Pro AVL MEA January–February 2018

NEWS SLS invests in Meyer, A-T opens Dubai office, SSL acquired

the hurdles faced by SMPTE 2110

up from Yamaha, Eurotruss and Avid

LEADER

Saudi Arabia has always been an important market in the region, but some recent political changes means that this is more the case now than ever before. Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 social and economic reform programme, the Kingdom is aiming to increase spending on cultural and entertainment activities to open up a different income stream.

Saudi Arabia has always been an important market in the region, but some recent political changes means that this is more the case now than ever before. Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 social and economic reform programme, the Kingdom is aiming to increase spending on cultural and entertainment activities to open up a different income stream.

The first signs of this in action have come in the live entertainment market with the KSA authorities sponsoring a number of prominent concerts. While there have been performances recently from the likes of US hip hop artist, Nelly, and Algerian singer, Cheb Khaled, this was truly emphasised when Hiba Tiwaji became the first female musician to perform at a concert in the Kingdom in December. As these high-profile events start to become more common, the opportunities already seen by rental companies will continue to grow.

The first signs of this in action have come in the live entertainment market with the KSA authorities sponsoring a number of prominent concerts. While there have been performances recently from the likes of US hip hop artist, Nelly, and Algerian singer, Cheb Khaled, this was truly emphasised when Hiba Tiwaji became the first female musician to perform at a concert in the Kingdom in December. As these high-profile events start to become more common, the opportunities already seen by rental companies will continue to grow.

In addition to this, the government has made a further announcement that will prove to be a boost to different companies in the industry. It has decided to lift its ban on commercial cinemas that has lasted for more than three decades. Again under the Vision 2030 programme, the country is planning to open 300 cinemas with more than 2,000 screens. This presents a significant opportunity for those in the cinema design and installation business, as well as companies that focus on supplying equipment.

In addition to this, the government has made a further announcement that will prove to be a boost to different companies in the industry. It has decided to lift its ban on commercial cinemas that has lasted for more than three decades. Again under the Vision 2030 programme, the country is planning to open 300 cinemas with more than 2,000 screens. This presents a significant opportunity for those in the cinema design and installation business, as well as companies that focus on supplying equipment.

With 70% of Saudi Arabia’s population under 30, it is easy to see the rationale behind these political changes. If the Kingdom wants to continue to expand this sector of its economy then the benefits of an active entertainment market serving a population of 32 million people could be huge for the region as a whole.

With 70% of Saudi Arabia’s population under 30, it is easy to see the rationale behind these political changes. If the Kingdom wants to continue to expand this sector of its economy then the benefits of an active entertainment market serving a population of 32 million people could be huge for the region as a whole.

Enjoy the magazine!

Enjoy the magazine!

IN THIS ISSUE

Richard Lawn:

Richard Lawn:

T: +44 1892 676280

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GENERAL MANAGER rlawn@proavl-mea.com

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Caroline Moss:

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR cmoss@proavl-mea.com

Adrian Baker:

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PRODUCTION MANAGER abaker@proavl-mea.com

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SALES ASSOCIATE cvalliere@proavl-mea.com

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Sue Gould:

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ADVERTISING DIRECTOR sgould@proavl-mea.com

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Nick Smith:

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DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER nsmith@proavl-mea.com

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Raymond Boey:

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SINGAPORE OFFICE rboey@proavl-mea.com

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Damian Calderbank

Damian Calderbank

T: +971 (0) 52 230 2882

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CORRESPONDENT dcalderbank@proavl-mea.com

CORRESPONDENT dcalderbank@proavl-mea.com

Marne Mittelmann:

Marne Mittelmann:

F: +65 6491 6588

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CIRCULATION circulation@proavl-mea.com

CIRCULATION circulation@proavl-mea.com

SLS invests in Meyer

UAE: SLS Productions has updated its inventory with a raft of purchases from Meyer Sound. The Dubai-based rental house has recently invested in the American manufacturer’s Leo, Lyon and Lina systems. ‘We have gone in for quite a large number of boxes because we do a lot of concerts and wanted to upgrade to a brand that is in demand and rider friendly,’ explained SLS director of operations, Neville Lobo. ‘We did over three months of research and finally settled on Meyer as our preferred choice. We realised it was up there in the top systems because of the big touring acts like Metallica and Ed Sheeran that use it. The fact that all their systems are completely self-powered and extremely power efficient was also a major selling point.’

These factors were enough to persuade the rental house to invest in the Leo system. ‘We had not even heard it,’ revealed Mr Lobo. ‘We bought it based on its reputation alone.’

The purchase has seen SLS add to

its inventory with 24 Leo-M boxes, 16 1100-LFC subs and 8 Lyon boxes that can be used as fills or as an independent system if required. While Leo was purchased with larger gigs in mind, the Lina system was acquired to cover the

Audiotonix acquires SSL

WORLD: Audiotonix has added to its stable of mixing console brands with the acquisition of Solid State Logic (SSL). SSL joins DiGiCo, Calrec, Allen & Heath and DiGiGrid under the Audiotonix umbrella.

‘We are growing the Audiotonix group with professional audio brands that have exceptional technology, committed people and a real passion for what they do,’ said Audiotonix CEO, James Gordon. ‘With their incredible history and reputation, their enthusiasm and

loyal customer base, SSL is ideally placed to be the next partner in the group. The whole group will benefit by having SSL as an integral part of the team going forward. Having their help to further expand our international reach, technology and customer base will be a lot of fun.’

‘I am very proud of the

Audio-Technica opens Middle East office

UAE: Audio-Technica has opened a sales support office in Dubai. According to the manufacturer, the new office is aimed at increasing the level of service to its distributors, integrators, consultants and corporate end users in the professional audio field across the Middle East region. The office is located in the Dubai Airport Freezone Authority and will be led by technical product manager, Ahmad Abuzannad. Key to his role will be increasing levels of product training and demos in the Middle East and in conjunction with the manufacturer’s distributors across the region. Mr Abuzannad will also support customers with the complex wireless frequency planning required for large-scale projects.

for extended sales support in conjunction with John Dodson, Audio-Technica’s long-standing local representative based in Dubai.

achievements our team have made to date with the expansion of SSL,’ added Anthony David, MD of SSL. ‘To reach our full potential we need the support and resources of a larger group. In Audiotonix we have found a partner that is as fiercely obsessed about audio, products and customer service as we are. Audiotonix’

corporate market. ‘We wanted to replace our smaller point source systems for conferences with the Lina,’ confirmed Mr Lobo. ‘It is a very nice small box and we are very excited about it because we do a lot of corporate events – 60%

success in investing in and nurturing similar audio focused businesses was crucial. Once we got talking, we discovered that this was something we both wanted.’

As part of the transaction, SSL majority shareholder, Peter Gabriel, becomes an investor in Audiotonix.

‘My relationship with SSL began as a user, a customer and then as part owner,’ said Mr Gabriel. ‘SSL has always made wonderful innovative equipment that encourages creativity and I got involved because I never wanted to imagine a world without SSL. It is obvious with this sale that there are many in this growing

of our business is corporate. We decided to go for 18 Lina tops and six 750-LFC subs. We can split it up into separate systems to do three rooms. They have an amazing footprint, they are very small and versatile.’

From its point of view, the manufacturer is happy to see another Leo system in the region and is planning to provide the rental house with full training and support on the systems. ‘We are very pleased to have a good rental partner like SLS Productions using our Leo system,’ said Chris Mead, sales manager Middle East, Africa and India for Meyer Sound. ‘We look forward to supporting them on many big shows in the future.’

www.slspro.net

www.meyersound.com

Audiotonix group that are as nuts about new tech and good audio as we are. Each manufacturer has their own particular markets, strengths and idiosyncrasies but through collaboration, there will be a lot of opportunities to spread knowledge and skills to benefit the group as a whole. I am also excited by what could be created by all these new potential synergies so I have chosen to use a chunk of the sale money to invest in this newly expanded version of Audiotonix. I wish Audiotonix.’

www.audiotonix.com

www.solidstatelogic.com

Ooreedo makes a visual statement

‘We’re delighted to be extending our presence in the Middle East with the new office,’ said Matthias Exner, Audio-Technica director of sales and marketing EMEA professional audio. ‘The territory is a key market for Audio-Technica and it’s of vital importance that we’re able to deliver excellent customer service locally. Initially the scope will focus on support for our professional product ranges – from live sound to installation solutions – and expand into support for Audio-Technica’s consumer product portfolio in time. I look forward to working with Ahmad and John on many exciting projects with customers across region in the coming months.’

www.audio-technica.eu

QATAR: Technomight has installed three Magnolia 1.5mm LED displays from SiliconCore in the lobby and events areas of Ooreedo’s Doha

Philips Showline moving heads and wash lights on a motorised truss system help to illuminate the live camera feeds. The digital signage feeds are distributed via an RGBlink multi-window video processor. Four Winds Interactive software makes it possible to showcase multiple pictures and live feeds controllable from the central Crestron touch screen. The broadcast system is also connected to Ooredoo Family TV networking.

The installation comprised two side-by-side screens in the lobby and one 130-inch LED display in the events area. Content can be shared across the three walls via a 4K signal distribution system. This is connected to Ooredoo’s broadcast system showing feeds from Sony high resolution PTZ cameras while

‘The brief for the whole building has been to produce future-proofed technology that delivered good TCO and long lifetime, which is why SiliconCore was selected,’ said Technomight A/V design manager, Shehzad Hussain.

www.technomight.com

www.silicon-core.com

Audio-Technica technical product manager, Ahmad Abuzannad

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

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

Learn more at SHOWMATCH.BOSE.COM

Biamp bought by Highlander Partners

WORLD: Rashid Skaf has assumed the roles of president, CEO and co-chairman at Biamp Systems following the completion of the manufacturer’s acquisition by Highlander Partners from previous owner, Lomar Corporation. Mr Skaf, a renowned industry figure who stood at the helm of AMX for 15 years before selling it to Harman, led the acquisition of Biamp as a senior advisor for Highlander Partners.

‘I’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to join another truly iconic brand in the A/V industry,’ Mr Skaf commented. ‘Even while CEO of AMX, I was intimately familiar with Biamp and developed deep respect for its products, brand and organisation. So much so that I sought to acquire the company several times over the past 10 years. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to join and lead the

Biamp team. I have no doubt that together we will usher Biamp into an exciting new period of growth and industry leadership that will benefit the company and its employees and channel partners.’

Mike Nicolais, vice chairman and CEO of Highlander Partners, explained that Highlander’s investment philosophy is to buy and build. ‘It seeks to build value in enterprises by finding well-run, profitable businesses in healthy industries that have the potential for significant future growth through both organic expansion of the existing business and strategic additions of complementary acquisitions,’ he stated. ‘Biamp is an excellent platform company to implement that same strategy in its industry.’

Mr Skaf expanded on the strategy for Biamp going forward: ‘Biamp is one of the most successful

Phoenix puts DAS in the Frame

UAE: Phoenix LAS has installed a DAS Audio solution at Frame club at the Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa. The solution for the retrofit project was supplied through the manufacturer’s local partner, Procom.

While Frame is a new concept, it is located on the site of an old club. This has allowed the installer to mix new technical elements with refurbished pieces of equipment. For example, the main solution comprises three DAS Audio Aero 8 line arrays per side covering the main dancefloor with further 8-inch cabinets from the Spanish manufacturer providing reinforcement around the bar. However, the other side of the main dancefloor is served by the JBL Marquis system that was originally installed and has now been EQ’d to acoustically match the DAS system. The same is true of the visual side of the project. While there is a new seamless 25m2 videowall behind the titular frame surrounding the main stage, many of the lights over the dancefloor have been repaired and refurbished.

‘It’s not that easy to open a club; there is a lot of expense there,’ reasons Phoenix’ Mark Legaspi. ‘We’ve given them an awesome sound system and enough lights to get going and, after a few months, there are all the connectors, power and allocations ready so we can move them and change them.’

For Mr Legaspi, there is a strong reason to take this approach to project work. ‘Just because they

are the new owners doesn’t mean that they need to change all the equipment. Part of our service is to give them a professional assessment of their existing gear and help them come up with a cost-effective solution. We are not here just to sell boxes; we aim to be a long-term business partner, like a long-lost family that always has your back.’

www.phoenixlas.com

professional audio management companies in the world. Despite its undeniable leadership position, I see clear opportunities to grow the market share of its current products and expand into new markets through an aggressive programme of internal development and company acquisition. I will soon reach out to the many excellent suppliers and industry partners Biamp works with today, and those others I have worked with in the past, to build a passionate community committed to meeting mutual growth objectives. I consider the excellence of our extended community of partners to be a critical factor in the future success of Biamp.’

Biamp’s former president and CEO, Matt Czyzewski, will remain with the company as executive vice president of technology.

www.biamp.com

Watermaster creates Tawar Mall fountain show

valued while deciding about the layout of the speakers. We both wanted to create the highest quality end effect.’

With the mall now opened, Watermaster cites the ongoing maintenance contract as a sign of its client’s satisfaction with the job. ‘The best token of gratitude from the client is extending the

Doha-based turnkey water feature specialist, Watermaster, has equipped the newly opened Tawar Mall with a fountain show. The company opted for an Aimline solution to provide the audio element to the show at the mall’s fountain.

‘The Tawar Mall project was another challenge for Watermaster,’ said Malwina Studzinska, marketing manager at Watermaster. ‘Its variety allowed our team to combine their technical expertise, creative flair and knowledge of the latest equipment from global suppliers. A mixture of all that has allowed us to create a one-of-akind entertainment spot for the public of Doha. The array of effects created by the different nozzles is incredible – shapes vary from single dimensional, via multidimensional, up to rotating ones, forming a 3D turning basket or a mind-blowing jumping effect.’

The audio element is delivered by 20 Aimline ALP 4.1 passive

loudspeakers positioned around the fountain, powered by five PD Systems amplifiers and controlled via a PD Systems mixer. ‘One of the main reasons why we have chosen Aimline was due to the support they have offered during the design phase of the sound system,’ said Ms Studzinska. ‘Adjusting the music to the water and light movement is one task. Yet, within SPL a whole lot of calculations were still required.

Aimline has showed great support throughout our cooperation, sharing their expertise at all times. Their engagement was also extremely

Studzinska. ‘We have been in regular contact, programming new shows and adjusting the existing ones to the client’s needs. A different selection of shows as well as the accompanying music can be scheduled in advance. Whether it is a National Day or prayer time, the mood is adjusted to create an ambience required for the occasion. We hope that the variety of shows provided by Watermaster will keep making the place distinctive.’

www.aimline-audio.com www.watermaster.me

Rashid Skaf

Aero 8 cabinets cover the dancefloor

Tawar Mall’s fountain show

The Aimline speakers have been installed around the edge of the fountain

SOUNDBITES

ATSAN OPENS NEW LOCATION

TURKEY: Atsan Elektronik has moved home to a dedicated store in the new Timko Business Centre in Ankara. The company has been a dealer for Ertekin Elektronik for 20 years and, as such, the distributor’s brands feature heavily in the new venue.

L300 handles FOH and monitors for KT Tunstall

UAE: A Solid State Logic L300 console was put to use to mix a pair of KT Tunstall performances in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The console, along with the rest of the audio, lighting and backline, was supplied by Dave Lee from Set Square.

‘The FOH engineer hadn’t used SSL before so was apprehensive about using one without rehearsal time,’ said Mr Lee. ‘However, by the end of the first show he was quite comfortable with it and, by the end of the second night, was asking me about prices and who to speak to for a demo in the UK.’

Aside from the desk and its accompanying ML32.32 stage rack,

The dealer decided to invest in the new store as it required more space for its showroom. In addition to this, the move into project sales and the desire to have its project and daily sales teams housed in the same space was a further consideration.

The showroom features a wide range of equipment on display, with sections given over to the likes of Audac, Audio-Technica, dBTechnologies and Yamaha, amongst others.

www.atsanelektronik.com.tr www.ertekin.com.tr

MIDDLE ATLANTIC STREAMLINES WITH MERGED DEPARTMENT

the audio setup for the intimate performances comprised eight d&b audiotechnik C-tops with the same number of C-subs, while four Ohm TRS112 wedges were used for

monitors. Three Shure Beta57 mics and eight Radial JDIs completed the audio solution. Lighting was on an equally small scale. This system combined 16 LED PAR cans with six

Simple conferencing at the Ministry of Education

LED washes controlled via ChamSys’ MagicQ software.

‘It was a good, full-sounding mix, and the PA, although small, was more than enough for both venues,’ said Mr Lee. ‘We duplicated the inputs so KT’s engineer had separate controls for mixing monitors. He had an effects rack with him that I patched in and used one internal reverb.

‘It was an intimate, sit-down sort of show for a few hundred people in a ballroom and the crowd loved the fact they could get so close, as did KT as she said while she interacted with them,’ concluded Mr Lee.

www.setsquare.ae

Products has merged its electrical management teams into a single department. Scott Lowder will lead the new department.

‘With the pace of technology and the time it takes to develop complex products, it is critical for a development organisation to operate as leanly as possible to get the best solutions to our partners quickly,’ said Mr Lowder. ‘This is an opportunity to create a seamless link between our customers and the talented engineers that are working to develop our next innovations that will reliably deliver the expected end user experience.’

www.middleatlantic.com

KSA’s Ministry of Education recently sought a

of its meeting rooms. The main requirements were for a solution that would be easy to operate for

non-technical users, as well as highly intelligible sound quality and reliability. Dhell Almustakshef technical engineer, Abdulbaset Hassan, provided the solution in the form of a BXB EDC-1000 series system, comprising 28 microphones in the smaller meeting room and 48 in the larger one. In addition to the EDC microphones, Dhell Almustakshef installed an EDC 1051 main control unit, which allows the users to select between conference modes, allocate microphone numbers and set an automatic shutdown time via an LCD screen. Conference configurations can be saved for and

Playout refresh at Al Aan TV

UAE: Imagine Communications first worked with Al Aan TV in 2014, assisting the broadcaster with its transition to a file-based HD production. As Al Aan continues to expand, a new playout and storage solution was required. This led to Imagine once again being called in, this time to install a state-of-theart unified delivery platform, while reconfiguring the old system to serve as a fully redundant backup chain. The technology refresh also called for a system that would add further support for Al Aan’s social media presence. The new Al Aan playout centre comprises a shared storage network of three Nexio+ AMP servers with a total of 18 HD ports, and a Nexio PRX transcoder and media gateway is also installed on the network. This system provides Al Aan staff with a previewing tool for creating proxy files quickly.

Versio IOX provides online storage for live transmission services. An ADC automation platform was also deployed.

‘Imagine Communications has proved to be a valued technology partner and, by working with the

company to extend our playout facilities, we get the workflow gains we sought, along with the ability to provide a complete backup chain that provides channel redundancy with zero downtime,’ noted Raad Haddadin, head of engineering and

recalled at subsequent meetings. Joining the BXB system as part of the installation were a Panasonic projector, Kramer switching system and Bose sound system.

‘Since 2013, we have implemented EDC 1000 series systems for several projects throughout Saudi Arabia,’ said Mr Hassan. ‘The Ministry of Education selected the solution thanks to its simple installation, good design and well-recognised quality. The customer has organised several meetings and is fully satisfied with the entire solution.’

www.bxb.tw

support at Al Aan TV. ‘Our services are extremely popular and we are growing rapidly, and that has called for significant investment in new technology and systems.’

‘We have watched with excitement as Al Aan has grown, providing a groundbreaking approach to news and consistently popular entertainment, and it is satisfying to continue to support that growth with technology with the capacity to evolve to meet Al Aan’s future requirements for connectivity and social interaction,’ said Anas Hantash, director of sales for the MENA region at Imagine. ‘Our Dubaibased engineering team provided on-the-ground support to achieve Al Aan’s goals. It also assisted with the implementation, and continues to provide support for the future.’

www.imaginecommunications.com

SAUDI ARABIA:

conferencing system for a pair

Imagine’s Anas Hantash with Raad Haddadin from Al Aan TV

The L300 at FOH

Johnny Clegg’s curtain call

the back of the stage to highlight the backbeat with washes and beams to create atmosphere and highlight certain moments throughout the show. The rig included Robe Robin 600 LED Washes and Robin Pointes, ETC Source Four Profiles, Martin Professional Mac 101 LED fixtures, Mac Vipers and Rush PAR2 RGBW Zooms, I-Pix Satellite LED washes, Molefay 8-Lite frames and Strong Gladiator III Xenon Followspots. Control was via an MA Lighting grandMA2 console and media server, an Avolites dimmer and a ProPlex 8-way DMX buffer with Opto Splitter. Reel EFX DF 50 Hazer and Martin Professional JEM ZR45 smoke machines added to the atmosphere with a pair of SP Fan

The rig includied an LED screen measuring 8m x 5m was flown as a central backdrop to the stage, flanked by smaller panels served by Christie HD20K Roadsters that displayed video clips illustrating Johnny Clegg’s career, many of which were created by his son, Jaron. The singer’s other son, Jesse, is a recording artist in his own right and joined his father onstage for a couple of songs. At several points, a gauze curtain dropped down to separate Johnny Clegg from the band to create a more intimate feel. A Panasonic DZ21K HD projector beamed images onto this backdrop. Also supplied as part of the A/V signal chain were Kramer switchers, Panasonic AG-HPX372

Blackmagic Design converters, a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 audio interface, Midas Pro Series consoles and Mac Minis.

SOUTH AFRICA: Gearhouse

Group joint managing director Ofer Lapid first worked on a Juluka concert in Lesotho in 1985, sparking a relationship with the band’s front man, Johnny Clegg, as well as promoter Roddy Quinn. More than three decades later, that relationship is still going strong, as Gearhouse Group provided all technical equipment for Johnny Clegg’s final concert in Johannesburg at the TicketPro Dome. The artist was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015 and has toured South Africa and the world one last time, including gigs in Dubai and London that Gearhouse

provided technical expertise and servers for. The rental company also supplied lighting, audio, media servers and LED screens for the previous concerts held at Johannesburg’s MonteCasino, GrandWest and ICC venues.

Johnny Clegg’s final gig at the TicketPro Dome was billed as a three-hour autobiographical journey, spanning Juluka’s 1979 album, Universal Men, to his recent solo work and everything in between. Gearhouse was challenged to produce a theatrical look to complement the storytelling aspect of the concert. Gearhouse’s Tim Dunn created a subtle yet powerful lighting design, using LED fixtures at

Avitco chooses QSC for Trader Vic’s

UAE: Dubai-based systems integrator, Avitco Information Technology, has recently equipped Trader Vic’s at Madinat Jumeirah with a QSC sound system. The equipment for the project was supplied through QSC Systems’ local distributor, SGTC Pro. The venue required two separate systems to meet the needs of the restaurant and lounge. The lounge

When it came to sound reinforcement, Gearhouse went with a tried and tested L-Acoustics setup due to the nature of the venue. This saw left and right hangs each comprising nine K1 and six K2, and outer hangs of six V-Dosc and three dV-Dosc per side. A further eight dV-Dosc were employed for front-fill, while nine Kudo served as delays. A total of 16 SB28s delivered low end. ‘In the Dome, we sometimes experience issues with weight out of the roof and because the K1 has an excellent power-to-weight ratio, it is our preferred box for the venue,’ explained Llewellyn Reinecke, audio HOD at Gearhouse. ‘To complement the K1, we pulled on the resources of our Durban Branch and their K2 which are perfectly suited to hang below the K1. As with all L-Acoustics setups, and along with L-Acoustics’ Soundvision Prediction Software, we attach laser precision to each array and aim where the audio from the boxes needs to cover, taking into account the audience listening level, either seated or standing. We set it to either 1.2m or 1.8m, respectively, aiming for the audience’s average height of ear level to create optimum sound.’

www.gearhouse.co.za

has a focus on live music and, as such, the integrator selected four of QSC’s E15 cabinets for the main system with low-end support from an E18SW subwoofer. Power for the system is through the manufacturer’s GXD 8 and GXD 4 amplifiers, while control is via a TouchMix 16 mixing console. The restaurant area, meanwhile, is catered to by 23 of QSC’s AD-S6T

SF brings the sound to Zanzibar Live

TURKEY: Having previously outfitted the Zanzibar restaurant in Istanbul with a sound system, SF Ses ve Işık was approached by the same client to equip the adjacent nightclub, Zanzibar Live, with an audio setup. The systems integrator provided a solution based around JBL’s VRX range. The installation comprises four JBL VRX932LAP 12-inch line array speakers and two VRX918SP

powered subwoofers, suspended by a pair of VRX-AF frames above the stage. Complementing these is a pair of PRX812W 12-inch speakers and processing is via a dbx DriveRack Venu360 loudspeaker management system.

‘The installation was completed in a week,’ said Kadriye Bozkurt, who led the installation for SF. ‘Both the owners and the clients are very happy. The musicians who play at

surface-mount speakers alongside four of the manufacturer’s ADS52T cabinets. Power for this portion of the solution is via CX 108V and CX 302V amplifiers, while processing is handled by a Q-Sys Core 110F. Control in the restaurant is via an iPad.

www.avitcoonline.com

www.sgtcpro.com

the venue are also very pleased with the sound system. The venue has quickly become one of the most popular spots in Istanbul and trendy artists often appear on stage. A lot of popular columnists are also visiting which brings a lot of press attention both to the venue and to the system, which is receiving plenty of applause.’

www.sf.com.tr

Johnny Clegg on stage in Johannesburg (photo courtesy of Louise Stickland)

Gearhouse supplied the concert (photo courtesy of Louise Stickland)

Protec partners with Bumat

UAE: Protec has signed a memorandum of understanding with Bumat Motion Systems GmbH to establish a partnership. Protec believes the new relationship will enable it to provide a more comprehensive product offering, and make it the industry’s leading source in the Middle East for rentals of turntables and revolving platforms for events and exhibitions.

‘Over the last year, we have had more and more requests for revolves, particularly in the motor industry,’ said Protec’s founder and CEO, Stephen Lakin. ‘We felt that working together with a world leader like Bumat would be the ideal solution to beef up our stocks with a quality product that we could offer our clients.

Bumat’s modular system can supply turntables of any size and carrying capacity: made of aluminium or steel, in diameters ranging from 0.1m to 55m and capable of accommodating load weights from 10kg to 450 metric

Music rebrands to Music Tribe

WORLD: Music (previously known as Music Group) has once again rebranded. Now known as Music Tribe, the company is home to brands such as Behringer, Klark Teknik, Lab.gruppen, Lake, Midas, Tannoy, TC Electronic and Turbosound. The music-group.com

URL now redirects to the organisation’s new web address, musictri.be.

tons. Our customers can now order turntables out of the standardsystem or have them planned and manufactured according to their individual requirements. They can individualise any turntable with regards to carrying capacity, installation height, construction design, mode of operation and serviceability.’

‘As an owner-run family business, we have been installing systems and managing numerous projects for well-known customers all around the globe since the company was founded in 1948,’ added Bumat’s managing director, Timo Burgmeier. ‘Dedicated assembly and service teams with many years of experience are at our customers’ disposal wherever they may be: in Germany, Europe or anywhere else in the world. We are sure that our agreement with Protec will be a positive step – both for us as well as the Middle East region.’

www.bumat.com

www.productiontec.com

In a LinkedIn article, CEO Uli Behringer explained the reasoning behind the recent name change. ‘Music Tribe is a very different organisation and we’re proud to be different,’ he said. ‘We try very hard to get rid of everything “corporate” and convert into a Tribe where our

Tribers’ (employees’) mission is to enable life-changing experiences for our Friends (customers). We don’t have any C-level executives nor [a] board of directors, nor are we slaves to quarterly budgeting. Most importantly we don’t care

about shareholder value, the worst objective any company can possibly have as it takes away the focus from what truly matters – your customers.

‘We are working very hard to eliminate all corporate nonsense in order to become a flat, lean and empowered Tribe where people have clear roles and responsibilities,’ he continued. ‘We are very proud that over the past 30 years, we have built one of the largest and fastest-growing organisations in our industry.’

www.musictri.be

PTO provides flexibility

array system, AKG mics, and monitors from Edirol and Cakewalk. A DTS lighting system was also installed, as was a Panasonic PT-EX800 projector and Reflecta projection screen and a range of Aten splitters and switchers.

as such, required a new professional A/V setup that could manage a diverse range of applications. Following a string of successful projects at other universities across Iran, Pezhvak Taban Ofogh (PTO) was approached to design a solution.

the institution’s history and character as part of the project specification. To ensure this was met, the PTO team put together multiple designs for the client to choose from. The design ultimately chosen saw the installation of a sound setup comprising a Behringer X32 digital mixer, a Montarbo RA16 line

‘We are extremely happy to have the chance to equip this beautiful auditorium for Neyshabur University,’ said Arash Sadri of PTO. ‘There was a request for a high-level auditorium among Neyshabur academics and now that request has been answered. This auditorium is able to support everything from scientific conferences to musical programmes, and therefore can play an effective role in promoting education and culture in this ancient city.’

www.pto-co.com

Bumat in action at the BMW Museum

The head of the Tribe amongst his friends

Sound of the Sevens

UAE: eclipse Staging Services was once again called in to provide the sound system for the Dubai Sevens. Having worked at the event for a number of years, the rental company used a tried-and-tested solution to provide reinforcement across both pitches.

The main pitch saw 78 ElectroVoice SX300s deployed in pairs around the roofline of the various stands with one firing towards the upper tiers and the other towards

the lower tier. ‘It used to be that everything was on the edge of the stand and facing back, but over time they have reduced the covering and we have had to get into a scenario of one forwards and one back,’ explained John Parkhouse, head of audio at eclipse. ‘It’s not ideal, but it works.

‘Traditionally, it was just public address and over time they have tried to bring an increased entertainment element into it,’

New broadcast setup in Zambia

ZAMBIA: A new solution has been delivered to Parliament TV to facilitate live debate broadcasts from the National Assembly of Zambia. The solution was the result of a collaboration between Munichbased systems integrator sonoVTS and Austrian broadcast solutions provider STRYME. Financial support was offered by Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau and consultation was provided by MCI Berlin, both of Germany.

The Parliament Television project setup includes cameras installed on the walls of the Parliament Chamber and in three conference rooms. Live debates from these four locations are recorded simultaneously using a STRYME 4-in Multi-Cam Ingest solution. A TV studio was constructed in part of the press gallery and is equipped with a Genesix VideoServer with master

control and playout automation. ‘Our challenge was to streamline and optimise the client’s workflows with a tailor-made, flexible and futureproof setup,’ explained STRYME CEO, Goce Zdravkoski. ‘We were honoured to join sonoVTS in this high-profile project and provide the National Assembly of Zambia with a sophisticated, fully equipped Genesix VideoServer.’

‘We partnered with STRYME because their durable and reliable solutions are high-tech, yet reasonably priced,’ noted Michael Jaehnel, head of project sales at sonoVTS. ‘The Genesix VideoServer is a real asset for the Zambian government. Parliament TV now benefits from a fail-safe, versatile and user-friendly solution.’

www.sonovts.com

www.stryme.com

he continued. ‘I’m always quite shocked when we turn everything on and have a walk around –actually straight out of the box it’s pretty much there. There are a few tweaks – the EVs don’t go down really low so we put a high-pass filter in so we’re not asking too

much of the amplifiers trying to push sound that isn’t there, plus a bit of time alignment and that’s it.’

The second pitch is covered by a K-array KH4 and KS4 stack. ‘They do long-throw superbly,’ said Mr Parkhouse. ‘We could do it any number of different ways,

but we put it in, it’s functional and everyone can hear and it’s fine. It is a very functional approach to the whole thing. It is a repetition of Nick Chapman’s design and approach who had been doing the Sevens for years and has now left Dubai. We are just carrying on that legacy. There’s not much that changes year to year – with technical advances we just tweak it.’

While the system is relatively simple, Mr Parkhouse is quick to pay tribute to the challenge faced by the operator. ‘The most taxing part for the main pitch is there is just so much going on at any moment in time,’ said Mr Parkhouse. ‘Mark “Monkey” Ross, the operator, is busy from 7 o’clock in the morning until the last game. He has had a tough few days.’

Away from the main sound system, Delta Sound supplied the radios for the technical crew and, for the first time, the teams as well. In total, the rental company supplied around 200 Motorola units to cover the event.

www.eclipsestagingservices.ae

Apart and Community team up for Dubai training

UAE: Audioprof Group International used the first day of InfoComm MEA to host a joint training session for its Apart Audio and Community Professional brands. The event attracted 55 integrators and consultants from across the region to the Crowne Plaza hotel in Dubai. Following an introduction into the history of Audioprof, the event followed the same format as the manufacturer’s 2016 Dubai event with the audience split into two sections. This provided the manufacturer with the opportunity to present its solutions to smaller, more focused groups simultaneously.

In the Community Professional section, Jamie Ward and Dave Howden presented the history of

the brand as well as the technology that powers it. In addition to this, there were specific application

examples and a series of listening sessions. The particular highlight though was a local introduction of the new IV6 modular array system. Over in the Apart session, Anders Olsen and Kris Vermuyten covered the manufacturer’s range of install-specific solutions. Particular attention was paid to the Mask C series of loudspeakers and the features that ensure its ease of installation.

Following the two-hour session, the manufacturer was clearly pleased with both the turnout and the reaction to its products.

www.apart-audio.com

www.communitypro.com

The National Assembly of Zambia

K-array KH4 and KS4 covered pitch two

The EV system

Jamie Ward and Dave Howden presented the Community section of the event

Kris Vermuyten introduced the seminar

Blackmagic captures Andrea Bocelli Exterity provides the treatment at Turkish hospital

JORDAN: Sync For Media deployed a Blackmagic Design solution for the video production of Andrea Bocelli’s debut in Jordan. The open-air concert in Jerash’s Columns Square saw the Italian tenor perform with a full orchestra to an audience of over 7,000.

To cover the performance, Sync For Media opted for a multicam system comprising 11 Blackmagic Design cameras. ‘We had four Ursa Mini Pro, four Ursa Mini, a Blackmagic Studio Camera and Micro Studio Camera, all connected via fibre to produce the live programme mix for the show, with talkback for those units with camera operators,’ recalled Sync For Media’s Mohammed Awad. ‘As we were also using an Atem 2 M/E switcher as our main mixer, this allowed us to access the Atem Camera Control software to also operate basic camera controls and bring consistency. This was particularly important given the large number of cameras in operation and also the outdoor setting, where the lighting and shadows could change quickly.’

In the build up to the concert, the live OB specialists used one of

the Ursa Mini cameras to capture backstage ‘making of’ footage. When it came to the show itself, Sync For Media’s OB van served as the production hub with the team operating an Atem 1 M/E panel to produce the big screen mix and DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel for live colour matching.

‘This was a very high-profile event, with a huge number of performers on the stage, so we had to make sure that not only could we deliver a reliable and high-quality production

to the big screen, but that we could ensure the audience was able to see everything that was happening on stage, no matter where they were seated,’ said Mr Awad. ‘The Blackmagic system helped us to produce an extremely polished and professional production, which impressed those working backstage as much as those watching in the audience.’

www.blackmagicdesign.com

www.syncformedia.com

TURKEY: Ankara’s TOBB ETÜ Hospital has turned to an Exterity IPTV solution to provide patient entertainment and on-site staff development. The solution has been installed to cover the patient rooms, clinic waiting areas, visitor waiting rooms, restaurants and cafés.

Systems integrator, 4D Sistem Tic, was responsible for the installation and deployed Exterity products to deliver entertainment and educational material to 85 patient rooms, six public areas

and 28 staff desktops. While it is used to broadcast domestic and international channels in the patient rooms, the solution also delivers prepared presentations and training videos that staff can access either in the patient rooms or via a desktop. The system comprises the Scottish manufacturer’s AvediaStream TV gateways, AvediaStream encoders and AvediaPlayer media players, all controlled by the AvediaServer central management platform. ‘It’s great to be working closely with TOBB ETÜ Hospital to help its staff meet and exceed the needs of its patients using our technology,’ said Exterity CEO, Colin Farquhar. ‘Being able to deliver both entertainment and training via the same system also showcases the versatility of IP video.’

www.exterity.com

CM1008D

ROCK20

SOUNDBITES

Q-SYS TRAINING HEADS TO CAIRO

EGYPT: Vivid AV Media and QSC Systems recently delivered a Q-Sys Level 1 training event in Cairo. The session attracted a range of A/V consultants and systems integrators.

Udaya Sound delivers Groove on the Grass

UAE: Udaya Sound supplied the audio, lighting, truss and video equipment for the first Groove on the Grass of the season. The rental house covered both stages at the music and arts festival which got underway for a sixth season at Dubai’s Emirates Golf Club.

‘While integrators in the region have used QSC amplifiers in the past, Egypt is an untapped opportunity for system sales,’ said Vivid’s Chris Hellmuth.

‘We were proud to showcase

QSC’s IT-centric conferencing solution including the Q-Sys Core 110f unified processor, TSC-7t touchscreen controller, I/O-USB Bridge and native PTZ conference camera, along with AcousticDesign Series loudspeakers and SPA Series small format amplifiers.’

‘We are thrilled to see the Q-Sys platform continues to reach new corners of the globe,’ added Glen Harris from QSC. ‘Q-Sys continues to appeal to integrators and end users alike who understand the value of IT-centric solutions and harnessing the scalability and value of a software-based platform.’

www.qsc.com

www.vivid-avmedia.com

LDA DEMOS IN IRAN

IRAN: LDA Audio Tech’s Neo public address and voice evacuation solutions were used for live demonstrations at the first Mashhad Security Symposium, which attracted various engineers from around the Middle East.

The sound system for the main stage was formed from 12 L-Acoustics V-Doscs with the same number of the French manufacturer’s SB218 subs with control from a Yamaha CL5 desk. The lighting system consisted of 16 Robe 1200 Spots, 21 of the Czech manufacturer’s 1200 Washes, 20 Claypaky Sharpys and 40 LED PAR cans. For the video side, Udaya supplied P8 LED screens controlled by an Analog Way Pulse 350 switcher and using Rosolume Arena VJ software. Completing the setup were Slicks trussing and CM one ton motors.

The solution covering the second stage was notably smaller. However, it called on much of the same equipment. For the sound, eight

V-Doscs were combined with four SB218s and controlled by a Yamaha LS9. The lighting once again comprised Robe’s 1200

Spots and Washes, joined by Claypaky Sharpys.

‘It was a different experience as there were two stages at the same venue with different music,’ said Udaya Sound’s Rinu Basheer. ‘The only challenge was that there were many acts on the same stage who used different equipment. The main act was Nicolas Jaar who used only keyboards and midi players as well as four Martin Audio LE monitors. The opening and closing acts used a pair of Pioneer CDJ2000 Nexus players with a DJM900 Nexus mixer alongside four Meyer Sound MSL4 and four Meyer Sound 650P subs. The complete system for the support acts were on wheels that were moved to the side during the main act and brought back for the closing act.’

www.uscreation.net

Focusrite launches pro division

WORLD: Focusrite Pro was formally introduced at AES New York. The new division was ‘formed to serve the specific needs of audio professionals worldwide’ and will take ownership of the manufacturer’s Red multiformat audio interfaces, RedNet modular audio-over-IP solutions and ISA microphone preamplifiers and analogue signal processors.

‘The sole focus of Focusrite Pro is to enable audio professionals with bestin-class audio solutions for modernday workflows,’ explained Focusrite CEO, Tim Carroll. ‘Audio professionals now have a dedicated team of professional audio product designers and sales and support staff. This new team will help them build and deploy

solutions that address the needs of modern-day audio production in broadcast, postproduction, music production, live and installed sound.’

Focusrite Audio Engineering is now formed of four brands. In addition to Focusrite and Focusrite Pro are Novation and Ampify.

‘Having this tighter integration between our sales, marketing and product management functions will enable us to greatly improve the client focus of our organisation – continuing to develop innovative

Sasani adds new dimmers

SOUTH AFRICA: Stage Two and Stage Five at Johannesburg’s Sasani Studios have been upgraded with a new dimming system comprising 24 LSC Gen VI, supplied and installed by DWR Distribution. The LSC technology replaces dimmers that were custom-designed and built 25 years ago.

products and ensure that we address the needs of our clients,’ noted Will Hoult, product manager for Focusrite Pro.

Richard Nevens, VP global sales, is leading the pro division. ‘Focusrite Pro seeks to engage with professional audio clients, both pre- and post-sale, as they transition their workflows and facilities to an audio-over-IP infrastructure,’ he said. ‘Dante technology provides capabilities and a level of flexibility previously unavailable, and Focusrite is the leading provider of this technology throughout this significant industry transition.’ pro.focusrite.com

LDA took part in the symposium in collaboration with its local distributor, Pazh Group. The EN 54-16-rated Neo was highlighted amid presentations and demonstrations on emergency crisis management, construction regulation, fire-resistant materials and smart fire detection solutions.

www.lda-audiotech.com

www.pazhgroup.co

The original modular dimming system was used extensively for a quarter of a century, but, with maintenance increasingly becoming a struggle and a lack of integrated DMX, the postproduction facility decided to seek a new option.

‘The old dimmers, being cruder, used what is known as Amplitude dimming,’ said André Vorster, senior engineer at Sasani Studios.

‘The newer technology uses phase dimming, which makes them super

silent and super efficient. We’ve had absolutely no complaints from our client; we’ve had no failures so we’ve gone from a system that was starting to gradually let us down to a product where we’ve got a 100% happy client as far as the lighting side of the production is concerned.’

‘We decided to go with a total of 24 LSC Gen VIs, which is an advanced dimming system that allows you to configure the channels to either dim or provide hot power to LED and moving lights,’ added JP De Vernon from DWR. ‘The custom-built patch bay, consisting of 16 in total, was designed by DWR with hours spent on drawing and design concepts. We were very pleased that André and his team were satisfied with the end result.’

www.dwrdistribution.co.za

The Udaya Sound setup for Groove on the Grass

Sasani’s new LSC dimmers

The training class

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

Production skills for WorldSkills

UAE: Teams from Delta Sound and eclipse Staging Services were called in to show off their production skills for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 44th WorldSkills competition, which took place in Abu Dhabi. Delta looked after the audio and comms for both ceremonies, while eclipse handled the lighting and rigging.

‘Both the opening and closing ceremonies were held at the du Arena in Abu Dhabi,’ said Delta Sound’s Craig Harvey. ‘The main arena was re-purposed with grandstand seating on three sides to give a semi in the round feel. We got involved with People Creative early in the process to come up with audio solutions that worked in line with the design and creative elements.’

This saw the Dubai-based rental house deploy 12 L-Acoustics K1 with four K2-downs per side as the main system. Low end was handled by six K1SBs flown behind the main arrays. Out-fills came in the form of two hangs of eight L-Acoustic Kara cabinets while various smaller X8 and 5XT units were deployed for onstage and Royal/VIP-fills. Control was via a DiGiCo SD7 console, while playback was thanks to a Merging Ovation system.

‘The first consideration that needed to be thought through was how the PA would position in relation to the live orchestra,’ furthered Mr Harvey. ‘To get the ideal PA position for this, the technical production team found a solution in which we

could cantilever 15m out from the main stage set over the front of the orchestra pit. Once we had settled on the main hangs we could focus on where we would need fills and how to maintain a nice even balance across the whole audience.’

The extensive comms system for the events comprised 120 radios interfaced with a Clear-Com matrix. Delta’s comms team, led by Rob Turner, supplied Clear-Com HelixNet and FreeSpeak II units with distribution over a secondary Optocore network that also carried the timecode distribution.

‘The network covered the arena flawlessly,’ said Mr Harvey. ‘While the matrix was central to the interfacing,

we also had 20 level panels, 18 HelixNet positions for lift ops, winch ops and the kind of stuff that you can’t compromise on for safety and 22 FreeSpeak wireless users.’

The lighting side of the project saw eclipse provide more than 800 fixtures. These included Claypaky Alpha series moving lights, Vari*Lite VL3500 Wash FXs, Claypaky Mythos, Sharpys, Sharpy Washes and Stormys, SGM P5s as well as an array of conventional fixtures. These were run over an Avolites dimming system and an MA grandMA2 lighting network and fibre backbone.

The event saw 12 pods rigged on variations of tower cranes and scaffolding hanging around the

outside of the venue shooting in.

‘We also had a large scenic element covering one end of the stadium known as the weave that featured strips of cloth backlit by hundreds of Chauvet LED battens,’ noted eclipse senior project manager, Tom Warneke. ‘Added to this was the floor package and atmospherics, stadium work light and show blues as well as lighting for the prefunction area.’

As would be expected for an event of this scale, logistics provided the major challenge. ‘For this event, due to the scale, we thought long and hard about how we would transport and rig everything to fit in with competing schedules for tower

cranes and our fellow suppliers,’ explained Mr Warneke. ‘The other challenge was the weather. During the tail end of summer, du Arena’s humidity levels go through the roof, making maintenance and reliability a challenge. However, this is managed through our experience in these elements as well as routine, preventative maintenance.’

Reflecting on the event, both companies are happy with what was achieved. ‘We are honoured to extend our services for such an important initiative that focuses on providing the very latest updates into cutting-edge techniques and showcasing young students’ talents, which will significantly boost their employment prospects locally and internationally,’ said eclipse Staging Services’ general manager, Martin Lubach. ‘The eclipse team’s ability really shone through, highlighting that we can provide technical support for large-scale events to the highest standards. With all this commitment, I am extremely proud of the entire team and the hard work we have been doing.’

‘I think it was a good, clean event and executed well by all departments with the tight time constraints concerning the occupancy of the venue,’ added Mr Harvey. ‘We are very happy. It was a hard week to get it together and the team did well under pressure.’

www.deltasound.ae

www.eclipsestagingservices.ae

Analog Way acquires Picturall Venuetech talks technology at the Burj Al Arab

us to deliver unparalleled audiovisual experiences across multiple A/V sectors’.

WORLD:

media servers to its product portfolio of real-time video processors with the acquisition of Finnish manufacturer Picturall.

The merging of the two companies will reportedly spur new turnkey solutions for staging and fixed installations, while the French manufacturer’s business partners and major distributors will begin promoting Picturall products and technologies.

‘We are pleased to welcome Picturall‘s team to the Analog Way group,’ said Adrien Corso, Analog Way’s CEO. ‘They are genuine

experts of media management technologies. We are proud to expand our product portfolio with Picturall’s media server solutions. Their reputation for reliability and high performance perfectly aligns with our product development philosophy. Complementarities between our product platforms and applications shall offer us tremendous opportunities to better serve our customer base.’

Jay Gonzalez, Analog Way’s president of the Americas, noted that ‘Picturall’s acquisition is not merely expanding our product portfolio, it will ultimately enable

Picturall co-founder and CEO Samuli Valo is delighted to join the Analog Way team. ‘We have known Analog Way for a long time and have always been impressed by their technical excellence and inspiring professionalism,’ he said.

‘Our teams share the same human values and passion for technology; this is key for long-term success.’

‘Analog Way’s sales and service network shall afford us access to markets not currently being tapped,’ concluded Picturall co-founder, Vesa Laasanen. ‘Our engineers are already envisioning a plethora of ideas for new products. Joining Analog Way will most certainly allow us to jump to the next level.’

www.analogway.com

www.picturall.com

UAE: Venuetech opted to host its own technology day at the Burj Al Arab instead of participating at InfoComm MEA. The distributor’s event comprised presentations and demonstrations from the likes of Atlona, Arthur Holm, Global Caché, Sennheiser and Televic, and attracted around 70 invited guests to the prestigious venue.

‘For us it was one of the best events we have ever done; it marks a new era at Venuetech,’ said Venuetech’s Nour Assafiri. ‘We see the industry going deeper into technology and we will hold more events like this to highlight those changes to different segments of the local market.’

The participating manufacturers were equally enthusiastic about the event. ‘For us the big advantage of an event like this is that you invite people that you really want

to see,’ noted Televic’s Herman Geerinck. ‘You invite end users and consultants and you have them with you for the whole day so you can really pamper them. You also get more personal contact with your clients – it’s not like an exhibition where you get five minutes here or there. We had some really good conversations; there were nice presentations and demonstrations where people could get hands-on with the equipment.’

www.venuetech.ae

The opening ceremony (photo courtesy of WorldSkills International)

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Sports Café uses Williams Sound for streaming

UAE: Sports Café at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi has been equipped with a Williams Sound Hearing HotSpot to provide customers with a BYOD solution for sports commentary. The solution was installed by Audio Visual System LLC and supplied by Nicolas M Kyvernitis Electronics Enterprises (NMK).

‘The Hearing HotSpot system allows our team to easily provide visitors with individual access to audio for their chosen channel, by guiding them to download the free Hearing HotSpot app where they can select for themselves the programme they’re watching or the sporting event they want to listen to,’ explained Eddy Tannous, general manager at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr. ‘We are excited to introduce this new technology in Sports Café, which aims to reinforce our

satisfaction. The Hearing HotSpot system has been a hit with our customers, and we are very happy with the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received so far.’

‘It is great to see the popularity of the Williams Sound Hearing HotSpot in the region as audio over Wi-Fi is getting popular,’ added Dino Drimakis, business development

in-house team of professionals that can both support and help design the Wi-Fi system in the venue in collaboration with the systems integrator, has really helped as IT is playing a bigger and more important role in our audio industry.’

www.nmkelectronics.com

www.williamssound.com

Uriah Heep makes Dubai debut

UAE: Showtech delivered the design, installation and implementation of the entire production setup for Uriah Heep’s first ever gig in Dubai. The British rock band performed at Jumeirah Creekside Hotel’s Secret Garden venue, supported by Dubai’s own Carl & the Reda Mafia. For sound reinforcement, the Showtech team supplied a main PA comprising 12 JBL VTX V25-II tops and 12 VTX S28 subwoofers powered by 32 Crown I-Tech 12000HD ampracks. Centre-fill was delivered by four VTX V20 Tops, which were powered by a further four I-Tech 12000HDs, while four more VTX V20 Tops and six VTX S25 subs handled side-fill. On the stage were six of the Harman brand’s M22 monitors and

an SRX718S subwoofer amplified by a trio of 12000HD bi-amp racks. Control was via a pair of Soundcraft Vi7000 consoles – one for FOH and the other for monitors.

The trussing was also supplied by Showtech, as were the lighting fixtures that adorned it. This included nine ETC Source Four Profiles, 24 DTS PAR 64s and four 4-way blinders, two MDG Atmosphere hazers, 24 Claypaky Sharpys, 12 Robe Wash 575s, 60 Showlyte LED PAR 5W fixtures, six CityColor luminaires and a pair of Martin Atomic strobes. An Avolite Pearl console enabled programming and control of the

www.showtechme.com

TURKMENISTAN: The 5th Asian Indoor Games were recently held in the confines of Ashgabat’s new Olympic complex. While athletes from 17 countries competed for medals in 21 different sports, an AEQ Olympia commentary system was in use at the complex’ International radio and television Broadcasting Centre (IBC). The Games’ organising committee reportedly selected the AEQ solution due to its ability to cover large sporting events with up to 5,000 individual audio channels.

The Olympia system deployed covered 52 commentary positions throughout the site. These positions were connected to 23 BC2000-D frames that processed and distributed the audio signals.

Transmitting the commentary to each broadcaster’s central studio in Ashgabat from the IBC were 40 of AEQ’s Phoenix audio codecs.

To ensure the system ran smoothly during the two-week sporting event, AEQ had sent several engineers from its Madrid headquarters to Ashgabat during the three years leading up to the Games. The team was led by CTO Jose Antonio Martinez and assisted with installation and configuration.

www.aeq.eu

Bernie Shaw on stage in Dubai

The AEQ system in action

Sports Café at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

MBC expands with Avid

UAE: MBC Group has implemented an Avid Newsroom solution at its new Dubai Studio City facility. The broadcaster opted for the manufacturer’s MediaCentral UX, MediaCentral Newsroom Management, MediaCentral Distribute, MediaCentral Asset Management, MediaCentral Deliver and MediaComposer systems.

‘Extending MBC’s production capabilities with Avid was an easy decision for us in terms of cost, delivery and future workflow,’ said Raed Bacho, broadcast manager at MBC Group. ‘Investment in the MediaCentral Platform provides us with a more scalable, secure and flexible production and delivery environment, meaning we can

network, primarily MBC1 and MBC3, as well as its online portals. The workflow complements MBC’s facilities at its headquarters in Dubai Media City and mirrors the operation

‘With this tailored system, MBC will further leverage state-of-the-art newsroom capabilities, from multiplatform content sharing to remote workflows,’ added Tom Cordiner, senior vice president of global sales at Avid. ‘Helping our clients respond to the profound changes occurring in the media industry today is at the core of our mission. And we’re proud to be part of MBC Group’s continuing

Guquko marks an African first

SOUTH AFRICA: Phumzile Sibanyoni has opened South Africa’s first dry hire company, Guquko Technical Rider. In addition to this, the company also describes itself as ‘the first black-woman-owned professional rental company in Africa that specialises solely in providing entertainment technology equipment’.

Guquko is the Zulu word meaning ‘to turn around’ or ‘to reform’. It was established after 10-year industry veteran, Ms Sibanyoni, saw a gap in the market for a professional dry rental company that didn’t do shows and only rented out gear. It is looking to assist rental companies with the supply of well-kept gear and excellent service.

The objective of the company is to rent out high ticket line items that are specified on a daily basis. As such, the first investments have seen Guquko purchase 12 Robe Spiiders, 24 Longman 4 Ups and Prolyte stage decks from DWR Distribution.

‘Because we were just starting out, we looked at gear that would be beneficial to the growth of Guquko,’ explained Ms Sibanyoni. These initial investments have reportedly started generating income for the company with the Spiiders currently in high demand. Reflecting on her status as a pioneer in the local market, Ms Sibanyoni is keen to encourage other women to join the industry.

‘I have always worked in a maledominated industry. I’ve always found men to be helpful, open to assist me and great to work with. I know there are not many women in the live industry, but it’s something we need to encourage. It’s a warm environment with good people and I’m very excited to be in this space.’

www.guquko.co.za

Turkmenistan TV upgraded

which all vehicles were deployed at the Ashgabat Olympic Complex. The UHD OB van is the first 4K OB van to be deployed in Turkmenistan.

‘This project was the continuation of our successful collaboration with Polimeks and Turkmenistan TV,’ stated Wladislaw Grabowski, COO at Broadcast Solutions, who served as project manager on this assignment.

TURKMENISTAN:

Solutions and Turkish construction company Polimeks have completed delivery of a fleet of 16 vehicles to Turkmenistan TV. The fleet is split into four sets, each set comprising an OB trailer, support

Construction was completed in two phases, with the initial sets delivered in 2015. The last set is built for UHD production and was delivered in time for the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, for

‘Although the project schedule was very tight and we completed building all eight vehicles in a recordbreaking time of only seven months, we accomplished this project without any compromise on quality and cutting-edge technology.’

www.broadcast-solutions.de

www.polimeks.com

Raed Bacho, broadcast manager at MBC Group

Phumzile Sibanyoni with the new lights

SMPTE 2110

Background

In the move to an IP-based broadcast infrastructure, a major hurdle still remains: that of network control and management. IP networks intrinsically lack the predictability and quality of service that is expected and demanded in a live, real-time broadcast environment. Issues with traffic and bandwidth management, network configuration and the dynamic identification of nodes on the network as new devices are added or removed, as well as effective troubleshooting of legacy and new technology, all create a level of complexity beyond current broadcast capabilities.

To begin with, the transport format – for example S2022 or S2110 – is only a relatively small part of what you need to make an IP broadcast infrastructure work. It is, of course, essential that all the nodes in the network speak the same language, ie use the same standard, but it is far from rocket science to define a proper transport format. That it took the industry so long is because different, predominantly large, companies tried to push their own version.

Never intended for this application, the drive towards the S2022 standard was another mistake, as

this format is far from optimal for an IP infrastructure in a studio or OB van. This is because it (a) does not support UHD, (b) is wasteful in terms of bandwidth (20% to 40% depending on the video format) and (c) is very inefficient if you need to access or process just the audio. The whole 1.5Gbps or 3Gbps stream needs to be received and the audio de-embedded.

With the recent ratification and adoption by many companies of S2110, the transport format side of the issue can probably now be declared as ‘resolved’.

Hurdles

However, there is a second issue, that of signal/facility timing. In an

IP environment, we still need an equivalent of the traditional sync mechanisms used in broadcast.

Basic Ethernet does not possess the notion of time, but the IT world has recognised this for years and come up with solutions for a wide variety of applications: PTP or Precise Timing Protocol. Luckily on this topic there was much less contention and the industry quite quickly converged on a very widely used general IT standard

for PTP: IEEE1588. As IEEE1588 is a very broad standard, SMPTE created a specific profile (and some extensions for broadcast bespoke elements such as timecode) and this ultimately culminated in the S2059 standard. Unfortunately, proper implementation of IEEE1588/S2059 is not so easy and it will be a while before most companies will have mastered a stable and solid implementation.

Equally as unfortunate is that SMPTE did not talk with AES when they

to run IEEE1588 v1 and v2 in the same network at the same time. The final, but unfortunately least understood, hurdle in moving to an IP-based broadcast infrastructure has to do with network control and management. The main challenge here is that Ethernet/IP networks intrinsically lack the predictability and quality of service that is expected and demanded in a live, real-time broadcast environment. The biggest issue is that in Ethernet/IP networks, individual elements of traffic or streams are not protected from each other and it is quite unpredictable how traffic flows and also what happens if there is temporary congestion.

created S2059, which means that AES67 (that also uses a profile of IEEE1588) and S2059 don’t have a perfect overlap. In the meantime, this has been recognised and is being resolved. A slightly bigger issue is that another proprietary IP audio system that is already in widespread use by many broadcasters, uses a different version of IEEE1588. It uses v1, while S2059 and AES67 specify v2. So far, this is incompatible as it is impossible

IP networks look very much like actual road traffic in that the flow of traffic is very unpredictable. Congestion happens without good reason and accidents also happen, especially when there is a lot of traffic. In Ethernet/IP networks, this means packets getting dropped or lost, and is something that is unacceptable in a real-time broadcast environment. So, traffic and bandwidth management in an IP network is essential for a proper and reliable solution for broadcast applications.

Often the term SDN (Software Defined Networking) is associated

With the SMPTE 2110 IP standard being ratified, broadcasters are being pushed beyond the limitations of SDI. Axon CEO Jan Eveleens assesses the hurdles still faced by the industry

Axon CEO Jan Eveleens

Axon Cerebrum in action

or used in conjunction with this. The issue with this terminology is that there is no well-defined definition of what SDN is – it means different things to different people and so should be considered with great care.

Another element is related to the fact that in an IP network, every node is connected to the same network and this can also dynamically change as new devices get added or

removed. There is a need to be able to dynamically identify what nodes are present on the network and what their characteristics/capabilities are. Related to this are basic, but very important factors, such as IP address management. This can become a real pain, especially in larger systems, and can cause very severe issues. Additionally, as today’s Ethernet/IP switches are very complex devices with many different

options, configuring the network properly is far from straightforward. Thirdly, effective monitoring and tools for troubleshooting will be very important in this new IP world. Standard, existing tools from the broadcast or the IT sectors will offer insufficient functionality and insight and therefore additional functionality will be required, particularly in larger, distributed systems.

The future

Aiming to tackle some of these hurdles, the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) has launched its NMOS initiative to come up with proposed standards around the most important topics in the area of network management and control. The good thing about this approach is that it will provide a welldefined standard interface between a broadcast and control software system, such as our Cerebrum platform, and the network nodes and switches for discovery, enumeration, connection management and network management. Ultimately, this would also allow interoperability between different vendors on this level.

AMWA’s work is still in progress. Discovery, enumeration and connection management have advanced well, but issues pertaining to network management are still in the initial phase. It is expected that by early 2018, the first systems

can be rolled out into the field. But there is still also additional room for improvement.

Some important next steps for AMWA would be to figure out ways to carry ancillary/metadata in an IP environment, a standard way of carrying compressed streams over IP (eg TICO and VC-2). Finally, working out ways to virtualise IP connections and processing will be a major topic for AMWA that will likely form the next step on its roadmap.

Despite the continued hurdles, IP is without any doubt the future. Systems can be built now with interoperability at the transport format and signal timing level. Special care/ attention is still required for network management/control, and careful system design is a prerequisite. Most of the open issues and challenges will probably be addressed in the next six to 12 months. I would expect that by early 2019, IP systems will have become mainstream.

www.axon.tv

The proposed AMWA roadmap taking it through to 2020

SEMINAR DIARY

23–25 JANUARY Vocia Design and Installation Workshop Dubai,

UAE

This three-day workshop will provide information on how to design and install systems based on Biamp’s Vocia solution.

www.biamp.com

24–25 JANUARY

NVX Design and Networking

Dubai, UAE

This course covers the design and installation of networked video and audio distribution systems using Crestron DM NVX solutions.

www.crestron.eu

Meyer Sound stresses importance of Middle East market

that everyone showed for the work that we are doing together in the Middle East. We look forward to the next visit to Dubai!’

UAE: John and Helen Meyer highlighted the importance of the Middle East to the manufacturer during the Dubai stop on their Summer of Love tour. The event attracted around 30 Meyer Sound clients including consultants, integrators, rental companies, FOH engineers and end customers.

‘Our goal during 2017 was to get out and visit with as many customers as possible, so we

were excited that we were able to include a stop in Dubai during our around-the-world journey in October/ November that also took us to New York, London, Moscow and Singapore,’ said Helen Meyer, cofounder and executive vice president of Meyer Sound. ‘For John and me, it had been several years since we last visited Dubai so it was great to catch up with friends old and new there. We were truly struck by the passion

Mrs Meyer was also keen to stress the importance of the territory to the company. ‘The Middle East is a thriving market for Meyer Sound,’ she stated. ‘Chris Mead, our sales manager for the region, has cultivated a range of business across many verticals. The region more and more is a stop on global concert tours and the focus on stunning architecture affords many opportunities for us to provide sonic solutions in buildings from corporate to shopping malls to hotels. It is exciting to be part of such a dynamic market that still has much untapped potential.’

For his part, Mr Mead was very pleased with the success of the event that also provided the opportunity for the manufacturer to introduce its latest products to

the region. ‘We had very positive feedback about the event, and everyone was so excited to meet John and Helen,’ he said. ‘They have both contributed so much to the audio industry, with one consultant actually stating that he was slightly “star struck” in meeting John!’ Following the success of this session, the company is planning to host further events in the region in the future. ‘It is so important to arrange events like this, to get time with customers, and it is also a good time for our customers to network with each other,’ explained Mr Mead. ‘We plan to host a product demo of our newly released Lina very compact linear line array loudspeaker early in the New Year, and are excited to start our education seminars again soon, now that the programme has been completely refreshed this year.’

www.meyersound.com

29–30

JANUARY XTP Systems Certification Dubai, UAE

This training from Extron is aimed at design engineers and covers the design and implementation of enterprisewide digital systems based on Extron XTP Systems.

www.extron.com

13–15 FEBRUARY

Portable System Deployment Lagos, Nigeria

This three-day course from Meyer Sound provides a foundation in accurately deploying portable live sound systems.

www.meyersound.com

18–19 FEBRUARY

Pro Audio Technical Specialist Doha, Qatar

This instructor-led course covers the basics of audio conferencing design, and a technical overview of ClearOne’s Professional Audio Conferencing products.

www.clearone.com

VV & Sons hosts A-T seminar

UAE: VV & Sons recently hosted two days of Audio-Technica training in Dubai. The distributor decided to take a hands-on approach to the training, and as such each participant had their own delegate station.

‘The session allowed users to get hands-on with the new ADTM-0604 Digital SmartMixer, as well as new products within the ATUC50 Discussion System family,’ explained VV & Sons’ Prajesh Dalal. ‘We

‘Helping us to gain an understanding of the features and benefits of the products, we were joined by AudioTechnica’s application, training and support manager, Tom Griffiths and conference business development manager EMEA, Sandra Kellermann,’ said Mr Dalal. ‘It was a pleasure to also introduce a new UAE-based team member, Ahmad Abuzannad. Ahmad is located in Audio-Technica’s Dubai Airport Free

Yamaha and Thomsun highlight commercial A/V

UAE: Thomsun Trading and Yamaha Commercial Audio recently combined to host a networking and training event in Dubai. The event, held at the Le Meridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre, highlighted how the manufacturer’s solutions could be integrated into commercial A/V settings.

‘This is one of the days where we bring everything Yamaha does together, but more focused towards the pro A/V market,’ explained Thomsun’s Alok Ghurde. ‘Things like the Disklavier Enspire piano would go into a hotel lobby and can be controlled from MusicCast, while A/V and home products can be used for hospitality as in-room products. There is a synergy there and a bringing together of technologies. This event is showing our customers what Yamaha is all about all in one place.’

The event itself provided the manufacturer and its distributor with the opportunity to present a range of its Commercial Installation Solutions and highlight how they could be appropriate for different applications. To do this, four zones were created to simulate solutions for restaurants, retail outlets, large houses of worship and conferencing.

Following this, the manufacturer moved the discussion on to electro-acoustics. This involved a technology presentation on its active field control AFC3 technology alongside a demonstration of the technology in action.

The final session focused on Yamaha’s MusicCast streaming solution and how this technology could be applied to commercial A/V settings before finally exploring the Disklavier range of musical instruments.

Both the distributor and the manufacturer were happy with the event, particularly with the level of attendees it attracted. ‘We have a lot of regular customers here, but there are consultants who are new and systems integrators who don’t generally visit us who have come in,’ concluded Mr Ghurde.

www.thomsunmusiconline.com

www.yamahaproaudio.com

Helen Meyer presenting at the event

Projection House showcases Ohm

Shure moves into Turkey’s Presidential

UAE: Projection House recently hosted a two-day event to highlight Ohm’s range of speaker systems to nearly 100 of its partners and customers. The event provided attendees with the opportunity to review and test the manufacturer’s product line as well as providing the manufacturer with the platform to introduce its Cora and BRT Series speakers.

‘Partner engagement sessions are a vital platform to provide

a better understanding of the products and its audiences, and share our expertise,’ said Pradeep Kumar, divisional head for Projection House. ‘We allow partners exclusive access to Ohm’s industry-leading technical expertise to meet the demands of discerning customers across verticals and various scenarios. Partners will benefit from our training, product demonstrations and technical expertise that are critical to drive

Dubai stages world’s first Eurotruss Academy

UAE: Eurotruss recently partnered with its regional distributor, Procom Middle-East, to present the first ever edition of Eurotruss Academy worldwide. The event was held at Procom’s new training facility in Dubai Silicon Oasis, attracting more than 120 professionals from venues and production companies, and tackled the subjects of structures, staging, event gear and safety.

The Eurotruss team, comprising CEO and founder Martin Kuyper, sales director Frank Schrage and technical manager Hank Tiekstra, delivered technical training that focused on load cases, loadbearing software and offered an understanding of passive and

dynamic forces to manage rigging plots and create safe working environments. In addition, Ola Melzig, head of production and rigging for the Eurovision Song Contest, delivered a presentation, discussing his experiences with Eurotruss.

‘The academy was a two-way communication channel between the participants and myself,’ said Mr Kuyper.

Procom founder and CEO Raja Harfouche commented that ‘the success of the academy is the confirmation of the leading status of Eurotruss in the Middle East’.

www.eurotruss.com

www.procom-me.com

sales across the region. Ohm’s technological excellence in providing outstanding speaker systems also gives them the advantage of serving a market that demands the best experience for its audiences.’

‘We have tremendous confidence in Projection House as an efficient partner to drive growth in the region,’ added Kaushal Garg, director of sales – ME for Ohm. ‘The quality of representation, service and all aspects of their business align perfectly with our expectations. Our customers deserve only the best, and Projection House has a strong partner network and expertise to help us grow our market share across various segments.’

www.ohm.co.uk www.projectionhouse.ae

TURKEY: A variety of Shure solutions have been supplied to the Presidential Complex in Beştepe to cover two multi-purpose congress halls and nine basement meeting rooms. The equipment was supplied by the manufacturer’s regional distributor, Atempo, which was acting as integrator for the project. Located in the Turkish capital of Ankara, the Presidential Complex incorporates the official residence of the republic’s President Erdoğan, assorted offices of state, a mosque, a public library and a cultural centre. Atempo submitted the Shure equipment as part of its tender to install the A/V systems in two sizeable congress halls at the complex, containing 2,050 and 300 seats, respectively, and used for concerts, conferences, opera and theatre. The tender also covered

Avid hosts Egyptian workshop

nine associated basement meeting rooms as well as foyer and public exhibition areas.

‘For this project, we really had to ensure we could deliver clear audio with no disruptions,’ explained Tayfun Konuralp, Atempo project sales manager. ‘There were three main criteria for the client: sound

quality, the ease of implementation of the network underpinning the system, and, finally, the physical look of the product. Shure outperformed the competition in all three areas.’ The 2,050-seat hall was fitted with a DCS 6000 digital conferencing, assistive hearing and translation system, providing

1/2 PAGE Island

EGYPT: Avid teamed up with Audio Technology C to host a workshop Tools, with Mr Nair going into detail on features, tips and tricks. In

Sreejesh Nair led the workshop

The Presidential Complex in Ankara

L-Acoustics moves to GSL

MIDDLE EAST: GSL Professional has taken on the distribution for L-Acoustics across the GCC and Iraq. The French manufacturer joins the Harman brands, as well as TASCAM, Klotz, DirectOut and Baldwin Boxall in the Dubaibased distributor’s portfolio. ‘I am delighted to welcome GSL

Professional to the L-Acoustics family,’ said Peter Owen, sales manager at L-Acoustics. ‘Their role will be as a pure distributor for the GCC and Iraq. With the technical support and business management offered by GSL, I see this as being very beneficial for both parties.’

Pioneer Pro Audio partners with Avant Garde

of the system. The response was ridiculous. People were blown away by the quality and power behind the XY3 system. We were actually awarded an F&B project on the spot at the event, which will be the first UAE venue with a Pioneer Pro Audio system.’

‘L-Acoustics is a top-tier brand with a fantastic footprint in the touring and rental markets,’ added Faegh Fowzi, president of GSL Professional. ‘We are eager to assist with their continued growth in this and, importantly, the installation market across the Middle East.’

www.gslprofessional.com

www.l-acoustics.com

DWR’s new Quest in audio

UAE: Avant Garde has been established to handle Pioneer Pro Audio products in the UAE. Hassan Alwan and David Minchin will manage the company’s business development, while Daniel Ball will serve as the technical consultant.

‘We have two focuses at Avant Garde,’ said Mr Alwan. ‘The first is to establish a market for Pioneer Pro Audio in the UAE, specifically in F&B and entertainment venues that have a requirement for top-tier audio systems. And the second is to develop our distribution arm and support consultants, hotel operators and integrators with their requirements for commercial audio.’

‘Avant Garde will be delivering Pioneer solutions to the market in the same fashion as Pioneer Europe,’ furthered Mr Ball.

‘Through direct engagement with market opportunity stakeholders, Pioneer solutions will be provided to these parties from Avant Garde’s own service team.’

As part of its introduction to the market, Avant Garde recently hosted a product launch and workshop for Pioneer Pro Audio in Dubai. ‘This was a great opportunity for us to introduce Pioneer Pro Audio to a select group of end users including developers,

DJs and operators,’ stated Mr Alwan. ‘Pioneer is relatively new in the market of high-end professional audio. Not many in the UAE had heard the system in action until this event.

‘We were lucky to have Alex Barrand (technical manager of Pioneer Pro Audio) with us at the launch,’ he continued. ‘He walked guests through the history of Pioneer Pro Audio, some of the install projects he was involved in – for example Fabric London and Sankeys Ibiza – and finally a demo

‘It was important for Pioneer Pro Audio to have a formal, industrybased event for the introduction,’ added Mr Ball. ‘The dedicated event, which was to be held with the Pioneer DJ team as well, would draw an audience that we knew would appreciate the pro audio product. The event proved to be successful and evidence of this is found in the uptake and interest of people who wanted to hear, use and potentially buy solutions.’

Following this event, the Avant Garde team is planning to host further similar sessions as well as sponsoring local events such as the Mutek electronic music festival. ‘People got to experience the system at the main events at the W Hotel and D3,’ said Mr Alwan.

www.agav.me www.pioneerproaudio.com

SOUTH AFRICA: DWR Distribution has increased the number of audio brands it represents by taking on Quest Engineering. The distributor has built its reputation on its work in the lighting industry, but gained its first audio brand when DiGiCo moved to DWR in April 2016.

The Quest brand is already well known in the country thanks to the work of its previous distributor, Simon Oates of Tadco. Following the distribution change, Mr Oates will continue to support his new and existing clients in collaboration with DWR and Quest. ‘Simon has now passed the torch to DWR, and we are thrilled to introduce Quest as our first loudspeakers,’ said Robert Izzett, head of sales at DWR.

DWR will primarily use Quest to target the installation sector. ‘We are trying to be a one-stop shop for our installation department,’ said DWR’s Kyle Robson. ‘Quest fits nicely into our portfolio and we can now offer a full solution to our clients, rather than outsourcing.’

With DWR’s first shipment of Quest Engineering systems expected in 2018, the distributor will ensure that its Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town branches are stocked up. A roadshow to introduce Quest solutions across South Africa is also being planned.

‘This is a good outcome and brings experience as well as a great support structure for production customers and a turnkey installation

solution,’ concluded Quest’s Frank Andrewartha.

DWR has also become the official partner for Absen LED in South Africa. ‘Absen means good value for money backed up with support and technical assistance from DWR,’ said DWR’s Schalk Botha, who will manage the brand in South Africa.

‘From the very beginning we carefully select the material used for each product and only work with the highest-qualified material manufacturers,’ said Ricky Qiu, brand manager at Absen. ‘We can say that if comparing similarly priced items, our quality and material will be better than our competitors. If identical, then Absen’s price to the client will be lower because we have the volume to give to our supplier.’

‘We look forward to this new relationship and are confident that our clients will love this technology,’ added Mr Izzett.

www.absen.com

www.dwrdistribution.co.za

www.questaudio.com.au

The Pioneer Pro Audio event

Alex Barrand (technical manager of Pioneer Pro Audio)

Ricky Qiu, brand manager at Absen with DWR Distribution’s Duncan Riley, Schalk Botha and Robert Izzett

Simon Oates (Tadco), Frank Andrewartha (Quest) and DWR’s Kyle Robson and Robert Izzett

‘The major target has always been to be able to provide a complete solution for our clientele, therefore we see Elation as the missing piece of the puzzle,’ said Venuetech’s Nour Assafiri. ‘We believe that our experience in entertainment lighting along with Elation’s strength and reputation, as well as their continuous production of innovative products, will open doors for a strong relationship

and his team have in the region. We look forward to the opportunities this partnership will open up and to supporting Venuetech in expanding the Elation brand in the Middle East.’ In other news, Venuetech has once again been named as the Middle East Distributor of the Year by Televic. The distributor was presented with its award at the Belgian manufacturer’s annual distributor meeting held in

Sennheiser rides Sonic Wave

Montreux in Switzerland. ‘It is the fifth time we have won the award,’ said Venuetech technical director, Elie Khairallah. ‘We are doing some great jobs and several projects with Televic. We have sold lots of equipment into many high-profile projects in places like Saudi Arabia

While Venuetech is winning some good business for Televic, Mr Khairallah is keen to praise the support the manufacturer provides. ‘The guys at Televic are really great. Whenever we request something, they try to find a solution or a customisation. They are great people with great products and very

www.elationlighting.com

www.televic-conference.com www.venuetech.ae

V Hypersound & Light takes on two Chauvet brands

CYPRUS: V Hypersound & Light has been appointed as the sole Cypriot sales representative for the Chauvet Professional and DJ brands. These join the likes of Renkus-Heinz, Mackie, One Systems and Ashly Audio in the V Hypersound portfolio.

Chauvet Professional manufactures lighting solutions

aimed at applications such as concerts, stage and event productions, touring, theatres, hospitality venues, cruise ships, clubs, houses of worship, television and architainment.

Meanwhile, Chauvet DJ creates entertainment lighting, controllers and accessories for mobile performers, DJs, clubs and corporate events.

www.chauvetdj.eu

www.chauvetprofessional.com

www.hypersound.com.cy

UAE: Sennheiser has elected to partner with Sonic Wave as an authorised reseller in the UAE. The announcement coincides with the opening of Sonic Wave’s showroom and studio facilities in Dubai.

‘Clients in the UAE are demanding reliable high-quality products with world-class support,’ said Andy Williams, managing director at Sonic Wave. ‘Sennheiser delivers on these requirements with a catalogue of products that support a range of applications. Thanks to their presence and investment in the Middle East, they are already the preferred brand for many.’

Sonic Wave plans to provide professional support and expertise to complement the German manufacturer’s products.

The Sennheiser Middle East team will assist Sonic Wave and clients by continuing to provide support through all stages of projects, from planning and execution to aftersales service.

‘Sonic Wave has a good understanding of the UAE’s music industry and enjoys great brand recognition with locally-based DJs and home production specialists,’ commented Ryan Burr, technical sales manager at Sennheiser Middle East. ‘Sennheiser is always keen to engage with these professionals and Sonic Wave’s connections and new showroom will make us more accessible.’

www.sennheiser.com

www.sonicwave.ae

Nour Assafiri with Televic’s Bart Deschodt

Andrew Williams of Sonic Wave, Ryan Burr from Sennheiser ME, Clarice Aboy, Armand Bulder and Rukshan Jumath of Sonic Wave

Fadi Costantine moves to Sennheiser Analog Way divides to conquer

UAE: Sennheiser Middle East has expanded its team with the appointment of Fadi Costantine as technical sales manager. Mr Costantine joins the manufacturer with a wealth of knowledge about its products having previously served as audio division manager at Sennheiser’s local distributor, Venuetech.

In his new role, Mr Costantine will help deliver technical support for the system solutions channel across all of Sennheiser’s target verticals. He will primarily focus on supporting customers and growing the manufacturer’s footprint in the business communication, systems integration and audio recording segments.

‘A certain amount of confidence has returned to the market in 2017 and we’ve been running at above 20% versus the previous year,’ said Ryan Burr, head of technical sales and application engineering at Sennheiser Middle East. ‘This is clearly the time for us to reinvest in our regional presence to capitalise on new opportunities. Fadi is the ideal candidate to help us drive further growth as he brings with him wide-ranging knowledge of our customer base and pertinent skills that will be invaluable to our team

Axiom hires multilingual international sales manager

proper interpretation of different market needs requires a good cultural and linguistic background combined with a suitable technical and commercial knowledge, and these are talents that we have found in abundance with Elio.’

Mr Caia’s linguistic fluency spans Spanish, French, English and Chinese. He also possesses strong experience in managing distributors, developing markets and providing specialised technical support for various export markets.

In an effort to strengthen EMEA sales, Analog Way has divided its regional sales team into two. As a result, Demetrio Faroldi has been appointed to lead sales across Southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Mr Faroldi has worked at the French manufacturer for nine years as a sales manager, gaining experience in systems integration, rental and staging. Analog Way has hired Johannes van Woudenberg to

handle the other half of the split after the sales teams covering DACH, Northern and Eastern Europe.

‘These two professionals are a perfect fit to further fuel our continued growth, support our geographical expansion and develop our new activities,’ declared Adrien Corso, CEO of Analog Way. ‘We wish them every success in their new positions.’

www.analogway.com

Russell Waite moves into global BD role at K-array

Industry sales and marketing veteran Russell ‘Rusty’ Waite has joined K-array as its new global business development director. His 25 years of experience

commercial growth and providing technical services across the broadcast, production, theatrical and corporate A/V markets at the likes of Euphonix and Stage Tec.

at EAW, where he served as VP of global sales.

In his new position, he will utilise his background to support sales initiatives across all channels and

Vitec promotes Mark D’Addio

WORLD: Vitec has promoted Mark D’Addio to the role of senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Mr D’Addio has been with the video encoding and streaming solutions manufacturer for seven years, most recently serving as vice president of business development and emerging markets.

Tedial’s José Luis Montero takes on Middle East

experience gained at the likes of Quantel (now SAM) and SGO.

sales manager for the Axiom professional loudspeaker brand. He takes responsibility for the export of Axiom products across the EMEA, APAC and North American markets.

‘Elio has a fine balance of experience and skills to address the different facets of today’s worldwide pro audio market,’ said Axiom business unit manager, Daniele Massaccesi. ‘I feel that a

‘I have a deep respect for the people and technologies behind Axiom’s growing popularity, driven, I believe, by excellent engineering and quality of performance,’ said the new international sales manager.

‘I welcome the challenge of bringing these values to the export markets that I know well.’

www.axiomaudio.com

‘Mark is a seasoned expert who is well-known and respected in the streaming industry for pinpointing the solutions that meet unique market needs,’ said Philippe Wetzel, president and CEO at Vitec.

‘This promotion strengthens our commitment to the growing market and providing high-quality, reliable and affordable broadcast-grade video solutions.’

www.vitec.com

MIDDLE EAST: Tedial’s Latam (Latin America) regional sales director, José Luis Montero, will add the Middle East region to his remit. Mr Montero joined the MAM technology solutions company in April 2017 and has more than 25 years of industry

‘Over the past few months, José Luis has done an exemplary job and is an asset to our team and our existing clients in the region,’ explained Esther Mesas, Tedial CMO/CSO. ‘His proven track record in strategic planning and customer development and his experience and strong customer advocacy will provide consistent and targeted efforts as he continues to raise Tedial ‘s profile in the Middle East.’

‘The Middle East is an exciting region and I’m looking forward to working with new and existing customers,’ commented Mr Montero. www.tedial.com

Fadi Costantine, technical sales manager at Sennheiser Middle East

Demetrio Faroldi

Jose Luis Montero

Rob Clark fills Glenn Rogers’ shoes at Allen & Heath

WORLD: Rob Clark has been named managing director at Allen & Heath following the decision from longstanding company figurehead, Glenn Rogers, to move into a new role within the Audiotonix group. Mr Clark joined the British manufacturer in 1993 as a digital R&D engineer and became R&D director in 2008.

‘It’s an honour to take on this new challenge,’ Mr Clark stated. ‘Glenn has been a trusted friend and mentor for more than 20 years and I know we can rely on his wise counsel in the future. It’s a fantastic time to move into this role; the product range has never been stronger, we’re blessed with an amazingly talented team and we have the collective expertise of continue to go from strength to strength under his leadership.’

www.allen-heath.com

Digital Projection expands Middle East team

UAE: Digital Projection has named Abdulrahman Aladawi as its new business development manager Middle East. Mr Aladawi joins from Casio Computer Co where he was regional sales manager MENA for the Digital Signage and Projectors division.

‘I’m thrilled to join Digital Projection – a company with such a strong presence and trusted

for its reliability and innovation in the projection industry,’ said Mr Aladawi. ‘With some years of experience in this fast-growing region, I wanted to work for an industry leader with a history of technological innovation and success stories in complex projects worldwide for my next career move; somewhere I could keep learning and facing new challenges. In my opinion, Digital Projection represents exactly this kind of place

and I’m excited to be a part of such a dynamic organisation and team.’

‘We’re delighted to welcome Abdulrahman to the Digital Projection team; his appointment reinforces our commitment to supporting growth in the Middle East region,’ added Matthew Horwood, general manager Middle East at Digital Projection. ‘Abdulrahman brings extensive experience of the region and the audiovisual channel, and will focus on further increasing the support to our partners.’

www.digitalprojection.com

NOBA8

When design meets sound

The NOBA series is characterized by an innovative & unique design. With its curved shape, made of 4 mm thick aircraft graded aluminum and its extremely powerful 8” woofer of 300 Watts, the NOBA8 is able to deliver an unheard low frequency response for its small woofer size. To blend in with any interior, the NOBA8 comes available in both black and white.

Experience the NOBA8 at ISE 2018 Hall 7 Booth M190

Rob Clark

Abdulrahman Aladawi greeted by Matthew Horwood

Jody

The world’s biggest tours...

Turn to the world’s most powerful live mixing system

Get the unrivaled performance, superior sound clarity, and onboard plug-ins that have made S6L the standout favorite among top sound engineers. And now S6L offers new Waves SoundGrid support, I/O sharing, 128-track Pro Tools ® recording over AVB, and MADI and Dante connectivity. Even better, all systems now come with the industry’s highest level of support, including 24/7 assistance, overnight hardware exchange, software upgrades, and more—for three full years!

It’s all in the DNA

It’s all in the DNA

THE LAST big release from MC2 audio saw processing from its sister company XTA added to form the Delta Series, and the latest release from XTA is somewhat of a role reversal – matching an XTA DP448 processor with a 4-channel amplifier, Dante connectivity and iPad control. Alongside the DPA Series, the DNA Series has joined the manufacturer’s portfolio and blends power with extensive networking options.

THE LAST big release from MC2 audio saw processing from its sister company XTA added to form the Delta Series, and the latest release from XTA is somewhat of a role reversal – matching an XTA DP448 processor with a 4-channel amplifier, Dante connectivity and iPad control. Alongside the DPA Series, the DNA Series has joined the manufacturer’s portfolio and blends power with extensive networking options.

The DPA Series amplifier integrates a 4-in, 8-out XTA DSP processor with a 4-channel power amplifier and four channels of Dante inputs and outputs. The first four channels of processing feed the amp’s speaker outputs, while the second four channels feed dedicated line-level XLR outputs that accompany four typical speaker outputs on the rear panel for connection with other amplifiers. This allows the DPA amp to act

The DPA Series amplifier integrates a 4-in, 8-out XTA DSP processor with a 4-channel power amplifier and four channels of Dante inputs and outputs. The first four channels of processing feed the amp’s speaker outputs, while the second four channels feed dedicated line-level XLR outputs that accompany four typical speaker outputs on the rear panel for connection with other amplifiers. This allows the DPA amp to act

as a central controller for a stereo 4-way system formed from non-DSP amps.

Those same outputs can also be routed onto the Dante network and the DPA network of amplifiers can be controlled using XTA’s Audiocore iPad app. Power for the DPA100 is 4x3,700W at 2/2.7Ω, 4x2,700W at 4Ω or 4x1,400W at 8Ω.

as a central controller for a stereo 4-way system formed from non-DSP amps. Those same outputs can also be routed onto the Dante network and the DPA network of amplifiers can be controlled using XTA’s Audiocore iPad app. Power for the DPA100 is 4x3,700W at 2/2.7Ω, 4x2,700W at 4Ω or 4x1,400W at 8Ω.

Aside from the iPad app, every aspect of a network of amplifiers can be controlled and monitored via the front panel USB, rear panel RS485 bus, direct Ethernet or the 2-in, 2-out GPIO port. The mains connections are PowerCon.

Aside from the iPad app, every aspect of a network of amplifiers can be controlled and monitored via the front panel USB, rear panel RS485 bus, direct Ethernet or the 2-in, 2-out GPIO port. The mains connections are PowerCon.

In contrast, the DNA Series drops the XTA processing capabilities resulting in 4-channel amplifiers with networking capabilities.

In contrast, the DNA Series drops the XTA processing capabilities resulting in 4-channel amplifiers with networking capabilities.

Rear panel switching allows the amplifiers to accept either four channels of analogue audio or four channels of networked audio, via Dante, which is

Rear panel switching allows the amplifiers to accept either four channels of analogue audio or four channels of networked audio, via Dante, which is

then converted using 24-bit 96kHz ADCs. Power specifications for the DNA100 are 3,700W at 8Ω, 2,700W at 4Ω and 1,400W at 8Ω. This is lowered for the DNA80 to 2,200W, 2,000W and 1,000W, respectively. Output power at 8Ω is 5,400W (4,000W bridged) and 7,000W at 4Ω (4,000W bridged).

then converted using 24-bit 96kHz ADCs. Power specifications for the DNA100 are 3,700W at 8Ω, 2,700W at 4Ω and 1,400W at 8Ω. This is lowered for the DNA80 to 2,200W, 2,000W and 1,000W, respectively. Output power at 8Ω is 5,400W (4,000W bridged) and 7,000W at 4Ω (4,000W bridged).

The front panel houses a power switch, four level controls and a variety of LED indicators. On the rear of the amps there are four Neutrik SpeakOn output connectors, four XLR female connectors, two Ethernet RJ45 ports, three channel link switches, two bridge mode switches and an analogue/network source selection switch. The DNA amplifiers can be connected to a DPA amp via a Cat-5 cable to create a stereo 4-way system with no external processing required.

The front panel houses a power switch, four level controls and a variety of LED indicators. On the rear of the amps there are four Neutrik SpeakOn output connectors, four XLR female connectors, two Ethernet RJ45 ports, three channel link switches, two bridge mode switches and an analogue/network source selection switch. The DNA amplifiers can be connected to a DPA amp via a Cat-5 cable to create a stereo 4-way system with no external processing required.

www.xta.co.uk

www.xta.co.uk

Neutrik has recently expanded its opticalCON® fiber optic range with a series optimized for high fiber density in a compact format, the opticalCON® MTP® 24. This ruggedized and dirt-protected fiber connection system is based on the opticalCON standard size and dimensions and boasts 24 fibers housed in a single connector. With the MTP 24, users can now double their fiber count from the original opticalCON MTP 12.

Two new amp series, one smart and one dumb, have joined the XTA portfolio

NMKElectronics nmkelectronics nmkelectronics

Two new amp series, one smart and one dumb, have joined the XTA portfolio

XTA’s DPA100

The DNA80

A touching addition to NXAMP

NEXO IS aiming to provide easier navigation and access to all essential parameters controlling the new generation of NXAMP controller/amplifiers with a large LCD colour touchscreen on the front panel. The touchscreen will give users access to array EQ, mute and meters, EQ detail, user EQ, inputs, load monitoring, log, scene, setup and system headroom, as well as volume, gain and delays.

Developed in conjunction with parent company, Yamaha, the first new members of the series are the NXAMP4x1 MK2 and NXAMP4x2 MK2. The 2U Class-D devices offer 4x 1,000W and 4x 2,000W and weigh 16kg and 16.6kg, respectively. They both combine 32-bit/96kHz converters and 64-bit signal processing. The

Ethernet port offers integration with the manufacturer’s NeMo system management software. The amplifiers can be remote-

HK goes lightweight

network cards also available. Four analogue inputs use cascaded converters for low output noise, and four digital inputs are

available through the rear panel expansion card slot offering optional AES/EBU, EtherSound, Dante or AES67 inputs, all with automatic analogue fall back. In addition to the expansion card slot, other rear panel connectivity includes RS-232 serial and GPIO ports along with SpeakOn outputs for each of the four channels.

The NXAMP4x2 MK2 is a new design in the NXAMP range and is aimed at the French manufacturer’s Geo Series of compact line array systems, as well as PS Series cabinets. Meanwhile, the NXAMP4x1 MK2 replaces the NXAMP4x1 model, which Nexo will continue to support as a legacy product.

www.nexo-sa.com

Trapezoidal solution from ZSound

ZSOUND HAS unveiled the VC12, a large-scale, 3-way, line array system that combines two 12-inch LF drivers, one 10-inch neodymium MF driver and two 65mm voice coil neodymium compression drivers and offers a 50Hz to 16KHz (±3dB) frequency range. The system is being targeted for use in touring, stadium and theatre applications.

Low frequencies are handled by the cabinet’s pair of 12-inch

HK AUDIO is highlighting the low weight of its new generation of Lucas Nano stereo PA systems, describing the family as ‘the only genuine active stereo PA series that can be carried in one hand’. The five-member series contains five models across two power classes, the 16.3kg 600 series and the 10.3kg 300 series.

The new generation of Lucas Nano sees the 605 FX and 305 FX replace the 600 and 300 systems, while the 302 is an entirely new addition. These three systems join the existing 608i and 602 models to complete the range.

Starting with the 600 series, the

various systems all comprise ‘fist-sized’ satellites that can be stored within the 35cm x 49cm x 47cm subwoofer when not in use. These each offer a maximum SPL of 130dB, 1,500W of peak power and a frequency response of 43Hz to 20kHz. In terms of the new member of this series, the 605 FX features five channels controlled via an onboard digital mixer or an iPad app, which also features additional EQ and compressor functions.

It also offers Bluetooth audio streaming and built-in reverb.

Meanwhile, the lower-powered 300 series again sees ‘fist-sized’

satellites that can be stored in a 30cm x 39cm x 42cm sub when not in use. They offer a maximum SPL of 120dB, 750W of peak power and a frequency response of 44Hz to 20kHz. More specifically, the 305 FX features five channels, built-in reverb and Bluetooth audio streaming, while the simpler 302 offers a single stereo

The family uses custom-made Celestion speakers and the manufacturer states that they can be used in 2.1 systems or mono setups.

Staying with Lucas, but changing categories, the manufacturer is targeting mobile DJs with its Lucas 2K active 2.1 stereo PA. The 2K series comprises two options:

2K15 features a 15-inch wooden bass reflex subwoofer and 2K18 comes with an 18-inch sub. Both systems are completed with a pair of 8-inch speaker/1-inch horn satellites.

Each member of the series features a 2,000W power amplifier with DSP. The satellites

Dynaudio Pro throws a long ball

DANISH MANUFACTURER

Dynaudio Pro has produced two long-throw 9.45in (24cm) woofers to be equally efficient for stereo and surround monitoring applications.

With a frequency range from 16Hz to 175Hz, the 9S features one woofer and the 18S has two in a push–push opposing design with a woofer on each side.

Designed to replace the BM 9S II, the 9S is powered by a 300W Class-D amplifier and offers improved low-end extension and SPL performance comparable to the company’s BM 14S II sub.

The 18S is powered by a 500W amplifier and features a DSP engine and built-in presets for Dynaudio Pro studio monitors, as

for both systems have a peak SPL of 127dB and a frequency range of 118Hz to 18kHz. 2K15’s 15-inch sub offers a peak SPL of 129dB and a frequency range of 44Hz to 130Hz, while the larger 2K18 sub has a peak SPL of 128dB and a frequency range of 39Hz to 130Hz.

mounted behind the HF driver to form the coaxial configuration, with a phase plug mounted on the surface of the MF driver that reportedly improves directivity and sensitivity. The HF compression drivers are coupled to a 90° exponential constant horn via a plane-wave transducer that the manufacturer claims produces a coherent wavefront. Constructed of multi-plywood, the speaker measures 375mm x 1,030mm x 550mm, weighs 58kg and can be adjusted from 0° to 7.5° at 1° increments. Its steel rigging strong enough to hang 16 enclosures. Two recessed handles are mounted on both sides of the enclosure for lifting and carrying. The rear panel connector plate carries two WP7 waterproof connectors for loop in and loop out connections.

www.prozs.com

well as time-alignment functionality and a three-band EQ to defeat specific room modes.

The subwoofers also come with double front baffles, adjustable low-pass filters from 50Hz to 150Hz and SAT output with defeatable high-pass filter. The subs have a signal-sensing, auto-power circuit for energy saving, while users can

18S

daisy-chain multiple 9S or 18S subs in larger rooms.

www.dynaudio.com

The touchscreen is at the heart of the new NXAMP

The Lucas Nano family

HK’s Lucas 2K15 system

Trumpeting the Bluehorn

MEYER SOUND is describing its Bluehorn System as providing flat amplitude and phase response from 25Hz to 20kHz. According to the manufacturer, this is the first time that this has been achieved in a large-format loudspeaker. Bluehorn has been designed for high-resolution monitoring applications in mid-sized rooms for music recording, cinema postproduction and music mastering. Externally, it shares the same cabinet footprint, driver dimensions and waveguide configuration as the manufacturer’s Acheron Designer loudspeaker.

PX reaches the mid-highs

applications. It is also designed for use as a standalone cabinet for fixed installations in venues such as performance spaces, auditoria and houses of worship.

On the inside, Bluehorn calls on an upgraded HF driver and new amplifiers with what it describes as ‘ultra-low noise and distortion’.

Meyer Sound states that the unique aspect of Bluehorn is the dedicated processor that sits in front of both the mid-high loudspeaker and the companion low-frequency cabinet. The system-specific correction algorithms hosted by the processor were developed by analysing all physical and electrical non-linearities throughout the entire system, from 25Hz to 20kHz, in order to bring acoustic output – at any level – into absolute phase and

frequency alignment with the input signal. Essentially, the processing reportedly nullifies the non-linearities of drivers and enclosures, resulting in what Meyer Sound describes as ‘a phase-coherent response previously achieved only by open-air electrostatic headphones with their extremely low mass diaphragms’. Complete Bluehorn Systems are available in either stereo or LCR, with each channel comprising a 2-way, mid-high loudspeaker, a separate low-frequency element and dedicated digital processing.

www.meyersound.com

NEXT-PROAUDIO HAS introduced a mid-high speaker to its PX range. The PXH95 is designed to join its PX counterparts as a portable loudspeaker solution, while also working for side-fill or DJ monitoring

Built specifically for powerful medium/long-throw in a coaxial configuration, the PXH95 offers a frequency response between 150Hz and 19kHz and a precise coverage pattern of 90°H x 50°V over a 400Hz to 17kHz frequency range. The square enclosure can also be rotated for a 50°H x 90°V coverage pattern. Laterally stacking or flying multiple PXH95s allows for

Compact installation

LOGIC SYSTEMS its new Ci Series (Compact installation) primarily for use in bars and clubs, leisure facilities, houses of worship and theatrical venues. The British manufacturer states that the series is ‘the result of extensive consultation with installation contractors and consultants, aimed at ease of installation and, also, bringing a quality of sound and build quality not normally available at this price point’.

The Ci Series is formed of eight cabinets: the Ci 7, Ci 8, Ci 10, Ci 12 and Ci 15 loudspeakers, and the Ci 112, Ci 115 and Ci 118 sub/bass enclosures. Each of the loudspeakers is designed with an angled back and dedicated yoke brackets that facilitate installation close to walls and ceilings. The

logic

A 1.4-inch neodymium driver with a 3-inch voice coil and a constant-Q horn achieve the HF range from 1.15kHz and above, while the mid-range (150Hz to 1.25kHz) is delivered by a low-power compression 12-inch driver loaded by a mid-range horn.

While the PXH95 must be rotated by 90° to avoid comb-filter effects, an optional Tilt Unit facilitates the angling of the cabinet at 5° increments up to a maximum of 15°. This allows the top cabinet of a ground stack to be aimed at the audience. The box is also equipped with M8 threaded suspension points that make it compatible with a wide range of installation

Alcons expands horizontal dispersion for vertical arrays

ALCONS AUDIO’S QR24/110 modular 2-way column loudspeaker is designed for use as a scalable vertical array system, for both fixed and portable applications. Combining 1:1 linear and dynamic sound reproduction, it is reportedly able to achieve the intelligibility and throw required for ‘the most acoustically challenging environments’.

The QR24/110 offers 110° horizontal dispersion of its RBN1203 high-frequency drivers up to 20kHz. This, the manufacturer states, ‘widens the “stereo sweet spot” significantly, for the off-axis positioned audience’. With two purposebuilt 12-inch RBN pro-ribbon transducers for the mid-high frequencies, its 90% active frontal radiation is described as producing ‘a sharply controlled vertical dispersion’, offering SPL-independent intelligibility-overdistance without the need for DSPbased beam-shaping. Meanwhile, the system’s flat frequency response and the fast transient response of the RBN transducers, combined with this controlled dispersion, deliver maximum gainbefore-feedback directly in front of and under the cabinet.

assist the installer.

All cabinets across the entire range are constructed from birch ply and are ‘rebated, glued and screwed’. Black-and-white colour options are available, as well as custom selections based on RAL or BS numbers or Dulux codes. As for the Ci 112, Ci 115 and Ci 118 bass units, these can be installed either vertically or horizontally. To further assist with installations,

Compact install series products, giving a flat and linear frequency response’. The built-in time delay can also be used to time align different zones within a venue, or set different drive levels and limiting levels, while an OEM function also allows parameters to be locked off. PodWare software can also be used for configuration.

www.logicsystems.co.uk

The RBN1203 pro-ribbon drivers have a peak power handling of 2,000W (200 msec) that Alcons claims creates ‘a virtually infinite system MHF headroom of 4,000W from 1kHz up’. Low-mids are handled by four high-excursion, vented 6.5-inch transducers that are co-axially mounted behind the pro-ribbon drivers and deliver a frequency response of 74Hz to 20,000Hz (–3dB).

A pair of QR24 speakers can be mounted on a single tripod stand, forming a 132cm array. When flown, up to 11 QR24 cabinets can be connected with the integrated flying hardware for an array that reaches more than 7m in height. Passive filtering facilitates the combination of up to three units on one amplifier channel. In addition, a version of the QR24 with 80° horizontal dispersion, the QR24/80, is also available.

www.alconsaudio.com

Bluehorn installed at Bear’s Lab at Meyer Sound in Berkeley, CA

Ci Series

A pair of stacked QR24/110s

PXH95

Expanded monitoring for ME series

ALLEN & HEATH has added the 16-channel ME-500 personal mixer to its ME system. ME-500 is a personal monitoring solution for houses of worship, rental companies and orchestras, allowing musicians to ‘quickly and independently build and control their own monitor mixes from 16 stereo or mono sources’.

With updated setup and controls compared to its older sibling, the 40-channel ME-1, the ME-500 features a dimmable display, 16 backlit select keys, mute and solo buttons, master level with limiter and EQ, and a single rotary encoder for main navigation and control. Each unit can store and recall eight user presets, while outputs include minijack, ¼-inch headphones and a TRS mono out for wedge monitors. EtherCon connectors allow ME-500s to be daisy-chained, or deployed in a star topology using the ME-U or an off-the-shelf PoE switch.

The manufacturer has also unveiled its new 96kHz SQ series of digital mixers for live sound, A/V and installation. The SQ-5 and SQ-6 mixers are founded on Allen & Heath’s XCVI 96kHz FPGA engine and are said to deliver highresolution audio with a latency of <0.7ms. SQ-5 has 16 onboard preamps and 17 faders and is 19-inch rack mountable, while the SQ-6 provides 24 preamps and

processing models. The surface can handle up to 64 microphones, with the facility to assign mics to four different AMM configurations when running multiple conference rooms or panel discussions. The system offers two distinct AMM modes: classic gain sharing and a Number of Open Mics (NOM) algorithm. Multi-Surface capability with gain tracking allows up to four independent dLive Surfaces to control a single MixRack. V1.6 also supports the dLive hardware for installed sound, including the

DM0 MixRack, GPIO interface, IP1 wallplate controller, and DX expanders, hubs and modules for flexible I/O distribution. The new firmware also enables Internet access to dLive systems for remote control and diagnostics. The company’s DEEP suite of embedded plug-ins also has a new member. Tube Stage preamp offers different valve topologies on one dial and a new ‘Mighty’ compressor emulation.

www.allen-heath.com

expanded up to 48 inputs via a family of remote expanders and feature an audio networking slot for optional Dante, Waves and other card formats, expanding the scope for system integration, FOH/monitor splits and multitrack recording.

Lastly, the manufacturer has also released firmware V1.6, code name Fistral, for its dLive mixing system. The upgrade provides Automatic Mic Mixer (AMM) features, Multi-Surface capability, support for a range of new installation hardware and new DEEP

SQ-5

SQ-6

ME-500

Vi Series gains a compact instalment

THE LATEST addition to Soundcraft’s Vi Series of digital mixing consoles, the Vi1000, is designed for live touring, music venues and corporate A/V settings, and is the most compact member of the family, measuring 86cm x 81cm. Yet, despite its small form factor, the Harman brand states that it ‘retains all the mixing and processing power of its two larger siblings, the Vi2000 and 3000’.

The Vi1000’s features include the manufacturer’s Vistonics II channel strip user interface and FaderGlow functionality, mimicking the user experience of its bigger brothers. Under the hood, it includes the SpiderCore DSP and I/O engine based on technology from Soundcraft’s sister brand, Studer.

In addition, the Vi1000 can be used as a remote-control surface for the larger desks in the series via their Mirroring feature.

With 96 channels, all including gating and compression ability, the Vi1000 possesses audio processing functionality such as the BSS

DPR901ii Dynamic EQ and Lexicon multi-effects via an insertable processing pool.

A total of up to 64 external devices can be installed.

Studer’s vMix automatic voice mixing solution is built in and BSS 966 graphic EQs are available on all output busses.

The console’s rear panel offers access to 16 mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs and two 64-channel expansion slots that allow up to

Four channels of AES/EBU I/O as well as USB and MIDI connections are also located at the back of the desk, bringing the total I/O count to 212 in x 212 out.

Ecler Essentials sets priorities

100V) loudspeaker lines, with independent four-zone on/off switches.

recording software over Ethernet.

This also allows the console to be integrated within a Dante network.

The associated optical MADI interface provides an alternate

record feed to MADI-equipped storage devices and can serve as a connection for the Soundcraft Realtime Rack Plug-in engine, delivering Universal Audio’s UAD powered plug-ins to the console’s

Finally, to make life a little easier for audio engineers, the Vi1000 includes builtin monitoring support for AKG, Shure and Sennheiser wireless microphone systems. This allows users to check the battery power, RF levels and frequencies of each wireless mic on the channel strip that controls it, in addition to its audio level and clipping status.

www.soundcraft.com

audio mixer with an audio priority system, making it suitable for use in applications requiring voice messages for dealing with emergencies. The priority system has four inputs, pager and an embedded chime function

The eHMA240 itself includes two mic inputs, a pair of mic/ Line ST inputs and the same number of Line ST inputs. It features a 240W powered mono output that supports both low (4Ω) and high impedance (70V,

Compatible with the rack-mount accessory 2UHRMKIT, to mount it in standard 19-inch racks, the mixer also features 24 VDC phantom power, a remote control port compatible with WPm series wall panels, aux/rec output, two-band EQ (bass/treble) for mix output, auto stand-by mode and a mute port to remotely mute the unit from an external device, via dry contact closure.

www.ecler.com

Upmix ascends to a higher plane

HAVING ADDED initial support for first-order ambisonics in the last update of Halo Upmix, Nugen Audio has now expanded on this with second- and third-order ambisonic functionality with support for the AmbiX and FuMa formats. Higherorder ambisonics greatly increase the recording resolution, but, until now, Upmix users have been restricted to using just the four ambisonic channels that format Ambisonics B-Format. Second and third order increase this to nine and 16 channels, respectively. Additionally, the update will also include both 7.1.4 and 5.1.4 channel configurations to facilitate production in auro-3D formats.

Away from Halo Upmix, the manufacturer has released a new

version 2.7 update adds a powercompensated true peak safe dither algorithm for the ISL True Peak limiter. Several different forms of dither are available,

with ISL automatically compensating for the dither applied and ensuring that TPmax is preserved and that true peak compliance violations are not accidentally introduced in the final output dither stage. The company states that this is particularly relevant where content is re-purposed for streaming services, where data compression algorithms are pervasive.

Furthermore, 7.1 dialogueanchored analysis and processing is now possible for the LM Correct quick-fix tool and VisLM Loudness Meters. The EBU Mode on both has also been updated to reflect new guidance on LRA readings for audio under 60 seconds long.

www.nugenaudio.com

The B360 Ambisonics Encoder

Ambisonics makes Waves

THE WAVES B360 Ambisonics

Encoder is a plug-in for converting mono, stereo or surround audio into 360° Ambisonics B-format. It can be used in two ways: the plug-in can be placed on each separate mono or stereo channel for positioning/ panning of that channel in the 360-audio mix; or, after mixing in a conventional stereo or surround environment, the B360 can be placed on the entire finished mix, as an Ambisonics B-format convertor.

According to the manufacturer, the B360 has been designed ‘to make your 360-audio workflow faster, easier and more user-friendly than ever’. The component allows users to control the mix’ width, elevation and rotation, and position the different elements inside the threedimensional sound field. AmbiXto-FuMa and FuMa-to-AmbiX utility convertors are also included.

Also from Waves is Nx Ambisonics, the company’s latest component of its Nx Virtual Mix Room over

Headphones. The plug-in reportedly recreates the three-dimensional acoustics of a professional mix room inside any set of stereo headphones. According to the manufacturer, Nx Ambisonics lets mixing engineers listen to their B-format mixes even if they don’t have access to a multidirectional speaker array.

Nx Ambisonics can be personalised according to individual head measurements, while the visual spatial meter represents the audio frequency content in every direction of the three-dimensional sound field. For enhanced 3D realism, Nx Ambisonics also incorporates a high-speed head tracking solution via the Nx Head Tracker Bluetooth device.

For users wishing to combine both plug-ins, Waves 360° Ambisonics Tools includes the B360 Ambisonics Encoder, the Nx Virtual Mix Room (with the Nx Ambisonics component) and the Nx Head Tracker. www.waves.com

THE WIRELESS KEYPANEL.

MEET ROAMEO. OUR NEW CELLULAR DECT-BASED WIRELESS INTERCOM SYSTEM.

Introducing ROAMEO, our professional-grade wireless intercom system based on licensefree DECT standard. Operating like a wireless keypanel, ROAMEO is a user-friendly, fully integrated solution perfectly matching your professional needs. It empowers a large number of simultaneous users to communicate seamlessly across wide areas.

Learn more and meet ROAMEO at rtsintercoms.com

Hall 3 Booth 3-B90

New software updates for EAW

EAW HAS released updated versions of its EAWmosaic iOS app and its Resolution2 acoustic simulation software.

EAWmosaic provides prediction, control and monitoring functionality for the Radius loudspeaker family. Version 1.1.0 provides a range of new features to the iOS app, including support for the RSX218 subwoofer and additions such as Mute and Solo indicators to the front

of speakers in Rig View, a Reset EQ button for loudspeaker and group rear panel views, the ability to search by name in Library View and Quick Start Guide in the Settings menu. The manufacturer states that it has also added improved line array splay angle optimisation in Design View that allows users to input a Coverage Start distance that is used in calculating the angles of the optimised array, and an alert for

S Series goes remote

ADAM AUDIO has introduced its S Control remote-control software for the company’s range of S Series speakers, said to allow customers to ‘remotely control all user parameters and EQ settings on the powerful S Series DSP platform via a Windows or macOS computer’. The software includes a graphic user interface that can display all editable parameters at once, with individually adjustable software controls.

A USB connection to the software enables voicing adjustments or

preset selection to be carried out without the need to access the monitor’s rear panel. Users can store their preferred preset information on their computers and recall it for future use, permitting the use of more than the five built-in presets that can be held in the loudspeaker’s internal memory.

In addition to the remote-control software, the manufacturer has also announced the launch of its first DSP Firmware Update, V1.2, which it describes as offering enhanced

if Design View array geometry can’t be optimised.

Other additions brought by EAWmosaic Version 1.1.0 include SPL mapping to stage and improved EQ visibility for subwoofers that is accomplished by only displaying the 20Hz to 500Hz spectrum. The update also includes a raft of fixes, solving issues such as where arrays were not detected properly and fragments that were incorrectly

shown and where symmetrical systems could incorrectly show asymmetrical SPL prediction. Meanwhile, Resolution v2.4.0.87 delivers multi-select for surfaces and arrays that allows users to manipulate properties such as Solo, Lock, Audience/Non Audience, Ear Height and Hidden On, as well as mass deletion on multiple surfaces or loudspeakers simultaneously. EAW also promises

that Resolution is ‘now significantly faster due to better utilisation of multi-core CPUs, achieving speed increases of up to 300% over previous versions’, including the acoustical model and SPL calculations. In addition, Adaptive array coverage can be limited vertically, employing the z-override feature found in Spatial EQ.

www.eaw.com

S Control

functionality and new tunings for all of the company’s speakers. The S Control software and

firmware update coincide with the launch of the MyADAM area of the company’s website that

allows customers to receive enhancements, relevant information and insights, user manuals, downloads and engage with the community. The MyADAM user area is available to owners of all ADAM professional monitor speakers. Both the new software and firmware are available to download free of charge to registered ADAM Audio users on the new MyADAM section of the company website.

www.adam-audio.com

SSL grows its networks

SOLID STATE Logic has launched four new broadcast specification audio interfaces for Dante and AES67 networks. These are the A16.D16, the A32, the D64 and the Dante PCIeR, which form the Network I/O range. Each system features the manufacturer’s SuperAnalogue analogue circuit design and mic/line, MADI, AES and SDI interfaces.

The A16.D16 includes 16 line inputs (four of which also possess switchable mic circuits), 16 line outputs, 16 digital I/Os in eight

Recording on the move

IK MULTIMEDIA has unveiled its iRig Pre HD, an ultra-compact digital interface with an onboard Class-A high-definition preamplifier that offers a frequency response from 20Hz to 20kHz (±1.5dB). The interface permits professional recordings on the go when matched with a professional microphone via its XLR connector, including gain-hungry models and those requiring phantom power.

AES3 pairs and four GPIOs. The A32, meanwhile, boasts 32 SuperAnalogue line inputs and 32 line outputs. The D64 delivers 32 I/O pairs of AES3 audio I/O connectivity to redundant Dante and AES67 network connections, while converters facilitate the integration of unlocked AES sources. Redundant connections and PSUs are shared features of the A16.D16, A32 and D64.

Finally, the Dante PCIeR is compatible with the external PCIe chassis for laptops and offers

iRig Pre HD

The iRig Pre HD features an onboard headphone output with dedicated volume control. In addition, the ⅛-inch headphone out can be used as an auxiliary output to send recorded sound to external devices. The A/D converters provide a resolution of up to 24-bit/96kHz. The direct monitor switch allows users to listen to the sound being recorded in real-time or, in regular monitoring mode, check the playback or listen to other audio files. iRig Pre HD also includes Mic Room, the company’s microphone-modelling tool for T-RackS. For iPad and iPhone users, Mic Pack for VocaLive adds a collection of virtual microphone models to the real-time vocal effects processing and multitrack recorder app, while Pro Bundle for iRig Recorder adds equalisation and compression to the pro audio recording and editing app with video. www.ikmultimedia.com

Dante connectivity to Macs or PCs. It features primary and secondary network connections and streams up to 128 channels (at 44.1, 48k, 88.2 or 96KHz) or 64 channels (at 176.4 or 192kHz).

In other news, SSL has embraced the dark side, releasing a new version of its Nucleus2 DAW and studio controller with a dark colour scheme. The original Nucleus2 system is now referred to as the ‘Light’ version.

www.solidstatelogic.com

Antelope goes Discrete

ANTELOPE AUDIO

pair of console-grade microphone preamp interfaces: the Discrete 4 desktop model and its bigger brother, the Discrete 8. These releases follow research into microphone preamp circuitry, applying an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) engine. While designed to work with any microphone, the manufacturer optimised these interfaces for use with its Edge and Verge modelling microphones.

Discrete 4, as the name suggests, features four discrete mic preamps, as well as Thunderbolt and USB connections. It is aimed at musicians and smaller studios and offers 121dB dynamic range conversion. It features fourthgeneration 64-bit AFC (Acoustically Focused Clocking) technology, along with the manufacturer’s real-time FPGA effects engine that

compressors, EQ and reverb that are accessed via Discrete 4’s EasyPanel software or via any DAW running Antelope’s AFX2DAW plug-in. Users are able to create up to four individual monitoring mixes before sending them to headphones or monitor outputs with any FPGA effects. Discrete 4 can also be controlled remotely, using either the EasyPanel software or the free iOS and Android smartphone apps.

A reliable broadcast mentor

TRILOGY COMMUNICATIONS states that it has built on several generations of its Trilogy Sync and Test Generators to produce an accurate and reliable sync and test pulse generator (SPG) for broadcast. The result is Mentor RG, which generates synchronised

fully discrete design preamps. The larger interface also enables users to create custom presets for multiple tracking scenarios. Its front panel houses a large monitor volume knob and dedicated HP knobs for each output, as well as a talkback button and microphone. Alternatively, talkback can be assigned using a footswitch on the rear, via EasyPanel software or with the smartphone app.

Discrete 8 provides 26 inputs and 32 outputs, in addition to the eight analogue inputs on a standard 25-pin D-SUB connector. A pair of monitor outs, two ReAmp outs and a pair of headphone outputs are also found, as well as S/PDIF and dual ADAT I/Os.

In other news, Antelope has added four new vintage compressors to its FPGA library. Joining the array of hardwarebased effects are those for the BA-6A, FET-A78, SMT-100A and Grove Hill Liverpool.

www.antelopeaudio.com

Audio Precision adds more codecs

and sink (including AAC), HFP/HSP audio gateway and handsfree, and AVRCP target and controller.

The introduction of the module expands the list of A2DP codecs available to Bluetooth-equipped APx Series audio analysers to AAC, aptX, aptX-HD, aptX-LL and SBC. APx Bluetooth Duo can act as either source or sink for each of the supported A2DP codecs.

video, audio and time code signals to a time signature that would typically be provided by a GPS reference system and then passed on to a ‘mission critical’ automation system.

Designed for install as a master reference generator at a broadcaster or in an OB vehicle, Mentor RG simultaneously generates SD and HD reference and test signals for 525 and 625 standards with individual timing control for all outputs. The Clear-Com subsidiary also considered multiple audio generators assignable for AES during development, such as DARS, SD/HD channel-embedded audio, Wordclock and analogue stereo.

Mentor RG features up to 10 Tri-Level Sync outputs for all 720 and 1080 standards – two of which come as standard on the base unit, while a pair of option cards bring the total to 10. It also has the ability to lock to external LTC time code or external Tri Level Sync, and, in an

AUDIO PRECISION has unveiled its next-generation Bluetooth I/O module for APx Series audio analysers. The APx Bluetooth Duo module incorporates all the features of the company’s original Bluetooth module, while delivering a wider selection of A2DP codecs, faster pair and connection times, an increased feature set within APx500 measurement software and improved RF shielding for use

in production test environments.

APx Bluetooth Duo incorporates the audio features mandated within the Bluetooth 4.2 core specification and supports the Handsfree Profile (HFP v1.7), Headset Profile (HSP v1.2), Audio-Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP v1.4) and Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP v1.3). With dedicated source and sink radios, the module can switch between the roles of A2DP source

The module is part of an integrated audio test solution and can share analogue, digital, chip-level I2S and TDM protocols, PDM or HDMI interface capabilities installed in an APx555, APx52x Series or APx58x Series analyser. APx500 measurement software provides access to a long list of Bluetooth settings and parameters, plus automation of connection, pairing and settings commands in a stepped sequence for production test applications.

www.ap.com

IP-based environment, it makes use of the Precision Time Protocol (IEEE-1588 PTP) for added reliability when synchronising time-sensitive audio packets over Ethernet.

‘Generations of Trilogy SPG products are widely deployed in many broadcast studios around the world and are trusted for their accuracy and dependability,’ said Stephen Sandford, product manager, Trilogy. ‘We are pleased to build on this legacy with the introduction of Mentor RG and providing Clear-Com and Trilogy customers access to this latest set of SPG capabilities.’

www.trilogycomms.com

Rupert Neve reinvents a classic

RUPERT NEVE DESIGNS has unveiled its 535 500-Series Diode Bridge Compressor based on the dynamics circuit of the company’s Shelford Channel. The 535 follows in the footsteps of the 2254 compressor but provides modern updates, including unified timing control, lower noise, fully stepped controls and internal parallel processing capabilities. The 535 is also fitted with custom transformers and Class-A output amplifiers. The unified Timing control offers six selectable settings, including Fast and MF, which are designed for clamping down transient signals like drums, Med and MS, which have slower attacks and releases and therefore allow more transients through with a longer recovery, and Slow and Auto, which are both significantly slower, designed for smoother level control. A Blend control enables users to inject smaller quantities of extreme compression into an otherwise unaffected signal, In addition,

The 535 500-Series Diode Bridge Compressor

Ratio, Threshold, Gain, SC HPF and Link controls facilitate further manipulation of the diode bridge compressor. www.rupertneve.com

Discrete 8 with Verge and Edge mics

Mentor RG

Quantum gets an early sequel

PRESONUS IS touting the success of its flagship Quantum audio/ MIDI interface as a major reason for the production of its follow-up, the Quantum 2 22x24-channel Thunderbolt interface. Slightly smaller than its predecessor, Quantum 2 offers a direct-toDAW signal path and features 24-bit, 192kHz converters with a dynamic range of 120dB and the manufacturer’s recallable, digitally controlled XMAX microphone preamps.

In terms of I/O, Quantum 2 has two combo mic/instrument inputs and two combo mic/line inputs, each possessing an XMAX preamp and +48V phantom power. There are also four ¼-inch TRS line outputs and a headphone output with dedicated volume control. Up to 18 additional digital inputs and outputs, making for a total of 22 ins and 24 outs, are provided via ADAT optical I/O and S/PDIF stereo digital I/O, while BNC word clock I/O ensures Quantum 2

works in tight sync with other digital audio equipment. MIDI I/O is also present. Additionally, up to four Quantum 2 interfaces can be stacked together via Thunderbolt to create an 80x80 system.

PreSonus Studio One Artist DAW is included with Quantum 2, delivering a full set of preamp control functions, as is the Studio Magic Plug-in Suite. Much of the system’s functionality can also be controlled by the manufacturer’s free UC Surface control software.

Meanwhile, designed to partner with PreSonus’ StudioLive Series III console/recorders, come the StudioLive Series III rack mixers, which can serve as AVB stage boxes, as combination stage boxes and monitor mixers, or as

Jensen targets Ethernet installs

standalone mixers. The series comprises the StudioLive 32R and StudioLive 24R (both 2U models) and the StudioLive 16R (1U). All three are fully recallable and include XMAX preamps.

StudioLive Series III rack mixers can be connected to a Series III FOH console via a Cat-5e or Cat-6 Ethernet cable. Their preamps and phantom power can also be remotely controlled from the larger Series III console. The rack mixers also support a plug-in-style workflow that features EQ and compression options on each channel. Scenes can be customised, while a Scene Safe feature prevents a scene change from altering the settings on designated ‘safe’ channels. Meanwhile, Fat Channel presets act

like scenes for individual channels, saving input and Fat Channel settings as well as aux send and bus assignments.

The two larger StudioLive Series III rack mixers each possess 16 FlexMixes, four dedicated subgroups, four internal effects busses/processors and a stereo main mix bus. The StudioLive 16R, on the other hand, has six FlexMixes, two effects busses and the stereo main bus. The StudioLive 32R and 24R have 24 Filter DCAs for controlling groups of channels and the smaller rack mixer offers eight. Up to 55 (StudioLive 32R and 24R) or 32 (StudioLive 16R) channels of audio can be streamed via an AVB Ethernet connection to and from a PC or Mac. USB 2.0 facilitates 40x40 (StudioLive 32R and 24R) or 18x18 (StudioLive 16R) recording, while the main L-R mix can be directly captured by an onboard SD card recorder.

www.presonus.com

JENSEN TRANSFORMERS is targeting installations that send line level audio over Cat-5 or Cat-6 Ethernet cables with two transmitter/receiver combinations added to its Iso-Max line. The two models are the PI-RJ2X for balanced XLR connections and the CI-RJ2R for unbalanced RCA connections.

The manufacturer points to systems integrators using products based on low-cost and low-performing baluns, or inexpensive audio transformers for this kind of project. It states that ‘Baluns offer no high-frequency isolation, and miniature, low-cost audio transformers can seriously

degrade the signal quality’. To counter this, the manufacturer claims its solutions ‘maintain true high-performance signal quality throughout the conversion process’. This, it states, is due to the ‘Jensen audio transformers inside each version providing complete galvanic isolation and immunity from hum, buzz and noise caused by ground loops’. In other Iso-Max news, Jensen has also added a pair of models to its line of 35mm DIN rail interface modules – the DIN-LI-SUM-B and

the DIN-LI-SUM-U. Both modules are designed to take a stereo L-R signal (either balanced or unbalanced), sum it into mono and output the signal through one of Jensen’s audio transformers. These modules can be installed by A/V system contractors into rackor wall-mountable 35mm DIN Rail systems. Both have gold plated, screw terminal, pluggable connectors. A schematic diagram showing the internal

circuitry is printed on the side of each module.

www.jensen-transformers.com

StudioLive 32R

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THE INVISIBLE AUDIO SOLUTION FOR AV CONFERENCING

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New Microflex Ceiling Array microphones from Shure fundamentally change the voice coverage and capture possibilities in AV conferencing environments. Featuring new patented Steerable Coverage™ technology, each array can configure up to eight pick-up patterns in three dimensions and adjust them for uniform acoustic performance throughout the room.

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Free Motiv functionality on iOS

THE SHUREPLUS Motiv Video app is free to download on iOS devices and enables users to record uncompressed audio for video. It offers functionality including gain control, EQ and compression, and is compatible with Shure’s Motiv line of products: the MV88, MV51, MV5 and MVL microphones, as well as the MVi digital audio interface.

‘Whether it’s a mobile journalist conducting breaking news interviews in the field, or vloggers capturing video of a concert, sound quality is critical, and the standard iOS video app rarely offers desirable audio clarity,’ said Paul Crognale, manager, global marketing, musician and consumer audio at Shure. ‘By offering

uncompressed audio through ShurePlus Motiv Video, we’re able to closely represent the original audio source and vastly outperform iOS video recordings.’

The app also features onscreen metering, waveform and video controls that facilitate

Jünger makes D*AP Easy

the integrated management of the visual display. For ease of use, changes to the attached Motiv device’s settings can be adjusted within ShurePlus Motiv Video, without the need to switch between the ShurePlus Motiv Recording app.

In other news, Shure has added new features to its SystemOn audio asset management software, which provides management and control across enterprise-wide deployments of the manufacturer’s wireless systems. New functionality includes remote microphone transmitter linking and ‘pair-aspare’ capabilities for Microflex Wireless, as well as a new comprehensive inventory dashboard that displays all devices in one simplified homepage for Microflex Wireless, ULXD digital wireless and the SCM820 automatic mixer.

www.shure.com

Aten extends KVM over IP Matrix line

four HD video streams into MADI and AoIP (AES67 and DANTE) infrastructures. Netbridge UHD is configured and operated via a standard web browser, with all system parameters also controlled by the Ember+ protocol.

‘With its full-blown, 64-channel interfaces, including MADI and AoIP,

‘This enables the unit to manage any channel configuration from stereo to high-channel count immersive audio.’

The UHD option joins a MADI solution in the manufacturer’s Netbridge family. This system provides an AES67 alternative to the 1:1 translation between MADI and

JÜNGER AUDIO states that the redesigned web user interface for its Easy Loudness addition to the D*AP family of digital audio processors provides broadcasters with the ‘maximum ease of use’.

The German manufacturer has reworked the Easy Loudness web interface so that the most important parameters of the operating system are directly accessible from the home page. In addition to the main interface, the device is equipped with an AES/EBU interface to receive a fall-back signal.

Easy Loudness is available in two versions – one with an integrated 3G SDI interface and the other with a Dante/AES67 AoIP interface. Both

versions feature two independent stereo programmes that incorporate the company’s Level Magic algorithm. It also offers automatic fail over switching, dual power supplies, SNMP system monitoring, as well as full loudness monitoring and snapshot functionality. It employs the Ember+ remote protocol, allowing it to be integrated with a range of compatible equipment.

In other news, the company is trying to help close the gap between digital audio production systems and modern video formats with Netbridge UHD. According to the manufacturer, the 19-inch product allows for integration of 4K-UHD or

Netbridge UHD links all kinds of production systems so that audio signals can be easily connected to one 4K-UHD or four independent 3G/HD/SD SDI data streams,’ explained Peter Pörs, Jünger Audio’s business development manager.

Eventide moves with the times

Dante. Netbridge MADI is equipped with two independent 64-channel bridges and can reportedly translate up to 128 channels between IP and MADI systems.

www.jungeraudio.com

A PAIR of releases from Aten are extending the range of its KVM over IP Matrix solutions in an attempt to eliminate the distance restrictions of control room management. According to the manufacturer, the KE8950 and KE8952 are aimed at applications such as broadcast control rooms, as well as command and control rooms for security and retail.

The KE8950 and KE8952

4K HDMI Single Display KVM over IP Extenders extend a computer’s KVM console to unlimited distances via Cat-5e or Cat-6 over a LAN, while also supporting connectivity via an SFP fibre optic transceiver module over an optical Ethernet While much of the feature set is the same for both products, the extenders differ in that the KE8952 also has power over Ethernet. The units deliver UHD 3840x2160 @ 30Hz at 36-bit colour depth video quality, instant switching between

H9000

THE H9000 from Eventide is a network-ready, 16-DSP, multichannel, rackmount audio effects processor that features eight times the processing power of the company’s H8000. The H9000 features four quad core ARM processors serving as 16 DSP engines, eight channels of analogue audio I/O, AES/EBU, ADAT, 16 USB audio channels and the option to connect to standard audio networks, including MADI, Dante and Ravenna. According to the manufacturer, the H9000 is a suitable platform for surround sound and for processing several tracks of audio simultaneously. The H9000 also introduces the concept of FX

Chains, allowing users to connect any set of four effects with flexible routing. FX Chains can be created to act as a voice channel, a guitar ‘pedal board’ or a modular synth with effects.

The processor’s remote-control application, emote, is available for users working ‘in the box’ or over an audio network. emote is available as a standalone app for Mac and PC, and as an AU, VST and Pro Tools plug-in.

www.eventideaudio.com

native videowall functionality allows users to create multiple videowalls with up to 8x8 displays in each layout in various configurations.

Control is via the KE Matrix Management Software. This is used to define connections and manage all KE Series Extenders over a network via a web-based GUI. The administrators can set three permission types –Admin, Super User and User – to meet user and shared access requirements.

www.aten.com

ShurePlus Motiv is compatible with the MV88 microphone

The KE8950

Atens’s KE8952 offers PoE

INSTALLATION AS EASY AS 1-2-3

Designed with the contractor in mind, EVID-S is the latest member of the EVID family – a cost-effective, go-to solution offering superior sound quality for indoor and outdoor applications.

Learn more at www.electrovoice.com

PLACE. Simply slide the pre-wired speaker onto the wall-mount and lock into place

PROTECT. Apply the paint cover to protect the wall-mount until construction is completed.

PRE-WIRE. Attach the wall-mount and terminate the cables inside. A built-in bubble level saves time.

On the go with beyerdynamic

DESIGNED FOR the modern world of musicians’, podcasters’ and filmmakers’ mobile workflows, beyerdynamic’s DT 240 Pro compact monitor headphones claim to offer professional-quality audio at an entrylevel price. The product features a pair of 34Ω transducers that reportedly achieve ‘ample’ output with little amplification, while also offering isolation from background noise and minimal sound leakage. The design is what the German company is calling ‘compact overears’. They are actually over-ear headphones but have ear cups more similar in size to traditional on-ears, which aids isolation.

In terms of technical specifications, the DT 240 Pros have a frequency range of 5Hz to 35,000Hz, a nominal and max SPL of 99dB and 119dB, respectively, and Total

As well as the new monitoring headphone, the German manufacturer has restructured its TG Drum Sets to also include the TG D71 boundary mic. The TG D71 reportedly works as a pressure gradient receiver and has a half-cardioid polar pattern. The

20kHz and can handle a maximum SPL of 148dB. A three-pin XLR provides connection for signal and phantom power – the correct power supply is signalled via a red status LED. According to the manufacturer, the new mic is perfectly suited for

use as a drum mic, and its rugged housing allows it to be positioned inside a bass drum without any additional fixings. The TG D71’s sturdy microphone housing guarantees optimum protection against damage during often harsh day-to-day, on-stage use and, thanks to its construction, it can be positioned in the bass drum without additional fixings.

The company describes the sound of the TG D71 as ‘characterised by an exceptionally quick response time’ and that ‘even when subject to high sound levels, transmission remains free of distortion with the half-cardioid polar pattern contributing to feedback stability’.

The newly compiled TG Drum Sets are still available in a selection of packages; however, the Pro S, Pro M, Pro L and Pro XL sets are now

www.beyerdynamic.com

True immersion

FINNISH LOUDSPEAKER manufacturer Genelec has joined forces with IDA Audio, a pioneer in HRTF modelling technology, to produce an ‘accurate’ immersive audio experience for professional headphone users.

The technology developed by the two companies scans the user’s ears, upper body and head to create a customised personal audio profile, stored in the cloud, which can then be loaded into the DAW via a choice of third-party plug-ins. By modelling the HRTF, 3D audio can be tailored to each

individual’s ears for maximum immersion. ‘Everyone is unique when it comes to hearing – the ways in which our brains perceive the world around us is shaped by our physical features, determining how we hear,’ explained Genelec CEO, Siamäk Naghian. ‘No two people share the same HRTF, because the size and shape of each person’s head, ears and upper torso all affect how that individual experiences the sounds around them.’

www.genelec.com

available with the TG D71 boundary mic instead of the previously included TG D50 or TG D70 bass drum microphone.

An ear scan being performed with the IDA software

The DT 240 Pro headphones

TG Drum Set Pro S

Sennheiser’s no dummy when it comes to sound

Sennheiser’s no dummy when it comes to sound New VHD2.18J Subwoofer

HAVING PLACED a heavy emphasis recently on its immersive capture and playback solutions, Sennheiser has expanded its Ambeo catalogue with the KU 100 dummy head, a binaural stereo microphone designed to resemble a human head that integrates microphone capsules into each ear. In addition to serving as a measurement device in a number of industrial applications, the manufacturer claims that when listening through high-quality headphones to its recorded signal, it provides the ‘illusion of being right at the scene of an acoustic event’ with a sound image ‘almost identical to the one heard at the recording location’.

The KU 100 can be operated with traditional 48V phantom power, from an external power supply unit or from its built-in battery. At the bottom of the unit is a switch for selecting between power supply modes, as well as connectors for balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (BNC) output signals. Inside the head are additional switches for 10dB attenuation and high-pass filter. The unit ships in an aluminium carrying case, together with an external power supply unit, a 5-pin XLR cable and an adapter cable that splits the 5-pin XLR

HAVING PLACED a heavy emphasis recently on its immersive capture and playback solutions, Sennheiser has expanded its Ambeo catalogue with the KU 100 dummy head, a binaural stereo microphone designed to resemble a human head that integrates microphone capsules into each ear. In addition to serving as a measurement device in a number of industrial applications, the manufacturer claims that when listening through high-quality headphones to its recorded signal, it provides the ‘illusion of being right at the scene of an acoustic event’ with a sound image ‘almost identical to the one heard at the recording location’. The KU 100 can be operated with traditional 48V phantom power, from an external power supply unit or from its built-in battery. At the bottom of the unit is a switch for selecting between power supply modes, as well as connectors for balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (BNC) output signals. Inside the head are additional switches for 10dB attenuation and high-pass filter. The unit ships in an aluminium carrying case, together with an external power supply unit, a 5-pin XLR cable and an adapter cable that splits the 5-pin XLR

Housing two 18” high performance transducers the VHD2.18J is a direct radiating bass-re ex subwoofer. The VHD2.18J’s optimised, high e ciency, bass-re ex design produces considerably more output than other similar double 18” enclosures and features intuitive integrated yware that allows for fast rigging of multiple cabinets.

Joining the dummy head is the new XS 1 dynamic handheld microphone intended for entry-level vocal and speech applications. Offering what the manufacturer describes as ‘well-defined sound with an excellent presence in the mix’, the wired cardioid mic is fitted with a lockable mute switch, comes with a stand mount and leatherette pouch, and offers a 55Hz to 16,000Hz frequency response.

Joining the dummy head is the new XS 1 dynamic handheld microphone intended for entry-level vocal and speech applications. Offering what the manufacturer describes as ‘well-defined sound with an excellent presence in the mix’, the wired cardioid mic is fitted with a lockable mute switch, comes with a stand mount and leatherette pouch, and offers a 55Hz to 16,000Hz frequency response.

Johannes Krämer works with many of the worlds leading artists, promoters and events. When he visited KV2 Audio he was looking for something special in a sub. After discussions with Chief Engineer, George Krampera the VHD2.18J was born.

www.sennheiser.com

www.sennheiser.com

DPA gets to the Core

DPA gets to the Core

DANISH MINIATURE microphone

DANISH MINIATURE microphone

manufacturer DPA has debuted a new amplification technology for its d:screet and d:fine models that it claims improves the dynamic range by up to 14dB, lowering distortion and therefore providing ‘a clearer more open sound across the entire microphone range’.

manufacturer DPA has debuted a new amplification technology for its d:screet and d:fine models that it claims improves the dynamic range by up to 14dB, lowering distortion and therefore providing ‘a clearer more open sound across the entire microphone range’.

‘The new Core technology does not replace our existing beloved mics, but rather offers another choice to our worldwide customer base,’ explained René Mørch, product manager, DPA Microphones. ‘We want to give our users every option imaginable to capture the sound that they require during any type of production: live sound, theatre, film recording, etc. DPA is excited to provide this new, leadingedge solution that, while unseen to the eye, can be heard very clearly by ear’.

‘The new Core technology does not replace our existing beloved mics, but rather offers another choice to our worldwide customer base,’ explained René Mørch, product manager, DPA Microphones. ‘We want to give our users every option imaginable to capture the sound that they require during any type of production: live sound, theatre, film recording, etc. DPA is excited to provide this new, leadingedge solution that, while unseen to the eye, can be heard very clearly by ear’.

Two applications that the manufacturer highlights as benefitting

Two applications that the manufacturer highlights as benefitting

most from Core models are film recording and theatre, thanks mainly to the higher SPL capabilities.

most from Core models are film recording and theatre, thanks mainly to the higher SPL capabilities.

The Core amplifier technology is located in the housing of the miniature microphones. Models purchased with the new technology will come in Core packaging and will have a blue label near the serial number on the cable to differentiate between these and the original versions. A very discreet laser engraving stating ‘core’ has been incorporated into the microphone capsule as well. To begin with, the technology is being made available for d:screet 4060, d:screet 4061, d:fine 4066 and d:fine 4088 models. The remaining d:screet and d:fine microphones and the full range of colour options will reportedly be available in the near future.

The Core amplifier technology is located in the housing of the miniature microphones. Models purchased with the new technology will come in Core packaging and will have a blue label near the serial number on the cable to differentiate between these and the original versions. A very discreet laser engraving stating ‘core’ has been incorporated into the microphone capsule as well. To begin with, the technology is being made available for d:screet 4060, d:screet 4061, d:fine 4066 and d:fine 4088 models. The remaining d:screet and d:fine microphones and the full range of colour options will reportedly be available in the near future.

www.kv2audio.com

www.dpamicrophones.com

www.dpamicrophones.com

George Krampera Chief Engineer, KV2 Audio

Johannes Krämer Sound Engineer, Richie Hawtin

The KU 100 dummy head

TASCAM sets sights on podcasters

In other news, TASCAM has released Version 2.3 software for its MiNiStudio line of audio interfaces. The firmware update provides added postproduction control and is aimed particularly at podcasters who can record each element of an episode, including guest mics and special effects, on individual tracks within the Windows-based DAW.

primarily intended for personal podcasting and videographers.

The series includes the TM-90BM boundary condenser microphone, the TM-95GN gooseneck electret condenser microphone and the TM-150SG supercardioid shotgun microphone.

The TM-90BM is designed to pick up multiple voices during a discussion, negating the need for individual mics. At a height of 24mm, the half-supercardioid, unidirectional microphone can reportedly record voices as loud as 140dB SPL without distorting, while its Bass Tilt switch allows for

the attenuation of bass frequencies or boosts low frequencies when recording from musical sources.

Also unidirectional is the cardioid TM-95GN. This microphone is developed for ease of use, with a dedicated mic stand that features an on/off switch for simple setup, positioning and adjustment. A windscreen to reduce vocal noise pop and a 2.4m XLR microphone cable are included.

The TM-150SG is made for videographers and filmmakers. The supercardioid shotgun microphone can handle volumes of 124dB SPL, and includes a windscreen and built-in low-cut filter.

Audio-Technica builds new boundaries

AUDIO-TECHNICA HAS begun to ship its new U841R omnidirectional condenser boundary microphone, an updated replacement for the U841A microphone. The new model retains the features that the manufacturer says were responsible for its popularity, but enhances them with new internal electronics that remove the need for an amplifier.

Earthworks gets up close

‘TASCAM has engaged with the podcasting community like no other manufacturer,’ claimed Steve Cherubino, director of podfather.net. ‘Podcasters have struggled for years with recording and editing interviews on Skype, and now the MiNiStudio makes it fast and easy.’

Other new features brought along by Version 2.3 include SceneMemory, which provides instant access to saved MiNiStudio configurations. For those using the MiNiStudio Creator US-42, the option has been added for selectable reverb send on the individual inputs.

www.tascam.com

EARTHWORKS HAS added new microphones for drum miking, including the DM20 DrumMic for close miking toms and snare, as well as several multi-microphone kits. The DM20 DrumMic is a cardioid condenser microphone designed for live performance and recording environments. Features include a cardioid polar pattern, 150dB SPL rating and flat 50Hz to 20kHz frequency response. The manufacturer reports that the right-angle microphone head allows the user to position the microphone precisely, while the stiff yet flexible gooseneck ‘will stay put even with the most energetic drummer’. Each microphone comes with an RM1 RimMount for mounting the microphone directly on the rim of a snare or toms.

The company has also revamped its CloseMic Kits, which package DM20 microphones with RM1 RimMounts, windscreens and carrying case. The CMK4 comes with four DM20 microphones

and accessories, while the CMK5 comes with five DM20 microphones and accessories.

The DK7 DrumKit is a sevenmicrophone kit comprised of four DM20 microphones for toms and snare, two SR25 microphones for overheads and one low-sensitivity SR20LS for kick drum.

In other news, the SV33 is the company’s flagship studio vocal microphone said to provide ‘high-resolution performance, staggering realism and purity of sound for male and female vocals’. Incorporating Earthworks’ patented polar technology, the SV33 provides a cardioid polar pattern that is consistent up to 80° off-axis so the performer can move in front of the microphone without sacrificing timbre or level. It features hand-tuned circuitry paired with a 14mm capsule, low handling noise and a built-in windscreen to prevent plosives.

Also equipped with UniGuard RFI-shielding technology, the mic has been designed to capture audio in surface-mount television and conferencing applications.

The U841R has a 360° pick-up angle and operates on phantom power. In terms of technical specs, the boundary mic has a 40Hz to 20kHz frequency range, 105dB dynamic range and a signal-tonoise ratio of 69dB. The mic

Revolabs targets the elite

REVOLABS’ EXECUTIVE Elite is a series of wireless microphone systems that utilise a distributed architecture to separate the remote antenna receiver unit from the base DSP unit, which are connected via Cat-5e or Cat-6 cable supporting PoE for distributed or in-room installations. The 2-channel version is designed for use in auditoria and lecture halls, while the 4- and 8-channel Executive Elite systems are primarily for boardroom and conference room audio applications. The remote antenna receiver units can be wall or ceiling mounted and can be placed alongside the wireless microphones. Revolabs synchronisation technology allows receivers in relative proximity

to each other to synchronise, facilitating deployments of multiple receivers. Users can adjust the audio setting to allow for 44 or more microphones in one area in the USA, South America and Japan, and up to 76 or more in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

Executive Elite receivers only pair with Executive Elite wired and wireless microphones and adapters. The range includes omnidirectional, directional, gooseneck and wearable microphones, as well as XLR and TA4 adapters. The microphones also feature Revolabs’ Designed for Speech technology that reportedly makes them suited to ‘any communication application’.

weighs 84g and houses a TA3Ftype connector.

www.audio-technica.com

The SV33 has a frequency response of 30Hz to 33kHz ±2dB at 5 inches with self-noise of 15dBA, yielding a 79dB S/N ratio. Its maximum acoustic input level is 145dB SPL. The mic comes with a flexible mounting bracket for attaching the microphone to booms or stands.

earthworksaudio.com

In terms of set up and use, Executive Elite has reportedly been developed for simplicity, allowing end users to remove the microphone from the charger, unmute the microphone and begin speaking. For increased flexibility, a cross-over adapter allows a tabletop microphone to be charged during use. Meanwhile, both local and remote system management are offered, as the base DSP unit display provides information on microphone status, signal strength and system performance, while a web interface allows users to connect directly to the base DSP unit.

www.revolabs.com

The U841R condenser boundary microphone

The 2-channel Executive Elite system

DM20 DrumMic

DK7 DrumKit

The TM-90BM and TM-95GN

Small in size, big on sound

SE ELECTRONICS is claiming its sE8 condenser microphone, a handcrafted, gold-sputtered, small-diaphragm true condenser capsule incorporating a new backplate design, delivers ‘more even, balanced sound and superior transient response compared to any other small-capsule condenser of comparable price’. The sE8 includes two low-cut filters (switchable between 80Hz and 160Hz) and two attenuation pads (–10dB or –20dB), said to provide high SPL handling capability and dynamic range. The body is finished with the same paint as the manufacturer’s latest microphones, plus a diamond-cut edge around the capsule. The XLR connector is gold-plated for ‘lossfree, reliable and long-lasting use’.

‘You can apply any shelving filters or peak EQ without harshness, unpleasant colourations or distorted transients – it just stays natural’, said sE’s product manager Thomas Stubics. This is accomplished with an extremely short, efficient signal path, without the use of ICs or transformers.’

The microphone ships with a newly designed mic clip, mic stand thread adapter and protective wind screen. The sE8 is also available as a matched stereo pair, which comes complete with a stereo mounting bar, two mic clips, two wind screens and a flight case.

sE Electronics has also launched a wireless version of its V7 dynamic microphone, intended for use with compatible Shure handheld

Microtech Gefell targets mobile reporters

MICROTECH GEFELL is focusing on the mobile journalism market with the SRM 100, its first smartphone reporter mic. The German manufacturer states that the SRM 100 is a digital dynamic microphone with an

omnidirectional polar pattern that has been optimised for broadcast applications.

The mic is reportedly compatible with devices and apps on iOS, Android and Windows operating

systems. The manufacturer states that its 40Hz to 18kHz frequency response has been designed for intelligibility, while it also has an internal elastic capsule suspension to reduce handling noise.

transmitters. Featuring the same custom-built aluminium voice coil, all-metal construction, patented integrated capsule suspension and supercardioid pick-up pattern as its wired sibling, the V7 MC1 reportedly provides the same levels of highfidelity sound, low handling noise and extreme feedback rejection in an industry-standard wireless format.

In other news, the company has added two further microphones to its catalogue: an updated version of the sE2200 and the V7 X, a new sibling for the V7 handheld dynamic microphone. The sE2200 is a refined version of the manufacturer’s sE2200a and sE2200a II C microphones. Utilising the same handcrafted capsule, discrete Class-A circuitry and custom transformer as

the previous versions, the sE2200 reportedly offers ‘improved clarity, lower noise, new pad and filter options to increase versatility’. The fit and finish have been updated with sE’s latest manufacturing techniques. The V7 X’s aluminum voice coil and acoustic design have been specifically tailored for instrumental use, says the manufacturer, with a ‘lowered resonance and extended frequency response’. The V7 X is intended for use on snares, toms, electric and acoustic guitars, and brass instruments.

In terms of its vital statistics, the mic records at 24-bit/48kHz, can take a maximum SPL of 122dB and weighs 210g.

www.microtechgefell.de

The SRM 100

Lectrosonics adds to wireless range

THE NEW members of Lectrosonics’ Digital Hybrid Wireless SM Series, the ‘wide band’ SMWB (single AA battery) and SMDWB (dual AA battery), are described as having ‘a similar look and feel to previous SM Series units’, but include the ability to either act as a transmitter or as a body-worn recorder, as well as wideband tuning.

The SMWB and SMDWB units tune across three standard frequency blocks and come in several frequency ranges: A1 (470MHz to 537MHz) and B1 (537MHz to 614MHz) for the North American and export markets, and B2 (563MHz to 640MHz) and C1 (614MHz to 691MHz) for certain export markets. RF power for these models is selectable at 100, 50 or 25mW (North American version) and 50 or 25mW (certain

export markets). The SMWB and SMDWB feature the standard TA5 connector with servo-bias mic input. This input is also found on all previous SM Series units and all current TA5 beltpack units such as the LT and LMb. Any lavaliere microphones wired for these other Lectrosonics transmitters will reportedly also work on the new models.

The SMWB and SMDWB units can be configured either as a transmitter or a recorder, with files stored on Micro SD card memory. Audio files are recorded in the industry standard Broadcast Wave

RTS buckles up

THE SINGLE-CHANNEL BP4000 and double-channel BP-5000 beltpacks from RTS are designed as user-friendly and universal solutions for partyline intercom systems. This is achieved through a combination of smart power management technology, voice guided setup

in comparison to previous RTS beltpacks and allows users to power up to 40 daisy-chained beltpacks using only a single power supply (PS-20). Cable length versus actual current consumption is continually monitored by a current pump circuit, ensuring the beltpacks receive the power needed. As soon as the BP-4000 and BP-5000 are plugged in, the wiring scheme detection functionality automatically recognises the wiring scheme and configures the beltpack for either Audiocom, RTS or ClearCom formats. The voice guided setup feature, meanwhile, helps navigate through the menu options, negating the need to configure internal jumpers or switches. The beltpacks can also be reset to factory settings with the activation of a single item on the main menu and firmware updates can be installed via

The SMWB and SMDWB

Samson launches cover the signal chain

SAMSON HAS released a slew of new products that form a complete signal chain. The American manufacturer has released a new wireless mic system, 4-channel mixer and powered studio monitors.

Starting with the source, the AWX Wind Instrument Micro Transmitter UHF Wireless System features what the manufacturer states to be ‘the world’s smallest clip-on transmitter’ with a shock-mounted microphone and adjustable gooseneck.

(.WAV) format at a 24-bit, 44.1kHz sample rate. The Micro SD memory card can also be used to update firmware in the field.

Both also feature the same backlit LCD found on some of the manufacturer’s other transmitters, including the LT, HHa, LMb and DBa. The units also include an IR port when using any IR-equipped receiver such as the LR, SRc or Venue 2. This, according to the company, allows for easy integration with a larger wireless system using Lectrosonics’ Wireless Designer software for frequency management and system monitoring.

www.lectrosonics.com

positions and reportedly cover long distances without requiring additional equipment such as repeaters. They are available with either 4- or 5-pin XLR headset connectors, and support dynamic and electret headset microphones.

The smart power management feature reduces consumption

Additional features include talk button control that allows users to select between always on, always off or switching modes; remote mic-kill functionality that allows any user to send an inaudible microphone kill signal, which mutes every beltpack mic in the partyline; and a blinking lamp provides visual notification of an incoming call. The BP-5000 can also be set to vibrate when a call is coming in on the other channel or when the incoming call lamp needs to be turned off during a production.

www.rtsintercoms.com

Designed for saxophones, trumpets, trombones and other wind instruments, the ATX Wireless Micro Transmitter clips directly to the instrument’s bell with no beltpack or cable necessary. It provides infrared sync to wirelessly match the receiver and transmitter frequency, gain and mute controls, a battery life LED indicator and an 8-hour rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

The unit features an HM60 condenser microphone with a three-point halo isolation mount. The mic capsule offers a supercardioid pick-up pattern that reportedly handles up to 125dB SPL.

The system’s rack-mountable CR99 Wireless Receiver provides 80 selectable channels. The receiver offers True RF Diversity design and tone key technology to prevent unwanted noise when the transmitter is off or out of range.

Moving on to control, the SM4 is a half-rack, 4-channel line

mixer that features a balanced microphone channel with 2-band EQ, voiceover priority ducking, stereo line level inputs, as well as Bluetooth and Samson Stage XPD wireless compatibility.

The unit offers rear panel RCA inputs, as well as front-mounted stereo ¼-inch and ⅛-inch inputs, and its rear-mounted Master Volume control allows users to set the overall output level of the mixer.

The Voiceover feature enables up to 30dB of ducking while talking through a mic or using the XPD Wireless port with an active ducking hold time from 0.5s to 3s.

It also features stereo XLR and RCA outputs, and a Mono/Stereo switch for use with a mono sound system.

Finally, as an output, the manufacturer has created the MediaOne M30 Powered Studio Monitors. Constructed of solid wood with rear porting, the monitor features a 3-inch co-polymer woofer complemented by a ¾-inch silk-dome tweeter housed in a custom waveguide. An internal 20W (10W per channel) studiograde A/B amplifier powers the monitors. In terms of connectivity, the M30s offer rear RCA inputs, a front panel headphone jack and an ⅛-inch output to integrate a powered subwoofer.

Measuring 127mm x 147mm x 190mm and weighing 2.95kg, the monitors have a stated frequency response of 50Hz to 20kHz.

www.samsontech.com

The BP-4000

DirectOut puts MADI on the grid

CEDAR makes intelligence intelligible

OFFERING TAILORED features for broadcast, live and studio applications, the SG.MADI from German manufacturer DirectOut is a 1U rack-mount device for converting between Waves SoundGrid and MADI signals. The unit provides visual feedback on the front panel LEDs for sync, sample rate and level metering of the microphone inputs.

There are two mic inputs with switchable PAD and phantom power, two balanced line outputs and a headphone output that form the analogue connections.

Two module-based MADI ports are included, with module choices including optical SC (single-mode or multi-mode), Coaxial (BNC) or SFP. Two computers can be connected to the SG.MADI at the same time

for redundant recording setups. For control, two GPIOs allow for signals to be integrated via the network or MADI link. They may be configured individually to monitor critical system events or to trigger a recording light. Selectable clock sources are word clock, MADI, SoundGrid or the internal clock.

www.directout.eu

Wisycom keeps the noise down

DESIGNED TO match the its MPR30-ENG receiver, Wisycom's MPR52-ENG Dual Diversity Receiver has two built-in diversity receivers with both analogue and digital outputs.

With up to 790MHz bandwidth in the 470MHz to 1,260MHz range, the receiver includes multiband frontend filtering. The software selectable wideband and narrowband DSP-FM operation is described as giving users various options based on their project needs. Country-specific Surface Acoustic Wave filters are also available (for example Japan: 1,240MHz to 1,260MHz).

Features include a low-noise

Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO)

with ultrafast spectrum scanning, while the automatic scan and transmitter programming works via infrared technology. The DSPbased receiver can be monitored and controlled through USB and Wisycom Manager 2.0 software, which reportedly transforms the MPR52-ENG into a low-noise portable spectrum scanner.

The receiver comes with a dual diversity configuration with two whip antennas plus a dedicated frequency scan option. The battery pack can be charged with the dedicated charger or through the micro-USB-B connector.

www.wisycom.com

Audio Limited goes digital with A10

WITH VARIOUS frequency changes happening around the world and new technology developed to tackle congested RF sites, there is no shortage of new wireless audio systems joining the market recently. The latest offering on this front from UK manufacturer Audio Limited is the A10 digital wireless microphone system, which boasts best-in-class latency of 2ms and is suitable for a wide range of production applications. The system comprises the A10-TX digital bodypack transmitter and the portable A10-RX digital 2-channel true diversity receiver.

The system operates in the 470MHz to 694MHz UHF band, with up to 20 A10 digital wireless systems able to simultaneously operate in a single 8MHz TV channel, reportedly without

compromising RF range, audio quality or latency.

The A10-TX transmitter is stated to house a low-noise, broadcastquality preamplifier with a 3-pin Lemo input that accepts balanced or unbalanced microphones, linelevel signals and lavaliers. It can also provide 48V or 12V phantom power and includes an analogue limiter and low-cut filters. Three A10-TX models are available: the A10-TX-A (470MHz to 548MHz), A10-TX-B (518MHz to 608MHz) and A10-TX-C (594MHz to 694MHz).

The transmitter also includes a digital audio recorder and timecode generator and can record timecodestamped audio to removable microSD cards. External timecode can be jam synced to the A10-TX through the Lemo input connector and the A10 will reportedly

POLICE, SECURITY and counterterrorism forces require covert audio surveillance systems that are rugged while remaining as small and light as possible. CEDAR has designed its SE 1 Speech Enhancer to provide a system that is ‘simple to operate and able to run on batteries as well as mains power so that it can be used in the field when necessary’. It offers two channels of filtering and speech enhancement in a small device that sits immediately

independent headphone outputs for live monitoring directly from the unit. A single SE 1 can be used to monitor two microphones in a single location, or two listeners can monitor single microphones in separate locations. Users can also take input from a single source and create two output signals – the untreated audio and the filtered audio – so that courts and investigators can hear both the original sound and the filtered version.

between the probes (microphones) and the headphones. Said to offer ‘minimal’ latency and ‘simple’ controls, the enhancer has a 12V power input and is small enough to fit into a pocket. The audio processing capabilities reportedly allow field operatives to monitor audio, reduce noise and improve the listenability of audio captured in adverse conditions. According to the manufacturer, the SE 1 integrates easily with other equipment using either analogue or digital inputs and outputs, and incorporates two

The SE 1 offers two simultaneous processes said to maximise listenability and intelligibility. The first is a noise suppressor based on CEDAR’s FNR (forensic noise reduction) system. The second is a signal enhancement filter optimised to further reveal the speech, which incorporates a limiter to avoid output clipping distortion if a sudden loud sound occurs when monitoring an otherwise quiet signal.

www.cedaraudio.com

maintain timecode even during battery changes.

The A10-RX 2-channel true diversity receiver is available in either a Superslot version with DB-25 connector (A10-RX-SL) or with hard-wired XLR and power connectors (A10-RX-XLR). Both receivers tune across the full 470MHz to 694MHz bandwidth, meaning the A10-RX receiver can be used with any of the three A10TX transmitters.

The receiver has four digital receiver circuits, two used on each channel. Like other true diversity systems, Audio Limited’s proprietary Advanced Digital Diversity System (ADDS) selects the receiver circuit with the best RF signal to provide true diversity operation. The manufacturer also adds that ADDS goes further by

combining bitstreams from each receiver circuit simultaneously to assemble error-free digital audio from two weaker RF signals, increasing drop-out free reception to increase the reliability of the RF link in challenging environments.

Remote control of the system is

possible with the free iOS and Android A10 Remote app, with key functions including input gain, transmitter power, low-cut filter, start/stop record and transmitter frequency.

www.audioltd.com

The A10 wireless transmitter and receiver

MPR52-ENG

The SE 1 Speech Enhancer

PMC gets results

THE NEWEST compact nearfield monitor from PMC Speakers is the result6, an active two-way cabinet that promises a redesigned version of the manufacturer’s Advanced Transmission Line bass-loading system. This has been developed as a laser-based measurement system to ensure the best possible integration between the speaker’s new LF driver and the line.

The cabinet features a 27mm soft-dome tweeter with a dispersion grille as well as a mid/ bass unit formed from a doped

Gemini lights the way

THE LITEPANELS Gemini

2x1, RGB-WW soft panel provides a daylight-to-tungsten light foundation and colour adjustment with a 360° colour wheel.

natural fibre. Built-in dual Class-D amplifiers deliver 65W and 100W of power respectively to the HF and LF drivers.

Meanwhile, an analogue crossover, designed specifically for result6, uses circuit-modelling techniques that enable the drivers to operate at peak efficiency consistently, while limiting protects from damage. Users may also apply +10dB of output from the amplifiers to suit their requirements via trim controls on the rear panel.

In terms of aesthetics, result6 has been constructed with what the manufacturer terms a DiffractionFins, they reportedly supply

added benefits such as widening the off-axis response over larger areas and blocking cabinet edge effects.

‘There are no overly complex DSP-based user options or room profiles; instead, result6 achieves its characteristically neutral, dependable reference sound solely on the strength of its meticulous engineering,’ said PMC head of design, Oliver Thomas. ‘You can plug it in and immediately trust what you hear.’

www.pmc-speakers.com

that Gemini produces true, full-spectrum white light and offers a choice of control options. There are three lighting modes: Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) Mode, for bicolour (daylight-to-tungsten) with green adjustment; Colour Mode, offering hue saturation and intensity (HSI) control for full colour and saturation control; and Gel Mode, for adding a variety of gels. All three modes offer dimming from 100% to 0%, reportedly without any colour shift.

Gemini offers remote control through DMX (5-pin XLR or RJ-45), Wireless DMX (both using standard 512 protocol) or Bluetooth. The panels can be remotely controlled using the Litepanels SmartLite or SmartLite Director apps for Apple devices. Tests have shown that Gemini delivers TLCI/CRI levels of 97 in daylight and 99 in tungsten. Gemini has an on-board power supply but can also run from battery power (3-pin XLR 28 VDC). Power can also be daisychained from other devices.

www.litepanels.com

Illuminating the stars

THE MAVERICK MK Pyxis is said to ‘empower creativity’ with its beam and wash effects, wide zoom range, 360° continuous pan and tilt movement, and aerial and pixelmapping effects. At the centre of the Pyxis is a single homogenous 60W RGBW LED with a fixed 3° beam angle. Surrounding this is an outer ring made up of nine 15W RGBW LEDs with a 7° to 45° zoom angle.

The fixture has a combined centre and outer ring illuminance of 27,560 lux at 5m. A built-in virtual gobo wheel with background colours

A Chorus that moves

THE NEW Chorus Line flexible LED batten luminaires from Elation Professional are designed to provide more manoeuvrable, adaptable lighting effects than their strip light peers. The series initially comprises two multi-purpose LED batten wash fixtures – the 8-pixel bar Chorus Line 8 and the 16-pixel bar Chorus Line 16 – each of which features a wide motorised zoom and 220° tilt axis movement.

Both fixtures house Osram 40W RGBW LEDs with full pixel control. They are designed for use as visual effects, foot lights, wash lights and cyc lights among other applications. A variety of saturated colours and pastel shades can be achieved via their RGBW colour mixing capabilities, while colour presets and macros are also included, as is an electronic strobe function, 16-bit dimming and variable dimming curves. Gamma correction and PWM frequency can be adjusted as per individual requirements, while control is offered by way of DMX 512-A with full RDM and Art-Net support, as well as the Kling-Net protocol.

Adding to the Artiste range, which began with Artiste DaVinci last year, Elation has introduced the Artiste Dali moving head. It features a hybrid engine that combines a 300W LED source and 100W laser phosphor source for reportedly greater beam and spot effects.

Features and effects include eFly wireless DMX, CMY+CTO variable colour mixing, colour wheel, rotating and static gobos, prisms, animation, zoom and frost.

With regards to Artiste DaVinci, the lighting manufacturer has released a version in white. Artiste

can be used to make the outer ring appear as if it’s spinning. Builtin colour effects also add to the fixture’s versatility.

The Maverick MK Pyxis works with DMX, W-DMX, SACN, Art-Net and Kling-Net. The fixture is RDMenabled for remote addressing and trouble shooting. It also converts TCP/IP signals to DMX for shorter data cable runs, and it includes a battery back-up touchscreen display with auto rotate depending on fixture orientation.

www.chauvetprofessional.com

GDS focuses on the décor

LIGHTING MANUFACTURER

GDS has drawn inspiration from its ArcSystem Pro range to develop a new line of generalpurpose architectural lighting solutions. The ArcSystem Decor range has been created to provide the same quality of light – the manufacturer assures that all lamps have a CRI of 90 or above – the same economic benefits and the same GDS support as its Pro counterpart.

ArcSystem Decor is now available as a complete, standalone range and in options from single-cell to multi-cell, including one, two, four and eight cells. It also offers 100% to absolute zero dimming using wired DMX or the wireless ArcMesh protocol.

In addition to the new Decor range, the British manufacturer has stated that innovations in lighting technology have also allowed it to revisit the design of its D1 single-channel and D4 4-way drivers to produce a

48-way version in a rackmountable package. The result is the D48 driver, which is compatible with all ArcSystem Pro Fixtures and makes use of Cat-5 cabling for distribution.

www.gds.uk.com

GLP feels the Force

DaVinci WH is specifically aimed at venues seeking a fixture that will blend in aesthetically.

Finally, Dartz 360 is a full colourmixing LED beam/spot fixture with gobos and effects. A narrow-beam luminaire, it houses a singlesource 50W RGB LED engine that produces a 3° beam for effects similar to a discharge lamp. It is capable of continuous 360° pan and tilt movement, and creates gobos, dual prisms, frost and remote focus looks.

www.elationlighting.com

Ayrton gets a spotlight

a rotating framing system that facilitates a full wipe. Also new is the MiniPanel-FX, which joins the French manufacturer’s FX-Zoom range. It has a zoom spread of 3.6° to 53° and houses four of Ayrton’s proprietary square lenses in a 2x2 configuration that forms a beam and wash light. MiniPanelFX is designed to complement its siblings, the MagicPanel-FX and MagicBlade-FX, with its endless double rotation functionality.

www.ayrton.eu

GLP HAS made a break from its traditional moving lights with the Force 120 fan effect fixture. Measuring just under 1.4m2, the fixture contains a large diameter variable speed fan that can run at speeds as low as 30rpm or as high as 750rpm, and can change ‘from one extreme to the other at a super quick speed’. Designed to create scenic effects or be used as an air mover (or a combination of both), the Force 120

features bands of LED tape that light the actual fan blades and can be controlled with differing levels of density, allowing singleor multi-colour projection onto the blades. The Force 120 has an auto-sensing power input, a sturdy construction, built-in transport wheels and multiple rigging points, according to the manufacturer.

www.glp.de/en

ArcLamp B22 Candle

Maverick MK Pyxis

Chorus Line 8

Ayrton Ghibli

Force 120

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Acrobatics and ropewalking

JAA Systems brings KK12FM to the airwaves

MALAYSIA: KK12FM recently started broadcasting in Kota Kinabalu. The local radio station called upon JAA Systems to design and integrate the solutions for its master control room (MCR), production and on-air studios.

AMONG A string of new product launches from Draper is Acrobat, which is intended to lift and lower a wide range of equipment, such as projection screens commonly found in houses of worship, hotel ballrooms, school gyms and convention centres. Acrobat has been designed for ease of use and installation, and can be set up as a complete assembly or as a subassembly, depending on specific jobsite requirements.

Acrobat can lower projection screens up to 15m, negating the need for extensive projection screen black drop. With a 680kg lifting capacity, the system can handle all manner of equipment, such as lighting fixtures and backdrops. Control options available include a wall switch to provide contact closure for tying in third-party control systems.

Keeping with the circus theme is Ropewalker, which Draper has built with large venues, particularly those with tall ceilings, in mind.

Ropewalker lowers a motorised screen housing from the ceiling with cables. From the screen housing,

The systems integrator delivered a Klotz Graphite One 12-fader mixer, an RCS radio automation solution, an Orban Optimod 5500 processor and a variety of additional equipment. The project was completed in two weeks and it was this short timeframe allocated, as well as logistical issues owing to the radio station’s location, that presented the biggest challenges.

In total, the screen can be lowered up to 10m, and it is available in a wide range of tension and nontensioned viewing surfaces up to 5.5m wide. Screen types include 8K-ready TecVision.

Speaking of screens, Draper is claiming to have created the ‘industry’s biggest ½-inch-thin bezel

‘As Kota Kinabalu is a two and a half hour flight from Kuala Lumpur, we had to plan in advance which cables, connectors and equipment

needed to be shipped in for the installations,’ explained Azhar Abdul Latiff, head of technical at JAA.S. ‘Of course, many

viewing surfaces. Available in sizes up to 9m in width, as well as standard HDTV (16:9), 16:10 and CinemaScope 2:35.1 aspect ratios, Profile+ is available with a Zero Edge option, which allows users to make full use of the screen’s size. It is also available with a variety of screen types, such as TecVision,

Profile+ has been constructed with a light frame that is reportedly ‘easy to assemble’ thanks to a new sliding hook-and-loop viewing surface attachment system, and it can be wall-mounted or flown. Optional LED lights can be included to frame Profile+ with myriad colourful looks.

unexpected issues still cropped up. So, it was a challenge to ensure that all the goods arrived on time so that the installation team

could complete the work before deadline.’

JAA.S completed the work, drawing upon its previous experience in outfitting radio stations. ‘We have been building radio stations and studios for several years,’ said JAA.S director David Chan. ‘We always enjoy our role in building and integrating radio studios.’

The end result was a happy client:

Draper has also redesigned its Video Conferencing Camera Lift (VCCL), used for hiding videoconferencing cameras above the ceiling. It is now capable of supporting larger cameras and able to lower the camera up to 3m below the ceiling while keeping it centred. The camera’s down position is also more easily adjusted over a wide range following the redesign.

Away from screens and lifts, Draper has introduced EchoControl, an acoustic treatment designed to reduce sound reverberating off windows. Motorised and manual versions are available and the American manufacturer claims an NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) of 0.6. In addition to the sound-absorption properties, EchoControl’s window shades diffuse light, reduce glare, control solar heat gain and reduce fading of interior furnishings. They are GreenGuard Gold certified and they are infused with Microban antimicrobial product protection.

‘Formulating a radio station for KK was indeed a challenge in an already saturated marketplace where many media platforms are battling for “ears and eyeballs”,’ said Terence Dorairaj, business development consultant at the radio station. ‘However, I believe we have come up with a unique proposition for KK – one that stands out from the rest both in format and positioning. We are glad that JAA.S was part of the team that built the KK12 FM studios and happy with their professional team and that the project was realised in such a short period of time.’

www.jaasys.com

www.draperinc.com

Draper EchoControl

‘I believe we have come up with a unique proposition for KK’

BXB takes a place at the conference

that when a speaker turns on their microphone, the HD camera autotracks the speaker’s image in close-up mode. When another speaker turns on their microphone, the camera turns to that speaker’s position, and so on.

Q.con can support up to 40 participants at a single location. All that is reportedly required to initiate a conference is for users to plug into the system via a USB cable, with no additional drivers or downloads necessary. It supports Skype, Wechat, QQ and Hangouts.

Conferences shot over IP

a single-class classroom. Users can project their multi-media learning materials onto a screen by connecting to a PC, smartphone or USB pen drive, thereby reducing the need for printed materials.

Clax is also equipped with a recording function so that users can record their lessons and upload them to the cloud. Clax can also live stream to other classrooms so that the resources in each classroom can be shared to reportedly make student learning more flexible.

MANY VIDEO conferencing solutions rely on the placement of high-sensitivity, omnidirectional microphones in the centre of a meeting table. Taiwanese manufacturer BXB has several issues with this approach that it aims to alleviate with its newest solution.

BXB’s Q.con (quickly connected) hands every participant a personal cardioid microphone to prevent any surrounding noise (such as chairs moving or people coughing) being caught on the audio. Q.con can also shield off any private conversations that might be taking place in the room.

Q.con is equipped with image autotracking and a close-up function so

Meanwhile, Clax Classroom Solution from BXB has been designed for

www.bxb.tw

THE CONFERENCESHOT FX is a fixed camera designed by Vaddio for use in small- to medium-sized conference rooms. It boasts USB 3.0 and Ethernet RJ-45 connection ports for simultaneous uncompressed USB 3.0 and IP (H.264) streaming outputs at resolutions of up to 1080p/60.

The camera itself features a 2-megapixel, native 1080p/60 (full HD) image sensor and 3x optical zoom with a horizontal field of view of 88°.The IP stream resolution is selectable, while the resolution of the USB stream is auto-negotiated with the conferencing client. It also includes UVC (Universal Video Class) drivers that are supported by Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems, and are compatible with the majority of UC conferencing applications. Control of ConferenceShot FX is offered through a range of means. These include Telnet or serial RS-232 control using a modified VISCA protocol, full

administrative control via a web interface that allows remote management while monitoring the stream separately and IR control using the remote control provided in the box.

DIP switches enable the user to set IR frequency and to flip the image.

www.vaddio.com

INTRODUCING S-SERIES

ConferenceShot FX

HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR OVER 30 YEARS AS A COMPANY THAT TAKES PRIDE IN ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS THAT WILL PERFORM BEYOND YOUR EXPECTATIONS. THE S-SERIES CARRIES ON THIS TRADITION.

PRODUCTS

Updates at MediaCentral

AVID HAS extended its MediaCentral platform with a new media production suite that provides a raft of customisation and scalability options, as well as a cloud-based user experience, workflow modules and apps for editorial, production, news, graphics and asset management.

‘Any media professional can access these tools,’ explained Dana Ruzicka, VP and CPO at Avid. ‘They select the apps they want, switch on the modules they need and customise their workflow with a wide array of media services and partner connectors. And they have the option to deploy wherever they want, either on premises, in a data centre, in the cloud or a combination.’

The redesigned MediaCentral Cloud UX offers a task-oriented graphical user interface that is built to operate on the majority of systems, including mobile devices. MediaCentral’s apps are accessed via Cloud UX, including those for searching and browsing media, researching data and social media feeds, logging, editing, reviewing and approval, and publishing. Workflow modules are available for basic editorial, production,

newsroom, graphics and asset management, while the suite of media services includes those for content reformatting, distribution, social media integration, indexing, search, content retrieval and cognitive analytics.

Meanwhile, MediaCentral connectors facilitate integration of MediaCentral workflow modules with over 2,000 partner products from a growing list of more than 600 partners. At the heart of the system is the platform engine, which centralises and scales

administration and media indexing, simplified software deployment and flexible infrastructure management. Avid has also introduced the Maestro family that delivers 2D and 3D graphics for use with MediaCentral. This leverages the MediaCentral Graphics Management module and MediaCentral Maestro News app to speed up the workflow for graphics creation by unifying several graphics packages. The Maestro portfolio is formed from individual modules aimed at

various production types, including Maestro Sports, Maestro Virtual Set, Maestro AR, Maestro TD Control and Maestro Interactive, as well as Maestro Branding, Maestro Designer and Maestro Channel in a Box. ‘The Maestro product family delivers graphics solutions to craft 2D, 3D, and virtual and augmented reality graphics in real-time across all platforms,’ said Mr Ruzicka.

In addition, Maestro News has been launched amid other MediaCentral solutions for newsroom applications. These

Single-handed production from Panasonic

MANY BROADCAST

manufacturers have set their sights on the smaller, individual podcaster-type broadcaster in recent months, and Panasonic is no different with its latest all-inone solution. The AV-HLC100 Live Production Center combines a 1ME switcher, remote camera controller and audio mixer functions into a single solution that can be operated by a single person for applications such as live streaming. It offers a

transport, although SDI may be used as well. In addition, it is stated to work with all NDI-capable video sources. Compatible cameras include AW-HE130, AW-HE40 and AW-UE70 PTZ devices, as well as AK-UC3000 and AK-HC5000 studio camera systems and the AK-UB300 4K Box Camera with streaming outputs.

For remote camera control, pan, tilt, zoom and focus operations can be performed with one hand

The AV-HLC100 all-in-one solution

include MediaCentral Newsroom Management, a customisable workflow module for story creation and rundown management, as well as MediaCentral Production Management and Graphics Management solutions. Joining these on the hardware side are Nexis Pro, which scales to 160TB, the Nexis E2, which supports SSD drives and the FastServe family of video servers (FastServe Ingest, Live Edit and Playout) that feature a unified modular architecture that supports UHD and IP I/O. In other news, Avid has released a raft of VR and music creation functionality to accelerate workflows on Pro Tools. Users are given the ability to work on virtual reality (VR) projects with Facebook 360 Spatial Workstation and utilise integrated Dolby Atmos workflows. ‘This version of Pro Tools is packed with features from MIDI enhancements that accelerate music workflows and VR capabilities for post-professionals, to new collaborative capabilities for aspiring pros,’ noted Rob D’Amico, director, pro audio market solutions at Avid. www.avid.com

user interface that will enable Multiview monitoring, graphics overlay insertions, media players, audio mixers and more. According to Panasonic, the user interface focuses on ‘simplicity and quick and easy operation of advanced settings’.

For those simply seeking an upgrade to their switching capabilities rather than a complete all-in-one video control solution, the manufacturer has also

... and yet you are still led out of the terminal quickly and safely in an emergency.

VX-3000

Voice Alarm System

Today, the issue of safety is more important than ever. At TOA, we have developed a reliable and energy-efficient voice alarm system that combines all functions in a single device. In so doing, this decentralised and space-saving system prevents all-out failure even in emergency situations while also providing first-class sound quality thanks to its modular Class D amplifiers. Whether in airports, hotels, offices, hospitals or schools, the flexible system architecture makes it scalable and expandable for all size requirements. For more information visit us at ISE on stand 7-R200.

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Switchers for all formats

embedding function allows users to select which audio source to embed separately to SDI outputs 1 and 2, can be used to fix audio issues or to separate multiple audio sources in postproduction. An automixing function automatically adjusts the audio level based on weighting, maintaining even levels.

Roland has also improved upon its V-800HD multi-format video switcher with the release of a Mark II model. V-800HD MK II offers new dedicated switches for aux source selection as part of a redesigned interface and an advanced keyer that allows users to adjust HSV

WyreStorm removes the compression

WITH ITS NetworkHD 600 Series, WyreStorm is claiming lossless AV-over-IP distribution for 4K HDR over 10GigE.

‘There are a number of 4K-over-IP solutions out there that claim support for 4K HDR at 60Hz 4:4:4 over 1Gb, which might sound great but not when you consider how heavily compressed a signal has

connected devices. Full HDMI audio pass through supports all the latest audio formats, including 5.1 downmix. According to the manufacturer, broadcast-quality scaling enables the 600 Series to not just mix and match display resolutions but also composite multi-view video and videowall support up to 16x16, including

ROLAND’S V-60HD is an integrated video switcher and audio mixer that is aimed at use in live event production applications, as well as broadcast, recording and streaming. Designed for portability and ease of use, it supports 3G-SDI camera, RGB and scaled HDMI inputs among other sources such as computers and tablets via a variety of video connections.

The V-60HD supports both video and VESA resolutions from 480i up to WUXGA, while a de-interlacer facilitates simultaneous 1080i and 1080p SDI video sources from multiple cameras to be used without the need for an external signal converter. Still image capture and import is enabled by two dedicated cross-points. Meanwhile, programme, preview and aux bus sources offer flexible outputs for multiple screens.

The aux can be assigned to any of the four discreet SDI or HDMI outputs, enabling switching from the eight input channels, such as four SDI, two HDMI or one RGB and two still images uploaded via the USB port.

The menu is accessed via a 3-inch LCD screen on the front of the V-60HD. Programme and preview feeds, in addition to up to eight video sources with audio meters and labels, can be monitored using a multi-viewer. Configuration and control are also available using the V-60HD RCS software application on a PC or Mac, while V-60HDs that have been permanently installed can be controlled remotely from touchpanel interfaces attached

with the LAN or RS-232 port.

The LAN port also supports the manufacturer’s wireless tally system for PC, iOS and Android. The USB port, on the other hand, allows users to save files and memory settings and to install software updates. The switcher also includes buttons with PGM/ PST LED colour indicators, a T-bar and DSK (downstream keyer) quick

colour parameters such as the amount of Chroma and phase range. Multi-zoom functionality allows one video input to be shared internally with up to three more inputs and the scaler for each input can zoom into any position in the video image to give the appearance that additional cameras are connected, which creates a virtual multi-camera environment.

stated WyreStorm NetworkHD and control product manager, James Meredith. ‘The result will exhibit banding, blockiness and softening of the image as the compression attempts to essentially generalise whole areas of the screen to fit the bandwidth. If video quality is your endgame, you can’t use a 20-to-1 compression 1Gb solution. Only a 10Gb solution will give you a mathematically lossless image and audio that are indistinguishable from an uncompressed source.’

edit knobs for key level and gain. Time-based correction and frame sync ensure seamless transitioning between six video sources and two still busses.

As for the V-60HD’s 12-channel audio mixer, it includes four TRS/ XLR combo jacks with 48V phantom power, an RCA stereo pair, and audio de-embedding capability from six video inputs. Audio processing capabilities include powerful dynamics and effects, such as a high-pass filter, gate, compressor/ limiter, 3-band EQ, delay and the ability to select audio-follows-video channels. A multichannel audio

V-800HD MK II presents a dedicated scaler for each input, with the majority of digital and analogue input types available. The output side scalers allow for direct connection to LED walls without the need for external scaling devices. A built-in HDMI multi-viewer facilitates monitoring and an additional two channels are available for still images, which can be uploaded via a USB memory stick or frame grab. Channel buttons can be reordered with 10 assignable video cross-points.

www.proav.roland.com

With the NetworkHD 600 Series, AptoVision’s BlueRiver NT2000 with Plethora engine reportedly delivers uncompressed seamless switching of true full HDMI 4K UHD @60Hz 4:4:4 with HDR and zero-frame latency over Cat-6a up to 100m via off-the-shelf 10Gb Ethernet switchers. It also features HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 support, with independent breakaway switching for true matrixing functionality, audio embedding, de-embedding and down-mixing. Full gigabit Ethernet pass through also enables the daisy-chaining of network-

Staying in the same family, but moving down in scale is the NetworkHD 400 Series, the manufacturer’s 4K HDR over 1Gb solution. Based on the JPEG2000 platform, the 400 Series was developed specifically for applications where high quality and low latency of less than a single frame are key requirements. Reportedly supporting all SD, HD and 4K UHD formats with HDR, 400 Series encoders and decoders feature auto-scaling to handle mixed 4K and 2K components, while HDCP 2.2 compliance ensures integration with 4K content and sources. It boasts multichannel audio up to DTS:X and Dolby Atmos, while an internal audio matrix is capable of routing audio separately from video to any decoder. Support for 16x16 videowalls includes rotation for portrait walls and image flipping. Meanwhile, expansion capabilities are via plug-and-play network setup using standard managed PoE switches.

www.wyrestorm.com

NetworkHD 400 Series

V-800HD Mark II

V-60HD

AJA updates on all fronts

AJA’S IO 4K capture and output device has gained support for Thunderbolt 3 in its latest iteration. Io 4K Plus offers 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 I/O connectivity, advanced audio features and 4K/UltraHD support up to 50p/60p frame rates.

The increase in bandwidth afforded by adding Thunderbolt 3 facilitates the support of 4K/ UltraHD, high frame rate, deep colour and HDR projects via USB-C equipped workstations or laptops.

The device also features an additional Thunderbolt 3 port for daisy-chaining.

The Io family of products – as well as those in the manufacturer’s Kona and T-Tap lines – also benefits from the latest v14 AJA Desktop Software, which has added functionality for 4K/UHD and HDR workflows and a new suite of audio tools to facilitate the recording of voiceovers. These include new audio controls to adjust the monitoring mix between the NLE timeline audio playback, host system audio and voice over/punch-in mic input; the ability to audition music or other audio from a web browser/MAM/cloud while listening to playback from a Premiere Pro CC or Final Cut Pro X timeline; and the ability to record voiceovers to timeline with low latency, full duplex audio punch-in with Io 4K Plus, Io 4K and Kona 4 for Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Avid Media Composer.

The software allows Adobe Premiere Pro CC users to review and play audio files from multiple locations, and also makes it easier to record voiceovers into existing media directly on the timeline. Adobe Creative Cloud users can also use Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C for video and audio I/O with Mac and PC workstations and laptops.

www.aja.com

SAM adds motion compensation

WITH ALCHEMIST XS, Snell Active Media (SAM) is offering motion compensated frame rate conversion for live IP and SDI media streams. The system is particularly aimed at live sports broadcasters that require ‘smooth, fluid and high-quality images’.

Built on the manufacturer’s Alchemist Ph.C technology, it offers support for SD to 4K UHD video.

The system is delivered on a COTS server platform and supports real-time 4K UHD frame rate conversion or multiple channels of HD conversion.

According to the manufacturer, Alchemist XS specifically solves

the problem of artefacts during real-time IP/SDI conversion up to UHD. SAM goes on to state that the solution eliminates the doubling of imaging on moving objects; loss of resolution; jerky or inconsistent motion; and loss of object integrity, when objects break up and change shape with poor conversion.

In other news, SAM has added HDR capability to its Kahuna range of production switchers with the release of its FormatFusion software. FormatFusion4 brings HDR

capabilities to all inputs and outputs on SAM’s Kahuna production switcher, and handles SDR and HDR in parallel.

Further to this, it supports the Electrical Optical Transfer Functions (EOTF) for real-time control of Perceptual Quantizer (PQ), real-time control of Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) and Sony S-Log3 profile. FormatFusion4 also includes colour space support for Wide Colour Gamut (BT709 and BT2020) in all formats (1080i, 1080p and UHD).

www.s-a-m.com

objects move behind the tinted object, accurately preserving the colours.

Meanwhile, the system’s one-touch keying technology provides ease of operation by analysing a scene and automatically sets more than 100 parameters. Colour handling capabilities include new flare, edge and transition processing to remove backgrounds without

interfering with other colours. Control of Ultimatte 12 is via the Ultimatte Smart Remote 4 touchscreen remote that connects over Ethernet. Up to eight Ultimatte 12 units can be daisy-chained and connected to the same remote, which facilitates custom control with the Simply Telnet open, textbased protocol.

www.blackmagicdesign.com

augmented reality (AR) elements into shots and features new algorithms and colour science, as well as edge handling, and greater colour separation and better spill suppression than its predecessor.

The hardware is designed to be an ‘affordable’ option, making it suited to organisations on a budget. The system’s 12G-SDI design allows users to work in HD for the time being, providing the ability

cameras. Ultimatte 12 also removes the problems caused by using multiple cameras for keying by adding dedicated keyers to every camera.

In regards to AR, Ultimatte 12 offers a new ‘realistic’ layer compositing mode that has been developed to correctly add tinted objects on top of a foreground image. This, the manufacturer states, even works when talent or

Telestream sets a rendezvous

TELESTREAM HAS released version 8 of its Wirecast live streaming and production software with the addition of a new Rendezvous feature to assist in multi-site production. Wirecast Rendezvous supports multiple remote streams from any internetconnected device simultaneously. It works like a video conferencing system, allowing users to broadcast live video feeds from anywhere.

‘The Rendezvous dashboard makes it easy to conduct panel interviews, talk shows and video conferencing, and utilise remote screen sharing,’ explained Tom Prehn, senior product manager at Telestream. ‘What used to be a challenging, complex process involving third-party video conferencing platforms, complex

audio and video routing, screen or baseband capture, can be accomplished natively within Wirecast in moments.’

Guests that join the Rendezvous session can be added to any shot in the Wirecast production. Remote guests can share video camera, microphones and screens with the host. Rendezvous is also developed to work with the Wirecast iOS camera and the Wirecast Go RTMP streaming app.

Other highlights of Wirecast version 8 include a redesigned render engine, multi-view support for monitoring up to 17 live sources independently on external monitors, improved alpha and gamma levels, improved efficiency for x264 encoding, support for WASAPI, ASIO and other audio interfaces, and

Wirecast version 8

IP-based workflows through NDI for IP-based workgroups.

On the hardware side, Telestream has introduced Wirecast Gear 230, a portable live streaming production system. It facilitates plug-and-play streaming and comes pre-loaded

with Wirecast Pro software, NewBlueFX’s Live Titler Complete software and includes SDI output capability for local, baseband video output.

www.telestream.net

Alchemist XS

Ultimatte 12

Ultimatte Smart Remote 4

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

For-A on an Odyssey for Insight

FOR-A PARTNERED with Uruguayan software developer Odyssey Development to produce the Insight4 multichannel video server. Also referred to as the Insight Production Server, it is a 4-channel playout system designed for use in studio and OB applications.

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

Insight includes a web interface facilitating control of the server from any device. Assignable user groups and a range of security settings aim to offer confidence in content protection for largescale productions in particular. Meanwhile, a relaxed security

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

mode is available for a simplified operation in trusted environments. Different content can be made available to different user groups and video is streamed to web clients, displaying the actual content to allow users to visualise and control Insight from a single computer screen. Insight supports up to four SD or HD channels, or single-channel 4K, from its 1U enclosure. It includes sub-clip editing functionality for the creation of multiple clips based on in-point and out-point. Files can be ingested and sent to network locations for full workflow

integration, and mixed file formats can be included in a single playlist. When used alongside For-A’s Hanabi switchers, Insight provides a full production suite. The newest Hanabi family member – the HVS490 3G/HD/SD video switcher – inherits many of its traits from the HVS-2000 and HVS-390HS, while adding 4K capabilities to the mix. The HVS-490 features MELite technology, which uses an optional HVS-49IO card and boosts the switcher’s two M/Es to offer six M/Es worth of performance. The switcher’s capabilities are further expanded with the ability to

Another Hippotizer from Green Hippo

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

MONTANE+ IS Green Hippo’s latest Hippotizer Media Server, described by the manufacturer as a ‘formidable force in the live production world’. Featuring Notch real-time motion graphics, Montane+ enables users to create, simulate, render, composite, edit and play, all in real-time. Hippotizer V4’s pin system allows users to

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

compositing of up to 12 keyers.

Finally, there’s the FA-505 multichannel signal processor, which For-A has affectionately nicknamed ‘THE Processor’. It’s a frame synchroniser that enables multichannel routing for five video/

outputs. The processor is 4K-ready and HDR compatible, as well as being compatible with 3G, SD-SDI and HD feeds.

www.for-a.com

www.odyssey.com.uy

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

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

control content from the lighting desk or from another controller. Content can be exported and played back directly within Hippotizer.

Montane+ features two DP 1.2 outputs and reportedly offers the very latest graphics card technology, enabling over 25,000 Notchmarks.

‘Even the most demanding of 3D and generative projects are

handled with ease and control’, said Ryan Brown, product manager, Green Hippo. ‘Montane+ pushes the creative boundaries of A/V professionals.’

The media server also comes with 10 free Notch FX as standard, plus a play-back licence.

www.green-hippo.com

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

Represented nations had their own souks and stages

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

The audio for the parade was controlled using an S21

Grass Valley takes the hassle out of tracking

GRASS VALLEY is claiming to have launched the world’s first broadcast camera with integrated camera tracking capabilities. The product is the result of a partnership between the Belden brand and AR and VR technology manufacturer Mo-Sys Engineering.

The solution pairs Grass Valley’s LDX Series Cameras with Mo-Sys’ StarTracker tracking technology to produce a ‘fully optimised’ setup that removes the need for bolt-ons and additional cables. As an all-inone solution, the manufacturers also claim the product weighs less, making it applicable for SteadyCam and handheld applications.

The StarTracker system works by identifying retroreflective stickers

lighting grids, providing freedom of movement while ensuring accurate real-time position, rotation and lens data. Grass Valley’s LDX 82/86/86N Series cameras have been adapted to include the StarTracker system. The cameras, combined with Grass Valley’s XF Transmission, provide power and

JVC adds graphics

synchronisation internally to the StarTracker system. The camera tracking data goes directly into the XCU in the control room via the camera’s hybrid fibre cable. From there, it can be interfaced over IP to a virtual studio system.

www.grassvalley.com

Remote access from Marshall

MARSHALL ELECTRONICS

unveiled its CV-RCP-100 Remote Touchscreen RCP camera controller for broadcast POV cameras. The CV-RCP-100 features a touchscreen interface with menu and sub-menu layouts, pre-programmed with self-help dialogues, favourites settings, save features and auto-updating firmware. The manufacturer states that the camera ‘offers the convenience of remote adjustment of various camera brands and models from 300m away without having to go to the on-screen menu’. A pair of fine-tune controls is said to enable precision adjustments for white balance, red/blue gain, gamma, brightness, exposure,

NewTek keeps busy

NEWTEK HAS unveiled LivePanel, described as a fully customisable, browser-based control system that the company has added to all its NewTek IP Series multi-camera production systems. Accessible from a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop device, LivePanel allows users to access their own customised video workflows from any web browser on the same network. Users can also preview and monitor videos of any video source within the browser for immediate visual feedback. LivePanel also increases the number of operator positions available for TriCaster TC1 and IP Series systems in larger-scale production environments. In other news, the manufacturer

has also introduced NewTek Connect Spark, a portable device designed to wirelessly deliver SDI and HDMI video to a computer and/ or an IP network. Connect Spark products are IP video converters with built-in NDI functionality. The units deliver video as an IP source to any standard network via Wi-Fi or standard Ethernet cable. Connect Spark also records directly on the unit to SD cards or USB drives. Meanwhile, NDI version 3 is the third generation of NewTek’s IP video technology. The update is said to provide ‘numerous advanced features and performance improvements while maintaining full forward and backward compatibility’. NDI version 3

shutter and frame rate. Remote adjustments can be applied globally to multiple cameras simultaneously or individually for each camera. The CV-RCP-100 incorporates a locking three-pin XLR connector for transmission of VISCA protocols over RS485/RS232 up to 300m

The CV-RCP-100 is compatible with all Marshall ProSeries POV, Zoom Block and PTZ cameras, and comes preprogrammed with control protocols for popular non-Marshall branded cameras on the market, including Sony, AJA and Panasonic.

www.marshall-usa.com

supports multicast with forwards error correction, a high-efficiency mode suitable for wireless or longdistance transmission, PTZ camera control and tally and improved encoding.

NewTek has also launched its NDI camera, a PTZ plug-and-play camera with built-in NDI functionality. The camera transmits full 3G 1080p 60 video directly to NDI-compatible products across a standard network via a single Ethernet cable. Once connected to the network, the camera is visible to all compatible systems running the latest version of NDI. The camera is automatically recognised by applications such as GoToMeeting, Skype, Skype for Business and Zoom Media.

JVC HAS added built-in graphics capability to its GY-HM200ESB ENG camera as well as the KYPZ100 pan/tilt/zoom camera. This functionality allows the user to create overlay graphics directly in the camera, without the need for any further additional hardware. There are two graphics modes available. Sports mode has templates for a variety of sports, allowing the user to update scores. In broadcast mode, meanwhile, the camera produces a lower-third type graphic.

At the other end of the signal chain, the manufacturer has focused on resolution with a range of monitoring solutions.

The DT-U28 is a 28-inch UHD studio model, while the larger DT-U31 31-inch model features full 4K resolution. Both models feature 10-bit panels and 12bit colour processing and can support 12G SDI – or four times 3G HD-SDI – along with HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 for 4K support. The DT-U28 and DT-U31 monitors both support HDR functions, with Hybrid Log Gamma 3D LUTs. There is a waveform monitor

and vectorscope, together with 16-channel audio metering, plus the monitors can support Display port for graphics devices. They are TSL RS-485 UMD compatible, also working with other standard control tools, and can be remote controlled via IP.

Stepping down in resolution, the manufacturer has also launched a four-member range of HD monitors. The DT-G Series ranges from 17 to 27 inches and features 8-bit panels and 12-bit colour processing. The monitors have 3G HD-SDI connections with loop, plus HDMI 2.0, and support a wide range of video signals, including 4K scaling. Professional features include waveform monitor, vectorscope, histogram and 16-channel audio metering. There’s a 4K pixel-topixel zoom function, for any area of the screen, along with 3D LUT support and built-in calibration processing. Each member of the family can run on mains or battery power, and can be remotely controlled over IP.

www.pro.jvc.com

Finally, NewTek has also joined forces with Vizrt to create the NVG1, a real-time, 4K-capable 3D graphics system designed for integration with the NewTek IP Series and the TriCaster TC1 video production systems. NVG1 combines the NewTek 1RU server platform with NDI IP video connectivity and Viz Trio/Viz Engine software to provide

users with live graphics inside NewTek’s end-to-end IP-native video workflows. NVG1 is available in either single- or dual-channel configurations and can output in resolutions and frame rates up to 2160p60.

www.newtek.com

www.vizrt.com

CV-RCP-100

The GY-HM200ESB ENG camera

Better performance, quicker setup, immediate payoff: Digital 6000 was developed to exceed the expectations of audio professionals and business managers alike. Our new professional wireless series delivers reliable performance in even the most challenging RF conditions. Intermodulation is completely eliminated by Digital 6000, enabling more channels to operate in less space.

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Digital 6000 utilizes groundbreaking technology from our flagship Digital 9000. Dependability is guaranteed by our renowned Long Range transmission mode and proprietary audio codec. Digital integration is seamless with AES3 and optional Dante output. Monitoring and control of the two-channel receiver is at your fingertips, with an elegant, intuitive user interface.

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From small to big

TWO NEW laser phosphor projector models have joined Christie’s budgetconscious GS Series, bringing the technology to lower price points for rental, education and corporate applications. Both 630-GS Series models are rated for a brightness up to 6,750 ISO lumens with a 4,000,000:1 contrast ratio, while reportedly producing just 36dBA running noise. Both models are also capable of 24/7 operation and can be mounted in any orientation as a result of the laser light source.

The models differ largely in their output resolution, with the DWU630-GS offering WUXGA resolution (1920x1200) and the

lens depending on the installation requirements.

Scaling things up to the big screen, Christie has also recently debuted the next generation of

Adam Hall gets SMART

elimination of consumables, while the manufacturer states that its all-inone form factor eliminates the need for sub-ambient cooling.

The unit offers a wide gamut exceeding DCI P3, is rated for an operational lifespan exceeding 30,000 hours and also integrates the manufacturer’s new CineLife Series 3 electronics and embedded cinema automation for playback, scheduling and content management, while also providing backwards compatibility with existing Series 2 IMB architectures.

www.christiedigital.com

An 8K system for 4K flexibility

THE SMART C LED multi-colour 1U rack light from Adam Hall features patented smart motion sensor technology and is equipped with 18 RGBW LEDs that are described as giving uniform illumination for the underlying rack modules over the entire rack width. According to the manufacturer, the integrated motion sensors provide users with intelligent and energy-saving rack lighting that is adaptable to their requirements.

The rack light features a timer control for the duration of illumination as well as an

adjustable dimmer level for when the unit is idle. The RGBW LEDs have been designed to offer flexible colour adjustments to suit individual requirements or the surroundings. The colours red, green, blue, cool white and warm white are available. Users can store their favourite settings in the integrated memory function. The rack light comes in a black metal housing and is supplied with an AC power adapter (12V DC) with strain relief.

www.adamhall.com

SONY HAS released its first 8K camera system with three 1.25inch 8K sensors: the UHC-8300. It has been designed to offer additional flexibility for those shooting in 4K, as well as those recording 8K content. Its 8K (7680 x 4320) 120p capturing format offers footage suitable for High Dynamic Range (HDR) with S-Log3 and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) supporting ITU-R BT.2020 colour space. The system transmits 8K signals over SDI and supports UP connectivity.

The UHC-8300 is able to generate 8K, 4K and HD signal outputs simultaneously, with varying colour spaces and OETF on each signal. The ability to cut an 8K image to 4K in real-time

provides flexible framing when capturing live action. Accessories built for Sony’s HDC series cameras, including viewfinders and remote control panels, are also compatible with the UHC8300, as are B4 mount 4K lenses.

On the smaller end of the camera-spectrum, Sony has unveiled three new palm camcorders that all feature a 273-point phase-detection AF sensor and 4K HDR recording capabilities: the XDCAM PXW-Z90, the NXCAM HXR-NX80 and the Handycam FDR-AX700. They are each designed to combine ‘a fast and reliable autofocus function adapted for shooting with a 1.0-type stacked Exmor RS CMOS image sensor’. An instant HDR

workflow is achieved by recording with HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), which the manufacturer states produces HDR content without the need for grading in postproduction. All three cameras also include an OLED viewfinder (0.39-type OLED, 2,359k dots) with touchscreen control on a 3.5-type large LCD screen (1,555k dots). An enhanced Bionz X image processing engine delivers full-pixel readout without pixel binning, while functionality such as S-Log3 and S-Gamut3 capabilities and Super Slow Motion recording up to 960fps feature alongside 29mm (35EQ) wideangle Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 12x optical zoom lens and 18x Clear Image Zoom.

Another new camera from the Japanese conglomerate is the RX0, described as ultra-compact, robust and waterproof with the image quality of the RX series. It features a 1.0-type stacked 15.3MP Exmor RS CMOS image sensor, a Zeiss Tessar T* 24mm F4 fixed wideangle lens with a maximum shutter speed of up to 1/32,000s and the ability to shoot at up to 16fps, 40x Super Slow Motion recording, S-Log2 picture profile and a 4K clean HDMI output. Wired and wireless control is also offered for when the RX0 is used as part of a multi-camera setup.

pro.sony.com

Control from a new Vantage point

IN AN effort to provide greater versatility and flexibility for video capture using its Vantage robotic camera head, Vinten has developed the μVRC controller. While designed as a companion for Vantage, the μVRC also facilitates control of third-party robotic devices and PTZ cameras. Vantage itself aims to provide broadcast-quality movement and control at the same price point as traditional PTZ camera heads, making it a more affordable solution for those with strict budgets. Compact and lightweight,

it also allows users to choose from their preferred camera and lens by supporting various manufacturers, such as Canon and Sony, in addition to full-servo and manual lens types.

In other news, Vinten has partnered with Tecnopoint to produce an advanced robotic camera dolly and track system that facilitates quick setup. Named Hexagon Tracks, the system runs with no cables outside of the track.

www.vinten.com

The UHC-8300

The Vantage robotic camera head

The DHD630-GS

SMART C

30 HDL 30-A

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• Only 25 kg (51.12 lbs)

The HDL 30-A is the first line array in a composite cabinet with zero-degree phase and ultra-linear amplitude response. A compact bi-amped two-way active touring system for medium to large events embedding RDNet for real-time remote control and monitoring of all the components. It features a symmetrical design, with state of the art transducers: two 10-inch woofers and an impressive 4-inch voice coil titanium compression driver on a 4 PATH waveguide, for a consistent coverage throughout the space.

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The Reel deal

THE REEL CINEMAS MULTIPLEX AT THE DUBAI MALL has undergone a significant overhaul adding an increased reliance on A/V automation. So as Pro AVL MEA approaches the site, we are not sure what is exciting us more, the thought of going to the cinema or exploring all the new technology that has been designed to enhance the experience.

Stepping into the lobby, the first thing we notice is the sheer volume of screens. Every available surface seems to be bedecked with an LED of some kind. From the massive 17m x 5m 4mm pixel pitch main screen showing all the times for the various films playing today to the oval-shaped columns with advertising material being displayed on their 20m2 surfaces, there is an onslaught of digital signage that takes the breath away. Dubai-based systems integrator, Blue Rhine Industries, was tasked with this portion of the upgrade, and it has pulled out all the stops to ensure that the cinema can use every possible marketing opportunity.

The second thing we notice is that there are no long queues by tickets or food counters full of people rushing to get to a film. And there is a very simple reason for this: the whole process has been automated. Rather than waiting at a counter, the cinema has opted to install a bank of double-sided automated kiosks.

As we step up to one of the 48 kiosks available, we are presented with the range of films currently showing, and we can search and cycle through using the 32-inch touchscreen. Just to make sure we have made the right choice, we read the movie synopsis on screen and then purchase our ticket.

Of course, no blockbuster would be complete without popcorn. But rather than queuing up again at a different counter, we can also buy this straight from the same kiosk. Again we swipe through the range of F&B options before making our choice and we are presented with a ticket.

Turning away from the kiosks, PAVLMEA is momentarily distracted by what is the largest social media wall in the region. The seamless display is filled with content about the various films being shown and people’s opinions of them.

While we could stay and read these posts for a while, it’s time to step away from the media wall and head up to the second floor. Moving back out into the main lobby, we are once again greeted by a 4 x 6 wall of movie posters displayed on 55-inch Philips D-line screens. These and countless more individual screens have been added around the multiplex to remove the reliance and waste of paper posters, switching to the digital alternative.

Heading up the escalator, again featuring a 25m2 custom-made 4mm pixel pitch directional LED, we arrive at the food stations. There is a large kitchen that is furiously making everyone’s individual orders while numbered queues dispatch them to the arriving clientele. Our popcorn is already waiting for us so we collect it and head on to the screen.

As PAVLMEA walks through the second-floor corridors to find our screen, we are again taken in by the number and variety of LEDs on show. While the aforementioned Philips D-line screens again display movie posters along many of the walls, it is the custom-fabricated curved LED walls that form tunnels along the corridor displaying all kinds of visuals that capture our attention. Four 3.1mm pixel pitch screens, each measuring 25m2, make for a striking addition to the cinema.

Having found our screen, it is almost time to settle down for the movie. But before we do, we have to quickly check out the sound system. Each of the screens has been installed with SLS speakers to reinforce the Dolby Atmos processing, meaning that the cinema can offer an immersive audio environment for every customer.

Having munched through our popcorn and thoroughly enjoyed the film, PAVLMEA leaves the complex reflecting on this A/Vintensive experience. There is no doubt that Reel Cinemas is trying to do something different to make its flagship venue stand out. And the truth is that it has worked. The technology stands up to the increasingly automated expectations of customers, while the cinema’s owner has also remembered to invest in the key technology powering the reason those customers decide to go to the cinema in the first place. If this is the future direction for cinemas, it seems like an encouraging path to take.

www.brisigns.com

The Dubai Mall Reel Cinemas multiplex has had a significant digital upgrade with a major focus on automation. James Ling buys the popcorn

LEDs have been installed on the lobby columns

The Atmos deployment for each screen uses SLS speakers

The main screen displays all of the film times for the day

The social media wall

Tickets and food is purchased through the kiosks

Seashore sound

COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS ARE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST conditions that technical equipment can face. The combined factors of humidity and salinity will test the durability of any exposed gear. At the new La Mer beachside development in Dubai, this is taken to the extreme. The initial stage of this retail and dining destination from developer Meraas required a BGM system that would cover the whole of its 2.5km exposed boardwalk.

As Pro AVL MEA arrives at the first phase of the development to open in the Jumeira 1 neighbourhood of Dubai, the challenge becomes clear. Stretching off into the distance either side of us is a sprawling timber promenade dotted with retail outlets and restaurants, while in front of us is a large public beach and uninterrupted views of the Arabian Gulf.

‘This was an undeveloped, open beach – just residence and open sand,’ explains Bijo Philip, project manager for Zio Technologies, the integrator responsible for the A/V installation at La Mer. ‘Usually in Dubai, people go to the mall more often than they go to enjoy nature. So this is bridging the gap between nature and the mall. If people want the beach, it is here and there is also a semi-mall as well.’

The first phase of the project focused on two stretches of existing and reclaimed land, located between Pearl Jumeira and Jumeira Bay – La Mer South and La Mer North. Sat between these two areas is the second phase of the project, The Wharf, which will become an entertainment hub with features such as a surf park and cinema. With over 130 retail and F&B outlets spread between the North and South developments, providing an audio solution that could cover the whole area was the first challenge.

‘This is probably one of the toughest projects that we have handled because of the length of the project,’ says Mr Philip. ‘Usually we have everything in one building and it’s very accessible. For this installation, the guys worked mainly through the summer so they were very exposed. It has been one of the longest projects in size for our company and I think

it was the hottest summer in 50 years, so the installation team went through a lot.’

While working conditions for the installation team were tough, one of the other challenges they faced was a combination of equipment that Zio had not used before. The design called for a QSC Q-Sys Core 500i backbone with Meyer Sound UP-4XP speakers supported by the manufacturer’s MM-10 subs as well as Bose FreeSpace 360P garden speakers powered by QSC CXD 4.3Q amps.

‘We had used all of the products before individually, just not together,’ clarifies Mr Philip. ‘As Zio is an A/V integrator, these products are our bread and butter; we use Q-Sys on a daily basis. The guys on the design team always get exposed to

The Meyer Sound speakers have been discreetly installed on the framework of the various outlets to cover the exposed boardwalk, while the subs have been covered by crates and hidden in the small areas of sand and vegetation that break up the pathway. As you move towards the beach, the Bose speakers take over the reinforcement duties, once again installed into the sandy areas on either side of the beachfront walkway.

‘We are so happy to be able to provide a solution for a prestigious venue like this, as with the humidity and the salinity, it is a very tough environment for anything metal,’ notes Chris Mead, sales manager Middle East, Africa and India for Meyer Sound. ‘The weatherproofing is a big deal and a testament to how our products stand up in these environments. The other projects we have done in the region mean that the customer can have confidence that they will be here in good condition for many years to come, which is obviously important.’

Of course, with such a long stretch of land to cover, the audio system has been networked and broken down into smaller

Providing a high-quality BGM solution to cover 2.5km of open-air retail and dining spaces was the challenge for Zio Technologies at La Mer. James Ling heads to the beach

Meyer Sound UP-4XP speakers cover La Mer

Breaking new ground

TOA ELECTRONICS IS NO STRANGER TO STADIUM projects in the Middle East. Its PA/VA solutions can be found in venues across the region as diverse as Al Ain’s Hazza Bin Zayed football stadium and Dubai’s Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid swimming stadium. However, the new Sheikh Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah presented the manufacturer with an entirely new opportunity.

had an interest in the project. That created the relationship and they saw we wanted to take responsibility for this project. We prepared an acoustic simulation and a video to present to the client. We were able to show how everything would look and the coverage areas beforehand. They believed what we could achieve and gave us the job as design and build.’

This resulted in TOA partner, Zener Fire and Security led by manager Ranjith Nambiar, being selected to install the PA/ VA, security, CCTV and pro sound solutions for each area in the complex. ‘Since Zener is not an expert in pro audio, based on my recommendation the pro audio portion was given to Jibin Bhadran, director at Hawk Audio-Visual,’ furthers Mr Sabri. ‘Hawk has experience from other stadia and we have worked with them before. All three of us coordinated to give the solution to the client.’

The final design was based around 36 of TOA’s HX-7 variable dispersion speakers combined with an additional four of the manufacturer’s FB-150 subwoofers for low end. Power is via 10 Dynacord DSA 8410 amplifiers with processing from a pair of Dynacord P-64s. Dynacord was again the brand of choice for control with a CMS 2200 22-channel console providing the mixing surface. Completing the solution is a range of beyerdynamic Touring Gear wireless microphones as well as the manufacturer’s DT 790 commentator headsets.

Based on its reputation in the local market, the manufacturer’s Dubai office had been contacted about the PA/VA side of the project. The TOA team recommended the manufacturer’s SX-2000 family for the main arena and VM-3000 series products for the smaller ancillary buildings. But having seen the designs for the whole project, decided to go one step further and offer a complete solution covering the main arena system too.

‘They had specified a lot of well-known brands for the arena system but we presented our HX-7 option as well,’ recalls Ali Ullah Sabri, manager of TOA’s Dubai office. ‘We went and spent time with the client to explain the system and proved that we

‘Meeting client requirements was one of the major design challenges because STI was very important and the acoustics were not part of our scope,’ says Mr Sabri. ‘The acoustic panelling was done by a third party so we had to coordinate with them on what materials they were using to make sure we were complying with what the client requested. That was a major challenge for us. We had to do this to make sure we got the simulations right and ensure we met the STI and the RT time.’ With the design complete, a new issue presented itself during the installation phase. ‘There was a challenge that the ceiling was unable to take the weight of the speakers,’ recalls Mr Sabri. ‘They had forgotten that we had to fly the speakers from the ceiling and they said we could put a maximum of 30kg on each node. I explained that the speaker weight itself is 80kg and that I needed to have a contingency, so I needed at least 115kg for each speaker. The client was scratching their heads trying to come up with a solution and asked us to sort it out. We solved

A new 8,000-seat indoor stadium in Fujairah has provided TOA with the opportunity to prove it can do much more than just PA/VA. James Ling reports

Fujairah’s Sheikh Zayed Sports Complex

Meeting the STI requirements was an important part of the project

TOA HX-7 speakers cover the main arena

Ranjith Nambiar from Zener Fire and Security, Jibin Bhadran from Hawk Audiovisual and Ali Ullah Sabri from TOA

but safety is more important.’

While this safety challenge could be overcome relatively easily, a further difficulty presented itself when it came to marrying the different systems powering the venue. ‘The lighting created a problem in the bowl area,’ explains Mr Sabri. ‘The lights are very hot and we were worrying that our speakers might get damaged because of the heat. They didn’t want to change the lighting because of the shadows that could be created. Those

there was a bit of a clash.

‘We had lots of meetings with the client and the lighting guys then we made some adjustments and did revised acoustic simulations,’ he continues. ‘There were slight variations because of the new locations for some of the speakers but the client was fine with the 1dB or 2dB differences and accepted it. They would have had a lot more trouble for the broadcast cameras if they had changed the lighting.’

Mr Sabri insists that this kind of compromise is important in projects such as this, but adds that sometimes audio quality has to come first. ‘Most of the time, architects are concerned about seeing the system so we do the RAL colour changes from the factory or locally to match the finish in the room and things like that. But sometimes I won’t accept the changes that they are requesting because I can’t compromise on sound quality,’ he explains. ‘For them, it is a simple thing about not liking the speaker, but it is a major thing for me because it affects the performance and I can’t change it. If the client wants to change it, then we will do that, but they know at that point that we can’t promise to give the results we initially said we would deliver. If clients want quality, budget and support, then they have to compromise. We are giving them assurance that the system will work as per their requirements and this means it has to be our solution.’

Despite these challenges, the end result is a very important one for Mr Sabri. ‘We handed over the job and the client is happy. They are talking about more stadia with us and we take this as a compliment,’ he reveals. ‘This is the first major installation for HX-7 in a stadium in the Middle East. It will be a strong reference for us. We have broken the ice for the pro sound segment now and we are moving from medium-range speakers to higher-range speakers.

‘We have had a very positive outcome after winning this job,’ he continues. ‘We are doing three sports halls in Sharjah that are completely designed and built on HX-7s and we have already handed over two more in Sharjah.’

This has to be the most important part of the project. While the stadium is not as high-profile as some of the others currently under construction in the region, it provides proof that TOA can provide solutions that meet a wider range of needs. ‘TOA has been known for PA/VA sound systems and mosque sound systems,’ concludes Mr Sabri. ‘But using this reference, we have a new field to concentrate on and new opportunities in the market.’

www.toa.eu

The speakers have been flown from multiple nodes

Enriched curriculum

THE ARCADIA PREPARATORY SCHOOL IS MAKING WAVES in Dubai’s education market. It is creating a warm and open environment with its flexible learning spaces, while also being an IT-rich facility that equips its students for the future.

‘We’re very much about a holistic, enriched curriculum,’ explains Arcadia Preparatory School’s principal, Graham Beale. ‘It’s not just the core academic subjects, it’s everything. We provide a longer day for our older children and within that we include a range of things that enhance and broaden the curriculum and learning experiences for our pupils. Parents select from a range of extracurricular activities and benefit from these being embedded within the school day. We call it an enriched curriculum. Involving both physical and non-physical elements, children may be involved in ballet, football, yoga. We have a happiness programme and an entrepreneurship programme allowing children to experience exciting and engaging activities that broaden their school experience.’ This ethos has seen a huge investment in technology right through the school. From the ID Card-based access system to the one-to-one iPad policy for all students, technology has been integrated into every space. One area where this is most apparent is the school’s performing and multi-purpose hall. ‘We want to be a leading edge school, and our view was that

performing and multi-purpose hall has been constructed with technology at its core. We want children to be highly academic but also sporty and physical, and to appreciate the importance of artistry and creativity. This school is founded on providing spaces that allow for technology and creativity to intermingle.’

The school turned to Oasis Enterprises Professional Projects Division for the design and installation of a solution for the space. The systems integrator is no stranger to school projects, and has developed a set of standard equipment that it supplies to these settings. However, the dual nature of this facility meant that this approach would not work.

‘We didn’t just want the place to be a sports hall, we needed it to be truly multi-functional,’ furthers Mr Beale. ‘We invested pretty heavily into a state-of-the-art sound system as we realised that within a traditional sports hall environment, sound can often be poor. Our system is working perfectly. It is high-quality and will last, and our children will be the stars. When our pupils go up on stage, they are bathed in high-quality lighting and supported by superb sound systems allowing them to be their best. In a way we feel that also reflects the high standards of our school.’

The installed solution comprises an FBT sound system with 12 J 8 AW speakers distributed around the hall, while a portable system comprising the Italian manufacturer’s HiMaxx 40A and HiMaxx 100SA as well as StageMaxx 12MA wedges has also been supplied. The active sound system is managed by a pair of FBT DLM26s and controlled via a Soundcraft Si Expression console with a variety of Shure mics acting as the source.

A combination of static ETC Source 4 LEDs and moving head Ayrton and GLP LED lights that are controlled from an ETC Ion desk have been installed to add an element of performance.

Both of these systems also include iPad control which allows the older students to mix shows themselves.

The video portion includes a pair of full HD fixed-position PTZ cameras from Datavideo as well as two JVC 4K cameras for roaming operators, a Datavideo HD/SD hard drive recorder, a Panasonic 1-chip DLP 7,000 lumens projector with zoom lens and an HD format AV Stumpfl motorised screen. Finally, an Eversan Digital Scoreboard with wireless control has been installed for when the space converts into a sports hall.

‘The whole system in the school is really state-of-the-art for everything, from moving head lights to cameras and speakers and, most importantly, the school deserves it,’ says Basel Al Aref, GM at Oasis Enterprises-PPD.

The added advantage of taking this technology-centric approach has been in an extra service that the school can offer. ‘Live streaming is a feature that our parents really like,’ says Mr Beale. ‘They can watch a prize giving, they can see a show live online, and grandparents and relatives share in the joy of the moment live and as it happens.

‘We think we’ve created something very special here,’ he continues. ‘On our opening day we brought the parents up here, turned the lights on, played some music and they were very impressed with it.’

Reflecting on the decision to build the multi-purpose hall in this style, the principal believes the school made the right choice. ‘We have deliberately invested heavily into here because we think it is a unique feature for our school,’ says Mr Beale. ‘Even though they are primary pupils, we didn’t see that as a block.’

From its point of view, the SI is equally happy. ‘Our team of expert consultants, engineers and technicians work with clients from design and planning to installation and training, making the integrated solutions easy to use,’ says Mr Aref. ‘This is how we ensure we deliver the right solution.’

With appetites whetted from this project, the school is now looking to add further entertainment style facilities to its campus. ‘We have plans to create a small TV studio,’ reveals Mr Beale. ‘We’ve drawn the plans up but haven’t invested into it yet. We also have the space for a radio station and podcasting facility. We will always be an innovative school – it is in our DNA.’ The students passing through Arcadia may still only be young, but the experience and skill set that its focus on technology and creativity brings them may well inspire some to pursue a career in our industry.

www.arcadia.sch.ae

www.oasisppd.com

The Arcadia Preparatory School has created a state-of-the-art performance and multi-purpose hall to support its enriched curriculum programme. James Ling goes back to school

The systems have been designed to give pupils a professional experience

The lighting rig is a combintation of ETC, Ayrton and GLP elements The wireless scoreboard and installed FBT J 8 AW speakers

Arcadia School’s control room

Hear and be heard

ATUC-50 Digital Discussion System

No matter the scale or complexity of your communication needs, the ATUC-50 Digital Discussion System gives you reliable, crystal-clear speech reproduction from a feature-rich system that couldn’t be simpler to set up and use. Offering plug-and-play functionality (the system’s ATUC-50DU discussion units and ATUC-50INT interpretation units connect via standard category cable), 24-bit digital audio, four-track recording capability, remote web operation from a computer or tablet, and more, the ATUC-50 is an easy, cost-effective way to ensure that everyone is heard in every situation – from small meetings to conferences with up to 300 participants with 6 interpretation units (for 3 spoken languages. audio-technica.com

Bose enhances install credentials

INCORPORATING BOSE

Changing spaces

PhaseGuide technology, the EdgeMax in-ceiling loudspeakers have been designed to mount near wall boundaries so that they can project HF audio throughout rooms up to 20m wide using only perimeter mounting locations. The manufacturer claims that the new models can effectively cover an area that would require up to four conventional conical-coverage models, further eliminating the need for conventional ceiling speakers to be mounted in the centre of rooms. Owing to the unique design and consistent coverage pattern, EdgeMax loudspeakers provide a fullfrequency response for music and intelligibility for speech.

EdgeMax in-ceiling premium loudspeakers are available with two different horizontal coverage patterns, for which the EM90 provides nominal 90° horizontal coverage intended for in-ceiling mounting near room corners. The

EM180 models provide nominal 180° horizontal coverage and are ideally applied when mounting near wall boundaries centred along target coverage zones. Both models feature 75° asymmetrical vertical coverage and are optimised for ceiling heights between 2.5m and 6.5m. An 8-inch woofer and 1.3inch diaphragm compression driver are common to both models, and a 2-way passive crossover comes with 8Ω or 70V/100V transformer taps. A newly developed mountingclamp system and a magnetically attached grille allowing instant access to wiring and tap settings further facilitate ease of installation.

A new addition to the Panaray series has been designed to provide consistent audio levels with vocal intelligibility and fullrange music reinforcement in acoustically challenging spaces. Available in black or white, the MSA12X modular steerable array loudspeaker features a slim,

unobtrusive acoustic design with 12 full-range 2.25-inch transducers, each powered by a 50W internal Class-D power amplifier. On-board DSP allows digital control and beam steering of the vertical array coverage patterns, whilst the inclusion of the Articulated Array configuration allows 160° horizontal coverage. Independent level and EQ control is supported for two separate beams per array, whilst on-board memory stores up to 10 user-selectable presets.

Operating within a 75Hz to 14kHz frequency range (±10dB), the columnar line array features both Dante network connectivity and linelevel analogue input. The modular design allows up to three MSA12X units to be vertically arrayed to increase coverage distance and low-frequency pattern control, whilst the low-profile enclosure can be mounted close to surfaces as its digital control eliminates protruding pitch brackets. An integrated mounting bracket allows up to

HK Audio continues down the Linear path

90° of pivot away from surfaces. Design, set up and control of beam coverage is provided by Bose Professional Modeler and ControlSpace software.

Based on the F1 portable powered subwoofer, the MB210 is a dual 10-inch model that has been created to enhance the low frequencies down to 37Hz when accompanying FreeSpace, Panaray and RoomMatch

Utility loudspeakers. Designed for both BGM and foreground music applications in addition to small sound-reinforcement, the 500W-rated MB210 weighs 18.6kg and is housed in a compact 660 x 292 x 457mm enclosure. Capable of producing 123dB continuous peak SPL, the Baltic-birch plywood cabinet is finished in either white or black scuff-resistant polyurethane paint and can be mounted horizontally or vertically with a U-bracket.

www.pro.bose.com

as part of the Linear Sub line of

The 15-inch L SUB 1500 A and 18-inch L SUB 1800 A are each equipped with a stereo input that enables them to be easily configured in half stacks, full stacks, 2.1 setups and in mono

HK Audio has designed both subwoofers to complement the Linear 5 Series speakers and for extending its Elements Base

Flexi Input Channels

with a smaller screen behind them. On a Friday night it is deep house music and it is called WhiteHouse. For WhiteHouse, they move the DJ position to the other side and add a huge triangular screen with side screens hung as well. The sides remain the same but what’s hanging changes. The third night is the Urbn night. It is one of the most successful nights that White has because of the type of music – RnB and hip-hop is a trend now. For Urbn, they add cages to the screens and towers to give it a different look and add in a central ring of lights. Every night when you walk in you see something new. Whatever your favourite music is, you have a night for yourself.’

White has been equipped with 16 Firenze-KH7 mid-high slim linear arrays distributed around the outside of the club, while eight ground-stacked Firenze-KS8 subwoofers deliver the lows.

‘We have hangs of three around the venue and some single hangs in the corners,’ furthers Mr Boutine. ‘It gives total 360° coverage of the venue. The subs are double 21s, they are the biggest ones K-array do so we can get a proper punch out of them.

‘The system is digitally steered and optimised to achieve a uniform distribution of sound pressure without spills outside the venue,’ continues Mr Boutine. ‘You can walk around the whole venue and it is the same sound everywhere. There is an amazing, clear sound inside. But as soon as you step outside, the levels drop off.’

The process of installing the club’s different visions presented Procom with a number of challenges. ‘It was a challenge in terms of design and execution to do three systems for one venue,’ reflects Mr Boutine. ‘As Procom we offer full support. The whole team of technical people, technicians and programmers were all here. We had representatives from the manufacturers here as well, particularly K-array. We were in constant discussion with Eurotruss for the new structure and for the new load distribution. We had to take into consideration the new screens, the fact that you have lanterns being hung and removed each night and how that would affect things. A full study on the structure was done by Eurotruss.’

for one brand in particular. ‘K-array has ticked all the boxes for the client. It is not only a full surround, uniformly distributed, high-quality sound system, it is also invisible. Each cluster is only a thin black line hanging from the ceiling vertically and disappearing in the night’s background.’

For its part, the club is also happy with the selection of K-array. ‘The sound in the club is like headphones on your ears,’ states White owner, Tony Haber. ‘Wherever you move around the club, you get the same high-fidelity sound.’

Procom has supplied various aspects of the venue’s staging and lighting over the four years that it has been operating in Dubai. As such, the different looks for this season were more of an add-on to expand the club’s existing inventory. ‘The truss is the same Eurotruss TT as it has been in the past with a few minor changes in the middle,’ says Mr Boutine. ‘The major change was we extended the outer truss with two towers. This way now the whole venue is surrounded by trusses. Before there was a small dead area, now it is all covered. There have been some minor upgrades in lighting with some small moving heads from Cyclops. The same goes for the motors – they are DMX controlled from Cyclops. On Thursdays, they just hold small thin decorative lights, for WhiteHouse it’s RGB bolts and Urbn has cubes.’

The major new inventor addition has come in the form of LED screens. ‘We have supplied around 300m2 of extra LED screens,’ reveals Mr Boutine. ‘With the different installations, you could not really use the same panel in the different setups; there is not the time to change them every day. As a result, they have dedicated screens and panels for each design. The lanterns, for example, took a long time to assemble the first time, but now they are ready-made so they can be hung quickly each week.’

While PAVLMEA can’t be certain that the venue will look the same when others visit, we know it will sound the same. In this changing setup, the one constant is the venue’s sound system. For the first time, this was also handled by Procom. ‘We have done the trussing and the lighting here before, but this is the first year that we have done the sound as well,’ says Mr Boutine. ‘The sound system is brand new and from K-array.’

Despite these challenges, Mr Boutine is pleased with the end result and to have such a high-profile reference for Procom’s brands. ‘It is important for us to have this place as a reference for all of our equipment,’ he states, before noting its importance

Looking at the project as a whole, Mr Boutine believes the solution helps to prove a point about the value venues should place on their tech. ‘With sound, you cannot really go cheap,’ he offers. ‘In lighting, if something fails you can survive, but if your speakers don’t sound good you will have very unsatisfied clients. People nowadays know their music and know what they want to listen to. They are here to hear good music and leave without a headache.’

It is this area that he believes will stand White in good stead for the season. ‘You can walk all the way around the venue and experience the same level of audio, you don’t really worry about sound not being good in certain places,’ he observes. ‘You can walk through 360° on three levels and everyone is having the same experience.’

www.procom-me.com

Urbn has a more industrial look

The K-array cabinets disappear into the night sky

Double 21-inch subs provide low end

The DJ position moves for WhiteHouse

Fine Time

RISING UP FROM THE MENLYN MAINE PRECINCT IN s a gleaming glass edifice that forms an imposing yet sympathetic addition to the skyline. While the angles of its striking form take their lead from neighbouring buildings in the area dubbed as South Africa’s first ‘green city’, what is contained inside is like nothing else the city has to offer.

Pro AVL MEA stands in the shadow of the towering arch with its suspended glass sphere that marks the entrance to Time Square, there is a buzz of activity around us. The complex is described as the biggest development in the country’s hospitality, gaming and leisure industries since the construction of GrandWest in Cape Town at the turn of the Millennium, and it is easy to see why. Building work is still ongoing for the final phase of the project that will see a unique variable star-rated hotel added to the site. But the first two phases have already completed to unveil a new 8,500-seat arena and South Africa’s second largest casino.

As we follow the crowds through the door into Time Square, the scene on the inside is just as striking as the outside. There are all the slot machines and tables that you would expect in any casino, but there is an added element that makes it unique. Most gaming floors appear frozen in time, with no indication of what time of day it is. Here, floor-toceiling windows flood the space with natural light, creating a very different ambience.

‘It is a very different look for a casino; it’s very light,’ observes Lee Thomson, technical sales at Prosound, the company responsible for Time Square Casino’s audio and lighting systems, amongst many other elements. ‘There is a lot of natural light coming in. It is a bit odd; we’ve got so many casinos in this country and this is the first one that actually has all this natural light. However, it does give you something to think about with the acoustics.’

The fact that it is Prosound taking us around this project is notable in its own right. The systems integrator has worked with Sun International in the past, but not for a number of years. Its return to the fold came thanks to a ‘very price-

sensitive’ tender process for the project that the company was able to win with equipment from Bosch.

‘Everything in here for the BGM system is Electro-Voice,’ explains Mr Thomson. ‘The loudspeakers have all been hidden as the interior designer didn’t want to see any of them. With the different styles of ceiling, we have had to modify the speakers covering the floor to fit into soffits, while the corridors have regular ceiling speakers.

‘The system has been wired so you have a maximum of four speakers per circuit,’ continues Mr Thomson. ‘If the casino wants to start moving machines and tables around, they can change the system accordingly as they normally keep the audio quite light on the table side and louder on the slot side. It’s a very clear background system. We’ve handed over to the operator now so they have everything set up on their tablets and they can walk around and set the levels.’

While the BGM system covers the vast majority of the floor space, there are numerous F&B outlets spread across the site that also required an audio solution. ‘Every single venue has

Prosound has won a contract from South African hospitality giant, Sun International, for the first time in many years. James Ling visits Time Square to see the results

The casino floor has a fibre optic curtain for lighting effects

DWR supplied the lighting while AV Systems handled the LED screens at the arena

got its own source and control,’ says Mr Thomson. ‘Some are independent from Sun International so are off the circuit and have their own systems but we have equipped the others.’

While outlets like Kung Fu Cowboy and Megusto Coffee required just a simple BGM solution, places like Something’s Cooking by J’Something required a little more power. ‘The guy behind it is an artist in Mi Casa, which is a popular South African band, and he’s opened his own restaurant here,’ furthers Mr Thomson. ‘He’s actually a client of ours, so that made it easy for us to ask him what he wanted. We’ve done all Electro-Voice Evid and ZLX in here. They also do performances in the restaurant so they rent in systems when they need to.’

The same requirement for power is particularly true at Guy Fieri’s Kitchen & Bar where foreground rather than background music was the most important element. ‘In Guy Fieri’s, we have a stage with an EV system so they can put bands on here,’ describes Mr Thomson. ‘We have satellite speakers around the bar so they can also put on background music. All the control is up in the large DJ booth. At first they gave us a design of 1.5m but we explained that we couldn’t fit all the CD players and turntables onto it. We asked for it to be a little bigger and they made it 6m so there is plenty of space in there.’

Creating a powerful performance system in a large venue close to the main casino caused its fair share of challenges for the design. ‘We were worried about noise leakage onto the gaming floor but it’s actually not that bad, even when you turn it up a bit,’ says Mr Thomson. ‘We just aimed everything down a bit to mitigate against the spill.’

As you would expect from such a large site, this was not the only audio challenge the company faced. ‘There are speakers in the lift lobbies and lifts as well; that was probably one of the most difficult ceiling installations possible,’ says Mr Thomson. ‘The lift has a box that handles all the controls and power and you have to interface through that. But it becomes a logistical nightmare because everyone wants space in there; you have a lot of meetings to sort it all out.’

Equally there were areas where the company needed to use some lateral thinking to ensure it met the brief of delivering highquality audio while also keeping speakers hidden. ‘We’ve got a Sun Lounge and a Sun Lounge Terrace outside that we needed to cover,’ furthers Mr Thomson. ‘Out on the terrace we have used little transducers directly on the glass. Nobody believed that it would work and they were giving us a hard time about it, but we went with it and it works really well.’

These kinds of issues are a relatively normal problem for Prosound to solve. However, other venues in the complex provided the team with some unique requests. The Globe Bar,

located in the suspended glass sphere above the entrance, provides perhaps the best example of this. While supplying the classic Shure S55 mic was slightly out of the ordinary, it was the request for decorative features that was the most unique element. ‘The bar has a large chandelier that we installed for them and they also asked us to install the chain mail curtains,’ reveals Mr Thomson. ‘That was a little bit unusual, but we were able to do the job for them.’

Of course, audio was not the only element that the Prosound team, led by project manager David Butcher, tackled. ‘On the lighting side, there is a fibre optic curtain that changes colour,’ explains Mr Thomson. ‘We’ve also done an ETC Mosaic control system that controls all of these lights in the casino, the fibre curtain and also the external lights that go on at night. If somebody here wins the jackpot, the lights above them will go wild.’ While Prosound was responsible for a large section of the project, the company also needed to work with other installers to ensure the visual elements were integrated correctly into the overall solution. ‘There were a lot of companies involved in the project so we had to do a lot of coordination on the A/V side,’ Mr Thomson reflects.

Opposite the main casino is the second phase of the project to open: the 8,500-seat arena. While this phase has again involved a great deal of hard work from the Prosound team, it has also provided business for a few more local companies.

‘It has been an interesting project because I think that nearly every major supplier in the country has had their finger in there somewhere,’ says Prosound technical director, Mark Malherbe. ‘We did the mechanised flying systems as well as all of the cabling infrastructure. We have literally done all of the audio infrastructure around the building over fibre and we’ve done the communications systems. DWR did the lighting, AV Systems did the LED screens, Stage Audio Works did the actual stage, Wild & Marr handled the JBL VTX PA as well as the consoles and MGG has the contract to run the venue technically. It really has been a bit of all sorts in there.’

The arena itself was opened with a performance from a collection of local acts as a teaser. Following this, Live performed which was well received before Afrikaans is Groot headed to the venue. ‘They did a teaser launch for potential clients where they ran everything up beforehand,’ furthers Mr Malherbe. ‘Then there was the first concert that went really well and it’s been moving up from there. It’s a massive venue and it’s working well.’

With the final phase still ongoing, there is plenty more work for Prosound to do at Time Square. But as PAVLMEA leaves the site, it is clear the results the integrator has already achieved are enough to give it confidence of winning more deals with Sun International in the future.

www.prosound.co.za

The arena has a JBL VTX system supplied by Wild & Marr

The classic Shure S55 mic takes centre stage at Globe Bar

Infrastructure facility panels at the arena

Guy Fieri’s Kitchen & Bar required a more powerful audio system

The new standard for nightclubs

Live trial

BROADCAST LIVE IN 200 COUNTRIES AND ATTRACTING a global audience measured in the hundreds of millions, the UEFA Champions League Final is the world’s most watched annual sporting event. With such a large audience, broadcasters would be forgiven for playing it safe and sticking to tried-and-tested methods to ensure everything runs smoothly. But not all broadcasters take this approach. For the 2017 final, BeIN Sports had the opportunity to try something new and different to enhance the coverage for some of its viewers, and decided the rewards would far outweigh the risks. ‘We always look at product development in order to create the best experience for our users,’ says Israel Esteban, executive director of technology at BeIN Media Group. ‘It is in our company DNA that we always have to go further and push ourselves. We were talking with Dolby several times about how to grow and develop, then the opportunity of the Champions League Final appeared. So we took the challenge with Dolby and did the Atmos broadcast.’

Dolby’s Atmos brand of immersive audio started life a few years ago in the cinema market. Growth here has led to a move into the home with a variety of entertainment content produced and broadcast in the format. However, live broadcasting in Atmos is still relatively rare, making the decision to broadcast such a highprofile event in this manner all the more impressive. ‘It was a live trial because it was the first one we did and we didn’t have time to do any tests beforehand,’ reveals Mr Esteban. ‘We started discussing it in January and we said we would try to do something as part of the partnership. Then two months before going live, we were able to confirm with UEFA that it was going to be available and we decided to take on the challenge.

‘It was an arrangement between Dolby, ourselves and our teleport partner,’ he continues. ‘We got the 4K UEFA feed with audio from the venue, then for the Atmos we had to deal

locally with our OB van. We had to make sure to get the 4K international feed plus the Atmos feed sent to our teleport where we did the production. From there, we had to mix the 4K, the Atmos and our Arabic commentary so it was not an easy setup.’

The decision to run the test for BeIN’s Arabic commentary broadcast gave the production more importance as it would be broadcast across the MENA region. ‘I think this was the first time an international broadcasting operator has taken an Atmos feed and gone beyond their home country,’ states Pankaj Kedia, managing director – emerging markets at Dolby. ‘It was an important step for all of us because it opens up the door to take Atmos and distribute it more globally. Not just by the operator producing it, it can go beyond that.’

‘For us, that was the reason we really thought it was worthwhile to do this trial,’ adds Mr Esteban. ‘We were the first to bring 4K live to the region for our subscribers and our users. We believed bringing Atmos for the first time outside Europe as only the second broadcaster in the world to do it, was worth the risk.’

While Atmos technology has not penetrated very far into the home market yet, Mr Esteban insists the feedback the broadcaster has received from those who were able to watch it in this format has been very encouraging. Importantly, having experienced the match in Atmos himself, he believes there is a real future for the technology in sports broadcasting.

‘With the Atmos broadcast, especially when the goals were scored, it felt like you were really there and it was a different experience,’ he offers. ‘From the people who were able to experience it, the response was really good, it was something different. People are now used to having better picture quality, but they felt that Atmos gave a different audio experience.’ Importantly, he feels that using technology such as this can be an important differentiator for BeIN. ‘Getting high-quality audio is an important next stage for us as a broadcaster,’

reasons Mr Esteban. ‘We always try to improve our user experience, and the video and audio experience is really different. Sometimes you feel much more like you are in the venue so it makes a difference.’

Reflecting on the live trial, Mr Esteban is pleased that BeIN took the risk. ‘We didn’t think a lot about it because we thought the challenge was interesting and the partnership worked really well. Everybody was so committed. There was no trial before that you could make errors on, so everyone coming in was brave and up to the last minute we were having challenges. We are really happy that it went really well.’ This positive feeling is shared by Mr Kedia. ‘The stakes were very high. We thank BeIN for taking a chance and having faith because it was the first time this was done internationally. Having a partner like BeIN who believes in the technology and in that partnership, I think that is very special for us. We need partners to do this with so it’s really great that BeIN came on board.’

Despite taking the risk with the first live international Atmos broadcast, Mr Esteban insists there is more to come from the broadcaster. ‘BeIN is a company that never stops. When you think that you have done something great, it is then in the past and you have to look for what’s next. You don’t have too much time to enjoy it but that is one of the big positives in this company. Especially in MENA, we are always ahead of our rivals and we like to be the first to bring things and to help to create markets. It is our opportunity to bring this to a lot of people and for our customers to have the best-possible experience.’

Having successfully proven the technology works for live broadcast, it would seem that BeIN subscribers can expect to experience more Atmos productions in the future.

www.bein.net

www.dolby.com

BeIN Sports used one of the highest-profile events it covers as a trial for broadcasting Dolby Atmos content live. James Ling finds out more

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Structurally sound

DPA MICROPHONES IS A COMPANY THAT MAKES NO apologies for its grand ambitions. In 2012, then CEO Christian Poulsen boldly exclaimed that the business was looking to become one of the top three microphone brands in the industry. Arguably, his goal has been met. The company has enjoyed tremendous success in the years since that statement was made, and has seen its name emerge as almost a benchmark of quality in the theatre world as well as being a preferred name for artists with an eye for quality. Nearly every one of its products since has been an award-winning model.

Fast forward to 2018 and the Danish manufacturer has a new and passionate CEO at the helm, but no sign of a slowdown in pace. It seems the next big target is already in sight.

Celebrating 25 years of business last year, DPA’s roots stretch back to when co-founders Morten Støve and Ole Brøsted Sørensen aimed to forge a new pro audio brand out of the Brüel & Kjær measurement microphone division. Interestingly, not too long after this, DPA’s new CEO, Kalle Nielsen, first entered the picture.

‘The founders I know very well from my time at Brüel & Kjær; they were frequent visitors,’ recalls Mr Nielsen. ‘I joined B&K five years after DPA was spun off. It had gone through some very tough times and was trying to get back into smoother waters. I still talk to Ole and Morten occasionally, but they no longer have any business involvement in DPA.’

Following a decade-long stint at Brüel & Kjær, Mr Nielsen’s next mission was helping to turn around the ailing fortunes of Bang & Olufsen, the high-end Danish hi-fi brand that was experiencing difficulties introducing new technologies and was suffering declining business. ‘The year I joined we lost a lot of money (0.5 billion DKK),’ he continues. ‘But we broadened the business into automotive, and we rejuvenated the home portion. In just three to four years, we managed to grow both our sales and our bottom line. When I found out about the position at DPA, I was managing a listed semiconductor business, but I was longing to return to the acoustical world that I’d been in for many years.’

If Mr Nielsen’s history is one of returning declining businesses back to their heyday, DPA customers are in safe hands. Since extra investment was provided by private equity firm Riverside

adding more people without putting structures in place, then there is a risk of becoming ineffective. At the same time DPA has a very entrepreneurial spirit. It’s important that we try and better organise ourselves without losing that spirit. My role is to come up with structures that allow that passion to flourish. It’s making

it clear that the key drivers in the business, the key technologies, the key sales people, the key marketers – the system is built for

‘When you take that approach, those key drivers embrace and support the structures that you put in place. The family spirit at DPA is immensely valuable in this respect. When people come here, this is something they sense immediately in everything: from how we interact, the way people talk and smile. We do try and make sure that there really is a spirit of people taking care of each other here and having a common mission – namely to

Initially taken aback at the relative size and scale of the physical business in contrast to its reputation in the industry, Mr Nielsen says it was the impressive quality of the products that really stood out. ‘They had managed to develop some fantastic technology. I think they had also positioned the company well and had been extremely good at managing quality – both in terms of reliability and also functional quality. The feature set of the products has allowed DPA to become a leading top-end brand for this industry, in a niche position. It’s a very impressive achievement and puts

Significant early products were the first miniature microphones that combined the company’s technical audio experience with the miniaturisation skills of Muphone, the hearing aid company that DPA merged with in 2006. ‘Those two skill sets resulted in a miniature microphone that could, for the first time, really be used for professional applications,’ says Mr Nielsen. ‘And then when it was launched 10 years ago, d:vote, the instrument microphone, was new in terms of the fact that you could get such a high-quality sound out of such a small microphone, which enabled you to mount it directly on your instrument. This opened up lots of new possibilities for

DPA’s past success has often come from lending its detailed eye to new markets. The d:screet series of podium microphones and the d:facto vocal microphone, for example, allowed the company to bring refreshing new options to sectors it wasn’t very active in. If reorganisation is the main focus under the surface for Mr Nielsen, DPA also needs to make good on its next grand

From measurement microphones to the standard by which many microphones are measured, DPA has come a long way, discovers

Kalle Nielsen wearing the d:fine

networks. ‘These two networks are invisible to each other,’ explains Mr Ferriday. ‘If one is connected to a broadcast truck, the live audio network is invisible to the broadcast truck and whatever they are doing in there is completely invisible to the live network. This is the digital equivalent of a transformer isolated switch. There is no possible interaction between the two networks.’

different approach. US companies tend to drive to market as fast as they can and they’ll fix the issues later. That is not the way that Yamaha sells new products to its customers.’

While the ability to have two separate networks offers some clear advantages, Mr Ferriday is equally convinced that Dante networking in the live environment is a positive thing for engineers to do. He offers the example of a conventional live show setup with an FOH console and a monitor console,

quality process, Mr Reid believes that future collaborations will see other elements come to the fore. ‘We are getting the best out of both companies. We have a Yamaha quality control process that fits the broader Yamaha brand and we’re working out how we use that to be competitive in the ever-growing UC market. Is everything you need to do for a high-end piece of equipment what you need to do for a US$150 USB speakerphone? Probably not. That’s what we’re

too, so if you want to take audio back from the broadcast truck,

with a Dante-based option for networked audio, the Net I/O SB 32.24. ‘SSL has actually been making network I/O for some time,’ reasons Mr Ferriday. ‘Traditionally this has been a broadcast product, it’s not something we’ve sold into the live market in the past. However, the new Dante stagebox has been designed specifically for live sound. We’re still using the same super analogue mic pres as we do on the broadcast device, but we now have a different form factor which is more appropriate for live.’

The unit includes 32 mic/line inputs, 16 analogue outs, four AES/EBU inputs and four AES/EBU outputs. However, it is on the back panel where the new stagebox offers something unique. Here there are two pairs of redundant Dante network ports. ‘In addition to the Network A redundant pair, there is a second redundant pair on the back of the box which provides a gain compensated Dante split,’ furthers Mr Ferriday. ‘This channel includes the gain differential audio. The audio coming out of here will not be changed by anything that happens on the input gains from the control console.’

takes a weak electrical signal and boosts it so that it can be fed into a beltpack or a mixing desk. Core uses new technology developed by DPA, which the company claims can reduce harmonic distortion at all levels and, at the same time, increase the dynamic range by 6dB to 14dB.

takes a weak electrical signal and boosts it so that it can be fed into a beltpack or a mixing desk. Core uses new technology developed by DPA, which the company claims can reduce harmonic distortion at all levels and, at the same time, increase the dynamic range by 6dB to 14dB.

This means that the box can operate as two discrete

Skilled assembly on the factory floor

high-end audio applications. For higher-end imagine us combining our wireless and technologies with some of their DSP

ambition of raising the quality bar for miniature microphones.

ambition of raising the quality bar for miniature microphones.

In this respect, the business has also begun to diversify into more new sectors with products like d:vice, a high-quality smartphone audio interface that is also DPA’s first all-digital creation; and Core by DPA, the new preamplifier technology integrated into its latest miniature capsules. Both are intending to make good on this promise. ‘My mission is basically to help the business to mature a little bit by giving it a platform to grow, and exploring the next stages of growth,’ shares Mr Nielsen. ‘For the first time ever, with d:vice we have made a product that is not directly a microphone. It’s not unlike the products that other people are making but it’s somewhat special because it’s

In this respect, the business has also begun to diversify into more new sectors with products like d:vice, a high-quality smartphone audio interface that is also DPA’s first all-digital creation; and Core by DPA, the new preamplifier technology integrated into its latest miniature capsules. Both are intending to make good on this promise. ‘My mission is basically to help the business to mature a little bit by giving it a platform to grow, and exploring the next stages of growth,’ shares Mr Nielsen. ‘For the first time ever, with d:vice we have made a product that is not directly a microphone. It’s not unlike the products that other people are making but it’s somewhat special because it’s of a very, very high quality. That’s part of the mission also, to work on making sure

continues Mr Nielsen. ‘You could say Core is underlining our ambition of maintaining and innovating at the top end of the microphone scale. With Core, these miniature microphones now possess a level of quality that makes it very difficult to distinguish between them and larger microphones. It’s a totally new situation where you can start using miniature mics for all kinds of purposes where previously you’d have been limited to larger models. You can achieve incredible things once you’ve managed to get very high-quality sound out of these tiny microphones. The potential applications are huge.’

continues Mr Nielsen. ‘You could say Core is underlining our ambition of maintaining and innovating at the top end of the microphone scale. With Core, these miniature microphones now possess a level of quality that makes it very difficult to distinguish between them and larger microphones. It’s a totally new situation where you can start using miniature mics for all kinds of purposes where previously you’d have been limited to larger models. You can achieve incredible things once you’ve managed to get very high-quality sound out of these tiny microphones. The potential applications are huge.’

VISIT US @

The desk has been designed to allow the connection of various peripherals

With Mr Nielsen at the helm to provide the necessary structure, DPA’s passion will surely keep on burning. ‘I think the biggest pressures are actually coming from ourselves in terms of whether we can live up to the standards we have set. We don’t give up until we believe the products are perfect. If we can continue doing that, I’m confident we’ll keep making extremely good microphones.’

DPA has always been a small company with big ambitions. Perhaps the only difference now is that it’s not really that small anymore.

With Mr Nielsen at the helm to provide the necessary structure, DPA’s passion will surely keep on burning. ‘I think the biggest pressures are actually coming from ourselves in terms of whether we can live up to the standards we have set. We don’t give up until we believe the products are perfect. If we can continue doing that, I’m confident we’ll keep making extremely good microphones.’ DPA has always been a small company with big ambitions. Perhaps the only difference now is that it’s not really that small anymore.

1/2 PAGE

www.dpamicrophones.com

But he is equally quick to point out that could tackle conferencing products of can go down and up. They have power reinforcement and all kinds of high-end we can leverage as we go up. And going phones and they have USB phones so we can go together. USB phones, VoIP peripherals that do everything – audio, cover the full spectrum of collaboration While that is for the future, Mr Reid business case for the CS-700 now. ‘We’ve market for these smaller rooms where 1/2 PAGE

d:vice for the iPhone

Skilled assembly on the factory floor

The Dante enabled stagebox allows for two separate networks

A letter from America

Dan Daley discusses why there is no more hiding in the shadows for sonic auxiliaries

IT IS WIDELY RECOMMENDED THAT DINERS

avoid visiting the kitchen of a restaurant they plan to eat in. The same applies to live music shows: the audience has come to be entertained, not edified. There is no need to look behind the proscenium curtains to see how the tour sausage is made. Too bad, since these days there’d be a lot to see.

Even the most compact of performing groups have deployed some rather substantial and sophisticated ancillary technology to boost what they can accomplish on stage, in the form of backing tracks, with the number of systems deployed an inverse ratio to the number of people on stage. (Yes, we’re talking about you, Ed Sheeran, and your pedals.) In the military, such systems are known as force multipliers; in music, they are either magical sprinkles or a boob job, depending upon your frame of reference.

The intensifying need to create the equivalent of a sophisticated recording session onstage has only accelerated the need for backing tracks that are both complex and agile (ie, can adapt to changes in song structure on the fly) in

the live mix. In purely industrial terms, backing tracks are a productivity multiplier, reducing the number of people needed for a production and, in the process, reducing the production’s overhead touring costs.

Not completely, though. As the tracks get deeper and precise synchronisation takes on greater importance in show production, prerecorded vocal, instrumental and effects audio and control require the services of more people, in the form of pre-programming before the fact, and during the live show. However, like every other complex proposition that digital gets into, even these systems can be simplified and automated.

That’s behind the appearance in recent years of more sophisticated systems that accompany live shows; a kind of digital Fifth Beatle. One of those is Playback Control, a joint venture by equipment vendor Tour Supply and William ‘Viggy’ Vignola, a programming legend, system designer and drum tech for Mötley Crüe, Godsmack, Aerosmith and Sevendust, as well as a few less-loud artists including Gloria Estefan, Stevie Wonder, the

A letter from Europe

Phil Ward considers the ramifications for personnel as A/V giants shake up their business strategies

WHEN

HARMAN SCRATCHES AN ITCH, IT

measures on the Richter scale. Across Europe from North London to Hungary, via Switzerland and Vienna, scores of Harman personnel have been reconsidering their options in the wake of some 650 job losses around the world and the wholesale relocation of several deeply rooted operations. The usual rationalisations have been put forward, involving streamlining, consolidation, integration and a dozen more euphemisms, and it’s impossible to counter them in the face of New Product Introduction teams and Centres of Competency that will no doubt do wonders for Harman’s bottom line. Change is always nerve-wracking. I’ve been subject to several management restructures, and more than one of them has left me failing to avoid the feeling of being handed the keys to the Titanic and asked to take it for a spin round Antarctica. The bigger the organisation,

the bigger the responsibility – and, on this scale, it’s just plain awe-inspiring. But ‘uprooted’ is the only word for various teams in Potters Bar, just north of London, and in Vienna, even if Studer’s erstwhile centre of gravity in Regensdorf, Switzerland, has retained an R&D function that hopefully provides more continuity than you’ll find at AKG. Here, 17 former engineers have formed Austrian Audio, an instant competitor with many of the same ambitions; indeed, the start-up company is claiming credentials relating to all of the AKG products to emerge over the past 20 years or so. Soundcraft seems to have had a slightly softer landing, with some of the team resurfacing in the City of London where AMX has some space, and others elsewhere in the capital. Here, the synergy implied by shared DSP with Studer, among other bodily fluids, is put forward as the rationale for moving all the manufacturing of both brands to a single plant in Pécs, Hungary,

Spice Girls, Hanson and Justin Timberlake. Mr Vignola had been one of a handful of boutique track-system builders and programmers –another is Mike McKnight, who has done systems for Shakira, Mariah Carey and Roger Waters. Mr Vignola began collaborating with Tour Supply about six years ago, synergising his programming chops with their marketing. About three years ago, that synergy reached a point where the track-playback systems could be productised, under the brand Playback Control, and, although they remain highly customised, the systems and the demand for them has reached a point where Tour Supply has opened a dedicated demo showroom for them within within its existing location at rehearsal hub Soundcheck in Nashville. There, Mr Vignola and Tour Supply technicians can assemble a bespoke and perfectly synchronised track-playback system, using Pro Tools files supplied by the artists. These are converted into a show file and loaded onto a system template that includes a pair of Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro computers, a Radial SW8 matrix switcher and multiple MOTU

playback interfaces with DP9 Software, all synched using SMPTE timecode.

A fully redundant Playback Control can cost about US$14,000, which includes the dual-redundant system (a single-computer system runs to about $10,000) and custom programming by Mr Vignola and his team. It takes about 18 man-hours to assemble a rig, with programming time on top of that. These are loaded into 5U Pelican cases to make them as light as possible, to avoid having to ship them as freight.

For much of the 1980s and 1990s, metal bands would hide keyboard players offstage, adding the synth sounds that radio at the time was demanding without fear of wussing out on their pubescent acolytes in the audience. Today, it’s understood that much of pop music requires significant ancillary technological support to make a live show as sonically intricate as a recording once was. Whether the sources of additional signal inputs are visible to the audience or not, that audience is nonetheless expecting the equivalent of a record on stage now.

already operated by Harman and staffed by 300 employees across 31,500m2. It’s where Martin lighting technology is built and, lucky old Hungarians, a brand-new drop-in demo centre is planned for next summer. It’s an ill wind, though. Studer has already scored a heart-warming welcome home at the ‘new TVC’: a renovation and renaissance for the former BBC Television Centre in West London. Just when you thought the ghost of Valerie Singleton had finally been laid to rest, next to the tomb of Tiny Clanger, part of the redeveloped site has been returned to programme making, albeit on a purely commercial basis as ‘BBC Studioworks Facilities at Television Centre’. This coincides with a new distribution deal for Studer in the UK under the auspices of HHB Communications, one of the best-established resellers in Europe and a safe pair of hands for any Harman brand during this period of flux.

Of the three new studios here, two have Studer Vista Xs and the other a Vista 5, all part of a seamlessly integrated Cat-5 landscape including the very modular new Glacier control surfaces, to be used for music and sound effects in almost any location. A comprehensive MADI network also renders the Glaciers effective redundancy modules. This is the kind of encouragement you need when the tectonic plates subduce. Harman’s new Centres of Competency are dedicated to acoustics in Northridge, California; electronics, DSP, video and control in Richardson, Texas; and lighting in Aarhus, Denmark. Where the new products are being dreamed up for everyone is in Shenzhen, China; Bangalore, India; and Budapest, Hungary. Boy, that is some itch. And when the final after-shocks have abated and all the tumbled-down paper cups have been re-stacked next to the water cooler, breathe out slowly.

AES 2017

IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, STAYING IN VOGUE

has long been a tradition of businesses and individuals.

Traversing from the West to the East Coast each year, the Audio Engineering Society (AES) convention has continually drawn bigger crowds and interest in New York than its counterparts in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Jacob K Javits Center entices more than just the venue technicians and owners of neighbouring Broadway theatres along to the show floor. There is always a healthy amount of studio, postproduction and broadcasting engineers in addition to international dealers that benefit from the educational seminars and the crowded exhibition aisles.

This year’s theme, ‘Maximum Audio’, saw the show organisers bring together an enormous amount of informative and educational workshops, panels, papers, lectures, technical tours and technology under one glazed roof. Collaborative efforts with the NAMM show for January 2018 have been well publicised, but AES went further in New York by offering the independent NAB Show New York in an adjacent hall, with mutual access granted for all badge holders. It proved to be a masterstroke for both shows, promoting the cross-pollination of resources and ensuring greater appeal for exhibitors.

‘It’s definitely a lot busier this year,’ commented Focusrite’s Kurt Howell. ‘There’s been great interaction between the two shows. We normally scan 200 badges over the first two days and about 60 of those are serious buyers, but it’s a lot higher this year.’ Cadac’s sales and marketing manager, James Godbehear, agreed. ‘This is by far the busiest AES for us since we started exhibiting in New York. NAB has definitely introduced us to new people who want to learn more about mixing on our CDC six and CDC seven control surfaces.’

NAB Show New York is a greatly scaled-down version of its Las Vegas big brother. However, it manages to bring major brands such as Blackmagic Design, Panasonic and Sony to the show floor by allowing them to interact with East Coast broadcasters, dealers and production companies. Extron sales manager, Jason Bond, was premiering the latest SMP 351 to record and stream live presentations together with the newly launched HC 404 meeting space collaboration system. ‘It’s a regional two-day show and it’s focused,’ Mr Bond explained. ‘We exhibit our relevant technologies on a small stand and network with buyers.’ Promoting its IP-over-audio solutions, including the IP-64 digital control surface and the LXE digital platform, Wheatstone’s Phil Owens was pleased with the two-day show. ‘It’s a good exhibition not only to meet East Coast and Canadian TV station broadcasters, but also colleges and universities.’

Several companies had taken the decision to exhibit at both shows concurrently. So while the mc²96 and mc²36 mixing consoles and the Kick close-ball automation were

demonstrated on its AES stand, Lawo was showcasing its IP video infrastructure technologies and Ruby radio console on the NAB stand. ‘It was a difficult decision to make,’ explains sales and marketing director, Andreas Hilmer. ‘If we only had a stand on the NAB side, we’d be accused of abandoning audio, and vice versa, so we opted for both. Hopefully, in time, the two shows will be integrated.’

Riedel had a similar dilemma, opting to promote ASL Intercom products and the Bolero platform at AES, while demonstrating the MediorNet Compact Pro and more video-centric products at NAB. While many exhibitors welcomed the move to collaborate at AES and NAB, Riedel’s Joe Commare was feeling weary having exhibited at WFX in Dallas the week before and preparing for SMPTE soon after. ‘It’s a high-cost venue with drayage fees here at the Javits,’ he pointed out, with reference to the extortionate fees that exhibitors incur for having their goods delivered to and from their stands. ‘I’m not sure that having two stands here pays off or not, although the visitor turnout seems good.’ Clear-Com also exhibited its FreeSpeak II, IV-Core technology and HelixNet platforms at both shows, while RTS decided to simply exhibit the new Roameo platform at NAB.

Avid had certainly decided to target both shows in a unique fashion. The company’s NAB stand beckoned broadcasters and postproduction engineers engaged in sports production and video editing with Maestro, MediaCentral, Media Composer and Avid Artist. The Venue S6L modular mixing system appealed to live sound engineers at AES, while Pro Tools, the S3, HD Native and Sibelius were demonstrated to audiophiles. In addition, the Avid Partner section hosted technologies from Audionamix, Dolby, Nugen Audio, RTW, Sonnox and others.

‘AES is definitely on an upwards curve,’ assessed Nugen Audio’s Paul Tapper. ‘The NAB traffic is certainly helping and we’re seeing customers from further afield than New York and the East Coast. More Facebook music producers are finally realising the issues of loudness in music production and Halo Upmix is attracting increasing interest as it provides a 3D immersive extension in Pro Tools for first-order ambisonics in VR applications.’

Once-shunned market sectors such as live sound and gaming have appropriately been added to the billing. While panels and workshops addressed live sound and project studio recording subjects, game audio and VR discussions also appeared on the agenda. Their very inclusion adds new appeal – and visitors such as students – to a show that has long been steeped in traditional recording techniques offering less relevance in today’s commercial world. The dynamic nature of the audio business dictates that if AES is to prosper, then it must embrace changing trends in how the latest generation wants to spend its leisure time. It’s a similar question that NAMM asks itself when judging whether its members and audiences are DJ-, instrument- or karaoke-focused.

Traditional AES Convention attractions such as the platinum producer, engineer and mastering panels, technical tours, educational and historical presentations and lunchtime keynotes provided over 400 cumulative hours of information and lent a positive buzz to the proceedings. Once again, the Live Sound Expo at the rear of the exhibition hall attracted novices and veterans alike during its concert tour sound day.

Clearly labelled and marked on stands, AES67, Dante and Ravenna networking continue to play a central theme in the

AES 2017, and its neighbour the NAB Show New York, drew increased numbers to the show floors. But how is the show adapting to the ever-changing needs of the audio industry?

AES 2017 promoted ‘Maximum Audio’

A buzzing show floor on day one

Shure invited visitors to listen to its mics

A Fairlight EVO console showcased on the Blackmagic Design stand PMC’s Miles Roberts with the result6

Cadac’s James Godbehear with the CDC six control surface

Eddie Kramer was one of the famous educators promoting Waves’ plug-ins

Focusrite’s network connectivity options displayed as art

The Avid stand at NAB

Genelec demonstrated The Ones

development of most new products. Creation and collaboration through more comprehensive networks push evolution and stimulate further growth. Waves is a perfect example of how a modern manufacturer needs to survive and prosper by creating plug-ins for competing manufacturers such as Avid, Calrec, DiGiCo and Lawo. Endorsed by elite engineers such as Eddie Kramer, Waves exhibited its complete range of hardware and plug-ins, including the B360 Ambisonics Encoder for converting mono, stereo or surround audio into a 360° Ambisonics B-format.

Consoles designed for recording, postproduction and broadcasting were in good supply. DiGiCo introduced its latest John Stadius mic preamp, which includes a differential audio path from input to converter, twin 32-bit ADC conversion per channel and a conversion time of 73μS. In addition, the company also demonstrated the S App allowing wireless remote control of the S21 and S31 consoles, while fellow Audiotonix brand Calrec highlighted its Brio 36 and Summa consoles.

API showcased the AXS, 32-channel 1608 and Vision consoles together with much of its analogue outboard equipment including the 527 compressor, 212L mic preamp and 535-LA line amplifier. Solid State Logic wooed crowds with a range of new products including the System T – S300 compact control surface and an updated range of networkable I/O rackmountable devices. AMS Neve promoted the Encore automation software together with its 1073 mic preamp and the Genesys Black digital control surface. Having announced the creation of its pro division, Focusrite unveiled the RedNet X2P 2x2 Dante audio interface in addition to the Red 16Line 64-in/64-out Pro Tools HD and dual Thunderbolt 3 audio interface.

Traditionally, the manufacturer demonstration rooms have been sparsely attended, but this year the draw of new products together with innovative playback methods proved too much for many passers-by. Both KV2 Audio and d&b audiotechnik presented demonstrations from their spacious suites just off the show floor, the latter promoting its Soundscape technology using the DS100 signal engine.

L-Acoustics held regular presentations of its Syva segment source technology. Exhibiting with Dolby, JBL Professional invited attendees to experience the power of immersive audio with listening sessions on the 7 Series Master Reference Monitor

system. Audio Precision conducted analogue, digital and electro-acoustic tests using its APx500 series audio analysers to test devices from ICs to amplifiers and loudspeakers. ‘We’ve also promoted A2B network configuration and audio testing in collaboration with Mentor Automotive,’ confirmed marketing manager, Eric Hodges.

Yamaha’s exhibition floor space was split in order to promote video postproduction techniques using Nuage software now providing support for Steinberg Nuendo 7 on the rear, while the flagship Rivage PM10 mixing system took centre stage at the front supported by the smaller CL1, CL3, QL5 and TF3 mixers. In the demo room, Nexo Geo M10 and M620 speakers were paired with LS15 and LS18 subs, respectively, while Yamaha DXR12 speakers supplemented by DXS15 subwoofers provided playback.

Faced with a similar dilemma to Yamaha, Sennheiser hosted demonstrations of Ambeo 3D immersive audio. On the show floor, Neumann showcased the U87 Rhodium Edition microphone and KH 80 DSP monitor, while Sennheiser focused on its Ambeo VR, ClipMic and MKH 800 Twin microphones. In a further development, Sonosax has partnered with Sennheiser on its Ambeo for VR programme with the development of the SX-R4+ recorder that includes an A2B converter for the Ambeo VR mic and a dedicated 12-pin socket for connecting the mic. If there was one product category that was in abundance, it was microphones. ‘AES has certainly been a busy show for us and we are proud to have received a TEC award for our ORTF-3D ambience outdoor plug-and-play solution,’ confirmed Schoeps CEO, Karin Fleing. In addition, the V4 U, digital SuperCMIT and

CCM 2 models, CMR and CMC field mics, and CCM 41, CCM 8 and CMIT 5U surround solutions were also on display.

Showcasing the KM 975 and MD 300 models together with the BM 180 and 190 stage microphones, UM 930 twin condenser and INA 5-R surround sound mic, Microtech Gefell had also crossed the Atlantic from Germany to exhibit. The digital Motiv line was one of the main attractions on the Shure stand taking position alongside Axient Digital, PSM transmitters, A/V conferencing technology and a listening demo station with various vocal mics, including the KSM8 and SM58 models.

DPA introduced its Core amplifier technology that is now being installed in all the miniature lavalier and headset mics, such as the d:screet 4061 and d:fine 4066 models.

‘Core technology does not replace our existing mics, but it does offer another choice to our customer base,’ commented CEO, Kalle Hvidt Nielsen. ‘We want to provide every option imaginable to capture sound during any type of production and this new solution can be heard very clearly by ear while remaining unseen.’

Lectrosonics continues to push the wireless boundaries with the addition of the Duet digital wireless monitor (IEM) system, which combines the M2T half-rack transmitter and M2R belt pack receiver. Audio-Technica catered for the mixed attendance with an extensive range, including the latest addition to its 50 Series with the AT5047 cardioid condenser. Various models of the 40 Series were also displayed sporting the latest shock mounts with improved rubber band architecture, robust cradles and moulds that hug the capsules. Earthworks had made the relatively short journey down from New Hampshire to exhibit a bespoke selection from its live, studio and instrument catalogues. The company also premiered the SV33 studio vocal microphone together with the DM20 drum microphone forming part of its DK7 drum kit.

Genelec showcased The Ones, the 7380 smart active subwoofer and the new 1032C nearfield. Continuing the Scandinavian theme in monitoring, fellow Finns from Amphion were in close attendance as was Dynaudio, highlighting its new 9S and 18S subwoofers. UK manufacturer PMC removed the wraps from its lower price point result6 monitors to highlight D-Fins HF diffraction technology, while hosting the ‘Masters of Audio’ seminars incorporating its IB2S XBD-A and IB1S-AIII models. TransAudio Group highlighted the Auratone Super Sound Cubes, while Quested, Focal Professional, Ocean Way Studios and PSI exhibited their latest wares.

The Empire State Building is capped by one of the most significant technological innovations in broadcasting – the Alford antenna. The master FM antenna was erected in 1965 to serve the area’s broadcast market and the building was once again lit in the signature AES blue and white colours. Rejuvenated and emboldened through strategic partnerships and a more current programme of seminars and workshops, the AES transmission is true.

2017 Dates: 18 – 20 October, Jacob K Javits Center, New York

2018 Dates: Dates: 24 – 26 May, NH Milano Congress Centre, Milan 17 – 19 October, Jacob K Javits Center, New York

Venue: Jacob K Javits Center, New York

Total exhibitors: 266

Attendance: 15,590

Contact: www.aes.org

DPA’s Christopher Spahr and Kalle Hvidt Nielsen launch Core amplifier technology

Audio-Technica’s Gary Boss showcasing the new shock mounts created for the 40 Series

Earthworks’ COO Gareth Krausser with the new SV33 vocal condenser

Yosuke Matsuno and Chris Wright from TASCAM

Wheatstone’s Phil Owens with the IP-64 control surface

Panasonic highlighted 4K cameras, PTZ cameras and network workflow solutions

Neve Genesys Black dual control console

Karin Fleing from Schoeps received an award for the ORTF-3D outdoor solution

Clear-Com highlighted its HelixNet, FreeSpeak II and IV-Core technology solutions

Jason Bond and Michael McCann promoted Extron’s SMP 351 at NAB

InfoComm MEA 2017

The combination of time of year, proximity to other shows and national holidays led to a weaker than expected turnout for InfoComm MEA. What can be done to boost the show?

AS WAS CLEAR TO ANYONE WALKING THE AISLES OF THE Dubai World Trade Centre for the 2017 edition of InfoComm MEA, the show struggled to attract the visitor numbers it would have been hoping for. It felt slow from the outset, despite the organiser stressing that day one attendance was actually up on 2016, and the traditionally busiest second day at times felt like a ghost town. The silver lining came on the final day when a larger than expected crowd left the exhibitors and organiser with a more positive feeling.

The challenges for InfoComm MEA 2017 were plentiful, but there were two common concerns that kept being raised. ‘I think the timeframe is the trick for this show,’ said Bali Reddy from Yamaha UC. ‘ISE is not very far away so that has an impact on this show. The senior-level guys are all planning to visit ISE so the people coming in here are not the decisionmakers. I think the show should look at the middle or end of September. If the show stays at this time I don’t think we would be very keen to remain part of it.’

‘The date of the show should change because December is so difficult,’ agreed Extron’s Ali Al Daghistani. ‘It is just before ISE, everyone is going on vacation or closing projects so engineers and technicians are busy on site. They will not come to a show to see new products because they have targets to

‘The show is set up right, I like the aisles and the stands look nice, it just seems that they have not managed to get the people over,’ offered Jim Bakker from Lectrosonics. ‘There is a big concentration of interesting shows that are very close to each other and creates a saturation. That being said, I have seen some very promising clients – the interesting people still come, it’s just the intensity is a bit low.’

To its credit, the organiser was keen to address this situation.

‘This year unfortunately the holidays before the show really

took its toll, but even then I think December is the wrong time,’ admitted Richard Tan from InfoComm Asia. ‘It’s too close to ISE and too close to the year-end holidays. We’ve been trying to get a slot at a different time of year for the last six months but still with no success yet. We are still trying but we will definitely not be back in December.’

The other issue came from the kind of visitor who was missing from the audience. ‘I think the organisers have to understand that until they start marketing to end users and consultants who drive the business and not integrators, the show will not be a success and really not offer any value to manufacturers or distributors,’ noted Biamp’s Dave Nazir.

‘Prolight + Sound was better this year because there were more quality people and more people in general,’ added Prosonic’s Amir Bagheri. ‘There needs to be more marketing around the show and the organiser should repeat the practices in place for ISE. They know better than anyone else in the world what to do, so they just have to do it.’

‘Compared to previous years I would say there’s less traffic which is I think because some of the manufacturers pulled out,’ observed Vivid AV Media’s Chris Hellmuth. ‘I know that a lot of manufacturers ran side events which also pulls some of the audience away. On the positive side, it gave me more time to go into more detail about the products. I had some important customers coming in which was good.’

Again the organiser accepted this criticism and hoped to work together with exhibitors in the future to improve the situation. ‘Attracting end users is the big challenge,’ said Mr Tan. ‘Every year we keep tweaking, trying to think of different ways and yet more incentives to try and pull them in and get them to spend meaningful time on the show floor. The exhibitors have been on this ride with us and they are also aware of what the challenges are in this market. They are working with us to address these challenges together.’

While it would be easy to focus entirely on the negatives, there were some positive elements to come out of InfoComm MEA 2017. Education played a stronger role than previous editions with many sessions standing-room only and an increase in participation from around 500 in 2016 to 776 in 2017.

Thomsun and Yamaha commanded a large presence

Oasis PPD’s Dominic Calvert with Biamp’s Dave Nazir and Dave Gold

Some of the training sessions were standingroom only

Extron used the event to host some of its own training sessions

Arthur Holm had benefitted from a prominent position a the front of the hall

Lectrosonics’ Jim Bakker

Richard Tan and David Lim from InfoComm Asia flanking DWTC’s Neeraj Dalal

VR demonstrations on the Russian Export Centre booth

SiliconCore’s Haroutioun Ohannessian and Jim Wickenhiser

S6L targets theatre Venues

track digital machines for Michael Jackson, I knew I had to get one for radio and commercials,’ he says. ‘I also used to attend workshops and panel discussions with producers and engineers like George Massenburg, Alan Parsons and Al Schmitt. I read all the trade magazines, and I still keep a big library today, with all the latest writing on audio.’

Over the years, this knowledge allowed Mr Sood to raise his game, moving through Akai Adam digital 12-track recording and onto a 24-track Studer with Dolby SR when that technology arrived on the subcontinent. With the rising channel count came more opportunities to work on bigger films, and to break into advertising work.

and aux sends (up to 96) can also be added to the snapshot Scope. Events updates are stated to offer engineers greater flexibility to trigger events via external MIDI commands, LTC/MTC timecode values, the channel colour and X&Y switches on the control surface.

another. Customers with a valid Avid support plan can download Avid Venue 5.4 software from their Avid Account.

By 2003, changes were afoot at Western Outdoor, and Mr Sood decided to leave to plan his next move. Western Outdoor closed its doors eight months later.

THE LATEST Venue software for Avid’s S6L live sound system introduces new workflows and capabilities based on the manufacturer’s MediaCentral platform that are intended to aid the console’s use in theatre applications. Venue 5.4 includes updates to the Avid Venue Snapshot and Events architecture as well as functionality to enable programming and workflows that were previously time intensive. The updated Snapshots system includes new momentary (nonsequential) snapshots, snapshot groups. Parent/child snapshots

Taiden is a regular exhibitor at the show

There were also people praising the quality of visitor that they were able to spend time with. ‘I’ve seen quite a few consultants which has been quite interesting,’ reflected Rod Geary from Clockaudio. ‘It’s been nice to see some of the consultants that I haven’t been too familiar with in the past and to see some new people. It’s been good and there was interest as well in our ceiling products.’

The software also allows users to freely assign outputs between networked S6L systems that are sharing I/O, enabling for example engineers to assign Stage 64 outputs per output card instead of having to assign a Stage 64 entirely to one S6L system or

Avid has also launched a new free version of Media Composer called Media Composer First. Much like Pro Tools First, it’s fully-featured but limited in the number of audio and video tracks that can be used – four video tracks and eight audio tracks. Projects can also have up to five bins but are not supported for

Furthermore, the Media Composer First UI is simplified with a single row of buttons and information in

acoustics of the new studio are very good too.’

settings to navigate and configure. www.avid.com

As for Mr Sood, he can definitely share some credit for progressing India’s recording scene to where it is today. ‘Engineers of our generation paved the way for today’s engineers,’ he muses. And looking at S&V Studios, he’s not wrong.

‘At the beginning the show was a bit slow, but starting from the second afternoon it has got better,’ said Analog Way’s Demetrio Faroldi. ‘On the final day we have had many customers visiting our booth mostly because we have just acquired Picturall. For me it has been a confirmation that we did a good job in the past. We will put more effort in on the UAE and the Middle East area because we feel it is growing in importance for Analog Way.’

sent him a plane ticket to come to India.’

www.ansata.net

Riedel advances the intercom platform with Bolero

www.soundteam.in

Equally, the show floor had an extremely professional look with companies such as Mitsubishi Electric Arthur Holm, Russian Export Centre and big impact. ‘We have focused more on application rather than

His next move turned out to be a big one. In 2004 he joined forces with Martin Pilchner of Pilchner Schoustal Associates to design and build a new studio complex for film director and producer, Yash Chopra.

‘Mr Chopra used to talk about the dream of creating his own studio, and asked me to find someone to help him,’ he recalls.

BOLERO HAS been designed to be an expandable, full-roaming, DECT-based intercom system in the licence-free 1.9GHz frequency range. Fully integrated into Riedel’s Artist digital matrix intercom platform, Bolero offers a rich set of features and connectivity that can be applied as a wireless beltpack, a wireless keypanel or a walkietalkie radio thanks to the integrated mic and speaker. A point-to-point intercom ecosystem is created by operation over a standard AES67 IP network, for which the decentralised antennas connect to AES67 switches and Artist frames equipped with AES67 client cards. The beltpacks take the appearance of Riedel panels, but are wireless.

‘I’ve designed around 100 studios myself, including 50–60 here in Mumbai, and he thought I would design it, but I told him he needed an international–quality studio designed an acoustician. There needed to be good isolation between the studios. I was wondering who to contact, and I talked to some acousticians, then my son Shiv Sood saw a feature about Angel Mountain studios in the US that had been designed by Martin Pilchner. When we saw that I said “Fantastic! Let’s get in touch with him, he’s the right guy.” I started communicating with him and we

This was Mr Pilchner’s first time working on the subcontinent. He showed his portfolio to Mr Chopra who liked what he saw, and green-lit the design. Construction of the Yash Raj six-studio complex was completed in 2007, and it remains one of the

product,’ explained Shure MEA’s Chicco Hiranandani. ‘Based on our experience from last year, we learnt that people don’t relate well with a product range name or a feature. But if you talk about where they are coming from, that’s a conversationstarter. It helped us this year at Gitex so we decided to try it at InfoComm as well. What we’ve learnt is that those who know

whilst being efficient with processing power, providing enhanced beltpack battery life that reduces DSP processing power for other functions.

Mr Pilchner was again at the top of Mr Sood’s list when it came to designing a new studio. But with studios opening on a seemingly daily basis in Mumbai, why did he decide to go down

‘The one thing everyone needs that they can’t do at home or in a small studio is to mix,’ explains Mr Sood. ‘Many Bollywood films are now being mixed in Dolby Atmos, and so our mix room

Bolero features Advanced DECT Receiver (ADR) technology, which is specifically designed to reduce sensitivity to multipath RF reflections and allows the system to be used in challenging RF environments.

Of course, technology has to be the most important element of a show such as this and there was plenty of new products on Electroamps prominently displayed while Mindstec showed a range of new video matrix switchers, presentation switchers, multi-viewers and interactive Tackling a different part of the market, B-Tech and Vogel displayed their range of mounting solutions.

connected. When a smartphone is connected, the beltpack acts like a hands free setup so that calls can be received on the phone via the headset. Calls can also be made to connect a person into the intercom matrix, thus eliminating the need for a telephone hybrid.

The main mix studio has been installed with JBL’s M2 series speakers for the L-C-R channels, with 28 JBL SCS8 coaxial surround speakers, two JBL 4642A cinema subwoofers and two AC115S subs.

The Bolero high-clarity voice codec provides enhanced speech intelligibility together with an efficient use of RF spectrum to reportedly support twice the

The incorporation of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology into both the beltpack and the active antenna lets users touch the beltpack to the antenna in order to complete the registration process.

2017 Dates: 5 – 7 December

2018 Dates: TBC

number of beltpacks per antenna for the same audio bandwidth as other DECT-based systems. Riedel says the codec offers exceptional latency characteristics,

The main room, which features curved walls and ceiling clouds concealing diaphragmatic absorbers, has been designed to offer a comfortable screening area for clients.

A diffusive wood surface around the boundary of the room is highlighted by the use of multi-colour LED strips. Pride of place is a 32-fader Avid S6 digital console with M40 Master Touch

LED screens took up a significant amount of real estate at the show with a variety of manufacturers from all over the world offering notable technology for this section of the market. ‘The market is changing in the way that everybody wants the next best thing, so it is getting harder and harder to be more innovative,’ said Haroutioun Ohannessian from SiliconCore,

Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre

Total exhibitors: 75

The beltpacks support Bluetooth 4.1 allowing for either a Bluetooth headset or a smartphone to be

The hard wearing and ergonomic beltpacks combine high-impact plastics and rubber over-moulds, whilst the display can be inverted so that it can be read in any orientation. The beltpack features six buttons for each of the six intercom channels together with a separate reply button for promoting a reply to the last channel called.

Attendance: TBC

www.riedel.net

Contact: www.infocomm-mea.com

Shure MEA’s Chicco Hiranandani

Demetrio Faroldi demonstrating Analog Way’s technology

The impressive Epson booth

Chris Hellmuth represented QSC with SGTC

WyreStorm exhibited in association with new distributor EVIG

JBL AC115S subwoofer

Hitendra Ghosh and Daman Sood

Dubbing booth

Smart sound

Following the cut is appropriate for car racing. For example, the wide shots tend to be more open and the cameras by the track are close with Doppler enhancement, and the sounds from the in-car are precise and immersive. Once programmed, this audiofollow-video seems to work well.

Computers were quickly integrated into audio automation efforts because of the need to replicate and fine tune a generally repetitive process. Mixing consoles soon offered internal memory that could save snapshots (capture process and routing settings) of the mixing consoles for instant recall. These ‘Scene Saves’ could be thought of as a form of automating the mixing console and can be as simple as volume changes or as complex as full dynamics control and routing.

My friend, Al Craig, who was audio producer for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, initiated the development of a screen-driven audio-follow-video system that was capable of switching between 24 sources. The audio operator used an external computer to open and close any of the 24 audio channels by touching a marker position on the computer screen or by selecting the button that selects the next position in the sequence. This system was flexible because it used analogue amplifiers and could be inserted at various points in the signal flow of virtually any analogue mixing desk. Significantly, this system was detached from the vision mixing desk.

AUTOMATION IS WELL ENTRENCHED ACROSS VIRTUALLY every industry. It seems like a good idea for repetitive and dangerous manufacturing, but, when the aeroplane lands, a better idea is replacing the autopilot with human intelligence. In the audio world, I do not really see automation as the ultimate replacement of human labour, but perhaps an augmentation to it – remember, someone has to listen.

The broadcast world has already implemented audio automation with content like live news where you hard switch between multiple microphones on the studio set and microphones from remote feeds. With this application, there is not much subjective interpretation – the microphone is either on or off and the audio level is either correct or not. This type of audio content is usually voice and not sonically complex content that might require subjective balancing. This mixing application is appropriately a likely candidate for automation. The artistic use of technology has brought many innovative production practices. Certainly, audio technology has matured to a point where smart programming and audio intelligence have tremendous possibilities as mixing extension features. Audio-follow-video has been around for several decades resulting from a common feature found in video switchers: the ability to activate a tally light or open or close a switch. Changing between cameras could automatically open and close an audio channel that was associated with the camera that was on-air. In the early days, there were no dynamic controls in the original analogue implementation which resulted in some rough switching between audio sources. When dbx introduced noise gates that could be triggered, there was a noticeable improvement in the sound because the attack and decay features significantly smoothed the objectionable ‘jump-cuts’ in the audio.

A problem with early audio-follow-video was accounting for the fact that a single camera may have a series of shots or points of view. A close point of view will have a different sound perspective than a wide shot. I worked with a director who could show the entire two-mile road course with as little as one camera. The road course was cut into a valley and, if you

followed the course from start to finish at road level, there were 15 cameras but, from a single camera perched atop the press tower, it was possible to follow a car around the entire course on one.

The vision mixer switches the camera and the switch opens the camera microphone of the camera that is on-air. If you were following the camera cuts around the track, you would hear the cars come and go as they pass by the active camera, but, if you are following on a single camera, there would only be Camera One’s microphone open.

Early audio-follow-video was possible when the cars were covered from a medium-to-close perspective. Problems can arise when the camera can cover a variety of focal lengths but there is a minimum change in the accompanying sound. Audio-follow-video is complex because the sound mixer is either following the action or following the camera cut. Motorsports sound coverage tends to follow the cut of the camera and not the action or the ball in the case of football. In the case of football, following the action means following the kick of the ball consistently over a variety of camera cuts. The intensity of the kick in the sound mix does not usually change with the change of cameras. For example, the wide field shot usually hears the kick as strongly as the cameras on the sideline. The audio mixer is emphasising the microphone(s) that are delivering the strongest ball kick.

Because the switch was binary, you would turn on or off a microphone or possibly a group of audio signals, but complex programming combinations were not there yet. A boost to more effective audio-follow-video was the digitisation of audio mixing consoles. Digitisation brought sweeping changes in the concept of what a mixing console was capable of – not just blending and routing, but a sophisticated audio engine that only needs to be programmed.

The computer made possible an intelligent connection between the vision switcher and the audio mixing console which permitted more choices than binary switching between sources.

There was little doubt that audio automation had its useful applications but it still needed acceptance and advancement. I have heard the argument that automated mixing relieves some repetitive tasks and lets the audio mixer focus on crafting a better mix. But sound mixing is often composed of necessary repetitive tasks, so to me that is not the best argument to automate.

I experimented with audio-follow-video in the 1980s as a tool to precisely switch between the in-car audio and track audio. This was a good test for intelligent augmentation, but not a good reason for any sort of full automation.

A good reason for full audio automation is a production like bobsleigh and luge where setup and mixes change frequently with little preparation time. The sliding events are conducted on all or partial sections of the same course resulting in a wide range of speeds and operator manoeuvrability on the course. Additionally, bobsleigh, luge and skeleton are very different sports with many variations within each discipline, resulting in the dynamics of the sound changing over the course of the different events and setups. This makes finessing the mix, much less adjusting balance and gain structure, very difficult because you are chasing the sledge at over 120km for 50s and then balancing the finish and setting the start of another race. At the Vancouver sliding events in 2010, I asked Philipp Lawo to build an audio automation and audio assist system. Lawo has long been a strong voice for audio-follow-video and its mixing consoles have been innovative and easy to automate. This course was perfect for audio automation – there were no wide action shots and coverage was mostly sequential. This made programming the audio-follow-video pretty straightforward. However, because of the fast and random nature of the pictures at the beginning and end, the start and finish were mixed manually.

Dennis Baxter explores the ever-evolving world of audio automation systems for live sports broadcasting

Kick is connected to tracking data

Lawo has developed Kick

This system was still audio-follow-video, but multiple faders could be programmed and mixed for each camera’s cut. I see this as an audio assist method of automation – and by audio assist I mean each camera cut or event could control multiple audio faders and can open and close the motorised faders in front of the audio mixer. If the mixer wanted to adjust or manually take over, he/she does not have to hunt for the correct fader(s) – the faders are moving in front of the mixer.

In this application, the sound mixer retained sound elements like crowd and venue ambiance for subjective control, because the start and finish camera coverage can be fast cuts between the athlete, course and crowd, and subject to interpretation with the sound. This is where the sound mixer will balance the venue ambiance more creatively than using quick sound cuts between cameras.

Traditionally, audio automation, known as audio-follow-video, has been tied to the video switcher. I have auditioned a couple of technologies that are decoupled from the video switcher and are so good it scares me. In fact, I call it smart sound.

Kick audio technology, designed by Lawo, is not analysing the audio. Kick is connected to tracking data. Tracking data was developed by ChyronHego for graphic visualisation that can follow the action and/or athletes and compile and track data.

The ChyronHego sports tracking and visualisation system utilises 3D Doppler radar-based ball tracking plus a method that optically measures player positioning to create a real-time data feed. Based on the information about where the ball and the players are, Lawo derives what the manufacturer’s Christian Struck calls Points of Interest (POIs). The algorithm translates this into opening the best fader or combination of faders to capture the field sound based on distance, microphone polar pattern, direction of microphone and a couple of other parameters.

The Lawo system uses the existing microphone plan with up to 12 shotgun microphones around the field of play. However, for the German Football League, Lawo has developed some different microphone strategies that optimise the system’s ability to control more microphones to deliver the best sound from any combination of mics from the field of play.

Kick is smooth with the audio transitions as there are no quick fades or jump cuts in the audio transitions because it is responding to data and not vocal commands from a director calling camera cuts. Secondly, the mix is as repeatable as the data. Finally, it can be argued that an automated mix brings consistency to the different games of a league, even if you are not accounting for poor stadium acoustics, loud PA systems and inconsistent microphone positions.

Dr Ben Shirley and Dr Rob Oldfield at the University of Salford have developed ‘Spatial Automated Live Sports Audio’ (Salsa). Like Kick, Salsa is a method that uses the existing 12 shotgun microphones around the pitch to detect the ball kicks. The system not only looks for overall level intensity, but also the envelope across a range of frequency bands for each sound event type that a sound mixer might want to capture. Additionally, they have developed a number of acoustic feature templates that define the range of sound types that sound mixers are looking for and want to capture. For football, these include ball kicks/headers and whistle blows, but there would be different templates for other sports.

When the software detects a match to a template in one microphone, it identifies the same event in other microphones. Then the system does some triangulation based on sound arrival at each mic to derive a line across the pitch along which the ball kick must have occurred. Once these conditions are met, the system can determine with confidence that there was ball kick. The Salsa algorithm is capable of detecting ball kicks that are virtually inaudible on the microphone feeds and is more reliable at recognising sound events than our own human ears. To make it work accurately and reliably, you keep a high detection threshold

to avoid raising faders for inaudible kicks. During live production, Salsa uses one of two approaches. It can automate a mixing console’s faders to capture each on-pitch sound event or use the frequency/envelope information of the kick to trigger pre-produced samples.

These sounds can be added to the on-pitch sounds or can replace the game sounds when the on-pitch capture is poor. Whether you want it to sound like an EA Sports game or a Saturday afternoon match on the TV, it is completely up to you as the sound designer.

This method is already working in the domain of audio objects. Each kick and each whistle blow is defined within the software as a short-term audio object with metadata. Each object is tagged with metadata that says what kind of object it is, the sound’s duration and its coordinate location on the pitch. All this is achieved completely independent of camera cuts and the traditional audio-follow-video, which, at the end of the day, really does not work well in most situations.

As a production tool, the Salsa system can provide the sound mixer with separate channel feeds for kicks and whistle blows that can be mixed with crowd and commentary feeds, leaving the mix free to concentrate on making it sound good instead of chasing the ball with console faders.

Audio automation, intuitive audio augmentation and intelligent audio-follow-video will continue to be integrated into audio facilities over a wide range of applications. I would say that most of these applications would be considered repetitive and maybe boring for some, but for others it might be an entry-level job position. I worry that entry-level audio positions will be reduced and some live mixing jobs like effects sub-mixing could go away. However, I do not see a net reduction in jobs because the quantity of media production is increasing, particularly for media over the internet. I do envision an evolving role for the audio supervisor and sound mixer. The technical requirements for an audio production will become more complex with more obligations to generate more audio feeds and formats plus incorporate interactivity, program it, distribute it, archive it, troubleshoot it and have lunch before the show. However, with all these demands, someone has got to listen and make a subjective evaluation of the audio. It is not always black and white or binary.

I have mixed feelings about audio-follow-video. I agree that a lot of audio mixing is repetitive, but this boot-camp practice is what is needed for entry-level sound practitioners. This is where you learn and advance your craft and move to the bigger shows.

Audio assistance and partial automation I see as a benefit to mixers, but, after close to four decades in the sound business, I can assure you there are accountants looking for ways to save money and some of the audio automation I have described is sophisticated enough to replicate many repetitive mixing tasks.

Finally, I believe complex, creative soundscapes require subjective interpretation and that a live sound mixer should enhance the visual landscape with a dynamic soundscape. Smart sound is art and must be created by artistic, intelligent people.

Salsa is able to localise ball kicks

The University of Salford has designed Salsa

Shaping sound, shaping experience

audio

Sound

third to scent. However, when we look at the relative investment in these senses by Fortune 500 companies, the investment in

opportunity will require the audio industry to look beyond the current proliferations of ‘big and loud’ and into something more

design new solutions. In February 2017, we launched the d&b Soundscape, a signal matrix processor that runs two software 64x64 input and output network that then allows sources to be construct a sonic image to enhance the visual domain of the to disappear. Equally, the creation of vast sonic tapestries will allows designers to create new acoustic spaces to enhance the

In February 2017, we launched the d&b Soundscape, a signal matrix processor that runs two software packages, En-Scene and En-Space

and the play instinct of the working researcher and the constructive fantasy of the technical inventor.’ With these words, Albert Einstein gives us permission to dream, to be playful in our endeavours and unrestricted in our visions. More importantly, he understood the link between technical innovations and the evolution of society.

Sound needs time

Ancient worlds not only utilised sound for ceremonies but also for mapping boundaries and defining geographies. The Australian aborigine has for thousands of years drawn upon a system of sounds that map the vast continent into an interconnected meridian called songlines. These allowed nomadic tribes to navigate a vast desert landscape and know whose land they were on, where the water holes were and what the pathway to their destination needed to be. The singing of songs in an appropriate sequence enabled indigenous people to navigate vast distances. Over time, civilisation evolved to build structures for ceremonies. Stonehenge dates back to 3,000BC, built from stone from 100 miles away. But why those stones and why that shape? Scientific studies have supposed the stones had

Continuing evolution brought increasingly sophisticated venues such as the first Greek theatres constructed around 600BC. In the middle ages, mankind built cathedrals and churches, while royal courts commissioned music and theatre to entertain themselves in their palaces, leading to the modern performance venues of today.

Art is sport, sport is art

Traditionally, venues have been built for one type of entertainment, with dedicated venues for opera, concerts and theatre. Only recently has the need for adaptive performance spaces led to new venue models for audiences who seek to shop, eat, be entertained and informed, socialise and relax, all in the same place. This has coincided with the need for arts, religion, retail and sports to remain relevant to the restless demands of a time-poor, option-rich audience. Recently, the Westfield Group shopping centre developer announced it had appointed a global director of entertainment. Why? Because of the changing nature of the retail experience, the shopping centre has evolved to become a destination for a range of lifestyle experiences. We can surmise that future venues and events will increasingly look for partners that provide value, innovation and a quality-of-sound experience aligned to their 24/7 programming model, and they will want it on a single platform.

In an early prototype test at Sydney Opera House, the orchestra was too large to be placed in the pit and was set up in a separate venue. The result was a flawless transmission that was realistic for both the audience and the opera singers. Combined with the speed of fibre optics, networked audio, processing innovations and the heritage of audio design techniques, technological advances such as these will surely bring new programming possibilities to life.

Imagine the Berlin Philharmonic playing a film score live to a global audience; mixed reality performances where great artists are brought together and new communities where gamers, creatives and audiences make interactive, personalised content for stadia of fans.

The capability to position sound as individual sources and to create new environments for sound design and performance feeds into the needs for more flexible venue usage, more inspiring experiences for the audience and new creative potential for artists. Rapid change in workflow and sound processing systems will deliver a smorgasbord of options. But the basics of sound and its role in the human domain continue. Sound informs, inspires and entertains: the defining connection between the heritage of the past, the reality of now and our vision of the future. It’s about ensuring art, creativity and ideas are communicated with the highest levels of quality and accuracy. d&b audiotechnik is of course an audio technology solutions company, but this is the end result of a driving passion: to communicate art and ideas through sound. More art. Less noise.

www.dbaudio.com

d&b audiotechnik’s chief marketing officer, David Claringbold, discusses the company’s

Futures concept, which draws on our heritage to shape the future role of

Albert Einstein: technicians ‘make true democracy possible’

David Claringbold

Going commercial

The cloud-based design tool was designed to be a quick way for installers and dealers to create dedicated residential cinema or media room designs, support documents and aesthetic renders. To do this, the software creates a 3D CAD drawing for any room and works out the mathematics associated with technically correct cinema designs. It uses data from a variety of loudspeaker, amplifier, acoustic material and projector manufacturers to ensure the final design meets the required specifications of the client.

‘It actually looks pretty simple, but the coefficient maths is pretty challenging,’ smiles Mr Singleton. ‘We have an algorithm that takes the width and length of the listening area, the distance to the side and back walls and the ceiling height to calculate the polar coordinates for all of the loudspeakers and give you the x, y and z axes for all of them so you know exactly where they go. To do that manually is

pretty challenging. It saves days’ worth of work with a few clicks.’

This, alongside information for other components of the room, such as the projector, screen, seating and acoustic material, is then added to the system. ‘With all the data you have entered, it builds the room for you in 3D CAD in about 30 seconds,’ explains Mr Singleton. ‘Because you are doing it in 3D CAD, you get four isometrics, four elevations and a top plan. All of the views you need, you can print them to CAD within a few moments. It will also allow you to select what the room looks like and then see a visualisation of that. You know that all of the coordinates for all of the loudspeakers are good, you know that everything is according to where the manufacturer says it should go, even how the loudspeakers are towed and pitched. You can export it as a PDF and send it to your clients. It talks about why the room is built the way it was, what the

SOMETIMES THE BEST IDEAS ARE SPARKED BY THE heaviest defeats. The determination not to be in that position of disappointment again can lead to the inspiration to find a better way to do things. Many companies in our industry started out this way and The Cinema Designer (TCD) is one of the newest members of that club.

‘What drove me to do this was a few years ago I put in a quote for a job that I thought we would win and we lost the job to someone who quoted a lot less for a system that wouldn’t have worked,’ says TCD founder, Guy Singleton. While losing out on the contract was a disappointment, it was the time spent to create the design that was the major issue. It can take weeks to create technically correct cinema designs, and clients will only choose one option, meaning that huge amounts of time are spent creating designs that will never come to fruition. To challenge this, Mr Singleton embarked on a quest to reduce this design time to minutes.

Following some challenging early days, TCD was born. ‘I started writing this about four years ago for myself, working on it during evenings and at weekends,’ recalls Mr Singleton. ‘I built it for me and then somebody saw it, thought it was awesome, and said I should do something with it.’

What began as a personal project to try and save time on home theatre designs has grown into an award-winning solution that is taking its first steps into the commercial cinema market

TCD can help designers and clients visualise some elaborate ideas

TCD founder Guy Singleton

The 3D CAD of a 204-seat Dolby Atmos commercial theatre

considerations were, what the volume of the room is, the distance for the seating positions. We’ve taken screen grabs of every elevation, plus an isometric, plus all the seating angles, polar coordinates, fields of view and viewing angles. It takes weeks to do something like this manually.’

SCB reinvests in Mahajak relationship

Understandably the solution has garnered a lot of attention since its launch. And with many of the manufacturers on its database working across both the residential and commercial sphere, requests were soon being made for the software to be upscaled to handle larger rooms and speaker placement for 3D audio applications such as Dolby Atmos. However, this was not a simple process.

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

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

The installation began on the fourth floor in a large meeting room that accommodates 60 people in a classroom setting. In here, Mahajak deployed a Soundcraft Signature12 compact analogue mixer with a dbx DriveRack PA2 loudspeaker management system and a Crown XLS 1502 amplifier. These serve a pair of JBL Control28-1 speakers. In the building’s main conference room, Mahajak installed another two JBL Control28-1s with a dbx

‘It was lots and lots of subtle little things that we had to look at to do the big rooms,’ explains Mr Singleton. ‘We had to build a polar to Cartesian coordinate converter that changes the polar coordinates of smaller rooms into the Cartesian coordinates that you would use for larger spaces. It uses trigonometry to work out what the hypotenuse is, what the angle is and then it converts that to two Cartesian coordinates, which are how far along and how far up as compared to sitting and firing polar coordinates from something. Otherwise you could end up with a height channel on the wall whereas you really want it on the ceiling. It allows everything to track with the correct azimuth and tow.

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

‘The second thing was creating the capability to handle tiered seating,’ he continues. ‘We had to look at everything from polar response graphs to off-axis response and acoustical insertion points for the loudspeakers.’

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

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

Mahajak also installed sound solutions in three of the four meeting rooms and microphone solutions across the entire site. Each room has been outfitted with a Shure wireless microphone system including ULXD4D wireless receivers, ULXD2/SM58 handheld wireless

URSA Mini Pro proves flexible and reliable on set

I want a database that is filtered so that they’re not confused by products and brands that are not applicable,’ he reasons.

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

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

www.mahajak.com

know where to put those channels, they wouldn’t even know what to do with them.

The move has also seen specifications from a variety of new loudspeaker manufacturers added to TCD’s database. ‘We’ve been talking to people about their bigger, horn-loaded, much more professional systems,’ notes Mr Singleton. ‘It’s trying to address that commercial application aspect and, with this data, we are in a much better position to cover that commercial sphere.’

SINGAPORE: Daniel Yam shot his latest short film, Time, using Blackmagic Design’s URSA Mini Pro and completed colour correction using DaVinci Resolve. The Singaporean film director chose the portable camera as it could be used as a handheld, on a dolly and with tripods to speed up the production process.

Mr Singleton is keen that the commercial addition to TCD does not cause confusion for his users. ‘I deal with people in the commercial sphere, I understand that it is very complex and they don’t want to sift through a database of nonsense.

‘So with one button click, users can filter the database for just the professional ranges from the various speaker or projector manufacturers. That will make it a much more professionally driven commercial database.’

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

With the solution now able to handle the added complexities of large-scale theatre design, Mr Singleton is quick to point to the potential benefits TCD can bring to a new marketplace, most notably in time savings. ‘Because I have been doing this a long time, I knew what a problem it was for me,’ he reflects.

‘When you are doing 5.1 or 7.1 it’s easy. When you’re doing 32 channels of discretely rendered audio, most people wouldn’t

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

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

‘The barrier to business for most people is the complexities of the design,’ he continues. ‘I can do a design in a minute-anda-half. I could run five designs using different manufacturers, different loudspeaker brands, different screens and projectors and present those to the client. If we get the job, that’s brilliant, and if we don’t I’ve only wasted 30 minutes.’

This has always been the key goal for TCD. Clients will make subjective choices but, with tools like TCD, missing out on a contract doesn’t have to be so painful.

www.blackmagicdesign.com

www.thecinemadesigner.com

The screen shot of a high render channel count immersive audio design

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

One of the JBL Control28-1 speakers

Can audio fingerprinting aid your business?

WE ALL WITNESSED THE AGONY AND deadlock that surrounded the music industry in the early 2000s when piracy – via platforms such as Napster and Kazaa – was at its most prolific. There was a sharp rush towards solutions that could provide protection for copyright holders and distributors. But as you might remember, not everything was handled in the best fashion for end users. Things got so bad that in 2008 the European Union ruled Apple must remove its DRM (Digital Rights Management) software from the iTunes store completely. This wasn’t an issue presented by the technology itself, but rather that of Apple’s business model – the company decided against licensing its AAC format Fairplay systems to other mobile content creators, effectively creating a walled garden that was ruled unfair for legitimate consumers.

It’s safe to say that the licensing model has matured massively in the past decade, both for content creators and consumers. Eagle eyes will have noted that while DRM is still absent from iTunes Music purchases, it isn’t from films, TV programmes and the majority of the catalogue. At the time, then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted that: ‘If our DRM system is compromised and music becomes playable on unauthorised devices, we have only a small number of weeks to fix the problem or they can withdraw their entire music catalogue.’ Such is the emphasis many companies place on protecting their revenue streams.

There aren’t many businesses in the pro A/V industry that have to manage the vast databases of content that Apple does, but if you invest great time and effort into your digital offerings, seeking a way to protect that investment seems eminently logical.

There are increasingly two types of audio technologies embedding themselves deeper into modern audio productions: acoustic

fingerprinting and acoustic watermarking –comparable techniques apply and are available for video-based content as well. Similar in nature, they both work to identify audio content based on acoustic markers, yet they serve quite different functions. The former is aimed more at tracking how content is used, for all kinds of purposes, but especially for marketing and metrics, while the other can offer content creators a sense of security and the ability to put limits on how certain content is used. Just as a fingerprint is a unique identifier of any human, an acoustic fingerprint is a unique ‘acoustic’ identifier derived from an audio source – essentially, a set of digital rules determined through spectral analysis of an audio source. Services such as Shazam use this technique to sample a small section of a music track before looking up the corresponding metadata in its library.

Acoustic fingerprinting is now in widespread use throughout the consumer industry as a way of identifying music for a variety of purposes. This is despite some of the major digital platforms such as Apple Music still being somewhat hybrid in application, and falling back on the more traditional method of using metadata for identification in certain circumstances. But metadata can only ever show half the picture of a sound file, and only then offers information manually assigned at a previous time. This requires maintenance and can be extremely time-consuming to manage if your digital offering is large.

Acoustic fingerprinting is a great way of identifying a particular piece of audio, but it does little in terms of protection and can often be easily fooled. To your own ears, they might sound very similar but, to a computer, how recognisable are two versions of the same song at drastically different audio qualities? How similar are the fingerprints? Some advanced

fingerprinting techniques can go so far as to identify attributes common to all records, for example frequency, intensity and time.

The more nuanced approach is acoustic watermarking. This takes the fingerprinting technique one step further by actively adding markers into the audio waveform that can be identified at a later stage. There is a whole host of proprietary techniques for doing so, one of which is Celestion’s proprietary Authestion Marked technology, recently introduced to help protect against the unintended use of its impulse responses. Acoustic watermarking is a much better approach for this purpose.

‘Celestion has invested a great deal in developing and perfecting its genuine Impulse Responses, using the finest state-of-the art gear, award-winning engineers and world-class recording facilities,’ says Celestion CEO, Nigel Wood. ‘Having our authentic IR downloads, Authestion Marked is not only important to us, given the expertise and efforts we’ve put into such a high-quality product, but also fair to our

valued customers who have paid to download authentic Celestion IRs.’

The major benefit of watermarking is that the original has often been degraded past the point of usefulness before the watermark is unrecognisable. Authestion Marked works by adding a unique identifier to the audio file specific to each customer that makes it traceable. Given the importance of tone to guitarists, the company has placed specific emphasis on ensuring the complete inaudibility of the marker. But it serves to determine when and who purchased the IR file and track the use of the downloads should intended and widespread sharing be encountered.

This is not to say that watermarking is limited to gaining control over a product. Since audio watermarking technology opens the possibility for transmitting embedded additional data in the audio track yet imposes no restrictions in terms of the type, this technique has a broad range of potential applications.

In the world of smart devices we now inhabit, acoustic watermarks are increasingly being used as a means for devices to communicate with others without a user knowing. Think of a subwoofer – once it has identified the fingerprint beacon broadcast by a nearby speaker, it can automatically change its settings to match the new component.

It’s easy to think that such technology is only relevant to content creators but, in the 21st century, the applications are diverse. The aim of this article is to make readers aware that such services exist if they had not given the topic prior thought. Luckily, there are a range of dedicated fingerprinting and watermarking services available that brands can rely on without having to start from scratch. If the topic is new to you, Pro AVL Asia would encourage you to do some more research into the potential benefits it can offer.

There are several techniques for protecting digital content. Is it time your business paid attention? asks Simon Luckhurst

The fundamental process of watermarking audio