Pro AVL MEA July–August 2024

WONDER OF LIGHTS

teamLab Borderless opens in Jeddah GAME TIME IN QATAR UNDERSTANDING IMMERSIVE WITH AMADEUS SLS, CABSAT AND INTEGRATE ME REPORTS AUTONOMOUS RACING COMES TO ABU DHABI

Yamaha

The

Editor’s Letter

After the team has travelled to so many tradeshows, Las Vegas was a fitting final stop-off as the madness dies down for several months. But since coming back from the US, it’s Joe Pham’s opening InfoComm keynote speech that has kept ringing in my head – a good reminder that it’s worth making the time to attend such presentations at an exhibition even if packed meeting schedules would rather keep you away. Everyone’s been talking about AI over the last year and the impact that it is going to have on our industry, so it was refreshing to see Joe completely flip the script and

of AI. As the eyes and the ears of the world, he claims that it is our industry that in fact wields the most power.

I’ve argued that the term AI is often thrown around as a buzzword with little practical meaning outside of some meeting room AV applications, but Joe highlighted just how valuable the meeting data already being accumulated by our devices actually is to the AI companies. Phrasing the conversation this way, the more you think about it, the more intriguing questions arise.

Email: sluckhurst@proavl-mea.com

Richard Lawn General manager rlawn@proavl-mea.com

Bea Meikle News editor bmeikle@proavl-mea.com

Sue Gould Advertising director sgould@proavl-mea.com

Nick Smith Digital media manager nsmith@proavl-mea.com

Carolyn Valliere Sales associate cvalliere@proavl-mea.com

Chris Yardley Video editor cyardley@proavl-mea.com

Caroline Moss Contributing editor cmoss@proavl-mea.com

Jack Stennulat Digital content creator jstennulat@proavl-mea.com

Karen Wallace Editorial coordinator kwallace@proavl-mea.com

Adrian Baker Production manager abaker@proavl-mea.com

Marne Mittelmann Circulation manager circulation@proavl-mea.com

Michelle Mooney Deputy editor mmooney@proavl-mea.com

Sue Su Guangzhou manager ssu@proavl-mea.com

Sphere Entertainment acquires Holoplot

Following its initial investment into Holoplot in 2018, Sphere Entertainment has announced it has acquired all the remaining shares of the company. The partnership between the companies saw the development of Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by Holoplot, when the Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas last year.

Sphere Entertainment’s CEO, MSG ventures, David Dibble and Paul Westbury, EVP, development and construction, both commented: “Holoplot is at the forefront of

audio innovation and their custom-designed technology has already transformed what is possible for concert-grade sound. This acquisition reflects our company’s commitment to staying on the cutting-edge of immersive experiences as we explore growth opportunities for both Sphere and Holoplot.”

Reportedly the “world’s largest”, fully integrated concert-grade audio system, the Sphere Immersive Sound is used at the Sphere in Las Vegas, after first being introduced in 2022 at

According to a report by Nikkei Asia, Panasonic plans to sell its projector business to focus on its digital supply chain systems. The report states that the manufacturer could decide on a buyer for the business shortly, with the estimated sale price being valued at ¥80b (US$510m).

Japanese financial services group Orix is said to have shown interest as a potential buyer for the projector business, as well as at least one international investment

Audiotonix has announced it has reached an agreement for a next stage investment from pre-eminent private equity firm, PAI Partners. The agreement follows on from the company’s partnership with global investment house Ardian which will maintain a minority stake in the company via a re-investment.

“I would like to thank Ardian for the confidence and their solid support of Audiotonix and all our brands since their investment in March 2020,” said James Gordon, Audiotonix CEO. “They allowed us to continue our large investment into R&D and supported our desire to add the right brands to our portfolio.” Gordon remarked on the new investment with PAI Partners: “We have spent the last 12

months selecting the right team to partner alongside us in our next chapter and I am happy to say the PAI team were a perfect

cultural fit from our very first meeting. They come to us with a global reach and passion for music and technology that is a natural fit for our pro audio brands today and tomorrow.”

PAI Partners’ Colm O’Sullivan and Neil McIlroy both commented: “We are delighted to partner with James Gordon and the exceptional Audiotonix management team,

business sale are reported to go towards the acquisition of another supply chain software developer.

www.panasonic.com

Blaze Audio has acquired the Ci Series of commercial install loudspeakers from Cornered Audio. The acquisition will see the audio manufacturer take ownership of the complete series which will be available via its global distribution channels, while Cornered Audio will commercial range become part of a fast-growing and well-organised installation brand like Blaze Audio.”

www.blaze-audio.com www.cornered.dk

alongside Ardian, in this next chapter of growth. Audiotonix is well-placed to benefit from positive structural tailwinds in the experience economy and diverse professional audio environments. We look forward to working with the team as the group continues to deliver market-leading, professional products, defining audio experiences worldwide.”

www.audiotonix.com

L–R: Hans Madsen and George Tennet

Panasonic projection mapping at Petra

James Gordon

Blackmagic Design

Now you can build affordable live production and broadcast systems with SMPTE-2110 video! Blackmagic Design has a wide range of 2110 IP products, including converters, video monitors, audio monitors and even cameras! You get the perfect solution for intergating SDI and IP based systems. Plus all models conform to the SMPTE ST-2110 standard, including PTP clocks and even NMOS support for routing.

Build Professional SMPTE-2110 Broadcast Systems

The Blackmagic 2110 IP Converters have been designed to integrate SDI equipment into 2110 IP broadcast systems. The rack mount models can be installed in equipment racks right next to the equipment you’re converting. Simply add a Blackmagic 2110 IP Converter to live production switchers, disk recorders, streaming processors, cameras, TVs and more.

Conforms to the SMPTE-2110 IP

Video Standard

Blackmagic 2110 IP products conform to the SMPTE ST-2110 standard for IP video, which specifies the transport, synchronization and description of 10 bit video, audio and ancillary data over managed IP networks for broadcast. Blackmagic 2110 IP products support SMPTE-2110-20 video, SMPTE-2110-21 traffic shaping/ timing, SMPTE-2110-30 audio and SMPTE-2110-40 for ancillary data.

Uses Simple 10G Ethernet for Low Cost

Blackmagic 2110 IP Converters are available in models with RJ-45 connectors for simple Cat6 copper cables or SFP sockets for optical fiber modules and cables. Using simple Cat6 copper cables means you can build SMPTE-2110 systems at a dramatically lower cost. Plus copper cables can remote power devices such as converters and cameras. There are also models for optical fiber Ethernet.

Incredibly Easy to Install

One of the biggest problems with SMPTE-2110 is needing an IT tech on standby to keep video systems running. Blackmagic 2110 IP converters solve this problem because they can connect point to point, so you don’t need to use a complex Ethernet switch if you don’t want to. That means you get the advantage of SMPTE2110 IP video with simple Ethernet cables, remote power and bidirectional video.

Clair Global delivers the solution for Web Summit Qatar

Web Summit Qatar took place recently, with radios, comms and audio support provided by Clair Global UAE. Held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, the sold-out inaugural event was attended by tech leaders, start-ups, investors, entertainers and sports personalities.

The Clair Global team worked across six stages, led by production manager George Forsyth. The centre stage ran redundant DiGiCo Quantum 338 consoles with four hangs of L-Acoustics L2 Series with L2D, powered by four LA-RAK III with 11 X8s to provide front-fill and six KS28 subwoofers.

“The L2 system was impressive, it was the first time we had used the L2 in a corporate environment,” commented Forsyth. “The

coverage was perfect front to back, with excellent clarity for both content and speeches.” RF included a 24-channel Shure Axient system with 16 AD1 beltpacks with DPA Microphones 4088 headsets and eight AD2 handhelds. Comms comprised a Riedel 1024 frame with a mix of Riedel DSP 2312 and 1232 panels, as well as 20 Riedel Bolero beltpacks using Luminex Network Intelligence 30i switches for network, and a Ferrofish A32 Dante for comms distribution.

The smaller pitch and presentation stages featured a mixture of DiGiCo SD12s and Yamaha CL5s and a QL1. For PA, L-Acoustics Syva and Kiva II, both flown and ground-stacked, were deployed. For comms, Clair Global supplied 10-way Shure Axient wireless systems and a standalone Riedel Artist 64 with eight Bolero beltpacks and eight Riedel 2312 SmartPanels. Additionally, radio deployment utilised the Motorola R7 system to cover the venue.

www.clairglobal.com

VIBE Dubai showcases L-ISA technology revives the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey

Created by DEM Museums, the Ephesus Experience intertwines audiovisual technology with the rich history of Ephesus to bring the story of the ancient Turkish city to life. Composer and sound designer James Bulley utilised L-Acoustics L-ISA immersive technology to create an expansive audio world for the experience, drawing on historical research.

of the L-Acoustics speakers makes L-ISA technology the obvious choice.”

Audiovisual supplier Asimetrik collaborated with Marshmallow Laser Feast and L-Acoustics application engineer Willi Klein to design a complete 360° immersive configuration for the three different rooms of the museum. The setup comprises 71 5XT placed in the ceilings, dotted around the walls at ceiling and body

engagement, with over 100 visitors and 22 technology partners in attendance. Located at the company’s facility in DIP, the event showcased the latest advancements in unified communications and collaboration (UCC) technology in an immersive setting, exploring new technologies that enhance the human experience of work.

“As organisations continue to embrace remote and hybrid work models, VIBE Dubai played a vital role in showing our clients how they can shape the future of collaboration and empower their businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape,” commented Phil Marlowe, managing director, AVI-SPL Middle East. “We’re thrilled by the response to VIBE Dubai and look forward to continuing the conversations we started with clients there.”

Epson took the opportunity to showcase its new EB-PQ2220B and EB-PQ2020B 4K laser projectors in an immersive space, with a three-dimensional soundscape provided by d&b. Additionally, Creston unveiled its new 1 Beyond intelligent video solution, highlighting the deployment

The event also featured informative discussions from industry experts centred around the best practices for leveraging AV, UCC and experience technology to drive business success. Furthermore, keynote speakers shared their insights into how AI can accelerate digital transformation and improve workforce productivity and user experience.

AVI-SPL said that a key driver for the events success was the participation and demonstrations by technology vendors including Barco, Crestron, Epson, Q-SYS, d&b audiotechnik, INFiLED, Sennheiser, Uniguest, Absen, AppSpace, Biamp, Bose, Extron, Fohhn, Jabra, Lightwear, Mago, Neat, Netgear, Roe, 7thSense and Shure.

“The event brought together industry leaders, innovators and professionals from across the region, fostering meaningful connections and inspiring discussions about the future of collaboration,” said Alex Fenech, sales director at AVI-SPL Middle East. “We extend a huge thanks to our partners and attendees for their unwavering support in making VIBE such a huge success.”

www.avispl.com

Home to the Temple of Artemis, Ephesus is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and one of the most visited cities in Turkey. To tell the story of Ephesus in its prime, Bulley crafted a cinematic soundtrack featuring composers such as Thomas Newman and Nainita Desai. The narrative is performed by actors David Schofield and Olivia Williams.

“The experience imagines life in ancient Ephesus,” said Carolina Vallejo, creative producer at Marshmallow Laser Feast, producer of the Ephesus Experience Museum. “Audio is crucial to plunging visitors into that narrative. We’ve found that using L-ISA shortens our workflow, making it easy for us to create immersive soundscapes. The quality

height, or placed on top of and at the base of several pillars covered in video screens. In addition, 28 X8 coaxial speakers are placed around the walls at ceiling height. In the main room, a corner-mounted cluster of one A10i Focus and one A10i Wide deliver extra power. Providing low-end extension are three KS21 and four SB15 subwoofers, with seven LA7.16i amplified controllers driving the system.

Asimetrik project engineering manager Buğra Kezan said: “L-ISA was the perfect choice for this new kind of museum experience; it facilitated the creative workflow, was easy to integrate and offered the best audio experience.”

www.l-acoustics.com

TURKEY

Hippotizer powers visuals for The Masked Singer

SOUTH AFRICA

Kicking off its second season in South Africa recently, The Masked Singer utilised Green Hippo’s Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers alongside an MA Lighting grandMA3 console to create projections and LED screen animations. The production featured an array of technical equipment, including audio, lighting and LED walls supplied by Blond Productions, while the Hippotizer was purchased through DWR Distribution.

The TV show features 16 celebrities, dressed in elaborate costumes to conceal their identities, battling it out onscreen to be crowned the winner. Behind each performer onstage, a 11m x 4m 2.9-pixel pitch Absen LED main wall displayed custom-made content, designed by the show’s creative director Barry Pretorius and set designer Michael Gill. Additionally, rigged behind two stage left and stage right maskedshaped surfaces were two 2m x 4m LED walls for Unreal Engine 3D effects, projection mapped using the Boreal+ MK2 via four Christie projectors. A further 8m x 2m LED wall was rigged behind the judges’ table.

Blond Productions’ co-owner and head of department show lighting, Ryan Lombard, codesigned and operated the show. “The Boreal+ MK2 was perfect for this production,” he said. “It has four 4K outputs and ours was fitted with

a dual capture card to receive SDI and DVI. The SDI input was used for the broadcast feed and the second was used to run Unreal Engine on the LED walls behind the masks. We ended up using seven outputs and two inputs from one device and it worked flawlessly.”

The production team managed various feeds and graphic elements including the show graphics, live feed and visuals from the Unreal Engine and all content was created by Digital Union. In the studio elements, the team had graphics made for the general look and feel for the holding state, logos and elements for

each song. The songs included graphics for the main LED wall and the masks were projection mapped and fed from the Boreal+ MK2.

“Each mask had two projectors allocated and aligned to them,” added Lombard. “The clue packages were sent from a TriCaster and fed to the Boreal+ MK2. These were playbacks of the clue packages we had previously shot, or sometimes clips that came in last minute that needed to be fed in. We also fed Unreal Engine into the system to create a set extension behind the masks and this world was created and managed through us.”

Powersoft trainings come to Dubai

Powersoft recently conducted a series of trainings with its distributors PRO LAB Trading and Dutco Tennant. The manufacturer said that the trainings are part of a larger programme to help improve its brand visibility, recognition and product deployment in the Middle East.

Takis Tsonopoulos, business development manager – MEA, Powersoft, said that training engineers on technologies is a vital part of the development for the brand. “Both PRO LAB and Dutco Tenant share our vision to train our clients on how our technologies can help them to deliver more efficient, better quality and more reliable projects,” he said. “The selection of candidates that participated in both trainings was very well thought out.”

Over two days, Powersoft conduced handson training at the PRO LAB Exhibition Centre which was attended by users, integrators and sound engineers who worked on Armonia+

Adamson to launch

production facility

Adamson has announced its new electronics production facility is nearing completion. The company has said the US$4m expansion is aimed at both growing its production capacity to meet demands for new VGt flagship powered loudspeakers, as well as enhancing its audio manufacturing. and is backed by three levels of Automated Optical Inspection. Measuring 1,525m2, it features in-floor heating, leading-edge lighting and air handling.

Lombard noted that using a single media server solution to drive all the different elements of the show provided ease for the team. “On the main set we used the Hippotizer’s ability to scale outputs for pixel-perfect fits to the LED walls, bypassing the need for LED wall scalers,” he said. “We

also used the masking tool to mask out the projectors on the masks to minimise light bleed on the set, with the masks heavily used on VS show graphics to blend certain graphics together.”

www.green-hippo.com www.malighting.com

projects. At the Dutco Tennant Office, systems integrators and consultants took part in two brief training sessions which also included an overview of the Powersoft product range and their USPs.

Both trainings also saw the company cover news related to Unica, MyUniverso and their relevant benefits for mid- and high-SPL installs.

“PRO LAB and Dutco Tennant put their best foot forward and brought us an eclectic mix of integrators and engineers from varying verticals and with different levels of exposure to our products,” commented Varun Mahesh Jagger, EMEIA sales manager, Powersoft.

“This was exactly what we were looking for. We are extremely satisfied with these trainings and look forward to performing more such activities to help grow our reach in the market.”

Powersoft training at the PRO LAB Exhibition Centre

Stage Effects brings TetraX to South Africa

SOUTH AFRICA

Long-term DWR client Stage Effects Group has recently returned to the distributor to expand its existing portfolio of lighting equipment with new models from Robe. Having been immediately captivated by the company’s TetraX fixture upon first experiencing it, founder Theo Papenfus qickly opted to add 24 Tetra Xs and 24 Tetra2s to its stock.

“We’ve been in the market for a linear fixture,” explained Papenfus, first noticing the company’s shortfall in this segment during the pandemic. He was familiar – and impressed – with Robe’s Tetra2, but it was the TetraX that really grabbed his attention.

Developed based on the Tetra1, the TetraX adds dynamic pan movement with high-speed continuous rotation, dramatically increasing the sweeping effect possibilities of the fixture. An ultra-tight 4° beam from each of the nine evenly spaced pixels combine to produce a defined “sheet” of light. The homogenised beams and smooth 11:1 motorised zoom also provide ultra-smooth washes out to 45°.

“I started talking to Duncan Riley of DWR and was actually motivated to just get the TetraX fixtures, but I knew these were fairly new to our market,” Papenfus recalled. “I also knew that the Tetra2 was a workhorse. It has proved itself over time and on riders, and it was a no-brainer to buy them. We’ve had many requests for Tetra2s but have never been able to supply them. We believed that introducing the TetraX would bring something new to the market. There’s simply nothing else like it available, making it the winner for us among all linear fixtures.”

An unexpected bonus was that not long after the order was placed, Sage Effects received an inquiry for a long-term theatre rental. “I always phone Duncan and he did the costing and put the whole gear together and the sale just went

The factory centres around flexibility, predictive maintenance and automatic changeovers. Furthermore, Fuji production equipment features connectivity from design and prototype through New Product Introduction and integration into ERP. Adamson plans to implement optimum interconnectivity and a full digital transformation of manufacturing processes, including new ERP software with the aim to improve transparency and the customer experience.

www.adamson.ai

smoothly. Buying the kit and getting it out on a theatre show for three months is amazing, and that’s why we went for these fixtures. We had nothing on the board, and I was more than willing to send it out to cover the first two months.”

“Stage Effects was one of our earliest clients when we first launched DWR,” furthered Riley. “Many other rental companies also rely on Stage Effects for their gear rentals. They have a deep trust in Theo and his work ethic.”

www.dwrdistribution.co.za www.robe.cz

L–R: Stage Effects’ Theo Papenfus and Erik de Bruin

Funktion-One provides heavenly audio for Cape Town club

The newly opened Halo club in Cape Town has installed a Funktion-One sound system, supplied by the manufacturer’s local distributor Phuture Sound. The opulent, twostorey venue regularly plays host to resident and international DJs, offering partygoers a

to be deployed in it,” added Sinovich. “The synergy of installing a great sound system into a room that has been properly acoustically treated is extremely powerful.”

Upstairs, the sound system comprises two Evolution X and two BR218 loudspeakers

Sound’s Anton Sinovich. “But Halo is proof that these two elements do not have to be mutually exclusive.”

Supersonic provided acoustic treatment for the system which comprises over 30 loudspeakers. “We work closely with Supersonic to acoustically design a space for the specific sound system that’s going

electromagnetic device to be installed in a loudspeaker and we are thrilled to deploy it for the first time on the African continent at Halo. The F124 partners well with the F215 upper mid-bass and Evo 6SH mid-highs to accurately deliver a full-frequency spectrum with extremely low distortion.”

Grass Valley powers Saudi Pro League matches

BR118 implemented for the DJ booth, VIP and peripheral areas.

“The F124 provides extremely lowfrequency bass in a controlled manner,” explained Sinovich. “Low frequencies are particularly difficult for most sound systems to accurately reproduce but the F124 has the most powerful moving coil

Embodying its tagline “step into a world beyond” alongside audio, Halo has also incorporated visual and technology elements including holograms and continually changing screens for recent performances by DJs including Pete Jones and Milo Passier.

www.funktion-one.com www.phuturesound.co.za

DHD mixers go live at MBC radio

Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has installed DHD SX2 audio production mixing consoles and an XC3 IP audio core for its Moka headquarters and Rodrigues Island locations. MBC Radio broadcasts in 12 languages, including English, French, Creole and Hindi and the network outputs three FM channels as well as two AM channels. Eurocom Broadcast integrated the systems, coordinated by

commercial director Jesus Vazquez and led by Gary Hartard, with audio configuration by Paul Chevré.

The project comprised a total of nine studios plus the master control room. Four of the studios are equipped for self-op control, each sourcing from four microphones – one for a presenter and three for guests. The largest studio sources from seven microphones – one for

a presenter and six for guests – and can also be used for music performances. The Moka headquarters features four openspace studios as well as three studios with individual control rooms and guest suites. Furthermore, the Rodrigues Island facility consists of a live transmission studio augmented by a second studio which is used both as a backup and recording suite. To allow efficient data synchronisation between servers at both sites, Eurocom integrated a VPN connection.

Each of the DHD SX2 consoles is connected to a DHD XC3 IP core which performs the signal processing and audioover-IP interfacing. The system includes WinMedia automation and NeoGroupe NeoSIP telephone interview management software, both of which are compatible with DHD. The Eurocom team dismantled, re-equipped, tested and recommissioned each studio on an incremental basis before starting on the next.

MBC’s technical manager, Arvind Lobind, commented: “We chose DHD SX2 mixers for their ease of operation, physical robustness, versatile configurability and high signal quality. They are also very space efficient which is an important factor in any broadcast control room or presentation suite.”

www.dhd-audio.com

Grass Valley’s AMPP SaaS platform has been deployed by SPL Media House (SPL MH) to produce and distribute the Saudi Pro League football matches globally. SPL MH also uses the manufacturer’s Framelight-X cloud-native asset management solution to create various video packages featuring Saudi Pro League clubs, players and highlights that are streamed on different platforms. When SPL MH was first asked to distribute the team’s match content, it had no broadcast legacy hardware in place. However, to facilitate an upcoming match just six weeks away, the media house sought out a cloudbased infrastructure that could be deployed without third-party systems integration.

“Grass Valley’s AMPP proved to be the only end-to-end SaaS platform in the world that could be run in the cloud and ‘built-out’ in our very tight timeframe,” stated Peter Van Dam, COO for SPL Media House. “It is also the only ‘triedand-tested’ solution that is reliable and robust enough for our demanding application.”

To facilitate the installation, a small room in SPL MH’s production facility was repurposed as an international broadcast Network Operations Center (NOC). The feeds from the nine weekly matches are sent to AMPP via Haivision and LiveU SRT or NDI from the outside broadcast trucks stationed at the stadiums. AMPP then distributes these game feeds from the NOC to several social media and service platforms used by SPL and rights holders to produce alternative content. Furthermore, remote commentary and distribution for the WPL Saudi Women’s Premier League is fully controlled via AMPP.

www.grassvalley.com

SAUDI ARABIA

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Robe and Claypaky illuminate Johannesburg concert

lighting design provided by Ntando Mvalo, for South African singer Lebo Sekgobela’s show at the Big Top Arena at Carnival City in Brakpan.

Mvalo’s lighting rig largely consisted of Robe fixtures, including eight units each of miniPointes and Pointes, 12 units each of LEDBeam 350s, LEDBeam 150s and LEDBeam 100s, six LEDWash 300s and 12 LEDWash 600s. Furthermore, Claypaky’s Axcor Beam 300s and Sharpys were also used. The rig was

6m x 3m side screens for the live feed, coupled with two 4m x 1m LED banners at the front of the stage – all running via Resolume.

“Ntando Mvalo impressed us with his clean and polished lighting,” commented Murangi Productions director, Hendrick Nemalili.

“He was definitely on top of his game, from plotting the lights to running the entire show.”

www.claypaky.it www.malighting.com

Cintel scanners work their magic in Egypt

EGYPT

Cairo-based Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) is relying on Blackmagic Design’s Cintel Scanner G3 HDR+ for real-time scanning and DaVinci Resolve Studio to restore and digitise the country’s rich film archive.

The EMPC media complex is contracted by the Ministry of Culture which holds the original prints for hundreds of motion pictures and photographic treasures made between 1940 and the late 1990s. The Cinematic Restoration Center (CRC) was established in 2018 to document and digitise the entire collection.

In 2019, work began to restore and digitise the newsreel archive of the Egyptian Film Magazine captured between 1952 and 2015. Systems Design was engaged by CRC to find

the Cintel Scanner G3 HDR+ to support CRC’s new project: the restoration of over 300 Egyptian feature films.

“Once a reel has been physically inspected and manually repaired, they are then scanned in real time in 4K using Cintel scanner and captured in DaVinci Resolve Studio where we conduct our colour, restoration and mastering work,” explained CRC general manager, Nada Hossam El Din Farahat. “Information is automatically captured from Cintel and imported into DaVinci, saving us considerable time.”

The Cintel Audio and KeyKode Reader records audio information from the negative in sync with picture scanning. The precision capstan encoder automatically corrects for wow and flutter. In addition, KeyKode numbers identify individual film frames to speed up postproduction workflows.

Audac and Xilica power sound at La Parada

SOUTH AFRICA

Located in Johannesburg’s day-to-night dining and shopping destination Cedar Square, the newly opened La Parada’s branch has implemented an audio system comprising technology from Audac and Xilica.

With over 17 restaurants in the country, La Parada engaged AV Distribution and Sonic AV to provide a system for the restaurant that could offer something different to its predominantly dining-focused venues.

“They wanted more of a bar vibe with DJs so we knew that a solution from Audac would be

an ideal fit, especially the XENO range,” said Richard Edwards, CEO of Sonic AV. “The Audac models offer an excellent value proposition, they’re powerful but provide a nice blend between softer audio for background dining and the high sound pressure levels for DJ sessions required at La Parada.”

La Parada is divided into five zones: the main floor, two mezzanine areas and two outside areas. In the main bar and DJ area, four Audac VEXO112 loudspeakers have been installed. The rest of the bar, including the mezzanines

range loudspeakers and six XENO6 models, with Edwards noting they chose the models

treatment. “It’s a double volume restaurant with single volume mezzanines, which made it

Johannesburg’s recently opened La Parada restaurant

Dubai Press Club hosts broadcast audio workshop

Taking place at the Government of Dubai Media Office, Dubai Press Club recently hosted a workshop on immersive audio workflows for broadcasting, with collaboration from Neumann, Merging Technologies, Lawo and Dolby.

“We are tremendously pleased with the results of this workshop,” noted Mig Cardamone, sales director, Sennheiser Middle East. “The wealth of knowledge shared and the relationships built truly underscore the importance of such gatherings. They contribute significantly to our industry’s progress. We extend our immense gratitude to the Government of Dubai Media Office and Dubai Press Club for their supportive roles in making this event a resounding success.”

Attended by audio industry professionals, the workshop delved into advanced audio broadcast techniques, with a comprehensive curriculum covering topics such as sound generation and audio distribution. Various aspects of broadcast audio workflows were covered, including immersive audio production, 3D mixing, transmission and replaying techniques. The session also featured interactive demonstration sessions and Q&A

discussions with industry experts, as well as a sneak peek preview of Sennheiser’s Wireless Multichannel Audio System.

Klaus-Joerg Jasper, senior sales director Middle East and CIS, Lawo, remarked: “We’re thrilled to have been part of such a successful event. This workshop served as an invaluable platform to disseminate our expertise while also learning from the enthusiastic participants.”

Merging Technologies product owner, Maurice Engler, added: “Participating at an event where complete and realistic workflows are explained and shown is always exciting. Integrated solutions with partners such as Lawo and Dolby and our new colleagues from Neumann and Sennheiser are what end users and integrators want to experience.”

Cardamone added that due to the success of the event, Sennheiser has plans for a similar series of upcoming workshops focusing on the broadcast industry.

www.dolby.com www.lawo.com www.merging.com www.sennheiser.com

Nairobi hotel gets the five-star audio treatment

The five-star Kwetu Nairobi hotel recently opened featuring an extensive remit of audio from MC², Martin Audio and FunktionOne. The solution was supplied by Audio Feed, which worked closely with integrators Frontier Audio Africa to deliver the systems. The venue is a Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel and offers wide-ranging facilities to cater for guests and businesses alike, with over 100 guest rooms and 10 meeting rooms, a fitness centre, bars, restaurants and entertainment spaces.

Audio Feed’s Oz Jefferies noted that the project deployed a range of MC² Delta amplification, with and without DSP, throughout.

“We have a longstanding relationship with MC² Audio and have used MC² and partner company XTA’s amplifiers for the majority of our work over the last 15 years or so,” he said.

“The reliability and durability of the units simply can’t be questioned – their Dante compatibility, particularly on an install of this size and complexity, is also highly desirable.”

Throughout the hotel, almost 150 Martin Audio ADORN series ceiling pendant speakers have been installed in areas including the

four-channel Dante-enabled amplifiers drive the speakers.

Powering sound in the entertainment spaces including the rooftop bar, conservatory, tropical garden, pool areas and atrium are a variety of Funktion-One loudspeakers powered by two MC² Delta 80 DSP, three Delta 40 DSP and one Delta 20 four-channel Dante-enabled amplifiers.   To handle complex routing between spaces, a Biamp Tesira Server-IO processor was installed, utilising the bidirectional Dante capabilities of the MC² Delta DSP amplifiers.

“Frontier’s work at Kwetu, a project which they procured by virtue of their excellent reputation, was exceptional and we look forward to powering many more installations in the region with MC²’s ultra-dependable hardware,” concluded Jefferies.

Joe Sirha of Frontier Audio Africa remarked: “We are enlivened to have installed the MC² Delta Series range of processing amps to power the 200+ speakers spread across the entire hotel. They are really efficient and allow for crystal-clear audio.”

Ayrton shines a light on the Abidjan Exhibition Centre

The recently opened Abidjan Exhibition Centre has installed an array of fixtures from Ayrton for classic stage lighting and to enhance the venue’s architectural features during events. Located in Port-Bouet on the Atlantic coast of West Africa’s Côte d’Ivoire, it is the largest exhibition centre in West Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, with a capacity of 6,000 seated and 10,000 standing.

Designed by architect Pierre Fakhoury, the centre plays host to a range of functions, including tradeshows, fairs and major events in the region, with applications spanning theatre, dance, concerts, conventions and meeting projects. The project required powerful spotlight luminaires capable of illuminating every point of the vast space, as well as a range of fixtures that could cover the

full spectrum of lighting types including wash, spot, followspot and gobo.

Specified by GSL lighting designer Guillaume Sarrouy, a consignment of Ayrton Zonda 9 FX, Eurus and Huracán LED fixtures have been installed by the company, supplied by PFO Construction and the State of Ivory Coast. The installation has been designed to be modular with all fixtures distributed on moveable truss above the audience and onstage. The lighting arsenal comprises 20 Eurus and 16 Huracán fixtures implemented as the work horses, with 16 Zonda 9 FX for effects lighting. GSL noted it chose the Zonda 9 FX due to its wide range of capabilities which enable the team to produce an array of effects to complement the pixelated space of the screen installed upstage. Sarrouy noted he was “particularly impressed with the Zonda 9 FX’s pixel characteristics, the power of each of the fixtures chosen, the choice of gobo and, overall, the quality of the light emitted for any application.”

www.ayrton.eu

www.gslighting.org

KENYA

CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Image courtesy of Guillaume Sarrouy

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Sennheiser “Moves into the Future”

With the aim of strengthening the independence of its production, the Sennheiser Group has said it is investing significantly in its own production facility, including at its headquarters in Wedemark, Germany and its plant in Brașov, Romania.

In Wedemark, the company is investing in new technologies, particularly in printed circuit board assembly. A series of expansion and restructuring measures are underway under the banner of “Moving into the Future” which includes the relocation of an existing production line to free up space. To increase capacity for printed circuit board production, two new reflow ovens have been installed in the production halls to allow four assembly systems to fit in the halls in replacement of the previous two. The complex installation involved building a special structure to transport the huge parts of the machine and lifting the ovens through the roof from above using a crane.

“The relocation of this production line system and the additional installation of new ones is one of several measures to strengthen our production,” commented Dr Andreas Fischer, Sennheiser’s chief operating officer and

member of the executive management board.

“By continuous investments in the production capacities at the Wedemark site, we are making ourselves more independent of supply chains. In the past year, we have already invested around €5m here onsite. This year, it is more than €14m.”

The company’s headquarters specalises in technologies for high-precision, automated

Nexo announces first M12 sale in Morocco

MOROCCO

Based in Tétouan, Bennani Events is the first company in the region to invest in a Nexo GEO M12 line array system. Purchased through the manufacturer’s local distributor, Tekos Sarl, the event management company increased its existing M12 inventory to provide flexibility and a return on investment for the wide range of outdoor and indoor projects it works on.

Adding to the company’s existing fleet of 12 M12 heads and four MSUB18s as well as an NXAMP MK2 controller, Bennani Events has purchased an additional six M12 heads, four MSUB18s, as well as four P12 point source speakers.

Creator of the company, Mehdi Bennani, commented on the investment: “We were looking for a system that was powerful and compact, so that it was practical for use in

processes and the manufacture of the company’s products, including its microphone capsules in its own clean room. In 2023, the company invested in a digital tool management system and 10 additional production systems for microphone components.

line has been in use since 2017 and another line with double the production capacity was put

into operation in 2022. Both lines work together to produce printed circuit boards on an assembly line. The SMD 1 system places components on a printed circuit board at an average speed of 25,000 pieces per hour with the help of eight placement heads. The machine’s relocation

The transportation of the reflow ovens at the Wedemark site

Mehdi Bennani (centre) and the Bennani Events team

Digital Projection and Arkabesk shine at Sharjah Light Festival

Almost 60 Digital Projection laser projectors, including 46

TITAN Laser 37000 WU and 13 M-Vision 23000 WU, facilitated displays at the Sharjah Light Festival in the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE with the help of project coordinator Artabesk.

The 12-day festival, now in its 13th year, showcases the history, heritage and architecture of the eponymous emirate with a carnival of lights, colours and music.

It is the largest festival of its kind in the region and welcomes internationally renowned artists to celebrate the city’s built and natural environments.

For the 2024 festival, Dubaibased video mapping specialist and immersion content creator Artabesk deployed its extensive Digital Projection inventory to create the visual experiences which included a 300m x 50m projection on the side of a mountain.

The Al Rafisah Dam is surrounded by greenery and sandstone mountains, an hour’s drive out of Sharjah city. During the Sharjah Light Festival it was the venue for The Jewel of Al Rafisah Dam, a 3D projection mapping show inspired by the “Golden Age of Sharjah”, focusing on the ancient history of the city of Khorfakkan and the United Arab Emirates’ native wildlife.

Featuring content created by Artabesk, The Jewel of Al Rafisah Dam marked the first time visual content had been mapped onto a mountain of that size, which presented the team with some challenges. Mounir Harbaoui, founder and managing director of Artabesk, explained: “We had two main challenges for this projection: the brightness, as the mountain is a brownish, stone colour, and the multiple shadows the mountain creates, as it is not a flat surface.”

To overcome this, Artabesk employed the TITAN Laser 37000 WU, a 3-chip DLP projector with a 4K-UHD-lumen output made it an ideal projector for the event.

“We also switched off the streetlights so we could create a completely dark environment,” added Harbaoui.

Among the four festival sites, which used a mix of TITAN Laser 37000 WU and M-Vision 23000 WU projectors, was the Sharjah Mosque, located on a 190,000m²

site in Sharjah city. Artabesk installed 21 TITAN Laser 37000 WU to create a 400m² linear projection, divided into eight areas across the entire surface of the building, with minarets that are 40m high.

www.artabesk.com www.digitalprojection.com

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Image courtesy of Artabesk and Benjamin Perroux

Provision AVL hosts Prolyte Campus training event

Returning to the city for the first time in over five years, Provision AVL recently hosted a Prolyte Campus training event at its showcase space in Dubai. The Prolyte Campus is an ongoing initiative by the brand to inform customers about the latest industry changes and trends. During the two-day event, attendees gained insight into the many aspects of daily rigging practices, ranging from basic truss knowledge to more complex rigging scenarios.

Eric Laanstra, product manager at Prolyte, beamed when speaking about the event: “This campus was very well received by all who attended and I was impressed by the level of knowledge in the room. Provision has a

lot of respect in the region and has a perfect professional showroom space for hosting these events. Thanks to all that joined us.”

Paul Hadfield, sales manager at Provision AVL, added: “We are delighted to bring back the Prolyte Campus to the region – training is such a vital element of our service to the industry. We would like to thank Eric and everyone that attended for helping create an informative, engaging and enjoyable campus. Provision will be hosting more training and showcase days for the brands we support in the future so watch this space.”

www.prolyte.com/prolyte-campus www.provisionavl.com

DiGiCo fires up audio for “Ring of Fire” match

Millions of people around the globe tuned in to watch the much-anticipated heavyweight professional boxing match between legends of the sport, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Billed as “Ring of Fire”, the bout featured audio technical support provided by Agora in collaboration with DONE + DUSTED, incorporating DiGiCo consoles. Agora supplied two control packages for the occasion: one catered to the ceremony team, crafted by Auditoria and comprised two mirrored DiGiCo Quantum 338 consoles with two 32bit SD-Racks. Designed by AF Live for sports control and the PA system,

the second package featured two fully mirrored DiGiCo Quantum 225 consoles.

Ethan Curry of Auditoria led the ceremony’s audio engineering, while Huw Clee oversaw the sport aspects of the event. The Quantum 338 consoles managed all ceremonial aspects and ring walks during the main event, while the Quantum 225 consoles were utilised to control the fight itself, including all in-ring interviews.

www.agora.ae www.auditoria.systems www.digico.biz www.doneanddusted.com

Unica 8M

Unica 4L

SAUDI ARABIA

Bongo FM upgrades with AEQ

Part of Tanzanian public broadcaster TBC, Bongo FM broadcasts on 94.6FM, providing modern programming with dynamic information content, music sports and entertainment to the local population. The broadcaster recently upgraded its main studio with the addition of an AEQ Forum IP Split console, supplied and installed by local partner Britt Broadcast. Listeners can also tune in directly from the Bongo FM website.

Designed for on-air broadcast control, the new Forum console was chosen for its ease of use, robust operation and highquality audio credentials. Incorporating features such as automatic monitor cut, cough cut, faderstart and signalling

control, its modular design also enables it to adapt to different scenarios, such as self-control, control-locutory, TV production controls, sound production or mixed configurations. The split version comes with the FR CORE modular engine in three rack units. It can be composed of up to six quad fader modules and a control and monitoring unit. These can be equipped with AoIP multichannel input and output cards compatible with the AES67 protocol, allowing for integration with consoles, routers and input and output terminal equipment from over 300 different manufacturers.

www.aeq.eu

www.tbc.go.tz

So capable. So Unica.

Unica will have a fresh-out-of-the-box feel throughout its life, and it will be possible to integrate features and functionalities down the line, making it truly futureproof. Proving the engineering efforts undertaken in the development of this platform are 5 registered patents

Digigram has acquired OROS, which specialises in noise and vibration testing systems. The acquisition is part of Digigram’s build-up strategy focusing on critical audio.

The merger will see the employee count grow to approximately 60, with offices stretching from the headquarters in Montbonnot to the companies’ subsidiaries based in Singapore, the United States and China.

OROS will still retain its brands and identity and will increase its human and financial resources to support the development.

“Digigram’s contribution is a valuable leverage to support both the technical and commercial development of OROS, as engaged in 2023 with the release of O4,” said Nicolas Denisot, product manager at OROS.

Operating in different segments of the critical communications market, with customers in the civil and military aerospace and maritime sectors, both parties hope the fusion will increase presence in the industrial, defence, security and transport markets.

With a long tradition of growth based on export, both companies have relied on distribution networks and subsidiaries based abroad. “Our fundamentals are very close, whether in terms of markets, strategic stance or human values, which is crucial to achieve a swift and seamless convergence,” commented Jérémie Weber, president of the Digigram group.

www.digigram.com

www.oros.com

TANZANIA WORLD

L–R: OROS’s Yannick Balter with Digigram’s Jérémie Weber and Xavier Allanic

Fujairah TV transforms its studio facilities

Systems integrator Pharaon Broadcast recently called on products from media technology provider Grass Valley to upgrade Fujairah TV’s studio facilities by installing a variety of solutions. Included in the repertoire is an LDX C98 compact camera with DPM imagers that enable both native 4K/ UHD and native HD operation, to provide improved quality in all studio and LED wall applications. Also part of the project were K-Frame XP production switchers with the Korona control panel, a Sirius 830 router and the modular Densité Processing Platform.

Another two elements of the project are the Masterpiece Master Control Switcher, which is used for playout, and FormatFusion3 technology which provides a solution for all standards from SD SDR to 4K/UHD HDR.

Fady Boustany, general manager of Pharaon Broadcast, said of the decision to select Grass Valley: “Fujairah TV is committed to being at the forefront of the industry through both innovation and reliability. Its choice of Grass Valley’s advanced solutions demonstrates its dedication to maintaining a competitive edge and enhancing operational resilience.”

Hany Bartella, Middle East and Africa regional sales director at Grass Valley, added: “We are pleased to be supporting Fujairah TV’s broadcasting capabilities and ensure they can leverage our technology for enhanced production quality.”

www.fujairahtv.ae www.grassvalley.com

A celebration of culture

Taking place at the Sun Arena at Time Square in Pretoria, the Afrikaans is Groot show celebrated the nation’s Afrikaans culture through music and featured two DiGiCo Quantum 338 digital mixing consoles, as well as a Quantum 225 and an SD10. DWR supplied the majority of the technical equipment, including an extensive lighting setup boasting close to 600 Robe lighting and Claypaky fixtures, all controlled on MA Lighting’s grandMA3 platform. MGG was responsible for technical requirements concerning lighting, sound and rigging, while AV & Beyond handled the LED screens on the main stage with moving LEDs on either side.

Ian Vos, technical director at Colske Group which owns Afrikaans is Groot, spoke on why he chose DiGiCo: “I can sonically hear the difference with DiGiCo. There is a massive combination from the 32-bit preamps on the SD-Rack to the full integration of DiGiCo mixing consoles in the digital network.”

Günther Müller, project manager at MGG, spoke about the integration of the DiGiCo implementation: “We spent a few days at the office to make sure the network worked, so there was a lot of pre-prep, but once on site, it was seamless to get everything in and working. It made a huge difference, not just in the setup time for us

Shure delivers Microflex training in Morocco

Shure recently collaborated with its distributor in the region, GoMedia, to conduct a certification and best practices workshop for the Microflex ecosystem in Morocco. Industry experts from the company led training sessions on the design, installation and maintenance of the ecosystem to provide systems integrators with product knowledge and technical skills to deliver optimum audio experiences to end users.

“We are excited to partner with GoMedia to conduct this certification and best practices programme for the Microflex ecosystem in Morocco,” commented Yassine Mannai, associate sales director at Shure. “By equipping systems integrators with the necessary skills and

expertise, we aim to enhance the overall audio experience and ensure customers in Morocco receive the highest quality audio solutions.”

The Microflex ecosystem includes audio conferencing solutions, such as Microflex Advance Ceiling and Microflex Wireless neXt 2 (MXW neXt 2), IntelliMix DSP and Microflex Networked Dante solutions. The system is aimed at offering enhanced audio capabilities, sound reproduction and enhanced speech intelligibility for various applications, including conference rooms, boardrooms, lecture halls and houses of worship.

www.gomedia.ma www.shure.com

as technicians, but the operators having peace of mind with a less complicated and extremely stable system.”

sound. All other wired microphones pass through the 32-bit preamps on the SDRack.”

Murray Lubbe, a producer at Afrikaans is Groot , said that the team opted to go for a Dante solution on wireless microphones for vocals, because they wanted to keep the signal chain digital as much as possible, which he said “played a big part towards a better end

Setting up an event of this scale is not without its challenges like time constraints and the sheer scale of the show as Müller pointed out: “It’s one of the most technically demanding locally produced shows and, because of its complexity, it pushes us to be creative and stay ahead of the game.

We’ve introduced many new elements. It’s the largest deployment of grandMA3 consoles in the country so far, with 72 universes running for full control of all fixtures in the rig. We have individual pixel control over most of the lights.” The system includes MGG’s grandMA3 fullsize, grandMA3 light and Command Wing XT consoles, along with a large network processor, a medium network processor and a collection of MA 8Port and 4Port nodes. “Every song has multiple cues in Kinesys, resulting in close to 84 different positions that the truss moves through,” added Müller. ‘We also incorporated 84 Robe LEDbeam 150s into the show, so the combination of all those lights with the movement is absolutely beautiful.”

A significant improvement for the event was the creation of a “monster computer” capable of running Depence, an offline visualisation software which allowed lighting designer Andre Siebrits to program most of the show in real time, offline. Müller said that the grandMA3 platform gave Siebrits the opportunity to explore new techniques, and the effects engine on the phaser allowed him to create “extraordinary” effects.

www.avandbeyond.com www.claypaky.it/en

www.digico.biz

www.dwrdistribution.co.za

www.mgg.co.za

MOROCCO

SOUTH AFRICA

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KENYA

Reportedly the “most-watched” youth network in Kenya, Akili Kids! is using PlayBox Neo’s Cloud2TV virtual channel playout system to deliver a mix of over 650 video files every day. The fast-paced entertainment and educational TV network gathers a viewing of approximately 1.2 million kids every 30 minutes, with over one million video files broadcast via the Cloud2TV system since its inception in 2020.

Akili uploads targeted content daily commemorating local holidays and events, with customised clips also edited each day, such as for the original series called Birthday Blast which mentions by name hundreds of kids each week for their birthday. “Kids like things to move fast,” said Vincent Grosso, CTO, Akili Networks. “With our schedule of fast-paced promotions, educational TV clips, marketing messages and commercials, sometimes video files are switched every 12–30 seconds.”

The files come through in varying formats that are encoded for playback on the fly for transmission throughout the country via Kenya’s over-the-air 50Hz PALDVB-T2-based terrestrial broadcasting system. The network receives programming in NTSC for America, PAL for Europe and other regions, multiple frame rates and in various video file formats such as MP4 and MOV.

“We’ve reduced our costs considerably because we don’t need to transcode before playout,” added Grosso. “Our PlayBox server plays out multiple video and audio formats into a single, seamless PAL 50 frame per second stream to the transmitters. That’s been a huge benefit for Akili these last four years.”

A transcoder on the PlayBox server supports multiple containers and file formats, including MPG PS/TS, MXF, QT, AVI, MP4, GXF, MPG2, H.264, ProRes, DNX HD and MJPEG. Additionally, utilising Cloud2TV, Akili Kids! has two PlayBox Neo servers located at a data centre in Nairobi with secure internet access

that feed over-the-air transmitters throughout the country. The content is uploaded to the playout server from Nairobi and New York over the internet.

Furthermore, the network’s team noted Cloud2TV’s remote upload and management capabilities which has provided flexibility by enabling employees to work remotely as they can upload commercials, promos and content from home.

Van Duke, director of US operations, PlayBox Neo, commented: “This is really an

and PlayBox Neo accomplished as a team. Their launch was at the beginning of the pandemic, many of their operations staff were new to broadcast TV and the country’s IP infrastructure is less than ideal in spots. Now, they are the number one kids’ station in Kenya with a unique blend of dynamic programming. We look forward to seeing what the next four years will bring.”

www.playboxneo.com

Proson Staging chooses JTS professional GITEX NIGERIA announced

Audiovisual technical supplier Proson Staging, based in Johannesburg, has recently invested in JTS professional microphones from StageOne, which took over the sole distribution of the JTS brand earlier this year.

Edward Muller, owner of Proson Staging, shared his experience with the JTS brand following his recent purchase, which included several JTS RU-8011DB/ RU-850LTB+CM-501 lapel microphone systems.

“The audio quality is extremely good at a brilliant price-point. I am generally a very difficult person to please, but I can’t fault the JTS brand,” said Muller.

“The battery life is incredible. I used the mics for a week-and-a-half on a school production and never had to change batteries once over the period and I love the fact that the bodypack can turn off with a time setting. Additionally, the transmitters are interchangeable with other mic brands, which is a win.”

Clinton Pillay, sales executive at StageOne, added: “The mics are solid. Since taking over the JTS brand earlier in the year, the feedback we have received from clients has been amazing.”

www.jts-europe.com

www.proson.co.za

www.stageone.co.uk

NIGERIA

Connecting startup innovators, AI experts and young talents in Africa’s digital economy, the recently held GITEX AFRICA Morocco has announced the launch of GITEX NIGERIA. Set to debut in September next year in both Lagos and Abuja, the showcase will invite the global tech community to explore the biggest and most valuable opportunities in the region.

The announcement was made official at a signing ceremony between Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) of Nigeria and Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of Kaoun International, organiser of GITEX globally, in the presence of Dr Tunji Alausa, hon minister of state for health and social reform, Nigeria.

Abdullahi addressed the media during the official announcement, stating: “You can’t trade in isolation therefore we need to create a platform to accelerate trade in Nigeria. Presidential priorities include the acceleration

of diversification through digitisation, industrialisation, manufacturing and innovation; to reform the economy to deliver sustained economic growth. Bringing GITEX to Nigeria gives us the opportunity to export Nigerian technology to the world.”

LohMirmand added: “The format of GITEX Nigeria will be unique. It will enable the exploration of vast potential during a time when Nigeria is experiencing exponential growth impact in sectors such as AI, health, finance and startups. We hope to co-create and multiply global partnerships to forge new opportunities for Nigeria across industries with the biggest societal betterment potential.”

Furthermore, GITEX’s co-located shows will be introduced with the inaugural edition, including AI Everything Nigeria, North Star Nigeria for Startups and the GITEX Health Tech 5.0 and GITEX Future Finance 5.0.

GITEX NIGERIA will take place in September 2025 in both Lagos and Abuja, the most strategic and influential business cities in Nigeria

Akili Kids! staff at the company’s Nairobi headquarters

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Ghana TV station relies on AEQ Intercom System

Channel One TV in Tesano, Ghana has recently implemented an AEQ intercom system for its main control room, production room and two separate studios. Formerly known as the Citi TV studios, the studio now relies on the TP8000 user panels and XPLORER to carry out its audiovisual projects.

Ghana-based integrator Bahamus Limited carried out the integration of the entire

project in collaboration with AEQ. The solution comprises TP8116 user panels, 1U user panels and TP8416 panels,

GHANA UAE

Multi award-winning film score composer and music producer Hans Zimmer recently took to the stage for two nights at Dubai’s CocaCola Arena with an audio solution provided by Clair Global UAE. Zimmer’s production manager Jim Baggott selected the supplier to source the solution which comprised products from L-Acoustics, DiGiCo and KLANG.

The solution featured an L-Acoustics K1/K2 system with flown KS28s, KS28 ground subs and A15s for front fill. DiGiCo SD7 Quantums were also utilised, with the FOH team running the T software and incorporating a TC Electronic M6000 and three Rupert Neve Portico processors as well as plugins from Live Professor with a KLANG card for spacial FX. Covering the monitoring was a KLANG:konductor and an SSL Fusion outboard was used to increase the IEM channels.

www.aeq.eu www.bahamusghana.com

Clair Global supplies audio for Hans Zimmer in Dubai

as our needs were extensive and complex. Because of their global reach, there were no substitutions to our gear list, everything was sourced as requested without effort. This made putting on what was essentially a ‘one-off’ show a stress-free experience. These shows received great reviews, which was in no small part down to the pristine support we received from Al Woods and the team at Clair UAE.”

www.clairglobal.com www.digico.biz www.klang.com

www.l-acoustics.com

www.rupertneve.com www.solidstatelogic.com

FOH engineer Colin Pink commented: “Once again, we chose Clair UAE as our audio supplier

Rwanda radio station unveils Lawo integrated broadcasting studio

RWANDA

Reportedly the first pure IP radio station in East Africa, 94.3 Royal FM’s new broadcasting studio located in Kigal features integration of Lawo virtual radio solutions. Reportedly representing a monumental leap in broadcasting technology, the new studio has eliminated the traditional XLR cables and now relies on a Cisco switch for the distribution of video and audio signals (AES67) and control throughout the facility. The integration was spearheaded by Fred Martin Kiwalabye, the head technical engineer at Mediacity Ads. At the heart of 94.3 Royal FM’s setup is a Lawo virtual mixer to integrate all the studio components. The multiCAM video system automatically responds to microphone signals and is controlled by the audio mixer to offer listeners and viewers an immersive experience. For efficiency, all incoming calls are managed by the AVT IP telephone hybrid. Furthermore, the studio has been designed to ensure minimal power consumption, with fewer cables and reduced equipment. The setup allows for remote control of the system and enables customised audio experiences for various shows. Additionally, social media platforms

such as WhatsApp can be integrated to transform gaming PCs into media sources.

“At Royal FM, we are not just adopting the latest technology but redefining the future of broadcasting in Rwanda,” commented Professor Simon Gicharu, Royal FM Group chairman. “By integrating cutting-edge systems like Lawo, multiCAM, AVT, Ravenna and AES67, we challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of what radio can be. Our new studio is a testament to our belief that with the right

technology and vision, we can turn our media dream into reality, today and in the future.”

Jesse K Maxella, CEO of Royal FM, added: “When we asked for a solution, they knew the right workflow to make a difference. With several inputs and just one switch, we are harnessing the power of innovation

NMK announces multiple partnerships in the Middle East and GCC

ME/GCC

NMK Electronics has announced distribution partnerships with Microsoft, 7thSense and SurgeX in the Middle East and GCC regions. In the GCC, NMK will leverage its market reach to offer both 7thSense’s and SurgeX’s solutions. In the Middle East, the distributor will utilise its network of Microsoft-certified products throughout the region to deliver the manufacturer’s solutions across the locales. The agreement with Microsoft will encompass several countries including the UAE, KSA, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait. Through the partnership, NMK will support the regional pro AV reseller community through design, deployment and comprehensive support services.

Furthermore, NMK aims to enhance Microsoft’s visibility through a series of promotional activities for partners and systems integrators centred on Microsoft Teams Rooms. The initiatives include targeted training sessions, social media campaigns and active participation in tradeshows and public events, aimed at showcasing Microsoft Teams Rooms. NMK noted that it believes the partnership will enhance its product line, particularly the capabilities of UC brand, NEAT.

Drimakis, director of strategic development from NMK. Both parties cited SurgeX’s collaboration with Midwich and NMK’s reach in the regions as key factors for the agreement.

“This collaboration adds significant value to our offerings and we look forward to leveraging SurgeX’s advanced power management solutions to meet the diverse needs of our

The company’s partnership with 7thSense was formalised at the Saudi Light & Sound Show. The agreement will see the distributor offer 7thSense’s full product portfolio including the Delta Media Server, Medialon Show Control range and Juggler pixel processor across the

reliability, NMK noted it plans to position it as a mandatory product line in various applications.   “We are thrilled to see our infrastructure portfolio expanding with the addition of a

“Our mission has always been to drive growth and embrace new technologies in the audio, video and lighting sectors across the MEA region,” commented Neil Carroll, video brand manager at NMK Electronics. “With 7thSense’s innovative products now part of our distribution network, we are uniquely positioned to develop new markets and provide top-tier, integrated solutions to our clients.”

www.nmkelectronics .com

Avientek to distribute Sennheiser business communications DWR joins forces with RCF

Middle East and Africa. The manufacturer hopes to leverage Avientek’s Microsoft MRPP status to bring additional focus to its offering in the modern hybrid workplace for corporate customers and blended learning and campuswide solutions for higher education.

“We are excited to welcome Avientek as our new partner,” commented Mig Cardamone, sales director for Sennheiser Middle East. “Their extensive experience in the audiovisual and unified communications industry, combined with their Microsoft MRPP status, makes them an ideal partner to help us expand our reach for our business communications portfolio of products in the Middle East and Africa.”

logistics and integrated marketing services to its partner network and complementary vendors.

VM Manu, director for Avientek, echoed those sentiments: “We are delighted to partner with Sennheiser Middle East and add their premium business communications solutions to our distribution portfolio. We look forward to leveraging our Microsoft MRPP status to further strengthen Sennheiser’s presence in the modern hybrid workplace and higher education sectors.”

www.avientek.com www.sennheiser.com

DWR Distribution has been appointed as the official distributor of RCF products in South Africa. The company noted it has already received its first shipment which includes various HDL line arrays, the ART Series, including Art 7, Art 9 and Art 3,

known for its quality and reliability and capable of catering to a market segment beyond our current offerings, which led us to RCF,” he explained. “It has been a great pleasure to work with Massimo Bruni and we’re excited about the craftmanship RCF brings to the table and their

looking to expand its offerings with a costeffective audio solution that regularly serves both rental companies and permanent installations. “We were in search of a brand

such as product launches and open days.”

www.dwrdistribution.co.za

www.rcf.it

SOUTH AFRICA

L–R: Neil Carroll, Dino Drimakis, Ed Patchett and Jon Hamley

Justin Peyton of SurgeX and NMK’s Dino Drimakis

L–R: DWR’s Jaco Beukes, Jason Johnstone and Darren Durbach

LEA partners with Zuhal Muzik in Turkey

TURKEY

To amplify its presence in the Middle East, LEA Professional has partnered with Turkish AV distributor Zuhal Muzik. Through the agreement, customers in the region will have access to LEA’s full technology catalogue

featuring intelligent IT solutions, DSP and smart power management.

Established in the 1970s, Zuhal Muzik started out as a small familyowned music shop in Istanbul which

still houses the team today. Now, the company can be found in every corner of Turkey, giving it a nationwide reach which LEA hopes to leverage. Most recently, Zuhal Muzik was named one of the top 100 AV dealers and awarded Best Store Design at NAMM 2024.

“We have a long and steady history of providing the very best to our customers,” said Adnan Sungurlu, CEO, Zuhal Muzik. “We aim to make music accessible to everyone, and that starts with ensuring our customers can work with top-quality audio technology. We look forward to introducing LEA’s outstanding technology to all of Turkey.”

Scott Robbins, VP of sales at LEA Professional, commented: “We have been on a mission to expand our global footprint and this partnership catapults us further in the right direction. Zuhal Muzik has never failed to provide the very best to their customers, garnering much deserved recognition along the way. We do not doubt this will be an extremely rewarding and fruitful partnership.”

www.leaprofessional.com www.zuhalmuzik.com

Blaze Audio surges sound into South Africa

Blaze Audio has announced its debut partnership in South Africa with AV distributor Surgesound. Based in Johannesburg, Surgesound specialises

in audiovisual design, products and solutions, offering a range of services, including acoustic design, public address, audio networking, system design, training and maintenance.

Super cool screen

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“Having experienced the growth of other audio brands in South Africa before, I am convinced that there is a robust demand for quality audio products in this market and I am excited to have a reputable

Surgesound, commented: “Surgesound

world-class and we look forward to our partnership.”

www.blaze-audio.com www.surgesound.co.za

Sonic Electronics partners with AE Smart Conference and Screen International

Doha-based distributor Sonic Electronics has announced distribution partnerships with both Screen International in the Middle East and Africa, as well as AE Smart Conference in the Middle East. AE Smart Conference manufactures motorised retractable monitors, motorised foldable conference solutions and portable integrated conference multimedia terminals for use in various sectors, including government, transportation, conference, schools, hospitals and more.

The company’s general manager, Mr Du, noted that through the partnership, AE Smart Conference aims to provide stronger support, optimised local service and package solutions to its clients. “I’m so excited to announce that we will be with Sonic Electronics in this prosperous region,” he said. “The experience, passion and mobility from the Sonic Electronics team will definitely achieve more customer satisfaction and we firmly believe that our partnership will enable us both to make a difference together.”

Jamshid Hameed, general manager of Sonic Electronics, echoed those sentiments: “This collaboration marks a significant milestone for us, allowing us to expand our product offerings and provide our clients with even more innovative solutions tailored to their specific needs. We are confident that this partnership will be mutually beneficial, enabling both organisations to better serve our customers and meet their evolving requirements.”

Italian manufacturer Screen International is operated by Euroscreen Srl and produces a wide range of professional projection screens across market segments including entertainment, educational, corporate, hospitality and houses of worship. The company also manufactures custom screens to specific customers on request.

Santhosh Vasu, managing director of Sonic Electronics, commented on the agreement: “It brings me great pleasure to announce our latest partnership with Euroscreen Srl,

chapter of growth and prosperity for both Sonic Electronics and Screen International, as we strive to further our presence and enhance our offerings in the Middle East and Africa markets.”

Screen International’s international sales manager, Guido Mazzoli, added: “We are excited to announce a significant development in our distribution network that promises to enhance our reach and service in the Middle East region. Sonic Electronics brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the electronics distribution industry, making them an ideal partner for us. Their commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction aligns perfectly with our own values at Euroscreen Srl. We are confident that this partnership will bring about mutually beneficial outcomes and further strengthen our presence in the Middle Eastern market.”

www.aesmartconference.com  www.screenint.com www.sonicelec.com

Digital Projection selects Procom as GCC distributor

Digital Projection has announced Procom Middle East as its distributor in the GCC. As part of the agreement, Procom will be responsible for the marketing, sales, technical support and development for Digital Projection’s product catalogue in the locales.

“We are delighted to be working with Procom Middle East to further establish and grow the Digital Projection brand in the GCC countries, where quality is of the utmost importance,” noted Matt Horwood, Digital Projection’s director of sales, EMEA. “Both companies are renowned for their exceptional customer service and dedication to fostering the highestquality entertainment and educational

experiences, and we’re sure that this partnership will prove to be a productive one for both Digital Projection and Procom Middle East, as well as all customers old and new.”

Rami Harfouch, general manager at Procom Middle East, remarked: “In Digital Projection, we have not only found a video projector that aligns with the needs of our customer based on performance and affordability, but also a business partner who shares our vision of the complementary role of manufacturers and distributors to best serve local markets.”

www.digitalprojection.com

www.procom-me.com

Announced at this year’s VIBE Dubai 2024, AVI-SPL Middle East has become an Integration Partner with d&b audiotechnik. The agreement will include the opening of a d&b Soundscape facility.

The AVI-SPL team will offer the manufacturer’s entire portfolio, with an emphasis on serving as a solutions partner, tailoring systems to meet clients’ specific needs. The company’s technology experts have also been fully trained by d&b to ensure they are proficient in installing, configuring and maintaining the brand’s audio systems. Furthermore, the partnership has already seen the installation of a d&b Soundscape setup in “The cAVe” at AVI-SPL’s offices in Dubai to offer visitors demonstrations and firsthand experiences of the manufacturer’s audio solutions.

“Partnering with d&b marks a significant milestone for us, one that represents our

pursuit of innovation and commitment to exceeding our clients’ expectations,” commented Phil Marlowe, managing director, AVI-SPL Middle East. “This collaboration signifies not only a union of cutting-edge technologies but also a shared vision for elevating audiovisual experiences to unprecedented heights. With d&b’s renowned expertise and our dedication to impeccable integration and service, we’re poised to revolutionise the industry landscape, offering our clients nothing short of audio perfection.”

Brad Maiden, general manager, d&b Middle East, added: “AVI-SPL coming onboard as an Integration Partner with d&b in the Middle East aligns us with a company who has innovation and technology futures at the forefront of their brand offering. We are looking forward to working collaboratively with the AVI-SPL team to

L–R: AE Smart Conference’s Mr Du with Sonic’s Santhosh Vasu and AE’s Minty Zhou

L–R: AVI-SPL’s Phil Marlowe with d&b’s Brad Maiden

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Chant Utukian named Q-SYS MD for MEA Robin Dibble joins Coda Audio

Coda Audio has announced the appointment of Robin Dibble as global sales support manager, leveraging the extensive experience and wide-ranging audio expertise he has gained throughout his career.

commented Markus Winkler, executive vice president, EMEA and APAC. “I look forward to seeing the region continuing to grow under Chant’s leadership.”

Utukian remarked on his appointment: “This is an

transition to a hybrid business model in the GCC. I look forward to solidifying the Q-SYS brand in the region and further developing our team.”

www.qsys.com

Dibble has worked in various roles for many notable companies in the industry, including in system design, installation and commissioning, as well as supervisor training, technical presentations and freelance FOH engineering. Over the course of his career, he has worked in a range

stadia, clubs, theatres, cruise ships

ensure our clients receive the best possible support,” commented director of sales and marketing, David Webster. “Robin will be a huge asset to the Coda Audio international team.”

Dibble noted his enthusiasm for his new position: “It was probably 15 years ago that I first heard a

remember being completely blown away by how good it sounded. Every detail of the product range is exceptional – from the thought process behind it to the quality of the sound. I’m looking forward to meeting all our partners and helping to bring a hands-on, practical approach to technical support for Coda Audio. There’s a lot to get excited about with Coda right now.”

www.codaaudio.com

Shure appoints Antony Lovell as sales director

Shure has announced Antony Lovell will be joining the company as sales director for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia regions. In his new position, Lovell will lead a team of sales professionals, working closely with channel partners and key stakeholders, to cultivate strong relationships and identify new business opportunities in the locales.

“I am honoured to have been entrusted with this responsibility and am eager to work with our talented team to deliver exceptional solutions and services to our customers in these regions,” noted Lovell. “I am committed to fostering strong relationships, identifying new business opportunities and driving growth for Shure.”

After joining Shure in 2018, Lovell has held various positions, including global market development manager for discussion systems

and conferencing and he has also been instrumental in establishing Shure’s global accounts effort. The company noted that throughout his tenure, he has demonstrated strong leadership abilities and a deep understanding of the audio industry.

“We are thrilled to elevate Antony to his new role as sales director,” commented Jose Rivas, VP and chief sales officer at Shure.

“His experience, expertise and passion for the industry make him an ideal fit for this position. We look forward to his leadership and contributions to further expanding Shure’s market reach in these important regions.”

www.shure.com

• JOHAN PRETORIUS

• DAN RONCORONI

PRODUCT MANAGER

MEA

Robin Dibble

Antony Lovell

Chant Utukian

TOA Electronics appoints South Africa directors

SOUTHERN AFRICA

TOA Electronics has appointed new directors for TOA Southern Africa, Lauren Sher and Yuichiro Honjo.

Formerly assuming the role of general manager, Sub-Saharan Africa at TOA Southern Africa, Sher will now take over the business direction in the region as director of the company. In her new role, she will focus on expanding the company’s sales to more African countries. “The strength of TOA Southern Africa is the team’s combined awareness, motivation, respect for individual roles, team collaboration and support of each other which is key to our success,” noted Sher. “It is this success that I will drive.” Honjo will also assume the role of director for TOA Southern Africa. He has been the managing director of TOA Corporation as an executive of the EMEA business department since 2018 and, in 2021, he held the position of deputy general manager of the EMEA

• GERMAN RAMOS HEAD OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

DAS AUDIO • MICHAEL BRIDWELL

L–R: TOA’s Ian Bridgewater, Lauren Sher, Kosuke Tanaka, Daisuke Imagawa, Stéphane Charles and Volker Scheid

Moving Mountains

Christiane Hirtler-Fleisch, Neutrik business development manager of customised product solutions, talks to Bea Meikle about her often dangerous, but deeply rewarding, involvement in mountain rescue

centres around what we produce or buy in the region and I spend a lot of time liaising with our Chinese colleagues. A big part of my role entails supporting the sales team as we don’t have a catalogue for our products, so I am responsible for ensuring the customer and the sales team understand the products.

How did you get involved with the mountain rescue?

I am a naturalist; I’ve always loved the outdoors and being in the mountains. When I was a child, my father used to take our family to the mountains several times a month which I didn’t appreciate at the time but, as I got older, I started to develop more of a passion for it. Then, 12 years ago, I decided to go for an interview at the mountain rescue

part of the team?

The regular training to become a mountain rescuer takes two years. If you are very passionate you can do another two-year course to become an instructor at the mountain rescue service. I am an instructor for the regular trainings and for canyoning. I also volunteer for the Austrian Mountain Association as the Alpine leader for our area and there I am responsible for the programme we offer our members and the training of our tour guides.

Do you have to pass any physical tests to be a part of these groups?

You must be able to climb at a certain level and you have to be an excellent skier. You also have to attend a mountaineering tour to show that you are fit and can keep up with the group. We do three-hour trainings twice per month to stay on top of our technical requirements. We also do whole-day lessons and trainings where we practise our rescue techniques for summer and winter conditions, first aid, avalanche rescue techniques, etc.

Is there anything else you have to learn to be a part of the team?

We also get mental health training because sometimes, when an incident occurs, we may have to console family or friends, so we must know how to handle those difficult situations in the right way. Where I live, there are bridges nearby that people have tried to commit suicide from and we will get called in to assist with that, which is very tough. But when you are dealing with those kinds of situations, you learn how to be sensitive and just try to support as much as possible.

Are you and the team very close?

above using infrared lights, so we had to turn off our lights and walk in the pitch black. That was a very tough experience.

Why is mountain rescue so important to you?

We are a small group, there are around 38 of us and we are all very good friends. Because we experience a lot of tough stuff together, that brings us closer. But we also experience a lot

I have a real passion for mountains and for adventure sports and I am proud to be a part of the team. I also think because I’m at the mountain rescue service, I am a very secure person and have a deep respect for nature because I understand how dangerous it can be, so I take it seriously and I like to make sure other people do as well, so that they don’t get themselves into dangerous situations on the mountains.

Christiane Hirtler-Fleisch

The small team are good friends and have a close bond

Making connections

The new line array system installed inside BarBaar’s latest venue Moksha is a signal that Nexo is looking to make its mark in Dubai

HAVING BEEN NOTICEABLY ABSENT IN THE MIDDLE East market for several years, Nexo’s recent partnership with Dubai-based distributor Thomsun is already beginning to pay off for the French loudspeaker brand.

Located on Bank Street inside the Majestic Premier Hotel, Moksha by BarBaar recently opened its doors, serving as a new flag bearer for the brand in Dubai. Moksha’s description as a bar and lounge doesn’t really do it justice, and as soon as you step inside, that becomes immediately apparent. Beyond a long, thin, central seating area is large stage adorned with various live instruments. The main attraction here is the music, whether that be live or from a DJ, and it’s obvious that a great deal of effort has been put into making that music experience the best it can be. This extends to the visual aesthetic, a blend of unique Middle Eastern traditional styling paired with futurist rave-style accents. A balcony VIP area flanks the upper level throughout.

Thanks to its previous work at other BarBaar outlets, systems integrator Spectra Displays Technical Services LLC once again teamed up with Thomsun to help deliver a new audio solution for the refreshed Moksha nightclub, subsequently making it the first nightclub in the UAE with Nexo-powered audio.

“Moksha is a brand-new space. It’s a live concept venue especially for the Asian audience with a focus on new music coming into the genre,” explains Moksha general manager Sudananda Poojari. “One of the key nights is Plus 91 Studio, which features two Dubai-based local bands performing at the same time as two bands all the way from India. Then on Saturday we have a DJ evening, a high-energy night where we invite renowned Indian and Bollywood DJs. As a result, the speaker system has to be able to handle both of these very different functions. Given that this is very lively bar, the owner was also keen to explore more powerful solutions than in our previous venues, all of which led us to Nexo.” “The client approached us for Moksha following work we had done at Virgo Dubai,” explains Spectra owner Justin Aloysius. “They were also familiar with Thomsun from the original BarBaar project and were aware that the Nexo system was now available locally. I was also very familiar with the brand as I used to manage Nexo many years ago when I worked for their distributor at the time.”

Given that the type of music being played at Moksha depends heavily on the crowd, “we’ve configured the audio system so it can bring good quality music to every nook and cranny, regardless of if it’s a completely full house or not,” notes Spectra project manager Melo Navarro. “It’s a relatively small area, but they run a serious operation, and it can get pretty lively as the night progresses, with people moving and dancing around.”

With ceiling-hung main arrays formed of six Nexo GEO M12 line array cabinets placed on either side of the stage, low-end reinforcement comes from six GEO MSUB18 subwoofers hidden under its front lip. Eight Yamaha DHR12M foldback monitors allow musicians onstage to clearly hear their own performances. The cabinets are connected via Dante to a single NXAMP4X1 and two NXAMP4X4 amplifiers, with DSP from a Yamaha MRX7-D. Extending distribution to the upper level are additional Nexo P8 point-source speakers spaced around the exterior walls. Four more mounted downstairs bring coverage to the VIP booths and bar area. Control is managed by the venue’s live sound engineer via a Yamaha QL5 mixing console with iPad control. This takes inputs either directly from the DJ booth or from a blend of wired vocal and instrument mics onstage, alongside Sennheiser Evolution Digital EW 100 G4 wireless systems.

While audio has clearly been the focus when getting Moksha off the ground, no less attention to detail has been paid to the

visual aesthetic. An overhead lighting rig adorned with multiple Pangolin lasers works in tandem with videowalls covering the central columns and the rear of the stage. Everything is managed by an Avolites Titan Mobile control surface. “The Pangolins are really great lasers,” notes the project manager. “They’re capable of creating some pretty cool effects.”

Video content and graphics are being fed from a Novastar H2 video sever into a desktop computer at FOH running Resolume, which in turn feeds four HDMI outputs to the displays. “We can slice content up and map it onto any of the LEDs,” explains Navarro.

While Spectra first got involved with the venue four months before Moksha opened, because all parties were familiar with both each other and the Nexo family of products, installation was completed in less than two weeks. “Beyond the fact that it is the first new Nexo nightclub in Dubai for quite some time, the system sounds great and is plenty enough for their needs,” concludes Aloysius. “Initially we had concerns over how the columns and some of the reflective surfaces would affect the audio. Some of our guys visited the Nexo HQ for training and following that we modelled the space in Nexo’s NS-1 system configuration software. This left us fully confident in our design and that we had given enough delay speakers to compensate. We modelled everything again afterwards and I’m 100% satisfied with the Nexo setup here. It ticks all the boxes and sounds simply amazing.”

Poojari notes that the reception from the first guests through the door at Moksha has been exactly what he was hoping for. “People have been telling us when they come in that the sound is amazing. For us the sound really helps to create the right overall vibe that we were looking for.”

“Impressed by our previous work at BarBaar and other venues, Moksha by BarBaar trusted us to deliver their audiovisual needs,” explains Nikil Babu, Thomsun product manager. “It was pleasure to be able to bring Nexo CEO Jean Mullor to Moksha when he came to Dubai recently and experience just how good the system there sounds.”

www.instagram.com/moksha.dxb www.thomsunmusic.com

Nexo P8s provide fills around the perimeter

L–R: Dinesh Kumar, Glenvin D’souza, Atul Lanjudkar, Justin Aloysius, Mohammed Parvez and Nikil Babu

STEP UP

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Pro feature set including app control/mixing, stereo streaming, customizable presets, effects, ducking and AFS (automatic feedback suppression).

The birth of AI racing

Yas Marina Circuit was home to the world’s first autonomous race recently, but the lack of drivers wasn’t the only interesting aspect of the event

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF AUTONOMOUS

technology, Aspire’s inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) not only drew a crowd of more than 600,000 spectators, but it was the first-ever time such a race had taken place without humans in the driver’s seat. The event saw AI-driven Dallara super formula spec cars kitted out with seven Sony IMX728 cameras providing 360° coverage, Lidar and radar sensors, drive-by-wire systems, onboard video links for VR feeds and GPS, competing over eight laps for the top spot on the Yas Marina Formula 1 racetrack. Eight teams competed. The Yas Marina circuit comprises six viewing areas, including Abu Dhabi Hill, Main Grandstand, South Grandstand, Marina Grandstand, West Grandstand and North Grandstand. It also includes the Shams Tower, an exclusive, glass-walled structure with panoramic views across the track. Furthermore, the recently expanded Paddock Club features VIP suites, luxury hospitality seating terraces and the aptly relocated winner’s podium which now branches off from the club, overhanging the racetrack.

Interestingly, all race facilitation services were operated through a singular site-wide backbone network delivered by Live In Five Communications, alongside handling the necessary comms and RF provisions. Vislink, which specialises in wireless video transport, provided wireless links to each car to facilitate the Focal Point VR’s live onboard experience, the first of its kind used on such a race. The broadcast elements were managed by TimeLine, while SLS Production (subcontracted by Al Sayegh) was tasked to provide and deliver the entertainment AVL package for the fanzones and audience areas.

“We were contracted by Aspire to design and consult on the infrastructure needed for the successful deployment of this project. Following this, we were assigned to deliver and implement the circuit-wide network to serve as the backbone for all the data transport, internet distribution and IP-based video transport over NDI. Additionally, we provided the wired and wireless communication system operating on AES67, ensured site-wide radio coverage, managed RF over the Yas Marina Circuit closely with the TDRA and lastly constructed track site monitoring units for each team,” recalls Live In Five project manager, Mike Bedder.

Bundling everything onto a single network isn’t the typical way events are run – normally each company would lay their own cabling to suit their individual purposes. Combining the variety of protocols used onto one system can also be challenging. However, Live In Five is keen to move away from the disparate approach, citing the numerous benefits one main network can provide.

“Typically, for a project like this, each department would deploy their own network infrastructure,” adds Bedder. “However, by integrating it into one network, less equipment was required, meaning less fibre laid and fewer personnel needed onsite. It also comes with its own challenges of availability of UPSs, which are vital because everything needs to be as redundant as possible. Additionally, it allows one person to manage everything. So, it’s to everyone’s benefit, but takes a lot more planning to achieve.”

As a result, Live In Five has been fully immersed in the project since its initial stages in September 2023. “We had to try

Assembling the fibre racks

The main rack on the initial days of setup

hardware redundant allowing for catastrophic hardware or fibre failure without any interruption.”

For SLS Production’s part, project manager Shubham Yesale was responsible for coordinating between the multiple teams onsite and ensuring a smooth and functional setup. “I had the opportunity to make sure everything was up to scratch and deliver what was required for the project,” he says. “Managing the audio, video and lighting equipment for the fan zones, pit lane, grandstands, Shams Tower and the Paddock podium was a challenging yet rewarding experience.”

INFiLED screens were selected for the main stage and the broadcast screens in the fan zones. On the main stage, the team constructed a 36m x 13m x 8m scaffolding structure over the course of two days. The main central screen spanned

“hub and spoke” configuration, with a pair of Netgear 48-core 4500 SFP switches serving as the brain of the system. “This created a 10GB backbone all around the site, which was an ample amount of bandwidth,” Bedder explains. “The two core switches we used can handle something like a terabyte per second of switching/routing. We found some nuances within the Netgear command line and how it works but, ultimately, after a lot of trial and error and testing, we had a stable network. That entire process took nearly a month and saw over 300 cores of fibre installed around Yas Marina.”

12m x 6.5m, with a pair of 4m x 7m IMAG screens on either side, and a further pair of 4m x 2.5m screens implemented for the broadcast. Video wise, TimeLine sent the broadcast signals to the SLS team over SDI with embedded audio to allow SLS to show the entire race on the main stage and broadcast screens. To power audio in the fan zones, 10 JBL VTX A12 loudspeakers were positioned either side of the main stage, alongside some additional centre fill. In the grandstands, approximately 24 JBL VerTec 4889 line array speakers were installed alongside eight JBL 4880A subwoofers to power commentary audio for the audience and provide fill as the in-house audio was deemed insufficient. The audio was connected from the broadcast feed and the SLS crew sent signals from the fan zones to the grandstands. Gensets powered the audio system.

The lighting design incorporated the red and blue colours of A2RL’s logo utilising an array of fixtures including over 80 Ayrton Cobras, with 20 deployed on the grandstand service lane and an additional 20 in the pit lane. A further 40 Cobras were positioned at the Shams Tower for use in the lighting show as part of the closing ceremony. In addition, 16 Robe BMFL WashBeams, 16 Robe Tetra2 linear bars and four Martin Lighting ERA 800 Performance luminaires were integrated at the Shams Tower and the Paddock podium.

Beyond the main network, Live In Five was also tasked with supplying and managing track-side communications solutions, calling on wired Riedel Artist intercom frames and wireless Bolero systems paired with over 400 Motorola handsets. With no driver inside the car, maintaining constant communication with the vehicle at all times becomes critical. Vislink, via a custom solution based on its HCAM system, provided the wireless link to the cars and UPSs were present on every part of the network. “We could probably run that network for up to an hour after power loss, giving plenty of margin to safely shut everything down,” Bedder describes. “If cars are on the track, for example,

the EM telemetry software that runs through our network is the system used to kill the car. Without the network, the car would just keep running and they’d have no control.”

Conceding that there are more efficient ways to deploy everything than the highly redundant spoke-configuration design the team opted for, Bedder explains that “if you daisy-chain and have a break on both sides, then you lose everything in the middle. We had a primary and secondary core hub with two pairs of fibre spokes. This meant we were both fibre and

Alongside Yesale, Paurasp Waghchhipawalla served as project manager for SLS. The event also featured audio engineers Ryan D Costa and Niket Shinde and lighting operators Deekshit Peruvankot and Kiran Kumar. Video was managed by Chandra Mohan and Clinton Due.

“It was an honour for SLS Production to be involved in this project and ensure it was successfully executed,” concludes Yesale. “Being a part of the AI-based Autonomous Racing League was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and has left me feeling excited about the possibilities that AI holds for the future of autonomous driving. I can’t wait to see how this technology continues to evolve in the years to come.”

Bedder adds: “Although we’ve worked on some very big projects, Live In Five is quite a young company, one that likes to focus on the minute details, and the things that others typically don’t want to understand. A2RL was a perfect example of this, where we were able to fully work through what the best approach would be from the outset, keeping everything working in even the most extreme conditions. There were a lot of technical challenges and a lot of different people to manage. All of the teams involved learned a lot from this first race and we can’t wait for the league to take shape.”

a2rl.io

www.liveinfive.ae

www.slspro.net

Riedel’s Bolero beltpacks provided wireless communications

SLS’s A2RL team

The main fan zone constructed by SLS

Game time

In a historic collaboration uniting two countries in the Gulf, the inaugural Qatar-UAE Super Cup unfolded with grandeur and spectacle, marking a milestone in sportsmanship in the region, writes Michelle Mooney

IN A MONUMENTAL STEP, THE FIRST-EVER QATARUAE Super Cup took place recently with Qatar’s Amir Cup champions, Al Arabi, facing off against UAE President’s Cup winner Sharjah. The technical aspects of the entire event – from the grand opening ceremony, the match itself and through to the closing commemoration – were orchestrated by Qvision. At the heart of the spectacle lay a meticulously crafted laser and light show, where the company’s creative prowess shone. Led by artistic director and executive producer Sharif Hashisho, the Qvision team kicked off proceedings by conceptualising a mesmerising laser display at Al Thumama stadium, narrating the evolution of football in the GCC region. A significant aspect of the occasion was the use of state-of-the-art lasers and lighting fixtures from Claypaky, including Skylos searchlights which, according to Hashisho, was also the first time Skylos fixtures had been deployed in the entire Middle East. They were chosen to overcome the limitations with traditional searchlights. Designed to celebrate the cultural ties and shared traditions between the two countries, a series of laser animations were projected onto the field of play and served as a testament to their shared unity. The installation included 10 KVANT Atom 42W RGB lasers, 10 ClubMax 41W RGB FB4s and six ClubMax 40W lasers used to create the animated content. These were paired with two Spectrum RGBY 33W, two Epic 100W RGB FB4 and Architect 400W RGB lasers. “All these lasers, manufactured by KVANT, were controlled by laser show control company Pangolin Systems,” Hashisho explains.

Narrated by celebrity BeIN Sports network commentator Yousef Saif, the opening ceremony script was brought to life further with a carefully curated soundtrack befitting the occasion, in addition to a detailed, synchronised light show. To provide the organisers with a comprehensive understanding of proposed designs and ensure the event could run without a hitch, Qvision shared laser and lighting animated design

WYSIWYG files in addition to conducting a full 3D simulation of the entire show design.

Leveraging audiovisual equipment such as DiGiCo’s Quantum 338 console and the latest Blackmagic Design

Advanced 2 M/E live production switcher, Hashisho explains that the infotainment and pre-match ceremonies programme was an initiative that “seamlessly blended football information, education and entertainment”. This comprehensive programme, he adds, “encompasses various elements such as multi-cam match coverage, match replays, video assistant referee (VAR) decisions, showcasing sponsors’ and partners’ advertisements, as well as

broadcast graphics which were displayed on all of the stadium screens. In addition, the programme included live entertainment components, several match and infotainment presenters, all working together to enrich the fan experience, creating an immersive atmosphere before, during and after.”

The DiGiCo Quantum 338 console served as the audio backbone, mixing and outputting various audio channels to the stadium’s in-house PA. The Quantum 338’s trio of 17-inch, 1,000nit, high-brightness multi-touch screens, along with 70 individual TFT channel displays and 38 touch-sensitive faders, ensured intuitive operation and precise control. “The faders were laid out in

Behind the scenes of the show being put together

three blocks of 12 fader banks plus two assignable faders, each with high-resolution metering,” explains Hashisho.

The DiGiCo console was used to mix and output several inputs, including recorded playback announcements and commentary from the live presenters spread around the field of play as part of the stadium infotainment delivery. Presenters were able to conduct live interviews with fans, players and coaches, as well as provide live information through the stadium PA system. Additional inputs included the playback content media server – which was used to playback all TV commercials and match video content, such as goal stings, match countdown and animated graphics –the live DJ music, the control room announcer, the video replay server, the Pangolin media server and the event time code.

“Additionally, the console output audio to the stadium public address system, as well as a special mix to the IEM system used by the presenters, and provided additional outputs to the OB

Meanwhile, the Blackmagic vision mixer seamlessly integrated visual content such as motion graphics and animations onto the stadium screens, which created an immersive experience for spectators. Hashisho explains that his team used the Blackmagic Advanced 2 M/E live production switcher which includes “20 standards converted 12G-SDI inputs, 12 12G-SDI auxiliary outputs, two DVEs, eight ATEM advanced keyers, two multi-views and a SuperSource for a total of six DVEs”.

He adds that “the system input channels were coming from several sources including the OB van; the VAR room; Qvision RF cameras one and two; a Daktronics media server; a Kommander T3 video replay server; Simplylive VI-Box 16 EVS replay unit; and Presentation Pro laptops for both static and motion graphics”.

The next highlight of Qvision’s technical arsenal was the Claypaky Skylos fixture – a lighting solution that illuminated the

provided lighting beams which can be seen several kilometres away from the stadium,” he said. Deployed in synchronisation with the opening ceremony and infotainment segments, the Skylos fixtures created mesmerising lighting effects, enhancing the overall experience of the night with their custom 300W white laser source and advanced optical technology. Striking visual effects were created thanks to the fixtures’ prism design which features a rotating six-sided prism, a rotating five-sided linear prism and a fixed four-sided prism.

“Combining these prisms creates striking effects, including a breathtaking moonflower effect,” Hashisho says. “Laser technology enhances optical contrast for sharp light mid-air projections.” The Skylos lights are equipped with a 15-colour wheel for high brightness with colour filters, a 5° frost filter for soft edge effects, a 24-bit digital dimmer and a digital stopstrobe effect for dynamic lighting control.

Hashisho explains that Qvision “meticulously designed, supplied and programmed approximately 300 Claypaky moving light fixtures – including the 24 Skylos searchlights – which were all controlled by multiple grandMA3 consoles”. The team was able to accomplish the task also using 100 Claypaky Scenius Unico spotlights, 150 Sharpy Plus Aqua moving head fixtures, 100 Xtylos compact beam moving lights and 150 K-EYE K20 HCR fixtures. An additional 50 Mythos 2 spotlights and 40 Hepikos searchlights were also deployed for the event. Eventually, as Al Arabi emerged victorious over Sharjah, and the Qatar-UAE Super Cup came to an end, Hashisho reflects on the success of the event. “This achievement is yet another testament to our relentless pursuit of innovation and quality, building upon our proven track record of successfully organising major international events such as the AFC Asian Cup and World Cup. Our goal is always to exceed expectations and leave behind a legacy of exceptional event management.”

www.blackmagicdesign.com

The match champions celebrate

Joining the dots

A complex Dante network designed by Fares Technology is tying together all the large courtyards and worship spaces at Imam Reza Shrine

AS ONE OF IRAN’S MOST RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS AND given the fact that the site sprawls across a huge complex spanning nearly 600,000m2, it’s not surprising that the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad has been a regular client for Iranian systems integrator Fares Technology KISH over the last decade or more. The largest mosque in the world by overall area, the Islamic shrine contains the remains of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam in Twelverism. According to Shia history, there were 12 Imams that followed the Prophet Muhammad. The first was Hazrat Ali and the eighth was Imam Reza. The 12th and final was Hazrat Mehdi, who tradition says is still alive and will come back into the world just before the apocalypse.

Contained within the sizable complex are the Goharshad Mosque, a library and museum, as well as the mausoleum of Imam Reza. Often described as “the heart of Shia Iran”, the site is a huge draw for tourism, attracting upwards of 25m visitors each year. The shrine itself covers an area of 267,079m2, while the courtyards which surround it span a further 331,578m2

In a bid to provide sound reinforcement during prayers across these many mosques and courtyards, Fares first started working its AV magic on the site many years ago with the installation of hundreds of point source, line array and steerable array speakers from a number of brands ,71 brands in total, positioned throughout the various areas where prayers are regularly held. Despite constant upgrades and expansions in the

years that followed, there was still one element of the complexwide AV solution that the systems integrator felt was lacking. Fares Technology’s Mohammad Reza Modarres, who’s been overseeing the project since day one, takes up the story. “This project has been particularly challenging due to the huge number of audio inputs and outputs involved,” he explains. “During the last major upgrade phase, everything was connected via analogue cabling. At that time, we weren’t that familiar with different routing systems and didn’t truly know how important the audio routing is on such a huge project as this. Later, some of our engineers visited a well-known German audio manufacturer where they were educated on the virtues of digital networking and all the benefits it can provide for audio distribution. It’s a complex topic and one that the management at the shrine also did not really understand.”

Fares initially explored an upgrade to the signal infrastructure using that manufacturer’s own proprietary platform, but given the vast array of different brands of products already in use at the site, Dante ultimately made the more sensible choice. “For this reason, we suggested the Dante protocol at Imam Reza,” says Fares CEO Amir Mosleh. “There are several major advantages to a networked system, one of which is the ability to control equipment from any location, as any input can be connected to any output. The site is also massive, and long analogue cable runs brought problems with interference and unwanted noise. Furthermore, activities at the shrine are always expanding, and by running everything over Dante, the audio system can also easily grow to meet future requirements. This is not possible with analogue. Previously, as everything was connected back to a very large analogue mixing desk located in a central control room, it required three or more people to operate and offered no flexibility for changes to the programme. With Dante, everything can be managed automatically, while with analogue it would take weeks of preparation and recabling.”

Fares project manager Mohammad Reza Modarres educating the shrine’s management on its networking proposal

There are several beautiful courtyards that make up the shrine

Volunteers placing prayer carpets in one of the main courtyards

Having been given the green light, Fares opted to completely rework the existing cabling infrastructure, designing and implementing dedicated AV racks housed in each courtyard, 32 in total. “Each group of racks houses a Symetrix Radius NX12x8 processor which is connected via nine VLANs to processors in the other racks over Dante,” explains the project manager. “All of them work in sync and control of the entire system can be achieved using Audinate’s Dante Domain Manager Platinum.”

During the noon prayer, for example, it’s not uncommon to have up to 33 prayers happening simultaneously in various areas and courtyards (there are 130 possible locations prayers can be delivered from). Each Iman has a microphone, whose signals are sent back to the main control room to be monitored and mixed, before being returned to the courtyards and transmitted over the local sound reinforcement systems so that everyone can clearly hear the proceedings.

Connected in a loop topology via either Cat5 or fibre depending on the cable lengths, each of the racks can work individually or in unison. “If, for example, something was to happen that takes one part of the system offline, all the other racks continue to work separately. This is a huge benefit of going Dante. We have integrated 32 control racks which have been divided up into nine VLANs within Dante Domain Manager. Each processor has an individual VLAN and Dante Domain Manager can share signals between LANs,” explains Modarres.

The Radius NX12x8 with Control Server processors have been outfitted with Symetrix XOUT 12 and XIO4x4 I/O interfaces. Beyond the processors, each rack also houses Powersoft Duecanali 4804 DSP+D (six in total) and Quattrocanali 4804 DSP+D amplifiers (57 in total) which power the local speakers in each area and provide Dante functionality to the existing non-networked cabinets. Cisco

network switches provide the backbone infrastructure. “One of the major advantages of choosing Dante, and one that ultimately got the client onboard with the upgrade, was the fact that none of the existing speaker equipment had to be replaced,” notes the project manager. “Switching out the old amplifiers for new Powersoft units was all that was required.”

Bringing the existing microphones on the digital network, Fares integrated over 100 Attero Tech UNDIO2X2 Dante I/O modules across the courtyards. “This project has about 290 inputs and 350 outputs, and potentially upwards of 30 mics all being used at the same time. Everything is managed in Dante Domain Manager via the nine VLANs, and this gives us the ability to route and manage any of the signals to/from any area, supporting a variety of scenarios for playback and recording simultaneously.”

The final touch on what has been an incredibly involved process for Fares – the huge old analogue audio desk previously serving as “system manager” has been replaced by a more modern Allen & Heath dLive S7000 outfitted with a Dante card and DMO Stage Rack. “However, now everything sits on the digital network, the physical audio console is mostly only called on to support the most important ceremonies,” notes Modarres.

After nearly a decade of work from the team at Fares, the audio infrastructure at the Imam Reza Shrine can now be considered 21st-century. “It’s hard to truly convey the scale and scope of the technical operations at the Holy Shrine, but to put things in context, Mecca in Saudi Arabia mostly has just one Imam speaking – just one system input being used at any time,” concludes Mosleh. “Due to the high number of inputs and outputs, our setup here is much more involved, something more akin to a complex stage production. Unlike on the stage, the operators can’t even visually see the various areas they are controlling and everything has to be done using software. I don’t think we will see another project of this calibre in Iran again for some time.”

www.instagram.com/farestechnology www.powersoft.com www.symetrix.co

Managing the system from the main control room

One of nine main new Dante network racks

Wonder of lights

In a colourful display of light, sound and interactive technology, a new artistic endeavour captures the imaginations of guests in Jeddah, writes Michelle Mooney

THE BUSTLING CITY OF JEDDAH IN SAUDI ARABIA IS now home to a magical museum filled with millions of lights that create images which dance around rooms, complemented by music and immersive technology. The Borderless digital art museum is a creative endeavour by teamLab which has support from the Ministry of Culture. Following multiple successful installations across the world, including the US, Singapore, Japan, China and more, teamLab has planted its artistic flag in Jeddah with the brand-new permanent exhibition. The building is located by the Al-Arbaeen Lagoon and comprises more than 35 installations across more than 12,000m 2 of space. With work commencing onsite roughly 12 months ago, the interactive museum has just opened its doors to the public.

The premise of Borderless is to showcase “art without boundaries”, which when seeing what the exhibition has to offer becomes quickly apparent. Visitors gaze upon vast rooms filled with mirrors, projection technology and LED lighting, all working in unison to create an immersive experience as unique as the images displayed across the walls.

Artworks roam between rooms and influence each other while reacting to interactions from the public, creating a world of colour that seems to transcend space. In total, the museum encompasses 35 rooms of creativity in which AVL installer and systems integrator BeWunder played a pivotal role in bringing teamLab’s creative vision to life. Overall, BeWunder deployed more than 600 projectors, 400 speakers, 200 cameras and 400 sensors within the

exhibits, with upwards of 800 computers powering the automated show control elements.

Senior project manager at BeWunder Daniel Charles explains that the company was called on for this mammoth project given its past experience with large immersive projects and expos, which he says “provided a solid foundation” for these particular exhibits. And despite Borderless’ somewhat niche premise as a fully immersive space which brings “art to life”, Charles praised BeWunder’s high level of in-house technical talent within its engineering team in finding ways to bring that vision to life.

“teamLab had a very specific vision and reasons for what kind of technology it wanted to use and why,” explains Charles. “Our role in supplying and installing equipment for the immersive experiences was fully led by teamLab

on every decision.” Beyond this, the team was also responsible for coordinating local contractors in Jeddah, working as the mediator between them and the artists. Visitors can expect a wide range of different digital pieces of art with many that can be interacted with and influenced directly by guests. One of the most intriguing rooms in the exhibition is called Crystal World, which features nearly 6,000 LED strings of lights in a display that creates more than one million individually addressable LEDs. “There are 15 separate artworks that can be created and displayed on those LED strings,” Charles explains. “The end result is a stunning visual effect.”

There are several other unique elements which were specified down to the last detail by the art conglomerate. One such exhibit geared towards children, aptly named Sketch Ocean, encourages visitors to colour in characters and other images with crayons onto a piece of paper which is then scanned to create a digital version. “This version will then be projected onto the walls and appear to ‘float’ across the room,” Charles explains. This element was made possible using Fujitsu Scansnap SV600 scanners. teamLab’s direction for BeWunder was so exacting as to detail every possible creative consideration right down to the brand of crayons used, which were shipped all the way from Japan. Audiovisual components work in unison across Borderless to bring the space to life, but most striking is certainly the lighting and projection technology. One exhibit room called

Forest of Resonating Lamps has 1,700 bespoke lighting fixtures which were made by teamLab. Here, the light changes organically as the guests move throughout the room, becoming brighter and dimer as they move closer and further away from the source. Another enticing exhibit is called Moving Lights – Light Sculpture which has more than 1,400 moving lights fitted on the floor, walls and ceilings that emit multi-coloured beams that intersect with each other to create a variety of three-dimensional effects. To create this, moving lights from EK combine with smoke that fills the room as beams of light move through it to produce a range of alternate shapes.

While BeWunder was responsible for the network design, Charles notes that the team really acted as a “backbone of the project”, taking care of all the technical aspects. Now that everything is set up and the exhibition has opened, BeWunder is on a renewable one-year contract that will see it continue to work with teamLab for ongoing operational support and potential maintenance. teamLab will be supporting remotely from Tokyo.

Another aspect of the exhibition that Charles excitedly shares is one room that showcases different creatures. He explains that here, images of animals are projected onto the surrounding walls using a range of Epson models, including ELPX01s, ELPLW05s and ELPLU04s, to create the “living” images. When a person touches the animal’s silhouette on the wall, it appears to emit the sound it would make in real life, as if interacting directly with the visitor, creating realistic sounds that follow the animal around the room. Audio here, and in other exhibits, comes from a combination of Yamaha CZR10 and PX8, Behringer 50USB and Dayton Audio HDN-8 speakers.

Everything deployed by the BeWunder team is controlled through a bespoke artwork software driven by teamLab’s own coding system, tailored specifically for the venue.

Reflecting on all the hard work from both teams, Charles shares there were many aspects of the project that he loved but, understandably for him, the end product was what made all the hard work worthwhile. “It was what we had all been working towards and it was beyond what I had expected. I enjoyed the mix of different cultures present onsite which ranged from Japanese, German and English to local contractors from the Arab region. At the beginning I was concerned that there might be clashes and issues with coordination given that there were so many different parties involved, but it turned out to be a great achievement,” he concludes. A year after beginning the daring project, Charles can breathe a sigh of relief as Borderless now welcomes the first guests through its doors.

www.bewunder.com

www.teamlab.art

Millions of lights create an infinite feel

Visitors explore a colourful interactive room

Keeping audiences captivated

Peter Herring of Creative Technology speaks to Michelle Mooney about the disparity between audio and video technology, and how addressing the issue can produce a truly transformative experience

IN THE VIBRANT WORLD OF EVENT ORCHESTRATION, where nearly every detail is thought about and planned meticulously, there lies a neglected element: that of sound design. Often overshadowed by the visual spectacle of video and lighting, audio is an integral cog that elevates an event from the mundane, to the spectacular. Yet, it is frequently an afterthought which receives a fraction of the attention (and sometimes monetary spending) than its visual counterparts. Imagine this: a magnificently lit ballroom with giant LED screens showing stunning visuals, but as the event’s host takes the stage to address her guests, her voice is drowned out by the array of reverberations, while the audience at the back of the room struggles to hear what she is trying to convey. This scenario is unfortunately all too common in the events industry, and it is due to a pervasive lack of proper planning for sound design. It’s a topic that Creative Technology Middle East’s head of solutions and engineering, Peter Herring, is particularly passionate about. “What’s always amazed me is how disconnected the creatives and the technologists are,” he remarks, explaining that there is usually so much work that is put into the visual and lighting facets of an event or permanent installation project, that it is strange that audio is not considered in much the same way. He notes: “Unless an

event is specifically about the music, audio is always an afterthought.” However, if someone is hosting a corporate event, they are doing so because they want to share a particular message or they want to educate or show off their journey, but Herring says an event can come across as “dry and boring”, unless the audio is delivered in an entertaining and dramatic way. “In a similar vein,” he adds, “you can turn visitor experiences like a museum piece, from being very drab, into something that has feeling and emotion. That to me is one of the biggest challenges in the industry right now.”

The events industry has grown tremendously in the past 10 years in terms of the complexity of video and lighting design, but audio has not caught up. Herring says that sound designers are unfortunately all too “happy to use a mono audio file or a couple of speakers here and there”, and don’t take the opportunity to try and deliver an unforgettable experience, which would come with proper planning in the sound design stage.

The oversight in sound design stems from a fundamental misconception of the role audio plays in shaping our experiences. Sound is more than just a background noise; it is a dynamic force which evokes a range of emotions and can be used to engage audiences and leave a lasting impression. This is the effect Herring was eager to deliver

in his 25 years of experience in the industry. The dome itself is comprised of an extensive metal lattice, with canvas material between that lattice work. It was, up until recently, the largest immersive projection installation in the world and has 252 of the most powerful Christie projectors available on the market at the time. He recounts his

Peter Herring, Creative Technology Middle East

The Al Wasl dome from above

astonishment upon discovering that around US$35m went into the hardware for the video technology for the project, whereas only a tenth was allotted to the audio technology. The disparity between both elements is nonsensical he suggests, for a project of this size and a capacity for 10,000 visitors. “In Al Wasl, having the most amazing immersive video but having audio that didn’t capture the audience would have left the whole space feeling less impactful. It has to be a holistic approach and deliver something that connects and wows.”

Fortunately the client also understood this and in the end Creative Technology supplied 432 L-Acoustics Kiva II speakers and 24 KS28 subwoofers deployed in a spatial L-ISA configuration. Because of this, the project was awarded a Guinness World Record for the largest interactive immersive dome in the world. The execution of the project included digital birds which could not only be seen flying across the dome’s surface but whose wings could be also be heard fluttering around the guests’ heads creating a truly immersive experience.

Herring builds on this and recalls smaller projects the team has worked on, where the audio design “was stunning but the audio delivery from the content creators was not”. It’s easy to understand that less care and attention may be given to these types of projects rather than the headline-grabbing megaprojects like Al Wasl. He explains that a lot of the time, “the right tools are being used, but the wrong people are using them, because what’s being developed doesn’t bring out the equipment in all its glory”. His team took over a private project that featured 25 projectors and he shares that the video “was done right, but the audio design wasn’t”, and that they are currently designing a new solution for the client who asked, “what could be done better to wow our clients?” Herring is adamant that he wants to deliver that “feeling, power and emotion” that Creative Technology aims for on all its projects. This, he stresses, is essential to creating

a mesmerising event, but can only be achieved if the right questions are asked of the client. “Questioning the client is important, and being honest about what sounds good and what doesn’t is just as important too. Delivering audio does not need to be expensive, but it needs to be done

Another problem that often arises is that the client does not know what they want, or they might have an idea, but because they don’t have the technical knowhow, they can’t communicate this with their chosen designer. Herring says that some clients will be “okay with just an audio track running over a video, and trying to explain to them how much more can be done is often tricky”. Making audio captivating is hard work but the payoff is worth it, and while some tried-and-tested techniques of the past might work for certain projects, sound engineers must be willing to “continually mix things up”, Herring asserts. “People get bored if they receive the same experience over and over, so it is vital to introduce excitement at certain points, whether that’s in the content, the technology or a combination of both.” He adds that even if you have the best equipment for the job, if the delivery is terrible, the end result will be terrible too, and the reverse is also true; so collaboration is key.

Addressing the problem as an industry begins with establishing who is responsible for creating a great experience with sound, and Herring suggests that duty lies in the hands of both the technologists and designers: “There is a lot more we can do in the industry to readdress what audio is and work with it. Some of the technologies we have available to us can make a big difference, like computer modelling and various software for sound design. But perhaps the most impactful differences can be found just by carefully considering audio earlier in the process.”

www.ct-group.com/me

Dragonfly SMPTE

LEMO SMPTE

SmartBeam DUO SmartBeam QUAD SmartBeam OCTO SmartBeam DODEKA

An array of 16 L-Acoustics Kiva II cabinets housed under the Al Wasl dome

A letter from America

Dan Daley explores the possibility of getting ahead of AI before it gets ahead

ONE CAN HAVE TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING. LAST year, nearly 50 million new music tracks were added to streaming services such as Spotify, based on an estimated 120,000 new track uploads per day in 2023. That’s up from over 93,000 new tracks daily the year before. And that’s just the songs; the number of people making them is also rising sharply. BandLab, the Singapore-based social music creation platform, said earlier this year that its app had surpassed 100 million registered users, which means that it has added 40 million users since January 2023, up from 60 million registered users then.

What are all these songs and who are all these people? It’s a trick question, because much of this content isn’t “songs” at all but rather noise, ASMR tracks and other quasi-musical detritus attributed to nonexistent artists. This state of affairs isn’t all that new; people have been gaming the digital music distribution system for decades now – a Swedish newspaper discovered a local indie label, Firefly Entertainment, had over 800 “fake artists” on its roster, and a single Swedish musician had invented over 650 “artists” of his own who, collectively, generated over 15 billion streams. Another practitioner of this digital shell game, Johan Röhr, now has a stream count that exceeds that of Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey. Perhaps it’s only fitting that the country that gave us Spotify should also

bestow upon us the most diabolical grifts of the service. But if the so-called democratisation of music production brought about by the digitisation of its tools has led to this huge con game, the injection of artificial intelligence into the mix is only going to accelerate it to truly insane levels. AI fakes of “music” by two of the world’s biggest artists, Drake and the Weeknd, last year created hits for artists who weren’t even aware they were being digitally hijacked.

When the global music industry was last confronted with a digital disruption, by Napster at the turn of the last century, it reacted with panic and litigation, both of which failed miserably and delayed the industry’s inevitable transition to the next paradigm, at great cost to all parties involved. This time might be different. The US federal and individual state governments have proposed and – in some cases – enacted legislation to deal with the challenge of AI to music. For instance, Tennessee – whose capital city Nashville is the locus of much of the country’s and the world’s music production – became the first US state with a law protecting musicians from generative AI’s potential artistic and financial ravages in March. The aptly (or ironically) named ELVIS Act – Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security –makes it illegal in the state to replicate a creator’s voice without his or her consent, and creators will be able to sue for damages if their voice is replicated without authorisation.

A letter from Europe

of us

Some artists aren’t waiting. Lo-fi dance track maker Grimes last year put an offer on the digital table that would let anyone use an AI iteration of her voice for a 50% split of any ensuing royalties. Paul McCartney last year used AI to extract the late John Lennon’s vocal and piano from an old demo tape to create one last Beatles record. One online poll indicates that 60% of musicians are already using AI to make music in some capacity, whether for mastering, generating artwork or composition. Many artists are quick to point out that AI, while very useful for applications ranging from inspiration to quotidian production tasks like cutting and pasting, will never replace the emotive qualities necessary to make music. But that’s what a human would say, isn’t it?

Getting out ahead of AI’s potential for damage shows that some lessons from the Napster era were indeed learned, if imperfectly. AI could take the artistry of music to a new level by automating the drearier aspects of making a living doing it. It could also supercharge the grift, making Johan Röhr’s dubious accomplishments look more like a weekend hobby. Of all the possibilities that generative AI presents, perhaps its impact on music might seem marginal to the future of the species. But if, as Ludwig von Beethoven once said, “Music can change the world” then it’s worth keeping an eye on it as the canary in this US$17 billion coal mine.

Phil Ward wonders if the new AV systems being installed at football stadiums across Europe are outperforming the game itself

MY FAVOURITE

SOCCER QUOTATION – APART FROM

Eric Cantona’s unassailable reflection: “my only regret is that I didn’t kick him harder” – concerns the quasi-religious following that the sport commands, especially in Europe. “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death,” said pioneering Liverpool FC manager Bill Shankly. “I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

As the Las Vegas Sphere struggles to find its true identity –UFC mixed martial arts to “trump” the U2 concerts? I don’t think so – European soccer stadiums are enjoying a real renaissance, AV included, and one that reveals the economic confirmation of Shankly’s spiritual prescience. According to Deloitte, the European football market grew 7% to €29.5 billion over the 2021/22 season and much of this turnover is being recycled into new facilities for the spoilt-rotten football fan. The latest flagship stadium in the UK is the home of Tottenham Hotspur, a Harman showcase of JBL, Crown, Soundcraft and Q-SYS facilitated by SSE Audio Group – just the package to help the club challenge for major honours. But even Everton, on Merseyside, is getting a brand-new stadium

that will be dominated by Nexo loudspeakers – just the package to help the club avoid relegation.

These venues are the ideal breeding ground for today’s evolving IP media infrastructure, and the story continues right across Europe. This is partly because they are required to simultaneously engage the large crowds present and to feed the media frenzy that surrounds them, and partly because the acoustic challenges are monstrous. Huge LED screens work better the further you are from them. For loudspeakers it’s the opposite.

Based in Madrid, Telefónica is described as a “technology partner and systems integrator for major turnkey audiovisual engineering projects for the broadcast, media and sports venue industries”. Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is the home of Real Madrid, and so proud is Telefónica of its upgrade there that it took part in a full presentation on the Lawo booth at ISE. That tells you the consoles, but the secret sauce is the IP-based production environment for everything from broadcast and streaming to in-stadium entertainment. Having been the first football club in Europe to use the Cisco Connected Stadium WiFi solution to create “the interactive

stadium” some 25 years ago, the boundary-pushing continues.

In Linz, Austria, Linzer Athletik-Sport-Klub (LASK) has a new UEFA Category 4 venue, not least thanks to over 80 Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers. Apart from the IP control, what matters here is the speakers being active, so saving on rack space and cabling. The system is controlled by an Allen & Heath AHM-64 matrix with a Dante V2 card and Allen & Heath System Manager software. The thing is, this is for the fan zone, not the bowl. With a business club, restaurant, bakery and DJ rigs, some might prefer this to watching the match. In Florence, Italy, ACF Fiorentina trickles the AV luxury even further down the food chain: the new K-array Vyper speakers and Rumble subs, integrated everywhere through a QSC audio control system, is not for the main stadium at all. It’s for the training ground.

According to the club, “even the bars boast bespoke audio systems” which would have suited the player who proved that the game really is a matter of life and death. “I spent 90% of my money on women and drink,” said George Best. “The rest I wasted.”

Saudi Light & Sound (SLS)

Exhibition (SLS) moved to the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center (RFECC) for the first time – growing in size considerably as a result, not just in terms of the exhibitor and visitor numbers, but also in the scale of booth designs on show. Large 360° stands wrapped in LED became a common sight on the show floor.

Hosted by dmg events and taking place from 7–9 May 2024, the exhibition welcomed a diverse range of manufacturers, systems integrators and production companies keen to explore the wealth of future opportunities presented by the kingdom, together with an exploration of emerging AV trends in immersive pro lighting, sound and video technology. Despite being a relative newcomer on the exhibition scene, it’s arguably become one of the most important “pure AV” tradeshows held in the region. Filling Hall 4 of the RFECC, SLS is co-located with the larger Saudi Entertainment & Amusement Expo (SEA) taking place in Halls 2 and 3. The SLS Summit, a focal point of this year’s expo, delved into the profound impact of tourism on the Saudi entertainment and events sector, dissecting how the influx of global visitors is reshaping the industry.

As the only exhibition of its kind taking place in the kingdom, SLS serves as a platform to meet new partners catering to this ever-changing industry and, as a result, is growing every year. A selection of prominent Dubai-based distributors and production

Taking prime position at the entrance to Hall 4 was a doubledecker booth from NMK Electronics showcasing its various brands. “What the new exhibition centre lacks in services and amenities over the old one, it definitely makes up for in size,” commented commercial director Dino Drimakis. “I feel this year has been slightly slower but it’s a great platform

our partners,” said chief operating manager Abdul Assafiri. “The facilities at the old site were definitely better, but the exhibition is getting bigger and bigger every year and they needed the extra space. It’s been a good and busy first day for us at Venuetech.” Throwing its weight behind the exhibition for the first time this year was Dubai-based distributor Procom Middle East, which was not only the event’s main sponsor, but also opted to design a gigantic 600m2 booth in the corner of Hall 4 that enabled it to create dedicated sections fully exploring each of its brands’ solutions. “We represent many brands and we believe that each one deserves its own dedicated space, so that was the idea behind creating our ‘pavilion’,” said business development manager Rami Harfouch. “Furthermore, we’re launching our Saudi operations this year and so this show is a statement of our commitment to the market. I think we made the right choice because the booth has been packed the entire time!”

With a DiGiCo Quantum 852 taking pride of place on its booth, 7Hertz also returned with high hopes this year. “Compared to last year, we can see the considerable growth in both interest and audio expertise within the Saudi landscape,” explained John Parkhouse, senior live audio consultant. “7Hertz remains committed to introducing the latest and best in technology to the audio industry, as evidenced by our debut of DiGiCo’s Quantum 852, as well as the Fourier Audio and Sound Devices brands.”

Located deeper into Hall 4, it was a slower start to the day for PRO LAB as traffic seemed to take time to filter to the rear of the hall. “Given how busy the show was last year, we returned with high expectations and scaled up the booth quite considerably as a result. It’s very much still early days, but I feel the traffic has been lower at this point in time. However I’m confident things will pick up,” noted COO Rony Dagher. “Crucially, the right types of quality people are here and conversations have been very productive.” With displays for Peavey, MediaMatrix and Crest Audio occupying half the booth and Gonsin, Lumens and Speechi on the other half, Innovative Audio Solutions was a first-time exhibitor at the

show.

The VUE AV team with Christie’s Mahesh Singh (second from right)

L–R: L-Acoustics’ Cyril Mater and Chris Mead on the NMK stand

The d&b Middle East team

L–R: Robe’s Pavel Němec and Elie Battah

highlighting that portfolio has been key at this show.” Czech lighting manufacturer Robe also returned with its own dedicated booth, revolving around a drum kit illuminated with,

great way to find out about all the major projects taking place over here, ways we can be a part of them and let people know all about the new products we’ve brought to the market this year.”

At the back of the hall, returning exhibitor VUE AV was highlighting its Christie, Aurora, Viva Lite, Klipsch Professional and Pixera portfolios. “I’ve not noticed a great deal of difference from last year,” said VUE AV’s managing partner Simon Smith. “I feel the layout of the stands has been largely the same and we’re in a similar location too, at the back of the hall. But the quality of people has been really good. It’s not events people

of crowd than Prolight + Sound.”

Having partnered together earlier in the year, aDawliah and Nexo were keen to promote the new relationship to the local market, with Nexo’s Alain Boone travelling all the way over from the Paris HQ to attend. The distributor constructed a massive two-tier booth adorned with products from Bose, Nexo, RCF, Shure and Yamaha. “This is the first show that we’ve done together since we started working directly with Nexo,” explained Zuhair Sarhani. “We’ve been working closely with Alain here at this to show to help get that message out. Our point source products, in particular, are perfect for this market.”

www.saudilightandsoundexpo.com

The PRO LAB team

L–R: Blaze Audio’s Anders Olsen with Sonic Electronics’ Santosh Vasu and Jamshid Hameed

L–R: Nexo’s Alain Boone with aDawliah’s Zuhair Sarhani

Taiden’s Jubilee Bao and Beryl Zhou flank Venuetech’s Rawad Al Sahmarani

The DiGiCo team and Quantum 852 on the 7Hertz stand

CABSAT & Integrate ME 2024

Integrate ME had a lot to prove as it followed up on last year’s debut, while CABSAT, which knows exactly what it is, stuck to the tried-and-test formula

IT WAS A CASE OF OLD MEETS NEW AT THE DUBAI World Trade Centre (DWTC) in late May when long-running broadcast exhibition CABSAT returned to celebrate its 30th anniversary alongside Integrate ME Middle East, a brand-new tradeshow format that kicked off just 12 months prior. After 30 consistent years, CABSAT is a tried-and-tested formula where people know what to expect. Beyond the fact that in pre-pandemic times it took place in March – arguably a better calendar slot for the broadcast market it targets – not that much changes on a year-to-year basis. It enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in 2021 as the first regional tradeshow to return after the 18-month-long lockdown hiatus, but that added popularity has since waned and the show feels back to normal in all respects.

Integrate ME, on the other hand, has no such track record and while its inaugural edition was praised for attracting a high level of visitors, it wasn’t without hurdles. The main sticking point being some last-minute organisation. It would be interesting, therefore, how 12 months of preparation would change the landscape this time around. There were also some exhibitors and attendees, mainly on the CABSAT side, that felt that colocating the two shows was a mistake. Integrate ME exhibitors, interestingly, were more than happy for the extra traffic their booths received. The exhibitor list for each show remained mostly unchanged this time around.

Like last year, CABSAT occupied the Sheikh Saeed Halls 1, 2 and 3, while Integrate ME took over The Arena at the far end, with a slightly bigger overall footprint than in 2023. You wouldn’t have realised that walking in on the opening morning though. Perhaps the organisers did something to better funnel incoming traffic, as there were no queues to be seen when arriving at the DWTC. The badge printing frustrations of last year were also a thing of the past and we sauntered straight through the entrance barriers and into the show. The initial hours were quite slow but, by the middle of the second day, traffic had started to pick up and exhibitors on both sides were largely happy with the turnout. Over the years, CABSAT has been praised for the quality of the attractions that augment the show floor. This year was no different, and the programme facilitated thought-provoking discussions and hands-on demonstrations through the typically well-attended presentations at the Content Congress and SatExpo Summit.

German broadcast manufacturers Lawo and Riedel have both been long-time CABSAT exhibitors and continue to sing the show’s praises. The focus for the comms manufacturer was to highlight its overall ecosystem rather than single out individual

products. “CABSAT is always a good show for us,” said Riedel senior regional sales manager, Ahmed Magd. “I believe there are fewer visitors this year but, at same time, I can see that the quality of the meetings has been better. All the big players are here and we’ve been able to meet everyone from the region, which is very important to us.”

For Lawo, it was the shift to software-based solutions forming the main talking points on the booth. “I personally haven’t attended this show for seven years, and you can see how much more professional it’s become in that time,” noted Lawo’s chief marketing officer, Andreas Hilmer. “From the show organisation to the venue and the surroundings, Dubai itself has changed a lot, and for the better. CABSAT’s become one of the main broadcast shows outside of IBC and NAB.” Stradling the divide between the two shows last year, INFiLED opted to move deeper into the CABSAT halls this time. “CABSAT has been really positive for us, and we’ve got lots

CABSAT’s Content Congress

The Integrate Summit

Grass Valley’s Mark Gardner and Hany Bartella

Integrate Middle East also played host to the Integrate Summit, where a programme of talks delivered by thought leaders and industry experts offered valuable insights on prevalent industry topics for the pro AV and media industries, including emerging revenue streams, digital signage, immersive audio and IoT-enabled pro AV. While not as heavily attended as some of the sessions at the Content Congress and SatExpo Summit, the Integrate Summit was also considered a success and gathered favourable comments from the presenters that Pro AVL MEA spoke to on the show floor.

Right by the main entrance, Provision AVL opted to focus on Integrate ME this year rather than trying to juggle both Integrate ME and Riyadh’s SLS show, a decision it was glad to have made. Its booth was full of brands from the likes of d&b, ETC, FBT, GLP, PMC, SSL, Area Four and Prolyte. “I think it’s very much more of the same from last year, which is successful in our eyes,” said Provision AVL sales manager, Paul Hadfield. “The quality is the main thing – 90% of the people on our booth have been either existing good clients or potential clients and from various verticals. Similarly, we’ve also seen key players from Saudi here, despite not being at SLS the other week.” Christie was one of the first companies to get behind Integrate ME last year, and one of the first to sign back up again for 2024. Its emphasis was on applications, particularly immersive rooms and projection mapping, constructing a full 360° projection demo using Inspire projectors inside the booth. “If I was to compare Integrate ME with year one, I would say it’s down a little bit in terms of the footfall,” said Christie’s business development manager, ME, Mahesh Kumar Singh. “The end user, for some reason, hasn’t been as good quality this year I feel, but perhaps that is just my perspective. We’ve still seen a

for the first time in the region. “We could see our competition here and so it was important for us to be here too,” explained Barco Middle East sales manager, Hashem Aletaha. “But to be honest, we were also at SLS just two weeks ago and that show was really, really packed in contrast. Saying that, we are also active in the broadcast market and so that is why it’s interesting for us to be here. Because we launched these three new products this year, we’ve been able to meet a lot of people and educate them about the releases.”

Dubai World Trade Centre

Barco Middle East’s David Vandevelde and Heshem Aletaha

L–R: Christie’s Joe Graziano, Mahesh Singh and Miles Donovan

Lawo’s Andreas Hilmer

The Epson Middle East team

The Riedel team

InfoComm Las Vegas 2024

THE LAST TIME INFOCOMM WAS HELD IN LAS VEGAS the world was still recovering from the pandemic or, should I say, was in the process of springing back to life. And while Asia and the Middle East may have been bombarded with local shows recently in 2024, the US market has escaped the madness. This year there were no pandemic and supply chain obstacles getting in the way and so going into the show, expectations were high. As a result, how would Las Vegas InfoComm compare this year? If incoming emails before the show were any indication, it was going to be a busy three days!

Taking place from 12–14 June at Las Vegas Convention Centre (LVCC), InfoComm 2024 hosted 833 exhibitors showcasing pro AV products and solutions across nearly 38,000m2 of floor space in the LVCC’s West and Central Halls. Renovation works around the North Hall area made for a less than ideal 15-minute journey time between the two parts of the show, adding a considerable obstacle to those with tight schedules. This was mitigated slightly by a free shuttle bus between halls as well as the Las Vegas Loop – saving steps but not really saving much time. Both of which were heavily

From the show floor

“I would give this year’s show a solid eight. Traffic has been steady and we have seen attendees come in with fairly large projects. People tend to start with a conversation about our our solutions fit in, so that’s very positive. The one issue I had was with the logistics of getting back and forth from Central Hall to West Hall. Due to the distance between the two halls, many of the attendees didn’t return to our booth despite their intention to do so. And few of them knew about the shuttle going between the two halls.”

utilised throughout the three days. The InfoComm smartphone app also proved to be a great aid in getting you where you needed to be as quickly as possible, with GPS-guided wayfinding to exhibitor booths.

The show kicked off with the customary ceremonial ribboncutting outside the Central Hall before a swell of eager visitors rushed the show floor. An hour later, QSC CEO Joe Pham delivered his keynote presentation titled Everything Has Changed: AV’s Infinite Potential in an Exponential Age to a packed out room of more than 600 attendees. Somehow managing to take listeners back through all 4.2bn years of

Mercedes Stevao-Boase, tvONE:

“The show was solid, and it’s been great to be here, yet I find InfoComm tends to be better in Orlando. There, all the attendees are in one main hall, whereas in Vegas everything is really spread out. This year has been challenging due to the great distance between the Central and West Halls. Once people go to Central, they don’t come back to the West Hall because it is so far to walk. I’ve just learned there’s a helpful shuttle to move attendees between halls, but no one else seems

Busy aisles in the Central Hall

earth’s history, Pham’s talk highlighted the unique position the AV industry is in as the “eyes and ears” of the world and how AV will be centre stage in the forthcoming AI revolution. This set the tone for the show where, despite alleviated supply chain issues meaning hardware products were once again in abundance, it was the role that AI and cloud-based computing would play in the future of our industry that became the main talking point on many booths. As was to be expected, the digital signage section of the show in the West Hall was dominated by large, very high-resolution displays and ambitious virtual production demonstrations. While the aisles of the Central Hall were packed throughout the majority of the three days, traffic in the West Hall was much quieter, but that didn’t appear to dampen exhibitors’ spirits.

Just across the main corridor from the Central Hall, the North Hall meeting rooms were where the majority of the audio demo rooms could be found. There was a substantial increase in the number of manufacturers taking up space with 27 on the billing compared to just 10 in Vegas last time.

From the show floor

The show also introduced Transform @ InfoComm 2024 featuring an exhibit hall, dedicated to conference and networking opportunities focused on digital transformation while InfoComm and AVI Systems teamed up again to present the InfoComm Esports Live 2.0

InfoComm traditionally flips annually between Orlando and Las Vegas and, unsurprisingly, the gambling capital of the world has been the more popular fixture. However, as a self-contained show all held within one large hall, the setup in Orlando is

Sean Sheridan, Brompton:

“I think the show is holding up compared to previous years and we’ve felt it’s been a good turnout. People do make the effort to travel here, as it’s one of only 2–3 major shows in the US and people like the way it flips between coasts. In terms of visitors, it’s a bit of a mixed bag in that we still see quite a few people that don’t know Brompton but as the years have gone by that’s decreasing.”

Dave Haydon, TiMax:

“It’s our first time here with our new owners, the Focusrite Group and so has been beneficial to meet their network of application guys and regional sales engineers and bring them up to speed on TiMax. We’ve had a lot of good reactions from the demo room too which is what we’d intended so from that respect it’s been great being here.”

undoubtedly more appealing. Perhaps this was borne out in the attendance figure of 30,271, which showed that the 2024 Las Vegas InfoComm attracted just 3% more attendees than the previous outing in Orlando. Contrast this with the 80,000+ at ISE and that begs the question of whether InfoComm can still consider itself a truly global show?

The post-show figures from AVIXA highlight that attendees arrived from 125 countries, with international visitors making up 23% of the total. While the majority of these were likely South American or Australasian, there was a strong showing from Europe. The numbers of people travelling from further afield regions such as the Middle East and Asia though still felt far fewer than during pre-pandemic times. At the end of three days, InfoComm 2024 certainly felt much bigger and busier than in 2022, so it was somewhat surprising to see the official attendance figures come in at just over 30,000. That could be considered a poor vintage compared to the 44,129 who attended Orlando in 2019 but, as many were at pains to point out, InfoComm’s strength has and always will be the quality of those that turn up. In this regard, InfoComm 2024 certainly did not disappoint.

Tom Van de Sande, Audac:

“It’s my third time at InfoComm. The first was actually Las Vegas right after Covid hit, and it felt kind of like a startup. Then last year in Orlando was very nice. It had a great dynamic, and a lot of enthusiastic people that were really happy to be there. This year I was hoping for it to be a bit more crowded. The quality of people here is good, but I would say it hasn’t really been more successful than Orlando, as we expected.”

James King, Martin Audio:

“We were hoping to see more international customers and I think it’s more US-centric than in previous years. We’ve had great support from our Australian distributor bringing integrators over but not many from Asia and very few from Europe. It’s been good, solid but not overly busy. InfoComm remains a key tradeshow for us but there has to be an understanding of the dynamics that come with this show.”

Allison Arlt-Suchon, Sound Devices:

“I’d give this year’s InfoComm USA an eight or nine out of 10. Traffic was steady throughout the show with great conversations on our booth. Since we announced our push into the live sound market, we have had more houses of worship interested in our solutions, and I was impressed with the number of HOWs that came by. Another great thing that helps increase traffic at our booth is our proximity to the other Audiotonix brands’ booths.”

Aly’ssa Peterson, Ametek:

“This year’s show was pretty good. There was less traffic than last year’s in Orlando, yet the quality of the attendees this year was outstanding. Many came to our booth with solid projects they were working on. One thing that was interesting was I had some people here from Asia and you would think they would wait until InfoComm Asia in a month’s time rather than travel to InfoComm USA.”

Howard Jones, Genelec:

“We’ve not been at InfoComm for several years, so returning now is largely down to our smart IP networked loudspeaker series which we’ve found has brought a lot of new customers to us. We see networking as very much the future of AV and having a growing range of loudspeakers that function off a single Cat cable that supports PoE, AoIP and loudspeaker management gives so many benefits for integrators to enable them to build scalable, future-proof, flexible

Francesco Fanicci, Powersoft:

“To be honest, I was expecting more participation and I think we’re probably used to seeing more people at ISE compared to InfoComm. We have been busy but when you look around, I don’t feel that there’s any really big news or major launches coming from the industry, it’s perhaps mirroring the US market. The distance from the other halls doesn’t help but also there’s been so many tradeshows recently too, which diverts focus and resources.”

The LVCC’s West Hall

Aligning for success

Since modest beginnings in 2003, Linea Research has been quietly scaling to great heights and increased visibility. Caroline Moss looks back over the past 20 years and learns what’s in store going forward

WHEN LINEA

RESEARCH COFOUNDERS

AND EX-BSS Audio staff Davey Smalley, Paul Williams, Ben Ver and Pip Wilson gave up secure employment in pro audio to go it alone, little could they have dreamed that their nascent amplifier company would one day win a King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation and become a key acquisition for the Focusrite Group. Twenty years later, all of this and more has vindicated the founders, two of whom – Smalley and Ver – remain at the helm. As commercial director and drawing on his experience as sales manager at BSS Audio, Smalley is well-positioned to handle the company’s day-to-day operations and efficiencies, while engineering director Ver has been designing electronic systems for over 30 years, including applications for radio communications, robotics, computing and pro audio, with an emphasis on Class-D technology. And former R&D director Paul Williams, who retired in 2022, had built a stalwart reputation as a DSP designer since the late 1980s in many industry roles. The company’s initial aim was to design, develop and market innovative professional audio equipment for OEM clients. Having done the research and developed some critical technology, Linea produced its first product: the X-Pod Class-D amplifier, with an integrated switched-mode power supply, DSP and networked software control. With thousands of units now deployed globally, the X-Pod product line continues to be used by new and existing clients. Meanwhile, Linea has developed its own-brand amplifier, DSP, network and software technology, culminating in its current range of amplifiers and system controllers.

The strong association with significant brands gave Linea and its products the reflected quality assurance it sought. “I remember talking to another potential OEM customer and he said, ‘well, I know your stuff is good because otherwise Tannoy and Turbosound wouldn’t be using it’.”

Despite becoming a global manufacturer, Linea maintains strong personal relationships with its customers, distributors and supply chain. This is something the company is keen to maintain, and it’s currently strengthening its distribution network for the ownbrand products, with new partners including Guangzhou Guidance (mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau), PRO LAB (Middle East), Sons Do Marquês (Portugal), Ampco (Netherlands) and Rock Centrum (Czech Republic and Slovakia).

In 2011, Linea embarked on a project which Smalley describes as “to try and make the best amps in the world”. Around this time, Linea also lost two of its biggest OEM customers due to company acquisitions. “We decided to maintain the investment and not reduce our staffing to retain the essence of the company because we really felt that, as far as we could see, our amplifiers were going to be the best product on the market. And once you’ve done five years of a six-year project, you just have to keep going.”

But back in September 2003, heading to London’s PLASA Show with a schematic drawing on a piece of paper, Smalley attempted to sell the concept. Within a year, Linea had formed partnerships with a number of UK and European OEMs including Turbosound, headed up by his former boss, Philip Hart. “Philip being the chairman meant that the door was open, but we had to walk through it,” explains Smalley. “We had to sell to them on exactly the same basis anyone else did; the product had to be right, we weren’t shown any favouritism.”

Early customer demand for a good-quality, cost-effective multichannel processor steered the company’s product development, with the LMS loudspeaker processor becoming the first, unbranded product from Linea and still in production today. “We weren’t trying to sell under our own name and didn’t really do that until 2015,” says Smalley, explaining that in its first decade, Linea amassed more than 20 OEMs, some significant and some smaller, from around the world. “We developed loudspeaker amplifier modules with DSP and networking in 19-inch rackmount units, which were for speaker processing as well, and supplied them to Turbosound and maybe 20 OEM customers around the world.”

Linea hit the ground running with the launch of the ASC48 system controller in 2014, with processing for four inputs and eight outputs, A/D conversion and the company’s latest DSP technology. This was followed by the 44 Series amplifiers in 2016 and the 48 Series a year later. In 2018, the range was extended with 20K versions of Linea’s eight-channel amplifier models. In late 2022, Linea announced the beta release of its System Engineer 8 control and telemetry software platform, providing software control over the M and C Series of networked DSP amplifiers and the ASC48 Advanced System Controllers, with a release of version 1 expected later in 2024.

Another major development came about in 2019 when, having outgrown its original premises, Linea acquired 1,400m2 of R&D space in Letchworth Garden City, 25 miles north of London, where it develops and manufactures its product in the two-unit centre. “We create everything in-house: PCB designs, physical hardware, firmware and software,” explains Smalley. “We make all the prototypes and our own test equipment as opposed to subcontracting and using off-the-shelf components. Using the standard offerings is quicker and cheaper but is unlikely to yield best-in-class product.”

All production is carried out at Linea’s UK facility

Davey Smalley (left) and Ben Ver (right) accept the King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation

L–R: Nicola Hales, Martin Hildred, Alex Buttigieg, Chris Wright and Kaylie Milton

Shortly after the move, Linea appointed a sales and marketing manager who was new to the role, but not the industry. Martin Hildred had worked – and occassionally continues to work – as a front of house engineer for bands that have included Cinematic Orchestra, Basement Jaxx, Erasure and Doves.

“We’ve gone from a small to a mid-sized company striving to be a large one, and really it’s about brand identity; part of my job is to make people aware of Linea Research,” he says. His live event experience is proving invaluable in the new role: “On tour you’re trying to replicate the same thing over and over again but here, no days are the same. But, if you can’t produce the show within the set timeline, then you’ve failed, so I’ve used that mentality to adapt to my position here where there’s an element of needing to get things done; making sure an order’s out the door for a specific event, giving a customer some technical support, or making important marketing announcements on time. Also, I’m coming from a user’s perspective; I didn’t come into this role from a manufacturing, R&D or engineering background. I was a fresh pair of eyes for the company, and the fact that I still do gigs means I get to see what’s being used in the field, how it’s being used and what people think, still mixing in those circles to be able to understand where our next products are going to be coming from.”

Eventful as the past five years have been for Linea, the last two have reached a crescendo. In 2022, the company was acquired by the Focusright Group, already a loyal customer of Linea’s amplifier modules for its Martin Audio brand. While this enables greater integration of loudspeaker and amplifier technology, the partnership also supports Linea in the continued development of its own products and sales through third-party distribution and to OEM loudspeaker customers. Then, in 2023, Linea Research was presented with a King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation, recognising the company’s contributions to the field of audio technology.

These recent achievements are impressive: the presentation of a rarely awarded business accolade. Cofounders who’ve sold their company yet remain committed to running the business and designing new technology rather than bowing out. Close ties with customers and suppliers. Staff that have experience on different sides of the fence. All combine to explain the success of a company that, until recently, had worked away in the background, providing reliable technology to third parties. Another major element at play is a simple physics equation.

A recent coup for Linea was the provision of over 250 amplifiers across various stages of the Glastonbury festival. This is where Hildred, attending as its representative, could use his experience to the full, interfacing with the many engineers onsite using Linea technology. “I’m there as technical support for our amplifiers and our own brand as well as being there to say hello to the engineers, to integrate them with the sound company and make them feel comfortable,” he says.

Other notable recent projects include an installation of more than 70 C Series amps at a multiscreen Dolby Atmos cinema in Tokyo, while Taiwanese distributor SSBC International has integrated M Series amps into a museum in Taichung. Then, late last year, Linea announced a partnership with UK-based manufacturer PMC, renowned for its reference loudspeakers, which was seeking a multichannel amp to match with some of its products.

“Ultimately, you are restricted by heat,” Smalley muses. “The focus must always be on the ratio of power that reaches your loudspeaker. Hopefully, 90% of the power drawn will go to your loudspeaker; if you can reduce heat waste to 8% and get 92% efficiency, then that makes a big difference. On every thermal spec comparison, our amplifiers waste less heat than other manufacturers’, and are therefore more efficient. Our focus, as ever, is producing the best amplifier and DSP technology we possibly can and we’re happy to say we’re at the forefront of amplifier technology. We are masters of the technology involved in Class-D amplifiers, the power supplies that go with them, digital networking and software control.”

With 20 years under his belt running one of the most successful pro audio manufacturing operations in the UK, Smalley is fully justified in making that statement. Bring on the next 20.

www.linea-research.co.uk

Its

Linea’s 1,400m2 facility 25 miles north of London

Moving into the new premises in 2019; L–R: Alex Conway, Lee Basham and Davey Smalley

Understanding immersive

Active in the field of sound reinforcement and room acoustics for 30 years, Thorsten Rohde is MD of Rohde Acoustics, a cofounder of Amadeus Acoustics and a senior lecturer in acoustics at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna as well as the Technical University of Graz. Here, he explores the true meaning of immersive audio

WE HUMANS HAVE AN IMMERSIVE IMPACT AS BOTH senders and receivers. This extends across various sensory levels, with auditory perception particularly notable. Typically, each of us have two auditory receptors and possess the ability to generate sound in diverse forms. Thanks to the signal processing carried out by our brain, we are capable of perceiving our environment from every angle. Moreover, we can emit sound signals in all directions and subsequently intercept their reflections.

In this regard, neither monophonic nor stereophonic signal reproduction can truly replicate “species-appropriate hearing” for us humans. Consequently, it’s only logical that advancements in the audio realm address this issue, striving to deliver enveloping, immersive systems for listeners. There are currently a variety of technological solutions capable of creating a 3D sound field. It’s now opportune to create content tailored for these systems, maximising their efficiency and economic viability.

A multipurpose space can only be commercially viable if it can be used for a wide variety of event formats, ranging from spoken word to electroacoustical amplified concerts to symphonic music. The necessary acoustic properties of the room are determined by the type of events held and must be adapted accordingly. It must also be possible to spatialise audio signals in the room from all directions. It is not only about individual sources but also about soundscapes that create atmospheres; the room itself becoming an enveloping sound experience.

the reverberation time, but that’s just the beginning; first you have to understand what constitutes a natural-sounding sound field and how it can be changed actively.

The regenerative approach (Figure 2) on the other hand uses signal feedback loops between microphones and speakers to create the reverberation. Microphones are placed outside the critical distance of the sound sources, ideally in the diffuse sound field of the room. As a result, listeners and performers are in the same acoustic environment. The audience also interacts with the actively generated room acoustics.

If you enter a room and make a sound, for example by clapping your hands, you will receive an “answer” giving an indication of the room’s size and nature. With a little practice you can feel the characteristics of a room, even with your eyes closed. Each room has its own acoustic signature, imprinted by the geometry and furnishings. We perceive the reflections from the boundary surfaces from all directions and use them to determine the loudness, clarity, envelopment and intimacy of the room.

This acoustic signature can now be manipulated with electroacoustic support and digital signal processing. This results in completely new fields of activity for sound designers. You can create or “mix” exactly the space that the performance requires. A hall that has been acoustically optimised for the reproduction of loudspeaker signals, for example, is unsuitable for choral music or chamber music. The simplest method of this room adjustment is to change

Active acoustic systems transform room acoustics using electroacoustic components such as loudspeakers, microphones and signal processors instead of, or in addition to, the absorbers, reflectors and diffusers used in passive acoustics. Initially, a distinction was made between two basic concepts: in-line and regenerative (non-in-line) systems, the main difference being how the feedback between microphones and speakers was handled (Figure 1).

In-line systems use a number of directional microphones placed within the critical distance of the sound sources. Due to the directing properties and the spatial separation of microphones and speakers, the loop gain is as low as possible and feedback between microphones and speakers is reduced or avoided. The acoustic changes in the auditorium are generated either by algorithmic methods or by folding the microphone signals with measured or generated impulse responses. As a result, the audience and performers are in different acoustic environments. The electroacoustically generated second room is decoupled from the existing architecture. Without a source signal in the stage area, there is no change in the acoustics in the listening area.

Today’s systems typically use both concepts in a hybrid approach. With regenerative concepts in which passive and active spaces are mixed via feedback loops, the newly created, combined space is connected to the passive acoustics. Since the microphones of the regenerative concepts are placed in the diffuse sound field, only the late reverberation time can be adjusted. In addition, in-line concepts with microphones placed closer to the sound sources can also influence the early reflection patterns that are responsible for many acoustic phenomena and significantly determine the quality of concert halls. Many systems convolute the microphone signals with generated or measured impulse responses.

Turning to the mixing concept, the reflection patterns generated in this way are reproduced in addition to the passive reflections created by the existing room geometry and are thus decoupled from the passive acoustics. This has a similar effect as opening a number of doors to a few additional reverb chambers. Even though the input

An invisible immersive system was installed in the King Albert Theatre in Bad Elster

Thorsten Rohde of Rohde Acoustics and Amadeus Acoustics

Figure 1

Figure 2

signals with complex impulse responses are processed by a very good room, they are still reproduced via individual loudspeakers. This is more like listening into a hall through one or more open doors, and you can imagine how difficult it is to create a naturalsounding sound field throughout the room.

In addition, another actively generated space is placed on top of the existing passive space and there is a risk of an unnatural double space. Corresponding systems can therefore only be adjusted very weakly so that the passive space tends to mask the double acoustics, which leads to a “kink” in the decay curve; the so-called dual sloping. If there is enough gain before feedback to achieve a corresponding strength, the result will otherwise be audible acoustic artefacts.

Other systems use geometrically generated reflection patterns that are based on the existing geometry of the room and change its properties in a targeted manner. The geometric concept in the context of active acoustic systems describes a hybrid system that generates all active reflections from a 3D model of the existing architecture. Sound sources are picked up by evenly spaced microphones and their location is analysed. Figure 3 shows the basic structure of such a system (red and green dot microphones and associated vectors to the speakers; VM = vector matrix,

MDR = multichannel reverberation). Reflections are created using a vector model in relation to the location of the sound source. Evenly spaced speakers are mapped to the wall surfaces to reproduce the assigned active reflections.

The reflections can be controlled in terms of their spatial and energetic distribution, density and timbre. In addition to the direct sound from the source, all reflections generated by the distributed microphone grid are also captured. The system begins to generate a diffuse sound field which also depends on the geometry of the actual space and is fed from the vector matrix. By changing the local vectors, the spatial geometry is manipulated (Figure 4).

Now we are familiar with the tools, the creativity of sound designers is necessary in order to create unforgettable sound experiences for performers and audiences. Figure 5 shows subjective acoustic parameters that can be used to describe a sound impression in a hall and to describe the preferences of the listeners. These factors are based on the work of American acoustics expert and former MIT professor Leo Beranek and Tapio Lokki from the Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering. There is a large body of literature on concert hall acoustics that describes these subjective parameters. Interestingly, some listeners prefer clear and intimate

acoustics while others prefer a strong wrapping at high volume. In order to create a satisfying experience for all listeners, parameters such as clarity, intimacy, envelopment and volume must be adjusted accordingly. Active, trained listening cannot yet be replaced so easily! Before active acoustics are used in a room, the respective needs and preferences of the artists and listeners must be explored. It is now up to the sound designers to implement these needs creatively and professionally with active acoustics.

Of course, such a system can also be used for 3D audio applications. Separate signal inputs allow 3D audio spatialisation for live events or immersive experiences. Audio objects can be located in three dimensions in the room and made audible. On the basis of a 3D room model, live signals or pre-recorded content can be moved continuously within a 3D space. Ideally, the 3D audio works simultaneously and independently of the active acoustics.

Today, we have various systems and tools at our disposal that can be used to create immersive, enveloping listening. It is time for sound designers to begin not only to enable the playback of recorded or live signals with enveloping loudspeaker systems, but also to “mix” the entire room for individual events. Active acoustics and immersive audio create immersive acoustics for unforgettable and emotional moments.

www.amadeus-acoustics.com

Setting the new standard for image processing

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Two becomes one for Nexadyne NEWPRODUCTS

Labelling the release as ushering in “a new era of vocal precision”, Shure has launched the Nexadyne dynamic microphone platform, a series of vocal mics that integrate dual capsule technology the company has branded Revonic

THE NEXADYNE series includes cardioid (Nexadyne 8/C) and supercardioid (Nexadyne 8/S) models, which are physically distinguished by the fact that the cardioid model has two “pillars” on the grille (front and rear), while the supercardioid has four (front and rear, left and right). Connection is via standard XLR and each unit ships with a protective zipper case, mic clip and brass stand adapter. Wireless capsules are also available in black and nickel and in both polar patterns.

The use of two separate matched transducers inside the capsule is said to provide several benefits as they work together to provide a greater range of acoustic optimisation, maximising specific frequencies while minimising unwanted noise, especially handling noise. By wiring the two capsules out of phase, the mic is able to cancel out mechanical vibrations, removing self-noise and the need for a traditional pneumatic shockmount. Taking handling noise out of the equation then means that the two capsules can be optimised solely for acoustics, with the manufacturer claiming this results in twice the

amount of signal processing opportunity. It also allows for the summing of certain frequencies and subtraction of others to impact the polar pattern across a range of frequencies.

According to Shure, sonically, this results in HF performance more typical of a condenser microphone, as well as a warmer and fuller midrange in the supercardioid model.

Targeted at streamers, podcasters and musicians, the manufacturer has also extended its family of hybrid XLR and USB dynamic microphones with the launch of the MV7+ podcast microphone. Sporting a sleeker design and software upgrades, the MV7+ is designed to capture broadcastquality audio in challenging spaces. An integrated DSP engine incorporates a suite of features. Removing the requirement for a physical pop filter on the camera, a Digital Popper removes harsh plosives sounds to avoid acoustic distraction. Auto Level Mode automatically adjusts the microphone gain based on the distance, volume and room dynamics. In addition, Onboard Reverb offers a selection of plate, hall and studio reverb settings. Working in harmony with the

ANALOG AES72 STAGEBOXES

The NA-4I4O-AES72 is a 4-channel (4I/4O) stageboxfor transmitting microphone levels, analog line levels, AES3, DMX or even intercom via one single CAT cable. The device has male and female XLRs in the same housing and can be used directly as a splitter for monitoring. An additional etherCON serves as feedthrough and allows further looping of the signals to other devices. A ground lift at each input prevents possible ground loops. In addition, each input connector offers the possibility to invert the signal.

microphone’s Voice Isolation technology, the Real-time Denoiser eliminates background noise in compromised recording environments. Beyond the DSP, the live meter of the customisable multi-colour LED touchpanel allows the user to instantly mute the microphone.

The MV7+ integrates with the Motiv Mix Desktop App for configuring all aspects of the MV7+. Shure’s latest Motiv software control interface provides multitrack recording, streaming and routing. The platform’s LED panel can be customised, offering access to up to five multitrack recording and routing channels and gain amongst others. For recording or monitoring the livestream’s mix, the multichannel mixer controls multiple audio channels. Equipped with hybrid XLR and USB-C outputs, the MV7+ connects with a laptop or phone.

Lastly, the manufacturer has announced that its Microflex Wireless neXt 2 (MXW neXt 2) Microphone System has been Certified for Microsoft Teams.

www.shure.com

Superior clarity with extraordinary scalability. GTX delivers consistent performance to the most demanding events with power and precision. Engineered for touring professionals and world-class Artists.

DPA takes to the AIR1

INTENDED FOR quick mounting on round, omnidirectional headset or lavalier microphones between 2.5–5.8mm in challenging

capsule to maintain a constant air volume. By adding a boundary surface directly behind the capsule, a pressure field is generated around

Sennheiser streamlines its headsets

inner lining, the fur contributes to wind rejection while maintaining acoustic transparency. Secondly, by adjusting two arches and a mic stop, the air cavity surrounding the microphone ensures that the fur is spaced away from the

complement most apparel, six colour options are available: black, brown, beige, white, off-white and grey.

www.dpamicrophones.com

PRODUCED FOR applications, Sennheiser has designed a portfolio of streamlined headsets with a choice of five separately available cables. Featuring improved speech intelligibility, the open HMD 46 (dynamic mic) and HME 46 (electret mic) headsets are ideal for intercom use. Incorporating Sennheiser’s switchable ActiveGard (off/95dB/110dB), the closed, supraaural HMD 26 and HME 26 headsets are targeted for OB applications. Differing from traditional acoustic shock clipping circuitry, ActiveGard is an added safety feature that protects the wearer’s hearing from sudden sound bursts without

Additionally, both available as singlesided “S” versions. Combining monitoring accuracy in loud environments with comfort, the HMD 27 and HME 27 are the circumaural models. The HMDC 27 is additionally fitted with NoiseGard active noise reduction. The closed HMD 300 ActiveGard headset used for backstage communications has been upgraded with a new dynamic boom mic and arm. It is also available as single-

Classic tones from vintage mics

US PRO audio manufacturer Warm Audio has unveiled recreations of two classic mics with the introduction of the WA-44 studio ribbon mic and the WA-19 dynamic microphone. The WA-44 features a vintagematched ribbon and magnet together with a CineMag transformer to deliver the tones of the iconic RCA 44 ribbon mic of the 1930s. Sporting what Warm Audio describes as a “boutique-quality build design”, the WA-44 pairs a full-length, 99.1% aluminium, custom-crafted Japanese ribbon with a heavy, true-to-size neodymium magnet powered by a US-made CineMag transformer. The WA-44 weighs 2.8kg and includes a Star-Quad shielded Gotham XLR cable connector and embroidered case.

Stick around with RØDE

AUSTRALIAN AUDIO expert RØDE has introduced a trio of products designed to help broadcasters and content creators up their output. The Interview PRO is a broadcast-quality wireless handheld microphone designed for a wide range of applications. Utilising 2.4GHz digital transmission with a 200m line of sight range, it pairs with all RØDE Series IV wireless receivers including the Wireless ME, Wireless GO II, Wireless PRO, RØDECaster Pro II and RØDECaster Duo. It features an omnidirectional condenser capsule, 32-bit float onboard recording and intelligent GainAssist technology, while its rechargeable lithium-ion

Meanwhile, the WA-19 aims to revive one of the popular studio and live dynamics of the 1960s. Featuring a custom, hand-assembled dynamic cardioid humbucking capsule in a rugged metal design, the WA-19 blends the critical noise rejection and reduced proximity effect of a dynamic mic with the clarity and detail of a condenser. It boasts a variable acoustic high-pass filter ring that cuts up to 10dB at 50Hz, while the

Additionally, ventilated slots on the side of the WA-19 body reduce proximity effect, eliminating boomy bass associated with placing the mic closer to louder

Warm Audio has also launched the Warm Lifter, an inline active microphone preamp designed for low output dynamic and ribbon mics which offers 26dB of clean output gain, a selectable 100Hz high-pass filter to remove low-end frequencies and a selectable 3kHz high-shelf boost to emphasise the upper-mids

and comes with three removable attachments: short and long cold shoe arms for shooting in landscape or portrait mode, plus a long arm with a ¼-inch thread for mounting to a tripod, handle or desktop arm. The RØDE Phone Cage is a magnetic mobile filmmaking cage which also features an ultra-secure magnetic mounting. Made from lightweight aluminium, it comes with five cold shoe mounts for mounting accessories such as microphones and lights, and both ¼-inch and 3⁄8-inch threads to enable the connection of handles and tripods. It also features built-in cable management slots.

www.rode.com

A-T extends 20 Series

blue to indicate that the microphone is receiving USB power and lights red when audio is muted at the microphone. The LED indicator also blinks when peak audio level is reached.

Core strength

DYNAUDIO HAS added a compact monitor and a subwoofer to its Core reference speaker family. The Core 5 studio speaker has been designed specifically for smaller studios and immersive setups. It has a twoway nearfield design for cramped spaces in a stereo configuration or can provide width and height support in an immersive setup. It delivers 116dB maximum SPL at 1m, has a flat bass response down to 45Hz at –6dB and 51Hz at ±3dB, and it provides 280W of Class-D amplification into a 5-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter. Like the rest of the Core range, the Core 5 has a set of filters that compensate for position and boundary locations, such as meter bridges, stands and soffit mounts, and features a lowfrequency 80Hz Linkwitz-Riley cutoff for use with a subwoofer. Sound-balance tilts enable users to fine-tune performance, while full-spectrum band-pass filters mean phase response is maintained between the drivers.

Meanwhile, the Core Sub Compact reaches down to 16Hz, delivers 115dB peak half-space and uses 280W of Pascal amplification for each of its twin drive units. Both speakers use the same amp module and DSP engine for customisation, providing total consistency with the rest of the Core family, regardless of the combination of speakers used.

www.dynaudio.com

with third-party devices. A-T LINK also offers efficient system audio routing and control within the ATDM Mixer Web Remote.

www.audio-technica.com

Keeping busy

RF SPECIALIST Wisycom has added a number of wireless and distributed antenna systems to its growing catalogue. The MRK16 is a modular wireless microphone receiver system that can manage up to 16 true diversity channels in a 1U chassis and can be daisy-chained up to four times for 64 channels of audio. It can accept up to four MCR54 receivers, providing antenna distribution, RF filtering and advanced audio routing, while the ultra-wideband receiver system operates from 470–1,260MHz and is equipped with 10 automatically selected band-pass filters. RFover-fibre functionality provides reception over distance, while an optional EX3 fibre module and BFLT1 transmitter reportedly make it possible to place antennas miles away. The MCR54 is a four-channel true diversity wireless microphone receiver system with modular or slot-in configurations that are compatible with most cameras and mixer accessories. It features up to 790MHz bandwidth in the 470–1,260MHz range and features both wideband and narrowband DSP-FM operation that is SW selectable. The company says this allows 50% more band efficiency and 3dB extra sensitivity and noise immunity.

Finally, the BFLR1 receiver and BFLT1 offer a way to support RF coverage and distribution requirements without concern for cable loss. The BFL interfaces feature selectable filters, extended dynamic range and a long-range Bluetooth 5 programming link, and provide connectivity options for wireless IEM/IFB and wireless mic applications.

www.wisycom.com

Isolde for live sound and installation

BELGIAN LOUDSPEAKER manufacturer

Audiofocus has announced the launch of its Isolde AP108 range of two-way, 8-inch

monitor. A bespoke 3D printed waveguide ensures rigid 90° x 60° coverage and can be quickly rotated according to the application.

transducer incorporating Tetracoil voice coil technology to achieve a peak SPL of 129dB. The neodymium magnet 1.4-inch exit HF transducer has a 2.4-inch voice coil and is from the same family as the drivers employed in the company’s recent column PA and constant curvature series, ensuring a uniform audio signature across the Audiofocus range. The AP108’s design allows it to be deployed vertically or horizontally or placed onstage as a wedge

leading ceiling mounts and can be wall-mounted with the aid of a horizontal or vertical bracket. The AP108ix is designed for integrators working in hospitality, education, worship and other applications that demand a compact and visually unobtrusive package. The cabinet measures under 50cm high and Audiofocus says it can provide weatherised options and custom colours to mirror a client’s palette. www.audiofocus.eu

BFLR1

Isolde AP108

1 Sound elevates to higher levels

COMBINING HIGH power with a minimal footprint for live performances, 1 Sound has designed the CM38 cardioid floor monitor. Measuring 200mm high, the birch plywood enclosure can produce a maximum SPL of 130dB down to 60dB bandwidth. Comprising three 8-inch drivers, one of which is a coaxial with a proprietary progressive horn design, the three-way passive loudspeaker can musically cancel

80° for a listener standing near or above the monitor, down to 40° as it throws far across the stage. By reducing stage spill and directing the energy where required, the bi-amplified CM38 maintains a cleaner sound environment passed the monitor and more pronounced high frequencies towards the sides. A progressive horn design has been included to control the frequency equalisation in the field and maintain higher

LD Systems

ALL THE world’s a stage with the battery-powered ANNY PA system from LD Systems. Designed for musicians, singer-songwriters and street art performers, the ANNY 10 is an active, two-way, full-range portable loudspeaker which combines a 10-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter with an integrated six-channel mixer, three-band EQ and effects, Bluetooth 5.0 streaming and a footswitch input for hands-free effects control.

Also available as a set with up to two wireless microphones, the ANNY 10 has two rear slots for receiver modules with their own volume control and sync function, which can be retrofitted separately if required. Users can choose between handheld wireless microphones or headset microphones including bodypack transmitters, or a combination of both. The ANNY 10 features a DSP Vocal mode for voice applications, while users can also specify which connected microphone should be prioritised. As soon as the selected microphone is used, ANNY ducks the volume of all other signals. In addition, True Wireless Stereo functionality allows any two units to wirelessly connect to provide powerful sound for larger events.

Utilising hardware integrated into the cabinet, the full-range monitor is also available as a loudspeaker, with the L38 marking the first stop of the Level Series. The low-profile, triple 8-inch design displays the same passive cardioid behaviour as the CM38, whereby the central coaxial woofer incorporates a proprietary progressive horn. Adding to its multipurpose credentials, the Level L38 can be flush-mounted onto a ceiling or 2.5–5m up on a wall, which covers approximately 90° below the loudspeaker. This is ideal for listeners directly underneath, whereas the cardioid behaviour minimises low-/mid-frequency reflections onto the ceiling. Like the CM38, the Level L38 is available in various colours and finishes and operates within a 65Hz–18kHz (–6dB) frequency range.

www.1-sound.com

WITH ATEO, Audac has released a series of surface-mount loudspeakers for

100Hz–20kHz, the ATEO4M is a 4-inch version comprising a 1-inch dome tweeter and a 4-inch mid-/low-frequency driver.

With a rated sensitivity of 86dB (1W/1m), the 35W RMS (AES) model comes in 8Ω (ATEO4M) and 16Ω (ATEO4DM) versions. Measuring

Available in black or white, cabling connects to the integrated WAGO connectors on the rear panel of the IP-66-rated ABS housing where an external power tap selection switch is also

The RMA45M is an adapter for assembling ATEO4M loudspeakers on lighting track rails in retail environments for inclination in any direction. A mechanical connection is provided, without having any electrical connection between the loudspeaker and the lighting track rail.

The ATEO Series has been extended with a 6-inch version, in the form of the ATEO6M. The larger-format enclosure comprises the same features. Both the 4- and 6-inch models can be equipped with extension mounts with inclination angles. With the inclusion of a WMA series incline bracket, an extra 30° angle can be added to the existing incline angle of ATEO speakers. It can also be used to place the speaker horizontally or vertically at an angle up to 60°.

Wheels and a telescopic handle promote portability, while connection options include two microphone/line combo inputs, a

stereo channel with 3.5mm jack and RCA inputs. The unit boasts a battery life of up to 25 hours in ECO mode or five hours at maximum volume. The ANNY 10 is available now, with the more compact ANNY 8 due to be launched later in the year.

www.ld-systems.com

The Belgian brand has also unveiled the VEXO208 three-way loudspeaker. Operating within a frequency response of 62Hz–20kHz (–3dB), the VEXO208 incorporates dual 8-inch coaxial woofers, featuring 1.8-inch voice coils. Compression driver overload protection is provided through an internal limiting circuit. With a rated sensitivity of 94dB (1W/1m), the 400W RMS (AES) model operates in 4Ω impedance, but an optional 70V/100V line transformer is available to use in Hi-Z systems. Weighing 17kg and constructed of 15mm plywood, the 136mm x 244mm x 153mm (WxHxD) polyurethane-coated cabinet is equipped with a powder-coated steel grille. Equipped with two M6 and two M10 brackets, mounting in both horizontal and vertical directions is possible with

ATEO4M

THE INCLUSION of Holoplot advanced loudspeaker systems into the latest EASE 5 update allows users to experiment with Matrix Arrays in a desired venue. Regarded to be the standard for electro and room acoustic modelling, the EASE software developed by AFMG Technologies contains over 150 brands of loudspeakers and 3,000 individual products. Providing a view of SPL simulations, Holoplot’s Matrix Arrays and Beam Optimisations can be modelled in the company’s Plan system design software. The resulting configurations can now be exported to EASE 5 for analysis based on closed-room simulation.

The addition of the room simulations with EASE 5 enables all closed-room performance

metrics such as diffuse field, STI and auralisation predictions to be accurately obtained and easily compared with any product from the 150 brands contained in the EASE 5 Library. Objective validation is another benefit of using a brandindependent software to model speaker systems and room acoustics.

The additional performance requirement for Holoplot simulations in the design of The Sphere can now benefits all users. A 64-bit version of the calculation engine utilised by the German brand, as well as other advancements, are now available to all users regardless of their loudspeaker choices.

www.holoplot.com

DESIGNED FOR live performances, events or installations, the GH8 slim array element from Italian speaker specialist KGEAR is a passive loudspeaker that the company says performs even in challenging acoustic environments. Featuring an 8-inch fullrange driver with dual-cone, the GH8 has a frequency response of 120Hz–18kHz (–6dB), a max SPL of 128dB peak and a power handling of 200W. The compact 220mm x 220mm x 160mm enclosure is said to offer a unique cabinet design that delivers a much lower emission on the backside of the speaker to improve sound control and prevent loss of energy, and is also IP64-rated to ensure durability. The company says that multiple GH8s can be joined together with www.kgear.it

Performance out of the GH8 Optimal optimises Up

CPS Series expands

PROVIDING COVERAGE for mediumsized events and large fixed installations, Lynx Pro Audio has expanded its Coaxial Point Source (CPS) series of enclosures with the CPS-210 and the CPS-14. The CPS-210 enclosure is a compact 3,000W tri-amplified three-way system. It features

and adjust different parameters such as gain, delay, input EQ and cabinet presets. Both enclosures have two Ethernet ports that allow them to be controlled through the OCS platform to facilitate monitoring and processing which, together with the Rainbow 3D electroacoustic prediction

exclusive 1.4-inch coaxial compression driver. The CPS-14 enclosure is also a 3,000W tri-amplified three-way system, but features a single 14-inch neodymium speaker and a 1.4-inch dual-diaphragm coaxial driver. Both provide 90° x 60° and 60° x 40° coverage options and, in common with the rest of the CPS Series, both feature integrated 64-bit/96kHz DSP with FIR linear phase filtering. To manage their internal DSP options, the rear panel boasts a 2.8-inch IPS UI, while a joystick control allows the user to control, select

The Series is completed with two ultracompact passive enclosures, the CPS-5 and CPS-4. Easy to set up and transport, they are designed to deliver clear, balanced sound in short throw applications and are suitable for indoor installations and as background sound reinforcement. The CPS-5 has a 5-inch coaxial speaker and a 70° conical dispersion, while the CPS-4 has a 4-inch coaxial speaker and a 90° conical dispersion with no secondary lobes throughout the frequency range.

www.lynxproaudio.com

DESIGNED TO complement a wide range of interior designs across commercial spaces, Optimal Audio has revealed bezel-less grilles and pendant housings for the Up Series of ceiling loudspeakers. According to the British manufacturer, the accessories remove the need for stocking separate ranges of ceiling and pendant loudspeakers. Available in black or white finishes, Grille 1 and Grille 2 are designed

installation ring with a twist-to-fit steel grille design can enclose the original Up loudspeaker.

Pendant 1 and Pendant 2 are custom housings for accommodating selected Up ceiling speakers to be suspended as pendant speakers.

Manufactured from UL94 V-0 rated materials and finished in UV-resistant black or white paint, the pendants feature the same twist-to-fit grille bezelless finish as the Grille accessories.

producing a peak SPL of 133dB, the line array element incorporates a passive crossover to provide a linear response

Measuring 428mm x 223mm x 499mm and weighing 26.4kg, the compact trapezoidal loudspeaker is housed in a 15mm birch plywood construction in a touringgrade finish with a 1.5mm steel grille. Treated with a proprietary Aquaforce weatherresistant coating, the internally braced cabinets are fitted with two handles, a pole adapter and an integral heavyduty, four-point steel rigging system consisting of 10 angulation points (0–10° internal splay angles in 1° steps) to promote both stacked and flown configurations. The rear panel includes NL-4 and PowerCON Neutrik speakON connectors. In addition to dedicated transport and storage accessories, a flying frame adds to the multipurpose functionality of the cabinet.

www.ideaproaudio.com

Fantastic four for FOH Taking everything in its Stride

STUDIOMASTER HAS widened its FOH loudspeaker portfolio with the addition of four active loudspeaker series. Designed for DJs, small bands, presentations, education and houses of worship, the DIRECT MX series is an all-in-one column array PA with a 2,000W built-in amplifier. Available in two system configurations, the DIRECT MX series is a 6x 3-inch midfrequency/1x high-frequency 1-inch compression unit-armed column array. It can be paired with a compact 10-inch reflex sub enclosure to create the DIRECT 101MX or a 12-inch reflex sub enclosure for the DIRECT 121MX. With a complement of onboard power and control features, the DIRECT MX series can function as standalone sound reinforcement independent of outboard equipment. The mixer has two mic/line inputs with discrete gain and reverb controls, one Hi-Z instrument jack input and a stereo input on L-R phono connectors or Bluetooth 5.0 for external playback sources. A 24-bit DSP with a onecontrol encoder offers three pre-configured operating modes, a three-band master EQ, gain control, high-pass filter, dual-channel limiter and recallable user-programmable presets. An XLR mix output operates in combination with a digital delay line of up to 100m to provide time-aligned configuration of several DIRECT MX column arrays within larger venue spaces. An independent sub level control is also included. Meanwhile, the VORTEX series is Studiomaster’s latest iteration of the active two-way, mid/top portable PA format. Its latest V-series active line array systems are the V26, comprising the V26A horizontal array element and V26SA compact 15-inch sub, and the V6A. The V26A is loaded with two vertically aligned 6.5-inch MF drivers and a waveguide-mounted multi-drive HF array of eight 1-inch transducers. It delivers 120° x 8° (HxV) coverage and its narrow form factor provides coverage for smaller

venues or spaces presenting challenging in-fill requirements. Integrated dual-channel power amplification delivers 400W MF and 150W HF power, making the cabinet capable of up to 129dB SPL. The A26SA has a 1,200W power amplifier with a near identical SPL and LF response down to 40Hz. Alternatively, the V6A presents a more conventional line array element profile with two 6.5-inch MF drivers loaded on either side of a 3-inch HF unit. Combined with its 2,000W powered V6SA compact 15-inch sub, its 550W onboard two-way power amplification and 132dB max SPL make it suitable for small and mediumsized venues and events.

www.studiomaster.com

punQtum streamlines with Bolero Connect

DIGITAL INTERCOM brand punQtum has developed a direct connection to Riedel’s Bolero wireless intercom system. Operating in tandem with punQtum’s Q210 P speaker station, Bolero Connect offers a costeffective solution for deployment across large-scale events requiring several channels of partyline.

The Bolero Connect feature works as a single network connection between punQtum’s Q210 P and Bolero. Prior to its development, should more than two channels be specified, added

an NSA interface were required. Expanding the communication capabilities of large-scale events, six partyline channels can integrate from one punQtum Q210 P station to Bolero. Eliminating the need for labelling, Bolero Connect includes a time-saving channel name feature in which the software passes channel names between both systems, leading to a properly integrated, reliable communications system.

www.punqtum.com

www.riedel.net

THE STRIDE Antenna is the first product to be announced in Green-GO’s Stride wireless series. Claiming to be a big step forward in the comms market, the IP53-rated Stride Antenna delivers seamless roaming, greater DECT spectrum efficiency and increased user mobility without affecting the range or the audio quality of devices on the network. It is compatible with existing Green-GO WBPX wireless beltpacks, while its higher DECT device density enables more WBPX beltpacks to be used simultaneously within the same area.

Green-GO says that the consistency of coverage is enhanced within an area as DECT time slots are automatically synchronised across multiple Stride Antennas via PTPv2.

This delivers seamless roaming by removing any “handover gaps” between areas covered by unsynchronised antennas and enables a Green-GO system to make full use of the available DECT spectrum. Device pools can include up to 250 Stride Antennas and 100 wireless beltpacks, while each Stride Antenna can accommodate up to five simultaneous WBPX connections. The antenna UI displays configuration information, an LED indicator shows device status and extended RF monitoring

available on both the wireless beltpack and via Green-GO’s Control software. A DECT antenna analyser mode also allows users to keep track of DECT spectrum utilisation.

www.greengodigital.com

CODA Audio launches more craft into Space

CODA AUDIO has expanded its Space by CODA range with the addition of the SB12 (Space Bass) subwoofer. The German brand’s Space by CODA technology transforms spaces with highly discreet

a frequency response range from 30–150Hz

audio using innovative ultra-flat modules positioned within art and projection screens, complemented by subwoofers in the form of display pedestals.

Offering the same art and sound pedestal appearance as the range’s existing sensor controlled SCX 18-inch subwoofer, the omnidirectional SB12 is a more compact 12-inch version for applications requiring a smaller footprint. Without sensor control and tuned to operate with the single-channel Linus 6.4 amplifier, the 16.3kg subwoofer incorporates a neodymium woofer within a 330mm x 700mm x 300mm cabinet. Operating within

the work of five talented artists whose original artwork can be directly incorporated into schemes and matched to Space panels via a drag-and-drop function. The Gallery will be expanded in the future to showcase more exclusive creations by a wider range of artists. Customers preferring to use or commission their own artwork can do so by uploading it to Space Designer and using the same drag-anddrop function.

www.codaaudio.com

EAW reveals UXA4416 DSP amplifiers

amplification, digital processing and analogue-digital management, the next-generation platform of four-channel DSP amplifiers has been developed by EAW. Designed to pair with the US brand’s KF and SB Series products, the UXA4416 amplifier offers stability for KF passive line source systems in addition to

clean power to all EAW passive loudspeaker systems.

Representing an evolution of the previous UX and UXA Series, the UXA4416 operates at 96kHz and provides improved system interoperability and a reduction in latency.

Four-channel (4,000W per channel) Class-D amplification and 40-bit floating point DSP

further enhance the power headroom capabilities.

The integrated processing platform includes a dedicated Greybox library of UXA4416 amplifier presets of all the supported EAW systems. A front panel 4.3-inch display offers touchscreen or tactile encoder access to the EAW library and editing. EAW factory presets use EAW’s

Beamwidth Matched Crossover, Focusing and DynO technologies, resulting in a refined system impulse response to a chosen speaker system. The UXA4416 incorporates both analogue and digital audio input connections, including configurable GPIO and Dante connections.

Resolution software provides a path to remote management and amplifier grouping of an entire EAW speaker ecosystem. Providing support for the UXA4416, the Resolution 2.11 update improves the software’s GUI and Array Assistant, adds efficiencies to the RSX/NTX firmware upgrade and updates the voicing of the KF210. An updated version of AC6 firmware is also available.

www.eaw.com

LEA Professional launches Cinema Digital Series

LEA PROFESSIONAL has unveiled its Cinema Digital Series of IoT-enabled smart amplifiers which join the company’s technology catalogue featuring intelligent IT solutions and smart power management. The series consists of nine models with support for two or four channels with power ranging from 350–1,500W per channel. All models can integrate with the Dolby Cinema Processor CP950 and include AES67 primary and secondary inputs, analogue backup inputs and the ability to accept AES67 feeds directly from a CP950 without requiring additional hardware, ensuring connectivity and flexibility.

The company also provides international customers with a six-year warranty. As with other LEA amplifiers, this series features a tamper-resistant design which eliminates front panel controls and boosts security, while user

Fair warnings from RCF

AVAILABLE IN two-, four- and six-zone versions, RCF has launched the MXR 4500 amplifier master unit as part of the DXT 4000 voice alarm system. Dedicated to small and medium-sized applications where an EN 54-16 certified system is required, the 4U rack-mountable unit is equipped with Class-D power amplifiers. Providing up to 500W of total power, a spare power amplifier

microphone consoles, together with BE 3806 button extensions, can be added to enable live announcement functionality. In addition to the integrated MP3 player, external audio sources can be connected via a 3.5mm input on the front panel and an SD card slot allows emergency messages to be stored and monitored.

With the DXT 3000 Planner, RCF has

interfaces such as WebUl and SharkWare expedite installations.

All the Cinema Digital Series amplifiers have three connectivity options: wired, access point and Wi-Fi. Users will also have remote control and monitoring abilities due to the LEA Cloud which allows them to receive notifications and monitor projects remotely.

www.leaprofessional.com

include a 100V line calculator and automatic document creation.

Combining system control, line array design and detailed audio measurements, the RDNet management and monitoring software platform has been updated with an improved interface. With RDNet version 5.0, seamless workflow and grouping of self- and externally powered systems are now available. Further features include optimised drag-and-drop hot-plug device discovery and a function to simulate EQ response over phase/magnitude measurements. A new cloud infrastructure is available to recall projects and measurements remotely.

The Italian manufacturer has also boosted its range of installation subwoofers with the addition of the S19 and S29 models. Incorporating RCF’s latest transducer technology, the company says that both subs’ 19-inch cone size inherits the best characteristics of the traditional high-speed 18-inch and the slower 21-inch models. With lightweight aluminium core coils, high-damping cellulose cone material, composite spiders and a four-layer inside-outside voice coil, the ultra-long excursion moving mass (2.5-inch safe peak-to-peak) gains high power with fast acceleration.

Handling up to 1,500W, the S19 features a single 19-inch subwoofer suitable for RCF installed sound systems. The bass-reflex

design ensures an efficient acoustic response down to 30Hz and delivers 139dB max SPL. Meanwhile, with up to 3,000W power handling, the S29 is a double 19-inch subwoofer

S19

ensuring an acoustic response down to 25Hz. It is capable of delivering 143dB max SPL. Both cabinets are finished with a black, heavy-duty polyurea coating which provides waterproofing and corrosion protection, and a powder-coated metal grille. Both also have a recessed input panel with two speakON NL4 connectors, a M20 pole-mount adaptor on top of the cabinet and handles on both sides. The subs can be ground-stacked and are cardioidarrayable for improved rear rejection.

www.rcf.it

Reliability In All Weathers

Atlona switches things up

AUDIO mixing and differ in AV switching and USB capabilities. switcher, such as an instructor’s lectern in the contact closure or automatically when a school public address announcement is detected, both models are designed to ensure lesson material and announcements are heard clearly. Other audio capabilities include an onboard mixer for combining three line inputs, de-embedded HDMI and USB audio, as well as two 25W amplifier and line level outputs. Both support switching between two host devices and include a four-port hub for connecting cameras, speakerphones, interactive displays or other peripherals. Automatic display control and auto-switching allow the automation of system operation over Ethernet, serial and trigger ports, or they can be integrated into environments with an Atlona Velocity control system.

www.atlona.com

Designed for very fast data transfers and device charging, the USB CC 3.2 Gen 2x2 cable supports data transfers up to 20Gbps and charging up to 5A current. It enables video transfers up to 4K@60Hz Ultra HD resolution and audio transfers. A flexible PVC outer jacket and double shielding offer protection against external interference and the USB-CC cable is downwards compatible with previous USB specifications. Meanwhile, the Klotz USB AC 3.1 super speed cable supports data transfers up to 10Gbps and charging up to 3A current. It also features a robust PVC outer jacket and double shielding and is also downwards compatible with previous USB specifications. The high flex VDU073LP is a robust video cable that can handle transmission distances of up to 36m with UHD 12G video signals, and all in accordance with the ST 2082 specification. The compact cable has an outer diameter of just 5mm and a robust PUR jacket, while its concentrically stranded copper inner conductor with gas-injected foam PE dielectric and tinned copper braid ensures consistent transmission

As part of Klotz’s VU07L premade cable series, the VDU073LP combines all the qualities of the Klotz VDU073LP high flex 12G UHD video cable with connectors from the BNCpro, BNCslim, BNCmicro

applications, including broadcast, camera remote head, stabiliser, gimbal and steadycam, as well in industrial applications.

Manufactured with DigiWire multicore cable and with a conductor cross-section of 0.22mm² (AWG 24), Klotz over long cable runs, the DXC Loom offers a choice of four or eight balanced digital cables. Meanwhile, the SUC Universal Loom offers a choice of two, four or eight balanced audio wires and is suited for both digital and analogue signals – one loom for all applications. Featuring black chrome-plated XLR 5p connectors (XLR 3p connectors on the SUC Universal Loom), channel labelling is applied using abrasion-resistant XLR laser engraving. The layer stranding of the elements to both cable cores maintains their structure even under high loads, while an aluminiumcoated foil (PiMF) protects the individual pairs from electromagnetic interference. Both sets of looms are available in cable lengths from 1.5–20m.

Tasker heads to sea

IN COLLABORATION with the main suppliers of international shipyards, Tasker continues to invest in research and development of products that are suitable for installation on pleasure boats of all sizes. The types of cables normally associated with naval installations are low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) products. Currently, the naval sector does not have to adhere to CPR regulations, which were created exclusively for fixed installations in buildings, although cables that are chosen for boats have been approved for the average fire risk (Cca) because they guarantee greater safety to the whole boat. For this reason, Tasker is continuously expanding its range of CPR-certified products. In the audio sector, the Italian manufacturer’s multi-pair cables such as the

www.klotz-ais.com

LSZH and the C862. For video, the company offers a full range of products, starting from the small RGB75 LSZH up to the TSK1080 LSZH which can be used for the transmission of 12G-SDI 4K signals up to

Finally, Tasker is focusing on the growing importance of LAN cables. With updated transmission protocols, LAN cables can be used to transport a multitude of different services with a single cable, whether it’s audio, DMX, video or data. The manufacturer offers cables that come with an extraresistant but highly flexible polyurethane sheath, along with braided shielding and stranded copper formations, namely the C725 PUR (Cat5e), C728 PUR (Cat6a) and C726 PUR (Cat7).

www.tasker.it

On reflection

LAWO HAS announced a number of updates to its mc² range of consoles and A UHD Core platform. The introduction of a Mirror Console mode to the mc²36 xp console is designed to be used in theatre, opera and musical applications, as well as remote production scenarios, and enables a second console in a separate location to reflect the changes performed on an mc²36 xp console in real time. The company has also introduced enhancements to the console’s ability to communicate with an external, HOME-managed control system (XCS). Both enhancements are part of Lawo’s v10.10 system release.

Other features include Granular Bus Isolation, which extends the granularity of isolating individual parameters from the console’s

member of the Home Apps family, the app is a server-based, agile audio engine. With a familiar feature set, it combines the flexibility of the Home Apps platform in terms of connectivity and scalability with the German brand’s audio processing quality.

Designed to be used with mc² mixing consoles, the app also represents a virtual mixing system wherever audio processing is required at short notice. Home mc² DSP’s primary purpose is to provide audio processing in situations where no A__UHD Core is available or for use in applications where the Home Apps realm is more practical. As an audio processing companion for converging video/audio production environments, the app incorporates the features from the A__UHD Core FPGA processing platform.

or absolute changes to be merged with a list of Snapshots, while a Console Surface Offline Mode/Snapshot Preview allows operators to temporarily disconnect the console surface from its processing core at the push of a button. While offline, the console no longer updates the DSP or preamp settings, while still sending and receiving MIDI, OSC, OASIS and Ember+ commands. Upon leaving offline mode, operators can choose to either revert the console to match the audible mix or push the console’s current settings to the audio platform. Finally, the mc²/A__UHD Core platform now provides support for zactrack tracking systems, and Lawo has also announced that Power Core Rev. 3 now supports 96kHz.

With the introduction of the Home mc² DSP App, Lawo has created a microservice-based equivalent of the A UHD Core. As the latest

The art of audio

US AUDIO specialist Wheatstone has unveiled products across two of its brands. The Audioarts Lyric DML 12 and Verse DML 8 are plugin-ready digital consoles with a 1-inch thick tabletop profile. Both provide USB direct-to-fader input for PCs, phones, players and other external devices, while the DML 12 also delivers Bluetooth connectivity. A WheatNet IP app is optional for direct digital output to a WheatNet IP audio network. Features include three stereo programme busses, AES3 inputs via RJ45, mic preamp and a built-in cue speaker, and complement the Audioarts studio line of headphone amps, talent stations, consoles and control surfaces.

Crestron powers up for more control

CONTROL AND automation specialist

of hardware processing functionality for reallocating subscription credits to any available Home App. It is also easy to “move” from one location, such as the production hub to an OB truck or a remote location. The app performs at the same low latency as its hardware companion, so that switching between the two is possible at the push of a button in the Home UI.

The app automatically scales with future CPU developments and can provide several thousand DSP channels where needed. With support for mono, stereo, 5.1, NGA immersive mixing formats and a flexible number of busses, the app can be stopped at any time, for freeing up server capacity and reducing power consumption.

Crestron has expanded its control portfolio to provide more control to more spaces with the introduction of Crestron Control for Zoom Rooms, Crestron VC-4 Virtual Control Server and Crestron Construct updates. Crestron Control brings multiple protocols and technologies into one unified system, and Crestron Control App for Zoom Rooms Software enables videoconferencing systems to natively use Crestron Control to expand its capabilities. It delivers control over everything from lighting, shades, AV solutions and peripherals on a single user interface, and even extends to the Zoom Rooms software platform itself. Crestron says the Control App for Zoom Rooms Software also provides users with flexibility; systems can be easily scaled and applications can be added based on the needs of the customer. It is

Meanwhile, the Crestron VC-4 Virtual Control software gives enterprise IT teams the ability to design and configure a room’s UC, AV and control solutions, and allows them to save those configurations and automate them in a fraction of the time. Extending its reach, Crestron has introduced a simplified version for medium to large-scale, time-sensitive projects. The Virtual Control Server 25 (VC-4SERVER-25) is licensed to support 25 rooms, with the ability to scale to 500. It is designed to manage control across floors, buildings and campuses such as higher education, government and enterprise environments. Finally, Crestron’s drag-and-drop Crestron Construct UI has additional authorisation support which allows Crestron Construct projects to be securely launched by users without requiring an additional login into the control system. Multi-resolution support has also been developed to improve managing multiple devices in the project.

www.crestron.com

Meanwhile, Wheatstone’s SystemLink FM MPX now benefits from Reliable Internet Stream Transport (RIST) connectivity for reliable transport over any IP link. It means SystemLink now transports FM MPX + HD/DAB reliably and at low latency across IP links of any capacity, whether as uncompressed or via optional μMPX codec. RIST also adds real-time error correction for reliably transmitting audio over the public internet and is available for Wheatstone audio processors, including its Layers FM audio processor software hosted on a local server or running on cloud data centres.

www.wheatstone.com

mc236 xp

Audioarts Lyric DML 12

Crestron Control

Catch the Mixbus Full STEAM ahead for education

FEATURING DOLBY Atmos native rendering, integrated SSL EQ and a host of feature enhancements, the Mixbus 10 is the latest version of Harrison Audio’s Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) and features a suite of tools designed for musicians, producers and engineers.

The Mixbus 10 introduces Dolby Atmos native rendering, enabling users to produce and publish music in Dolby Atmos. Features include object-based panning on each channel and it supports 7.1.4 monitoring on speakers or binaural on headphones. Meanwhile, the

Available in “Plus” and “Pro” tiers, the Mixbus 10 is built around Harrison’s True Analog Mix Engine (TAME). The company says that users not only benefit from the flexibility and convenience of a modern DAW, but also have access to the sonic character and proven workflow of Harrison’s consoles. The Mixbus 10 is equipped with Harrison’s four-band 32C Console EQ, complete with HP/LF filters, compressors and limiters, and faithfully reproduces Harrison’s tape saturation, bus compression and tone control features across every bus.

Mixbus 10 Pro integrates SSL 9000J four-band EQ, meaning that every channel can be switched between the SSL and Harrison EQ. Both tiers include the complete suite of Harrison’s XT plugins for Mixbus, as well as a Channelstrip gate which was previously only available on Harrison’s top-tier DAW which provides a dedicated expander/gate module on every input channel. The Mixbus 10 also provides pre/postfader switches on every bus send.

www.harrisonaudio.com

AtlasIED elevates to a higher Atmosphere with Dante

ATLASIED’S ATMOSPHERE audio processing and control platform has been enhanced by with the inclusion of 16x16 channels of Dante digital networking. Expanding the platform’s capabilities, the AZM8-D, AZMP8-DW 8, AZM8-D 8, AZMP4-D and AZM4-D four- and eight-zone signal processors are the first five products to include the Brooklyn 3 Dante module. Sources

and zones can be created using Dante network I/O, so that any input can be distributed via Dante for maximum flexibility. Audio network settings can be configured and monitored through the Atmosphere GUI.

UK PRO audio group Audiotonix is helping to engage the next generation of engineers with the introduction of the first and only Audiotonix branded product. The STEAM DJ mixer is a self-assembly kit designed to provide schools and education groups with a project based on real-world audio technology, to help develop STEM and audio engineering and mixing skills. Consisting of three printed circuit boards with individual through hole components that need to be soldered in place, it can be assembled into the supplied metalwork. USB 2.0 powered, it is safe to build and easy to use in any location, and is supplied with clear instructions and video content on how to build and use.

“With the help of our global partners, schools, youth groups and charities will be able to get kits at a heavily discounted pricing or for free,” said Audiotonix COO Helen Culleton. “The aim is to reinvest all the monies back into building more kits that will get into the hands of students who wouldn’t normally get access to

this opportunity. It’s a start, and our aim is to create further STEM and audio engineering initiatives in the future.”

www.audiotonix.com

Engineered with automation, the Atmosphere portfolio combines digital processors, amplifiers, graphical user interfaces, programming software and controls. The

enhanced interoperability, scalability and flexibility to a broad range of applications, including ballrooms and large meeting rooms. Intended for flexible spaces without a centralised AV room such as banquet halls and

RDL adds 4x4 mixing processor to its fleet

CONCEIVED AS a cost-effective network processor, RDL has added the RU-NMP44 for adding volume control, mixing, switching and ducking to existing network audio systems. Connecting with four Dante network inputs to six virtual 4x1 mixers, each mixer features individual zone control with source selection, assignable automatic priority ducking, selectable high-pass filters and level control for all inputs and outputs.

Controlled and configured using RDL Console software or other network remote controls, each mixer can be used as a source selector, a priority paging inserter and as a volume control. Each of the six virtual audio mixers operates independently with adjustable input signal attenuation and output levels from unity to off. The outputs from four of the mixers drive corresponding network audio channels, including Dante, and the remaining two mixers

operate line level +4dBu audio outputs. If ducking is used, one of the four network audio inputs is assigned as the priority input, and

connected to all six virtual mixers. An audio detector with a defined threshold and recovery delay can be assigned to any of the six mixers.

www.atlasied.com

The priority input is set to a defined level, and the remaining three inputs are each set to attenuate to a fixed level between –10dB and –64dB when a message is detected on the priority input. If hum is anticipated from the paging source, one of four high pass filters can be enabled.

Up to four mixing level preset configurations can be stored in the RU-NMP44 and activated by a network command. Powered from an external 24Vdc power supply, the RU-NMP44 is equipped to operate from a PoE-enabled network switch and will reserve power while being charged.

Measuring 146mm x 101mm (WxD), the 1U all-metal enclosure can be used operated as a free-standing device or it can be installed as a surface- or rack-mounted unit.

www.rdlnet.com

the AZMP8-DW features a unique wall-mounted cabinet that can be relocated and remounted where required.

Making the CUT

THE CUT-4 Logic Interface from Clockaudio is a compact hardware unit that gives users the ability to connect to a networked DSP or control system to customise, control and manage their entire audio environment. Designed to streamline installation and configuration with its plug-and-play platform, it is equipped with two gigabit Ethernet ports for daisy-chaining, facilitating scalability and integration, and accommodates up to four touch switches for system flexibility. Each touch switch port

Small is beautiful – and waterproof

CLAIMING TO be the smallest transmitter with an IP57 rating and a removable battery, the DSSM from Lectrosonics is a water-resistant digital bodypack transmitter that provides protection from dust and prevent water ingress for at least 30 minutes while immersed in water up to 1m. The all-metal unit has a removeable antenna with an SMA mount and a standard miniature three-pin locking input connector, and is available in three frequency tuning ranges: A1B1 (470–614MHz), B1C1 (537–691MHz) and 941 (941–960MHz). It uses the Lectrosonics LB-50 rechargeable LiOn battery from the IFBR1B and SSM product lines, which makes it compatible with existing charging bays like the CHS12LB50, CHS12LB50a and 40117 dual USB charger. Using the same menu structure as the DBSM family of transmitters, it also boasts a USB jack inside the battery compartment for firmware updates in the field. It is compatible with DSQD, DCHR, M2Ra, DSR, DSR4 and DCR822 receivers and is available individually with antennas, reversible belt clip, battery and zippered pouch. It is also available in “ZS” kits with the dualbattery USB charger (PN#40117). Introduced at the same time, the CHSDSSM four-bay charging dock can be used with any variant of the DSSM. This bay charges any mix of four units and/or LB-50 batteries, and can be connected to three additional bays so that up to 16 batteries or units in any combination can be charged from a single DCR5/9AU power supply.

Available on both Mac and PC and boasting a range of additional features, the V2.1 Wireless Designer software from Lectrosonics aims to make life easier for people working within the Lectrosonics portable receiver ecosystem. With recent updates to the Lectrosonics DCR822, DSR and DSR4 portable digital multichannel receivers allowing users to create, edit and share Tuning Groups with named entries, Wireless Designer V2.1 now offers the ability create, import, edit, save and export these Tuning Groups. In addition, the update aims to accelerate setup time for users of FlexLists in the Lectrosonics Duet digital IEM system by creating, importing, editing, saving and exporting these FlexLists. Both FlexLists and Tuning Groups can be created, edited and saved in offline mode, giving users the ability to prepare these lists in advance. Once connected, the lists can be deployed to the system hardware via network or USB, and then shared via infrared or microSD card with body-worn

Wireless Designer V2.1 also provides the ability to drag and drop frames (receivers or transmitters) within the session system stack in the tree view, and allows quick and easy re-ordering of the channels within a system and how they are displayed onscreen. Finally, the upgrade adds the ability to import and export scan files in .CSV format to make Wireless Designer more widely compatible with RF spectrum scanners and other frequency management software packages.

www.lectrosonics.com

features three logic inputs and outputs, providing a total of 12 per device. Connectivity for up to six devices on a single network can provide a total of 72 inputs and outputs per cable run. Engineered to work in harmony with the company’s range of LED buttons, it is easily installed with under-table mounting. Compatible with most DSPs and control systems, the unit has been designed with open API. www.clockaudio.com

GatesAir extends the Flexiva GX family

SUPPORTING 2,000W of analogue FM in a compact 2U chassis, GatesAir has extended its Flexiva GX transmitter family with the Flexiva GX2K. Offering a strong power-to-size ratio for all six power levels, Flexiva GX transmitters adopt the latest LDMOS technology.

Enhanced by GatesAir’s third-generation PowerSmart transmitter architecture, the high-density architecture is incorporated within a compact chassis. All six GX models include an updated GUI with integrated audio playback and a supporting playlist manager. Options include GPS receivers for single-frequency network (SFN) support and GatesAir’s Intraplex IP Link 100e module, which can be accommodated within Flexiva GX transmitters for direct IP connectivity of FM audio and data from the studio. Bypassing the requirement for auxiliary equipment, the IPL-100e also provides support for optional 10-band audio processing software. Available worldwide, the Flexiva GX family can be configured to serve large national or regional FM SFN deployments.

Hoping to encourage more broadcasters to transition out of the satellite space and embrace the benefits of the cloud for bulk audio transport, the latest version of GatesAir’s Intraplex software is designed to help broadcast networks and content syndicators manage local ad insertions through Intraplex audio-over-IP and cloud networking systems. The targeted advertising capabilities, enabled via metadata triggers within the software, are supported on the Intraplex Ascent cloud platform and IP Link 100c, 100e and 100n audio-over-IP codec

solutions. GatesAir claims broadcasters who are using satellite for bulk transport can reduce costs and maintain greater control by moving to a cloud platform such as Ascent. In a typical scenario, a customer’s Traffic Manager will interface with a headend-based IP Link codec or Ascent to trigger virtual metadata that activates local ads for network affiliates at defined times, and switch back to national programming at the end of the local ad break. Triggers are scheduled within the Intraplex platform, which automates delivery to all affiliates with no local manual intervention.

The company has also previewed wide-area audio networking applications for the Intraplex brand outside of the broadcast space, including the retail and hospitality markets. Powered through the new software release and managed through Ascent, applications include delivery of live audio streams and scheduled playlists to retail chains, hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

www.gatesair.com

DSSM

Flexiva GX2K

Intraplex

Tascam unleashes IF-ST2110 broadcast expansion card Audinate

compliments the existing range of Tascam

The gateway to more control

VERSION 2.7 of Powersoft’s ArmoníaPlus system design, control and monitoring software adds support for its Verso gateway device, and allows T and X Series, Mezzo, Duecanali and Quattrocanali amplifiers to be connected to Powersoft’s MyUniverso cloud platform. MyUniverso enables users to monitor and update their systems remotely across the entire Powersoft amplifier portfolio. The update also provides users with improved alarms and status handling for all MyUniverso supported devices.

Also included in ArmoníaPlus 2.7 is support for Dynamic Music Distribution (DMD) across

Audinate has released additions to Dante Connect, with features including remote contribution options, native Dante software integration, cloud deployment platform options and new

Dante Connect is a suite of software applications that facilitate cloud-based broadcast production. The system combines synchronisation of Dante audio with connectivity to centralised production tools running on cloud instances. Dante Connect adds WebRTC-powered remote contribution functionality to the existing uncompressed Dante audio transport streams. The remote contribution feature allows Dante sources which are connected to the internet worldwide to be captured as an audio source. This gives

Sustainable event management, in the cloud

HOPING TO transform the live event industry’s approach to sustainability, d&b group has launched SustainSymphony, a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) sustainability management service. Claiming to be the first sustainability service tailored to the global live events industry, SustainSymphony is a comprehensive database designed as an event checklist. Suppliers and service providers can store their products and services on the cloud server so that other users can find their offerings when searching for sustainable suppliers. Users can enter Key Performance Indicator (KPI) data for events, services and venues, enabling them to calculate and improve sustainability measures for future events. Venues also have the option to add their annual sustainability data to the platform. Using this data, the platform calculates event-related emissions for an individual event, simplifying the data collection process and reducing workload.

Serving a wide range of stakeholders within the live events ecosystem, organisers can create accounts based on their specific role –

acoustic planners, consulting offices and sound engineers. As the industry’s leading electroacoustic simulation software, EASE 5

customers a new, lower bandwidth option to add a commentator or other audio stream to be broadcast.

This compressed source is transmitted using WebRTC functionality to improve quality without dedicated transmission lines. Paired with the existing remote monitoring functionality, broadcasters gain new options for production staff to monitor, contribute to and produce content remotely.

Additionally, Audinate has also joined the Google Cloud Partner Advantage as a partner in the build engagement model, enabling customer flexibility to deploy audio transmission and production with Dante Connect in Google Cloud environments.

www.audinate.com

the Unica series of installation amplifiers. DMD makes it simple to dynamically route music and other signal sources between different zones, and across multiple amplifiers, all independent of source location and without the need for a centralised DSP. The update also adds support for AES67 Raw SDP and Dolby Atmos Connect patching on Duecanali DSP+, Quattrocanali DSP+ and Mezzo A+ amplifiers. This allows for easier integration with AES67-compatible audio systems and ensures compatibility with Dolby Atmos configurations.

www.powersoft.com

ArrayCalc 11.4 enables users to export the XLD file format with an extended set of information to facilitate the transfer of relevant data from ArrayCalc 11.4 to EASE 5, allowing users to focus more on creativity and precision. Version 11.4’s advanced XLD export feature is specifically for d&b system designs. The XLD text file includes the loudspeaker GLL type (e.g. XSL LA.gll) as well as positioning, orientation, delay and level information for each element of the sound system as configured in ArrayCalc. This enhancement streamlines the handover process with EASE 5, allowing users to import the comprehensive XLD file directly into the simulation environment. Meanwhile, for projects involving point source groups, each individual point source item within the group is also exported, ensuring accurate representation and simplifying complex simulations.

www.dbaudio.com

FORENSIC ENHANCE is the latest line of AAX/VST/AU plugins from CEDAR for forensic audio professionals. The platform replaces its existing Trinity Enhance plugin,

CEDAR rebrands Trinity Enhance to Forensic Enhance Q-SYS Control

renamed to reinforce the message that it’s designed for audio forensics rather than conventional postproduction or other pro audio uses. It retains the same simple but effective voice enhancement and the same GUI that makes it possible for novices to obtain results quickly and easily.

Surveillance recordings tend to have one thing in common: background and environmental noise reduces the audio quality, making the wanted speech hard to listen to or even unintelligible. To improve this, Forensic Enhance allows users to clean difficult material.

www.cedaraudio.com

ENHANCING THE Zoom Rooms interface for heightened control capabilities, integrators and IT users can now enable third-party room controls using the new Q-SYS Control for Zoom Rooms App on all supported Zoom Rooms controller consoles. Following demand, the app has been developed to enhance the Zoom Rooms controller by displaying a Q-SYS user interface and for controlling room devices and services connected to the Q-SYS Core processor, including displays, lighting, shades and HVAC.

The Q-SYS control engine offers fully customised two-way control with user feedback available directly from the familiar Zoom Rooms interface. Additionally, the app enables

Zoom Rooms to use the Q-SYS Ecosystem of Technology Partner Program for designing a customised Zoom experience.

www.qsys.com

access to Pulse upgrades, DiGiCo’s latest software update also includes KLANG KOS 5.5 integration of immersive IEM mixing systems. Designed for all SD and Quantum consoles, V1742 replaces previous version V1619 as a free download.

The installation of V1742 enables Quantum338 and Quantum225 owners to purchase DiGiCo’s optional new Pulse software extension, increasing input channels, busses, and Mustard and Nodal Processors. V1742 also provides Quantum7 and Quantum5 customers with additional Mustard processing.

KLANG’s KOS 5.5 upgrade permits standalone console integration without requiring a

DESIGNED EXCLUSIVELY for managing JBL portable PA speakers and systems, JBL Pro Connect V2 adds a number of features aimed at simplifying control over a full suite of mixer, DSP and Bluetooth features. V2 introduces a Demo Mode for exploring the app’s capabilities without being connected to speakers, enabling users to configure and save settings and presets offline, and load up saved preferences when connected to a Pro Connectenabled speaker. Meanwhile, Full Screen Mode enhances resolution for editing and adjusting faders, dynamics, EQ and FX sends, and Snapshot Language Support enables users to save snapshots in select local languages. The Android and iOS app also enables users to set volume and adjust EQ, activate Lexicon reverb, effects and dbx Digital DriveRack signal processing, and customise ducking to make sure voices stand out over background music. The app also offers a choice of pre-loaded presets for accessing popular control features like input EQ, dynamics, gates, limiters and chorus delay. Mix Out Pre/Post Fader support enables users to switch their Mix Out feature between pre- and post-fader to match their usecase scenario, while advanced Bluetooth Low Energy technology means users can connect and sync up to 10 JBL Pro Connect-enabled

Riedel

www.jblpro.com

separate KLANG control PC to run KLANG:app. Enhancements include a streamlined setup process that automatically detects the console to significantly reduce setup time. Other benefits include automatic console aux and aux node mapping/naming, together with an automatic show file load and save.

The V1742 release also provides support for operating an internal Fourier Interface Card. Furthermore, the software broadens compatibilities with two immersive audio platforms, by offering native worksurface control of Meyer Sound’s Spacemap Go and Adamson’s FletcherMachine. Offering support for a DMI-AVB card, further software update features include the addition of Mix Minus to Quantum consoles and the display of Mustard Dynamics on the Quantum meterbridge. In addition, Control Group and hard Mute indicators have been added to the meterbridge multi-layer view for the SD5, SD7, Quantum5 and Quantum7 consoles.

www.digico.biz

RIEDEL COMMUNICATIONS has expanded the RiCapture ingest solutions line with the addition of the i8, i44 and i84. Complementing the RiCapture i4, these additions increase channel density and UHD resolution, provide 8- and 10-bit support and expand internal SSD storage. Developed for scheduling, streaming and exporting from the SSE interface, the RiCapture series can be applied for multichannel HD/UHD ingest recording and postproduction integration. The SSE control application includes selection for highresolution DNxHD/R, H.264 or a combination of the two together with audio-mapping and down-mix audio-listening capabilities. RiCapture can also capture recorded media locally, on removable or network-attached storage or livestreaming destinations. Controlled from a single SSE interface, it can be expanded to a network of multiple servers for higher-density recording and unlimited destinations.

The i4 and i8 provide four or eight HD HDR input channels, while the i44 and i84 include four UHD channels with HDR capability. On

the audio side, all RiCapture products are capable of 16 channels of embedded audio per channel, in addition to 64 Dante or AES67 channels. In all configurations, RiCapture offers recording in DNxHD or DNxHR along with H.264 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 encoding to the local storage. The local recording storage offers continuous loop recording for the captured content, with options to stream manually or with a scheduler. Files can also be clipped or exported as required from the available local storage to numerous streaming destinations.

Three software add-ons are available in the form of the VDR panel, including a web-based UI with expanded multichannel control for clip playback, programme delays and monitor wall playback. The RiView application is a multiviewer UI that includes audio downmix monitoring for synchronised review of record feeds for review, clipping and export to multiple destinations. The XDCAM add-on provides the tapeless XDCAM format for HD video acquisition and storage.

www.riedel.net

JBL Pro Connect V2 is currently available for JBL PRX ONE, EON ONE MK2, EON700, PRX900 and EON ONE Compact speaker systems.

STUDIO FURNITURE specialist AKA

Design has launched its ProVoice V4 podcast desk, the latest model in company’s range of desks for professional pod- and vodcast setups.

The fourth-generation model includes new features, including acoustic pads to enhance the sound, a universal mic and monitor centre section, along with headphone holders and sleek cable management. According to the manufacturer, the ProVoice V4’s mobility means it’s easy to change podcast formats and is a “stylish” addition to any podcast studio.

Having already supplied over 120 podcast studios worldwide, the desks have been specified by brands such as Spotify, Sky, NBC, Google, LinkedIn, Penguin Books, , London Stock Exchange, Brew Dog, Bleacher Report and The Minimalists. The latest ProVoice V4 model has been specifically designed for worldwide shipping and comes in a manageable and fully recyclable box with simple assembly

www.akadesign.com

VIDEOWALL SPECIALIST VuWall has announced a raft of enhancements to its VuStream 150 H.264 HDMI video encoder. The VuStream 150 is part of the VuStream

to 3840x2160 @ 60Hz, supports 4:4:4 pass-through, as well as 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 encoding and streaming. It enables unicast or multicast transmission to PAK processing

series of encoders and decoders, and integrates with PAK videowall, KVM nodes and VuScape controllers. It can be centrally configured and managed by the TRx centralised management software platform. Is it NDAA, TAA and SOC 2 compliant. The latest VuStream 150 encoder supports HDMI signals at resolutions up

nodes configured for various setups, including operator stations and videowalls, VuScape videowall controllers and media players like VLC. It also provides UHD encoding, PoE support and compatibility with third-party software decoding.

www.vuwall.com

Get comfortable with additional furniture features

CONTROL ROOM furniture specialist

Custom Consoles has introduced a number of refinements to its M-Desk Technical HA heavyduty, height-adjustable desk workstation. The MDesk-Technical HA already features an electrically motorised desktop which can be adjusted in height from 66 125cm, and free-standing 19-inch desktop pods. Additional features include high-strength CDF construction, metal-clad vertical supports, LED lighting at the front, sides and in the footwell, desktop cable trays feeding work-surface cable ports and five under-side power sockets for desktop equipment. The latest version adds options such as a desktop induction pad to charge mobile devices.

Blackmagic extends and transcends AKA unveils the ProVoice V4 VuStream upgrades

INTEGRATING AN RGBW 36mm x 24mm sensor with larger photo-sites for 16 stops of dynamic range and interchangeable PL, LPL and EF lens mounts, Blackmagic Design has added the URSA Cine 12K to its family of largeformat digital film cameras. Featuring 8TB of storage, together with high-speed networking for media upload and syncing to Blackmagic Cloud, the sensor of the URSA Cine 12K operates at resolutions ranging from 4–12K. With built-in ND filters for shooting in varying conditions, the URSA Cine 12K can record up to 80fps at 12K, 144fps at 8K and 240fps at 4K. Ensuring consistency of image on-set and through postproduction, Blackmagic RAW files store camera metadata, lens data, white balance, digital slate information and custom LUTs. The URSA Cine 12K records to Blackmagic Media Module 8TB for capturing over four hours of Blackmagic RAW in 12K or 20 hours in 4K. The RGBW architecture provides equal amounts of red, green and blue pixels, ensuring the optimisation of rich colours at all resolutions. Housed in a magnesium alloy chassis and lightweight carbon fibre polycarbonate composite skin, the URSA Cine 12K incorporates seven-pin Lemo and three-pin Fischer connectors, 12G -SDI out, 10G Ethernet, USB-C and XLR audio.

The UK company has also announced a Module-R Lite variant of its Module-R series which is designed for use in latestgeneration IT-based studios or where space is at a premium. The Module-R is a mix-and-match control room furniture system that allows broadcast control room furniture to be created on a project-specific basis from a range of pods, base sections, 19-inch rack housings, worktops, endpanel modules and legs. Unlike one-piece control room furniture, the Module-R desks can be expanded or reconfigured at any time.

www.customconsoles.co.uk

Created for more price-conscious budgets, the DaVinci Resolve Micro Color Panel features three weighted trackballs and 12 control knobs for fine-tuning primary grading parameters, in addition to navigation and transport keys for shortcut commands. The primary knobs can be used to control Y Lift, Y Gamma, Y Gain, Contrast, Pivot, Mid-tone Detail, Colour Boost, Shadow, Highlight, Saturation, Hue Rotation and Luminance Mix. Connected via Bluetooth or USB-C, the portable model is slightly larger than a computer keyboard and features a mounting slot for an Apple iPad Pro and an

they edit, allowing simultaneous grading and colour correction.

Designed to operate within the 2110 IP video workflow, the Ethernet Switch 360P features 16 10G connectors and two 100G Ethernet low-latency ports plus front panel routing, a spin knob, colour LCD and short-cut buttons. Corresponding to the same side as the network ports on broadcast equipment, the plug-and-play solution incorporates all network connections on the rear. For large ISO recording and live replay systems, a Blackmagic Cloud Store Max can connect directly into the 100G Ethernet connection for simultaneous Ultra HD recording streams. Developed for simplifying workflows in film and television the IP video routing adopts a router control panel. Bypassing complex IT settings, the Blackmagic Ethernet Switch 360P can set up multicast settings in the background. When connected to any HDMI output, the Ethernet connection is visualised in the status display, including link speed, current data transfer speed and a live data graph for each port depicting the data rate against the port capacity over time.

URSA Cine 12K

M-Desk Technical HA

Canon brings 27x zoom to its latest broadcast lens

DESIGNED TO

mobility of a conventional ENG lens, the CJ27ex7.3B is the latest broadcast lens from Canon, the company’s first portable lens with 27x optical zoom. The new lens is classified as a UHDxs lens, the company’s highest image quality rating for broadcast optics. The lens spans a focal range of 7.3–197mm and, with a built-in 2x extender, the maximum telephoto reach increases to 394mm.

The versatile focal length lens is described as equally at home in handheld news, live sports and broadcast studios. The 7.3mm-wide angle helps set the scene for viewers, while the 197mm telephoto end delivers tight shots of the subject. The lens also features Canon’s next-generation www.canon.com

Market-LED

production from ROE Visual

LED DISPLAY expert ROE Visual has premiered its first-ever ICVFX-focused LED panel. Designed to be used in semi-permanent to permanent installations, Obsidian’s reinforced frame design allows for the removal of LED modules at any time, facilitating the creation of access holes for additional equipment such as lighting fixtures or props. It can also be extended with an access platform of adjustable height to create access for technicians who need to work on the volume.

The panel boasts a fine 2.6mm pixel pitch, while its non-reflectivity and patented deep-black masking technology allows the panel’s surface

to reach “unprecedented levels” of darkness. ROE Visual says its advanced 2,500 nits brightness output represents a high contrast of 16,000:1, and that Obsidian also features flip-chip LED and richer greyscales that enhance the content output and colour fidelity. Mindful of users’ carbon footprints, Obsidian uses 50% less energy than a traditional LED panel at the same brightness (220W max/110W average), while the indoor panel has an IP63 rating for surface waterproofing, making it adaptable for a range of on-set requirements.

www.roevisual.com

A brighter future with Core Series III Firing up flexibility with

BOASTING SIGNIFICANT upgrades over its predecessor, Christie’s Core Series III videowalls are reportedly not only 30% lighter but up to 40% more energyefficient than the company’s previous Core Series II. Designed for a range of pricesensitive environments such as corporate lobbies, meeting rooms and digital signage applications, the range of five panels is available in a variety of pixel pitches from 0.9mm to 2.5mm, delivers 800 nits and has a typical LED lifespan of 100,000 hours. Its concealed cable design and ADA-compliant direct-mount system is said to make the

JVC announces vMix 4K video switchers

A COMPLETE live video production solution for live mixing, switching, recording and streaming, the KM-IP12S8 Series

eye on filmmakers and video professionals, Hollyland has added the Pyro S to its Pyro wireless video transmission system. Joining the Pyro H and Pyro 7, the Pyro range is a wireless 4K video monitoring system that the company says delivers smooth 30fps wireless video up to a

with licensed versions of either the vMix 4K or vMix Pro Live Production and Streaming software. Additionally, the resolution and

CONNECTED CAM vMix Studio Switchers has been debuted by JVC Professional. Comprising the KM-IP12S8 and KM-IP12S8PRO models, the series is best suite d to multi-camera and fast-paced applications, such as live sports and event productions. The switchers come standard

imagery are optimised for live programming in SD up to full 4K60p, across an array of traditional and personal viewing devices. The KM-IP12S8 includes the vMix 4K licence and supports up to 12 NDI/SRT and eight SDI video inputs, as well as multiple output options, including 12G-SDI,

3G-SDI, HDMI and DisplayPort. Additionally, three 2.5GB Ethernet ports are available for NDI, SRT, Dante and RTMPS internet connectivity. The switcher also offers concurrent outputs to three CDNs, Multiview and ISO recording, all in a 4U case with liquid cooling. The KM-IP12S8PRO has the same hardware specifications, with the addition of the vMix Pro software licence, which enables eight-channel instant replay. The front dock of each unit has four SSDs and USB 3.0 Gen.2 ports for digital audio and control surfaces. This includes JVC’s RM-LP350G vMix Control Surface with PTZ camera joystick and the recently released RM-LP450G vMix Slow-Motion Control Surface. The manufacturer has also unveiled its new KY-PZ540 Series PTZ Cameras with 40x zoom, its first PTZ cameras to incorporate this focal depth. The KY-PZ540 and KY-PZ540N integrated NDI HX3 capabilities and feature JVC’s Variable Scan Mapping technology,

With one transmitter supporting up to four receivers, the Pyro system makes transmission and monitoring more flexible, while Hollyland says its self-developed 2.4GHz and 5GHz Auto Dual-band frequency Hopping (ADH) wireless technology provides enhanced anti-interference capabilities while reducing lag and improving range. Users can optimise video monitoring

ColorBox receives free v2.1 update

V2.1 OF AJA’s ColorBox software has introduced new features that streamline 4K/UltraHD HDR work and facilitate emerging workflows from on-set through to postproduction. Additionally, the American manufacturer has announced that ColorBox and its Pomfort’s Livegrade solution have received the first joint logo product certification status by the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) for their support of ACES-based workflows.

Among the v2.1 release highlights are a new 4K/UltraHD down-conversion feature for ColorBox’s SDI and HDMI outputs and a 4K/2K crop feature for its HDMI output, which is said to help professionals make better use of existing HD monitoring equipment on-set. The update also introduces a new ACES Pipeline for the device that enables users to load an ACES Metadata File (AMF) into ColorBox to obtain the desired transform for improved collaboration across production stakeholders. Furthermore, support for ARRI Wireless Video Optimize (WVO) LogC4, which helps to eliminate banding

long-distance transmission of 200m. HD mode provides superior image quality, at a stable bitrate of 8–12Mbps up to 400m.

professionals, churches, schools and gamers to use Elgato’s Stream Deck desktop controller for hardware-based control of HELO Plus. Compatible with Elgato’s entire line of Stream Deck devices

The Pyro S and Pyro 7 feature both HDMI and SDI Input/Output, suitable for professional shooting and smaller commercial projects. The Pyro H provides HDMI Input/Output and Loopout. The Pyro S and Pyro H both also feature a colour LCD display on both transmitter and receiver, providing access to the user interface and quick setting selection. The Pyro 7 is a 7-inch transceiving wireless monitor.

www.hollyland.com

A modular approach from VITEC

AIMING TO simplify and streamline digital IPTV head-end deployments, the Diamond C10 managed chassis from VITEC is a highperformance modular frame that enables

and hardware management of the system, delivering centralised management for simplified IP stream control. Its modular design provides future customisation

broadcasters and IPTV operators to encode and stream a high volume of channels while offering centralised management and functionality. Built upon VITEC’s established OG card product line-up, the Diamond C10 uses an integrated controller card that acts as the central hub for network interaction

and scalability, and the platform features redundant power supplies and adaptive cooling to optimise temperature control. Meanwhile, its hot-swappable design minimises downtime.

www.vitec.com

This VC is well-connected

THE LUMENS VC-A53 is a PTZ HD camera with 20x optical zoom, a suite of simultaneous video outputs, multiple power options, high-speed robotics, multiple streaming and control options, and the FreeD tracking protocol for virtual production. With panning and tilting speeds of up to 225° per second, Lumens says the VC-A53 is well-suited to professional applications, including sports, documentaries and event production. The camera provides SDI, HDMI, Ethernet and USB connectivity, VISCA, ONVIF and USB control and streaming format support that includes RTSP, RTMP(S), SRT and MPEG-TS. It provides DC and Ethernet power (PoE) enabling fast installation onto the network or in studio environments, and is compatible with the Lumens Deployment Tool 2.0 which

Epson takes short throw

EPSON HAS released its first ultra-short throw projectors for businesses and hybrid working environments that integrate its 4K Enhancement Resolution technology. The inclusion of Extreme Short Throw technology also means that the EB-810E and EB-815E models can be positioned just centimetres from the wall to create a canvas up to 4m. Additionally, both models support multiple aspect ratios,

for ceiling mounting, complicated cabling and the labour involved, users can either mount the units on the wall or simply set on a surface close by. The EB-810E and EB-815E come with versatile wired and wireless connectivity options, including screen mirroring to ensure multi-device content sharing. Weighing only 12.3kg, both projectors are also portable.

The Epson Setting Assistant App is said

enables full control, management and monitoring of multiple cameras over the network.

www.mylumens.com

over a single cable, with a second 100GB Ethernet input for full redundancy. Additionally, new data distribution units support fan-out from 100Gb to 10Gb and to 1Gb Ethernet, allowing connections to existing Tessera R2, R2+ and G1 receiver cards. Brompton has also introduced support for irregular canvas sizes, which can extend up to 64K pixels in either dimension. This capability enables a single processor to handle screens that would have previously required multiple units.

The SQ200 is the first of several planned products in the Gen 3 range to cover a variety of price points and applications.

Integrating Micro LED and HBB common cathode technologies, the KLCOB V2 Series delivers a contrast ratio of up to 15,000:1, high dynamic range, 600 nits, 3,840Hz refresh rate, a DCI-P3 cinema-level colour gamut and 2fps low latency. Designed for control rooms, the KLCOB V2 Series offers 360° protection against external impacts, ensuring a robust defence from every angle.

Also boasting Micro LED technology alongside optional interactive touch capabilities, Absen’s Absenicon X Series is tailor-made for professional environments such as boardrooms, meeting rooms and showrooms. The range is

full-screen calibration, 90% BT2020 cinematic colour gamut and a 15,000:1 contrast ratio. Finally, Absen’s Acclaim V3 Series (A27) is designed for high-end enterprise and retail applications. Now available in 1.2mm pixel pitch, it offers up to 2.5mm and has an aspect ratio of 16:9 to cater for commonly viewed videos. Only 44.5mm thick and weighing 24kg/m2, the Acclaim Series is equipped with APS technology, reducing power consumption by up to 30% while maintaining lower surface temperatures.

www.usabsen.com

SX40 to reportedly ensure ample headroom for years of continued use.

The SQ200 offers 100Gb Ethernet connectivity

KLCOB V2 Series

LIKE A PRO. TOUR

VGt features 8 transducers, amplification, a networked DSP endpoint, and Autolock rigging, all integrated into a lightweight and compact design.

COMPACT, POWER EFFICIENT, EASY TO RIG

VGt is a large-format line array enclosure, designed to deliver the highest audio quality to large audiences in arenas, stadiums, festivals, performance halls and more. VGt isn't just changing the game — it's redefining it.

VGt is a peak performance large-format line array loudspeaker and the first member in the Vergence Group, setting a new standard for high-performance audio products with seamless integration. Using our ArrayIntelligence software and the Adamson Bridge allows for a combination of VGt with any powered or rack-amplified Adamson speakers.

Next-level DMX

REBUILT FROM the ground up with a “fresh new look”, ADJ has released myDMX 5, designed to make it easier and quicker for users to program “bigger and better” light shows. myDMX 5 features a 20K+ fixture library, an effects engine, new Super Scene timeline interface, app control and a new hardware interface with standalone capability. Compatible with PC and Mac, myDMX 5 is described as easy to learn for first-time DMX users and comes with features that will reportedly fuel the creativity of experienced professionals. It can be used to control all types of entertainment lighting fixtures compatible with the DMX protocol, including moving heads, static washes, mirror scanners and strobes as well as accessories such as smoke and haze machines.

The manufacturer has also updated its Par Z Series. The Par Z100 3K2 features a 100W 3,000K cool white COB LED engine, while the Par Z100 5K2 uses a 100W 5,700K warm white COB LED light source. Both versions offer five beam angle options (9°, 15°, 20°, 25° or 30°)

and are supplied with a gel frame allowing the use of a diffusion filter or colour gel (not included). The Par Z150 RGBA comes with a 150W quad colour (red, green, blue and amber) COB LED engine said to deliver a large spectrum of colour options, including white light with colour temperature variable between 2,300K and 9,900K.

grandMA works harder

THE V2.0.0.4 grandMA3 software update introduces a raft of functionality and workflow improvements to MA Lighting’s lighting console, including a customisable encoder bar, bitmaps, soundfiles in timecode, selection grid improvements, fixture sheet modes and what MA Lighting refers to as “special dialogues”. In addition, the update delivers improvements to data handling and organisation. Sheets can now be filtered and reorganised to create a

personal workspace, and the transfer of fixture data is said to be easier with the introduction of a clone window. Tracking functionalities reportedly simplify working with big sequences, while fixture type presets allow users to easily transfer predefined content from show to show. MA Lighting’s free online MA University provides detailed training on the updated feature set.

www.malighting.com

The H20 Two is the manufacturer’s latest H20 water simulation effect projector. Featuring a 120W cool white LED light source, the fixture can be used to project an animated effect which gives the impression of running water. Manual zoom allows the beam angle to be adjusted between 27° and 37°, while manual focus of the lens allows the effect to be blurred out if required. The fixture features a colour wheel with five dichroic options (plus white) as well as a strobe function. It can be controlled either via DMX – connected using five-pin cables – or using the supplied UCIR infrared remote. lime) LED engine, combining vibrant colour

Awash with colour

AYRTON HAS

Source 6 and Creative Solutions ranges: the Kyalami and Nando 502 Wash. The Kyalami is a laser-sourced fixture designed for architectural graphic effects and is the first IP65 laser source luminaire in the Creative Solutions series. At 265mm x 430mm x 265mm, the Kyalami is an ultra-compact luminaire with a design that allows multiple units to be installed only a few centimetres apart. Its 265mm sphere incorporates the Kyalami’s 100W laser module, cooling system and optics, while its 126mm front lens positioned in the continuity of the sphere provides the Kyalami with a unique visual signature. Its proprietary three-lens optical system produces an intensive 1° beam and a range of focus that permits the beam shape to be adjusted according to operating distance. It delivers a record luminous flux of 400,000 lux at 10m from its speckle-free laser source, which is designed for rendering a D65 white point. Meanwhile, its colour section includes a high-definition progressive CMY colour mixing

mixing with a high CRI. The unit features 64 colour macros, to allow easy mixing of popular options, and offers variable white light output with a colour temperature of between 2,700K and 6,500K. The fixture is supplied

yoke that can serve either as a floor stand or hanging bracket and has a sit-flat design (with power and DMX sockets located on the side) to allow simple deployment as an uplighting fixture.

released the DMX FX512, a DMX controller designed for use with both LED PARs and moving heads; and the MDF3, a robust, lightweight and modular LED dancefloor panel illuminated by an arrangement of three-in-one RGB colour mixing LEDs that cause its opaque surface to glow vibrantly in

www.adj.com

system and a multi-position instant access colour wheel equipped with five corrective filters and 17 complementary colour filters.

Expanding Ayrton’s Multi Sources IP65 6 Series, the Nando 502 Wash is another compact IP65 luminaire, especially

designed for mixed use stage lighting. Suitable for both indoors and outdoors, it can even be used in salty environments. It can switch from beam to wash with a zoom ratio of 15:1 and a zoom range of 3.5–53°, and is fitted with 12 high-performance 40W LED sources with RGB-L additive colour synthesis and a proprietary optical system made up of a 210mm cluster in PMMA. This works in combination with 12 glass light-guides with an output surface made of an optical micro-structure. Its lightweight and minimalist design reportedly allows perfect colour reproduction with a colour rendering luminous flux of 10,000 lumens and offers a mix of pastel or saturated colours. In addition, a library of pre-programmed colours allows colour, and Ayrton has also installed separate LED source control channels on all Wash versions and what it claims is a virtually infinite library of effects.

www.ayrton.eu

Kyalami

Nando 502 Wash

myDMX 5

Leading with LED

FRENCH LIGHTING specialist Robert Juliat has expanded its range of LED luminaires with the introduction of two products. Featuring a motorised iris which enables the creation of iris presets, the cool white 6,000K Tristan is an 800W LED high-output followspot with a 7–14° zoom range. Additional features include electronic dimming, local and DMX control, integrated power supply and silent operation, along with a remote display and accessories for an operator. Tristan is also compatible with DMX, RDM, Ethernet, Art-Net and sACN protocols.

Designed for long-throw front-of-house applications in medium to large venues, Ravel is an LED profile spot which sports a lamp house design with a reinforced body and an enhanced, efficient cooling system. Designed to be compatible with Robert Juliat’s 600SX and 700SX Series profile lens tubes, Ravel’s light output is equivalent to that of 2kW tungsten profiles. Its 450W tunable white

Chauvet lights the world

CONTINUING ITS theme “Reach Across Worlds in 2024”, Chauvet Professional has added to its Strike series with the Strike Array 4C and Strike Array 2C, both IP65rated RGBA-WW blinder-strobe-audience lights. The units come with full-colour pods (four in the larger unit and two in the smaller one) that can be independently focused and feature low-end dimming capabilities as well as a red shift function that warms the colour temperature of the light as it dims to emulate a classic tungsten look. The variable PWM and high CRI of both units make them the suitable for broadcast applications. They also have a proprietary tool-free interlocking system that allows them to be interconnected in the kind of multiple configurations that are important to live and VR productions. The Strike Bolt 1C is an IP65-rated strobe featuring integrated Smart Frost that enables the fixture to shift instantly from powerful strobe bursts to smooth colour block effects. Its proprietary ToolFree Stacking streamlines interconnecting Strike Bolt 1C with Strike Array fixtures

Tuning up in colour

LED source reportedly guarantees the same constant brightness whatever the colour temperature, with a CRI >90. Available in three zoom options – 16–35°, 28–54° and 11–26° – Ravel has the same silent operation and protocol compatibility as Tristan, and a maximum power consumption of 500W.

www.robertjuliat.com

BRINGING GREATER control and precision to its range of full-spectrum LED lighting fixtures, Elation’s ColourTune Technology allows users to customise output to meet their exact needs. Providing total colour uniformity across multiple fixtures, the software’s suite of features includes Colour Tuning, Output Balance, 16-bit CCT Control, White Point Adjustment, Dim to Warm and a Virtual Swatch Book Fade.

Colour tuning enables users to choose between highest output, highest fidelity or a blend of both to achieve optimal performance tailored to any application, with CCT and colour

settings adjusting accordingly. Meanwhile, the Uniform setting on the Output Balance feature maintains consistent intensity across multiple fixtures to deliver a more homogenous system; conversely, a Bright setting allows a fixture to output its brightest levels but sacrifices uniformity of colour tone and CCT tolerances between fixtures.

ColourTune Technology provides recallable 16-bit CCT control over colour temperature and allows for adjustments of as little as 1° Kelvin for accurate reproduction of desired lighting hues. Seamless colour temperature crossfades are possible anywhere along the 2,400–8,500K range. White Point Adjustment

enables users to set a desired CCT value and then mix colour from that set point, with the flexibility to mix colours manually or select from a virtual swatch book.

LED batten with individual control of zoom, tilt and colour across 12 independent heads. Basic and advanced operating modes and a full library of pre-built effects that includes virtual gobos, movement macros and foreground/background colour control are said to make creating complex and volumetric looks easy. Seamless edge-toedge mounting maintains pixel pitch between fixtures, helping to make runway effects consistent.

Finally, the Ovation Rêve F-3 IP is an outdoor-rated motorised Fresnel incorporating the manufacturer’s full spectrum (RGBAM) Rêve light engine. Designed for applications in need of soft controllable washes, the unit comes with an adjustable yoke that allows it to be mounted anywhere, even in low clearance areas. The extended zoom range can narrow from 60° all the way down to 10°, while the unit also boasts smooth dimming, ± green adjustment, linear CCT and adjustable Pulse Width Modulation.

www.chauvetprofessional.com

The natural glow of tungsten lamps is achieved through the Dim to Warm feature, which seamlessly fades colour temperature as the fixture is dimmed, while the Virtual Swatch Book Fade enables users to fade between two virtual swatch book colour selections for smooth transitions, with options to adjust pre-built swatch colour points for greater colour customisation.

ColourTune is available on fixtures including the Fuze Teatro, KL PAR FC, KL PAR FC IP and SŌL I Blinder, and will be implemented into all new full-spectrum fixtures moving forward.

www.elationlighting.com

Ravel

Tristan

Strike Array 4C

UK

LIGHTING company Avolites has been busy, with the launch of its latest Diamond console, the introduction of Titan version 17 and previewing updated Prism media software. The Diamond 7 (D7) comes on the back of the company’s flagship Diamond 9 (D9) console. While the control surface follows the D9 design language, the D7 features a clam shell screen panel and locking mechanism. The company has unveiled two variants in the D7-330 and D7-215, a three- and two-screen variant with 3 0 a nd 15 faders respectively. The D7-215 fits into a standard Peli-Air case and is under the European 23kg aircraft hold weight limit.

Meanwhile, Titan version 17 enhances the user experience with improvements to the colour picker, personality builder, cue list

Colouring outside the box

CLAIMING TO have the most robust feature set it has ever developed, Martin Professional’s MAC Viper XIP is an outdoor moving head fixture that utilises Martin’s patent-pending XIP weatherproofing technology. Integrating powerful lumen output, XIP water and dust ingress protection, and whisper-silent noise levels, the MAC Viper XIP is designed not only for temporary, year-round outdoor needs, but also for broadcast and other noise-sensitive applications. Martin’s tailor-made light engine and XIP weatherproofing allow the MAC Viper XIP to deliver 28,000 lumens consistent output, with a 5° narrow, high-definition and high-contrast beam. The company says its 5,800K colour temperature ensures a white point precisely on the black body curve, with no green or magenta shifts. Its optical system features

14 precision-coated lenses and delivers centre-to-edge clarity, while the shutter system’s enhanced depth of field ensures well-defined gobo framing.

The MAC Viper XIP’s cooling system maintains full output with colours, gobos and effects, and features high-resolution, low-level dimming and gobo light recycling to enable 25% additional output when inserting gobos. Meanwhile, precision motor control results in pan and tilt speeds and response times suitable for followspot systems. In addition, the MAC Viper XIP NFC technology enables smartphone control via the upcoming Martin app, while it also offers simplified connectivity with popular control protocols such as DMX, Wireless DMX, Art-Net, sACN and Martin P3 Control.

www.martin.com

macro target console option, convert between hardware trigger and item trigger features. Finally, Prism is Avolites’ latest media software application. Designed to give lighting operators and designers easy access to tools and video features, it is complementary to Avolites’ Ai specialist media application. Primary features include multiple layers, preview window, live inputs (capture cards and webcams) and NDI inputs. An updated UI includes bank table and thumbnail views, adding surface and output pages, and cross-fade on layer. Updated Synergy control includes adding and removing layers, while secondary features include speed control on layer, added virtual returns and hardware decode for H.264/H.265. The company plans to fully release Prism One later this year.

www.avolites.com

Elsewhere, the Hog 4 version 4.0 software update provides “significant improvements” to colour handling and Hog 4’s Colour Picker, the introduction of a “Record Defaults” function and Fixture Builder upgrades. Aiming to relieve programmers and designers from the challenges of controlling rigs with multiple colour engines, the update provides multiple colour input languages through the colour pickers, virtual colour functions and gels library. Substantial changes have also been made to the fixture library, colour picker, gels, palettes, effects, plots, pixel mapping and the playback of colour. All colour mixing systems – including native HS, xyY, CMY as well as all additive colour engines – are now fully integrated. Hog 4 OS v4.0 also now features a Colour Picker window with a tabbed interface that features a variety of controls for mixing colour across all fixture types. Additionally, a “Colour Mix” preview column has been added to the output window and editor windows, indicating the colour being output by colour mixing fixtures.

Other features include Record Defaults to provide operators with a way to establish default function values for fixtures. Meanwhile, the Fixture Builder has additional basic mode templates for modelling additive colour modelling

fixtures, automatic application of virtual intensity to fixtures with colour mixing systems and the inclusion of more user-editable fields such as mode and product. Version 4.0 is compatible with all generations of Hog 4 hardware. Finally, the manufacturer has introduced a range of capabilities to its Mosaic Designer Software with the launch of Mosaic software v2.12. Headlining the feature set is Mosaic Record, which enables users to capture up to 16 universes of sACN or Art-Net output from a console and save recordings directly to a Windows or Mac environment. Record captures can be applied onto Mosaic timelines just like any other effects or presets, seamlessly blending into a show. ETC says Mosaic Record not only makes programming any show simpler but means that moving lights effects programmed on a console can be easily ported into Mosaic. The Mosaic Record app records from a computer and imports directly to the Mosaic Designer software rather than being triggered from a Mosaic touchscreen. The update also enables users to set timings to tempo and bars with music timelines and customise playback groups.

www.etcconnect.com

Spotlight on Robe

CELEBRATING ITS 30th birthday this year, Robe has debuted several additions to its lighting inventory, including the iBOLT, T15 Fresnel and PC, iT12 Fresnel, iESPRITE Fresnel, Footsie1 and Footsie2 Slim and iSpiiderX.

Mirroring the MegaPointe, the iBOLT can be used as a beam, spot, wash and effects luminaire for stage and outdoor applications. It has an LSW-5 white laser phosphor light source and a 300mm front lens with a 0.4–8.5° zoom. Additional features include the SpektraBeam effects engine, ScanGuard safety monitoring and Robe’s POLAR+, EMS and RAINS IP protection technologies.

Produced for theatre and broadcast studios, the T15 is available as a Fresnel or PC version, both with identical features. The T15 utilises the ZoomStat system which produces a beam angle exceeding 70° with a motorised zoom range of 10–72°. It offers a CRI of 95 and CMY or RGB colour control virtual CCT range from 2,700–8,000K, while the MSL-TE 350W LED engine offers a 11,960-lumen output.

The iT12 Fresnel has been specifically designed for outdoor IP65/IP66 requirements. The fixture features a 10:1 zoom ratio from a 6° beam to a

60° wash. The iSE-MSL-TE 500W LED source offers selectable CMY, RGB or individual colour emitter control, factorycalibrated whites and variable CCT from 2,700–8.000K, a CRI of 95 plus and an

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The iESPRITE is powered by Robe’s Transferrable Engine technology including the white iSE-TE 650W HP and HCF LED engines. Designed for external use, the fixture is equipped with a F2L Fresnel lens for outdoor IP65/ IP66 requirements which boosts the homogeneity of the light output across the 10:1 zoom ratio, from a 6° beam to a 62° wash. Other benefits include two colour wheels, ChromaTint, RotaScrim, 4Door, Cpulse and POLAR+.

The Footsie1 and Footsie2 Slim are two new variants of Robe’s IP65-rated LED footlight system. Suitable for a variety of applications, the fixtures are available as Warm White (CRI 90+), Tuneable White or RGBW light sources. They feature the SPREAD system to help remove side glare and BluMark safety which offers lowlevel LED indication of stage edges. Finally, with an IP65 rating, the RGBW LED WashBeam iSpiiderX luminaire has been created for outdoor use with features including RAINS, MAPS and POLAR+. It weighs 18kg and has a lumen output of 13,100. The iSpiiderX boasts individual pixel mapping capabilities which can be used together with the

iESPRITE

in-built “flower effect” with a variable zoom 4–50°. It also includes DataSwatch filters, the EasyClean lens system and Cpulse flicker-free management.

www.robe.cz

iBOLT

Redefining the workspace

Zach Snook, director of product management at Biamp, looks at how the practice of hoteling can be used to increase productivity and staff satisfaction in the face of shrinking office space

HYBRID WORKING, WHERE EMPLOYEES SPLIT THEIR time between the traditional office environment and elsewhere, exploded in popularity during the pandemic. However, unlike other aspects of daily life that have gone back to normal, a return to the office hasn’t materialised, with the hybrid working trend apparently here to stay for the foreseeable future. In late 2023, desk booking platform Robin Powered surveyed 530 business owners and facilities managers across the US about how their office space is currently being used and what the future of the physical office will look like. The survey found that 75% of businesses said they planned to reduce office space this year, compared to 46% in 2022.

As employers continue to coalesce around hybrid work scenarios, shrinking office footprints accordingly, employees increasingly do not have their own dedicated deskspaces. Should all or even a majority of employees show up to the office on any given day, proceedings can quickly transform into an elaborate game of musical chairs.

To better manage the reduction in office space, AV and IT leaders from family businesses to enterprise-level corporations need to think not just about how they accommodate a distributed workforce within a hybrid work environment, but also how best to leverage the scaled-down office without hurting productivity and employee satisfaction. A smaller office space creates a need to be more intentional and strategic with how that space is utilised across individual offices, shared workspaces and conference rooms. In response, organisations are increasingly adopting hoteling strategies, meaning that instead of having dedicated workstations, employees reserve desks or meeting rooms as needed. This approach provides maximum flexibility as employees can choose the most suitable workspace based on their specific tasks and requirements from day to day, or even hour to hour.

company-wide scheduling platform should include a mobile app allowing employees to find and book a desk or conference room before going into the office. Ensuring the app includes floorplans provides users with an overview of available desks on each floor to find and book a space that fits their needs. The app could also be used to view ongoing and upcoming bookings days in advance, enabling employees to book the space and check in. The system should also assist users in finding their colleagues based on current bookings, enhancing collaboration and teamwork opportunities.

Hoteling is particularly beneficial for organisations with a significant portion of the workforce operating remotely. As a general rule of thumb for maintaining just enough office space for hybrid work scenarios without sacrificing productivity, Biamp recommends a desk-to-employee ratio of 0.7, meaning that for 10 employees there should be seven desks. Of course, if everyone shows up at the office on any given day, not enough desks will be available. Again, hoteling can play a big factor in effectively managing this situation by enabling employees to plan ahead.

team members together at the office in the first place. Organisations can also utilise hoteling to address issues like equitable access to workplace technology, effective communication in hybrid settings and maintaining company culture within a distributed workforce. Other benefits include reducing the carbon emissions of the organisation by making the office space as efficient as possible while reducing the need for employees to commute, especially if they know the office will be full that day or a primary colleague or supervisor won’t be present. Scheduling systems can be incorporated into the existing IT framework and hardware, ideally within the conferencing solutions built on preexisting unified communication platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.   Creating an effective hoteling strategy starts with making scheduling and managing office space as simple as possible for employees, whether they are in the physical office or not. The

In-office displays showcasing the desk or room schedule and its current status should be provided for each workspace or conference room. Providing an option for an employee to book the space in real time as they review the schedule further enhances productivity. A traffic light system whereby devices might light up red to signal that the particular space is currently reserved, amber to show that the desk is reserved for later in the day or green to indicate the space is open and available to book could be particularly useful. The key is ensuring that such a hoteling hardware-software system is cloud-enabled and integrates within the existing office software collaboration tools and AV hardware. For the integrator, this add-on hoteling technology can help them better serve their customers while offering an additional revenue stream to counter the shrinking office space. After all, a smaller office likely means fewer AV peripheral install opportunites such as control systems, speakers, microphones and cameras that are now staples in today’s office environments.

Those organisations that can master scheduling within effective conferencing AV ecosystems, including unified communication tools, will generate the most employee satisfaction in hybrid work environments well into the future, taking the stress out of a visit to the office and ensuring a productive working environment. Furthermore, organisations can utilise the data generated by the hoteling system to optimise office space, tracking which desks and conference rooms are the most or least popular. This would allow them to refine the physical office footprint for the benefit of both the workforce and its green initiatives – each key factors in ensuring a happy, productive and sustainable working environment.

www.biamp.com

Zach Snook

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