It already feels like a lifetime ago, but ISE 2023 (which in reality took place less than four weeks after I’m writing this column) felt like a key post-Covid moment for the industry. The people were back (without a mask in sight), the products were back on the booths in full force and, most importantly, the atmosphere was like the good old days again. The only things leaving a sour taste in any attendees’ mouths were logistical issues relating to the convention centre. The show itself was very much a success. As always, if you weren’t able to be there, we have a post-show recap on pp46–48 and plenty of video content from the show on our YouTube channel. That success is surely a sign of things to come. Between this publication and
of us will be back out in the territories far more than we have in recent years. In Dubai, we also have a brand-new exhibition to look forward to – Integrate Middle East, taking place in May. The lack of a true pro AV-dedicated show has been a sore point for many local companies I’ve spoken to in recent years, and so I’m hopeful that the majority will throw their weight behind it. The opening of China’s borders is yet more welcome progress and supply chain obstacles, while not behind us quite yet, appear to be easing. It’s full speed ahead for AV in 2023!
Richard Lawn General manager rlawn@proavl-mea.com
Caroline Moss Contributing editor cmoss@proavl-mea.com
Nick Smith Digital media manager nsmith@proavl-mea.com
Sue Su
Guangzhou manager T: +86 13609001455 ssu@proavl-mea.com
Sue Gould Advertising director sgould@proavl-mea.com
Karen Wallace Editorial coordinator kwallace@proavl-mea.com
Chris Yardley Video editor cyardley@proavl-mea.com
Frank Shao Beijing manager T: +86 10 8652 5184 frank@proaudioasia.com.cn
Carolyn Valliere Sales associate cvalliere@proavl-mea.com
Libby Stonell Digital content editor lstonell@proavl-mea.com
Adrian Baker Production manager abaker@proavl-mea.com
Marne Mittelmann Circulation manager F: +65 6491 6588 circulation@proavl-mea.com
A vibrant artistic and cultural centre, Hammamet, in Tunisia is a place that connects Europe to Africa, and East to West. Now in its 60th decade, the 56th International Festival of Hammamet brought together a host of international artists to the Mediterranean city for a diverse programme of events taking place over a five-week period last summer.
Local events services specialist, Sybel Event Company, was tasked with finding a sound system for the main stage, which would see varied performances from jazz to rap acts and decided on the NEXO GEO M6 compact line array. Hangs of nine GEO M620 cabinets on either side of the stage were each complemented by ground stacks of two NEXO LS15 and two LS18 subs, with six NEXO ID24 and two IDS110 used as front fills. Amplification and processing three NEXO NXAMP4X1 and one NXAMP4X4 Flexibility was key to an onstage monitoring system that would have to adapt quickly to
very different groups of performers, so 20 of NEXO’s PS15 point source cabinets were chosen, along with two LS1200 and two LS18 subs to create drum monitors and side fills, all powered by 22 NEXO DTDAMP1.3 with DTD
Commenting on behalf of Sybel Event Company, sound engineer Ahmed Mohamed El Fekih said: “The venue was quite difficult to deal with as it is very large, much like an ancient theatre. But the most amazing thing about NEXO is the versatility and compatibility of all speakers from the different ranges. I and every engineer who came to the festival was amazed by the harmony between the different components. The sound was clear and clean, fitting the many different styles of music. Everyone was pleased by the power and quality from such a small system.”
www.nexo-sa.com
year, the Denver-based producer awarded its coveted Global Distributor of the Year award 2022 to Dubai-based Venuetech. Vice-president of sales and marketing, Altman Lighting, Nicolas Champion flew nine time zones from New York City to deliver the crystal glass trophy in person to Venuetech CEO Nour Assafiri.
“Venuetech are worthy winners on many levels,” announced Champion.
better gentlemen and better partners to work with.”
family-owned lighting manufacturer that architectural fixtures. To commence the new
“This award marks a representation of our appreciation through both good and difficult times as Venuetech have always stood by us. Hopefully Altman Lighting has stood by Venuetech as we truly value their international sales. We could not wish for
Having made room on its trophy shelf, Venuetech CEO Nour Assafiri replied: “It means so much to us all at Venuetech that Nicolas has flown all the way from the US to Dubai to honour us with this award. 2022 was very special for us because we succeeded to secure big projects with Altman Lighting products, including the James School in Qatar, Warner Brothers Dubai and Abu Dhabi Seaworld. We are looking forward to continuing this theme in 2023.”
www.altmanlighting.com
Known for its audio and lighting solutions, the K-array group comprises three brands – K-array, KGEAR and KSCAPE.
According to K-array president Alessandro Tatini, the time has come to consolidate the company’s offering for the AV market to make it easier for integrators, consultants and architects to specify the products they need for their projects. K-array group products offer solutions for applications including corporate, education, hospitality, retail, public spaces, visitor attractions, marine and venues.
“We are passionate about sound and have been pioneering unique audio solutions for live events for over 30 years,” explained Tatini. “We wanted to bring that experience to the installed AV market, so the last few years
have seen us develop a range of compact, aesthetically pleasing products that deliver the same levels of quality and innovation to the AV sector.
“Three years ago, we developed KSCAPE –an integrated audio and lighting solution for design-conscious environments that puts wellbeing into focus. A year later, we launched KGEAR with the intention of offering simpler, less costly audio solutions for applications where quality counts. Now that we have all these elements, it’s time for us to have a more cohesive approach to the market.”
The first move is the creation of a dedicated K-array installed sound business unit. This will bring K-array’s three brands under one roof and act as a single resource for consultants
and integrators looking to specify projects. To ensure timely delivery of product and circumvent the current supply chain issues faced by the industry at large, the K-array group has invested in both components and final assembled stock to guarantee a minimum of 12 months supply to ensure that solutions are available upon demand.
K-array has also reportedly worked hard to develop strategic partnerships for increased
ensure integration with most major control systems; namely Crestron, Crestron Home, Q-SYS and Control4. K-array is also said to be the first manufacturer to adopt Audinate’s “Dante Ready” licensing programme.
www.k-array.com
The K-array group comes together as one
To further complement its growing global network of physical experience centres, Genelec has introduced its online Virtual Showroom, where visitors can explore a wide range of active loudspeaker systems and technologies in a set of realistic room settings. This allows customers across the studio, AV and home audio segments to access Genelec information and resources in a visually engaging interactive environment.
marketing channels,” commented Genelec business development director, Ken Kimura.
“So, we used that period of enforced disruption to explore how to engage closely with our customers in the virtual world and the Virtual Showroom was a natural result of that planning process – complementing our well-established website and social media channels.”
With the return of face-to-face customer contact, Kimura feels strongly that Genelec
Hosted on the Genelec website, visitors to the Virtual Showroom can experience the latest in VR technology to navigate separate and distinct areas for professional audio monitoring, AV installation and home audio, which showcase both stereo and immersive systems that comprise a range of key loudspeaker and subwoofer models. Visitors can then access detailed product information, video content and learning resources, at any time and from the comfort of their own environment.
“One of the powerful effects of the pandemic was to focus our minds on how to communicate more effectively via digital
now has a perfect balance of demonstration opportunities. “In this fast-paced digital world, the Virtual Showroom has all the benefits of interactivity and instant 24/7 access, while our experience centres represent the gold standard in personal contact and critical listening opportunities. Add to that the range of international exhibitions, roadshows, smaller regional events and dealer demonstrations, and there are now more ways than ever for customers to experience everything that Genelec has to offer.”
www.genelec.com
The fifth season of Ninja Warrior Israel, the endurance sport competition TV series, was recorded on the waterfront of Haifa port, overlooking giant cranes and container ships unloading at the adjacent docks. Competitors took part in a series of increasingly difficult challenges, filmed overnight due to the extreme heat. The set was lit by lighting designer and director Ofer Jacobi, in close collaboration with director Oren Levi.
The site was a 20,000m2 outdoor arenalike space, so Jacobi needed powerful moving lights and chose Robe products to help illuminate vital elements of the show.
The Robes included 14 BMFL Blades, 30 Spiider LED wash beams, 23 Pointes and 12 LEDBeam 150s, supplied by Israeli rental company Argaman Systems, along with approximately 1,500 other fixtures on the rig. Fourteen substantial constructions/games were designed and built by the Ninja Warriors international team, ATS.
Two of the BMFL Blades were positioned on the floor either side of the landmark Midoriyama Mountain and were used for following the action, with the other 12 positioned on a circular central stage in the middle of all the games which had a video floor. From there, the BMFL Blades could beam around, searchlight style, and pick up contestants on the surrounding games.
The Spiiders were dotted all over the site, rigged on various trusses and used for general washing and TV lighting. The entire central area could be illuminated with Spiiders, rigged in positions where they could quickly swap between the different games’ sets.
“The Spiiders were a fantastic and a highly flexible option for these tasks and for this show,” Jacobi noted.
www.robe.cz
Since opening its doors on Abu Dhabi’s corniche almost 20 years ago, the Emirates Palace hotel has hosted a multitude of events ranging from cinema, to dance troupes, classical concerts, music festivals and opera within its 1,200-seat auditorium. Commissioned by the venue in 2013 to provide a digital audio mixing upgrade, Thomsun Trading recently returned to install a new self-powered loudspeaker solution.
The original CobraNet 2004 design featuring Renkus-Heinz speakers, Media Matrix processing and a Midas XL4 analogue console was upgraded to digital in 2014. A Yamaha CL5 console and a DME64 processor were selected for their flexibility and intuitive operation. Compact in size and deemed to be sufficiently portable with a custom-built flight case, the CL5 is operated from either the rear control room or in the main auditorium.
A loudspeaker upgrade was ruled out at that time, as the auditorium could not be closed for a lengthy period. Instead, the
venue opted for a Dante network solution by installing Yamaha Dante input and CobraNet output cards within the Yamaha DME64N. The individual 52 surround sound loudspeakers were individually addressed using Windows XP compatible software over
a three-month period. With the upgrade, different preset configurations have been created for the various events being staged. The venue contracted Thomsun Trading to design and supply loudspeakers within the proscenium. A combination
of DZR15 two-way and DZR315 threeway enclosures are augmented by eight DXS18XLF Class-D 1,020W subwoofers within the concealed surround.
“Committed to a full schedule of events, the palace could not afford any lengthy downtime,” commented technical manager Ragesh C from Thomsun Trading. “Having enjoyed the benefits and stability of the Yamaha CL5 Dante network solution we provided for almost 10 years, they entrusted Thomsun Trading once again to deliver. As such, the selfpowered solution was deemed ideal on account of its powerful, lightweight plug-and-play benefits. Installed in one single day by systems integrator AIMS Telecommunication, not only was the venue’s packed events schedule not interrupted, but the audiences are enjoying the enhanced audio qualities.”
www.asia-latinamerica-mea.yamaha.com
www.emiratespalace.ae
www.thomsunmusic.com
integrator and Symetrix’s exclusive distributor for Cyprus, MegaSound. Its director, Stelios Petrides, said: “The client’s request for the Event Centre was very clear. They needed a system that could host live concerts, DJ events, large and small conferences, exhibitions and weddings.”
For MegaSound, the answer for controlling a solution that could handle this variety of uses was a Symetrix Prism 12x12 DSP with 12 analogue inputs and 12 outputs combined with ARC-3 wall control panels and a T-5 Glass 5-inch touchscreen for intuitive front-end control. “Symetrix for us builds the ultimate control system,” said Petrides. “The Symetrix equipment has the main role of delivering the building’s audio control depending on the daily event. The AV system has been programmed in such a way that gives the Event Centre’s managers simple,
it actually plays a much broader and more critical role at the Ayia Napa Marina Event Centre. “The Prism 12x12 is utilised not only as a DSP controller but also as the backbone for audio, video and lighting control,” said Petrides. “There were complex requirements for the project, such as advanced routing from several floor boxes and wall inputs that needed to route to two main audio systems based on each event setup. We knew that we could trust Symetrix for this due to the flexibility of the Composer site design software. This allowed us to create a custom program for complex routing, equalisation and balancing that could handle everything in the room. The hall can be setup in several configurations and the Prism 12x12 with Dante-enabled I/O expanders was the perfect choice, providing a futureproof solution for further expansion of the system if the requirement arises.”
Situated on the island’s southeastern coast, Ayia Napa Marina has been created to be a luxury destination with beachfront villas, fine dining, high-end shopping and world-class yachting facilities. A focal point of this new development is an elliptical and conical glass building that houses the Event Centre, designed for open-air and indoor events. Its exterior vertical sunshades create a layered and visually elaborate experience during the day and transform the building into a glowing icon at night. This venue utilises AV technology throughout to ensure what it hopes will be the ultimate event experience, opting for Symetrix to do so.
Ayia Napa Marina was the dream and vision of the project’s partners – Cypriot Gerasimos Caramondanis and Egyptian investor Naguib Sawiris. The aim for the Ayia Napa Marina Event Centre was to create a flexible events space for up to 500 guests with an indoor hall that could be used in multiple different configurations, while the outdoor plaza
required a stage that could support relaxed and refined events into the evening. Following a competitive tender process, the responsibility for creating the AV infrastructure at the Event Centre fell to AV
intuitive control, and the panels can be used to select the different configuration scenarios for the system.”
While the Prism 12x12 was selected primarily as control for the audio system,
A good example of this flexibility-in-action is the way the Prism has been connected to various other systems at the venue.
“Besides acting as the main audio hub and DSP for the system, the Symetrix DSP has been connected to the IT network along with the NEC 4K projectors and is the interface for the Zero88 lighting control system,” said Petrides.
While having a powerful system to control the AV was important, it also needed to be accessible and simple to use for the Event Centre staff. This was where the T-5 Glass came in. “We wanted to provide the end user with an extremely user-friendly graphical interface that removed all the issues people have with button keypads,” stated Petrides. “The T-5 Glass was the perfect choice as it discretely handles a lot of parameter changes in the program of the DSP with the simple tap of the touchscreen.”
www.symetrix.co
Based in Dachau, Bavaria, the ceremony celebrating the new Neutrik EMEA headquarters took place close to the existing Neutrik Vertriebs GmbH site. The new building will be home to the recently created Neutrik EMEA division and will operate alongside the existing facilities in the UK and France. Together the EMEA operation will serve all existing Europe, Africa and Middle Eastern customers through consolidation into the three key areas of Europe North, Central and South. The new facility is intended to commence operations in Q4 2023, while the internal restructuring for the new European HQ has already commenced, paving the way for the new organisational structure under the leadership of Patric Keller, managing director, to begin in Q1 2023.
Joining Keller from Neutrik’s HQ in Liechtenstein are Stefan Frick (head of marketing) and Christoph Hellmuth (regional sales manager, MEA and India).
Hellmuth has worked in the Middle East for more than a decade and shifted from global key account management at Neutrik AG, where he was handling Neutrik’s top clients, to a regional sales role at Neutrik EMEA now.
Hellmuth commented: “I’m always up for new challenges and the Neutrik Group is currently going through big changes. I’m very grateful having the trust from the HQ to manage all Neutrik Group brands in the MEA region and India.”
Keller added: “With his experience, especially in the Middle East, Africa and India, it was a logical step for us to assign Christoph for this role. He has established an extensive network of contacts in various countries and industries, which will be useful to achieve our ambitious targets for the next years.”
www.neutrikgroup.com
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As part of its expansion, the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) officially inaugurated its Agora – a
ETC recently hosted a two-day event at its studio in Media City, Dubai, where visitors were invited to join a series of new and interactive seminars held by ETC’s product specialists. There was said to be a great deal of interest in the event in the studio as ETC presented its seminars alongside its latest product releases. The studio space in Dubai is ETC’s base in the Middle East and includes a black box space and training and product demonstration area.
On the first day, the roadshow was specifically aimed at the entertainment market and the broadcast market was the focus on day two, with informative sessions
without compromising on quality. The second session focused on the Eos family of ETC consoles and the potential tools that allow users to enhance their workflow and get the most out of the console.
Day two’s first session was “PowerBroadcast with Eos” – which aimed to dispel the myth that Eos is a console exclusively for theatrical applications. With an in-depth look at Color tools, Magic Sheets and Augment3d, attendees got an idea of how to make the Eos work in any studio. The next session “Mix what you want” highlighted the advantages of using multi-emitter sources over
The design office, Atrait Consulting, was consulted to carry out the technical study for all the UM6P installations. Eric Jondot, its managing director, explained: “For the Agora room, from the first discussions with the client and the architect, we were asked to create a concept that would be totally innovative and unique. We therefore proposed a completely immersive and unprecedented audiovisual installation.”
The Agora comes in the form of a circular room 32m in diameter. On the lower part, a cylindrical LED wall made up of Samsung IFR25 tiles with a pitch of 2.5mm has been installed. The curved screen envelops the room at 311°, corresponding to dimensions of more than 87m long and 2.7m high.
The upper part of the room is a dome on which a mapped projection relies on 23 Crimson HD31 projectors and one
Crimson WU31 projector from Christie. The LED and projection displays are powered by the Modulo Kinetic media server from Modulo Pi. In total, 12 Modulo Kinetic are installed: one Modulo Kinetic Designer workstation controls nine Modulo Kinetic V-Node servers equipped with six outputs. The whole system is completed by a backup Kinetic Designer station and a V-Node server.
The Modulo Kinetic makes it possible to broadcast the show specially created for the Agora by the Pixel N’Pepper studio. Lasting eight minutes and 30 seconds, this demo show was designed to take the audience into the different configurations offered by the Agora through four sequences: conference, dinner, product launch and show. “The Modulo Kinetic servers calculate simultaneously and in real time the rendering and all the data for the broadcasting of the show, which represents 43 HD video streams, or 130 million pixels, but also 54 audio broadcasting points and the synchronised lighting control,” commented Jondot.
The Modulo Kinetic also handles soft edge blending and warping of the projectors’ outputs. The Agora’s control room has been optimised to ensure easy management and operations during the various events hosted. Control panels have been created in Modulo Kinetic and made available to operators in the control room. This way, they can access a set of customisable settings and configurations.
Initiated in 2018, the installation carried out by Axians and Cegelec started in March 2020. The construction site had to be interrupted several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the Agora finally opened its doors in summer 2022.
www.modulo-pi.com
business unit for customers of its flagship MAM system, Viz One. Daniel Nergård, chief revenue officer at Vizrt Group, said of the move: “In conversations with our customers, we’ve determined they want an open, reliable platform to operate and scale themselves. They also want an expert team on hand, that understand the business, the platform, the customers’ needs and to act as trusted advisors to solve challenges.”
Harnessing Vizrt’s top MAM talent across the organisation, the Enterprise MAM business unit combines R&D, professional services, support and commercial into one team in a bid to improve efficiency, drive collaboration and ignite innovation through increased
sales through to end user training, to some of the world’s largest broadcasters and media companies.
South African audiovisual production specialist, Sound Stylists, has recently invested in two new Yamaha PM3 Rivage consoles to add to its extensive inventory. Shortly after, Sound Stylists had the opportunity to test them in situ, deploying them as part of a networked audio solution at the Samsung Galaxy Move Festival, hosted by 947, a South African radio station, on 4–5 November. The consoles were supplied by Stage Audio Works (SAW), which was also on hand throughout the festival to offer technical support.
“We were already aware of the Rivage platform, but simply didn’t have the need for it at the time. However, recently we were doing some research into new desks and were impressed to discover the Rivage surfaces all spoke to the same DSP. The fact that you can run two surfaces on a single DSP was an attractive concept, as it allows us to double our fader count as required. The DSP can also be run on its own, mirrored for redundancy or upgraded from the base 140 channels to an impressive 280,” remarked Kevin Glover, director of Sound Stylists. “What swung it was the ease of integration with our current systems with its Dante compatibility – the technology slots nicely into our existing Rio racks and obviously plays nicely with our Yamaha QLs and CLs, making it a smooth and cost-efficient transition.”
For the Samsung Galaxy Move Festival, Sound Stylists was involved every step of the way, from the stage design to the provision of the audio system and production on the day. The original audio system design placed the two PM3s at FOH, with a CL1 between them providing feeds to the subs, outhangs and front fills. Sixty channels were dedicated to the various effects required for each
band, which were all run off Rio 32-channel Dante racks, and they all performed sound checks and had their settings saved prior to the event. However, unforeseen circumstances spurred a change in direction: “We experienced a lot of bad weather leading up to the concert, resulting in moisture interfering with our CL5, which was on monitor duty, rendering it inoperable,” stated Glover. “Fortunately, we were able to replace this with one of the PM3s, and as the desk is really intuitive, the monitor engineer was able
to get everything up and running quickly. Most of the saved information had to be rebuilt, but we managed to resolve this in time. All’s well
that ends well.”
www.soundstylists.co.za
The team will be led by new head of business unit, Enterprise MAM, Jochen Bergdolt, whose 20-year experience in the industry and technical knowledge make him a valuable addition to the team – particularly since half of his career was spent at Vizrt. “The Enterprise MAM business is about the product and the people. Viz One has already earned the reputation of running some of the most sophisticated media workflows globally, but with a focused, aligned and dedicated team, I am certain we will deliver an unprecedented customercentric service,” said Bergdolt.
www.vizrt.com
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KZPRO recently collaborated with Harman Professional Solutions to outfit Dua by Lago with a networked audio system consisting of JBL Professional, Crown and BSS solutions. Lago is a large events complex that houses three different venues – Spirit, Soul and Dua – for conferences, exhibitions and events of all sizes. Located on the edge of Rishon LeZion Lake, Dua by Lago is one of Israel’s premier venues for weddings, proms and other special occasions. In a bid to ensure world-class guest experiences from the moment they approach the building to the end of the event, Lago required audio solutions uniquely suited to each area of the venue. Lago’s management turned to integrator KZPRO to outfit Dua’s indoor dance floor, dining areas, outdoor garden and canopy with a complete Harman networked audio system featuring JBL Professional loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers and BSS network processors.
“We were asked to install a distributed sound system that would provide unified sound quality throughout the interior and exterior of the venue,” said Libby Kochan, marketing, KZPRO. “They wanted to be able to play music in the event garden as well as inside the hall in a way that would be user-friendly and uniformly distributed. We also needed to ensure each speaker’s properties were suited for the environments, in terms of both sound quality and visual aesthetic. JBL’s wide selection of speakers allowed us to pick the right solution for each area. JBL speakers deliver the sound quality we need while blending in seamlessly. Our clients are very happy with the outcome –they’re proud to have one of the best sounding venues in Israel.”
For ceremonies and activities in Dua’s outdoor canopy, KZPRO installed JBL CBT 70J-1 column loudspeakers and AC115S subwoofers. The CBT 70J-1’s asymmetrical
The Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has installed an AEQ Atrium digital audio mixer to serve its main TV studio. MBC is the public broadcaster of the Government of Mauritius and currently operates three analogue TV channels and six digital channels. MBC’s objectives are focused on the dissemination of information, education, culture and entertainment. Radio and
television programmes cover a wide range and are broadcast in different languages such as French, English and Chinese. Recently it had been decided to upgrade the technical equipment of the station based on the Atrium console and the Netbox 32 interface operating over an IP audio network based on Dante technology. The Atrium was selected as it has been specially designed
vertical coverage sends sound towards the far area of the canopy, said to yield consistent levels for guests in both the front and back rows. To provide music playback in the rest of the garden, KZPRO installed JBL AWC62 weather-resistant outdoor speakers – ideal for the harsh winds and high humidity that typically come from being located so close to the Mediterranean.
In Dua’s reception area, KZPRO installed JBL Control 25AV compact background speakers in the ceilings, while it outfitted the dance floor area with JBL AM7212 loudspeakers and ASB6128 subwoofers. The integrator also installed Crown
ITech series amplifiers to power the floor speakers and subs, while the ceiling speakers and outdoor speakers are driven by Crown CDi Series amplifiers.
“At Lago, every floor is a different venue, so they wanted to keep the sound contained within Dua without disturbing the other floors,” said Oren Zisman, manager of KZPRO’s Professional Sound division. “To meet that goal, we used many speakers with precise directivity to put the sound where we want it without interfering with other events. We picked JBL because they offer a wide variety of speakers for every application and environment. The Crown amps have presets for each JBL speaker type, which made it really easy to tune the system and deliver unified sound quality throughout the entire venue, and the BSS control systems make it easy for the staff to control the volume level and source selection in each zone.”
To give Dua’s staff user-friendly control over all the speakers, KZPRO created a networked matrix using a BSS Soundweb London BLU-160 network processor with BLU-BIB and BLU-BOB input and output expanders. Using a unified touchscreen controller, staff can choose to play different music in the various zones or combine the entire system into one seamless distributed system.
KZPRO also recently opened a new showroom at its headquarters, which gives professionals in the Israeli market an opportunity to see and experience the latest technologies from Harman.
pro.harman.com
for radio and television audio production and broadcasting, and can manage up to 1,000 channels of local or IP audio controllable through one or more surfaces, each with up to 96 motorised and pageable faders. Furthermore, each control surface can be customised, allowing for classic workflows to be implemented. Each channel can have direct access to sends to pre-defined busses, or the channels can be defined for bidirectional multiplexes, so that each user has the mix. The Atrium surface configuration for the recording control features two modules of six pageable faders, a control module
and an additional touchscreen module. For the main ON AIR control, the Atrium surface configuration carries three modules of six pageable faders, a control module and two additional touchscreen modules. The use of IP technology means that while each surface is in the corresponding control room, both motors are installed together in a single technical rack that covers all the equipment of the station – this facilitated simplified wiring which aided ease of maintenance.
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ARRI has announced the acquisition of Claypaky from ams OSRAM. “With Claypaky as part of our corporate group, ARRI will become a leading lighting solutions provider with top brands for both the motion picture and live entertainment markets,” said Dr Matthias Erb, chairman of the ARRI executive board. “The expertise, passion and dedication to lighting that distinguishes both companies also demonstrates that we are wellmatched. These similarities form a strong foundation for building a successful cooperation and the further development of our business areas.”
Marcus Graser, CEO of Claypaky, added: “We are very happy to be joining the ARRI family. Both companies have a leading
position in their field, thanks to a deep market knowledge, innovation power and customer understanding. We both share a rich heritage and an unconditional passion for technology and innovation. Together with ARRI, we will continue to work on our vision to create the best-in-class lighting equipment and services while offering world-class reference products to an even broader customer base.”
Claypaky will remain as an organisation with its brand, its setup and structure of staff and locations. The same holds true for ARRI – the current setup and locations will remain.
www.arri.com
www.claypaky.it
Martin Professional Middle East (MPME) has decided to aid the rental industry for the upcoming year with a stock investment of 100 units of UDX-4K40 FLEX large venue projectors.
“The media and entertainment industry of the region is undergoing significant transformation, especially following the downturn we experienced during Covid. We would like to increase the leverage of our valuable rental partners in the region and to be ready for immediate deliveries to avoid any setbacks in projects,” commented Bilal Assidi from Martin Professional Middle East.
“Following several successful years of significant growth in the Middle East’s live
events industry, we have decided to join forces with our distributor Martin Professional Middle East in formulating a platform to increase product accessibility in the region. This platform features a package of exciting enablers, such as locally accessible product inventory and service along with financial incentives,” shared Erdem Soyal from Barco. Assidi added: “With content at entertainment venues getting significant traction, we expect Barco’s high-performance projectors to be an essential feature in any large entertainment venue in the region.”
www.barco.com
www.martinpro-me.com
Z Elements Gym, said to be the largest indoor health and fitness club in KSA, offers facilities over 9,000m 2 and has recently been fitted with an ECLER sound reinforcement solution.
Located in Al Medina, this latest facility features no fewer than 150 of the Spanish manufacturer’s loudspeakers, spanning several different ranges. Sound is broadcast through the main activity zones via Ecler’s MIMO Series. These coaxial differential dispersion loudspeakers were installed by official distributor EKTAR International.
The gym consists of 16 different zones – 11 special training zones, two public areas, a swimming pool and a sauna. Each zone has its own
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music, played via DUONETPLAYERS and PlayerOne.
For the classes, EKTAR International chose Arquis208 and Arquis10SB to give a “powerful and professionally distributed” sound, as well as to motivate gymgoers. As for the reception, the UC106 played an important role in matching the clean aesthetics, also aiming to provide clear sound. On the roof there is a swimming pool, party area and restaurant, for which the 150W CMP8 speaker was selected. The AUDEO106 with Arquis10SB were chosen for the public area and fitness equipment halls.
www.ecler.com
www.ektar-avl.com
After adding the brand to its portfolio last year, NMK Electronics has hosted three L-Acoustics sessions in January. The L-ISA system installed within NMK’s experience centre is said to have added value to the training facility and is a great opportunity for sound enthusiasts to experience the system and get certified.
NMK’s in-house engineer and L-Acoustics trainer, Chris Pugh, led these sessions which focused on guiding learners to become system engineers. The three sessions were on L-Acoustics’ Systems & Workflow, SoundVision and Drive System.
Pugh said of the sessions: “It’s very
advantageous for NMK to become an Authorised Training Centre as it allows us to give our clients that extra support by giving them the tools to efficiently use L-Acoustics products. Hosting these training days is a nice platform to meet and get to know all the technicians and engineers that are out there in the field using these products on a daily basis.”
“I look forward to hosting more of these trainings in the coming year and also to increasing my training portfolio so that we can offer more to our clients,” he concluded.
www.nmkelectronics.com
Adam Hall has announced the creation of Adam Hall Integrated Systems – a new business vertical dedicated to serving the installed AVL market sector. With its own product team headed up by Gabriel Alonso Calvillo, Adam Hall Integrated Systems will act as a resource for AVL professionals –whether that be consultants, integrators and even end users – to find and specify the products they need for their projects.
All Adam Hall installation-friendly products are brought under one roof and application experts are on hand to offer expert advice and support at every stage of the project, from tendering to system design through to training and commissioning.
“We have been working on the development of our integrated systems portfolio for a few years now. I am proud to claim that we can offer a comprehensive product range to cover most commercial audio applications,” said Calvillo. “It therefore makes complete sense to create a proper home for our installation range
with its own distinct identity that will be both more visible and accessible for our customers and the world at large.”
According to Adam Hall CEO, Alexander Pietschmann, the timing is perfect for such a move. “From humble beginnings in 1975, we have grown to be one of the top three audio and lighting manufacturers in Europe as well as a highly successful international distributor,” he said. “We have an extremely strong heritage in live event technology which was where it all started for us. However, we’ve been developing products for AVL for a number of years due to the increasingly high demand from our customers for reliable, user-friendly products in this sector. As the AVL side of the business continues to flourish, it was a natural step for us to create a dedicated department with its own staff to better serve this important market.”
Beside Calvillo leading the product team, Nik Gledic, the global sales director at Adam Hall, is building
Lawo’s RƎLAY virtual radio suite includes a full-blown broadcast mixer and software – live audio mixing, processing and source routing can be performed on a touchscreen connected to an off-the-shelf PC or laptop. RƎLAY allows Kayu FM to mix 24 audio sources, as well as AES67compliant AoIP signal streams, directly on the station’s PC for audio production and output. Rose Kimotho, CEO of Kayu FM,
up a dedicated Sales and Business Development team for the new business vertical. “These times at Adam Hall are super exciting and the potential is great for us,” revealed Gledic. “We have started creating a dedicated installed sales team and are currently looking for more passionate people to join us.
Our aim is to build a team of AV experts and become as successful in the installed market as we are with the other established verticals. In addition to new job opportunities, we are also expanding our partner and distribution network.”
www.adamhall.com
Sonnox has announced that it has joined the Focusrite Group. Its range of plugins are used in a wide range of audio applications including mixing, mastering, live sound, broadcast, TV, film and even scientific and forensics projects.
pleasure to welcome Rod [Densham] and his entire team to the Focusrite Group. Sonnox products are globally recognised as best in class, making them a natural fit in our stable, and we are all excited about the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead.”
Nairobi, named after the river flowing through it, is Kenya’s capital and the country’s largest city. With more than 9 million residents in the metropolitan area, Nairobi is also home to a lively radio broadcast landscape. One of these prominent stations, Kayu FM, has chosen to serve its listeners using Lawo R virtual radio software.
Kayu covers numerous important local and regional topics, airing its programmes in Kikuyu, one of the Bantu languages spoken by the Gikuyu people, who form the ethnic majority in Kenya. Taking advantage of the refitting of a former hotel building, Kayu FM combined and renovated several rooms, converting them into fully fledged radio studios powered by Lawo RƎLAY software. The Kenyan systems integrator BYCE Broadcast was responsible for the implementation of the project.
said: “RƎLAY brings professional radio production to our radio station, complete with audio-over-IP and internal routing.”
“The RƎLAY touchscreen interface is a clean and low-maintenance surface,” added Grace Murungi, Kayu FM’s programme manager. “And it is so easy for our talent to learn and work with the RƎLAY software – everyone says so. We just love our radio station’s new facilities.”
www.lawo.com
The Sonnox team traces its heritage back to the development of the Oxford OXF-R3 digital mixing console, which was installed in major recording studios worldwide, before porting the revered DSP algorithms from the console to develop Oxford EQ and Dynamics plugins. Since then, Sonnox has continued to build on the Sony Oxford heritage as well as adding a range of Toolbox plugins.
With the addition of Sonnox, Focusrite Group now offers the customer more ways to make music and achieve its goals.
Tim Carroll, chief executive officer of the Focusrite Group, said: “It is an absolute
Densham, founder and managing director of Sonnox, added: “We believe that by joining Focusrite with their scale, industry expertise and range of premium brands, we can continue to grow, and deliver innovation and excellence to audio hobbyists and professionals alike. Focusrite have a proven track record of achieving this in our industry, and we are very excited to become part of their group.”
www.focusrite.com
www.sonnox.com
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When GSL Professional opened its office and glass-fronted showroom close to the Deira clocktower, the UAE-based professional audio distributor raised the bar significantly in the rapidly maturing Middle Eastern marketplace. Two decades on, and the Fowzi brothers and owners – Faegh and Fouad – are continuing to push boundaries from their newly opened facility on Dubai’s Airport Road.
East for a number of manufacturers, GSL Professional continues to penetrate new market sectors. Although GSL Professional has been based at the current Airport Road address for the past six years, the company has made significant changes by
relocating the second-level main offices and headquarters to the ground level. Previously the main showroom, GSL Professional has expanded the ground level towards the rear and created a new Experience Centre, Dolby Atmos studio and training room.
“We made a significant investment with this upgrade,” explained Fouad Fowzi. “To better showcase our portfolio of solutions, we want audio designers and creators to fully experience the Atmos system including Genelec 8351 SAM monitors within the dedicated studio setup.” The experience centre, including a broadcast suite of solutions, showcases various products from all the brands represented by GSL Professional. In addition to a full-scale
conference room, the new setup also incorporates a 16-seat training room. The previous service centre providing aftersales support survives the changes.
Having invested in a warehousing facility in Jebel Ali 10 years ago, GSL Professional has claimed that it stocks the most pro audio products in the Middle East. “Our mission is to exceed our customers’ expectations with our vast product availability,” added Faegh Fowzi. “From our newly designed headquarters, our product specialists design and assist our customers with their bespoke requirements.”
www.gslprofessional.com
Sennheiser Middle East customers have participated in interactive training workshops demonstrating the recently launched EW-DX Evolution wireless microphone series for the first time in the region. The rental market, theatres, sound engineers, RF technicians and channel partners were engaged in presentations, tests and demos of the EW-DX and EW-D
technology. Participants were offered hands-on experience with the new system and refresher training on its full range of capsules and microphone elements. At a separate workshop on the following day, IT/AV consultants, systems integrators, technical application personnel and channel partners were educated on the integration and installation-based setup of the EW-DX.
“We were pleased with the attendance, interest and level of interaction at both the workshops and are even more optimistic about the market potential of this innovative and versatile new microphone system,” said Mig Cardamone, sales director, Sennheiser Middle East.
en-uk.sennheiser.com
Originally the centrepiece of Expo 2020 Dubai, Al Wasl was recently repurposed into a 3,000-seat concert venue, outfitted with a 360° projection screen to offer an immersive audiovisual experience. To celebrate its reopening, the dome hosted AR Rahman’s all-female Firdaus Orchestra and a 30-piece choir, accompanied by UK-based Indian singer Abi Sampa and her band, for a classical performance combining the sounds of the East and West. To assist with orchestral reinforcement for the show, which presented a slew of acoustical and environmental difficulties, Rahman’s team called on sound designer and mix engineer, Phil Wright, who turned to DPA Microphones – a company he feels is tried and trusted for its “durability and natural sound”. The sound professional selected the brand’s 4099 CORE Instrument, 2011 Twin Diaphragm, 4011ES Cardioid Condenser and 4066 Omnidirectional Headset Microphones to help elevate the production. “The band and orchestra were primarily 4099s,” he explained. “This included the guitar, French horn and cello, as well as the more traditional instruments such as the tabla,
frame drum and qanun. These are tiny, very quiet instruments and the DPA 4099s really brought out their sound within this massive orchestral texture we had going on. For those instruments that were a bit more open, we used the 2011s, and then the double basses in the orchestra were on my 4011ES mics with 19mm capsules. For the choir, we had 30 of the 4066 wired headsets. Overall, we had around 120 people onstage between the 30-person chorus, a 75-piece orchestra and Abi Sampa’s ensemble of 15.”
The Al Wasl Dome’s unique shape posed an interesting acoustical challenge as well, with its centrally located performance space and open sides, which exposed the stage to the natural outdoor elements. Wright said: “We weren’t in an air-conditioned concert hall – this was an open-air, outdoor venue with all the heat, high humidity and dust blowing in from the desert. Despite all of this, we didn’t have a single microphone
failure. The heavy-duty cable for the 4099s also allowed for easy replacements, which was useful as we had a few people trip and damage the mic cables.”
Wright concluded: “Both Rahman and Mohanaselvan Jeyapalan, vice president of the portfolio management office for the venue, let me know that we had achieved everything that they had hoped for this show. With the DPAs, the concert sounded just how they wanted, and they were blown away.” www.dpamicrophones.com
Described as the modernised wine festival of Cyprus, Οίνο Fest took place in the autumn in the picturesque inland village of Lofou. Organised by Agro Escape, the three-day event attracted thousands of visitors who enjoyed sampling local wines, shopping for locally made products and partying at two outdoor music events featuring DJ sets and live performers. Audio and visual production for the main stage, as well as ambient lighting for the site, was provided by local production company Sound & Vision by DJ Nick. ADJ fixtures, including moving heads, static washes and atmospheric effects generators, were used exclusively to illuminate both the stage and the historic building that provided a striking backdrop to the event. The ADJ fixtures were purchased through local ADJ dealer, SP Megasound.
Dimitris Nicolaou, who has worked for DJ Nick for a number of years and was responsible for designing, programming and operating the lighting system for Οίνο Fest, had extensive input into the planning phase of this particular event. To illuminate the façade of the school building, the Sound & Vision by DJ Nick team deployed 12 of ADJ’s weatherproof, battery-powered and wirelessly controllable Element HEXIP LED up-lighting fixtures. These allowed the impressive pillars of the building to be lit without the need for cables to be run in what was a high foot traffic area. In addition, eight of ADJ’s 12PX HEX LED PAR fixtures were positioned in other areas around the site to provide ambient background lighting
and ensure visibility for attendees moving around the site.
Nicolaou’s lighting design utilised 10 of ADJ’s Vizi Beam 5RX dedicated beam luminaires. In addition, six of ADJ’s Vizi Hybrid 16RX moving heads were rigged to the higher truss. The beam fixtures on both trusses were interspersed with Vizi Wash Z19 automated LED wash luminaires. For Οίνο Fest, eight fixtures were split evenly across the two trusses and used to backlight the performers onstage, illuminate the audience and generate additional aerial effects.
Nicolaou mounted ADJ’s UB 9H linear LED
fixtures to vertical pipes, pointing them directly out towards the audience.
The onstage lighting system was completed by six of ADJ’s multifunction Jolt 300 LED fixtures, two rigged to the lower truss and four hanging from the upper truss. Front wash for the performers was facilitated by four of ADJ’s 18P HEX LED PAR cans, which were rigged in pairs to the PA towers positioned at either side of the stage.
A pair of the Fog Fury Jett Pro LED-lit fog machines were positioned between the moving head fixtures on the front of the stage and used to blast illuminated
Prosound has announced its acquisition of specialist broadcast and AV equipment supplier, AV Worx, from company owner Anton van Wyk. The acquisition will serve to strengthen the group’s distribution business, with a focus on supplying customers in the sub-Saharan African region with broadcast and audiovisual equipment.
Prosound director Mark Malherbe said:
“Prosound has continued to innovate in response to shifting audiovisual market needs in the region. This approach has seen the company move away from the rental and distribution markets to become an internationally respected company specialising in the design, installation and long-term maintenance of some of the region’s most notable theatres, broadcast studios, houses of worship, arenas and stadia.”
Prior to the acquisition, Prosound had identified the need to support further the rapidly evolving broadcast and pro AV industries in sub-Saharan Africa. “With the emergence of IP technology, the pro AV industry is rapidly evolving, and we want to retain our reputation for providing the most cutting-edge, fit-for-purpose solutions and technology to the rapidly diversifying pro AV sector in our region,” said Prosound director Justin Acres.
and Anton van Wyk as ideal partners to serve the pro AV industry in the postpandemic market. van Wyk has a great reputation as an audiovisual expert, specialising in broadcast technology, taking the opportunity presented by market disruptions over the past three years to start his own pro AV distribution company, AV Worx.
and ApexPro teams in the past, I knew that I would find synergy with the
compete on an international stage,” Acres added.
columns of fog out into the crowd to highlight musical drops. In addition, a pair of ADJ’s Entourage 1,400W professionalgrade touring faze machines, paired with Entour Cyclone DMX controlled fans, were used to generate a consistent haze to enhance the beams created by the moving head fixtures.
The Οίνο Fest event was said to be a resounding success, with large crowds enjoying both of the evening musical events.
www.megasound.com.cy
www.soundandvisionbydjnick.com
www.avworx.africa
www.prosound.co.za
Durban-based SA Van Conversions is a vehicle conversion company, specialising in OE accredited vehicle conversions across South Africa and the SADC region. Renowned for customising ambulances, mobile clinics, hearses and buses, SA Van Conversions is no stranger to bespoke mobile conversion projects with dedicated manufacturing plants situated in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.
As part of a recent project, Stage Audio Works (SAW) teamed up with SA Vans to build a fully AV-equipped mobile facility for the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence (KZN Sharks Board) to utilise during its live demonstrations, which include the dissection of shark species in front of an audience. In this educational segment, the audience is informed on the sensory biology of sharks and the role they play as predators in the marine environment.
SAW was brought in to design and install a complete AV system for the touring truck which opens up to create a full stage with an integrated PA and large video screen. SAW specified a Plus Audio and Pixel Plus solution to handle audio and video respectively. In this ever-increasing technological era, these tools help to immerse and engage audiences –particularly younger generations. The company also supplied a full DJ setup, comprising a professionalgrade Denon DJ system, along with a pair of Plus Audio M13 stage monitors.
SAW also supplied a Sennheiser EW100 G4-835-S handheld wireless system, paired with an additional corded E835 microphone.
“For the visual element, we supplied a fully weatherised outdoor Pixel Plus LED screen mounted inside the truck on what is effectively the back wall of the stage,” he continued. “We paired it with a Novastar processing solution.”
Finally, SAW provided a range of Stage Plus flight cases to protect the equipment whilst on the road, specifically for the Denon DJ equipment, the amplifiers, the microphones and the digital mixing console.
Do you require an IP-based horn loudspeaker that can easily be integrated into your VMS or SIP server-based system? Our IP-A1SC15 is an ideal choice. It can receive audio signals via multicast, thereby also enabling group announcements. A total of 20 pre-recorded audio messages / tones can be stored, prioritized and played back, as and when required.
Furthermore, the speaker can withstand extreme temperatures and weather conditions. With its built-in 15W amplifier and high sound pressure level, this speaker is perfect for outdoor applications from car parks to construction sites.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of delivering this project, which was particularly close to our hearts,” recalled Nathan Ihlenfeldt, CTO of SAW. “Many of us recall witnessing the same KZN Sharks Board live dissection when we were younger. The organisation is renowned for their work, and it’s great to see them carry it forward, finding new and exciting ways to educate future generations on living in harmony with sharks while minimising environmental impact.”
www.stageaudioworks.com
Manufacturer of premium switches, Netgear has appointed Procom Middle East as its distributor in the Middle East for its Pro AV line of fully managed switches. As part of the agreement, Procom will take responsibility for the marketing, sales and support of Netgear Pro AV.
Procom is keeping an inventory of Netgear Pro AV switches in the UAE and will be providing technical support, project design support and training on the product.
www.netgear.com
www.procom-me.com
Key Digital has appointed the Dubaibased firm Lavoro as its newest distributor for the GCC region comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The announcement was made by DeWayne Rains, Key Digital vice president of sales, and represents the brand’s ongoing initiative to expand its international distribution.
Lavoro’s sales director, Andrey Kulikov, said: “Lavoro is constantly expanding its dealer network all over the GCC. We have a Key Digital product inventory and skilled technical support – which includes extended warranties, rapid after-sales service and complementary training programmes – to keep our Key Digital dealers well-equipped and truly competitive.”
“Lavoro has proven to be an effective partner in the introduction of Key Digital products into the UAE market,” said Rains. “Now, as our only stocking distributor in the region, they are poised to build on that performance by expanding Key Digital’s presence throughout the GCC, connecting new dealers and integrators with our video and control solutions. They have the expertise to develop the regional customer base while providing the technological support to see projects through to completion and bring those customers back for more.”
www.keydigital.com
www.lavoro.ae
Hall Technologies has announced a new distribution relationship with ADI Global Distribution, a worldwide distributor of security, AV and low-voltage products. “As part of our global expansion strategy, we’ve partnered with ADI to bring our human-centric products to their clients. We look to ADI as a key strategic partner to help us grow our brand and customer base in the EMEA region. We’re thrilled to collaborate with ADI and look forward to
our mutual growth opportunities,” said Hall Technologies’ vice president of sales and marketing, Hal Truax.
Chris Godfrey, ADI senior category manager, pro AV, said: “We’re really excited to work with Hall Technologies and further expand ADI’s pro AV product portfolio.”
www.adiglobal.com
www.halltechav.com
Audio-Technica has announced a new distribution agreement with RF Venue, which will see the company represent the wireless essentials brand across EMEA. Offering a wide variety of wireless mic
delivering excellent value, efficient problemsolving technology is a great fit for AudioTechnica and we look forward to introducing the brand to our customers across these territories in the coming year.”
and IEM antenna, combiner and bandpass filter products, RF Venue is relied on for everything from HOW and fixed installations to touring and other event applications, with a reputation built on more than 10,000 projects since its inception in 2011.
Alexandra Bischof, Audio-Technica marketing manager EMEA, Commercial Audio, said: “The company’s portfolio allows us to offer customers an increasing
LEA Professional has appointed John Dodson ProCon AV as its new sales representative in the Middle East, including Egypt, Turkey and Israel. The partnership will support and hopefully increase demand for LEA’s cloud-enabled amplifier technology.
“When adding a new brand to our portfolio, I
look for products which have demonstrable benefits and LEA Professional certainly has so many of those,” said Dodson. “LEA has developed a series of really intelligent products designed for superior audio installations.”
“The Gulf Region and surrounding countries is a growing market for LEA Professional,”
DWR Distribution has announced that it is now the official South African distributor for zactrack – an automated “following system” designed for open-air events, theatre stages and studios.
Stephan Saremba, managing director at zactrack, commented: “We welcome DWR
Distribution to the family of worldwide zactrack distributors. Their professional sales, support and training team, matched with an extensive product portfolio, make them an ideal partner to bring the magic of automated tracking to customers in South Africa. We look forward to working together
on a growing number of exciting automated tracking applications.”
DWR Distribution’s Duncan Riley said: “With the industry on its feet after the pandemic and an audience thrilled to be back at shows again, we were finally ready to launch. The DWR team, including Jaques
RF Venue president, Chris Regan, commented: “We are excited to grow our relationship with Audio-Technica Europe and to make RF Venue products available to support Audio-Technica wireless systems in the EMEA market. RF Venue wireless Essentials have a proven track record as excellent companion products to Audio-Technica wireless systems.”
Pretorius and Motlotlo Makhobotloane, tested zactrack SMART in our demo room, and were delighted at its functionality and ease of use.”
www.dwrdistribution.co.za
www.zactrack.com
MIDDLE EAST
Symetrix has partnered with GSL
Professional for distribution in the Middle East. Serving key verticals including broadcast, recording, live sound, corporate, education, government and hospitality, GSL has been a leading regional distributor for over 20 years The addition of Symetrix to the Dubai-based distributor’s product portfolio will ensure it can offer a full signal chain of audio solutions to its customers.
“As a distribution partner, GSL has demonstrated that account service and support are critical elements in their business model,” said Jim Newhouse, director of international sales for Symetrix. “This quality makes Symetrix’s partners in each of our markets special to us, and invaluable to their customers.”
“One of the key elements which helps GSL to stand out from our competition is that we are
purely focused on distribution and we are not just a box shifter,” said Faegh Fowzi, managing
MIDDLE EAST
Chauvet has announced that it has entered into an agreement with
We’re looking forward to building an extraordinarily strong relationship
director of GSL Professional. “We have a large experience centre as well as an in-house
training facility and a dedicated service centre to ensure our after-sales process is second to none. This has enabled us to develop strong relationships with a variety of systems integration companies across the region, as well as consultants and contractors.”
GSL Professional has also signed a distribution deal with Panasonic to strengthen the broadcast pro AV/projector/flat and panel display markets in Oman, Kuwait and Iraq.
“With Panasonic’s innovative technology and our expertise in the industry, we are confident that this collaboration will bring significant value to our customers,” said GSL Professional broadcast department head, Ibrahim Abu Assi.
www.gslprofessional.com
www.panasonic.com
www.symetrix.co
in the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. NMK has built good relationships with consultants, systems integrators and end users, and has been involved in prominent local projects across its markets.
“We’re very excited about our relationship with NMK,” said Stéphane Gressier, international sales director of Chauvet. “I joined our product specialist Eusebio Romero, and our senior BDM for this region, Goran Doncic, at NMK’s Dubai training session. NMK’s commitment to excellence and passion for service reminded all three of us of the philosophy that has guided the growth of Chauvet.
experience,” he said. “We are thrilled to add their products to our portfolio and are excited to show our customers how they can provide solutions for any application. Our goal is to promote this brand across all verticals from retail and house of worship to small and large venues, entertainment, education and the rental market. We have tremendous respect for Chauvet and appreciate the well-deserved reputation the company has established across the globe – we’re honoured to be part of this success story.”
www.chauvetlighting.com
www.nmkelectronics.com
Following the recent announcement of a new global sales and business development organisation, L-Acoustics has now unveiled its new Business Development team. Under the general management of CEO Laurent Vaissié, the new team is spread across three divisions: Sales and Sales Operations, Business Development and Strategy.
To offer a complete commercial and technical solution to end users and influencers, the Business Development team structure mirrors that of the Project Application, Vertical Market team led by David Dohrmann. It will focus on setting strategies and roadmaps in five key vertical markets. L-Acoustics veteran William Cornell takes the role of director, musicals and theatre, while Scott Wakelin has been promoted to director, hospitality. Paul Keating will assume a double role as managing director L-Acoustics Creations EMEA and
McKinna most recently held the position of head of product at Optimal Audio after spending 15 years at Avid in senior product management and sales roles.
“d&b is breaking ground with its integrated immersive vision and I am excited to play a pivotal role in making it a reality,” commented McKinna. “We see a huge opportunity to enhance an audience’s experience with d&b’s immersive technologies and I am honoured to work with this exceptionally talented and experienced team to push the boundaries of what is creatively possible.”
Yacoub Al Husseini has joined Zero Density as the new regional sales manager for the Middle East and Africa.
Al Husseini began his career at national broadcaster ART, where he worked as an engineer. He then progressed to numerous broadcast companies including OSN and Barco before moving into sales at a vendor company where he worked for eight years.
Solutions. Focused on developing the Ambiance Acoustics System, Boot will develop the strategy for this growing new vertical market. He will also contribute to product development and improvement via market and competitive analysis.
“This new organisation will deepen our expertise in key vertical markets, strengthen our network presence globally and allow us to plan a multi-year business roadmap that addresses both our current product offering and future innovations in loudspeakers, software, electronics and services,” concluded Vaissié. “With this team of outstanding professionals –who have proven their expertise within our team and throughout the industry – L-Acoustics will continue to elevate the listening experience for live entertainment and beyond.”
www.l-acoustics.com
our key users such as Sky News Arabia and Asharq News, I am committed
president of its new immersive business unit. Its creation will be a key enabler of d&b’s holistic immersive vision, spanning from audio, video, lighting and media up to extended Reality (xR). McKinna will report directly to d&b Group CEO Amnon Harman. The organisation under his lead is split across three divisions: Product Management and Architectural Design,
“Today’s announcement marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for d&b, not only because we gain Al’s expertise and talents but also because this marks the transition of all d&b immersive endeavours under one business unit,” concluded Harman. “This new organisation, established right at the core of d&b, allows us to build an immersive business roadmap from an integrated viewpoint, considering both our audiotechnik and solutions customers.”
www.dbaudio.com
www.dbsolutions.com
Al Husseini will liaise closely with the local community to continue expanding into the region, also supporting the network of regional partners and customers where demand for photorealistic virtual production and upgraded broadcast graphics tools is expected to increase.
“We are thrilled to welcome Yacoub to the team,” said Ula founder and VP of sales and marketing at Zero Density. “We know he’ll be a vital part of creating a strong community in MEA, as well as helping us continue to provide top-notch support to our users in the region.”
Al Husseini said: “This is an important moment in MEA for productions powered by Zero Density’s technology. As well as
InfiLED has announced the hiring of Mathieu Arnould as sales manager for both the French and North African markets. Arnould brings over 20 years of continuous sales and strategic business development experience within the AV industry, including his latest role as AV channel manager for
LFD/LED screens at Samsung Electronics France. Prior to this, he held sales and managerial positions at Sanyo Europe and NEC France.
Marco Bruines, CEO of InfiLED EMEA, said: “Mathieu has a broad knowledge of LED technologies, the French distribution
network and its key players. His established relationships will help us maintain valuable connections across the region, and his deep expertise will be much appreciated by our current partners and customers.”
Arnould added: “I am delighted to be a part of this great team and this incredible project that I am trusted with to develop the business on the French and North African markets. With the strong growth of the LED market, we
Richard Palmer has been appointed Clear-Com’s sales director for the EMEA region, following the retirement of Nicki Fisher. He brings 10 years of existing experience at Clear-Com managing sales for Southern Europe and Africa, as well as previous roles at Audio-Technica and Solid State Logic.
Chris Willis, senior VP of worldwide sales, commented: “Richard’s deep understanding of the audio industry and his track record of growing even well-established channels made him a natural choice for this critical role, further strengthened by his strong interpersonal skills and wicked sense of humour.”
Caceres returns to Brompton to help lead the way with new and existing products, liaising with key customers across the globe.
“We are very excited about Cesar rejoining us to take on this important leadership role,” concluded Richard Mead, Brompton’s CEO, to whom Caceres will be reporting. “His ability to communicate technical concepts clearly and enthusiastically, combined with his extensive experience in the industry, mean he is uniquely qualified. This adds further strength to our team, which is Brompton’s most valuable asset, and gives us great confidence as we scale up to meet the needs of our growing www.bromptontech.com
To celebrate its 50th anniversary since incorporation, Outline has been working behind the scenes on what it describes as a “profound restructuring”, which has resulted
team. The new organisation stems from the retirement of Giorgio Biffi from his role of CEO. The director of sales role has been appointed to Fernando Rey Méndez, who
Following the realignment of the company with a focus on the professional audio business, the Sennheiser Group is entering 2023 with a newly formed management team. The audio specialist’s new Executive Management Board (EMB) includes representatives from the three business units: Professional Audio, Business Communication and Neumann, as well as Supply Chain, Corporate Functions and Development. The operational business of the Sennheiser Group will now be managed by a team of six. The new EMB includes Greg Beebe (executive vice president, Professional Audio), Ron Holtdijk (executive vice president, Business Communication), Ralf Oehl (CEO, Georg Neumann GmbH), Steffen Heise (CFO), Dr Andreas Fischer (COO) and Markus Redelstab (CTO). Peter Claussen and Thomas Weinzierl, who were previously COOs
course of 2023 and 2024. In the intervening period, they will gradually hand over their operational tasks and extensive knowledge to the new EMB. In the future, co-CEOs
to customers, while the other EMB members will manage the operational business. Yasmine Riechers and Mareike Oer complete the leadership of the Sennheiser Group as an
Palmer reflected on his appointment: “I look forward to this opportunity to lead a fantastic team of sales professionals and to discover new opportunities to grow the business of our partners in the region. Clear-Com is enjoying a period of substantial growth with key new capabilities being released in their product offering, and I’m excited to be part of this growth.”
Clear-Com has also appointed Ben Turnwell as regional sales manager for Israel, as well as for the UK and Ireland. He previously worked at AV systems providers Solotech, Autograph Sound and Amber Sound, all of which are also Clear-Com partners.
www.clearcom.com
Méndez forged his professional sound engineering skills with Italian musical theatre company Compagnia della Rancia, thereafter serving as startup and commissioning engineer in the integration market for naval specialist Wärtsilä, Seastema and Videlio-HMS. Industry-veteran Daniele Tebaldi will now lead Outline as general manager, following the collaboration that started between them at the beginning of 2022.
Michele Noselli said: “Celebrating Outline’s 50th anniversary this year seems like the perfect occasion to up the ante, by renewing our commitment to a brighter, stronger Outline for the years to come – turning change into a most powerful advocate. This isn’t a farewell to Giorgio, as he remains a shareholding partner within Outline’s board, though nonetheless this feels like the right picture, in which to frame our ‘thank you, Giorgio!’ for his relentless drive of Outline’s business.”
www.outline.it
extended management team, representing the Corporate Development Office and Brand and Corporate Communication.
“With the integration of the business units into the EMB, our customers are moving even more into focus,” explained co-CEO Andreas Sennheiser. “In the future, their very different needs will be represented at the highest management level and included in all decisions, enabling us to act even closer to the market.”
“With this step, we are adapting our management structure to our new corporate positioning with a focus on the Professional Business,” explained co-CEO Daniel Sennheiser. “At the same time, we are further developing our leadership culture – in line with our corporate culture.”
Andreas concluded: “The most important guarantor of our future success is the people who work together worldwide under the umbrella of the Sennheiser Group. Our shared culture and our passion for what we do unite us. With the new EMB setup, we are also reflecting this ethos in our corporate management.”
en-de.sennheiser.com
NICK RIVES’ ARRIVAL AS A STAFF ENGINEER AT Capitol Studios a decade ago coincided roughly with the beginning of the facility’s partnership with PMC, in which the British speaker manufacturer has designed and built most of UMG’s (Universal Music Group) flagship mixing rooms in the US. “The partnership is based heavily on the support and engagement from PMC, particularly the leadership of [US president of sales and marketing] Maurice Patist,” Rives explains. “They really care about creating a great experience with their monitors and working with them isn’t just buying speakers; they are actively involved with picking the right systems for the rooms and helping develop a relationship that isn’t just supportive but really hands-on.”
By 2017, Rives was centre stage when Dolby and UMG began exploring Atmos technology for music-only applications, using Capitol’s Studio C as their test room. Until then, Atmos had
successful that Capitol C became the blueprint for many UMG and other mixing studios. However, we had no idea what we were doing when it came to mixing, and I was one of the engineers tasked to explore mixing music in Atmos. I would spend days, weeks and months working on experimental and practical mix projects, working with Dolby, PMC and UMG. It soon became apparent that this was a hit; even the most sceptical parties were blown away by what the format is capable of.”
As Atmos quickly became Rives’ professional focus, he went on to work with Dolby to further develop the technology, particularly the binaural headphone experience, training UMG engineers and writing “best practices” documents while mixing in the new format. “What started as an experiment with some new tech quickly turned into an exciting and growing opportunity to explore a new way to experience music and, when the major platforms like Apple got involved, I knew we had a chance for the format to succeed,” he explains. This led to working closely with PMC to bring the experience to a wider audience, sharing his techniques and the philosophy behind mixing music in Atmos in a global roadshow that started in Europe in October 2022.
In November, Rives moved onto Tokyo, where he was welcomed by PMC distributor Otaritec and Sound City studios, which has a 9.1.4 PMC-equipped mixing suite. “We had four great seminars where we were able to explore some of my mixes and the concept of object-based mixing, both technologically and musically. The engagement was fantastic, and I was thrilled to see so many interested engineers. The studios in Japan were technologically incredible and inspirational, but I don’t think they’ve fully embraced the Atmos concept for music just yet. I was surprised at how many people we talked to had only really worked with Atmos in postproduction scenarios and did not consume music in Atmos but were all very excited about it. It seemed to me that while the technology was understood, there was not as much
element to mixing in Atmos is letting the composition and arrangement dictate his intention. “I ask myself questions like: ‘How does this composition make me feel? How am I meant to feel?’ I’ll do some compositional analysis to help me understand how the arrangement supports the storytelling narrative, then use those findings to guide my mix process so the Atmos experience feels like a natural extension of the stereo composition. Almost all music is still composed in stereo, so there’s an interpretation that takes place when mixing for Atmos, and I let the compositions drive that interpretation for my work, so I might make different decisions for a pop track than I would for a rock or dance track. As always, it’s all about the music, and Atmos is just another great piece of technology that is made to serve the art, not the other way around.”
From Japan, Rives travelled to Seoul, where he again encountered postproduction engineers exploring the workflow of Dolby Atmos for music, this time at distributor Music Metro’s headquarters. “Culturally, it seemed like in South Korea there is more engagement with music, no doubt influenced by how thoroughly SM Entertainment has embraced the format with
Nick Rives, a Grammy-nominated engineer based at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, has been working with Dolby and PMC to develop specifications for mixing music in Atmos. He tells Caroline Moss about recent seminars he’s conducted in Japan and Korea, as well as a workshop in Dubai
ORGANISERS OF THE UAE’S OFFICIAL NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATION always strive to go the extra mile in producing something unique and never-before experienced. The milestone half-century celebration held last year took this to new extremes through the creation of a 19m-high rotating disc-shaped stage. Set in the waters of Hatta Dam in the Al Hajar mountains, it served as the canvas for an audiovisual show choreographed by creative director Es Devlin. At the end of that process, many were left wondering how the Emirate could possibly outdo itself. The same core companies returning to provide their expertise year after year have not only made sure the technical elements meet ever-increasing expectations, but also let the teams’ creativity flow, embracing ideas they might not be able to entertain unless working at such scale. This year, the celebration revolved around the creation of a fully immersive production complete with spatial audio, performed live by London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and delivered
3,000-strong cast shared a grandstand with spectators on either side, representing a departure from the traditional stage setup seen at previous ceremonies. Furthermore, after going live on 2 December, the showcase had to remain open to the public for a further nine days. For Wonder Works, it was the fifth consecutive year overseeing the design and engineering. Working alongside Devlin and creative agency People, Wonder Works was responsible for bringing its creative vision to life through the technical coordination of a custom grandstand, encompassing two giant end portals with full projection, state-of-the-art lighting and audio. Emirati musicians and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra provided a live soundtrack as the audience followed the story of a group of children who learn about the UAE’s rich culture, present-day achievements and future goals and ambitions.
Following last year’s Golden Jubilee, the UAE National Day celebrations took a more scaled-back approach this year, with AV becoming key
Be heard in the roomeverywhere.
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One of the primary technical challenges for Wonder Works lay in the overhead video strips, which had been designed to give the outdoor setting a more intimate feel. The project included 657 ROE LED strip fixtures, hung from 19 106m-long catenaries. A total of 968m of strips were suspended in the air, with four 30m-tall towers providing support in the middle of the catenary spans. Furthermore, over 1,200 tonnes of ballast were required to keep everything locked down. This undertaking drew heavily on the combined talents of Stage One, Al Laith, VK Scenic, Creative Technology Middle East and the People production teams. The finished system allowed video content to run down the length of the parade, creating the illusion of being inside a portal. Luke Halls Studios was tasked with content creation and Done+Dusted was responsible for the production of the livestream.
Sustainability was a primary show theme this year and, in a bid to reduce waste and save resources, pre-existing objects were used where possible. Having built a trusted network of
to build absolutely everything from scratch and to always use international suppliers,” says Wonder Works co-founder Piers Shepperd. “We are on a journey, but I feel that this landmark ceremony shows that with the right focus and support of the production company and client, you can make massive inroads to the challenges posed by these large-scale events.”
Creative Technology was tasked by People with providing the immersive projection, creative LED and site-wide video system solutions. Its Middle East team was responsible for integrating the huge quantity of ROE strips with a large-scale projectionmapped canvas. The audience grandstand was situated within the 108m-long portal, with projection at one end representing the UAE’s past, and the other its future.
Like Wonder Works, sound specialist Auditoria was again handed responsibility for the design of the audio system and its operation on show day, with equipment supply the responsibility of Agora. A 762-cabinet L-Acoustics loudspeaker configuration consisted of various components to deliver specific elements of the show, divided up into “immersive” and “SFX (special effects)” systems.
The immersive system consisted of four elements: a main L-ISA solution of five Kara II hangs and outfill arrays; an overhead system of 30 X8 loudspeakers used to simulate the sound of a concert hall acoustic environment (triggered with mainly pre-recorded content and some live inputs); personal 4.1 systems formed from more than 300 5XT, 200 X4i, 30 Syva Low and 16 SB15 subwoofers to deliver a high-fidelity nearfield experience; and, lastly, 40 KS28 subs distributed throughout the grandstand structure to provide low-frequency energy to reinforce the music and sound effects content.
The SFX system was comprised of three elements: a ground row of 13 X8 loudspeakers on either side of the performance area for spatial content related to floor projection and cast movement; a flown row of 13 A10-Wide mounted at a high level along each side of the space for spatial content related to objects moving and for music SFX; and a stereo system at each end of the space for any sounds related to projected content on the portals. Each array consisted of six K2s.
“Reinforcement of the music and narration content was based around the acoustic centre of the orchestra to ensure time alignment between the acoustic sound and the reinforced sound,” explains Auditoria’s Scott Willsallen. “Meanwhile, the SFX systems were arranged to exploit the linear nature of the venue and provide localisation to key moments.”
Positioned behind the orchestra to provide monitoring for the players via wired and wireless IEMs, a dual-engine DiGiCo SD7 and a pair of SD-Racks captured the live music. The L-ISA
inputs from the SD7 consisting of sub-mixed stems of the live orchestra and pre-recorded stems from a Merging Technologies Ovation replay system. The loudspeaker arrangement consisted of 36 outputs and a separate sub-bass output. “Our approach was to sub-mix the orchestra to stems for delivery to the FOH and broadcast consoles to simplify mixing and also to provide a repeatable situation between the show venue and rehearsal venue,” adds Willsallen.
In contrast, control of the primary speaker system was via a mirrored pair of DiGiCo Quantum 7 consoles with an L-ISA II processor per unit connected using MADI. A pair of OutBoard TiMax SoundHub2 processors were used to control and position the show’s diverse sources: the live orchestra in combination with music playback and spatialised soundfield effect elements. The distributed system of ground-stacked and flown speakers was loaded into the geometrically aware TiMax PanSpace, which automatically calculated levels and delays for the different layers of TiMax’s Image Definition objects.
The main FOH audio control room was located remotely, far from the arena. To accommodate this, dedicated TiMax outputs were allocated to provide control room spatial monitoring that matched the placements and movements of content in the actual arena. A separately networked TiMax client control computer was located at the arena space during rehearsals. Using this, Willsallen and Out Board’s Robin Whittaker, who was onsite to assist with the TiMax setup and spatial programming throughout, were able to
audition and select the most effective spatial events for hard-programming into the show. “We created three room engine presets based on a large, warm concert hall,” notes Willsallen. “They were assigned to snapshots and used to suit the different compositions throughout the show.”
“Thankfully, the flexible TiMax workflow made it easy to rapidly program and audition highly-effective spatial events to meet the show’s fluid and diverse creative challenges as they arose,” continues Whittaker. “Furthermore, it was great to be involved with a production of such magnitude and significance, and brilliant to have the invaluable support of the Agora and Auditoria audio teams.”
Supplied by Encore, a sizeable complement of more than 1,000 lighting fixtures was deployed to meet lighting designer Bruno Poet’s intricate design, with 51 placed on either side of the portals. This included fixtures from Astera (AX2, AX3, Hydra Panel, Pixelbrick and Titan Tube) and Elation (Proteus Lucius, Proteus Maximus, Proteus Rayzor 760 and Razor Blade) in addition to Ayrton Perseos, Robe Forte follow spots, GLP FR10s, SGM P6s and ETC Lustr3s.
“Control was handled by four MA Lighting grandMA3 fullsize consoles and four MA3 Lites in combination with 15 grandMA3 processor units,” notes Poet. “In addition, we used Zactrack Pro servers for automated tracking of the cast and props, both for lighting and projection. This was crucial to the success of the show.” The Zactrack system included 20 Anchors covered in fabric to blend in with the set and a
further 75 tracking tags. The ROE LED strip fixtures were controlled by a disguise d3 media server.
“The biggest challenge was that the convoy of props, vehicles and people had to keep moving across the field of play at show speed in every rehearsal, and it was very timeconsuming and complicated to reset,” adds Poet. “We were always having to light moving objects. Nothing in the show ever stopped.”
In this period of UAE Centennial, a five-decade plan that started in 2021, the country is moving towards a new chapter of growth designed to ensure prosperity for generations to come, and the National Day procession was intended as a visual showcase of that goal. With show themes spanning sustainability, renewable energy, food security, clean air and space travel, a bigger production than the Golden Jubilee would not have necessarily been the right approach. To the relief of all involved, the 2 December procession was considered a roaring success, with more than a million viewers tuning in to watch the official livestream and the ADNEC close to capacity the following week.
www.agoraaq.it
www.auditoria.systems
www.ct-group.com
www.esdevlin.com
www.outboard.co.uk
www.wonder.co.uk
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SSL 12 is fully integrated with SSL 360° sooware: Your SSL Control Room. Here you can assign monitor controls, create mulaple independent headphone mi mixes, choose your Loopback source, customize the 3 front panel user-buuons and much more. SSL 12 presents a combinaaon of professional features and workflow never seen before in a portable desktop interface.TiMax SoundHub’s PanSpace spatialisation Projection mapped content was delivered by Creative Technology Middle East
A DESIRABLE LOCATION RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF SHEIKH Zayed Road was simply not enough to maintain the fortunes of Dubai’s old Palladium. Once host to some of the city’s biggest and best concerts, the venue had been languishing for some time, quickly falling into a state of disrepair since doors shut back in 2009. Clearly, more work than just a lick of fresh paint would be needed to reverse its fortunes.
The building’s lack of use was something that had been eating away at Martin Gravestock as he drove by Media City each day. “I visited with our current technical director Damian Calderbank when he was working at the Palladium originally, back when it was first being built,” Gravestock recalls. “Eventually, the venue closed down, but I continued to drive past it each morning and evening, and its lack of use was simply a crime. It took just shy of two years of negotiation with the previous owners before I could get my hands on the property.”
Having finally been given the opportunity to buy the complex in the midst of the pandemic, Gravestock quickly embarked on grand ambitions to not only revitalise the dilapidated space, but to create something entirely new for creative professionals based locally: a “new creative hub” in his own words. Sensibly, Gravestock enlisted the support and experience of Calderbank as production director to help bring this vision to life. Spearheaded by the duo, the seven-storey building is now far more than just a performance theatre, convention centre and exhibition hall. The familiar Palladium sign sat above the grand entrance has also been replaced with two bold words: The Agenda.
“Music and entertainment were always central to the space and we’re not looking to move away from that completely,” explains Calderbank. “However, the events industry is changing, particularly since Covid, and we felt that we could offer something here that no one else in Dubai can.”
What began as a refresh of the rundown auditorium to transform it into a highly flexible multi-event/exhibition space capable of rivalling nearby venues has extended to create the complete hub, adding a dedicated business centre, F&B
The Agenda is a new creative hub striving to provide a one-stop shop for industry professionals in Dubai. Simon Luckhurst takes a tour
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outlets, coffee shops, dance studios, musical instrument retailers, conferencing rooms and recording studios. The existing auditorium has been given a facelift, transforming it into a 3,000-seat main theatre with standing capacity for up to 6,000, with flexibility being key to the upgrade.
“Other venues often have obstacles in the way for production companies, from loading procedures and lengthy paperwork, to obstructive prices to use in-house facilities like rigging points,” explains Calderbank. “At The Agenda you can drive your truck right up to the stage; central to everything is ease of use. Furthermore, we have quick connections for all of the audio, video and lighting services, to help clients get in and out fast. Reverse Socapex connectors, for example, are installed across the stage to allow the loudspeaker, lighting and video systems to be flown with all the associated cabling hidden backstage.”
“Between Damian and I, we’ve done so many shows where you’ve gone into a ballroom as an AV company and spent the first 50% of the budget simply creating a black box,” adds Gravestock. “Our approach was to keep everything relatively neutral; however, every surface has been repainted or upholstered and the acoustic panels renewed. Before, the interior looked very dated, but now everything is much more contemporary and can be tweaked to match a client’s theme or branding.”
Flexibility is aided by the venue’s complement of in-house AVL equipment, which Gravestock assures is being continually developed and refined to better suits clients’ needs. Audio equipment includes a d&b audiotechnik SL-Series line array capable of producing 112dB at FOH, a Yamaha CL5 digital console with Rio3224 stagerack, a Shure ULXD4Q wireless DS410 13-way wireless system for backline communications. Lighting includes Martin Mac Aura wash LEDs and Mac Viper Performance, Robe Spiiders and Clay Paky Stormy CCs.
“We have about 60 moving lights that can be used and all that’s needed are the flying bars. Otherwise, it can be loaded with clients’ own lights, the Socapex goes on at the end of the bar, and it’s flown,” says Calderbank. “Downstairs in our basement you can drive the truck right up to drop off your dimmers (or nowadays just power), and plug in. All the infrastructure is there to make the process quick and easy. We don’t need hundreds of metres of cable to be brought in and that’s how we can get a show in and out, and do the gig, within
Below the main exhibition space, the venue houses a collection of multipurpose spaces capable of holding up to 2,000 people. “Beyond this, we’re building a dance college, music college and drama school,” explains Gravestock. “On the top floor we’re creating a business centre. This is going to be really great for people working in the industry and it is only those in the industry that will be able to use it. If you’re a freelance sound engineer, you can come in and work here. It will be your office.”
space was hosting a consumer technology exhibition called The
Shift and was buzzing with enthusiasm. “We recently had some in-the-round events that looked very cool,” says Calderbank. “Then, the next night we had 6,000 people in here for a K-pop gig and the following night something different again. We’re able to turn things around so quickly because of the connectivity we’ve put in and the layout of the hall.”
In total, The Agenda offers more than 3,000m2 of exhibition, convention, studio and rehearsal space, with more to be unveiled in the near future. “The place has truly risen from the ashes and now we consider ourselves to be a really good-sized venue for a large concert,” says Calderbank. “We’ve got a lot of great stuff coming up; we’ve done more gigs since April than the venue had since it was built. That has meant about 50,000 people through the door so far, which basically amounts to a gig every weekend throughout the summer.”
While credit most definitely goes to Gravestock and Calderbank for providing the industry with a compelling new enterprise, the area surrounding the venue has also matured greatly since the Palladium closed down, which has aided their endeavour. “We have a metro station just five minutes’ walk away that wasn’t around for the Palladium to benefit from and we’ve got onsite underground parking offering several hundred spaces,” says Calderbank. “All of the ingredients are now in place to make The Agenda the perfect hub for our industry.”
“We’re so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve here already in such a small amount of time,” concludes Gravestock. “The important point that we want to get across is how differently we operate. We consider ourselves disruptors who will change the way that events are done, making everything much simpler for the client. It is our goal to help clients get booked in, deliver and get out as easily as possible, and we’re providing all the tools and facilities necessary to make that a reality. Furthermore, having been a part of it for so long, our
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WITH THE DUST HAVING NOW SETTLED ON THE Qatar World Cup, Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) has been able to sit back and take stock of its extensive activities in Doha over not just the last few months, but the last decade or more. In addition to being handed responsibility for the AVL solutions powering the tournament’s opening and closing ceremonies, the company’s Dubai-based team hit maximum capacity as it worked to support US broadcaster FOX’s extensive live commentary for the tournament while simultaneously managing the ceremonies and concocting a number of fan zone experiences. It was a fitting end to 2022, capping off the Middle East office’s 10th anniversary.
Approximately 60,000 fans gathered from around the world and millions of viewers tuned into the FIFA Opening Ceremony held live at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman was the narrator and Jungkook of K-pop boy band BTS performed a new tournament song, while more than 300 dance performers ignited the stadium just prior to the first match kicking off.
To complement the festivities, CTME was tasked with delivering projection mapping covering the pitch, along with flown tracking and rolling stage LED screens. “The show was a technically complex production with lots of signals and different displays under the high-pressure environment that comes with global televised shows,” comments CTME managing director, Andy Reardon. “Our technicians rose to the occasion as always. We were operating on very tight schedules delivering the highly technical installation in a time-sensitive manner.”
CTME’s video mapping covered the 3,250m2 Field of Play (FOP), with a canvas size of 3840x5340. It was powered by 18 Panasonic PT-RZ31k laser projectors with all signals distributed though fibre from a 128x128 video router matrix. For content playback, a fully redundant disguise system of two VX2 and four VX4 media servers were supplied to output content for the FOP projection, LED screens, stadium ribbons and broadcast VT. “In total, our disguise servers were playing back 30 million pixels to all screens and projection systems around the venue,” adds
created by using ROE Vanish 8T and GLUX 10 mounted in custom-made scenic frames. The signal that fed into them was from a broadcast wireless system that used 7GB bandwidth. Another primary feature of the night was the on-pitch rolling stage, custom-built for the live performers. Here, CTME installed ROE Vanish 8T LED screens fed through a Riedel MediorNet system.
“Our dedicated teams were planning this event for over two months with our client Balich,” notes Reardon. “From pre-production to the event going live, the entire team worked incredibly hard to deliver such a fantastic show. Schedules had to be met in a timely manner to ensure a seamless delivery. It’s been a huge honour for CTME to be delivering on such a world-renowned event.”
Just one month later and it was time to do it all over again. With Argentina declared the new champions in a nail-biting match with France, the month-long tournament
culminated at the Lusail Stadium. Directly following the game, CTME delivered the Closing Ceremony which coincided with Qatari National Day and included a high-end projection package across the FOP and a bespoke LED stage system.
In tandem with the tournament, a number of fan zones and activations had been created throughout the country, with one of the main showcases being daily shows located along the waterfront promenade at the Doha Corniche. Running throughout the competition, a tridimensional multimedia water display told the tale of two young athletes’ friendship united by their love for football. CTME provided video projection across two large “water screens” measuring 35m x 15m, in addition to centre circle “Icon” smoke screens which were one of
as well as a video installation for the projection mapping along with multiple high-resolution LED displays.
The extent of CTME’s latest operations in the country date back all the way to 2006, when the company first started supporting clients in Qatar. When it opened the dedicated Middle East office in Dubai back in 2011, things stepped up another gear.
The World Cup is the culmination of those long-lasting efforts.
“The team has been working towards the 2022 FIFA World Cup for three years and the planning work never paused during the pandemic,” notes Reardon.
“CTME currently has a staff of 120 in the Middle East, representing 27 nationalities. More than 200 personnel and freelance technical talent were involved in the
“This project was incredibly innovative and unique, yet challenging as the projection took place out on the Persian Gulf Sea,” explains project manager, Croft Clinton. “Our solutions consisted of four 50k Panasonic projectors which were double stacked on each side, and a further two 31k projectors used to project onto the centre ‘Icon’. A month of pre-production and programming took place before the project was executed and our engineering team had everything planned to ensure a seamless execution.”
As the buzz continued in Qatar during the FIFA World Cup, CTME delivered a variety of other high-profile projects for clients –including Fashion Trust Arabia, Desert Rose and Forever Valentino – and also delivered a live broadcast of the Veterans Day celebration held at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar for FOX NFL Sunday, which included a bespoke lighting and audio package along with rigging, video and LED screens strewn across the air base.
Held at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards saw the team deliver a range of LED screens around the venue, a bespoke camera package powered by disguise one screen control and an XSL line array system from d&b audiotechnik. To aid fashion brand Valentino in bringing its history of haute couture to the Middle East for the very first time, the CTME systems integration team was commissioned to produce bespoke immersive scenography across the entire exhibition experience,
office. Additionally, our local resources have opened doors for the rest of NEP’s Global Production Ecosystem in Qatar. NEP Broadcast Services is currently utilising a warehouse next door to CTME’s facility, positioning the broadcast business to serve key World Cup clients from where they delivered stadium broadcast production facilities. This has also been made possible by the collaboration among the CT Middle East leadership. Irum Ashraf, who joined the business as general manager in 2012, has played a leading and vital role in coordinating all the teams and projects.
“It’s been a massive support having people on the ground,” Reardon adds. “It’s a great collaboration, and there’s a big synergy between countries and NEP group businesses to make sure it’s a success.
We are so proud of our teams across the business who delivered on so many incredible projects.”
With the ink having barely dried on a new agreement governing the regional partnership between Dubai-based distributor PRO LAB and projector manufacturer Digital Projection, a large batch of the US manufacturer’s products quickly made their way out to Saudi Arabia where they played a pivotal role in the recent Riyadh Season statesponsored entertainment and sports festival.
Located in Hadikat Al Watan, which translates as The Nation’s Garden, the iconic Riyadh Water Tower is a 61m conical monument in the southern area of the city designated as Riyadh Downtown. As part of an exhibit titled Riyadh Sky, the structure was chosen to be showcased prominently throughout the eight weeks of Riyadh Season festivities beginning in late 2022.
“It’s a historical landmark located in the old downtown area, and Riyadh Municipality was very keen to highlight the heritage of the city by lighting this beautiful structure up,” explains Gilbert Haddad, CEO of event organiser, Proline. “We’ve been involved with Riyadh Season since its inception, but Riyadh Sky
Our client was keen on finding the best landmarks that have an impact for Saudis. The idea for the projection came from our design development team and, because of the trustworthy relationship between the client and us, we were approved to also provide the projectors for the project.”
Work of this nature had never been embarked on at the site before, meaning that the entire structure had to be carefully mapped beforehand, presenting several challenges for the Proline team as a result of its unique geometry. Furthermore, the position and angle of the
projected images had to be evaluated to ensure that they were sufficiently visible and legible from 360° viewing angles. The technical requirements for the projected content, such as resolution, aspect ratio and frame rate, were also experimented with in terms of how they would impact the overall quality.
“The brief given to us was quite simple,” explains Haddad. “They wanted us to create the best and ‘newest’ experience possible. We decided to procure the very best equipment available on the international market so that we could be the first company here capable of providing this experience locally. We’ve used Digital Projection’s products before and, for us, they are the best of the best.”
As Digital Projection’s new distributor for the GCC region, PRO LAB not only supplied the teams in Saudi with all equipment necessary to bring the water tower projections to life, it also assisted with the design, layout and configuration of the projectors onsite. “We approached PRO LAB for several reasons: their integrity in this kind of work and their fond relationship with Digital Projection, knowing that in case of any emergency the PRO LAB and Digital Projection teams will both be fully available,” notes Haddad. “No other companies were considered for this
Sixteen of the manufacturer’s flagship Titan Laser 37000 WU projectors were soon shipped out to the site in Riyadh. The 37000 WU models were selected for their extended feature set that includes sealed optics and liquid cooling, a bright, 37,000-lumen output, an IP60 rating, edge-blending capabilities and a light output and colour performance that
Riyadh Water Tower has come alive thanks to a new relationship between Proline and PRO LAB
reportedly won’t be degraded by dust ingress. Once at the site, the Titans were installed around the base of the water tower in a circular formation in three groups to cover the lower, middle and top sections. With an average throw distance for each of 25m, 11 of the Titans were deployed in landscape mode and five in portrait. Proline took care of outsourcing the content, which included a mixture of old water fountains and demonstrations of new technology. The content was transported from a disguise VX4+ media server over HDBaseT to the projectors.
One of the primary challenges for the teams was negotiating the shape of the tower, which made the process challenging due to the dramatically different sizes of the three sections. “Another big challenge was the high ambient light around the tower; however, the brightness offered by the Titan projectors was more than enough to show the beauty of the structure,” shares Haddad.
Given that the Riyadh Season festivities lasted for over two months, the equipment deployed would be subjected to a harsh environment for a protracted period. Although the exhibit is temporary, the Titans will occupy a permanent home in Proline’s equipment inventory afterwards and used on future projects across the kingdom.
“We made sure that the projectors and servers had an adequate environment to withstand various weather conditions that hit Riyadh this season,” explains Haddad. “Since the water tank has a funnel-shaped geometry, we also had to surround it with various enclosed standing towers with glass openings for the projectors to shoot through. This equipment was an important purchase and is a big asset to our company. It needs to remain in good shape for future use.”
The Riyadh Sky exhibit ran flawlessly 24 hours a day for the entirety of Riyadh Season, lighting up the surrounding area with a collection of different shows, including one that projected water dripping down the tower as if it was overflowing. Furthermore, in a short space of time, the project has served as a catalyst to cement several new enduring relationships.
“The partnership between PRO LAB and Proline on this project has resulted in a truly spectacular installation,” concludes PRO LAB’s Rami Haber. “The use of Digital Projection’s projectors elevated the overall experience for the audience, and the technical precision and capabilities of these projectors allowed us to create an immersive and dynamic environment that exceeded all our expectations. We are thrilled with the outcome and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We are proud to have been a part of such a cutting-edge project and look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible with technology.”
“The result was amazing,” echoes Haddad. “We had some expectations for the projectors and the content but, honestly, the end result exceeded everything. The projectors were the core of the project, the water tower came alive and was interacting with the audience. We can’t talk enough about the wow factor they created. I think people’s necks are probably hurting now from staring up at the tower all the time.”
www.digitalprojection.com
www.prolabllc.com
www.prolinesal.com
ran from 2014 up until the onset of the pandemic, the newly reimagined Saudi Design Festival (SDF) debuted in Riyadh from 12–23 January. Presented by the Saudi Architecture and Design Commission, the festival is a platform for local talent to showcase their creations while stimulating conversations around design in the region. Beyond this, the event has matured to become a catalyst for growth in the local economy and an advocate for Saudi design identity on the global stage. It’s one of the biggest fixtures on the kingdom’s events calendar.
As part of SDF, design destinations and activations took place in numerous venues at more than 40 locations throughout the city, including Oud Square, the Boulevard Riyadh and Gallery Design – an interior design showroom and retail space in Riyadh’s Takhasusi district.
“During SDF there are various talks, shows and experiences going on throughout Riyadh and one of those experiences was hosted by our partner Gallery Design, highlighting their showroom and furniture gallery while hosting various architects from around the world who gave speeches and presentations,” explains Shaun Donsen, BeWunder head of project management –Event Production unit. “We jointly hosted alongside Gallery Design, and as part of our scope we created an impressive projection mapping on the façade of the showroom.
“To achieve this, we performed a full map of the front and right-hand sides of the building, creating content for the projections together with another one of our close partners, Kunzberg, who are experiential designers from Germany,” adds Donsen. “When we were initially approached by Gallery Design, they came up with a very basic lighting concept where they wanted us to spotlight the building. We suggested the projection idea given that it was the perfect building for such a demonstration. It’s a really beautiful construction in the
face that was ideal for mapping.”
Being the first BeWunder project to take place in the kingdom since the creation of the brand at the beginning of the year, it was an important milestone for the company and a simple way to increase local visibility.
Onsite, the BeWunder team deployed six Panasonic PT-RZ21K projectors, comprising two triple stacks for the front wall, as well as a double stack of Panasonic PT-RZ31K projectors for the side walls. The units were all provided by BeWunder’s partner Lang AG.
“Gallery Design provided us with all the necessary structures and power, and we then installed the projectors and the control system, which was a Dataton Watchout solution. “We spent a couple of days setting up and then a night of aligning everything and testing,” furthers Donsen. “The event spanned two nights and there were essentially two parts to our show: the main show which ran for around six minutes. It included several scenes that Kunzberg developed and produced, which were repeated every 20 minutes. In between shows, we had interspersed simpler videos to create an engaging atmosphere.
“We also provided accompanying audio for that main section,” he continues. “We positioned speakers around the outdoor car park using Passio boxes on sticks and adding a couple of B6 ground subs.
“Having worked with several of these partners before on a couple of projects, it was a great opportunity for both us and them to showcase ourselves to the Saudi market,” continues Donsen. “The timing fit perfectly, having just completed the transition to BeWunder. It demonstrates that this is what we are capable of and we’re still the same great company as before, just under a different name.”
www.bewunder.com
www.gallerydesign.com.sa
www.saudidesignfestival.com
BeWunder has lent its expertise to Saudi Design Festival in the first project since the company’s rebrand
SINCE ITS INITIAL 2014 LAUNCH IN LONDON, THE ALARABY news network has grown to become one of the leading Arablanguage public television broadcasters worldwide. In 2021, the channel decided to move its headquarters to Lusail in Qatar. The team at Asia-based systems integrator Ideal Systems was handed responsibility for the fitout of the complex’s three new broadcasting studios that would see the broadcaster open its doors at the new premises towards the end of 2022.
Inside the new complex, Alaraby was seeking a solution that could ensure quality transmission between all three spaces, including the main newsroom. This posed particular challenges on the audio side, with the location in Lusail suffering from both a lack of 4G/5G GSM coverage and high interference from a large number of electronic devices in the vicinity. A plug-andplay solution was needed which would allow engineers to shoot footage from anywhere in the facility rather than just the studio.
Ideal Systems turned to Sennheiser Middle East for advice.
“Due to the relationship Sennheiser Middle East has with both Alaraby and Ideal Systems, we became involved with the design of this project from a very early stage,” explains Ryan Burr from Sennheiser Middle East. “This was crucial to ensure radio frequency coordination, antenna positions and cable runs were agreed upon before the installation of products took place.”
The main studio is a circular space with an open newsroom with a capacity for 90 journalist seats in the background. There is also a morning news and current affairs studio, and a “closed” black box studio.
Having understood the broadcaster’s exacting requirements, Ideal Systems’ implementation team suggested 32 channels of Sennheiser D6000 wireless microphone systems consisting of EM 6000 Dante receivers, SK 6000 bodypack transmitters and MKE 2 lapel microphones. The solution also includes multiple ADP antennas with low-loss coaxial cables to ensure full and uninterrupted coverage in each studio. The manufacturer’s 2000 Series in-ear monitors have been deployed for the presenters’ IFB systems. These use a comprehensive antenna
distribution system, including A-5000 CP circularly polarised antennas.
“In general, no two installations are the same,” notes Burr. “However, everything went smoothly. The two main challenges we faced – and knew we would face – were the amount of LED screens and videowalls each studio contained and the fact
that all three studios were in close proximity to each other. The LED walls generate a certain amount of RF noise that can impact the performance of wireless equipment. However, good antenna positioning and the fact that the D6000 system has a carrier-to-noise ratio of 11dBm meant that all studios performed well during testing. In terms of proximity, we ensured that the frequency coordination of all the wireless systems allowed for transition between each studio, so that even if a presenter walks between them with a transmitter turned on, this will not create any kind of interference.”
This new wireless infrastructure ensures that news anchors can present freely, standing anywhere in the room or roaming around. Additionally, all three studios have a redundant system in place which enhances the overall robustness.
Settled into the new facility and operating 24 hours a day, Alaraby is extremely satisfied with the Sennheiser solution implemented. “When we were looking to select the preferred partner to offer us qualitative sound systems working seamlessly 24/7 that would have to cover an area of 7,000m2, we could think of no one but Sennheiser due to their impeccable product portfolio and unmatched service,” comments Ali Husseini, director of operations and creative services at Alaraby TV. “Our studio is the classic example of how a modern-day news channel should look and sound, and that’s what has been made possible by the able team at Sennheiser.”
Ed Homan, Middle East director at Ideal Systems Group, agrees, noting that Sennheiser is Ideal Systems’ first choice, and that has always been the case. “Alaraby TV is one of our largest projects, and Sennheiser solutions one of our core offerings,” he says. “We’re thankful for the cooperation of all involved to ensure on-time delivery to the client’s satisfaction, despite numerous obstacles.”
ART 9-AX combines a powerful digital mixer with cutting-edge electroacoustic capabilities, a rugged build quality, and advanced features. Several operating modes are included, alone or paired with other speakers and subwoofers, wired or wireless. With a powerful 2100W amplifier, ART 9-AX delivers up to 131 dB SPL max and includes proprietary RCF technologies such as the TRW 100°x60° constant directivity waveguide, FiRPHASE for 0° phase response, and Bass Motion Control for woofer excursion management. Available in three sizes: ART 910-AX, ART 912-AX, and ART 915-AX (10”, 12”, and 15” woofer).
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RUMINATING ON ADVANCING AGE HAS BECOME A more regular part of existence in recent years, but it’s counterweighted by what’s been witnessed in that time. Without going into specific numbers, I’ve seen audio production transition from analogue to digital (we didn’t even need the word “analogue” until digital came along and made it necessary) and watched as the magnificent recording studios of the latter part of the 20th century become largely backdrops for Netflix music bios. Pretty much everything about music production underwent existential structural changes in a matter of 50 years. You can now make credible music on an iPhone and accompanying videos on the same palm-sized platform. So it’s not surprising that Spotify is asserting that it uploads upwards of 60,000 new music tracks per day. That’s 22 million new “songs” a year, one every 1.4 seconds. “Songs” is in quotation marks because what qualifies as music has also undergone its own reappraisal. Some producers are uploading little more than silence, or even white noise, with naming those “songs” probably being the most creative part of the entire endeavour. In a bit of true genius, some are labelling the results as concentration or
relaxation aids. But, to quote Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer –a movie that marked another huge inflection point in the history of media technology: “You ain’t heard nothing yet.”
The next round of audio ingenuity revolves around AI or, more specifically, generative AI: the application of artificial intelligence software to “create” new art or media. There are those quotation marks again. That’s because the term “generative” could perhaps be better replaced by “iterative”. Users of software such as Synthesia and Pictory can use them to, as the SMPTE blog puts it: “…give [content creators] creative freedom, to let directors or producers and others have control over the output, to iterate over the output… to create… tunable synthetic voices with lowlatency generative AI modelling.”
The future for these technologies, a cohort led by the both remarkable and sinister ChatGPT, envisions a day when customer-service and tech-services departments can have intelligent “conversations” with consumers. And given the shortage of workers for roles like that in the US currently, that’s great. But if I was a voice actor on The Simpsons or Family Guy or any number of other prime-time animated series, I’d be a bit nervous. You may not be able to be
replaced by a machine, but you could be made redundant by machine learning.
Similar software solutions are not only being used to perform new music compositions, including the vocals, but to compose them as well. Companies like Amper Music, Melodrive and Jukedeck are using algorithms and neural networks to create music for video games and film shorts. It’s not that big a leap from TikTok to Hollywood, where cost-cutting has been a business model ever since they moved orchestral film scores to Prague and Warsaw after the Berlin Wall fell, to take advantage of non-union musicians. Experiments in having generative AI write the actual screenplays are already in progress. Could they come up with anything worse than anything by Seth Rogen or Andy Dick?
The fact that technology is changing the way we create content, art and media isn’t new, but the rate and scope of that change is. The legal industry is already looking for ways to protect the people we call creators from “creative” algorithms. I’m not sure how that’s going to work out, but I suspect that by the time we stop using those quotation marks, the world we work in will look rather different. This was not written by ChatGPT. Or was it?
AS THE BEATLES STEPPED ACROSS ABBEY ROAD –the actual road – for the cover photo of their last album Abbey Road – recorded at the actual studio – it was all over. I suppose the album could have been named after the road or the studio, or both, but it didn’t matter. The tonal contrasts of the classic British “zebra” pedestrian crossing now act as the perfect metaphor. The Beatles were, by this time, as far apart from each other as black and white.
If this image is what makes Abbey Road the most famous studio in the world, we should be grateful that people keep the flame alight, not least by returning here in droves, year in, year out, to refresh the graffiti on the low white wall outside. And it’s with this phenomenon that author, presenter and publisher David Hepworth chooses to begin and end his rewarding history of the studio published recently by Bantam. He goes far deeper than tourism, of course, and best of all he dares to lace mainstream nonfiction with the word “compressor”. Alongside a compelling narrative that frames the design, staff and clients of Abbey Road within the shape-shifting society outside, Hepworth offers just enough technical insight to reveal the too-long hidden secrets of every
record’s sound and, hopefully, to avoid scaring off the pixies of illusion that people like to keep at the bottom of the garden of knowledge. We learn that electrical recording bestowed colourful sound onto music; that microphones gave singers like Frank Sinatra an artificially enhanced relationship to orchestras and bands; that separate manipulation of channels brought music closer to hearts and minds; that tape editing created unplayable juxtapositions; that compression drove the impact and urgency of pop and rock; that the automated SSL console changed music from performance to assembly; and that digital editing is to tape editing what Jodrell Bank is to binoculars. The question remains as to whether record collectors should know more about how the products they cherish were made. If you are an aficionado of art, you should know how the materials and techniques available at the time literally shaped the images held so sacred. Otherwise, it’s as if they appeared from nowhere or, a more likely explanation by those without the facts, from some nebulous never-never land linked to notions of “genius” and “inspiration”. If indeed you regard your records as superior to others, as most rock, jazz and classical music followers
do, should you not be digging deeper than the sleeve notes?
I put this tricky proposition to the author at one of his favourite haunts inside the British Library in London, bearing in mind that his magazine experience stretches from the shiny delirium of Smash Hits to the studied cool of Q and the grey pony-tailed lofts of Mojo. “Would people enjoy their records more if they knew what went into them inside Abbey Road?” I asked. He gave it much consideration. “Probably not,” he eventually said. “People want to invest in magic.” I realised there and then that my plans to create the equivalent of David Attenborough or Professor Brian Coxstyle science documentaries about recording were unlikely to make it all the way across the traffic to the other side. Soon after the invasion of Ukraine a year ago, the graffiti outside Abbey Road became one single amber and blue banner saying: “FREE UKRAINE”. Inside the building, Ukrainians Igor Maxymenko and Yuriy Shevyrov now run their remote mixing start-up Audiomovers as part of the family. It’s said that the earliest code for their DAW software plugin Listento was written in Kyiv. Is that coincidence, or is it that old black magic called Abbey Road?
latest in a line of audio production transitions, as witnessed by Dan Daley, is upon us. The algorithm will see you now Phil Ward asks if it’s wise to dig too close into the secrets behind classic and favourite recordings
Hearing, seeing, feeling, connected. A new listening experience. Involvement with a most beautiful intensity. The interaction between artist and audience, more intimate than ever before. Enveloping sound reinforcement, succeeding so much more than right and left.
d&b Soundscape gives designers, engineers and artists the tools to create exceptional audience experiences. dbsoundscape.com
Photo: Tanner VonnahmeI, unsplash
of three keynote speakers, BK Johannessen of Epic Games highlighted how technology trends in the gaming industry are driving AV innovation by drawing on cutting-edge projects in While this year’s ISE felt like a continuation of where it left off in 2020, it was very much a new start in virgin territory. The show has diverted and rerouted itself via the realm of Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC). Big business prior to the pandemic, videoconferencing captured a sizeable chunk of the show floor, particularly in halls 2 and 3.
Overdue product launches were in abundance as the AV world continues to demand complete solutions that appeal to SIs and users alike with ease-of-use features.
With IT convergence, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is simplifying repetitive tasks for users, installers and facility managers with automation. As the tradeshow interaction between manufacturer and end user resumes, the R&D cycle is in operation again, with ISE
DESPITE FAILING TO YET REACH THE EXHIBITOR AND visitor peaks of 2019, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) at the Fira Gran Via Barcelona can be considered a huge success.
The 20th staging of the leading AV and SI exhibition was even given a royal seal of approval as a VIP delegation including King Felipe VI of Spain toured the show floor.
Unlike recent tradeshows and conferences, ISE managed to stage a reduced format in 2020 at Amsterdam’s RAI, taking ISE on tour to London and Barcelona in 2021 before a system reboot at the new venue in May 2022. Back after just eight months, the show opened with a record number of day one visitors queuing to enter before spreading out over 56,870m2 of floorspace, setting the tone for the week.
ISE was subdivided into six main halls hosting audio and live events, digital signage, multi technology, residential, smart building and unified communications technologies. In addition
to the 1,055 exhibitors, an extensive conference schedule and professional development programme vied for attention. The very scale of ISE dictates a lot of preparation and strict schedules though and, unfortunately, this was somewhat hindered during the first two days by the long queues outside the main entrance. Despite being approximately 10 minutes’ walk from the entrance of hall 7, the hall 8 audio demo rooms proved a big success. Exhibiting brands including AED Group, d&b audiotechnik, Holoplot, Martin Audio, Pioneer Pro Audio and Void Acoustics provided rotational live demos throughout each day. A guest appearance from Jean-Michel Jarre swelled the audience in the Coda Audio demo room, where the French electro musician and composer performed his new Oxymore composition within the immersive Space concept.
Offering a blend of creativity and technical solutions, the Content Production and Distribution zone debuted in hall 6. One
“It’s been an extraordinary week and it’s hugely gratifying for us to realise we’ve delivered an exceptional show for our industry and the wonderful city of Barcelona,” said Mike Blackman, managing director, Integrated Systems Events. “We’ve had so much inspiring content on display, and groundbreaking visits from the King of Spain and the President of Catalonia. This week at ISE 2023 confirms that we can safely say the global AV and systems integration industry is back with an impressive bang.”
2023 Dates: 31 January – 3 February
2024 Dates: 30 January – 2 February
Venue: Fira Gran Via Barcelona
Total exhibitors: 1,055
Attendance: 58,107
Contact: www.iseurope.org
John McMahon, Meyer Sound:
“ISE 2023 has easily been the best tradeshow for Meyer Sound to date. Real business is being done and orders are being placed. We designed our booth for networking rather than demonstrating and this was the right call, but we should have brought in more staff as the first two days were over the top. There has been a genuine enthusiasm to learn more about our SpaceMap Go software. We launched our Leopard line array system in May last year and the reaction we are still receiving to this is phenomenal.”
“Three of us have attended and we’ve all been incredibly busy; it’s been worthwhile coming to catch up with the suppliers under one roof. We’ve been so busy that we haven’t had time to attend workshops or conferences. Time has been precious and we weren’t helped by having to queue for over an hour on the first two days to show our digital then print badges at the main entrance. Although the exhibition centre is well laid out, navigating individual booths is a problem as there is little signage.”
“In terms of visitor attitudes, the numbers we’re seeing, the constant meetings and levels of interest shown in our latest Atmosphere additions, this year’s ISE feels like ‘normal’; the response to the new amplifiers and interfaces has exceeded our expectations. Compared to Amsterdam, we’re meeting more people from Latin America and southern Europe, as they are perhaps more comfortable with the language and culture in Barcelona.”
Dean Standing, AtlasIED:ISE 2023 largely surpassed expectations as exhibitors and visitors from around the world gathered to make up for lost time
Jason Schwartz, Hall Technologies:
“We exhibited for the first time in 2022 and I was confident we could build on that in 2023 by continuing to highlight the price performance benefits of our Mercury, Javelin and Ranger videoconferencing and unified collaboration technologies. Not only have we been building on that momentum of 2022, but we are continuing to sign up new dealers and distributors in addition to meeting new customers.”
James Rempel, Nureva:
“Last year’s ISE was a great show, but this year feels even better – bigger crowds and a lot more people. We’ve been busy with great discussions with customers, other vendors and our channel partners. But this success also means that there are a lot of people to deal with, so the trains are certainly crowded and getting into the show has also been difficult for many.”
George Tennet, Blaze Audio:
“Taking a double decker booth in hall 7 for our ISE debut in 2022 increased our brand awareness; now we appear to be back to normal, visitors are remembering Blaze and are returning. We consolidated our EU distribution in 2022 and being able to ship product within a week last year really helped our cause. We seem
report on atendee demographics.”
Fernando Küfer, disguise:
“It’s an incredible show; you can tell everyone has been waiting to come back, and I’ve been surprised at the volume of partners and customers we’ve seen. We’ve even done some sales on the booth, which hasn’t happened for a long time. Of course it helps that we’re in Barcelona! But signage has been lacking, and the queues outside the entrance have been insane.”
Josh Rush, Audinate: “We’re definitely seeing a buzz and energy on our booth. A number of manufacturers have adopted our Dante AV video technology and people are starting to see that take shape with new PTZ cameras, encoders/decoders and stageboxes, and that’s been a big draw for people heading over here. We’re very happy to be here and to show off that new ecosystem.”
Justin Joy, Peerless-AV:
Gary Goh, Electronics & Engineering (Singapore):
“This is my first ISE since 2020 and I had no expectations other than to network and meet suppliers. My schedule has been packed with meetings with people I haven’t seen for years as we have so many projects to complete. Ironically, I’ve had many meetings with fellow Singaporeans here in Barcelona in addition to meeting suppliers and manufacturers. As a result, I haven’t had the opportunity to visit demos or conferences.”
“VITEC is highlighting solutions including digital signage management and core IP video products. The legacy VITEC offering of IPTV, video streaming and digital signage solutions is associated with large system deployments, but we are widening our customer
Bob Boster, Clear-Com:
“ISE 2023 has exceeded our expectations. We expect it to be a very active and buoyant part of our sales year. Has the ISE 2023 show reached the same peak as Amsterdam 2018 or 2019? It will take people a little time, but it will come. The 2022 show seemed like a trial run; 2023 was a real ISE show.”
“It’s been a smash hit: wonderful crowds – not just the numbers, the quality has also been everything that we’d hoped and traffic has been consistent. On the flip side, the entrance system has to be completely scrapped, and I imagine I’m not the first person to say that. It was an issue last year but we had much smaller crowds. Another suggestion that’s an easy one to rectify is they have to have more signage, even if they only replicate those banners in the central aisles throughout.”
BeWunder, previously known as Neumann & Müller Middle East is the next phase of our growth!
Carrying the legacy of Neumann&Müller and the foundation we have built in the region with our team & partners, we are excited to work towards the bright future of BeWunder.
BeWunder marks the next stage of our journey, giving us the opportunity to expand our reach and extend services for our current and future partners.
DESPITE THE INCREASING NUMBER OF AUDIOVISUAL companies in Dubai, only a select few distributors have managed to thrive for an extended period of time. Procom Middle East is among this exclusive group and, as the company rapidly approaches the 15-year milestone, it has also been experiencing a well-deserved period of growth. Procom Middle East has built relationships with the F&B and entertainment sectors in the region by making sure they can trust in the array of brands and services. Over time, this trust has led to the company playing a significant role in various high-profile projects, including White Dubai, the Iris brand of nightclubs, La Perle, Yas Waterworld and many more. This growth has culminated recently in the opening of a sizeable new facility located in Dubai Investment Park (DIP), on the outskirts of the city.
portfolio of exclusively represented brands since arriving on the scene in Dubai in 2009. These include Avolites, Eurotruss, Unity Lasers, Pangolin, K-array, Vari-Lite, DAS Audio, Chain Master, Madrix, Cyclops Lighting and, most recently, Adamson and Ayrton. While the supply of these brands is the core of the company’s operation, business development manager Rami Harfouch is keen to stress that distribution is complemented by a comprehensive service offering and local support. “Beyond distribution, we provide end-to-end project support services. This includes venue and product maintenance, and also project design,” Harfouch explains. “Furthermore, we offer after-sales support onsite and in our new service centre in Dubai, which also includes a comprehensive in-house training centre.”
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Local support has been an area where the brand has consistently strived to differentiate itself from the competition over the years. “We aren’t simply moving boxes, we are offering the value-added support that is so critical to anyone buying anything in the AV market these days,” says Harfouch. “When a client buys a product, we run a warranty in the background, meaning that the product can be replaced or repaired almost immediately if necessary. This type of support is invaluable to our clients, especially given the industry that we work in. The other side of this is our 24/7 support team. A team member is out onsite typically within an hour. Whether it’s an end user or a rental company, to make sure that they have that support available whenever it’s needed is incredibly important to our clients.”
“But facilitating great support for our partners means more than just assisting with the design or technical details, and has been what has spurred us to move into new premises,” says Procom sales manager, Anro Schroeder. “We want to be
rigging equipment we offer,” says Harfouch. “It allowed us to combine our servicing, shipping and after-sales operations in one place. Our new location in DIP steps everything up another level once again, with a lot more space to dedicate fully to each area of the business.”
Allowing the team to go even deeper in this regard, the new dedicated training centre can comfortably accommodate up to 16 workstations. Procom has also now established regular courses taking place once every two weeks, with programmes covering Avolites, Madrix, Pangolin, rigging, BS7909:2011 standards and live sound fundamentals. “We believe in knowledge, and we believe in putting knowledge in the hands of users,” says technical support manager, Wiam Boutine. “It ensures that they can utilise the product to its maximum and allows them to deliver greater results and more reliable integrations. By offering in-house training, support and distribution on Avolites, Madrix, Pangolin and Zero88, I feel we’ve become a centre of excellence on lighting control, AV-over-IP and visualisation technologies.”
allow us to offer integrators a more complete solution portfolio for their projects,” says Harfouch. “However, our focus on professional audio and lighting has deepened too, with the addition of Adamson Systems Engineering and Ayrton to our portfolio of high-end audio and lighting equipment.”
With this recent expansion of the company’s product portfolio, the timing for the move to the new DIP facility could not have been better. Built from scratch over the past year, the space is almost three times larger than its previous Silicon Oasis location and boasts a significantly larger live demonstration and performance room, as well as a dedicated training centre, service centre and project support offices. Furthermore, warehouse capacity has been increased significantly to accommodate the vast amount of stock that Procom holds. One brand-new addition is a comprehensive product display area with dedicated sections for each brand, ensuring that customers have easy, hands-on access to explore all of the solutions offered.
able to offer customers full product support – the ability to test out and dive deeper into the products, assistance with design and logistics, and the ability to quickly step in and help out if customers need technical support or training.”
Alongside support and after-sales services, the value of providing comprehensive training to local professionals has also been a core focus for Procom throughout its journey and primarily led the decision to move from its original base in Airport Road back in 2016 to the (at the time) newly developed Silicon Oasis site. This led to the launch of the Avolites Academy – the first time it was held outside of the UK – and, at the same time, a deeper focus for Procom on providing educational resources.
“At the time, we designed the Silicon Oasis space to offer a compelling customer experience with a demo area where customers could get their hands on the whole portfolio of lighting fixtures, control surfaces, professional audio and
Most recently, Procom has strengthened its AV portfolio with video, AV-over-IP and networking brands such as Netgear Pro AV, Optoma, Blustream and Waves System, meeting the shift in the market for more networked-centric projects. “These
The goal is customer convenience and having everything accessible in one place. “What we’ve really focused on and looked at expanding in the last couple of years is the client’s experience. One of the key aspects is our demo room,” explains Schroeder. “We were keen to create an interactive space available to anyone and everyone where they can essentially walk through the door and have access to every bit of kit in a setup that simulates real environments. The demo room allows our integrated partners to come in and put different elements together and essentially use our space as a blank canvas to do a mock-up or to check that their solution is going to work. This is one way we go above and beyond just moving a box or holding stock – we look at offering a detailed experience to a client to ensure that they have all their information and are comfortable moving forward with the product.”
“It had simply become necessary to relocate to a new facility in order to support our growing portfolio and array of services,” continues the BDM. “Given the characteristics of the region in terms of growth and timelines, having products available on the shelf is absolutely key to success. This requires a large space that can accommodate our entire inventory.”
Another area that Harfouch sees as key is investing in its team of highly qualified professionals and their continuous development. “We provide regular training and professional development opportunities to our employees. By staying up to date with industry developments, our team is able to better anticipate changes, identify opportunities and help our clients make informed decisions,” says Harfouch. “A team that is highly qualified, always developing and up to date with industry changes and client needs is a valuable asset in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business environment.”
Moving into the new premises and taking on Adamson at a similar time, Procom has already hit the ground running with several completed Adamson installations within weeks of the ink drying on the signed agreement. “We plan to continue growing our portfolio to make it more complete and increase our physical footprint around the Middle East region to get the products and the services closer to our customers,” concludes Harfouch. “We’re very excited for this next phase of growth and looking forward to what the future will bring. We’re not stopping here.”
www.procom-me.com
For over 15 years, GLM loudspeaker manager software has enabled sound engineers across the globe to utilise our Smart Active Monitors and dial in precise mixes that translate flawlessly to other rooms and playback systems. GLM automatically adjusts your monitor’s settings to counteract unwanted room-acoustic effects, ensuring that you hear the sonic truth, no matter where you choose to set up your system.
With the introduction of our powerful new GRADE report, GLM 4.2 offers you the unique possibility to completely understand and transform your entire listening environment – creating detailed readouts in a matter of minutes.
It’s time to mix faster and better.
Get to know GLM, visit www.genelec.com/glm
THE SUBTLE ART OF SEMANTICS HAS BEEN USED TO great effect by Powersoft when naming its latest amplifier platform, Unica, launched at ISE in January. The name derives from the Italian, signifies uniqueness. However, in Italian it also means “single”. And the company, based just outside Florence, has focused its efforts into embodying both meanings in this latest technology release, carefully targeting its R&D experience and resources into crafting a platform that offers something different while, at the same time, familiar and streamlined.
“The border between what was called ‘fixed installation’ and what was called ‘live production’, depending on who you spoke to, was becoming more and more blurred,” explains Powersoft’s sales and business development director, Luca Giorgi. “There are more and more fixed installations
offering easy integration, straightforward configuration and low maintenance costs.
“What we wanted to do was to make a platform that is a bit different while relying on the same design, interfaces, mechanical construction and processing,” continues Powersoft cofounder and R&D director, Claudio Lastrucci. “There are higher power models within the new range of products, but they are somehow different while – from the user’s point of view – behaving in the same manner as our previous ranges.”
Powersoft has designed Unica to offer the flexibility of adapting to almost any market sector and application.
“When we started thinking about Unica, the most important consideration was to provide a consistent
models in a compact 1U form, offers high power density in a cloud-native amplifier platform designed to provide consistent user experience while meeting the requirements of demanding installations. Powersoft is also promising the new range will offer customers maximum reliability and simplified operation through the lifespan of a typical project.
Lastrucci explains that, while Powersoft’s R&D engineers have incorporated the advanced technologies of previous generations, sonically, Unica represents a big leap forward. “This is just one part of the story, however,” he continues. “There has also been a lot of extensive work on increasing the amplifiers’ efficiency, as well as power consumption, to make them as energy-efficient as possible, extending the lifetime of an installation. A lot of work has been done in optimising the cooling method, so it’s even more efficient than before while producing less noise. Processing is a big part of Unica – the internal architecture is quite different from that of previous products. We’ve split the processing from hardware power management, which gives us more resources to handle these things separately. The result is a real platform that can easily converge to work with different products and power ratings. This new platform will enable a lot of cloud-based functions, from basic surveillance up to very extensive servicing and preventative maintenance functions that allow the installation to be surveyed locally
Powersoft is promising a “one-size-fits-all” solution with its next-generation Unica amplifier platform, targeting multiple applications in medium-to-large installations with the ability to integrate diverse products and functionality
but also to be monitored on a dashboard, showing how the system is performing and if there are any issues that will someday need to be dealt with.”
Based on Powersoft’s proprietary third-generation architecture, which has numerous patents pending, Unica is optimised to reduce points of failure while allowing more accurate reproduction and improved performance over previous models, which the manufacturer puts down to its higher signal-to-noise ratio. An all-new power supply section facilitates efficient conversion, resulting in less power being dispersed through wasted heat, while a new approach to heat management has resulted in fan noise reduction, and a filter that can be accessed without the need of a tool, making it easier to keep the airways clear of dust.
Unica also features the next generation of Powersoft DSPs, based on the latest system-on-chip technology. The DSP section can be operated even when only PoE+ power is available, which has useful implications for pre-configuration operations. A firmware-level protocol manages audio-over-IP (AoIP) through Dante and AES67, and networking can be achieved via three Ethernet ports, allowing both Dante redundancy and splitting control vs AoIP traffic. Power sharing capabilities have been upgraded from existing Powersoft products, with each output channel capable of delivering up to twice the power when loaded asymmetrically. Six programmable general-purpose inputs/ outputs are located on the rear of the amplifier, while the front side features a colour display for status monitoring. Control and monitoring are carried out using the industry-standard A+ software and through third-party integration.
Powersoft has stated that Unica represents a significant milestone in its development of IoT devices which operate with cloud-native connectivity and remote monitoring functions without needing specific product registration or configuration. Cloud integration allows projects to be stored and shared online and ensures the amplifier’s firmware is up to date; it can also be used for simple integration with third-party systems through API.
Ultimately, Unica is well-positioned for the current AV climate: simplifying installation, maintenance and integration of other products while reducing energy consumption. “It will allow systems integrators to easily build and monitor a system, as well as giving their clients services that they haven’t been able to offer, or have offered with very limited functionality,” sums
up Giorgi. “In this way, they can save time in implementing the service, opening up more features when it comes to maintenance and spending less time on configuring the system and making sure it fits the specific application.”
www.powersoft.com
The brand new Showcast 100 is an all-in-one studio by Datavideo. This studio contains a four channel switcher, streaming encoder, camera controller, audio mixer and SD card recorder.
The switcher has 4 inputs in HDMI and can control up to 3 UltraHD cameras, such as PTC-280 and PTC-300. The fourth HDMI input can be used for presentations, titles or a tracking camera such as PTC-285.
The 14” touch panel is intuitive and easy to control. The perfect switcher for small events!
For more information, check out www.datavideo.com
VersaPower: asymmetrical 2400 W power management
Integrated audio player and remote control vía app
Ultra low power consumption mode
Versatile Installation Digital Amplifier
Internal matrix and advanced DSP
Embedded web application
Analogue I/O x 4
AUX outputs x 2 I/O x 4
SOLID STATE Logic has expanded its line of Audio Creation Products with the SSL 12, a 12-in/eight-out USB buspowered audio interface packaged into a portable desktop format. Building on the SSL 2 and SSL 2+ models, the SSL 12 expands in almost every way – more microphone preamplifiers, enhanced headphone performance, advanced routing and monitor controls, ADAT input as well as next-generation 32-bit/192kHz AD/DA converters.
Designed for home or project-based studio control rooms, the interface features four SSL-designed microphone preamplifiers (with mic/line and HPF), two Hi-Z instrument inputs for guitars, bass or vintage instruments and two headphone outputs. Routing and monitoring options combined with ADAT input supporting eight additional channels of digital audio offer a total of 12 tracks of simultaneous recording and eight channels of playback in a portable design.
Contained within its SSL 360° software mixer, the SSL 12 also features a customisable SSL control room. Here,
users can receive feedback from detailed I/O metering as well as assign functions to the device’s three front panel switches, including key monitor controls such as alternative monitor switching, mono sum, invert phase left, dim and cut.
SSL’s Producer Toolkit provides additional configurability, and the SSL 12 includes SSL Production, a suite of software instruments, sounds, plugins and a DAW, which includes the Vocalstrip and Drumstrip 2 plugins, as well as three months’ access to SSL’s Complete subscription and other three-month licences from the likes of Antares and Output.
The manufacturer has also expanded its SSL Production Pack with industrystandard software from Antares and Output, as well as a three-month subscription to SSL Complete. The Production Pack, which is included with every SSL 2/2+ audio interface, has been enhanced with three-month trials of Antares’ Autotune Unlimited and Output’s Arcade. Also included is a three-month SSL Complete subscription, providing
full access to the brand’s entire suite of plugins, including the new 4K B Channel Strip. The new additions add to offerings from Applied Acoustic Systems, Ableton, Celemony, Loop Cloud, IK Multimedia and Native Instruments. Also included in the bundle are perpetual licences of SSL’s mix favourites Vocalstrip 2 and Drumstrip plugins. Both new and existing SSL 2/2+ customers can access the enhanced SSL Production Pack through their registered 2/2+ accounts.
Blitzer is the latest addition to Solid State Logic’s range of plugins available in its SSL Complete subscription. The company describes it as an “analogue attitude compressor” capable of delivering everything from soft, saturating compression to brick-wall limiting. Emulating hardware compressors like the FET ’76 limiting amplifier, valve 2A levelling amplifier, Fairchild and others, Blitzer offers 10 unique compression curves across 10 ratios inspired by a variety of analogue dynamics processors.
www.solidstatelogic.com
The SSL 12 allows users to get studio-quality audio into and out of a computer
THE TNA Active Line Array from UK-based HH Electronics is a modular system designed for small- to medium-sized applications such as live sound reinforcement, bars, clubs, houses of worship, education settings, conferencing and corporate events.
At the heart of the system are the TNA-2120SA, a multichannel active subwoofer with an integrated Class-D amp and two 12-inch low-frequency woofers, and the TNA-1800SA, a single 18-inch active lowfrequency subwoofer.
As well as three channels of amplification, the TNA-2120SA unit houses six optimally voiced, built-in DSP presets. These allow a complete system to be used in flown or ground-stacked configurations, while its integrated rigging hardware and optional suspension bracket and dolly board allow for straightforward installation.
It is capable of powering up to six satellite TNA-2051 passive two-way line array loudspeakers offering an installation solution without the extra expense of rack amplifiers and processors.
The TNA-2051 features dual 5-inch LF drivers and a 1.33-inch Celestion HF compression driver. Its outer enclosure features integrated rigging hardware, enabling the unit to be installed by a single engineer. The TNA-2051 can be used in traditional line array systems for long throw applications, or as a standalone full-range point source system.
KV2 HAS expanded its range of twoand three-way passive loudspeakers with the introduction of the ESD8 loudspeaker.
The ESD8 is a compact, passive, two-way, high-output, full-range loudspeaker which incorporates an 8-inch trans-coil woofer and a 1-inch compression driver coupled to a wide dispersion horn. Designed to present “exceptional” speech and music definition, the ESD8 is designed to be used as either a main system speaker or as an in-fill for larger systems.
It can be set up on podiums, stands or suspended, and applications range from corporate presentations and functions to in-fill, close monitoring or installation. KV2 reports that when combined with subwoofers – of which there are four to choose from in the ESD range – the ESD8 offers a high-quality, full-range performance. The ESD family of loudspeakers ranges from the ultracompact ESD Cube right through to the more powerful ESD15 and ESD36.
The manufacturer has also announced the launch of its SP26 and SP48 digital loudspeaker management systems. Designed for a wide range of applications, both units are pre-loaded with presets for use with HH Electronic’s TNA line array system, and also have integrated controls for local setup as well as a dedicated PC control interface for remote monitoring and configuration via USB or RS-485.
provides parametric EQ, gain control, dynamic low boost, noise gate, RMS compressor, internal white/pink noise generator and configurable delay. Each output offers up to seven parametric EQ and crossover filters. For applications requiring more I/O, the SP48 provides four analogue inputs and eight analogue outputs. Each input channel provides a 30band parametric EQ, gain control, noise gate, RMS compressor and configurable delay. Similarly, each output offers up to seven parametric EQ and crossover filters, with each output path featuring peak limiter, HP/LP filters and driver alignment delay. In addition, the SP48 supports a full matrix mixing mode where inputs may be routed/mixed in any
EXACTLY 10 years after the release of LD Systems’ Dave G3 range of PA speakers, the company has introduced an upgrade with the Dave G4X Series. A family of active 2.1 PA systems, the Dave GX4 is designed for DJs, live performers, solo entertainers or parties. It is available in four sizes and performance classes, from the compact Dave 10 G4X to the Dave 18 G4X.
The Dave 10 G4X is a pair of double 4-inch satellites and a 10-inch subwoofer with 680W of power. Other models include the Dave 12 G4X (two 6.5-inch satellites and a 12-inch subwoofer at 1,460W), the Dave 15 G4X (two 8-inch satellites and a 15-inch subwoofer at 2,060W) and the Dave 18 G4X (two 8-inch satellites and an 18-inch subwoofer at 4,000W).
The manufacturer has also announced two additions to its ESR Series in the form of the ESR106 and its dedicated ESR2600D amplifier based on the manufacturer’s proprietary SLA technology.
Like its siblings, the slimline ESR106 is an active-driven three-way system. It deploys a column array of multiple 6-inch woofers for high-quality vocal and music reproduction in challenging acoustical spaces and ambient environments. Utilising eight 6-inch woofers, two 6-inch mid-bass woofers and a single 1-inch high-frequency driver mounted on a wide dispersion horn, the ESR106 is constructed to represent one large point source, with each part of the system positioned so that it is proportional in size to the wavelength it produces, so that the radiated power of each band remains consistent and balanced throughout the system’s
by its dedicated ESR2600D amplifier, a two-channel (stereo) three-way, active control and amplification system housing all signal processing and amplification in a 4U module, as well as providing control and crossover functions for adding external subwoofer cabinets if required, utilising external amplifiers. In stereo mode, the ESR2600D powers two ESR106s and is configurable via the front panel or remotely using the KV2 Control & Diagnostics Tool.
www.kv2audio.com
instruments, line-level signals and auxiliary players, while integrated Bluetooth for streaming via a smartphone or tablet enables wireless connectivity. The units also have a digital SPDIF stereo input to provide a media player, computer or smartphone to connect for backing tracks, sound effects, intermission music or to use the Dave G4X as a karaoke system. The speakers use redesigned compression drivers and waveguides for homogeneous and directional dispersion, as well as FIR filters and integral DSP technology. The subwoofer has been equipped with a larger voice coil and an optimised bass-reflex system to reduce ventilation noise.
www.adamhall.com
THE ALCONS CR2 is a three-way sound system designed for cinema sound reproduction in medium theatres seating 100–300 people. It has been specified to meet the requirements of current and future digital cinema sound formats and features Alcons’ patented “Real-90” horizontal
LF reproduction, while its 18cm shallow design allows for flexible mounting in spaces behind the screen or as a surround, both on-wall or in-wall. The low system impedance and fully passive-filtering configuration allows for an economical power package, powered and controlled by one channel of an ALC amplified loudspeaker controller. For maximum output, the CR2 is also available in bi-amp configuration.
For use in both permanent and portable applications, the BC543 from Alcons is a self-contained, cardioid-control subwoofer system designed to be a low-frequency extension for any Alcons pro-ribbon system. Its front- and rearlocated woofer configuration, in combination with integrated processing, offers selectable cardioid low-frequency pattern control that boasts rear rejection up to 42dB. The
front drivers include a pair of 18-inch longexcursion woofers with 5.3-inch voice coils and vented triple-spider frame mounted in a direct-radiating configuration. Occupying more than 25% of the baffle surface, this port is designed to maximise the system’s breathing capacity while minimising port compression. The excursion capabilities of the 18-inch design extends the output by 3.5dB compared to a traditional 18-inch unit. At the rear, the BC543 has a single 18-inch long-excursion woofer with 5.3-inch voice coil and folded port design said to enable optimal reflex-breathing, under minimal baffle dimensions. The BC543 is powered and controlled by Alcons’ ALC amplified loudspeaker controller, which offers system-specific drive processing with dedicated optimisation, power and excursion protection, and hybrid filtering. Aiming to boost performance while reducing physical size, the Alcons BC272 Cardioid Sub is a self-contained, medium-
output cardioid subwoofer system for both permanent and portable ground-stacked applications. Designed to offer a tight and accurate sub-bass response for lowfrequency extension of any Alcons pro-ribbon system, the BC272 is the most compact self-contained cardioid in Alcons’ range. Its front- and rear-located woofer configuration,
dispersion of its RBN601 pro-ribbon HF driver. Mounted on a revolvable waveguide, the company says it widens the stereo sweetspot for audience members who are seated off-axis. The CR2 provides 1:1 non-compressed sound reproduction and a 1:15 RMS-to-peak dynamic range, while the absence of a compression threshold caters for the same tonal balance at all SPLs. The enclosure uses a double 8-inch mid-bass for MF and a 15-inch woofer for
WITH THE launch of its INSTACUBE 4 and INSTASUB 8, Studiomaster has added a dedicated ultra-low-profile, high-performance, commercial audio loudspeaker system to its professional loudspeaker catalogue.
With a wide 80° x 80° frequency-consistent dispersion pattern, the INSTACUBE 4 is intended for a wide variety of nearfield enterprise applications. The miniature INSTACUBE 4 aluminium enclosure measures 145mm x 156mm x 143mm and comes complete with a removable mounting U-bracket. With a customdesigned 4-inch neodymium two-way coaxial loudspeaker, comprising a 35mm voice coil MF and 1.3-inch peek highperformance composite film diaphragm HF driver arrangement, the INSTACUBE 4 boasts 100W RMS/400W peak power handling, up to 87dB continuous SPL output and a 100Hz–20kHz (–10dB) frequency response. Connectivity is either via four-pole speaker connectors or Phoenix connection with both providing input and link output. Rigging is via
either the supplied angle-adjustable U-bracket or the M10 flying points, or alternatively it can be mounted on a microphone stand. The stretched aluminium construction is said to provide strength and long-lasting reliability, and is finished off with a protective step grille. The INSTACUBE 4 is available in
8Ω and 16Ω variants and black or white colour schemes.
The ultra-slim INSTASUB 8 bass-reflex compact subwoofer is ceiling, wall or floor mountable, and can be positioned under furniture. Although measuring 515mm x 200mm x 425mm, the sub features a custom design 8-inch loudspeaker. With a 38mm high temperature-resistant voice coil, the long-stroke driver also features an aluminium modulation ring that reduces magnetic distortion, further contributing to up to 200W of high-quality deep bass.
When faced towards the surface on which the sub is placed or mounted, that surface acts as an additional compression element, increasing the bass response without generating high SPLs or unwanted pressure waves. The enclosure is manufactured from 15mm ply, finished in either durable black or white mark-resistant paint. All fixings and connectors are located on the underside of the cabinet, giving it a clean exterior appearance. Wall or ceiling mounting is accomplished with the supplied twopiece bracket.
www.studiomaster.com
along with dedicated processing, means the system can offer selectable cardioid low-frequency pattern control with up to 42dB of rearward rejection without the need for additional cabinets. This is achieved by using a biamp power configuration in the amplified loudspeaker controller, so dualDSP channels are available for dedicated processing.
www.alconsaudio.com
MEASURING 230MM x 160mm x 190mm, Sonodyne’s compact PM 4040 is a nearfield two-way monitor that takes balanced inputs via a TRS socket, unbalanced inputs via RCA
magnet tweeter seated in an elliptical custom waveguide for wide directivity in the horizontal plane but controlled directivity in the vertical plane. The LF is a 4-inch glass fibre cone woofer, achieving a low-end frequency response of 70Hz. Max SPL is 109dB per pair. Comprising one active and one passive monitor, the system is powered by a two-channel Class-D amp.
www.sonodyne.com
ITALIAN AUDIO specialist RCF has introduced a pair of multipurpose twoway point source speakers. The Compact C 32 and Compact C 45 speakers both have lightweight wood cabinets which use a special polyurea coating and feature a robust powder-coated grille with protective foam. Both also feature mounting accessories to allow for wall or ceiling installation.
The Compact Series’ compression driver voice coil design has a titanium dome which RCF says allows it to lower the usual crossover point for better vocal performance at midfrequencies, as well as improving coupling with the low-frequency transducer. Meanwhile, its low-frequency transducer design gains more stability over higher currents, with less distortion and is said to be highly efficient in terms of heat dissipation.
The C 32 has a 3-inch neodymium compression driver (4-inch on the C 45) and a 12-inch neodymium woofer (15-inch on the C 45). A constant directivity rotatable waveguide produces coherent 100° x 50° coverage with a 137dB max SPL on the C 32 and 138dB on the C 45. The C 32 features 600W RMS power handling, while the C 45 increases this to 700W. Both units are designed to perform in a wide range of near and middistance applications, including sports halls, nightclubs, corporate spaces and performance venues.
The manufacturer has also launched two ranges of power amplifiers: a range of three two-channel amplifiers and a
pair of four-channel amplifiers. All five are rackmountable in 2U of space.
The IPS Series features two-channel Class-H amplifiers with independent gain control, signal/clip and fault indicators, stereo XLR input and output link, a mono/stereo/bridge switch, as well as speakON and binding post output connectors. For reliability, RCF claims that all units in the range are protected against shorts and open circuits, and all feature high-efficiency heat sinks and variable speed fans. The series consists of the IPS 1.5K (2x750W @ 4Ω), the IPS 2.5K (2x1,250W @ 4Ω) and the IPS 5.0K (2x2,600W @ 4Ω).
Meanwhile, RCF’s QPS Series is a range of four-channel Class-HD amplifiers which all feature independent gain control, signal/
BRITISH BRAND Wharfdale Pro has unveiled a fixed installation loudspeaker series alongside a line array solution and several updates to its classic speakers. Specifically intended to serve the hospitality sector, the DRONE series is a passive installation solution designed with versatility and flexible configurations in mind, while the IP56-certified DRONE-G Pack is intended for outdoor use. Available in a range of colours and
DRONE-G Pack and WLA-210A C 32
C XLR output link, parallel/bridge modes and speakON output connectors. Like the IPS Series, the QPS range includes the same protection circuits and variable speed cooling. The series consists of the QPS 6.0K which delivers up to 4x1,500W @ 2Ω and the QPS 10K which delivers up to 4x2,500W @ 2Ω.
www.rcf.it
EVO BY Audient has expanded its range of recording hardware with the EVO SP8, an eight-channel smart mic preamp with AD/DA. With eight mic/line inputs, eight line outputs, t wo JFET instrument inputs and two ADAT I/O connections, the EVO SP8 is said to provide enough I/O to tackle multi-mic sessions, such as recording drums or a full band.
A high-resolution, full-colour, built-in LCD screen uses the company’s Motion User Interface and displays information as you need it. This transforms the SP8 into a fully immersive, easy-to-use product, which EVO believes is the first of its kind. With the option to view the channel status and keep an eye on metering levels, Motion UI uses a centralised one-knob system to adjust
with ground spikes, it is specifically designed for discreet placement in a variety of environments. With high and low impedance models, systems can
AUSTRALIAN AUDIO specialist Quest Engineering has expanded its QX Series of amplifiers with the introduction of four rackmounted Class-D power amps. The QX4150 (4x 150W), QX-4300 (4x 300W),
QX-4750 (4x 750W) and QX-41500 (4x 1,500W) are designed for permanent audio installations requiring small or medium power amplification.
auto load matching Hi-Z/Lo-Z (70V or 100V) and automatic mute/unmute functionality to enable activation of the ampli f ier within 1ms from standby. Individual high-pass and low-pass filters are available on any channel. Both the QX-4300 and QX-41500 provide low impedance, 70V or 100V direct
includes several new acoustic features, including custom phase plugs and the EVO-Fold waveguide.
Re-engineered by the Wharfedale Pro R&D team, enhancements have also been made to the classic DELTA-AX full-range speaker models and longestablished Programme series. The Programme-X passive series brings increased SPLs, new drivers and refined physical dimensions to aid any installation
configuration. On the other hand, the updated DELTA-AXF12 and AXF15 models now feature internal FIR filters which allow for independent control of magnitude
and QX-4750 offer the ability to bridge channels for two- and three-channel operation. In addition, each QX unit is capable of Dante/AES67 inputs with a dedicated expansion card to enable full Dante functionality.
www.questaudio.com.au
WITH A wide range of applications, the NTUSB+ from RØDE is a professional-grade USB microphone designed for recording directly into a computer, tablet or mobile device. It features a condenser capsule with a tight cardioid
instruments, podcasting and streaming. Designed for run-and-gun filmmakers and content creators, RØDE has upgraded its popular VideoMicro on-camera shotgun microphone with a number of new features. The VideoMicro II is a shotgun condenser microphone with a supercardioid polar pattern for highly directional audio capture, honing in on what it is pointed at while reducing background noise. The body has been completely redesigned, utilising RØDE’s annular line tube technology for improved transparency, while the circuitry has also been overhauled to provide enhanced sensitivity and lower self-noise.
The mic introduces RØDE’s HELIX isolation mount, a shockmount system developed specifically for the VideoMicro II and crafted to the exact specifications of the microphone. Moulded from a single piece of Hytrel, it fully isolates the capsule from vibrations that occur from knocks, bumps and general handling, which can result in rumbles and other audio artefacts in a recording.
It features cable management slots and a standard mount for attaching to a camera cold shoe, plus a 3⁄8 -inch thread for mounting onto a boompole and other accessories. The VideoMicro II also comes with foam and furry windshields for protection from wind noise, making it suitable for recording in a wide range of environments, indoors or in the elements. Also included is a 3.5mm TRS-to-TRS cable for connecting to cameras and a 3.5mm TRS-toTRRS cable for connecting to smartphones. At 39g and with an all-metal body, the VideoMicro II is designed for use with DSLR and mirrorless cameras, compact and action cameras, and smartphones.
www.rode.com
conversion adapters. The CA-AK1 allows one CA-XLR2d to connect to cameras from various manufacturers.
Three variants are available. The CA-AK1-C and CA-AK1-F conversion adapters enable professional audio via Tascam microphone preamplifiers to interface with mirrorless Canon and select Fujifilm cameras. The CA-XLR2d-AN for Nikon cameras is an nalogue unit. With the CA-AK1-AN cold
definable buttons built into the Sonicview consoles host the VIEW (Visual Interactive Ergonomic Workflow) multi-screen user interface. Available as either Sonicview 16 or Sonicview 24, both mixers include 64-channel Dante and 32-bit/96kHz multichannel USB audio interfaces. A 64-bit FPGA mixing engine provides floating-point processing with continuous high-definition sampling at 96kHz and 32-bit analogue-to-
an SD card and an additional expansion card can provide further audio ports including analogue outputs, MADI, Dante or AES/EBU. By connecting a Wi-Fi router to the Ethernet port and adopting the Tascam Sonicview Control, the mixer can be remotely controlled from anywhere in the venue. A Dante-enabled rack-mountable stagebox (SB-16D) with 16 inputs and outputs in addition to
BRINGING SUPPORT for the latest internet security and audio quality stands to installed AV environments, Barix has introduced the Annuncicom audio-over-IP device for networked intercom and paging applications where elevated security is required. Compatible with Microsoft Teams and adaptable to individual customer needs across a variety of audio environments, the Annuncicom MPI400 serves as an IP intercom and paging end point or as a gateway between IP and legacy systems, microphone/speakers or an amplifier. It is deployable within an InfomaCast or Syn-Apps architecture for emergency mass notification systems, and meets the latest requirements for secure SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)
suitable for secure communications within schools, factories, transportation centres and corporate office buildings.
The MPI400 is also the first Annuncicom device to support the OPUS codec, offering
higher-quality audio for SIP voice transmission as well as background music streams. With five priority settings, customers can configure the device to switch between audio sources when supporting multiple applications.
This not only enhances versatility for users but reduces equipment costs by removing the need for an audio matrix switcher.
The PoE-powered MPI400 feature set also includes contact closure inputs, relay outputs, and line and mic/ speaker support. Its two dry contact closure inputs are expandable to USB to establish a connection or select a delivery target, while low-voltage replay outputs can activate amplifiers when SIP calls are received.
www.barix.com
ORIGINALLY DESIGNED for its 20 Series microphones for use in podcasting, streaming and content creation, AudioTechnica is expanding its reach with the AT8700 boom arm. With a 5⁄ 8 -inch-27 thread and heavy-duty suspension allowing 3 60° rotation, the table-mounted arm accepts microphones from a wide variety of manufacturers. This means
users can attach their favourite mics to add versatility to any recording or streaming setup and free up space. The unit comes standard with six USB cable clips, six XLR cable clips and a table clamp, and folds for easy transportation.
Designed for vocalists onstage, Audio-Technica has also announced the launch of its ATS99 hypercardioid dynamic microphone. The manufacturer reports the ATS99 has been engineered for responsiveness and fast transient delivery, with particularly enhanced capture of low- to midrange sounds at high volume, which allows singers to perform across a broad frequency range.
The company claims that a combination of the ATS99’s high-powered magnet and step-up transformer with a hypercardioid capsule ensures that its sonic performance is complemented by both “impressive” rejection of unwanted sound and feedback resistance, even in challenging live performance situations. Meanwhile, the microphone’s internal shock mount structure reportedly contributes to a reduction in handling noise.
ATLASIED IS growing its Atmosphere audio processing and control platform with the addition of three hardware units and a substantial software upgrade.
for example, if a restaurant has multiple zones but one has more speakers, the AZMP can divide the power to better suit a zone with more or fewer speakers.
In other news, the manufacturer has revealed that three of its products with Dante network outputs – the ATND971a cardioid condenser network boundary microphone, ATND8677a network microphone desk stand and ATND8734a network ceiling power module –
45mm large-aperture drivers and incorporate technology from the company’s 20 Series microphones. The headsets are designed to deliver full-spectrum, studioquality sound for users and listeners on the receiving end. They come with two sets of distinct earpads: M50x earpads that stress audio quality and sound isolation, and mesh and leatherette earpads that emphasise breathability and comfort. Both models use a cardioid condenser capsule on a flexible boom arm to provide a studio-quality vocal presence without background noise, and output at a consistent level. The headsets’ microphone can be muted quickly by flipping the boom arm into the up
brand initiative that unifies and streamlines network configuration and control. In collaboration with QSC, the plugin is Q-SYS Certified, resulting in ease of setup for installers and ease of use for end users.
Based on the manufacturer’s ATHM50x professional monitor headphones, Audio-Technica has also introduced what it believes to be the world’s first headsets specifically developed to address the needs of livestreaming content creators.
The ATH-M50xSTS and ATH-M50xSTS-USB StreamSet are equipped with the same
The ATH-M50xSTS uses a 2m cable with 3.5mm headphone input (with a 6.3mm adapter) and an XLR microphone output. The ATH-M50xSTS-USB uses a 2m cable with a USB-A connection (with a USB-A to USB-C adapter) for plug-and-play connectivity to PCs and Macs. The ATH-M50xSTS-USB also includes an A/D converter with a sample rate up to 24-bit/96kHz and sidetone circuitry that lets vocals be heard in the headset (with volume controlled by a dial on the earcup) for a more natural, conversational feel.
www.audio-technica.com
The US manufacturer has expanded the ecosystem with two combined signal processor and amplification products, the Atmosphere AZMP4 (four-zone) and AZMP8 (eight-zone), as well as the Atmosphere X-ZPS, a multi-zone paging station accessory. Atmosphere combines digital audio processors, amplifiers, GUIs, programming software and controls to offer scalable systems to a range of commercial applications. These include restaurants, bars, hotels, school campuses, houses of worship and retail establishments.
The AZMP4 and AZMP8 combine audio processing and amplification in one product and build on the AZM series of signal processors. The AZMP4 is powered by a single 600W four-channel amplifier module, while the AZMP8 provides 1,200W of total power. Any channel can be configured to provide different wattages;
The Atmosphere X-ZPS adds a multi-zone paging station to AtlasIED’s AZM and AZMP processors. The X-ZPS is plug-and-play using Cat5e cabling and can daisy-chain with other accessories. With a 4.3-inch touchscreen display and gooseneck microphone, it can be configured as a full Atmosphere system controller with access to features including zone volume, source select, message recall, scene select and bell schedule. Meanwhile, the Atmosphere 3.0 software update allows for continuous monitoring and supervision of system health and performance. A self-test feature measures system performance over time and provides notifications of any degradation of loudspeaker load. The update also introduces sound masking to provide enhanced speech privacy and reduces distracting office noise for increased focus and productivity.
www.atlasied.com
AVID IS aiming to accelerate production both on premises and in the cloud with updates to its MediaCentral workflow platform. The introduction of its MediaCentral|Acquire IP-based ingest scheduler adds ingest management to MediaCentral|Cloud UX, automating ingest scheduling for SDI and IP sources by controlling FastServe|Ingest, FastServe|I/O and MediaCentral|Stream. It also supports Edit-While-Capture workflows for faster turnaround, while enabling ingest management from anywhere using only a web browser. In this way, Avid says it encourages content production teams to collaborate from anywhere.
The release also introduces features such as the ability to synchronise content across
different sites with MediaCentral|Sync, as well as a completely redesigned MediaCentral|Collaborate mobile app. These give production teams more flexibility in how they work, from story creation all the way to delivery, whether that is a rundown-based onair show or content for online platforms and social media.
www.avid.com
DESIGNED FOR challenging coverage areas and unusual install points, GatesAir has added VHF TV and DAB capabilities to its Maxiva PMTX-1 outdoor transmitter series. Previously only available for UHF broadcasters, the Maxiva PMTX-1 integrates a low-power transmitter or transposer/translator to support a diverse array of VHF and DAB use cases, from filling coverage gaps to delivering focused broadcast content as a spot transmitter. According to the manufacturer, its telecom-grade enclosure makes the PMTX-1 impervious to weather elements and its sealed protective shell makes it adaptable to any climate or outdoor environment.
The VHF version covers channels 7 13 and is mainly targeted for use in APAC and North America. The DAB version is viable for any country that has adopted DAB/DAB+ as its digital radio standard outside North
America. The PMTX-1 can use a pole-mount configuration as well as mount securely to buildings and traditional broadcast towers, making it suitable for single-frequency network configurations where multiple transmitters operate on the same frequency to maximise signal penetration. It is also available for analogue TV networks (100W), with a fieldupgradeable path to DTV (50W for ATSC, DVB-T, DVB-T2 and ISDB-Tb).
The PMTX-1’s optional RF receiver input supports flexible options for translator and transposer configurations and will regenerate content for very targeted coverage areas at low power levels. Broadcasters can add optional inputs to support DVB-S/S2 receivers and IP transport streams, as well as accept broadcast content and data from alternate sources.
www.gatesair.com
SONY ELECTRONICS is expanding its DWX series of wireless mics and transmitters with the introduction of the DWT-P30 digital wireless plug-on transmitter, which will replace the current DWT-P01N. Designed for studio, electronic newsgathering (ENG) and location sound, the transmitter complements Sony’s DWX series slot-in receiver and bodypack transmitters to create a digital wireless microphone system.
The transmitter features 375kHz spacing, high density, simultaneous, multichannel operation and wideband tuning at a maximum of 148MHz. It uses CODEC MODE4, which prioritises audio quality to help maintain transmission stability and provides low delay time. It has a selectable RF outpower power (2mW/10mW/25mW) and a six-hour battery life.
With the smallest body in its class, Sony’s compact VPL-PHZ61/51 laser projectors feature 4K 60P input support and up to 7,000 lumens brightness. Designed for use in integrated AV environments, Sony says support for 4K 60P input signals makes it simple to use the VPLPHZ61/51 in multiscreen setups with flat panel sub-screens by providing the ability to split the same 4K signal to drive every display device with no conversion. Its image scaler converts 4K input signals to WUXGA resolution, while Sony’s Reality Creation picture enhancement feature gives projected images greater crispness and depth.
The company’s Reality Text function improves visibility of characters for conference rooms, university seminar rooms and large
classrooms. Meanwhile, Bright View processing technology brightens images while maintaining colour, making the product suitable for brightly lit business and educational environments.
The VPL-PHZ61/51 has a +55% vertical lens shift range and Sony has widened the throw ratio range to simplify replacement of a projector without having to reposition an existing ceiling mount.
Other features include Data Cloning, which enables settings for one projector to be copied to another via USB, an Auto Input Select which automatically selects an active signal input, and Auto Power on which turns the projector on automatically when connected to a switched-on computer.
The Intelligent Settings feature optimises settings for use in multiple environments, while Ambiance, its built-in ambient light sensor, measures a room’s brightness and automatically adjusts settings to match the environment. The Auto Light Output feature works in conjunction with Ambiance to optimise image quality while reducing power
L-ACOUSTICS HAS expanded access to spatial audio with the launch of L-ISA Studio 2.5, an object-based audio mixing tool designed for use with both Windows and macOS computers. The L-ISA Studio 2.5 release on Windows includes both the L-ISA Controller and L-ISA Processor Desktop applications as well as L-ISA Audio Bridge, a custom virtual sound card for Windows. The Audio Bridge includes both Bridge Out and Device Out pathways for audio output. The Bridge Out allows 12 outputs to be sent through any DAW for multichannel recording, while simultaneous Device Out allows audio to be sent to either headphones or a multichannel sound card for rendering for immersive loudspeaker configurations.
Additional enhancements include graphical updates to the L-ISA Controller, freeing up additional screen real estate. Creators can now also load standard loudspeaker templates for configurations in Atmos, BluSpace and more. Preproduction is facilitated with selective speaker muting and the ability to snap objects to specific active or muted speakers, which facilitates previewing different loudspeaker configurations in diverse spaces. The free version of L-ISA Studio 2.5 with binaural capability can be downloaded from the L-Acoustics website.
www.l-acoustics.com
SOUND DEVICES has unveiled the A20Nexus, the latest device in its Astral Series of wireless transmitters and receivers with SpectraBand technology. The compact true diversity digital wireless receiver now serves as the hub of the Astral range. The manufacturer claims that it offers an industry-leading tuning range in addition to integrated long-distance remote control. The device ships with eight channels and can be expanded via software to 12 or 16 channels
for use on larger productions. Sound Devices’ SpectraBand technology provides a tuning range of 470–1,525MHz as well as RF filtering capabilities, which allow it to utilise legal RF frequencies worldwide. In addition to the NexLink remote control, the A20-Nexus can be controlled with a mobile phone or tablet via a web app with power via PoE and audio via Dante.
www.sounddevices.com
OFFERING ON-AIR position audio resources for broadcast sports, live entertainment events, esports and streaming broadcast applications, Studio Technologies has introduced the Model 203 Announcer’s Console. Designed for productions where physical space is limited, the Model 203 is compatible with both Dante and AES67 and provides main and talkback output channels, talent cue (IFB) inputs and sidetone capability.
Powered over PoE, a broadcast headset or microphone can be connected to an XLR input, while a 1⁄4 -inch stereo jack is used to connect a headset, headphones or an earpiece. Housed in a compact desktop package, its wide dynamic-range mic preamp and associated voltage-controlled amplifier dynamics controller circuit help ensure that mic input quality is preserved while minimising the chance of signal overload.
Two Dante audio input channels supply the user with talent cue signals, while an integrated sidetone function provides a microphoneassociated signal in the event of a mix-minus cue signal. The Model 203 has two Dante audio output channels for main and for talkback, both routed over a LAN to Dantecompatible devices. Two pushbutton switches provide the user with direct main and talkback control over audio routing. Furthermore, the device is configured using Studio Technologies’ free STcontroller software application to allow production personnel to quickly configure the unit’s operating capabilities to meet an application’s exact needs.
Ready to integrate into a variety of environments, the Studio Technologies Model 342 Intercom Station is a compact two-channel Dante intercom which is designed for use in broadcast and live
AEQ HAS introduced the Phoenix Venus 4, a stationary audio codec for point-to-point links which stands out for having both IP connectivity and two simultaneous bidirectional stereo transmissions with different formats and qualities. Benefitting from the SIP protocol and EBU N/ ACIP standard, as well as OPUS algorithms, for configuration support and remote control.
Venus 4 is available in two hardware versions: one with a front panel control and the other being a more basic version with just network and communications status indicators. Both versions have balanced analogue inputs and outputs on XLR connectors and dedicated AES/EBU digital I/O connectors, in addition to triple network ports,
environments, including education, theatre, sports, entertainment, house of worship, corporate and aerospace applications. Powered by a standard PoE network connection, it features a stereo headphone output, two headset connectors, integrated sidetone support, call signal receive display and remote mic kill.
With both five-pin XLR and 3.5mm TRRS headset connectors, the Model 342 is compatible with professional broadcast headsets, gaming headsets and mobile phone earbuds, and supports both dynamic and electret microphones. Its two talk pushbutton switches can be independently configured, while two rotary controls are used to set headphone output levels. Multiple units can be connected over
partyline intercom application with an external Dante-enabled audio matrix, such as the manufacturer’s Model 5421 or Model 5422A Dante Intercom Audio Engines. Alternatively, two Model 342 units can be used “point-to-point”, or multiple units can be interconnected with matrix intercom systems that offer Dante compatibility.
power supply. It is also available with 48V DC power supplies and optional Dante/AES67 IP www.aeq.eu
THE M2RA digital wireless monitor receiver from Lectrosonics expands the M2 Duet digital wireless IEM family with improvements and new features designed for professional touring, installation, theatre and broadcast applications. The M2Ra receiver is a successor to the M2R and has a low latency of 1.6ms. The transmitter and receiver housings are all-metal for durability, and both analogue and Dante digital signal sources are supported. The unit also introduces several key new features, including phantom power protection on the headphone jack so that the receiver can be safely used as a camera hop receiver and improved IFB analogue compatibility. Its internal power supply allows for headphones or earphones with impedances as low as 9Ω to be used. Decreased overall RF noise floor and less RF gain in the front end reduce overloads from strong interference sources and out-of-band signals. Meanwhile, the increased IP3 and 1dB RF compression points are said to provide improved handling of high signal levels.
The M2Ra also provides D2 and HDM mono digital compatibility modes so that it can be used as a small portable receiver or monitor device with mono digital transmitters from the D Squared product line. With an integral USB jack for firmware updates, users can also update their units in the field. Two versions of the M2Ra receiver are available: one covering the A1B1 frequency range (470–614MHz) and one covering the B1C1 frequency range (537–691MHz). This allows a wide selection of operating frequencies for larger systems and helps avoid interference, even in crowded RF environments.
Another key feature of the Duet system is the Flexlist, allowing users to build a list, by name, of up to 24 feeds. With the Flexlist function, users can easily browse these feeds on an M2Ra, providing an important tool for monitor engineers and location sound mixers.
www.lectrosonics.com
specialist Williams AV has announced its WAV Pro Wi-Fi Receiver, a secondgeneration dedicated Wi-Fi audio receiver for assistive listening. The WAV Pro Wi-Fi Receiver uses a mobile device optimised to be a dedicated assistive listening device. The company says its 6.8-inch HD+ Infinity display and long runtime make the solution unique, allowing for easier readability for administrators during setup and end users when using the device. Meanwhile, the unit’s 6,000mAh lithium polymer battery delivers up to 40 hours of continuous audio streaming to reduce charging frequency. The WAV Pro Wi-Fi Receiver meets ADA hearing compliance for a dedicated assistive listening device, and it is also Bluetoothenabled to provide streaming audio to headphones, speakers and hearing aid telecoils when used with a Williams AV neck loop.
Built on a hardware-based DSP architecture, the WaveCAST C real-time audio over Wi-Fi transmitter integrates with third-party room control systems for control and monitoring using Telnet commands via Ethernet. Hearing assistance can be optimised for hearing loss, music can be optimised for high-fidelity playback and voice can be set for maximum speech intelligibility. Custom presets can also
WaveCAST C
GERMAN CABLE specialist KLOTZ AIS has introduced two physical upgrades to its MIS modular interface system which the manufacturer claims enables
at the same time. KLOTZ claims this allows the overall required number of rack units to be reduced.
In addition to the established 16-channel grid for XLR connectors (4x 21 HP module), a 12-channel grid (3x 28 HP module) has also been added to the range to provide more space around each XLR connector for easier handling and labelling.
users to save limited rack space. The MIS system is built around a 19-inch modular frame which can seat a variety of 2U MIS modules at the front or at the rear.
KLOTZ has increased the physical depth to 350mm to provide an additional mounting option in the middle of the frame. This means that the MIS splitter and distribution modules can now be installed in the middle of the frame, simplifying internal cabling and allowing users to mount audio modules on the front and rear
width depths of 150mm and 195mm are still available.
The MDS (Modular Duct System) is a professional cable duct system for installations in theatres, TV studios and institutes. The multifunctional aluminium duct is 110mm x 80mm (WxH) and can be supplied in standard lengths of 1m and 2m, with further lengths on request. The duct can be equipped modularly with
be established for specific performance applications. Inputs include ¼-inch XLR connectors, phantom power and a line level output jack on the rear of the 1U half-rack unit. In addition to multistage gain control inputs, the DSP features include AGC, limiters, high- and low-pass filters, and adjustable range compressor control. The WaveCAST C supports both unicast and multicast network configurations and up to four WaveCAST C systems can be connected to the same Wi-Fi network to provide multiple listening channels. Most settings can be changed via
pre-drilled mounting panels for a variety of audio, video, data and power connectors; this means that connectors such as D-series panel jacks, RMP and Harting multipin connectors, as well as CEE sockets for power supply, can be installed in the cable duct. Additional side panels allow cable feeds with strain relief or mounting as an offset box on the truss.
KLOTZ also offers a wide range of preassembled XLR modules with XLR 3p and XLR 5p sockets for the MDS. The rear PCBs, which are equipped with LSA-Plus insulation displacement connectors for conductor diameters from
AWG 26 to AWG 22, allow cables with solid conductors, such as the SHD Multicore, and cables with stranded conductors, such as the OX22GHB, to be wired quickly and easily.
www.klotz-ais.com
double strength and resistance. with 3p and 5p Neutrik XLR NC3M/FXX-B and NC5M/ FXX-B connectors and Alternatively, the NC3MD-
panel connector leaving one free and combined with Schill’s GTS0 cable drum series.
In the video sector, the T42 PUR is a coaxial HD-SDI cable with a stranded conductor and tinned copper double braid, allowing 12G-SDI signal transmission up to 70m or 3G-SDI up to 100m. The TR11 PUR Extraflex is a triaxial cable with a stranded silver-plated copper conductor and double braid, one in silver and the other one in red copper, suitable for professional cameras connected up to 300m away. The T42 PUR can be combined with the 75Ω rear twist Neutrik NBNC75BWU13 connector, whereas for the TR11 PUR Extraflex triaxial cable, the company relies on Fischer Connectors, in particular the 1051 series double free connectors and free/panel connector combinations. These two solutions are assembled with Schill’s GTS0 (free/free connector combination) and GTRM (free/
panel connector combination) cable drum series.
For data transmission over LAN cables, Tasker offers the C725 PUR, C728 PUR and C726 PUR. The first is a Cat5e S-UTP 26/19 AWG with total braided shielding and a double sheath, suitable for use with Dante. The second is a Cat6A S-FTP 24/7 AWG with single shielded pairs with aluminium foil, a tinned copper braid and double sheath, suitable for video transmission over the HDBaseT protocol. The third is a Cat7 FTP 26/7 AWG with single shielded pairs with aluminium foil and a tinned copper braid, designed for high connection speeds in data centres. All three cables are combined with Neutrik EtherCON NE8MC-B, NE8FDP-B and NE8MX6-B connectors, mounted on Schill GTMFK series drums with lockable door to protect the connectors.
www.tasker.it
DESCRIBING IT as the first in a new generation of audio conferencing solutions, Nureva has unveiled the HDL410. The system has been designed to simplify the task of getting great audio in larger hybrid spaces without the cost and complexity of traditional solutions. It combines two microphone and speaker bars with Nureva’s new connect module, which is powered by Microphone Mist technology and a new unified coverage map to deliver pro audio performance in extra-large working and learning spaces up to 10.7m x 16.8m.
The unified coverage map enables the two microphone and speaker bars to act as a single device with a single coverage map that spans the entire space. This improves audio performance and sound location data accuracy for camera switching and steering, while avoiding the performance challenges of systems that require manual setup and
CEDAR AUDIO has announced hardware and firmware upgrades to its DNS 8D multichannel dialogue noise suppressor. The hardware upgrade incorporates white OLED displays to improve clarity, while users can adjust the brightness so that units can be operated comfortably in all lighting conditions.
Firmware updates build on the improvements in CEDAR’s DNS algorithm which the company says came out of the DNS 4 development in 2022.
CEDAR claims it was able to refine the processing to retain a more natural sound when cleaning dialogue in the presence
of large amounts of noise, and says the DNS 8D now benefits from the same improvements.
The firmware upgrade is free of charge to existing users. Designed to clean up sound for film production, suppress
ambient noise for live broadcasting and refresh sound libraries, it can be used to eliminate traffic noise, air conditioning, wind, rain, babble and general background noise from audio.
Both upgrades are standard in all new products from serial number 15020.
www.cedar-audio.com
LYNTEC HAS redesigned its legacy PDS-10 sequencing relay panel to create t he PDS-12. The critical redesign introduces additional power control and protection features with individual step delay between each relay, emergency off by circuit, emergency on for lighting by circuit, as well as under- and over-voltage sensing for brown out and voltage spike protection.
With four, eight or 12 30A single-pole latching Panasonic relays in a compact 1U or 3U enclosure, users can set up the PDS-12 via its LED display and rotary encoder. BACnet IP-expandable, it can also be added to existing building automation systems, a
solutions.
WAVES HAS launched the Magma series of audio plugins with a double header – the Waves Lil Tube and the Waves BB Tube. The
with two key control settings: Beauty and Beast. It describes the Beauty control as perfect for delicate harmonics, while the Beast control is designed for aggressive distortion. Both controls can be blended with each other to create a wider range of saturation effects to suit a variety of parts, styles or genres.
Waves says the soft clipping of the tubes
in a louder mix before digital clipping. The
OPTIMAL AUDIO has introduced a key update to its WebApp and Zone firmware, providing a raft of new features and settings as well as changes to the user interface. WebApp is a browseraccessible interface which works across multiple devices and is used for setup and operation of Optimal Audio’s range of Zone audio controllers. Zone controllers consisting of four- or eight-zone units have integral DSP which can be configured via WebApp.
list or microphone volume controls from each zone settings page. The company says this simplifies operation for the end user. Version 1.0 also adds support for UDP and TCP control of Zone parameters.
Other features include an additional three-band EQ on every output, pairs of outputs independently supporting a bridge mode for low impedance and for driving 70V high-impedance speakers, and presets for Sub 10 and Sub 15 tunings.
Magma series of custom-shop plugins is characterised by a “rich analogue sound”. Lil Tube is an analogue saturation plugin which the company says has a rich tube fatness, texture and saturation like mixing on a vintage analogue tube console.
The company has also expanded the range with the BB Tubes plugin, a tube saturator
post-hi-shelf EQ, transformer in/out, bass relief (to remove low frequencies from the side-chain input) and a sensitivity control, as well as a dry/wet knob and output gain. BB Tubes is included in the Mercury, Pro Show and SD7 Pro Show bundles.
www.waves.com
System configuration features such as ducking, EQ, limiter, signal routing, programmable presets and timed events can be controlled through WebApp. The software also allows for the system configuration files within Zone series products to be saved and replicated across multi-site installations.
With the version 1.0 upgrade, installers can now hide unused zones to create a cleaner interface, as well as having the ability to hide sources from the selection
Further enhancements include a clearer display for the fixed analogue EQ band added to all microphone EQs. To assist navigation and triggering of presets, the launch icon is now labelled, and the preset list view can now be re-ordered in edit mode to help streamline the list of available presets. The installer page also has a metering view which includes all the meters in the DSP for viewing system signal flow in one place.
www.optimal-audio.co.uk
FOLLOWING THE launch of the Argo audio mixing control platform, Calrec has announced the arrival of a smaller, more cost-effective ST 2110 version of the industry-established ImPulse. ImPulse1 is a compact 1U audio processing and routing engine with an optional second core for
Its small footprint makes it attractive for compact installation sites, including OB and fly pack applications. With DSP options ranging from 128–384 input channels, including DSP features from the larger ImPulse core, the manufacturer reports that no compromise has been made in its design.
with Argo Q and Argo S control surfaces, while the browser-based GUI Calrec Assist is suited to remote working, multi-operator and headless operation. Cores with smaller DSP licences can be offered without hardware redundancy.
ImPulse1 is designed for small and medium single-mixer applications and is offered with a DSP licence of 128 input channels without compromising its ST 2110 capability.
with ST 2022-7 as standard and up to 512 ST 2110 streams can be broadcast, with each stream passing up to 80 audio channels. Other ImPulse1 features include up to 672 processing paths, native AES67/ SMPTE ST 2110-30 connectivity and ST 2110-30 connections that can operate in 1 or 10Gbps mode.
www.calrec.com
THE V8.0 upgrade of Audio Precision’s APx500 measurement software provides access to THD+N results using the FastSweep stimulus in Continuous Sweep, Acoustic Response and Loudspeaker production test. Audio Precision says this fast-stepped frequency signal sweep offers advantages over a logarithmically swept sine (chirp) signal, including an ability to sweep from low to high frequency or high to low frequency, a lack of transient ripples at low or high
frequencies, support for measuring harmonics above the 20th and precise control of the number of discrete points used in measurements.
It also incorporates updates to Bose SoneTrac which allows users to make SoneTrac measurements in the same way as Bose to provide more refined control over signal processing in the detection of rub and buzz defects.
www.ap.com
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LAWO’S DIAMOND broadcast mixing console, Power Core DSP engine, VisTool graphical control interface and On-Air Designer configuration software have all benefitted from software upgrades. Release 7.0.0 PL-001 includes software support for the Power Core AIOX (Audio I/O Extender)
For the Power Core DSP engine, refinements include extended “Q” values to help fine-tune EQ curves, a self-keyed sidechain filter for dynamics processing which excludes frequencies from its calculations, the ability to adjust the DeEsser’s active frequency and support for up to eight
console include the addition of PPM meters and media icons to the displays in monitor sections and input source displays, access and channel-based gain reduction meter for dynamics, LUX correlation meter, a “Fader Over Press” function that adds programmable logic functions that can execute when faders are closed and logic that enables operators to instantly clear DSP parameters applied to an audio source.
number of Power Core licence options to six. Lawo has also introduced two “addon” licences: Conference Assign, which gives complete control over the level of the associated N-1 bus and allows inclusion or exclusion of other N-1 busses; and Aux Pan, which allows control over the panning of individual sources per aux bus.
www.lawo.com
of Powersoft’s ArmoníaPlus software adds support for its Mezzo A+ and Duecanali/ Quattrocanali DSP+ amplifiers. The A+ range of models are the latest additions to the company’s Mezzo range. They offer the same remote control and monitoring functions as the A versions, but further extend networking capabilities with the addition of AES67. Similarly, Duecanali DSP+ and Quattrocanali DSP+ are AES67compatible versions of the fixed-install amplifier platforms.
The ArmoníaPlus update gives users the ability to design systems with the Mezzo A+ models and convert and share any kind of signal, including Dante, via AES67. In addition, v2.5 enables ArmoníaPlus to configure Dynamic Music Distribution (DMD) sources to receive an AES67 stream. DMD gives Powersoft
customers the ability to dynamically route music and other signal sources between different zones and across multiple amplifiers independently of source location and without the need for a centralised DSP.
DMD systems also benefit from a Priority Input feature, which allows users to configure a GPI port to play a specific input to one or more zones by applying a differential voltage or closing a contact. The function is useful for passing an advertisement or voice alert that must be played by the whole system without having to manually change the source. Other features include an update to the embedded speaker preset and an updated version of the Sys Control app for iOS and Android.
www.powersoft.com
RAINBOW 3D is an electroacoustical prediction software created by Lynx Pro Audio for loudspeaker systems. Designed entirely in-house after a five-year development process, Rainbow 3D builds on the company’s existing 2D software platform.
Rainbow 3D provides detailed loudspeaker representations and selectable textures for planes. As well as materials such as wood or concrete or textures from imported images, drawings of elements such as football pitches or basketball courts can be picked from a built-in library to add characteristics, as well as “ornaments” like a basketball hoop, a stage with side stairs or a theatre seat.
Productivity tools such as copy and paste, duplication with offset and drag-and-drop are standard provisions, and each corner in a four-vertex plane is independently definable as sloped or round with selectable radiuses. This opens up the ability to use a single plane for complex shapes, including octagons, circles, semi-circles or stages with a curved front edge. Each layer element can also be hidden, locked
or disabled, which means elements can be assigned a specific layer to work in a more organised way.
A project may house unlimited planes and sound sources. Dedicated modes are provided for line arrays (with auto-splay) and conventional boxes. Either of those can be deployed as a group with a definable radius or linear spacing. It is also possible to save a combination of different loudspeaker models to create a custom sound system for duplication or reuse later on.
Frequency response can be inspected for specific microphone locations, interactively applying changes to EQ, delay and polarity until the desired response is met. Reports can be generated with information that includes all views of the venues, lists of loudspeakers with setup data and EQ, as well as planes. Alongside the development, spherical measurements of the company’s full loudspeaker portfolio have been performed in Lynx Pro Audio’s recently built anechoic chamber.
RATIONAL ACOUSTICS and Audient have teamed up to offer integrated control for Audient’s EVO line of audio interfaces from within Rational Acoustics’ Smaart interface. The Smaart 9.1 update integrates the controls for phantom power and gain for EVO 4, 8 and 16 directly from within the Smaart interface. Additionally, gain tracking may be enabled to allow for automatic decibel offset recalculation for calibrated inputs.
adjust the input gain of the EVO preamps
without losing SPL calibration. Smaart will automatically adjust the calibration to reflect the new dB offset. In tandem with the EVO Control app, all of the EVO’s input and output settings can be adjusted, and recalled, digitally. The EVO integration is available for all editions of Smaart – Suite, RT, LE and SPL – starting with the 9.1
Lynx Pro Audio adds a new dimension with Rainbow 3D
MEYER SOUND’S Nebra is a software platform that aims to simplify the monitoring of complex networked audio systems using a graphical UI. Nebra is focused on connectivity for endpoints in Milan AVB networks, such as Meyer Sound’s Panther line array loudspeaker, ULTRA-X series loudspeakers and the USW-112P compact
subwoofer. The platform also provides comprehensive system monitoring directly via the AVB network or through the existing RMS network via an RMServer. Furthermore, Nebra provides connectivity for Meyer’s Galileo Galaxy network platform and for third-party network devices using the Milan protocol.
System health information is collected from all connected devices, with sensor data combined from multiple sources and displayed in one summary. A traffic light indicator constantly displays overall system status, while critical system messages are displayed as banner alerts. Certified by the Avnu Alliance, the platform is available for Windows and Mac operating systems as a free download from the Meyer Sound website.
www.meyersound.com
QSC HAS introduced two key developments with its Q-SYS Designer Software v9.6: Q-SYS vCore, a virtualised processor for the Q-SYS cloud platform, and the accompanying Q-SYS Control feature licence which allows integrators and end users to enlist their own device to provide Q-SYS Control capabilities for enhanced control, automation, UX capabilities, remote monitoring and help desk features to systems.
The company says the vCore/Control feature licence is designed for simple AV systems that do not require dedicated Q-SYS audio or video functionality, or features that are already fulfilled with standalone
hardware. It is also suitable for legacy audioonly DSP AV systems and for ageing control systems in need of replacement.
Using Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager, the company claims it can create a bridge to enable cloudbased remote monitoring and management capabilities for rooms that have disparate pieces of hardware. The vCore/Q-SYS Control feature licence uses the same control engine as the rest of the Q-SYS processing portfolio to standardise system control with access to Q-SYS Open, a toolkit of industry-standard protocols and open developer tools.
www.qsys.com
WITH THE release of a v3.0 software update for the Midra 4K range of presentation switchers, Analog Way has enhanced livestreaming capabilities together with support for HDR workflows and 3D Lookup Tables (LUTs) used for colour conversion and correction. With v3.0, the livestreaming performance of Midra 4K presentation switchers enables Full HD quality livestreaming at 30Hz, providing an improved image quality during hybrid events.
A further improvement is the support of High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Colour Gamut (WCG) workflows for live presentations. Bypassing the need for external converters, v3.0 converts SDR to HDR, HDR to SDR and
HDR to HDR for dynamic range and wide colour gamut needs.
IN RESPONSE to user feedback, Canon has updated its EOS VR Utility and EOS VR Plug-in for Adobe Premier Pro to improve efficiency in postproduction. The v1.2 update provides the same user interface with the addition of an EOS VR Utility RAW movie support function/tab. The update also adds compatibility with RAW files, even at the higher frame rate of 8K/60p, such as those from the EOS R5 C. The combination of 60fps, 8K and the high dynamic range of the RAW file is said to guarantee
exceptional image quality and smooth moving images.
Canon says that both the EOS VR Utility and the EOS VR Plug-in support compatible GPUs, which improves processing and conversion times to speed up the postproduction workflow and makes it easier for VR content creators to work with large VR files. In addition, native support of Apple silicon has been added to further speed up workflows on Mac devices. The EOS VR Plug-in also has a speed priority mode where
Allowing for advanced colour space and dynamic range conversions in addition to
custom colour correction, Midra 4K presentation switchers feature a video processing architecture based on 3D LUTs. Once updated, Midra 4K switchers contain predefined 3D LUTs for all automatic colour adjustments and transformations. Custom 3D LUTs can be imported and applied from other vendors or those generated by specific third-party tools for bespoke colour management. Designed for small and medium-sized fixed installations and live event spaces, the Midra 4K series currently includes four products: QuickVu 4K, QuickMatrix 4K, Pulse 4K and Eikos 4K. www.analogway.com
creators can apply the VR conversion after editing to shorten postproduction time.
A high-quality HEVC 4:4:4 10-bit file format option on the Windows EOS VR Utility software gives more options for codecs when exporting content, while a muchrequested lens mask function (Windows and Mac) eliminates the neighbouring lens view, while also feathering the edges of the frame, removing another step in the final edit.
www.global.canon
VIDEOWALL SPECIALIST VuWall has unveiled collaborative features on its TRx centralised management software, enabling KVM control functionality and multi-mouse capability on videowalls. The software allows operators to collaborate directly on shared videowalls while working from their personal desks. Organisations can bring in KVM sources, in addition to other sources, on a PAK videowall.
PAK is a networked multi-decode node that can also operate as a standalone device. For large displays, PAK nodes can be stitched together to build a scalable IP-based videowall that can function as a single large canvas. PAK simplifies videowall integration by reducing the need for long video cables and eliminating single points of failure.
www.vuwall.com
WITH A range of applications from small corporate meeting rooms to large critical control rooms and prestige installations, Datapath has unveiled a number of updates to its VSN videowall processors. The 2023 models have had chassis redesigns to optimise airflow, improve heat management and reduce noise. Along with a platinum-rated redundant power supply and hot-swappable fans, Datapath says it makes it the most efficient VSN to date.
VSN also includes support for 12thgeneration (Alder Lake) Intel Core i9 processors, with memory options available up to 64GB (ECC and non-ECC), while USB 3.0 is also included to support high transfer speeds and connectivity. Each
VSN is customised with a range of Intel processors and memory options, and can be preconfigured with Datapath Image graphics, vision capture and SQX IP decode cards for specific project requirements of any size.
www.datapath.co.uk
K12 CLASSROOMS and small-to-medium meeting spaces are being targeted by AMX by Harman’s Jetpack bundle. The bundle incorporates 3x1 switching, transport and control, and is tailored for installation into a range of classroom and meeting space applications. Jetpack combines 4K60 4:2:0 HDMI and USB-C video switching with distance transport, room control, wall plate accessibility and audio amplification for voice lift. The kit includes a six-button keypad with volume knob, a three-input switching wall plate
the selected persona, Varia can transform into a full-screen, frameless Web Kiosk for accessing web apps, such as for wayfinding or a custom control app, a dedicated Zoom Rooms Controller, an AMX Book Room Scheduling Panel or an AMX G5 Control Panel. The panels include a mount that enables wall, glass and VESA-mounting capabilities. Optional tabletop mounting accessories are also available. The screens integrate speakers, microphones and a front-facing HD camera
video and audio up to 40m at 4K, or 70m at 1080p, over a single shielded Cat6/6a/7 cable. Its USB pass-through simplifies smart board connections and there is one power supply to power the whole kit.
Designed to adapt to the unique needs of any corporate, education, government, hospitality, entertainment or other user environment, the AMX Varia family of professional-grade touch panels have been introduced in four sizes, from 5.5 to 15.6 inches. Depending on
Varia touch panels are offered in two styles: Varia (in 8-inch, 10.1-inch and 15-6-inch screen sizes) for wall, glass, VESA-mount and tabletop use and Varia SL (in 5.5-inch and 8-inch sizes) optimised for in-wall installations. The in-wall variants exclude the camera, NFC and microphone to meet the security requirements of facilities that do not allow these capabilities.
WITH AN eye on the corporate and education markets, ATEN International is encouraging active collaboration with the introduction of two 4K wireless presentation switches for bring your own device (BYOD) environments. The PresentON VP2020 4K wireless presentation switch and VP2021 4K wireless presentation switch with quad view are designed to enable meeting participants to share content from any laptop or mobile device without limitation.
ATLONA HAS expanded its range of Omega AV integration switchers with the addition of the AT-OME-MH21-CP. Designed for presentation, collaboration and videoconferencing applications, the switcher features HDMI and USB-C inputs, a built-in USB 3.0 hub for videoconferencing peripherals or touch displays, and USB-C device charging up to 60W.
The ability to charge devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones through the switcher’s USB-C port enables a presenter or meeting participant to charge their device while seated at the meeting table with no additional power supplies or cables.
I/O is HDCP 2.2-compliant and supports 4K, 60Hz and 4:4:4 video as well as HDR, with 4K to 1080p downscaling when the switcher is connected to an HD display. In
They feature a multiview function, BYOD wireless sharing, audio out, USB touch back, PoE connectivity and control with a mobile app.
PresentON allows anyone to share BYOD presentation content wirelessly on PC, mobile app and web browsers. ATEN’s USB touch back enables the speaker to take the lead in meetings with just a mouse or touchscreen and without having to move about to access devices. A moderation mode also allows the presenter to control and manage content shared by other participants, including muting, stopping all sharing and disconnecting a
In addition, it supports multiview presentation; both models support configurable screen layouts in full screen or side-by-side. Additionally, group discussions and the sharing of presentations can be achieved at the same time using the VP2021’s quad-view presentation. The presentation switches can also integrate with a classroom’s audio system with a simple 3.5mm audio output, with both compatible with Airplay and Google Cast.
addition to charging, the OME-MH21-CP’s USB-C input provides direct AV interfacing with laptops and mobile devices, plus data connectivity to the integrated USB 3.0 hub. The USB-C connection combines with the switcher’s two USB type A ports and USB type B interface to support up to two host PCs, plus two peripheral devices such as microphones, speakerphones, cameras, soundbars or interactive displays. The company reports this is ideal for softwarebased videoconferencing applications by enabling fast switching of video and USB between host PCs.
Additional features include automatic display control, audio de-embedding and automatic input selection to intelligently switch between inputs when sources are added or removed.
www.atlona.com
THE MEDIAPORT 300 is a 4K HDMI-toUSB bridge which expands Extron’s range of MediaPort bridging products and brings 4K quality to remote participants. Supporting a range of software communications platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, the MediaPort 300 adds 4K capabilities to simple webcam-to-computer solutions and professional conferencing systems. For small meeting spaces with just a computer and display, it adds support for professional-grade equipment such as 4K videoconferencing PTZ cameras, boundary microphones and sound reinforcement systems. In meeting and large conference rooms, it integrates a conferencing computer into an AV system with video distribution and processing, control, microphones and full sound reinforcement. Options for PoE+ or
local power and its 2.5cm metal enclosure reportedly make installation faster and less costly.
The MediaPort 300 works with computers using generic USB video and audio drivers. It features an HDMI input with HDCP-compliant loop-through that accepts signals up to 4K/60, and scales output video on the USB-C connector to a host computer at rates up to USB 5Gbps. Audio features include programme and mic inputs, HDMI audio de-embedding, USB bidirectional audio and line level outputs. The MediaPort 300 also features audio mixing as well as level and mute controls. This enables it to serve as a soft codec interface, allowing it to integrate into larger hardware codec or DSP systems.
www.extron.com
AV is about making connections. Connecting systems together. Connecting people with technology. Connecting people with people. Seamlessly.
For us, it’s all about the interface. Interfacio sources and places qualified AV professionals into sales, account management, engineering, project and delivery roles.
Interfacio. Connecting you with the people who make your technology connect.
beamforming via hexa-microphone configurations to track audio
www.yamaha.com/proaudio
To deliver this, you need the best people.
CLEARONE IS aiming to streamline camera tracking for larger spaces with the introduction of the Unite 160 4K UHD camera. With AI-powered smart face tracking and auto framing capabilities, the Unite 160 provides the ability to capture all participants in large rooms while enabling automated focus on a moving presenter.
ClearOne’s previous solution for camera tracking included the Converge Pro 2 DSP mixer, one or more BMA 360 ceiling tile microphone arrays and a camera tracking module from Crestron, AMX or Extron. The company claims that the Unite 160 offers
MERCURY IS an all-in-one video bar from Hall Technologies with an ultra-wide-angle 4K AI camera, microphone and speaker
(Automatic Noise Suppression). The video bar has a built-in Wi-Fi module and offers multiple connection options including AirPlay,
an integrated AI-based camera tracking solution for rooms that are a fit for a single Versa Lite CT and a single camera, eliminating the need for a DSP mixer and control system.
Designed for larger spaces including board rooms, training centres, conference rooms and classrooms, the Unite 160 supports all leading virtual meeting platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, WebEx and GoToMeeting. With 12x optical zoom and remote-controlled mechanical pan and tilt, the unit accepts camera control through a broad range of control and automation
systems, with control via an IR remote, RS-232 connection or UVC/UAC protocols. The manufacturer has also announced a co-development initiative that certifies AVer’s pro AV cameras and PTZ Link software to be fully compatible with ClearOne’s Converge Pro 2 DSP and BMA 360 beamforming microphone array. The collaboration leverages the capabilities of ClearOne’s BMA 360 ceiling tile beamforming microphone arrays to direct the tracking features of the AVer cameras through its PTZ Link software.
www.clearone.com
PROMOTING REAL-TIME, ultra-lowlatency video on existing IP networks, the M-Series of pro AV scaler and vision mixers is now supported by NDI. As a complete solution for fully integrated video scaling and mixing, presenters simply connect the video mixers to any display courtesy of front panel console controls and a touchscreen display.
capabilities, AI camera auto tracking, speaker tracking and presenter tracking, and is designed for meetings in small- and mid-sized rooms and huddle spaces. Audio features include AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancellation), AGC (Automatic Gain Control) and ANS
can project the video from the device to the display. Signal extension functionality is available with Hall Technologies’ compatible Satellite Extension device.
www.halltechav.com
CONTINUING ITS collaborative relationship with Sennheiser, Xilica’s Follow Me automated camera-tracking module has been designed to make it easier for remote participants to engage with multiple conference room participants. It uses the virtual beam location of a Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC2) microphone to automatically steer the camera to a seating position in a conference room.
visually track conversations based on who is speaking.
Configuration uses Xilica Designer software to select the appropriate room size and layout and set specific camera positions based on the Sennheiser TCC2’s beam angle. Setup also provides quality checks for audio presence and intelligibility through live metering.
In addition to being a video mixer, the M1 is capable of outputting images at full scale to displays without additional equipment. For conference presentations, onboard features including PIP (picture-inpicture) add further capabilities to utilise additional video sources, including cameras. Compact in size, the M1 is also ideal within small presentation environments with multiple outputs to audio mixers or powered speakers. Featuring four preview inputs and capable of enabling seamless switching between PST and PGM, streaming is enabled via the USB 3.0 output and a smartphone. Multiple presets can
With the D4, RGBLink has released a modular 4K HDR scaler and switcher offering multiple input and output module options, signal conversion, scaling and seamless switching. Designed for broadcast studio and 4K applications where low latency is demanded, the D4 features resolutions up to 4K2K@60 and 8K1K@60 in a 4:4:4 colour space. The UHD- and
be saved to the external USB disk for recall and a hot-swappable module provides redundancy. The larger M2 model is a nine-channel video mixer and scaler fitted with 3–9 user input modules. Supporting both SDI and HDMI output signals and DVI, HDMI, SDI, VGA, CVBS and USB inputs, the M2 is equipped with 15 transition effects on the T-bar and Take button and up to eight inputs can be previewed. Output splicing can be produced up to 4K2K or 8K1K.
As the flagship mixer of the series, the 14-channel M3 is equipped with dual builtin LCD preview monitors and a dedicated multiviewer. In addition to the features supported in the M1 and M2 models, the M3 has been primarily designed for live video control with layer effects, save and recall presets.
HDR-compliant switcher is further equipped with HDMI 2.0, DP1.2 I/Os and SmartSlot I/O modules together with H.264 preview streaming. The manufacturer has also launched the Q4L and its 4K version, the Q4L-4K, with support for up to eight independent inputs, 4K@60 signal processing, HDBaseT long-distance transmission and common 2K signal versions such as DVI, HDMI, SDI and USB. The Q4L can be fitted with up to four outputs, integrated with commercial display system video processing technology and Subito display system control.
The Q4L is a fully integrated processing solution with optional output modules for RGBlink Subito LED control. It has been developed for videowall splicing applications as well as multi-layer video displays.
www.rgblink.com
TAG VIDEO Systems has updated its Multichannel Monitoring System (MCM) with a suite of live production upgrades addressing various aspects of live production, including cloud, hybrid and remote operation. Enhancements include additional support for formats and transport protocols and support for JPEG-XS transport protocols. As more broadcasters seek to migrate live production workflows to the cloud, TAG says as the format is gaining momentum it has broadened support to include all three predominant transport protocols for JPEG XS stream reception and transmission: TR-07 for MPEG-2 TS over IP, TR-08 for ST 2110-22 and CDI for use in the Amazon cloud.
In addition, TAG’s Bridge Technology enables an operator to receive a source, including video, audio and metadata, and display it directly on any TAG system for monitoring.
Once the stream is ingested, the TAG Bridge optimises the sizing, format and delivery protocol to fit the configuration of multiple recipients. This eradicates routing the same stream to diverse locations. TAG claims it also minimises overall computer resources, allows bandwidth optimisation and retains the quality and low latency required for live applications.
Virtual Local Area Network support enables the virtualisation of multiple networks onto one physical network interface. It allows the MCM to combine, visualise and control streams from different computer networks on one interface. The MCM also now supports the Link Aggregation Control Protocol to enable the use of multiple links to provide resiliency and load-balancing capability.
Meanwhile, in addition to supporting NMOS IS-04 and NMOS IS-05, TAG’s MCM now
supports NMOS BCP-002-01. This new specification enables individual audio, video and metadata streams in ST 2110 to be grouped and assembled automatically, and works both in the cloud or on-prem. Support for PTP has increased to add visualisation of PTP statistics directly on the multiviewer screen with the aim of
increasing confidence levels regarding the health of the system reference clock. The updates also offer a display of the Plura SPT timer family, as well as expanding capabilities of the MCM’s multi-UMD and Tally display.
www.tagvs.com
CHRISTIE’S GRIFFYN 4K35-RGB projector is a pure laser 3DLP projector designed for demanding large-scale venues and applications including live events, projection mapping and theme parks. At 81kg, the company claims it is one of the smallest and lightest high-brightness RGB pure laser projectors available. Capable of delivering 36,500 lumens, it can operate as low as 44dBA and produce greater than 98% of the Rec. 2020 colour space. It can also operate on single-phase 200 240 VAC at full brightness, or 100 120 VAC at a reduced brightness to prolong the operational life of the projector.
Additionally, the Griffyn 4K35-RGB features integrated Christie Twist for warping and blending, and is compatible with Christie Mystique, the company’s automated camera-
LIVE EVENT specialist disguise has launched its gx 3, a generative video playback server which the company says allows creatives to break new ground with Notch graphics – the standard for generative content in live entertainment.
Designed for small- to medium-scale extended reality productions for concerts, esports or
users to unlock generative content such as facial tracking, simulation, buffer effects or AI background removal for IMAG.
The single box hardware features three 12G inputs for 4K video and three 4K VFC card outputs, offering more video throughput while also preparing for potential future requirements
MONOLYTE IS a unibody screen system from Austrian presentation specialist AV Stumpfl designed for use in small venues. Its extruded aluminium profiles and snap joints define the skeleton of the projection screen, while it boasts an entire frame block that unfolds and locks automatically. According to the company, this means the system can
show imagery greater than 95% of Rec. 2020 colour gamut and up to 6,000:1 contrast with a UHC lens.
Both RGB pure laser models supersede previous 2K projectors and the company claims they can provide energy savings of up to 27% on other models. Both feature more efficient Series 4 processing electronics, which include Electronic Colour Convergence (ECC) for colour alignment with the 2K cinema platform, as well as RemoteUI to control the projector via a web browser.
The CP2415-RGB delivers up to 15,000 lumens, with 12.7 lumens-per-watt, while the CP2420RGB delivers up to 20,000 lumens with 12.9 lumens-per-watt. The CP2415-Xe delivers up to 15,000 lumens.
www.christiedigital.com
be constructed in less than three minutes and without the need for additional tools. It is available in two screen sizes: 218cm x 123cm and 266cm x 150cm. An optional skirt can be mounted at the bottom of the projection surface to disguise the screen’s integral legs.
www.avstumpfl.com
front access to the LED modules for easy maintenance. It can be used with Microsoft Teams Rooms and the new Front Row layout, which makes it possible
reflections from windows or other light sources. Full control of brightness, colour, gamma and uniformity is performed from the SpectraView Engine.
usage, Sharp/NEC Display Solutions Europe has launched its LED-FE009i2-104 Panoramic View Bundle.
ELATION PROFESSIONAL has recreated the sky tracker effect using its existing Proteus Excalibur lighting rig with the introduction of its Sky Motion searchlight mode. The mode is built into Proteus Excalibur’s latest firmware and is accessible via a dedicated menu display.
Sky Motion comes with a variety of preset movement designs and patterns which can be customised directly in the fixture. IDs can be assigned to set up a variety of searchlight patterns and can be adjusted for size, speed and colour directly from the fixture display. With 7,500 lux at a distance of 100m, the company claims the Proteus Excalibur is comparable in output to large 2,000W or 4,000W Xenon systems and operates at a fraction of the power. The low power draw means that no generator is required and land power is easy to find for simple deployment.
The unit houses a 550W Flex discharge lamp and projects an ultra-narrow 0.8° beam from a 260mm front lens to create the searchlight effect. Fully IP65 rated, it stays operational in all weather conditions and only requires IP65rated five-pin DMX cables and power.
Elation reports the Excalibur fixtures are easy to set up without a DMX lighting controller
design, which the company says provides image presentation at high resolution and
Sharp NEC Display Solutions has extended display models are suited for deployment applications. The manufacturer claims that the visibility of signage content or meeting
In addition, the M Series displays can be remotely and securely managed using the NEC NaViSet Administrator 2 software tool. Integration of the largeformat displays into AV infrastructures are enhanced by the multiple digital and analogue signal inputs built into the rear panel. The M751 and M861 displays are equipped with NEC Open Modular Intelligence, which promotes the most applicable NEC product to fit into an application scenario. Running on Windows or Linux operating systems, the displays can be upgraded with the inclusion of an Intel Smart Display Module Small and Large (SDM-S/L) slot.
www.sharpnecdisplays.eu
and, because the system is autonomous and standalone, there is no need to transfer data or set up a control console. This means users not familiar with lighting and DMX can prepare and run the Sky Motion system.
In other news, the Fuze Wash 500 is a fullspectrum LED Fresnel moving head fixture designed for a wide array of precision lighting applications. It houses a 500W RGBMA LED engine and delivers 17,000 lumens with a CRI of 92. It is designed for any application where an automated Fresnel fixture with impactful colours, a wide zoom range and a soft field of light are required.
The Fuze Pendant Compact is an energyefficient downlight that can reportedly adapt to any environment and is small enough to fit into a variety of spaces. Housing a full-spectrum 144W RGBWL LED array, the manufacturer reports it produces beautiful colours as well as high CRI variable white tones. Colour temperature adjustment is from 2,400–8,500K. Convection cooled for silent operation, a variety of mounting options and lens choices allow for precise light distribution.
www.elationlighting.com
LIGHTSHARK RAY is a visualisation tool from Spanish manufacturer Equipson which allows users to experiment with multiple lighting setups using preconfigured files and fixtures. Originally developed as a training aid, the application is intended to be used with the company’s range of DMX-based LightShark lighting consoles.
LightShark Ray features up to 16 DMX universes across ArtNet or sACN, as well as builtin fixture and object libraries. The company plans to add GDTF libraries to future releases. Available for PC with a macOS version in development, LightShark Ray can receive video from a built-in NDI input, which not only allows the streaming of video files but also makes
it possible to capture images from external cameras. Users can record visualisations with the integral screen recorder and can customise visualisation experiences with configurable parameters, such as smoke density and wind speed. Render quality is automatically adapted according to the computer capabilities of the end user and the number of fps that can be displayed.
LightShark Ray currently offers fixed scenarios, but the company is aiming to have a scenarios editor available by summer 2023 that will join the platform.
www.equipson.es
FOLLOWING THE launch of the Zonda 9, Ayrton has extended the Zonda family with two luminaires: the Zonda 3 Wash and the Zonda 3 FX. Designed specifically for stage lighting, both Zonda 3 luminaires have redesigned cooling systems and simplified lens guidance systems. Their compact size make them ideal for compositions with curtains or matrices.
Fitted with seven high-performance 40W LED sources with RGB+W, Zonda 3’s optical system consists of a 170mm mono-block cluster in PMMA, which enhances beam coherence, and seven glass light guides with an output surface composed of an optical micro-structure. A 50mm truncated transmitting lens with optical surface equivalent to that of a 70mm round lens enables the Zonda 3 units to deliver a high-intensity beam with a zoom ratio of 14:1 and a wide zoom range of 4–56°. This LED/optical system combination is capable of producing a light output of 5,200 lumens.
The Zonda 3 Wash is designed to cover an entire live entertainment stage. Ayrton says its additive colour synthesis can reproduce precise colours. A library of preprogrammed colours is also accessible, and a bespoke ventilation system helps keep operating noise to a minimum.
The Zonda 3 FX borrows from the main attributes of the Wash version. It offers continuous rotation of the pan and tilt movement, while individual control of each LED allows the creation of 3D volumetric effects. Like the Wash, separation between the light sources helps to boost the level of contrast and visual perception of multiple beams. It is also equipped with a high-definition Liquid Effect, located between its main lenses, to generate complex graphic effects. It can be used alone or in combination with the main LED matrix.
www.ayrton.eu
ETC HAS fixtures. The ColorSource V series includes ColorSource Spot V, ColorSource Fresnel V and ColorSource Spot VXT. All three use a five-colour array of red, green, blue, indigo and lime, which the company reports produces softer pastels and bolder colours from the same fixture. In addition, the fixtures include Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM and NFC for remote configuration when used in configuration with ETC’s free Set Light app and increased brightness over previous ColorSource models. The ColorSource Spot V replaces the previous ColorSource Spot luminaire but uses the same lens tubes, barrels and accessories as ETC’s other spot fixtures, including the Source Four incandescent fixture. The ColorSource Fresnel V delivers the same technology as the manufacturer’s Desire Fresnel and incorporates a true microFresnel lens and motorised 14–46° zoom control from both the back of the fixture or a
control channel on a console. The IP65rated ColorSource Spot VXT has been designed for outdoor use.
www.etcconnect.com
which means it is capable of serving both indoor and outdoor productions. Martin claims its sealed design also results in fewer maintenance cycles.
Like the ELP PAR, the fixure features high-intensity zoom, full-gamut colour calibration and smart rigging and control functions. Setup features include omega bracket connectivity and bright angle of projection indicator marks for quick and repeatable installation. A button press temporarily switches the fixture to full-power/open-white/ adjustable-zoom settings to confirm projection and focus. Both lights feature a low-noise theatre mode, which operates at 33dB.
www.martin.com
ASTERA’S RUNTIMEEXTENDER
a battery plate for lighting techs working with Astera products to allow connectivity to an external battery. This means that spare camera batteries can power Astera units if the internal batteries run out. It is compatible with most Astera products, including Titan, Helios and Hyperion Tubes, HydraPanel and PixelBrick. When connected lights are running at low level or switched off, the internal battery recharges from this connection, allowing batteries to be swapped during the shoot with no loss of light.
To match the most common kind of camera battery, RuntimeExtender is available with V-Mount and Gold Mount battery connections, and supports both 14.4V and 26V battery types. Any watt/ hour (Wh) capacity battery works with Astera fixtures, including units just below 100Wh which can be checked into an airplane hold. Batteries can be connected via an existing Astera power/data cable or via a 1.5m cable included in the kit.
All of Astera’s VDC lights are supported and RuntimeExtender is rated to 24V 100W shared between two DC outputs. While in the event world, the three-pin XLR is universally used for data distribution, in the film industry it has become a standard to distribute power. Therefore, a third three-pin XLR socket has an unregulated output that passes on the voltage of the battery. This also means it can be used with future Astera products which may use a different voltage. RuntimeExtender is also available as part of a kit which contains four RuntimeExtenders, HexConnectors, BrickConnects and 1.5m DC cables, plus four clamps to mount with the Astera’s HexConnect. Two kit versions are available with V-Mount or Gold Mount connectivity.
www.astera-led.com
ADJ LIGHTING is tripling up with the addition of two moving head luminaires to its Focus range and one compact ellipsoidal luminaire to its Encore series.
The Focus Flex L7 features the same casing design and feature set as the Focus Flex, but adds four-in-one red, green, blue and lime LEDs to deliver
11-position (plus open white) colour wheel features a selection of dichroic filters and includes a 3,200K CTO colour correction, while two independent gobo wheels are pre-loaded with patterns for a broad range of applications. The Focus Hybrid provides six dimming modes, four dimming curves and variable dimming speed personal preference, while the light source also supports standard, pulse and random strobe effects, at variable speeds between 1Hz and 20Hz. Both the Focus Flex L7 and the Focus Hybrid support five-pin DMX input and output sockets, wireless DMX functionality and RDM to provide remote DMX addressing.
Meanwhile, the Encore Profile Mini WW is a compact ellipsoidal luminaire which uses a 40W warm white LED engine to deliver a 900-lumen output with an even field and CRI of >98. Two compatible lenses can adapt the fixture to various beam angles. Both lenses offer manual zoom, with the EP Mini Lens 1530 offering a variable beam angle of 15–30°, and the EP
Powered by seven 40W RGBL colourmixing LEDs, the addition of a lime chip alongside the primary RGB colours delivers an output of 3,500 lumens (increased from 3,000 on the original) as well as a higher CRI of 84 (compared to 78). Its motorised zoom function allows the beam to be altered remotely between a 6° and 55° field angle to generate both wide washes and narrow beam effects, and each LED element can be dimmed independently to access a wide palette of output colours. It allows white light output with a variable colour temperature of between 2,700K and 10,000K which can be dimmed from a dedicated DMX channel or a collection of presets. Five dimming modes, four dimming curves and an adjustable dimming speed are said to add flexibility, while the LED refresh rate can also be adjusted to eliminate flicker for broadcast or video applications.
ADJ’s second addition is the Focus Hybrid, designed for projects that require one fixture to serve multiple purposes. Its 200W cool white (7,500K) LED light engine generates an output of up to 4,100 lumens and ADJ says a variable beam angle of between 2° and 24° caters for a range of effects. Its motorised focus function allows projected patterns at varying projection distances, while a frost filter can further widen the beam angle and soften the beam edge for wash outputs. An
Mini Lens 2550 providing 25–50°. The fixture can also be used to project gobo patterns and is supplied with a holder for standard “E” size gobos. The Encore Profile Mini Color comes with 16 3.5W RGBWAL LEDs and can generate white light with colour temperatures from 2,700K up to 7,000K and has a dedicated dynamic white DMX channel. The Encore Profile Mini Color offers digital dimming with variable curves and a selection of dimming modes as well as variable speed strobing. It also supports adjustable refresh rates so that flicker can be avoided during filming.
www.adj.com
AVAILABLE IN tungsten, daylight and full-colour versions, Cameo’s P-Series is
CMY colour mixing, the AZOR S2 has an additional colour wheel with eight
DESIGNED TO operate both as a moving head and as a static profile, Robe’s TX1
PosiProfile luminaire is intended for use in confined spaces where access or movement options are limited. Fixtures usually require pre-use pan and tilt movement calibration to ensure accurate control when power cycling. The TX1 PosiProfile uses Robe’s Motionless Absolute Positioning System (MAPS) to ensure the fixture stays motionless while calibrating. The company claims this is what makes it ideal for tight spaces. In addition, Robe’s Brake Attribute Retention System (BARS) means that motorised attributes like pan and tilt, zoom and focus remain locked in place until being released. The TX1’s MSL-TE 500W MultiSpectral LED engine generates over 13,500 lumens.
The lighting manufacturer has also expanded its iFORTE range of LED lights with the iFORTE FS. Designed for precision follow spotting applications in outdoor environments, the iFORTE FS comes with an
integrated IP65 camera for weather-resistant remote outdoor follow spotting.
www.robe.cz
ALREADY WIDELY in use across Europe, GLP’s Fusion X-PAR 12 Z spot is now available worldwide. Developed
to different stage requirements via a variety of interchangeable lenses with fixed beam angles (19°, 26°, 36° and 50°) as well as zoom lenses for 15–30° and 25–50° ranges. The products can also be used in combination with Cameo’s iDMX Stick to provide control via DMX and RDM, and wirelessly via W-DMX.
The AZOR S2 is a compact spot moving head with 11,000-lumen luminous flux and 5–50° zoom range for use on smalland medium-sized stages. Besides its
Finally, the H1 FC is a DMX-controllable
convection cooling, the H1 FC operates silently and is suitable for noisesensitive areas. Thanks to its high colour fidelity across all measurable categories, the full-colour luminaire reportedly ensures pure aesthetics without colour-distorting effects. Maximum flexibility is provided by control options via DMX, W-DMX, RDM and the optional Cameo UNICON remote control.
www.cameolight.com
ETC BRAND High End Systems has unveiled its Halcyon automated framing luminaires for use in rental operations, theatres and opera houses. The range consists of Gold, Titanium and Platinum lights designed for a wide range of uses. Halcyon Gold outputs 31,000 lumens and is suitable for short- to mediumthrow applications. For medium to long throws, Titanium outputs 40,000 lumens and, for longer distances, the Platinum model offers a light output of 54,000 lumens, which can be switched to 71,000 lumens in boost mode.
All three lights feature two LED engine options: the Ultra Bright engine is geared to maximum intensity, while the High Fidelity engine provides maximum colour rendition and vibrance. Halcyon’s colour-mixing system uses tighter gradient dichroics and a linear
evolution of GLP’s LED PAR series, the X-PAR 12 Z is IP65-rated to guarantee use in both interior and exterior applications. Powered by a single-source 120W COB LED in primary RGB colours and lime, the spot can generate up to 2,520 lumens output and with a CRI of 80+. It has a 52° and a 190mm front lens to provide flexible light output options, while its iQ.Gamut colour algorithm generates white points and light quality consistent with GLP’s previous LED PARs. GLP states its robust aluminium housing allows problem-free use in hazardous conditions, and its fully enclosed weatherproof housing reduces maintenance requirements in day-to-day use.
mixing curve, full curtain framing on four focus planes and extended framing rotation. In addition, a pattern package has been introduced with a full library of aerials, rotational effects, breakups, diffusion and prisms. ETC’s Trifusion system is said to bring a wide range of diffusion with a single control channel, maintaining maximum output and even frost distribution across the field, and a smooth transition from a sharp edge all the way to a heavy wash. A continuously variable rotating animation wheel with linear insertion allows programmers to control the animation’s angular position. ETC’s Whisper Home technology employs a dual sensor system, allowing Halcyon fixtures to home with little movement.
www.etcconnect.com
AV NETWORKING HAS COME A LONG WAY AND IS moving into a mature, stable phase. While there are still valid use cases for connector-specific applications like HDMI and XLR, many of the products recently revealed at ISE eschewed those legacy-style connectors in favour of only RJ45 or USB-C. But while connecting devices to the network is increasingly approaching plug-and-play functionality, there’s still a lot of planning and consideration needed to run AV over the network successfully.
Creating a converged network, with AV and corporate data running side-by-side, was the holy grail back in the day. IT teams often refused to add AV to the corporate network for fear of causing bottlenecks or disruptions. Now, we’re seeing a trend in that direction as AV devices evolve as good network stewards. There’s still a perfectly good use case for separate networks, especially if you’ve
supported holistic transport solution. The advantage is that if something goes wrong with the implementation, there’s a company that supports the platform, has a deep understanding of the technology and wants to help integrators and manufacturers alike.
The point of synchronising audio and video is to timealign what we hear with what we see. The human brain can withstand some mismatch watching people speak or play instruments, but only up to about 200ms before being impacted. Audio and video are often treated as separate streams because they have different processing requirements and are sent to different endpoints. But having separate streams and transport pathways greatly increases the chances of asynchronous AV delivery. An advantage built into Dante AV Ultra products is that they use the network PTP clock to keep the audio and video synchronised on the network, eliminating a large swathe
impossible to maintain synchronisation across subnets. If engineering is on one subnet and the auditorium is on another, passing audio will be complicated at best. Tools like Dante Domain Manager overcome the subnet synchronisation limitation, allowing transmission of synchronised AV across subnets without needing to modify switches or add hardware. It allows Dante networks to use unicast to bridge between subnets and creates synchronised clock domains allowing for one large network. Still, the behaviour is confined to the devices that use AV traffic, so there’s no impact on the rest of the network.
Today’s endpoint connections are primarily 1Gb and, while audio streams are tiny by comparison and require no compression, video is an entirely different story. An uncompressed 4K60 stream with HDR is approximately 35Gb/s, so nearly all networked video is compressed in some fashion. Different applications use different compression codecs, each with pros and cons for implementation and transmission. For real-time applications like live events, manufacturers will use visually lossless codecs like JPEG 2000 to compress the stream and make it bandwidth-friendly for the 1Gb portions of the network, then decompress it at the output endpoint for display. Dante AV Ultra uses JPEG 2000 for its encoding and decoding – which requires more processing power – but the output is visually flawless.
got a high level of AV traffic that needs to be managed, and it’s a significant part of your bandwidth.
One of the biggest challenges is the large number of manufacturers and myriad ways they implement networking. A classic fix for the interoperability challenge is the “walled garden” approach. The advantage is that the products work well together, but the disadvantage is that you’re limited to that one brand. If the manufacturer doesn’t have what you need or stops making something you like then you’re stuck, unless you buy new hardware to break out of the walls.
Another potential fix for interoperability is the establishment of standards. Standards create agreedupon technology elements, but they don’t provide the implementation or support of the underlying technology. No measure of quality is inherent in the standard. Many also leave the door open for enough interpretation to cause interoperability issues. An alternate case for interoperability is having a third-party develop a fully
of issues. The primary advantage of a converged network is everything runs over the same cable, and you can use fewer software instances to manage the network. You plug in an endpoint and instantly have access to the needed AV resources in addition to getting to files and messaging systems.
Every network, converged or not, requires much planning to succeed. Designers need to draw out the system, note where the switches and the subnet boundaries are and then consider how they’re going to manage multicast inside the areas of the network using an AV-over-IP system, ensuring there’s enough bandwidth in the trunks (switch-to-switch connections) to prevent a choke point. In a typical bespoke design, the trunk connections are 10Gb or faster, while the downstream connections are 1Gb.
Furthermore, many enterprise-level networks deploy parts on separate subnets to increase security and improve quality of service. However, it’s almost
Streaming codecs like H.26x are often easier to implement and support much higher compression rates but at the risk of introducing visual artefacts. H.26x is great (good enough) for lots of applications since end users are used to it, and it’s inexpensive to implement because it’s been adopted everywhere for mediumfidelity video. Many video products use that technology, but not because it’s the best for a network. It has much higher latency and is much less predictable but is very efficient. Because of this, Audinate introduced Dante AVH, software designed to run on systems-on-a-chip to give them access to Dante control and management. Converged networks are gaining popularity as AV devices behave more intrinsically like IT endpoints. But creating a converged network and managing it effectively are two separate issues. One of the biggest keys to the success of any large, converged network is how easy it is to manage, so take the time to choose wisely.
Brad Price explains why you can’t think about audio networking without considering videoBrad Price
The Adamson Fletcher Machine Remote software is a user friendly interface that includes dynamic object positioning and a complete set of mixing tools, including EQ, compression, auxiliary sends, and much more. To learn more about the Adamson Fletcher Machine visit our website at www.adamsonsystems.com
Send on Fader for Speakers, Aux, Reverb and VCAs
Dedicated Page for Solo in Place
Custom Fader Page
Mixdown
Embedded 2D/3D Trajectory Generator
Single / Loop Modes
Trajectory recall
