATU -50DU discussion units, or the languages can be

transferred to an existing wireless language distribution system via the ATU -50 U control unit. Multilanguage discussion recording is also possible with the ATU -50 U’s onboard four-channel recorder.

www.audio-technica.com

built-in web interface and E support for on off commands for screens and projectors. RS-232 inputs on the presentation switcher connect to the pre-programmed WyreStorm touchscreen keypad with the included 10m cable. Additionally, WyreStorm’s Enado browser-based control system and a wireless router are both included. Enado enables BYOD connectivity, with the customer able to add their

own personal control devices, such as smartphones, tablets or laptops, using in-room QR code scanning or clicking an email or link.

WyreStorm describes the result as ‘one-touch system control’ of not only sources, projector and presentation switcher, but also audio settings, lighting, blinds and temperature.

www.wyrestorm.com

WyreStorm’s Meeting Room Kit offers a single-manufacturer meeting room system

Audio-Technica’s ATUC-50INT

Performance boost for Crestron touchscreens

A NEW generation of TSW Touch Screens have been introduced by Crestron, reportedly boasting a ‘significant’ touchscreen performance increase, as a result of a new, faster processor, as well as better security for a range of enterprise and home automation applications. The three new models, TSW-560, TSW-760 and TSW-1060 also feature backlit capacitive buttons that illuminate according to the user’s needs, an ambient light sensor to tune screen brightness according to light levels in the room, a secure mounting option and builtin proximity beacon for restron’s PinPoint system.

In addition to the new-generation touchscreens, Creston has also announced new touchscreen products specifically designed to aid the booking and scheduling of meeting rooms. The TSW-732 and TSS-752 Room Scheduling Touch Screens are intended to be mounted on the wall outside each room and provide LED indicators on the panels that are viewable from long

Symetrix plays its hand

SYMETRIX HAS released a new USB Interface Card for use with its Radius and Edge DSPs. It adds eight input and eight output channels for multichannel recording applications as well as driverless plug-andplay profiles for the 2x2 line I O and 1x1 speakerphone. The USB interface card also provides the functionality to disable soft codec AECs, replacing them with Symetrix hardware AECs. Also new is the 2 Line VoIP Interface Card, which as of V5.41 of the manufacturer’s Composer software, is compatible with Avaya teleconferencing solutions, including Session Manager 7.0.1 and Aura Communication Manager 7.0.1.1 FP1 SP1. The VoIP card is designed to integrate natively with narrow and wide-band audio codecs to offer a full range of telephony functions. www.symetrix.co

distances, allowing anyone to see if a room is available or in use. Room availability and meeting details are displayed on the 7-inch screen, and if the room is already available for the amount of time needed, users can book the room on the y. Alternatively, they can scroll through the room calendar to confirm upcoming meetings, or find open time slots and book the space for future meetings.

Finally, Crestron has partnered with Microsoft to offer a Skype for Business

solution, which adds HD audio streaming over the standard consumer

touch controller that manages the Skype meeting, HDMI and Crestron DigitalMedia inputs and outputs, six USB ports for connecting peripherals such as cameras, and a Cresnet port to add an occupancy sensor for automation

A new generation TSW Touch Screen

Barco brings laser to all screen sizes

THE LATEST product offering from Barco sees laser projectors introduced for cinema screens both big and small. Targeted at smallto-mid-sized screens is the 2K SLP series, while the 2K/4K BLP range is intended for mid-to-large screens. The manufacturer has also announced two new high-contrast agship laser models for the Premium Large Format (PLF) cinema segment that reportedly double the contrast of its previous agship laser models.

The 2K SLP range is Barco’s entry-level range of laser projectors for screens ranging from 6 to 13m in size. Currently comprising two models, the DP2K-8SLP for 6 to 9m

screens and the DP2K-10SLP for 9 to 13m screens. Both models boast 30,000 hours of constant brightness and 2K resolution. Additionally, their light output can be dimmed to 30 per cent of the initial brightness to enable 2D and 3D showings from the same projector. The DP2K-8SLP outputs 7,000 lumens while this is boosted to 9,500 lumens for the DP2K-10SLP.

Moving up in size to the BLP series, the DP4K-17BLP has been launched for screen sizes ranging from 13 to 18m and the DP4K-23BLP for screen sizes from 18 to 25m. Image brightness and resolution have also increased to 17,000 lumens and 24,500 lumens respectively and

Multiplying digital signage

USERS OF Barix’ Audio Signage platform will now be able to deliver multichannel audio tracks for digital signage to mobile phones as a result of the latest firmware update. The update will run on a standard Barix Exstreamer Store & Play and is available for download for free from the manufacturer’s website.

The updated Audio Signage solution is stated to work for any location where digital signage needs the additional boost of streamed audio. ‘Consider the

case of a museum with three digital signage displays running, each with a unique audio track that is transmitted via Wi-Fi to mobile phone users,’ says Barix’ Reto Brader. ‘The museum previously would have to buy and use a Linux PC to enable the delivery of channel information to the mobile app, in order to give access to all three audio streams via Wi-Fi. Now, all they need is an Exstreamer Store & Play loaded with the new, free firmware.’

www.barix.com

Existing

4K preview, monitoring and playback in one

THE NEWEST player from Etere allows previewing and monitoring, as well as playback, of file based content in 4K. The manufacturer states that this ‘professionalgrade and multifunctional tool’ will support ‘mission critical operations in broadcast, production and content distribution’ while providing ‘seamless browsing’. A part of Etere’s Media Enterprise Resource Planning software suite and based on the proprietary technology of the ETX, this new product has been named after its reported picture quality: the Broadcast Quality Player. The player’s dual-monitor capabilities allow users to switch to a second monitor for audio and video from a single interface. Audio monitoring abilities include the simple selection of up to 16 embedded tracks, a VU meter that displays multichannel level information, volume control and support for a variety of codecs, PCM, AAC, MP2, MP3, WMA and FLAC.

The solution is designed for exibility with customisable

EZ TV gets digital signage capabilities

VITEC HAS integrated IPTV and digital signage with the version 8.0 release of EZ TV. The addition of signage capabilities will reportedly allow the creation of eye-catching digital signs, centrally manage IPTV and signage content from a single interface and automate video streaming work ows and signage campaigns.

Vitec insists the 8.0 update provides enhancements for both

existing model with a laser phosphor module.

Finally, the two new high-contrast models in the manufacturer’s premium LHC series are the DP4K20LHC and DP4K-40LHC, both of which promise a doubling of the contrast ratio compared to previous models to 6,000:1, while retaining the same colour saturation and uniformity. The DP4K-20LHC boasts an 18,000 lumens output which increases to 36,000 lumens for the DP4K-40LHC. The manufacturer also states that existing owners of DP4K60L projectors are able to upgrade them to a high-brightness model.

www.barco.com

Active Directory settings and permission configurations. It has also been developed for a ‘robust performance’ with a distributed architecture. Access is simultaneously and securely provided for content stored in the cloud from all MERP modules. Broadcast Quality Player also allows users to monitor and trim files immediately following ingest, to fully preview the on-air file,

IPTV and digital signage.

IPTV users will reportedly benefit from low-latency 1080p60 playback, real-time updating of the electronic programme guide, video-on-demand content with new assets updating while events take place, time-shifted TV, live video access from PCs and mobile devices and user-controlled mosaic viewing of multiple channels. Meanwhile, the integrated digital

analyse QC reports for real-time monitoring, check audio content and verify video aspect ratios. SDI outputs are supported, as are video codes including H264, AVC, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DNxHD, ProRes, FLV, DnxHD, DV, DVCpro and HEVC and container formats such as MOV, MP4, MPEG-PS, MPEG-TS, AVI, WMV, M F, L F, F and raw files.

www.etere.com

signage features offer signage authoring, administration and analytics.

The manufacturer’s IPTV and signage end-points feature discrete hardware processes for video and graphics, supporting digital signs that blend live streams, video files, social networking widgets, and dynamically updated data.

www.vitec.com

owners of B- or S-series Barco projectors can reportedly

technology without purchasing a new unit, by retrofitting their

The Broadcast Quality Player facilitates 4k monitoring, previews and playback

The Barix Exstreamer Store & Play

The version 8.0 update of EZ TV offers digital signage functionality

The DP4K-23BLP

ed sa et r a s all tprint

THE COMPACT 500 is 4Evac’s response to a need from architects and interior designers for a certified evacuation system with a small footprint. The wallmounted C500 is described as offering ‘the implicit simplicity of a stand alone conventional system, but with the added power and benefits of lobal Network Topology’.

The C500 drives two ‘live-stream’ audio channels and one serial data channel (RS-485) over a redundant lobal-Network-Loop into global zones and operates a 3-channel message player that sends synchronised audio into the local zones. This enables it to generate five different audio

streams to play simultaneously into the local zones. Each unit provides in-built routing to six single zones of 6 x70W with its back-up amplifier. A single installation can reportedly reach over 1,500 speaker lines, accumulated into multiple paging zones within a system architecture of 256 prioritised zones. Designed and manufactured in Europe, the C500 is EN54 compliant and also third party approved and certified beyond the minimum relevant European standards, including EN5416:2008, EN54-4:2006, EN5417:2005 and EN50130-4:2011.

www.4evac.com

brings best b t t interc s

AEQ IS combining its broadcast audio technology with the intercom experience of sister company Kroma for Conexia. The platform has been designed to be an integrated solution for the centralised management of audio signals in TV and radio studios and a fully featured intercom system. Conexia calls on a Kroma intercom master controller and an AEQ audio matrix. It has a capacity of up to 1,024 x 1,024 cross-points and a modular card structure. The manufacturer believes the unique aspect is Conexia’s ability to integrate intercom and broadcast audio sources into the same matrix, with internal sampling at 48kHz at 24-bit and a redundant system at all levels. According to the manufacturer, integrating broadcast and intercom audio this way allows the grouping

avoids the management of two disconnected, unrelated, parallel audio systems in an installation.

The system has been designed to be compatible with all Kroma intercom terminals and interfaces with the full range of Kroma accessories including telephone and SM as well as AEQ cards for Madi,

can also integrate a broadcaster’s communications using the AEQ Phoenix family of AudioCodecs for IP, ISDN, PSTN POTS , 4 and 3 through onexia’s intercom management software, CrossMapper.

www.aeq.es

Enhancing audio enhancement

A MAJOR revision of CEDAR Audio’s Trinity audio surveillance system has resulted in a ‘huge expansion’ of the recording, listening and speech enhancement capabilities, promises the manufacturer. In the original version, only eight audio streams could be ‘live’ at any given time and a maximum of only two could be viewed. But in CEDAR Trinity 2, the Project is now described as a wrapper for as many audio assets as may be required and up to 24 channels of audio can be live at any given time. Operators can reportedly view these channels simultaneously, recording as many as required, switching with a mouse click to any feed of interest. These assets are time-stamped with Universal Time Code, now with the correct application of daylight saving time,

so that the timing of events can be pinned down with confidence. Assets also include Events, some generated by the system and some inserted by the operator, which can be used to describe activity of interest or realtime transcription of the audio. Existing audio files can be imported into a project for listening, speech enhancement and adding events.

The administration level has also been significantly enhanced, as Trinity 2 allows administrators to decide which operators have access to which assets so that multiple teams can work on specific assets on a single system. To comply with the law in a number of jurisdictions, the ability to erase audio from assets has also been added under strict conditions. A switch has also been added that allows incoming

audio to be monitored when no recording is taking place or that mutes the feed unless recording is taking place.

Further enhancements include improvements to the archiving feature, which now allows operators and administrators to restore archived audio to its position in the original asset, allowing teams to revisit surveillance material at any time in the future. Archived audio can also reportedly be used to create new assets.

One of the most important aspects of Trinity’s audio surveillance, speech enhancement, has also been updated to provide a ‘greatly improved’ noise reduction process based upon the manufacturer’s FNR process. The company states that this makes it possible for all users to

on the size and scale that Omnicare EVC (emergency voice communication) systems can be built, Baldwin Boxall has announced an extension to 8,064 outstations. Dubbed OmnicarePlus the system includes a touchscreen interface that serves as the master point of control while standard style panels handle local areas. Further touchscreen control points can be installed throughout a site as required, facilitating any need for alternative control or security rooms. Unless full control is transferred to one of these additional control units, they will serve as ‘slave’ or ‘mimic’ panels so as not to compromise authority.

Up to 64 outstations can be managed by each local area control panel in any combination of any of the outstation types available. Site network cabling can use copper, single mode fibre or multi-mode fibre, whilst

graphical touchscreen control, automatic call queuing, multiple touchscreen control locations, incoming call logging and audio recording.

Outstation options available for Omnicare systems include disabled refuge, advance disabled refuge, fire telephones, steward telephones, combined unit and disabled toilet alarms.

Meanwhile, the British manufacturer has made BIM objects/drawings (Building Information Modelling) available on both its Omnicare and Care2 EVC systems. The drawings are free for users. In the construction industry, BIM is a process for creating and managing all project information and is designed to increase efficiency, cut costs and save time on infrastructure projects.

www.baldwinboxall.co.uk

obtain significantly better results.

Finally, exports as well as assets and archives are now cryptographically signed so that users can use the TVerify utility to see whether anyone has tampered with the audio, while metadata

capabilities have been improved so that the user’s ID is added invisibly to events, and the speech enhancement parameters are embedded as metadata in exports.

www.cedar-audio.com

The new CEDAR Trinity 2 GUI

The C500 has been designed to be discreet

OmnicarePlus

White is the new black

CAYMON HAS released white versions of its WPR40 and WPR409, - and 9-unit wall racks. With this new colour option, the manufacturer is targeting environments in which white would better suit the décor.

The WPR406 and WPR409 wall racks are now available in white

Previously only available in black, the WPR40 and WPR409 can both contain up to six and nine rack units of 19-inch equipment respectively. They are wall-mounted metal racks that are compliant with ANSI EIA RS-310D, DIN41491 and IE 0297 standards. Both models are constructed with a 1.5mm thick frame and feature 1.2mm thick plates.

www.caymon.be

gloves are worn and in all manner of weather conditions.

The compression rings have been set at what the manufacturer calls an optimised angle, enabling increased locking of the segments. The internal bushings are made of soft felt for reported rattle free operation as well as preventing sei ing caused by dirt, humidity or cold temperatures.

www.ambient.de

Tasker expands divisible flat cable range

ITALIAN CABLE specialist, Tasker, has grown its range of divisible at cables with new models that offer differing cross sections. The six new cables are the TSK71 which has two 0.5mm sections, the TS 72 with a pair of 0.75mm sections, the two sections for the TS 73 are 1mm , while the TS 74 offers dual 1.5mm sections. Increasing the scale further, the TS 7 has two 2.5mm and finally the TS 78 offers a pair of 4mm sections.

Tasker has grown its range of divisible flat cables

Each of the cables use a soft and exible silicon rubber sheath. This is a ame retardant material, without halogen and resistant to oil, water, UV rays, chemical and environmental agents. The manufacturer states that all of these features make the cables particularly suitable for outdoor use. Moreover, the temperature range is from - 0 to 180-degrees elsius.

www.tasker.it

DESIGNED TO ADAPT

New three-way Smart Active Monitors™

Genelec is proud to present the latest additions to the SAM Seriesthe new 1237A and 1238A three-way Smart Active Monitors. These monitors feature Genelec’s proven acoustic design with DSP and AutoCal™ for balanced and proper system response. The 1237A and 1238A come with advanced Directivity Control Waveguides for improved tonal balance, output, and imaging. Highly efficient class D amplifiers are utilized for the LF and MF drivers with an ultra-wide bandwidth discrete class AB amplifier for the tweeter. The integrated active amplifier module can also be optionally rack-mounted.

All SAM Series active monitors and subwoofers including the new 1237A and 1238A provide uncompromised sound quality and precise imaging, a benefit obtained through the Smart Active Monitoring concept pioneered by Genelec.

www.genelec.com

Sennheiser targets musicians with wireless mics

SENNHEISER’S XS Wireless 1 and XS Wireless 2 have been designed with ease of use in mind, providing an option for artists and musicians that want to upgrade to a wireless system.

The XS Wireless 1 series consists of six wireless microphone sets – a pair of vocal sets, a headmic set, lavalier set, instrument set and brass set – and is described as offering both fast setup and reliable transmission. Automatic frequency management, one-touch synchronisation and intuitive, iconbased controls reportedly mean that talent will be ‘ready to perform in seconds’.

The series makes use of Sennheiser evolution capsules, employing antenna switching diversity, and is capable of providing up to 10 compatible, preset channels in eight frequency banks. It is available in myriad ranges across the UHF spectrum. Each XS Wireless 1 set comes with a receiver, transmitter, microphone (capsule) or

instrument cable, power supply unit and batteries. The receiver supplies balanced XLR and unbalanced jack outputs.

The two vocal sets offer the choice between a pair of different microphone capsules: the e 825 cardioid or the e 835, which also features a cardioid pick-up pattern. A microphone clamp is also included.

An ME 3-II headworn microphone

Harman connects solutions

HARMAN CONNECTED

an integrated PA ecosystem developed to streamline setup and configuration of systems from several Harman brands via a single mobile app. The solution initially connects Soundcraft mixing consoles, AKG microphones, dbx stage boxes and JBL speakers that utilise the manufacturer’s ioSYS technology.

Reportedly designed for simplicity, the Harman Connected PA app not only removes the need for multiple apps and UIs in configuring a system, but automatically identifies and configures connected equipment with its setup wizards. The app is available for iOS and Android devices, as well as Windows and Mac.

‘Musicians need a fast and easy

way to set up their PA system so they can focus on performing instead of worrying about their equipment,’ explained Noel Larson, senior global manager at Harman Professional Solutions. ‘The Harman Connected PA system provides a simple and effective way to set up and operate an entire PA system from one central app, with minimal pro audio skills or previous live sound experience.’

www.connected-pa.com

www.harman.com

GLX-D advances

THE NEW GLX-D Advanced Digital Wireless products from Shure provide the option to include GLX-D features for the install market. These features include automatic frequency management and intelligent rechargeable batteries as well as ‘exceptional’ digital audio.

The suite includes the newlydeveloped GLX-D Advanced Frequency Manager, a rackmount receiver system and remote antennas among other accessories. Using Frequency Manager, users are able to operate up to nine systems simultaneously under ‘typical conditions’ – this

Wireless 2 system has been developed for greater exibility, control and durability than XS Wireless 1. It boasts up to 12 compatible, tuneable channels across its eight frequency banks, as well as an LCD display for the transmission frequency, AF and RF levels and battery status. Designed for life on the road, XS Wireless 2 also features true-diversity reception, external antennas and a sturdy metal housing for the receiver, as well as rack-mount accessories.

is suited to live sound applications where the user needs a free set of hands. The lavalier set, meanwhile, is designed for presenters and hosts and bundles the ME 2-2 lavalier microphone with a mic clip. A CI1 instrument cable is included with the instrument set, whereas an evolution e 908 T gooseneck microphone that clips onto an instrument is provided with the brass set.

The soon-to-be released XS

On the listening side, Sennheiser also introduced the HD 200 Pro studio headphones at NAMM. Again, aimed particularly at musicians, content

creators and producers, the German manufacturer states that these ‘allpurpose headphones offer an ideal entry point into the world of home recording’.

Based on the HD 400 series, HD 200 Pro is reportedly well suited for monitoring when recording groups, smaller bands or live sessions. The user is defended from ambient noise by the circumaural headphones, which are designed for comfort during long recording sessions while also offering what Sennheiser describes as an ergonomic design. Equipped with the manufacturer’s drivers for an impedance of 32ohms, a 2m long cable with a straight 3.5mm headphone jack and a 6.3mm adapter is also

dBTechnologies offers a boost

DBTECHNOLOGIES INTRODUCED

the B·H Series of powered loudspeakers at NAMM 2017. The series comprises four two-way cabinets with eight-, 10-, 12- and 15-inch woofers respectively, each of which features a one-inch compression driver.

Designed with an asymmetrical horn, facilitating a wide and uniform throw pattern, the B·H Series is designed to offer ‘accurate digital sound processing’, letting users choose between a pair of EQ presets: Flat or Boost. This, the manufacturer states, means that all models ‘deliver faithful sound performance while boosting any background music for any performance’.

Each B·H cabinet, featuring a contemporary full grille design and

three handles (one on top and one on each side), includes Class-D amplification with an SPL of up to 126.5dB for the 15-inch version. The enclosures are designed for

at two different angles and can also be stacked with the manufacturer’s range of subwoofers or pole mounted to a tripod.

reportedly rises to 11 channels in ‘optimal conditions’. Meanwhile, the rack-mountable configuration facilitates the linking of up to six GLXD4R receivers with Frequency Manager via RF ports.

Frequency Manager will also automatically assign optimal frequencies to each of the receivers through RF cables by using patented data communication. A pair of

Frequency Managers may also be linked together to allow for the use of additional rack-mount systems. ‘GLX-D Advanced saves both installers and users time and money by including rack hardware and rechargeability in the box,’ said Shure wireless product manager Mike Nagel. ‘With the 16-hour run time, it provides exceptional value.’

www.shure.com

dB Technologies’ B·H Series

The Harman Connected PA app

Shure unveiled the GLX-D Advanced Digital Wireless system at NAMM

Sennheiser debuted the XS Wireless microphone systems

HD 200 Pro headphones

TM-Drums comprises four mics

TASCAM’s TM-series expands

EACH NEW model in TAS AM’s TM-series of microphones has been designed with specific music applications in mind and is described by the manufacturer as ‘an excellent starter kit or a great way to expand a growing mic collection’.

The TM-180 and TM-280 largediaphragm cardioid condenser mics are designed particularly for vocals as well as instruments. Each features a 34mm diaphragm and switchable 80H highpass filter in addition to a 10dB pad enabling high SPLs, are housed in sturdy cases and come with a shock mount. The TM-280 also includes an integrated pop filter and can handle

signals up to 135dB SPL, making it especially attuned for vocals. The TM-180 handles up to 130dB SPL and comes bundled with a ip-up carry bag. The aptly named TM-Drums is a set of four microphones built specifically for use with small acoustic drum kits. The TM-50DB dynamic kick-drum microphone and TM-50DS snare mic offer ranges of 50H to 15kH and 50H to 14kH respectively and both possess integrated stand mounts. They are designed to integrate with the other two mics in the set: a pair of TM-50 small-diaphragm cardioid condenser microphones. These are for use on cymbals and hi-hats and can also serve as overheads. The TM-50 handles up to 135dB SPL and each comes with a mic clip and foam windscreen. ompleting the set is the TM- 0, a small diaphragm condenser mic, that reportedly offers low noise and a wide frequency response, the TM-AR1 Acoustic ontrol Filter designed to eliminate re ections and other artefacts when recording in the studio, and the TM-A 1 dual-layer pop filter.

www.tascam.com

Studio monitor with DSP self calibrates

NEUMANN UNVEILED its first studio monitor with digital signal processing to the crowds at NAMM 2017. The H 80 DSP two-way near-field studio monitor will be able to harness the soon-to-be-released Neumann. ontrol software to fully calibrate itself to the room it is setup in. This, the erman manufacturer states, can be performed either automatically for precision alignment, following the answering of a few questions for guided alignment, or adjusted freely using its built-in 8-band fully parametric equaliser for manual alignment.

The H 80 DSP is designed for use in recording, mixing and mastering applications. The manufacturer is targeting music studios, broadcast and postproduction facilities with the studio monitor. Nonlinear distortion is reportedly minimised with the inclusion of Neumann’s Mathematically Modelled Dispersion MMD waveguide, which optimises the frequency response on and off axis, enabling more movement and consistency within the listening area. The DSP engine, meanwhile, has been developed to ensure a linear

Neumann’s KH 80 DSP monitor

frequency response via an FIR filter to provide precisely timed frequencies in all environments.

It is constructed with four and oneinch drivers as well as 120W and 70W amplifiers. With a maximum SPL of 108.8dB, the H 80 DSP’s frequency response is between 57H and 21kH , 3dB. It includes an LR input and at a weight of 3.4kg, measures 233mm x 154mm x 194mm.

www.neumann.com

The TM-180 setup for use

Networked heritage

COMPRISING SOUKS AND STAGES FROM A DIVERSE range of countries as well as a tribal parade from the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival is a celebration of culture like no other. The two-month long event features a fountain show, main central area, parade ground and several smaller stages all of which require their own dedicated sound system.

The task of supplying these systems for the recent event fell to Protec. The Dubai-based rental house has covered the festival in the past, but never to this extent. ‘Last year we only covered the central area and a couple of other bits around the site like the parade area and some of the coffee shops,’ recalls Protec audio engineer, Dan Dignan. ‘This year the scope has increased twenty-fold. We’ve been asked to provide speakers for every souk, bar one or two and then there are 13 or 14 areas plus the circle and parade ground.’

Rather than provide individual systems for each area, Protec decided the best option would be to run the whole site over the same network with a single hub for overall control. ‘The solution we came up with was the obvious one, a huge fibre network,’ smiles Mr Dignan. ‘We’ve run 2,700m of fibre to cover the site, but it’s so expandable. We’ve had to add or change bits here and there and it’s just really easy.

‘It’s all Optocore,’ he continues. ‘We’ve got an LX4B which was originally used as an FOH split for the LX4 system. That patches into the X6Rs that we have out on site and it’s perfect. We’ve got two lines from each stage coming in and obviously we’re sending that back out. The stages don’t have control of the system, it all runs through a single DiGiCo SD9 in our audio hub so they can’t turn it up further than I want them to. Then we have things like the lost children mic, the fireworks and the call to prayer that all cut over everything. If people are playing on stage it will reduce them by 15dB in a ducking gate and if it’s Q-Lab, it will just cut that.’

With such a large and varied site to cover, Protec wanted to have a high level of automation on the system. ‘There are nine souks that we are providing audio for and they each have multiple performances every day over the event. You’re talking six to eight per stage per day and then we have fountain shows which are triggered by timecodes,’ says Mr Dignan. ‘It’s all automated and timed up, the idea is to make sure that myself and John Francis, who’s doing an excellent job with me, are as

free as possible to help people where we can. Having the central hub releases the pressure. If we didn’t have it, we’d be getting radio calls every few seconds and we’d be running around the site to fix and change things.

‘Q-Lab is running throughout the day at the souks and the second any different sound comes through it opens up a ducking gate which opens the mics on their stage and cuts off Q-Lab,’ explains the audio engineer. ‘Once they’re finished, there’s a hold and release for 9s and eventually the music will come back in. It’s saved me having any issues with people saying “we need this muted” or “we need this turned back on” it just does it itself.’

This level of automation required Protec to extend its license to Q-Lab Pro giving it 16 outputs going into the system. ‘Q-Lab only has eight outputs and we needed to have the ability to send different audio to every souk,’ reasons Mr Dignan. ‘Each souk has provided us with their cultural music and we are able to play that music in their souk. When their stage show starts it cuts off their music rather than a general site-wide BGM and when that show ends, their music comes back. It gives each souk its own individual identity and makes it more of a cultural festival.’

To serve an event of this size for two months in one of the busiest parts of the season meant that Protec needed to invest in some extra equipment. ‘We ended up sourcing kit from other places to fill the gaps with Shure SM58 mics, Radial ProDI

Protec deployed a large and comple bre network to ensure every nation could celebrate its diversity at the Sheikh ayed eritage Festival in Al Ain. James Ling takes a tour

Protec used its K2 rig for the Union March

SX300 cabinets were employed for the two-month long event

Protec supplied each stage with SM58 microphones

passive direct boxes and Mackie ProFX 12 mixers,’ says Mr Dignan. ‘Being outdoors for a month we wanted speakers that would survive and be able to be cleaned up nicely afterwards, so we bought a large number of Electro-Voice SX300 cabinets and they are doing a great job. They’re powered through the L-Acoustics LA48 amplifiers as these are what we already had patched in and made sense from our inventory and it sounds great. I’ve been really impressed with it.’

With 73 of the EV cabinets and a further 32 JBL Vertec speakers covering the central circle and fountain show, Mr Dignan was understandably keen to make sure the equipment was as protected as it could be. ‘When the bands are playing we have a ducking gate threshold set at -15dB, when they go too loud and they go over it, it ducks them out by 15dB and there’s a 5s release,’ he reveals. ‘They’ve learnt very quickly where their limit is. We can’t be at every stage all the time so we’ve got to have some kind of deterrent so they don’t turn it up too much.’

Away from the main site and on a separate system, the Union March parade provided its own unique set of challenges. The one off event was attended by a host of dignitaries including the leaders of each of the Emirates and the King of Saudi Arabia and was broadcast on several channels throughout the Middle East.

The parade ground for this high-profile event was again a large space to be covered and this time Protec turned to its L-Acoustics K2 system, once more running over an Optocore fibre network. ‘We’ve got eight towers of four 2 pointing at the grandstand and then we have a VIP area in the middle which is served by a pair of K2 pointed in at an angle just for sightline issues,’ explains Mr Dignan. ‘The public grandstand is very steep while the VIP area is very shallow and also a bit higher, so we’ve had to raise the deck.’

In terms of sources, shotgun and lectern mics were chosen to pick up the speeches and tribal chanting. ‘We’ve got the Shure VP89L mics behind the stacks of K2 to pick up the tribes and what they are actually saying. We also have some Schoeps

Mk4 lectern mics down there as a backup as well.’

The job of mixing the show fell to Protec’s Tim Allison who used a DiGiCo S21 with D Rack and Purple Boxes. ‘It’s background music and a few mics so you can only do so much,’ says Mr Dignan. ‘It’s just trying to get everybody to work together and to get it to work correctly.’

Re ecting on the event as a whole, Mr Dignan believes it has been a unique solution to deliver audio across the site. ‘It’s a very complex system for what seems like an easy setup. The way it’s all connected together and bound together is very complicated and it took some thought to get it right. But the results are really good,’ he concludes. ‘It’s definitely different. I haven’t done a setup like this before. This is everything separate and individual but it’s all running through the same network. It’s working well, the site’s good and what we planned has worked well.’

www.productiontec.com

Represented nations had their own souks and stages

Dan Dignan at the controls of the SD9 in the audio hub

The audio for the parade was controlled using an S21

All around the club

HAVING BEEN TASKED WITH PROVIDING PAGING AND background music services throughout the Le Grand Savoy Hotel/Menara Mall complex, MimPex Audiovisual Profesional was at the front of the queue when it came to outfitting the adjoining W Club with A/V technology. Enviously, the MimPex Audiovisual team, led by general manager Paul Fuentes, was blessed with three main tenants that made the project a breeze: A sizeable enough budget to do as they pleased to meet the owner’s astute requirements, an architect both happy to listen and also appreciative of any A/V concerns put forth, and a complementary team of engineers each able to take charge of specific roles from beginning to end.

Located in the Hivernage area in the modern part of Marrakech, W Club has fast become one of the more exclusive and go-to venues on the Marrakech club scene. This becomes immediately evident as car after car drops off patrons outside the entrance early (by the venue’s standards) on a Thursday night, while Pro Audio MEA lingers nearby. Considering that Marrakech increasingly enjoys a description as the ‘New Ibiza’, this popularity shouldn’t be underappreciated. Step inside and like any good nightclub, music is of course the focus. At W Club the entire space has been designed around a central illuminating dance oor stage area. Musicians do sometimes come in to perform but the typical nightly programme

consists of DJs spinning largely Arabic and French-inspired music from the overlooking booth.

The primary audio system takes on the same dance oorcentric configuration. A quick glance up from the dance oor shows six main clusters comprising a pair of Ecler CKL110T and CKLSM115T two-way loudspeakers each hung from the ceiling and firing inwards towards a central point. A total of 12 L110T 10-inch and 12 LSM115T 15-inch cabinets provide the primary music reinforcement across the six clusters, while low-end frequencies emanate from a similarly configured ring of Ecler DP 118 subs firing in cardioid mode.

‘We designed the subs to have a cardioid configuration in such a way that they provide 6dB less at the back of the venue, with sound projecting out towards the people,’ recalls MimPex technical director, Tarik Med Mechmacha. ‘This has been achieved by putting delays on some of the speakers, which works to cancel out some of the rear sound of the subs. We used the Ecler Alma2 processor to do that – of which there are seven in total.’

So far, so normal you might think. A closer look at the top of each of the dance oor cabinets, however, shows a further line of tweeters mounted to the top of each of the clusters. These have been added by MimPex to complement the unique style of music that W Club favours.

A complex audio installation project at W Club in Marrakech was made simpler by good communication, discovers Simon Luckhurst

Looking down form the VIP area, the Dacord cabinets extend around the venue

Two sets of Pioneer CD-Js are hooking up to Serato in the DJ booth

A cluster of Ecler CKL110T and CKLSM115T spakers with eight Beyma tweeters adding a ‘fifth-way’

The wall of Ecler DPA Series amplifiers inside the equipment room

sub, plus the three ways with the double speakers there, and then you have the fifth band with the extra tweeters,’ explains Mr Mechmacha. ‘We developed this concept using Beyma transducers to add extra high-end – we designed and manufactured the box housing the tweeters themselves. It’s really quite unusual to have a five-way system but Arab music is very particular and they wanted to have a vey clear top end, because of the sound of the voice in that style of music. As a result, they also tend to decrease the level of the low-mids between 2 0H and 500H , while From 8kH and above they boost the signal by 9dB, which is quite a lot. It sounds very tasty for this type of Arab music though. They only ever change the equalisation away from that if they have a singer come in and maybe she wants to have it at.’

Stepping off the dance oor, additional subwoofers have been placed strategically around the venue, outside of the cardioid ring. ‘What we did is place a kind of ero point in the middle of the dance oor, and aligned everything to that point,’ says Mr Mechmacha. ‘Then, because we have some other subs around the venue, double-12s, those have been placed with a delay so that they are in phase with the subs here and the perception feels correct – let’s say that you have the same shape of the cardioid.’

Away from the dance oor, one of the other unique aspects of W lub comes into view. Sandwiched between decorative ornaments that shoot green laser beams from the eyes of the W lub tiger logo, a cacophony of Ecler cabinets are mounted to the exterior walls – over 50 in total.

‘As you can see behind we have a number of speakers as well,’ smiles Mr Mechmacha. ‘They really were not shy in terms of budget – they wanted to have absolutely the best system, and no issues with the power. They wanted to have everything precise, everything such as the speaker control by DSP and Ethernet, so that they could do whatever they wished.’

This did provide some headaches for the technical director, however. In order to maintain absolute control over any area of the club, every single speaker is cabled to a dedicated channel in the DPA Series amplifiers hidden out the back. No small undertaking, even in a newly-outfitted space. In total, this means a room full of equipment racks filled with over 20 Ecler DPA Series lass-D amplifiers, as well as two Mimo88 8-in 8-out digital audio matrices, and four N A4-700 and four N A4-400 powered digital audio managers for control. These also link with two Ecler WPMScreen wallpanels to provide touchscreen control.

‘Depending on the area there are more or less speakers, such as around the bar area, because they want to be able to maintain conversations or order drinks, and they require less level,’ relays Ecler sales director, Luis Hinojar. ‘The volume can be been adjusted on each one of the amplifiers to set the level as desired, in a way that the engineer inside the booth only has to adjust the master volume and everything else adjusts properly

temperature, humidity, etc. They were very diligent. The last job was to align the main system with the surrounding speakers.’ Additionally, maintaining such a system – or dare I say, ensuring such a system doesn’t get tinkered with – also brings its own set of challenges. Because of the very precise setup, the venue employs a dedicated on-site engineer to ensure the system configuration remains consistent. ‘You have a D which is playing here, but the D is not touching anything related to the distribution of sound in the venue,’ offers the general manager. ‘The job we did was very good in terms of aligning and adjusting everything, but the club also has an on-site engineer, Oussama Narjis, who is taking care of the equipment. He can control and fine-tune everything, the whole sound, via a Midas M32 console in the D booth. The D isn’t allowed to touch anything relating to the adjustments, his job is to play the music. In 14 months we

With a several equipment racks in the rear room solely dedicated to the loudspeaker amplifiers, by far the biggest task for MimPex was aligning and configuring everything. ‘We had to do it in six stages,’ proclaims Mr Mechmacha. ‘The mechanical face of the speakers first, then the cabling that goes from the speakers to the amplifiers. After that we worked on the processing a little bit, but in a very basic way, then we configured the subs to have this cardioid shape. Finally, we aligned all of the speakers with the main sub, with the same shape and the delay.

‘The most difficult part was aligning the sound with all of the faces of the different four ways. It took four days to align everything properly, and meant that my team spent two and a half days working from 2am to 8am,’ says the general manager.

‘They did this so it was at the same time of night as the real disco, to make sure they had the same kind of sound climate –

The beauty of the ‘dual’ system that MimPex has installed at W lub is the exibility it affords for outside performances. ‘As well as popular singers, the venue sometimes has an orchestra, and in that instance they change the configuration to have a traditional FOH, side-fill,’ explains Mr Hinojar. ‘With an orchestra in, all of the sound reinforcement around is not used. This makes a typical sound reinforcement setup where you can hear the orchestra coming from the front.’

Despite all of the complexities of the audio system installed by MimPex, it is often the more serene aspects that really make a project a success or not. ‘I was able to convince the owner, El Ayadi Benbiga, to invest in some very good acoustic treatment on the walls and ceiling,’ offers Mr Fuentes. ‘There is 10cmthick treatment on the side walls and ceiling which increases absorption and helps to limit re ections inside the venue. ‘If with the work we do you don’t have a sensible architect, a sensible ownership – one not prepared to do the necessary acoustic treatments – then you can install the best sound products in the world but they will not function as you wish,’ he continues. ‘We were very fortunate that everyone is thinking in the same way. It’s really not very common that you find an architect and owner willing to spend good money on the acoustic treatment, and it’s also rare that you find an architect that listens to you about these kind of issues, and Said El Maloui, the interior designer from Trigonos architect agency, he really listens to what you tell him. For example, he was happy to let us perform all of our acoustic calculations before he designed the decorations.’

For all the talk about technical proficiencies, the success of a project often depends on the communication between all parties. For MimPex, this is where an installation like W lub really shines. ‘The important thing on a complex project like this is to have good teamwork,’ concludes the general manager. ‘We recognise that Ecler is the expert on the technical side, and whenever we send them plans of the venue and the acoustic specification, they do a brilliant job of designing the acoustic simulation to provide even sound. But as I said earlier, even when you’ve worked the design perfectly, the following operation depends always on the D engineer located at the venue. At W lub this isn’t an issue because we have a very good onsite engineer. We know everything there will continue to work perfectly.’

www.3gonos.com www.ecler.com

www.mimpexpro.com

www.wclubmarrakech.com

Resident sound engineer Oussama Narjis with the Midas M32 mixing console

A wall-mounted Ecler Dacord206H

Large screens stream the action on the dance floor up to the VIP area

Bridging systems

NEXT TIME YOU’RE WAITING FOR A LIFT IN A HOTEL, take a look up. I bet you will see two ceiling speakers from different brands practically next to each other. These are, of course, the different outputs for the BGM and PA/VA systems. Both solutions are essential in their own right, but wouldn’t it be better if they were combined to playout through a single speaker?

This was the argument made by TOA Electronics when discussing the five-star Sharjah Sheraton hotel project with the lead consultant for the project, QH . ‘We were in touch with the consultant who had shown us the client requirements and what they expected from this project in terms of functionality,’ recalls Ali Sabri, manager, sales and business development at TOA Electronics Dubai. ‘We suggested that going for a separate BGM supplier and TOA providing the PA VA would not meet the requirements and the budget would be double. We explained that we could provide an overall solution that would meet their budget and offered to show the consultant the design we could do. After that he gave us the project details and requirements for the A/V, BGM and PA/VA.’

The team at the manufacturer’s Dubai office is looking at ways it can grow its business in the region and moving into related signal chains is seen as an area with great potential. ‘For us it is a new market segment, we are trying to penetrate into the whole B M section,’ says Mr Sabri. ‘As a PA VA manufacturer we are pushing our products into BGM applications where we are integrating our systems with A/V systems as well. ‘The industry here is divided into the A V segment and PA VA,’ he continues. ‘We are trying to bridge that gap to see how we can collaborate and give good solutions to the customer. This project was a good opportunity to go and explore what we could do in this new segment.’

Having received the project requirements, the team set about designing a solution that would meet the hotel’s needs while also coming in on budget. It decided the best way to achieve this was to build a solution based around its S -2000 audio matrix system combined with the M-9000 digital matrix mixer. The ballrooms are equipped with TOA F-2352 full range ceiling

speakers, while S-302 garden speakers have been used pool side and corridors are covered by the manufacturer’s P -18 9 ceiling speakers. With the manufacturer’s paging mics as well as restron touch panels making up the other components, QH was convinced that the package would meet the hotel’s

With the consultancy on side, TOA now also needed to persuade the systems integrators, Telematics and BMTS, that a single solution was the right approach. ‘Those companies are partners for other brands but we had a good relationship with the consultant and he knew our solution. That made it easy for us to convince them and put us in good standing for the project,’ reveals Mr Sabri.

‘We have supplied the B M

2000. This meant we were able to meet the requirements that the client was requesting from the project.

‘We used restron panels with selection and volume controls as well as controls for the projectors and screens which were basic requirements for the pre-function and function rooms,’ furthers Mr Sabri. ‘You have a touch panel and a paging mic and you are switching between the systems to meet the requirements.’

At the other end of the signal chain a single ceiling speaker system now delivers both B M and PA VA. ‘In hotels you always see the BGM speakers right next to the PA/VA speakers – ceilings are full of speakers these days, there is a lot of confusion,’ observes Mr Sabri. ‘This makes the whole system simpler and more convenient to use for the client.’

With the solution installed and the hotel open, Mr Sabri has received positive feedback. ‘The project has been handed over and the client is happy. The consultant is very happy and working on another hotel in Sharjah which will have our design as well as another in Dubai. He knows now that the solution works and there are no issues, so why not go for it again?’

And it is not only the consultant that has been convinced by the installation. ‘It was an interesting project to be part of. It gave us more confidence to get involved with these kinds of installations,’ re ects Mr Sabri. ‘Before, we used to leave projects like this because we knew the B M would go to the audiovisual section and then we end up just supplying some speakers and small amplifiers for PA VA. We decided we should try and get the complete package because we can provide a complete solution for A/V, PA/VA and BGM applications with one system. The result speaks for itself, based on this installation we have got a couple more projects using the same application.’ Having proved it can bridge the gap between B M and PA VA, TOA’s quest to reduce the clutter on hotel ceilings looks to be moving in the right direction.

www.toa.eu

TOA has used a single solution to provide an integrated A/V, BGM and PA/VA system to the Sharjah Sheraton hotel. James Ling nds out more

GS-302 garden speakers have been used pool side

Crestron touch panels provide local control of the system

TOA supplied a combined BGM and PA/VA system

Operation critical

OVER A SPAN OF 17 YEARS, THE AUDITORIUM WITHIN the Rashid Medical Library has screened and broadcast live surgical operations in HD in addition to hosting live events, presentations and conferences. Serving as the media hub for all Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA) hospitals, the 500seat training venue was earmarked for a full A/V upgrade in 2016-17. Adeco Technologies Ltd was called upon to design a digital audio system that would interface with a future video network upgrade for all the multi-purpose venue’s needs. Having been acoustically treated by EEC LLC in 1997, the auditorium’s interior design within the fan-shaped room has been maintained to a high standard and as such did not require refurbishment. However, the cabling infrastructure including the conduits between the rear control room and the new loudspeaker positions needed to be replaced

during the summer of 2016. ‘We work closely with Thomsun Trading here in Dubai and consulted them at an early stage of this project,’ admits Adeco Technologies LLC A/V sales manager Ranjith Janardhanan. From Thomsun’s side, support engineer Varun Asokan was on hand at all times to ensure configurations and programming of the DSP went without a hitch. ‘Yamaha produce highly functional, reliable and easyto-use end-to-end digital audio systems and for this venue, we were sure that this Yamaha solution would be perfect,’ adds Mr Asokan.

The previous Montarbo 24-channel analogue mixing desk that had served the auditorium’s needs for almost two decades has now been replaced by a Yamaha QL5 console. ‘I’ve been employed here for 12 years now and the needs of the venue have changed remarkably over that time span,’

The auditorium at the Rashid Medical Library has moved from analogue to digital thanks to an audio upgrade from Adeco Technologies. Richard Lawn nds out more

Located in the Umm Hurair district of Dubai the Rashid Medical Library serves as the media hub for all Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA) hospitals

Portable DXR15 speakers are employed for events throughout the facility in addition to stage monitoring

Adeco Technologies LLC A/V sales manager Ranjith Janardhanan, DHA A/V technician Jasim Peringattuthodi and other team members together with Thomsun Trading representatives in the rear control room

The 500-seat fan shaped training venue combines L-C-R ceilingDSR118W subwoofers located under the stage

microphones in 3D audio applications with the Ambeo VR Mic

mixing all the events within the venue, the QL5 allows them to broadcast the live screenings to parked OB vehicles. The 1 -channel Automix is a particularly useful feature,’ adds

conferencing systems, whilst ensuring automatic mixing for multiple microphone inputs. rucially for a hospital, it also comes with a speech privacy function allowing the masking of conversations where confidential information needs to be protected. In addition to adjusting the levels of the microphones, the MR 7-D takes the signals from the Blu-ray player and other inputs, processes them with internal EQ and other effects such as feedback suppression, before distributing them to the active speaker system.

Operating within a 9 kH system, microphone inputs fed into the Rio-3224D I O digital stage box are then mixed by the QL5 console, processed by the MR 7-D and then returned to the Rio I/O rack for speaker output. Three ceilingmounted Yamaha DSR115 cabinets comprise the main L-C-R point source loudspeaker system for the auditorium. Supplemented in the lower frequencies down to 50Hz (-3dB) by four DSR118W subwoofers located under the stage, a further six D R12 speakers serve as delays for the upper and under-balcony seats. The active speaker system is completed with a stock of portable D R15s that are employed for events throughout the facility in addition to stage monitoring.

SENNHEISER IS aiming to reduce the complexity of immersive audio microphone setups with the Ambeo VR Mic. Described as ‘an ideal tool for any professional VR production’, the manufacturer states that the microphone ‘puts everything into a compact and easyto-use handheld’.

‘The demand for compact microphones that capture spatial audio to match visual 3D experiences has increased enormously in the recent past. For the user to gain a truly immersive experience, however, it is imperative that the sound within VR is also 3D,’ said Kai Lange, product manager, broadcast and media at Sennheiser. ‘The Ambeo VR microphone has been designed specifically for VR AR purposes and enables VR content producers to capture the natural, immersive environment, providing a realistic and immersive experience for the user.’

The Ambeo VR Mic is an Ambisonics microphone that calls on four matched KE 14 capsules in a tetrahedral arrangement, reportedly allowing users to capture the sound that surrounds them from a single point. It is fully balanced and has 48V phantom power for each capsule.

The MRX7-D takes the signals from the various inputs, processes them and outputs to the active speaker system mounted Yamaha DSR115 speakers augmented by

The 400g handheld microphone comes complete with a split cable with four colour-coded and labelled XLR connectors

The ability to create a Dante IP network capable of handling multiple audio channels on a single cable was a major consideration in the design. Whilst negating the need to

As Sennheiser is directly targeting VR production agencies, VR content creators, the Ambisonics community as well as studio engineers and owners with the microphone, it enlisted the help of these professionals in the development process. ‘To ensure that the Ambeo VR Mic is “right on target” with what the AR VR community needs, the entire development process was accompanied by intensive field testing with VR content producers,’ explained Mr Lange. ‘In fact, we have just concluded an extensive creators’ programme with participants from across the international VR audio video industry, who put the microphone

‘We created new speaker positions with customised brackets,’ furthers Mr anardhanan. ‘The cabling was the hardest part – the rest was straightforward. The DSR115 cabinets only weigh 22kg each and these have been affixed to a steel grid in the ceiling and individually connected to the Rio-3224D I O digital stage box via at- e cabling.’

Despite being equipped with Yamaha MSB7 monitors, mixing in the closed rear control room can be compromised. ‘Fortunately, we can manage and configure system settings in the auditorium using an iPad with the StageMix App,’ explains Mr Peringattuthodi. ‘It’s much easier to tweak the settings when you’re mobile. Wireless remote mixing control can be applied either of ine or online for setup via the P .’

Operating within a 96 kHz system, the Rio-3224D I/O stage box receives its Cat-6e inputs within the Dante network from the MRX7-D processor and QL5 console

physically patch connections for each channel, low latency digital transmission also benefits from a lack of induced noise and signal loss. ‘Particularly for broadcasting, the Dante protocol is highly reliable as it provides redundancy. Additionally, you can patch any input to any output in the building, empowering the QL5 as a remote I O device for any other Yamaha console in the building. This is useful for smaller events when a portable PA system is patched in,’ onnected via at- e cabling, the venue’s DSP presets have been stored in a Dante-enabled Yamaha MR 7-D signal processor. An Acoustic Echo Canceller enhances remote

One of the key results of this programme was the encoding software that translates the A format file generated from the recording of the four microphone channels into a B format file W, , Y and . This format is recognised in the Ambisonics world, the W component being the omni and the , Y, components being figureof-eight capsules along three spatial axes. The A to B format encoder will be available in VST, AAX and AU plugins for the customer’s preferred digital audio workstation, and as a stand-alone version

On stage, there are nine facility panels each allowing audio, USB, V A and HDMI connection for the portable podium, which is further equipped with a pair of Shure M 418D gooseneck microphones. To enhance venue exibility further, Adeco Technologies LLC added eight channels of Sennheiser ew300 wireless receivers and transmitters including handheld and lapel models to the existing system. With a digital video upgrade imminent, the existence of the Dante digital infrastructure forms the basis for the new HD and 4K hardware to be fixed where required.

‘The integration of a digital audio network has provided us with so much more exibility and ease of use,’ Mr Peringattuthodi concludes. ‘The main settings and configurations can be switched at the ick of a switch, whilst any problems that do occur can be highlighted and eliminated almost immediately. Should we need to expand or make changes in the coming years, it will be simple.’

www.adecotechnologies.com

www.dha.gov.ae

www.thomsunmusiconline.com

Theatre of dreams

THE TECHNICAL NEEDS OF A SCHOOL AUDITORIUM HAVE changed beyond recognition over the last few years. Theatrical systems have always been an important component of these performance areas, but increasingly they are rivalling the functionality of professional spaces.

The American International School of Riyadh is a classic example of this. While the auditorium boasts a sound, rigging and lighting setup that many theatres around the world would be proud of, it adds to this by offering students a full TV studio with streaming capabilities and an acoustic shell to enhance a performance.

The job of designing and installing these systems fell to Dubai-based systems integrator, Oasis Enterprises Professional Projects Division (Oasis PPD). Following a successful project delivery on the Bosch Auditorium at The American International School of Muscat (TAISM), The American International School of Riyadh (AISR) approached Oasis for assistance developing a theatrical consultant’s schematic design which had been purchased with the new design package for the auditorium. As the construction of the Auditorium was in full ow, it fell to David Gray, architainment division manager, to assist with the updated design. ‘It’s a real challenge walking into a space where the orchestra pit is too low at slab level and a full steel platform has been installed in the y loft where hoists had been planned. I had been studying plans on the plane and rapidly realised it had not been taken to detailed design,’ muses Mr Gray. ‘I became unpopular with the general contractor but the client was very supportive in their goal of achieving a world class auditorium.’

As Oasis corrected some of the initial issues, further challenges were revealed. ‘The removal of the y loft steel platform coincided with the appearance of a hole at the rear of the stage with AC ducting prodding through the proposed cyclorama location,’ recalls Mr Gray. ‘A misunderstanding meant the crossover between the y loft and auditorium did not exist and had to be adapted with some steps and an opening through the concrete proscenium wall. It was not only A/V or lighting integration, we were instrumental with changes required to fix the building.’

The systems integrator has developed over 12 auditoria as design build projects in the region over the last five years and its experience and understanding of the basic requirements

of a performing arts space is frequently drawn upon when the client has not continued with the specialist theatre consultant through to completion. ‘This includes acoustics, fully dimmable LED house lighting, performance rigging and co-ordination with HVAC and MEP services in particular,’ smiles Mr Gray. ‘We still haven’t figured out a way to project light through a 0cm A duct but the AC guys keep testing.’

On the pro audio side of the project, the main theatre features an Outline Audio Eidos 2 5LA FOH system supplemented by FBT cabinets for the surrounds and a Tannoy ceiling solution for announcements via the LDA audioTech PA/VA system. Added to this are Shure wireless microphones, a Soundcraft Si Expression 3 console, Clear-Com comms and equipment from Avalon, S-Tech, TASCAM and TVOne as well as the Wenger acoustic shell. Away from the pro audio solution, A/V in the school auditorium is driven by a Crestron AV3 processor with associated panels while an Ampetronic assistive listening system aids the hard of hearing. Visually, hristie 10 Roadsters fire onto Da-Lite screens, taking their feeds from either the Datavideo PTZ cameras or the Denon Blu-ray player. The lighting system, meanwhile, draws heavily on the ETC catalogue with the manufacturer supplying a range of fixtures as well as the dimmers. Completing the setup is a high-end rigging system. There is a full curtain system from Showtex with cyclorama, but the

highlight is the ETC Prodigy hoist. ‘Initially with the hoist designs it was a pile winch and we said “don’t go for that, the ETC Prodigy would be much safer ,’ explains Rajiv alandichekkyat, senior sales engineer at Oasis PPD. ‘The engineering is very simple, the dynamic load is not on the walls, there is a compression tube system in the Prodigy system which absorbs and disperses lateral loads on building steel.’

Taking performances at the venue to a wider audience is the attached TV studio. ‘Once we had the theatre design completed, they thought about having a TV studio. There was excess budget and we were able to do something,’ recalls Mr alandichekkyat. ‘We have the high-end JVC cameras, then we have a vision mixer from For-A, an Evertz clock system then we have also used equipment from Datavideo, Extron and companies like that. It is a simple TV studio with a three-camera setup with a broadcast lighting system from Desisti and dimmers from ETC.’

The studio also ties in to the theatre system to broadcast performances around the extensive campus. ‘This is one of the first auditoriums we’ve done where they stipulated they didn’t just want simple cameras, they had to have some playout and data management. We did this with a Cinegy ingest system,’ says Mr alandichekkyat. ‘We wanted to have a streaming feature. All the cameras have encoders and can be streamed. They have an IPTV network so any of the classrooms can receive the streamed feed. They were future-proofing themselves.’

Re ecting on the installation, the Oasis team are happy to have delivered a solution that went beyond the school’s expectations. ‘The client was great, they are still with us and are possibly going to give us more work,’ smiles Dave Gold, operations manager at Oasis PPD. ‘It’s a nice system. They are happy with what they have and want service support from us even though we are not in the country.’

‘The theatre has been extensively used on a daily basis, it’s a proper performance art theatre,’ re ects Mr alandichekkyat. ‘They are one of the few customers who I have seen who are using the auditorium to the fullest. They are using streaming, they are doing vision mixing, proper theatrical drama with the shell moved around and things like that.’

While the theatre has been designed to standards most professional spaces would be proud of and the attached TV studio provides extra functionality to future-proof the school, it is the daily use that is the most pleasing aspect. This gives students the kind of learning environment that will serve them well should they choose to enter the industry.

www.oasisppd.com

Oasis PPD delivered a wealth of high-end technology to meet the needs of the American International School of Riyadh. James Ling nds out more

FBT cabinets provide the surrounds

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It isn’t just about being heard, it’s about being understood.

SF hits the mall

SF Ses

THE PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS COMPLETED BY TURKISH distributor and installer SF Ses ve I k Sistemleri A. continues to grow at an impressive rate. This expanding list includes restaurants, such as seafood bistro apricorn and several branches of the nayd n chain, hotels, clubs and a wide range of different venues throughout Turkey and beyond.

The company is well versed in the design and installation of all manner of systems, from audio and lighting to video and even evacuation solutions. It even provided the emergency evacuation announcement system for the Eurasia Tunnel, demonstrating its ability to handle high-profile projects.

With the systems integrator’s work spanning different types of installation across various sectors, reaching all corners of the country, SF’s reputation preceded it, resulting in the chance to install the new sound, lighting, video and evacuation systems at the Meydan Istanbul AVM shopping centre in the mraniye district of the city.

‘The customer had heard about our company, the quality of the installations we have done and our reliability, and thus wanted to work with us,’ explains Seda Varon from SF. ‘They also specifically wanted to use BL speakers since they thought this would offer the best quality.’

‘They wanted lighting and sound systems for the stage area with an LED screen, a sound system to cover the whole shopping mall and an emergency evacuation and announcement system for the parking areas and lavatories,’ recalls Ferhan ayral, TO at SF. ‘They also required a system for the offices and the office restaurant.’

The sound system installed across the mall comprises a total of 40 BL ontrol RV units. In addition six AM5212 95-WR loudspeakers from BL, mounted on MTU-3 U-brackets, a pair of ST 828S subwoofers, powered by one TI 002 and two TI 2002 amplifiers from rown, were also installed. As were six Near I S12 outdoor speakers and IE1 junction boxes and four of BL’s AW 82-B all-weather cabinets. Three Di 1000 amps and an LS 1500 provide additional power. This setup is complemented by custom systems from SF as well as Asrack and Neutrik solutions.

The indoor parking area is served by 110 BL ontrol 25T, powered by rown Di 1000 amplifiers. Meanwhile, the outdoor parking space features 89 of Near’s I and 119 IE1 speakers, 30 I S12, 25 BL SS-H30 with power via rown’s Di 000 amps. SF deployed 14 BL ontrol 23T and MT -23 M as well as three LD Systems SUB 88 subwoofers and rown Di 1000 and LS 1000 amps in the mall’s indoor parking services area. In the indoor W areas, 24 BL ontrol 24 T, 22 8124 and a ontrol 50S T were implemented again powered by rown Di 1000s.

In addition to BL’s ontrol 25 and ontrol 19 ST, the seminar room in the mall’s office has been equipped with a rown LI 1500, a BSS Blu-3 wall panel, a Soundcraft EPM mixer and an A WMS420 Presenter Set. ontrol 25T and 8128 cabinets cover the corridors, while the staff restaurant is fitted with six 5P T speakers, a Di 1000 amp and a Blu-3 system. While the staff have their own place to eat, shoppers can choose from the options available in the mall’s food court. This is covered sound wise by 5P T, MT -P 0, 8124, ontrol 25T,

ontrol 50S T and ontrol RV, powered by Di 1000 and 2000 amps. ontrol is via a Bosch LB 1411 10 solution.

‘Each system was installed in separate ones so that they could be controlled separately with a restron system, which was already installed at the mall,’ says Mr Varon.

The evacuation system is divided into four ones and consists exclusively of Harman branded products. one One features PD -100, PD -DSP, DT-715 and DTE-710 systems

confirms Mr ayral. ‘There were some concerning issues – one was that the distances between ones were very far – thus special cabling had to be used. All data was carried through fibre optics. We could only work at nighttime. And because the shopping mall was mainly outdoors all products had to be durable to all weather conditions.’

With another large installation completed and a reportedly happy client, SF’s project portfolio extends even further, highlighting the diversity of installations that it is capable of carrying out.

www.sf.com.tr

ve Işık Sistemleri A.Ş recently installed the sound, lighting, video and evacuation systems at the Meydan Istanbul AVM shopping centre. James Cooke browses the products

S A/V I AV

The client specified JBL speakers

SF installed AWC82-BK all-weather cabinets

The installation covered the entire mall and included the evacuation system

Lighting and sound systems were provided for the stage area with an LED screen

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Building the bridge

ALBERT

EINSTEIN’S EVERGREEN COMMENT

THAT

‘curiosity has its own reason for existing’ was tailor-made for the audio pioneers of the 60s and 70s. Today, we live in a more disposable era within the Internet of Things, but the inventors of yesteryear forged their careers and their businesses by dismantling or even destroying equipment in the pursuit of seeing what made them tick. Balancing a passion for music with his technological inquisitiveness allowed Gary Snow in his late teens to earn a crust repairing guitar amplifiers. Having founded what was to become Wheatstone in the early 70s, his dynamism, attention to detail and enthusiasm have formed the solid and successful basis of this privately owned broadcast manufacturer.

Like most hobbyists, Mr Snow would return from work to spend his evenings in Syracuse crafting audio equipment specially requested by his friends. With good supply came increased orders, ensuring this hobby extended into daylight hours and the creation of his mass production company Audioarts. The 5200 Disco Mixer led to the 3100 parametric equaliser followed by the 2K, 4K and 8K consoles and the M10 stage monitor console. Operating from a converted barn, these compressor/limiters, electronic crossovers and consoles found a healthy demand in studios and live sound companies.

Whilst relocating to a 500 sq-m building in Bethany, Connecticut in 1981 in order to maintain production, Mr Snow launched the Wheatstone Project as a very high-end custom sound reinforcement console. This led to the company becoming incorporated as Wheatstone Corporation – a brand name that requires further clarification. ‘The company started out as a console project in an old carriage house in rural Connecticut,’ attests VP in charge of technology, Andy Calvanese. ‘At that time, our president and CEO Gary Snow had been making small mixing boards for bands and production houses under the Audioarts brand name. He developed our first multitrack

console going by the project name Wheatstone, named after the Wheatstone Bridge, which was an electronic measurement device symbolising both precision and balance to an engineer.’

In the four decades that separate the birth of the 5200 and the IP-64 IP Network TV Console, Wheatstone opted for a ‘less is more’ product catalogue by ceasing to create any audio equipment that was demanded by them. This philosophy was sparked in 1983 when a dealer from Oklahoma asked why they didn’t make consoles for broadcast. ‘At the time we didn’t, because we didn’t know much about the market,’ furthers Mr Calvanese. ‘Our emphasis was always on high performance, best-sound-you-could-make consoles, which was not synonymous with broadcast. The dealer in Oklahoma was selling big sound systems to churches where broadcasting was taking off. They were mystified as the sound consoles sounded good, but the broadcasts were poor. Having thought about it we came up with a design and developed the A-500, which was our launch into broadcast audio.’

Making its debut at NAB in 1984, the A-500 was connected to a 10kH square wave response on the generator display to demonstrate the cleanest sounding console in broadcast. The talk of the show went into and remained in production for 10 years until it was replaced by the A-6000 with all electronic switching.

With peaking production levels and 22 employees, Wheatstone simply ran out of space and moved to Syracuse, New York in 1986 but its shift into TV and radio console production meant this would only be a temporary home. Coinciding with the launch of the A-6000, Wheatstone’s 58 employees were forced to relocate to a purpose built 2,000 sq-m facility.

Having settled into the new building, the Audioarts R- 0 console became the first product to integrate surface mount technology (SMT) engineering into its design. ‘Our SMT was acquired following a visit to a trade show in Boston,’ elucidates

Mr Calvanese. ‘We were looking for equipment that would use the old lead parts to build our consoles, as we could no longer find them. We thought we were at the wrong show as we couldn’t find any equipment and it was at that point that we realised times had changed and they weren’t being used anymore, so we decided to buy surface mount.’

This same era was pivotal for Wheatstone as it also marked its entry into the digital console arena with the unveiling of the D-500. ‘By creating a digital board from scratch based on our own feedback and designs, we devised a way to hot swap modules on operational consoles and retained an analogue friendly interface rather than the in-vogue drop down menus of the time.’

With the SMT now available to measure the electrical properties of all the components prior to insertion on the board, the TV-1000 soon followed. ‘With a million op-amps on it and a countless number of resistors and capacitors, the TV-1000 was most complicated analogue piece of equipment we ever made.’

Taking its name from an electronic measurement device, Wheatstone’s journey has been dedicated to building the best sounding products it can. Richard Lawn reports

Wheatstone D3 Layering Detail

Launched in 1984, the A-500 radio console directed Wheatstone towards the broadcast market

Sales director Jay Tyler inspects a console face plate prior to silk

Wheatstone’s export sales directors Brad Harrison and Jay Tyler with the Dimesnion Three Touch console

It went on to become one of Wheatstone’s greatest sellers and owing to its success, the company relocated to its current home of New Bern, North Carolina in 1998. Not only was this move significant in that it was geographically almost 1,000 miles due south of the company’s roots close to the Canadian border, but its 5,000 sq-m footprint would no longer inhibit growth. ‘ ary also had the foresight to purchase a large woodland adjacent to this plot should we ever need to build a larger premises,’ highlights sales director Jay Tyler to underline Mr Snow’s fatigue of constant packing and unpacking at that time.

Today, manufacturing is divided into multitrack recording and on-air control surfaces for radio and television, together with Audioarts mixing consoles in addition to IP networking and routing systems and a 31-band spectral audio processor for radio. ‘Our ethos encompasses great design, manufacturing and a bit of heavy metal, by custom building and machining every single one of our consoles,’ explains sales engineer Brad Harrison whilst highlighting the fact that no production is outsourced. ‘Here at Wheatstone, we actually make stuff to make stuff. It’s vital that you create your own parts to exact tolerances and use the very latest surface mount technology in order to ensure consistently zero defects. By controlling processes such as silk screening, graphics and powder coating, laminates and furniture building together with computer controlled quality control testing in-house, the finished products

and measurement equipment and listened to carefully by human ears on headphones. ‘We started using AP gear in 1987 as it was getting very time consuming doing everything by hand on the first P based testers,’ explains systems engineer Scott ohnson. ‘Back then we were using basic programs on Apple 2+ computers. Now we conduct full sweeps from rack mounted equipment on HP computers.’ Wheatstone’s emergence as a DSP provider was something of an accident following the development of the Audio Ecosystem in 2001, which required the company to create its own Bridge router. By integrating the DSP into the resultant D-8000 digital console, processing and limiting was available on all the individual channels. onsequently, radio control surfaces were then created to work with the Bridge router as was the D-9

TV console together with touch screen capabilities added to the Dimension Three, whilst Edge enables the use of IP networks with wireless IP radios. The recent acquisition of Audion Labs has now enveloped the real-time digital audio recorder editor VoxPro into Wheatstone’s already impressive portfolio. As part of the sale, it also acquired the skills of Seattle-based software engineer Rick Bidlack.

The US brand may be a giant domestically, but the global pursuits and visibility of Mr Harrison and Mr Tyler has grown its export sales significantly over the past two decades. Entertainment Network India in Mumbai purchased WheatNet-IP upgrades for its existing D-75 audio consoles through Hori on Broadcast LLP, whilst M OT in Bangkok installed a D-7 console into its studio.

Following the annual NAB show in Las Vegas, customer feedback generates the R&D cycle. These sparks of inspiration are further stimulated by Mr Snow’s blue sky thinking overlooking the St Lawrence waterway near Syracuse during the summer months. Once basic product blueprints have been laid down, he ies south to brief and challenge the R D team to physically mould these ideas into shape. ‘Once we get to the hardware, mechanical and packaging challenges, ary has lost interest and is busy on the next generation of product development,’ comments systems engineer Paul Picard with a grin. ‘It’s a challenge obviously to design the many facets of hardware, software and firmware, embedded systems, control surfaces and UIs, but we’re a close team and we have a unique culture here that leads to quick decisions and fast actions.’

Rising to the theme, senior sales engineer Phil Owens continues. ‘There are no layers of bureaucracy or corporate politics at Wheatstone. We have meetings in the hall when passing one another and we know exactly where to go to in order to get a decision. I don’t know any other companies like that today in terms of top to bottom communications and agility.’ But then again, Wheatstone isn’t any other company. The relocation to North Carolina would have been the death sentence for most other manufacturers. However, some two thirds of the employees uprooted their lives crossing the Mason-Dixie line into the great unknown, ensuring that the company legacy, expertise and knowledge rolled south along with the removal trucks. Of the 37 who relocated almost 20 years ago, 25 are still working for the company. ‘You either fit in or you don’t here at Wheatstone. We’re something of a cult and those who stay, generally stay for life. If you do your best during the day, you generally sleep well at night.’

console for mid-market TV stations. Following many years of software development, the WheatNet-IP system was launched to critical acclaim in 2009 and was utilised in large projects such as Melbourne’s rown asino. More significantly perhaps, the WheatNet-IP business spur ultimately provided Wheatstone with a proprietary DSP platform that could be integrated into its console surfaces and network solutions. TV audio networking to IP has recently been enabled with the ibraltar IP Mix Engine. Having consulted heavily with large TV stations, the development of the ibraltar mix engine card was a huge step, allowing Wheatstone to create systems that are capable of processing over 1,000 signals simultaneously. ‘It may have only been a P card, but it was a significant step for us,’ adds Mr alvanese. ‘Furthermore, by integrating the VE blade Aura8-IP and adding the SideBoard, a console was no longer required to operate the system.’

never return. In essence, we’re making sticks as opposed to boomerangs!’

The huge production loop in the New Bern facility starts with a warehouse where all the incoming raw materials such as sheet metals and P Bs are thoroughly inspected. Once cut to si e and folded mechanically, the console faceplates are powder coated and baked in an oven. ‘For the electronic insertions, it generally takes three days to produce a console’s mainframe according to a client’s requirement, such as the hand-mounted faders and ports,’ furthers Mr Harrison. Barcoded PCBs precisely allow the SMT robotics to create the broadcaster’s bespoke product, before being manually inserted with larger parts. With everything under one roof – including front-end computer design, software coding, R&D and prototyping – the highly efficient and diverse production capabilities ensure that any design direction can be taken.

The work ow journey of a product from parts to insertion undergoes constant appraisals made by Audio Precision testing

The 2008-9 recession may have stunted development at Wheatstone, but unlike most other US and western manufacturers, no employees were lost. ‘With the recession that hit the broadcast industry, price dominated designs were critical,’ furthers Mr alvanese. ‘This was frustrating as this was not what we wanted to do as a company. Our development of the L -24 basically proved that we could still do that and that there is a market for it.’

Designing for the more budget-conscious studio has led in more recent years to the creation of an IP Meters app, new software for AirAura, the L-8 control surface, the Logic Blade, the FM-531HD processor and the M4-IP 4-channel mic processor Blade. The AES 7 compatible Blade-3s take the product into applications where other manufacturers can network with it. The birth of the Dimension Three and Series Four TV consoles, L-12 radio console, FM-55 processor, S 192 Stereo enerator and the D-7 followed.

TV stations now benefit from the availability of the Series Two

With hindsight, the decision to manufacture audio broadcasting technology was something of a masterstroke rather than a leap of faith for Mr Snow. The subsequent analogue-digital switch seemed equally painless. ‘The folks in broadcasting are straight and formal – we actually prefer that,’ confesses Mr Owens. ‘We’d been pampering to the fashions and fads of the studio recording industry before that, whereby all the studios wanted their own customised mixer based on a rammy winning design, which is both tricky and expensive to produce. When we created the D-500 20 years ago, we didn’t envisage that the first one sold to a radio station in Chapel Hill would still be operational today.’ The tranquil backwaters of New Bern has provided Wheatstone with stable roots for its 85 employees who regard their colleagues as family. In such a unique environment, passionate creativity it would appear is continually stirred.

www.wheatstone.com

screening

Inside the testing and measurement room

The real-time digital audio recorder editor VoxPro

Rack mountable Blades prior to silk screening

Crossovers together with parametric equalisers and disco mixers were once Wheatstone’s staple products

A letter from America

Is streaming setting its sights on live music? Asks Dan Daley

MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT HOW revenues from live shows have become the lifeblood of the music industry. God knows it needed something: right around the turn of century the industry saw its cherished milk cow, the CD, begin what would become a precipitous decline. Revenue from ticket sales became even more critical as it became increasingly apparent that sales of downloads were not going to replace the loss of the CD. Then came streaming, which is proving to be an even stingier economic environment. When the royalty cheque barely covers a nice dinner, it’s a good thing that those concert ticket sales are still going strong, right? While we’re still waiting on 2016’s statistics, 2015 saw a record average ticket price of US$74.25, an increase of US$2.81, or four per cent, over the previous year. It was also a good year for the global concert business with the Top 100 Worldwide Tours generating a total gross of US$4.71 billion, Pollstar told us. However, there is a distinct possibility that live music is headed for its own digital

Waterloo, because the rise of live streaming is increasingly encompassing the sector. Companies like LiveList.com, and StageIt.com are tracking the growing use of live streaming by artists and festivals. Vevo, a joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group, began as a streaming outlet for music videos but is increasingly being used as a platform for streaming live shows. Companies like ConcertWindow.com are integrating live music streaming and real-time social-media interaction, which is arguably the one-two punch for capturing this cohort.

At the moment, live streaming has a fairly small footprint. However, the proliferation of bigger broadband pipes and ad-blocking software is making live streaming productions more attractive. At the same time, among the next generation of concertgoers, 40 per cent of them say they are watching native forms of video on their smartphone more frequently. The change in the user base is coming, and it’s coming faster than many might expect.

A letter from Europe

Phil Ward ponders on 80 years of public service broadcasting in Europe

NOW, THIS IS VERY INTERESTING. SO THE BB , the world’s first national broadcaster, came into being why, exactly? Because we’d already invented radio sets and, surprise surprise, they weren’t selling very well. Obviously, before the BBC, or any other type of programme making organisation, there wasn’t much to listen to. A bit like buying a fridge before your village gets electricity. Very nice, say the neighbours, as they back away without taking their eyes off you. Somewhere to put the aspidistra.

Scottish comedian Frankie Boyle once summed up this problem perfectly. Poking a bit of fun at the sometimes dour character of his resourceful countrymen, he imagined a conversation between television pioneer John Logie Baird and an early admirer: ‘Congratulations, Mr Baird, it’s a technical miracle.’ ‘Aye,’ replies the old curmudgeon, ‘but there’s **** all on.’

With the typical vorsprung durch technik

of the 20th Century, Western civilisation contrived to market something people didn’t need until the vacuum it created had to be filled.

In this way, we can talk about growth and expansion as if these were natural things like the secrets of the Universe, and Swindon. True, if some things didn’t exist it would be necessary to invent them. But unlike God, television is not one of those things.

As Europe, indeed the world, celebrates 80 years of public television broadcasting, its impact cannot be overstated. Despite an intrinsically hollow provenance, it has become somehow essential to business, politics, culture, economics and patisserie. The problem of knowing what to do with it persisted right up to the launch of the first official public service in November 193 : that summer, with sales of early TV sets struggling just as radios had struggled 10 years previously, demonstration broadcasts were

More live music is being streamed and the upcoming consumer generation is looking for less-costly entertainment alternatives, and that’s where it gets interesting. The next round of consumers simply goes out less. A survey by ULI/Lachman Associates indicates that barely 60 per cent of all Millennials spend time at music clubs and of that group, only 25 per cent spend time at clubs more than once a month.

Meanwhile, the infrastructure of live music is showing signs of overbuilding. In Nashville, which has become the country’s biggest touring hub, the local newspaper noted that industry watchers are, ‘worried that Nashville’s concert industry has reached its saturation point.’

There is growth in the concert industry, but an in ection point is likely not far off: According to Ticketmaster’s 2014 US Live Event Attendee study, 44 per cent of people aged 51 to 70 that attend live events said they attend more events now than 10 years ago. Ten years from now? Probably not so

much. Meanwhile, Millennials may be just as happy seeing music on a device instead of in a venue.

Live music isn’t going away, but the landscape will look different. The metrics today point towards experiential entertainment and away from passive attendance at concerts. Connected devices will continue to play a bigger role, as will virtual reality. While those sorts of platforms could encourage further avoidance of venues, they can also be leveraged to do just the opposite, as long as what they can point people to is spectacular enough.

But suppose that this isn’t enough to compensate for falling show attendance and revenues? Then the music business will be facing a rerun of what it faced when CD and then download sales began to disappear. But at least this time we’ll have been through it before and we’ll know that there are solutions. Because the fundamental lesson learned is that people don’t stop wanting music, they just start consuming it in different ways.

hastily arranged for the annual Radio Show at Kensington Olympia in the hope that these bizarre, glass-capped wooden totems of modernism would present an exciting option for the very few Londoners with equal income to dispose on them as on a small family car.

In the end some 20,000 homes witnessed the launch, all within 90 sq-km of the first television studio housed in a crumbling Victorian leisure temple called Alexandra Palace, perched atop a North London hill some 90m above sea level. The original transmitter mast is still there, and gets a Christmas card every year from all its beneficiaries from alrec to Sal brenner. Oddly, the first time I strolled up to the Palace and its surrounding park, quite innocently, it turned out, on that very day, to be the 50th Anniversary of public television broadcasting – namely, the 2nd November 198 . I had no idea. Equally oddly, no one else was there to mark the occasion:

no brass band, not even a BBC Outside Broadcast truck. Only the small plaque on a discreet wall bore witness, and I was the only one reading it. Suggesting: either television is so essential it’s taken for granted, like oxygen; or nobody gives a stuff whether it’s there or not.

Another conversation, this time a real one I witnessed many years ago, frames the conundrum even more adroitly. ‘What do you need television for?’ asked a colleague rather primly, being well known for his ‘acoustic’ attitude to clothing and fun. ‘To watch the Grand Prix,’ said another, aghast at the challenge. ‘Yes,’ pressed the first, ‘but in terms of life’s fundamental burdens, in terms of what survival on this planet entails, the contingencies of fate and the transient nature of existence, what do you really need television for?’

After a pause, the answer came.

‘To watch the Grand Prix.’

BRIO: DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE UK.

Fundamentals of enhanced audio production

AS AUDIO REPRODUCTION HAS DEVELOPED AND EVOLVED from a single dimension sonic space to a fully immersive, multidimensional soundfield, many challenges in understanding and realising the production potential of multi-dimensional sound have developed as well.

The evolution of audio in broadcasting has paralleled the advancement of the number of audio channels available in the broadcast ecosystem with which to record and transmit. Analogue satellite technology provided two channels of audio –one channel for full programme and one channel for programme without commentary – and through the early 1980s, stereo was often two channels of processed mono. Surround sound had an analogue transition period with processed 5.1, but now it is common for broadcasters to transmit discrete 5.1 surround directly to the consumer and let the set-top box decode the digital signals. Immersive sound is the next phase in creating a true multi-dimensional experience with the addition of height sound information. The use of the height speakers is subjective and clearly dependent on the content, but one thing is clear: height speakers give greater resolution and creative possibilities in audio reproduction. The next generation of sound production – known as Advance Audio Production Practices –will require more channels and more transport bandwidth than its 5.1 predecessor. Immersive sound is being promoted as reproduction formats that include everything from 8.1 (5.1.2) to 22.2, and is essentially any possible combination of speakers that include some height elements as well as up-firing soundbars that are capable of creating a height perception.

Operations and workflows

There are varying interpretations of what immersive sound for broadcast and broadband should be because there are at least three distinctly different content genres with specific interpretations and work ows. These are postproduced programming, live entertainment and live sports. Each genre benefits differently from immersive sound production. In postproduction, there is no doubt that movies and made-for-TV programming benefits from immersive sound production.

The audio for these media productions is produced in studios and on digital audio workstations (DAW) and there are plenty of tools that work within the DAW domain. As with 5.1 surround sound, this type of programming will lead the integration and migration of immersive sound into the consumer domain. Live music and entertainment production will benefit from the enhanced immersive experience and the creative palette of spatialisation tools for innovative spatial imaging.

Typical sound design for live music is ‘the sweet spot’ – a few rows back in the centre of the house. With immersive sound production, the listener enjoys an enhanced spatial and localisation experience shaped from spatialisation tools and advance audio production techniques which create spatial imaging far beyond any horizontal speaker reproduction. Live sports production is challenging because the sound perspective and point-of-view does not always match the picture. Often, specific sounds are loud and in front of the listener with atmosphere behind the listener. With surround sound, there has always been a question about the use of the surround channels with specific sound. Now, with immersive

sound, the question is what sound do you put above the listener? What do you put in the height channels when there are no apparent height sound cues?

Many sceptics look at immersive sound as surround sound with more trouble. There is no doubt that there is going to be a learning curve, but next generation sound offers unparalleled creative possibilities with consistent reproduction benefits to more consumers across a wide range of both fixed and mobile devices. There are many questions relative to the actual use of immersive sound in broadcast. How do we monitor? How does immersive audio collapse to 5.1? How can we best utilise stereo and soundbars? And how can immersive sound be used to produce an engaging experience and not just fill the sonic space with noise

This series will explore the wide range of creative possibilities within Advance Audio Production Techniques/Practices

(AAPT) incorporating spatial imaging and placement utilising spatialisation tools and ambisonic capture and construction.

Advance Audio Production Techniques

Next en Audio N A is an umbrella of production possibilities that describe the ability to produce immersive, interactive and personalised sound as well as programme user audio control. The production of N A described here is focused on immersive sound for live sports and entertainment media distributed by broadcast and broadband methods. The range of production possibilities and options are intended to be executed in realtime by the audio practitioner in the mixing environment. Enhanced audio will grow in sophistication and demand as it serves up the features and benefits that consumers like: personalisation, programming control, immersive and interactive. Immersive audio will draw in creative sound designers because of the cool possibilities to manipulate more sonic space. But after a while you begin to understand the utilitarian benefits of a new sound paradigm. Each genre of media production benefits differently from immersive sound production, resulting in a variety of sound designs and audio objectives. Enhancements like speech intelligibility over a wide range of reproduction devices and user control are a definite benefit of immersive sound production. It could also possibly be used to more accurately recreate a soundfield or reconstruct and reinforce its desirable features. Frankly, we are just beginning to explore these very real possibilities.

Sound design – immersive audio production for live sports and entertainment

Sound and production design is the creative intent, vision and roadmap of the producer, the personal in uence an artist

Dennis Baxter has been a sound designer for international sports or ore than ears and o ers so e insight into ad anced audio roduction

Working on immersive audio production at Astro Studio

leaves on a soundscape. Typically, the audio producer is expected to reproduce, enhance or possibly alter the experience. Sports sound requires the mixer to reproduce the experience because there is a certain expectation ingrained into the viewer as to what something should sound like. Sound designers excel when they appropriately satisfy the expectations of the listener and take the experience to another level. Fundamental sound design begins with deciding the perspective or POV of the listener. Sport is generally presented from the perspective of the person in the stands. This sideline POV was an easy adaptation for 5.1 surround sound because the field of play sounds or event-specific sounds were in front, next to the screen, keeping the viewers’ attention forward. The surround channels were used only for ambience and crowd. A significantly different approach to the sound design is from the athletes’ or competitors’ point of view. This close perspective changes the use of the surround channels from ambience and crowd to sounds which bring the viewers closer to the POV of the action – in the ring, in the car or on the court.

Perspective for sports is different and may be counterintuitive. Perspective is where the size of the sound element corresponds to the size of the picture. Typically, a wide shot would have less detail in the soundfield than a close-up shot, but often sports audio production is consistent with a high amount of field-of-play FOP sound through most of the camera cuts and visual changes. Sports tend to give a constant spatial audio perspective with medium and wide shots, but will change dramatically with a close up shot. Generally, the surround channels do not change unless there is a specific audio effect the sound designer is trying to achieve – like being inside a racing car as opposed to being in the stands. These types of close up shots are a significant change in POV and perspective which warrant such a change.Perspective and POV are the most natural and powerful tools for the immersive

production. Spatial enhancement may not be as desirable as soundfield reinforcement. I suggest a positive soundfield reproduction approach to immersive sound design which uses the height speakers to reinforce the soundfield for clarity, detail and sonic quality.

Producing – immersive audio production

Live immersive audio production is a multi-step process of capture, create and construct. Immersive sound capture requires consideration on how to capture a realistic representation of the acoustic space as well as specific sounds in the soundfield. The event-specific sounds tend to be in the front of the listener, with surround and immersive sounds supporting the experience. To improve detail in the capture of a soundfield, spot microphones are placed in proximity of the desired sound and included in the mix at the appropriate time, location and volume during the live production. Much of the detail of an audio production is

dynamically captured and blended by the audio mixer to enhance the pictures. With the event-specific microphones constantly changing in a mix, a high fidelity sonic foundation providing the glue to construct the complex soundfield on top of it is critical. Ambience and atmosphere are the sonic foundation for all formats and must simulate a wide range of visual representation: wide shots, medium shots and close up shots with soundscapes in stereo, surround and immersive sound. Immersive sound production is achieved by adding sonic information above and below the listener. The question is, what level of height reproduction makes a suitable immersive sound mix? What is the content of that height information? With sports and entertainment, much height information is non-specific and atmospheric. A literal approach to sound design might consider that what is above the spectators/viewers is mostly reverberant atmosphere and PA, leading one to wonder about the need for immersive sound. Clearly the sound envelope is significantly increased and the listener experience enhanced, but is this a significant enough enrichment to in uence positive consumer behavior for immersive sound?

Production – spatialiser tools –dynamic audio elements – spatial movement

sound designer because the height sound reproduction can be used to contribute to the detail of a soundfield and not just contribute ambience and atmosphere. Immersive sound is about creating additional spatial depth by adding the height/ vertical dimension to the horizontal viewing dimension. Planning a vision for what is possible with the sound above the listener/viewer can be a real inspiration for creativity and sound production. Begin by asking these questions: what should immersive sound for a sports event sound like? What sound should be above and in front of the listener? If you are listening from a position above the field, what is the sound that you hear and is this sound beneficial to your sound mix Realistically, the sound from above would be crowd and PA noise and any field or venue-specific sound would be masked. Do you add more crowd to your soundfield As concepts and practices for immersive sound design and mixing progress, audio practitioners should consider alternative sound designs. I have heard a couple of sports demos where it sounds like you are in the stadium, but I do not think that more ambience and atmosphere is compelling enough to move people to immersive sound. Additionally, more ambience and atmosphere in an immersive soundbar will certainly dilute any detail in the sound

Spatialiser tools give the sound designer/mixer the means to accurately position the apparent fixed location of a sound anywhere in the soundsphere. These 3D panner/ positioner tools can be applied to audio elements or groups of sounds to position any 3D coordinate/position in the acoustic soundscape – around, above and below the listener. Spatialiser tools can rotate sound 360-degrees on the horizontal plane known as Azimuth. A 360-degree rotation can image a sound anywhere around the listener, including directly to a speaker or between adjacent speakers, creating a phantom image between two speakers. Stereo and surround sound reproduce audio on the horizontal plane – in front, to the sides and behind the listener. Additionally, spatialiser tools can move the audio up and down in the vertical axis known as elevation. Vertical panning is effective because additional height dimension contributes to the detail and localisation of sound elements/ objects in the soundfield. As elevation is added to a channel audio element, the adjacent channels above and to the side of the sound contribute to the amplitude and positioning of the soundfield. Hori ontal vertical panning moves the sound around and above the listener and is effective for sonic separation of sound elements. The ear can easily differentiate sounds that are separated a few degrees from each other. Separating sounds can give better clarity and detail to the soundfield by unmasking sound that loses definition in the mix. In addition to positioning audio elements in a stationary location, sound elements can be moved through the soundfield. Dynamic spatial movement is where the audio element object can be dynamically moved in the 3D soundfield space, in realtime. Dynamic panning and movement has tremendous creative potential and may represent a paradigm shift in the production of audio for live video production.

This field has long used Digital Video Effects DVE generators, allowing the vision mixer to move and automate graphics and pictures for a live production. Dynamic panning can be used to move sound nuggets to accentuate motion and movement and contribute to the production value of an immersive sound 4K production.

To improve detail in the capture of a soundfield, spot microphones are placed in proximity of the desired sound and included in the mix at the appropriate time, location and volume

DSpatial - Room Simulator Tools

Live sports production is challenging because the sound perspective does not always match the picture

NAMM 2017

Having approached full capacity last year, NAMM still found room at the Anaheim Convention Centre to grow

WITH A

BACKDROP OF UNCHARACTERISTIC RAINSTORMS

and Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration setting the scene for the 2017 NAMM show, a record attendance and a rise in exhibitors found shelter within the iconic Anaheim Convention Centre. The destructive political landscape of last year may have done little to promote much optimism ahead, but some of the attending musicians begged to differ. Sure enough, the late 0s rock genre was borne out of the Vietnamese con ict and the civil rights movement, whilst the punk/new-wave explosion of 1976-77 was largely a creation of the decaying social and industrial UK landscape. As NAMM got lost in music, the show’s growing pro audio persona is fast becoming a headline act. Rather than isolating its professional audio exhibits and marketing portable PA and recording as a separate show, NAMM has always successfully integrated them. Refreshing in the era of division, and encouraging for the future of NAMM considering that a new hall is well under construction and will be online for NAMM 2018. Line arrays gained further visibility on the show oor, whilst the popular TE Tracks education seminars offered a decidedly pro curriculum. What was once unfairly dubbed ‘another extinct show’ some years ago, AES’ partnership with

In addition, the Maryland-based manufacturer also promoted the new Tranzformer product for guitarists and bass players on an adjacent booth. ‘In terms of current buyers and endusers, NAMM is now the most important trade show for API in the US and is a great meeting point for international distributors,’ acknowledged director of sales Dan Zimbleman. ‘It ceased being solely an MI show many years ago, yet it is the ideal platform to launch the Tranzformer.

amongst a new, younger audience but it has also extended NAMM’s credentials.

Given its timing in the calendar, NAMM has always been used as the New Year barometer. This year was no different and undoubtedly change is in the air, although it is tricky to see where those changes exist in the latest product technology. More than ever, suppliers and manufacturers take note of their competition and back up their own marketing convictions with three latter acronyms. So unless a trade show ticks the correct boxes in the ROI (return on investment), OKR (objectives and key results) and KPI (key performance indicator) categories, the likelihood is it will be a casualty. For this reason, regional shows continue to ounder and fold, but international exhibitions aren’t having it their own way either.

Despite the show oor being littered with new products, launches were less evident than ever before. Having coordinated a worldwide unveiling of the latest SD12 ‘Project Vulcan’ console at 10.00am locally around the world working backwards from Australia, DiGiCo was understandably quite fatigued as it lifted the wraps off its show oor model. ‘Although the launch of the SD12 coincided with the NAMM show, we opted to promote the new console via social media and our global distribution partners,’ explained marketing manager, Maria Fiorellino. ‘It was so successful, that we are now questioning whether we need to launch a product via the traditional trade show platform in future. However, visitors to the show have given us glowing feedback on the dual-screen interface and the many features that we’ve built into a model that takes the best from our S and SD series.’

Exhibiting an altogether different form of console, API Audio showcased its renowned 1608, Box and AXS Legacy formats alongside its acclaimed, equalisers, compressors and mic pres.

We’re hoping that the new pedals will allow us to connect to a new generation of API users over time. Reports of analogue’s demise have been seriously exaggerated!’ Across the hall from Tranzformer was Radial Engineering, another manufacturer relishing the plethora of musicians eyeing its collection of DIs, switchers and effects boxes.

The newly-arrived consoles on display promoted portability, competitive pricing and extensive feature sets. Standing out were Soundcraft’s Ui24R 24-channel digital mixing and multitrack recording system, Topp Pro’s T-2208, QSC Audio’s TouchMix -30, Allen & Heath’s dLive C Class compact surfaces and MixRacks and the next generation of PreSonus’ StudioLive range. Promoting itself as part of the Harman Connected PA family of products, the Ui24R demanded further attention

Dowson Yu with a pair of JTS shotguns

RCF statesman, owner and gentleman – Arturo Vicari

L-R: Greg Beebe, Daniel Sennheiser and Wolfgang Fraissinet

The Audiocenter booth

The Antelope Audio booth

Maria Fiorellino with the SD12 ‘Vulcan’ console on the DiGiCo booth

Cerwin Vega launch SSL’s Dan Duffle

FBT’s Roberto Mataloni with his Korean distributor Byung-Chul Jeoung from Kevic

perhaps. Products within the Connected PA ecosystem, which include JBL PRX800W speakers, dbx DI1 box and the AKG P5i mic, can now self-identify with an app for setup, whilst automated wizards ensure users can configure volume and settings.

The reformatted QSC booth enticed visitors courtesy of the two new additions to the E series of passive enclosures and an innovative single box K-Cardioid subwoofer solution. In close proximity, HK Audio added to its Lucas Nano series of portable PA systems with the launch of the 602. Similarly, fellow German manufacturer LD Systems extended its Maui portable system by unveiling the new Maui-11 and Maui-28 2 versions. ‘We’ve had a lot of dealers coming by to check out the new products, which have been really well-liked. The show is also increasingly important for our channel partners outside of the

We make interpreting FUN

anhel. ‘We’ve seen people from all over Asia including Australia, New Zealand, China and Korea. We’ve also officially signed a new distribution agreement here with Stage Audio Works from ohannesburg, so it’s been a very productive show.’ Having used NAMM as the official platform to launch its ETX, EXA and ZXA portable speaker systems together with the ND microphones in recent years, EV this year hosted a 90th anniversary party with musical entertainment. For the second year in succession, dBTechnologies exhibited alongside its distributor American Music & Sound AM S whilst providing a more private listening experience in its own dedicated demonstration

room. ‘It’s been a great show for us once again – the best ever,’ declared R D director laudio Ottani. ‘We have many new products including the new B H series, and we’re seeing more professional users.’ Previously, dBTechnologies shared stand-space with its sister company, RCF, which this year showcased a bespoke number of products from its extensive catalogue including the HDL50-A and TTL -A speakers, in addition to the latest HDL -a compact array, Ayra studio monitors, Art-708a cabinet and E-series analogue mixers. Whilst a large number of studio monitors on display appealed by virtue of their sub-US 300 price

Dynaudio’s Kim Bang adds a sense of scale to the 4.5m Lego model

Ryan Juchnowski from Radial

DPA Microphones urged their users to ‘get closer’ with a live band

Focusrite’s Phil Wagner Shure’s Mike Loman

Rick and Alex - Audionamix

tags, the latest designs from ADAM Audio, Dynaudio Pro, Eve Audio, Genelec and Neumann perhaps demanded a professional listening environment beyond the show oor. BL straddled the line somewhat between the camps with the newly released Series 7 powered master reference monitors. ‘The BL 7 Series was developed from the ground up as our next-generation solution for modern music, post and broadcast production,’ commented Harman recording solutions director Peter haikin.

Low- and high- frequency drivers abounded as the status quo of transducer manufacturers including B&C, Beyma, BMS, Faital Pro and La Voce once again converged on Anaheim. Celestion debuted 10- and 15-inch additions to its FT series of common magnet motor coaxial loudspeakers, which provide a full-range frequency response within a single self-contained driver. Having recently celebrated its silver anniversary, Thai manufacturer P Audio was also showcasing its latest loudspeaker enclosures including the Via line array alongside its components. ‘We have chosen not to exhibit at the Frankfurt Pro Light Sound exhibition this year, and as such debuted Via here at NAMM instead,’ explained P Audio managing director Howard hen. P Audio was not alone in the disclosure that it would be stepping back from the Frankfurt show, thus adding more weight to the fact that some of the bigger, more relevant exhibitions seem to be growing at the expense of others.

Having maintained a relatively low-key presence at trade shows over the years, Synthax had clearly arrived to make a point at NAMM 2017. Adorned in blue, the large booth was host to a number of new RME products including the Fireface UF Interface with Thunderbolt and USB3 connectivity, Digiface USB and AR USB remote. Product demonstrations, musician jam sessions and booth events promoted by several female assistants were well attended throughout the four days, which came as a relief to Synthax managing director Mathias von Heydekampf. ‘We invested a lot more this year for NAMM,’ he revealed. ‘We marketed ourselves in this way so that we could appeal to a younger generation who possibly aren’t as familiar with us. As a result, NAMM 2017 was our best show ever. Not only have we been inundated by the younger generation, but we’ve also met a lot of seasoned professionals who remarked that they wanted to speak to us now that we’re sexy.’

There were no shortages of new wired and wireless microphones both for singers and instrumentalists at this year’s NAMM. Electing to demonstrate to the eye as well as the ear, both Earthworks and DPA Microphones showcased

their PianoMic and 4099 models courtesy of a grand pianist and a live country western band respectively. ‘NAMM is great because there’s all kinds of equipment and all kinds of people, so it’s a fantastic opportunity to meet people, get around to see the latest solutions and get updated with what’s going on in the market,’ commented DPA EO alle Neilsen, who was enjoying his first NAMM since joining DPA in uly last year. In addition to promoting the new P5i dynamic vocal model, AKG

present our latest products, such as S Wireless 1 and 2, but also to show where Sennheiser is going in the long-term.’

Following the successful launch of the SM8 Dualdyne as the world’s first dual-diaphragm dynamic microphone at NAMM 201 , Shure added the L -D Advanced series to its wireless portfolio. Having listened to feedback from musicians, Audio-Technica opted to create the ATM350a for instruments, whilst the more boutique brands such as Cloud, Royer Labs Soundelux had all crafted new diaphragms for recording studios.

Having shuf ed booth positions over the past three years, TASCAM found itself at the front of Hall A and in an ideal location to impress visitors ocking in and out of the main entrances. Highlighting new microphones together with the SSR250N solid state recorder, R -SS150 ash remote controller and Track Factory, enji ato also revealed a back to the future side to the apanese manufacturer. ‘We’ve created the D-A580 recorder that allows users to record old cassettes to an MP3 player,’ he acknowledged with a smile. ‘We still receive a high demand for our twin cassette players, so we’re envisaging good sales.’ The retro effect was captured perfectly with a display cabinet crammed with some three decades of TASCAM nostalgia, such as tape-to-tape reels, DA-88s and Portastudios. Perhaps retro is the latest new?

also premiered the 3 handheld condenser. Whilst Schoeps highlighted its ORTF-3D microphone technology, Countryman displayed an assortment of detachable connectors for the B omnidirectional lavalier microphone, and Blue Microphones launched an updated and enhanced Essential series. Having pushed immersive listening boundaries last year with its Ambeo creations, Sennheiser returned to the wireless arena with the Digital 000 together with the more price sensitive S Wireless 1 and 2 series. ‘I think the uniqueness of NAMM is really that the industry comes together here in a very specific way,’ said EO Daniel Sennheiser. ‘For us, it’s a place to not only

As the show’s curtain came down, real world challenges awaited visitors and exhibitors in the form of smartphone weather warnings, immersed highways, immigration queues and cancelled ights. LA has rarely been welcoming to the overseas visitor and given the current US political landscape of barriers and isolationism, is unlikely to improve any time soon. Hopefully, the extra brick in the wall won’t stunt NAMM’s envisaged growth over the coming years.

2017 Dates: 19 – 22 January

2018 Dates: 25 - 28 January

Venue: Anaheim Convention Centre, CA

Total exhibitors: 1,779

Attendance: 106,928

Contact: www.namm.org

Stephen Richards promoted the Amphe-Dante Ox2 twochannel connector

Adam Hall COO Markus Janhel Udi Henis from Waves

The Klang team on the Group One booth

dBTechnologies’ Claudio Ottani demonstrates the portability of the latest B.H series of active speakers

B&C Speakers’ Ron Goodwin with the new 15 RBX 100 sub

Lee Feng and Mills Xu from Budee Technology Co. Ltd agreed distribution terms for China with API Audio’s Dan Zimbleman

QSC Audio launched the K-Cardioid Sub

Rick Bent and the EV team helped to celebrate the company’s 90th birthday at NAMM

Kelli and Mathias von Heydekampf with Max on the RME booth

Genelec’s Lars-Olof Janflod

Both inside and out, NAMM 2017 was typically busy

Audio-Technica’s Gary Boss

The ZSound team

COME TO VISIT US AT

HALL 3.1 STAND C 91

HDL 50-A THE SYSTEM

The demands of modern sound reinforcement systems are higher than ever before. Besides pure performance - high sound pressure levels, constant directivity and sound quality other aspects are important for rental and production companies such as reduced weight and ease of use to optimize transport and rigging time. HDL 50-A is changing the concept of large format arrays, providing primary performances to an extended market of professional users.

HDL 50-A

ACTIVE THREE-WAY LINE ARRAY MODULE

- 4400 Watt, 3 way amplification

- 140 dB max SPL

- 8 x high power neodymium transducers

- 48 kHz, 32 bit DSP processing

- RDNet on board

PURE EMOTION

SUB 9007-AS

ACTIVE HIGH POWER SUBWOOFER

- 7200 Watt Peak power - 3600 Watt RMS

- 143 dB max SPL

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- 2 x 21” Woofer

- DSP controlled Input section with selectable presets

- RDNet remote and control

ISE 2017

HAVING ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS THE LARGEST A/V SYSTEMS integration trade show in the world, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) is a speeding juggernaut breaking through traditional barriers that other trade shows can only gape in awe at. It has that elusive quality of a genuine show oor bu that all events aim for and few achieve. If anything, the 2017 event seemed to solidify its position at the top of the tradeshow tree with four days of product launches, training sessions and plenty of business being done across the RAI.

Tom Back from Alcons. ‘Pro sound transducer technologies are in demand due to their increased dynamics and reduced distortion. At the same time, AES3 digital signal routing is another example of this trend. The top residential consumer is developing into a “prosumer”. ISE has acknowledged the integration of A and V from the beginning and offers a unique platform for these individual markets.’

One of the reasons for these companies taking space at ISE is the diverse crowd it attracts. ‘It’s a very eclectic mix,’ observed Anindya Mukherjee from Sonodyne. ‘There are people that we wouldn’t expect to see here, people that you see at NAMM and Frankfurt are here. There are people from all over the world.’

‘We see more customers here. Our distributors are migrating to this show from Pro Light & Sound as well because they see customers here,’ agreed Margie Kirby from Renkus-Heinz

‘We see a lot of rental organisations here where we don’t see them anywhere else really,’ noted Clear-Com’s Nicki Fisher. ‘A lot of rental organisations bring teams over so it’s nice to speak to the entire team.’

‘We’ve seen more and more of our broadcast SIs and customers coming,’ stated Chris Exelby from TSL Products

‘It’s been worthwhile to be here for our existing customers. We can now put a value on being here purely on the opportunities discussed with our existing customer base.’

While visitors from other sectors are an important sign of growth, the install-centric visitors will always be the core of ISE. As such, the combination of the residential and commercial audience that comes from merging InfoComm and Cedia is a major draw for exhibiotors. ‘This is our biggest show for Crestron because it’s a combination of what in the States are two separate shows with Cedia and InfoComm,’ noted Crestron’s Dennis Fink. ‘It’s a very good show, we get a lot of traffic through here.’

‘This and InfoComm are the core shows for us,’ agreed Mark Tracy from Middle Atlantic Products. ‘This is nice because it has the Cedia crowd so we get the residential people and the commercial people and we can speak to them the same way.’

The significance of the show can be seen in the way it has shifted industry R&D cycles. Where once manufacturers waited for Pro Light & Sound to unveil their latest creations, now this takes place a few months earlier in Amsterdam. And it’s not just the A/V-centric companies such as Kramer, WyreStorm and Peerless-AV who choose ISE as the launch vehicle for their latest offerings. Some manufacturers more traditionally associated with rock n roll, such as Nexo and Meyer Sound well as the more broadcast-oriented entities like Lawo and Exterity all decided that this was the appropriate location and crowd to get a first look at the new releases.

‘The systems integration market is interesting to us and this event is more and more pro audio,’ stated Daniele Massaccesi from Proel brand Axiom. ‘All the companies that are here are talking about pro audio globally. We are here because we feel that the level of professionality is really high. We are talking about work, how to solve things and form solutions. We are teaching by explaining our products, but we are also learning thanks to meetings we are having here.’

‘On the audio side, an increasing amount of pro audio technologies are entering into the residential market,’ furthered

‘We’ve had a few theatre guys, a few operators who wanted to see the new S6L features – they had heard about it but wanted to see it,’ added Avid’s Robb Allan. ‘We’ve seen a few installers who wanted a demo to see if it meets their needs. And then

Has ISE become the ‘must-attend’ tradeshow for the global audio industry? Four days of launches, training and visitors from outside the install sector suggest it has

Yamaha’s smart self-playing piano proved a hit with installers

Televic saw end users and consultants coming to its booth

Helen and John Meyer hold court in the John Lennon and Yoko One Hilton Hotel suite to launch their 50th anniversary Summer of Love campaign; (Right): Nexo chose ISE to launch its Geo M10 system

The beyerdynamic team out in force

Shure’s Moswain Antao with the Intellimix P300 conferencing solution

(Above): Genelec’s brightly-coloured booth reflected its multicoloured family of SAM monitors

Having been launched at NAMM, all eyes were on DiGiCo’s SD12

Of course, there were also plenty of releases that were targeted directly at these install customers. The likes of beyerdynamic, Audix, RCF, Picturall, Audac, Yamaha, Topp Pro, Taiden, LD Systems, Cloud Electronics and KlarkTeknik all had releases aimed at the traditional ISE crowd.

‘I think it’s the only proper show that we can launch the Quattrocanali at because it is increasing year by year and it is focused on the integration market,’ offered Powersoft’s Francesco Fanicchi. ‘Systems integrators need to find new solutions to ease their work and ISE is the perfect place in Europe to do this.’

‘With the ControlSpace EX audio conferencing system we are entering this particular space for the first time,’ noted Fuat Koro from Bose Professional. ‘It’s the right product and the right segment for this show.’

‘With the expansion of our TeamConnect family we are showing the right products and getting a great reaction,’ stated Sennheiser’s Mig Cardamone. ‘We have seen a lot of people from all over the Middle East.’

One of the interesting technology factors to come out of ISE 2017 was that exhibitors were not only showing completed products. Companies such as Avid, RME and Christie were offering technology showcases that highlighted to potential customers the equipment that was currently being worked on. ‘For most of the people that have been coming here they’ve had the “wow” factor when they’ve looked at stuff and understood what we are trying to share with them with our underlying foundation technologies,’ smiled Christie’s Chris Kee. ‘They are really wowed by the fact that we have all this in development and we are beginning to share this with them.’

For those A/V suppliers and integrators that happened to be present in eneva 13 years ago, the show oor in present day Amsterdam bears virtually no comparison. ‘At the first ISE there were around 100 exhibitors, now look where it is today. It takes time to develop a trade show really properly,’ re ected Mariana McClean from Spinetix

With two tier stands, projectors on robotic arms, projection

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

mapped racing cars as well as the Drone Arena and VR Zone, the show oor had a distinctive note. Particular highlights included Genelec’s colourful offering to celebrate the 120 RAL colours available for its 4000 series and the Electro-Voice/ Dynacord booth which changed branding every 70 seconds. As well as the well-designed booths, there was a culture shift evident on the show oor. Where once manufacturers explained how wonderful their new products were as standalone devices, conversations have changed to highlight how well the latest equipment works together in systems. This was highlighted at ISE by a number of manufacturers announcing that they were working together to better meet the needs of their customers such as Crestron and Intel with NVX, Biamp and Shure with TesiraForté DAN or NewTek and Wowza with Media DS.

‘We’re not trying to keep all this technology to ourselves, we’re

Electro-Voice and Dynacord shared a space and alternated the branding

Crestron’s Dennis Fink with the new Avia DSP

Education sessions took place across the showfloor

JoeCo with its new BlueBox range of interfaces

Vesa Laasanen on the Picturall stand highlighting its Mark 2 range of media servers

Shenzhen DSPPA’s Hui Wang, Micehelle Chen and Kristi Wang with the latest Dante networkable amplifier series

compatible with QSC, Biamp, Polycom and Crestron working as a technology partner to make sure that everything talks the same language,’ said Shure’s Andrew Low. ‘It’s not about how products work, it’s how they work together.’

‘Our engineering team worked very hard on figuring out AES 7 support,’ re ected Mark Ryals from Symetrix discussing omposer .0’s support for the networking standard. ‘A lot of people I’ve seen have announced that they support AES 7 or are going to be supporting AES 7. I think it’s very important.’

‘For this show we released the d&b audiotechnik plugin,’ said Peavey’s ames ennedy. ‘Interoperability is the avour of the year with things like AES 7, O A and plugins that are custom written. What I feel it does for installers and clients is it gives them the opportunity to really specify the best-engineered solution for any given application. You’re not chained down to one manufacturer, which sometimes is the right way to go, but

to overwhelm the network, whilst more users in less controlled environments equates to a greater security risk.

‘As A V and IT departments move toward a unified IT-centric organisation, managers are being told that audio, video and control are now under their care and expect standardised enterprise-class platforms that cost effectively scale,’ explained QSC president and EO, oe Pham. ‘By integrating a softwarebased AV platform with powerful Dell EM standard servers, our technology demonstration at ISE highlights an inevitable shift in our industry to standards-based IT platforms. It symbolises another manifestation of A V built for IT , and I am proud to see QS be the first to get there. In terms of product versus platform – the product is dead. Products that are not connected to a winning platform have a limited time span in our industry and the winning platforms will be based on mainstream IT technologies, including off the shelf chipsets, operating systems and stacks along with standards-based networking protocols. Our industry has a choice: pretend that the IT industry hasn’t changed the game or recognise the shift and capture new opportunities emerging from the convergence with IT.’

once again attracted record visitor numbers with more than 73,000 passing through the doors of the RAI over the four days. An estimated 20 per cent of these visitors were from outside Europe, showing the global pull of the event.

The largest contingent of international visitors were clearly from the distribution side of the business. ‘It’s been the busiest ISE ever for us. The stand has always been packed with people, even on the final day there are still a lot of people and meetings going on so it’s been extremely successful,’ smiled Apart’s Kris Vermuyten. ‘We’re seeing a wider spread from overseas. To us this is a great meeting point and all of the distributors are here. We give them the opportunity to have a meeting table here and we are seeing them starting to bring more of their customers over, the integrators and the installers.’

‘The quality is good. I haven’t seen many consultants but there have been a lot of distributors,’ added Tendzone’s Peter Er. ‘It’s the meeting place now, it’s the biggest show in Europe.’

And it was not just networking and interoperability between manufacturers that was on show. On the Harman booth, there was a focus on how the technology from its various brands could be combined into complete solutions for different market verticals. ‘When you think about the way Harman used to be structured Martin Professional could have been thinking about lighting for retail and over on the other side of the business AMX could have been thinking about control for that but they weren’t talking to each other,’ explained Harman’s David Glaubke. ‘That’s why what we are doing on this booth is so compelling because now we have people pooling resources from around the company.’

‘People like to have a full solution,’ agreed BXB’s Zolzaya Erdenechimeg. ‘They can have our conferencing system and hook it into Skype for video conferencing. We have introduced it to several customers and they like it.’

Ethernet and IP now penetrate A V applications for which audio-over-IP and video-over-IP have progressively displaced earlier technologies. Following in the footsteps of digital signage and unified communications, A V is increasingly becoming integrated into corporate networks, and as such has become a concern for IT managers. By definition, audio and video consumes a significant network bandwidth that has the potential

Unsurprisingly with so much new technology on show, ISE once again grew in scale to keep pace with the demand. An extra 3,000 sq-m of exhibition space was provided this year as the show filled all of the halls in the RAI as well as an additional temporary structure. As it was, 135 new exhibitors blended in with the other 1,058 to make ISE their destination of choice.

‘The great thing about this show is that all of the people who come to our stand are new business,’ observed Chriss Smeeton from first time exhibitor Argosy. ‘If we go to IB we might see five or 10 new people but here every person coming by is potentially a new customer.’

‘It’s our first year at ISE, we’re showcasing our Duet product here which is a highly integrated video-over-IP with Danteover-IP solution. The reaction has been interesting, there are people who really get it and love it,’ added ordan hristoff from Visionary Solutions. ‘We have a lot of interest internationally, as the non-US based market is embracing IT-based systems faster than in the States.’

It was not only the oor plan that had grown for 2017. The event

‘We have Atlona Asia here, we have our distributors from throughout Europe here, we have our partners from India here,’ explained arth Lobban from Atlona. ‘Not only can we entertain our customers directly, but also our partners bring their customers in to our stand and it just becomes a very busy affair.

So more than anywhere else, ISE and Amsterdam really allow us to connect with our global partners.’

While this was a significant element, there were also plenty of international end users walking the aisles of the RAI. ‘The show was fantastic for us, we have been very crowded and busy over all of the days. We’ve seen a lot of our distributors, but also a lot of new prospects and we didn’t expect this success,’ noted K-array’s Andrea Torelli. ‘We are seeing more end users and consultants. We have moved our attention to the architects and end users.’

‘We’ve had a lot of visitors coming from the ASEAN region and especially from Thailand and from the Philippines, and Singapore,’ said Audio-Technica’s Teng Shaokai. ‘We’ve had tonnes of systems integrators from Singapore.’

‘We seem to be having a lot more customers and end users this year than resellers,’ agreed Randy Lee from Revolabs ‘Last year it seemed to be a different proportion, a lot more resellers than end users. It appears to me that there are a lot more projects picking up. The Middle East is picking up, so we’ve seen a lot of people from that region. APA has been a little light, we’ve seen a few people from Australia. I thought we’d see more people from hina, but we really haven’t.’

‘It’s gone extremely well. We’ve been even busier than last year. The A V world is a small one, but this year we saw a lot more end users coming to the booth and a lot of consultants, it’s ama ing,’ added Televic’s Herman Geerinck. ‘There are still not enough Asian people. hinese New Year has already passed so we were expecting more Chinese people, but that was limited. There are also not so many people from India which I thought was strange.’

‘The quality of the leads is really good, but that’s always the same here,’ re ected Sommer Cable’s Peter Rieck. ‘We see different people here and that helps to generate

business.’

more

Blackmagic Design invited visitors to get to grips with its display equipment

Joe Keul from the Kling & Freitag sales team

Next-proaudio premiered the next HFA paintable, customisable speaker series

Sennheiser Middle East’s Salam Askar and Mig Cardamone saw plenty of visitors from the region

Axiom launched the AX12CNewTek’s Will Waters

Over in Hall 14, TW Audio exhibited for the first time

Argosy’s Chris Smeeton with Belden’s Elizabeth Stephan

Christie’s Dr Chris Kee celebrated the past, present and future of the company

Apart hosted a Mask C installation time trial on its booth

Audio-Technica (S.E.A.)’s Teng Shaokai

Alcons’ Tom Back discovers an interesting looking product on the ISE show floor

Robb Allan hosted an S6L tech preview

Peavey’s James Kennedy highlighting nWare 2’s major new features

Away from the show oor, the packed education schedule saw a record year for registrations. Starting with the pre-show conferences and training and continuing with the show- oor theatres, keynote addresses, special events for developing the workforce and certification courses, an increasing number of people used ISE as a place to expand their skills.

‘This is the first year that we are officially part of ISE for our certification and training programme,’ said Audinate’s oshua Rush. ‘We had 380 people registered for the event and our best guess is that we had 330 people for the two tracks that we had. The great thing is that they stayed for the entire day. I think it speaks for the traction Dante is getting in the market and people are really thirsty for the education side and then the new certification programme that we rolled out this year.’

‘We did a masterclass for Info omm and it was really good,’ added Biamp’s ach Snook. ‘It was a little rough being the first thing on the first day but the room was about half full and it was a decent si ed room, there were maybe 30 people. The more important part was that they were all really well engaged. It was about IP networking of media. We focused on what the challenges are, why it’s hard to do media over networks, how to synch a clock and things like that. We were able to touch on

While everyone was largely positive about the 2017 outing of ISE, it is important to state that it is not the perfect show and there were several notable criticisms. omments about the number of Asian visitors mean it will be interesting to do a yearon-year comparison for attendees from this region, particularly as in 2017 the show did not clash with hinese New Year. Encouraging more visitors to make the journey to Amsterdam from Asia should be a priority for the organiser. And then there is the question of the venue itself. ISE has become synonymous with Amsterdam, but with the RAI now bursting at the seams and the contract with the venue up in the near future, there are questions about whether ISE should look for a new home. The show is putting increasing pressure on the venue’s infrastructure, but where else could it be held If it doesn’t move, the organiser will need to work closely with the venue to ensure it has the necessary facilities to meet the expectations of the ever-expanding crowd. For a show as huge and diverse as ISE has become, one overriding message was clear – solutions have officially

replaced technology. As much as new technology always attracts attention, it is increasingly as a valued solution rather than in its own right so as to deliver a better experience to users. The technology may be the wow factor that brings people through the ISE turnstiles, but the current visitors are seeking solutions for real world applications.

2017 Dates: 7-10 February

2018 Dates: 6-9 February

Venue: RAI, Amsterdam

Total exhibitors: 1,193

Attendance: 73,413

Contact: www.iseurope.org

Watch the show on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=kI9ZPcvNBj4

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Eclipse HX

AV Stumpfl moves to uncompressed 8K video, as Hans Stucken explains K-array’s Andrea Torelli

Powersoft celebrated the launch of Quattrocanali at the show

Fonestar MD Ntuma Ntamila and communications engineer Álvaro Puente Collado

Revolabs’s Randy Lee with a Revolabs AVB networked display

WyreStorm’s Adrian Ickeringill presented the manufacturer’s huddle space solutions

Living the dream

FOLLOWING THE DAWN OF ADVANCED GRAPHICS, VIRTUAL Reality VR has finally come of age. However, with immersive audio still lagging behind, wannabe escapees locked behind goggles were still connected to reality. With the development of Ambeo, Sennheiser has taken down a wall that once separated reality from fantasy.

Sennheiser has a history of pushing the envelope in areas its competitors seem to be resisting. In the company’s quest to record and reproduce audio as naturally as possible, its invention of the open headphone in 19 8, coinciding with the advent of stereo in the same decade, played an important role. Sennheiser sparked huge interest in high-quality music reproduction in general and audio drama in particular. Fully immersive 3D sound for audio drama became possible with a new recording technique when eorg Neumann produced the first dummy head, the U 80, in 1973, and Sennheiser introduced its M E 2002 head-worn stereo microphone ‘real head instead of dummy head’ in 1974. When 5.1 loudspeaker surround sound arrived in the living rooms of the 1990s, Sennheiser’s reproduction solutions maintained friendly relationships with the neighbours as the DSP pro and DSP 3 0 processing units turned stereo audio into 5.1 for reproduction on standard headphones. And it’s almost 20 years since Sennheiser unveiled the Surrounder, a lightweight device that fitted onto shoulders like a collar, for the gaming market. For

a professional audio manufacturer to pay attention to such a young audience was bold to say the least. But the erman developer had noted rising sales of its high-end consumer headphones in that niche, affording gamers an advantage by enhancing the audio quality of their visual worlds. The Esfera surround microphone system launched in 2013 can also be seen as a precursor for Ambeo. This allows the generation and broadcast of 5.1 surround sound using an SPM 8000 camera-mountable stereo mic on location, and an SBP 8000 processing unit in the production facility.

Sennheiser’s ongoing investment in fully immersive 3D audio has recently spawned such listening environments as 2013’s ‘David Bowie is’ exhibition, curated by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Ambeo is the unique signature characterising the company’s third generation, Daniel and Dr Andreas Sennheiser, who were handed the baton by their father oerg in 2013. Early in 201 , the brothers announced a strategic focus on 3D immersive audio introducing a height elevation. Since then, the company has launched the Ambeo VR mic, created an Ambeo soundscape for the Victoria and Albert Museum’s exhibition You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966 – 1970, launched a tutorial website on recording in Ambeo 3D audio and unveiled plans for an Ambeo Smart Surround earphone for immersive 3D audio recording at ES and NAMM.

In her role of global director of strategic innovation and director of Ambeo Immersive Audio, V ronique Larcher and her

multidisciplinary team were charged with bringing Ambeo to life. Ms Larcher relocated to urich in 2008 having pioneered immersive audio with leading manufacturers such as reative Labs in northern alifornia. ‘Ambisonics has been around since the 1970s and it is a technology that fascinates me,’ she admits. ‘With the creation of Ambeo, both our consumer and professional segments will profit enormously.’

If converting stereo to 5.1 wasn’t ambitious enough, Ms Larcher and her team raised the stakes by developing audio that would enhance the VR experience. For all the visual enhancements that had been created, audio was still lagging behind.

When recording immersive mixes, the sum is most definitely bigger than the parts. Weighing just 400g, the handheld Ambeo VR mic is an Ambisonics model fitted with four matched E 14 capsules in a fixed tetrahedral arrangement. This allows surround sound to be captured from a single point, resulting in a spherical Ambisonic sound to match the VR video spherical 3 0-degrees content. Fully balanced, each capsule relies on 48V phantom power. A split cable with four colour-coded and labelled LR connectors according to the capsule position can then be fed into a 4-channel recorder on location.

iven its target audience of largely non-professional recordists, one of the chief design aims was to simplify the immersive audio microphone set-up. A label on the capsule prompting the user where to align the mic is a clear indication of this. ‘The demand for compact microphones that capture spatial audio to match visual 3D experiences has increased enormously,’ explains product manager – broadcast and media, ai Lange. ‘For the user to gain a truly immersive experience, it is imperative that the sound within VR is also 3D. The Ambeo VR microphone has been designed specifically for VR AR purposes and enables VR content producers to capture the natural, immersive environment, providing a realistic experience for the user.’

Sennheiser normally beta tests products in the field prior to a launch. With Ambeo however, it took the unique step of previewing the VR mic at the ES show in Las Vegas almost a year before release. ‘This allowed our design team to further engage with VR content providers from Silicon Valley, for example,’ adds Mr Lange. In May 201 , Sennheiser targeted developers via its reators’ Programme website. ‘We invited 30 of them to experiment with the prototype and share ideas with us. Their collective critical analysis ended up as invaluable input towards the final design.’

One of the key results was a specification for the A-B encoder software that works as a plugin for embedding during postproduction. The A format file generated from the recording of the four microphone channels into a B format file – W, , Y and in the Ambisonics world – recognises the W component as being the omni and the , Y, components as figure-of-eight capsules along three spatial axes. The A to B format encoder is available in VST, AA and AU plugins for various digital audio workstations or as a standalone version for Mac and Windows. Stored in a newly-developed Ambeo 3D upmix box, Sennheiser’s processing software algorithms can provide a powerful up-mix from a stereo D, or stream on a 9.1 loudspeaker setup. When turning around during a

Virtual reality has recently become one of the major trends for consumer technology. Sennheiser is looking to ensure the audio keeps up with the video with Ambeo

Broadcast and media product manager Kai Lange with the Ambeo VR mic

demonstration the audio follows, rendering the complex engineering and algorithms to make this work fairly simple. By mounting the microphone to a 3D camera, the audio recording tracks the video.

‘We saw enormous commercial opportunities in developing Ambeo,’ explains Simone Hansen, project manager, Ambeo Immersive Audio. ‘Application fields include VR gaming and multimedia, immersive audio recording, film and TV, and sports broadcasting. Covering immersive audio products and technologies for the entire signal chain, from capture to mixing and processing to reproduction, Ambeo is the umbrella for different types of immersive audio configurations, whether recording, processing or playback in 9.1 or over headphones.’

‘With Ambeo Music Blueprints, a technician can record and mix music with the same natural, spatial sound as in the

original performance,’ furthers Ms Larcher.

The blueprints, for loudspeakers, binaural and for virtual reality, provide information on recording set-ups and microphone positioning, on mixing with additional spot microphones and on delivery and playback for a 3D listening experience. A dedicated website explores recording, mixing and delivering live music in immersive 3D audio, with topics including 3D recording for 9.1 loudspeaker reproduction, binaural 3D playback on standard headphones and

The Ambeo for Loudspeakers blueprint highlights the main microphone set-ups when creating immersive 3D audio recordings for 9.1 loudspeaker playback as well any objectoriented format targeting loudspeaker playback such as Dolby Atmos or MPE -H. The Square, ube and Lean ube all introduce a height elevation when a 9.1 loudspeaker set-up is used for playback. For a 3D audio recording, the usual pair of main stereo microphones is replaced by the Ambeo ube or the Ambeo Square. The Ambeo for Binaural uses a dummy head such as the Neumann KU 100 for recording 3D audio and enhances the audio with spatially processed spot microphones, targeting a listening experience over headphones. Finally, the development of the VR Mic creates 360-degree recordings by using panning tools for mixing in additional audio sources, binaurally rendering the Ambisonics channels for head-tracked 3D

Next up is the Ambeo Smart Surround, a compact consumer earphone for immersive 3D audio recording. Debuted at CES 2017, and launching in the second half of 2017, it allows users to capture and listen to binaural audio recordings on smartphones, and features the introduction of Apogee A/D conversion technology and digital

The best of Sennheiser’s combined hardware and software resources has made Ambeo a platform in its own right. By making VR more realistic than ever, cinematic experiences, live concerts and gaming will continue to be enhanced. From audio capture to reproduction via its mixing and processing expertise,

www.sennheiser.com/microphone-3d-audio-ambeo-vr-mic

The dummy head with Neumann KU 10s as modelled by Ambeo director of immersive audio Veronique Larcher (Top right): The microphone aims to remove complexity from VR recordings with its handheld design

Safety first

IT’S NOT SURPRISING THAT THE EN54 safety standard for fire alarm systems has been seeing most widespread prominence in Europe, it was after all driven by the European Union not only to increase fire safety standards in buildings but also to enable the free movement of construction products throughout the EU market.

Pro Audio MEA sat down recently with EN54 specialist Sascha Riedling from ic audio to find out why it’s also important for those outside of Europe to start taking the standard seriously.

‘Originally introduced as a European standard for fire alarm systems, EN54 has now been extended to cover voice evacuation to meet a growing trend in the market towards integration of fire alarm and voice evacuation systems,’ explains Mr Riedling. ‘To understand EN54 more, lets check the purpose of the regulation: Quickly informing and alerting the people affected and operating staff if there is an event. Examples of this include fire alarms, evacuation instructions and also reassurance messages. The voice alarm system is mainly used in combination with a fire alarm control panel for emitting alarms. In practice, the voice alarm system is also used for the tasks of standard public address systems as well. The overall purpose of EN54 is to guarantee 100 per cent functionality by means of permanent monitoring of the entire signal path, from microphone capsule, alarm text device with stored evacuation instructions and amplifiers, for example, to each individual speaker. The standard therefore also describes in detail the functions, product quality and testing procedures for standardised testing.’

ic audio has staked its business on the success of EN54 products, and having focused all of its energies on this sector now offers 150 certified products spanning 10 country-specific EN54-24 loudspeaker certifications.

‘We have experience in developing and manufacturing voice alarm speakers for a long time, even before EN54, mainly for BS 5839 which is a British standard,’ says Mr Riedling.

‘So with the emergence of EN54 years ago, we decided to concentrate all our energy to be the number one manufacturer of EN54 loudspeakers worldwide.’

For a manufacturer, this isn’t without its drawbacks. EN54 products are certainly more costly to design, manufacturer and therefore purchase, thanks to the rigorous testing and certification procedures required. However, the value to employers shouldn’t be underestimated. Employee welfare and safety considerations quickly become a priority as

emerging markets and the laws governing them develop.

‘During an emergency situation the most important tasks in buildings are to get all the people out of the danger zones as fast as possible and to avoid any kind of mass panic – especially in big buildings like public institutions or schools, precious time in rescue could be lost. Scientific studies have clearly proven that targeted information transmitted via voice announcements will gain valuable time over common signalling devices such as sirens or horns,’ Mr Riedling explains. ‘Precise instructions for evacuation can be transmitted via voice announcement, and panic situations can be prevented through reassuring messages. Additionally, voice announcements can be multilingual, even live announcements from the fire brigade can be streamed. All these advantages of voice alarm allow a considerably faster and more systematic evacuation of buildings and thus save lives.’

In April 2011 EN54-certified products became mandatory for all new voice alarm installations happening within the EU to meet the growing trend in the market towards integration of fire alarm and voice evacuation systems. And having been aware of the standard since day one, ic audio now finds itself at pole position in the European market. While the main aim of EN54 is to offer assurance and support in the creation of a safer environment for staff and the general public in premises where these systems are used, it also opens up a specialist market and a competitive advantage for value added resellers (VARs) and integrators that get

involved early on.

‘The history of the standard is one thing,’ continues Mr Riedling, ‘however the impact it’s having seems to be more interesting. On every stage of the market, there has been a concentration of a few companies who were able to design, manufacture, install and do the maintenance of EN54 VA-systems and loudspeakers.

‘So the number of competitors has decreased significantly since EN54 became mandatory,’ he adds. ‘Furthermore, the position of fire alarm system suppliers has got very strong in the market, because they predominantly provide a complete solution for the projects by covering the VA system and speakers, too. This is definitely the biggest market change in VA we have witnessed for

But there are also changes afoot outside of the EU. ‘We are also seeing a big change in the Middle East, with many projects now also getting EN54-specified,’ observes Mr Riedling. ‘Of course, they like to have the highest security standard in the projects taking place there. I definitely think EN54 will be definitely huge in the Middle East.

In Asia, we are beginning to see the first signs of people specifying EN54, but the speed of adoption is much slower. There was lots of confusion in the market when EN54 started, but this has now nearly completely disappeared, as the market learns its lessons and becomes more experienced. New territories don’t face this issue to the same degree, however our experiences in Europe tell us that the key to increasing adoption is constant training for all employees…again and again.’

The standard is intended to cover all of the vital aspects related to fire safety in buildings, and is by definition, highly encompassing.

‘EN54 is a standard devised by experts and you really can feel it when you have a close look at the details,’ says Mr Riedling. ‘However, nothing is perfect. The lack of active speakers not described in the standard, for example, could be a topic for a regulation update some day. In the meantime, EN54 will surely leave its growing footprints also outside of Europe, particularly in the Middle East.’

While EN54 is a wholly-European invention, the key for the rest of the world is that it doesn’t have to be incompatible with regulations such as the American NFPA 72 code already practised in much of Asia. Like ic audio, paying early attention to EN54 requirements will surely pay dividends in the long run.

EN54 has been predominantly a European-practised standard up until more recently. Simon Luckhurst finds out whether that’s beginning to change

A I E EU country-specific individual regulations R EN from ceiling speakers to column arrays

Sascha Riedling

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