Pro AVL MEA July-August 2021 by Blank Canvas Publishing Ltd

ProAVLMEA July–August 2021 MICA (P) 010/05/2021

LIVE SOUND LIGHTING RECORDING INSTALLATION AV BROADCAST POSTPRODUCTION July–August 2021

THE LEARNING CURVE A new simulation centre in Doha takes Techno Q back to the classroom

DLC AT DUBAI LIVE HEKAYAT VIRTUAL CONCERT

Q&A WITH SHURE’S CHRIS SCHYVINCK

www.proavl-mea.com

Singapore: MICA (P) 010/05/2021

TeamConnect Ceiling 2 – now with TruVoicelift TruVoicelift helps to significantly increase speech amplification on-site in the meeting room. Powerful beamforming mic

Advanced exclusion zones

Priority zone

www.sennheiser.com

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Contents Volume 18 Issue Four July–August 2021

Editor’s note

NEWS NEWS ISE goes ahead in Barcelona, Sonova acquires Sennheiser’s consumer business 4 DISTRIBUTION NMK gains two new brands, Panasonic partners with Venuetech

APPOINTMENTS New MEA director for QSC, Ramesh Jayaraman joins Bosch

SPECIAL REPORT Datapath heads into the control room with the latest AVoIP

SPECIAL REPORT EINO’s Stefan Weiland on making connections in the Middle East 24

Email: sluckhurst@proavl-mea.com

FEATURES PERFECT PARTNERS Hortus Audio furthers its expansion into Kuwaiti mosques

MAKING HEKAYAT Pixelhunters brings Ihab Darwish’s vision to the virtual stage

GEARING UP QVision prepares for Qatar’s upcoming FIFA World Cup

COVER: LEARNING CURVE Techno Q’s seamless learning solution for ITQAN

BEST OF BOTH DLC devises a hybrid interpretation system for Dubai Live

It’s been another funny couple of months for the pro AVL industry, not only in the Middle East and Africa, but across the globe. The head start that some countries had enjoyed – particularly in Asia – has quickly unravelled with another wave, and that has left several territories in the Middle East outperforming the rest of the world in their recovery. Major events like the Olympics in Japan are still in a state of flux, so in anticipation of the Expo’s opening in October, Dubai has been doing everything possible to ensure that travellers can get there on time. It seems these efforts will pay off in time, thankfully, as the hospitality and events sectors desperately need the added revenue that tourism for these events will bring in. As local restrictions have eased in recent weeks, we’ve relished the opportunity to get back out of the office by visiting a number of local UK manufacturers. ISE’s local events have also now gone ahead in Barcelona and London. The Blank Canvas team covered the first day of ISE@London and it was a very welcome return to something that felt a little bit like life as we knew it. While both events were small, there was a buzz of excitement behind the facemasks, and with many in the UK industry now having received at least one vaccination, there was a relaxed camaraderie as people delighted in being together again, and a genuine feeling that we are finally coming through this. You can find our online news report and video footage of ISE@London, as well interviews from our various local visits on www.proavl-mea.com.

BUSINESS LETTER FROM AMERICA Dan Daley searches for the crew. Anyone seen them?

LETTER FROM EUROPE Phil Ward critiques Europe’s 5G development

COMPANY PROFILE A look at historic UK manufacturer HH Electronics

TECHNOLOGY Audio Precision heads to the production line

NEW PRODUCTS The industry’s most comprehensive product news

ANALYSIS Shure CEO Christine Schyvinck on breaking through the industry glass ceiling 70

inside 10

Contacts PRODUCTION MANAGER Adrian Baker T: +44 1892 676280

GENERAL MANAGER Richard Lawn T: +44 1892 676280

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sue Gould T: +44 1892 676280

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Caroline Moss T: +44 1892 676280

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Karen Wallace T: +44 1892 676280

rlawn@proavl-mea.com

sgould@proavl-mea.com

cmoss@proavl-mea.com

kwallace@proavl-mea.com

abaker@proavl-mea.com

DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER Nick Smith T: +44 1892 676280

VIDEO EDITOR Chris Yardley T: +44 1892 676280

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

SALES ASSOCIATE Carolyn Valliere T: +1 562 746 1790

CIRCULATION Marne Mittelmann F: +65 6491 6588

cvalliere@proavl-mea.com

circulation@proavl-mea.com

nsmith@proavl-mea.com

cyardley@proavl-mea.com

Jessica Ubhi T: +44 1892 676280 jubhi@proavl-mea.com

COVER: Hamad Medical Centre PRINTER: Times Printers Singapore LICENCES: Singapore: MCI (P) 010/05/2021 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the copyright owners.

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PUBLISHED BY: 17 Upper Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2DU, UK

@ProAVLMEAMagazine July–August 2021 PRO AVL MEA 3

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NEWS

ISE goes live in Barcelona

More than 50 exhibitors took booths inside the Fira WORLD

Making its Barcelona debut, ISE Live & Online welcomed the AV industry to the first inperson and hybrid event to take place at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via venue since November 2019. The two-day physical exhibition featured more than 50 exhibitor booths, in-person keynotes and roundtables, as well as the concurrent ISE Digital programme. “This event is important for the AV and live events industries, and for the city,” Integrated Systems Events managing director, Mike Blackman commented. “It’s been a 17-year journey to get to Barcelona so it’s bittersweet not to make the big bang we’d hoped for our debut, but we know the value of live events for forging trust, deeper business relationships and driving business. I hope this sends a message of confidence to cities around the world that live events can be safe and successful. We’ll be back in Barcelona, with all our might, in February 2022.” ISE’s first hybrid event combined live and digital content, achieving 1,431 in-person attendees on Day 1, and 990 on Day 2 in

Barcelona. Over 8,000 registered for ISE Digital, which featured 120 live sessions generating 13,759 unique views, 107,718 minutes watched (1,778 hours) and 442 online chats. All visitors within the venue had a negative Covid-19 anti-allergen test result prior to entry and wore FFP2 NR facemasks while inside. The feedback from exhibitors indicated that the hybrid has been largely positively received. “After the first day of the show we are happy to say we made the right decision to exhibit as we have been busy all day with customers,” said Juan Jose Vila, CSO, Equipson. “Customers haven’t been able to meet face-to-face for more than a year. Everybody is excited to meet again and you can feel that. We have been saying to the world that these events can be done in a safe way and so we have to demonstrate it to the world – this was the opportunity to do it.” Added Heinz Pfannenschmidt, founder and CEO of IC Audio: “Barcelona ISE is small but fine. There’s a feeling of restarting

The Amate booth the business in a positive mood. We’ve met some Spanish clients and also a few international ones.” “Barco attended ISE 2021 in Barcelona to connect with our customers. We have been in virtual video sessions for too long and we needed to meet face-to-face. The future is hybrid which means there will be some video, there will be some conference calling but there’s going to be a lot more face-to-face.

S Meeting back with our partners is what gives us energy,” explained Peter Pauwels, VP sales EMEA at Barco. Oriol Massague, field marketing manager at Panasonic, added: “After more than a year without events and exhibitions, we were excited and delighted to meet people faceto-face again. From lenders, buyers, systems integrators, distributors and sellers – everybody.” Joan Amate, Amate’s VP and CTO, added: “We were one of only three major PA loudspeaker manufacturers exhibiting, so the sector was fairly underrepresented. Nonetheless, there was definitely a significant amount of visitors from the sector among attendees, and we had valuable conversations and exchanges with people; some of whom we had not met before and others we had not seen for some time. There is obviously no reasonable comparison with the usual scale of an ISE but, as a local regional event, there was the sense that there was the opportunity for contacts and conversations that might otherwise have been drowned out in a full-on international event.” “Over the last year-and-a-half, AV professionals have showed their determination to stay connected virtually, while anxiously awaiting the opportunity to convene together in person,” concluded David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA. “Through the commitment of many, from exhibitors to the Fira, the City of Barcelona and the government of Catalonia, we were able to gather in person to learn, network and celebrate the world of AV at ISE Barcelona. It was wonder ful to welcome the AV community back together and we get to do it again at ISE London.” With the doors of the Fira now closed, the organiser looks to 23–24 June (yet to take place at the time of writing) for its follow-up networking event in London, which will include live keynotes and roundtables from the Main Stage, and an onsite pub built inside the venue for attendees to reconnect with industry friends, colleagues and contacts. www.iseurope.org

An Encore for eclipse MIDDLE EAST

eclipse has announced that it has begun to operate under the Encore brand and will rename its legal entities into Encore Staging Services and Encore Venue Services in the UAE. The Dubai-based live events production entity joins a global portfolio of companies, including PSAV, Hawthorn, AVC Live and KFP, under the new Encore master brand first launched in January 2021. “We have created a brand that delivers on our mission to become an invaluable partner on our customers’ journey to success, and we’re thrilled that eclipse is now able to join us under the Encore

identity,” said Nik Rudge, managing director – EMEA, Encore. “I am excited about what this means for us here at Encore, and more importantly our customers, as we continue to focus on delivering events that transform in locations throughout the Gulf region. We have an obligation to help our clients and partners reach their goals and objectives, and today

we will do that both across the EMEA region and globally under a unified brand that reflects that commitment.” Powered by the tagline Events that Transform, the Encore brand identity operates under the knowledge that events of all types have the power to create impactful and transformative experiences that deliver real results. As an end-to-end solutions provider with a global network and local presence, the new hybrid solutions and virtual platforms provided by Encore complement its in-person event expertise and have kept customers meeting in a changed world, demonstrating the company’s commitment

to continue to innovate, transform and lead the industry. “I am delighted that we’re finally operating under a single brand, offering our customers a broader service portfolio,” commented Simon Ransom, group director – Middle East, Encore, who joined eclipse in 2010 before becoming CEO in 2016. “With a footprint now covering more than 20 countries, we’re able to provide the expertise of a partner that understands local nuances with the vast resources of a global leader.” www.encore-emea.com/middleeast

4 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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NEWS

Sonova acquires Sennheiser consumer business WORLD

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After revealing plans in February to concentrate on its three pro business units, Sennheiser has found a par tner for its consumer division: provider of medical hearing solutions, Sonova. Headquar tered in Switzerland, Sonova will acquire the Sennheiser consumer business, adding headphones and soundbars to its hearing care por tfolio, which includes hearing aids and cochlear implants. Sonova will build on Sennheiser technology, combining it with its own exper tise and strengths in the field of innovative

divisions. “In pro audio, with a focus on digital ser vices, we intend to fur ther strengthen our excellent position in the global market,” continued the CEOs’ statement. “In business communications, we will greatly expand our product por tfolio in the coming years. Our goal is to be present with our products in the majority of meeting rooms and lecture halls around the world. And Neumann, with its legendar y products, is already one of the world’s best-known brands for studio-grade audio solutions. Here, too, we will focus on digital workflows in the future and fur ther expand the business.”

The brothers describe the move as one of the biggest changes in Sennheiser’s 75-year histor y. “We strongly believe that it is the right step, as it will enable sustainable growth for all business units – including for the consumer business which will continue at Sonova. At the same time, change creates new perspectives, oppor tunities and ideas for the future. We look for ward to exploring these with Sonova, breaking new ground together and strengthening the Sennheiser brand.” www.sennheiser.com www.sonova.com

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hearing solutions. Under the joint Sennheiser brand, the companies plan to work together permanently to provide customers with audio solutions and premium products into the future. “The combination of our strengths provides an excellent star ting point for future growth,” said co-CEOs, Andreas and Daniel Sennheiser, in a joint statement. “We are convinced that Sonova will strengthen the consumer business in the long term and capture the potential in the best possible way – especially in the market for speech enhanced hearables as well as true wireless and audiophile headphones. “In both companies – Sonova and Sennheiser – there are great people behind the innovative audio solutions: teams full of passion and motivation who work continuously to create new hearing experiences for customers around the world – whether with true wireless headphones or hearing aids. The exper tise and years of experience of these teams will complement each other in the future and grow together in the new consumer unit at Sonova.” Sonova will take over the development and production areas of the Sennheiser consumer division, with all Sennheiser employees affected by the new par tnership transferring to Sonova. The par tnership will allow Sennheiser to concentrate on its strengths and resources in the pro audio, business communications and Neumann

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July–August 2021 PRO AVL MEA 5

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NEWS

K-array targets new markets with KGEAR launch

GF82 WORLD

Italian speaker manufacturer K-array has unveiled a new line of audio solutions with the aim of introducing state-of-the-art technologies with its products targeting budget-sensitive yet highly demanding applications. Named KGEAR, the new brand’s portfolio has been divided into two segments – High Performance and Installed Sound. The complete portfolio includes a range of column systems, line arrays, ceiling and wall-mount speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers for everything from large venues and commercial buildings to room-sized, residential environments. “Over the past two years we took the chance to re-focus ourselves and start dreaming and designing in a different,

challenging perspective to draw on the very essence of K-array and apply it to create a more accessible product line, without sacrificing the quality and performance we are known worldwide for,” said Alessandro Tatini, K-array co-founder, CEO and president of R&D. “KGEAR is an idea we’ve been carrying with us for many years now,” added co-founder and CFO, Massimo Ferrati. “Being able to invest and dedicate our time and effort to make it come true in such a special moment is the result of a deeper process we have undertaken a long time ago. We’re proud to make this addition to our path and give a new expression to our innovation.” To date, the manufacturer has been liaising with established K-array distributors throughout APAC and MEA to expand its

dealer network for the new solutions. The K-array China subsidiary together with the manufacturer’s China distributor, Artsound, unveiled the brand in person for the first time at the Prolight + Sound show in Guangzhou recently. “Two of the most interesting products we are launching are our GF22 and GF82 columns,” explained KGEAR global sales and marketing manager, Lorenzo De Poi. “Featuring the same tiny column format, these two speakers are substantially different. The GF22 is a 2x2-inch full-range point source speaker, while the GF82 is an 8x2-inch mini line array that benefits from K-array’s PAT (Pure Array Technology). Thanks to their compact and neat design, these two speakers are perfect for low eye impact indoor and outdoor distributed sound applications where either coverage or extreme directivity are required. “Another exciting product is the GP8A, our PA column system with an 8-inch active subwoofer unit and a 4x2.5-inch line array column module,” furthered De Poi. “This compact system is very easy to set up and features Bluetooth connectivity which also allows you to pair two units together in True Wireless Stereo mode. It also has a built-in mixer with two mic inputs and reverb, a USB/SD player and separate controls for the subwoofer unit level. It’s the per fect companion for an acoustic duo, a cocktail party, a small event or a loud karaoke session at home.” Following the launch, K-array will add KGEAR training modules to the K-academy for anyone seeking more information on the new line.

SOUNDBITES CABSAT SHIFTS TO OCTOBER UAE: Following a consultation with stakeholders, CABSAT 2021 will now take place “live and in-person” from 26–28 October at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The change of dates has been prompted by the expectation of increased international travel to the country for the upcoming EXPO. Besides a special

focus on the SATEXPO Summit with a wider content offering, the organiser has announced the launch of “NextGen Content” in partnership with Dubai Studio City, a new marketplace to buy, sell or co-produce TV and FILM content for the Arabic market. The exhibition was originally due to take place from 24–26 May. “The launch of NextGen Content at CABSAT 2021 in October will deliver unprecedented strategic opportunities to the broadcast industry,” said Majed Al Suwaidi, managing director of Dubai Studio City. www.cabsat.com

www.kgear.it

Universal Audio purchases Focusrite Group acquires Sequential Townsend Labs WORLD

WORLD

Universal Audio (UA) has announced an asset purchase agreement with Townsend Labs Inc that will see the latter’s TEC awardwinning Sphere L22 Microphone System join the UA product line-up. With the agreement, Townsend Labs founders Chris Townsend and Erik Papp will join the UA team, working to develop future microphone products under the UA brand.

Powered by proprietary microphone modelling technology, the Sphere L22 mic system provides a wide range of mic sounds, allowing for auditioning and the selection of various mic types and polar patterns after audio has been recorded. UA has partnered with Townsend Labs since 2017, most notably on the Ocean Way and Bill Putnam Microphone Model Collections for Sphere L22 on the UAD and Apollo platforms. UA will continue to support all the Sphere L22 system’s current audio platforms, including UAD, AAX DSP, AAX Native, VST and AU. “The Sphere L22 microphone is the perfect platform for us,” said Bill Putnam, CEO of Universal Audio. “With UA’s expertise in modelling vintage audio gear and Townsend’s industry‑leading mic modelling technology, we’re poised to bring customers significant innovations in this segment of industry.” www.townsendlabs.com www.uaudio.com

Focusrite Group has announced the acquisition of US synthesiser manufacturer Sequential, led by electronic instrument designer and Grammy winner Dave Smith. Sequential has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Focusrite plc, its day-today operations and product development remaining unchanged and under the guidance of Smith and his team. The move brings the Sequential line of instruments into Focusrite Group’s growing product portfolio which includes new installation brand, Optimal Audio. “We’re excited and pleased to add Sequential’s instruments and pedigree to Focusrite Group’s portfolio of world-class audio and music production tools,” commented Focusrite founder, Phil Dudderidge. “Dave Smith’s history as an innovator speaks for itself. From his creation of the world’s first fully programmable polysynth, the Prophet 5, to his co-invention of MIDI, Dave has literally changed the world of music several times. We’re looking forward to continuing his

history of innovation and expanding the global market for Sequential’s instruments.” Alongside the new acquisition, Focusrite Group now encompasses the Focusrite, Focusrite Pro, Martin Audio, Optimal Audio, ADAM Audio, Novation and Ampify brands. The group has stated that Sequential will benefit from greater resources to expand its global markets and future R&D efforts. www.focusriteplc.com www.sequential.com

6 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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NEWS

TIG opens Johannesburg Martin Audio and Experience Space Interfacio win Queen’s Award for Enterprise

WORLD

UK companies Martin Audio and Interfacio have each won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. The loudspeaker manufacturer has been recognised with an Enterprise for Innovation award for its Wavefront Precision optimised line arrays, while the AV recruiter received the Enterprise for International Trade award in recognition of its consistent Non-UK growth experienced between 2014

install and live sound applications and the Queen’s Award for Enterprise underlines both its innovation and commercial success.” “We are extremely honoured to be receiving this award and would like to acknowledge the hard work and commitment shown by our whole team in delivering consistent results for our clients and candidates around the world in what continues to

SOUTH AFRICA

Technological Innovations Group (TIG) has opened a new experience centre for the South African market in Johannesburg. The new showroom is ready and waiting to welcome integrators, consultants and end users from across the region that wish to explore the company’s portfolio of smart space solutions in more detail. “We’re so excited to bring TIG’s portfolio of smart space solutions directly to our customers here in South Africa,” commented TIG’s regional director for Africa, Rupert Denoon. “We’re here every day to provide Covid-safe tours of our new showroom, so you can enjoy private demos and see our solutions in action. Give us a call, drop us a line or book your visit on TIG’s website. We look forward to welcoming all our valued partners, clients and end users to discuss your projects and provide a solutionsbased, futureproof approach with Crestron at the core.” The Johannesburg opening follows the launch of TIG’s Frankfurt, London and Paris Experience Spaces, all of which are designed to give

visitors a first-hand demonstration of how the company’s ecosystem of AV, UC, IT and control solutions integrates. The technologies available to explore in the Johannesburg Experience Space are built around the complete Crestron offering and include collaboration and residential smart space technology from Crestron, keypads for the hotel and home from Black Nova, the Desk Sign and Blynclight ranges from Embrava, remote monitoring and power distribution solutions from GUDE, workspace management software from NFS, and custom switches and sockets for the hotel and home from Rhombus Europe. Over the coming months, the company plans to host bespoke, personalised events at the Johannesburg site, offering a Covid-safe platform to discover how its portfolio integrates harmoniously with Crestron’s solutions. Guests can book a one-to-one appointment with the most relevant TIG specialist directly online.

and 2020. The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is the most prestigious business award in the UK. “It’s an honour to win such a prestigious award and very fitting to do so in our 50th anniversary year,” said Martin Audio managing director, Dom Harter. “Wavefront Precision arrays have become our fastest ever selling line array format suitable for both

be a fast-changing and often challenging market,” commented Interfacio founder and managing director, Richard Wear. “Recruiting in international markets requires experience, expertise and high sensitivity to differences in communication and business cultures. Recent search project successes for clients in Norway, Denmark, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, China, Canada and the US illustrate the depth and strength of the capability we now have internationally.” www.interfacio.com www.martin-audio.com

www.tig.eu

Shure launches ADX5D in the Middle East UAE

Shure MEA returned to a live and in-person format for its latest product unveiling on 14 June. The microphone manufacturer invited the local industry to attend the launch of its new ADX5D portable transmitter at the Renaissance Downtown Hotel in Dubai, alongside a virtual component that allowed those located outside of the city to still join in. Following a run-down of the company’s existing flagship products, such as Axient Digital, TwinPlex and DuraPlex, the new ADX5D was introduced as the flagship portable dualchannel receiver for the Axient Digital system, with a brand-new form factor better suited to film and TV production by connecting directly to the audio inputs of a professional broadcast camera. While the Axient Digital system is primarily deployed in live sound situations, the ADX5D extends the system’s use for sports/events broadcasting, electronic news gathering (ENG), film/episodic television and electronic field production – basically any application requiring

Shure MEA’s Barry Kessab introduces the ADX5D on-location sound. The receiver slots into the Axient Digital ecosystem, complementing the AXT600 Spectrum Manager, Wireless Workbench and all Axient Digital transmitters, including the ADX1M Micro Bodypack. The ADX5D incorporates the manufacturer’s ShowLink technology,

allowing for real-time control of transmitter parameters, interference detection and avoidance in remote, hybrid, on-location sound environments. It also incorporates true digital diversity technology to help prevent signal fades and dropouts, while offering AES-256 encryption and 2ms

latency from the mic transducer to the analogue output. “We designed the ADX5D portable receiver to incorporate the same innovative wireless technology that Axient Digital is known for, all in a portable form factor for professionals in the field or on the go,” explained Nick Wood, senior wireless category director, Shure. “We took the time to ensure that this new addition to the Axient Digital family exceeds the rigours of everyday use and lives up to Shure’s reputation for quality that we’ve earned over the past 96 years. [Sports-broadcast] professionals now have access to the same audio quality and next-level RF performance that live-sound professionals have trusted for years. Additionally, the ADX5D is equipped with industry-proven, high-performance RF technology, true digital diversity reception and advanced digital audio technology, all packed into a portable slot form factor.” www.shure.com

8 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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NEWS

Dubai airport hotels upgrade with Exterity

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The Holiday Inn at Dubai’s Al-Maktoum Airport and the adjacent Staybridge Suites Dubai Al-Maktoum Airport have deployed an end-to-end, fully integrated Exterity IPTV and digital signage system in order to help the hotel owners keep pace with the needs of the modern business traveller. Located close to both the airport and to Dubai’s central transportation hub, the complementary hotels provide scope for layovers, short visits or longer-term stays,

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Ammunni, director of information technology at Ishraq Hospitality. “Exterity was the clear choice based on its proven reliability in hospitality environments and comprehensive feature set. Throughout the whole process, Exterity lived up to our high expectations, with the solution being both flexible and easy to use. In fact, the project’s success has been noticed by the wider group, which is now considering Exterity for other hotels within Dubai and other regions.”

www.exterity.com

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as well as extensive conference and other event facilities. In choosing an IPTV and digital signage solution, both hotels required a leading-edge entertainment and information system that could meet the needs of both business and leisure guests staying onsite or outside visitors attending events for the day. “Ahead of the project going live, there were many solutions to examine – some of which we had tried in the past and others that were new to us, like Exterity,” said Shanu

The Exterity system delivers 125 channels of premium TV content as well as hotelbranded infomercials to approximately 1,000 screens across the 606 rooms and suites, plus public areas such as lobbies, bars and meeting rooms. It also provides integrated support for the hotels’ preferred choice of Samsung hospitality TVs. Guests can connect their own mobile devices to the IPTV system to access additional on-demand video services via the site-wide high-speed internet access. Furthermore, the Exterity deployment also delivers seamless integration with the OPERA property management and point-of-sale systems used by both hotels to provide guests in-room access to room service, billing, concierge services and spa bookings directly from screens in each room and suite. Finally, the solution also powers digital signage screens across both the Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites to provide wayfinding and other information such as marketing within the spas, bars, restaurants and common areas such as lobbies, landings and elevators. It is customisable for businesses using meeting and conference rooms, enabling hotel staff to create welcome messages, branding and other communications.

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More information on www.datavideo.com July–August 2021 PRO AVL MEA 9

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NEWS

MSL brings audio flexibility to 1Rebel SAUDI ARABIA

A brand-new gym concept named 1Rebel has opened in Riyadh boasting a high octane “club-spec” technical infrastructure provided by Middlesex Sound & Light (MSL). Having first become involved in the project around 16 months ago, before the pandemic took hold, the UK-based systems integrator overcame a number of challenges to spec and commission a Martin Audio Blackline and ADORN sound reinforcement solution. “We shipped the gear out to Riyadh in February last year, and the following month Covid struck,” recalled MSL project manager, Toby Jones. “Rather than suspend the work, they decided to press ahead.” Engaging with local crews by communicating via video calls and different programming platforms, MSL finally managed to fly out to commission the system during the brief preChristmas break from lockdown.

being the larger). Each has its own clearly delineated fitness zones. Knowing that the spec needed to match the high intensity of these studios, with trainers curating their own playlists, Jones set to work on the original concept design with lighting designer Durham Marenghi. RIDE is the high-workout Spin room where 12 4m trusses are flown down the length of the room. Two Blackline X115 subs are ground stacked, one on top of the other to the left-hand side of the stage. Two Blackline X12 boxes, forming the FOH audio, are located on the truss above the instructor, with a single X12 in the middle of the truss pointing down as a reference monitor. A number of video panels in an exploded format are located behind the instructor position and down both sides of the room. Meanwhile, 10 matched pairs of X10s and three SX212 subs are flown down While 1Rebel Riyadh represented a joint venture between 1Rebel in the UK (represented by James Balfour and Giles Dean) and Pulse Fitness Group’s Fahad Alhagbani and Nathan Clute, there are already a number of 1Rebel venues open in London, all bearing BlacklineX loudspeakers. “We had already spec’ed Martin Audio in other 1Rebel venues as they represent great value for money and display tremendous sonic quality,” explained Jones. Martin Audio Blackline X12, X10, X8 and X115 and SX212 subwoofers were supplied locally by the manufacturer’s Dubai-based distributor, PRO LAB, along with 16 ADORN A55 cabinets for the waiting, changing and reception areas. 1Rebel Riyadh boasts separate male and female studios (with the female studio

The RIDE spin room

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QSC Communities for Developers goes live ONLINE

QSC has launched a new online global developer platform called QSC Communities for Developers. The concept has been designed to enable an engaged and scalable technical community of individuals and organisations to collaborate with the Q-SYS ecosystem. The new platform draws a community of active “citizens” who can access a wide array of development tools, with direct access to QSC engineers and ecosystem par tners together with an online forum to exchange ideas with colleagues around the world. QSC Communities for Developers includes fully searchable access to any Q-SYS development resource, including a librar y of approved plugins, code exchange, sample scripts, design files and user components together with an advanced Q-SYS SDK help system. It also of fers access to private and public forums, ideation groups with the oppor tunity to share cutting-edge ideas

and problem solve with peers, QSC advanced application engineers and ecosystem par tners. “We looked to create a modern development platform where AV and

IT users can come together in an authentic way, learn from each other and speak freely with QSC exper ts,” explained QSC Q-SYS Control product manager, Greg Mattson. “It will also

ser ve as an incubator for some of the brightest minds and ideas in our industr y. The best ideas have always come from our developers and users, and we hope they use the platform to propel their systems and their developer careers while ser ving the greater good of the community and the Q-SYS ecosystem.” “The unique technology foundation of the Q-SYS platform gives developers the freedom to create an ecosystem of solutions,” fur thered QSC Alliances and Ecosystem VP, Jason Moss. “This community enables unlimited possibilities to create and innovate at the software level within Q-SYS, so all you need is the ingenuity, suppor t and the right tools to make it happen. For the citizens of QSC Communities, this platform provides the tools and suppor t needed to create new oppor tunities.” www.qscaudio.com

10 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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Creative Technology supports DWC 2021 the length of the room, offering the timealigned delay boxes. RUMBLE is the boxing studio, and here eight wall-mounted Blackline X10s are evenly distributed around the perimeter, with a pair of SX112s at either end of the room again providing high-level club sound. RESHAPE, used largely for treadmill running, cardio and box work, sees 15 Blackline X8s around the perimeter, with a pair of SX112 subwoofers on a central truss. Finally, the FUNCTIONAL STUDIO, a facility to be used by personal trainers, contains a further eight Blackline X8 speakers and two single floor-mounted SX112 subs. Other than RIDE, the male studios are largely a mirror image of the female. All rooms have multiple touchscreens so can be controlled locally from set positions. Control is handled in a BSS Soundweb London environment, and each room is fitted with an audio inter face and equipped with Trantec radio mics. Because of the high humidity, MSL fabricated its own rotary analogue control panels using custom-made fascia panels and military-grade rotary pots. Clute summed up the effectiveness of the fit-out. “We are extremely impressed with the quality of the system and level of execution. With our partners at Middlesex Sound & Lighting we were able to design and implement a bespoke solution using what we believe to be the best products in the market, to create something previously unseen. The front-end controls are simple and user-friendly, despite the technical complexity within the design.” www.1rebel.com/sa/ridehttps www.martin-audio.com

explained Rob Turner, CT’s integrated network technical manager. “It was an honour to be part of this fitting tribute for the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The race day and tribute went very well, and it was great to be back onsite.” Video playback was controlled through a 5k pixel base Dataton Watchout playback system and Barco E2 graphic mixer. “We provided a seven-camera PPU package with a combination of RF and wired cameras,” furthers CT’s head of engineering, Tom Stocks. “Our cameras were placed remotely across the large site ensuring full coverage of daytime race links and the closing tribute. CT also provided infrastructure and distribution to integrate video feeds to and from local broadcast trucks and drone cameras. Remote control panels were supplied to key members UAE

Bringing talented racers from all over the world to Dubai, the 25th edition of the Dubai World Cup (DWC) took place at Meydan Racecourse recently. Due to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s untimely passing, the original closing ceremony was changed to a tribute in honour of the late Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance. Creative Technology (CT) was commissioned by HQ Worldwide Shows and Dubai Racing Club to deliver a complete camera package and video playback solution, as well as communications and audio transport infrastructure for the 2021 event. Due to the main grandstand and track area’s size, CT utilised the venue’s in-house fibre SMPTE patch for all cameras and network connectivity. For comms, CT used a Riedel Artist 64 frame as its matrix, Bolero wireless beltpacks for the event’s remote users, with Clear-Com HelixNet deployed throughout the venue through Luminex 14r and 26i switches, which also carried the data for the Riedel

DSP-2312 user panels. A total of 60 Motorola handheld portable radios were used together with eight SLR5500 repeaters to interface into the comms system. “Our newly purchased Glensound Dark88ii units enabled us to transport the audio and timecode signals to various parts of the venue from the audio control position,”

of the production team, allowing them to view individual cameras and multiviewers around the site in various control locations. The final PPU mix was processed in our E2 screen management system to apply the creative masking for the IMAG screens.” www.ctme.co

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NEWS

L-Acoustics reinforces NMEC’s opening parade EGYPT

In anticipation of the opening of the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC), the Egyptian government marked the occasion by undertaking a multi-milliondollar renovation to re-paint, re-light and equip downtown Cairo with audio, in addition to hosting a lavish opening ceremony. Supervised, directed and organised by Media Hub Saadi-Gohar Company, the ceremony combined marching bands, cheering children, synchronised lighting and a line-up of famous Egyptian actors and singers. An L-Acoustics line array system was installed by Alchemy Dream Studio to cover both indoor and outside concert locations.

Located in Fustat, NMEC is a UNESCO project to help safeguard and preser ve Egypt’s cultural heritage. The centrepiece of the production in Cairo was the transfer of mummies of ancient kings and queens of Egypt from their previous resting place in the Egyptian Museum to their new home. Twentytwo mummies in chronological order of their reigns, from the 17th Dynasty ruler Seqenenre Taa II, to Ramses IX who reigned in the 12th centur y BC, were paraded through the hear t of Cairo, while Egyptians watched and listened to the historic pageant.

Alchemy Dream Studio provided audio solutions for both the indoor and outdoor locations Alchemy Dream Studio was contracted to create sound for the event by Key Films Productions’ Adel Abdallah. Alchemy’s second engineer and co-designer, Youssef Iskander, assisted Mafdy Thabet, chief engineer and system designer of Dream Studio, throughout the event. “Throughout the whole parade, live music was played by an orchestra and the mass choir (inside the orchestral hall in the NMEC) was widely broadcast,” Thabet recounted. “Our role was to provide front of house and monitor systems for the orchestra and the choir inside the NMEC Museum. We also handled mix duties in the museum, the broadcast mix for TV and the whole parade at Tahrir Square.” The outdoor area at NMEC was engineered by Remon Emad and featured eight ground-

Stage Audio Works moves home following online success SOUTH AFRICA

Stage Audio Works (SAW) has relocated to a new premises in Kyalami Park, Midrand following a change in strategic direction of the company’s Mitech Direct division (MI retail sales) to a stronger online presence. The new business model has enabled the company to reorganise its operations in a way that reduces the requirement for physical space while deploying more resources in key areas for increased profitability. “We are fortunate in that our business has remained strong throughout the Covid-19 pandemic,” stated SAW group CEO, Will Deysel. “However, to ensure that, we’ve had to remain agile and react quickly; one of our early decisions was to move Mitech Direct to a predominantly online sales model, which has prompted our relocation to new, appropriately sized premises in Kyalami Park.” The business is split across two buildings: one that houses sales, distribution and service operations, including a showroom for SAW’s full portfolio of brands, and the other that houses manufacturing for SAW’s own brands along with a dedicated showroom. “The move will be beneficial for our business in a number of ways,” continued

Deysel. “In addition to providing significant cost savings on the physical space, it’s also an excellent oppor tunity

to streamline our warehousing and operations and we’ve invested in automated storage and racking to

stacked K2 cabinets (four per-stack) deployed together with four KS28 subs. Within the orchestral hall, two hangs of six K2s were complemented with six KS28 subs, while four X12s provided front fill. Maestro Nader Abbassi conducted the United Philharmonic Orchestra for a new composition by Egyptian composer Hesham Nazih. Two L-Acoustics Syva together with a further eight X12s provided monitoring for the performers onstage. A temporary theatre housing the ensemble was constructed, but not without its challenges. The walls and ceiling of the hall were of gypsum board construction, with PA hanging points extremely tight to the walls due to projection and lighting constraints. With the assistance of L-Acoustics consultant, Andrea Taglia, Soundvision software was used to predict and measure acoustic performance. “For the first three boxes, we used 70° angles; for the last three, we increased to 90° angles to reduce the reflections on the walls,” explained Thabet, who worked in conjunction with acoustics consultant Joseph Habib on the setup. “Additionally, using the graphical interface of L-Acoustics Network Manager, we adjusted the FIR of several boxes to ensure consistent sound throughout the venue. “After the event, we were very happy with the extremely encouraging feedback of the people working in the music industry in Egypt, both musicians and sound engineers,” Thabet concluded. www.l-acoustics.com

facilitate that. We’re also delighted to unveil a brand-new showroom for our own product ranges in the manufacturing building, including Pixel Plus LED display products and Stage Plus, our well-established brand of flight cases, staging and trussing. This is in addition to our main showroom in the operations building that includes a new listening room for Sennheiser products – a brand we’ve been proud to distribute in South Africa for many years. The new operations building also houses several fully functional meeting rooms and conference spaces showcasing our state-of-the-ar t solutions for that market – namely the QSC Q-SYS Ecosystem, Sennheiser, Atlona video gear and Pixel Plus LED displays.” Fur thermore, the project team will benefit from increased preparation space in the new building and the company has increased its investment into local manufacturing with the acquisition of a water jet cutting system – an environmentally friendly process that will allow new products to be manufactured from a variety of different materials. “I’m thrilled to star t the next phase of our development in the new premises,” concluded Deysel. “The move represents a new chapter for the Stage Audio Works group and heralds new ways of doing business and new oppor tunities.” www.stageaudioworks.com

12 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

PAME Pg4-25 News.indd 12

24/06/2021 14:49

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The recent audio outfit of Bla Bla Dubai by Pulse Middle East comprised the integration of a complex three-zone audio configuration driven by Powersoft amplifier platforms. Spanning more than 9,000m2 of beachfront, Bla Bla features 20 bars, three restaurants, nightclubs on two levels and sound stages, as well as the beach club itself. Specified by design consultant Bengan Hovgard, from Loud and Clear Audio Visual, the Powersoft solutions were used to power more than 200 Martin Audio speakers throughout the venue. Purchased from local distributor ProLab, the raft of Powersoft products specified for the venue were distributed between three distinct “AV rooms”. In the first, Pulse installed 13 T604s,

On the speaker side, the install includes Martin Audio CDD6, CDD8, CDD10, CDD12 and CDD15 speakers, with the WR weatherised versions used in outdoor and exposed areas. SX118 and SX112 subwoofers provide LF reinforcement at the pool stage and surrounding areas. Adorn A55 speakers have been installed into ancillary areas including outdoor cabanas. The reception area is covered by C4.8T ceiling speakers, while an Irish bar features Blackline X8 and X115 subs. Monitoring for performers on the outdoor stages is provided by LE200 floor monitors and by the portable BlacklineX powered series, which can also be used as DJ monitors indoors.

a Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D, a Quattrocanali 1204 DSP+D and a Duecanali 804 DSP+D, while the second room’s audio system required four T604s, two Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D, a Quattrocanali 1204 DSP+D and a Duecanali 804 DSP+D. In the final room, Pulse deployed nine T604s, two Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D and a T304 for stage monitoring. Despite the three AV rooms being distributed throughout the venue in order to minimise cable lengths, some long runs could not be avoided. The Damping Control on the Powersoft units allowed Pulse’s engineers to compensate, keeping a consistent subwoofer response throughout the venue. “I strongly recommended Powersoft to the client as it excelled compared to other brands during the tender process,” explained Hovgard. “Their products have myriad strengths, namely their system integration flexibility, intuitive power sharing and software features, and the availability of presets for many brands.”

“From our main poolside stage, all the bars, reception and even down to the toilets, Martin Audio has shown it’s capable of delivering the best coverage to every single corner of our venue with pristine quality,” stated Martin Chiervo of events management company, Empire Stages, which supervised the technical side of the operation. The in-house staff at Bla Bla received training from Pulse on the Symetrix control system, which is how they will interact with the system on a day-to-day basis. “Overall, they’re very happy with the audio installation,” concluded audio project manager, Jacopo Fois. “Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much chance for a full-tilt shakedown of the venue due to the restrictions, so we’re really looking forward to seeing the venue in full operation with multiple bands and DJs and a full crowd.”

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July–August 2021 PRO AVL MEA 13

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24/06/2021 14:52

NEWS

SuperSport invests in Audix

SOUTH AFRICA

Johannesburg-based broadcaster SuperSport has invested in 70 Audix OM3 microphones which have been supplied through DWR Distribution. The channel broadcasts most of the major sporting events and leagues in South Africa – everything from football and cricket to motorsport – and apart from its satellite channels, feeds content to M-Net, CSN and on occasion to M-Net HD. The broadcaster will use the new mics to provide additional language feeds during sporting events, including English, Zulu and Sotho. Audio operations manager, Mark Boyle, joined the SuperSport broadcast team in 1997 and one of his personal highlights has been the continued development of his audio team. “We have used Audix in the past and the units offer great sound as well as being good value for money,” he explained. “We initially purchased

50 units during 2020, and more recently returned for another 20. The feedback from the audio crew has been positive and they love the sound of the Audix microphones.” The Audix OM3 is a vocal dynamic hypercardioid microphone capable of handling high SPLs without distortion and with a wide frequency range of 50Hz – 18kHz. “The OM3 is a really great microphone as used in the SuperSport application and I know it will work for them for many gigs to come,” commented DWR’s Kyle Robson. “Mark Boyle is a fantastic person and a pleasure to deal with. He always knows what he wants and regularly sends his team for audio training at our offices. We really appreciate the support.”

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3Monkeys pushes hybrid boundaries with Tricaster UAE

Dubai-based media company 3Monkeys has invested in a NewTek TriCaster to facilitate its new Hybrid Solutions service concept. The decision has been led by the fact that so far in 2021, around 50% of its UAE-based events have been hybrid formats. The company is well known for virtual events produced in real-time 3D, utilising Ventuz at the core of its productions and operating out of the central control rooms in Dubai Silicon Oasis, in partnership with e2k in Mountain View, California. “To ensure the virtual part of hybrid events can be successful for our clients, we’ve been working on a new line of services and tools labelled ‘Hybrid Solutions –

Webcasts Reloaded’,” explained 3Monkeys Creative Consulting’s Rudi Buchner. “The concept enables us to put the well-established workflows and technologies at our central control room on the road and adds new tools and processes which are catering to the specific requirements when pairing it with onsite productions. As for all events, editorial content, programming and design are key. A reliable, flexible and efficient toolset which allows us to deliver this as the foundation of our production line.” This 3Monkeys control room option is now available as a mobile unit for onsite production and is being powered by the company’s

newly purchased NewTek TriCaster Elite 2, supplied via local distributor MediaCast. The unit was selected for its high I/O flexibility and the ability to seamlessly integrate with the company’s other equipment. “TriCaster has been the go-to technology globally for webcasts,” added Buchner.

“It’s the missing link between the work we did for physical productions up until 2020 and our vir tual production ser vices since.” www.3monkeys.net www.newtek.com

14 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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GENTEC selects TSL for SBA’s latest OBs SAUDI ARABIA

Jeddah-based telecomms, electronics and IT contractor, GENTEC, has recently completed a first-of-its-kind outside broadcast project for the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA). The project included the deployment of TSL audio monitoring and broadcast control solutions and resulted in OB trucks outfitted from entirely within the local market for the first time in Saudi TV history, in contrast to outsourcing equipment through EU-based distributors. This decision reportedly reduced the project’s cost by almost half. For SBA’s two new OB trucks, GENTEC provided TSL TM1-MK2+ TallyMan Advanced Broadcast Control units and AMU1-3G audio monitoring units for each van. The first vehicle needed to be modified, refurbished

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and redesigned from an old, three-camera SD and microwave system to a nine-camera (ready for 12-camera) 3G system with super slow-motion capability for sports production. The second van required installation to be a five-camera (ready for eight-camera) 3G system, also with slow motion for sports production. Deploying an independent control system allows SBA operators to manage solutions from various manufacturers without limitation, providing them with the opportunity to choose best of breed products. TSL virtual panels “overlay” these systems to provide a visual representation of complex routing systems, signal flows, device control, tallies or technical information

displays. In addition to virtual device triggers, the virtual panels provide SBA with granular control of device functions, allowing engineers to build intricate power controls that suit specific operations. The ability to view and control tally functions over an IP network, located anywhere, is especially beneficial for SBA during live sport production, as it speeds up setup and operator workflow. “Thanks to TSL’s revolutionary solutions, we are able to have all tally signals managed through a single unit (the TM1-MK2+) on each of the two new vans,” said Karim Gad, head of GENTEC’s TV Broadcast Department. www.tslproducts.com

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Oriental Sound selects LD Systems for papal mass

15/06/21 15/06/2112:40 12:40 15/06/21 12:40

IRAQ

When Pope Francis made a historic first visit to Iraq recently, a highlight of the trip was the mass he performed at a church in Karakosch, which had been destroyed by Islamic extremists. The Pope used the opportunity to set an example of religious tolerance and to make a symbolic statement against hatred and terror. To aid in delivering this message, systems integrator Oriental Sound relied entirely on LD Systems audio solutions for the transmission of the historical spoken words, as well as for the sound in the church. Inside the church Oriental Sound chose to deploy LD Systems’ CWMS 52 twoway wall-mounted loudspeakers from the manufacturer’s CONTRACTOR series fashioned in a discreet shade of white. To ensure the best possible speech

loudspeakers were placed on the outer walls of the building to allow the papal proclamations to extend outside. All the loudspeakers were powered by LD Systems XS 700 Class-D amplifiers, each boasting 2x 350W output. For signal distribution, a ZONE 622 two-zone mixer on a space-saving 1U housing was used. Before the Pope’s voice reached listeners in the church through the CONTRACTOR series loudspeakers, the microphone signals were processed through an LD Systems VIBZ 24 DC 24-channel mixer. To ensure communication with the technical personnel, a U500 GM 530 CC gooseneck conference microphone was used. intelligibility, the integrator installed the 5.25-inch loudspeakers along the round

arches above the solid columns on the outer walls of the church. Additional CWMS 52

www.ld-systems.com www.orientalsoundiq.com

July–August 2021 PRO AVL MEA 15

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NEWS

Audio Technology at the World Men’s Handball Championship EGYPT

The Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex was recently outfitted with Harman audio solutions to provide high-quality sound reinforcement in support of the recent World Men’s Handball Championships that took place in Egypt across two weeks in January 2021. An extension of Cairo International Stadium, the Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex is a multi-use facility featuring four Olympic-standard indoor sports arenas. The Harman solution, which comprises JBL loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers, BSS signal processors and Soundcraft mixing consoles, was designed and implemented by Cairobased Audio Technology. The venue hosted the championships in its 16,900-capacity Main Hall and 1,620seat Hall 2. Although functional and visually impressive, the venue wasn’t designed with acoustic performance in mind, possessing a long reverberation time which made providing intelligible sound reinforcement challenging. Additionally, its structural design limits the amount of weight that can be hung from the ceiling, creating the need for a lightweight yet high-quality audio solution. Adding yet another challenge, the International Handball Federation (IHF) enforces a maximum SPL limit, as well as a mandatory minimum standard of speech intelligibility. “When we started the project, we were concerned that the hall would need to be treated because of its high reverberation time,” said Mario Abadeer, presales pro systems head, Audio Technology. “We suggested some materials that would improve this, but when we installed the speakers, what they heard was so impressive, they decided they didn’t need any sound treatment after all.” In the Main Hall, Audio Technology installed JBL VTX V20 three-way line array speakers on a circular truss hanging from the centre of the room. The VTX V20 is capable of

delivering low frequencies down to 60Hz, eliminating the need for heavy subwoofers. In Hall 2, Audio Technology hung four

clusters of JBL VTX A8 line array speakers with VTX B18 subwoofers from a ceilingmounted circular truss similar to the Main

Hall. The combination of lightweight dual 8-inch loudspeakers and 18-inch subwoofers was said to provide the ideal balance of sound quality and power while staying within safe weight limits. “We had to remove the subwoofers, and for that we needed to use a larger Differential Drive in order to achieve the lower frequencies,” explained Abadeer. “This was in the specs of the JBL VTX V20. And, when playing music through the VTX A8, the organisers could hear a complete frequency response. They were very pleased with the quality.” In addition to the audience-facing VTX Series speakers, four JBL AC2212/95 loudspeakers were deployed in each hall to provide sound coverage for the players and referees on the court. The AC2212/95 speaker’s wide dispersion angle ensured players could clearly hear instructions from officials, as well as the bell marking the end of each half. To power the sound systems in both halls, Crown I-Tech HD Series and DCi Network Series amplifiers were selected, which feature onboard EQ and delay, as well as remote monitoring tools for convenience and speaker protection. For control, Audio Technology provided Soundcraft Vi1 and Si Performer 3 mixing consoles, while BSS Soundweb London BLU Series networked signal processors provide flexible routing capabilities, allowing sound reinforcement personnel to configure and monitor the system. The systems deployed by Audio Technology at the Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex met and surpassed the IHF’s standards. “Hosting the 2021 World Men’s Handball Championship was an incredible privilege,” said project coordinator, Samir Shawkey. “Going into the event, we wanted to ensure that spectators and players alike had the best possible experience. With the help of Audio Technology, we were able to install a JBL Professional speaker system that met the requirements of the International Handball Federation, as well as our own high standards. The quality and clarity is excellent and we’re thrilled with the results.” pro.harman.com

E&E selects Playbox Neo for upgrade

NIGERIA

A new Playbox Neo broadcast playout system has been integrated at a Lagosbased evangelical TV channel. The system was chosen and integrated by

E&E Solutions which operates from administrative headquarters in Abuja and technical facilities in Lagos, and sees the broadcaster’s entire playout

process for the channel handled within a 3U AirBox Neo-20 server, including 6TBs of RAID-protected storage, TitleBox Neo-20 graphics management software and a SafeBox Neo-20 content replication module. “PlayBox Neo’s channel-in-a-box approach proved ideal for this project. Compact, reliable and easy to operate, it is configured with all the facilities required for channel branding, content scheduling, storage and fully automated transmission,” explained E&E’s CEO, Dhileep Meyyappan. “As well as being operator friendly, PlayBox Neo-20 servers are straightforward to install and integrate with third-party production and distribution equipment. PlayBox Neo-20 systems are also highly scalable as extra channels are

easily accommodated if or when needed. Additional CIAB modules can be integrated relatively quickly or supplemented at very short notice by Cloud2TV running as onpremises software or cloud Software as a Service. “Futureproofing was a further reason for recommending PlayBox Neo,” furthered Meyyappan. “AirBox Neo-20 supports multiple playout resolutions, giving broadcasters the freedom to transmit whatever combination of SD, HD and 4K UHD is most appropriate to their current transmission strategy. Customers also have the option of subscribing to latest-generation software updates, adding extra refinements during the lifetime of each system.” www.eande.ng

16 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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24/06/2021 14:59

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ADJ transforms ancient Cypriot theatre CYPRUS

A charity livestream event held for World Autism Day saw more than 70 ADJ lighting and atmospheric fixtures deployed at the historic Kourion Ancient Theatre in Cyprus. Organised by local event and production company, Sound & Vision by DJ Nick, the hour-long broadcast featured short, high-impact sets from four local DJs in front of an impressive backdrop. The ADJ fixtures were positioned around the 2,000-yearold theatre, creating a juxtaposition between old and new. Sound & Vision by DJ Nick has relied on the manufacturer’s fixtures for all its projects over the last several years and has built up an extensive rental stock. The idea for the Dreaming Hearts livestream came from DJ Nick himself, who has a passion for increasing awareness

the same time gave the impression of airport landing lights. Down on the main floor, a semi-circular arrangement of eight Vizi Beam RXONEs was placed at the bottom of the tiered seating. These were used to generate additional mid-air beam effects, as well as to create aerial textures from their rotating prisms. COB Cannon Washes were placed between each adjacent pair of RXONEs to illuminate the whole stone floor while also providing backlight for the performers. Key light was provided by a pair of Encore FR150Z LED-powered Fresnel fixtures on tripods, while a single Inno Spot Elite moving head was positioned directly behind to serve as a rear spotlight. The final aspect of Nicolaou’s lighting design was to augment the beam moving heads throughout the theatre with wash and hybrid fixtures rigged on T-bar stands positioned on the concourse that runs around the top of the tiered seating. The result was a livestream that combined a histrionic setting with a top-class lightshow. www.adj.com www.soundandvisionbydjnick.com

The impressive display captured from above by drone about autism and wanted to help raise much-needed funds for the Cyprus Autism Association. To ensure that the livestream was as visually stunning as possible, DJ Nick and his team approached the Cyprus Department of Antiquities for permission to film in the Kourion Ancient Theatre, which was granted free of charge due to the project’s charitable nature. Dimitris Nicolaou’s lighting design involved positioning four lines of Vizi

Beam 5RX moving heads spread across the arc of the tiered seating. Each line comprised four fixtures, enabling the creation of aerial effects involving beams that shot up into the night sky and back down to the DJ booth. In the very centre of the curve of the tiered seating, directly behind the DJ position, Nicolaou added a line of seven UB 9H linear LED fixtures. These were then flanked by two lines of seven 12PX HEX LED PARs, which when all illuminated at

Surgesound kits out The Roof SOUTH AFRICA

Located in the heart of Bryanston, The Roof is a new venue boasting some of the best views of Sandton City. Surgesound was selected as the audio supplier for the new openair venue, designing a sound system capable of providing maximum control, quality and coverage without upsetting the neighbours in the nearby residential area.

The venue’s dancefloor area receives coverage from custom manufactured active loudspeakers that were assembled using B&C loudspeaker components and are powered by Powersoft amplifiers with built-in DSP. Work Pro Neo8 loudspeakers throughout the rest of the venue provide even audio coverage in all areas. www.surgesound.co.za

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NEWS: DISTRIBUTION

NMK takes on two new brands

Barco has appointed Midwich Group company NMK Electronics to distribute its ClickShare product range in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Iraq. Simultaneously, ARHT Media has signed a reseller agreement with NMK Group for the exclusive distribution of its technology and services in the UAE and Qatar. Barco offers wireless conferencing and presentation solutions for all sizes of meeting room, ranging from huddle spaces to large meetings rooms. “With our aim of distributing leading AV and IT brands, Barco is a new and important addition to the family as it enhances our existing brand portfolio of unified communication and collaboration,” commented Alex Kemanes, managing director at NMK Electronics. The new agreement completes NMK’s unified communication and collaboration division alongside solutions from Bose and Shure. The company intends to promote ClickShare in the government, enterprise, corporate and education sectors and will use the NMK Academy as a tool for sharing

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MIDDLE EAST

knowledge and helping its customers become comfortable and more familiar with the product. “We are delighted to work with the market leader in wireless collaboration,” continued Kemanes. “Barco has been spearheading the business platform and the brand’s innovative approach fills many gaps in the market. We look forward to working on some exciting projects in the coming months.”

In the past two years, ARHT Media has experienced increased interest in its technology in the region following successful projects at the World Government Summit in Dubai, as well as in the pharmaceutical and financial services sectors. With the upcoming World’s Fair in Dubai later in the year and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, the two companies expect rapid adoption of ARHT’s HoloPresence technology in the region.

“Our current clients, as well as new prospects, have expressed great interest in exploring the implementation of ARHT’s tech stack for both permanent installations and events,” furthered NMK business director, Constantinos Drimakis. “We are looking forward to starting the client demonstrations.” www.arhtmedia.com www.barco.com www.nmkelectronics.com

Broadsign and Pikasso team up in Middle East MIDDLE EAST

Broadsign has partnered with Pikasso to bring its network of premium digital-out-ofhome (DOOH) displays into the Broadsign Reach programmatic DOOH supply-sideplatform (SSP). With Pikasso’s inventory onboard Reach, media buyers can now opt to incorporate Pikasso’s roadside, shopping

with triggers based on real-time conditions and mobile location data. Via Reach’s network of DSPs, Pikasso also gains exposure to new digital media buyers from around the world. “Pikasso takes every ad campaign to heart and strives for outstanding results. We recognise that programmatic is part of

Panasonic partners with Venuetech

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MIDDLE EAST

Panasonic has partnered with Venuetech for distribution of its professional AV and broadcast solutions in the Middle East market, specifically Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The new partnership follows an expansion of the distributor’s video division as the company has become more visualcentric in recent months. “We are pleased to par tner with Venuetech and believe that this par tnership will suppor t Panasonic in expanding its reach in the region,” commented Hidetoshi Kaneko, director of System Solutions and Communication Division, Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa FZE. “With Venuetech’s ser vice excellence and industr y experience, we are sure customers will receive the highest-quality solutions, which aligns with our brand’s motto.”

Backing up the new Panasonic offering, which includes the latest KAIROS IP/AV video distribution and processing systems, with a technical team of engineers from systems support through to installation, commissioning and after-sales service, the distributor is promising end user satisfaction and worry-free device management. “Having been in the works for a while, we finally have come to a partnership that will take both Panasonic and Venuetech to new heights in this region’s AV market,” stated Abdul Assafiri, director of operations at Venuetech. “We are very excited to launch this partnership, get our hands on KAIROS and start implementation of strategies in order to deliver to the market what our team has been working on for a while.” www.panasonic.com/middleeast

mall and transit inventory into their campaigns to expand audience reach across the Middle East, and more specifically the regions of Levant, North and West Africa, and the Caucasus. Pikasso introduced the first network of advertising billboards in Beirut and started digitising its static assets in 2010. Its move into programmatic via the Reach integration is an extension of the company’s commitment to evolving its out-of-home (OOH) offering. Now that Pikasso’s digital inventory is available programmatically via Reach, media buyers can harness it to execute targeted DOOH and omnichannel campaigns to regional audiences,

the future, which is why we’ve taken our first step into it with Broadsign,” shared Antonio Vincenti, CEO of Pikasso. “With our inventory on Reach, buyers can now seamlessly plan and execute campaigns that deliver more contextually relevant messaging to audiences in the region via multiple consumer touchpoints. We did a lot of research prior to signing on with Broadsign, and ultimately determined that with Reach’s unprecedented flexibility and global recognition, it was the perfect fit for our foray into programmatic.”

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www.broadsign.com

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www.pikasso.com

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www.venuetech.ae

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NEWS: DISTRIBUTION

QSC goes all in with TOMS in South Africa SOUTH AFRICA

QSC has named TOMS Sound & Music (Pty) Ltd as the exclusive distributor for its entire portfolio of solutions throughout South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. TOMS has two distribution divisions – MIDI Music on the consumer side and Wild & Marr for pro AV. MIDI Music has been the existing distributor for QSC MI products in South Africa for many years; Wild & Marr now assumes distribution for the company’s Systems portfolio. Headquartered in Johannesburg, TOMS offers an experience centre showroom, as well as a technical service department providing customers in the Southern African territory with customer service and support. “We are pleased to partner with TOMS in the South Africa region,” commented Ron Marchant, senior director sales and marketing, QSC EMEA. “By consolidating distribution, we expect

PROLIGHTS partners with PRO LAB for GCC distribution MIDDLE EAST

PRO LAB has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Italian lighting manufacturer PROLIGHTS in the GCC region, as well as Egypt. The new par tnership follows increased demand for the manufacturer’s products locally.

our Systems portfolio in South Africa the last few years.” “We have been distributing QSC retail products for years now and look forward to gaining the responsibility of the entire, robust QSC product portfolio,” stated Rudi Moser, MD, TOMS. “Our highly qualified and motivated team will ensure a smooth transition for our existing customers and begin to share our regional expertise to build new relationships for the QSC brand.” www.midimusic.co.za

to accelerate our growth within the region while continuing to deliver great customer

experiences. We would like to thank Stage Audio Works for their partnership distributing

www.qsc.com www.wildandmarr.co.za

SI SERIES P10 und S210 VERSATILE INSTALLATION TOOLS

PROFESSIONAL

With the new SI SERIES HK Audio has unveiled a family of speakers tailored to meet the needs of today’s installation market. The two new S210 V and S210 P subwoofers complement the P10 column speakers in the low-frequency range. For use in particularly demanding outdoor environments, both the P10 and S210 P are tested and certified with IP 66 protection class. The combination of dustproof as well as water proof mid/high unit and subwoofer is unique worldwide and delivers uncompromising audio quality even under the most difficult environmental conditions.

Certified for voice alarm (EN 54-24:2008)

Certified ingress protection class IP 66 (EN 60529, applies to P10 and S210 P)

Certified ball impact proof (DIN 18032-3)

“We are thrilled to star t promoting PROLIGHTS products and be able to show them to our customers as the world of enter tainment opens back up,” commented Rami Haber, managing director at PRO LAB. “We have been following PROLIGHTS’ continuing success, not only in enter tainment, but also in the broadcast and theatre markets, and we couldn’t be more excited to be par t of that journey.”

P10i/j: low impedance (16 ohms), 300 W (RMS), 128 dB SPL (10 % THD)

P10i/j TR: 100/70 V transformer, 3 power taps (150 W max.), 125 dB SPL (10 % THD)

Extensive mounting accessories for walls, ceilings and for flown installations

www.prolabllc.com www.prolights.it

hkaudio.com

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hkaudio.com

pro.hkaudio.com

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NEWS: APPOINTMENTS

Chant Utukian named director MEA for QSC MEA

Chant Utukian has joined QSC in the role of director, MEA. Based in Dubai, Utukian will be responsible for managing and developing the manufacturer’s presence in the Middle East and Africa. He moves to QSC from Shure MEA, where he held the position of senior sales manager. He has also held previous positions with Sharp and Cyviz.

“It is wonder ful to have Chant join QSC,” commented Markus Winkler, SVP EMEA and APAC, QSC. “With his knowledge and experience in the pro AV industry, we are confident that we will be able to accelerate the growth of QSC while building closer relationships with local customers and provide even more support.”

“I’m very eager to start this new chapter at QSC,” added Utukian. “I’m looking forward to deepening the relationships with our partners and helping them achieve new levels of success with their customers.” Chant Utukian

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Creat has a joined

www.qsc.com

Jayaraman joins Bosch WORLD

Bosch’s Building Technologies division has announced the appointment of Ramesh Jayaraman as senior vice president and general manager, business unit communications. Jayaraman assumes global leadership for the Bosch Communications family of professional audio and communications brands: Bosch conference and public address/voice alarm, Dynacord electronics and software, Electro-Voice loudspeakers and microphones, RTS intercom systems and Telex aviation headsets and radio dispatch solutions. “It’s exciting to be joining the communications team during this time of change and oppor tunity,”

Ramesh Jayaraman

commented Jayaraman. “It has been par ticularly energising to see how Bosch has proactively adapted to the new challenges brought about by Covid – one of my first priorities is to build on this momentum, leading our business into new areas for growth in alignment with our customers’ evolving needs.” Jayaraman joins from Harman Professional Solutions, where he ser ved as vice president and general manager, Asia Pacific. Prior to that, he held positions at Ariston Thermo Group and Tyco Fire and Security. He star ted his career as a consultant in Europe and has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Delhi College of Engineering

and an MBA from the University of Illinois. “I’m impressed with the passion of our team members – the strength of the culture here is clear,” Jayaraman continued. “It all starts with the customer, and I see great potential for our continued growth into new markets, driven by increased brand awareness and focusing our deep engineering expertise and resources into products that make sense for today’s end users. I’m looking forward to working closely with our customers, partners and colleagues around the world, gathering input to achieve these goals.” www.boschbuildingtechnologies.com

Hany Bartella rejoins Makarand Karanjkar Grass Valley as MEA MD joins Wohler as CEO and CTO

MIDDLE EAST

Grass Valley has announced the appointment of Hany Bartella as managing director, Middle East and Africa, as it aims to bolster its strategic leadership and commitment to technical excellence in the region. Leveraging 25 years’ experience in the broadcast vendor community, Bartella rejoins Grass Valley having held multiple roles with various suppliers throughout his career. Bartella joins Grass Valley’s EMEA management team in a senior commercial role reporting to Tim Banks, vice president of sales, EMEA. “We are thrilled to welcome

Hany Bartella back to the Grass Valley team,” commented Banks. “His business acumen, deep understanding of technology and passion for the industry will be great assets. We see tremendous opportunity for growth in the Middle East region as the industry embarks on the next phase of technology transformation. Hany’s appointment exemplifies GV’s commitment to our customers and GV’s ambition to strengthen our market leadership position in the region.” Commenting on his return to Grass Valley, Bartella said: “The broadcast industry is evolving rapidly, with exciting innovations in emerging formats and new ways of producing content coming to the fore. I am excited to return to Grass Valley to join a team that is dedicated to enabling customers in the Middle East realise the full potential of these broadcasting advancements.” Prior to his appointment, Bartella was head of media sales at Sony for the Middle East and Africa. He also established a significant foothold in the region in his previous role with Grass Valley as managing director for the Middle East, during which he successfully managed the restructuring of Miranda and Grass Valley offices for the combined company’s local operations.

WORLD

Makarand Karanjkar has joined Wohler Technologies as its new CEO and CTO. Moving from a leadership position at Amazon, Karanjkar has previous experience at Dolby and brings a wealth of technical and engineering expertise to the new position. The company’s current CEO and CFO, Michael Kelly, will retain the CFO role and has also been named chairman of the board. Over the past two years, the video, audio and data monitoring solutions manufacturer has been focused on developing new IP-based products that incorporate the latest broadcast formats. Its iAM-12G-SDI was the first in-rack monitor to offer optional Dolby Atmos decoding using a software-only solution and has since been adopted by major networks and streaming services across the globe. With a strong technical background, Karanjkar will continue to drive Wohler’s strategic roadmap. “With a strong brand built on customer trust and solid engineering, Wohler is well positioned to continue to offer exciting

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Makarand Karanjkar market-leading products and solutions,” Karanjkar commented. “As the industry transitions to IP workflows, I look forward to building on this momentum and working closely with our customers to offer the next generation of innovative, scalable monitoring products.” www.wohler.com

www.grassvalley.com

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NEWS: APPOINTMENTS

Carlos Aguilar joins Creative Technology Middle East

Dewald Adendorff becomes technical support engineer for Crestron in SA

Creative Technology Middle (CTME) East has announced that Carlos Aguilar has joined its live events video engineering

Technological Innovations Group (TIG) has appointed Dewald Adendorff to the role of technical support engineer for Crestron in South Africa. He will be responsible for providing technical advice to Crestron customers in addition to assisting the regional sales team. “Congratulations and welcome to the team, Dewald,” commented Rupert Denoon, TIG’s regional sales director for Crestron in Southern Africa. “We’re excited to benefit from Dewald’s experience, technical mindset and results-driven approach, and to pass this on to our valued customers here in South Africa.” Dewald added: “I am extremely excited to join such a world-class brand. No matter where I’ve been, Crestron has always been part of conversations, and now I am ready to

MIDDLE EAST

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Carlos Aguilar

division. Aguilar has worked in the live events and broadcast industries for 11 years and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the CTME team. Highly qualified, Aguilar has a bachelor’s degree in TV and Video Production, is a cer tified Barco Switcher Operator and a disguise specialist with exper t knowledge in projection mapping, creative programming and ser ver workflows. Over the years, he has worked on multiple high-profile events in Nor th America and the Middle East, leading a team of video engineers across various projects such as The Fight Island UFC, Abu Dhabi F1 concer ts, televised award shows and AMWAY, to name a few. www.ctme.co

SOUTH AFRICA

Dewald Adendorff start the journey here and contribute to the success story in South Africa.” www.tig.eu

Erçin Ural joins Harman as EMEA sales manager for cinema and installation audio MIDDLE EAST

Erçin Ural has joined Harman Professional Solutions as its new EMEA sales manager for cinema and installation audio. Ural is a veteran in the AV industry with more than 25 years’ experience in theatre and all aspects of installed AV, including cinema, corporate AV, hospitality, DSP and audio networking. He has worked on a multitude of projects across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, and was involved in the design and sale of the first Dolby Atmos cinema in Turkey more than a decade ago. “I am thrilled to join Harman Professional and the amazing audio team,” Ural commented.

Erçin Ural

“This is a great time of opportunity in both the cinema and installed audio markets. I am looking forward to working in collaboration with our partners and leveraging my past knowledge and experience to develop these markets from within Harman.” While the manufacturer acknowledges that the cinema market has suffered throughout the pandemic, it’s expecting the new cinema-focused role will foster stronger relationships and help to develop new partnerships as the market recovers.

“As we move past these challenging times, the cinema and installed audio segments are growing, and we are seeing more and more possibilities as we build closer relationships with our market partners,” said Mark Bailey, director of audio EMEA, Harman Professional Solutions. “Erçin’s arrival brings another layer of knowledge and experience that will be of great value to our customers. I am really excited to see what the coming months will bring.” pro.harman.com

Ross turns its attention to audio WORLD

Ross Video has announced that Stephen Brownsill has joined the company, becoming the first ever product manager at Ross to be dedicated entirely to audio. Martin Soukup has also joined the company in the newly created role of vice president of product development, where he will work within the office of the CTO and will help develop and coordinate the company’s strategy in relation to product development methodologies, technology and coordination. Brownsill began his career as an audio recording engineer before graduating into audio postproduction and eventually managed broadcast operations for Fox and Walt Disney Television in the UK. He then joined Miranda Technologies and ultimately Grass Valley, working as a product specialist and solutions architect, before joining TSL Products as audio product manager. He lives in Oxford in the UK. “I’m extremely pleased to be joining Ross and breaking new ground as the company’s first dedicated audio

Stephen Brownsill

Martin Soukup

product manager,” Brownsill commented. “The company’s reputation as an end-to-end solutions provider continues to grow around the world and, of course, audio is a highly important element of the live production

environment. I think it’s fantastic that Ross is increasing its focus on this area, and I’m very much looking forward to bringing my experience and perspective to the various product roadmap discussions.”

Soukup joins Ross with over 25 years of experience in product development, having held senior R&D, applications development and solutions architect roles with a variety of technology companies. He has led large teams in electronic design, embedded software, high-performance networking, cloud, data analytics and machine learning industries, and has held leadership roles in Fortune 500 and medium-sized businesses around the world. “Ross has successfully walked a very pragmatic path over the last few years, balancing the emergence of IP with developments in 12G-SDI and remote production,” Soukup noted. “We have amazing innovation across each of our product lines but, of course, a company of our size needs to prioritise and make smart decisions about where to focus our resources.” www.rossvideo.com

July–August 2021 PRO AVL MEA 21

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NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT

SPONSORED BY

Latest AVoIP solutions allow users to take full command of video data

John Storey, chief technology officer at Datapath, explains how managing and sharing video content in environments such as control rooms just became a whole lot easier THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE SHOWN how vital it is to collate and share accurate data. Critical decisions are often made on multiple pieces of information, be it from camera feeds, news or other dedicated sources. The control rooms of today are almost unrecognisable from 20 years ago when the traditional large videowall looked out across individual workstations, with information collated to view on the large, single display. Disaster movie footage of crisis control room occupants all watching and reacting to a single large display now belongs firmly in the past. Today, the number of sources and feeds coming into a control room can be dozens, if not hundreds. Add the need to manage and share this content to the right people, across numerous displays and workstations, or even buildings and sites, and the challenges become very real. Managing all of this content is an area where UK-based video processing specialist Datapath has excelled. The company’s hardware and software is used in presidential palaces and defence hubs across the world as well as in businesses and organisations in every continent. The company’s chief technology officer, John Storey, has been developing video processing technology for over 30 years. He tells us where he thinks Control Room operation is heading, and what we can expect technology to deliver in the near future and beyond. “The one thing that hasn’t changed is the fundamental role of a control room. Its purpose is still, after all this time, to bring lots of visual information together and to

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To meet the needs for the growing complexity in control room environments, Datapath has produced a platform that is suitable for both modest control rooms and large, multi-source and multisite organisations. Named Aetria, the platform provides a single interface for the design, management and operation of control rooms, bringing numerous benefits to efficiency, reliability and the ability for full and fluid collaboration.

video to be shared over 1Gb and 10Gb networks simultaneously, with no visual impact on latency and image quality. A 4K video source can be viewed and shared, as both 4K and HD, on a 10Gb network, while also being transferred more widely on a lesser 1Gb network, for example. While moving data over IP networks promises new levels of flexibility, it also brings significant security and deployment considerations. Squeezing sources over an IP network brings visual quality considerations, and perhaps most importantly for Command and Control, latency issues. Unless the use of encoded video streams (typically H.264/5) for the primary control aspect is immediately written out, the high encoding latency makes real-time “control” clunky and difficult to use in practice. The commoditisation of 10Gb networking components now allows uncompressed or “visually lossless” compression techniques to be employed that don’t incur the same latency penalty. “The ability to securely share anything, anywhere is the objective here,” adds Storey. “To different workstations, offices or even buildings. We have managed that with imperceptible impact on latency, and zero impact on video quality.” Data security in the control room is vital, and end users need to know that their systems are as safe as possible. With the Aetria solution, security is built in. All connections are secured with Enterprisegrade AES encryption, and user sessions and APIs are secured with TLS encryption. The role-based User Rights Management functionality can be used standalone or integrated with an existing enterprise identity and access management platform.

John Storey present that to operators so they can make collective decisions,” he says. “What has changed is the way that information is brought in and how it’s disseminated and shared. Originally, sharing was all about putting everything on one large canvas – the control wall. And sharing meant being in the same room as that wall. Today’s technology means that systems integrators and operators are no longer limited to the constraints of matrix switches, with networked systems bringing a level of flexibility not previously seen. “As media has become more routable – and that’s very much thanks to AV-over-IP – you can bring that information together in front of those operators in many different ways,” adds Storey. “A lot of that can now be shared at operator workstations, and beyond if necessary.”

Storey explains: “We have developed a solution that allows these workstations to operate their own ‘personal videowall’ – displaying any content as they see fit, as well as being able to share anything to any display in the control room environment, or even externally.” Clearly, the need for pristine quality video is paramount on all displays. The detail can sometimes be the difference in vital decision making. Storey and his team have developed a worldfirst technology that allows optimum quality

For more on Datapath and its Aetria platform for Command and Control rooms, visit www.datapath.co.uk/aetria or contact Steven Simpson at sales@datapath.co.uk. Wellknown throughout the region for his previous roles with industry giants Crestron and, more recently, Mitsubishi, Simpson has recently been appointed to spearhead Datapath’s Middle East operations. He covers UAE, KSA, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. www.datapath.co.uk www.datapath.co.uk/aetria

24/06/2021 15:05

SUPERIOR. MOBILE. WIRELESS.. On location. In the field. Or at the studio. Wherever production takes you, the ADX5D lets you capture clean, clear audio with standard slot-in portability.

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Industry-setting Axient® Digital sound and performance. Now available for audio proffesionals in film and portable broadcast. shure.ch/ADX5D

24/06/2021 16:41

NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT

The first in-person event for more than 18 months was held in June 2021 at the Media One Hotel in Dubai

Event Industry Night Out

An Events Industry Night Out in 2017 at Bahri Bar in Dubai

Since setting out on a mission to connect people in the local AV industry together roughly a decade ago, Stefan Weiland has developed a close-knit community of professionals focused on creating symbiotic relationships to the benefit of everyone’s professional careers Stefan Weiland

What is EINO and how did the group come about? It was originally a collaborative idea between my wife and I. At that time, I had just left a work position and headed back into the freelance market. At the same time, my wife moved from working for an exhibition organiser to a staging company and needed to build up a new client database. We sent the very first email out in April 2010 inviting around 60 people to attend our first meeting at Emirates Towers. Eighty people turned up and it was a huge success, so we immediately started to make plans for a second one and also started a Facebook group to basically just connect people together. The whole idea behind EINO is about connecting people, and we host a number of regional events and also run an online Facebook group to accomplish this.

How many members does EINO comprise today? We’ve grown a lot over the years! Our Facebook group now comprises nearly 7,000 members and includes people working across pretty much every avenue of the industry. It’s an incredibly useful local platform for production managers, rental houses and people such as that to ask for advice or request available local equipment. We also have people that joined the

group when they were based in the Middle East but now are back in the UK, Australia, the US and India. So, the idea has now become quite global.

What type of questions do you see crop up on the page most regularly? We try to keep the questions in the group “real questions” about the Middle East. For example, “I need a supplier for this or that”. In the past, we’ve also had international requests, and of course will help answer them, but our main focus is on the Middle East. Besides people making requests for services, if you are a company and want to present yourself, we started limited advertising about three years ago with one advertiser a month. We do it this way to prevent the group from getting completely flooded, but we made it a paid service because we understand the value of the platform and also because, to run EINO as a group in the UAE, we require a trade licence, and these costs have to be covered. We also have a lot of freelancers and so we introduced Freelance Monday in the middle of the pandemic. Every Monday, you as a freelancer can post a hello message and promote yourself to the group. This is obviously free of charge because our main role is to support local freelancers.

How else has EINO supported members during the pandemic? In the very beginning, we created a Facebook page called Crew For Crew, because there were suddenly so many people out of work and everyone was looking for new ways they could utilise their existing skills. Via Crew For Crew, we had a lot of crewing companies offering their staff and transportation trucks as, for example, a moving company. We had people who were trained carpenters that started to make furniture for other freelancers, for a lower price than they would get in a shop. We had costume people suddenly starting to make drapes for houses. So there was a lot of repurposing of skills and we tried to support that with Crew For Crew. It was originally only planned to run until August last year but, ultimately, we realised that it should be a constant feature as there are always people in the industry looking for help to move their warehouses and offices. Instead of giving this work to a professional relocation company, why not help those in the industry instead and make sure that money doesn’t leave the circle of the events industry.

What’s the current sentiment among members regarding live events? There are really two different mindsets. There are the people that were already in the

region pre-pandemic, who are basically now tr ying to restart things after losing nearly a year-and-a-half of income – saying that, ever yone so far made it through the pandemic apart from a couple of agencies and a couple of rental companies. You can actually really start to now see these companies coming back strong. Ever y day we see more and more people going away for work and we have seen moves of people from one company to another company. This is also good because it means people can stay and work in the region. What I can say is that in terms of new EINO subscriptions since the beginning of the year, it’s been absolutely incredible. At the beginning of the year, the group had about 5,550 members, so we’ve gained 1,500 members in just a few months. Most of these are coming in from Europe or the Indian subcontinent. Ever yone sees that there will be a growing demand for work here, and perhaps are thinking strategically, unsure whether their home economies will bounce back as fast. But I strongly believe that these new people will not eat up work from others – they’ve come in at the right time because there’s an increasing demand with events like the Expo. www.facebook.com/groups/EINODUBAI

24 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Perfect partners

The number of Hortus Audio-equipped Kuwaiti mosques continues to rise as a result of ongoing success from Our Style Sound Systems

A pair of Hortus SAM8s allow the Imam to hear himself Each of the 150W CT30MKIIs operate in 16Ω, together with the pair of 250W 8-inch SAM8s for the Imam to reinforce the CT6.1s’ output. Together, the speakers help to immerse the personal religious experience amid “powerful but measured” sound. While the first Al-Hajraf project got underway more than 18 months ago, like so many others it went on standby during the majority of 2020 amid the pandemic. But with the mosque being selected to host an important television broadcast during Ramadan, it was imperative that the work was completed beforehand. “The broadcasts of prayers during Ramadan were set to occur at several major Kuwaiti mosques, such as Al-Hajraf, but these were ultimately cancelled once again due to the pandemic,” said Al-Laho. Nevertheless, Our Style was able to compete the final integration and commissioning after more than a year-and-a-half of visits to the site, and the reaction from church elders is definitely one of THROUGH CLOSE COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR STYLE Sound Systems Center and its local partners, a number of mosques throughout Kuwait have been outfitted with Hortus Audio solutions to increase intelligibility in their often-cavernous halls in recent years. The state-run Al-Hajraf Mosque in Al Jahra has become the latest successful project for the French boutique loudspeaker manufacturer and local SI to complete. Having first become involved in an upgrade at the mosque back in late 2019, Our Style has battled numerous delays introduced by the pandemic in order to measure, install and commission a new sound system throughout the building. “Those in charge of the mosque wanted to enhance the sound intelligibility, particularly in the main hall, having compared it to sound systems in other small and larger mosques throughout the country,” recalls Our Style Sound Systems’ Riad Al-Laho. The recent success enjoyed by Hortus in Kuwait hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the brand being selected as the first choice for many of Our Style’s recent mosque upgrades. This has even led to the two companies working closely together to create a line of speakers optimised for this unique market. “Our Style Sound Systems Center emerged as the first major client in Kuwait, and they remain our key partner in Kuwait and the broader Middle East,” explains Daniel Morrison, export sales manager at Hortus Audio. “The delivery of Hortus Audio sound systems at mosques across a country remains a unique selling point and an important value proposition for both our Contract and SAM speakers, alongside other product lines.” The new setup inside Al-Hajraf’s main hall consists of 22 CT6.1 two-way installation loudspeakers, alongside eight CT30MKII 6.5-inch passive two-way cabinets and two SAM8 8-inch coaxial stage monitors. The CT6.1 is a special version of the S6.1 twoway passive speaker, customised for the Kuwaiti market. Both products are made in France and powered by either 6-inch or 6.5-inch woofers (depending on the model) and a one-inch highfrequency driver. Like the 200W AES S6.1, the CT6.1 is available in both 8Ω and 16Ω versions and is capable of outputting a maximum sound pressure of 115dB. The 240W CT6.1 is typically used by Our Style in 16Ω and deployed in a systematic manner along the walls of a mosque.

CT6.1MKII cabinets distributed around the walls of the prayer halls Ensuring balanced sound throughout what is Al Jahra’s biggest house of worship became the critical challenge during the installation. Solutions had to be devised to mitigate excess noise while overcoming reverberation, leading to a reduction in the sound pressure level by 60dB. The team also experienced a number of overlapping complexities involved in maximising sound levels amid the mosque’s dome, entry points, windows and its overall vastness. The CT6.1s were carefully positioned to address different RT60 values that would emanate in and around the columns. The chosen design allows the speakers to intricately transmit sound between different pillars, heights and a variety of designated spaces of worship. “The biggest challenge revolved around overcoming the high noise levels and the RT60,” explains Al-Laho. “This was particularly challenging due to the marble, high windows and central dome, but every corner and necessary area has been adequately covered thanks to the CT6.1. It has an elegant design that blends well with this mosque, and it delivers a clear and well-balanced sound quality that effectively covers each prayer hall.”

satisfaction. “All of the elders and the Imam who represent the mosque were very happy about the results of the new sound system,” said the Our Style Sound Systems owner. “Given the better sound quality, they’ve noted that they do not even have to make an effort to raise their voices during prayer periods or while speaking, something which is very appreciated during long sessions.” With the project now finalised and the mosque officially opening its doors on 21 March 2021, the sound resonating within the 50m-long, 80m-wide and 10m-high mosque exceeds the quality of those other Kuwaiti mosques that the worship leaders were hoping to emulate. For Our Style Sound Systems, a programme of regular site visits and maintenance will ensure that the solution offers top-class performance for many years to come. “Our technical team is on-hand to perform periodic maintenance checks to verify the sound system is functioning as it should,” concluded Al-Laho. “To date, no further action has been required since everything is functioning as it should.” www.hortusaudio.eu www.our-style.com

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24/06/2021 16:44

FEATURES: VIRTUAL

The making of Hekayat

Pixelhunters overcame numerous technical hurdles to bring Ihab Darwish’s musical vision onto the virtual stage in grand style, discovers Simon Luckhurst ABU DHABI FESTIVAL HAS BEEN A MAINSTAY OF THE UAE’s arts and culture calendar for nearly 20 years, forming the largest classical arts event to take place each year. With the 2020 edition happening in February, it was also one of the last large-scale events to take place before Covid-19 placed a halt on all things live. But when it came time for the 2021 edition, the organisers wisely made the decision to opt for a virtual format despite expectations at the time that restrictions introduced because of the pandemic would be long gone. Having proactively made this decision early on in the planning process, the teams involved could devote all their attention to creating a special virtual experience. One of the standouts of the festival programme was Ihab Darwish’s symphonic masterpiece. To realise his vision and bring the production to life in the virtual setting, Darwish called upon the unique services of Dubai-based 3D design specialists Pixelhunters. The result was more than three months in the making and the first time that the specialist CGI company had engaged in such a production. “For Abu Dhabi Festival, there was a virtual world premiere of Hekayat: Symphonic Tales, with music all created by Ihab Darwish,” recalls Pixelhunters’ studio director and lead artist, Iliya Atanasov. “Over 200 people were involved in the project, including 128 musicians located in more than 20 countries. When we realised that the concert was going to have to become virtual, we looked at various ways to do it. There were so many performers involved, we knew we were going to have to plan recording separate video and audio of artists playing the music and then combine them somehow to be shown virtually inside the Abu Dhabi Emirates Palace Auditorium.” “The original idea was actually to perform the concert live but, due to the pandemic and all of the challenges of doing something like this live, we instead decided to create it virtually,” explains Darwish. “With the help of Pixelhunters, we were able to bring everything together beautifully. It was like a magical masterpiece.” The resulting virtual experience created by Pixelhunters was as much a technical marvel as it was a musical one – with all

Creating the initial recordings

128 musicians sharing a digitally created virtual stage as if they were performing side-by-side. In reality, most of them had never met or even come close to sharing a room with each other – not that the audience are given any clues. Watching the seamlessly constructed livestream, it’s hard to believe that the footage was assembled from all corners of the globe and over the course of six months. And further yet, all from a disparate array of equipment. “The advantage of doing the concert virtually was that we could focus on providing better audio and video quality,” notes Pixelhunters’ CEO, Dr Ani Atanasova. “We could also focus on different musicians better – so you can see their expressions while playing and can actually understand which instrument is participating at every single moment of the concert. The result is really engaging.”

Working in DaVinci Resolve at the Pixelhunters office in Dubai

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FEATURES: VIRTUAL

The event formed the world premiere for Ihab Darwish’s musical creation, Hekayat: Symphonic Tales The Hekayat concert spanned an hour-and-a-half, with 13 different compositions featured, in addition to a variety of different soloists and smaller groups. Pixelhunters established a blueprint for each of the performers in order to maintain continuity, including details of the staging and the number and type of camera angles required for each performer. “There were a lot of technical challenges to overcome. Firstly, we had to manage many different sources of data – there were 128 musicians and each one used between three and 10 different camera angles, which required more than 6TB of hard drive space. You can imagine just how much footage this created and, in order to manage everything in real time we had to deploy the latest M2 and NVMe hard drives. By doing this, we are able to run 30–40 layers of different video material and the drives could access them all in real time,” explains Atanasov. “The edit pipeline was often more than 15 or 16 tracks at once and we needed to make sure we were working on a system that wouldn’t crash and that we could scrub back and forth without any problems. We’ve had lots of other systems in the past that wouldn’t allow us to do that, but DaVinci Resolve was able to handle these multiple timelines with ease.” Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve 16 video editor handled the lion’s share of the postproduction process. Pixelhunters also modelled the Emirates Palace Auditorium virtually, keeping the polygon count low in order to keep everything running in real time. “At that particular time, everything was closed because of the lockdown,” recalls the senior designer. “We couldn’t send people to shoot at the auditorium and had to rely on references from the internet and from previous concepts in past years to create an accurate virtual stage; however, the result looked really great.” Rigid guidelines were distributed to the musicians to help in the creation of consistent audio/video recordings, including advice

L–R: Ihab Darwish, Iliya Atanasov and Dr Ani Atanasova assess their creation on the types of cameras and settings to use, as well as preferred lighting conditions. By capturing all of the artists in front of dark backgrounds, the Pixelhunters team was able to avoid significant difficulties in chroma keying the footage at a later stage. “We were not directly involved in the shooting, as all of the musicians did this individually back in their own countries, and even though we set out the requirements, when all the footage came back it was clear that there were lots of discrepancies,” comments the CEO. “People hadn’t been able to use the same cameras or formats, some of the angles and aspect ratios didn’t match together, or the background and lighting gave different shadows on the performers. It was clear that there was going to be a lot of work that we would need to do to get everything to match and make it look realistic.”

Colour grading also became a massive challenge because of the number of different sources and cameras of differing qualities. “We had to make all of them work together, and even if you use the same camera, but you shoot in different environments, the colour temperature, tints, contrast and brightness will be different,” notes Atanasov. Having been recorded and sent back to Pixelhunters in Dubai, the footage was compiled into a database and assessed before being tweaked inside DaVinci Resolve for consistency. Fusion was used to handle the compositing, while the individual 3D models comprising the stage, the stage texturing and the lighting were created inside 3D modelling application Maya. “Once we had that, we started to build the edit timeline with multiple video tracks,” Atanasov furthers. “I could then make my way through the edit whilst listening to the music. It was important to be able to understand which players needed to come to the forefront and have a focus. With essential help from Ihab and as I’m also a musician, I was able to do this quite smoothly with the edit features inside DaVinci and pick out very accurately when I needed to move to a specific part of the orchestra. We spent quite a long time to equalise the footage in DaVinci Resolve and it’s really the first time I’ve used editing software that is able to work with such a huge collection of data.” Atanasov sums up the experience by explaining how it wouldn’t have been possible without the use of DaVinci Resolve. “Because of the scale of the production, it became a bit of a challenge stay within deadlines. The music was constantly changing right up to the very end, which created very strict time pressures at the end. The Blackmagic software helped a lot with this overall, and DaVinci worked amazingly to handle such a production.” For the composer, the virtual stage created by Pixelhunters was also a dream come true. “In all, we had to assign more than 200 people to work on this project, as well as manage the challenges of dealing with all of the musicians, communicating with them online, signing the contracts, working with them to create the audio files and revise the mixes, creating the video – all under certain guidelines to order to set everything up perfectly right,” explains Darwish. “It took me two years to create the music and six months of production. We performed over 675 Zoom calls to communicate with all the artists and technical people in order to make it happen.” The production already stretched the limits of what is currently technically capable, but Atanasov envisages a situation in the not too distant future where a show like Hekayat could be filmed and created virtually as a fully live production. “One day that will be a possibility but, at the moment, we can’t record all of these musicians in real time from all over the world because of network problems and video delays, but that is Ihab’s dream. When he is able to get back to performing concerts live, he will definitely continue to use a lot of these virtual elements in his performances. The visuals really complement the music – we’ve heard back from people that they have rewatched the show three of four times and that was purely because of the video element. The picture helps so much to upgrade the music and take the whole experience to a different level. I think in the future things like this will become necessary.” www.pixelhunters.com

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FEATURES: LIVE

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With the Qatar World Cup fast approaching, QVision makes its next step in becoming one of FIFA’s preferred Qatari suppliers FOLLOWING ITS RECENT SUCCESS AT THE AMIR CUP IN 2020 and the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2021, Qatar Vision Production Company (QVision) is quickly positioning itself as a preferred partner when it comes to hosting important sporting ceremonies in Qatar. This is by no means an accident. When the World Cup rolls into Doha next year, QVision has its sights set on becoming one of the tournaments largest technical suppliers. It recently made its first steps towards realising this ambition by securing the bid from FIFA for the development, production and management of the Arab Cup Qatar 2021 Draw. The draw for the newly introduced FIFA Arab Cup 2021 was held at Doha’s Katara Opera House and would see the 23 Arab nations set to be involved in the tournament divided up into groups for the last 16 stage of the tournament. The Arab Cup matches will be played at six of the World Cup 2022 venues, thereby providing the perfect opportunity to test

The 5,500-seat Katara Opera House hosted the ceremony

The studio-style stage design was constructed from 117m2 of 2.9mm LED

facilities and operations one year before the flagship global football event takes place in the Middle East for the first time. Both tournaments will run in a similar timeslot – the FIFA Arab Cup will kick off towards the end of this year with the finals of each scheduled to take place exactly one year apart on 18 December, Qatar’s National Day. With the draw taking place in late April amid strict health and safety protocols, both the delegate accommodation and the event venue were turned into a restricted bubble, and limited to approximately 50% capacity. “Our technical, production, logistics and operation crew, as well as the FIFA team, event delegates and guests were all requested to show a negative Covid-19 test prior to being allowed access to either the accommodation hotel or the draw venue,” explains QVision MD Sharif Hashisho who served as the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 Draw artistic director and executive producer. “The entire production and delivery of the project was conducted inside a completely closed bubble as per the instructions received from the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar.” As part of its bid, QVision was responsible for providing all of the technical items required to host the draw ceremony, such as the stage set and decoration, rigging, audio, lighting, video and motion graphics. It was also responsible for the creation of all other guest-related holding areas, hospitality services, media zone and television production areas, the overlay of FIFA office spaces at the venue and also the official gala dinner accompanying the draw. Based on the concept and creative designs made by Hashisho and the QVision design team, the company fulfilled its technical requirements through the deployment of a vast range of audio, visual lighting and communications equipment. Catering to the visual requirements, QVision called on 117m2 of 2.9mm pixel pitch high-resolution LED screen as a backdrop for the stage set, while 70m2 of 2.9mm LED panels were positioned to the left and right of the stage and used predominantly for running animated motion graphics and the broadcast live feed. A further 117m2 of 2.9mm LED

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FEATURES: LIVE panels were deployed at the non-Covid-bubbled area inside the theatre to showcase the draw for isolated guests. Video and graphics for the ceremony were driven by DT VideoLabs Playback Pro, Blackmagic ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K vision mixers, a Simplylive ViBox live production system and an AE Live sports broadcast graphics solution. QVision’s Kareem Saif, Gaspar Orana and Javi Santos were responsible for the video design.

performers and presenters, together with a pair of Robert Juliat CYRANO Follow Spots dedicated solely to the show presenters. Away from the main ceremony setup, QVision deployed 30 ARRI True Blue Series lights in the Media Mix Zone area for post event interviews and a further 300 LED PAR lights to provide external architectural decorative lighting for the façade of the opera house. All of the lighting equipment was rigged using Prolyte S52 Series truss and ProLyft Aetos hoists, while control for all of the lighting infrastructure was handled by two grandMA3 consoles connected through an MA network switch. Mohammad Assaf and Mark Anton handled the creative lighting design on behalf of QVision. Inside the opera house, QVision made use of Katara’s existing installed audio system, but augmented the system with several clusters of Meyer Sound cabinets to improve intelligibility inside the VIP seating area, the upper balconies and the back of house areas. To cater for this, 16 Meyer Sound M2D compact curvilinear arrays, 30 UPM-1P ultra-compact wide coverage enclosures, 20 UPJ-1P Compact VariO and 10 M2D Sub arrays were called upon in total.

Shure ULX-D digital wireless microphone systems were used for all stage performers and presenters. The ULX-D system was preferred on account of its 24-bit/48kHz digital audio and “efficient use of the RF spectrum in the locality, advanced Lithium-ion rechargeable battery technology, and also the required AES-256 encryption capabilities,” notes the QVision managing director. The entire audio system was controlled by dual DiGiCo SD8 consoles operated by QVision’s Abel Lamboson and Dennis Dulfo. To complete the AV spec, QVision deployed a Clear-Com HelixNet Digital Network Partyline intercom system to link all of the technical, stage and broadcast crew together. The draw commenced on 27 April with a formal welcoming speech from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, before being presented by beIN Sports presenter and FIFA Qatar 2022 World Cup ambassador Mohamed Sadoun Al Kuwari, with appearances from a variety of celebrity footballers throughout. Following the ceremony, the nine highest-ranked teams, including host country Qatar, will now join the seven winners from the qualifying stage in the final tournament. While the Covid situation around in-person events continues to steadily improve, the ability to adhere to safe practises was paramount for QVision. “Any decision to hold an event during the pandemic, no matter how large or small, should rely on a risk-based approach,” explains Hashisho. “QVision and the FIFA 2022 Local Organising Committee succeeded in making this event an absolutely safe one for everyone involved in the delivery of the project, as well as the delegates and guests attending the draw. A massive risk assessment approach was designed to cover all the risk areas and issues that might arise and have truly succeeded in delivering this exceptional event in these harsh conditions.” Having successfully supported the Amir Cup Final, Club World Cup Qatar 2021 and the Arab Cup Draw on behalf of FIFA – three high-profile pandemic-impacted events held back-to-back with vastly differing requirements – QVision has undoubtedly cemented its capabilities for when football’s most important sporting events kick off in little more than a year.

A pair of MA Lighting grandMA3s handled lighting control

www.qatarvision.com

A blend of more than 100 Claypaky lighting fixtures illuminated the stage For lighting and rigging inside the theatre, more than 100 Claypaky lighting fixtures were deployed, including 20 Scenius Unico moving heads used to illuminate both the “Draw Pots” and the conductor and speech lecterns. These were selected for this role due to their precise framing capabilities. Forty Sharpy Plus and 20 Hepikos moving heads were used to create beams and patterns throughout the show, and 40 A.leda B-EYE K20 CC wash lights were used to bathe the entire stage in light according to the broadcast requirements. Additionally, 20 ADB LEXPERT 280W Profile and 40 LEXPERT 150W Fresnel fixtures were used as spotlights for the stage

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

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ITQAN Clinical Simulation and Innovation Centre is a 12,000m2 complex in Doha

The ITQAN Clinical Simulation and Innovation Centre couldn’t have opened its doors at a more crucial time, with the world on the cusp of a global health crisis as the first students flocked through its doors IT IS VITAL NOWADAYS THAT DOCTORS AND MEDICAL professionals are fully trained and well-versed in the multitude of complex scenarios they might encounter, as well as the equipment needed to deal with them. Ongoing training is key and, to allow staff to practise procedures and hone their surgical skills for any given situation, several leading institutions in recent years have created sophisticated simulation environments to enable their students to gain life-like experience without endangering patient lives in the process. Part of the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the ITQAN Clinical Simulation and Innovation Centre makes its impressive ambitions well-known – the ITQAN name, after all, is derived from Arabic meaning “quality and to strive for perfection”. A state-ofthe-art education and training facility located in the Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City (HBKMC) campus in Doha, ITQAN is the third largest simulation centre in the world and the largest facility of its kind in the region. The 12,000m2 complex opened its doors in 2020 after a lengthy planning period and the investment of nearly QAR 20 million. In total, the advanced centre includes two clinical skills laboratories, 10 standard outpatient clinical rooms, four standard in-patient rooms, two operating theatres, two labour and delivery rooms and a surgical skills laboratory comprised of 10 open surgical positions. There is also an additional 400-seat auditorium and over 15 classroom spaces, all of which have been equipped with simple-to-operate AV technologies, a flexible design and modular furnishings for onthe-fly reconfigurations. All of these disparate elements would not only have to be integrated with each other, but also work seamlessly with the institution’s medical services management platform. The symbiosis and seamless integration of AV technology is essential to creating the controlled and supportive environment necessary for imitating real-life patient care scenarios, while at the same time fostering and assessing student communication,

Students can be directly assesed from the adjacent control rooms prioritisation and teamwork. Clinicians enjoy access to the latest computer software and medical equipment to practise specific diagnostic and surgical techniques, staying within realistic patient care settings. Following its success on a number of high-profile Qatari projects, Techno Q was enlisted in 2016 to support the provision of ITQAN’s extensive AV requirements. Working with consultant KEO and Al Balagh Trading and Contracting as the general contractor, Techno Q senior project manager Mohanad Is-Hak oversaw the four-year process. The building was initially constructed as a simulation centre back in 2009/10; however, the project was subsequently put on hold before being rekindled again in 2016. “At this time, the project was retendered with a different main contractor and a completely new building design was also introduced,” recalls Is-Hak. “The new contractor is a very good client of Techno Q and we had worked together on

Cli

Techno Q senior project manager Mohanad Is-Hak

several projects in the past. ITQAN was not solely limited to the simulation suites’ AV requirements; the client was seeking a complete package encompassing the CCTV, BMS, a centralised battery system and lighting fixtures for the entire building – more or less the entire ELV solution minus intrusion and access control.” Techno Q’s AV solution would need seamless integration with ITQAN’s healthcare and medical equipment in order to fulfil student requirements. Furthermore, it had to meet the primary goal of helping to improve patient safety with a safe and realistic educational and training environment, while at the same time be able facilitate worldwide healthcare events and summits. Bookings, audiovisual recordings and additional data is handled by a state-of-the-art simulation centre management solution for which Techno Q would have to interface all audiovisual components. This immediately introduced a raft of new challenges for the systems integrator. “We bid for the tender, won it and signed the contract; however, when I was looking at the project specifications, I found out that there were many gaps,” Is-Hak explains. “The AV specification had been written in such a way that it should be supportive of the simulation system, which was not mentioned whatsoever in the original AV spec, and very little information was known about this aspect.” The task of helping the university select the most appropriate platform therefore also fell to the senior project manager who, having never worked with such solutions before, immersed himself in a lengthy period of research and development. “Ensuring that everything was completely seamless was particularly challenging.” Globally, there are two main companies offering simulation platforms that met ITQAN’s requirements. After almost nine months of research and studies, as well as multiple technical commercial presentations to the client, Is-Hak selected CAE Healthcare as the preferred simulation platform, and then set about convincing the other involved parties of the platform’s

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION benefits through a number of presentations that reach right up to the ministerial levels. “Once we’d decided to mobilise the CAE platform, we then held a lot of workshops and other sessions before commencing with deliverables and the execution onsite for the simulation system itself,” he recalls. All this process was entirely new, both for Techno Q and the project manager. “You know, exploring this system, finding out what the client was looking for and what exactly the solutions can offer, was something completely new for us,” says Is-Hak. “We had no familiarity with these healthcare simulations. We have never done it in the past, and there are not many other companies around the world that have either.” Now armed with the necessary research to handle the CAE simulation/AV systems integration, Techno Q set about designing and specifying the equipment needs for each area, which included not only the clinical skills laboratories, outpatient clinical

Simulation rooms The project was broadly divided into simulation and nonsimulation areas. The simulation rooms capture audio and videos signals that are fed into the learning platform provided by CAE Healthcare and include the clinical skills laboratories, surgical skills laboratory, patient, outpatient and labour rooms.

Clinical skills laboratories On the ground level, there are two clinical skills laboratories to provide support for basic skills development, each accommodating eights bed bays separated by acoustic curtains. Next to each bay are two (16 in total) Panasonic WV-SC385 ceiling-mounted PTZ cameras and two Crown PZM11LLWR ceiling microphones, a JBL Control 24CT ceiling speaker and a video encoding interface plugged into an Ethernet port that transmits simulation mannequins’ vital signs into the CAE platform as an additional camera input. The two clinical skills laboratories are driven through a single control room also located on the ground floor where teachers can monitor the simulations and provide instructions through paging

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rooms, surgical skills laboratory and classrooms, but also the 400-seat auditorium. HMC required the system within the simulation spaces and the related control/monitoring rooms to be capable of capturing clear sound and video from inside the rooms for recording via CAE, the ability for supervisors to watch simulations and provide instructions live while grading students, the ability to synchronously record, livestream and play back multiple standard-definition and high-definition sources – cameras, patient monitors, clinical workstations – EMR/PACS, ultrasound and full pan/tilt/zoom camera control. The setup would also need to provide support for the dynamic manipulation of individual video files during live viewing and debriefing, both from within the simulation centre or remotely. In the debrief rooms, classrooms and auditorium, the AV system would have to provide a means to retrieve recordings via the simulation platform servers for further discussion or for the live

viewing of a wider audience. Systems operation would take place via touchscreens to drive projectors/LED displays/wireless microphones and control speaker levels. “Thankfully, we could be quite flexible with our choice of AV equipment,” says Is-Hak, “because the audiovisual solutions can typically interface with a variety of other systems. There was no major implication from the perspective of the CAE simulation platform.” Being server-based, the physical installation of the CAE platform was also reasonably straightforward. “The simulation solution head-end comprises centrally located servers paired with distributed workstations via the network. In terms of physical deployment, it was completed in under 4 days. The features provided within each room differ slightly depending on their purpose, and so Techno Q classified various areas into two distinct types – simulations rooms and nonsimulation rooms.

microphones to participants via the laboratory ceiling speakers. For reviewing afterwards, each laboratory has a dedicated debrief area with a local wall plate input connected to a ceiling-mounted, 5,400-lumen projector and 109-inch motorised projection screen which is controlled in-room via a Crestron TSW-1052 wall-mounted touchpanel. The data collected from the laboratory PTZs, microphones and mannequins is then fed into the CAE platform which functions as a complete centre management solution and acts as the interface used to recall the data and review/ analyse/report on the students and their actions. “Each station is equipped with several PTZ cameras to cover multiple angles,” notes the project manager. “AKG ceiling-mounted microphones provide audio pickup, while the ceiling speakers allow the teachers to page students during the simulations. Video capture kits then encode the patient monitor data into the CAE learning space.” Camera feeds are streamed through the campus network directly onto the CAE servers, while the audio is sent from the mics into dedicated Digipage Jr paging mixers. This is then output to an AXIS audio encoder that in turn pushes this data onto the campus network. Inside the learning platform, a virtual room is created for each bay that combines the camera video feeds and microphone data for live viewing and recording. From the shared control room, simulation supervisors can directly page the participants during procedures via the ceiling speakers in each bay, and these signals are also sent back through the CAE platform into the AXIS encoder before being fed into a Crown audio amplifier and, ultimately, the laboratory speakers.

55-inch Panasonic TH-55LF8W LED display for live briefing and content viewing, and all 10 stations are monitored through a single control room.

Surgical skills laboratory

ary alistic me be

ndled There are two clinical skills laboratories on the ground level to provide support for basic clinical skills development

A similar design was created for the separate surgical skills laboratory, which supports basic through advanced surgical skills development and minimally invasive surgery techniques via 10 open surgical stations each covered with cameras and microphones for data collection and recording via an encoding unit from a patient monitor. Each station is also provided with a ceiling-mounted

Patient rooms On the second level of the facility, there are four standard in-patient rooms, two labour and delivery rooms and two operating theatres, all of which have been equipped

The patient rooms have each been equipped with similar cameras, mics, speakers and vital monitor encoders with similar cameras, mics, speakers and vital monitor encoders, but with additional quantities to cover more camera angles. Everything is again monitored through separate control rooms with a dedicated room for each space.

Outpatient rooms On the first floor, there is a standardised patient suite featuring 10 standard outpatient clinical rooms capable of supporting low- to ultra-high-fidelity experiential learning experiences. The AV setup here echoes the clinical skills laboratories: Panasonic WV-SC385 PTZs and Crown ceiling mics capturing the action. All the simulations inside the outpatient rooms are monitored through a single control room located on the same floor.

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PTZ cameras provide additional camera angles in the patient rooms

Two surgical skills laboratories each feature 10 open surgical stations each covered by cameras and microphones for recording and data collection

Ten standard outpatient clinical rooms are each capable of supporting high-fidelity experiential learning experiences

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION There are several additional VIP conference rooms that have been isolated from the main campus system but, aside from these, the overall Techno Q solution is highly flexible. “The overall system in the building itself is very smart,” notes the project manager. “Facilitated by fibre connectivity, you can access either the Crestron control software or the CE simulation software from within any HMC campus, both inside or outside of Doha.” The commissioning process gave the systems integrator just as many headaches as the design stage. After such a lengthy a process – almost five years between finding out ITQAN’s requirements and the last piece of AV equipment being integrated – Is-Hak was understandably anxious as the project neared completion. “Commissioning was possibly the most difficult part of the entire procedure,” he admits. “There were a number of unexcepted problems with devices not talking to each other and certain elements had been rescripted in order to transfer, import and embedded the signals.” Connecting all of these systems with the centre’s physical network infrastructure was also problematic because of ITQAN’s tight network security. The system needs to be made available for the right users but inaccessible to the public. It was a challenge to convince HMC that they would be able to safely use the system outside of the building because of worries over hacking and dissemination of confidential information. Importantly for Techno Q, as a company that prides itself on the extensive capabilities and professionalism of its engineers, ITQAN adds yet another unique string to its bow, positioning the company as a primary choice for future simulation projects across the globe. “I’m relieved to say that the project has now reached a successful conclusion and everybody, most importantly the client, is happy with what we’ve provided,” notes the senior project manager. “Considering the number of brand-new challenges we encountered and the vast learning that was required to complete the work, I’m very proud to say that we didn’t experience any serious issues during commission, and the rooms are now being used on a daily basis to train students.”

Non-simulation rooms The facility also houses four “non-simulation” classrooms, a number of multipurpose and debrief rooms scattered around the building and the 400-capacity auditorium. While the simulation rooms all draw upon a unified design philosophy, everyday operation of the nonsimulation rooms is accomplished via an 8.7-inch wireless touchscreen from Crestron that feeds commands into a Crestron AV3 control processor and Digital Media matrix

switcher. Presentation inputs are connected into the inputs of the digital media matrix switchers. Each room typically has a Blu-ray player, a local input for a laptop and a Barco ClickShare wireless video presentation solution. Before the audio is sent to the JBL ceiling-mounted stereo speakers, it passes through a Biamp Audioflex digital signal processor. A 10-inch touchpanel from Wacom facilitates annotations, as required, during presentations.

AV in the classrooms can be fully operated through the Crestron touchpanel Four classrooms on the ground level have been configured for content viewing via Panasonic LED projectors and JBL ceiling speakers

Scattered around the building are a number of debrief rooms

Each room houses at least one 109-inch Draper motorised projection, 5,400-lumen projector and a 55-inch Panasonic monitor controlled through the AV3 control processor via Ethernet. The classroom areas have been designed with flexibility in mind and can be configured in multiple formats as each room has two projectors/motorised screens and an LED display for content viewing along with a set of ceiling speakers for audio. To support further mobility, a set of wireless mics and video transmitters are provided that allow participants to mirror their personal devices.

www.technoq.com

Auditorium At the heart of the facility is a modern two-level auditorium with seating for 400 and capable of supporting dynamic group learning activities as well as presentations, conferences and external events. Sound reinforcement is catered for here by TOA Electronics SR-D8 all-in-one active line arrays, with L-R hangs of two SR-D8-S and one SR-D8-M units supported by outer hangs of a single SR-D8-V and SR-D8-S each. Twelve JBL 8340A subwoofers powered by Crown DCi 2/600 amps extend the low-frequency output, while JBL Control S and ASB

6218s augment the audio coverage. Audio processing is handled by BSS Blu 160s, while a Shure UA8445SMB wireless microphone system with SLX1 beltback transmitters and UA874 RF antennas allows presenters to roam the stage. Fixed AE3300 gooseneck mics from Audio-Technica have also been installed at the lectern position. The auditorium also houses video distribution systems with a picture-in-picture dedicated video processor and videoconferencing system. Events in the auditorium are often

Sound reinforcement in the auditorium is catered for by TOA SR-D8 column arrays

The 400-seat auditorium is capable of hosting presentations, conferences and external events

livestreamed to other buildings and in-depth discussions are recorded for later use. All of this must happen seamlessly and effectively, and the technology must be well-integrated so technicians can set up and run the event with minimal effort through a single touchpanel.

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Evolution Wireless Digital

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24/06/2021 16:46

FEATURES: HYBRID

The best of both

A hybrid solution combining remote and in-person elements allowed DLC Events to offer simultaneous interpretation despite restrictions

Dedicated booths were constructed for the interpreters SINCE PARTNERING WITH CLOUD-BASED REMOTE simultaneous interpretation technology company Interprefy in the middle of the pandemic, DLC Events has utilised the company’s solutions to great effect in recent months across a number of virtual and remote meeting sessions. But as restrictions continue to relax and event spaces warm to the possibility of hosting meetings in-person, the benefit of Interprefy for the Dubai-based supplier has really begun to shine through. At the end of May, Crowd 1 Networking Services LLC held Dubai Live at La Perle in Habtoor City. The event included a gathering together of the company’s most successful ambassadors in order to inform them about its future and upcoming opportunities for growth. While the world of public live events has disappeared into the ether throughout the pandemic, business-focused meetings such as Dubai Live have become the bread and butter for technical service providers like DLC Events. But while the event could return to a physical format, many of the ancillary services required are still having to support remote and hybrid capabilities. For DLC, which is a specialist provider of interpretation services, this has now become par for the course. “With a diverse range of nationalities in attendance at Dubai Live, we were asked to provide simultaneous interpretation from English into eight other languages to enable everyone at the venue to enjoy the presentations in their native language,” recalls DLC’s Mark Breakspear. “In this instance, we were able to utilise a combination of on-site interpretation and remote, all combined together into a single system.” Working closely with the technical and sales team at La Perle to find a suitable space, the DLC team built a selection of booths for interpreters attending onsite – the Chinese, Russian, Hungarian, German and Spanish interpreters – since there was no space to accommodate them in the auditorium itself. A convenient area in the venue’s creative office was chosen, with a feed from the auditorium camera team displayed on monitors inside each booth. A total of eight Shure RA6032 digital infrared radiators were installed on balcony railings either side of the auditorium to provide coverage throughout and enable the guests to hear the interpretation.

Inside the La Perle auditorium

Four languages were fed through the Interprefy solution remotely “Not all the required language combinations were possible to cater for with our local UAE interpreter database,” notes Breakspear, “which is where we had the opportunity to rely on the support of Interprefy.” DLC Events has been the manufacturer’s official Middle East partner since the start of 2020 but has typically been offering the solution throughout the pandemic when simultaneous interpretation for virtual events was required. However, the solutions also provide the opportunity to draw on interpreters based anywhere in the world, combining them with an onsite team to deliver a “best of both” hybrid setup. This was necessary for Dubai Live as several of the interpreters were unable to travel to the UAE.

To facilitate the remote interpretation aspect, La Perle provided a stable high-speed Ethernet connection to the DLC Events team housed inside the creative office, which was connected to a network of computers that served various system functions. The first was assigned as a “speaker” for the Interprefy platform and comprised of the event camera feed streamed via a Magewell HDMI Plus capture card, with audio inserted through a Focusrite Scarlett audio interface. This enabled the remote interpreters – who were translating via the Remote Simultaneous Interpretation (RSI) platform in Vietnamese, French and Thai – to receive a clear and intelligible stream of the event. A further three workstations were running the Interprefy desktop app, each assigned a different language. Their audio feeds were fed into a Yamaha LS9 digital mixing console for level control and then combined with the on-site channels inside a Shure DT6032 digital infrared transmitter. One hundred and fifty Shure DR6032 digital infra-red interpretation receivers were shared between the 400 guests in attendance. “Historically, each time interpreters were unavailable in the region locally, we were forced to fly them in from other international locations which significantly increased the flight and hotel costs, travel days and other related expenses,” explains Breakspear. “Added to this disadvantage, the pandemic significantly reduced the ability for teams to travel. Although platforms like Interprefy have been around for a number of years, the past 18 months has seen the solution grow substantially in popularity due to the ability to overcome recent barriers.” As one of the leading language services providers in the UAE events industry, DLC has had great success in implementing the Interprefy solutions in a variety of ways dependent on the requirement of each event – either adding interpretation to virtual events, adding remote interpreters to onsite systems or enabling delegates outside the main event area to benefit from listening to interpretation whilst watching via other methods. “But this was the first time that we’d used the Interprefy solution in almost the opposite way to normal,” admits Breakspear, “and without it, it wouldn’t have been possible for all of the attendees at Dubai Live to follow along.” www.dlcevents.com

36 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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24/06/2021 16:56

BUSINESS: COMMENT

A letter from America Anyone seen the crew? Dan Daley searches

VACCINATION RATES IN THE US HIT CLOSE TO 50% by the spring and cities and states began once again reopening venues and other gathering places, cautiously at first, but with enough momentum to suggest that live entertainment may yet rear its head this year. So why have so many artists and festivals, gored by the mournful economics of the pandemic, continued to remain reluctant on announcing tours or set dates, or are moving those dates and schedules yet again? The Foo Fighters postponed their 2021 touring plans a full year, from June this year to June 2022. Emo pop-punkers My Chemical Romance did the same with their 2021 tour, pushing dates for North America and Europe back to next year. There have been a few hardy souls that are planning on hitting the road this year. The Dave Matthews Band will do a summer run of dates starting in July. Country-rocker Luke Bryan had been scheduled for May but also opted instead to make it a summer tour. But there seem to be fewer than might have been expected given the rapid rollout of vaccinations in the US. People are still worried about issues such as new virus strains and symptomless transmission. However, there are dynamics beyond just fear and concern over illness at work

here. For starters, it’s estimated that several hundred music venues have closed permanently – back in January, Billboard published a list of close to 100 that had shuttered for good, and there have since been more. That takes a sizable bite out of the 3,000 or so venues that comprise the membership of the National Independent Venues Association, which is pretty much what Live Nation and AEG don’t already own. There are literally fewer places to perform in, which is as jarring as it sounds, and what remains will be increasingly corporatised. Then there is the problem of technical talent. Not every rigger, LD, FOH mixer, systems tech and video wrangler was able to ride out the pandemic pursuing their chosen careers. “No one [ever] saw a year without work,” Michael Strickland, CEO of Bandit Lites, told The Wall Street Journal. “As it continued, you lost people along the way mentally, physically, spiritually, economically.” That unprecedented year-plus without live shows and events has compelled hundreds if not thousands of technical personnel to move on to other ways of making a living and feeding a family, and – in the usual American twist – getting themselves and their families healthcare insurance. What’s more, that deficiency also creates problems for the future,

in the form of far fewer apprenticeships for younger workers who would otherwise have been out learning the craft. The trade schools have added live-show and touring technologies to their curricula in the past decade or so, but it’s never the same as being able to go out and apply that knowledge hands-on. Like other dilemmas created by the pandemic, the shortage of live shows and events, and the people to make them happen, will eventually be worked out. But what the landscape will look like at the end of this tunnel remains to be seen. Expect more automation, which is a typical marketdriven response to labour shortages, to change the nature of the work. I recently wrote articles in which a tour’s live sound mixer handled FOH and monitors, as well as a separate set of in-ears for a VIP group backstage while also recording the shows; and a major new club venue in New York where the FOH mixer also runs its lights and video. In one case, the tour management sought to cut costs; in the other, the venue management needs to conform to local social distancing and capacity regulations. But both also found that there are simply not enough trained people to go around at the moment. It all suggests that the future, on the other side of Covid, is going to be different. Perhaps very different.

A letter from Europe 5G development is beginning to lag behind in Europe. Phil Ward asks why JUST 18 MONTHS AGO, THE EUROPEAN BROADCAST industry was licking its lips at the opportunities for distribution and content posed by 5G mobile technology. Technical papers galore examined the new infrastructure steadily being built so that wireless internet could fulfil its destiny to replace – or at least seriously challenge – satellite services. For this to happen, 5G’s access to remote and rural areas had to be proven and established, and a new coalition between national broadcasters and mobile phone giants took shape. Excitement focused on the almost universal adoption of 5G among handset manufacturers, unlike other proposed mobile broadcast platforms like DVB-H and DVB-NGH. The other boxes it ticked included interactivity, object-based audio and VR, enabled by such abstruse manifestations as Mobile Edge Compute, network slicing and heterogeneous network orchestration. Rarely can broadcast engineers have quivered so tensely in their moccasins. Then Donald Trump dropped his bombshell. Although the US trade blockade with China directly affects only one handset maker – Huawei – it’s a big one: previous forecasts had tipped the company to overtake Samsung by the end of 2019, a consummation briefly achieved but now looking impossible. More pertinently the equipment supplied by

Huawei was already installed throughout the 5G backbone. It was like nearly completing the building of a house and suddenly deciding that one-fifth of all the bricks were the wrong colour. This won’t stop 5G. The EU has already stumped up €700m of investment into it, matched five times over by private tech companies as part of an initiative called the Horizon 2020 Programme. Ericsson, Apple, Nokia, Sony, Samsung and the rest are all right behind it, benefitting neatly in many territories from the abrupt repointing of Huawei’s supporting walls. But it will slow it down – and push up its costs – by varying degrees according to how individual countries and their broadcasters interpret and implement the ban. The UK, for example, is expecting to have completely removed Huawei from 5G networks by 2027; since 31 December 2020, EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three have not been able to buy Huawei gear for UK 5G, even though something like 20,000 base stations around the UK already have it – with BT a major customer. Across Europe, the picture is equally fuzzy. Although France is publicly seeking to strike a “middle ground” between the wholesale removal of Huawei kit and retaining the company as one of its suppliers, operators including Altice and

Bouygues Telecom have been ordered to purge it from most French towns and cities. Dutch provider KPN has excluded it from 5G plans, while Danish and Czech authorities have rubbed up against the Chinese company’s local presence by stirring up staff and cybersecurity issues. In general, though, it’s just Europe being typically Europe: that is to say, far less unified than it’s supposed to be. Several countries including Belgium, Denmark and Sweden have issued statements pointing out the lack of any evidence of security issues, weighing this doubt against the huge setback to telecoms and broadcast posed by anti-Chinese policy. Deutsche Telekom’s CEO Tim Höttges has gone even further, stating on the record that direct intervention in free trade on political grounds is morally indefensible, regardless of any concerns about national security. Meanwhile, Austria is refusing to commit to anyone’s Huawei-free 5G future. In attempting to find a consensus, the EU is avoiding any blanket guidelines – leaving member states to act independently – other than supporting all efforts to investigate and tackle security risks and issuing tighter regulations. With 5G likely to influence production as well as distribution, possibly even offering a way out of the spectrum squeeze, nobody wants a leaky roof.

38 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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25/06/2021 12:29

BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE

The brand plays on

Richard Lawn explores the roots of British manufacturer, HH Electronics, and its development into a global brand together with Headstock stablemate, Laney Amplification

L–R: Adam Groves, James Laney and Lee Wrathe in front of their live stage in Halesowen THE ROLLCALL OF PRO AUDIO BRANDS ORIGINATING IN the UK is unrivalled. Following the birth of the Beatles and the British invasion of pop culture, the electrification of pop and rock music led to a rapidly emerging cottage industry of backline, synthesiser, mixing console and loudspeaker producers. As record sales soared and concert audiences grew, the erstwhile musicians and experienced stagehands who founded these enterprises went on to become pioneers and experts within the fields of broadcast, studio recording and live sound. Mike Harrison was one such entrepreneur. Global events in 1968 included the assassination of Martin Luther King, the Vietnamese Tet offensive and the release of the Beatles’ White Album. In the village of Harston near Cambridge that same year, Harrison founded HH Electronics. Together with Malcolm Green and Graham Lowes, he designed and manufactured the TPA and MA ranges of solid state, studio-quality amplifiers for an increasing number of recording and broadcast studio requiring higher SPL outputs. The hits kept on coming for HH in the 1970s, most notably with the advent of the iconic IC-100 amplifier and its unique, highly distinctive green electro-luminescent lit front panel. Musicians of the day including Marc Bolan of T Rex powered their electric guitars with the 100W RMS. Spurred on by this success, Harrison and the team developed the 412BL quadruple 12-inch speaker cabinet. Sales growth led to growing pains and a relocation to Bar Hill in 1975, where HH extended its range of sound reinforcement EQ. The MA100 five-channel mixer amplifier with a switchable spring reverb took a world tour together with the IC100L and Valve-Sound Bass. Innovatively designed to emulate valve amplifier distortion, the V-S Musician 100W guitar amplifier incorporated a V-S circuit encased in a block of resin to prevent copying by competitors.

In addition to demonstrating commitment to musicians by adding electric pianos and tape echo machines to its MI portfolio, HH widened its offerings beyond the stage to develop larger PA systems during the following decade. Studio and live mixing consoles ranging from an 8:2 configuration to a 24:8:2 footprint rolled out. With the development of dual concentric loudspeakers, concert sound systems including the Piezo series wrote themselves onto the international touring circuit riders. Led by acoustician Ed Forme, HH Acoustics loudspeakers were produced inhouse at the new Huntingdon headquarters with cast magnesium alloy frames to match the quality of the amplifiers and speaker cabinets. With an ever-increasing demand for high-power events and applications, HH duly delivered with the S500D and the V-series including the V800 MOSFET amplifiers. By 1989, the economic and manufacturing landscape had changed, leading to HH Electronics’ acquisition by another British wholly owned company. Operating within the Headstock Group today, Laney Amplification had been founded a year prior to HH Electronics by Lyndon Laney in the industrial and musical heavy metal heartland of Birmingham. As bass guitarist for Band Of Joy featuring a

Six years in and HH Electronics was rockin’ with the finest

Head

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24/06/2021 15:38

BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE pre-Led Zeppelin Robert Plant on vocals, Lyndon’s intense interest in electronics coupled with his lack of funds saw him building what would become the first Laney amp in his father’s garage. As word spread of the tone supplied by Lyndon’s amplifiers, he was quickly supplementing his income with amp sales to many local musicians including Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi. Lyndon’s son James was a young schoolboy in 1989, but his memory of this acquisition remains sharp. “When my father acquired HH, manufacturing in the UK was still the norm,” explains James Laney, now CEO of the company. “The company was operating out of Cradley Heath, which was an industrial area characterised by woodworking, metalwork, transformer and speaker suppliers.” With industrial inertia setting into the area and traditional suppliers developing more inconsistencies, Laney’s vision was to incorporate HH’s technologies and resources for added self-sufficiency. “It was becoming increasingly hard to maintain a competitive edge as a UK manufacturer. By manufacturing and designing loudspeaker parts inhouse for ourselves, we were allowed to keep on the right side of that curve for many years. In addition to developing HH loudspeakers for Laney products, we continued to successfully develop the PA products within the HH catalogue as there was a lot of expertise in terms of metalwork and transformer designs.” A threshold was breached when it no longer became viable to manufacture anything other than high-end products in the UK. “Many of our managers came from engineering backgrounds and so they transitioned their skills to manufacturing operations overseas. By retaining the design and engineering inhouse, we had effectively established the current operations and principles of HH Electronics. When a manufacturer goes to the trouble of designing in the UK, the resultant product has to be unique and stand out, while for our main catalogue we deliver an optimum priceperformance balance.” Having stepped into Lyndon Laney’s shoes, James projects an aura of confidence and stability that owes much to his father’s legacy. “I am immensely indebted to my father for setting up a very good business model,” he says. “Those early years were never easy for him, but we are now benefitting from having a very solid base that allows us to continue investing back in ourselves. There’s no direct pressure on me to take unnecessary risks and my father remains in the background, but I do have a responsibility towards the brands and the people within the company.” In 2004, the Headstock Group consolidated its businesses into the current building and design centre in Halesowen with its extensive R&D, servicing and warehousing facilities. A solid financial basis serves as the bedrock below the West Midlands establishment. “As a family-owned business that does not entertain debt, we are liberated from having to report to venture capitalists or external investors who

Headstock Group CEO, James Laney

Ian Wright (centre) and LATAM sales manager Joey Gross Brown (left) with the crew from Puerto Rican distributor Rosado may be looking to make a turn on the business within 2–5 years.” A number of respected British brands including Amek and C-Audio were acquired and cannibalised. “The intention was for HH to exist alongside Laney, without it being sacrificed for its parts,” explains Laney. “For example, HH retains pedigree in touring products, but we need to consider what the current route to market might be and what our partners want. As much as I love the old IC-100s with the big glowing green panel, I am not sure that there is still a market for those heritage and legacy products, because portable backline has moved on over the past four decades. As we develop more products that are heading for the network, it remains difficult for us to offer the whole end-to-end solution to customers, so for the time being we will focus on amplifier and loudspeaker development. HH will also assert itself more in other sectors such as hospitality and houses of worship.” The current HH Electronics catalogue is divided between two distinct product categories. Systems integrators direct their attention towards the grouping of TNA array enclosures and ceiling speakers together with the M series of high power amplifiers. Active and passive ranges of portable VRE, VRC and TRE loudspeakers appeal to MI

The TNA-1800 speaker series

Low-frequency extension for the Tensor series is provided by the TRS-1500 subwoofer retailers and musicians. “R&D is currently focusing more on the installation catalogue, which will lead to quite a large number of product releases this year and into 2022. The Tensor and Vector active speakers were launched in 2019 to critical acclaim, before the world of live sound had to shut down.” HH Electronics appointed Adelaide-based industry veteran Ian Wright as its international sales manager in January 2011. Initially charged with managing sales channels in the Latin American and APAC markets, Wright’s enthusiasm and passion has taken the HH Electronics and Laney brands to a higher level. Having taken three years out of the industry to run a packaging company in Tasmania, Wright flew into Hong Kong during a family holiday to meet with Laney in a hotel room, making a sufficiently convincing argument that he was the right fit for the company. “It may appear strange for a British company to have their international director of sales based in Australia, but it works incredibly well for HH as he serves territories that represent huge growth potential for us,” explains Laney. “Ian’s always on the ball, works incredibly hard and, importantly, he isn’t a ‘yes man’.” Having worked closely together for over a decade, Laney and Wright make a formidable duo. “I had several opportunities to work with some big brands, but the fact that Headstock is a successful, family-owned business held

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BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE great appeal to me,” explains Wright. “When I first met the team at the NAMM Show, it felt like I’d been there for 20 years. There is an undefinable comradery, because it really is like being part of a family that gives you energy. Although I had long been familiar with both HH and Laney, I decided to take up the challenge to take the brand back to a time when it was truly considered to be a market leader.” Challenge accepted, Wright quickly immersed himself into the role of international sales manager. With a very basic command of the Spanish language, he pushed boundaries for HH and Laney in the APAC and Latin American sectors over seven years. Promoted to the position of global sales director in 2017, a wider geographical remit led him to expanding the sales force. “We have a distribution company with sales managers in the UK and we will soon have European and North American sales managers,” says Wright. “Latin America is a completely different market culturally, but we are blessed with a Paraguayan manager, Joey Gross Brown, who previously worked for Harman Pro and speaks fluent Portuguese and Spanish.” APAC and MEA is now managed by Singapore-based Generation AV. Founded by David McKinney who has been based in the region for two decades, Generation AV offers sales, marketing, demonstrations, technical support and system design for a select number of brands. “Reconnecting with my good friend and ex-Harman Pro sales manager David McKinney has been one of the highlights for me,” continues Wright. “Appointing Generation AV was a similar move to [the situation in] Latin America as I needed a professional company to focus on and develop the marketplace. David’s team bring a wealth of experience, connections and knowledge to the HH brand and are so far making excellent progress.” The extensive sales network that Wright oversees constantly provides feedback, which is duly channelled back to the sales and marketing and R&D teams in the UK. “With experience you gain an understanding of what the market needs and how as a manufacturer we can perform better,” assesses Wright. “I’m not professing to be an expert, but feedback from key relationships within a company need to be fed to R&D. Our sales teams provide reports that let management know where we are underperforming and what holes we need to fill within a product range. For a concept to turn into good business, you need to justify the R&D investment and be sure that you can sell enough products. Our engineers have great skill sets, but they are not out visiting customers and seeing what’s working and what isn’t.” Although Wright’s recent appointments led to accelerated sales growth, HH Electronics continues to operate a typical global distribution model, with Laney valuing an experienced partner with local connections and services. “We work with experts in territories ensuring that we can focus on product development here in the UK,” he says. “Many companies are tempted to increase product margins by going direct to market but, by cutting out customer support, education, servicing and 24/7 support, you’re

L–R: new o

DJ Johnathan Lewis specifies HH speakers for monitoring his sets

The T

on a downward spiral as you are removing fundamental services that are part of the sale. “It’s not just a case of importing the boxes, as a distributor is funding that inventory 90+ days into the future, having it shipped at expense, taking a hit on the exchange rate, negotiating complex duties, stocking it and then putting a credit line into the market whereby you might be repaid 60 days later. That’s a long cash cycle! The distributor is in the middle, investing all of this expertise, servicing the products, offering advice and marketing it, so it is very easy to undervalue what that service is.” The negative effects of the pandemic on HH Electronics were mitigated somewhat by a healthy demand for Laney guitar amplifiers from bornagain musicians taking to their instruments again during lockdowns. “I think the most annoying aspect of the pandemic was the inability to be able to see far enough ahead,” Laney recalls. “Generally, we

HH in and f existi devel resea custo strate The do no flyer W Laney pande to wo been Adela techn in-per online than “We flew t trave that w in tax

look 90–120 days in advance in terms of supply and between six and 12 months in front in terms of product development. Instead, we were contemplating what to tell our staff on a Monday morning on Sunday night. I had to provide a motivational memo for the week not knowing what to say but, ultimately, you just get on with it. Fortunately, we had geared up to working remotely, having had new software installed in late 2019 to provide task management, traceability and communication in addition to videoconferencing.”

The TNiC ceiling speaker range

The HH team displays a certain camaraderie at trade shows

Assuming leadership qualities required for such a crisis, Laney soon realised that he had been relieved of those pre-Covid shor t-term distractions where he would have to make impor tant decisions in an often-hasty manner. “My first duty was to reassure all the team individually that their job remained safe and that they use this downtime constructively to focus on how we could better develop the business. Keeping the whole R&D team focused and working throughout the pandemic was vital. Our goal was to come out of this situation with more things to say.” One of the key team members motivated to spearhead HH’s for tunes was sales and marketing manager, Adam Groves. “The challenge brought by the pandemic has given us more drive to succeed than ever,” explains Groves. “Global audio markets may have been devastated for the last 18 months, but we decided as a group to be proactive from the ver y beginning. Therefore, from a sales perspective, we remained in constant communication with our global par tners, while also establishing new relationships around the globe. In terms of marketing,

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BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE can put through the business with ships stuck up the Suez Canal is somewhat different. Infrastructures have been hugely disrupted while freight and shipping has risen exponentially in cost. The supply chain remains in upheaval and so the cost of components has gone through the roof and are really difficult to source. Microprocessors and DSP chips, for example, that previously cost $2 are now $12.” Emerging from the pandemic fog with a fully galvanised and re-energised team together with a soon-to-be-revealed new product focus, HH Electronics is about to write the next chapter of its legacy. “As the world star ts to reopen, I am optimistic that there will be a lot of oppor tunities for growth where HH can capitalise,” concludes Laney. “The overriding thing our industr y needs right now is for people to live freely within their own countries and demand to be enter tained once again.”

L–R: James Laney, Ben Chen and Ian Wright at Prosound’s new offices in Taichung

The Tensor TRE-1201 and TRE-1501 full-range speaker systems

HH Electronics sales and marketing manager, Adam Groves

HH increased the generation of official brand content and fur ther developed par tnerships with both new and existing external influencers. Additionally, for product development, the team conducted an in-depth market research campaign by gathering input from our global customers to create lucrative product development strategies. There has been no downtime.” The borders closed in Australia on 15 March 2020 and do not appear to be reopening anytime soon. Frequent flyer Wright’s wings have been temporarily clipped but, like Laney, he has grasped the many positives accrued from the pandemic. “Ten years ago it would have been impossible to work like we have in the last 18 months, but I have been able to keep in touch with everyone from my home in Adelaide. The world’s a lot smaller with videoconferencing technology, although it will never substitute the one-on-one, in-person meeting because you cannot develop relationships online. Those real-world meetings are a little bit more candid than on a computer screen. “We used to spend a for tune on travel as our engineers flew to China ever y month and the sales teams constantly travelled around the world. In addition to all the planning that was involved, the hours I previously spent on planes, in taxis and hotels travelling really added up. We will have

to critically assess the viability of any travelling in future, because a video call may suffice. As much as I’d rather be out and about visiting customers in the market, I have relished my family time. Although it was hard to transition during those first few surreal months, I do not miss cer tain aspects of that pre-Covid lifestyle.” Like most manufacturers, HH Electronics has balanced buoyant sales in China with fluctuations in other APAC countries resulting from opening up and locking down the economy. “The project installation side of the business continued during the first 6–8 months with works that had already been committed to,” continues Wright. “Therefore, roughly 90% of our focus is now on developing installation products including systems, for which we have an exciting road map ahead of us. We have star ted by filling some holes in our current product lines.” As the situation develops, new problems have required Laney to make bold decisions. “Our stocks of por table PA initially gathered dust in the warehouse, but we have been selling large quantities recently, because others have cleaned out all their inventor y,” he says. “The market has been faced with no shipping, no production and no components. Demand may be amazing and the order book astonishing, but the reality of what you

L–R: Ian Wright, Dio from Chinese distributor Eatrend and Duncan Boniface Laney realises he is ver y much an anomaly who doesn’t fit the typecast second-generation owner. “One of my good friends identified second-generation owners as a problem in our industr y,” he reflects. “Luckily, he followed up by explaining that I was an exception to this. I don’t subscribe to the idea of what this business can give me in three years so that I can buy myself a Lamborghini or a big house. If that was the case, I know that I’m in the wrong business. We are a company that is ver y much in this for the long term and we enjoy what we do.” www.hhelectronics.com www.laney.co.uk

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BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY

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To the front of the line

Acoustic test manufacturer Audio Precision discusses the constraints of the modern production line and why it’s developed an all-in-one test solution to aid manufacturers AUDIO PRECISION’S CREDENTIALS AS ONE OF THE industry’s leading test equipment manufacturers are the result of more than 35 years of specialist expertise. Throughout this time, the company’s products have been pointing engineers in the right direction despite an ever-shifting technological landscape that consistently introduces new challenges and constraints to the way electroacoustic devices are tested. Founded by a dedicated group of four individuals back in 1984, the Oregon-based company offers high-performance audio analysers, software and accessories to help manufacturers design, validate, characterise and, ultimately, produce a range of consumer, professional and industrial audio products. With the increase in integration of audio into a wider range of products (for example, the voice-activated TV remote) and the explosion in demand for consumer electronics, manufacturers are, as Audio Precision director of marketing and sales

operations Eric Hodges explains, faced with both increasing device complexity and cost pressure. “The primary goal in test system setup, whether that’s setting up a new system, calibrating the system for a new shift or reconfiguring the system for a change in the device type being tested, is to get it done as quickly and efficiently

The APx517B Speaker Test Application

Audio Precision director of marketing and sales operations, Eric Hodges

as possible,” he says. “The faster you can get a product or component through the production process, including the testing steps which validate that it is going to perform correctly for the customer, the better. The last thing any manufacturer wants to be doing is shipping a bad product and they want to be able to find out whether they are or not as quickly as possible.” Compared to their more development-focused siblings, these test systems need to operate in an efficient manner as when it comes to the production line, any interruptions can quickly become expensive. To tackle this, Audio Precision felt the time was right to create a dedicated all-in-one unit to fulfil these specific production line testing demands. “People that have been around the audio equipment industry for many years traditionally think of Audio Precision as an R&D tool, and specifically for electronics,” notes Hodges. “They would not typically think of us in terms of acoustic test and/or production test. I understand that, but we’ve been adding functionality, both through hardware and in our software for both of those types of applications, whether it’s electronic or acoustic, and whether it’s R&D or manufacturing.” The goal of production testing is to ensure that the devices manufactured and shipped perform as intended, as any uncontrolled variability or tolerances, either in materials and

components or in the assembly processes, can negatively impact performance. The key question then becomes: what is the most effective way to test devices to ensure they meet specifications? If manufacturing test is viewed as a range, it’s anchored on one end by absolute quality assurance via full testing of the device. Here, the test strategy is defined by the product’s functional specification and every product assembled is tested to ensure that every element – connectors, speakers and microphones – works to specification. Such a test strategy is expensive, both in terms of the required equipment and the production time devoted to testing. At the opposite end of the range is simply not testing a device at all. Such a strategy is often employed in cases where the product is so inexpensive that investment in testing can’t be justified. Here, the customer is effectively the quality control process. Field failures and returns are the main indicators of a quality problem. Between these two extremes is a multifaceted assessment that compares the cost of test and the cost of failure. Depending on the value of a product or its brand perception, ensuring that no sub-par products reach customers might be a key factor in an overall product strategy. The determination of just how critical that is, or isn’t, can define the manufacturing quality standard and inform an appropriate strategy.

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BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY “Creating the manufacturing test strategy for an audio device can be regarded as the need to balance costs, specifically the cost of test against the cost of failure,” explains Hodges. “While simple in concept, this can be a far more complex equation involving several variables. If it’s a lower value product, then I have a lower budget for testing, and so I might use a simpler solution. For situations like this, we have developed the APx500 Flex, which is our software paired with a soundcard. “For devices that command a higher price point,” furthers Hodges, “where the impact of shipping a bad unit is worse than for a lower value product, they’re going to have a better test budget and that’s where an integrated system like the APx517B is better suited. The decision is a reflection of what kind of product am I testing, and what the value of that product is or the brand it’s attached to.” Audio Precision’s APx517B ready-to-go system encompasses an audio analyser, power amplifier, headphone amplifiers and microphone power supply, along with the ability to add an optional digital interface. It boasts a setup time of less than five minutes, making it ideal for fast deployment on the production line. For lower-cost testing, AP’s APx500 Flex is a software audio analyser paired with an ASIO-capable audio interface. “These are the challenges that we’re tackling with the APx517B, and it’s a game changer when it comes to the production line testing of acoustic devices, i.e. headphones, speakers and speaker drivers, headsets, microphones, or any of the myriad electronic products with integrated speakers and/or microphones,” notes Hodges. “For audio devices, particularly acoustic devices like speakers, headphones and headsets, you were previously connecting things up and having to do a bunch of setup and configuration before you could even begin to run the tests. If you can save time in that setup and configuration, it’s a big deal. So, there was a recognised need for a dedicated system.” Prior to the availability of the APx517B and APx500 Flex solutions, manufacturers would have had to compile a production test solution from its various components. “The APx 1701 was our first step in this direction. It had all the important accessories for

A rub and buzz loudness measurement result testing acoustic devices, integrated in one system, and then it connected with a separate APx analyser. But manufacturing tests can be very cost-sensitive and space-limited, and the previous solutions still required the two boxes. The ability to smash those both together into one piece of hardware is a key improvement towards addressing that problem in a cost-effective, but performance-oriented, manner.” Yet as technology continually develops and evolves, so too must the test hardware and methodology to certify it. As the variety of smart devices entering the marketplace continues to expand, new challenges loom for companies like Audio Precision. “For us, everything comes down to having a passion for audio measurement and looking at ways we can continue

to innovate in that – addressing the problems customers are bringing to us and finding solutions to creatively solve those problems,” reflects Hodges. “At the moment, the proliferation of smart devices is driving certain new innovations, such as open loop testing, and we’re continually focused on how testing procedures can be refined as the smart devices category, in particular, broadens. But the other element is digital interfaces. Standards such as Bluetooth are continuously evolving and there are a number of new interface options out there. As people are constantly figuring out better ways to do things, then we also have to figure out a way to test it.” www.ap.com

CRYSTAL CLEAR COMMUNICATION IN CHALLENGING ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENTS

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NEWPRODUCTS

INSTALLATION • AV • LIVE SOUND • BROADCAST • POSTPRODUCTION • RECORDING • LIGHTING A–ZCONTENTS Absen Aurora Series/Absenicon 3.0 65 Adamson IS-Series 49 AEQ Talent/Olympia 3 60 AJA T-TAP Pro/Desktop Software v16 67 Allen & Heath Avantis V1.1 64 58 ARX Systems Ultra deBalancer/USB Ultra I/O Ashly Audio AquaControl update 62 Audac Touch v2.5 62 Audio-Technica Wireless Manager version 1.2.0 62 Audix A127 56 52 Axiom CXL12A B-Tech AV Mounts BT7886 67 Barco OverView LVD-5521C and KVD-5521C 65 Biamp Cambridge Qt X Series 59 Bosch Dicentis 3.60 54 48 Bose AMM108/AMM112/AMS115 Brompton Technology Tessera v3.2 63 Calrec Calrec Assist 61 Celestion AN2075 49 Christie Mirage SST-6P 66 Clear-Com Station-IC/EHX 12.1 61 disguise xR update/r18 52 DPA Microphones 4466 Core/4488 Core 57 Dynacord MXE5 update 60 Elation KL Fresnel 8 FC 68 ETC Source Four LED Series 3/Desire Fresnel 69 EVE Audio SC4070 61 Exterity AvediaStream m9605 61 Extron TLP Pro 1230WTG/SMP 300 Series 51 GLP CL1/CL1+ 69 Harrison Mixbus DAW/Mixbus32C 63 HK Audio S210 V/S210 P 48 Idea Pro Audio EXO SM16-A 52 Ikegami UHK-X700 66 JVC Professional Video GY-HC900 and GY-HC500 update 64 K-array KGEAR 48 Klotz AIS LX4/LX5/VU series 56 Kramer CLS-AOCU31/CC and CA-USB3/AAE 56 L-Acoustics L-ISA Studio/L-ISA engine update 62 Lawo Home/mc²36 in 48-fader layout 53 LD Systems Zone X 1208/Zone X 1208 D 54 Lectrosonics DBSM/DBSMD 53 LG BU60PST/BF60PST 66 Listen Technologies ListenTALK 2.0 54 Martin Professional MAC Ultra Performance and Wash 69 Merging Technologies HAPI MKII 50 NewTek 3Play 3P2 68 NEXO INFO TO COME 47 Optimal Audio Zone controllers 50 Pan Acoustics P SW-112 50 66 Panasonic PT-MZ880 Series Peavey Commercial Audio Aureus 50 Point Source Audio Lavalier Switch Kit 57 Quicklink STS410 68 RCF P Series/M 20X V.170 49 Robe LEDBeam 350 69 ROE Visual GhostFrame 68 Ross Video Inception V15 64 Sennheiser MKE 400/XS Lav 57 Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe E Series 65 Solid State Logic UV-EQ/SiX CH 60 Sommer Cable HI-HOIC 56 Studio Technologies Model 5422A/Model 5401A 58 Tascam TM-200SG/TM-250U 57 Tasker TSK401/C128/TSK1038/TSK902 56 Telos Alliance Telos VX 52 49 TOA SA-60D/MX-9200 TVU Networks TVU Remote Commentator 64 UNiKA PRO-DI series 59 58 Wheatstone Blade 4 Williams AV Convey Video 54 Wohler Technologies iVAM1-3 60 Yamaha AFC Enhance/AFC Image 47

NEXO debuts its first column speaker NEXO has unveiled a new big brother to the iD24, and its first column speaker design, in the form of the ID84 THE NEW cabinet comprises eight 4-inch longexcursion neodymium low-frequency drivers paired with an array of eight 1-inch dome tweeters configured in a patented arrangement to maximise efficiency. It boasts a peak SPL output of 135dB and a frequency response of 90Hz – 20kHz, with the French manufacturer stating that it is equally competent for speech and music reinforcement, and able to perform as a front-ofhouse reinforcement system in its own right. The slim, 1m-long column is joined by two companion products, a low-frequency extension module (ID84L) and partner sub-bass (IDS312), which can be configured to provide a scalable solution for acoustically challenging architectures. Weighing 15kg, the ID84 measures 990mm x 150mm and is constructed from rigid, lightweight aluminium, with a steel spine to host the rigging system and facilitate the hanging of multiple cabinets. Magnelis side covers and front grille complete its aesthetic, while the enclosure is available as standard in black or white, with custom RAL colour options to match any installation environment. The ID84 offers switchable dispersion, with a choice of two vertical directivities selectable by a switch on the back plate – +0/–10° in Narrow Mode or +0/–25° in Wide Mode. Dedicated presets are available for each directivity. Sonically, the ID84 shares the same phase response as other NEXO loudspeakers, making it possible to pair with different models without the risk of comb filtering or the need for complex electronic adjustment. For long-throw applications, the ID84L lowfrequency extension cabinet has almost exactly the same footprint as the ID84 and contains eight 4-inch LF components. By doubling the line length, the vertical directivity of the assembly is increased in the low frequencies

while reportedly leaving the horizontal directivity unchanged. By coupling four units (two ID84s with two ID84Ls), the HF arrangements can be paired at two mid-points to produce cardioid radiation down to 90Hz. The ID84 can stand alone on a specially designed base plate or stacked on the dedicated IDS312 sub. The sub itself weighs 31kg and measures 1,160mm x 380mm x 350mm. Frequency response is 40–120Hz and the peak SPL output is 138dB. The enclosure houses three high-excursion neodymium drivers in a bassreflex enclosure design. The crossover between the IDS312 and ID84 has been designed to extend both the frequency response of the main speaker and the directivity by acting like a homogenous 2m-high sound source. www.nexo-sa.com

IDS312

ID84

Yamaha furthers AFC technology DESIGNED TO turn an acoustically dead environment into a reverberant space at the touch of a button, Yamaha has upgraded its Active Field Control (AFC) technology. Delivering 96kHz processing capability, AFC has now been expanded to include AFC Enhance for ambience control and AFC Image for acoustic image control. The dimensional reverberation control capabilities of AFC Enhance can be used to create acoustic spaces in which acoustic images are positioned and moved around by AFC Image adopting a GUI. The reverberation of a space is controlled while making use of the natural acoustic properties of the existing structure, but without adding artificial reverb to the source sound to create a different impression. Instead, AFC Enhance controls sound propagation within the actual space so that reverberation and

volume can be altered while the natural sounds of musical instruments and voices are maintained. The perceived positions of acoustic images within a space are controlled by AFC Image. With a conventional stereo configuration, the acoustic image will vary according to the listener’s position. Immersive systems,

however, allow acoustic images to be placed and moved wherever they are needed to produce the desired effect, with the position remaining absolute regardless of listener location. Unique features include a speaker zoning function that assigns object sounds to only the desired speakers within the system and binaural output for immersive

sound in headphones. Systems can be flexibly customised to integrate DAWs, mixers and tracking systems in addition to third-party hardware and software. Yamaha has also expanded its Adecia conferencing solution family with the new wired RM-TT Tabletop Microphone. The Adecia Tabletop Solution, like the Adecia Ceiling System, is based on Dante audio networking and comprises the dedicated RM-CR conference processor, VXL1-16P line array speakers and optimised SWR2311P10G PoE+ switch for a “comfortable and effortless remote conferencing experience”. With DSP technology built in to maximise voice capture, the RM-TT relays speech in high quality, with maximum flexibility and scalability. www.yamaha.com/2/proaudio

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PRODUCTS

K-array targets new markets with KGEAR ITALIAN SPEAKER manufacturer K-array has unveiled a new line of audio solutions with the aim of introducing state-of-theart technologies to its products targeting budget-sensitive yet highly demanding applications. Named KGEAR, the new brand’s portfolio has been divided into two segments – High Performance and Installed Sound. The range includes column systems, line arrays, ceiling and wall-mount speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers for everything from large venues and commercial buildings to room-sized, residential environments. “Two of the most interesting products we are launching are our GF22 and GF82 columns,” explained KGEAR global sales and marketing manager, Lorenzo De Poi. “Featuring the same tiny column format, these two speakers are substantially different.” The GF22 is a 2x2-inch full-range point source speaker, while the GF82 is an 8x2-inch mini line array that benefits from K-array’s Pure Array Technology. They have been designed for low eye impact indoor and outdoor distributed sound applications where either coverage or extreme directivity are required. The GP8A is a PA column system with an 8-inch active subwoofer unit and a 4x2.5-inch line array column module. The compact system is described as easy to set up and

Bose’s aim is clear with AMM FORMING THE first instalment of the new AMM multipurpose loudspeaker series, Bose Professional has created two fullrange loudspeakers and a companion subwoofer. Featuring a coaxial two-way design, the AMM108 and AMM112 loudspeakers can be used as mains, monitors, fills or delays for a specific role in a system or in multiple roles within the same system. Consistent voicing with the existing AM array module and AMU utility loudspeaker lines means that models

GF22

AMM series

features Bluetooth connectivity which also allows users to pair two units together in True Wireless Stereo mode. It also has a built-in mixer with two mic inputs and reverb, a USB/SD player and separate controls for the subwoofer unit level.

from all three lines can be mixed and matched. Designed to deliver consistent frequency response, clarity and symmetrical projection across the listening area, both the AMM108 and AMM112 designs incorporate a Bose Beamwidth Matching Waveguide. Located just behind the grille, the waveguide seals the acoustic volume of the woofer and features a unique vent pattern that controls LF dispersion for aligning the low- and high-frequency beamwidths at crossover. Weighing 13kg, the passive AMM108 incorporates a 1.7-inch compression driver and 8-inch woofer to deliver 110° x 60° coverage with 128dB peak output. Delivering 110° x 60° coverage with 131dB peak output, the AMM112 is equipped with a 3-inch compression driver and 12-inch woofer. Both compact enclosures include integrated carrying handles, 35mm pole sockets and seven integrated M10 threaded inserts.

www.kgear.it

HK Audio expands SI Series

S210 P FOLLOWING IN the footsteps of the P10i and P10j, HK Audio has added to its “System Integrator” Series with the S210 V (protection class IP44) and S210 P (protection class IP66). The S210 V subwoofer is equipped with two 10-inch woofers and a large bassreflex port, which reduces unwanted flow noise due to its exponential contour. The cabinet has been optimised for installation purposes and kept as flat as possible. There are several mounting points as standard, where the optional U-Bracket can be attached. This means it can be installed on walls and ceilings, or even flown. The IP44 rating means that the S210 V can be installed in protected outdoor areas.

The S210 P is equipped with two 10-inch woofers on the front and two 10-inch passive radiators on the rear. This is the first time HK Audio has used passive radiators in an installation subwoofer. These are specially designed transducers that, unlike conventional speakers, have no magnets and no voice coil. Instead, carefully tuned resonators with additional weight are used. This technology is said to deliver significantly increased low-frequency output compared to a simple, closed cabinet. The IP66 rating means the S210 P can be used in harsh environments. www.hkaudio.com

New DM pendant speakers Providing low-frequency extension down to 35Hz and 130dB peak output, the companion AMS115 subwoofer features a 15-inch neodymium transducer. The 28kg enclosure includes 12 M10 threaded inserts for suspension in permanent

installations and an integrated M20 threaded pole mount for hosting the AMM108 or the AMM112 loudspeaker for FOH or fill applications. Alternatively, the AMM112 loudspeaker can be paired with the ShowMatch SMS118 subwoofer for higher-output, extended-bandwidth systems. Designed for both background and foreground audio applications in commercial sound installations, Bose has expanded the DesignMax loudspeaker

series with a range of pendant models. Ideal for open-ceiling installations, each plenum-rated back can is designed with sleek aesthetics and provides a recessed single-point suspension system, enabling hardware and Euroblock connectors to be kept out of sight, and a service loop to be held and hidden for easy access. The existing portfolio of DesignMax in-ceiling and surface-mount form factors together with companion subwoofers are voice matched to the new IP55 outdoor-rated coaxial pendants. Ensuring a consistent listening experience by matching the coverage of the woofer to the pattern of the tweeter, the DM3P, DM5P and DM6PE pendant loudspeakers feature the Bose Dispersion Alignment system. Incorporating a 3.25-inch woofer and 0.75-inch tweeter mounted within the Dispersion Alignment system, the 30W-rated DesignMax DM3P model is the smallest family member. Operating within a frequency range of 65Hz – 20kHz, the 60W-rated DM5P is equipped with a 5.25-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter and the DM6PE marries a 6.5-inch woofer and 1.25-inch tweeter for BGM and foreground applications. Low-frequency enhancement down to 40Hz is catered for by the 300W DesignMax DM10P-SUB 10-inch pendant subwoofer that incorporates a 10-inch woofer. Available in black or white, the DesignMax pendants can also be paired with various Bose DSPs and amplifiers to enable Bose loudspeaker EQ and SmartBass processing. pro.bose.com

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P 522

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PRODUCTS

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RCF HAS unveiled its P Series speakers that have been designed to “deliver excellent music and speech intelligibility in a compact, lightweight and weatherproof enclosure”. The IP55/UV-protected cabinet integrates into any outdoor and indoor environments. Rigging is described as fast and easy with the pre-mounted bracket or the multiple brass suspension points. The P 4228 and P 3108 are full-range, two-way speakers. The high-frequency section includes two constant directivity CMD horns, each loaded respectively with a 1.4-inch and 1-inch RCF Precision neodymium compression driver with a 2.5-inch and 1.5-inch diaphragm assembly. The low-frequency section in both models combines two 8-inch woofers with a 2.5-inch voice coil. The P 1108T and P 5228-L are full-range, twoway line array speaker modules. Respectively, the high-frequency section includes one and two constant directivity CMD horn-loaded enclosures with a 1-inch RCF Precision neodymium compression driver and a 1.5-inch and 1.75-inch diaphragm assembly. The lowfrequency section features one and two 8-inch woofers with a 1.5-inch and 2.5-inch voice coil. The P 1108T also features a selectable line transformer for 70V/100V applications. The P 2110T, P 3115T and P 6215 are full-range, wide-dispersion, coaxial two-way loudspeaker systems. The low-frequency transducer of the P 2110T is a 10-inch woofer with a 2.5-inch voice coil; for the P 3115T it’s a 15-inch woofer with a 3-inch voice coil. The low-frequency transducer for the P 6215 is a 15-inch neodymium woofer, while the high-frequency section combines a 1.3-inch neodymium RCF Precision compression driver

with a 2.5-inch diaphragm assembly centrally mounted in the throat of the LF driver and loaded on a constant directivity CMD horn. The P 8015S is a bass-reflex subwoofer equipped with a 15-inch low-frequency neodymium transducer and a 4-inch voice coil. It has been specifically designed to reinforce the low-frequency range in P Series speakers. Its single-piece, roto-moulded cabinet is fully UV protected and meets IP55 standards. The sub is equipped with 12 M10 brass inserts and a durable and corrosion-resistant stainless-steel U-Bracket and two spacers for 90° mounting. The aluminium grille cover is powder coated with a water-repellent fabric backing. In brief, RCF has released firmware V.170 for its M 20X digital mixer. The update offers improved system robustness and stability; an extended digital trim level to –30dB to +30dB for stream/SD card/drive input sources; a new Solo Clear function; a new main out After Fader Level (AFL) source option for output routing; and the ability to fix initial EQ settings after a factory reset. The Italian manufacturer has also introduced firmware V.1.60 for its Evox JMix8. The update offers improved Bluetooth communication for compatibility with the latest iOS and Android versions and fixes to brightness, unwanted display flickering in specific contexts and unwanted EQ settings loss. www.rcf.it

ADDRESSING THE fixed installation market, Adamson Systems Engineering has created a range of new products, including an extension to the IS-Series of installation loudspeakers and a suite of updated design tools. Ideal for marine and coastal venues, outdoor stadiums and open-air performance spaces, and other permanent outdoor installations, the IS-Series Weatherised models achieve an IP55 rating without sacrificing performance or aesthetics. Corrosion resistance and environmental sealing features are integral to the new design. Offering 100% corrosion resistance, all structural steel elements of the IS-Series Weatherised cabinets integrate a stainless alloy. The new models also feature an interior and exterior coating with a distinctive smooth finish to create a water-resistant seal for easy cleaning and removal of dirt, salt water or sand. Available for immediate download from the Adamson website, the Canadian manufacturer has updated its suite of design tools for

New design tools integrators. These include the Autodesk Revit and SketchUp libraries for the IS-Series, together with updated EASE and CAD files for the complete Adamson loudspeaker line. www.adamsonsystems.com

Back to school with TOA P 6215

Celestion adds AN other compact array driver CREATED FOR large-scale mini-array applications where multiple drivers are together, Celestion has added a 32Ω version of the AN2075 2-inch compact array driver. The latest addition to the AN range of full-range neodymium loudspeakers promotes itself for portable or discreet, low-profile sound reinforcement applications where actively controlled beam steering is used. The driver incorporates a neodymium magnet assembly and stiff aluminium cone that remains rigid to higher frequencies for

IS-Series

delivering a smoother response. A glassreinforced ABS chassis is common to all the drivers in the AN Series. Each square mounting frame accommodates close coupling of multiple units for maximising free air movement. Each of the drivers in the AN Series has been optimised using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) techniques to give a wider dispersion characteristic than conventional loudspeakers of this size. www.celestion.com

DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY for ease of audio setup in training rooms and classrooms, TOA Electronics has released the SA-60D School Digital amplifier. The 60W Class-D digital amplifier can be paired with one or two speakers, a microphone system and an external audio device or MP3 player. Weighing 1.6kg, the compact unit is equipped with two mic and two aux inputs together with a low impedance output connection (4Ω to 8Ω). Measuring 210mm x 70.6mm x 180mm (WxHxD), the steel-plated case is finished in an off-white paint that can be wall- or desktop-mounted in the classroom environment. The manufacturer has also released the MX-9200 mixer pre-amplifier equipped with up to nine inputs and two channel outputs. Four of the nine inputs have the option of phantom power. The MX-9200 has a frequency response of 30Hz – 20kHz and comes with various parameter settings, such as volume, bass, middle, treble and mute. These can all be controlled and adjusted remotely via

SA-60D an Android touchscreen device with a Bluetooth connection, giving the user the convenience of making parameter adjustments instantly within the room, even when they are not near the equipment. The MX-9200 has been designed for function rooms, training rooms and even small-scale house of worship applications. www.toa.com.sg

MX-9200

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PRODUCTS

Merging reveals a new HAPI face IN ADDITION to PT64 HDX and MADI cards, both current and future AD/DA interface cards slot straight into the MERGING+HAPI MKII. The mastering grade headphone amplifier now monitors full DSD256 material with volume control from the front panel and is capable of driving ultra-low to very high impedance headphones. A clear Plexiglas

front panel has been created with improved display and dimming options. Designed to complement Anubis SPS and MADI, HAPI MKII also retains the redundant power supply option and is fully compliant with ST2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching in addition to NMOS and ST211030 compatibility. With switch mode support,

there is no longer the requirement for an external network switch when using one additional networked interface. While each channel can now be routed individually, dual Ethernet ports allow Switch Mode operation for connecting an additional

Ravenna/AES67 device without the need for an external switch. www.merging.com

Pan Acoustics sub combines power with versatility AVAILABLE IN passive and active versions, German manufacturer Pan Acoustics has expanded its portfolio with a compact, multifunctional subwoofer. The P SW-112 features a specifically designed 12-inch HQ woofer chassis that drives up to 3,600W (peak) power and 131dB (peak) output level. The passive version of the P SW-112 is equipped with two NL4 connectors and processing presets for most amplifier brands are available. The active

P SW-112 | SP version offers a total of three input options from analogue and AES/EBU using the Pan Net interface or via redundant Dante networks. Sufficient headroom of the integrated amplifier promotes the connection of an additional passive subwoofer via the NL4 connection. Internal DSP control can be configured remotely on the inclusive software via the Pan Net interface’s USB port or directly via a Dante network connection. All active components are matched with the speaker and five-band parametric equaliser,

gain and delay (up to 370ms) are included. Housed in birch plywood, the low-tuned speaker is based on a ported design and is available in standard black (RAL 9005) or white (RAL 9010) with a structured texture, but customised colours are available upon request. Integrated ergonomic handles in addition to an M20 pole mount promote the P SW-112’s use for both installations and mobile events. www.pan-acoustics.de/en

Optimal Audio takes control

Peavey Electronics unveils Aureus

OPTIMAL AUDIO offers a one-stop solution of control, amplification and loudspeakers for smalland medium-sized commercial installations, with a focus on supporting multi-zone venues. The products are designed as a cohesive ecosystem, and at the forefront of the ecosystem are fourand eight-zone, powered and non-powered Zone controllers that have DSP at their heart. According to the manufacturer, there is currently nothing else at this price point on the market that has the functionality and versatility to allow such a quick and simple setup. They have a flexible three-band EQ plus bandpass filtering on every output, alongside limiters and delay – features that are normally associated only with premium-priced offerings. They are described as easy to install, intuitive to operate and can be desktop or rack-mounted with convenient front panel controls for sources and levels with full configuration via the WebApp. They also include an emergency alarm override. All models also feature four line and two mic inputs plus two HDMI inputs for TV and video sound. Compatible with any device, Optimal Audio’s WebApp is said to make system setup straightforward, allowing installers as much access as they require to configure EQs, devise presets and structure time-of-day routines. Once

DESCRIBED BY Peavey as its most accessible digital mixer to date, the Aureus comes with a 10-inch multitouch display and access to almost any control with just a couple of taps. The mixer gives users the ability to save and store presets, scene and entire mixes onto a USB drive. The onboard dock allows a tablet to be placed as a second screen, so users can monitor the mix while adjusting a specific channel or separate group on the mixer. The Aureus offers 14 dedicated encoders, nine motorised faders (100mm) and 45 dedicated backlit buttons. It can connect to just about any audio source thanks to its 16 XLR-1⁄4-inch, RCA, Bluetooth (stereo long range) and USB (A/B) inputs. Phantom power (48V) is available for microphones on the 16 channels and the mixer comes with 14 outputs, including 10 XLR, USB and AES digital. The unit also offers a wide selection of reverb and delay through Peavey’s built-in FX series digital effects (23 effects across two engines) with simple and advanced modes. The five-band EQ is fully parametric for control and precision on each frequency. With eight busses, two mains and four DCAs, the Aureus offers users flexibility, whether they are behind the panel or nearby with remote control via onboard Wi-Fi. Password-assigned busses allow each musician to not only have their own mix, but also to control it using any device

WebApp completed, venue staff can then be presented with a simple user interface which allows them to operate the system. Zone controllers can also be supplemented by wall-mounted controllers called ZonePad, available in one- or four-zone formats, which reportedly ensure that operation by staff is simple, intuitive and within easy reach. These controllers are said to complement any décor and enable selection and volume control of playback source. ZonePad features a single proprietary RJ45/Cat5 connection for power, audio and control. www.optimal-audio.co.uk

Zone Series

that can open an HTML5-compatible browser. Users can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously to adjust any aspect of the mix. The Aureus includes three programmable mute groups and six dedicated mute functions, along with dedicated controls on the solo function. Data I/O includes the onboard Wi-Fi and Ethernet remote, while computer connectivity consists of Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB port. The unit also includes a 1.25-inch headphone jack. The mixer is rack-mountable, measures 165mm x 380mm x 495mm (HxWxD) and weighs 7kg. www.peavey.com

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PRODUCTS

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DESIGNED TO allow multiple tasks to be seen and managed at the same time, Extron has launched the TLP Pro 1230WTG touchpanel in an ultra-wide format. Featuring a 12-inch 1920x720 resolution touchscreen, the lowprofile TLP Pro 1230WTG provides ample screen space to simultaneously display full AV system controls, video preview and annotation controls. An HDMI video preview input is included for supporting high-resolution, HDCP-compliant video from an HDMI source and annotation is also supported when used in conjunction with an Extron Annotator. The TLP Pro 1230WTG operates with any Extron IP Link Pro control processor or HC 400 Series Meeting Space Collaboration system. Customisation is made possible by changing the individual graphic elements within the Extron GUI Designer software. Devised initially to unlock features that can expand system functionality, Extron’s LinkLicense continues to evolve. A new LinkLicense upgrade has been made available to enable SMP 300 Series devices to ingest recording and livestream schedules of live and on-demand video content. The Ensemble Video Features Upgrade provides automated publishing workflows to enhance engagement in online learning, lecture capture, flipped classrooms and virtual meetings. SW USB Pro Series switchers serve as active USB hubs by supplying power to attached devices. The 1U, half-rack width

TLP Pro 1230WTG enclosure is extended with the addition of the SW2 USB Pro and SW4 USB Pro USB switchers. The latest two- and fourinput models facilitate USB 3.2-compatible switching between multiple host devices and multiple USB peripherals. Designed

to operate with USB-C and Thunderbolt hosts and peripherals with data rates up to 10Gbps, the switchers also support auto and manual host together with peripheral switching via RS-232 or Ethernet. The integrated HID peripheral ports support

hotkey input switching via a connected keyboard. The Host and Peripheral Emulation Mode provide “keep alive” functionality by continuously mimicking host and keyboard/ mouse communications within the switcher. The UCS 900 Series extends USB data signals from cameras, conference systems and peripherals – such as mass storage devices, keyboards and mice in pro AV environments – to a host computer over fibre-optic cable. The latest SuperSpeed USB extenders are compatible with all USB standards up to USB 3.2 and support data rates up to 5Gbps. The transmitter’s USB‑C host connection can be powered by the host computer and the receiver features a two‑port USB hub for connecting remote peripherals. The UCS FTR 900 Kit includes a transmitter, receiver, 10m cable, power supplies and ZipClip mounting brackets. www.extron.com

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PRODUCTS

Telos virtualises its VX VoIP system

No test for EXO SPANISH MANUFACTURER Idea Pro Audio is shipping the EXO SM16-A stage monitor. Measuring 470mm x 320mm x 512mm, the compact dual 8-inch active model has been designed as a low-profile cabinet for multipurpose applications. An integrated 1.2kW Class-D power module comes with 24-bit @ 48kHz DPS offering four selectable presets – stage monitor, close-field, full range and 100Hz HPF. The HF section of the SM16-A utilises a 6-inch magnetic assembly for a 3-inch voice coil and a 1.4-inch compression driver coupled to an 50° x 80° (HxV) horn for a controlled coverage pattern. Operating within a 72Hz – 18kHz (–3dB) frequency range, the EXO SM16-A is capable of producing a continuous SPL of 130dB. The rear section features

discreet Neutrik powerCON I/Os together with powerCON and XLR connectors. The 15mm/18mm birch plywood enclosure incorporates a steel grille, an integrated handle, 14 threaded M8 inserts and a tilt and lock U-Bracket promoting 36mm pole mounting and truss suspension. Dedicated transport, installation and rigging accessories are available, including a two-unit wheeled flightcase with power and signal cabling. www.ideaproaudio.com

Axiom unveils high-output stage monitor THE CXL12A is a coaxial stage monitor designed specifically for live sound, although the compact, low-profile enclosure also makes it suitable for theatre, TV, corporate and HOW applications. The monitor combines a highperformance coaxial transducer, a carefully designed cabinet and “powerful electronics” to provide very high SPL before feedback. The transducer’s coaxial design is said to offer a stable acoustical pattern in both the horizontal and vertical axes. The compact, single magnet neodymium motor reduces the delay between the two sources to help eliminate time and phase problems, and reportedly promotes high performance with a consistent weight reduction. The high-frequency range is reproduced by a low-distortion compression driver equipped with a 1.7-inch aluminium voice coil and polyimide diaphragm. The custom-designed horn provides a controlled dispersion of 50° x 70° (HxV), allowing consistent off-axis coverage. The 12-inch woofer employed in the reproduction of the low-frequency range is equipped with a 2.5-inch voice coil. Thanks to a special treatment process that makes the cone water repellent, the CXL12A is able to perform in adverse weather conditions and is therefore suitable for outdoor use.

The reduced size of the Baltic birch cabinet and the reduced weight are said to make the cabinet easy to transport and position onstage. A convenient dualangle pole holder allows the CXL12A to be mounted on a standard speaker stand for it to be used as a multipurpose FOH loudspeaker. The cabinet can be positioned with two different angles to the floor (35° and 50°) so it can be placed at differing distances from the musicians according to the size of the stage and the kind of monitoring needed. System processing is based on the Core LT DSP platform designed by Proel’s R&D laboratories, featuring high-per formance signal processing and high-definition 24-bit converters. The Core LT DSP makes it possible to set an optimal time alignment for the crossover filter resulting in a linear phase response. The correct acoustic filtering has been achieved using the Constant Power Crossover technique that, thanks to a particular phase relation, is said to result in a very smooth transition between LF and HF and an even dispersion in the crossover region.

THE TELOS Alliance has created a virtual version of its VX VoIP system that can be deployed on a broadcaster’s servers in the rack room, on shared servers in a centralised data centre or in the cloud instead of requiring dedicated hardware. The benefits of virtualisation include easier facility-wide upgrades, cost efficiency and automated deployment without site visits. Broadcasters can also scale VXs in size from a single studio to a facility-wide talkshow system to a multi-location system. VX includes Smart AGC coupled with the manufacturer’s three-band adaptive Digital Dynamic EQ, a three-band adaptive spectral processor, noise gating and Acoustic Echo Cancellation. HD voice calls benefit from VX’s native support of the G.722 codec, for improved caller speech quality. Whether users are new to IP networking, integrating with an existing AoIP network

or plugging into a Livewire network, they can integrate VXs into the ecosystem. For those new to IP audio networking, VXs will work with all console brands, networked or not, using Telos Alliance’s xNodes. Support for AES67 gives broadcasters the capability of integrating the solution into any AES67 or compatible SMPTE 2110-30 environments. Support for SAP advertisement means VX integrates alongside AES67-enabled Dante devices as well. The solution is available as either a subscription or one-time purchase. www.telosalliance.com

disguise improves support for Unreal Engine DISGUISE HAS improved its integration with the Unreal Engine as the demand for high-quality immersive content continues to rise in Extended Reality (xR) and virtual production scenarios. Originally intended for videogame development, Unreal is a photorealistic rendering, animation, physics and AI engine that has increasingly been adopted as the tool of choice for various video production requirements. The latest features introduced in RenderStream, disguise’s proprietary IP protocol that enables the hosting of Unreal content on dedicated disguise hardware, includes ACES colour management, DirectX12 (DX12) and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) support from Nvidia. ACES (the Academy Colour Encoding System) is one of the leading colour management systems in the film and VFX space, and its integration in RenderStream means that users can now access its workflow end-to-end through the disguise system, enabling unparalleled colour quality for motion picture images.

The manufacturer has also implemented a pipeline that supports Unreal Engine running DLSS – a Nvidia technology that enables content to be rendered at a lower resolution and later up-sampled using a GPU-accelerated deep learning model to reconstruct the image at the higher resolution. The inclusion of DirectX12 support unlocks advanced rendering features such as ray tracing. In addition to improved Unreal integration, disguise’s r18 software launch includes the public release of disguise xR and the much-anticipated cluster rendering feature. disguise xR integrates with LED, real-time content and camera tracking technologies to power immersive virtual environments. The cluster rendering feature, meanwhile, has been developed in partnership with Unreal Engine to unlock new photorealistic content of the highest quality, detail and frame rate at any scale. www.disguise.one

www.axiomproaudio.com

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WITH prem IP-bas native archit mana setup centra Lawo broad and r mana firmw secur Des come of IP regist and t produ well v mana acces The missi proce to de user-f set u in one an inf separ Home in the config on LU Lawo where param Prov syste conte variet devic online

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PRODUCTS

Lawo finds a new Home WITH THE release of Home, Lawo has premiered a new management platform for IP-based media infrastructures. Home is natively built on a cloud-ready microservices architecture, enabling users to connect, manage and secure networked production setups from the ground up. Home provides centralised access and control for all Lawo hardware within a setup and allows broadcasters to conduct automated discovery and registration of devices, connection management, flow control, software and firmware management, scalability and security. Designed to simplify IP complexity, Home comes with automatic plug-and-play discovery of IP audio and video devices, which are registered with their name, location, status and type. This applies not only to Lawo products but to third-party solutions as well via NMOS. Discovered devices can be managed in a central inventory list, ready for access and configuration. The platform also provides a centralised mission control for the device management processes, providing fast and unified access to device parameters for control purposes. A user-friendly UI allows operators to access, set up and change stream configurations in one place before routing them across an infrastructure without the need for a separate controller. For large infrastructures, Home operates with a broadcast controller in the same setup and helps to speed up configuration and operation. Home is based on LUX, which is a UI language common to all Lawo devices and many of its functionalities where operators can access and edit device parameters quickly. Providing a simple yet robust security system of the media infrastructure and content creation, Home comes with a variety of security strategies. Unknown devices are quarantined when they appear online, but can be manually approved,

Home’s device management comes with a built-in quarantining process to separate unknown devices from the operational network via an IEEE802.1X-based routine that allows the exchange of signals with the Home network. The LDAP-based service allows users to authenticate either locally within Home or via their own corporate IT infrastructure. Finally, Home’s architecture also manages services such as transport layer security, network segmentation and other IT security mechanisms such as Radius. Cloud-native by design, Home’s architecture operates separately from hardware constraints. The platform is designed as functional blocks that provide microservices, which are self-contained and supply functionality to operators or other services. The scale can be expanded with additional services at any time on demand to increase its functionality. The Home platform is based on open standards including ST 2110, NMOS, IEEE802.1x and Radius and follows LUX,

Lawo’s unified experience design principles, which provide a consistent workflow across all Lawo IP products.

In other news, Lawo’s new second-generation mc²36 audio production console has received a new dual-fader operating bay that allows 48 faders in the same space as a 32-fader board. With DSP more than doubled from its predecessor, the new mc²36 with builtin A__UHD Core functionality offers 256 processing channels, available at both 48kHz and 96kHz, and natively supports ST 2110, AES67, Ravenna and Ember+. It provides an I/O capacity of 864 channels, with local connections that include three redundant IP network interfaces, 16 Lawo-grade mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs, eight AES3 inputs and outputs, eight GPIO connections and an SFP MADI port. Lawo has also announced a new software update for users of Lawo radio mixing consoles, Power Core mixing engine and On-Air Designer configuration software. V6.6 PL-003 represents a major upgrade to On-Air Designer, which is used to customise the functions of Lawo’s radio mixing consoles and audio cores, including the ruby radio console. www.lawo.com

mc236 in 48-fader layout

Lectrosonics packs more features into miniature transmitters WITH THE unveiling of the DBSM single battery and DBSMD dual-battery bodypack transmitters, Lectrosonics has extended its digital wireless microphone system family. The new units are fully compatible with the existing DSQD digital receiver, DCHR digital portable receiver and DCR822 compact dual-channel digital receiver, and feature a tuning range covering both the A1 and B1 bands from 470MHz to 614MHz. The transmitters include high-efficiency circuitry that extends AA battery operating times and offers RF power selections at 10mW, 25mW and 50mW. In addition, a selectable high-density transmission mode (HDM) provides tighter channel spacing, resulting in a doubling of operating frequencies per available spectrum. To ensure that the new high-density mode can be implemented, firmware updates for the DSQD, DCHR and DCR822 receivers in addition to Mac/PC versions of the Wireless Designer software can be downloaded.

Both the DBSM and DBSMD operate within a frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz in standard transmission mode, providing a dynamic range of 112dB and a flat inband phase response. Both transmitters can be configured as recorders with files stored on a microSD card memory as a WAV (BWF) format

at a 24-bit/48kHz sample rate. The TA5M mic/line connector also serves as a timecode input for jam sync with master clocks on set, making audio file alignment quick and easy in postproduction. The internal clock provides accuracy of less than 1ppm for all-day operation. Furthermore, the microSD memory card can be used to update the units’ firmware in the field. The DBSM and DBSMD

respond to remote dweedle tone commands that are available via third-party apps including New Endian’s LectroRM and PDR Remote, which can manage the frequency, audio level, lock/unlock and recording settings. Housed in the same aluminium chassis as the previous generation SMWB and SMDWB units, standard accessories such as belt clips, battery eliminators and pouches remain compatible. The input wiring also remains the same as previous generations of SM series transmitters, promoting the use of existing lavalier and headset microphones wired for either servo-bias or universal inputs, together with adapter cables for line inputs and dynamic mics. The two-way IR port has been added for quick setup and data sharing between units, including frequency tuning groups and encryption keys when in shared key management mode. www.lectrosonics.com

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Listen Technologies launches ListenTALK 2.0 THE MOBILE communication system ListenTALK has received a firmware upgrade that aims to overcome the challenges that distance, background noise, hearing loss and face coverings pose to communications. Listen Technologies reports that the new functionality makes it easier for interpreters and HOW guides using ListenTALK to listen to audio in one language and speak the words in another language without having to carry additional equipment. The upgrade is also said to enhance natural conversations by allowing three people to talk simultaneously. With the firmware update, interpreters can use one ListenTALK unit to hear a presenter’s message in their headset and speak the translated words to their audience using one unit hands-free. Listeners in the interpreter’s group can hear in their preferred language translated from the original source. Listeners can also use the push-to-talk feature to ask the interpreter

questions. Interpreters do not need to carry a separate receiver and transmitter or juggle two headsets or a microphone to hear audio from the presenter and listeners and to relay interpretations to listeners. Designed to support simultaneous interpretation in settings such as corporate

events, customer tours and worship services, ListenTALK also enables relay, or two deep interpretation, meaning an interpreter can listen to another interpreter translate the main presenter’s words and then

intelligence platform is the standout feature of Williams AV’s new Convey Video platform.

The solution is capable of real-time translation with the ability to transcribe up to 27 languages and 70+ dialects with up to 94% accuracy. In addition to real-time continuous translation, Convey Video aims to provide accurate speech-to-text transcription and archiving of all events. The solution can be integrated into an array of video environments with simple language selection and setup per formed

Williams interprets the action

PROFESSIONAL REAL-TIME language translation powered by Google’s artificial

Bosch increases connectivity

WITH DICENTIS software release 3.60, Bosch has made it possible for other interpretation services and systems to provide languages to the Dicentis system. Both external and in-system interpretation services work together based on the platform-independent Bosch conference protocol or the Windows .NET Application Programming Interface (API).

interpreter desks and the external system behave as one and the same system. The web server of the new 3.6 release extends what the manufacturer initially called synoptic control. Monitoring and controlling the participant and interpreter microphones was already easy with the synoptic room overview. It is now also possible to control the content

This functionality can be used for multi-room interpretation in a conference venue, but also makes it possible for service providers to offer remote interpretation. The external interpreting service behaves like an interpreter booth or desk in the Dicentis system, which enables the exchange of the “Language Quality Index”, the automatic relay between the two systems and the full control of the operator. If sufficient Dicentis Interpreter desks are available, Dicentis can even provide the floor fill for all languages. This makes the Dicentis

of the hall display: meeting, agenda and voting information can now be displayed. User interface elements like pie-charts or bar graphs can be dragged and dropped on a display layout to facilitate illustration of the total voting results. With this new release, the clerk can also use the web browser to open the meeting notes (including agenda, participants attendance and voting rounds) and the different voting round files (including authenticity check and printing possibility).

translate the words for his/ her own group. The system includes a software suite that lets venues name groups by language; up to 20 simultaneous groups can be created and/or languages can be interpreted in the same space in North America and Japan, and up to 30 simultaneous languages can be interpreted in the same space in Europe. The units can be sanitised between use and operate on a low-interference DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Communications) band. Audio can be transmitted within a 100m radius indoors and a 200m radius outdoors. www.listentech.com

via keyboard, mouse or touchscreen. Personalisation can be set by an integrator or end user for language, text size, selectable 1–3 lines of text, colour, background and text location. The platform offers an alternative when live interpreters are not available or within a project’s scope of budget. www.williamsav.com

LD Systems is in the Zone DESIGNED FOR a wide range of audio applications from simple switching of microphones to complex multi-room installations, LD Systems is now shipping the Zone X 1208 and Zone X 1208 D hybrid architecture DSP matrix processors. The hybrid architecture promotes remote control options and the loading of DSP templates into the 19-inch processors without reconfiguration or rewiring. Templates are selected and operated via the universal Xilica Designer control software. In combination with the integrated event scheduler (planner), calendar-specific workflows can be created to automatically change presets. Integrating 12 balanced mic/line analogue inputs with preamps and eight analogue outputs, the models also include eight GPI and eight GPO logic ports. In addition to the Zone X 1208, which features analogue inputs and outputs and an Ethernet control interface, the Zone X 1208 D also offers 64x64 Dante

channels for the integration of audio-overIP. The inclusion of a remote bus ensures seamless integration of LD Systems’ wall panels and paging microphones. Dedicated remote control applications for iOS and Android are also available for customising the software’s user interface. The German brand has also announced additional EASE files for its installation loudspeaker series. Following the release of the DDQ series of active touring loudspeakers as GLL files for the 3D acoustic simulation software, LD Systems has invested in licensing additional loudspeaker series. The EASE files are now available for a wide range of installation loudspeakers for EASE, EASE Focus 3 and EASE Address applications. The complete list of licensed LD Systems products include selected models from the Contractor, CURV500, MAUI, SAT, Stinger and DDQ series. www.ld-systems.com

Zone X 1208 D www.bosch.com

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Award-winning and patent protected, Wavefront Precision optimised line arrays deliver unsurpassed control, coverage and consistency of signature sound to unite your audience. martin-audio.com

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PRODUCTS

Klotz AIS make new connections KLOTZ AIS has expanded its PRO DMX cable range with two further doubleshielded cable series in the form of the LX4 and LX5 with blue outer jacket and high-quality XLR 5p. connectors (3p. wired). Distinguished by blue PVC jackets, Klotz AIS has engineered the OT206YB and OT206PB cables for the LX4 and LX5 series, respectively. Combining flexibility with strength, both cable series have a conductor cross-section of 0.22mm² (AWG 24) and an exact characteristic impedance of 110Ω. Integrating an AL/ PET foil shield and an additional braided shield, the LX4 and LX5 cables are double

protected against inter ferences. The tightly stranded wire pairs additionally increase the inter ference immunity from electromagnetic sources for transmission in the digital field over long distances. Both the LX4 and LX5 series are equipped with transparent shrink sleeves on both sides and are available with Neutrik connectors in addition to the Klotz XLR 5p. connectors. The VU series of video cables has been expanded with the addition of adapter cables for transferring HD/ UHD/12G/4K/8K signals from Damar & Hagen BNC to BNCmicro or DIN1.0/2.3

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connectors. For easier identification of individual cables, the cables can be ordered with individually printed heat shrink sleeves. A regular version of the heatshrink with printing suitable for studios together with additional transparent heatshrink to prevent abrasion of the print in live operation are also available. www.klotz-ais.com

Kramer transfers data TWO NEW cables have been added to Kramer’s catalogue. The CLS-AOCU31/CC is a USB-C(M) to USB-C(M), USB 3.1 Gen-2 SuperSpeed+ cable providing throughput of up to 10Gbps when used with a USB 3.1 host and device. The CA-USB3/AAE is an active extender cable designed to extend USB 3.0 signals. Typically, USB cables have a maximum length of about 2m but the CA-USB3/ AAE enables cable lengths of up to 15m.

CLS-AOCU3/CC

WITH LONG-DISTANCE video and audio signal transmission with a performance of 18Gbit/s, Sommer Cable’s HI-HOIC is said to provide failsafe and easy HDMI installation via fibre-optic technology. The cable uses a high-performance fibre-optic construction in a high-flex jacket and is equipped with robust all-metal connectors from the manufacturer’s own brand HICON together with a high-quality chipset made in Germany. With a 4mm diameter, the cable can be laid almost anywhere in a convenient and space-saving way. The optical transmission

of the high-speed data is said to work reliably and is also suitable for use in RF-exposed environments. Convenient (uni-directional) pulling through empty pipes and cable ducts is reportedly guaranteed by the compact micro HDMI D-type connector on the sink side (monitor, beamer, TV). The supplied clip-on pulling device (13.7mm x 10.14mm) gives extra protection to the connector and allows a safe

This bus−powered cable contains active electronics that reportedly enable it to extend without any signal loss or potential performance problems, with no need for an external power source. Both cables are suitable for use with USB cameras‚ printers‚ webcams, keyboards and mice and are for data transfer only.

Long-distance cabling

All aboard with Tasker IN RECENT years, the naval sector has moved towards cables with European low fire and smoke propagation (CPR) homologation. Even before the CPR regulations came into force in July 2017, Tasker offered a range of over 40 models of cables with CPR approval. Since then, the amount of these products has grown every year, and today the Italian cable manufacturer offers up to 70 items for all risk classes provided by the legislation, allowing Tasker to access many other, strictly regulated sectors, such as the medical sector or rail and air transport. Tasker offers a wide range of cables with CPR approval for the medium risk of fire (Cca) designed for

the audio/video sector such as speaker cables (TSK401 series), microphones (C128 series), DMX (TSK1038 series), multipair cables for direction desks (TSK902 series) and 75Ω coaxial cables for 12G-SDI broadcast installations (TSK1078 series). These can be integrated with different models of LAN cables (C722 and C729) and with specific products for fire detection and voice evacuation systems (TSK201 and TSK301 series). All of them are manufactured with innovative construction materials such as silicone and M1 LSZH, making them suitable for indoor and outdoor installations, without affecting the flexibility and softness.

CA-USB3/AAE

www.kramerav.com

and easy installation. Afterwards, the micro HDMI can be converted to the type-A HDMI standard by means of an interlocking precision adapter attachment with a dovetail guide. According to the manufacturer, the connection cable provides an error- and loss-free signal transmission with smooth, crystal clear pictures and outstanding sound. It is downwards compatible and supports all previous HDMI formats and standards. www.sommercable.com

Critical recording MICROPHONE MANUFACTURER Audix has launched its A127 omnidirectional metal film condenser microphone for critical recording applications. It is described as the culmination of years of research and development in condenser technology and is designed to capture acoustic instruments with “transparency, accuracy and purity”. Incorporating a reference-grade, ½-inch Type 1 metal film capsule, the A127 can be used to capture audio for professional studio recording, broadcast, film and sound design. With a frequency response of 10Hz – 20kHz, a wide dynamic range of 133dB and an ultra-low self-noise of 7dBA, the A127’s capsule design features a precision-tuned, three-micron metal diaphragm, while the circuit has been coupled to the capsule by a series of driven shields to protect the microphone from external interference and capacitive coupling.

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www.audixusa.com www.tasker.it

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PRODUCTS

DPA adds two Core headsets DPA MICROPHONES has unveiled the 4466 Core Omnidirectional and 4488 Core Directional Headset Microphones. Based on the design of the company’s 6066 Subminiature Headsets, the new solutions feature the brand’s popular 5mm round microphone capsule. These latest offerings are said to provide the security, durability and flexibility necessary for use in a large variety of settings. With a one-size-fits-all design and adjustable height and boom length, the 4466 and 4488 headsets accommodate small to large head types. A three-point gripping system (above, below and behind the ear) is said to ensure a greater level of security, while the flexible ear hooks provide continued comfort during extended use.

“Our customers have been asking us to deliver our latest small form-factor headsets with the highly regarded 5mm mic capsules,” says DPA product manager, René Mørch. “With the purposeful design of our boom and locking system, the headset can accommodate all head sizes with just one boom length. This is even true for the directional option, for which the correct placement is so important. With the addition of the 4466 and 4488, users now have access to a wide array of solutions to meet an even greater variety of needs while also maintaining the typical clear and transparent DPA sound, which produces high speech intelligibility.” In addition, the new headsets share the same interchangeable cable and boom options as the 6066 Subminiature Headsets.

Switching to lavalier THE LAVALIER Switch Kit from Point Source Audio comes with one lavalier mic that transforms into two wearing styles, and into three different colour options to help audio technicians meet the ever-changing conditions of miking performers. At the heart of the kit is the company’s IP 57 waterproof omnidirectional lavalier and users can choose between a low-sensitivity option for live stage applications or a highsensitivity option for studio broadcast. The waterproof mic has a low profile at 4mm in diameter but it provides all the highperformance characteristics found in largerformat microphones.

Creative solutions

GERMAN AUDIO manufacturer Sennheiser has redesigned its MKE 400 shotgun microphone to be more compact for oncamera use. Alongside this, the company has launched the XS Lav Clip-on microphone for mobile phone and computer use and unveiled a variety of Mobile Kits. The new MKE 400 improves on the popular classic model by adding a headphone monitoring output with volume control, a rugged internal shockmount, an

The new Mobile Kits include a Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod and Sennheiser Smartphone Clamp with various Sennheiser microphone models, providing all the necessary accessories for vloggers and smartphone content creators. To complement existing microphones, the Mobile Kit is available on its own as an accessory but also ships in four formats: MKE 200 Mobile Kit, MKE 400 Mobile Kit, XS Lav USB-C Mobile Kit and XSW-D Portable Lav Mobile Kit. An additional TRS to USB-C cable is available for phones lacking a 3.5mm headphone connection. Last but not least is the IE 100 Pro in-ear monitor, available in wired or wireless formats. As internal windscreen a successor to the IE 40 and an automatic on/ Pro, the IE 100 Pro is said off function. Sonically, to offer a natural, warm the unit is the same and precise monitoring as its predecessor, offering a highly sound that allows users to directional super-cardioid pickup fine-tune their performance. While MKE 400 patten capable of cancelling out the IE 100 Pro retains the same distracting noise from the side. transducer and frequency response The new XS Lav mic provides of its predecessor, it is now fitted with the videographers with a plug-and-play way of same connector type and clever stage-proof adding a high-quality vocal track to their internal cable duct as the IE 400 Pro and videos. The unit is an omnidirectional clipIE 500 Pro. on mic and available with either TRRS or www.sennheiser.com USB-C connectivity.

The 4466 Core family This includes the 90° cable management at the neck. The headset frame, boom and capsule have a non-reflective surface for unobtrusiveness and ease of use for camera crews. With a high-quality, professional look,

the 4466 and 4488 are available in the company’s standard black and beige options, with a brown version coming soon.

The kit comes with the company’s patented Embrace ear mounts, included in beige, brown and black colours. The ear mounts conceal on the ear, while the mounting system keeps the mic placement consistent to the mouth as with traditional headset-style mics. To further camouflage the mic, the mic element colour can be changed with a selection of custom-designed colour caps in beige, brown, black, white and grey that also serve as pop filters and added protection from water and other elements.

For traditional lavalier mounting, the kit contains eight clip-based mounting options. The Slider clips come as a single or a double mount, while magnetic, vampire and alligator clip options are also included in black and white colours. The kit can be purchased in a variety of different connector variants, including Lemo-style, five-pin mini-XLR for Lectrosonics, four-pin mini XLR for Shure wireless, as well as 3.5mm locking ring terminations for either Sony or Sennheiser wireless. In addition to this, every kit also comes with an X-connector with TRRS termination for mobile devices and computers.

www.dpamicrophones.com

www.point-sourceaudio.com

Tascam develops multimedia mics WITH THE launch of the TM-200SG and TM-250U, Tascam has added two new models to its growing range of microphones. Designed for vlogging, video shooting and field recording, the TM-200SG is a compact, directional shotgun with a frequency response from 30Hz – 20kHz. The phantompowered TM-200SG features supercardioid directivity that focuses on directional audio and minimises ambient sounds. A switchable low-cut filter is included for reduction of environmental noise and is packaged with a

windscreen, shoe-mount clip and protective soft case. The TM-250U is a USB model for podcasting, videoconferencing and other online applications. Providing a supercardioid polar pattern and a frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz, the mic delivers directly to personal computers or mobile devices via USB. Featuring a mic gain knob, mute button and an TM-250U integrated headphone amplifier, a dedicated volume control allows the user to directly monitor the computer’s audio. A mic gain knob and a mute button are also available. The TM-250U ships with a microphone holder, a USB-C-to-A cable and a desktop stand.

TM-200SG

www.tascam.eu

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Model 5422 gains Auto Mix enhancements AN ENHANCED version of the Studio Technologies Model 5422A Dante Intercom Audio Engine has introduced an Auto Mix function for use in party-line and audio mixing applications. The Model 5422A also offers expanded network connectivity via three Gigabit Ethernet ports that better meet the needs of large multi-network installations. Additionally, the unit’s main and programmable logic firmware can now be updated using a standard USB flash drive. The Auto Mix is a level control function implemented in high-speed programmable (FPGA) logic, that ensures all party-line users contribute an equal audio level to an

intercom channel, enhancing intelligibility and reducing listener fatigue. In addition to being part of the Model 5422A’s party-line capability, Auto Mix can also be called on when using the unit’s audio mixing (summing) mode. The Model 5422A features an audio control mode that allows multichannel switching functions to be implemented. High-frequency audio tones provide control of Dante audio input channels that are routed to normally active and normally inactive audio output channels. The three independent Gigabit Ethernet ports allow two to be designated for Dante redundancy, while the third is used to access

the Model 5422A’s management port. This allows independent networks to support dual Dante audio paths and the unit’s monitoring and configuration web pages. Meanwhile, the US manufacturer has introduced two Dante Leader Clocks for supporting the timing needs of Dantecompliant devices. The Model 5401A Dante Leader Clock and the Model 5402 Dante Leader Clocks with GNSS Synchronization support the synchronisation needs of Dante devices connected to a local area network (LAN) by using the PTPv1 (IEEE 1588-2002) protocol. For Dante’s implementation of AES67 and ST 2110, both the Model 5401A

and Model 5402 provide support for the PTPv2 (1588-2008) protocol. Additional resources include the units’ ability to generate sine-wave audio tones. Any required configuration can be performed using the web page interface or by way of the graphics display and controls provided on the front panel. Ethernet connections are made using standard RJ45 jacks and redundant powering is supported by way of AC Mains and 12V DC inputs. The lightweight units mount in one-space of a standard 19-inch equipment rack. www.studio-tech.com

The Blade in a box THE LATEST addition to Wheatstone’s WheatNet-IP audio network allows users to place more devices on the network through the use of routable audio processing, mixing, codecs and software apps. Blade 4 is the manufacturer’s fourth-generation I/O unit and sports the ability to run specialised apps right from the I/O unit itself, without the need of a standalone computer. As each Blade 4 has its own operating system, select broadcast applications and scripting routines can be run direct from the network I/O interface, including IP meter, PC XY routing control, Screenbuilder, Navigator and LIO viewer.

The device is reportedly the first AoIP access unit to integrate audio codecs, audio tools, software apps and interoperability protocols including audio transport, discovery, connection management and control in a single I/O unit. Additional benefits include interoperability with other manufacturers and network environments through SMPTE ST 2110 audio support and

AES67 compliance, including support for NMOS device discovery, AES67 multichannel support and packet timing adaptability. These new functions are in addition to existing Blade features, such as two 8x2 stereo utility mixers for online audio mixing or segueing remotely between feeds; a routable stereo processor with parametric equaliser,

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archit sound QtPRO techn both s suppo comp buildin coord conne any ot within availa and A

compressor and limiter; and 12 universal logic ports plus 128 software LIO ports, programmable as inputs or outputs, routable through the network. The new devices are also compatible with existing Blade 3 network systems. www.wheatstone.com

ARX Systems extends Audibox Ultras SPECIFICALLY CREATED to handle the conversion of pro audio balanced outputs to unbalanced signals, ARX has launched a two-channel audio deBalancer and switchable +4dB or –10dB Level Optimiser. Incorporating female Amphenol XLR inputs and a transformerisolated de-balanced 6.5mm jack together with RCA and 3.5mm jack outputs, the Ultra deBalancer caters for different consumer products in today’s BYOD environment. The latest member of the ARX Audibox series interfaces to manage unbalanced +4dB line level signal paths or –10dB inputs of low operating level pro and consumer electronics. Low noise operation is promoted with transformer ground isolation for any application, which also prevents ground loops and other extraneous noise. The passive device with no power requirements is housed in an all-steel chassis and is finished in a matt textured blue powder coat. The Australian manufacturer has also added a 24-bit high-resolution USB two-channel play and record digital/analogue interface. The USB Ultra I/O offers a new generation codec (24-bit/192kHz) together with selectable sample rates of 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz and 192kHz. Designed to interface USB-equipped computers with transformer

balanced inputs and pro audio outputs, the plug-and-play device removes the need to use any existing sound card outputs while providing

galvanic isolation required to eliminate earth loops and ground hum. Requiring no special driver program installation on Windows 10 or

Mac OS X, a standard Type B USB connector is located on the front panel together with a ground lift switch and status LEDs indicating the sample rate selected or available. The rear panel incorporates L-R transformer balanced analogue Amphenol XLR input and output connectors for connecting any standard balanced analogue inputs and outputs. The Ultra I/O VSR Broadcast has been updated as a true 24-bit high-resolution USB two-channel play and record digital/analogue pro audio interface. The plug-and-play device removes the need to use any existing sound card outputs. Designed for interfacing USBequipped computers with balanced audio inputs and outputs, the full transformer balanced I/Os on the USB Ultra I/O VSR Broadcast provide the required isolation to eliminate earth loops and ground hum. Providing analogue-style recording headroom when converting to –18dB in the digital domain, the USB Ultra I/O VSR Broadcast FS Digital reverts to 0dB analogue out. In addition to the standard selectable sample rate of 44.1kHz, the USB Ultra I/O VSR Broadcast also offers 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz and 192kHz. www.arx.com.au

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Biamp masks up HERALDED AS the industry’s first direct and indirect field sound masking solution, Biamp has launched the Cambridge Qt X Series. Designed to protect speech privacy, reduce noise distractions and increase acoustic comfort in every type of facility, the next-generation Qt X Series does not need to conform to any

Designed for use with Biamp Tesira processors and Cambridge sound management systems, the NPX network paging stations are included within a growing portfolio of scalable and modular components. The PoE-powered stations feature 16 paging priority levels, default and customisable preambles

the IV6 is a scalable sound reinforcement system in 5° or 15° vertical angle versions with 55 different responseshaping filters within the Passive Acoustic Optimization (PAO) settings on the rear of each cabinet. Biamp’s VenuePolar EASE Focus plugin includes automated features that eliminate manual adjustment. The array can be fine-tuned by determining the recommended cabinet quantity, model, frame angle and splay angle for a venue

Cambridge Qt X Series architectural design or ceiling type. The all-in-one sound masking solution incorporates Biamp’s QtPRO direct field and DynasoundPRO indirect technologies for office environments that require both system types within a single facility. Directly supporting paging and BGM with no additional components, Qt X also interfaces with a building’s life-safety system for ensuring proper coordination during emergencies. Sources connected to any Qt X controller can be routed to any other networked Qt X controller for playback within zones under its control. The series is available in eight models and supports Dante and AVB media distribution.

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and push-button security access to authorised users only. Available as four-button and 10-button goosenecks in addition to four-button and 10-button coiled cord handhelds for wall or tabletop mounting, the NPX stations can also store messages for playback and broadcast. The Community IV6 Modular Vertical Array can now be optimised with the availability of the VenuePolar EASE Focus plugin. As a part of the I Series loudspeaker product line,

UNiKA adds to its credentials AFTER MORE than a year of research at its R&D centre in Taiwan, UNiKA has released the PRO-DI series which currently includes active DI, passive DI, passive multimedia DI, Type-C mobile phone and computer USB-DI, Bluetooth 5.0 DI and one-in/threeout isolator models together with a combination of accessories. The 2U DI body shell does not require disassembly, as the PRO-DI of preference can be plugged and unplugged at any time without tools. For added safety, all eight models are equipped with a large isolation transformer specially developed by UNiKA.

NPX Network Paging Stations layout before determining the PAO settings for each cabinet. The plugin also includes a mechanical loads and safety factor calculator. Lastly, Biamp has released its Devio SCR Series signal processors with Parlé Beamtracking microphones. The Devio SCR Series is said to ensure every student, either at school or at home, can clearly hear and understand classroom instruction, regardless of the teacher’s location in the room. Devio SCR includes Parlé tabletop or ceiling microphones, which tracks and mixes voices anywhere in the classroom, even as the teacher moves around the space. Devio SCR is also supported by SageVue which allows technology managers full access to the status of their Biamp devices and includes important functions such as scheduling, firmware and system updates, and also features a RESTful API for integration with enterprise dashboarding systems.

The PRO-248 dual-channel active instrument DI and the PRO-148 singlechannel active instrument DI are powered by phantom power. With a balanced output impedance of 50Ω and input impedance of 260KΩ at 0dB or 50KΩ at –20dB, the Taiwanese brand claims transparency in the harmonics and treble of the instrument. Anti-slip mats are standard and each model can be distinguished by its individual colour finish. www.unika.com.tw

VenuePolar

www.biamp.com

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PRODUCTS

The search for Talent leads to AEQ DESIGNED TO offer consistent microphone and headphone connectivity for the programme host or guests regardless of location, AEQ has created Talent. The unit transmits Opus encoded audio from a microphone to the studio console and returns the feedback to the headphones. In addition, an external stereo audio source can be connected physically and through a high-quality Bluetooth connection. These sources are added to the microphone signal for broadcasting and commenting on concerts, sports or other events, in addition to presenting individual audio files or playlists from a phone or PC. If a Bluetooth connection is established with a phone, this can be used to carry out a phone interview, either through a conventional call, or through applications such as Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom and others. Calls can be mixed to the programme that is sent to the station. The audio is transmitted to the station from a

standard internet connection, ADSL, fibre or a wireless data connection via a router with a SIM card. Without IP, an HD voice connection to the studio can be transmitted using the Bluetooth connectivity of a smartphone. Weighing 600g and measuring

Talent

New modules join new-look 500 series BUILDING ON the success of the Fusion stereo analogue processor and the SiX SuperAnalogue console, Solid State Logic has introduced two new 500 modules to the series as well as a brushed steel facelift for the classic G-Comp Bus Compressor, E-EQ and E-Dynamics modules. The two new modules are Ultraviolet Stereo Equaliser (UV-EQ) and SiX Channel (SiX CH). Ultraviolet takes the minimum phase-shift Violet stereo EQ section from Fusion and puts it into the 500 Series format. The 500 Series version, however, takes things one step further with the addition of two dedicated mid-bands, with precision Focus mode for better EQ control. SiX Channel is a single-width 500 Series channel strip using the SuperAnalogue processing features from the compact SiX console, including mic-pre, low- and high-frequency EQ, and the single knob compressor. The manufacturer describes this as a simple way to add additional mic/ line inputs to the line level inputs of any professional audio device, or as a flexible way to create a professional modular mixer from a summing 500 Series rack unit. www.solidstatelogic.com

200mm x 130mm, the desktop device is equipped with front panel controls, including mic and headphone level adjustments, an off-hook-call/hang-up button together with indicators for incoming and outgoing signal levels, equipment and communication status. A help button can be used to request attention or help from the station’s technician or operator. Two remote applications ensure that the operator does not need to control or operate any of the controls on the front panel. However, a smart phone Talent Pilot App can locally control the equipment and configure the Talent to establish the connection. Full remote configuration and operation of single-unit or a pool of Talent and other AEQ stationary and portable AudioCodecs can be

remotely controlled via the ControlPhoenix app. With a built-in a phantom power supply, Talent supports low- or high-impedance headphones together with dynamic and condenser microphones. Talent is equipped with a conventional power supply, although it can be powered directly from the USB output of a PC or from a voltage source between 5V and 12V, such as a power bank. The operator can monitor audio playback from the station, its own audio without delay or a mix of both for simultaneously outputting an independent mix through a line out connector and a stereo Bluetooth connection. In brief, AEQ has also launched Olympia 3, a standalone commentary unit (CU) or AoIP connected with eight channels via Dante protocol; and Phoenix Alio, a portable IP audio-codec specifically designed for sports reporting applications, but it has also been optimised to make it easy to use in the most varied scenarios, even musical events. www.aeq.eu

Dynacord’s MXE5 adds to its appeal FOLLOWING THE introduction of the MXE5 in 2020, the German brand has added new functionality for IPbased media and building control systems. As the first member of the MXE matrix mix engine series with 24x24 crosspoints, the MXE5 also

Q-Sys using plugins. Offering e-control and intuitive operation, the MXE5’s DSP configuration is per formed using Sonicue software. In addition, the MXE5 also features an HTTP or HTTPS ser ver application programming inter face (API) for integration with IP-based media and

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Ca co ser ves as a communications hub for IP-based peripherals with control and monitoring functions. The network infrastructure, including Dante audio transpor t and AES70-compliant control, is included. Ideally suited for fixed installations ranging from spor ts stadiums to modern churches, the MXE5 can also be integrated with media control systems from Crestron and

building control systems. The MXE5 also works as an OCA (AES70) controller for integrating other OCA-based devices, ser ving as an inter face from the audio system to all other controls within an installation. The plugins and Sonicue software can be downloaded from the Dynacord website. www.dynacord.com

SiX CH

Wohler adds output routing WOHLER’S iVAM2-2 has been released in a 1U format named iVAM1-3. The device is a 16-channel audio/video monitor that shares the same platform, feature set and available options as its larger 2U sibling. The iVAM1-3 can monitor and meter up to 16 channels of 3G-SDI audio and video, plus two channels of analogue audio. With 64 presets and triple touchscreens, operators can toggle between video, meters, loudness measurement and menus, while an HDMI output allows additional external

monitoring of the currently selected video source. Analogue XLR, headphone and selected 3G-SDI outputs are also included

as standard. A rear-panel option card slot offers the choice of upgrading with either an AoIP option card, which can accept

Dante or Ravenna processing options (both offer SMPTE 2110-30 and hitless SMPTE 2022-7), or an analogue option card that provides an additional eight channels of analogue I/O. Alongside the launch of the iVAM1-3 is a new output routing option for both the aforementioned models, allowing monitored channels to be routed in custom ways to various destination outputs. www.wohler.com

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EVE Audio unveils SC4070 IN CELEBRATION of its 10th anniversary, German manufacturer EVE Audio has released a new high-resolution monitor optimised to deliver precise midrange and an enhanced bass response. The SC4080 is quad-amplified studio monitor boasting a rotatable midrange and tweeter section suited for either horizontal or vertical deployment. The SC4070 comprises two 6.5-inch lowfrequency drivers and a 4-inch glass-fibre honeycomb diaphragm woofer. The latter has been designed to reproduce clear midrange

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Exterity heralds new era with 4K media player THE ADVENT of the AvediaStream m9605 media player marks Exterity’s first product launch following the Vitec acquisition. Heralded as the Scottish company’s most powerful digital signage media player to date, the unit combines 4K video and 4K 60fps graphics and animations capability into a digital signage solution. It features an Intel Core CPU, high-capacity on-device solid state storage and a quiet, fanless design. The release of the AvediaStream m9605 media player coincides with a number of new features being added to ArtioSign, Exterity’s Digital Signage + IPTV in One application. Ideal for applications where a main video is displayed alongside promotional video

advertisements, the m9405 can play two Full HD video streams simultaneously in an ArtioSign landscape signage layout. ArtioSign includes support for signage touch input on a Samsung SSSP6, whose users can select and play from a video list, exit video playback, adjust volume settings, seek forwards and backwards through video or pause/restart video. ArtioSign further supports multiple revenue centres in the Oracle Simphony Point of Sale (PoS) system enabling, such as the handling of dynamic menu boards in larger venues with numerous independent concession stands. www.exterity.com

Calrec expands remote commissioning

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CALREC’S ASSIST application has been designed to provide control and setup for Type R for Radio and Type R for TV, as well as the manufacturer’s VP2 headless console and RP1 remote production core. All can be commissioned using Assist, with remote training and demonstrating also possible using the same workflows. To set up Calrec Assist, users type in the IP address that is served from the centrally located core

in a web browser and then have access to all console controls via a clearly laid out graphical interface. Physical consoles like the Apollo and Artemis also use Assist as a remote tool, and Type R hardware can access Calrec’s Configure and Connect Stream Manager apps to provide comprehensive remote commissioning and training. www.calrec.com

frequencies with utmost detail, with the twin woofer design providing reduced distortion, even at high SPLs, to create what is described as an “incredibly tight and homogeneous bass” down to 32Hz. EVE’s proprietary RS3.1 Air Motion Transformer delivers the high frequencies. The monitor’s frequency response parameters can all be controlled by the front-panel SMARTknob, with DSP electronics supported by a high-quality A/D converter from Burr-Brown. Four Class-D amplifiers with a total shortterm output power of 1,000W are directly connected to the DSP section with no additional conversion, resulting in a max output level of 126dB SPL at 1m. The cabinet construction benefits from a bevelled, ultra-stiff front plate to reduce unwanted resonances and diffraction. www.eve-audio.com

Desktop assignment for Agent-IC WITH THE development of the Station-IC assist FreeSpeak Edge users with channel Virtual Desktop Client, Clear-Com has added a selection. The E-IPA card’s capabilities are now Mac- and Windows-based software application expanded with support for E1 ports allowing that connects to the Eclipse Digital intercom users to host up to 50 FreeSpeak II beltpacks matrix as well as the upcoming LQ Series of and up to 10 legacy transceivers from an Eclipse IP interface devices. Station-IC users connect frame. Eclipse Omega frames can now support natively to a central intercom system that hosts up to five E-IPA cards. With the deployment of essential services, including audio and control FreeSpeak Edge transceivers, a 5GHz radio systems, panels, beltpacks and two-way radios band can now be scanned to view and select or endpoints the channels from other with the most intercom availability. A manufacturers. coloured graph By adding more displays channel licensing options traffic and a and a flexible chart provides application RF scoring, window, Agent-IC’s usage and UI can now be available SSIDs. configured from In addition, a desktop the HelixNet 4.2 by local and firmware release remote users with has added very low latency. The configuration visual communication, two-way process has been designed to radio capability and a suite of new Station-IC be straightforward with minimal capabilities for intercom system network configuration for promoting administrators looking to tailor communication in minutes. intercom stations to specific user workflows. The application features an adaptable UI that LQ IP interfaces have the unique ability to can be dynamically adjusted to a desktop, connect to any type and brand of intercom or effectively consolidating it into a workstation. audio device over IP, and the new 4.2 update Normal and full-screen mode provides the user now adds the ability to Save & Restore LQ unit access to large buttons. Compact mode floats configuration. over other active applications providing direct Finally, LQ users can now save their access to favourite and reply keys without configuration settings in a file on the computer interrupting normal workflows. Station-IC is they use to manage their audio network. A preavailable as both Event and Subscription saved configuration can be reloaded onto the LQ licences. device at any time, so if the device is being used In addition, the US manufacturer’s Eclipse for multiple shows or system configurations, HX Digital Matrix Intercom’s software has been each respective configuration can be saved and updated. Version 12.1 extends the feature pre-loaded. With the 4.2 update, LQ can now set of both the IP-based and legacy wireless support eight Agent-IC clients as well as up to FreeSpeak intercom solutions by increasing the eight Station-IC clients, bringing the total number density of IP ports and supporting additional of virtual clients supported to 16. Layer 3 capabilities. Additionally, EHX 12.1 www.clearcom.com features a new 5GHz radio band scanner to

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PRODUCTS

Ashly adds ducking features to AquaControl NEW SOFTWARE capabilities have been added to Ashly Audio’s AquaControl, including an upgrade to the ducking feature on the mXa-1502 integrated mixer amp. The original ducker in AquaControl software offered 12 levels of priority, user-adjustable threshold, attack and release, duck depth and could be triggered automatically by the incoming priority signal or by electronic contact closure triggers

hold period has concluded. This eliminates slow ramp times and gates to mask the fact that the ducked program is slowly returning in the background as soon as the ducking trigger is removed. Independently adding or removing input channels from the ducking hierarchy has also been enabled. This is said to make it easier to interpret the relevant settings by eliminating unnecessary data.

Audac Touch update AUDAC REPORTS that one of the most significant features of its Touch 2 v2.5 update is the reworked WaveDynamics configurator so that it can now be operated centrally from the app. The WaveDynamics configurator consists of two elements: WaveTune, which provides installers and end users with an intuitive tool for adjusting audio processing, and WavePreset, which is described as a quick and easy tool for setting filter presets to optimise the sound of connected speakers. WavePreset enables users to import and export SOL and SPF files as presets, provides access to Audac SOL files directly and allows users to create their own presets or edit and configure Audac presets.

If an SMA, SMQ or PMQ amplifier is equipped with the ANI44XT Dante audio network interface, users can now control and configure it directly from the Audac Touch app. An offline mode has also been introduced that enables control and configuration of Audac devices without authenticating to Audac Touch Cloud. This means users control and configure installations without the need for an active internet connection, set up installations at companies with strict IT requirements and set up quick and easy offline demos for customers. Also for SMA, SMQ and PMQ products, users can read the device’s temperature directly on the app and add the temperature widget directly to the dashboard. www.audac.eu

found on the rear panel of the mXa-1502. These features remain but Ashly has assigned ducking parameters to the source rather than the ducked program, allowing different trigger sources to control the ducked program in more varied ways. A new Hold parameter is adjustable in 1s intervals, up to 60s. This holds the ducked program at the assigned ducking depth after the trigger source is removed and allows the adjustable ramped return to begin after that

The original ducker had the return ramp level jump from mute to –30dB in a single step and then began the adjustable return time in 1dB steps from –30dB up to 0dB. Ashly has improved this by allowing the ducking ramp to use a dynamic range of 100dB in 1dB increments. This reportedly provides for smoother, less abrupt transitions from muted levels. www.ashly.com

New features added to Wireless Manager VERSION 1.2.0 of Audio-Technica’s Wireless Manager includes a new multi-point receiver function, improved interface and functionality enhancements, increased compatibility and minor bug fixes. The software is compatible with Microsoft Windows 8.1 and 10, and macOS High Sierra (Version 10.13), macOS Mojave (Version 10.14) and macOS Catalina (Version 10.15). The multi-point receiver function allows a single transmitter to switch between multiple compatible A-T network-enabled receivers that are set apart from one another. The user of the transmitter can pass from one receiver zone to the next and benefit from audio muting and unmuting for wide coverage without the need for a distributed antenna system. A single transmitter can switch between 10 receivers on a single group. Up to eight multipoint groups can be configured within a single Wireless Manager session. Applications can include large auditoriums/halls, houses of worship, sporting events, education campuses

and other venues where installing long RF cable runs with antennas and necessary antenna management could become cumbersome and expensive. A-T Wireless Manager software is compatible with all wireless devices operating in the UHF spectrum. When used with Audio-Technica 5000 Series (3rd Gen) and 3000 Series (4th Gen) with network control and monitoring, the software can coordinate and control all connected systems. The software can also interface with and monitor the latest 3000 Series networked chargers. www.audio-technica.com

L-ISA Studio takes spatial audio into a new dimension BUILT FOR sound designers and mixing engineers, L-Acoustics has simplified spatial audio creation workflow with the creation of L-ISA Studio software suite and upgraded L-ISA engine. Designed for creative, immersive audio experiences, L-ISA Studio places L-ISA technology in the hands of sound creators, allowing them to formulate multidimensional audio. L-ISA Studio contains the same spatial audio and room engine algorithms as its hardware counterpart, the L-ISA Processor. Redesigned and improved with key features for room enhancement, the new software suite incorporates a fully augmented scale simulation mode and binaural output capabilities. Deployed in both software and hardware configurations, the upgraded engine provides an ability to hear content in any virtual space of any given size and shape. Streamlining the creative process in its early stages and minimising the need for last-minute changes, control strategies, sonic trajectories and sound system behaviour can all be defined and demonstrated in real time. Through L-ISA Studio’s binaural engine, users can now create and monitor

their spatialised audio content anywhere with headphones and optional head tracking. The software suite can also be used in any multichannel mixing or recording studio with up to 12 loudspeakers for multichannel monitoring. When paired with Contour XO professional IEMs, L-ISA Studio becomes a fully portable, L-Acoustics-powered 3D sound creation tool and listening experience. L-ISA Studio seamlessly interfaces with leading DAWs, show control software and game engines. It also offers compatibility with various 3D audio format outputs, including Dolby Atmos and multichannel configurations. www.l-acoustics.com

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PRODUCTS

Brompton updates Tessera

Harrison scores seven AT THE request of premier filmmakers seeking digital consoles that function and sound like their analogue predecessors, Harrison has translated its analogue heritage in automated digital control into fully digital console versions. The sonic signature and operational feel of analogue has been translated into the development of the fully featured Mixbus DAW and the flagship Mixbus32C workstation. Most recently, the Nashville-based audio console and software manufacturer has updated the feature sets of both with the latest version 7 software together with a catalogue of plugins. Mixbus32C improves on the Mixbus platform with an exact emulation of the original Harrison 32C console. Included with Mixbus and Mixbus32C are Harrison’s ACE Range and x42 series plugins offering

core dynamics, reverb, EQ, filters, delay, gain, digital peak limiting and MIDI filter functionality. Also included are workflow plugins – the ACE Inline Scope, Inline Spectrogram and MIDI Monitor – and the x42 stereo routing tools. Synth, organ and drum instrument plugins are also provided. Optional for Mixbus and Mixbus32C – and all DAWs through AAX, VST and AU compatibility – is Harrison’s AVA range of plugins. These include the AVA Vocalflow and BassFlow task-designed channel strips, mastering EQ, de-esser and the surroundcapable four-band Multiband Compressor that hosts sidechain key, the 18-band Spectral Compressor and the LegacyQ plugin version of the Harrison MPC film console EQ.

BROMPTON TECHNOLOGY has announced its new Tessera v3.2 software with ShutterSync. The update has been designed for creatives using LED on camera for both virtual production and XR applications, giving professional users more flexibility with “convenient features that put the emphasis on creative choice and control”. ShutterSync is a patent-pending processing feature that automatically adjusts the timing of the LED refresh to match the preferred camera setup. It can optionally be used in conjunction with Frame Remapping, which allows the user to interleave different areas of the video raster or solid colours in the output enabling multi-camera systems, and transforming the workflow for virtual production. ShutterSync

is compatible with all LED panels fitted with a Tessera R2 receiver card and works best with panels supporting high frame rates, plus it does not affect network pixel capacity. Tessera v3.2 also offers users greater control over the colour of an LED screen with the ability to import a 3D LUT. 3D LUTs are an efficient way of remapping colours and allow for advanced colour correction. They are commonly used in film production, for everything from onset camera tuning to colour grading in post. The Tessera software can import and use any valid Adobe .cube file, using 12-bit precision and tetrahedral interpolation. www.bromptontech.com

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Avantis V1.1

Avantis receives its first major firmware upgrade ALLEN & HEATH has launched a major firmware update for Avantis consoles. The V1.1 firmware includes Avantis Director software and new dPack processors, as well as enhancements and workflow improvements for engineers operating in all environments, from houses of worship to livestreaming. The highlight of the update is the Director software which provides the ability to perform offline editing and online control. Offline mode can be used for the creation and editing of show files and system configuration, as well as serving as a training tool for new users. Online mode delivers full remote control of the mixer, freeing the engineer from the mix position to make changes from any location in the venue.

Additionally, more processors from the dLive line have been added to the dPack add-on bundle, including OptTronik, Hypabass and the frequently requested Transient Controller. Further features include the introduction of LCR+ mode for enhanced LCR mixing, Solo-InPlace functionality and a variety of new routing and patching options. In addition to the new firmware, the British manufacturer has also announced the release of the DT Preamp Control app which enables its Dante I/O expanders to be used with any Dante audio network. The free Windows- and macOS-compatible application enables control of multiple DT168 and DT164-W expanders connected to Dante-equipped, third-party digital mixers and sound management systems. www.allen-heath.com

Connected Cam firmware battles data congestion

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THE LATEST firmware for JVC Professional’s GY-HC900 and GY-HC500 Connected Cam camcorders is now available and includes several upgrades to enhance the platform’s video-over-IP functionality, such as Network Adaptive Encoding, reduced latency and an SRT decoder for returning video over the internet in REMI (Remote Integration Model) applications. With the Network Adaptive Encoding/ Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR) function, the encoder monitors network conditions and reduces bitrate in case of congestion or high packet loss. This function, combined with automatic repeat request (ARQ) and forward error correction (FEC), makes the SRT transport resilient to internet congestion, data loss and high jitter. The newly added PCR Fast Mode reportedly achieves sub-1s glass-to-glass latency when streaming to the JVC BR-DE900 decoder and SRT-capable video switchers. The integrated return video decoder is now also present in addition to already having the RTSP and Zixi protocols available. Cameras

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Ross goes deeper with Inception Version 15 WITH THE V15 release of Inception, the newsroom computer system (NRCS) and social media management tool includes a range of new features including those added to the Assignment Manager. Designed to help improve planning, including the introduction of duration-based, all-day and multi-day events, the visibility of timing information for content created in the Assignment Manager has been improved. Version 15 now adds the option to set user permissions by MOS

GY-HC900 can now receive the SRT return feeds over the internet and display them in the LCD/EVF for confidence, teleprompting or bidirectional remote guest communication. Also included in the upgrade is a Social Networking Service (SNS) vertical/square position cropping function specifically for the GY-HC500. The result of user requests, the tool makes it possible to set the camera to one of five cropping positions prior to filming – left, right and centre, as well as far left and right. www.pro.jvc.com

E Ser device. This upgrade allows some users to create and modify MOS objects for all configured devices, while others can now be restricted to a more limited access. The Canadian developer maintains that this allows for more granularity in workflows, such as an Enterprise environment where multiple teams may be using the same Inception instance. www.rossvideo.com

Freeing the reins from remote commentary

TVU NETWORKS has released TVU Remote Commentator, a cloud-based production solution that allows sports producers and event organisers to add synchronised, realtime audio commentary from any location via a public internet connection, meaning that talent

no longer needs to be on location or using expensive REMI setups. Sessions are created and managed in the cloud, which eliminates the need for expensive hardware or software. Using a browser-based interface on a laptop or smart device, TVU Remote Commentator

lets talent join the production from virtually anywhere, while the interface provides a low-latency, high-quality preview of the event, meaning that they can also add commentary that is in sync with the programme. Events can be created with predetermined start and end times and the event organiser can select any feed – SDI in, IP source, recorded clip, etc. – and use it as the return video feedback (VFB) source and channel output, so commentators receive a high-quality video feed to follow the action. Furthermore, multiple commentators in multiple remote locations can collaborate on a single production, with the manufacturer’s autosync technology ensuring the audio and video of all commentators is synced with the main video feed, regardless of network latency or distance from the event. Not only can they hear each other with full mix-minus capability, but a private back channel lets them see each other

as well, which helps observe critical bodylanguage queues and replicate in-person talent interaction. An audio operator can manage the commentator feeds using TVU’s web-based audio mixer, which offers level control, recording, mute/unmute and audio channel mapping for outputs. Localised commentary feeds can be routed to separate audio channels, or completely separate outputs can be created for each channel. In addition to the launch of TVU Remote Commentator, the manufacturer has released a free TV Anywhere SDK to enable iOS and Android developers to add reliable, highquality and low-latency video streams to their apps, making it simpler for reporters, viewers and fans to contribute live video for programming. www.tvunetworks.com

64 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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PRODUCTS

Next-gen E Series appeals to low budgets FOLLOWING SHARP’S acquisition of NEC Display Solutions, the division has introduced the next generation of its NEC Multisync E Series large-format displays. The units are intended to provide a professional solution for low-budget digital signage applications such as smaller retail outlets or museums, hospitals and other public places. Ranging in sizes from 32–65 inches, the displays can also facilitate meetings and conferencing in small- and medium-sized businesses. The displays house an integrated MediaPlayer offering native UHD resolution and HDR. The playback scheduler enables users to programme auto-play content to ensure no gaps in content delivery. There’s

software features customisation capabilities suitable for digital display boards in a range of environments and has been validated for use with Matrox Maevex 6100 Series multichannel encoders, benefitting digital signage installers and integrators with a high-quality AV, end-to-end streaming platform over LAN, WAN and internet. The NEC MultiSync P Series has been designed to enhance and improve on the popular features of its predecessor. It offers 8K signal processing, a wide colour gamut and an integrated NEC SpectraView engine, which balances all image parameters. Brightness levels of 700cd/m² and a high haze filter means the image is clear even in bright light, without distracting reflections.

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E Series also no external cabling or devices needed, although a 10W USB interface is available should external computing power be required. For instant startup meeting spaces, inputs are automatically detected to aid in fast setup and use. Facilities managers can remotely control the displays via the network thanks to the integrated LAN and NEC’s NaViSet Administrator 2 software tool. Also supporting digital signage applications, a new modular version of SoC MediaPlayer has been introduced that comes pre-installed on the NEC Raspberry Pi Computer Module. The

Finally, the NEC MediaPlayer is a modular, plug-and-play digital signage solution described as easy to use and customise. It comes pre-installed on a 32GB NEC Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 to integrate or retrofit inside any NEC large-format display that offers the slot for Raspberry Pi CM4. The new NEC Message Series MPi4 lineup displays already combine professional display technology with a pre-installed Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 running the NEC MediaPlayer.

LVD-5521C

Barco adds to OverView range TWO OVERVIEW LCD videowalls have been created to complement the Barco UniSee platform. The OverView LVD-5521C and OverView KVD-5521C can be remotely monitored and controlled, and support 4K streaming content. They are 55-inch 500-nit LCD videowalls, of the 1.8mm (ENB) and 3.5mm (UNB) seam generation, respectively, and come with Barco’s Sense X algorithm, described as a “unique automatic and continuous colour and brightness calibration system that ensures a perfectly balanced image across the entire videowall”. Both videowalls use the Videowall Manager software for easy installation, configuration and control, and come with Barco’s VideoWall Management Suite, a cloud-based remote monitoring, diagnostics and control solution which offers integrators and managed service providers the possibility of remotely managing the complete installed base from a central location. The products support the latest encrypted 4K streaming content, which is important for markets such as corporate lobbies and experience centres, but also control rooms. The product haze levels also allow deployment in applications where

reflections need to be carefully managed, such as broadcast. In other news, Nureva has announced that its HDL200 audio conferencing system is now certified for Barco ClickShare Conference, along with the HDL300 and Dual HDL300 systems. Users wirelessly connect to the AV equipment in the room using a Barco ClickShare Conferencing Button plugged into their laptop or running the ClickShare Desktop App. This automatically connects a device to the Nureva audio system to deliver clear, reliable audio coverage throughout the space. Similarly, AVer Information has reported that its VB130 video bar, CAM520 Pro 2 conferencing camera and Pro AV Auto Tracking and PTZ livestreaming cameras can now be paired with ClickShare Conference (CX-20, CX-30 and CX-50). Integrators can select the optimal collaboration solutions based on the size and type of meeting space – whether a huddle room, small collaboration space or large meeting room. www.averusa.com www.barco.com www.nureva.com

www.sharp-nec-displays.com

Absen reduces power AURORA IS a fanless LED display that offers a 40% reduction in power consumption compared to previous models. There are six models in the series, boasting a 10,000-nit brightness and a standard 1,280mm x 960mm panel size, with three other optional panel sizes. The displays weigh 25kg per m2 and are 50% thinner and lighter than their predecessors, thanks to a new engineering approach that has resulted in a reduction of nearly 25% of all steel materials. Additional benefits include front and rear installation and front and rear module assembly and access. The series has been designed to display high-quality images, even in direct sunlight. The displays provide a 3.8kHz refresh rate and 16-bit grayscale and are suited for operating temperatures between –40°C and +50°C. The A0421, A0621 and A0821 are the smaller pixel pitches in the series, ranging from 4.44–16mm pitch, while the larger pitches,

A1021, A1021D and A1621D, are designed for further viewing distances. Absenicon 3.0 is an all-in-one, standard conference LED display product, specially designed for high-end meeting rooms, lecture halls, auditoriums in corporate, government, education and the other indoor environments that require a fixed display solution for effective communication. With a 5mm frame and 28.5mm depth of the screen body, Absenicon 3.0 has a slim design and the screen-to-body ratio reaches 94% to provide “seamless large-format images”. The display comes with adjustable brightness levels from 0–350 nits, enabling users to choose the right brightness to adapt to dark or bright environments. Other benefits include a colour gamut of 110%, a contrast ratio of 5,000:1 and a 160° viewing angle. Aurora Series

www.absen-europe.com

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Ikegami adds to UNICAM system Double the brightness is no Mirage SET TO become the flagship of the UNICAM series, Ikegami has unveiled the UHK-X700 incorporating three newly developed 2⁄3-inch CMOS 4K sensors with global shutters to “eliminate rolling shutter distor tion and flash-banding ar tefacts”. At the core of the camera’s electronics is an ASIC chip which encapsulates a wide range of high-grade video processing functions into ultracompact component dimensions. When

combined with the Ikegami BSX-100 base station, the camera optionally suppor ts simultaneous output in 4K/HD video formats, including mixed sources. 4K video is available as a 12G-SDI feed directly from the camera head, allowing the UHK-X700 to be integrated into a wireless system.

Designed for online streaming applications, the camera measures 340mm x 243mm x 149mm and weighs 5kg. It comes with a B4 lens mount and has an optical sensitivity of F11 when operating at 4K/50p. The camera is designed for use between –20°C and +45°C and 30–90% non-condensing humidity.

The UHK-X700 is uniformly balanced and has a low centre of gravity for easy operation on a pedestal, tripod or shoulder. Peripheral options include the OCP-300 control panel and SE-U430 system expander. Ikegami also offers a choice of three types of viewfinder for this model: VFL201D 2-inch LCD, VFL701D 7-inch Full HD LCD or VFE741D 7.4-inch OLED. www.ikegami.de

LG bumps up ProBeam output to 6,000 lumens

TWO MODELS have joined LG’s ProBeam business projector series, introducing a number of useful enhancements for offices and schools. The BU60PST and BF60PST both provide improved brightness over their predecessors (BU50NST and BF50NST) and differ mainly in their output resolution. The BU60PST is capable of delivering a 4K UHD (3,840x2,160) image at a maximum of 300 inches diagonally, which the manufacturer claims is four times that offered by the majority of business models on the market. The BF60PST lowers this to WUXGA (1,920x1,200) resolution. With their laser light source each rated for 20,000 hours, both models boast

peak brightness of 6,000 ANSI lumens, a contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1 and HDR10 capability. To aid in conferencing and meetings, users can connect either of the new projectors directly to a company or conference facility network via wired or wireless connection, eliminating the need for a dedicated laptop. Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel files can be opened directly from a USB device via the built-in Office viewer, and screen sharing and screen mirroring functionality makes it possible to project content from devices running the Windows or Android operating systems.

DELIVERING TWICE the onscreen brightness of a traditional colourcomb, lamp-based projection system, Christie is promising that its new Mirage SST-6P will “redefine the 3D experience”. The 18,000-lumen, 6-Primary (6P) 3D dual-projector system uses two sets of RGB laser primaries with slightly offset wavelengths: one for each eye. Reusable passive 3D glasses filter the different wavelengths and direct light to the correct eye without shuttering. The result is a projection system that is reportedly 90% efficient at projecting light onto the screen, and white-screen compatible for blending the multi-projector arrays typically used in dome theatres and media-based attractions. The Mirage SST-6P system uses two fibre-coupled projection heads with remote light sources and chillers. The heads are described as quiet, compact and lightweight, and have a low heat output of less than 2,400 BTU each. With omnidirectional capabilities and solid-state illumination, the system can be deployed in tight, challenging environments and promises 30,000 hours of virtually maintenance-free operation to 80% brightness.

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The Mirage SST-6P includes Christie Twist, for built-in warping and blending and is compatible with Christie Mystique, an automated camera-based alignment software solution. Suppor t for the Christie Guardian automatic blendedimage correction tools is also present and can be used even when content is playing. www.christiedigital.com

Panasonic combines brightness and colour THE PT-MZ880 Series – comprising the PT-MZ880 (8,000 lumens), TP-MZ780 (7,000 lumens) and PT-MZ680 (6,000 lumens) – has been designed to combine brightness and colour and provide vivid images without needing to turn the lights off. Features include Detail Clarity Processor 4, Dynamic Contrast and Daylight View Basic to help users tailor the LCD projectors to any environment. Compared to the manufacturer’s PT-MZ770 Series, the PT-MZ880 models reduce energy consumption down by approximately 20%. The panel size measures 9.3mm diagonally with a 16:10 aspect ratio and the projectors can run for 20,000 hours in normal/quiet

mode or 24,000 hours in Eco mode before the light output declines to 50%. Other benefits include a 3,000,000:1 contrast ratio and an 85% centre-to-corner zone ratio. The lens shift is ±67% vertically and ±35% horizontally. The projectors have an AC 100–240V (50/60Hz) power supply and measure 561mm x 190mm x 437mm (WxHxD). Optional accessories include a fixed-focus lens, zoom lens, ceiling mount bracket, replacement filter, Digital Link switcher, digital interface box, the PressIT wireless presentation system and early warning software. pro-av.panasonic.net

www.lg.com

PT-MZ880

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B-Tech mounts a new solution MERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES’ Solstice Pod is an in-room collaboration platform which enables users on any connected device to share, control and mark up content on in-room displays for more efficient and productive meetings. Users wishing to mount the pod will now be able to use the BT7886 from B-Tech AV Mounts – an official mounting par tner to Mersive – to secure the device in any configuration that suits their application.

The BT7886 provides features that include an open design to help keep the mounted pod cool when in use, security screws and an integrated slot for a Kensington lock (lock not included) to help prevent unauthorised removal of the device.

Designed by B-Tech’s in-house product design team, the BT7886 Mersive Solstice Pod Mounting Cradle allows the pod to be mounted in a variety of different configurations according to the user’s needs – directly to a wall or underside of a desk, to a compatible B-Tech accessor y collar for pole mounting or to the back of a screen when used in conjunction with an existing screen mount.

www.btechavmounts.com

AJA unveils T-TAP Pro AJA VIDEO Systems has unveiled T-TAP Pro, a compact, silent and por table Thunderbolt 3-connected device that has been designed to simplify 4K/ UltraHD and 2K/HD/SD monitoring and output over 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 on compatible Mac or PC computers. It provides high-quality video monitoring, including High Dynamic Range (HDR) suppor t for high frame rate (HFR) and large raster workflows from a Thunderbolt 3 host system. The device is suitable for high-end colour grading, audio mixing, editorial and visual ef fects, in addition to on-set monitoring and playback, and enables creative professionals to work ef ficiently from home or any location. It features multichannel embedded audio on SDI and HDMI, and a 3.5mm stereo analogue

audio connection that is said to provide a convenient method for monitoring audio, enabling editors or digital ar tists to plug in headphones directly to the device or connect to an external analogue audio mixer. AJA has also released Desktop Software v16, a free update that introduces new features to the manufacturer’s lineup of KONA, Io and T-TAP products, such as HDR signalling over SDI, expanded IP video functionality, suppor t for T-TAP Pro Thunderbolt 3 output device and increased compatibility with the latest hardware and operating systems. It includes compatibility updates for the

latest macOS, Windows and Linux operating systems, including suppor t for macOS 11.x Big Sur, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Redhat/CentOS 8 and continuing suppor t for Windows 10 updates. Desktop Software v16 expands suppor t for high-end computer hardware, including cer tified compatibility of AJA PCIe cards and Thunderbolt devices with the 2019 Mac Pro and AJA PCIe card suppor t

for Supermicro X11DAI, X11SPA+TF and X11DPG. For IP video workflows, v16 also increases compatibility with NMOS-compliant devices by updating to NMOS 1.3 and adds improved troubleshooting capabilities with new LLDP suppor t for KONA IP, Io IP and Avid Ar tist | DNxIPTM. Bridge Live v1.11 delivers a host of new features, including HLS input

functionality for receiving HLS streams and bringing them into SDI baseband productions. HLS input suppor ts both AVC TS segments for H.264 and the newly emerging fragmented MP4 standard for H.265/H.264. New VBR implementation allows for lower-latency presets with algorithmic intelligence, and a new E-AC3 input suppor ts Dolby Digital workflows. Additionally, pipeline upgrades include co-existence of dif ferent time bases, more ef ficient tools for managing presets and REST API enhancements allowing calls for individually star ting and stopping pipelines.

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PRODUCTS

Instant replay from NewTek

Quicklink launches hybrid switcher

REPORTEDLY THE world’s first native IP and SDI replay system, the 3Play 3P2 video replay and telestration system from NewTek is said to deliver “unmatched” instant replays for sports productions. According to the manufacturer, 3Play 3P2 ensures that broadcasters and venue operators never miss an angle or unforgettable sporting moment with unparalleled connectivity and efficiency across the entire production workflow at a fraction of the cost of traditional replay systems. New 3Play 3P2 features include increased inputs, sharable playlists, pan-and-scan areas of interest, built-in NewTek NDI Telestrator capabilities, clip publishing and more, giving sports producers more capacity and opportunity to maximise the value and impact of live content as it plays out in 4K. The built-in playback zoom and tracking feature allows operators to select multiple points of interest and zoom in and out to

THE STS410 is an all-in-one hybrid switcher described by Quicklink as an easy-to-use, end-to-end, broadcast-grade solution which combines the power of the cloud and the cost-effectiveness of a single hardware unit. It combines three main elements to allow the user to achieve a full production workflow: a rack-mount server, software that integrates all the tools needed to build, edit and customise productions, and a cloud-based controller for scene and source selection. Combined with the Quicklink Manager, the STS410 is said to create a complete end-to-end workflow, including the ability to stream to multiple concurrent services such as Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo Live or RTMP, and simultaneously record the discreet individual channels

capture an all-important play. The keyframeable feature allows users to scrub clips, pinpointing desired timecodes of crucial plays. The solution offers eight external inputs and two outputs. Inputs can be any combination of NDI sources with four convenient SDI connectors built directly into the chassis. The outputs can be independent or work together in a preview/programme workflow, including live animated, 3D-warped visual transitions delivered to both SDI and NDI destinations. Operators also benefit from sharable playlists, allowing NewTek TriCaster live production systems to work collaboratively. 3P2 and TriCaster operators can sync 3Play playlists over the network via NDI to create a collaborative experience for increased speed and flexibility in sports production workflows.

and programme output for postproduction flexibility. The cloud-based Controller enables control of scene and source selection from any location using any desktop, mobile or tablet device.

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www.quicklink.tv

www.newtek.com

Elation expands KL Series

Game-changing technology ROE VISUAL has joined forces with AGS and Megapixel VR to create “game-changing” technology for virtual productions. The companies have created GhostFrame, a video and broadcast technology that displays more than just the video feed on the LED panel with different inputs invisible to the human eye but visible to the camera. This enables professional cameras to capture one or more sets of images while the naked eye only sees one. Thanks to Megapixel VR’s HELIOS processing platform, the LED panels have immense processing power, and therefore no upstream workarounds are needed. Users can have all of the GhostFrame features while sending regular frame rates in 4K and 8K formats. Creating multiple and hidden sources in one video

DESIGNED FOR applications requiring high output soft light with precise colour reproduction and adjustable colour temperature, the KL Fresnel 8 FC is suited for venues that are light critical and noise sensitive. It houses a 500W RGBMA LED engine calibrated at 6,500K and emits a diffused wash of light. It produces over 18,000 field lumens with a motorised zoom range of 10–50° so that users are able to easily adjust the beam size. For illumination that is

gel library. Capable of matching the white balance for camera, users can shift the colour temperature without the use of ±green gels and filters. Additionally, the LED refresh rate can adjust up to 25kHz so there is no flickering when used with high-speed cameras. The unit is DMX controllable with full RDM support and provides manual control for standalone operation of zoom, intensity, colour temperature, green shift and other settings.

feed also gives production teams the freedom to operate without restrictions. According to the creators, using GhostFrame will reduce installation and production time, allow for real-time postproduction with free positioning and camera movement, and work in a near-zero latency environment. Features include GhostFrame Chroma, enabling a (hidden) green screen; GhostFrame Track, adding hidden tracking markers; and GhostFrame MultiSource, adding up to four different hidden video feeds, which can be captured individually by the camera.

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more precise with less light spill, adjustable and removable eight-leaf barn doors allow for customised shaping of the beam. With high CRI (92), TM30 (88) and TLCI (95) values, meaning that colour recreation is extremely accurate both to the eye and to the camera, the Fresnel is described as a flexible complement to any professional lighting system. It can adjust for light that shifts away from pure white towards green or magenta through a green-magenta shift adjustment and a virtual

The display and dedicated Dimming and Control encoders are positioned at the bottom side of the fixture for unobstructed access. It can be mounted on a stand or suspended using any standard clamp or the included Junior pin adapter. It is fully self-contained without the need for an external power supply and offers locking power pass-through for linking multiple units. www.elationlighting.com

68 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2021

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PRODUCTS

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Series 3 and Desire Fresnel

ETC debuts two fixtures THE SOURCE Four LED Series 3 is the third generation of ETC’s colour mixing LED fixture. Boasting an eight-colour mixing system that includes deep red LEDs, the series includes the Lustr X8 array for nuanced colours and the Daylight HDR array for tunable white light. The manufacturer has added wireless DMX/ RDM by integrating City Theatrical’s Multiverse protocol and NFC configuration using a mobile device and ETC’s Set Light app. Multiverse can broadcast as many as 10 universes of DMX from a single transmitter without excessive radio energy and frees up wireless bandwidth. The newly designed XDLT lens tubes provide “the ultimate brightness from every location”. They can be hung in a box boom, on a catwalk or from the farthest back of house position. The tubes

output up to 13,000 lumens, reduce light leak and produce near-zero chromatic aberration. The Desire Fresnel comes with an eight-colour array, wireless DMX/RDM, an intuitive user interface and NFC configuration through the Set Light app. Four backlit encoders change colours to correspond to the attributes they control on the screen. ETC has redesigned how the lamp and lens work together so users can get more light through the entire zoom range. According to the manufacturer, this provides more lumens regardless of angle, making it up to 25% more efficient over traditional Fresnel optical systems. Desire Fresnel has zoom control from either the front or the back of the fixture. www.etcconnect.com

GLP CLAIMS to have developed the first The control options of the basic CL1 are battery-powered and completely wireless also available in the Plus version. LED systems on the market. The Creative When the CL1 system is controlled via Light 1 (CL1) and Creative the smartphone app, the Light 1 Plus (CL1+) CL1s generate a mesh feature 24 RGB LEDs network among each along with main other – without colour control, any additional colour patterns, gateway – the a sound-to-light so-called GLP feature via iQ.Mesh network. an integrated Within this mic and three GLP iQ.Mesh dynamic pattern network, each macros. All CL1 receives pixels can be and amplifies the used together, signal, enabling individually via pixel the creation of mapping or via the a network over integrated double layer long distances. FX engine. The advantage of the The CL1 offers the same smartphone app is that it CL1 performance as the CL1+ but provides a user interface and is aimed more at the semireportedly enables particularly fast professional user with its manual, IR system setup, allowing multiple devices remote control, and Android and iOS app to be grouped for live control. This also control options. The CL1+ also features facilitates control of intensity, strobe and an integrated LumenRadio CRMX module pulse effects, background and foreground for use in professional event technology colours and a variety of dynamic patterns. and wherever the CL1 system is to be www.glp.de integrated into an existing DMX network.

Martin raises the bar MARTIN PROFESSIONAL has “raised the bar” for bright and compact lights with the debut of its MAC Ultra Performance and MAC Ultra Wash stage lights. All units in the MAC Ultra series now feature a new 1,150W, 6,000K proprietary LED light engine, which gives the MAC Ultra Wash the power to project 63,500 lumens and the MAC Ultra Performance 46,500 lumens of output. Designed for fixed and noise-sensitive applications, the MAC Ultra family boasts

an advanced framing system, higher-definition optics and low noise levels. With higher red content and better daylight balance, the units are said to produce rich, vivid colours and more

THE LEDBEAM 350 is Robe’s latest moving light, a bigger and brighter version of the manufacturer’s LEDBeam 150. Maintaining the 3.8–60° zoom of its predecessor, Robe has added a new lens coating that reportedly lengthens the intervals between cleaning and enhances the light output. The LEDBeam 350 also features CPulse, Robe’s Pulse Width Modulation control system that removes any on-screen camera flicker. Features such as fast movement, colour mixing, zoom and control can be maintained via a compatibility mode which allows for the combination of both 150 and 350 models on the same rig. The 12x 40W RGBW high-powered LED multi-chips are said to provide high-quality output and CMY colour mixing control. DataSwatch contains 66 pre-mixed colours and tones, including whites for fast reliable colour selection, and Robe’s L3 Low Light Linearity system delivers “imperceptible fades to absolute blackouts”. The unit’s

advanced cooling system and smooth zoom stepper motors make it ideal for noise-critical installations. An optional Epass Ethernet switch will automatically maintain network connectivity in case the fixture experiences power loss.

Robe is on the move

natural skin tones. The minimum LED engine life is rated to exceed 50,000 hours and deliver over 90% of its initial output after 20,000 hours of usage at maximum power. The MAC Ultra feature package includes a wide zoom range, precision focus control, uniform colour mixing, variable CTO,

additional colour and spectral correction filters, motorised frost for a softer field, high-resolution dimming and strobing. The new Martin Extended Framing System debuts for the first time in the MAC Ultra Performance, offering “more flexibility, easier programming, quicker response time and precision shutter angling that surges the fixture into a new class of creative potential”.

Mac Ultra Performance

pro.harman.com

Weighing under 10kg, the compact size makes it suitable for confined spaces. The unit will work in combination with other Robe luminaires, including the ESPRITE, MegaPointe and Spiider. The LEDBeam 350

FW version offers a Fresnel-wash type of beam for smoother edges and optimal colour homogenisation. www.robe.cz

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Q& BUSINESS: ANALYSIS

Christine Schyvinck, CEO, president and chairman of Shure Inc, has been with the company for 31 years. We find out about breaking through the glass ceiling in the audio industry, giving opportunities to others and launching products in a pandemic

What perspective of the industry have you gained during your long career at Shure?

they’re unlikely to get interested in high school and forget about it by the time they’re in college or looking for a job.

Being with Shure as long as I have has given me a 360° view of the company and therefore the industr y as well. When I star ted, I was more involved with manufacturing – I’m a manufacturing and mechanical engineer by schooling. One of the first things I did was work on one of our manufacturing lines, troubleshooting and quality testing. I got involved with training early in my career too, because I knew a lot of different tools. Later, I joined the executive staff where I’ve been for a long time, so I always got to see what was happening from the strategic point of view. Around 2006 I headed up sales and marketing, the customer-facing par t of the business. So I feel like my perspective is unique because I understand the whole supply chain: what’s involved in making audio products all the way to what it takes to get them to market. When I star ted with Shure, we were predominantly a pro audio company, and now we consider ourselves to have three segments, almost equally split. We still have our professional audio heritage, but with integrated systems and some of our consumer businesses we’re a more diversified company than we were 31 years ago.

What was the attraction of this kind of field for you personally? There was something magical about the fact that Shure was an exciting engineering and manufacturing company, but there was also this common thread of interest and passion around music. We have a lot of events at Shure where people get to show of f their musical talents. You can’t believe how creative so many of our engineers are, and what talented musicians we have in this company. So it was that allure of combining what I wanted to do from an engineering perspective with the music element.

You already have the Shure Audio Institute (SAI) and you recently announced the Mark Brunner scholarship. How can Shure further evolve what it’s doing in education and awareness and raising the bar for the industry?

As well as the solutions evolving and changing, has there been a change within Shure? Some things have changed and some haven’t. I was lucky enough to star t working when Mr Shure was still around, and I worked shoulder-to-shoulder with his wife Rose Shure for about 20 years. The Shure core values are something that we talk about a lot here, and they translate ver y well across borders into all par ts of the world. We all speak that language, making sure we make high-quality products, making sure we respect each other, our customers, our suppliers and being good corporate citizens. Those things have always stood the test of time. What is different is we are much more on the cutting edge of technology. We’re in a much faster-paced industr y now. Ever y company in audio has had to make the transformation from analogue to digital hardware to software, and that has been a really transformational change, especially over the last decade.

What advice do you have for women who are thinking about a career in this industry? With women in any technical field, the numbers are still not with us and it can be intimidating. I always encourage people to find mentors and not to be afraid to ask questions. I know that early in my career, for whatever reason, I felt ver y hesitant to ask questions because I thought it was a sign of weakness. I would go off and study on my own instead of saving time and asking the

Christine Schyvinck question in the moment. If people can find a good mentor and be comfor table asking questions, that helps a lot. As company executives, we have a lot to do in this field too, and I’m really happy that over the last one or two years you see so many companies paying a lot more attention to diversity and inclusion. We’ve just launched a formal programme for this. It’s always been impor tant to us because it hearkens back to those core values, but you have to be more proactive. We like to make sure we’re suppor ting organisations that help young women or other underrepresented groups understand what technology audio fields are like. So helping organisations that give students an oppor tunity to explore: what does a STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] education mean, what does a career in audio look like and how can it be less intimidating? We have to make sure that we’re giving to the right organisations because we’re not going to change anything by all tr ying to compete for the same pool of limited people. We have to make that pool bigger. You have to star t with kids when they’re at a much younger age, especially girls. If they star t shying away from technology in middle school,

If there’s a silver lining to what we have been through during the pandemic, we’ve had more people coming through the SAI and signing up for webinars. We’ve had a lot more time to spend with our end users on education. All of these oppor tunities were definitely used much more than when people were busy doing other things. We’ll continue to put a lot of ef for t into that. Mark Brunner was heavily involved with me in working on the kind of organisations that of fer educational oppor tunities to youth that maybe have not have seen what education like that could do for them, not just STEM education but also the ar ts and music. How can we continually be looking outside our four walls to help people get more educational oppor tunities?

How did the pandemic change your timeline in terms of product launches: did you have things lined up that you’ve had to delay? No, in fact, the contrar y. What was amazing was that our engineers working from home were putting test fixtures in their basements, testing, shipping each other prototypes from house to house. During 2020, we were launching a new product about ever y 15–20 days. One of my biggest concerns was whether we’d be able to get new products out the door without people able to come in and work in our labs and collaborate together, but they were able to figure it out through a lot of creativity. And we really did not slow down the product pipeline at all. So yes, that was my biggest concern, which actually ended up not being a concern. www.shure.com

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