Pro AVL Asia July-August 2018 by Blank Canvas Publishing Ltd

LIVE SOUND LIGHTING RECORDING INSTALLATION A/V BROADCAST POSTPRODUCTION July–August 2018

FIELD OF DREAMS Creating Perth’s Optus Stadium

DAYDREAM’S CHINESE DEBUT INFOCOMM LAS VEGAS REVIEWED

INSIDE THE VOICE OF VIETNAM CONSTELLATION AT THE SINGAPORE CONFERENCE HALL Singapore: MICA (P) 034/06/2018 PPS 1604/05/2013(022953)

Perfecting the Art of Live Sound Ofﬁcial Yamaha Pro Audio Instagram Account

@yamaha_proaudio_ofﬁcial

www.yamaha.com/proaudio

CONTENTS

Volume 17 Issue Four July–August 2018

NEWS NEWS Studio Tanta opens with API, Manufacturers unite for Milan

SPECIAL REPORT Exploring the equipment that powered Eurovision 2018

EDUCATION SSL trains Indian engineers, DPA gets closer to China

DISTRIBUTION New partners for Adamson, L-Acoustics and Void

APPOINTMENTS Changes at Avid, Phabrix and QSC

NEW PRODUCTS The industry’s most comprehensive product news

FEATURES DAYDREAM BELIEVER Equipping the EDM festival’s Chinese debut

STYLE COUNCIL Dicentis conferencing at Shah Alam City Council

THE FULL MONTT Installing LD Systems at Kuala Lumpur’s Montt

COVER: FIELD OF DREAMS Creating Perth’s Optus Stadium

EXPERIENCED SI WANTED – FLEXIBILITY ESSENTIAL Equipping ICE

104

STAR QUALITY Installing Constellation at the Singapore Conference Hall

106

VOICE OF THE NATION Touring Voice of Vietnam

108

WORLD CLASS Part two of our tour of Singapore’s Mediacorp

110

RIDING THE ASIAN SOUNDWAVE Genelec’s history in Asia

112

BUSINESS LETTER FROM AMERICA Dan Daley discusses Spotify’s NYSE listing

114

LETTER FROM EUROPE Phil Ward muses over breakthroughs at PL+S

114

SHOW REVIEW SLV Symposium returns to Kuala Lumpur

116

SHOW REVIEW Would the GET Show continue to tick all the boxes?

118

SHOW REVIEW Would PL+S Guangzhou work in May?

120

SHOW REVIEW Going beyond broadcast at Koba 2018

122

SHOW REVIEW Walking the aisles at a maturing Palm Expo India

124

SHOW REVIEW Collaboration comes to the fore at InfoComm Las Vegas

126

TECHNOLOGY Dennis Baxter explores the evolution of intercoms

130

R&D Creating a lighting desk to meet the needs of beginners and pros

132

ANALYSIS Is cloud-based A/V the future for the industry?

134

inside 94

110

104

124

LICENCES: Singapore: MICA (P) 034/06/2018; Malaysia PPS 1604/05/2013 (022953) All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the copyright owners.

www.proavl-asia.com

Editor’s note So July is here, and the tradeshow season, which gets increasingly crowded each year, gives us a couple of months’ respite. It doesn’t last long, however, resuming at the end of August with the double whammy of Integrate in Sydney and Palm Expo China in Beijing. From there on in, the calendar is again full of industry outings, with a fair number of overlaps. Whatever your view of tradeshows, there’s no sign of a let-up in our industry, either in terms of frequency or size. While this is proof of a booming market, it sometimes seems paradoxical in an industry homing in on VR, teleconferencing and immersive experiences, and as technology downsizes. But, for now, the tradeshow is an important part of our business and here, at Blank Canvas Publishing, we endeavour to cover as many as we can, so we can report back to our readers with the latest developments across the globe. This issue has reports of Malaysia’s SLV Expo (p116), China’s GET and Prolight + Sound Guangzhou shows (pp118–119 and pp120–121, respectively), Korea’s Koba (pp122–123), Palm India (pp124–125) and InfoComm’s Las Vegas outing (pp126–128) where Richard Lawn and Simon Luckhurst walked the aisles to bring you comprehensive coverage and video footage of what’s new in integration, install and A/V. Talking of integration and install, this month’s cover story on the new Optus Stadium (pp98–103) is a biggie. The extended page spread, together with some sumptuous pics, are testimony to the cutting-edge A/V integration that formed the backbone of this project. We hope you enjoy.

Email: cmoss@proavl-asia.com

Contacts Richard Lawn: General manager

Sue Gould: Advertising director

James Ling: Senior editor

rlawn@proavl-asia.com

sgould@proavl-asia.com

jling@proavl-asia.com

Simon Luckhurst: Senior reporter

James Cooke: Reporter

Carolyn Valliere: Sales associate T: +1 562 597 1534

sluckhurst@proavl-asia.com

jcooke@proavl-asia.com

cvalliere@proavl-asia.com

Adrian Baker: Production editor abaker@proavl-asia.com

Nick Smith: Digital media manager nsmith@proavl-asia.com

Jo Pugh-Jones: Production controller jpj@proavl-asia.com

Karen Wallace: Editorial coordinator kwallace@proavl-asia.com

Chris Yardley Video editor cyardley@proavl-asia.com

Marne Mittelmann: Circulation manager circulation@proavl-asia.com

Raymond Boey: Singapore office T: +65 6457 2340 rboey@proavl-asia.com

Frank Shao: Beijing manager T: +86(10)86525184 frank@proaudioasia.com.cn

Sue Su: Guangzhou manager T: +86(20)85633602 ssu@proavl-asia.com

PUBLISHED BY 17 Upper Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2DU, UK Telephone: +44 1892 676280 Email: info@proavl-asia.com

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@ProAVLAsiaMagazine July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 3

NEWS

Studio Tanta breathes new life into analogue recording in Tokyo JAPAN: Following a 3-year construction period, Studio Tanta has opened on a prominent junction overlooking Yoyogi Park in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. The 7-storey facility signifies a return to the days of analogue recording in large rooms, two of which feature API consoles. Larry Droppa, API president, and Dan Zimbelman, director of sales for the US manufacturer, were present at the grand opening ceremony in June, conducting API workshops with legendary engineer/producer, Ron Saint Germain. Tanta is the first large-scale studio to have been purpose built in the Japanese capital for decades. Acoustic design and installation specialist, Nihon Onkyo, sourced an assortment of Japanese hardwood, metal and stone to ensure the two main studios and live rehearsal room were treated in accordance with the client’s brief. The first API Legacy AXS in Japan has been installed into the 35m2 control room of Studio A, while an automated 32-channel 1608 has gone into the smaller Studio B. The sale was handled by API’s Japanese distributor, Mixwave, headed by Hiro Saika. ‘We may become nostalgic when remembering the big studios of the 1980s, but we did not want to recreate the dead spaces that characterised them,’ explained Tanta’s studio division manager, Tomoyudi Fukuda, a former recording engineer at EMI Studios. ‘We opted for an RT of 0.6s, offering a tiny amount of reverberation, to give the studios a

little life and character. I recall the Rolling Stones rehearsing some acoustic tracks for a session at EMI over 10 years ago. Ultimately, three of the tracks from that session made it onto the ﬁnal cut as the engineer, Ed Churney, really liked the acoustics of Studio Three there. I suppose this thinking provided some inspiration in the design of Tanta.’ While on a research trip to visit prominent studios in the US, Mr Fukuda discovered a number of common denominators, including high control room ceilings, lively acoustics and API consoles. ‘Tokyo’s main studios are primarily ﬁtted with Neve or SSL boards,

but I was looking for something different to characterise and distinguish Tanta,’ he continued. ‘I was fortunate to meet many famous engineers in the US who introduced me to API’s legendary analogue sound, and from there I made contact with the factory near Baltimore. It’s encouraging to see artists in the US still preferring the warmth and depth of analogue audio.’ Located on level three, the 64m2 live area of Studio A can host a small orchestra and also offers a further four booths. In the control room, the API Legacy AXS console provides an all-analogue signal path, its 48 channels offering dual

input capability and access to two API 200 Series module slots, while the traditional 1.5-inch module width allows API 500 Series equalisers to be used on a perchannel basis. A complete central section includes six automated stereo echo returns with motorised faders, 5.1 surround monitoring and a built-in 2500C stereo bus compressor. Other equipment includes DAD AX32 converters and an extensive selection of outboard equipment, including Neve 1081 and 1073 combined mic/line preamp/equalisers, a dbx 160SL compressor limiter, a Manley Massive Passive stereo equaliser, a Tube-Tech CL1B optical mono

1/4 Horizontal

4 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

compressor and a GML 2032 mic preamp. The L-C-R main monitor system is comprised of custom Augspurger dual 15-inch speakers, with Amphion nearﬁeld monitoring. An impressive selection of vintage microphones is on hand, including Neumann U47s, U67s and U87s together with AKG C414EB, C451B and D12 standards, an ElectroVoice RE-20 and a selection of Microtech Gefell condenser cardioids, including the larger UM930 and the smaller M300 diaphragms. Studio B, where the API 1608 takes pride of place, is installed with a smaller but similar inventory of monitoring, outboard, microphone and instrument equipment. Other facilities at Studio Tanta include a restaurant, artists’ lounge and rehearsal space in the basement known as Studio C. This extensive space is equipped with an automated 8.6m-wide stage riser designed for live performances and has been installed with two DiGiCo SD10 consoles for monitoring and FOH mixing, respectively, and a Nexo PS15 and Coda Audio ViRay 3-way speaker systems. The lighting truss is controlled from an Avolites Arena console. Everything, then, that a band could possibly need, from initial tracklaying through to tour preparation. Look out for a full-length feature on Studio Tanta in a future issue of Pro AVL Asia. www.apiaudio.com www.studiotanta.jp

Axient Digital defies limitations for both RF and audio excellence. With an industry-leading 2 ms of latency*, linear transient response, and wide dynamic range, nothing gets in the way of true, pure sound. Learn more at www.shureasia.com/go/axientdigital *From transducer to analog output, in standard transmission mode.

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NEWS

Leading manufacturers unite to form Milan protocol WORLD: Seven leading A/V manufacturers – AudioScience, Avid, Biamp, d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics, Luminex and Meyer Sound – have worked together under the umbrella of the Avnu Alliance to form Milan, a standards-based network protocol to promote deterministic, interoperable, future-proof media networking in pro A/V applications. Milan is designed as a userdriven protocol that aims to ‘guarantee that all Milan devices will work together’, offering integrators convenience, reliability and ﬂexibility. It builds on the technical beneﬁts introduced by the IEEE Audio Video Bridging (AVB) open standards, including time synchronisation, ‘guaranteed quality of service’, and risk-

other protocols, AVB was a natural choice for implementing a high-quality media network,’ said Jeff Rocha, director of product management at L-Acoustics. ‘We also recognise that there has been no application-layer interoperability deﬁned above the network

‘The Milan initiative is a long-term approach to change the way the pro A/V market does A/V networking’ free coexistence of control and media data on a single network, while adding further deﬁning device requirements at both the network and the application layer for compatible media streams, formats, media-clocking, redundancy and controller software. ‘After carefully considering what end users were trying to accomplish, and the challenges and risks associated with using

foundation. This applicationlevel interoperability is critical to delivering on the promise of AVB: simple, reliable network operation, guaranteed performance and sustainability. Milan leverages the beneﬁts of AVB to deliver a userdriven solution for networked A/V that guarantees interoperability among pro A/V devices.’ Henning Kaltheuner, head of business development and market intelligence at d&b audiotechnik,

noted how his company started exploring this solution 18 months ago. ‘We discovered a compelling benefit to unify our vision with Milan,’ he said. ‘We knew for certain, in an industry dominated by companies that want to market products to customers, that we needed to focus on the customer experience. We aim to change the conversation around network standards to be about providing the best-possible end user experience with a convenient, truly interoperable and deployable solution. We knew the only way for us to influence change in this direction was to join together to harness our collective power to move the entire industry.’ As a development extension openly managed by the Avnu Alliance’s pro A/V segment members, a new testing and certification programme is currently in development to support Milan for implementation by manufacturers.

Jands NZ becomes JPro

‘The Milan initiative is a longterm approach to change the way the pro A/V market does A/V networking,’ said John McMahon, Meyer Sound’s VP of solutions and strategy, and Avnu Alliance’s pro A/V segment chair. ‘We encourage companies seeking a technically superior network, which guarantees interoperability and is not limited by the conﬁnes of proprietary products, to join us and participate in building out this ecosystem.’ Mr McMahon’s call was immediately heard by PreSonus, which has joined the Avnu Alliance in a show of support for the Milan protocol. ‘By joining the Milan initiative, PreSonus demonstrates its full support and we look forward to working with Avnu partner companies and Milan leaders d&b, L-Acoustics, Meyer Sound, Avid, AudioScience, Luminex and Biamp to continue driving the future of A/V networking using AVB technology,’ said Jim Odom, president of PreSonus Audio Electronics. ‘The goal of this organisation is to eliminate the guesswork about whether a particular product will function as part of a larger A/V system. The commitment to the standards all members now adhere to will ensure the highest levels of functionality for creating the most advanced and sophisticated A/V systems.’

avoid any confusion with Jands Australia. We remain committed to distributing Harman Professional audio solutions, while adding other brands.’ The rebranding came into effect on 1 June with the launch of a new web address and company image. ‘These are exciting times in audio and JPro is building on an impressive track record,’ commented sales director, Paul Edlin. ‘Support of our integrator and dealer networks, which has been a key to our success, will continue, as will our nationwide audio training courses.’

www.avnu.org/milan

www.jpro.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND: To avoid further confusion with Australian distributor Jands, the separate Jands New Zealand has rebranded as JPro. ‘The initiative has been prompted through the recent changes that sees Jands Australia entering into the New Zealand market,’ said JPro managing director, Bruce Gray. ‘We have seen this as an opportunity to promote our own New Zealand brand in a new and revitalising manner. JPro will resonate with our market and, at the same time,

Clair Brothers system upgrades Hong Kong City Hall HONG KONG: DMT has installed an L-C-R Clair Brothers system into the 463-seat theatre at the Hong Kong City Hall. The system replaces an older one to provide enhanced audio in the venue. ‘We were ver y impressed with the quality of Clair Brothers; the installed system sounds even better than the initial demo we heard,’ explained Zachar y Cheung, unit manager at PCCWHKT Technical Ser vices, who is in charge of all A/V systems in City Hall. ‘We needed to install the system in a ver y shor t space of time, so we wanted to use an active system. This is the first time we’ve used Clair Brothers in any of the venues, and the management is ver y pleased with the finished result.’

6 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

The system consists of two Clair Brothers KiT 12+ 2-way self-powered speakers for each of the L-C-R channels, with two KiT Sub-mini+ single drive selfpowered subwoofers and two Lake LM44 digital audio system processors. ‘The speakers have a DSP function but, for a greater degree of ﬁne tuning, we also installed the Lake processors,’ said Ricky Wan, sales manager at DMT. This was an important consideration as there are no acoustic treatments planned for the theatre until the entire City Hall, which was built in the 1950s, enters a major renovation phase in 2021. www.clairbrothers.com www.dmtpro.com www.lakeprocessing.com

NEWS

Norwest adds to L-Acoustics stock for GC2018 AUSTRALIA: Norwest Productions has a rich history of supplying audio systems for large international ceremonies and it was this experience that helped the company to win the tender for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. The project brief for the ceremonies called for a modern, current, line array-based solution with enough subwoofers to not be a limiting factor of the overall system performance. To meet this need, Norwest Productions purchased an entire new speaker system from French manufacturer, L-Acoustics. ‘The brief for the ceremonies was as usually expected; all audience members to receive consistent SPL, full range and with a high degree of intelligibility,’ noted Gra Whitehouse, general manager of NW Group. ‘In total, NW Group invested in over 370 new L-Acoustics speakers to deliver this event and associated sports venues, taking our national inventory to around 900 of France’s ﬁnest. We’d already committed to purchasing our new K2 system whether we won the games or not and, with the sporting ceremonies workload of the last couple of years, we’d made other signiﬁcant upgrades to signal transport

RF wouldn’t have worked without them. Other RF microphones were Shure UHFR series in a selection of frequencies as dictated by the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA), which provided spectrum management services across the event. Norwest’s senior RF engineer, Steve Caldwell, worked closely with ACMA to achieve the best-possible result, with no failures come showtime in a very challenging environment.’

systems and our patching and routing infrastructure.’ NW Group has worked with L-Acoustics systems since 2006, purchasing a variety of the manufacturer’s products over the years. Ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 124 K2 variable curvature WST line source cabinets were purchased, along with 24 K1SB and 60 KS28 subwoofers. ‘The audio system was primarily based on 25 ground arrays of up to four K2s atop K1SB subwoofers, ﬂanked by 60 KS28s,’ explained Mr

Norwest Productions invested in a new L-Acoustics system for GC2018

Whitehouse. ‘Minimal flown arrays were employed in the stadium, with just five for the Western Stand and VIP seating. A system of L-Acoustics Arcs Wide was pole-mounted and dispersed through the large temporary northern grandstand to provide coverage in an otherwise unachievable manner. Arcs WiFo and 12XT cabinets were used as additional fills. All K-Series products were powered by LA12X amplifiers, while the fill speakers used LA8. All amplifiers were housed in distributed nodes around the field of play or in catwalks, in custom rain-proof tents.’ Mr Whitehouse noted that NW Group has been a heavy user of Optocore signal transport products since the initial release. ‘In years gone by, we’d always run a digital main network with an analogue backup over copper,’ he recalled. ‘Around 18 months ago, we decided there’s just no need anymore; the world has lost its fear of fibrebased digital audio transport, so we now run completely digital main and redundant systems. Optocore continues to develop its products and we continue to invest in them. FOH control was by a pair

DiGiCo SD5s were employed at FOH of DiGiCo SD5 consoles that we originally purchased for Rio 2016. The secondary console tracks the scene changes of the primary, and each console feeds a network. The systems, apart from the control messaging, remain completely autonomous. Replay was performed on a pair of Merging Technologies Pyramix systems, again in main and backup conﬁguration.’ Meanwhile, at the start of the signal chain, was another purchase by Norwest Productions ahead of the games. ‘Given the very cluttered RF on the Gold Coast, we made the decision to invest in Shure’s new Axient Digital range for all main cast microphones,’ Mr Whitehouse revealed. ‘The AXD system proved its worth, with the general consensus being the event

The sound setup for the ceremonies was designed by Norwest’s in-house team, comprising head of audio, Ian Shapcott, and head of special events, Andrew Marsh. ‘Andy and Ian have years of experience in designing, operating and project managing large-scale audio systems for international ceremonies,’ concluded Mr Whitehouse. In addition to working the ceremonies, Norwest Productions was also contracted by Sports Technology to supply audio equipment and technicians for all the sporting venues used during the Commonwealth Games. Read more at ProAVL-Asia.com. www.nwgroup.com.au

Audinate and SDVoE announce collaboration WORLD: Audinate and the SDVoE Alliance have announced details of a collaboration to develop an integrated A/V control environment. In addition, Audinate has joined the SDVoE Alliance, which recently celebrated a membership of 40, as a contributing member. SDVoE technology provides an end-to-end hardware and software platform for A/V extension, switching, processing and control, while Audinate’s Dante audio networking technology distributes ‘a virtually unlimited’ number of uncompressed audio channels over

8 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

IP networks and has been adopted by in excess of 400 companies worldwide and integrated within more than 1,400 products. ‘We have long heard from our customers that they want an integrated, interoperable way to control their video over IP alongside their Dante audio,’ said Lee Ellison, CEO of Audinate. ‘Our partnership with the SDVoE Alliance is the ﬁrst step towards making this interoperable IP audio and video experience a reality.’ ‘Audinate’s Dante audio over IP solution won the race to be the

standard technology for moving audio across an IT network,’ added SDVoE Alliance president, Justin Kennington. ‘The SDVoE Alliance is proud to be the only industry organisation promoting the same, no-compromise performance in the realm of video over IP. The synergies that will be created by melding the SDVoE platform and the ubiquity of Dante are huge. The entire A/V industry will beneﬁt from this partnership.’ www.audinate.com www.sdvoe.org

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NEWS

Reynolds commits to further DiGiCo investments INIDA: Bangalore-based rental operation, Reynolds Sound & Light Services, has increased its collection of DiGiCo desks with the purchase of four additional consoles. The sale was facilitated by the British manufacturer’s Indian distribution partner, HiTech Audio, and announced from its booth at the recent Palm Expo India show in Mumbai. ‘We already had two SD9s in our inventory but we’ve been talking to Rajan Gupta [managing director at HiTech Audio] for the past six months about bringing in the larger format consoles as we were interested in both the SD5 and SD10,’ said Felix Remedios, managing director of Reynolds. ‘Then, we met Ian Staddon [VP of sales at DiGiCo] at the PL+S Frankfurt show and have now gone

Rajan Gupta, Ian Staddon, Felix Remedios and Nirdosh Aggarwal with the new SD5 ahead with the purchase of two SD9s, an SD5 and an SD10, so we’re very happy.’ The consoles have already arrived

at the Reynolds warehouse and the SD9s are being prepared for a show in Goa, while the SD5 and SD10 are being utilised locally in

Bangalore for another large event. Mr Remedios was clear in his purchasing rationale: ‘It comes down to one simple thing: we have a range of desks from other brands, but the sound quality from the DiGiCo desks really stands out

and it’s why we have such success with them.’ ‘I’m delighted that Felix has continued to invest in DiGiCo,’ concluded Mr Staddon. ‘What companies like Reynolds have done in terms of investment into the Indian market has been great. But it’s also really encouraging to see how hard Felix and the team work with the training of engineers and in raising the level of education. India has become a great market for DiGiCo, but it has taken a lot of work from Rajan and HiTech, plus the support from good engineers over the years. All those efforts have really raised the knowledge levels which ultimately means that the quality of the performances and productions are as good as anywhere else.’ www.digico.biz www.hitechaudiosystems.com www.reynoldonline.com

Clear-Com goes big on CCTV

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CHINA: China Central Television (CCTV) has potentially built the largest IP-based broadcast communications system in the world following a recent upgrade project that saw a legacy system comprising a Clear-Com

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between many groups of people in a variety of locations,’ commented Xue Zhixing, deputy chief of broadcast centre, general control department for CCTV. ‘The addition of LQ Series inter faces to our system a few

All systems are powered with the latest in cutting LKNL HTWSPÄLY [LJOUVSVN` +(:UL[TM remote control and monitoring and true plug-and-play capability thanks to system presets located on the SF-20A and SF-1521A which align the two units without the need of an external DSP.

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Claer-Com’s FreeSpeak II digital intercom and third-party solutions updated. The upgrade saw the deployment of 15 Eclipse HX Omega frames, 20 Eclipse HX PiCo frames, more than 200 V-Series intercom panels and 10 FreeSpeak II wireless beltpack systems. These form a network with four existing Eclipse frames, 146 V-Series panels and 25 FreeSpeak II beltpacks. The new, expanded setup also connects to the new China Global Television Network (CGTN) and its various overseas locations. ‘TV production increasingly requires precise coordination

years ago gave us the ability to link remote and overseas intercom and audio systems over LAN, WAN or IP networks, but it was time to increase our communications reach yet again.’ ‘The Clear-Com system gives CCTV a uniﬁed software platform, so that they can get all the functions they need in one system, instead of having to use multiple systems as they were forced to do previously,’ noted Lifu Zhao, engineer for ClearCom’s sales partner, Century Sage Scientiﬁc (CSS) Group. www.clearcom.com

NEWS

Yamaha Indonesia launches the Rivage PM7 INDONESIA: Yamaha Indonesia recently staged a launch event for the new Rivage PM7 digital mixing system. The manufacturer’s Indonesian arm was conﬁdent that the console would impress, having embarked upon a pre-launch tour in which the PM7 was put to the test at the International

Kampoeng Jazz Festival in Bandung, the Bali Blues Festival, a Glenn Fredly concert and the annual Surabaya Music and Multimedia Expo (SMEX). ‘As soon as the Rivage PM7 system was delivered, we headed straight out on the “test drive” tour,’ remarked Chihaya

The Bali Blues Festival

The launch event

Hirai, senior general manager at Yamaha Music Indonesia. ‘Even under the boiling sun in Bali, it did a great job without any problems whatsoever. Throughout the tour, engineers had no trouble operating it, even though they had never seen it before. The tour proved that the Rivage PM7 is an exceptionally reliable system, both in terms of its durability and ease of operation.’ DSS Sound System was the rental company supplying the gear for the Glenn Fredly gig and the International Kampoeng Jazz Festival. ‘Over these two events, it quickly became obvious that the features, premium plug-ins and the 96kHz sampling rate of the Rivage PM7 mean that it easily satisﬁes the needs of sound engineers,’ commented DSS owner, Donny Hardono. The console was used at FOH for Glenn Fredly’s show by Eddy Jacobus, who stated: ‘The sound is great, ver y natural and the workﬂow is identical to the Rivage PM10. I especially like the emulations of the Ruper t Neve Sound Designs processors, which are a great shor tcut to a really good sound.’

Meanwhile, audio engineer Irham Bilal was behind the desk at the jazz festival. ‘I was very pleased to experience the Rivage PM7,’ he said. ‘The plug-ins are remarkable; overall I thought it was fantastic.’ Visitors to the SMEX event were offered the chance to get hands-on with the mixer during four days of demonstrations before the PM7 joined a Yamaha CL5 at FOH of the Bali Blues Festival. ‘The sound is great and I was really impressed by the number of plug-in options that can be used on every channel,’ said Agus Bim, a sound engineer at the festival. The launch event was held in Jakarta and attended by 80 audio professionals from rental companies, broadcasters, houses of worship and reseller and distribution companies. ‘The Rivage PM7 also received a very enthusiastic welcome and many enquiries at the ofﬁcial launch event,’ said Mr Hirai. ‘We are certain that it will be chosen for many Indonesian concerts and other live events in the near future.’ www.dss-sound.co.id id.yamaha.com www.yamahaproaudio.com

Video Over IP Solu ons

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 11

NEWS

Martin Audio improves sound at Queen Elizabeth Stadium HONG KONG: Budee has installed a Martin Audio WPC (Wavefront Precision Compact) line array system into the arena at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. Located in Wan Chai and built in 1980, the 3,500-seat arena is a multipurpose space used for sports, live music, graduation ceremonies and other events. ‘We invited a lot of suppliers in to show us their systems, and a team of our technical and management staff all got together to decide which brands could potentially be best for our venue,’ said Eric Leung, assistant manager, Queen Elizabeth Stadium. ‘Martin Audio’s WPC was regarded as one of the most suitable options. The main concern was that the entire system had to fit within a metal frame flown from the ceiling. So we had to choose a speaker that would be powerful enough while also being of a small size.’ Budee has provided a system of 20 WPC enclosures flown as a centre cluster of four hangs, with four CSX118 subwoofers. ‘The

venue required a new system with higher SPLs than their previous system, even coverage and independent control of each rig

of cabinets for the four sides of audience seats,’ said Budee’s sales director, Patrick Lau, who designed the system in close cooperation with the client. ‘A Martin Audio WPC system was chosen due to the size and multichannel control of the drivers

through the iKon 42 ampliﬁers and Vu-Net software.’ The system is run on a Dante network, with the ampliﬁer rack

installed in a catwalk up in the roof to minimise cable length. The amps are connected via Cat-6 cables to the control room on the sixth ﬂoor. A Linea Research ASC48 system controller is connected between the venue’s Soundcraft Vi1

mixer and the Martin Audio iKon amplifiers, allowing operators to adjust the system from the ASC48. As well as being equipped with dual redundancy over the Dante network, the system is also provided with a default switch on the ASC48, which will convert operations over to analogue in case the Dante network encounters any problems. ‘This gave the client extra confidence when we showed it to them,’ said Mr Lau. The managers at the venue declare themselves happy with their new system. ‘The sound has changed a lot in the arena,’ confirmed Chan Koon Wui, unit manager, sound control section, Queen Elizabeth Stadium. ‘Engineers from Martin Audio came over from the UK to align the speakers correctly for the venue and we now have presets that we can use for different applications.’

WORLD: Klotz Ais has developed a dedicated website for its ﬁbre optic products for the audio, video, network and lighting markets. As a separate online portal from the main Klotz Ais site, the Klotz Fiber address features interactive elements that explain the areas of use and the various components involved in a range of installation types, technical terms from the world of FO signal transmission are deﬁned in a glossary and products are categorised by type and application. Once products have been selected, users can purchase solutions via the integrated shopping cart.

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12 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

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NEWS

Summa checks out at Seoul shopping channel BTV KOREA: South Korean operator, SK Broadband, currently broadcasts its own T-commerce channel, B Shopping, on nine local cable TV channels, two internet TV channels and one satellite channel. IPTV (internet protocol television) subscribers of SK Broadband were not allowed access to the T-commerce channel owing to current regulations barring an IPTV service company from providing such a channel on its own platform. Having recently launched subsidiary SK Stoa, however, SK Broadband has started to air its own T-commerce channel service, BTV, to its IPTV subscribers. As one of the most connected countries in the world, demand for T-commerce continues to rise. Meaning ‘shopping for all’, SK Stoa is based in new premises within Digital Media City in close proximity to the 2002 World Cup stadium. ‘Although we have had a licence for 13 years, BTV only came of age recently,’ conﬁrmed BTV’s media technology team manager, Sung Koog Son. ‘As

reliability,’ conﬁrmed Jee Yong Lee, commercial business team leader at BTV. ‘The work surface layout is extremely user-friendly but, most importantly, the audio quality is excellent. Should we wish to expand in future, Summa’s audio over IP capabilities will allow us to create a Dante network using the existing Ethernet infrastructure.’

and Clear-Com LV Live intercoms. A recording studio comprising an Avid Eucon digital console and Pro Tools plug-ins provides voiceovers, music and other audio detail when required. Further equipped with Genelec 8050B monitors for critical listening, a bespoke selection of vintage outboard is on hand, including a JDK EQ-R24

A live production on air at BTV utilising Sennheiser D9000 wireless transmitters such we called upon A/V systems integrator K&B to specify, design and build our own studios quickly.’ Of the 17 channels that are available, 10 are programmed and seven are live. In operation around the clock from Monday to Friday, two broadcast studios record and stream content created by actors from a ﬁlm studio on a lower level. At the heart of the audio broadcast, each studio is equipped with a 24+8 fader

Calrec Summa console supplied by distributor, Ingang Audio. The hostesses and guests are miked with up to eight channels of Sennheiser D9000 series transmitters during ﬁlming. Each Summa receives these digital inputs together with CD player, telephone hybrid and Media Share 4-channel music server feeds via Cat-5 or ﬁbre connection. ‘Both studios are in constant use, so it was an easy decision as Calrec is a byword in stability and

Ingang Audio’s Steve Kim and Lee Hong Chang with SK Stoa’s Jee Yong Lee in BTV’s Studio B Although there is no immediate requirement to create an audio network within BTV, the two separate feeds from each studio provide primary and secondary redundancy. The audio ﬁt is completed with Genelec 8030C monitors, RTW loudness meters

dual-channel compressor and COMP R22 dual-channel equaliser together with GML8300 and Phoenix DRS2 equalisers. www.calrec.com www.ingangaudio.com www.sk.com

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NEWS

+DQGV DFURVV WKH 3DFLÀF SINGAPORE: Renovated in 2005 and again in 2012, the Pacific Ballroom on the first floor of the 38-storey Pan Pacific Singapore hotel caters for weddings, private functions and corporate events. The pillar-less Pacific Ballroom space was extensively

redesigned in 2017 to incorporate a honeycomb ceiling of warm and neutral shades, encircling the stylish amber crystal ellipse drop chandeliers. Divisible into three sections by partition screens, the new ballroom integrates Crestroncontrolled audiovisual projection

The Paciﬁc Ballroom set up for a corporate dinner

screens and cameras, together with a high SPL BGM system. For hospitality specialist systems integrator, Concept Systems Technologies, the 4.6m-high ceiling was the main focus of attention following the interior designer’s demand to discretely hide all the A/V technologies from view. Eleven chandeliers dominate the vista, each one suspended from within a honeycomb parquet. The remainder of the 805m2 space attracted a new programmable lighting system, AC, ceiling speakers, projector hoists and motorised screens, all ﬁghting one another for optimum locations. Stripped back to plaster and completely refurbished, the Paciﬁc Ballroom was ornately decorated around the clock. Concept Systems Technologies supplied and installed a large inventor y of new equipment, although some of the existing infrastructure remains. The Eiki 8,000-lumen projectors, Denon

DN-D4500 sources and dbx DriveRack 4800 DSP with stored settings for room combining and separation being prime examples. ‘The honeycomb ceiling was perhaps our greatest challenge as the height varies and presented us with limited options for hosting A/V technologies,’ explained Concept Systems Technologies sales director, Gerald Fong. ‘The interior designer was, however, sympathetic with our works and assisted us with speaker and projection placement. The screens, unfor tunately, could not be inser ted ﬂush against the walls.’

The wireless control features operated flawlessly during the renovated ballroom’s soft opening. A/V super visor, Alwi Din, was full of praise for the upgrade. ‘We don’t require as much manpower now for functions here,’ he said. ‘Compared to before, the Crestron iPad control is much more user-friendly and we don’t have to spend as much time now making preparations for events. With stored configurations such as the Yamaha StageMix App on the iPad, our working lives have been considerably simplified to the point that we have hardly used the individual TF1 consoles for ballrooms one to three. With eight patched mic points in each ballroom, together with patch points in the foyer, we can set up anything from lecterns to 3-piece ensembles just about anywhere.’ www.concept-systems.com.sg www.panpacific.com/singapore

Coda gets the F-Party started CHINA: Kunming EDM club F-Party recently hosted a pair of the world’s top DJs in back-to-back weeks, as R3hab and Armin van Buuren both performed for partygoers at the venue. F-Party is equipped with a Coda Audio loudspeaker system, designed and installed by the manufacturer’s Chinese distributor, Tempo. Ahead of these high-proﬁle gigs, Tempo CEO Zhou Wenbao and his team ensured the system was ﬁne-tuned to perform at its best. F-Party’s Coda system comprises AiRay, APS, APS-Sub and SCP-F bass extensions as well as

U4-Sub cabinets and speakers from the G-Series. The bespoke setup, combining elements from across the Coda Audio catalogue, ensures coverage throughout the sprawling venue and was praised by the DJs, venue and visitors alike during the R3hab and Armin van Buuren shows. ‘The Coda Audio system is awesome,’ said Zhu Zihao, executive director of the Asian Electronic Music Association in China and owner of the F-Party brand. ‘The sound is tight, the high frequency is gorgeous and the low frequency is powerful and ﬂexible. You can really feel the

power and quality throughout the club and I very much look forward to our next collaboration with Coda Audio.’

‘F-Party’s decision to install a Coda System is clearly paying dividends, as witnessed by the positive reaction of two

international superstars to the quality and power on offer,’ commented Paul Ward, director of global business development at Coda Audio. ‘The carefully designed installation at F-Party also neatly demonstrates how ﬂexible and adaptable our ranges can be in complementing each other to obtain the optimum solution for a given space. The Coda Audio message being delivered in China by our excellent distribution partner, Tempo, is certainly spreading far and wide.’ www.codaaudio.com

Crestron forms and extends UC partnerships WORLD: Crestron has partnered with Huddly to provide compatibility between its Mercury UC and A/V tabletop solution and Huddly’s wide-angle USB camera. This provides an ultra-wide viewing angle of all participants in a meeting room during video conference calls. The partnership also sees Huddly working with Crestron on new features for the Crestron XiO Cloud service. ‘By pairing the best USB camera in the industry with the best open UC platform,

14 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Crestron continues to raise the bar for the uniﬁed communications experience,’ said Nic Milani, director of

technology and development at Crestron. ‘The Huddly partnership demonstrates our commitment to providing all of our UC partners with the industry’s best workplace solution.’ Crestron has also extended its partnership with Zoom Video Communications. Users are now able to natively integrate the entire Crestron control ecosystem, including DM NVX, A/V, fully integrated audio, lighting and shades, with native Zoom Rooms. ‘Our robust partnership enables users to continue to enjoy the

beneﬁts of the native Zoom Rooms experience while providing a simple turnkey solution for integrators and end users alike,’ said Joseph Sarrasin, technology manager of UC at Crestron. ‘Teaming up with Crestron has been a major beneﬁt for Zoom’s customers who enjoy Crestron’s turnkey, user-friendly devices and want to deploy them with Zoom’s power ful and scalable Zoom Rooms systems,’ furthered Oded Gal, head of product for Zoom. www.creston.com

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And of course, TouchMix also goes Beyond Mixing by also offering Wizards, Presets and other beneﬁcial tools that help both seasoned audio professionals and novices alike get great results quickly and easily. No other mixer even comes close in terms of features, ease-of-use, sound quality and reliability. After all, it’s a QSC.

qsc.com/beyondmixing ©2017 QSC, LLC. All rights reserved. QSC, the QSC logo, TouchMix and Beyond Mixing are registered trademarks of QSC, LLC in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Ofﬁce and other countries. Speciﬁcations subject to change without notice.

NEWS SOUNDBITES

ST Audio Technology opens demo facility

FILLING CREAMFIELDS CHINA: An international line-up of superstar DJs, including Hardwell, W&W, Slander, NGHTMRE, Brohug and Kill The Buzz, converged in Changsha for the Creamﬁelds 2018 festival at the International Convention and Exhibition Center. Real Music Acoustics provided technical support and, as the local distributor for Next-proaudio, deployed a sound reinforcement system comprising the Portuguese manufacturer’s solutions.

A total of 24 LA212X 3-way line array elements were flown with the same number of LAs418 double bass reflex subwoofers. The setup was powered and managed by LA Powersoft touring racks with X8 amplifiers. ‘The main system of Next LA212X delivered a premium sound at Creamfields 2018 Changsha to all spectators,’ commented Richie Wang, Real Music’s CEO. ‘This allowed everyone to perfectly experience the music.’ www.next-proaudio.com

SHURE WINS RED DOTS WORLD: Shure has received a pair of Red Dot Design Awards for the Microﬂex Advance and ULX-D digital wireless microphone systems. The Red Dot award is an internationally renowned product design award, issued by Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen to recognise innovation.

‘We are extremely proud of the hard work and creativity by the design and development teams that enabled bringing the vision for these products into reality,’ commented John Miller, Shure’s creative director of industrial design. ‘Winning the Red Dot award for Microﬂex Advance and ULX-D showcases our commitment to leveraging design as a driver of innovation at Shure.’ www.shure.com

and has a reverberation time of 2.4s. ‘A number of clients have already visited and, according to contractors that have been involved, there is nothing else of a similar size in the Guangdong area,’ noted Mr Thim.

Smiles all round in the new demo room

The cinema room

CHINA: ARX, XTA, MC2 and EM Acoustics distributor, ST Audio Technology Co Ltd, has been putting the final touches to an old factory building and has transformed it into an international standard demo room in the heart of the Panyu district outside Guangzhou. ‘Our company has been developing fast over the past few years, especially since we started to distribute brands like EM Acoustics and Radian,’ explained Xian Shengtao, general manager of ST Audio. ‘We needed a good place to demo products, so customers could listen and experience the whole system including speakers, processors and amplifiers.’ ‘We’d been looking for a suitable site for almost two years, as finding something suitable as well as having a high enough ceiling wasn’t easy,’ added Mr Thim from ST Audio. ‘It’s taken almost six months to get to this point, with

The cinema room, which can play formats including Dolby Atmos, DTS X and Auro 3D, uses a Christie DWX555-GS projector with a 250inch acoustically transparent metal screen. In the demo room, the setup includes a mixture of XTA APA amps driving the main Halo-A and Halo-C

The loudspeaker demo area all the renovations and treatment required.’ The facility encompasses open plan workspaces, ofﬁces, a cinema, karaoke and entertainment rooms, as well as the jewel in the crown: the demo area, which measures 5m high x 17m long x 10m wide

cabinets, and a mix of MC2 Delta DSP and Delta non-DSP amps driving all the subs as well as the Radian and the remaining EM Acoustics speakers. ‘It’s quite a neat switching system that allows you to easily listen to Halo-C, Halo-A and X3, and then flip to listening to the smaller speakers around the room,’ explained Richard Fleming of XTA. ‘So, when you’re doing a demo, it’s just a button press rather than doing any fancy reconfiguration.’ ‘What’s so impressive to me is that this room is both big enough and well-behaved enough to meaningfully evaluate some pretty heavy duty stuff,’ added Ed Kinsella of EM Acoustics. ‘Halo-A is an arena scale line array, so you obviously can’t stretch its legs all the way but you can stretch it far enough to get an idea of what it is and what it can do. The same goes for the big subs.’ Both Mr Kinsella and Mr Fleming have been involved with the project from the outset and, during visits, were able to impart advice and opinions as work progressed. ‘The finish is superb and it really does show what a model distributor they are and the dedication that they have to the brands,’ confirmed Mr Kinsella. ‘You have to have a passion and vision to achieve something like this,’ concluded Mr Thim. ‘It’s not just business.’ There is no doubt that the brands represented would agree. www.staudio.com.cn

DPA supports Kyle Eastwood HONG KONG: American jazz bass musician, Kyle Eastwood, recently performed in Hong Kong, accompanied by the DPA Microphones d:vote 4099 instrument mic that joins him when on tour. Additional back-up was provided by DPA’s Hong Kong office in the form of a further eight d:vote 4099s for the musician’s band. The extra d:vote 4099s were used for the drum toms, trumpets and a grand piano. The manufacturer also provided a pair of d:dicate 2011C recording microphones for the drum overheads. Kyle Eastwood is the son of legendary actor and filmmaker, Clint Eastwood. His music career has spanned several albums and has included stints as a composer for some of his father’s films, including Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby.

16 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

‘Kyle played at the BB Jazz Lounge in Hong Kong before going on to the world-famous Blue Note Jazz club in Tokyo,’ said Dominic Tsang, area sales manager for DPA Microphones. ‘As he already had a d:vote 4099 for his own double bass, it made sense to match the rest of the microphones to that sound.’ Mr Tsang assisted Kyle Eastwood’s sound engineer, John Fonseca, at the venue, consulting on microphone placement. ‘I would like to thank DPA for putting at our disposal some fantastic microphones and for all the support on site,’ said Mr Fonseca. ‘Each mic deﬁnitely helped us get closer to the desired sound and to deal with the challenging setup.’ Kyle Eastwood performing in Hong Kong

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NEWS

Teaching down endless streams KOREA: Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) may have been founded at the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty in 1398, but its students and principals cannot accept anything less than the most current technology for the educational faculties. As such, SKKU continuously strives to integrate its founding nation philosophy with modern technology to cultivate its graduates’ talents into the 21st century. Since 1996, SKKU has furthered a partnership with Samsung, which has funded several core initiatives that have enabled the university to develop rapidly. Equipped with a variety of educational and research facilities, including multimedia classrooms, PBL rooms, conference rooms and a large auditorium for academic symposiums, studies have taken place at the 9-level medical building in Irwon-gu. The internal network provides collaboration and the sharing of information throughout the campus and afﬁliated hospitals off campus. With construction of the new SKKU School of Medicine nearing completion, the A/V and IT

Each classroom is furnished with dual Panasonic PT-RZ770 WUXGA projectors systems integrators have been busy applying their own skills that will enable a full programme of preclinical and graduate medical studies. Each capable of hosting 100 students, 13 classrooms are interconnected via a vast Cat-5 infrastructure, enabling the A/V technologies required to enhance tuition. In addition, 14 smaller non-networked classrooms can be used for teaching. Each classroom integrates L-R Inspired Audio IQ10 wall-mounted speakers to provide both speech reinforcement and video playback.

L-R Inspired Audio IQ10 10-inch speakers provide main speech reinforcement and playback in the classrooms

Each classroom is equipped with a rack comprising Line6 XD-V75 wireless mic receivers, Q-Sys I/O22s, a Kramer 4x8 HDMI matrix switcher and a Fonestar mixer

Two QSC Core 110f processors provide audio distribution between the 13 classrooms An additional four Fonestar 4-inch models serve as delays. Three channels of Line6 XD-V75 wireless transmitters and receivers are available for lectures as well as Q&A sessions, while a Fonestar FM-3192 mixer provides local audio control from a rack in each room. Lecterns are equipped with AMX control capabilities that enable HDMI, VGA and audio functionality via the Cat-5 network to the Netlinx NX-3200 processor integrated into the audio rack of the main control room (MCR). Supplied by QSC distributor, Sovico System, systems integrator Pronet Co programmed and rackmounted three Q-Sys Core 110f processors in the MCR together

with Leem Audio NS-8SW power sequencers and four H+C Audio D4 ampliﬁers. Each Core 110f processor incorporates 24 I/Os, thus providing plenty of future expansion, while enabling Layer 3 audio transportation and routing throughout the educational facility. DSP, gain sharing, gating automixers and AEC settings are conﬁgured and programmed within the Q-Sys software. The Core 110f processors connect to Q-Sys I/O22 2-line mic/line inputs that have been added to each classroom rack via the Q-LAN network and main Flex 5130 Ethernet switch. Receiving their images from Panasonic PT-RZ770 projectors, motorised screens host VGA and HDMI presentations in each classroom, while two ceilingsuspended HD screens assist students towards the rear.

Additionally, Panasonic AW-HD40 dome cameras can focus images of the tutor or speaker onto the screens when required. Like the audio, the video signals can be shared between classrooms when required via the AMX NX-3200 control processor and individual Kramer 4x8 HDMI matrix switchers. WyreStorm NHD-220-RX decoders play a central role in streaming the HD signals across the video distribution system. Multi-view display decoders display up to eight simultaneous video feeds on a single display in single, dual and quad view grid layouts. Operating over an H.264 platform, the encoder adds multi-format input support for DVI, HDMI and VGA signals, ensuring source compatibility by converting the IP stream to HDMI. The recorded A/V ﬁles are saved on the main server PC, which students can access from their mobile devices such as the Galaxy Tab or IMX control. Lecturers use the reservation schedule in Q-Sys to specify how many times they wish to record a lecture in the classroom. ‘The WyreStorm decoders were relatively easy to install,’ conﬁrmed Pronet Co’s project manager, Hyunwook Lee. ‘My professional background is audio, so understanding the network settings was the most challenging aspect of this project. Ultimately, that required additional IT learning on my part. I enjoy working with Q-Sys as the Core processors come with a large number of audio inputs and it is straightforward to program and then interface with the AMX control software.’ www.skku.edu www.sovicosystem.co.kr

A techno invasion at Castle Kalwar INDIA: The ﬁrst edition of District, a techno music festival, recently took place in Jaipur on the grounds of Castle Kalwar, an 18th-century heritage site. The 72-hour event was conceived by Vijay Kumar, better known by his stage name of mister.K, and spanned four stages that were all reinforced by Outline PA systems supplied by the manufacturer’s distributor, Global Pro-Audio Management. The main stage was named Checkpoint Charlie and featured a PA system comprising 16 Outline Mantas 28 vertical line array elements and eight DBS 18-2 sub-bass units. Monitoring

The De-Wallen stage, known also as the after-party area, offered a more intimate setting with less bass and more melody. Here, Global Pro-Audio Management’s founder Gaurav Malvai and his team supplied a pair of

for the DJs was handled by a pair of Vegas 15 CX cabinets and a further pair of DBS 18-2s. The Aruba stage was located in the pool area. Its setup provided

18 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

plenty of bass with two Spectra systems and another pair of DBS 18-2s, while monitoring was taken care of by just two Vegas 15 CXs.

Outline Doppia 3-way speakers, complemented once again by two DBS 18-2 sub-bass units. The monitoring setup mirrored that of the Aruba stage with two Vegas 15 CXs. Finally, up on the roof of the castle, was the Diamond Fuji stage, also referred to as the Sunrise stage, as it was only open for two hours as the sun came up on the ﬁnal day of the festival. A total of four Vegas 15 CX cabinets were used here – two for PA, two for monitors – and a pair of DBS 18-2 sub-bass units. www.globalpro-audiomanagement.com www.outline.it

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NEWS

Alcons LR28 launches LQWR $VLD 3DFLÀF

Cense Media radios in Stagetec Asia once again MALAYSIA: Cense Media called on the services of Stagetec Asia when setting up its ﬁrst two radio stations – 96.3 Kupi-Kupi FM in Sabah and CityPlus FM 106.0 in Selangor – and has done so again for the soon-to-be-launched CityPlus FM 92.5 Kuching in Sarawak. This latest project saw the installation of a DHD Audio Series 52 audio mixer and a Stage Tec Nexus Base Device digital radio router in the main

on-air and back-up studios. ‘The management has continually decided to engage with Stagetec Asia’s services as we are confident that they are able to provide an excellent level of service through their dedicated marketing and technical teams,’ explained Madam Rita Sim, CEO of Cense Media. ‘On top of that we are satisfied and impressed with the reliability of all equipment supplied by Stagetec Asia. An effortless radio system workflow enhances operational efficiency greatly and yields a favourable outcome for our company in the long run. We would like to thank the Stagetec Asia team for delivering all three projects on time and meeting our expectations.’ Other equipment installed at CityPlus FM 92.5 Kuching includes an AVT telephone hybrid and ADAM active monitor

speakers, as well as Sonifex, YellowTec and Zenon Media solutions. ‘A key part of the project was the MCR room installation, where the ﬁrst acquisition of a Tieline IP audio codec was implemented,’ recalled Stagetec Asia senior project manager, Yap Wei Keong, and project engineer, Mr Yuzwan. ‘This serves the purpose of receiving radio feeds from CityPlus FM KL to keep CityPlus FM Kuching on the air, as it is only broadcast daily from 6am to 8am and 6pm to 9pm currently.’

CHINA: EAD Digital (Guangzhou) recently held a demonstration at MaxTeam in Beijing, which doubled as a launch event for Alcons Audio’s LR28 Pro-Ribbon line array system in the region. This attracted customers from Korea and Singapore, as well as from across China. Tom Back, Alcons Audio managing director, was in attendance to present the LR28 system. He charted the differences between traditional transducers and his company’s Pro-Ribbon transducers, highlighting a 90% distortion

www.stagetecasia.com

Tom Back from Alcons

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20 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

reduction. ‘The LR28 system is aimed at the touring and larger rental markets,’ said Mr Back. ‘We are demonstrating the ProRibbon technology to show that this system can handle any size of event.’ In addition, EAD managing director Mr Szto introduced the distributor’s other brands, including Altair, Ashly, Digigram, Klotz and Xilica. Xiang Muping from beyerdynamic was also present to discuss the TG 1000 and TG 500 systems. www.alconsaudio.com

NEWS

Vue China gains independence CHINA: Vue China is now an independently owned and operated distribution company, serving Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong. It will, however, remain closely linked with Vue Audiotechnik, continuing to hold the responsibility for all sales, technical support and marketing that it possessed when it was owned by the manufacturer.

Mr Gu has been named the president of the new Vue China, while William Xu, formerly Vue China sales manager, will take on an expanded role as a corporate representative, functioning as the main liaison between Vue Audiotechnik’s headquarters and the expanded Shanghai-based Vue China support team. Mr Xu will report to Vue Audiotechnik founder and CEO, Ken Berger.

William Xu, Mr Gu and Ken Berger ‘Through signiﬁcant investment, the new Vue China will deliver deeper resources, expanded technical support and sales, and unprecedented market coverage to put Vue on an entirely different

growth trajectory in one of the most critical pro audio markets on the planet,’ explained Mr Berger. ‘I’m thrilled to have Mr Gu and the Shanghai team as long-term partners in vaulting Vue to new

levels of presence, support and technical leadership in China.’ ‘Vue is a young brand but growing very fast in the industry,’ added Mr Gu. ‘I’m honoured to have such a strong, long-term connection with Vue headquarters, and we are already establishing top-tier levels of exposure and service to match Vue’s outstanding technical innovation and product performance. My team is excited to bring an even brighter future for Vue in the Chinese pro audio market, and to make China a key component of the brand’s global growth.’ www.vueaudio.com

ControlSpace becomes Avaya-compliant WORLD: Bose Professional’s ControlSpace EX-1280C conferencing audio processor is now compatible with Avaya’s Aura Session Manager 7.1 and Aura Communication Manager 7.1 software. As a technology partner in the Avaya DevConnect programme, Bose is able to submit products for compliance testing by the Avaya Solution Interoperability and

Test Lab. This reportedly ensures manufacturers add ‘best-in-class capabilities to their network

without having to replace their existing infrastructure’. ‘We are excited to join the

Avaya DevConnect programme and to have completed Avaya compliance testing,’ said Darryl Bryans, product line manager, conferencing at Bose Professional. ‘Now our mutual customers can conﬁdently deploy our ControlSpace EX-1280C with their Avaya Aura platforms.’ ‘Technology partners like Bose Professional are helping Avaya build our ecosystem of

DevConnect-compliant solutions,’ noted Eric Rossman, vice president, partnerships and alliances at Avaya. ‘Innovative applications like ControlSpace EX-1280C help strengthen our position as a provider of business collaboration and communication solutions.’ www.avaya.com pro.bose.com

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Next Generation www.codaaudio.com

July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 21

NEWS

Quests to Saro Lounge

MALAYSIA: Saro Lounge draws in the crowds from Kuala Lumpur’s Pavilion Elite with its bold, Western dishes and its elegant wood and leather décor complemented by a state-of-theart light feature that has been integrated into the ceiling. As well

as providing a venue for eating and drinking, Saro features a room for private functions with a setup for DJs among other forms of entertainment. Having established its reputation in the local pro audio market, Concept Audio was approached by Saro

managing director and founder, Kesavan Purusotman, to install a new sound system to reinforce the DJs. Mr Purusotman’s background lies in the music industry and, familiar with many pro audio brands, he selected Quest Audio’s QM108 2-way ultra compact speaker for the karaoke room. The Concept Audio team, led by senior business development manager Alexandra Chua, installed 14 QM108 cabinets around the room, hung from the ceiling. In addition to reinforcing karaoke and BGM, they boost the energy when the resident DJs per form. www.conceptaudio.com.my www.questaudio.com.au

Crescendo boards Hunan TV OB van CHINA: Stage Tec has equipped an OB van at Hunan Television with a Crescendo digital mixing console. This is the second of Hunan TV’s ﬁve OB vans to be upgraded with one of the German manufacturer’s consoles following the previous successful installation of an Aurus desk in another of the ﬂeet. The Crescendo installation was deemed necessary by the broadcaster as the van’s previous console was increasingly unable to meet the needs of

large productions due to a lack of capacity and its rigid bus structure. The Crescendo ﬁxes

that by offering 96 input channels with 48 busses or up to 108 input channels with 32 busses as well as ﬂexible routing options. The new console has 24 faders and is integrated within a Nexus network. It has a Star router equipped with a pair of RMDQ DSP boards to ensure the best performance possible when the van is deployed for live productions, such as national congresses and major sporting events. www.stagetec.com

Shining a light from America to Japan JAPAN: The American School in Japan recently added four Chauvet Professional Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures to its multifunctional auditorium. The 440W LED moving fixtures join a full rig of conventional luminaires and were acquired through the manufacturer’s local distributor, PRG Japan. ‘We have been looking to make our lighting system more versatile to meet the varied demands we place on it,’ said Ed Gilmartin, theatre manager and resident lighting designer at the school. ‘The MK2 has the performance features we were seeking. It’s a first-rate mover that fits our budget.’ A pair of the Maverick MK2 Spots are located downstage of the proscenium. ‘These hang points, combined with the wide field angle of the MK2s, mean that there isn’t a position on stage that I can’t

light within a moment’s notice,’ explained Mr Gilmartin. ‘The MK2s have opened a whole new world for my students. I’m now able to teach them a new set of skills on our lighting desk. One of my students was recently accepted to the BFA Lighting Design programme at the North Carolina School of the Arts in the US. Having that additional programming skill on her résumé helped attract the attention of this top-rated school.’ Not only have the Chauvet ﬁxtures proven their worth at the school, but Mr Gilmartin was also impressed with the service he received from PRG Japan. ‘Their team has been extremely helpful with any request that I’ve had,’ he said. ‘I look forward to adding more of their equipment to my inventory in the future.’ www.chauvetprofessional.com www.prg.com/ja

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NEWS

Quill Retail Malls signs MOU with partners MALAYSIA: The opening ceremony of the recent SLV Symposium doubled as a soft opening ceremony for the Quill Convention Centre and saw a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by Quill Retail Malls Sdn Bhd, Asia Music City Sdn Bhd, and their respective business partners and associates. Asia Music City is an integrated lifestyle hub at Quill City Mall in Kuala Lumpur that features an event hall, meeting rooms, recording and rehearsal studios, and musical instrument retail outlets, in addition to the convention centre. Dato’ Michael Ong, Quill Group executive director, presented the MOU to Gary Tan of Panasonic System Solutions Asia Pacific, which will serve as the preferred A/V equipment partner and benefit from a RM20 million investment during Quill City Mall’s Quill Residence and Hotel development projects, and phase II of the Quill Convention Centre development. William Sim, chairman of Asia Music City, then signed the MOU before passing it on to the rest of the partners present. Johnny Ong from UnUsUaL Productions signed to say that his company will act as a technical service provider and rental partner, helping to organise concerts and events. Sennheiser Electronic Asia will organise seminars and symposiums, and gain the naming rights to the soon-to-launch Superstar Radio Station for one year. Alex Lim signed the MOU. Trad3mark Integration will serve as the official marketing agent for outdoor advertising and promotional LED panels along Jalan Sultan Ismail, while also organising concerts, events, training academies, seminars and symposiums. BMC Musical Centre has partnered to manage BMC Studio, which is located in Quill City Mall and is reportedly Asia’s largest recording studio at more than 650m2. Concerts, events, training academies and symposiums will also be organised by BMC Musical Centre. CK Teong signed the MOU on behalf of EMV Music Sound & Light, which will be the official LED repair partner, as well as arranging events and concerts. Spinworkz Pte has been signed on as the official media partner and will also organise concerts, events, training and symposiums. Eunice Yong of Team Grey Productions was on hand to sign the MOU so that her company became the official marketing agent for the advertising and

companies signed the MOU to state that they too will organise concerts, events, training seminars and symposiums at the venue. They were ACMETEC Holdings Limited, d&b Audiotechnik Asia Paciﬁc, Global Truss Corp, KRU Entertainment, Media Asia Production, Prolyte Asia Paciﬁc, Shenzhen Bako Opto Electronics, Sozo Pte, Star Planet, Total Solution Marketing and TW Audio Asia. promotional LED panels in the mall’s ground-level atrium and

the contractor for media content. Team Grey Productions will also

produce concerts, events, seminars and symposiums. Another 11

www.quill.com.my www.slvsymposium.com

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NEWS

K-array provides further Dining Concepts HONG KONG: K-array systems have been installed in two more of the latest bars created by Dining Concepts: Yojimbo and Dear Lilly. Both were designed by Ashley Sutton, the creative talent behind Iron Fairies, site of another recent K-array installation (PAA, July/ August 2017). Dining Concepts, established by Indian businessman Sandeep Sekhri in 2002 with the launch of Bombay Dreams in Central, now has a portfolio of 28 diverse but high-end restaurants, bars and clubs. The company’s music director, Fabian Paganini, arrived in Hong Kong just as Iron Fairies had opened, and has chosen K-array for all the new venues since. ‘K-array is a really good company to work with,’ said Mr Paganini. ‘K-array speakers are very good quality, but what’s also attractive is the opportunity to work with some quality people, such as [president of global sales] Marc Vincent who lives right here on Hong Kong Island and gets very involved with our installations.’ Located in the same block as Iron Fairies just off Pottinger Street in Central, newcomer Yojimbo

is a slightly bigger space than many of Hong Kong’s bars or clubs. A discreet system of four K-array KV52 passive ﬂat line array elements with eight 1-inch drivers and two KU210 dual 10inch passive ultra-thin subwoofers powered by a KA14 amp with DSP has been installed in the lobby bar area. However, as the main room functions as a nightclub, the Concert Series KH3 powered line array elements ﬂown either side of the DJ booth and KS5 double

Dining Concepts’ Fabian Paganini at Yojimbo

Yves Smit and Fabian Paganini from Dining Concepts at Dear Lilly

21-inch subwoofer beneath it don’t look out of place. Completing the setup, a pair of smaller KH2 powered line array elements has been installed on the opposite wall. This is the ﬁrst time Dining Concepts has used K-array’s Concert Series for one of its venues. ‘They give the same audio characteristics as the compact designs, but you can really feel the power of the low frequencies in the larger speakers,’ said Mr Paganini.

Dear Lilly, whose prime location in the IFC Mall overlooks Victoria Harbour, is a tiny cocktail bar/ restaurant designed as an ode to the ar t of romance, complete with hear t-shaped booths and winsome trinkets including per fume bottles, love letters and a moving display of dried roses suspended above the bar. Here, a system of four K-array KP102 I passive array elements and two KMT18 P passive subwoofers

The PA People takes Exterity to the races AUSTRALIA: The PA People has designed and installed an integrated IP video and digital signage solution from Exterity for the recently opened Inglis Riverside Stables, a thoroughbred auctioneer and boutique hotel at Sydney’s Warwick Farm Racecourse. The system delivers

television and live auction video feeds to more than 250 displays, via Exterity’s AvediaPlayer media players, throughout the hotel, stables, hospitality suites, auction rooms and paddocks. ArtioSign, the manufacturer’s drag-and-drop digital signage interface, has been integrated to manage content.

have been installed, with three KT2 passive 2-inch point source speakers. This system is powered by a KA24 amp. An outdoor terrace overlooking the harbour is fitted with two Frog-Is FP15P point source speakers powered by a Frog-Is FI-Amp8 amplifier. Mr Paganini has recently been joined at Dining Concepts by freelancer Yves Smit, a graduate from SAE in Amsterdam, whose 10 years of audio engineering experience has been invaluable in assisting with the installations and ongoing maintenance and operation of the systems. ‘Together with Marc – a former sound engineer himself – we can figure out what will work best in our new venues,’ said Mr Smit. ‘For example, in Dear Lilly, there are four column speakers which provide a stereo image ever ywhere. Then above the bar, the three little KT2s fill out the space, which is a small footprint with a high ceiling. It works ver y well, providing some openness in here.’ www.k-array.com

Exterity. ‘Being able to show all the action of the live auction and offer additional equine-related information through digital signage enables the stables to guarantee a world-class experience to all visitors. We are proud that our solutions are playing an active role in combining long-standing tradition with a state-of-the-art environment that brings the equine world into a new era.’ ‘Making extensive use of video is a great way for horse enthusiasts to keep up with all the action

across the Inglis Riverside Stables and Warwick Farm Racecourse,’ said Colin Farquhar, CEO at

www.exterity.com www.papeople.com.au

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24 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

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NEWS SOUNDBITES SHOWTIME FOR AUDIOCENTER INDIA: The mix of food, beverages and music keep enticing patrons back to Showbar in the bustling seaside town of Candolim in Goa, and a recent installation of Audiocenter K-LA28 compact line array speakers has bolstered live band performances. A total of eight K-LA28s are flown in two arrays of four in an L-R configuration either side of the small stage. The system is powered by an MVP8000 2-channel power amplifier, which includes Audiocenter’s Class-H+ circuit technology to eliminate the Class-H cross switching distortion. Following the installation, returning customers have reportedly noted an improvement in the quality of the music they experience at Showbar. Meanwhile, the venue’s management stated that the system is ‘all that we were looking for’. www.audiocenter.net

E&E RECOGNISED FOR HERITAGE CONTRIBUTIONS SINGAPORE: Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd (E&E) was honoured at the recent Patron of Heritage Awards for its support of and contributions made towards the National Museum of Singapore. The award was presented at the museum itself and recognises individuals and organisations that have played a key role in ‘making heritage accessible, informative and inspiring to all’.

Grace Fu, minister for culture, community and youth with Joe Fong, deputy managing director of E&E (Photo Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth)

The projects that E&E and its group of companies have been involved in over the years include the Night Festival, which is currently in its 11th year, and the National Museum’s Glass Rotunda installation featuring Story of the Forest. www.enepl.com.sg

ISY Music Festival kicks off with Adamson

CHINA: A range of top international DJs, such as Tiesto, Martin Garrix, Hardwell, R3hab and Afrojack, all converged on Sanya Haitang Bay for the inaugural ISY Music Festival. The design of the main stage at the EDM festival was inspired by Star Trek and ﬂanked by an Adamson E-Series sound setup supplied by Global Visual Cultural Co. Global Visual Cultural Co has worked with ISY Music Festival organiser Asian Star Cultural Media (Beijing) on several previous high-proﬁle events, including the League of Legends Final and a Huang Guolun concert at the Bird’s Nest. ‘We have been working with Asian Star for a long time,’ said Li Ran from Global Visual.

‘For this event, it took more than four months from planning to implementation and they ultimately chose an Adamson system after taking the advice of several international DJs.’ Adamson’s Chinese distributor, Real Music, sent a team to Sanya to offer technical support, while the manufacturer’s technical director for Asia Pacific, David Dohrmann, flew in to help with the final alignment. Columns of 21 Adamson E15 loudspeakers were flown each side of the stage, behind which were clusters of nine E219 subwoofers. Also flown on each side were nine additional E15 cabinets, serving as side-fills, while eight groups of two E15s were also stacked

in front of the stage as front-fills along with a further 18 E219s. VIP zones on each side of the audience area were covered by 12 S10 speakers each. The entire setup was powered and managed via Lab.gruppen PLM 20K44 touring racks. The rest of the sound system included an SSL L500 console at FOH with MLi.32 and ML32.32 stageboxes, and a Cadac CDC seven at monitors, as well as Shure UR4D wireless mics with Beta58 capsules. ‘There was 95m from the console to the stage,’ recalled Liu Kaiji, technical director at Real Music. ‘To make sure the SPL at 95m is coherent with the front audience zone, the sound field coverage must be made good enough at the design stage. We used Adamson’s Blueprint AV software for sound field prediction, and the design matched perfectly. The SPL at 40m, where it was most crowded, reached 129.8dB, and the peak SPL at 95m, at the FOH console, was 127.6dB.’ The festival was a sellout, attracting plenty of tourism revenue to the local area. As a result, ISY is looking likely to gain a second event later this year, with Adamson expected to play a part once again. www.adamsonsystems.com

Gangneung Art Center calls in the Experts KOREA: The Gangneung Art Center opened its doors in December 2017 and has seen plenty of use during the ﬁrst quarter of 2018, including a show by North Korean classical music ensemble, The Samjiyon Band, performing for the ﬁrst time in South Korea, and the Opening Ceremony of the 132nd IOC (International Olympic Committee) Session. The venue is equipped with LaON’s LT750 Expert intercom systems, which were used during these major events.

The LT750 system was chosen by the Gangneung Art Center following a demonstration by LaON’s Korean distributor, Flying Scott, which supplied the system when purchased. Staff at the venue are reportedly satisﬁed with the solution and the audio director during the Olympicrelated activities was said to be impressed. www.ﬂyingscott.co.kr

Gangneung Art Center

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Bosch scoops design awards WORLD: Bosch’s Praesensa call station has won a Red Dot Design Award, while the Dicentis interpreter desk has been honoured with an iF Design Award. ‘The design of our conference products is very important to us, both in respect of a product’s aesthetic value within a meeting room and the experience that our users have with it,’ commented Lars van den Heuvel, director of global product management for

26 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

conference and discussion at Bosch Building Technologies. ‘We start very early with the design process as a core element within each development project. Winning the Red Dot and IF Design awards is a recognition of the great effort that we put into this.’ The Red Dot was awarded in recognition of Praesensa’s focus on the user experience with its use of an Omneo IP architecture, supporting Dante and Power

International design awards for Bosch IP conference and public address products over Ethernet (PoE). Omneo IP is also at the core of the Dicentis interpreter desk, enabling simple integration with third-party systems. Away from the conference room, Bosch Group’s Electro-Voice and

Dynacord brands also received Red Dot Awards for the Evolve 50 portable column speaker and L3600FD DSP power ampliﬁer, respectively. www.boschbuildingtechnologies.com

Ƹ8LI EGGYVEG] [EW XLI ǻVWX XLMRK . noticed. I pulled up a session that I knew needed some work in one particular area. Right out of the gate I heard it. I’ve never had that happen with a PA at the scale of the al-12. And output was equally impressive. Whatever level I wanted, I got, and with room to spare.” Kyle Hamilton FOH Engineer, Kendrick Lamar Neversleep Productions

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Bluetooth control at MGM Cotai MACAU: The MGM Cotai hotelcasino has opened, offering 1,390 rooms over 35 floors, including skylofts and mansion villas for VIPs, as well as ‘Asia’s first adaptive and dynamic theatre’, nine restaurants and bars, The Spectacle – a 4-storey atrium the length of a football field that features 25 LED videowalls – a ballroom, a spa, retail outlets and ‘the world’s largest art garden’. Hong Kong-based systems integrator Vega Technology was brought in prior to the opening of the US$3.4 billion venue to specify and install the audio systems with control from Attero Tech unBT2A Bluetooth audio wallplates in the VIP rooms and Tria Spa. ‘The Attero Tech unBT2A is a simple yet powerful Bluetooth audio receiver that is easy to

install and has a nice, clean look,’ said Rafael Tsang from Vega Technology. ‘One of the biggest challenges at the MGM Cotai was that the interior designer did not want to see the panels. The unBT2As offer remote pairing activation and monitoring using RS-232, instead of pair matching by touching a panel button, so they could be hidden in the ceiling. We remote-control them with a Crestron program.’ The Vega team and its client both expressed a few concerns prior to the installation. The ﬁrst was whether coverage might drop due to the Bluetooth receiver being mounted in the ceiling. ‘The Attero Tech unBT2A’s performance didn’t disappoint us at all,’ revealed Mr Tsang. ‘It pleasantly surprised us with full coverage in each room.’

Secondly came the challenge of powering the unBT2A remotely. ‘The unBT2A’s simple signal flow made the design procedure effortless,’ added Mr Tsang. ‘We only needed to figure out how to lay an Ethernet cable from control room to destination; we didn’t have to worry about remote power or signal disturbances. This is a great feature for the client, and they love it.’ The final concern came from the client and involved the stability of the system. ‘Since we installed and tested the unBT2A units, all of the devices have functioned normally,’ Mr Tsang confirmed. ‘Without a doubt we give it a thumbs up for stability.’ www.atterotech.com www.vega-global.com

Bolero wins over Creative Technology APAC: Creative Technology Asia Paciﬁc (CT APAC) has added a Riedel Bolero wireless intercom system to its rental inventory. The purchase was made after the rental company gained hands-on experience with the solution.

be the least of our worries at event venues, and Bolero gives us valuable peace of mind in that challenging environment.’ ‘Creative Technology is a premier supplier of audiovisual gear to the entertainment,

1/2 PAGE Island The CT APAC team ‘We worked with Bolero on a large-scale arena event just a couple of months back, so the system’s ﬂexibility and clarity are still very fresh in our minds,’ conﬁrmed Marcus Lim, general manager of CT Singapore. ‘Bolero delivered an incredible user experience, and everyone was deeply impressed by the quality of the system. Communications is the backbone on which all other disciplines rely. It should

28 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

sports and corporate sectors,’ commented Rajveer Singh, Riedel Communications’ general manager for South East Asia. ‘That the company has selected our Bolero wireless intercom is a matter of great pride for us – and yet another indicator that Bolero is becoming the ﬁrst choice for customers in several parts of Asia.’ www.ct-group.com/ap www.riedel.net

NEWS

Imagine assists with Fiji Television transition FIJI: Imagine Communications supplied four Nexio+ AMP HD video servers and Versio IOX SAN online shared storage, running as software instances on standard Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) servers, for Fiji Television’s new newsroom. The broadcaster recently transitioned the operations of Fiji One to a new, custom-built greenﬁeld site and the newsroom installation was a key part of the overall project, which was

completed without any interruption to the 24/7 broadcast. Imagine also provided Fibre Channel switches and a Platinum VX router for baseband switching, as well as a Nexio NLE Gateway server to allow full integration of Apple Final Cut Pro editing tools within the broadcaster’s new network. ‘Our requirements were for a new, contemporary platform that would enable Fiji One to grow and enhance the premium news services we provide to our viewers,

but without compromising the key operational workﬂows that our news and technical teams rely on today,’ noted Karen Lobendahn, CEO of Fiji TV. ‘We needed a technology partner capable of assisting with this transition within extremely tight deadlines, as well as implementing a new platform that we could use immediately, with no downtime, and with minimal training overheads.’ ‘Our solution runs on industrystandard IT hardware, which

delivers real cost savings and forms the basis for future migration to next-generation playout systems like the Versio Platform,’ explained Joe Khodeir, vice president of sales for Australia at Imagine Communications. ‘Imagine was best positioned to manage this transition. We have regularly worked with Fiji TV in the past, and this was a great project to continue that relationship.’ www.imaginecommunications.com

Loud Audio sells Ampeg to Yamaha WORLD: Loud Audio has sold the Ampeg brand to Yamaha Guitar Group in an effort to narrow its focus on the pro audio brands and products under its umbrella. Both companies will be working together over the following months to ensure a smooth transition for Ampeg customers, dealers and distributors. The brand will be headquartered at Yamaha Guitar Group’s ofﬁces in Calabasas, California.

‘Simplifying the Loud business so that the Mackie brand, in particular, could be free from the constraints of a complex organisation was always a cornerstone of our thesis for the Loud acquisition,’ noted Ty Schultz, managing partner at Transom Capital Group. ‘We couldn’t be more excited,’ said Marcus Ryle, co-president of Yamaha Guitar Group. ‘Ampeg is arguably the most recognised bass amp brand in the world. They

can even be credited with having invented the ﬁrst bass amp. We are honoured to take the baton in continuance of that legacy.’ ‘While saying goodbye to the Ampeg brand is like saying goodbye to an old friend, we are really excited by the prospect of returning to our audio roots and feel proud to have been able to contribute to this brand’s market strength and legacy over the past several years,’ stated Alex Nelson, president and MD of

Loud’s retail brands. ‘Ampeg has been loved and respected by both customers and by our employees alike, so we are happy to see it move into the hands of a company like Yamaha. We are conﬁdent that we have found Ampeg the best possible home.’ www.ampeg.com www.loudaudio.com www.transomcap.com www.yamahaguitargroup.com

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NEWS

G E VSHFLÀHG IRU 2DN JAPAN: The latest nightclub from the 1 Oak (One of a Kind) brand is its most state-of-the-art. The new Tokyo venue at the base of Roppongi Hills spans three storeys and can accommodate up to 1,000 people. As with the other 1 Oak clubs around the world, special care was taken in the design of the Tokyo club, with New York-based contemporary artist Roy Nachum leading the interior design. And when it came to the sound setup, 1 Oak owner Salvatore Morale made the decision himself. ‘As a DJ I appreciate sound,’ Mr Morale explained. ‘At around the same time we were building the club, I had started to notice that in all the places I visited around the world and heard great sound, whether that was a big festival, a hotel bar or an opera house, I was

and roof garden all employ Y7P and Y10P loudspeakers with 12S and 27S subs. Power for the entire setup is provided by seven of the

seeing d&b speakers. This was a clear sign for me.’ The main stage boasts left and right arrays comprising d&b audiotechnik V12 and V8 loudspeakers with dual V-Subs.

A pair of M4 cabinets and two Y-Subs serve as DJ monitors. The seating areas are covered by 10 d&b E6 loudspeakers, two 21S and two B22 subwoofers. 1 Oak’s VIP rooms, private karaoke room

Worth making a Song and Dance Over

1/2 PAGE Island 1/2 PAGE

manufacturer’s D20 ampliﬁers and four D80 units. The key to the system design was a seamless transition between each area of the club. As a result, even the bathrooms have been equipped with d&b 4S loudspeakers to ensure the same audio quality throughout. ‘As a club, 1 Oak is predominantly dance music and hip-hop,’ Mr Morale concluded. ‘As an entertainment venue, we have top artists of all music genres performing here, so it’s important that we can provide great sound, no matter what the character of the music happens to be. The feedback I’ve had from the many major DJs and artists who have played here has been all positive.’ www.dbaudio.com

1(& 7KDLODQG XSGDWHV SDUWQHUV THAILAND: NEC Corporation (Thailand) attracted more than 100 partners from across the country to its 2018 UC (Uniﬁed Communications) Partner Conference. The event featured the local launch of NEC’s new mobility solutions and terminals

strong support of our partners,’ said Takayuki Kano, president of NEC Corporation (Thailand). ‘Through this event, we are delivering the latest updates in a timely fashion to partners so that they have a better understanding of NEC’s business and products.’

‘NEC has experienced growth for UC products in Thailand and we attribute this success to the strong support of our partners’

‘NEC’s SL2100 offers industryspeciﬁc features to meet the demands of small- and mediumsized businesses, and our SV9000 Series has been well received in the Thailand market in recent years,’ explained Pablo Narata, senior manager, UC division at NEC Corporation. ‘Also, having received an honourable award by Frost and Sullivan for our stellar performance as a market leader in the enterprise voice solutions sector, NEC is more determined than ever to provide innovative solutions to the Thai market.’

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30 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

for the SL2100 and SV9000 Series as well as an introduction of a solution package comprising mobile video and contact centre solutions for small- and medium-sized business that will be promoted across the APAC region. ‘NEC has experienced growth for UC products in Thailand and we attribute this success to the

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The Sonic Reference since 1978. -V\Y KLJHKLZ HNV ^L ZL[ V\[ VU H TPZZPVU [V OLSW V\Y J\Z[VTLYZ M\SÃ&#x201E;S [OLPY KYLHTZ I` VÑ&#x153;LYPUN [OLT [OL TVZ[ [Y\[OM\S ZV\UK YLWYVK\J[PVU WVZZPISL Along the way weâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ve constantly been inspired, helped and encouraged by our LTWSV`LLZ V\Y \ZLYZ HUK V\Y WHY[ULYZ :V PU V\Y HUUP]LYZHY` `LHY ^LÂ»K SPRL [V [OHUR L]LY` ZPUNSL TLTILY VM [OL NSVIHS .LULSLJ -HTPS` Â¶ WHZ[ WYLZLU[ HUK M\[\YL /LYLÂ»Z [V [OL UL_[ `LHYZ

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NEWS

TW Audio goes large with Armin Van Buuren VIETNAM: A special outdoor venue was erected in Ho Chi Minh City’s Sala residential district to host the recent Armin Van Buuren concert, which broke local attendance records. Phuc Tinh Co supplied the technical setup, including a TW Audio rig that required additional systems supplied by the manufacturer’s local distributor, Filmstar. ‘The show was even bigger than expected,’ said Augustine Edward, TW Audio’s technical support manager for Asia, who was onsite to help with system design and set up. ‘We had a really wide audience area, particularly with the VIP raised areas to the left and right of the stage. Most importantly, this show had to be special, so we needed more loudspeakers. We brought in extra in-ﬁlls, out-ﬁlls and subwoofers, as well as more Vera cabinets from our local partner company, Maxso Co. But it wasn’t just the size of the system, it was how we used it – we had to be creative in how we positioned the loudspeakers to make sure that we

covered the whole of the audience.’ A total of six line array hangs formed the main sound system. Left and right arrays of 18 Vera36 cabinets were joined by arrays of 12 Vera36 on each side as outﬁlls. Serving the VIP areas to the extreme left and right of the stage were side-ﬁll hangs of six Vera36 each, with low end extension from four BSX and eight B18 subwoofers per side.

Low frequencies were delivered to the main audience area by 21 BSX and 20 S33 subwoofers positioned in front of the stage. ‘The subwoofers were placed in a straight line with a delay strategy which meant you could feel the low frequencies across the audience area in a very smooth way,’ explained Mr Edward. As the audience was so large, four delay towers were also constructed. These held six Vera10 line array elements, combinations of L24 and T24N cabinets and at least 14 B18 subwoofers each. Up on the stage, Armin Van Buuren’s monitoring setup comprised two arrays of three Vera36 and two B30 subwoofers per side. Power for the entire sound setup was delivered by Powersoft’s K3 and X4 DSP ampliﬁers and Lab.gruppen PLM and FP series amps. System management was courtesy of Lake LM 26 processors.

Top One opts for Robe HONG KONG: Top One Design Engineering, a rental company with offices in Hong Kong and Macau, has invested in 24 Robe MegaPointes and 60 of the Czech manufacturer’s LEDBeam 150 fixtures. These mark the first Robe fixtures in the Top One inventory and were purchased following a demonstration organised by Raymond Wong from Robe’s Hong Kong distributor, Arc Source. ‘The MegaPointe has far superior functions in both quantity and quality when compared to other lights in a similar class,’ said Kurt So, founder of Top One, noting that he also chose the LEDBeam

150 due to its small footprint and ‘powerful punch’. Following delivery, the MegaPointes and LEDBeam 150s were immediately put to work for the The Great Festival of Innovation at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre in Admiralty and at MacPherson Stadium for a Siu Fay concert. ‘The lighting scheme for The Great Festival looked really amazing using these ﬁxtures,’ conﬁrmed Top One technical director, Sam Hui. www.arcsource.com.hk www.robe.cz www.topone.cc

www.ﬁlmstar.vn www.twaudio.de

The lights were used at MacPherson Stadium

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32 PROMADE AVL ASIA July–August 2018 IN GERMANY

NEWS

Barco cinematic venture forms Cinionic WORLD: Barco’s strategic joint venture with China Film Co (CFG), Appotronics (ALPD) and CITICPE has been rebranded as Cinionic. This new company will offer cinema solutions, financing options and a service model to simplify the technology needs and operations for film exhibitors. ‘Our customers are asking for more complete financial and service solutions,’ said Wim

Buyens, CEO of Cinionic and previously SVP of entertainment at Barco. ‘That’s what Cinionic, with the strength of all three partners, will deliver. Everything needed to ensure operational peace of mind while elevating

the audience experience, from the latest visualisation solutions to a comprehensive service care offering and affordable ﬁnancing.’ Barco will continue to serve as Cinionic’s sole OEM partner for all projection and image processing

technologies. ALPD will provide laser technology and retroﬁt solutions, while CGS will contribute solutions for Premium Large Format (PLF) screens. Following the announcement of its establishment, Cinionic immediately started signing agreements with major cinema chains around the world. An exclusive deal was signed with CJ CGV Cinemas that will see Cinionic

provide a wide range of projection solutions as the cinema chain expands across Korea, China, South East Asia and the US. In addition, Cineworld will deploy 600 Barco laser projectors for both new builds and replace older models in existing sites worldwide over the next three years. www.barco.com www.cinionic.com

KV2 runs for 32 days straight AUSTRALIA: Adelaide-based production company, Novatech, deployed a KV2 Audio VHD5.0 constant power point source array system for this year’s Fringe Festival at the Royal Croquet Club. The festival runs for 32 days and nights, featuring performances from more than 200 artists over six stages. Andy Austin-Brown, technical projects director at KV2, ﬂew in from the UK to join the manufacturer’s North America/ APAC technical support director,

Angus Davidson, to test the system for a week prior to the

start of the festival. The setup comprised six VHD5.0 cabinets

Forever young!

ﬂown each side of the stage, while eight VHD4.21 subs were placed along the ﬂoor in front of the stage. ‘We are very thankful to Novatech for providing this opportunity to KV2 Audio to test this new large format sound reinforcement technology,’ said Mr Davidson. ‘It was important to us to partner with a highly professional production company when rolling out this system. Novatech have been wonderful to work with and we are extremely pleased with the performance of the system.’

Novatech’s managing director, Leko Novakovich, discussed the system’s per formance: ‘The superb audio coverage and quality of the system was incredibly impressive,’ he said. ‘I’ve now heard several artists through it of varying styles and the sonic quality has been world class with touring operators commenting on how great the system sounds.’ www.kv2audio.com www.ncet.co

...and always up to date with broadcast technology! With development of digital audio equipment moving at an ever faster pace, it has never been more important to keep up-to-date. Stage Tec has always paid close attention to the sustainability and value retention of its mixers. To this day every AURUS audio mixing console continues to benefit from practical up to the minute innovations. The current software release for AURUS platinum and AURUS, for example: The automatic stereo downmix of 5.1 sources with level correction according to ITU-R improves the workflow. Then there’s the new internal tone generator. True peak metering and the true peak limiter bring greater control and better quality.

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 33

NEWS

Blackmagic Design sweeps 0DKDMDN ÀOOV Good Design Australia Awards Rajamangala National Stadium AUSTRALIA: Australian manufacturer Blackmagic Design has won seven awards for the design of its products in its home country. 2018 Good Design Australia Awards were presented for the Ursa Broadcast camera, Atem Television Studio Pro HD video production switcher, Atem 1 M/E Advanced Panel, DaVinci Resolve 14 editing and colour correction software, DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel and Video Assist on-set monitor and recorder. ‘Our goal is to enable the largest number of people to be more creative and help them

tell their stories with video,’ commented Grant Petty, CEO at Blackmagic Design. ‘Whether

it’s for a high end broadcast professional, Hollywood feature ﬁlmmakers or a young web broadcaster, we think very carefully about how people are going to use our products and then design them to be faster and easier to use than

anything else out there. Good products don’t need to be complex or expensive. They need to perform exceptionally well, they need to be affordable and they need to be easy to use.’ www.blackmagicdesign.com

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34 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

THAILAND: The Sports Authority of Thailand recently sought a replacement for the deteriorating PA system at the country’s largest stadium, Rajamangala National Stadium. The authority had worked with Mahajak on similar projects previously, and so once again enlisted the systems integrator to design, supply and install the new audio setup, while removing the old system. ‘The old system comprised two main clusters that were midhigh and low with a total of 70 loudspeakers working together with ampliﬁers, a CD player and mixer,’ said Rungrote Kerdpimon, project sales engineer at Mahajak. ‘The customer expected us to provide an audio system with clear sound for both vocals and music during performances. All equipment needed to be user-friendly, durable and easy to maintain.’ Once the old equipment was removed, Mahajak, working alongside contractor Baan Rig Co, installed a JBL Precision Directivity series system to ensure sufﬁcient coverage across all areas of the 50,000-seat stadium. This comprised six units of both the PD6212/66 and PD6212/43 full-range, 2-way loudspeaker models, six PD564 and four PD595 hornloaded speakers, six PD5122

low-frequency modules and a pair of LSR305/230 studio monitors. Power is courtesy of six Crown DCi 4|1250N and two DCi 4|2400N ampliﬁers, processing is via two BSS Blu-100 signal processors and control is offered by a Soundcraft Si Impact digital mixer. Mahajak also supplied three Shure PGA81 cardioid condenser instrument microphones and a pair of SRH840A-A reference studio headphones. ‘Our main challenge for this project was to install the loudspeakers on the roof structure, which was very high,’ recalled Mr Kerdpimon. ‘In addition, we had to arrange for the delivery of equipment from abroad so that it would arrive on time and then set it up in such a way that it would cover the entire stadium, which was difﬁcult because of the sheer size of the venue. However, thanks to the work put in by our team and Baan Rig, the project was completed successfully.’ www.mahajak.com

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Transmitting Funktion-One to Bangkok GLP cranks THAILAND: A Funktion-One sound system was employed to reinforce this year’s Transmission Festival Asia at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre. The system, formed from Vero vertical arrays and Evo series loudspeakers, was provided by British rental company, Audio Plus. Audio Plus has enjoyed a relationship with Transmission Festival organiser Anco van der Kolk since the original incarnation of the EDM event in Prague in 2009. Since then, the rental company has supplied the sound systems for versions across Europe, as well as Melbourne and Bangkok. Mr van der Kolk approached Audio Plus

‘Having three individual cabinets meant that we could configure the system to our exact specification’ for the recent Bangkok event when he was unable to source the systems locally in South East Asia. The system deployed included two main hangs flying five Vero

V60, five V315 and four V90 loudspeakers each. ‘Having three individual cabinets meant that we could configure the system to our exact specification, using the projection software to ensure we

had an even coverage throughout the venue,’ commented Kris Hayes, Audio Plus project manager. A centre, spaced sub array of 24 Vero V221 bass enclosures handled low end. Fills were implemented along the edge of the down stage in the form of six Resolution 5Ts, while pairs of Evo 7T, Evo 7TH and Evo 7TL-

215 cabinets served as delays. Monitoring in the DJ booth was courtesy of two PSM318s. Power was provided by four V-Racks, each containing three Lab.gruppen PLM 20K44 amplifiers, as well as two further PLM 20K44s and three Audio Plus ES8 amplifier racks that each held two MC2 Audio E100 amplifiers and an XTA DP448 audio management system. A bespoke control setup featuring a DiGiCo SD8 mixing console with a Lake drive system that incorporated Dante audio networking and distribution was also supplied by the rental company. When it came to set up, Mr Hayes commended the ease of use of Funktion-One’s Lambda flying system for Vero, consisting of the FlyGrid telescopic boom and enclosure FlyPlates. ‘It’s such an easy system to fly,’ he said. ‘Even with the language barrier, the locals had the hang of adding cabinets and setting angles on the array as they were going up.’ www.audioplusuk.com www.funktion-one.com

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JAPAN: A total of 23 JDC1 hybrid strobes from GLP, programmed in full 68-DMX channel mode, were put to work during a recent performance by popular local performer, Koji Kikkawa. The entire stage concept at the 8,000-seat Musashino Forest Sport Plaza was put together between lighting and set designer Makoto Shimizu and Koji Kikkawa. ‘He likes stereo architecture so we assembled mainly curved trusses,’ commented Mr Shimizu. ‘Also, using the lights, we designed the back lighting truss to resemble a weapon attack by the Mazinger Z [from the Japanese animé Super Robot Manga series], with the JDC1 featuring prominently. ‘We had a tour last year, using the X4 Bars. Because of the passion of Fourleaf [GLP’s Japanese distributor], we decided to purchase the JDC1. We saw the demo ﬁxture during the performance by Funassyi [Japanese mascot character] last summer and used two of GLP’s GT1 and JDC1.’ During the concert, the hybrid strobes were used mainly as audience blinders but also doubled as wash and truss lighting. ‘JDC1

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36 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

NEWS

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$WHQÂˇV 9( FRQWLQXHV WR LPSUHVV TAIWAN: Aten Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s VE8950 4K video over IP extender has been given the Best Choice Award for its design at the Computex Taipei show. The VE8950 previously won a Red Dot Award for its â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;human-centric designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Aten is extremely honoured to receive this Computex 2018 Best Choice Award in the smart retail category after years of focusing on improving the user experience

of our products,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Kevin Chen, president of Aten International. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The award demonstrates that the human-centred approach of our innovative technologies meets the needs of consumers and enterprises. Aten will remain committed to the same principles that inspired our breakthrough in design.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; www.aten.com www.computextaipei.com.tw

Photo courtesy of Shinji Hosono

is brighter than other existing LED strobes so we can use them as a wash light as well,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; continued Mr Shimizu. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I like the beam light [function] as well as the wash light so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to have powerful ďŹ xtures like these at our disposal. With 68 channels, we were able to achieve fabulous effects as well as different colours. I was really satisďŹ ed and the result was just

as I had hoped. We have another Koji Kikkawa concert at Nippon Budokan next February and I am sure I will be using JDC1 again.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Meanwhile, GLP Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Michael MĂźnz and SĂ¸ren Storm had paid regular visits to Fourleaf, as well as to Lighting Big1, who had supplied the ďŹ xtures for this show. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;They have been using the impression range for quite

a while and have a large stock of the X4, X4 Bars and now the JDC1,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; added Mr MĂźnz. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I think this lengthy and close relationship with our customers is one of the reasons GLP is such a strong brand in Japan. We have been doing extremely well here for many years.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; www.glp.de

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Kling & Freitag GmbH | www.kling-freitag.com

Julyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;August 2017 PRO AUDIO 25 Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;June 2018 11 Julyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;August 37 Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;February Marchâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;April 2018 95 35 Novemberâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;December 2017 PRO AVL ASIA 11

NEWS

BXB facilitates civil servant discussion TAIWAN: The Department of Civil Servant Development’s (DCSD) government ofﬁce in Taipei has been equipped with a BXB FCS6300 digital conference system. The facility is considered one of the best-equipped training

mounted chairman units and 70 FCS-6322 delegate units. A pair of EPS-C083-C power supplies were also installed. The complete FCS-6300 system offers TCP/ IP protocol control and includes a variety of functionality, including support for voting and interpretation, in addition to facilitating large conference discussion.

institutions in Taiwan, providing an academic education and skills to civil servants as well as serving as a conference venue. The BXB system deployed comprises an FCS-6350 main control unit, ﬁve FCS-6321 ﬂush-

www.bxb.tw

Game on for The Ones JAPAN: Capcom, the videogame developer famed for its Street Fighter and Resident Evil titles, possesses more than 300 Genelec studio monitors across its facilities. Adding to this score, a recent refurbishment of Studio B inside the developer’s ‘bit MASTER studio’ R&D facility saw the installation of 8331 and 8341 coaxial point source monitors from The Ones range. Studio B is now named the Dynamic Mixing Stage following the upgrade to an immersive 7.1.4 setup. The studio was previously installed with Genelec 1031 monitors; however, a shift in the gaming industry drove the need for The Ones. ‘Our studio work had drastically changed over the last two years,’ said Kazuya Takimoto from Capcom’s sound production department. ‘For our bigger gaming titles we have always inserted short, animated cut scenes, which push the plot forward. Players watch them rather than play them – like scenes from a ﬁlm. But for Resident Evil 7, which we published last year, we changed the way we did this so all of the ﬁlm-like scenes became playable and so we decided that our studio

mean that we’re planning on producing titles that support 3D audio, but it’s true that the game industry pays more attention in general to 360° sound, and that needs to be reﬂected with our monitoring system.’

facility should reﬂect that change, becoming a workspace for handling the overall mix for the game, rather than just those movie-like moments. To achieve that, we drew up the room design from scratch, and we tried to introduce more compact solutions. Ultimately we reinvented the studio with an entirely new concept.’ In part, the change was to help streamline the overall workﬂow. ‘The difference is whether we work inside Pro Tools or game development engines,’ Mr Takimoto noted. ‘Recently we have used a lot of middleware, for example Audiokinetic Wwise, which

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38 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

enables us to mix with a graphical user interface rather than having to import a Pro Tools mix.’ A major difference between ﬁlmic cut scenes and playable scenes is sound localisation. If a player turns their character away from the source of a sound within a game, the audio should reﬂect that. ‘Our goal was to establish a space where we could hear sounds clearly and precisely in 360°,’ said Mr Takimoto. ‘For example, we sometimes have to imply that an enemy has moved behind the player, and that becomes more than just ambient sound, it’s important information. It doesn’t

Kazuya Takimoto from Capcom’s sound production department To achieve this, Capcom worked with Sona Corporation on the room design. While The Ones solution is primarily set up for 7.1.4, the studio is also ready to expand to 9.1.4 channels for Dolby Atmos. ‘We had to use coaxial speakers because this is a Dolby Atmos/ DTS:X studio,’ said Mr Takimoto.

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‘We knew that the room would be small in size, and we believed that coaxial speakers, which have concrete phase characteristics, would be the best choice. We then discovered that Genelec was about to launch the 8331 and 8341 and we knew immediately that they were “the ones” we needed.’ The monitors were installed using Genelec’s GLM software and its automated calibration tool, AutoCal. They have certainly impressed Mr Takimoto and the rest of the Capcom team. ‘I recently did some recording by myself and added some reverb to a track, which was for a space game,’ Mr Takimoto concluded. ‘The 8331 and 8341 monitors helped me to experiment by distinguishing very subtle differences in the reverb. I used to believe that this room was unsuitable for monitoring low frequencies but, now, to my surprise, I can hear them clearly. Plus, the precision of the localisation is superb – when we play back a recording in a left-right conﬁguration, the centre channel sound sits exactly in the middle, as if it’s coming from the central speaker.’ www.genelec.com

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NEWS

Highlighting Cove Manila PHILIPPINES: Cove Manila touts itself as ‘the largest indoor beach club in the world’. Located in the 5-star Okada Manila resort, Cove Manila features a nightclub that has started attracting some of the world’s top EDM stars, highlighted by a range of fixtures from Elation Professional and its sister companies, ADJ and Acclaim Lighting. In total, more than 1,000 lighting elements are installed across the nightclub and indoor beach club as a whole. ‘There are 16 different types of fixtures in the club which ensures that every event and show is unique,’ explained Ted Mizrahi of Mizrahi Show Designs, who serves as the venue’s technical director. ‘I was involved from the start, so I’ve been able to influence a lot of things like the infrastructure and fixture choice. The lighting design for the Beach Club was achieved by starting with the goal of having lights and effects in every location surrounding the club. The large visual package gives the ability to cover any event or performance in the space with a distinct look. It

and are programmed to work with the emergency lighting system. We burn them all day and all night and they are holding up well.’ Metre-long Elation SixBar 1000 colour-changing battens and ELED Fresnel II warm white wash lights are also installed in the palm trees.

The installation uses more than 1,000 lighting elements

allows them to play with different ﬁxtures to get a variety of looks so you don’t see the same light show over and over.’ The range of Elation, ADJ and Acclaim Lighting ﬁxtures interspersed throughout the club, as well as several Antari M-7 LED fog machines, were all supplied by

Paciﬁc Technical Products via its local supplier, Maxitech. Elation Cuepix Blinder WW2 ﬁxtures serve multiple lighting roles. They can be found mounted in palm trees, within the centrepiece chandelier, on the main stage truss and in the DJ booth.

‘We chose to use Cuepix ﬁxtures and have them spread around the venue,’ said Mr Mizrahi. ‘They are versatile and are good for an even wash of light, are bright and spread light well in the massive space. We even have them up in rooftop custom rigging pieces where they function as work lights

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40 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

‘I wanted a 360° rotating effect that projected a blade of light and Elation’s ACL 360 Bar was the answer,’ Mr Mizrahi added. ‘They throw from 15m down to the ﬂoor and give a different look than moving lights. Other venues just use moving heads but these give the rig an alternative feel.’ www.elationlighting.com

NEWS

Grammy Festival Beijing debuts with Vue CHINA: The newly expanded Vue China recently partnered with production company Wuhan Blues to deploy al-Class line array systems at the inaugural Grammy Festival in Beijing. The event was headlined by Grammy winner Pharrell Williams, who was mixed by Kyle Hamilton, and also featured performances from the likes of Daya, Macy Gray, Phoenix, Carly Rae Jepsen, James Bay as well as China’s own William Chan and Nicholas Tse. The festival featured two 29m-wide stages, each of which was reinforced by 23 Vue al-12 large-format line array elements per side. A total of 28 hs-221 subs were deployed in front of each stage with 12 al-8s stacked on top of them for front-ﬁll. ‘We were forced to ﬂy each cluster 10 feet higher than originally planned due to the eventual placement of the video elements,’ explained Greg

Kirkland, Vue’s technical sales manager who was onsite for the event. ‘When you’re flying most line arrays, an additional 10 feet in vertical distance would pose a coverage challenge in such a large field but, thanks to their Beryllium compression drivers and highfrequency diaphragms, the al-Class was still able to deliver much cleaner high-frequency content and cleaner, louder sound throughout the field. In fact, we averaged 105dB broadband, a-weighted, and had plenty of level to spare. ‘Thanks to SystemVue, we were able to access every amplifier on each subwoofer, enabling us to enter individual delay times into each sub and to also monitor a total of 64 devices from the FOH console,’ Mr Kirkland added. The stage monitors comprised eight al-8 line array elements and two hs-221 ACM subwoofers. Configured as a pair of side-fill

Shawn London

monitors, these were stacked atop an hs-221 subwoofer on each side. ‘The thing that continues to amaze me with the al-Class is its ﬁdelity,’ commented Pharrell Williams’ FOH engineer, Mr Hamilton. ‘The highs on the al-12s are clear and clean and totally transparent. It was so cool to deliver Pharrell’s ﬁrst-ever Chinese performance, and to do it on a rig that I’ve said from the very beginning was going to change the entire game.’ In other news, Vue Audiotechnik has appointed veteran sound engineer Shawn London to the position of touring sound sales

manager. His responsibilities include expanding the manufacturer’s partner network and driving market demand. Mr London’s past experience includes stints as live sound and touring business development manager for Allen & Heath and house audio engineer at the El Ray, Fonda Roxy and Fox Theatres in Los Angeles. ‘I’m thrilled to welcome Shawn to Vue and am conﬁdent that our customers around the globe will feel his presence immediately,’ commented Vue CEO, Ken Berger. www.vueaudio.com

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 41

NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT

Eurovision 2018

Sennheiser’s Digital 6000 wireless systems were put to use on a grand ZJHSL MVY [OL ÄYZ[ [PTL H[ ,:* KPZJV]LYZ Simon Luckhurst WITH 186 MILLION VIEWERS TUNING in for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest this year, the event might be Eurocentric in name, but its appeal spans the globe. In 2018, it was once again the world’s biggest live music event and, as such, commands a sizeable backline infrastructure to pull it off. Having won the contest in 2017, Portugal played host to this year’s finals by laying on an impressive creative and technical show for 11,500 live spectators at the Altice Arena in Lisbon. A total of 43 countries took part, with 26 reaching the final and the live broadcast on 8 May. But while the event might have lasted just a few hours for spectators, for crews behind the scenes it had been an exhaustive few months prepping the site. As technical supplier, Sennheiser supplied its new Digital 6000 wireless microphones and 2000 series wireless monitors to the event – more than 230 microphones, 250 IEMs and 110 receivers – and was responsible for managing the spectrum at the arena. Notably, there was not a single loudspeaker monitor on stage – wireless mics and IEMs were called into practice throughout. ‘We have 74 channels of wireless mics and another 33 channels of inears,’ says Volker Schmitt, customer development and application engineering at Sennheiser. ‘On the balcony on this side in the centre of the venue and on the balcony on

reverberation of the room. I think it is the first time in this arena that the sound is this good.’ Add to this a comprehensive complement of Robe RoboSpot systems for the follow spot lighting and more than 600 fixtures from German manufacturer GLP, and the arena was close to bursting. 11,500 spectators filled the Altice Arena

The entire audio system was ﬂown from the arena roof

the other side we have one antenna city for each of those racks. They are working perfectly.’ With spectrum measurement beginning back in February and load-in in April, an incredible 250 trucks of gear – 220 tonnes of which was left hanging from the roof of the Altice Arena – saw the venue close to breaking point. ‘It was not clear that we would have this much weight until just 10 days ago,’ continues Mr Schmitt. ‘The blue and yellow metal bars you see around the stage, we moved them once and the whole arena began to shake. We’re not doing that anymore.’ This wasn’t helped by the decision to fly the entire L-Acoustics K2 sound reinforcement system from the roof which, together with the lighting setup, required an enormous 3,910m of truss. All the speakers are flown, explains Daniel Bekerman, head of sound for the ESC 2018 and owner of Auditiv-audiovisuais. ‘We have 18 L-Acoustics K2 clusters plus the sub-basses. The arrays themselves are all angled down which allowed us to reduce significantly the

for a lot of them they will never do it again.’ For this reason, the team spends a lot of time working with the talent to guide them through the process. ‘A big part of our job is babysitting and hand-holding, and this is something that Daniel is brilliant at.’ A pre-planned backstage workﬂow sees the talent journey around several pitstops before emerging at the tunnel leading to the stage. Ensuring the talents’ equipment is set up properly is further exacerbated by how politicised the event has become over the years and, as such, technical issues during the show can potentially have far more wide-reaching implications than a typical music concert. To remedy this, a rigorous workﬂow is put in place to dress and document the talents’ equipment and protect against any possible accusations. If nothing else, this assures complete culpability that the equipment has been set correctly should any delegates later lodge a complaint. ‘We also have to make sure the in-ears for the talent always have

42 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

The talent is led through a finely planned dressing procedure backstage ‘The line array from L-Acoustics is sounding tremendously good,’ confirms Mr Schmitt. ‘Even in this very critical, empty venue. The guys from Auditiv know what they are doing; it’s a great pleasure to work with and for them.’ But this is not any old singing contest and sometimes managing people is as important as managing the equipment. Many of the performers have amateur backgrounds and require extra attention. ‘People only realise how big the stage is when they’re coming here for the first time,’ furthers Mr Schmitt. ‘It’s important to remember that, for many of the artists, this will be the biggest concert of their life – they’ve never done anything like this before and

some kind of feed,’ furthers Mr Schmitt. ‘If they are quiet, then the talent will likely start to play around with the volume on the bodypack and the levels will be wrong when they get on stage. We explain to the talent, take out the in-ears but don’t turn the volume.’ However, one of the biggest challenges for the Sennheiser team is not setting up the complex wireless systems but managing them. ‘For this reason we have some measurement equipment that we are carrying around to observe the spectrum. We’re measuring it here in the hall, in the press tent, we’re looking at this and we can also listen. Overall we have way above 100 channels of wireless microphones. The good thing is that the system is working without any problems and the big advantage is the digital transmission. The RF is more stable and we have much better control. There are a lot of features in there that we can control, and have everything here on the screen.’ For what has traditionally been a daunting experience for the audio teams, the move to the new Digital 6000 system has given everyone more time to focus on the intricacies of the show. ‘Ten years ago it was always nerveracking doing Eurovision. This year it is deﬁnitely easier,’ admits Mr Schmitt. www.sennheiser.com

Access New Sales Opportunities at the Crossroads of Music, Sound and Event Technology

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%HIRUH WKH VWDUW RI ODVW \HDUÈ V H[KLELWLRQ 1$00 %HIRU made ssome bold statements about their investment and de dedication to the new pro audio area of the show. By the second day it was clear they were serious about delivering.

James Gordon, Audiotonix

A growing audience of live and installed sound professionals unite.

The NAMM show was a real eye opener for us.

The NAMM Show attracts a unique, powerful and international audience of professional visitors. From rental companies and touring professionals to theme park operators and house of worship representatives, The NAMM Show has more opportunities for pro audio manufacturers than ever before.

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David Claringbold, d&b audiotechnik

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EDUCATION AES commits to next three NAMM Shows WORLD: Following the inaugural AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium at The 2018 NAMM Show, both the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) have signed a new 3-year agreement to run the programme

well as to experience the latest in products and technologies from the leaders in pro audio across The NAMM Show ﬂoor. We look for ward to continuing our work with AES in this space, and in building a bright future for the industr y at large.’

SSL’s Alex Gidman and Blue Cassette’s Jimmy Joy with training session attendees

SSL trains Indian engineers in advance of studio installations INDIA: Solid State Logic’s product specialist, Alex Gidman, recently spent two days at Blue Cassette Sound in Thane, north of Mumbai, which has just purchased an AWS 924 ѝelta desk. SSL studio consoles are making a return to the subcontinent in the wake of several larger music studios coming up there. Blue Cassette, which will open in July, is one such studio, and owner Jimmy Joy wanted to ensure that his staff, band and industry associates were well versed in operating the console. During the training, Mr Gidman discovered that while many of the attendees had never used an SSL console before, some of them had worked on analogue desks

in the past, and were familiar with the working methods. ‘The goal was to take an analogue workﬂow and apply it to a digital workstation-based workﬂow,’ he explained. ‘There were differing levels of ability; some had worked with audio interfaces in project studios, while some of the older guys found it interesting to go back to working with knobs and faders. So I was catering to all sorts of levels, but what was nice was that I started them off and before I knew it they were all teaching each other things they’d picked up, and sharing ideas. It’s a success when you can step back and let them get on with it, being brought in only when needed. I was also impressed with the

array of gear they had, and the style of music they were playing was interesting – Western with an Indian twist. They even managed to get three original tracks down during our sessions together.’ Mr Joy’s love of British music has inﬂuenced his choice of studio equipment, including the SSL console. ‘I did some research into what bands use in the UK, and found out about SSL,’ he said. ‘It’s warm, has a lot of characteristics and is an easy console to operate compared to other analogue boards.’ Blue Cassette Sound will be featured in a forthcoming issue of Pro AVL Asia. www.solidstatelogic.com

Joe Lamond, NAMM president and CEO, with David Scheirman, president of AES at the 2019, 2020 and 2021 editions of the trade show. ‘AES and NAMM share a member-focused mission to offer impor tant and afﬁrming professional development oppor tunities to keep the industr y strong,’ said Joe Lamond, NAMM president and CEO. ‘Audio is ever ywhere – and with The NAMM Show as the platform for AES’ exper t education sessions, courses and workshops, NAMM members and audio professionals can fulﬁl the need for continued education and networking, as

‘Considering the rapid advances that are taking place in the technologies and tools we use as audio professionals, there is nothing like direct, in-person exposure to the latest advances in audio equipment and workﬂow processes,’ added David Scheirman, president of AES. ‘We look forward to serving our growing West Coast membership, and future members, by bringing AES@NAMM to The NAMM Show in January 2019 and beyond.’ www.aes.org www.namm.org

DPA gets closer to China CHINA: DPA Microphones’ Get Closer World Tour, celebrating the manufacturer’s 25th anniversary, recently stopped in Beijing at the Communication University of China. The event attracted more than 500 attendees, including sound and

recording engineers, professors and students, and was run in collaboration with DPA’s local distributor, DMT. The event began with an opening address delivered by Professor Wei Zenglai from the university, which

Wei Zenglai, Shao Yong, He Biao, Jin Shaogang, Clement Choi, Ma Xin and Kevin Wang

44 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

was followed by a presentation covering the history of DPA and a look at condenser versus dynamic microphones from Bo Brinck, global sales support manager at DPA. Mr Brinck also provided a demonstration to showcase the importance of reference sound and how the human brain affects the perception of what we hear.

Francis Lai, DPA’s sales manager for APAC, introduced the manufacturer’s Core technology before Mr Brinck returned to explain the difference in usage between directional and omnidirectional microphones. Renowned sound engineer Jin Shaogang shared his 38 years of knowledge and experience in

live sound miking, while Grammyaward winner Donal Hodgson shared his knowledge of miking for recording applications. ‘I have done 10 of these events around the world with DPA and I really enjoy it,’ said Mr Hodgson. ‘The Asian audiences really concentrate on what you’re saying.’ ‘This is a huge tour that we have taken around the world,’ said Ken Kimura, DPA Microphones’ managing director for Asia Paciﬁc. ‘I have been working in the Chinese market for the last 15 years and it’s very interesting for me to see the development. There is no doubt that knowledge of use is increasing while the gear is becoming better and better.’ www.dmtpro.com www.dpamicrophones.com

NEWS: EDUCATION SEMINAR DIARY 13 JULY

Ampetronic Practical Installer Christchurch, New Zealand This full-day, in-house training course covers all aspects of induction loop systems, including site surveys, installing, commissioning and troubleshooting. It is aimed at audiovisual professionals, integrators and contractors. www.jpro.co.nz

18 – 19 JULY

Extron Control Professional Bangalore, India This course is designed to prepare attendees to successfully deploy and maintain customised A/V control systems built around IP Link Pro Series and TouchLink Pro Series systems. www.extron.com

13 AND 14 AUGUST

Introduction to Control System Design Singapore AMX is providing two opportunities to attend this 1-day course for installation technicians. It consists of lecture material that focuses on device settings, ports, systems, master communications, ﬁle transfers, software tools and basic troubleshooting methods. trade.amx.com

27 – 30 AUGUST

Acoustics & Simulation Training Auroville, India Led by Sound Wizard for AFMG, this 4-day seminar covers most topics from a standard 5-day AFMG EASE training course, focusing on the acoustic and simulation aspects. Background is provided to teach attendees how and why each tool/module is used and there will be hands-on exercises to ensure participants are able to apply what they have learnt to projects at the end of the training. AFMG SoundFlow and EASE Focus will also be explored.

www.afmg.eu

Nexo ETC2i training arrives in Japan JAPAN: Nexo’s ETC2i training seminar recently made its Japanese debut in Tokyo. Hosted in collaboration with the Yamaha Music Japan team at Yamaha’s Ginza facility, the programme was led by Nexo’s ES division director, François Deffarges. The seminar followed an installation in chronological order, beginning with the tendering process and using real-world examples, before exploring

Shure recognises 6XQ ,QIRQHW·V training efforts MEASA: Shure’s Indian distributor, Sun Infonet, was presented with the award for the best training programme at the recent Shure MEASA (Middle East, Africa and South Asia) distributor’s summit.

Neeraj Chandra receives the award ‘This is one more feather in our cap,’ said Sun Infonet director, Neeraj Chandra. ‘This award from Shure MEASA for best training programme recognises the initiative taken by Sun Infonet for many years. This award inspires us to excel in all spheres of our business and to further strengthen the relationships with our clients.’ Continuing to live up to its award, Sun Infonet proceeded to conduct a 3-day Microflex Advance certification seminar for Shure users in New Delhi at the Hotel Regent Grand. This follows recent sessions in Bengaluru and Mumbai. Shure MEA technical application engineer, Ritendra Poddar, conducted the training, which concluded with an online test to officially certify the systems integrators and consultants in attendance. www.shure.com

acoustic, mechanical and network design, systems integration and installation, as well as several system and acoustic measurements – such as RT60, STi and Max SPL – and transfer functions. Mr Deffarges and his team concluded by covering system check and tuning, the complete acoustic and system measurement process, reporting and invoicing. ‘We want to approach this subject as a story,’ said Mr Deffarges. ‘Following an installation from beginning to end, integrating technological topics such as network design and system management alongside mechanical issues such as cabling and power requirements. Thanks to a

super-professional approach from the Yamaha Music Japan team, everything was perfectly prepared and even though we were doing everything through translators, we brought the 2-day course in on time and on schedule.’ A further session was dedicated

to the manufacturer’s NS-1 modelling and prediction software suite to impart students with the knowledge to design systems for live performance venues. www.nexo-sa.com/education jp.yamaha.com

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 45

DISTRIBUTION $9&/ JDLQV ÀUVW GLVWULEXWLRQ deal with Adamson INDIA: Adamson Systems Engineering has named AVCL as its exclusive distributor for India. AVCL is a new sub-division of Sonotone created for the distribution of higher end pro audio manufacturers and Adamson is the ﬁrst brand it has represented. Sonotone will oversee Adamson in the integration sector, while Vardhaman has been appointed as an authorised partner to manage the touring market. ‘Sonotone and AVCL are excited to ofﬁcially join the Adamson network as the company’s exclusive distributor in India,’ said

Karan Nagpal, CEO of Sonotone. ‘We’ve watched closely as the Adamson brand has gained serious traction in major global markets and recognised the potential that this elite brand and premium product would have in the growing Indian pro audio market. We look forward to working with our new partners at Adamson to provide our clients with unmatched service, high-quality user education and top-tier audio performance.’ The announcement was made during a press conference at the start of the Palm Expo. As a result, Adamson solutions were displayed

on the Sonotone booth at the Mumbai trade show. ‘The excitement surrounding Adamson in our exhibit at Palm has already been very encouraging,’ commented Mr Nagpal. ‘Many of our existing partners have shown interest, though we’re making plenty of new connections on the back of Adamson’s growing reputation in our market and look forward to building on that even further going forward.’ ‘We’ve spent several years doing some thorough research into the Indian market so we can make a fresh start here,

David Dohrmann from Adamson with BV Nagpal and Karan Nagpal of Sonotone, Kaushal Garg and Jeff Mandot from Vardhaman, AVCL’s Sushil John and Dinesh Mandot from Vardhaman and I think we’ve found a really good partner in AVCL,’ said Adamson’s David Dohrmann, technical director, Asia Paciﬁc. ‘AVCL shares the same values, dedication and commitment as Adamson. Sonotone has a vast dealer network across the country, in more than 20 states,

and Vardhaman has gained a high proﬁle in the touring market. Finally, we are here with a dedicated new team, and we’re looking forward to spreading this message.’ www.adamsonsystems.com www.sonotone.in

L-Acoustics appoints Berkat Mitra Swara in Indonesia INDONESIA: Berkat Mitra Swara has been appointed to take on sole distribution for L-Acoustics in Indonesia. Having previously worked with the company, L-Acoustics’ APAC sales director, David Cooper, is enjoying further collaborations with Berkat Mitra Swara director Thomsen Phan and his team. ‘I am more than conﬁdent that PT Berkat Mitra Swara will open up the market in Indonesia, while providing

Khiew Chung Wah, L-Acoustics application engineer, Asia, with Thomsen Phan and David Cooper

Hills rounds out security portfolio ANZ: Hills continues to strengthen its security portfolio by assuming the role of distributor for Zhejiang Dahua Technology across Australia and New Zealand.

Dahua Technology manufactures security and video surveillance equipment such as network cameras, NVRs and HD-over-Coax CCTV systems. Hills CEO and managing director David Lenz stated that the addition of Dahua Technology rounds out the company’s security offering, which spans all markets, from low-cost to enterprise-level solutions. ‘We see the Dahua product

ﬁtting seamlessly alongside our existing brands and integrating with other vendor solutions like Genetec,’ Mr Lenz explained. ‘Dahua offers one of the widest product ranges in the industry, with technologies that can interface and integrate into existing analogue and future IT-based infrastructures. It’s an exciting opportunity to bring that expertise and innovation to the ANZ market.’ ‘Dahua is pleased to partner with Hills,’ said Lyn Cheng, Dahua Oceania managing director. ‘They are a visionary distributor with a solid support infrastructure across the ANZ region and demonstrate a deep understanding of security and video surveillance. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.’ www.dahuasecurity.com www.hills.com.au

46 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

a more focused sales push into a range of vertical sectors where the brand has previously lacked penetration,’ said Mr Cooper. ‘I’m impressed by their track record in the hospitality, educational and house of worship sales channels to name but three – they are well connected across the board. I’m also particularly excited by the fact that Berkat Mitra Swara are developing a rental partner network for both our Kara and K-2 series.’

Mr Phan returned the gratitude to the French loudspeaker producer. ‘Naturally we’re really excited and honoured as L-Acoustics has been regarded as one of the top three speaker brands in the world for two decades,’ he commented. ‘With our mature network of dealers, production companies and systems integrators, we can further penetrate the market for L-Acoustics. Our traditional focus

remains on distribution, but we have to respect L-Acoustics’ innovative culture and systems approach as it differs from all the brands we have previously handled. Take L-ISA for example. We’ve always admired their products and are thankful to be playing a role in their worldwide sales force.’ www.berkatswara.com www.l-acoustics.com

HH Electronics announces &KLQHVH GLVWULEXWRU

HH Electronics welcomes Eatrend as its new distributor CHINA: UK loudspeaker manufacturer HH Electronics has announced the ofﬁcial appointment of Shanghaibased Eatrend AV Technology as its distributor for Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. While the two companies have been in discussions since last year, the distributor took the opportunity at the recent Prolight + Sound Guangzhou show to make a formal announcement and use its

booth to full advantage to display a range of new products. Director of production Duncan Boniface explained: ‘We’ve always known that there was a good potential for HH here in China but it’s just been ﬁnding the right people to work with. Eatrend are very proactive. They’re investing in developing this business and they’ve pulled together people with a lot of industry experience and a great set of contacts.’

Eatrend AV Technology general manager Walson Wu added: ‘HH have many innovative ideas and I’m convinced that there is much potential in the market here. We already have a number of projects underway.’ The engineering team has been busy developing a range of products targeted towards the Chinese market. ‘This will enhance our global product offering as well,’ added Mr Boniface. ‘They’ve got some particular opportunities including higherend install projects that allow us to develop some additional models and their input has been very valuable. So we’re learning together and it’s a really positive relationship.’ Eatrend’s portfolio has also been enhanced with the addition of US microphone manufacturer Audix, covering the China and Macau markets. www.hhelectronics.com

NEWS: DISTRIBUTION

Paving the way for myMix and Outline SOUTH EAST ASIA: PAVE System has assumed distribution for myMix personal monitor mixers and Outline Professional Audio solutions in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The distribution agreement with myMix also extends into Vietnam. PAVE is primarily known as a systems integrator, although it has been steadily gaining experience as a distributor. ‘Over the years PAVE has established the distribution business and has been working closely with resellers to support them with engineering services,’ said PAVE senior sales manager, Stephen Teo. ‘Our market coverage now includes Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. In addition to myMix and Outline, brands we distribute include

Stephen Teo and Giorgio Bifﬁ

DPA boosts its SEA presence

Gilbert Tan of PAVE with Mathias von Heydekampf of myMix and PAVE’s Stephen Teo AtlasIED, ClearOne, Epson and Visionary Solutions.’ As a systems integrator, PAVE is already familiar with the myMix product catalogue, having installed many of its systems during previous projects. ‘I picked PAVE [as a distributor] because they are active in many of the markets where myMix is being sold,’ said myMix managing director, Mathias von Heydekampf. ‘Also, what I didn’t realise, was the fact that they had already installed many myMix systems and had always wanted to get their hands on the brand. With them covering Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand, as well as Singapore, I found an ideal partner because I was looking for distribution in those countries as well.’

With regards to the Outline deal, Mr Teo noted that Giorgio Biffi, CEO and director of sales at Outline, and PAVE’s managing director, Jeffrey Lim, are confident that the agreement will provide great results. ‘We’ve known Outline for quite some time and approached them as they meet our requirements by filling a gap in our portfolio,’ explained Mr Teo. ‘Outline has been in the pro audio market for more than 45 years and, with its wide range of products, will suit our clients’ needs from point source distributed systems to large line array solutions.’

Patrick Lau and Mao Yanjun from Budee ﬂank Void Acoustics’ David Bissett-Powell booth at the show, sales director, Patrick Lau, spoke of the brand’s appeal. ‘Void is a very unique product and you won’t ﬁnd anything

tm stagetec systems deals in Plura AUSTRALIA: tm stagetec systems is now an ofﬁcial dealer of Plura’s range of products in Australia, including the manufacturer’s full catalogue of multi-function monitors featuring 4K and timing/ synchronisation technologies. The solutions are typically aimed at

digital broadcast and professional video production applications. ‘tm stagetec systems is thrilled to announce that we are now an Australian Plura dealer,’ commented Treva Head, managing director at the distribution company. ‘Our company aims to

48 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Eugene Yeo and Glenn Lin of Acoustic and Lighting System time that the distributor has represented a major microphone manufacturer in Singapore and Thailand. ‘We are excited to have both companies looking after DPA and are confident this move will benefit more professional users in the regional audio community as our upgraded mics with the Core by DPA Technology are being introduced in both territories,’ commented Ken Kimura, managing director of DPA’s APAC office. www.acousticlighting.com www.arcadia-co.sg

Ron Koh from Arcadia Tech

www.dpamicrophones.com

www.mymixaudio.com www.outline.it www.pave.com.sg

Void picks Budee CHINA: UK loudspeaker manufacturer, Void Acoustics, maximised its presence at the Guangzhou GET Show by officially announcing the appointment of Beijing Pacific Budee Technology Development Co Ltd – or Budee for short – as its exclusive distributor for China, Hong Kong and Macau. Established in 2002, Budee now numbers over 100 employees with two branch offices and five provincial sites across Mainland China and represents API, Lectrosonics, Burl Audio and Telefunken amongst others. With a range of Void products taking pride of place on the distributor’s

SOUTH EAST ASIA: Looking to boost its presence in South East Asia, DPA Microphones has appointed Acoustic & Lighting System as its new distributor for Singapore and Thailand, while Arcadia Tech has been named a direct dealer for the manufacturer in Singapore, covering the live, PA and MI markets. Acoustic & Lighting System is based in Malaysia with regional ofﬁces in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. This distribution agreement marks the ﬁrst

similar in the market so we are looking forward to a very successful cooperation with the company.’ Void chairman David Bissett-Powell added: ‘I’ve know Budee and Mao Yanjun for many years and, although we’ve never actually done any business together, we have always remained friends. When Patrick joined Budee, it was of interest as we have a long history and it seemed like a natural progression. They needed a product for the entertainment market and we ﬁt the bill perfectly.’

Sorinamoo adds Klang KOREA: Sorinamoo has taken on Klang:technologies and will serve as its South Korean distributor. The German manufacturer of 3D in-ear monitoring and personal mixing system joins the likes of Meyer Sound and Yamaha as well as Harman’s JBL, Crown, DBX and Soundcraft brands in the Sorinamoo

our customers’ needs and we are continually looking for advanced new products to introduce to our market. The advanced 3D technology presents a completely new paradigm for the IEM and sound ﬁeld markets and we look forward to delivering this outstanding product.’

distribution portfolio, not to mention video and lighting brands such as Blackmagic Design, Avics and ETC. ‘We ﬁrst came across Klang:technologies on Yamaha’s YouTube channel,’ revealed Yonghui Kim, section chief at Sorinamoo. ‘Andy Cooper has produced a couple of great videos introducing Klang and explaining its setup with Yamaha CL/QL Series consoles. We evaluated Klang further and were very impressed with the ease of use and exceptional audio quality. Sorinamoo is constantly growing and developing ahead of

‘We are pleased to welcome Sorinamoo to our expanding network of international distributors,’ added Phil Kamp, Klang:technologies’ head of sales. ‘With a great line of compatible brands, they are technically experienced and will bring our systems to the market with great presentation and support. I am conﬁdent they will do an excellent job in representing Klang:technologies in South Korea.’

www.budee.com www.voidacoustics.com

continuously be at the forefront of showcasing what can be achieved with technology. tm stagetec systems is proud to be associated with Plura products which have come to be known in the industry as the benchmark for monitoring test and measurement equipment. Plura also has an exciting range of products that support the SMPTE ST 2110 standards.’ www.plurainc.com www.tm-systems.com.au

www.klang.com www.sorinamoo.com

NEWS: DISTRIBUTION

Prism Sound enters Taiwan via Sonic Lab

Sonic Lab’s Jemy Lee TAIWAN: Prism Sound has appointed Taipei-based Sonic Lab as its exclusive distributor in Taiwan. The deal covers Prism Sound’s entire recording and postproduction portfolio, its range of audio interfaces and SADiE mastering and editing products. In addition to serving as a distributor, Sonic Lab also provides support and consultation services, such as training for

recording engineers. ‘Sonic Lab regularly visits major recording studios in Taiwan and we will now be offering our customers the opportunity to demo Prism Sound equipment in their own studios,’ commented Sonic Lab founder and sales manager, Lee Pai Chou (also known as Jemy Lee). ‘We also run educational workshops and seminars, and these will allow us to introduce Prism Sound to

Powersoft heads South with GM Audio

younger engineers in the industry. Finally, we will be translating Prism Sound case studies and technical articles into Mandarin and disseminating them through our own website and social media outlets so that we can give this brand the exposure it deserves.’ ‘We are delighted that Sonic Lab will now be representing us in Taiwan, a vibrant and exciting market that Jemy and his team have a wealth of knowledge and experience in,’ said Mark Evans, channel sales manager for Prism Sound. ‘It was clear from the very beginning of our discussions that Jemy shared our belief in the need for clean, transparent and neutral audio conversion. This common ground was one of the key reasons why we felt Sonic Lab was a per fect partner for our range of studio products.’ www.prismsound.com www.soniclab.com.tw

KV2 partners with Showtec CAMBODIA: Having worked together on a theatre project at the NagaWorld Hotel and Entertainment Complex in Phnom Penh (of which you will ﬁnd details in an upcoming issue of Pro AVL Asia), KV2 Audio decided to appoint Showtec International as its ﬁrst

distributor for Cambodia, as well as Thailand and Vietnam. ‘After discussions with Henry Ang, director of Showtec through the NagaWorld project, it was decided that Showtec should become a distributor for KV2 in Cambodia and its neighbours,

Thailand and Vietnam,’ conﬁrmed Dave Croxton, KV2’s sales director for Asia Paciﬁc. ‘There is a lot of development going on in these emerging markets and we can see that Showtec has the resources and personnel to successfully establish a presence in these

INDIA: The recent Palm Expo India show heralded the announcement from Italian manufacturer Powersoft Audio that it would be appointing GM Audio as its distributor in the south of the country. ‘We have a great network already in the North, West and East of India, but we needed an established partner for the South,’ said Håkan Sjöö, Powersoft regional sales account manager, EMENA. ‘We’ve been talking with

countries. I am sure over time we will see business grow in these countries as the beneﬁts of KV2 are introduced. We look forward to supporting Showtec’s efforts in bringing KV2 Audio to this part of South East Asia.’ Speaking of the project that brought the two companies together, Mr Croxton added: ‘After discussions with managing director,

GM Audio since earlier this year and, as they’re Chennai-based and are already familiar with Powersoft modules and the technology, it’s a perfect match.’ Established for more than 40 years, GM Audio has been distributing DAS Audio loudspeakers for 26 years and also represents Eighteen Sound in the country. ‘We were looking for another line; we have a lot of cinema projects ongoing and we need a lot of amps, so this is ideal,’ explained GM Parvath of GM Audio. ‘GM Audio are very focused’ added Mr Sjöö. ‘Now Powersoft has Dante AES67 and we are one of Dolby’s preferred suppliers, we can work with Dolby Atmos so the timing of the tie up with GM Audio is perfect with the number of cinema projects in the pipeline.’ www.gmaudio.co.in www.powersoft-audio.com

Henry Ang, it was agreed that Showtec’s ongoing commitment to supporting the NagaWorld system would be best served by them becoming a distributor for the region. Vietnam and Thailand were added to the agreement to broaden the market potential for Showtec.’ www.kv2audio.com www.showtecgroup.com

1/3 PAGE PAGE

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 49

APPOINTMENTS $YLG·V VHQLRU PDQDJHPHQW VKDNH XS WORLD: Following the sudden termination of Louis Hernandez Jr earlier this year, Avid has announced a series of changes to its senior management team. These include the appointment of a new chief financial officer and the creation of a brand new role within the company: chief legal and administrative officer. Ken Gayron is the new CFO and executive vice president. He replaces Brian Agle, who had served as CFO since 2015 and has left Avid to pursue new ventures. Mr Gayron possesses a vast background in the software and technology industries, and has a wealth of experience in senior finance management positions for public companies, helping to drive their cash flow, profitability and enterprise value. He most recently served as CFO and interim CEO for Numerex.

‘I’m excited to welcome Ken and anticipate that his experience, skills and management style will quickly sharpen Avid’s focus while helping to improve the outcomes for the company, our customers and partners, as well as our shareholders,’ said Jeff Rosica, CEO and president of Avid. The role of chief legal and administrative ofﬁcer and executive vice president falls to Jason Duva, who has been promoted from his previous position as Avid’s general counsel

and senior vice president of strategic initiatives. The newly created job consolidates the leadership of various global corporate administrative functions and resources, and includes the responsibilities of overseeing legal, human resources, business operations, corporate IT and facilities departments, as well as the company’s project management ofﬁce. Other changes to the executive team include the appointment of Dana Ruzicka to the role of chief

Dave Hintze joins API sales team WORLD: Dave Hintze is the latest addition to the sales team at API (Automated Processes Inc). He has worked in sales for 15 years and has been involved in the music industry for almost 20 years in song writing, live production and performance capacities. ‘Dave Hintze is a consummate professional,’ said Gordon Smart,

product officer, a position that now unifies all aspects of Avid’s products and technology divisions in an effort to bring new products to market quicker. Meanwhile, Dave Perillo has been promoted to senior vice president of global supply chain operations and has been named a new member of the executive leadership team. He joined Avid as vice president of global supply chain in 2017. Diana Brunelle has been named chief human resources officer and vice president. She brings 25 years of HR leadership, talent development and recruiting experience to the role. Changes at the executive level have also resulted in amendments to the senior leadership team. As a result of Mr Duva’s promotion, Alessandra Melloni takes on his former job as general counsel and vice president. She first joined Avid’s legal team in 2014.

Tim Claman, previously Avid’s VP of platform and solutions, is now the chief technology ofﬁcer and VP of product management. Finally, Sharon McGowan-Spinelli has been promoted to the new role of VP of business operations. ‘As we prepare Avid to better convert its market opportunities into more demonstrable results today and in the future, all of our organisational announcements will help to reshape our executive team and senior management in order to lead this charge,’ concluded Mr Rosica. ‘Coinciding with my ﬁrst 100 days as CEO, I’m pleased to announce these strategic appointments that will enhance our executive and senior leadership teams in order to reinforce our ability to better capitalise on the opportunities in front of us and optimise business performance.’ www.avid.com

$PLW 'DIWDU\ WDNHV on SEA sales at Phabrix

managing director at API. ‘His professionalism and depth of knowledge perfectly ﬁt the API team.’ ‘I’m excited for the opportunity to bring my skills and experience to an iconic name like API,’ added Mr Hintze. www.apiaudio.com

SOUTH EAST ASIA: Amit Daftary has assumed the role of director of sales for South East Asia at Phabrix. He will manage the broadcast test and measurement solutions manufacturer’s sales operations and its distribution

senior sales positions at Snell Advanced Media, managing its Middle East and South Asia operations. He has also been a sales director at Harmonic and business head at Avid Technology during his career.

network in the region while also working to grow the business. ‘We’re looking forward to working closely with Amit to expand our presence in South East Asia,’ said Martin Mulligan, sales and operations director at Phabrix. ‘Amit’s wealth of experience and industry knowledge are valuable assets in driving further growth and success.’ Mr Daftary’s ‘wealth of experience’ spans 20 years in the broadcast industry and includes

‘With such exceptional growth over the past three years and plans for greater expansion this year, I’m joining Phabrix at a very exciting time,’ Mr Daftary commented. ‘I’m looking forward to working closely with the company’s distributor network in the region to really maximise awareness of our worldleading test and measurement instruments.’

Adamson hires APAC coordinator APAC: Ayumi Hanano has been hired by Adamson Systems Engineering as its new education and support coordinator for the Asia Pacific region. She will serve as the manufacturer’s first point of contact for all training inquiries and initiatives in the region and will assist the APAC team with technical support. Ms Hanano has started in her new role by overseeing the delivery of Adamson Applied Certification training in several countries and by presenting the manufacturer’s recently launched Advanced Certification training. ‘Ayumi has already proven herself to be a valuable addition to our diverse international team,’ said David Dohrmann, Adamson’s technical director for the APAC

Ayumi Hanano region. ‘She’s incredibly smart, a strong brand ambassador and will be a major asset as we continue gaining traction in the Asian markets and increase our global focus on education and training.’

50 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

A native of Japan who spent time growing up in the UK, Ms Hanano has worked as an FOH engineer at jazz venue Motion Blue Yokohama and toured as a freelancer. ‘I’m very happy to be working with Adamson and its network of partners and end users throughout the Asia Pacific region,’ she said. ‘I know first-hand from my years as an engineer that Adamson’s reputation for premium audio reinforcement and world-class support is well deserved. I look forward to helping audio professionals get the best-possible performance from their Adamson systems in any application, and growing Adamson’s overall profile in the important markets we serve.’ www.adamsonsystems.com

www.phabrix.com

NEWS: APPOINTMENTS

Andrew Crawford tagged master of mixing AUSTRALIA: Technical Audio Group (TAG) has appointed Andrew Crawford as master of mixing, a new role created within the distribution company to focus on Allen & Heath products with a particular emphasis on dLive.

designed, mixed and toured with various theatre productions, worked as a studio recording engineer and touring engineer for Hillsong Church and served as a production audio specialist for Jands.

‘The new generation of Allen & Heath digital mixers are hugely capable,’ said Silvio Miconi, TAG CTO. ‘Part of Andrew’s role will be to help engineers harness that and assist them in delivering great mixes and efﬁcient audio workﬂows.’ Mr Crawford is skilled as an FOH operator and has experience leading training and demonstrations. His career began with The PA People, where he mixed for everything from rock and roll gigs to symphony orchestras and opera. He has also

‘My background is audio engineering primarily behind the console both live and recording,’ explained Mr Crawford. ‘I’ve been a keen observer of A&H’s digital mixing strategy for a number of years. A&H is on a very aggressive development path and the recently introduced dLive, and now SQ, are very accessible and powerful tools. The dLive platform is especially capable and hard to beat so it’s great to get hands on and be part of the A&H process.’ www.tag.com.au

Williams AV names new CEO WORLD: Williams AV has named Rob Sheeley as the company’s president and CEO and simultaneously announced the appointment of Tom Mingo as executive vice president of sales and marketing. Both are veterans of the A/V industry and have been members of the Williams AV board since December when Williams Sound acquired Pointmaker. Mr Sheeley and Mr Mingo cofounded Vaddio together. While Mr Sheeley, who’s described as ‘a serial entrepreneur’, holds numerous hardware and software patents and possesses a wealth of experience in new product development, Mr Mingo previously led sales at Vaddio and will assist Williams AV in expanding its sales and marketing efforts. ‘A year ago, I began consulting with Williams Sound on product development and strategic direction,’ revealed Mr Sheeley. ‘Since then, we’ve acquired Pointmaker, and developed two new products: the Pointmaker Presenter and the Pointmaker Audio Presenter. Both

products represent an exciting, new product platform for the combined companies, and a focus on delivering blended audio and video solutions. When asked to lead the combined companies, I was thrilled at the opportunity to re-enter the industry and grow this business to the next level.’ Mr Mingo looks forward to continuing his partnership with Mr Sheeley and to working with the Williams AV team. ‘Both Williams Sound and Pointmaker are customer-focused and solutionoriented organisations,’ Mr Mingo commented. ‘Going forward, we will expand on this, successfully blending audio and video expertise into new and exciting technology solutions for our customers.’ Prior to these appointments, Paul Ingebrigtsen served as the president and CEO of Williams Sound for more than 40 years. Although he has retired from day-to-day operations, he will remain a member of the Williams AV board.

Uniline Compact, unrivalled precision and ﬂexibility

1/2 PAGE vert Uniline compact Modular line array system “ The Uniline Compact is the perfect solution for small to medium size venues hosting eclectic events. It is ﬂexible enough to deliver great performance for rock concerts, recitals, chamber music, speeches or theatre plays. The sound director of the Gimpo Art Hall is delighted with the result and impressed about how such a compact loudspeaker system can perform like a much bigger sound system. ” Sangwoo DO, CEO of Sound Place

www.apg.audio

www.williamssound.com

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NEWS: APPOINTMENTS

Jeff Rocha to direct L-Acoustics product management WORLD: Having served as L-Acoustics’ head of market development for North America since joining the manufacturer in 2016, Jeff Rocha has now been promoted to the newly created role of global director of product management. A member of the board of directors, Mr Rocha will oversee the end-to-end product development lifecycle and liaise with stakeholders around the world from various departments to identify new business opportunities. The role also entails developing the product portfolio and technology roadmaps with the R&D team and sales and marketing teams, as well as the development of marketing, sales materials and training. ‘Since joining L-Acoustics, Jeff has proven adept at forging relationships throughout the

Jeff Rocha company and with external partners while leading business development in North America where we have

experienced accelerated growth,’ explained Anne Hamlett, director of HR and legal at L-Acoustics.

‘Bringing more than two decades of experience in the touring and installation markets, Jeff is a trusted and highly regarded audio expert who blends a technical background and deep crossfunctional industry experience with a successful business track record, and keen marketing instincts. These qualities make Jeff ideally suited to leading the charge on product management.’ Mr Rocha is excited to help guide the direction of the manufacturer moving forward. ‘The more I interact with teams across L-Acoustics, the more I become convinced that our “secret weapon” is the calibre of the individuals who I am fortunate to call my colleagues,’ he said. ‘I have no doubt that the breadth and depth of the talent pool at L-Acoustics, coupled with

an unwavering commitment to technical excellence, will continue to drive market-leading product innovation in the coming years.’ An adjustment has also been made to the talent pool to which Mr Rocha refers, as Germain Simon, formerly an application engineer at the company, has joined the new director of product management’s team as a product manager. ‘Germain’s passion for sound and expertise in international install markets, as well as a history with L-Acoustics dating back to 2009, makes him an ideal product management collaborator,’ said Mr Rocha. ‘I look forward to partnering with Germain and teams across L-Acoustics to translate ideas into products.’ www.l-acoustics.com

'HYHORSLQJ ÀUH protection at Hills

QSC organises product development

AUSTRALIA: Gautam Yadav has joined Hills as the new business development manager for its ﬁre safety portfolio across Australia and New Zealand. He possesses extensive knowledge

WORLD: Aravind Yarlagadda has been given a newly created role at QSC to oversee all aspects of product development. His new job title is chief technology ofﬁcer and executive vice president of product development. ‘We have continued to make large investments into our product development organisation and, as a result, we now have a sizeable organisation poised for continued innovation,’ explained Joe Pham, president and CEO of QSC. ‘Aravind’s new role will allow us to organise product development as its own major function under one senior executive leader. We are delighted to have Aravind join the executive team and are conﬁdent that his experience and expertise will be invaluable as we expand

Gautam Yadav of Australian ﬁre and life safety standards gained in his previous role at SAI Global, where he held a client management role and also gained a technical understanding and project management experience.

In his new position, Mr Yadav will put his expertise in the design of fire detection systems to use to offer technical support to integrators and advise end users on safety requirements. He will work to develop Hills’ presence in the fire safety and protection market, targeting sales opportunities in retail, warehousing, multi-storey dwellings, mining and tunnels. ‘The fire business will target current and new customer markets, providing product expertise and smart, onestop solutions by linking the technology between various Hills product divisions,’ explained Jourdan Garde, general manager, growth markets at Hills. ‘The fire product range represents an exciting opportunity for integrators who install our security product to benefit from an added income stream.’ ‘The inclusion of fire detection products complements Hills’ current product offering and gives Hills the advantage of being a complete solution seller in industry verticals like health, education, banking and government infrastructure,’ added Bill Sakellariou, head of sales for security, surveillance and IT at Hills.

our capabilities to support our next phase of growth.’

www.qsc.com

Alistair Butler joins Telestream

www.hills.com.au

Alistair Butler

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Aravind Yarlagadda

Mr Yarlagadda possesses more than 25 years of product development experience. He held senior leadership roles at Invensys, Tyco and Quest Software before his most recent stint prior to joining QSC, at Schneider Electric, where he held senior executive roles in product management, R&D, marketing, strategic partnerships and new business initiatives. ‘I am very thrilled and honoured to become a part of the QSC team, and to positively contribute to the QSC growth journey,’ said Mr Yarlagadda. ‘With the IT/AV convergence trend picking up, I am personally very excited to leverage enterprise technologies and unlock the new wave of disruption in the AV&C industry.’

WORLD: Alistair Butler has joined Telestream as chief sales ofﬁcer and will consolidate the sales teams for the company’s media production and workﬂow business unit and the video quality monitoring and analytics business unit. Prior to starting his new job, Mr Butler served as head of Cisco Systems’ Service Provider Services business in the Americas and held several sales leadership

roles, developing a track record of growth in global markets. ‘Alistair has demonstrated an ability to orchestrate teams with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, which means our customers can expect even more comprehensive support from Telestream in achieving their video delivery and business goals,’ said Telestream CEO, Scott Puopolo. www.telestream.net

New VHD2.18J Subwoofer Housing two 18” high performance transducers the VHD2.18J is a direct radiating bass-reflex subwoofer. The VHD2.18J’s optimised, high efficiency, bass-reflex design produces considerably more output than other similar double 18” enclosures and features intuitive integrated flyware that allows for fast rigging of multiple cabinets. Johannes Krämer works with many of the worlds leading artists, promoters and events. When he visited KV2 Audio he was looking for something special in a sub. After discussions with Chief Engineer, George Krampera the VHD2.18J was born.

www.kv2audio.com

George Krampera Chief Engineer KV2 Audio

Johannes Krämer Sound Engineer Richie Hawtin

NEWPRODUCTS

INSTALLATION • A/V • LIVE SOUND • BROADCAST • POSTPRODUCTION • RECORDING • LIGHTING A-ZCONTENTS

GSL takes pattern control full spectrum Making use of some clever tactics to greatly reduce the audio level at the rear of the system, d&b has unveiled its new flagship touring product, the SL-Series GSL System IT SITS above the manufacturer’s J-, Y- and V-Series systems and provides cardioid dispersion control across the entire audio bandwidth. The result of four years’ development, the GSL system is intended for the largest reinforcement applications such as in arenas, stadia and festivals. The GSL8 and GSL12 loudspeakers offer 80° and 120° horizontal dispersion, respectively, and are reportedly capable of providing consistent pattern control all the way down to 45Hz. This is achieved by using a new cabinet geometry that includes two front-facing 14-inch drivers and two side-firing 10-inch drivers in a cardioid configuration. According to the German manufacturer, the result is so successful it negates the need for subwoofers to be flown behind or alongside the main hangs in many applications while also creating ‘significantly extended low-frequency headroom towards the audience’.

Midrange frequencies are delivered by a high-sensitivity horn loaded with a 10inch driver, while three custom-designed 3.4-inch diaphragm HF drivers mounted on a wave-shaping device provide the HF output. Each loudspeaker is driven in 2-way active mode by the d&b D80 amplifier, where one channel powers the 14inch drivers with all other components passively crossed over and powered by a second channel. The SL-Sub and SLGsub support the system with additional low end from two forward-facing 21-inch drivers and a single, rear-facing 21-inch driver delivering the cardioid dispersion. The SL-Sub can be flown, while the SL-Gsub is designed for ground-stacked applications. The SL-Series also brings a combination of tension and compression modes to d&b’s 3-point rigging. The compression mode enables a straight array to be flown from the touring carts, with a hoist or hand winch that then

GSL8/12 array

curves the array to the defined splay angles. The touring carts themselves have been designed to fit within standard shipping container and truck sizes and can transport four GSL8 or GSL12 loudspeakers or three SL subwoofers. The touring rack assembly can house six D80 amplifiers and also contains a DS10 audio network bridge, the MC24 multicore system and provides PoE for the d&b ArraySight inclinometer. This also sends temperature and humidity information to the R1 Remote control software using the OCA/AES70 protocol. www.dbaudio.com

ADAM Audio Ceiling mount and brackets for S2V/S3V/S3H AKG K275/K245/K175 Allen & Heath Prime Input and Output modules Altair ES-201/EM-203/ES-203CL/EC-200 Amadeus Holophonix AMX/BSS AMX N2400/AMX Acendo Vibe/DCP-555 ArKaos MediaMaster 5.2 Audio Precision 376M03/426M16 AV Stumpﬂ UHD Player/Wings Vioso RX 2.0 Ayrton Mistral-TC/MiniBurst B&C Speakers 4CNX88/4NDF34/4NDS34 Barco UDX series/UniSee update beyerdynamic TG Drum Sets Beyma 21LEX1600Nd/15LEX1600Nd Biamp Devio CR-1/DTM-1/DCM-1/SCR-20/SCR-25 Cadac CDC ﬁve/CDC seven-s/V.5 CDC Console Software Calrec Type R Celestion CF1230F/CF1540HD Chauvet Rogue R1X and R2X/BTAir Clear-Com HelixNet update ClearOne Ceiling Microphone Array Analog-X Coda Audio U Series (U12, U12i, U15) Crest Audio ProTour Series Crestron AM-300/DM XiO Director d&b audiotechnik SL-Series GSL System dBTechnologies Vio L212/Vio S218/B-Hype M/RDNet-EH DiGiCo OSC functionality for SD consoles DPA d:vote 4099 FaitalPro 18XL2000/6PR160/6RS140 FBT Horizon VHA (VHA406A, VHA112SA, VHA118SA) Fiilex Q8 Travel Fohhn Perform-Series (PS-800 and PS-850)/DI-Series Genelec The Ones 8341 and 8331/8430A GLP KNV/Impression FR1 JBL 3 Series MkII/Pro SoundBar/VLA Compact Series Jünger Audio AIXpressor/tieLight 360 Systems Maxx 2400 K-array Event-KREV102/Event-KREV101/Event-KREV80 L-Acoustics P1 AVB processor/LA Network Manager 3.0 MA Lighting grandMA3 Mackie MDB Series Martin Audio SXH218 Merging Technologies Aneman Mipro TA-80 Mitsubishi Electric VS-15NP160/S-SF suite/WE120 DLP NewTek TriCaster TC1/IP Series VMC1 Nexo Excellent Line Next-proaudio DPA4000/LAs418A Orban iSurround headphone monitor Out Board TiMax 500S Outline Arena series 215 CX/212 CX/STSUB-215 Panasonic AK-UC4000/EQ1 series PR Lighting Omega/Aqua 480 Beam QSC Q-Sys UCI Editor/Scripting Engine/Block Controller RCF F 6X, F 10XR, F 12XR, F 16XR/ART3 series updates Riedel Bolero Standalone Application/RSP-1232HL RME Digiface AVB/Digiface Dante/ADI-2 Pro FS Roland XS-62S RTS Odin RTW TM3 Smart/TM3-3G Smart SGM Light Video Pixel Linear series Solid State Logic System T v2.0/DAW Control for System T Sony Venice/SRX-R800 series SoundTube IPD-RS62-EZ/IPD-RS82-EZ/IPD-HP82-EZ Stage Tec Crescendo-T/XFIP board TASCAM DA-6400 v2.0 Tasker C102/C282/C861 Televic Conference Plixus AE-R/Congressify/T-Council TSL Products PAM1-IP and PAM2-IP updates Vaddio AV Bridge MatrixMix/RoboTrak Vitec EZ TV IPTV update/MGW Ace Encoder v2.0 Waves Scheps Omni Channel/Q10 Equalizer/AudioTrack XTA/MC2 Audio 120 Amps Yamaha DZR/DXS-XLF/VXL1 series/WXAD-10

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PRODUCTS

dBTechnologies in travel update

Vio L212 VIO L212 is a 3-way active line array module designed for large touring sound reinforcement applications while also providing optimised coverage behaviour and more userfriendly conﬁgurable rigging solutions. DSP provides intelligibility, sound deﬁnition and more headroom, while integrated mechanics reportedly ease set up, transport and storage of the systems.

The addition of two 12-inch woofers placed on the outside in a dipolar arrangement reportedly provides a transient response and an extended and controlled low-end reproduction. The midrange section is mounted in the centre of the cabinet in a horn-loaded conﬁguration, while midrange frequencies are delivered by four 6.5-inch

woofers. The 1.4-inch neodymium compression drivers have been mounted to a waveguide. Each Vio L212 acoustic engine is driven by two Digipro G4 Class-D 1,600W ampliﬁers, providing each system with a total of 3,200W RMS. Developed to be the ‘per fect partner’ for the Vio L212 in larger sound reinforcement applications is the Vio S218. Along with a dual 18-inch subwoofer, the Vio S218 extends down to 28Hz, while the system is also driven by two Digipro ampliﬁers delivering 3,200W RMS. The switched mode power supply is equipped with 90V to 265V 50/60Hz PFC (Power Factor Corrector). The power supply is 380V resistant and, like the Vio L212, also has DSP control.

B-Hype M Elsewhere, B-Hype M is the latest addition to the B·H Series

of portable PA systems and has been developed for travelling shows and other outdoor venues. The B-Hype M is a batterypowered portable PA system that is equipped with a wireless microphone system, audio media player with Bluetooth connection, SD card and USB port, wheels and a retractable top handle. The latest instalment in the Ingenia series is the RDNetEH accessor y for the active speakers in the family. Described as being an ‘easy-to-mount’ accessor y that adds real-time control capabilities to the speakers, RDNet-EH now allows all Ingenia speakers to be remote controlled via RDNet protocol and Aurora Net software. www.dbtechnologies.com

A new Horizon for FBT DESIGNED TO deliver ‘optimal audience coverage with added ﬂexibility’, FBT has created the Horizon VHA vertical horizontal array. The solution includes VHA406A full-range module and the VHA112SA and VHA118SA subwoofers. Constructed in birch plywood with a synthetic rubber surround, each VHA406A comprises four 6.5-inch woofers together with a 1.4-inch large-format neodymium compression driver on a 2.5-inch voice coil. Optimised with BEM ﬁnite element simulations, a newly designed central waveguide creates a 90° (H) x 20° (V) dispersion together with focused vertical control across the enclosure’s operating range. The symmetrical

A horizontal Horizon VHA array dispersion provides full HF coherence beyond 18kHz, within the system’s 65Hz to 20kHz range. The integrated Class-D, switch mode ampliﬁer module delivers 600W and 300W for the respective LF and HF sections, while the internal DSP processor offers

eight user presets for customised system performance. A maximum of six VHA406A cabinets can be rigged courtesy of the integral hardware’s variable angles from 5° to 20° (in 5° steps) and further simpliﬁed by including only one setting point per side. Eliminating

both the risk of loss and damage in transport, the setting pins are fixed and integrated into the hardware. The Horizon VHA system includes quick-release anchor points allowing horizontal arrays to be set up using a dedicated fly-bar, supporting up to three VHA406A cabinets. Multiple fly-bars can be joined for creating arrays with up to 360° coverage. Sharing the same footprint as the VHA406A in both size and shape, the flyable VHA112SA bassextension module provides low-end extension in small-to-medium-sized applications. Incorporating a 12inch B&C long-excursion woofer, the bass-reflex design promotes a laminar airflow for minimising turbulence and compression, while the 1,200W Class-D amplifier

module includes onboard DSP with filtering, EQ and limiting. For larger applications, the groundstacked VHA118SA comprises an 18-inch B&C woofer in its birch plywood enclosure. Like the 12-inch model, the bass-reflex subwoofer deploys a laminar airflow, but the 2,500W Class-D amplifier module also provides a selection of six preset algorithms. The design of the VHA118SA is reportedly able to generate high levels of SPL for prolonged periods. The VHA118SA is capable of extending overall system frequency response down to 30Hz and can fully support groundstacked configurations with its integrated mounting hardware. www.fbt.it

Outline scales down Stadia OUTLINE HAS expanded its Stadia family with a pair of scaled-down siblings it has dubbed Arena. The Arena series has been designed for smaller venues as well as to integrate with the rest of the family for areas not covered by the main PA in large stadium installations. The Italian manufacturer also states that the Arena series can be used as a multipurpose outdoor distributed solution for applications such as theme parks, leisure facilities, tourist attractions and public spaces. The two members of the Arena series are the 215 CX and the 212 CX. Starting with the 215

CX, this features a 15-inch LF transducer and a 15-inch mid-low driver incorporating a coaxial 3-inch diaphragm HF compression driver, mounted on Outline’s proprietary moulded waveguide. The 212 CX uses the same acoustic design but is fitted with a 12-inch LF driver and 12-inch/3inch coaxial transducer, providing a smaller and lighter option. Both designs are configured to what Outline describes as ‘two-and-a-half’ way systems both electrically and acoustically and, thanks to the manufacturer’s internal crossover designs, both models can be driven by a single channel of amplification. The

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speakers also feature Outline’s 3-layer elastoplastic weatherproof protection – OutSide Coating Technology. In a further addition to the Stadia family, the Italian manufacturer has created STSUB-215 as a companion subwoofer for the series. The sub features two bass-reflex loaded 15-inch neodymium woofers, offers a peak SPL of 144dB and has been fitted with 16 M10 rigging points. As with the other members of the family, the sub has also been coated with the OutSide weatherproofing system. The Arena series

www.outline.it

PRODUCTS

All systems go for RCF RCF HAS expanded on its F-Series of analogue mixers with the addition of four new models. Christened according to the number of channels, the F 6X, F 10XR, F 12XR and F 16XR all offer multi-FX and recording features (the F 6X does not offer a recording facility). Bypassing the requirement for external audio interfaces and multiple connections, high-quality recordings can be created on a computer through the USB on Windows, MacOS and iOS platforms without additional software. Each mixer comes with a full balanced audio path from input to output, for which the Pro DSP FX: 16 adds reverbs (halls, rooms, plates and spring), delays (mono, stereo and multitap), chorus, ﬂangers and echoes to its effects library. The F 6X 6-channel mixer features two mic preamp inputs, two mono line inputs, two stereo line inputs plus multi-FX with a balanced main output (stereo XLR and TRS). The mixer features 16 Pro DSP internal FX presets and an aux send (post-FX) with rotary knob

ART 315 Mk4

ART 725 Mk4

control, while the mono channels come with 3-band EQ and 2-band stereo. Equipped with four stereo line inputs, the F 10XR, F 12XR and F 16XR models are equipped with four, six and 10 mic preamp inputs, respectively, in addition to two, four and six stereo compressors. The Italian manufacturer has also redesigned its ART3 Mk3 series of passive loudspeakers.

Currently comprising the ART 310, ART 312 and ART 315 ART3 models, the Mk4 series comes in an all-black ﬁnish and a new aluminium rear panel equipped with SpeakON inputs and outputs. Designed to dampen down vibrations at maximum volume settings, the moulded polypropylene composite cabinets come with a redesigned front grille. Inside the 300W RMS-rated

driver on a 90° x 60° horn. The TT 10-A provides a maximum SPL of 130dB. The low-mid frequency section has a 10-inch neodymium magnet cone driver, while the HF section incorporates a 2.5-inch diaphragm compression driver, also on a 90° x 60° horn. Lastly, the HF section of the TT 20-CXA features a 60° x 90° horn-loaded 2.5-inch compression driver suitable for medium- and largescale applications. www.rcf.it

TT 08-A II

Yamaha gets married

The IPD-RS62-EZ

SoundTube’s Dante approach SOUNDTUBE’S IPD-RS62-EZ, IPD-RS82-EZ and IPD-HP82EZ are described by the manufacturer as being the industry’s only Dante-enabled pendant speakers. All three models use SoundTube’s BroadBeam Ring dispersion technology for messaging and music over a wide area including off-axis from the speakers. The IPD-HP82-EZ pendant uses a BroadBeam HP compression driver with waveguide for use in rooms with extra high ceilings. Applications for IPD pendants include any facility with high or open ceilings, such as houses of worship, schools, hotels, meeting

cabinets, RCF has integrated its latest LF woofer and HF compression driver technology. The ART 315 and ART 312 models are equipped with a top handle and two side handles for easy transportation, while the ART 310 features a single top handle. Forming part of the 7 series, the ART 725 passive speaker has also been enhanced and tonally improved. Distinguished by its sloped rear proﬁle and rated at 650W RMS, the Mk4 version comprises a 1.5-inch compression driver (with 3-inch voice coil) and 15-inch woofer (with 3.4-inch voice coil) and a new aluminium rear panel equipped with SpeakON connectors. Finally, RCF is now shipping Mk2 versions of its TT 08-A and TT 10-A 2-way monitors, alongside its TT 20-CXA stage monitor. The TT 08-A II is one of the smallest members of the TT+ family yet and offers a maximum SPL of 128dB. The low-mid frequency section employs an 8-inch neodymium magnet cone driver, while the HF section houses a 1-inch diaphragm compression

spaces, bars and restaurants. With digital signals plus power sent directly to the speakers via a standard category cable, they do not require ampliﬁers or D/A converters, and are interoperable with a host of other products operating on the Dante platform worldwide. The speakers may be used with SoundTube’s ST-Net Switch – which provides up to 40W PoE for each speaker – or with standard PoE or PoE+ switches. All three speakers are available in a black or white (paintable) ﬁnish, while hanging hardware is included. soundtube.mseaudio.com

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DESCRIBED AS the ‘ideal marriage’ of the company’s DSP, amplifier design and speaker development, Yamaha’s DZR and DXS-XLF ranges include, for the first time, Dante audio networking. The DZR series incorporates the 2-way DZR15, DZR12 and DZR10 (with Dantefitted DZR15-D, DZR12-D and DZR10-D versions) and the 3-way DZR315 (with the Dante-fitted DZR315-D). There are four DXS-XLF extended low-frequency subwoofers: the DXS18XLF, DXS15XLF and the Dante-enabled DXS18XLF-D and DXS15XLF-D. The DZR models all feature a rotatable, constant directivity horn for horizontal or vertical mounting and have been designed to provide level coverage with minimal roll-off. The HF transducers comprise a 2-inch voice coil and a 1-inch throat compression driver, a titanium diaphragm and neodymium magnet, housed in a heatresistant aluminium cast frame. The 15- and 18-inch DXS-XLF models incorporate onboard D-XSUB bass processing for managing the lower frequencies, Normal mode for a low-frequency response and Boost mode for a ‘tighter, punchier response’. The

DZR15-D Xtended LF mode drops the low end down even further to levels previously unheard of in a cabinet of this size, according to the manufacturer. Also new is the VXL1 range of column-type line arrays: the VXL1-8, VXL1-16 and VXL1-24. They are based on multiple arrays of the same 38.1mm driver found at the heart of Yamaha’s VXS1ML speaker with the number of drivers corresponding to the number at the end of the unit’s name; for example, the VXL1-8

features eight 38.1mm drivers. All three are IP35-rated, paintable enclosures that come in black or white, and are supplied as a Lo-Z unit as standard, with the option for Hi-Z if requested. They each measure 54mm wide by 103mm deep with heights of 480mm (VXL1-8), 846mm (VXL1-16) and 1,212mm (VXL1-24). Yamaha states that the frequency range and sensitivity is consistent across the series. A wall mounting bracket is supplied with each speaker in the VXL1 series, while the VXL1-16 and VXL1-24 feature dispersion expander switches that allow expansion of the lower vertical dispersion without the need to adjust the angle of the speaker. Finally, the WXAD-10 MusicCast wireless streaming adaptor has been developed by Yamaha to support wireless music playback via Bluetooth and Airplay. It allows music to be streamed from smartphones and tablets, and can access a variety of online streaming and radio services. The Yamaha MusicCast sharing and control features facilitate the sharing of music between MusicCast-enabled devices. www.yamahaproaudio.com

New from DiGiCo

SD12 SETTING A NEW STANDARD

Predictably Stunning In 2015, DiGiCo launched its compact S-Series, which ERDVWHG D PRGHUQ ZRUNÄ&#x2021;RZ DW DQ DIIRUGDEOH SULFHSRLQW last year, the whole SD Range became much more powerful thanks to the introduction of Stealth Core 2

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www.digico.biz DiGiCo UK Ltd. Unit 10 Silverglade Business Park, Leatherhead Road Chessington, Surrey KT9 2QL. Tel: +44 (0) 1372 845600

PRODUCTS

Top performance from Fohhn FOHHN AUDIO has enhanced both its PT-70 and Focus Venue series with the development of the Per form-Series PS-800 and PS-850 subwoofers. The nonturbulent por t designs of the single and dual 18-inch models can be stacked or combined to form horizontal, ver tical or endﬁring Focus sub arrays.

be per formed via the proprietary Fohhn Audio Soft software. The DI-Series ampliﬁers come with DSP inputs and outputs, a power supply that includes a microprocessor with various sensory functions, AES/EBU, Dante connectivity, Optocore, Fohhn AIREA and analogue (XLR) input interface options and

Fohhn PS-850 subwoofer Finished in a PU-coated paint, both vented subwoofers are housed in multiplex birch plywood cabinets, for which the PS-850 is capable of producing low-frequency extension down to 27Hz (±3dB) and weighs 105kg. When powered by DI-Series ampliﬁers, real-time control of the sub array’s beam dispersion characteristics can

SpeakON/Phoenix terminal output connections. Having announced that ﬁve further DI-Series ampliﬁers will be added in the coming months, the German manufacturer is currently shipping the DI-2.2000 (2 x 2,000W/41) and DI-4.1000 (4 x 1,000W/41) 2- and 4-channel models. www.fohhn.com

JBL’s 3 Series returns THE NEXT-GENERATION studio monitors in the 3 Series have been designed for both hobbyists and audio professionals working in music, film, post and broadcast productions. With the JBL Image Control Waveguide and refined transducers, the MkII versions reportedly offer detail, precise imaging, a wide sweet spot and dynamic range for listening capabilities in a production space. The monitors are available in three configurations: the 305P MkII (5-inch woofer), 306P MkII (6.5-inch woofer) and 308P MkII (8-inch woofer). They also offer controlled bass courtesy of long-throw woofers and the JBL Slip Stream low-frequency port, along with woven-composite, 1-inch neodymium tweeters. The company has also refined the low-frequency transducers for greater linearity and lower harmonic distortion but also fine-tuned ferrofluid damping in

the high-frequency transducers for a faster transient response. Dual, integrated Class-D power amplifiers are said to offer varying ranges for different projects. Meanwhile, JBL’s latest Pro SoundBar has an additional optimised feature designed to address the unique requirements of hotel guest rooms, cruise ship staterooms and other commercial environments. Pro SoundBar supports both fixed and variable source volume. In fixed volume scenarios, Pro SoundBar offers an IR Learning capability which allows it to ‘learn’ the IR pulse of a TV remote’s volume controls. The loudspeaker’s 4-position volume limiting switch allows integrators to control the maximum output. It includes a vibration isolation wall-mounting kit and uses full-range speakers rather than a separate subwoofer, both of which are said to limit sound spillage.

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Elsewhere, the Variable Line Array (VLA) Compact Series long-throw line array solution is designed to offer the same performance as its predecessor with the difference being that the latest version has been developed for small- and mid-sized stadia and arenas as opposed to just larger venues. The VLA Compact is for permanent applications requiring even coverage, intelligibility and audio levels capable of overcoming crowd noise. The models include dual 10-inch low-frequency drivers featuring Differential Drive technology, with 65° and 100° horizontal coverage options available. A subwoofer with dual 15-inch Differential Drive woofers is also available, while the speakers also include weather protection out of the box, with an IP55-rated ﬁberglass enclosure and steel end panels. www.jbl.com

PRODUCTS

Size not a problem for Genelec GENELEC’S LATEST 8341 and 8331 Smart Active Monitoring (SAM) studio monitors have joined the 8351 in its point source monitor range which the company calls The Ones. All three monitors create what Genelec describes as the world’s smallest 3-way coaxial monitors. Contained in enclosures no larger than a traditional 2-way Genelec 8040 or 8030, the latest additions aim to do away with the previous constraints of coaxial point source setups. The coaxial driver design looks to provide accurate imaging and improved sound quality, both onand off-axis, and vertically as well as horizontally. The woofers are concealed beneath the Directivity Controlled Waveguide.

the analogue and digital inputs. At a listening distance of just 20 inches, the maximum SPL capability (headroom) is said to be raised by more than 5dB. Fur ther launches include the 8430A audio over IP SAM studio monitor enables direct monitoring of audio over IP stream content and is described as being the ﬁrst studio monitor suppor ting both AES67 and Ravenna standards. The

monitor works with Genelec Loudspeaker Manager for setting adjustments, while the 8430A’s AutoCal feature calibrates IPbased monitoring for listening environments. Like other Genelec monitors, it is recognisable for its Minimum Diffraction Enclosure for colour-free accuracy, ﬂowoptimised reﬂex por t and Directivity Controlled Waveguide. New additions to The Ones series

www.genelec.com

THIS 8430A-1

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WIRELESS TS

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INTERCOM

Like the 8351, both the 8341 and 8331 can be orientated horizontally or vertically using an adjustable IsoPod base for isolation and to ﬁt into different working environments. But while the 8341 and 8331 both echo the 8351 in form and function, the new models have been reengineered to meet the challenges for their more compact dimensions (350mm x 237mm x 243mm for the 8341, and 299mm x 189mm x 212mm for the 8331). Despite the pair’s new sizes, each unit incorporates three stages of the Finnish manufacturer’s Class-D ampliﬁcation and Intelligent Signal Sensing energy-saving technology. The short-term maximum output capacities for each of the models is 110dB SPL for the 8341 at 1m, and 104dB SPL for the 8331 at 1m, with accuracy better than ±1.5dB, and respective frequency responses starting at 45Hz and 38Hz (–6dB) and extending beyond 40kHz both for

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PRODUCTS

Specialised event solutions from K-array K-ARRAY HAS assembled applications. The Eventseveral of its solutions into the KREV101 is described as K-array Event line that have the base element of the been speciﬁcally chosen for Event line and is intended for their ability to service event clients with ‘ever-changing productions. demands’. The Event line is comprised The mono Kobra-KK102 and of all-white modular Thunder-KMT12 combination components arranged to form can be used as the building three separate audio solutions blocks for larger sound for different occasions. reinforcement at bigger The Event-KREV102 is venues or the modular composed of a Kobra-KK102 component can stand on its loudspeaker featuring Pure own to provide background Array Technology to provide music or speech applications uniform long-throw coverage on a smaller scale. and a Thunder-KMT12 Lastly, the Event-KREV80 subwoofer. is a solution comprised The pole that connects of four Anakondathe two elements has KAN200+ loudspeakers been designed to create a and is designed to wrap continuous discreet line and to around a venue providing hide cables at the same time. background music. To drive The kit also the passive speakers, comes with four the set includes Anakonda-KAN200+ a Thunder-KMT12 loudspeakers for powered subwoofer an alternative to aid setup and solution to the Kobra integration. for integration in www.k-array.com The Event line spatially challenging

Intelligent power NEXT-PROAUDIO HAS put its DPA4000 power module with DSP at the heart of its new powered speaker series. The first cabinet to benefit from this is the LAs418A double 18-inch active reflex subwoofer. The DPA4000 is a 4,000W RMS, lightweight, Class-D powered amplifier module, with PFC switch mode power supply. The PC-controlled networkable DSP runs at 24-bit/96kHz and features AD/DA low noise converters. An intelligent automatic standby mode is activated when the amplifier detects no input signal. The unit provides six factory-defined and two user-defined presets that can be accessed by the front module panel or real-time edited by a PC, using the supplied Soundware II software, via RS-485 or USB remote control. With the Soundware II software, it is possible to edit the six preloaded presets and store it in one of the two free memories. Editable parameters are input equalisation, input delay, input high-pass/low-pass filters and the

LAs418A ‘Bass Enhancer’ function. A total of 255 units can be controlled simultaneously by the software. As for the LAs418A sub itself, it houses two long excursion B&C 18-inch drivers and is capable of delivering down to 24Hz at –10dB. The 89kg, front-loaded, bass-reﬂex enclosure measures 1,030mm x 516mm x 920mm (WxHxD) and offers a maximum peak SPL of 143dB. The sub incorporates eight handles and is housed within a multi-laminate birch plywood enclosure, ﬁnished in a textured black semi-matte coating. www.next-proaudio.com

Ready, P1 L-ACOUSTICS IS shipping its P1 AVB processor and measurement platform, a 3-in-1 system that combines front-end processing, audio bridging and signal distribution with system measurement and tuning. The P1 fully integrates with the manufacturer’s LA Network Manager software and aims to streamline the tasks of system deployment and optimisation to a single piece of hardware. At its core, the P1 is a signal processor with equalisation, delay

The P1 and dynamics. It possesses four analogue line inputs with A/D conversion and integrates 20 inputs and 16 outputs within a 1U space. The P1 can matrix, bridge and distribute AVB, AES/EBU and analogue audio, while time-aligned redundant signal distribution reportedly offers artefact-free sound with the click of a button.

Additionally, L-Acoustics has stated that the upcoming release of LA Network Manager 3.0 will make use of P1’s four microphone preamps to create an analyser for all system parameters, enabling system tuning without additional noise. LA Network Manager has also been equipped with an Autoclimate tool that integrates temperature and humidity

information from sensors on the P1 once in live mode, so that users can adapt the system accordingly without going back through the entire workﬂow. Speaking of LA Network Manager, the real-time systems control and monitoring software has recently seen the addition of Autoalign to automatically calculate proposed relative delay and polarity for

complementary systems such as subwoofers and fills. Soundvision has also seen some updates. Autosplay allows sound designers using the 3D, real-time acoustical simulation software to define a target SPL along an audience area by calculating the optimum speaker angles, while the Autofilter function applies DSP settings to ensure the system is further optimised for clear, even coverage throughout a venue. www.l-acoustics.com

WPC’s sub companion

MARTIN AUDIO’S SXH218 is a hybrid passive subwoofer designed as a companion to its WPC (Wavefront Precision Compact)

line array system in low-end heavy applications or permanent installations requiring plenty of bass, such as nightclubs. It is

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equipped with a pair of 4.5-inch coil, 18-inch drivers with waterresistant cones and triple roll surrounds, and can reportedly achieve a maximum SPL of 148dB. The British manufacturer states that the SXH218 is able ‘to produce significantly higher output levels than a traditional reflexloaded subwoofer’ due to its Hybrid horn/reflex that combines the ‘acoustic efficiency and impact of bass horn technology with the low-frequency extension of

a reﬂex design’. The enclosure is built from multi-laminate plywood coated with textured black polyurea. A rigid, perforated steel grille protects the front of the cabinet, while the top and bottom surfaces are protected by interlocking skids, preventing movement when stacked. The passive subwoofer can be powered by a single channel of Martin Audio’s iK42 4-channel ampliﬁer or a bridged pair if the SXH218’s maximum output is

needed. The cabinet’s connector sockets are wired to allow a single 4-core cable from the ampliﬁer to power two SXH218s. The SXH218’s settings are predetermined by a parameter set in Martin Audio’s Vu-Net software when the subwoofer is powered by the iK42. Alternatively, settings are available from the Martin Audio website when the unit is used with other ampliﬁers. www.martin-audio.com

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PRODUCTS

Coda expands U Series subwoofer line CODA AUDIO’S latest U Series subwoofers have been described by the manufacturer as offering compact, efficient and costeffective solutions for almost any application. The U12, U12i (a slimline wallmounted version) and the U15 universal subwoofer have been designed with new, long excursion, low-distortion 4ї woofers, incorporating carbon fibre cones. This reportedly achieves maximum power and cost efficiency, used in combination with systems

using Linus5C DSP ampliﬁers. The U12 and U12i are single 12inch subs with a power handling of 800W. The U15 is a 15-inch subwoofer with a power handling of 1,000W and an SPL of 133dB. All three models feature low port compression, low-distortion woofers and have an optimised enclosure design, giving a tight bass response. The range is said to be suited to small-scale or mobile applications that require compact solutions, without compromising power.

The subwoofers complement the existing U4-SUB, a high output box with a double 18-inch, lowdistortion woofer which offers power handling of 2,500W. The U4 is designed to work exclusively with Coda Audio Linus ampliﬁers, as an integrated solution for DSP control, network remote control and diagnostic. It is suited as a sub extension for the HOPS Series and TiRAY, extending system performance to 30Hz. The U12 sub www.codaaudio.com

B&C offers balance

Beyma extends HF and LF ranges

EXTENDING ITS series of high output coaxial transducers including the 12-inch 12CXN88 and 15-inch 15CXN88, B&C Speakers has developed a 4-inch version. Designed to offer a careful balance between HF and LF output, the 4CNX88 is rated at 250W (programme power) with a 70° nominal coverage pattern.

FOLLOWING THE launch of the 18LEX1600Nd low-frequency transducer in 2017, Beyma has further developed two new highper formance subwoofers in the form of the 21LEX1600Nd and 15LEX1600Nd models. Designed and optimised for direct radiation, the two latest bandpass subwoofers incorporate Maltcross cooling system (MMSS) technology to further enhance the cooling efﬁciencies of the voice coil. Specially designed for vented cabinets and loaded horn designs, both subwoofers feature long excursion capabilities providing high outputs with low distortion. Rated with power capacities of 1,600W AES, the latest 21inch and 15-inch low-distortion subwoofers include a double silicon spider, an exclusive neck coupling reinforcement (NCR) membrane, full waterproof cone treatment and an FEA-optimised neodymium magnetic circuit. While exhibiting ultra-low air noise and non-linear behaviour, each woofer comes with a double silicone spider, 4-inch Duo double layer in/out copper voice coil and an aluminium de-modulating ring. While the 15-inch model weighs 9.6kg and is capable of producing low frequencies down to 41Hz, the 21LEX1600Nd weighs 11.8kg producing down to 30Hz.

sensitivity rating of the 4CNX88 is 86dB. In addition, the Italian transducer manufacturer has developed two further 4-inch LF drivers for compact 2-way cabinet designs. Both rated with 200W continuous programme power capacities, the 4NDF34 and 4NDS34 woofers combine 1.3-

The new 4CXN88 4-inch coaxial The shared neodymium magnet assembly features an aluminium demodulation ring for reduced distortion, a double silicone woofer spider with optimised compliance, a waterproof woofer cone (front side) and a pure titanium high-frequency diaphragm. Designed to operate within a 95Hz to 18kHz response, the

inch copper voice coils and a neodymium magnet assembly. Providing 88dB sensitivity, the 4NDF34 operates within a 110Hz to 8kHz frequency range, while the 4NDS34, comprising glass ﬁbre with copper winding material, operates within a 80Hz to 2kHz response. www.bcspeakers.com

21LEX1600Nd The Spanish transducer developer has also introduced three new compression drivers incorporating 1.75inch voice coils with 1-inch throats. Designed to provide a competitive linear per formance, the CD11Fe, CD11Fe/S and CD11Nd drivers all comprise Beyma PM4 polymers, contributing to low distortion together with a natural timbre. Features of the drivers include Duo double layer in/out aluminium voice coils and covers together with FEA-optimised ferrite motor structures providing 140W programme power above 1.2kHz. Incorporating patented Maltcross technology, a new family of woofers has also been developed by Beyma. The optimised neodymium motor structures within the 8-, 10-, 12-

and 15-inch models yield very low weights between 2.8kg and 4.2kg. Designed for high-efﬁciency bass and mid/bass applications combining high sensitivity and linearity, together with low distortion and weight, the 500W AES 8MC500Nd 8-inch model comes with a 2.5-inch voice coil to provide a sensitivity of 98dB. The 10MC700Nd, 12MC700Nd and 15MC700Nd models all incorporate 3-inch Duo double layer voice coils and provide sensitivities between 97dB and

CD11Nd driver

99dB together with a nominal power of 700W AES. Maltcross technology provides very efﬁcient cooling of the voice coil, reducing power compression losses and resulting in more constant SPLs. www.beyma.com

From analogue mic to digital with the TA-80 MIPRO’S TA-80 is a true digital wideband wireless plug-on transmitter designed to turn any microphone, from measurement microphones, condenser and dynamic wired mics, recording mics and musical instrument mics into a wireless solution. It features a balanced XLR mic input jack and is compatible with

all of the manufacturer’s ACT-8 Series receivers. The Taiwanese manufacturer has designed the TA-80 to have a ﬂat and wide frequency response, a low THD and noise ﬂoor, fast transient response and strong anti-inter ference. The unit has eight gain levels and is switchable between 12V

64 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018 64 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

and 48V (up to 10mA current load) to provide phantom power if required for condenser microphones. A built-in, high-capacity lithium battery promises ﬁve to eight hours of continuous use per charge, while the transmitter can be recharged by dropping it into an intelligent MP-80 charger or by

removing the single battery cell from the TA-80 and placing it into the charger. The transmitter is also housed within a rugged, lightweight and splash-proof aluminium enclosure. The green backlit LCD displays all operation parameters. www.mipro.com.tw

Evolving with you. Best choice for your business. Be it a congress, a summit or an important meeting: the new G4 300 Series uses the power of an increased switching bandwidth of up to 88 MHz. New frequency ranges allow to operate multi-channel setups with dozens of channels while securing reliable operation. Let your word make a difference with evolution wireless G4. www.sennheiser.com/g4

PRODUCTS

New cone speakers from FaitalPro

CF additions from Celestion CELESTION HAS added two cast aluminium low-frequency drivers to its growing catalogue. The CF1230F and CF1540HD are the latest LF drivers to be added to the ferrite magnet CF range. Rated at 500W RMS, the 12-inch CF1230F has a nominal sensitivity of 98dB (1W/1m). Suited for bass applications in 2- and 3-way systems, the design incorporates a 3-inch, copper-clad aluminium voice coil. Comprising a 4-inch inside/ outside voice coil and wound on both sides of the former for enhanced heat dissipation, the CF1540HD offers a sensitivity of 97dB (1W/1m). Purpose built for subwoofer applications, the 15-inch woofer features a phasematched double suspension system for a more balanced

CF1230F performance throughout the entire excursion of the cone for signiﬁcant distortion reduction. Both drivers incorporate twin demodulation rings in order to reduce harmonic and intermodulation distortion. Both woofers incorporate Celestion’s Balanced Airﬂow Venting technology so as to rapidly

remove heat from the magnet assembly in order to cool the motor system. Enhancing their outdoor application capabilities, the CF drivers incorporate weatherresistant cones, for which the cone of the CF1230F comes with an added waterproof coating.

FAITALPRO HAS developed three new cone speakers in the form of two 6-inch LF-MF drivers – the 6PR160 and 6RS140 – and the 18XL2000 18-inch ‘Super Woofer’, for which the XL is a reference to its extra-large size that goes beyond the current 4-inch voice coil dimension. With an efﬁciency rating of 97dB, the magnetic circuit of the 2,000W-rated woofer (continuous AES) is concentrated in the

line arrays and 3-way systems. While extending the frequency response, the demodulation ring also reduces distortion. The 6PR160 generates wide angular dispersion, while withstanding 120W continuous power with 95dB of sensitivity. With an Fs of 90Hz, other features include a cloth edge cone, a 37mm coil, a magnet assembly composed of a neodymium ring and a newly designed voice coil.

www.celestion.com

18XL2000 neodymium cap structure with a perforated pad. This external ring, the Italian manufacturer claims, guarantees greater efﬁciency of the magnet. Despite the decrease in weight owing to the neodymium magnet, the 4.65-inch diameter voice coil provides a very high efﬁciency. With an EBP value of 100Hz, the

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With an EBP of 261Hz, the 6-inch model can also be horn-loaded. Its twin brother – the 6RS140 midrange woofer – can operate at 6kHz in the lower part of the acoustic spectrum, lending itself as a medium-low driver. Demonstrating a maximum power handling of 200W (continuous power) and a sensitivity rating

6PR160 18XL2000 promotes itself for use in front-loaded, bass-reflex designs in addition to specialised hybrid- and horn-loaded configurations. Other features include a mirrored double spider, a treated canvas cone edge and a voice coil ventilation cooling system. The 6PR160 model has been created for high-efficiency, midrange speaker designs focusing on vocal reproduction. Incorporating a neodymium magnet structure and aluminium basket, the new woofer can be used as mid-bass, but is equally suited towards multipurpose enclosures in sound reinforcement such as smaller

of 93dB, the mid-woofer adopts a 44mm coil, a rubber edge and neodymium circuitry. Filling a gap in the FaitalPro catalogue, a rubber edge has been added to the 6-inch mid-woofer in preference to a typical cloth edge design as it enhances the lower frequency response. Targeted at 2-way systems, such as studio monitors and multipurpose 2- and 3-way systems, the sensitivity rating for the waterproof 6RS140 is 93dB. In addition to enhancing ventilation, a central hole has been added to the magnet structure to regulate loudspeaker compression. www.faitalpro.com

PRODUCTS

RME in double Digiface move RME’S LATEST mobile audio interfaces, Digiface AVB and Digiface Dante, have been developed for network audio channel transmissions between Windows and Audio/Video Bridging (AVB) devices as well as to support the distribution of Dante-based solutions with more ﬂexibility. Extending its Digiface series with a Dante model for USB and standalone operations, RME’s Digiface Dante enables the transmission of up to 64 Dante channels and 64 MADI channels, via a single USB 3.0 connection. It offers an external option for fully mobile operation to the previously available internal Dante PCIe card. Both BNC sockets for the word clock I/O can be switched to MADI I/O. The 128 Dante and MADI channels can be controlled via the included Dante control software and RME’s TotalMix FX mixer with its routing and monitoring options. This allows users to create independent submixes according to the number of

The Digiface series available outputs. Digiface Dante has two banks of redundant network ports that can be used multi-functionally as inputs and outputs, as network switches and for redundant operation with primary and secondary networks in case of increased security

requirements. In addition, the interface can also be used as a mobile 64-channel Dante/MADI converter if the USB computer connection is not in use. Digiface AVB enables the transmission of up to 256 network audio channels within an

audio Gigabit network, also via a single USB 3.0 cable. It uses the open IEEE 802.1 protocol as part of the AVB standard and enables streaming of audio data. USB 3.0 allows up to 128 audio channels to be streamed back to the AVB network and another 128

channels to the computer – with sampling rates of up to 192kHz. Users can adjust the channel sizes of streams between two and 32 channels with AVB audio devices. Digiface AVB also features word clock I/O and a headphone output for monitoring transmission signals. The package also includes the DSP-based TotalMix FX mixer as well as an AVDECC controller. The controller enables detection of all AVB devices within a network and allows users to manage and monitor incoming and outgoing streams. Elsewhere, RME’s updated version of the high-end AD/ DA converter, ADI-2 Pro, is the ADI-2 Pro FS. The ADI-2 Pro FS includes the new femtosecond clock technology of the ADI-2 DAC and offers professional users the functionality of its predecessor but with updated clocking. In addition, the AutoDark mode from the new ADI-2 DAC has also been implemented in the ADI-2 Pro FS. www.rme-audio.com

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PRODUCTS

Incoming waves for Crest CREST AUDIO has developed a new range of Class-D amplifiers comprising four models in the form of the ProTour Series, integrating onboard DSP together with Dante and USB/Ethernet connectivity for monitoring and control. The ProTour 8004d (4-channel amplifier with 2,000W/ channel into 41 or 70/100V direct drive), 5002d (2-channel amplifier with 2,500W/channel into 41), 4004d (4-channel amplifier with 1,000W/channel into 41) and 3003d (3-channel amplifier with 1,000W/channel into 41 or 70/100V direct drive) models all incorporate switch

mode power supply with full bandwidth PWM modulators. The clip/limiter function provides output monitoring to prevent speaker damage with gentle gain reduction at clip threshold in addition to efﬁcient heat dissipation and overheat protection. Loudspeaker processing is provided courtesy of the internal DSP engine with sampling rates of 96kHz/24-bit and 24-bit AD/ DA converters. This allows parameters such as IIR HP/ LP crossover ﬁlters, RMS compressors, parametric EQ, alignment delays and white/

120 Amps aim to pack a punch

120 Amps THE LATEST 120 Amps from XTA and MC2 Audio are being described by the manufacturers as the ‘most powerful network audio 2-channel amplifiers available’ and have been developed to drive more than just subwoofer arrays. ‘Rather than consider this a launch of just another bigger amplifier for the Delta Series (and the recently introduced XTA DNA Series), what’s more important to realise is the significance of this stereo, Dante-enabled, flagship design,’ commented Waring Hayes, technical brand

manager for XTA and MC2 Audio. ‘With breakthroughs in the use of the very latest output devices and innovative drive circuitry, we have ﬁnally eliminated the need to compare against Class-AB designs.’ The 120 Amps are available as Delta 120 and DNA120 models and have 96kHz Dante inputs as an option. Both will deliver over 7,000W per channel into 21 and 5,000W per channel into 41. www.audiocore.co.uk www.mc2-audio.co.uk

ProTour 5002d pink noise to be conﬁgured. Parameters can be set, input sources selected and presets loaded from a front panel LCD touchscreen. A Dante network module enables primary and redundant connectivity to the LAN, offering external ampliﬁer control and monitoring. Available in either 16- or 28-channel frames, the XD-16 and XD-28 are 2U rack-mount digital mixers offering optional Dante networking with remote control and monitoring capabilities. An

integrated Wi-Fi module enables real-time control and monitoring of the processing functions, either by acting as an internal router for direct connection of up to four external devices or by connecting to an external Wi-Fi network. An optional 4x4 Dante network module provides up to eight channels (4-in/4-out) of audio streaming over a Dante network while extending the inputs of the XD-16/XD-28 by four aux channels and adding four outputs (MON 1-2 and AUX 1-2).

An optional network module can directly link a slave mixer to a master unit via a 100Mbps Ethernet connection, thus expanding the slave mixer’s number of channels. Master and slave units process their own input channels, before the slave sends the streams to the master to collect and mix the signals before output. Audio tracks stored in a USB media port can be recorded or played in 24-bit WAV format. www.peaveycommercialaudio.com

Changing the boundary BEYERDYNAMIC HAS updated the boundary mic included in its TG Drum Set mic kits. The four new sets in the family (Pro S, Pro M, Pro L and Pro XL) will now include the TG D71 boundary instead of the previously supplied TG D50 or TG D70 bass drum mic. The TG D71 is a professional boundary microphone that works as a pressure gradient receiver and has a halfcardioid polar pattern. The condenser capsule (back electret) transmits frequencies of 25Hz to 20kHz and can handle a maximum SPL of 148dB. A 3-pin XLR connector is provided for transporting both the audio signal and the phantom power required for operation – the correct power supply is signalled via a red status LED.

beyerdynamic’s Pro XL Drum Set now includes the TG D71 boundary microphone

The mic weighs 413g and has dimensions of 90mm x 86mm x 27mm. According to the manufacturer, this makes it ‘per fectly suited for use in a bass drum, but also for various other applications such as percussion instruments or to record pianos’. The TG D71’s microphone housing reportedly guarantees protection against damage during day-to-day, on-stage use and, thanks to its construction, it can be positioned in the bass drum without additional ﬁxings. The rubberised underside ensures a non-slip grip on smooth sur faces and a mounting device is provided for ﬁxed installations. www.beyerdynamic.com

TSL playing a supporting role TSL PRODUCTS’ PAM1-IP and PAM2-IP audio monitors now support SMPTE 2110 and Ember+ standards in an effort to address certain issues users face making the transition to IP. Describing itself as the only manufacturer of audio monitoring units capable of monitoring uncompressed SMPTE 2110 video and audio streams for deployment in essence-based workﬂows, TSL says that existing PAM-IP TSL Products’ PAM-IP customers already working with SMPTE 2022-6 can easily upgrade the Ember+ protocol, allowing their units to SMPTE 2110. Both them to be deployed in IP facilities PAM1-IP and PAM2-IP also support and OB trucks.

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Also available for an upgrade are TSL’s MPA1-Mix-Dante and MPA1-Solo-Dante monitors as

they can now support AES67 audio as part of the ST-2110 standard, making them suitable for monitoring Dante and AES67 audio. Meanwhile, a free software upgrade for MPA-1s to support SNMP will also give users more features including integrated solutions when remotely controlling the monitors using TSL’s TallyMan control system or any third-party control system (supporting SNMP). Elsewhere, TSL’s latest PAM2IP 3G has been developed to address the requirements of customers needing to monitor

uncompressed SMPTE 2022-6 and SMPTE 2110 sources. The PAM2-IP 3G is equipped with 2x10 GigE interfaces for direct connection into COTS IP fabrics. The audio monitoring solution retains the same front panel user interface and feature set from its predecessors, PAM1 MK2 and PAM2 MK2, and also continues to include full monitoring (including metadata) of Dolby-encoded sources, loudness monitoring – complete with histogram display – and video conference monitoring. www.tslproducts.com

TWO NEW ENTRIES IN THE VIO FAMILY

VIO L208

Two-way active line array module HF 1x1.4” Neodymium LF 2x8” Neodymium Class D DIGIPRO® G3 900W/RMS Amplifier Max SPL 133.5 dB Double rotary encoder Only 18.1 Kg per module

info@dbtechnologies-aeb.com

VIO S118R

Active bassreflex subwoofer LF 1x18” Frequency Response (-10dB) 32 Hz Class D DIGIPRO® G4 1600W/RMS Amplifier Max SPL 139 dB Delay rotary encoder (9.9 ms)

dBTechnologies

www.dbtechnologies.com

PRODUCTS

Odin enters the matrix EXPANDING ON its IP-focused product line, the latest addition from RTS is the Odin Omneo digital intercom matrix which has been developed for users wanting to expand intercom functionality with an IP-capable system at large venues. Offering both IP and analogue technology, the new feature set and form factor aim to make the matrix more accessible and easier to use. Odin comes in a single rack unit package and is also described as being

smaller and less costly to own and operate. It can integrate into most large-scale intercom operations, while also providing a path for system expansion for smaller users wishing to upgrade existing RTS systems to the latest technologies.

With connectors for Omneo IP technology, analogue 2-wire and 4-wire, Odin also supports the Roameo DECT-based wireless system and KP-Series keypanels as well as analogue RTS legacy keypanels. Dante-enabled Omneo is standard on RJ-45 connectors or

is available using optional optical ﬁbre connectors. Users can deﬁne ports for any of the available connector types. Odin offers from 16 to 128 ports, while up to eight Odin units can be connected via an optical interframe link to create a single matrix with up to 1,024

intercom solutions,’ explained Wolfgang Fritz, senior product manager at Riedel. With the Bolero Standalone Application, antennas are daisy-chained via a low-latency, synchronised TDM network to each other in a line or a redundant loop. The solution is designed to be plug-and-play and an external power supply can drive up to ﬁve antennas. A 1U, half-width external inter face box with six analogue 4-wires and three GPIOs can be directly connected to any antenna and then linked with an existing intercom system. System conﬁguration is

achieved via a web GUI internal to the antennas. Also new from Riedel is the RSP1232HL, a SmartPanel designed to support a variety of workﬂows with several full-colour, multitouch displays and 32 hybrid-lever keys that each possess an integrated rotary encoder providing control over parameters in the key’s location. Each key is marked by an 8-character main label, a 16-character sub-label and user-deﬁned icon labels, and an icon-based signalling mechanism informs the user of the state of each key.

ports. Additional features include redundant power supplies and ﬁve cooling fans (two of which are also redundant). The unit has also been designed to use less than 50W in a bid to minimise operating costs. The front panel has a colour GUI based on icons to support the most common tasks. The AZedit and IPedit software applications have been updated to support Odin for more complex conﬁguration tasks. www.rtsintercoms.com

Bolero stands alone

A YEAR on from the release of Bolero, Riedel Communications has unveiled the Bolero Standalone Application, a licence-enabled upgrade that delivers standalone functionality and a raft of performance enhancements to the wireless intercom solution.

‘The standalone version of Bolero is a per fect wireless intercom solution for rental houses, clients with smaller requirements where intercom needs can be met solely through the ﬂexibility of Bolero and clients who are already invested in other

The RSP-1232HL is equipped with AES3 digital and SMPTE 2110-30 (AES67) connectivity options. The AES67 connections come in the form of a pair of ﬁbre SFPs and two RJ-45 connections that provide a variety of daisychaining and redundancy options. Other features include stereo, phase-accurate speakers, frontpanel mic mute and sidetone adjustments, Bluetooth and NFC connectivity, GPIO and 4-wire ports, and a light sensor for autocalibration of screen brightness. www.riedel.net

The RSP-1232HL

Clear-Com increases the I/O CLEAR-COM HAS signiﬁcantly increased the number of I/O ports on its HelixNet digital networked partyline intercom system. As part of a wider upgrade process, the system has been updated with a 6-fold increase in I/O ports, binaural listening in the HelixNet HXII-BP-X5 beltpack and direct connections to the Agent-IC mobile app and VoIP phones. Starting with the I/O, by connecting Clear-Com LQ Series devices to the HelixNet Mainstation via an Ethernet module, users can gain up to 24 audio I/O ports assigned to any of the 12 or 24 intercom channels in HelixNet. These additional ports supplement the HelixNet ports for interfacing

with 2-wire and/or 4-wire intercom or audio devices. The binaural listening upgrade enables split ear functionality to hear the programme feed from one channel to one ear, while the feed from the intercom channel is heard in the other ear. The ﬁnal upgrade means that through the LQ interface, any user on the HelixNet system is now able to communicate with users on Clear-Com’s Agent-IC mobile apps running on iOS or Android devices over Wi-Fi, as well as users on VoIP phones via a SIP connection. In other news, the manufacturer has expanded its Eclipse HX-Delta Matrix frame with a number of new additions. The IVC-32-HX

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The E-Dante64-HX

IP interface card enables IP connectivity across the intercom platform, while the E-Dante64HX card allows Eclipse HX to interoperate with other Danteenabled devices on the network. The E-QUE-HX card facilitates integration with Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak II digital wireless solution. The Gemini matrix intercom is a real-time intercom system that features integrated IP capabilities together with interfaces to 4-wire circuits, telephony, AES/MADI, IP panels and SIP for analogue- or IP-based solutions. The matrix intercom supports a range of panels including desktop and rack-mount lever key panels,

touchscreen button panels and virtual panels for smartphones and tablets. Finally, the manufacturer’s Trilogy brand has created the scalable Mercury solution to provide real-time, full-duplex voice communication. It offers PL4certiﬁed voice communications for a true red/black system, meaning multiple security levels can be traversed without compromising IP security. It also offers interoperability between disparate communication systems over Ethernet/IP, ﬁbre, MADI, POTS, Dante, AES67 and radio interfaces. www.clearcom.com

IPX

IPX5:4 | IPX10:4 | IPX20:4 | IPX10:8

THE PINNACLE OF AMPLIFIER ENGINEERING IPX series multi-channel amplifiers mark the new, unprecedented standard for sound system amplification in mid to large-sized fixed installations. These amps offer seemingly unlimited power and have the most advanced DSP with FIR-Drive processing on board, supporting Dante audio and OCA. All models embody several proprietary amplifier technologies, such as Eco Rail, which can reduce power consumption up to 50% while maintaining outstanding audio and operational safety. Learn more: Dynacord.com/ipx

PRODUCTS

Remote control from Altair

The ES-203CL with lights on ALTAIR HAS enhanced its range of wired intercom products including a single-channel station together with a compact singlechannel beltpack. Equipped with a built-in panel microphone and speaker for promoting hands-free operation, the ES-201 model can be installed as a desk or as an in-wall station. Designed for use in remote locations such as dressing rooms in theatres and BOH areas, the ES-201 can also be used with a headset or a gooseneck microphone, for which all setup changes are made using different combinations of front panel keys. The EM-203 Tubecom is a unique device capable of operating as a single-channel cable beltpack with or without a headset when used in hands-free mode. The unit features an integrated speaker and microphone, bypassing the requirement for a headset in lower SPL environments. Sharing features from both intercom and cue light systems, the ES-203CL is a hybrid that can be deployed as either a desk or

a wall-based station. Designed for production, coordination, security and crowd management applications, the unit allows communication with two independent intercom channels, while implementing a singlechannel cue light receiver. The ES203CL can either be installed as a rack or desk station, in addition to being embedded in a customised hollow courtesy of the variable position of the connections panel.

An integrated speaker, microphone panel and XLR connection are included in the design. Designed to coordinate theatrical tasks, synchronise special effects during ﬁlming or manage sporting events by providing a cue light warning channel, the Madrid-based manufacturer has launched a new series of Cue Light products. Powered via an XLR from any Altair base station or PS-200 power supply, the new master panel EC-200 will send ‘Stand-by’ (red), ‘Ready’ (red ﬂashes) and ‘Go’ (green) indications to receivers before returning to the initial state once the cycle is completed. Creating a multichannel Cue Light control station with up to four EC-200 master units is described as ‘really easy’ thanks to the PC-4200 panel racked-in unit. www.altairaudio.com

The EC-200 master unit

The Holophonix spacial processor

Amadeus tackles live immersive audio AMADEUS IS throwing its weight behind immersive audio for live sound applications with its new Holophonix spatial processor. The hardware processor brings several different spatialisation techniques for the placement and movement of sources in a 2D and/or 3D space, including waveﬁeld synthesis, high-order ambisonics, distance-based amplitude panning, vector-based amplitude panning and more. The device offers a ‘quasi-unlimited number’ of spatialisation busses, each one able to run one of the different sound algorithms available. The Holophonix processor is housed in a 3U chassis, machined from aluminium and is anodised. Its front panel is machined from an aluminium block and styled to suit the manufacturer’s audiophile hi-ﬁ products. The processor itself is structured around a multichannel algorithmic reverberation engine that can combine several

different artificial reverberations. Reflection calculators also allow the user to create several virtual sound spaces. The hardware is fully redundant, comprising dual redundant power supply units and solid-state drives, as well as being Dantecompatible. The processor also works with show control software and many popular DAWs that are compatible with the Open Sound Control (OSC) protocol, allowing composers to add a control layer to existing software, hardware or network systems. In addition to Dante, the system can be configured for MADI, Ravenna and AES67 formats. The processor allows the user to choose the rendering mode for each of the incoming channels. It natively handles 128 inputs and 128 outputs in 24-bit/96kHz resolution, but can be extended to 256 or 384 inputs and outputs. www.amadeus-audio.com

SD range gets generic, S-Series goes offline

The generic OSC platform for SD consoles DIGICO HAS implemented Generic OSC (Open Source Control) functionality for its SD consoles, allowing third-party OSC protocol devices. Users are able to deﬁne their own OSC messages within the console software, using the

SD mixer to send those messages via an Ethernet connection to the device they want to control. This connection is bidirectional, meaning the remote device can also be used to update the console’s generic OSC.

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The SD console’s input channels will display eight user-deﬁnable rotaries and eight switches, and send the custom OSC messages when adjusted. These are mapped to the console’s underscreen rotaries and switches. d&b audiotechnik is one of the early adopters of this functionality, employing it for Soundscape. Therefore, the DS100 Signal Engine can be integrated with DiGiCo’s SD range for bidirectional interoperability. ‘Generic OSC can be used by any third party wanting to take advantage of our work surfaces to control their own technology,’ said James Gordon, DiGiCo managing director. ‘We are delighted that d&b has chosen DiGiCo to join the Soundscape family. Integrating with Soundscape to maximise its creativity is something our clients would expect to see from us.’ Meanwhile, the S-Series has

new functionality in the form of an ofﬂine editor. It is compatible with Windows and macOS for use with the S21 and S31. Parameter control is offered through a mouse wheel and a new control strip, while a quick navigation facility is accessed using keyboard shortcuts. Template sessions are also provided for common DMI card and rack setups.

The S-Series Ofﬂine Editor

‘The S-Series Offline Editor gives S-Series users the same ability to work on session files offline as they currently have with the SD-Series,’ explained Roger Wood, DiGiCo’s head of software development. ‘This means that a whole show file can be written away from site and simply transferred to the console.’ www.digico.biz

PRODUCTS

Mackie takes to the studio and the stage The MDB-USB, M48 and MTest-1

MACKIE HAS introduced a raft of new lines, targeting sound engineers working with musicians on the stage and in the recording studio. The MDB Series of direct boxes – comprising MDB-1P passive, MDB2P stereo passive, MDB-1A active and MDB-USB stereo units – is designed for studio and live sound applications. The MDB-1P is aimed

at string instruments, such as guitars and basses, while the MDB-2P is similar in design, only with dual inputs and outputs for stereo sources. The MDB-1A is equipped with active circuitry for ‘ultra-low distortion and noise’, and the MDB-USB includes a USB input and dual XLR outputs for sending signals to FOH straight from a laptop. Alongside the MDB Series in the Mackie product catalogue are the MTest-1 cable tester and M48 48V

phantom power supply. The MTest-1 tests every pin via a 5-way switch and is powered by a 9V battery, allowing engineers to test beneath the stage or behind a stack of speakers. The M48 delivers 48V of power to devices and microphones that require external power and, according to Mackie, can be used in professional studios and live sound applications, as well as by individual content creators such as podcasters. Targeting studios and broadcast applications, Mackie has also released the HM Series of headphone ampliﬁers, which consists of the ultra-compact HM-4 and the rackmount HM-400 and HM-800 units. The HM-4 is a 4-way unit with a ¼-inch stereo input and four ¼-inch headphone outputs, each with individual level controls. With four channels, the HM-400 features a main input with level control as well as stereo outs, aux inputs and EQ per channel with 12 total headphone outputs. Finally,

the HM-800 has eight channels, offering up to 10 available mixes and a total of 16 headphone outputs. The HM-800 also features two discrete main inputs with level control plus stereo outs, aux inputs per channel and 16 total headphone outputs. Rounding out the latest stream of releases from the American manufacturer is the MP Series of professional in-ear monitors,

formed of the single dynamic driver MP-120, dual dynamic driver MP220 and dual hybrid driver MP-240 models. Each model is built with ergonomically moulded enclosures and comes with three different types of ear tips. The detachable cables are shielded and internally braided, and are equipped with MMCX connectors. www.mackie.com

The HM Series

The MP Series

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PRODUCTS

Calibrated precision meets convenience AUDIO PRECISION has expanded its range of measurement microphones with the 376M03 calibrated microphone system, mounting a 377M32 ½-inch cartridge to the new 426M16 phantom-powered preampliﬁer in its ½-inch conﬁguration. The 426M16 can be purchased individually and is designed to ‘combine the precision of calibrated, standardised

measurement microphones with the convenience of ubiquitous mic accessories’. The preampliﬁer features balanced connections for improved immunity to induced noise and can be connected via XLR. It comes with adapters, facilitating its use with ½-inch or ¼-inch standard IEC 61094-4 prepolarised microphone cartridges and has been developed to allow users to conﬁgure their

Biamp updates collaboration Biamp’s Devio family

BIAMP SYSTEMS has enhanced its Devio platform of collaboration solutions with beam tracking microphones to make it simpler and faster to install in smaller spaces. The manufacturer states that the next generation of the family ‘offers enhancements that broaden room design ﬂexibility, delivers improved video capabilities and expands support for VoIP/POTS handsets and mobile devices’. Designed for huddle rooms and other small meeting spaces, Devio is a USB audio interface that supports a variety of room designs for computer-based conferencing

including a BYOD approach or connection via a dedicated in-room PC. Joining the CR-1 DSP, DTM-1 tabletop and DCM-1 ceiling microphones in the Devio lineup are a pair of conferencing hubs. The SCR-20 builds on the capabilities of the CR-1 with full integration of HDMI audio, support for 4K30 video and HDCP 1.4. Meanwhile, the SCR-25 adds to this with support for Bluetooth wireless technology and a wired VoIP/POTS headset interface.

microphone system to speciﬁc measurement applications, taking into account the higher sensitivity

and lower self-noise of mics with larger diameters and the wider frequency range of smaller units.

www.ap.com

ClearOne adds the X factor CLEARONE IS targeting applications where a more demanding ceiling mic performance is needed with its Ceiling Microphone Array Analog-X. Joining the original ClearOne Ceiling Microphone Array, the new model reportedly offers systems integrators more options in their system design. Available in black or white, the unit itself features numbered mic elements for easy identiﬁcation, an LED indicator for On/Off/Mute and the ability to daisy-chain up to four ceiling microphone arrays to make 12 microphone systems. It is also 100% shielded from any interference, can be installed more than 2m away from the ceiling and works with any DSP mixer. In other news, the manufacturer has announced that its Converge Pro 2 48V, 128V and 128VD DSP mixers now support built-in Skype for Business clients for

Ceiling Microphone Array Analog-X installed audio conferencing applications. The feature is available through a free upgrade for the software and ﬁrmware. It works with both cloud and on-premises Skype for Business servers, and is compatible with all other Skype for Business clients. Additionally, there are

new and separate Converge Pro 2 Dialer applications for Skype for Business that are available on Android and the Touch-Panel Controller. Finally, the manufacturer has also introduced a software upgrade for its View Pro system. ‘With the View Pro system’s new web-based GUI, simple tasks, such as assigning IP addresses, conﬁguring streams and even signal routing across a large installation can be done just by entering one device’s URL into the web browser,’ explained ClearOne sales director for network video and audio distribution, Lewis Eig. ‘In addition to that, the View Pro Console upgrade gives integrators the easiest interface to conﬁgure the encoders and decoders, and to create and manage A/V streams for projects of any scale.’ www.clearone.com

www.biamp.com

d:vote gets DPA’s vote EXPANDING ON its Core series, DPA’s d:vote 4099 instrument microphones have been developed for woodwind and acoustical instruments and are described as being ‘a great ﬁt’ for applications ranging from the studio and theatre to live performances during primetime broadcasts. The latest addition features a more distinguished foam cover that helps decrease vulnerability to wind or movement during a per formance. Available in two versions to match the SPL of an instrument, d:vote 4099 lowers

Phantom-powered measurement microphones

The mic system performance offers a noise ﬂoor as low as 15.5dBA and a frequency response up to 100kHz, depending on the microphone cartridge conﬁgured with the 426M16. The mic cartridges possess a stainless alloy that is designed to remain stable during changes in temperature.

The Orban iSurround headphone monitor

the general distortion heard at all levels and increases the dynamic range up to 14dB (at 1% THD). To make it easier for users to tell the difference between the two versions, the new d:vote mics are colourcoded at the bottom of the mic with a red mark representing ‘Loud SPL’ and a yellow mark representing ‘Extreme SPL’. www.dpamicrophones.com

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iSurround on hand for next-gen audio applications DEVELOPED FOR the rendering of 11.1 next-generation audio content in headphones for HDTV broadcast customers, the Orban iSurround headphone monitor aims to reproduce 3D/immersive multichannel audio for users. Apart from HDTV broadcasters, iSurround can also be used by production houses, content creators, recording studios and mastering houses. Using Orban’s DSX headphone immersive surround algorithm

(v 2.71), iSurround features the latest version ITU-R BS.1770 loudness measurement system for 3D/immersive 11.1 surround audio including programme quality, levels and loudness. No proprietary surround encoding is required, while the monitor works with any type of headphone, including openback, closed-back, in-ear and ear buds without the need for individual HRTF calibration or special set up. Test tone locations are rendered with Blits tones and Swoop tests

without artiﬁcial ambience that masks the programme audio. iSurround is available with standard AES I/O and an HD/ SDI input option. Other options available soon include AES67 input via Dante AoIP, balanced analogue audio I/O as well as a built-in webserver for remote control and logging (balanced analogue audio I/O and HD/SDI input cannot be combined). www.orban.com

PRODUCTS

Cadac caters to both ends of the scale

Cadac’s CDC five and CDC seven-s CADAC HAS created a pair of new mixing consoles that target very different ends of the market. The CDC five is aimed at the smaller end of the market, while the CDC seven-s is the manufacturer’s new flagship for the line. Cadac is describing its CDC five as the ‘smallest and most

affordable of the touchscreen CDC series’. The new console has been designed as a ‘one-box solution’ that the manufacturer hopes will appeal to a wider customer base. The CDC ﬁve features a single 23.5-inch touchscreen and 16 faders, with dual banks of userassignable buttons, providing a

total of 40. The rear panel offers 16 analogue inputs, as well as eight analogue outputs and eight digital inputs and outputs, as well as the integrated 64x64 Waves card. The CDC ﬁve also includes dual MegaCOMMS ports, enabling additional MegaCOMMS processing/interfaces to be connected, to form part of an extended audio and mixing console network. The CDC ﬁve runs 96k/24-bit audio and is capable of providing up to 48 inputs and 24 assignable busses, plus L-C-R and monitors in FOH mode; or 30 assignable busses when operating in Monitor Mode. The console has one internal PSU with the option of adding a second redundant external supply.

At the other end of the scale, Cadac has replaced the CDC seven and CDC eight with the CDC seven-s. The new ﬂagship CDC desk offers 128 inputs and 64 busses – of which 56 are assignable (62 in Monitor Mode). The new console also features a number of additional hardware buttons that are aimed at speeding up navigation.

Alongside this pair of launches is new software for the CDC series of consoles. Version 5 Console Software is said to enhance CDC six, not only with all of the additional new features, but also from an increase in its input channel count, bringing the total up to 80, while maintaining the 48 assignable bus count. www.cadac-sound.com

Connections on the rear of the CDC ﬁve

A theatrical Crescendo STAGE TEC’S application specialist for theatre/live applications, Christian Fuchs, has cited ‘an uptick in interest from theatres’ in the German manufacturer’s Crescendo digital mixing console as the reason for the release of the Crescendo-T, which offers ‘special features needed for theatre applications’. The ﬁrst such feature provides two automation options: snapshot and scene automation. Static automation is enhanced with Crescendo’s 5-scene list control buttons found on the surface of Crescendo-T for easier access. Meanwhile, snapshot preview interrupts the link between the physical user interface and signal processing, allowing the user to try out different settings without

The Crescendo-T console committing to them before an audience. Crescendo-T also has ‘Save All’ functionality, which enables mode changes to be

written as absolute values or relative changes and implemented all together or within a selection of snapshots.

In addition to peak filters and the pair of cut filters, the CrescendoT’s EQ also boasts two shelving filters. ‘It is well known that most theatres lack space and appreciate any console that saves room,’ commented Mr Fuchs. Stage Tec has also partnered with DirectOut to create its XFIP board to be a fibre and IP interface for customers that require a small audio network without a Nexus Star router. Used in Nexus Base Devices and also applicable for users who do have a Star router but no room for extra boards, the XFIP is the equivalent of Stage Tec’s RIF67 (Router Interface AES67) in terms of IP connections. It uses DirectOut’s AES67.IO module, which can process AoIP with up to 256

channels in a maximum of 32 streams. Each XFIP supports up to 256 channels in and 256 channels out on the Nexus side. It supports redundant audio transmission as per SMPTE 2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching and offers a Ravenna implementation. In addition to the AES67.IO module, the XFIP also comes with two SFP ports for future applications. Conﬁguration of the plug-andplay device’s AES67 interface is undertaken via a web interface, with status monitoring through Nexus. It is backwards compatible and can be used in legacy Nexus systems. www.directout.eu www.stagetec.com

RTW goes the Smart way RTW’S TM3 Smart and TM33G Smart TouchMonitors have been developed with the aim of eliminating additional licensing costs as well as offering a more user-friendly and compact device. Designed to be used ‘right out of the box’, both models allow users working with stereo, 5.1 or multichannel signals to create several conﬁguration sets with different presets with the Devicer DC1 Software. They also feature a 4.3-inch touchscreen, an interface box and can be mounted on a 19-inch rack. This allows the metering equipment to be set up as a table-top unit next to a mixer in the studio, mounted on a rack in

the studio or in the master control room, meeting the needs of various users. In addition to PPM and True Peak instruments, both TM3 Smart and TM3-3G Smart are equipped with loudness measuring features conforming to all relevant international standards. Loudness instruments include single-channel and summing bar graphs, loudness range, loudness chart (TP, M, S or I value over time) and numerical displays. The TM3-3G Smart is described by the manufacturer as being a ‘compact and versatile solution’ for metering, deembedding and monitoring of 3G-SDI audio signals

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TM3 Smart

using a display unit for vertical or horizontal use. With its integrated 3G-SDI deembedder interface, the TM3-3G displays level and loudness of any eight 3G-SDI audio channels. Additionally, up to 16 SDI audio signals can be sent to eight AES3 outputs eliminating the need for an external deembedder. The TM3 Smart, handling a maximum of six channels, has been developed with editorial ofﬁces, edit suites and small control rooms in mind as well as any application that requires level control. The unit’s user interface can be selected with the swipe of a ﬁnger. www.rtw.com

PRODUCTS

Looking to make new Waves with Scheps Omni Channel

Scheps Omni Channel DESIGNED WITH mixer Andrew Scheps, the latest Scheps Omni Channel from Waves Audio delivers various combinations including compression, EQ and saturation colours. The channel strip’s pre-module provides three types of analogue saturation allowing additional diverse colours of harmonic distortion as well as ﬁlters and thump (resonance) controls. The compression module features three different compressors ranging from fast to slow and smooth, with a uniﬁed control set to compare them. A wet/dry control allows users to parallel compress within the module. The EQ module is a 4-band equaliser with each band providing a distinct musical sound that can be switched to fully parametric if surgical EQ is required. The DS2 module can reportedly remove any offending frequencies on any source. The gate module allows standard controls for gating/expansion,

but also lets users adjust the maximum noise reduction to maintain a consistent noise ﬂoor. Waves Audio is also in a celebratory mood with its revamped and reskinned plugin versions for Q10 Equalizer, AudioTrack and L1 Ultramaximizer to mark its 25th anniversary.

The reskinned edition for Q10 Equalizer include new plug-in features such as proportional Q ﬁlters, selectable band control, double Precision control, focused EQ band display, separate meters for Comp/Gate gain reduction, true peak domain setting and automatic release control. In other news, Waves’ SoundGridcompatible stageboxes, STG1608 and STG-2412, have been developed as audio interfaces that can connect and network with modern live sound systems. Built for the road, the rack-mountable STGs come with I/Os of 16x8 and 24x12 as well as digitally controlled preamps and AD/DA converters. Elsewhere, the company states that all F6 Dynamic EQ users covered by the Waves Update Plan can update to add an FFT-based, real-time frequency spectrum analyser free of charge. www.waves.com

F6 dynamic EQ

The AM-300

Crestron simplifies presentations CRESTRON’S AIRMEDIA Presentation System 300 – abbreviated to AM-300 – is built to facilitate secure wired and wireless presentations and integrate with several leading calendaring platforms. The manufacturer describes it as ‘easy to deploy and manage’, stating that it ‘is ideal for organisations with a dispersed workforce, open ﬂoor plans and reliance on mobile devices to present’. It is designed to support the variety of platforms and services used on personal devices. The AM-300 can be installed behind a wall mount display, hidden from view. It includes built-in AirMedia 2.0 wireless presentation functionality, as well as HDMI and DM inputs, HDMI outputs to HD or UHD displays, and an auto-on/off display control via CEC, serial or IR. By connecting a source, the system automatically selects that input and shows the source image on the display. Crestron’s AirMedia technology enables wireless presentations of content from a laptop,

smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi. Full HD video can be delivered at up to 30fps. Alternatively, an HDMI input provides a direct connection for local sources via an optional wall plate or cable. The use of a DM 8G+ transmitter to facilitate connection of a source from a convenient location up to 100m away is also allowed thanks to the AM-300’s DM input. The DM input supports 4K signals and the HDMI input supports HD 1080p signals. The manufacturer has also released the DM XiO Director, which it describes as a ‘new A/V matrix for the IT age’. Available in three models – the DM-XIODIR-80, DM-XIO-DIR-160 and DM-XIO-DIR-ENT, supporting 80, 60 and unlimited endpoint devices, respectively – the DM XiO Director is a software tool designed to centrally conﬁgure, manage and control DM NVX network A/V systems. It enables device discovery, domain conﬁguration, endpoint mapping, multicasting management and status monitoring. www.crestron.com

Prime time at Allen & Heath ‘HOW DO we take a class-leading digital mixer to the next level?’ was the question on the lips of Allen & Heath managing director, Rob Clark, and his team when developing the new Prime I/O modules. The answer comes in the shape of two models: an Input Mic Pre module and a Line Output module. Both Prime modules are designed to ﬁt in a dLive DX32 expander rack and can be used in conjunction with existing I/Os. Users are able to tailor or scale the system to their own needs. The modules also utilise dLive’s 96kHz XCVI FPGA core. ‘As our XCVI core is a defacto 96kHz platform, we realised

we were able to exploit I/O converter technologies that are optimised for these higher sampling rates, providing audiophile levels of transparency without compromising latency or bandwidth,’ said Mr Clark. ‘These higher resolution converters led us to also investigate different types of interface electronics in the analogue circuitry, including Nichicon FG Fine Gold capacitors, and enhancements to power supplies, grounding and shielding. This in turn resulted in further performance improvements, slashing THD and noise and vastly improving on typical slew rates.’

78 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018 78 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

The Prime I/O modules Allen & Heath has also introduced new expansion and advanced AMM (automatic mic mixing) capabilities for its SQ digital mixer series as part of the V1.2 ﬁrmware update. The update supports DX Hub, a hardware expansion hub that allows multiple DX168 stagebox expanders to be connected to

an SQ mixer, so that users can source 48 channels from the stage at 96kHz or deploy up to eight portable expanders. In addition, V1.2 adds two independent AMMs based on the D-Classic algorithm from the manufacturer’s DEEP processing system. Other enhancements include the Noo

Phaser and Chorus RackFX units for the SQ FX library and factory processing libraries. Finally, the dLive V1.7 ﬁrmware bears the fruits of a collaboration between Allen & Heath and Shure, which sees native monitoring and control of Shure’s ULX-D and QLX-D wireless systems from a dLive mixer. ‘Working with Shure, we have integrated convenient, at-aglance monitoring of key wireless functions within the dLive interface and from the Director laptop app,’ commented Allen & Heath’s dLive product manager, Ben Morgan. www.allen-heath.com

PRODUCTS

Calrec goes modular CALREC HAS taken a modular approach to the design of its Type R expandable, IP-based radio system. The system uses standard networking technology and combines it with conﬁgurable soft panels that can be tailored to operator needs. Type R’s physical control system consists of three panels: a fader panel, a large soft panel and a small soft panel. Each is compatible with COTS hardware and powered over Ethernet. The

Type R’s fader panel touchscreen soft panels are designed around simple control

elements and can be customised as multi-function panels. Soft panels can be used in either landscape or portrait formats and provide adaptable and speciﬁc functionality for talent, while ensuring overall control is maintained by the station’s technical team. This functionality can be changed from show to show using memory loads. The fader panels offer six faders and

The soft panels can be customised for talent immediate access to essential controls. These can be added or removed by plugging or unplugging an Ethernet cable.

It has a 2U core at its heart with integrated I/O resources. A single core can power up to three independent mixing environments, with no sharing of DSP resources. Bussing, including the creation of mix-minus feeds, is reportedly quick to assign, while EQ and dynamics control are described by the manufacturer as ‘clear and fast’. www.calrec.com

AKG enters the fold THE K275, K245 and K175 are foldable studio headphones from AKG, designed to withstand the life of pro audio professionals and musicians on the road. They feature a triple axis metal hinge to be tucked away in travel bags when not in use for monitoring inside the studio.

INSIDE3/4 THEPAGE WORLD’S MOST

The K275 and K245 are overear models that boast 50mm transducers, which reportedly offer a greater low-frequency extension and detailed bass reproduction. The K175, meanwhile, has an on-ear design with 40mm transducers. All three come equipped with a self-adjusting headband and ﬂoating ear cups. Additionally, slow retention foam ear pads offer a secure ﬁt to ensure optimal bass extension and prevent sound leaking into the surrounding environment. The K275 and K175 possess a closed-back design for live recording and monitoring applications, while the K245 features a semi-open design for editing and mixing.

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 79 July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 79

PRODUCTS

Better stage presence for DA-6400 Plixus AE-R

Televic holds more digital meetings

The DA-6400 DEVELOPED WITH theatre, amusement park and live concert playback in mind, the 2.0 ﬁrmware update to TASCAM’s DA-6400 multitrack digital recorder includes new features such as Theater Play mode and Playlist support. The Theater Play function enables DA-6400 users to set start and end marker points for individual takes. These markers allow theatre operators to trigger multichannel events either manually, or via external control, after which the system

automatically proceeds to the next scheduled cue and waits in Standby mode. This feature is said by the manufacturer to enable venue designers to better combine audio, lighting and scenery cues. Using Playlist mode, users can deﬁne regions and set playback ranges within individual multitrack takes, thus creating scenarios whereby these regions are played in various orders and/or multiple times each. This, says TASCAM, makes creating complex

performances from chains of events quick and intuitive. Other new functions include playback of WAV ﬁles in 32-bit PCM and 32-bit ﬂoating formats, sorting functions that allow the take list to be arranged in Take timecode or Take name order, and mDNS support so that network connection with the DA-6400 can be achieved from macOS and Telnet, or VNC and FTP apps that support mDNS. www.tascam.com

THE LATEST hardware and software solutions from Televic Conference aim to offer additional integration and user-friendly features for various devices during digital meetings. From microphone management over interpretation channels and audio routing to camera control, the Plixus AE-R – the latest central conference engine from the manufacturer – does not require a dedicated computer to operate. New features include an expandable USB slot and a

control, record and stream a meeting all in one integrated interface. Meanwhile, D-Cerno SL is the latest digital plug-and-play discussion unit developed with smaller- and medium-sized conferences in mind but also for the visually impaired. It comes with a removable microphone and a central microphone button that aims to be user-friendly and provide more clarity. D-Cerno SL also has a slimmer design when compared to previous models.

Jünger Audio gets flexible with AIXpressor IN A further blurring of the lines between the IT and A/V worlds, German manufacturer Jünger Audio has developed a new

hardware unit that acts as a base for software-deﬁned products created using Jünger’s new Flexible Audio Infrastructure, ﬂexAI. This means that by buying different and additional software licences, broadcasters can customise their device to suit their needs for channel count and processing capabilities. The AIXpressor

is a 1U device based on x86 processors and equipped with a range of built-in interfaces, including redundant audio over

IP, USB host and client interfaces as well as MADI, AES/EBU and analogue I/Os. The unit also has four slots for optional interfaces which are compatible with Jünger’s existing D*AP audio processors including 3G/HD/SD SDI, MADI and Audinate Dante. In conjunction with the AIXpressor hardware, the manufacturer has

also developed a new optical connection called tieLight that is able to transmit up to 1,152 audio channels in each direction,

reportedly with very low delay and compensated latency. It can be used for cascading multiple devices and for setting up larger systems that require several processors. It will be available as a PCIexpress interface card to be used in Jünger’s upcoming line of servers.

T-Council has been developed for local councils recording button at the front, while a more user-friendly web server gives the operator access to core meeting functionality. Plixus AE-R works with CoCon applications and is adaptable with the latest software solutions, Congressify and T-Council. Congressify has been developed for delegates to see meeting information – such as who is speaking, who is next to speak, an item on an agenda and a document – on their own devices. Developed for local councils, T-Council allows attendees to

Televic’s Plixus Nameplate is the newest addition to its electronic nameplate line and comes with what is described as a ‘unique request-to-speak button and indicator’. The device uses E Ink technology, has a viewing angle of 180° while there is repor tedly no ﬂicker when ﬁlmed or broadcast. A default screen can also be set before events to automatically switch off when meetings end. www.televic-conference.com

www.jungeraudio.com

Enter the Aneman ANEMAN LITERALLY takes its name from the phrase Audio Network Manager. It is a crossplatform, cross-vendor audio network management software solution developed by Merging Technologies and Digigram with the goal of designing an audio networking connection monitoring and management system based on the same values as Ravenna: to keep it simple, open source and free. However, the manufacturers state the project resulted in an ecosystem ‘much larger’ than Ravenna/AES67, as by allowing

all companies to write their own plug-ins for Aneman, no speciﬁc protocol is mandated, while existing devices already on the market can also be managed by the solution. Users are able to integrate it into an existing system to extend its compatibility or to simplify a network setup. Aneman currently suppor ts Windows 7/10 and macOS 10.10+, and allows users to connect, monitor and manage all networked audio devices. It provides the ability to save and recall a network patch to switch

80 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018 80 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

between network conﬁgurations, provides connection and PTP clock statuses when a connection can’t be made, and, with its open source protocol, allows new manufacturers to

add additional device suppor t or speciﬁc user inter face modules. Additionally, Aneman provides a comprehensive network summar y display and matrix router, and can automatically

manage network streams. As with most software solutions, Aneman will also be subject to updates, the ﬁrst of which will be version 1.0.1, which will allow the discover y of Dante/ AES67 streams to connect them with compatible devices and provide a PTP offset indicator. The Enterprise version of Aneman will gain switch control and conﬁguration, web ser vice, security and NMOS suppor t with version 1.0.1. www.aneman.net www.digigram.com www.merging.com

Minimalist design, maximum connectivity

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Designing unique audio solutions never dreamed of before.

PRODUCTS

TiMax 500S tops up SoundHub

The TiMax 500S software update for TiMax SoundHub DEVELOPED BY Out Board, TiMax 500S is the latest software for the TiMax SoundHub spatial audio processor. The TiMax 500S software is said to offer enhanced programming and showcontrol workﬂows for rendering and control of live, presentation and experiential spatial reinforcement and immersive audio.

It also includes new-look variable day/night skins which have been optimised for outdoor rehearsal and show conditions. The latest version includes the suite of TimeLine, PanSpace and StageSpace object-based spatial rendering tools for sound enhancements and playback. www.outboard.co.uk

QSC simplifies Q-Sys design

The Q-Sys UCI Editor NEW MONITORING and management technology for QSC’s Q-Sys has introduced several features to the platform such as a drag-and-drop interface to aid visual programming. The Q-Sys UCI Editor is the aforementioned dragand-drop design tool that allows users to create custom, robust UCIs for native Q-Sys touchscreen controllers. For installations that require more complex control integration, the Q-Sys Scripting Engine now allows control plug-ins and scripts to integrate third-party devices within the Q-Sys Platform. It also provides the backbone for new Block Controller components that allow users to create custom scripts using ‘accessible’ scripting languages such as Lua.

The QSC Designer Software allows users to create designs for the Q-Sys Integrated System Platform and was created with the aim of being intuitive and easy to use, removing complicated, multi-level menus. During A/V system design development and testing, the full functionality of the Designer Software, including the Q-Sys UCI Editor and the Q-Sys Scripting Engine, are now included at no cost while running in emulation mode. When it’s time to deploy a system design to the Q-Sys Core processor, users can enable control-related features on their processors using new node-locked, perpetual software licences. www.qsc.com

82 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018 82 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

System T updates THE V2.0 software release for Solid State Logic’s System T broadcast audio production platform introduces immersive audio, ‘appified’ software and DAW control to the range of consoles, remote hardware, software interfaces, processor engines and I/O interfaces. The implementation of immersive audio allows System T to support ATSC 3.0, Dolby Atmos and MPEG-H. System T’s 3-axis coordinate panning incorporates 2- or 4-channel overhead speakers into the available channel and bus formats. It can position mono and stereo sources in a 3D sound field and can also accept multichannel 3D sources, fine-tuning spatial components as they are added to the final production mix. Supported formats include 5.1.2 and 5.1.4, 7.1.2 and 7.1.4, and a 4.0.4 format, designed primarily for beds and stems. V2.0 has been designed to ensure that the centre channel remains available for dialogue or commentary, and can also be used for the output VR mics that capture a 4-channel ambisonic scene representation. The intelligent downmixing functionality allows the creation of conventional

Immersive audio interface for System T 5.1, stereo and mono mixes by routing a 3D channel or stem to a master bus, a 12-channel monitoring section. Other features include 49 12-channel monitor inputs, configured as a primary monitor input and two 24-channel preselectors with a 12-channel AFL monitor bus and a pair of 12-channel insert points for external processing and rendering, a large collection of processing tools and an effects rack that includes immersive format versions of the Bus Compressor, Multiband Compressor, Enhancer, Dynamic EQ, G flex EQ, All Pass Filter, DeNoiser and Summing modules. The ‘appified’ software aspect of the update sees the software

interface components launch as separate applications, each made available anywhere across System T’s multiscreen control surfaces and PC control stations. This approach, the manufacturer states, ‘facilitates a wide range of screen interface setups, across multiple screens, to suit various workﬂows for different types of production’. Finally, the DAW control makes full use of System T touchscreen and hardware controls and includes a dedicated screen interface for control over the DAW mixer environment and transport controls. www.solidstatelogic.com

Nexo shows its Excellence NEXO HAS showcased a series of stands and mounts developed specially for the French manufacturer by Show-em of Germany. Described as achieving the perfect balance between design and functional technology, the Excellent Line offers a complete range of mounting solutions for Nexo products spanning small-to-large applications. The range can carry all Nexo full-range and subwoofer cabinets.

With dedicated adapter heads, the stand can carry different line arrays up to a maximum load of 240kg, while speakers can be presented to an overall height of 4m. Three different baseplates accommodate the range of subwoofers. All cabling is contained within the stand’s construction, making the solution well-suited for corporate A/V environments. www.nexo.fr

ADAM mounts up NEW MOUNTING options have been released for ADAM Audio’s S2V, S3V and S3H speakers. The manufacturer has cited growing demand from its S Series customers, par ticularly in the broadcast and integration markets, as the reason for the production of a ceiling mount and mounting brackets. The ceiling mount includes a telescopic arm to facilitate simple height adjustments,

swivelled backwards or for wards by up to 40°. ‘We’re excited to offer our customers new installation solutions that allow the best-possible positioning of their speakers in the room,’ commented Christian Hellinger, CEO at ADAM Audio. ‘That applies to both stereo setups as well as larger multichannel conﬁgurations.’ while the mounting brackets possess the ability to be

www.adam-audio.com

PRODUCTS

Ayrton shines new light with Mistral-TC

Mistral-TC

DEVELOPED WITH applications requiring colour reproduction, improved optical efﬁciency and compactness in mind, MistralTC is the new LED spot and wash light ﬁxture range from Ayrton. Mistral-TC is a 300W white LED source spot that shares a form-factor with its compact sibling, Merak. It features a new white LED module, calibrated at 7,000K, with a CRI greater than 90 and high TM30 readings with an output of over 14,000 lumens.

The new 13-lens proprietary optical system delivers an 8:1 zoom ratio with a zoom range of 7° to 53°. The optics, equipped with a 119mm frontal lens, can achieve a uniform ﬂat beam that can render images in different conditions and beam angles. Mistral-TC includes a CYM colour mixing system combined with a variable CTO and a 7-position complementary colour wheel for producing what the manufacturer calls ‘vivid pastels and saturated colours’. The effects section includes 16 interchangeable

The Fiilex Q8 Travel is said to produce high-quality light with the ability to smoothly blend with ambient lighting or precisely match lights from other fixtures. It also has a solid construction, while the robust housing ensures the fixture can withstand harsh transpor tation conditions and rough handling during rigging. The other new feature is the inter face that offers an LCD display and manual control in an effor t to assist filmmakers establish faster workflows on set. It is DC-powered, works with

CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL has added two LED spot fixtures to its Rogue series: the 300W LED Rogue R2X Spot (11,000 lumens) and the 170W LED Rogue R1X Spot (6,700 lumens). The R2X Spot features a 16.5° beam angle, two variable scrolling colour wheels with seven colours and split colour capability, 16-bit Fiilex Q8 Travel an included AC/DC adapter and can connect to many qualified 48VDC batteries. www.fiilex.com

GLP gets KNV out of frame CREATED TO allow designers to build rigid lighting structures, KNV is described by GLP Lighting as being the ﬁrst frameless modular LED unit on the market to combine strobe, blinder and pixel block. The KNV Cube and KNV Arc components make up a modular LED system that can be used either as a single unit or combined in an interlocking system. Production designers can use them to create various structural formations such as double units, quad clusters and large matrixes. By combining the GLP KNV Arc, it is possible to create various shapes such as rings, wave designs and letters. Combined in a single module, the ﬁxture has the capability to reportedly

output 50,000 lumens. With the modules being IP54-rated, KNV can be deployed on festival front trussing or other outdoor applications. Two integrated engines can be used to create effects. Meanwhile, Impression FR1 features colour mixing and the ability to project a white light with colour temperature control. Using a single, high-powered 60W homogenised RGBW LED at its core, FR1 has a 3.5° to 34° zoom range, allowing beam control over both short- and long-throw distances. The ﬁxture features 16-bit dimming and 16-bit position control through 540° of pan and 220° of tilt and bidirectional continuous pan rotation at varying speeds. Impression FR1

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Also bursting onto the scene is Ayrton’s new MiniBurst, a strobe ﬁxture designed with small dimensions. It is quarter of the size of the MagicBurst and approximately the same size as the MiniPanel-FX at 285mm x 285mm. It features 960 monochip, daylight-white LED sources grouped into 16 pixels on a 4x4 matrix and is reportedly capable of emitting 60,000 lumens, with a ﬂicker-free output, making it suited to lighting for video capture. www.ayrton.eu

Chauvet goes Rogue with new fixtures

Fiilex Q8 Travel set for location shoot TARGETING ADDRESS lighting issues for on-location film and video productions, the Fiilex Q8 Travel is the company’s first product in its LED Q-series to come with a customised 8-inch Fresnel lens designed specifically for the 300W DiCon Dense Matrix LED. According to Fiilex, the Q8 Travel offers one of the longest Fresnel zoom ranges in the industry (12° to 60°). The fixture can reportedly flood any wide space with an even spread of light, or focus into a spot with a well-defined edge and uniform beam profile near the centre.

high-definition glass gobos on two wheels: one rotating wheel with seven positions and one fixed wheel with nine positions. The effects wheel can be used in combination with the two gobo wheels to create graphical effects. It also features a 16-blade iris diaphragm, a 5-facet rotating prism and a soft-edge frost filter as standard equipment. MistralTC’s phase-change liquid cooling system uses a heat pipe that includes a silent ventilation mode, designed for studio and theatre applications.

www.glp.de

The Rogue Spot fixtures dimming, as well as a 3-facet prism and smooth gobo morphing between its dual gobo wheels. This can allow designers to create a number of shape-changing effects. The Rogue R1X Spot features a motorised iris and focus for beam shaping, 16-bit dimming, 16° beam angle and a colour wheel that features eight colours, split colour ability and continuous variable-speed scrolling. Its dual gobo wheels have seven interchangeable gobos with a 3-facet prism in place for aerial effects. Both fixtures are RDM-enabled for remote addressing and troubleshooting, with other features including Neutrik powerCON power input/output connections for power linking, DMX channel profiles

for programming, 3- and 5-pin DMX input/output connections and selectable PWM settings for flicker-free operation on camera. The R2X offers a selectable LED maximum output, allowing it to match Rogue R2 Spot fixtures that are already in a rig, while the R1X can be matched to existing Rogue R1 Spot units. Meanwhile sister brand, Chauvet DJ, has introduced BTAir, an app that uses Bluetooth technology to control lights directly from a phone or tablet. Available for iOS and Android platforms and free download to, BTAir can pair over Bluetooth with enabled Chauvet DJ fixtures, including the SlimPAR T12 BT, SlimPAR Q12 BT and Colorband T3 BT. www.chauvetdj.com www.chauvetprofessional.com

BTAir is on the air

PRODUCTS

A grand new vision THE NEXT generation of MA Lighting’s flagship grandMA console series has been launched and brings several new and enhanced features to the platform. At the heart of an all-new system architecture is new fixtures, features and effects handling, as well as a redesigned user interface that the manufacturer says ‘makes practical tasks more intuitive’. The grandMA3 comes in two form factors: a full-size and a light model, both of which feature large multitouch screens capable of displaying dedicated encoder and playback information. The surface houses dual physical encoders that can be custom mapped to functions. Reducing weight and increasing durability have also been central to the new design, yet the console retains its familiar dual friction hinge format. Motorised playback faders have been used across the entire grandMA3 range and incorporate a colour-changing light pipe on all models except the onPC command wing. A flexible assignment of playback functionality means there’s 30% more playback handles than any previous grandMA series

Tasker gets loud

console, explains the company, while all playbacks have direct access to button pushes as well as intensity and timing changes thanks to the new rotary RGB backlit encoders. Additionally, the desk’s control software utilises a new flexible fixture concept developed to replicate the real-world physical components of complex, modern fixtures. Fixture information is now generic and allows for the sharing of programmed data between fixtures. The manufacturer

now supports the new GDTF (General Device Type Format) protocol natively, allowing ﬁxture manufacturers to ensure their own ﬁxtures are controlled as intended. Furthermore, dynamic effects are no longer restricted to just

2-step modulated parameters. The grandMA3 software has a new effects concept allowing multi-step effect sequences to be nested inside a cue or preset. ‘Phasers’, as they are called, are treated just like static parameter values and

respect normal programming syntax. In addition to the lighting control capabilities, the grandMA3 software features an integrated 3D visualiser for pre-programming, and the ability to manipulate and playback basic media content directly from within the console. Optimum performance is resource dependent, therefore additional processing hardware will be required in some instances. www.malighting.com

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TASKER HAS increased its range of speaker cables for use in live events with the C102 dual 4mm² line and the larger 6mm² C282. They are designed to offer reliability during live productions. Inside the C102 is a ﬂat red/black wire with a sheath of soft PVC. The C282, meanwhile, is a round cable with eight conductors, designed especially for use with large clusters of loudspeakers. On the lighting side, Tasker’s C861 is a full-range, doubleshielded DMX cable. It can manage 1101 and run AES and EBU. www.tasker.it

July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 85 July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 85

PRODUCTS

New 4K flagship camera from Panasonic A FLAGSHIP model has joined Panasonic’s portfolio of studio cameras that includes the new S35mm MOS sensor and is capable of outputting in both ultra and full HD. The AK-UC4000 camera is launched alongside the AK-UCU600 camera control unit. The pair have the same

format as the UC3000 system but additionally feature a 4.4K image sensor in UHD, which the manufacturer says achieves 2,000 TV lines and an S/N ratio of 62dB. Connectivity includes dual 12G SDI and quad 3G (2 x quad 3G is also an option). All outputs are capable of supporting HDR (HLG) and SDR

AK-UC4000 independently. A Media over IP interface (MoIP), with SMPTE 2022 and SMPTE ST 2110 for remote operation conﬁgurations, will be

introduced by Panasonic in the near future. Furthermore, the AK-UC4000 camera system will incorporate switchable 2x, 3x and 4x highspeed HD support as standard later this year. In addition to the 4K capable studio camera, the manufacturer has also unveiled a 6-model series of 4K professional displays, spanning 43 to 86 inches that feature narrow bezels and a slim depth. The entry-class LCD panels provide 350cd/m2 brightness,

From Aqua Versatility key for SGM Light fixtures to Omega PR LIGHTING’S 480 Beam and Omega, produce beams and zoomable blades of light, respectively.

Aqua 480 Beam Developed for outdoor use, the IP65-rated Aqua 480 Beam is waterproof with a large aperture beam that can produce beam effects at an angle of 3.1°. The central illumination is 182,000 Lux at 20m and 81,000 Lux at 30m. It can provide a number of effects combined with a CMY linear colour mixing system, and has 18 ﬁxed and seven rotating gobos.

BUILDING ON its VP Series, the four latest Video Pixel Linear fixtures from SGM Light have been designed to improve direct view, reliability and colour mixing consistency of complex light and video outdoor installations. The new VPL 305-20 Opal, VPL 305-20, VPL 1220-20 Opal and VPL 1220-20 fixtures are suitable for both linear and radial installations and are described by the manufacturer as being ‘ideal where high visibility and a very flexible setup are essential’. SGM has expanded the imaging area to 6mm x 6mm full colour, increased the pixel brightness and premixed the colours inside the quad cluster. The company’s quad-pixel

VPL 305-20 Opal

technology, which applies passive thermal management and implements In-Cluster colour mixing, has also been applied to the VPLs. Additionally, the four ﬁxtures, each with a 19.05mm pixel pitch and a 120° viewing angle, have been developed with the aim of creating pixel-mapping and media effects. The series is available in two different lengths (1,220mm and 305mm) and with either a

clear or an opal front glass. The clear lens allows a direct view of pixels with more brightness, while the Opal version offers a soft-frosted look for textures, even light distribution and diffused effects.

The Omega combines six RGBW 4-in-1 LEDs and is a moving zoom bar effect luminaire. Each pixel can be controlled individually, while the light output can be turned into a dynamic ray of micro beams in the air. www.pr-lighting.com

www.panasonic.com

With a single multicore cable, it is possible to link up to 79.3m (65 VPL 1220-20 units) in one circuit, creating no gap between connected ﬁxtures. Driven directly by 200 to 240VAC, the VPLs can reportedly reduce power consumption and installation costs as there is no need for external power supplies. The new ﬁxtures are compatible with SGM’s VP Processor, VP Administrator software and the company’s latest VP-Net protocol, and, with its 2,000K to 10,000K colour temperature presets, can produce different effects. www.sgmlight.com

A view of Venice possesses more than 15 latitude stops to handle challenging lighting environments, from low-light to harsh sunlight. Venice also provides ﬁle-based production utilising Sony’s 16-bit RAW/X-OCN and XAVC workﬂows with the manufacturer’s AXS-R7 portable memory recorder. Once movies shot using Venice make it to the cinema, there’s a chance they could be shown using Sony’s new SRX-R800 family of 4K laser projectors. These projectors combine the manufacturer’s native 4K SXRD panel and optical technology, which offers a contrast Venice

The Omega

and are targeted at shopping centres, showrooms, meeting rooms and classrooms. The two largest panels (86 and 75-inches) also feature In-Plane Switching technology, which maintains colour accuracy and clear visibility when the screen is viewed off-axis. To support the latest 4K and full HD video content, all the EQ1 series displays have two HDCP 2.2-compliant HDMI terminals to play DRM-protected content.

VENICE IS the name of Sony’s first full-frame digital motion picture camera system. The manufacturer states that it was ‘created through close collaboration and careful research with the creative community’ and that it is ‘the film industry’s first camera with a builtin, 8-step glass ND filter system, negating the need to replace external ND filters’. Venice features a 36mm x 24mm full-frame sensor and offers a range of lens compatibility, including

86 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018 86 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

anamorphic, Super 35mm and full-frame PL mount. The lens mount can also be swapped to accommodate E-mount lenses, while user-selectable areas of the image sensor facilitate shooting in Super 35mm 4-perf. In addition, upcoming ﬁrmware upgrades will reportedly allow the camera to handle 36mm-wide, 6K resolutions. The camera also presents a new colour management system and wide colour gamut, adding extra ﬂexibility during postproduction. It

SRX-R800

ratio of 10,000:1, with a laser light source. The SRX-R815P is the primary SRX-R800 family member. Its light source is built to maintain 80% of original brightness levels for up to 35,000 hours of operation, delivering HDR content. Two sets of SRX-R815P systems can be combined to form an SRX-R815DS dual 4K laser projection system. pro.sony.com

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PRODUCTS

AMX and BSS concentrate on the meeting room HARMAN HAS released a new IP video processor under its AMX brand that it is describing as the ‘world’s ﬁrst 4K60 4:4:4 video over IP windowing processor’. The AMX N2400 is a network-based windowing processor that supports 4x1 windowing for the N2400 series. It is capable of handling multiple real-time 4K60 streams with no video or input or output connectors to simplify installation. The N2400 accepts up to four multicast video streams from AMX N2400 Series encoders at resolutions up to 4K60 4:4:4. Users can mix 4K and HD sources in any conﬁguration, with the ability to combine up to four HD sources together into a single 4K image. Each input can be cropped, scaled and positioned according to stored presets (such as quad,

The BSS DCP-555 window-in-window or 3+1) or in user-defined configurations. The combined output video is then streamed to one or more N2400 Series decoders. Like the entire N2400 Series solution, the new windowing processor includes user authentication, encryption, network service security and more. AMX has also released a new conferencing soundbar with an integrated 110° field-of-view camera, far-field mics and JBL

speakers that it describes as a ‘premium’ conferencing solution. The AMX Acendo Vibe is for small meeting spaces and has been aesthetically designed to ﬁt into modern workplaces. The product features CEC Display Control that will turn the display on and off in response to triggers. Bluetooth and plug-and-play connectivity creates a BYOD environment for use with laptops and smartphones, or it can be used with Acendo Core to

create a complete meeting solution. Changing brands, a new audio processor from BSS has introduced intelligent audio processing speciﬁcally for web and audio conferencing applications. The BSS DCP-555 Digital Conferencing Processor is intended for medium or large meeting spaces, providing sound processing and automated mixing of microphones, PC audio and other audio sources

with acoustic echo cancellation. Audio from multiple microphones can be output as a single signal over USB, making it suited for web conferencing using the AMX Acendo Core or BYOD applications. With the inclusion of onboard VoIP connectivity, rooms can be equipped with audio conferencing without the need for a separate IP phone. The DCP-555 includes built-in microphone tunings and JBL speaker tuning presets to aid conﬁguration. When using the DCP-555 along with AMX SVSI networked AV solutions, encoder syncing is available to ensure the audio and video signals are aligned. www.amx.com www.bssaudio.com

Mitsubishi in command and control DEVELOPED FOR command and control applications and environments, the VS-15NP160 (15-NP) videowall, S-SF software suite and WE120 DLP cube engine lifespan boost are the latest additions from Mitsubishi Electric. With what the company describes as 100,000 hours of continuous operation and the biggest display of its kind, the 11m x 1.6m 15-NP is reportedly the ﬁrst direct view LED screen that incorporates many of Mitsubishi’s technologies for DLP and LCD displays. It delivers a light output of 800cd/m² making it compatible for Scada-type applications. A patented anti-burn feature allows static graphics to be displayed for long periods of time reportedly without impacting on performance or lifespan.

Unlike DLP rear projection, light output per square metre is constant and independent of the total screen area, meaning that it is reportedly possible to create daylight-viewable displays of any size. A display depth of 90mm means that it can be installed virtually anywhere, and both front and rear access versions are available. Meanwhile, the S-SF visualisation and management software suite has been designed for native IP network-based command and control display architectures and aims to enable more ﬂexible decision-making environments for network-based display systems. The suite consists of ﬁve applications: Display Agent, Multicast Adaptor, Application Server, Operator GUI and

Master Controller. Together, they create a native IPbased system capable of handling data trafﬁc from any networked source device, such as sensors, image processors, CCTV cameras or data stores, synchronising and sharing content instantly across any number of locations. The S-SF architecture is said to eradicate the need for a dedicated display wall processor for control room videowalls. In other news, Mitsubishi’s WE120 DLP cube engine has been increased to 130,000 hours – scaling up 30% from what the company has described as the previous industry record of 100,000 hours that it also held.

VS-15NP160 The WE120 Series includes 60inch and 70-inch full HD, and 62inch and 72-inch WUXGA displays in both rear access and front access variants. All new models are said to offer a minimum

130,000 hours of continuous operation and a full range of features, including DVI inputs and OPS slots. www.mitsubishielectric.com

True IP switching in 4K at 60fps

TriCaster TC1

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NEWTEK’S TRICASTER TC1 and IP Series VMC1 are described by the manufacturer as ‘the only production switchers on the market capable of true IP, 4K, 60fps for 16- and 44-channel video switching, respectively’. The TC1 facilitates switching, streaming and recording in HD, 3G and 4K UHD 60p, as well as native software-driven processing, full camera coverage and multisource video mixing with 16 external inputs and four M/Es. Integrated video servers enable playback, replay and live editing without any additional hardware, while multichannel ISO recordings

can be made to full-resolution QuickTime and H.264 ﬁles for VOD, postproduction and archive. NewTek has also released new features for its Connect Spark converters and the NDI PTZ camera, made available through a free software update. Connect Spark now includes multi-camera virtual PTZ capability, multicast support, the ability to connect across networks and LTC timecode support as well as improved audio. Meanwhile, the NDI PTZ camera now offers multicast support and features enhanced picture quality. www.newtek.com

PRODUCTS

The UDX series

Customer design BARCO HAS worked hand-in-hand with its end users to create its 5-member UDX line of compact, high-brightness laser phosphor projectors. According to Carl Rijsbrack, VP events and proAV at Barco, ‘we involved our customers closely during the development of UDX to focus on their needs and challenges. The result is a projector platform that allows rental houses and venue owners to deliver exceptional audience experiences while reducing installation time and cost.’ With its electronics powered by the Pulse 4K engine, the modular, 3-chip DLP projectors can deliver 4K UHD resolution images and up to 32,000 lumens. The family can also display native 4K UHD, WQXGA, WUXGA and UXGA content, while

the Flex² feature allows users to tune and lock projector brightness in 1,000-lumen incremental steps and resolution to a speciﬁc show. The manufacturer also states the family ‘offers the widest colour spectrum in the industry’ and ‘outperforms the Rec. 709 colour space’. In other news, the Belgian manufacturer has announced a partnership with Vogel’s Professional to ensure that Barco UniSee LCD videowalls are compatible with Vogel’s Universal videowall solutions. Thanks to a purpose-designed adapter, the screen can now be used with the mount, allowing ceiling, ﬂoor or free-standing mounting. www.barco.com

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ArKaos MediaMaster 5.2

MediaMaster merges and blends VERSION 5.2 of ArKaos’ MediaMaster realtime video control software brings an array of new features, including DMX Merge and Pixel Blending functionality. DMX Merge facilitates the combination of parameters such as pan and tilt from a lighting console and video sources from MediaMaster. For example, a light with LED rings can be panned or tilted into specific positions simultaneously to pre-defined, pixel-mapping effects. The function also allows a lighting console to generate an Art-Net stream to control the pan/ tilt functionality, which MediaMaster then receives to work on the LED colour values, and replace them as the lighting designer decides how they wish the blending to occur, utilising the new Pixel Blending. The merged result is finally sent to the lighting fixture, defining the colour output.

The new Pixel Blending capability makes use of MediaMaster’s existing Blending functionality to blend the colour output of a lighting console. The functionality is also associated with the new Art-Net merging capacity to enable effects to be triggered via MediaMaster. A pair of DMX channels deﬁne the operation, the colours are mixed by the console and then rendered by MediaMaster. Other new features of MediaMaster 5.2 include Kling-Net Draft Devices, which allows for remote show preparation, disconnected from the physical devices, Extended Fixture Creation for supporting complete DMX Devices such as moving heads with pan/tilt and 64-bit support for all applications. www.arkaospro.com

July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 89 July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 89

PRODUCTS

XS-62S

Roland combines video switching and PTZ control Vitec in vital expansion and upgrade VITEC HAS expanded and upgraded its range of hardwarebased HEVC encoders, video distribution systems as well as IPTV and digital signage solutions. Developed to manage and drive complex videowall setups, the EZ TV IPTV and digital signage platform has been given a functionality upgrade for the videowall and DRM system. The new platform is interoperable with the latest content protection and DRM standards required for IPTV. With regards to the IPTV capabilities, the release includes time-shifted TV, a new mobile app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to stream video from the ﬁeld back to HQ in addition to playing IPTV content, real-time enhancement of HEVC streams delivered over lossy networks and TAA-compliant end-points. Meanwhile, the MGW Ace Encoder ﬁrmware v2.0 provides

HEVC video quality of up to 4:2:2 10-bit HEVC encoding and is said by the company to surpass its closest competitor by 20% when meeting quality requirements for broadcast applications. Along with delivering video streams and low latency (down to 160ms glass-to-glass when paired with the MGW Ace Decoder), the latest version features a new interface that allows users to enhance video streams with several preconﬁgured proﬁles to match their application. Elsewhere, Vitec’s MGW Diamond Encoder and Playout Server are the latest point-to-point HEVC distribution solutions. The MGW Diamond Encoder adds quad-channel HEVC encoding in a portable form factor to the HEVC series, while the Playout Server provides a platform to manage, capture, preview and distribute IPTV streams. www.vitecgroup.com

MGW Diamond Encoder

THE XS-62S has been designed by Roland to save space in smaller facilities and to serve as a portable solution for outside events. It is an integrated 6-channel video switcher and audio mixer combined with PTZ camera control capabilities and built for recording, broadcast and streaming video. The 1U device can be operated by a single user via its front panel controls or remotely from a PC, Mac or programmable interface. Six channels can be switched between four SDI inputs that feature a de-interlacer along with scaled HDMI and RGB inputs as well as two still images stored in an internal memory. A pair of SDI and two HDMI outputs can be assigned

as programme, preview or auxiliary busses, while the multiview output displays all six video input sources, two still images and programme and preview outputs with audio meters. A trio of switching modes are available on the XS-62S. PGM/ PST mode operates as a traditional video switcher, facilitating the grouping of multiple images with independent assignment to the aux bus to support additional displays. Dissolve mode offers video switching and composition with cross-dissolve to the programme bus and provides an additional aux bus; it is aimed for use for when the operator is in the same space as the main unit. Finally, Matrix mode

is the setting Roland recommends for switching simultaneously with audio mixing and controlling PTZ cameras. It enables the assignment of individual video input signals to different destinations on three busses with fade-to-black switching. The audio mixer aspect of the XS62S features 18 channels, four TRS jacks and an RCA stereo pair, as well as audio de-embed functionality from the six video inputs. It also includes the manufacturer’s 8-channel discrete analogue audio embedding capability, allowing the selection of which audio source to embed separately to SDI outputs one and two. proav.roland.com

Vaddio’s new video ventures

The AV Bridge MatrixMix VADDIO’S LATEST A/V production switcher is said by the manufacturer to be the ﬁrst in the industr y to bring live event productions to uniﬁed communication applications. The AV Bridge MatrixMix multipurpose A/V switcher’s feature set offers combined switching, camera control, streaming and graphics mixing capabilities. Users can also live stream it to a UCC application.

Customised solutions can be achieved when pairing the switcher to the PCC MatrixMix camera controller and TeleTouch 27 USB touchscreen multiviewer, plus Vaddio cameras, audio devices or trigger sensors. It is also an 8x2 video mixer, while its 11x7 audio mixer suppor ts analogue, HDMI, USB and IP audio channels. The AV Bridge MatrixMix has embedded RTSP IP and USB 3.0 output streaming

as well as two graphic keying layers per output channel. In other news, Vaddio has also introduced RoboTrak, which is the company’s automated presenter tracking system. Based on an IR tracking algorithm, the user wears a lanyard and the RoboTrak follows him or her. It can be paired with any RoboShot camera. Operational distance ranges from 3.5m to 15m and within a height range of 2m to 4.5m. Optimised for large venues, it can pair with any RoboShot camera while the RoboTrak lanyard is said to last up to 40 hours on a single batter y charge. www.vaddio.com

Playing with UHD FOR THOSE upgrading to ultra HD content and planning to run video content for extended periods of time, AV Stumpﬂ has developed the UHD Player system, a solid-state solution that can play ﬁles with a 4K resolution of 4096x2160 at 60fps, using the H.265 codec. The UHD Player system is designed for 24/7 use. Multiple units can be frame

UHD Player

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synchronised over IP networks via a dedicated synchronisation protocol. The Austrian A/V technology manufacturer has also made Wings Vioso RX 2.0 software available for download. A key feature of this release is a hot backup option that allows users to specify hot backup clients for multiple play-out clients. By

acquiring all the information needed to replace the playout client during playback, all necessary media ﬁles are also copied to the hot backup client. In the event that the play-out client fails, the hot backup client replaces the play-out client without the need to edit IP addresses. www.avstumpﬂ.com

Our Family is

GROWING Renkus-Heinz is pleased to announce the arrival of new addittions to our famed ICONYX family of Digitally Steered Arrays. From stadium-ďŹ lling powerhouses to space-saving enterprise solutions, Renkus-Heinz helps you bring perfect sound into focus.

Visit www.Renkus-Heinz.com now to learn more about the ICONYX IC-Live Series.

FEATURES: LIVE

Daydream believer +H`KYLHT H YLN\SHY Ä_[\YL VU [OL ,\YVWLHU MLZ[P]HS JHSLUKHY OHZ KLI\[LK PU *OPUH Sue Su YLWVY[Z MYVT [OL PUH\N\YHS L]LU[ PU :OHUNOHP BLOSSOMING FORTH FROM AN INITIAL BELGIAN OUTING in 2010, the Daydream Festival is famous for its gorgeous artistic concept and uplifting atmosphere, as well as for different styles of music such as pop and EDM. The festival has been rolled out so far in Mexico, Spain and the Netherlands. And from 14 to 15 April, it was the turn of China to host the festival for the ﬁrst time. More than 51 acts performed on the three stages erected at the Shanghai International Music Village near to Disneyland in Pudong, to the east of the city. As beﬁts a major international music festival, Daydream has very high production requirements. The Main Dream stage

was constructed from special fabric to resemble a castle, the entire backdrop of which was shipped from the Netherlands to China at a cost of RMB2 million and assembled onsite by a Dutch team. Four LED screens were embedded into the backdrop: two 6m high x 8m wide on the left and right sides and two 5m wide x 6m high screens in the centre. The entire lighting system was designed to make the castle backdrop stand out. Given the expense and effort that went into creating Main Dream, it was essential that the rest of the production lived up to this fabulous backdrop. The audio systems to be used

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92 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Real Music’s technical engineers Peng Qingbo and Zhao Hanjun, ﬂanking sound engineer Thomas Hillen

FEATURES: LIVE at the festival were carefully chosen after consulting with the Dutch team and taking references from similar events. Eventually, the festival organiser, Shanghai Fanyao Culture Co, decided to use an Adamson solution provided by the brand’s Chinese distributor, Real Music. ‘Adamson’s high output is very suitable for such big festivals,’ says Thomas Hillen, one of the festival’s audio engineers who is part of Daydream’s mainly Dutch crew. Music presented on Main Dream was mainly EDM and house, with artists and DJs including Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike from Belgium, Yellow Claw from the Netherlands and Grammy-nominated DJ Afrojack.

Next-proaudio line arrays on the Bass Dream stage

Adamson E12 hangs and subs at the Live Dream stage Main Dream occupied a 140m-wide area, with two VIP zones. The main sound system consisted of 18 Adamson E15 line source enclosures flown on each side of the stage, close to the DJ position. Side-fill systems were flown outside of the main speakers, close to the edge of the backdrop, and consisted of nine E15 and six E12 cabinets on each side. The subwoofer system comprised six groups of three E219s stacked on each side of the stage, giving a total of 36 units. In the middle of the stage were two groups of three E218 subwoofers. The front-fill setup consisted of a pair of S10s on the left and right side and a further three in the middle, placed on top of the subwoofer arrays. Three S10s and two S119s per side provided DJ monitoring, while four M15s were used as floor monitors for the MC. In the VIP tent, six S10 and three S119 cabinets created a delay tower. All the speakers were driven by Adamson’s PLM 20K44 amplifier, and managed by Lake LM 44 processors. At front of house, located 90m away from the stage, the main console was a Midas Pro3 with a Yamaha CL3 as backup.

The main system employed an AES digital signal chain with analogue as backup. ‘We have less AD/DA conversion when using AES,’ says Mr Hillen. This presented a challenge to the Real Music team, because most similar shows in China use an analogue signal chain. ‘We only had one week’s notice before we started to prepare the show,’ says Liu Kaiji, technical engineer at Real Music. ‘But we prepared well for this. When the Dutch team required us to all use digital, we adjusted quite smoothly from analogue to digital.’ The second stage – Live Dream – had a focus on mainstream pop as well as indie pop musicians. On the left and right side of the stage, 12 Adamson E12s were flown as the main PA system. Subwoofers included five groups of two T21 enclosures and the front-fill system featured four groups of three S10s, while the monitoring system was similar to the one found on the main stage. An Avid Venue Profile was used as the FOH console. Another brand distributed by Real Music – Next-proaudio – featured on the third Bass Dream stage. Ten LA212x line array elements were set up on the left and right sides of the stage to serve as the main system. The frequency spectrum was extended by eight groups of three LAs418 subwoofers, giving a total of 24. DJ monitoring saw the use of two LA122s and three LAs118 subs on each side, with four X15s as floor monitors. The FOH console was a Midas Pro2.

Shanghai Rui Li Culture Co was responsible for the technical execution of the festival, and found local companies to meet all its lighting, sound and video requirements. The company was the first in Shanghai to acquire Adamson’s SpekTrix 3-way active loudspeaker. ‘We will be working on more than 10 similar shows each year,’ says Li Zhan from Rui Li Culture. ‘Apart from EDM events, we also have shows with live bands, like the Grammy Festival in Beijing at the end of April. The sound signature of Adamson is unique; personally, I think it’s suitable for rock ‘n’ roll and other exciting music. It’s the brand we use quite often these days.’ In addition to being used on one of the stages at the Grammy Festival Beijing, Adamson systems have also been used on all four stages at the first Electric Daisy Carnival festival to be held in China, which took place in January, as well as at the Ultra China and Tomorrowland festivals. On the first day of Daydream, the temperature dropped in Shanghai and there was intermittent rain, but this couldn’t stop the passionate music fans. Some of them wore shortsleeved clothing and were shaking the guardrails as well as their heads as they danced together. Good music and quality technical production, it seems, can make festival-goers forget about the rest of the world. www.adamsonsystems.com

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Style council MBSA’s ICT head of department, Umi Aida Ab Malik, with Integrated Audio Visual’s Sandhi Soong and the Bosch Security team

The internal steel structural dome was completely reﬁtted with a decorative, acoustic ceiling

69 Bosch Dicentis Multimedia units have been installed for council meetings in the Upper Chamber

Richard Lawn reports from the Council Chambers of Shah Alam City Council, where a Bosch Dicentis system has recently been installed HAVING RELOCATED TO THE WISMA MPSA BUILDING IN 1988, the Council Chambers of Shah Alam City Council (Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam or MBSA) were in need of refurbishment. Handing over its trust in 2016 to the appointed architect to create the new Council Chambers, the council was able to hold the first meeting in February 2018 following the completion of these extensive works. The successful integration of a Bosch Dicentis Multimedia system ensures messages are being received loud and clear in the digital domain. The internal steel structural dome was completely refitted in 2017 with external cladding, an acoustic ceiling, a decorative ceiling, glass doors, and a lift and platform for wheelchair access. Owing to space constraints, the dome’s design and construction would severely challenge the general contractor’s work on site. In addition, each section and panel of the steel structure, aluminium cladding and acoustic ceiling had to be cut individually to achieve the intended design. In late 2017, with the works phase drawing to a conclusion, MBSA’s ICT head of department, Umi Aida Ab Malik, was delegated the responsibility of seeking an A/V conference system that would complement the newly created, stylish décor. ‘MBSA was the first Malaysian city council to request a demonstration of the Dicentis Multimedia system,’ explains Ms Malik. ‘I consulted Bosch Building Technologies; we were impressed and requested a second demo to be absolutely certain as the proposed investment was significant. However, since we have started using it, we truly value the time and cost savings provided by Dicentis.’ The tender to supply and install the Dicentis system was duly awarded to Bosch Security certified partner, Integrated Audio Visual, in Q3, 2017. All the chamber seats are now served by Dicentis Multimedia devices. Each unit comprises a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen offering access to video and meeting content with fellow attendees together with internet access. In addition, the sleek design incorporates a 2-way loudspeaker and a short gooseneck microphone. Instead of raising their hands, participants push a discuss button and are placed in a discussion queue. The ‘possible to speak’ function

94 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

indicates to the delegate when he or she can speak. The unit can be further customised to allow voting, language selection and identiﬁcation functionalities by adding software licences. In total, 69 Dicentis Multimedia units have been installed for council debates and high-level meetings in this Upper Chamber. The IP-addressable PoE units are daisy-chained in a redundant ring topology connection to the main rear control room rack hosting a DCNM-APS2 Audio Powering Switch and a DCNM-PS2 Powering Switch. A Cisco SG350X-24 MD 24-port GB switch integrates the audio powering switch, routing audio to the existing column speaker system in the chambers. ‘In terms of audio quality, there is no feedback, hissing or buzzing that was synonymous with the previous analogue system,’ furthers Ms Malik. In the chamber, the Dicentis Multimedia system allows all information to be displayed both on the 80-inch LG HD screens to the left and right of the chairman’s desk and the individual multimedia delegate touchscreens. Sat to the left of the chairman, a presenter compiles all relevant documentation via touchpanel control for further debate and discussions. During meetings or debates, the Dicentis Multimedia system assigns the best camera to self-focus on the speaking delegate. A total of ﬁve Bosch HD cameras – four frontal and one rear – serve these needs, with the best camera image automatically selected for display. Camera and live streaming technology has been enabled with the

addition of racked Extron devices, for which a DXP HD 4K series 8-in/8-out Crosspoint matrix switcher receives various HDMI A/V inputs including the HD cameras. Five DSC 3G-HD A scalers have been inserted between each Bosch camera and the matrix for converting 3GSDI, HD-SDI and SDI video signals to HDMI. In addition, an Extron IPCP Pro 350 control processor ensures compatibility with multiple touchpanels over the local LAN network. Finally, an Extron SMP 300 streaming processor captures and distributes A/V sources and presentations for live streaming and recorded media. ‘Previously, we spoke into gooseneck microphones, while secretaries typed the minutes of meetings before storing the records as paper documents,’ explains Ms Malik. ‘MBSA no longer requires secretaries or recorders as the digital system automatically records the meetings and debates onto a hard ﬁle. Short-length gooseneck microphones were preferred for delegates, while the chairman units integrate with highdirective microphones.’ In addition to being intuitive, lightweight and portable, the digital system is greener and is already reducing costs. ‘We no longer need to print at least one box of papers and bind them with hard covers for each meeting held in the chambers. We’re future-proofed for years ahead. The mayor and the councillors are all extremely happy with the solution that has been integrated into our newly renovated chambers. They can see all the relevant documents very clearly without having to search through many pages of content and they can see which delegates are speaking.’ Prior to the ﬁrst meeting in February, however, Msw Malik admits that she was a little nervous about the new system. ‘It worked perfectly and certainly exceeded my own expectations. We uploaded Word documents, data and PowerPoint presentations from both the main presenter and delegates’ laptops via the Extron DXP HD 4K Crosspoint matrix to the camera system for streaming.’ A green and serene future, then, for the MBSA Council Chambers. www.boschsecurity.asia www.iav.com.my www.mbsa.gov.my

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

The full Montt

Ambience and aesthetics were the main factors in selecting an LD Systems Curv 500 S2 speaker system

Audio selection and volume is controlled from a wall-mounted panel

Each Curv 500 can be connected wirelessly via Bluetooth

Richard Lawn reports from a new Kuala Lumpur bar/restaurant which features Parisian-inspired art, décor and lighting

AV United’s Mr Chin joins COO Steven Loh and CEO Jimmy Lim for lunch DESCRIBING ITSELF AS LUXURIOUS, MAJESTIC AND CHIC, Montt is located in KL’s southern suburb of Puchong Utama. It’s no idle boast when Forever Cuisine infers that the all-day Thai fusion menu is exceptional and, visually, that standard of delivery has been emulated throughout the 800m2 establishment. Likewise, the sense of smell is brought ﬁrmly to life upon entering the establishment by Thai spices, fresh food and aromatic coffee beans. Crucially, the ambience is set as the ears are tuned to unwind and dine mode by the unobtrusive LD Systems loudspeaker system providing seamless audio throughout all four levels. When it comes to attention to detail, COO Steven Loh could be described as obsessive. ‘We’re really trying to set a romantic mood for our arriving patrons, and so lazy jazz music and vocals are our signature,’ he afﬁrms. The winning ingredients that make up Montt are enhanced by a sound system supplied by Puchong-based AV United. ‘Both the ambience and the aesthetics were the main factors when we proposed a distributed Curv 500 S2 speaker system for Montt,’ explains AV United MD, Mr Chin. ‘Forever Cuisine emphasised a desire to have the dining tables

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receive even coverage of full-range BGM, but they didn’t want the loudspeakers to be so visible that they would distract the eyes of diners.’ With a fascia that measures just 120mm2, each Curv 500 S2 black die-cast aluminium case houses three 1-inch tweeters arranged in a vertical line mounted in front of the 4-inch driver. Integrating a 4-channel Class-D amplifier with DSP effects, each Curv 500 can also be connected wirelessly via Bluetooth. Affixed to the ceiling as a distributed 70V line system, the passive speakers incorporate WaveAhead technology, with each individual speaker providing a dispersion of 110° in the horizontal plane but only 10° in the vertical plane. ‘This is vital as it directs energy where the sound needs to be rather than spraying it onto the ceiling and floor,’ continues Mr Chin. In total, 19 Curv 500 S2 speakers together with four iSUB subwoofers have been ceiling mounted to provide uniform SPLs between 75dB and 80dB. A BOH rack hosts the audio equipment including an LD Systems CDMP 1 multimedia player, a Yamaha MG06 mixer and two LD Systems iAMP 4-channel Class-D amplifiers. Comprising DSP control with

presets for various satellite and subwoofer configurations, delay and parametric EQ, each channel is capable of driving up to six Curv 500 satellites or one Curv 500 iSUB subwoofer. For the fourth-level main VIP room, a higher SPL 81 solution allows up to 4-piece ensembles to perform live for private parties. A Yamaha MG12XU mixer can receive up to 12 microphone inputs which are output through the LD Systems iAMP amplifier and the loudspeaker system. Augmented by a single iSUB, two L-R hangs each comprising four S2 modules have been slotted together to form gently curving arrays. A SmartLink adaptor (SLA) has been clipped on below the lowest satellite of each array, with a SpeakON input providing daisy-chained connection to all four satellites. The wall-fixed curved arrays provide coverage throughout the room, the top speaker facing forward while the bottom one is angled down at around 30°. Two adjoining VIP rooms can cater for separate events concurrently or the three rooms can be combined to accommodate a single large party. The two slightly smaller rooms are served by two LD Systems SAT42 dual 4-inch wall-mounted speakers together with a SUB88 for LF extension. An XS400 amplifier provides power for each room system, with a Yamaha MG06 6-input mixer catering for further musical options. Should Montt require a slightly higher SPL coverage in any section of the dining areas below, all 19 Curv 500 speakers have been attached with SLAT adapters. This addition provides system expansion as required, allowing a second module to be attached to the fixed one above. At weekends, 150 expectant diners arrive to sample the delights served up by Montt’s experienced kitchen staff, including the signature deconstructed desserts of pâtissier Chef Lim, while CEO Jimmy Lim oversees FOH operations. ‘We have iPad control, but the music simply has to function without any flaws,’ explains Mr Lim. ‘We don’t have the resources during peak times to configure settings or change the music, but with LD Systems we don’t need to worry.’ An ambitious 2-year plan will see the Montt chain expand its operations to four new outlets, including in Johor Bahru and Ipoh. The same ingredients, including the LD Systems audio components, will be part of that successful recipe. Mr Lim provides a simple demonstration of how its BGM has become part of the Montt DNA by simply operating the mute button. Open 13 hours per day, seven days per week, the audio system will be relied upon to play its part in the success of this ambitious new restaurant chain. www.av-united.com www.ld-systems.com

FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Field of dreams

Hard to ignore, Perth’s new multipurpose stadium is a testimony to both Multiplex’ thorough research and Rutledge AV’s design skills. Richard Lawn takes a tour

The stadium incorporates two Daktronics 10m high x 34m wide 15HD pixel displays

THE 60,000-SEAT OPTUS STADIUM RESIDING BY THE easterly bank of the Swan River has captured many headlines since opening its gates to spectators in January. It is the third largest in Australia after the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney’s Stadium Australia. Having relocated from Subiaco Oval, Optus Stadium is now home to two Australian Football League (AFL) teams – the Fremantle Football Club and the West Coast Eagles – plus hosts international and domestic cricket, soccer, rugby union and rugby league games. Its multipurpose credentials have been further extended with entertainment events, as booking western Australian dates as part of a world tour now becomes a viable proposition for concert promoters. Previously, nib Stadium’s 22,000-capacity represented something of a risk for international artists, but Optus Stadium’s 70,000 capacity

a ‘fans-first’ aspiration into planning and design. This group constituted 30 western Australian fans selected from a wide range of demographics and sports to provide ongoing advice relating to the fan experience during events. Using their experiences from attending events at other stadia, the group highlighted the need for wider concourses, a larger number of food and beverage outlets and toilets to reduce queuing and wait times, cup holders in seats and a need for a consistent connection to the field of play. As a result of their collective input, these requests have all been delivered in the Optus Stadium design. The delayed design and procurement of stadium technology ensured that the Optus Stadium integrated the latest equipment, including the largest stadium video screens to date in the southern hemisphere. In addition, over 1,000 TV screens have been integrated throughout the interior to ensure fans don’t miss any of the action. Nor has the lighting been sacrificed as the stadium’s 891 LED floodlights together with the 650 RGB (red, green and blue) lighting fixtures that light up the fabric roof combine to make it the largest sports installation in the world. With over 1,000 permanently fixed loudspeakers connected via a digital management system, the stadium houses the largest sound system in Australia.

Rutledge AV

Optus Stadium takes shape during the ﬁnal phases of construction

15,000 LED lights can project team colours around the stadium’s seating area and on the roof

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makes it a lucrative stopover between South East Asia and Australia’s east coast, as Taylor Swift’s promoter has demonstrated by booking it for October. In an attempt to maximise the stadium’s commercial appeal, the Westadium Consortium led by Multiplex has delivered additional facilities that attract a regular revenue stream. Behind the field of play, multiple function rooms providing a high degree of flexibility are capable of hosting various scales of corporate events, exhibitions, weddings and celebrations for up to 2,000 guests. The Design Development phase consulted with nine User Groups that would ultimately create a Project Definition Plan together with ongoing design development elements. Created in early 2013, the Sports Fans User Group aimed to deliver

Officially founded by Michael and Sandy Rutledge AV in 1979, Rutledge AV initially established its brand by building, installing and monitoring live and recorded sound technologies for recording studios, venues and broadcast media. With an employee count of over 300 across all eight Australian states, Rutledge AV has merited its status as the country’s number one A/V systems integrator. It has consistently created cutting-edge A/V infrastructures in all manner of educational institutions, government offices, legal facilities, defence headquarters, airports, retail developments, transportation services and entertainment and sporting venues. When Alistair Dick set out from his native Melbourne to pioneer the Rutledge AV office in the western Australia capital, he was employee number one. He must have done something right over the last decade, as senior project manager Elijah Steele is one of 60 now employed directly by the Perth office. Mr Steele was charged with the enormous responsibility

FEATURES: INSTALLATION of managing Optus Stadium’s A/V services design and installation over several years. Having been awarded the contract to design, install and supply the A/V systems throughout, Rutledge AV never underestimated the scale of what it was taking on. The company’s vast experience led it to conduct multiple highlevel briefings to the various teams working on the design philosophy. ‘Different sporting teams now call the stadium home,’ explains Mr Steele. ‘As such, they all had to be consulted and we had to incorporate their specific A/V requirements such as OB facilities, in-house broadcasting and team bench communications.’ During all phases, workshops were conducted with the various stakeholders, coordinating all the build technology. From this, a 3D model of the stadium was created using Building Information Modelling depicting the 2,000 speakers that would be installed on the roof, L1, L3 and L4 fills, premium A/V spaces and back of house areas. ‘By taking a look at the detail we incorporated, it was easy to envisage the completed rooms,’ continues the project manager. Crucially, before any plans could be drawn, Rutledge AV had to fully understand the strict aesthetic guidelines that the interior designers and architect had put in place. ‘We had to convince the architectural team that the sleek, compact structures of our proposed designs would seamlessly integrate into the application without any distraction to the eye,’ he says. The proposed works raised health and safety concerns so structural engineers were also widely consulted in advance. ‘Structurally, any installed materials have to be durable for the length of an infinite fatigue lifetime span for the main line array speakers. You also need to factor in 1-in-100year extreme storm occurrences such as a major typhoon. Enduring such an environment close to the Indian Ocean and a desert with such a large structure is very challenging.’

Relax in your cinema style seat and watch the game

Main stadium PA Stadium PA systems are traditionally plagued by echo due to the long reverberation times associated with the architectural acoustics of such expansive spaces. Putting the fan ﬁrst had become an all-encompassing mission for the State Project Team and Westadium Consortium, which demanded speech intelligibility on par with that of a modern classroom setting. As such, Rutledge AV was challenged to create a PA system that would deliver an ambitious 0.6 STi or above for the entire stadium seating area, referred to as the Main Bowl PA. Additionally, a nominal SPL of 102dB (±3dB) for all the 60,000-seated visitors was stipulated. Creating high-ﬁdelity audio for what is essentially a PA system under a lightweight fabric roof severely tested the capabilities of Rutledge AV. ‘At that point in the 3-year design

period, the roof structure and all the physical aspects of the design were already being manufactured,’ explains Mr Steele. ‘We favoured a line array solution, but knew we had to work within the existing design constraints. In addition to weight restrictions, there were limited locations for suspending the speakers owing to the fabric roof. Ultimately, we suspended arrays from the very tip of the roof structure.’ Based on three main criteria – capability, price and performance – Rutledge AV set about evaluating five loudspeaker systems. ‘Networking abilities, service support and rigging hardware capabilities were other paramount factors in making our decision,’ furthers Mr Steele. ‘From the outset, Nexo was the clear winner for a variety of factors and, over the course of the project, the manufacturer proved themselves as great partners providing support whenever we required it. We’ve worked with their distributor, Group Technologies, many times before and knew we could fully rely on their support.’ Eighteen arrays, each combining 12 Geo S12 elements together with three LS18 18-inch sub bass cabinets, now provide the bulk of the stadium’s SPL punch. Largely dictated by simulations using Nexo’s NS-1 software, the special Geo S1210 and S1230 modules provide long-throw capabilities to ensure even coverage down to the L1 seating areas. Vertical and horizontal control is further enhanced by the incorporation of the Geo S12’s Hyperbolic Reflective Wavesource, while a Directivity Phase Device extends coherency below normal LF-HF coupling limits. The presence of three additional LS18 sub bass units within each array extends the LF response to 32Hz at –6dB. Having first sourced a specialised metalwork shop to create customised array casings for the 18 IP65-rated weatherised arrays, Mr Steele then set about hiring professional subcontractors to conduct the works. Then there was the tricky obstacle of occupational health and safety to overcome. ‘Multiplex red-flagged the 18 line array hangs as high-risk work,’ continues Mr Steele. ‘This was a process in which I had to provide a presentation to the executives, highlighting each stage of the works and who we had sub-contracted to conduct them. They had to be convinced that our plans were watertight and would not fail or endanger anyone. However, this is an environment where we have extensive expertise dating back 30-plus years.’

One of the Nexo line array sub structures is tested

200 Nexo ID24 cabinets have been installed into the shadow areas below the L1, L3 and L4 balconies

18 Nexo Geo S12 arrays suspended from the lip of the 53m-high roof provide 104dB SPL contributing to an STi of 0.6

From a temporary scaffold built above the seats, the line array sub-structures were individually created. A specialised super crane was placed onto the pitch to hoist the array – initially without its 15 cabinets – to each of the 18 equally spaced suspension points. In each case, a qualified sub-contractor on the roof structure created temporary mechanical attachments to suspend the substructure above the temporary scaffold. The Geo S12s and LS18 subs were then loaded, splayed, connected, tested and calibrated before attaching the side panels and raising them into their final position by the custom-built mobile dolly. ‘The first array took some per fecting, but we soon got into a good rhythm of installing one array per day,’ recalls Mr Steele. ‘We also integrated a customised mobile dolly that permanently lives on the roof gantry. It can then lower the line arrays from the catwalk to L1 for periodical servicing, cleaning and maintenance.’

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One of the line array sub-structures is assembled on a temporary scaffold above the L1 seats To attain an STi of 0.6 for the under-balcony seating areas on L1, L3 and L4, a further 200 Nexo ID24 cabinets have been installed. Each delayed ID24 incorporates dual 4-inch drivers in a dipole arrangement, providing coverage in those spaces out of the full Geo S12 range. ‘These deceptively powerful boxes allowed us to fulfil the 100dB SPL handling in what we term the shadow areas, while their compact footprint provides discretion,’ explains Mr Steele. Cabling conduits from each of the Geo S12 and LS18 arrays run to a number of L5 control room racks housing the Nexo NXAMP4x1 and NXAMP4x4 amplifier racks located within 85m. Equipped with processing presets, the NX amplifiers receive their signal from a Yamaha CL5 console with four MY8-ADDA96 cards located in a lower-level broadcast suite. Operating over a digital Dante signal transport network, the integrated PA system is broadcast to all zones via the Q-LAN network. ‘In terms of monitoring and zone control, the Q-Sys platform had to fully integrate with the Nexo loudspeaker system, which ultimately required custom interfacing between two different protocols,’ explains Mr Steele. ‘Both manufacturers had to work together to create bespoke software scripts and commands to provide compatibility, so that the operator can monitor or mute the PA, for example.’ Mobile configuration and monitoring has been added in the form of Yamaha’s Stage Mix app on an iOS touchscreen. In addition to announcements and BGM, the Bowl PA also serves as a relay system during special events supplementing field sound systems. Furthermore, the Bowl PA can be isolated to individual tiers and seating areas, minimising acoustic reflections that are heard particularly during lower-capacity events. The lower tiers can be reduced or muted, allowing an even transition from the on-field system to the Bowl PA upper areas.

really robust setup for the benefit of incoming broadcasters.’ Supporting both active signal extension and OB productions in addition to integrating the in-house production systems, Rutledge AV provided a Riedel MediorNet multicore fibre backbone. The MicroN 80G media distribution network runs from the OB compound to the production studio patch and main control room (MCR). Connected to a core fibre router, the high-density signal interface provides point-to-point functionality for up to 12 bidirectional 3G-SDI video I/Os, two MADI audio I/Os and a Gigabit Ethernet link from all the pre-planned points in the network. These include the media interview rooms, players’ benches, players’ entrance and team arrivals area, for example, to the OB patch panels. SMPTE 311M connections have been laid to all the operated camera positions. These are interfaced with 3K93C panel mount connectors that breakout to both OS1 fibre and auxiliary copper, thus ensuring cabling distanced over 400m can be supported. The OS1 infrastructure has been extended to all the camera and auxiliary positions including unmanned and supplementary cameras such as virtual eye and goal post cameras. Following the initial technical briefings, both AFL teams and Cricket Australia selected precise camera positions, which can be referenced in the technical panel floor plans. In addition, Cat-6a cabling was laid to 10 cricket wicket positions to support enhanced stump vision and microphones, with external connections housed in IP65-rated enclosures. The heavy schedule of cricket, AFL, rugby and soccer games together with other live events ensures the production suite within Optus Stadium is put through its paces. Having successfully installed the broadcasting production suite into the Adelaide Oval, Kojo was contracted to provide all game-

day production for Optus Stadium, including the Ross Video Carbonite production switcher at its core. Supporting integration to both the IPTV and Daktronics large LED and ribbon screen networks required further fibre cabling to be laid between the production suite and the MCR. Located at the east and west ends of the stadium and approximately 10m high x 34m wide, Multiplex oversaw the installation of two 15HD pixel layout main displays hosting live videos, instant replays and event statistics during games, together with sponsored messages and statistics throughout events. Providing complementary content to the two main displays, two more displays wrap around the stadium at ground level and L1. The ground-level ribbon measures slightly over 1m high x 345m long with 10mm line spacing, whereas the L1 0.75m x 380m ribbon comes with a 15HD pixel layout. In addition to the IPTV network and LED screens, a large inventory of Blackmagic Design Smartview Duo dual vision monitors serve as additional video outputs. Daktronics Show Control software unites all the data, video, graphics and animations created in the production suite. Ross Video’s XPression Tessera real-time workflow tools connect and synchronise multiple XPression graphics suite engines that create the scenes across the LED screen network. The minimum signal format on all cabling systems is standardised as 1080p/60 3G SDI (SMPTE 424M) with 4K formats supported by OS1 fibre extension and quad link SDI over four HD-SDI channels. Keeping in parallel with the current Australian broadcasting standards, the house-wide video standard adopted was a 1080i/50 format. As the broadcast industry’s only open-hardware platform, a Ross Video openGear 3.0 server lies at the heart of the production suite operations. Each of the four OG3-FR frames

The team benches by the playing ﬁeld are equipped with Clear-Com HB-704 headset stations

Broadcasting The broadcast systems running throughout Optus Stadium comprise multiple cabling networks and interfaces that meet the major sporting codes’ technical briefs outlined at the commencement of the project. While integrating the in-house A/V production facilities, the stadium-wide cabling backbone interlinks the OB compound, studios and live-to-air camera position in addition to the radio frequency systems used for microphones and communications. ‘As it supports current broadcast practices and sporting codes, single mode fibre (OS1) was selected as the primary transport,’ explains Mr Steele. ‘OS1 operates over significant cabling distances, providing high bandwidth broadcast services that should future-proof the stadium against foreseeable technological advancements. Not only does this backbone ensure 4K and 8K future requirements are met, but it will also maximise venue flexibility for special events.’ The main broadcast, mobile and remote broadcast cameras are channelled to the broadcast patch for the OB vehicles via respective SMPTE 311M and 3G-SDI/fibre cabling infrastructures. From here, the signals can be fed either to the L4 production suite or an external TV studio. ‘This is fundamentally a major cabling backbone integrating the various camera and production points to the OB truck patch location,’ explains Mr Steele. ‘Ultimately, we have created a

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The OB trucks can patch into the extensive ﬁbre system for point-to-point broadcasting

A Ross Video openGear 3.0 server lies at the heart of the video production operations

A Ross Carbonite Video Switcher serves as the control interface for routing video signals throughout the stadium

FEATURES: INSTALLATION are inserted with up to 20 openGear cards connecting Mac, PC and server inputs over BNC, twisted-pair audio and ﬁbre for output to the LED screens. Basic conﬁguration and monitoring of the openGear cards is conducted over the Ethernet using the Dashboard control system. Advanced features including DataSafe and an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) interface for system-wide monitoring provide Project manager Elijah Steele at the helm of the Yamaha CL5 console in the broadcast production suite

An EV RE-20 microphone is used for commentary and announcements

enhanced functionality. A Switchcraft patchbay provides control room patching throughout the network. A Dante-networked audio interface integrates the in-house mixing and production systems. Located in the production suite, the same Yamaha CL5 digital mixing console receives inputs including an EV RE-20 announcer’s mic, a TASCAM CD-500B CD player and Denon DN-3001 radio tuner for broadcasting to the Bowl PA. A further two channels of Sennheiser 5000 series microphones are available for on-ﬁeld announcers. Audio distribution to the back of house zones is relayed via a Q-LAN I/O equipped with 32 AES3 inputs and outputs to and from the production patch panel. XLR connections can also be patched through the main Neutrik Bantam patchbay accepting AES3 inputs and outputs. A multicore ﬁbre and baseband copper cabling network connects the local patches in the primary and secondary

A mobile production rack in the OB compound is outﬁtted with Yamaha Dante RI8 and RO8-D frames and routed to the CL5 console

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION studios in addition to the press conference room. Analogue and AES3-rated tie lines connect the main OB compound patch panel to and from the primary and secondary studio patch panels in addition to the press conference room. Here, a mobile production rack incorporates a Yamaha Dante Rio1608-D I/O frame providing 16 XLR inputs and 8 XLR outputs to the CL5 console. Cat-6a analogue and digital partyline communication systems were preferred in the players’ areas, with the home and away team benches utilising 18 Clear-Com PS-704 Encores in IP65-rated EB-704 enclosures. Operating over the OS1 ﬁbre network via a Cisco IE5000 switch, the in-house broadcasting operations staff communicate via an RTS Omneo platform. An RTS XCP-ADAM-MC breakout panel has been added, providing ample outputs for future requirements. A Studio Technologies 216 announcer’s console receives two Cat-6a inputs from the Q-LAN network, the RTS Adam-M intercom matrix frame and an Omneo 4-channel router for outputting to the OB patch panel and 15 key panel stations ﬁtted with headsets.

River View Rooms Located on the western façade of L3, the three River View Function Rooms operate independently, as doubles or as one large combined room. Capable of accommodating 1,500 patrons, the fully glazed exterior provides a bright vista across the Swan River to the CBD of Perth.

Optus Stadium boasts multiple traditional and social suites for a

Room-combining functionality in the Western function rooms is entrusted to a Q-Sys Core 110f processor

An impressive number of private suites can be hired during match days and beyond

Crestron control is enabled by integrated iPad touchscreens in many of the private suites During match days, these rooms operate as a premium location for functions, while on other days they are in high demand for conferencing and private events. Event connections are reinforced through A/V displays, for which Rutledge AV has created a flexible design with multiple configurations for individual or combined room use. The Crestron CP3 control platform is interfaced via four wireless tablet devices allowing the configuration of the audio, projector displays and IPTV media players in each room. This also integrates with Optus Stadium’s building management system to provide localised control of lighting and local monitoring of air conditioning systems. The integration is made possible by the converged ICT network, which allows authorised technicians to remotely monitor and control A/V systems in the function rooms. While the number of permanently installed displays has been minimised, the highly flexible design draws on a large

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number of video inputs. A Crestron digital matrix switcher lies at the heart of operations, routing computer, HDMI and camera input sources to the projection and flat panel display outputs. Additional HDMI inputs have been added at control points at the rear and side of the room, allowing hirers with more complex requirements to connect video source equipment to the integrated A/V switching and display rack. Each function space comprises two 200-inch diagonal motorised projection screens – located on the western and eastern edges of each room – and 1080p DLP projectors discretely housed in retractable projection lifts. An additional 10 flat panel displays can be temporarily installed in each function space by patching them into points distributed through the room. The Crestron digital matrix switcher also links up to five Cisco IPTV digital media players to display content distributed over the StadiumVision IPTV system including TV, event broadcasts and team branding channels. Located at the rear of each function space, a high-definition camera patch point provides connection into the Crestron system to project a presenter onto the installed screens in the room. For speeches and presentations, two channels of wireless Sennheiser Speechline handheld or lapel microphones are available in each room. Vocal reinforcement and BGM is routed to a Q-Sys Core 110f processor, and two I/O frames provide DSP settings for room combining in addition to connecting these rooms to the stadium-wide audio system via the network. For more complex events, room flexibility and expansion has been provided in the form of additional audio inputs and cabling provisions. From the Core 110f processor, the audio signal is fed to the QSC CXD4.5Q amplifiers and Tannoy ceiling speaker system. A Univox SLS-3 Super Loop System provides assistive listening capabilities. Five in-house radio commentary feeds from the stadiumwide audio system are supplied via a rack-mounted Linear Broadcast FMT25 transmitter. XLR and Cat-6 tie lines between the presentation points on the western edge of the function spaces and the control point locations provide additional audio inputs and outputs to support other media such as video extension. When required, these can be easily added without having to run extra cabling across the floor. XLR inputs have been installed at the control locations for hirers to add a mixing desk when needed. To support event lighting, DMX tie lines have been added between the presentation points and control points, and control points and the A/V rack. Also connected to the A/V

The outside ticket points, bus stops and rail station are furnished with various Tannoy models including the Di8 and VL15 rack, ceiling-mounted DMX patch points located in close proximity to rigging points have also been provided for event lighting.

Function spaces and stadium-wide PA A number of ‘traditional’ and ‘social’ suites can be found throughout the stadium, designed to offer an atmosphere of exclusivity and intimacy while providing high-quality food and beverages. A/V functionality in each room is via a Crestron DM wireless control tablet together with a Crestron input panel for the connection of local devices. Located within a 50m arc on both north and south sides, the traditional suites attract more formal business gatherings for up to 24 guests in front of the glass line in tiered rows. Larger in capacity, the social suites are designed to be more informal than the traditional suites. Both types of suite share many of the same A/V design elements including a mobile audio device input, two HDMI inputs and two IPTV media players feeding the two 55-inch LCD screens. Rather than being networked, video content and control is localised to individual sources. For all the suites, audio source switching and volume/mute control from the Lab.gruppen Lucia ampliﬁer is made possible via the local Crestron controller. Tannoy ceiling speakers speciﬁcally tuned to local event replays provide local audio reinforcement.

FEATURES: INSTALLATION The L1 and L3 function rooms lead onto an extensive back of house area equipped with Tannoy speakers including OCV8 coaxial pendant models. The Tannoy speaker system is extended both within the stadium and out onto the concourse, covering the ticket outlets and bus zones. Over 1,000 speakers, including CMS, AMS 6 and AMS 8 cabinets together with VLS15 and VLS30 column speakers, are daisychained and zoned throughout the expansive area.

Finale ‘Optus Stadium took us to a new level,’ concludes Mr Steele, having relived the events of the past two years. ‘The line array structure alone was a massive undertaking, but then you have to add the cabling infrastructure, back of house premium venues and the broadcasting facilities to that. There were many challenges along the way but, ultimately, we pulled it off. From day one, the team we assembled was extremely committed and professional. The result is a multifunctional venue that can offer a high degree of flexibility depending on the scale of the event. ‘Future-proofing played an important part in shaping the final schematics of the stadium, with some criteria demanding a more exclusive and intimate experience Both the premium A/V spaces and extensive back of house corridors incorporating toilets, F&B outlets and other facilities are connected via the Q-LAN network, which operates over the existing IT infrastructure. While also interfacing with the evacuation system, the standalone 110f processors operating within the Q-LAN Layer 3 network provide both local and stadium-wide specific audio fulfilments. Preset QSC audio parameters are accessed via the Crestron control touchscreens, while DSP functionality including acoustic echo cancellation, gain sharing and gating automixers can be monitored and configured centrally.

design life to extend to 20 years. We had to really research what was out there on the market to ensure the technology was not in need of replacement several years from now. That’s why the fibre backbone is so important. In addition, aspects such as the Ross Video Open Gear server will provide so many new inputs to be added over time. Most hardware these days, such as the CL5 console and the Q-Sys Core processors, can be updated via their software and firmware, extending their use for many more years.’ Rutledge AV not only conducted thorough, professional works, it listened intently to ensure all parties were served faithfully. ‘Like most multipurpose venues, multiple users place different requests and demands, all of which need to be considered and implemented,’ he continues. ‘Having input from the various broadcasters, sporting teams and other users, it became apparent that the camera points, for example, varied dramatically according to the type of broadcast and the sport being played. They all had to be factored in and, as such, the design became ever more complex.’ Reliability, ROI, ease of use and versatility are more than buzzwords for today’s venue design. Rutledge AV has ensured that the audio and visual components that have been combined to bring Optus Stadium to life will endure well past tomorrow. In the interim, it will welcome operators back time and time again to marvel at both the ease of set up and the high degree of venue flexibility provided. In short, revenues will be maximised. So sit back in your comfortable seats, sports fans, enjoy the Wi-Fi, order food and drink, listen to the announcer purr over the deluxe PA and marvel at the HD LEDs. www.crestron.com

www.rossvideo.com

www.daktronics.com

www.rtsintercoms.com

www.grouptechnologies.com.au

www.rutledge.com.au

www.multiplex.global www.sennheiser.com

www.nexo-sa.com

One of many premium suites

www.qsc.com

www.tannoy.com

www.riedel.net

www.yamahaproaudio.com

powersoft-audio.com

Now installations sound bigger. Duecanali Series. The new two channels that count.

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KEY FEATURES ࠮ Universal Main, PFC, Smart Rails Management ࠮ GPI For external VCA volume control ࠮ DIP Switch for 70/100V - Low-Z Selection ࠮ Ethernet control for 3rd-Party Control Systems ࠮ Diagnostics GPO Alarms ࠮ Adjustable Gain (26-35 dB) ࠮ Optional DSP + Dante versions

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Experienced SI wanted – ÅL_PIPSP[` LZZLU[PHS The newly opened Indonesia Convention Exhibition has attained the status of being the largest and most modern facility in the archipelago. Richard Lawn visits

Paging in the foyer area outside the Nusantara Convention Hall is catered for by Peavey Sanctuary SSE LA curved column speakers

Kairos Multijaya’s technical engineer, Damaran Kristanto, called ICE his home for 18 months

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DEVELOPED AS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN KOMPAS Gramedia and Sinarmas Land, the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) is a bold attempt to entice overseas exhibition organisers, exhibitors and delegates to Jakarta. Located to the west of the capital in Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD City) at Tangerang, the 220,000m2 convention and exhibition centre incorporates 10 exhibition halls, a convention hall and 33 meeting rooms. PT Indonesia International Expo has appointed Hanover-based Deutsche Messe to manage its professional trade fairs. So far so good. However, ICE’s international credentials and sheer size could not protect it from some of the challenges thrown up during the installation of its A/V system. Established in 1995, PT Wahana Ciptasinatria (WCS) was appointed as the main contractor to undertake the extensive digital IT and networking infrastructure within ICE. Designed primarily for paging and announcements, the complex audio system was installed by PT Kairos Multijaya, requiring careful planning as far as ceiling speaker specifications, DSP configurations, rack room requirements and cabling schematics were concerned. As the installation dates approached, every detail from processing purchase orders to gaining onsite parking permits had to be managed. But sometimes, despite meticulous planning and detailed preparations, problems beyond an SI’s control can seriously undermine an operation. And so it transpired for Kairos Multijaya when the proposed active fibre network designed to host the A/V infrastructure, CCTV and lighting was discovered to be passive. Damage limitation began in earnest. ‘The owner asked if we could operate the A/V network over a passive network so we conducted experiments at WCS’ office,’ explains Kairos Multijaya’s technical engineer, Damaran Kristanto. ‘It actually worked well at times but, as soon as you added Crestron control, lighting and CCTV through the same fibre, there was not enough bandwidth. The network traffic

became so packed that we realised the audio would need to be separated. When further inputs and outputs are added, it becomes very confusing, as the bundles sometimes run out and the operator has no option but to enter them manually. Also, the connection between the main Nion processor and the CAB 4n or CAB 8 was often interrupted, disturbing the audio network ﬂow.’ To troubleshoot this, Kairos Multijaya added unmanaged Cisco switch hubs to the network to stabilise the system, resulting in a cessation of dropouts and jitters. ‘We originally designed a Dante audio network adopting a MediaMatrix Nion solution, as the huge distances ruled out a Cat-6 cabling infrastructure,’ adds Mr Kristanto. The only option left was to run the audio over a CobraNet network, which doesn’t use IP protocol and is limited to use on the LAN, thereby not passing through routers. It can transmit up to 64 channels of audio on a single network cable, to be assigned to any of the thousands of network bundles. This is effectively the audio signal’s destination address and is done in blocks of four, with each network bundle carrying four channels of digital audio. ‘CobraNet sends information in bundles and packets, but can only handle four channels at a time,’ explains Mr Kristanto. Kairos Multijaya overcame this by running bidirectional CobraNet to an Optical Network Termination (ONT) network, whereby localised racked devices are connected by ﬁbre optics allowing the BGM and paging to be dispatched. ‘I certainly don’t recommend any developer operating CobraNet in Passive Fibre Network, but we made it work by routing a Cisco switch to each Nion processor and connecting this to the ONT.’ The bulk of the audio installation in ICE was conducted in the centrally located basement server room under the Nusantara Convention Hall. Three MediaMatrix Nion n3 units are the core switch and provide the DSP backbone, and also function as the CobraNet Conductor.

FEATURES: INSTALLATION Nusantara Convention Hall is accessed via a 4,000m2 pre-function area that can be divided into four smaller halls when required. Rack-mounted TSW-750-B-S 7-inch touchscreens provide Crestron control. The 12m-high ceiling is equipped with an EAW CIS120 12-inch coaxial 100V line speaker system. Tapped at 30W output, the ceiling-mounted loudspeaker was selected for its suitability for high-ceiling and open structure applications. Located just under 100m apart, two control rooms housing the Lab.gruppen C Series 88:4, 48:4 and 28:4 amplifiers are interconnected by Cat-6e cabling via the ceiling. MediaMatrix Nion n3 processors together with CAB 4n breakout boxes provide the DSP backbone in the Nusantara Convention Hall. Analogue redundancy is provided by 18 rack-mounted XControl 4X4 control panels which can be used for volume control, message playback and paging in addition to frequency levels for multiple EQ filters. A racked TASCAM HS-20 recorder and Oppo Blu-ray player provide further input options. Operating from its own dedicated rack, a system of flush-mounted RCF PL8X 8-inch ceiling speakers has been installed in a VVIP room at the rear. The 22m-high ceiling in halls 3a and 3b posed a greater obstacle to Kairos Multijaya when installing the 36 EAW CIS120 ceiling speakers for paging. The scaffold tower alone took two days to assemble before the daisy-chained cabling

The 4,000m2 Nusantara Convention Hall can be subdivided into four smaller halls

various DSP settings, which Kairos Multijaya’s Leo Tanzil spent three months programming for all 33 rooms. Having been awarded the contract in late 2015, Kairos Multijaya spent 18 months onsite installing the 100V line paging system. Having created a solution that would overcome the passive ﬁbre optic infrastructure, other challenges ensued. ‘While it was very hot and humid in the exhibition control room before they installed a portable AC, the IT switch hubs deteriorated and malfunctioned,’ recalls

The DSP for the 33 meeting rooms is catered for by Nion nE processors and CAB 8n CobraNet breakout boxes and speaker fixtures could be installed. Michael Bublé and Katy Perry have both performed here in a hall set up for large international touring operators. A total of 12 floor input panels provide venue flexibility. The 33 meeting rooms located above the Nusantara Convention Hall are all equipped with very similar A/V setups, facilitating user familiarity. Most rooms can be combined or divided for meetings to host web conferencing, presentations, speeches and meetings. All the rooms are equipped with four microphones and two line/level inputs. Crestron TSW-750-B-S 7-inch touchscreens provide a GUI for facility managers and event organisers, facilitating laptop presentations using Shure SLX4/SM58 wireless or MX412 gooseneck microphones. Speech reinforcement is delivered via RCF PL8X ceiling speakers powered by Lab.gruppen C Series and E Series amplifiers. The MediaMatrix Nion nE processors and CAB 8n CobraNet breakout boxes incorporate

36 EAW CIS120 ceiling speakers provide paging in the 22m-high ceiling in halls 3a and 3b Mr Kristanto. ‘Inputs were continually being severed by foot trolleys and so we spent a lot of time re-laying cables.’ However, it wasn’t all bad news. ‘So far the MediaMatrix NWare software has been bug-free and I have to say we had a lot of fun working with NWare,’ he adds. Time will tell whether the hordes will travel from Europe and North America to use these stylish facilities, but Indonesia’s ambitions are transparent. Like the CobraNet network the audio system has been locked into, Jakarta’s transport network needs to advance beyond the massively congested highways. www.ice-indonesia.com www.kairosmultijaya.com

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John McMahon and Pierre Germain (Meyer Sound), Tze Tze Lam (EAS), Philip Murphy (Coda Group), Melody Parker (Meyer Sound), Vincent Cheong and Suﬁan Abdul Majid (Coda Group), Patrick Chee (EAS), Tan Suan Wee (Radian Acoustics) and Theodore Huang (Meyer Sound)

Star quality

In the starry world of showbiz, Meyer Sound’s Constellation acoustic system, which has been installed into a historic Singapore venue, is aptly named. Richard Lawn reports THE SINGAPORE CONFERENCE HALL (SCH) DATES BACK to the foundation of the Lion State. Home to the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), the 53-year-old multipurpose venue underwent major renovations in 2017, including significant upgrades to its audio and video systems. Last renovated at the turn of the millennium, the heritage building received funding in 2016 to improve its concert hall, internal accessibility and external landscaping. Thirty seats were sacrificed as the depth of the trapezoidal stage was extended by 1.2m to accommodate the 86-piece orchestra. Outside the concert hall, two link bridges have been established in the concourse to allow ticketholders with mobility issues to take a lift and access the hall on a level path, while the existing staircase has been shifted back to the position it occupied in 1965. Finally, a new drive-in area has been added to the external landscape outside the concert hall. Having received consistent feedback for years relating to reverberation and sound quality, especially from those seated furthest from the stage, the venue has finally silenced its critics. Previously, the reverb time of 1.3s to 1.5s proved to be an adequate deterrent to promoters booking the SCH, so this aspect of the upgrade was deemed critical. As the building is a heritage site, many meetings ensued with the preservation society to ensure that any proposed developments would observe regulations in place to protect the integrity of the building. Following that, a brief was handed down to the architects highlighting a demand for improved audio over aesthetics. The creation of warmer tones was emphasised, and these have now been provided with the installation of a Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system. Assistant director (concert production) Jackie Tay has been insistent on installing Constellation into the venue since attending a 2010 demonstration in Beijing. ‘I went to hear a demonstration at the Palm China exhibition in 2010 and listened to a musical performance using Constellation,’ he recalls. ‘In such a large space, I was amazed at the acoustics, balance and volume of the music from only a few instruments. Yet it didn’t add any colouration.’ Another pivotal point arrived several years later when Meyer Sound’s John McMahon conducted another trial using Constellation at Sentosa Cove with the assistance of the SCO ensemble. ‘The natural clarity, warmth and 3-dimensional audio reproduction of the orchestral sound was amazing as it wasn’t overly reinforced and sounds truly natural,’ continues Mr Tay.

106 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

‘Not only could the musicians monitor themselves but they could also better interact with the audience.’ With budgets finally approved, an engineer from Meyer Sound conducted a full acoustic analysis of SCH, allowing schematic plans to be drawn. This resulted in a large Meyer Sound loudspeaker inventory being precisely installed into the main venue’s architecture. The Constellation system incorporates 26 UP-4XP dual 4-inch and 39 MM-4XP single 4-inch models, together with 12 dual 10-inch UMS-1XPSM subwoofers and a further 44 Stella-4C ceiling speakers. Fixed to the surrounding stage wall for the benefit of the orchestra, the Constellation shell comprises 12 UPJunior-XP point source cabinets fixed at a height of 2.5m together with 19 overhead UPM-1XP dual 5-inch models. Four UMS-1XPSM on-stage speakers complete the stage zone.

EAS’ Tze Tze Lam with SCO’s executive and assistant directors Terence Ho and Jackie Tay (photo courtesy of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra)

26 UP-4XP dual 4-inch and 39 MM-4XP single 4-inch models are integrated into the Constellation system

The stage has been extended to accommodate the 86-piece orchestra (photo courtesy of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra)

12 Meyer Sound UPJunior-XP point source cabinets provide orchestral monitoring

Meyer Sound’s Constellation system creates optimal acoustics for individual performances by adjusting the reverberation time, early reﬂections and signal strength accordingly. Rather than capturing the direct sound of the instruments, a distributed network of 35 condenser microphones located above the stage and seated areas continually sense and feed ambient physical acoustic information. Located in the BOH equipment room, a DCM-4 digital core matrix receives the inputs via two D-Mitri DAI-24 input modules before outputting to three DCP core processors. The addition of four racked D-Mitri VRAS modules containing stored SSD measurement data and audio ﬁles provide dedicated input channels and processing information for each of the zones

FEATURES: INSTALLATION they serve. Completing the D-Mitri platform in SCH, two network switches provide full redundancy, while six DAO-24 modules route the audio signals from the core to the speaker system. Other racked equipment include 16 MPS488HP external power supplies together with two Galaxy 816 modules for full DSP control for the main FOH line array system. Three SurgeX SEQ-1216i power-conditioning sequencers serve as a barrier to electrical spikes and assist in powering on and off. Facility management need not be confined to the equipment room as the D-Mitri mixing and routing parameters can be remotely monitored and controlled using CueStation software. Multiple user configurations have been preset in Constellation, ensuring that customised acoustical signatures can be applied for any event in any seating configuration. Capable of staging music such as Chinese orchestras, symphony orchestras, ensembles, piano recitals, pop music and dramas, Constellation has significantly broadened SCH’s appeal courtesy of these presets – including amplified music when required. Such events draw upon an FOH system incorporating 14 per side Mica line array loudspeakers, dual

‘It may sound like a well-worn phrase, but the timeline to complete was extremely challenging,’ admits Mr Chee of the project. This was particularly tasking for EAS, as the SI had to pull personnel off other ongoing projects. ‘EAS was fortunate to be nominated for this prestigious project and so we worked hard to create this milestone,’ he continues. ‘Rather than rebuild the hall speciﬁcally for orchestral acoustics, the adoption of Constellation allows us to adapt to different genres and uses,’ comments SCO executive director, Terence Ho. ‘Being the home of the SCO, musicians prefer to rehearse in their own familiar acoustical environment. Thanks to the presence of Constellation, we now have a hall that allows musicians to both rehearse and perform in. Previously, that meant some events requiring daytime set up could not allow rehearsals for that same evening.

The BOH electrical room houses the racked D-Mitri processing platform

The Midas Pro6 digital console has been mixing the audio in the venue since 2011 UPJunior-XP side-fills, a single UPQ-1P centre-fill and three 1100-LFC dual 18-inch subwoofers. With the addition of two Galaxy 816 processors, the FOH reinforcement system can operate independently or simultaneously with Constellation. For long-established SI company Electro-Acoustics Systems (EAS), integrating Constellation into a performance venue was a first. Working closely with Meyer Sound’s distributor, Coda Group, EAS project manager, Patrick Chee, coordinated EAS’ team on site. ‘We’ve successfully employed Yamaha’s AFC3 [Active Field Control] technology in a number of projects, as it can adjust and enhance the architectural acoustic characteristics of facilities,’ explains Mr Chee. ‘Constellation is a lot more complex and required direct assistance from both the distributor and the manufacturer. As this is Meyer Sound’s largest installation of its Constellation acoustic system in Singapore and South East Asia, great teamwork and project management was instrumental in ensuring a job well done.’ Acviron Acoustics was the acoustic consultant for this project. The onsite team consisted of 13 EAS engineers and

technicians, Coda Group’s Phil Murphy, Vincent Cheong and Sufian Abdul Majid. Meyer Sound’s John McMahon, Melody Parker, Pierre Germain and Theodore Huang all flew in to tune and commission the system. EAS also installed 16 Sennheiser Digital 9000 wireless microphone channels with two EM 9046 SU 8-channel receiver frames, boosted by an AD 9000 directional antenna system, into SCH. Mobile performances are enhanced with the addition of eight Sennheiser EM 6000 Dante dual receivers, transmitters and receivers together with eight Neumann KK 205 super cardioid capsules. As part of the makeover, a Williams Sound MOD 232-02 2-channel infrared modulator connected to WIR TX9-02 infrared emitters and RX22-4N receivers provide enhanced assistive listening capabilities. EAS also conducted an extensive video upgrade capable of promoting multimedia mapping projections. A 4K-ready Analog Way Ascender 48 seamless switcher sources and processes composite video, HD-TV and computer formats, and the resultant images are output to two Christie D12HD-H 10,000 ANSI-lumens projectors firing onto an 8m x 4.5m Stewart Luxus screen. LiveCore control can be applied from a Vertige 16 VR-300 controller in addition to the web-based RCS software. ‘Rather than having to hire external rental companies, SCH can now promote state-of-the-art, in-house projection services itself,’ explains Mr Tay. Stage lighting has not been left in the shade. Located in the rear production area alongside a previously installed Midas Pro6 digital console, a grandMA lighting console now controls the existing fixtures in addition to a number of new Claypaky moving heads including 24 A.leda B-Eye K20 LED washes and 12 800 ST profiles.

The stage has been extended to accommodate the 86-piece orchestra (photo courtesy of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra) Normally, the SCO stages 125 shows per year ranging from regular ticketed concerts in the SCH and performances at outdoor community centres around Singapore to ticketed concerts at Esplanade Theatres by the Bay when large seating capacities are required, as well as overseas bookings. As the orchestra was forced to hit the road during the 2017 renovations, the Rhapsodies of Spring 2018: Home for the New Year concert felt somewhat special. ‘I have been overwhelmed by the change of the tone, colour and quality of the sound – it’s very vibrant, beautiful and rich,’ commented music director, Tsung Yeh, upon testing the new acoustics of the revamped SCH. For Mr Tay, the January concert marked the completion of a remarkable 7-year journey. ‘So much preparation and thought were put into this entire project that the journey’s end felt like a personal graduation ceremony,’ he says. ‘The unique technology integrated within SCH has deﬁnitely raised the bar here in Singapore to deliver the optimum audience experience.’ www.codaproaudio.com www.eas.com.sg www.meyersound.com www.sco.com.sg

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FEATURES: BROADCAST

Genelec monitoring and Axia AoIP console

VOV’s Nguyen Nang Khang

Genelec 1234A SAM monitors in VOV’s music recording studio with Danmon Asia’s Dao Anh Dung

Voice of the nation

The uniting force of national radio has been particularly important to Vietnam since the mid-20th century. Caroline Moss tunes in to VOV THE VOICE OF VIETNAM RADIO HAS BEEN INEXTRICABLY linked to the history of the country ever since a voice crackling from radio sets across the country announced: ‘This is the Voice of Vietnam, broadcasting from Hanoi, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.’ The date was 2 September 1945 and the voice belonged to Ho Chi Minh, leader of the newly independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Prior to this, the Vietnamese had been banned from owning radio receivers. Broadcasting was under the control of the French colonial government, which had established Vietnam’s first radio station, Radio Saigon, in the late 1920s. Ho Chi Minh’s declaration, then, was particularly poignant to the emerging nation. Unfortunately, in terms of national unity, it was also fairly short-lived as the country descended into two consecutive wars that saw it divided in two. During the Vietnam War, Hanoi Radio played a role in the North Vietnamese propaganda efforts, with radio star Hanoi Hannah doing her best to demoralise the US troops, while South Vietnam set up its own network in Saigon. Following reunification, all of the radio stations were combined into the Voice of Vietnam, which became the national radio station in 1978. Today, the country has four domestic channels: VOV1 (news, current affairs and politics, some literature and art), VOV2 (culture, science and education), VOV3 (music and entertainment) and VOV4 (programming in 12 ethnic minority languages). VOV5 World provides an overseas service for Vietnamese people living overseas, while VOV English 24/7 broadcasts in English and VOV Transportation transmits traffic information to listeners in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Pro AVL Asia visited VOV at its Hanoi premises, where radio programmes have been made for decades and which is steeped in history and antiquity. This impression is strengthened by the archive photos that line the halls and stairwells, not to mention the antiquated equipment in the studios, some of which is still being used. ‘When this building was being constructed, all the equipment installed here was imported from Hungary which, at that time,

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Danmon Asia’s Lien Nguyen with VOV’s Dang Huu Thuan, deputy manager, archive department was a Communist country,’ says Nguyen Nang Khang, deputy director, VOV production archive centre. ‘Eventually my boss decided to change to different technology and bought some new equipment to try it out – microphones from Sennheiser, speakers from Genelec and some Studer and Soundcraft mixers. When we started the update from analogue to digital, the studio operators liked the sound of Genelec and told my boss, so it was decided to use Genelec for all the studios, for monitoring.’ The result is that since the ﬁrst purchase in 1994, most of the studios in the building have been equipped with Genelec monitoring, and those that haven’t are in the process of being upgraded. Since 2012, all new Genelec monitors purchased by the broadcaster have been supplied by local distributor, Danmon Asia, which has also provided equipment from Studer, Sennheiser and TASCAM. ‘We have more than 30 studios including on-air studios, production studios and recording studios, and we are changing them all over to digital technology,’ continues Mr Nguyen, who arrived at VOV himself in 1995. ‘Some of the studios that we haven’t got around to are still analogue, but they will switch over to digital soon.’ Three recording studios are installed with large Genelec systems including the latest SAM studio monitors as well

as some older models. Smaller monitor speakers are in evidence throughout the building in the on-air and smaller studios. Danmon has most recently supplied the broadcaster with 20 8020 active compact monitors as well as a pair each of 8350A and the larger 1234A SAM studio monitors. The conversion from analogue to digital began in earnest in 2000, when the broadcaster began to replace the Hungarian consoles with modern technology. This has included the installation of around 30 Studer OnAir 2000 and 2000M2 mixers over the years. More recently, Danmon has also supplied an OnAir 2500 and four OnAir1500 radio broadcasting and production consoles. ‘We use two types of console,’ explains Mr Nguyen. ‘As well as the Studer OnAir models, we have just started working with Axia audio over IP consoles.’ Other equipment supplied by Danmon Asia over the past year includes Sennheiser e 906, e 908 and e 914 instrument microphones, MD 421-II broadcast cardioid mics, MKH 40 cardioid condenser microphones and HD 25-1-II headphones, as well as TASCAM SS-CDR200 solid state audio recorders. Like almost all Vietnamese, Danmon’s Lien Nguyen has fond recollections of the radio station. ‘VOV was a big part of my childhood, especially as not many people had a TV when I was growing up in the 1980s,’ she recalls. ‘Most families had a radio though. We tuned into the news, music and language lessons, and I listened to the stories in the evening before I went to bed.’ VOV’s deputy director smiles at Ms Nguyen’s memories. ‘We still broadcast a story close to midnight every night, featuring new Vietnamese writers,’ he says. ‘It is very popular.’ And with a reach that VOV claims to cover 90% of the country’s 93 million people, the broadcaster is continuing to unite this rapidly developing nation. www.danmonasia.com www.genelec.com www.studer.ch

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FEATURES: BROADCAST The sixth-level multilingual digital newsroom is home to 600 journalists operating from hot swappable desks

World class

In the second of our 2-part look at Singapore’s new Mediacorp campus, Richard Lawn visits the broadcast facilities RELOCATION TO A MAJOR NEW PRODUCTION CENTRE IN 2017 was an opportunity for Singapore’s Mediacorp to extensively review its technical operations. The state television and radio broadcaster has diversified and grown over the years to encompass interactive media, filmmaking and media publishing businesses. And the new 79,500m2 campus at one-north is a truly international creation, pulling together expertise and technological innovations from across the globe. Headquartered in Cologne, consultant and master systems integrator, Qvest Media, was commissioned with the overall technological advisory, design and systems integration of the new broadcasting and media centre. From 2013, Qvest Media designed and created a robust media workflow infrastructure including content collaboration, production and delivery for Mediacorp’s 3,000 personnel. The design took account of changing consumer viewing habits together with the rise of over-the-top offers, prompting a migration away from traditional media lines. Specific consumer segments and target audiences offering relevant content regardless of the media platform were analysed. Ultimately, a new technical infrastructure was designed that would promote enhanced workflow. With an emphasis on format and equipment standardisation, Qvest Media and Mediacorp jointly opted to follow a vendor-neutral approach, allowing them to select best-of-class solutions for their needs. Qvest Media oversaw and managed 42 different manufacturers from 20 countries for playout, transmission, IT networking, servers, managing application for content, radio and news systems, workflow orchestration and postproduction. The SI supported Mediacorp in maintaining operations during the migration period, at the same time ensuring the seamless integration of new assets as well as reutilisation of technological assets from the old campus. Qvest Media facilitated open and flexible working relations across the different Mediacorp divisions, giving every unit the same abilities to use technology and content. Next to high reliability of the system architecture and its sub-

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Lawo mc²56 production consoles in operation in the TV news studios systems, modular integration of the production facilities to ensure a platform-centric environment was of utmost importance. ‘One of the major challenges was to implement a technical design that allowed a versatile combination of IT, A/V, hardware and software solutions based on various technology standards by different manufacturers in a deeply integrated environment,’ explains Qvest Media Singapore MD, Konstantin Knauf. The new campus incorporates six networked TV and news studios, a 1,500-seat broadcast-ready theatre, 12 radio studios and approximately 100 editing and postproduction stations across the various departments. On the sixth ﬂoor of the broadcast facility, a 3,000m2 multilingual newsroom supports digital, TV and multiple print platforms. This digital newsroom is a hive of activity for the 600 journalists who operate from hot swappable desks to break incoming news in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil for the online and traditional platforms. Three news rooms feature LED videowalls and AR/VR technology, while four additional ﬂashcam positions have been embedded into the newsroom. Equipped with Lawo A__mic8 audio-to-IP units that can support up to eight

microphones and four return lines, these four ﬂashcam positions can be freely assigned to any of the studios or studio control rooms. Five Lawo mc²56 production consoles together with an mc²36 audio console, a Nova73 HD router, two Nova73 compact core routers and a large Virtual Studio Manager (VSM) control system can be found in the two TV production studios, three TV news studios and a radio Master Control Room (MCR). Supplied by Singaporean SI and distributor, BCI, the hardware is continually monitored and controlled with the incorporation of the manufacturer’s VSM software. The Lawo consoles can also be managed remotely using Viz Mosart broadcast automation. The two studios in the TV production complex feature Lawo mc²56 64- and 48-fader consoles, which integrate a Compact Core with 270 DSP channels and three Ravenna 4 port cards. Both consoles feature AES inputs and outputs in addition to MADI and 16 Ravenna ports, 16 line inputs and outputs, eight GPIOs together with three compact I/O units. The resultant audio signals from the mc²56 consoles are routed over an AES67 Ravenna network to a central Nova73 HD providing 256-channel tie-line capacity.

Miked up with a Digital 9000 transmitter, a newsreader prepares to go on the air

FEATURES: BROADCAST The Nova73 HD located in the studio equipment room serves as the central router for all inputs and outputs across all studios as well as signal distribution control. Connection to the intercom system, HDD recorders and auxiliary equipment is provided via the Nova73 compact in the medium-sized studio. In addition, a Lawo V__pro8 is used for embedding/de-embedding audio from HD/SDI signals and is addressed from the router. Four MADI links connect the Toggle Studio App service to the Nova73 HD core for streaming additional content and accompanying broadcasts such as video-on-demand. Channel News Asia uses three dedicated studios connected to the Nova73 HD router over a redundant dual-star architecture. Studio One is catered for with a 48-fader mc²56 console with a Digital Audio Line Level Interface System (Dallis) interface, a Nova73 compact I/O and four A__mic8 units that use Ravenna interconnections for audio sharing. Mixing consoles in Studios Two and Three are 32-fader mc²56 with 16 line outputs, eight AES inputs and outputs, and eight GPIOs, with Dallis and a Nova73 compact I/O. Finally, the newsroom studio relies on a 16-fader mc²36 console. While the FlashCam Studio operates over Ravenna, Studios One and Two are connected via MADI. Providing enhanced flexibility and efficiency, a pool of shared resources can be physically connected to the central router for simple assignment to each of the consoles via the VSM. The four FlashCam positions in the news offices can be assigned flexibly to each of the four mixing consoles. The radio MCR is equipped with two Nova73 compact audio routers and six Nova17 I/O breakout boxes with redundant master cards operating over MADI connections. One master card is connected to Nova73-1 and the redundant master card is connected to Nova73-2 for automated redundancy. In addition, a Nova17 TX router carries all studio outputs from Nova73-1 and from Nova73-2 via AES. Both Studios One and Two are equipped with a sizeable inventory of Sennheiser 2000 and 5000 wireless microphone systems in addition to SR 2050 IEMs, relying on 32 and 12 channels of Digital 9000 receivers, respectively, for the bulk of their production needs. Renowned for its ability to transmit artefact-free uncompressed audio, the Digital 9000 includes EM 9046 receivers, SKM 9000 handhelds and SK 9000 bodypack transmitters. Both studios can draw upon an inventory consisting of 30 handheld, 30 lapel and 16 head worn models together with 5,000 SK 5215 transmitters. ‘The Digital 9000 system more than meets our audio requirements,’ explains senior manager, audio production resources, Lee Mun Tong. ‘We host many varied productions such as musicals, talk shows and cooking programmes in four languages, so the microphone system needs to be flexible. Reliability and audio quality are the primary considerations when broadcasting live and the Digital 9000 meets those criteria. The SKM 9000 handheld transmits digitally and does not need a compander and is free of unwanted noise, while the SK 9000 bodypack transmitter is easy to hide and easy to attach.’ Operating in master-slave mode, four Digital 9000 mainframe receivers each accommodate up to eight internal receivers. Designed to operate within a 470MHz to 798MHz UHF bandwidth, the Digital 9000 receivers in TV Studios One and Two are currently operating within the 502MHz to 510MHz and 678MHz to 686MHz frequency spectrums in either transformer-balanced analogue or digital AES3 audio output mode. ‘Spectrum is a scarce resource as the bandwidth in our studios is over-congested, but the Digital 9000 provides us with the highest frequency efficiency,’ continues Mr Lee. ‘Transmission frequencies are evenly spaced without generating intermodulation and that allows us to maximise the channel count in such a congested RF environment. In comparison to previous analogue systems we have used, the Digital 9000 exhibits very low latency, whereby you can precisely add more channels into a limited frequency spectrum. So far it has proved to be extremely stable, providing an excellent signal-to-noise ratio together with unsurpassed audio quality.’ System set up is initiated by an integrated graphical spectrum analyser that scans the RF landscape, while an

RF level recorder checks reception and optimises antenna positions. The receiver automatically sets an appropriate gain to counteract RF cable losses. Antenna boosters are controlled via the receiver, which stores up to 10 complete conﬁgurations. Technicians can manage the wireless network from a PC or tablet via the Wireless Systems Manager (WSM) software. The latest WSM v4.3 allows monitoring of the Digital 9000 receivers over the Dante network together with the audio stream of individual EM 9046 channels. ‘The WSM allows us to centralise our operations within Mediacorp,’ continues Mr Lee. ‘The entire inventory is programmed in the WSM and this allows operators to simply patch into the network via their IP-addressable transmitters.’

Mediacorp’s wireless productions operate within limited 502MHz to 510MHz and 678MHz to 686MHz wavebands

Yamaha consoles including this QL5 model provide complete redundancy throughout Mediacorp

Studio system manager, Lee Mun Tong, in Mediacorp’s Studio One lower-level control room

For redundancy, Yamaha QL5 consoles are constantly on standby should one of the Lawo boards fail during broadcasting. The infrastructure hosts AES67, Dante and Ravenna networks, with the main outputs fed to the Lawo Ravenna network for broadcasting, while the Dante outputs are routed to the Yamaha FOH and monitor consoles. Redundancy is provided with the addition of an aux output from the multi-pin connector. In order to split the broadcast and microphone audio signals for distribution to the sound reinforcement systems, ARX MSX 32 and XTA DS8000 microphone/line splitters serve both studio control rooms and newsrooms, respectively. In addition to providing signal buffering and routing together with increased resistance to RF inter ference, the active versions offer improved audio quality. Redundancy in the studios comes in the form of additional redundant power supplies, with a single ARX PSU 32 unit automatically powering up to six 32-in/8-out MSX 32 splitters. A combination of Focal CMS 50 and Genelec 8350A/8040 speakers provide extensive stereo and surround monitoring. JoeCo BBR64-MADI 64-track Black Box recorders are used for monitoring mobile multichannel recording and providing playback for virtual soundchecks, and CEDAR Audio DNS 8 Live multichannel dialogue noise suppressors are also in use. Interestingly, many delisted industry standards made the 12km journey from the previous Caldecott headquarters to one-north, including 360 Systems DigiCart/II Plus HD recorders for jingles, a Klark Teknik DN780 digital reverberator and Aphex Aural Exciters. ‘Some of these products are over 25 years old, but we’ve routinely serviced them and don’t want to part with these industry-standard products,’ explains Mr Lee. The move to the new Mediacorp campus has been more than a physical one. ‘It has presented us with an opportunity to break out from what we have been doing and re-engineer our work processes to bring out the whole of the Mediacorp culture and mindset,’ comments Mediacorp’s SVP of campus technology development, Norraine Yusof. ‘The welldesigned physical workspaces facilitate closer interaction to help promote synergies, while state-of-the-art technology provides the springboard to transform Mediacorp into a media company for the digital age.’ www.lawo.com

The radio production suites are furnished with Lawo consoles and Genelec monitors

www.qvestmedia.com www.sennheiser.com

July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 111

BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE

1238 SAM monitors at Phoenix Legend studios in Beijing. Feng Hanying is on the right

Riding the Asian soundwave

As Finnish speaker manufacturer, Genelec, turns 40 this year, Caroline Moss looks back over the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early entry into the Asian market

The Genelec Japan team

Lars-Olof JanďŹ&#x201A;od and Ilpo Martikainen

112 PRO AVL ASIA Julyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;August 2018

IT WASNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T JUST ILPO MARTIKAINENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PIONEERING AUDIO designs that were far-sighted. The late founder of Genelec also displayed a high degree of prescience when it came to anticipating the markets where his products would succeed. And he was way ahead of the curve when he turned his attention to China in the mid-1980s. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;At the very beginning of Genelec, Ilpo had a vision about China,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; explains Lars-Olof JanďŹ&#x201A;od, who has served Genelec in varying sales and marketing roles since 1992. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if he could really see what kind of political future the country would have, but he saw that it was and would continue to be a big market.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Indeed, on Pro AVL Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trips to China â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where many a Genelec installation has been visited â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Genelec Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national director, Feng Hanying, takes pride in pointing out that some of the ďŹ rst 1038s to arrive in the country in the early 1990s are still in use â&#x20AC;&#x201C; most notably at the China Record Corporation, among other presumably satisďŹ ed customers. Mr Martikainen ďŹ rst visited China in 1986, way before the era of economic reform and international trading. In Beijing, where there was no sign yet of the sleek, high-tech metropolis to come, he met with Bingo Tso, who assisted in the debut of many entertainment technology companies onto the Chinese market. Mr Tsoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company, Power Source Development, was eventually sold to ACE, which helped Genelec to steadily expand its market presence over the next 16 years until the decision was ultimately made to establish a dedicated rep ofďŹ ce in 2002. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;While ACE was very dominating in the market, they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just a distributor, they ^LYL HSZV H Z`Z[LTZ PU[LNYH[VY Âť JVU[PU\LZ 4Y 1HUĂ&#x2026;VK Âş>L had other SIs contacting us to buy our products but they did not want to buy them from ACE, as they were competing PU [OL ZHTL WYVQLJ[Z >L OHK [V IL HISL [V Z\WWS` [OLZL people and the only way to do that was to do our own KPZ[YPI\[PVU Âť ;OL YLW VÉ&#x2030;JL was only licensed to dispatch orders from a network of dealers, not to actually import. Âş;OH[ÂťZ OV^ ^L VWLYH[LK MVY Ă&#x201E;]L `LHYZ \U[PS ^L KLJPKLK [V MVYT V\Y V^U JVTWHU` )LPQPUN .LULSLJ (\KPV ).( [OH[ JV\SK PTWVY[ Âť

;OL LHYS` `LHYZ ^LYL KPÉ&#x2030;J\S[ I` 4Y 1HUĂ&#x2026;VKÂťZ HKTPZZPVU Âş;OLYL were many moments when I wondered if we should go back to distribution but, again, Ilpo had a vision â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he said that we had invested so much into the venture that we ULLKLK [V THRL P[ Z\JJLLK HUK OL ^HZ JVYYLJ[ Âť A big part of the subsidiaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eventual success was ďŹ nding the right people on the ground who â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;would work in the Genelec wayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. One of these people was Feng Hanying, formerly head of sound at the China Centre for Performing Arts, who took charge of BGA in 2012. Âş>L Ă&#x201E;YZ[ TL[ OPT HZ H customer, but we were seeking a technical person, someone who could be the interface between us and the customers,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; HKKZ 4Y 1HUĂ&#x2026;VK Âş:PUJL ^L OPYLK OPT HUK OL [OLU Z[HY[LK [V OPYL WLVWSL ^LÂť]L ILLU L_[YLTLS` Z\JJLZZM\S Âť

Genelecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s man on the ground in India, Clifford Pereira Mr Martikainenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1986 trip also took him to Japan, a country in which he felt particularly at home. Âş0[ ^HZ [OL J\S[\YL HZ ^LSS HZ [OL PUK\Z[Y` Âť ZH`Z 4Y 1HUĂ&#x2026;VK Âş;V HU extent, the way of working was familiar to him because he liked the fact that the Japanese were very meticulous when P[ JHTL [V SPZ[LUPUN HUK JOVPJL 0[ÂťZ H OPNO [LJO JV\U[Y` and someone was coming to them with something they hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen before â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bringing measurement equipment, JHSPIYH[PUN TVUP[VYZ PU [OL Z[\KPV HUK ZV MVY[O Âť That same year, Swedish Radio had dispatched a pair of Genelec S30 monitors to Japan along with an engineer

BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE who was going to commission a customised 2-track tape machine ordered from Otari. Surely, then, it wasn’t just coincidence that Otari’s trading subsidiary, Otaritec, became Genelec’s distributor in Japan that year, making it not only the third distributor overall to include Genelec SV\KZWLHRLYZ PU P[Z WVY[MVSPV I\[ [OL ÄYZ[ PU (ZPH º( ]LY` JSVZL YLSH[PVUZOPW ^HZ KL]LSVWLK ^P[O THU` VM the key people in Otaritec and in the broader Japanese PUK\Z[Y` » HKKZ 4Y 1HUÅVK º;OLYL ^HZ H Z[YVUN ZVJPHS element to those trips. Ilpo had a very close relationship with Nishihara Satoshi, the Otaritec Genelec manager.’ ;OPZ YLSH[PVUZOPW ISVZZVTLK ^P[O [OL SH\UJO VM [OL ( PU ÔPJO YHWPKS` NHPULK YLJVNUP[PVU PU [OL 1HWHULZL market – among early customers was JVC Victor Studios PU (V`HTH ;VR`V 6[HYP[LJ JVU[PU\LK HZ [OL .LULSLJ distributor with great success for more than three decades before the opening of Genelec Japan, a dedicated service HUK Z\WWVY[ JLU[YL PU ;VR`V SHZ[ `LHY ‘Otaritec was offered the position of sub distributor or master dealer but they decided to go in a different direction,’ explains Mr Janflod. ‘We are honoured to have worked with them for so many years and we still hold them in the highest esteem; we simply had different paths that we each had to follow.’ Studio supplier, MI7 Japan, is now running the Japanese office in cooperation with the manufacturer. Led by general manager, Kanji Murai, Genelec Japan aims to continue close relationships with customers that have been so influential in its product development over the years. While the office is still in its infancy, it has already enjoyed good success, with the first big order of the recently launched The Ones series going to game audio specialist Capcom’s Studio B to provide an immersive 7.1.4 setup. Culturally different again, India has also been an important market for Genelec from the early 1990s. ‘When I started in 1992, we already had a distributor in India, called Prosound,’ says Mr Janflod, who quickly took

Genelec founder Ilpo Martikainen with Otaritec’s Nishihara Satoshi responsibility for the territory. ‘At the time it was a closed market, with very high import duties.’ A near-breakthrough moment happened at Broadcast Asia in Singapore in 1994. ‘Ilpo and I were there on a small booth and an Indian guy came up to us, named Suresh Kathuria, from Sunny Super Sound studio in Mumbai. He took a brochure, pointed at the 1035s and said: “I want to buy two pairs of these!” Eventually it turned into reality. It took a long time because he needed to get the import licences. I went to visit the studio to do some calibrations, and that’s how we started to address the Indian market more seriously, as it was among the ﬁrst really big monitoring systems to come into the country.’ Some 1031s had already been sold into India through other sources, including to Daman Sood at Western Outdoor studios. Mr Sood’s Sound Team has, for the past 10 years, been the Indian Genelec distributor. Prior to this, in 1994 Genelec distribution had switched to CMM, a well-funded company with ambitious plans to produce content, build studios and run a sales company.

Ultimately, the partnership with CMM didn’t work out, but it did introduce the manufacturer to Clifford Pereira, at the time CMM’s service manager. ‘Clifford impressed me the first time I met him,’ recalls Mr Janflod. ‘He showed me a pair of S30s and the PCBs looked like they had been in a fire, but he still managed to repair them and make them work, without asking for any help from Genelec. So, later on in 2001, when we had the opportunity to hire him, we did. A lot of the success that we’ve had over the years has come from Clifford’s work.’ ;VKH` HZ [LZ[PTVU` [V [OL SH[L .LULSLJ MV\UKLY»Z ]PZPVU China has taken over from the US as the company’s largest L_WVY[ THYRL[ ( UL^ 2VYLHU KPZ[YPI\[VY :HTH :V\UK PZ currently bearing fruit, as is the formation of Genelec Japan, HUK ;OL 6ULZ HYL KVPUN ^LSS PU 0UKPH *OPUH 2VYLH 1HWHU HUK (\Z[YHSPH PU WHY[PJ\SHY ;OL =PL[UHTLZL THYRL[ PZ HSZV [OYP]PUN \UKLY [OL Z[LLYHNL VM +HUTVU (ZPH Not only did Mr Martikainen introduce a new international benchmark for studio monitoring, he also forged long-lasting bonds across cultures and continents. www.genelec.com

Daman Sood with a Genelec SAM 5.1 system at S&V Studios, Mumbai

1/21/2 Horizontal PAGE

July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 113

BUSINESS: COMMENT

A letter from America Dan Daley discusses how Spotify’s market-making completes music’s epic poem THIS LETTER IS BEING WRITTEN THE DAY that Spotify had its initial listing on the New York Stock Exchange. In doing so, the leading music-streaming service, whose US$165.90 per share opening gave the company a valuation of over US$30bn (it slipped back just a bit by the end of trading that day) moved the focus from music to finance, which, I suspect, is where its founder, Daniel Ek, had been looking towards all along. Spotify’s financial markets debut finishes a narrative, begun around the turn of the last century, in which music would transition from art to commerce. There was a sea change in the underlying technologies of producing and distributing music in that time – a shift to digital platforms abruptly converted music production from a pursuit requiring significant amounts of capital and technical expertise into one that almost anyone could access easily and cheaply, while companies such as Napster essentially unbundled the CD and

the LP online, selling it piece by piece. And that set the stage for transitioning music from a commercial yet artful product into a quotidian commodity. In the process, it pulled the economic rug out from under the music industry’s old business model – spend US$1 million on a handful of new artists and reasonably expect to recoup and make a proﬁt from the one or two that might be successful – and ultimately made way for the venture capitalists who saw another kind of value in the industry’s wreckage. People such as Guy Hands, the portfolio manager who plundered as he played with EMI for a while, or plutocrat Len Blavatnik, who picked up Warner Music Group for a mere US$3.3bn. Thus, Spotify coming to Wall Street was less a venture into uncharted technical and creative waters than it was a homecoming of sorts for an industry that is now almost totally a creature of the ﬁnancial markets and Silicon Valley. Is that a problem?

It could be. It certainly signals a very different environment for music as a product and, by extension, as a career for its professional class. Those professionals had already experienced a diminution of status, revenue and expectations as digital technology allowed more people to enter the techno-creative class (although more than a few of them have also made millions of dollars on cat videos on YouTube). What streaming added to the mix is an intensiﬁcation of what was already a challenging and perilous ﬁnancial infrastructure: in the old order, artists could make enough to live on from their standard 15% of retail, if they sold enough records, and producers could thrive from their two or three percentage point deals if they worked on enough projects that were successful. Now, however, streaming’s revenue structure looks more like a primer on income inequality, with more of Spotify’s

revenue going to a smaller and smaller percentage of artists on the service. Spotify’s move to the stock market, where the biggest returns naturally flow to a small core of cognoscenti, essentially institutionalises that phenomenon. The same day Spotify’s stock debuted, Sony Corporation reported a profit from the sale of about one-third of its equity shares in the streamer, a gain of ¥105 billion (US$986 million; £703 million). The world may not seem any different. People will continue to produce music and consumers will continue to consume it. But the constrained ability to make a living from it will inevitably have an effect on quality, if not quantity. Meanwhile, via Spotify, music will be in play in the financial markets – a cold, hard world where data analysis reigns supreme, and where the astute investor may yet make a living out of music even if the musician cannot.

recordings to bring to vivid life the contrasts between conventional systems and this new propagation. Who could resist Kraftwerk’s shimmering electronic anthem Tour de France in 3D? Professionals will debate the provenance of each solution and its merits. We’ve known about the Haas Effect since 1951, brilliantly exploited by UK spatialisation expert, OutBoard, for over 20 years by a fusion of theatre expertise and Gerhard Steinke’s delta stereophony called Source Oriented Reinforcement. Alan Blumlein, lest we forget, first articulated the psycho-acoustic phenomenon of stereo in 1931 – the very first step beyond point source fidelity. Then there are the research institutes, which burrow into the physics until something lands in the topsoil for the entrepreneurs to find like prospectors in the Klondike: algorithms from IRCAM in Paris contributed greatly to L-ISA; Astro’s Bjorn Van Munster struck a deal with Germany’s Fraunhöfer

Institute concerning another formula. But the precise degree to which these and other techniques are put to use in each iteration are less important, at this stage, than the plain fact that the industry has ﬁnally found its way beyond the paradigm of L-R, or L-C-R. After that, the scale of the impact is down to the scale of the operation, which is why L-Acoustics and d&b had the big headlines in Frankfurt. It’s the vision at the heart of all of these brands that marks them out as the sonic Sandinistas. Notably, this revolution is thoroughly European. True, Steve Ellison at Meyer Sound has written a comparable algorithm put to promising use in Constellation, Space Map and other D-Mitri-friendly possibilities. However, the use of Kraftwerk’s music in the Soundscape demos couldn’t have been more apposite at this pivotal juncture in the development of professional audio. For the time being at least, immersive sound is ﬁnding a very trans-Europe expression.

A letter from Europe A tour de force – Phil Ward muses over this year’s breakthroughs at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt I RECKON IT HAPPENS ONCE OR TWICE IN a generation. If you’re lucky. Along comes a technology breakthrough that genuinely whets the appetite, and this spring saw one such advent that will stick in the memory for a long time: in this case, a handful of real-world, real-result options for what is usually termed ‘immersive’ audio, speciﬁcally for large-scale sound reinforcement applications. In Frankfurt especially, at the otherwise routine and some would say declining forum of Prolight + Sound, solutions from d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics and Astro Spatial Audio dominated proceedings and broke the barrier between theoretical proposition and practical demonstration. There was plenty of other stuff around. There were speaker boxes galore – solid, old-fashioned speaker boxes that produce sound to go wherever you want to point it. Some of them were small; some were medium-sized. With some of

114 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

them, you could attach wheels and spend a pleasant fortnight holidaying in the Dordogne. But within the abstruse domain of loudspeaker management and signal processing, multiples of these boxes can now be deployed in ways that will transform everybody’s experience of live music. Immersive really is the new rock and roll. It doesn’t happen overnight, of course. There is a slow build up, like a head of steam, and then the moment when the locomotive pulls away. That’s what happened in Frankfurt. While Astro Spatial Audio (ASA) kept a modest watch next to countrymen Alcons Audio, both L-Acoustics and d&b held captivating demos of L-ISA and Soundscape, respectively, in a couple of those clinical auditoria somewhere in the maze of the Messe. There were queues round the block for L-ISA, and a showstealing guest appearance in support of Soundscape by Kraftwerk’s FOH engineer, Serge Graefe, who used recent concert

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

The TW Audio stand

Mahajak Trio’s team on the Harman stand

Sennheiser’s Faz Salleh, Norbert Hilbich and Andreas Wilzeck

SLV Symposium 2018 After a long break, a familiar acronym has reappeared in Kuala Lumpur, aiming to attract local audio, lighting and video professionals with a new format THE LAST SLV EXPO – TO WHICH THE NEW INCARNATION bears little resemblance – was held in Malaysia nine years ago. ‘We want to educate local industry people on technology, bring knowledge to them with training, seminars and talks,’ explained Steven Tan, managing director of organiser Team Grey Group event management and equipment rental company. Taking place over three days at the Quill Convention Centre, the show featured training seminars and product presentations as well as the trade show. Singapore’s UnUsUal Productions played a key supporting role. ‘Our industry in Asia is not yet as mature as elsewhere and not everyone can travel to one of the big shows like Frankfurt or ISE,’ explained UnUsUal’s COO, Johnny Ong. ‘SLV aims to be a local hub where suppliers introduce highend equipment. In the exhibition, they are even allowed to run loud demos on a rotating schedule after 6pm; no need for an expensive demo setup in a separate location.’ Approximately 30 exhibitors had taken space and were displaying a variety of equipment. The show’s relevance was enhanced by the presence of top management and manufacturers’ representatives and an impressive number of brands on display, thanks to participation of several local distributors. Electronics & Engineering (E&E) gave ample space to its recent lighting additions, Acme and ChamSys, while focusing on Allen & Heath, Shure, Powersoft and Symetrix on the audio side, as well as demoing EAW loudspeakers including a Radius system. Stand neighbours Total Solutions showed a large variety of its brands too, High End Systems and ChainMaster among them, and offered MA Lighting seminars. Harman distributor, Mahajak Trio, highlighted Martin Professional and JBL, with general manager Teo Hai Liang conﬁrming ‘the right people are here, key customers, consultants. Everyone beneﬁts from face-to-face meetings and socialising; it would take us months otherwise.’ This opinon was shared by others including Barnabas Goh of Tecxel Global Resources, showing beyerdynamic, Vue and Klotz on a smaller stand. ‘After a long time without a show in Malaysia, this is a good place to be,’ he said. ‘The strategy of people mingling while being able to keep up with tech trends is working.’ Practically the only local distributor with a complete audio/ video/lighting roster, Acoustic & Lighting System, paraded its entire line-up including SSL, RCF, disguise and Avolites, and also had Claypaky’s new Axcor and K-Eye moving heads on display. Dante training held by Audinate’s director of worldwide support, John Falkowski, drew the largest single seminar crowd, though others were well attended. d&b audiotechnik had a stand and provided three different workshops around ArrayCalc and NoizCalc software as well as a general speaker presentation. ‘Malaysians in pro audio are keen to upgrade their knowledge, evident in the number of attendees in all

116 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Prolyte’s Menze van der Sluis (centre) and friends

been through two phases of change in Europe, we’re here to share our experience with Asian politicians and regulators in our aim to create a global solution for the benefit of all users,’ explained his colleague, Andreas Wilzeck, director, spectrum and innovation. A newcomer to the region, AED introduced its business model of dry-hiring equipment such as L-Acoustics and Claypaky to production companies. ‘Eighteen months in the making, we’re set to open our Singapore office and warehouse in August,’ reported Ruben James, managing director of AED SE Asia. ‘We’ve had encouraging reactions from the market, and future clients in South East Asia, China and Australia are already waiting.’ Panasonic presented its video projection and mapping technologies featuring a DJ under a half-dome, while LED display manufacturers such as Dicolor, Bak’o and Infiled had come from China to showcase their products. Trussing, rigging and staging specialists Global Truss, Eagle Group and Prolyte Asia Pacific had stands, the latter also showing Doughty and the newly added Admiral brands. Due to a busy workshop and seminar schedule, the aisles only became crowded from mid-afternoon onwards. However, nearly 2,000 mostly Malaysian professionals reportedly attended this SLV Symposium, with relatively few visitors coming from Singapore. ‘Most important is the quality of the attendance, not how many attend,’ said Team Grey’s Mr Tan. Considering its aim in targeting the Malaysian AVL industry, it appears that its goals have been achieved.

Yusof Ahmad and Christian Liebenberg welcoming Ahmad Yuzamir Yusoff of Amanplex Indah to the Bose family d&b presentations,’ said APAC marketing manager, Jane Blanloeil. Bose held product presentations on its stand and in a seminar room, and introduced a new partnership with local distributor, Amanplex Indah. ‘We’ve wanted to have more of a presence in Malaysia for a long time,’ said Bose’s regional sales manager, Christian Liebenberg, ‘and we are now very excited about the partnership with Amanplex.’ TW Audio not only offered workshops but, with an extra stand due to a last-minute cancellation, also impressed with a near-exhaustive display of speaker models including the new Vera20 line array. On the negative side, frequent fulllevel demos rendered conversations impossible throughout much of the day, to the annoyance of exhibitors and visitors. Unfortunately, no noise level enforcement was in place. Sennheiser’s stand ﬂew an L-Acoustics rig, but revolved mainly around wireless, including the new evolution G4 series. Workshops were held by Norbert Hilbich, director, spectrum affairs and system design from the German headquarters, and Faz Salleh, Sennheiser Asia’s senior consultant. ‘While Faz focused on the Digital 6000 wireless system, I’ve been talking about the implication of shifting transmission frequencies,’ stated Mr Hilbich. ‘Having already

Steven Tan and Kenneth Ang of SLV organiser Team Grey with Tan Lea Ghee of JW Live on the left

Ben Millson and Jane Blanloeil of d&b audiotechnik

2018 Dates:

24 – 26 April

2019 Dates:

N/A

Venue:

Quill Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur

Total exhibitors:

Attendance:

2,000

Contact:

www.slvsymposium.com

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BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

GET Show 2018 The GET Show once again ticked all the boxes for exhibitors and visitors alike. Pro AVL Asia walked the aisles THE GUANGZHOU PRO AUDIO AND LIGHTING SHOW season kicked off once again with a busy week at the beginning of May. First out of the gates was the sixth iteration of the GET (Guangzhou Entertainment Technology) show, covering 80,000m2 across eight halls and supplemented by outdoor stages and an outdoor line array demo area. Judging by the crowds ﬁlling the aisles in the Poly World Trade Expo Center and the feedback from exhibitors, the GET Show certainly struck a positive opening note.

the products. The GET Show is gaining a lot of traction in China and I personally feel it’s becoming one of the best shows for professional lighting, sound and video.’ Mr Dias echoed his words. ‘The show has been eyeopening. I’ve been able to see many companies and brands that I wasn’t aware of. The booth has been very busy and we’ve met all our goals and expectations.’ With a prominent booth at the entrance of the international audio hall, Real Music displayed speaker ranges from Next-proaudio and Adamson, the latter showcasing recent additions to the IS series in the shape of the IS7P and IS10P. ‘While PL+S is still our main show, we see a different customer base here at GET, many of whom are coming from the factory and manufacturing sides of the business,’ said the distributor’s Stanley Lee. Over on the Weifun booth, Martin Audio had chosen to launch two new products. ‘This year’s show has had higher trafﬁc, visitor quality has been good and I think the show seems to be expanding,’ said APAC account manager, Andy Dufﬁeld. ‘It’s been an excellent platform to launch Wavefront Precision along with the new V series for the KTV market. It’s

Ruisheng Lin Xiaobin and Will Chen DiGiCo desks on the Rightway Audio booth The show is hosted by the Industry Association of South China Entertainment Equipment (SCEE) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Visitors tend to be invited by either associations or committees, and appear ready to do business. Ruisheng general manager, Will Chen, attested to this. ‘The organisers have tried hard to invite many important professionals, dealers and contractors to this show. With many large lighting companies exhibiting, I feel that the visitors interested in the lighting markets are of a higher quality and are more professional.’ Perhaps more telling was the general atmosphere that the show has cultivated over the past few years, with organisers proclaiming 2018 as a ‘high-end silent show’. This consequently set it apart from the sometimes ear-shattering PL+S show which opened round the corner a mere 48 hours later (pp 122–123). Mike Dias from US manufacturer Ultimate Ears spoke as a ﬁrst-time visitor. ‘Compared to other shows this feels big, and yet small and intimate at the same time,’ he said. ‘Everything is approachable and it feels well organised but also very unique and different.’ The in-ear manufacturer had a colourful display on the PLA booth (Guangzhou Professional Lighting and Audio Equipment Co Ltd) along with Italian speaker manufacturer, K-array. President of global sales and marketing, Marc Vincent, was in an upbeat mood on the booth. ‘It has been a great show for us as it’s the ﬁrst time we’ve talked about the inception of K-array China,’ he commented. ‘People are happy to hear that we’ve now got our own operation here and there’s been lots of interest in

118 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Jamie Anderson presenting Smaart

The Xilica team

The Muse Audio team was out in force

The Robe display important for us to be here to support Weifun and Budee, while the launches particularly have created a great deal of interest both from their existing dealers and from potential new dealers, so we’ve been very happy.’ Visitors to the Budee booth were greeted by a plethora of products from manufacturers such as Burl Audio, Antelope and Telefunken, as well as a first look at the striking Void Acoustics range of speakers. The show marked the official appointment of Budee as Void’s new Chinese distributor and chairman David Bissett-Powell was clearly happy with the decision to go public at GET rather than the noisier PL+S. ‘It’s our first exposure with our range of products in China and the response has been much better than expected with lots of people talking about the look of the product. We’ve seen a number of international distributors as well as serious potential customers.’ Outdoors on the main stage, hosting seminars and product launches, Rational Acoustics’ Jamie Anderson had flown in from the USA to support its training partner, ZSound. ‘The most important thing for us is training and support, and ZSound is hosting our training classes and has translated our manual,’ he said. ‘The Mandarinspeaking market is huge and sophisticated and we are here to support Smaart training.’ Now in its 21st year, Rightway Audio had taken a large footprint on the show floor with managing director, Tao Jianxin, encouraged by the turnout. ‘The quality of this show keeps increasing; users come here wanting to find out more about the products directly,’ he commented. ‘For us, it’s about showcasing our solutions and communicating with our customers.’ Visitors had the opportunity to experience Calrec

Richie Wang and Stanley Lee from Real Music

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW Left: Tao Jianxin from Rightway Audio Right: Gianluca Turra from FaitalPro Bottom: LAX’ general manager, Ling Zibin

Audio’s Artemis and Brio36 consoles in addition to DiGiCo’s SD5, SD12, S21 and S31 desks, as well as understand more about Syva from L-Acoustics on the expansive booth. Also in its second decade and proudly celebrating a 25-year anniversary, staff on the LAX booth were kept busy throughout the show, with a raft of new launches including the LAXPRO series incorporating the Line 210 and Line 212 line array models. Marketing manager, Christine Wang, spoke of the importance of the show in the company’s R&D calendar and how it is proud to have been part of GET from the beginning. An integral part of LAX’ business is the burgeoning music festival market in China, with a department that organises a number of events in Guangdong, as well as its traditional equipment rental arm. FaitalPro’s audio area manager, Gianluca Turra, had travelled over from Italy and was pleased to be present. ‘Unlike the PL+S show, we are the only speaker component

manufacturer here with a booth in our own right,’ he said. ‘It’s been very good for us because we organised it well and our distributor did a lot of preparation in advance. The atmosphere is a lot quieter and you can actually speak to people on the booth, unlike at PL+S.’ This was echoed by Muse Audio general manager, Luo Jun, who was welcoming key customers to see the latest products from LA Audio and Ecler. ‘This show is not too loud; at least we can sit down and discuss new business with our customers,’ he stressed. By the close of the show, the overall consensus was that the organisers had delivered a solid event. ‘In terms of professional products, this show is irreplaceable,’ said Weifa general manager, Xie Runzhong, words that doubtless ring true for visitors and exhibitors alike. As long as GET can continue to capitalise on its ‘unique’ atmosphere, the future looks bright for the show.

1/2 PAGE vert

The outdoor line array

Marc Vincent from K-array was optimistic about the show

Weifa Trussing

2018 Dates:

8 – 11 May

2019 Dates:

TBC

Venue:

Guangzhou Poly World Trade Center

Total exhibitors:

700

Attendance:

80,000

Contact:

www.getshow.com.cn July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 119

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

Andy Farrow, Kevin Yeung and Neil McDougall are dwarfed by Celestion’s AxiPeriodic

Dena Tsui from Audiocenter presents a range of new products

Patrick Almond Summer Xu and Ulrich Hatje from Studiomaster

Michel Brouard and Denis Baudier from Nexo with Michel Chow of Top Plot

PL+S Guangzhou show 2018 +PK [OL 4H` KH[L HUK JYVZZV]LY ^P[O [OL .,; :OV^ HɈLJ[ visitor numbers at PL+S Guangzhou? Pro AVL Asia ÄUKZ V\[ THE GET SHOW (SEE pp 118–119) AND PL+S GUANGZHOU have traditionally taken place in late February so it was always going to be telling to see how the calendar shift of both events to early May would have an impact, particularly with the return of the 2-day overlap. While there are certainly advantages of a crossover for some visitors, one can’t help but sympathise with the logistical challenges exhibitors face who need to have a foot in both camps. Nevertheless, Messe Frankfurt, the organiser of PL+S, seemed to take any concerns regarding diluted numbers in its stride as the 16th edition of the show opened its doors at the mammoth China Import & Export Fairground. Official statistics pointed to increases in exhibitor numbers and floor space, while a packed educational programme included sessions such as A Blueprint to Success in Music Festival Production as well as the inaugural Guangzhou International Radio, Film and Television exhibition running alongside. More disappointingly on the increase, though, were decibel levels, despite plentiful signage and numerous officials brandishing sound meters. Prominently placed booths from Harman and Yamaha greeted visitors as they walked into the main international audio hall, with the latter engaging with large crowds through regular demos and showcasing the CX and DX series of speakers, Rivage and QL5 consoles. Further down the aisle, Bosch had returned once more in its own right displaying the Evid-S, ELX and EKX ranges. ‘It’s without doubt the biggest audio show in China,’ stated Yang Hua. ‘We only started attending this show last year and not only has it consolidated our previous sales channels but helped us find a group of new customers.’ d&b audiotechnik also had a dedicated presence with the V-Series and J8 loudspeaker on display. Coda products were showcased in the shape of TiRAY and TiLOW. And if the rainclouds were deterring listeners from venturing to the outdoor demo areas, over on the ST Audio booth visitors could see the EM Acoustics range as well as get up close and personal with ARX, MC2 and XTA product lines.

120 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Arthur Soh from Powersoft

Bill Lee from SAE Audio

The APG team had a good show The APG teams were out in force along with their local partners BV Cam and TR Audio. Thibaud Mezard, an independent sound designer and acoustician, was on hand to assist with demos promoting the Uniline Compact modular line array. ‘This show has provided us with a great opportunity to meet all the partners from Asia,’ attested Gregory Dapanse.

Audiocenter introduced a raft of new products and ensured a packed booth with visitors keen to see the new column speakers, one for portable DJ applications and the other for fixed installs, along with 4-, 6- and 8-channel switch mode Class-D amplifiers. Like Audiocenter, local manufacturer SAE Audio has also been a regular exhibitor for many years. ‘We’ve had a very good show – I’ve seen mostly customers from South East Asia but we’ve also met some new ones and May is actually better timing for us in terms of the R&D cycle,’ stated Bill Lee. PL+S has long been a ‘must-attend’ event for component manufacturers, and Fane, P Audio and B&C could all be found on the show floor with Acustica Beyma displaying the new 18LEX1600Nd against a stunning backdrop. Visitors walking by the Celestion booth couldn’t miss the AxiPeriodic driver which was creating a lot of interest. ‘It’s a brand-new technology that none of our competitors have and it’s also expanded the types of application that we’re selling into which is great,’ stated Andy Farrow. ‘The right guys, the manufacturers, are here for us and there are a lot more Western brands but, in terms of the general traffic through the door and new customers, it’s not what it used to be.’ PL+S GZ has unfortunately been dogged over the years with counterfeit products on display with often no support given to manufacturers to combat the culprits let alone any remorse shown by offending staff. Once again there were a number of high-profile infringements during the show but, this year at least, clearer and more visible action seemed to be taken with officials ensuring logos and products were removed from the booths. Powersoft continues to make significant inroads into the Chinese market and the 11-year partnership with EZPro has no doubt assisted that growth. Nurturing that relationship is vital, according to Arthur Soh. ‘It’s important to be here and support the distributor particularly in a market like China. EZPro is very focused on the install and project sectors and that’s a big chunk of the market here.’

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW Roberto Mataloni from FBT echoed such sentiments. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difďŹ cult to ďŹ nd the right partner and it takes time to create relationships. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working with PCI since 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a serious company and they are dedicated to our products.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vertus, Shadow and Muse ranges could be found on the booth along with the prerequisite Italian espresso. While established partnerships were being cemented, new partnerships were springing up with Eatrend taking on HH Electronics and Audix, while Vue Audiotechnik took the opportunity to explain to customers about how Vue China would be operating as an independently owned distribution company, serving Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong. The Phoenix Audio booth entertained a steady stream of visitors keen to see the Funktion-One setup. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had some interesting enquiries for Evo 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve sold some products and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been great to have Tony and Anne Andrews here as well as Niall Holden from Van Damme Cables for the ďŹ rst time,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Chris Zhang. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tony also presented a seminar on The Enchantment of Audio which was packed.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; While the footfall was high and the general feedback was positive, some exhibitors felt that compared to Shanghai, the Guangzhou show didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bring in the volume of international visitors theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d hoped for. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m predominantly in charge of international sales,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; explained Gary Chou from loudspeaker manufacturer Enewave, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hardly seeing any international customers here compared to the Shanghai show and our location hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been great either.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Over on the Studiomaster booth, there was a similar feeling. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been interesting to be here and support our Chinese distributors,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; agreed Patrick Almond, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;but for us Shanghai is more important both from a domestic and international point of view.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Always happy on the ST Audio booth

Bono Wu and Chris Zhang of Phoenix Audio

beyerdynamic proudly launched Fox and Phonum

Eduardo Lopez from DAS Audio

Roberto Mataloni and distributor Espartaco Saez and Jose Jason Huang from PCI Masip on the colourful Acustica Beyma booth The expansive DMT booth enticed visitors with a range of products from DPA, Avid, the LVX series of speakers from dbTechnologies as well as Live L200, L300 and L500 consoles from Solid State Logic. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been really busy and, over recent years, the importance of this show for us has surpassed the Beijing Palm show,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; commented Anthony Gofton. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essential to be here and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also noticed that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting more people from overseas, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen lots of people coming in from India, the Middle East and further aďŹ eld.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mr Gofton also spoke words of caution. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Generally speaking, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too loud and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not enough regulation. All it does is irritate people, adds to the discomfort and nobody really wins.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Michael von Keitz from SE Audio also had mixed feelings. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had positive feedback for our outdoor demo. The show is good for us â&#x20AC;&#x201C; most of our customers have come but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too loud. We were told that this is a silent hall, but no one has been keeping silent.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The quieter Hall 5.2 presented visitors with a plethora of microphone manufacturers including Audio-Technica, Taiden, JTS and Mipro displaying its TA-80 Digital Wireless plug-on transmitter. Sennheiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ew G4 was launched on distributor Artsoundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s booth along with the XS Wireless 1 Dual, while Shure introduced an innovative booth concept entitled What Connects You using live models to demonstrate its products across a variety of real-life scenarios.

beyerdynamic had decided to participate in its own right for the ďŹ rst time, using the show as a launch pad for both Fox, its new professional USB microphone, and Phonum, a USB speaker phone. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The new products are ideal for business executives and huddle rooms,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; explained Kamal Mahtani. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;As this is becoming a more relevant show for us, we thought we would take advantage of being here with our own booth.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; With a number of Asian product launches lined up, Bulgarian manufacturer Antelope Audio had invested for the second year in a dedicated booth. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re showing the new Discrete 4 and 8, the Edge Strip and Verge modelling microphones. The Edge microphone can now be used with any other competitor interface,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; announced Fani Angelova. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also got a bigger booth and a better position and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve managed to extend our dealer network so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very happy.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; While its footprint on the show ďŹ&#x201A;oor remained as large as ever, this year DAS Audio was taking a different approach. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a shuttle bus taking customers over to our local demo room to hear our products in a proper environment,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; explained Eduardo Lopez. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It creates a better impression for them when you can listen to the speakers in a quiet environment.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; With this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strap line of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s master itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; emblazoned throughout the show, PL+S continues to evolve, improve and grow. However, decibel levels are still being breached on a far too regular basis and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crucial that Messe Frankfurt takes a ďŹ rm stance to protect intellectual property rights and also sends a clear message to potential counterfeiters. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hope the mastering of those concerns is achieved next year.

Bernhard Wuestner of TW Audio had travelled over to support his distributor, Rui Sheng

2018 Dates:

10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 13 May

2019 Dates:

24 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 27 February

Venue:

China Import & Export Fairground

Total exhibitors:

1,300

Attendance:

75,000+

Contact:

www.prolightsound-guangzhou.com.cn

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w w w. ve r i t y a u d i o. f r TEL: +86-757-8512-9008 Headquarters: VERITY AUDIO SARL China General Agent: SAE Audio Co., Ltd.

Julyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 121

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

Koba 2018

Promoting ‘Media, Connected Everywhere’, this year’s Koba promoted a multitude of technologies beyond broadcasting to its South Korean community. Richard Lawn reports PERHAPS THE CEREMONIAL CUTTING OF A LONG RIBBON and garlands of floral decorations traditionally marking the official opening of Koba should be replaced by the blast of a sawn-off shotgun. When fired, this would better symbolise how the joint organisers – Korea Broadcasting Engineers and Technicians Association (KOBETA) and Korea E&EX – want to extend their appeal beyond broadcasting. By maximising the surface area of their projectiles, they seek to hit more market sectors and industries. Now in its 28th year, Koba accurately reflects the fortunes of Korean broadcasting. The organisers claimed daily that Koba – alongside NAB and IBC – is one of the top three broadcasting/media technology exhibitions today. This is a boast that is also claimed by Cabsat, Broadcast Asia and InterBEE. In actual fact, comparisons between these national or regional trade shows and the international juggernauts cannot and should not be made. The visitor traffic at these shows is at technician or engineer level rather than owner or broadcaster. As such, buying decisions are usually made following trips to Amsterdam and Las Vegas, while a day out at the Coex greatly assists end users to brush up on the rapidly changing technical landscape that exists out of the view of their working facility. Occupying three halls with the latest broadcast-related equipment, the upper third-level halls targeted broadcast and video equipment, while the ground floor dedicated itself to professional audio and lighting suppliers. Although technically a broadcast show, Koba has developed into becoming Korea’s main annual audio event, attracting buyers from the touring, recording and fixed installation sectors in addition to its traditional market. But as the show floor hosts suppliers attempting to eke out a competitive advantage with limited budgets, there is a litany of absences including Dasan SR, Sound Square and Sovico. As one of the first Asian trade shows after Frankfurt Prolight + Sound and NAB, Koba was showing many new products following official launches in April. Samasound hosted capacity seminars to promote the Shure Axient D microphone platform and Allen & Heath dLive control surface. On its

The Coex in Seoul was once again the venue for Koba booth, meanwhile, were the latest Allen & Heath SQ series mixers, Genelec The Ones monitors, HK Audio Contour X speakers, K&M and Shure products. Mixing consoles were clearly in abundance. Stagetec was exhibiting with new distributor Syncﬁsh to promote the compact 16-fader Aurus work surface and Nexus network. Yamaha promoted its entire range of CL, QL and TF digital consoles in addition to the latest PM7 offering in the Rivage family alongside the ﬂagship PM10. Avid really did seem to be everywhere with many S6 and S6L boards evident on various dealers’ booths, such as JD Solutions, Koil Corporation and Music Metro, the latter also demonstrating

Klausys’ Nikki Jung and Cheol Jang The Audiotonix family mixing well reintroduced most of the L-Acoustics in Seoul products line

Hansam System’s Hong Sik Kim promoted the latest lighting technologies for theatres and venues

122 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Kooon presented a bespoke selection of Clair Brothers speaker systems on its booth

Ace Yip and Jo Hong Chang premiere Calrec’s Type R to Tamura’s Ryan B Han with the Korean market the MT880 console

the API Box and an Atmos system incorporating PMC result6 and twotwo speakers. Solid State Logic gave APAC sales manager Anthony Gofton a work out by exhibiting a System T upstairs and the latest Live L200 and L500 work surfaces on a shell scheme taken by its dealer SunHooMedia downstairs. Ingang Audio promoted the Calrec Brio36, Brio12, Artemis and Summa consoles alongside AEQ, ARX, Blue, BroaMan, Crest, Optocore, Peavey and Samson. Upstairs, Tamura had made its annual pilgrimage from Japan to demonstrate 22.2 multichannel mixing using NT860, NT880 and NT900c consoles. Oddly, Lawo and Studer could be found cohabiting on the Dongyang Digital booth. With the withdrawal of Soundfox from the show ﬂoor, the grand production mc296 console took up residency with Lawo’s IP video infrastructure catalogue alongside a Vista 5 Black Edition, while a Ruby radio console vied for attention in close proximity to an OnAir 2500. DiGiCo has been present on the Soundus booth for many years now and the SD12 Vulcan and S21 consoles were joined by the latest 4REA4 technology targeted at venues and installations. On the same booth, K-array was inviting visitors to take a closer look at its technologies, Capture being no exception as the sleek conferencing microphone appeals in the same manner as Vyper and Tornado – tiny but extremely powerful. Rounding off the Soundus offerings, a focused selection of beyerdynamic Tourguide wireless, Ultimate Ears earphones, Coda APS series and Klotz AIS cables added to its solutions provider credentials. The aptly named Sound Solution promoted Midas consoles alongside other Music Tribe brands such as Tannoy. In addition, a large product selection was on show from Adamson Systems and RCF, while Astro Spatial Audio, Sommer and Symetrix were all represented. Targeting a slightly different audience, BLS promoted Braehler, DPA, Digigrid, Focal, Manley, Prism and Waves technologies. Harman distributor Tech Data showcased the latest JBL VTX A12 line array alongside other VTX and Eon models together with the Soundcraft Vi1000, Vi2000 and Vi7000 consoles. Absent were the BSS, Crown and dbx brands, with the company’s emphasis placed on AMX and SVSI technologies. Soundcat clearly had end users in mind with its display

DLogixs’ N Y Soon and SangOuk Lee with the Korean manufacturer’s latest DIA-1045 digital ampliﬁer platform

Lawo’s Boon Siong with the mc296 master production console

The Mipro team from Taiwan helped its Korean distributor promote its latest WL-22 and SW-32 musical instrument wireless models

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW of Aston and Røde microphones in addition to Focusrite recording interfaces and Novation software. Location recordists made a beeline for the Fine Trading Co where a large selection of Schoeps microphones including the MiniCMIT, V4U condenser and Colette modular system were on display with Ambient, Sonosax and Zaxcom. Like Avid, Sennheiser has cannily split distribution throughout South Korea according to market segment. So the latest evolution G4 wireless series, series 6000 and 9000 flagship series, Ambeo VR 3D audio technologies and a vast range of wired and wireless microphone products including AVX, headphones, headsets and Neumann studio mics could be found on several booths, including Koil Corporation and Audio Video Expert. The Seki booth undoubtedly proved that Koba is not a bespoke broadcasting trade show. Exhibits including Bose Bluetooth speakers and headsets were clearly created to draw in as many visitors as possible. This was evident on the vast Audio-Technica display, where turntables, BP473 shotguns, ATCS conferencing systems and System 10 Pro wireless either deterred or appealed to a wandering attendee. While Taiwanese wireless microphone manufacturer Chiayo was vying for the spotlight amongst Mackie and several other brands on the GnS Electronics stand, Mipro was a standalone act. The Mipro team flew in from Taiwan again to support its distributor, which was keen to highlight the latest WL-22 violin, GT-24 guitar and SW-32 saxophone instrument wireless mics in addition to the more renowned MA series of portable wireless cabinets and ACT microphone systems. ‘It’s always a good exhibition for us as we normally see the bulk of our 150 dealers at the show,’ confirmed GM, Donghuan Kim. ‘It also helps that we are serving perhaps the best coffee on the show floor! But in all seriousness, there is an election coming up and political canvassing always drives up sales of our portable speakers. This year has been busier for us.’ Clearly designed for after-hours social venues rather than on-air transmission studios, Kevic’s All In One AV Simulator with golfing and karaoke activities attracted visitors to its stand. Its own catalogue of Korean sound reinforcement products was making an appeal for potential overseas distributors and domestic government contracts. In addition to hosting FBT seminars led by R&D consultant, Luciano Graffi, the other half of the Kevic booth dedicated a large display of the Italian manufacturer’s speaker systems including the Mitus and Muse line arrays, IP66-rated Shadow 142L, Archon and MaxX series. Vascom extended its product catalogue by launching a new wireless microphone family in FSW, which can be digitally monitored and controlled via Vascom Wireless Management software. The Korean manufacturer’s 3D real presence video conferencing system and NSR speakers were separated from the Renkus-Heinz CFX, IC Live and Varia systems. ‘The SPLs have gone up while the attendance seems to have gone down,’ expressed GM, Patrick Han. DLogixs promoted a similar concept by exhibiting its own brand of products including the new 7000 series networked PA and a host of amplifiers and loudspeakers. As the distributor for Bosch, the company also showcased EV speakers such as the new Evolve 50 and EVF, EKX, ZLX, Evid and EVH series and Dynacord family of C and L amplifiers. ‘It’s important that we connect with government agencies here at Koba,’ confirmed VP, Sang-Ouk Lee. Other notable Korean manufacturers displaying their wares at this year’s exhibition included Digital PA and Inter-M.

Eva Oegger from Shure Asia ﬂew in from Hong Kong to support her Korean distributor, Samasound

JD-Solutions’ Jin-Han Mun and Kwang-Min Park promoted the Avid S6 console and ProTools platform with PMC twotwo6 monitors

Yamaha hosted regular music and postproduction seminars on its booth

Schoeps’ Alex Schloesser with Hynungkeun Ahn and Hyun-Bok Hong from Fine Trading Corp

Ross Video hosted live news using overdrive

SH Visual’s Kim Young Min with Beyma’s Pedro Enguidanos promoting Beyma’s technology

The Syncﬁsh booth demonstrated a Stagetec Aurus console

Meyer Sound was spending its second year in residency with Ingang Audio, which continues to distribute the entire range of Meyer Sound speakers with the exception of the CAL column and cinema series. On show were the MJF-208 and MJF-210 monitors, 750-LFC and 900-LFC subs, and the big cat Leo, Leopard, Lina and Lyon line array modules. L-Acoustics continues to enjoy successful working relationships with Seoul Systech and Dream Sound in South Korea, but Klausys continues to promote the French manufacturer’s products in its role as dedicated distributor. This year, the K1 and K2 modules were on display, together

The Sony booth allowed visitors to zoom in on the models and exhibits using its camera technology

Fujinon showcased its HD cameras with the help of a studio background

In addition to demonstrating the SD12 console, Soundus promoted 4REA4 and the S21 models by DiGiCo

Verity Audio was happy to be exhibiting at Koba 2018

Music Metro demonstrated API Audio, Avid and PMC products amongst others

DK Vascom’s Patrick Han presented the new FSW wireless mic system

Kevic’s Mr Jeung welcomes FBT’s R&D consultant Luciano Graffi and Roberto Mataloni to Seoul with the X-series coaxials, LA amplified controllers, Kara, Kiva and Arcs cabinets and Syva column system. Similarly, Clair Brothers enhanced its appeal by showing just a few models including the C8, C15 and 1.5AM+ cabinets on the spartan Kooon stand. Several lighting exhibits were clearly focusing their spots and moving heads on venue designers and theatre owners rather than broadcasters – one clear example being Hansam System with GDS, Martin Professional and MA Lighting. In addition to showcasing Daktronics displays and processing, Kinoton Korea was premiering Vaddio camera technology. While audiences generally thinned out more frequently downstairs, the video broadcasting halls on level three kept their crowds transfixed by engaging with their audiences. Blackmagic Design, Fujinon, Panasonic and Sony subjected females to long durations on studio sets alongside fruit and colourful bottles, while students zoomed the cameras in for closer inspection. Ross Video ingeniously drew large numbers by promoting its Overdrive technology, hosting live news programming on its booth. Well organised and vibrant, Koba’s national appeal is evident as it refuses to limit itself to the confines of broadcast. Broadcast Asia and Cabsat draw upon attendees beyond Singapore and Dubai and, as such, stick to their broadcast guns. However, suppliers serving this unique, highly demanding and mature market are wary of simply showing face to encounter the same attendees each year. Despite the heavy rains that fell all week, the organisers reported a 3% increase in visitor footfall – despite the fact that badges were hardly being checked let alone scanned.

2018 Dates:

16 – 19 May

2019 Dates:

22 – 25 May

Venue:

Coex Convention and Exhibition Centre, Seoul

Total exhibitors:

927

Attendance:

41,616

Contact:

www.kobashow.com July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 123

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

Palm Expo India 2018

As the thermometer in pre-monsoon Mumbai headed upwards, the heat was on at Palm Expo India

Pagliani from KV2. ‘The acoustic treatment was the best possible for the venue, and Milind was very keen to keep volumes at consistent levels.’ In terms of the actual exhibitors, Acoustic Arts’ Sunny Chhibber, displaying technologies from TW Audio, Powersoft, Cloud, Biamp, Televic and Audix, was very happy with his position at the entrance to Hall 1 and the show overall. ‘It’s been the best Palm show in a number of years,’ said Mr Chhibber, who ran out of all his 1,000 business cards within the ﬁrst hour of the show opening. ‘Most people will probably pick up a brochure and walk away, so I’m counting on the rest to be serious visitors.’

ALL THREE DAYS OF PALM EXPO 2018 BEGAN WITH a long queue of eager attendees waiting outside the airconditioned registration hall. This dedicated area is one of several initiatives introduced by ABEC Exhibitions & Conferences, which took over the organisation of the show in 2015. Another tweak that’s working well is the separation of audio companies into Hall 1, and lights, staging and effects into Hall 5. ‘When we took over the show, they were all together and it was like coming to a party,’ quipped ABEC director, Manish Gandhi. Joking aside, this format is maturing nicely. Even the problem of raised SPLs in Hall 1, which have long plagued Palm Expo India, was this year dealt with effectively by a team of noise police doing the rounds and silencing repeat offenders. All these changes resulted in a well-organised, professional show. For those wishing to show off audio gear, the Demo Qubes away from the halls were rocking, as Electro-Voice, Bose, RCF, Pope Professional and dBTechnologies pumped up the volume. ‘We’ve taken a Demo Qube for the ﬁrst time, and it’s proved to be a successful decision,’ said dBTechnologies’ Manuel Poli. ‘We’ve had lots of trafﬁc coming through.’ At the other end of the show ground, in Hall 7, acoustician Milind Raorane had created an effective acoustic shell in which to stage the line array demo. However, only three brands – Stonewater, Salt Audio and Beta 3 – were participating this year following the closure of last year’s outdoor shootout on day one. ‘Now that we’ve seen the space they’ve created for the demo, maybe we’ll do it again next year,’ said Alessandro

Keeping the noise down

Sonodyne’s Anindya Mukherjee with the new LCR-2 cinema speakers

The registration desks were crowded every day Shure’s Marwan Nasr holds the QSC’s Deepak Gracias with tiny ADX1M bodypack transmitter the new K8.2 active speaker on the Sun Infonet stand and KS212C sub

Celto acoustique’s Arthur Felix and distributor Siddharth Sood from AG Acoustics saw people from all over India at the Palm show

Rental company Roshanlal Orchestra, shown here with Ansata’s Leslie Lean, bought d&b V- and T-Series systems from the distributor

This thought highlighted the one concern that exhibitors had, that much of the show’s sizeable footfall was irrelevant to the more professional end of the market, though most stands appeared busy with potential clients throughout the three days. ‘We’re very happy with the quality of people that have come to the booth,’ said Sanjay Chawla from LD Systems’ distributor, Kripa Electronics. ‘Last year we had a larger booth with a band and it brought in a big crowd but I didn’t see any conversions happening. This year all our meetings have been very speciﬁc, which is far better.’ ‘We’ve been seeing very high-quality people,’ agreed Adamson’s David Dohrmann. ‘There’s been a good mix of rental companies, integrators and installation projects.’ As well as Adamson, which was appearing with its new partners, Sonotone and Vardhaman, evidence of new distribution deals was apparent across the show ﬂoor. IES, promoting a new relationship with HK Audio, was also

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www.digico.biz 124 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

1/4 PAGE S21 S31 Exclusive US distribution: Group One Ltd. Toll Free 877 292 1623 www.g1limited.com

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW showing Luminex products for the first time. Clear-Com has teamed up with Hi-Tech Audio for India, and Sun Infonet made its first Indian appearance with Meyer Sound. ‘Having Meyer on the booth is the icing on the cake,’ said Neeraj Chandra. ‘We are very focused and it’s clear how we’re targeting the installation business.’ New companies also made an appearance, such as Overtone, showing Lectrosonics, Schoeps, CEDAR Audio and Studio Technologies. ‘It’s our first time at the show,’ said Vinod Subramanian. ‘It will take a while to quantify whether it has been a success or not, but it’s important to be here and be associated with these brands. At least 80% of the visitors have been good.’ Antelope Audio, exhibiting in its own right for the first time, was happy with the decision. ‘Our dealer network is growing and we’re really pleased that we’ve signed up as a co-partner with the Soundscape seminar programme,’ said Fani Angelova. Other established show elements included the Palm Conference & Seminar programme, the DJ Championship

The Antelope Audio team

and the Harman Live Arena. There was also evidence of new market sectors making an appearance. Calrec was showing the Type R modular IP-based radio system on the stand of distributor Sun Broadcast Equipment, which was also showing TASCAM. ‘This is our first show, and we’ve seen studio people and broadcasters, which is surprising considering it’s not a broadcast show,’ said Calrec’s Anthony Harrison. Mr Gandhi confirmed the show’s expansion into other vertical markets. ‘We have seen the need for different market sectors,’ he said. ‘We listen to our customers and are focusing on providing what they need.’ The final word on the event goes to possibly the most renowned musical talent on the subcontinent, A R Rahman, who was smuggled into the show to present the 2018 IRAA Awards. Mr Rahman declared himself impressed with the technical exhibits on the show floor, saying: ‘I’ve been to NAMM and NAB, and what’s here is very close.’ Proof, then, that Palm India is nearing international standards.

Sennheiser India celebrated a successful G4 launch

Harman’s Saikiran Shetty introduced the Soundcraft Vi1000 to the Indian market

TOA’s S Raghuram and Ko Ueda with the new SR-D8 beamsteerable line array

Sound Team’s Shiv Sood with SSL’s Alex Gidman, who was in India to conduct training on the digital consoles

The Dynacord and Electro-Voice demo qube

Kekul Sheth and Rasesh Parekh from Integrated Entertainment Solutions

David Dohrmann and Karan Nagpal with Lee and Zura Braganza, proud owners of the ﬁrst S10 system in India

Clear-Com’s Hans Chia stands between Nirdosh Aggarwal and Rajan Gupta of High-Tech Audio, the manufacturer’s recently appointed distributor for the subcontinent

2018 Dates:

31 May – 2 June

2019 Dates:

30 May – 1 June

Venue:

Bombay Exhibition Centre

Total exhibitors:

254

Attendance:

25,936

Contact:

www.palmexpo.in

(;3257 %86,1(66 '(9(/230(17 0$1$*(5 6$/$5< &RPSHWLWLYH Due to our record growth and plans to further expand our portfolio of cutting edge products, we are looking to recruit an additional team member within the international sales department. $VLD 3DFLÀF %XVLQHVV 'HYHORSPHQW 0DQDJHU

The applicant will report directly to the Export Director in the UK.

1/4 PAGE

The role is to manage and develop the relationships with our established business partners in the Asia-Pac region and to seek out new opportunities. Encompassing the Pro, CI and Consumer Audio markets, it would be an advantage if the applicant had experience in all three sectors, but this is not obligatory.

$ PRUH GHWDLOHG MRE VSHFLÀFDWLRQ LV DYDLODEOH RQ request from our HR dept. Applicants are invited to respond to Dawn Green, HR Manager GDZQ#SPF VSHDNHUV FRP with a full CV and a short outline of less than 500 words as to their suitability for the role as advertised. www.pmc-speaakers.com

July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 125

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

FBT’s Roberto Mataloni and Luigi Paoloni assisted their US distributor ISI for the entire show

HK Audio’s Florian Kunz and Fabian Reimann presented the Vortis2 and ContourX speaker systems

Richard Fleming and John Austin promoting the latest DNA120 digital network ampliﬁer

The Crestron booth

Fresh back from an Iron Maiden concert in Norway that used an Alcons speaker system, Tom Back promotes the virtues of ribbon technology

InfoComm 2018 Was stand location the key to success at InfoComm 2018? Pro AVL Asia walks the aisles

‘I HOPE THAT NOTHING THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK IN Vegas stays in Vegas.’ Rather than encouraging marauding stag partiers, heavy gamblers and marijuana-smoking visitors to conceal their vices once they returned to their point of origin, Avixa CEO David Labuskes was actually suggesting that InfoComm 2018 attendees take home what they experienced and share it with their colleagues and customers. Attempting to squeeze InfoComm 2018 into a compressed space is a challenge. With 1,000 exhibits covering the vast Las Vegas Convention Center’s North and Central Halls, visitors can only select a sample of what is on offer. As the 300 educational CTS programme seminars were concluded on the eve of the show, audio demo rooms flung their doors open. These multipurpose rooms were, of course, never designed for critical listening, and so the lack of acoustics requires neighbouring rooms to alternate their performances every hour. The off-hours are quite interesting as dust falls from the ceiling and lighting fixtures visibly shake. ‘We had to install acoustic separations into all the overhead lights and add drapes to all the walls,’ recounted Clair Brothers’ Josh Sadd. Debuting its 10Spot and S2-CX coaxial point source systems alongside the more traditional C8 and C12 line arrays and install-friendly 5CX and 8CX coaxial models, the Pennsylvania-based manufacturer was taking such a space at a trade show for the first time. Many other manufacturers were demonstrating their surround and 3D immersive capabilities, with evidence of collaborative alliances, including Astro Spatial Audio as the

126 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Mike Torlone with the latest Bob Boster introduces P Audio compact line array Clear-Com’s E-IPA card and Freespeak II IP transceiver

Jono Bailey unveils the new ﬂagship Dynacord TGX ampliﬁer series

Shure’s Chris Lyon and Andrew Low promoting the MXA910 Microﬂex Ceiling Advance solution

Bethany Dineen showcased Anchor Audio’s latest portable systems

Dutch company assisted not only Clair but Alcons Audio’s pro ribbon show, Martin Audio’s Sound Adventures and others taking listeners beyond 5.1. Meanwhile, RenkusHeinz premiered its IC-Live X and ICL-XL families with a little help from Out Board, which has long pioneered theatrical immersive audio with TiMax before it became the vogue. d&b audiotechnik set itself apart by demonstrating Soundscape DS100 technology to large audiences without the help of any other manufacturers. However, L-Acoustics continued to promote an ever-growing circle of alliances to enhance the virtues of L-ISA, alongside presenting various loudspeakers including Syva, LA Network Manager software, optimisation tools and the new P1 AVB processor. Having promoted Constellation for many years, Meyer Sound took a more laid-back approach this year, welcoming visitors with a low-lit ambience enhanced by its Ashby-8C ceiling speakers in the Sonic Lounge. Meanwhile, the show floor booth promoted the latest UP-4slim cabinet that has been designed to enhance its own immersive world against an interactive display backdrop. The Community and QSC booths were celebrating 50th anniversaries, highlighting the IV6 modular vertical array and Business Music Solutions, respectively. Both companies have journeyed well and pioneered audio development. It’s only 16 years since QSC launched its loudspeaker systems and its approach now encompasses multi-zone mixers, wall controllers, multichannel amplifiers, SUB/SAT loudspeakers and management apps. Yamaha was promoting the PM7 digital console in addition to introducing Revolabs products – including the YVC-200 personal speakerphone – under the Yamaha Unified Communications brand. The company’s demo room combined DZR and DXS powered speakers together with

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW Nexo’s Geo M6, M10 and ID24 driven by the latest NXAMP MK2 amplifiers. Coda Audio USA MD Luke Jenks was showing a slickly presented demo drawing upon live music from Sonia Barcelona, a company video history and technological overviews of Coda Coupler, AiRay, ViRay, Linus amplification, LiNet digital audio transportation, CoRay and Hops. Elsewhere, traditional critical listening tests were demonstrated by Atlas IED (IP Endpoints), dBTechnologies (Opera Unica, ES 1203 system and Vio line array), Danley Sound Labs (Nano and Pico outdoor systems), DAS Audio (Quantum LX and UX plus DAS Aim steering technology), EAW (Radius RSX212L), Electro-Voice (Evolve 50 and X-Line 212), K-array (Slim Array Technology), KV2 Audio (ESR212 and ESR215 with VHD2.18J subs) and RCF (VSA 2050, TTS18A and Sub 9006-AS subwoofers and Evox). Breaking the loudspeaker monopoly, Earthworks opted to promote its test and measurement, conferencing and live sound microphones to remind visitors that for every mouth, there is a source. As the demo rooms rumbled into their second day, the spotlight turned to the main Central Hall entrance where the ceremonial ribbon was cut and an initial flood of 42,811 attendees were welcomed. The numerous audio, video, lighting, digital signage and control technologies embracing the North and Central show floors welcomed waves of visitors that crowded onto the more video-centric booths such as Christie, Crestron, Kramer, Panasonic and Sony during the first two days. Crestron promoted AirBoard, AirMedia, Digital Media and Xio Cloud, while WyreStorm launched its H2XC NetworkHD 600 Series and touchscreens. Sony revealed its Immersive 4K and 8K crystal LED technologies, PTZ cameras and Bravia displays. It’s several years since Extron left the show floor, but Kramer counted record visitors to better understand the latest VS-622DT presentation system.

Work Pro’s Juan Jose Vila and Riccardo Martinez presented LightShark in the US for the ﬁrst time

Adamson Systems’ Lin Buck with the newly launched IS7p and IS10p point source speakers

The Lectrosonics team presents the new Duet Digital in-ear monitor system

Towards the audio peripheries, those giant waves resembled ripples at best. Promoting its latest Contour X and Vortis 2 systems, HK Audio was exhibiting at InfoComm for the first time. ‘We’ve met a few people who we arranged to see, but otherwise it has been quiet,’ confirmed export manager, Florian Kunz. ‘We’re invited to select a position for next year at the end of the show, but the points system weighs against us and there won’t be anything left by then.’ His comments echoed those of Portuguese manufacturer Next-proaudio from the 2016 edition, which has since not returned. The show’s location draws a unique audience, with evidence of more individuals from Asia Pacific, Latin America and the West Coast of the US. ‘There are few international visitors here this year,’ stated ISI’s Jamie Villarie. ‘We have been kept very busy and received great interest in the newly launched Horizon system and the Vertus CLA column speaker technology. As the US distributor for FBT, that’s great news for us, although Roberto Mataloni and Luigi Paolini flew in from Italy to welcome more international visitors.’ New products abounded from most exhibitors trying to differentiate themselves from the pack. But, as ever, it’s the network these sit upon and their IT convergences that overshadow any individual software and hardware developments. While Audinate continues to dominate the audio landscape with Dante, its collaboration on an integrated A/V control environment with the SDVoE (Software defined Video over Ethernet) Alliance provides a new dimension. Currently numbering 40 member companies with over 100 design partners, the SDVoE Alliance is gaining visible traction. The union of an organisation promoting a video standard capable of extension and switching through chipset technology with the Dante audio standard will

dBTechnologies returns to InfoComm with a themed Vio Las Vegas presentation with AuroraNet software

Sony enticed visitors with 8K technology

Per Persson from Williams Sound demonstrates Presenter to Media Plus’ Naoko Sugano and Atsushi Yanase

Allen Chen from Seikaku presenting Show’s digital communication systems

KV2 Audio’s Andy Austin-Brown and Dave Croxton in the demo room

Vica Huang from Taiden presented a number of compact IR wireless conferencing solutions

Ecler’s Ramon Macias and David Haro with the eMIMO 1616 matrix

The Riedel team promoting its Bolero communications technology

The SSL Live team debuts the new smallest member of the family, the L100

July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 127

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW provide the A/V world with an accepted standard for signal transportation. If anyone thought the Avnu Alliance had faded away, then reports of its demise were unfounded. A number of manufacturers including Avid, Biamp, d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics, Meyer Sound, Neutrik and PreSonus jointly hosted a presentation and live demonstration to unveil the Milan network solution. Offering an alternative to Dante, the alliance hopes to reshape the A/V networking industry with an open protocol. It’s not just immersive audio and networking technologies that demand collaboration to advance technologies.

Listen Technologies’ Carrie Keele with a ListenTalk 5200R receiver

Ralph Heinz explains the technologies associated with the Acoustic Source Multiplier waveguide

Nexo CEO Jean Mullor with Yamaha’s Preston Gray

Technica showcased its catalogue of direct Dante protocol microphones, including the ATND971a boundary, ATND8677a desk stand, ATND931a gooseneck and ATND933a hanging ceiling mount models. Numerous other networkable microphones were on display on the booths of Audix (M-series boundary and ceiling mics), beyerdynamic (Phonum and Unite) and Clockaudio (C303W-D hanging mic). Audio consoles attracted the attention of production companies, venue operators and, of course, HOW facility managers. Audiotonix may not group its products collectively but they individually warranted closer scrutiny. Allen & Heath product managers rarely took a break from demonstrating the

Sonia Barcelona performs on a Hops loudspeaker system during the Coda Audio demonstration Johannes Rietschel, William Schmidt and Reto Brader promoting the Barix SIP zone paging solution

Apart Audio’s Steve Van Hoof, Kris Vermuyten, JoseÌ Fernando CastanÌeda and Kim Juergensen

The Martin Audio InfoComm 2018 team

Vue Audiotechnik founder Ken Berger

Manufacturers continue to be drawn together to create a ‘solution’ for their customers. While not exactly Elvis Chapel-style weddings, this year’s InfoComm partnerships included QSC and WyreStorm, Visionary Solutions and Symetrix, among many others. With new president Rob Sheeley at the helm, a change of name for Williams AV heralds a new era of wireless technology. Designed to assist a presenter in a classroom or meeting space, the recent acquisition of Pointmaker Presenter has fast-tracked the 45-year-old company’s R&D capabilities. Combining speciality workshops and sessions, Integrated Life @ InfoComm 2018 added a new dimension to the show ﬂoor, highlighting smart building, smart home, mobile, security and related A/V solutions. Elsewhere, the Centre Stage sessions explored how to increase audience engagement through personalised and immersive experiences by way of augmented reality and virtual reality, wearable technology and human-centred user inter faces. Whether it was an addition to a loudspeaker series or the latest presentation technologies, all InfoComm exhibitors showcased something new, with or without the help of others, to sit in a network providing a solution for educational facilities, huddle rooms, boardrooms, court rooms, houses of worship, clubs, restaurants, venues, bars and correctional facilities.

The Bosch booth revealed EV’s Evid speaker systems, RTS’ Odin Omneo intercom matrix and Dynacord’s new TGX10 amplifier. Amplification product design continues to be centred around small footprints, Energy Star certification, multiple mounting options and input flexibility to enhance reliability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. As such, Crest Audio launched the C1 range of 2- to 8-channel contracting and installation amplifiers. XTA, meanwhile, showcased its DNA120 digital network amplifier, while many others such as Ashly Audio, Powersoft and Yamaha revealed their latest technologies. QSC is not alone in promoting Business Music Solutions. Now exhibiting for a third time and accumulating InfoComm points, Ecler promoted a number of products including the Trail103 speaker system and TrailSB6T sub together with the eMIMO1616 and MIMO1212SG digital mixers. Area manager David Hario expressed his satisfaction with the 3-day event. ‘We haven’t seen as many visitors from Asia or Latin America compared to before, but we have had very good discussions with potential new dealers in the US,’ he confirmed from the stand at the rear of the hall. Sennheiser previewed its next generation of ceiling array microphones with TeamConnect Ceiling 2 that automatically focuses on the voice of a speaker in the room regardless of position. Making productive meetings effortless is a theme that drives the demand for microphone solutions that offer versatility and interoperability with support for networking and Power over Ethernet. Equally designed for smaller spaces such as classrooms, conference rooms and video conferencing applications, Shure demonstrated its Microflex Wireless System (MXW). ‘Given the influx of smaller installations across conference spaces, all-inone video conference solutions and huddle rooms, there exists a need for the right sized plug-and-play rechargeable wireless systems,’ commented Shure’s market development specialist, Ben Cook. ‘The Dante-enabled MXWAPT2 and MXWNCS2 units provide this with lower channel count applications. Our conferencing solutions including the wireless MXC640 have gathered a lot of attention.’ PoE Dante-enabled microphone solutions abounded. Taiden unveiled a low-profile compact microphone unit, the HCS-8335 infrared wireless discussion system. Audio-

virtues of the SQ Series’ 96kHz XCVI core technology, while the DiGiCo and SSL teams focused on the new Quantum 7 processing and the latest addition to the Live series (L100), respectively. Software enhancements dominate technological advancements, as was exemplified on the Christie booth. While three new HS Series projectors including a 4K ultra high-definition model were debuted, Christie Guardian, Mystique Install 2.0 and Pandoras Box 6.1 (available in nine languages) attracted designers, facility managers and production companies with their creative time-saving and intuitive features. A demonstration area promoting the Vue monitoring and management software dedicated to Biamp’s Devio and Tesira DSP platforms was solidly booked. Likewise, the EX-UBT AVB USB expander has been introduced to provide reliable digital audio via USB in installations served by USB extenders where the connection distance exceeds the maximum 5m distance. Meanwhile, ClearOne took the wraps off its Collaborate Pro room system bringing cloud video, audio and web conferencing, video conferencing and wireless presentations into one appliance with a simple GUI. Mr Labuskes urged all attendees to read a copy of Thomas L Freidman’s Thank You for Being Late before InfoComm sets up shop in Orlando next year. The author claims the accelerated pace of technological change has now outpaced people’s ability to adapt. The book makes a case for maintaining our own acceleration and pleads for a chance to reflect. A pause button would doubtless be welcomed by most end users but, as much as innovators market themselves as avid listeners, they may not choose to listen to such feedback if they wish to stay ahead of the race.

Xilica MD Donny Chow

128 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Audio-Technica marketing director Gary Boss

2018 Dates:

6 – 8 June

2019 Dates:

12 – 14 June

Venue:

Las Vegas Convention Center

Total exhibitors:

964

Attendance:

42,811 visitors

Contact:

www.infocommshow.org

THEY HEARD,

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biamp.com/devio

BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY

Loud and clear

Dennis Baxter takes a look at the development of intercom systems, a vital component in the smooth running of live events LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS PRODUCTIONS, including broadcast, concerts and virtually every live stage production, require clear communication over a variety of intercoms and communication devices to hear directions for the operation to function precisely and safely. As a broadcast audio mixer and supervisor, I quickly learned the importance of intercoms under some difficult circumstances. I was a freelancer for a fledgling network called ESPN. For most of the early sports telecasts I worked on, I had to set up the show mix, transmission path and intercoms. Usually there was an audio assistant who would stay close to the commentators in the event of a problem but, if the director’s headset was having trouble, whose responsibility was it to fix it? In frustration, one day I shouted out ‘I can mix it or fix it!’ It does not take a mind reader to guess what the director remembered about my performance that day. Often, no one had any intercom experience and learned by trial and error. The first time I worked on an automobile race (Daytona 2.5 miles), the telephone company was hired to do intercoms, IFBs and provide a clean audio circuit for microphones from point to point. Some copper runs were over 2km long. The telephone company had an army of experienced telephone technicians and spent a week bringing a copper audio infrastructure system up to specification. Technical note: telephone systems work on unshielded wire. I hope everyone reading this column understands that there is a reason for shielding audio cables and trying to minimise crosstalk is at the top of the list. The good thing about working with the telephone company was the fact that there were technical standards that were adhered to with minimum noise and crosstalk tolerances. A couple of years later, I was audio supervisor for a car race where the commentator booth was 2km away from the OB van. The network tried to save some money and the audio crew had to set up the system. I did not detect any problems for a couple of days because the cars were always running and the noise masked the problem. But on the Sunday morning, when there were no cars running, going to air you could hear the producer talking in my speakers, crosstalking into the commentators microphone circuit and going out

130 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Audio assistant communicating directly with senior audio technician setting up 2-channel operator station

over the air. The next four hours of broadcast were the most painful experience of my professional life – I did not work for that network again. Today’s intercom systems are bigger, complex and more ﬂexible than those of the early days of my career. So how did we get here? Analogue intercom systems were founded on principles that the telephone company developed and deployed many decades ago. By deﬁnition, there are 2-wire intercoms and 4-wire intercom systems. Two-wire intercoms use a single wire, like the telephone, to talk and listen on. These systems were like your old analogue telephone and used voltage to power the handset and circuit, and you could talk and listen at the same time on the same single audio circuit. An alternative to a 2-wire intercom system was a 4-wire intercom system. This used a wire to talk on and had a separate wire to listen on, which provided an intercom with high clarity and intelligibility.

Camera operator on partyline communication with director and other camera operators

BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY The generic term for a communication system is PL, which is an abbreviation for ‘partyline’ or ‘private line’. Early intercoms systems were principally used for a partyline, where a group of people were talking and listening on a single channel of communication. For example, the director’s channel would primarily be for talking to all camera operators or the lighting director, who would have a channel to all spot operators. In early OB vans, the networks – the BBC in the UK and ABC, NBC, CBS and CBC in the US – built their own systems based on telephone principles. By the early 1960s, off-the-shelf brands like Clear-Com – which was an early leader in theatre – began to appear. Clear-Com was a small 2-channel, 2-wire system that worked well in a small theatre environment where you needed just a few communication channels and would use shielded cable for the interconnect. Quickly, broadcasters wanted more communication channels and RTS became the preferred brand for broadcasters in North America, while Drake was the dominant brand in the UK. First-generation systems were built around six communication channels which, for a large show like golf or motorsports, were used up quickly. For example, a separate channel was needed for the director, producer, graphics and stats, spotter, engineering and audio. Once the system was scaled up to 12 channels, the producer then wanted a separate channel for the chief spotter and the director wanted another channel for the handheld cameras in the pits. Then there was the need for a private channel to master control along with a stage manager channel for the producer – that is 10 channels so far. Communication channels were quickly consumed by the perceived need for more and more ‘private line’ communications from point to point. Before intercom systems went digital, intercom design seemed to max out at 12 channels and a large entertainment or sporting event could easily have 100 different talk points with any combination of partyline or point-to-point private line – the system design needed to go to the next level.

technically savvy, but they can sure tell you who they need to talk too and who needs to listen to them. And when you don’t get it right – and even sometimes when you do – they will surely give you an earful. I have often said that you can mix the best-sounding show of your career but, if the producer’s headset is mucking up, what is the producer going to remember about that show? I assure you intercoms have been the demise of more than one audio technician, including yours truly.

32 channels of communication in a single operator station The digital era has once again seen the intercom industry borrow from telephone technology as savvy players adopted a coding technique known as TDM – time division multiplexing. This divides the audio (speech) into packets of data and transmits them to a destination or destinations. Using TDM technology, intercom designers can create a hub with virtually instantaneous bidirectional data ﬂow (communications) between large numbers of users. Most competitive manufacturers, including Clear-Com, Riedel and RTS, build scalable systems based on TDM and IP technology that can connect as few as 16 communication devices to systems with hundreds of ports to connect an equal number of devices. A central processor connects the channels in the user devices as well as controlling the listening and talk levels of each channel. Computer-controlled systems are easy to change and setups can be saved and exchanged between like systems. Intercoms are the backbone of any studio facility and the lifeline between master control and the OB van. Some attention and time from the audio supervisor on the communication requirements of an event is time well spent. Remember that most directors and producers are not

A technician setting up a network communication system for a large-scale production

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1/2 PAGE EH Series

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Consistently Excellent since 1946 July–August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 131

BUSINESS: R&D

Bridging the gap

Control of the system can be achieved via an iPad

Juan Jose Vila with the LS-1 and LS-Wing

The LightShark Node

Work Pro was aiming to create a lighting console that would be suitable for beginners in terms of functionality and cost, but also attractive to professional users. The result is LightShark WHEN IT COMES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOOLS, the end user has to come first. However, the challenge to this can come when you are creating a piece of equipment that is specifically designed to fill a gap between two distinct user segments. Negotiating this potential minefield was the challenge for Work Pro with the creation of its LightShark family of lighting controllers. ‘We found that there is a gap in the market between professional lighting consoles and the basic software-only systems,’ recalls Work Pro’s chief sales officer, Juan Jose Vila. ‘The way of programming that kind of software is not the same as the way you would program a professional console, so people who make the jump from basic to professional can see the difference. We wanted to make a console easy enough to be good for beginners, but powerful enough to be an alternative for basic events for a professional user.’ Having identified the gap it was seeking to fill, the next challenge was exploring exactly how the company could do this. Work Pro decided that the optimum approach would be to combine the best features from the world of softwareonly lighting control with an intuitive, ergonomic, assignable hardware control surface.

Inputs on the rear of the LS-1

132 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

‘In the first year we only worked on two things,’ recalls Mr Vila. ‘One thing was we defined all the behaviour of the console. We studied how to do it, we spoke with lighting technicians and showed them the concept. We showed them how to work with the console, they gave us some suggestions and those were applied to the finished product. At the same time, the other development team was studying the technology available on the market and choosing the right hardware, how it should behave and making sure that it would be powerful enough.’ Early in this process, the company’s R&D team identified some of the biggest challenges it would face with creating a console to fill this gap. ‘Our experience dealing with professional consoles told us that one of the biggest issues is the graphic interface,’ says Mr Vila. ‘To move a graphic interface requires a lot of power reserves from the computer inside the console. So one of the things we have done is remove the onboard user interface. You still have a working console because the console itself runs inside a computer, but the UI runs on a mobile device.’ This concept came from the manufacturer’s experience within other

verticals in the entertainment technology industry. ‘In the audio market, there are devices that are audio mixers controlled by HTML,’ furthers Mr Vila, highlighting how it also helps to solve some of the major challenges that manufacturers often face with support. ‘We worked out that if we made the GUI HTML, then we would avoid all of the problems that require the most support. We avoid drivers, we avoid operating systems; if your tablet breaks, just use another one. You don’t have to install anything else because the software is running on the console and you just need a GUI in the browser.’ While this approach solved an immediate challenge, it also created a potential further issue. ‘We needed to make a user inter face that doesn’t have lag, that is real-time and

BUSINESS: R&D can run smoothly on any device,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; explains Mr Vila. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The secret to doing that was we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t send the image, just the text. When we move a fader, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to send a graphic to the device â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we just send a command to change it and the device knows per fectly because we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t upload any image. This makes everything much quicker because less data is being sent.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; One of the advantages that the Spanish manufacturer has seen from taking this approach is that the show can still go on even if the mobile device being used runs out of battery. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t send any DMX data between the device and the console,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; states the CSO. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;All the DMX is created in the console and sent from the console. If your computer, iPad or Android tablet crashes, the show is not affected. Aside from patching the ďŹ xtures, which is something you need to do with the user inter face, the rest can be done with the hardware buttons and faders. If your device runs out of battery, ďŹ rst you can charge it because there is a USB for charging in the console, but you can run the show per fectly with the faders and the buttons. You also have a small display that gives you basic data to run the console.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

LS-Core is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smallest 8-universe console

knowledge of using software-based solutions. With these two proďŹ les, we got both worlds. After the beta testing, we got feedback from both which was ver y good because we could make some modiďŹ cations from listening to them so it was wor th it. We delayed the launch for a month to make those modiďŹ cations but we ďŹ nally think we got the right product to ďŹ ll this gap. The changes included things like a modiďŹ cation in the ďŹ ne values where we have to join the standard values and ďŹ ne values in the same encoder. There were a few things that we had to adjust to make ever ybody happy but, with the two different groups, that was always a challenge and not always possible.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The end result is the LS-1 and LS-Core. Both are essentially the same product, with the only difference being that the LS-1 has a control sur face and 4.5-inch colour display. Both consoles include control of colour and gobo options via palettes, a variety of grouping options, CueList operation with up to 1,200 cues and

Getting to this stage and creating a working prototype took around a year and, at this point, the manufacturer decided to take a risk. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We had to show it to the market and see if peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reaction was what we expected,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; says Mr Vila. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is a very conservative industry and, if they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accept it, we will not sell any. We went to Frankfurt to show the concept. We told everybody that it was a concept that would be ready at the end of the year with the risk that somebody would copy it but we needed to see the reaction. It was good because the reaction was excellent.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Having established it was on the right path with its design, the next stage was to enlist beta testers to make sure the end result would meet the needs of potential users. Here again, the gap-ďŹ lling nature of the product meant that Work Pro required a distinct style of beta testing. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We had two proďŹ les of beta testers,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; recalls Mr Vila. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;One proďŹ le is a group of very experienced lighting technicians that would require a lot from the console. The second proďŹ le came from people with the basic

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lists, customisable automation via a graphicsbased executor window and special effects such as fanning. The system can control eight 512-channel DMX universes, meaning LS-Core can claim to be the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smallest 8-universe console, and offers built-in suppor t for a librar y of lighting ďŹ xtures. A ďŹ xtures editor is also built into the console to modify or customise ďŹ xture control templates. The rear of the LS-1 console also features a number of inter facing options such as Ar t-Net, a 5-pin DMX Out for control of one 512-channel DMX Universe and an Ethernet por t for access to a fur ther seven DMX Universes, along with a USB connector for updates. While getting to this initial stage has been a challenge, the LightShark stor y is not yet complete. If the ďŹ rst products helped to prove the concept, the manufacturer is looking to build upon these with fur ther releases to expand the family. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We have added a wing as well that will

The LightShark ďŹ xture library

expand the LS-1,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; says Mr Vila. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It takes 10 more faders, 20 execute buttons, it connects through the network to the console and integrates a network switch. It also adds two more direct universes. LightShark will also be upgraded not only with the wing but with auxiliaries for the product like the Ar t-Net nodes. LightShark comes with Ar t-Net nodes and is also sACN-compatible so we will grow with a complete range of lighting devices.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; ReďŹ&#x201A;ecting on the overall process, Mr Vila is clearly happy that the end result has met that initial brief. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It can be for beginners, but it has a much wider user base than that,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he offers. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The ďŹ rst companies that have bought the console are rental companies. We are ver y happy to hear this because it shows that our idea was the right one.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The newly launched LS-Wing

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Julyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;August 2018 PRO AVL ASIA 133

BUSINESS: ANALYSIS

Should A/V services be managed in the cloud? Does the convergence of A/V and IT mean that moving to the cloud is an inevitable step for audiovisual systems? THERE IS NO DENYING THAT THE AUDIOVISUAL industry is becoming more IT-centric. As the advantages found through factors such as IP networking have shown, this is not necessarily a bad thing. But there are some shifts that have historically proven to make end users uncomfortable. The move to the cloud is one of those areas. However, it would seem like attitudes in this respect are starting to change. ‘Over the last 12 to 18 months, we’ve seen customers that were previously very much “we do nothing cloud” being more interested in cloud solutions,’ says Brian Donlan, technology manager, enterprise software at Crestron. ‘I see that really getting driven by the shift to using Office 365 and the Zoom UC communication system. Companies are bringing more of their business into the cloud and then they are willing to bring more things like the A/V along with it. ‘I think there is an initial fear of “where is our data going to go? We want control over our data and now we are relying on somebody else to do that”,’ he continues. ‘But then they see the benefits that come with some of these cloud solutions, especially with the UC solutions where they are able to do cloud-based calling. At that point, you have got the IT team already okay with some of that data going into the cloud and then the rest can get pulled with it.’ This shift in attitudes comes about as cloud-based technology plays a greater role in the rest of our lives. Whether it’s for entertainment such as music streaming services or communication via app-based interfaces, the consumer market has wholeheartedly embraced the cloud. This acceptance is further reflected in the way the IT industry in general is moving and therefore it is only logical that A/V will also follow this path. ‘We can already see that the A/V industry is gearing more towards IT while, at the same time, we are also seeing IT moving towards cloud systems,’ explains Zane Bastian, head of operations at Dubai-based systems integrator, Ziotech. ‘It is therefore only natural that A/V is also starting to move into cloud-hosting.’ While general acceptance is making the transition to cloud-based A/V services smoother, there are also advantages to installing solutions in this way. ‘Really it’s all about scalability,’ says Mr Donlan. ‘It’s being able to utilise this infrastructure that can grow as customer needs grow and then being able to also scale the ability to manage, deploy and monitor all these

134 PRO AVL ASIA July–August 2018

Ziotech installed the information boards at Dubai airport as a cloud-hosted solution different A/V systems without having to bring out new infrastructures, without doing each thing individually, by doing it all within this one centralised system that can grow as your needs grow.’ ‘Global companies can really benefit from cloud-based systems because they can manage things centrally from their headquarters,’ adds Ziotech business head, Vishnu Bajpai. ‘It is also quicker when it comes to firmware and software updates. Cloud-based is certainly the future.’ ‘For a lot of our clients, it is all about costefficiency,’ notes Mr Bastian. ‘The pricing model for cloud-based systems entails paying a fee per month. That works out to be a cheaper model than paying a big fee up front for installation and configuration of on-premises hardware. With most cloudbased models, if you don’t need something anymore, you can just stop paying for it and the service stops.’ A further advantage can be found with what has traditionally been seen as one of the weak points of cloud-hosted systems – security. ‘You can think of the cloud to a certain extent like you’re relying on the experts,’ offers Mr Donlan. ‘You need to trust enough that your own security is going to be far better than the experts where somebody does this all day and that’s their business, and that is probably not going to happen.’ ‘There is always security and encryption on anything passing through the cloud but knowing that data is being passed outside

of an organisation’s network jurisdiction can be unsettling for some,’ observes Mr Bastian. ‘But it is just as secure as having it on their own network, if not more secure. It would be the same as hacking into a small business versus hacking into Google. Unless a lot of money and maintenance is poured into security, it is a lot easier to hack into a small business hosting data on its own premises. It would be much harder to hack into a small business if it was in a cloud and its entire infrastructure was hosted on Microsoft, Google or Amazon that already invest a lot of money in security and do all the necessary updates. For many clients, it can be challenging trying to convince them that this is the right way to go. There are some exceptions, however, such as in matters of national defence.’ While this all sounds great in theory, there are certain examples where cloud-based solutions are already being embraced. ‘Digital signage is a good place for cloudhosted A/V because of the nature of what you’re doing, where you basically have the same thing deployed at a lot of locations over a broad area and they’re managed in a similar way,’ says Mr Donlan. ‘You need to get content to them and it really is an ideal situation for using cloud infrastructure.’ An example of this can be found with the Dubai Metro where screens were installed by Ziotech. Those screens – ﬁtted into specially built kiosks – were equipped with 3G SIM cards at the back which meant the entire backend could be hosted in the cloud.

That essentially made those screens mobile and they could then be moved to different points between metro stations. In other words, they could commence ‘talking’ to the cloud once they were switched on. The same possibility is also in action at the airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in what was another big project for the systems integrator. ‘We installed about 2,500 flying information displays and all of those screens are again cloud-based,’ recalls Mr Bajpai. ‘They are managed centrally with content being pushed and flying information being refreshed. The technology is developing on a daily basis and so we don’t use 3G networks anymore. Cloud-hosting in this sector is getting more and more popular.’ While the initial popularity has come from digital signage, it would seem the rest of the A/V industry is quickly catching up. ‘I think we are going to see on-premises solutions really being limited to military, certain financial institutions and more high security within the next few years,’ concludes Mr Donlan. ‘Largely we are going to be looking very much to the cloud just because it is so much easier to get up and running for these customers and it’s expertise that they don’t need to make sure that they have the staff for. That’s the big thing, the A/V team is focused on A/V, they don’t want to necessarily focus on being server administrators.’ www.crestron.com www.zio.tech