News

Focusrite acquires Martin Audio

Focusrite Group has announced plans to acquire Martin Audio, adding the British loudspeaker manufacturer to its growing portfolio, which includes the Novation and Ampify Music brands, as well as relative newcomer ADAM Audio, which was bought in July 2019.

Focusrite founder and chairman, Philip Dudderidge, Martin Audio Managing Director, Dominic Harter, and Focusrite CEO, Tim Carroll

Martin Audio has reportedly been on the radar of Focusrite founder and chairman Phil Dudderidge for several years. The deal is reported to be worth £39.2m. ‘I have known Martin Audio since its beginnings,’ Dudderidge revealed. ‘Founder Dave Martin and I became close friends in 1989 when I served as an advisor to him and non-executive chairman for a year or so as we prepared the company for sale to Tannoy Goodman International. Martin Audio is a close neighbour and their current management recognised that Focusrite plc was the obvious trade candidate to acquire the business.’

Martin Audio underwent a management buyout in the summer of 2018 when LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group backed a management buyout from its parent company at the time, Loud Audio. LDC invested £12 million for a stake in Martin Audio to grow its business alongside investment from the team led by managing director Dom Harter.

As Focusrite takes over, Martin Audio will continue to operate from its offices and factory in High Wycombe under the leadership of Harter.

‘In Focusrite we have an industry neighbour of the finest pedigree; a global leader in its own right,’ Harter commented. ‘Their culture mirrors our own and, getting to know the team, I sense a strong similarity with the deep-rooted values of our own Martin Audio Family. It is with great pride and enthusiasm that we take this next step; a momentous occasion as the Martin Audio brand enters its 50th year.’

Tim Carroll, Focusrite Group’s CEO, explained that his company is taking a targeted approach to acquisitions. ‘The acquisition of Martin Audio is a strong demonstration of our strategic aim to expand into new markets,’ he explained. ‘Martin Audio is also an established brand with solid financials that instantly add value. That we’re just a stone’s throw away will only further help unite us in achieving our common goal.’

PSAV buys eclipse

PSAV, a global company offering event experiences, has acquired the eclipse Group. Now a wholly owned subsidiary of PSAV, the group will continue to operate under the eclipse brand name. In addition, eclipse CEO Simon Ransom and his senior team will remain in place and continue to execute its growth plans in partnership with PSAV. The senior management team of both eclipse and PSAV will continue its UAE operations.

Ransom will assume leadership of PSAV’s UAE operations as the group director, and work with Nik Rudge, PSAV’s managing director, international, and his team. The deal allows PSAV to continue building on business by expanding the breadth of its capabilities throughout the GCC. PSAV is headquartered in Schiller Park, Illinois in the US.

‘eclipse is an exciting addition to the PSAV group of companies due to its extensive in-house venues and event production expertise, and strong alignment to our purpose and mission,’ said Rudge. ‘I am delighted about what this means for PSAV and, more importantly, our customers, as we continue to focus on more ways to create amazing event experiences.

‘The entire eclipse family is eager to be joining forces with PSAV and establishing more impactful ways of serving our collective customer base.’

The PSAV family consists of approximately 14,000 professionals across 2,100 onsite venue locations and more than 50 branch offices. The company operates in more than 20 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia.

VV creates a stir with dBTech launch

Over 75 systems integrators, rental and event companies gathered at The Jumeirah Creekside Hotel in Dubai recently at the invitation of VV & Sons. The distributor took on representation for dBTechnologies last summer for the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, and chose to officially introduce the brand locally with an afternoon of product presentations, listening sessions and evening of live entertainment.

‘The acceptance we’ve had throughout the event has been a total joy,’ shared VV & Sons’s Vikesh Thamban. ‘This is a brand that is ideal for event companies. We’ve had guests from Qatar and Egypt as well as the UAE, it’s been a really nice mix.’ Among the team that had flown in from Italy was product specialist Marco Cantalù, who kicked off proceedings by outlining the extensive dBTechnologies portfolio.

The VIO L210 set up outdoors

Products such as the es 802 entertainment system were highlighted as an ideal solution for corporate events market due to its on-board mixer. Overviews and listening sessions for product lines such as the OPERA range took place, concluding with a demo of the newly launched VIO X205, the smallest speaker in the VIO family.

‘I’d not heard a dBTechnologies system before, so it’s been a good experience,’ confirmed Arul Prasanna Kumar from Almoe. ‘The sound is clean and intelligible system. I think this will be ideal for rental.’

The event continued with guests invited to the outdoor demo area laid out with a line array encompassing 16 VIO L210 cabinets – eight per side – plus eight S218 subs set up along with three DVA T8s for front-fill.

‘This isn’t the first time we’ve been to Dubai but it’s the first time we’ve ever done something like this,’ dBTechnologies’ export sales manager, Gabriele Ferri, explained. ‘Tonight has confirmed that we made the right choice.

Prolyte acquired by Area Four Industries

Just weeks after Prolyte Group announced that it could no longer guarantee the continuity of the business following its failure to meet financial obligations, the company has been acquired by Area Four Industries.

As a result, Prolyte becomes the fifth brand to join Area Four Industries, along with Milos Structural Systems, Litec, Tomcat and James Thomas Engineering. The group was created in 2012 in order to combine and solidify the capabilities of all the brands it houses.

While the group will restructure Prolyte’s management, production and strategy, it states that ‘Prolyte will keep its DNA intact’.

‘We will invest in the development of Prolyte as a brand, as well as in new ideas and products,’ assured František Zykan, CEO of Area Four Industries. ‘Our current partners remain equally important for us. I trust that in two years, Prolyte will be number one in customer satisfaction.’

RCF acquires Montarbo

The RCF Group has added another brand to its portfolio with the acquisition of fellow Italian pro audio manufacturer Montarbo.

Going forward, the Montarbo brand will be operated and run by AEB Industriale, which will also oversee the distribution of its products. Montarbo joins DPA Microphones, EAW, AEB Industriale brand dBTechnlogies and RCF within the RCF Group.

RCF Group CEO Arturo Vicari is delighted to welcome Montarbo into the fold. ‘It’s a historic brand that has contributed to the evolution of the music and professional audio industry in Italy and around the world,’ he said.

Arturo Vicari

‘For anyone who, like myself, has followed the development of this market over the years, elite brands such as Montarbo have a special significance and, therefore, represent a wonderful opportunity for us to increase the value of our group.

The RCF Group is one of the most dynamic organisations in the global professional audio industry, meaning Montarbo will be able to live up to its potential and continue to grow alongside us.’

ADI seeks Middle East expansion

UK-based LED screen specialist ADI is looking to establish a permanent base in the Middle East in order to facilitate expansion in the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

With this in mind, the company has begun actively recruiting for a number of commercial and operational roles, including video/LED technicians, project managers, account managers, and sales and operational support.

During spring 2020, ADI will be working with existing clients to deliver LED screen services for live events in the UAE and KSA, something it is no stranger to, having already delivered several high-profile projects in the past. In 2018, ADI provided more than 650m 2 of modular screens for the ABB FIA Formula E Ad Diriyah E-Prix as the international electric street racing championship made its debut in the Middle East, marking the first major global sporting event to take place in Saudi Arabia. In late 2019, at the opening race of the championship’s sixth season, the company installed 19 high-resolution screens across the Ad Diriyah circuit with displays ranging up to 60m 2 , along with 18km of circuit-level fibre distribution to deliver HD feeds to every screen and a custom-made 4mm LED podium that travels to every E-Prix.

‘The live events and sports entertainment sector is growing at an incredible rate across the region. Having worked on some highprofile, historic events previously, we know where our expertise and innovative LED solutions can add value,’ commented Nick Robinson, screen rental director at ADI.

Nextologies commits to MENA with Dubai office

Nextologies has opened a new office in the UAE that will serve as its regional base covering 24 countries. The office will be located in Dubai Media City and will be overseen by the new SVP business development, Elie Kawkabani.

Kawkabani is described by the company as a television industry pioneer, having successfully launched several pay TV businesses and supplied major TV operators in North America with multiple channels and products, as well as operating his own B2C platform.

Most recently, he held the post of SVP business development at OSN, a Dubaibased premiere pay TV operator covering the MENA region. At OSN, Kawkabani launched multiple products and redefined the business model. ‘Nextologies is uniquely poised to introduce enterprise-grade broadcast and OTT solutions at significantly lower cost than all its competitors.’

‘We’ve been conducting business in MENA for years and felt it was time that we commit to the territory in a more significant manner,’ commented Nextologies CEO, Sasha Zivanovic.

‘We believe the media technology landscape in MENA will undergo a major restructuring and experience serious growth over the next decade and are confident that we will achieve our goals.’

DesignMax series debuts in Dubai

Bose Professional organised The Installed Sound Expansion event recently in Dubai, which saw a successful turnout of more than 300 professionals from the industry witness the regional launch of Bose’s DesignMax series.

The product range was initially introduced at ISE, and later at InfoComm in the US, but the event marked the first time that the solutions could be viewed in the region. Taking place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Jumeriah Beach Road, the event was attended by distributors, consultants, systems integrators and end users.

With the Installed Sound expansion, Bose now offers a wide range of sound products as part of its installed portfolio, and the scope of these products was evident from the assorted speaker solutions on show at the event. This increased head count aims to speak directly to systems designers and installers as they can now deliver complete Bose Professional sound systems into more spaces than ever before, and with more options – more loudspeakers, amplifiers, processors and more controls – to choose from.

The emphasis is being placed on flexibility and how consultants and integrators can combine Bose Professional products to create tailored sound solutions that fit a greater variety of spaces and client needs in this everchanging market.

With an introduction of more than 50 new products for a variety of spaces, the audience experienced live demonstrations of the new DesignMax loudspeakers, MSA12X, ArenaMatch and ArenaMatch Utility loudspeakers. ‘We are excited to bring the newest DesignMax series to the region,’ remarked Nittin Dargan, regional manager, Bose Professional. ‘Along with the new PowerSpace amps and controllers, we can offer solutions for a variety of spaces and more market segments than before.’

‘Bose has done a fantastic job executing their product launch,’ commented Saad Kaleem, audiovisual engineer at SIS and an attendee at the launch. ‘They have reinvented almost their entire product range this year. I was amazed at how well one of their smallest wall speakers, the DM5SE, performed. Only 4–6 units were enough to provide room-filling sound to the large-sized ballroom. It had excellent clarity and, despite its small size, produced good bass response without using any subwoofers. It only got better from there when Bose demoed bigger speakers with and without subwoofers.’

N&M invites industry to come2meet

Neumann&Müller Event Technology (N&M) recently hosted its first come2meet event at its warehouse in Dubai Investment Park as part of efforts to inspire customers and offer a personalised service. The gathering showcased N&M’s new divisions – System Integration, Digital Media, and Information and Communications Technology – by making use of the same AV technology that it calls upon for client events.

This included an augmented reality (AR) demonstration alongside interactive digital media and ICT and SI presentations. Transforming its warehouse into an interactive activation space, N&M used radio-frequency identification (RFID) concepts to welcome guests, with visitors’ names projected onto a purpose-built welcome wall suspended in the middle of the warehouse.

‘This gave guests a small taste of the incredible creative work being done at our MediaLab in Taufkirchen, Germany,’ commented N&M’s senior project manager, Sven Schuster. ‘N&M’s cutting-edge, interactive MediaLab is where we practically demonstrate the links between various sensors – think RFID, QR codes, radarTouch, Kinect, infrared cameras, touchscreens and database links.

The N&M Dubai team

By connecting immersive projections with interactive elements and multichannel sound installations, we can showcase several interactive options and potential new experiences to personalise events, congresses, trade fairs, permanent installations and exhibitions.’

While N&M received plenty of interest about the use of RFID and AR during the event, with the company’s head of media production, Klaus Ostermayer, flying into Dubai to do live AR and digital media demonstrations, Schuster was quick to point out that ‘while these technologies are not new by any means, the creative ways in which we are using them are’.

General manager, Jens Gießler, added that ‘guests were also really impressed with our new RSI service, which we showcased officially for the first time at the event. This method allowed our head of development of the technical department, Florian Nürnberger, to livestream his ICT presentation in German from Hanover.’

N&M’s RSI facility simultaneously translated his presentation into English via its remote hub in Stuttgart, before transmitting it back to Dubai through high-performance IT networks. ‘RSI represents a big step in the development of congresses and conferences, with interpreters no longer needing to be present at the actual event location,’ noted Gießler. ‘With this solution, event organisers increase their flexibility as well as the scalability of their service, regardless of the language, location, duration or size of the event.’

The company hopes to host similar events regularly, inviting partners and customers to network and interact with the company’s most innovative offerings and ideas. ‘We work with such incredible audiovisual technologies, and we want to show our clients the amazing things they could be doing to take their events to the next level,’ concluded Gießler.

Yamaha’s latest and greatest

With Yamaha’s product offering growing almost as fast as Thomsun’s digital footprint recently, the distributor felt it was high time to introduce this growing portfolio to the UAE’s installation and rental community. With this in mind, Thomsun welcomed approximately 110 guests from a wide cross-section of the industry to the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel.

The well-executed event was split into two distinct areas. On the ground floor, two separate, adjacent rooms offered listening demonstrations of Yamaha’s range of installation products. A selection of sound bars and smaller speaker systems were presented in one room, before attendees made their way next door to be greeted by Yamaha’s switching solutions and Danteenabled speaker systems, all intended for use in boardroom environments.

This was coupled with expert demos and product knowledge throughout by Yamaha and Thomsun staff. Downstairs, a comprehensive range of Yamaha’s monitoring, headphone and smaller PA speaker ranges had been set up. Here, a dedicated demonstration of the new Stagepas 1K was offered. Attendees appeared impressed by the solution’s quality of sound together with its simplicity and flexibility of use.

Guests were then led into the hotel’s ballroom for the second half of the event where the manufacturer’s high-end, three-way DZR speaker range was introduced by Jan Crutelle, PA technical marketing supervisor at Yamaha. In order to demonstrate the qualities of the Stagepas 1K and the older Stagepas 600BT, coupled with DXS12 MKII, a ‘from the ground up’ demonstration detailed how easy it is to set up these compact solutions and explored the simplistic approach to linking the cabinets in order to produce a stereo signal capable of delivering enough sound pressure to adequately fill the large ballroom.

The third and final demonstration, presented by Crutelle, focused on the DZR series of Dante-powered speakers, which included the DZR315D and DZR15D. Also on show were the CZR15 with the PX10, DBR15, DXR12, DXS18 and DXS18XLFD, as well as the VXL24 line array powered by the PX5 amplifier.

Epson shines brighter

Both eclipse and 3db have added Epson projectors to their growing inventories. 3dB has invested in a pair of 15K L1000 Series Pro laser projectors, while eclipse has added Epson EB-L1755U 15,000-lumen laser projectors to its rental fleet. The purchases were made through local distributor NMK Electronics.

The 3db purchases are the first of several intended to take the company’s total 15K laser inventory to 10 as it replaces its older equipment. Having demoed Epson’s 12K laser projector approximately a year ago, 3db liked the unit but decided to wait until the launch of the brighter, 15,000-lumen model.

‘A lot of events now want LED screens, but we tend to favour projection as we believe that the resolution is a lot better. Especially now with the laser projectors available, the image we get is far superior,’ commented 3dB managing director, Eddie Mulrainey. ‘LED screens certainly have their place, but for projection mapping and widescreen edge blend indoors and stuff like that, it’s projection all the way.’

For eclipse, the latest purchase comes as the company upgrades its inventory to include laser projectors. ‘We are pleased to have expanded our extensive selection of state-of-the-art projectors with a new flagship model,’ explained Sacha Morazain, general manager at eclipse Venue Services. ‘The fact that the laser projectors generate less noise and heat than the conventional lamp-based light engines makes them a quieter and cooler choice, which equally minimises the impact on the environment.’

‘It’s great to have rental partners such as eclipse and 3db who go all-in with Epson; they reaffirm why NMK decided to work with Epson,’ commented Dino Drimakis from NMK Electronics. ‘Not only does the brand provide value for money but also offers a wide portfolio to cater for any type of event. It’s great to see how the Epson brand is flourishing and that our partners trust that we are there to support them.’

PRGdeltasound increases redundancy

PRGdeltasound has invested in 48 channels of Shure’s Axient Digital wireless quad receiver through NMK Electronics as part of a continued effort to increase its show inventory. The purchase is complemented with ADX1, AD1, ADX2/KSM9 and AD2/KSM8 TX bodypack and handheld transmitters in addition to three AXT600UK Axient Spectrum Manager systems.

‘We work on a lot of shows now that need high levels of redundancy, so the ADX1’s and ADX2’s dual frequency, along with the Showlink and Spectrum Manager, enable us to scan and have frequency backups for single artists on the same unit,’ commented PRGdeltasound’s director of projects, Al Woods. ‘Our clients are becoming more tech savvy and understand the implication of a single point of failure. RF is no exception and currently no other manufacturer really offers a system with such redundancy.

‘Now when we double pack people with an ADX1, we not only have redundant hardware but the ability to frequency hop within each pack,’ he furthered.

‘The existing RF wireless spectrum is becoming more challenging day by day and the most efficient way to combat this is by adding a Shure Axient Digital System; we are overwhelmed with the response that the Axient system has received across the Middle East,’ stated NMK’s Shure product manager, Shajahan KK. ‘It is without question becoming the industry standard and clients are acknowledging the benefits that the Axient system brings to their shows and productions.’

PRGdeltasound’s complete Axient system was recently deployed on some very successful, high-profile events. ‘We have a really good business relation with NMK Electronics and their support, which is integral in this region, is great,’ concluded Woods. ‘Unlike other regions, technical requirements can be very last minute and reactive, so flexibility and prompt reaction time are something we love about NMK.’

Lawo goes live with Coldplay

To celebrate the release of their new album, Coldplay performed two sets at Amman’s Citadel in Jordan. Dubbed Sunrise and Sunset, the sets were streamed live on YouTube with the aid of a Lawo mc2 56 mixing console supplied by SR Films.

When looking for a solution for the Amman broadcast mix, Coldplay’s audio designer, FOH tech and crew chief, Tony Smith, turned to sound engineer Toby Alington, who went to Dirk Sykora from Lawo to discuss using an mc 2 56 mixing console. The two sets were recorded live with Coldplay’s producer and sound engineer Rik Simpson and FOH engineer Dan Green.

The console used 192 inputs to record on three separate DAW machines, which were mixed live on the console for stereo broadcast. ‘It certainly wasn’t an event filmed to playback,’ said Sykora.

‘We really needed those 192 audio channels and we rigged an additional array of ambience mics around the citadel to capture Amman’s live “atmos” at dawn and dusk.’

Soundcraft Vi series makes its Turkish debut

TURKEY Soundcraft’s Vi Series of mixers made its debut in Turkey at a training event hosted by Harman Professional and its Turkish distributor, Ertekin Elekronik. Attended by approximately 100 sound engineers, tour sound engineers and individuals from rental companies, the event introduced the new mixers before kicking off a discussion around its advantages over other mixers.

The workshop was led by Ed Jackson, Harman Professional tour sound application engineer. ‘It was a great event that was put on by Ertekin and provided a perfect opportunity to introduce the Vi console,’ said Jackson. ‘It was nice to be able to talk about the new features we have added, but the main job of a console is to be easy to use and to sound great. The Soundcraft Vi has always done that at the top level. I am looking forward to the next event that Ertekin are putting on.’

Rotolight receives further funding

Rotolight, which develops LED lighting for the cinematic, broadcast and photographic applications, has secured a second round of equity investment from the development capital team at SME investment firm Octopus Investments.

Part of the Octopus Group, Octopus Investments first invested in Rotolight earlier in 2019. The latest round of funding is to support the next stage of Rotolight’s growth strategy, which has seen the opening of offices in the US and Holland. It will also provide additional resources to protect the manufacturer’s IP portfolio of more than 50 patents and designs. WORLD The Calile Hotel in Brisbane, Australia has had a Just Add Power (J+P) Ultra HD-over-IP video distribution system installed in its meeting and event rooms by Soho Sound Design.

‘When selecting a video distribution solution for the Calile Hotel, there were some unique project challenges to consider,’ said Jason Roesler, owner of Soho Sound Design. ‘Not only would in-house video sources span two comms rooms, necessitating a fibre-capable solution, but two of those sources would be distributed to the hotel’s 720p VOD system for playout on hotel room TVs. This meant that scaling was a key feature required for interlinking the two video networks. To meet these needs, we relied on J+P’s 2GΩ/3G POE transmitters and receivers.’

‘This has been a transformational year for Rotolight,’ said Rod Aaron Gammons, Each video source has a VBS-HDIP-705POE 2GΩ/3G transmitter. A total of 10 transmitters were installed in the walls and floor boxes in Rotolight CEO. ‘We saw the initial equity investment from Octopus, growth in our the four-function room to allow HDMI sources to be plugged in.

The projectors, displays and the VOD system are fixed with VBS-HDIP international team and the incredible reception to the Titan X2. We are investing millions of pounds in research and development in order to create products with ground-breaking, industry-first features that save time and money, and enhance the creative possibilities for filmmakers and photographers all over the world. This is only possible in the knowledge that our intellectual property rights protecting that investment will be respected, and this extra funding will allow us to take any actions necessary to ensure they are upheld.’

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre employs FreeSpeak II

Supplied by NMK Electronics, Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak II intercom solution has been purchased by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre, a multidisciplinary public space in Kuwait whose leaders aim to educate, entertain and inspire the local population with a range of music, theatre, film, workshops and spoken word performances.

The five-channel, full-duplex FreeSpeak II wireless intercom solution has been added to the centre’s inventory to support large-scale productions where technical staff members required untethered communications. The system was first tested in 2019 and found to be ‘reliable and easy to set up’.

The venue has a vision of assisting in exploring Kuwait’s past, cultivating its present and imagining potential futures while functioning as a culture powerhouse and productive space for the region. The FreeSpeak II system supports in-house theatre, concerts and live events/ performances by connecting up to 25 headsets at once.

Khalid Al Sayed Omar, head of event production at the centre, commented on the purchase: ‘The outcome is great. I have a permanent installation in the national theatre with one FreeSpeak master station. The second unit serves as a floating system rackmounted for other venues. For the way we function, this solution is perfect.’

Maestro projects its presence

Maestro Group has invested in 28 UDX w40K Barco projectors via distributor Martin Professional Middle East. They were used for the first time on a 3D mapping show at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Bilal Assidi, sales manager at Martin Professional Middle East, added: ‘We are looking forward to growing our future in KSA, and what better than having Maestro as partners to do just that. With the proper know-how and technological mindset, we believe that the future of the entertainment and pro AV industries lies in the hands of companies such as Maestro and hopefully we can be there to work to achieve this together.’

SLS commits to Robe

Dubai-based event production company, SLS Production, has announced a substantial increase in the Robe lighting inventory that it holds. In addition to its existing stock, it has committed to 80 Spiiders, 60 MegaPointes, 12 Pointes and eight DL4S LED spots, with more purchases in the pipeline.

Elie Battah from Robe lighting and Edwin Cheeran of SLS Production

‘There’s a real demand for Robe and, when it comes to the international market, people are very specific with what they need,’ Edwin Cheeran, managing director of SLS, explained. ‘In recent times, it’s also become more rider driven and we’re seeing increased Robe gear being carried on the riders.’

While Cheeran points to 90% of the inventory currently being used in Saudi Arabia for the growing festival and concert markets, having local support was crucial in his decision-making, as Elie Battah, general manager of Robe Middle East Trading, confirms: ‘We hold stock here so, if there is a need for something, we can deliver immediately. If there is a problem or there is a show going on, we won’t let SLS down.’

Baku’s AVTO Radio goes IP with AEQ

Private Azerbaijani radio station AVTO Radio has chosen products from Spanish manufacturer AEQ for its new IP radio stations. The AVTO Radio technical team has placed the Spanish manufacturer’s Capitol IP digital console at the heart of productions for these new channels and selected AEQ’s Phoenix audiocodec as the main communications medium.

With its central studios based in Baku, AVTO Radio is described as a generalist radio station marked by a youthful character and offers numerous sports, entertainment and informative programmes. It has a licence for commercial broadcasts on 107.7 FM, with coverage all around the country.

Leading the upgrade project on behalf of the broadcaster was AVTO Radio technical manager, Illkin Eshad Maharramov, working in collaboration with Rustam Rzayev from AEQ’s local partner, Saffron Media, and AEQ commercial manager, Sergey Alekseev. In addition to the Capitol IP console, Phoenix Alio is used for outdoor broadcasts, in particular sports events, for which it has been specifically designed.

The Alio audiocodec can connect to other manufacturer codecs thanks to the SIP communications protocol, according to the N/ACIP EBU Tech 3326 standard. But, when connecting to another AEQ codec, users are able to take advantage of an exclusive set of tools that the manufacturer states will make the establishment of communication and the control of the unit a simple task.

Additionally, the broadcaster has acquired an AEQ Venus 3 audiocodec system for its central studios, allowing presenters to handle two independent simultaneous communications. The 1U Venus 3 rack unit is a dual IP stereo, full-duplex audiocodec system that enables the establishment of two bidirectional stereo or four mono (to one or two different locations) feeds.

Like Alio, Venus 3 was designed to meet the international recommendation of N/ ACIP EBU Tech 3326 and includes the option of an adaptive buffer in order to absorb network jitter, DHCP allowing the automatic configuration of the IP network parameters, FEC and automatic reference clock adjustment in order to synchronise both extremes of the communications.

Absen sees success in South Africa

Absen solutions have been gaining in popularity in the African continent in recent months and two new rental companies have now added the Korean manufacturer’s solutions to their inventories. Pretorian supply company Eventech has selected Polaris 3.9 indoor/outdoor LED screens, which have already been used in several productions, while Vereeniging in the Vaal-based rental company MagiCo SA has added a PL3.9W Absen LED panel screen. Both purchases were made throughout DWR Distribution.

Eventech’s curvable Absen units

‘We did months of research, considering the pros and cons on the vast variety of products out there but, in the end, it all came down to DWR and Absen,’ said Wynaud Veldsman from Eventech. ‘Absen is a market leader and we could not overlook the local product support and after-sales service delivered by DWR. To have LED support 24/7/365 is key in this industry.’

MagiCo’s PL3.9W screen in use at a recent event

After receiving the screens, Eventech quickly shipped them off to Durban for an event at the International Convention Centre. 'The screens have been used non-stop, from creating narrow LED strips to large formats, diamond shapes and other crazy ideas for both indoor and outdoor events,’ commented Veldsman. ‘Absen has unlocked a fresh breath of creativity for the Eventech team.

The panels cater for it all, with features that stand out including concave/convex, indoor/outdoor, great brightness and greyscale, not to mention the weight and ease of servicing the panels. The cross compatibility of the 1,000mm x 500mm and 500mm x 500mm panels makes them dynamic on setups. The bulk of our panels are the 1,000mm x 500mm and this has made set up much more efficient – two panels instead of four per square metre, halving the cabling and time.’

Over in Gauteng, MagiCo owner Ruan Vermaak decided to invest in a screen after purchasing a Bose sound system and DiGiCo consoles. ‘Ruan and I had been discussing LED panels for a while and the need for MagiCo SA to have a rental partner became key,’ said Schalk Botha from DWR. ‘The turning point came when a large quantity of PL3.9Ws came into the market and enabled Ruan to invest in the same batch, adding to the rental pool.

It’s always good to have friends in the industry who you can depend on when you need quantity.’ These screens were used at events such as the Emerald Resort and Casino’s 21st birthday, Alberton Day Festival and the Vaal Mall’s Bridal Expo. ‘The Absen PL3.9W panels work really well for outdoor events, and we have successfully used them at concerts and festivals,’ Vermaak noted. ‘The curve feature included, considering the price of the panels, is great.’

Jeddah gets the Marvel experience

In addition to assisting the video team with setup and managing the entire production, SLS Production was called upon to supply the audio, lighting, rigging and power equipment when The Marvel Experience came to Jeddah recently. The event is a unique themed concept devised by Hero Ventures and Marvel Entertainment that tours the world and comprises a 4D motion ride, 3D animated feature and digitally projected animations, all housed inside a multi-dome complex.

‘This cutting-edge experience can best be described as a “first-person” Superhero adventure through the Marvel Universe,’ explained SLS Production project manager, Anuj Naik. ‘The themed attraction is a “popup” spectacle nearly the size of two football fields, featuring dozens of Marvel’s fabled Superheroes. It leverages state-of-the-art interactive technology, allowing guests to be part of the action instead of simply watching.’ The audio setup deployed by SLS in Jeddah drew on several products from L-Acoustics’ inventory. X8 loudspeakers and SB18 subwoofers powered by LA4X amplifiers were

Nexo styles its sound

Due to its long association with Nexo as well as requests for recent line arrays from its clients, Sound Stylists director Kevin Glover decided to invest in GEO M6 and M10 compact and mid-sized line array systems. They have already been used at a couple of events in South Africa.

For a corporate event at Thornleys, Sound Stylists installed a stacked configuration of GEO M10 mid-sized cabinets. The setup for the main PA consisted of eight M1012s, two M1025s and four MSUB15s, while the delays comprised four MSUB15s, four LS18s and six M6 compact cabinets. Two NXAMP4x2MK2s powered the M10s, while an NXAMP4x4 was used for the LS18s and an NXAMP4x1 for the M6s.

‘They worked really well in a stacked configuration,’ commented Glover. ‘We used the wide box at the bottom of the stack. The one major requirement of this show was that the PA couldn’t be in front of the LED screen. Even though the PA was out wide, we still had really good front coverage. The M6s were used as delays for speech reinforcement.’

The M6 loudspeakers were also used for another corporate event at Sun City. Here, the main PA consisted of six GEO M6 cabinets paired with eight LS18 subs stacked in two blocks of four, alongside four ID24 cabinets, two for front-fill and two for delay. ‘The PA performed spectacularly, replicating the tiniest nuances from the violins to AV content, along with thundering bass for the DJ,’ Glover added.

‘We packaged our M6s in boxes of six with accompanying rigging gear, including flyware, and stacking these creates a really useful one-box solution that suffices for most needs.’

Kudadoo finds its audio pulse

Kudadoo, named ‘the world’s best new luxury hotel for 2019’ by Luxury Travel Intelligence, is a tropical island resort in the Republic of Maldives. Pulse Middle East from Dubai was hired to build a sound system to support both BGM and live music from a range of sources around the resort, while remaining easy to operate for nontechnical staff members.

Pulse Middle East managing director Joe Chidiac led the project, which saw the team design a Dante audio network managed by a Symetrix Radius 12x8 EX DSP. This system serves the bar, restaurant, pool area, spa, salt room, games room and restrooms.

‘The main difficulties at Kudadoo were the logistics, the hotel being on an island in the Maldives, and timeline,’ said Chidiac. ‘The system was installed and integrated in a three-day stay and, due to the surrounding water body, many measures had to be taken in order to complete everything on time and have a lasting result.’

Pulse’s head of audio, Andy Morris, revealed that designing a user-friendly interface that could be operated by anyone while still providing options for different sources and volumes in each zone presented another challenge. ‘One way we got around this was to use logic automation within the Symetrix Radius EX so that certain events, such as a band starting to play from a certain Dante adapter, would cause the background music to automatically fade out in the concerned zones, gradually fading up again when live input is no longer detected,’ he explained.

The audio network’s sources include a Pioneer DJM900 DJ mixer with CDJ2000s, connected via an AVIO adapter, and a Midas M32 console with a DN32-Dante card. Several TV receivers are also plugged directly into the Radius 12x8 EX. Powersoft amplifiers drive a variety of TW Audio and Martin Audio loudspeakers.

Pulse Middle East deployed Cat-6 cabling throughout the facility, routing the inputs from portable devices via Dante connection points to the Symetrix Radius DSP and from there to the amplifiers. Symetrix ARC-3 wall panels provide control for volume, mute and source selection.

Clair Brothers goes to the Fairground

The Fairground Festival in Tunisia brings together EDM artists across the globe. For its 2019 edition, Clair Brothers loudspeakers supplied by Pro Audio & Light (PAL) were installed on the main stage.

A total of 32 Clair Brothers C8 line arrays, alongside four CS118 subs, formed the main stage system. Onstage, four 1.5AM monitors were set up in tandem with a DiGiCo SD12 console, all powered by Powersoft X-Series X4 and X4L amplifiers together with a Waves MaxxBass bass enhancer processor. ‘The C8 is one of our best systems, if not the best.

We only propose using it for big events that really deserve its power and delicacy – like Fairground,’ said Yasmine Bejaoui, stage manager of PAL. ‘The festival was spread over two days, in a huge arena called Ecovillage, so it gave us the opportunity to install our entire inventory of C8 boxes. We’ve all been waiting for this and, since we introduced the Clair Brothers 1AM and 1.5AM stage monitors at events in the past, these speakers have become everyone’s favourite monitors.’

Hands-on at Bar Co

In a bid to connect with the artists that make up the burgeoning live music community in the UAE, Sennheiser and Neumann hosted an open mic event supported by local partner Venuetech. Bar Co Sounds Day, which took place at Bar Co Studio just outside Abu Dhabi, showcased the capability of Neumann and Sennheiser products in a live and very hands-on setting.

Bar Co’s owner, Sean Barcoe, was excited at the prospect of the partnership. ‘Although the Sennheiser team is fantastic at explaining their products, the Neumann and Sennheiser names already say it all. They believe in helping artists, which is refreshing to see and an honour to be a part of.’

As Barcoe and his studio offer a range of services, such as solo and band recording, song writing, mixing, mastering and artist promotion, he found it a rewarding project for both him and his artists. ‘Hearing our artists through their mics was fantastic. They couldn’t stop talking about how much they enjoyed the experience. The fact that Sennheiser took the time to help a new studio, sat with artists, listened to what they wanted and gave them options to try out made it more intimate.’

With the studio opening just over a year ago, Barcoe and his partner Andy Brookes share a common vision for Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE live music scene. ‘Andy and I both felt that we could offer great value to the many talented artists that are in this country, both locally and from the ex-pat community. We both felt that Abu Dhabi didn’t have a place where artists could go and record or meet other artists to collaborate with.’

With every area of Bar Co enjoying the Sennheiser/Neumann treatment, the range of products on offer was impressive and offered an ideal opportunity for artists to get to grips with the manufacturers’ diversity of microphones and headphones. Starting out in the foyer area, a small but perfectly formed podcast area was set up that included Sennheiser MK-4 and MK-8 microphones, as well as HD-280Pro and HD-300 Protect headphones.

Sean Barcoe

The studio’s live rehearsal area was set up with a wireless E965, while Neumann TLM-102s and TLM-103s were featured on the same stand in the middle of the room to enable a quick A/B comparison. In order to capture the instruments that were being used in the live room, a combination of MKH-8000 condenser mics and a pair of MKH-8040 cardioid mics were attached to the stands and metal work, with cables fully integrated into them.

In the space to the rear of the live room that also doubles as a chill-out area, a compact monitoring control room was erected, featuring a pair of Neumann KH-80 DSP monitors and KH-810 7.1 active sub, a Yamaha MG124c mixer and HD25 and HD26 headphones. In-ear monitoring was supplied by the relative newcomers to the product range: the IE 400 and IE 500.

The already well-treated main control room was equipped with a pair of Neumann KH-310 monitors, while in the vocal booth, session singers benefited from a pair of Sennheiser HD-200 Pro headphones together with a Neumann U87 microphone. ‘We believe strongly in customer centricity and it becomes very important for us to be a part of our customer’s journey and experience and make sure they are satisfied,’ commented Sennheiser trade marketing manager, Shraddha Mukul.

‘Events like this Bar Co Sounds Day give us an opportunity to interact with our customers, understand their requirements and establish stronger relationships.’ Ryan Burr, head of technical sales and application engineering at Sennheiser, was positive about the results gained from the successful event. ‘The biggest takeaway is the look on artists’ faces when they hear the difference between what they currently use and something of better quality, particularly when switching between dynamic mics and condenser mics. Also, the Neumann KMS-104/5 could be the best vocal handheld on the market, according to those who tried it.’

Burr was also resolute in his vision for future events: ‘We need to engage more with local artists and the music industry, and this event proved that. We will be looking at how we use what we have learned to perhaps put on some of our own open mic nights next year.’

MediaCast on the power of plug-ins

MediaCast, Universal Audio’s distributor for the Middle East, recently hosted a plug-ins seminar in Dubai for musicians and music producers. Titled The Power of Plugins, the workshop took place at MediaCast’s new experience centre in Dubai Barsha Heights. The event was divided into three sections. The first consisted of an overview of Universal’s UAD and its plug-ins and was led by Gustave Miranda, senior product specialist at MediaCast.

This was followed by a panel discussion with music composer Khalil Ghadri, mastering engineer and producer Theodore Danso, and DJ and owner of Inkognitorecords, Tom Noize. The discussion included debates around topics such as the evolution of digital technology in relation to the Middle East market, factors to consider when choosing products, the role that plug-ins play, challenges in this field and the future of music production. ‘

Educating musicians about technology behind the brands or products they choose, hearing the feedback from the industry and local professional musicians who use the products and what led to that choice is equally important and makes these events really exciting,’ said Khadija Khalid, audio sales and marketing manager at MediaCast