Pro AVL Asia September–October 2023

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Editor’s Letter

In our September–October issue we’re pleased to bring you coverage from one of Mumbai’s most exciting, long-promised developments – the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) at the Bandra Kurla Complex, built on reclaimed land on the Mithi river. We’ve been hearing about NMACC for several years now, and it was fortunate that my first trip back to Mumbai after nearly four years coincided with some special events at the recently opened centre.

Our cover feature on India in Fashion (p50) details the first exhibition to be held at NMACC – a truly international project, with a sound design by Munro India and local musicians Sandunes in collaboration with Out Board Electronics in the UK and

Genelec in Finland. Their soundscape enlivened dazzling displays portraying India’s impact on worldwide fashion trends, curated by Vogue’s global editor, Hamish Bowles.

Sue and I were also lucky enough to catch a US production of The Sound of Music at NMACC’s Grand Theatre, a world-class venue which will feature in our next issue. And of particular relevance to our industry, after years of anticipation, InfoComm India will finally move from the Bombay Exhibition Centre to the newly opened convention centre at NMACC at the end of October. I’ll be at the show with our videographer Chris, and we look forward to catching up with some of you at the new location.

Powersoft sets up a base in Tokyo

and consolidate that growth by adding Powersoft’s local resources, and it’s for this reason that we have decided to set up a representative office with Akira Mochimaru and the recent appointment of Haruka: to have local people able to boost the generation of extra demand through local relationships.

“This direct link with the market will help us to better receive feedback and requests from clients and enable Powersoft to provide better products and services to such a demanding market.”

Avid acquired by STG affiliate

Avid has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of STG in an all-cash transaction valuing Avid at approximately US$1.4bn, inclusive of Avid’s net debt. Under the terms of the agreement, Avid stockholders will receive $27.05 in cash for each share of Avid common stock.

growing the Powersoft business

Murayama said she is relishing the opportunity to accelerate Powersoft’s expansion into Japan, where the company’s amplifiers are considered “the benchmark for tours and installations”. “I am confident in promoting our products because Powersoft is already known for its high quality and innovation, which customers appreciate,” she added.

“Powersoft’s growth in the APAC region is a concrete investment aimed at taking advantage of the many opportunities that the APAC market offers for developing and intensifying business activities, offering our portfolio of unique and innovative solutions and products, and adding a further piece to our international growth and development plan,” concluded Luca Lastrucci, CEO of Powersoft.

www.powersoft.com

Melodia launches 1 SOUND in Indonesia

Following on from the announcement that Melodia Sound and Lighting Systems has partnered with 1 SOUND to be its official distributor in Indonesia, owner of Melodia, Rudy Winarto and his team gave 1 SOUND sales executive Leonardo Dani a warm welcome recently, as he toured Melodia’s facilities. Together, they launched 1 SOUND in Indonesia at the SMEX Music Expo followed by a launch event in Bali at the Aston Kuta Hotel.   “Around 25 participants attended, including dealers, systems integrators,

visit Bali for the first time during the two days remaining of my stay but, instead, I had to run from a resort to a hotel to a club to start talking about renewals with 1 SOUND. Not bad for business!”

Winarto and Dani also took part in a one-hour broadcast radio interview on

pro audio industry. The video interview of Dani and Winarto speaking about 1 SOUND and the Melodia cooperation can be found on 1 SOUND’s YouTube channel.

www.1-sound.com

www.melodiamusik.com

“Since our founding over 30 years ago, Avid has delivered technology that enables individuals and enterprises who create media for a living to make, manage and monetise today’s most celebrated video and audio content across the globe. We are pleased to announce this transaction with STG, who share our conviction and excitement in delivering innovative technology solutions to address our customers’ creative and business

needs,” said Jeff Rosica, Avid’s chief executive officer and president. “STG’s expertise in the technology sector and significant financial and strategic resources will help accelerate the achievement of our strategic vision, building on the momentum of our successful transformation achieved over the past several years.”

William Chisholm, managing partner of STG added: “STG has admired Avid’s heritage as a category creator and pioneer in the media and entertainment software market for many years. We are excited to partner with Jeff and the management team to build on the company’s history of delivering differentiated and innovative content creation and management software solutions. We look forward to leveraging our experience as software investors to accelerate Avid’s growth trajectory with a deep focus on technological innovation and by delivering enhanced value for Avid’s customers.”

www.avid.com

www.STG.com

Haruka Murayama

L–R: Sontastic’s Ian Johansson, Leo Dani and UK audio consultant Michael Kennaway

EVOLUTION WIRELESS DIGITAL

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Independence and beauty take centre stage

RCF recently hosted a series of presentations, tours and demos, kicking off at its headquarters in Reggio Emilia and culminating with a concert from one of Italy’s most popular artists, Ligabue, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The beautifully hosted occasion was the unveiling of the launch of its brand TT+ Audio as an independent entity. Over 120 attendees from around the world were given full access to the impressive production setup at the HQ, the new 20,000m2 logistics centre which opened earlier in the year as well as product presentations by key RCF personnel and an exquisite al fresco dinner in the hills outside the town with live entertainment.

The focal point of the first day, however, was the live system demo of the GTX line array system – the first product to come from the TT+ Audio stable. “Our new GTX line array system is the culmination of 70 years of experience providing loudspeaker systems to the world’s top sound companies,” said Alessandro Manini, R&D director of TT+ Audio. “Our target is to leverage this experience to address the

completely supports the wonderful works that RCF’s AV engineering team have produced in response to their original ideas.”

Having travelled over with Kumar, sales manager Joseph Rebero had been to the factory on previous occasions as the exclusive UAE and Oman distributor. He said: “What caught my attention on this visit was the brand-new warehouse facility. RCF always takes extra time to introduce new products, but they make sure that the quality and performance will be the best to compete with the top-rated companies in their category.”

And on the outdoor demo, he was equally enthusiastic: “I appreciated how the GTX12 performed. Keep in mind that we were standing at a distance of more than 100m and yet the sound quality on my phone was quite clear. But the highlight, from my perspective, was being at the Stadio Olimpico. RCF had arranged for special permission so that we could go in front of the stage and listen to the sound. According to the stage engineer, 88 GTX 12 tops in four stacks were being deployed along with 48 subs.”

Also having clocked up the airmiles to attend the event was Tomoki Matsui, marketing manager from Onkyo Tokki, who had made the journey over from Japan. “We’ve been distributing RCF since 2017, and it was amazing to be a part of the TT+ Audio launch,” he commented. “It was great to be able to hear the new GTX system in Rome. The sound clarity and quality were just incredible. We believe the premium audio quality and flexibility of the GTX system can fit into a wide range of venues, with XPS 16KD DSP power amplifiers at its core.”

Fausto Incerti, RCF general manager, welcomed the new brand with a clear mission for the future: “For over 70 years, RCF has pioneered audio engineering. With the debut of TT+ Audio, we embark on the next phase of this journey, introducing a dedicated

Rome’s Stadio Olimpico

recently appointed as the South Korean distributor for Mackie in September 2022. Headed by president Yonghyun Lee, Digital High Tech has been trading since 1999 and is a super dealer for Behringer, Bose, Harman Pro and LD Systems amongst others.

Commenting on the Mackie relationship, Lee is clearly passionate about the US brand. “The wide range of products including mixers, loudspeakers, interfaces and microphones enhances Mackie’s appeal across many market sectors. With the recent launch of the all-in-one creator digital console – the DLZ Creator – we can cover the live sound, personal broadcasting, portable and houses of worship sectors, to name a few. With a product of such mass appeal, our strategy now is to establish national distribution channels for each of these vertical sectors.”

David Via, vice president of sales, Mackie, said: “When C&C Pro ceased operations, we knew we had to move quickly and, more importantly, strategically. The personnel that moved from C&C Pro to Digital High Tech provided a level of comfort and confidence. However, our choice of Digital High Tech was based on the strength of their developed business channels. Mackie is also going through a brand ‘modification’ as we expand our products to include live streamers, podcasters, gamers, etc., in addition to our traditional live sound and recording products and customers. We were confident that Digital High Tech was the best choice for us in partnering on this expanded presence of Mackie in Korea.”

situation could have been dire, given the closure of C&C Pro’s business. But, instead of struggling in 2022, we thrived thanks to Digital High Tech. They picked up the pieces and quickly put together marketing activities and sales campaigns that elevated the presence of Mackie in Korea to new heights.”

www.mackie.com

Group (TAG) is seeking to spread love to 40 community and social programmes.

“Support for community has been in our company DNA since day one,” said TAG director, Maxwell Twartz. “And our 40th anniversary provides a perfect opportunity for us to dive deeper into it.”

Now one of Australia’s most well-known AV distributors, TAG started from humble beginnings in 1984 and has grown steadily over the years. For much of its history, the company has partnered with and distributed the products of Martin Audio since 1992, QSC/Q-SYS since 1994, Allen & Heath since 1996 and AudioTechnica since 2005.

“Forty years is a bit of a moment and a chance to pay tribute to the many staff, customers and suppliers that have helped us along the way,” stated TAG director Anthony Russo. “But rather than pause and look back we want to pause and pay forward. In the spirit of thanks and appreciation to all who have contributed to and

allocated a chunk of money and, on their behalf, we’re planning to use it to impact some lives in positive ways.”

During the 12 months leading up to the company’s 40th celebration, TAG plans to make 40 individual community/social programme donations of $2,500 each from an allocated fund totalling $100,000. The programmes will align with the company’s human development, sustainability and environmental goals and the aim is to complete the whole programme and fully expend the fund by TAG’s 40th birthday in April 2024.

“Many of the team at TAG are already involved with or have a passion for a particular social, community or charity programme so 40-FOR-40 will just be an extension of that,” explained Twartz. “By documenting their experiences with a few photos and maybe a video, our guys have an opportunity to share with the AV community why they do what they do and the impact that it has.”

www.tag.com.au

AV United opens its d&b Experience Centre

Having been appointed d&b audiotechnik’s sales partner for Malaysia, AV United, a now 30-year-old company, has introduced a d&b audiotechnik Experience Centre – said to be the first of its kind in Malaysia. With the launch having taken place at AV United’s HQ, located in Puchong, Selangor, the company was joined by d&b’s Asia Pacific

“AV United is excited to become a sales partner of d&b, and with the addition of the d&b brand to our portfolio, we can continuously elevate the quality of sound systems with innovative audio solutions. With the introduction of our Experience Centre, we look forward to providing our customers with the opportunity to experience and enjoy d&b audio technologies

L–R: Maxwell Twartz, QSC president Joe Pham and Anthony Russo A great turnout

Digital High Tech director Yonghyun Lee

Providence acquires d&b Group

d&b Group has announced a major investment by Providence, a private equity firm specialising in growth-oriented investments in media, communications, education and technology. With the support of Providence, d&b plans to further strengthen its global position in the professional audio market while also further integrating its capabilities in the Audio Visual, Lighting and Media (AVLM) solutions sector.

As part of the transaction, the d&b management team will also acquire a stake in the company. Since the company’s acquisition by leading private equity firm Ardian, d&b’s previous owner, in 2016, sales have tripled. The number of employees has also risen sharply from 350 in 2016 to a global team of more than 1,000 with offices in major cities around the globe.

“The global growth trend for major events and concerts has continued unchanged after a forced break due to the Covid pandemic. This is accompanied by the increasing professionalisation and digitisation of these events and an increasing need for professional event technologies. Ardian has proven to be a reliable business partner over the past few years. Thanks to their unwavering support,

especially during the pandemic, we have been able to innovate during this period of crisis and to emerge stronger from it. We look forward to continuing our successful journey with Providence and cementing our

global position as a leader in professional audio and integrated AVLM solutions,” said Amnon Harman, d&b Group CEO.

“d&b bears the hallmarks of a classic Providence investment – it is a business

with innovation at its core, clear market leadership and loyal customers. d&b’s passionate team has advanced and defined industry standards and exceeded client expectations for the last four decades. We believe d&b will continue its growth trajectory by delivering spectacular experiences to audiences across the globe. With our solid track record of investing in live entertainment and technology companies, we are confident Providence is the ideal partner to support d&b and we look forward to working with Amnon and his hugely talented team to execute our shared vision for the business,” said Robert Sudo, managing

“The needs of customers in live entertainment are becoming ever more complex, which has expanded d&b’s addressable opportunities. We were impressed by d&b’s passionate management team and with Providence’s resources and network, and we are committed to supporting d&b’s strategic plan,” said Andrew Tisdale, senior managing director, Providence.

www.dbaudio.com

www.provequity.com

bit.ly/3qxFr4v

WS-400 Series

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Amnon Harman

New PPDS Studio opens in New Delhi

PPDS has announced the latest phase of its accelerated investment and expansion strategy in India, with the opening of its PPDS Studio in New Delhi. Extending its network of PPDS Studios into India for the first time, the new facility in the National Capital Region, Gurugram, is part of a commitment from PPDS to support existing, new and prospective local partners and customers on the transformational benefits and capabilities available through its portfolio of professional display solutions. Already launched in cities across Europe and North America, PPDS Studios provide

professionals, together with an opportunity to discover, learn and experience its products and solutions, for better-informed buying decisions.

Tailored to meet the unique needs of the Indian market, the new PPDS Studio in Gurugram has been designed to showcase solutions, supporting a diverse range of industry sectors, including corporate, education, healthcare, food and beverage, retail, transportation and hospitality.

Commenting on the PPDS Studio opening, Atul Jasra, India business head at PPDS, said: “We are extremely proud to have opened India’s first

we do, gathering the latest advancements from PPDS and selected third-party partners under one roof, and offering industry-specific solutions that elevate productivity and enrich visual experiences.

“This is not a showroom; it is an experience centre where partners and customers can come together and bring their ambitions to life ahead of installation. The Indian market is growing and we at PPDS are perfectly positioned to seize new opportunities and bring true change to the schools and businesses in this region.”

Martijn van der Woude, VP global marketing and business development at PPDS, added: “Opening this new PPDS Studio in New Delhi, together with our continuing ‘local for local’ manufacturing promise that will see the launch of additional production facilities in India in the coming months, is a part of our ‘Make in India’ promise and another major step in our strategy to help bring true, transformational changes, via our extensive portfolio of professional solutions, to customers everywhere.”

www.ppds.com

Inside the New Delhi studio

Q-SYS Technology Partner Program welcomes new members Volaris Group acquires DisplayNote

Both Analog Way and Key Digital have joined the Q-SYS Technology Partner Program. This programme enables software and hardware technology partners to create solutions that integrate with Q-SYS, a cloud-manageable audio, video and control platform.

As part of the programme, Analog Way has worked closely with Q-SYS, which has fully vetted and endorsed the Analog Way LivePremier plugin for Q-SYS with a Q-SYS Certified badge (developed with Q-SYS and supported by Analog Way and Q-SYS). This plugin allows easy control of any presentation switcher of the LivePremier series, including screen and layer content control, preset recall, preview/programme transition, multiviewer management and audio routing.

Philippe Vitali, director of product, Analog Way said: “We are delighted to become a member of the Q-SYS Technology Partner Program and to provide our customers and partners with a Q-SYS certified plugin, designed to greatly simplify the integration of our powerful LivePremier 4K/8K presentation switchers into the Q-SYS control environment.”

Meanwhile, Q-SYS has fully vetted and endorsed the Key Digital KD-WP8-2 Plugin –developed with Q-SYS and supported by Key Digital and Q-SYS – with a Q-SYS Certified badge. The plugin makes Key Digital’s KD-WP8-2 eight-button programmable IP, RS-232, IR control keypad natively compatible with Q-SYS.

Jonathon Ferry, VP of product education and experience at Key Digital, said: “The recently

updated POE-powered single-gang keypad, KD-WP8-2, offers a host of sophisticated, programmable control capabilities. With this plugin, those capabilities are now available to Q-SYS users, and we are delighted to deliver our existing customers a direct control portal into the Q-SYS environment.”

“We are proud to have Analog Way and Key Digital join our programme and work collaboratively with us on plugin integrations that will enable elevated experiences for our shared customers,” said Geno Zaharie, principal, alliances and ecosystem, Q-SYS.

www.analogway.com

www.keydigital.com

www.qsys.com

Audac kicks off Inspire tour

Audac kicked off its long-awaited Inspire tour with events in Bogor and Bandung in Indonesia. The tour is a global roadshow hosted by the Belgian manufacturer to showcase its

rest of the year, the roadshow will visit over 100 different cities across the world with the goal of allowing people to experience the solutions firsthand. The Atellio product range includes network

control panels, network input and output panels, and network paging microphones. The sessions in Indonesia each featured product demonstrations, listening sessions and opportunities for attendees to network with audio professionals from a variety of industries. Experts

Volaris Group has announced its acquisition of DisplayNote Technologies. This acquisition will help accelerate DisplayNote’s mission to create connected experiences in meeting rooms and learning spaces worldwide.

Rob Turner, group leader at Volaris Group, stated: “Our decision to acquire DisplayNote was driven by their customer-first approach and culture of innovation, underpinned by industry-leading technology. Their vision of strong long-term customer relationships and industry leading innovation aligns with ours, helping position both Volaris and DisplayNote for continued growth.”

Paul Brown, CEO of DisplayNote, said: “With Volaris, DisplayNote has found a home that shares our vision and helps us continue to support and expand our customer and partner ecosystem, whilst still innovating and growing the team.”

www.displaynote.com

www.volarisgroup.com

from Audac were on hand to provide insights and answer additional questions about the Atellio product range.

“We are thrilled to launch our global road show and showcase our new Atellio family of products,” said Tom Van de Sande, CEO of Audac. “We have invested heavily in research and development to ensure that our products meet the needs of audio professionals in a variety of industries. The roadshow is a unique opportunity for us to engage with our customers, partners and industry peers, and demonstrate how our products can help them achieve their audio goals.”

www.audac.eu

Hands-on in Bandung

The Bogor event

Sonos Libra brings AV to Chiang Mai Uni

higher education institutions in Thailand, in addition to its MOUs with Rangsit University, Silapakorn University and Mahidol University.

Sonos Libra’s Alfonso Martín said: “Chiang Mai University provides a wide variety of high degree educational plans. We partnered with the Mass Communication Faculty as it is in need of more advanced technology for its students. The dean of the Mass Faculty has confirmed that the landscape of the communication systems has drastically changed in the past few years and keeps doing so. Rather than radio or TV, digital formats such as podcast, live and video have taken over. Also, live entertainment has a lot of weight in the region, so it makes sense to build on this. We really hope to have a successful partnership.”

www.sonoslibra.com

Genelec announces fiveyear warranty

Genelec has elevated its customer experience and strengthened its commitment to sustainability by introducing a five-year warranty on its designs. By registering its models on the Genelec website, the new warranty programme allows Genelec customers worldwide to extend their standard two-year warranty by an extra three years, covering both parts and labour.

Since the company was founded 45 years ago, Genelec has put sustainability at the heart of its design philosophy, by producing loudspeaker solutions with a long lifecycle and low environmental impact. This new extended warranty is an important step forward in that the extra three-year warranty extension covers both parts and labour (where previously only parts were covered).

The warranty extension is activated by the customer simply by registering their purchases online via the

Genelec website, a process that has been made faster and simpler by providing QR codes on product packaging to allow easy scanning of models and serial numbers. Once the customer’s details and proof of purchase are uploaded, Genelec distributor service centres worldwide can quickly verify the warranty status of any models returned for repair.

“We’ve always been focused on designing loudspeaker solutions that provide decades of reliable performance for our customers, but we also want to offer them the extra peace of mind that comes with a secure extended warranty,” commented Ole Jensen, international sales director at Genelec. “We’re confident that our new five-year warranty will make our customers’ lives easier, highlight the trustworthiness of the Genelec brand and signal our continued commitment to sustainable development.”

www.genelec.com

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FENIX Stage makes its mark on Asia

Acoustic and Lighting has joined the international network of FENIX Stage distributors, which will see the company add FENIX Stage’s lifting towers, Ground Support

Audix appoints Link Audio as MI partner

Audix has announced the appointment of Link Audio as its new MI distribution partner in Australia. Established in 2015, Link Audio is owned and operated by pro audio and MI industry veterans, Michael Jago and Chris Mann.

Jago has held several senior management positions in the MI and pro audio industry, including as GM of Music Link Distribution, GM of Behringer Australia, VP of EU sales for Music Tribe and international sales for Samsontech. Mann has also held roles in the industry for brands such as Music Link, Behringer Australia and National Audio Systems.

“We are very pleased to add Link Audio as the new MI channel partner for Audix, to complement our long-time install product distributor, Production Audio,” said Bjørn Rennemo-Henriksen, senior director of Audix at Videndum Media Solutions. “Michael

and Chris and their team at Link Audio have impressive backgrounds and stature in the Australian hi-tech music industry and we are excited to work with them to offer Audix’s exceptional sound quality and premium products to their customers.”

“Link Audio is very excited to be distributing Audix Microphones in Australia. We have been looking for a successful microphone brand to add to our portfolio, and Audix ticks all the boxes for us,” added Jago. “Audix is a company with a rich 30-year history, known for its high-quality manufacturing, attractive packaging, beautiful design and superior sound quality. We know our dealer channel is going to love exploring the extensive Audix range of products and we can’t wait to get started.”

www.audixusa.com

www.linkaudio.com.au

FENIX products, including the latest launches to the market, such as the new truss tower for line array lifting and the new FENIX LED display bracket (FLES).

A spokesperson for FENIX Stage said: “We thank the attendees and our new distributor for their support and are excited to announce our strategic and joint development plans.

We will work closely with Acoustic & Lighting

System to offer quality products and provide exceptional service to customers in these regions.”

FENIX Stage has also signed Mumbai-based

a company like Stagemix. The FENIX Stage team is excited about the future of this market and we can’t think of a better partner than Stagemix to grow in the country,” said Bryan.

www.acousticlighting.com

www.fenixstage.com

www.stagemix.com

Proel partners with Siam Music Yamaha

Proel has announced Siam Music Yamaha as its new distributor in Thailand, specifically for its Die Hard (DH) brand.

Chandan Mahtani, managing director of M-Global, said: “I have worked with the team previously with other brands. During that time, we built a good relationship and understanding between us. This time, our target is to extend the range from speaker stands to Die Hard’s other product lines.” The agreement took place in November 2022 when Mahtani visited its Bangkok office. Mahtani continued: “Siam Music Yamaha distributes all Yamaha products from MI to Pro Audio. Die Hard fits well into their existing range, from MI stands, cables and accessories like stools. And the same for the Pro Audio side of things.”

He continued: “They have a vast dealer network countrywide, along with their own Yamaha stores, which creates good visibility for our brand as well. Since stands and cables are accessories that go with their main line of products, the Die Hard brand will flow naturally in their network and portfolio.”

Siam Music Yamaha has a dedicated department, which will train its sales team on

product features, advantages, as well as a dedicated marketing team.

Kritsana Marongsit, GM, pro audio division, Siam Music Yamaha, said: “We have been looking for a stand manufacturer and brand for the past year. We had seen and tested numerous brands before we came across Die Hard stands. Its premium quality surpasses all the other brands that we have tried and tested in this price range, and no other came close to DH stands. The design of the stands is superb. The collaboration with the Proel Group for our stand requirements is a positive one and much needed in our Thai market.”

Mahtani concluded: “I have personally known the team from Siam Music Yamaha for about eight years and we have always worked very well together. They have a dynamic team, from logistics, procurement and sales. Their head of departments has an excellent sense of their market which makes it fascinating for us and the Proel Group.”

www.proelworld.com

www.th.yamaha.com

The Siam Music Yamaha team with Chandan Mahtani in the centre

The FENIX Stage and Acoustic and Lighting teams

L–R: Michael Jago and Chris Mann

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AKG goes with Luther Music Ninth Heaven Technology to distribute NewTek

Harman Professional has announced the appointment of Luther Music as the new distributor for AKG in Singapore. This appointment is with immediate effect and Luther Music will now represent all AKG Professional product categories including live performance, recording, broadcast and install.

Established in 1996, Luther Music began as a piano retailer. The company has evolved from retail to include online, distribution and install, representing over 100 music and

Nick Screen, channel sales director for Harman Professional APAC, commented: “We are excited to be partnering with Luther Music in Singapore and I am confident that with their extensive knowledge, passion for music and local expertise, they will be able to serve our current and future customers promptly and effectively.”

Luther Ong, founder of Luther Music, said: “We are thrilled to represent such an established brand name and the legendary, hall-of-fame models in its line-up. AKG is a loved brand –admired and respected.”

CHINA

NewTek, part of the Vizrt Group, has announced the appointment of Ninth Heaven Technology as a new distributor in China.

This strategic partnership with Ninth Heaven Technology signifies a significant step towards expanding NewTek’s presence in the growing Chinese pro AV markets, including enterprise, education, government, esports and more.

Paul Dobbs, head of channel sales, APAC, Vizrt Group, said: “Ninth Heaven Technology has extensive experience and expertise in the pro AV markets, and coupled with their strong network and dedication to customer satisfaction, they are an ideal partner for us. We are confident that this collaboration will expand our reach to new heights in the Chinese market.”

By appointing Ninth Heaven Technology, NewTek ensures a wider distribution network and increased accessibility of its products in China. This move will

facilitate the growth of reseller partnerships and provide customers with more options to leverage NewTek’s solutions for its video production workflows.

“We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with NewTek,” said Song Wei, general manager for Ninth Heaven Technology. “As a leading distributor in China, we are constantly seeking state-of-the-art solutions to meet the increasing demand for high-quality livestreaming and live production.

Collaborating with NewTek expands our product portfolio and offers our customers innovative solutions that empower them to achieve their creative visions. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership brings and look forward to delivering exceptional value to our customers in the Chinese market.”

www.newtek.com

RTW teams up with SSL Asia

SSL Asia has been selected as the new distributor for RTW in Indonesia and the Philippines. The new partnership aims to expand RTW’s market reach in broadcast, post-production, quality control and other professional audio segments in the region.

“We have installed many systems in which RTW solutions have been an integral part of the design,” explained SSL Asia general manager,

Malcolm Chan. “Therefore, we already know the products and solutions in detail, so to now distribute the brand is a seamless, straightforward process for us at SSL Asia. We’re looking forward to bringing even more accurate audio meters and monitor control solutions to studios, postproduction facilities and broadcasters in Asia in the years to come.”

By uniting with SSL Asia, a reputable distributor with an extensive network in Indonesia and the Philippines, RTW strengthens its sales capabilities further by delivering precise audio metering to customers in these markets.

“We are excited to form this partnership with SSL Asia, extending our presence in these markets significantly,” said RTW international BDM, Carl Kurlanda. “SSL Asia’s expertise and

established pro audio and broadcast network will surely strengthen our brand’s visibility in the region. Together, we will be able to provide exceptional solutions to audio professionals and we look forward to a collaboration that will benefit both our companies.”

www.rtw.com

www.ssl-sg.com

Sonic Value brings Audac to South Korea

SOUTH KOREA

Audac has announced its partnership with Sonic Value as the exclusive distributor for the brand in South Korea. Sonic Value has built a strong reputation in South Korea for its commitment to delivering AV solutions, as well as customer satisfaction. With a clear understanding of the company’s development strategy and a team of qualified professionals, Sonic Value is said to be well-equipped to introduce Audac’s audio solutions to the South Korean market.

Changhun Han, Audac brand manager at Sonic Value, said: “Audac’s comprehensive product range offers solutions for a wide range of applications, enabling us to serve our customers with complete audio solutions.

L–R: Changhun Han and Mark Asselberghs Sonic Value CEO, Sean Lee

WORLD

Having joined DHD in 2016, Herrmann’s new role includes responsibility for product and software development with a focus on maintaining DHD’s leadership in the creation of advanced digital audio systems for use in audio production studios and broadcast stations.

Riedel appoints Peter Shen as China GM

Riedel Communications has announced that Peter Shen has been appointed to the position of China general manager. Reporting to Guillaume Mauffrey, sales director APAC, Shen will oversee the sales and profitability of the China sales unit, executing

product family and establishing five hardware, software and cloud SaaS platform product lines.

“I’ve always welcomed the challenge of exploring new technologies and markets, so I’m thrilled to join Riedel and help expand our channel sales

Deubner said: “Marc combines in-depth experience of the broadcast audio industry at both a business level and technical level, plus a proven understanding of IP-related software design.”

Herrmann enthused of his new role: “Together, we have created the most robust and user-friendly products in the market. As the broadcast media business increasingly embraces IP connectivity, my goal is to sustain DHD’s focus on innovation while elevating our products through new technologies.”

www.dhd-audio.com

DHD promotes Marc Herrmann to MD Hau to advance Blaze’s APAC surge

specific and detailed measures to achieve sub-goals derived from corporate planning.

Before joining Riedel, Shen served as VP of business development at TVU Networks for over five years, leading the global product, R&D, marketing and sales efforts of TVU’s router

network throughout China,” said Shen. “I look forward to enhancing our company’s visibility and reputation throughout the region by helping show how much our solutions can accomplish.”

www.riedel.net

By sharing our genuine passion of audio, Patrick’s dedication to continually make improvements aligns with our values and vision.”

Having served as senior manager at Bosch Security Systems since 2010, Hau is looking forward to his new role. “This is a very interesting time for Blaze

Audio,” he explained. “My experiences will contribute to the continued and future success of Blaze Audio, and I am really looking forward to working with both Niels and global vice president, George Tennet.”

www.blaze-audio.com

• JENS WUNDERLICH • LED PRODUCT SPECIALIST PPDS

• SVEN PELTERS • GLOBAL TRAINING MANAGER

DHD Audio has selected a new addition to the company board with the promotion of Marc Herrmann to managing director, working alongside Joerg M Deubner and Anne Philipp. He succeeds Sven Hoffmann, who co-founded DHD together with Deubner. Hoffmann will remain available to the company as a consultant and software developer.

CHINA

You asked for a lighter, more powerful line array. How about

You know what you want in a line array. And now, we’re giving you more than you ever thought possible. Introducing PANTHER. Over 150 decibels at only 68 kilograms and 97 centimeters wide. Exactly what you asked for—turned up a notch.

You spoke. We listened. And then we went wild.

Lectrosonics switches it up QSC Asia welcomes David Chua

Having recently established a regional office on the 21st floor of Singapore’s CapitaSpring, QSC Asia continues to grow. Led by SE Asia direct markets sales director Paul Lee, an experienced team consisting of Jason Tay, regional sales manager, and Eddie Seng, business development manager among others, continues to attract experienced talent.

Following the announcement that Zoie Chin is contributing towards the elevated customer purchasing experience in the newly created role of customer care specialist, QSC Asia welcomes David Chua as its full-time service manager APAC. Highly respected in his previous role as regional technical support manager for 14 years at Kramer Electronics Asia, Chua is a graduate

Engineering. www.qsc.com

The board of directors of Lectrosonics has announced two new appointments: Wes Herron has become president, while Karl Winkler steps up as executive vice president of product design and distribution, as current president Gordon Moore retires after 35 years.

Herron will be responsible for the business management of Lectrosonics, overseeing all aspects of the business and manufacturing operations. He has been with the company since

Winkler will bring his extensive market acumen and knowledge of professional audio systems to bear as he spearheads the development and design of the next generations of new products for the variety of customers that Lectrosonics serves. Together with Herron, Winkler will work closely with the various company departments.

Wes Herron

Karl Winkler

CHINA

Ping-Sum (Sam) Ng has been appointed as regional director for Greater China for Lightware Visual Engineering. In his new role, Ping-Sum will oversee expanding business operations in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.

Lightware global sales director, Tamás Rapcsák, said: “We are delighted to have Sam on board as we continue to expand into China and the surrounding territories. Greater China is a demanding market with many complexities, and we believe his 20 years of

Ping-Sum to lead Greater China for Lightware Sharma moves up to MD for Barco India

Rajeeva Lochan Sharma has been appointed to the role of managing director of Barco India. Having been associated with the company for over 20 years in different roles, Sharma is a seasoned leader having driven a large number of strategic initiatives within Barco.

Ann Desender, chief financial officer, Barco, stated: “With a proven track record

of leadership and expertise in the industry and a two-decade stint at Barco, we are confident that Rajeeva will play a pivotal role in steering our company toward greater heights. His strategic vision and collaborative approach will strengthen our organisation’s growth trajectory in India, while fostering an even more vibrant and dynamic work environment.”

experience at the top of the AV industry in the region will give us the firm footing we need to continue to pursue our growth plans.”

Ping-Sum joins Lightware with an extensive background with other leading brands in the AV industry, including AMX, Extron and Biamp. He commented: “I am excited to contribute to the company’s vision and look forward to leading our team towards achieving new milestones and expanding our presence in this dynamic market.”

www.lightware.com

Sharma said: “India’s immense business potential and burgeoning opportunities in our domains are undeniable and I am committed to driving our company’s expansion and innovation within this landscape. I am also excited to leverage the software capabilities of our teams in India for the global good of the company.”

• KELVIN THONG

• SINGAPOREAN ASSOCIATE HEWSHOTT

• CARL KURLANDA

• INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER RTW

• BEN RIVERS

• SALES MANAGER, NSW/ACT GROUP TECHNOLOGIES

• DANIEL GRIST

• NATIONAL SALES MANAGER, AUDIO GROUP TECHNOLOGIES

Staying on track

Adamson APAC MD, Ben Millson, talks with Libby Stonell about his love for motorsports – a physically demanding passion that provides downtime from his time-consuming career

Have there ever been any hairy moments while on the track?

In my first race, right after the first corner, two riders collided directly in front of me and I just about missed it myself. And while fighting for position in another race I was pushed off the track onto the grass but managed to keep myself upright and get back on the track without too much drama.

you in your role at Adamson?

My day tends to start at 6am when I wake up and turn my phone on. I check emails and messages then jump on my road bicycle and cycle 70–80km, before heading to the office if I’m not travelling. If I’m overseas I’ll either hit the hotel gym or, if the location is suitable, I’ll take my bicycle on the plane and ride in the morning before heading to meetings. Due to the nature of the business, the day doesn’t end until the phone is turned off at night.

How and why did you get into motorsports?

When I lived in the UK, over the years I owned a number of tuned Minis, Japanese sports cars and fast Audis. I spent several years working for a German loudspeaker company, and during this period I would regularly make the journey into and through Germany on the autobahns in my fast Audi. I also once took the ‘Ring Taxi Porsche GT3 RS ride at the Nürburgring. When we moved to Singapore it became very apparent, very quickly, that driving fast there wasn’t a possibility, and any car that was remotely interesting had a sky-high price tag – plus there was nowhere you could really drive said cars in Singapore. After moving to Chiang Mai, and travel came to a halt due to Covid, I decided to work towards a motorbike licence at the Honda facility there. Prior to this point, I had never ridden a motorbike but, after spending three days practising on a private course, I really enjoyed it. Following this, I dropped past a local track and saw some riders dragging their knees and elbows around the corners and thought – I need to learn to do that!

How do you find the time to train and compete around your work life?

In Chiang Mai we have easy access to smaller circuits to practise. I have a garage at Chiang Mai Circuit where I keep

both my track bikes (Honda CBR and Kawasaki Ninja). This track is open till 9pm and is floodlit, so I can show up early evening or on a weekend, put on my race suit and helmet and head out. Everything is sitting in the garage ready to go. There’s also a larger track located about two-and-ahalf hours away, where a few of us drive up and spend the weekend riding, plus a number of other circuits dotted around Thailand.

What is the most memorable experience you’ve had while racing?

When you’re out on a track riding hard and practising, it’s the sensation of taking a fast corner at 160+km/h, and you can almost kiss the tarmac, it’s that close as you’re leant right over. But when you’re racing you do things you never do when practising. You push so much harder with less regard for what you think is the limit, just so you can get past someone or keep them at bay and, so far, I haven’t come unstuck thankfully.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to start motorbike racing?

In Chiang Mai we have a great facility called Fox Mini Circuit. It’s a very small learner and practice track providing small-wheeled 125cc bikes, along with an instructor. In a weekend or so, the trainers can teach you all the basics and eventually have you leaning into a corner on your knee within a very safe and controlled environment. This is how I learned. Essentially you need an instructor, a bike to learn on and a safe environment to do so. Be prepared to get it wrong, but know you’ll also be wearing a race suit, helmet and gloves, so at a slow speed you’ll be back up and on the bike in a minute.

What is it specifically about motorsports that is so beneficial to you?

The sensation of going fast, finding the limit and that it requires all your concentration.

I suppose you could compare it to meditation, as you won’t be thinking about anything else, just where you need to be on the track for the next corner and when to brake in order to tip it in at the right time, while carrying as much speed as possible.

Motorcycle racing is also a very physically demanding sport. The way the bike moves and turns is directly influenced by where you place your body, so it’s a workout at the same time, and those that know me will understand that this aspect very much appeals to me – I get to combine going fast with a physical workout.

Why do you think it’s so valuable to have a hobby like this outside of work?

You need to make time for these things, or you can get burned out or entirely consumed, and that’s where it can negatively affect both your physical and mental health and, in turn, your work and family life. I’m very big on work–life balance, and a huge believer in looking after yourself.

Ben Millson

The collision – Millson is in the background

More

From spreadsheets to session sheets

Having trained as an accountant, Felix Voon instead followed his passion and entered the Malaysian music industry, becoming a multi-platinum award-winning mixing/mastering engineer sought after by major artists and record labels, including Sony Music, Warner Music, Universal Music, Rocketfuel, World Peace Entertainment and Faithful Music

Where did your career in the music industry begin?

My first job that related to music was at a music school, where I taught guitars and drums. Shortly after, I got a part-time position at a local studio, where I would teach music in the daytime and work in the studio into the early hours of the morning. This pattern continued for about two years, after which I was burnt out, so I decided to resign from the studio before deciding what to do next. Having received a request to record a musical theatre album for a church, before I knew it one thing had led to another, and I found myself mixing. My very first project in the Malaysian music industry was an album called Penghibur Jalanan by Amir Jahari in 2013. I taught guitar and music in addition to mixing part time for five years before I transitioned and took the logical leap to rent a studio space and go full time.

What did the transition from stereo to immersive audio look like in regard to your workspace?

I have my own Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 studio in the Kuala Lumpur suburbs. I started using this space over three years ago when I was using a Lynx Aurora 8 as my main interface and a Dangerous Music D-Box monitor controller, but I upgraded to the Dolby Atmos edition less than a year ago. I added a Focusrite 16Line 64-in/64-out Pro Tools | HD and dual Thunderbolt 3 audio interface and 11 Neumann KH80DSP monitors with a KH750DSP subwoofer for the 7.1.4 setup. The four KH80DSP monitors overhead are supported on two wall-mounted poles panning the lateral walls. From the Focusrite Red 16, the digital signal is output via the S/PDIF connection on the back of the interface to my Lavry Black DA11 stereo digital to analogue converter. The audio is played out on the Focal Twin6 BE monitors and the Focusrite handles the Atmos audio. I’m

comfortable with this setup and having a separate set of converters for my stereo mixing and mastering work.

Was it a big commitment to invest in an immersive studio setup?

I wasn’t sure whether to make that leap from stereo to immersive as I didn’t know if there would be a demand here in Southeast Asia. Thankfully, it’s been paying off. Since the launch of Apple Spatial Audio, international and local labels are wanting to get tracks mixed in Dolby Atmos, so it’s only logical that I provide this service.

What difference does working with immersive technology make to the mixing process?

With this Neumann 7.1.4 monitor setup, it feels as if you’re in the music; like being in the same room that the music was made in, whether that’s a studio or a concert hall. I can make it sound great in this room but, ultimately, it’s about the mix I’m creating for consumers – it has to sound great on headphones and portable devices as well as speaker systems. That’s where the binaural mix comes in.

Do you have to consider the earphone/ headphone audience more than traditional loudspeaker listeners?

I think for traditional stereo, what you mix on speakers will translate to headphones. However, for Atmos you need to listen on headphones to make sure that what you hear in the room translates to headphones as well. In the Dolby Atmos renderer there are binaural settings, so I change the settings to make sure it sounds like a cohesive mix. It’s an additional task and QC [quality control] check to make, but I wouldn’t say it’s complex.

What’s your impression of working with the Neumann monitors and what have they brought to your mixes?

Following calibration, the Neumann setup translates very well. When I check the mixes on the headphones, it sounds like it should –no surprises. When you’re mixing for long durations of time, the monitors should not be fatiguing. I have not performed any extra adjustments to date, and I’ve been working with them for a year now. For a room of this size, they work extremely well.

Do you feel that you’re a pioneer of immersive audio in Malaysia?

Currently I am one of the few engineers mixing immersive here, although I continue to mix in stereo as that remains the bread and butter. However, immersive is growing because it’s another way of presenting the music in an enhanced way. Initially, many engineers were sceptical, but as adoption grows such as the recent launch of Netflix Spatial, it’s going to grow in tandem.

Can you tell us some of your career highlights to date?

Most of my clients come from Malaysia and the ASEAN region and I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with so many A-list artists. My work has won several AIM (Anugerah Industri Muzik) and AJL (Anugerah Juara Lagu) awards and been nominated for the AMI (Anugerah Musik Indonesia) Best Rap Song in 2021. I also mixed the 2017 SEA Paralympic Games opening and closing ceremonies and recorded Faizal Tahir’s concert at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra hall. Music continues to be my passion and obsession and it has been a blessing to connect with different people and cultures. I never take it for granted.

Purpose over profit

Our latest instalment in a new series in which we sit down with APAC consultants

HAVING ESTABLISHED AUSTRALIAN TECHNOLOGY

consultancy Pereira Projects in 2017, Jamie Pereira was joined by Jack Wilson in 2019, rebranding as Pereira Wilson in 2022 and building up solid references across the education, workplace, government, health, infrastructure and hospitality sectors.

What was the motivation to start a tech consultancy?

We’re now living and working in the blended physical and digital world; the intersection and challenges of the two fascinate me. I’ve always had a strong interest in business, with a burning desire to fix problems. I wanted to look after my people, bring in new talent, afford kids from lower socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity I was fortunate to have and add value to enable my clients to thrive. Over time, I realised to achieve this vision I needed a heavy influence on the direction and finances of the company, and the only way to guarantee that was to do it myself. My ex-colleague and friend Jack Wilson shared my vision and values so partnering up was a no-brainer. It has been a fun ride so far and we are excited about what’s to come.

What makes Pereira Wilson unique?

Our level of care, purpose-over-profit and innovative mindset, putting ourselves in our clients’ shoes and thinking not just about day one but also days two, three and four. Taking the time to really get to know our clients, understanding their challenges, vision and business strategy and introducing technology solutions to achieve measurable outcomes that enable them to achieve their vision. We are a dedicated integrated technology consultancy, not an engineering services firm offering it as a bolt-on. Our team live and breathe technology; that level of passion and dedication is needed in our industry where technological advances are made daily. Together we have diverse experience in working with clients to manage and support technology, physically installing, commissioning systems, project managing, consulting, design, engineering and training. This real-world experience enables us to provide the best chance of success and maximum value.

Can you explain your four-phased cyclical model?

Strategy, Design, Implementation and Adoption. This has evolved to enable us to provide maximum value, impact and

ROI for our clients. The cyclical model helps ensure solutions are achieving their potential, returning on the investment and not just creating more problems. Our business strategy is to become technology partners with our clients. Working as an extension of their teams, you get to know them from an individual through to an organisational level. This helps us gain an intimate understanding of the challenges across the business and bring integrated solutions that can solve and address the varying, sometimes competing, business needs.

Can you mention some common frustrations?

Entering a project halfway through the design phase when the architect has completed floorplans; you’re the bad guy coming late and asking for changes. The best outcomes are achievable when the physical and digital strategies are aligned early on, developed in tandem even ahead of a business case being put forward then followed through, integrating technology in the physical workplace design. Budgets are rarely set correctly at the beginning of the project. Clients have to try and find more budget or come to terms with a limited technology solution. The way to counter this is by engaging a technology specialist alongside the quantity surveyor to develop initial budgets. A small investment upfront saves surprises later.

Another common problem is lack of training for users. If people don’t know it exists, don’t know how to use it or it doesn’t do what’s required, is it worth spending the money in the first place? Setting budgets right up-front, factoring in long-term support costs and other aspects as well as providing these services, clients can measure and realise a real return on investment.

From a consulting perspective, offering AAS is a little different to the integrator model. Typically, a client will have some or no IoT or AV capability or capacity internally. We come in as part of their team to support the varying demands, refreshing projects, developing standards, support models, technology strategies and masterplans. We are being engaged more and more as a long-term technology partner and an extension of a client’s internal team with our AAS offering. Health checks are another area where we come in as independents, not looking for a reason to charge more. We independently test systems, identify issues and report back, engaging contractors to resolve any issues that may be picked up. This is typically a fraction of the cost of a service level agreement and provides the assurance a business requires whilst also ensuring they are only paying for what they need.

Do you have any green sustainability initiatives?

We’re passionate about sustainability and have invested time in understanding it and the impact we can drive as consultants. We factor in the carbon footprint of products we build into our designs and raise the subject, suggesting reuse, repurposing or, at a minimum, recycling. We are also excited about our partnership with Sircel, an Australian green-technology company that eradicates electronic waste from landfill, diverting up to 100% of e-waste from landfill back into the circular economy.

How do you and the team keep up to date with AV and other technologies?

Magazines, websites and media but, importantly, our vendor relationships are an excellent source of knowledge and information. We’ve built up contacts with manufacturers’, distributors’ and suppliers’ engineering teams globally, who provide us with recommendations and updates often ahead of official announcements. We conduct “lunch and learn” sessions every other week with manufacturers and distributors, relating to a current challenge or project or something we are excited about. We also have The Lab where we test products and solutions. It’s one thing to read a specification sheet but another to open the box and dive in properly.

L–R: Jamie Pereira and Jack Wilson

The Pereira Wilson team

When London’s legendary RAK Studios responded to demand and went immersive, they wanted the most truthful monitors available. So they chose The Ones Smart Active Monitors, finding them unbeatable for neutrality, imaging, fatigue-free listening and consistent mix translation.

RAK now enjoys a flawlessly cohesive and scalable immersive system that’s also pinpoint accurate in level, distance and frequency response alignment, thanks to our GLM calibration software.

So, if you’re serious about going immersive – whatever your room size – explore our industry-leading solutions online. Visit www.genelec.com/immersive-hub

“Genelec have set the bar for immersive monitoring.”

Emma Townsend, RAK Studios

Hi-Tech Audio & Image

into Hi-Tech Audio & Image. Recognising the inextricable relationship between sound, light and visuals in creating a comprehensive sensory experience, Rajan has led the company’s transition into a full-scale professional AVL service provider. Incorporated in August 2022, Hi-Tech Audio & Image focuses on providing holistic solutions for events, productions and installations. And, with a solid understanding of the market’s evolving needs honed over decades of experience, Rajan is aiming to redefine the standards of the AVL industry in India.

In its new iteration, Hi-Tech Audio & Image has significantly broadened its horizons by expanding beyond audio and stepping into the realm of professional lighting and video. This strategic business evolution demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing comprehensive and versatile solutions for live entertainment and installation projects.

“The expansion into professional lighting and video services marks a significant milestone for us, aligning with the industry’s trend towards more integrated offerings,” explains Rajan. “It paves the way for Hi-Tech Audio & Image to serve its clients with even more depth and breadth.”

pre-design engineers. The company, which also works with a wide network of dealers and major systems integrators across India, is planning further expansion of its in-house teams, hiring more employees to add value to its offerings. A dedicated team at the in-house, two-storey warehouse inspects incoming shipments, ensuring every device meets the highest standards before making its way to the shelves. Another key department is the authorised service and spares centre, where a team of tech-savvy experts provide service solutions to clients who regularly visit the offices. The certified service engineers are equipped to handle a diverse range of audio and lighting equipment, backed by a comprehensive suite of cutting-edge equipment to diagnose, repair and fine-tune audio and lighting products to ensure optimal performance. A state-of-the-art Experience Centre showcases the latest in audio, video and lighting technology, providing an immersive sonic journey in an acoustically treated environment free from external disturbance. This space is also used for audio and lighting training and workshops. Each floor of Hi-Tech Audio & Image’s premises has dedicated conference rooms with complete AV facilities where employees can conduct internal presentations and host business meetings with

In 2003, Nirdosh Aggarwal joined Hi-Tech, becoming part of the company’s core management team. With 20 years’ experience

Established audio distributor, Hi-Tech, has rebranded as Hi-Tech Audio & Image, remaining relevant and impactful by expanding its inventory to include video and lighting products and

Claypaky and RCF systems have been installed at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Gondal Rajan Gupta

Nirdosh Aggarwal is now one of Hi-Tech Audio & Image’s stakeholders

NO WORDS NEEDED

SPONSORED BY

Starting out as the exclusive distributor for Harman Pro International in India before moving onto Bose Professional, the company’s portfolio has diversified over the years as it has taken on and introduced some of

Shaurya Gupta has a Bachelor’s Degree in Recording Arts

Yash Gupta takes care of the lighting division

THE POWER OF THE SYSTEM

> New XPS Amplifiers - up to 16,000 Watts Continuous Power

> Massive power headroom and ultra-low distortion

> Presets for RCF Speakers and Subwoofers

> Dante Network and Digital AES-EBU I/O

> 96-kHz / 40-bit floating-point DSP

> Suitable for Small to Arena Sized Audio Systems

> Vast Catalog of Speakers for Fixed and Touring Applications

> Excellent Signal-to-Noise Ratio and Dynamic Range

> Durable and Reliable Tour-Worthy Solutions

> Remote Management via RDNet Software

> FiRPHASE Zero Degrees Phase Response

> Bass Motion Control and BASS Shaper

*RCF Sound System example featuring an HL 6 Line Array system and HL 35-S Subwoofers powered by one 4-channel XPS 16KD DSP Amplifier with Dante Onboard.

From Gastro to Gym

LD Systems provides sound for the BB Club in Surat, India

OFFERING A GYM, TRAMPOLINE PARK, bowling and varied indoor and outdoor gastronomy, the BB (Black Bunny) Club in the West Indian city of Surat leaves hardly anything to be desired as a central contact point for fitness and entertainment. The operators’ demands on the visual appearance and sound quality of the sound system in the numerous rooms and areas were correspondingly high. For the supplier and integrator Evenflow Eternal, it was clear that the right solution could be found in the LD Systems loudspeaker portfolio. The result, according to Evenflow owner Ankit Vadodariya, was clear: “There is no location in all of Surat that comes close to BB Club in terms of design and sound.”

To provide the best possible sound for the different spaces, with their changing power and design specifications, Evenflow Eternal relied on a mix of several LD Systems speaker series – CONTRACTOR Series two-way wallmounted speakers for the hospitality areas and bowling hall, SAT G2 installation speakers for the Crossfit and Zumba rooms, and ICOA Series coaxial PA speakers for the large fitness area. “The management of the BB Club placed great importance on a consistent and uniform sound experience throughout the building, without compromising on transparency and efficiency,” confirmed Vadodariya. “They also wanted the speakers to integrate perfectly with the interior of each room.”

Vadodariya’s decision to go with LD Systems was made after an extensive visit to the Adam Hall Group headquarters in Neu-Anspach, near Frankfurt, Germany. There, the experienced integrator was particularly impressed by the research and development department in the Adam Hall Experience Centre, as well as the professional quality control. For the BB Club project, the Evenflow Eternal team also received comprehensive support from Indian LD Systems distributor Stagemix Technologies in terms of deciding placement of the speakers and subwoofers.

Gastronomy

In the rather quiet restaurant and café areas, Evenflow Eternal installed the versatile CWMS 52 two-way wall speakers (which feature a 5.25-inch woofer and 1.2-inch tweeter) from the CONTRACTOR Series on the brick walls (indoors) and posts of the pergola awnings (outdoors) to achieve even sound coverage. The CWMS 52s are also used in the bowling hall. Here, the all-round speakers can prove their assertiveness even in noisy environments –supported by the compact and powerful SUB 10 A 10-inch subwoofer with integrated three-channel power amplifier.

20 x LD Systems CWMS 52, 5.25-inch two-way wall loudspeaker

4 x LD Systems SAT 62 G2, 6.5-inch installation loudspeaker

4 x LD Systems SAT 82 G2, 8-inch installation loudspeaker

2 x LD Systems SUB 10 A, 10-inch active subwoofer

4 x LD Systems ICOA 12, 12-inch passive coaxial PA loudspeaker

2 x LD Systems ICOA SUB 15 A, active 15-inch bass-reflex PA subwoofer

Crossfit and trampoline

Two more SUB 10 A units provide motivating beats in the Crossfit/Zumba area, which are played via Bluetooth to the subwoofers by the trainers. The SAT 62 G2 6.5-inch installation speakers – which feature a bass-reflex design – are used here as powerful full-range systems, which integrate discreetly into the modern and urban fitness ambience. In the neighbouring trampoline area, the SAT 82 G2 8-inch version is used in combination with two SUB 10 A subwoofers. To safeguard both people and technology, the 120W (RMS) two-way speakers were welded directly onto the existing metal structures at a height of around 4.6m. “This type of direct mounting can prove problematic. However, thanks to the exceedingly robust SAT wall brackets, we had no problems in our case,” explained Vadodariya.

Fitness

According to the Evenflow owner, the fitness area in the BB Club proved to be a challenge, as it comprises the largest sound reinforcement area at around 250m2 and there is also always a high ambient noise level – due to weights and equipment being constantly used. “We needed a rich, assertive sound pressure to support the guests’ workout.” The solution: four ICOA 12 coaxial PA speakers with 12-inch woofers and 1-inch tweeter drivers, precisely aimed at the area from an elevated position via ICOA 12 UB universal mounts. Additional bass support down to 36Hz is provided by two active ICOA SUB 15 A bass-reflex PA subs.

www.adamhall.com

@bbclubindia

www.ld-systems.com

www.stagemix.com

Images courtesy of Prachi Khasgiwala

The following products are used at the BB Club:

Allen & Heath comes to the rescue

The engaging performance of Mahler’s 7th Symphony by the London Symphony Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle, performed at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), was captured for broadcast using an Allen & Heath dLive system. QPAC’s 1,800-seat concert hall hosted the orchestra’s mesmerising performance, which was captured live and broadcast without issues.

The QPAC AV department faced an urgent need to replace its previous audio console in its broadcast suite. “We had a Studer Vista 5 before but, when it died, we needed a quick and budget-friendly replacement,” explained

sound engineer, John McLennan. “After weeks of searching for options, the Allen & Heath dLive system stood out due to its flexibility, affordability and remarkable features.”

In the broadcast suite, newly equipped with a 36-fader dLive S7000 Surface, the QPAC team utilises the DM0 MixRack with superMADI, Waves, as well as Dante cards. The addition of the Allen & Heath DX168 and DX012 expanders provides analogue I/O, while the SoundGrid server complements the system’s processing and effects capabilities.

The orchestra setup comprised six flown Schoeps omnidirectional microphones,

Martin illuminates Tokyo Riverside apartments

To provide the new Tokyo Riverside Apartment with vivid and engaging lighting, architectural firm Chayolite deployed a selection of Martin lighting solutions.

Located in the Pantai Indah Kapuk 2 precinct (PIK2) within Jakarta, Tokyo Riverside Apartment is a luxury living complex featuring

modern Japanese architecture and smart living tools. The complex is conveniently located near a variety of amenities, including sports and recreational facilities, a 2.5m sand beach and the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Chayolite and Harman Professional Solutions were appointed to illuminate its façade. To meet

where required. The main setup for the concert hall takes a MADI split and word clock from the DiGiCo SD-Rack handling the FOH sound into the superMADI card on the Allen & Heath DM0 in

the broadcast suite. The inputs are mixed on the dLive S7000 Surface, complemented by Genelec monitors and an Auratone mono speaker.

www.allen-heath.com

indoors and outdoors, making it ideal for longterm and permanent installations. The resulting setup intends to be an energy-efficient lighting solution for the apartments’ exterior.

Amar Subash, VP and GM, Harman

this requirement, the installation team deployed Martin VC-Dot 1 outdoor LED lights. The outdoor P3 PowerPort 1000 is a control source that can be installed remotely both

Professional Solutions of APAC, said: “Tokyo Riverside Apartment now boasts a visually stunning façade with lighting effects that complement the elegance of PIK2, an upscale urban city on the coast of Jakarta.”

www.martin.com pro.harman.com

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Picture: MHB, Freeks Saturday Night Safari

Christie inspires the people of China

CHINA

Over 80 Christie Inspire Series 1DLP laser projectors – including the Christie DWU760-iS, DWU860-iS and DWU960-iS models – have been fitted in various visitor attractions, including the China Qiaodu Museum of Overseas Chinese and Jiangmen Local Chronicles Hall in Jiangmen City, as well as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Talent Hub in Guangzhou. These projectors, supplied and installed by Christie’s partner Jianye Display, are equipped with a fixed motorised zoom lens and an IP5X dust-resistant optical engine.

“AV technologies, including projections, have been increasingly embraced by visitor attractions in China to bring exhibits to life with dynamic visuals,” said Zhongliang Li, technical director at Jianye Display. “Projection systems offer a versatile and visually stunning way to tell stories, educate, entertain and create unforgettable moments for visitors. The Christie Inspire Series delivers striking visuals to these prestigious venues in Guangdong province.”

www.datapath.co.uk

The China Qiaodu Museum of Overseas Chinese vividly illustrates the struggles and significant contributions of overseas Chinese from Jiangmen. Close to two dozen Christie DWU760-iS and DWU860-iS projectors are used to illuminate a range of digital exhibits throughout the museum. These include projections of the Maritime Silk Road map, silhouette displays of Chinese emigration, historical portrayals of migration, highlights of overseas Chinese contributions to railroad construction and projections focusing on Chinese language education.

At the Jiangmen Local Chronicles Hall, 40 Christie DWU760-iS and DWU860-iS laser projectors have been utilised for the exhibition areas, offering a comprehensive and systematic showcase of Jiangmen’s history and ongoing development across various aspects, including nature, politics, economy, society and culture. Serving as the city’s premiere exhibition hall, it provides visitors with a holistic and organised presentation of Jiangmen’s rich history and current progress.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Talent Hub is a facility that serves as a talent centre, providing services and one-stop solutions for skilled individuals in the Greater Bay Area. The exhibition areas in the Talent Hub are powered by more than a dozen Christie DWU860-iS and DWU960-iS laser projectors, and a Christie 4K7-HS 1DLP laser projector. Colourful projections on a large, curved screen immerse visitors in a vast and lifelike environment, while a separate 270° panoramic display transports guests to a world where they become a part of the projected content.

www.christiedigital.com

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The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Talent Hub

China Qiaodu Museum of Overseas Chinese

d&b amplifies Mahidol University’s Black Box Theatre

scholars, students and music appreciators to collaborate in a harmonious atmosphere. “Music is a powerful sound, the sound is energy, the sound creates an educational movement, the movement builds a change and the change develops society,” is the motto of the new building, which is currently in soft-launch mode. Technical manager and chair of the music technology department, Chayut Jessadavaranon, worked with Bangkokbased audio supplier Vichai Trading to specify and source the d&b system.

“We wanted to install world-class equipment for our students, to help them study, to have a good experience and provide them with useful skills with professional standard equipment,” said Jessadavaranon. “Before they graduate, the more they learn about and hear key audio brands, the more likely they are to get into the industry after finishing college. Our music students are delighted to have an opportunity to work with a d&b system.”

“The d&b system already has a great impact,” Jessadavaranon continued. “The students are still learning about the new loudspeakers and subwoofers, and we are all looking forward to officially opening the space for tuition and performance. Our other music hall is designed for acoustic music – now that we have the d&b system in the Black Box Theatre, we’re excited to be able to provide clear, high-quality sound to amplify instruments.”

The college is currently working with the d&b APAC team to create learning opportunities for the students that focus on d&b technology, including the R1 Remote control software –which presents a d&b system graphically, with faders and buttons arranged as required – and the d&b ArrayCalc simulation software to optimise system design.

Bangkok’s renowned Mahidol University College of Music has opened a new Black Box Theatre designed to offer students hands-on experience with technology and to welcome international performers. Inside, it has been equipped with a full d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker,

subwoofer and amplification system comprising T10 loudspeakers, Y-SUB subwoofers and 30D amplifiers.

Located within the university’s new Southeast Asia Museum site in Salaya, to the west of Bangkok, the space is a musical gathering point for performers,

In the Black Box Theatre, the team has rigged 12 passive two-way d&b T10 loudspeakers in a six-per-side stereo arrangement, hanging on a fly bar. Four actively driven cardioid d&b Y-SUB subwoofers are on low-end duty, with the T10 loudspeakers powered by three d&b 30D amplifiers.

“We have a full-time audio technician and sound engineer staff, and, alongside our students, we will operate the d&b system and the associated software options,” added Jessadavaranon. “We’re looking forward to learning more about loudspeaker alignment using the R1 software, and how to rig, with a hands-on workshop.”

More than 1,300 students are enrolled in the precollege, undergraduate and graduate levels of the College of Music, with the majority coming from Thailand.

www.dbaudio.com

Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel withstands the elements

Nestled on the south-west coast of Sri Lanka in the beautiful city of Galle, and overlooking the blue depths of the Indian Ocean, lies the luxurious Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel. In view of offering its guests entertainment opportunities and an enhanced audio experience during their stay, this beachfront property recently partnered with Digital Ear, the regional distributor for Void Acoustics, to install a sound system that would complement the hotel’s idyllic beachfront setting.

The team at Digital Ear was tasked with specifying and deploying an audio system which was both eye-catching yet unobtrusive; state-of-the-art while withstanding the demands of the outdoor salty environment. Meeting all these requirements, Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel’s sound system has been enhanced with Void Acoustics’ Cyclone 8 outdoor-friendly speaker, with a UV-resilient cellulose finish and weather-protected IP55 rating; making them well-suited to the hotel’s beachfront location. To complement the Cyclone 8 speakers, Indigo 6S loudspeakers were also integrated into the system. Powering the setup is the Bias D1 energysaving amplifier.

Digital Ear was able to colour-match the speakers with the hotel’s interior.

“This enabled us to seamlessly blend the speakers into the décor of the hotel, something which provides a ‘wow’ factor for our client and their guests,” explained Haren Perera, managing director of Digital Ear.

“Moreover, the IP55 rating of Void’s Cyclone fixtures ensures they are corrosion-proof and ideal for the open-air poolside area, where they were also installed in the Coat of Arms

Perera added: “A challenge we faced during the installation was to prevent sound leakage from the poolside area and pizza bar to the guest rooms overlooking the area. As such, we strategically placed the speakers to maintain a constant sound pressure level [SPL] across the venue, ensuring even distribution of sound. Having a good SPL means the system is loud enough to be enjoyed by guests in the immediate vicinity, without causing a disturbance to the guest rooms nearby.”

The deployment of the Void Acoustics system has enabled the hotel to expand its entertainment offerings, including pool parties and larger DJ sets, none of which had been possible before.

“This marks the first time we have had a Void Acoustics system installed in one of our properties within the Jetwing Hotels Group and we really couldn’t be more delighted with the result. Void Acoustics ticks many of the boxes – colour customisation, sonic perfection and weatherproof capability.

We will certainly be considering more Void Acoustics installations in some of our other Jetwing properties in the future,” said Dmitri Cooray, deputy managing director.

www.voidacoustics.com

SRI LANKA

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Han Hong returns to the stage

Sound designer He Biao and Rightway

Audio Consultants recently deployed L-ISA technology to create an immersive audio experience in Beijing’s Wukesong Cadillac Arena. Han Hong, said to be one of China’s most gifted singer–songwriters, returned to the stage following a seven-year break.

Biao adopted the L-ISA to match Han Hong’s ultra-dynamic vocal style, in addition to supporting the range of genres of jazz and R&B to rock’n’roll and Latin. It was reportedly the first use of L-ISA in China. Initially built for the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 18,000-capacity arena has hosted iconic performances from local and international artists such as Ariana Grande, Elton John and Jacky Cheung.

“When L-ISA was first unveiled a few years ago, I was invited to the L-Acoustics headquarters in France,” explained Biao. “I discovered then that L-ISA technology would allow me to craft an immersive sound mix creatively. Since then, I have been thinking broadly about its application in concert sound systems.”

Biao integrated L-ISA into his personal studio, then proceeded to use the immersive audio technology for various corporate events and prominent theatre productions. For Han Hong, he designed an L-ISA configuration in Focus mode, giving extra emphasis to lowfrequency elements in the mix. He worked with Dadong Huahan AV and Guangzhou

Gao Da Shang Electronic Technology, which supplied and deployed the elements of the immersive concert sound system. L-Acoustics

Certified Provider Distributor, Rightway Audio Consultants, provided Biao with technical L-ISA system support.

The L-ISA configuration consisted of a main Scene System of five hangs of eight

K1 and six K2 down. The extension was provided via two hangs of nine K2. Thirty-two KS28 subwoofers in cardioid configuration in front of the stage minimised onstage rumble, while spatial fill was provided by eight groups of two Kara stacked on the subwoofers. Outside the L-ISA coverage zone, 15 K2 and one ARCS per side acted as side fill. Sixty-six LA12X amplified controllers drove the entire system.

“In an L-R concert sound system, the mix is largely concentrated on the vocals, snare drum, kick drum and bass,” said front of house engineer, Lin Mengyang. “Whereas with L-ISA, the clarity of source positioning allowed me to spread all instruments across the Scene System. I could focus the main elements in the centre while using the extension on both sides to achieve a wider coverage of sound immersion.”

on three groups of four L-Acoustics X15 HiQ placed onstage. “Han Hong prefers hearing all the frequencies and the natural dynamics of musical instruments,” he explained. “I kept compression in Han’s IEMs to a minimum, as she enjoys the actual live sound and uses that to gauge the audience’s response.”

“The future of immersive sound for live concerts is near,” concluded Biao. “There have been leaps in lighting and visuals, yet we are largely still delivering concerts in stereo. A system configuration such as L-ISA does have a cost but, for a live music concert, sound fidelity is essential. Productions that invest in delivering an immersive audio experience will

www.racpro.net

One of the two extension arrays

© Ralph Larmann

Good things come in small packages

Auckland’s Basement Theatre is a hub for experimental art as well as political and social discourse and acts as an inclusive place for live performers to hone their craft. Squeezed into an old industrial building, once part of a large grain silo development, the theatre has been on the site for 15 years, making the most out of a challenging layout with some reimagining that has ensured it has everything needed for a busy and thriving venue to function.

A busy and diverse programme of shows runs Tuesday to Saturday in the two spaces, attracting younger audiences together with

those who might not necessarily entertain more traditional theatres. The venue’s then technical manager Michael Trigg explained that all its fixtures must be flexible and multipurpose, and two Robe Lighting CycBar15s fitted this brief. The fixtures are rigged in the 100-capacity main space and were purchased with support from Robe distributor, Jands New Zealand.

Trigg said: “They can be a front wash, a back light, a wash or a top light or they can be rigged vertically for more of an effects look, and the individual pixel control was something that really appealed for this.” They can paint

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the walls with light using the CycBar 15s, then change the colour one minute and flip the fixtures around the next and use them for key lighting using the diffusion panels.

Having already grown familiar with Robe products through his work in events, Trigg was happy to specify the brand. When he left earlier this year after several years in the role, new technical manager Paul Bennett is also delighted with the lights.

Most incoming basement productions will bring their own lighting designers and will use the house rig, which contains about 40 fixtures, sometimes augmenting this with a few of their

THE STAGE IS SET FOR NORTH

own specials. Basement’s lively performance programme features at least two new works each week staged in one of the spaces and continues to be an engaging and invigorating environment. The venue is right at the heart of the annual Auckland Fringe Festival.

The CycBar 15s were said to be such a great success that the theatre confirmed an order to triple its Robe inventory, adding two iBar 15s – an updated and IP65-rated version of the original CycBar – and two ParFect 150 LED source ACL style beam fixtures.

www.robe.cz

and a garden bar. The interior spaces are separated by large plate glass that allows visitors to watch the gin makers at their craft.

“The space is modern and clean, and we needed excellent sound quality, but the large flat spaces, the metal, glass, concrete and tall ceilings throughout presented numerous acoustic challenges,” said Stephen Sokolowski, project manager for Zelo Group, which needed to find a system for background music and live performances as well as films and sporting events broadcast throughout the facility.

Tradition meets technology

The old world has met the new at Tsukihana Sounds Studio in Ashikaga City, where high-quality textiles have been produced for more than 1,300 years. The studio, which is in a former textile factory, features a new Solid State Logic ORIGIN 32-channel in-line analogue mixing console.

about 50m2 with two iso booths for vocals and piano. In the 24m2 control room, the ORIGIN, which is integrated into studio furniture custom-built by studio design and construction firm Acoustic Engineering, is

Sokolowski chose to install a system comprising AtlasIED two-way, allweather SM82T loudspeakers based on their sound quality, commercialgrade durability and weather-resistant capabilities which could withstand any humidity created by the gin manufacturing processes. The SM loudspeaker’s boxstyle mounting bracket allowed Zelo to mount them to ceiling trays, ensuring that the visual brief of clean lines, with no loudspeakers mounted on flat surfaces, was adhered to.

www.atlasied.com

composition theory and electronic music and is a multi-instrumentalist, established Tsukihana Sounds Studio to support her company’s growing music and sound production business – Jet Black Flowers. The new facility offers a large tracking room of

new CVA

Amplifiers

Acoustic Engineering’s interior design makes stone has a signature acoustical quality that is both diffusive and absorptive and was used in the live room as well as the control room.

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RCF immerses eventgoers in Aboriginal Culture

ARDS Aboriginal Corporation has recently invested in RCF’s HDL 26-A line array system. Having worked with the Yol ŋ gu communities in Northeast Arnhem Land for over 50 years, ARDS is working to amplify and empower local Aboriginal voices. Combining its efforts with music and film production company Aris & Grimes, ARDS has organised three community festivals since acquiring the RCF system.

ARDS maintains a number of beneficial services, including Yol ŋ gu Radio, which serves as a vital conduit for the delivery of entertainment, education, emergency information and contemporary and traditional indigenous music, to communities and homelands throughout North-East Arnhem Land and Darwin.

ARDS’s Nhulunbuy station manager, Will Porter, explained: “Yol ŋ gu Radio has a long history of facilitating community festivals in the region, which take place in incredibly remote locations, creating a logistical nightmare until our recent purchase of the new RCF HDL 26-A speakers. Due to their compact

build, transporting the speakers to these remote locations has become substantially easier. And, even more importantly, it was immediately obvious to us that the quality of sound was dramatically better than our previous equipment.”

consideration was the size and weight of the speakers and the ease of putting it together. We used 12 HDL 26-As, hanging six per side, coupled with six subs that we already had. A lot of the other festivals we do are in extremely remote locations, which is why

Andrew Grimes and Matt McLean of Aris & Grimes have a history of working closely with Yolŋgu Radio, delivering various productions across the region. Grimes said:

“We were tasked with managing the production for the inaugural East Arnhem Live Festival in Nhulunbuy, and wanted to put together a sound system that would beat every other festival in the region to date. I’ve had experience with RCF technology and have always been impressed.

“Our festival site is on an escarpment, so we were looking for something that had the throw to cover the whole area and also had the punch so that sound wouldn’t get lost in the wind. Our secondary

we settled on the HDL 26-As. Not only do they do everything we need them to for the East Arnhem Live Festival, but we’re also able to load them in the back of a 4x4 Troopy or in the back of a single engine Cessna, and then rig it all up with a two-person team on the other side.”

Andrew Gurruwiwi, Yolŋgu Radio’s senior presenter and cultural advisor, said: “Communities from all over Arnhem Land loved the sound of the speakers. We are really proud at Yolŋgu Radio to have this equipment, and to be able to share music across the region.”

www.rcf.it

Performers at one of the community festivals

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Collaborating on the cube

RealProtec is a technology company that offers innovative solutions for South Korea’s film and media industries. Supported by a skilled team and leveraging LED technologies from Brompton Technology and INFiLED, RealProtec recently collaborated with CJ OliveNetworks and Jinwoo M&C to create Gwangju Content Cube (GCC) VX Studio, the country’s largest VP studio operated by a Korean government organisation, the Gwangju Information and Content Agency.

GCC was created as a multifaceted space equipped with content production infrastructure for movies, games and animations, alongside immersive content experience facilities like VR, AR and MR. Its setup is expected to act as a breeding ground for cultural content-related startups and drive the job market in Gwangju. “This is particularly significant as Gwangju boasts the only cultural industry investment promotion zone in Korea,” said RealProtec COO, Sungbaek Choi.

The new VX Studio covers 1,466m2 of the overall facility and features an AV system from Sony and a disguise vx4 media server and rxII render system, while the camera tracking system in operation is by stYpe. The main LED

wall comprises INFiLED DB2.6 S8C LED panels, measuring 30m x 6m (WxH). INFiLED DF3.9mk-C8 LED panels are used to create a 15m x 10m floor, while the ceiling is constructed with INFiLED AR3.91 S8C panels, measuring 10m x 5m. The entire LED setup is powered by 27 Brompton Technology 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors, along with 106 Tessera

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complex shooting environments,” Choi explained. He noted that with every technology it is essential to strive for continuous improvement, as opposed to remaining stationary. “In that respect, the key lies in Brompton’s commitment to progressive developments. By providing continuous updates to their LED processors, they are providing invaluable support to systems consultants and operators like us,” he added.

XD 10G data distribution units, which work seamlessly with the Tessera SX40 to provide a single-box solution for data distribution with full data cable redundancy, effectively handling the challenges posed by this large LED display system.

“The SX40 processor’s real-time control response speed coupled with the Tessera software features, enable us to handle even the most

Michael Hao, CEO of INFiLED, commented: “The GCC project represents a significant milestone in the growth of the immersive content industry in Korea. We are proud to have contributed our LED products and technologies to this project. This collaboration showcases the power of technology and creative innovation, and we look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible in the industry.”

www.bromptontech.com

Keep Sound and Sonos Libra work side-by-side

THAILAND

Sonos Libra has collaborated with Keep Sound System for Bangkok-based Nexus Christian Church’s Side By Side event, held at the acoustically challenging Ayutthaya

uses a VIO L208 and Allen & Heath kit so, naturally, organisers asked Sonos Libra to provide a similar sonic experience, but with a large venue to consider.

Keep Sound is said to be a committed customer of Sonos Libra, often utilising Allen & Heath – from QU all the way to dLive. When Keep Sound decided a new PA system was required, it opted for the new dBTechnologies VIO L1610 and VIO L208, acquiring part of a system and adding more line array components for this specific event.

Side By Side is one of the largest catholic congregations in the country, open to other churches as well as worshippers. Nexus Church already

design and simulation as well as deployment, and later on when it came to tuning and alignment.

Alfonso Martín, Sonos Libra CEO, said of the project: “We are thrilled to see customer interactions revolving around Sonos Libra’s concept and brands. Customers are realising the possibilities and experiences provided to audiences that come with combining the right gear.”

www.dbtechnologies.com

www.sonoslibra.com

KV2 parties hard at Rave Jam

VHD5.0 mid-high unit, a VHD8.10 lowmid and an SL412 down fill per side was deployed with the low end being handled by eight VHD4.21A subwoofers which also provided power for a further eight VHD4.21P passive subs. Side fill duties were handled by a pair of VHD2.0 long-throw mid-high systems along with six VHD4.18 quad 18-inch subwoofers. A VHD1.0 per side was chosen for front fill along with four ESD12s. The DJ monitor set comprised two ES1.0 combined with a pair of ES1.8 subwoofers along with an SD8 stage preamp and a COMPEX dynamic harmonics control unit, also from

KV2. Finally, the line-up was completed with four ESM12 and two ESM312 stage monitors for the band performers.

Hosted by the Entertainment Times and co-organised by the Longjoin Group, the Rave Jam Music Carnival is an outdoor music festival that combines electro, rap and pop music. The first edition took place in Linjiang’s Cherry Blossom Park and welcomed nearly 24,000 festivalgoers over the course of two days. To cover such a vast area, the Longjoin Group provided a front-to-

back KV2 Audio system based on the flagship VHD5 Constant Power Point Source system supplemented by smaller VHD systems for side fill and front fill, plus a full complement of ES Series DJ monitors and ESM stage monitors. An L-R system comprising a

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“It was a privilege to have been involved with such a spectacular, yet well-run event,” said chief festival director LinLiu. “The audio was absolutely stunning, even right at the back of the listening area. Loud, punchy and yet crystal clear, no distortion at all, so even though you’ve spent all night in what is essentially a massive outdoor club, you don’t leave with a headache and your ears ringing.” Music director Yi Zhen Zhou agreed: “I have participated in many large-scale electronic dance music [EDM] festivals, but this time it left a deep impression on me because the sound effect was the most natural, comfortable and exciting I have ever heard,” he recalled. “The PA at the Rave Jam Music Festival sounded very different from other EDM festivals, and it didn’t look like a line array. It was the first time I’d seen a large-scale point source system in operation and, to be honest, the sound it produced has completely overturned my perception of EDM festivals.”

www.kv2audio.com

CHINA

2023 | Hall 10 | Booth C31

Genelec amplifies a journey into the natural world at Zukan Museum Ginza

The loudspeaker arrangements didn’t allow us to use existing panners, so we had to develop our own panning system. Genelec’s superlative acoustic characteristics and flexible installation were a major attraction in Eighty-five compact 8010 active studio loudspeakers, 23 of the slightly larger 8020 models and seven 7360 subwoofers were installed throughout the space. The 8010 is used widely throughout the museum due to its small footprint, while the 8020 is used specifically for reproducing creature sounds, which require more low end. In addition, Genelec’s range of accessories proved ideal for

Inspired by Shogakukan’s of picture books, the Zukan Museum Ginza in Tokyo is a perfect example: described as an “experience-based facility” that fuses the digital and the real, Zukan Museum offers an immersive and interactive journey to discover the natural world beyond time and space. Over 100 Genelec loudspeakers combined with video technology help drive the experience where natural environments of forests and water are connected for a journey exploring the world of living things.

“The museum faithfully recreates the ecosystem of the natural world, with different creatures appearing in each area, such as the forest, savanna, underwater, etc., where the act of observing and recording the creatures is interactive. For example, if you get too

close to a creature, it will be startled and run away,” explained Jun Fujiwara of invisi, who handled the sound production and UX design.

“The acoustical element is made up of three components: sounds produced by living creatures, background environmental sounds and musical elements,” explained Takashi Miyamoto of coton, who was responsible for implementing the audio system and sound design. “The environment changes according to the time of day, just as it does in the real world. The musical elements are generated using coton’s original music generation technology called soundtope, which automatically produces the most appropriate music based on the season and time of day, for a truly authentic experience.”

These three acoustical elements, with

a total of 150 channels of sound, create different worlds in each of the multiple areas within the museum. There is no physical separation between areas, so it was particularly important to ensure that transitions from one area to another are smooth and coherent.

“In order to ensure seamless transitions between naturescapes, we used a common tonal scale between adjacent areas to prevent sounds from clashing with each other,” continued Miyamoto. “In terms of timbre, the placement of intermediate common tones between areas has the effect of a boundary partition, like a sound curtain. Another acoustical issue that emerged was the panning system, which pans the sound produced by the creatures.

the project, with the 8000-420 short wall mount and 8000-416 truss mount both employed to achieve flexible installation tailored to the space. Takayuki Kitai of AID-DCC, who was involved in the overall creative process of the facility, said: “We believe that we managed to provide an experience unique to this museum that cannot be obtained in conventional facilities. Since its opening, the museum has received favourable reviews from various fields as a new form of experiential facility.”

www.genelec.com

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QSNCC – sure to be MICE heavyweight

After undergoing a three-year renovation, the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) has recently been upgraded to become the destination for events and exhibitions in Bangkok. Situated in one of the city’s prime locations, it’s said to be the principal choice of venue for major events since its inception.

The QSNCC offers flexible solutions for every event and can accommodate all kinds of gatherings concurrently, from international tradeshows to live performances to esports tournament and more, with it being five times larger than its predecessor. Mahajak Development was appointed as the systems integrator for the project. Spanning 300,000m2, the venue comprises eight exhibition halls, a ballroom and plenary hall and approximately 50 meeting spaces. Along with increasing space, deploying

and dbx sound management system. Finally, the centre’s various public areas also feature JBL Control 10 Series speakers, Crown CDi Series amplifiers and BSS sound processors. A spokesperson from the QSNCC reported that the installation process was smooth and well-organised, and that the team delivered “outstanding dedication and quality service”.

www.mahajak.com

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www.shure.com

LINEAR 9

THE SCALABLE LONG THROW LINE

Professional point source family

Professional point source family

Scalable system through horizontal clustering of the LINEAR 9 210 LTA

Scalable system through horizontal clustering of the LINEAR 9 210 LTA

HK Audio’s custom-designed, rotatable multicell transformer for maximum sound pressure with unprecedented sonic depth

technology throughout the QSNCC was a key priority. Owners of the centre hoped that doing so would not only ensure the QSNCC’s long-term success and adaptability, but also strengthen Thailand’s global position as a MICE destination for both national and international events. Shure’s digital wireless systems have provided the QSNCC with reliable wireless frequencies in order to execute audio performances no matter the venue and occasion. The install featured 52 channels of Shure ULX-D and QLX-D Digital Wireless for its audio quality and Dante networked control. Shure’s Wireless Workbench (WWB) was also utilised for monitoring channels and managing performance. Shure’s QLX-D Digital Wireless System is designed to be RF spectrum efficient and can operate more than 50 compatible channels simultaneously.

Each area of the QSNCC also sports an audio system featuring JBL Control 300 Series ceiling speakers and VPX700 Series speakers. All respective systems are powered by Crown CDi Series amplifiers with BSS controllers providing system control. Throughout the 50 meeting rooms, Mahajak Development deployed JBL Control 10 Series ceiling speakers powered by Crown CDi Series amplifiers and controlled by a Soundcraft Ui Series digital mixer

HK Audio’s custom-designed, rotatable multicell transformer for maximum sound pressure with unprecedented sonic depth

Modern and updatable DSP at the heart of every LINEAR 9 speaker

Modern and updatable DSP at the heart of every LINEAR 9 speaker

2 x 10“ high-performance mid/high unit, two multifunctional speakers and two powerful 18“ subwoofers

2 x 10“ high-performance mid/high unit, two multifunctional speakers and two powerful 18“ subwoofers

Non-networked speakers can be integrated into the LINEAR 9 network through DSP Out

Non-networked speakers can be integrated into the LINEAR 9 network through DSP Out

Straightforward setup thanks to the lockable PowerCon and PowerCon Link connectors

Straightforward setup thanks to the lockable PowerCon and PowerCon Link connectors

HK Audio DuoTilt for all mid/high units enables optimal adjustment of the dispersion pattern

HK Audio DuoTilt for all mid/high units enables optimal adjustment of the dispersion pattern

Road-ready features thanks to sturdy birch multiplex cabinet and resistant PU coating

Road-ready features thanks to sturdy birch multiplex cabinet and resistant PU coating

Engineered and made in Germany

Engineered and made in Germany

Followers of fashion

CONSTRUCTED ON RECLAIMED LAND ON THE MITHI river, the ever-evolving, upscale Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is coming to life, endowing Mumbai with a sleek, modern business and residential district. The long-awaited centrepiece of BKC is the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) incorporating exhibition spaces and theatres. The first exhibition to take place here, from 2 April – 4 June, was India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination, curated by Vogue’s global editor Hamish Bowles and designed by stage, costume and architectural designer Patrick Kinmonth with Indian architectural and interior specialist, Rooshad Shroff. A very specific audio brief for the exhibition needed to be fulfilled within a seemingly impossible timeframe. Munro Acoustics director, Kapil Thirwani, was contacted in midJanuary to come up with an audio solution for the prestigious exhibition which would feature multiple zones, some of which were immersive, and a soundscape that segued from zone to zone. The 128 speakers required had to be practically invisible, as did any cabling.

Thirwani quickly worked out that using conventional powered speakers would require more than 20km of copper cabling –not only expensive but hard to conceal and integrate, and extremely wasteful at the end of the exhibition’s run. “I started looking at the Genelec 4430 Dante IP speaker,” he recalls. Running on a single Cat5 cable, the PoE-powered speaker incorporates the Finnish manufacturer’s Smart IP Manager which can operate across an unlimited number of zones and includes device discovery, a room equalisation

toolset, system organisation and status monitoring while supporting external control via third-party hardware or software.

The Munro Acoustics team began coordinating with the construction company to determine how and where the equipment could be installed. “Our 3D specialists Cyril and Johan modelled some of the immersive areas –closed spaces which were the easiest to simulate – in Fusion 360 and EASE software,” continues Thirwani. “We used Genelec and another brand of passive speaker, did a price comparison and presented to the clients, letting them know about the failure rate of using powered speakers, plus the cost of copper cabling. I knew the Genelec model would work, but I needed to convince Patrick, who wanted everything hidden, and also get the budget approved. We also contacted Sandunes, the musical duo commissioned to create the soundscape, and find something to store their content on that would work across the different zones.”

Thirwani had heard about Out Board’s TiMax SoundHub-S64 spatial processor from Indian distributor, Alphatec which, by fortunate coincidence, also distributes Genelec. “Alphatec showed Kapil different ways of configuring the project on the server to play music and soundscapes across 15 different zones, starting and stopping it all automatically without anybody having to touch it,” explains Out Board director, Dave Haydon. “He worked out that TiMax was the only thing that could do it all at once.” Intrigued, Thirwani travelled to ISE in Barcelona in late January to meet Haydon.

A stylish combination of Genelec PoE-powered IP speakers and Out Board’s TiMax has helped create a multi-zone soundscape for an Indian exhibition. Caroline Moss visits India in Fashion

Munro’s Kapil Thirwani

A “garden” walkway with birdsong soundscape ran behind Lady Curzon’s Peacock dress display

With the budget approved and the project green-lighted, Sandunes – Goa-based musicians Sanaya Ardeshir and Krishna Jhaveri – started sending audio content in showfiles to Haydon in the UK for programming and stress-testing. He also conducted a series of Zoom workshops with Sandunes, explaining the TiMax workflow and virtually placing four studio monitors, two front and two rear, in each zone. “They could monitor on the four speakers while programming and panning the content around in a small studio space, and TiMax would simultaneously render it to play and pan as intended to be heard in a real-life setting at the venue,” explains Haydon. “I also gave them some guidance on what works and what doesn’t work, such as keeping everything quite subtle and not whizzing stuff around people’s heads, which they took onboard. They had a very good grasp of what the technology could do. Sanaya commented that, as an artist, it was quite a transition working in multichannel spatial audio and it was a journey of discovery, finding out what works; separating things out into surround.” Also on hand to help with TiMax programming was Sandunes tour video director Sourya Sen, who had experience of working with spatial soundscapes.

In Mumbai, Thirwani and Alphatec’s application engineer, Prakash Jalooka, took a space at NMACC theatre The Cube. “We set up four top and four bottom channels and spent a week figuring out the setup and creating the tracks on the SoundHubs, with Dave assisting from the UK,” says Thirwani. “Dave sent the showfiles from the UK as downloads and we presented the project to the clients to give them an idea of how it was going to sound.”

By now, 128 Genelec 4430s had been approved and shipped from Finland. All were ordered in black – not a concern when concealed in the ceiling, but those on display had to be painted to match the exact colour of the walls they were to be mounted onto by the interior designers. Then, under the guidance of CTO Bhavin Sureliya, SI company Innovative Systems started work on the installation process. Four pillars holding up the ceiling needed to be worked around and, in places, these could be used to mount speakers on. But, for most of the installation, cabling was run underneath the raised plinth floor and up in the high ceiling,

Two TiMax SoundHub-S64s dubbed “Jio1” and “Jio2”, each with 64 inputs and 64 outputs on Dante, together with a laptop PC, each handled one half of the exhibition, playing out a mix of stereo and multi-stem spatial music and soundscape tracks to the 128 speakers. Once everything was installed, the team started loading and playing the soundscape over the distributed speakers. Haydon arrived in Mumbai in late March to find everything working perfectly. “When I walked in, the soundscapes were playing in every zone, looping perfectly,” he says. “The integration and design were amazing, and all the equipment was up and running to provide totally automated, hands-free, fully integrated operation.”

The team then moved around from zone to zone with a Mac to fine-tune the spatialisation. One of the main challenges was in the Fashion Takes a Trip section, part of the immersive Hippie Trail

zone, featuring a backdrop of projected images with fan noise emitting from the projectors. Another challenge was the overlap of the soundscape between zones. “This was unavoidable because there are no walls between them, and we were trialling how we could isolate everything,” says Haydon. “Fortunately, Sandunes created the music in the same key so, as you go from one zone to another, you could sometimes imagine that it was the same piece. Patrick actually said he liked that blend of sound and the slight overlaps; it gave it a life.”

However, to mitigate some of the bleed between zones, some tracks were remixed in Logic and reloaded back onto the SoundHubs to make them less dynamic, especially those featuring drums and louder sounds, so they wouldn’t be as noticeable across the exhibition.

“We saved the settings and locked the SoundHubs to fade in at 10am then slowly fade out when the gallery closes in the evening,” explains Thirwani. An iPad for each SoundHub running TouchOSC gave the client control of the master level and individual zone levels for out-of-hours VIP visits, press and TV interviews and so on. “We gave the iPads, running on a closed Wi-Fi network, to the floor managers,” he continues. “We had our own UPS power with backup, and the entire show ran for two months with no issues at all.”

The exhibition, which closed in early June, led visitors around 15 zones to explore India’s rich fashion history and its influence on the West since the 17th century. Each zone featured a strong theme or era, such as the Mughal chinz hugely popular in the 18th century; the Indian impact on Parisian designers Chanel, Christian Dior and Yves St Laurent; the history of the sari and Western interpretations by Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, Madame Grès and Jean Paul Gaultier; the Hippie Trail section featuring 1960’s Indian-influenced fashion; film costume designers and Bollywood creations; and a Valentino lace wedding outfit made for Nita Mukesh Ambani’s daughter Isha, using thousands of crystal beads that took almost a year to complete.

Some of the zones were interactive, including the Great Exhibition London 1851, a nod to the Crystal Palace exhibition marking the complex colonial relationship between Britain and India, bringing

a central display of shoes, jewellery and accessories was mounted on a plinth with 14 speakers underneath. As visitors approached, they were greeted by the chatter and ambience of a bazaar. “We wanted some of the soundtrack from the adjacent Journey of the Sari zone to blend with this as well, adding to the bazaar ambience,” explains Thirwani.

A stunning centrepiece by House of Worth – the Peacock dress worn by the vicereine of British India, Lady Curzon, to the 1903 Delhi Durbar celebrating the coronation of King Edward VII – was surrounded by silk hangings suspended from the ceiling imprinted with trees and flowers. Visitors were led behind the dress display into a “garden” where a field recording immersed them in countryside ambience and birdsong.

As Mumbai’s first truly world-class exhibition drew to a close, Thirwani gave thanks to the teams that worked with commitment to such a tight deadline. “This was a real joint effort, with safe hands all across the project in Alphatec, Genelec, Out Board and Innovative Systems,” he says.

A high benchmark has already been set at the newly opened NMACC, and one that has left Mumbai’s culture and art patrons eagerly anticipating what will follow.

www.genelec.com

www.munro.co.uk

www.timaxspatial.com

L–R: Alphatec’s Prakash Jalouka; video director Sourya Sen; Out Board’s Dave Haydon; Sanaya Ardeshir and Krishna Jhaveri from Sandunes

Any visible Genelec 4430s were painted to match the walls on which they were mounted

TiMax SoundHub-S64s with laptops were dubbed “Jio1” and “Jio2”

Back to life

THE LIVE HOUSE CONCEPT WHICH IS NOW proliferating across APAC actually originated in Japan in the early 1970s as part of the country’s indie music scene. Starting life as smaller, bar-like venues, where food was often served alongside an offering of live music and beer, by the end of the decade, chairs were being removed to accommodate more music fans as smaller indie artists began relying on the spaces to kickstart their careers. It goes without saying that these venues suffered a major setback in 2020 and 2021, with some forced to close their doors for good. So it’s gratifying to be able to report on a new live house, Gorilla Hall, which opened in Osaka in January this year, complete with an Adamson E12 system supplied by the Canadian brand’s Japanese distributor, Rewire.

With a standing capacity of 1,130, Gorilla Hall has been designed as a space where people can fully enjoy not only the live performances but also the venue itself. A newcomer to the live industry, Toshiya Nakamura, the owner of an outdoor clothing and rainwear company, wanted to launch a new venue in Osaka as part of an effort to revitalise the region. Nakamura started his humanity work in 2016, launching the KiU Project to donate relief funds in the event of natural disasters in Japan such as earthquakes, typhoons and heavy rain and snowfall, also donating 2,300 rain jackets and other items for local disaster relief in 2020.

“We’re offering a playground that everyone can visit and enjoy on a daily basis,” explains Takashi Hida from 00 Works, who acted as an acoustic consultant on the Gorilla Hall project. A sound engineer renowned for mixing rock bands in Japan, Hida has worked at major live music venues in Japan. In addition to advising on acoustics, Hida also provided guidance on other aspects such as lighting, and advised the architectural firm on an ergonomic layout for the venue, including entrances and exits, loading facilities and dressing room design.

The two-storey property was constructed from the ground up. Above the main venue, the building’s first floor houses a bar where clients can also purchase Nakamura’s merchandise. Breaking with tradition, Gorilla Hall has been constructed with a solid concrete stage to supress unwanted

from spilling onto the stage. At front of house is a DiGiCo Quantum 338 console with an SD-Rack fitted with three MOD SDR ADC cards and four DAC cards, giving a total of 24 inputs and 32 outputs, while a second SD-Rack onstage equipped with seven MOD SDR ADC and two DAC cards gives a total of 56 inputs and 16 outputs.

The team involved in the Gorilla Hall construction and installation project are convinced that Adamson was the optimum choice for the new venue. “Personally, we think the tone of the E12s matches the style of the bands performing at Gorilla Hall, such as the booming bass of loud rock music,” says Hida. “We are confident that we are providing excellent sound for our visitors. That means covering the audience from the front rows to the upper floor and providing them with an experience that they cannot get on a daily basis. We have received feedback from one of the promoters who tours live music venues, who said that that the sound was the best of all the venues they have worked at.”

Added Ryoichi Ishii, sales director at Rewire: “The Adamson team has always been a great help to us. We deeply appreciate Ben Millson [managing director, Adamson Asia Pacific], Orchid Adamson who assisted us with deadlines and Dwayne Slack from the applications team, who provided valuable insight into the intricate rigging and hardware systems.” www.adamsonsystems.com

Following a spate of closures, live houses in Japan are thriving again as a post-pandemic boom sees music fans returning to performances

A Gorilla Hall audience enjoying the Adamson system

One of the main Adamson E12 and S10 arrays

Three E219 subs in cardioid mode are positioned each side of the stage

• High-efficiency 1000 W peak Class D power amplifier with SMPS

• Built-in 3-channel mixer with MIC/LINE inputs and HIGH & LOW EQ controls

• High-definition DSP with 24-bit converters, FIR filters and 5 DSP presets

• BLUETOOTH audio interface with STEREO LINK

• Color LCD display for the DSP editing

• Slanted shape for the use as a stage monitor

soundsystems.proel .com

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Creative collaboration

Richard Lawn visits SAE Indonesia, a division of the creative media education provider that’s been expanding across the globe since its launch almost 50 years ago

WHEN A YOUTHFUL TOM MISNER CONVERTED A small Sydney advertising studio into a classroom for budding audio engineers, little did he realise that his School of Audio Engineering (SAE) would be represented across 20 countries half a century later. By the time that Misner had sold the business to publicly traded educational services company, Navitas, the Australian entrepreneur had overseen a remarkable evolution. Renamed the SAE Institute in 2010 following the takeover, the educational spectrum widened to attract multiple careerists, including game programmers, animators and web developers.

Located in central South Jakarta, SAE Indonesia was founded in 2011 and has evolved in a unique manner that mirrors the rich, diverse arts and culture of the archipelago. Serving as a geographic stepping stone between Southeast Asia and Australia, the Jakarta campus came many years after the creation of the Byron Bay, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore schools. It was, perhaps, long overdue. The head of the foundation, Ningsih Soedarmadji, had discussed the possibility of starting a school in Indonesia at the SAE Institute headquarters in Byron Bay, Australia. She became eager to return to her hometown of Jakarta to commence this quest as the SAE Institute’s representative. “To our surprise, there were no other audio engineering schools in Indonesia so there was a gap in the market,” she recalls. “And yet Indonesia has a very large music industry, with a thriving arts and music scene.

“SAE needed to promote itself here in Indonesia as it was unknown at the time. Our goal was to raise awareness of the music, film, audio and animation sectors in the hope that this would lead to an increasing demand in higher education. Indonesia is made up of many small communities so, by sharing knowledge with these various groups, we were providing an awareness that a tight-knit community exists here, and that we were here to support them.”

Owing to cultural differences, Soedarmadji immediately realised that courses that were relevant in other parts of Southeast Asia would not necessarily transfer to Jakarta. “I had to analyse the potential of a course before promoting it,” she continues. “The courses that we host in different countries bear similarities, but we usually adjust and fine-tune a programme to make it relevant to Indonesia. I also had to understand the students’ backgrounds, the minimum qualifications they needed to enrol and what skills they desire upon finishing a course. Our objective is to prepare our students for the local industry, which means tailoring the courses towards Indonesian culture and working practices. For a student wanting to be a record producer, we must be honest and ask them what skills they require to get to the other side in three to four years’ time.”

Current campus operation assistant manager and audio programme coordinator, Yandha Krishna, joined forces with Soedarmadji at the outset of 2011, initially as studio manager. “It’s important to know what the industry needs and what the current trends are in Indonesia before we can teach students,” Krishna assesses. “Before we designed our studios here on campus, we approached all the relevant communities and deduced the behaviour and habits of the students. At the outset, we recognised that SAE had large potential in Jakarta, but we had to deliver a market awareness campaign to attract students wanting to pursue a career in audio, film or animation. We succeeded through social media, open houses, free workshops and, of course, word of mouth.”

Today, SAE Indonesia offers undergraduate diploma and bachelor programmes in film, animation, audio and music business. These programmes follow the founding principles of SAE, being high-quality, and industry-focused, with practical and theoretical educational options for creative individuals. Just as students are encouraged to communicate and interact, the SAE Indonesia management team and lecturers have developed a very close working relationship. Soedarmadji’s listening skills have

L–R: SAE Indonesia’s Yandha Krishna, Ningsih Soedarmadji and Lawrence Philip

SAE Indonesia was founded in 2011

One of the multimedia labs

seen her and her colleagues, including Krishna as well as short course coordinator and freelance music producer Lawrence Philip, meet students’ requests and desires, with the dynamic institute forever evolving to accommodate the latest trends.

The facilities feature three acoustically treated recording studios, a sound stage with green screen, two multimedia labs, a sound mixing room, a large auditorium, a mini theatre and other breakout rooms. “We want the students to take it step by step by learning mainly theory in the main lecture theatre for the first semester before focusing on more specialised studies, such as preproduction, in the studios or smaller rooms,” explains Krishna. “We encourage intimacy by minimising the size of the classes, and this allows the lecturers to encourage the students to familiarise themselves with the hardware. The same principle applies with teaching duration, with most of the classes being 70% practical and 30% theoretical.”

An 80-seat auditorium at the rear of the main building is a nucleus for lectures, classes, live sound workshops, seminars and screenings. Fitted with Allen & Heath GL2400 analogue and Yamaha QL5 digital consoles together with a Quest speaker system, the auditorium is also used for live sound production classes. In addition to collaborative class projects, the multipurpose room is used for industry seminars, presentations and the SAE Film Screening Awards where film students show

“Students produce and screen films to an audience of fellow students,” explains Soedarmadji. “By collaborating and producing something together, their knowledge transfers to younger generations. Once the students have graduated, the alumni still engage with the new students. We actively encourage a strong collaboration between lower- and upper-level students, as this helps to create a bigger network in the creative industries.”

Following lectures, audio engineering students learn basic skills such as cable soldering. “They don’t have to completely fix equipment, but it’s important that they know how to solve the basics,” adds Philip. “We teach classes on simple signal flows from microphones to speakers and, once they have passed these tests, we introduce them to studio two during their second semester.”

Studio two features a simple analogue setup, but it’s more advanced than a bedroom setup, as Krishna elucidates: “Even though the Audient ASP8024 12-channel recording console is fully patched, students must connect every single microphone input to the patchbay. It’s vital that they do not proceed to the digital domain before understanding analogue, so the students are taught how to use and apply analogue equipment in various ways. This is achieved by listening to and experiencing different microphones, as well as equalisers from the outboard signal processing other than the EQ in the console. This helps them understand that you don’t need to use the preamps from the console, but it’s vital that they listen to the difference.”

By the fourth semester, students are creating Foley and ADR recordings to support their postproduction in the compact studio three. Used for recording, mixing, mastering and voiceovers, studio three is equipped with reference monitors, signal processors and digital audio workstations designed specifically for mixing and mastering. In addition, the studio is also connected to live room three for ADR recordings, overdubs and Foley. The studio is also installed with a Dolby Atmos system

using IK Multimedia MTM iLoud speakers for music production purposes.

Other activities include small-scale recordings with musicians, mixing techniques, headphone mix distribution and basic microphone setup techniques for drums, guitar, piano and other

the signal flow process on an analogue Neve custom 75 console and outboard processors in the larger-scale studio one. Designed as a surround mixing studio, a 26-seat mini theatre simulates a cinema setup. Equipped with a Dolby CP750 digital cinema processor, Nova cinema loudspeakers and a Yamaha

SAE Indonesia’s Yandha Krishna

The sound stage is mainly used for shooting outdoor scenes

SAE short course coordinator and freelance music producer Lawrence Philip

The auditorium hosts lectures, classes, live sound workshops, seminars and screenings

by film students to screen their projects and present pitches. A Dolby Atmos setup with overhead speakers is currently in development. “We need to continue learning about and adapting to trends,” explains Philip. “Today, immersive is the latest trend and, even though we don’t know if Atmos is sustainable or not, it’s our duty as an educator to understand and provide information on this technology.”

Krishna insists on teaching the students critically. “If a student thinks the mix is good, we must ask them: ‘Why have you positioned the microphone like that and why did you use that studio in particular?’ I’m attempting to teach them better concepts of signal processing. When we’re in the studio, I constantly ask them why they are using their chosen equipment, because there’s only two ways to use this – corrective or creative. They must understand that there is more than one way to record, such as miking techniques.”

Despite staying on campus, the lecturers

says Soedarmadji. “Our programmes may focus on animation, audio, film and music production, but they all impart some business knowledge. For example, a filmmaker needs to know how to distribute and promote films in addition to creating them. For animation, the students need to learn about intellectual properties and how to sell their works. By teaching business, we are supporting the government, because young people are the future of our creative industries in Indonesia.”

DRIVING EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCE

“They must know how to work with musicians who are playing in different studios,” says Krishna. “For example, should they wish to record a session in studio two or three, and these are booked, the supervisor will confirm if they can record the grand piano in studio one. From studio one, they learn how to record a session in control room two. This flexible recording approach applies throughout the whole campus. If we hold an event or a workshop in the auditorium, the students can digitally record via Dante to any of the three control rooms, the screening room or wherever they like.”

The entertainment industry in Indonesia may be huge but its key players are largely selftaught. “At SAE we not only want the students to become engineers and producers, we also want them to become entrepreneurs,” explains Philip. “Many musicians wish to attend music school but, over time, these creators may harbour the ambition to become a live sound engineer or a music producer because they want to own a studio or a record label. The students will one day become figureheads working with artists and will be participating in the development of the industry, so they need to learn how to develop a business.”

In addition to a technical education, SAE challenges its students to face the realworld challenges that will be heading their way following graduation. “It’s important they develop critical thinking and an entrepreneurial, business way of thinking,”

As an education provider, SAE Indonesia is supporting the industry by transferring basic, advanced and current skills to future generations. “We built our network by aiming to provide the best education for our students,” Soedarmadji explains. “By learning from active professionals, young creative people can aspire to better themselves. Our lecturers are actively employed within the industry and ensure we stay up to date with current trends, and the skills that are needed, before transferring the knowledge directly. The technology is changing so rapidly that it’s paramount we follow these trends, which means investing in equipment for training purposes. Some people can be intimidated by the technology, but our message is to embrace technology and innovation to make the job easier.”

Incoming students harbouring ambitions to become musicians, engineers, producers or live sound promoters turn to the SAE Institute for guidance and encouragement. “SAE must take that student and help them fulfil their dream role,” concludes Soedarmadji.

The future is looking bright as an evermaturing SAE Indonesia continues to push increasing numbers of qualified graduates out into the workplace. With these professionals rising to more senior positions in Indonesia’s entertainment industry, the demand for higher education standards will undoubtedly rise.

www.indonesia.sae.edu

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Mixing on the Neve custom 75 console

A student edits in one of the postproduction suites

Good vibrations

GETTING A HOSPITALITY PROPERTY TO STAND OUT IN Bangkok requires great investment and a unique outlook, and the owner of the Fig Lobby in the city’s Sukhumvit area has ticked all the boxes to provide a standout experience. The hotel boasts a strong artistic design concept that extends from its vibrant exterior into the colour-splashed lobby and onwards throughout the property, with soundtracks provided by powerful audio components to keep guests variously uplifted, energised, chilled or relaxed.

The property, which opened in late 2022, has been designed to celebrate art and life, its 68 guestrooms offering a choice of eight different stylistic themes. Every single detail, from the colourful and creative décor through to the eccentric furniture, has been thoughtfully considered to create a memorable experience. Arriving guests are welcomed in the lounge with a scoop of ice cream to a backdrop of electronic dance music. Fig Lobby is not only playful and eclectic – it sets out to be very different by design.

Audio can sometimes be an afterthought in the hospitality industry, but the Fig Lobby hotel management prioritised music and audio as essential components of this extraordinary property. Following research and consultation procedures, an AtlasIED Atmosphere audio processing and control system was specified to fulfil the hotel’s ambitious BGM requirements. “When visiting the Fig Lobby, we want our guests to experience a new kind of energy – an elevation of all the senses, a rush of escapism and a getaway from the ordinary,” explains managing director, Chalisa Teinpothong. “The guest experience and creating memories are everything to us and we deliver this through all the senses via service, food and entertainment, including our choice of curated music.”

In fact, due to its abundance of quirky and entertaining spaces, guests may feel deterred from leaving the hotel for the energysapping streets of the Thai capital. Distractions within include an alternative medicine wellness spa, a pottery studio and an immersive cycling studio, while guests can dine at the Restaurant at the Fig Lobby or enjoy a drink up at the rooftop bar. Throughout the day, hotel staff play a variety of carefully chosen background music throughout these areas. Installed in the main office near

and uplift our guests’ senses while adding emotion to our spaces,” continues Teinpothong. “The simple, intuitive user interface was one of the main reasons behind the Atmosphere audio system being selected.”

AtlasIED Thai representative Nawin Vichittanasin explains the rationale behind the hotel’s selection: “Fig Lobby made Atmosphere their preferred audio control system for several

reasons, including our local support and services here in Thailand. Following our demonstration, Ms Teinpothong emphasised that the zone management programming that allows different music to be played in different zones was a key requirement. For example, the lobby music and volume is set differently from that at the spa and rooftop bar. In addition, flexibility is provided as rooms can be combined or separated when required. Naturally, the hotel staff demanded ease-of-use functionality to control the volume and zones from the Atmosphere control panel or from the mobile app.” Facilitating remote control, audio input and ambient noise sensing, up to 16 Atmosphere wall plates can be connected to the four ports of the AZM8. In addition to Ethernet, inbuilt Wi-Fi allows staff to control the audio parameters from their own tablets or mobile devices from anywhere on the property. One AZM8 feature that has proved useful for the hotel to date is the built-in messaging that delivers live and pre-recorded audio messages to all or selected zones in the property, including dinner reservation announcements.

The AZM8 audio processor outputs audio signals to two Atmosphere AZA804 four-channel amplifiers powering various loudspeakers throughout the property. AtlasIED FAP43T in-ceiling, low-profile loudspeakers provide BGM and announcements in the common areas. Because of multi-level ceiling heights in the reception area, AtlasIED SM52T 5.25-inch surface-mount loudspeakers have been added to provide enhanced audio reproduction in the larger spaces. When fixed, the two-way speakers can be easily positioned to direct the audio while offering weather-resistant construction (IP33) for indoor or outdoor use. The DLS4 full-range ceiling speaker was also commended for its press-fit grille, which offered ease of installation.

The restaurant is one of the busiest spaces in the property, so the hotel management wanted to have the ability to change the volume of the R&B music in addition to providing complete system control of all zones in the hotel. As the hotel’s largest venue, the space is installed with multiple SM52T speakers to provide ample volume and even dispersion. An Atmosphere

Richard Lawn finds a vibrant yet tranquil escape from the hot, crowded pavements of Bangkok at the new Fig Lobby hotel in Sukhumvit

AtlasIED FAP43T in-ceiling speakers provide BGM and announcements in the spa area

C-ZSV password-protected wall controller gives restaurant managers access and control over zones, source selection and volume levels throughout the hotel. Additionally, the restaurant is installed with an A-XLR to provide direct input to the AZM8, allowing musical performers to connect to the system and play in a specific area or throughout the property.

A tranquil and safe ambience was required for the secondfloor wellness centre and spa, where healing, restful music to accompany treatments like reiki and chakra balancing is played at quieter SPLs. The lower ceiling height in this zone dictated the choice of FAP43T in-ceiling models. The addition of AT35D and AT100D attenuator wall plate controllers allows staff to adjust the

This zone is characterised by FAP63TC 6.5-inch shallow-mount in-ceiling loudspeakers, SM63T 6.5-inch all-weather loudspeakers and GSS-G all-weather surface-mount outdoor landscape loudspeakers.

It’s early days for the hotel, but Teinpothong knows the AtlasIED system has already played a role in its success. “Bangkok is alive with activities, but the rooftop lounge has quickly become a favourite spot for our guests to hang out,” she reveals.

“Incorporating music throughout the facility is vital to enhance

and uplift our guests’ senses while adding emotion to our spaces. We’ve specified the appropriate audio system to support future private events with live music performances from DJs and bands. It allows them to easily plug into the system to play music in the lounge. It’s another important milestone that we hope will give guests even more reason to return.”

www.atlasied.com

www.thefiglobby.com

The rooftop bar offers views over central Bangkok

Audio management is carried out by an Atmosphere C-ZSV wall controller

The restaurant is installed with AtlasIED SM52T 5.25-inch loudspeakers for BGM

Academy award

Indian musical maestro A R Rahman – ARR Sir to his legions of co-workers and colleagues – has opened a second music school alongside a Dolby 7.1.4 studio. Caroline Moss reports from KM Music Conservatory (KMMC) Mumbai

WHEN I VISITED A R RAHMAN’S KMMC IN CHENNAI A decade ago, I was struck by the well-equipped, beautifully designed teaching spaces resonating with music and talent. So it was good news that my first post-pandemic visit back to Mumbai would include a visit to Rahman’s newly opened conservatory and recording studio.

While on a much smaller scale than the Chennai school, the passion, dedication and commitment to passing on musical knowledge to a cohort of promising (not to mention lucky) students remains the same. Like most of Rahman’s studio projects, technical systems design, equipment supply and integration was handled by Modi Digital. The Chennai-based company’s connection with the maestro goes back to the 1980s when company founder, Vijay Modi, began to handle his audio

requirements, a role that was taken on from 2002 by his son, Aditya Modi.

“As a musician and as a mentor, ARR Sir wanted this to be a safe space for budding musicians from all over India, so they would feel connected to the essence of Indian musical culture,” explains Tathagata Barua, Modi Digital’s Mumbai-based regional sales manager, emphasising the Indian tradition of studying closely with a master, or guru, to learn a profession.

The facility is divided across the ninth floor of a commercial premises between KMMC and Panchatan, Rahman’s own domain housing his recording studio, four production suites, a lounge and private workspaces for himself, his sister Fatima Rafiq and current collaborators.

Plans to open the academy in 2020 were, inevitably, derailed by the pandemic. Some workshops in October 2022 finally got things moving followed by the first intake of students in early 2023. First up were six-month certificate programmes in piano, guitar and vocals, followed by courses in music theory and composition, while a one-year diploma course in music production started in June. This includes piano skills, songwriting, musicianship and basic sound engineering, enabling students to work independently in the KM Studio at the heart of KMMC. The studio is home to a fairly simple setup including a pair of JBL 708P studio monitors with a PreSonus Eris Sub 8 subwoofer, an Avid Pro Tools Carbon interface, AKG microphones and headphones and Behringer headphone amps, in a control room overlooking a large live recording space which can accommodate multiple instruments and choirs.

Much of the teaching takes place in two Mac rooms on opposite sides of a corridor, each equipped with eight iMacs, two pairs of JBL 708P studio monitors, a 75-inch Samsung smart 4K TV, an Audinate Dante AVIO adapter, a Behringer Flow 8 digital mixer and Shure and Sennheiser microphones. A 60-capacity lecture hall hosts classes in Western music, theory and piano, and is equipped with two more pairs of JBL 708Ps and a Behringer

One of Panchatan’s four identical production pods

The KMMC studio’s live recording space with large windows into the control room

Much of the teaching at KMMC takes place in the Mac rooms

L–R: Rolins Roy, Rolins Arcoustics; Tatjagata Barua, Modi Digital; Remesh Gopalan Kaivala, Lara Interiors and Acoustics; and Harshil Pathak, KMMC

Flow 8. Five soundproofed booths, three equipped with pianos, are also available for students to practise production techniques and instruments.

The Arena, a large outdoor terrace opening into an indoor space, connects the KMMC and Panchatan sides of the building. This is used as a breakout space for study groups and for end-of-term live performances, with sliding doors preventing sound leaking into the neighbourhood.

On the opposite side of the floor is Panchatan, the centrepiece of which is a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos studio which Rahman uses for his own projects while in Mumbai. The studio assistant here is Harshil Pathak, who studied Western classical vocals at KMMC in Chennai before moving into the technical side of the music industry, studying at SAE in Melbourne for a further two years.

“I was always very interested in knowing how things worked,” he says, explaining that his combination of classical and technical training is invaluable in the studio. “ARR Sir wants his engineers to know about musical notation so that they can communicate well with chamber musicians or anybody coming from a Western or Indian classical background, in order to be a better communicator. When setting up the studio, Modi Digital explained everything to me very well, so I learned how to work in this tight and fast-paced environment. Sir always comes in with creative ideas and plans, and he doesn’t want anything technical to stop his workflow. He likes people to learn about the latest technology – plugins,

new gadgets and so on. He always likes to be ahead of the curve, and we have to be on our toes all the time so that his flow is not interrupted. It’s very, very fast-paced, and there is no schedule – he needs the solutions quickly, so I need to be technically sound. I need to know everything, and not just audio. For example, if the coffee machine is not working, I need to know how to repair it!”

Domestic appliance maintenance aside, Dolby Atmos was also new to the engineer. “I hadn’t worked with the format before, and I’m still learning,” admits Pathak who, aside from his role as studio assistant, also lectures on audio over at KMMC and will be teaching music theory, mixing and mastering on the new one-year course.

A pair of JBL M2 master reference monitors form the main L-R channels of the 7.1.4 system, with a JBL 708i monitor as the centre channel. Four more JBL 708i monitors act as surround speakers and another four are mounted on the ceiling as overhead channels. The subwoofer is a Genelec 7380AP, and a pair of Adam A77X nearfield monitors are also provided. The system is driven by Crown DCi 8|600N and DCi 4|600N power amplifiers and controlled by a JBL Intonato 24 monitor management tuning system.

The studio is based around an Avid S6 control surface with MTRX interface, Pro Tools HDX and a Focusrite RedNet PCie Dante audio card. Classic recording gear is represented by a Manley Voxbox channel strip and Neve 1073PX remote-controllable preamps.

A Doepfer LMK4+ 88-key master keyboard controller, a Hear Technologies Pro Hear Back Pro Four monitor mix system with Dante and MADI cards and eight AM12 gooseneck microphones, AKG K812 headphones, AKG C414 XLII condenser mics and an AKG Drum Set Session I drum mic set are also on hand. And sharing the control room is Rahman’s impressive Kayserburg transparent acrylic grand piano.

Panchatan also has four identical production pods, each equipped with a pair of JBL 705P monitors, a PreSonus Monitor Station V2 monitoring controller, a Universal Audio Apollo Solo interface and a range of accessories including AKG and

FEATURES:

Audio-Technica headphones, ART Headamp 6 headphone amplifiers, Samsung 43-inch monitors and Doepfer LMK4+ 88-key master keyboards. The neighbouring Qutub Lounge provides a space to relax and doubles as an occasional work area installed with PreSonus Eris E8 XT monitors and a Temblor T 10 subwoofer, a JBL Bar 9.1 wireless soundbar with Dolby Atmos and an LG Smart UHD TV. All areas are networked via Dante, interconnecting the entire facility and allowing easy transfer of recordings and data. Acoustics, AV design, spatial ergonomics, studio furniture design and lighting were handled by Modi Digital in partnership with Rolins Arcoustics and Lara Interiors and Acoustics. The team retained some of the existing interior walls and realigned services across

and the Panchatan studio zone was also provided. Some clever tricks have been employed to create buffer zones: for example, a machine room has been constructed near a central interior shaft that travels the height of the building to create a buffer, while an external glass fire escape door in the Panchatan studio has been covered with soundproof material and signposted for easy access when needed.

The concrete floor, built on a gradient, needed levelling as there was a 30cm discrepancy between opposite corners of the Panchatan control room. And the HVAC ducting – a common challenge in studio construction requiring precious ceiling space –was complicated by the presence of structural beams. Rolins Roy, principal designer of Rolins Arcoustics, contributed to the ergonomics by designing some slick studio furniture and storage, including a custom desk to house the S6 and outboard gear, with a cable management system and a mechanism to raise and lower the centre speaker.

The pride of the teams that pulled off this beautiful, complex project during a global pandemic, and are now seeing it used by the maestro and his protégés, is tangible. The so-called Mozart of Madras now has a fitting home in Mumbai.

www.kmmc.in

www.modidigital.com

www.rolinsarcoustics.com

A R Rahman’s transparent acrylic grand piano

Panchatan’s control room with 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos setup

Harshil Pathak at the Avid S6 housed in Rolins Arcoustics’ custom-built desk

Full stream ahead

The Seoul Arts Center (SAC) used the pandemic downtime to add an AV production

invest in new technologies that would expand its audience beyond the confines of the venue. With a mission to transform an old conferencing room, SAC head of media content, Moon Seung-wook, and his team challenged themselves in the design and completion of a fully networked 4K digital audio and video production studio.

Initially launched in 2004 by Ross Video as an industrystandard platform for modular signal processing, openGear (oGx) was adopted by SAC as its internal and external broadcasting infrastructure in 2021. In addition to venue-to-venue transmissions, the varied arts programme of concerts, operas and recitals are streamed to online viewers. Separate streams are routed to the new production suite in Dolby HD or 4K for CD and DVD recordings. Integrating baseband, hybrid and IP infrastructures, the modular open hardware oGx platform aggregates solutions from 80 other companies.

Established in 1988 to promote art and culture, SAC has developed into the representative arts and culture complex of South Korea. Coinciding its completion with the Olympic Games, SAC has continued to maintain its leading position by investing heavily in professional personnel and current AV and lighting equipment. “The temporary closure of all the onsite venues during the pandemic inspired the management in 2021 to invest in digital audio and video recording technologies,” says Moon. “In late 2021, we decided to repurpose an old conferencing room into a major recording, postproduction and broadcast facility for our clients in addition to external agencies. Our government desired a recording facility that would allow artists and institutes to record their performances.”

A vast network of audio, video and networking cables routed between the music hall, opera house, chamber hall and recital hall to the production studio enable live 4K broadcasts and 3D

immersive audio recordings. A combination of fibre optic, SDI (3G) and 4K (12G) cabling interconnects the numerous inputs to production switchers, recorders, displays and monitors. Kilometres of analogue, AES/EBU, DVI, RGB and HDMI cabling has been installed for audio and control. In addition to vast quantities of BNC, RJ45 and XLR connectors, a carefully designed network of 1G BaseT, 10G and 25G cabling provides the backbone of the upgrade. Acclaimed by numerous artists for its world-class acoustics, the horseshoe-shaped Concert Hall can accommodate 2,505 seated

11.1 immersive setup comprising 8341A and 8330A SAM studio monitors supplemented by a single 7040 subwoofer. The venue is also equipped with an extensive d&b audiotechnik Vi loudspeaker system.

Driving the broadcasting infrastructure of SAC’s video productions, a Ross Unified Control Solution was specified for

its reliability and flexibility. 4K video signals transmitted from a 4K Ross Video 84x84 router and production switcher system are input to a Ross Video 52x52 router received in the media centre over the 10G network. The Ultrix hyperconverged connectivity platform combines modular FR5 and Carbonite rackmounted units. Natively supporting 12G throughout the entire chassis, Ultrix transports SDI, fibre and IP signal I/O across the entire video networks. The fibre optic signals are transmitted and received over 10G Lynx splitters and transceivers.

L–R: SAC’s Steven Lee and Moon Seung-wook

The 2,340-seat Opera House is installed with a d&b audiotechnik Ci4 speaker system

A large-format central screen conceals the L-C-R PMC system in the Dolby Atmos studio

The input and output matrix within the oGx frames accept unique I/O cards for customisation as a hybrid-IP switcher, a UHD router, a 12G-capable router, multi-viewer and signal processing platform. For the media centre and the connected venues, the signal processing system is equipped with cards enabling redundant power supplies, a sync pulse generator, distribution amplifier, AES signal distribution and a Gator single channel UHD Toolbox package. oGx outputs include UHD toolboxes, Haivision streaming encoders, UHD display monitors, mDeck 4K recording servers, studio monitors, AJA 4K Ki Pro Ultra 12G multichannel HD recorder/players and a Cinegy Duo schedule transmitter server.

Bypassing the requirement to upload custom GUIs or software, the oGx ecosystem is managed and controlled over Ross’s custom Ultrix DashBoard open platform. Having designed and built bespoke CustomPanels, DashBoard’s intuitive user interface simplifies complex operations. Adding further appeal, the control and monitoring platform connects other manufacturers within the openGear and DashBoard Connect community.

The 2,340-seat Opera House is a cylindrical building with a roof

orchestra pit. Audio output is directed to the audience through d&b Ci4 loudspeakers suspended from the ceiling.

The 4K cameras in the smaller Chamber Hall and Recital Hall are routed to another 18-channel 12G input board connected to a 4K 12G production switcher in the control rooms of both venues over a 10G network. Both venues are also equipped with 12G Blackmagic SSD HyperDeck Studio 4K recorders, RME Fireface UFX and MADI interfaces, STR Web Presenter live casting software and Neumann KH 120 studio monitors.

A Lawo mc²36 audio control surface receives audio from any of the venues for broadcasting. Located in the main production studio, the mc²36 features a 96 DSP-channel micro-core and an internal 512x512 port audio matrix. The integrated I/O includes 32 mic/line inputs and outputs, eight digital AES3 inputs, eight GPIO ports, one MADI (SFP) port, three Ravenna/AES67 channels and MADI tie-line connection. The 24-fader console manages all the remote applications for deployment onsite, including point-to-point connectivity for the various A__stage IP stageboxes.

The performance media studio is equipped with an extensive inventory including ARRI lighting fixtures, Robe Esprite FS and RoboSpot follow spots and Astera Titan Tube LEDs. A Panasonic PT-MZ16KL 16,000 ANSI lumens projector together with Sony UHD zoom cameras fulfil the visual requirements. The video broadcasting in this spacious room is handled by a Ross Acuity production switcher. An artist link on the website offers clients a choice of microphone setups for any of the stages. “Audio engineers can select from Schoeps and Neumann U87 condensers or DPA 4099 stereo microphones, for example,” explains Moon. “We can set up a pair of Neumann MKH 800 Neumann mics in classic A-B stereo or a Decca mic setup using DPA omni models. I’ve always been a big admirer of Schoeps, so now that we possess an OTRF-3D surround setup, we are expanding our immersive recording capabilities. When required, the OTRF-3D is installed 1m higher than other mic setups.”

systems in addition to VR setups and soundfield synthesis approaches such as Ambisonics and wavefield synthesis systems. “Offering better spatial perceptions than 5.1, 3D audio elevates sound sources with improvements to naturalness and accuracy of tone colour,” explains Moon. Comprising four Schoeps supercardioid CCM41 studio microphones elastically suspended on both the upper and lower levels within a windshield, the OTRF-3D system offers an optimal ambience arrangement for eight channels. To create a signal separation in the vertical plane, the microphones can be tilted up or down so that the imaging in the horizontal plane corresponds to the ORTF surround system.

The audio and video mixes can be routed to an adjacent Dolby Atmos mix room. The acoustically treated studio

features a 16:9 resolution screen, which conceals an L-C-R audio system combining three PMC ci140 three-way on-wall enclosures with dual PMC twotwo sub2 subwoofers. In the studio itself, the 11.2 immersive space is rounded out with a combination of four PMC ci140 and four PMC ci65 slimline reference monitors fixed in overhead positions. A pair of Neumann KH 310 monitors are used as nearfield references. “Mixing in this room brings me great joy,” says SAC sound director, Steven Lee.

Incorporating 64 channels of Pro Tools DigiLink I/O, 256 channels of Dante and 64 channels of MADI, an Avid | MTRX II processor with eight card slots is used for ADR, Foley, sound design, re-recording and mixing. The 512x64 summing mixer covers monitoring from stereo mixes to Atmos configurations. Comprising Merging Horus converter/mic preamps and V Cube HD video player/recorder together with a Merging Anubis devices.

Hosting sell-out concerts and performances on an almost nightly basis, it’s hard to imagine that SAC was ever touched by Covid. The futureproofed openGear infrastructure and AV upgrades that effortlessly stream 4K broadcasts are leading to increasing revenue streams. The constructive use of the downtime by Moon and his colleagues is now making an impression far beyond the Seocho-gu district of the city into the homes of audiophiles and connoisseurs of the arts.

www.pmc-speakers.com

www.rossvideo.com

www.sac.or.kr

A Lawo mc²36 control surface in the media centre’s production room

Many productions are now created in a large virtual studio

The Dolby Atmos 11.2 mix room combines PMC speakers with Neumann KH 310 nearfields

JUST AS BIG

NFC technology for self-positioning within ALMATM

System optimization with FIR filters through DASaimTM

Internal system processing at 96kHz

4-way Self-powered Cardioid Line array

8-Channel, Class D amplifier, 6000W RMS

Cardioid Attenuation of -15dB (63 Hz – 200 Hz)

Balanced Horizontal Dispersion up to 100 Hz.

Max SPL1 of 150 dB

1 Measured Maximum SPL at 1m using burst noise

NFC technology for self-positioning within ALMATM

System optimization with FIR filters through DASaimTM

Internal system processing at 96kHz

3-way Self-powered Compact Line Array

4-Channel, Class D amplifier 3000W RMS

Balanced Horizontal Dispersion

Max SPL1 of 142 dB

IP Control and Monitoring through ALMATM

IP Control and Monitoring through ALMA SoftwareTM

A new dimension

Lighting System (A&L)

HAVING SPEARHEADED AV AND LIGHTING

distribution company (A&L) – now in its fourth decade – and established a systems integration business in Malaysia, Yeo Kim San had much to lose when traditional business stuttered in 2020. His decision to greenlight an XR (extended reality) operation in Singapore may have bucked the trend but, three years on, his bravery is being vindicated. Led by his son and general manager, Eugene, Yeo’s talented team conceptualised and created XR Lab, designed to be an experimental platform for training in XR and AR (augmented reality). A&L wanted guests to benefit from demonstrations of emerging technologies and innovations from the world of XR, AR and interactive lighting and audio solutions. “The idea to create XR Lab as both a demonstration space and an education hub came from Eugene Yeo,” explains A&L’s multimedia product specialist, Malcolm Fooh. “Having decided to promote virtual productions, we rented the space and made internal alterations to showcase current technologies.”

Working alongside product specialist Bernard Alex Raj, Fooh had an influential role in the project. “I find the XR and AR domains very interesting, so I proposed the creation of the XR Lab at the start of the pandemic,” reveals Fooh. “Eugene was a strong supporter of the idea, so we reached out to various innovators to evaluate technologies and software developments. We had time on our hands, which is just as well as I had to conduct a lot of research.”

A&L’s XR Lab is powered by systems including disguise and Unreal Engine, stYpe RedSpy, ROE Visual Black Pearl and Black Marble LED panels and Blacktrax technology. “The disguise element is the backbone driving the visual technology, and ROE Visual LED screens serve as the other major component,” Fooh continues. “ROE Visual’s technology achieves the best results for XR and AR are constantly getting updates and support from them.”

An inventory of ROE Visual CB3 mkII 2.4m x 2.4m, BP2v2 4m x 2m, BM4 2.4m x 2.4m and RB1.5f 1m x 1m LED screens is driven by MegapixelVR Helios and Brompton Technology processing. Other integral components include Blacktrax and stYpe RedSpy 3.0 camera tracking systems together with disguise vx 4 and RX systems for scale out

for us to create solutions on our own, so we partner and collaborate with preferred software and hardware vendors.” With advances in technology and guest feedback, XR Lab is rapidly evolving. “We are constantly seeking to improve and

explore available options,” he continues. “By modifying the setup of the studio, we can better support different groups by offering specialist advice to improve their productions. For example, we have garnered interest from the house of worship community seeking to enhance emotions with augmented reality. Online streamers want to create new trends and attract more followers. These demands led to us customising our XR Lab setups for different groups.”

Raj and Fooh continue to experiment with content capture using multiple cameras, tracking systems and other production equipment. “Generally, we are focusing more on education, targeting schools and freelancers,” explains Fooh. “XR Lab is well-established in Singapore, but this is leading to an increasing pull beyond our shores with clients from Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.”

A&L is preparing to dive deeper into virtual reality as XR evolves. “We must continue our search for new partners to enhance, simplify and improve the workflow in varying scales of setup,” continues Fooh. “When you research a technology online, it can appear in-depth and hard to understand. However, with the space that we have created, technologies can be better assessed and appreciated when performing side by side.”

Appearances within XR Lab can also be deceptive. “Because the final screen image appears like a finished studio, we have to remind guests that this is not a green screen setup,” he adds. “It’s only when you step into the camera and see the actual content that you feel that emotion.”

audience, but the balance has tipped in our favour, and we are now receiving increasing numbers of enquiries,” he says.

www.acousticlighting.com

Acoustic and

CEO and founder Yeo Kim San and his team made use Richard Lawn visits XR Lab

L–R: A&L’s Malcolm Fooh and Bernard Alex Raj

RTM networks for progress

LAYING DOWN THE GAUNTLET TO THE WORLD’S MOST prestigious broadcast sites, Malaysia recently removed the wraps from its newly constructed media city complex, Angkasapuri Kota Media. For 75 years, Radio Television of Malaysia (RTM) has transmitted the station’s live shows and musical performances to the nation from its famed Auditorium Perdana in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Six years in the making at a cost of RM860 million, the AoIP-enabled, futureproofed facility demanded the highest-quality technology to impress live audiences, performers and viewers alike.

The redevelopment proposal for Angkasapuri Kota Media involved major renovation and modernisation of its existing radio and television broadcasting facilities and auditorium. GDP Architects was commissioned to create a dynamic mixed-use facility in what was an isolated office location, with reconstruction and reconfiguration of existing spaces commencing in December 2016. Today, the 62,027m2 site boasts 18 floors of office space, the 1,000-capacity Seri Angkasa auditorium, a recording/rehearsal studio, three television studios (M1, M2 and M3), a multi-storey car park and a plaza.

Working closely with systems integrator VME Broadcast, Stagetec Asia won the tender to deploy a Dante/AES67, MADI and Nexus multichannel audio protocol for infrastructure. “Our relationship with RTM dates back to 2005 when we supplied our first Stagetec console to the broadcaster,” explains Stagetec Asia managing director, Advon Tan. “Since then, we’ve not only supplied products and technologies but consultation services, including for the existing Auditorium Perdana. Stagetec’s excellent product reliability and after-sales service enhanced our credibility sufficiently to become involved with this mega broadcast project.”

M1, M2 and M3 studios, 48-fader and 32-fader versions are in daily operation. Both the monitor and FOH Crescendo Platinum consoles are connected to the Dante/AES67, MADI and Nexus

A Nexus Star routing topology meets the extensive requirements of Angkasapuri Kota Media’s broadcasting and production facilities, providing digital fidelity, ultra-low latency and 1,000 uncompressed audio channels over fibre optic links. The various Nexus Base Devices associated with the studios and consoles in addition to external MADI equipment and redundant power supply units are connected to the Nexus Star core to form a star network. MADI, Dante and AES67 networking for over 8,000 channels is created by the provision of Nexus XDIP interface cards within the I/O boards of the 6U Nexus Star and Nexus Base Devices via main and backup bidirectional Nexus fibre links.

“We enhanced the Nexus routers throughout the facility by incorporating processing modules,” says Tan. “The XMIC+ microphone input board features eight TrueMatch 32-bit converters with a dynamic range of 158dB, each with a fourchannel active microphone splitter. Each of the channels has separate gain control, adjustable impact sound filters and a phase inverter and provides permanent self-monitoring and self-calibration, allowing for flexible routing and distribution of separate signals across the entire Nexus audio network.”

Powered by six Nexo NXAMP4X1MK2 amplifiers, 24 Nexo P12 stage monitors within the auditorium are also connected to the Nexus and Dante networks. With the insertion of immersive and virtual splitter mic cards, the Nexus Star topology divides the microphone input signals between the monitor and FOH consoles. “As the auditorium is fully equipped with two loudspeaker systems, we needed to split the microphone inputs

Richard Lawn visits RTM’s impressive new Angkasapuri Kota Media complex, six years in the making and futureproofed for the next generation

The 3D immersive audio system is output to Martin Audio CDD8 and CDD12 speakers

Stagetec Asia managing director Advon Tan

to four locations each with individual control of mic preamps, high-pass and low-pass filters,” explains Tan.

The main L-R loudspeaker arrays each consist of 12 L-Acoustics KARAi II modules, with a centre array of two A15i cabinets. Lowend reinforcement to 25Hz is provided by six centrally suspended KS28 dual 18-inch subwoofers in cardioid mode, with front fill and side fill provided by two-way passive 5XT and 8XT coaxial enclosures, respectively.

In a control room at stage left, eight LA4X amplified controllers

LA12X models supply the six KS28 subwoofers. In addition to four-channel amplification, the racked LA4X and LA12X units incorporate crossover functionality, linearisation, L-Drive transducer protection and an onboard library with standard and cardioid presets and low-pass filters.

In addition to the L-Acoustics system, Stagetec Asia oversaw the installation of an Astro Spatial Audio (ASA) object-based immersive system in the auditorium. Working closely with VME Broadcast, ASA was commissioned to make its adaptive room acoustics

Each main speaker array comprises 12 L-Acoustics KARAi II modules

The Stagetec team with the Crescendo Platinum console and Genelec monitors in the auditorium’s broadcast suite

“The previous Perdana auditorium was equipped with a Vivace electro room acoustic system,” says Tan. “When we were invited to discussions with the client regarding the new acoustic system, we proposed the addition of a 3D immersive audio system. In addition to providing a 3D immersive audio experience that integrates smoothly with the Nexus audio network through MADI and Dante connection, it also boasts a short processing delay.”

ASA’s SARA II Premium Rendering Engine provides an intuitive web-based GUI with access for simultaneous control. The 3U SARA II processes and transforms up to 128 MADI or Dante configurable network audio signals into audio objects. Making it desirable for live performances, the setup includes extensive metadata to precisely calculate the objects’ positions within virtual 3D in addition to their acoustic effects on the virtual space around them. Being brand agnostic, SARA II connects all loudspeakers, consoles and third-party brands required by the operator.

Having previously been paired with ASA 3D technology at exhibitions and demonstrations, Martin Audio loudspeakers were trialled for suitability. “In combination with Astro Spatial Audio’s algorithm, the prediction models suggested that fewer Martin Audio’s CDD enclosures would be required for deployment to achieve an absorbing result when compared to other brands,” explains Tan. Powered by 10 LEA Professional 3D four-channel amplifiers, 16 CDD12 and 22 CDD8 speakers have been fixed to the auditorium’s ceiling and walls, respectively.

Martin Audio’s Coaxial Differential Dispersion (CDD) technology employed in both the 8- and 12-inch two-way designs provides consistent audience coverage. The CDD driver achieves point source summation of the LF and HF sections to eliminate off-axis variations in frequency response associated with non-coaxial designs. The coaxial driver features a static waveguide that merges with the unique cone shape to maintain the dispersion pattern out to very high frequencies.

Maintaining optimal radio frequency (RF) performance within the capital city’s congested wireless environment, including TV transmissions and mobile devices, a solution was required that would overcome the unpredictable and highly dynamic conditions. Concept Associates conducted thorough RF analysis at the site, located among commercial premises, the Ministry of Information and RTM’s own infrastructures, and discovered significant frequency, power and satellite channel interference.

Thirty-two channels of Shure Axient and ULX-D Digital wireless systems together with 40 PSM 1000 in-ear monitor (IEM) sets have been provided throughout the auditorium. The eight Axient AD4Q four-channel receivers receive their UHF signal from ADX2/ KSM8 handheld wireless transmitters via ADX1 and AD1 bodypack transmitters. By combining Shure’s Wireless Workbench 6 software and the Axient AXT600 spectrum manager, wireless frequencies can be coordinated between the Axient, ULX-D and PSM 1000 systems. Control and monitoring capabilities are extended to mobile devices with the ShurePlus Channels iOS app. A UA844+ SWB and UA874SWB antenna distribution

and combiner system creates a True Multi-Receiver Diversity Architecture. The antenna inputs actively receive and decode the digital signal, and the digital bitstreams provide redundancy by combining to fill in any gaps.

For Angkasapuri Kota Media’s live broadcasting fulfilments, the auditorium and studios are equipped with advanced Axient Digital features. Enabling automatic frequency reassignment and the adjustment of other parameters, ShowLink offers remote management of the Axient Digital ADX1, ADX2 and ADX2-FD transmitters. The AD610 ShowLink Access Point is paired with the AXT600 Spectrum Manager for automatic frequency hopping to automatically sync both the Axient AD4Q receivers and ADX1, ADX2 and ADX2FD transmitters.

All of Shure’s networked devices have been integrated into the Angkasapuri Kota Media system, ensuring that wireless microphones and personal IEM systems can be controlled remotely while on air. This has resulted in clear, stable frequencies

effectively preventing any interference. Reliability in challenging RF environments is achieved by the PSM 1000’s true diversity bodypack receiver, the P10R+, equipped with advanced DSP technology for enhanced signal reception and extended range. The incorporation of CueMode and MixMode technologies provide monitoring of different stage mixes and simultaneous listening in both ears.

Dante and MADI networking interconnect the M1, M2 (virtual reality) and M3 studios, where dedicated inventories of portable RCF ST 12-SMA II and ST 15-SMA II loudspeakers can be flexibly deployed in the live room connected to the M1 studio. Like the auditorium, the studios are amply equipped with Shure Axient wireless microphones and PSM 1000 IEMs for live and recorded broadcasts. Microphones include TH53B Twinplex headset, TL48 Twinplex lavalier and KSM8 handheld models.

Each of the three M studios is equipped with Grass Valley XCU 4210/10 and LDX 86 WorldCam cameras together with Panasonic PTZ remote control cameras. A Clear-Com Eclipse HX communication infrastructure including beltpacks, Eclipse HX and Encore PS702 base stations, LQ AoIP interfaces and CCI-22 dual partyline ring interface modules enables smooth back of house operations.

The GV cameras in both the studios and the auditorium are fibre-connected over the IQ Modular distribution infrastructure. The GV infrastructure continues to respective control rooms where the SDI signals are routed over 3G fibre to racked Wandcam base stations, enterprise-level Sirius 830 HD-SDI 72x72 routers, MV821 multiviewers and Kahuna 6400 digital production switchers. Designed for scaling multiple HD cameras across the network during live sports programming, a Simply Live ViBox Slomo scalable replay system is connected to the Dante network. In addition to a Stanton Video Jimmy Jib Triangle, live broadcasts in the auditorium are captured on Grass Valley Digi Super 22 HD mobile cameras onstage. Meanwhile, performers are illuminated by an inventory of lighting fixtures including Robe Tarrantula LED beam/wash/effects and BMFL Blade fixtures.

“Cost-effectiveness is one of the factors provided by the Nexus audio network and Dante AoIP solution, especially for such a largescale auditorium,” Tan asserts. “Being able to leverage on a multipoint audio network at an economical rate allows RTM to manage effectively in the long run, ready for world-class live and musical events in the future.”

In many venues, audiences ensconced in such luxury and comfort would possibly find themselves battling sleep at some point during a long production. However, with the sensory overload of immersive 3D audio and dazzling lighting effects provided in the new Seri Angkasa auditorium, audience members should be kept on the edge of their plush reclining seats.

www.conceptaudio.com.my

www.mkn.gov.my/web/ms/2022/10/27/angkasapuri-kota-media www.stagetecasia.com

A live broadcast show in the new Seri Angkasa auditorium

The audio infrastructure is interconnected via Stagetec Nexus routers

The auditorium lighting inventory includes Robe Tarrantula and BMFL Blade fixtures

The 32-fader Crescendo Platinum monitor console in the auditorium

Has anyone seen the crew, asks Dan Daley

IT WOULD APPEAR THAT COVID HAS BEEN AT LEAST contained if not vanquished. That’s good news for the hundreds of music tours and performances the pandemic cancelled or significantly delayed since 2020. However, another wave of cancellations is upon us, in part a holdover from Covid but also related to – but not caused explicitly by – the pandemic.

Artists have become much more aware of their own health vulnerabilities in that time. Celine Dion recently cancelled all 2023 and 2024 dates on her Courage world tour – already rescheduled from 2022 – due to an ongoing struggle with a neurological disorder. Country hitmaker Morgan Wallen cancelled shows due to a vocal condition. A surprising number of younger artists have put shows on hold, citing mental stresses, among them Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. And some have simply and finally aged out, like Ozzy Osbourne, who earlier this year not only cancelled his first tour since 2018 but declared he’s now off the road for good. It’s not just medical maladies that are putting sand in the gears of touring. The Governors Ball Music Festival in New York was nearly cancelled in June thanks to smoke blanketing the entire region from wildfires in Quebec, a couple of hundred miles to the north.

A letter from America A letter from Europe

But then there is the problem of technical talent. Not every rigger, LD, FOH mixer, system tech and video wrangler was able to ride out the pandemic pursuing their chosen careers. “No one [ever] saw a year without work,” Michael Strickland, CEO of Bandit Lites, told The Wall Street Journal “As it continued, you lost people along the way mentally, physically, spiritually, economically.”

That unprecedented year-plus without live shows and events compelled hundreds, if not thousands, of technical personnel to move onto other ways of making a living and feeding a family, and – in a particularly American social twist – getting themselves and their loved ones healthcare insurance. What’s more, that deficiency also creates problems for the future, in the form of far fewer apprenticeships for younger workers who would otherwise have been out learning the craft. The trade schools have added live show and touring technologies to their curricula in the past decade or so, but it’s never the same as being able to go out and apply that knowledge hands-on.

What the landscape will look like at the end of this tunnel remains to be seen. Expect more automation, which is a typical market-driven response to labour shortages, to change the nature of the work. I recently wrote an article

in which a tour’s live sound mixer handled FOH and monitors, as well as a separate set of in-ears for a VIP group backstage while also recording the shows, as well as covering a major new club venue in New York where the FOH mixer also runs its lights and video. In one case, the tour management sought to cut costs; in the other, the venue management needed to conform to local social distancing and capacity regulations. But both also found that there are simply not enough trained people to go around at the moment.

Artificial Intelligence may play a role in this brave new touring world, particularly in terms of mixing and managing sound and lighting. AI has already made its presence felt in music mastering as well as mixing live panel-type corporate events, and it’s on its way towards doing that for live music, driven in part by proofs-of-concept in broadcast sports that have shown that the sonic and visual focus can be followed quite accurately automatically. In fact, given the massive proliferation of recorded music and streaming’s infinite ability to host it, moving towards automated solutions is not only necessary but inevitable. It all suggests that the future is going to be different. Some might argue that it’s already here.

Phil Ward goes back to his routes

YOU GET THIS A LOT IN MANUFACTURING: ZEAL-FILLED, shed-based start-up, giving loud and warm voice to the counterculture and its many echoes; increasing wealth and success as record sales and touring revenues raise budgets and fuel innovation; difficulty in coping with demand and logistics; the knock on the workshop door by a hungry venture capitalist who can smell the Baltic birch a mile off.

Phase Two: the newly efficient enterprise requires so much global administration that the original spark in the workshop has been replaced by a feasibility study that needs to be ratified by 12 people who are skiing in Austria and not available until Q2; the originator becomes disaffected and retreats to an R&D lab out of harm’s way and mollified by gold-plated pliers; corporate restructuring; displacement of staff; relocation of resources… eventually the brand is almost unrecognisable from its heritage and lots of people leave. Or stay where they are because the whole operation is now based on a different continent.

Phase Three: these refugees try to find the shed with all the zeal in it, paint it with digital creosote and start again. Meanwhile the perfectly designed, smoothly finished and

utterly feasible versions of all those loud and warm voices are doing very well, thank you, in retail outlets for skimpy underwear and hamburgers. Possibly under the same roof. Perhaps the whole cycle will simply repeat until the universe fizzles away back to Dark Matter. Which, by the way, is a great name for a lighting company.

But you don’t often get this in rental. Despite increasing consolidation across Europe, the population of dedicated staff and robust freelancers has remained stable, and only Covid has shaken things up, if far less than predicted. Covid may even have staved off certain disruptions that were brewing. But now there are signs that the corporatisation of rental is equally capable of triggering a reaction, which must mean that this most rock’n’roll of sectors still has some of its renegade spirit intact.

Once Skan PA had joined the Clair Global fold last September, via acquisition by Britannia Row, one of the last independents standing had made the transition to global management. Everybody was happy. Founder Chris Fitch stated that he would have considered “no other offer”, and of course it increases Skan’s support and reach while maintaining all visible autonomy. But over in the other camp,

well before this, Paul Timmins from Capital Sound – acquired in 2018 by SSE which was itself acquired later that year by Solotech – had left and formed 22live, picking up the Sigur Rós tour in the spring of 2022. He was followed by SSE Audio’s operations director Spencer Beard alongside Alex Penn, the son of SSE cofounder John Penn – that’s three of the industry’s most trusted hands, on the move. As they set about reinventing their wheel of fortune as a “second-generation independent audio rental company”, it became clear that this was an opportunity to continue bonds first forged in a very different type of organisation. The complexities of the previous regime, Penn says, “just didn’t suit our way of working”.

The public declarations that appear on the 22live website indicate the mood perfectly well: “We just want to do what we do, and we want to have a good time doing it,” says Beard. “We want to enjoy working in what we believe to be a special industry and protect that which makes it different to other working environments,” adds Penn. And, clearest of all: “We hope to maintain a culture nostalgic to our rock’n’roll heritage.” Well, that’s all the zeal you could ask for, right there. And the shed? Open for business.

Good listeners make good leaders

CONSUMED BY A PASSION FOR MUSIC, MICROPHONES and a brand he forged close bonds with following graduation, S K Teng has risen to the top at Audio-Technica (SEA) through loyalty, commitment and an energetic drive, ascending the ranks from business development executive in 2008 to managing director some 13 years later.

Modest and humble, Teng attributes this rise to a steely determination from within. “You must always have a passion burning inside,” he attests. “You are putting building blocks

in place over time by forging new and strengthening existing relationships, while extending your knowledge to ensure market stability. You cannot succeed overnight. This largely comes from understanding the customer.”

Audio-Technica’s creative tagline remains, rather ingeniously: “always listening”. And the message relayed from its frontline sales staff to the R&D team in Japan has worked for six decades now. The manufacturer has developed a solid user base, from musicians dependent on wired and wireless Artist Elite

significant role in bridging audio, video and IT technologies through collaborations with other respected developers. The portfolio continues to evolve with customer feedback, Eureka moments and changing trends, whether for headworn, lapel or Dante.

Teng was appointed as business development executive for the Japanese brand some 10 years after the Singaporean subsidiary was established. “The brand had enjoyed steady year-on-year growth, gaining more visibility by getting into the hands of users in targeted verticals,” he explains. “As a regional headquarters, we’ve interacted and worked closely with resellers, distributors and colleagues across a larger territory, from Dubai to Australia. We have always had a small team but, despite the hard work, it has been exciting to cover such a wide geographical area.”

The territory covered by the Singaporean headquarters has now been scaled back to 11 countries across Southeast Asia. Teng likens his current relationships with customers to that of a family: “The most rewarding part for me has been the transcultural nature of our business. We are owned by a corporation, but we operate almost as a separate business. Crucially, we remain customerfocused rather than shareholder-focused. Audio-Technica has enjoyed consistent growth, I believe, by supporting our customers in addition to our stakeholders.”

Audio-Technica’s wide range of clients traversing education, live production, broadcast, hospitality and corporate has its own challenges. “We’re also involved with the retail business, which is again quite different. Every project is unique, so you cannot apply a broad business philosophy or model throughout Southeast Asia, owing to the diverse cultures, languages and people.”

Having enlisted to the A-T cause fresh out of the National University of Singapore, Teng has followed the company doctrine of always listening very carefully. “During those initial years, I was given a lot of opportunities by my ex-boss, Vincent Chan, in addition to a few former mentors,” he reveals. “Looking back, it has been an unbelievable journey as there have been a lot of changes since arriving at the company to assuming management here. One thing that has never changed is the passion that we have in this business and ultimately that is why we come to work every day.”

In addition to the well-documented pandemic, the new decade heralded an office relocation and a senior position for Teng as managing director. “Over the past quarter of a century, we have

Teng at Audio-Technica’s new Singaporean showroom

Former biomedical student Teng Shaokai (S K) has chosen to climb the corporate ladder at Audio-Technica (SEA) rather than fast-track his career through frequent job changes, discovers Richard Lawn

Always listening – Teng welcomes his Thai distributor from Vichai Trading, Thitikorn Sopchokchai

grown from those initial foundations, so this is really Gen 2.0 Audio-Technica Southeast Asia,” he declares. “To prepare for any expansion, you must be ready for new challenges. For example, we relocated during the pandemic when many aspects of the business – including trends – changed, but that is what makes it so exciting. The team that is here now is very passionate and reacts quickly to market changes.”

Opening a flagship Funan retail store in 2019 prior to the inevitable lockdown tested the resolve of the newly appointed managing director. The store was forced to close for most of the following three years, but Teng refused to make the financial spreadsheet read better over the short term. His decision to maintain faith and retain the team has since been vindicated. “It was far more important to retain the team,” he asserts. “There has been no need to restructure the company because of the very strong foundations my predecessor and mentor Vincent Chan set. We will always need to invest, and the retail space in Funan serves as a good example, as our colleagues working there have become brand ambassadors.”

The shift from the previous headquarters – on the ground floor of Focus One in Ubi – to the lofty sixth-level Meiban Industrial Estate operation could be seen as a metaphor for the transition from Gen 1.0 to Gen 2.0 Audio-Technica. “We now have bigger premises including the warehousing and logistic operations, and future expansion will be much easier for us. But there is an expectancy now. We are under the spotlight, as Southeast Asia is one of the most vibrant economies in the world, so there is an expectation to perform. We must adopt a more forward-thinking mindset and plan ahead for growth.”

Focusing on 11 countries rather than half the world has liberated Teng and his colleagues to better develop existing relationships with their clientele. “Going forward, we are fine-tuning our verticals within the professional and consumer businesses. By hiring the best people for new positions, we will expand the business by digging deeper into different verticals, but we must always be ready for changes. To remain current, we must be

business, which includes turntables and cartridges in line with the revival of vinyl, has excelled. As was the case for its competitors, excessive sales of USB microphones and headphones during the pandemic created a skewed sales chart for the manufacturer. But that was then, and this is now.

“We celebrated the 60th anniversary of Audio-Technica as we were coming out of lockdown and this was a great way to celebrate a milestone birthday. At that point, I shared my fiveyear plan with the Audio-Technica directors to decide where the company should direct its investment and resources in the region.

diversity of cultures in Southeast Asia. It’s a huge advantage being

In addition to “always listening”, Teng comprehends his leadership tag and that he must make critical decisions when required. After 15 years spent learning the ropes to captain the ship, Teng’s best years are yet to come. “Once the current fiveyear plan has been realised, I will hopefully look back and proudly reminisce on the achievements, but there are no givens in life,” he muses. “Because we are a very lean team, everyone at A-T works together like a family, and we all respect the customer.”

www.audio-technica.com.sg

Built to last

For 70 years Made in Germany

3D visions in audio

HAVING ENGINEERED AN AMBISONICS MICROPHONE

Tomasz Zernicki soon realised his highahead of its time. This term would return to haunt him on several occasions, forcing him to wait for the mainstream market to catch up. More than 10 years since he company may just be coming of age thanks to a glittering cast including Dolby Atmos and Armed with a PhD in audio recording and signal processing, it love of music and science that motivated him to . His vision enticed several other academic minds to join him. “I wanted to develop a career in audio, but I had no idea what,” he confesses. “After my PhD I was working on applied research projects, in which some of my professional musician friends assisted me. Zylia was really an R&D department for external agencies rather than a manufacturer

When Zernicki developed an idea to capture music rehearsals where the sound quality was poor, Zylia Microphones was born. Following detailed research and 3D modelling, the result was an easy-to-use microphone to extract audio from a rehearsal that could be later used to create a more professional mix. “It was a great idea, but a poor business plan,” explains Zernicki. “The prototype had not been developed as a go-to-market product, it was not proven and there was no customer

The engineers then created a prototype of this technology from paper, and the team went out to local sound engineering students to gauge their feedback. Despite having developed a proof of concept, the

commercial outlook was unassured for what would become the ZM-1. “Catering for musicians, we had created a product that needed to command low margins yet suffered from high production costs. However, the team had redefined how Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) could be applied with very detailed sound, distinguishing the location of the sound in space.”

Capable of delivering 48kHz/24-bit resolution, the spherical recording solution comprises 19 omnidirectional MEMS microphone capsules. When connected via USB to a laptop loaded with Zylia’s studio software, producers record performances in both 3D/360° audio and traditional stereo. Measuring 100mm in circumference, an LED ring encircles the sphere to indicate recording status.

Today’s hardware cannot exist without software. Zylia Studio Pro includes a source localisation function to locate and separate sound sources within the 360° sound scene by adopting virtual microphone technology before recording them as individual tracks. By adjusting the level of each instrument, a balanced recording can be exported to a stereo WAV or another file. Control and flexibility in capturing and working with 360° sound is extended with software downloads including the Zylia Ambisonics Converter plugin, Zylia Studio (1.7.2) and Zylia Studio Pro (1.3.1).

Despite sluggish sales among musicians, a steady if unexpected stream of customers made themselves known. “While attending an early conference, we gained unexpected interest from a delegate who informed us that our ZM-1 was the best Ambisonics microphone on the market. We attached a large piece of paper to the wall behind us stating that we manufacture Ambisonics microphone arrays, and this triggered interest from many audio engineers. We were a revelation to many people as most Ambisonics microphones at that time were academic prototypes, whereas ours was a finished product that could be used in professional productions.”

Richard Lawn meets a company founder and doctor of audio engineering who has some interesting solutions for 3D recording bubbling in his Polish laboratory

A demo of Zylia’s 6DoF VR system

Zylia CEO and CTO, Tomasz Zernicki

Having developed a microphone array for musical productions, high-profile users including engineers, producers and musicians were stunned by the detail the ZM-1 captured for their recordings. “Microphone arrays are typically used in conferences for intelligible speech separation where quality is not the prime consideration. The ZM-1 design clearly stood out from these. Our early arrival on the market appealed to a small niche of early adopters, and this encouraged Zylia to further develop the technology and apply it to different market sectors including field and ambient recording.” At that point, Zernicki admits that audio for the video sector was immature, with most customers only aware of 360° audio in movies. “Prior to Atmos, we were one of the few manufacturers producing Ambisonics microphones. When Dolby Atmos came of age, there was a sudden demand for education including which tools to use for recording processes. We started to demonstrate how decoders could be applied for Ambisonics in binaural or

Atmos applications. This in turn led to interest from users in gaming environments and interactive audio.”

Following customer demand to bypass laptop recordings, the Zylia ZR-1 recorder soon followed for outdoor, ambient, 3rd order Ambisonics and 360° recordings. Equipped with an internal SD memory card and powered either by batteries or an external power source, the ZR-1 can record over 220 hours of 19-channel 48kHz/24-bit PCM audio. “Portability was a major factor in the design,” explains Zernicki. “By recording through 19 microphone channels, our unique USB port bypasses the requirement for an audio interface with 19 inputs.”

From the outset, the US proved to be a lucrative market for Zylia. With sales, good customer feedback soon followed, opening more doors. “Professors with a good understanding of Ambisonics were some of our initial adopters. Our development relies on asking customers what new features and products they require to fulfil

their projects. It’s important that we consistently question what their aim is. The more projects we can work on, the more feedback and experience we receive, and this expands our database of knowledge.”

Gaming is now huge business and Zernicki is not shocked that sales in this sector have outgrown music, production, video, film and audio streaming. “Previously, audio was the final product to be designed within a game but, because gamers are more sensitive to audio than video, VR content creators are factoring in audio from the very beginning of the design phase. When you see something in the game, you need to hear the sound exactly from that direction and how it should be expected. This has led to a large demand in the Zylia solution from the gaming community.”

Having started out with a collective of research engineers, Zernicki has gone on to recruit experienced marketing, operations and production personnel. With his PhD in audio recording and

The very best video processing made easy

From small corporate gatherings to the largest fixed installations and live events, our advanced and extensive offerings of live presentation switchers and media servers cater to all your needs.

The Zylia 6DoF VRAR set is based around five ZM-1S units and rendering software Working with Zylia Studio Pro

signal processing, Zernicki is well-positioned to lead product development as CTO. However, the company’s growth and the need to manufacture have forced his role to change, and he has also adopted the CEO role. “As a manufacturer, Zylia needed to locate partners and suppliers, so I had to establish relationships. As a technical, creative person, I was initially frustrated to move to another role. From creating a prototype to developing a finished product, however, you need to consider every aspect of the production cycle. Looking back, I was possibly naïve to think this would not take long. However, locating specialist subcontractors for such things as injection moulding, measurement tools and plastic casing was quite a task.”

Learning how to juggle both roles successfully, Zernicki takes a great deal of satisfaction from working with the engineering team. “I have assumed a more advisory role with the engineers, and this has freed up my time to take on other roles. We drive our business quite differently to others. Unlike most manufacturers, we don’t simply create a product for distribution across established sales channels.”

With increasing sales, Zylia continues to experience growing pains. Zernicki highlights the need to carefully plan continued product development, a flexible organisation structure and the continued search for new talent that will enable growth. “The current employees are continually learning new skills as they are aware the company will outgrow them otherwise.” However, at Zylia it appears that business can also accommodate pleasure. Despite being a hotbed of innovation and industrious activity, the headquarters in Poznan retains a relaxed atmosphere, with all manufacturing outsourced. The research and development facility where director Andrzej Ruminski oversees software and hardware innovations is adorned with plants and guitars.

Recruited in 2016, sales and marketing director Anna Czerwoniec was initially contracted to host a workshop, having previously been employed as an assistant professor at a university researching bioinformatics. “Prior to that, I had been studying at Stanford in the US, where I was learning about innovation, venture capital start-ups and business,” she relates. “As such, I was returning to Poland with some great ideas and renewed passion. Coming to work for an innovative Polish specialist and taking it to the next level was the best option for me.” That short-term contract quickly led to Czerwoniec’s appointment as a director. Most recently, the Zylia engineers developed a 3rd order Ambisonics array – the ZM-1S. Incorporating the same number of calibrated capsules, 24-bit recording and a timecode input channel for synchronising multiple ZM-1S microphones, the new hardware can interface with other devices connected to the recording system, including video cameras. “By recording, creating and streaming 3D sound, audiences can experience a realistic, immersive walk through a sound scene,” explains Zernicki. Created specifically to support six degrees of freedom (6DoF) –the six mechanical degrees of freedom of movement of a rigid

body in three-dimensional space – and volumetric 3D audio production, the Zylia 6DoF Navigable Audio solution allows audio engineers to place multiple Zylia ZM-1S devices within a sound scene. The captured audio creates immersive experiences with unrestricted freedom of movement through the recorded 3D space.

Accessible on the Oculus App Lab platform, the Zylia Concert Hall application allows users to move freely and navigate within virtual 3D spaces. A live-recorded performance of 34 musicians playing Mozart was captured and implemented in VR with the Zylia 6DoF solution, which combines multiple Zylia ZM-1S, 3rd order Ambisonics microphone arrays and software plugins. The Oculus headset allows listeners to walk through the live-recorded 3D sound scene of the concert hall and stand next to any performing

artist, represented in the VR environment by static musicians. The captured live 3D sound scene can then be implemented into various immersive AV productions.

Acknowledging the fact that Dolby Atmos has propelled Zylia Zernicki now discloses that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has indirectly enhanced the Polish brand’s appeal to a much wider audience. “When Facebook changed to Meta, our 6DoF solution suddenly became interesting to VR developers. In the not-too-distant future, there will be dedicated places for streaming concerts equipped with our microphones including volumetric systems. My vision is that we’ll be able to teleport to a concert, for example, in New York or London.”

With a set of tools for content providers to create different experiences, the microphones continue to be used in unexpected applications. “Initially, the ZM-1 was designed for music productions, and this led to Ambisonics followed by binaural podcasts,” explains Zernicki. “We must maintain relevancy in a highly dynamic technological market, so these changes in trends make it both exciting and challenging for us. Currently, the focus is more on live events. For this, I believe that Zylia will become part of a bigger solution that engages multiple companies. Personally, I would like to cooperate with people who are equally focused on the possibility of attending remote events where the music is more interactive, and you can pay for your favourite seat in the venue.”

The recent addition of the Zylia Ambisonics Converter allows multichannel recordings made with the ZM-1 into HOA full-sphere, surround sound recordings to be played back on Facebook 360 and YouTube 360 platforms. “This is not mainstream currently, but I believe that volumetric audio is the future,” he continues. “We’re receiving increasing attention from many manufacturing and university R&D laboratories. We have sold systems to companies including Sony, Huawei and Red Bull, so there is growing interest in this solution. From a sales perspective, we are open to working with distributors and resellers.”

Unafraid of taking big decisions and guided by innovative clients, Zylia has so far chartered a course beyond the traditional studio to the Metaverse and beyond. Starting out as an R&D lab which happened to make problem-solving products along the way, Zylia is now well-positioned to drive a wider client base onto an immersive 3D plain. Having learnt to take a step back and wait for the market to catch up, Zernicki and his team remain one step ahead of the field.

www.zylia.co

Stevie Wonder demos the Zylia ZM-1 portable recording device at an AES exhibition

Zylia ZM-1S microphones for the volumetric audio capture of the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra

Musicians can benefit from Zylia ZM-1 and Studio software features – such as sound source separation and automixing – to get a balanced recording

Zernicki demonstrates the ZM-1

Shure caters for small to medium meetings NEWPRODUCTS

SHURE HAS announced the launch of the Microflex Advance MXA902 Integrated Conferencing Ceiling Array – said to be the world’s first conferencing ceiling array microphone with integrated loudspeaker and IntelliMix DSP for small and mediumsized meeting rooms. Following the launch of the MXA920 Ceiling Array Microphone in 2022, Shure is extending its Microflex Ecosystem portfolio with a new audio solution for meeting rooms that delivers

technology in one device.

In today’s dynamic work environment, IT managers and AV professionals seek a reliable audio solution that’s easy to configure out-of-the-box, enabling them to efficiently transform any small to mediumsized room into an equitable meeting space. The MXA902 is said to be a complete ceilingmounted audio solution for AV conferencing, suited to delivering premium audio capture and reproduction with minimal setup required. The product features an array microphone for directional voice capture and a widedispersion loudspeaker, as well as onboard IntelliMix DSP, applying automatic mixing,

discerning than ever – opting to meet in spaces that best support hybrid collaboration with in-office technology that is both flexible and effective. We’ve recognised the depth of our customers’ needs with the MXA902 as a solution that delivers the best audio capture and reproduction technology for all users in the room. With the microphone, loudspeaker and DSP all in one device, the MXA902 helps improve the overall room design, creating a sleek and elegant meeting room without extension mics and extra wires.”

The MXA902 is officially certified for Microsoft Teams and Zoom Rooms when paired with the USB Audio Network Interface

Automatic Coverage Technology, which covers a 6m x 6m space with minimal configuration needed, enabling users to automatically capture the speakers they wish to hear while avoiding noise in other areas of the room. This feature is combined with a widedispersion 2.5-inch loudspeaker to deliver sound capture and listening from one device. The MXA902 was built with Shure Audio Encryption, so that audio content is protected among all Shure Microflex Ecosystem devices in the room, giving customers peace of mind when it comes to meeting confidentiality.

The MXA902 was created for IT managers and AV professionals of all experience levels, making it suitable for anyone looking for an installation-friendly Microflex Ecosystem solution for small to medium collaboration spaces. The MXA902 is further compatible with MXA900 series accessory kits, delivering a simplified mounting system that works with a variety of ceiling types, including in-ceiling, on-ceiling, pole or wire rope.

www.shure.com

The ceiling-mounted device features an array microphone, a loudspeaker and IntelliMix DSP to deliver consistent voice capture and reproduction

dBTechnologies expands its flagship VIO Series

DESCRIBED AS the newest crown jewels in its VIO-X family of powered PA loudspeakers, dBTechnologies has launched the VIO-X310 and VIO-X315. As the first three-way active speakers in the line-up, they are said to combine precise time-alignment, internal DSP and a “virtually bottomless well” of amplifier power.

The MF-HF coaxial component mounted in both the VIO-X310 and VIO-X315 use the same transducer as the VIO L1610 line array module: a 4-inch voice coil plus a 2.5-inch voice coil coaxial driver, a high-fidelity transducer reproducing from 500Hz upwards. When it comes down to detailed midrange reproduction, a compression driver diaphragm is much quicker and more accurate than a similarsized woofer. Furthermore, because of the compact dimensions, this content can be easily dispersed through a horn for improved control over the sonic pattern. These characteristics reportedly result in a faithful and “meticulous” reproduction of the most critical frequency range, essential for clear-cut intelligible

vocals and instrument speakers incorporate the manufacturer’s fourth-generation

DSP processing, and provide sound pressure levels as

frequencies using dual 10-inch woofers mounted on either side of the midrangetreble assembly in a dipole configuration. The coaxial midrange and treble drivers are placed behind a 90° x 40° rotatable horn. The VIO-X315 features a

single 15-inch woofer and the same coaxial midrange-treble drivers mounted in a 90° x 50° horn, which is tilted slightly downwards to optimise coverage in venues such as nightclubs and small to medium-sized halls and theatres. The extended bass response of the VIO-X315 is as low as 34Hz at –6dB. Both models can be flown using optional accessories and are built to stand up to outdoor use and the punishment of touring.

The VIO-X series is equipped with a fourchannel, 1,400W RMS Class-D DigiPro G4 power amplifier with power factor correction built for extreme demands. Each component is powered individually, with dedicated FIR filters for the low-, mid- and high-frequency bands. This four-channel amp has been specially designed for the VIO X3 series and allows for complete networkability via Aurora Net thanks to RDNet ports. A modular card slot is ready for future I/O and remote-control upgrades.

www.dbtechnologies.com

Bluesound Professional hosts transformational speakers

transformed into a point-centred hanging pendant speaker using the optional Pendant Attachment Kit.

With a discreet flush-mounted design, the BCS250 is suitable for retrofit and new-build applications in addition to installations where wall space is limited. By adopting the Pendant Attachment kit, the UL 2043 plenum-rated enclosure can be suspended from the ceiling at a lower height should no suitable mounting options be available at a typical height. Powered by the B170S networked streaming stereo amplifier, the slim-profile BCS250 incorporates a tuned crossover for uniform frequency response, a snap-fit magnetic grille, a long travel dog-ear mount system and a quick connect phoenix connector. The BCS300 all-in-one ceiling or hanging pendant speaker incorporates a music streamer and amplifier. Adopting PoE

technology, the independent unit promotes a decentralised solution that eliminates the need for an audio rack. The flush-mounted design blends with any interior design or décor. Like the BCS250, the BCS300 is UL 2043 plenum-rated and can adopt an optional pendant kit. Based on the BluOS multi-room platform, the BCS300 enables multi-zone control, speaker grouping and integrated networked music streaming from business music partners, including SoundMachine, Qsic and SiriusXM Music for Business. The network streaming speaker combines a 3.5-inch LF driver and 1-inch HF driver to deliver a maximum SPL of 102dB (PoE+) and includes EQ and other DSP parameters. A white magnetic grille is included with an optional black version available for the ceiling speaker and the BCS Pendant Kit is available in matte black and matte white.

www.bluesoundprofessional.com

WITH THE launch of the new TT+ name, the brand has unveiled its first product in the form of the GTX line array system, a solution that is said to address the full range of challenges faced by touring sound professionals and large-venue systems installers.

Unlike other TT+ AUDIO products, the GTX system separates the power amplification from the loudspeaker enclosure, moving it to newly designed touring racks, each with up to three XPS 16K four-channel DSP amplifiers that include AC power, signal routing and network connections. A single waterproof power connector provides cabling from the rack to system modules. This philosophy in power management integrates self- and externally powered TT+ modules via the RDNet management platform for the management of hybrid systems.

The GTX models include the GTX 12 threeway line array module, GTX 10 two-way line

array module and GTS 29 high-performance subwoofer. Enclosures are constructed from waterproof birch plywood and coated with a long-lasting polyurea finish. Optimised rigging hardware reportedly promises touring and installation crews fast setup when suspended or stacked, with anti-rattle locks and a unique

captive hinge bar mechanism that slips into position when set in tension or compression mode.

TT+ AUDIO’s newly developed Precision Transducers are said to incorporate advanced motor structures, multi-layer voice coils and oversized magnets for high performance and

power handling. Proprietary waveguides then provide precision coverage for the wide-range compression drivers. The GTS subwoofer, designed for fast acceleration, boasts two 19-inch cone drivers, each with a safe peak-to-peak piston moving mass excursion of 56mm. The XPS 16K amplifier delivers 16,000W of continuous power with high dynamic headroom and features proprietary loudspeaker performance-shaping algorithms. Now in version 5.0, the RDNet management platform comes with the new design, modelling and simulation platform, Shape D3D. Users can define a 3D representation of a venue and use multiple virtual microphones or check IR-modelled measurements of simulated system response. RDNet then imports data from Shape D3D to generate control and provide full configuration details to the system.

www.ttaudio.com

or pendant speakers. The BCS250 is a speaker line as a network streaming

HOLOPLOT unveils integration-friendly X2 array JBL slims down

the solution also takes a modular approach that allows it to be scaled up to meet the demands of multiple environments.

pro.harman.com

manufacturer

HOLOPLOT has unveiled a new addition to its catalogue. The compact X2 array is a smaller version of the X1 and is intended for speechbased and multi-content applications, bringing the technology to a wider range of applications. The company boasts that it is an “optimal choice for safety-critical applications such as train stations and

Optimised for speech, the X2 is formed from the Modul 30 (MD30) matrix array loudspeaker, which incorporates 30 fullrange drivers in a single layered matrix arrangement. Like its bigger brother, it uses intelligent software-based optimisation of sound system design and performance, facilitating customisable integration and decreasing the need for acoustic treatment by mitigating unwanted reflections. Like the X1,

Sound in symmetry

has released its Aliseo loudspeaker system with a threeway, symmetrical configuration. Described by the manufacturer as an elegant system, it has a horizontal, symmetrical and extremely compact design in relation to the performance. The central unit is made using a 5-inch mid woofer coaxial with a refined horn-loaded high-frequency driver, with 70° conical dispersion. On the two sides of the central element are a pair of high-excursion 5-inch bass-reflex loaded woofers, with a passive crossover inside the system.

Aliseo is manufacturered from high-grade components and is optimised to get the most out of the individual transducers and create a perfectly integrated global system. The sonic result is described as “surprising” and in line with the sound

Arthur Holm heads out to sea

THE MARINE DynamicSpeaker from Arthur Holm is a 360°, fully automated omnidirectional loudspeaker designed for integration into the sun deck and wet areas of yachts. It is said to bring high-end proximity audio to the wet leisure areas of yachts, and the automated pop-up speaker can be used to bring audio to the pool area and jacuzzi. The speaker will absorb water splashes without any change in the frequency response and is manufactured from marine-grade stainless steel and composite materials. When installed on the deck, 30mm deck material can be added to

the top of the speaker housing so that the loudspeaker will disappear when retracted into the deck; the speaker top is designed for antitrapping. From a design perspective, the solution is completely hidden when not in use and can be raised out of the deck with a touch of a button.

The manufacturer has also added to its Dynamic range of camera lift solutions designed to hide table cameras. The DynamicCL is a lift system that retracts the camera and its connection cable when not in use and has integrated camera power and a USB-C or USB-A cable for the camera

normally associated with the Pequod brand, including a clear and natural midrange, refined high frequencies and a solid, welldamped low range, with extremes of range in both the low and high frequencies. Aliseo can be suspended, placed against a wall or in a corner, to create sound

“When setting out to design the X2, it was obvious we needed to stay in line with HOLOPLOT’s Matrix Array principles,” explained product manager Klas Dalbjorn. “We wanted to bring the same unprecedented digital control over sound achieved with the X1 and translate it to delivering unsurpassed intelligibility and directionality for typical install use cases such as auditoriums, PA/ VA applications or houses of worship. Form factor and power-to-size ratio were key considerations from the get-go. The X2 is optimised for speech applications, but can reliably support music content reproduction.” While the mounting frame of the X2 allows for efficient installation, the cabinet has also been built to withstand extreme weather conditions, meaning it can be installed in locations regardless of the climate. With the introduction of the X2, HOLOPLOT is also releasing a new version of its sound system design software HOLOPLOT Plan. Alongside a number of feature updates, it now enables planning and simulation with X2 audio modules.

www.holoplot.com

spaces in areas with reduced height on the vertical plane, such as private rooms in nightclubs or enclosed spaces, where the speaker can be used on its own, or with a subwoofer to obtain high SPLs.

www.pequodacoustics.com

feed. The USB cable retracts with the camera, leaving the table free from the camera and cable. The DynamicCL is also available without a retractable cable for permanent connectivity. All mechanical movements are controlled remotely via RS-422 or locally on the device. It is said to have an almost silent camera movement and a standard brushed stainless steel cover plate with an integrated touch button to control the up and down motion.

www.arthurholm.com

TWO JBL Slim Column Loudspeakers,

IS-Series gains a new member

CEMENTING ITS installation-focused IS-Series of loudspeakers, Adamson Systems Engineering has extended the series with a 12th addition in the form of the IS7c passive two-way coaxial speaker. Exhibiting extended low-end frequency response, the compact cabinet is resistant to corrosion with an elevated IP rating and is available as a weatherised product.

The IS7c integrates an ND7-C coaxial transducer incorporating Adamson’s Advanced Cone Architecture, which enhances durability in addition to targeting

the upper midrange. Operating within a frequency range of 80Hz–20kHz with a maximum peak SPL of 130dB, the IS7c displays a nominal concentric dispersion of 90°. Rigging points are available in the form of top and bottom mini-SLR discs, each containing a 10mm threaded insert. Two speakON NL4 connectors and a two-point barrier strip are available for connection. Supporting the design for any Adamson system together with full control and monitoring of the CS-Series loudspeaker, the Canadian innovator has released the Windows version of its ArrayIntelligence software. The software is logically laid out to move from design and simulation to configuring I/O and routing to system control, metering and diagnostics. Much of the design and simulation technology from the previous Blueprint AV software has been modified to allow for integration of identifiable and controllable endpoints into the workflow. In addition, ArrayIntelligence allows for implementation of multi-layer DSP zoning and grouping, auto-detection of online devices and use of Adamson’s proprietary optimisation algorithm to fine-tune line array performance. The legacy software Blueprint AV will continue to be supported for system design.

www.adamsonsystems.com

A flare for sound

ATLASIED HAS announced the IsoFlare series of ceiling loudspeakers, the first products developed as part of the company’s strategic investment in Fyne Audio. The loudspeakers have been designed for luxury hotels, casinos, high-end restaurants and bars, retail spaces and corporate facilities, and are said to provide a natural and accurate soundstage, accurate and linear response, and consistent broadband directivity.

The series consists of seven models, including blind mount models in 4-, 6and 8-inch sizes, a 4-inch low-profile model, an 8-inch subwoofer and two pre-install models. The speakers offer an edgeless grille design in either square or round and black and white options to cater for the most demanding architectural constraints. For quick and secure installation, the IsoFlare series incorporates a patented toolless dog leg mounting mechanism on all models.

Celestion’s

of the cabinet’s integral structure, for increased rigidity under a minimal system weight. It has 5.3Ω system impedance for efficient amplifier channel loading when assembled in multiples; an array of six 12-inch woofers can be driven by one Sentinel channel.

The integrated factory presets in the ALC drive processor offer gain, phase, array length and filtering matching with all Alcons pro-ribbon sound systems.

www.alconsaudio.com

loudspeakers. Featuring a modern industrial design that is said to complement any space, as well as high-efficiency transformers with a flat response, the AS Series brings “high-end performance and an upgraded aesthetic to the surface-mount category”. The series is available in five full-range models, including a 4-, 5-, 6-, 8and 10-inch model, along with a 10-inch subwoofer. Each loudspeaker supports multiple mounting options, including yokes, universal brackets, and VESA compatibility.

Available in black or white, the UL1480-listed and IP55-rated speakers are constructed from weather-resistant materials, making the line suitable for all types of applications, particularly in wet or high humidity areas.

The manufacturer has also unveiled its AS Series of all-weather, surface-mount

www.atlasied.com

Lynchback DSR joins the (Speaker)Mix

EXPANDING ITS collection of Dynamic Speaker Response (DSRs), Celestion has announced the addition of the G12-50GL Lynchback collection. Capturing the sound and feel of a speaker’s dynamic, non-linear response, the Lynchback joins the collection of Celestion DSRs designed for use with SpeakerMix Pro, a DAW plugin offering a range of guitar and bass speaker tones.

Created to meet the standards of metal guitarist George Lynch, the G12-50GL Lynchback speaker delivers the vintage tone of a G12M Greenback with the additional capability of producing a

harder, more aggressive sound on demand. Available individually or as a complete set, the Celestion Lynchback DSR files are captured with three studio microphones – a Shure SM57, a

Royer R-121 ribbon mic and a Sennheiser MD421 – and include five cabinet configurations: 1x12 (both open and closed back), 2x12 (both open and closed back) and 4x12 (closed back). The addition of a Neumann TLM107 room mic provides the user with a number of different mic mixes and a range of tonal options.

www.celestion.com

IsoFlare

PRODUCTS

Added Xcellence from Amate

THE FIRST 18-inch subwoofer to incorporate the Active+ platform has been designed by Catalonian manufacturer Amate Audio. The Xcellence XW118 incorporates an 18-inch neodymium transducer and 4-inch voice coil with direct laminar bass-reflex radiation to produce a continuous 133dB musical program output. Powered by an internal 2,500W Class-D amplifier, DSP control parameters including gain, SPL limiter, crossover and EQ can be configured. Optional Ethernet or Wi-Fi control can be added via the Amate Audio DSPStudio application, together with the Active+ enabling Dante system connection. Within the 555mm x 740mm x 748mm outer birch wood structure is an inner design with asymmetric walls, reinforced to minimise

internal standing waves to attain high dynamics. Designed to be the perfect companion to any element from the Xcellence series, the 56.8kg XW118 is finished with a polyurea coating. Flexibility is enhanced with an M20 pole mount and hardware for suspending the subwoofer from a customised BRXW bumper and KR

THE PL Series of loudspeakers from Q-SYS is a portfolio of IP54-rated loudspeakers designed to fit a range of entertainment applications including auditoriums, houses of worship, theatres and small sports venues. With line arrays, point source speakers and subwoofers, the PL Series allows integrators to create optimal audio experiences for every

unique space. Meanwhile, the company claims that pairing with the Q-SYS Platform provides simplified setup, custom voicings, advanced telemetry, monitoring and customisable end user control.

PL-LA models are two-way passive line arrays (8- and 12-inch) designed for FOH in small to medium-sized venues and feature QSC’s

loudspeaker

DESIGNED FOR a wide range of applications, EAW’s MKD526 two-way, dual-woofer passive loudspeaker has made its debut. Delivering a high-output, broadband pattern control, the MKD526 has a maximum SPL of 127dB and an operating range covering 75Hz–20kHz. Its small profile and flexible accessories allow for discreet integration into a range of environments, including front fill, under-balcony fill, corporate events, bars or restaurants. It is also equipped with EAW features such as Focusing, Dyno and Symmetry of Sources technology to ensure consistency throughout the coverage pattern.

In addition, EAW’s SB210 dual 10-inch subwoofer has been launched as a low-frequency support solution. The latest addition to the SB Series product line is designed for installations with limited space and features a unique driver mounting and ultra-low turbulence port design to maximise the cone and front areas; EAW says this results in a powerful acoustic performance. The fixture also has integrated M10

The PL-SUB are passive subwoofers (10-, 12-, 15- and 18-inch). The two larger models offer omnidirectional or cardioid coverage when deploying two or more subwoofers. As a native Q-SYS endpoint, all are compatible with the Q-SYS Control engine, while the Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager enables full remote monitoring and management.

rigging kit. A software preset for cardioid mode includes a three-unit configuration for a 20dB reduction in low frequencies onstage.

The Active+ control platform can be monitored and configured from a 3.5-inch GUI colour touchscreen. Advanced FIR (Finite Impulse Response) is employed in providing total system phase linearity, ensuring no group delays over the entire frequency response, including highorder parametric EQs. Amate Audio’s proprietary over-voltage circuit provides added protection. In combination with the universal power supply’s power factor correction, safe operation of the XW118 is assured under unstable mains conditions up to 400V.

www.amateaudio.com

MKD526

mounting and M20 pole mounting options. www.eaw.com

SOUNDTUBE ENTERTAINMENT has revealed its XT850-LED, a two-way outdoor loudspeaker system featuring integrated LED landscape lighting suitable for outdoor environments.

The 8-inch XT850-LED speaker distinguishes itself from standard speaker systems with its UV-, scratch-, chlorine- and weather-resistant features. These components are said to ensure its long-lasting performance and durability, even in challenging outdoor conditions.

The XT850-LED provides full-range background and foreground music capabilities, as well as paging functionalities. Its sealed, in-ground enclosure design delivers a low-end response and optimal off-axis performance. The speaker system also comes equipped with theft-resistant

mounting hardware and a weatherproof five-position tap switch for 25V/70.7V/100V applications, with a transformer bypass position. An IP55 rating reportedly underscores its resilience in outdoor settings.

The integration of omnidirectional LED strips into the speaker’s enclosure creates warm pathway lighting. With a 3,000K warm-white colour temperature, the LEDs are compatible with third-party dimmer switches. Additionally, the XT850-LED can be conveniently powered by a conventional 12V landscape lighting transformer (not included), and multiple XT850-LED units can be run off a single transformer depending on its power capacity.

www.mseaudio.com

Bose Professional and Powersoft share the power

Max impact for Biamp

conference rooms equipped with a dedicated UC

Sennheiser extends the TeamConnect family with Bar Solutions

SENNHEISER HAS entered the unified communications AV bar market with an all-in-one device for small and mid-sized meeting rooms and collaboration spaces. With the addition of the TeamConnect (TC) Bar solutions to the TeamConnect family, Sennheiser now offers

enables seamless transition between presenters and offers freedom of movement and configuration within the space. Integrated DSP, together with Sennheiser Control Cockpit, allows users to further optimise the room acoustics. An automatic conference and music mode switch is included

blind mounted from below the ceiling. Magnetic grille plates are available in white, black and red, but can be painted to match the room décor. Reducing cabling, the C-IC6 directly integrates with the four-channel PoE+ Tesira AMP-450BP amplifier.

The Voltera A Series half-rack power amplifiers are designed for smaller applications. Capable of producing 300W or 600W across either two or four channels in either 4Ω, 8Ω, 70V or 100V operation, the four models support power sharing for delivering twice the power by any channel.

With the EasyConnect MPX 100 media switcher, Biamp has simplified BYOM calls for

Shhhh!

CONNECTIVITY SPECIALIST

has redesigned its silentPLUG instrument ¼-inch jack plug with an upgraded version which replaces the previous model. The NP2XX silentPLUG features a two-compound housing with a metal shell, enhanced with a rubberised overlay for improved shock protection and better haptic experience.

Hermetically sealed switching contacts are said to ensure a

primary UC host system and connects to the inroom AV peripherals. The EasyConnect MPX 100 connects via USB or HDMI and mounts behind the display with cables to the table provided. A panel includes USB ports and HDMI 2.0 for displays up to 4K resolution.

In brief, the manufacturer has also released the Modena Max Connect and Room Control for UC Systems. Modena Max Connect enables users to join a meeting instantly with any device and using any video collaboration experience, including UC platforms or messaging apps.

support large and mid-sized rooms as well as an intelligent speaker for smaller meetings. Designed for small (TeamConnect Bar S) and medium-sized (TeamConnect Bar M) meeting and collaboration spaces, each product can operate as a standalone solution. Designed to integrate with any meeting platform, the TC Bar S features four microphones with two speakers, while the TC Bar M comprises six microphones plus four speakers. The TC Bar can be integrated into a room design with multiple mounting options, including wall mount, VESA mount, tabletop or freestanding. The option of using Dante for adding extension mics or a second external USB camera provides added scalability. The full-range stereo speakers with optimised passive radiators provide natural speech and intelligibility. Integrated beamforming technology

to clearly see everyone in the room, the 4K Ultra HD camera is enhanced with AI features, including “Autoframing” and “Person Tiling”.

The TC Bars are compatible with major Media Control Systems from Sennheiser’s Alliance Partners. For basic adjustments, several features, including zoom and person tiling, are accessible on the remote control. The TC Bar solutions come with password-protected security configuration. The communication to the Sennheiser Control Cockpit, as well as thirdparty media control systems, is encrypted using industry-standard Transport Layer Security 1.2. The TC Bars also support IEEE 802.1x network authentication and, for additional privacy, a lens cap is included.

www.sennheiser.com

longer functioning lifespan for the connector. The silentPLUG automatically mutes an instrument cable to avoid pops and squeals when changing the instrument under load.

The integrated and patent-pending silent switch is based on REED technology and guarantees a lifetime beyond 1,000 mating

Extron addresses flexibility

EXTRON HAS introduced the XPA Ultra FX Series of eight- and four-channel multizone audio power amplifiers. The units allow for a single amplifier to be set up in a variety of configurations to support large systems with multiple speaker types, can simultaneously drive 8Ω, 4Ω, 70V and 100V loads and are configurable per channel.

Each channel of an adjacent pair dynamically draws power from the pair’s total wattage, delivering optimal power where it’s needed, according to system requirements. XPA Ultra FX amplifiers feature Extron’s InstaWake+ technology,

providing the ability to return to full power from standby in under 5ms. This reportedly ensures that no part of the audio is cut off. The fan-cooled enclosure can be part of a high-tech aesthetic or hidden away in a rack, without requiring adjacent empty space for ventilation. Offering 200W per channel, the XPA U 2008 FX eight-channel amplifier and XPA U 2004 FX four-channel amplifier are intended to be go-to solutions for any multizone applications requiring mixed speaker impedances and power levels.

www.extron.com

WITH THE launch of the PowerShareX Designed to integrate with Bose Professional

THE DESONO loudspeaker series has been

Desono C-IC6 and DX-IC6LP

AMX expands control to third-party devices

THE CE SERIES from AMX is a family of professional-grade universal control extenders said to deliver hardware control to any system that supports IP connectivity. The units have been designed for corporate spaces, colleges and universities, and government facilities. There are four models available: the CE-IO4 with four I/O ports, the CE-IRS4 with four IR/S ports, the CE-REL8 with eight relays and the CE-COM2 with two serial ports.

An open control API makes it simple to integrate CE extenders with any IP control systems or apps and the integrated web interface enables configuration without specialised applications. Harman’s HControl protocol enables auto-discovery by nextgeneration AMX control processors and other Harman Professional products. PoE power and a compact footprint simplify installation and concealment.

Harman Professional Solutions has also introduced AMX MUSE, described as a next-generation automation platform capable of simultaneously processing multiple scripting languages, supporting no-code and low-code capabilities and simplifying

Hall Technologies debuts AIM and Astro products

routine development tasks, opening up the possibilities for technicians and IT managers of all skillsets to deliver advanced automation in a modern market. MUSE will also enable users to work in standard IDEs with the ability to mass deploy across forthcoming purpose-built controllers and MUSE-embedded Harman devices. MUSE natively supports Harman’s new HControl protocol (open-API), HiQnet (legacy Harman audio devices) and ICSP (legacy AMX control devices).

Finally, the SVSI N4321D audio transceivers with Dante and AES67 have been unveiled. The transceivers are suitable for corporate

applications, colleges and universities, casinos, convention and entertainment centres, or anyone needing robust Dante, AES67 or PCM networked audio-over-IP and analogue transcoding at an affordable price point. The N4321D connects independent IP and analogue audio networks and supports balanced and unbalanced analogue audio. Whether the project requires converting from PCM to Dante, Dante to analogue, analogue to AES67 or nearly any other combination of these technologies, these transceivers are said to simplify networked audio integration.

pro.harman.com

VR audio mixing becomes a reality

PROVIDING VR and AR game audio designers with the ability to preview and tweak their sound creations directly ingame during creation, immersive audio expert Dear Reality has announced its Spatial Connect for Wwise project. Spatial Connect is an in-headset mixing workflow developed in close collaboration with game studios and with technical support from Audiokinetic, the manufacturer of the Wwise audio middleware. The solution is said to significantly improve the workflow for

With Spatial Connect for Wwise, game audio engineers can mix directly in the headset, reducing context switching and enabling them to work more intuitively on spatial audio in the immersive environment itself. Designers will have direct in-headset access to the Wwise mixers, including the ability to solo and mute. Gesturecontrolled audio mixing enables game audio designers to handle the 3D space more intuitively by working in context. Audio designers can control levels, attenuation curves as well as maximum distances and are immediately able to perceive

and UH-BTX 70m and 100m HDBaseT extender sets. All of the manufacturer’s AIM products have been designed to extend signals from laptops to projectors or flat panels displays in classrooms or meeting rooms. The AIM-70 and AIM-100 support resolutions up to 4K@60Hz and HDCP 2.2 over Catx cables and support bidirectional IR and RS-232 pass-through.

The ASTRO2-4 is an extender kit for USB 2.0 devices such as interactive flat

for signal extension for up to four USB devices. The ASTRO2-4 supports high-speed USB 2.0 (up to 480Mbps) devices over a Catx cable. Up to four USB 2.0 device connections are available, while the ASTRO2-4 can also be used for connectivity for soft-codec applications, such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

www.halltechav.com

Minimal controls, maximum reduction

CEDAR AUDIO’S VoicEX voice extractor is a real-time AI noise reduction tool that the company says is a completely new approach to voice extraction and incorporates unique algorithmic capabilities. VoicEX identifies the voices in a signal and creates two audio streams: one containing just the voices, and one containing everything else. With just one knob to determine the loudness of the background and another to control the loudness of the speech, the signal is simple to control; reducing the background removes the noise without affecting the timbre of the voices, while reducing the voices reveals more of the background. Users can increase either to emphasise that part of the signal.

CEDAR Cambridge 14 is also now available. In addition to VoicEX, Trinity Enhance Plus has been designed specifically for audio forensic use. It provides six related tools that allow

users to suppress background noise, increase the intelligibility of speech and enhance the background if that contains wanted detail. The Isolate blind source separation module identifies

and separates individual audio sources within a livestream or recording obtained using a suitable microphone array, while the Mixer module allows users to monitor selected signals obtained from Isolate, allowing them to mix wanted sources to identify and reconstruct conversations from its multichannel output. Time Stretch has been optimised for speech signals so that users can adjust the speed of signals within the 20–200% range, without altering their pitch, and offers four modes to preserve the quality of different types of signal. Voice activity detection saves users time when processing long files with intermittent speech content.

www.cedar-audio.com

In-headset

CABLE MANUFACTURER KLOTZ AIS has released its PD1 Pro Digital Patch Series with the thin and ultra-flexible OT1000 “slim patch” cable for AES/EBU and DMX signals with high-quality KLOTZ XLR 3p or XLR 5p connectors.

The use of this

high flexibility. The “slim patch” cables of the PD1 series transmit digital signals such as AES/EBU and DMX, as well as analogue microphone and line audio signals, and are available in cable lengths

areas. The laser-optimised 50μm special fibres result in an effective modal bandwidth (EMB) of ≥4,700MHz/km @ 850nm that can enable transmission rates of 10Gb/s up to 550m. High macro and micro bending performance values have resulted in advanced fibre mechanical properties, including a wide temperature range (–55°C to +85°C), low kink sensitivity, high transverse pressure resistance and extremely tight bending radii.

DiGiCo demonstrates deterministic connectivity with AVB

of 95%. According to the manufacturer, this ensures a stable shielding in combination with very

transmit large amounts of data without any problems. The OM4 fibre benefits from increased bandwidths in all application

Made in Germany according to product specification IEC 60793-2-10 and in compliance with the Ethernet standard IEEE802, the latest fibre-optic cables with OM4 fibre are downwards compatible with older fibre categories (OM3, OM2).

www.klotz-ais.com

Tasker heads to the amusement park

IT’S BEEN more than 60 years since the first theme park opened in Los Angeles. Today, customer requirements and taste are varied, so to meet the needs of these installations, Tasker has developed a dedicated range of highly resistant products, suited for outdoor applications.

The TSK403 and C128 have been designed for use with high-fidelity speakers and microphones. The first one has a 2x2.5mm² section and a high fire-resistant sheath; the second is a balanced 2x0.35mm² shielded cable with a flame-retardant sheath and is resistant to trampling, abrasion, water and UV rays.

For high-definition footage, the HDSDI T42 PUR coaxial cable can be used for distances up to 100m, maintaining definition thanks to the 0.8mm stranded conductor and the double braid shielding. For monitoring, the double sheathed C728 PUR (Cat.6A S/FTP) is particularly suitable for outdoors. This cable allows users to link the newest equipment, maintaining mechanical

characteristics of the C728 PUR but is also

For video surveillance, Tasker produces LSZH sheaths, different types of coaxial cables and a number of control lines that can be used as a power line to cameras. And with the C149 LSZH, customers can do all these things using For fire protection, the manufacturer has unveiled a range of products with CPR Homologation Cca and B2ca

Finally, a Cat.6 S/UTP cable has recently joined the catalogue. The C729 is resistant to a direct flame for two hours up to temperatures of 850°C while maintaining signal

Seeking feedback on assistive tech

WITH THE ability to deliver better audio to people with hearing loss, Williams AV has unveiled its Bluetooth Auracast technology for the pro AV market. The company believes its assistive communication concept can create new opportunities for AV professionals and has added Auracast technology to its range of FM, infrared, Wi-Fi, digital and induction loop technology. The

Auracast platform can simultaneously deliver up to 20 audio broadcasts to an

loss, as well as broadly deliver audio in public

Meanwhile, the manufacturer has also unveiled the newest member of its portable, wireless digital product family – the Digi-Wave AIM transceiver. According to Williams AV, the Digi-Wave AIM – with AIM standing for Advanced Interpretation Module – has been developed due to the growing customer demand for a feature-rich, portable language interpretation solution to support a variety of bilingual and multilingual scenarios. While the current Digi-Wave 400 transceivers include an interpretation mode, the Digi-Wave

DIGICO HAS deepened its commitment to the Avnu Alliance with the introduction of its Milan-certified DMI-AVB module. The DMI card module provides reliable Audio Video Bridging (AVB) networking and interoperability between any of DiGiCo’s DMI card slot-equipped consoles and any other system component on a shared Milan AVB network.

Compatible with all of DiGiCo’s Quantum range, the SD12 and any other console via DiGiCo’s outboard Orange Box, the digital 64x64 AVB card supports both 48kHz and 96kHz formats and supplies eight streams of eight-channel audio with extremely low latency. The DMI-AVB also supports Master/Slave clock mode. DiGiCo joins a host of professional audio manufacturers who have adopted the IEEE’s open-standard AVB technology, including d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics and Meyer Sound.

“As pro audio’s only deterministic network protocol, Milan has proven to be robustly stable and reliably high-quality,” said DiGiCo MD, Austin Freshwater. “As industry professionals increasingly turn to the protocol for its many advantages, we’re pleased to now natively bring our consoles into the Milan ecosystem.”

AIM transceiver streamlines two-way interpretation and includes the advanced functionality customers have requested. The AIM mode includes all of the current features of the Digi-Wave 400 series, including intercom and courtroom modes, and now comes with a new Q&A mode for easy question-and-answer sessions. This makes it suitable for international meetings and bilingual tours, with the ability to switch between two languages and multiple open mics for each language.

www.williamsav.com

Digi-Wave AIM

Audinate partners with ASPEED for Dante AV-A

WITH INITIAL support from nine AV manufacturers, Audinate has announced a partnership with ASPEED Technology to extend Dante AV to its AV-over-IP chipset. Dubbed Dante AV-A, the version has been optimised to work on the ASPEED AST1530/1535 SoC (System on Chip).

ASPEED says the partnership allows it to prequalify Dante as part of the AST1530/1535 SoC and make it available to ASPEED customers through its SDK, making it as easy as possible for OEMs and ODMs to add Dante AV to their products. From multi-input to multi-output with high-definition content delivery, ASPEED SoCs are used extensively by manufacturers in the pro AV

Listen Technologies launches ListenWIFI

including continuous system monitoring, audit logs and user access control.

Manufacturing partners who have licensed Dante AV-A include AMX by Harman, Aurora Multimedia, AVPro Global, Cypress, GoMax, HDCVT, ProAVIT, SY Electronics and WyreStorm.

With the launch of Dante Professional Services, Audinate is aiming to help consultants, integrators and end users navigate the complexities of a fast-paced AVoIP world. Dante Professional Services can be used as an additional resource to design, deploy and manage Dante systems. It also provides access to Audinate’s networked AV expertise for creating comprehensive

WITH THE ListenWIFI product suite, Listen Technologies has developed the next generation of its Listen Everywhere,

requirements and to simplify audio access for guests. Making ListenWIFI a global assistive listening system, the

international compliance requirements when used with signage and neck loops. The LWR-1050 receivers can access ListenWIFI app on their Alternatively, the audio accessed LWR-1050, which does not require Wi-Fi connection or an

The ListenWIFI LA-490

industry. The AST1530/1535 SoC AV-over-IP chipset is specifically designed for pro audio and video applications taking advantage of industry-standard IP networks.

Dante AV-A delivers high-quality video up to 4Kp60 4:4:4 resolution and two channels of Dante audio that are compatible with Dante audio products, simplifying distributed AV system design. Independently routable audio and video flows mean breaking out audio to installed DSPs, amps or speakers is simple, while its ultra-low video latency looks and feels natural for in-room video distribution.

As part of the Dante AV family of solutions, Dante Controller software handles all audio and video device routing, while Dante Domain Manager provides IT-level management

system designs, design reviews and recommendations, or when a neutral third party is needed to resolve technical issues.

According to the manufacturer, its connections with Dante OEMs, network hardware manufacturers, consultants and integrators make it “uniquely qualified to provide expert guidance, ensuring successful Dante deployments”. Available services include discovery, system design, design review and consulting, network migration and upgrade planning, existing network fit-forpurpose evaluations, Dante Domain Manager implementation planning and customised onsite or remote training.

www.audinate.com

AN AVB/MILAN module has joined DirectOut’s Prodigy Series of audio converters and processors. The Milan.IO module supports up to 128 audio c h annels at 1FS and marks the manufacturer’s entry into the AVB/Milan community having recently joined the Avnu Alliance. The Milan.IO features two redundant gigabit network interfaces with RJ45 or SFP options, managed via an internal AVB switch. With a sample rate range from 44.1–192kHz, it is said to improve flexibility. Additionally, the module

supports optional HD SRC technology, enabling state-of-the-art sample rate conversion and providing an alternative to FastSRC.

The company has also expanded its range of supported audio network formats with the addition of AVB/Milan to its existing line-up, which includes Dante, RAVENNA/ AES67 and SoundGrid. With the PRODIGY.MP multifunction audio processor, equipped with two audio network slots, customers can now bridge AVB/Milan and Dante or any other supported audio network, as

their hearing aids or cochlear implant. Applications for ListenWIFI include assistive listening, language interpretation, streaming audio from video or TV screens and audio description. While previous versions of Listen Technologies’ audio-over-Wi-Fi solution had similar applications, the ListenWIFI platform features the latest hardware, including LWR-1050 dedicated receivers, LA-490 ListenWIFI Beacons, two-, four-, eight- and 16-channel servers

trigger the LWR-1050 receivers and users’ smartphones to stream audio a specific range of the unit. ListenWIFI determine the coverage area and which channels a user can access.

The new ListenWIFI servers are available in two-, four-, eight- and 16-channel configurations. ListenWIFI Manager software for Windows manages the ListenWIFI system and enables venues to program the entire ListenWIFI platform, including the LWR-1050 receivers, LA-490 Beacons, mobile apps and servers. Audio channels can be password protected and QR codes can be generated to access

Clockaudio interface streamlines system integration

CLOCKAUDIO, IN

Sound Control Technologies (SCT), has created the Sound RM-C303 adaptor, designed so that field engineers can easily extend Clockaudio’s tri-element array hanging ceiling microphone, the C303-RF, over Cat5e or Cat6 cable back to the Codec. This collaboration allows the C303-RF to interface with a Cisco Codec via a simple plug-andplay SCT adaptor.

www.clockaudio.com

www.soundcontrol.net

Taking creativity to the next level

YAMAHA HAS announced the DM7 Series of professional digital mixers, said to deliver next-level efficiency and agility for creative sound engineers. Designed to deliver intuitive operation, reliability and highquality sound to achieve a maximum level performance, the DM7 Series offers four purchase options, including a 120-channel (DM7) and 72-channel (DM7 Compact) mixing console, each with an additional control expansion unit (CTL-DM7).

The channel strip features the four varieties of channel EQ from the flagship RIVAGE PM Series alongside the new FET Limiter and Diode Bridge Compressor.

Both the DM7 and DMC7 are equipped with 64 channels of Dan Dugan auto-mixing. Also included are a range of Yamaha’s Virtual Circuitry Modelling (VCM) plugins, such as the Portico 5033 equaliser and Portico 5043 compressor/limiter (created in cooperation with Rupert Neve Designs), as well as the

The DM7 can process 120 input channels and features 32 local inputs and 16 local outputs. The DM7 Compact can process 72 channels, has 16 local inputs and 16 local outputs. Both models feature up to 144 in/ out Dante networking at 96kHz, 48 mix, 12 matrix and two stereo busses. With the purchase of the CTL-DM7, the mixing console provides more tactile encoders and faders for increased flexibility. The DM7 Series can be used with 1st and 2nd Generation Yamaha R Series I/O racks and unlocks their 96kHz functionality. In addition to Rios, the DM7 supports a wide range of Dante devices to provide scalable

DaNSe dynamic noise suppressor and Dynamic EQ.

Two large 12.1-inch multitouch screens (one on the DM7 Compact) contain Yamaha’s familiar “touch and turn” knobs. A new Selected Channel View displays a list of information on individual channels, allowing quick access to the parameters, and the overview screen for analogue mixer-like operation. A histogram display has also been added to the input meters to help manage head amp levels. In brief, the manufacturer has also announced that its CS-800 Video Sound Bar has been certified for Microsoft Teams.

www.yamaha.com/proaudio

DM7 Series

Audio-Technica expands its 20 Series

THE AT2020USB-XP cardioid condenser USB microphone is the latest addition to Audio-Technica’s 20 Series content creation products. Building on the AT2020USB-X USB condenser model, the AT2020USB-XP includes the same silent touch-sensitive mute switch, built-in headphone jack with volume control and personal mix control to allow for monitoring of the microphone, as well as plug-and-play USB Type-C operation. Additions and improvements for the AT2020USB-XP include a 24-bit/192kHz sampling rate, three levels of noise reduction

(via selector switch with LED indicator), automatic gain control (with LED indicator) and the inclusion of a clip-on pop filter. The microphone’s directional pickup (cardioid) keeps the focus on the voice or other chosen sound source, while its high-resolution A/D converter is said to ensure extremely clear, natural sound reproduction. A two-state LED indicator ring lights blue to indicate that the microphone is receiving USB power and lights red when audio is muted at the microphone. The LED indicator also blinks when peak audio level is reached.

DPA announces more microphone kits

AFTER THE successful launch of its DDK4000 Drum Microphone Kit, DPA Microphones has added several other professional sound microphone kits. The additions will provide audio engineers with a selection of high-quality condenser mics for a range of purposes. The bundles include the DLK4000 Live Microphone Kit, DSK4001 Studio Microphone Kit, DRK4001 Ultimate Recording Kit and DLS4000 Location Sound Kit.

Offering a microphone and accessory selection for touring sound engineers, the DLK4000 Live Microphone Kit features 20 mics and capsules, along with accessories said to enhance sound quality, clarity and consistency. Included in the kit are mics for lead and backup vocals as well as instrument mics for close-miking any live instrument. To further equip the entire live stage, the kit’s line-up features various pencil mics, which are suitable for spot-miking instrument groups or capturing ambient sounds. Accessories such as extension cables, mic clips, mounts and wind screens reportedly provide easy setup and breakdown, no matter the instrument.

HXII-DPL delivers IP on an XLR backbone

BRIDGING THE gap for facilities relying on XLR audio cabling for intercom, Clear-Com’s

The microphone comes with a custom desk stand and clip-on pop filter, 3⁄8-inch-16 to -inch-27 threaded adapter and 3.1m USB-C to USB-A cable with a USB-A to USB-C adapter. The AT8455 shock mount, to effectively absorb vibration noise, is sold separately.

In brief, Audio-Technica has announced integration between its ATND1061DAN beamforming ceiling array microphone and a wide range of AVer PTZ cameras designed for video collaboration.

www.audio-technica.com

For those miking more in the studio than on the stage, the DSK4001 Studio Microphone Kit has been designed for small home studios and large professional spaces alike. The condenser mics are suitable for recording bands, vocals and anything in between. This medium-sized kit contains both instrument and vocal mics, as well as a wide variety of helpful clips and holders, allowing for simple setup when close-miking a single instrument or spot-miking an entire group. The DRK4001 Ultimate Recording Kit features over 24 DPA condenser microphones and close to 100 functional accessories. The DRK4001 can additionally aid in live-stage recordings.

Finally, the DLS4000 Location Sound Microphone Kit features all the standard TV/film production solutions, along with cables, holders, concealers, adapters and clips. From shotguns for booming to micro-shotguns for discreet plant-miking and a range of lavaliers for close-miking, each mic included in the kit has been chosen based on input from professional sound engineers.

www.dpamicrophones.com

devices, as well as support for Clear-Com’s range of FreeSpeak Digital Wireless Systems. HXII-DPL connects to an existing Arcadia system or XLR cabling infrastructure via its own network port to provide Powerline connectivity via threepin XLR anywhere on the network.

Multiple HXII-DPL Powerline Devices can be added to increase HelixNet User Station capacity and allow for greater user density

Mackie innovates for all with DLZ Creator

WITH THE launch of the DLZ Creator, Mackie has designed an all-in-one podcasting and streaming audio solution for content creators.

Station System (or legacy HMS-4X Main Station). Arcadia-based systems open a world of digital audio connectivity for HelixNet users, including IP transceivers and third-party Dante

With support for up to seven HelixNet beltpacks on a single line, the device can use passively split audio cabling similar to traditional analogue partyline systems without humming or buzzing. The system also features visual indicators to resolve any up-and-downstream cabling and overload issues.

www.clearcom.com

Integrating Mackie’s Mix Agent technology, the digital podcast mixer and interface assists, automates and guides setup for users. With its fully adaptable interface, equipped with DLZ control modes and a suite of processing, the DLZ Creator is said to provide pro-quality podcasting for users of all levels.

Key features include Control Modes (easy, enhanced and pro) that transform the touch display from simple and intuitive to advanced and detailed, according to the individual user’s skill

level, without compromising processing power or audio quality. The Mix Agent setup assistant provides easy setup and automates functions, whereas Pro Mode can control and customise the mixer according to individual choice. The AutoMix manages levels for up to four mics, ensuring podcasters and their guests can be heard, when everyone speaks at the same time. The inclusion of Onyx80 mic preamps is said to promote superior audio quality.

The DLZ Creator can record or stream multitrack audio to a computer or USB-C, or directly to an SD card.

www.mackie.com

“Everything I/O” ecosystem of remote audio expanders with the DX88-P, a 96kHz expander designed for fixed installations. Featuring eight mic/line inputs and eight outputs on Phoenix connectors, the DX88-P can augment the analogue I/O of an AHM audio matrix processor and is also compatible with A&H’s dLive, Avantis and SQ digital mixers. Rack-mountable in pairs in a 1U rack, firmware updates are automatically performed by the connected mixer to minimise support time.

Meanwhile, the release of V1.4 firmware and System Manager for the AHM range of

Low latency for large projects with Focusrite’s PCIeNX Dante interface

features with a visual interface for creating and managing layouts of up to 16 rooms. Room levels, source selectors and dividers can be controlled by A&H’s IP range of PoE-powered controllers, GPIO or by third parties via TCP. The company’s Custom Control has also been updated to V1.4 to support room combining via a WYSIWYG widget. Other new features include speaker processing enhancements, channel metering on the AHM-16 and AHM-32 front panel, and workflow refinements to System Manager.

www.allen-heath.com

Maximum performance

SYMETRIX HAS unveiled the xIO XLRSeries of wall-mounted, mic/line, Danteenabled endpoints which include an ultrahigh performance audio signal path using the same studio-grade mic preamps and AD/DA signal chain as the manufacturer’s top-performing DSP. The endpoints are described as providing intelligibility and accuracy to maximise performance of the entire system.

Features include

studio-grade AD/DA and transparent mic preamps with up to 51dB of gain adjustable in 3dB increments. The endpoints are Danteenabled with sample rates up to 96K. The front-panel RGB LED for each connector can be programmed to reflect any system parameter such as signal presence, clip, mute or preset, or they can easily be blacked out. Integrated buttons are flush with the faceplate and can control any function of the system. In combination, the bright indicators and control buttons allow for rapid, onsite diagnostics and management of a system. The endpoints are available in four models that can be matched to any need. They are said to simplify setup and deliver a sophisticated look and feel in light and dark finishes.

A raised bezel and proprietary thumb notch ease connector attachment and removal. The vertically oriented network port is accompanied by an integrated stress-release attachment point and the Decora-compatible faceplate snaps into place without visible screws. Each xIO XLR is constructed of die-

cast zinc. The design incorporates a unique XLR mounting method that protects internal components and electronics.

The manufacturer has also added a new size to its T-Series touchscreens. The T-7 Glass is described as a “just right-sized addition”

FOCUSRITE HAS debuted the PCIeNX, an ultra-low-latency, high-channel count PCIe Dante interface capable of supporting 128x128 channels at up to 192kHz. The interface has primarily been created for postproduction professionals working in Dolby Atmos, as it provides the ability to integrate high-channel-count Dante audio seamlessly with the Dolby Renderer. However, commercial recording studios and music production facilities will also be able to benefit from the interface’s ability to support high channel counts of uncompressed audio with very low latency.

Crest

The PCIeNX is both PC and Mac compatible, including the latest Apple Silicon, and integrates with existing Dante hardware. Two Ethernet RJ45 connections offer both switched and redundant modes, giving flexibility of connectivity as well as the option to have a secondary network in mission-critical situations. The device works with RedNet Control, which provides a single application for control and monitoring of all RedNet devices on a network.

www.focusrite.com

Audio reveals

PCX 1616 processor

CREST AUDIO has unveiled the PCX 1616 digital matrix speaker management processor. Featuring 32 input and 32 output channels, together with 16 analogue I/Os and 16 digital I/Os via an optional Dante rd, audio signals can be routed in multiple configurations. Hosting loudspeaker

Alternatively, an RJ45 Ethernet port, located at the back panel, promotes a higher-resolution GUI configuration for control with the PCX Editor Software via a back-panel Ethernet or front-panel USB interface. Serial control is possible via RS-232 and RS-485.

tested and simulated before being deployed, allowing the user to create multiple pages, custom controls, backgrounds and logos.

Symetrix touchscreens fit in any US or Euro double-gang receptacle and are designed to fit with any décor. There is no need for external power supplies, since Symetrix touchscreens are powered over Ethernet.

www.symetrixinc.com

management functions in addition to matrix mixing, room combining and other audio processing functions, the rack-mountable PCX 1616 can be applied to both fixed installation and portable sound applications. Crossover filters are fully adjustable, so that any input can be routed to any output via the digital matrix system. A 96kHz sample rate processing, an AD/DA interface (24-bit Delta Sigma) and filter response are also included.

Crest Audio’s software and DSP algorithms combine to manage, configure and protect the FOH, monitor and multi-zone speaker systems.

A front panel is equipped with LEDs to visually indicate functioning signal paths.

Each input and output features fivesegment LED meters. Input features include gain, mute, HP/LP, a five-band parametric equaliser, polarity and up to 680ms of delay. Each output features an additional five-band EQ, gain, compressor, limiter, polarity, delay, mute, crossover and band-pass filters. Additionally, the PCX 1616 comes with five-band PEQ and phase on both inputs and outputs, as well as +48V phantom power, noise gate, feedback and an Automix channel on input. Saved presets can be named with a descriptive text entry.

www.peaveycommercialaudio.com

xIO XLR-Series

DX88-P

Lavoce grows up with 10and 12-inch coaxials

INTENDED FOR compact two- or three-way point source solutions, Lavoce Italiana has expanded its CSF range of Common HF/LF Magnet Coaxials with the addition of the 10and 12-inch CSF102.50K and CSF122.50K. Each uses a precision crafted Common “optimised flux” ferrite magnet and a robust steel basket. Like all

TASCAM upgrades classic field recorder

DESIGNED TO record audio for events, on-location shoots, content videos and general dialogue interviews, TASCAM has released the DR-10L Pro 32-bit float field recorder. Replacing the previous generation micro linear PCM model, the DR-10L Pro is equipped with a clip-on TM-10L lavalier microphone for capturing detailed audio while handling high SPLs. The default 32-bit float recording mode employs dual ADCs to capture audio across a wide dynamic range without distortion or having to fine-tune gain levels. Weighing 65g, the DR-10L Pro’s lightweight form factor enhances discretion, and a belt clip can be attached securely to clothing.

Up to five DR-10L Pro units can be remotely controlled wirelessly with the DR-10L Pro CONNECT app using the optional AK-BT1 Bluetooth dongle.

In addition to controlling up to five DR-10L Pro units remotely, the DR-10L Pro CONNECT app enables videographers to check device status and view

CSF102.50K

coaxials, the LF and HF voice coils are in closer unification than traditional coaxial designs to better combine their acoustic centres. Lavoce says this improves coherency, dispersion and alignment optimisation.

Using the same motor structure, both units feature 300W AES power handling, 97dB sensitivity for the LF, 60W AES power handling and 105dB sensitivity for the HF. The LF woofer uses a 2.5-inch edgewound, copper-clad aluminium voice coil on a glass fibre former and the polyimide diaphragm and surround for the HF uses a 1.75-inch edgewound copper-clad aluminium voice coil on a Kapton former.

With 70° nominal coverage, the CSF102.50K offers 65Hz 20kHz, while the CSF122.50K offers a 45Hz 20kHz frequency response. The addition of double demodulating rings lowers harmonics and intermodulation distortion.

www.lavocespeakers.com

the recorded waveforms in real time for operation confirmation. Enabling videographers to align audio recordings with video, even when there is no audio on the camera, the AK-BT1 Bluetooth dongle also enables the DR-10L Pro to wirelessly sync timecode with Atomos products.

Powered by two lithium AAA batteries, it

a complimentary version of iZotope’s audio repair and noise reduction software, RX Elements. The integrated USB Type-C port connects an extra battery when required in addition to providing data exchange with computers.

Finally, following the release of Tascam’s Portacapture X6 32-bit float audio recorder, the company has issued a V1.10 firmware update, which includes the ability to save three device settings and three recording app settings to provide quick access to configurations for different recording projects, with each easily recalled from the launcher screen.

www.tascam.com

Blaze launches PowerZone Control V1.4

PASCAL SUBSIDIARY Blaze Audio has added new features to its PowerZone Control app for its PowerZone Connect full matrix DSP amplifiers with the arrival of V1.4 firmware. Featuring an enhanced interface, PowerZone Control V1.4 is described as a versatile DSP

With the free update, PowerZone Control V1.4 enables a true multizone matrix experience, allowing for the combination of inputs to create four separate mix groups which are available to send to any output. For simple control of special announcements,

the various zones. The new software also provides virtual parametric EQ on each analogue input and all outputs, including a high-pass filter that provides improved microphone speech clarity. Equally important, PowerZone Control V1.4’s S/PDIF output routing capability readily facilitates the routing of zones and inputs to S/PDIF and expands the scope of the installation with additional power amplifiers.

Recognising that the most important consideration for any installation is sound quality, the manufacturer has included a variety of loudspeaker presets that enable integrators to have extensive control for fine-tuning the sound. These cover commonly installed loudspeaker brands, including Bose, Yamaha, JBL and Sonance. Furthermore, the presets can be customised, renamed and saved using the PowerZone Control web app directly from a user’s phone.

www.blaze-audio.com

LEWITT releases new Connect 6 software updates

LEWITT HAS announced software updates for Connect 6, its dual USB-C audio interface. The Control Center software and firmware have been enhanced to offer new features and upgrades designed to optimise the user experience.

Control Center provides management of all software parameters, including hardware input/ output channels, DSP effects, three virtual stereo channels, two independent mix busses and a dedicated loopback channel.

Improved features in Control Center include an optimised auto-setup experience with extended options to customise a latency-free signal chain;

a stereo-link function for the two input channels, streamlining the adjustment of parameters for stereo synths and recordings; a smooth window resizing feature, reportedly providing compatibility with any screen size; and a relative fader link that enables level adjustments without altering the A/B mix, providing a more convenient setup.

The software is accompanied by new firmware which the manufacturer believes improves performance and stability, available at no additional cost for all current Connect 6 users.

www.lewitt-audio.com

DR-10L Pro

DYNACORD HAS announced the release of the latest update for its Sonicue Sound System Software, with version 1.3 including major enhancements to the MXE5 Matrix Mix Engine.

full potential of the MXE5’s signal processing capabilities, offering an extensive range of audio manipulation options with 36 inputs, 32 outputs and up to 128x128 internal cross points.

to the masses

As a central component of the Dynacord ecosystem, SONICUE Sound System Software allows users to configure, operate and control electronics such as L, C, IPX and TGX series power amplifiers and the MXE5 Matrix Mix Engine. The software also enables customised system control through networked panel controllers such as the TPC1 and WPN1, or via the SONICUE Control app on Windows or iOS devices.

One of the key highlights of the release is the introduction of free DSP configuration, which allows customers to leverage the MXE5’s open DSP architecture, providing users with unparalleled flexibility in structuring DSP configurations to meet their unique project requirements. The software unleashes the

Sonicue 1.3 also features an enhanced task engine that enables advanced logical tasking capabilities and seamless integration with thirdparty devices. Users can create system events with complex triggering options using the Task Engine. It is now possible to override scheduled events, allowing dynamic system response. In addition, it provides status updates to Sonicue Control devices. This is said to open new possibilities for system control and extends the MXE5’s interoperability with external devices. In situations where complex DSP is not required, the semi-fixed zone mixer is still a time-saving option and still accessible in the software.

www.dynacord.com

Dynacord releases Sonicue 1.3 A suite solution for control

K-ARRAY HAS introduced a suite of interconnected mobile apps to provide an ecosystem for systems designers and end

the K-array web app offers more comprehensive system configuration. For technical assistance during commissioning and for ongoing

AS MORE audio professionals look to leverage spatial audio in live, professional and consumer audio, the L-ISA 3.0 software platform from L-Acoustics aims to make investing in immersive technology easier with a range of features and mobile streaming capabilities. Tools include the FX Engine, Stereo Mapper and Snapshot Engine, as well as expanding the L-ISA ecosystem to qualified third-party applications and technologies.

L-ISA’s FX Engine allows designers to create movements and trajectories of any kind: reactive to the designer and reactive to other objects within L-ISA to create organic movements. The FX Engine includes customisable controls and behaviours that can be additively applied to unlimited objects. Meanwhile, although an increasing number of venues already possess L-ISA immersive audio configurations and 3D mixing capabilities, touring artists may not have content ready in an immersive format. For those artists, L-ISA 3.0’s

Stereo Mapper feature maps existing stereo content to an immersive speaker configuration without changing the original mix. Stereo Mapper distributes stereo content to an L-ISA configuration while conserving a similar power distribution as traditional left/right array configurations to retain the original stereo image and overall mix. Stereo Mapper also increases low-frequency coverage throughout the venue, while any out-fill speakers can be time aligned to either stereo or immersive,

making switching between stereo and spatial content seamless.

L-ISA’s updated Snapshot Engine provides more granularity and scope of what can be stored in snapshots, allowing users to choose which sources are visible at any given moment in time, with features such as source processing, delay and reverb providing more control over spatial mixes for both live sound and studio applications.

Its Edit Mode function allows users to visualise the position of audio sources in each snapshot, making it easier to follow an object’s position across the soundscape at a specific moment in time. Meanwhile, Preview Mode allows users to visualise the position of specific objects and make on-the-fly adjustments without any interruption or downtime. Preview Mode is available for both online and offline use.

Finally, the expansion of the L-ISA ecosystem has allowed integration for Mixhalo, a lowlatency networking technology that unlocks high-fidelity, augmented audio for fans at live events. Mixhalo streams multichannel audio to audiences via their own phones and headphones, all dynamically synced to the PA. Coupling Mixhalo with the L-ISA Processor II allows show designers to natively control Mixhalo augmented audio content directly from the processor and stream directly to mobile phones.

www.l-acoustics.com

Renkus-Heinz shines a light on OmniBeam

WITH THE launch of OmniBeam beamsteering technology, Renkus-Heinz has advanced its entire Renkus-Heinz steerable product line. Delivering enhanced audio and coverage for all venues, the OmniBeam algorithm replaces the previous

approach of UniBeam. The California-based manufacturer claims that customised coverage can be directed with precision into the exact geometry of every space.

www.renkus-heinz.com

users to interact with its products. This connected software suite consists of multiple elements.

K-FRAMEWORK is an offline software designed for 3D simulation and amplifier configuration. It enables users to simulate room coverage and then configure any amplifiers associated with connected loudspeakers.

Available on iOS and Android devices, the K-CONNECT mobile app streamlines access by allowing users to connect to any K-array amplifier hotspot with a scan of the QR code. The app offers browsing and modification of settings with a simplified user interface. Onsite,

monitoring, K-MONITOR provides efficient discovery tools.

K-array claims the software provides a fully connected suite of services for design, configuration, control and monitoring. While K-array amplifiers already have a dedicated operating system (OsKar) and a third-party control API with plugins available for control platforms like Q-SYS and Crestron, the company says this dedicated platform enables developers to create apps to extend the functionality of K-array amplifiers.

www.k-array.com

SSL Live V5.2 includes d&b Soundscape loudspeaker control

WITH LIVE V5.2, SSL has added control of the d&b Soundscape immersive loudspeaker system within the console’s ecosystem. The latest control solution can be activated on every input channel and stem to control key soundscape object parameters including XY Pan, Spread, En-Space Send, Delay Mode and

With the development of the UF1 DAW Control Centre, the UK brand has launched a single fader controller offering comprehensive control over a DAW environment. The UF1 incorporates a 100mm motorised fader, dual high-resolution displays, rubber keys and a weighted jog wheel within a metal chassis. In addition to controlling

Waves plugs in

WAVES HAS added four audio plugins to its growing catalogue. Following the success of its Clarity Vx and Clarity Vx Pro, the manufacturer has released two more AI reverb removal plugins: the Clarity Vx DeReverb Pro plugin, an advanced AI reverb removal for dialogue and vocals, and the Clarity Vx DeReverb plugin, an instant AI room and reverb removal for voice. The Clarity Vx DeReverb Pro comes with six flexible, precision-processing bands that allow users to only de-reverb problem frequencies, while added power offers the ability to push the processing bands up to 200% de-reverberation in areas that require it. The Clarity Vx DeReverb delivers instant removal of room sound and over-reverbed voice recordings. It aims to increase intelligibility and focus on the dialogue, making podcasts and video content sound more professional.

The Key Detector plugin is an AI-powered tool capable of precise key detection for any sample, track or full mix. It optimises workflow by integrating with Waves vocal tuning and harmonising plugins. Described as an “indispensable” time-saving tool for all music makers, Key Detector can give users the accurate key, even if the track is slightly

Tune, Waves Harmony and OVox Vocal ReSynthesis plugins.

The manufacturer has also announced that its plugins now run in OBS Studio, a popular software for livestreaming and video recording for Twitch and YouTube. When users install the free Waves StudioRack plugin chainer from Waves Central, they can insert StudioRack on any audio source from the filters menu in OBS Studio and continue loading their favourite Waves plugins inside StudioRack.

Finally, Waves has released Gems, a growing collection of creative effects, each designed with a unique sonic signature, available in Waves Creative Access

Mapping Area from the channel detail view. The object-based control of Soundscape and GUI design allows operators to manage multiple parameters simultaneously, which can then be stored and recalled from within the console’s show file and scene memories.

V5.2 software also delivers the enhanced Rehearsal and Recorder functionality, including multiple switching groups, flexible routing and locking override functions. Eight freely assignable switching groups can be used to manage multiple groups of instruments, or even different acts within the same show file, to create dynamic rehearsals. Combined with global and local switching options, plus override lock to functions per channel, switching individual channels is simplified between live and playback. Free routing of the channel record sends and returns allows any I/O to be used to record any console channel or bus. The bulk routing UI provides a fast setup to ensure all channel paths are recorded.

the DAW’s pans, sends and plugins, the UF1 can customise 46 soft keys to create visual feedback, intuitive control and integration with the new SSL Meter Plug-in and 360° software. Capable of controlling up to three DAWs simultaneously, the UF1 comes with profiles for Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Studio One, Ableton Live, LUNA and Pyramix. Dedicated transport controls together with a weighted jog wheel ensure efficient sessions and secondary transport keys can be customised to essential workflow shortcuts, such as loop on/off and click track on/off. Instant visual feedback of DAW track names, parameters, time display, the SSL Meter Plug-in and 360°-enabled channel strips in the SSL Plug-in Mixer are provided by dual high-resolution displays.

www.dbaudio.com

www.solid-state-logic.com

will even suggest the two next most likely scales by clicking on “Alternative Scales”. It also serves as the companion to Waves’ vocal tuning and harmonising plugins. For smooth vocal tuning and harmonising workflow, users can transmit the detected key to the Waves Tune Real-Time, Waves

Crestron creates hybrid solutions

WORKPLACE COLLABORATION

technology company Crestron has announced the largest expansion of its Crestron Digital Workplace portfolio to date with the introduction the Desk Q and Desk Touch for desk scheduling, and Flex Pods, a scalable tabletop wireless microphone and speaker platform. With Desk Q and Desk Touch, the manufacturer is aiming to provide desk scheduling solutions that result in a more welcoming and productive office environment. The compact form factor of the Desk Q with QR-code-based reservations is suitable for community workstations, hot desks and hotels, while the Desk Touch has been designed for semi-private offices, cubicles and stand-up spaces.

a fresh set of textures and instant creativity boosters. The Gems also include a few simple intuitive controls that let users shape vocals, create motion in instruments and add character to drums.

www.waves.com

The Flex Pods have been created to provide a simplified approach for adding high-quality tabletop audio to meeting spaces, transforming a room to work as needed for each meeting, without being confined to fixed in-ceiling microphones or speakers. The Flex Pods Hub is a wireless receiver that is connected to the room UC device and communicates wirelessly with multiple (up to four) Flex Pods that can be placed throughout the room. The Flex Pods can be deployed as part of a Crestron Flex or AirMedia Wireless Collaboration Kit or standalone to integrate with existing Crestron Flex C-Kits, AirMedia Receivers or other BYOD solutions.

www.crestron.com

Clarity VX DeReverb Pro Gems

Expanding the Matrix Protect + Connect

MEDIAMATRIX HAS expanded its nWare media configuration and control software suite to integrate a range of new equipment into Peavey’s Commercial Audio product line. The nWare 3.0 upgrade provides integrated compatibility with Visionary and Crest Audio equipment, embedded support for RAVENNA/ AES67 discovery and routing control, and graphical updates to the MediaMatrix Kiosk2Go control interface software.

nWare’s integration with Visionary’s DuetE-2 Encoder and DuetD-2 Decoder enables real-time video streaming with embedded monitoring and control functionality within nWare and the Kiosk2Go interface. Detached real-time audio streams can be routed to the MediaMatrix systems where they are processed, mixed and routed to any output, without loss and in synchronisation with video.

The update also provides an HTML5-based graphical user interface for Kiosk2Go, which the company says results in unprecedented control and visibility over media streams. Meanwhile, nWare 3.0 also offers compatibility with Crest Audio’s Tactus .Control surface to enable users to manipulate audio parameters for live music in real time, as well as support for RAVENNA/ AES67 discovery and routing control. This integration facilitates interoperability between MediaMatrix systems and other RAVENNA/ AES67-enabled devices.

nWare 3.0 also supports the MediaMatrix SCION media and control processor, along with the “S” series of I/O interfaces, control processors and touchscreens. It is available for download on the MediaMatrix website.

www.peaveycommercialaudio.com

DESIGNED TO set a new standard for power quality monitoring and fleet management, SurgeX Connect consists of cloud-based software and firmware and enables integrators to manage compatible SurgeX devices, diagnose power quality issues and monitor installations from a centralised hub.

SurgeX Connect streamlines multi-site power management into a cloud-based, intuitive and secure dashboard to allow integrators to take control of their installations’ power quality. Its secure platform enables integrators to monitor, toggle, reboot and control outlets and devices remotely, empowering them to meet power quality requirements across project sites confidently. The interface is said to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience, leveraging its “robust connectivity, comprehensive device management, remote monitoring and advanced analytics” from SurgeX’s power protection technologies. Through the SurgeX Connect web portal, integrators can view, manage and control fleets from any location with internet access at any time. They can also monitor and categorise devices based on status, connectivity, battery charge, battery life, input voltage and energy

usage, allowing them to identify and resolve device issues from afar. With SurgeX Connect, users can eliminate the need for costly truck rolls and onsite troubleshooting while optimising AV system performance. This solution is particularly beneficial for managing installations that are challenging to access, either due to geographical location or complex project design. It is said to provide added convenience and accessibility for integrators who need to service such sites.

SurgeX Connect also lets users view device analytics and detect recurrent power problems. By inspecting data and event logs, integrators can promptly diagnose issues and make informed decisions to support the longevity of systems. Additionally, integrators can export data and event logs to compile valuable insights for long-term system maintenance and customer satisfaction. These features help them proactively monitor, manage and maintain power quality, preventing potential problems from causing more significant interruptions or damaging connected devices over time.

www.surgex.com

Roland aims to simplify live events

THE VR-400UHD 4K streaming AV mixer is described by Roland as an easy-to-use 4K switcher that gives anyone the power to run a successful live event. With its two touchscreens, users can quickly set various scene presets, preview them in real time and confidently run transitions by knowing precisely what viewers will see in every instance.

The VR-400UHD can preview eight scenes at once on the touchscreen and, with eight programmable scene banks, the switcher can hold up to 64 possible saved scenes, providing houses of worship, businesses and schools with all the presets they may need for production. Equipped with seven HDMI ports, the VR-400UHD supports high-quality video up to 4K/60p with four cross points. The fourth cross point has four HDMI inputs, so additional sources can be connected and instantly assigned with a scene switch. It also includes a 14-channel audio mixer for combining analogue inputs with embedded digital audio. The USB-C port outputs up to 4K/30p video with audio to a PC for high-end 4K livestreaming of the event from the venue.

Meanwhile, the VR-120HD direct streaming AV mixer provides audio and video I/O, a large touchscreen and hands-on controls. The unit gives a single operator all the tools needed to manage any mid-level hybrid production. Advanced features simplify difficult tasks with customisable workflows, deep automation functions, remote PTZ camera control, one-touch macro sequencing and streaming over LAN and USB. The operator can assign sources to eight cross points on the fly – including live video inputs, still images and video clips – and prioritise cameras and computer sources with scene recall. Independent feeds can be created by assigning composition layers

to multiple busses as needed.

The VR-120HD features six HDMI and six SDI video inputs in Full HD, supporting a range of

broadcast and cinematic frame rates and colour spaces. The HDMI inputs feature scalers with EDID and HDCP support, eliminating hassles with client sources such as computers, tablets, gaming consoles and legacy 4:3 devices.

Finally, the SR-20HD direct streaming AV mixer has been created to add a full audio mix to any production and encode for livestreaming without a dedicated PC. The latest 1.20 firmware update brings improved streaming visual quality, backward/forward video preview dialogue and additional tools for setting up detailed video playback. The SR-20HD combines an audio mixer, preview screen, recorder/player, streaming encoder and two HDMI inputs in one unit. Presenters can stream directly to various online platforms or by RTMP to a CDN without needing a computer, removing the risk of malware and other issues arising from computer-based streaming on enterprise networks.

proav.roland.com

VR-400UHD

LYNX unveils yellobrik converter

LYNX TECHNIK has added an HDMI-to-SDI converter (model CHD 1402) to its yellobrik line. Designed for any AV, broadcast, production or post application that requires signal conversion from up to 4K HDMI to up to 12G-SDI, it is the successor to the CHD 1802, which supports up to 3G-SDI. A typical use case would be when a facility needs to convert an HDMI output from an external source, such as a video camera, into an SDI

format. All audio present in the HDMI stream is passed transparently. With the SDI fibre output and SFP transmitter options, the SDI signal can then be transmitted over fibre to a remote location. In addition, a complementary yellobrik, the CDH 1411 SDI-to-HDMI converter, can be used to provide the SDI output and an HDMI monitoring output in the remote location, including displaying audio, metadata and timecode overlays.

As with all yellobriks, the CHD 1402 is compatible with the yelloGUI and LynxCentraal central software applications. When connected to the software, additional internal settings and functions can be accessed and controlled. The CDH 1402 is rack-mountable, can be used as a standalone module or in larger yellobrik system applications.

www.lynx-technik.com

Modulo Pi focuses on interactivity

MODULO PI has announced Modulo Kinetic Version 5. The updated version of the media server comes with a full array of features for interactivity. V5 facilitates the creation and implementation of experiences featuring real-time interactions with video, audio, light, generative content or machinery, for both permanent installations and live events. All the steps required in an interactive design, from calibrating sensors to creating effects, are accessible from the media server, without having to program code or create gateways to a suite of third-party tools. The update also adds support for various sensors to reportedly meet

the needs and budget of any type of project: 2D LiDAR from Hokuyo and Leuze, 3D LiDAR from Ouster, but also Azure Kinect, Orbbec cameras and Leap Motion. Integrated into Modulo Kinetic’s internal library of devices, the sensors can be calibrated “in seconds”, allowing the media server to retrieve the position of one or multiple users to generate the interactive experience. A library of effects available as nodes is also embedded in Modulo Kinetic. The nodal compositing tool allows nodes to be chained and cumulated to create unique effects.

www.modulo-pi.com

Clearly Hitachi

OFFERING SEAMLESS fibre-to-triax transition, the Z-HD6500 HD camera system provides HD visual quality and enhanced price performance for live productions.

Supporting multiple HD formats to 1080p, the Z-HD6500 camera’s design includes three 2⁄3 -inch CMOS image sensors with global shutter

Marshall adds NDI technology to its compact 4K60 camera

be deployed in broadcast studios, sports and live events venues, in addition to AV applications. Complying with the ITU-R. BT.2020 wide colour gamut specs, the DK-H700 complements the camera’s dynamic range by operating within REC BT2100 High Dynamic Range standards. Other features include a ¼ ND filter to produce a minimised depth of field, adding to artistic value and reducing the moiré effect on videowalls.

Incorporating Hitachi Kokusai’s latest HD and 4K camera technology, the SK-UHD7000-S2 can convert a 4K camera with an affordable licence upgrade option. In addition to offering a lower initial purchase point for customers wanting to upgrade to 1080p, it also provides a cost-effective, field-upgradeable path to 4K.

THE CV420NE from Marshall Electronics is an NDI|HX3 version of its ultra-wide 100° angle-of-view streaming POV camera, which offers digital robotic movement of pan, tilt and zoom of HD resolutions digitally within the larger UHD (4K) sensor space. The CV420Ne allows users to maintain access to ultrawide angles along with usable digital zoom and lateral manoeuvres within the sensor. It uses the new NDI|HX3 codecs

complement to the SK-UHD7000 Series in larger productions, the DK-H700 can

www.hitachi-kokusai.co.jp

Titan rises in 4K for Digital Projection

DESIGNED FOR

AV marketplace, Digital Projection (DP) is shipping the HIGHlite 4K UHD reference satellite Modular Light Source (MLS) projection system. By separating the projector head from the pure laser light engine, DP is extending installation flexibility and a projector chassis that’s both smaller and lighter than other premium three-chip DLP projectors. Weighing 19kg, the HIGHlite S-MLS has been designed to fit into tight spaces.

Connected to the projector head via fibreoptic cables, the modular light source can be located up to 100m away, resulting in a reduction in noise together with simpler upgrades and maintenance.

Designed for enhanced image clarity and detail in environments dictated by short viewing distances, the Radiance LED EV Series comprises the latest MicroLED technology in both 0.9mm and 1.2mm pixel pitches. Extending to a 2.5mm pitch, the 0.9mm version outputs in 4K at a 163-inch diagonal size. Other features include peak brightness up to 1,200 nits and contrast up to 20,000:1, support for HDR10 content

and contrast up to 20,000:1. With power consumption significantly reduced, the 0.9mm pixel package allows for a darker area surrounding each pixel, resulting in improved black levels and contrast. The smaller pixel package also enables a wider 170° x 170° (HxV) viewing angle. Serviced from the front to streamline maintenance, the lightweight cabinet can be customised with beveled edges.

In brief, the Titan 41000 4K-UHD (3840x2160) 16:9 laser projector features a broad colour gamut using both red and blue lasers, improved 2,000:1 native contrast ratio and HDR. An extended 40,000-hour illumination lifetime in ECO mode and a dustproof, filter-less design enables the 41,000-lumen projector to operate 24x7 with minimal maintenance.

Outputting 27,000 ISO lumens, the M-Vision 27000 WU (1920x1200) laser projector is being billed by DP as the brightest single-chip model on the market. Incorporating some of the same features as the Titan 41000, including Source Redundancy, Brightness Sync and Auto White Balance Correction, in a bright, budget-conscious 1-chip DLP package, the projector is suitable for environments with high ambient light.

www.digitalprojection.com

quality video with no spherical distortion. The CV420Ne’s digital pan, tilt and zoom comes with more than 250 presets that are savable and selectable from any number of command sources, including IR remote, NDI|Tools, Camera Control Software, web browser GUI, OBS plugins, vMix and a host of other compatible soft codecs and devices.

With the latest NDI|HX3 codec, the camera can be incorporated into various streaming and production workflows. The CV420Ne is suitable for professional pro AV and broadcast applications, including AV streaming, remote contribution, podcasting, video collaboration and a range of pro AV and UCC installations that require an ultrahigh-quality networkable video source.

The NDI|HX3 format requires slightly higher bandwidth than previous NDI|HX2 but much less than is required for Full-NDI|HB. NDI|HX3 delivers similar low latency as FullNDI at less than 100ms end-to-end and has video quality performance closer to premium Full-NDI where video quality is not lost from camera source when sent over the network.

www.marshall-usa.com

HIGHlite S-MLS M-Vision 27000

Z-HD6500

SK-UHD7000-S2

Barco gets smarter

WITH SALES of its single-chip G-series laser projectors recently hitting the 10,000 mark, Barco has launched three G50 projectors. The G-series now offers 10 projectors between 6,000–22,000 lumens. One of the key highlights of the G50 is its compactness and lightweight design. Despite only weighing between 11–13kg, Barco believes that the G50 outperforms similar projectors on the market and offers “the highest light efficiency for visualising high-quality content”. The

projectors also address the growing importance of sustainability and come with an energy efficiency of up to 18 Lm/W. The projectors have been designed for boardrooms, museums, corporate events and entry-level simulation. The manufacturer has also reworked its SmartCare service offering, which includes the Video wall Management Suite, which allows secure connectivity to videowalls. With alerts and critical notifications, the service organisation can quickly diagnose, troubleshoot and, if need

G50-W6

be, escalate cases to Barco’s R&D teams –significantly dropping the MTTR (Mean Time To Resolve). In this way, Barco’s services shift from reactive to proactive, to further prevent unscheduled downtime with predictive analytics for maintenance actions.

Because highly secure control rooms require special attention when it comes to hardware lifecycle management and issue resolution, Barco has also introduced EssentialCare for Secure Sites. Not only does this offer a swift response to any escalation, but it also answers the complexities of end-of-life hardware handling. The EssentialCare for Secure Sites has the needed protocols in place to protect all data on end-of-life hardware.

www.barco.com

LG BUSINESS Solutions has developed the Magnit DVLED (direct-view light emitting diode) displays. Designed to be deployed in corporate settings, on video production sets and digital art displays, five distinct LG Magnit models including the 6.86m Micro LED display are said to be characterised by their colour, clarity and contrast.

The tiny pixel pitch of the 272-inch LG Magnit 8K Micro LED Display (Model LSAB007) makes it suitable for a variety retail, hospitality and corporate environments. The Micro LED display offers a 0.78mm pixel pitch with LG’s Deep Black Technology and a 150,000:1 contrast ratio. Viewing experiences are enhanced by the LSAB007’s Alpha 9 intelligent processor, integrated ambient light sensor, support for HDR10 and HDR10 Pro and 160° horizontal and vertical viewing angles. Several layers of coated film protect the LEDs from water drops, dust and physical impact.

Magnit DVLED

Specially designed for on-camera use in professional production studios, the Magnit

Studio Series with Megapixel VR’s Helios controller (Model LBAG015) is a tile-based

1.5mm pixel pitch DVLED solution. Capable of presenting seamless, convincing video that can be used on-camera without distortion is leading to production studios building XR and VR stages where filming backdrops can be digitally designed and displayed in real time while recording.

In addition to enabling direct on-screen presentation capabilities for information or news programmes, the high-contrast LBAG series displays offer a more immersive experience for onscreen talent than current postproduction or green screen solutions. Controls include V-Sync, phase shift, colour and gamma adjustment, customisable 3D-LUT and manual HDR adjustment. The 163-inch Magnit LSAQ009 series features a remote, off-board power supply unit (PSU) that simplifies PSU replacement and emergency maintenance in broadcast critical environments where display access is limited.

www.lg.com/us/business

DESIGNED FOR indoor fixed installations, Leyard Europe’s DirectLight Pro Series is a ground-up designed modular LED videowall that allows for the creation of custom sizes, shapes, corners, curves and resolutions. Offered in a range of Leyard Europe Complete display configurations to reduce the cost of design and installation, the DirectLight Pro Series’ design provides the flexibility to accommodate installations requiring front tilts, 90° corners and faceted curves. It is designed to be deployed in custom videowall dimensions and resolutions through the use of two cabinet sizes and a 5G video architecture.

ROSS VIDEO has launched Quorum, a meeting control solution designed to provide governments, legislators and corporations with broadcast-quality production. With automated multi-camera tracking, pro-grade graphics and intuitive touch controls, the system reportedly requires little-to-no training and can be up and running in hours.

Meanwhile, the IGGY-ANA8.8 is the latest addition to Ross’s family of live analogue audio/IP bridges. Its high-channel density, broad interoperability with AES67 and ST 2110, and network monitoring can support any environment as a compact standalone unit or in a rackmounted arrangement, and it is said to integrate easily with the rest of the IGGY family.

Designed for applications such as corporate production, extended reality and digital signage, Ross’s D3 LED display solutions provide indoor and outdoor spaces with various cabinet sizes and SMD/Mini LED technology. Features include colour calibration, image processing and remote management.

Finally, Connexus is the company’s first KVM matrix solution. A hybrid 2K/4K KVM endpoint and enterprise-level KVM management system, Ross says it is already finding its way into command and control customer infrastructures.

www.rossvideo.com

In addition to enabling faster deployment, the 27- and 36-inch cabinets allow for precision and simpler, more easily supported videowalls. With 1,000-nit brightness in constant operation and models in 0.9mm, 1.2mm,

1.5mm and 1.8mm pixel pitches, the DirectLight Pro Series also supports rich media playback, including HDR. It is available with Planar ERO-LED protective coating for safety in high traffic areas and supports 32-point touch for interactive applications. Meanwhile, support for a range of video controllers means the DirectLight Pro Series can be tailored to on- and off-camera applications such as conference and boardrooms, lobby displays, control rooms, on-camera broadcast studios and education environments. Designed for mission-critical environments, the videowalls come with an optional and monitored N+1 power redundancy per cabinet, with switched and metered PDUs also available.

www.leyardeurope.eu

Quorum

LG Magnit DVLED displays destined for the stars

ROE Visual demos Coral COB flip chip LED

DESCRIBING IT as a breakthrough COB panel, ROE Visual has announced the launch of Coral, a COB flip chip LED panel that claims to revolutionise the world of AV integration. In addition to boasting COB flip chip technology, Coral panels also benefit from a high-contrast dark surface and pixel pitches ranging from 0.9–1.8mm. According to the manufacturer, it delivers exceptional brightness and colour consistency, ensuring images and video are vivid and true to life. The unit’s sleek design and lightweight construction are said to create a versatile form factor that allows for flexible mounting options. The panel’s compatibility with leading control systems also ensures seamless integration with existing AV infrastructure, making it suitable for both retrofit and new installations.

www.roevisual.com

Philips updates dvLED range with LED 6300 Series

WITH THE launch of the Philips In-Room LED 6300 Series, PPDS (Philips Professional Displays and Solutions) has created a lower energy, direct view LED portfolio. Incorporating common cathode four-in-one mini LEDs (IMDs), the EMC Class B-rated LED 6300 Series (27BDL6395) is designed to support 24/7 environments including retail, corporate and control rooms.

As an extension to the Philips 6000 Series (P1.2, P1.5 and P1.9), the series brings a 0.95 pixel pitch option to the 27-inch landscape panels, all with a native 16:9 resolution. Incorporating four-in-one mini LED technology, the latest displays offer a consistent image quality over both short and long distances, together with reduced energy consumption. Together with refresh rates of 3,840Hz and low latency, PPDS claims the displays portray a seamless, judder-free, optimum viewing experience across 110-, 137- 165-, 220-, 275- and 330-inch sizes.

Magewell enhances centralised control

multiple encoders and decoders across disparate locations through a browserbased interface. An HTTP-based API is also available for third-party integration.

The Control Hub software will support Magewell hardware products, including Ultra Stream and Ultra Encode live media encoders; Pro Convert NDI encoders and decoders; the Pro Convert Audio DX IP audio converter; and the USB Fusion capture and mixing device. Users can remotely configure device parameters, monitor device status, trigger operational functions – such as starting or stopping encoding – and perform batch firmware upgrades across multiple units of the same model.

Outputting high colour accuracy levels, deep black contrast and a brightness of up to 650 nits before calibration and uniformity of up to 97%, the Philips 6300 is the first dvLED series from PPDS to support 12-bit colours and HDR10+ resolution. Extending performance beyond 4K, HDR10+ delivers a higher contrast between light and dark areas, reportedly resulting in greater detail and clarity.

Housed in a diecast aluminium casing to support optimal heat dissipation and reduce fire risks, the latest series is said to rank as one of the most energy-efficient dvLED solutions, with a range of power-saving features. It is the first dvLED solution from PPDS designed using common cathode LEDs, providing a reduction in heat emissions and an approximate 25% reduction in power consumption. AV/IT managers can monitor and detect the displays 24/7 for any faults, including dead pixels, with Active Health Monitoring.

www.ppds.com

intuitive layout, making it easier for users to see the status of their devices and deployments at a glance. Video from remote Ultra Stream, Ultra Encode and USB Fusion units can be previewed directly in the Control Hub interface without needing to open the individual device’s interface panel.

DEVELOPED AS a successor to the Magewell Cloud platform, Control Hub features an enhanced device management interface and expanded stream conversion capabilities. Flexibly deployable on-premises

or in the cloud, Control Hub will provide centralised configuration and control of multiple Magewell streaming and IP conversion solutions. Administrators, IT staff and systems integrators can manage

Control Hub features a revamped user interface that is said to make it simpler and more efficient to manage multiple encoders and decoders. Its redesigned dashboard provides expanded information in a more

Control Hub also expands on the stream conversion capabilities of the earlier Magewell Cloud software with support for more protocols and a more flexible stream routing architecture. Users can define presets for stream input sources and output targets, then create channels that map each input to one or more output protocols and destinations. Control Hub converts between RTMP, SRT (in caller or listener mode), RTSP and transport streams (delivered over UDP or RTP).

www.magewell.com

Panasonic covers all bases with outdoor AW-UR100 PTZ

THE AW-UR100 is Panasonic Connect’s outdoor-ready PTZ camera, combining 4K/60fps capability with a dynamic image stabilising system (DISS) for high-precision videography in stadiums and other large venues. The camera’s rugged design is said to make it ideal for harsh outdoor environments, such as airports, warehouses and large ocean-going vessels, or for live broadcasting during blizzards, typhoons and other weather events. The AW-UR100 also supports a variety of protocols and interfaces for flexible system configuration and to expand the possibilities of outdoor video production. It also offers extra functionality to help avoid missed shots and shooting errors for worry-free camerawork in

The AW-UR100 offers both a 74.1° horizontal wide-angle lens for panoramic pull-backs and 4K/60p compatibility for 24x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom – useful when shooting from various angles while

In the eye of the WyreStorm

covering large-scale events in stadiums or at music festivals. It also features three types of image stabilisation systems for shake-free video: optical image stabilisation (OIS), electronic roll correction (EIS) and pan-tilt image stabilisation (DISS).

The camera body is hermetically sealed to keep out wind-blown dust and sand, and a defroster warms the lens to prevent the formation of frost, ice or condensation in extreme temperatures down to –15°C. There is also a wiper to keep the lens clear in wet conditions.

Interfaces for major baseband transmission include 3G-SDI, 12G-SDI and fibre, as well as support for various IP protocols including NDI and SRT. FreeD is also supported, making it possible to build AR/VR systems. The unit is said to be able to adapt readily to existing video production systems as well as shooting conditions, and can be used to record, edit and broadcast in diverse environments for a variety of purposes.

pro-av.panasonic.net

Daniel drives and supports your customers. He thinks smart, understands sales, distribution and shapes your solutions.

Daniel understands industry technologies and their application. He cultivates strong relationships to develop your business. We work with brands and suppliers to help find top talent for their business teams in the Americas, EMEA and APAC. Interfacio connects professionals with world-leading pro AVL brands.

www.interfacio.com

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Int: +44 208 986 5002

@interfacio

HAVING UPGRADED the CAM-200-PTZ UC camera series, WyreStorm has also unveiled the latest member in the CAM-210-PTZ, a multifunctional video capture tool that enhances the UC experience by combining a PTZ camera with smart tracking and framing features.

Upgraded from 1080p30, the CAM-210-PTZ supports 1080p60 video capture and features a 12x optical zoom with plug-and-play connectivity in addition to USB 3.0, HDMI out and AI Powered Auto Framing.

Advanced control can be performed via an integrated web interface and PC software. Designed to simplify integration when using third-party control systems and touch panels, an RS-232 or LAN connection using the VISCA protocol serves as the main control. The unit also comes with a handheld IR remote. Combining simplified control with innovative features, the CAM-210-PTZ can be adopted as an intelligent camera with open-source control and operation during a meeting held on WyreStorm’s Apollo or any other UC platform.

The NHD-0401-MV is a fourinput 4K60 multiview switcher that can be used as a standalone solution or with a NetworkHD 400 or 500 series system.

The rack-mountable switcher comes

pre-loaded with five different multiview layouts offering unique viewing experiences. 4K60 HDMI 2.0 inputs allow the switcher to support all the latest 4K HDR content with zero compression. Direct integration with the NHD-CTL-PRO provides a seamless solution for pairing the switcher with NetworkHD encoders and decoders to add multiview capability to an AV-over-IP project.

The NHD-CTL-PRO controller is the brain for NetworkHD allowing all configurations to be made from one user interface. Control parameters include IP address adjustments, the naming of endpoints, the creation of videowalls and firmware updates. The intuitive user interface can be accessed from any device with a web browser, including a computer, smartphone or tablet. A setup wizard guides the creation of a fully configured NetworkHD system in minutes.  Wyrestorm has also unveiled the NHD-120 series, an H.264/H.265based system capable of encoding and decoding 4K30 4:2:0 over 1Gbps networks. The NHD-120-TX and -RX, respectively, are the encoder and decoder for the 100

www.wyrestorm.com

Behind every great brand is a Daniel.

CAM-210-PTZ

Layer mapping effects added to PIXERA

AV STUMPFL has added new features to its PIXERA media server system with a v2.0 update. A multi-user workflow capability will allow media server operators to be more flexible and efficient when working on complex installations or show environments. Multiple PIXERA director licences can now be synced, with users being able to choose between different levels of granularity when working within a multi-user scenario. Complete projects can be shared in real time, or alternatively single project parts like warpings or timelines. Should they wish to, users can also choose to share every single editing action among the connected systems.

Additional features include N+1 backup options and dry client programming capabilities.

AV professionals with an interest in projection mapping will welcome the advanced layer

Sony adds to BRAVIA line-up

SONY ELECTRONICS has released 15 BRAVIA 4K HDR professional displays to its portfolio with the launch of the BZ50L, BZ40L, BZ35L and BZ30L series, which are optimised for commercial environments where reliability, picture quality and broad compatibility are required. With options covering high-end, midrange and standard needs, and sizes from 43 inches to 98 inches, the line-up incorporates familiar BRAVIA features such as image quality, a wider viewing angle and a System on a Chip (SoC) platform.

The BZ40L series features a “state-ofthe-art” panel treatment. Its Deep Black

Non-Glare Coating offers both high haze and low reflection, while maintaining deep blacks and high contrast. The series comes with X1 processing and achieves 700 nits at a high 47% haze with anti-reflection (except for the FW-85BZ40L, which achieves 650 nits at 58% haze), without loss of contrast.

The flagship BZ50L with Sony XR processing boasts 780 nits of brightness in a largersized display. The 98-inch FW-98BZ50L includes a 22% reduction in weight and 28% slimmer bezel width when compared to the BRAVIA professional BZ40J series. To help make the large model more portable and

Motion capture in disguise

installation-friendly, ergonomic horizontal handles are incorporated into the bottom of the display, while vertical handles are featured on the top.

The enhanced BZ35L series features increased storage and 550 nits of robust brightness and an X1 Processor. The BZ30L series offers a full range of sizes, X1 processing (except for the FW-98BZ30L, which is equipped with an XR processor) and 440 nits of brightness.

All 15 models incorporate sustainable elements – from the use of SORPLAS recycled plastic and less ink usage on the

mapping effects which provide the freedom to map content pixels to screens based on the position of the screens in space. In addition, each screen group will have an independent set of perspectives that determines how layers are seen through the screens they appear on. As a result, PIXERA’s perspective management will now allow for different mapping approaches for individual media resources, making it possible for some files to be shown as 2D overlays while others are positioned in a 3D space.

In addition, the manufacturer has released its Flex Black PRO screen surface material. The black surface material is said to make it possible for users to project onto black surfaces with virtually any colour and dynamic range.

www.avstumpfl.com

cartons to an optional stand for less waste and ECO Dashboard for better understanding power consumption based on settings configuration. Additional common features include 24/7 operation, one-step setting of presets for easy configuration and customisation, mirroring capabilities, Pro Mode technology for simplifying operations, a uniform bezel design, flexible installation for portrait and tilt mounting, as well as support for multi-display installation to enable tiling and a side logo for blend-in design purposes.

pro.sony

with the Invisible solution, a minimum of one disguise vx or gx machine is also needed for graphics processing and one disguise rx II for real-time rendering.

The manufacturer has also updated its cloud platform by integrating Mapping Matter, said to be a significant update that will enable users across large-scale installations, location-based experiences (LBX) and live events to plan and previsualise projection mapping projects in a single place, directly in one web browser-based platform. Live events teams will be able to

take charge of their video projection specs, luminance levels and pixel densities while iterating on complex projector placements in the cloud. All projection-mapped visuals can then be previewed within a 3D digital twin of the AV installation environment. This enables teams to plan and manage entire projects in one platform ahead of the event date, saving time and resources so they can instead focus on creativity.

www.disguise.one

DISGUISE HAS launched Invisible, a complete technology bundle for real-time markerless motion capture developed in partnership with Move.ai. By removing the need for markers, wearable suits and long calibration setups, the Invisible bundle has been designed to allow anyone to easily mirror their movements onto a character rig within disguise’s Designer software, all in real time.

The solution – which can track up to two people at once – leverages Move.ai’s patented Invisible real-time markerless mocap software to extract natural human motion from video using advanced AI. For broadcasters, the

motion capture data can be used to drive gesture-triggered graphs and scene changes or accurate shadows for talent on-set. For filmmakers, it enables the capture of 3D characters that seamlessly interact with real actors or even drive movement-triggered effects like smoke and fire. For live event companies, the Invisible solution can transport performers into a game universe with avatars that instantly replicate their movements, without restrictive and expensive mocap suits. The bundle comes in three different sizes –small, medium and large – depending on the size of the setup and the amount of performers. To enable real-time, markerless motion capture

PIXERA v2.0

Invisible

Mapping Matter

ETC takes control of the room

WITH VISUALISATION software and tools like ETC’s Augment3d 3D programming environment, digital models play an increasingly integral part in lighting workflows. When time or budgets are tight, however, drafted or point-cloud models can still be out of reach. ETC’s Augment3d Scanner app is said to reduce this barrier to entry, allowing users to seamlessly create and import ready-to-use room models directly to their Eos Family consoles from a phone or tablet.

Built for use with the Eos Family line of lighting control systems, the A3d Scanner

on a device, allowing users to send it via a Wi-Fi connection to any Eos Family console or computer running Augment3d, or save a copy for later import or use in other software. In other news, the F-Drive R12 can now serve a wider range of installations with the F-Drive Power Supply from ETC. The reduced-cost supply is suitable for sites with simplified power requirements. Now, customers can choose a dedicated 1,000W or 1,800W option with a simpler installation and reduced noise profile. The industrial and expandable Mean Well RKP-1U Rack System with RCP-2000-48 power supplies are still

NAMED AFTER a Greek mythological figure and a large constellation of stars, LED lighting specialist Astera has launched the PlutoFresnel for medium to small applications, and the LeoFresnel, an LED alternative to its 1K Fresnel for applications requiring more power and punch. Utilising Astera’s award-winning Titan LED engine, the Fresnels are the company’s first battery-powered Fresnel lighting fixtures and are supplied as a complete package with barndoors and a full yoke with TVMP adapter for stand mounting.

The PlutoFresnel has an in-built battery with up to three hours run time. Weighing 4.5kg, the full-spectrum, high-rendition Titan LED engine offers an output comparable to a traditional 300W tungsten Fresnel, yet the power consumption is less than 80W. The larger LeoFresnel is comparable in light output to a standard 1K tungsten lamp. At 14kg in weight, it has

a two-hour onboard battery and a 250W power consumption.

Both fixtures offer 15–60° beam angles with no colour fringing, as well as wireless and wired DMX control, and are supplied with removable handles and with multiple mounting options.

On both units, the Fresnel lens is also detachable so the light source can be used in different ways. Astera says it will be launching a series of projection lenses which will transform it into a multipurpose fixture with “potent projection capabilities”, complete with a slot for size B glass or metal gobos.

Both sizes of Astera Fresnel have a fourleaf barndoor system that can be extended to eight leaves and are compatible with several DoP Choice products, including the Rabbit Rounder for beam modifiers and various soft boxes.

www.astera-led.com

It’s all Greek to Astera with Fresnel products ADJ adds a dash

LIGHTING MANUFACTURER ADJ has added a raft of new products to its growing catalogue. First is the Encore LP12Z IP, an IP65-rated zooming LED PAR fixture equipped with 12 20W four-in-one RGBL colour-mixing LEDs, including 64 built-in colour macros and tunable white control (2,700–6,500K). Its lime chip allows for an increased colour palette CRI of 84.4 and features a motorised zoom to remotely control coverage for a variable field angle of between 9–50°.

Meanwhile, the Focus Spot 7Z expands ADJ’s Focus Series of LED-driven moving heads. Its 420W white light LED engine generates an even output of 20,000 lumens and the fixture features a comprehensive suite of beam-shaping tools, including motorised focus, iris and zoom (6–48°), electronic dimming and variable speed strobing (1–20Hz). CMY provides a wide colour gamut, while a variable CTO flag offers white light output with variable colour temperature between 2,700K and

leverages the augmented reality tools included in a device, saving time building a 3D space. Once installed, users can explore the tools to map a space, including walls, doors, windows, a full floor plan and even proscenium tools. When a plan is completed, the Scanner app builds a model

available. The manufacturer recommends this solution for installations where multiple power supplies and F-Drive R12 units are connected together or where in-line, always-active power supply backup is necessary.

www.etcconnect.com

8,000K. The fixture has a separate colour wheel as well as an indexed rotating animation wheel, two rotating prisms (fourfacet circular and six-facet linear) and two frost filters.

The Focus Flex L19 moving head is an LED wash-zoom with an output of 7,814 lumens capable of creating wash, beam and pixel effects. Its wide zoom range of 5–50° is powered by 19 40W four-in-one RGBL colourmixing LEDs, each of which can be controlled independently. A virtual CMY mode allows control alongside native CMY colour-mixing fixtures, while it also offers Virtual Foreground and Background Colour Wheel control. White light output has a variable colour temperature between 2,700K and 10,000K.

The Element H IP is a compact, IP54rated uplighting fixture which features four 20W six-in-one RGBAW+UV colour-mixing LEDs, an internal rechargeable battery and onboard wireless DMX. The Element H6 Pak is supplied as a set of six flight-cased units with on-board battery charging and a UC-IR wireless remote, while the Element H IP Chrome features a polished chrome finish. Finally, Accu-Cable Power Bones are power distribution boxes that feature locking Seetronic IP65-rated power input and thru

connectors on either end, and two outputs on either side. Three versions are available: the POWER BONE T1ED, with four Edison output sockets; the POWER BONE T1PC, with four Seetronic indoor-rated locking output sockets; and the POWER BONE T1T1, with four Seetronic IP65-rated locking output sockets. www.adj.com

Focus Spot 7Z

Augment3d Scanner app

Driving forces

RECRUITED STRAIGHT FROM INDIANA UNIVERSITY AS marketing manager for the newly acquired Crown brand, two years later Brian Divine hired University of Wisconsin graduate Andy Flint as business development specialist. The pair quickly sparked a relationship that would prove pivotal for Harman Professional in years to come.

“Crown was still relatively small when I joined in 2002, and I was fortunate to work with an amazing team including Mark Graham, Blake Augsburger, Scott Robbins, Jerry Stutzman and Nick Owen,” recalls Divine. “The experience I gained in marketing, product management and customer service provided me with the opportunity to learn the pro audio industry.”

After eight years at Crown, Flint became senior marketing manager at JBL Professional, relocating to Northridge, California in late 2012. Three months later, he was reunited with Divine, who rejoined the company as director of marketing after a spell at Electro-Voice. Following the 2017 Samsung acquisition, the pair were reassigned to touring and cinema solutions, from where they have climbed to their current positions. When Covid hit, crippling the entertainment industry, it offered a chance to refocus.

“Although there were pros and cons as we headed into that pandemic, it proved to be more of a blessing than a curse,” explains Divine. “From a revenue perspective, it was the worst possible time as the entertainment industry and other sectors were forced to shut down. Fortunately, it was mitigated by the fact that Harman was part of a bigger corporation in Samsung. Despite the tremendous drop in our top line, we were encouraged to maintain our R&D course, so we didn’t cut any budgets. We always believed that the industry would return, and it turned out to be the right call.”

“Prior to the pandemic, our business was growing, but perhaps we were losing the core focus for each of our brands,” continues Flint. “Because Harman Professional’s portfolio is so broad, we could push products that were relevant at that time, such as USB mics together with workfrom-home and recording products. As these sales were so strong, we didn’t need to shift our roadmap. It simply refocused us in terms of where we wanted to be, heading out of the pandemic, because we saw growth in some other areas where perhaps we had been lagging, or where we identified a gap in the market.”

Divine acknowledges his responsibility in understanding how Harman would move forward. “For example, Martin primarily serves production rental lighting companies and that market closed. We continued to invest in product development as I believed that live was going to come back even stronger. Our Martin sales force kept in contact with their customers and kept the conversation going.”

detrimental to audio quality. Flint disagrees. “We all use consumer products in the home or car where we enjoy a simplified experience. These bleed into the professional industry because users ask us ‘can you make it like this?’ The challenge for JBL is having to adopt technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for a room with 500 people using their mobile phones. That simplified experience is something we want to provide as a value-added service, but that requires technological investment so that it works in a professional environment. Anyone can develop a powered speaker, but the real added value is how easy it is to operate, how good it sounds and what unique experience can get you to the finish line faster and in a better way.”

Flint confirms that Martin has doubled its business twice in the past two years, becoming Harman’s second-largest brand in terms of revenue. “Investment made during the pandemic has been vindicated as the markets reopened and entertainment returned. We knew the industry would come back sooner or later and, when it did, everyone would require new inventory.”

Since 2020, Flint has deployed a plan of attack for AMX, JBL and Martin which is now bearing fruit: “For AMX, 2023 is a huge year as the entire product line such as video switching, network video and control has been refreshed and redesigned. We’ve launched the Varia touchpanels and the N2600 next-generation SVSI encoders and decoders. Later in the year, we’ll release the next generation of controllers.

“From a JBL perspective, on the install and touring side, we’ve launched the SRX900 and VTX A6 with more to come

Divine hints at the shape of things to come regarding Harman’s HiQnet System Architect software. “The concept of HiQnet is even more relevant today, and we’ve been developing control software that unifies the different pieces of the business. When HiQnet was created, it was just for audio brands. When Martin came into the fold, the dynamic changed. In addition to redesigning the control language, we are re-engineering the software interface to deliver a solution that was not possible before.

“Harman works on five-year plans. We need to continue looking at trends as all the markets we serve evolve over time. Technology evolves and products can change but, fundamentally, we’re a professional audio, video and lighting company and that’s what we’ll continue to be.”

pro.harman.com

, and senior VP of global , who’ve each enjoyed 20-year careers at Harman Professional, discuss growth strategy post-pandemic

Harman Professional president, Brian Divine

Harman’s senior VP of global product line management, Andy Flint

“Investment made during the pandemic has been vindicated as the markets reopened and entertainment returned. We knew the industry would come back sooner or later and, when it did, everyone would require new inventory.”

L-ISA 3.0

NEW FEATURES FOR L-ISA STUDIO & L-ISA PROCESSOR II

FX ENGINE. Stereo Mapper. Snapshot Engine. Mixhalo Beta. Upgraded MIDI. Refined Room Engine. L-ISA Studio 16 Outputs. Milan AVB Certified.